#and I got to make ads even more intrusive >:3

[recaptchaai]

The Second Sun

Prompt: write about how an issue we're grappling with today will have changed our daily lives 50+ years from now

Word Count: 1124 words

Content Warning: Some strong language

---

4:00.

Four A fucking M.

I wish I could smash that goddamn clock. All it tells is lies, lies, and more goddamn lies!

Even with the blackout curtains taped against the wall, a halo of light still escapes. Mostly out the top and bottom. Why did I have to get the bedroom with the fucking window?

I pinch the bridge of my nose as I rub my eyelids. Just accept it, I tell myself. You’re not gonna be able to get any sleep tonight. Hell, it’s never really night, is it?

I stand up from my desk, stretching. My phone’s notification area is blown up from my sleep app begging me to sleep and to lower the brightness of the room. Totally would if I could.

But I can’t.

So I go for a walk. Or try to, at least. I haven’t even stepped across the goddamn threshold of the front door before I’m bombarded with fucking holo-ads.

Try the new melatonin! 85% more likely to improve your night’s sleep!

Check out the latest and greatest phones! Think yours is fine and don’t need an upgrade? Too bad! It’s obsolete now!

Hover car AI is improving!

Tired of being called a loser? Get the new Mel 896, the #1 personal robot!

Coffee! Soda! Energy drinks! Caffeine! Caffeine! Caffeine!

Pushing past them into the fresh air, I set off to who knows where and try to take in the quieter scenery of the early morning while I’m at it. Maybe if I try really hard, I won’t notice the holo-ads. I scoff. Yeah, right.

I look up at the bright neon-colored sky. “Might be a cloudy day, huh?” I mutter to the ads. They all shutter and now they’re all weather reports, buy rain gear, and other unrelated things. I sigh as I look down at the concrete sidewalk.

I must’ve gone into a slight daze because by the time I look up, I’m at the local marine science center. Thankfully, as I open the tall wooden fence gate that leads to the back entrance, the holo-ads finally decide to leave me alone. The metal door makes a loud CLINK-CLANK that echoes through the empty building as I push it open. The blue light from the tanks is relaxing and several of the inhabitants come to the glass to greet me as I pass. Some of them do a little spin, which I mimic back with a carefree laugh while others just press against the glass. I eventually run into a very caffeinated, very sandy looking Dr. Honu, her graying hair more frazzled than normal.

“Ah, Lucky!” she says, a little startled. “Couldn’t sleep either, huh?”

“I lost track of time working on an assignment,” I weakly laugh, rubbing the back of my head. “What about you?”

“Oh, I went to go check on the turtle nests again. Was just popping back real quick to grab my sandwich.” She held up the small, hard tackle box that she used for both her lunch and the most obscure things that probably didn’t belong next to a sandwich. “Forgot to grab it earlier. Silly me! Now, come! I’m pretty sure the little guys are fightin’ their way out by now!”

She rushes away, her sand-crusted lab coat flowing behind her. “Wait, they’re hatching already?” I ask as I catch up to her. For a woman in her 60’s, she sure was fast. “I thought you said they wouldn’t hatch until next Tuesday.”

“Well!” Dr. Honu shouts a little too loud over the CLINK-CLANK of another metal door leading to the path to the beach, a slight craze in her eye. “They decided they wanted to brave the world a little early!”

Before we even set foot on the sand, we come across a lost hatchling. “Oh no, you silly goose,” Dr. Honu tells the baby turtle as she scoops them up. “The ocean is that way.”

We reach the nest, and after setting the little one back in the sand facing the ocean, Dr. Honu kneels down with a sigh, scanning for either more turtles or her things. I take out my phone and open the weather app.

Night Sky Brightness for Today: 9

As I look up with a sigh, the doctor is frantically trying to turn the poor turtles towards the sea and shoo the holo-ads away. “No, no, no! You don’t want to go that way! It’s all icky and not the ocean. Oh come on now! Just! Just work with me here! Go away, you, you stupid ad! I don’t need a new fridge! Go on! Shoo!”

After what feels like an eternity, the turtles stop coming. We both collapse onto the sand and Dr. Honu is finally able to take a bite of her sandwich. I look up at an increasingly naturally colored sky. “How did it get like this?” I quietly ask. It was rhetorical, but the doctor answered anyway.

“Because people don’t care. Yeah, it’s harder to sleep and all, but, like, you just buy blackout curtains.” She shoves away a brighter than normal holo-ad for said curtains and I ignore the one trying to blind me and sell duct tape. “Nobody cares about how they’re impacting the ecosystem. Nobody cares about seeing the stars. They’ll complain about rising energy prices, but they’ll never care enough to do anything about it.”

“Yeah,” I trailed off. We sat in silence for a moment before continuing. “My professor was talking to us the other day that a nine on the Bortle means basically nothing anymore. It’s been the most common class on the scale for several years now.”

“Yeah,” the Doc laughs. “It’s been a ‘nine’ here for two decades, at least.”

I look back. Holo-ads, big and small, float around the twisting neon vines of a fluorescent concrete jungle blanketed in a thick haze of smog and unnatural noise. It’s not even a big city, and we’re even on the outskirts, but it’s brighter than the sun rising in front of us. I grew up in a place very similar to here, with at least one sun constantly on the horizon and an eight was unheard of. It’s a miracle I even learned of astronomy, given that there is an entire generation who have only seen one star in their entire lifetimes.

I glance down at my phone. 6:28. We would’ve been watching the sunrise right now, but when the sky is perpetually light, it’s just another bright sun on the horizon. Nothing spectacular like the colors Dr. Honu has told me of. To think, at one point, nature was venerated for her beauty. I would hope to see the stars one day, but nobody cares. Nobody cares to do anything.

[oddaesthetin]

3:56 am — gojo satoru

————

“you know, i find that you’re actually quite easy to understand,” you muttered out of the blue, enigmatically, not even bothering to spare him a glance, and continued in whatever you were doing.

you saw him straighten up in your periphery.

“and by easy to understand, what do you mean exactly?”

“in a way where i know you prefer ice cream sandwiches more than ice cream cakes. or how your favorite song is shame on me by avicii because you think it reflects your life,” you stood up straight and looked at him for a second, completely ignoring what you were doing as you delved into thinking deeper. “i also know, and you’ll probably deny this, that your favourite flower is red and purple chrysanthemum because you find them vibrant and fluffy.”

the last statement reminding you of that one instance when you saw him get absolutely enticed upon seeing the flower. how he tried to fight off the intrusivity of squeezing them just to see whether they’d remain fluffy or not but failing miserably, and how his eyes got a tint of sadness when he saw the flowers crushed down to pieces. that one instance you see happen time and time again whenever he gets ahold of them.

hearing the last statement made satoru pout. not that you’ve noticed, as you went back to being engrossed in your project.

“i mean, i completely get the rationale behind that. maybe since people think you’re the strongest, or maybe since you grew up silver-spooned, it’s quite unlikely for people to assume that you’re no different at all from the rest. perhaps that thought is what makes it easy for them to separate you so they could look up to you.”

when silence engulfed the place, your eyes immediately went to the white-haired brute at the corner. although there was a distance between where you were both standing, it wasn’t as hard to notice the soft smile playing on his lips.

at the back of his mind, satoru is praying you wouldn’t see how much he cares about this conversation so much. it’s not so often you get to have these kinds of conversations, but when you do, he adores it dearly. somehow, you always find a new way to tug his heart and mind.

he deliberately tried to fix his shades in an attempt to also hide the soft glaze his eyes bore.

“just because you know my favourite things does not make me easy to understand.” he disagreed, amidst the reddening of both his ears.

like how you get ignorantly confident from time to time, you shook your head as you answered, “but for me, you are. it’s exactly because i know you. and i’ve known you for years now. i’ve noticed your habits…how you think…they’re engraved in my mind.”

how sometimes he says something that’s exactly the opposite of what he’s thinking.

“besides, just because i think you’re easy to understand does not mean you’re not a complex person.”

how he so desperately wants to be normal and yet never wants to give up his ideals that are always adding to his hurt and burden. you saw him move from where he initially was.

“i think that all these is what makes you comforting.”

“i’m comforting?”

you raised your head and finally looked him in the eyes. “yes. to put it in easier words, you’re kinda like a close friend at a bad dinner party.”

satoru laughed. “a close friend at the dinner party, huh? what got me demoted?”

of course, satoru knows what you mean. he’s known you just as much as you’ve known him. and it makes his heart swell hearing you talk about his habits he never thought you’d take time to memorize and analyze because truthfully, no one has made an effort as deep as you did for him. when he’s with you, he feels like a common person. never having to be the strongest. never having to be gojo satoru. when he’s with you, he feels just like…toru. your man, toru.

his life with you is both seeing and being seen. he remembers his younger self— how he was so confident that he had learned everything in this world and there was nothing left for him to learn. just that thought alone made him snicker because oh boy was he so wrong, for being with you helped him discover new things, and grow as a person in many ways than one. he feels like a kid who’s only experienced the world for the first time. a world where being flawed is not a flaw, but a reason to keep loving, without hesitation and reservations. where waking up is not a task, but a choice, because he gets so excited to see your face first things first, converse with you, and do life with you. you’re like the orange to his blue. you may both be at the opposite ends of the spectrum, but you do well at complementing each other.

what you both have is bigger than the world. too complicated to explain but very easy to embrace. it’s a new feeling he’s willing to explore even more.

when he shares a space with you, it’s like the roles have been reversed. instead of him protecting you, it’s you that’s giving him safety. like tonight. he doesn’t know how to explain all this to you without his heart exploding and his words turning gibberish, but he hoped you know. his words may not be as impactful, but he tries his best to show it.

you rolled your eyes at the statement, “it’s just a figure of speech, hun.”

your boyfriend giggled and walked even closer to you. you were about to welcome his stance when he stopped you and turned you around as he wrapped his arms around your body. “yeah, well, even if it’s theoretical, i still would like to be your boyfriend. or husband, even.”

“that’s…not how what i said works, toru.” you replied at his idiocy, stifling a laugh. as he buried his face in your neck, you softly ruffled his hair. when you felt his lips smack a kiss to your neck, a whisper of “i love you” entered your ears.

———-

hUEY LISTWN! this is a comfort piece i wrote for myself after the latest manga update so this might be a little cringe to som of you. this has been rotting in my notes 4 quite some time already but iv’e only gotten the confidence to share it now. if u liked it, tysm! we’ll survive the manga 2gether! 🥹🫵👯‍♀️

[slaymybreathaway]

Batwife (Bruce Wayne x Reader)

"The Batman" 2022

Warnings: mentions of nudity

Word Count: 776

Masterlist

"The city's favourite couple are saying 'I do' this morning at Gotham Cathedral. Billionaire Bruce Wayne and Oscar Winning actress Y/n L/n made their first public appearance as a couple nearly 3 years ago at the premier of y/n's movie The Gravedigger," one reporter said.

Every news station in the city waited impatiently outside the cathedral for them to emerge. It was the event of the decade, the closest Gotham would ever get to a royal wedding.

Just then, the newlyweds emerged from the Church. Y/n was wearing a simple silk wedding dress with colourful flowers adorned on the lace sleeves that covered her arms. Bruce was looking sharp in a black suit. The handkerchief tucked neatly in his breast pocket was a bright yellow. Many fans speculate that the burst of colour was added by his new wife, the actress being famous for her making block colours fashionable again.

As soon as the doors of the Cathedral were opened, they were bombarded with flashing cameras and intrusive questions.

"Y/n, many speculate you are marrying for money," one particularly pushy reporter asked.

Bruce tried to get his new wife to ignore this statement but y/n turned around and spoke straight into his microphone. "I'm more than capable of making my own money, thank you," she said and followed her husband into the wedding car.

♡ 5 years later ♡

Y/n Wayne sat in living room watching, no studying the news. Every night she did the same, waiting for the headline she dreaded 'Masked Vigilante Found Dead'. Thankfully it hasn't happened yet.

Then, Alfred brought her a cup of coffee. "Here, I assume you won't go to sleep until Master Bruce comes home," he smiled slightly.

"Am I that readable?" she asked and took the cup "Anyways will you tell me when he does get home, please?"

Alfred agreed and y/n went back to watching the news.

An hour later, y/n was on the verge of falling asleep when Alfred came back in. "Master Bruce has arrived," he announced.

Y/n yawned. She got up, put on her robe and got in the elevator down to what her husband called the 'bat-cave' but she referred to it as the glorified basment.

When the elevator stopped y/n could see Bruce writing down the nights events.

"Dear Diary, it's Halloween today and I had to dress up like a bat. All the other kids made fun of me and stole my candy," she joked and walked over to him.

Bruce smiled "I told you not to wait around for me anymore honey," He closed his notebook and brought her face to kiss him.

She watched as he took out his camera contact lenses and placed them on the scanner.

Y/n knew that he wouldn't listen to her properly while watching the footage of tonight so she decided to mess with him.

"I went to a Halloween party tonight,"

"Mhm, that's nice honey. What did you wear?" he asked, not really caring about the answer.

"Barely anything," y/n whispered in his ear.

No reaction whatsoever came from Bruce's face, he replied with another automated answer "Great, hope you didn't get too cold,"

Y/n crossed her arms in frustration. "You should've came. To the party, I mean. If I attend another social event alone people will start to rumour your death,"

"Well, it seems like crime never ends in this city," he said, his head still stuck in the monitors.

"Yeah but marriages do," y/n mumbled.

Bruce broke out of his trance and turned to face his wife. "What?"

Y/n's expression broke into a smile. "The fact that I had to mention divorce for my husband to even make eye contact with me,"

He sighed "I'm sorry, my love. It's just, this thing," he gestures to the screen.

"Maybe I can help?" y/n asked, already knowing the answer. Bruce didn't want her involved in the whole 'Batman' thing because she worries enough about him without her knowing the amount of danger he really is in.

"C'mon, with most women, if their husband stayed out half the night and comes back with eye makeup on then he's cheating. My situation is... A little different. Just, please let me help you," she looked up at him pleadingly.

He sighed. "Alright come here," he wrapped his arms around his wife as he showed her the 'He lies still' card.

[softestqueeen]

my little flower pt. 2

pairing: stalker!könig (cod) x reader

summary: You were just minding your business, planting some new flowers in your garden, when suddenly a (charming) man in a mask abducts you to use you for his pleasure. You are incredibly conflicted; the stranger seems to be kinda nice but also incredibly selfish at the same time.

Slowly you’re getting used to living with the man that was slowly becoming more than just the man who abducted you. You’re also getting used to the different ways he’s using and abusing your body.

warnings: 18+ MDNI!! mention of stalking, kidnapping and being held captive, p in v sex, non con, rape, kind of free use?, consent �� never heard of it, no safe word, shower sex, sexual abuse, description emotional abuse, very possessive behaviour, light bondage, handcuffs, cunnilingus, overstimulation, gagging, spanking, 69, oral (both receiving), no aftercare

wordcount: 2283 words

read part one here!

a/n: I just couldn’t let it go and had to write a part two. Am I procrastinating with writing rn? Maybe. Enjoy <3

You couldn’t tell how long König had already kept you locked up in your room. It could have been days, but it could have also been weeks, months. The past was a bit blurry. He didn’t drug you that often anymore and the only way you could keep track of time was to try to observe when König left for work an when he came back.

You knew when he came back because he always checked on you. If you weren’t having sex, he was sometimes actually really nice to you. Always checking on your health if you were hungry or needed anything else. The two of you sometimes even have dinner downstairs on the rare occasions when he lets you leave your room. It is easier than expected to talk to him and sometimes living with him felt freeing, as weird as that sounds.

You didn’t have to work or worry about money; you didn’t really have to socialise with anyone or meet new people. You could spend the whole day reading and dressing up in the countless outfits that König hung up in your closet and await his return.

He enjoyed you company but what he enjoyed even more was using your body. It had taken some time to get used to the fact that you sometimes woke up gagged with König’s cock deep down your pussy or that sometimes when he got home from work, he didn’t care about what you were doing but just forced himself into one of your holes.

Sometimes you wondered how your parents were doing or what your friends were up to. But König was quick to fuck those thoughts out of you.

As weird and twisted as it may sound you were slowly falling for the dark man.

You were currently standing in the shower, enjoying the warm stream, and listening to some music on the CD-player König had gotten you after you complained about how quiet it was when he was gone.

You’ve just rinsed the shampoo out of your hair and were about to grab your bottle of shower gel when you suddenly felt a pair of hands on your lips. Now you could also feel a powerful presence behind you.

You didn’t get any warning before König entered you in one swift motion, making a sound between a gasp and a moan leave your lips, while you leaned forward to steady yourself against the shower wall. He started to fuck you in earnest, giving you no time to recover from the intrusion and using you in a way he hadn’t in a long time.

“I have been thinking about burying my thick cock in that sweet and tight pussy all day long, just for you to not be in your room. You’re never save from me, little flower. I will always find you.” he growled into your ear before speeding up his thrusts and adding “You” Thrust “Are” Thrust “Mine” Thrust “You understand me?” Thrust

You could only whimper and give him a weak nod while he continued to abuse your pussy in earnest. He grabbed your hair and pulled your head back while leaving hickeys everywhere he could reach. He had one hand in your hair and the other one was leaving finger shaped bruises on your hip.

You could do nothing but stand there and let it happen. You knew you were not strong enough to do anything against it, and after the initial shock it was actually quite pleasurable, and you could feel your orgasm already building.

“Say it for me, tell me who you belong to, little flower.”, he told you while slowing down his thrust a bit, but now hitting your g-spot perfectly, making nit even harder for you to answer.

“Y- Y- You, I belong to you”, you managed to stammer out.

He halted his thrusts completely and pinched your nipple, making you yelp. “You know that’s not want I want to hear, sweetheart. I’ll ask you again, who do you belong to?”

You tried to calm your breathing before answering him “I belong to you, König. Only you.”

That seemed to be the right answer because he picked up his pace again and started to drill into you again.

“When you’re going to cum, I want you to scream my name while I fill up that sweet little pussy. And then I’m going to eat that pussy out, you hear me?”, he whispered into your ear while pressing you completely against the tiled shower wall. You let out a gasp when your front made contact with the cold tiles, but nodded anyways, already feeling your orgasm etching closer and closer.

König could also feel you squeezing him and was ready to fill you up.

“Cum for me, little flower. Come for me now or you won’t cum for weeks.”, his sinful words brought you over the edge. You screamed his name while covering his abdomen with your nectar. Not a second later you could feel him shooting his cum into your pussy while slowly halting his thrusts. He kept his still rock-hard cock inside your pussy though, using it as a plug for his cum.

He took the shower head from the wall, taking his hand from your hair.

“Before I’ll eat out your little cunt and taste it, I’m feeling like playing with you a little bit more.”, he told you before using the shower head to wash over your body, the little droplets of water gliding down your skin and if he wasn’t already hard again, he would be now.

You were still pressed against the shower when he guided the shower head to your sensitive cunt, spraying it from afar but slowly moving closer. The little sprays made a shiver run down your spine and you felt König’s cock twitch inside of you, making you moan.

König guided the spray along your pussy, before focusing on your clit. The stimulation felt heavenly, the softness a stark contrast to the harsh fucking from just moments before. He concentrated on your clot before moving along your lips and then going back to your clit, building a steady rhythm.

You were embarrassingly close to coming again, the shower head feeling better than anticipated.

“Cum for me and I’ll eat you out, little flower. I’ll eat you out until you’ll beg me to stop.”, his words brought you even closer to the edge and when he concentrated on your clit and inserted one of his thick fingers inside of your tight cunt, joining his already fat cock, you were a goner.

This orgasm was softer than your first one. You came again with a loud moan of König’s name, and you could feel his cock pulsing inside of you.

He let you some time to calm down before pulling out and steadying you with one of his hands around your waist. He washed you and touched you like you were a porcelain doll about to break. You loved the rare gentleness but also knew that this was the silence before the storm.

He lifted you out of the shower and dried you up, before carrying you back into your bedroom and laying you on the bed. König didn’t bother to put any clothes on you because he knew he wouldn’t need them.

You lay sprawled out on the bed, your legs spread, his cum still dripping out of you. It didn’t surprise you that he spared your cunt when he washed you. You watched König curiously as he walked over to your closet. Did he want to dress you up?

Oh boy, how wrong you were.

He came back with two pairs of handcuffs and a mischievous grin. You just lay there while he handcuffed one of your hands to the bedpost before he repeated the same action on your other hand.

You experimentally pulled on them, but they didn’t give you any room to move. The thought of being at König’s mercy like that made a wave of wetness flow to your pussy.

König didn’t say anything while he went to lay down between your spread legs. He started at your hole and licked up a long stripe to your clit with his flat tongue, making you squirm and moan. You wished you could put your hands into his hair and pull it, knowing he would go feral.

He kept on eating you out, taking his time with you. Circling your clit, licking along the lips of your pussy, teasing your hole, and occasionally even leaving open mouthed kissed on your cunt and on the side of your thighs.

You were slowly going insane. You wished you could move against his face to use your hands in any way to touch him, but you had no chance. If you moved your hips forward, he instantly pulled his mouth away and slapped your thigh. There was already a red spot on the inside of your thigh, but every time he hits you it makes a jolt of pleasure shoot through your body.

He was slowly working you to your next orgasms and you hated the teasing. When you tried to protest, he got up, picked up his glove from the floor and stuffed it into your mouth, gagging you.

You couldn’t breathe through the glove and started to grow lightheaded, but it only fed into your pleasure and making everything feel more intense.

Before he went back to your pussy, he told you “You can come whenever you want, I just need to taste you little flower.”

He slowly brought you to your next orgasm and when you finally hit it, it made you see stars. You let out a scream, though it was muffled by the gag. Even though you came for a third time already, König did not seem to end it here. He just continued to eat you out, but now he was slowly increasing the speed until his harsh movements started to hurt your already overstimulated pussy.

Tears were now streaming down your face, and you felt dizzy again, but König seemed to be in his own world, groaning and moaning against your heat. He lapped up your juices when you came for the fourth time.

You thought he would have some mercy on you and leave you be for the night when he pulled away and got up from the bed. But when you saw that he still had a huge boner, you knew that he was not done yet.

He removed the gag from your mouth, and you greedily breathed in the fresh air in big gulps. He went to remove the handcuffs and you just let your hands drop, not being able to move them anymore, your wrists sore from the cuffs.

He joined you on the bed again, lifting your hips and putting you over his face. Your back was faced to the headboard and when you looked forward, you could see König’s errection standing proudly and already messy with pre-cum.

If König didn’t have such a strong grip on your waits, you were sure that you would just fall forward. He spread your legs a bit wider so that your already swollen pussy was directly over his lips. You could feel the breaths of his next words against you, making you shiver.

“I’m going to keep on playing with that sweet little pussy until you made me cum with your mouth, little flower. But don’t use your hands.”, he commanded.

You immediately leaned forward, your shaky arms were on either side of his hips, supporting your weight.

You licked a long stripe up his cock, tracing a particular prominent vein, before sucking his head into your mouth and swallowing his pre-cum.

You could feel him groaning against you before he started to eat you out again. You moaned around him, feeling his thighs and hips twitching underneath you. You worked your mouth up and down his length, taking him deeper with every time you moved down on his cock.

You could feel him twitch inside of you and more pre-com escaping his slit. You took him down your throat, his tip already hitting the back of your throat. He fucked your throat so often; you didn’t even gag anymore on his thick grid.

You started to move in sync, his finger now joining his mouth. He slowly worked his large fingers inside of you, until three of them were pumping in and out of you. When he entered a fourth one and sucked on your clit, you were done.

His cock hit the back of your throat when you hit your orgasm, your head stilling, while König kept on fucking you with his fingers, working you through your high.

The taste of your release and your tight throat around his cock, made him shoot thick ropes of cum down your throat. You moaned around him when you tasted his release, now slowly lifting your head. Only the head of his cock remained in your mouth, and you sucked on it, swallowing down the last drops of his sweet cum.

You completely pulled off him and he lifted you up again, pulling his fingers out of cunt and detaching his tongue from you.

He lifted you completely from him and turned you around, so your head was nestled on the pillow.

He harshly slapped your ass, making you jolt forward and force a moan out of your lips. You were so overstimulated, you hoped he was finally finished with you.

He put on his boxers again, before he looked at you naked body on more time. “Get some rest, little flower. I’m not done with you yet.”

a/n: thanks for reading, i hope you enjoyed it! Please leave some notes in the form of likes, reblogs and comments! Feedback is always appreciated and comments in general help me a lot to improve my writing and always make my day!

You can also request things here and on my ao3!

taglist: @silvermagnolias @milywatermelon @BigBananaa

[guppygiggles]

Like Real People Do, Part 5! ♡ (Casper x Avery)

☁️ Summary: Avery is curious about tickling, which he's never experienced. Casper can hardly contain himself. Both are a bit nervous -- can they find a way to break the ice?

☁️ Warnings: Ler!Casper, Lee!Avery, VERY SUGGESTIVE, LOTS OF TEASING, SUPER SUPER GAY, NO MINORS!

☁️ Author's Note: This is probably the most self-indulgent thing I've ever shared with Tumblr, and if you can believe it, I didn't even go as far as I wanted to, and I am planning on continuing this scene ahh-

This is a series now!

Part 1

Part 2

Part 3

Part 4

Part 5 *you are here

Part 6

Part 7

Part 8

If you just got here and want to know more about my characters, you can read my comic starting right here!

“So… how do you want me?”

We were standing at the foot of my neatly made, queen-sized bed. Avery was so tall that day, I wondered if his feet would hang off the end; it was going to be close. Biting my lip, I was helpless but to imagine him lying on his back, arms over his head as I straddled his waist, his boisterous laughter filling the room. How did I want him? How did I not? 

I turned to look at him, still dressed in his cold-weather day clothes. He hadn't even taken off his sweater, yet. 

“Well, you won't be very comfortable wearing that outfit. You might… get a bit warm. Did you bring anything to sleep in?”

“Warm, huh? You must have big plans for me,” he quipped, catching me off guard, and then added with a giggle before I could respond, “just playing; I’ll go change.”

As clothing shuffled on the other side of the bathroom door, I was grateful for the hum of my AC unit to cushion the silence. Just listening felt intrusive, but my apartment was so small, there was no way to give him more privacy. Leaning against the wall of my bedroom, I looked down at my socked toes flexing against the carpet. I’d never seen Avery's bare feet before. I'd never seen most parts of his body; in the few months I'd known him, he'd never worn anything more revealing than his standard short sleeve button-up and slacks, even in the summer. Sheepishly, I wondered what his belly looked like; I bet it was as soft as the rest of him, maybe even softer. I wondered if I'd be able to see the mysterious storm inside of him more clearly on a bigger canvas. I imagined his ribs, his sides, his underarms… how ticklish was each spot? Was he squirmy? Squeaky? Was he the type to hold his giggles in until he couldn't stand it anymore…? 

I whimpered, fidgeting impatiently as I tried to resist the urge to imagine him further; I was beginning to sweat, and we hadn't even started yet. Graciously, I did not have to wait long – hearing the bathroom door open, I peeked around the corner. 

Avery emerged wearing a sky-blue tank top and matching plaid flannel pants. Like some Victorian-era aristocrat spying an uncovered ankle for the first time, I blushed at the sight of his smooth, white shoulders and biceps. His skin had the appearance of marble, albeit with a slight translucency; like thick smoke trapped in a bottle, I could barely make out the billowing, swirling texture beneath.

“Ah… I stole these clothes. It was before we met,” said Avery, bashfully.

I took a moment to gather myself. “Oh, th-that’s okay. Walmart has enough money, you know? And, that blue looks very nice on you.” 

A much lighter shade of blue colored his pallid cheeks. “Oh, thank you! You told me before that you liked when I wore this color, so… I thought you might like it.”

A brief silence passed between us.

“So, dewdrop… do you want me to just lay down?” 

The tension was palpable. I was desperate to break the ice. 

“Sure, just get comfortable. And, geez… don't be so tense!” I paused, exhaling a held breath, and appreciating the irony that I was also very tense. I summoned my strength to say the next few words out loud: “T-tickling is supposed to be fun, you know? You're not nervous, are you? It's just me… little pipsqueak Casper,” I reassured him, offering a shy smile. “I'm not gonna torture you, okay? We'll go slow.” 

Avery smiled back, but I was still sensing a bit of trepidation. “Ah… I guess I am a little nervous. I mean, I'm excited, too! I just know this is important to you, and… I'm worried I won't… meet your expectations.” He trailed off, growing quiet at the end as he looked away from me. 

Avery's expression crushed me like a piece of hard candy. I closed the gap between us, placing my hands on his bare shoulders. 

“You worry so much about disappointing me, and yet you never have, not one time. Avery, there is no way you could react that would change how I feel about you. Even if it turns out that you hate being tickled. Hell, I'm… I'm grateful you're even willing to try this with me,” I comforted, gently stroking my thumb along his skin. “If you don't like it, nothing will change. We'll just get some ice cream, watch another movie and cuddle until it's time for bed. Okay?” 

He smiled at me, then; a real smile, and he seemed to relax a bit, too. “Thanks, dewdrop.” 

“Anytime, cutie. Now go get comfortable, and we'll see if this pipsqueak can give you a giggle or two.” 

+++ 

I inhaled deeply as a stream of cool vapor filled the room. Keeping a humidifier in my apartment was a necessity when Avery was around, especially during the dryer months. He liked when I used scented oil, too; today it was lavender, but I could still detect the scents of old books and wet stone on Avery's skin as he laid beside me. I sat at his hip on the bed, legs folded pretzel-style as I placed my hands on his tummy, over his shirt. 

“I’m just gonna rub a bit first, okay?” I didn't want to catch him off guard – I'd never touched Avery like this before. Sure, I'd rubbed his back or arms occasionally while cuddling, but I'd never intentionally touched a “classic tickle spot” with intent, the way I was about to. 

“Ah, okay…” He relaxed a bit, sinking into the bed as my hands rubbed his belly, over his shirt. Through the thin fabric, his skin was cool and soft against my palms. I felt a slight vibration as he hummed; he seemed to be enjoying it. As I caressed near where his belly button would be, Avery’s face scrunched a bit, and he shifted slightly against the bed. 

“Holy shit, already?” I thought. My heart was going crazy. 

“What's wrong?” I asked, the faintest lilt in my voice. 

“I, ah, felt something… different…“ He said, a little breathlessly. I watched his blush deepen, soft blue spreading across his face. 

“Hehe, if this is already making you squirm, you're probably super ticklish,” I said, and then grew a bit bolder, “you ready to try a real tickle, now?”

It seemed he mustered a bit of confidence, himself, because his response caught me off guard:

“Do your worst, dewdrop.” His eyes were teasing; even a bit challenging. Where did this come from?! 

Despite my furious blush, I did all I could do: respond in kind. 

“Oh, my worst? Alright, you asked for it, Nimbus!” 

With that, my fingers went from flat to clawed, and I began to wiggle them into Avery's soft tummy. It was far from my worst; I knew he didn't even understand what he’d asked for, and I didn't want to overwhelm him. Nonetheless, his response validated my suspicions. 

Avery's back arched off the bed, his fingers splaying out as his hands rested at his sides. His cheeks puffed up as his face scrunched even more, and I could see him fighting a smile that threatened to break into a laugh at any second. His blush was so vibrant now, his glasses were fogging up. Noticeably absent, though, was any effort to stop me. 

My god.

Something awoke inside me, and I let it take control. 

“What's wrong, cupcake~? I thought you wanted my worst, and this is still far from it. Doesn't look like you're handling it too well, are you? Are you just a little ticklish here? Why don't you tell me~?” My words were saturated with teasing. Though I wasn't inexperienced with tickling, I'd had very few opportunities to be the tickler in the past, and that side of me clearly ached to come alive. Despite practically trembling with nervous energy, there was no reasoning with the demon; it was hungry, and Avery was the first meal it’d had in years. 

“I- kehehe… I c- ahahaha!” He tried to respond, his words both laced with and interrupted by laughter at each attempt. My fingers jumped around to different spots on his belly – scribbling below his navel, gently pinching his sides, wiggling all ten into his softness at the center, never letting him adjust to the sensation. It was immediately clear just how uncontrollable his giggles were; Avery laughed as though he didn't expect to, and was being ambushed by just how ticklish he was. 

“Awwww, who knew clouds were this ticklish? C'mon, I know you've got a big laugh in there… let's hear it, hm? Do I need to try a different spot, maybe?” I taunted, moving my hands up to his chest, my digits now formed into wide claws as I gently dug my fingertips into his ribs. 

“PFFFff hehehehahaha!” He cried, and for the first time, he moved his hands. I was expecting him to grab my wrists – instead, he used them to cover his now wildly-flushed face. My heart melted. How was he this cute?! 

“Aww, don't hide from me! I want to see you laughing up a storm!” I joked, unable to resist giggling along with him; his unrestrained laughter was infectious. It seemed my weather-related wordplay had quite the effect on Avery as well, as his laughter spiked significantly.

“Don't sahahahahay THAHAHhahahat!” he whined through his cackling, hands still firmly covering his blushing face. He squirmed beneath my fingers, which still randomly and playfully spidered along his ribcage. Considering his laughter was practically bouncing off the walls, he stayed remarkably still as I tickled him; I wondered if it was because he enjoyed it? 

“Hehehe, aww, what's wrong? Was the weather teasing a little too close to home? Listen, being this ticklish is snow laughing matter,” I continued to taunt, twisting the knife as my fingers switched to dancing up and down his plush, unguarded sides. Avery roared with laughter. 

“AHAHAHhahah! STAHAHAHAP!” He begged, and I instantly stilled my fingertips. Still hiding his face, Avery's chest heaved as he caught his breath, exhales fluttering with soft giggles. I tenderly stroked the curves of his head, and as I did, I felt a curious tingle in my fingers – then, I noticed for the first time that tiny sparks of electricity were shooting off from his skin. 

“Are you okay? I didn't mean to overwhelm you,” I said, afraid for a moment that I had gone too far. 

I watched as he lowered his hands and looked at me. He was beaming; the edges of his flushed face practically glowed with humming electricity. 

“That was so much fun! I can see why you like it so much.” His huge grin revealed a row of delicate, round teeth.

“I am so glad you liked it! Gosh, Avery, you are so ticklish. In fact, I bet you're ticklish everywhere.” 

“Ooh, can we find out?”

I stared at him. I had never said it out loud, but in that moment, I was sure I couldn't possibly love him more. 

“Oh, don't worry – the night is young, and I've got lots more weather puns I can't wait to try on you.” 

[the-ninja-legacy-whip]

how did you come up with the ideas for the guardians and the devourer/genesis both representing an uroboros and their connection to lloyd

I dunno if this is really all that coherent cuz I don't entirely remember the order of my process, just the general trains of thought I was on at some points in time. And boy are they a ride regardless!

I do know that the Ouroboros thing was definitely last, and definitely the best part <3

Buckle up, this one's good, I promise!

As may not be common knowledge, the upcoming Book 3 (based on Season 2) was originally the one and only story I was planning to write for the 10th Anniversary. But as we've well seen by now, there was so much worldbuilding and lore rewriting and character work that had to be built up first, hence two entire stories that had to come before it.

And of course, in the meantime, a lot of stuff got worked around and changed and added. There wasn't even an "Elemental Compass" until after I started work on Chapter 1 for Book 2, when it occurred to me that I needed a concise foundation for how these freaking elements work, especially if I was gonna jack things up when it came to Lloyd and how to factor in the Golden Power (and, y'know, toss in a Master of Surprise).

But, what was at the heart of everything from the very beginning was the idea that the Core Four's Animal Symbols had much more significance than what the show demonstrated, and that they followed a very specific order: Zane and the Wolf represented North and Winter, Jay and the Octopus represented East and Fall, Kai and the Lion represented South and Summer, and Cole and the Gorilla represented West and Spring (hence why I made such a big deal about their birthdays in the beginning times; it's not as important now, just a fun fact snksnksn).

And the first inspiration for that came from this:

The arrangements of symbols within the Temple of Light (called the 'Temple of Life' in Legacyverse) was the one and only time the Animal Symbols were ever significantly acknowledged, and while many things about it bugged me (Jay and Cole visibly going to the wrong symbols, the fact that it wasn't the opposites lined up with each other, etc.) it was still the coolest thing to my young mind and I really wish they could've done more with the concept. But then it never got mentioned again!

So, that's basically how the "Base Compass" got started, before it was even called that.

Then I got to thinking "Well, those symbols would have had come from somewhere", and I played around with the idea of those beasts actually being out in the world or realms somewhere. The only issue was slotting them somewhere in the story proper that would make sense and wouldn't be overly intrusive.

...combine this with the issue of the dragons: having them around would make the movie!mechs be pointless, and then if they were just going to leave, fuse together, and die anyway then what would be the point of having them around at all? So I reworked the role of the dragons for s9 if we ever get there and replaced them with the Guardians instead -> still powerful otherwordly beasts that help from time to time, but not to the point that they're a quick-fix for everything.

And then when I started legitimately developing the Compass as a whole, I got the idea that, while the FSM possessed the Essences of Creation and Destruction (unified as one in the for of Neutralization, the Golden Essence), he wouldn't have had an element to his name, and that these creatures could have been the ones to tech him how to harness the Core Elements (and then into the Golden Weapons). They became his friends, and he held them in such high regard that the symbols are one way he showed his gratitude towards them, especially after convincing them to help protect his realm after the Overlord first manifested. Putting them at the four extremes of the world is how I got the idea to divide the island into Provinces as well (matched up literally like a compass).

Now, onto Lloyd.

His Guardian was initially just going to be the Dragon, big whoop, and the Dragon (Genesis, though I was calling them Epsilon back then) was just going to be related to all things Green Element, end of story close the book one and done, nothing complicated. But then the Book of Elemental Powers releases, and do you know what they had as the symbol for the Green Element?

...A SNAKE?!!?!?!? (whiiiiiiiiich is actually on the back of Lloyd's Elemental Robe prior to him becoming the Ultimate Spinijtzu Master in the show. I didn't even spot it for years, but, y'know)

Anyway, so, do you know what they then had for the Golden Power????

Oh, there's the dragon.

But it gets BETTER

Before Lloyd even taps into any kind of power at all, do you know what his very first symbol was?

Another Snake? No, even better...an Ouroboros

And when we look up the base definition of an Ouroboros?

"A circular symbol depicting a snake, or less commonly a dragon, swallowing its tail as an emblem of wholeness or infinity"

Key words here being: SNAKE OR DRAGON

Leading to my conclusion of, as I had Pythor so nicely phrase it:

"…but the Ouroboros is the insignia of a serpent devouring its own tail. The symbol exists as a representation that endings are beginnings and beginnings are endings. For some, it’s a symbol of hope, proving the determination that persists within all life. But it could also be a hopeless symbol, as it represents no escape from the cycle either… A new loop is always created, just as one is always destroyed in the same breath. It is life and death, both at once, at the same time…it's infinite, and yet, what makes it infinite also sabotages its own existence…" 

(Infinity, you say? Something...infinite? Like....something that cannot be created or destroyed? Something unparalleled? Something...like energy???)

But also–

"The symbol for the Green Element is an Ouroboros, no matter how you look at it. And that's the kicker, isn't it: an Ouroboros is just a serpent…and a serpent can be a snake or a dragon."  

Pythor stares at his crude scribble of the compass with a frown.  

"…or for our purposes, perhaps it could be both. Two sides…of a single coin. Two sides of a single element."  

Thusly, in conclusion— Lloyd's overall symbol, and overall Guardian, is an Ouroboros. When divided into the two aspects of his Element, a green snake represents the Green Element, and a gold dragon represents the Golden Essence. Of course, his Guardians would exist to parallel these concepts.

Conveniently, there was a Golden Dragon within the Temple of Light that Lloyd's actions led to the release of.

(it's moreso a metaphorical release but roll with me here)

Also conveniently, there was a Green Snake that Lloyd's actions led to the release of.

So, it wasn't really too hard to pinpoint how to work Lloyd's Guardian(s) into the picture, ahahaha.

They represent the two side of Life Itself—the side that Creates, the side that Destroys, and when put together, it Neutralizes...

“To create is to destroy; to destroy is to create. To do both, is to be human.”

But everything just fit so insanely well: the Ouroboros symbol itself, the snake/dragon/serpent thing, endings being new beginnings, the whole philosophy of the Green Element matching that of symbolism of an Ouroboros, the fact that all these things were just sitting there in plain sight, unnoticed by the untrained eye?!?! Do you now see why I am obsessed with the untapped potential of this green-gold child?!

ARE YOU NOT ENTERTAINED?!?!?

Aaaaaaaand tying it aaaall back into Movie!verse -> small spoilers, but I've mentioned already, Lloyd's Element is an element of connection. His strength is derived from being surrounded by others, by being surrounded by life, and supported by others connections with him. It's why he requires a connection with the Core Four to unlock his True Potential (whatever that may mean <3).

"Green is the color of life. It flows through all living things... connecting them all. The way I connect the ninjas."

AND THE WAY YOU CONNECT THE ELEMENTS, KID.

[callsignbaphomet]

Finally got him addicted to Calmex.

Despite the wiki saying you have a 35% chance of addiction it took a lot of usage to finally get him hooked on it. Maybe Maim 3 or Modern Drugs reworked the percentage somehow.

I have a very good reason for why Calmex. A sort of mix between canon and headcanon. Calmex gives you:

+2x sneak attack multiplier

+3 perception

+3 agility

The sneak multiplier kinda goes hand in hand with the fact that he's a sniper, all the weapons on him are silenced and I put a shit ton of points into sneak. Makes sense. That's from a gameplay pov. As for him it helps with moving around without making much noise or bringing too much attention to himself. He's paranoid and scared out of his fucking mind whether he wants to admit it or not. The near crippling depression ain't helping either.

The 3 points of added perception make so much sense 'cause his anxiety, depression and PTSD cause him to become hypervigilant.

The extra agility points is just an extra thing though it could help. Nowhere in any setting is this man agile...maybe in Mon Hun 'cause of the weapon choice but not even then.

Here's where the hc part comes in. I like to think Calmex calms the user and this would be a drug he gravitates to given the constant nightmares and night terrors, the vivid flashback/memory, intrusive thoughts, anxiety and hypervigilance. Had a nightmare/night terror? A shot of Calmex. Stuck in a vivid flashback/memory for a few minutes? Another shot of Calmex. Anxiety is kicking up so bad he can hardly think and is physically shaking? Yet another shot of Calmex. Intrusive thoughts getting louder and louder to the point of them drowning out every other sound? Calmex.

And unfortunately the more he abuses it the more he gets addicted to it and the less effective in the long run it is. He's basically using that to shut off the other symptoms just so he can have a moment's peace which unfortunately last less and less the more he depends on Calmex.

I'm not gonna get him addicted to alcohol 'cause he moved from alcohol to Calmex once he felt the drug was a "better" option than getting passed out drunk to sleep to avoid nightmares and night terrors. Plus, in doing research I read that alcohol exacerbates the nightmares so my need for "realism" demanded I switch.

[beginningobserver]

02 kids tell Rui-kun about the Digimon Kaiser

[AO3 version]

A few months after the group had met Rui…

“Ichijouji-kun…” Rui glanced at the taller boy in the group “Can I ask you something…?” 

They and the 02 group were enjoying their day at this cafe shop that had just opened -- one in which you could take your digimon with you. With the number of digimon partnerships increasing and doubling year by year, humankind has been starting to get used to the digimon in their daily lives.

“Hm?” Ken turned to Rui.

“Last time we met… You mentioned being a ‘Digimon Kaiser’ or something like…”

The group looked at each other, then to Ken: “Did you tell him?”

“We only said it briefly” Wormmon defended Ken instead.

“So it was you… Not an illusion?” Rui asked.

“Yes, it was us. Wormmon and I noticed what happened and went to help you get out of there.”

“Huh?” Daisuke blinked, “What are you two talkin’ about?”

“I went to a strange place with a dark ocean in it…”

“You went to--” Hikari was saying but she dropped her line abruptly.

“Anyway, Ichijouji-kun mentioned being a ‘Digimon Kaiser’ so I got curious. I’ve been thinking how could I ask about it without sounding intrusive.”

“Ken, why did ya mention that!?” V-mon protested, with pouty cheeks “It’s too early to talk about the Kaiser!”

“Too early?” Rui raised an eyebrow.

“Well, I think he should learn the truth,” Takeru said seriously. 

“The truth…?”

“Ichijouji-san was our former enemy,” Iori explained nonchalantly, “the Digimon Kaiser was a tyrant trying to dominate the Digital World.”

“Oh, like that one round man from the game Daisuke-kun likes?”

“Yeah, sort of!” Daisuke nodded, but Ken was a little unamused with that comparison, “He even had minions and built things! Like evil versions of Tailmon’s Holy Ring.”

“He also enhanced them,” Miyako continued, “turning into an evil spiral.”

“Evil rings and spirals…? That sounds like a fictional story.”

“But they were real, he also built radio towers to spread the power of his D-3” Tailmon continued.

“Those control towers were brainwashing every digimon wearing those rings and spirals!” Patamon added with a terrifying tone.

“Brainwashing digimon…?” Rui kept getting more and more impressed with that story.

“Yeah!” V-mon nodded his head this time, “he enslaved every digimon and took control of their areas and villages!”

“Oh…”

“D-don’t say just ‘oh’ like if this was a TV series!!” Ken babbled.

“Then one day he just forced all of us to take part in a karaoke contest!” Takeru continued, “And he cheated!”

“Wait-- I don’t remember that…” Wormmon blinked.

“He stole candy from the sweet innocent baby digimon too,” Hikari added with a frown.

“...What?” Ken squinted his eyes.

“He sent Stingmon against us once and made Stingmon wrestle with Taichi-san’s MetalGreymon!” Daisuke babbled energetically.

“I don’t remember evolving Wormmon into Stingmon while I was the Kaiser--”

“He forced all of us to listen to him playing an off-tune electric guitar.” Miyako said in a dramatic tone.

“M-Miyako-san!!”

“He stole our rations when we were camping in the Digital World,” Iori added with a poker face.

“N-not you too, Iori-kun!!”

“He did all of that?” Rui blinked.

“That’s not true!!” Wormmon growled, “Stop making fun of Ken-ch--”

But then Ken and the others started laughing.

“What…?” Lui didn’t get it, alas.

“We’re just teasin’ him!” Daisuke chuckled, “He was a meanie, but he regretted all of his actions and then worked hella hard to fix his mistakes.”

“Yeah, I can agree with that” Ken smiled, “But I’m glad I can say those without feeling guilty anymore.”

“That’s right,” Wormmon nodded, “Ken-chan and I are still working to compensate for our mistakes in the past, but we’re not the bad guys anymore.”

“Oh, I see…”

“... You don’t believe all of that was real right? 💧” they all said, quite sighing at Rui’s reaction to all of it.

[hoonieswhore]

LIII. Lover of mine

Previous / Masterlist / Next

Written chapter under the cut.

Word count: 1,9k

Sadie's important note: I made a post recently, Heavenly it's coming to its end😔 I don't know if I still have 4/5 chapters or if I'll end it on the 60th chapter but it's ending pretty soon! But don't worry cause as soon as this one ends, I'm gonna start with my Spiderman!Hoon smau so I hope you read it! Thanks for the support and love<3 Luv y'all.

Warnings: Mentions of pregnancy. Overthinking. Angst. Fluff. Mentions of nausea. Literally dad jokes. Kinda possessive Hoon.

Taglist: @donghoonie-3 @venusssmoon @tobiosbbyghorl @sunshinesquokka (if you want to be added, send an ask<3 Make sure that your age is visible on your profile)

The tapping sound of your feet against the wooden floor was all that you could hear. One of your best friends was talking but you heard his voice far away as your gaze was fixed on the coffee table in front of you. Heeseung rolled his eyes as he called your name one last time before snapping his fingers in front of your face to get you out of your trance. Your eyes traveled from the table to the boy sitting next to you.

“I don't know why you're nervous,” he said nonchalantly. “He's gonna be a good dad.”

“I know he'd be a great dad but…” you let out a sigh, “what if he leaves me? We talked about a family but we never thought about starting it now.” You bit down on your lip before talking again. “What if he doesn't want it?”

“Hey, that won't happen!” Heeseung wrapped his arms around you, hugging you tight. “Please, he already loves you and he's gonna love you even more if he knows that you're pregnant.” Your friend kept comforting you until you heard someone getting in the apartment, walking towards you.

“Oh, thank god it's you two, I thought I was third wheeling again,” Jake said, his curious eyes moving to the paper on the coffee table. “Oh? What's this? Is it a new contract?” He quickly reached it, taking it closer to his face so he could read it, ignoring Heeseung's warnings.

You pulled away from Heeseung, watching Jake's face getting pale as his jaw dropped due to the surprise.

“You're pregnant,” he whispered, staring at the paper. “Yn, YOU'RE FUCKING PREGNANT,” he screamed, making you get up to place your hand on his mouth to shut him up.

“Jake shut up, what if Sunghoon hears you?” You quietly shouted, making him frown. You let your hand fall to the side of your body, letting him talk.

“He doesn't know yet?” he asked, you could see the confusion in his eyes.

“No, I found out a week ago but I still don't-” you made a pause, feeling nauseous. You took a deep breath, earning a curious look from both boys. “I don't-” you stopped, running to the bathroom.

“She was trying to say that she doesn't know how to tell him,” Heeseung finished your sentence as he knew that you'd take your time in the bathroom.

“Oh…” The Australian boy nodded, “dude we're gonna be uncles!” He smiled as his eyes got brighter. “Do you think it'll be a boy or a girl? Oh my god, I can't wait to meet the baby!” The oldest laughed, shaking his head as he agreed.

You turned on the tap, letting the water run as you washed your face. You brushed your teeth before going back to the living room.

“I'm sorry about that,” you said, earning a nod from your friend before he wrapped his arms around you, pulling you into a big hug.

“I'm so happy for you! I really can't wait to meet them, I'll be the best uncle, I swear!” He mumbled as his smile got bigger. You smiled at him, your intrusive thoughts were telling you that if Sunghoon didn't want the baby, your baby would have a good father figure thanks to your friends.

“Thank you so much,” you hugged him back before pulling away. “I think I'll tell him today…”

The boys gave you a worried look.

“You can wait a bit more if you want to though,” Heeseung said, getting up. He placed his hand on your shoulder, caressing it with his thumb to comfort you. “It'll be okay but I'm definitely kicking his ass if he does something dumb.”

“No, it's okay, he needs to know.” You said, wrapping your arms around your friend's shoulders. “I'm so lucky to have you both! And Jay, of course.” Your friends hugged you tight.

“We won't tell Jay that we found out before him, don't worry,” Jake said. “We don't want him to feel left out or anything.”

As soon as you thanked them, you heard another key opening the main door. Your boyfriend was home.

“Oh, a group hug? Can I join?” He asked with a smile, the dark circles under his eyes and his tired expression made your heart beat faster as your brain was filled with bad thoughts again. If he's already tired, getting 8 hours of sleep, what would happen if he had to wake up in the middle of the night for the baby?

“Of course, come here,” the boys opened their arms, letting him join the hug for a bit before they all pulled away. “So... ” Jake continued, “we should go now! Jay is waiting for us!” He grabbed Heeseung's arm, dragging him to the main door as they both left.

“What's wrong with those two?” Sunghoon laughed, wrapping his arms around your waist. “At least they left us alone~” He cooed, leaning towards your face and placing a soft kiss on your cheek. “Wanna cuddle, baby?”

“Sure!” you grabbed his hand, holding it a bit tight as he pulled away from the hug. “But we need to talk first.” You said, earning a curious look from your boyfriend. “Let's sit on the couch.” You guided him towards the couch, you both sat down next to each other, his knees touching yours.

“Is everything okay, baby?” he asked, holding your hand gently as he caressed your skin with his thumb.

“I think so,” you mumbled, avoiding his gaze. Sunghoon knew that you were nervous about something, so he just squeezed your hand gently, encouraging you to speak. “I mean, it is okay now but I don't know if everything will be okay after I tell you.” The tears gathered in your eyes as you felt your heart skipping a beat.

Your boyfriend felt his heart getting crushed when he saw the tears in your eyes. He took his free hand up, his delicate fingers went to your face as his index and thumb touched your skin to make you look at him.

“Baby, please don't cry, you know I'm here for you,” he whispered before leaning closer to your face. “Please tell me.” He pressed a soft kiss on your lips.

“Alright, first of all, I love our relationship and the past two years have been so amazing, I love you with all my heart and I don't want to lose you.” You started, feeling your voice cracking from how bad you wanted to cry out of nervousness. The model stared at you, a little confused at your words. He had no clue about what was happening. “I don't know what I'd do without you but I also understand that you can leave if you want to and I'll respect it.”

Sunghoon frowned, shaking his head. “What are you talking about, angel? I'll never leave you, you're my whole world and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.” The worst thought crossed his mind but he had to ask before accusing you of cheating. “Yn, why would I leave?”

You captured your lip between your teeth before grabbing the paper on the table with your free hand. Sunghoon's gaze shifted to the piece of paper as he let go of your face and hand, grabbing it with both hands as he started to read it.

“What?” He whispered, his face turned pale as his lower lip trembled.

“Hoonie-” you whispered, watching him shake his head as the tears fell from his eyes.

“What? This is-” he looked up at you as the tears ran down his face before he smiled brightly. “This is so amazing!” He dropped the results on the floor, not wanting to waste a second as he cupped your cheeks and pulled you into a quick but loving kiss. “We need a new place, we can't stay with Hee if we're having a baby, we need to start designing their bedroom and buy clothes and get everything ready for them.”

“I love you so much, my love,” you whispered against his lips, wrapping your arms around his neck before crashing your lips against his into a passionate kiss. Sunghoon smiled against your lips, kissing you back as eagerly and passionate as you did.

After a few minutes, you pulled away, taking a deep breath as you pressed your forehead against his. Sunghoon moved his hand down, reaching the hem of your shirt and sliding his hand under the fabric. He placed his hand on your bare stomach, caressing it gently as he smiled at you.

“I can't believe you're pregnant, fuck, we're gonna be parents.” His voice was warm and soft, you could tell how excited he was and now you felt relieved. “For how long?”

“Three weeks now…” you whispered, placing your hand on top of his. He gave you a surprised look.

“Why didn't you tell me though? I already knew your period was late, Yn, I'm not dumb.” He said, drawing small circles on your skin with his fingers.

“I was scared…” you mumbled, placing your head on your boyfriend's shoulder. “I didn't know if you were ready or if you actually wanted to start a family.”

“Angel, if I wasn't ready to start a family, I wouldn't fuck you raw nor cum inside you all the time.” He giggled, turning his head slightly to kiss your hair. “And I have to admit that I've been thinking about this moment, if you'd keep it or not and how I'd support you on every decision that you make.”

“So you wanted to get me pregnant?” You asked shyly, looking up at your boyfriend as he blushed.

“Yeah, not just because I'd be happy cause everyone would know that you belong to me but also because we created something together and it's ours.” He said with a soft smile. “Our little baby~ And I'd be more than happy to be a good dad and a good husband.”

“Husband?” You asked dumbfounded.

“Well, we were going to get married sooner or later, right? Only if you want to, of course!” His face got redder as he spoke, making your smile grow.

“You're so cute, I love you,” you mumbled, kissing his lips once again until his face came back to his normal colour.

“I love you too, my angel.” He pressed a soft kiss on your lips before looking down at your belly. “And I already love this kid, as much as I love you.”

“Aw, I'm pretty sure they'll love you too, you're so dad material.” you teased, making him laugh as he blushed again.

“Now I'll have two people calling me daddy.” He joked, earning a playful punch on his arm as you both laughed. “But seriously speaking, you really have no idea how happy I am right now.” Sunghoon hugged you tighter.

“I'm happy too~” You cooed, pulling away from his grasp as you laid down on your side on the couch. “Now come here, I want to cuddle.” Sunghoon smiled, laying down behind you and pressing his chest against your back as he wrapped his arms around your waist, both hands falling right on your belly so he could keep rubbing your skin gently.

“My babies~ I'll take good care of you both and I'll love you until my last day.” He whispered in your ear before kissing your shoulder.

“I'll do the same for you, my love,” you mumbled, closing your eyes as your hands reached Sunghoon's, grabbing one of them as the other remained on your belly. “Can we take a nap now? You look really tired and I'm sleepy.”

“Of course, my love, and thank you.” He whispered before you both fell asleep, full of happiness and excitement as you couldn't wait to meet your baby.

[plural-culture-is]

Im questioning wether i should even ask, im so hesitant about this.

Every time i go into a depressive period, i question in im really trans, if im really plural, ocd kicks in and worries about ways i might be awful.

So bear with me, if you dont answer this or the answer is painfully obvious or whatever i wouldn’t hold it against you.

As a young child i was severely abused by my father, and when we got away there was a period i don’t remember where i was in “psychosis” (quotes bc uncertainty), where i became an ape and was lost. I have only one memory from that time, where i came out of that to my mother calling my name and holding me. I only know of this time period because my mom told me about it.

Much later, when i was lonely i started to have imaginary friends, and i told my mom about them and she actually introduced the very beginning concept of tulpas to me and idfk why but she said that if they become aware and i stop being their friend they may get angry, and that sentient imaginary friends are called a tulpa. I worried about this, and idk if it was just my paranoia or something else but i did start to actualy get a vibe from my main imaginary friend like awareness, i could almost feel thoughts happening that were just sorta beyond a barrier. I stopped before anything else could happen, and i cried to my mom i was worried that my imaginary friend would hate me and become malevolent. She said that i’ll be alright, and that my imaginary friend probably still loves me.

(This is where things get confusing)

Few years gap, i am still very lonely but probably more, i start having the beginning signs of depression i think.

My mom started getting into new age stuff and psychic things, and i asked for a pendulum of my own to talk to spirits, one of which i formed a relationship with and even a “psychic link” (talking to eachother with our minds) and at some point after intrusive thoughts, some unhappiness and this other voice that would pretend to be that one, i stopped for fear of getting posessed.

Around this time, watched and listened to a lot more conspiracy theories in my house than we did before, stuff like you’d find on Gaia TV or Joe Rogan and others to give well-known examples. I would hear about people contacting or being contacted psychically by aliens, notably these ones colloquially called the Blue Avians. There was also a videogame i played at the time with alien bird people too. In anycase, i was lonely (and tbh kinda grieving no longer talking to the spirit one?) got the idea to deliberately try and make a psychic link out in the universe and i made one, i managed to talk to a blue avian and started what i thought a romantic relationship looked like with them. I talked to and interacted with them every day, very often. I eventually met another two “aliens” through them and now i was talking to 2-3 beings mentally for a while, while they told me about life in their world.

I went through a lot of denial and that i was crazy or it was in my head, which i mean yeah. I later remembered what my mom told me about years ago: tulpas. That sounds about right. And with my new internet access i looked into it, i found i was already doing what those people were or atleast i was pretty sure. But some things werent adding up, many of them said a tulpa was more a mental construct and that they 1, couldnt be mean to you for example, 2, couldnt talk besides when you wanted them to and so on, mine were too autonomous i guess. In anycase, i continued but acted both as if they were real alien beings elsewhere and a mental construction for a while. At some point then i found out about DID and saw eery similarities, that was my second theory about what was going on. At around this time i broke away from the conspiracy aliens thing, and started thinking more about spirits, and would talk to random and re-occuring ones often. At around this point but maybe well before i started to fall into psychosis and a lot of intrusive thoughts and even hallucinations. At this point i was going through a lot and all these conflicting and inconsistent worldviews were starting to get to me, aswell as me starting to realize but not knowing outright that i was queer. I learned more things that werent conspiracy theories or new age stuff, and i finally broke. I describe it as litterally there was countless pieces of my mind fighting eachother, as verbally and not and everything was clashing. I am not using metaphore here. I felt separated from my body and in a haze, much like when im co-conscious and not in “the driver’s seat”. I fell further into psychosis too. Eventually something was said that made my different conflicting worldviews a little more compatible on paper, and i survived. Then was recovery, still talking to “spirits” and stuff and even aliens. Up to and before this point my family was obsessed with “shadow work”, aka forcing yourself to look at trauma unessecarily. I was partly doing this bc i worried that me being queer was somehow from my father abusing me as a child. This is part of what contributed to that shattering.

So skipping a bunch of tedium, i started operating as if i was plural after a while of debunking stuff , i figured out that yes i definitely am queer and that its not a bad thing, but i still had doubts.

I still talk to my presumed alters often, but there is some funny business:

After setting up some walls or rooms in headspace, they don’t intrude as much and i dont hear them unless i wanna and vice versa

Im struggling to tell if its my internal echolalia or if its me saying everything they say, and sometimes the line is blurrier

They can say things on their own even things that surprise me, but so can i sorta

im almost certain we can’t full switch, or if we can im not sure if i will have any experience while the other is fronting, does this make us monoconscious?

We can go co-conscious pretty much on demand whenever we feel like it, and we can do a partial switch too i just have to relax and allow it

Im pretty much always fronting fully or partially, and always watching when another is fronting

I cant mentally hear them when i talk too, i either have to go quiet or pause for them, and when i do talk it either is too much chatter i cant process or i automaticaly somehow mute my minds ears to them. But, due to autism, talking even to ppl outside my head is like this where i either speak or listen no inbetween

I want to hopefully finally solve this and get on with my life. Thanks for reading/answering if you do

sorry, this ask has been our inbox too long and we haven't been able to come up with a response, so we're handing it off to the public to answer

[mono-rogue]

Throwup Thoughts: "More Than Anything" Poster

(If you want to see the time lapse, click here for the original post!)

So you know how my usual art has a sketchy (and sometimes fuzzy) feel to them?

I decided to return to full on line art for the More Than Anything poster, partially because of Sam Haft's tweet, and partially because of Sam Haft's tweet (looking for poster-style fanart of Hazbin songs)

I probably wouldn't be as miffed if I didn't slave away a straight 9 hours (For comparison, that Rosie/Charlie only took at most 3 hours!), and the fact that I did not like to do line art at all... But you know what? Creating and posting art that didn't rely too much on cleanliness and instead focusing just on rough sketches and colors unironically helped me here, and it's really hard to explain how. For example, I was originally going for this shot as is:

Then midway through the sketch phase, my intrusive thoughts intruded: Why not shift the perspective? It would both serve as camera practice and to not just be a screenshot redraw (though you could consider it to still be one, depending on what you think it means)

I did also consider fully drawing both Lucifer and Charlie so I could have their own standalone renders, but I really only ended up doing that for Charlie since Lucifer's missing his right arm (his right leg... it's a perspective thing), and even then the way I did the composition wouldn't have worked for Charlie...

Adding in all the effects was fun though, figuring out what color treatment worked best (mostly linear dodge)! It just ends up becoming one big piece of eye candy. A very orange piece of eye candy. If you get orange diabetes from this, I apologize.

Angular Sharpness

I think one of the main issues I had with line art before was figuring out how to make angles appear as sharp as they appear, especially when considering the style of Helluva/Hazbin. I looked up how to make sharp lineart, and ended up on this short guide!

(Original DeviantArt post here)

I'm mildly conflicted now because now I feel like combining sketching and composition was already fun enough, yet now line art is actually fun. We'll see where this goes I guess?

Colors Are Weird

I noticed also Krita was exporting pics out as dull as Alastor's time, so I looked into a solution and the solution arrived:

So now colors should work the way I want them to be. Nice!

Off Topic Topics

I've been going back and forth on my post schedules a fair bit, figuring out what works and what doesn't. A couple early morning posts feels the most fitting for my style, so I might roll with that going forward, at least for a while

Hopefully I'm going to start to embrace the multifandom part of this blog and start making more of whatever. UT/DR? Lackadaisy? Who knows

The state of the Vox Alastor comic... it's in hiatus as of now. It's honestly that since the show was releasing at such a quick schedule that my initial ideas for how the comic would play out kind of got jumbled around? I don't know honestly, so for now it's on hold for now.

However, I got struck with an idea for another one...

[taestefully-in-luv]

Okay, our time chapter 2, analysis, go!:

Again, with the tension between JK and Misuk, makes a lot more sense, knowing what we know.

This is the freshest thing in my mind lol forgive me for going out of order but the drinking. Idk how I didn’t put it together sooner! All the empty (and full) beer bottles, soju bottles, the glass of vodka next to a shot bottle. All subtle hints to how he’s living. We don’t know what he’s doing when he isn’t with Y/N, so the chances of him going home and then drinking there is pretty high, I think.

Y/N’s mom also mentions how things are easier to get through when you’re, and I quote, “[…] together.” I think that’s a definite hint to them wanting Y/N and Jungkook back together. They obviously are already aware of the divorce at this point, so I think it was a subtle hint to OC that she needs to (should?) stay with Jungkook.

The scene where OC calls JK “Ribbit”! I believe he said something along the lines of, “I just really fucking missed you”, and though I’m sure he was talking about the three months Y/N was in a coma, I think it’s safe to say that he was 100% also talking about the time they spent apart after the divorce. Obviously, at this point it time, both us readers and Y/N are too in the dark about everything to look at anything deeper than just surface level, so this was a really neat way to include some foreshadowing without being super in your face with it.

I also don’t think I really have to mention the physical affection again, but I will, anyway. Jungkook pulling away during the kitchen-shoulder-massage scene makes a lot more sense now, since we know he was obviously like “oh shit I’ve gotten too comfortably too quickly fuck”, and then (effectively) trying to deflect by hugging OC again thereafter. The amount of sexual tension during their little “sleep over” scene, where they talk about the wedding, was literally killing me. The image about JK spreading his ⚪️⚪️⚪️ all over her killed me the first time and it killed me again this time lmfao.

Also, Jungkook’s jealousy (bc that’s obviously what it is, in hindsight) makes more sense now, too. When she brings up the guy she bumped into at the market, and insinuates that she might’ve been sleeping with him (and possibly others as well), Jungkook changes the conversation. Also mentioning how he doesn’t wanna talk about “[their]” past sex lives— because they were both, as Y/N puts it, involved with one another at some point as well.

I think that’s everything for this chapter 😭✋🏻

Lmk if I missed anything? Or just lmk how well I did?

Still obsessed with your writing </3

🤍🤍🤍

chapter 2:

1. true…..but do we know everything? 👀

2. oh yes, our introduction to jungkooks apartment is the first huge sign that something is off with him! it’s supposed to represent everything he’s not (according to yn) but in ch 6 when we get his pov it gets talked about how this is his new normal and this is who he knows himself as now :/

3. it does seem like yn’s parents think that the best thing for yn and jk is to be together but they probably also don’t know everything. or maybe they do 👀 but we will see

4. exactly! in fact, yn even makes the connection that he was referring to the three months she was in the coma. because obviously for her, there’s no other reason for him to miss her that much

5. oh yes that little intrusive thought of hers was probably my own intrusive thought bc i added that detail in without thinking about it ahhahaha but it felt fitting so i kept it

6. he DEFINITELY got uncomfortable, yes. it’s one thing to keep their relationship a secret for obvious reasons but it sucked extra bad for him that he couldn’t give her a solid explanation for why he didn’t wanna hear about her possible sex life after him 🤷‍♀️ so changing the conversation is the the better route

it sounds like you got all the major stuff! it’s been a while so i can’t remember everything either but i’m sure you’ll have picked out more things as the chapters go 🥰

thank you for doing this btw 🥺 i’m having fun~

[scoups4lyfe]

Welcome to the Show -BD PPT Part 10

Again, I have ADHD and BD and can agree that yes, My ADHD symptoms sucked extra hard when added to the early BD onset.

The below entry shows (1) binge-eating and (2) OCD intrusive-esque thoughts.

[Journal entry]

October 1st, 2022

Sabbath, 3:24 PM

Last night I went to bed at about 6:00 AM. Today I woke at 2:30-ish. 

The first thing I noticed when I got out of bed was (1) I was very tired, (2) my neck hurt just a bit, so I slept on it wrong—not badly enough though—because it doesn’t hurt at all now, praise the lord; (3) hungry. 

There was a hunger about me. 

I remembered how last night like a desperate man I scavenged through our kitchen. I think it’s the mania making me hungry, because I just felt this overwhelming need to eat something. 

The caramel was gone, as was the jam, so I had taken an apple we got on wednesday that we bought from a farmer lol, and now it was all I had. So I ate about half of it. 

These honey crisp apples taste really good. I kind of chided myself for indulging in one though, because my stomach was burning pain—like scabs inside my gut, or internal bleeding—and I had trouble with even the idea of consuming any kind of solid food. My dad brought home instant mashed potatoes because of this. So, what in the world was I doing at 4:00 in the morning??? Eating an apple when I know solid food isn't going to go down well? (Doesn’t matter cause I ate it anyway, lmao.) 

But I was still hungry—so I ate old taco bell beef-corn tortilla hard shell—tacos that sat on the stove. (That can’t be a healthy dietary choice LOL.) After I finished one of them, I went back to my room, I don’t know to do what, probably waste time on youtube or with editing screenshots from Donbrothers episode 19, and man my stomach took to that taco like gasoline to fire. 

Almost immediately I regretted making that choice. 

But then an hour later I went back to the leftover taco bell, and had some of the dorito taco (not all of it), just maybe ⅓ or half. [Then I fvcked around and went to bed maybe a few hours later.] 

Today is sabbath—so y’know—I’m supposed to be resting. And I AM. 

Comma, space, however—

Well. There are just things that I want to do. I’ve gathered my sketchbook, [insert a bunch of writing journals and reference books] and also my pencil case. 

(LMAO.) 

Ngl though, the fact that it’s 4:00 PM had the burning—lightning-ous—feeling, back inside my stomach. I had it before I even started this journal entry, and I still have it now. Like my mind—or more aptly, my fvcking stupid-a$$ intrusive thoughts (Kyle <3) —  just kept repeating:

 “ah, the day is over, you didn’t do anything, the day is over, you didn’t do anything, the day is basically already finished and what are you doing? Sitting here on the couch knowing that you will never be able to do any of the things that you want to do, because the day is over and you’ve already done nothing. You’ve done it again. The only thing it seems you **are** able to do—  nothing. Isn’t that funny? Now you’ll have to try again on Sunday, and inevitably fail again. The day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over  the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over the day is over

 the day is over—” 

ENOUGH! 

And whenever I look at the clock, or think about the time, or even just see the shadows in the curtains, my thoughts do it all over again—and again—and again. 

Then I can feel the breath in my throat, and all the energy inside my stomach just is everywhere. Anxiety. 

(Not a great feeling lmao.) 

So yeah—I’ll try and come back here before I go to bed ( I mean, don’t count on it LOL), and so ….yeah. I got nothing else to really say rn other than, uh, see you later? (Lordt.) 

[entry end]

The above entry I think does a good job at showing binge-eating. It’s super easy for people with BD to end up with an eating disorder.

I fvcking fainted in college because I slept during the cafeteria hours so I was surviving on like…vending machine m&ms. Not to mention when I get in those depressive periods I can go full days without eating because I either can’t get out of bed or the idea of eating makes me nauseous.

And then there will be days where I’ll wake up in the middle of the night, and almost like sleep-walk in a daze to the kitchen and eat whatever I can get my hands on no matter how sh*tty and unappetizing it is.

Anyways—all this to say that BD comes with extra baggage of mental illness 😵‍💫🤤🥴🤕👻👾👾👾👾👽🙀😮‍💨🫠.

Still cannot stop laughing at the youtube comment LOL.

"Wow! Bipolar people are human too!" Like yeah, who would've thought

🤪

Just goes to show how powerful and prevalent stigma is for mental illness -- but esp. for BD.

Hopefully this info helps get rid of that stigma >:/

....༼ง’̀-‘́༽ง

༼ง’̀-‘́༽ง mfer

If someone tells you they’re Bipolar, that can be a very real and very big thing. That means they trust you. So writing it off as, “that doesn’t matter to me” comes off as insensitive because it matters to US, bro. It fvcking matters to us.

I was watching a podcast where the speaker (who had Bipolar) was talking about their experience where they met this guy that seriously did not believe Bipolar was a real actual thing and thought those people needed to “get over themselves.” Which infuriates me to the SEVENTH degree. It’s also wild asf, but again.

Y’all don’t know SHXT when it comes to Bipolar

For those still asking this question:

tldr; y'all don't know SHXT about Bipolar. x2

"Y'all" including mental health professionals and doctors 🤪

naw fr though.

Normally I would be like "yeah, whatever" but using that as an adj can get tricky ESPECIALLY if you start using it to describe a person because then you might spread unintentional bias and misinformation onto others.

"Oh --Vegas is bipolar?" No. He is NOT bipolar.

Don't. fvcking. Use. That. ADJECTIVE!!!

So, Werewolves = Bipolar in a nutshell

(Let me explain lmao.) 

Werewolves have 2 sides to themselves — the human side, which is mainly present and in control, and the beast — which comes out every moon cycle or so, raises all sorts of hell, and then disappears. Always leaving the human counterpoint to deal with the aftermath. 

Humans that turn into werewolves prepare for full moons — often going into isolation so as to not hurt their loved ones, or irreparably damage their life, and the lives of those around them. 

With a good support system, a werewolf can live a normal life (mostly), where their other-self isn’t always wrecking havoc. For people with Bipolar, it’s the same. We are not always werewolves. We are often human. Our illness is cyclical — it will always have a new cycle, and it cannot be cured. When we have an “episode” — though no two bipolar people are the same; how we act, think, feel, and what we do can change. We are not separate from “the beast,” however. Both sides are very much the same person. Though they can be drastically — drastically —  different.  

In his interview with Rolling Stone, Ian stated (about one of the songs on his album): 

“— On “Miss Understood,” it’s a character’s diary entry where she fell in love with Ian but she kinda fell in love with MITO, too. It comes from personal experience; I want to date when I’m Ian, but there was one moment where she liked the darkness in me, which was weird because it’s like, “You don’t really know what this brings.” But she stuck around, and it was hard to be me in front of her. There was a sense of inferiority, for sure, because I know how different I am between my states, but also I was very cautious not to give my all in that [down] state because I’m not wanting to hurt someone mentally. So I’d just seclude myself. A lot of the songs in this album hit on this note.”

For the moon, Bipolar episodes are (as previously stated, perhaps multiple times) cyclical. They run in cycles — over and over and over again. The days come and go, but then there will always be that transition into a full moon, just as how the entire moon will also eventually completely disappear from sight during a New Moon. (Plus the connection / belief popular culture has with the superstition that a Full Moon brings madness with it / lunacy.) 

So we’ve finally come to the end of this PPT series…genuinely hoped this was enlightening to anyone it happened to come across.

If you have any other questions feel free to comment or dm me. 🥳

PREV

Journal Entries: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5

PPT Essay Extras: (1), (2), (3), (4), (5)

PPT Essay: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5], [6], [7] , [8], [9]

Visual Clips (Depressive Episodes): (1), (2)

[justanothercmblog]

Coffee Shop - Chapter 3

Summary: Spencer and Marie finally meet again.

Couple: Spencer Reid/Fem!Reader

Series Masterlist

---

Marie had tried on her third outfit now. She didn’t want to seem like she dressed up but she did want to feel good and more confident than the last time he saw her. Thinking back she must have looked horrible. No sleep, barely any makeup, her glasses and she had just been wearing a ripped jeans and tshirt. The fact that he even wanted to see her again was crazy. But still, it was probably just a friendly coffee, she shouldn’t read too much into it. She finally landed on a pair of high waisted light blue mom jeans that hugged her curves just how she felt most comfortable and added a snug white top and a corduroy blouse in a dusted pink which she used as a cardigan.

This was her go-to outfit, it accentuated her slimmer waist and covered up all the parts that she felt insecure about. The blouse on top made it possible to cover up when she felt like it and her hair did play into that too. Her brunette hair flowed down to her chest and she had pulled a few pieces back and put them in a half bun at the back of her head. She was getting better at not fully hiding, but those intrusive thoughts still lingered in the back of her head. Now it was time to get going though. He had asked her to meet at the coffee shop they had gone to before at 8 am and it was 7:45 now. Of course, she had to hurry once again. 

“I am SO sorry, I promise I am usually more reliable, you must think I’m a complete mess I’m so sorry!”, the girl had arrived just one minute late and Spencer had to chuckle when he saw her hurrying over, her bag loosely dangling from her shoulder and her long waves flowing around her face. “You’re not even really late, you’re fine.”, he chuckled when the girl finally came to stop in front of him clearly unsure about how to greet him and he was too, so he did what he did best and just ignored that a greeting gesture was due and held open the door for her. “After you.”

Marie seemed relieved to escape the situation and headed in, Spencer following closely behind. “But this time, I’ll get the drinks.”, she spoke determined as she got in line and turned around to him smiling proudly up at him. “I believe that would kind of defeat the traditional practice on a first date.” It slipped his lips and the moment he said it it was real and floating around them. Marie’s eyes widened, a deep blush creeping up on her cheeks as she looked up at him, clearly shocked by what he had said. Shit Spencer, what did you do? You’re just getting coffee! His mind was working overtime. “First date?”, she asked, her voice clearly shaky and unsure but Spencer couldn’t but notice the tentative smile on her lips. “I mean… uhm.. if .. if you want it to be that. I’m sorry I just.. I shouldn’t have said that.”, he stammered and Marie could swear she could hear her heart beat ten times faster than usual. “No … I..”, she blushed. “.. okay.” “Your order?”, the two of them were interrupted by the barista and it took them a second to realise that it was their turn to order. 

Before Marie could say anything Spencer placed both of their orders which earned him a confused look from the girl. “How did you..?” He smirked. “I remembered from a couple days ago. Hey why don’t you go ahead and get us a table?”. 

The girl nodded eagerly and headed to one of the booths at the window that was a little off from everyone else. She sat down and took a deep breath. He saw this as a date. She was on a date with him. If Gia knew she would go absolutely insane. And truthfully, Marie was going crazy too. She watched Spencer from afar. He was wearing black pants and a light purple button-up shirt with a darker cardigan. Kind of similar to what he was wearing on Monday, she liked that on him, though it did make him look a little formal. 

“Here you go.”, Spencer placed one of the two cups in front of her as well as a muffin and smiled sheepishly when he sat down across from her. “Sorry if that was weird, really if you’re uncomfortable because of what I said I..”, she stopped him. “No it’s… I just didn’t expect it to be that. I.. uhm.. I was happy when you asked me out I was just not sure if it was just to be nice or uhm well this.” She blushed and wasn’t able to make eye contact with him, clearly nervous. “I almost didn’t, my friend.. Morgan.. he kind of pushed me to text you.” “Oh?” “Well yeah, I didn’t know if it was appropriate, you know when I hurried off on Monday I was late for work and uhm yeah we had a case and then it was only last night when I actually had time to text you.” Marie chuckled. “Well I was happy you did, I would have never had the courage to do it either so..”, she trailed off and he chuckled. “So what do you work that you were out of town for?”, she finally asked what she had been wondering all this time, she really didn’t know much about him. “Oh yeah uhm, this might sound weird but I work for the FBI, the Behavioural Analysis Unit to be more exact.” 

He knew this face. Marie’s mouth dropped and her eyes widened in disbelief. He didn’t like this look, it always made him feel weird. “Oh wow..”, she paused and then added “I guess I was right to trust you with my bag on Monday then.”, she smirked and he laughed with relief. “Yeah you were.” “That’s .. kind of crazy though.. Like I don’t know much about that kind of stuff, especially here in the US, I mean.. wow. So .. okay I’m confused though you said you were a lecturer.” “I am but I only do a couple guest lectures a semester, my main job is at the BAU, I know it is a bit crazy, probably especially for someone who isn’t even from the US to begin with.” “Yeah..”, she trailed off again. “I mean you’re like ... important and I ... I procrastinate writing meaningless literature papers.”, she laughed, though it wasn’t an honest laugh, he could tell she felt bad about herself. He didn’t like the way she put herself down, not one bit. 

“That’s nonsense, you’re studying to be a teacher right? I would argue that is a very important job!” “How did you know that?” “Huh?” “That I was studying to become a teacher.” “Oh, your term paper, it had a lesson plan too so I assumed you were studying Twain to teach.” “I… I mean yeah… but you only saw that for a few seconds.” “Yeah, I have an eidetic memory and can read faster than the average person.” She was stunned. “Wow now you’re just sounding like you make stuff up.” She laughed, this time it was an honest laugh and it made him chuckle too. “It does sound kind of crazy I guess. So what is your other subject, you usually do two right?”

She immediately perked up. “Yes, my second subject is history, I initially just chose it because I needed a second one and knew a lot already but I really love it now. It’s insane how different it is to look at history from different perspectives though, I do have advantages right now because I can look up primary sources in their original language when we do European history, it’s interesting to look at everything from the American perspective though.” “Wow yeah you’re right I have never thought of that, so you’re going to be an English and History teacher, High School?” She nodded eagerly. “Yes that’s my plan, I love kids, but I like going deeper into what I teach and have meaningful discussions with my students and I feel like I can change something in High School, you know?” “Yeah I totally get it. Kids at that age have formed their own opinions and that makes for meaningful conversations, especially in your subjects.” 

She smiled widely at him. She had this glimmer in her eyes now as she looked at him. “What did you study? You have a doctorate degree yet you work at the FBI.” “Yeah I have a few degrees actually.”, he started and named them all before he explained how he got to the BAU, sparing out most horrific details for her. Marie listened to it all with wide eyes. “So you’re like a genius crime fighter?”. It made him laugh. “Yeah I guess you could say that. But enough about that. What does your week look like, you said something about exams or papers coming up?”. She frowned. “Sorry.”, he immediately noticed her change in mood. “It’s okay, I just .. I’m a master at procrastinating until I have three days to do everything, you know? I have a history exam next week and then another paper due two weeks from now. So I tell myself that I have all the time in the world when really.. I should have started by now. I do work a lot too and can’t really say no, so that doesn’t help either”, she laughed a dry laugh.

“You sound like you’re excited about your studies, maybe you just have to remind yourself of that and not see it as much as a chore to study?”, Spencer offered and Marie sighed. “I don’t know, maybe.”, she shrugged. They both had finished their coffees by now.  “Well I’m sorry but I need to head to work now, I just wanted to meet you again before I had to go on a case again but uhm.. if you’re not too busy, maybe we could do this again sometime?”, he asked timidly now and Marie’s heart skipped a beat and she blushed again. “I .. Yeah I’d like that.” “We could do coffee tomorrow morning again? I know it’s not ideal cause I have to leave for work after but I..” “Coffee dates are great.”, she interrupted him excitedly. “I study mostly in the evening, so this is .. kind of perfect.”, she explained before he could go on and Spencer smiled at her, relieved that she was so okay with this. “Okay. So same place same time?”, he asked and she smiled back at him. “Same place, same time.” “Okay, I really have to go now, but I’ll see you tomorrow.” “See you tomorrow Spencer”. And off he was, leaving a flustered Marie sitting in that booth in the coffee shop.

Chapter 4

[daegulinekush]

The death of peace of mind

~a Kim Taehyung fanfiction

Chapter 3: ★ Please, dance with me in the dark ★

Contains: references to bullying, balkan!oc, violence (talk), a bit of angst because of intrusive thoughts?, general fluff, smoking and mentions of drinking

It would be peculiar for anyone who doesn’t know us, probably, this very moment happening right now. In truth, it’s just a typical, random day, with bursts of energy and simply good vibes.

I can feel the slight coldness of the wooden floor under my feet right through my socks and it’s comforting, sought even. It contrasts with the rising temperature of my body and the one of his.

“C’mon, don’t fall behind!” I can hear his soft whine, the slight stomp of his feet. I can even see the way his hair slightly bounces, left a bit longer now that we’re more or less officially students at the top University in South Korea, no teachers to scold us for supposedly improper style anymore.

He’s tugging my body, which results in quite the weird movements, and even if I don’t see my other, less cute, more annoying friend as mine and Taehyung’s ankles bump together slightly, I know Jimin is basically thrown all over the couch laughing his heart out. It’s impossible to not hear it.

“Stop laughing, you idiot!” I snap at Jimin, even going as far as to glare at him, but we all know it’s shallow and empty. “Get here instead of laughing at me. Dance with your soulmate!”

I almost tumble with the way Taehyung accidentally pulls me a bit too harshly with the way he bursts out laughing, and with a more or less fond sigh, I basically all but drop to the floor, relishing dramatically in the soothing coldness and a moment of relative peace, flaring my limbs just to end up looking like a starfish.

It’s incredibly normal for me and Taehyung to randomly start dancing and singing in the middle of the living room. Just as normal as it is for Jimin to randomly hang out at our home and just as normal as this fit of laughter.

When five people live together in a house, the idea of silence sounds weird and unusual, scary even. Not like I’d ever complain about such an aspect. On the contrary, the added patterns of feet and the curious eyes looking at us and trying so hard not to burst out laughing too will always make me terribly fond.

I know Minhee and Seojun are having fun right now watching the chaos our trio is. They always whisper between one another about how it’s fun to see us messing around. Minhee is fourteen, younger with four years than us, merely about to enter highschool, while Seojun is just ten, still a child, and with an intense pleasure of calling especially me embarrassing as if I wasn’t the one he came to when he didn’t know something but wouldn’t want to admit to neither member of his family with the excuse that ‘Taehyungie-hyung is too cool to make a fool of myself and Minhee is mean’, along with mom having his ass for being a liar.

Minhee, on the other side, is trying to at least hide sheepishly her chuckles behind her hands, unlike her loud and very expressive younger brother, closer and closer to me the more she grows. It makes sense, considering she’s just entered teenage hood and that no matter how close you are to your siblings, like she is with Tae, he’s still a man and of course she’s gonna be more comfortable talking with me rather than with him, whom she already complains about being too protective of her, which I honestly can’t disagree with, and as sweet as her mom is, it’s not that easy talking with your mom without being embarassed. 

All I wish is that she won’t make the same mistakes I did during my teenage years. Thinking back to it and all of the mess, it could have been way worse, definitely, but that didn’t mean I was willing to let her be as stupid as I had been at the time. More so, Taehyung and Jimin were by my side and got me out of a lot of things I should have definitely not done but I did anyways no matter how much they bugged me. But her? I’m not sure if she has friends she can trust as much as I had and still do. It’s a scary thought, truly, the possibility of her being in danger and not saying absolutely anything regarding it, preferring to hide it. I’d much rather have her calling me at weird hours to pick her up from situatons and places she should definitely not be in than risk anything actually happening to her. I wouldn’t be able to forgive myself.

For Taehyung, she might still be a child, but I remember very well how much of a menace I used to be when I was her age. I’m not very sure if her poor mom would be able to get through all of this again in the first place. I’m still very surprised she hasn’t grown white hairs from how much trouble both me and Taehyung used to be.

Not like we aren’t trouble now too, far from that. The difference is that now we got a bit past the naivety of fourteen and are actual adults with drivers’ licence and everything, along with having to be responsible for our own doings. More specifically, we simply learnt to cheat the system and deal with stuff in ways that won’t constrict our freedom.

Jimin finally decided to spare me some mercy and raise his juicy ass from the sofa instead of letting me be the only one sweating - it’s already late summer and a ton of parties we’ve gone through, so my energy is inevitably quite drained.

Annoyingly, he’s also more gracious because of course he is with his contemporary dance and core strength. Also, they’re soulmates, like it or not, they’ll always fit like the pieces of a puzzle.

I raise myself from the ground I was just sprawled upon, moving with wide steps towards the kitchen, towards the counter, grabbing the ashtray and the pack of cigarettes along with a lighter, lighting up one of the cigarettes. Grabbing a high chair, I pull it better towards me and raise myself on it as to not stay on my feet while smoking and also to reach the wide opened window easier. Realistically speaking, the room will still stink a bit of the smoke as the kitchen was connected to the livingroom, but it’s summer and the breeze is good enough for all the windows to be wide open, along with the sliding door of the small balcony. The honks of the cars outside were loud, many people coming and going to other parts of South Korea. I knew very well Taehyung was not from Seoul but from somewhere close to Daegu. Jimin wasn’t raised in the capital city either, but in Busan, always talking my ear off about the sea in Busan and the beach it had. Unlike them, I was raised in the Eastern part of Europe, in the Balkans, with so many different elements and such different culture that it was crazy even.

In a house of so many people, it’s impossible to get bored, just as impossible as to not hear laughter, which was now coloring the air of the slowly lowering sun in summer, finally making the air feel less heavy.

Mom was washing dishes as we had recently eaten and wringing some kitchen towels. Minhee and Seojun has somehow gotten themselves into the mess of dancing too, now copying some k-pop group I recognized vaguely, more for the song that was popular than for the group itself. I was sure at some point those boys will end up chaotically chasing each other and play fighting.

With my elbows more supported on the edge of the counter than anything else, I couldn’t help but just look at them, admiring silently, observing from my corner, trying to memorize this moment. It’s something I try hard to get over, a thought that keeps popping up from time to time and I struggle to tone down, to shove so far back that I would anihilate it, that full feeling of warmth and happiness, yet with such a sour and empty ache of heart that this will pass, that everything passes, actually, that this might be the last time when I get to be so happy, when we all get to be so happy and foolish and not worry about anything. I can’t tell wether it’s because of the bile raising feeling of growing up and becoming an actual adult with responsibilities biting your ass or it’s something else, more worrisome. I would rather not delve into it either. Some questions are better left unanswered, plain and simple.

It’s weird, in a way. To live with people that aren’t truly your family and yet they feel as such. I’m not saying this as they are not my blood. It’s deeper than that. It’s not even like in the case of a child being adopted; no, in such a case, the child would be part of the family, would belong, would be raised by the same parent or parents, would have siblings. That’s the weirdest thing because I cannot say such a thing about my situation, even as Taehyung’s mom is my legal guardian, even as I have never felt like I was putting weight on her shoulders, even as nobody had ever made me feel like I don’t belong in there. I always knew this is my home too. I also knew Taehyung’s mother, whom I sometimes genuinely wonder how much kindness can be capable of carrying, didn’t consider me some weight on her shoulders in the sense that she expected anything from me. It wasn’t even as if I had some intentionally rebellious phase with her to prove she’s not my mother or anything like that, I have been calling her ma or mom for a very long time and that didn’t stop even when the situation changed.

I didn’t have any reason to do such things, even as I had heard many kids who changed families did such things to prove a point, to prove to their new parents they would never replace the ones the kid was used to. Ma never tried to replace my mama. She never tried to mother me. That is not to say that she didn’t act like a mother with me or that she didn’t care about me, far from that. In a way, I think that mother figure fit more with her than actual mothering me. I wasn’t her child to raise. She didn’t raise me so she didn’t act with me the same way she did with Taehyung or Minhee or even Seojun. She didn’t scold me, she didn’t chase me around the house, she simply didn’t act the same way and it was something that maybe benefited me more than I could ever truly realize, the way she was motherly without actually acting like she was my mom.

Probably most of it is because I technically wasn’t raised under her eyes. Sure, she had seen me grow and had seen me change a lot during my teenage years but I wasn’t raised with the same beliefs she raised her own children with or korean children were raised with in general. I wasn’t raised to be soft and keep my mouth shut, I wasn’t raised to run to an adult when things get the tiniest bit hard and I definitely wasn’t raised to hold back from a fight just for the sake of not being ‘problematic’. On the contrary, I was raised to speak up, to choose my fights carefully, to not start them but finish them, to never let anyone step on me. I was raised with a big, sharp mouth and a quick temper.

Me, Taehyung and Jimin - we were almost comically different. Our upbringings were different, our morals, our traditions, our beliefs sometimes. It’s said that a place changes you, but I would also like to argue that you can get a balkan out of the balkans but never the balkan out of the person.

So while I did look up to ma and viewed her as a motherly figure, I would never be able to actually see her as my mother or talk to her like I would to mine. No matter how close they were or how similar they can be sometimes, they are not the same and will never be. Ma would tell me to always avoid a fight, to not cause trouble, while mom would tell me to not dare came back beaten up by some goodie-two-shoes and that she didn’t raise a weakling,

I was used to rougher love, rougher paths, rougher things. My ma would tell me to not play with feelings but would never comment on my clothes. My mom would tell me to take care of myself and to know my worth, that boys are never worth crying over.

Different mindsets. Inevitably, I would always remain with the ‘cruelty’ of my own culture.

Oh, how disappointed would my mom be knowing her daughter had been a fool at some point…

“Did they overwhelm you already?” I could hear ma’s voice, full of amusement and heavy fondness in it as she came closer, looking at the mess the livingroom had indeed became.

Taehyung had somehow managed to steal the remote and now Jimin was chasing him, their steps so loud the whole neighborhood might as well be cussing us, especially with their colorful laughter and how Taehyung jumped over the sofa and Jimin after him, ending up losing balance and as a consequence dragging Taehyung down with him too when he grabbed his shirt to gain back his posture. The two all but tumbled on the floor like two heavy bombs.

I bit my lips to not laugh, trying so hard to hold it back, to not let it tumble from my lips…

“Yah, you two, remote here, now! Kim Taehyung, get up and stop messing around, come here and make yourself useful instead of getting us complains from the poor neighbors! Minhee, Seojun, stop laughing, Jimin, sweetie, are you okay? Did you get hurt?” ma sprang right into action and, inevitably, I couldn’t help but burst out laughing for real this time as she all but scolded the three siblings and fussed over Jimin, who was already the least likely to get hurt by any meaning, as he fell right on top of Taehyung along this mess he himself has caused.

I could feel my body shake with a laughter I couldn’t even recognize as mine with how honest it was, the type of ugly laugh you could burst out laughing just from hearing, gripping at the counter to not fall from the chair, the muscles of my abdomen already hurting as my eyes became wet from how much it genuinely was impossible to not laugh at the ridiculousness of this situation.

The way ma was actually turning Jimin’s face with her hands and inspecting him all over didn’t help either.

“Yah, young lady, you stop too! I already tolerate your bad habits and the horrible scent! Stub that thing and open that window wider! It’s not cold anymore for me to believe you when you snicker about being cold on the balcony, you little minx!”

Little minx. Somehow, it had become a fond nickname given to me, probably because of my hair, along with my fox-like mischeviousness.

I didn’t mind it, I found it funny, even. A reason for which I sent her a flying kiss along with a wink and dragged another smoke from my cigarette without a care in the world.

Life isn’t the easiest, neither the fairest, but out of all the outcomes that were possible, I’m glad to be living this one. After all, maybe I am different and not from this culture and sometimes even still struggling with the language itself, but I’m not alone. I never was since I stepped into this country and I will never be.

If I am to be honest, I didn’t even like Jimin at first. I was 14 and stupid, if it even makes my stupidity less heavy. Taehyung was my only friend in this country and him being so close to Jimin when I was first - totally not salty about that - had not sat right with me. Jimin also felt very different from us, with the way he was simply so cute and trying so hard to please and popular in the way a pick me would me. He was just simply too good of a kid for me to not think it wasn’t a mask and that was actually his personality - more or less, considering how sassy I came to know he actually is. So I didn’t like Jimin and had been cautious of him, no matter how much Taehyung swore up and down he was ‘nice’. Nice wasn’t enough for me.

Not like he hadn’t been wary and weird around me too at first. We kept on bugging each other and even getting into arguments until we finally began to trust each other and actually became friends.

If it is to ask me what exactly made me trust Jimin, I would say the way he stood up for Taehyung. I could deal with my own bullies, per-se, I didn’t need someone to have my back and I didn’t need to be protected - even if I did appreciate it a lot. I was used to being bullied considered I have been going to school in Japan, which wasn’t much nicer and I would get into a lot of trouble for standing up to my bullies.

So I knew how to deal with them. I didn’t expect anyone to intervene and be my knight on a white horse or something. What I could not get over was Taehyung being the one on the receiving end of said bullying.

I didn’t even have time to react before Jimin had already cornered the leader of the group of the boys who thought it would be oh so funny to throw nasty words at Tae. I came into the view too, ready to cover his back and even threatened them I’ll see them after school if they dare whisper Jimin’s name, knowing from Tae he would get into trouble at home if any of those idiots were to open their mouths and pronounce his name. I was already known for my temper outbursts and would not get any scolding for protecting my friend so I simply took it upon me, as the one who would be dealing with the least damage.

Not like I had been smart either as I didn’t know how to throw a single punch, but I was definitely feisty enough to make them afraid with the idea of actually banging a chair against their kneecaps.

In this sense, Korea was and wasn’t different from where I had grown: physical fights were a thing. Pulling and pushing and punching were things happening. It was definitely with way more hypocrite people though, acting as if their kids would never get physical. What a joke.

Over the need we both had to protect Tae, we have bonded. That had been the first tie.

This is not to say Tae himself didn’t intervene when I received any kind of bullying. No, he had always snapped back at the ones being nasty to me. The only thing he wasn’t doing, unlike me and Jimin, wa getting physical, which I understood where it came from and didn’t mind. After all, the least he gets involved, the least chances are of him getting hurt.

A summer night, filled with laughter, running around and ma scolding the three siblings was something that will always remain a beautiful memory.

That me, Tae and Chim snuck around with soju and played card until the early hours of the morning, away from the curious youngers was another story. Tae was the shittiest person with handling alcohol I got the pleasure to know. Luckily - and annoyingly - he was amazing at beating our asses too.

“You’re cheating!” I screamed, throwing my cards in annoyment when Taehyung had won yet another round.

“I am not, you’re just a sour loser!” he accused me, pointer finger in my direction, offended expression over his face.

“This time I’m taking her side. You cheater, stop cheating and play fair!” Jimin threw his cards too, taking my side for once and raising to his feet, even thuming one to the floor.

“Shut up, I saw you sneaking more cards down to win too, gremlin!” I was definitely not going to let him act like a hypocrite.

“Says the one who literally draws cards just because you know it will be another fueler, you deck-cheater!”

I was the one shuffling the deck, sure, but I do not claim such dishonour!

“I am not cheating! It is perfectly within rules to draw a card even if I could put one down!”

“How do you even know she can put one down, huh? Wanna confess something, cheater?!” 

We both knew what Taehyung was trying to do: distract us from the fact that he was the biggest enemy on this one.

“Shut up, you cheater!” both me and Jimi somehow syncronised in snapping at him, also the only one remaining on the floor with his legs crossed under him.

I have never seen someone be so funnily offended of their scheme not going the way they wished.

So yeah, Taehyung is a sore loser. And the biggest lightweight.

Author note: I truly hope you enjoyed this one too and thanks to everyone sticking with this messy thing! Love y'all 🤗

Tagging: @parkdatjimin @pamzn

[everydaydg]

37. Space Invaders Extreme 2 (DS, 2009)

(A bit of catch up, You can skip this whole part)

To start: You might ask what’s up with the number 37 there, well let me explain

Back on twitter I started a small thread with every game I’ve beaten and replayed this year to keep up with what I’ve played. Every game got a small review too.

I did 36 games, so I’m going to continue from there (if you don’t want to check the whole thread, here’s the link and if you are not feeling like scrolling through all that, here’s a simple list)

Anyyyyways, let’s get on with the small review.

(The Review starts here)

Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a great sequel to a really fun game!

While it’s not the most innovative sequel, it just hit all the right notes when making a sequel to a game like Space Invaders Extreme

To start! The audio is FANTASTIC

Taito's internal band, ZUNTATA came back to make another soundtrack on the DS after their incredible work (with SuperSweep on Arkanoid DS and the first Space Invaders Extreme on DS

Needless to say, the soundtrack is absolutely fantastic and its dynamic implementation in the game is fantastic, when hitting Fever, the music just GOES IN bringing more intensity to the short time fever lasts (same applies to the bosses!)!!

The soundtrack is fantastic but what makes it even better in game are the SFX, they all compliment the music brilliantly. Every shot and hit is like adding a new instrument to the music and it just... it just works man.

Here take a look!

with the game footage there I think it’s about time I bring up the visuals

It’s a HUUGE improvement over the original! Let’s start with improvements to the HUD

Everything is a whole lot more organized with the chain counter being on the bottom screen and the feature counter being horizontal (which leads to a cute animation when getting a fever UFO)

A lot of the space on the top screen is now taken up by the new bingo grid which ends up looking nice with the red green and blue (I will provide an explanation for bingo later)

it all makes for a HUD that’s easy to understand and looks nice.

onto another aspect of the presentation, the sprites and animation!

A lot more animation has been given to everything! The invaders have a new explosion animation (that looks a little better than the original Imo), every shot animation has been improved (Laser looks nicer and Broad Shot is now green, instead of the originals yellow, and has a nicer shoot animation), pickups spin now, the feature counter turns into arrows and moves away as a fever UFO comes in and the menus are way more lively now as there are more options on screen and there is a FMV (but I won’t deny that the simplicity of the original is great)

I’ve mostly focused on sprite animation there so I should mention the FMVs a bit.

The closest I can compare it to is DDR, where the foreground has nice flashy graphics while the background is going nuts with a video

The style the FMVs go for is so damm nice man, I don’t have the words to describe it, it’s timeless and unique. It reminds me of FMVs in the PS2 DDRs and by golly do I miss those visuals.

The first game did it and it worked so of course it works great here

(Not making a whole section for this but the main ship has a nice gradient now. I like it a lot).

So! gameplay! There’s a couple of improvements and a new system!

To start Fever is a lot less intrusive. It works the same way as before, fill both Feature bar completely (kill 4 invaders with the same color to fill half of the bar, do the same to fill the other and the bar resets when you kill an invader of a different color(for example let’s say you've killed 3 green invaders and then you hit a blue one, after hitting the blue one the bar is reset back to nothing) and then kill the rainbow UFO that appears.

Afterwards you enter fever mode. Anyway, the important thing is that they made it a whole lot more natural, In the original fever stopped the game a bit, you had to see a "Round Start" FMV that stopped the main game and switched you to a small challenge zone, after clearing said challenge you get booted back to the main course with fever mode.

So! SI EX2 doesn’t stop the gameplay, a small sprite appears on the bottom screen saying "ROUND START" and then most of the info on the top screen clears out to start the small challenge while the main course is still going on the bottom screen!! after clearing it, it goes straight into fever! Now UFOs appear constantly on the top screen while every enemy on the bottom screen drops a bunch of pickups that give out extra points. I really like this change! It uses the dual screens to great capacity and it doesn’t break the pace!

The new system is the bingo system!

I suck at explaining this so here’s an excerpt from Gaming Nexus’s 2009 review of the game:

"If you complete a Fever Time successfully, it fills in a slot on a 3 by 3 bingo card on the top screen—the slot color matches the color of the four enemies you killed to start the Fever Time in the first place. If you line up three colored squares in a row you get Bingo Time, an even crazier bonus round that grants huge score bonuses. This bingo card opens up a ton of score combo possibilities and if you’re good you can fill in the whole card, which needless to say nets you an insane amount of points."

This replaces the roulette system from the last game and I think it’s a more compelling inclusion overall, bringing a lot of opportunities to get HUUGEE scores.

Anyway, in terms of the main gameplay its good ol’ space invaders but with power ups

Move left to right and shoot a lot of invaders with power ups like a broad shot, a laser and a bomb that takes out multiple enemies per shot, it’s simple but effective and the game speed is undeniable faster than the original 1978.

So! In conclusion: Space Invaders Extreme 2 is a great game and I heavily recommend it if you are looking for a good schmup on the DS!

It’s a huge shame how it has never gotten a port to any platforms, not even making it to the Space Invaders Invincible Collection... I’m sure it’s because of the dual screen setup but it’s still a little sad.

yea good game. play it.