#and nowadays he's a changed man. probably things are even improved
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sergle · 1 year ago
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NO HOW DARE YOU FUCKING SAY THAT!!! SLANDER SLANDER SLANDER
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toothlespoggers · 7 months ago
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AAAAAAAAA STIMMING STIMMING JUST WATCHED EPISODE 4 (I think) OF THE NEW SEASON OF DRAGONS RISING AND BOY THIS SEASON IS SUCH AN IMPROVEMENT FROM THE FIRST AND ITS SO GOOD AND ITS AMAZING AND COLE IS SO FUCKING GAY FOR THAT GUY AND THEYRE SO GAY THEYRE SO GAY, THAT GUY WHATS HIS NAME
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DID YOU SEE THE WAY HE LONGINGLY LOOKED AT COLE NOT ONLY HAS THIS SEASON FIXED ALL THE CHARACTER WRITING FLAWS THAT THE PREVIOUS ITERATIONS OF NINJAGO HAD BUT IT ALSO CONFIRMED COLE GAY HE GAY FOR THIS MAN, THEYRE SO GAY, NO ONE STARES AT ONE PERSON THE WAY THIS GUY DOES AND ISNT GAY AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA AND ZANE WITH THE FRONICKY PLUSH AAARGHHH I CANT BELIEVE THIS THEYRE LETTING ZANE REST? WHAT HAVE I BEEN SAYING YALL EVEN IF TUMBLR HASNT EXPERIENCED ALL OF MY NINJAGO OPINIONS, YOU WILL UNDERSTAND I HAVE BEEN SAYING FOR YEARS THAT ZANE NEVER GETS A BREAK. HES ALWAYS WORKING, HES ALWAYS FORCED TO GET UP AND DO STUFF BUT THIS SEASON HES PLAYED VIDEO GAMES AND STAYED BEHIND, HES CHILLING WITH THE FROG MAN AND ITS SO GOOD AND AAAAAA I WANNNA WATCH MORE EPISODES BUT I WATCH IT WITH PEOPLE SO I HAVE TO WAIT BUT IT IS THE BEST.
I love the ninjago writers SO MUCH if anyone has like any information on the behind the scenes decisions and stuff that’s gone into the development of this season that’s changed and improved the previous issues tell me I wanna know! Argh I’m so happy, they finally gave Cole a family outside of the ninja team because let’s be real Cole was kinda sidelined for ages he needs a nice family of people who respect him and also he needs a hot purple boyfriend to look after him!
Lloyd isn’t an npc, he’s a human being with flaws?? Like actual? Logical? Flaws? He’s not just a main character anymore?? His flaws aren’t even super annoying either. And like CAN WE TALK ABOUT HOW FUNNY IT IS THAT TIKTOK AND YOUTUBE CANONICALLY EXIST? THE NINJA ARE LIKE, TUMBLR SEXYMEN??? IN THE LEGO UNIVERSE?? THATS SO FUNNY, WHAT?
all the jokes feel like actual people talking, the writing feels natural for the first time in years! Zane isn’t constantly abused, he’s happy and frog man is the best character and if Lego doesn’t immediately release mini figures for frohicky and all the other minor characters that are pretty important I’m going to Sue.
also I haven’t watched the next episode but if it doesn’t explain what happened with Zane to end up with a frohicky plushie I’m going to go ballistic, alright?
Hot take but I’m glad Jay isn’t there anymore ik he’s probably going to come back but he’s honestly the worst ninja nowadays. And also, KAI CHARACTER ARC FIXED??
KAI ISNT INSUFFERABLE UNLEARNING AND RUDE ANYMORE HES AN ACTUAL GROWING CHANGING PERSON NOW, AND LIKE I USED TO HATE THE SELF INSERT NEW GUYS BUT THEYRE SO WELL WRITTEN NOW IT JUST MAKES ME LIKE EM’ and sure Aaron can get a little annoying but he’s so autistic coded like openly autistic coded he’s like “is there a social cue I’m not picking up on?” COME ON, MAN. COME ON!!
also like I said, girlie, baby, Sora, honey, you are the GOAT. WE STAN!
also if something ever happened to Zane couldnt sora just like, fix him on the spot?
my only complaint is the fact the ninja haven’t just taken off the masks before the wolf people turn all magic-y like bbg just take it off.
one last thing, JUST SAY CHIMA, WE ALL KNOW THAT GUY IS FROM LEGO CHIMA DONT HIDE IT EMBRACE IT. AAAAA
also that skeleton lady kinda..
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Look I’m an undertale fan I have skeleton brainrot, ok? Don’t judge me
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shayshaybiscuit25 · 3 months ago
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I no longer support white celebs or people//
How do people not realize this is basically birthing hatred in your own heart. It makes one no better than the people they claim to hate. All white people aren’t the problem, majority, to the point racism is still ramped, yes, but to blindly go around claiming to not like or support every single white person based on the actions of others makes you seem childish asf anon. I get mad at racist, not all white people.
I suggest you go to you local library and take a deep dive in history, if it weren’t for certain white advocates even in small numbers, a lot of risked their lives along with our black leaders, a lot of things would not have occurred nor improved.
Go learn about the White Panther party.
I get so tired of people looking at things on the internet and basing conclusions without realizing you obviously know very little about our history let alone the world to make a baseless statement like that,even reading this you’re probably thinking I’m “standing up for the white man” 🙄
Some of you need to learn what’s happened. I know things are bad now, but sweetheart they’ve been worse they’ve also at one point were amazing. Many of you weren’t born to know there were three beautiful decades where black folks THRIVED!! We everywhere, music, tv, etc. We were and forever will be IT! ✨ unfortunately racist and some black people who chose money over the betterment of our people (Hi BET 🖕🏾), shut that down and now we have the entertainment industry as you all know it now. This is why many of us that you all think are “haters” say music, tv and movies aren’t the same. We had multiple talented black women across genres, not just one or two. We had every skin tone represented. Many of you truly don’t understand how y’all fall for some of the most mediocre stuff nowadays yet call it “talent”.
The standard has dropped significantly to the point everyone and their mama are getting famous now.
I may sound like a prude, but the over sexualization of black women ain’t it. They are trying to have our young girls and immature grown women thinking certain types of behavior and attire is appropriate when it’s not. No one is saying cover up head to toe, but many do not understand there’s a time and place for things. Most of our celebs are focused on money and not the influence they are putting out there. It’s all going to blow up eventually. We went from artist standing up and using their talents and platforms to better our community, go listen to L-Boogie “That Thing”, and listen to the lyrics. Nina Simone, BillieHoliday, etc to now where people can say a basic quote that sounds nice and people automatically label them an advocate. Don’t even get me started on various white artists using black artist to boost their careers or eras. (Miley Cyrus now claims to be embarrassed by her Bangerz era, yet claimed back then that was her authentic self, stop letting people use us)
I understand the times change, but said change isn’t always good. We’re still being used in ways many can’t comprehend.
Idol worship is seen as “normal”. People really be out here worshipping other humans who mock God, yet claim to be “Christian”, I don’t care if someone claims to “love” God with their mouth, actions speak louder than words. Too many baby Christians out here getting easily influenced because they lack knowledge of HIS word. I’m serious, people better stop playing with God and making excuses for their actions. God don’t play that. He shows us love, grace and mercy, yes, but putting demonic affiliation in music videos, calling God the n-word, Calling God out his name in general, mocking him, etc.
Showing every single inch of their bodies and trying to claim it’s for expression or women rights, nah you can love you and be sexy without doing all that. There’s a reason the black women of the 70s, 80s and 90s were top tier, sometimes less is indeed more.
Just because someone is rich and famous doesn’t mean they are “blessed” by God. People don’t think Satan will be crafty enough to have you believing you’re doing great, not realizing lukewarm Christianity is not good. God will spit them out of his mouth.
Don’t allow these entertainers have any of you out here drifting away from God all because you love your fav. These music artist today display the darkness right in front of us all, but get praised. Go watch the videos of early 2010s to now and tell me they haven’t gotten darker and more revealing in various ways.
Y’all stay blessed and just keep your eyes and hearts open. Developing the gift of discernment is a true blessing. People think because we’re saved we can do anything, but God knows all. We speak in love and truth. His word is Truth.
Oh wowwwwww
Anon to Anon.
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meteor752 · 2 years ago
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Double life kids, eight years later
The final designs for the kids. Wont make anymore, unless I finally get on with making that Superhero au I said I would do a few months ago
Anyways
I’ve been working really hard on these designs, and some of them are probably the best I’ve ever made! So I really hope you like them!
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Liana
(A few years down the road, the watcher genes started to become more prominent. The extra pairs of wings and the eye change are just the beginning too! Her color palette is kinda a mess but it’s just how she rolls. Top hat with goggles and a corset because Steampunk vibes are cool. Also her Flyguy bow, just in case)
Parrot pal has successfully started her own business, where she sells everything from deep slate to gold to clothing and mercenary jobs. The wider the spread, the better the bread
Lives very close to the shopping district, to keep an eye on her shops
The Watcher thing sure is…interesting. Grian hasn’t told her the full story, so she isn’t sure exactly what she is but she knows that it’s something unworldy
Is still learning to disguise it
Has a fierce rivalry with Mumbo over trying to become the riches hermit. Mumbo had no idea this rivalry is happening
She’s bestie with her little brother, Grumbot Prime
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Wes
(Golden boy. His Hc and current design has a lot of similarities, mainly because when it comes to change he likes to take things slow. Got a haircut tho, plus many tattoos and a circlet to represent his status as the son of the sun god (Tho who knows how true that actually is). Also has a skull ring, in honor of Jekiv)
Baby boy is doing fine. Mostly
Is decked out in gold because again, he loves to mine, and gold is his favorite ore
Lost part of his ear and hearing in a creeper explosion, least favorite of his scars
Has improved his self confidence greatly over the years, which in turn improved his relationship with his dad
(Side note, I can imagine Xisuma whitelisting like a therapist or something just because these three, especially Wes, has some things to work through)
Is actually an extremely skilled farm creator, just like his other dad
Spends a lot of time trying to find a way to fix their code so they can leave and rejoin servers
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Gertrude
(Total princess warrior vibes for her. Wanted her to be a mixture of Butch and femme, in the weirdest way possible. She’s now also wearing shoes! I wanted her to have heels alright? Her soles eventually got worn out so she’s wearing a pair of boots)
One of the best warriors on Empires SMP
Used to have separate outfits for being a monster hunter and being a noble, but eventually just combined the two to make her life easier
(Eddie made her armor, she’s very grateful)
The armor had to be made fireproof, because despite being older she still scuffles playfully with Johnny
She went through quite a large number of weapons before settling on the mace. It just, “fit her”
Also very few people can actually lift her mace, because it’s extremely heavy.
Sometimes helps out fWhip in Gobland with redstone, just because it’s fun. She enjoys the challenges that he presents to her
Wants to someday face ten withers and take down them all. Until then, she will train with all her might
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Johnny
(My friend told me he looked evil lol. Ran out of cowboy outfits a long time ago, so here’s a more outlaw vibey one. The goggles and scarf are to protect his face from sand though, so likes there’s a reason lol. Butternut stands proud at the scene as well)
Despite his outer appearance, he’s still the nice lad you all know and love
He is more of a free roamer nowadays though, mostly traveling the mesa around Tumble Town, sometimes even beyond it
After Liana left for Empires, Johnny started helping Pix out with his excavations
When there’s word of a new discovery far away from any of the empires, you can bet your ass that Johnny is he first man on the case
And sure, he caaaaaaaaaaan use his elytra and get there in maybe half a day, but that beats the point of traveling!
An absolute expert at dealing with mobs at this point, especially creepers. Goes fucking crazy with that whip of his
Despite it all, he’s still a simple country bumpkin at heart, who likes his breakfast early and his music country
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Jassy
(Queen is extremely anime. I just searched “anime ninja female” and tried to get general style of outfit correct. Her hair was almost impossible, but looking on it now it looks fantastic. Her daggers are also enchanted, that’s why they’re purple lol)
Jassy is a trophy wife and she takes her job very seriously
She does know her way around redstone, and she ain’t a bad builder (She’s the one who made her and Liana’s base), but her wife is out making bank while she takes care of their many, many cats
The mercenary part of Double Co. is her entirely though.
The story behind her damaged eye is a mystery to all, as every time someone asks about it she makes up some new fantastical tale
In reality she was flipping her daggers while laying down on the ground, then accidentally dropped one. It ain’t as cool as fighting an alligator, or taking down twenty wardens at once though
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Jekiv
(Glow up of the fucking century my dude. He ain’t abandoning his love for pastels anytime soon, but that almost makes him more scary. Exchanged his old staff for a scythe just for the aesthetic. If you look closely at the hand holding the scythe, you can see a golden ring)
*Becomes a mass murderer* ~Character development~
He’s still not a full fledged necromancer yet, though he can summon entire corpses now. Actually getting them to do his bidding is another thing
The squirrel on his shoulders is named Chimp. She’s his familiar, and she’s thirsty for blood
Has spent nearly four years trying to solve the mystery of The Evermoore, but hasn’t come out with much result
Did find out he has no soul, or at least not a traditional one, so that’s neat!
Existential crisis aside, Jekiv is also trying to figure out a way for their code to be fixed.
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Novo
(Pov: Ur about to want and rip your ears off. Hat decorated, coat fluffy, heels fucking iconic, my man has the drip. A weird drip, but the drip nonetheless. And after all these years, he still does the ruined makeup look. Some things never change)
Switched to playing the bagpipe, because those things are both loud and difficult to learn to play. Novo does not know how to play, but that doesn’t stop him one bit
Best big brother to Oli’s child, and with that I mean the absolute worst influence a child could ask for
Actually managed to reconcile with Scott, despite all odds. It’s not a perfect father-son relationship, but like none of them have that so it’s fine
Wears a lot of pink partly to match with Gert, and partly because it’s a loud and obnoxious color, so it garners attention
The wealthiest of all the kids, just by people paying him to leave him Tf alone
There’s some fic ideas I still have with the kids, plus maybe the fourth series will give me some new material, but these are probably the final designs I will make for them.
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kozykricket · 1 year ago
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some ramblings, appreciating deltarunes "layers" of story/lore
I might have already written something about this before, but something that I really love about deltarune is that it's a game that (from what we can tell) has several different layers to the story that are all enjoyable, for different... levels of players to enjoy! Like, you have the upfront stuff, about oh, dark worlds, the knight, and kris' soul (protagonist vs player and such) but its mostly just some young teenagers goofing off going to fantasy worlds and learning some self improvement then you go a tad bit deeper, still things most people may ask and you have... well what the hecks up with dark worlds logistically, why is ralsei, and what dark worlds represent (escapism woah), and for some, secret bosses expanding on the whole free will + kris' soul shenanigans thats where it may end for most people, and i think thats great, that if you arent someone in extreme brainrot about the history of gaster then... i think the game will be very enjoyable without having to think about meta elements! and of course, as good writing tends to be, hints about one "level above" are slowly dropped to those who are below, to help them understand, but you get what im saying, right? its like, big nerds get thinking about the gaster shit earlier, before the game really is gonna start probably hammering in like hey whats up with that voice at the beginning
I do question whether dess will end up being about as secret as like, jevil is, or as secret as the man behind the tree and the mystery of the eggs is. but i feel like shes also a realy good opportunity for being a mystery thats almost entirely deltarune, without needing prior-context of who a random vaguely mentioned character in ut is. still, a lot of vague info is hidden in the files, so perhaps... hmm, well, there was that one abc_123 file where toby was like "don't share stuff from the files, thanks. you cant have secrets nowadays" and then.. i feel like when he changed it to just be laughter, that was his way of saying "alright, i see the game you want to play. ill play along" and thats why... for some people, hes playing the game of hiding mysterious stuff in the code. he knows what hes doing, of course. he knows people love looking in the games code, so hes trying to make it interesting even if people do that overall though i just like how theres different levels of enjoyment of the story so far. im sure the game will end up telling everyone about dess and gaster and such, in some way, but... for most people? itll be a game about the fun gang and their friends learning to become better people, and having some fun wacky adventures on the way there! tldr toby fox does "having different layers to your story" in a fairly interesting, enjoyable way. EDIT: yeah, ill make a v2 of this post. i more specifically am amazed at how you dont NEED to know the deeper layers than you want to, and its. cool !!
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aeghina · 1 year ago
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Vampire AU
CW: mentions of blood, nudity and sex
Part 2!
“Is he your son?” Someone asks in the store line. Mask fortunately doesn’t pay attention, still looking at the chocolates near the cashier.
“Little brother actually.” They tried the son lie before, he looked too young to have a child even some centuries ago when women started having children at fourteen. Actually, some girls still have babies at fourteen these days. Some things never changed, but this should. 
“Oh I see. So you’re not taken.” he eyed the person again and let his senses focus. Woman, near thirties, no smoke smell, no easy to recognize disease, pretty common face after seeing so many hylians for the last thousand years living in the country. Ah, he had worse people before.
“No, single and ready to mingle.” He ignored the huff from Mask
“I’m taking a box of each.” Mask said and he waved him off, the other putting different chocolates inside the cart, but Warriors’ eyes still focused on the woman 
“I’m actually new in the neighborhood.” She says, slightly embarrassed. Blood rushed to her cheeks and wasn’t that a lovely vision? His mouth watered.
“You should come for the potluck this saturday, everyone is welcome.” He nodded with an easy smile, they walked a bit closer to the cashier when the line moved “Maybe stay for dinner.” 
“I’d love to.”
“Great!” He swallowed, thickly and had to control his senses to not be overwhelmed. Too many people here, no need to start another carnage, the last one took months to clean and years in another country until they were ok to come back. 
“You should put in the salad dressing.” Mask counted the bags and checked the needles before locking them inside the chest again. Warriors hummed, crumpling the herbs and poured it in the gravy pan. “Not everyone eats meat these days.”
“Not everyone likes salad too.”
The only good point of living forever is learning to do a lot of things. Their group of horrible cooks could now make a decent feast and nowadays people were so happy to participate in a neighborhood potluck, it was easy to mix some herbs that would improve the blood flow and say it is a family recipe, it was even easier to have a group only large enough that everyone could sit down in the couch after lunch and lounge and plan for the next one. The market lady came and he introduced her to the others, she’d need good connections just arriving in a city and he was more than happy to provide. 
Someone had to miss her to tell the news to the family in case things get out of control.
“Did you get your toys Junior?” He asked and the glare Mask sent made him snicker when the other vampire brought his bag.
“Whore.” He mumbled in old hylian, a dead language that they could use to talk in secret even in private
“Grouchy bastard.” He replied without batting an eye, the insults were too common by now to really offend. He knew Mask was a bit jealous, it was hard to be taken seriously as a kid. “Thanks for watching over him tonight.” Warriors says to the couple, waiting with their own child
“Not a problem, Link.” the friendly neighbor smiled, running a hand over their stomach “But man, that lamb was good. Send me the recipe later.”
“Absolutely.” he nodded and waved them off. 
“Save some food for me!” Mask complained 
“Don’t worry, there’ll be enough.” Hopefully. He probably should fill a blood bag instead of biting.
Ah, who was he trying to fool? With a warm body under him, heart racing and blood flowing full of adrenaline and dopamine after sex, his fangs were out and piercing skin.
“Wars!” He groaned and let go of the woman, licking his lips to save every possible drop 
“What?” He licked her neck, closing the wound. It had the double effect of medium anesthesic, so he sucked on the skin, leaving a red mark that wouldn’t be too questioned other than the expected after a wild night.
“Problem. Big problem.”
“Someone better be dying.” 
“They are.”
“Gods kill me.” He grunted, raising his head to see the other by the side of the bed, the woman passed out under him, still so warm and delicious. Mask was looking at her too, eyes large and mouth hanging and he could see the fangs poking out of his lips “Nah-ah, she’s mine. You had a whole family to eat from.” Mask shook his head 
“It’s her.” Mask showed his phone “Four just sent me.” A picture of a young teen, hiking a hill and giving a thumbs up.
“Where?” Mask raised his arms, as frustrated as he was. “Damn it all, have you called Sky?”
“Not picking up.” Mask looked to the woman again, not with hunger but concern “Are you going to leave her here?'' The woman slept without a worry in her mind. They couldn’t disappear without an explanation. This would work maybe fifty years ago, but these days? Not a fat chance. He sat down on the mattress
“You also can’t disappear from the Wolton’s house.” He sighed and covered her with the blankets “Call me at six, I won’t pick up for two first tries then I’ll take the third one.”
“Korean?”
“German, I think I’ve told someone about us having family in Munich.” Mask nodded and went to his room while Warriors went for the closet where he kept the luggages, not caring about dressing.
Clothes were never really a worry for them. An immortal life meant their savings doubled every fifty years, without counting investments (or heists when they were particularly bored). But they carried magic items, books with curses and spells that while harmless in human hands, could be one hell of a headache with someone from the other realms. Mask was already filling his luggage with small boxes, he knew each carried a different mask that could shapeshift him or drive a man to madness. A nasty thing he enjoyed collecting over years. Warriors debated over taking the fire rod. The house would still be theirs but who knew how long until they came back? Better take it too. 
“Got any space left in your magical bag?” Mask put his hand inside until almost the shoulder with a frown but nodded, he threw the rod at him and it was safely kept.
“I think I can only fit one bottle here.”
“Put the dragon blood. Wild would kill us if it’s wasted.”
He walked around the rest of the house, checking. No noteworthy work of art here, he got a couple more magical tools that were in the office. Alright, everything looked harmless enough for humans until they could come back or ask someone to come. Mask was carrying now two large bottles of silver liquid, comically big in his little arms.
“Oh shit.” Warriors dragged a hand on his face “Why is this here?” Mask shrugged, the bottles clinking with the motion “I swear, it’s a miracle we never stopped carrying those things.” He carefully put the bottles near the curses book, involving both with fabric stitched in fae glamor. For human eyes, hopefully, they’d look like shampoo or something harmless. A soft sound coming from Mask made them glance at each other before Mask got his phone.
“Wind found him.” Mask frowned to his phone “Hyrule.”
“Of fucking course.” If anything, Hylia was predictable. He closed the first luggage. “Central? The woods?”
“Ordon.” Warriors almost broke the zipper.
“Ordon?” he hissed back.
“He lives in a bigger city north, but hometown is Ordon. That’s basically our backyard.” Mask nodded while he put the luggage against the office table. He crouched near the drawer pulling documents they would need to travel and stuffing them in the outside pocket of the luggage for easier access.
“How is she coming any close to it with a holy spring right there?” the smaller vampire shrugged and Warriors sighed, putting his head against the luggage “Please tell me he’s a priest or something.”
“I think he’s a student.” Mask hummed “Wind is looking for a better picture. There’s him and another guy. Dividing?”
“Dividing.” Warriors pulled his hair backwards, looking up to the ceiling. They barely started in this city. 
The acting on the next day was easier than the last preparations from the night before. He pretended to be asleep and the woman stirred when his phone ringed loudly one, two and finally before it became a third missed call he picked it up. He apologized, saying it was a family problem and he had to pick up his little brother immediately and she was understanding enough (gods dammit it all, he could have fed more, she wasn’t even dizzy!). 
They were out of the city and inside a plane in less than two hours. 
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crystalelemental · 10 months ago
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Unit Teambuilding - Lucas
I know full well I talked about Lucas before but I can't find the old writeup so new year new me I guess.  Let's talk that expansion.
Grid Expansion Lucas was, at the time, considered by many to be better than Renegade Cynthia.  Better setup tools, better DPS pressure, better partners with the Dragon Zone thing.  As a result, I doubt many looked at Lucas and though man.  There's someone who really needs an expansion.  But he got it, so here we go.
Lucas wanted for nothing.  His sync was tremendous, his DPS was higher than average thanks to "accuracy issues" he fixed with his TM that perfectly set up all his needed offenses.  He even got to cap his own speed for his Inertia multiplier, and rotated Free Moves Next with each Trainer Move into Roar of Time.  Lucas was crazy good.  The only thing that languished in time was the lack of extension effects.  Anyone who's anyone extends their field effects nowadays, GRUSHA, so it's the only thing Lucas realistically could ask for.
So it makes sense that's all he got.  No really, that is the only thing of note he received.  Brain Sync 2 and Sharpened Mind 1 are fine but negligible buffs, Status Immunity is pure Gauntlet gimmick that isn't even super useful for a Tech without bulk and healing, Soften Up is cute but pretty easy to ignore, and Satisfied Snicker does not currently align to any Dragon types.  No one in the type has Devastation except C!Iris, who is physical, and just wants to partner with NC Nate these days.  Literally the only thing of value is the extension.
But hey, probably speaks well of the pair's utility that, even when they reached the point they could give him more, they couldn't think of anything that impactful that wasn't just extension of a field effect.  Which is odd because I sure can!  Look, he's a Zone support, what are Zone supports for?  Why do people focus on these field effects?  That's right, it's to nuke the hell out of some fools.  Which means the person setting the field effect?  Ideally they're more DPS focused than sync, or at least pack other beneficial effects.  Lucas' Satisfied Snarl isn't it, and while his base DPS is good, it's not like they couldn't afford a 30% bonus somewhere, you know?  I just feel like he gained too little, when there was still room for improvement compared to modern fare.
EX and Move Level? To put it bluntly, if you have 3/5 Lucas, you have no reason to fret.  Lucas is not SS Diantha, he is not living and dying by the presence of his field effect, and thus can rely on waiting until just before sync to set it like a normal sync pair.  Extension 3 offers nothing so substantial that this becomes a requirement.  If you have Lucas 1/5 and mostly used him for some nice DPS pressure and support to SS Serena, you'll be happy to know nothing has changed.  Same as it ever was, same as it ever was.
Team 1: Lucas, SS Brendan/NY Clair, SS Serena This is the team that put Lucas' name on the map.  Dragon Zone was good initially because of the myriad free dragons, but when SS Serena dropped just two months later, Lucas exploded onto the field as a supportive pair.  Serena was already insane in her damage contributions, but with Zone active?  The game is actually over.  SS Brendan's eventual release later that year perfected the core, offering sharp Sp Def drops through Luster Purge, paralysis for gimmick checks, Potion, Sp Def for defensive backbone, among other traits.  Granted, Brendan and Serena fight for sync, but Serena wins, and it's not like there's a better Dragon Su-OH WAIT THERE IS.  Kinda.  She doesn't drop Sp Def, but NY Clair offers a team-wide DPS boost under Dragon Zone, prevents enemy Dragons getting a boost from it, and solves all of Serena's crit needs in one action, while supplying Def for survival.  She's a bit less sturdy than Brendan, lacking Potion, but either achieves the goal.
Team 2: Lucas, Roxanne, Cyrus/Lance/SS Cynthia In the times before SS Serena, Cyrus was the go-to man of the hour.  SS Cynthia was still pretty middling, while Cyrus' own grid and expansion turned out pretty great.  His Dragon damage wasn't exceptional by any means, but he was a good, and more importantly, free EX Striker.  Roxanne covered for Cyrus' TM and avoided that recoil while supplying the needed stats.  In modern times, Roxanne has an EX we'd like to use, and Lance's Hyper Beam is serious business DPS after his own expansions allowed him to handle crit rate.  Or you can pack SS Cynthia, whose 3/5 focus appreciates this composition as well.  5/5 can get Free Moves Next on a paralyzed opponent, so she might prefer Brendan for the stats and extra Hostile Environment roll.
Team 3: Lucas, SS Mina, SS Leon This is a more recent acquisition, focused on SS Mina's ability to give SS Leon what he wants, by blocking half the damage from enemy sync with her Buddy move.  This allows Leon to fully power up his DPS pressure, with Lucas providing the Zone.  It's a little risky, and not super worth it since Leon doesn't have a sync conditional for it, but you have that option.  Lucas' own speed capping and rotation of Free Moves Next helps alleviate the gauge problems.
Team 4: Lucas, SS Kris, Clair/Zinniquaza This is one I'll do sometimes, but Clair was approximately saved by SS Kris' introduction, thanks to her compression of Rain.  Lucas can fit in here, supplying the Zone.  Clair misses paralysis, but given her bonus crit in rain node, she's able to start firing strong DPS earlier than usual with this core, contributing meaningful DPS alongside Lucas, who I think is still just stronger.  If you want something a little more modern, Zinniquaza's mega evolution gets some big numbers, but you do need MPR Kris to make the crit rate for her.
Team 5: Lucas, Lucian, Drake If you just want Lucas to do the killing, here you go.  Lucian has the needed Sp Def debuffs, speed boosts to ease Lucas' demands, and is all around ridiculous.  Drake is chosen as support for theme skills, because all you realistically need is defensive stats for survival; Lucas is purely self-sufficient.
Final Thoughts Lucas is still pretty great.  I think the focus should be a bit more on his DPS, since I personally find he uses that more than he uses sync, but I'm willing to let that go.  He does pretty well, even if he's not my most used dragon man.
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rabbitcruiser · 11 months ago
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National Drinking Straw Day
Sipping a cold drink has never been more enjoyable thanks to these colorful tubes of fun that make every sip a delight!
Can you imagine drinking a milkshake without a straw? Or how anyone would manage a juice box? How many soft drinks would you have spilled on yourself in dark movie theaters if it weren’t for straws? I think we can all agree drinking straws have changed our lives for the better enough to deserve their own holiday, and that’s exactly what Drinking Straw day is about: celebrating the invention and patenting of the (paraffin-covered) paper drinking straw!
Learn about National Drinking Straw Day
National Drinking Straw Day has been designed to celebrate this humble invention. A straw may seem like such a basic thing, but it’s a necessity. From milkshakes to iced coffees; a straw is a must for a number of drinks. This is especially the case for cocktails with mint leaves in and other elements that you don’t want to swallow!
History of National Drinking Straw Day
The straws man ever used were made by the Sumerians, and were probably most often used for drinking beer, which at that time contained many solid byproducts of the fermentation process. Thousands of years later, in the 1800s, the rye grass straw became popular because it was cheap and soft. Unfortunately, it also had the tendency to turn to mush in liquid.
One day, while drinking a mint julep, inventor Marvin C. Stone became especially frustrated by straws’ shortcomings, as the taste of the rye mixed with that of his drink, giving it a grassy taste. He then patented the modern drinking straw in 1888. The first straw Stone made was just paper wound around a pencil to make a thin tube, and he then slid out pencil out from one end and applied glue between the strips.
This was already a great improvement on the rye grass straw, as it did not impart any flavor onto the drink being consumed. Stone later further refined his invention by building a machine that would coat the outside of the paper with wax to hold it together, so the glue wouldn’t dissolve in the Bourbon he liked to drink.
How to celebrate National Drinking Straw Day
One way to celebrate National Drinking Straw Day would be to spend the entire day drinking all liquids via straws—your morning orange juice, afternoon mineral water, you evening wine and so on. One thing to watch out for here, however, is the fact that sucking any liquid into your mouth via a straw heats the liquid up by a few degrees, and that’s why hot drinks, such as coffee or tea, should not be drunk using straws, as that could lead to scalding your mouth.
Another great way to celebrate this holiday would be to learn to make the drink that that inspired Marvin Stone to create a new kind of straw in the first place: the mint julep. Then, sit back, sipping your drink through a straw and be grateful it does not taste like rye grass! Cheers to Marvin C. Stone, ladies and gentlemen!
Mint Julep Recipe
Ingredients
Makes 2 cocktails
10 mint sprigs
1 ounce simple syrup OR 4 sugar cubes OR 4 teaspoons of sugar
5 ounces of your favorite bourbon whiskey
Mint sprigs for garnish
Place half of the mint and simple syrup or sugar into one special julep cup, or double old-fashioned glass, and the other half of the mint and sugar/syrup into another. Muddle the mint well with a spoon to dissolve the sugar and to release the oil and aroma of the mint. Pour half of the bourbon into one glass, and the rest into the other. Then, fill both glasses with crushed ice and stir quite energetically, until the glass becomes frosty. Garnish with the mint sprigs and enjoy!
If a Mint Julep is not for you, another drink that needs to be enjoyed with a straw is a frozen Margarita. The Margarita is a classic cocktail, which consists of triple sec, tequila and lemon or lime juice. It is traditionally served with a salt glass rim, however, there are many variations available nowadays and a lot of people opt for sugar instead. You will see a Margarita in various forms, such as straight-up – without ice, frozen – blended with ice, and on the rocks – shaken with ice. There are also fruity varieties and different flavours incorporated into modern versions of this drink.
The Margarita is definitely one of the best summer cocktails, as it is light, refreshing and bursting with flavour. Most people opt for a frozen margarita during the warmer months, as we like our drinks ice cold when it is sweltering outside. We are going to reveal one of our simple frozen margarita recipes to follow, so you can easily enjoy this drink at home.
To make a frozen margarita you will need tequila, Cointreau, white caster sugar, orange zest, sea salt flakes and fresh lime juice. You are going to begin by making a syrup by combining water with caster sugar in a pan over heat. Make sure you choose a low heat and stir the contents constantly until the sugar dissolves. After this, you should grate in the orange zest and squeeze the lime juice. Pour all contents into a container and freeze.
Once you are ready to enjoy your Margarita, you should take the frozen mix from the freezer and blitz it in a blender. Once you have done so, add Cointreau and tequila. Get yourself a glass and rub a lime wedge around the rim, roll it in a little salt and then pour the drink inside. Finally, grab a straw and cut it in half so it fits the glass. The only thing left to do is enjoy it!
Of course, you can always make non-alcoholic versions of these drinks! Or, why not make yourself a nice, cold frappe? To do this, you need to add some water and coffee to a glass. You can add some flavored syrup, such as vanilla or caramel as well. You then need to whisk these ingredients together until there is a nice froth on the top. Add some ice, top up with milk, add a straw, and enjoy!
We also recommend that you do your bit for the planet and ditch your plastic straws on this date (if you have any!). Instead, opt for a metal straw, which can be used again and again. These are much better than the paper straws, which can be rather frustrating!
Source
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audreydoeskaren · 3 years ago
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do you know Chinese symbolism for homosexuality?
tw homophobia, pedophilia
Hi again, for gay men there are a couple really well known ones but I’m not sure if they were real or fabricated, because all the articles describing them always cite the same couple sources from Antiquity... I tried to verify them but the only articles that didn’t copy and paste from the same source came across as extremely homophobic, so I decided to give up. The most common and reliable one is probably 断袖 or “cut sleeve”, which I mentioned in a previous ask. I would like to use this opportunity to talk about some tangential but more important topics regarding homosexuality in China though.
As a followup to my previous ask where I said I'd look through some Ming and Qing novels to see how homosexuality was perceived at the time, the conclusion I (unfortunately) came to was that homophobia was very much alive and well in Chinese literature and society. A lot of people like to argue that gay people fared pretty well in China historically by either pointing to emperors who were or were rumored to be gay or time periods where gay sex was prevalent as a form of consumption. This is extremely shallow and also kind of Orientalist in my opinion, these arguments always go for the emperors and do not take nuance into consideration or dive into wider societal discourses on homosexuality in imperial China. If you research homosexuality in Europe by only looking at royalty, you’ll find plenty of homosexual behavior too, does that mean gay people had it very easy in Europe historically?? Not to mention that they usually don’t differentiate between dynasties, let alone centuries or decades, even though public opinion on homosexuality in China (or anywhere in the world tbh) could change very quickly. This is also sort of Orientalist, assuming “imperial China” to be a never changing entity with a never changing stance on homosexuality. Since I know nothing prior to the Ming Dynasty I’ll share some of my random findings on homosexuality and homophobia in the Ming, Qing and 20th century.
Gayness as disease
Nowadays the symbol of the cut sleeve is just a benign historical allusion but historically it seems that it was used in a negative and condemning sense, implying that people thought of homosexuality as a disease or deviation from the norm. The common phrase used for the cut sleeve is "断袖之癖", usually translated as "the passion of the cut sleeve" nowadays, but the meaning of the word 癖 here leans more toward "fetish", "obsession" or "hobby" with pathological connotations. I thought maybe this word had a different, nuanced meaning historically but it seems that it was used to describe what it means :(( The only silver lining is probably that with the progression of language it isn’t offensive anymore.
In a lot of popular novels from the Ming and Qing, homosexuality was depicted as a "perversion" and a decadent lifestyle that plagues morality, and gay characters were often either killed or straightened out by the end of the story. An example of this is the story 黄九郎 Huang Jiulang from the series 聊斋志异 Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio by 蒲松龄 Pu Songling written in the 17th century. In this story, one of the protagonists was gay; he died after confessing his love to the other guy in a very fast paced bury your gays arc which somehow reminded me of the Supernatural finale, and reincarnated as a straight man because of his piety. Thanks I hate it. Pu uses the symbol of the cut sleeve to refer to the protagonist, presumably in a negative manner.
Gayness as power/status symbol
Another thing was that historically in China a lot of people confused homosexuality with pedophilia. This is a global thing, but its presence in China is often overlooked. This could be seen in the popularity of another term for homosexuality, "娈童", meaning something similar to "pederasty". I read somewhere that since the late Ming, pederasty was considered a type of tasteful consumption for high society, along with things like fashion, food, music and art. This was not equivalent to the "cut sleeve" or homosexuality as we know it nowadays, which refers to a personal sexual orientation, pederasty historically often refers to an imbalanced power dynamic where a wealthy, privileged man takes advantage of a young boy as a leisurely activity. It’s more to show off that someone in a position of privilege and wealth has the power to procure sexual objects, gender and age don’t matter much in this regard. I cannot help but cringe violently whenever someone brings up pederasty as proof of China’s historical “openness” toward gay people. Talk to me again when in this time and place you could marry someone of your sex (not a minor) and be considered a respectable couple instead of two jerks with a degenerate fetish (not saying that gay people have to marry, it’s just that the ability to do so is an important indicator of equality imo). Pedophilia and homosexuality are not one and the same good heavens.
I hypothesize that the reason why Chinese society was historically homophobic despite having no religious condemnation of homosexual individuals was the idea that having many concubines and male children was a status symbol for men. Women of marriageable age were seen more or less as commodities and male children could supposedly "continue the bloodline" 传香火 and were vessels for passing down prestige, so having them were of utmost importance to a privileged man. Being just gay or lesbian, however, meant that you didn't perform the "man strong working woman weak making babies" heteronormative family prototype, and was thus prone to criticism. When gay men didn’t have children they “couldn’t continue their bloodline” and were emasculated, when gay women didn’t have children they failed to “fulfill their duties as a woman” and were shamed.
It kind of makes sense considering how being bisexual was never a problem in comparison, especially for men. If you were a rich guy who had both male and female partners, you would still have children and concubines both male and female so nobody gives a shit. Emperor Zhengde of the Ming (reign 1505-21) was presumably bisexual and had both male and female lovers, nobody had a bone to pick with that; he famously liked to fuck around but those who criticized him did so for his debauchery instead of focusing on the gender of his partners.  This is different to homophobia in Europe where same sex attraction was considered evil and immoral in and of itself because of religious reasons, in China it was rather the other practical implications of homosexuality (not having children or a family) that attracted hate.
By the way can we just take a moment to talk about bi erasure in Chinese history. From all accounts of Emperor Zhengde I’ve read he comes across as extremely bisexual, but a lot of people try to make him a gay icon? I mean, he liked women too.
One interesting homophobic angle in ye olde China which I find kind of funny was straight women who wanted to climb the social ladder by marrying rich men talking shit about them after figuring out they were gay lmao. Historically, there were not so many work opportunities for women, so the easiest way to improve social standing was to marry a rich and powerful guy. Not saying that women didn't work, they did but their upward social mobility was restricted because they couldn't enter the imperial examination system which was how men became rich and powerful. This angle is relatively benign and kind of helps illustrate that historical Chinese homophobia was indeed fueled by classism and patriarchy.
Gayness as crime
I used to think that there were no anti-sodomy statutes in China (laws prohibiting sex between gay men), but it turns out that there was one decree in the Jiajing era (1521-67) and one in 1740, and private gay sex was not actually decriminalized until 1957. Same sex marriage is still not legal in China at time of writing. I couldn’t find detailed information on what these laws entailed or how they were enforced, but they’re enough to prove that homosexuality in China was legally punishable from the 16th century onward. On top of that, even when there was no law prohibiting private sex acts between people of the same sex, displays of gay affection such as kissing or holding hands could still be legally punished under “public indecency” or “hooliganism”, which was frequently what happened in the 20th century. 
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writer-akihiko · 3 years ago
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Hello!
Can i request again?
So... Fluff really fluffy. Old Mc with Old warlords.
Please don't kill them. 😭
IkeSen Boys + Growing Old With MC
Note: The children of the warlords are taken from historical record, but please know that not all scenarios are accurate as I had named some children to fill in the children who were unnamed.
To be honest with you this is probably the longest ask I've ever done, over a period of 4 days of editing and characters so I hope you enjoy the fluffy family content! It's cut for length. Also... I couldn't add so many tags so please share it if you can!
Nobunaga Oda
You were excited for this particular day, since your oldest son, Nobutada was finally coming home from a skirmish he had settled. The Owari province was long handed over to your sons, as you and Nobunaga lived peacefully in the edges of Azuchi, away from the city.
You had waited a long time to see your children once again, although not all were in Azuchi. With 21 children in total, both adopted and from birth, most were of similar age. The only few that lived with you were your youngest daughters, Oushin and Ofuri who were adopted at the same time. Youngest was a stretch, considering they were both 19.
Your other warlord friends were due to visit soon, including Hideyoshi. Throughout your years, you never comprehended why no one interested Hideyoshi as a romantic partner. Although, your heart eased, remembering how Hideyoshi would care for your sons as if he were their own.
Your thoughts were interrupted by your husband, as he plopped next to you, taking in the serene view of the empty field. In his hand were a bag of konpeito. Hideyoshi would be angry, but you weren't so as you managed to control his candy-loving instincts. You took a few to nibble on yourself, as you leaned against your husband.
"What were you thinking of, my fireball?"
You hummed, wondering how to respond. "About the future perhaps?"
"Good," he said. "I've been thinking... I wouldn't change a thing. But..."
You leaned into him, tickling the hairs of his neck. He flinched away, peppering you in kisses in retaliation as he continued his thought. "I want to travel once again, with you."
"I won't say no... But why not travel for longer?"
The moment your friends gathered, you and your husband announced your decision. Your children were surprised but the older warlords weren't. Masamune also teased Nobunaga, saying how he grew tired of a tranquil life. It wasn't long before you contacted Motonari, and the Oda couple were due to sail to Portugal.
"My years with you gave me the greatest life, YN."
Hideyoshi Toyotomi
It was not long before the day of your 20th marriage anniversary with Hideyoshi, but you woke up to a missing husband. Hideyoshi, being the way that he is, never stopped working for Nobunaga. Years went by, and you and Hideyoshi had a family of two sons, Hideyori and Tsurumatsu.
Your oldest son, Tsurumatsu, welcomed you instead in the morning. Your oldest was the spitting image of Hideyoshi, except that he took your eyes. It was as if you were looking at a younger Hideyoshi, and you commented on it, "With a sword like that, you remind me of your father..."
Your son's attitude however, resembled Ieyasu more than anything. Well... Ieyasu was his favourite warlord uncle when growing up. Tsurumatsu denied any of the sort, and insisted he accompanied you around Azuchi. You were internally grateful that your sons took after your husband's gentleman-like attitude, although at times when living in an estate with all three, it could get overbearing...
As you looked over the local fabrics, your hands traced over a fabric that you thought would suit all three of your boys.
"Princess YN?"
"Lord Mitsuhide!" Your son quickly bowed to the other warlord, but Mitsuhide gave him the respect to get up. The sudden appearance of the two bachelors, one older than the other, caused an uproar of the unmarried women of the market. It got you to think why Mitsuhide never settled down...
Your trip with your son ended in the front gates, where your younger son Hideyori and your husband Hideyoshi stood. Hideyoshi welcomed you wholeheartedly.
Hideyoshi escorted you around town, and you held onto his arm as you did before, and you two reminisced about the memories you had in the town together.
"20 years married..." You muttered. "Time flies huh? The boys have the townswomen swooning over them just like you did back then..."
"I only had eyes for you, YN..." He said. You huffed, teasing him about how he was in denial about his feelings the entire time. Hideyoshi grew red at your teasing, with you pulling him down to your level, kissing him on the cheek.
"For these 20 years with me YN... Thank you for telling me to live and staying with me."
Mitsunari Ishida
Your life never slowed down despite Mitsunari's calm approach to life. It was a joyous occasion for the Ishida clan throughout the years as you and Mitsunari had a wonderfully, large family of you both and 6 children.
Mitsunari still worked under Hideyoshi, with your third son Sakichi following in his footsteps. The week was busy, with you preparing for two weddings for your second and third daughter.
All your 6 children followed in the steps of Mitsunari in terms of worshipping Ieyasu. It was so much so, that one of your son-in-laws was Senchiyo Tokugawa. The warlords were long gone with their aggressions, so you were surprised when Mitsunari and Ieyasu arranged Kennyo to officiate the marriage.
Kennyo had been a neutral force after the birth of your first son Shigenari, as he even offered to bless your child. Kennyo himself never settled down, but he focused on rebuilding the temples instead. Mitsunari was quite the supporter, but Hideyoshi let an insight that it meant a lot to him since before Mitsunari studied in a temple.
You and Mitsunari returned home after a long shopping trip with the two oldest sons, Shigenari and Shigeie. Mitsunari nowadays forgot his things more and more, but his hatred for carrots continued. Your sons disappeared somewhere else to eat their carrot snacks, as you sat with Mitsunari in his study.
"You've never changed, Mitsunari..." You said, preparing some tea for him.
He reached out to your own hand, helping you pour. "I'm sure I'm improving on my tea manners!"
The silence never settled between you two, as no matter how much time had passed, you two never ran out of topics to run out of. You comforted Mitsunari as he confessed how sullen he felt about your daughters leaving.
"If anything... YN, in my time with you... Thank you for marrying me."
Mitsuhide Akechi
You moved to Tanba permanently, and you gave up your rank as Princess. With Mitsuhide gone for his missions, you'd answer to the other warlords. Somehow, it lead you to the title of 'Lady Akechi'.
It wasn't long before your first daughter, Tama, was to come of age. Mitsuhide was a private man, so it was only to be held with the other warlords and your entire family. You and Mitsuhide had a small family, but they were equally cherished by the others.
Yoshimoto arrived at Tanba earlier than expected. You had become fast friends with him, despite Mitsuhide's dislike. You had reassured him multiple times that Yoshimoto had no interest in you, but at times you had questioned why Yoshimoto never married...
"Tama! Yoshimoto is here!" You called out for your daughter. She was most likely with your youngest daughter... Yoshimoto had agreed to come and help Tama put together her hair, with the accessories he had collected.
It was not long before your daughter was finished, and by that time Mitsuhide with your eldest son, Mitsuyoshi, returned. No matter how many people were in the estate, your husband kissed you on the cheek, as it was customary to do.
Mitsuyoshi made faces, but was silenced by his much more mature, younger sister. Yoshimoto was quick to escort the three siblings outside, where Kyubei was waiting to bring his Lord's family to Nobunaga's Castle.
"Mou... Mitsuhide, the children are waiting... It's Tama's day today..." You muttered, as he continued to kiss you.
"Our children are adults, YN..." He said, holding you close. "Let your husband indulge in you for one more kiss... For now, and all our coming years..."
Ieyasu Tokugawa
In celebration, you decided to throw a banquet for Ieyasu as he announced he was stepping down from work. It was lively at home, with 16 children and a small army of rescued deer over the year helping you to decorate the house. You and Ieyasu, besides the deer, adopted children over your 20 years of marriage who soon became close with your 6 biological children.
You hurried to prepare the grand hall, but before you could fully lift the box full of tapestries, it was quickly carried away.
"Mama... You're not allowed to carry heavy things anymore," A blond man told you off, as two other men carried the vases away.
"Nobuyasu... Ogimaru... Hidetada..." You smiled at your three eldest sons. Ah, your heart warmed at how considerate they've become. It made you feel like a proud mother... "You three returned from Kenshin's lessons?"
The gap between the Oda and Uesugi-Takeda forces closed, and Kenshin grew close to your family. He never had children of his own, so you were enthusiastic when Kenshin treated your eleven sons as his own, even taking some to learn the sword by him.
"Mama! Don't be distracted! Let us fix you up!"
From behind you, your five daughters swarmed you, wrapping you up in a cloth you sure you bought this week... and it was untrimmed...
"Tokuhime! I haven't trimmed that cloth!" You turned to your other daughters, who were also holding makeup paints and hairpins. "Kamehime! Ichihime! You don't have to throw your jewellery to get my attention!"
"Mou... Mama, Father will be so happy to see you dressed up~" Your third daughter, Furihime chimed.
Matsuhime, the fourth daughter, joined in. "Without our help, your kimono might be too old fashioned Mama..."
Oh... Things were lively with all your children back at home... Your sons finished decorating the hall, and as a token you decided to do your daughters' hair to match them to your hairstyle.
You were last to enter the hall, as the boys wanted to greet their father first. Your daughters entered next, and all Ieyasu saw through them was you, and the way you raised them made them blossom into the people they were today. When you entered... he swore he stopped breathing.
"YN... My wife..." Not much was said after, but the blush on his face was enough to show how much he loved it, as well as his hand gripping onto yours tracing every finger of it.
Masamune Date
You would like to think that your life grew much more peaceful, but with a chaotic husband like Masamune, and four equally chaotic children like him. The Date forces as a whole were also chaotic. It was safe to say that Lady Date was one who took care of them all, no matter how big or small.
It gave your husband the great idea of planning a surprise birthday party for you with his children. As a warlord, he was not Ishida Mitsunari but he could still plan a well thought-out strategy...
"Irohahime, Muuhime, you are to distract your mother at the market. Kojuro will give the signal when we're ready."
They nodded. "Yes Dad."
"Hidemune, Tadamune. You know when to start the fight," He reiterated.
"Yes Da-"
Ieyasu, who came earlier as a guest, spoke up. "Why am I a part of this?"
"YN will only break a fight if it involves people outside our family," Masamune explained, flexing his arm. "She knows we're tough as nails..."
Ieyasu Tokugawa remained a bachelor, although he never explained why he didn't. Masamune had a little bit of a hunch, but he isn't one to pry. Ieyasu was an undeniable favourite of his daughter Muuhime, who gained an affinity for medicine.
"Tough as nails?"
Your family was dumbfounded that you stepped in the decorated hall, with your husband and children, with Ieyasu in the corner with a bowl of spicy soup. Kojuro had kindly lead Lady Date into the hall, despite of the plan as no one in the Date palace dared to defy YN LN.
For a room full of adults, your family at the moment were not acting like one. It was typical, but you had to wonder what the fuss was all about. Tadamune, the closest to you, was someone who couldn't lie to you, and told you the truth. It ended quite simply, as you insisted to help prepare.
In the kitchen with Masamune brought back memories. The whole time you and your husband were cooking, you played around with the ingredients as you did back then.
"My wife... you have a little flour on your face. Should I wipe it with my fingers or..." He wrapped his arms your waist, brushing his lips on your ear. "Kiss it away myself?"
Ranmaru Mori
You and Ranmaru decided to leave the Oda forces once you both got married. Ranmaru was mainly the reason, as he wanted to keep a neutral stance for your safety.
Ranmaru grew much taller over the years, but he wasn't as towering as the other warlords. You didn't mind as much except for the period of measuring out new kimonos for him. You both lead a quaint life, with Ranmaru working as your courier for your sewing work.
You and Ranmaru never had any children of your own, instead opting to become foster parents to other children whose parents were in war efforts or children that were orphaned from incidents.
Many children came and went, some of them leaving and never returning but there were the few that stayed. Ranmaru was still actively talking to the other warlords through letters, so you weren't surprised when he said that he intended to take you back to Azuchi for peach season.
It was no surprise that Hideyoshi gathered the entire town of Azuchi to welcome you both. It was nice to meet friends you had missed, as well as the daughters of the warlords you worked for. They awed at you, but to you it was as if you had adopted many, many girls resembling your friends.
"YN-hime! Etto... Do we call you YN-hime?" Tatsuhime, the oldest daughter of Mitsunari, asked.
"Of course! Even if she's not in Azuchi Castle, all our uncles say that she's the best princess!" Tokuhime, Nobunaga's oldest daughter, chimed in. "I may be Azuchi's princess but I can't fathom comparing myself to YN-hime!"
You shushed the girls, getting overwhelmed easily by the compliments and praises showered on you. You gave a peak to Ranmaru as a plea for help, but he added the cherry on top to the compliments instead.
"YN, YN... You know you're the best princess in my eyes!" He said, kissing your hand.
You were sure Ieyasu's daughters poked at their father with teasing of following Ranmaru's example. Others, like Mitsuhide's and Masamune's daughters, began to swoon that Ranmaru was more romantic than their fathers.
"I think that's enough Ranmaru... Let's save the romantic lines for our walk in the garden..."
Keiji Maeda
Oh what memories you had with Keiji over the years... For one, you were glad that the allegiance between the Oda and Uesugi-Takeda worked out, as you and Keiji decided to live together during that time.
You were shortly married after, with Keiji inviting Naoe as well, which lead to Kenshin being invited... plus Sasuke and Yukimura... not to mention Shingen as well... In the end it resulted in another gathering between the Oda and Uesugi-Takeda which you were glad didn't turn out violent.
Keiji was quite the family man himself, for after 20 years of marriage you had raised 10 children together, with 4 biological children and 6 adopted children. They had all grown up, married off to someone they love, leaving the once rowdy house now empty and quiet.
Keiji never stopped supporting Nobunaga, working almost as much as Hideyoshi on some days. You lived quietly, occasionally accompanying the wives of the other warlords as you never gave up your title as Azuchi's Princess, but it was obvious that you missed your entire family.
Keiji was always good with knowing your mood. Much to your surprise, you came back to an empty estate... but there were voices? One roaring voice sent you running to the main hall, where you opened the doors and there were your children, sitting around their father as he told more of his old war stories.
Overwhelmed with emotion, you shed a few tears as each of your children went up and hugged you.
"It's been so long my children..." You said as you hugged your two daughters.
"Mom, don't cry! If you cry... I'm gonna cry too!" Your first son, Keita wailed. He was taller than his father but it was quick to see that Keita, and much of the large boys of the family treasured you as their mother.
"Hoi hoi you rascals!" Keiji called out, getting up to walk to you. "Your monstrous heights would crush your mother!"
You moved into a hug with your husband, feeling Keiji lift you up. "My dear... they wouldn't," You grinned, finally laughing. "Keiji... Thank you for bringing our family together."
Kenshin Uesugi
Being crowned Lady Uesugi, you and Kenshin got busier and busier every year. It was an occurrence for the scribes of Kasugayama Castle to trail your relationship with Kenshin, as by the end of the day, it was a habit of his to take you on a stroll with your many, many bunnies.
There was not a soul in Echigo that did not hear of your marriage, Many were welcomed, but at the time no one thought that there would be a larger party than this. That was... until it was announced that you were pregnant.
It was an uproar, especially with Kenshin going around to everyone, saying how you were with child. To your surprise, your family of supposed three become a family of four as you were blessed with twins.
Kasugayama Castle was the home of your twins, Kagetora and Kagekatsu. Kenshin was proud of them, and they grew up to follow in their father's footsteps to take over the Uesugi clan... or that's what you thought until you realised how stubborn your husband was. He was making them work hard for it in their teen years when they expressed their interest in it.
Ah, but of course... Your three boys would always recharge with you, talking about their day. If one thing, they never learnt to share...
"What? You're drinking tea with Mama? But I wanted to show her the fabrics the merchants showed me!" Kagetora yelled at his older twin. Besides sword fighting, he grew up with an interest towards strategy, which was under Mitsunari's influence. He visited as often as he could, but you wonder if someone would ever catch Mitsunari's eye...
"An oaf like you wouldn't know how to brew tea like this for Mama..." Kagekatsu retorted, setting the pot down. He gained an interest for elegant arts similar to his father, and of course his favourite uncle is Yoshimoto.
Both glared at each other, but it was not long before the God of War entered the garden, with his many bunnies. "And why are you bothering my wife?"
"Father! Don't talk as if we're strangers! We're your sons and we wanna spend time with Mama too!" Kagetora retorted.
Kenshin drew his blade, challenging his sons that the winner gets to spend the afternoon with you.
"Ehem!" You coughed out, folding your kimono under you. "Boys, what's my number one rule in the garden?"
"No fighting and no swords..." Kagekatsu muttered.
"That's right," You said, taking a cup for yourself. "Now, why don't we all just sit down and have some tea?"
Sasuke Sarutobi
You and Sasuke didn't rush your lives in the Sengoku, since coming from the future meant a busy livelihood. You both agreed that when you both grew older, you would relax a little and not worry about the larger things in life.
Sasuke kept you in Echigo, as you stayed close to him and his other friends. You both had no intention of moving, but you did have an idea to own an estate to yourselves. There was no intention of children from both of you, so you decided to become foster parents to children with majority of their families at war.
You had only fostered about 3 children, but similarly, they too had extended families that they stayed with instead. The both of you learnt how to let go, ever since staying here, but that was something you both grew from. Finding out you both let go of the children you cared for, Yukimura had asked if you were interested in taking in his nephews and niece.
Yukimura himself never married, and you never asked, but he was a dear friend that you and Sasuke would sacrifice a lot for. Yukimura's orphaned nephews and niece were quickly known as your children, and Sasuke would always read them Physics Theorems as a bed time story...
It was a joyous occasion whenever those three would come back, and sooner by that time you realised you had gotten older. There was a small room where you and Sasuke kept your modern items, coincidentally was the room you would often have tea in.
You sighed, taking another bite of your bun. "Sasuke... I know we've lived quietly, but I've wanted to know if you ever wanted to return?"
"There's nothing I would've changed, YN... Not a single thing." He smiled, brushing his hand over yours. "Maybe... maybe there's another timeline, but you're in this one so it's where I am."
Kanetsugu Naoe
He continued to serve his years under Kenshin's reign, but then it was a moment of realisation of how time passed when you told him you were pregnant. It was a moment of stress for him, as he wasn't knowledgeable on the process.
It was recorded by the scribes of Kasugayama Castle that when Azuchi's Princess gave birth, Kanetsugu shed tears as if it were raining. That is to say, he cried a lot. You had a son, Kanetsuna. Much like his father, your son grew up to admire the line of Kenshin Uesugi, becoming close friends with Kagekatsu and Kagetora Uesugi.
Those three went off adventuring so much, it often worried you. Kanetsugu, with his curt self, would reassure you in his own way. It wouldn't help you much, since Kanetsugu would also talk about how helpful Kanetsuna was being towards the Uesugi family line.
You always busied yourself with your sewing, so you often used your son as a model to model your kimonos after. Kanetsuna never had an interest in fashion, but he would always walk up to women in the streets to go and buy your kimonos whenever you would open the shop.
Needless to say, most thought you were available for a marriage interview instead. Kanetsugu was surprised to see you carry home so many letters addressed to your son. Somehow, he was proud but wary.
"How did our son even resemble Shingen's charm? I'm aware he has my looks, but this is a bit much..." He adjusted the glasses he wore, taking more letters off your arms.
"Our son is of age, Kanetsugu and don't flatter yourself too much," You said, setting the letters aside. "You weren't a charmer but you steered clear of women..."
He turned red when you brought up his past self. His blush went away the moment you kissed him cheek, wrapping your arms around your husband. "It's alright, my husband... I certainly fell hard for you."
Shingen Takeda
How you lived in bliss with Shingen... It was not long before Kai was returned to Shingen, and he worked hard to build it up from the state that it was left in. Shingen created a loving community in Kai, and it was no question a homely place for you and him. Nobunaga claimed that the crops he gifted on your wedding were a gift, and you thanked him for that. Despite the time that passed, Nobunaga never took a spouse, so you wondered when he would marry too.
The whole community was in joy when you were with child, which prompted Shingen to throw an entire festival to bless your first born. Years went by, and you bore four sons for Shingen. Kai was now famous for its festivals, since Shingen insisted on one for every child you both had.
Kai, in turn, had a festival for every season and every son, with each having their birthdays in a particular season. Katsuyori was in the summer, Harukiyo was in the spring, Nobuchika was in Autumn and Yoshinobu was in Winter. The particular festival this time around was for Nobuchika, your second son and his 20th birthday.
You sighed, remembering the times the boys were younger. How they would run around, and how Shingen would swing them around hanging off his biceps. It was about 20 years of marriage, so you could still attest that he had the biceps, but your sons were far too tall to swing off their father's arm.
"Remember how they would swing on my arm?" Shingen said to you, taking a bite of a sweet bun.
"Mhm... Katsuyori would always fall off..." You replied, sipping your tea. The both of you watched as the new generation of the Kai people set up the tents, and raked the leaves off the walkways for the guests. "But Nobuchika was very stubborn..."
"It was always adorable how you'd panic, my Goddess..." He teased, pulling you close. "Not like I minded... Ah, and how Yoshinobu would sleep on Koro's back..."
The teasing was uncalled for, but Shingen couldn't stop swaddling you in his arms, relishing you in his kisses. You laughed, and your gleeful smile is one he'd always want to see on you.
Harukiyo, the youngest, nudge his other brothers. "Hey... Do they know that we're still here?"
The other three shook their heads.
Yukimura Sanada
Throughout the years, you and Yuki had 11 children together, with a mix of adopted and biological children. You were surprised that Yuki even had the confidence to take care of so many children with you, since Yuki wasn't exactly a paternal type either...
Another thing was, out of 11 children, you only had four sons... with very similar names that you can't help but give nicknames to them!
"Yuki! Dai! Help your sisters carry this heavy pot!" You yelled. In a rush, four young adults plus your husband came from their training, spears in hand, at your call to the garden.
You always wondered why Yuki insisted on naming two sons Yukichika and Yukinobu and the other two Daihachi and Daisuke. It always confused the others, especially Shingen when he couldn't tell them apart.
Besides that, all of your children had gained a love for some kind of weaponry. The only exception was your oldest, Kiku, who decided to become a healer instead. You fully supported their interests, but you still had to lay down some ground rules about weapons...
It wasn't long before three of your girls came back with Sasuke. Sasuke continued to be a favourite of the Sanada family, especially with the triplets, Okane, Oshobu and Oume, who had an affinity for throwing stars and knives. The last three girls, Ichi, Naho and Akuri were fans of archery instead, which their father taught them as well.
Speaking of Sasuke, you were glad that he treated the children as his own. You never asked why he never did adopt a few, or get married, but you were sure it wasn't right to pry.
It was always a big dinner with the Sanada family, but after dinner Yukimura would always take you somewhere else, be it the study or the garden, for his alone time with you.
"Time passes by huh..." You muttered, reaching in the tiny jar of fish snacks.
Yuki hummed, stroking Muramasa's coat as he listened to how your day went. No longer did he insult you as often as he did, but that boyish attitude of his never changed.
"Oh by the way... I arranged a marriage interview with Kiku and Katsuyori!"
Yuki spat out his drink. "T-Takeda Katsuyori?"
You hummed. "Kiku really likes him, and the feelings are mutual so-"
Not a word was to be said about what Yukimura screamed. Except for the fact that you replied with, "Kiku is 23 years old."
Yoshimoto Imagawa
Yoshimoto wasn't someone you'd imagine wanting a family, but then you realised that Yoshimoto really wanted to pamper any children you had. It was a slow process, but over the years, you both had 5 children, with 4 daughters and a son.
Your four daughters were well-known for their beauty, especially with mentions of their lineage as the phrase of 'Elegance of Imagawa and Beauty of Azuchi's Princess' was repeated several times over. Yoshimoto would not stop gushing over his own children, no matter how old they were.
Your only son, Ujizane was much more interested in becoming someone like Yukimura but he was also famous for his calligraphy works. It was an understatement how many pieces were commissioned by Kenshin and Masamune.
Yoshimoto however, has no concept of approaching romance when it came to his own child. He so happened to eavesdrop your conversation with your second daughter, Reishou.
"Ah! I can't look at him Mother! He's... He's very charming!" The usual stoic Reishou hid her face in her hands, her body swaying back and forth.
"Now... did you send him that letter I told you to do?" You said, patting her on the back. "Yoshinobu was it? He's a nice man..."
"But... But... the messenger accidentally sent it to Harukiyo Takeda! He mixed up the wrong brother..." Reishou told you, tears coming from her eyes. You wiped them away, hugging her close, and telling her it was going to be alright.
"Father? What are you doing in front Reishou's room?" His first daughter, Chotoku, asked, a hand to her hip in wonder. She wasn't as quiet as her father, her mannerisms and voice loud and clear. The 'eep' from the room was enough for him to bow down in shame as he saw you exit Reishou's room.
You ushered Chotoku to comfort her younger sister, as you dragged your husband somewhere else.
"Now Yoshimoto... you should apologise to your daughter," You said, finishing your lecture about why he shouldn't listen in. He pressed his head to floor as he listened, bowing to you as you went on about how he should be supportive.
"I... I understand my wife. Thank you..." He said.
"With that said... The five of you can come in now. I'm done with the scolding..."
Oh, the embarrassment he felt...
Kennyo
He was embarrassed to tell you that he had planned out his future with you when you found him pacing around about names for your future children. You and Kennyo lived in the reconstructed Honno-ji Temple as a wedding gift from the Oda forces.
There was no further issues between Kennyo and the others. After all, they were getting older and no one would want to make you upset. You were still friends with many of them, especially with Ranmaru. He was someone who would deliver the gifts from the warlords to you, especially when you were with child.
Kennyo was ecstatic when you were pregnant, but he was scared. Looking back then, Kennyo would get shy whenever you'd bring it up. You however, would tell him not to worry as he was a great father to your three sons.
Kyounyo, Junnyo and Kenson followed in their father's footsteps, specialising in several different aspects of the religion. Kenson, the youngest of all three however, was the most interested in travelling, most likely from the stories he'd hear from Ranmaru and Motonari.
Your three children easily mingled with Motonari's, but you always wondered why Ranmaru never settled down. He was still doing his own work, which worried you enough as he was almost a workaholic like Hideyoshi.
Kennyo's birthday rolled around, so you decided to make a special party for your husband. As you focused on the food, you tasked your three sons with work to distract their father as Kennyo's other subordinates helped with the preparation.
"Father! I wanted to ask you about this text!" Kenson carried papers about a sermon to his father, as he saw his father exit the main temple with a package in hand.
He held out his hand to his son's head, ruffling his hair. "I'm afraid not today, my son. I have to see your mother."
"Wait, but father-!"
One by one, they all failed and the surprise was ruined, but Kennyo wasn't aware of what he had done. He was so focused on giving you the said package. He only notice what he did when he saw the disappointed face of his wife, a face he was indeed weak to.
"YN-! Apologies my wife... I'll pretend as if nothing happened..."
"Father... Father has a one track mind huh..." The sons whispered amongst themselves.
Kichou
You never imagined finding a place where you and Kichou belonged. After all, your relationship in itself was out of place from your other friends. That was, until Motonari asked if you both wanted to travel around the world. You were on board, and after much prying, you and Kichou were travelling around Asia.
Most of your post-wedding years was spent with Kichou travelling to many places, although you would say that you both found a place in what you know today in modern Japan as Shikoku. The Island was not far off Motonari's reach, so you had some familiarity with it.
There was no rush to start a family straight away, especially considering that you moved away from the friends you were accustomed to. Kichou's work wasn't interrupted at all, but he did ask Motonari to help you out with finding what suited you. Somehow, someway, the assistance popularised your kimono work not to mention your fans from Azuchi and Echigo travelling to commission your work.
It was smooth sailing financially, and sooner down the line, Kichou asked if it were alright to adopt children. You agreed, and you found yourself raising a pair of twins with Kichou. They were fraternal twins, but they were quick to adapt to you and Kichou's home.
Kichou enjoyed the family life much more than he thought he would, and he realised it the moment you said your son expressed an interest in marriage to one of the village girls.
Your son, Yoshitatsu, bowed to his father as Kichou listened to his appeal. Kichou was loving but at the same time, he was strict with the twins.
"Father! Please let me marry this girl!" He bowed deeper, pressing his palms to the floor.
Your daughter, Myoinni wasn't around since she decided to be a part of the Uesugi army. Your son instead focused on business, which you assumed was where he met this girl.
Kichou was silent, but a soft nod was enough for your son to jump with glee. You rubbed your hand over his, giving him a kiss on the jaw. You felt him lean into you, so of course you praised your husband. "Kichou... You did well."
Motonari Mori
He was someone who you thought wouldn't be one to settle down, but Motonari was much more attentive than you thought. He knew that one day, he'd have to stop but he'd want to make sure that you were alright with whatever landing spot you chose to stay at.
After much deciding, you and him reached an end point of perhaps moving to the Aki province, his hometown. At first, he was uptight about it since he didn't want his family to meddle with you. He wanted to keep you away but the way you loved his hometown... He couldn't help it.
He had to gain control of his clan before he brought you in... Although it was a faster process than expected since you were pregnant... Which was not planned...
It took about a year for Motonari to accomplish it, but by his will he was going to make life comfortable for you and your first son, Takamoto. It was great for you and Motonari then on, and most in the Aki Province knew you as Lady Mori. You and Motonari may have also adopted a few children, totalling your children over the years to 12.
There wasn't much to complain about... except for the fact that Motonari had a naming gig... Which made things difficult...
"Moto! Help me with this-"
6 boys... and your husband... came running... Then you had to choose which one to help you and it wasn't even all of the children. "No no... I only wanted Motoaki to help me..." You said.
The other boys and your husband made protests about it, asking why you wanted that specific brother.
"What? Is it because Motoaki's good at arithmetic?" Motoharu asked.
"Like you could ever do arithmetic..."
"Shut up Motoyasu!"
"Oh yeah? Fight me Motomasa!"
"How undignified..."
"Don't try to be the proper one here Motokiyo!"
Motonari was the one who could break up the fight, but he didn't want to. You sighed, going back inside where your three daughters were as your nine sons and Motonari battled it out...
"Girls, let's go out to eat..."
322 notes · View notes
worldsover · 4 years ago
Text
Judgement to the Desiccated ft. Karina
length ✦ 5573
genres ✧ sm type future; asphyxiation; blackmail; virtual_servant!Karina;
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Air did a poor job of not being polluted so Lee Soo Man flooded the world instead. The man himself certainly must be long gone and could not have been in charge of that decision but the legacy of his company far exceeds the legacy of any other human collective in history. Once on this planet, gas was the fluid of choice for respiration and breathing was an unconscious reflex. Now there’s Aether by SM. How very on-brand of them to have the liquid air you breathe follow perfume naming conventions.
Open your eyes and exit the sleeping chamber. Aether has you work for each inhalation, it desaturates the color of the bedroom—maybe there’s a subtle but uncomfortable tinge of yellow—and it makes your nose itch. Your muscles wield much less force than they used to because of the lack of resistance the fluid provides. Moreover, it smells like hairspray as though the ozone layer is taking sardonic revenge.
Screens impersonating windows track your eyes to ensure realistic parallax, playing the scene of divine blue heavens that could not exist. An azure sky is a reward for those planets that have an atmosphere and a sun for light to scatter. Your walls are either chrome or drywall white and your whole bedroom is plainly decorated just like the day you moved in.
“Etymology of bedroom,” you think out loud, though it falls on no ears.
“Bedroom is a compound noun consisting of bed and room. Bed goes back to Old English bedd ‘sleeping place, plot of ground prepared for plants,’ which goes back to the Germanic-”
Plants and sleep are both strong words to use nowadays. The former doesn’t exist in nature and it seems you’re the only one who bothers with the latter. Faint buzzing distracts you from the AI’s response and signals you to the nano drones that swim throughout the liquid to process carbon dioxide from your lungs. This whole ordeal could’ve been much worse if you didn’t have brain interfaces doing the hard part of controlling your diaphragm. The most you need is a purposeful thought. Still, it gets tiring having to think the same thought every three seconds. In. Out.
Was the metaphorical Soo Man teaching a lesson in perseverance? You love K-pop and imagine it’s how trainees used to practice dancing, singing, being charismatic. Being an idol had to be as natural as breathing air. Inhale and exhale. Right now with any antiquated programming language you clung on to, you could write a single for loop that did the same job. For every three seconds: breathe in, breathe out.
“What’s for breakfast today?” Not loud enough. “What’s for breakfast?” you think it louder.
“Welcome, master. Ae-Karina is ready for service.” It’s quite a kindness for SM to blur the bland dystopia you live in by augmenting reality through your neural device. A bosomy woman in a gold-lined but otherwise modest maid outfit appears from the corner of your eye and she bows. Ae-Karina is bewitching and almost becoming of her basis as its graphics have gradually upgraded over the rotations but you wouldn’t misconstrue the avatar as human.
“I said, what’s for breakfast!” It feels impolite to scream in your head, there’s other residents there, but finally the fridge lights up.
“Of course master. May I remind you eating is unnecessary?”
In. Out. Every day, she does remind you, yes. How kind of the company to put all your nutritional requirements in the new air. Aether goes in then Aether goes out. You wish the thoughts of breathing could fade into the background but they’re just like your cravings for food. Always hungry but never starving, whole though not once satisfied. Your eyes pause at her gorgeous face and she tells you there’s bacon. Take it from your fridge. Bacon goes in. Well, the drones take care of the out.
Your assigned living space is the entire 207th floor of a tower. Two hundred and seven floors below the surface. The neighbor a few floors upstairs says that he thinks living deeper is a sign of status. What a luxury. That guy should check the status of his facial muscles, maybe improve his code that lets him tell lies while he’s at it. A couple hundred flights of stairs to swim up is a useless skeuomorphism of skyscrapers in the days of the sun. In fact they were more than useless, you would've preferred a single vertical hallway as it would have let you propel upwards unimpeded. Each floor is the exact same, a glass door that affords no privacy for its residence, a false tree on each side. At the upper levels, malls, convenience stores and other gaudy retail, but it’s the gyms that mock you that you mock in return. They’re always empty.
Finally reaching the top is no true break even if it is a change in scenery. Inhale. Aether tastes a little different up here. Exhale. Can’t say you like it.
Countless satellites form a parody of the star from which the planet flew away, the false image refracted by the upper boundary of Aether. They can’t take away your memories of this star. Looking up at the sky once blinded you with ultraviolet radiation, burning your cornea. It was beautiful. Now everyone’s decided that if they’re playing the part of corporate dystopia, they might as well fit the aesthetic. In a way, it’s self-fulfilling. They wouldn’t have chosen a neon pink sun to compliment the blue and metallic gloom of the cityscape if it weren’t so ingrained in popular media already.
Still, you would’ve expected Google or Walmart to become the megacorp responsible for the state of the world, not a Korean entertainment company. Must’ve been quite the red paperclip scenario. Instead of material design or utilitarian architecture, tacky artistic structures line the streets. The same advertisements for albums that they’ve been selling for the past however long. It's all so obvious, the city could've been designed from scratch to accommodate new forms of travel and goddamn liquid air but instead they went with futuristic Tokyo.
Dubstep permeates your inner ear implants. A notification informs your thoughts that it’s “Hip-hop EDM dance pop with a strong jungle house groove and urban influences.” It’s dubstep. Liquid carries barely any sound so SM affords the option for implants if you're nostalgic for one of the senses. Even though it’s a slower form of communication than direct neural transfer, the noise comforts you. Of course the company would choose dubstep as their background music, but maybe they make money off refunds somehow. It switches to Ice Cream Cake. Much better.
You walk the not so busy roads towards a short brick warehouse in the distance and heavy rain soaks your clothes. No such thing as weather without the sun and water but it’s all simulated anyway.
A warm Seulgi adlib and you know it’s Psycho that starts playing. No, none of your senses are real. The most you could trust is your vision but even that’s being lied to. You could be living in a vat and fed all these thoughts, but then why make it so mediocre? Not paradise, nor torture but a lukewarm in-between. Guess that's what happens when SM Entertainment manages the post-apocalypse. Good on them for trying. The alternative would be a frozen hellscape without solar radiation. Can’t deny their work with geothermal and nuclear energy to keep the Aether warm so that you didn’t have to live underground for the rest of human history. It’s quite great PR to save humanity.
“Hey now, we’ll be okay,” repeats a few more times than you remember.
The Idea Factory Alpha White Delta Green says the neon tubes lighting the front of the brick and mortar building. Your ID card bears a name but it’s not yours, not until they approve your name change. Those usually get processed faster with how often people liked changing their names.
Sit at a desk with a sterile white keyboard and slick new monitor. Type and empty words appear on the screen: “Think for the many, not for the one. We need to think ahead.” A thumbs up. The company appreciates the input. That’s probably enough work for one day. Some SNSD live stages help the time pass, SM certainly appreciated the streaming numbers and it would net you some social points.
It’s hard to say what comes to mind when they ask you to envision a world without the sun and air, especially since it’s what you’ve known for... Two hundred years? There’s no frame of reference, that much you can tell from when you counted seconds to see how often the satellites completed their orbit. SM really took time to have them propel at random speeds, they love withholding sensitive information like that from citizens. To be fair, time is sensitive. Guess the meaning of that phrase changes like all parts of language.
Look around. Dozens of employees at identical workspaces all try to answer the same questions. Naturally, there’s no need for manual labor anymore but there will never be a replacement for human ingenuity. Nice slogan but you know you’re only here for data. Can’t see a need for customer retention though—what’s the alternative, skip Earth? See you on another planet?
“Hey bro, you come up with anything new?” Dave says. Two desks away, you see the enthusiastic, surprisingly spry man play around with a Newton’s cradle. The balls at each end bounce back and forth, not slowing down their rhythm any time soon.
“I think I got something,” you say, “Earth is not the answer. It can’t be, long term.”
“Ooh, I like that. Actually, I really like that.”
“What are you gonna do, copy me?”
“Of course not. You know how much SM hates plagiarism.” Click. Clack.
“Ha. As if there’s a single original thought left in the world.” Click. Clack. The imaginary sounds of metal spheres bouncing play in your mind. They got the volume wrong, no way it’d sound that loud from that distance. “You’d think with all their resources, they’d have figured out space travel by now.”
“I don’t think they want to leave, bro. Wouldn’t be great for profits.”
Your mouth opens to laugh and causes laugh8942.mp3 to play in Dave’s head. “I love it. SM probably hates that sass too,” you say.
“Oh no, they’re gonna arrest me for thoughtcrimes. Nah, they love creativity, just when it suits them. Also, if they actually did bust you for wrongthink like rumors say, I wouldn’t have this on me.” Dave twirls a finger and points at you and you thank his absurd flair for the histrionic that keeps you amused with such drab work.
“NewDrug.mp6. Would you like to play it?” the dry system voice notifies you.
“Woah woah there tiger, hold on.” Dave must’ve noticed your intrigued eyes and holds his hands up. “You might wanna experience that at home. But if you’re interested in more, ask for chicken parm at the vegan place. You know the one.”
Dave leaves his desk. He doesn’t return. You finish your work. Inspire. Expire. You’d rather not.
In contrast to your commute to work, the roads fill with others on your way home. You have to know. Take solace in the comfort of a bench where a huge McDonald’s arch bathes the surroundings and its people with a yellow glow. Really shouldn’t watch it now, especially if Dave says it’s a home type of watch but you have to know. A family of five watches you pass out. They, along with every other passerby, ignore your still body draped over the chrome outdoor seating as you look like yet another junkie. The title is correct after a fashion, the simulation is some sort of new drug. The details of the exploits that happen in the immersive replay wash over you but you don’t need them to know that it’s the sort of lewd that SM would not allow—at least not publicly and not without the right exorbitant payment.
Suit pants and underwear go straight to the laundry. That must’ve been an embarrassing sight but no one bothered to stop you, so it doesn’t matter. Look up where this vegan place was that Dave so presumptuously assumed you knew about and you find that it’s about four Avengers’ stores down from work. He must’ve eaten there before.
“Yo Dave, just wanna make sure, what’s the name of the vegan place called?”
“What are you talking about, man? You telling me there’s some secret underground farms that SM wouldn’t know about?”
You can’t tell when you got to work, a lack of standardized timing would help as well the haze of living in a monotonous dark. “Nah, I mean, for the-”
“I have no idea,” Dave emphasizes each word, “what you’re talking about.”
“I see.”
Work flies by, unusually.
“Hey, can I get a chicken-”
“Uh, this is Maron’s Veggies Only, it clearly says on the sign.”
Clear your throat. “Parm.”
The shifty part-time worker looks around and rubs his fingers gesturing for money. “No digital.”
Over the counter, you pass him a gold coin stamped with a holographic 1 and he hands you a USB stick and a laptop in return. How old-fashioned.
“It’ll sync with whoever you have set as your avatar experience aspect,” the worker says.
“Thanks.”
Ever vigilant as the patrol is, the alleys are the last place you want to go to hide with the obvious criminal element within them all but you head to one anyway. Dump the anachronistic technology in your storage pocket dimensions. Looking at its contents, you’d have to clean that mess up later, but the more you look like an average slob the better. The biggest problem with the inventories is all the people squatting in them. Inspectors wouldn’t care about the archaic ruins you left in yours.
“Welcome, master. Ae-Karina is ready to service.”
“I’d like to go on a date. A special date.” You highlight the key word special and sit on your living room couch. No one’s going to look in your glass door and regardless, you wouldn’t be the pervert for glimpsing into someone’s home.
“Ah yes, master. Ae-Karina is ready to fully service,” she says with a provocative tint in her tone, her sclera disperses to black to match. A pole drops from the ceiling while parts of her maid outfit dissolve which reveals more of the silky skin of her thighs, her lissom arms and most importantly her overflowing breasts. Ae-Karina wraps her legs around the pole and spins around, teasing fingers trace curves on her body to harden you. Her dance is precise but sultry regardless. She pulls up her short skirt to flaunt more of her ass beneath white panties and then pulls down to flourish her cleavage, not trapped by a bra. “Are you enjoying your maid’s show?”
“Very much so, yes,” you say.
Half of a smile forms before a glitch occurs and she teleports next to you, fully nude. It doesn’t pull you out of the illusion however. You just stare and drink in the splendor of her created body.
“You’re not going to touch?” Ae-Karina says.
A feel of her tits and you find it softer than pillows you used to rest on. Soft isn’t much of a character that exists anymore when the whole world is engulfed in liquid. No one has beds, especially with the rarity of sleep. Therefore, her mounds are a consummate dedication to the texture as you squeeze and pinch at her cute nipples.
Her maid outfit rematerializes as she straddles you. It provides more friction to your pants as she begins her lap dance. The weight of her body dragging across your legs and clothed erection induces your carnal impulses further. If only you could fuck the virtual idol. You have to make do with the imprint of her pussy lips on your bulge sliding up and down. Breath in. Breath out.
Ae-Karina pulls down your boxers and spits on your erection. It's not real but her hands so slick on your cock and you let reality slip. Real is for the past, you have desires gratified in the present. There is no real person nibbling at your neck but your nerves activate in sexual desire without discernment for truth. No, she doesn't love you, but when the voracious mass of ones and zeroes says it loves its master, you say it back.
"I love you."
ILOVEYOU infected ten million computers in 2000. An explosion. Calibration engaging. It’s 1:21 PM, Sunday, July 18, 2286 and hypothetically the sun would be out in its full rage. At this latitude and longitude, you’re at what was once the epicenter of all—Seoul, where a fountain caused a chain reaction allowing the hopeful remnant of a world to exist. It lasted a surprisingly long time without the sun and without Aether but the dying planet would succumb inevitably to the ever-increasing contamination so SM of all corporations took charge. A different kind of chain reaction occurred when they acquired a restaurant chain that discovered the recipe for liquid air. The law is on its way and prepared to punish you to its full extent.
You reel while your ears ring. An even sexier version of the woman you already fantasized about appears from your peripheral vision in the crater of your floor. A skimpy cop outfit, striated with reflective material that seems to wane black at different angles, outlines Karina’s curves. She has a tool belt with absurd gadgets, such as a knife baton hybrid, a taser combined with a spray bottle and a Tamagotchi. None of this is necessary. They could just immediately arrest you, impose limitations on your devices. Sure, SM cloned people to deal with underpopulation, but why Karina would be the enforcer is a whole nother issue. Maybe the entertainment company loves their irony?
“Halt. You’re under arrest. Any resistance will be penalized according to the combined Terms of Service of all SM and SM associated products.”
Fucked anyway, you figure you might as well go for it. Escape into your inventory and only seconds later you’re forced out. You manage to get what you need regardless.
“Violation of access rights will be charged to your account.”
It’s so obvious but there’s a reason you kept so much gold in physical storage. As you swim away, the sides of your apartment start to bubble. Bubbles? Already, your limbs feel unsteady. Something’s wrong in the Aether.
“This is standard procedure for escaping suspects that are indoors. Again, this is all agreed to under the Terms of Service.”
“When the fuck did I ever click accept to that shit?”
“When you were born in this world and decided you want to stay in it,” Karina says out loud. You hear her say it. Your physical ears process the vibrations in the air that come from her mouth. Gravity thwarts your desperate escape as your limp body floats on the limit between liquid and air. The atrophy of your muscles becomes apparent within the gaseous atmosphere. She watches you sink down as the room drains of all the false air though her eyebrows crease when she inspects you closer. Your breaths are involuntary. Despite your muscles shorting out, the force of gravity and the pressure of the gas bearing down on you, you’re breathing and you don’t mean to. Her eyes wander farther down. On your pants, a concrete rod stamps the fabric.
“Oh, you like what you see?”
“Shut up, criminal. Anything you say can and will be used against you.”
“Your pussy,” you say and she scoffs.
“Original.” Karina bites her lip as your erection continues to grow behind its prison. You use all effort to put your hands up.
“Please, miss Karina. I’ve been bad.”
“I could punish you even more for sexual assault.”
“Then do it.”
Heat radiates the room in a way you haven’t felt in a while and droplets of sweat form on each of your bodies, especially on the thighs that her revealing outfit parades. Her facial features contort in deliberation and the wait kills you. You bat your eyes at her before Karina takes off her tight shorts and drops herself into your anticipatory face. This makes no sense but none of this life made any sense so you decide to go with the tides.
Centuries of training your respiration has led to this moment, but when you finally have real air to breathe, you spit at the opportunity and choose to suffocate. Then you spit at her pussy and lap it up. Karina’s nectar transfixes your olfactory glands, for once a smell that isn’t the sterile Aether. Your eyes are mesmerized in parallel because of the perfect design of her pussy, a single crease that leads into her hole that your tongue emphatically explores. Karina spreads her thighs wide to reveal a small nub that craves attention. So give it. Suck and swirl and flick your tongue, and the woman provides you the tight clench of her legs as a gift. And the sounds, rediscovered glorious noise. Loud, almost too loud, and clear is how they assault your ears, even surrounded by the flesh of her thighs. Muffled by the weight of her legs, you hear Karina moan in approval but she’s still clearly in charge with how she chokes you with her legs. This is not about your pleasure but hers, and any satisfaction that you derive is not only incidental but probably punishable by SM copyright law.
Karina squirms her hips subtly on your mouth. Her eyes are sharp and she’s just about to stop your hands from moving but she notices them clasp together.
“I’ll do anything to make you cum, please.” you say sloppily as her pussy juices fill your cheeks and drip down your chin.
“God. I can’t.” She takes deep, contemplative breaths. ”That’s more time added on for inappropriate behavior.” Her groaning and brief squeals make her words sound incogent.
You give her a concluding lick and a kiss on her slit. “So what have you been doing right now then?”
Point to a corner of the room and a subtle red light indicates a recording camera. At once, she pulls out a hose from a pocket that could not fit it and the vacuum submerges the room with noise. Her expression shifts quickly to serious.
“We don’t play games here in SMTOWN unless it’s SuperStar so don’t fuck with me.”
“Look who's trying to be a comedian. How about you fuck with me any further and the video gets released.”
“That’s funny, you think you have any sort of power-”
“Yoo Jimin, I suggest you don’t push me more.”
“Where do you know that name from? Right now.” She weighs herself down on your neck.
“You think I don’t have contingencies for if I die too? Karina, we can make this a  win-win scenario. We both get to cum, we both get to walk away unscathed.”
“Fuck you.”
Your weak arms wander between her thighs. At any moment, a feeble punch towards your face or another ten seconds of asphyxiation and she could call your bluff. Even if you did have the ability to expose her perversions in any way, there would be no permanent recourse, not as long SM was in charge. So it surprises you when Karina takes off her shorts. 
“Goddammit. Your cock just looks too good. And your mouth, how are you so good with it?” Put up five fingers when she motions to remove her top as well, and instead she opts to take off your clothes, seizing your pants and throwing them to join the rubble in the room.
A finger slips in, then two and a third dares. Her flawlessly architected pussy lips clings to your digits and Karina shudders in reply. You explore her wetness and find it’s smooth to the point of having no faults, but her juice inside is gloppy and causes your fingers to stick more than the liquids she spills from her slit.
“Who said you’re allowed to have more?”
You lap up the nectar on your fingers. “Then why’d they make you taste so good?”
Your thumb teases her sweet tight asshole and puts just the slightest amount of pressure on it while you finger her with more intensity. The mass of her butt burdens your torso the closer she gets to orgasm. Her eyelids squeeze close and you see her body ripple in anxious pleasure. Karina shows off her pearly whites, teetering on the cliff of hysteria.
“Yes, yes! I’m so close,” she screams.
"Not yet."
“Fuck." Karina sobs, "God. Damn, fuck I'm sorry. I'm sorry. Just fuck me.”
“My pleasure,” you say. There’s no need for you to grab her since she brings herself down to your groin, which you’re thankful for as your arms are as good as jelly now. Fortunately, your cock throbs as hard as ever while Karina’s slit rests on it.
“Say you’ll delete it all, all the evidence, promise me.”
“You’re gonna fuck me first or what?” Your breath hitches while she makes a strangled noise as her velvety walls swallow your cock whole to leave no room for comfort. Her tightness is stifling and you have to start counting just to breathe again.
“One two-”
“Be quiet.”
But there is no quiet when pleas for your cooperation intersperse her excessive profanities when she seats herself into your cock and ricochets up and down. Sweat emanates from her creamy skin while her legs widen to find a better angle for her supporting knees in her cowgirl position. Grapefruit and other citrus mingle with the scent of the sweat, fruits you haven’t seen except on billboards in music videos. As much as your mind crackles and your blood roars for every atmosphere of pressure Karina’s walls provide on each thrust in and out, you can’t help but reminisce on sweeter, more innocent times.
The white fluorescent lights in your apartment sputter. For all the advancements in technology, some among many things never change. Light refracts differently in air, less bright, but you can see the pure enjoyment on Karina’s face no matter the luminescence. Karina slows her ride to pull her hips down harder instead and she jolts when your cock finds the most tender spots inside her pussy and it interrupts her babbling.
Karina almost hyperventilates when she gets up to spit on your cock. She pulls out some kind of meter from her tool belt and sighs when there’s no beeping and you recognize it having to do with carbon dioxide. She gets back to dribbling saliva and the filament trailing down to your shaft mesmerizes you. This spit is real, not simulated, and it wettens your erection in a mix with her pussy juices to paralyze you further in your already listless state. Her bare thighs jiggle and you can’t exert much force with your hands but her buttcheeks are firm with just a bit of give.
“Thank you for this cock, thank you for being bad,” Karina says as you watch her ass sink deeper while her pussy holds your dick taut. She’s frenetic when bounces up and down to play an unadulterated orchestra of slick noises between your groins.
“You’re welcome,” you accomplish getting out the words between planned breaths. Your hands cup her buttcheeks but you fear they may break with how she strikes her ass into you.
Karina turns around once more to give you the spectacle of her facial expressions as she fucks herself into you. Knead her calves laying on your torso and they take no energy to spread them though she brings them back together, compressing your hard shaft within her pussy. A new game you play with her, a separate rhythm of loosening and tightening. Her feet press on your chest to help her bounce, but the way they bear down on your lungs against the timing of your breathing causes you to fumble. Your cock bends straight forward as she plunges herself into you and it sends prickles to your entire skin, making the new angle difficult but worth it. Karina takes your hand and starts sucking on your fingers.
“You want my promise that bad?” you say.
“Yes, as bad as I want your cum. I swear, I need it.”
She draws her knees up to her torso and hugs her legs to keep thighs as tight together as possible. Karina couldn’t keep her word, she was trying to kill your cock with constriction.
“Fuck, your pussy is so fucking tight. God, Karina, fuck. You’re so good.” Even if good isn’t the word you want to use to describe her.
“Do it, please, please. I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, baby. Karina can be a good girl, a good maid, a good cop, whatever you want. Just don’t get me in trouble, please.”
Karina’s mouth stops saying words though her lips writhe, drunk in increasing lust. Her cheeks flush, before the rest of her skin joins in redness while she grapples your chest and whatever spare limb she can find. You still struggle wresting control of your body but nature seems to take over when you drive yourself into her and match her needy cadence. The air in the room is replaced by a new air but it isn’t Aether. Passion, sweat, heat and all fluids that you both exude join squelching sounds, slaps and moans in harmonic bliss when her body tenses and she screams. As her body tightens, her pussy especially holds your cock for dear life and endeavours to wring out all your semen as her wetness throbs and spills. Karina starts counting to three repeatedly and you laugh though your amusement quickly subsides when you feel her juices become more viscous and she continues her ride, even in the dying pulses of her climax.
“Was I good?” Karina asks.
Just a moment goes by before you mentally send her a screenshot of all the recordings being deleted. Karina hasn’t stopped fucking you yet so at least it wasn’t a ploy.
“Thank you, thank you, I love you.” The flexion of her pliant legs brings them all the way back to rest on top of your legs. Karina lays prone above you and finally give you a kiss. The citrusy flavor may be closer to lime than grapefruit but it’s been so long that you can’t remember which scent is which. Lips crash and her tongue lashes out at yours trying to establish dominance. Keep still to let her investigate your mouth while her pussy does the same to your shaft.
You savor the way Karina’s top emphasizes the bouncing of her tits synchronous with the rebounding of her waist on your cock, but your mouth waters when she frees them. Take the shortest moment to relish in the sight before Karina smothers you with her plump globes. You wriggle your face to try to breathe. Inhale, up and exhale, down, but all you inhale is the scent of her orbs’ sweat. Her hips undulate with a pace at least double yours breathing and the echoes of slapping flesh resonate throughout the air-filled chamber. The loudness is unlike any you’ve experienced in a long time. It’s almost a flashbang every time her ass slams into your lap, especially as you start to see white when orgasm threatens to overload you with preludial pulses.
The last words you hear infected ten million computers in 2000. Fade to black. Cut. You’re slammed out of existence back into existence as a sun rebirths both within you, heating your core to a dangerous high, and from your eyes, dazzling you in an unforgiving white light. In the throes of unconsciousness relapsing to consciousness back to tenebrosity, your streaks of semen suspend in the Aether like a dead tree resting from the wind. What flashes your mind in its orgasmic state are two things only you would remember, plants and weather. Your hyperventilation is unconscious but not unwelcome, as it’s the first time in a while your breaths were reflexive even in the liquid air. However, basking in your newfound power, you start to choke. Right. You breathe in and out again. In and out. In. Out. In. Out. Back in.
“Replaying KarinaArrestsYou.mp6.” A hint of vexatious glee in the system’s otherwise dry voice. You don’t stop for it.
✦✧✦✧✦✧ 
AFF, AO3
It’s pretty silly but the idea danced around in my head ever since I saw the absolute Black Mirror concept that SM had for aespa and I concur that Karina is insanely hot.
As I’m writing this, this Kurzgesagt video on the idea of a rogue Earth comes out and now I have to rewrite stuff to make it at least a little consistent. I’m obviously already going nuts with all these ridiculous sci-fi concepts but this video almost feels too targeted to me writing this for me to ignore it.
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x0401x · 4 years ago
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Violet Evergarden Short Story
Please feel free to message me about possible corrections. If you can, consider supporting the creators by purchasing the official releases. In case anyone is feeling generous: Ko-fi | PayPal. ( ╹◡╹)っ’・*
The ingredients that led me to my current self were:
A teaspoon of queen’s pride.
Two tablespoons of love for my husband, a one-sided feeling now required.
Plenty of tears shed in a forest capital where I had no supporters.
Mix the tear batter with the stubbornness of a princess from the country of white camellias, then put it in the oven. Once it bakes until it becomes tough enough to give one a hard time cutting it even with a knife, it is done. No one can tear a bite off it so easily.
My adult self was reborn this way.
But then, what about her? I wondered what kind of adult my favorite girl was by now.
Just as I was curious about this, good news arrived.
   The Queen and the Auto-Memories Doll
   The marauder came around the time when the red roses were in full bloom.
Said doll, whose lustrous golden hair fluttered in the wind, had jewel-like blue eyes that nailed people down. A dignified young woman, intimidated by nothing. That was the kind of marauder she was.
If I were to talk about my relationship with her, it would be a long story. If I were to explain it leaving out the many stories that happened between us, I would probably say that she was a key figure who became the mediator of my love story in the past, as well as an Auto-Memories Doll engaged in the ghostwriting business at a certain famous postal company.
Although she was the kind of girl who seemed like she could live in solitude forever, she was different when she appeared before me.
“It has been a while, Lady Charlotte.”
I had invited her into our kingdom as a guest of honor because I heard that she was taking a long vacation and traveling around the world – so the passage of time could change people this much.
“I will rush to anywhere that my clients desire...”
The girl, who used to be so ephemeral in the past, had grown up and brought a man to accompany her on the journey, so was it not fitting to call her a marauder? At the very least, she had opened an air hole in my unchangeable royal palace life.
“No, pardon me. This is Violet Evergarden on break from duty, Your Majesty, Queen Charlotte.”
I whispered with the dignified gaze and voice tone of a queen, “It’s been a long time, ghostwriter. No... Violet. Thanks for coming even though you’re on vacation.” I then fixed my stare on the man standing next to Violet.
My adorable ghostwriter possessed a beauty that shone distinctly even in within the palace, which congregated fine-looking women. Therefore, it would not be strange at all if she eventually had a deep relationship with some gentleman, but by no means could I tell if he had that sort of relationship with her.
He greeted me after Violet. Apparently, his name was Gilbert Bougainvillea.
“What’s the relationship between you two?”
As I asked straight to the point, Violet and Gilbert looked at each other’s faces.
Violet then opened her mouth, “He is my former superior officer.”
“So you are related through work.”
“Yes, but I am no longer registered in the military, so maybe I should say that he is my benefactor, whom I am on close terms with nowadays...”
“So you’re close to your benefactor... enough to go on a trip with him, huh.”
“Well...”
Perhaps unable to precisely define her relationship with him, Violet fell silent. But from this, I was able to catch the glimpse of a womanly shyness that I had the feeling I had gone through before.
“The word ‘benefactor’ alone indeed does not cover it.”
“Dear me.”
“I would like to use a more suitable word if there was any, but even I, who work with ghostwriting, do not know an appropriate term for it...”
“Hum, Violet, I’m sorry.”
“‘Reverence’ is not enough and ‘adoration’ might be too trivial...”
“I’m sorry; you can stop there. He’s also embarrassed. You don’t want other people to ask too much about those things, right? It’s under development, isn’t it?”
He smiled, seeming a bit awkward. He was an adult man but looked slightly childish when smiling.
——Isn’t he a fine man?
Hair the color of dusk, blessed physique and virile facial traits. There was some elegance in him. His looks had a male allure that was capable of exhilarating the courtiers of the palace.
——Such a pretty emerald iris.
He was a stunning man. The look in his eye was grievous and had a darkness to it. A mysterious man with an eyepatch. The hardships that he had been burdened with until now oozed out of him. His scent was different from the one of the palace’s knights, but I could feel a similar air coming from him. His build seemed reliable, which looked even more remarkable as he stood next to Violet. I wondered if he had not been quite the pretty boy in his younger years.
He appeared to be apart from Violet in age. I suddenly recalled that I had asked her in the past about what she thought of age gaps between men and women.
——Did she not say no back then because of her relationship with him?
I had many guesses, but I did not voice any of them. I was an adult now.
“Erm, there was an introduction before you came into the room, but I’m going to introduce myself again. I am Charlotte Abelfreya Fluegel. The queen of this country.”
I was Charlotte Abelfreya Drossel before. My lips were finally used to the greeting ever since my name had changed. Even so, I did not want Violet to call me a queen.
“Violet, you put the title of honor ‘Your Majesty the queen’ on me earlier, but you can refer to me in the same way as before. I want you to do that.”
“Is that not disrespectful?”
“It isn’t. I’m asking for it, after all.”
Silence.
“I will punish anyone who opposes to this. Got it, Violet?”
“Yes, Lady Charlotte.”
Right, that was better. After all, when you called me that, I could feel as if I had returned to the times when I was in my homeland where white camellias bloomed. I asked the same thing out of Mr. Bougainvillea, but he refused it due to it being discourteous. Well, this was our first meeting, so maybe there was no helping it.
   After that, Violet and I were left on our own. Mr. Bougainvillea took his leave, saying that we must have had things to talk about. I also drove all of the ladies-in-waiting out of the reception room and was at last actually able to breathe.
The suffocation I felt from my daily life in the royal palace did not come only from wearing a corset. When I thought that there were no longer any stares keeping watch on us, I made merry like a little girl.
“Violet.”
“Yes, Lady Charlotte.”
“Violet, Violet! You’ve become an adult, huh!”
“Yes, Lady Charlotte.”
We had first met when we were both girls, so when we reunited, I could feel as if we had gone back to those days. But I did not know if she, who was always expressionless, was happy about it, yet just when I thought this, Violet’s lips were faintly forming an arc.
——My, she laughed.
Much too surprised, I forgot about conducting myself like a queen and opened my mouth wide. “Violet! You...!” I touched her cheeks with both of my hands.
I should not be doing something like that to her, as she was a lady and no longer a girl, but I felt like confirming if such a natural smile was not my hallucination. I kneaded her cheeks pliably. Violet let me do as I pleased.
“Lady—Char—lotte—” Violet spoke, sounding like having her cheeks kneaded was inconvenient.
——How soft; so you had such soft cheeks? No, more importantly...
“Wh-Wh-What’s gotten into you? You’re the one who pinched your cheeks saying you couldn’t smile that one time!”
“My per—formance has im—proved.”
At first, I could not catch what she was saying very well. “My performance has improved”. After ruminating for the words in my head, I finally understood it.
“Huhu—hahaha!”
This mood. This sensation that almost felt like a toy doll was talking to me. I could actually feel that, yes, Violet was indeed in front of me.
Overjoyed, I let out a high-pitched laughter, just like a little girl. Then, I took Violet’s hand. I squeezed it tight, putting into it my sentiment of deep affection for her, the possessor of mechanical arms. “Hey, I’m truly happy to see you. Have you been doing well?”
“Yes. Lady Charlotte, you also appear to be in good health.”
“I became a bit of an adult too, right? How do I look?”
“Yes, you have become an adult woman.”
When I said that I was currently pregnant, Violet blinked, and then told me to “please sit down”. Her attitude was as if she were protecting me almost like a knight. But I shook my head. I invited her to a stroll. Once I told her that walking a little was best for a mother’s body, as expected, she offered her arm in a knightly manner and escorted me.
That part of her had not changed.
“My husband is in the middle of government affairs, but you should be able to see him tonight.”
As there was also the fact that I was carrying the child of King Fluegel, I had changed residences from the royal palace and was resting in the royal villa for now. A garden spread out outside of the villa, which was a good place for a walk.
In Fluegel, nicknamed the Forest Kingdom, both the royal palace and the land surrounding it were enclosed by trees and green meadows. The garden also had a feel unlike that of Drossel, its atmosphere somewhat idyllic. If I were to describe just the environment, I would say that it was a nice place for children.
“A dinner party... is too ceremonious, so I’m thinking of just having a banquet in the royal villa. You’ll stay over, right? I also want you to meet Lord Damian...”
Violet’s eyes went left and right, as if searching for vestiges of Mr. Bougainvillea, who was nowhere to be found. “If that person says it is all right...”
He was supposed to be having a tour around the palace’s interior with the chamberlain by now. I had told the latter to convince him to agree, so there would likely be no problem. The chamberlain was a capable person.
“Please. Just one day is fine. One day is fine, so... Violet, I want to spend it with you.”
“Will you not be bored in my company?”
“No way. If I were, I wouldn’t have told you to ‘come here because I want to see you’.”
“Are you still unused to life here?”
“Yeah, I have clashes from the smallest to the biggest things. It’s gotten better in comparison to the beginning of my marriage, but in the end, I’m all alone in this country. It’s probably hard for you to understand how happy it makes me to be able to see a face I know... but I’m really glad.”
Hearing these words, Violet made a face that looked like she was giving it a thought. “Will you not summon Madam Alberta?”
Alberta was the woman who had influenced my life the most – the courtier who had acted as my foster mother. She was also in the position of chief of the ladies-in-waiting, so she could not go so easily to the princess who had married off to a different country.
“I’d like to. Lord Damian is making sure that she’ll come if my child is born safely. After fulfilling my role as a queen, I can finally... finally ask for what I want.”
“So it could be said that the more valuable the person’s circumstances, the more inconveniences they face.”
“Yeah. Besides, Alberta probably doesn’t want to be away from her country...”
“It did not seem like it to me. Though this is my own speculation.”
“Is that true...? Hey, speaking of which, you were in Drossel before coming here, right? Why did you go see Alberta before coming to me? Was it a geographic issue? Did you have plans to come here?”
“No, we did not have plans to come to Fluegel.”
My mouth distorted. Were my feelings unilateral? That was what I thought, but as she added, “It would be a problem if civilians carefreely came to visit someone from the royal family”, I was at a loss for words. It was just as Violet said.
She said with a face that feigned ignorance at my complicated maiden heart, “In a way, there is a reason. Madam Alberta once interceded for me to take the job of private tutor of a certain lady from the nobility, so I also went to the royal palace in order to report it to her.”
“My, you’d started doing that kind of work?”
“No... she... that person was an exception.” Perhaps remembering this person, Violet looked into the distance for a bit and then closed her eyes. “After that, too, she would introduce jobs to me whenever possible... so my company’s president also told me to express my gratitude if I ever had a chance to see her. Even if I had not... I wanted to show Major – my companion – the beauty of that country.”
“Is that so...? I’m happy. The beauty of my country is my pride.”
“Yes. I could not have thought that we would come here as per Madam Alberta’s arrangement.”
“S-Sorry.”
The courtier Alberta was once my wet nurse, and to Violet, she was a work intermediator. Alberta had persuaded Violet, saying that, since she had come nearby, she probably wanted to see me.
Having received the news about Violet’s visit from Drossel, I had sent a carriage from Fluegel to pick her up without thinking about her convenience. As a result, I had hindered the vacation that this much-demanded Auto-Memories Doll probably was finally able to have... as well as the time that she was getting to spend with her significant other.
Calling her over in a way that bordered forcefulness might be an arrogant conduct coming from the royal family.
“Violet... did you not want to come to Fluegel?”
“That is not the case.”
“Really...?”
“Yes; it is the country that Lady Charlotte married off to, after all. I had interest in it.”
“Thank you... I’m not free, so... I can’t go anywhere on my own... I had no choice but to bring you here.”
As I said this, Violet nodded with an “I am aware”.
   Afterwards, we talked about what happened in the meantime that we had not seen each other. About how Lord Damian and I were able to properly fall in love with each other after marrying. About how Violet had managed, through ups and downs, to find the most beloved master that she had been looking for. About the fact that he was Mr. Gilbert. About her wish for two of them, in the life that they would have from now onward, to go to the countries that she had visited as an Auto-Memories Doll, because she wanted him to become acquainted with them as well, even if it took some time. We talked about such things quiet and lightly.
I was so happy for being able to have this kind of conversation with her that I could not help myself.
“Speaking of which, Lady Charlotte, it seems you are funding an orphanage.”
“You think it’s hypocritical of me?”
“No. To tell the truth, a girl who is being taken care of over there is supposed to work with us in the future.”
“Eh, is that so? I... built that orphanage because I was influenced by you.”
We opened our eyes wide at each other’s information, hearts pounding, and then broke into giggles.
Aah, when was the last time that I had been so free of wariness with someone? It was really fun. How many more times would I get to see her like this?
“By the way, how’s the Auto-Memories Doll that was with Lord Damian during the Public Love Letters doing?”
Even though we had barely just started chatting, I suddenly thought about that. It was a bad habit of mine. I was quick to picture the end of things.
“She is doing well. It seems she is... always having fights with her lover, but...”
Life was short. Many things passed in a blink of eye.
“Is that okay?”
I spent my time burying down the intervals in which I could not see her.
“It is. Our company is the same as ever. Everyone is doing fine.”
Even so, we could not be together forever.
We would spend time together today and tomorrow, and once we parted, there was a possibility that we would never meet again. After all, I was a queen and Violet was an Auto-Memories Doll. A woman who could go nowhere and a woman who could go anywhere. As one would expect, our social positions were different.
——Aah, Charlotte, stop thinking, I reprimanded myself. Although this moment was unbearably fun, I was conscious of its end, which caused my chest to tighten somewhat.
I was together with Violet in the time when red roses blossomed. The hours we spent talking in the garden would probably become irreplaceable to me. I might recall it over and over.
——This might not be the case for Violet, though.
Friendships could also be unrequited. That was exactly why this moment was both too happy and too painful.
“Lady Charlotte.”
Having my name called, I frantically raised the corners of my mouth, which had gone down before I realized. A queen had to be always smiling elegantly, as to not make the subjects uneasy.
“Wh-What is it?”
Even though I excelled at faking a smile, for some reason, I could not do it properly right now.
“What is the matter?”
I would end up accidentally showing her my original, anxious self when she was in front of me.
“Nothing; it’s just that my heart is filled to the brim.”
Being overcome with emotion at the irreplaceable “present” out of the blue in the middle of a conversation and feeling sad about it was incomprehensible and nothing but a bother to the other person.
“I simply... thought that I was indeed lonely.”
Violet. I might be no more than a character that had not even amounted to a single page of your life.
“I really wanted to see you.”
But you had played a huge role in mine, so you would always be in my heart.
“Because I’d been remembering the things you said to me whenever I was having a hard time.”
Whenever I was sad and about to burst into tears, your face would appear in my heart and you would speak to me.
“Weird, isn’t it? If you think about it, we aren’t that close. I’m just a client to you anyways. Just one person in a crowd. But...”
But I had never forgotten the things you had done for me.
“But, y’know...”
You had supported my love. Allowed me to be selfish. Told me that I was a crybaby. You were the only girl about as old as me that I could be myself when interacting with.
“But...”
To me, you were my girlhood itself. A symbol of the time when I lived in Drossel, fell in love and was simply Charlotte. It was almost as if I were embracing my child self.
Could you tell? My chest was hurting a lot. What a pain. Why did people become like that when growing up?
“I like you.”
Why did we think that these moments in which we became weak were so bad?
“Lady Charlotte...”
In that instant, Violet came closer, and just when I wondered if she was going to kiss me, she reached out a hand.
“‘I want to stop your tears’.”
And then, the tip of her finger scooped a drop of the tears that were about to overflow.
“If I am certain, I had once told you this, Lady Charlotte.”
I was a bit dumbfounded. I did not think she still remembered that.
“Are you still a crybaby...?”
When she gently asked me that, I felt like one more tear would leak. I suppressed my eyes in a panic. “No way I’d be. I’m a queen already.”
“Yes.”
“I have Lord Damian too. I’m his wife.”
“Yes.”
“I’ve become strong. I... got a bit weak just now, but it was a temporary thing.”
“Yes, I am aware.”
Aah, you. Violet.
“Lady Charlotte, if you like...”
You were extremely insensitive sometimes.
“...if you ever have a chance to travel to Leidenschaftlich...”
And cruel.
“...by all means, do call me. I will hasten to join you.”
But kind enough to make me cry.
“I want to show you that city one day...”
You had no idea that you were saving me with your casual statements.
Before I noticed, Violet was offering me a handkerchief. I accepted it, and while hiding my crying face but making at least my voice sound all right, I said, “I’ll go; I’ll definitely go there one day. And when I do, show me around!”
Violet replied, “Yes” with a tone that indicated she was probably smiling.
“Definitely.”
Surely, even if I managed to meet Violet again someday, the same thing would happen. It was precisely because we could not see each other that I would be both happy and pained once I managed to see her.
“Of course. If it suits you, I can draw up a written oath... Ah, Lady Charlotte. Major is back.”
The contents of our conversations had changed from before. We were no longer talking about one-sided love letters. I would not sulk or curl up on my bed in front of her.
“No way; I can’t show him a face like this.”
Still, it did not matter how many years passed.
“You look beautiful.”
It was not as if my feelings would be gone.
——We were able to meet today like that. Even if we part ways tomorrow, you’ll surely be on a voyage somewhere around the world.
“Aren’t my eyes red?”
“No, Lady Charlotte.”
When I thought about that, I started looking forward to it. Should I try to write her a letter telling her that I wanted to see her by the time that the tales of our journeys had piled up?
“Your Majesty, may I also join Violet?”
“Of course; here, sit down.”
I had already decided on an opening phrase for it.
“Major, I was told a wonderful story. Is it all right to talk about it?”
“Aah, tell me, Violet.”
“The orphanage that Lady Charlotte built is...”
   Dear Ms. Violet Evergarden, Are you doing well?
I want to see you.
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thedanceronthestreets · 4 years ago
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PEDRO PASCAL GQ GERMANY - OCTOBER 2020
Original text by Esma Annemon Dil
Fotos by Doug Inglish
Styling by Simon Robins
Translated by @thedanceronthestreets
Intro: A broken tooth could almost have been the reason for our meeting with Pedro Pascal to be cancelled - and with that our conversation about roots, his new movie and times of change. 
Interview: It is almost eery how empty the streets of Los Angeles are under the gleaming sun. While Europe is finding its "new normal", people in L. A. are cutting their own hair even without being neurotics. Many of them have not seen their friends in half a year. The pandemic is out of control. So are the reactions to the situation. Inviting someone to a "distance drink" in the backyard can lead to the same consternation as proposing a relationship partner exchange. 
All the more of a surprise was Pedro Pascal's immediate confirmation. To the drink, not the partner exchange. He is one of the winners this year - and if Corona had not forced the movie industry to go on a holiday, he probably would not have had the time for this drink. After "Game of Thrones", the series in which his head was squished, followed 2015 the leading role in "Narcos" as a DEA agent on the hunt for Pablo Escobar, and now the leap onto the big Hollywood screen. As of 1. October the Chilean will appear in the blockbuster "Wonder Woman 1984". Furthermore, the second season of the "Star Wars" series "The Mandalorian" will start in October with him as the main character - unfortunately underneath the helmet. But we all seem to be under the same helmet in 2020. It is this man we want to meet, who worked as a waiter in New York a couple of years ago. Whose parents are political refugees that settled in Texas, and one day their son decided to walk into a drama club in high school. 
And then the cancellation. While we were preparing the house and garden for Pedro's drink and fashion shoot, which isn't an easy task under L. A.'s restrictions, his management called in with terrible news: Pedro has - no, not Corona - had to receive emergency surgery due to a sore tooth and is now lying in bed with a swollen cheek, making talking or shooting impossible. The sun shines onto empty streets. And our empty garden. 
A few days later, he stands in front of the door anyway, no huge bulge in his face, but stitches in his gum. No limousine service that dropped him off, he arrived in his own car and picked up his makeup artist on the way. He helps her to carry in all the equipment and states first and foremost: "I've got time today!" What a star! It does not seem like we are about to ask him how he managed to become a Hollywood sensation, but rather him asking us that question. Pedro Pascal! So, what kind of star is he then? 
Pedro Pascal: Sorry for ruining your plans. The operation was a total emergency. 
GQ: Really? We were wondering whether the swelling was the result of a secret trip to the plastic surgeon. Apparently, because of the quarantine in Hollywood, their schedules are packed. 
Sorry to disappoint you. A few days before our appointment I raced to the hospital with a tooth fracture and the worst pain I've ever felt - a hospital where the severe Corona cases are treated. I was unable to contact any dentists! Right before I parked, a specialist called back. I'll spare you the details of the surgery, gruesome. The pain was excruciating despite the 10 anaesthetic shots. The doctor said I wasn't the only one going through this, a lot of people grind their teeth at night thanks to stress. 
What are you most afraid of at the moment? 
The way the government is handling the pandemic scares me more than the virus itself. The lack of intelligent crisis management is a moral disgrace. The leadership crisis makes orphans out of all of us - we're left to fend for ourselves. 
How have you spent the last few months? 
With frozen pizza in jogging trousers in Venice Beach. I live in a rear building that's in the garden belonging to a family. In reality there are enough good takeout restaurants around that area, but for some reason I like salami pizza from the supermarket. 
That doesn't exactly sound like the movie star lifestyle. What does it feel like to be forced from top speed to zero? 
Considering the things happening in this world, my own state really isn't the top priority. But I would have to lie, if I said I wasn't disappointed. The entire cast and crew of "Wonder Woman 1984" put so much heart and soul into the production. We had so much fun on set. I had hoped to carry this feeling of exuberance around the globe to the openings of this movie. 
You are part of a political, socialist family that fled the Pinochet regime in Chile. What do you remember from back then? 
My sister and I were born in Chile, but I was only nine months old when we claimed asylum in Denmark. From there, we moved to San Antonio in Texas, where my dad worked as a doctor in a hospital. 
Texas isn't exactly considered to be socialist utopia. How well did you settle in? 
San Antonio isn't a cowboy city but rather very diverse with large Asian, Afro-American and Latino communities. In my memory it's a romantic place, culturally inclusive. The cultural shock only hit when we moved to Orange County in California later. Suddenly, the environment was white, preppy and conservative. 
How were you welcomed in California? 
To this day I'm ashamed when I think about how I let my classmates call me Peter without correcting them. I'm Pedro. Even without growing up in Chile, the country and language are part of me. I was quite unhappy in that place. At least I was able to switch schools and visit one in Long Beach, where I felt more comfortable. With its theatre programme, I found my path. 
Could you visit your family's homeland as a child? 
Yes, after my parents ended up on a list of expats that were permitted to re-enter the country. First, there was a big family gathering, then me and my sister were parked at some relatives' place for a few months while my parents returned to Texas. They probably needed a break from us. They'd had us at a very young age, had a vibrant social life, and my mother was doing her doctorate in psychology. 
Was your mother a typical young psychologist that tested her knowledge at home? 
You mean whether I was her lab rat? Absolutely. I can remember weird sessions camouflaged as games, where someone would watch my reactions to different toys. Even though I couldn't have been older than 6, I knew what was happening. My favourite thing was to be asked about my dreams. That was always a great opportunity to make up fantastic stories. 
Was that your first performance? 
Definitely! My strong imagination alarmed my mother, because I'd rather live in my fantasy world than in real life. I didn't like school. I ended up in the "problematic kid" category. At some point the subjects got more interesting and my grades improved. So many children are unnecessarily diagnosed with learning disabilities without considering that school can be daunting. Why is it acceptable to be bored out of your mind in class, when there are more stimulating ways to convey knowledge?
With everything happening in the world this summer: Do you believe that social hierarchy structures are genuinely being reconsidered? 
Hopefully. After the lockdown my first contact with people was at the Black Lives Matter protest. The atmosphere was peaceful and hopeful until the police got involved and provoked violence. At least during these times we can't avoid problems or distract ourselves from them as easily as we usually do. It seems that the pandemic provided us with a new sense of clarity: we don't want to go on like this. 
The trailer of "Wonder Woman 1984" represents the optimism of the 80s. That almost makes one feel nostalgic nowadays. 
That holds true. It's two hours of happiness. Patty Jenkins, the director, managed to make a movie full of positive messages. We shot in Washington, D. C., then in London and Spain - which now sounds like a different time. 
Do you miss travelling? 
I've only now realised what a privilege it is to just pack up your things and fly anywhere. With an American passport you can travel freely. And that's why the small radius we live in now is kind of absurd. Over the last few years I often retreated in between takes, because I was always on the road and overstimulated. Friends complained about how comfortable I had become. We all took social interactions for granted and realise now how reliant we are on human connection. Now, I wistfully think about all the party and dinner invitations I declined in the past. 
In L. A., people spend more time indoors or in nature than in other metropolises. Could this city become your safe haven after New York City? 
My true home is my friends. Ever since I was young I've lived the life of a nomad and haven't set roots anywhere. Until recently, my physical home was a place for arriving and leaving and hence I didn't want to overcomplicate living by owning lots of things. The opposite actually: Without having read Marie Kondo's book, I got rid of all the stuff that was unnecessary and lived a very minimalistic lifestyle. 
Is there something you collect or could never say goodbye to? 
Books! I still own the literature I read during my teen and university years. Recently I found a box of old theatre scripts and materials back from my uni days at NYU. I can't separate from art either, same as lamps or old pictures. Furniture and clothes are no problem though, they can be chucked. 
Do you remember any roles that were defined by their costumes? 
Yes, "Game of Thrones" comes to mind immediately. During that time I first understood what it means, as an actor, to be supported by a look. I owe that to costume designer Michele Clapton. She developed these very feminine robes and brocade cloaks for my role that looked very masculine when I wore them. I felt sexy in them. And very important were of course Lindy Hemming's power suits and Jan Sewell's blond hair for the tycoon villain Maxwell Lord in "Wonder Woman 1984". Relating to the style, I couldn't really see myself in the role since the shapes and colours of the 80s don't really fit my body. My type is the 70s.
Do you adopt such inspirations into your private closet? 
At this point in time, I'll choose any comfortable outfit over a cool look. Sometimes I mourn the days when I defined myself with fashion. It's a bit mad when I think about how, in the 90s as a teenager, I would go to raves; a proper club kid with crazy outfits: overalls, chute trousers, soccer shirts and a top hat like in "The cat in the hat knows a lot about that!" by Dr Seuss. Later in NYC I was part of a group that placed immense value on wearing a certain style. The fact that I only walk around in joggers nowadays is actually unacceptable! 
Normally, actors who work on comic screen adaptations become bodybuilders and eat ten boiled chicken breasts per day. You don't? 
My body wouldn't be able to handle that. I find it difficult enough to maintain a minimum level of fitness. As of your mid 40s, you suddenly need a lot more discipline. Until the tooth incident happened, I worked out a couple of times a week with a trainer to keep the quarantine body in shape. 
What would annoy you the most, if you were your own roommate? 
I can be very bossy. I have to gather all my goodwill not to force my movie choice on to everyone else. When I want something, I'm not passive aggressive about it, I attack head on. Also, I can get caught up in tunnel vision: When i feel down, I can't imagine that I'm ever going to feel better again. I have difficulty with seeing the bigger picture when experiencing problems or emotions. Method acting really wouldn't be my thing. That's why I try to only work on projects that feel good and where people encourage and lift each other up. 
While you were trying on the outfits you pointed out a lack of self-esteem. How does that coincide with your career? 
Isn't it interesting how traits and circumstances go hand in hand? Self-esteem comes from the inside, but it's also influenced by what society believes. We use critical stares from the outside against ourselves. I lived in New York for 20 years, I studied there and worked as a waiter up until my mid 30s, because I couldn't live off acting. It was always so close. The disappointment of always just barely missing a perfect part or opportunity is exhausting. When is the right time to stop trying and what's plan b? That's not just a question actors ask themselves, but anybody who struggles to earn a livelihood - unrelated to how much potential they have or how close their dream may seem. We are beginning to see now how our narrow definition of success is destroying our communities. At the same time, it's becoming obvious that, until this day, your family background and skin colour determine your chances of living a dignified existence. 
What are the positives of becoming a leading man later in life? 
I have the feeling that I've got control over my life - without the pressure of having to accept projects or be a social media personality. That surely also has to do with the fact that I'm a man. Women are surely pressured to appear quirky at any age. 
Life is always a management of risks - especially at this time. For what would you risk losing something? 
Usually, if you don't play the game you're not going to win anything. That applies to friendship, love, work, creativity. Anything that really means something to me, is worth the risk. 
Wonder woman 1984 will appear in cinemas 01.10. The 800 million dollar earning DC comic franchise is moving into the New York 80s with its sequel. It looks spectacular - only Pedro Pascal with blond hair in a three piece Wall Street suit looks better.
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jinmindeulle · 4 years ago
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hot chocolate | jyh (2)
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part 2/3
𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒈 jeong yunho x reader, yang hongseok x reader
𝒘𝒐𝒓𝒅 𝒄𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒕 2.4 k
𝒈𝒆𝒏𝒓𝒆 angst, fluff / enemies to lovers au, tv news au, newsanchor!yunho x newsanchor!reader
𝒘𝒂𝒓𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈𝒔 mentions of sex and cursing
main masterlist | ateez masterlist
**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚  ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚* **•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚  ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚* **•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚
To say that it was her fifth mental breakdown of the day was an understatement.
Y/n was preparing the report that her boss had asked her as the last part of her application for the job. It was just a simple story that she would later have to present on the live show right after Yunho’s. She had decided to talk about important women around the world as she felt confident in that area. She knew a lot about the topic of feminism and the importance of speaking up. That, however, didn’t spare her from feeling like a total failure when she asked Hongseok to proofread the script for her and he made a face.
“Are you sure you are not going to go off at a tangent if you talk about this topic? You know that your speech should flow, and when you are talking about something that you are passionate about or you know a lot of, you usually beat about the bush”
“What do you suggest? Changing the topic last minute?” she whined, plopping down Hongseok’s couch, right next to him.
“Narrow it down. You’re being too general here. Be more specific and don’t talk just to show off”
“Got it” y/n snatched the paper away from her friend and went back to her ‘workplace’ — Hongseok’s kitchen table.
Editing scripts was the part that she hated the most. Her usual job rarely involved that, because she was in charge of doing the research, checking and double-checking sources and outlining the report. Sometimes she wrote them just to avoid loosing that side of the job, but her department co-workers were the ones who proofread and corrected the script multiple times, not y/n.
That’s why she was staying the night at Hongseok’s. He was an expert in that field, his job as a script-writer for the Night Show helping him improve his skills more and more with every new story. What took the man a couple of hours to finish, took y/n her whole Saturday afternoon, and if it wasn’t for him, she would probably spend her entire weekend crying over her script.
“How’s that going?” Hongseok approached her from behind, placing his arms around her waist and his chin on her shoulder, rapidly scanning the words on her screen.
“Check yourself” she yawned, throwing her head backwards and accommodating it on the space between his neck and shoulder.
“Why don’t you have a warm shower? I have already called the pizza place and it won’t take long for them to arrive”
The girl sleepily nodded and left the chair as soon as her friend released her. He took her seat to keep reading her script, so she moved quickly to the bathroom. Now undressed and with the water warming up, she stretched her back, putting her hair up on a messy bun that prevented it from getting soaked. As soon as she entered the steamy shower, her mind took off.
And it landed on Jeong Yunho. Was that even necessary? She scoffed, turning around to make the hot water ease some of the back pain.
She would never admit it, but back then she had had a massive crush on him. Who would blame her, though? He was the most handsome man around campus, and he was all the time smiling. He had that special grin of his that lit up the darkest room.
But he had never showed that side of his to her. Maybe because she was his only competition in college who could actually beat his perfect records, or maybe because she was all the time with Hongseok. The truth was that Yunho had always avoided and ignored her every time she had dared to speak to him outside college hours.
So it had come as a surprise seeing him at the Seoul Morning News’ building two years before. She had been working there for a couple of months, and all of her ex-classmates knew that thanks to Hongseok, who proudly told the world about her rapid success. Why would he ever apply for a job that involved working with a person he hates? She never understood that, but at the same time didn’t even bother to question his decision.
An hour later and with a full stomach, y/n was all spread on Hongseok’s couch, her head on his thigh and his hands massaging her scalp “You’re too good to me, Hongie” she whispered, hugging his leg.
“I just love you” he replied. Out of shock, she sat up in a matter of milliseconds and looked at him with wide eyes “Don’t be silly. Not like that” he laughed, patting her head “I love you as a friend, and I love fucking you as a friend too”
“I saw my life flashing in front of my eyes for a second” she heavily breathed out, placing her hand on her chest, right on her heart.
“I’m sorry” he grinned, placing a soft kiss on her lips “I like messing around with you sometimes”
“Sometimes?” she raised one eyebrow, sitting on his lap and straddling his waist with her legs.
“Well, that depends what kind of ‘messing’ you are referring to” he smirked, rubbing his hands up and down her lower back.
“Why don’t you show me?”
“My pleasure, hun”
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“I messed up” she cried, holding her phone with shaky hands “I messed up so bad, Hong”
“Why? What happened?” his concern was tangible even through the phone.
“I went blank for I don’t know how long. I completely forgot about my script and had to improvise a section of it. It was terrible. I’m a failure, and I’m not going to get the job at all. He was perfect. Yunho was amazing, as he always is. And I won’t blame Mr. Jung when he chooses him because he deserves that place more than anyone in here” y/n sobbed, sitting down on her desk, feeling how the shame and humiliation drowned her in tears.
“Y/n, I’m sure you’re just exagg-”
“I’m not, Hongseok! It was the worst thing I have ever done. I messed up and I know that. I missed the chance to get the job of my dreams. And I will never get another one of this”
When she decided that it was time to let her friend do his job in peace, she realized that she could not to go back outside of her office and face her co-workers who were expecting her to keep on her daily work without recomposing herself first. With heavy steps, she entered her little toilet and removed all of her make up. Washing it off and doing it again was the only reasonable option. Some minutes later, she found herself looking way better, but just hoping for her puffy eyes to go back to normal in a couple of hours top.
She left her office with her heard high but avoiding eye contact. It was hard to admit, but she knew that all of them had seen her embarrass herself in front of their boss. How was she supposed to come back from that? Her reputation was a joke right now.
“Miss Lee, I want to speak with you for a second”
Her eyes opened widely upon hearing her boss’ voice behind her. She turned around in a slow manner, reminding herself not to cry in front of him “Sure” Following the petit man to his office, she took some deep breaths to keep her heart from pounding that hard against her chest.
“So” Mr. Jung spoke up once they were settled “How do you feel?”
Y/n heavily exhaled and looked down, playing with the end of her black pencil skirt, a bad habit of hers when she felt anxious “I could have done much better”
“I believe just the same, my dear. I understand that you were nervous, though. It felt the same for me when I was the one being tried, so don’t worry too much. I know your potential” the man smiled, leaning over his desk “That’s why I’m giving you the job”
She had to have heard him wrong. He was giving her the position after messing up like that on her one and only chance? Was he even there when she went blank on national television?
“Wha-” she cut herself off, feeling how a thousand different emotions flowed inside her body.
“You showed me that you have the skills to be in front of the camera with a script, and without one. It was impressive, how in a matter of seconds you were able to keep on talking with Taeki about the issue like nothing had happened, like you never got lost in your own world”
“But I did get lost” she mumbled, feeling the tears blurring her vision once again.
“So what? It is not about following the script all the time, y/n. You are a professional when you know how to manage, how to get yourself out of a problem in just seconds. Everyone is talking about that, and you should be proud of yourself”
“I… I can’t believe this” she let out a laugh, completely out in disbelief.
“And you know what? You were so good that even Yunho decided to let you have the job”
The tears that had gathered in her eyes fell down her face altogether upon hearing Mr. Jung’s confession “What?” y/n asked, completely out of shock.
“As you hear it. He came to me an hour or so after we finished, and told me that you deserved the job more than he did. That you were capable of that and even more. I didn’t know that you went to college together! You didn’t seem like you were friends to me”
“We are not friends, Mr. Jung” y/n shook her head, drying her tears with the back of her hand “I can’t believe he told you that”
“Me neither. He seemed really enthusiastic about this job last week. But anyways, congratulations! Your training starts tomorrow. We have just a few days to get you ready to be our new news’ anchor”
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She left that office with the most contradicting feelings she had ever felt. Of course, she was overjoyed. The fucking job of her damned dreams was hers! She had failed the task, but she got it despite of it. However, the fact that Yunho had given up his chance just to let her have it was not leaving her heart anytime soon. Why would he do that? He would never abandon such an opportunity just because she deserved it. Who thought like that nowadays? Who was that selfless?
Apparently, Yunho was. So she decided to wait for him outside the building three hours later. She knew he had the same schedule as Jaehyun, who always left half an hour after her.
Winter was her favourite season. Wearing long coats and fluffy scarves was her most enjoyable activity. But sometimes, having snow falling on her when she was out and about bothered her a little. Not like she was willing to admit that, especially to Hongseok, who defended summer with all of his passion. Luckily for her, the hot chocolate cups that she was holding kept her hands warm.
Just when she was about to leave, assuming that Yunho had left earlier, she distinguished his large frame going out of the building. He was busy putting on his gloves, so he never realized she was standing right next to him. She faked a cough, and it took a couple more to make him aware of her presence.
“Oh-sorry! My mind was somewhere else. How are you?” he smiled at her, and this time, it felt real. He had no second intentions, no secret plans. Just a genuine smile.
“I’m happy” she admitted, a little smile plastered on her own lips “Mr. Jung gave me the job”
“Right! I heard about that. Congratulations, y/n, you really deserve it. And I mean it”
“You know…” she replied, tearing her eyes away from his, which were looking at her with great intensity “He told me that you gave up the job”
Maybe it was because of the cold, but Yunho’s cheeks were painted a deep shade of pink. He looked across the street, shoving his hands on his coat’s pockets, and fought back a nervous smile.
“Why would you do that?” she pushed, taking advantage of his panicky state.
“You were the best candidate out of the two of us”
“That’s not what I want, Yunho” she scoffed “You made it clear that you would fight for the job, and that you always won. What happened today?”
“Nothing”
Y/n sighed. He was a hard one.
“Yunho, don’t be like that. I messed up and you did an outstanding job. You were the one who deserved that position, and you know that. So why? Why would you give it up?”
“I heard you crying” he confessed, looking at her right in the eye “I heard you when you told Hongseok that it was your dream job, and I just couldn’t do it. How awful as a person would I be to tear your dreams apart when I have the power to just help them become a reality? I know that you think of me as a selfish, competitive bastard. But I’m not like that. It was just-”
“A façade” she interrupted him, feeling how her eyes flooded with tears “But you just put it out for me”
Yunho sighed, and cursed with a deep mumble.
“It’s okay” y/n shook her head, fighting the tears back “You don’t have to explain anything. I get that you don’t like m-”
“It’s not that, y/n, it’s not that at all” the boy took his hands out of his pockets and placed them on the sides of her arms.
“Really, Yunho, don’t worry about that. I just wanted to thank you. I’m not sure if I deserve that but I’ll make sure not to let you down” she exhaled heavily, taking a step back in order to leave “Oh! I almost forgot” she extended one of her arms towards him “This is for you. I know that you don’t like coffee so I bought hot chocolate instead. As a thank you” she smiled weakly.
And with that she left Yunho behind, standing all by himself under the falling snow, and looking at the paper cup with disbelief. She had remembered.
**•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚  ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚* **•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚  ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚* **•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚ ˚*•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚* **•̩̩͙✩•̩̩͙*˚
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justanotherlifeff · 4 years ago
Note
Could I get a Bakugo x Fem! Reader who is an e energetic and happy hero and is all sunshine and rainbows and Bakugo secretly freaking loves it a whole lot and it turns him on with how cute and smiley she is and basically turns her into his perfect little sub If that makes sense!
Cutie
Warnings: NSFW, Smut, Degradation, Daddy kink, Submissive reader, Dominating Bakugou, Hella kinky stuff
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Ever since the UA days, Bakugou loved the way you acted. You were always a bundle of happiness, a contrast opposite to him and could bring out the good in everyone, including an angry gremlin like himself. Sure, back then, he acted like he hated it, that he despised her bubbly and positive attitude but if he were to be honest, you gave him the motivation to do better and be a better person/hero. You were a part of Bakusquad ever since you stepped into the class and with time, Bakugou found himself considering you as one of the closest friends he ever had. With time, his attraction towards you only grew and by the time you were in your third year, he had fallen hard for you. The fact that Kaminari constantly flirted with you and you laughed at his attempts did nothing but piss Bakugou off. Honestly, he was surprised that he didn't beat Kaminari to a pulp yet. However, that didn't mean that he wouldn’t put a stop to that. As soon as third year ended, he demanded that you joined his new found agency. You joined without hesitation since the two of you were best friends. Which is why, he found himself in this situation, pinning you to a wall as you looked up at him with pink dusting your cheeks and a flustered expression.
It had been an year since Bakugou opened the famous "Ground Zero Agency" where you worked as his partner. Your quirk was not as strong as Bakugou's, which is why starting off as an independent pro hero was not an option for you. Besides, you had other reasons to join his agency. You had a huge crush on him ever since your second year in UA. After all, why wouldn’t you? He was nice to you compared to everyone else (he still had a weird nickname for you and cussed at you when you messed up but it was far, far less aggressive than everyone else), he looked like a greek God, and most importantly, let's just say you were kinda a fangirl cause damn that man knows how to kick villain butts. Anyway, ever since Bakugou opened up his agency and you joined his agency, Bakugou ended up getting to the top 10 position in hero ratings. Your ratings improved drastically as well thanks to Bakugou's impeccable leadership and you had your position in the top 20. Now that both of you were quite popular pro heroes, you were invited to the annual hero reunion gala where every popular heroes were invited. It was an event that was held mostly for giving every hero a chance to increase media coverage and get more investors for their respective agencies. Pro hero Ground Zero and (H/N) naturally got an invitation and while Bakugou was not initially excited about showing up, hearing that you're going chanced that. Since the two of you ran the agency together (even though it wasn’t your agency and you were a hired pro hero but you'd always help a friend out), Bakugou and you decided that he'd pick you up from your home and that you should go with him. Did Bakugou initially plan to ask you on a date instead of making it sound like something that should be done for their agency? Yes, yes he did. Did he chicken out at the last moment and pretend that it was all for the agency? Again, yes, yes he did. How could he not chicken out? You were always just too cute that it disarmed him.
Going back to current events, Bakugou was waiting for you infront of your apartment in his brand new Lamborghini (cause he's a show off). When you finally came out, he almost had a seizure. You wore a tiny black dress that hugged your curves perfectly. You went for a no makeup look and your (H/C) hair was curled. Along with all that, you had the cutest smile on your face and Bakugou knew that he'd have a boner the entire time. This had been happening recently for the last few months. He used to feel his heartbeat increase whenever you smiled like that before but nowadays, he downright gets boners. Probably because you keep getting cuter every damned day atleast to him. The whole car ride was distracting as you kept rambling like a child about how your day went. He wondered how you could make something as disgusting as cleaning the toilet sound like something adventurous. Bakugou gave short replies like his usual self but since when did that stop you? Upon reaching, the both of you were swarmed by the press who kept asking if you and Bakugou were dating. There were certain rumours since no one except you could work that well with Bakugou. The way you blushed as soon as the reporters brought it up made his cock twitch in his pants. At this point, he was thanking whatever God gave him the brilliant idea of wearing tight boxers.
When Bakugou thought that getting in the party would change things, he was completely wrong. Everyone from Bakusquad showed up to the party as well since they gained popularity too. Your first reaction was to run at Mina and Kirishima and tackle them. You and Mina were inseparable back in the UA days and you were the one who set her up with Kirishima since they were pining on eachother for the longest time. You were really close to Kirishima as well since he always hung out with you and Bakugou. Hell, you were pretty much close to everyone. However, Bakugou, Mina and Kirishima probably were closer than the others. That didn't mean that Bakugou didn't get jealous. He didn’t like the fact that Kirishima and Mina got hugs from you since he decided that he was the only one who deserved hugs from you. Which meant that he was downright glaring at the oblivious couple as they talked to you with excited voices. You haven’t met up with them in a while thanks to your busy schedule. Things got worse when Kaminari put an arm around your shoulder and asked, "Aww they got a hug and I didn’t? Isn't that unfair, (Y/N)?". Let's just say that Bakugou was really, really close to losing control of his quirk.
"Kaminari-kun, are you jealous?" you winked at the blonde before laughing. "I'll be fucking damned if dunce face is the one to make her laugh like that." Bakugou growled internally, losing his shit and pretty much grabbing your hand and pulling you away from the surprised group. You personally were shocked by his sudden aggression. Yes, Bakugou was a really agressive person but he never showed much of that side towards you until now. You tried to talk to him and asked him to slow down but all your words went unheard till he pulled you into an abandoned corridor in the community hall and shoved you into a janitor's closet that was in the corridor. Getting in there himself, he closed the door, letting only tiny beams of light pass through the gaps on the door. "Bakugou-kun, why did you bring me here?" you asked, confused, tilting your head sightly. Only if you knew what your cuteness did to him.... "I was gonna ask you on a fucking date before I chickened out cause you always look so damn cute!" Bakugou hissed as he pinned you to the wall of the janitor's closet, making a slight amount of pink to dust your cheeks as you looked at him with a flustered expression.
"Y-you like me?" you stuttered at his sudden confession. "Yes (Y/N). Now, if you continue to be so fucking cute, I'll take you right here, right now. You're really testing my self control now so stop looking so damned cute or just tell me on my face if you don't want me." Bakugou grumbled as he closed the distance between you even more, your lips almost touching. "I like you too, Bakugou-kun... I want you to continue..." you whispered, meeting his lips. It didn’t take long for Bakugou to kiss you back with immense passion and agression. His tongue demanded entrance in your mouth and you let him. Your tongues battled for dominance which he won in a matter of moments, leaving you completely breathless. Before you could realise, his hands already travelled to your groins as a finger rubbed your pussy. "So wet... Did this get you horny baby? Who knew, such an innocent cutie could turn out to be a complete slut..." Bakugou muttered to your ear with a smug smirk. "Ah... Baku..." you were stopped with a light peck on your lips as Bakugou looked at you with an unusually soft expression and said, "Call me Katsuki. You're my girl now, right?". "Yes, Katsuki... I'm yours..." you breathed out as his fingers rubbing your pussy was making you weak at your knees. "Why were you flirting with dunce face back there huh? You've been such a bad girl. You know what happens to bad girls? They get punished. Guess what's gonna happen to you now, baby?" Bakugou whispered into your ear with a smirk as a wave of heat washed throughout your body and pooled at your vagina. "Getting wetter are we? Does this turn you on? Do you want daddy to punish you?" Bakugou whispered to you. He didn’t know how you'd react to his kinks and honestly, he was anxious about your response. However, all his worries went away when you looked at him with a cute smile and said, "Punish me daddy. Please?". Damn he would never forget the face you made as it instantly made him get the most painful hard on in his entire life.
"Fuck... You really know how to make daddy happy huh? Such a cute fucking smile... You wanna be punished huh? Fine, I'll fuck you into oblivion but if you make one noise, I'm not letting you cum." Bakugou hissed at you before he pulled your dress up, removed your panties, picked you up, held you against the wall and entered you with brute force. You almost yelped at the feeling as his cock was bigger than anything you've put in yourself so far as it filked you to the brim. Biting your lips, you controlled yourself before looking at Bakugou, giving him the signal to move. Without a warning, he pounded into you with an unforgiving pace, making it almost impossible for you to keep quiet. However, you wanted to be good for him. The idea of him being so much in control turned you on so much that you were already feeling dizzy from all the sensations that were inflicted on your body. "Fuck.... So tight.... You're clenching on me..." Bakugou whispered to you making you grab onto him tighter as the sensations were making you feel euphoric beyond measure. You were going to cum soon. "Such a good girl for me... You’ve listened to daddy and didn't make a noise huh? Daddy's got two rewards for you. For being so damn cute and for being a good girl. I'll let you cum for being such a cutie..." Bakugou muttered into your ear, increasing his pace and making you come undone all over him. Even then, you made no noise except your ragged breathing. However, Bakugou didn't stop as he kept chasing his own release, overstimulating you. You couldn't help it anymore as you whimpered slightly at the unbearably pleasant feeling. "Can't help it anymore baby? It's okay. Lemme hear those cute sounds. Don't make a racket though." Bakugou groaned to your ear as he was nearing his release. With his permission, you let out low gasps and whimpers while trying to keep the loud moans as you bit your lips hard enough to draw blood.
It didn’t take long for Bakugou to cum. With a light groan, he pumped you full of his release. He carefully put you down before making you wear your panties before any of his release leaks out. After the two of you caught your breath, he whispered something to you that flustered you completely. "Having your insides full of my cum is my reward to you for being a good girl. Now that you’ll have my cum all over your panties and inside you as well when you talk to any of those shitty extras, you’ll keep remembering who you belong to."
[Author's note: I hope this is good enough? 😅]
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princessdong · 4 years ago
Text
 One: The Girl In Her Dreams
Masterlist
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Of all the possible outcomes of having a human in her house, Joy would've never thought that this one would be the one. After you left the house with Jiu, who seemed more than happy to get out of there, you hadn't left her head.
She could still see your eyes, never quavering with fear, or showing anything but the utmost disinterest, and only to be replaced by fury. Your eyes were thunders after she let go of your throat, and she was sure that you were going to hit her, she even braced herself to it, but nothing came. She even let herself not move a muscle when you practically mocked her by not believing her true self.
Yet, the fact that you were daring enough to get into an apparent abandoned house, and go as far as to explore it, with no regard for who might be in there, it made you so fascinating in her eyes that she couldn't stop thinking about it.
In her whole life, every encounter with a human had two ways: Either they were completely scared that they could've piss their pants, or completely turned on by the idea of having a vampire sucking their blood. But you didn't. And she had to find you, before you consumed her brain entirely.
That's why she, for the first time in two centuries, she got out of the house for a reason that wasn't feeding herself. She assumed that you had taken the ferry back to Mokpo, as she could hear Jiu groan at the fact that they had to get into the ferry so early, and only that stopped when you told her that she could get breakfast at Mokpo. In that moment, those were the only things she needed to launch herself into the quest of finding you. But, as the ferry moved, she seemed to remember that she was not aware if you were in Mokpo, or if you flew out of the country, or even if you were alive. After all, it's been a week.
Joy quickly remembered why she wasn't out of her house in two thousand years, and it was because of the noisiness. She should've asked Yeri to perform a locator spell on you, or get someone to find you, but she was impulsive, and she was out there, in Mokpo's port, not knowing what to do, where to start. Of course, she had her whole immortality to search for you, but you weren't immortal.
Should she get into Seoul? Should she start searching there? Should she be afraid that you were in another country? She didn't knew. Plus, all those people were making her uneasy, she could hear them all, and smell their blood, even hear their heartbeat. It was a mess, she was getting overwhelmed, but her efforts were in not pouncing into some human. She was no rogue vampire, she was four thousand and something of years, and she had more control in her than a baby vampire.
Among the madness of the busy port, she heard something that she needed to hear.
“Jiu! You should stop from going with Y/N to those places! You can't keep up like this.”
She turned around, trying to search for the voice, and the girl she saw with you. There she was, with her purple hair falling from her shoulders, wearing something so simple as a shit and a pair of jeans. Next to her, there was a girl, with dark brown hair, and they were holding hands. She started to get closer, trying to listen, and to think how to get them to tell her location.
“I know, Jagi, but I don't wanna let her go all alone, she might get in trouble one day. And she's my best friend.” Joy heard Jiu say, and she smirked, knowing that you had been face to face with trouble, if she was up to it.
“But then you get all scared the days after. And then you drag me to make sure that the house doesn't have anything strange, at day.” The other girl complained, and, although she understood that they were talking about her house, it could be a great opportunity to have some interrupted alone time with you.
“Uh, excuse me, do you know, by chance, where it's the house of Y/L/N Y/N? She's, uh, tall, has no fear of getting into haunted places...” She said, trying to sound like she was not trying to find a complete stranger. “I'm an old friend of hers, and, I came here to surprise her, but you know, since she's gone to university, and her parents moved...”
She hoped that they either didn't knew your parents, or your parents had moved somewhere else, as she didn't have any idea of who were your parents, or if it was even truth what she said. Luckily for her, it happened that you parents did actually moved to a more secluded place in the outskirts of Seoul... But it was a year ago.
“You really haven't seen her for that long, huh?” Jiu chuckled, but she understood. If it wasn't because of her always coming to your home unannounced, and your yearly tradition of getting into haunted places. “She lives in Seoul, do you have your phone? I can show you on Google Maps.”
She was aware of what Google was, and what a phone was, but all thanks to the newborn vampires, or rookies, as she liked to call them, but she did not come to contact to such frivolities of the human world. Or anything from the human world.
“It's dead” She simply said, and the pair seemed to understand right away.
“To the old way it is then” The other girl said, and then started to explain that you were in Seoul, the direction, how to get there, of course, not saying the obvious part that Joy had to take a train, taking as the old vampire was an old friend of yours that had lived in Seoul.
After all, you hadn't been out of the city long enough to make friends.
And that fact was just hanging above Joy's head like the rock above Tantalus head, threatening to fall in any second. But she wasn't one to be intimidated, so she left after thanking, and biding goodbye. She could easily compel someone to show her the directions to Seoul, as Korea had changed so much in so little.
Last time she had been in the mainland, she traveled on carriages, with horses carrying it, and boats had people to row. Now they all had something inside that carried them. If Chanyeol saw her, he would be probably rolling in the floor laughing. She couldn't let herself fall in the only quest that she had, and she already had the needed information about you, now only had to get there, somehow, some way.
Lucky for her, being a vampire comes with tricks, tricks that she had mastered during the monstrous time he had been a vampire, with the help of those humans who would become her food, only to get rid of that awful guilty feeling of not having a chance at feeding from any other thing, and causing pain to the human.
She make sure to be as far away as she could from the pair that she found out, and walked to a deserted street, where there was only a man who seemed to work at the port.
“Uh, excuse me, Sir.” She said, bowing once the man looked at her.
When she had his complete attention, and he was close to her, she flashed her eyes red, and the man looked at her like his life would end if he didn't.
“I need you to instruct me how to get to Seoul. You must accompany me on my journey until I reach said city.” She compelled him, and the man could only nod before starting to walk away, being followed by the vampire.
Joy then found herself getting into a train station for the first time. Her, who hadn't been in a train in her whole life, wasn't sure if the iron cage would be able to get her to Seoul, or if the cage was actually something else, and the compelling had failed. She was scared, but she asked the man how it worked.
It was then when she learned that humans didn't even know how things worked, not even those who were born in the century where all of that already existed. But he could explain that it was a mode of public transportation, where everyone, not caring about the social status of the one who was sitting next to them.
That led her to think about who she was now in the world. She had been married into the Joseon family, so that mean she was a princess, or she had been. And she came from a rich family, didn't that meant anything now? She was, by law, the princess now, as her husband had been killed right in front of her eyes. Not that she had cared anyway.
But how did she fit in that world? Did she wanted to? No. She didn't wanted to fit in that awful human world, she didn't wanted to have any contact with the human world unless it was seeing you. She hadn't tried to seize the crown after all those years because she didn't have the slightest interest in ruling Korea, or any place that had humans as its residents. She could be a clan leader, that much she would like, but having contact with humans? Just this once, to get rid of whichever spell or trick you put her under, but that was it.
That was why she accepted to sit in one of those communal seats, next to a man that wore common clothes. The man she compelled was not seating, but was standing next to her. Joy didn't cared to ask, neither try to convince the man to sit, as he was just another pawn in the chess game of her life.
The train from Mokpo had been a new experience for Joy. Nothing had moved as fast as it did when she was human, as horses can only run at certain speed. Plus, she got to see how Korea had improved itself to keep up with the world. The large blocks of glass and iron, who she later knew it was used for work, and some other less interesting-looking buildings, where the people with less money lived.
The cars that she saw in the streets, things that she wouldn't even imagined, and the streets, every single one was paved. In her times, there weren't like that.
Everything was new to her, and people sometimes looked strange, like that one who had a furious pink hair, and another who had an iron ball in their face. They didn't dressed like they did four thousands years ago, but that wasn't a new. Even herself was dressing different than how she would've done on her human life. She wasn't used to wear short skirts, no matter how long she had been trying to wear them, and she wasn't even sure of how she felt with shirts that didn't even got to her waist.
Fashion nowadays is like that, Chaeyoung had told her before. Even though Chaeyoung was almost as old as her, she had been a little more into the human world as Joy was. But, she was also more ruthless when it came to them, so the dark haired girl wasn't sure of how much she could count on the younger one.
The train journey had come to an end before the vampire could even make her mind grasp into the whole new world. And even then, when she and her companion got down of the train, she couldn't believe how much the world she knew had changed. Even Seoul had become unrecognizable.
The five grand palaces were nowhere to be seen, and they were supposed to be so magnificent that everyone would turn their heads to watch them. The people walked fast in the pavement, mostly surrounded by buildings so tall that Joy had to look up finding some of them lost in the clouds.
“What happened to my birthplace? Why is Seoul like this?” Joy lamented, still looking how the concrete took upon the most beautiful city she had ever seen.
“This is not Seoul, this is Cheongju. We have to take yet another train to get to Seoul. Mokpo is really far away from the capital. Can I ask why didn't you take a plane? Is faster, and easier.” The man, still under compulsion, asked.
“What is a plane?” Joy looked at him, frowning.
“Don't you know what a plane is?” He asked once again.
“I may know what is the thing, but not by its name” She answered.
“Oh, uh... The iron birds?” He answered unsure, as he didn't knew how to describe it to a completely unaware person.
“Oh! I see them in my backyard! They go really far in the sky!” Joy enthusiastically said, as she found herself always marveled at that particular invention.
“Yeah, those. You could've taken them to Seoul, and it would've been faster.” He divulged, and Joy nodded absentmindedly.
“But I didn't, maybe next time. Now, we have to go, another train is awaiting for us” Joy declared, already walking in some direction she wasn’t sure it was the right one.
“Uh, ma’am, your going in the wrong direction. Let me lead” The man cautioned, waiting for Joy to get back to a safe distance before starting to walk in the opposite direction.
The second ride didn't got joy as excited as the one before, but as the sun slowly started to set, she centered herself into asking as much as the human could answer. Of course, there were things that the man didn't knew profoundly, and it left Joy even more curious.
This time, they got quickly in Seoul, as the ride wasn't too long. Once the vampire got there, she smiled. She was finally going to be able to see you, and discover what had you done to her.
“Quickly, ma'am, we're really close to your destination, I bet you wanna get there as soon as you can” The man said, walking out of the station.
And it was then when she realized how it was already night, and that he must have family that was waiting for him back home, and that probably won't see him until the sun came up, if he was lucky.
“Just inform me how to get there, and I will do so. You probably family to go to.” She compelled him, and the man nodded.
“Just get into one of those yellow cars, and you pay them to get to your destination. Do you have money? Or anything to pay them?” The man asked, still not getting out of the compulsion.
“Yes, I do, I'm okay now, I still have the address, you may go now, I hope you have a safe trip.” She bowed to him, and he then walked away.
Joy walked to a taxi, sighing, and gave him the direction of your home. He didn't spoke, and Joy didn't spoke either, so she was just thinking about what she would do when she got there. Truth is, she had no idea. She threw herself to the idea of getting to you, to get her peaceful mind back, but she had no idea of how to do so. She was simply out of her mind, with her always so calm and collected now reduced to a reckless nothing, She couldn’t believe it, the great Park Sooyoung, the once heiress to an empire, acting like some lowland person.
But, a part of her knew that that one Park Sooyoung had died long time ago, with her humanity. She wasn’t the great Park Sooyoung, she was now Joy, Park Joy, if it pleased the crowd, and those were two different girls, they had to be.
Her predicament was cut short by the driver, who had made the car stop, indicating that she had arrived the destination, and demanding to be paid. Truth be told, Joy had not eaten since the morning, and she had been kind enough to spare the man who traveled with her because he had endured the endless questions from the girl for a long time, but this man didn’t earn her kindness, so he wouldn’t have the same fate as the prior one.
“Actually, I’m going to be the one rewarded”
The night had finally come for you, and with that it meant for you to get back into your apartment to have finally some unhealthy amount of hours of sleep, only to get up and get back into your daily routine. Being an university student does that to people. And you would’ve dozzed off in the couch, or even make a zombie walk to your bed, if it wasn’t for those eyes in the dark. Those red eyes, following your every move since you got inside the house. Those eyes that had been engraved in your mind ever since you saw them for the first time in Jeju.
That thought seemed to get ridden of your sleepy state. That island was too far away for her to be there, it was impossible for her to be there. But as much as you wanted to deny her presence, those red eyes were moving, until slowly but surely started to be part of a face, that face that you were not able to forget since you were there.
“Joy.”
“Well, hello there. I though that I would have to wait for you the whole night”
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