#beast mode one shot

[skepsiss]

Really curious cause there has been some talk in a Writing Server I'm in and I really want to know other people's thoughts. This is for ANYONE who WRITES fan fiction, even if you only write it sparingly. I will make one for readers too, linked here.

If you vote! please reblog so I can get a good sample size <3

[isaacarellanesismyhusband]

i’m always going to protect you, no matter what p2

pair: Percy Jackson x reader

requested by anonymous

please please please part 2 of i’m always going to protect you, no matter what. or just any protective!percy. you’re such a good write 💞

masterlist | navigation | p1

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The quiet of the camp didn’t last long.

You had barely settled into the cabin after returning from the fight when a sharp alarm echoed through the camp. The noise pierced through the air, sending a jolt of adrenaline coursing through your veins. Instantly, Percy was on his feet, eyes sharp, hand already reaching for his sword.

“They’re back,” he muttered under his breath.

You shot up, the memory of the dracaena still fresh in your mind. “Who?”

“I don’t know,” Percy said, but his expression told you enough. Something worse was out there. “But we need to go. Now.”

Without a second thought, he grabbed your hand, pulling you out the door. His grip was tight, protective, as if he was afraid to let you go. You barely had time to process what was happening before you were out in the open, the cold night air biting at your skin.

The camp was in chaos. Demigods were running in every direction, weapons drawn, shouting warnings and orders to each other. And then you saw it — a group of dracaenae, more than before, slithering through the trees, their spears gleaming in the dim light. But they weren’t alone. Towering above them was a massive cyclops, its single eye scanning the camp with a menacing glow.

“Get behind me,” Percy ordered, his voice low and urgent as he drew his sword.

“Percy, we need to—”

“I said get behind me,” he snapped, his eyes flashing with a fierceness that made you freeze. He was in full protective mode now, his body tensed and ready to fight. You had seen him like this before, but something about this moment felt different. He wasn’t just fighting for survival — he was fighting for you.

Before you could protest, the cyclops let out a roar and charged straight toward you both, its massive feet shaking the ground with every step. Percy didn’t hesitate. He surged forward, sword raised, meeting the beast head-on.

“Stay back!” he shouted over his shoulder as he dodged a swing from the cyclops’s club.

But there was no way you were going to just stand there. Your heart pounded as you scanned the ground, looking for anything that could help. A broken spear lay a few feet away, and without thinking, you grabbed it. You knew you weren’t as skilled as Percy, but you weren’t helpless either.

Just as the cyclops swung again, Percy ducked, slicing at its leg with his sword. The beast bellowed in pain, but it wasn’t enough to bring it down. The dracaenae were closing in, hissing and ready to strike.

“Percy!” you called, panic rising in your throat.

He glanced back at you for the briefest second, and in that moment, one of the dracaenae lunged toward him. You acted on instinct, hurling the broken spear at her. It struck her in the side, enough to make her stumble, but she turned her attention toward you, eyes blazing with fury.

Before she could reach you, Percy was there. He moved faster than you’d ever seen, his sword flashing in the moonlight as he cut the dracaena down in one swift motion. He turned to you, breathing hard, eyes wide with worry.

“I told you to stay back,” he said, his voice tight with fear and frustration. But before you could respond, the cyclops roared again, swinging its massive club down at both of you.

Percy shoved you out of the way, throwing himself in front of you as the club came crashing down. It missed by inches, but the force of the impact sent both of you sprawling to the ground.

“Are you okay?” he asked, scrambling to his feet and pulling you up with him, his hands checking you over for injuries before he turned back to the fight.

“Yeah, but—”

Before you could finish, the cyclops lunged again. This time, Percy didn’t wait. He charged at it, his sword slicing through the air with deadly precision. He was a blur of movement, dodging the cyclops’s attacks and striking back with brutal efficiency.

But the cyclops wasn’t going down easily. It swung its club again, and this time, Percy wasn’t fast enough. The club caught him in the side, sending him flying backward into a tree.

“Percy!” you screamed, running toward him, but the dracaenae were closing in again, cutting off your path.

Your heart pounded in your chest as you raised your broken spear, preparing to defend yourself. But before you could make a move, Percy was back on his feet, blood trickling from a cut on his forehead. His eyes locked on the dracaenae, and something shifted in him — a protective fury that burned brighter than you had ever seen.

“Get away from her!” Percy roared, his voice echoing through the trees as he charged forward, sword blazing with energy. He cut through the dracaenae with a ferocity that took your breath away, his every move calculated and deadly. In moments, the creatures were gone, dissolving into golden dust around him.

You barely had time to react before Percy was in front of you again, his hands gripping your shoulders as he looked you over, panic still etched on his face.

“Are you hurt?” he asked, his voice strained, eyes scanning you for any sign of injury.

“No, I’m fine. Percy, you—”

“I told you to stay back,” he repeated, his voice cracking this time. He pulled you into a tight embrace, his body trembling with adrenaline and fear. “You could have been killed.”

“So could you,” you whispered, wrapping your arms around him, holding him as tightly as he was holding you.

“I don’t care about me,” Percy said, his voice raw. “I care about you. I can’t lose you.”

You pulled back slightly, looking up at him, your heart aching at the intensity in his eyes. “You’re not going to lose me,” you said softly. “But you can’t protect me if you don’t take care of yourself too.”

He nodded, his forehead resting against yours, his breath still ragged. “I’ll try. For you. I swear I will.”

You smiled, brushing a hand through his hair.

Percy kissed you then, hard and desperate, as if trying to reassure himself that you were still there, still safe.

[piglet26]

Reylo Scenes: TROS Part 2

After a failed attempt at killing Rey and Rey slashing Ren's fighter. He's relieved he didn't kill her. She's relieved she didn't kill him. He emerges looking fucking glorious while Rey tried to stop a ship from flying off cause she thinks Chewie is on board. What the hell are they doing putting a mask on him at this point?!

In the novel from Kylo's perspective, "But his impulse to kill Key had almost ruined everything he had been planning..... but his deepest desire, the thing he wanted most (Rey) would require planning and patience."

"It didn't matter what or who was inside that transport that made desperate to prevent it's escape, he was not going to let her have it. He reached out, felt the massive machinery in his mind, yanked it towards himself."

What's interesting in this scene is Kylo Ren is pushing her and Rey ultimately pulls from anger to best him and keep chewing. That's what always been interesting about Rey is she's the Jedi, but often times she fights with anger, fear and aggression. In the novelization it's revealed that over the course of that year she's been hearing voices. It looks pretty and it's a good shot, but I kept thinking didn't we already see this? Force wise... they're pretty even. While it doesn't hit as hard as the tug-o-war in the TLJ it does serve a purpose. Rey is a Palpatine after all.

In the movie, as per usual, this next bit doesn't make any sense. Ren seems stunned and just let's Rey, Finn and Poe run off. In the novel it makes more sense.

"Kylo Ren watched the freighter rise into the sky, Rey inside it. She had beaten him again (she thought she killed her friend not really a win but you're emo) and yet, he was filled with triumph. He'd been right to push her. She had just demonstrated unbelievable, mind blowing power. Dark power. Sith Power. The scavenger was almost ready to turn. And when she did, they would both kill their light, embrace their darkness, then the star destroyer fleet and the Sith throne would be theirs."

Kylo Ren is a Reylo and is trying to make power couple goals happen and we have to appreciate that.

This is concept art from "The Rise of Skywalker" notice how their costumes mirror each other.

The chemistry between Rey and Kylo is electric whenever they share the same space, so much so that sometimes it feels like we, the audience, are intruding on a private moment between the two.

On board Ochi's ship Rey confesses she has sex dreams about Kylo Ren. Let's be honest they both do and she confesses she's had visions of her and Kylo Ren on top the Sith throne.

Next scene is them in Kijimi. Ren is looking for his future Queen who is trying to find the sithway finder or whatever. Arriving in his pretty cool ship.

In the novel per Zorii, "As the black clad man approached the squads officer snap to attention, "Supreme leader".... the man standing below with his gang od butchers was Kylo Ren himself.....The supreme leader said his voice was tight and calm, but Zorii got the feeling he was barely containing his rage. He looked around almost as if he were sniffing the air. "We have a perimeter around the city." The lieutenant began, but Kylo Ren cut him off, "We're too late, the scavenger is gone." Zorri goes onto describe Kylo Ren having a moment whipping his lightsaber out and going beast mode.

In the movie through the force it's implied that that's how Rey knows Chewie is onboard Ren's destroyer, but in the novel it's different. He interrogated Chewie forcefully (wink wink ha ha ha) to get information on Rey. Rey was able to link mind with Kylo Ren and that's how she knew Chewie was onboard. They should've shown them linking minds more.

Then Rey was in his room, or excuse me, private quarters. Anyone else surprised his room was so white and pretty, if no impersonal. Where's his bed? I saw it in the first movie I think.

"Rey. Wherever you are, you are hard to find."

I'm wondering if at this point that can connect to one another more voluntarily. Rey is always swinging first. Like always. This scene can only really be described as exposition scenes, but there is a nice aspect to it. It's nice to see what they see from one another's viewpoint when they force bond. They just see each other. The dyad is increasing in power, not only can they now touch through the force, they can fight and their spaces even blend. They were together and yet separate. Kylo Ren also seems to be very excited his girl is in quarters and wants to lock down that ship.

In their next scene, again, Kylo tells her the plot of The Rise of Skywalker while wearing that damn mask. I have questions when did Kylo Ren find out they were a dyad?! Why were denied this scene? Obviously they instinctually know they are connected, they just never knew the word to put to it, but were is the exact scene? The thing about Kylo Ren is he uses information to twist it like a knife. He's going to use the truth that they are Dyad, that she is a Palpatine and ultimately the attraction she feels for him to seduce her to the dark side. From Rey's perspective, "He extended his black gloved hand to her, she looked at it, remembered. The last time he extended a hand had been in the wreckage of Snoke's throne room. Their combined power had defeated him. It was true. That together they could do such incredible things. Suddenly, she sensed a weight at her back and along with it... Finn. His presence a bright beacon of light piercing the dark." Ren pulling some MJ Smooth Criminal moves there.

After Rey flees with her crew, in the novel it's gives Kylo Ren's reaction. Her surveys the damage left from The Falcon's engine wash. "Kylo considered it a small price to pay to encounter Rey again. To provoke her into a rage. To say the word Dyad and watch the truth of it wash over her lovely face......he hardly paid attention, he kept seeing her face. The way her lips had parted with surprise. The way her body had canted (leaned) toward him. If the Millennial falcon hadn't appeared she might have come to him. Taken his hand. Kylo really hated that ship.... he'd been so very close, but now she knew the truth. She would accept it."

Yeah, they're horny. It's the first time Kylo described her in such detail and really let us as the reader or audience know..... he wants power, but he wants Rey more. If Ren had the world in his hand it wouldn't mean as much without Rey. This is the first scene in the movie where Rey acknowledges how much she wants to be with him. Interesting, Finn again is really her solid base on the good side of the force.

Side note: Dark Rey is hot.

The lightsaber fight onboard the death star wreckage. I've heard criticism that this fight while beautiful is pointless. I disagree. It's actually a scene that pushes them forward. Rey said, "give it to me" and Ren giving this shudder like he just came in his pants. hmmhmm! Ren likes feral, passionate Rey. He's pushing her and pushing her when she's already at the edge. Interesting enough, Ben can take whatever Rey has to give. All the anger and the fury she's had to hide from everyone else she can express to him. The fight is really about their likeness and yet difference, their passion, how Rey has grown in her lightsaber fighting and fixing the end of The Force Awakens. Ren is fighting at full force capacity, he's not injured and he's not emotional.

The way he is in love

“He sent the thought directly into her mind: I know you. No one does, she shot back. But I do.” WHY WASN'T THIS IN THE MOVIE?!

They fight until Rey is exhausted and when it looks like Kylo Ren might strike the killing blow, Leia reaches out through the force before she passes. In a fit of rage Rey stabs Kylo Ren, but snaps out of it when she feels Leia's passing. She begins to heal the wound she created.

How did she heal? Oh, you know those books she had in the beginning of the movie? Those book were the sacred Jedi text from Acht-to. She smuggled them onboard the falcon. So they never were actually set fire. Turns out Yoda that they actually were useful.

Rey showing him compassion, healing him, believing in him almost doggedly is so empowering for Ben Solo to return. His parents might be gone, but he still has someone to return home to. This movie has flawed writing but sometimes almost accidentally that land on something that works. The line where she admits she wanted to take his hand is a great line. It's declaration of love for Ben, not a rejection of Kylo Ren. It's her saying, "I didn't reject you. I wanted the best version of you"

After the unconditional love offered by both parents and the selfless, sacrificial love offered by Rey...... Kylo Ren becomes Ben Solo again. We just don't see him for the next 20 minutes as Rey processes her identity crisis and then goes off to fight to Palpatine..... without a plan.

There's also something purely adolescent about Reylo. Even in TLJ, these two throw themselves into one another. Like Rey having a vision of their future together so she goes alone to an enemy ship based purely on belief in him. Now we have Ben Solo, in a moment of pure adolescent "I gotta get to my girl" just needs to be with her on exegol as she faces down Palpatine.

From Adam Driver, "and the thing that we started with for "Who is Ben, then? There's no ambiguity about what it is that he has to do. There's no more seesaw that's happening. For the first time, someone who has never had the answer now finally knows his purpose or destiny. But I don't know that he entirely is sure of what's going to happen from there, nor do I think he cares. I think it's so long as he is with her, he's on the right path. " Adam driver is a Reylo.

Ben solo is back and he's glorious. He's likeable, charismatic, he's funny and he shoots backwards like his dad. People appreciated Adam Driver in an all new way with these scenes. He doesn't say a word except "oh, but you know he's shifted from Kylo Ren to Ben Solo. His physical acting is so strong. The subtlety showed his talented and not many actors can say that.

It such a beautiful moment when finally Ben Solo and Rey connect instead. In the novel and in the film especially so because she reaches for her connection to Ben right before she's going to kill Palpatine.

He acknowledged her and Rey’s lips parted in surprise. The connection was… right. Good. Like coming home. They wasted a precious moment reveling in this new sharing. This is how it should have been all along. A true dyad.

Rey lowered the lightsaber behind her back, as if readying for a massive blow. She reached for the Force. The effort made tears sting in her eyes. [...] She raised her hand ... which was now empty. She had projected her weapon away. [...] The moment Ben felt the grip of Luke’s lightsaber in his palm, he knew it belonged to him, an extension of his very own self. He raised it slowly, relishing the feel of it. ”

It's a beautiful moment where Rey and now Ben Solo have a redo of The Last Jedi. Rey looks at Ben with such love, joy and relief. Ben looks at Rey with such confidence, determination and love. It's the "Are you with me? "Yes, I'm with" Now with them both in blue light.

Finally Ben Solo and Rey are united. These soulmates separate by so much over the course of two movies are finally as they were suppose to be. Palpatine and Skywalker standing together. What it should have been is act of love, redemption and hope defeating evil. It should have been Ben Solo confronting his demons with the woman he loves and fought to be with. It should have been is Rey belonging; a redeemed Ben was supposed to become her new home and/ fulfill her need for a family. It should have been a power couple fighting evil with the Force.

But no. Somehow the two of them coming together empowered the devil. Their power like a source of life itself. Then Ben Solo is chucked off a cliff after draining their energy. Why? Ben Solo should have faced his grandfather's and father's enemy, or his clone. Palpatine confirms all the voices he's been hearing in his head has been Palpatine. He literally made irrelevant to something he is very relevant to.

They fail together, but she succeeds alone after the spirits of the Jedi aiding her?! I hate all this. Then she dies after her energy being drained, or she clutches the lightsaber too hard, I'm not sure it's not described. It's annoying. Ben drags himself up broken ribs and all to get to Rey. He crawls to her when he realizes she's passed. It's a horrible moment where you feel how alone Ben feels.

"He could see her now, collapsed on the floor, and the pain in his chest was suddenly so much worse than that of a couple broken ribs."

Ben initially mourns her until he realizes there might be a chance to save. He heals her like she healed him. Oh also none of the films go into the fact that because of their bond they were able to learn the force, including fighting moves, from one another. "Ben poured everything into her. He found reservoirs he didn’t even know he had. He gave her his whole self"

Then Rey finally takes his hand! She's back! Ben is so relieve that she's there. In the novel, "She was glad to see him. Glad to be with him in this moment. It was the greatest gift she could have given him. His heart was full as Rey reached for his face, let her fingers linger against his cheek. And then, wonder of wonders, she leaned forward and kissed him."

Reylos! We finally get our kiss, they smile at one another, look they're so happy! Probably the happiest they've ever been. A celebration!

Anddddddd he's gone. Seriously. Rey mourns him in the novel like we never see her do in the film. "The girl who had felt alone for all those years on Jakku had been part of a dyad the whole time. And just when she'd discovered that precious connection, that incredible oneness, it was ripped away. A voice came to her through the Force, clear and strong. I will always be with you, Ben said."

It's tragic because there's so much to Ben Solo we just don't see as an audience after 3 films!!!!!! He doesn't have any lines.

This movie was edited until literally the week before the films release. The recall of the artbook, the last-minute editing, Adam Driver recording new dialogue in his closet..... I'm wondering if the original idea for TROS Reylo was, well, this. We know from the editor, they didn't know for sure if they wanted them to kiss until post-production. Much of the movie wasn't decided until post-production.

And then we get to the ending. Rey Skywalker. How are you not Rey Solo after the man you felt kinship with and the man you were in love with?! Like da fuq?!

Moving forward to this Rey 2025 movie. I'd like it to do well. I hope it does well. It probably won't unless Ben Solo returns. Reylo might be controversial (whatever) but it's currently one of the biggest draws this franchise has. Kylo Ren/Ben Solo is the most popular character out of the sequel trilogy. We deserve it and I'd pay to see it.

sigh the ending we should have gotten

This post took me like 4 days

[sunbrightheart]

ACOTAR MEN AND THE SPORTS I THINK THEY WOULD PLAY:

note: this is all up for interpretation, so feel free to list your suggestions in the comments !!

rhysand: definitely a big shot baseball player. can imagine him in the traditional pinstriped yankees uniform. real smug bastard on the field, mind-fuck strategist.

cassian: is a beast at heavy weight sports, but this man cannot run to save his life. prefers more stationary sports like boxing and wrestling. competes in weightlifting events for fun.

azriel: only participates in team sports if cassian and rhysand are playing, but i think he would thrive in individual or one-on-one sports. martial arts like bjj (brazilian jiu-jitsu) and judo are his best.

tamlin: this man screams front row prop. say your thoughts and prayers because he will quite literally go beast mode and bulldoze you over. always getting carded and warnings because he can’t reign in his temper.

lucien: now call me biased but lucien is a jack of all trades. he dabbles in all sorts of sports, mostly of which are unconventional, and is really good at them once he puts his mind to it. that being said i would say he plays a mix of track and field, lacrosse and volleyball. occasionally does archery and swimming.

tarquin: any and all water sports and baby tarquin is undefeated. loves waterpolo and competitive swimming.

varian: wind-surfing, for sure. i would also say rowing; amren especially loves his arms.

helion: is definitely a former rugby jock. a literal powerhouse on and off the field. those thunder thighs be THIGHING. also dabbles in shot put because i feel like he would unironically be really good at it.

thesan: he gives me major badminton vibes. i dont know why, but just racket sports in general??????

kallias: any and all winter sports and kallias is there. a pro at ice hockey and speed skating. likes to do duo figure skating with viviane.

beron: is literally one of those middle age, upper middle class white men who spend all their free time at the country club, sipping on top shelf whiskey and abusing the clubs workers. probably plays golf and tennis, croquet too but hes too prideful and thinks its for old people.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Hello, do you know of any ttrpgs where the players fight titans (or any other really BIG things), ideally in a fantasy setting? I've come across two kickstarters that looked really promising but both seem to have dropped off, Reach of Titan and Relic :(

I'm looking more for a Shadow of Colossus-style game than Monster Hunter, if possible.

Thanks!

Theme: Shadow of the Colossus

Hello friend, I have three games that I think you might like, and one game that’s inspired by Shadow of the Colossus, but has a different goal.

Titanomachy: Legacy 2nd Edition Quickstart, by UFO Press.

Welcome to Hekaton - a jungle-covered planet where stranded colonists hide from titanic monsters.In Titanomachy, the players are survivors living among the ruins of a colony devastated when colossal titans surged out of the planet's jungle and tore apart their space elevator and advanced infrastructure. Generations down the line, the titan Gigas has just fallen after a monumental battle that devastated your families. Now you know the titans can be stopped, but your families are weaker than ever. How will you build a world where you're safe?

This document gives you a jumping-on point for Legacy: Life Among the Ruins Second Edition, letting you try out the core game rules and pre-generated player options before breaking open the full suite of options available in the main book.

As a standalone game, you don’t need to have Behemoths in Legacy, but if you want a world in which they exist, all you need to do is ensure one person is playing The Order of the Titan.

In Titanomachy, you’ll get a taste of what kind of game that might be, and the online version of it is free! Legacy is a game primarily about surviving the end of the world and the way humanity rebuilds over time, so adding in the Titans is a way of providing a major obstacle to the goals of all of the factions involved. If you want a game that places the Titans as simply a piece in a larger story, this might be the game for you.

Facing The Titan, by Nicolas “Gulix” Ronvel.

“We are the Company. Hunters, warriors, mages, scholars, nobles, barbarians, we have been brought together for one purpose: to put an end to the reign of the Titan. Let us get to know each other and rediscover each other after all these years. Tonight, let us share our experiences so that tomorrow those who survive can tell the stories of those who fall.”

Facing the Titan is a GM-less, zero-prep roleplaying game, for one-shots games of about 3 hours. It has been designed and playtested for groups of 3 to 5 people. A solo mode is also available. You will play the Company, a group of heroes whose fate is to face the colossal Titan. And to destroy it!

This game divides game play into five distinct phases, starting with the Companions phase, which introduces your characters, and ends in the Clash phase, which is your Companions’ battle with the Titan. The game has a number of various Titans available for you to fight, with six basic Titans and ten extra Titans that were written after this game was Kickstarted. All of the basic titans look to be from a fantasy setting, but some of the extra Titans may allow you to change the setting of the game!

Trail of the Behemoth, by Dan Felder & Seamus Allen.

The world is filled with monsters that tower over the hills; beings that some call gods… And they want to eat you for breakfast.

As a Hunter, you stand between the monsters and humanity. Each hunt you’ll gather clues about your foe’s weaknesses, then engage in a climactic battle against the colossal beast, a monster so big that its body becomes the terrain on which the Hunters climb. 

This is a game that is designed to run quickly, with simple rules and easy monster creation. The game comes with five adventures that can be combined for a short campaign, or can be used as standalone one-shots. The combat is designed with a push-you-luck mindset, allowing you take more actions as long as you’re able to accept the risk. Once you kill the monster, your characters can upgrade their gear using pieces of the titan’s corpse to strengthen your weapons or armor.

Autumn of Giants, by Melody Saturn.

Autumn of Giants is a collaborative storytelling game of a group of humans guiding and protecting a Colossus on the way to rest and shelter for the Winter. It tells of a desolate and gentle journey through lonely and beautiful places. And of a small group of people who will do everything they can to protect a friend.

Move from location to location, describing the broad strokes of each environment from the colossus's perspective as a group and then zooming in on individual scenes from the humans' points of view.

Describe how your characters change over the course of the journey, using the shift, carry, and shed options. Face daunting Perils or find respite in Interludes with group scenes between locations.

This game has a much calmer vibe to it, being about shepherding a Colossus rather than fighting it. The locations given are very evocative, which I think would be very helpful when it comes to helping the players describe each place they visit. The game is about change; your characters at the start will not be the same by the time they reach The Sleeping Grounds. This game is also GM-less, which might make it a good fit for a table in which everyone wants the same role.

I’d Also Recommend…

The Wildsea, by Felix Isaacs, which has large creatures to fight but is more about adventuring on the Verdant Ocean.

Hellwhalers, by BrewistTabletopGames, a game of nautical horror inspired by Moby Dick.

[hwaightme]

Come fly with me

✈️ pairing: pilot!yunho x gn!journalist!reader ✈️ genre: fluff, love at first sight, bit of angst, slice of life ✈️ summary: Aerophobia - the fear of flying. And clearly, something that your boss has no idea exists. While you curse the universe and the metal bird, your handsome seatmate ponders if it is possible to redirect this flight, from Gwangju, to your heart. ✈️ wordcount: 9.0k ✈️ warnings/tags: language, general cuteness, a lot of hand holding and stealing glances, panic/anxiety, aerophobia, discussion of past trauma, mention of grave injury (side character), you never really know what someone has been through ✈️ a/n: Hello!! Here is a lil one shot bc Yunho is renting out my brain. Thank you so much for your love and support, all reblogs, notes and asks welcome! Much love and big hugs (P.S.: not me reading FAA docs and flight handbooks lol)

The chances of dying in a plane crash are one in eleven million.

The odds of a plane crashing are one in one point two million.

Between the years twenty twelve and twenty sixteen, there was only a one in a one point three seven billion chance of dying in a commercial plane crash, and a one in twenty million chance of being on a commercial flight and experiencing a fatal accident.

But there were fatal accidents.

In those same years there were crashes where people died.

And what about those planes that disappeared?

What about the malfunctions?

What if something happens and two planes just fly into one another?

What if the wing breaks off?

What if one of the windows breaks?

What if something happens to the pilot?

What if everything on the plane just malfunctions?

Those odds… still not in my favour.

Damn this work trip.

And damn how packed it is.

Damn this window seat.

Right. By. The. Wing.

Damn that flappy shit on it that looks like something is about to break off.

Why do I have to keep this blind open goddamn it I am having a stressful enough time as is with the plane vibrating like a hungry beast.

Your mind was racing at the speed of light as you cursed your workplace over and over again for sending you on a business trip. On a plane. Of all modes of transport. The mode of transport that had a track record of making you ill, and one time made you faint. Actually, that had been the best flight of your life since you had been conked out for the most of it. No, this was the one mode of transport that seemed to be fine, but just as you would begin forgetting that planes equaled mass destruction, you would check your colleagues’ freshest news reports and once again, crash, burn, genocide.

It was not that you were a scaredy-cat, not by any means. You were a journalist, for fucks sake. You could handle pretty much anything thrown your way. Well, anything except planes. They were not a pseudo-activist who you could expose for not knowing what they were fighting for. They were not an official figure whose corruption you could bring to light. They were not a dog that you could interview for a fun ‘alternative news’ segment. They were a machine made to trap people for set periods of time, can them like sardines, pop their ear drums, and if all went well, regurgitate them on some other metal bird playground, and lie in wait until another bunch gets loaded up for a ride.

But of course, out of all the people in the office, including those who would kill to get out of Seoul and those who were basically known as the nomadic reporters, your boss had to appoint you to go on a three-day trip to Gwangju. The one person who almost exclusively worked in the capital. Who had no experience in working abroad. Hell, the one person who had literally refused to attend a social event because it was held in Busan and the travel plan included flying there. You were the antithesis to such trips, but your boss could not give less of a shit, apparently.

He even had the audacity to praise you in front of your colleagues and say you were ‘just the right person for the interview’ – all when the topic, and the professional background of the individual you were to be meeting, were so far out of your regular scope and within your nightmare space that no amount of reading would make you neither proficient, nor truly appreciative. You were convinced that the universe was out to get you. An alarming interpretation had crossed your mind – perhaps this was your boss wanting to find an excuse to fire you?

A new wave of panic settled in as you made feeble attempts to play a mental game of ‘whack-a-mole’ with your not so friendly musings. Why couldn’t you just exchange the tickets, take the train or a bus, or event drive there yourself? Why did you have to follow orders at your own expense? Just as you were beginning to transition from using familiar curse words to describe the situation to recalling anything and everything you had ever heard either in a foreign drama or in real life, you were gently stirred from the activity by a change in lighting.

You peered to your left – the culprit was a man, broad-shouldered, on the taller side, clad in a stylish sheepskin coat with a white turtleneck and some well-tailored trousers to match. You couldn’t quite see his face fully, but you guessed it would happen sooner than later, seeing as he was in the process of fitting his carry-on into the luggage compartment above where you were sat. Not wanting to intrude any further with your stares, you glanced away, instantly regretting it and exhaling sharply as your eyes were met with the metal wings of doom outside.

An airplanes wings are designed to flex up to ten degrees, and during the average flight the flex can reach up to seven degrees. The wings have been stress-tested time and time again so they cannot break off and the plane will stay balanced and-

But what about the Lockheed L-188 Electra II? What about the Lockheed C-141C Starlifter? Their wings just decided to go on holiday why can’t the wings of a commercial liner do the same? Oh, and the second one had a fuel leak – when do people check that? Did they check for this one? What if something happens and the fuel tank explodes?

“Would you be willing to switch seats by any chance?” a calming voice suddenly interrupted your nervous flow, and you snapped your head in its direction.

That man. Oh no, he was handsome. Dark hair, which was the tiniest bit tousled, kind eyes that you swore glinted at you, and a heart-stopping million-dollar smile. Now you had to keep up appearances too, to not seem like a total wuss, at least for the duration that you had to sit in this can. You heard his question loud and clear, but to allow your mind to process, you asked him to repeat with a quick:

“Sorry?”

He tilted his head and pointed towards the seat closest to him, “Ah, well, technically, this seat is mine, but… would you want to switch?”

Who was this man and why was he reading your ;mind? Was the universe pitying you finally?

“Yes, let’s do that!”

You shot up from your seat, nearly hitting the one in front of you, and slid out to give way to the brave soul who could look out of the window. As you two were settling down and he was giving you his thanks, you were not sure whether your heart was beating fast because of your fear of flying, or because of how you lucked out on your seat mate. Probably both.

It was hard to resist stealing a couple more glances at him while he was checking something on his phone. He had a reassuring aura about him and judging by how well-practiced his motions had been as he was settling in, he appeared to be quite a frequent flyer. He was so relaxed it made you envious. But you had no better way to get back to muting your phobias aside from absent-mindedly fishing out the airplane safety instructions manual from the pocket of the seat in front and reading it with the intensity of a final year student preparing for the KSAT.

You pored over the calls to fasten your seatbelt, to check that there was in fact, a life vest under your seat, to be prepared to pull on some random strings on an air mask if they were to be ‘made available’…

Abandon everything and run ‘in an organised manner’…

No high heels…

Someone probably would try to wear them still, even if we all had to go down that inflatable slide.

Slide down in the Dracula position…

You heard a chuckle to your right, and upon turning a little, you noticed your seatmate studying you, his lips threatening to curl into a grin. He looked you up and down, from the safety manual that you were now gripping a little bit too strongly, and finally locking eyes with you.

“Thought so.” he came to some cryptic conclusion, leaving you perplexed.

“Thought what?” you could not help but give into your curiosity.

“Aerophobia?”

“Is it that obvious?” you groaned and shut the manual to return it to the pocket. You felt as though you turned into a child who wanted to be taken more seriously, with your body refusing to suppress a slight pout. Yes, planes, for all their bird-imitating glory, were never going to be your wingmen. It was hard to ooze attractiveness when you were on the verge of having a mental breakdown.

“Well, there were some signs, but I only noticed them because I was paying attention,” before you could respond to the subtle flirtation, he continued by introducing himself, “I’m Jeong Yunho. Yunho is completely fine though.”

“L/N Y/N. Then Y/N is fine by me too. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. You might just be giving me a run for my money with those deduction skills!” You complimented him, delighted when you could elicit and even brighter smile. This flight was slowly but surely becoming a little bit more enjoyable thanks to the outgoing eye candy in the window seat.

“Are you an investigator, better yet, a special agent out on a mission?” he wiggled his eyebrows, further lightening the mood.

“I doubt I would ever be able to pull Brad Pitt-level stunts and board the plane in an unconventional manner like he did, but the mystery aspect is enticing. I’m a journalist and reporter.”

Something you could only describe as recognition flashed across his face as he clapped his hands together. By now, he had his body turned to the greatest extent possible towards you, his knees nearly touching your thighs. You had to admit, you were worried that a flight attendant would come and scold him, or that this would end up being a hazard during takeoff. But at the same time, the attention was a welcome relief.

“Oh wait! I have seen you before! You mainly cover local news, right? Or at least spanning Seoul Capital Area?”

“Funny to use ‘at least’ there, but yep, that’s me-”

“Your exposé on the fitness center money laundering scheme was amazing, it was like watching an action thriller.”

Well, that fell short. You giggled. Yunho was evidently trying to impress you by praising your work, but mixed things up right at the end. As you were still a junior, the times where you were allowed to as much as breathe in the direction of a live broadcast or even a pre-recording were few and far between. So far, you had only made a couple of appearances, and most definitely not in the crime segments – though you had indeed helped write the script.

“That’s not me. Close enough though. My mentor was the one on the screen.”

The utter confusion on his face spelled disaster for your composure, so you bit the inside of your cheek lightly, eyes sparkling. He covered his face with his hand out of embarrassment, and, once he had regained at least some of his courage, apologized, assuring you that your name did ring a bell and that he had heard it announced.

“Okay, I’ll give you that one. I was one of the writers.”

“Score! Otherwise, I really don’t know how I would be apologizing to you aside from buying you a drink.”

“Something tells me that you were a step away from messing up intentionally.”

“I wouldn’t do that on a short-haul.” Yunho was back to being his cheery self, his only distraction from you being the need to turn his phone on to airplane mode.

This action, meaningless on its own, but in context… left a sour taste in your mouth – a reminder that you were still in a tin can with planks glued onto either side, and that it was about to start grumbling and rumbling across to take off. You saw attendants start preparing for the safety announcement, making you retract into your seat and sigh. How you wished you were as carefree as this charming stranger.

“You know a bit about me, since you are so attentive, but I am intrigued as to who you are.” You inquired, trying to take your mind off what it considered to be imminent danger.

“I don’t want to spoil the fun! Give me a little taste of your own deduction skills.” He challenged playfully, though his tone revealed fleeting notes of concern.

You paused. You had already taken him to be a frequent flier, though for what reason was beyond you. You did not have enough experience racing through airports to be able to distinguish between different types of passengers. But what did stand out to you, was that comment about the reportage – the event that had been covered occurred within the Incheon Metropolitan City area, thus was presented through local branches only.

“You are in Incheon pretty frequently, right?”

“Terrifyingly accurate comment, but yes.” He confirmed while nodding. You felt proud of yourself for managing to have at least some of your skillset still intact.

“And what is bringing you to Gwangju? If it is okay to ask, of course.” You resumed your miniature interrogation, rushing as the announcement began to resound across the cabin, and a flight attendant was demonstrating how to put on the life vest, top up the air, where the emergency exits were… a flurry of information streaming right at you.

“Visiting my parents.” Yunho’s calmness had not changed a single bit since he had boarded the plane, and he was answering you in a level, measured out manner.

“Not during a standard holiday?”

“Here’s the hint: my line of work limits annual hours of… redacted for now.”

“That just makes me think you work abroad most of the time!” you exclaimed, recalling the shock you had when you had first entered the workforce and experience the full package of overtime, minimal breaks, and high demands. There was no guarantee that it was not the same in other countries, could even be worse, but as the old saying goes: ‘the grass is always greener on the other side’.

After he shook his head, shattering your theories, you fell quiet. Everyone had settled in their seats, and now information that was sending adrenaline to pump right through your veins was being shared. Even the demonstration of the flashlight on the vest was ominous. Once the routine had been completed, the rumble of the engines grew a little louder, and you were still making no move to return to the conversation, Yunho leaned over and exclaimed in a low voice:

“I’m a pilot. Indeed, am based in Incheon, and being abroad is very much part of the deal so I would say your logic was impeccable.” 

“No wonder you look to be right at home.” You stated, albeit it came across as a little jealous. The air-mobile and your personal panic inducer began to demand more attention as it steered from the airport, leaving a still outstretched landing bridge behind.

“Maybe you are right. I do spend more time in planes than in Gwangju.”

“Sounds like the triangle between me, my apartment, and the office.” You concurred – at least locally the enforce workaholic culture was universal.

With your fingers, you tapped out an abstract rhythmic sequence with your fingers, then moving to feel for the position of the different buttons, side-eyeing them to make sure your seat, nor the electrics were broken. You were tempted to check if the seat could lean back but you were convinced that if you did that the world would collapse. Or at least you would be in trouble. As it turns out you had a flight law enforcement representative right next to you. A good-looking and so far, so sweet, but still.

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you crack the Incheon bit?” he detracted you from your near scratching of the synthetic material, and you pressed your hands into your lap to supress their light tremor.

“Ah, you gave it away when you mentioned the news. That was only shown in Incheon.” You curtly responded, your concentration escaping you after you felt the metal bird jolt.

It was crystal clear to Yunho that your phobia was getting the better of you. After not having flown since at least a decade ago, each one of your senses was going into overdrive, screaming catastrophe. Your eyes were slightly widened, breathing becoming more shallow threatening to turn into hyperventilation, and, of course, you not knowing what to do with your hands (or really, yourself) sealed the deal. He needed to help you. Using whatever technique that came to him. And quick.

“Lightheaded?”

“Uh huh…” you could not deny it. That was just how it was. You, alone with your uncontrollable palpitations and a lump in your throat were on the verge of just control alt deleting your consciousness for take-off.

“Uhm… may I… wait, this might be very tactless, and you have every right to tell me to go- …wherever, but may I hold your hand?”

“What?” you snapped out of your thoughts and gaped at Yunho. What strange form of crisis-based moves-making was this? Or was he making fun of you? The engines were becoming almost deafening while you were still struggling to isolate your seatmate’s voice.

Even though he had not shown any signs of malice, you still expected the worst. Always did when it came to discussing travel, since the majority of your interactions often resulted in your conversation partner revealing some aggression-based schadenfreude. They were happy to pity you and diminish all of your other qualities just because you were scared of this one thing. But even though you were actively searching for any form of darkness, you could only find a caring soul, wholly preoccupied with your wellbeing.

“It is so you know that there is someone here with you. Just by feeling. Kind of like a grounding technique?”

“Oh, I would kill to be on the ground right now.” You twisted his words spiralling into dread.

“Sorry, I’d like to live another day, so you’ll have to bear with this. May I?”

Spooked by some noise from outside of the airplane, you did not dare raise your voice and instead resorted to nodding back your confirmation. As soon as you gave the sign, you felt his steady, warm and soothing hand tentatively touch yours, moving it a fraction and intertwining fingers until the palms were pressed together. Yunho gave yours a quick squeeze, as if in mute encouragement.

“This is so embarrassing...” you mumbled, shaking your head.

After the plane had come to a halt before the final turn onto the runway, you felt feverish, and overwhelmingly guilty. You had convinced yourself that you were ruining this wonderful man’s entire flight, by acting like such a child. And on top of this, he was a pilot, so if anyone had the right to consider you ridiculous it would be him.

“If it is the hand holding then I totally understand I can-”

“NO PLEASE THAT HELPS-” you yelped, practically yanking his hand back with yours and returning them to resting between you, “oops I said that too loud didn’t I…” this really was one moment of humiliation after another. Heat rose in your cheeks as you pondered whether it was too late to stop the plane or not.

“You should hear me scream on roller coasters. Now that’s loud.” He countered your insecurity, making you chuckle. You felt Yunho’s thumb brush over the back of your hand – it was not unpleasant. At all. “I must say, you are already doing really well.”

“Funny.”

“No, really.” Now, the engines were really starting up and you gripped Yunho’s hand a little tighter, this led to him making a split-second decision – a final resort. “But how about this. You close your eyes, okay?”

“What are you trying?” you raised an eyebrow, meeting his confident gaze with your own panicked one.

“Just, I know I am a stranger but, trust me for the next couple of minutes, okay?”

“Sure…” you did not have any of the forcefulness and pride left in you, so you quickly agreed and shut your eyes, but that led to you beginning to hyper fixate on the quietest, most insignificant of noises, blowing their impact out of proportion.

“Now, listen to my voice only.” Yunho instructed.

He was alarmingly close, almost right by your ear as he whispered:

“Let me guide you.”

Your heart fluttered, as you tried to push at least some thoughts to the back of your head, in order to focus on Yunho. This surely had to be one of the most original and thrilling ways you had ever been hit on. And terror-promoted-

Oh you had not even recounted the statistics for hijacking and for those types of attacks yet. How foolish of you! How were you going to remain safe if you did not have the likelihood of you perishing because of an air criminal or air pirate in the front of your mind!? You raked your brain for the 'fun facts' you had enjoyed reviewing last night, when Yunho cleared his throat and tapped your intertwined hands with his free one.

“Okay, so, first, let us set the scene. There is this neat thing called the Pilot’s Operating Handbook, which helps the pilot of a given aircraft determine whether it is safe to fly. And they would not do anything until all checks are done."

Where and what was the guarantee of that? You wanted to ask, too aware of the vibrations that were travelling from the floor of the cabin and turning into your jitters. But Yunho sounded so sure of what he was saying... damn it, he was using ethos-based marketing against you. What if he had lied about being a pilot?

"Also, the runway, the wind speed and direction, and a grand bunch of other things are all checked, one by one, to make sure that everything works as expected. You following me so far?” he informed, and paused to check up on you.

Yunho was using the opportunity to study you to the fullest. The little squint as you were fighting against the desire to shoot your eyes open and search for invisible troubles. The slightest hint of a pout etched on your rosy lips, signifying displeasure with your surroundings. He could not control his smile as he was admiring your battle spirit.

It was hard for Yunho to imagine you being as vulnerable as you were with him right now, due to sheer circumstance. Had anything been different, he might not have even had the chance to introduce himself to the beautiful stranger in what originally was the window seat.

“Yes but… what if something does not work?” as much as this experience was exposure therapy, in the moment, you did not give a shit and was sticking to your ways.

“That is not in the job description. And the engineers do a damn good job too. Just like you are now, okay, Y/N?” Yunho scolded softly but finished with more encouragement.

“I am so sorry again-”

“Nothing to be sorry about."

Of course, you would not know just how much you were reminding Yunho of himself in the distant past. How, when he had been a child, he was not able to even stay on airport grounds because of the noise, and the images that would flash in his head. He only hoped that for you it was a 'lighter' phobia, not stemming from true disaster.

"You know how the plane was just turning right now and making some noise?” Yunho cut his rumination short and returned to his miniature lecture.

“Yes.”

“Well, this is the pilot using rudder pedals, kind of like pedals in a car, pedals on a piano... whichever is closer to home for you, to steer the plane. Basically, we must make sure that the nose of the plane is well-aligned with the centre of the runway. And now, release of the brakes…”

Just as he said it, you could pick out a distinct change in the mechanical cacophony. You chuckled - it was like Yunho was conducting the actions of the beast.

“Now, do you hear this rise in sound? This rumble? Quite ominous, isn’t it? But it is just the pilot advancing the throttle gently to take off power, while keeping their feet on the rudder portions of the pedals and their eyes on the super cool engine instruments.”

He almost sounded like a technical kid getting a DIY kit for their birthday. The excitement in Yunho's voice did not falter as he continued to dive into more and more detail. Did you understand any of it? No. Was it more than pleasant to listen to Yunho having the time of his life explaining it? Yes.

“As the speed picks up, there is more pressure on the controls, but more specifically the rudder and elevator. Then we quickly transition to having the plane being flown more than it is taxied and having three axis manoeuvrability. What is really cool about commercial aviation, and pilots like the one flying this plane, is that we are actually able to feel plane controllability and are able to adjust pressures to make take off just right.”

The take-off procedure was being presented to you like a picture book. A straightforward scheme of a few steps, a celebration of a pilot's mastery. You daydreamed of how your seat mate would look like in the famous uniform, doing exactly what he was recounting to you.

“Okay so we are passing this stage now… and here we are approaching lift off. How we call the angle at which the plane takes off the ground is quite funny: the attitude. And after this… we are going to adjust the pitch just a little to make sure we get the best climbing rate.”

Yes, keep on talking this odd terminology that you were not even attempting to get a grasp on anymore. Probably would have been a good idea in light of your interview, but you could barely remain conscious as your inner world was experiencing high magnitude worry-quakes.

“Now, do you feel that? this is the pilot beginning to apply back-elevator pressure, and this is done to lift that little wheel at the front of the plane up. This is the attitude being created, we call it the rotation for lift off. Ah there it is now he is adjusting… adjusting… now the wings are being levelled, and the plane is remaining right on track, aligned with the centreline of the runway.”

Good for the plane. Good for the pilot. Good for Yunho. You just did not want to die. You squeezed Yunho's hand harder and harder, an action on which he did not comment. On the contrary, he resumed the soothing motion with his thumb that he had tried a bit of time ago.

“And now… we keep on going and… we are going steady.”

You eased off the grip, cringing at how forward, how ridiculous you likely seemed. It was hard to open your eyes back up again, so you took it slow. One eye. Then the next. You were still there. In the can. Which was now in the sky. Zooming across it at whatever speed. Yunho was still there. And still holding onto your hand.

Thanks to his guidance, you had not gone into a full-blown panic, nor had you passed out – an achievement really. But as you were regaining your senses, returning to a more neutral mode of worry, your need to show that you were an independent adult and did not require support returned, and you gingerly tried to remove yourself from his hold, as much as you wanted to stay in the same position for the duration of the flight.

Though Yunho allowed you to do so and waved off your numerous apologies. He was of the same mindset – the contact had been near electric, making this one of the more exciting of his flights. He would be lying if he said that the thought of finding an excuse to hold your hand again did not cross his mind. But he was drawn in even more by the contrast between the you from a few minutes ago and you who was boring holes in the seat in front, evidently counting seconds as you were measuring out your breathing. He was in awe of your perseverance, and how brave you had been to even book the tickets. To be in the cabin. To just, be there.

He was perplexed by why you were going to Gwangju by plane if you had a phobia. His own mother, over a decade after the life-changing incident his family had experienced, still had not gotten over it. Sometimes, looking at the racing clouds in the sky had caused her to tear up, and choose to spend the day shut indoors. Such was life. Even though his father was still alive, and had recovered for the most part, the fear of planes, the roar of the engine – a lethal predator, of flying like Icarus, too close to the sun, remained.

Flying was in his family. His grandfather, his father, him… had all committed themselves to the life of a pilot. And his younger brother, too, was in training. The lineage was to continue, despite the close brush with death that had nearly made Yunho’s father one with the world above. Prior to sustaining grave injuries, he had been a test pilot with a stellar reputation, and one successful flight after another. He was known for being able to land planes that had exhibited faults mid-flight, was able to tame high-speed jets that grew unstable, and was a gifted aerobatics master when he could unwind and choose a trusty steed for himself. His father was his role model. Regardless of what had happened.

It had been a freak accident. A miscalculation resulting in a catastrophe. Better yet, the company that had commissioned the testing had managed to keep the accident under wraps, and only after his mother near rioted and escalated the conflict to the local government and threatened to take it to the media, did his family receive compensation and as laughable charity, some physiotherapy courses. Nothing could compensate a broken heart of a person who had been told that they would not be able to do what they lived for anymore, however. Yunho was just a child then. But the fear that had had come to occupy his home was ageless.

It was not easy, living every day not sure whether his own father would be able to walk him to school. Play football with him. Stand together with him for a photo during a family trip. It was not easy on his mother, who had almost totally turned into a carer, splitting herself in pieces to raise two boys, to work, and to be her husband’s strength, both mentally and physically. Her sleepless nights, when Yunho had caught her bawling silently in the kitchen, trying to hide away from the rest of the family, had imprinted themselves in his mind.

The bitterness in his father’s words as he cursed everything related to the event, and the forlorn gazes he sent the awards, the books, the photographs in his office. Although he had been able to walk again, after years of forgetting the feeling, his meaning was only a memory. This was what had shaped Yunho’s initial impression of the world of flying. That it was a place of misery, hurt and false promises. He had vowed then to never, ever step onto a plane. Never once to approach an airport. Never once to give himself up to that dream that he had been born with. His personal ‘fear’ was not quite that. It was more the rage, the sense of injustice – why did it have to be his father? Out of spite he did not want to continue the dynasty.

His mother had been relieved when Yunho had announced at the dinner table that he wanted to be an engineer. And he made a pretty good job of convincing himself that this was what he really wanted. He had even gone to cram school for mathematics and physics and participated in some competitions. Not that he had ever felt purpose or found joy in it. He was just riding the wave of stability. And simultaneously cursing it.

As time for the national exams was fast approaching, and he needed to specify what kind of engineering he was going to do, he had been stumped. How could Yunho pick between a variety of subjects which he had virtually zero interest in, and pursued because of childhood trauma? So, he did what he could only call an act of desperation and approached his father for career advice. Yunho had assumed that the discussion was going to go nowhere. That his father, who had become a consultant and trainer (though permanently grounded), would only dismiss him and say something along the lines of ‘it did not matter anyways, everything could fall apart at any moment’. But surprisingly, he was responsive. Moreover, he had reminisced with Yunho about his early days, ones where he had not been sure what to do.

Then, he had posed Yunho a question: what was it that his heart wanted to pursue? If he were to forget everything, any and all external influence, what would he pick? After much deliberation, he peered at the poster of a Boeing-777 that hung across from him, and merely stated:

“Flying.”

After years of fooling himself. Running away from what his inner self was yearning for. Only this path seemed right. That night, his father and him had made a deal. To not disappoint his mother, and gain some basic understanding of aircraft, he was to pick aero-engineering, and in secret, simultaneously begin flight lessons. His father had activated his network, and once Yunho had gone through that first year, made a smooth transfer to become who he was now. A fully trained commercial airline pilot. True to himself, his dreams and his future.

When his mother had first found out, she was in hysterics. It was as though someone had brought the news to her that her son had passed away. Maybe that would have hurt less – less than the fear for what could happen, the anguish she would be experiencing every time Yunho would lift off. But he had made up his mind. And would indeed rather die than face the prospect of being anything else than a pilot. This was what he was made to do, and it felt right.

On the one hand, the reason why he wanted to help you was because he wanted others to feel the same way he did about flying. It had become his mission to bring comfort to passengers, to inspire future generations of pilots, and to share just how fun it could be. On the other, he had learned the hard way about what phobia and detestation was and could not bear to see you experience it. He had grown far too good at detecting its approach, so much so that he could live through it with you.

Maybe this was a strange way for him to cope and process his own life’s events, but it sure was damn near magical when he saw that he could take away at least a fraction of the weight you carried. After all there was only so much baggage you could bring on board with you.

Yunho’s heart was conflicted. When he had just boarded and got to his row, he had told himself that he lucked out, having an attractive seatmate and one who appeared to be as curious in him as he was in them. And now, he was almost feeling attached to you since he had helped you overcome the take off. It was inexplicable. A little irrational. But he wanted to talk to you. And to keep on holding your hand if you were okay with it.

When you considered yourself to be more or less recovered you sighed in relief. Having Yunho logically talk you through what you had labelled as horror film material had done what you thought was impossible – made you reconsider if planes really were as terrible as you thought. At least the ones where Yunho could be with you and chant plane speak over the screeches and groans of the engines and brakes. You turned your head a little and noticed Yunho watching the Earth transform through the window. He was leaning back and appeared to be deep in his mind palace. You tapped him lightly on his upper arm, which made all his attention come back to you.

“I wanted to say thank you. Thank you for helping me through this, really. You did not have to, Yunho, but you saved me just now.”

“Really, as I said, it is not a problem, Y/N.”

“But still. As you probably can tell, this really is nightmare fuel for me-”

“I am more than happy to continue, just so you know. If you need me, I am right here.” He offered, flustering you.

The sincerity of his words made you dwell on his desire to help. He was nothing short of respectful, but you felt that the story ran much deeper. Perhaps because he knew what it was like. But you were not about to force him into sharing all the potential skeletons and sprinklings of trauma, if anything it would make you appear ungrateful and downright prying. The atmosphere was just right for now, thanks to Yunho.

“You best be worried, because I might just pick you up on that offer, since I have a lot of revision to do before actually doing the job I was sent to do.” You answered, running a hand through your hair. You wondered whether you should use the rest of the flight to actually do some preparation for the interview or… the second option won out immediately, and you were back to enjoying Yunho’s company.

“Ah, so you are on the flight not by your own volition?”

“Yep. My boss is rather creative when it comes to picking out his entertainment.” His chuckle made a dopey grin appear on your face.

“And what do you mean by revision? Will you be joining the ranks?” he realised he barely knew anything about you aside from the odd mix of bare bone basics and auto-completed nonsense, courtesy of his imagination.

“Probably not, still need to sit as a passenger for a long, long time before that, you know, learn by observation!” you joked, attempting to conjure a vision of yourself as a pilot, but the irony of it was too much. “I am going to be doing a mini-documentary and interview with Hwang Taehyuk. He is a recently retired pilot with many accolades and, apparently, a very exciting professional life so-”

“This really keeps on getting better.”

“What keeps on getting better?”

“I had the chance to co-pilot with him a couple of times. Absolutely the most amazing guy on the planet. Total goofball too.”

“Why am I not surprised?” you threw the rhetorical question out into the air, but almost instantly continued, “You know, you are making me glad that I took this flight.”

“Like I said, if you need a plane nerd rundown of what’s going on at any point, just let me know and I can even draw some diagrams for you on a napkin.”

“Not just that, though now you promised me some diagrams and I do want to see them. It’s just, the beauty of how things have aligned. That makes me... quite happy.”

“Seconded.”

For the hour that it took to fly from Seoul to Gwangju, you were in deep discussion with your seatmate, turned acquaintance, turned to something that could not exactly be called a friend – an ‘interest’, rather. It was a process of progressive mutual discovery, stepping beyond first impressions and learning that, in fact, both of you only wanted to know more and more as the minutes and stories flew by.

Feverishly you shared your lives with one another, in a manner not dissimilar to that of someone retelling a missed episode to make sure that from then on, everyone would be moving forward together, at the same pace. You and Yunho explained your dreams, your hopes for the future, whilst inadvertently looking for, and finding similarities in them. You soared through conversation and landed being much closer than either of you could have predicted.

Everything was on the table – from embarrassing stories to going through each other’s camera rolls (under strict supervision, but that was a given). To prove to you that Yunho was truly a pilot and not just a plane nerd, he had shown you some photos of himself in uniform, zooming in to show you that the epaulettes were very much real and that he was earning his stripes. You commended his determination and had even taken an interest in how the career ladder functioned, but really what you could comprehend the best out of that discourse was that he chose the right job even if just for how handsome he looked in the attire. Yunho really was one of a kind, inside and out. He reminded you of a day in early spring, when the days were steadily growing longer, and the winter breeze finally departed, instead letting the budding leaves and blossoming beauties take over and instil a happier sense of tomorrow. He was the one to start to thaw your previously deadest perceptions and blood-curdling associations.

It went without saying that your fear of flying did not go without mention. A dreaded topic for you, you had initially tried to brush it under the table, but it was pointless to do before a person who had just seen you through take off, and for the duration of the flight sometimes paused your dialogue to check in with you. In addition, if he noticed your concentration drifting because of a foreign noise, or because of a little tilt or turn, every time Yunho would explain the reasoning behind it the best he could. Though it would take much longer to get over the phobia, his dedication made you swoon.

You had revealed to him that you had been diagnosed with aerophobia back in early primary school. It was genetic, with your father’s family line showing particularly strong symptoms – so any reunions were either planned with military precision, or simply did not happen, because Jeju Island was not so ‘all modes of transport’ -friendly. Back then, you had no idea how serious your condition could be, seeing as you were minimally exposed, but the times you were had been haunting you since. Your choice of work had not helped with your condition either, since you were constantly exposed to the worst locally, nationally, and globally. Though you had to be an objective messenger and remain unperturbed, aviation-related accidents often left you a whimpering, misty-eyed mess. At least you had become an expert in reading and responding to emails while your vision was blurry.

This was probably the first time ever that you had shared this aspect of you without either being interrupted or misunderstood. With Yunho, he listened carefully, and bewilderingly, drew parallels between your reality and his. It was obvious that he was holding back on some more upsetting facts out of care for how you would react, but you could figure out that his path to becoming a pilot had been on the bumpier side. He did end up drawing some free body diagrams for you and explaining the aerodynamics involved in a flight, lighting up every time you would ask him a question, or even when you would lean in, so your heads were almost touching, brows furrowed and processing.

Yunho had provided you with more anecdotes about the pilot you were going to interview, and even suggested that he could come along to introduce you – apparently the guy liked to keep his circle small and was not one to trust outsiders until they gained his respect. There was something surreal about being on the plane with Yunho – it made you believe that you two would last forever, and that what he was initially proposing, and then downright promising you to do, would really happen. Here was to be hoping that you would not part ways and at least be able to recognise one another in a crowd.

Landing went a little smoother for you than take off, perhaps because you had automatically searched for Yunho, and gingerly placed your hand on his lower arm. Too shy to do the same as before, you had remained in that position, focusing on the fabric of his coat. Meanwhile Yunho was frozen, like a person who had been chosen by a cat as the perfect napping spot. He remained close to your ear, once again whispering through the steps, though seeing your lowered anxiety, allowed himself to veer off the script a little more and crack a couple of jokes.

You left the plane as if you had been companions to begin with, checking if the other had left anything behind, chatting as you made your way across the jet bridge. Unlike the rest of the passengers who had decidedly become track and field athletes as soon as they were hit with airport air conditioning, Yunho and you moved slow, off to the side of the giant glass corridors, just so that time would not pass by you. For the first time, you were grateful that the line for passport control had gotten quite long by the time you reached it – all the more time to sneak glances at one another, kid around, and act like you had known each other forever. When you had reached the front of the line, the border control officer had even mistaken you as a couple and let you through together. Not that you would correct them.

Baggage claims. A time to reminisce, as it turned out. Standing side by side, you recollected each other's musings and theories as though you were revising, flipping through cards and supporting each try at a response with ripples of laughter. This was a plane that neither of you wanted to land, and kept on praying, repeating the same wish like a mantra: may this last.

If only this damn luggage could continue spinning forever, or would just be lost in the metal bird's belly. Somehow, life on the ground appeared to move faster than that high above. The hustle and bustle, people moving to and fro with their identities shoved into flimsy wheeled boxes, kept together by duct tape and overpriced cling film. Everyone had to have a plan. A destination. Up in the air, that could be removed. Troubles minimised for the duration of the flight. The only direction being to a random dot of choice, labelled as a city, town, base, important only because of plans that resume upon landing.

To Yunho, this was the biggest disillusionment he had experienced in his first flight. When he had been a little boy, he believed that everything radically changed after such a journey. That pilots were like wizards. But, as it turned out, he was only serving other people's plans. Just like this time, he was following a specific agenda. But you had made it colourful. Meaningful. The time suspended in mid-air well spent, and in need of a ‘to be continued’. As you made your way closer and closer to the airport exit, after having collected your belongings, he only had one thing on his mind. How could he prolong this metaphorical flight with you?

Without any prior agreement, nor any feat of telepathy, you and Yunho halted. It was time to part. Both you and him knew it, and yet neither of you were making the decisive move to do so. Instead, you chose to dawdle and stand, facing each other in the middle of Arrivals, luggage by your sides.

“Are you... going to be taking a taxi? Or is someone going to meet you?” he broke the silence with some small talk, while his heart was threatening to burst out of his chest – somewhat comical, now it was his turn to be panicked.

“I’ll catch a taxi. Yeah. And yourself?” You asked, not caring for the response, but for the prolongation of time that it brought. You were not looking forward to departing from this bliss between destinations. Back to rushing somewhere. Trying not to lose yourself amidst the events you had to pursue.

“Car rental.” Yunho swore he could hear turbine noise in his head as he was dashing from one idea to the next. Was he about to lose you?

“That’s neat.” You kicked the air with your foot, and stuffed your hands into your pockets, readying yourself for an unwanted goodbye.

You raised your head and faced him. Two people, fumbling for a way to stay like this. Were both of you waiting for some divine intervention? For a third person, a passive observer to suddenly step in and give you a friendly nudge? All the signs were pointing to a sure-fire success, and yet hesitation, doubt and insecurity remained as the devil on both your shoulders. Perhaps this was not meant to be, and you merely served one another as a time passer, a cure for boredom, and eventually destined to bid your farewells. Your lips parted, and you inhaled, about to say the dreaded words, when-

“I can drive you.”

“Huh?”

“If you want.”

He officially short-circuited as he could not wait any longer. Had Yunho been a poet or a writer, hell, maybe even if he had stayed an engineer, he could have come up with something more impressive, but at the end of the day, the message would be the same. Let’s go together. Let’s go anywhere together. Come fly with me.

Now, it was one thing to hope, and a wholly different one to expect, and you sure as hell had not been doing the latter. So, when Yunho took the leap and reached out to you, and to your future self, you needed to take a moment to internally squeal. And then try your best to keep it cool and answer like a proper adult, rather than the inner giddy schoolchild who was on their umpteenth celebratory somersault.

“I would want that. But aren’t your parents waiting for you?” your response was light and breezy, and an attempt to showcase, once again, that you had paid attention to him and could recall why he was here in the first place.

“Well, I mean, I don’t usually do this… but if you are into meeting parents so early…”

“Oh, come on!” you giggled, playfully hitting Yunho’s upper arm as he grinned wide.

“Totally serious, Y/N, I am totally serious.” He responded, sarcasm dripping from his words.

He pointed in the direction of the car rentals and took the small suitcase you had brought with you in his free hand. Ever the gentleman.

“And if you are free at any point, I would love to show you around.” He continued as you ambled on, barely any space between you.

“As long as it is by foot or car, I am free today and tomorrow afternoon.”

“I wish I had the car from Back to The Future so that I could impress you with my piloting skills, alas, I’ll have to disappoint you with… are they advertising new Kia models? Y/N, not all is lost!”

“Now to figure out which one looks most like a Yunho-mobile.”

“We’ll figure it out, take an online test that matches MBTI to a car or something.”

“Don’t tempt me, or I might actually do that.” You warned in jest and proceeded to take out your phone to make a point. This seemed to have an effect on Yunho, as he stopped abruptly and began searching for his own device.

“Oh! That reminds me! Your five-star guarantee Uber driver would like to have your number. You know, for announcing his arrival, of course.” As you typed in your digits, and then proceeded to save his number on your phone after he had texted you a string of airplane emojis you ideated out loud:

“I can already see the review I shall write: car may or may not take off and grow wings during journey. Passenger discretion is advised."

“If that’s the case, I’d be more than happy to hold your hand again, or maybe something more serious to protect against turbulence?” he winked, and you felt heat rising to your cheeks.

“I think I’ll have to write a piece about your methods.”

“Just make sure to mention that they are exclusive to Jeong Yunho, your private pilot,” well that was an original, yet explicit expression of interest, “and speaking of reporting, I am taking you to teacher Hwang’s for some proper networking.”

“Yeah, and what about my crew?”

“Pilots are no strangers to crews, trust me on that.” he answered promptly.

“I can imagine.”

You and Yunho stood still, eyes locked. Your 'spring' ahead of you.

“Now, shall we be off?” he gestured towards the rentals office, but not removing his gaze.

“Go on ahead, be my guide.”

Given half a billion potential soul mates, your chance of finding your true love is one in 10,000.

1 in 50 airplane passengers meet the love of their life on board an aircraft.

And when it came to you and Yunho, the probability was simply 1. 100%. No other way.

Perhaps it was a good thing that you were scared of flying.

[in1-nutshell]

how would the maximals react to bot buddy that takes care of their sparkling alone.

I have been actually thinking about doing a piece on a single parent before but never got around to it! Lets see a little in the life of single parent Buddy and their little sparkling.

Hope you enjoy!

Maximals reaction to Bot Buddy being a single parent to a sparkling

SFW, familial, platonic, Cybertronian/ Bot reader

Beast wars

Optimus Primal

Best Ape Dad.

 He has deep respect for Buddy.

Not only are they balancing their duties on board the ship and scouting missions, but also making time for their sparkling.

If Optimus sees Buddy having a particularly slow day or looks like they are about to collapse at any moment he tells them to take a break and let him and the team look after the sparkling for a bit.

“Take a break Buddy, you’ve done enough today.”--Optimus

Sorry Primal but someone needs to look after them.”--Buddy

“Yes, and while it’s admirable that you still want to do that, you need to rest. The team will help look after them. I promise nothings going to happen to them on my watch.”--Optimus

He is in the top 5 best babysitters on board the ship.

When Buddy is out cold, he takes the sparkling in his arms and performs the rest of his duties. If they behave extra well, he’ll take them out flying around the base’s grounds.

Rhinox

Rhino Uncle.

Since Rhinox mainly stays at the base, unless told otherwise, he is a familiar face to Buddy and their sparkling.

It makes them a bit closer, as Buddy’s main work goes to the base. Rhinox is one of the first to spot if Buddy is having a slow day or looks like they are about to drop.

“Buddy, you’re doing it again.”--Rhinox

“It’s time already?”--Buddy

“You know it Buddy, now, hand over the sparkling.”--Rhinox

He makes a mini carrier strap to put the sparkling on his chassis while he works. He gives the sparkling little toys he makes out of some spare parts that are safe to use.

He does use his beast mode too often when the sparkling is around, he doesn’t feel like he has as much control of his huge steps as in his bi-pede mode.

Reigning in at the top 5 best babysitters.

Cheetor

Best Older Cat Brother.

Buddy has gained a new child. Cheetor doesn’t mind it too much, though, he always wanted a little sibling in a way.

He doesn’t know how Buddy does all this stuff.

He does try and help with the sparkling from time to time, Cheetor is good with kids after all.

While he does spot Buddy’s slow days a bit later than the others, He makes sure that Buddy does sit out for a break.

“Hey Buddy, you’re a bit slow today.”--Cheetor

“Well not everyone can be as fast as you Cheetor.”--Buddy

“Yeah, but I can take the kid if you want. I’ll make sure they are okay, and you can take a nap! That sounds like fun.”--Cheetor

“…I suppose—Hey Cheetor!”--Buddy

“We are going to have so much fun!”--Cheetor

He has enough energy to keep up with the kid and their activities. Constantly racing or carrying the sparkling as he races around the base or base grounds.

Top 5 best babysitters.

Rattrap

Rat Uncle.

He has a soft spot for the two of them. He tries to deny it, everyone knows otherwise.

He is constantly on Buddy for overworking themselves. Rattrap will take the kid if Buddy looks like they are going to drop without saying anything else.

“Rattrap!”--Buddy

“Yeah?”--Rattrap

“Give me my sparkling back.”--Buddy

“… I know I did not hear you say that while you’re swaying side to side like a palm tree.”--Rattrap

“… point taken. Just make sure they get nap time this time.”--Buddy

“You go take a ‘nap time’.”--Rattrap

He makes a decent babysitter, just don’t take too long if not he is going to show the sparkling a few new swear words and how to make a bomb using a paperclip.

Dinobot

Dino Uncle.

Dinobot was honestly surprised to see Buddy with a sparkling when he joined the Maximals, it gives him conflicting feelings.

What if he hadn’t joined and continued to fight for the Predacons? What if he had shot Buddy or assisted in injuring them?

The sparkling would be left without a parent. He isn’t letting that happen any time soon.

Dinobot takes a bit to spot Buddy having their slow days, mainly he wont take the hint unless he sees Buddy about to fall or Rattrap making it obvious.

“Sooo… you gonna help Buddy out or what?”--Rattrap

“Why? They look fine.”--Dinobot

Buddy tittering and tottering like a drunk bot on a day of celebration

“… I’ll get the child.”--Dinobot

He is a decent babysitter but isn’t left alone for too long as he will give the sparking to the next Maximal.

Tigatron and Airazor

Auntie Birdy and Uncle Big Cat.

They absolutely adore the sparkling. Both have mad respect for Buddy.

Taking on the role of parenthood while still at war and doing a good job? Buddy is taking that on like a chap.

Since they work out of base for most missions, they don’t interact too much with Buddy or the sparkling but when they do, they make sure to give Buddy a break from sparkling duties and get out of the stuffy base for a bit.

“Come Buddy, its such a nice day outside.”--Airazor

“But what about—”--Buddy

“Tigatron has them taken care of. Now come.”--Airazor

The pair are on neutral grounds of babysitting. They would be ranked higher if they were around much more.

Silverbolt and Blackarachnia

Silverbolt is on Buddy and the sparkling from the get-go.

He is making it his job every time that Buddy gets out of the base that they come back safe and sound to their sparkling.

Blackarachnia like Dinobot has some conflicting feelings about the two after turning to the Maximals.

When she was with the Predacons she didn’t know about the sparkling.

She does feel a bit guilty thinking about all the times she had nearly got Buddy offline in the past whether directly or indirectly. She tries not to think about it too much.

Blackarachina is usually the first to spot that Buddy is overworking themselves. She does not go easy on them for skipping on the taking care of themselves.

“Buddy! You’re doing that thing again! Ugh! Can’t believe—”--Blackarachina

“Um… what are you doing—Hey!”--Buddy

“Silverbolt, keep Tiny occupied.”--Blackarachnia

“As you wish my love. And Buddy, just go with it.”--Silverbolt

“Go with what?”--Buddy

She makes sure Buddy gets some TLC; she makes them promise not to tell anyone of this interaction.

Like she says she doesn’t care. (Liar).

[youkaiyume]

So, Rise of the Beasts!!

I saw it twice of the weekend, and I want to put down my honest thoughts.

Overall, I had a great time and I definitely think it's worth watching. Ignore the critic reviews for some reason they are offended that a Transformers movie exists to sell toys. You know, their sole purpose since the very beginning of inception. But OF COURSE I have THOUGHTS so...

Spoilers under the cut!

I liked the human characters for the most part. Noah's sudden onboard motives for going with the autobots to Peru was not as convincing but adventure needs to happen so I gave it a pass.

Mirage is like, DTF with Noah. Like he is SO ready for that tiny bf bff. It's obvious that Bee spoke so much about Charlie (cuz it seemed he was the only one who did talk positively about humans in their group) that Mirage was just. HIS BODY WAS READY.

CHARLIE WAS MENTIONED!!! AHHHHH!!! That was the one tiny smidgeon of a crumb that I wanted and they gave it to me. Granted it was implied when Optimus says "I know one was good to you, Bee" But I was told that the Latin America dub had him say Charlie's actual name. There was a SCENE that was cut out according to the Hollywood Reporter--that Bumblebee had also pulled out a polaroid pic that Charlie took of them together from the first movie here to show OP. HE'S BEEN CARRYING AROUND HER PICTURE ALL THESE YEARS I DIE WHY DID YOU CUT THIS OUT!!!

Mirage's abilities seem very arbitrary. And I do not like this. He can turn into several alt modes which seems to be only a thing that he can do... he can mass shift--which I know mass shifting is a thing but when he turns into a truck to sneak past the museum security I was like??? I was always under the impression that the bots could turn into a vehicle relative to their own actual size so this just confuses me. There is supposedly an earlier cut of the film where it was more clear that the trailer was another illusion. which I wish they kept in. Also when he becomes Noah's symbiote suit at the end?? Like, as a shipper and rule of cool I am into it, but as a person who wants rules to ground my science fiction I don't like how Mirage is just a swiss army knife for the writer's convenience. It feels lazy instead of taking the time to actually worldbuild. Nobody else can do these things.

The arbitrary mass shifting of him being as big or as small as he wants (like when he becomes Noah's exosuit) really falls apart when they keep insisting that they need the humans because only they can fit into small spaces. Well, clearly not cuz you can just do it yourself. AGAIN, PLEASE BE CONSISTENT WITH YOUR RULES.

Airazor x Elena. Anyone else????

speaking of which, I am very upset about what happens to Airazor. And we never even got to see her transform. tragic.

Optimus sure was a negative nancy which--I understand why but I hope they ease up on edgy "i will rip everyone's faces off" Optimus because it feels disingenuous to his character to keep it going for too long. Like I get it, they killed your fave child so I will forgive you but also I want more of "Be strong enough to be gentle" Optimus. Not the edgelord Bayverse Optimus that they are clearly going for cuz the know certain :ahem: fans like that.

Beeeee. They put him out of commission which again, according to interviews they did just so they could make sure he doesn't steal the spotlight and give a chance for the other characters to shine lmao. He is too powerful. But also because we shots of him in the trailers, I was not too worried about Bee staying out of commission. But goddamn when if I still wasn't hyped as hell when he made his comeback. 10/10 he proves he's still the GOAT.

I hate Pablo/Wheeljack. No, after seeing the movie my opinion of him did not improve in fact it got so much worse. His design was the LEAST of his problems. Every moment he was on screen was deeply cringe. And he barely did anything!! He could have not been in the movie at all and it wouldn't have made a difference and I genuinely believe it would have been a better film. All this hullaballoo over Pablo and this is what we got. Wheeljack fans lost hard after all that defense I'm sorry this ain't it.

Hey speaking of bots that barely got any lines or screentime, wtf was up with Rhinox and Cheetor? My boys got shafted :(

There was a moment where OP is asking the bots if they detected the terrorcons and Arcee WHO IS SITTING in the pablo van was like "lol nope" and I was like GURL how could you, you're in a van. And it made no sense because don't you also have an altmode??? Shouldn't you be scouting outside to cover more ground???

I firmly believe the only had Arcee sitting in there like a dumb duck because they wanted Wheeljack to make a dumb joke in the original cut about how it was a long time since she was inside him. UGHUGHUGH.

Did I mention how glad I am that they cut the majority of Wheeljack's screentime since it was so awful especially his and Arcee's implied romance? Especially since they killed off the other femmes so the only one we got now has to have a mandatory romance. No thanks. Glad that nonsense is gone.

The Maximals' robot modes were very minimal. and they went by so fast I never got a good look at their designs.

I loved how the Maximals were harmoniously living with the native tribe--and speaking their language!

Scourge's face reveal seemed to be treated like it was a big deal but when we saw him it was just... guy without his wig on. Literally the surprise is that he is bald.

Noah x Mirage is very strong good. I have no doubt the fandom will be all over it since they seem to eat up BL romance much more readily and I am all for it. They also have all the great ingredients for it--flirting, drift compatibility, self sacrifice for the other. Another human x transformer ship for the books.

I'm sure there are some ppl who like the ending. but I.... did not. I do not want to see G.I.Joes in my transformers I'm sorry. I don't want the return of military propaganda or more introductions to several human characters that take away from the transformers. I don't want to see them exploited or used for our own human affairs--even if it's a fictional cult-- when they could be literally fighting Decepticons or Unicron or whatever. People might have wanted them in Bayverse cuz it was heavily skewed Military in those films but I don't want to see it again. It was a terrible, dark time. the Joes might be presented as good guys but I don't trust the military in general and I don't see their motives as altruistic--especially if their goal is to use them for their own purposes. Why would they help them get home? They wouldn't, if just to keep their best weapons--and Noah is bait. He is bait and he will fall for it hook line and sinker because they are bribing him with his brother's healthcare and the fact that he is struggling to find work elsewhere.I hope if they are to be involved at all it will be relegated to characters here and there but they stay in their own movies if they have to ride on Transformers coattails to revive an irrelevant struggling franchise.

There was minimal human injuries/death and I appreciate that. They did the DBZ thing where they took their fight to remote locations. This probably won't keep up if they introduce the Joes :/

Overall, 8/10. I had a fun time. I didn't love it as much as Bumblebee but it was definitely miles better than Bayverse (a low bar I know). The action was clear, the characters likable, the CGI mostly stellar. I have hope that they will bring back Charlie maybe. But hey, I took my parents to it the second time around and my Mom liked Mirage and my Dad did not fall asleep so I will consider that a stamp of approval.

[yellowfellowmello]

Just watched the series finale of Star Wars the Bad Batch and I am sad :(

Spoilers ahead!

There are some plot holes that need to be filled in a little but I feel like a lot of Star Wars is interpretation instead of them just telling us. We never saw that one operatives face so Tech👀????

Omega joining the rebellion!!!!! I hope we see her in Ahsoka s2 or some other spin off because that would be awesome. Some grown up Hera and Omega content would be sick

Dilf Hunter. We won😌 Wrecker going beast mode even after being severely injured was awesome. Crosshair getting his full circle redemption. He doesn’t have a hand tremor anymore! Echo having a Fives type speech and being the leader we love him to be.

Sad that Wolffe, Cody, Rex, and Gregor weren���t in the finale. I wanted to see how Wolffe would turn to their side after that one ep and see Cody again because what actually happened to him. Also wanted to see how Wolffe, Gregor, Rex ended up together on a random desert planet.

Hemlock being shot was awesome. I hated him. We can all agree that he basically conditioned regs into being the an evil bad batch right? I wish we could e seen who was under the mask though. It just seemed kind of like wasted potential to have that operative be killed off without knowing if he was a reg or conditioned Tech or whatever else after being a huge part of the season.

Overall, great show and I will miss it forever 🥹

[nausicaamusiclover20]

Blanket Buddies🤍

The cold winter air crept into our little apartment, wrapping around everything like a frosty blanket. I had decided to go full cocoon mode, layering myself in every blanket I could find. The result? I looked less like a person and more like a walking marshmallow, with my head poking out and arms flailing helplessly.

As I snuggled deeper into my fortress of warmth on the couch, I heard the front door creak open. My boyfriend, Jason, stepped inside, his cheeks flushed from the cold. I peeked out just enough to see him remove his jacket, and I couldn’t help but smile at how adorable he looked with his tousled hair and bright eyes.

“Uh, what are you doing? Hiding from the abominable snowman?” he joked, raising an eyebrow at my blanket-clad figure.

I sat up a bit straighter, fluffing my layers dramatically. “I’m not hiding! I’m… um, I’m an elegant winter creature!” I declared, striking a ridiculous pose that had my arms flailing even more.

Jason burst into laughter, the kind that made his shoulders shake. “You look like a burrito with legs! A very short burrito at that.”

I tried to glare at him, but it was hard to take myself seriously when I was wrapped in so many blankets. “At least I’m warm! You should try it!” I teased, wiggling my fingers through the blanket’s opening.

He crossed his arms, giving me a mock-serious look. “I’d look good in blankets too. But I have to admit, you’ve set the bar pretty high for fashion today.”

“High for a burrito, maybe!” I shot back, trying to stifle my laughter.

“Alright, fine. If you can’t beat ’em, join ’em.” He grinned and started rummaging through the pile of blankets we kept in the corner. He pulled out a colorful patchwork blanket, draping it around himself. But instead of looking cute, he ended up looking like a colorful, oversized monster.

“Roar! I’m the Snuggle Beast!” he declared, attempting to stomp towards me but tripping over the blanket.

I couldn’t hold back my laughter anymore, rolling on the couch and clutching my stomach. “The Snuggle Beast is going to be the death of me!”

Jason laughed, finally regaining his balance and puffing out his chest. “You underestimate my powers!” He lunged at me, the blanket trailing behind him, and landed right next to me on the couch.

The moment turned quiet as we both caught our breath, still wrapped in our ridiculous blankets. I turned to face him, my heart warming despite the chill in the air. “You know, I think we make a pretty good team, even if we look ridiculous.”

“Especially because we look ridiculous!” he replied, giving me a playful nudge. “We’re cozy monsters together!”

“Cozy monsters for life,” I echoed, leaning in closer.

As he wrapped his arm around me, pulling me into his side, I felt the warmth of his body seep through the layers of our blankets. The cold outside didn’t seem so bad anymore; with Jason beside me, I felt like we could take on any winter chill, one laugh at a time.

“Just promise me one thing,” I said, looking up at him with a mischievous grin.

“Anything,” he replied, curiosity sparkling in his eyes.

“Next time, you have to wear more blankets than I do!”

Jason  laughed, tilting his head back dramatically. “Challenge accepted!”

As we settled in together, surrounded by our cozy monster blankets, I knew that the laughter and warmth we shared would always be my favorite part of winter.

[chewbaccawithouthan]

TBB Spoilers!

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My hot take:

“Clone force 99, an experimental operations unit with desirable mutations.” - Commander Cody

“Your loyalty will be your downfall.” -Dr. Royce Hemlock

IF you didn’t realize Hemlock, those desirable mutations outmatched your special CX soldier creations, EVEN WHEN THEY WERE LIKE 90% OUT OF CONSCIOUSNESS What does that say about the Clone Force 99 Unit and those CX Clones?

“F*ck around and find out.” is what it says to me!

Don’t get me wrong, those agents put up quite the fight with the Batch, but in the end… The big brothers got their child back and those clones were laid to waste!

Wrecker was laying the law down with his brute strength and Echo was using every trick he could to be stealthy. Crosshair- even HANDLESS and drugged still had it in him to fight and aim just as well as he did,

Don’t even get me started on Hunter- the man was probably experiencing the worst migraine of his life and an intense sensory overload, he was blurrily blinded and HE S T I L L managed to THROW and STAB the CX clone in the chest, AT his heart mind you, DEAD ON! Also, final stand with Hemlock? Hunter wasn’t having it. HE LAID IT ON HIM. The second the opportunity was given, obviously Crosshair hit the shackles to spare freedom, but Hunter didn’t just fire on him- no no no- he LIT HIM UP in Blaster Fire, HE FILLED HIM WITH HOLES. Before Hemlock fell over, he was C O V E R E D in 7 TOTAL SHOTS. I COUNTED. For a blaster? It takes about 1 shot to kill an unarmored/armored person (example: Fives or Nala-se) Hemlock was plenty dead before falling but Hunter didn’t give two flying mynocks about it.

Also? Crosshair losing his hand isn’t actually upsetting to me. DONT GET ME WRONG, I screamed when it got chopped off because that’s one more thing that boy has to remember for the rest of his life. TO ME: it was more his sight and his body’s balance and steadiness, than his ability to wield a trigger finger, the man can still hit a target without his hand, we clearly see that when he’s in the hanger and shooting bullseyes everywhere and even afterwards when he was propped on Hunter’s shoulder and successfully hits the cuffs between Hemlock and Omega. Crosshair was wobbly the entire time he chased after CX-2’s ship, he never had stability, it wasn’t just his hand and when he runs, he gives himself stability. His shaking hand was never stable.

Wrecker constantly grunting had me thinking he was just gonna plop to the ground and never wake up, but when omega freed him, his papa-bear clicked and he went into BEAST MODE. Let’s also appreciate that one clone gentleman that shot those last two bolts at the Sword-CX to save Echo’s hide.

Omega’s entire career with the bad batch lead her to the biggest escape plot of the century (ITS NEXT TO ANDOR’S ONE WAY OUT) like that child kept those kids so calm, and herself, and even set free a giant Godzilla beast into the wild to thrive. She said “no more slaves!” And meant it. Emerie taking the kids to Pabu has my respect and shall remain on my good side.

[dhavaer]

Bloodborne

I bought it (finally). It's good.

I'm currently up to the Forbidden Woods. I've killed all the bosses prior to that except Paarl, as he's optional and doesn't gate anything I'm into.

It's been interesting as I've been somewhat interested in the game from a considerable distance for some time. It's kind of like when I finally watched Avatar after hearing about it on Tumblr for 2+ years.

My starter weapon was the Threaded Cane, because I remembered hearing it was good. It is. I like having incredible reach, although I was very confused why stealth attacks weren't working until I looked it up and apparently the whip mode can't do them.

Boss experiences:

Cleric Beast: took three tries, mostly because I had no idea what I was doing. Getting back to it after failing is annoying.

Father Gascoigne: took about ten tries. I have no idea what I did differently the final time; I got destroyed over and over and then he went down like a chump for some reason.

Vicar Amelia: two tries. Bought the saw spear for this, smacked her legs, stabbed her in the head a bit. Apparently she has a healing move but I never saw it.

Witches of Hereford or whatever: two tries. The first time the second witch held her paralysis spell until I was right in her face and I got wrecked. Second time she used it from long range, so I could dodge it and it gave away her position.

Blood-Starved Beast: about six tries. The first five were awful - I used so many resources trying to fight it I ran out of absolutely everything useful, even bullets and blood. Then the sixth time I just stayed still and shot him in the face every time he tried attacking me. Took about four shots - it got a little dicey on the third one but I ended up barely using anything.

Currently trying to save up echoes for the Holy Blade.

[transformers-mosaic]

Transformers: Beast Wars - Second Chances - Page 12

Originally posted on February 2nd, 2011

Story - Curt Lunsford Art - S.R. Ayers Letters - HdE

deviantART

wada sez: See below for the original script.

Page 12

Panel One

(Shot of the massing horde of Fox Kids Transmetal Tarantulas drones coming out of Tarantulus‘s lair).  The drones are in a very disorganized state, some in beast mode, some in robot mode, some even dancing or making lewd gestures if the artist wishes.  The main point is that the horde is trying to draw attention to themselves)

TEXT BOX:  The enemy forces are mounting.  

TEXT BOX:  But something is wrong.

TEXT BOX:  Their formation is scattered, their movements chaotic.  It looks as if their only goal is to draw attention upon themselves.

Panel Two

(Close-up of Dinobot II’s face.  His cyborg eye is now glowing blue)

Dinobot II:  Hmm…

Panel Three

(Basically an X-ray view of the horde.  We can see Tarantulus’s lair in the background, and we can see, through the X-ray vision, a very large, shallow tunnel going from that, underneath the horde)

TEXT BOX:  What’s that, a tunnel?

Panel Four

(Continued X-Ray shot, showing the tunnel leading up to Mt. St. Hilary‘s)

TEXT BOX:  And it leads…there?  But the only thing there is…

Panel Five

(Shot of Dinobot with a “Eureaka” look on his face)

Dinobot:  This battle is a sham.

Waspinator:  Eh?  Why lizzard-bot think that?

Dinobot II:  One lifetime of experience is hard to ignore, much less two.  Tarantulas has no interest in your protohumans.  That’s just a smokescreen to distract us from his true target.

Waspinator:  True target?

Panel Six

(Shot still similar to last panel)

Dinobot II:  The Ark.

Panel Seven

(Shot of Dinobot transforming and beginning to run away from Waspinator.  If there‘s not enough room, we can just have him run away in robot mode)

Waspinator:  Wait, where you going?

Dinobot:  To meet my destiny.

Panel Eight (Shot of Dinobot stopping, and looking back toward Waspinator)

Dinobot:  Do you think you can hold the line until Depth Charge and the others return?

Waspinator:  Waszzpinator…muszzt.  Thiszz home and Waszzpinator will defend it, no matter how many timeszz get blown up.

Panel Nine

(Shot of Dinobot walking away, he has a somewhat pained look on his face.  He knows Waspinator won‘t be able to hold out for long)

Dinbot:  Good luck, comrade.

[thiriann]

Whispers in the embers

The story takes place around Deliria, a Draconic Bloodline Sorceress and Astarion and their feelings as they prepare to face Yurgir. Deliria was my Honour Mode character and a lot of details and events from that run will be reflected in the stories from this series.

You can also find me on AO3

Rating: Explicit

Words: 3,7k

Pairing: Astarion (Baldur's Gate)/Original Female Character

Warnings: 18+, Vaginal Sex, Bathtubs, Dissociation, Trauma, POV Astarion, Breaking the Bed, Porn with Feelings, one shot

Summary: Days after the discovery of Raphael’s contract, the gang had still not taken any action to eradicate it. Astarion is beginning to have doubts and prepares to take matters into his own hands.

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It had been two days since they found the damned devil and still nothing. The anticipation was killing him. The answer to the centuries-old question he’d been harboring was tantalizingly close, poised for the taking, yet here he was, trapped in a monotonous cycle of shopping, shuttling between the Underdark and the Cursed Lands. He would have gone and taken care of the wretched thing ten times by now if it were not for the devil’s entourage, a veritable mini-army, while he was alone. As always.

Doubts began to fester; the thought that she might be deceiving him, harboring no true intent to slay the beast, grew more insistent by the hour. But she wouldn't do that when she said she'd help him, would she? Her kindness seemed too genuine for such deceit. Or so he hoped.

Admitting it to himself was no small feat, but there was no denying the truth—he was utterly smitten with her. Her compassionate soul, her boundless determination, the outlandish strategies she conjured for every foe they encountered—she was a whirlwind of exhilaration. It had been an age since he’d engaged in genuine conversation, and she brought a spark of life to his world.

Yet, a nagging suspicion lurked within him, whispering that her interest was merely superficial, drawn only to the pleasures he provided, his physique, his allure. She didn't know him at all, despite everything. Maybe she wouldn't take a second glance if she knew of the deeds that haunted him and what he was really like.

Daydreams of a genuine connection with her often occupied his thoughts—companionship, care, the very essence of a real relationship, foreign concepts he yearned to explore. The feelings he harbored for her were undeniable, a stark contrast to his usual self-absorption. She had become the sole focus of his affections. Yet, the uncertainty of her reciprocation weighed heavily on him.

Especially now when he needed her help more than ever.

A thought occurred to him then. One he would prefer not to entertain but as the days passed with no plans of slaying the creature, it began to gnaw at him relentlessly. Perhaps if he surrendered to her completely, indulged in the carnal dance once more, she might be more inclined to listen to him if he addressed this issue again. They hadn't done that in a little while. As his feelings for her intensified he found it harder and harder to lay with her, the guilt almost crippling.

He partially blamed himself for this, maybe if he'd offered himself more perhaps she would have seized the opportunity to slay the beast without hesitation.

He hated thinking like this. But his instincts were telling him it’s how it always was and now had no reason to be different. He had to just do it, offer himself, get it over with and secure her cooperation. Guilt should have no place here; after all, she would not be left wanting—he would see to her complete satisfaction.

With a heavy heart, he suppressed his emotions once more and ventured out to gather a few things.

Night fell, and he had transformed the remnants of a cottage in the cursed wilderness into a sanctuary of sorts. It had a bed, a fireplace and was somewhat far away from the others while remaining safe from the curse. 

Candles flickered on every available surface, a fire crackled invitingly, and he found clean or somewhat clean blankets, filled the bath with warm water and put towels on a chair next to it. He even added some weavemoss and incense here and there to improve the otherwise somber setting. It was a modest offering, but it was the best he could muster under the circumstances, and far surpassing anything they've had during the past few weeks.

He himself would have been looking forward to relaxing here had it not been for the anxiety twisting in his gut, mingling with self-loathing. He inhaled deeply, steadying himself—it was just for one night, and then he would carry on.

He saw her practically dragging herself to camp, her bag overstuffed and making her almost immobile. Why had she not called for him? It was a pattern with her, always overloading her own bag even though she could carry the least of all of them.

“Darling, why don't I help you with that?” he offered, gently taking her bag off her shoulder and dropping it on her bedroll by the fire.

“Thank you, Astarion.  My shoulder was starting to ache. “she replied with a tired smile.

She sat gracefully next to it and started taking items out from inside in handfuls. There were so many things sprawled on the floor they almost reached his tent. For a fleeting moment, he pondered whether her incessant hoarding was a quirk of her draconic heritage, but the thought was quickly dismissed. He needed to concentrate on the night ahead.

“Darling, there's something I’ve been meaning to talk to you about, if you would grant me your attention tonight.” he murmured, his voice a deliberate drawl that he knew resonated with her.

“Yes, of course. Actually, there's something I've been meaning to talk to you about as well. “she replied and he looked over curiously.

Spinning around while still seated, almost in a comical manner, she grabbed a smaller bag that had emerged from her overstuffed one and thrust it up at him.

“This is for you. “she declared.

Peering inside, he found an assortment of arrows, oils for coating his weapon, elixirs, potions, and a pair of new gloves.

“Your attempts at courtship could use some work, darling,” he teased, a wry smile tugging at his lips.

“Keep them on you, you'll need them for tomorrow when we go after Yiurgir. “she instructed.

Surprise flickered across his face. “What? Weren't you looking for his contract up till now?”

“ No, I never intended to do anything about that,” she scoffed, dismissing the idea with a wave of her hand. “I promised you we'd take care of it, didn't I? I was just trying to learn the layout and look for any potential vulnerabilities.”

Her sigh betrayed her frustration; the search had yielded nothing.

“Also, could you give these to Lae’zel and Karlach?” she said, handing him two more bags, likely filled with similar provisions.

“Of course, uh, sweet dreams,“ he stammered, momentarily caught off guard.

As he assumed his role as courier, a sense of foolishness washed over him. He had doubted her, prepared for a seduction that was now unnecessary. He should have been relieved, he didn’t have to lure her into his bed after all. But there was also an unwelcome feeling of disappointment. He had dreaded this evening for days. Why in the hells was he disappointed about it now?

He could still just go up and enjoy his little set up, no one would notice his absence and if they did, they'd probably think he's hunting. He could go take a bath, sleep in front of the fireplace and prepare for the fight tomorrow.

“Hello, darling,” he greeted her in the dim light.

“Astarion? “ Her voice was groggy from her trance, and he felt a twinge of regret for disturbing her rest.

“There is something I wanted to show you.“

“Oh, right,” she remembered, becoming more alert. “What is it?”

 “Follow me, it's not far. And be quiet so we don't disturb the others.”

As they climbed higher and higher, he could tell she'd never ventured here before. He felt somewhat giddy to show her his project. 

“What is this place?“ she gasped. One would think he’d taken her to a princess castle and not a dusty old attic.

“Astarion, did you do all this?” Amazement laced her words.

She actually sounded awed and he felt a weird sense of joy that he had managed to surprise her. 

“Just a few things I had lying around,” he replied, feigning modesty while his pride soared.

“Oh gods, is that really soap? “She clutched the bar in her hands like one would a precious gem.

“Darling, that’s the most pitiful thing I’ve ever seen,” he teased, unable to resist the opportunity.

She shot back, “I haven’t enjoyed a proper bath since Baldur’s Gate.”

“And I’m painfully aware,” he quipped, his smile broadening at her expression.

She gasped in outrage, the look of indignation on her face was more than worth it.

“For your information, you’re hardly one to talk,” she retorted.

“Hmmm...” He began to unbutton his shirt, each undone fastening drawing her gaze. “That's true.”

“We ought to address this… predicament,” he suggested, his eyes meeting hers, a smirk playing on his lips as his shirt fell to the floor.

She turned away, her cheeks flushed with a mix of embarrassment and desire.

“Then you should go first, this is all your doing after all.” she said, surprising him with her restraint.

He approached her, his chest almost touching her back. Leaning in, he whispered, his cold breath tickling her pointed ear.

“I was hoping you’d join me, darling. There’s ample room for two.”

Deliria’s heart skipped a beat, her breath hitching. Astarion’s mere presence unraveled her composure, leaving her speechless and longing. Never in her life had she struggled getting words out yet around this man she could barely string a sentence together.

“I…I would like that ,” she managed to say, her voice barely above a whisper.

Proud of herself that she had managed even this much, she started unbuttoning her own shirt.

He took off his pants and slipped in the water swiftly. He felt his muscles almost instantly relax in the embrace of the warm water. Groaning softly, he dragged his eyes back to her just in time to catch her steal a glimpse at him.

Eager little thing.

She finally took her pants and undergarments off in one movement. He roamed his eyes over her form as she approached the tub. She was exhuming grace with her every movement, hips gently swaying side to side despite her urgency to get to the tub as fast as possible and hide herself underneath the water. She sat between his legs, her back facing him.

“I… I wanted to apologize to you,” she said, back still turned to him,staring into the cursed abyss. 

He had never seen her struggle for words, but now she opened and closed her mouth repeatedly before finally finding her resolve. “I had never fought in my life before the Nautiloid. I would have died on that beach if it hadn’t been for Shadowheart. I only practiced sorcery because I wanted to, almost as a passing fancy. I just listen to the magic in my blood, and it guides my hands when I need it.”

“But… meeting that thing, Yurgir —I’ve never felt anything like it. It felt like the very fire in my veins was extinguished. I knew nothing I did could ever touch it. I felt… terrified.”

Her voice shook, the fear that the devil had instilled in her was clearly still very present. He would have reached out to touch her had he not been completely stunned by her admission.

She was so beautiful, more befitting a queen than a noble’s daughter. She enraptured everyone she met; merchants adored her, people fawned over her, and she wielded her golden tongue even against their enemies. And in battle, her precision was unmatched. She’d never wielded a blade in her life, yet she knew every opponent’s weakness, adjusting tactics on the fly. Every battle seemed almost effortless under her guidance. He could see the dark circles under her eyes, even when she covered them with golden makeup every morning. She stayed up late into the night, preparing for the next battle, researching their enemies, the creatures around them, the types of weapons that worked best against them.

And here she was, before him now, actually vulnerable. 

Terrified, just like the rest of them. It was so strange. The image of the fearless, untouchable leader started to crumble before him, and he felt something warm bloom inside his chest.

“I know you wanted to end the devil as soon as we saw it, but… I needed to prepare you. You and the others. You’ll lead the charge tomorrow; the rest will follow your actions. And I’ll try to support you in any way I can.”

She finally turned to him, a sad pitiful smile on her lips.

He took her chin in his hand and kissed her. He had no idea what to say, no idea what to think, still processing this completely unexpected admission. But he knew he wanted to kiss her at that moment, and so he did.

She went along willingly, eager to kiss him back. Still half-turned, she placed her hands on his chest and leaned further into him.

She was so open, so trusting of him without him having done a single thing to earn her trust and companionship. She was always so caring and thoughtful, giving herself freely to everyone. And here he was, lying through his teeth to her—about his feelings, about who he was, everything. She didn’t deserve this.

The guilt he felt lay heavy in his stomach as her eyes looked at him with such tenderness and affection. 

Gods, how he yearned to turn back time, to undo the web of lies he had spun around her. Even now, as he stood before her, his hands were empty, his heart burdened with nothing to offer but the shards of his broken honesty. Yet, amidst the chaos of his deceit, a flicker of hope stubbornly ignited within him—a hope that perhaps he hadn’t misjudged her feelings. That maybe, just maybe, she too sensed the unspoken connection that thrummed between them.  That she might actually want him. 

The water grew cold as they continued their kiss and he felt her shiver against him.

“We should probably move to the bed.” He said pulling away.

He stood first and left the bath. As soon as she was on her feet, he grabbed the back of her thighs and lifted her in the air, prompting her to wrap her legs around him. She gasped in surprise and wrapped her arms around his neck. It was as their first night together, except now he could hold her up like she weighed nothing. Weeks of fighting in the wilderness had increased his strength more than he thought possible.

He carried her to the bed with ease and sat them both down with her in his lap. He pulled one of the bedsheets off the bed and wrapped it around her still shivering form.

She felt his hard length press against her and bit her lip in anticipation. He grabbed her by the hips and lifted her, just enough to position himself against her entrance.

“Are you ready, darling?” he purred against her neck and felt her nod.

  She moaned as he guided her way down his shaft. When she finally slipped all the way down and met his hips, he waited, giving her time to adjust to his size.

He moved her up and down a few times, enjoying the way her tight heat wrapped around him.

He leaned back on the palm of his hand for leverage while keeping the other on her hip.

Her lust-filled gaze focused on him before she flushed with embarrassment.  She grasped his shoulders and started to rock her hips against him.

The poor thing really didn’t have much experience with this, too used to being pampered like a princess, even in the bedroom. He probably didn’t help her case either, focusing on bringing her as much pleasure as possible during every tryst they had shared.

She was trying her best though, gliding her hips against him, increasing her pace as she gained confidence. Just as she had established a rhythm, he flexed his hips for the first time, pushing up against her. She moaned loudly and threw her head back.

He did it again and again as she bounced on his lap, pulling her hips into his thrusts with his free hand and making her wail and grip his shoulders harder.

Despite every part of him yearning to simply sit back and savor her to his heart’s content, he found it challenging. The all-too-familiar feelings that came of being on the receiving side were resurfacing and he had no idea how to make them stop.

As these thoughts consumed him, his mind wandered away from the here and now, and he lost all sense of time.

“-Starion-“

Her moans reached his ears and he realized his pace had increased, now brutally fucking into her.

“Astarion- Please, please- I… I can’t-“

She was whimpering above him, her legs shaking with exertion as she rode him as hard as she could. 

He saw rivulets of sweat drip from her forehead onto his, her mouth open, each breath released as a moan. It was only in moments like these he could see her composure crumble so completely.

He swiftly swapped their position pushing her on her back under him.

He lowered his hand to her center, finally providing some stimulation to the sensitive bud there and she screamed digging her nails into his shoulders.  

The impossible pressure in her belly was mixing pleasure with pain as he thrust deep into her. It was on the edge of too much yet she never wanted him to stop. Every brutal thrust erasing her thoughts to the point of leaving her a panting needy mess. She clung to him trying to pull him closer still, the distance felt so large she couldn't stand it.

“K-kiss me...” she gasped out.

She had no idea how she still managed to form words but was grateful that was all the prompting he needed.

He dipped down, finally closing the remaining inches between them and her orgasm crashed into her. She saw stars as wave after wave of intense pleasure wracked her body.  

She was quivering around him as if prompting him to come with her. He was helpless to anything other than shudder and moan and grip her more tightly, fucking up into her harder until finally he emptied inside her with a broken cry against her lips. He felt so completely lost in bliss, adrift, with her like an anchor holding him together. His hips thrust impossibly deeper inside her, stuttering in their final movements.

Pulling away, he desperately tried to regain some of his bearings.

He looked at her face, finding her in a similar state- a deep flush spread across her cheeks, her eyes unfocused, drool escaping the corners of her mouth, tears brimming in her eyes, strands of hair plastered to her forehead. She had never appeared more beautiful to him as she did in this disheveled state. A smile tugged at his lips, and he parted them to tease her, but before a single word could escape, a loud crack reverberated through the room, and the bed promptly collapsed under them. 

He winced at the impact, while she let out a surprised “Uf.” They exchanged wide-eyed looks of shock, then, unable to contain the absurdity of the moment, he erupted into giggles. She joined in almost immediately, her laughter mingling with his.

“I… can’t believe we broke the bed,” she said, her voice laced with a poorly concealed pride. 

“It’s hardly impressive. Given the state of this place, it’s a miracle we didn’t crash through the floor,” he replied, his tone light, trying to match her humor. 

She giggled again, her eyes locking with his. “Is that a challenge? To try again once we reach a sturdier bed in Baldur’s Gate?”

A wave of dread washed over him, causing his stomach to churn. He plastered a smirk on his face and leaned in close, his voice a sultry drawl in her ear. “With you? Always, darling. I can’t wait.”

He felt her breath hitch at his words, the reaction he had aimed for, but it brought him no joy. The thought of keeping the facade all the way to Baldur's gate seemed unbearable. Guilt was already gnawing viciously at him; she deserved the truth, and he had to muster the courage to tell her—soon.

He slipped from inside her, briefly forgetting they were still joined. She extended her arms wide and let out a languid yawn.

“I can’t imagine how I’m going to take those stairs on the way down,” she groaned, the finding the very prospect daunting.

“But I think sleeping on this broken bed would be a new low for me,” she added, her voice tinged with despair.

“Oh, don’t be like that, darling. I’m sure we’ll find even grander muck for you to sleep in soon enough,” he teased, his tone light and playful.

“You’re hilarious, have I mentioned that?” she retorted sarcastically, finally freeing herself from his embrace and swinging her legs over the edge of the bed.

“And beautiful,” he replied, running a hand through his tousled curls—a gesture that somehow still managed to look effortlessly sexy.

She stood up, her legs wobbly as if she were a newborn foal, supporting her for a fleeting moment before she lost balance, almost toppling over backwards. 

He stood with grace and speed he shouldn't still be possessing, given their activities, and grasped her by the arm, helping her stay upright. 

A smug look spread across his face, and she responded with a glare. “Don’t look so proud of yourself.”

“Oh, I’m anything but, darling,” he quipped. “Why don’t I help you down the stairs? I’d hate to be the reason you can’t walk tomorrow.”

She groaned, her embarrassment palpable. But her thighs ached terribly, and her knees felt like jelly, along with dull pains slightly higher.

“Fine, let’s go.” She conceded.

As she lay her head down, sleep threatened to overtake her, but she fought for a moment of lucidity. Reaching out, she sought Astarion’s hand, her fingers gently brushing his. “Thank you for tonight, Astarion. It was amazing.”

He leaned over swiftly, planting a kiss on her forehead. “You’re welcome, my dear.”

As he pulled back, he noticed she had already succumbed to sleep, her breaths deep and even.

[alpineshift]

random ask time!

pick five Devils players and assign them a summer Olympics sport to compete in. why did you choose that sport for them?

go!

oh I love this, it's making me think! personally I'm assigning them sports for entirely selfish reasons (aka events I want to see them compete in). it wouldn't necessarily be bc I think one of the boys has any super specific characteristic that makes them suitable for a particular sport 😂 also nobody gets golf bc fuck golf LOL

Jonas Siegenthaler - surfing. IDK - I think Siegs has the vibes. I think he'd do well in the water. He's such a balanced and steady kind of guy. I think he's one of those dudes that look effortlessly cool with a wetsuit tied around his waist and a board tucked under the arm. I want him to do the Gabriel Medina #1 pose flying out of the water like a rock star.

Nico Hischier - rugby. On the Paris Olympics site it says ruby sevens and IDK what the difference is, but whatever. I assume Nico is decent in field sports bc he used to play soccer. I think some of his on-ice playmaking skills would be useful in this scenario. This has nothing to do with the fact that rugby players have monster thighs I swear. I also want to see him go full beast mode and drag all the guys trying to tackle him as he makes a break for the try line.

Jack Hughes - tennis. I'm imagining him competing in men's singles, but I think he could also play doubles with one of his brothers or something. Jack's quick, strategic, got stamina, has good eye-hand coordination. I also think he could thrive pretty well in a solo sport, he's got that 'dialled in' mode down to a science. Not known for super powerful serves but gets internet love/hate for really sneaky saves and tricky shots that are hard to receive.

Luke Hughes - fencing. Specifically the épée category, which is the only discipline where the whole body is a valid target. Since Luke is a defensemen, it'd be interesting to put him in the one event where he has to do the most to defend! He's a tall boy so I think having a reach advantage would be great. I also didn't know this but the épée sword is the heaviest of the three. I also just want to give Luke a sword.

Nate Bastian - mountain biking. So it's not olympics related but I saw that clip of the American biker Aaron Gwin snapping his bike's chain literally a second after he left the gate but went full 'fuck it we ball' mode and won anyway. I'm assigning this vibe to Nater. I think Nate is someone who's a little rough-and-tumble and not afraid to get out there and get dirty! Speedy downhill racing! Out in the wilderness! Thriving in the noise of the spectators and cowbells and cheers!

That's my five - thanks for the fun ask! (You gotta tell me your top five picks and their assigned sports now too LOL)

[skylarkking]

Which autobots are your favorite?

Since I have so many from so many series and shit imma go one by one based on continuity/series

Starting with:

Tfp

Ratchet (give me the doc bot pleaaaaase I'm a siiiimp)

Optimus (i wanna bite those hips)

Wheeljack (I'd let him run a train through me)

TFA

Ratchet (again, always love the doc bot)

Bulkhead (big soft dork)

Prowl (*feral noises*)

Armada

Hot Shot (he's so fucking cute I wanna squish his stupid little face!)

Energon

Ironhide (he's so dorky I love him)

RID 2001

Sideswipe (heheheheh love the dork)

Prowl (big brother vibes and his design is so cool)

RID 2015

Grimlock (I FUCKING LOVE HIS STUPID FACE AND HIS STUPID GRIN AND HIS STUPID STUPIDNESS! AHHHHHH!)

Fix-it (HE BABU AND NEEDS PROTECTION!)

MTMTE

Rodimus (I will DESTROY that cocky twink)

Ratchet (again, obvious reasons)

Drift (hnnnnnnnng!)

Rung (*absolute feral barking for this tism having bot*)

Beast Wars

Ratrap (I love his stupid ass so much)

Cheetor (he cute kitty!)

Beast Wars 2

Convoy Lio (something about his voice is really soothing to me)

Scuba (do I need an explanation?)

Cyberverse

Hot Rod (like his MTMTE counterpart, I would wreck his ass)

Grimlock (I love how they reference his intelligence from that one episode in G1 bit kept his dumb dumb in Dino mode)

Arcee (she a bad bitch and I love how she and Grimlock interact)

Cheetor (again, kitty)

[Questions? Intrusive thoughts? Drop em in my ask box!]