#been playing sot for the first time n having fun ^_^

[vanivanvanilla]

has this been done before with kenny

[halliestinks]

Hi, i was wondering if you could do some wholesome headcannons for Y/N (who acts like Douchebag in the sot game) Thats like a sister to Cartman. His mother adores her and he likes to bully her. But when others do it hes like "No only i can >:/"

Cartman w/ reader who’s like a sister to him

a/n: this is an old request that’s been sitting in my inbox for over 2 yrs, decided to write it as my first request since i’ve returned :3

• oh boy, cartman as a brother figure could be both great and awful.

• having first met you he would notice how quiet and chill you are, trying to get you to crack on many different occasions (failing miserably everytime). he never really cared too much about you. however once you started to spend more time with him and you found yourself at his house quite often, you developed an unexpected sibling bond with him

• he would definitely take advantage of your silence whenever he asks for a favour, immediately roping you into any and all of his problems. (kind of like butters— however he doesn’t screw you over as much)

• the teasing is the worst part. he knows exactly what ticks you off and how to break your silent facade

“HAHAHA YOU SHOULD SEE YOUR FACE!!”

“… 🙂��

• he knows when to stop though

• he unfortunately learnt his lesson after you beat the crap out of him for pushing you way past your limit!! (i just love sibling bonding experiences)

• aside from all of that… cartman is actually really fun to be around when he’s not being an asshole. the two of you usually spend your time together playing video games and doing random shit outside in the snow

• his mom absolutely adores you!!! she would constantly ask cartman if you would be coming over to their place later, always making sure to cook extra for dinner just in case

• cartman definitely gets jealous over his mom pampering you, thinks that she should pay more attention to her real son. and to piss him off even more, his mom always makes sure he shares everything with you

“but myeeeem… those are my cheesy poofs 🤬”

“😈😈”

• cartman’s mom is completely oblivious to any of the sibling rivalry, instead tells cartman he just needs to learn to share

• both of you have a silent agreement to always stick up for each other if either of you are being bullied, (not that cartman really needs help)

• i don’t think cartman would straight up defend you, however he would take your side in more subtle ways

“come on guys, let’s cut y/n some slack… otherwise she’ll get all depressed and probably start crying..”

“😐”

• but if anyone ever hurt you physically or did bully you to the point of actually hurting you, cartman will find out and go on a tangent about how he’s the only person who’s allowed to do that. plus if he’s in a bad mood then he’d probably figure out a way to ruin their life

• anyways.. at the end of most days, you find yourself sleeping on the floor in cartman’s room (he kicks you off his bed) and the two of you stay up late having silly conversations— finding yourselves laughing so hard to the point of tears

• until his mom comes in and tells you to go to bed because it’s a school night 🙄

• the two of you never listen, secretly doing an all nighter then feeling like absolute crap the next day. (it’s just a nightly tradition at this point)

• a lot of kids at school mistake you two for actually being related, which never fails to make you smile

• maybe he isn’t such a bad non biological brother after all

[peach-the-owl]

Good grief that last post! So cute! I NEED more Matt interacting with the child reader that dynamic seemed so cute and wholesome. So if your comfortable I'd like to ask please, please for a Matt x child reader. Maybe just little kiddo being a regular crew member, attending comic con and being asked who their favorite cast member is and almost everyone at the panel responding with Matt. When Matt's like um?¿? They remind him of cute moments that support their claim. Like a clip show. Just an idea, really I'd be happy with anything. Thanks! Love your writing.

I had fun with this one 😊 Now is this an older ask? Yes. Is this cheating because Matt is a real person and not an npc? Well, Matt’s the DM which by extension means that he plays every npc so therefore I’m saying it counts.

Who’s Your Favourite?

Crit Role Cast & Child!Reader

(Mostly Matt & Child!Reader but you get the idea)

Disclaimer: I do not speak on behalf of any of the actual cast. This is just a fictional scenario meant to be for fun

You loved Comic Con, the sights, the cosplays, the merch, the panels, just everything. You skip around the con taking everything in.

“Hey, don’t be wandering off too far without me.” You hear Matt chuckle as he walks over to your beaming face.

“I can’t help it! Look at all the cool stuff.” You gesture to everything around you.

“I know, believe me I know, and we’ll have plenty of time to look around but we need to set up for our panel.” Matt reminds you.

“Oh yeah! Let’s go! Let’s go!” You bounce in place. Matt let’s out another chuckle as Marisha finally joins the two of you.

“Whhaaat, are you two having all the fun without me.” She teases.

“No, never… maybe a little.” Matt teases back. The three of you finally making your way to where you’ll be holding your panel. You sat and watched while everyone scrambled around preparing the last few touches for your panel, being joined by Matt who sits next to you acting over exhausted.

“Whew! Boy am I beat!” He sighs, you giggle at his antics.

“No you’re not, the staff did most of the work.” You point out matter-of-factly.

“And it was exhausting watching them.” He jokes. You give him a light shove, the both of you laughing before having to be called back while they open the theatre for fans to be seated. You wait in impatient anticipation to start, and finally, once the audience was seated you all took your seats at the table to start the panel.

The panel had be going really well and it was now time for any audience members to ask you guys any questions they had, you listened to fans questions and answered any as best as possible.

“Uhh hi, I have a question for (y/n).” You perk up and look to the dark auditorium. “So I was wondering, who is your favourite member of the cast.” You hesitate, genuinely trying to think of how to answer, you liked everyone and being put on the spot like this made it extra hard.

“It’s Matt!” Everyone says in near unison, except for you and Matt himself.

“Ummm… what?” He looks to everyone confused.

“Don’t act like it isn’t true. (Y/n) follows you everywhere around the studio.” Liam starts.

“Not to mention that time when they came running to you first during a blackout. (Y/n) could’ve gone to anyone else but they specifically sot you out.” Taliesin adds.

“And I haven’t forgotten when they shared their snack with you and not me.” Travis ‘accuses’, some people in the audience giving a soft laugh at the memory.

“This goes both ways just so you guys know.” Laura jumps in, talking directly to the audience.

“Yeah, don’t think we didn’t notice the rolls you’ve fudged for (y/n)’s sake. There have been plenty of times you gave them a free win.” Marisha gives Matt a smug side eye.

“You mean those cool moments weren’t real?” You speak up confused and everyone quickly goes a into a little bit of awkward silence.

“Of course they were kiddo, they’re all just jealous they couldn’t be you in that moment.” Matt encourages, giving a small but playful glare to the rest of the cast. A few more fans got to ask some questions before the panel officially came to a close and you were free to roam the con again, getting some food to re-energize yourself before going around and admiring the different cosplays people had.

After a few more scheduled panels and meet and greets with fans the day was coming to a close and you were exhausted. You try and fail to fight back a yawn rubbing your eyes in an attempt to shake the feeling away.

“Someone tired?” Marisha asks, you shake your head stubbornly. “Awww, I think you are.” She crouches down to meet your eye level, seeing the obvious exhaustion in you eyes. You look away from her with a small pout, you didn’t want the day to be over just yet and you certainly didn’t want to miss any fun activities that could take place. Marisha gives Matt a side look.

“What?” He raises an eyebrow.

“Well you are the favourite, so do something.” He gives her a playful eye roll followed by a chuckle.

“Am I really your favourite?” He asks you. You don’t respond, instead lifting your arms up to him and making grabby hands, he lets out a content hum. “Alright, alright. Come here.” He lifts you up and adjusts you so your head is resting on his should, instantly you pass out. The two adults almost laugh at how fast you gave up trying to stay awake.

“Told ya so.” Marisha lightly teases.

“Yeah yeah.” Matt waves off. “You head over to restaurant with the others, I’ll drop them off at the hotel and meet you all there.”

“Sure thing.” With that the two head in separate direction.

You’re placed in bed and handed your favourite plushie you unconsciously snuggle into, Matt whispers a quick goodnight to you before heading out leaving you to dream away in wonderland.

[kvgehiras]

HELLOO !! i hope ur doing okay <33 could i request for kaoru general dating hcs? i love your writings (☆▽☆)

HELLO!! YES YES ND THANK U !!!!! hope u enjoy~

─── ･ ｡ﾟ☆: *.☽ .* :☆ﾟ. ───

• kaoru def started liking u years ago

• hes a pining FOOL

• there was this bookstore that u'd go to at times bcs it was just so peaceful

• nd this one day kaoru walked in nd saw u

• u were reading this book that u had bought as u were leaning on the wall

• nd his brain goes empty

• but he makes his way towards u anyways!!!!! bcs hes not a pussy (*｀へ´*) 彡3

• ....or so he thought

• he walks in ur direction, sees that u lifted ur head to look towards him, nd then a takes a u-turn, nd just . goes to the other section of the bookstore to hide from u

• (at this point his actual intention to just sit peacefully in the bookstore in the ac doing absolutely Nothing has vanished from his mind.....what a dumbass)

• u on the other hand r like (・・？)

• "am i intimidating....other ppl......."

• so like a normal person u decide to just leave nd read it at ur place

• kaoru is too late unfortunately the dumbass comes back nd sees u gone nd hes like :(

• so the entire day hes sad

• UNTIL!!!!!!! HE SEES U AGAIN THE NEXT DAY AT THE BOOKSTORE

• hes patting himself on the back for showing up in hopes to see u again nd actually finding u

• so true kaoru now Pls Make A Move

• u look up to see the same dude again but this time talking to himself nd ur like ???

• so u approach him

• "hello do u uh...need some help?

• nd hes just Frozen

• his brain is going fight or flight mode rn

• but this is kaoru so he has another mode along w fight or flight : flirt

• so he does just that

• "oh i was here to ask if u were uh . free for like! a coffee! or smthg!!!!"

• nd ur just like

• "hm..... my schedule is free today...ok! let's go :D"

• nd ur heading out alrdy but hes just standing in place like Did It Just Work. Oh My God It Worked

• so now yall like to meet in diff cafes every week or so (ˊᗜˋ*)

• nd it's so fun!!!! kaoru is like...weirdly knowledgeable abt diff cafes nd their speciality .... it's weirdly....attractive

• how dare he be physically Nd brainiacally attractive....not fair kaoru

• but u see . while u were starting to like him more than u had expected he was stuck in one place

• his brain kept yelling at him to do smthg abt his crush but also he didnt want to be a douche yk.... he alrdy has a reputation of being a playboy but he!!!!! genuinely likes u!!!!!!

• so he just never does anything. keeps pining for u. (loser)

• nd at one point when u guys were at a cafe sitting inside bcs it was just v hot outside nd also no one was there

• so ur just like . casually .

• "hey kaoru do u wanna date?"

• nd he looks up at u. thinks abt it a lil. then goes RED

• like not just red he goes RED. w the caps lock on

• poor boy has been pining after u for so long.....give him like a lil kiss or so pls...

• "i- i uhm- u- u like me...?"

• hes Struggling

• it's so visible it physically hurts so u go sit beside him , grab his face, nd give him a smooch

• u pull away, his face still in ur hands, nd hes leaning into ur touch when u say

• "yes. i like u. let's go out?"

• nd he gives u the biggest grin nd kisses u back (#kaoru1stwin)

• but the pining doesnt stop even after yall start dating LMAO

• usually hes v confident that hes dating u. definitely boasts abt it to his friends

• izumi's Sick N Tired of his ramblings

• koga has threatened to smash a guitar (not his. just someone's) on kaoru's head if he keeps talking abt u for the nth time

• unfortunately he doesnt stop

• u see....hes a lil puppy in love

• but a hidden one

• in front of ppl hes SOOOOO CLINGY. STICKS TO U LIKE A GUM

• LOVES PDA. KISSES U IN THE PUBLIC

• expect him to latch onto u more (holds u by the waist, playing w ur fingers) if someone tries to hit on u

• when u get home expect him to be whiny but dw give him loads of kisses he'll be fine after that!!!!!

• u guys still go to cafes !!!! except this time kaoru has enough courage to call them dates

• would go to cafes that yall used to go to when yall hadnt dated yet nd would be like "i used to sot here nd w every sip of my coffee id do the 'y/n loves me, y/n loves me not' thing....nd the coffee would always end at 'y/n loves me not'....i think the coffee is bullying me y/n"

• DO U SEE WHAT I MEAN WHEN I SAY HES A STUPID LIL PINING IDIOT!!!!!!!!!! THIS IS SO EMBARAZZING KAORU

• "bully Nd liar!!!!! bcs look im here as ur s/o now :D"

• expect ur face to be peppered in kisses after u say that no kaoru does not care abt the ppl that r staring at him rn (on kaoru's behalf, im so sorry fellow customers (⌣_⌣”))

• would take u to the bookstore every anniversary!!!!!! nd then reenact the first time he met u

• "kaoru this is the third time im seeing u reenact this pls"

• "nd u'll have to see me reenact it again!!!!!!!!!"

• overrall hes a big whiny simp. save urself /j

[a-texas]

stardew is pretty good!!! super super time consuming... literally every time ive played on my switch ive clocked 3 hours in it. in just one sitting 😞 youve played acnh??!!! its been pretty grindy to me lately so ive kinda been takin a break but!! do u wanna be friends on the switch!!!!

n that makes sense ill try that!! ive just kinda been vibin in hateno(??) village recently... that kinda area?? i didnt know how- wait hold on i have an idea nvm opening botw rn 🏃‍♀️

n thats fair!!!! n ok ive heard of sea of thieves but i dont really know the premise?? i mean pirates right? but like- idk whfkfmshjd

I like grinded the crap out of ACNH when it first came out for like 3 fucking months or so and then I haven't touched it since 😭 I did so much work on my island and then took a big break lol

And Hateno village is literally where I am rn on my new run through, I really like the music there

And I wouldn't mind adding you on switch!! I'll get my friend code in a bit bed is comfy uwu

And Sea of Thieves is like SUPER fun if you know what to expect, it's basically pirate and you do everything on the ship from moving the sails, raising them lowering them, turning them, steering the ship/shooting the cannons and stuff as well as gathering materials in case other players try to mess with you but you essentially just pirate for the aesthetic since that's all there really is in the game lol there's no like upgrades or anything just different cosmetics and titles 😅 I recently hit pirate legend on SoT so I've been playing nonstop cause I gotta flex on the other pirates lmao

[imagines-forthe-soul]

nsfw alphabet for our favorite naked boy mirio? ;3c

Mirio Togata:

A = Aftercare (What they’re like after sex):

He is a little over the top when it comes to aftercare. He does all that he can to make sure that you are okay after sex, fussing over you and checking you over for any bruises or welt he may have caused. If he finds any, he kisses each one at least ten times before fussing over you some more. He will then ask if you need a bath or any food or water to help you feel more relaxed as he takes you to the bathroom to help you pee before carrying you back to the bed and laying you down to give you a full body massage You’ll have to tell him to stop and force him to lay down next to you in order to calm him down or else he’ll go on all night long worrying over you.

B = Body part (Their favourite body part of theirs and also their partner’s):

ON himself, he likes his scars the most. I know it isn’t exactly a body part, but he loves the way his scars look on him and how they feel. They are a constant reminder of all the hard work he has been putting in to become a hero. He will often subconsciously run his fingers over his scare with a light smile on his face, proud of how he got them and looking forward to more he is sure to get when he ends up saving people in need. He also loves it when you pay attention to his scars, running your fingers along them or kissing and praising him for them.

On you, he loves your stomach the most. He loves how soft/hard it feels when he puts his hands around your waist to hold you close. He loves being able to run his hands up and down your waist when he holds you, pressing his fingers into your skin to feel the warmth there, or resting his head against the skin of your stomach and falling asleep there.

C = Cum (Anything to do with cum basically… I’m a disgusting person)

He is a little nervous when it comes to cumming in or on you basically because he thinks it’s disrespectful to just cum on you without a care and doesn’t want to put a hold on either of your careers and progress in becoming heroes if he gets you pregnant after cumming in you. Usually, he will finish in his hand or onto the bed as to not disrespect you, but after some coaxing and convincing, he will cum on you, more so on your stomach and thighs because he loves the way his cum looks on you like that.

D = Dirty Secret (Pretty self explanatory, a dirty secret of theirs)

He really wants to fuck you through a glory hole. He doesn’t know exactly where the urge came from, but he can’t get it out of his mind. He can imagine you with your legs spread for him, pussy drenching wet and the top half of your body hidden from his view as he fucks you. He will probably never tell you of this desire of his since it’s a little out of his usual character and he doesn’t want to scare you off, but if you somehow find out about it and you’re on board then he will be a happy camper.

E = Experience (How experienced are they? Do they know what they’re doing?)

He doesn’t have any physical experience but he does know what he is doing. He has taken sex ed classes and has done some of his own personal ‘research’ to know enough general information on how to please someone. The first few times you both have sex, it will be a little awkward and a few mistakes will be made, but eventually Mirio will get better… and I mean a whole lot better. When he has finally figured out exactly what you do like and what pleases you the most, he will love you down so hard you will think you would have died and gone to heaven.  

F = Favourite Position (This goes without saying. Will probably include a visual)

He loves any position that allows him to spoon you or see your face. He is all about slow and passionate love making that makes you both feel good at the same time. Usually he will have you both on your sides, legs tangled in one anothers as you both put in work to please each other, hips colliding together, hands roaming each other’s bodies and lips locked in a heated kiss. Other times, he will have you on top of him, either thrusting up into you or having you ride him. He loves being able to see each time the pleasure grips you by the looks on your face when you two are like this, looking up at you like you are some angel for only him to see and feel like this.

G = Goofy (Are they more serious in the moment, or are they humorous, etc)

Mirio has a tendency to be rather goofy during sex, but it never ruins the mood! He loves seeing you smile and laugh even when you two are tangled in each other’s limbs. He thinks you look so beautiful like that, smiling through your moans and laughing as he thrusts himself into you. If it’s by a silly mistake he made or because he cracked a light joke, he won’t mind as long as you’re smiling.

H = Hair (How well groomed are they, does the carpet match the drapes, etc.)

He keeps himself neatly trimmed down there. He doesn’t like the itchy feeling he gets when his pubic hair rubs against his clothes too often or when the hairs get caught in his zipper. Also, having long pubic hair doesn’t look all that heroic when it’s  poking out through his pretty tight hero costume. He will give himself a trim every other week to keep things at bay. However, he doesn’t mind if you are a little on the hairier side.

I = Intimacy (How are they during the moment, romantic aspect…)

He is pretty romantic and intimate when it comes to having sex with you. He is all about setting the mood and building things up between you both until you can’t keep your hands off each other. Candles, rose petals, sot music, dim lights, he goes all out to make things sensual yet comfortable for you both to enjoy one another.

J = Jack Off (Masturbation headcanon)

He doesn’t do it too much, not really seeing the point if he has you to help him out every once in a while. He rather just have sex if he is feeling a pretty strong urge for pleasure. Though, if you aren’t around and he can’t control himself, he will give in to his body’s need to release some tension and will masturbate, but never for too long. He finds that he doesn’t feel as satisfied as he normally feels after having sex with you  when he masturbates .

K = Kink (One or more of their kinks)

Mutual masturbation

Praising (both giving and receiving)

Massages

Nipple play

Impregnation

L = Location (Favourite places to do the do)

He is game to do it anywhere around the house. On the kitchen counter, on the floor of the living room, in the pantry, or on the bed. Having sex all around the house is both fun and exciting and he likes being able to change things up a bit. However, his ultimate place to have sex is against your bedroom door. He loves being able to hold you up and fuck you against the door, finding it incredibly hot and sexy to do so.

M = Motivation (What turns them on, gets them going)

Seeing you being motherly to Eri or anyone else really. He loves seeing you take care of people, being affectionate and loving towards everything one around you. If you have natural motherly instincts then he is going to be so taken with you. It’s one of the most womanly things a woman can do and he will be pretty turned on by it. He’ll want to have children with you on the spot just to see you take care of and fuss over them.

N = NO (Something they wouldn’t do, turn offs)

I know it’s rather cliche to say by now, but he will not do anything that involves hurting you in any way. He will get turned off rather quickly if he ends up hurting you during sex and will stop instantly to tend to whatever is hurting you, tears in his eyes and mind screaming at him that he isn’t worthy to be with you for hurting you in such a way.

O = Oral (Preference in giving or receiving, skill, etc)

He is pretty excited when it comes to giving you head. It means he gets to focus only on you and your pleasure and that excites him. He’ll spend as long as you want him to between your thighs, giving you very messy yet very enthusiastic head and will leave you seeing stars. When it comes to receiving head, he’d rather you do so only if and when you want to. He feels like it’s  rude to have you give him head or like he is pressuring you into doing it so he would rather you do it on your own accord rather than him asking you to do it.

P = Pace (Are they fast and rough? Slow and sensual? etc.)

He is all about being slow and sensual when it comes to sex. He loves the buildup of sex just as much as he loves the finish. He wants to take his time to explore and pleasure your body as you do the same thing for him.

Q = Quickie (Their opinions on quickies rather than proper sex, how often, etc.)

He isn’t all that big on quickies, wanting to be able to actually feel and pleasure your body rather than just getting off to get off. Though he does know that you both are pretty busy, so sometimes when you only have a few moments to spare before you have to get back to your respective tasks, a quickie will be pretty good to have before you both have to go yet another long period without seeing or touching each other.

R = Risk (Are they game to experiment, do they take risks, etc.)

He isn’t too opposed to trying out new things in the bedroom as long as they are both safe for the both of you to try. He will be open to most things and will even come to liking them, wanting to add each new thing to sex a lot more often if you’re okay with it.

S = Stamina (How many rounds can they go for, how long do they last…)

He lasts a pretty average amount of time being 15 minutes, give or take. As for how many rounds he can go for, it’s all up to you and what you’re capable of doing. He could go on for at least three rounds, but will stop once you have.

T = Toy (Do they own toys? Do they use them? On a partner or themselves?)

Toys are never really something he thought of before but he would be down to use some. They can be used on him or on you as long as you both are enjoying each other. He will let you use a strap-on or dildo on him no problem as long as you’re having fun.

U = Unfair (how much they like to tease)

He can’t really tease you that much because he ends up feeling. He doesn’t want to deny you of what you want for too long and will usually give in to you after he has teased you for a bit.

V = Volume (How loud they are, what sounds they make)

Mirio is all gasps, whimpers,and moans. They aren’t exactly loud or anything but they do sound pretty nice in the moment. Hearing him moan your name as he gets closer and closer to finishing is too sexy to put into words.

W = Wild Card (Get a random headcanon for the character of your choice)

He has a birthmark in the shape of a misshapen heart right above his butt that people usually believe to be a tattoo tramp stamp. He finds it pretty embarrassing to have to explain it to people all the time and he is a little self conscious about it.

X = X-Ray (Let’s see what’s going on in those pants, picture or words)

He is a big boi. He is of average length but man is it girthy. He has plenty of power in that schlong of his and its going to be a pretty tight fit when he penetrates you no matter how many times you both have sex. He is uncircumcised and his dick leans a little more to the left.

Y = Yearning (How high is their sex drive?)

He is a pretty average sex drive for a teen boy. He gets his usual urges but only ever acts on them unless he knows you’re in the mood too or come to him first. He can go a pretty long time without sex but he does get a little cranky without it. Having sex at least once a week is good for him.

Z = ZZZ (… how quickly they fall asleep afterwards)

He only goes to sleep once you’ve forced him by your side and calmed him down from all his worrying and fussing. You’ll have to caress him and kiss him up before he finally calms down and feels at peace before he actually falls asleep with his head on your chest.

[shadowphoenixrider]

Why N’Zoth should have been behind BFA’s War

Okay so I’ve been thinking this for a day or so now, and I’m gonna just dump my thoughts here.

In this essay, I’m gonna make the argument that I think N’Zoth should have been behind the war in BFA. It’s gonna be long as shit, FYI. Here we go.

It’s no secret that opinions on BFA’s story have been...mixed. Some think it’s a garbage fire, others think it’s okay but not stellar. Some bits of BFA’s story, such as Jaina’s arc I find very well done, whilst others are very...below average, must try harder.

I think the main problem is the overarching storyline running through the entire expansion. It feels very disjointed, like many self-contained narratives sort of strapped onto one another into what looks like a storyline, if you squint.

Contrast this with Legion’s story. What was the primary conceit of the expansion? The Legion’s back and we have to stop them. Great! A nice solid story maypole we can pivot events around. Everything the patches introduced tied back to this core story ideal:

Return to Karazhan: some freaky shit is going down in Medivh’s digs and we think the Legion is behind it. Stop them!

Tomb of Sargeras: Time to get to Tomb and stop the Legion from pouring in!

Argus: You know what, we need to stop the Legion Once And For All (maybe)! Time for a cataclysmic showdown on the Legion’s homeworld!

Even the Insurrection storyline held closely to the Legion storyline, since the demons had control of the city and a Titan MacGuffin we needed, so we had to help the Nightfallen boot them out.

Now, BFA has at first glance, a good premise. All-out war between the Alliance and Horde, whilst Azeroth bleeds underneath us. That seems pretty good, right? Yes, it is, but there is a problem; the status quo.

The trouble with wars, especially really big ones (like world wars), is that by their nature, they upset the status quo. The WoW status quo is both the Alliance and Horde is, in the lore’s eyes, on equal footing. Problem with this all out war is that someone’s gotta lose - but no faction can lose because that upsets the status quo.

Thus, the story has already lost its running shoes because it can’t change anything drastically at the end. There’s still got to be a Horde and an Alliance - now, Mists of Pandaria managed to end an Alliance/Horde war in a fairly convincing stalemate because of Garrosh. Since he was deposed and he was the instigator of a large portion of Bad Stuff, people could sort of understand Varian letting the Horde survive under the threat that they’d get their asses thoroughly beaten if they did anything bad again.

This did not work a second time. Why did it not work a second time?

That’ll be because Sylvanas burned down Teldrassil, which pretty much accounts to genocide. Now, Garrosh pretty much dropped Azeroth’s equivalent of a nuclear bomb on Theramore, and that was made a very big deal of, but Sylvanas decided to take a leaf from the Bombing of Dresden and add some fire to her war crime. And thus, a very large petard is hoisted around BFA’s neck.

The image of a burning Teldrassil is almost certainly a very shocking, very dramatic one, and I’m pretty sure that’s why Blizzard chose to do it. It’s certainly a very big, risky move in the terms of story that could have elevated it. The quest to try and save the citizens of Teldrassil as it burns is truly harrowing and excellent in how it underscores the hopelessness of the task.

The thing with the burning of Teldrassil is it has colossal consequences, and the story did not handle it with the gravitas it deserved. After that moment, you cannot bring the Alliance and Horde to a happy peace - the Horde has done an undeniably awful, inexcusable thing, and yet the Alliance will apparently look the other way and sign a peace treaty with them now Saurfang is dead and Sylvanas has run off to make Shadowlands happen.

So already we’re in trouble from War of the Thorns, which was not helped at all by Blizzard devs playing a ‘who burned the tree’ game only to reveal that it was always Sylvanas, she did it because she meant to do it. This did nothing but upset and annoy people (me included), which started everything off with a sour taste in our mouths.

Next stop is the attack on Undercity, which is good if not for the inexplicable stupidity of the Alliance not perhaps thinking that Sylvanas would use the Blight against them, after they just witnessed her burn Tedrassil down. And knowing she dumped Blight on Gilneas.

Despite these slip-ups, we’re keeping up this feeling of all-out war. The Horde gets word that Talanji and Zul are stuck in jail, let’s rescue them and get the Zandalari on our side to beat the shit out of the Alliance! The Alliance, not to be out done, decide to go get the Kul Tirans.

And that’s when the story fractures. The stories on Zandalar and Kul Tiras are kinda understandably divorced from the main war, but they’re so divorced as to be almost completely outside of it. The only signs of it outside the War Campaign are the Alliance sailors scrapping in Talanji’s Rebuke that you find in a non-essential side-quest, and the shoehorning of the Horde into the Stormsong questline, which then proceeds to break the latter questlines when the bloody quilboar seem to appear out of nowhere and become the main baddy (what?!).

It took the advent of 8.1 for Faction Assaults to start occurring and making us feel like all-out war, but it seemed a little too late. There was the attack on Dazar’alor that pushed the war narrative, but it was starting to get tangled up with the ‘Sylvanas is Bad Warchief, we must remove her. Or not...?’ storyline with Saurfang, which fell back onto ‘the Horde isn’t bad, it’s the Warchief who is!’ which 1, we’d already had in MoP, and it wasn’t a fun feeling that time either, and 2, it’s not really a good excuse after a genocide.

So Horde politics start, which are sort of interesting to Horde players, but not Alliance players, who only have Tyrande being understandably pissed at losing her home and people and going to wreak havoc to be content with. Well, if by ‘wreak havoc’ you mean ‘kill a val’kyr and somehow get beaten by Nathanos and then get shelved for orc drama later’. Salt was rubbed into this wound when a dev said that Tyrande had ‘got revenge for Teldrassil’ with this, which went down badly.

Now, there has been Old God stuff rumbling throughout the expansion up to this point, granted, but you can count on one hand the amount of times it was given a shit about. Only when Crucible of Storms comes out does N’Zoth do a proper ‘hey guys I’m a bad guy!’ thing, and he actually starts to slither into centre stage.

8.2 begins, when Azshara comes to kick our ass and free N’Zoth, and that’s when the tried and true ‘factions unite vs. the Big Bad’ trope comes out (as everyone and their mother predicted it would), and both factions decide that maybe they should focus against Azshara and her Old God master. But before N’Zoth beating, we need to boot out Sylvanas because she’s mean and burned a lot of innocent people.

8.2.5 arrives, everyone goes and makes angry faces at Sylvanas, Saurfang dies dramatically, Anduin and Jaina look pretty, and Sylvanas flies away angrily. Congrats guys, we did it! Now for some peace. Ignoring the fact Teldrassil is still ash, and Rastakhan is still dead (and the Zandalari are pissed about that), so it should be less ‘peace’ and more ‘polite ceasefire’.

And now it’s 8.3 and suddenly N’Zoth’s everywhere! And we’re going to kill him at the end of this patch and...that’s it. Next stop, Shadowlands. That big bad we’ve been hinting for a long, long time got a single patch to wave his tentacles and then he was very dead. Even worse, his big arrival was completely overshadowed by Shadowlands’ announcement. Ooof.

With all these things, BFA’s story feels like it set off without knowing where it was going to end up, except that maybe N’Zoth was involved and Sylvanas would ditch the Horde. So it bumbled around, making weird choices, and then wrapped up plotlines far too quickly. The war felt after Dazar’alor that it was about to escalate, what with Rastakhan’s death and Talanji’s ascent to Queen. Instead, it suddenly paused before deciding it was going to end so quickly I think it gave us whiplash, just so we could fight N’Zoth as an united front. So of.

As a result, we have plotholes still yawning open, very unsatisfying endings, as well a perpetual conflict between Alliance and Horde on every public forum imaginable - Alliance aggrieved that Blizzard has ignored them yet again in the story department, except when they wanted a shocking stunt, whilst the Horde is upset that they’ve been hit the ‘villain’ stick again, except this time it was a fucking bludgeon, and we’re getting very tired of this now please stop. This isn’t helped by all the foreshadowing of the faction lines either dissolving or loosening up during the coup against Sylvanas, and then Blizzard just going ‘yeah nah can’t do that, gotta preserve the status quo’.

So, how can we improve this by adding N’Zoth? Well, remember the core premise of Legion and stopping them? Repeat that with N’Zoth. It is simple, but we can give it its sweet twist - we’ve got to stop N’Zoth, because he’s not only trying to corrupt Azeroth. He’s also playing the Alliance and Horde against each other so they can’t stop him.

Immediately that makes N’Zoth the Big Bad, and also underscores the point of We Do Not Want Him To Get Out of His Cage, which makes the fact he does get out a big OH F*CK moment. Not that it isn’t already in current BFA, but can you imagine the gutclenching despair you’d feel as you’d done everything in your power to stop this from happening, and yet it’s happening anyway? Now you’d know what Khadgar felt like when the Tomb of Sargeras opened - and you’d know that you’ve got to do everything you can to put this right.

Let’s go back to the beginning, only this time we dial the Void stuff up. We begin the War of Thorns with the factions already tensed up re: Azerite, with preliminary scraps over it and what looked like the Alliance attempting a coup over some of the Forsaken (HEY BLIZZARD STOP PUTTING LORE LIKE THAT IN BOOKS AND NOT REFERRING TO IT INGAME KTHANKS). A tenuous peace, to be certain, which could only be made worse by Old God agitators, stirring up unrest in the factions.

As much as I would prefer the Horde not being the instigator in all the bad stuff, N’Zoth is the only variable I changed in this equation, so with unrest and some intel that makes it look like the night elves are making a move either to cut off Azerite production, or funnel it through Teldrassil, the Horde strikes at Ashenvale and Darkshore, instigating the War of Thorns.

Things look to be going normally, but you as the Champion notice Old God stuff lurking about and ‘hey this looks like what was happening before the Cataclysm- Oh. Oh no!’. You try to bring evidence that this is a set-up to the people in charge, but it’s escalating out of control. Night elves are dug in so deeply that the Horde has to set fires in the forests to get them to move, which causes retaliation, which gets Saurfang involved who critically injures Malfurion, but before the final blow Tyrande punts him into next week and maybe at this point someone goes: ‘wait hold up what do you mean there’s not Azerite over here’.

We stumble over to Sylvanas to try and tell her ‘no wait we’re being played’, but she takes this as misinformation and or a bluff, and fires a couple of catapaults to show she ain’t fucking kidding at Teldrassil. A couple. Enough to cause a ‘I mean business fire’, but since Teldrassil is in the fucking sea and I would assume almost always damp around its lower regions (you’re allowed a snigger at that), it’s not going to set the entire thing ablaze.

Except it does, because of N’Zoth’s minions in the Horde (and Alliance, probably), who fan the sparks with wind and feed them with power. Alternatively, we could have naga rise from the depths to set some Azerite-infused fires too, just to foreshadow Azshara coming onto the scene later.

With Teldrassil engulfed, everyone is shocked, including Sylvanas, who really didn’t intend this to happen at all (and is pissed because there goes her bargaining chip). The Alliance of course declare all-out war on the Horde because how dare they, whilst the Horde is briefly paralyzed with shock.

Saurfang and the others yell ‘how could you?!’ at Sylvanas, who yells back ‘that wasn’t part of the plan!’ and also something along the lines of ‘why the fuck didn’t you tell me the intel was shifty before this happened?!’ before going: ‘well it’s happened now, so we best gear up and stomp the Alliance into the dirt or we’re all going to die’.

Meanwhile people are going: ‘yeah but what about the influences of darker things going on? maybe we should do something about this’ with the answers being: ‘shut the fuck up, they set fire to Teldrassil’/’shut the fuck up, do you really think the Alliance is going to stop after what just happened’?

So it’s a race against time to try and get the factions to turn against N’Zoth instead of ripping each other apart before horrible shit starts happening and we’re all royally in the shit.

Everything happens pretty much as is from there, except we get some explanation for the lack of gas masks being ‘oh no our totally legit sources told us the Blight hasn’t been stockpiled in large quantities, we’ll send infiltration teams to neutralise it’. Only to find out that this is not the case of course and N’Zoth cackles some more. Sylvanas and Saurfang have an argument leading to Sylvanas booting him out and Saurfang getting captured by the Alliance despite the orc wanting death.

Everything goes as is from there, with Zul kinda trying to get Talanji killed because N’Zoth, in a mirror of Ashvane/Jaina. Just this time, we’re pushing the Void angle hard. They’ve both got their hands (or tentacles, rather) deep into Kul Tiras (Azshara) and Zandalar (G’huun), so it only makes sense to amplify their nonsense.

Over time people higher up the chain pick up the fact that N’Zoth’s doing this on purpose, but bad shit keeps happening so the Alliance and Horde can’t put aside their differences because both sides are doing genuinely bad things to each other! Yes, including the Alliance! Sylvanas is doubling down because she wants to survive this, and the only way she knows how is to utterly destroy her opposition. When she sees parts of the Horde begin to lose faith, she gets pissed because this is not the fucking time and this is the only way to stop the Alliance damnit.

Similar stuff happens in the Alliance, with Tyrande understandably going on a rampage against the Horde with Genn in tow, whilst Anduin and the others try to pump the brakes as they see N’Zoth’s tentacles looming everywhere.

Everything reaches a hecking climax when Azshara shows up and one thing leads to another, and N’Zoth comes bursting out, prompting an ‘OH SHIT’ moment. I’m thinking during Nazjatar, the small Alliance/Horde forces there ally, and when they’re just about to do something useful, the bigger kids show up going: ‘what the fuck are you traitors doing?!’ and during the argument, Azshara steals the Heart of Azeroth and unlocks N’Zoth’s prison, which leads everyone to realize ‘bollocks, we were played’.

Anduin can bring most of his Alliance forces to a standstill, and begs Tyrande and Genn to help him vs. N’Zoth. Tyrande tells him where he can stick it, but Genn is persuaded, though he says he’s going after the Horde as soon as N’Zoth is downed.

The Horde does the same to Sylvanas, but she knows as soon as N’Zoth is down, the Alliance will have her head, and especially when she realizes Tyrande’s still out there, she stands her ground. When a good portion of her powerbase decide on the temporary ceasefire to go after N’Zoth, however, Sylvanas tells them to piss off, and ditches the Horde. Talanji does a Genn, knowing how bad the Old Gods are, but she’s still getting blood payment from Kul Tiras after this is done.

Thus, everyone finally turns their attention to the big bad, fully entrenched, and ready for this grand climax. after he’s been causing all this pain and suffering. The Alliance and Horde are splintered, each nursing legit grievances against the other, but standing together for a moment, as always.

Yes, it’s Cata and MoP dressed up in a different coat, but sometimes a simpler plot is easier. That and Cata was more the factions poking each other in the eyes a couple of times rather than all out war.

With N’Zoth as the instigator of the conflict in BFA, we get a big bad we must fight, and we understand more than he’s a legit threat - and that he knows how to weaken us, so he throws us in a battle against one another so he can win. Yet everything isn’t forgiven at the end - the status quo is sort of there, but the factions are more fractured than before. Crimes still need to be answered for, but doing so may cause more conflict and death.

Sylvanas is out there and pissed, and feels the only way she can survive is to subjugate everyone that could ever harm her and perhaps transcend death itself. This entirely speculation on my part, but a part of me thinks Sylvanas’ main driving force is ‘I’ve been through enough, not even death is a respite, I’m going to become so powerful no-one will control me - I will control fate myself if I must’, which is actually fairly tragic and does grant me sympathy for her (watch this not be her main motivator in canon tho).

Does this solve all of BFA’s problems? No, of course not. But I do think it would have improved the story, at least by managing to keep the story flowing in a more linear direction. You’ll notice that Saurfang has all but disappeared from the N’Zoth narrative, that’ll be because I wasn’t too sure what to do with him. I do like him as a character, but he was pushing the ‘only the Horde has story’ narrative, and I’m not too keen on that. He’d still be a main character pushing for fighting N’Zoth and dying in the end, but less of all the focus.

To those of you who got down here - congratulations and thank you! I went on a very, very long time. Hopefully I have written if not a persuasive argument, then at least an understandable one. This isn’t meant as a ‘Blizzard’s writing is terrible!’, because sometimes it isn’t, but as a ‘I think it would have been better if done this way’.

Thank you for reading, and I hope 2020 smiles upon us.

[blossom-hwa]

Hatred isn’t far from Love - TEN

This was the first story I ever wrote that I didn’t feel like was a total failure; I hope you enjoy it as much as I did!

Pairing: Ten x fem!reader

Genre: fluff, enemies to lovers, college!au

Word Count: 5.3k

Some people are really just inconsiderate.

Especially people like your next-door dorm neighbor who won't stop playing his or her modern pop or rock or whatever music until one in the fucking morning.

And because you're a classical musician, you can't practice for shit.

It’s really annoying and you can't stand it anymore.

NCT Masterlist

Once again, you picked up your violin, gritting your teeth as you gripped the bow as hard you could without breaking it.

Your neighbor was being insufferable, as always. It seemed that every time you decided to practice, he or she would decide it was the perfect time to blast some rock or pop or whatever that you could hear through the thin walls of your dorms.

Needless to say, it was horrid.

Needless to say, you could rarely practice well.

Needless to say, you wanted to give your neighbor a piece of your mind.

You rested your bow on your violin, getting ready to try again.

Bach is the only thing that matters. 

Taking a deep breath, you closed your eyes and opened them again, staring at the sheet music in front of you. You lifted the bow.

And you began to play.

For five blessed minutes, you could only hear yourself play. No construction. No cars honking. Best of all, no music from next door.

But blessings never last.

A car honked five minutes into the piece.

It was okay. You could ignore that.

Another five minutes in, the obnoxious music from next door started again.

It wasn't okay. You couldn't ignore that.

So you gritted your teeth and stomped out of your dorm, still in your ratty clothes with your violin and bow in hand, and rapped on their door, one, two, three times.

The music abruptly turned off, and you heard a banging inside.

Before you could register the what the fuck that ran through your mind, the door opened, revealing a young man about your age, rubbing his hip.

In no mood to be polite, you pointed your bow at him and snapped, "I'm sorry for my rudeness, but do you know how fucking hard it is to practice violin or piano when your neighbor is blasting loud pop songs at ungodly hours of the night?"

Your neighbor simply stared at you, a smirk slowly creeping up his lips. "No, I don't. I've never had that problem," he drawled, eyeing you as though challenging you to something.

"Great. Don't care. Would you mind turning down the music? Please? Or at least can you fucking tell me when you're going to play your music so I can practice when you're not?" You dropped the hand with your bow and glared at him.

He pretended to think about it.

"How about no."

Oh my fucking god.

"I will go in there and break your speakers myself if that's what it takes," you growled, raising your bow.

"What, with that flimsy little bow?" He scoffed.

In response, you whipped around and stormed back into your own room.

What an insufferable, obnoxious, shitty, all-around rude fucking idiot, you thought as you put away the violin. It was obvious you weren't going to have any more practice time that night.

As if to accentuate that point, the music began playing again, this time coupled with the voice of your neighbor singing the lyrics to "Gangnam Style."

You buried your head under the covers of your bed, trying to block out the noise with your sheets and pillows.

How the fuck has he not gotten a noise complaint yet?

. . . . .

You got up early the next day just so you could go to the music department and make up for lost practice time the day before. After telling your professor about your predicament, she'd given you a pair of spare keys so you had access to a practice room at all times. You used them liberally.

You dragged yourself out of bed and started brewing coffee. When it was ready, you poured it into a thermos cup and left for university with your backpack and violin case.

You walked out of your dorm, as expected. You sipped on your coffee, as you expected. You stuffed a cereal bar into your mouth, as expected.

What you didn't expect was to see your neighbor coming out of his own dorm a couple seconds after you'd locked your own.

Oh god, no. Please, no.

You turned quickly, trying to walk away without arousing his attention, but it was too late.

"Yo! Violin girl!"

Violin girl?

With an audible sigh, you turned around, meeting eyes with your hated neighbor.

"Y/N." Your voice was flat and monotone.

"What?"

"My name is Y/N. Not 'violin girl.'" You turned around again.

"My name's Ten!" he yelled as you walked away.

What kind of fucking name is Ten?

. . . . .

You were dead tired when you got back to the dorm, lugging your violin case and backpack as though they weighed a hundred pounds each.

This is all that idiot's fault, if he wasn't playing his stupid music then I wouldn't have had to wake up so early to go to the stinking music department--

"Hey, what's up?"

Speak of the devil.

"May you always get up from your computer with your headphones still attached," you deadpanned, not even looking up at your neighbor.

You really had to stop referring to him as neighbor. As he said, his name was Ten.

You still didn't know what the fuck kind of name that was.

You felt a hand on your shoulder, turning you around. "So that's how you want to play?" Ten asked, his eyes narrowing.

"Don't fucking touch me," you spat, shoving his hand off. He kept scrutinizing you.

"May you sit on a cactus," he finally said, walking into his own room.

I don't even own a stinking cactus.

. . . . .

To your immense displeasure, you saw Ten more and more around university campus. What was strange was that you'd never seen him around before. It was only after you started spitting insults at each other that you saw him everywhere.

If you were in the music department, he was in the front, joking around with his friends. If you were getting a cup of hot chocolate from the campus café, he was nearby, chatting with someone or hanging around with his earbuds in.

And to your surprise, he was actually in your composition class.

You had never, not once noticed him before. But there he was. And apparently he'd been there all year.

Of course, if you saw him, he saw you too.

"Hey, Y/N. Having a good day?" he would yell from across the room. Depending on how you felt, you would ignore him, flip him off, or yell something back.

It was usually one of the latter two.

You found out he was a dance major, and a pretty damn good one too. Which made it hard to hate him as much, because you really did admire hardworking people.

But then he’d spit something stupid out of his mouth and you would be reminded exactly why you hated him so much.

He never did stop playing the music so loudly, so you ended up basically moving into the music department, only returning to your dorm if you absolutely had to.

. . . . .

In Ten's defense, you were the one that was rude first. He would've gladly stopped playing the music so loudly if you'd asked nicely.

Maybe.

Plus, it was fun to see you so ticked off.

You were the reason his hip hurt, anyway. When you knocked, he'd bumped hard into the side of his bed. That was another justification for annoying you to no end.

Basically, it was fun for him to push your buttons.

Speaking of which, he hadn't seen you around the dorms as much. Maybe his music really had chased you out.

(Fun fact: it kinda had.)

(Another fun fact: you just happened to be there that night.)

Ten found out the second fun fact when he heard the sounds of a violin from next door. For a moment, he debated turning on the music just to piss you off, but he dismissed the idea. He didn't feel like getting up.

. . . . .

The ignorant sot had let you practice the night before. That meant a slightly happier Y/N that didn't need to get up as early or drink as much coffee.

Of course, that happiness flitted away when you saw said ignorant sot in your composition class.

This time, you sat in the back, trying to preserve your content mood for as long as possible. You took out your laptop, ready to work on your latest piece.

You actually made it through most of the class without interacting with Ten, who seemed to be busy with either working on his own project or talking with his friends.

Then at the end, as you were packing up, Ten sauntered over, waving at his friends to leave first.

"Had fun practicing last night?"

You rolled your eyes. "Yes, as a matter of fact, I did." You slung your backpack over your shoulder and tried to leave.

He blocked you. "I don't even get a thanks?" "No, you don't. I'd thank you if you'd done that more than once. But alas, it only happened yesterday, so I don't think you deserve much of anything."

Ten blew a sigh. "Wow. Rude."

"Wow. True," you countered. You shoved past him.

"You're welcome anyway!" you heard him shout.

. . . . .

A lot of things went downhill one Sunday.

First off, you'd accidentally left the keys to the practice room in the lock and your professor had been pretty pissed. So you no longer had the keys until you could prove yourself trustworthy again.

(Though you didn't get why she was taking the keys away because seriously, it was just one time.)

You were also on your monthly hell, and you spent a lot of your time ignoring everyone even more so than usual.

Finally, you had an evaluation on Monday, and because Ten wasn't letting you practice, you resorted to waking up in the wee hours of morning just to practice.

At that point, you were just running on coffee, energy bars, and ramen.

You were tired out of your mind.

Which is probably why you didn't hear the knocking on your door the first time. You were too immersed in the Mozart sonatas you were going to be playing for your piano evaluation. You still had to practice your violin piece.

You finally heard when the knocks came again, this time louder and more persistent. Dragging your sorry self off of your makeshift piano bench (really just a chair with a cushion on it), you opened the door, blinking blearily.

In the doorway stood Ten, looking equally tired and ruffled.

How did he still manage to look so good even at this time -

"What," you mumbled, yawning.

"You look terrible," was the first thing he said.

You let out another humongous yawn in response.

"Anyway, are you seriously going to play Mozart at -" he checked his phone - "two in the morning?"

You choked back another yawn before actually answering. "Have evaluations tomorrow. Lost key to practice room because Mrs. Ji is pissed at me and you play music until twelve so I have to practice." You went to shut the door, but Ten stuck in his foot before you could close it completely.

"Go to sleep," he said, a strangely insistent tone in his voice. You shook your head. "Can't."

"No, seriously. Go to sleep. You're not doing yourself any favors if you're going to be as tired as this tomorrow," he said.

You rubbed your eyes. "Are you actually being nice to me?" you mumbled. To your surprise, Ten quirked the sides of his mouth up into a half-smile. "Yeah, I guess."

"M'kay. Lemme finish that last sonata, then I'll sleep."

This time, Ten let you shut the door.

. . . . .

The evaluation went well, if you were being modest.

If you were being truthful, it went great. Mrs. Ji even gave you back the practice room keys.

You went around campus that day, feeling pretty good, but you felt like you had to thank Ten for something. He did help you by making you sleep, you guessed.

So you sought him out, something you thought you'd never do.

"Hey, Ten," you called, striding up to him on the green lawn.

"Yeah, Y/N? Wanted to see my pretty face?"

Why am I doing this again?

You made a face. "No. But thanks for making me sleep last night. The evaluation went really well."

Ten nodded, suddenly serious. "I'm glad to hear that," he said, giving you a small smile. Unlike his other smirks, it really seemed to be genuine.

He's really got a nice smile.

You then noticed that you two were just staring at each other, his friends watching behind him curiously. "Um, I better go now. Thanks again." You coughed, backing away slightly. "Yeah," Ten agreed.

Were his ears red?

You didn't stick around to make sure.

. . . . .

Late one night, a knock sounded on the door of your dorm.

"Ten?"

"Y/N," he answered, looking anxious. "You said you had a key to a practice room before?" You slowly nodded, not sure where this was going.

"Could I borrow the key? I've currently got no room in my dorm because I just got a new desk and it came today and I have got to practice for the upcoming showcase," he said, all in a rush, glancing at you nervously but with a bit of hope.

You blinked uncertainly. "Um... I'm really not sure. I was going to go practice myself... and even if I let you go, I'm not sure what Mrs. Ji would think if I let someone take the keys," you said, scuffing your shoes against the carpet.

Ten deflated. "This is a long shot... but maybe... we could go together?" he offered.

He really must've been truly desperate, basically begging one of his half-enemies for a key to practice.

"How would that work out? You know I can't stand your booming music while I practice," you countered, leaning against the doorway.

"I don't know... you could like, practice for a bit, then I'll practice, and we can alternate or something?"

You thought long and hard. "Hell, why not," you finally said. Ten's face lit up.

"Thanks so much, Y/N."

. . . . .

When you two reached the music department building, you realized you'd never before seen Ten dance. The mere thought of it caused butterflies in your stomach, but you didn't know why.

"So, who goes first?" you asked as you unlocked the door. You swung it open, leading the way inside.

"Rock, paper, scissors?" Ten suggested. "Sure."

Closing your eyes, you shouted, "Rock, paper, scissors!" and thrust out a scissors. Ten held out rock.

"Damn. Alright, do whatever you're gonna do." You took out your laptop to finish an essay.

The booming music started, and you instinctively lifted your eyes up to watch the other person in the room.

Ten wasn't a good dancer.

He was a fucking amazing dancer.

His body twisted and turned in ways you couldn't imagine yourself doing, and each movement captured so much feeling and emotion that you couldn't help but keep watching, despite the word document in front of you.

When he finished, you couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. At what, you weren't sure, but it definitely had something to do with the panting boy in front of you.

"You finished?" you asked, acting as though you weren't absolutely amazed at his performance.

"Yeah," came the response.

You lifted yourself up, closing your laptop lid, before settling yourself at the piano in the room. You, too, were performing for the showcase as well. You would be playing two Mozart sonatas.

The first, K 570, was your favorite out of all those he'd written. You had no problem finishing it, unaware of Ten's gaze on your back.

Your content smile slowly disappeared as you concentrated on the next piece at hand.

K 576.

It was as though each time you practiced it, you couldn't make it through without at least one small stumble, one missed note, or one wrong rhythm. You didn't know what was wrong with you, and had twice pleaded with Mrs. Ji to change the piece, but she was relentless. You had to play it.

So, taking a deep breath, you started.

This time, though you never turned back, you became increasingly aware of Ten's stare piercing through your backside.

You finished the first movement without making any technical mistakes (thankfully) and turned around to tell him off. "Ten, can you quit staring?"

"You looked really stiff while playing that one. Not nearly as relaxed as the first piece you played," he said, without preamble.

You cringed. "Well, I wasn't nearly as relaxed as when I played the first piece," you muttered.

"Just relax. You're a good pianist. You'll do fine." At that, Ten dropped his gaze, choosing to take another sip from his water bottle.

"It's not that easy," you said under your breath. Still, you took the time to calm your breathing before starting the second movement.

Somehow, you felt lighter.

So you let go.

The second movement went by without a hitch. Then came the third.

You glided through the first half easily, but you couldn't help but tense up when that one part that gave you nightmares came up. You just barely made it through without fumbling.

Content with your performance, you slid off the bench to watch Ten practice again.

. . . . .

As you two walked back to the dorms near midnight, you broke the silence. "You're a really great dancer," you mumbled, slightly embarrassed.

"Thanks. You're not half bad at piano yourself," Ten said, flashing you a quick grin that you almost didn't catch.

"Well, I'd fucking hope so, considering I've been playing for over ten years," you snipped back. "And I'd hope I was a good dancer, considering I've been dancing for over ten years," he quipped.

You huffed.

. . . . .

Things didn't change much after that night.

The showcase came and went. You both did well, earning countless praises from the music department professors.

You told Ten to go die in a hole.

He told you to sit on your violin and hopefully break it.

Fun stuff.

All in all, the semester ended pretty normally.

A couple new students came in in the next semester. One was a student from your sister university in China, a cute boy named Sicheng. Another was a fairy-looking boy named Taeyong.

(Seriously. The kid had unbelievable looks.)

Within a week, Taeyong had become friends with Ten, and Sicheng had gravitated towards you. You quickly learned that Sicheng was a huge savage, just that his Korean wasn't that great so he couldn't express his feelings all the time.

You and Sicheng were at the café together one day in between classes when Ten and a couple of his friends came in. Sicheng saw your unamused face and asked what was up.

"I don't have the best relationship with Ten," was your succinct answer.

"Ten? The dancer? But he's so nice! And he's good at dancing!" Sicheng exclaimed, confused.

"Yeah, hear that Y/N? Sicheng thinks I'm nice!"

You groaned.

"Sicheng, he's poisoning your thoughts. He's secretly Satan himself," you whispered to the Chinese boy. He looked back and forth between the two of you, not sure who to believe.

"He told me to sit on a cactus once," you added.

Sicheng looked at Ten weirdly. In his accented Korean, he said, "What kind of insult is that?"

You smirked at Ten.

"Hey, Y/N, but weren't you the one who told me that you hoped whenever I got up from my laptop my headphones would still be attached?"

Your smirk dropped off your face. "Don't insult my insults, you Thai idiot," you threatened.

Sicheng and Ten's friends (Was the other one's name Johnny?) were looking more and more amused by the minute.

"'Thai idiot.' Very creative," Ten deadpanned. "Says the one who called me 'Violin girl' at first," you snapped back.

By now, most of the students in the café were watching you two, but neither of you noticed.

"You're insufferable."

"You're a pain in the butt."

"You're obnoxious."

"Look who's talking!"

"You always act like you have a bow stuck up your ass."

"Go to hell, Ten!" You grabbed Sicheng's wrist and strode out of the café, face burning from anger and embarrassment.

Once you two were far enough away, you asked Sicheng's present opinion on Ten.

"I'll withhold judgement," he said, snickering, "because the two of you are pretty amusing when put together."

"How could you betray me like this--"

. . . . .

The war between you and Ten intensified after that. It was as though all the semi-nice moments between you had been forgotten, replaced by a constant barrage of mocking insults thrown at each other.

"You're horrible!"

"You're stupid!"

"You're dumb as fuck!"

"I'd rather be dumb than stupid!"

"They're the same thing what the fuck are you talking about -"

Yeah.

You camped out in the practice room nearly every night because Ten would not stop playing his stupid music until ungodly hours of the morning (aka two or three o-fucking-clock).

Then one day after finals, you fell sick, probably as a result of exhaustion and lack of adequate sustenance.

Or maybe Sicheng had just passed the cold he'd had onto you. Who knows.

Either way, you couldn't stay in the practice room anymore, because you couldn't take care of yourself properly there. Also, you wanted to sleep in your own bed for once.

Once you made it back to your room with Sicheng's help, you passed out on your bed. It was five in the afternoon.

You woke up at one am to the sound of some stupid heavy metal song from the room next to yours. You really didn't have the strength to care, so you just drank some water that Sicheng had left for you and huddled back under your covers.

In the morning, you were really no better. Sicheng wasn't picking up, so you stumbled out of your room yourself to go buy some meds.

And guess who you ran into?

Chitta-fucking-phon Leechaiyapornkul.

Burrowed into a too-big hoodie, you tried to just slide past him, but due to your newfound sickness, you were clumsier than before, so you failed.

"Y/N?"

"Back off, I'm not in the mood," you muttered, forging ahead. You were nearly at the store. Just a few more steps.

"You look dead," the boy remarked.

"I said, back off."

Then you tripped over air.

Ten caught you by the arm. "Dude, seriously. Are you sick or something?" he asked, forcing you to look him in the eyes.

"None of your business." You finally got into the store and started scouring the shelves for the meds you needed.

"Okay, yes, you're sick. Let me help," Ten said, grabbing your arm again. You struggled for a bit but eventually just leaned against him, pointing at random things you needed.

After you paid, Ten guided you back to the dorms. You were feeling lightheaded and dizzy enough that you didn't complain.

As you collapsed on your bed again, you mumbled a "Thanks" that you were sure Ten couldn't pick up.

Still, you heard a small laugh as someone (probably him, but you were so close to conking out that you didn't know what was going on at all) tucked a blanket over you.

. . . . .

Ten looked at your sleeping figure. You looked so peaceful and calm despite the wildness of your hair and the rumpled hoodie you were wearing.

Hard to believe you're the one spitting insults at me every other minute, he thought.

"You're welcome."

. . . . .

After a couple of days, you woke up, finally feeling well and refreshed again. You called up Sicheng to meet up at the campus café for some drinks.

You did see Ten along the way, but you avoided him. It still made you feel awkward whenever you thought of how he'd helped you when you went to get meds.

You had to thank him. Just not now.

"How'd you get the meds though?" Sicheng asked as you told him about your sickness. "I went myself, dumbass. Oh, Ten helped."

You probably shouldn't have added the second part.

"I swear, the two of you are like a goddamn couple sometimes," he muttered. You slapped his arm. "Don't think I didn't hear that, Dong Sicheng," you scolded. "Yes, Mother."

"I don't think Y/N's old enough to be a mother," someone quipped from behind you. You turned around.

The tall friend of Ten's (Johnny?) was looking at you, with Ten and Taeyong close behind. "You're right, I'm not," you said shortly.

"What aren't you?" Ten asked, his interest piqued.

"A mother," Sicheng supplied.

"What the fuck, Johnny?"

Okay, so his name was Johnny.

Ten then turned to you. "How're you feeling now, Y/N?" he asked, this time no trace of a smirk on his face. He only exuded genuine concern.

"Better," you mumbled, trying to look anywhere but towards him. "Thanks for helping me with the meds," you added as an afterthought.

"Whoa, dude, you helped Y/N with getting meds? I thought you were sworn enemies!" Taeyong piped up. Ten scowled. "Shut it, Taeyong," he said, pushing the pretty boy away.

Sicheng coughed loudly. "Anyway, we'll be going now. See ya!" He started pulling you away, but you stayed put. "Um, could I talk to Ten? Alone? For a minute?" you said, your own words surprising you, and from their looks, everyone else around you.

"Sure?" The other three boys stepped away, looking at you two curiously.

You and Ten stared at anything but each other for a minute. Then Ten broke the silence. "So, what'd you need to say, then?" he asked, unusually gruff.

"Why did you help me?" you asked finally, pushing the words out.

Ten looked up at you. "I guess... it was sort of payback for you letting me into the practice room to practice for the showcase. I was... returning a favor."

"Oh."

You two stood in silence for some more time.

"I saw you going to your room the day before with Sicheng, and when you didn't come out to bother me about my music, I thought something was wrong. Besides, you looked really pitiful in that gigantic hoodie," Ten added, the corners of his mouth rising in a smirk.

"Fuck. You," you retorted. "Do you want to know how you looked when you came begging for me to lend you the practice room keys?"

Ten stuck his tongue out at you.

. . . . .

After your sickness, you and Ten became... less like enemies. More like frenemies.

You hung out sometimes, due to Ten and Sicheng both being dance majors, and you found that he wasn't that bad to hang around.

Hell, he even turned down his music sometimes when you asked (though more often he didn't).

Whatever. It was better than before. At least you could sleep on your bed and not on the practice room floor.

Summer came and went. You stayed on campus because your parents were going on vacation elsewhere, and after the showcase, you'd suddenly gotten quite a few offers to play at various concert halls around university. After much contemplation, you'd also decided to start offering piano and violin lessons to those on campus (for pay of course) to take up the rest of your free time.

Sicheng had gone back to China for summer but came back when school started again. Ten had also gone back to Thailand, and Johnny had gone back to Chicago (which explained his perfect English).

It would be your guys' third year at university. The workload was tougher than the year before, and you found yourself stressing every night over essays and compositions you needed to complete. Ten even stopped playing his stupid music until one in the morning because he himself needed to concentrate as well.

On those rare days you guys did have some free time, you would hang out on the campus green or in one of the music department's practice rooms, talking or practicing to let off stress.

Yeah, and then there were the times whenever everyone ditched, last-minute, so it was just you and Ten hanging out.

Actually, it only happened once. But it was still very eventful.

You two were just rolling around like idiots in the practice room, waiting for the others to come, but you two simultaneously got texts saying that they had other things to do.

You smacked your head. "What fucking idiots," you muttered, loud enough for Ten to hear. He snickered.

It had been a little awkward at first, but you two ended up sitting next to each other, chatting about inane things until one thing led into another and you two started talking about relationships.

You'd never been in a really serious relationship. Yes, you'd gone on dates before, sometimes even second or third dates with the same person, but nothing had ever really worked out. Ten had never been in a serious relationship either, to your surprise.

You diverted the topic to trivial things again.

Ten then asked you a startling question.

"What would you do if I kissed you now?"

You blinked.

Ten flushed, not looking you in the eye. "Never mind. It was a hypothetical question -"

"I think I'd like it," you said softly, looking down.

Ten looked up at you sharply. "Then... would you mind if I tried it?"

You shook your head.

He cupped your cheeks between his hands, and your lips touched.

A thousand things ran through your head at that moment, though you could only really register holy shit Ten Chittaphon Leechaiyapornkul is kissing me right now and the pressure of his lips on yours.

You two finally broke apart, determinedly looking away from each other.

"I think I liked it," you said, breaking the silence.

Oh my god, did you just say you thought you liked it? What kind of fucking thing is that to say after you've kissed one? Y/N you are so dumb--

"In that case, do you mind if I do it again?"

Ten was smiling at you shyly, eyes hopeful. "No," you breathed.

And then his lips were on yours again, and you forgot everything you'd just been talking about; you could only think about how soft his lips were, how good it all felt--

"See?! I told you if we left them alone, they'd end up together!"

You two shot apart, glaring at the offending male standing in the doorway.

"Are you fucking serious?! They really kissed?!" Sicheng shouted. You heard him running down the hall.

"Yep, I even got a picture. It's a bit blurry though," Johnny said, holding up his phone.

"I'm going to kill Seo Youngho," you muttered. Ten snorted.

"I'll help you clean up the evidence, alright?" he quipped. You looked at him, smiling.

"Sure."

And you kissed him again.

[jae-bummer]

For the Sake of Spinach

Request: Prompt 4 with D.O❤️

4) “Why can’t you look at me the way you look at food?”

Member: EXO’s D.O x Y/N

Type: Fluff

There was a thin line between sleeping too long and having enough rest when it came to a nap. You weren’t one of those individuals who believed that a ten minute snooze was an effective sleep window, but you also knew the dangers of waking up groggy after about forty five minutes. As soon as you had rolled over on your couch and peeled your eyes open, you knew you had made a mistake. A mild amount of frustration and annoyance fueled you as you tapped at your phone, seeing you had indeed slept for around an hour. 

You grumbled to yourself as you pushed off of the deceivingly comfy cushions and wrapped your blankets around your shoulders, cocooning yourself in a fleece-filled warmth. You slumped against the arm of the couch and directed a glare to the kitchen where you heard repeated slams of cutlery and pans. 

Almost as if having a lightbulb moment, you recalled the presence of your boyfriend, Kyungsoo, hovering around your apartment. He had been radiating excitement for the better part of the day, anticipating his night to cook. He lived to prepare meals for you both, being able to break away from the criticism of his group members and friends. You would almost always leave the table with a positive opinion and a full stomach. 

You drug your seemingly dead limbs from the sofa and shuffled into the dining area, which was separated from the kitchen by a chest-height bar. You leaned against the granite and watched with furrowed brows as Kyungsoo moved back and forth, a speed you had only seen from him in emergency situations. 

“Good afternoon,” he hummed without bothering to look up. He was busy chopping a carrot with extreme care. 

“Why can’t you look at me the way you look at food?” you grumbled, wiping your face with the palm of your hand. You knew the motion had to have been unattractive, but it wasn’t like Kyungsoo was focused on you anyway. 

“Do you want me to look at you as if I feel the intense need to peel you and fry you up with some sesame oil?” he muttered, switching to chopping a cucumber. 

“If it means you love me as much as you love your famous kimchi stir fry...” you pouted, eying the spread he had created over the countertops. “What are you making anyway?” 

“Dol Sot Bi Bim Bap,” he nodded, chopping away happily. After only a few moments of silence he began to sing quietly to himself a tune that sounded oddly like if Wolf had been written to be a funeral march. 

“Do you need any help?” you asked quickly, perking up at the idea that Kyungsoo was making your favorite dish. 

“Depends,” he whispered, finally looking up at you. He bit his lips as he searched your eyes. “Are you going to respect my kitchen?”

“You-Your kitchen?” you stuttered, your eyes growing wide. “This is my apartment.”

“Which houses MY kitchen,” he affirmed, looking down to the cucumbers again. “But I guess you answered my question.”

“Aigoo,” you groaned, stomping your foot. “I’ll humor you. I’ll respect your kitchen.”

“I need humoring like I need a cooking partner,” he mumbled. “Meaning, I don’t.”

“So mean,” you chirped, dropping your blanket onto the floor anyway. You moved into the kitchen, still a bit lethargic from sleeping for so long.

“I don’t think you understand. I was saying I don’t-” he began, casting a casual look over his shoulder toward you. 

“Ooo! Balloon bread!” you gasped, flinging yourself toward the pastries Kyungsoo must have prepared while you were asleep. 

“Yah!” he gasped, spinning and smacking the top of your extended hand with a wooden spoon.  “Look with your eyes, not with your hands!” 

“I actually had planned on investigating with my mouth to be honest.” you chuckled, instinctively securing your hands behind your back. 

Kyungsoo rolled his eyes as he spun, moving to the stove top to begin adding spinach leaves into a pan of boiling water. You made a noise similar to being choked as he turned, finally noticing he had secured your lace and polka dot apron around his waist. Kyungsoo immediately looked to you, death in his eyes. “What?”

“Nothing,” you whispered, tight lipped as you shook your head. This was easily the most adorable thing you had seen in the entirety of your relationship. 

And that was even usurping the moments when he had been surrounded by puppies.

Kyungsoo nodded as he turned back to the stove, paying careful attention to the spinach leaves he had just dropped. You crossed your arms and tilted your head as you watched him, enjoying being a spectator to his focus. 

After he had waited enough time for the leaves to be effectively wilted, he drained the pan and patted the spinach dry. He nodded proudly to himself as he began singing again, this time a jazz rendition of Overdose. 

Kyungsoo continued his methodical work, only looking up after he had pulled out a wok and set it on the stove. He finally smiled at you, the first time since you had appeared from your nap. He jerked his head toward the oven, a silent sign that he wanted you by his side. You attempted to play cool as you crossed the room, letting out a quiet sigh. It took quite some time for your boyfriend to become comfortable with the idea of skin ship, so whenever he beckoned for close contact, you were quick to jump at the opportunity. Much like a cat, his attention would often come on his own terms. 

“You want to help?” he growled, wiggling his brows a bit before a dorky grin filled his face. You couldn’t help but nod at his flirting as he shifted to stand behind you. He placed one hand lightly on your hip while the other found your wrist and gently began to lift it. He placed a wooden spoon in your hand before reaching around and dropping the freshly cut cucumbers and carrots into the wok. 

“Stir it frequently,” he whispered, his voice only centimeters from your ear. You shivered, used to the sound, but not in this setting. You nodded, following his instructions as he began to nibble lightly on your neck, his mouth sliding down from your ear to your shoulder. 

“I’m...I’m stirring,” you stuttered, shivering beneath his touch. You had to remind yourself of your actions or else you would easily forget with the sudden developments Kyungsoo had thrown in. 

After a few moments, he halted his kisses and found his lips beside your ear again. He spoke slowly in a tone that was much more quiet and sultry than usual. “Take those out, good good. Now add some more sesame oil. Yah, just like that. Now ease in the spinach.” 

You nodded along slowly as Kyungsoo’s fingers made soft circles on your hip. “Ah, you’re doing so well jagi.”

You immediately snapped your head up, surprised by the sweet term of endearment that had never left his lips before. 

“Too much?” he winced. You tried to hide a smile, but were quick to shake your head. 

“No, I like it,” you grinned. 

‘Aigoo, watch the spinach,” he chuckled. 

“I’m having more fun watching you to be honest,” you cooed, turning to plant a gentle kiss on his plush lips. 

He hummed into the kiss, closing his eyes before immediately pulling away. His eyes reopened, growing wide with surprise as he looked past you and to the stove. “Helpers don’t cause distractions.”

“Me? Causing a distraction?” you giggled, launching toward him and pinning him against the opposing counter. “Never.”

You immediately placed your lips near his jugular, causing him to release a frustrated groan. Your stomach quickly began to tie itself in knots, traveling lower with every noise that escaped from Kyungsoo’s mouth. 

“Y/N,” he moaned, pulling your waist closer to his. “Y/N”

“Mmm Kyungsoo,” you giggled, moving from the front of his neck to the underside of his jaw. 

“No, really, Y/N,” he muttered, opening an eye. “We’re going to char the spinach.”

“Aish, really Kyungsoo!” you gasped, stepping back and pushing him in the shoulder. He chuckled as he fell back toward the counter, only to push himself from it again and move toward the stove. He moved the spinach from the wok and set it aside. 

“I literally only have the meat left,” he groaned, pouting as he poured more sesame oil into the wok. 

“Remember this when I don’t want to snuggle tonight,” you grumbled, drawing your brows together in frustration. You quickly reached around him to grab at a piece of balloon bread you had originally sought after. You shoved a piece of the baked good into your mouth just as he shot you his patented death glare. 

“You’re going to ruin your dinner,” he muttered, dropping the beef into the wok. 

“Yeah well,” you muttered. “I can think of someone who ruined something else for the sake of spinach...”