#but do not get it twisted he is still VERY emotionally repressed

[alexpression]

Please rb if you vote ;3

[david-talks-sw]

Debunking myths in the GFFA: Luke Skywalker isn't the One True Jedi™ and doesn't "reject the Jedi teachings."

The myth:

Luke's Jedi mentors - trained to be dispassionate and mission-driven - callously tell him to let his friends die in service of a greater cause.

"In The Empire Strikes Back, Luke becomes Yoda's Padawan, and there are echoes of Anakin's training and the dilemmas he faced. Like Anakin, Luke is told he is too old to begin the training. Like Anakin, he has a vision of his loved ones suffering in captivity, and receives cold advice from Yoda, who tells him to sacrifice Han and Leia if he honors what they fight for." - Jason Fry, “Family Tradition; Rejecting the Jedi Teachings” Star Wars Insider #130, 2012

The intended narrative:

The Jedi are actually right on all points. Luke isn't ready or fully trained and he's arrogantly letting his emotions rule him and rushing into danger. By ignoring them, Luke gets himself into a spot of trouble that actually jeopardizes the lives of the very friends he tried to help, as they now need to rescue him.

“It’s pivotal that Luke doesn’t have patience. He doesn’t want to finish his training. He’s being succumbed by his emotional feelings for his friends rather than the practical feelings of “I’ve got to get this job done before I can actually save them. I can’t save them, really.” But he sort of takes the easy route, the arrogant route, the emotional but least practical route, which is to say, “I’m just going to go off and do this without thinking too much.” And the result is that he fails and doesn’t do well for Han Solo or himself.”

“Luke is making a critical mistake in his life of going after- to try to save his friends when he’s not ready. There’s a lot being taught here about patience and about waiting for the right moment to do whatever you’re going to do.”

“Luke is in the process of going into an extremely dangerous situation out of his compassion— Without the proper training, without the proper thought, without the proper foresight to figure out how he’s gonna get out of it. His impulses are right, but his methodology is wrong.”

The myth:

The Jedi want Luke to repress his feelings and kill his father, to destroy the Sith, their religious enemies. As emotionally-detached Jedi, it is inconceivable that a Sith would come back from the Dark Side, and thus wrongly believe that the only solution is to kill Vader.

"It's easy to miss that Luke disagrees sharply with his Jedi teachers about what to do. Obi-Wan and Yoda have trained Luke and push him toward a second confrontation with Vader. He is, they believe, the Jedi weapon that will destroy both Vader and the Emperor. When Luke insists there is still good in Vader, Obi-Wan retorts that "he's more machine than man-twisted and evil." When Luke says he can't kill his own father, Obi-Wan despairs, "Then the Emperor has already won."  But Obi-Wan could not be more wrong. It is precisely because Luke can't kill his own father that he defeats the Sith." - Jason Fry, Star Wars Insider #130, 2012

The intended narrative:

The Jedi never tell Luke to "kill" his father. That's just a fact.

They tell him to "confront" and "face" him.

Their bottom line is that Vader and the Emperor need to be stopped.

If Luke can manage to do so without killing his father, that's great.

"In Jedi the film is really about the redemption of this fallen angel. Ben is the fitting good angel, and Vader is the bad angel who started off good. All these years Ben has been waiting for Luke to come of age so that he can become a Jedi and redeem his father. That's what Ben has been doing, but you don't know this in the first film." - Star Wars: The Annotated Screenplays, 1998

(credit to @writerbuddha for finding the above quote)

The problem is: Darth Vader has a track record of murdering loved ones who refuse to kill him. Be it his wife...

... his father/brother...

... and if you're going by Canon, his little sister.

As such, there's a very strong chance that Vader might do the same to his son as well.

“A Jedi can’t kill for the sake of killing. The mission isn’t for Luke to go out and kill his father and get rid of him. The issue is, if he confronts his father again, he may, in defending himself, have to kill him, because his father will try to kill him.” - 1981 story conference, from The Making of Return of the Jedi

Now, as the last Jedi left, the fate of the galaxy rests entirely on Luke's shoulders.

If he dies, then the galaxy and its billions of inhabitants are doomed to live in a tyrannical dictatorship forever.

“He knows a confrontation is brewing between Luke and his father. Ben hopes Luke will either save his father or kill him, because whatever extra powers Luke's got in his lineage, he is the one person that can probably fight his father and win.” - The Star Wars Archives: 1977-1983, 2018

There's a time for talking things through... and a time to do your duty. Above all else, a Jedi's duty is to end conflict.

Obi-Wan was once tasked with this same duty.

And while he managed to weaken Vader considerably (thus avoiding the catastrophe of a full-powered Vader being unleashed onto the galaxy)... because of his attachment, he failed to kill Vader.

Twice, if you include the Kenobi show.

(A show which, per Pablo Hidalgo, is one of George Lucas' favorite recent Star Wars projects, a tidbit that doesn't surprise me one bit considering how much the series perfectly aligns with what Lucas said about Star Wars (see here, here and here))

Point being: because Ben failed his duty, the galaxy suffered for it.

Luke is now in danger of doing the same.

If he's unable to end the conflict in a peaceful way, then Luke needs to be ready to do so in a more permanent manner. Because while Luke has qualms about killing his father, there's a very big chance that the feeling won't be mutual.

So Luke isn't rejecting his teachers' orders to kill Vader. He's saying he's unable to confront Vader altogether, because he'll be half-assing the task. In the (very likely) worst case scenario where reasoning with Vader fails, Luke is concerned he won't be able to follow-through and do what he must.

Further, there's also a worse outcome to Luke dying: Luke joining the Dark Side and becoming yet another asset of the Emperor, more dangerous than Vader himself.

It's thus essential that Luke steel himself and mask his emotions, because the Emperor is a master manipulator who'll likely attempt to corrupt Luke via the strong emotions he has for his friends.

Obi-Wan is not telling Luke to repress his emotions. On the contrary, he acknowledges that these feelings do Luke credit. But the fact remains that when your opponent can jiu-jitsu those feelings against you and your friends, you need to keep a poker face.

And judging by how close the Sith Lords come to seducing Luke to the Dark Side...

... that advice is completely on point.

The myth:

"It isn't Jedi teachings that save the galaxy, but bonds the Jedi tried to forbid - such as the love of a father for his son, and a son for his father. Emotional attachments, in other words." - Jason Fry, Star Wars Insider #130, 2012

The intended narrative:

In Return of the Jedi, Luke isn't doing anything different than what other Jedi have done.

He does his best to avoid lethal force unless he deems that it is necessary (see his fight against Jabba's hostile forces).

He sacrifices himself for the greater good and let himself be captured, in order to allow the mission to be carried out.

He tries to reason with his enemy, hoping to avoid conflict.

He spares his enemy, showing mercy.

That's all standard Jedi stuff. We've seen other Jedi do all those things, both in the films and The Clone Wars.

If that isn't enough, just look at how Lucas describes what Jedi normally do (left), versus what Luke does in Return of the Jedi (right):

See what I mean? There’s pretty much no difference.

In Lucas' narrative, Luke isn’t “better than” or “rejecting the teachings” of the Jedi who came before him. He’s following the Jedi path. And he's really good at doing so.

Because this idea that Luke "rejects the teachings" makes no sense! They're Lucas' teachings. He agrees with the Jedi, they're the mouthpieces he uses to deliver the audience his own values.

Lucas having his main character do something he'd ideologically disagree with is something that doesn't make sense.

And part of this confusion comes from a misunderstanding of the word "attachment", in Star Wars.

It doesn't mean "emotional attachments" or "feelings" or "affection." It comes from the Buddhist principle of non-attachment.

It's not about depriving yourself of relationships or affection, it's about accepting that everything comes and goes and letting go of those very things you hold on to, when the time comes.

Lucas makes a distinction in his discourse between attachment and compassion.

"The whole idea of the movie, ultimately is that you have the Light Side and the Dark Side. The Light Side is compassion, which means you care about other people. The Dark Side is you care only about yourself. And you are obsessed with yourself. Getting your pleasure and getting all your stuff. The other one, you give it to everybody. You give goodness and health to everybody else.  So the issue of love... there’s a line between loving somebody compassionately and caring about them and helping them. But the other line is not to be greedy or... once you are greedy then you get fearful. You don’t want to lose what it is you have that you are getting. So you have to learn to give up everything. And ultimately for a Jedi Knight, it’s very easy to give up." - Celebration V, Main Event, 2010

In-universe, this is something Anakin knew the theory of, but never really applied all that much.

Luke on the other hand, was able to learn the lesson and apply it.

Speaking in Lucas lingo, it's not Luke's attachment that makes him spare Vader. It's his compassion. And in turn, that compassion inspires Vader to do the same.

"It really has to do with learning. Children teach you compassion. They teach you to love unconditionally. Anakin can’t be redeemed for all the pain and suffering he’s caused. He doesn’t right the wrongs, but he stops the horror. The end of the Saga is simply Anakin saying, ‘I care about this person, regardless of what it means to me. I will throw away everything that I have, everything that I have grown to love - primarily the Emperor - and throw away my life, to save this person. And I’m doing this because he has faith in me, loves me despite all the horrible things I’ve done. I broke his mother’s heart, but he still cares about me, and I can’t let that die.’" - The Making of Revenge of The Sith; page 221

Or, to put things more simply:

Attachment (selfish love), is what makes Anakin do this:

Compassion (selfless love), is what makes Luke do this:

Now, could Lucas have made his narrative more explicit, to avoid confusion? Maybe.

But I think it's also fair to point the finger at the biggest cause of these muddied waters:

Simply put, the Expanded Universe (the Star Wars books, novels and games that spun out of the films) established new lore elements that didn't necessarily align with Lucas' vision of things. Namely:

Jedi can get married, and Luke marries Mara Jade.

Jedi can begin their training as adults, and Luke takes on many apprentices that are already adults.

When considering George's minimal involvement in the development of EU stories, it's easy to see why these plot points were allowed to come through.

But when he made the Prequels, his headcanons came to light and the above plot points needed to be retconned.

George Lucas' narrative:

"Nope. You can't be a Jedi and be married."

This isn't actually coming out of left field.

When Timothy Zahn asked for Luke and Mara to be married or engaged, back in 1993, Lucasfilm initially vetoed the idea.

And over the years, Lucas and other Lucasfilm employees have made it it clear that "Luke getting married" did not align with his vision (so much so that it's a plot point in Attack of the Clones).

So the question becomes: why can't Jedi get married?

It's about commitment.

Simply put: you can't have two marriages. Eventually, your commitment to one of them will falter and you'll ruin them both. A Jedi is already married to the cause and to the Order.

If they want to get married, they have to leave the Jedi.

"One of the things [the Jedi] give up is marriage. They can still love people. But they can’t possess them. They can’t own them. They can’t demand that they do things. They have to be able to accept the fact, one, their mortality, that they are going to die. And not worry about it. That the loved ones they have, everything they love is going to die and they can’t do anything about it. I mean they can protect them as you would ordinarily protect, you know, ‘Get out of the way of that car.’ Somebody charges you with a gun, you knock the gun out, but there is an inevitability to life which is death and you have to accept that." - Celebration V, Main Event, 2010

And this is another example, really, of how Lucas' own values and past experiences shape the Jedi's teachings.

Marcia Lucas divorced George because he was constantly working on Star Wars, even when he wasn't directing it, which she said led to an emotional blockage in their marriage...

... and this leads us to the reason why George didn't double-down on the success of the Original Trilogy: he decided to take time off to raise his three kids as a single Dad.

He learned his lesson, reasoned that he wouldn't be able to be both a good, present father and a successful blockbuster film director.

When you're dealing with time-consuming commitments of this scale, you need to make a choice, or you'll end up (half-assing and thus ruining) both of them.

"Nope. Jedi get taken in as babies for a reason."

Once again, this has to do with Lucas' definition of "attachment."

"Jedi Knights get taken from their families very young. They do not grow attachments, because attachment is a path to the Dark Side. You can love people, but you can't want to possess them. They're not yours. Accept that they have a fate. Even those you love most are going to die. You can't do anything about that. Protect them with your lightsaber, but if they die they were going to die. There's nothing you can do. All you can do is accept that fact. In mythology, if you go to Hades to get them back, you're not doing it for them, you're doing it for yourself. You're doing it because you don't want to give them up. You're afraid to be without them. The key to the Dark Side is fear. You must be clean of fear, and fear of loss is the greatest fear. If you're set up for fear of loss, you will do anything to keep that loss from happening, and you're going to end up in the Dark Side. That's the basic premise of Star Wars and the Jedi, and how it works. That's why they're taken at a young age to be trained. They cannot get themselves killed trying to save their best buddy when it's a hopeless exercise." - The Star Wars Archives: 1977-1983, 2018

Jedi need to maintain objectivity and neutrality, in their day-to-day lives of mediating peace between planets.

And learning to "let go of your attachments when the time comes" is part of that training. But it is something that takes discipline and time, and thus the child needs to be young enough to develop this skill. Otherwise, they end up like Anakin, who always struggled to properly learn it and eventually was doomed by his greed.

This being part of Lucas narrative is also evidenced that in his earlier plans for the Sequel trilogy, he'd have Luke train children, not adults like he does in the EU.

"Luke is trying to restart the Jedi. He puts the word out, so out of 100,000 Jedi, maybe 50 or 100 are left. The Jedi have to grow again from scratch, so Luke has to find two- and three-year-olds, and train them. It’ll be 20 years before you have a new generation of Jedi." The Star Wars Archives: 1999-2005, 2020

The EU's retcons of Lucas' narrative:

Now, obviously, the addition of all these rules and other elements such as midi-chlorians... it does something to the older audience. They grew up on the Original Trilogy, dreaming they could be a Jedi too if they just believed enough. Now that bubble is burst.

"Wait, if I'm a Jedi I can't get married?! And I need to be taken in as a toddler, with a certain kind of blood score?! That's bullshit!"

More importantly... it goes against about a decade's worth of established EU lore (which Lucas never factored into his storytelling)!

So what does Lucasfilm Licensing do? They go with it.

They take these "weird" rules the older audience and authors don't like, and retcon a new narrative around them to ensure both the books and the new films all stay canon within the EU own continuity.

George Lucas revealed new information about his universe in Episode II that ran counter to earlier stories of the Expanded Universe. Among the surprises: the Jedi Order is monastic, with love and marriage forbidden to its members. This would necessitate reforms to the Jedi Code over time to separate the ancient era when Nomi Sunrider was married to a Jedi, seen in the Tales of the Jedi (1993–94) comics, as well as the post-Empire era when Luke Skywalker married Mara Jade in the comic series Union (1999–2000). LucasBooks also needed to create plausible exceptions for Ki-Adi-Mundi, a Jedi Master who had multiple wives in the Prelude to Rebellion comics (1999). - Pablo Hidalgo, The Essential Reader’s Companion, 2012

When it comes to Luke specifically, the narrative becomes:

"Uh... y-yes. The old Jedi Order forbid marriage, only took in toddlers and had a blood pre-requisite... which was weird, wrong, too detached, too systemic, and part of why their Order failed! But, uh, Luke's New Jedi Order allows marriage, unlike his dogmatic predecessors, because anyone can be a Jedi guys!" Hahaha! (fuck's sake George)

But as already explained above: those new rules aren't meant to be perceived negatively. It would make no sense if they were, they're based on Lucas' own values.

You know what it does do, though?

It cements the narrative that Luke is the One True Jedi™, who rejected the dogmatic teachings to forge a new path forward.

That's not the intended narrative of the Original Trilogy, nor the six-film saga as a whole.

If you've made it this far in the post (congratulations) and are interested to read another all-encompassing post about that, you can check out the link below :)

[the-one-who-lambs]

uhh hello!! sorry if this is a tall order LOL but I wanna ask, do you have any narilamb fanfic recs? :D I already read yours and I really like bamsara’s and I’m waiting for epicaandk’s to update (that one is my fav ever <3) but idk what to read now lol

Tall order?? Naaaaah, I'm always happy to give recs. Oh boy, I'm gonna go in reverse chronological order.

If you've read all of my narilamb fics (have you seriously? I'm impressed, that's probably well over half the 150k+ I've written for this damn fandom. Also, to anyone seeing this from a reblog, my stuff is over at onethirdofimpossible!) then here we go!

You already mentioned it, but The Rehabilitation of Death is excellent so far! This one is by @bamsara who is new to the CotL fandom but apparently not new to fanfic writing; they have a really popular FNAF fic and I assume the well-deserved attention this fic's been getting is a byproduct of the popularity they've already gotten in other fandoms. :D Welcome, bamsara! Many of the fic writers in this fandom are friends with each other already, but we don't bite if you wanna say hi.

Feel No Evil and Language Barrier, both by @payasita. I always love how payasita portrays this duo (in both digital art and writing), with so much sass and repressed loneliness, knowing they're stuck together for eternity and making the best of it. (And maybe falling in love, depending on how dense Narinder keeps being.) What makes these come alive for me is how well thought out the setting is outside the Lamb and Narinder. The descriptions and weight of emotions really pop here.

LITERALLY ANYTHING written by pavi / @i-eat-deodorant. Depending on how spicy you want your fics to be he has even more here. Character analysis, diction, pacing, etc. are consistently 10/10. Top-quality banter between a sassy Lamb and tired old man Narinder. We constantly bounce ideas off each other and inspire each other a lot but I promise I'm not hyping him up just because he's my friend oh my god please just go bless your eyes.

It Was For You, O Death by blueberry-muffin-massacre (if they have a tumblr, let me know so I can tag!). An intriguing alternative ending to the final battle wherein the Lamb chooses a secret third option by refusing to give up the Red Crown and still observing Narinder as the God of Death. So many details are so well thought out and duality their relationship is nicely characterized-- both genuine care for each other and also quite unhealthy. A fine line treaded well!

Confessional by jusmove (again, lmk if they have a tumblr). Been a while since I've read it, but I love how the Lamb chips at Narinder's very carefully built emotional walls. Their personalities are very well fleshed out here, especially Narinder's cognitive dissonance at being able to process love.

Confession by @thewitchoftheweed. I didn't expect a part two to this one, but my god I was so thrilled when it did update. Narinder and Lamb with their unique and parallel loneliness and their fucked-up sense of everything. Their relationship is very rocky here, and I love how they navigate it: with tension and eventual, pained acceptance. Mind the rating.

Of Character Development and Being Dense by @calliecature. A short and sweet narilamb classic. They're both mutually pining and one of them is too emotionally repressed to realize it. Guess who.

Not An Offering, But a Gift by @checkplzjuliet. Small confession fic. I especially love how Narinder's descriptions twist the knife of his situation here, and how Lambert is a total foil for him! There are a lot of good things happening in such a short span, which is impressive.

Also, if you think you've read all my narilamb fics... I do have a secret one out there too. Just so you know.

Happy reading!

I'm already friends with many of the people here, but if any of the writers I've tagged have been kinda wanting to reach out for a while but feel a little anxious... Don't be. I've made my best friends in this fandom by literally just waiting for some of my readers to get over whatever assumption they have that I'm cool and say hi. Or being the more confident one first.

[mjanelupinblack]

starving creatures | chapter three🖤

pairing: xu minghao x reader // jun x reader (mainly lol)

description: starving creatures have arrived at your homeland in forks. little do you know, they not only intend to drain the blood out of you... they'll also to break your heart in two.

genres: slowburn (please bare with me), fluff, angst, vampire!au, ceramist!hao

warnings: blood drinking, lot of blood related themes, repressed emotions, family issues, miscommunication, kinda toxic friendship with cheol? blood and smut will be mixed. emotionally and physically starved vampires oops. did i mentioned blood?

minors dni!!!

fic playlist

CHAPTER THREE

He’s never been easily forgiving. And even if he was, the events after his transition couldn’t possibly be ignored like he was ignoring them. Joshua remembers it with such clarity—a young student with big dreams suddenly crushed by the weight of a life that wouldn’t find death. The morning after the attack, a maddening hunger made Vernon lock himself in a room for days. He made him swear not to let him go out until his appetite would miraculously vanish –which, of course, didn’t happened.

Joshua agreed to his terms, even though he knew they were sadic and unrealistic. With his bare hands, he tore apart the neck of a hen. He dampened his friend’s lips with some fresh blood and saw the color gradually abandon his face. Three days passed like this. Vernon grew more irrational and aggressive until Joshua understood he was stupidly trying to starve himself to death. He knew too well that the first thirst wouldn’t just go away with some stinky animal waste. So he got his hands dirty. He took the life Vernon refused to steal and fed the blood to his friend.

Vernon still punishes himself about it. And Joshua is still trying to convince himself that the person he attacked from the back would understand, if only he knew how desperate he felt in that moment.

In Vernon, he had found a companion. A friend for a life sentence he thought he would be serving alone. Should he feel grateful or enraged at Boo Yejin and his perverse brother? While he arrives at the Boo residence, he tries to get rid of all the conflictive thoughts he knows Seungkwan will read through like a kid’s book.

He knocks on the door like a civilized person. His fists are hidden at his back, clenched so hard that pain almost numbs his senses. If only he were strong enough, he wouldn’t hesitate to smash his way to the hallway. A servant asks for his name and, after checking with the master, reluctantly invites him to wait in the foyer.

The carpets are crimson red. There are no beams of natural light passing through the dense curtains. His childhood home used to have the same chandelier that is now hanging over his head. It has thick branches and crystal tears. And his stomach turns at the experience of revisiting the past without a warning.

“Took you long enough,” Seungkwan says, after a few minutes of letting his rage brew in the entrance. He is dressed pretty uncomfortably. An elegance no one would consider to carry at his own house. “I see this bloodsucking life suited you well enough. You look different from the student we cornered at the library”.

“Don’t you look into your enemies?” Joshua asks. “It’s hard to believe you’re oblivious to every trace of his face.”

“Enemies?” Seungkwan snorts. “Your pig-fed family is no enemy to me. If you think about it, a wolf doesn’t see a lamb as much of a danger. But for the lamb, well… the wolf is a significant threat.”

“Why did you send the mirror to my house?” Joshua asks, trying to ease his anger so he won’t lose himself in Seungkwan’s twisted game. “You thought it would be fun to mock us? You weren’t even capable of bringing the mirror by yourself. You had the girl doing all your dirty work.”

“She offered when I told her. She is very helpful, like a housewife but you don’t have to pay nor marry her,” he says that in a disdainful way “In response to your question, no. We weren’t trying to mock you. What you were given is a relic and an honor, even though you’re too ignorant to see it.”

“An honor?” Joshua asks, taken aback by the audacity of the statement. “Why would you want to honor us? You don’t even respect us.”

Boo Seungkwan and his family's contempt for animal-fed nocturnals is not a secret well kept.

“I was hoping to make amends.”

Joshua laughs. If Seungkwan was really hoping to reconcile, the making up of his wrongdoings would take a lot more effort than an old mirror.

“A hundred years have passed. One would assume your friend grew accustomed to this.”

He 's wrong. Vernon never got used to this life, he just went with it.

“Never contact us again.”

“Wait,” Seungkwan insists. And he grimaces at the bitter taste of having to plead someone so inferior to him. “Walk around town. Take your made up family with you and watch how you don't get turned into dust the instant you leave the house. Let all of that sink and ask yourself how hard it's going to be to abandon that ten, maybe fifteen years from now. Then come back."

“What are you…?”

“Agnes!” Seungkwan abruptly cuts his sentence. “Please, escort him out.”

II

You can’t stop thinking about Minghao. The cold wind bites the end of your feet, and even though the weather slaps your face with constant reality checks, the thought of him insists on spinning around your head. Like you had been bewitched.

Autumn is coming. You and the guys decided to go downtown to handle flyers for the Harvest Moon Festival, an annual event organized by the state cultural committee, also known as Seungcheol’s brother, Wonwoo. Of course Hoshi took advantage of the situation and spread the word of the party he would be throwing Saturday night without the permission of his parents. You don’t know half of the people he invited. You wonder whether Minghao would want to join the party. Of course your friends won’t invite him but, if they did, would he want to be there?

Something tells you he wouldn’t. Something tells you he’d rather stay home among brushes and wine and clay. You wonder how ridiculous he would think you are if he could get into your head and find out you think of him so deeply.

Next time you see Jun, you want to ask him so many questions about his brother. Like how old he is or what movies he likes to watch when the weather is too foggy and rainy. Jun does seem to be able to read your mind, so you try to dispel the thoughts before you end up ruining your auntie’s business because of a stupid infatuation.

“Will Professor Han be doing his weird representation of the Spirit of Autumn again?” Dino asks, while absentmindedly handing out pamphlets to random passersby.

“Much to our disgrace,” Seungcheol says. “I tried to convince Wonwoo to not let him. But he said he’s got some important shit to say.”

“Important?” You ask. “Last year he said to watch out for a fairy infestation.”

Your friend Dino scratches his nose while Seungcheol charmingly smiles at the tall blond girl he handed his last pamphlet to.

“He’s an old man and a frustrated storyteller,” he tells you. “The least we can do is bare with him.”

“He told me I was going to sprint my ankle last year and I did,” Soonyoung adds. “Thinking ‘bout throwing him an invite to the party.”

You laugh at your friend's joke. Then he forgets his pamphlet-handling duty and tries to seriously convince you about how awesome it would be to have Professor Han come to his house with lots of tequila shots at his disposal. You laugh until you can’t find the stomach to keep doing so anymore. It feels like air has been sucked out of your lungs when you see Minghao a couple of steps from you, smoking a cigarette.

Fortunately his brother is sharing the cigarette with him, equally intimidating but you’ve grown accustomed to the weight of his presence. He glances your way, almost as if he detected your doubtful glare the second you placed it in the cloud of smoke they are breathing. You must say hi. But Minghao looks like he’s been taken right out of a painting.

You’re about to greet them when your best friend grabs you by the arm.

“C’mon, t/n, let’s grab a milkshake,” he says as he abruptly diverts you from your neighbors’ pathway.

Before you lose sight of them, you can see Jun nodding at your friend with a smug, almost provocative smile. Minghao simply looks at you two, stone cold.

“What the hell, Cheol?” You ask when you arrive at the cafeteria. The cashier looks at your friend like he’s a boyfriend in a tight spot.

“What do you mean?” He asks obnoxiously, just before ordering for two oat milk lattes.

“Don’t play dumb,” you say. Or maybe at this point you're begging. “We’re not like this.”

You're not quite sure what changed, but the fluctuations in Seungcheol’s character became evident shortly after he turned the sweet age of eighteen. His shoulders are always stiff. The only way for him to loosen up is by downing a full package of beer. Most times he forgets his promises and the worst part is, he won't talk to you about it. He rather party it off and call it for the night.

It shocked you when he called from Sweden to tell you he had traveled unexpectedly.

“Don’t act like I didn’t do you a favor,” he tells you. “You said you didn’t like them.”

“Yeah. There was no need for being rude though,” silence falls between the two of you until the cashier hands him your drinks. “I'm going to apologize.”

“T/n, wait…”

“Hoshi can have the latte.”

There you go, running away from the cafeteria like you run away from home each time shit gets too hard to handle. You love Hoshi; he’s a good friend to you. Yet there’s hatred in the words you spit at Seungcheol. Maybe you shouldn't blame your friend for his poor coping mechanisms. Who told you yours were better to begin with?

“Running away from Prince Charming?” Jun teases you from behind. He takes you by surprise, like an always attentive wolf with his favorite deer for hunting.

“Shut up,” You say, turning to him and realizing your tone could’ve been nicer. “Fuck, sorry Jun. It’s just… I’m not in the best good mood.”

His self-satisfied smile turns into a concerned gesture.

“It’s okay. You don’t have to be nice to me because my family is your client,” Jun says. “You can tell me if I’m being an asshole.”

“You’re not an asshole,” you laugh. “Just annoying… at the very worst possible time.”

“Maybe we can share a drink and talk about the appropriate and non-so appropriate moments to annoy you,” He offers. “I’m afraid my brother won’t be able to join us.”

You arch an eyebrow. What a devilish vestige for the angelical figure of his brother.

“Sorry,” he apologizes this time. “I guess the timing was wrong for that too.”

III

Minghao got turned into a nocturnal creature a hundred years ago. One must say he did it by own choice, except Jun’s recklessness didn’t make the decision feel like a matter of volition at all.

It had been a beautiful night; lively with intense candlelights and people dancing and chatting to the sultry melody of a saxophone. Minghao had attended Jeonghan's gathering in hopes of releasing the tension work had left on his back. A girl asked him about his job and he would have confessed his hatred for nursing if it wasn’t for the unexpected arrival of Junhui.

Four years younger and not mature enough to take no for an answer.

“What on earth are you doing here?” He had inquired. The girl, still peering over his shoulder in hopes for him to resolve his problem fast.

“I was invited. Hard to believe?”

“Han said you could come, he didn’t invite them. Why you have to act like such a kid all the time?"

“They’re my friends even if you don’t fucking like them, alright?” he blurted, cheeks turning red from the blood that was still circulating through his veins. “I swear if you get to know them…”

“They're older than you. They’re always wrapped in some shit. There’s nothing else.”

Minghao’s own temperature was beginning to rise at a slow but certain pace. Not only were his words true but the group had embraced Jun as a puppet for them to handle at their own pleasure.

Some wine? Jun could bring it. A party they hadn’t got an invite to? They would sneak out with the kid.

“I’ll kick them out myself.”

“Wait!” Jun had stopped him by the arm, fear draining the color from his face. “Let me do it.”

It was a mistake to let him go like that. He knows it now, forty years have passed, and he got the chance to memorize that evening like a hateful poem. He reproduces it in his dreams. Sometimes, he even tries to change it. Each word is cruel and it sticks to his mind like tick legs that are just impossible to rip off. Jun’s friends weren’t friendly. Apparently they had forgotten what humanity was like, just like the Boo Family had when they beat the shit out of Vernon and force him into eternity without him doing nothing to earn it.

Minghao had read about it in Vernon’s diary; midnight, late night studying and the clock ticking amid the silent of the empty library. Boo Yejin had sent his brothers to ambush Vernon for his poor decision of not choosing her love over his studies. If only he had gifted her with a pinch of his affection… then, he wouldn’t be here. Alive and suffering.

Minghao wakes up panting on the sofa. If his heart was still beating, it certainly would be sticking out of his chest. He’s home, luckily. So the initial confusion fades away pretty quickly. Like today, the majority of his nightmares are about his brother and his friends. Their stories always terrify him because they weren’t given the chance to choose or refuse this life. They were just thrown into it.

His shirt is soaked in sweat; his face is hot and throbbing and there’s a reddened hand diligently squeezing his own. It feels soft; so soft he could easily crush it with a little more pressure. It’s also warm and gentle. He has to force himself to let go because, in such a long time, he hasn’t allowed himself to feel such tenderness.

He doesn’t deserve it.

“Hey, it’s okay,” you tell him in a soothing voice. You’re wearing a raincoat. A crimson red raincoat. “You’re fine. Your family is fine. Everything’s okay now.”

“Where 's Jun?”

“We found you screaming when we got here,” you explain. “Your brother went to find Joshua. We tried waking you up, but nothing worked and you scared the shit out of us... You had a nightmare or sleep paralysis, I’m not sure. It must have been terrifying. All the things you said…”

“What did I say?”

Minghao's voice carries a sense of worry –not only had he dreamt about his brother. The taste of your blood had also been a recurring theme in his dreams.

“Just Vernon and Jun’s name... And something about them to please don’t hurt them.”

A beautiful full moon outshines the stars through the window. It pierces Minghao’s sight like the blade of the sun when the day is too bright to handle.

He had withdrawn from your touch. He didn’t want you to lay a hand on him, yet there was something about the tightness of his body and the shivering of his lips that made you feel profoundly sad when you looked at him.

That something was the need to be held. You could see it in his eyes; a skin starvation that had him rotting instead of living. The craving for a gentle touch.

The feeling leads you to briefly comb his hair with the hem of your fingers, affectionate but not too much. Loving but not too intimate. And you must have been right because as you caress him, your neighbor closes his eyes. His lips, so red like he had just bitten a strawberry.

He has to stop you, but he can’t. You need to go home, but you can’t stop brushing your fingers through the strands of his snow white hair.

The texture tricks you into believing you’re caressing the soft fur of a lamb. But what if it’s just a facade? What if he’s truly a predator?

Seungcheol wouldn’t trust him.

“Sorry,” you say in a faint voice. “I have to go. If you feel better I will just…” it physically pains you to remove your hand from his hair. “My aunt has to take her meds,” Why are you escaping? Is little red riding hood scared to be hunted by the wolf? “I left some chamomile tea in the kitchen. You should have some. It’s good for the nerves.”

“I will,” he says. But all that occupies his mind is the desperate, almost childlike need for five more seconds of your time. Chamomile won’t do anything for him when his fangs hurt inside his mouth. They will tear his skin open if he keeps pushing them back. “Thank you.”

You smile faintly. Your lips form a curve that’s meant to be as friendly as possible, but you want to touch him again.

“Anytime.”

You need to feel him as much as he needs to feel you.

Taglist 🖤 @90s-belladonna @milopenne @angel-ishere @cheiyoma @hipsdofangirl @hayleyfields33 @sojuxxi

masterlist | next chapter

[nightmarerodent]

✨Kombat Kid AU headcannons✨

✨Featuring Satoshi and Frost✨

Kung Jin has keys to everyone’s rooms. Note that they did not give him the keys, he’s somehow just acquired them. No one knows how he managed this, no keys are missing, but he has them all the same for “reasons”.

Kung Jin used to have a crush on Takeda but that passed back when they were still teenagers. Now they are ride or die besties that will occasionally kiss the homies good night.

In a surprise twist no one was expecting, Takeda turns out to be the only straight person on the team. Given the fact that he was raised by an emotionally repressed ninja in love with an equally emotionally repressed assassin, this came as a shock to many.

Jacqui does NOT like Satoshi. She’ll play nice with him for everyone’s sake, but she won’t easily forgive him for all the crap he’s put Takeda through physically and all the stuff he’s still being put through emotionally.

Kung Jin is also wary of Satoshi and keeps a very close eye on him. Between him and Jacqui, Satoshi is being watched like a hawk.

Cassie would smash the mindflare in Baldur’s Gate. Yes, she gets judged for it, and though Jacqui is very familiar with the benefits of sleeping with a telepath, it is still a squid, and it is gross, and Cass should feel bad. (Kung Jin would do the mindflare too)

Takeda is an amazing cook. He used to help his mother in the kitchen before she died so he’s kept up the skill as a way of keeping her memory alive. Also out of necessity because Hanzo can’t cook to save his life. Cassie often jokes that Takeda will make a great house husband for Jacqui one day.

Cassie, Frost, and Takeda are all metalheads.

Cassie is the only one that can get away with calling Frost Elsa.

A small part of Kuai Liang was happy to see Satoshi back at the Lin Kuei, but a much larger, less selfish, part of his heart was braking for Hanzo.

Frost is very protective of Satoshi but she is also very protective of her friends as well so she is put between a rock and a hard place when it comes to his feud with the SF team.

Takeda starts spending a lot more time with Kenshi and a lot less time with the Shirai Ryu after Satoshi’s return, which honestly just ends up hurting himself and everyone involved even more.

It’s Kenshi that convinces Takeda to return to Hanzo’s side because though he is Takeda’s biological father, Hanzo is his legal guardian and by all rights his father as well and the man has been sending him nonstop messages asking about him, worried sick that he had somehow upset the boy.

The look of pure, unashamed, joy on Hanzo's face when Takeda returned had Satoshi seething.

[shrinkthisviolet]

So obviously in the updated AA canon we know that it was the events of 1-5 that led Edgeworth to fake his suicide (or more likely seriously consider it before backing out) and go dark for a year...but what about in the original canon? Because 1-5 didn't exist then and 1-4 ended on a somewhat good note...what do you think Edgeworth's reasoning was in that 'verse?

YESSSS omg I’m so glad someone asked me this, because I’m delighted to talk about it! This got long, so more under the cut:

So one of the benefits of watching an Ace Attorney playthrough of JFA is getting to hear the players’ and commenters thoughts about Edgeworth’s disappearance…especially since a good chunk of them played the original DS version of the trilogy that did not include RFTA (1-5), while others played the new version (or a ported version, like me) that did include RFTA. And it changes a few things about Edgeworth.

For one thing, a change that I don’t really like is that it takes away Edgeworth knowingly forging evidence. It’s not technically contradictory because only Phoenix states it as fact and bases it on rumors he’s heard/read about and rumors can exaggerate…but it does diminish his arc a bit. I won’t go on and on about it (I could definitely do that another time), but I’ll say this to put it concisely: the arc still sorta works, it’s just weaker.

But anyway, on to the second change, and the topic of your ask: in the original version, we jump from 1-4 to 2-4 in regards to Edgeworth appearances, whereas in the new version, it’s 1-5 to 2-4. And this…is a point of contention for some.

I think in both situations, Edgeworth “choosing death” makes sense. In both cases, his entire worldview is upended. In 1-4, his mentor who he thought he could trust and greatly respected turned out to be evil and hateful enough to prosecute him for two murders, one of which von Karma committed himself (granted, von Karma wasn’t a great father himself, emotionally abusing both Edgeworth and Franziska, but that doesn’t mean they didn’t love him, strive for his love, and respect him highly as a prosecutor). And in 1-5, Lana revealed that she forged evidence during the Joe Darke trial, which Edgeworth presented believing it was legitimate, while Gant undermined and manipulated Edgeworth throughout the entire trial (and also for years before that) and directly compared them, which surely would’ve shaken Edgeworth to his core.

So to put it simply, I think in either case, the explanation is more or less the same: Edgeworth is pushed so far that his mental health suffers for it, he questions his entire career as a prosecutor, so he leaves that note and disappears. I think with either case as the final tipping point, it works…however, I think 1-5 explains it much stronger.

See, in either case, Edgeworth’s worldview is shattered in 1-4, right? It has to be. No doubt he starts to question his path after 1-4, but his responses are different.

In the original version, the von Karma case (1-4) breaks him (understandably) and he disappears, leaving his note behind, with everyone else none the wiser that he was struggling at all.

However, in the new version, in 1-5, we see him attempting to push down his emotions and keep going. This is very consistent for him because he’s been doing it for years (he repressed the events of his father’s murder so hard that he didn’t entirely remember what happened that night—his memory became a nightmare that twisted Edgeworth up and made him think he killed his own father, after all), it’s all he knows how to do, and he’d lean on it even harder after losing the man who raised and trained him for years. And it works…but then something else breaks him, because even someone as repressed as Miles Edgeworth has a breaking point.

The stuff with Damon Gant and Lana Skye, the revelations about the Darke forged evidence, Gant saying he and Edgeworth are the same after patronizing and manipulating him all trial (and for years prior), on top of everything else…yeah, that being the final impetus to break Edgeworth once and for all and make him flee absolutely makes sense and hits so much harder.

I will say, the only thing that doesn’t really make sense is Phoenix attributing Edgeworth’s disappearance to him being upset that he lost his perfect win record. Considering he worked with Phoenix in RFTA, considering Phoenix saw Edgeworth being patronized and manipulated by Damon Gant (and was there for the forgery revelation), it’s strange that Phoenix would then conclude “oh yeah he left because he got mad that his perfect streak was broken, and definitely for no other reason that merits my sympathy.” It doesn’t entirely make sense that he says that in the original version either, though (dude, you just watched Edgeworth’s mentor and guardian be convicted of murdering his dad, you think maybe that had something to do with it??), so I can let that go.

Phoenix was emotionally fraught at the time, and hurt about Edgeworth leaving without saying a word to him, so I can believe he was just venting and being unfair in his anger. Edgeworth does say that Phoenix sealing him off from a perfect win record caused him to start to change, and he acts in such a way that seems to suggest it did inform his decision to leave, but again…whether it’s 1-4 or 1-5, Phoenix’s actions were never the sole reason for Edgeworth leaving. So this isn’t necessarily changed.

You can argue Edgeworth in 1-5 is kinda OOC in that he feels like post-trilogy Edgeworth, and you’re not wrong (that’s another change I dislike), but…strictly in terms of explaining his disappearance and its circumstances, I prefer 1-5.

(sidenote: I know a lot of people consider that he contemplated suicide, and I don’t necessarily disagree with that reading, I think it’s very reasonable and possible.

However, I’ve also heard the interpretation that Edgeworth wasn’t suicidal, he just couldn’t continue to prosecute, and couldn’t stay in America with all its bad memories, so he left to go elsewhere and find himself again…hoping that when he returned, the prosecutor he once had been, the “Demon Prosecutor,” would be dead—and that’s an explanation I consider possible too, especially since his return is never really treated with the gravitas of “oh, I was suicidal, and I went to therapy while I was away, and I’m doing better now.”

Still, it wouldn’t be the first time Ace Attorney was flippant about something serious, so I find either explanation to be plausible.)

This was a looong one lol but hopefully I addressed your question to the extent you wanted!

TL;DR: I prefer RFTA’s version of events preceding Edgeworth’s disappearance because I feel it fits better with his characterization, but I also understand people who prefer the original, and I don’t think they’re as different as people might claim.

[roxannarambles]

Rambling about Volo and emotional repression

Volo's interesting because while he pretended to be protagonist's friend, his act actually wasn't perfect in some respects. He often said he was being friendly or helpful because it was good business for him. This continues in Masters, where he seems to constantly remind people that's why he's being friendly. Indeed one of his items to use on team-mates is called "This Is An Investment," something he probably constantly says to himself whenever he does something nice. "This isn't because I'm a good person or because I like this person, this isn't for the sake of being nice, it's just an investment to benefit me later" He also insists he is nice to his pokemon because he wishes to study them and you need to take care of them in order to do that

I think the reason he so often reminded people he was 'being nice' merely for the sake of good business was because he was reminding himself that. Because he didn't dare to fall into the trap of actually caring about anybody. So every time he instictively was kind, he had to tell himself, no no, it was just because it will benefit me, it's not because I care. Same for his pokemon. He told N that no no, I am nice to my pokemon because I wish to study them. Volo was saying that because he didn't dare to let himself to even think about his true feelings. Crush them down. Deny them. There's no way I truly love my pokemon deep down.

It suggests he used to be a deeply caring person and he now is constantly crushing that good nature down so that he cannot see or feel it

I don't think this is merely "wishful thinking" to find some good in him because scenes from Masters suggest he has some hidden, genuine affection for a protagonist (very sentimentally wants a photograph with them as a memento and wants them to 'remember him' as just friendly, harmless merchant Volo) and that he genuinely cares about his pokemon (the friendship evos which again, require you to go above and beyond when caring for your pokemon and spending time with them-- and likely friendship evos were not understood back then! so he didn't even know this was needed to get them to evolve and yet he did it anyway-- but also the true love and trust N heard from Togepi) Also, he wants to make a world free of pain and strife which is not exactly an evil goal, he just has a very twisted way of going about it.

This is an investment

This is just a business investment

That's all it is

He spends so much time trying not to get too close to the people and pokemon around him, keeping things strictly business, but whoops, still accidentally ended up emotionally invested.

anyway, "emotional investment" is the name of the volo fic I'll never write since I'm on writing hiatus, lol

Sidebar, the line he has when he uses that 'This is an investment' item is a very sassy "Pay me later," but delivered in such a way that to me expresses roughly "I am doing you a big favor here and I am a total baller for doing it/I am going to save your ass, and also, I don't actually care if you pay me back for it later." Whether or not he doesn't care because he wants us in his debt, or because he genuinely does not care, is up to you

[kyouka-supremacy]

you never miss about chuuaku can we hear more thoughts about them from you pretty please

Aawwwwww, thank you!!! Here's even more chuuaku thoughts. This is how their relationship would play out in my opinion:

Akutagawa joins the pm, picked up by Dazai. When he joins the pm, Chuuya is... Vaguely sympathetic for him, but not to a particularly great extent really. He's a traumatized kid from the slums, but that doesn't make him any different to like 95% of the other people Chuuya has met in the pm. Chuuya barely spares a thought for him beyond remarking how he's been twice unlucky to be recluted by Dazai of all people. He probably stops a second to wonder whether there was a meaning to Dazai choosing him - because nothing happens by chance with Dazai -, but doesn't waste too much thinking over it because it's useless to try and understand what goes through Dazai's twisted mind anyways. At this point Akutagawa just joined, and is probably not even aware of Chuuya's existence yet.

Akutagawa spends time in the pm under Dazai's training. Chuuya has slowly grown a subtle disliking for him– nothing like outright animosity, but he's annoyed, on one hand, by Akutagawa's ruthless and chaos-ridden way of executing missions, on the other, by how blindly loyal he is to Dazai. He doesn't really dwell on how Dazai is training Akutagawa; it's none of his business, he's in no place to judge how other pm members train their disciples, and it's the mafia, he never expected to find kindness in it to begin with; he'd twist his nose in disapproval whenever he catches a glimpse of what Dazai is doing to his trainee, but it's also like the tenth worst thing he's seen Dazai doing, so he doesn't really think about it.

Akutagawa, on the other end, is fastly growing hostile to Chuuya. He adores Dazai and trusts anything he says, and Dazai is constantly acting like he hates Chuuya– how could it be any different? He's still a child, and a very immature one at that. He's damaging a lot. Not to mention, he can sense Chuuya and Dazai share this connection, this complicity he can only dream to have with Dazai; his antipathy for Chuuya is heightened by jealousy in the partnership he shares with Dazai.

Dazai leaves, and hell breaks loose at the pm. Chuuya and Akutagawa are both left behind, alone and broken. They're hurting like no one can understand– no one except the other. And I don't think they talked about it right away, that year, or the year after that, and I don't think it visibly brought them closer in the immediate; but even then, they must know they're the only ones who can understand each other's pain. Especially on Chuuya's end, who is a little less repressed and a little more emotionally intelligent, this must have been the first time he felt strong sympathy for Akutagawa; because he's going through a lot, and he gets it. He gets what it feels like to be left behind without a warning or a word. He gets how it must have been, if possible, even worse for Akutagawa: because Chuuya loved Dazai, but he also hated him, and their relationship was so complex and infuriating it must have been in part relieving when he left. But Akutagawa loved Dazai blindly and without reservations, and the whole world collapsed upon him when he left, because he was his whole world, and now he's not there anymore. He was just 16.

The ship kind of sails off from there, slowly, gradually. Everyone at the pm expected Akutagawa to leave in the following days. For some reason, he doesn't. Things slowly go back to normal. Years pass, and time heals, I guess. Akutagawa's furious rage through which he would take out his pain gradually morphs in efficiency in carrying out his missions. He has to relearn what it means to have free will, but he's slowly coping. He got a promotion. Overall, he's more mature, and that ends up shrinking the distance between him and Chuuya. At first, it happens casually: waiting together that it stops raining so they can go home after a long mission, and Chuuya initiates conversation. Eventually, they end up spending more time together– at first coincidentally, because of their shared status of high ranking members, and later intentionally. Soon enough, they realize the other was actually so different than the image they had made up of them; and with that unconsciously arises the wish to learn what the other is actually like. And it's gradual and unintentional, untill they get to a point where they've become each other's safe place– they become the person they know isn't going to abandon them. It's kinda sweet :)

[oriley42]

for the ask game: 4, 7, 11, 32!!

yay, thanks so much for the ask!

very slow and belatedly (the only way to do things tbh, crip time baybee!) answered 4 and 11 here: https://oriley42.tumblr.com/post/756290836037353472/get-to-know-your-much-beloved-fic-writer-4

7. How do you choose which POV to write from?

I touched on this a little when thinking about writing favorite characters, but the primary motivator for me is often: emotionally and stylistically, who will have the most interesting internal observations about the external action? In House MD, that is so often House, because his brain is a fascinating rat's maze that keeps us all coming back twenty years after the pilot aired. The first House fic I ever wrote, A Patient's Guide to Living with ICS, is still one of my nostalgic faves because it was the first time I got to write in House's delightful, unhinged internal voice, and explore how he might experience the world at an inside layer of self--still conscious, so still a bit deluded/repressed, but also internal enough to have more honesty than the persona he projects. Because House is such a firecracker source of humor, it opens up a lot of paths to write the third-person-omniscient with a creative twist to the very structure or wording itself!

32. Name three of your favorite fanfic writers.

Man, I'm sure there are lots of wonderful fic writers in House fandom, but I haven't read nearly enough there to have an opinion yet I'm afraid (as I mention in the other ask, I tend to have an inverse relationship between writing and reading in fandom), so my picks will be from past fandom phases of mine:

patster223 is an old pal of mine and even tho we have diverged fandoms quite a bit over the years, his writing rocks even when I don't know the characters! Hit their page up for Baldur's Gate and The Witcher, PacRim and Daredevil <3

returnsandreturns always forever <3 she wrote one (1) House fic and two (2) Psych ones and infinite amazing Daredevil ones and I salivate over every notification email

blackglass is one of the best podficcers out there and produces so much amazing stuff, whenever I'm looking for a new listen or itching for something outside my usual fandoms, she's my first stop

[adorethedistance]

9 P.M. - Alive!Luke Patterson x Reader Modern Day!AU

JATP masterlist

Warnings: swearing, mentions of suicide, painful breakup, and angst.

Words: 1991

Summary: Luke breaking up with you made your world stop turning, and when it finally starts moving again after four long months, Luke is back in typical agitator fashion.

A/N: Not requested, and I wrote this in about two hours so bear that in mind. I’ve been toying with an angst idea for a little bit now, and because all of my requests rn are fluff, I decided why not give Luke a little love since it’s been a minute since my last Luke fic. This isn’t proofread so proceed with caution.

“What are you doing here, Luke?” Dana’s voice cuts clear over the mindless chatter in the busy diner. She tucks a stack of menus under her arm to brush a loose strand of sandy blonde hair out of her face.

“I’m here to talk to Y/n. She isn’t returning my calls and she only has her phone on silent when she’s working.”

A solid four months ago, Luke Patterson had broken Y/n Y/l/n’s heart into a couple billion pieces in this very diner. After Luke requested to meet up as soon as possible, Y/n told him she’d be clocking out for the night around 9 PM, and true to his previous request Luke had arrived at 9 on the dot. He considered taking her to his car for more privacy but in fear of forgetting his long, crafted speech, he opted for a secluded booth in the very back corner of her diner.

He still remembers the evening, clear as day. They sat down across from one another on the red vinyl seats with nervous tension exponentially rising between them. He remembers the way she ruffled her loose hair after having it pulled back for an 8-hour shift. He remembers the way she rested her right ankle on her left knee to massage away the calf pain from 8 hours of waiting tables. And he remembers the way her warm smile disappeared after he uttered the words “I think we should break up.”

Y/n was so shocked she couldn’t respond. Everything seemed to be going well between them. They had said their first ‘I love you’s and she had even opened up to the possibility of giving him her virginity. And here he was, a mere week later, claiming that he had fallen out of love with her over the span of a month.

Tears clouded her vision. She was quick to wipe them away before they fell, something Luke noticed that she only did when she was crying out of anger. With her normal sadness or even stress she just lets her emotions run their course. But the anger swelling inside of her at that moment, she so desperately wanted to hide. As a result, she brushed them away. She bit her tongue. She saved face, not wanting to let Luke know just how much he had hurt her.

Luke expected a full-on interrogation. He knew Y/n’s mind was one of insatiable curiosity and she had to have at least a million questions. However, if she did, she didn’t show it. The only question she asked, “Is this really what you want?” Her voice was steady, but Luke knew how badly she wanted to tear him apart, to ravage him right then and there. But after losing such a huge part of herself, Luke, she held onto her dignity so tight it nearly crumbled into dust and blew out of her clenched fingers. Without asking for any more information, she slipped out of the booth and hurried to her car as fast as her walk could take her.

At the time, Luke felt guilty for making her cry. Now he feels guilty for ever having let her believe she wasn’t good enough for him. The only problem is she wouldn’t give him the chance. And her best friend, Dana, didn’t seem like she would give him one either.

“Well, she’s not here. Have you ever considered she’s not returning your calls when she’s off of work, too?”

“Dana, I need to talk to her-”

“What could you possibly have left to say, Luke? Whatever you said to her that night broke her, it absolutely destroyed her. She hasn’t been the same since.” Luke had no trouble believing that was true, which is why it hurt so bad to hear, granted it didn’t hurt as bad as how Y/n felt that night.

“What? No- I-I really need to talk to her.”

“You really don’t.”

“I have to get her back, Dana!” A tornado of shock and anger consumes Dana to the point where all she can do is let out a bitter laugh. The look in Luke’s eyes indicates how hurt he is by her laughter, and Dana’s desire for vengeance has never been so strong. So, she continues to tell the truth. The ferocious, unabridged, hurtful truth,

“You don’t deserve a second chance. You don’t even deserve an attempt at a second chance. Knowing her, Y/n would never tell you this, but I will: you fucked up so bad, you made her almost make the biggest mistake of her life.”

“What?” Luke almost hesitates to ask, knowing he won’t like the answer.

“That night, she came to my place and cried so hard for three hours before she could even get a coherent word out. She stayed with me for three days and, had my shift not ended early that Tuesday, she wouldn’t be alive today.” The dumbstruck look on Luke’s face is only more motivation for Dana to twist the knife, “She almost didn’t survive losing you, Luke. And god forbid she gives you a second chance because she won’t survive losing you again.”

The diner is just crowded enough that no one is paying the two of them any mind as they faceoff by the hostess stand. Dana spent four long months consoling her best friend back to life, and she was not about to let Luke destroy all the hard work Y/n had put into healing.

“I can make this right.”

“How could you possibly make this right?”

“I know more now than I did before. I’ve changed!”

“So has she.” Dana’s biting words render Luke speechless. Once she realizes her work here is done, she continues setting up tables as they’re disinfected.

__________________________

Luke’s conversation with Dana in the diner left him shellshocked, but it also lit a fire under his ass that he needed to move forward. Rather than discouraging him, Dana’s words gave him a greater incentive to win her back: proof that he was willing to do what he said he would. At least, that’s what Luke told himself. Rather than stepping into the future with greater clarity, Luke went into the world with confidence so large and blinding, his actions may sabotage his true intentions.

That’s how he found himself so determined to win Y/n back. And that’s how he found himself face to face with the front door of her home. It’s 9 PM, just early enough to where she’d be home for the day, just early enough to where she wouldn’t be asleep, and hauntingly just the exact time he had broken her heart all those months ago. Before giving his conviction a chance to back out, he was raising a steady hand to ring the doorbell of her residence.

Y/n opened the door without much thought, expecting a food delivery; she was drastically off-put by Luke’s presence at her doorstep this late.

“Oh.” Was the only response manageable for the tired waitress.

“Hi. Can we talk?”

There it was. The phrase that was a paradoxical toss-up regarding her emotional state. Half of her has been waiting for this day for so long, dreaming of the boyfriend she once knew to come genuinely heartbroken and remorseful to win her back. The other half was terrified of this impending day as she realized she wasn’t nearly as emotionally strong enough to handle the situation as she thought. 

‘Oh’ was the only response manageable for the tired waitress.

“I don’t think that’s a good idea.”

“Please just give me five minutes and if you never want to hear from me for the rest of your life, I’ll never bother you again,” he rushes out, knowing his time is finite. For what short period of time he thought it over, Luke always imagined pouring his heart out on her front doorstep. That’s why her silent sidestep and opening of the door caught him so off guard. He hadn’t anticipated her to actually give him a decent chance. Why would she? He broke up with her in the very diner she works in full time and crushed her heart so completely, the only things left behind had to be contempt and resentment.

Luke crossed the threshold of her small, cramped LA home with his heart on his sleeve. Reluctantly closing the door behind him, Y/n walks to her living room and sits on the couch amidst a mess of popcorn, her favorite chocolates, used tissues, and a bottle of Advil. The night Luke broke up with Y/n was four months ago and she’s still spending her Friday nights alone crying on her couch with a rom-com on the tv. A sharp pang of guilt cuts through Luke’s chest like a machete and his previous confidence completely dissipates into sadness. Though, he can’t tell if it’s actually remorse or just general pity.

“What did you want to talk about?” Y/n asks as if she doesn’t know what conversation they’re about to have. Luke takes a deep breath to prepare himself as best as he can before explaining what’s been on his mind.

“I am so sorry, Y/n.” His hopes for any sort of reaction are crushed once her blank stare doesn’t waver. In spite of everything that’s happened thus far, this is the moment Luke realizes this would be a lot more difficult than he anticipated. “That night, you asked if taking a break from… us was what I really wanted.”

“I remember.”

“I said yes and you left right after that. I know you’ve blocked my socials, but you haven’t blocked my calls, you just don’t answer. I’m sure you’ve got to be interested in why, you’re a very curious person.”

Luke wasn’t wrong there, Y/n had been wondering why. She had been wondering why since the words left his mouth that night, but she repressed that curiosity. She repressed it because she knew that whatever the answer was, it didn’t make any difference. Luke wasn’t hers to have anymore and that was what really mattered.

“I did it because I thought I was falling out of love with you.”

“You thought?”

“I wasn’t actually falling out of love with you.”

“You weren’t?”

“No.”

“Then why’d you break it off?”

“I thought I was falling out of love with you but really my attraction was just changing. Instead of just spontaneous and passionate and exciting, I began to see our relationship as comforting and secure as well as those other things. I thought my comfortability was falling out of love, but really, I was falling in love. I was no longer just super infatuated with you, I was in love with you. Genuine love.”

“Luke…” Y/n trails off. She has no real idea of what it is she’s thinking so she opts to let Luke continue until she can figure it out.

“I love you, Y/n. And I broke things off because, before you, I didn’t understand love. Hell, with you I didn’t understand it was love, but now I do! I love you.”

“Okay.”

“Okay?”

“So, what does this all mean?” Luke draws in a nervous breath, identical to the one he used to soothe his nerves as he stepped into the all-too-familiar house.

“I know I don’t deserve it because of what I put you through… but all I’m asking is for a chance to prove that I really do love you.” The looking shimmering across Y/n’s eyes tells Luke how her thoughts are running wild. She’s experiencing a new train of thought at a mile a minute and it terrifies both of them.

“You hurt me, Luke. And I want to hate you so much for everything that you put me through, but I don’t, and I hate myself for that. But, I’m sorry. I can’t give you a second chance.”

***

Taglist: @caitsymichelle13​ @kaitlyn2907​ @itz-jas​ @crybabyddl​ @kcd15​ @kinda-really-lost​ @calamitykaty​ @morganayennefertyrell @n0wornever​ @dream-a-little-bigger-x​ @mrstodorooki @vicesvsvirturesfanfic @curlybrownhairedboys​ @amazinggracy​ @kaitieskidmore1​ @asdfghjkl-fanfics​ @ghostlygreenbean​ @juliefromaustralia @merceret​ @jemimah-b99​ @ifilwtmfc​ @thesweetestsinner​ @imsydneywalker​ @lovesanimals​ @thebloodthirstyvampress​ @bumbleberry-pie​ @losers-club6​ @tefilovesreading​ @dmcfarland1​@joynerxmercer @kexrtiz​ @talk-on-the-street​ @phantompogues​ @konciousdreamer​ @sunsetcurvej​ @warmnesss0ul​

[otakusheep15]

Hi, I’m Odette, she/her, looking for both a Obey Me and Twisted Wonderland match-up! 

I'm an ENTP borderline INTP, I feel more in check with my emotions than most XNTPs but, I also repress them for logical thinking anyways. My favorite colours are pink and green, but Pink is the main colour of my life everything I own is pink. I need people who are similar minded and I don't take anything less, I want someone who is logical and precise like me. I can be very vain and a perfectionist with prideful tendencies. Sad backstory time-trigger warning: child abuse 

My mom abandoned me until the age of 3, my father left me to be with my stepmother when I was in first grade, and my mom started getting verbally, emotionally, and physically abusive often locking me in my closet with no food for hours at a time for being not perfect at ballet and studying from ages 8 to 13. 

I like history fashion, sewing, drama, a lot of reading, I do ballet and I love classical music. I like hot tea and my favourite food is red velvet cake or shrimp scampi.  - 🦢

I match you with Simeon and Vil!

I'm gonna be splitting them up for this one since I have different reasoning for each, so sorry if this is long.

First, let's start with Simeon. He's very calm, level-headed, and he's smart with anything that doesn't involve technology. Simeon is also very creative, and it's easy for him to pick up on others emotions. I feel like he'd be a good counter to you in a few different ways. You very much remind me of Lucifer in the sense that you're both prideful and rather vain. Simeon is good at dealing with Lucifer, so I feel like he could also get along with you nicely. He'd be kind and nice, but he wouldn't let you get overly prideful without calling you out on it. However, he'd still be nice to you since that's just who he is.

I feel like he'd also be good at helping you handle any lingering feelings you might have about your past. Simeon is a great listener, and he gives amazing advice. He's gentle and kind, but he won't sugar-coat anything he tells you. He'd be blunt with his advice, but not unkind. In general, he'd just be very soft with you, and he'd be there whenever you need, even for the smallest of things. Simeon could hold his own in any situation you might put him through, and rarely would he ever get upset with you for anything.

As for your hobbies, you already know he'd be super into most of them. I guarantee you Simeon knows a decent amount of history considering how long he's been alive, so you could ask him anything history related and he'd probably have an answer. I feel like he probably also knows how to sew, and if not, he'd be a quick learner. Of course, Simeon is an author, so he likes to read, and I'm sure he has plenty of recommendations he can give you. Ballet and classical also seem like something he'd enjoy, especially if he were with you. Simeon can also cook very well, so he would absolutely make you all of the cake and scampi your heart could want.

Now, time for Vil. You two give off very similar vibes, and I think that's why y'all would be such a good match. Both of you like partners with a very similar personality as yourself, and you rarely settle for less. Vil himself can be rather prideful and vain, as is usually the nature of Pomefiore students. However, he is not one to let that get in his way, and he can be kind and open-minded if need be. Vil is also very, very intelligent and precise, which is exactly how he became so popular to begin with. He knows what he wants and how he wants it, and I feel like that's something you could appreciate.

As for your childhood, I'm not quite sure how he'd handle it. Obviously, he'd still a caring person to those he is close to, so he would not do something to purposefully upset you or remind you of those times, but I don't think he'd be the best person to go to if you're ever struggling and need proper advice. However, he is great at giving you distractions and taking your mind off of nay painful memories. Getting someone to relax is something I feel like Vil would be good at, and he'd so whatever it takes to get you to relax.

As for your hobbies, I could very much see him getting into them. Fashion is, of course, something Vil cares a lot about, so the two of you have plenty in common there. I feel like he'd also appreciate someone who can sew like yourself. Ballet and classical music are also two things I could see him enjoying, and he'd loves them even more if you were enjoying them with him. He may not be the best at cooking, but if him making your favorite foods would make you happy, he'd gladly try his best.

Rules for matchups

[eldrxtch]

It’s been a while since you posted that drawing of Lokee strangling his younger self, but I still think about it sometimes. Do you think you could reveal why you drew him doing that?

Oh! We actually kind of covered this in session so I'm free to share it!

It's very dark so I'll put it under a readmore though, with some trigger warnings beforehand ofc Trigger Warnings: Verbal/Emotional/Physical Abuse, Suicidal Ideation (kind of?? not directly stated though but implied by the art), Self-Harm (kind of??)

It's mostly about how Lokee views himself in terms of who he is now and also who he was as a child. His mother was abusive physically, emotionally, and mentally but I didn't want it to be just..another (misogynistic) evil mother trope, alongside the fact that abuse is very very rarely so black and white. To my understanding and personal experience, one of the biggest reasons that victims struggle so much with how to process their abuse a lot of times is because the person that's doing this to them is someone they love. Sometimes there are happy memories sprinkled throughout the really bad situation, and a lot of the pain comes from having to rationalize that the same person who you share these happier memories with is the one who's hurt you so badly.

Lokee's means of justifying that, and rationalizing it, is incredibly unhealthy currently. The goal with him is to eventually work through it, but, as of right now he sees himself as the guilty party with what happened to him in his childhood, because that was part of the verbal/emotional abuse thrown at him. That he was the abuser and she was his victim, even though he was a literal child. Because of that, there's a lot of repressed self-hatred that he hasn't really... processed?

There was a scene in the campaign where he had to relive a childhood memory, except twisted with his emotional state. He ended up confronting and blaming his child self, but I didn't want to outright make it as dark as it was in the picture because D&D is NOT supposed to get that dark and uncomfortable in my opinion. Having him outright strangling his kid self would have kind of killed the vibes we had going on, and although the scene ended up being really heartbreaking and sad in a more ttrpg appropriate way, I still wanted to capture the thing the character would have done in a separate written scenario somewhere, and so I drew it.

Lokee is the comic relief type party member in the campaign, but with a lot of hidden layers beneath all the jokes and shenanigans haha

I swear he's not supposed to be edgy for edgy's sake or anything! I've tried to come at his backstory as respectfully as possible but with enough emotional distance that it's not like, triggering/traumatizing for me or anyone playing alongside me, if that makes sense? I put a lot of work and love into this boy, and the last thing I want to happen is for him to be a source of discomfort for anyone, tbh

BUT YEAH, thanks so much for your curiosity and I'm sorry if this was darker than you were expecting;;

[onlydylanobrien]

Dylan O’Brien is on the run. Quite literally.

It’s a crisp October afternoon on the Toronto set of Flashback and the former Teen Wolf star has just arrived. O’Brien gives director Christopher MacBride a hug before gearing up for the physical sequence on the horizon. As the cameras begin to roll, the 29-year-old actor sprints up the staircase of an abandoned warehouse. Again, and again, and again. As he repeats the scene, O’Brien lightheartedly voices his concerns about holding his head up during his mad dash. “I’m untrained as an actor,” he says to MacBride.

“That was just me joking about things in movies that you don’t think about, like trying to run upstairs and you are not watching your feet because you have to keep your head up for the camera,” O’Brien tells SYFY WIRE as he plunks down on a chair in a remote corner of the building. Running at full tilt, while also ensuring that you’re making sure the camera can capture your performance, is a skill in and of itself, it turns out. “It’s hilarious because then you are tripping and you’re like, ‘Oh, this is not easy.' It’s one of those funny little things. This must be what they teach you in acting school.”

Landing in select theaters and VOD on June 4, Flashback — previously titled The Education of Fredrick Fitzell — follows Fredrick Fitzell, an ordinary guy on the cusp of his 30s. Locked in a corporate job, he must make some tough decisions regarding the next chapter of his life and career. To complicate matters, a chance encounter with a man from Fredrick’s past triggers disturbing memories of Cindy, a high school classmate who vanished. To unravel the mystery behind her disappearance, Fredrick turns to his old druggie buddies and the substance Mercury. Could a trippy bender unlock his repressed memories… or allow something more troubling to resurface?

Fredrick’s existential crisis immediately spoke to O’Brien. The New York City native previously suffered an accident, involving a stunt gone wrong, while filming his movie, The Maze Runner: The Death Cure. The incident left an injured O’Brien hospitalized, broken, and mulling whether to continue acting.

“The two things I had done the longest since I started acting were Teen Wolf and Maze Runner,” O’Brien says. “I had always had those homes and knew I would be moving on from those at some point. They happened in the same year, too. They both kind of ended. It was a new stage that I was going to be entering into. I wanted to take my time, for me personally, because I had been going nonstop since I was 18. I always believed that as an artist, the only thing you are inspired by is life and experience. You can’t be on set all the time. I was reading a lot and trying to figure out and feel what was right to do next. I wanted to be patient about that.

“I read this script and called my manager, ‘I absolutely love this!'" he adds. "It’s an incredibly well-written script and wildly unique. It’s completely out there, and yet, at the same time, it’s really structured and written by somebody who knows what they are doing. Beyond that, it felt like my world at the time. Something could not have fallen into my lap that I was more connected to.”

Although marketed as a psychological thriller, Flashback’s narrative is rooted in genre, with elements of horror and sci-fi. Reminiscent of Jacob’s Ladder, the story switches between past, present, and future versions of Fredrick. In addition, a horrifying creature, with a personal connection to Fredrick, haunts his visions. The monster serves as an interesting device used as a metaphor for motherhood and exploring the complexities with a parent.

“I love that instead of hammering home what his relationship was like with his mother in the script, it’s sort of a very important piece of the film that he’s losing his mother,” explains O’Brien. “You never really see how he feels about that, outside of what he is going through. The only way you do that is through this creature and through this hovering energy.”

Viewers will be treated to multiple Fredricks (nine, to be precise) on this deeply personal journey. There’s 17-year-old teen Fredrick, his present-day self, and an older version. O’Brien was impressed by the aging and de-aging process — enough that he admits to occasionally getting a little lost in time.

“Every day, I’m like, ‘Where the hell am I?’” he jokes.

“The makeup team has been doing an amazing job because it’s not an easy thing to do and you have to be subtle with it,” O’Brien says. “They will do things, like when I’m 30, it’s no makeup aside from enhancing my little wrinkles that I have, the natural things in my face and have a little scruff. Then, at 17, they are young-ing us up. They put makeup on us to make our skin look younger, our face look better. A little foundation smoothes everything out. We shave and try to cover up the shadow.

“I didn’t expect it to be so mentally and emotionally draining,” he continues. “I do feel spent at the end of so many days. It’s a lot of focus. Again, in this time crunch of 25 days, sometimes we are doing three big scenes of the entire arc of the film, three completely different stages of his life. I want the performance to be there. It’s difficult, but it’s such a fun challenge because it’s something I connect to, something I dearly care about and want to get right.”

O’Brien concludes, “It’s been nothing but a blast and a pleasure to have that challenge of exploring these subtly different nine versions of this guy and having traces of him still be there in each and every one.”

[hansols-yoda-boxers]

Camp North Star - August 31st

AFAB!Reader x Yanan

Word Count: 3904

Contents: oral (male receiving), fingering, eating ass, protected sex, a mistake, Yanan being a very good sport

You walked into Cabin Hydrus with a sigh. Most of your work was done now and you felt a bit listless. You and Wonwoo were getting along, you were chatting, joking, all of those things, but it just didn’t quite feel like before. There was some kind of strange tension between the two of you that you just couldn’t place. You wanted to ask him about it but you didn’t even know what to ask. Something was slightly off kilter and it didn’t feel how you wanted it to feel.

You also hadn’t thought too hard about that either.

Yanan gasped. “We’re being graced by their presence, the whore.”

You snorted and grabbed a pillow off Changgu’s bed, whipping it at Yanan. He laughed, batting it away from him while the others chuckled. You walked across the small cabin to where Yanan’s bed was, sitting down on the foot of it. The others went back to chatting.

“What did you want?” Yanan asked.

“I’m bored,” you mumbled. “I’m looking for something to waste time on.”

“You sure?” He asked quietly.

You eyed him. “You aren’t the first person to ask that and yes I’m sure.”

“If more than one person is asking you that-”

“Listen, I came in here to find something to take my mind off of things. I have only a few days left and I probably won’t keep this up once school starts. I’m a grown person, I can make my own decisions.”

“Fair enough, and you can deal with the consequences.”

“Are you trying to tell me you have an infection,” you snorted.

Yanan kicked you, albeit gently. “Firstly, STIs happen. Secondly, I”ll have you know I’m as clean as a whistle.”

“Good,” you said. “Should I ask about the other consequences?”

“Your own emotional consequences,” he said.

“I’m not suffering emotionally,” you groaned, rolling your eyes.

“You say that like I don’t know what repressed emotions look like,” he chuckled.

“What would I even be repressing?” You asked.

“You know what, I’m gonna let you figure it out on your own. I think even if I told you you wouldn’t believe me.”

You groaned and got up, exasperated. Yanan grabbed your waist and you let out a yelp that drew the attention of Yoohyeon, Changgu, and Jihyo as you fell back into his lap.

“I didn’t say I want you to leave,” He was already murmuring in your ear. It would have been hotter if you weren’t annoyed at him. “I’m fine with being a vehicle for bad decisions.”

“I am not making a bad decision,” you muttered as Yanan looked over your shoulder.

“Can we steal the cabin for a bit?” He asked, a little too sweetly.

“What are we gonna do?” Changgu pouted.

“I’m sure we’ll find something entertaining,” Jihyo grinned, taking his and Yoohyeon’s hands and starting to pull them towards the door. “I’ll make sure it takes some time.”

“Love you, babe,” Yanan grinned.

“Right back at you, babe,” Jihyo smirked before pushing the others out the door.

“I swear this cabin is some kind of swingers club,” you muttered.

“Wouldn’t it have been fun if you and Wonwoo were in here?”

You bristled a little. “Not at first,” you said. “He would have been too awkward for that.”

“True,” Yanan said. “You loosened him up.”

You shifted around, straddling Yanan’s lap. “We don’t have to talk about Wonwoo. We don’t have to talk about anyone else.”

Yanan rested his hands on your waist. “You waste no time.”

“Why bother? I know what I’m here for.” You murmured, leaning a little closer to him.

“What if I didn’t want to?” He teased with a grin.

“Unlikely,” you said, fingers tangling into his hair. “But it’s not like you’re the only other slut at camp.”

Yanan chuckled against your lips. “In that case, anything particular that you want?”

“I just need something to fully consume my mind.”

His hands slipped down to your ass as he pulled you flush against him. “I can do that.”

Yanan finally met your lips in a kiss, urging you to start grinding down on his lap. You did your best to focus on what you could feel, the way he was gripping your ass, the way his lips moved with yours in a series of kisses, the slight friction you were getting as you started to grind down on his lap.

You might as well take advantage of fun while you could, and wanted to. This was both easier and more fun at camp, but it was also only for the summer, a brief foray into whore-dom before coming back to your usual life. There were precious few days left and you were bored with free time. And Yanan was hot.

And he was there.

You sighed against his lips, pressing into him as his tongue pressed past your lips. He deepened the kisses, a hand moving to the small of your back to keep you there as your fingers tangled in his hair held him closer to you. You tried to only focus on these things, trying to get your mind into the moment and pushing away the intrusions of any other thoughts.

As you made out, he urged you to move your hips a little faster. You could feel him getting harder underneath you. Your brain toyed around with ideas of what to do next before you made up your mind, pulling away from him. Yanan gave you a disgruntled pout but you merely grinned at him as you slipped back and moved off the bed and onto your knees on the floor.

“You pout like I’m going to disappoint you.” You chuckled, fingers undoing the waist of his jeans.

“The night is still young,” he grinned, lifting his hips as you pulled off his pants and boxers off. “You just might yet.”

“I’m not going to disappoint you,” you laughed, wrapping a hand around the base of his cock. “I assure you, you’ll be satisfied.”

“Are you trying to sell me on it?” He chuckled.

“Shut up and let me pleasure you,” you chided, though your tone was humorous. Yanan couldn’t help his chuckling but he rested back a little, bracing himself with his hands on the bed as you started to kiss along his cock. 

He let out a quiet sigh at the feeling and you grinned to yourself. As if you didn’t know what you were doing at this point. If you hadn’t managed to improve in bed at all this summer that would just be a massive personal failure.

You teased his tip, sucking it between your lips as you started to pump the base of his cock, not holding him too firmly and listening to the quiet sighs he let out. Your gaze looked up at him sweetly and he bit his lip at the sight of you as your tongue ran along the underside of his cock before you sucked the tip back in again.

“Are you only going to tease?” He questioned.

“So impatient,” you murmured with a grin.

You still obliged him though, taking him into your mouth slowly. You took him as far down as you were comfy, squeezing your hand a little more around the base of his cock. You pumped him a little faster as you set a steady pace, each time you pulled your mouth back hollowing your cheeks around his cock.

Yanan let out a groan, hand finding your hair, though he let you keep the pace you had. You flickered your gaze up to him again to find his eyes were closed and his head was hanging to the side as he let himself enjoy it, fingers gripping a little at the sheets as he spread his legs a little wider for you.

You hummed around his cock, trying to lose yourself in the sounds. His sighs had grown into low groans as you sucked him off. You took in each one, letting it sink into you and trickle through your mind and body. You felt the small shivers of arousal that were starting to run down your spine and your stomach.

“That is good,” Yanan hummed.

You let out a groan around his cock and he chuckled.

“I didn’t actually doubt you, but damn this is really good.”

You moved a little faster just because you could, drawing another groan from his lips and causing his hand in your hair to tighten. You added a twist to the movement of your hand, enjoying the way he started to press his hips towards you for more.

Slowly, your body was asking for more. As you managed to at least somewhat relax your mind and your body was growing needier. More of the groans he let out had heat pooling in the pit of your stomach and in your core. You shifted a little, becoming more aware of it with each passing moment.

“Fuck, just like that,” Yanan let his head fall back, eyes closed as you started taking him a little deeper. You kept your throat as relaxed as you could and took him into your mouth more deeply. It might not have been the best deep throating but the way Yanan moaned told you that it was pleasurable nonetheless.

“Do that again,” he said breathlessly.

A grin would have tugged your lips apart if your mouth wasn’t stuffed full. Instead, you moaned around his cock, enjoying the way it made him curse as your actions affected him more and more.

You took him deeply into your mouth again, this time holding it while pumping the base of his cock. His groan was much louder as a tremor ran through his legs from how the sensation hit him. You stayed until you needed more air, pulling back to breath before doing it again.

“F-Fuck-” Yanan pressed your head down a little more, as much as you would let him. His increasingly aroused sounds only had you wanting more, thinking about how warm you were, how you were feeling the need between your legs growing by the second. It had you squeezing his cock a little more in your hand, pumping what little bit wasn’t in your mouth a little more roughly.

“Okay,” Yanan breathed, pulling you back suddenly. “Your turn.”

“I could hav-”

Yanan pulled you up to his lap again. “Let’s not be too hasty. Postponing the finale is a lot more fun.”

He kissed you again, a little more feverish now as his fingers pulled at your shirt. You let him pull it up over your head, then kissed him again. Your hands ran down his chest as he undid your bra, letting it fall down your arms until you shrugged it off and threw it aside. The need between your legs was somehow more evident now as you tugged his shirt off, sitting back for a moment to admire his toned chest, his own gaze travelling down your body.

Yanan smirked. “Enjoying the view?”

“As if you’re not doing the exact same thing,” you snorted.

Yanan brought a hand to your chin, pulling you in again.

“Guilty,” he purred, before kissing you. You let yourself enjoy the kisses for a little while but you were getting impatient and feeling Yanan’s hard cock under you as you sat on his lap was only making it worse. You found yourself grinding down against him for some kind of friction as he kissed you, finally hearing him chuckle.

You didn't have a chance to ask what was funny though. Instead he quickly pushed you from his lap and onto all fours on the bed. You let out a yelp in the process,  just managing to steady yourself before he started pulling off your shorts and panties.

“I take it you need some attention?” He murmured.

“Please,” you whined.

Yanan kept you on your knees, spreading your legs wide as he settled behind you.

“Look at you, all wet and needy.”

“You don’t know how wet I was before I got here,” you pointed out.

“Are you telling me you were so bored on your own that you needed my assistance?” He chuckled, kissing and nipping at your thighs, making you gasp.

“N-No- That’s not- uh-” You blamed you inability to come up with a comeback to the lust that was clouding your brain currently and not the having backed yourself into a corner.

“Sounds like I’ve just made your whole night better,” you felt one of his hands slip up your inner thigh as he nipped at your ass. “You’re welcome.”

“You don’t need to be s-so-” The words didn’t make it off your tongue, instead a moan fell from your lips as Yanan dragged his fingers through your folds and over your clit. He chuckled at your reaction.

“And I was so nice, I told you that I was feeling good. And you can’t even admit I’m affecting you.” He let out a “tut tut” before pressing in towards you.

You opened your mouth to speak but all of your words were lost in an instant. Yanan brought two fingers up to your cunt, pushing them in slowly and starting to curl them in a heavenly way. At the same time he brought his tongue to your ass, running around the edge of it in a way that had you gripping the sheets below you.

Yanan hummed against you, clearly proud of himself for rendering you speechless. As much as you wanted to say something witty there was no wit left in your brain. His fingers found a more quick, steady pace while his tongue moved in slow circles and his other hand kept your legs apart.

You were very worked up, very needy, you knew that, but it seemed even more than you realized. The way Yanan’s fingers filled you were divine and you pushed down exactly what they were reminding you of in favour of pressing your hips back towards him for more.

You felt the way he twisted his fingers into you, curling them, scissoring them, rubbing inside of you and moving a little faster here or there just to draw some more moans from your lips. Each movement of his fingers sent a rush of pleasure through your body. Some were better than others but those just made you jolt or jerk your hips back. You felt your arms trembling, trying to hold you up.

“P-Please, m-more,” you managed. As much as you liked being composed with Yanan it felt too good for you to sound anything other than whiny or needy.

“Of course,” he purred, slowing his fingers.

You let out a moan as he pressed three fingers into your pussy easily. The slight stretch, the sensation was wonderful. You let yourself down to your elbows for more support as your thighs shook a little from his ministration.

His tongue slowly pressed inside of you. Even with your eyelids closed you could feel your eyes roll back at the feeling. The pleasure was building into a tension that was pulling your body tight. You were quickly loving every second of it but some part of you was also itching for more. There were thoughts still lingering in your mind and maybe being fucked senseless was what you needed to knock them loose.

“F-Fuck me,” you mumbled.

Yanan pulled back. “Hmm?”

“P-Please fuck me,” you managed, any pretense of shame or cockiness gone.

“Now how could I say no to that?” He asked.

 Yanan pulled his fingers away from you. You took the time to catch your breath, not moving from your spot as he found a condom. You listened to him tearing open the package and waited for him to roll it on before he had one hand on your hip, kneeling on the bed behind you.

“Do you want it-”

“Hard,” you said, fingers curling into the sheets in anticipation.

Yanan chuckled. “Alright.”

He guided his cock into you smoothly, making sure he had the right angle and bottoming out. You let a moan fall off of your lips at the pleasure as your cunt stretched around his cock, feeling the way he filled you. Yanan brought his other hand to your hip, holding you firmly and rolling his hips slowly a few times, just to tease. 

You started to whine but he quickly pulled back, nearly fully out of you before thrusting back into you cunt, hard.

A tremor ran through your arms and a cry cascaded off your lips at the sudden sensation, the sudden burst of pleasure through your body from his sharp thrusts. They quickly consumed the last of your brain power as he pulled out slowly a few times before giving hard thrusts.

His grip on your hips tightened as he started fucking you fast, but it was still just as deep and just as rough. You let your arms fully give out and you let out a series of moans and gasps. Your face fell against the bed and you turned it to the side for air, arms splayed out over the bed and fingers gripping at the sheets.

Yanan let out a series of low groans and grunts as he fucked into you, his hips thrusting forward only a little more than how he pulled you back roughly to meet his cock each time. He had to be chasing his own high at this speed, this ferocity and it only made your body tremble more as tension started to tie you tight.

“You feel so fucking good,” his voice was breathy and very affected.

“Fuck, Wonwoo.”

Yanan hips stuttered to a stop. The disgruntled whine made it off your lips before your lust addled brain pieced together what you’d done.

Your eyes shot open and you looked back at Yanan with shock and embarrassment as he regarded you with genuine surprise.

“Oh my god. Yanan I am so sorry-”

Yanan’s lips twitch before pulling into a wide smile and then breaking into a laugh. He doubled over you, wrapping his hands around your waist and howling with laughter as you tried to make sense of his reaction in any way, shape, or form.

“Oh my god!” He cried, squeezed your waist before shifting and sliding out of you.

“Wait, no!” You whined as he helped you to settle on the bed before taking off the condom. “Come on. It was an accident.”

Yanan was still laughing, shaking his head. “That was more than an accident.” You watched as he wrapped his hand around his cock and started pumping it quickly.

“Yanan, please. I’m sorry. I won’t do it again-”

He waved to cut you off, shoulders still shaking with quiet chuckles. “I need you to sit with that for a few minutes and ask yourself, honestly, why you did that.”

“I didn’t- fine, whatever,” you grumbled, pulling your knees up to your chest and eyeing him getting off. Clearly he wasn’t going to continue with this tonight.

You didn’t see what the big deal was, why everyone was acting like this. He had asked if you really wanted to be with him, so had Soonyoung. Minji told you to work through your feelings. Why was everyone so obsessed with this? What did they know that you didn’t? Why didn’t Yanan think it was an accident?

Of course it was. Wonwoo kept slipping into your mind but that wasn’t your fault. When you were having sex thoughts of him would pop up, memories of what he did that you liked so much. And sure other little things reminded you of him, you noticed how much things had changed, anyone would. 

It wasn’t a problem that you thought about him. People think about people a lot anyway. You thought about your ex a lot once you broke up. And maybe that wasn’t a good comparison. But the point was that people think about the people they care about. You could admit you cared about Wonwoo. You could admit you missed having sex with him. You could even admit that you felt a little weird about how he felt about Yoohyeon.

Yanan let out a quiet groan as he came over his fingers. You sighed as he cleaned himself up quickly and found his boxers. He gave a pointed look while you pouted at him.

“Well?”

“Well what?” You muttered. “So I think about him a lot, so what?”

“Oh my god,” Yanan groaned. “Okay, then I will take you through this in baby steps. You think about him during sex?”

“Yeah,” you muttered.

“And outside of sex?”

“Of course, he’s my friend.”

“How did you feel when he told you about his crush?”

“How do you-”

“He told me,” Yanan rolled his eyes. “How did you feel?”

“I don’t know, weird?”

“Weird how?”

“Just weird?? Why are you-”

“Because you’ve been fucking this up so clearly you can’t get there on your own. It wasn’t just weird. Break down weird. What did you really feel?”

“I-I don’t know?” You cried. “It makes me feel just, upset? I mean he didn’t even tell me before that and we were sleeping together and he seemed like he really liked it. I didn’t wanna be around him for a while and I kinda took off. It was just…”

“Just what?”

“I don’t- uh- like, painful?” You said, searched through your feelings.

Yanan gave you an expectant look. “Why would it be painful?”

“How should I know?”

“Come on you are not that stupid,” he said, ignoring your look of indignation. “Friend A tells Friend B “I like Friend Y.” Barring Y being a terrible person, what is the only legit reason that Friend B would get upset.”

“Friend B likes Friend A.” You said, it was the only explanation that made sense.

“So?”

“So? So…” You felt your stomach drop. “N-No I don’t though I-I mean h-how- I would have-”

“Bitch, you have been repressing your feelings so hard you don’t even recognize them,” Yanan sighed. “You’ve been drowning in sex instead of letting yourself feel anything. You got upset when he said he liked someone else, which was a lie by the way. You get awkward if Yoohyeon is within 2 meters of him. You haven’t been able to fix your relationship back to what it was.”

It felt like the realization was hitting you like a truck as you sat in stunted silence for a moment.

“I’m in love with Wonwoo.”

“Duh,” Yanan rolled his eyes. “Glad you finally figured that out.”

You jumped off the bed, hastily throwing on your clothes. “I have to talk to him. And what do you mean he was lying?”

“Yeah, you should go talk to him,” Yanan said. “You didn’t wanna cum, did you?”

“There are more important things in life than an orgasm,” You said, bouncing as you pulled on your shoe.

Yanan snorted. “True. And good luck. Please don’t fuck it up again.”

“Asshole.” 

“Bitch.”

You stopped before leaving. “Thank you.”

“You’re welcome, now go get your fairytale ending.”

----------

You burst into Cabin Lupus but your face fell when you spotted Wonwoo’s empty bed. Some of you cabin mates were already sleeping but Wonwoo was either out for the night or out until late.

You walked to your cabin and slumped down onto your bed.

It would just have to wait until tomorrow.

[unlucky-rubber-ducky]

Nightmares

Obi-Wan Kenobi x Reader

1300 words

Summary/warnings: Really rather sad, nightmares, mentions of earth but no actual death. Super cheesy. It’s late. Sappy ending. Super rushed.

A/N: Hello! I was just kind of messing around with this one. It’s not perfect but it’s always fun to write nightmares. School has also been wild, so I hope you can forgive the long periods of time between posting. A final ‘also’, please always feel free to request something! Thank you so much for reading!

You had never heard the temple so… silent. It was so silent. No masters quietly chiding their padawans, no younglings giggling as they made their way to their next class, no knights celebrating a successful mission. Nothing. Silence. 

Jedi lined the halls, creating a path and watching you as you walked by. You soon recognized the twists and turns were leading you to the council chambers, and the dread that had been creeping up on you fell like a rock in your stomach. 

You could see the door to the council at the end of the hallway, and you were screaming at your legs to stop, to turn around, to slow down- anything to delay whatever was going to happen once you entered that room. As you neared, you recognized the two figures standing guard at the door.

In Anakin’s eyes there was a fury you had only seen on the battlefield, directed at droids and enemy soldiers. But now the blazing fire was focused on you, and you were sure that if he could get away with it, you would be lying dead on the floor. His padawan stood next to him, deep disappointment and almost loathing in her eyes- ice, to contrast her master’s fire.

“What have you done?”

For a moment you didn’t recognize the voice that echoed through the silent halls of the temple. It sounded more vindictive than anything you had ever encountered, and you wondered how that much hatred could be stored in a person. 

“You will suffer.” Oh. You knew that voice. You spoke with it every day. “Greatly.”

The door whooshed open, and you were stepping into the council chambers.

You refused to meet any eyes, instead focusing on the singular empty chair. The chair usually filled by the one man you wished was present.

“Knight (Y/n). You have been charged with treason against the Galactic Republic, and the murder of Master Obi-Wan Kenobi. How do you plead?”

If you hadn’t fallen in love with him he would still be alive. If you had never started this tryst he would still be alive. If you had loved him enough to leave he would still be alive. His death is your fault. You knew this could only end in tragedy.

You took a breath.

“Guilty.”

You gasped as you sat up. You tried to control your breathing, but tears quickly began rolling down your face. Soon you were sobbing, the terrible, guilty feeling in your chest refusing to accept that it was just a dream. Before your brain could catch up you were already out the door, darting the short distance from your quarters to Obi-Wan’s. You had to make sure he was alright. That he didn’t hate you. You didn’t even consider the fact that knocking on someone’s door at one in the morning wasn’t exactly couth.

Of course, that all came rushing back when he opened the door with a confused, sleepy expression and no shirt.

“I-I’m so sorry, I wasn’t thinking, I shouldn’t have-”

“Were you crying?”

“I…” You tried to calm yourself as another wave of tears made their way down your face. Maker, why had you done this to yourself? It wasn’t like this was the first dream you had ever had, since the Clone Wars started it was only one of many- why was it this one that sent you crying and knocking on Obi-wan’s door? “I’m fine. I apologize for waking you, Obi-Wan.”

Before you could turn away, he grabbed your arm and pulled you into his quarters. You protested as he sat you on the end of his bed, moving towards the kitchenette to get you a glass of water. You accepted with a watery smile.

“Now, darling, would you like to talk about why you were crying or watch a cheesy holodrama?” He smiled when you laughed just a little. “Ahsoka tells me the best ones play after midnight.”

His heart broke when you looked up at him from the cup in your hands. You looked so… lost. So sad and lost and desperate for comfort that you refused to ask for.

“Um, could we watch something? Or you can go back to bed, and I can leave, I just don’t want to be alone but I could probably go bother-”

“I promise that you are welcome here. Let’s see what’s on.”

You ended up settling on a reality show titled ‘The Real Smugglers of the Outer Rim’, it was dumb and required quite literally no critical thinking skills, which was exactly what you were looking for. His bed was small enough that your legs were pressed together, and you were painfully aware that Obi-Wan had yet to put a shirt on.

“I had a nightmare.”

“I understand. What took place?”

“I…” What could you say? I dreamt that my very real love for you somehow got you killed? That would be a lot to deal with. “I dreamt that you had died.”

You heard him take in a breath.

“I didn’t realize my death would distress you so.”

You turned to look at him, startled just a little when you met his eye.

“Obi-Wan. You’re not dumb.” His face went through multiple emotions in the span of seconds, and you turned your whole body to face him, suddenly itching to run away. Obi-Wan wasn’t dumb. He knew what you were telling him. In your own emotionally-repressed-Jedi-way, you were admitting feelings that you truly shouldn’t be admitting.

Your heart dropped for the second time that night. This was your dream. This was his downfall. Your downfall. How could you have walked into the exact situation your dream had just warned you about?

You jumped off of the bed, ripping yourself away from Obi-Wan, who looked even more startled than you. You couldn’t exactly blame him.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I just… I really shouldn’t have come. This was terrible. I’m so sorry. I’ll let you sleep. I can’t… I’m sorry for putting that on you.”

“Do you have… feelings for me, darling?”

“I- I don’t think-”

“Please.”

Oh, Maker. Your eyes filled with tears yet again.

“Yeah. Yeah, I guess I do.”

“Please sit back down.” You tentatively sat on the edge of the bed, staying as far away from Obi-Wan as you could. “You likely know I… return your feelings, yes?”

You weren’t sure your heart could take any more.

“I honestly had no clue.”

“Oh.” Obi-wan blushed. “Anakin said it was obvious.”

“Obi-Wan.” His expression was serious again. “In my dream you died because I let myself care for you.”

“My dear, I…” He slowly raised his hands to cup your face, giving you every chance to back away. “I would much sooner die because you cared, than die knowing I could have loved you.” You placed your hands over his, pressing your face closer to his calloused hands. “Plus, not every dream is a vision from the future.”

You shared a soft smile. Obi-Wan was the first to break eye contact, glancing down at your lips in a silent question. You answered by leaning in and pressing your lips to his. You felt him smile into the kiss, and you couldn’t help but do the same.

“Can I stay here for the night?”

“Of course you can, precious one.”

You moved to lay next to him in your previous position, but he easily pulled you up and on top of him. You giggled and rested your head on his chest, calm for the first time since you first woke up. You traced the light freckles that were dotted on his skin, almost in disbelief that the night had turned out this way.

“You’ll be here when I wake up?”

He began running his fingers through your hair.

“I promise, my love.”

[angelharness]

Various Slashers as Yandere Archetypes 

WARNINGS: yandere content 

Another non-requested piece. I actually found myself terribly interested in the concept after my last post musing on the topic (found here), though I’d like to restate that I don’t believe I’ll be writing more on the matter, unless a commission. 

Will firmly reiterate last time’s warning, it’s very important to recognize this characterization as unhealthy and to never enable such behavior in any real relationships. 

Will be sorting each slasher into seven classes, including Isolating, Manipulative, Dependent, Possessive, Obsessive, Delusional, and Lucid

The definitions vary greatly depending on the Slasher, while some may not fit an archetype listed, or could be a hybrid of any number of them. It’s also very possible for them to fit multiple subcategories. 

For reference, a general key would be

Isolating - (Usually gradually) cuts off s/o from their friends and family, secluding them and asserting themselves as their only social contact. Goal is perhaps to make s/o reliant on them.

Manipulative - Fairly straightforward, though the means of manipulation vary. Often emotionally controlling. Might resort to guilting the s/o or self-destructive tendencies to get them to stay. Goal is to assert control over s/o.

Dependent - Depends on s/o for stability or comfort. Might suffer from separation anxiety and as such is terribly clingy. Often ignores other social ties to focus on their s/o. No implicit goal, but usually wishes for reciprocation of feelings.

Possessive - Similar to Manipulative and often a package deal. Would under no circumstances share their s/o, likely frets over losing them (perhaps to romantic rivals or even misguidedly anyone they falsely deem a threat). Goal is to assert control over s/o. 

Obsessive - Not necessarily Possessive, though the two sometimes come together. An Obsessive might not outwardly act on their fixation, but silently pines intensely for their s/o. Fixates heavily on their s/o. Goal is to become closer to the person of interest, or wishes for reciprocation of feelings.

Delusional - Hard opposite of Lucid. They likely wrongly believe their feelings are reciprocated, believe them and their s/o are meant to be, or that their s/o is in denial of their feelings and it’s up to them to help them realize this. No implicit goal, but usually wishes for reciprocation of feelings.

Lucid - Hard opposite of Delusional. Well aware that their feelings are unhealthy and destructive, but usually represses these thoughts or simply doesn’t care. Might feel guilt, but it’s often overshadowed by longing. May have any of the formerly listed goals.

BILLY LENZ

Dependent, Possessive

He is a complex case. His lucidity comes in brief episodes, then wanes to stubborn delusion. Generally, though, he’s dependent on you for a sense of stability. When you leave, he throws somewhat of a tantrum, absolutely trashes the place, tears the wallpaper, knocks shit over, then curls up in a corner, stewing in a vicious, wordless rage. On the rare occasions, afflicted by guilt, he’ll silently clean it up, intensely avoiding your gaze all the while. Most of the time, though, you’re left to deal with the damage of his uncertain temper. He feels like you’re abandoning him, even if you fully have the intent to return; when you do come through the door he launches into your arms, all rushed kisses and crushing hugs. Inevitably, though, the cycle will repeat once more, gradually wearing you thin and thinner. Like a sweater heavily loved. But this love is intense and merciless. 

CARRIE WHITE

Dependent, Delusional

Carrie is very much wary coming into this relationship. She’s so baffled by affection, true and honest affection, no underlying teasing, no stifled giggles, that she nearly breaks down. It takes much adjusting, but soon, she’s hooked. She becomes dependent on your praise and approval to function routinely. Anything you dislike she does as well. You’re always so right, she thinks, so puzzlingly perfect. She idolizes you to the point she blocks out any of your flaws (which come with being human), entirely eliminating the possibility from her mind. She’s willing to overlook any fault, anyway, but she’s dazed by the spectacle of genuine love. Every moment you’re away is a unique, awful pain, singed with worry (you’re leaving, you found someone better), and though in those moments she thinks there’s no possible greater agony, the bliss of your presence keeps her around. She doesn’t care for anyone else—they never cared for her, and it’s not like their compassion would compare, either way. She decides you’re all she needs.

JASON VOORHEES

Obsessive, Isolating

First confronting his feelings, he disregards it casually, assuming it’d be easy to ignore. He busies himself with work, but finds this fixation occupying his thoughts in increasingly frequent intervals. He knows something needs to be done when it starts directly interfering with his chores, leading to sloppy work and far too many victims fleeing. The easy answer is to off you. He hunts you down with that intent, well ready to finally rid of this distraction. But he can’t. Stands there with a hellish anxiety wracking his chest, a feeling only distantly familiar, recalling the days when his heart did beat. He’s so intensely, frustratingly obsessed with you—it upsets him even, confuses him tremendously. All he knows for certain is that he wouldn’t be able to stand you with someone else; doesn’t care if he’s not that someone, as long as it’s not anybody else. From then on, it’s a very last minute change of plans; keep you alive, isolate you, make you dependent on him. He’s not the type to force affection on you, but rather, would purposefully withdraw it for extended periods of time, until you seek it of your own will, in which case he will reward you with the desired attention. 

BRAHMS HEELSHIRE

Possessive, Manipulative 

Like Billy, has a fragile temper that can be quite a minefield to traverse. You can never be sure what will upset him, but when it does he makes sure it’s known. Could additionally be classified as isolating, as he will immediately confine you to the manor. Leaving is far out of the question, though later on he might permit you to extend this bit of freedom to the expanse of garden surrounding the mansion (he will, however, keep you far from the gates). He makes himself out to be entirely helpless without your guidance and care, though that must be wrong, being how he’s had only himself for much of his time living in the space between the walls. It gets you to stay, and that’s what matters in the moment. But eventually, the need to escape his suffocating presence vastly exceeds your will to stay. When that time comes, an effectively inevitable outcome, Brahms had realized in the back of his head, he’ll turn to violence, first in tantrums then in threats directed to both yourself and him. Isn’t beyond killing you if he’s convinced you’re set on leaving and there’s nothing he can do.

BUBBA SAWYER

Dependent, Possessive

Partly delusional, but knows you’re unwilling. Still, relies on you for a feeling of normalcy, that distant echo of a real, functional relationship. Couldn’t bear the thought of you with anyone else, so much he might resort to threats of violence to coerce you into staying. Whether these are empty or significant falls on you to figure out. Liable to tantrums when you’re away, though the severity of these outbursts is determined by his current stability. He considers you part of the family, though at the end of the day, Drayton gets the final say on your status of life. He’ll plead desperately and with genuine distress, but it doesn’t take much pushing for him to cave in on himself; he’s far more scared to disobey the family. If he’s to kill you, he’ll go about it sweetly, clumsy, unfamiliar kisses as he smooths your hair down, trying uselessly to calm you. Your struggling and crying only troubles him, and he might hurry up the process just to quiet that awful commotion. If Drayton allowed, though, he’d keep you as a sort of pet; you’re to stay in his room or at his side and never stray. You’re given a seat at the dinner table as long as you pull your weight and pitch in (albeit unwillingly) with household chores. 

AMANDA YOUNG / THE PIG

Lucid, Manipulative 

Fairly coherent regarding her emotions, though this regulation never translates into her actions, which are twisted by impulse and anxieties. Unintentionally incredibly manipulative, will very quickly turn to self-destructive exploits to gain your sympathy and convince you to stay. Eventually, she stops caring if you’re only sticking around out of a feeling of necessity. If you ever show intent to leave, though, she’d panic. Amanda can’t conceive a life without you now that she’s met you, and though she despises how dependent she’s become on you for stability, she can’t will herself to try and improve. Your attention is a new, frightening addiction; the highs come with affection and compassion, but then withdrawal in the periods you’re away. These acts of love have to be greater and greater than the last to recreate that same rush of intoxication. She’d allow you the illusion of freedom, reminding you often you can leave if you wanted (it’s all a ploy for sympathy), but makes a show of how pathetic she is without you. She can barely function, and though she hates this vulnerability, her balance of mind being dependent on another person, she’s trapped herself in an unforgiving sequence of self-destructive desperation and a murderous temper.