#but even for a loss its so fun to be part of. genuinely one of my favorite things in the world is that ive set at least 2 hours every other

[itsfrenchfornothankyou]

okay so you said genuine question and im not from around here but i do have an answer! so you've unlocked an unskippable cutscene!

this is a much bigger topic than it appears on the surface, and i might be able to answer your question succinctly and briefly, but it would miss out on a lot of the stuff happening behind the scenes which is actually very important!

since this is going to be quite long (I did a rough notes on my thoughts and what i might say and it was almost 1k. so.) i am going to put the rest under a readmore

but now that you've clicked the button and commited, let's break this into parts for both our sakes.

part 1: moral purity and the loss of 'squick'

so there's been a fun phenomenon happening lately online, and it's the idea that you can assign morals by the type of things that someone likes. that the act of enjoying something or disliking something is an inherently moral act.

this in itself has a lot of reasons behind it, and digging through that history would be an essay in its own right, so im going to glaze over it. but the current state of affairs is that your own personal taste, be it in media, in people, or yes, sexual thoughts (even ones without actions) are in themselves, moral.

no matter the cause of these feelings, the outcome is this: if you find yourself liking or disliking something, there must be some reason behind it. if you find yourself grossed out by something, there is a moral and justifyable reason behind it.

this is, to me, related to the loss of the idea of a 'squick'; something that just grossed you out. 'squicks' didnt have to be triggers, they didnt have to be evil or harming you, they were a preference about something you just personally did not like.

now however, along with other terms, we have lost the idea of a 'squick' and so if you don't like something there must be a reason this thing is evil.

so now you have people seeing things like animal packers, and they are for some reason uncomfortable with them. where we might have once said 'oh well, not for me', we must now have a reason for why we are uncomfortable with this idea.

1.5: the perpetrator and the victim

in any given situation, to prevent discourse from becoming muddied or hard to answer, there must always be a person who is definitively in the right, and a person who is in the wrong.

this is a really normal reaction, it's hard to accept something as not having a clear answer, and so it's easy to find ourselves doubling down on something so we dont have to confess to the worst thing of all 'i dont know'.

Coming from disability advocacy, it's important to recognise that there are going to be situations which are not clear cut, in which nobody has done anything wrong, but people have ended up hurt or upset. sometimes needs and people are simply incompatible, and there's nothing wrong or evil there.

but that is difficult and scary, so instead it's much easier to talk about the victim and the villain. if someone is being hurt (i am looking at something that grosses me out) then someone must be intentionally hurting them (evil gross kinksters)

In this understanding of things, the discomfort itself must be harm done, and if harm is being done, then someone must be at fault. it becomes a matter of who is the perpetrator and who is the victim. So in order for them to be uncomfortable and not be evil themselves, the thing that is making them uncomfortable must be evil itself.

now that we've established these things we can actually get around to answering the actual question you asked:

Part 2: why zoophillia?

if this person has deemed the act that these people have done to be evil or bad, why not just call the act itself (which i am given to understand is hyper-realistic animal packers?) evil?

well what you surely understand, and somehwere in the back of their brain they understand, is that that's incredibly fucking stupid.

if you walk up to the average person and say hey, this person is doing this evil thing, and explain that, theyre going to think you're insane. so how are they supposed to tell the average person that this person is evil? they escelate it to most awful acusation they can think of in the moment.

in most communities, the terrible thing that they will accuse someone of is pedophillia, but in the therian circles, they dont need to escelate it to that point, because there is already a hot button topic they can point to instead.

Zoophillia, as i am given to understand, is one of the most hot button topics in the therian community. it is the group which is regularly aligning themselves with therians, that many if not most therians want nothing to do with.

it's also a group that is often conflated with therians, meaning that many therians have an immediate 'no fuck off that's not us' reaction to it, as a form of self preservation. because as soon as people have made a claim that you may be a zoophile, and you fail to respond in the appropriate way, you will be cast out of your own therian in group.

so the use of using zoophillia as an acusation is two-fold. for one, it makes people take the accusation seriously, and for two, it prevents people from doing their own research and looking into it.

because if you are told this person is evil, and if you support them you are also evil, at that point any questioning on your part is seen as complicity in evil acts. as apologism. this person is evil and if you ask my why, you must also be evil.

so lets circle back a little bit here, earlier i mentioned that the typical claim is pedophillia, which everything i said previously about evil acts is still true of, but you might not fully believe me about people escelating to the nearest most terrible thing they can think of, but the thing is that i have seen this before.

Part 2.5: tired asexual

hello again, youve probably never heard of me before, so let me tell you that I'm Asexual. more importantly, I'm an asexual person who has been on tumblr for a solid decade.

if you werent around in the mid to late 10s, you might not know just how bod aphobia on tumblr got, but i was there for it. and you know what the most common accusation of why asexuals, and anyone trying to discuss asexuality were evil?

because discussing asexuality was pedophillia.

yeah, asexuals. the well known 'lack of sexual attraction' community.

Now I can go into the series of claims that led to this, hell I could probably go diving on my old blog and find screenshots of these actual accusations, but that’s kind of besides the point. The point here is that the actual reasons people give for it being ‘insert evil thing’ are unimportant.

yeah, when i say it to you, a person who i am assuming knows a little something about asexuality, that that was the claim, your first thought is that that's an insane thing to say.

but for a lot of people the first time they heard about asexuality was in this discourse. so their brain is now primed to make the connection of 'oh, okay, asexuality is evil.' and now, when they see people defending asexuality, they're already defensive. they assume youre trying to trick them, or make them complicit.

asexuality is not the only place this tactic has been used though, you see it all the time. it's at its most common in things like homophobic legestation, anti-trans bills, or drag bans.

These people cannot justify the initial action as evil, so they jump to something you are more likely to agree with, and try to argue it is the same thing. this is what we call equivocation.

equivication is an incredibly effective tactic in fear-mongering, splitting up groups of people, and getting something innocuous labeled as morally wrong

'Think of the children' is a good example of this. No it’s not that im transphobic, it’s that I’m concerned about children. Therefore, if you’re arguing against me it must be because you yourself hate children and want harm to come to them.  

but not everyone is as obvious as to say 'think of the children' or some other line we've heard a bunch before. they find new ways to say it, and because the current safety tactics are to watch for certain phrases and words, people dont know how to look for underlying beliefs and sentiments, leaving people more vulnerable than ever to this kind of manipulation.

so now i've hopefully answered your initial question of 'why zoophillia', i want to take this a litte bit further and ask, 'what is the end goal?'

part 3: what next?

okay so would you believe me, if i said that until now ive actually been taking an incredibly good faith reading of the discourse so far?

currently I have been presenting this as a misdirection of discomfort, but not necessarily actively malicious. now however, i want to go back to the ace discourse.

bigots on tumblr weren't actually starting shit with the ace community because they really had a bone to pick with asexuals, they were doing it because they were transphobes. Surprise!

this isnt speculation on my part, transphobes have since openly discussed that they used aphobia as a kind of 'gateway' to 'gatekeeping'

if they come out of the gates talking about how 'transexuals are evil' and should be 'kicked out of the lgbt community', then they would be immediately revealed as transphobes and most of the queer community won't listen to them. these transphobic talking points have been around long enough to be identifiable and more easily discussed.

asexuality however was, particularly at the time, very under-discussed. it also wasnt a part of the 'standard' LGBT acronym, which made it easier for them to make the argument that asexual people should not be allowed to be considered part of the community.

aphobia at the time was considered less divisive, you could be more easily convinced that this community you have never heard of is evil, dont question it. theyre pedophiles and groomers, if that isnt enough to convince you theyre evil it must be because you're also an evil person, so don't question it or do your own research. then we might come for you.

This was wildly successful! And now that that campaign has gone so well, they can now openly admit that they were secretly transphobes all along! And wow, you already aligned with us, so you need to double down on hating trans people because the rest of the queer community doesn’t want you back after that bullshit!

now maybe you consider this to be a particularly poor faith reading of the current discourse. maybe i had you in the first half, but all of this stuff about secret transphobes and conservatives playing along in ways that are more acceptable seems a little far fetched and conspiratorial to you. a bit of equivication here and there isnt inherently a sign of deeper sinister intentions. isnt all of this a bit of a stretch?

and maybe youre right, maybe im just someone who has seen something similar play out before, and im jumping to defence at something that wont become the same issue.

but isn't it interesting that the people being most vitriolistically upset about all of this, and attacking the creator of these things and accusing them of zoophillia are also misgendering him?

[Tw: Zoophilia mention]

Genuine question: WHY do so many people in this community jump on everything they find weird and immediate label it as zoophilia?!

Like- animal packers, fantasy toys, yiff art, pet play, kink gear, LITERALLY ANYTHING.

Seriously, relieving dysphoria, having "dirty" urges related to your identity, even straight up liking some freaky shit does NOT mean someone is attracted to animals. And it definitely does not mean they are actively harming/thinking of harming real animals.

People really take whatever is too weird for them and try to accuse it of war crime. Be better y'all.

[martyrbat]

every few days i see hockey(?) liveblogs from you (I enjoy the enthusiasm even if i have no idea whats going on). What are the main teams you're following? is it just hockey?

this is so sweet, thank you for the support even if youre a little lost! it is just hockey! but i got plans to get into baseball when it starts in february (go pirates and cubs!) but a little too wordy vomit under the cut about my teams :)

my top team is pittsburgh penguins. for better or worse (and usually worse)—i will be there for every game and saying we're so back after one score when we're down by 5. i will defend them until my last breath, theyre the team ill always put on when having to choose between which ones are currently on. its not a hockey team, its sidney crosby building an ice family with his 5 and counting partners and being known for his banana bread and kind heart and fat ass while literally being the inspiration for over half the players in the nhl because hes been wonderful since he was a rookie. its 18 years of love and friendship despite the odds and how theyre so open in loving and supporting their teammates while hockey culture is filled with toxic masculinity. its the narrative loving and hating us, its sidney being gods most loveable and tortured lamb, its geno whos hilarious and dramatic with a heart of gold, its tanger and his greasy hair, its the babygirlifying grown men AND rooting for the old underdog who are in the 4th spot for the playoffs in their metro area despite our powerplay being a joke and our star players ages (late thirties isnt old by any account but for a high energy physical contact sport?? average retirement is 25-30 instead while 13 of our guys is 30+ and playing some of their best hockey)

after that i really like the leafs despite them being the leafs! theyre a blast to watch (sometimes) and theyre a big third period game, for better or worse. so its always exciting (sometimes unfortunately)! auston matthews is my top favorite from them, hes absolutely remarkable and doesnt get the credit and appreciation he deserves. but i also love the other players, mo, willy, and mitch all especially have a place in my heart :) third fav tosses around with who i can catch a game from most to be honest since a lot of times they overlap too much. im fond of the wild because their goaltender (flower!) was ours for forever. kraken is a blast and has lots of old penguin players too. avalanche is fun to root for when ive seen some games :) im less familiar with all of them but hockey is a fun sport to just throw yourself into and learn as you go so its never been an issue!!

teams i hate is anyone who won against my special guys in the last month tbh HFIFJ but i REALLY hate the chicago team, flyers, and vegas knights. chicago is.... a lot of bad shit off ice and has so many controversies—from their name and jerseys to players being abusive and cover-ups of sexual assault from coaches. just hate them and anytime i see those jerseys and remember theyre allowed while flower was threatened with a lawsuit if he wore his helmet (was designed specially by an indigenous artist to honor flower's indigenous wife and their kids during native american heritage month).... god i just get too pissed, theyre number one for who i despise. flyers are the biggest rivals to the penguins so it makes more sense (but also fuck the capitals and canes for personal grievances. also still mad at the canucks) vegas golden knights just annoys me so much with how theyre still calling themselves the misfits and i associate them with flower leaving so!!!

sorry for the little. word vomit lol but !!! if you ever want to get into hockey, please dm me! im no expert by any means and i know me throwing names out there is intimidating but i promise its fun once you get into it and you dont need to know much to just start watching! for me its great to have something to look forward to every week and watch something happen as it actually happens and liveblog—it kinda feels more like a loose community experience that i never got because of my health issues and disability! its also just fun to be dramatic (screaming its so over when scored on /celebrating a goal) over something thats kinda... not that important. (important for the players and fans ofc but it doesn't change anything in MY daily life outside of how i feel which is refreshing!) sports in general kinda encourage those big emotional responses and it can be great catharsis and silly if you let it be :) and the fan community here can be so welcoming if you just fully ignore twitter and the straight white angry men on it <3

come look at gifs of people calling a 36 year old babygirl and the excitement of a goal celly. come watch funny videos and clips and at how *our* captain wore tiny little shorts and a white shirt to get dunked in a water tank for charity. come and slowly learn how much shit the players put up with as rookies and have the happiness of hindsight at what happiness their futures would hold and why me saying 18 years of love and friendship despite the odds is so big because thats genuinely so rare (only 127 retired players in all of nhl history has accomplished this). come get emotional at poetry over getty images hockey pictures and relish in the delight that is finding art everywhere you go. come see people say that sidney needs to get knotted up and mpreg debates in who will abort that thang or not. take my hand and become a hockey fan, i prommy its not scary—not even during the 'who the fuck is this' stage <33

[so-much-for-the-seashells]

ur writing is so yummy!! i had a rlly hot idea idk tho lol

Logan holding the reader in a headlock and absolutely ravaging them 🤤

YUMMY?? Anon this is a compliment that simply makes me want to be at your beck and call 😘 and that, my dear (gn), is a very hot idea indeed. Thank you for the ask!! I’m sorry it took me like five years to finish it 😅 (also, its not the best, I’m sorry for that too 😭) but like life is… 😀😀💪💪💀💀

Anyways.

Minors, do NOT interact.

-ps: imagine any Logan you’d like! Also, comments are highly appreciated!! Beyond that, if you have a request of your own, please fire away!

Warnings: erm, I think the request has that one covered- but smut, piv, mentions of multiple positions, overstimulation, dirty talk, slight degrading?, sweet!logan even though he’s very rough, safe words. Afab reader.

————————————————————————

As far as sex with you went, Logan had one very important rule for himself: “don’t be rough.”

For as much as a part of him wanted bend your cute little self over a table and fuck you senseless until you had nothing on your mind other than his name, he knew he shouldn’t. He was worried he would break you. Genuinely worried. After all, it might be fun in the moment but the bruises from his adamantium skeleton? You probably wouldn’t be able to sit right or walk right for a week, and that’s not an exaggeration.

That’s not to say that the sex isn’t already fantastic. He’ll thrust into you with slow yet powerful thrusts that leave you shaking with every orgasm. He’ll put you in strenuous positions- time to join up with yoga!- and set every single nerve ending on fire.

But like him, you couldn’t help but want to see him let the animal out. You’d been having wet dreams about it recently, begging him to be rough with you.

Eventually he gave in, saying that this was to be a one time thing. This took SO much convincing, and it had to be on a night where you both had nowhere to be for the next couple days. Once that was settled, he finally, begrudgingly said ok, telling you that you would have to tell him to stop if you needed to. You agreed, and that’s how you landed in your bed, already on your third orgasm simply from him roughly stretching you out with his fingers and tongue.

God does he love the way your face screws up into that pleasure filled smile with your eyes closed tight. The way your head nestles into the pillows as you try to get away from him, not because you don’t like but because it just feels too good.

“L-Logan,” you whine, clutching at his hair. He groans into your cunt at the tugging, not relenting. Your legs have been quivering since your second orgasm, and show no signs of stopping.

“Gotta get you ready for me, sweetheart. Said you wanted it rough,” he mutters, before moving away from you and settling on top of you. You whine at the loss of contact even though you’re extremely excited for what’s to come.

“You know your safe word, right?” his eyes are black with lush. You nod. “Can you tell it to me, baby?” he prods. You oblige.

“Good girl,” he mutters, stroking himself a few times before lining up with your entrance. “My good girl.”

You’re positively soaked, so it’s no surprise that Logan’s able to slip in without any resistance, immediately hitting the deepest parts inside of you. You moan loudly, already on cloud nine.

“You like that, sweet girl? Well you ain’t seen nothin’ yet,” he smirks, and that’s the last thing he says before pulling out all the way and slamming back into you, making you yelp his name with delight.

He takes you so many ways- missionary, doggy, mating press, screwdriver, the works, until finally…

He wrestles you so that your back is against his broad chest, his cock splitting you from behind as you’re forced to look in the mirror. And then one of his beautiful, muscular arms flexes, forcing you in a headlock for support but all it does is pour gasoline on the flame of pleasure he had been stoking within you.

“I love your arms, Logan,” you tell him stupidly as he thrusts up into you. You couldn’t even tell how many times you or he had come, and you’re so out of it that you can barely register your mixed releases seeping out of your tight hole.

“I know you do,” he teases through a grunt. “I seen you looking at them all the time. Thought you might like this.”

It’s the fact that he actually thinks about what you might like before doing it that makes you come yet again, and he chucked, holding you close but his pace unfaltering.

“Makin’ so many messes, dolly. That good?” he says right in your ear before nipping at its lobe.

“Yes,” you cry, overstimulated but feeling as though you’re on cloud nine.

You see your fucked out self in the mirror, but you’re far more focused on Logan. Logan who’s face is scrunched up with determination, his jaw clenched as he brings your hips down to meet his every thrust. Logan, who’s cock is visibly stretching you open with every single hard, fast, deep thrust.

It gets to the point where you don’t think you can take it anymore because it just feels too good. Your head is lulling against his chest, relying on his arm to support it. A dumb, fucked out smile rests on it. But then he starts rubbing in your puffy clit, and you cry. “Logannnn I can’t- I- it’s too much,” you pout, but he just chuckles right into your ear.

“Whats the matter? You been begging for this for so long and now you can’t take it? Poor baby,” he coos mockingly, his pace never faltering.

“Logan!” you whine, clenching on him as hard as you can. He grunts.

“You need your safe word, baby?”

“No!”

“Then shut the fuck up and take it,” he scolds, somehow maneuvering you so that you’re on your hands and knees, his arm still around your neck as he snaps his hips against your. You think your legs are going to give out, but you don’t care because it just feels too good. You’re whining his name over and over again, your cheek smug against his strong arm as he abuses your cunt.

“We should do this more often, huh? Let me fuck into you like you’re a dirty whore,” he grins, impossibly picking up the pace. You clench at his words. “You really are a slut for me, huh, baby?”

“Yes!” you gasp, your eyes screwing shut as he brings you to the edge again. You’re past the point of overstimulation, your limp body unable to fight back as he bruises your hips with his own.

“Good girl,” he praises, making you whimper again by pressing his fingers to your pathetic clit. He expertly maneuvers his deft fingers against it, and you cry, unable to keep the tears of pleasure at bay any more. He tuts, speeding up his pace in response and all you can do is lie back and take it, powerless to say or do anything. A few minute more and you come again with a weak groan, your legs fully numb. He follows suit, finishing and stilling inside of you.

“You okay, sweets?” he asks after taking a moment to catch his breath. Your brain is still fuzzy, your body limp against his. You’re barely conscious enough to register the soreness between your legs, much less his rumbled words.

“Baby?” he asks, obviously concerned.

“Mmm,” you acknowledge him. Tears are still slipping from your eyes, residuals from how good he was making you feel.

“There she is,” you can all but feel his smile. He slips out of you and you whine, your cunt weeping for him, leaking what is definitely too much cum.

“What a gorgeous sight,” he meets your eyes in the mirror in front of your bed.

“Mhm,” you agree. He moves to stand, knowing that you need to rest, but naturally you pout as he gets off of the bed. “Need to get you cleaned up, sweet girl,” he says gently, brushing your sweaty hair off of your forehead.

“Kiss?” you ask sweetly, your watery eyes impossible to say no to.

“Where d’you want a kiss?” he teases, kissing your forehead. “Here?” You pout, tilting your head up toward his lips. “Oh, I see. Here?” he kisses your nose. You make an annoyed noise, and he takes pity on you. “Ohh, here,” he says, kissing you sweetly on the lips.

Because even though Logan has that power to be rough, when he loves on you, it’ll always be sweet.

[jaeyums]

Just One More (Part 1)

Pairings - Fratboy!Haechan x reader (lowkey x dreamies)

Word Count - 3k

Content Warning - smut (obvi), angst, slight corruption kink, dacryphilia, oral (f receiving), fingering, drinking, loss of virginity, Fratboy! Haechan (kinda), Toxic!Haechan, mentions of drowning (what??) pls Imk if I missed anything

Summary - You curse your new neighbours, partying what feels like every night, the booming bass making it impossible to sleep. Fed up, you finally ask them to turn it down, but when you're forced to make a seemingly harmless deal, things spiral faster than you ever could've imagined.

A/N - Ty all sm for the support on the teaser, its genuinely such a big motivator <3

previous | next

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Your alarm clock beeps, 4:45am glowing in red. You rub your eyes tiredly, crawling out of bed. It feels like time’s moving extra slow as you groggily go through your morning routine.

Finally ready for the day, you grab your work bag and red lifeguard shirt and head out the door to your opening shift at the pool.

Time goes by slowly and painfully, your tiredness making it difficult to pay attention to the early morning swimmers. You spent your time off deck doing some last minutes studying, though you doubt you actually retained any information.

The midterm was rougher than you had expected but you’re sure you’ve at least passed. You felt a slight weight lift off your shoulder as you hand it in, knowing reading break was right around the corner.

You finally arrive home, absolutely exhausted. You change into your lounge wear and instantly pass out on your couch.

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

You’re jolted awake, the sound of someone trying to break down your door booming through the apartment.

You scramble to get up, still drossy, as you shuffle your way to the door, grumbling.

“I’m coming, fuck, gimme a fucking second.”

You throw open the door angrily to reveal Haechan standing there.

“You didn’t forget about our deal did you?”

You throw a hand up to your forehead, it had completely slipped your mind. Plus you were so tired upon arriving home you didn’t even have a chance to think about it.

“And after we were so quiet last night too.”

He frowns, shaking his head in disappointment.

You had to admit they held up their side of the deal perfectly, and you weren’t trying to find out how loud they’d blast their music if you went back on this deal.

“Yeah no I’m coming, I just fell asleep.”

His face instantly lights up.

“Are you wearing that?”

He asks gesturing to your shorts and hoodie.

“Because honestly I wouldn’t mind, maybe just comb your hair a bit.”

You run your hands through your hair subconsciously but you quickly stop, annoyed when you catch yourself.

“No I’m not wearing this, just give me an hour to get ready.”

“Make it half.”

And with that he walks back to his apartment, leaving you to bask in your sorrow.

You run your hand through your hair again, checking it in the reflection of a nearby mirror. It did look really messy.

In all honesty, going to a party was the last thing you wanted do to right now, especially since your bed looked so welcoming. But if nothing else, you were a girl of your word, so you hopped into the shower.

The familiar sound of music blaring causes you to hesitate knocking on the door infront of you. You can’t even remember the last time you partied. Always going to school, studying, or working, you never had time to go out and have fun.

You debate turning back around and cozying up back in bed, your word be damned. You shift, turning back to leave, before realizing a boy is blocking your path.

He’s holding two packs of coolers, looking at you with a smirk.

“Where do you think you’re going? Pretty sure the party is that way.”

You sigh in defeat, and go to knock, but he interrupts your attempt.

“Do you really think they’ll hear you over the music? It’s open.”

You look back at him, his sharp eyes staring back in condescending confusion. He had this expensive aura to him that almost intimidated you.

When you don’t break eye contact, he leans forward, and you stumble back startled. He’s inches away from your face, his eyes still blaring into yours, when you hear the door open. You turn and realize he was leaning forward to open it.

He snickers and your reaction and walks past you, holding up the coolers in triumph.

“Let’s go Chenle!”

The boys shout upon his arrival. You feel so awkward, still standing in the door way, not sure if you should walk in or not.

You step inside as the door closes behind you. Taking in the party, you count around 30 people, clearly a smaller get together. Everyone seems to already know each other, your uncomfortably rising by the second.

You can’t help but look for Haechan, hoping to see some kind of a familiar face, despite the fact you two only properly met yesterday.

Your eyes finally landed on his tall figure, dressed in a nice black shirt and jeans. He’s leaned over a girl, whispering something in her ear. You watch as she blushes and squirms under his gaze as he pulls back to look at her.

The whole scene makes you feel off, so you decide to head towards where you imagine the bathroom is. Assuming the layout is similar to yours, you walk through a hallway with several doors lining it, which is way more doors than your hallway has.

You try your best to guess the right room, saying a small prayer before opening the door.

You’re met with the site of a boy sitting with his head titled back, this adams apple bobbing as he lets out a groan. Your eyes trail down to see and girl on her knees at the edge of the bed, her head between his legs.

He looks down slightly as he notices the now open door, and you peeking in. He bites his lip, scanning you up and down.

Breaking out of a trance you didn’t know you were in, you quickly close the door.

You back away from the door, your face scrunching in embarrassment, but your body is pressed against something before you’re able to get far.

Two hands land on your waist, holding you there, as Haechans face comes into view over your shoulder. His touch sends shivers up your spine.

“Whatcha looking for, princess?”

You can faintly smell a mix of alcohol and cologne as his breath tickles your ear. You try to move away but his grip tightens, restricting your movement.

“Relax, I was just looking for the bathroom.”

He lets out a laugh.

“That room definitely isn’t the bathroom, but I’m sure you’ve realized that by now, haven’t you.”

You narrow your eyes at him, silently hoping your cheeks aren’t as red as they feel, still hyperaware of his hand placement.

“Second door on the left.”

He finally lets go, as if giving you permission to leave. You nod at him as thanks and speed walk over to the second door on left.

You stand in front of the mirror, taking in your reflection. You actually pulled together quite well considering the day you had. Your hair and makeup complimented your features beautifully. Your outfit hugging your body in all the right places.

This is just a stupid party, no need to get so freaked out over people getting a little freaky, right?

Your mental pep talk is interrupted by someone walking into the bathroom, not noticing you at first.

You kick yourself for not locking the door, but the boy who just entered was unbelievably handsome, having a cute boyish look to his features, so you can’t be too mad.

“Oh, oh my god, sorry, fuck, I-I uh didn’t realize someone was in here, so sorry.”

You can’t help but laugh as he struggles to apologize, covering his eyes slightly.

“It’s totally okay, I was just leaving anyways.”

He lowers his hands, only now getting a good look at you. He seems to like what he sees as his face lights up.

“Leaving? Already? We could just chill in here a bit.”

You raise your eyebrow sceptically, though he seemed so innocent, it was hard to tell his intentions.

“I just think a break from all the chaos outside would be nice,”

He quickly clarifies upon seeing your expression shift.

“I’ve never seen you before, what’s your name?”

“oh yeah it’s my first time here, it’s y/n.”

He smiles, his pink gums flashing cutely when he does.

“My name’s Jisung, nice to meet you.”

His aura is much more comforting than anyone else’s you’ve encountered at this party so far. He was slightly shy, but still held himself confidently.

Before you can continue your conversation the door is swung open again.

Now Haechan stands in the doorway looking almost annoyed.

“What the fuck is going on in here?”

His tone is humous and teasing, but the sentiment doesn’t make it to his face.

Jisung just rolls his eyes.

“Nothing, Haechan, we were just talking.”

“Well we’re playing a game now so let’s go. Out, both of you.”

He moves to the side gesturing you two out of the room. Jisung walks past him, but when you try to do the same he stops you in your tracks.

“Here, you’ll need this for the game.”

He holds out a red solo cup, taking a sniff causes you to recoil, the smell of liquor burning your nose.

“Oh, I don’t drink.”

“You do today.”

After a moment, you reluctantly take it. Maybe this will help with the nerves you’ve been trying so hard to ignore.

“Plus, if you do well, you won’t have to have any anyways.”

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -

Around ten of you now sit in a circle in the living room. Haechan stands in the middle explaining the rules of the game. It’s relatively simple, just truth or dare but if you refuse to do the challenge, you drink.

You look around, seeing some faces you’ve seen before. Chenle, Jisung, Jeno, and the boy from the bedroom, the girl being no where to be seen, are scattered throughout the circle.

“Couldn’t we just lie if we didn’t feel like telling the truth?”

Asks Chenle, titling his head.

“Can’t, we must swear on our life to be honest,”

He responds dramatically.

“But if you still feel like being a liar, Renjun is basically a human lie detector.”

He looks to a boy wearing glasses, who waves to the rest with a tight lipped smile.

With that, Haechan joins the circle, sitting on the couch directly across from you. His eyes now locked onto you.

The game starts with the usual stupid challenges, everyone laughing with each other, a playful feeling fills the air. People have yet to ask you anything, most likely due to the fact that they don’t know your name, which you were beyond grateful for.

Unfortunately, this doesn’t last long as Jisung decided you’ve been too comfortable for too long.

“Why hasn’t anyone asked y/n yet? Jaemin, since it’s your turn, you do it.”

The boy who you’d seen receiving services earlier looks over to you, the same scandalous look returning to his face.

“Hmm okay y/n, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

You answer almost immediately, not daring to risk hearing the twisted things Jaemin would come up with if you had chosen dare.

“Okay, let’s start with something easy. What’s your body count?”

The room fills with the boys talking, trying to guess what the number might be before you say it.

“I’d guess like five? surely not over ten.”

“I don’t know, she might be in double digits.”

“Look at her, I’m saying at least thirteen.”

“She kind of has this innocent aura though.”

The only person not chiming in was Haechan. As uncomfortable as it was having people you just met discuss your sex life, the way Haechan looked at you made you ten times more uncomfortable.

It felt like he could see right through you, like he already knew the answer; that all his friends were wrong. He knew the moment he touched your waist, knew by the way you reacted so sensitively to his hands.

You tried your best to advert your gaze, laughing uneasily. It’s not that you’re embarrassed or anything…okay you might be slightly embarrassed, nonetheless it’s nothing to be ashamed of.

It’s just the thought of revealing something so personal to a bunch of strangers that didn’t sit well with you.

“I think I’m gonna have to drink.”

Your answer is met with uproar, a series of “boo”s following your announcement.

You ignore them looking at the cup in your hand uneasily, before closing your eyes and taking a long chug.

The boos quickly turn into cheers, encouraging you to drink more.

So you do. You finish the cup in that long chug, a boy, apparently named mark, quickly handing you another drink. You pause, but only for a second, before taking it.

Just one more drink can’t hurt, can it?

————————————————————————

tags : @snflwrhaerecs4u @ki-aechan @loveforred

[paragonrobits]

thinking about how everything good in Simon Petrikov's life (coming back into Marceline's life, being around people that care for him and accomodate to him as Ice King, being around more friends and family, finding a measure of peace and slowly starting to crawl back to who he truly is deep down) ultimately all goes back to Finn finding empathy for him and trying to connect with him, coming to a head in Holly Jolly Secrets when he asks him not to leave or kidnap anyone to make himself feel better (and while for Ice King its that he is so far gone he doesn't understand what he's lost, Finn understands) but accidentally reinvents holiday vibes to cheer him up

Everything comes from this. Before this point, Ice King was so dangerous and unstable that even his penguins weren't safe from his wild mood swings; he had no friends or family, having either lost them or driven them away on purpose as he feared his growing loss of lucidity. He was alone, losing more of himself to the crown, and losing more than that all the time; plagued by nightmare visions and hallucinations as well as constantly seeing spirit things no one else could, and he was getting worse every day.

As he was, he could never come back into Marceline's life; she avoided him, too distraught by what her adoptive father had become. He couldn't develop genuine friendships or any real kind of stability.

And afterrwards, that changes. Bit by bit Ice King stops capturing princesses at all, stops indulging the worst parts of himself; his callousness, his selfishness. He goes back into Marceline's life and there he stays, establishing a family life for himself even if he doesn't understand it, he grows more at peace and contentment with himself, the violence and potential for harm so diminished that it permanently affects how people interpret him. They forget the violence and madness, and only remember the fun parts; his whimsicalness, his complete lack of shame or cringing at himself, his cheer.

And it all comes back to Finn, one winter night, seeing the horror of how much the Ice King lost, going out of his way to try to help him. And from there Ice King develops a kind of friendship with him and Jake.

(And such is how you reach into the dark and pull a man out again.)

[mya-valentine]

Headcanon: Cyno Teaching His S/O to Play Genius Invokation TCG

Cyno is beyond thrilled when you show interest in Genius Invokation TCG. His eyes practically light up as he eagerly pulls out his deck, and you can see how passionate he is about the game. He doesn’t often get the chance to teach someone close to him, so he takes this seriously—but with a smile.

Cyno is incredibly patient while teaching you. He understands that it might take time for you to grasp all the rules and strategies, so he never rushes or overwhelms you with too much information. He’ll walk you through each phase of the game, explaining everything clearly, and will answer any questions you have with enthusiasm.

Cyno is great at boosting your confidence as you learn. He’ll compliment your plays and strategies, even if they’re not perfect. “Ah, nice move! You’re catching on quickly!” He makes you feel proud of your progress, which only motivates you to learn more and improve.

Once you get the hang of the game, Cyno’s playful competitive side comes out. He’ll joke about how he’s holding back “just for you” or tease you with, “Are you ready for a real challenge now?” All in good fun, of course—he loves how the game brings out both of your competitive spirits.

When you finally beat him in a match, Cyno is genuinely happy for you. He’ll give you a proud smile, saying something like, “Looks like my teachings have paid off.” There’s no bitterness in his loss; he’s simply thrilled that you’ve gotten so good at the game.

Cyno is more than happy to show you his impressive card collection. He’ll excitedly explain the lore behind each card and its abilities, telling you which ones are his favorites and why. You might catch him geeking out a little, but it’s adorable seeing him in his element.

Of course, Cyno never misses a chance to drop some puns while playing. “Looks like you’re drawing... a card to success!” or “Don’t be so deckjected!” You might roll your eyes at the terrible jokes, but it’s part of his charm, and you secretly love how goofy he can be.

Cyno enjoys helping you build your own deck, offering suggestions and strategies. However, he’ll also encourage you to make it unique to your style. “Every great duelist has a deck that reflects their personality,” he’ll say. You might even have friendly debates over which cards work best, but it’s all part of the fun.

Once you’ve mastered the game, playing TCG together becomes a regular activity. Whether it’s a casual match at home or part of a larger game night with friends, Cyno loves that this shared hobby strengthens your bond. He’ll always make time for a game with you, no matter how busy his day is.

Cyno will occasionally suggest that you two play Genius Invokation TCG as a cute and casual date idea. “How about we grab some snacks and play a couple of rounds tonight?” It’s his way of relaxing with you while enjoying one of his favorite activities. Plus, he gets to spend quality time with you, which is a win-win in his eyes.

As you become more skilled, Cyno starts introducing you to more advanced tactics and strategies. He loves seeing how you’ve grown as a player and takes pride in the fact that he helped you get there. You’ve become more than just a student—you’re a worthy opponent now.

Cyno will occasionally joke about how he’s created a TCG “master” in you, boasting to others about how skilled you’ve become. “My S/O? Yeah, they’ve beaten me a few times already. I must be a good teacher.” His pride in your progress is evident, and it’s clear that he’s happy to share his passion with you.

If there’s ever a team TCG tournament, Cyno would insist that the two of you enter together. “With our combined skills, no one stands a chance,” he’ll say with confidence. Playing side by side with you makes him feel like the ultimate duo, both in the game and in life.

.

.

.

Masterlist

[the-s1lly-corner]

How do you think the digital circus crew would react to a new member who genuinely to want to stay and doesn't want to leave at all?

TADC cast x reader who doesnt wanna leave the circus !

i lied about the previous post being the nights last post, imma spit out one more before i call it a night!! hope this is okay anon, this one may be a little on the short side; maybe.. i always write these notes before everything and forget to edit them accordingly

wrote this as general reactions instead of platonic/romantic/whatever relationship stuff! i like to imagine reader says this when the topic of trying to find an exit comes up... like imagine the atmosphere the looks the !!

CAINE:

hey i mean, hes not gonna stop you from not leaving! caines part is a little weird, since ive seen so many theories on his whole deal and i like them all, i cant settle on just one idea and roll with it... i think he would be thrilled that you want to stay, though.. doesnt have to remind you there is no escape because youre not interested in it... i think he would casually ask why you dont want to leave, though, its not often he finds someone whos content, at least not content without the loss of hope

POMNI:

she was the one who brought up trying to find an exit, again.. she kind of just looks at you with confusion written all over her face. she asks you if you meant that you have given up on trying to escape. you assure her that you just dont want to leave, giving up has nothing to do with it. she just gapes her mouth, before closing. blinks twice, and just asks why. why stay in a program like this? you cant provide an answer that seems to appease her, though... definitely some weird and confused looks from her

RAGATHA:

she doesnt know what to think of it. ragatha herself has come to terms with her position. like sure if there were a plan to escape that truly seemed like it would work, i think she would jump on it and try to leave.. i dont think she would pry you for answers, she believes you have your own personal reasons

JAX:

honestly i dont think he would care, assuming this is as i said in the note above where the topic of escape comes up and you guys arent dating or like best friends. i mean its your life and hes not going to argue with you, if you wanna be stuck in this shithole thats your business. oddly enough doesnt use it as ammo against you, though, and he bullies everyone over just about anything... maybe he cant come up with a cool nickname that makes sense, or otherwise find a way to make fun of you... but. idk

KINGER:

i think kinger would like to escape but i think he just accepted hes going to be stuck here forever. now if he had someone to fight for and be with and they wanted to leave, he would follow them. otherwise hes content with staying put because he doesnt have much incentive or desire remaining to leave. being there for years and seeing so many people fall does that to a person

ZOOBLE:

very similar to jax, in the case that its your business, of course this is assuming you guys arent close to one another. theyre not going to lecture you on how to go about your life. nothing to say here that wasnt already said in jax's segment

GANGLE:

gives you a soft and meek "but why" when you speak up to the group that you dont plan on leaving when pomni brings the topic up. you offer a shrug, or just say you dont want to leave. true utter confusion, and in a dark way believes that you prefer this world over the real one; even when your memories are smeared and burned, if any remain at all

[bluerockcandy]

Ok but like picture this:

CW is the personification of time, hes a time god, so while he can stop time, speed up, slow down, he isnt always consciously aware of the speed of time. BUT, lets think of time as a part of him. So, when he likes people, wants them to succeed, even peripherally, time seems to be in their favor.

People often say oh time flies when you’re having fun and drags when you’re not. What if this were actually true. CW isnt always focusing on the people he likes, but time is him so it also favors these people. They will always just make it to class right before the bell or save someone just in time, an attack will be a second too slow.

For danny, however, CW is basically a grandfather. CW loves danny. So time is like an eager puppy that wants to please him. If hes having fun with his friends and thinks, i wish it could always be like this, time fucking dilates for him, it really does go slower. When hes bored time speeds up just a little bit.

That was a long ass lead up to my fic idea but anywayss. Imagine danny gets old, time passes, but not really for him. Its probably a mix of being a ghost and CW being his grandfather, but hes stopped aging at some point. He loses his sense of time. When its always stopping and starting and speeding along and slowing down, it tends to lose some of its meaning. So he lives and lives until one day he realizes the world has completely changed around him. He’s become something of a homebody, staying in his home for months at a time, imaging the stars, recording star maps, generally enjoying his life.

Theres a knock at the door. More of a thud, really, and when he goes to check it out, he finds a man- a man bat? -slumped against his door. He’s baffled. But the man- man bat? -is injured, so he brings him in.

He tries to take the armor off, before giving up it just phasing it off of the guy. Not all of it, he leaves the cowl over the top of the face and the underclothes stay put, he’s not disrespectful, thanks you very much. He does what he can to patch the guy up. Its much easier to do on someone else rather than himself. The man bat guy doesn’t seem to be badly injured, a broken ankle, a fractured wrist and bruised ribs, but what really seems to have taken him out is a bad concussion, he guesses, judging by the fat ugly knot on top of the dudes head.

It is no matter, he thinks, he will just have to stay here and recover. And so danny drifts off, to put some food aside for his unexpected guest and to get back to work.

He genuinely forgets about the guy until he hears a thump. Trying to sneak out, the man bat has fallen. Now, normally, theres no way in hell Batman would have fallen. But when he’s seeing in quadruple and his head pounds with every beat of his heart, he can probably forgive himself for this little mistake. Maybe.

Danny floats on up to him.

Wait

Y am i writing this all out lol. I was just gonna outline my idea and dip 😭.

Basically, he helps bats recover, but finds he really likes hanging out with him. So time comes into play and slows down, just for them. When bruce is finally healed and can reach out to someone, the world has changed again. Shit went down in gotham. The city has changed. He doesnt understand at first. Its not really wirher of their faults, but hes- he doesnt know how he feels, sad, mad, frustrated, at a loss. He feels it all, in great detail, and it weighs heavily on him. But well, hes made friends with danny in the years- years???!! - hes been with danny. He goes back. They make up and stay together til bruce succumbs to old age bc he isnt the same as danny. Nvr was and wasnt going to be but at least they could enjoy their time together. The end.

[birchtreecat]

Watercolors again in painting~! This one’s gonna be a postcard, and he said to put something that makes us happy on it so naturally… I dove for Airi Momoi my beloved <3

Yaps below cutoff!

THE GENUINE FUN I HAD WITH THIS PROJECT. There was no grit my teeth and tough out point it was just GOGOGOGO!!! god I missed that creative flow. praying I get that with the next painting project..

I’ve been creating a lot lately, from poems and the Pharmacity blog lore to coding, painting, and learning how to use Photoshop. With that, comes a lot of frustration I’ve noticed. I’m at a loss for how to put my feelings on the page WAY more often than before, and I’m sure it’s part of the process!!! All the same, though, it’s frustrating as hell itself. I express my feelings and let go THROUGH art. That is how I process. To have those same feelings with no words, no image no story to spin out of it??? yeahhh it leaves me with not much out of my coping arsenal. It’s been a lot of meaningless doodles or writing without the same burning passion recently, and that’s leaving me with a LOT of unsatisfying work. Maybe it’s just the seasonal depression hitting, maybe I just gotta go out more often. Either way, it was nice to create something that was satisfying all ways around without the Ena Shihonome moments scattered around the process. Even if it was silly, and meant to bring me joy (which it did!!! by god it did oml), I’m hoping this piece kinda revives the rest of my creative needs lmao

Thanks for reading the yap :3!!!

IF AIRI METEORS SEES THIS ITS OKAY TO HIT ME WITH METEORS! GO HAM!

[vivid-ink]

A Turn of Tables

Pairing: Coriolanus Snow x Lucy Gray Baird

Summary: It always seemed to come down to this dichotomy between them, his need to be in control and her desire to be free. She shrugged and narrowed her eyes at him with a pout, “You call it uncertainty. I say it’s spontaneity. There’s fun in being wild.” “Wildness is dangerous.” He replied. Immediately, her mood turned coquettish and she smirked at him, her dark eyes teasing, “Do you think I’m dangerous, Coriolanus Snow?” She disliked his constant need to be in control, but she relished the challenge of unravelling him, even if just for a short while. Lucy Gray was no stranger to the drives of men. She lived by her charms and spread kisses like honey to charm her audience. Men were all the same. She knew exactly how to unpick her beautiful Capitol boy. She knew how to drive him wild.

Warnings: Mature content, sexual content, MDNI. Content: Power dynamics, Lucy Gray's internal dialogue, handjob/blowjob. Word count: 2,999

Author's Note: I've officially ventured into the Hunger Games: TBoSaS fandom! Absolutely loving the ride so far. The original novel is great & the movie was absolutely brilliant too. Here's a little drabble that I couldn't shake and just had to put on paper. It is set within the events of the original novel so is canon compliant. I hope you enjoy it!

Tagging: @iluliluu @neteluvr @luvteyams

There it was again, that glazed and faraway look in his eyes. Those baby blues once so innocent and unguarded, now distant and cold; calculating. A deep knit was etched between his fair brows, pulling them low as he dwelled upon his ruminations.

Coriolanus Snow had changed.

Apart from the obvious loss of his flaxen curls, which had been shorn down to a scant prickle of blonde over his scalp, the changes had been subtle. However, Lucy Gray perceived the shift in him nonetheless. The naïve and warm boy who’d first greeted her at the train station, who’d mentored her and kept her alive in the Capitol arena, was gone. He’d evolved and been replaced by a young man with storm clouds brewing in his eyes, whose keen taste for order and control made him all at once her polar opposite and her most dangerous fascination.

The lilting hum of her latest melody dissolved in her throat and Lucy Gray sighed quietly. She was reclined with her head pillowed in his lap whilst he sat upright against a tree in the meadow. He was present with her, his body warm and real against hers, and yet he wasn’t here with her, not truly. Not when he was thinking so loudly, his consciousness so far afield wherever his thoughts had taken him.

The sudden absence of her tuneful humming caught his attention though, and Coriolanus dropped his piercing gaze to survey her with a raised brow, “Don’t stop. That was a nice one. Is it new?”

The worn gingham picnic blanket scratched at her elbows as she manoeuvred herself upright beside him. She scoffed and shot him a wry smile, “Why, I’m surprised you heard it at all, what with you being away with the fairies. But yes, it’s part of my newest composition.”

“Sorry, there’s a lot on my mind.” He turned to face her and she caught a glimmer of genuine contrition in his eyes.

A rather fat and stubborn gnat was flitting about his temple and Lucy Gray swatted at it to send it on its way. She took some time then to appreciate his face. He was handsome, had always been. His face was all pointy planes and harsh angles, but no longer sharp and drawn in the way it’d been back in the Capitol. Evidently the consistency of regular meals at the Peacekeepers’ base had filled his frame and face out to a more healthful appearance.

She smiled a small smile and ran a dainty finger down the side of his face before caressing his cheek with her knuckles, “It’s alright, I expect a Peacekeepers’ life is as gruelling mentally as it is physically. What’re you thinking ‘bout?”

Coriolanus leant into her touch, closing his eyes and inhaling deeply through his nose, “About the Mockingjays and how they’re an unnatural byproduct, unintended by nature, repeating songs of what they hear. About why people make stupid decisions that could implicate others who want nothing to do with their foolhardy plans.” He paused then, even though she sensed that he could’ve carried on, and his eyes fluttered open to disarm her once again, “But enough about all that. I want to think about you now.” He caught hold of her hand against his face and pulled it back gently so he could press several kisses to her knuckles and her wrist.

Lucy Gray couldn’t help the blushing smile that tugged at the corners of her lips at his actions. He could be sweet, her Coriolanus, and he’d always been gentle with her. But she knew deep down that he was at odds with this new life of his in District 12. Capitol-born and proud of his heritage, despite the hardship she knew he and his family had been plagued with growing up, he struggled with the modest existence of a Peacekeeper. She could see it in the brief flickers of disdain that sometimes made it past his carefully guarded expression; disdain for the mundane; disdain for the wild and unrestrained.

“You think too much.” She remarked nonchalantly, smoothing vibrant frills of her dress over her folded knees, “The present is a gift for us Covey. Enjoying life in the moment and appreciating the freedom to live as we please is wonderful. You should try it sometime, turning off all those thoughts in your head. Just be free.”

“But freedom comes at a price, doesn’t it? Without any routine, without organisation, it’s all unknown. Uncertain. Uncontrollable.”

Irritation rippled through her at his response. It always seemed to come down to this dichotomy between them, his need to be in control and her desire to be free. He didn’t understand, couldn’t understand the life she lived. She shrugged and narrowed her eyes at him with a pout, “You call it uncertainty. I say it’s spontaneity. There’s fun in being wild.”

“Wildness is dangerous.”

Immediately, her mood turned coquettish and she smirked at him, her dark eyes teasing, “Do you think I’m dangerous, Coriolanus Snow?”

His only response was a rough and deep chuckle that rumbled appealingly in his chest. His gaze clashed with her own dark chocolate orbs and she could see he was focused on her now, embers of something hot sparking alight in the depths of his blue eyes.

She repositioned herself so she was facing him better and cocked her head at him. She disliked his constant need to be in control, but she relished the challenge of unravelling him, even if just for a short while. Lucy Gray was no stranger to the drives of men and she knew exactly how to unpick her beautiful Capitol boy. She lived by her charms and spread kisses like honey to charm her audience. She’d done what she needed to in the past to keep the Covey alive.

Men were all the same. She knew how to drive him wild.

She saw him lick his lips and begin to lean towards her, and she knew what was coming. The kiss seared when their mouths met, the rose petal softness of his lips contrasting with the hot and blazing dominance of tongue. It was frightening how quickly he could render her breathless and stoke wicked desire throughout her body, but she reminded herself that she wanted to be in control today. She wanted him to relinquish his control and surrender to his surroundings and to her.

Long and strong arms wrapped about her frame as Coriolanus pulled her into his lap to straddle him. She decided she would allow him this initial bout of control. After all, she was rather enjoying the hard jut of his body’s visceral arousal between her thighs. She rolled her hips deliberately and her action earned her a ragged groan from him against the meld of their lips, his hands flying to clutch at her hips to press her harder against him.

He broke away to gasp into the crook of her neck, “I want you, Lucy Gray.”

“Shh, the Covey aren’t far.” She placated in a whisper, though she traced a daring lick against the shell of his ear nevertheless, making him shudder.

She knew her comment was an excuse. The Covey would give them their privacy, she knew that, but he wouldn’t have her today, no. She had other plans for him. She wanted to be the sole puppeteer today and he would be her marionette.

With a light push against his chest, she swung a thigh over him to unseat herself and she patted the blanket next to her, “Lie back.”

“Alright,” The look he gave her was curious and full of anticipation. He grasped the hem of his shirt and pulled the white cotton over his head, his dog tags clinking. He placed it on the grass beside him before lying back as he’d been told.

A sassy quip about having not given him permission to un-shirt himself was poised on the tip of Lucy Gray’s tongue, but she held it. She’d be a liar if she said she didn’t appreciate his bulkier physique now. The daily Peacekeeper drills along with consistent meals had laden his previously thin frame with a lean layer of defined muscle. He was quite the sight for sore eyes.

He reached for the linen ties of her dress where they closed the ruffles over her chest and he tugged one of them loose, wanting to see more of her. She swatted his hand away. No, she would be the one to decide if and when she wanted to afford him a view of her breasts. She chastised him with a reproving stare that was only half-hearted.

She bit her lip and smoothed a hand up his chest, applying a mild pressure to impose authority, “Behave. You might get what you want yet if you’re good.”

The grin Coriolanus graced her with was roguish, “Ok, we’ll play your little game.”

A pang of bother squeezed in her gut, but she ignored it. A little game. That’s all this was to him. He’d relinquish his control, allow what he perceived as a reversal in power, but only for a little while. Part of her pondered if he even saw her as his equal, as a free individual with her own thoughts and wishes, or if she was just a prize to be possessed, just the winning tribute to his triumphant mentor.

She struck up a hum of an old folk melody in her repertoire, from a song that spoke of new love in spring, of fresh flower fields that bloomed in springtime meadows. The tune was bright and flirty to begin with and it seemed appropriate for the occasion. She didn’t sing the words, opting instead to occupy her lips with kisses to the side of his face, his neck, his shoulder, and then his ribs and his navel. She delighted in the hushed whimpers that she elicited from him as she went about her charms, the fingers and palm of one of her hands caressing down his toned abdominals ever closer to where he was straining most for her touch.

An impatient grunt sounded from him and his hands moved to his belt. She smacked at his wrists again and he dropped them to his sides.

“Do you want me to beg?” Coriolanus’ voice was gravelly and thick with desire.

Lucy Gray toyed with the buckle of his belt at the waistband of his blue fatigue bottoms, “I don’t want you to beg darlin’. I just want you to enjoy the moment.”

“I’d enjoy it more if you actually touched me.” Came his tetchy response.

She giggled and hushed him with a languid kiss against his lips, “Shh, I don’t need a mentor here. You’re in my world now. My arena.”

She deftly undid his belt, pulling it free of the loops just enough to get to the button and zipper of his fatigues. The pop of the button came next, followed by the smooth slide of the zip. Her tantalising fingers slipped beneath the elastic of his white boxers and he gave a sharp hiss as the cool skin of her palm enveloped his hot erection. She gently pulled him free of his underwear, his hips raising slightly to help her pull his clothing down to his thighs.

It appeared Coriolanus had been holding his breath as his next exhale punched out of him in a throaty moan while she stroked him. Her name spilled breathily from him like an unbidden prayer, “Lucy Gray.”

She resumed her humming of the folk tune, the lyrics swirling absently in her head of hot summers and tender lovers. She relished in how his breaths were deepening, how his torso rose and fell with each one, and how the flat plane of his belly tensed and contracted to display the outline of his abdominals while he writhed under her ministrations. The long, blonde wisps of his eyelashes brushed the tops of his cheeks as his eyes fluttered, half-open and delirious in his pleasure.

Oh, how she thrilled at doing this to him, at having him like putty in her hands, even for this short time before he brought his guard up again. Mind you, the feel of him in her hand was anything but like putty. She grinned to herself, glancing down to where his length slipped hot and rigid in and out of her grasp. He was as imposing there as he was everywhere else. She supposed his height should’ve told her as much, that he’d be proportionate here too.

She felt the fingers of one of his hands snake around the wrist of her arm she was propping herself upright with. She turned her head to regard him again and found his eyes watching her intently, his lips parted and still moist with saliva from her earlier kiss. Deciding to excite him even further, she released his erection from her grasp to undo the ties of her dress. She briefly saw him about to verbally protest the loss of stimulation when he cottoned on to what she was about to do.

One at a time, Lucy Gray tugged free the linen strings at the front of her dress. The frilly neckline was fairly elastic, which allowed her to tug and stretch it down to rest below her bosom, framing her pert breasts. Coriolanus emitted a quiet whimper at the sight of her exposed to him and she almost laughed when she realised his hands had curled into tight fists at his sides. He was trying so hard to be good. He was singularly focused on her now.

She returned her attention to his cock, finding it even harder now that it’d already been. Squeezing and stroking at a consistent pace, she lapped up every single whine and groan that she proceeded to wring from him. A light sheen of perspiration was beading along his hairline and a flush was creeping its way down the fair skin of his neck and chest. She could feel he was close from the way his muscles contracted, the way his hips twitched, and his breaths hitched.

From their past encounters, he would’ve climaxed by now. A sliver of doubt began to creep within her about whether she was pleasuring him as well as she had before. She leant down over him a little more, allowing him to nose and kiss at her breasts. She whispered a husky question to him, “Does this feel good?”

His answer was tight with his pleasure, “Yeah.”

“Let go for me, Coriolanus.” She breathed throatily.

She resettled herself more upright again, continuing her stroking rhythm and making sure to run the pad of her index finger over the underside of the swollen head of him, where she knew he enjoyed it. He continued to watch her through his half-lidded gaze, and then Lucy Gray saw it.

A slight quirk of one corner of his lips and an almost imperceptible spark of impertinence in his eyes. He was challenging her, holding out on her intentionally!

Oh, she wasn’t having that. She was the self-declared head gamemaker in this arena and he would bend to her will when she wanted him to. She knew what card she would play. She’d have to stop humming her tune again, but no matter. She would listen to the music of him losing his control in wild abandon instead.

Bending forward to dip her head towards her working hand, she proceeded to enclose the head of his cock and as much of the rest of him as she could manage into the moist confines of her mouth. The effect was immediate when she gave a tight upward bob and suck over him. His thigh muscles flexed, driving his pelvis upward towards her, and the cry that escaped him was choked.

She smirked to herself. Coriolanus Snow loved control, but this was the one game they played where she would always be the victor.

A string of curses tumbled from his lips as his chest began to heave with rapid breaths, signalling his imminent orgasm. All it took was a handful more skilful bobs of Lucy Gray’s head when she heard him suck in a harsh breath. His entire body seized in the next moment before an almost injured-sounding groan ground out from him on his exhale as his orgasm consumed him. She thrilled at the whimpers he was trying and failing to stifle as the familiar tang and texture of his cum coated the back of her throat. She instinctively swallowed.

Drawing off him carefully, she tucked herself back into her dress and re-tied the linen strings at her front. She dabbed at her mouth with the back of one hand and stretched out alongside him, feeling very pleased with her efforts. She listened to the sound of his body attempting to regulate itself again afterward, his breaths slowing one by one.

His head lolled to face hers and Lucy Gray was fleetingly struck by the piercing sky-blue clarity in his eyes, free and unburdened by storms. He craned his neck towards her to leave a lingering kiss on her lips, “You will be my undoing, Lucy Gray.”

Lucy Gray smiled at him, tucking herself against the bare skin of his side, her cheek flush against his shoulder. She knew his hunger for control would return; she knew he would be hungry between her thighs too when he returned the favour later. She resolved to simply enjoy the serenity of the present, where it was just her and him at peace. She recommenced her humming of the last part of the old folk tune. The melody wilted to a more sombre note in the last two verses.

The lyrics continued their swirl about her mind, telling of waning love and the falling leaves of orange autumn; of fragile hearts made brittle with the eventual return of winter’s chill; of barren ground, lifeless and loveless, smothered under a blanket of heavy white snow.

***~~~***

Author's note: Thanks for reading this piece & I hope you enjoyed it. I don't know why, but the more I think about Lucy Gray & Coryo's relationship, the more I'm convinced that Lucy Gray isn't as innocent as we think, or as the film makes her out to be. My impression is that she can be wily and that she's clever, cunning too. Her own survival was as important to her as self-preservation was to Snow. I don't doubt that they both loved each other somewhat, but who knows, maybe she played him too in some ways?

Leave me a comment if this work touched you in any way or if you have any other thoughts to share. I love hearing from readers and I'm happy to field any questions too. Comments are the lifeblood of all fanfiction authors and you truly don't know how much it makes our day when you leave us a line. 💜Reblogs & likes are always much appreciated too!

[hazshit-hotel-hater]

The way substance abuse has been handled on the show thus far genuinely upsets me and reeks of writers who either 1.) don't understand the subject matter they're presenting and haven't done even the bare minimum to research it or, worse, 2.) simply don't care.

Apologies for the slight rant incoming, your comment about how it has been mostly "handled" off-screen got me going because that's 100% true and in that truth is such a missed opportunity for the show. The way it has been handled winds up feeling incredibly shallow and juvenile at the end of the day, especially for a piece of media that is attempting to present itself as "adult" and navigate multiple incredibly sensitive topics. I'll try not to get into my own personal experiences and will speak broadly, but the show uses substance abuse more as a cheap character flaw to poke fun at or something to magically handwave away when it is inconvenient, rather than the life-altering, debilitating illness that it is.

Nothing about Angel's use is ever meaningfully explored. It's so (apparently) unimportant to his arc and development that one rude comment from Husk (a character who ALSO has a problem with gambling and alcohol that is never addressed) is all it takes for him to suddenly "resist temptation" and be shown as "recovered" (unless I'm misremembering). Or was he suddenly going to counseling off-screen too and its just another thing that will be told to us rather than shown? And how does Charlie even handle that at the Hotel (I'd be really interested in this as a moment for her character to have to grow/change too)? Does she even understand substance abuse and the many unaddressed systemic factors that can influence it? Or is the entire recovery process just shame based (because that works so well /s) combined with some more corny trust exercises? Why is this incredibly serious topic relegated to the background as if it's unimportant?

Recovery is hard. It is emotional and exhausting. Withdrawal (depending on what you're coming off of) can sometimes mean excruciating, unimaginable pain and in some cases people literally die. It is not a funny "ha-ha I take drugs because I'm chaotic and wild" quirk to be adored or glorified and it definitely should not be presented as something that can be wrapped up in a month or two off-screen without any development whatsoever. That's just insulting.

When you approach a topic like substance abuse and recovery, I personally feel you need to take in all sides of it. All the missteps that come with it (two steps forward one step back - mistakes are expected and okay), the self-loathing, the guilt and shame, the joy, the sense of freedom, the loss, and the best part of all: the incredibly difficult but liberating journey that is rebuilding your life and learning to love yourself and your body again, once you've chosen to be free and to live life.

Mad props to anyone who has ever battled this disease. You are strong, you are worth it and you are valued. Lol I am so sorry for going off here but I so appreciate you calling out the lack of exploration on this topic in the show. I guess I didn't even realize how annoyed and upset it was making me feel (praying this is coherent...).

This was absolutely coherent don’t worry!! Im really glad to see other people talking about this. I myself have not struggled with drug addiction but I have struggled with other kinds and as someone that studies a bunch of medical junk, I’d say I’m decently knowledgeable.

I’m mainly going to focus on Angel for this since he’s the main character I write for, but I assure you other characters addictions are also handled in my rewrite.

During the actual canon show, we don’t see Angel actually abusing substances that often; there’s a few times, most notably in episode 4, but from the rest of the show onward we hardly see anything. Yes in episode 6 they mentioned relapsing, which, mind you, was done horribly, but I digress. They touch on relapsing; Angel relapses, and then… what..??? What happened from that? I don’t feel upset or second hand guilt of any kind from this scene because we haven’t seen Angel’s attempts to stay sobre and off drugs.

His name is fucking Angel Dust. You don’t, I dunno, think that’d entail a higher dependency on drugs? Why do you think he named himself that?

About his name before anything else, the show has so much potential later on to talk about Angel picking out his drag name and why he chose that specifically. So much potential to explore how he views drugs and himself. He sees them as an escape and something “fun” to take his mind off of his actual life. When you die in a fucking coma and wake up in hell as a spider you’re going to want an escape. You will want to ignore reality. I am fully convinced Angel picked his name once he started performing because thats what he needed at the time. He needs to be like that to survive in hell. Angel is an incredibly mentally ill, troubled, traumatised, and unstable person, and being surrounded by so much intense negative influence only amplifies his current problems. I don’t mean to drag Vox in here but in my last redesign post I mentioned how very mildly bad people can become even worse people in hell because of the environment and this is no different for Angel. He’s been surrounded by crime and drugs his entire life and unable to live comfortably because of his sexuality. He has very likely been struggling with substances since he was a teen. Possibly even younger. He is not going to suddenly get over his addiction because of something like this. It could pave the way to him looking into dealing with it, but things like this can take years. I don’t remember when my addiction started; I’ve been clean for 2 1/2 years now I think, but the amount of relapsing and anguish I experienced while working towards that isn’t something that can be done in a few days or months. I still struggle with feeling like I deserve to say I’m recovering.

I’m hoping they tactfully handle this as they should, but my hopes are low. It’s okay to show a character relapsing. It’s okay to show a character feeling guilty. What matters is that the struggle is there to signify they’re trying. For a character with a song called “Addict” you really don’t see much of it. Drug and alcohol addiction is not a silly thing to just twiddle your fingers with and be like “well I guess thats over!” It’s incredibly insensitive to do so.

Whenever I write about Angel’s struggles with addictions, I focus on how small they can feel until you realise what’s actually happening. Just me talking about my rewrite again, but to get my ideas out here: Angel smokes often. He smokes at the studio when he’s stressed, he smokes at the hotel when he’s stressed, he smokes at in alleyways when he’s bored, there’s almost no location he won’t, but sometimes he tries to smoke less. His lungs aren’t the same as humans and technically he has 2 pairs of lungs, but smoking causes him to cough. This is painful in general and especially painful for Angel since he has barbs going down the back of his throat. Imagine choking on sandpaper, kind of like that. It’s painful, he doesn’t like the sound, Fat Nuggets REALLY doesn’t like the sound, and it’s an overall inconvenience, so he tries to stop smoking as much. Periods like this usually go fine for him until the stress returns or he starts to feel the withdrawal. Withdrawal from any sort of addiction is terrible, and in Angel’s case, just from not smoking it worsens his mental state further. He becomes irritable and stressed and that stress leads to wanting to smoke again to calm down. He may resist a few times and those times should be praised, but he gives in eventually. One cigarette to calm down becomes two, then three, and before he can process himself getting carried away, the entire pack is gone. It’s things like this that make addiction horrible. It’s something that deeply scared me when I was struggling. When I was struggling I was still in the mindset of “I can stop when I want to” and then being so suddenly hit in the face with the realisation that I’m not longer in control of this is terrifying. I could not stop when I wanted to. There were even points where I didn’t want to stop. Even just getting the smallest glimpse of this in an incredibly serious manner with Angel Dust would surprise me. To think the bar is this low on a show that seemingly prides itself on tackling such sensitive topics like you said is appalling. Your show shouldn’t have to be told how to write itself.

[ciderjacks]

I watch some of Watcher's stuff, tell me whatever you want about Shane Madej!

HOUGHHHH. OHHRHFHTHABK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOY

i think a lot of people who are aware of Shane sort of just think of him as the skeptic guy on bfu/ghost files (not saying that’s u obv just a lot of ppl bc I guess I need this to be a pitch meeting) and I think that is a shame because HOLY SHIT HES SO TALENTED AND COOL AND WEIRD AND THE SHIT HE MAKES IS SO FUCKIKNG INSANELY GOOD

Ok so going back in time for a second to b*zzfeed. Who btw did not deserve this guy. Afaik he had two major like, creative projects on there. Ruining History and The Hot Daga. Both were very good. ruining history was a fun history show he did with Sara and Ryan and there are rotating guests every episode. Shane is very interested in history, very good at teaching history, and i think in an alternate universe hes a beloved high school history teacher. Ruining History is the father of puppet history. B*zzfeed canned it and i miss it every day. and then there’s the other father of Puppet History, Hot Daga. Hot Daga is insane. I love Hot Daga, its not for everyone, but I think its so good. The lore goes crazy, he produced and made original songs for it, he animated the whole final half season by himself which is fuckinf insane. He made a ballad for it and actually i need everyone reading this to Listen to “believe me maizey” and then directly after listen to the Meteor Ballad from Puppet History. OH LOOK A SEGWAY

Puppet history is so fuckinf good. Its So Good. And especially in later seasons since hes doing so much you really start to see his improvement as an artist and its just. Its incredible. Some of the somgs are genuinely fucking masterpieces, like some of my favs are The Flower Boat Song, Asmodeus, The Horse and God song, the Emu song, Big Pile Of Diamonds, Infinitiger, The Window Song, Gay Oars Duet, Hologram Professor Song, and the Meteor’s Ballad. And more. Uhh OH the Olympic Torch is really good too. His lyrics are so smart and fun and his vocals are so impressive and he has such good range, he duetted Himself for the Oar song and managed to make the two voices identifiable as separate characters without being over the top. The lyrics range from poetic anf beautiful to weird and funny often within the Same song! Its just so good and he starts so good and gradually over the years he’s done the show you can see him getting more comfortable and better at music which is crazy causw again HE STARTED OFF GOOD! HE WAS INSANE IN HOT DAGA AND HE IS SOMEHOW EVEN BETTER IN PUPPET HISTORY LIKE! and and and ok here’s where I get crazy and a little parasocial (lol not really i am misusing that word for the bit LOL)

Something about all his work is that you can kind of see how his art depicts the world. In Hot Daga you get the line “what else can you do in the face of such monumental loss, but breath a weary sigh as the world is a little quieter now.” And in Puppet history you get uh actually you get like 20 things from the meteor song but one of my favorite parts is (read blue as the professor, orange as the meteor, pink as both) “some shit’s just etched into the stars, calamities you cant outrun/and when sweet earth we finally meet/the sky will burn and boil the sea/as mountains rend/its you and me.” i think both these lyrics and these somgs demonstrate a maturity about the world that you dont really see in a lot of people, his general kindness towards anything and everything and his ability to change perspectives on things without being forceful. (On a personal note I listened to The Meteor song after someone I knew passed, and as dumb as it maybe sounds the idea that like,, death is not cruel, you can’t always run and sometimes the best thing you can do is be there with the people you love as the world ends.) and also I think that you really can tell that he views the people he’s telling you about as People and not just like, figures. Ykwim. He shows such genuine respect and care for everyone in these stories and I’ve already like briefly in these stories but like, you KNOW if a guy can make me cry for the Meteor that killed the dinosaurs then he’s something special. i also think the way he portrays death in his work is very comforting as a whole. and another thing speakinf of rhat is that he has so much respect for other cultures in a level I think that goes beyond just bare minimum not being a piece of shit. Like especially when he’s teaching history, an example that always sticks out to me is how much effort he put into making sure people remembered and thought about Hatshepsut by having a whole episode on her history then also making an EXTREMELY (probably intentionally so though i cant be sure bc I can’t reas minds) catchy song that Told you to think of Hatshepsut and explained Why uou should think of Hatshepsut and it’s been stuck in my head ever since I first heard it years ago. Also I’m consistently impressed by his good pronunciation of things, I remember in the Tunguska event episode of mystery files there were so many ppl from tbe area he was talking about shocked by how good his pronunciation was. And ive seen that so many times w him like, idk i just think thats very cool. He’s a genuinely really mature and respectful guy I think. Wise too. So much of his work has educated me, changed my worldview for the better, inspired me. Like He’s so talented ik i keep saying that but HE IS!

Like ok so. He can write both songs and stories beautifully. he’s wise as fuck and could probably be a philosopher. He can make puppets (and just tbc later season puppet history the puppets are not him, but in the early seasons afaik they were all him, so he is definitely skilled at that.), he can sing, he can voice act, his graphics and editing are off the charts, he’s educated and smart, hes funny. He’s so fuckinf cool.

also again getting parasocial here but I just really like how much of a zest for life the guy seems to have. And Honestly im impressed that he worked in retail, had actual trash thrown in his face by an angry customer (true story) and still came out it like “man the world sure is wonderful!”. What a guy. And He’s so fucking weird and interesting and I could seriously just listen to him rant about Literally anything Forever. Anything. It doesnt matter I think he could talk about anything in a way that would make me invested in it and i’d come out of it more educated than before with a fresh new perspective on life.

This is getting Essay-like so here are some other Random Shane Things I know to close me out I guess

-he loves community was in the community fandom and has a crush on troy barnes

-he wants to be a mouse

-he’s lived 7000 years

-

-was DB cooper

-makes a fine ass Krampus

-actually the coolest guy alive

sorry this is almost 100% incomprehensible thank you for letting my autism loose tho

[cowardlybean]

Hey. The Times They Are A Changin’ by @bandtrees and @tigsbitties amiright (muffled face down on the floor)

more (some unsettling things) beneath the cut :3

(Image 3 is my favorite sequence from an animation for TTTAAAC I’ve been working on, so here it is just in case I never finish </3, image 4 is me thinking about Mob’s house. If. That makes sense.)

OH MAN. OH MAN OH MAN. this fic has altered my brain chemistry in a way that has doctors baffled and leaves tragedy in its wake!!!!!!!!! Absolutely a masterpiece I’ve reread it 3 times now and every time I notice a new detail, there’s just SO MUCH CARE put into it. I think I could write an essay about every page of this fic LMAO it honestly blows me away, huge kudos to everyone who was a part of the project!!!!

Especially the multimedia aspects, they were so much fun to find and in some cases decode (Scared the SHIT outta myself with Breathe I think it’s one of my favorites). the youtube videos were so cool as well

Realizing a third of the way in that things will never get better was such a gut wrenching experience, and by the time I realized just how deep the hole Mob dug himself into was it was absolutely too late for anything to happen (the end of act 1 was horrific in the most amazing way. So many things stuck with me: the state Reigen was left in compared to how he was, Ritsu’s “surgery”, Dimple losing his best friend, Shou’s report to the police, Minori’s conversation (if you can call it that) with Mob?? Bone. Chilling.

One of the parts that has been sitting in my gut is Reigen’s fall, where he starts to ramble through fragments of old times. I genuinely thought he was calling out to Mob until just as the same time Mob did I recognized the words and it hit me like a HAMMER. I don’t know how to put it into words but Reigen rambling on like a broken record tore me apart, and then it gets WORSE. I only realized on my second read that the intro of the fic. (Correct me if I’m wrong) IS REIGENS PERSPECTIVE OF MOB SEVERING HIS TENDONS???? Holy fuck. Holy FUCK. The vague semblance of consciousness written there is so deeply unsettling I’m absolutely OBSESSED with it. ESPECIALLY THE FACT THAT EVEN IN THAT STATE HE STILL WANTS MOB TO BE HAPPY (the cheer ^^ mob bit) and idk if I’m interpreting right (this is gonna be so embarrassing if I’m not) but him recognizing the filthy jacket as well. Taking me OUT. AND. AND THE FACT REIGEN NEVER SPEAKS AGAIN AFTER THAT?????? (I could be wrong oops)

The mental states of every character in the fic are written so chillingly well. I can understand how Mob spirals, the anger and grief Tome feels, Shou's spite and anger, Teruki's conflict, Dimple's loss of his best friend, Serizawa's waning optimism, I can't name every character in this fic but they are ALL characterized so well. There's no needless conflict that make them OOC, there's a reason behind every little tragedy building upon themselves and creating a giant disaster that deeply affects the entire cast. Not to mention how its not just the loss of Reigen and Ritsu, but the loss of Mob too. If they were to have died on impact, its unsettling to think that things may have turned out better than this.

There’s a lot of things I wanna say that would basically be restating the fic (dimple losing his best friend, teru shaving, and the irony of ritsu’s powers being taken away by mob) so instead of writing 20 more paragraphs I’ll ask some questions I’ve been mulling over (ofc yall don’t have to answer if it’s revealing too much or smth)

Does Mob actually end up getting investigated or arrested? The formatting of the social media posts and texts makes them seem as if they're evidence and so does the ongoing "interview?" with Shou throughout the fic

In the party, is Reigen saying he doesn't like citrus a reference to the lemon sour :eyes:

I'm probably missing something but im curious about the metaphor around Reigen and a stray cat (hair clinging to Mob's clothes, comparing him to a stray cat finding a place to die, comparing him to a cat outside Serizawa's door)

If I'm not wrong and the "glitchy" sections at the beginning and end of the fic are Reigen and Ritsu's povs respectively, is their mind constantly like that or is it just in the specific circumstances where they have a small burst of consciousness?

last (thats a lie im definitely drawing more fanart in the future) but not least, some notes from when I was re-reading

[kxosrexgns]

⸺ KIARA && KOVU

( FC: samantha logan && aubrey joseph )

the two have known each other since they were in elementary school/little kids.

kiara is set to become the next ruler of the pride lands, and she wants kovu to be her king.

also- for context, because i'm adding in almost every fairytale even the ones with animals they are explained in a way similar to an Animagus from HP. aka they can turn into whatever animal they're supposed to be opposed to being those permanently.

kovu has saved this girl’s life on more than one occasion.

( it’s not my fault that people keep trying to plot against my life - Ki )

( by people you must mean yourself and your clumsiness - Vu )

if you know the lore- these two actually met when they were kids and kiara was exploring the pride lands & the two ran from a group of crocodiles together.

because of who kovu's mom is ( ms zira ) ig he's "technically" considered a VK, but like i could see him also living in auradon because his mom dies pretty soon/early in his life and in the story of the LK

kovu helps kiara realize her flaws and find ways to fix them. a part of their first interaction was him making fun of her for "always doing what daddy says" and when he then sees that she doesn't/didn't really listen to anyone, he basically teaches her abt herself

he says that she doesn't understand how privileged she is compared to everyone that goes against her family/has been banished

at first kiara thinks he's a dick and disregards him entirely, but then she starts noticing how she treats other people n is like "oh shit.. i do kinda just do shit without thinking of the consequences for others"

kiara ends up running into kovu in the pride lands on one of her supposed unsupervised runs around the pride lands

their theme song is Roommates ⸺ Malcolm Todd

they are in love your honor !! like this song, to me, is from Kovu's perspective. like-

I'm losing the person I was when I found you Am I acting different when I'm not around you? I'm being dramatic, I say that I'm losing I wanna show you all the things I've been doing I'm going on dates and I'm hanging my head I wanna share an apartment, a room and a bed I wanna tell you I love you but I cannot reach you I'm learning to lose, that's the thing they don't teach you

^^ like imagine this is all around the time their families were still beefing and Kovu's mom was still pushing him to marry off for power and kill kiara's dad. but he realized he started falling for her and the guilt he felt throughout the whole thing???

this part - being when he's noticing how he's smiling more, nicer to her, and genuinely having fun with her while they're secretly hanging out as kids.

the red section being him denying it and choosing to attempt to move on in order to please his mother, but it never working out???? sjhfdabkud

and the purple part just being him finally admitting all the feelings and wanting to share parts of his life with her

the pink section being about how he's never felt heartbreak before and now that he has her and this feeling he's mourning the loss

god these two have me in a chokehold

although she gets herself into dangerous situations, and though he may not like it, kovu will never force her to change her mind. he knows she's strong willed, its part of what he loves about her and he would never ask her to change herself, he just asks that she always let him join her.

kiara makes a point to never make kovu feel like he's unwanted/unneeded. especially because of all the possible trauma and issues surrounding his mother, her abuse ( LES NOT FORGET HIS FACE SCAR ), and generally being exiled twice.

these two are constantly in awe of each other it's actually so adorable. like kiara gets to show kovu so many cool things about the pride lands as well as its people.

they're the type to never run out of things to say. kiara is a biiiigg yapper, kovu's more of a listener ⸺ that and this mf is the type of guy to admire her while she talking, whether that be to him or not. head on his hand n everything, no shame.

"In a perfect world, one we've never known, we would never need to face the world alone. They can have the world; we'll create our own."

ALSO!!!! THIS SHIT ^^

To Be Continued . . . if i decide to add more.

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 01/02/2024

Outertale

Season 6 Featured on: Transmission Archive ~ The SiIvaGunner All​-​Star Nuclear Winter Festival Collection

Ripped by Blookerstein

Unfortunately, I don't really have all too much time to write this post - but hey, that's in the spirit of the game its focused on, isn't it?

I'm a bit sad to say that I sort of missed the hype train on Outer Wilds, one of the most beloved indie games of the current day. I can't quite put my finger on why it didn't click for me, nor do I really care to find out - because that really isn't what this post, or what Outertale, is about. Because Outertale encapsulates so much genuine feeling to it, so much pure, unfiltered love, that it's enough to break someone who doesn't even have much attachment to Outer Wilds itself in two.

You could of course say that that's due to the other half of the rip - the Undertale leitmotif from the game of the same name, which is here arranged in that plucky, acoustic sound of the Outer Wilds' explorer tunes. That's certainly possible - I may not be Undertale's strongest soldier, but in no small part due thanks to SiIvaGunner itself, its music has wound up becoming something very nostalgic for me, and does evoke a lot of emotion no matter the context.

But no, what I believe makes Outertale work so well for me, and to thousands of others, is that sense of...community, it evokes. There are a lot of popular video games out there, and a lot of popular indie-made ones: Shovel Knight, Super Meat Boy, Cave Story, The Binding of Isaac, and of course Hollow Knight, a game Blookerstein ripped to excellent ability with The expanse of meme in past was split, A fiendish trap has now been set; Behind a tree the villains sit, Terror of sport, the Robbie's Net. Yet what I think binds Undertale and Outer Wilds together in my mind, is just how emotionally honest, open, and vulnerable they are, and how those feelings reflect back into its playerbase. In my mind, they're two of the only games I can think of that are enjoyed the world over with shockingly wide reach, yet manage to tell stories that feel ever-so-personal, like an emotional journey made just for you.

Blookerstein employs so many fun little quirks in the arranging here to make fun of all the various music-players to be found in Outer Wilds' vast galaxy, be it the whistling lead melody, the soothing banjo backing, the otherwise uncanny sound of the theremin carrying the song's scaled-back midpoint, before rejoining with the rest of the band, a rattling tambourine keeping pace all throughout, as harmonica plays the song out.

It's the purest essence of a campfire song, yet taken out from its original context within Outer Wilds...it feels as if the campers in question are us, the viewers, pouring our hearts out with each other as company. Uploaded on Christmas Eve in the middle of the Nuclear Winter Festival, an event already dealing with themes of loss, regret, and moving on to a brighter tomorrow, Outertale couldn't have come at a better time, and the emotional attachment I lacked from Outer Wilds has now been made up for a thousandfold with emotional attachment to the end of Season 6.

Though the SiIvaGunner AI may have bid us farewell, and its world left to an uncertain fate, the times we in the SiIva community had across those years are never going to be forgotten. With one world ended and a new one about to begin, we still remain.

[mermaidsirennikita]

ARC REVIEW: Played by Naima Simone

4/5. 9/3/24.

Vibes: widower hero, hockey romance, "it's just a warm body", love after loss

Heat Index: 7/10

Still grieving the loss of her professional and personal partner, firefighter Adina can't resist opening the journal she finds after a fire at a hockey facility. The journal details the kind of loss she understands deeply--but when she brings it back to the owner, widower and star player Solomon, he's furious that she got a glimpse at his innermost feelings. But as he realizes that Adina understands where he's coming from better than anyone else, enmity gives way to bonding, which gives way to a fierce physical attraction... The question is, can either one risk falling in love again?

Oof. Played is a unique take on the hockey romance subgenre (and not only because Solomon is the only Black hockey hero I've read thus far, and the book doesn't shy away from how white the sport is). While the hockey is a part of it, the firefighting is no less so. It's about two people who genuinely love their jobs, but have also let themselves lose who they are in it because they can't face the reality of their new lives. It's about falling in love out of understanding and pretending that it's just physical. And it's about the inevitable messiness that comes with falling for someone after losing another.

This makes it sound super heavy--and I wouldn't say it totally is? Like, there's definitely some heavy stuff here, but overall the book is fun and sexy and dramatic. It just also takes the time to think deeply about its plot, and I appreciate that quite a bit.

Quick Takes:

--The thing I really enjoy about this book is that Adina and Solomon actually get each other from the jump, arguably before they even meet. However, they--especially Solomon--really fight that, which kind of makes it easier to pass it off as something physical. They don't act on the physical too quickly (though I wouldn't call this a slow burn either) but there's this conscious effort by both of them to sort of focus on that because the other option is... what? Being in love? Perish the thought!

--This is a single parent romance! Solomon is not only a widower, but the father of a young son. I'm very vocal about my iffiness re: kids in romance novels, but this one was done well in my opinion. First off, he actually reads like a child. Second, he's definitely a big part of Solomon's life, but a part of what the novel confronts is that Solomon has been leaning on his in-laws as coparents since his wife died (which is a super real thing, right?). This not only provides us with good plot and character stuff... it also ensures that we don't have too much of the kid on the page. I know, I'm mercenary, but it's smart writing!

Still, Solomon being this really loving but imperfect father so worked for me (and Adina). I loved the way he was presented as totally affectionate and vocally loving towards his son. So many books focus on like, this daddy's girl thing with single father heroes, and... I don't know. We need more depictions of fathers who kiss and cuddle and dote on their little boys, right?

--This novel actually tackles some hard stuff alongside the romance I'll give readers a heads up and say that while it doesn't venture into sexual assault territory, Adina does have to deal with some pretty serious sexual harassment at work. At points, I did think there was a LOT packed in here, but one thing I did appreciate was that there wasn't this pretty "tied with a bow" resolution to everything. There are some very human issues confronted here, and the resolutions felt like... very humanly in progress.

That said, I did kind of feel like the ending was a bit rushed (and I have my quibble with one aspect) and some trimming of those other aspects might have left us with more time for a smoother resolution.

--One of the things I appreciate about this book is how honest it is about falling in love after losing someone. Often, I think romance can be rather cruel to the dead spouse, as it were, and diminishes the relationship... which cheapens the central romance to me. Here, you see exactly how much both Solomon and Adina loved their lost partners. They didn't get to choose to end the relationships. They were cut off. Who knows what would have happened if their partners had lived, but that's the reality we're living with, right? And it doesn't lessen their love for their new partners at all.

The Sex:

Ooooh, it's good. There aren't too many full-length sex scenes in the novel, but those that you do get are very long, preceded by a lot of tension, and INTENSE. Solomon is super growly and aggressive, and Adina kind of gets to let her own naturally dominant side take a bit of a backseat when he's tossing her around. We love to see it.

Approaching tough topics with grace, Played is a hot, emotional book that remains a good time throughout, even when it gets deep. (And the book isn't the only one that gets deep heeeeey--.) Definitely a "hockey romance for people who don't like hockey romances... and also those that do" kind of novel.

Thanks to NetGalley and Montlake for providing me with a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.