#but if you do that you're effectively shifting into a different genre

[wandringaesthetic]

I have a lot of Final Fantasy (XVI mostly) thoughts but I can’t untangle them right now

so I guess can we just appreciate Soken transforming the countermelody of the prelude into epic fight music from the state of play thing

[nellasbookplanet]

Book recs: black science fiction

As february and black history month nears its end, if you're a reader let's not forget to read and appreciate books by black authors the rest of the year as well! If you're a sci-fi fan like me, perhaps this list can help find some good books to sink your teeth into.

Bleak dystopias, high tech space adventures, alien monsters, alternate dimensions, mash-ups of sci-fi and fantasy - this list features a little bit of everything for genre fiction fans!

For more details on the books, continue under the readmore. Titles marked with * are my personal favorites. And as always, feel free to share your own recs in the notes!

If you want more book recs, check out my masterpost of rec lists!

Lagoon by Nnedi Okorafor

Something massive and alien crashes into the ocean off the coast of Nigeria. Three people, a marine biologist, a rapper, and a soldier, find themselves at the center of this presence, attempting to shepherd an alien ambassador as chaos spreads in the city. A strange novel that mixes the supernatural with the alien, shifts between many different POVs, and gives a one of a kind look at a possible first contact.

Nubia: The Awakening (Nubia series) by Omar Epps & Clarence A. Hayes

Young adult. Three teens living in the slums of an enviromentally ravaged New York find that something powerful is awakening within them. They’re all children of refugees of Nubia, a utopian African island nation that sank as the climate worsened, and realize now that their parents have been hiding aspects of their heritage from them. But as they come into their own, someone seeks to use their abilities to his own ends, against their own people.

The Scourge Between Stars by Ness Brown

Novella. After having failed at establishing a new colony, starship Calypso fights to make it back to Earth. Acting captain Jacklyn Albright is already struggling against the threats of interstellar space and impending starvation when the ship throws her a new danger: something is hiding on the ship, picking off her crew one by one in bloody, gruesome ways. A quick, excellent read if you want some good Alien vibes.

Dawn (Xenogenesis trilogy) by Octavia E. Butler*

After a devestating war leaves humanity on the brink of extinction, survivor Lilith finds herself waking up naked and alone in a strange room. She’s been rescued by the Oankali, who have arrived just in time to save the human race. But there’s a price to survival, and it might be humanity itself. Absolutely fucked up I love it I once had to drop the book mid read to stare at the ceiling and exclaim in horror at what was going on. Includes darker examinations of agency and consent, so enter with caution.

Midnight Robber by Nalo Hopkinson*

Utterly unique in world-building, story, and prose, Midnight Robber follows young Tan-Tan and her father, inhabitants of the Carribean-colonized planet of Toussaint. When her father commits a terrible crime, he’s exiled to a parallel version of the same planet, home to strange aliens and other human exiles. Tan-Tan, not wanting to lose her father, follows with him. Trapped on this new planet, he becomes her worst nightmare. Enter this book with caution, as it contains graphic child sexual abuse.

Rosewater (The Wormwood trilogy) by Tade Thompson

In Nigeria lies Rosewater, a city bordering on a strange, alien biodome. Its motives are unknown, but it’s having an undeniable effect on the surrounding life. Kaaro, former criminal and current psychic agent for the government, is one of the people changed by it. When other psychics like him begin getting killed, Kaaro must take it upon himself to find out the truth about the biodome and its intentions.

Do You Dream of Terra-Two? by Temi Oh

Young adult. A century ago, an astronomer discovered a possibly Earth-like planet. Now, a team of veteran astronauts and carefully chosen teenagers are preparing to embark on a twenty-three year trip to get there. But space is dangerous, and the team has no one to rely on but each other if - or when - something goes wrong. An introspective slowburn of a story, this focuses more on character work than action.

The Best of All Possible Worlds by Karen Lord

After the planet Sadira is left uninhabitable, its few survivors are forced to move to a new world. On Cygnus Beta, they work to rebuild their society alongside their distant relatives of the planet, while trying to preserve what remains of their culture. Focused less on hard science or action, The Best of All Possible Worlds is more about culture, romance and the ethics and practicalities of telepathy.

Mirage (Mirage duology) by Somaiya Daud

Young adult. Eighteen-year-old Amani lives on an isolated moon under the oppressive occupation of the Valthek empire. When Amani is abducted, she finds herself someplace wholly unexpected: the royal palace. As it turns out, she's nearly identical to the half-Valthek, and widely hated, princess Maram, who is in need of a body double. If Amani ever wants to make it back home or see her people freed from oppression, she will have to play her role as princess perfectly. While sci-fi, this one more has the vibe of a fantasy.

An Unkindness of Ghosts by Rivers Solomon

Life on the lower decks of the generation ship HSS Matilda is hard for Aster, an outcast even among outcasts, trying to survive in a system not dissimilar to the old antebellum South. The ship’s leaders have imposed harsh restrictions on their darker skinned people, using them as an oppressed work force as they travel toward their supposed Promised Land. But as Aster finds a link between the death of the ship’s sovereign and the suicide of her own mother, she realizes there may be a way off the ship.

Where It Rains in Color by Denise Crittendon

The planet Swazembi is a utopia of color and beauty, the most beautiful of all its citizens being the Rare Indigo. Lileala was just named Rare Indigo, but her strict yet pampered life gets upended when her beautiful skin is struck by a mysterious sickness, leaving it covered in scars and scabs. Meanwhile, voices start to whisper in Lileala's mind, bringing to the surface a past long forgotten involving her entire society.

Eacaping Exodus (Escaping Exodus duology) by Nicky Drayden

Seske is the heir to the leader of a clan living inside a gigantic, spacefaring beast, of which they frequently need to catch a new one to reside in as their presence slowly kills the beast from the inside. While I found the ending rushed with regards to plot and character, the worldbuilding is very fresh and the overall plot of survival and class struggle an interesting one. It’s also sapphic!

Chain-Gang All-Stars by Nana Kwame Adjei-Brenyah*

In a near future America, inmates on death row or with life sentences in private prisons can choose to participate in death matches for entertainment. If they survive long enough - a rare case indeed - they regain their freedom. Among these prisoners are Loretta Thurwar and Hamara "Hurricane Staxxx" Stacker, partners behind the scenes and close to the deadline of a possible release - if only they can survive for long enough. As the game continues to be stacked against them and protests mount outside, two women fight for love, freedom, and their own humanity. Chain-Gang All-Stars is bleak and unflinching as well as genuinely hopeful in its portrayal of a dark but all to real possible future.

Parable of the Sower (Earthseed duology) by Octavia E. Butler*

In a bleak future, Lauren Olamina lives with her family in a gated community, one of few still safe places in a time of chaos. When her community falls, Lauren is forced on the run. As she makes her way toward possible safety, she picks up a following of other refugees, and sows the seeds of a new ideology which may one day be the saviour of mankind. Very bleak and scarily realistic, Parable of the Sower will make you both fear for mankind and regain your hope for humanity.

Binti (Binti trilogy) by Nnedi Okorafor

Young adult novella. Binti is the first of the Himba people to be accepted into the prestigious Oomza University, the finest place of higher learning in all the galaxy. But as she embarks on her interstellar journey, the unthinkable happens: her ship is attacked by the terrifying Meduse, an alien race at war with Oomza University.

War Girls (War Girls duology) by Tochi Onyebuchi

In an enviromentally fraught future, the Nigerian civil war has flared back up, utilizing cybernetics and mechs to enhance its soldiers. Two sisters, by bond if not by blood, are separated and end up on differing sides of the struggle. Brutal and dark, with themes of dehumanization of soldiers through cybernetics that turn them into weapons, and the effect and trauma this has on them.

The Space Between Worlds (The Space Between Worlds duology) by Micaiah Johnson

Multiverse travel is finally possible, but there’s a catch: No one can visit a world where their counterpart is still alive. Enter Cara, whose parallel selves happen to be exceptionally good at dying. As such she has a very special job in traveling to these worlds, hoping to keep her position long enough to gain citizenship in the walled-off Wiley City, away from the wastes where she grew up. But her job is dangerous, especially when she gets on the tracks of a secret that threatens the entire multiverse. Really cool worldbuilding and characters, also featuring a sapphic lead!

The Fifth Season (The Broken Eart trilogy) by N.K. Jemisin*

In a world regularly torn apart by natural disasters, a big one finally strikes and society as we know it falls, leaving people floundering to survive in a post apocalyptic world, its secrets and past to be slowly revealed. We get to follow a mother as she races through this world to find and save her missing daughter. While mostly fantasy in genre, this series does have some sci-fi flavor, and is genuinely some of the best books I've ever read, please read them.

The Women Could Fly by Megan Giddings*

In an alternate version of our present, the witch hunt never ended. Women are constantly watched and expected to marry young so their husbands can keep an eye on them. When she was fourteen, Josephine's mother disappeared, leveling suspicions at both mother and daughter of possible witchcraft. Now, nearly a decade and a half later, Jo, in trying to finally accept her missing mother as dead, decides to follow up on a set of seemingly nonsensical instructions left in her will. Features a bisexual lead!

The Prey of Gods by Nicky Drayden

South African-set scifi featuring gods ancient and new, robots finding sentience, dik-diks, and a gay teen with mind control abilities. An ancient goddess seeks to return to her true power no matter how many humans she has to sacrifice to get there. A little bit all over the place but very creative and fresh.

The Summer Prince by Alaya Dawn Johnson*

Young adult. Young artist June Costa lives in Palmares Tres, a beautiful, matriarchal city relying heavily on tradition, one of which is the Summer King. The most recent Summer King is Enki, a bold boy and fellow artist. With him at her side, June seeks to finally find fame and recognition through her art, breaking through the generational divide of her home. But growing close to Enki is dangerous, because he, like all Summer Kings, is destined to die.

The Blood Trials (The Blood Gifted duology) by N.E. Davenport

After Ikenna's grandfather is assasinated, she is convinced that only a member of the Praetorian guard, elite soldiers, could’ve killed him. Seeking to uncover his killer, Ikenna enrolls in a dangerous trial to join the Praetorians which only a quarter of applicants survive. For Ikenna, the stakes are even higher, as she's hiding forbidden blood magic which could cost her her life. Mix of fantasy and sci-fi. While I didn’t super vibe with this one, I suspect fans of action packed romantasy will enjoy it.

Babel-17 by Samuel R. Delany

1960s classic. Rydra Wong is a space captain, linguist and poet who is set on learning to understand Babel-17, a language which is humanity's only clue at the enemy in an interstaller war. But Babel-17 is more than just a language, and studying it may change Rydra forever.

Pet (Pet duology) by Akwaeke Emezi

Young adult novella. Jam lives in a utopian future that has been freed of monsters and the systems which created and upheld them. But then she meets Pet, a dangerous creature claiming to be hunting a monster still among them, prepared to stop at nothing to find them. While I personally found the word-building in Pet lacking, it deftly handles dark subjects of what makes a human a monster.

Bonus AKA I haven’t read these yet but they seem really cool

Lion's Blood by Steven Barnes

Alternate history in which Africans colonized South America while vikings colonized the North. The vikings sell abducted Celts and Franks as slaves to the South, one of which is eleven-years-old Irish boy Aidan O'Dere, who was just bought by a Southern plantation owner.

The Sound of Stars by Alechia Dow

Young adult dystopia. Ellie lives in a future where humanity is under the control of the alien Ilori. All art is forbidden, but Ellie keeps a secret library; when one of her books disappears, she fears discovery and execution. M0Rr1S, born in a lab and raised to be emotionless, finds her library, and though he should deliver her for execution, he finds himself obsessed with human music. Together the two embark on a roadtrip which may save humanity.

Womb City by Tlotlo Tsamaase

Lelah lives in future Botswana, but despite money and fame she finds herself in an unhappy marriage, her body controlled via microchip by her husband. After burying the body of an accidental hit and run, Lelah's life gets worse when the ghost of her victim returns to enact bloody vengeance.

Orleans by Sherri L. Smith

Young adult. Fen de la Guerre, living in a quarantined Gulf Coast left devestated by storms and sickness, is forced on the run with a newborn after her tribe is attacked. Hoping to get the child to safety, Fen seeks to get to the other side of the wall, she teams up with a scientist from the outside the quarantine zone.

Everfair by Nisi Shawl

A neo-victorian alternate history, in which a part of Congo was kept safe from colonisation, becoming Everfair, a safe haven for both the people of Congo and former slaves returning from America. Here they must struggle to keep this home safe for them all.

The Splinter in the Sky by Kemi Ashing-Giwa

Space opera. Enitan just wants to live a quiet life in the aftermath of a failed war of conquest, but when her lover is killed and her sister kidnapped, she's forced to leave her plans behind to save her sister.

Honorary mentions AKA these didn't really work for me but maybe you guys will like them: The City We Became (Great Cities duology) by N.K. Jemisin, The Lesson by Cadwell Turnbull, The A.I. Who Loved Me by Alyssa Cole

[jinnie-ret]

scarred knees and insecurities

Stray Kids x Ninth Member!reader

genre: hurt/comfort

content warnings: insecurities, heat exhaustion, mean online comments

word count: 2.7k

summary: when the old scars from your youth, become fresh wounds in your adulthood, the boys are there to pick up the pieces.

100 followers special!!! Thank you so much for all your support so far, I hope you enjoy this imagine! I personally share this same insecurity and although I have played it up more for this imagine, I hope that nothing said will offend anyone, I've just written it from my perspective.

As always, asks are open! Let me know what you want to read next! Enjoy! :)

MAIN MASTERLIST

"Annyeong, Stay!" Y/N greeted the fans as she started streaming on YouTube. She was currently in one of the practice rooms at JYP, ready to dance for stays as she normally did when she went live. She was relaxed in some casual clothes, a big t-shirt and some shorts too.

"What song shall I dance to first?" Y/N grinned at the camera as she read the comments.

"Oh- who said WAP?!" Y/N laughed and shook her head, "Stays you can't be talking like that!"

She got up and started dancing, not to WAP, but to their new song Social Path. Anyways, they weren't allowed to play music outside of their company anymore, so it only felt right.

Finishing the dance, Y/N panted lightly, crouched over with her hands on her knees. As she took a sip of water, sat with her knees bent in front of the camera, certain comments started catching her eyes, no matter how much she tried to act normal and answer questions.

What's wrong with her knees

Ew but why do they look like that

Their knees look so old and wrinkly

Y/N needs to get that checked out it looks so unnatural

Just another reason why she's ugly

Of course, there were actual questions, with Stays giving song recommendations and asking Y/N about what she had been doing recently, but she couldn't help but catch sight of the mean comments. She shifted her body so that her knees were off screen, maybe then the harsh words would lessen.

Look, she's hiding them because she's realised how disgusting she is

Disgusting?

Y/N bit her lip and cleared her throat, but decided she didn't want to force herself to sit there in front of millions of fans when she was trying not to let her thoughts spiral.

"I'm feeling kinda tired guys so I'm going to end the live now, bye!" Y/N blew a kiss like always at the camera and sighed as she ended the live.

She had thought about it a couple of times, she wasn't all too fond of the way her knees looked either. But it always felt different and hurt more when someone else points out your insecurities. Her knees had visible scars on them from how clumsy she was as a child. You could see them stick out yet they were healed over and so had blended in with her skin tone. The other thing was that often she'd find after kneeling down or having pressure on her knees, there'd be a redness or slight colour change to them.

Absentmindedly scratching over the bumps of her scars, Y/N looked up when she heard a slight tap on the door.

It was Hyunjin.

"Why did you end your live early? I was enjoying watching you dance," he pouted at her, clearly in a playful mood as he flopped down beside her in the practice room.

"Don't know, guess I just felt tired," Y/N shrugged. She wasn't tired really, just currently feeling low in her mood.

She jolted as he put his head in her lap, in attempt to look up at her face.

"You're acting all quiet, Y/Nnie," Hyunjin commented, hand stroking her knee comfortingly as he knew this was one of her tells when she wasn't feeling too happy.

Yet this action didn't have the same effect as normal. Y/N moved his hand off of her legs and did a fake shiver.

"It's cold in here..." Y/N rubbed her bare legs, hiding her knees before standing once Hyunjin had removed himself from her.

"I've got some spare clothes, it's in my bag in the other room, come on," Hyunjin patted her on the head gently, before resting his hand against her back as he guided her out of the room.

He wasn't silly. He could tell that Y/N wasn't quite feeling herself at the moment, and the best thing him or any of the other boys could do was treat her gently, that's what she always needed when it came to things like this.

A few days later, Stray Kids were set to do a photoshoot on the beach, perfect for a hot day. Well, as long as they didn't get too hot...

Y/N scanned the clothes that were on the rack in the dressing room with her stylist. She smiled as she caught sight of a beautiful white and blue dress, it fitting their cute casual concept perfectly.

"Oh, Y/N we won't be needing that one today, we've got a better option instead," the stylist fanned her own face, feeling the heat too as she passed over a small pile of clothes to Y/N. It consisted of a heavy pair of jeans, alongside a baby tee with a cute graphic of a heart on it. Now that, she could get behind, she thought the tee was adorable, but the heavy jeans? It was such a hot day.

"But everyone else is wearing shorts, wouldn't it be better if I did too-" Y/N began, before the stylist sympathetically patted her hand, yet it came across as being more condescending than anything.

"Honey, we're just doing what the fans will like best, like wearing jeans instead of anything more revealing, you know, because of your knees," she said, before turning around and sorting through other clothes so that Y/N could change.

What she hated the most was how the stylist's words trailed off into a whisper, like she was ashamed, like Y/N should be ashamed of her body. The company were aware of the comments that had been made online, and just after Y/N was building herself back up and ignoring the thing she can't change, this happened.

Dejectedly, she put on her assigned outfit, and left to head outside in the sweltering heat to join the boys.

"Y/Nnie come stand with me!" Felix dragged her next to him happily. The boys had noticed her mood get better the past few days but being the sunshine he is, he noticed that she was once again in the same low mindset.

"Y/N, aren't you... too hot in that?" Changbin rested a hand on her shoulder as he looked at the heavy jeans she was wearing, fabric slumped over at the top of her trainers.

"No, no, this is fine, it was picked especially for me," Y/N lightly smiled, trying to paint her face to seem content when really she was already sweating, causing a makeup artist to run over and quickly powder her face. Y/N couldn't hide the slight truth in her words, and she was silly to think the small bitterness didn't come through in her tone.

"Okay, just be careful, it's too hot to be wearing those, seriously..." Changbin nodded before returning to where he was previously stood, clearly not happy with the situation his younger member had been put in.

Felix side hugged her before they did their group photos first, the others expressing their confusion for the clothes she was wearing.

"Y/N! You must be so hot!" Han audibly gasped, and all she could do was shrug at him, not really having the words to respond, feeling too hot and overwhelmed at the moment to really think.

"Solo photos now!" the director called out, and one by one they posed, Y/N being the last one to head up, as they were going in age order. As Jeongin stepped up for his turn, Y/N scanned around her for some water she could have, seeing black spots enter her vision slowly.

"Here. Drink, or you'll be too tired to even stand," Seungmin appeared with a bottle of water in front of her, sarcasm coming across through his words as he didn't seem to realise how bad she really was feeling, and that she was too tired to stand.

"Thanks, Seungminnie," she mumbled, drinking it quickly as he nodded and walked away, going to change out of his clothes.

"Yah, you'll choke if you keep this up," Lee Know took the bottle from her hands as he crouched down next to her.

"Just thirsty," Y/N fanned herself as she leant back in her chair.

"You sure that's it? Looks like something else is going on too," Lee Know took one of her hands gently, rubbing a thumb across her knuckles.

"Y/Nnie it's your turn!" Jeongin happily walked over, informing his fellow member yet taking away the chance of gaining more information from his other.

Lee Know sighed as Y/N stood up, standing at the beach bar setup first.

Her movements were slow, yet she was sure it looked casual enough to not seem like she was on the verge of wanting to collapse from the heat. Little did she know, a certain leader had been diligently watching her the whole time. He had inquired about the outfit to the stylists and was annoyed when they said Y/N picked it herself. He knew that wasn't the truth.

"Y/N, turn your head to the left a bit! To the left, turn your head to the left," the director frustratedly said through the megaphone, catching the attention of all the members who were now watching.

But Y/N couldn't really hear what was happening around her. She was more focused on trying to stand up straight right now, panting lightly as she did so.

"The director is being a bit harsh..." Hyunjin whispered to Jeongin, who nodded back in response.

"But she's not acting herself either, look," Jeongin nodded towards the girl, who couldn't seem to keep her head up straight.

"Channie hyung, something is wrong with Y/Nnie," Felix said to his fellow Australian member, frowning as he watched the girl.

"I know. As soon as she's done with her photos I'm going to ask-" Chan turned his head away for one second as he spoke to Felix.

One second.

One second he stopped watching over her, and now she was on her knees, leant against the fake bar as she pulled at the collar of her t-shirt for some air.

Gasps rang out from around the room as both Stray Kids and the staff rushed to help Y/N.

"I knew there was something wrong," Chan shook his head as he started patting Y/N's face with a wet towel provided by the staff.

"Y/N, can you hear us?" Changbin hovered around them, concerned at the state she was in.

It all sounded so muffled to Y/N. She had felt that she had been moved into a position where she was laying down, felt slight relief from the cooler feeling on her face, but her eyes were still resting shut. She managed to let out a groan in response, which offered a light sense of peace before they realised they needed to do more.

"We need to get her inside in an air conditioned room or something!" Chan commanded the staff, as he lifted her up after they nodded and he laid her down on a sofa, the other members following through.

"She needs to get out of these jeans, who's big idea was that?" Seungmin huffed, irritated.

"Let me," a female staff member gestured for the boys to turn away as she and another stylist quickly changed Y/N out of her jeans and into some shorts, letting the boys know they could turn around once more.

They had a fan pointed at Y/N as they tried to get her to sip from some water.

"Come on, Y/Nnie, just slow sips, yeah?" Hyunjin held the bottle with a straw to Y/N's face, a hand under her chin tilting her head ever so slightly so water wouldn't spill down her.

Lee Know tied her hair back, soothingly stroking it back before he gathered it all out of the way.

Y/N's eyes opened wide, feeling a bit better as she had cooled down now. But she saw that her knees were exposed and being in the vulnerable state she was, she grabbed a blanket and covered her knees, her mind going 100 mph and all it could think was that the boys thought she was disgusting.

"No, you don't need a blanket, Y/Nnie, you're too hot right now, that won't help," Han grabbed her hands and held them against her stomach lightly, feeling concerned when her eyes became glossy with tears.

Y/N shook her head, not yet finding the words to explain what she was feeling.

"What's the matter, sweetheart?" Chan's voice broke through all of her thoughts, the oldest member being someone she could always rely on.

"They're ugly," she mumbled, eyes darting back and forth between her legs and Han's hands holding onto her own.

"What are?" Felix asked confused, looking back and forth between the boys as they all seemed to be catching onto why you had been feeling a bit low the last couple of days.

"My knees. Got scars on them. They're disgusting. Don't want you to have to see them," Y/N rushed out, feeling the grip round her hands tighten ever so slightly and a hand brush through her hair soothingly.

"Now why would you say something so stupid?" Lee Know sighed, hating how she was thinking.

"Don't call her stupid," Hyunjin whacked Lee Know on the shoulder.

"It's fine, it's silly really. B-but Stays didn't like it so why would you?" Y/N bit her lip, still unable to make eye contact with the boys.

"Y/Nnie, look at me," Chan sat in front of her, and reluctantly she looked at their leader. "Is this why you were put in that outfit?" his tone dropped lower, despising how one of his members had been put in such a position for something out of their control.

"The company agreed too... I didn't want to wear it but I guess it was for the best..." Y/N said unsurely, not really knowing how to explain the situation.

"Not when you nearly passed out from the heat!" Changbin exclaimed.

"Y/N, there is nothing wrong with you, okay? Nothing about you is disgusting. They're just from when you were a kid, right? You can't control that," Chan said softly as he rubbed her shoulder soothingly.

"I just hate how they look and then when Stays started pointing it out it made me remember how much I hate them," Y/N frowned and looked at her knees distastefully.

"They're not real Stays if they're making horrible comments like that," Seungmin pointed out, as the rest of the boys nodded in agreement.

"Plus if people are always staring at your knees, that's kind of weird," Jeongin laughed, which brought a smile to Y/N's face.

"I guess so," Y/N nodded, the grin still there.

"Aw there's that smile," Changbin cooed, squishing her cheeks together.

"Hyung, she's not a baby," Han laughed at Changbin's antics.

"But, Y/N, just know, it's okay to have insecurities, we all have them, it doesn't make you weird or mean that there is something wrong with you. But this is not the way things should have happened, please talk to us next time. I know it was the company that decided for you today, and trust me, I will be having words with them about this... but please don't obsess over this, yeah?" Chan hugged her to him, resting his head on hers as he talked to her, wanting her to know that they were a safe space for her.

"Okay, okay, I'll try," Y/N nodded as she relaxed against Chan.

"Good. And just know, whatever type of scars you have, it doesn't define you, and they're certainly not ugly. Everyone has some, whether they're visible or not," Changbin patted her knee, being slightly more serious in contrast to him babying her ten seconds ago.

"Woah, hyung, that was deep," Hyunjin clapped.

"Our Changbinnie is so good," Han said in a high pitched voice, causing the older member of 3RACHA to jokingly raise his fist at his dongsaeng.

"Thanks guys, I mean it," Y/N said sincerely with a relaxed smile to the rest of the boys who weren't caught up in the chaos. Let's be honest, it wouldn't be Stray Kids without any chaos, it just wouldn't be right.

[teslacoils-and-hubris]

so here's my thing right? everyone loves to talk about the ways various media waters down common monsters. specifically vampires and werewolves. specifically like- a vampire who doesn't have to drink human blood waters down the inhuman need to prey on humans. A werewolf who can control when they shift doesn't have the same implications as one who is tied to the moon. And I think there is truth to that. I'm not nearly as scared of a vampire who can survive on rats because I know they aren't completely depandant on getting my blood to survive. A werewolf who can shift whenever is a lot more like a regular shifter than specifically a werewolf.

but I don't think these things ruin the effect? Like primarily you have to consider what the monster Represents in the story and the genre you're working in. like it really comes down to what the author is trying to do and how well they pull it off. A story about someone turning into a vampire, loosing their sense of humanity, and slowly turning to hunting animals like a beast in the forest is a very different vampire horror story than a freshly turned vampire slowly loosing their ability to not drain the people they love. A werewolf who can shift whenever they want, learning to love the wolf and what it represents (anger, queerness, various Repression metaphors) and using the wolf to protect themselves and finding it freeing is a completely different story than someone unwillingly tied to a wolf, that changes against their will and that they have no control over. But that doesn't mean either story is a better depiction of their monsters just by plot beats. they're just different metaphors and versions.

[slytherinshua]

genre: fluff. soft thoughts. best friends to lovers. warnings: taesan runs away from his feelings and doesn't want to admit he's in love lmao. almost leading reader on... not proofread. rambling type of writing so very very messy. pairing: taesan x reader. wc: 517. request: @mjupis here. a/n: okay now that i know its for taesan let me expand on it hehe. divider by @/thetaey and @/bucciniexe. net: @onedoornet

this man would actually be hopelessly whipped and he has no idea how to deal with the emotions. cause he's been best friends with you for literally years and only now he's wondering why he wants to kiss you every time he sees you.

he tries writing songs about you in hopes that the emotions would stop... but they only grow. but he seriously doesn't want to admit it. he's just like yeah they're a great person but.... i don't like them romantically. i just think they're pretty or whatever.

you naturally are hanging out and end up watching a movie, slowly snuggling closer and closer to each other. you don't mind when dongmin ends up resting his head on your shoulder, you think that maybe he's just tired or something. but the fact that you didn't immediately push him off or call him weird for cuddling when you were only supposed to be best friends unlocks a different way for him to work through emotions.

it's not often, maybe 1 in every 10 times he hangs out with you, but whenever it gets overwhelming how much you have an effect on him, he'll hug you or cuddle you. if you were in the kitchen making a batch of late night cookies, he would come up behind you and give you a back hug. if you were hanging out on your bed together talking, he would find a way to shift so his head was in your lap. he's really good at making it subtle and slowly progressing to be a bit bolder, so it takes you a while to realize just how common of an occurrence it's become.

one in ten times soon becomes every time and then he throws kisses in there. only on your hands or cheek... maybe the top of your head sometimes. you want to ask him about it, because you could excuse the cuddles as possibly just him being touch starved or clingy, but kissing feels like he's hinting at something more.

you like him, but you aren't the type of person to confess and risk ruining a friendship. your feelings for him aren't overwhelming you like they are for dongmin, so you wait and see. but next come the petnames. it really just slipped out on accident.

"baby, do you have any chips?" while he was rummaging through your snack cabinet. the little nickname sends a flurry of butterflies to you and that's when you realize that you hope to god he does like you because otherwise you would end up heartbroken. maybe his smooth casual way of slowly starting to act like he was your boyfriend ended up making you catch feelings more, but you find the courage to ask him about it.

he's really embarrassed and scared that you're finally addressing it, because he's too much of a loser to even admit that it was happening. but eventually he has to give in and accept it. he does like you, and if you're willing to call him your boyfriend then he'd be the happiest man on earth <3

↳ boynextdoor taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @rizzshimura,, @captivq,, @icyminghao,, @eternalgyu,, @metalchick529,,

@schmocolateschmchip,, @kpoprhia,, @candewlsy,, @weird-bookworm,, @blossominghunnie,,

@kangtaehyunzzz,, @snowflakemoon3,, @lovialy,, @lecheugo,, @okshu,,

@wccycc,, @seunghancore,, @ujisworld,, @sobun1est,, @emmylksblog,,

@talkingsaxy,, @talking-saxy,, @nicholasluvbot,, @cupidslovearrows,, @dimplewonie,,

@hrtsvivis,, @50-husbands,, @hursheys,, @kristianities,, @gong-fourz,,

@nonononranghaee

[bambisnc]

sunny [ft. w.yx]

pairing : bsf classmate!nicholas x reader genre : fluff :( cw/tw : kissing + a littol suggestive wc : 0.7kish !

drowning under the weight of unsaid words and hidden feelings was something you'd made your peace with.

falling for your best friend, nicholas, who just so happened to be a classmate was not the best decision ever; but you’ve been dealing with it rather decently all these years.

so.. maybe it'll all work out just fine.

is what you thought, merely minutes ago.

everything was normal then; with both of you trying not to fall asleep during a particularly boring class. the harsh yet very welcome RING! of the school bell jolted you awake from your trance-like state, and you’d wasted no time in grabbing your bag and making your way towards the door.

but when has nico ever just let you leave?

a "where'd you think you're goin'" and a sharp tug to the strap of your bag as you're pulled back by none other than your best friend.

he reminds you that you have cleaning duty that day with a far too gleeful expression..

..and that's how you find yourself leaning against a desk, zoning out to thoughts of him and how the afternoon sunlight streams in through the windows perfectly lighting his features aglow..

the loosened tie, the rolled up sleeves, the small smile playing on his lips as he says something.. wait he's talking to you.

"you're not exactly subtle you know?"

you find yourself unable to think of an appropriate reply, instead choosing to hide behind a simple roll of your eyes.

he lets out a laugh at that, making his way towards you, "i didn't expect you to be so careless with your duties.."

at that, you can't help but gulp because even though it's not like you're not physically affectionate towards each other but something about this moment is.. decidedly not platonic.

nico's hands rest on the edges of the desk, his face just a little too close for comfort. he's effectively trapping you against it; seemingly completely unaware of the effect this is having on you.

when he speaks up next, voice barely more than a whisper, you feel his lips hover just above yours, "or is it that.. you're just too distracted by a certain someone..?"

something shifts right then. an obvious tension shrouds you and it's as if the two of you are the only people in the entire universe.

your hand reaches to tug on his collar, tentatively, with a considerable amount of hesitance; but the way his eyes meet yours – you swear you can see the sun, the moon, all the galaxies in those eyes – leaves you reeling.

you're not sure which of you closes the distance between your lips but you can't really bring yourself to care in the slightest.

not when nico's lips press against yours impatiently, eagerly. like he's been waiting for this. yearning for this, almost just as much as you.

especially not when your stomach is busily turning upside down like its life depends on it; all the while your best friend allows one of his hands to tangle into your hair, effectively deepening the kiss.

you'd do this forever if you could, but the unfortunate need for air causes you to push him away.

and oh, the way his face looks the absolute picture of debauchery, of indulgence; what with his heavily lidded eyes and flushed face. his delicately swollen lips still grab your attention with unsurprising ease.

he looks like the prettiest mess ever.

you find yourself unable to deal with all the thoughts that suddenly flood your brain. this is what you've been dreaming of for ages. but n is your best friend. best friends do not do this.

his hand moves to gently cup the back of your neck, then; bringing you forward to capture your lips in another kiss, this one vastly differing from the previous.

tender, languid movements as if you have all the time in the world. his soft skin is hot to the touch but if it's him you wouldn't mind burning to ashes the second he asked.

you feel all your doubts slowly die down, a lingering warmth spreading in their place as you find his other hand on the desk and intertwine both your fingers.

notes : @chiiyuuvv love youuu + ACCIDENTALLY ALMOST DELETED THIS ADN FR CRIED FOR LIKE 30 SECONDS + i lowk thought of sunwoo while writing but shhh + water related metaphors for reader n sun/fire related metaphors for nicho = symbolism loml ! + shoutout to this post and this post couldnt have done this without em + [m.list] song rec : sunny by rocco <3

[onlyseokmins]

needy • j.w.w.

Pairing: jeon wonwoo x afab!reader

Genres: smut (minors dni!), established relationship!au

Warnings: swearing, teasing, dirty talk, unrealistic amt of orgasms heh, male masturbation, mentions of car sex, fingering (fem. receiving), phone sex but not like you think, messy oral (fem. receiving), safe sex 🫡, wonu's a bit of a perv tbh and reader loves puts up w/ it, mentions of children but not like really lmao, mentions of (cock)roaches, wonu in glasses and needy = double kill imho, ft. some of the boys being intrusive tbh haha, POSSESSION, and a good amt of noisy sex hahah lmk if i missed anything!

WC: 4.9k

A/N: well it's finally my first wonu fic :3 after hoarding so many in the drafts bc I always feel like I can't write him too well, I had to take the plunge since it's a dear request from my lovely @wonuhour ❤️ I really hope you enjoy this 🤞🏼 no taglist as this is a request so I hope y'all read this but sending some love to my fav wonwoorideul @wonwussy bc she said I could tag her mwah. I think I held my head 5 times while editing this haha...

It's late when you step out into the night's cool air, a sigh of relief at finally being freed from the corporate building where you work. Pulling out your phone from the bag slung across your shoulder, your face lights up just like the screen when you focus on two distinct notifications on it.

1 missed call — hubby ♡

1 new voicemail — hubby ♡

"Hey, baby. You're probably dealing with those idiots right now but by the time you're listening to this, you should be on your way back home to me."

Wonwoo's deep voice is always so soothing, filling your body with inexplicably warm, fuzzy feelings that trail from the top of your head to the tips of your toes. The knowledge that he pays attention to even the minute details you think he might not care about in trivial, daily conversations or complaints makes your heart flutter with joy. 

Your husband has always had that effect on you. He's aware you aren't able to pick up and it's not like he expects you to do so. Wonwoo simply leaves a voice message, knowing it will provide you comfort on your walk to the car and subsequent drive home until you can seek real solace in his embrace.

And maybe — just maybe — he calls to simply hear your pretty voice that plays on the answering machine because he misses you during your long shift. The embarrassed giggle when you mess up and stumble across your words during the recording. Never bothering to go back to change or fix it because it makes the corners of Wonwoo's mouth perk up, breaking his usual stoic expression. At least according to what Mingyu's let slip.

Which is hilarious in and of itself because your husband is anything but poker face when in your presence. His friends tease, saying he's become a different man because of you — following you around and acting like a lovesick puppy rather than his normal, self-acclaimed dignified cat persona. But you deny it. He's always been the same person with you and maybe that's just because you're meant to be.

"Be safe on your way home. Remember to lock the doors when you're inside, although I know you will 'cause how many times have you accidentally locked me out when you've beat me back to the car first?" He lets out a strangely breathy laugh, one that you mimic in fondness at the past memory and simply of him, doing exactly as he says as you shut the driver seat's door. "Miss you so, so much today. Even more than usual, baby. 'specially that sweet pussy of yours."

Nothing — not even Mingyu's weird trait of being privy and somehow knowing or aware of way too much in your relationship — could have prepared you for those words. You're extremely grateful you're inside your car right now. Not fearing other people overhearing but because you would've collapsed right on the sidewalk in public. Victim to your husband's seductive desperation.

"Can't stop thinking 'bout it. How pretty it looks, how good you taste, how perfect you always feel wrapped around me."

Your head falls back against the headrest, the hand holding your phone drops onto your thigh, and your mouth and eyes widen together in awe. The wireless buds fit snugly inside your ears allow you to pick up on the underlying slick sounds as he speaks. Your mouth waters, a sweep of electrifying energy causing the hairs on your arms to raise.

Fuck. He's stroking that gorgeous thick cock of his. Because he yearns so much for you.

"'round my fingers, my dick, my tongue… so soft and wet and tight… mhm, oh god — what a messy little thing. And your lips too, wanna kiss you so bad. For hours, non-stop."

People like to make assumptions about your relationship. Things like how Wonwoo must be the calm and collected one, the domineering and composed person within your dynamics. It's annoying but you can't really blame them — it's human nature after all. While they aren't entirely wrong, it's not like they're right either.

On the occasions when your husband's lust for you outweighs his level-headedness, he loses all reason. Not above begging, whining, or babbling nonsense, his neediness becomes next level. You're so caught up in thinking about the exact man you're supposed to be listening to, you realize you've nearly missed most of the words he's spouting in his gravelly voice. You rewind the playback.

"… to stop thinkin' 'bout it or I'll want you even more. Wanna ruin you. Destroy you. Worship you. Ah… you're in your car, aren't you love? Please tell me you are, 'member when I slipped a finger inside last week on our way home from the mall? Then two. Then three. Had to make sure my pretty baby's pussy was stuffed nice and full. It's what you deserve, after all." 

His lazy drawl and filthy words make your thighs clench. He knows it too. "Bet you're squeezing those luscious legs of yours together… ah, what I wouldn't give to have them around me instead…" A laugh again, almost a wheeze, like the air's being sucked out of his lungs at the thought. Many thoughts. "Made such a mess that day… hngh, almost wrecked the car over how wrecked you were, baby."

You glance at the empty passenger seat out of the corner of your eye. Almost shamefully, like a curious nun side-eyes a sinner sitting in church. Wonwoo's skillful and long, bony fingers buried inside your cunt — to no surprise — had you a writhing mess, an insane orgasm ripped from your body. You were afraid the upholstery was ruined because of it, the car still smelling like sex and preventing you from offering your sulky neighbor Seungcheol a lift this week.

"Bastard," you mutter affectionately and roll your eyes at your next statement, pretending as if he can hear you. "Like you weren't just as wrecked that I had to suck you off as soon as we parked and then rushed inside since you didn't wanna cum in my mouth."

"Ahhhhh, shoot…!"

As if he can hear your words, a particularly loud moan followed by a string of curses falls out of your husband's mouth. You are just able to hear the sped up sounds of him rutting more urgently against his palm. The visual of his large hands looking much smaller when wrapped around his huge cock floods your mind, wondering if he's tightened his grasp to better resemble it to drilling deep inside of your warmth instead of his hand. Eyebrows creasing together, biting down on his bottom lip before his mouth opens again in another moan that fills your ears at the right time.

The familiar creak of his home office chair causes a devious smirk to grace your face. He hasn't realized in his lust-driven state that he'd given away how desperate he really was to be fucking into his fist between freelance projects. More than likely frustrated when something wasn't encoding right after hours of staring at the screen but it was most probable that Wonwoo was simply down bad. 

Achingly missing his partner when you weren't around to rub his shoulders, bring him some tea, lighten up the mood with a bad joke, or even try and help point out a possible error with a fresh set of eyes. Even nicer, sit on his lap all pretty to keep his cock all warm and coated in wetness or get on your knees beneath his desk and try to keep quiet while you take him down your throat.

You were always a bit on the noisy side. Even now, you can't help but let out a whimper at how uncomfortable your nipples feel poking against your bra. Dampening your panties, poor clit already puffy and throbbing unstimulated.

The Wonwoo in your imagination has his head thrown back, throat presented prettily that you wish you could actually mark up. In-tune with what he sounds like when he's about to come undone, you listen intently to your husband's stifled groans and harsh pants in anticipation. Holding your breath, hoping he's so lost in bliss that he won't leave you hanging.

Like a lifeline, a muttered "fuck, baby," as if he's really right there with you in the car as his deep moan fills your ears just like it does in-person. Imaginary Wonwoo drops his head back down and the hungry look in his dark brown eyes causes your hips to involuntarily twitch, thighs trembling. Shockingly, you don't orgasm from that alone but you sure as hell were on the brink of doing so.

For a finale, your husband stays on the line while he catches his breath and your dirty mind wanders once more. Hard not to when you hear the wet sounds of his hand still rubbing his cock. A whimper of "hm, just like that," and a hiss because he's sensitive makes your head spin, cunt clenching sadly around nothing. A sob practically leaves your chest at the absolute want to milk him dry just as he wishes at that moment.

"Miss you so much. Need to eat out my precious baby. Mhm, I just know that sopping cunt is begging for me to lick it up…"

The scratch of tissues being pulled out of their holder is enough of an attempt to tug you out of the foggy cloud of lust. You lick your lips.

"… so come and hurry home safely, love."

You do — so close to cumming untouched — but you stave off the feeling, speeding home somehow without crashing. For all your car has put up with, you're honestly surprised it hasn't given out on you in revenge. But that's neither here nor there at the moment, stumbling out of the vehicle once you arrive home and scrambling faster than a marathon-runner to get inside.

It would be a lie to say you weren't disappointed with how quiet and dark it is. Quietly setting your bag down, you stand with your back pressed against the front door. Almost expecting your husband to appear out of the shadows and pounce on you.

It's happened before. You can proudly declare with your whole chest that you've fucked on every surface of this lovely little house purchased in the third year of your marriage.

Instead, something brushes against your leg and you bend down to pick up your daughter. She hangs pliantly as you gently wiggle her and whisper, "Where's your daddy?"

The cat replies with a plaintive meow. You smile when she twitches her tail, stalking off towards the direction of the living room. Wonwoo likes to teasingly say she takes after you with a distinct cat-titude despite the fact that he naturally happens to be the more dedicated caretaker between the two of you. Mingyu was always needlessly curious which one of you another cat would take after — or worse, if you had actual children.

That wouldn't happen for quite a bit, trailing behind the true ruler of the household and watching as she climbs up onto her expensive cat-tree to sulk. Wonwoo must not have given her enough attention today. Demonstrated by the angry way she squints toward the open doorway of the study illuminated by the blue glow of your husband's computer.

"Daddy's in rare form today," you try and explain, rubbing in between her ears and she purrs in response. "Don't worry, Mommy will go and fix him so he ultra dotes on you like the little princess he thinks you are." 

You make a kissy face in her direction because she is a precious royalty. Then you're approaching the study where deep grunts and muttered curses can be heard among a furious clacking of keyboard keys.

"On your left — no, Mingyu… your other left!"

Crossing your arms, you pout. You'd be lying if gamer Wonwoo wasn't unfairly attractive — jawline clenched as he barks out orders into his headset, the computer screen graphics reflecting off his glasses. A stark contrast to the ratty hoodie and old man slippers he's wearing, angrily slapping his feet on the ground when Seokmin accidentally pressed the wrong button and self-destructs.

You're glad he's blowing off some steam and stress with the boys. Though you had once asked why he didn't bother watching porn on his expensive and impressive set-up. Flattered when he admitted that having you as the real deal beat anything he could ever try to search for.

Now you're not as sure, though. He seems rather content and preoccupied after working you all up with that damn voicemail of his. With a flounce, you turn to head to the shower as your husband rages over Chan mistakenly shooting at the wrong team. Meeting a feline gaze on the way to the bathroom that shares your same sentiment of disdain.

Sticky, ruined panties cause a glare and another pout to adorn your face once the water is turned on to heat up. One Wonwoo might find cute. If he could see it. You nearly jump out of your skin when there's a knock on the door, so soft it almost sounds like a bump.

A certain kitty often bangs against doors just to startle her owners but she's also good at opening them too. When it remains shut and you hear a low call of your name rather than spooky silence, a pleading meow, or it flying open, you let out a breath of relief. Trying not to appear too eager, you crack the door open just enough to narrow one eye at your husband.

"Hi, baby."

"Hey."

Long gone is his cozy hoodie, though his black sweatpants remain on. Displaying lean, upper body muscles to ogle and pert nipples that could poke you in the eyeball with how near he is. Pushing up his glasses, he raises his eyebrows when you don't make an effort to move.

"You don't normally knock."

"I wasn't sure if it was you or our little mischief maker in here." 

"Uh-huh, and who says I'm not mischievous as well?" You turn around but leave the door ajar and he takes that as an invitation to come in.

"No one's ever said you weren't," Wonwoo reassures but frowns, "no welcome home kiss?"

"You know, little miss mischief maker seemed pretty miffed, did daddy not pay enough attention to her today? That's unlike you."

"Mhm, was busier than I thought today. Had a lot on my mind… work and all that. Absolutely drowning in it."

"Is that so? She seems pretty upset so be sure you make it up to her." 

It's like a cat-and-mouse game, though who's who is really the question. Maybe you're both cats in a stand-off. You know Wonwoo would never not truly attend to your beloved pet. You fight back a smirk, able to feel his heated gaze trail down your back and focus on your ass that you jut out on purpose to check the water temperature. A rush of fresh arousal surges through your system.

"Yeah?" Your husband's hand shoots out past yours to turn the shower off, ignoring your protest. "I think I upset another kitten too." Spinning you around so his damp thumb can pull at your bottom lip as you flutter your eyelashes at him.

"I don't know what you're talking about. I'm not a cat. And I'm most certainly not upset."

He pecks at your lips almost condescendingly. "Sure, baby. You shouldn't be, you know, with the nice present I left for your pleasure after work."

You let out an elated sigh as he holds your face still and peppers kisses all over, trailing down to focus on your neck so you can speak. "If that's your idea of a nice gift, I'd hate to see what a bad one is."

"You didn't like it?" Somehow Wonwoo's eyes manage to sparkle when he looks up at you with a whine, pausing his kisses down the valley between your breasts. His other hand sneakily reaches in between your legs and he smiles against your skin. "Or did you like it too much? Don't think I've ever gotten you a bad gift, baby."

Slender fingers play with your messy wetness, sliding back and forth languidly without rush. You struggle to clear your mind to ask with sarcasm, "Wh-what about that st-stupid cockroach plushie?"

"It was cute. Just like you."

"That's it, I'm getting a shower."

"I don't think so." Wonwoo's free hand flies to splay out on your back, preventing you from moving and pressing your body even closer to his.

You purse your lips, brown eyes locking in on them immediately. "You think I'm on the same level as cockroaches."

"Only like the super cute, not-real ones." 

"…We're filing for divorce right after I clean up."

"Mhm, but I'm not done with you yet so it'd be a waste of water. Besides, you hate showering together."

You can't help but grind down against his stationary palm, wishing he'd just slip a finger inside. "Because… no one's getting clean… if you're in there with me."

"Exactly," he's entranced by how much of your arousal continues to coat his hand. Cock twitching with the ache to be where his fingers are instead. "You know the drill, baby. Besides, I'm aware of how much you like it when I'm wearing my glasses."

"Wonwoo…"

He hushes your moan with a smirk and another kiss to your irresistible lips. "Yeah, lovely. It's okay, I'll give you what you want. And what I want too."

Surely, you would've bashed your head open on the tile floors had it not been for the support of the countertop you'd braced your palm on. Legs as shaky as a newborn fawn with how long you've been buzzing with desire. Especially when your husband backs away to withdraw his hand, ravenously slurping up your essence with a blissed out face. An appreciative, low grunt as he licked his fingers clean, dark gaze not straying away from your naked body before him.

"Shouldn't have done the laundry, silly baby. How else am I supposed to control myself without any sort of relief to get me through the day?"

Your jaw drops. "Pervert!"

"Know you like it." He ignores the light slap to his shoulder that bears no malice, finding zero resistance when he tugs you by the hand to drag you into the bedroom. "You love when I'm this desperate for you. Can't get anything done, can't think of anything else… all you, you, and you. And this greedy pussy."

Your back's resting on the mattress before you can blink. Wonwoo sits and parts your legs, taking in the delectable sight of your puffy cunt that spreads open to seep more arousal. Asking to be taken care of and filled.

"Just look at it, how could I not desire it every moment of the day?" A kiss is pressed against your left ankle. "When it's just as perfect as you?" Another to the side of your knee cap. "And so fuckin' addictive." He switches to the right to suck the skin on your thigh. "Absoluting begging to be filled up so prettily whenever I want." 

It's a mix between a scream and groan of frustration that leaves your throat when your husband lightly smooches right above your hip crease before licking the salt off your skin. He's so close to where you want him and he grins at your patient façade slowly slipping. His tongue pokes out, just grazing the left side of your pussy. 

"Wonwoo…!" 

He is rarely this talkative, either he truly missed you or this is a new form of torture.

A pointer finger taps your pubic bone and drags downward, lifting away before it hits your clit. "And all mine," he growls out before devouring your cunt like you want.

Your husband eats you out like a starved man. Ravenous in all the best ways. Your hips can't help but jerk in time with the movements of his tongue lapping at your inner walls and cleaning up the gracious amounts of slick you've created. Whines leaving your mouth at how good it feels, fingers anxiously threading through his curls and making them even messier. Your legs wrap around his neck as you somehow bring his head even closer to drown inside your scent, your taste, and your wet heat.

Wonwoo revels in it.

Normally, he would have more control. More strictness, more fortitude. But he's so far gone, appreciative growls that could rival the best-selling vibrator on the market shake you to your very core. The frames of his glasses dig into your thighs but you don't even feel them with the intense amount of pleasure from Wonwoo's thumb playing with your clit. His nose occasionally adds to the mind-dumbing feeling by nuzzling against it when he shakes his head with vigor.

You have no choice but to hurdle towards a fast orgasm like a dam breaking. Unintentionally locking his neck in a position that might've snapped it if his face wasn't pressed so close and into your spasming hole. Screaming his name as you tear at hair strands a bit too viciously. Wonwoo takes it all in stride, too obsessed with prolonging that delightful peak of yours to care.

Only when your legs loosen up does he back away, pride filling his chest as he takes in your shaking form. Pushing up foggy lenses, he licks his lips slowly. The damp spot shining on his chin and nose is enough of a damning visual — one that's real and touchable, not of your imagination this time — for a tiny tremor to run through your thighs again. 

Wonwoo's sore jaw drops. "Baby, did you… did you just cum again?" The cool air away from your cunt clears his vision so he can marvel at the soiled wet patch on your shared blankets. A mumbled curse leaves his mouth. 

You're a vision. Strewn across the bed, skin shining with sweat while your disheveled husband is the epitome of sex. He cracks his neck, stretching his jaw.

Thinking. 

Contemplating.

"Just from that? Hah, what am I going to do with you?" 

"Fuck me," you moan and bring your legs that feel like Jello up to your chest. Squeezing your breasts between your thighs, you pout at him and flutter your lashes. A perfect look for a vixen, pleading yet sultry. "Please."

"Shit… can't tell if you're being bad or good. Augh, the things you do to me."

"'m good, s'good for you. Want you s'bad." 

Blabbering, you watch through bleary eyes at the rapid speed he tears off his sweatpants and manage to spread your legs even farther with how numb they feel when he climbs over top of you. Lenses flash in the light at the same time as a foil wrapper before he rips it, hissing in sensitivity to slide the condom on. You're thrilled when the heavy tip of his cock slaps against your prepped pussy, ready for him to lose all rationale. You're sorely disappointed to find out your husband has a pending question for you.

"Then why didn't you greet me when you came home? Hm? Pretty baby sulking in the bathroom 'cause I was gaming with the boys?"

"Ahhh…" you shake your head urgently, nails lightly scratching his biceps, and hips lifting off the bed in a sly effort to slip his dick inside. "No…"

Wonwoo clicks his tongue, halting your movements. "No? I need complete answers, love."

You need him to lose control. Fighting back a sob, you try to shake off your fucked-out state and reply to him properly. "Wanted to shower 'nd then come in no panties, sit… on your lap." 

"Yeah? Pretty baby was gonna keep me nice and warm in that snug pussy? Like we always do?"

"Mhm," tears are streaming down your cheeks at this point, "maybe… maybe suck you off."

"Oh, wanted to choke on my cock so all those losers could hear those greedy gags of yours?"

All you can do is nod deliriously because his thick length is hot and hard. Laying outside your lower stomach exactly like it would if it was buried within you. 

Wonwoo snarls. "I think the fuck not. Absolutely not. Only I'm allowed to hear your pretty noises. Only me." He huffs, easing the tip inside finally, grunting at how you're already clamping around him like a vice. "You're made for me. All mine. No one else."

The last three syllables are punctuated by experimental, shallow thrusts to open you up for him. Your tongues tangle together as he continues to rock his hips forward, splitting you open until your pelvises kiss.

"That's it, baby. That's the sweet cunt I've been waiting for all day, dreaming of. There it is, shit! Whose pussy does this belong to?"

"Yours… hgnh, all yours… yours, yours yours…!"

"That's right, that's fuckin' right."

His glasses slide down the bridge of his nose but are pushed up by your own nose when you pull him by the neck to shut him up. Barely kissing anymore, it's an open-mouthed entanglement of debauchery. Neither of your moans get any quieter, especially when he rasps in your ear to make as much noise as possible because no one's around to listen.

Wonwoo's thrusts are sharp when he does pull out a little bit. But he doesn't want to leave your warmth for even one moment, mainly grinding as deep as he can into your fluttering hole and stimulating your clit. His hands tug at your nipples, alternating between squishing and squeezing at your tender breasts. Your legs splay compliantly out at the side, letting your husband use you to his content because that's what both of your goals tonight were.

You're shamelessly screaming when his tip touches that bundle of nerves and you're afraid you might actually black out when he continues to hit it with scary precision. 

"Gonna… be the death… of me."

Peering at you over his glasses, he smirks at your weak complaint. "Says the one… that's gonna snap off my dick… shit, lovey, stop tightening up so much!"

"Can't help it, feels so good."

"I know, baby," he pants out and kisses your cheek, "I know so just bare with me a bit more." Relief floods him momentarily when your gummy walls loosen their iron grip around his cock. "That's it."

Pulling out of your squelching pussy before you can clamp around him again with only the head wrapped around so prettily by your puffy lips, he has to pause to admire it. Then he slams inside so deep that you can't help but hit that intense climax while he's still stuffing the rest of his length back in.

He coos in his low voice, coaxing you through it with an almost cruel swivel of his hips. "You can give me one more, right? I know you can, you're so good for me."

You really don't know if you could but the minute you lock eyes with him, the feral need and want in them that takes your breath away is enough. It's tinier than all the ones prior but it pleases a fucked out Wonwoo. In seconds, he's spilling his seed into the condom, still nestled within your spasming walls.

"There it is, cream on my cock, love. Yeah, there we go… fuck, baby..." he pants, a telltale sign, "that's it... so perfect."

To say you're exhausted would be an understatement. You might've actually passed out because when you come to, your husband has already wiped you down and pulled the blankets over your naked body. You weren't cold at all before but now that the tidal wave of lust has ebbed away, a chill is settling in. Your cat has snuck into the bedroom too, curled up and purring at the end of the bed on top of the stuffed cockroach plushie.

"Wonwoo?"

"Right here, love." He's laying on top of the covers and wearing his sweats again. His glasses are on the nightstand, head propped up on one hand to stare affectionately at you. "Feel okay?"

"Yeah but I'm glad I'm off for the rest of the week. You fucked the life out of me."

A smug grin graces his face. "Yeah I know. Which is why I don't understand why you just didn't wait to do laundry tomorrow or something."

"Not this again. How old are you?"

"Old enough to know what will prevent me from blowing out your back all the time." He's ready to continue with a good defense but pauses at the smile you're trying to hide. "Wait… did you do that on purpose?" When you don't reply, he groans your name. "You did, didn't you?"

"We all have our little tricks," a finger traces down his exposed pecs, "although I didn't expect such a needy voicemail on my way home, it turned out just as planned."

He halts your wrist when you start journeying down his abs. "Not in front of the child, please."

"I'm too tired to do anything scandalous," you laugh and flip your aching body over to the other side. "Wake me up in a half hour so I can shower. Alone."

"I can't believe I was set up." Disbelief drips from his tone as he sets a timer on his phone but he reaches over you to turn off the light, pressing a kiss to your ear. "Well-played though. You have a lot of free time to make up for your misbehavior, don't you baby?"

"Mhm-hm."

Wonwoo can't see the second victorious smile hidden in the darkness. Really. You're just too smart, knowing your husband so well to get what you want. 

Mingyu would be proud. And grossed out.

onlyseokmins: February 2023 ©

[avelera]

I feel like one unexpected side-effect in the (slight) uptick of queer ships becoming canon (seriously guys it's so slight if you look at the actual numbers) is learning how often slash fandom doesn't actually want the baggage that comes with their ship becoming canon.

I mean, of course they want it. The fandom wants the confirmation that they're not delusional, that they're not mocked, that the sparks they sensed between two possibly-queer characters is real.

But the side-effect of a ship becoming canon with anything more than a kiss to mark the end of the story is that it might become canon not in the way you wanted.

So long as the characters are in the will-they-won't-they, you can imagine what their first time would be like. You can imagine how they act in a relationship together. You can imagine the tone of the relationship.

You can imagine it in ways that are incredibly personal and meaningful to you.

But the minute a ship becomes canon at a point where the story still needs to progress, you're going to get divergence from the way you imagined it going.

They're going to bicker about things you never imagined would be a point of contention between them in the story, that it might have even been meaningful for you that they had never fought over previously, possibly because the story just didn't have the time for them to fight over that beforehand. Or perhaps this writer leans more into interpersonal conflict as a plot point, where you preferred the couple facing an external threat. There's as many ways to imagine the tone of a relatinship as there are people in the world.

They're going to have a different first-something than you imagined. First kiss, first date, first time sleeping together. For it to be canonical it has to be committed to the page which means it has to be set. Maybe you thought it would be awkward where it was smooth, or smooth where it should be awkward. Maybe you though the kiss would be a bigger deal to them than the sex or vice versa. Maybe canonically they flub the romance of that first time for the sake of comedy. Now that's canon too. You can ignore it with fic, obviously that's what fandom is about, but now it's AU, not "what-if?".

There might be interruptions to the love story, breakups, fights, separations, that aren't the end of the relationship but do mark an action beat that is necessary to keep the story moving and interesting. Unless the last canonical beat is them riding into the sunset together, it's inevitable and usually marks the end of a story because domestic fluff where nothing happens isn't actually a genre that can be sustained in original fiction without a plot.

Look, as queer ships become canon, this is going to be inevitable. OFMD S2 was the most egregious example I've seen recently of everyone who had engaged with the fandom having a different version of how they wanted Stede and Ed to behave once they were together. I couldn't help but laugh when I saw that the fandom fervency shifted from the canonical established queer ship (after it had the audacity to move beyond the establishing kiss and then the will-they-won't-they phase of reuniting), to the potential of a character who was never even canonically established as queer (Izzy) because everything about his story still lived in the potential land that fandom thrives in. And I don't entirely mean that as a criticism, just as a bitter irony!

Fandoms don't necessarily want a ship confirmed, they think they do, but that potential which was so enshrined and infuriatingly drawn out with regards to queer ships for so long and that's only just barely breaking just a little from when it was outright forbidden to show queer characters getting together (and it still is in most of the world if you go by population, and heavily discouraged by the mainstream powers that be in most places even where it's not banned, the limitations on international markets you get from having canonical queer characters even as side characters still makes it prohibitive for big budget flicks, since it means cutting themselves off from those markets in terms of recouping costs.)....

ANYWAY the point I'm making is that a few queer ships becoming canon has led to a perhaps predictable but depressing amount of outrage when 1) a popular queer ship doesn't become canon, but that's been building for a while now, but also 2) when the popular ship becoming canon doesn't become canon in the way the fandom wanted. Which was also inevitable but goddamn as a veteran of fandom for over two decades now, I can remember not that long ago when your queer ship becoming canon just not in the way you hoped would have been a damn nice problem to have!

[aris-ink]

hi this is fear kink anon! 💘 sorry i forgot the member i wanted to choose 😭 but can it be with Jungkook?

baby you deserve a golden medal for your patience, tysm 💖 you said you liked psychological fics.... I tried

pairing: jungkook x reader

genre: forbidden romance, steb!siblings au

warnings: mentions of blood, allusions to stalking and violence (not towards the reader), pseudo incest, dub con, allusions to con noncon, dirty talk, degradation, fear kink, choking, mentions of pornographic content and impact play, obsession, manipulation, corruption, hints of dacryphilia

There were many different definitions of art; Jungkook found all of them inside your eyes. He liked to consider himself a good painter, and a few key concepts caught his attention as he worked on developing his skills.

Emotions. There was no point in art if it didn't inspire and make the heart tremble inside its cage. You were the greatest muse of all the raw, vibrant colors exploding behind his eyelids. The most common one always appeared in different shades of red. Something akin to rose petals when you touched him, igniting a fire deep in his abdomen. Something akin to crimson when he saw you with other men, dripping down his swollen knuckles late in the night after he dragged them into empty alleys.

Control. All strokes had to be precise to create the desired effect. And Jungkook found that just as he enjoyed holding the brushes, making them dance on the canvas in his own rhythm - he liked to do the same to you. His vision was his own; it belonged to no one but him. Like you. Every smile and shiver he induced was just as mesmerizing to him as every tear and flinch he caused. It didn't take much; just a little graze of his hand against your thigh, and you were already a beautiful mess of contradicting thoughts and emotions. Trying so hard to stay in line. He knew you too well; your body and soul responded to him in the softest and most primal ways at once, whether you liked it or not.

So why not test your limits? Why not see how much you could handle before you fell apart for him, returned to your barest, rawest form?

It was the only thing on his mind as he sat beside you on the couch, his arm thrown over your shoulder casually. You seemed restless, barely stopping yourself from grimacing at the movie playing on the tv screen. It was your only source of light in the darkness of the living room, providing you with little comfort.

"Jungkook," you sighed, "when are we gonna get to the good part? This movie sucks."

He chuckled.

"It gets better. Don't tell me you're scared already," he teased, tilting his head slightly.

His eyes flickered from the screen to your face fleetingly, noting a small frown forming on it.

"You know I don't like thrillers."

The pout on your lips made his heart flutter. He wanted to lean in and trace his fingertips over your cupid's bow, feel how soft your skin was. But all he did was tighten his arm around you.

"It's a good thing you've got a big brother to protect you, then," he hummed.

You let out a scoff that morphed into a quiet gasp when his hand landed on your thigh. He didn't turn his head in your direction, but he watched you carefully from the corner of his eye. He could see your lips fall open, your back straightening as if you were struck by lightning.

But you said nothing. All this time Jungkook has spent getting you used to being closer to him behind your parents' back was finally paying off. All the nights he took you out to watch horror movies with him, feeling your trembling hand on his chest as you sought protection and shelter in his arms - those were paying off too.

Sighing again, you tried to relax, release the tension in your muscles. In just a few beats, the screaming on the screen would stop and the scene would shift to a different setting, a wild chase through the woods that would no doubt have the hairs on your arms rising when you realized where it was going.

His free hand lifted to your hair, ringed fingers playing with the soft tips, brushing through the strands with a bruising tenderness. With each movement, he counted down the seconds, his sweats already feeling tight when he noticed an outline of trees on the darkening screen.

Three...

Two...

One.

He felt you stiffen in his hold all over again, your eyes widening. You were uncomfortable; it was written all over you, his proximity unnerving rather than consoling when the prey was caught.

Just like you were about to be. A little fly in the spider's web.

It was worse when the clothes started coming off. As though you just realized that the scene was not going to cut off, and perhaps you should have paid more attention to the movie's rating, you squirmed, flattening your palms against the couch.

"I- I think I'm gonna call it a night."

With a twitch of his mouth, Jungkook boldly placed both of his hands on your hips.

"That's not nice," he muttered, effortlessly pulling you up into his lap. "What about spending quality time together? As a family?"

You blinked, suddenly breathless, his thighs flexing under you, arms a cage of steel when you started panicking.

"Jungkook, I mean it! Stop being an asshole."

Your fists beat against his chest, but it didn't bother him at all. It just made him twitch in his pants. He brought his lips close to your ear, making you halt.

"We can finish watching the movie, or I can put on a different one from my personal collection. Your choice, baby."

He knew he didn't need to spell it out for you. You were a smart girl. Defeated, you meekly turned your eyes back towards the depravity on the screen.

"Can I please get back to my seat?" You whispered.

So easy to put into place. Jungkook ignored your request, focused on the way his cock was straining against his sweats, on how if you moved just an inch you'd be able to feel it. He brushed your hair behind your ear when the moaning started, lowering his voice as he spoke again.

"Do you like it?"

"No," you replied sulkily, though he could hear the nervousness making your tone waver. "This movie sucks."

Jungkook bit back a smile, lips pressing closer to your ear.

"I'm not talking about the movie, baby," he murmured. "Do you like the way he fucks her?"

You almost jumped, trying to turn your head towards him to no wonder ask him what the hell was wrong with him. But Jungkook was quicker, gripping your jaw tightly and keeping you still.

"Don't look away and answer my question like a good girl."

He could feel you begin to tremble, but the clenching of your thighs did not escape his attention, and neither did the hitch of your breath.

"This- this isn't funny anymore," you stammered out shakily. "Please, Jungkook."

He dug his fingers into your jaw.

"I'm starting to get angry, baby. Answer the question."

You winced, swallowing harshly, your chest rising unevenly as you tried to find your voice.

"No."

Jungkook clicked his tongue.

"My bad. Let me be more clear."

He dropped his free hand down to your thigh, skimming the inside of it with his fingers.

"Answer honestly, unless you want me to check myself."

The gasp you let out this time was louder, making his stomach simmer with heat. You were so cute; so small and defenseless in the arms of your biggest protector and nightmare all at once.

A sniffle followed. His lips chased the tear that rolled down your cheek.

"Come on, baby, why are you crying? Just tell me the truth. You know you can tell me anything, don't you?"

You bit down on your lower lip. It was fascinating, right down amusing to watch you struggle, trying to locate the courage to either face your inner self and burn with shame, or face the unknown consequences of his anger. The way you shook in his arms made his cock leak precum in excitement, staining his briefs. Every little part of you was his to love, use and control as he pleased. You could have tried to fight. You could have tried to scream. And yet you just sat there and let him tear you to pieces, and to Jungkook that was as much of a love confession as saying the three sacred words out loud.

"You can trust me, baby," he soothed in a whisper. "No one else will ever know. I promise."

You took a deep breath, sniffling once more before attempting to swallow the lump that formed in your throat, pushing the word out through its tight walls.

"Yes."

It was barely a whisper. Light as a feather and yet heavy with the pain it took to pluck it. Jungkook pressed a kiss into your cheek, releasing your jaw from his hold to wrap his arms around your fragile frame again, keep all the scattered pieces of you together.

"Good girl," he whispered, too, his piercing cool against your heated skin, lips brushing across your aching jaw.

With a deep, pleased hum, he began to rub soothing circles into your hand, trying to steady it in his warmth.

"Did it make you wet?" He questioned lowly. "Telling me you liked it."

"Jungkook," you whimpered his name, as though hoping to appeal to his common sense. Or to the softer side of him you were used to. "You're scaring me."

"I know," he pressed the next kiss into your neck, gentle and teasing. "Does that make you wet, too?"

No answer.

Gotcha.

Jungkook slid his palms down your legs, prying them open forcefully, his jaw set tight when you tried to protest, nails digging into your sensitive skin.

"Stop fucking squirming," he hissed. "I am so tired of this little attitude. I will drag you to my room and tie you to the bed if you don't fucking behave."

A visible shiver ran through you, causing him to groan.

"Oh yeah, I know you'd fucking like that."

He flipped you onto the couch like you weighed nothing, instantly trapping you under the heat of his body. Being able to finally look into your eyes was exhilarating, your pupils wide, the fright in them a burning, living flame that made his stiff cock ache.

Gently, he brought an inked hand down to your face and pressed your cheek into the couch, steering your eyes back to the screen.

"Look. Look and tell me you haven't been rubbing that little clit and dreaming I could fuck you like this."

The little shallow breaths leaving you made his gaze fall down to your chest, the swell of your breasts visible through the low neckline of your shirt. He could feel his own pulse racing, his hand more rough than intended when it enveloped your neck.

"Come on, tell me I'm wrong, baby. Tell me you never made yourself come wishing I'd pin you down and give it to you good."

He leaned down, his hot breath fanning across your face.

You still didn't say a word. Moonstruck. That was how he felt. He needed to make you his more than he needed to breathe.

"Well?" He taunted, choking you harder. "Prove me wrong. Tell me you don't want me to slap you around and fuck you like a little whore, ignore your fucking whining and stuff you full of cum. Say it, baby."

All that left your throat was a weak, breathy whimper that made him want to bury himself inside you and wreck your tight, little cunt until your eyes rolled back and your throat ached from screaming.

But - there was no space for impatience in art. He released your neck in favor of slipping his hand in between your legs, pressing his fingers right into your panties.

A strained grunt slipped through his teeth when he felt the sticky, wet spot on them, your thighs flinching at the contact.

"Fuck."

You avoided his eyes, even though he could feel you seeking more of his touch, hips rolling subtly, chest trembling with each breath you took. He pressed his thumb into your clothed clit, for no more than a moment before he pulled his hand away entirely.

Although you tried to catch his wrist to stop him and get him back to where you needed him, you didn't complain. Like you were too terrified to speak, whether it was because of him or because of your own desires. Most likely both.

Cooing, he kissed your soft cheek.

"Now, there, you know how to be good when you want to, don't you?"

Cupping your face, he made you look back at him, staring right into your eyes when he closed the distance between you.

And yet, all he gave you was a ghost of a kiss, a touch that was barely there. It still made his heart thrum and his cock jump in his sweats.

"I'm gonna take care of you, baby," he breathed into your lips. "I'm gonna make all your dreams come true. I'll catch you someday when you're walking home and drag you into some filthy alley. And you can scream and cry and pretend you don't like it all you want if that makes you feel better about being a messed up, little slut. I hope you cry a lot."

A shiver ran up his spine at the soft sound that reached his ears. A moan. Short, quiet, shaky, full of mortification, but it was there.

The next sound was more familiar, a reminder of the constant ticking of the clock. A car pulling up into the driveway. Your parents were back.

Jungkook nudged your nose with his.

"Watch your back, little angel. I always know where you are."

With that, he pushed himself up and got off the couch, adjusting his sweats. He didn't spare you a glance, leaving you to scramble and try to gather yourself as the keys jingled on the other side of the door, shaky fingers trying to reach the remote to turn off the tv.

Jungkook had a problem of his own to solve for the night. He needed a long, cold shower.

And then just a little more patience. Patience made all the difference in art.

💌 taglist: @wonyuknow @baalsgurl1913 @imnotlauriane @bucketofhiros @osakis-gf @silv3rswirls

[rovingthewaves]

A Game of Chess ~ *Calcharo*

Summary: As a diplomat, it's your job to foster peace between warring factions. But meeting with Calcharo and his disdain for your home, leads to some unfortunate information.

Pairing: Calcharo X Fem!Reader

Genre: Angst Oneshot

Word Count: 1056

Warning: Alluding to major character death, hurt no comfort

Masterlist

Negotiation was part of the business, and you were pretty damn good at it, if you do say so yourself. However, this was a different game of strategy; literally. In between Calcharo and you was a chess board. A few pieces have been moved already. He was waiting for you to make your next move. There was an icy look in his eye that would have made weaker people shudder and snap. But you weren't so easily deterred by the cold.

You placed your fingers carefully on your rook and moved. "Your turn."

"Interesting move." He muttered before moving one of his pawns. "It's a shame really. I thought you would present more of a challenge for me."

One of your eyebrows raised at his words. "Oh? And what is that supposed to mean? Am I not stimulating enough for you, oh great leader of the Ghost Hounds?"

He didn't crack at your mockery. "I just assumed that Jinzhou's top diplomat would prove to be a far more formidable foe."

You chuckle before using your knight to capture his pawn. "It's called playing the long game. A concept I doubt you are familiar with."

"I'm plenty familiar." His cold voice turned colder.

"You're right." You deftly back track, a tone of humility in your voice. "I spoke out of turn. Forgive me, please?"

He didn't say anything. Instead, he moved his bishop in range of your Queen. Your eyes sharpened at the board before you. It would be so easy to take his piece, but it would open up your Queen to an assault from his rook, knight, and pawn. You weren't going to give in so easily to such an easily guessed trap. Instead, your eyes scanned the spaces for the most effective evasive maneuver.

When you moved, you spoke again. "Now, I think it's time for you to be honest with me. I'm sure you didn't ask me to visit you in the middle of unoccupied lawless territory north of Jinzhou just for a chess game. Why did you really ask me out here?"

He didn't speak for several moments. Instead, he observed the board, much like you had earlier, and played his rook. He was closing in on your King, but you had set up your own trap. It wasn't much, but it would take out his rook that was too close and his knight that was hanging back as reinforcements.

"There have been rumors." He finally said, his words low and stern. It made you lean forward to hear everything he had to say. "A plot to overthrow Jinhsi."

That wasn't exactly new news. It seemed every other month there was a new plot to dispose of Jinhsi. While Sanhua took care of the domestic threats, it was up to you to handle foreign adversaries. But the way Calcharo was speaking about this new plot, it sounded like something the two of you couldn't handle on your own.

"Supposedly, a group of foreign terrorists are on their way to destroy Jinzhou and everything around it, starting with Jinhsi."

You carefully nod, moving your knight slowly across the board. "It wouldn't be the first time and it certainly won't be the last. I can handle it."

"Not this kind of threat." He muttered.

"How could it possibly be any different-"

"Because I'm leading the charge."

This made you pause. You watched him coolly move his bishop closer to your Queen once more. But your focus had been shaken. You knew about Calcharo's banishment and how he quickly became a formidable foe as the leader of the Ghost Hounds. But this was something far more sinister than you expected from him. You needed answers, away from the chess table. But you were smarter than that. You knew exactly what this game represented. And like hell would you lose to him.

"And why would you be leading the charge?" You ask, trying to keep the waver out of your voice. Your focus shifted back to the game. You were in a mess. There were traps all over the board. You were going to have to make some sacrifices.

"Because the money is good." He stated. But you knew it was more than that. Money may have been a factor, but there was always something more.

"I'm sure. Everyone seems hellbent on killing Jinhsi. People are getting desperate." You mumble, trying to fix the board in your favor. But it seemed he had the upper hand. "But why would you tell me? Do you want me to stop you?"

He seemed ever so slightly surprised at your words. This worked in your favor. "I'm telling you because I'm only after her, no one else. I am not responsible for any other lives taken in the assault."

This sparked your curiosity. It was a conscience. Calcharo was showing signs of remorse. He wanted Jinhsi dead, sure, but no one else. It also proved that he didn't have complete control over the adversaries he was leading into battle. And without complete control, situations like this could get messy. It made for a very interesting scenario.

"It's a shame you told me." You sigh, seeing the play of the game begin to shift again. "Now I have to inform Sanhua that she needs to move Jinhsi out of Jinzhou for her safety."

"She won't believe you."

"Yes, she will. We're like siblings. She trusts me."

Calcharo scoffed. "Anyone connected with the New Federation doesn't know a thing about trust or loyalty."

"How quickly you forget you were once one of us." That's when it hit you. How the game would end, and how the assault would end. It was astonishing to say the least. But it was the best outcome you could hope for.

You moved your knight.

As you watched him capture it with his King, you moved your Queen. When he tried to flee, you moved your other knight.

"Checkmate."

He stared at you and you gave him a pleasant smile. "You also forget that some of us are willing to sacrifice everything to keep the world from falling apart. Jinhsi will be safe. Sanhua will be safe. Your plan will fail. Still, I wish you good luck."

With that, you stood up and left his encampment, with news of a terrorist attack and your inevitable death.

[jovieinramshackle]

Tea and Tenderness

VERY self-indulgence Inky Ribbons one shot because I needed it 🐙🎀. If you guess what book/movie I'm referencing in this you're officially super cool.

Words: 1064

Prompt: “. . . sorry, I talked too much” “No no no not at all. Keep talking” (the prompt was taken from this list)

(if you wonder about the pronoun changes, Jovie uses she/they)

(Reblogs and Likes are appreciated 💕)

Jovie had a lot of interests.

And they loved talking about her interests.

As reserved as they seemed, once she was comfortable with someone who would listen, they would not close their mouth until the air left her lungs.

Despite being a chatter himself, Azul couldn't compare to the amount of chatting and information sharing Jovie could do. It was common practice for the two to get together, enjoy a nice cup of tea or coffee, and talk. Or more accurately, for Jovie to talk as Azul carefully paid attention to their words, taking in the information, and storing it in his head for potential future use. 

He often didn’t fully comprehend what exactly they were talking about— he lacked the proper context to fully understand, even if she did their best to provide it. What kept Azul focused was his adoration for their enthusiasm— he loved how passionate she was about their interests, the way her eyes sparkled while talking about their favourite books or shows. He, admittedly, found it attractive. 

Azul, like the researcher that he was, made sure he researched their interests to follow their conversations better. Although he couldn’t dedicate his time to fully watching all the shows or reading all the books, he made sure he had a general idea of the topics and ensured he remembered the information she would offer him.

As they sat once more in the dimly lit Mostro Lounge, sharing one table long past closing time, romantic soft jazz quietly played in the background, adding to the ambience. This time, they were enjoying a warm cup of tea Azul had prepared beforehand— Lemon tea, Jovie's favourite. Silence embraced the room, ruined only by the constant chatter of the young witch.

This time Jovie had a new fixation to share during their alone time— a dark fantasy novel about a young girl, who discovers a hidden door inside her new house that leads to a supposedly better world, when in reality, it was a trap to lure her in.

Azul wasn’t versed in this book, though he was a reader himself, his preferences laid with autobiographies of businessmen and the economic news. So the dark fantasy genre was a whole new subject of discussion to him, let alone the particular book Jovie wanted to talk about.

Despite that, Jovie went on, animatedly talking about the plot, explaining every point, all the little details in it. They spoke as if she had made a world-alternate discovery, as if the whole world needed to know about this one book they loved so dearly.

If he had to be honest, he would be at a loss at times, especially when Jovie began to explain the differences between the book and its movie adaptation— she wasn’t the best with words, sometimes stuttering while speaking as their voice got tired. He started feeling a sense of overwhelmingness taking over him as they continued. Despite that, it was something he was accustomed to, it had no negative effects on him. So he let her continue, occasionally asking questions to catch up to them.

But then, suddenly, Jovie stopped, fixing their gaze on him as if analysing his current facial expressions and body language. Her face changed from radiating excitement and enthusiasm to becoming completely expressionless.

The abrupt shift in Jovie's demeanour made the gears in his mind start. He couldn't shake the sense that something was wrong, since it was unusual for Jovie to go silent so suddenly. Even if they were tired after so much talking, she wouldn't stop and just stared at him, like a deer caught in headlights.

“Is everything alright, angelfish?” He finally decided to ask, his concern evident with his eyes betraying a hint of worry. “...sorry, I talked too much again.” She turned their look away from him. They spoke quietly, like a kid realising they did something bad and had to apologise. “I know it's not really your thing.” 

Azul's eyebrows furrowed slightly in surprise at the unexpected apology. He began wondering— or overthinking— if he had unintentionally shown any hints of discomfort, with Jovie picking up on them. And if he did, he never intended to, he quite enjoyed learning more about his girlfriend, after all. 

“O-Oh- no no no not at all.” He reassured them with a smile, part of his worry slipping through his words.  “You can keep talking, I don't mind.” 

They shifted uncomfortably in her seat. “Are you sure?” Their faces turned a slight shade of red while they fidgeted with their fingers, embarrassment running over their body. “I know I can be…a lot when I get like this.” 

Azul felt his heart beating as a warm flush spread across his cheeks, this sight of them brought up his own feelings at the forefront. He rarely saw this…unusually vulnerable side of her. Jovie was known for being animated and talking loudly—them speaking so quietly and so unsure of herself was a rare sight, even if he had seen it before. And every time he'd see it, it prompted an urge to comfort them, as if that very moment nothing in the world was more important than that.

 “I promise you, it's alright.” His voice sounded smoother as he spoke with such sincerity. “Besides, I do enjoy delving into your interests. It offers valuable insight into who you are."

Jovie's eyes met his once more, absorbing his words. A small, shy smile made its way onto their continuously flustered face “...Thanks, it means a lot.” They admitted quietly.

“Of course, angelfish.” His expression softened at the sight of their smile, his heart melting a bit too. “Now please, do continue— what happens once the girl throws the cat at the monster?” Leaned closer as he raised an eyebrow, his genuine curiosity of the absurd plot point evident in his tone.

“Oh, that's the best part-! You see, in the book…”

They launched into an explanation of both the events in the book and the movie once more, emphasising the biggest differences between the two and why they loved both for their own reasons.

With how much they had talked about it, Azul thought he might as well watch the movie himself.

As he thought about it at the moment, he realised it would make for a perfect date idea.

And as he kept that thought in mind, he continued listening.

tagging: @ramshacklerumble @thehollowwriter @summerspook @scint1llat3 @skriblee-ksk @cyanide-latte (lmk if you wanna be added)

[goodluckclove]

Hi! Have you ever felt ashamed of yourself because something made you feel like your taste in books/film/music wasn't diverse enough? I'm here to tell you that having that be the case does not necessarily mean that you're a bigot that hates minorities!

I mean, if you only read books by cishet white men specifically because you think they're the only good kinds of books - yes, that is sort of indicative of a problem in your perspective.

But most people don't pick books because of the author's background. Most people don't even know the author's background. Sometimes you just read books you think are good, and it isn't until you look back and notice the lack of a certain voice and think "huh, that's weird that I haven't looked into that".

That's okay! There are many brilliant minority authors that you might not have a way to know about unless you search the right term or have someone tell you. This is not a moral failure on your behalf, but an opportunity to see just how vast your favorite genre is.

Consider science fiction, or speculative fiction as a whole. Philip K. Dick has a deeply specific type of science fiction influenced by his gender, the era he was born in, and his rampant and intense schizophrenia (look up The Exegesis, it's wild). Kurt Vonengut has an entirely different take on the same genre that was heavily, heavily shaped by being a literal prisoner of war and being in the Dresden Bombings of World War Two. He was, I believe, also rumored to be on the schizophrenic specturm.

But let's widen the scope! I have only read a few books of Octavia Butler and wasn't as impacted by them as other books I've read, but I definitely noticed a major shift in atmosphere in a narrative world formed by a black woman. The air tasted different. It was a truly remarkable way to expand my vision of what the genre can do.

There's also Yoko Ogawa's The Memory Police. I have a complicated relationship with this book. I read the first chapter, loved the environment of an Influenced sci-fi dystopia, but then immediately realized this premise would destroy me and stopped reading. I still have it. I'm going to read it, it's just a tough subject for me.

If you want to widen your scope of art consumption you can do it as easily as taking a book or movie you like and seeing what art influenced it or what art was influenced by it. Websites like Tastedive are great for that. You can also look for lists of minority authors that have written in your genre of choice and see what sounds appealing.

You also shouldn't do it all at once. I don't think a minority artist would appreciate that you rushed through their work solely because someone on the Internet told you you're a bad person unless you experienced every oppressed perspective immediately. You have time.

A while back I did research and made an effort to read more female fiction. I looked at my bookshelf and saw that a majority of the women I read were either nonfiction writers or retro lesbians. So I bought a few short story collections by women writers that I found online, because I was also inexperienced with that. It was great. I really enjoyed it. My next goal is to gather more perspectives on experimental fiction, my favorite genre. I've read mostly Western, czech, Italian, Spanish and French. Some women, mostly men. I would like to see what else is out there.

Also if anyone has a suggestion for a book on black existentialism other than Ralph Ellison's Invisible Man, I sure am hungry for it. Invisible Man is one of the most painful and beautiful books I've ever read.

I'm rambling. Art is exciting, is what I mean to say. If you feel the way you take in art is missing something, instead of scolding yourself for that it's actually a lot more effective to do a lil' bit of internet searching, get a new book or movie, and see what it makes you feel and think. I'm pretty confident that's the ideal viewing experience in the eyes of the minority creators who made these pivotal works.

Consider race, sexuality, era, disability, gender identity - all of that and more changes the way a person makes art and it's truly enlightening to explore!

[axewchao]

Dal is such a a cool character! There's so much to know about him tho, so I want to ask to have a better understanding:

How many alternate universe Dal's are there?

By koopasona does that mean Dal IS you or like a part of you?

How long has he been around for?

Is there like, one main storyline his Mario verse self abides by, or can he like shift through realities? Or is there a Dal for every interest you have

Last one how did Dal and Luds get together? (I'm an OC x canon shipper myself so like a dork I had to ask 💀)

Sorry that's a lot I'm just really interested in knowing all the details 😭

Hoo boy, this could take a hot minute... Okay, let's just go from top to bottom!

1.) How many alt Dals are there? There's uh... a lot of them. Not including the Dallies, there's... sixteen of them??? I haven't stopped to count them all recently so this number comes as a bit of a shock. This number might not even be correct... :'D

2. Is Dalex my sona/part of me? Not anymore. Dal did start as a sona of mine, but evolved into his own character later on. I still use the 'koopasona' tag for him mostly out of laziness; by the time he became his own thing, there were already hundreds upon hundreds of posts involving him and I didn't have it in me to change his tag, even with the help of the mass post editor. Though considering that this lack of change can still make people believe otherwise, I should probably get off my ass and just do it already =w="

3. How long has Dalex been around for? According to dA, my very first post of him was back on my birthday in 2016. Dude's been running around for more than half a decade. They grow up so fast... ;w;

4. Is there a main storyline, or does he shift realities? In the Marioverse specifically, there's three different Dals: The Koopa one, the Human or "Real Worlder" one, and finally the "Hooman" one; aka the 'Nintendask-style' one that I haven't used in a very long time. The Human and Koopa versions both have their own separate stories, the former siding with the Mushroom Kingdom and the latter siding with the Koopas. No shifting realities here, or in any other 'verse for that matter, but there is something called the Dallyverse where Dals and Dallies from other realities can meet up and hang out. These multiverse meetups have absolutely no effect on the stories they live through; it's just for funsies.

5. Is there a Dal for every interest I have? Not every interest, but I can get the urge to toss a Dal in there very quickly. Even if I never go through with it, the idea will sit there in my head for a while.

6. How did Dalex and Ludwig get together? I've seen your ask blog; Suzuka's pretty cool too! ;3 But to actually answer your question, that depends on which Dal you're asking about. I'll assume it's the Koopa version for now. This answer's a bit long, so get a snack ready =w="

It takes both of them a while to realize how they feel about each other. As much as Dal enjoys romance as a genre and can see it between other people in real life, he doesn't notice when romantic attention is directed at him. He's never had a crush before either, but knows for a fact that he'd never fall for someone he barely knows (bro's demiromantic). It isn't until someone points out how his soul sphere (the blue thing in his hair) kept turning pink around Lud that he got on the right track; thinking about how much he enjoys spending time with Lud beyond Koopa heritage/magic lessons/general Koopaling shenanigans is what helps him realize that something... more might be there, at least on his end.

Does he confess? Oh hell no. Despite what his normal demeanor may imply, Dal doesn't always have a high opinion of himself and the effect he can have on others. What's so special about him anyway? What could he give Lud that more than a dozen other Koopas out there couldn't? What if he just bores Ludwig in the end? It's... probably better if he doesn't do anything...

On Ludwig's end, he doesn't notice it either, but the signs are more obvious. He starts seeking Dal out even when they aren't scheduled for a heritage/magic lesson. He finds it easier to talk to Dal with each passing day, even when they aren't alone. Dal's presence has a calming effect on the normally stand-offish Prince, with the latter's title having practically no effect on how Dal treats him making it even better. He actually leaves the castle to visit Dal's place, even spending the night every now and again.

It's... comfortable. Peaceful. More than Ludwig thought it would be. He knows that people like Dalex are hard to come by when you're of such high status, and knows how lucky he is to call Dal a friend.

The Chain Chomp incident happens, and Dal's injured. Lud refuses to let anyone else touch him; the thought of Dal getting hurt frightened him more than it should've. Dal was able to handle himself against two loose Chomps, Lud knew he wasn't hurt that badly, but still...

He starts getting handsy; first checking on Dal's wounds and later leaning on Dal and staying close to him without realizing it. Nearly nuzzling him at times. He doesn't think about it, he just does it like it's instinct. It's as easy as drifting off to dreamland.

Then his siblings spell it out, and suddenly he feels like he's having a nightmare.

Thing is, Lud's already been in two relationships before meeting Dal, and they both ended badly. He was a bit more open about his first boyfriend, but said BF was effectively scared away by jealous "fans." The second left him because Lud tried too hard to keep the relationship under wraps, leaving said relationship feeling more like a dirty little secret. They parted peacefully, but the breakup left Lud crying himself to sleep every night for over a month.

He'd already messed up twice, and he did NOT want to mess up a third time. Not with Rathmore.

Despite this, Lud's pining soon becomes unbearable. He can take a rejection, really, and he'd thank all the stars in the sky if Dal actually said yes. It's just the public's reaction that Lud's afraid of since they already scared one guy off. They might scare Dally too.

He confides in Lemmy about all of it. His cousin encourages him to go through with confessing; third time's the charm, right? Dal's got a good head on his shoulders; if he can take two Chomps, he can take crazy fans. Plus, with everything Lud's taught him, he can protect himself even better!

It takes a while for Lemmy's words to sink in, but eventually they do. Maybe... maybe things will work out this time. Maybe he doesn't have to be too cagey, and won't be forced to pay a price if he's more open. Maybe he can just... be, and that will be enough. It certainly feels like it's been enough so far; Dal's always understood whenever Lud wanted to stay inside or had work to do and therefore couldn't hang out...

He... really was perfect, wasn't he? Exactly what Ludwig had always wanted. He'd be a fool to let Dal slip away.

Ludwig Von Koopa was many things, but a fool was not one of them.

[desultory-novice]

I just gotta ask... Does Dreamland have a licensed therapist? Because it sounds like a majority of the characters need one!

Dream Land is a really LOVELY place. The food is fresh and healthy for you. Even the fast food and the sweets, somehow! Lots of nature. Life is leisurely paced. The only jobs are the ones you want to work. There's plenty of activities for those who need some socializing and plenty of alone time for those who need their space.

There may not be a licensed therapist, but as long as you're open to your heart and the caring words of your friends, you can find your way out of the bad places on your own, in your own good time!

...In Dess's AUs, on the other hand...

Everything is bad. For everyone. I'm sorry. I feel very bad about it. :cough: ...That is, speaking frankly, as a creator, I trust that since everyone else does such a good job writing Kirby-verse fluff, no one will mind too bad if I have this little corner of the fandom where everyone can be sad and sometimes life does beat you down.

Now...

It probably doesn't come off this way, but sometimes the reason I hop back and forth to several different AUs is that in a few cases, characters DO get better! Marx and Magolor in the Branch AU? They're actually very happy right now running a theme park together for lost Souls! (Well, happier once Marx gets his body back.)

White-Haired Noir in the AU AU verse? He's...well, he's never going to be the same after the loss he suffered, but he is on the mend.

Adeleine, post-Apologies, is doing okay.

My personal Dark Meta Knight is a huge, incurable mess of issues but he gets to duel with his counterpart on occasion and loves it.

Some of my versions of the characters have REALLY awful, messed up traumatic backstories and yet they came out shockingly alright, re: Daroach. (And Elfilin too. Rats stay winning!)

I do enjoy fluffy things, a lot, but I don't write a whole lot of "pure fluff." Which arguably means, if you're not seeing me draw or write anything for someone, they're probably having a GREAT time! Take Taranza. Taranza is often characterized as the forever sad, "I miss my wife, Tails" character but I think he really is doing okay!

...Not great as could be. He lost his friend (and crush) of...some long period of time but he's healing. Dedede's probably got a whole routine set up for getting over possession trauma at this point!!

For my two favorite trauma puppy standbys, Marx and Magolor, I mostly write about them having lingering trauma side-effects because... it's just my favorite sub-genre to write in, I guess? Most of what I write are physical impossibilities anyway: curses, magic-induced ailments, body-snatching, etc. But I think they can be interesting metaphors for what I or others might feel in RL, so I like to write about them as a way to come to terms with those feelings.

-

[Warning: Things Get Personal Past This Point]

-

I almost went more indepth about this in an earlier ask this evening, but my favorite character from my last major fandom was a purely good character who, in the backstory, had his personality shifted 180 degrees by an evil god, driven to cuckoo levels of crazy, and possibly (at least, it was a fairly popular HC) trapped inside his own mind for a large chunk of time as he was made to commit atrocities that shattered every vow he ever made and everything he believed in.

(Mad Emperor Vector, my beloved... :sob: )

An anime backstory if I'd ever heard one! But one of the reasons he rose from character I loved to MY blorbo was because I was just understanding my autism at the time, and part of how I understood it for myself and how it affected me was through this character's traumas. You might think it was silly but it was shockingly useful!

Around when I started suffering from long-term insomnia is when I started to get really, really obsessed with the "Marx is a sleep-deprived Noddy" theory. When (not to get depressing but...) many of my dreams and aspirations started to fall apart, I became really attached to Magolor + the false promises of the Master Crown...

Noir's creation coincides fairly closely with my feeling massively overburdened with life's pressures and trying to support my loved ones, keeping a chipper exterior attitude despite home troubles while feeling like I couldn't tell ANYONE how much it hurt inside...

That's not to say that I only make these sweet characters have bad days because I'M having a bad day or that I'm "using" them like emotion sponges in place of just seeing a therapist.

It's more that, having experienced some of these things myself, I feel like I have a closer understanding of them. And I want to understand more. Or I want to explore avenues I didn't personally take.

...Or I want to celebrate my own life, shambles and all, by seeing how much worse it could be if only E~vil~ Magic had been involved...!!

-

TLDR, the actual Kirby characters probably don't need a therapist at all. Dess's versions are more likely to need one, but I'll probably write about the ones that haven't gone yet because that path is where I personally find the best and most meaningful stories...!

[ruiniel]

Greetings, Senpai~👋😁 It may not be an Ask You Anything day, but mind humouring a close-to defeated underling? (Totally ignore if you're not up for it) You've mentioned in the past that your writing style has changed over some years, and I recently finished Prickly thorns tender roses (love it! Reviews to follow) and am extremely curious as to how you yourself view how your style has altered, if you wouldn't mind sharing??

fREN you're too humble I know your writing is brilliant and we're all just obsessed little critters in the fandom pond when it comes to fic writing. Uhh thanks again for reading ye olde fanfic, I know I said I needed some time but then got tired, so this won't be an in-depth reply or anything, just rando thoughts.

The main thing that I feel (hope) helped me change and improve was to keep writing. Good, bad, 'odd', unpopular topic, rare-pair, dark? Kept writing. Paused for days, months, years? Went back and picked it up again. Wrote many things I'd never share because they're just so experimental but it helped to explore. I feel like by keeping up creative writing some things got ingrained into my head as to how I like to approach plot, characters, tone, point of view and POV shifts.

Doing beta reading for others also made me zoom in more on the importance of editing and proofreading and I'm more attentive to that in my own drafts nowadays: word choice, clarity and sentence structure, grammar, style, phrasing...

Show vs Tell is a hairy topic, I did try to hone in more on when it works better to tell and when showing might be more effective. On 'showing' emotions, states of mind, I like this bit I saw: Ask yourself, “Can a camera see this?” If the answer is “no,” then you have some work to do.

For sure not as 'trigger happy' to share as I used to be say... 3 years ago (WIPs don't count, eh). I also take more time with the planning phase (even outlining, gasp!) when it comes to multi-chapter stories. I found I enjoy the research phase and figuring out how to incorporate that into the world building and characterization (if it applies) and whatever theme I'm obsessed with at the time.

Through all this reading different styles and genres helped me too. I found myself unable to keep the 'reader glasses' on after a while, instead taking note of all of the above and more in published creative writing.

Ty for the question

[alchemicaldesignquery]

Overwatch: The Tank Dilemma

So...Tanking is weird, right?

It's like....Tanking is a Plain of relatively flat, consistency-- a foundation for what the Role represents at the floor, no matter what Video Game you're playing:

Big hitboxes

'Loud' effects

CC value

Damage Mitigation

But every so often, there are mountains and canyons breaking up the plain, where different genre of video games makes a home, refining the concept of Tanking into something that fits that genre:

MOBAs have their own type of Tank

RPGs have their own type of Tank (TTRPGs or Video Games)

MMOs have their own type of Tank

Even some FPS' have their type of Tank

And whereas, each of these has a lot in common (The Plain of Tanking) there are also considerable differences defined more by the genre they are played in (Mountains and Canyons on the Plain), rather than the actual Tanking itself.

An RPGs tanking might cleave a lot more closely to the story/aesthetics/lore, to better represent the players interests, matching mechanics and structures as close to that immersive experience and story as possible.

Which could be very similar to an MMO Tank in the story/lore aspect, but not necessarily in the mechanical immersion. MMO tanks tend to operate around puddles, large assortments of critters, and big fuck-off Raid Bosses who hammer them with numbers that roll up on the screen, adding to the visual chaos. The Tank might barely animate/visualize whatever the effect they are giving off and that could easily get lost in the puddles.

Meanwhile a MOBA Tank is limited in a lot of ways by map design (little to no verticality) while dealing heavily in CC effects (and item selection).

FPS' Tanks could have softer combinations of all of the above, but add in the freedom of movement and varied arsenals that FPS' are known for.

And none of these are exclusive? It's that each type of Genre Tanking comes with it's own level of importance and where that importance is placed, according to the genre.

And, it's crucial to understand this next point clearly:

Every single one of those genres puts distinct responsibilities on their Tank Role.

Every Genre of Tank could have anywhere from 1-5 (approximation) distinct responsibilities they have to account for in their gameplay, depending on what sort of game/genre it is.

And those responsibilities can have overlap from genre to genre, but also, well, massive differences between.

So how does this relate to Overwatch?

Because Overwatch Tank as a Role, has elements of many different genres (and their resultant responsibilities) embedded in the Role(s), all while still existing on the 'Plain of Tanking'.

If you are Tanking in Overwatch, it means that at any given point of time or environment, you might have to shift or change the way or method in which you're Tanking. These changes could come at you from any/a combination of the following:

Enemy Composition/Kits

Mission

Map (Area or Whole)

Balance (Current patch or overall)

MMR/Rank (Knowledge or Execution)

It isn't as consistent as "Do Damage, get Kills" like DPS (though there's obviously more to the Role than that) or "Heal allies and provide Utility" (though there's definitely more to the Role than that), which are both much more secure and expected for their Role.

The reason a Tank like Dva in Overwatch 1 had so many responsibilities is because her kit allowed her to rapidly shift between 2-4 different genres of Tanking vs. Winston's relatively limited 1 - 2 genres of Tanking.

Winston on the Plain of Tanking would avoid a lot of the mountains of a MOBA Tank responsibilities, while seeking glory in the Canyons of his RPG immersion or FPS mobility and how well it's executed.

Combine them into a Tank Duo though? And you've got a pair of Tanks that can suddenly cover a variety of different Tanking Genres, totaling somewhere between 10 - 14 different responsibilities throughout a Map/Mission/Comp.

And the areas they couldn't cover? Were exactly where an enemy composition might try to leverage strategies and tactics with varied results.

An Orisa with her Fortify and Spear Spin, could easily make a home inside of an MMO, flattening Raid Boss attacks and critter mobs, ensuring her own immunity while demanding all the attention-

-and Mauga's alternating guns + unstoppable Rush/Lifesteal could terrorize a lot of FPS' lobbies if given the chance, giving his team all the space and access they need.

And these aren't 1-1 comparisons, Overwatch isn't a pure any genre (arguably; but that's another theory entirely), which means the Tanks in it aren't a pure 1-1 comparison either-

-but each Tank does have stronger/weaker elements of Genre Tanking (some Tanks climb mountains better than delve canyons, and vice versa) that will nudge them toward certain responsibilities and make them rather weak and ineffectual at others.

The Big Question to ask is:

How many responsibilities is a reasonable amount to ask a single Tank to keep track of?

And just as importantly:

How many responsibilities does a single Tank need to upkeep before it burns the Player out?

Because being a Hyper-Flex who is constantly tracking 10-18 responsibilities per match is exhausting, no matter how good or bad at the game you are and I firmly believe, this is one of the major issues with 5v5 right now and it's attrition of Tank Players, at all levels.

Duo Tanks can share that (cognitive) load, which will reduce burnout and extend player interest, maybe enough to get them deeper into the game and stave off the worst of Tank Player attrition.

Maybe...

(Note: this doesn't fix the issue with poor match-ups, but it isn't supposed to. Bad match ups fall under the hero design and tutorial failures in Overwatch. Addressing those would drastically improve the mis-match of duos in all of the Roles, not just Tank.)