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itsclydebitches · 3 years ago

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"We are marble buddies." First, it's heart warming, then it's tear enducing and then it's heaping helping of 'Oh, you mother fucker.'. That episode of Squid Game hit me hard and got even harder with each episode after.

Right? And it gets even worse the more you think about it. Knowing of Il-nam's betrayal colors so much of the story for me.

Gi-hun greets him by making small talk about how he's the first one to arrive, 001, when in reality Il-nam never arrived at all. He was always there. He was never drugged, manhandled, undressed by a bunch of strangers. Il-nam took off his fancy suit upstairs and donned the sweats like a costume, playing the part of another frail, terrified kidnapee.

When the games start and the Red Light, Green Light massacre has just ended, II-nam is the only one who moves during the next round, grinning all the while.

Because he already knows what's going on! And he knows he's not in any actual danger! This guy isn't going to risk getting shot during his "I'm poor and have to play death games to get by" make believe session. No way it's not rigged to ensure his safety, so off he pops, smiling at his own fun. (Which, you know, obliterates the Front Man's claim that this is all about fairness, how dare you learn the game ahead of your peers, Doctor, that's cheating. When, you know, there's a real cheater in their midst the whole while.) I suspect that's also why Mi-nyeo gets to sit out the marbles game: all the orchestrators likely assumed that Il-nam would be the odd one out, since no one wants to pair with an old man, so they built in an excuse for his survival, but instead end up giving that to Mi-nyeo when Gi-hun makes his unexpected offer. But at the time of Red Light, Green Light, the viewer brushes this behavior off with the assumption that, since he's terminally ill, he's just fearless.

Which generates the expectation that he'll continue the games because he has nothing left to lose, in turn creating a feeling of real love for him when he "saves" everyone by choosing the X. When in reality, he chose to be 001. He chose to have everyone vote in reverse order. Sure, it was always possible that there'd be a huge sway for or against the games, rendering his final vote useless, but with the 50/50 split things are as they "should" be, with him pulling the strings. Let's remind everyone of the hardships they're enduring outside so that they consciously want to come back and risk their lives.

And then he runs into Gi-hun! "Runs into" with, like, the biggest scare quotes imaginable. He was in the neighborhood, my ass. We know he doesn't need to bunk down with a friend. We know that this organization is stalking every player (keeping an eye on the 7% that didn't come back, Gi-hun's final phone call telling him to get on the plane, etc.) II-nam orchestrated this "run in" so he could build his relationship with Gi-hun, fucking with him all the while. Yeah, I'll have some of the alcohol you can barely afford. In turn you can have some of this uncooked ramen that meant nothing for me to buy. We're both just poor, struggling fellows, right?

(Compare all this to Sang-woo who, yeah, turns ruthless by the end, but before that was actually compassionate in everyday matters. He lets Ali borrow his phone, buys him food, and gives him bus fare, all without any expectation that he'll be paid back. It's only when the game pits them against each other that he tries to leverage that kindness to save himself.)

From then on, Gi-hun and II-nam have a number of heart-to-hearts that, upon reflection, just read as more manipulation. Gi-hun has a horrifying flashback and admits that he was involved in a deadly strike, which II-nam comforts him over. Yet not only is this another moment of the elite just playing at understanding, but he's playing at surprise too. There are detailed records of every player's life, including the past choices that helped lead them to this level of debt. Gi-hun's firing is absolutely a part of that and no way does II-nam not know. He's just taking advantage of Gi-hun's trust. What particularly fascinates me though is how he plays up his illness. I'm not sure whether he could have faked the fever (perhaps something in the food, if he really wanted to go that route?) and he is legitimately sick, but everything else carries the implication that he's playing the cancer up for his own use. It's too much of a coincidence that he forgets his name right when Gi-hun asks for it in front of a crowd, especially when this is an organization so obsessed with anonymity that you're shot the moment you lose your mask. No way that, for a man who's real game is torturing these people, he coincidentally loses his memory right when Gi-hun needs him to play, causing intense terror that they'll both be killed. He just happens to find one marble left, inducing more horror that Gi-hun could still lose. He just happens to regain his faculties long enough to accuse Gi-hun, then "sacrifice" himself, all while giving an emotional goodbye that will haunt him for the next year, only to then reveal his duplicity. It brings everything II-nam does into question. Did he actually wet himself? Or did he find some of the extra water and dump it on his pants? As someone whose father has a brain tumor and has seen every one of these symptoms, they're all depicted in a way that's very convincing... but Il-nam's true identity makes me suspicious of it all.

The real kicker for me though is that we have no reason to doubt Il-nam's claims about his past. Gi-hun makes a point of asking if that's really his name, if what he said was really true, and we're reassured that it was. Il-nam seems to have been truthful about everything he said... he just didn't say a lot. Which means that (if we trust the story's lack of proof that this isn't true) he really did grow up in a neighborhood just like Gi-hun's. He really did watch his son after a long day at work. At some point, prior to becoming the wealthy powerhouse determined to entertain himself and others, Il-nam was someone whose situation looked a lot like the players'... and that personal experience didn't create a shred of empathy in him. He got out and began exploiting his former community, not helping it, and since then he's actively encouraged others (like the detective's brother) to do the same. It's all so horrible.

I actually ended up calling the twist ahead of time. I knew for sure once we saw the Host reaching for his mask and I recognized Il-nam's hands. But I wasn't sure when I reassured my mom that, despite the clearly horrific nature of this show, there was so much good and hope too. Don't worry! It may be depressing in many respects, but it's so heartwarming to see these bonds forming; people helping one another get through such tragedy. There's one relationship in particular that's just the sweetest. You'll love watching that!

An episode later when everything marbles happens and I'm sure of Il-nam's duplicity:

#squid game #squid game spoilers #mymetas

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katsukikitten · 4 years ago

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It's hard to see through the sticky wet droplets that fall from above your brow, from your lips and cheeks. You huff, blood splatters the floor at the feet of a woman dressed in an old fashioned black kimono. Her fox mask askew on a rare occasion.

"You broke her, you BROKE HER!" You screech, small frame shaking from fading adrenaline and flashing memories of cold steel and even colder eyes. This was too much, way too much for your seven year old body to handle. But you would do what you must to survive.

The woman turns towards you, her blue eyes iridescent even in the low light.

"No child, you broke her. You were just going to let her kill you." She shrugs as if it weren't such a heavy statement.

"I'm- I'm her weakness, she's better than me, SHE HAD TO!" A stammer that grows into a deafening scream.

"No my dear, she always has and always will be your burden."

You wake in a cold sweat, alarm blaring and your heart stutters in your chest, knives instinctively woven into your fingers.

"An old memory. A dream." Soothing words from a shaking voice, knives never faltering as you lower them, slipping them back onto your person. You rise, peering out the window to see the city blanketed in snow, heaps of it as more fall from the sky. The sidewalks cleared in such a half assed way you were sure they would just turn to ice instead, the piles in the storm drain already turning a mute grey.

You hated the snow, it always brought up bad memories and the biting cold made every scar you owned throb. Ebbing in memories you wished you'd forgotten. Instead you get ready for the day pulling on your hero suit although you didn't have to work the overtime today, you guess old habits die hard. Two weeks had passed since Bakugou offered you that side job. He paid you enough that you wouldn't have to worry about your sister's bills for the next month.

Still Christmas dinner couldn't come soon enough.

You lock the apartment and push through the biting air, face begging for a reprieve as you walk into the icy wind but it's not as if you could walk to the agency backwards.

Bakugou and Kirishima wait outside of the agency building for you, Bakugou holds out a steaming coffee as Kirishima offers a warm smile.

"You're late." "Just on time." They speak over each other before Bakugou gives Kirishima a glare.

"We're patrolling the fucking shopping district today." Bakugou shoves the coffee into your hands as you grit your teeth, trailing behind the two as Bakugou sets out the pace. You let your eyes wander, snow clinging to their hair as Kirishima wears next to nothing, his dumb ass costume having sleeves for warmth. You roll your eyes before they fall on Bakugou. Normally you can smell the spicy burnt sugar wafting off of him in troves but the wind chill is dangerously low for someone who relies on sweat as their weapon. The snow comes down thicker, the flakes a puffy white that sends you miles away before a gut feeling brings you back into the present. You grab onto both of the men, straining your ears to hear over the bustle of the city. Something isn't settling right but they don't seem to be on high alert. Maybe your nerves are fried from the dream.

Your concentrated look doesn't go unnoticed by either party looking over their shoulder. Bakugou shoves the two of you into a side alley to stay out of the way of the hustling streets since you're just standing there. You seem to be off your game, you're more subtle at letting them know about danger without alerting civilians.

"Oi. Spit it out." Bakugou crosses his arms as he stares you down. You blink away the rage, the wind whipping through the side alley making the three of you shiver. You grab onto Kirishima, placing your palm on his sculpted pectoral before explaining.

"Just some buffs for the day. Your unbreakable will be 65% harder and you'll be lighter on your feet." Kirishima gives you a concerned look as you reach for Bakugou who tries to resist.

"Don't need your fucking help."

"Yea?" You hiss, "What good are you if you aren't sweating moron?"

You yank his arm to you, pulling at his sleeve to get to bare skin, pressing your warm fingers against his cool forearm. You send him a knowing glare.

"Gonna feel like summer for you today sweaty palms." You shove him away and he thinks to swing at you. Kirishima diffuses the situation.

"All day buffs? Isn't that a strain on your quirk?" Kirishima was always concerned about you.

"I'll be fine. You know I'm at a place where a lot of my own personal buffs and debuffs are idle." With a snap of your fingers a little display appears in the air thanks to your support bracelet. Reminding the two men of a video game, your stats out there for them to see. The screen rolls through them fairly quickly. Bakugou can only catch a few as the text moves at a rapid pace. Poison resistance 85%, Stab resistance 98%, weapon pulled from body closes wound 50% faster, returned weapon caught or pulled from body 100% hit rate, deadly intent. Your stats disappear as quickly as they came. Bakugou knows your quirk's ability comes from experience, he thinks of the ones you have maxed out and let's his eyes linger over your face. Over the muted slashes and his stomach churns from concern, suspicion. How would a "petty thief" come across a blade and return it enough times that they could never miss? It surely wasn't in the time of your forced hero work, he has yet to see you take anything more than a surprise punch.

"Are we fucking done? We got extras to babysit." Bakugou growls stepping out onto the sidewalk and into a nest of paparazzi.

"Dynamight, over here Dynamight. Is it true you're dating your partner?"

"Is it Red Riot or Rouge?" Another reporter shouts. Screaming out question after question putting Bakugou under rapid fire.

Cameras flash as you can practically hear Bakugou's blood pressure increase ten fold, he inhales sharply to scream but Pro Hero Red Riot saves the day.

"Guys we're on the clock, please save this for our designated interview dates." He smiles listing the dates and times. You wonder how they collected here so quickly, scanning the crowd for a nosy bystander that may have tipped the tabloids off with your location.

But your eyes lock onto something far worse.

In the crowd is a woman with auburn hair and icy blue eyes, dressed in an all black kimono. She smirks and mouths "Finally" to you before she throws her deadly ice darts, dipped in shining poison yet to be added to the government registry.

But how could they know when you helped her make it. Working on instinct you yank Kirishima forward by his steel face mask until he is doubled over before you pull Bakugou into the same position by his belt of winter grenades. One ice dart sinks into your shoulder while the other nicks your throat but it's not as if it matters. Mithridatsim was your best friend growing up.

A small box flashes in the top left corner of your vision, a status only you can see

WARNING! MORE EXPERIENCE NEEDED: LAST ADMINISTERED DOSE OF POISON X HAS BEEN SIX MONTHS, PLEASE DO NOT CONSUME ANYMORE TO INCREASE LOST RESISTANCE AND GAIN EXPERIENCE.

Fuck! How could you forget that her special blend of poison required exposure every two months?! Hero work was making you too soft, making you wonder just how many other skills were deteriorating from lack of repetition and experience.

But that was a problem for another day. For now you growl, yanking the men down further to keep their eyes off of you as you give chase. Following her deadly speed with ease, thankfully she is headed out of sight from civilians and paparazzi although it spells trouble for you.

Or maybe it spells trap.

She throws another set of ice darts, you dodge them all but one that sinks into your stomach. You grip onto the ice, pulling it from your skin when a warning pops up

LIMIT EXPOSURE, REACHING LETHAL DOSE, PASSIVE BUFF ACTIVATED, HEALING RATE REDUCED FROM 50% TO 30% DUE TO POISON X, RETURNED WEAPON HIT RATE REDUCED TO 65% DUE TO WEAPON TYPE, COLD RESISTANCE INCREASED TO 55%

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A CHANCE?

The question flashes as you push forward, following her step for step. You loved and loathed that question, it could increase your chances of the poison clearing instantly, heal your wounds perfectly and return your hit rate back to its max level.

Or you could utterly "fail" the chance roll earning you double the pain and debuff.

The closer you were to whatever magic number your quirk decided, the better your chances.

Another set of darts that you barely dodge. You grind your teeth, hero work was definitely making you too soft.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO TAKE A CHANCE?

"Yes!" You growl as your quirk activates. It announces to you the size of the "dice" and the numbers to avoid as you give chase.

PASSIVE BUFF DEACTIVATED "LUCK OF THE DRAW" FOR CHANCE ROLL, DIE SIZE 70, NUMBERS TO AVOID CRITICAL FAILURE 1 THROUGH 50, NUMBERS TO HIT FOR CRITICAL HIT 72 THROUGH 75. ALL NUMBERS IN BETWEEN THE CRITICALS WILL INCREASE BUFFS AND DECREASE BODILY HARM BY 15%.

ROLLING DIE NOW.

In your mind's eye a giant die flashes in your head as numbers blur together while it rolls.

50! CRITICAL FAIL, DAMAGE INCREASED BY TWO, POISON RESISTANCE REDUCED BY 15%, TEN MINUTES UNTIL BLACK OUT

THANK YOU FOR TAKING A CHANCE!

DOUBLE OR NOTHING?

You swat away the temptation as a copper taste begins to coat your tongue, spitting red into the snow. You return the damn dart anyway, lucky enough for you it sticks into the nape of her neck but the ice is not strong enough to sink deeper. Finally she takes a left into an alley and you follow before the mouth is closed off by ice.

Sealing the two of you into an icy tomb. Snarling you exchange fists, hoping to wear her out before you lose consciousness, as she was never good at hand to hand, unlike yourself.

Who lived for the up close and personal.

PASSIVE BUFF "UPPER HAND" ACTIVATED, MELEE AND CLOSE COMBAT SKILLS INCREASED

You rear back your fist, landing it straight into her jaw, causing her to fall back onto heaps of trash. You pin her, pressing one of her ice blades to her throat.

"What are you doing here Fox?" You hiss, and she smiles in delight.

"Could ask you the same little ‘hero’!" She laughs and it's haughty, bringing up now bitter memories, "How far you have fallen sister."

"Tch, this was not my first choice." You fake smile, pressing until you draw blood just to make it even.

"Did Madem send you?" Even saying her name makes your stomach churn while Fox rolls her eyes.

"Who else would send me to fetch their golden child?" She shrugs, using her quirk to make another cold weapon as you're distracted. Although you have the upper hand she still has enough room to sink another ice dark into your side, causing you to grit your teeth.

"You're the fucking favorite now. What more does she want?"

"You're her favorite, you both are. She wants a complete set." She purrs and it feels as if her ice is freezing your blood. Vision blurring from your rapid heart rate, from your rage and the venom.

"What the fuck do you mean? What about her?! She is fucking unwel!" It echoes around in the ice and she smiles, playing you for the fool you were.

"Exactly as I said. I wouldn't count your twin out just yet. You know how Madem lives for backups." She winks, as you feel exasperated. The poison coursing through your veins, your vision tries to spot but you push through.

"I'll let you go just this one Fox but if I ever fucking see you again-" She interrupts.

"Please, you know the rules. Don't come home empty handed. Plus what you do to me will be far more mild than what Madem can think of." She spits blood onto your face, you bare your teeth and sweet drips onto her kimono. You were running out of time.

"ROUGE!" Bakugou shouts in the distance, earning a smile from Fox below.

"Wow bold of you to keep the name." She laughs, "Well your weakness works in my favor. What a dream it would be to be captured by your boyfriend. Then I could tell him everything about me. About you."

"You'd snitch? Just like that?"

"Wouldn't you do anything to keep a loved one safe?" Her words sink deeper than any dagger, any ice pick, she's ever thrown.

She's right.

"ROUGE!"

You would do anything.

Huffing you do what you hadn't in well over a year and although you'd done it thousands of times. It never got easier. You press the blade deeper, letting it slice into her throat as a red line follows in her wake. She looks up at you with a soft smile, relief flooding her features as sweat prickles your brow.

WARNING BLACK OUT IN TEN SECONDS, POISON X WILL BECOME LETHAL IF ANTIDOTE IS NOT ADMINISTERED WITHIN THE HOUR. COUNT DOWNS STARTS NOW :10, 59:59

With shaking hands you set the already melting blade into her hand, jumping over the other ice wall deeper into the alley as you hear heavy foot falls come your way.

You fall into a heap yourself, pressing your hands into your wounds, tempted to attempt to activate double or nothing. Although it could kill you instantly with the status you were in now.

A part of you hopes it does.

The ash blonde blasts through the icy walls, spotting you in an instant. When he sees the perpetrator dead, his stomach churns as he reaches you. Your clammy to the touch and your support bracelet is flashing with an alert for a trusted on looker.

PLEASE IDENTIFY YOURSELF

It yells as Bakugou shouts his name. A little hologram of you shows up before your voice pours out. Silently you're thankful that you could tinker with the item enough that should you come across something from your past you could intercept some information.

Or at least manipulate in your favor should you be rendered non verbal as you are now.

"It seems an especially strong poison has been introduced into my blood stream. The antidote will be elderberry tea, which can be found at these surrounding locations. Please do not take me to a hospital, by the time they identify the poison I will be long gone….I'm talking to you Bakugou. Get the tea. If I pass out, force activate one of my idle or passive buffs. Specifically Adrenaline high… Trust me, you're going to have to..."

The world fades to black without any warning as you float in what feels like non existence. Probably the best sleep you'll ever get even when it's short lived. Like it is now.

"Fuck." Bakugou hisses as the stupid translucent you blabbers on and on of ways to activate this dumb ass, complex, and mysterious as fuck quirk you had. He thinks of how the mini you emphasized pain would be a trigger to activate the idle buff. He grips onto your forearm, thinking of doing a point blank blast. Best case scenario you'd have his palm burned into you for all eternity, worst case scenario you lost your whole fucking left half.

"Fuck! FUCK!" He doesn't want to hurt you but he has to. He thinks of the limited time you have as an ominous timer floats in the air from your bracelet. He tries slapping you across the face first, nothing. Your cheek barely reddening as blood oozes from your wounds. Gritting his teeth and choking on his honor he hits you again, this time with the help of his quirk to add some force.

When that doesn't work, his sadistic side comes out, fueled by his desperation and his gloved fingers subconsciously find the wound in your throat and shoulder. Thinking to exploit it in order to rouse you. He lets out a low hiss as he plunges his fingers into the wounds, digging deep into the one in your shoulder.

PASSIVE BUFF "ADRENALINE HIGH" ACTIVATED.

Your eyes snap open, rage fueling them as you act on instinct, slamming your forehead into Bakugou's hard enough that it bruises both of you.

"OI FUCKING! I'M TRYING TO HELP!" He shouts, forearms popping as heat rushes up his spine from your landed hit. He pushes back his hair, rubbing his sweaty forehead before baring his teeth at you.

"What the fuck?!" He snaps, "Who was that? Why is she dead?"

"Another time yea?" You say weakly, lifting your wrist so he can read the time, "The tea still has to steep."

You stand but wobble on your feet as warnings flash in your minds eye and thankfully not on your stupid support bracelet. Much to Bakugou's disdain, he needed to know what he was working with, not blindly trusting you. Especially not now with growing suspicions.

ADRENALINE HIGH OVERRIDES DAMAGE AND POISON EFFECTS FOR THE NEXT 10 MINUTES COUNT DOWN STARTED 09:59

"Dismiss." You spit blood and the information fades away. You stumble like a drunk towards the mouth of the alley, avoiding your fallen sister as your mind races.

"She wants a complete set."

"Fuck." Is all you can manage thinking of your actual sister, hoping she was safe within the confines of her own prison. That needed to wait. Right now you needed that elder berry tea. The closest shop carrying the product was several blocks away and at this rate you'd never fucking make it.

Bakugou catches on, scooping you in his arms.

"Hold on tight Princess." He growls, propelling himself into the air to land a few store fronts away from your destination.

"Can't believe you're dragging me down." He hisses, fully taking over holding you to him. He squeezes a bit tighter. Your stomach flips and you blame the poison.

"If anything I'm bringing your image up. Imagine the paps seeing this bull shit. Headlines like 'Bakugou, the knight in shining armor saves the day.' Or some horse shit like that." You weakly tease, he glares down at you.

"Tch. Fuck off. They'll find a way to twist it."

"Well your mom will see it for what it is." You squeeze tighter around his throat, nosing the crook of his throat. You feel his laugh through his chest.

"Yea and what's she gonna see?"

"You saving me dumb ass." You pull at his hair and he glares down at you.

"Great, now she'll force me to marry you. Is that what you want bitch face?"

"I'd rather die first. Plus you wouldn't be able to afford my dowry, ass hat." You tease, all he can do is roll his eyes.

"You're fucking right about that. Now where is the stupid elderberry bullshit?" He growls, waltzing through the front door as if holding you were nothing.

IDLE BUFF ACTIVATED SLIGHT OF HAND INCREASED TO-

"Dismiss." You whisper, vermillion burns into your skin, "Next aisle."

WARNING: LACK OF EXPOSURE WILL CAUSE A LOSS IN EXPERIENCE. SLIGHT OF HAND WILL DECREASE

Grinding your teeth you reach for an easy snack, shoving it into your shirt sleeve as Bakugou studies the tea.

"Where?" He snaps, causing you to sigh heavily. You point with exaggeration to the small purple box.

SLIGHT OF HAND MAINTAINED, EXPERIENCE PREREQUISITE MET, BUFF IDLED.

You needed to think of a way to turn this annoying "emergency" mode off, but whenever you were in critical condition, the warnings would display non stop. Most of your quirk you had memorized but you had to admit, it had been a while since you last rolled for chance.

For fun.

"Grab something for Kirishima, you know how he gets when he worries. You need water too."

"This ain't a fucking road trip!" He growls but oddly enough he moves to the back of the store towards the drinks. He grabs a code red for Kirishima and an energy drink for himself. You hold onto the cold drinks as he holds onto you and the tea awkwardly. Setting them on the counter fixing a nasty glare at the clerk.

"R-Rouge and Dynamight wow!" They gush, about to ask for an autograph before ringing the two of you up.

"Kinda on a time crunch kid." Your bracelet flashes 20:32 before the clerk understand the dire situation.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. On the house."

"Doesn't work like that." Bakugou snarls, eyeing you to get his wallet. Little does he know you already snatched it, pressing a twenty into his hands. He glares at you as best he can.

"Keep the change." You're beginning to think that was his new catch phrase as he makes his way towards the hot water dispenser. Setting you on the counter while he let's the two bags steep per your holographic instructions. He taps his finger impatiently before cracking open his energy drink.

It was going to be a long day.

"I'm going to cancel with my mom." He says finally, reaching for his phone, "I'll still…"

"No you fuck. Your mom expects both of us there. I'm not dying."

"Yet, bitch face." He places the tea into your hands, "Think she'll be more pissed if you die in her living room than not show up."

He eyes your wounds, noticing the droplets of blood that followed in their wake, how your scent clung to his skin. He contacts Kirishima instead instructing him to get the first aid kit ready at his house.

"When you're done with your tea. We're gonna get those wounds bandaged."

"Nah I'll be fine, once the poison status is cleared. My other status will return to normal. I'm kinda like a pokemon."

"Don't care, as your boss I'm telling you Imma wrap your wounds with Kirishima now drink your fucking tea." He hits your shoulder before a sadistic smile clouds his features, "Or am I going to have to activate your passive 'Adrenaline High'?"

"Fuck off, I'm pretty sure I'm not gonna pass out with half the cup down." You shove him away from you as his pocket pings.

"Only pretty sure? You're fucking stupid. You can check that."

"Tired of my quirk today." You grumble while Bakugou glares at his phone, he turns it towards you, it's from his mother an article titled "Bakugou, the knight in not so shining armor?" Her text is in all caps beneath ARE YOU SAVING HER I SWEAR TO GOD BOY YOU NEED TO WATCH HER BACK BETTER SHE BETTER BE OKAY YOU BETTER BE OKAY

"Guess you'll have to propose to me now." You laugh sliding from the counter, something from around your throat catches his eye now that things have calmed down.

An odd feeling burns in his chest as goes all the way to his fingers and toes and realization washes over him in waves. He sees a gold chain that leads down to what looks like the droplet of blood. The garner necklace he gave you.

"Come on Kiri is probably waiting." You nudge, grabbing for Eijirou's soda, your own tea almost finished. His eyes follow after you for a moment as he tries to figure out why you hadn't taken it off yet, he's never seen you wear jewelry before.

There is no reason for you to wear it, still the feeling in his chest burns hotter. It makes him feel suddenly proud and oddly possessive. He grinds his teeth, skin popping as he stomps after you, yelling.

"Don't you take credit for the soda I bought!"

#bakugou x reader #katsuki bakugou x reader #bakugo x reader #bakugo katsuki x reader #bnha x reader

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jerryb2 · 3 years ago

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I mean….you all knew this was coming ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ : the Star Wars Art of one Mr. Drew Struzan.

And look, the man has done so much and has such a diverse portfolio that Star Wars is only one very small part of his career. If you want to explore some of his other works, then might I suggest that you check out his website.

As for me here, we’ll be sticking strictly to his SW art. Now, with that out of the way, here we go…

*cracks knuckles*

I have to admit that before I really started to dig into this, I didn’t realize just how many Bantam Era (and beyond) Star Wars books this man has illustrated. Nearly 50 titles, ranging from novels to comics, short stories & even an RPG supplement. 🤯

And so, after much consideration, I decided to just pull all the titles that feature his art off my bookshelf and take a few pics for you guys:

First off, I just want to point out that I don’t have every book he’s ever illustrated. Some of them are just harder than hard to find, are hilariously expensive, or I just don’t have an edition that features his art prominently - you’ll see what I mean. Right off the bat though, you can see that he was really hitting his stride in the mid-90′s, with all but a handful of these coming out between ‘94 & ‘99. One of the highlights from this time for me, is The Callista Trilogy.

I just want to stress that The Callista Trilogy is a highlight for me only because of its gorgeous cover art. 🤣 Other than that, this book series needs to go lay down.

Anyway, the designs are all really striking and even after all these years, absolutely iconic. And you can really see Struzan’s distinct visual style at play here; not a painting in the same vein as something from Dave Doorman, and not a simple trace. Rather, something that is stylized in a very particular, very subtle way, almost to the point where it appears photo-realistic at first glance. Beautiful.

Next up is this trio of trilogies (good use of words, me), collected in these Science Fiction Book Club (SFBC) hardcovers:

Once again, these covers are just striking, particularly The Black Fleet Crisis. This is actually what I was referring to when I said that I don’t always have the best editions for a Drew Struzan appreciation post. 😅

Because these are hardcover collections of paperback books, we actually miss out on a good bit of the art. For these SFBC special editions, the publisher just took all three and basically photoshopped the best bits of each one together. The one that suffers the most here is obviously The Corellian Trilogy, where they didn’t even try to blend everything together, and instead just separated everything into columns. I don’t personally mind it (and I do love having the hardcover editions of these books) but if you want to see the covers as they were originally intended, just pickup those mass market paperbacks. 🙂

There’s a lot more to get through, so I’ll just hit the highlights here; even though he didn’t illustrate The Thrawn Trilogy (that was Tom Jung, who I personally think did an okay-ish job at best), he did an absolutely amazing job with the follow-up, The Hand of Thrawn Duology in ‘98 & ‘99:

I’ve always loved these covers. And narratively speaking, they really do serve as one last hurrah on the Bantam Era. Oh, and also please note, Mara Jade on the cover of Vision of the Future, just as Zahn originally described her. ❤❤❤

If you step back and look at Struzan’s work as a whole, it’s all incredibly unified. I bring this up here because even though some of these are books relatively ‘meh’ worthy, Struzan maintained a level of quality that belied the mediocrity contained within. And also to say that he was definitely busy, particularly in 1994:

That’s right - all of these released in ‘94, within a few months of one another. These covers man… *chef’s kiss*

And look I’m sorry, I just can’t help myself: The Crystal Star was a hilarious joke until we all realized they were serious about it. 😳

Alright, that’s a little on the harsh side; it’s not nearly as bad as most make it out to be, and Waru as a source for unlimited power (citation needed 👀😉) isn’t any more ridiculous than the 50 other post-Palpy, hair-brained Imperial schemes that everybody else cooked up, so I guess it fits. And besides, I really wanna be nice to Vonda McIntyre here, but this book was just so so boring. 😴

*clears throat* Moving on, here we have a couple Barnes & Noble hardcover collections of The Jedi Prince Series:

The same thing applies here; cover art photoshopped from across 6 different YA novels to get these. They don’t look bad, far from it. But rather this series has some things that people would rather forget about, namely a supposed son of Palpatine (spoiler: he wasn’t) named Triclops who had - wait for it - 3 eyes.

Like Tien. From DBZ. Yep. 🤦‍♂️

Moving further down the list, we have yet another pair of iconic cover designs, being I, Jedi (the only Star Wars novel written in the first person, and an appropriate riff on Isaac Asimov’s I, Robot - yes ladies & gentlemen, that is as clever as Star Wars gets) and The New Rebellion.

Classics, no doubt….but for reals, did anybody else ever wonder why the X-Wing on the cover of I, Jedi is missing an S-Foil? Or how that one slipped through??? 👀

Ah, at last we arrive at what is arguably Struzan’s most famous work; the covers for Shadows of the Empire & The Star Wars Trilogy: Special Edition.

It’s hard to overstate just how important Shadows of the Empire really was for Star Wars as a brand. In an era where SW books were already extremely popular, the Shadows of the Empire Multimedia Project basically served as a breakout hit and reignited interest in SW media across the board. This was in no small part due to the striking imagery captured on its cover - are you seeing a pattern here?

This success actually renewed Lucas’ interest in a theatrical re-release of the OT in 1997….which of course, feature more beautiful art from Drew Struzan:

These are my OG Special Edition VHS tapes from back in the day. I watched these so damn much as a kid. In fact, they’re basically the whole reason that I’m here, annoying the shit out of everybody today. 😁

After the Bantam Era concluded & the Star Wars publishing license went to Del Rey, Struzan did progressively fewer pieces for SW media. Here we see his contribution for the latter half of the Last of the Jedi YA series, and his kick-ass cover art for the Darth Maul comic:

And when I say that Struzan did progressively fewer pieces for Star Wars, I am of course omitting his turn as the poster artist for the freaking Prequel Trilogy:

Say what you will about the films, but these poster designs are nothing short of genius.

Look guys, it would be pretty easy for me to downplay Struzan’s Star Wars portfolio as just one small part of his incredible career. But my dudes, this is literally just the tip of the iceberg. The man has been a professional illustrator for over 50 years, and his art has delighted and inspired generations. From Star Wars to Indian Jones, and from Back to the Future to Blade Runner - Drew Struzan has played an integral part in shaping popular culture.

Here’s to you, sir. 🍻

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alderaani · 4 years ago

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prison break (echo x reader)

A valentines gift for @just-some-girl-92 as part of the event being run by @starwarsfandomfests! Thanks so much for putting another one of these together @lilhawkeye3, and I really hope you like this Dell! I think credit for white haired Echo goes to @/amiro-art? That was the first place I saw it anyway, and I’ve really liked the headcanon that it’s like that post-techno union ever since!

Based on this prompt: Character A moves in next to Character B. They have conjoined balconies and A's pet/child wanders into B's apartment.

Fives and Echo are both reunited and well in this because everyone gets to be happy on Valentine’s Day and I said so. We don’t need canon on this blog.

The other side of the wall explodes with noise.

It makes you pause, looking up from the knitting trailing over your knees to cock your head towards the opposite apartment. You think you hear the screech of furniture legs being pushed along the floor, then the frantic rumble of several male voices speaking over the top of each other, the clatter and clang of things as they are removed and replaced.

It’s odd. When Tith-Mar lived next door, you used to hear it every time he coughed, or swore at that awful old holodrama he used to watch every Taungsday. As much as you tried to stop yourself you couldn’t help but get invested, and that was almost worse. Out of pride you never put it on your own unit, but that just meant you ended up half pressed against the wall, eventually not even pretending you weren’t listening to Capula and Mont confess their love. It had given you something to talk about, anyway, when you went onto the balcony to water your plants and he went out there to smoke the fancy deathsticks he joked he’d live and die by.

In the year since the war ended and Tith-Mar was finally able to move back out to be with his daughter on Ryloth you’ve never quite gotten used to the quiet. There was a strange comfort in knowing that there was someone on the other side of the wall. Maybe it came from the three years of water shortages and occasional outages - or, notably, the rampage of the Zillo beast, which hadn’t come quite close enough to flatten you in your sleep, but had downed enough of the power grid that you’d been locked in your apartment for five rotations. You miss the soft Rylothi folk music he used to play in the mornings, and you miss seeing him sometimes, blowing smoke up into the brisk Coruscant mornings with his blue lek, faded now in old age, wrapped around his neck like a scarf.

You just miss the comforting assurance of having someone else there. If it wasn’t for the sound of the door going, and the occasional thump of something being moved, you’d hardly know that you had neighbours at all now. It’s almost funny to think back on the furore it caused when the Republic bought the apartment for GAR resettlement. It led to the only neighbourhood meeting the building has ever had, and you’ve been very glad for that fact after discovering that a solid faction of your fellow citizens are bigots. It’s something you knew, objectively, but witnessing it from the people you personally rub shoulders with was a harder pill to swallow than having to watch some of the anti-clone protests on the holonews. You’ve not tried to remember the more colourful misconceptions about clone troopers aired by prim soft-handed mid-levellers as they sat in a lobby you can remember the Coruscant Guard clearing rubble from with nothing but their hands. However, you do very vividly remember someone from two floors up asking you if you’d ‘really feel safe’ living next to ‘those walking warmongers’, being young and living on your own. You’d shut that down, of course, and the resulting vote had passed in favour.

You’d honestly half expected the troopers to reject the place after that, and you wouldn’t have blamed them either.

Everyone had known the day they moved in, had pretended not to watch as a GAR issue speeder loaded with two armoured figures and a meagre quantity of possessions had pulled up on the walkway and made their way cautiously inside. You’d thought about introducing yourself, knocking or something, but concluded in the end that they didn’t need anyone else ogling them. You’d figured that there would be plenty of time for that later...and now here you are, a whole year on, and that glimpse is just about the closest you’ve ever gotten to them. You think they still spend a lot of time off-planet, helping with the reconstruction missions the now-voluntary GAR conducts throughout the Mid and Outer Rims. You hadn’t even been sure that they were home at the moment, actually.

There��s no doubting it now, as the frantic thumps and raised voices continue. Through your balcony door, cracked open to catch some of the soft breeze the weather engineers have scheduled today, you can make out a little of what their voices are saying, one frantic and forceful, the other softer, but no less worried.

“ - kriffing hell, can’t believe we’ve lost...Rex will have our heads…”

“...can’t have gotten far...can’t even walk!”

“ - already checked the fresher, Echo!”

“It can’t hurt to check twice...knew we shouldn’t have…”

You bite your lip, turning round while debating whether you should offer your help. Then you freeze. The baby on the other side of your caf table freezes too, chubby hand poised to grab the cookie you’d been saving for later. They’re standing on legs that wobble a bit, and there’s a glint of steely determination in the dark eyes that fix on your face.

“Hello,” you say a little weakly, realising very abruptly what the troopers must have lost.

The kid appraises you for a moment longer, brow furrowed and intent. There’s a huge amount of judgement there for such a small face, those focused eyes taking you in for several very long seconds. Then they huff, and very deliberately turn their attention back to the cookie. You smother an incredulous laugh.

“Not impressed, huh?” You say, carefully setting your knitting aside and uncovering your legs. “Can’t say I blame you, I prefer cookies too.”

The baby doesn’t dignify this with any attention, instead making a soft crowing noise as their little fingers strike victory and retract with the cookie firmly in grasp. When they immediately move to cram it into their mouth you burst into action, leaning across the caf table to swipe it. Just those mere seconds of contact have made it slightly damp.

The baby’s face scrunches in outrage, and they let go of the table edge, sinking down onto their padded bottom with a sharp, high noise of annoyance. They don’t cry, but the frown is something spectacular.

“Sorry, kid.” You force yourself the rest of the way up, keeping a hold on the cookie with one hand. Can kids this young even eat solid foods yet? Do they have any allergies? You don’t have any siblings, so the last time you were around a baby was when you were one. For all this one’s bravado, they look awfully breakable. “I’ll hang on to this for now, yeah?”

You don’t think that they’re old enough to understand what you’re saying, but the huff the baby lets out feels extremely pointed. You stare down at them on your rug.

“Don’t suppose you could give me any pointers on how to hold you?”

It turns out babies are wriggly. You put the cookie down long enough to hoist the kid into your arms and attempt to manoeuvre their little arms and legs so that they’re not jabbing into your vital organs, but at the sight of the food being placed far away, the kid lets out a piercing noise, right into your ear, and attempts to kamikaze their way back to it. A body that two seconds ago was ramrod solid and deliberately unwieldy is suddenly boneless and impossible to hold onto. Your brain goes empty of everything but wrestling with several pounds of struggling infant.

You end up on the floor, eventually, but at least both of you are in one piece. You’re breathing heavily. The kid’s face is thunderous. It’s very cute, but you can’t wait to give it back and appreciate that from a distance. Somehow, you manage to settle them onto your hip.

“What the f - heck was that for?” You ask, purely to make yourself feel better. Even if the kid could answer you, you get the feeling they simply wouldn’t. “Was it because I put the biscuit down?”

The kid makes a huffing noise. You roll your eyes, but can’t help smiling. The baby’s dark, just-curling hair is soft against the skin of your upper arm, and their weight is warm and solid against your side.

“I’m not taking it away from you. I’m gonna let you have it, just need to make sure it’s safe for womp-rats first. And return you before those poor guys tear their place apart, okay?”

You re-collect the cookie and struggle back to your feet, looking towards the open balcony. Visions flash through your mind of the baby pulling that boneless trick out there, with nothing but spacelanes separating them from the ground 50 stories below, and...no. You’re not even vaguely risking that. The front door is definitely the better option, but somehow more daunting, as you stand before the neighbouring apartment with your heart in your throat.

The second you knock, the frantic voices inside cut off abruptly, and then you hear the mad scramble that ensues to reach the door. It wooshes open, and suddenly you’re face to face with your neighbours for the first time.

They’re less identical than you’d expected. Maybe that’s a stupid thought, but it’s the first one that stumbles, half formed and dazed, into the open void your brain has just become. The second, very unhelpful follow up, is that they’re also much prettier than you’d expected. Not that you’d necessarily expected anything, but - you’ve never seen one of the clones without their helmets before. The Corrie Guard, back during the war, had made a point of never taking them off as far as you’d ever seen. That was apparently a crying shame. One of them has thick, dark curly hair, a tidy goatee, and a tattoo on his forehead. The other’s hair is a sharp, startling white, interrupted by metal nodes of some sort. Some sort of post-war medical adaptation, you assume. He’s slightly leaner all over, his eyes a little larger in his face. But the way both of them sag against the door frame is exactly the same.

“Thank the fucking force,” The dark haired one breathes, clutching at his chest.

The other trooper elbows him sharply in the ribs. “Fives.”

“She’s ten months old, Echo. She’s not gonna repeat it.”

“She just escaped from our apartment after General Skywalker swore up and down she’s not mobile yet. It’s gonna be her first word just to spite us.”

You laugh before you can stop yourself and flush a little when all attention snaps back to you.

“That I can believe,” you force yourself to say. “Hi. I think I found something of yours.”

You hold out your armful of infant and - you presume Fives is his name - reaches out to take her, groaning in relief.

“Thank you,” he says, fervent, taking a moment to bury his face into the child’s hair. She puts a determined thumb into her mouth and stares at your hand, still clutching the cookie. The trooper turns her in his arms and holds her up at eye level. “You are a menace, Leia. I thought we were gonna have to call in a search.”

It’s nice to have a name for that little displeased face. Leia regards the trooper for a moment before sticking her hand into his face. His eyes are impossibly warm as he pretends to gobble her fingers, and it is, quite frankly, cute as fuck. He turns his attention back to you, but just as he opens his mouth, the sound of a comm going off somewhere behind them cuts through the moment.

“That’ll be the General,” The white-haired trooper laughs. “You better take her and show him, before he raises down half of Coruscant trying to get here.”

Fives nods, flashing another blinding grin at you, before he and Leia are gone. The trooper you’re left with blows out a breath and scrubs a hand over his face.

“Well,” he says, his mouth crooking into a wry smile. “That was exciting.”

He sticks his hand out, and when you take it, his palm is rough and his grip firm. You give him your name without thinking about it, staring into the kind, golden depths of his eyes. They crinkle at the corners when he grins.

“I’m Echo. And - I know Fives already said it, but seriously, thank you. Where the shab did you find her?”

“Trying to steal biscuits from my caf table,” you say, laughing openly when Echo drops his face back into his hand and groans with embarrassment. “I think she got in through the balcony door.”

“Force, we didn’t even think of that. What a first impression, you must think we’re idiots.”

You shake your head, enamoured by the faint colour you can see rising in his cheeks. He brings his metal hand up to his face and presses the cool prosthetic against his skin.

“Not at all. You should have seen the look she gave me when I found her, she knows she’s in charge.”

Echo smiles bashfully. “It’s the first time we’ve ever won the lot to babysit the twins, our Company would have crucified us if we’d lost her.”

“Then I’m very glad to have provided a rescue.”

There’s a short silence as you fidget with your sleeves, strange anticipation churning in your gut. There’s no reason to keep standing here now that the pleasantries are done with, the baby exchanged, but...some part of you resists it, almost looking for an excuse to stay. He and Fives are the first new friendly faces you’ve met in a long time, soothing a sting you didn’t know was there.

“I - um -,” Echo begins suddenly, shifting a little. The colour in his face deepens. “I really like your plants. I’ve always meant to say something. We keep trying to guess what they are.”

“Oh!” Your heart turns over in your chest and you wouldn’t be able to stop the smile bursting onto your face if you tried. Those damn things are so hard to keep alive through the unpredictable engineered weather. You don’t think you’re particularly house proud, but you do preen a little that he’s noticed. “Thank you, I, um, I water them every morning. I could...go through them with you one day? If you like?”

Echo’s head dips an assent. “I’d really like that.”

You linger a moment longer, a pleased thrill still lingering in your belly, but there’s no putting it off now. “I suppose I should let you go. But...please knock if you need anything.”

Echo smiles. “Hopefully not in pursuit of any more babies.”

You’re just about to turn away when you remember the cookie in your hand, slightly smushed now. “Oh! Can you give this to Leia? I wanted to make sure she could eat them, first, but I promised. Seemed only fair, since she went to all that trouble.”

Echo huffs, his expression softening, taking the cookie with careful hands. “I’ll make sure her highness gets it.”

Then you go back to your quiet apartment, somehow deflated when faced with the monotony of your knitting and your music. You hear a few more sounds from the other side of the wall, faint laughter, perhaps a child squealing, and find your curiosity has not been sated at all.

It’s a wonderful surprise, then, when two days later on a clear, sunlit morning, you slide open your balcony door to water the plants and find Echo waiting, his face tipped up to the brightening sky. There is a packet of cookies resting on the duracrete by his feet, and two steaming mugs of caf on the railing by his elbow.

It feels like something special...It feels like a beginning.

taglist // @nelba @leias-left-hair-bun @battletales @bad-batch-of-fics @iscream4clones @majorshiraharu @snippytano @missinashkin @808tsuika @eries45 @dom-i-nic //

#arc trooper echo #echo #arc trooper echo x reader #echo x reader #echo x you #arc trooper fives #fives #the clone wars #star wars #the clone wars fic #alderwrites

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cblgblog · 4 years ago

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So my issues with Irondad are well documented at this point, starting from their very first scenes. Specifically the utter tone deafness of Peter’s recruitment, by both Tony and the writers. Tony starts the movie being blamed for the death of a 20-year-old kid who was in the wrong place, wrong time in Sokovia. That accidental death that can be put down to negligence on his part, is pivotal to what happens next. So pivotal he uses it in his pitch for why the other Avengers need to sign the Accords.

Tony, midway through the movie, deliberately brings a 15-year-old child into this conflict. A child he blackmails into going with him, because if you don’t, I will tell your aunt.

Charles Spencer was an innocent civilian, wrong place, wrong time in Sokovia. He died. That tears Tony up, as it rightfully should. And yet, in the midst of his crusade about following laws and accountability, he lies to May Parker about taking her 15-year-old nephew out of the country and into a warzone. Ignoring some well-established laws about child soldiers.

Tony blackmailing a child who’s had his powers for 6 months into participating in this conflict makes no sense. Ever. It especially makes no sense in the context of Charles Spencer and his mother. Yet neither Tony nor the writers seem to comprehend this. Which is why Irondad has been bullshit from the start. Blackmail and kidnapping are not sweet, father-son moments, even if you ignore the fact, as the MCU wants to, that Peter had a father already, in Ben Parker. He has a loving adult parental figure in May Parker. Both of whom cared about him before he had spider powers that might be helpful to them.

All of this, I’ve said before, so have others. And then I realized that I actually hate Irondad more than I thought. That Feige and co. mishandled it even more than I thought, and why? Because of this.

We know the story. Peter was, supposedly, this kid Tony saved at the Stark Expo in Iron Man 2. Started out as a fan theory, and then was confirmed that yes, this is true, this is exactly what we intended.

Now, we know Civil War had different writers/directors than Homecoming or FFH did. We also know that, for all the lip service of, ‘It’s all connected,’ we know that the creatives in these different franchises do not always talk to each other, and that they often blatantly contradict each other.

Taking all that into account, acknowledging that…the dumbasses at Marvel did not think up the idea of Peter being the Iron Man 2 kid. They heard the theory, thought it was cool, then took credit for having meant that the entire time, yes, that was totally us.

We know this because it is never mentioned in canon. All those Tony and Peter interactions, all those times of yes, Mr. Stark, I just want to be like you, Mr. Stark, and Peter never mentions that? When Tony takes he suit from him in Homecoming and Peter says that he just wants another chance, wants to be like Tony, would he not mention that hey, you saved my life, Mr. Stark. You saved my life and I just wanted to be like you, and now I can be, now I can save lives like you, just please give me another chance.

If the Iron Man 2 theory were true, would he not say that? In FFH, when he’s all guilt-ridden, I didn’t save him, would he not mention that hey, he saved my life before I was Spider-man, before I was special, before I was anyone?

Now I know what you’re thinking. The Iron Man 2 thing isn’t that big a deal. It’s not a crucial thing. And you know what, you’re right. It isn’t, it’s just always annoyed me, in an eyeroll way, that the same people who couldn’t count properly between 2012 and 2017 (8 years later flashing in giant letters across our screens means that Homecoming was meant to take place in 2020), that these same people who let something so blatantly timeline breaking get through then took credit for a kind of cool, kind of clever fan theory. It’s annoying.

I’ve now realized, however, that it is far more than annoying to me. Because TPTB at Marvel did not think of that idea for themselves, but if they had, and if they’d run with that idea? If they had, it would’ve made Peter’s recruitment in Civil War so much more fucked up than it already is, but so much more interesting. So, so, so much more interesting.

I’ve talked about why Spidey’s own movies (as much as you can call them that given the level of Tony infiltration) prove that the theory isn’t true. Now let’s go to Civil War. Different writers, yes, but let’s talk anyway about why we can tell from CW that Peter was not that kid.

He gets home. May is like, look who it is, Tony Stark. Not, look who it is, the hero who literally saved your life. When Tony locks himself in Peter’s room with him (still fucking gross, Jesus Christ), Peter is just, nope, I got no idea what you’re talking about. That’s—no, I’m not a superhero, no. He’s defensive. He’s apprehensive. He’s trying to figure out what fresh hell this is. He’s trying to hide stuff from Tony. If this is the guy who saved him at the Stark Expo, why this reaction? Why not, oh my god, you saved my life, I thought I’d never see you again, not, not up close I mean. When Tony asks him to do a thing, why is it not, well yeah, duh , you saved my life, where do we start? Or even, okay, I don’t really wanna do this, but, you saved my life, I owe you?

So, nobody wrote a fucking word of any of Peter and Tony’s interactions under the theory that he was the Stark Expo kid.

But what if they had?

Tony shows up at May’s place. He does not know who Peter is, in relation to their “meeting” before. He’s expecting to have to do some level of smooth talk to get in here but, nope. May’s just, oh my god, you saved my boy’s life, come in, come in!

We don’t know for sure that Peter was orphaned by the time of the Expo, but if we base it on comics and prior films, he likely was. Most versions seem to have him fall under Ben and May’s care between 2 and 6. O1’ birthday means he would’ve been around 9 at the Expo. So, more than likely, Ben or May or both were the ones there with him. They may credit Tony with saving their lives as well.

So, Tony starts the movie being called out by a grieving mother. Going down this route, we’re at the midpoint…and here’s a different mother telling him how great he is. How he saved the most important thing in her life. How if Ben were here (May’s wearing her wedding ring around her neck btw, you can see it in the scene), Ben would say the same thing. Shake his hand. Hug him.

Now, Tony’s got a sharp ass mind, when it’s not clouded with booze or drugs or the like. Since he wasn’t wasted at the Expo, there’s a good chance that, given some details, he remembers saving this kid. He remembers how small this little boy actually was. He remembers how light this kid was when he grabbed him. It was a few seconds in a long ass night, that he hasn’t thought about in years, but to May Parker, it’s everything.

So maybe at this point Tony’s rethinking this. He’s remembering that little boy, realizing how young he still is. He pulled that boy from danger. And now here’s this woman who invited him into her house, told him how her husband just passed recently, things have been hard, especially for Peter but God, he’ll love to see you. Maybe Tony’s rethinking this, coming up with a way out, when Peter shows up. And then, aw hell. The kid’s just a mess of excitement and shock, possibly tears…okay now it’s just gotten harder to make an exit.

Let’s pause here to say that May Parker is not fucking dumb (“Cut the bullshit. I know you left detention. I know you left the hotel room in Washington. I know you sneak out of this house every night.”).

May is not dumb. Letting the 50-year-old dude go into her nephew’s room with him, alone? Arguably dumb, even if it is Iron Man. Letting him grab the kid for some Stark…thing, and take him wherever Tony said he was taking him on 12 seconds notice? Even more arguably dumb. CW as it’s written dumbs down May’s character for the sake of an already questionable plot point. Especially since she literally says she’s not a fan of Tony in Homecoming. Yes, her comment there comes after the “internship,” her noting Peter’s distraction and stress because of it. But still, it’s fucking weird that she’d let this man take her kid out of the country, alone, in CW. It makes her dumb for the sake of plot.

But if Stark saved Peter’s life not so long ago? It at least makes a bit more sense. He’s a hero. Peter literally wouldn’t be here without him. Why would Tony hurt him now?

So, back to the scene. Peter’s probably less paranoid about showing his stuff to Tony. Probably not spilling everything himself, but when Tony notices things, Peter’s probably less panicked over it, more willing to confirm. Yes, he’s got these powers, okay? And he hasn’t had them for long, but he’s trying to do good, like Tony. He’s trying to do the right thing, like Tony.

Now, this kid has such literal hero worship going, and he’s so damn inexperienced, he admits that. And Tony’s still got Charles Spencer’s mom in his head. He’s dead, Stark. And I blame you.

Can Tony really take this kid—actual minor kid younger than Charles was—take him and put him on the field against the goddamn Avengers? That woman out there with the dead husband and the ring around her neck, what’s he going to say if Peter gets hurt, or worse? Sure the kid obviously has skills but, can he risk another grieving mom?

So, maybe Tony’s rethinking this. Maybe he can still get out of this, improvise a Plan B. But then there’s a text from Nat or Ross. Where are you? We��ve only got a few hours, what’s the play?

Special circumstances, nobody in that group is really gonna fight to kill…it’s special circumstances, and he can keep the kid mostly sidelined.

This time, he doesn’t have to blackmail Peter. He doesn’t have to threaten to expose his secret. Peter’s willing, either because he genuinely wants to, or he feels he owes Tony a debt. So there goes the dick factor of Tony literally blackmailing a child. And the lack of questions Peter seems to ask about what he’s fighting for, the acceptance of vague answers, that’d also make more sense in this context.

In this version, Tony is both more and less of a dick. He’s doing less active threatening and manipulation…but he’s also being doubly manipulative. His genuinely good deed gives him an easy in with the Parkers. He’s playing on the credibility of an earlier, at least somewhat better version of himself. One who saved Peter Parker and hadn’t yet ended Charles Spencer.

Look, I won’t lie, I legit don’t know what I’m saying anymore, except that Marvel sucks for taking credit for a thing that they definitely do not have credit for. Which isn’t particularly new for them, and wouldn’t particularly matter if the thing they took credit for (and didn’t do anything with) could’ve offered some interesting story possibilities.

#anti tony stark #anti irondad #iron man 2 #peter parker #may parker #kinda fuck marvel though really #spider-man #civil war

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juseki-taisen · 4 years ago

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How about how the 12 warriors celebrate V-Day? (Bonus challenge being Doudecuple and Navi)

Thank you for the request @gale-dragon-writer

This was a long one! I hope you guys like!

Inounoshishi

Without S/O

This wouldn’t happen, let’s be real. If it did she planned this by choice, so she’s probably busy kicking ass and taking names...and numbers

Probably prowls bars for lonely men/women/they’s ect to buy her drinks.

Never pays for any food or drink of Valentines. She’s hot af and knows it

It’s 50/50 if she’s going to go home with someone

With S/O

Expects to be spoiled. Please spoil her

Despite her immense wealth, she doesn’t expect you to buy her expensive things. She can do that herself. What she’d really like is for a gift that’s full of thought.

If you make her a gift, she’ll play it off but she secretly loves it. It doesn’t matter how shitty it is. If you make her a cute boar figure out of clay and it’s lopsided, but you tried hard and painted it her favorite color, it’s going on her mantel in the living room.

Spoils you too. You will drown in gifts and kisses. Don’t worry, she uses amazing lipstick and it doesn’t stick to your face.

Dotsuku

Without S/O

Spends the day giving candy to the children.

Secretly gives his daughter a secret admirer letter, her confidence SKY ROCKETS

Decorates his classroom

This man is great at help kids learn about consent. No pulling pigtails, and if a boy likes a girl and she tells him no, he makes sure he knows not to keep bugging her. Same thing with the girls. If a boy doesn’t like them they’re not allowed to keep bugging them either.

Watches cute love movies with his daughter. He’s her prince charming.

With S/O

You better believe he has you help decorate his classroom

You make cute paper hearts and pick out candy

The kids leave you valentines

He takes you to dinner. His daughter comes too. You guys have a lot of fun. He buys you and his daughter a dessert. Somehow she eats here and half of yours

Snuggles on the couch and a cute movie.

Niwatori

Without an S/O

Doesn’t celebrate

She doesn’t understand why it’s a big deal

Indulges the day after on discount candy

With an S/O

Help her

She wants to celebrate but she’s in Ushii level awkward when it comes to doing anything

Picks the most popular movie out, watches it, and THAT is the basis for her whole idea

Gets you candy. Wears a cute dress. Picks a place to eat. Buys you roses, or do you get her roses? She’ll get them for you...just in case

Candy? Candy. Lots of candy.

Any small thing you get her she’s going to love. She never has really gotten gifts, and one out of love is a gift she’ll treasure forever

If you do get her flowers, she’s going to press them or dry them and keep them forever

Sharyu

Without an S/O

She had a fiancé for what seemed like forever, so a day without one is kind of difficult for her

She’s happy she’s alone, because she’s happy with who she is and now doesn’t have anyone to try and fit her into a mold that she didn’t belong

Kind of mopes though. She wants romance and someone who loves her for who she is and everything she does

Drinks hot coco and eats an ungodly amount of chocolate

With an S/O

So. Excited.

She cooks all day and makes cake, dinner, and everything else from scratch

You get her gifts and feel like it’s still not enough

Honestly? It doesn’t matter what you get her. She just love shaving you around and knowing how much you care for her for who she is

PLEASE slow dance with her in the kitchen while you’re doing the dishes. She’ll remember it forever

Hitsujii

Without an S/O

Hangs out at home

Waiting for the candy to go on sale

Babysits for his child so they can have a romantic evening

Watches random shows on TV, but avoids romance stuff

With an S/O

Still wants to hang out at home, but will go out if you want

Uses this as an excuse to DESTROY the candy aisle

Gets you flowers, they’re not red roses because that’s pretty expensive, but he gets cute ones...and a bear

Snuggles and falling asleep to bad rom coms on TV

Uuma

Without an S/O

Spends it alone

He wishes he had someone, but he’s alright for the most part

Okay he’s not

He’s a big softie inside and somewhat romanticizes the holiday more than he should

Eats cake...and chocolate

With an S/O

The man goes WILD

Roses everywhere

Candlelight

A romantic dinner he made meticulously after practicing for weeks

Remakes the titanic ship in a bottle, with you two as the figures on the front of the ship

He loves any gift you get him. He cries. He tries not to, but he does.

He writes you a poem he gets to embarrassed to read. You get it in a card.

Takeyasu

Without an S/O

Steals everything with his brother

Necklaces, candy, and even flowers just so he can light them on fire

Doesn’t think much of the holiday, never has. It’s stupid.

With an S/O

He’s awkward. He doesn’t know how to celebrate the holiday

He gets you the basics, candy, a bear, and flowers. That’s it right?

Oh wait, you wanna do something? Uh, can a theme park be romantic?

You have a lot of fun actually, and when inevitably he lights part of it on fire, he has stuff for smores.

You save the picture from the tunnel of love. You managed to snap it before he lit it on fire. The tunnel was the point of origin.

Later on down the road he plans more stuff. He may also use fireworks to do your name in the air or something

Steals you a car.

Nagayuki

Without an S/O

Steals stuff with his brother

Gets entirely to many snacks

Does anything but Holiday stuff

With an S/O

Doesn’t want to do anything, but will because you ask him

Takes you for dinner, and he enjoys spending time with you, but because social convention is making him he’s grumpy about it

If you’re the kind of person who is easily embarrassed, he may send you cheesy emails with stupid valentines cards

Chocolate and all KINDS of snacks

Later on down the line he’ll plan more romantic stuff, and buy you nice things with real money so you know he cares

Usagi

Without an S/O

He likes the Holiday and wants someone to do it with SOOOO BAD

Watches all those cute movies and cheesy rom coms

Has a “Friend” he takes out on a date

It doesn’t go well

With an S/O

Oh boy. He’s SO HAPPY

He gets you everything. Flower, roses (ignore the blood it’s fine), and he lets you know he’s arrived to pick you up by having his friends hold him high while he has a boom box playing your favorite song. Even if it’s metal. Even if he thinks the holiday begins at midnight. Your neighbors wont care, right?

You will go to ALL the cheesy stuff. Cute rides at a theme park, which somehow gets burned down later on thanks to someone (Takeyasu)

A dinner and flowers, chocolate. SO MUCH CANDY. He even likes the terrible heart ones. He made you a box filled with ones that have saying that remind him of you

Cuddles, kisses, and smooches that just...don’t stop. Even in public. You gotta tell him to tone it down.

Tora

Without an S/O

Drinks, and mopes

She doesn’t really want to date, but seeing other people happy kinda rubs it in when you’re single

Partakes in day after candy sales

She actually avoids the bars, to many couples being happy and cute

Angrily eats snacks

With an S/O

She doesn’t expect much, other than maybe being one of those annoying couples who steals Every. Booth. In. The. Restaurant.

Please get her presents. Please. She’ll get really happy and flustered

This girl will actually try and make you chocolate from scratch. Sharyu helps. She even wraps them in a cute wrapping paper she draws herself

It’s pretty casual and after bar hopping you spend it at home. You’re with her so she cuts back so she’s not sloshed. She wants to remember being with you.

So many cute kisses.

Hand holding. It still gets her flustered.

Please get your picture taken at some point. She’ll put it by her bed and fall asleep smiling

Ushii

Without an S/O

There’s a Holiday?

He guess he noticed it was harder than normal to get a table for his favorite restaurant

Doesn’t really like sweets so the holiday just annoys him

So many people confess to him and he’s just like “Okay. Cool. Thanks”

With an S/O

He’s not great with the holiday. He’s smart though, so he tries to research what to do

Googles top ten most romantic gesture, luckily has the sense not to propose

Gets you candy, roses, and all the stereotypical stuff

You have to tell him to relax, because all the stuff he’s saying is regurgitated rom com lines

When he does relax, he’s actually really sweet. Stupidly sweet actually.

“I don’t need a holiday to tell me you’re important, you’re already always on my mind, but the candy is nice I guess”

Will watch whatever you want. Is always confused by romance movies, but oh BOY does he love going out to eat with you. Hell. Yes. The desserts are amazing and now he gets to share them with you

Care you a card. It’s ugly, but he tries

Gets you a really cute necklace. It has a small ox on it, so he can always be with you.

Nezumi

Without an S/O

Eats candy and sleeps. It’s no different than any other day, other than people piss him off more.

He doesn’t like how weird people get

They also made out on his locker...and he needed his textbook. Please....Let him get his books

With an S/O

Uses his paths so much that he passes out and HARD CORE NAPS before you go out

Has the perfect gift.

Plays co op video games with you

He doesn’t like people, so you get take out and stay home

You watch movies, but they’re movies like Princess Bride, Warm Bodies, and love stories that aren’t so normal and are more fun

If you’re LGBT he goes out of his way to find a good movie ahead of time, because he loves and supports you and this day is about you two damn it! (The other’s would try to do this for their S/O, but would have a harder time. since most of them are not great with technology like Nezumi is)

So much candy and snacks

Selfies and filters

You fall asleep together and nap

get him a gift. He’ll know it’s coming but it still makes him happy

BONUS CHALLENGE

Doudecuple

Without an S/O

Doesn’t do a whole lot. Has wine and watches the mortals below

Maybe messes with people just a bit to amuse himself

Does his own thing. He really doesn’t care for the holiday

With an S/O

Wine and a dessert charcuterie board

Gets you an expensive gift, but practical. A coat, a scarf. Something to keep you warm and cozy you can use everyday and think of him.

Makes the impossible possible. A romantic setting with only a few people

Getting the tickets for some play or show the last minute

Please do something cheesy, it’ll amuse him, and he’ll secretly keep it

ON THE FLIP SIDE

He may get a gift from you, then anyone who goes in his office will see it.

“Look what my Love got me. Have you beheld it?”

It doesn’t matter if it’s stupid. He’s keeping it forever

Navi

Without and S/O

Stays home and has snacks and chocolates

Maybe organizes his hat collection

Watches fun game shows or anything without romance

With S/O

Has a special hat he wears for the occasion

Gets you one too

Gets you candy and a single rose, as well as a teddy bear

Uses his tablet to find the best places to go with the best rating. Uses his ability to multiply to hold your place in line so you can actually do other stuff

Ferris wheel. He has to hold his hat on but you guys get an AMAZING picture together. It’s his screensaver. He texts it to Nezumi. Nezumi and him start having a couple picture off. Next year, double date.

#juni taisen #juuni taisen #juni taisen x reader #juuni taisen x reader

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madd-information · 4 years ago

Note

Have you watched Kati Morton's new video about Maladaptive Daydreaming? What do you think about it?

[intro]

For years, I believed maladaptive daydreaming to be a form of dissociation, but it could also be added to the DSM as its own diagnosis, since it does have its own set of unique symptoms. Either way, at this time maladaptive daydreaming is not listed in the DSM as a diagnosable mental illness.

I was concerned because her last couple videos on the topic were very confusing to watch and seemed to conflate MD with the inner-worlds of DID. It looks like she has done some more research on it and is going to make a more informed video. This is great and I deeply appreciate that she’s taking the time to do a proper dive into this.

The closest diagnosis would be DPDR, or depersonalization derealization disorder. And this is the diagnosis given to those of us who struggle with dissociation. [explanation of DPDR]

Gonna need you to source that Katie, I’ve never heard an MD researcher say something like this. When they talk about MD they call it a behavioral addiction with OCD features which is related to dissociative absorption (different from derealization and depersonalization, these two dissociative experiences are not particularly significant in MD, though they can happen.)

These experiences are extremely common. It's estimated that half of all adults have had at least one episode of DPDR. 50% of people. That is a huge amount of people.

Cool but not sure it’s at all relevant to the video topic.

Also, it's important to mention that in 2016, four researchers put together the Maladaptive Daydreaming Scale, or MDS. This is a 14-item self-reported scale, meaning that you as the patient answers 14 questions based on your own maladaptive daydreaming experience.

It’s a 16 item scale now, it was changed very early on and has been 16 for years. This is a very small and forgivable knitpick, just fyi.

The MDS focuses on the content of our daydreams, how intense the urge to continue daydreaming is, and how much it impairs our ability to function in our lives, and the benefits and costs of our daydreaming. I am not personally familiar with this scale, nor have I used it in my practice, but I've linked the research article in the description if you wanna learn more about it.

A good description, and here’s that link again for anyone who wants to read about the finer details of this scale.

When it comes to maladaptive daydreaming, it isn't just feeling out of body or environment. We can create very intense and detailed daydreams with plots, characters, and very lifelike issues and storylines. Some people will get the plots for their daydreams from their real lives, while others can create a utopian place unlike their current experience.

Yep, decent overview of content, though content doesn’t matter that much. Also, use of “we”. Is Katie Morton an MDer or was this a creative choice? I don’t know, just a passing thought.

We can find ourselves staying in these daydreams for various amounts of time. And some of my patients have reported staying in them for hours. And many of you have let me know that you struggle to get out of them at all, spending days in this other life that we've created.

Yep, good overview, but more importantly she’s listening to her patients and the feedback of MDers in her audience.

...there are many causes for this, and the first I wanna address is trauma triggers. If we've experienced a trauma in our life, things that remind us of that time or situation can pull us into a flashback, cause us to dissociate, or in many cases push us into our maladaptive daydreams.

When our brain and the rest of our nervous system feels overwhelmed and unable to deal with what's going on in the moment, it can pull us out of our current situation through dissociation. I always talk about that, like our brain pulling the ripcord. And it can also utilize maladaptive daydreaming. It's a way to cope or get through an overwhelming situation when we don't have other skills to help calm our nervous system down. So we just rely on what we know, and that can be daydreaming or dissociating. It's almost like this coping skill protects us from having to feel traumatized again and so it takes us away, you know, drops us into a much safer and happier place.

Trauma is always talked about first when people do overviews of MD. She’s not wrong but just to add more information; about a quarter of MDers report trauma, the other 75(ish)% don’t. It’s a significant number but trauma is not the only pathway to MD. Sometimes people walk away from these videos feeling like “well, I don’t have any trauma, maybe I don’t really have MD”. That’s not a comment on what Katie has presented, she does go into other things below, just adding on.

Another cause or trigger can be high levels of stress or anxiety. We can slowly feel ourselves become more and more overwhelmed until our brain pulls us out of our reality and into a new one, aka our maladaptive daydreams. In short, we can want to stay in these daydreams to feel better and safer, but it can get in the way of us functioning in our life.

Yep

[audience anecdotes]

...Which is why even the term maladaptive daydreaming is used. Maladaptive means it's not providing adequate or appropriate adjustment to the environment or situation. So the daydreaming is only holding off the bad things. It's not actually making anything better or helping us process any of the upset. It's really just a temporary check-out, which can be helpful sometimes, but if it's happening all the time or making it hard for us to focus at work, school, or with our friends and family, we should find other, better ways to cope.

Exactly.

Which moves us into how we can better cope so that we don't get sucked into our daydreams for hours, days, or even weeks. And first up is mindfulness. Now, I know that term is overused now and super annoying but in order for us to know when we even need to use other coping skills, we have to know when the daydreaming urges are happening. So often we aren't aware of what we were feeling or thinking until it's too late and we're already pulled into our daydream. And at that point it's more difficult or even impossible for us to pull ourselves out. Therefore, we have to start being more aware of what we're going through.

[continues explanation]

Perfection.

And so next is figuring out ways to calm our system down. This can take the form of a distraction technique like going for a walk or organizing a part of our home, coloring, watching a show, playing a video game, you name it. These calming things could also be more process-based, things like journaling or talking to your therapist or a friend about it, or even using an impulse log. [Continues with calming things]

Good examples, MD researchers specifically recommend keeping a log.

We're also going to have to find some coping skills that we can use when we're starting to feel overwhelmed and wanting to go back into the daydream. Maybe we hold an ice cube in our hands, clap our hands, count the number of things in the room that are blue, brown, black… whatever works for you, do it.

Good stuff.

And it's okay for something not to work. We just have to try it to know and then move on to something else.

Important point to make, happy to see this.

Once we have a few things that work, write them down in your phone or on a post-it note so that you can see it and be reminded when you need it. We will also need to come up with some ways to pull ourselves out of the daydream. And I know this is gonna be harder and we may even wanna call upon helpful and supportive people in our lives to assist us.

Good advise.

We could, because it's our daydream, right, we could put a big door in our daydream and we can choose to go through it and pull ourselves out, or have people in the daydream that remind us of our real life and tell us to go back.

A good suggestion. Q, on the Parallel Lives Podcast (I can’t remember which episode off the top of my head), did something like this by turning to his characters and saying “ok, take 5 guys, we’ll pick it up at xtime”, and many people have found that to be a clever and helpful method.

Now, I know this is really, really hard… which rolls into my final tip, which is to work with a therapist to heal from the trauma or to learn how to better cope with the anxiety or stress we're feeling. Working to heal or process through the reason our maladaptive daydreaming exists in the first place will ensure that we don't need it anymore.

Absolutely seek professional support if you can.

... if we heal the issue we're struggling to cope with, the urge to use those unhelpful coping skills will go away altogether.

[outro]

I think this last point will frighten a lot of MDers. It’s probably the brevity of the video that didn’t allow her to really expand on this, and I certainly don’t want to put words into her mouth that she may not have intended. Don’t be afraid of losing your MD. “Curing” Maladaptive Daydreaming does not mean “I’ll never see my world again.” You’ll always have the capacity to daydream like this, you were born this way, but it *doesn’t* have to be maladaptive. Like overeating, you will never not eat, you will fix your relationship with food.

Good video overall, brief but accurate and includes the standard helpful advise.

#maladaptive daydreaming #actuallymadd

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infernwetrust · 4 years ago

Text

afraid of heights [Fem Reader x Michael Langdon x Jim Mason x AHS 1984]

Summary: Part of the gang pokes fun at Xavier’s fear of heights and you and Michael attempt to get a little frisky in the air.

Warnings: Very very light smut, swearing

WC: 1.3k

A/N: Part of the Bestfriends Universe that can be found on my master list, here.

"Xavier could you grip my thigh any harder?" you overheard Montana ask. She was in the row in front of you. Courtesy of Jim's parents, you all got to fly first class to Mexico for the summer. Xavier was a nervous wreck as he was absolutely terrified of heights and flying. He much rather drive to his destination, but he knew that flying was quicker. "You're gonna leave a bruise. We'll be fine, I promise." She grabbed his hand, intertwining her fingers with his, resting it firmly on his thigh instead of hers.

"Bet you 50 bucks he pisses his shorts on take off." Chet said to Ray, the two laughing.

"I'll bet you another 50 that he'll throw up first." Ray said.

"I'll bet on that too!" Jim chimed in, popping his head over the seat. "On the throw up though. He seems like the type."

"You guys are terrible." you commented, rolling your eyes. "I'm sure you all have something that you're terribly afraid of."

"And this isn't one of them." Chet shot back with a big grin from across the aisle. You looked over at Michael who had his head rested against the window frame, headphones over his ears, eyes glued to the window.

"Hey.." you said to Xavier, reaching over to rest a hand on his shoulder. "It'll be fine okay? I'm back here too if you need reassurance." He nodded and you sat back down, fastening your seatbelt for departure.

"Ladies and gentlemen this is your Captain speaking." a voice spoke over the speaker. "Very rainy and cloudy skies over Los Angeles this afternoon. Winds NW 23mph, expecting a very very very bumpy departure until we make it above the clouds. Total flight time today is 4 hours gate to gate. Doors are closed and we should be pushing back from the gate here, shortly." You could of swore Xavier's heart dropped after the announcement the way he let go of Montana's hand to run his hands over his face. You glanced over at Jim, Brooke, Ray, and Chet who silently chuckled to themselves. You were sure Michael missed the announcement considering how loud he kept his music in his ears, but he was no stranger to a bumpy departure.

All phones in airplane mode and within 10 minutes the plane was pushing back from the gate and the flight safety video was on as the flight attendants demonstrated. Xavier paid attention to the whole thing, everyone else either half asleep or listening to music on their phones. Montana's hand never left his once he finally let her hold it again. As the taxi that seemed to never end continued, you reached over Michael's lap to take a picture on your phone, patting his thigh and you fixed yourself. He gave you a sleepy smile before continuing to look out the window.

"Flight attendants please prepare for takeoff." the Captain spoke again as they walked through the cabin doing their final checks before returning to their seats at the front and rear of the plane. As the plane lined up on the runway and the engines roared, you could see Xavier tensing up. His leg rapidly bounced up and down and he chewed at the finger nails on his free hand, his window shade shut. As the plane left the ground and the g-forces forced everyone down into their seat a little bit, his grip on Montana's hand got tighter and she sighed.

The captain wasn't lying when he said it would be a bumpy departure. Almost immediately as the clouds engulfed the plane, it began shaking as it continued to climb, dipping every so often due to an air pocket or gust of wind. With each dip Xavier closed his eyes and clenched his jaw, his leg only bouncing faster. He quickly looked around, confused at how almost everyone else was calm, except for a few crying babies. Ray began watching a movie on his phone as so did Chet. Brooke and Jim were taking pictures despite the continuous rocking of the aircraft. You decided that you would continue to read a book you had started on Amazon.

When the plane had finally leveled out at cruising altitude and the constant rocking stopped, the pilot made another announcement and turned off the fasten seatbelt sign. Xavier wasted no time unbuckling his seatbelt and immediately dashing to the first class bathroom, hand over his mouth.

"Told ya." Ray said to Chet, Chet groaning because he lost 100 dollars. "Better find the nearest ATM in Mexico. You owe me and Jim 50 bucks."

"Motion sickness and fear is always throw up guaranteed." Jim laughed, plucking Chet behind the ear.

"Okay, guys." Brooke said. "That's enough. He's probably already embarrassed enough. Be a little bit more supportive when he comes back out the bathroom, yeah?"

"He knows we're just poking fun." Jim said back. "But fine, we'll be a little bit more 'supportive'"

"Speak for yourself." Chet said. "This is payback for that stupid little prank he pulled. He won't get to live this one down."

Wanting to get into a little "fun" of your own that wasn't poking fun at Xavier, you draped your blanket over you and Michael, your hand making it's way between his legs giving his length a good squeeze. He jumped, squeezing your hand and turning his head to look at you. He removed his headphones, resting them on the tray table.

"Can it not wait until 4 hours from now?" he asked in your ear, his voice a low growl. "We're not the only ones here y'know?"

"I know." you whispered back. "That's why I got the blanket, duh. Come on, a little mile high fun isn't all too bad now is it?"

"Always so desperate to be handsy with me in public." Michael said, his voice deep in your ear as he continued to hold onto your hand. "Wanting to stroke me to a mess in front of everyone."

"It'll be your fault if you let yourself become a mess." you shot back. “No shame in not being able to keep quiet. I understand.” You quickly removed your hand from between Michael’s leg, giving his cheek a childish pinch before playfully patting it gently a few times.

“I can so keep quiet.” he answered, defending himself.

“I know a few others that can back me up.” A wicked grin made its way across your face and you looked around at your friends. You jumped when Michael suddenly and aggressively grabbed your thigh.

“Come on then, Y/N. Let’s see if YOU can keep quiet. Better yet, let’s see how hard I can get you to squirm with my fingers.” You moved to say something else when Xavier walked back out of the bathroom.

“Say anything.” he began, glaring at Ray, Chet, and Jim. “And I will make sure you regret as soon as we get to Mexico.”

“Is that a promise or a threat?” Jim asked, cocking his head to the side.

“Both.” Xavier smiled before turning his attention away from them and returning to his seat, where Montana put her hand over his, giving him a kiss on his cheek. He turned around to look at you, giving you a small thumbs up.

“Well I hope you at least feel a little bit better.” you giggled, returning the thumbs up as Michael fumbled with the button on your jeans underneath the blanket. His hand movements were slow and teasing, not wanting anyone to know there was remotely even any movement under there. You turned your head to look at him, but his eyes were back out the window, pretending as if you two weren’t even interacting.

This was going to be a long flight, not just for Xavier, but for you as well.

Taglist: @jimmason @angelicmichael @whatcodysaid @9layerdevilfoodcake @fernfiction

Please let me know if you’d like to join my tag list! Also accepting requests for this series.

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meltwonu · 5 years ago

Note

Prompts #19 #8 #2 together with dom!seungcheol i still miss him 🥺

2. “I’ve never wanted anyone to fuck me this badly.”

8. “Like what you see?”

19. “Take off your clothes.”

note; camgirl!reader, squirting, dirty talk u know it!! ahaaaaa altho this is for cheol, theres a bit of all the members in this i mean its a camshow kdjfhksjh also it took me 30 min to come up with usernames for everyone 😔also the format of this is long and i got too into this so the rest is under the cut! Thank you for requesting!! Enjoy!! 💕

PLAY MY DRABBLE GAME HERE | ASK | MASTERLIST

__________________________________________________

“Hmm, dom.cheol just wrote ‘Take off your clothes’, we’ll get to that soon! Just a few more donations and we can start the show!” The lace babydoll doesn’t do much to hide your figure from the camera but Seungcheol is impatient, his eyes flitting across his computer screen as he watches you.

kitty_junjun: aww, baby let us see you already!!

therealchan99: can I get a private show? :‘)

angelhan: if anyone’s getting a free show, wouldn’t it be dom.cheol?

Seungcheol smirks from behind his screen, licking his lips as he reads the comments on your stream. Your camgirl username was ‘cherry_clouds’ although that had nothing to do with your real name. You were his favorite camgirl and Seungcheol was a constant viewer; always active in the chat and always generous with his donations. He donated money, toys, and clothes whenever he could and you were extremely appreciative for him.

“dom.cheol getting a free show? Maybe… hehe, oh! We just hit the minimum for the show, guess we can start now!” You flash the cam a sweet smile, fingers playing with the lace of the sheer babydoll. “Like what you see? This cute little number was donated to me by dom.cheol! Thank you so much!”

dom.cheol: you’re welcome sweetheart, now why don’t you give us what we’re waiting for?

“Hmm, okay~ I think you’ve all waited long enough… and if I’m being honest… there was another gift in the package dom.cheol sent…” You push your keyboard away from you on the bed as you lean back, spreading your legs so that the camera can get a clear shot of your wet panties. “These vibrating panties were on this whole time since I started, I’m so wet and so sensitive, I could cum already~” Your voice is airy, sweet sighs escaping you as you reach for the remote tucked under a nearby pillow.

universe_WZ: fuck, look at that. You’re already soaking

alphagyu97: please tell me you’re selling those panties afterwards??

dom.cheol: turn up the vibration level baby, I know you can take it.

You obey, setting it to the highest level before you cry out, grinding down into the bed sheets underneath you.

dom.cheol: cum for me.

Seungcheol watches you come apart, legs snapping shut as you cum from the intense vibrations. The sound of coins clinking sounds off in the background as you catch your breath, sliding the soaked fabric down your legs. You take your time with removing your lace babydoll, giving your viewers a show as you toss it off to the side. Seungcheol palms himself through his sweats as he leans back in his computer chair, eyes fixated on your body.

“I have two~ more toys to play with… ‘m really sorry guys, I have a short show tonight! I have some business to take care of afterwards, hope that’s okay?” You pout at your camera, fingers twirling around a lock of hair.

artist8hao: don’t worry about it, doll! We’re happy to see you any chance we get!

tangerine_kwan: agreed! Don’t apologize!!!

chwenon: wait i’m with alphagyu97 are you selling those panties???

hoshi_tiger_xx: actually yea, thirded? Are u sellin those?

Seungcheol can’t help but eye roll at the comments. Sometimes he wishes it was really just you and him, but he also knew there were boundaries. You never offered private shows and you never sold any of your used panties, as much as your viewers seemed to want them. But he watches you pull out your favorite dildo and your hitachi, both also gifts from him, as you set them down in front of you.

“In my last show, I think it was sleepy_wonu who asked if I could, um, try squirting if I had the chance so I figured I would try since it’s a short show today! I wanna treat you all~”

sleepy_wonu: holy shit she just menbtioned me skjkh move over dom.cheol!!!

xcaliburDK: yikes don’t get too cocky there buckaroo

gentleman_josh95: wait did u say squirt

“Yes! I wanna try it tonight… Think I can? My body is already sensitive from cumming once~”

Seungcheol slides a hand past the band of his sweats and underwear, wrapping his fingers around his hard cock. He shimmies the fabric down, freeing his cock from its confines as he pumps himself. Reaching over, he uses his free hand to type a quick reply.

dom.cheol: lets see that pretty little pussy get wet, baby.

Giggling, you grab a bottle of lube off camera, plopping back down onto your bed. “Ok~ let’s get started~!”

universe_WZ has donated $100

angelhan has donated $50

dom.cheol has donated $450

“Thank you~ Hmm, ah, I’m still so wet… do you think I can take two fingers already?”

alphagyu97: yes god yes yes

kitty_junjun: bet you could take 3 with how wet u r ;)

Pouring a little bit of lube on your fingertips, you start with one finger, pumping the digit until you realize it’s not enough, quickly adding another finger into your tight hole. “A-ah, mmh, feels so good, I want more~” You whine, grinding into your own palm as you reach for the dildo. You continue to finger yourself, adding a third digit as you pop the lid on the lube, squirting some onto the dildo as you warm it up with your free hand.

“I really can’t wait anymore, I wanna be fucked so badly~”

Seungcheol pumps his cock, precum leaking from the tip as he watches you remove your fingers and instead position yourself over the dildo. You sink down onto it, eyes rolling to the back of your head as the dildo bottoms out inside of you. You start to bounce on it, fucking yourself onto it as Seungcheol tries to stave off from cumming too soon.

“A-ah, d’you wanna k-know, hah, a secret?”

therealchan99: oh god yes

xcaliburDK: yessssssss

“Mmh, sometimes wh–when I’m fuckin’ myself on this dildo, I imagine it’s dom.cheol’s cock filling me up. It’s so big, but I bet he’s so much bigger~ He could probably make me cum just from sitting on his cock~ Ah, and then he’d probably fill me up with his cum and I’d be so full of it~ I’d make him watch all the cum spill down my legs and then let him scoop it up and fuck it back into me~ Mmh, I’ve never wanted someone to fuck me this badly~”

sleepy_wonu: b r u h

hoshi_tiger_xx: yoooooooo

chwenon: imma pretend u said my name instead

If Seungcheol wasn’t already heated before, he could feel his blood turn into lava as he fucks up into his hand; your words spurring him on. He can feel himself getting closer and closer to his orgasm as you continue to fuck yourself on the dildo, a free hand reaching for the hitachi next to you.

dom.cheol has donated $600

dom.cheol: fuck, sweetheart, let’s see it, fuckin wet this cock for me like a good girl

You turn on your hitachi, settling it to the highest setting before placing it against your clit. You let out a small scream, opting to grind down onto the dildo instead as you cum hard. The sound of rapid fire donations hits your ears but you don’t let up, keeping the hitachi against your clit as you maneuver yourself onto your back, giving the camera a clear shot of your filled pussy. Your legs threaten to clamp shut but you fight the urge, using a hand to pump the dildo in and out as your other hand presses the hitachi harder into your clit.

“I’m gon–gonna cum again fuck, fuck..!!”

Seungcheol jerks his cock faster, wanting to cum at the same time as you. He moves his hands in time with you fucking the dildo into yourself as he cums, biting his lip hard to hold in his noises. On screen, you cum right after he does, back arching off the bed as the dildo is forced out of you, clear liquid spraying and wetting the bed sheets underneath you. Your grip on the hitachi loosens but you keep it to your clit until the overstimulation starts to bite, small whines and cries leaving you as you turn it off and catch your breath.

tangerine_kwan: i think i have died

artist8hao: i…please tell me we can pay for this content to be reuploaded

gentleman_josh95: seconded, please god that was so hot

You lay there for a moment, letting the sound of donations keep going for a minute or two before you attempt to sit up. Seungcheol, alone in his room, sits with his hand still firmly around his cock, streaks of cum already drying on his shirt.

“Mmm, I’m so sleepy you guys~ That really wiped me out… How did I do? I’m soaked now~”

universe_WZ: i would d word for u

artist8hao: i literally came when you did and I’m already ready for a second round

chwenon: me too, fuck

dom.cheol: I think you killed me, sweetheart.

You let out a tired giggle, slumping forward into the camera. “Aww, ‘m sorry~ I Just wanted to show my appreciation~ And again I’m sorry that I had to have such a short show! I wanted to make it worth it, y’kno?” You read a few more comments, thanking your viewers for supporting your show as always.

“Okay~ I think I gotta go now everyone! I gotta go clean up! Thank you again for watching! Love ya!”

Seungcheol watches as you blow a kiss to the camera, waving once more before the stream cuts off. He sighs out of tiredness, sending one last donation of $500 before he exits your page for the night. Checking his account, he notices a tiny ‘1’ over the messages logo, brow quirking in curiosity. He clicks on it, heart racing when he sees the singular ‘cherry_clouds would like to send you a message!’ in his inbox.

Seungcheol feels the air leave his lungs as he reads your message, quickly pulling up a reply window as his eyes flit over the message for the 3rd time.

“Hi dom.cheol!

I just wanted to thank you for your constant support for me~ I’d be nowhere without you~! I’ve been thinking it over and I know I don’t really do private shows or anything… but I would really be interested in doing one for you, free of charge for my biggest supporter! If you’re interested, I’d love to hear back from you! I’m free right now actually, maybe we can even cam and get to know each other better? ;) Hope to hear from you soon! xx cherry_clouds”

#seungcheol smut #scoups smut #seventeen smut #svt smut #svt scenarios #svt imagines #seventeen imagines #scoups imagines #scoups scenarios #scoups #seungcheol #cherrybomb!cheol

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thesolotomyhan · 4 years ago

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narcos méxico: first date hc

ok sooo,, I am genuinely lost haha i also just want to say im sorry for being so slow to get content out for you lovely's and if this is trash :(,,,, and a big thank you to @fandomnerd16 for the idea! 💖 basically what does the first date include with them! i-im just going to leave this here, let me know what you guys think so far???

Tags: @fandomnerd16 , @visintaes , @sheeshgivemeabreak

Ramon:

Imagining the first date with ramon and how soft it would be has me cryinggg

he cant help but show his soft kid side with you-

you’re just different, he wants to show you he’s really capable of loving and being himself for you,

and that he has a whole other side to him that he reserves and that he’s willing to wholeheartedly show you,,,

can you imagine this man taking you to a carnival/fair for your first date?

just being surrounded by food, games, rides and just pure bliss and happiness ??? yes

like,just the both of you walking around, holding hands, zero fucking awkwardness between you two as he excitedly leads you around, to each booth possible,,

he’ll tug you along to like those water gun stands or the pop the balloon stands and challenge to do competitions with you-

“Que dices? te apuesto un beso que no me ganas en la pistolas de agua, muñeca”-

like, its hella cheesy and cheap how he’s asking to kiss you but it only makes you want to beat him to have him at least work for it,,

the happy v i b es im getting has me sobbing-

just,, the way both of your laughs echo into the air because neither of you want to lose and your just so happy to be around one another right now,,,

i cant- imagine him looking over at you and giving you the most softest look in the middle of your water gun competition when you tell him he’s losing to you, i cant

he would purposely let you win more than 50 percent of the games just to see you throw your arms in the air and laugh up to him that you beat him-

the proud ass smile he gives you as he’ll like twirl you around to pump you up even more, fuck, just why

ok, so you know that one hammer strength game they have at those fairs, where you test your strength and shit, yeah ramon would immediately drag you over to one just to show off his strength and win you the big ass stuffed monkey they have for the winner,,

just- the little fucking grin he has when he hears the puck ring the bell on the first try as he looks over at you, cheering him on-

ramon winning all the giant stuffed animals for you would be his goal alright,,

Especially after the way he saw how happy you got with the monkey he won for you at the hammer strength booth,,,

just filling your overflowing arms with big ass teddy bears and tigers,, the excitement never leaving your eyes as he brings you animal after animal has his heart melting,,

omg, the thought of you and ramon acting like teenagers while feeding each other food has me soft

like, instead of eating the bag of popcorn, your both trying to throw it into each others mouths and just making a mess everywhere-

your uncontrollable laughs making it harder for you both to throw the popcorn,,,

but the cute ass celebration you both would do when you successfully catch them is everything--

i, him buying you a churro while you both just walk around and he’ll lean over to bite it when you look away to see something, so when you turn back, the churros halfway fucking gone,, you’ll playfully hit his chest as you both giggle to each other-

or you’ll both be sharing a bag of cotton candy, feeding it to one another, giving the biggest smiles you can,, i cant handle this-

the two of you end up losing so much track of time together that when the inevitable end of your date comes, your both lowkey hiding your sadness,

so ramon would pull you along to the ferris wheel just for one more adventure to end the day right-

IM SO SOFT, everything is just so calm as you lean your head on his shoulder as you both look at the carnival lights illuminating the fair

the gentle fucking kiss he’ll give you on top of your head as he pulls you closer into him, i-

Benjamin:

benjamin’s first date with you has me in my feelingss

just the way he’s pouring his soul and heart into wanting to surprise you and show you how romántico he can be, I-

he would probably invite you to his home for your first date,, where he would want to have total peace and quiet for you and him, my intimate bby

he just wants his attention to be devoted to you, not anyone else :)

benjamin would put so much effort into the decorations too,,, snapping his fingers where all the flowers need to go, where to hang the balloons and where all the lights need to go-

ordering the chef he contracted to make your favorite food and dessert,, and even low key threatening the chef that if he fucks this up, he’s not seeing the light of tomorrow

Stress level to the max honestly, he just needs to make this perfect for you i cant-

but i know my bby is so good at time management,, he has this all done an hour before you show up, giving him time to breathe and just take in his work, adjusting any small detail he deems imperfect before changing into his clothes he bought for this specific occasion, :(

he would probably wait for you outside with some chocolatitos, all dressed up :(( , trying to stop his nerves when he sees the car he sent for you start to pull in

fuck, the big smile that he shows you when he sees you all dolled up- youre more beautiful than he remembers, my heart

“te vez radiante” as he kisses your cheek because hes a respectoso king

i see him being to fucking well mannered i cant,, he helps you get out of the car, offering his arm to lead you inside where everything is set up, helping you sit down and all that adorableness

he would be internally congratulating himself when he sees you smiling at all the decorations and the food being served in front of you-

just, him asking all about your day, sharing stories with the occasional shared laughs

him also asking if you enjoyed everything and if he needs to fix anything to your liking and just,,, the way you reach across the table to hold his hand and assure him that he went overtop for you would have him beaming heart eyes at you-

Benjamin makes this feel so fucking romantic and comfortable i cant

like you two would spend so much time talking about everything with each other even after you finish all the food,,,

fuck,, the way he’ll progressively scoot closer to you through the night, never letting go of your hand after you held it the first time-

like you both don’t even notice how close you are until your both throwing your heads back when you laugh and then looking at each other

and just that soft moment where you both stare into each other’s eyes and glance down at your lips— oohohh

the both of you just click so right, everything leads up to this point naturally,,,

You two are so fucking innocent that the first kiss would be the softest shit ever, its sincero and lleno de amor, i-

its one of those kisses that are followed by soft giggles and pecks, one after another until he pulls you into his side because he’s just overfilled with emotions-

and just the way neither of you want to leave the comfortable silence as you both glance at each other-

i cant,, in his mind he’ll be thinking yeah, this is the one, la cual con que quiero compartir mi futuro-

#narcos mexico imagine #narcos mexico imagines #ramon arellano felix x reader #ramon arellano felix #benjamin arellano felix x reader #benjamin arellano felix #narcos mexico #narcos: mexico

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lihikainanea · 4 years ago

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The life of Lei

Nobody:

Literally not one person:

Me:

Hi frenns. I don’t know, I feel like rambling and giving you all an update on my life and by “my life” I mean like, Bongo because he’s amazing.

Things are much better now than they were 4 weeks ago, and he’s such a good little dude. He’s growing SO fast, I feel like every time he takes a nap he wakes up and he’s twice as big. We’re still in a bitey phase, but he’s only 3 1/2 months old and he hasn’t lost a single baby tooth yet so I think we have a ways to go before that gets settled. He is definitely showing some control over it now though, he won’t go after my feet anymore (those razor sharp teeth sinking into toes was not fun) and he’ll just give little nibbles here and there. It’s only if he’s SUPER tired and overstimulated that he’ll actually bite harder, but a quick time out or a redirect into his crate for a nap and it settles quickly.

Getting a trainer was absolutely the right decision, and I love our trainer. She comes once a week and spends two hours with us, and I’m learning so much. Bongo is enjoying it too, he focuses so hard to try and figure out what I’m asking him during the sessions and he’s always so wiped after. I can’t get over how smart he is, I swear I show him maybe 5 times, and after that he’s mastered it.

So far he knows the basics--sit, shake, lie down. Getting him to settle outside of his crate--ie on his bed or something--is still a bit of a challenge but that’s coming along nicely with lots of positive reinforcement. This week we’re working on his “drop it” and “leave it” commands--the leave it, in particular, he can do EVERY time when we’re inside--I’ll have my hand open at his nose level full of his favourite treats and tell him to leave it and he will--but outside with lots of distractions, he has a harder time. In general his focus outside is all over the place, which normal because he’s a puppy so his brain basically short circuits, but we’re working on it.

I work with him every day on things, whether it’s for 10 minutes or longer, it’s just every day. We practice leash walking on our walks because he pulls like a fucking ox, and even that is getting better after just one week. I’ve really been enjoying training him, and I don’t know maybe it’s silly but I really feel like there’s a special bond formed with your pooch when you train them.

Our routine is getting better too. He’s at daycare Monday, Wednesday and Friday to socialize him with other doggies and he LOVES it. And whatever, it’s not like my heart is fucking torn into pieces when I show up and he looks at me and then runs back into the daycare howling because he doesn’t want to leave (fuck it cuts me LIKE A KNIFE, BONGO. I TREAT YOU LIKE A KING.) We wake up early so he can go potty, but actually that’s something I’m trying to get him to adapt to--that just because we go potty at 6AM, doesn’t mean we’re staying up. This is particularly rough on weekends.

Lately after he potties I’ve been giving him some breakfast, and then putting him back in his crate for more sleep. It has a 50% success rate. Sometimes he goes right back to sleep and wakes up at 8 at which point it’s time for a nice long walk and some play, and sometimes he barks and scratches and eats the fucking mat I have in there for him.

Advice on how to deal with the latter is welcome. I took the mat out, but then he starts to dig--and the floor of the crate is plastic, it creates a fucking racket in my room and I’m sure the neighbours downstairs hear it loud and clear too, and I don’t want that.

In any case, he’s a good pal. I can even shower now guys, and he doesn’t even notice. In the evening I put his crate in the living room and I just putter about the apartment, out of his sight, and he doesn’t whine or cry or ANYTHING.

I lub him :*-)

#void journal

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rapperkookz · 5 years ago

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charity date auction | f2l!jk | fluff, smut if you SQUINT

A/N day ___ of quarantine and i’m going insane

genre: fluff, crack, slight smut if you SQUINT

summary: Beta Tau Sigma was hosting their annual charity date auction for their philanthropy. In previous years, you just attended for fun and to see how many university girls were actually willing to spend their money just to go out on one date with one of the fraternity members. This year’s something different, especially when Jungkook’s on the lineup to get auctioned off.

word count: 4.3k ______________________________________________________________

Your POV

Ah the spring semester. The time when most events and end-of-the-year festivities happen. It was your favorite time. And this was no exception.

“Hey y/n, don’t just stand there laughing, this is a serious meeting we’re having right now.” Hoseok complained pointing his finger at you accusingly as you tried to hide your chuckles in. You leaned against Jungkook’s side, crossing your arms as you responded, “First of all, oppa, I’m sitting. And I’m sorry! This is my favorite event of yours, watching the girls - and guys! - fight over you idiots and actually pay money just to spend time with you all! It’s a great time, ah if only my Sisters and I could do something as dumb as this.”

“Call us dumb all you want kiddo, it gets us over $2000 in philanthropy,” Namjoon shrugged giving you a lighthearted mocking face. You shut your mouth, a little pout remaining on your lips as you turned your attention back to the show that you and Jungkook were watching. He grinned and poked your head with one hand, his opposite arm easily going around and framing your shoulders. “what?”

“Nothing, you’re just funny. Hopefully you won’t make fun of me when I’m getting auctioned.”

“Wait, what?”

“I’m part of the lineup this year,” He said simply, scanning your face for a reaction. “That’s...okay right?”

You tried to hide your shock with a little smile, “N-no yeah that’s fine, I mean we’re not dating, Kook. You can do whatever you want,” Even as the words left your mouth, you felt your chest tightening in discomfort, finding it harder to smile genuinely at him. Jungkook mumbled a quiet ‘yeah’ and watched the show again, but the air surrounding you both suddenly turned awkward.

“Hey, with Kookie in the lineup this year, we might double profits!” Jimin said excitedly from the table where he sat with the rest of the boys. Taehyung nodded in agreement, “Even with Yoongi hyung out, Jungkook will probably get us at least $700,”

“You’re not doing the auction, Yoongi oppa?” You asked the older boy timidly. He looked at you with a soft smile, eyes reading your expression as if you were an open book. He shook his head, “No need to out of respect for my guy. We don’t do the auction if we’re in relationships.”

You nodded in acknowledgement, that made sense. Yoongi just started dating this guy a couple months ago and you’ve never see him happier ever since. You lingered on the last part of his comment, so...if you and Jungkook were dating, he wouldn’t be in the auction?

Ah but that was the thing though, you and him weren’t dating. It’s...complicated. You like Jungkook and he likes you back. That you both have established, hence the ease and touchiness that you and him already share. But after a drunk hookup with him and both of you struggling with the actual concept of settling down and commitment - even though that is basically what you both were doing already as of recent - it was just a friendship with a mutual romantic attraction that has no defined labels. Yet, neither of you seek anyone else and you both spend every waking day together when not in class or preoccupied with other activities.

“I uh, I need to go back to the house. I’ll see you guys tomorrow at the auction.” You said standing up rather abruptly, “I’m gonna get my bag from your room, Kook.”

He nodded and stood up soon after, heading towards the table where the rest of his brothers sat. Seokjin patted his back, “When are you and y/n going to make it official, huh?”

“It literally kills me watching you both,” Yoongi deadpanned in agreement. Jungkook sighed, running his hands through his hair as he leaned against the kitchen island. “I want to be with y/n, believe me. We’ve both talked about it too, I don’t know...just, commitment? We both got out of messy breakups and I don’t know if we’re ready for it yet.”

“Not ready? You two literally act like you’ve been dating for the past two months.” Jimin scoffed. Namjoon nodded, “Besides, she looked upset about the auction thing. You weren’t too keen on doing it either when we brought the event up at chapter.”

“I know,” Jungkook muttered, “give me a sec, hyungs. I’m gonna go talk to her before she leaves.”

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You pursed your lips as you packed up your books from Jungkook’s room. Why was this bothering you so much? Dumb question, you knew why this was bugging you, someone else is literally going to go on a date with your boyfriend - not...boyfriend. Fuck!

“Ugh!”

“y/n?” Jungkook said softly, knocking on the door as he opened it. You whipped around surprised, hitting your backpack which fell off his bed. “h-hey, Kook.”

He grinned at your clumsiness, his eyes turning into crescent moons as he closed the door behind him. “You alright?”

“I’m fine, I just have to, you know, go back to the house and do some stuff.” You said, your voice getting quieter as you went on. Picking up your bag, you put your laptop inside and zipped it up before sitting down at the side of the bed. Jungkook sat next to you as if on instinct. “y/n, I don’t have to do the auction, you know? Not if you’re uncomfortable with it.”

“Kook, who am I to stop you from that, though? And I mean, it’ll give your fraternity some good money too, I don’t have any right to keep you from participating.” You said, focus completely on your hands which were placed tightly in your lap. He sighed and grabbed one of your hands, lightly playing with your fingers which were hiding in the sleeve of his sweater. “You have every right, you’re...y/n.”

“I am y/n,” You said with a small smile, but you knew what he meant. “Go through with it, Kook. I’m not that selfish especially when you know...we’re not even together.”

“Yeah,” He said interlocking your fingers, “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

You nodded, rubbing the back of his hand with your thumb. He smiled and pressed a kiss to your cheek, that’s how you always said goodbye.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

“-sold! To that lovely lady for $500!” Yoongi said excitedly, watching Namjoon walk to the girl who won him with a rose in his hand, giving it to the girl who was fully charmed by him already. You stood with Taehyung and his date, who - conveniently - was one of your sisters that has had a crush on him for what seemed like ages.

“Look at Namjoon hyung’s smile,” Taehyung snickered hitting you on the arm in amusement. You turned around to face him and your sister, covering your mouth with one hand, afraid your laugh was going to be heard by the rest of the people in the venue, “You guys are such dorks, stop making me laugh!”

Your sister placed her hands on your shoulders and spun you around, “it’s Jungkook’s turn.” All of a sudden, your insides ran cold and you couldn’t find it in you to breathe, whether it be because you’re dreading this or because of how amazing Jungkook looked, you didn’t know. He was wearing his usual monochromatic look, a large white tee tucked into black jeans which emphasized his thighs and made you salivate and his hair was its usual fluffy brown mess parted down the middle.

“Next up we have Jungkook! He’s a comp-sci major with a photography minor. This year, he’s our fraternity’s social media chair and vice president of records. Probably our most talented brother, he can do literally anything, and he can serenade you to sleep.” Yoongi said with a wink at the end, “Do we have $20?”

A swarm of hands shot up from the crowd making Yoongi chuckle, “Ah I crack myself up, $30...$50-”

“I bid $100.”

Your eyes shot to the girl who just stood up, and to your horror it was none other than Lee Yuna. She was in another sorority on campus, and she was annoyingly pretty. You and her were good friends, you know, until she homewrecked your last relationship.

“Isn’t that-”

“$150.”

The words left your mouth before you could process anything, the attention of the room now on you as you let the price slip. You heard Taehyung try to hide his laughter from behind you, as Yoongi started ushering you up to the stage.

“$150 going once, going twice-”

“$300,” Yuna said her eyes narrowing at your form. You bit your lip in annoyance, walking up the stairs. You huffed out a breath, taking a glance at Yoongi as you answered, “$400.”

“$600.”

“$750.” You said with finality. There was no way that she would say anything higher than that. I mean, you guys are college students, this auction could easily apply to your student loans. “$800.”

“That’s Lee Yuna with $800, you gonna raise it y/n?” You crossed your arms, having an inner battle between yourself as you rested your weight on your leg, “$1000.”

“$1000!” Yoongi shouted, “Going once, going twice.”

“Fuck whatever, my parents will never give me $1000 without an explanation.” Yuna said leaving the stage agitated.

“And that’s $1000 sold to l/n y/n!” Yoongi said excitedly as the venue started clapping. You let out a sound of embarrassment, messing with your braids, as you started descending the stairs. You refused to look anyone in the eye, especially not the boys, and God forbid, Jungkook.

“Ah!” You shrieked in surprise as you felt arms circle around your waist, pulling you along to the side of the room. Thankfully the attention of the crowd was back to the front as Seokjin took the stage for his turn in the bidding. “Kook, don’t say it.”

“Hey, c’mon. Look at me y/n.” Jungkook said chuckling. He lifted the rose and put it at your eye level, which was trained to the floor. You couldn’t help the smile that graced your face as you took the rose in your hand, lifting your head up a little to get a better look at it, but still refusing to meet his eye. Jungkook mumbled something under his breath that you couldn’t quite catch besides ‘so stubborn’ before cupping your cheeks in between his hands and forcing you to look at him.

Damn his sparkling brown eyes. God his eyes that literally look like they hold the entire solar system in them. You felt your resolve melting, your cheeks tinging pink at how adoringly he looked at you. “What Kook?”

“Nothing,” he smiled. His focus moved from your eyes down to your lips, darting back up as if to ask for your permission. You grinned and puckered your lips in the slightest, your eyes fluttering closed as he finally closed the distance and kissed you.

It was short, but it still conveyed a mirage of emotions that somehow managed to overwhelm you. Neither of you were huge on public displays of affection, especially when your relationship had no defined labels. You pulled away first after the brief intimate moment, offering him a smile as you grabbed his hand and began leading him towards the back where you previously stood with Taehyung and your sister.

You could literally see the cockiness radiating from Taehyung as he held out his hand for Jungkook to complete their brother shake. The older boy nudged your side, “Didn’t know you were ballin with money, y/n. You should participate in the bidding more often.” Rolling your eyes, you were about to roast the living life out of Taehyung before Jungkook squeezed your hand.

“Cut it out, hyung.” The boy said lightheartedly, a small chuckled radiating from his chest. You and Jungkook met eyes once more, his expression softening even more - if that was possible - as he framed his arms around your body. You snuggled your back against his warmth upon instinct, feeling content in his embrace as the group of you watched the rest of the auction.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

You said goodbye to your sister as the boys were cleaning up the venue. It was a bit of a given that you were going back to the fraternity house, especially in these circumstances. You were cleaning up the tables with Hoseok as you watched Taehyung and your sister say their goodbyes. She looked as giddy as you’ve ever seen her, and from the way Taehyung was shyly rubbing the back of his neck, there was a potential new romance brewing in the air.

“We’re gonna move the platform back to Student Activities, we’ll see you guys at the house?” Jungkook asked standing with Jimin and Seokjin, his eyes, though, were trained on you at his question. You nodded in response, the other boys mumbling on in agreement as they hurried their cleaning tasks.

The remaining five of you leisurely hung around the common area of the fraternity house after changing into something more comfortable, waiting for the three to come back. You were minding your own business in the kitchen, drinking some juice as you scrolled through your tiktok feed on your phone.

“So,” Yoongi said hopping on the counter, “$1000 for Kook, huh?”

You sighed and put your phone down, sipping on your glass as you faced the older boy. Yoongi was like an older brother to you, more than the other guys. He gave you all your talks about Jungkook and this was no different. “I know what you’re going to say, oppa.”

“No, I’m not helping you pay for the money you promised our chapter.” He rolled his eyes. You laughed and threw your scrunchie at him, “No! You’re so annoying. You were gonna talk to me about Jungkook.”

“My question never changes, kiddo.” He said simply, giving you your hair tie back. “Why aren’t you official?”

“Yeah, why aren’t you official?” Hoseok said curious from the other room. You and Yoongi turned your heads to see the others listening intently in your conversation. Yoongi hopped off the counter and patted your shoulder, leading the both of you into the common area. You sat down on the arm of the single seat, facing the boys as you rested your elbows on your lap, your face being propped up by your hands. “I don’t know guys, I wanna be with Jungkook more than anything, I don’t know if he’s ready yet though or if I’m ready-”

“My God, all I know is that I’m ready to smack both of you upside your heads,” Namjoon shook his head. “y/n, it literally pains me and all of us watching you both pine for each other.”

“We-we don’t pine for each other...” You mumbled your voice trailing off as you tried to deny his statement.

Hoseok laughed, “Oh please, it’s all in the eyes y/n.”

“Besides, you’re literally wearing his shirt. He doesn’t even let us borrow his clothes,” Taehyung added making you curl your body in closer to itself.

Your lips formed a pout, trying to come up with a smart reply to the boys, but to no surprise you couldn’t figure one out. “I’ll...I don’t know, I’ll talk to Kook. We’re gonna have to I mean, I literally paid $1000 for a date with him.”

The others burst out laughing as if they forgot the highlight of the night. Your cheeks warmed up in embarrassment as Yoongi started hitting your leg, fully amused.

“Where are you even gonna get $1000?” Taehyung laughed, “I’ve seen your bank account y/n,”

“Stop! Oppa, I have a...savings...account somewhere.” You whined crossing your arms. The guys lived to tease you, they say it’s all love, but personally you think it’s because you’re an easy target. Either way, you let it slide, their jokes were pretty funny anyway.

Namjoon cleared his throat after the room calmed down from their outburst. “You know, y/n, you must have been aware of this, but you could have just gotten Jungkook for free.”

“Matter of fact, you already have his heart for free,” Yoongi agreed, his sharp hearing picking up the click of the knob as the front door opened. In an instant, the remaining three boys walked inside the fraternity house, looking relieved to finally be back in their home. Chatter started to spark up once more as the boys were now complete. Your attention was focused on Jungkook as he lagged into the common room from the kitchen, drinking from a bottle of water that he retrieved from the fridge. He gravitated to your side while listening to the conversation of his brothers, his hand easily taking its place on your waist.

He squeezed your skin as if saying hello, making you wiggle against his body as you let out a laugh. Jungkook looked at you fondly, noticing that you were wearing one of his shirts and wow did you manage to pull it off, even if you were only wearing his white tee and a pair of your athletic shorts. After a couple minutes, the group of you dispersed into doing your own separate things, you and Jungkook already making yourselves comfortable in his room.

He grabbed a towel and informed you that he was going to take a quick shower. You nodded and leaned against his headboard, passing the time efficiently by scrolling through tiktoks. Soon enough, Jungkook was strolling back inside his room, rubbing his hair dry as he hummed a little song. You narrowed your eyes at him as he innocently looked at you with a smile, “What?”

“You’re trying to seduce me, aren’t you?” You said shamelessly checking out his half-naked form. He only wore his grey sweatpants with you when he wanted something. He smirked mischievously, “It’s working, isn’t it?”

“Shut up,” You said throwing one of his pillows at him. He laughed, swiftly dodging your attack as he focused on drying his hair. You put your phone down on his bedside table, trying to figure out the right moment to start speaking. “You know, Kook-”

“Wait, I just wanna say first that I’m not gonna make you pay $1000 or force you to go out on a date with me. I can help you pay the money if my hyungs are really pressing for it because it does go towards our chapter.” He said sitting on the side of his bed adjacent to you. “What did you wanna say?”

You suddenly started to feel shy, your thoughts all clumping together as you fumbled with what to say first. “Uh...about tonight,” God your palms were sweaty. You and Jungkook have had this talk numerous times, yet it still made you nervous every time it was brought up. It was probably your fear of rejection, even though all signs pointed to the complete opposite of that. “I, um, I know that even yesterday, I was laughing about this auction and about the girls and guys bidding and honestly you probably think I’m stupid by what happened tonight-”

“Not at all,” Jungkook said putting his hand on your thigh for comfort. Your body temperature started to rise upon the contact of his warm hand on your bare thigh. You know he meant nothing sexual by it, but the way he looked delicious in his sweats betrayed you and the fact that you haven’t been laid in a month wasn’t helping either. Shaking your head to remove the dirty thoughts, you sighed and bit your lip, “I really wasn’t gonna bid tonight, like I was going to let them fight over you because I know where our feelings stand, but when I saw Yuna stand up I just...God I don’t know.”

The corners of his lips started to curl up in a little smirk, scooching on closer to you as he put his arm around your figure, his other hand still on your thigh. “You felt a little jealous?”

You could hear the smugness in his tone, but you couldn’t even deny it at this point. “I wanted to push her off the fucking platform.”

“I’m not gonna lie,” he said ghosting his lips against your neck. You shivered, the warm feeling of his breath making your body react almost immediately. Craning your neck so that he could get better access, you bit back a moan as he kissed at your sensitive spot, “you looked pretty sexy when you were fighting her.”

You scoffed, but let out a gasp as he pulled your hair to the side, biting your neck to make sure to leave a mark. “Jungkook, wait.”

In an instant, all his administrations stopped, respecting your words. You turned around in his hold, moving your legs to either side of his thighs, straddling the boy’s lap. His hands instantly found your waist, moving underneath his shirt to find access to your skin. You met his eyes, which held curiosity and concern. You gave a soft smile, moving one of your hands to play with his lightly damp hair. “Jungkook, I don’t want to be confused about our relationship anymore.”

“Me neither.”

“I don’t want to feel jealous over girls that throw themselves at you. I don’t want to have to think twice about hugging you in public or holding your hand or kissing you. Kook, I want to be yours and have everyone else know it too. I wanna be able to call you my boyfriend.” You said letting it all go. “I know we both got out of traumatic breakups and like honestly thinking about being in a relationship and the possibility of getting broken like that again is scaring me even right now, like I don’t know what I’m saying I might talk myself out of this, fuck I don’t know-”

Jungkook leaned in and pressed your lips together, shutting you up effectively. You relaxed in the kiss, all feelings of anxiety that you brought up disappearing in an instant. Wrapping your arms around his neck, he made a sound of approval and pulled you flush against his chest. You whimpered at the feeling of his hardening bulge against your ass, moving your bottom back and forth to feel some friction. He groaned into your mouth and ground his hips up into yours, his bulge making contact with your core making you whine in pleasure.

Unwillingly, Jungkook pulled away before you both were too far gone, the grip he had on your waist tightening in sexual frustration. “Sorry, you were just really cute rambling, I couldn’t help myself.”

You were already breathing hard from the kiss, your hormones were starting to go haywire at all these interruptions, “Kook, I know we’re both hesitant about starting a new relationship, but I know that if it’s with you, I know that I wanna try.”

“Me too,” he agreed his expression switching from lustful to soft. His duality amazed you. “Can I finally call you my girlfriend now, y/n?”

You giggled and kissed his nose, the smile radiant on your face, “yes please.”

He laughed and flipped you both over so that he was topping you. He tickled your sides affectionately, his laughs raising in pitch as you squealed at his attack. “Now, my dick is hard and you’ve been turning me on since the auction, can I please fuck you? it’s been so long.”

You could already feel his hands grope the side of your breast. Instead of responding with words, you snuck your hand between the two of you and squeezed at his bulge, the man above you groaning in pleasure. Bless his grey sweatpants. It always had to do with his grey sweats.

~ ~ ~ ~ ~

The next morning, Jungkook never seemed to leave your side. Even as you were making coffee for the whole house, you found it rather endearing than clingy. You don’t know if the boys caught on yet, they probably should have by now.

“God you two are insatiable rabbits,” Yoongi groaned seeing you and Jungkook in the kitchen. He shot a pointed look at your boyfriend, “What the fuck did you take for you to go at it all night? Viagra? Ecstasy? Poppers?”

“Shut up hyung,” Jungkook said trying to hide the blush from his face by burying it in your neck. You patted his arm, “it’s okay, Kook.”

“Babe, he’s being mean to me.”

“Hold on. Babe?” Yoongi asked before slowly clapping his hands. “Thank fucking God finally!”

“Are they finally together?” Jimin yawned from the common area, the boys starting to fill the space in. You and Jungkook shared a look before he spoke to all his brothers.

“Not that we were really obligated to tell you guys, but yeah y/n and I are dating now.” Jungkook grinned hugging you tightly from behind.

“Damn, it really took $1000 for you both to define the relationship,” Seokjin cackled as you glared at him. “It wasn’t just because of that, oppa please!”

“Well, guess that explains why they were fucking all night.” Namjoon said as Taehyung and Hoseok nodded in agreement.

“You still have to pay, y/n sorry.” Hoseok shrugged making you whine.

“I can’t believe you paid $1000 to go on a date with your boyfriend,” Taehyung snorted, the rest of the boys bursting out in laughter at the seemingly stupid fact, even your dumbass boyfriend was laughing too. You elbowed Jungkook’s stomach, groaning at the sad reality your wallet was about to face.

“I can’t believe I have to pay to go out with you,” You rolled your eyes. Jungkook smiled cheekily and wrapped his arms around you in a tight hug. He kissed your lips briefly, as if that would fix everything. Jungkook met your eyes with a flirty wink, “I’ll make sure it’s the best fucking date ever, babe. Don’t worry.” ______________________________________________________________

A/N Wow I finally finished this. Fun fact, I was inspired by an episode of Full House for this, but wow I’ve been craving on posting something for literally the longest time. I also have an exam in 5 hours and it’s 4:30 am right now ah ha ha but ~quAranTiNe VibEZ~ I hope you’re all staying safe and healthy everyone <3

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kimberly-spirits13 · 5 years ago

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Family Disappointment (Request)

Paring: Tony Stark x reader (daughter)

Synopsis: You’re great in all of your classes, science, English, art, history, but math is just something you have to work even harder at, but should it really be that hard?

Warnings: Self Deprecation, Language Steve Rogers would not approve of

Notes: Y/T/N= Your Teacher’s Name Y/F/S= Your Favorite Snack

Word Count: 1244

It was the end of school and you had taken your math test out of your bag to look at it. Math used to be insanely simple for you and everyone thought it was genetics. I mean it was expected that you would excel in all of your classes what with your father’s legacy. It was all fun and games until they split up the math classes. You were better than most people, in the highest class in fact. There was a catch however, you had the lowest grades and pretty much worked your ass off every single night for this work.

The grade in question was a massive 50. You sighed keeping a few tears in that wanted to escape your eyes. It was something that you could correct for extra points, but at this point, what was the point? Some of the things that your teacher taught just didn’t make sense. You could totally go to your father, but what would he say? You felt like the family disappointment and there was no getting over that feeling every time you flipped open a math book. Your teacher suggested you move down a level but you declined for reasons that were unknown opting to make a deal to come after class during your lunch break every day for tutoring.

A massive black limo pulled up to the curb and you stuffed the paper into your bag and climbed inside. Happy was there smiling at you, a coffee in hand.

“How was your day Y/N/N?” He asked pulling off as you shut the door.

“Thank you so much Haps. It was fine. Yours?” You replied taking a massive swig of the drink.

“Good.”

You watched the people on the sidewalk waking down minding their own business and living in their own worlds. It was interesting to see how everyone lived and went about life with cares of their own. You rode into the building and got your bag out of the back, heading up to the penthouse level to drop your things off and change. After walking into the massive room, you called yours, you showered very quickly and got changed into jeans and a sweatshirt. It was around 3:30 when you felt like a snack was in order before you got to your homework. There wasn’t much to do, but math was inevitably on the agenda.

Your mother, Pepper was in the kitchen flipping through an older looking book.

“Hi mom.” You said grabbing a quick hug.

“Hello sweetie, how was school today?” She replied putting her book mark in a certain page.

“It was fine.” You answered.

“Did you get that math test back today?” You mom always kept up with this kind of thing and you wish she didn’t but alas, here we were.

“I did.” You got Y/F/S out and started eating some.

“I got an email from Y/T/N about it. I know what you got, listen if you’re struggling you can always...” You cut her off gently.

“Nope, I don’t want to go to the lower class. I’m fine, it was one bad test and I can fix it.” You put your hand up to stop her and then took a sip of water.

“I just don’t want you to be stressed about this. You know that your father wasn’t that great until he developed his own way of learning the math.” Pepper informed you.

“Really?” You asked leaning against the countertop.

“Yeah, he said that the teacher wasn’t doing their job so he fixed it.” Pepper rolled her eyes and smiled, “Look, I know that it is heavy maybe not being the best at a subject that you think you should excel in, but it’s totally fine.”

“Okay... is dad in the shop?” You asked putting your plate into the dishwasher.

“He is.” She replied as you nodded and then walked out, deep in thought.

You walked down a few halls after climbing out of the elevator and made your way to your father’s work space. You could tell that he was working after hearing him talking to Jarvis.

“Hey dad.” You said walking inside and keeping some distance incase anything blew up or started sparking.

“Hey kiddo.” He smiled and turned around wrapping you in a bear hug.

“Ca-n’t breathe dad.” You laughed as he let go of you, “Watcha workin’ on?”

“Some new gear updates.” He answered showing you the new system.

You listened closely taking notes of everything and commenting on certain parts of the suit updates. After that you walked out to start homework before supper.

You were sitting at the desk in your bedroom, study materials strewn everywhere in the most organized yet chaotic way that seemed possible. You were practically pulling out your hair over the math problems, watching videos, looking at notes, and reading through your textbook trying to get a right answer.

“I’m so fucking stupid.” You sighed, “Like why do I even try this is worthless, I have got to be such a disappointment to this family.”

Tears spilled from your eyes, “Damn it! This is impossible.”

“Hey kid.” You heard a knock at your now open door.

“Oh, hey dad.” You said drying your tears.

“What’s bothering you?” He started walking towards you and hid the top part of your paper where the grade was.

He rubbed your back and you sighed, “School is stupid.” “Tell me about it.” He rolled his eyes some, “What about school is upsetting, teachers, kids, math?”

Your eyes widened, “Mom told you?”

“Yep.” He looked at the paper, audibly groaning in disgust, “Y/T/N?”

“Mhmm.”

“I had them when I was in school, God how are they even alive still? Isn’t it past their day or something?” your dad remarked making you laugh for the first time in what felt like hours.

He pulled up a chair and sat down, “See the problem with this teacher is that they’re a teacher.”

“No kidding.” You remarked.

He smiled some, “You should do math this way instead of how they’re teaching.”

Your father showed you the methods he used during his schooling. You latched onto it immediately finally starting to grasp what you were learning. It was an hour later when you guys finished and you sat back.

“Y/N, I know that you feel like you should be doing better because of your last name, I don’t think you’re a disappointment at all.” Your father started.

You blushed some realizing that he heard everything you said about yourself.

“I felt the same way you did as a kid. Trust me, I know high school sucks especially with all of these standards and expectations. If you ever need help with anything, just come to me or your mother. We don’t look down on you for it.”

You hugged your dad and thanked him, armed with this new knowledge for Monday’s classes and finally stuffed your homework in your bag.

“Now how about we go and work on some side projects?” Tony asked standing up.

“Sounds fun.” You paused, “We’re not going to blow anything up right? I need to know if I should change into something flame proof.”

Your father laughed and ruffled your hair, “No, nothing is going up in flames tonight. Oh, the Avengers are coming over tomorrow, Auntie Nat will be here too.”

You felt excitement bubble into you again and bounded away to the lab ready to do whatever work was there.

Omg I loved this request so much. I relate a ton to trying to be the best and not being able to. My father used to take over and teach some of his own classes in high school when he came back to the states from overseas travel since his father worked at an oil rigging plant or smt. We have a bunch of engineers in the family so being good at math and sciences was always important to me but I kinda suck at math if I don’t work really hard at it. Anyways, I hope you guys have a wonderful week and I’ll be picking requests back up on the 13th as planned still.

#avengers x reader #avengers #tony stark #tony stark x daughter!reader #tony stark x daughter #stark #ironman #iron man #iron man x reader #iron man x daughter #iron man x reader daughter #marvel #marvel x y/n #marvel x reader #marvel x stark #pepper pots x reader daughter #pepper pots x daughter

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sol1056 · 5 years ago

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wuxia/xianxia: a loose and somewhat second-hand introduction to the genre, pt1

Sorry for the unconventional q, but i keep seeing Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation everywhere and I kinda want to get into it but a) don't know where to start (web series? live action adaptation?? wait how many are there!) and b) i don't really "get" wuxia / xianxia, that sorta stuff, i find it really hard to cross that cultural barrier and chinese mentality seems very alien. (it's not that i have no experience w different mentalities but chinese in particular is v hard to grasp w/o sources).

So if you have the time and patience, I'd love to hear a summary of it (like, a coherent summary bc all i get on the wikis is a shower of names and concepts that don't make sense to me) and perhaps some "intro for dummies" abt the relevant parts of chinese history and mentality tied to it? not just the cultivation / buddhist part but also re: familial relationships, philosophy and all that. (v brief and low effort of course) Thank you and sorry for bothering you!

("brief and low effort" referring to what I'm asking from you, not to what I need for me - as in i asked for it so i'm more than ready for a complicated essay, but you can write with as much detail as you like, I don't want to ask for some sort of comprehensive tome)

Okay first, you do realize that if you want “brief and low” for anything, you’re asking the wrong person? I was a philosophy major. brief got drilled out of me a long time ago.

Second... well, explaining what makes The Untamed / Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation (mdzs for short, from the chinese title, Mo Dao Zu Shi) such a standout story does require understanding some of the wuxia conventions it subverts -- as well as some that it plays straight (so to speak) very, very well.

I figure the best approach (again, sadly not brief) is to first get a handle on the genre of wuxia. Gonna break this post into two, so you’re not reading in a single three-hour stretch or something. I’ll do a follow-up about mdzs, to hopefully make it a bit more accessible for you.

before I do that, let me first say: I didn’t grow up with this genre, so there’s going to be parts that I may miscast unintentionally. for an insider’s view, my go-to voices are @guzhuangheaven, @atthewaterside, @dramatic-gwynne, @the50-person and @drunkensword. if any of them are reading this and can point to more/other/better voices, please do.

I have three analogies -- like cultural doorways -- and like all analogies, they break down when you get into the finer details. In the broad strokes, though, they mostly work, and if nothing else, hopefully they’ll demonstrate that wuxia may be a chinese-specific version, but part of a storytelling tradition that’s nearly universal.

The three doorways are: the american wild west, the samurai era, and the british arthurian romances. And, in a tangential way, the regency period in the romance genre.

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

The term ‘wuxia’ can be translated several ways, but I prefer ‘martial chivalry’. Most wuxia takes place in the jianghu, a harder term to unpack. Generally, though, ‘the jianghu’ has connotations not all that different from what americans mean when they reference the wild west.

More of a concept than a physical place, the jianghu (like the ‘wild’ west) exists beyond the reach of the law and/or civilization. It’s occupied by a diverse cast of farmers, merchants, beggars, and so on, but also by outlaws, gangs, hermits, pretty much all those who don’t like the suffocating nature of the civilized world, for whatever reason. It’s not a lawless place (except to outsiders); it does have laws, but those are only unto itself.

So, jianghu is a world to itself, for the most part -- which also makes it kind of timeless. Tang dynasty, Song dynasty, Ming dynasty, it could be any of them and all of them and none of them. Just as the heyday of the cowboys and the cattle drives was barely a decade long, a culture’s romanticized history stretches into lifetimes that exist separate from any date you could pin down on a calendar.

The average wuxia protagonist would fit in reasonably well as knight errants in an arthurian romance, with one important detail in difference: they’re rarely aristocrats. Wuxia protagonists are just as likely (if not more so) to be lower-born, whether the child of farmers, or servants, some common caste.

This is where wuxia diverges from the british and japanese traditions, which have a bit more noblesse oblige going on (knights and samurai both being upper-class types). Even ‘aristocratic’ characters tend to be so only within the jianghu -- sort of like the way a territory’s elected leader in the wild west would’ve had no pull in Washington, given they weren’t from a fully-recognized state.

Wuxia does often have politics, between competing sects (think schools of learning), but that political infighting is independent of the capital’s rules or wishes. A lot of stories -- in the rare cases the topic even comes up -- tends to speak of ‘the capital’ in disparaging terms.

That’s not to say wuxia is all about the flat social systems (it’s definitely not), but most commonly a rank implies some level of competence/study. The title of sect leader isn’t granted, it's earned. Children inherit, but it’s also a common storyline to have an heir with no skills (who then goes through all the trials and tribulations to finally level up and earn that position in turn).

What makes wuxia hard to grasp is its vernacular: the conventions that form the backbone that make something recognizably ‘wuxia’ and not just ‘historical drama set on a frontier in a loosely-defined time period’.

Frex: in a Wild West story, convention is two gunfighters at opposite ends of the street, and at least one of them is wearing a holster tied to his leg with string in a way that no real gunfighter wore, ever, but Hollywood came up with the idea and now it’s a permanent part of our imagination. In the arthurian romances, convention is carrying the token of one’s lady love (a distant, untouchable figure who rarely appears on-page), or meeting the unnamed knight in black on the jousting field. Convention are the samurai who’ll die for their lord’s honor, always touchy and prickly at the first sign of disrespect.

These are things granted the most remarkable gravity, that to an outsider might seem ridiculous. (Why is there always tumbleweed?)

Now, wuxia is the latest evolution in a long-lived literary tradition (and by ‘long’ I mean like 2000+ years) -- but like any living tradition, each subsequent generation reinvents it for their time. Part of that reinvention comes from particularly influential writers, who put their own spin on things, and their interpretation becomes the next generation’s standard for the genre -- “of course wuxia must have X” or “a protagonist never does Y”. (Like how Tolkien almost single-handedly changed western concepts of elves, in fiction.)

And here’s where I explain what regency romance has to do with it. Another short-lived period, in real history, but along came Georgette Heyer, who took bits and pieces of actual research, blended them with her reactionary politics, exaggerating some things and ignoring other things completely. The result is a time-that-never-was, but she cast (and still casts) a shadow so vast that I’ve seen multiple romance writers complain that readers will see a footnoted-and-researched version as wrong, if it contradicts one of Heyer’s made-up conventions.

Modern wuxia has its own Heyer-sized influencers -- like Jin Yong (the Condor trilogy, Demi-Gods and Semi-Devils), Wen Rui'an (The Four), Gu Long (The Legend of Flying Daggers, The Proud Twins), to name a few of the biggest. If you have a chance or are inclined, the big names get remade on a pretty regular basis, and catching one will at least let you see some ur-tropes in action.

But it also means that you can’t really extrapolate, in the sense of saying, “in wuxia, people do X, ergo, X is also a factor in Chinese culture.” It’s like... take any western made in the 50s, and the vernacular is simple. The bad guys wear black hats, the good guys wear white hats, the prostitutes wear bright-colored dresses with frills and the good women wear subdued colors buttoned up to their neck. It told an audience exactly what character filled what role, but that’d tell you zero about real people you might meet in Nebraska or Utah, let alone New York City.

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

Almost forgot: xianxia is basically wuxia but with ‘immortal heroes’ -- so there’s gods, divine influences, non-human beings as characters (main or NPC), etc. (Btw, by ‘immortal’ I mean exactly that, like this character is six hundred years old, that one’s a thousand years old, etc.) You can think of xianxia as wuxia, but amped way up on the mystical scale.

Xianxia will sometimes take place on earth (jianghu) but sometimes in the celestial realm (heaven). Or a mix of both, like stories where a character falls (or is banished, or defects) from heaven and has to go through various trials and tribulations as a mortal human in order to regain a power, rise in rank, fall in love, or whatever their goal is.

A number of wuxia stories are driven by some sort of mcguffin, but in xianxia, the mcguffin is more likely to be a powerful spiritual weapon. But I can also think of a number of wuxia in which the mcguffin would fit right in, in xianxia (some near-mystical thing with significant positive, or negative, power independent of the wielder, which often amplifies or boosts the wielder to an inhuman degree, etc).

Thing is, the mcguffin being divine/infernal supernatural isn’t enough alone to make the story xianxia. I’m pretty sure you need non-human or super-human immortals and/or creatures to be considered in the xianxia genre.

part two

#wuxia #come for the brief essay stay for the dissertation #grandmaster of demonic cultivation #mdzs

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