#but sometimes you’re just looking for something quick and straightforward

[ukulelekatie]

not to be all “old man yells at cloud” but why is the internet suddenly allergic to simple tutorials? why is everything an 11 minute long video where the person talks for unrelated nonsense for the first 3 minutes? why is every written tutorial inundated with ads and other useless info you have to scroll through in order to get to what you need? what happened to a quick step by step guide with maybe a few pictures for reference?

[physalian]

What No One Tells you about Writing #3

Opening this up to writing as a whole, because it turns out I have a lot more to say!

Part 1

Part 2

1. You don’t fall in love with your characters immediately

But when you do, it’s a hit of serotonin like no other. I’d been writing a tight cast of characters for my sci-fi series since 2016 and switched over in a bout of writer’s block this year to my new fantasy book. I made it about ⅓ through writing the book going through the motions, unable to visualize what these new characters look like, sound like, or would behave like without a ‘camera’ on them.

Then, all of a sudden, I opened my document to keep on chugging with the first draft, and it clicked. They were no longer faceless elements of my plot, they were my characters and I was excited to see what they could accomplish, rooting for them to succeed. Sometimes, it takes a while, but it does come.

2. Sometimes a smaller edit is better than a massive rewrite

Unless you’re changing the trajectory of your entire plot, or a character’s arc really is unrecoverable, sometimes even a single line of dialogue, a single paragraph of introspection, or a quick exchange between two characters can change everything. If something isn’t working, or your beta readers consistently aren’t jiving with a character you yourself love, try taking a step back, looking at who they are as a person, and boil down what your feedback is telling you and it might demand a simpler fix than you expect.

Tiny details inserted at the right moment can move mountains. Fan theories stand on the backs of these minutiae. One sentence can turn a platonic relationship romantic. One sentence can unravel a fair and just argument. One sentence can fill or open a massive plot hole.

3. Outline? What outline?

Not every book demands weeks upon weeks of prep and worldbuilding. I would argue that jumping right in with only a vague direction in mind gives you a massive advantage: You can’t infodump research you haven’t done. Exposition is forced to come as the plot demands it, because you haven’t designed it yet.

Not every story is simple and straightforward, but even penning the first draft with your vague plan, *then* going back and adding in deeper worldbuilding elements, more thematic details, richer character development, can get you over the writer’s block hurdle and make it far less intimidating to just shut up and write the book.

4. It’s okay to let your characters take the wheel

I’ve seen writing advice that chastises authors who let their characters run wild, off the plan the story has for them. Yeah, doing this can harm your pacing and muddy a strong and consistent arc, but refusing to leave the box of your outline greatly limits your creativity. I do this particularly when writing romantic relationships (and end up like Captain Crunch going Oops! All Gays!).

Did I plan for these two to get together? No, it just happened organically as I wrote them talking, getting closer, getting to know each other better in the circumstances they find themselves in. Was this character meant to be gay? Well, he wasn’t meant to be straight, but you know what, he’d work really well with this other boy over here. None of that would have happened if I was bound and determined to follow my original plan, because my original plan didn’t account for how the story that I want to tell evolves. You aren’t clairvoyant—it’s okay if it didn’t end up where you thought it would.

5. Fight. Scenes. Suck.

Which is crazy because I love fantasy and sci-fi, the actiony-est genres. Some authors love battle scenes and fistfights. It comes naturally to them and I will forever be jealous. I hate fight scenes. I hate blocking and choreographing them. I hate how it doesn’t read like I’m watching a movie. I hate how it could take me hours to write a scene I can read in 5 minutes. I hate that there’s no way around it except to just not write them, or put in the elbow grease and practice.

Whatever your writing kryptonite is, don’t be too hard on yourself. It won’t ever replicate the movie in your head, but our audience isn’t privy to that movie and will be none the wiser of how this didn’t fit your expectations, because it’s probably awesome on its own. It could be a fight scene, sex scene, epic battle, cavalry charge, courtroom argument, car chase—whatever. Be patient, and kind to yourself and it will all come together.

6. Write the scenes you want to write first

And then be prepared to never use them. It can be mighty difficult working backwards from a climax and figuring out how to write the story around it, but if you’re sitting at your laptop staring at your cursor and watching it blink, stuck on a tedious moment that’s necessary but frustrating, go write something exciting. Even if that amazing scene ends up no longer working in the book your story becomes, you still get practice by writing it. Particularly if you hate beginnings or the pressure of a perfect first page is too high, you’re allowed to write any other moment in the book first.

And with that, be prepared to kill your darlings. Not your characters, I mean that one badass line of dialogue living rent free in your head. That epic monologue. That whump scenario for your favorite character. Sometimes it just doesn’t work out anymore, but even if it ends up in the trash, you can always salvage something from it, even if that’s only the knowledge of what not to do in the future.

7. “This is clearly an author insert.” … Yes. It is. Point?

No one likes Mary Sues, because a character who doesn’t struggle or learn to get everything they want in life is uncompelling. The most flagrant author inserts I see aren’t Mary Sues, they’re nerdy, awkward, boring white guys whose world changes to fit their perspective, instead of the other way around—they don’t have anything to say. I’m not the intended audience to relate to these characters and I accept that, but I don’t empathize with the so-called “strong female character” who also doesn’t have flaws or an arc either.

A good author insert? When the author gives their characters pieces of themselves. When the “author insert” struggles and learns and grows and it’s a therapeutic experience just writing these characters thrown into such horrible situations. They feel human when they’re given pieces of a human’s soul. They have real human flaws and idiosyncrasies. I don’t care if the author wrote themselves as the protagonist. I care that this protagonist is entertaining. So if you want to make yourself the hero of your book, go for it! But make sure you look in the mirror and write in your flaws, as much as your strengths.

[lijojo]

how the genshin men rizz you up

premise: although you two have been dating for some time now, they never keep trying to charm you. what are ways your boyfriend keeps you on your toes?

WILL get into your favorite books/shows and try to copy your favorite characters

sometimes while you’re just chilling, he’ll walk into the room reading one of your books or having your favorite show playing on his phone. and because your tastes aren’t always shared, you’ll raise an eyebrow in question. “i thought you didn’t like it.” 

he doesn’t say anything, just merely shrugs at you and simply goes on with his day. and after that point, whenever you try to playfully glance over his shoulder, he flinches away. you’re confused, but don’t really say anything else. you trust him. if he didn’t want you to know, you’d respect that. 

you’d never expect two weeks later to be greeted with the sight of him with a fake rose in his mouth dressed as your favorite character you’d been gushing to him about for the past two months. you’re 100% sure he ordered his costume right off of amazon, with the way it barely fits him.

“why hello there,” he greets, still with the flower in-between his teeth. outstretched in his hand is a bag of your favorite candies. there’s something about his wig that makes this situation seem unreal. even if your favorite character shared the same hair color as him, he still puts on the wig, as if to really sell it to you.

you don’t even bother trying to stifle your laugh. if your carrying anything, you drop it immediately to bend down, cradling your stomach. “oh my god,” you say in-between chortles, wiping away a stray tear, “you are so cute.” 

he pouts. “is it not good?”

you can barely contain your smile. “it’s perfect.”

“but you’re laughing. you’re not supposed to do that. you’re supposed to get flustered and play along while i sweep you off your feet.” 

you tenderly take the candies out of his hands and put it on the table, placing his terribly-placed wig down along with it. running your hands through his hair, you kiss him softly. he’s quick to reciprocate, quietly moaning and cupping your jaw. he matches your pace, if not a little more eager. 

“don’t you worry, you do that already.” 

alhaitham, zhongli, gorou, tighnari, scaramouche, xiao, thoma, ayato, baizhu

bluntly expresses his feelings towards you

almost painfully so. 

“you look sexy in that hoodie.” 

“i know,” you reply monotonously. “i also know that we’re in a grocery store right now and there are children here.” 

he’s not always straightforward about his thoughts, but on days he’s feeling especially affectionate, the words slip right through. 

“listen, i just think the way you wear them is really cute. not anyone can pull it off, you know? but you do it so effortlessly. it makes your butt look super squeezable,” he comments, grinning when you give him a glare. “your face in general is just very hot. it’s just my type. i didn’t even know i had a type. i think i have a crush on you, honestly.” he leans his head on your shoulder, nuzzling his face into the crook of your neck. “you always know how to make me feel like a nervous teenager all over again.” 

“that’s very sweet,” you say with a chaste kiss on his cheek, “but i don’t know if saying this in the middle of the self-checkout is appropriate.”

he huffs, scanning the fruits and vegetables. “it’s fine if the children hear that, though, right? it’ll teach them to be more expressive.”

“i guess that’s true,” you humor him, “still, i’d appreciate it if we could enjoy this moment where it’s quieter.”

he contemplates before nodding. “okay, if that’s what you want.” he fixes his posture. “anything for you.”

you smile. “thank you.” 

when you get home, he continues to shower you in compliments. as he takes the large haul of groceries out of the car, he rambles. like a puppy, he trails after you as you unlock the door to your shared house, letting him inside to put all of your groceries on the dining table. 

“i just don’t think i appreciate you enough,” he mutters. “whenever you get me coffee in the mornings, i never thank you, but you spoil me as if i did anyway. i know sometimes i get mad at you for disagreeing with me but later on i end up regretting it.” 

he takes out the eggs carefully as if they were his own children and puts them in the fridge. “you’re always looking at the pros and cons for me, even when i don’t want to hear them. i love you so, so, so, so much. i appreciate you and respect you. even when you sometimes don’t want to cuddle.” he laughs, taking the strawberries out of your hands to put them away.

“i love our relationship dynamic, did you know that? because i know that. we’re always making sure we don’t go crazy. like that one time you helped me calm down when i was having a bad day. i love how you and i always tackle our problems together, whether they’re shared out not. you never make me feel like a bad person, just in progress. and i love how you trust me enough to open up to me, i know it hasn’t been easy but i appreciate that you’re always trying. you make loving you seem like the only right answer.”

by the time he’s done talking, you’ve put everything away. he ends his talk with tranquil silence, gathering the empty grocery bags and setting them aside for later use.

this time, you’re actually flustered. “where did all that come from?”

he doesn’t always get like this. sometimes he’s a little quieter, sometimes he gives you a small “love you” and it’s all you need to know. 

he shrugs. “i don’t know. i just felt like you needed to know and i had to tell you right away.” 

he gives you a little kiss like it’s nothing and goes to turn on the tv, leaving you speechless. in your previous relationships, romantic or platonic, no one had really taken the time to acknowledge your efforts so directly. you’d spend hours if not days worrying if your affections were equally reciprocated (or at least appreciated). being so openly appreciated was a new feeling that left you feeling open and vulnerable, which you were beginning to learn wasn’t necessarily a bad feeling at all. 

thoma, childe, itto, gorou, heizou, kaeya, kaveh, venti 

writes love letters to you

he writes them everywhere. on post-it notes, on pieces of scratch paper, on the margins of your work notepad (although you’ve had to hide them at some point because they were starting to get outside of the margins and you still needed them to write in). 

in these little notes, he’ll write all sorts of different things. whether it’d be how much he loves you, about a particular moment you shared that he felt was precious (he’d write it in specific detail, as if it were an excerpt from a novel), or any miscellaneous thoughts he believed was important to convey (”you looked really cute in that dress that other day. i love how you looked so happy in it.”).

he writes things as he thinks them. sometimes you two will be watching a movie together and he’ll have an ‘aha’ moment, get up, and grab a piece of paper to write in.  

and then he’ll leave them everywhere. 

everywhere. you once found a note just as you were putting your clothes in the washer. (”oh, i must’ve left it there.”)

one day, you end up asking him why he writes them, even though sometimes they’re not even intended to be read by you.

“i heard that you remember things better when you write them down,” he started. “sometimes i’d get little thoughts of you and i thought it’d be a waste to forget them.”

you open your mouth to say something but he continues. 

“on anniversaries and stuff like that, i always end up forgetting what i want to say. i’ll get so nervous or in the moment my mind will go blank. i don’t like that. so i thought that if i wrote them down, it’d help me remember exactly how to put my feelings into words.” he turns to look at you and beams. “and if they also help remind you how much i love you, then i’d say it’s an added bonus.” 

alhaitham, diluc, cyno, kazuha, albedo, baizhu, zhongli, xiao

makings kissing a game

whoever gives the most kisses wins. of course, neither of you are keeping track, but that doesn’t stop him from planting a big kiss on your mouth in the middle of the movie and saying, “fifteen points!” 

and naturally, not one to lose, you take up the challenge. you plant two kisses. that is where it escalates to the point where you two are trying to kiss each other without being kissed. it ends up with a lot of strange head movement that results in a fit of giggles. 

he kisses you on the cheek when he hands you your coffee like it’s a habit. in early mornings, when the two of you are still waking up, he’ll whisper a soft “five points” with a raspy voice. when you lunge to get him back for it, he’ll dodge, rubbing his eyes and pointing a little finger at you. “haha missed me.” 

on days you have work, if you don’t give him his goodbye kiss he’ll catch you on the way out. he’ll follow you groggily, silently. mid-way with putting your shoes on he’ll plant his lips on yours. his hand comes up to cup your face, gently caressing the apple of your cheek. you’re expecting him to murmur some amount of points at that point. but instead, he smiles into the kiss and hums. “i love you,” he whispers, “have a good day.” 

you end up leaving with a racing heart. although you’re used to his antics, he never fails to remind you how swoonworthy a simple kiss goodbye can be. 

venti, childe, ayato, heizou, tighnari, kazuha, cyno, kaveh, thoma, kaeya

[miumura]

💭 — ENHYPEN WHEN YOU CALL THEM BRO !

tysm for requesting anon!! i hope you enjoy <3

warnings : mentions of pet names (like once or twice?), mentions of kissing

🖇️ — HEESEUNG

— at first he’s chill and thinks it was just a slip up

— cause he knows you’ve been hanging out with riki and jungwon too much lately so he lets it slide at first

— but like once he hears it again hes like okay something is up . so like he automatically stops everything he’s doing and just stares at you.

— “why do you keep calling me bro?” and you’re like 🤨 cause you thought nothing was wrong about it

— he fr goes on a full rant about why you shouldn’t be calling him bro and only his members could and how you’re only allowed to call the rest bro 😭

— ofc u don’t take him seriously cause he looks cute complaining about it. and he’s like “are you listening.” and you js go “yeah bro i am” and he falls onto his knees SO DRAMATIC FR .

— and you have to apologize millions of times and give him a bunch of kisses which he gladly accepts as a payment <3

— now you know not to do so ! you do it sometimes for fun tho

🖇️ — JAY

— he’s gonna be so quick to spot it out, he just won’t let it slide.

— “bro? really?” automatically raises his eyebrow and starts questioning you . imagine a cartoon character js angrily tapping their foot on the ground , hes like that LMAO

— you just wanted to tease him more so you’re like “what’s wrong with that?”

— “im not your bro, im your boyfriend.” he’s so straightforward with it , it just makes u fall for him again.

— he feels happy when he manages to convince you to stop doing it doesn’t tell you how relieved he felt LMFAO

— and without you knowing he goes onto scolding heeseung bc you’ve been hanging around him lately LMAO

— “heeseung they been saying bro a lot.” “okayyy jay what does this have to do with me..” “you’re the problem in our relationship.” “WHAT?” save heeseung

🖇️ — JAKE

— gets real pouty and confused real quick after hearing it more than once. like he’s sure that bro is in his vocabulary BUT hearing you call him bro ??? its just a no no.

— “okay i think that’s enough.” and ure like enough of what .. and hes going on a rant for real BUT hes shy about it … like sir spit it out !!!

— you were understanding untillll it started slipping out again. he’s like devastated and goes on saying “layla would never call me bro” LIKE AS IF HIS DOG HAD ANY PART TO THIS??

— now you only call him bro for fun or like when he gets u mad on purpose .. it became an advantage bc he switches up SO FAST just for you to not call him that anymore. love him <3

— starts using more pet names with you so that you’re reminded that he’s your lover and not some bro </3

— “love you snookums” “okay that’s even worse than your other nickname.” “can’t help it.”

🖇️ — SUNGHOON

— nope he does not take it!! he does not want his own lover to be calling him bro ??

— “do bros do this?” bye he would go to you and kiss you , maybe bring you onto your lap too and js look at you .. or just wrap his arms around your waist .. “i don’t think bros do that.” sir stop this im not ur strongest soldier

— after seeing ur flustered face , he’d grin feeling proud .

— every time you do that, he’s just gonna start becoming really clingy and just touchy

— andddd you can say you call him bro on purpose 😊 he knows

— but he doesn’t care cause that just gives him a reason to just shower you with kisses 😊

🖇️ — SUNOO

— if he’s busy w something and hears you call him bro, he’s whipping his head around so fast when he hears that from you

— literally this emoji 😧 and is like “what did you just say?”

— and you repeat it again and he’s like okay … this is a problem. he racks up ideas on why you would call him that…he thinks real hard as if your relationship with him is falling apart???

— you have to explain how when you’re comfortable w/ someone you call them that. as much as he’s glad you’re comfy with him, he still refuses it

— “i’m glad you feel comfortable with me, but i rather for you to call me something sweet. like love or baby or something. just not bro.”

— gen feels proud that you listened and called something else . smiles like an idiot whenever you called him something sweet! your reward? lots of love from sunoo <3 as if he doesn’t shower you with love everyday

🖇️ — JUNGWON

— oh you already know he’s just gonna laugh it off awkwardly. LIKE REAL AWKWARD

— ha. ha. ha. it’s literally him and funny to imagine

— and you’re like 🤨 cause why tf is he acting like that

— “oh nothing 😊” he’s lying and he’s glad you picked up on it, hoping you’d catch on

— and he starts double taking, maybe he wasn’t being so affectionate as a bf which he is stop and just starts trying to do more physical touch w/ you or any of the love languages you love </3

— you calling him bro got him asking jay for help 😭

— literally only feels better until you call him something else than bro. like he feels like he’s doing well and is proud of it ! like once you call him smth else hes all giggly and like oh 🤭please don’t call him bro in the future </3

🖇️ — NIKI

— okay okay, he knows you and him joke around a lot, but you’re getting a LITTLE too comfortable

— like the person he loves ??? besides his other members ??? calling him bro ???

— like he wouldn’t be too vocal on it until you’ve said it to him too much . he would try to show you how he doesn’t like it as much but you don’t seem to pick up on it.

— so what does he do? hold your hand / ask for a hug after you do! surely you’ll get it 😊 and trust me you do.

— “ki why the hell are you holding onto my hand so tight?” “ i dunno, why am i?”

— once you find out, you tease him sm, leaving him with a red face and telling you to shut up.

— but once you stop, he feels relieved <3 love him lots please

— just starts becoming very clingy to you now :)

💭 — i love my boyfriends 😊

ENHA PERM TAGLIST — @flwoie @ixomiyu @yenavrse @shinsou-rii @bearseulgs @ilovewonyo @yenqa @dimplewonie @bubblytaetae @wtfhyuck @ineedaherosavemeenow @starcubes @starikizs @wonioml @chirokookie @xiaoderrrr @neozon3nha @en-chantedtomeetyou @millksea @enhaz1 @eundiarys @woon2u @ja4hyvn @judeduartewannabe @j-wyoung @thia-aep @vampcharxter @softpia @officiallyjaehyuns @itsactuallylina @hsheart @sweetjaemss @ahnneyong @hanienie @jwnghyuns @kpoplover718 @jiawji @rikizm @haknom @yeokii @wvnkoi @tnyhees @teddywonss @shinunoga-iie-wa @flwrshee

[suhkusa]

The pizzas the two of you ordered were long gone by the time the sun was coming to a set. 

The whole day felt unreal, because if Atsumu was honest, he never thought this day would come. The day where he’d be hanging out with you, alone at that. At least ever since that happened.

Most of the time was spent just chatting and joking around as if the divide in your friendship never occurred. Like he never even distanced himself from you. 

You’re looking at sunset, but his own eyes are caught on you. He’s caught up in his own head that he doesn’t register you turning to meet his eyes.

That’s not what snaps him out of it though, in fact, it’s the words that spill from your mouth.

“Atsumu,” you start, “Why do you do what you do?”

He’s befuddled, “What?” But he knows exactly what you meant.

“I mean like,” your eyes awkwardly wander before setting back on him, “why do you sleep around?”

He’s leaning back on his own hands before he offers, “Haven’t you asked that before?”

“Yeah, but you never gave me a straightforward answer,” you're fidgeting with your hands. Have you always had that habit?

“Oh,” he thinks for a second before continuing, “Well, I guess it’s easy,”

Atsumu thinks for a second that maybe the subject would change after he gave you a simple answer, but you push.

“How? Doesn’t it hurt?” your eyes are full of concern when he looks at you.

“Ah- No… not really. It’s somewhat agreed that it’s not serious by both sides when we do it,” he’s never been asked this before. And he never expected it would be you he’s having this conversation with.

It looks like his words are processing in your mind. “I see, but don’t you ever wish you could just be with one person? I- Well, I mean we’re graduating in a year. It won’t always be this easy,”

Your words hit him. Because yes, of course he’s thought about devoting himself to one person. He’s thought about it ever since he was younger. Days, nights, even in his sleep— that person was always a consuming thought of his. But that one person is out of reach. That’s why he drowns himself and distracts himself from the eternal feeling of never being able to have her. Drowning himself in girls that allow himself to distract his mind and heart from feelings for her.

“I think about it sometimes, but you wouldn’t understand,”

You look at him dead in the eyes, “Hit me,”

Atsumu’s eyebrows scrunch up in concern, what-

“Not literally, oh my god,” you laugh, “like, tell me,”

He internally face palms himself, embarrassing. “Oh, I just want to distract myself,”

“From what? Like volleyball.. or feelings?” his eyes widen a bit at your words.

“Er, I guess maybe feeling? I’m not sure,”

You lean in a bit closer with worried eyes, “Are you depressed?”

“NO,” he’s quick to reply. He laughs as he watches you sigh with relief.

Your head tilts as you think to yourself for a moment. “I think I understand you a little bit,” you look back at the sun, the golden glow hitting your skin perfectly.

The rays of the sun shines past your silhouette, creating a halo around you. You’re gorgeous.

 He’s always thought so. 

There’s a weird feeling in his chest as he admires looks at you.

“Hey,” he jumps at your voice, and then you’re turning around to face him once again, “I always tell you this but I hope you know I’m here for you. If you’re ever going through something, I’m here. Even if you and your brother piss me the fuck off sometimes, I’m here,”

The weird feeling that he thought was new started churning and churning in his chest. And before he knew it, the familiar feeling that he tried so, so hard to get rid of came tumbling back into his heart.  

Fuck, it’s coming back.

Atsumu simply nods at your words, and you smile before you keep talking.

“I missed this. When we would just hangout for the fuck of it. When we’d hang out because it just felt natural,” you pause, “but we’re missing Osamu, huh?”

“Yeah,” 

“We should hang out more when you’re not doing stuff.. or doing girls,” the last part is mumbled but he still hears it. He nudges you before the two of you laugh.

Atsumu is scared because this was what he was trying to avoid all this time. It wasn’t you, yourself. It was the effect you had on him. And the past couple of years of his poor attempt to get rid of his feelings for you had been tossed down the drain all because of this one day spent with you. 

If only you knew the effect of just being in your presence had on him.

BOTH AIN’T SH!T — DROWN TO DISTRACT

PREV | MASTERLIST | NEXT

NOTES.

sorry this was very dialogue heavy

things will be explained in due time :0

© all writings belongs to suhkusa 2024. do not repost or change.

[yuurei20]

I've noticed Epel keeps adding 'kana' to the end of his sentences. What does it mean?

Hello hello! Thank you so, so much for this question, I have always wanted to mention this.

“Kana” can be a multitude of things in English, such as “probably,” “I guess,” “I think,” “I wonder,” etc. A basic explanation would be, “a word used to express uncertainty,” but like most things when it comes to language, that is not the only thing it does.

A quick review of Epel: from his first day at NRC he has been under order from Vil to “speak more politely,” as he tends to use informal speech with his senpai.

As you point out, Epel often adds “kana” to what he is saying, and that is because one of the things that it can do is ‘soften’ something that you’re saying in order to make it sound less direct, and thus more polite.

Examples: Epel telling Kalim that his assumption is wrong, telling Vil that he disagrees with him, saying that his Phantom Bride look is weird, etc., these are all sentences that he is awkwardly gentling via “kana,” often after several ellipses or a comma, as though it is not a part of his normal speech pattern.

This gets into cultural differences: When Ace assumes that Epel is dedicated to a certain brand of apple juice, for example, an English-speaking Epel could probably respond, “That’s not actually the case!,” without sounding rude. But that could be interpreted as a little brusque in Japanese.

In order to soften the expression Epel adds “kana” at the end, which sounds more like, “That might not be the case,” “I’m not sure that is exactly what is going on,” etc., in English.

Even though he knows for 100% certainty that he is not actually dedicated to a certain brand of juice, he is still using “kana” in order to not sound too straightforward.

(screenshot from maggiesensei.com)

(This can and does cause issues when moving in between languages: a Japanese learner who only knows that “kana” means “I think” might not add it onto sentences where they are certain about something, and thus risk annoying their Japanese-speaking colleagues, for example. In contrast, an English learner may say “I think” too often, leading their English-speaking colleagues to wonder why they don’t seem to actually know anything. It’s all part of the joy of language and culture!)

While there are several words in Japanese that can be used to soften your phrasing, Epel seems to have latched onto “kana” in particular, possibly because it is an easy word to add on to the last part of what might otherwise be a rude sentence in an attempt to avoid a reprimand from Vil. 

Other times Epel will belatedly add “desu” onto his sentences, also in a bid to sound more polite than he is used to speaking. 

If you are a language learner I would not recommend using Epel as an example of when to use “kana,” as he will sometimes shoehorn it into places in an unnatural way (as a part of his character).

EN is doing its best to recreate Epel’s “kana” by including things like “kind of,” “not sure” and “maybe” in his dialogue, but as sounding uncertain doesn’t necessarily mean you sound polite in English, this may not be having the same effect. And I have no idea how they would go about recreating this habit of Epel’s in a way that can properly portray what is happening in English—it might just be one of those things that gets lost in translation :<

Bonus: The Japanese language has four different alphabets (kanji, katakana, hiragana, romaji), and katakana is the alphabet used for foreign loanwords. 

Whereas other characters who use honorifics have “-kun” and “-san” written in hiragana in their dialogue, Epel’s dialogue uses katakana. This is possibly meant to symbolize how using honorifics in these situations is foreign to him, and he is not used to it.

(When he does shift into using honorifics in hiragana, it is only when he is talking to people from his own village: people he is used to!)

[everythingmp3]

all I need ✧

adult!Van x fem!reader

you and Van have been hooking up for a while, things are casual, the way she prefers them to be. then, one night, she catches you crying, which leads to something softer than what you’re used to with her.

author’s note: this is just something I quickly came up with bc I was having a rough night and wanted to write some hurt/comfort (I combined it with the idea of her wanting more than just surface level connections) so, if you’re also going through it rn, this is for you <3

warnings: none, just angst and brief mentions of sex, but I’ll still say minors dni

your visits at Van´s place always played out the same way:  

it was usually after 8 pm, you´d talk for a few minutes, nothing too deep, then you´d either go to her room or stay on the couch and hook up. afterwards you´d stay for another ten to fifteen minutes, getting yourself back to a presentable state and wishing her a good night before making your way back home.

she was not entirely careless with you, she did offer that you could take a shower or stay a little longer, she was polite, but you were too prideful for that, you weren´t going to admit that you wanted to spend more time with her, not unless she explicitly asked you to do so.

your arrangement worked, it was a formula that was reliable and efficient, her calling you about once or twice a week, you always giving in even when you were tired or wanted to play hard to get because your chemistry was undeniably perfect. the way you two initially met, had been rather unspectacular: you´d been bored with dating and decided to set your age range higher just to see who was on the apps, and got close to deleting all of your accounts after coming across one too many married couples who wanted a “third” or women who texted you with odd phrases and strange emojis, but just before giving up, you got a message from Van, which was refreshingly straightforward and normal, something along the lines of “you´re very pretty. would you wanna meet up sometime tomorrow?”. 

the first time you were at her place, the initial nerves you felt were quickly replaced by the thrill of how well you matched each other´s style of intimacy. neither of you had gone into the encounter hoping for too much, but somehow you both seemed to know right from the start just how the other person wanted to be touched, how they liked to be kissed, how slow and soft or fast and aggressive they needed certain movements to be, there was a wordless understanding that you shared, that was magnetic and made her abandon the other women she´d been talking to online, knowing that they wouldn´t offer the the same thing. after that first night, you both agreed to see each other again a few days later, which quickly turned into a regular hook-up situation. 

the one problem she had with you was that the more she saw you, the fonder she grew of you, which hadn’t been the plan at all.

a few weeks in, she started looking forward to hearing you come up the stairs of her apartment, helping you undress, feeling you eager on top of her, hearing you sigh her name, all of it, which had never been the case with other hookups she´d had, with other women it had truly just been an anonymous exchange, a quick way to get off, nothing emotional about it, she´d never dreamed of them after they left her place, had never wondered what they were doing during the day, but with you she did, all the time. and yet, she couldn´t bring herself to ask you out, to suggest that you should get to know each other and meet outside of her apartment, during the day, over coffee or a meal, something was stopping her, a final push was needed for her to break her promise of swearing off love. 

over the years Van had reminded herself again and again to remain detached, to never let any woman close enough to have the power to hurt her, it was a little immature and she knew it, her vehement refusal to open herself up to any possibility of more than just flings and short-lived affairs, so whenever she saw you, she tried hard to convince herself to finally drop the whole “fuck romance” act, but it was easier said than done. 

then, one particular night, something happened that she wasn´t prepared for. 

after having sex, you´d put your clothes back on again to go to her kitchen and get yourself a glass of water, while she kept laying in bed for a few more minutes. 

you´d had a rough week and were worn out from the constant effort to appear fine, so as you stood there, alone in her silent living space, suddenly overwhelmed by the pain that you´d stomached on your own for so long, contrasted by the joy you´d felt for the hour that she´d just touched and kissed you, you found yourself tearing up, the thought “nobody knows how badly I am actually doing. not her, not anyone��� forcing you into a state of weakness.

at first you tried to get it together, you tried to think of other things, but once the first tear hit your face, it was like something deep inside of you broke open and refused to close up again. you looked up at the ceiling and tried to fight it, but it was pointless, so you steadied yourself against the kitchen counter and tried to be as quiet as possible, hoping and praying that you could just get it over with before she´d come out to join you. about two minutes later, when you were still lost in your sudden outpour of emotion, you heard her saying something to you while stepping out of the bedroom, her tone light and humorous, the way you usually talked to each other, which startled you into a frantic attempt to appear okay, the words on her dating profile ringing in your ears : “strictly casual.”

you knew that she had not signed up for intense emotional connections or for being the one to console someone mid-cry, so you wiped your eyes, trying hard to regain some composure, but she knew the moment she approached you that something was off, one look at your face was enough to know exactly what was going on, her stomach dropped at the sight of you.

she rushed over immediately and her voice dropped into such a soft, sympathetic tone when she said “hey, what´s wrong?”, that your crying started all over again, harder then, the kind that had your lungs compressed and your breath all messed up, the kind that forced your body to surrender, like a higher power was zoning in on you and demanding “feel it all” , at the worst possible moment.

nobody had asked you that question all week, and her of all people being the one to do it was a knife to the heart, it was all you´d wanted from her and everything you couldn´t have, her love, her care, so getting a taste of it was enough to push you even further into your spiral of despair. sometimes, kindness at the right moment, after going so long without it, hurts even more than cruelty, the ache of a tired, frozen body stepping into a warm, inviting room, the ache of suddenly getting it, the one thing you´ve been dying for.

you were leaning on the counter, your forearms straining, facing down, a position of defeat, of hopelessness, thick tears dripping onto the flat surface, like rain splashing against windows. she placed her hand on your back, ever so gently, standing there next to you, gauging your reaction and rubbing up and down in a soothing motion, not talking for a second, not pushing for an answer, just being a quiet witness for a moment. 

she knew that she should let you get the worst sobs out first, that she should save the questions until talking was possible for you again. you felt a sense of shame bubbling up inside of you as you heard the sounds that were coming out of your mouth, cries of pure desperation, undignified, almost choking on air, your chest hurting from it; you hand´t cried in weeks and in that moment it all came flowing out at once, every single suppressed emotion, every single sting of frustration and pain that you´d taken without flinching, suddenly sharp and excruciating, catching up with you, coming back to haunt you;  it was a full on breakdown and Van almost teared up herself as she kept her hand on you, on the body that had been flush against her own mere minutes before, that had given her something she so desperately needed, again and again, intimacy, gentle touch, an intense connection. it was all disguised as a casual hookup, but for her it was more than that, always. you weren´t aware of it, the soft spot she had developed for you, the fact that she did not kiss just anyone the way she kissed you, often and with feeling, you´d told yourself that it was just something she did with every girl, passionate kissing, but it wasn´t, usually she kept it limited, the amount of times she allowed herself to place her lips on someone´s cheek, their neck, their shoulder, she normally kept her hookups impersonal and focused on getting off, but with you, she used it to also get the kind of romance she was starved for without explicitly asking for it, while letting you believe that it wasn´t meaningful. 

in that moment it dawned on her, that she did really care about you, that it wasn´t a “no strings attached” situation, not at all. she wanted nothing more than to ease your pain, to treat you the way a girlfriend would, to make you a tea and take you back to bed and listen to your worries, to help you in some way. she felt painfully useless just standing there, and even worse, seeing you cry like that made her feel awful, guilty even, because she had never stopped to consider that you might be going through some serious things, that you might have been hiding a good amount of pain from her whenever you saw each other, probably out of fear that she´d get turned off by vulnerability. she thought “you fucking idiot” about herself in that moment, realizing that she had never bothered to earnestly ask you how you were doing. 

you seemed like such an easy-going and chill person to her and she was so caught up in feeling sorry for herself most days, that she´d been blind to the fact that being young didn´t mean that you didn´t know suffering too, a little too intimately, judging from the utter devastation she could read in the intensity of your sobs, the kind that she´d only seen from others maybe once or twice in her entire life. she knew how exposing it must have felt for you, to have her present for all of that, so she did her best to just stand there and act like a kind of guard, to shield you in some way, to make you feel less alone, without coming on too strong, since she couldn´t read your mind, couldn´t know for sure that you wanted her to comfort you. still, she was pretty certain that you did, since you hadn´t moved an inch away from her.

eventually, you got through the worst of it, your face all red and puffy, your eyes bloodshot as you stood upright again and wiped your tears, a sudden ache on your lower back once she let go of you, you wanted her to keep touching you, but of course, you wouldn´t ask her to. 

“god I´m so sorry. I don´t know what just happened”, your voice still shaky and weak as you said this, your sleeves damp from your attempt to wipe the moisture off your cheeks. she was standing close to you and sounded serious then, “there is absolutely no need to apologize, okay? I´m just…” she didn´t know how to say it, seeing your fragile expression, the way you were holding yourself, broken open, raw like a wound, it all went straight to her heart, so she threw her rule about not getting emotionally involved out of the window for good and stepped forward to pull you into a tight embrace, her arms around your back as you instinctively went to rest your head against her shoulder, stunned by the sudden gesture of tenderness, moved to tears yet again, a silent, barely audible crying as you held onto her shirt, hard enough to make it clear for her, that you wanted her to be there for you, that you needed her to be.

she could tell from the way your body was trembling that you were dealing with tears again, so she stroked your hair and whispered “hey, it´s okay, I´ve got you, you can stay here for as long as you want”. you let the smooth sound of her voice and the sensation of her embrace lull you into a state of exhausted relief, your muscles slowly loosening up again, your thoughts becoming quieter, which was what she´d hoped would happen, and for a second she had no idea how to handle it, the overwhelming affection she felt for you, the visceral need to keep being the person you went to with your troubles. 

for a few minutes you just stood there together in her kitchen, chest to chest, the familiar scent of her soothing you, and the sensation of being as close as possible, heartbeats mere inches apart, it all managed to slowly stop your crying for good, replacing the pain in your chest with the haze that clouds your mind after sobbing that hard. 

once you were in a somewhat stable mood again, you let go of her and looked at her, rather shyly, a soft smile on her face when she saw that you seemed a bit better, calmer, reaching for both of your hands then, holding them reassuringly, “how about you go sit down on the couch and I get you something to drink, okay? you can use whatever blankets and pillows you want”, you nodded, a quiet “okay, yes, thank you”, which she waved off as she went over to the fridge, “no need to thank me, really. you´ve been nothing but nice to me, even when I was unreliable and flaky, so I think this is the least I can do” she had a point, it had happened more than once that she´d randomly blown you off, often on days where she was so depressed that being with you would´ve cracked her open, would´ve made her confess to you that she liked you, not just for your body. 

you were sitting on the right side of her couch, a blanket over your lap for comfort, as she sat down on the other side and handed you a cold glass of something fizzy with ice cubes, watching you gulp down a good amount before setting it down on the coffee table and exhaling deeply, relieved to see that your eyes were dry again and that your spirits seemed to be rising.  

she kept looking at you, her hands in her lap, an unusual earnestness to her, which you weren’t used to but grateful for. “so. do you wanna talk about it, or no?”, you did want to offer her an explanation but you also wanted to keep it rather brief, unwilling to exhaust her patience. “I´ll spare you the boring details, but I´ve just been going through it lately. personal things, family stuff, things keep stressing me out left and right, and it´s just all a little too much right now.” she nodded, listening intently, not breaking eye contact, so you went on “I´ve been feeling anxious pretty often lately but I just push it down most of the time, to function and get through my days, and most of the time it works, but yeah, sometimes it just…”, “gets a little too heavy” she completed the thought for you, not unfamiliar with what you were describing. “yes, exactly. so that´s what was going on when you walked in. and sorry again, I know that must´ve been a bit weird”.

a deep feeling of protectiveness overcame her at the thought of you out there on your own, pretending everything was fine, her hand on your cheek then for a moment, unbearably tender, “please don´t say sorry for things like that, okay? it wasn´t weird at all, I just got really worried there for a second because you looked so…”,  her voice cracked and it got to you, that she apparently really felt for you, “I know.. but I´m feeling much better now, thanks to you”, the first smile from you then since she´d caught you crying, which immediately made her face light up too, your hand on her thigh, an appreciative squeeze as you said that. the way your face looked then, softly lit by the orange lamp nearby, that post-crying glow giving your face an endearing, achingly lovable look, it made it crystal clear to her: “I don´t want to go back to “casual” after tonight. I want more with her”. 

“listen-” she said, clearing her throat, averting her gaze for a moment, trying to find the words, “I know I said I was just looking for fun, for something casual, and it was true at first..”  your attention was gripped then, you leaned closer to her, her eyes finding yours as she continued, “but I don´t think that´s working out for me. not with you, because I do want more. I really like you, and I want to be there for you, I want you to feel comfortable talking to me about this stuff , you know? and I want to spend more time with you in general.” she knew she should just say it plainly then, “what I mean is that I´d be lying to myself and to you if I kept acting like I don´t want to be with you, for more than just sex.” a brief pause before she added “if that´s what you want too, of course”.

you had to process for a second when she was done speaking because you were not used to her being open and honest like that, especially not about her innermost feelings, but once the words settled in your mind, your smile widened and you grabbed her hand, lacing your fingers through hers as you answered “yeah, it´s absolutely what I want, no doubt. I wasn´t gonna push for it, but I like you a lot. I always feel better when I see you, when I´m here”.

that way of putting it struck her right at her core “no, stop, that´s way too sweet, I don´t deserve that yet. I´ve gotta make up for not doing this sooner”, you laughed then, a tired laugh but a genuine one, it made her heart swell, to see you like that after seeing you hunched over in pain, “okay, sure, I wouldn´t mind that”. you leaned back , thinking of something, “so, you´re gonna break it off with the other girls you´re seeing?”, she laughed, running her hands through her hair, “the other girls, right”, she thought for a moment before admitting, “well about that…it´s kinda just been you for a while now.”

at first you thought she was bluffing, but you could tell from her slightly nervous demeanor that she meant it,  “so we´ve been exclusive all this time without knowing it?”, she didn´t know that you were also not seeing anyone else but she was glad to hear you say it, a satisfied smile from her, “guess we have, huh?”. you moved closer to her then and she pulled your legs onto her lap, “well then, how about I take you out on a proper date. we could get dinner on saturday?”, it all seemed so easy all of a sudden, “I´d love that, yeah”. 

you shook your head an laughed to yourself then, so she nudged you, “what is it?”, eyeing you curiously, “oh, I was just thinking about how desperately I wanted to hug you the last times we saw each other, but I knew it was off limits. so that was nice, felt good”. “oh yeah?. well it´s not off limits anymore, so”, she put her arm up on the couch cushion to make space for you, pulling you even closer, letting you nestle yourself in there.

“can I ask you something personal?”, she said, your head resting on her chest then, “yeah, sure”, “is there a specific person that´s making your life difficult?”. someone did come to mind, even though they weren´t the only issue you were dealing with, but you were unsure about telling her, “why do you wanna know?”, she shrugged, “well, if there is someone, I might have to ask you for a full name and address.”, that made you laugh, amused by her mafia-like way of putting it, “so you can do what exactly?”, she almost slipped up then and made a joke along the lines of “well, I hunted and ate people when I was a teenager, so I might be a good candidate for helping someone out with revenge”, but she stopped herself in time, instead saying “I´m not telling you. wouldn´t want you to be complicit”, and you knew she was not actually offering to kill someone for you, but still, you liked it, the fact that she was signaling to you that she was deeply troubled by the idea of someone messing with you. for a few minutes you closed your eyes and enjoyed the feeling of her lightly stroking your hair, until you grew heavy and willed yourself awake again. 

as you got up from her chest and rubbed your eyes, she realized that she hadn´t told you yet that you could stay over, “do you wanna go back to bed?” she asked, like it was the most normal thing in the world, like she´d asked you a bunch of times before,  “you´re letting me sleep over?” you asked, slightly surprised, she nodded, “I´m letting you do whatever you want from now on”, a playful smile as she got up and held her hand out to help you do the same, “careful with that promise”, you said, but she insisted, “oh but I mean it. I wanna be fucking smothered, I kept you at arm´s length for way too long”. it was easy for her to charm you, so you felt all the previous weight on your shoulders falling off as you followed her back to her room, relieved and content, glad to actually lay down and rest under the sheets that you´d previously only been on top of. 

the moment she laid down next to you, she moved onto her side to face you, staring at you with a lovestruck expression that she´d never let you see before. it was a little surreal to you at first, how much she´d hidden behind her convincingly nonchalant exterior, how successfully she´d made you believe that it was one-sided, your attachment to her.

you looked at her for a moment, soaking up the attention and comfortable silence before saying, “thank you. for all of this.”, she nodded, “any time, really, I mean it”.

you were already half asleep by then but you used the bit of energy you had left to pull her face closer to yours and give her a kiss, a soft, heartfelt one, the kind you don´t just give to anyone, your hand on her face, a faint humm of pleasure from her, the warmth of her lips against yours leaving you weak with everything you felt for her, a glow to both of you as you got comfortable under the covers. you closed your eyes before she did and she couldn´t help but look at your peaceful expression, the outline of your facial features for a few minutes, whispering “you´re so beautiful” before she turned off the light and moved herself close enough to you to feel your body, even when you weren´t touching. you let her believe that you hadn´t heard her.

Van was good at beating herself up over all things she´d messed up in the past, she was prone to self-flagellation, but that night when she fell asleep, she knew that she´d done things right for once.

she´d gotten over her aversion to emotional intimacy and it had resulted in you not having to brave through your pain on your own anymore, so in a way, the regret she had about not opening up sooner was not about what she´d denied herself, not at all, but about what she´d denied others, what she´d denied you. 

she vowed to herself to be whatever you needed her to be in the coming weeks, months, however long it was that you´d let her be part of your life.

nothing made her feel better about having survived all of the horrors, nothing made her feel more convinced that it had been worth it to stay alive despite it all, than to feel it at her core, that her presence was a light in someone´s darkness.

it was a full moon that night, so your sleeping silhouettes were illuminated by the silver streaming in through the window, even though it was pitch-black outside. the symbolism was not very subtle.

[freesia-writes]

Ch 23: First Date, Take Two

~ Master List ~ Previous Chapter ~ WC: 2.7k

Metallica - Fade to black lyrics (youtube.com)

.

“Heyyyy, there he is!” Luciana’s bright voice carried across the breeze, and she bounded to meet Hunter as he approached, trudging through the sand beside the crashing waves. She greeted him with an enthusiastic hug before bringing him back to her group of friends, sprawled across the beach on a litany of thick blankets and towels with snacks and drinks scattered atop. It was a decidedly youthful crowd, making Hunter feel immediately out of place. He shifted on his feet, rubbing the back of his neck and gazing from face to face as they were introduced. 

“Okay, so this is Dwigt,” she began, pointing to a moon-faced kid to his left, “That’s Scarn… Pan…” More individuals gave idle waves or nods as Hunter returned them awkwardly. “And over here is Wuphf, and this is Narddog. He’s the one who made me so scrappy,” she giggled, swatting the arm of a bulky Twi’lek sitting near where she stood. “This is Hunter, y’all. He’s gonna hang with us sometimes. Don’t be weird.” 

“Yes mom,” the one identified as Scarn teased, and Luciana moved to kick some sand at him. 

“Don’t mind them,” she grinned, turning back to Hunter, who remained standing beside her above the group. “Want to walk a bit?” 

A quick, sharp pang dug into his side before he forced it away from consciousness. “Walk sounds good,” he said, falling into step as they headed toward the cliffs.

“You alright?” Luciana asked, and he noticed that for once she wasn’t touching him immediately. 

“Yeah,” Hunter said, eternally tossed back and forth in his mind like the waves that crashed beside them on the shore. “I just…eh. This feels… I don’t know.”

“It’s alright if you’re not into it,” she said gently, the earnestness in her face matching her tone. “I know we’re different people. I imagine it might be daunting, or feel wrong, or you think you’re crazy,” she laughed. “I won’t be hurt if you need to dip at any point. I’d just love to enjoy the time with you. Whatever that looks like.” 

So simple. So straightforward. Nothing to figure out, no need to labor over discerning every nuance. He took a deep breath, releasing it along with as much of the pent-up stress as he could. 

“Alright,” he said, lifting his eyes to the horizon. They continued their stroll, her beach wrap fluttering in the breeze over the swimsuit it covered. 

“I’m sorry for what happened with Lyra,” she ventured, sincerity in her honeyed voice. “That’s never fun.”

“Yeah.”

“I can’t believe you just never heard from her again. She ditches you on a random planet and leaves her entire life here? Maybe something happened to her…”

“Who knows,” he said, feeling a spiteful snake coiling inside of him that almost hoped something did. 

“Well, if it makes you feel any better, something always felt a little off with her. I thought it was just cause she was kinda new around here – she arrived on the island shortly before I did – but it never quite went away. Anyway, sorry to bring it up. I’ve been wrecked a time or two… and not in the good way,” she winked, laughing at her own joke before shaking her head. “So… moving on… How’s the shop?”

They chatted for a while about their jobs, life on the island, things they’d tried or had yet to explore. The sun had disappeared below the horizon as they began to head back toward the blankets on the beach, which had since been deserted by her friends, leaving only her towel and bag. She shook the sand off the towel, stuffing it into her bag, then pulled on a long, cozy wrap as the breeze grew chillier. 

“Hungry?” she asked, gazing up at Hunter with green eyes that had a softening effect on his harsh exterior. 

“Not really,” he admitted, feeling as though it were the wrong answer somehow. It was a constant back and forth… being lost in conversation that was genuinely enjoyable and then feeling wildly out of sorts and almost as though he were in some kind of strange dream. 

“Alright,” she nodded with simple acceptance, lifting her bag to her shoulder. “I’ve got to work the next few days, but maybe we could meet up on Taungsday? Late dinner?”

“Sounds good.”

She reached out to squeeze his hand, offering an endearing smile before turning to venture up the stairs away from the beach, leaving him to ponder his choices beneath a blanket of twinkling stars. 

* * * 

Hunter washed out the pan, absently swirling the water around it again and again as Omega rattled the drawers behind him, putting away the silverware. They’d finished another cozy dinner in the cabin, Wrecker having gone home early due to a “food coma”, and they were quietly cleaning up side by side. 

“So this next internship is on Plata?” he asked, regarding her over his shoulder.

“Yup,” she nodded. “I’m kind of excited, to be honest. Not for the reason you think,” she added, swatting him with a dish towel as she could almost see his thoughts about the notorious party-loving island. “It’s just a good group of people going, and it’ll be a nice break from the drama.”

“Drama, eh?” 

“Yeah, everyone’s all up in arms over who likes who, and the whole thing has turned into taking sides over something that’s stupid in the first place.”

“Sounds like the war,” Hunter replied dryly. Omega exhaled, looking at him with a mixture of sympathy and humor. 

“You seem different these days,” she remarked. “I mean, I know it’s been a lot, but… the bartender?”

“Something to say about it?” he invited, rubbing a plate with the soapy sponge. 

“Not really. If you’re happy, I’m happy. Is she nice? Like, for real?”

“From what I can tell. She’s pretty straightforward. Says what she thinks. Keeps it simple. It’s not really anything, just… having fun.” He cringed at the last words as though they pained him to say, prompting Omega to giggle.

“Maker forbid,” she jabbed with a knowing grin. 

“I know, I know.” Everyone and their general had been giving him a hard time for beating himself up so much over all that had happened. Tech’s observation at the last family dinner had been particularly piercing, as he wondered aloud if Hunter were releasing all of the frustration, powerlessness, and regret of his entire life into this particular situation. There had been an uncomfortable silence after that, until Wrecker moved the conversation along by antagonizing Crosshair and everyone returned to eating. 

“I get it, though,” Omega continued, pausing her movement to look at him softly. “And if you want my two cents… maybe the universe is offering you a chance to feel more human than you ever have before.”

“I keep hearing about how all these experiences are so ‘human’, and I think I’d prefer to be a clanker if this is what it’s like.”

Omega remained silent, a small smile on her face as she patted his arm. They finished up their cleaning and turned to head to bed, pausing in the hallway to bid one another goodnight. It was only then that she spoke up again. 

“Hunter, what do you want?” she asked quietly, looking into his conflicted face. He sighed, eyes roving the floor as his hand slowly rubbed the back of his neck.

“I don’t know.”

“Well maybe all this stuff is happening to help you figure it out.”

He watched her disappear into her room and remained there for a few minutes before turning toward his own.

* * * 

“Hi handsome!” Luciana exclaimed, inviting him in with a flourish. She was in a black lacy bra and underwear, with a floor-length satin robe hanging loosely over it all. Hunter kept his eyes fixed very firmly on her face. “Lookin good, by the way,” she noted, checking out his outfit, which was composed of plain khaki pants and a white shirt. “I’m almost ready; make yourself at home for a few?”

He stepped into her apartment, taking it all in. The place was relatively dark, lit by string lights and small lamps with red or purple bulbs. There was artwork splashed across virtually every wall, except the far one which was made of plain brick, and the framed images ranged from eclectic portraits of animals to somewhat sensual abstract art. Plants sprouted and hung from every nook and cranny, and a few candles flickered as they filled the room with a soft, spicy scent. Scratching the back of one hand with the other, Hunter ventured from corner to corner, idly inspecting all that there was to see.

“Answer with your first thought!” she called from her bedroom. “Green or red?” 

“Green,” he said after a pause where his mind ran through the colors and all that they were connected with, naturally overthinking the question in just a few seconds.

“You got it!”

She appeared a few minutes later in a pastel green dress, dainty and feminine, the top of which was held up by a single string that looped around her neck alongside the thin gold necklaces and earrings she’d added. A pair of strappy heels wove their way up her ankles, tied in the back, and her curly red hair had been pulled back loosely at the nape of her neck. His mouth felt a little dry as he noticed her lips, distinctly plump and soft with the light shine from the lipstick she’d chosen. 

“Whaddya think?” she asked coquettishly, brushing the front of her dress and doing a little spin for him. 

“I… uh… It’s nice,” he fumbled, genuinely clueless of how to respond. “Aren’t you gonna be cold?”

“Oh my gosh,” she laughed, taking a few steps forward to playfully smack him on the chest. “You’re ridiculous.” She turned to a closet near the front door, pulling out a beige, knee-length coat. “Just for you, babe,” she smiled, shuffling into it and extending a hand to invite him to follow. 

“So, Luciana,” he began, interrupted by her grabbing his hand and pulling him a step closer. 

“Luci,” she said firmly, giving him a mockingly stern expression. “And what? Would you rather stay in?” She arched a shapely eyebrow, eyes sparkling with both mirth and insinuation. 

“No,” he said with an exhale, a small smile of his own finally appearing. “I’m starving.”

“Alright. Then I hope you’re ready for the best pasta of your life!”

.

.

They wove their way through the streets of Xylo for only a few minutes, as Luci’s apartment was near the Town Square where most of the restaurants were. As they rounded a corner, their destination came into view. Tables and chairs spilled out onto the cobblestoned sidewalk in front of a well-lit building with thick vines filling the trellis above the entrance. It seemed quite busy, despite it being a slightly late hour for dinner, but the host smiled broadly when he saw Luci approach.

“Miss Salentino! Welcome, welcome. Always a pleasure. Right this way,” he fawned, grabbing a couple of menus and leading them through the bustling restaurant floor. Hunter didn’t miss the eyes that flitted up and down her long legs as she gracefully followed the host out to a back patio, which was much quieter due to only a few tables being scattered across it. Their menus were placed on the farthest table, tucked into a corner with a small view of the city below, with buildings all around. 

“Your server will be along shortly,” the host said with a bow, giving her one last warm grin before disappearing, and before Hunter could even open his menu, another man was at her elbow, carefully placing two sparkling glasses on the table and settling a bottle of champagne in a metal tube to keep it cold. 

“Hello beautiful,” he said, then turned to give Hunter a quick scan from head to toe, offering a polite smile as he did. “And welcome, sir. Have you dined with us before?”

“No,” Hunter said, sitting up a little straighter.

“I brought him here to change his life,” Luci said playfully, pouring the champagne until the glasses were filled to the brims. “And then we might have some food,” she laughed. 

“Naturally,” the server snickered, shaking his head fondly. Hunter stared between the two of them. “Well, I’ll give you two some time to settle in, and perhaps some small plates before the ‘life-changing’ entrees?” 

“Sounds good! Thank you, love!” Luci chirped, and the menus were whisked away without either of them having the chance to look. 

“Quite friendly,” Hunter muttered, picking up his own champagne glass and giving it a sniff out of habit. 

“The owner is an old friend from my pod-racing crew on Tattooine, and I come so frequently that I’ve gotten to know most of the staff as well,” she explained flippantly, lifting her glass to him in cheers before taking a sip. 

“Pod-racing crew?”

“Mmm,” she said, nodding through one more gulp before setting her glass down and leaning back in her chair. “I’ve dabbled in a thing or two during my lifetime.”

“You were a pod racer?” he repeated, trying to wrap his head around the fact. 

“I started on the crew, then thought I’d try it myself. It didn’t last long,” she giggled. “Got a little boring.”

“Boring?” Hunter said in disbelief, then cringed inwardly at how dumb he sounded, even to himself.

“Well, I mean, it’s risky, but… I don’t know. It was time to move on. But it was fun while it lasted! Met some amazing people and got to learn so much about the different types of speeders and how they work. I wanted to be a full-time mechanic but it’s so dirty and complex… Too much for me!” She smiled and shrugged, gazing out at the view.

The server appeared with three small plates, each displaying a few bites of various appetizers. The quiet hubbub of the others on the patio, combined with the mouthwatering scents of the crispy rolls and fruit kebabs before them, was increasingly putting Hunter at ease, and Luci was radiating contentment. He took a deep breath and felt his shoulders relax away from his ears a bit as he gazed at the soft glow from the small candle on their table.

“So how about you?” she continued, daintily picking at one of the spring rolls. “What’s your story?”

“Heh,” Hunter said, trying to remember what he’d shared with… the other one… to keep it all consistent. “Kinda like yours, I guess, but not as exciting.” He navigated a purposefully vague story about being a butcher like his father before him, being trained in the military of his remote home planet, being sucked into the war a bit, then operating as a mercenary with his brothers before returning to a quiet life. Luci asked a thing or two about details, but he evaded them with what he thought was some pretty good acting, pretending that the memories were too painful or unpleasant to ruin the evening with. 

Entrees came and went, dessert was regretfully refused due to having eaten too much already, and the empty champagne bottle was taken away along with the remaining dishes. Luci sat back in her seat, patting her stomach. 

“Glad I wore a loose dress,” she snickered. “Want to walk this off and call it a night?”

As they began a slow stroll through the winding streets, Hunter was struck by just how normal it all felt. Conversation continued, everything from favorite things to flirty banter, and he offered her an arm as they made their way up some cobblestone stairs. When they finally arrived at her apartment, she stopped and turned toward him, wrapping her arms around herself and heaving a big, contented sigh.

“This was really nice, Hunter,” she said earnestly, reaching up to free her hair from its ponytail. “Thank you so much.”

“Yeah,” he agreed, stuffing his hands in his pockets. “I… agree.”

“I think I’m feeling a little more adventurous for the next date,” she continued, a mischievous gleam in her eye. “If there is a next one…” she drifted off, lifting her eyebrows slightly in inquisitive coyness. 

“Depends on what you have in mind,” he returned, feeling simultaneously proud and weird about his own playfulness. 

“I’ll surprise you,” Luci said with a nod, reaching out to touch the outside of his arm as she gazed into his face. “We’ll see if you can keep up.”

.

Previous Chapter ~ Master List ~ Next Chapter

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[bokutone]

˗ˏˋ realizing they fell in love ˎˊ˗

including: kageyama tobio, atsumu miya, akaashi keiji, iwaizumi hajime. genre/warnings: fluff and fluff and fluff. a/n: this was one of my fav things ever!! so if you guys want to read something like this with other characters just say the word and I'll try to do it quickly<3

kageyama — he's hyper-aware of the feeling. he can't pinpoint exactly when it started, but it probably was when he saw how carefully you listened to his explanation about volleyball and how happy you looked when he offered to teach you how to play. your smile was huge, and the way your eyes shined when he praised you after the not-so-bad spike you did was everything. he doesn't know what to do, should he tell you? do you love him too? even though he's very straightforward with his comments sometimes, he's careful about them when they're related to you. the relationship is a little awkward after that, and when you confront him about it, he tells you so abruptly that neither of you can see what's happening until the words are said.

atsumu — he didn’t know it until you say “i love you” first. he’s clueless about his own feelings for a while, not sure if what he feels is true love or just the comfort that having you in his life brings him (he’s a little dumb, but cute). 

it was probably when he accidentally eavesdropped on your conversation with your friend a few weeks later that he realized that it’s love and not other feelings that make his heart go faster when you laugh and hug him. it hit him hard though, listening to your low voice mumbling that you’re not sure if he loves you is the last thing that he wants to hear. and so, the next thing you hear before the response of your friend is atsumu screaming that he loves you so much that you’ll be going to end up getting bored of him. 

akaashi — he wasn’t shocked when realized he fell in love with you, he was actually relieved because all those thoughts swimming in his mind finally started to make sense. but he’s nervous, he’s an overthinker, and suddenly his pretty head was filled with the idea that maybe you don’t love him back. 

he’s distant for a couple of days, you have no idea of what is happening because he doesn’t have the courage to talk to you about it, akaashi doesn’t know how to admit he’s in love with you without considering that maybe, but just maybe, you already know that he’s in love because you are too. 

iwaizumi — he was quick to notice it and say it. it was after a long day at work; he came home feeling tired with his shoulders and back aching, you noticed his state almost immediately, the fake smile on his face didn’t reach his eyes and the way his body moved didn’t match the energy of his voice. you sent him to the bathroom, almost pushing him to the room and urging him to take a warm bath with the promise of joining him later. 

when he had you in his arms while you babbled about your day, he said it. the warmth of your body against him, the way your hands played with his fingers, and how you tried to distract him from his work was enough to fill his heart with love, the impulsive way the words left his mouth didn’t startle you how he thought. you turned your face with a bright smile plastered on your face and said i love you back so quick that he wondered how long you were waiting to say it. 

comments and reblogs are deeply appreciated!

[writingseaslugs]

Scarabia NSFW Headcanons

Aaaaaand time for the sin, hope you enjoy it because, as per usual, it was tons of fun to write!

Disclaimer: All characters in this series is aged up. For more information about my version of this world and the type of reader you can expect, please do a quick read of THIS post. This post also has explicit content. If you’re under the age of 18, or are uncomfortable with this form of content, please skip this post.

Content Warning: Oral Sex, Public Sex, Heavy Petting, Service Dom, Consensual Mind Control

Heartslabyul | Savanaclaw | Octavinelle | Scarabia (You're Here) | Pomefiore | Ignihyde | Diasomnia

NSFW Headcanons

Kalim Al-Asim

What he lacks in experience, he makes up for in enthusiasm. The moment you tell him you want to take things further, he’s jumping on you and smothering you in kisses. He’s going to ask if what he’s doing is okay, and as long as you’re not in public, it should be fine. Kalim sometimes has a habit of forgetting where he is exactly and acting on impulse, so state some ground rules that he can only do that in private.

He likes to look at your body as though you were a fine gem. The first time seeing you naked, he just leans back on his heels, staring at you in wonder. It’s a bit embarrassing but when he snaps out of it, be prepared to be praised for simply breathing. He loves every part about you and likes to take you in any position; each one has a different view of your body, and he wants to see everything. His favorite will be when he can look at your face, though, seeing how it morphs into pleasure whenever he does something right.

He’s one of the few who will use some form of protection without being prompted. Jamil basically hounded it into his head that he should do that to protect both of you, and Kalim took it very seriously. Even if he sometimes does get a bit whiny about having to grab them when he just wants to tell you already. He keeps things near his bedside, desk, closet, and bathroom. You never know when Kalim is going to come up and begin nibbling on your ear and whispering about how he’d love to feel you right now. It’s always followed by his boyish laugh, so it can be seductive and cute.

He’s adventurous, wanting to try new things in new places. Expect him to take you to a private oasis for a picnic and then lean over, asking if you’d be willing to let him fuck you right here and now. He’s very straightforward with his wants, so if you’re down, he’s overjoyed to be with you. He also likes to make sure it’s worth your time, making you cry out for him.

Kalim is a switch; as long as he can be with you, he’s satisfied. You ask if you can ride him, and he’ll be patting his lap and making grabby hands at you while laughing. You ask him to flip you over a counter and take you like that while you’re clawing at the surface? Say no more; he aims to please. The best thing is probably the aftercare. It’s his favorite part, actually, since he gets to take his time and make sure you’re doing okay. Taking care of you than wrapping around you for some post-coital cuddles.

Jamil Viper

Jamil is another person who’s going to be more dominant when it comes to intimacy. He likes to take the lead with things and be in control, so give him the reigns. He’ll be a service dom most of the time, but he also loves putting you in your place when you’re acting up. Your pleasure is his own…but his pleasure is also his own, so he’s expecting mutual understanding on that one. Returning favors is a must. He does oral for you, and you do so in return. Equivalent exchange and all that.

He values privacy, so while he might play with you a bit outside of the bedroom, don’t be expecting to hit a home run. He might drag you into an abandoned room and put his hands down your pants, but he’s not about to flip you over and rail you on a desk. If it’s not easy for him to clean up and act as though nothing happened, then nothing is going to be happening. He has a reputation to hold, and the last thing he needs is to get ratted out to his mother about getting handsy with one of the school’s prefects in the alchemy room after class. The shame it would bring his family is too much for him to deal with.

He actually prefers being over at Ramshackle with Grim out of the house. Kalim has a bad habit of barging into his room at whatever time of the day, and he really doesn’t want to be in the middle of something when he decides he needs to ask him a question. It happened once, thankfully, the door was locked, but Kalim tried to twist the nob a few times before banging on the door, asking for Jamil. You guys had to clean up quick and act as though nothing was going on…thankfully Kalim didn’t realize.

Jamil enjoys teasing you, though. When nobody is looking, he’ll whisper some of the dirtiest things right in your ear to watch you go red. He’ll be working you up all day, maybe even sneaking into a closet and bringing you up to an almost orgasmic state before stopping and telling you you’re going to be late for class. It’s always worth it at the end of the day when he takes you for multiple rounds, possibly edging you a few times before letting you come undone under him.

Play with his hair. Please play with his hair. He’ll always say he doesn’t like it, how you’re ruining the style, but tug on his hair while pounding into you and watch his eyes roll to the back of his head. Just expect a few bruises and marks on your body after that because it gets him feral. Your legs are going to be thrown way over your head, something you didn’t expect to be possible, and small hickeys all over your thighs while he’s railing you so hard it’ll be impossible to walk straight for days on end.

Bonus Bullet: He’s going to be very hesitant if you ask, but he might just use his signature spell on you in the bedroom. You just have to be absolutely sure, and he’s going to tell you everything he’ll make you do before using his spell on you. If you agree to all the terms and conditions, he will fuck you while your mind controlled. You didn’t think you could deep-throat him? Well, you’re going to be when he’s using this spell on you. Your throat will be sore the next day, but at least you know it’s possible. Still, the hazy feeling when you’re under his spell is almost euphoric. You don’t have to think or do anything; just let him be in control. If this is your kind of thing, then congrats. If it’s not, you don’t ever have to try it. After all, he will be hesitant, so if it’s never brought up, he’ll never bother asking.

[soliarus]

imma need a part 2 of that kindergartener teacher sana x reader 😭 i love all your works btw!!

*sigh* A Coffee Date

-fluff, part 2 of teacher!sana, reader's job is revealed?? 😱

: taking your niece’s teacher out for a coffee date is crazy

words 1.2k

teacher!sana x fem!reader

part 1

────────────────────

“No way you actually thought I gave birth to that little devil?” You walk up to Sana, amused at the blush that coats her cheeks when she notices you. 

"Well, hello to you as well," Sana mumbles, glancing away. You and she planned to go on a date at the small coffee shop after you messaged her a few nights earlier. You sit opposite one another at a cute small table with a vase of flowers in the center, near a window.

“You know,” Sana leans on the table, “You actually kind of do look like her.” 

“Really how so?” You mirror her, leaning in. 

“I mean you have the same hair and eye color…” Sana wanted to say more, like how you both have the same nose and how you both seem to unconsciously twirl a piece of hair around your finger, but that would be too weird. “...and some other similar features. I was surprised you weren’t her mom”

“Actually, her mom says the same thing,” you lightly chuckle, “she’s been my best friend since high school, and well her dad is my older brother.” You shrug. “Eun and I have spent a lot of time together since her parents is always busy going on business trips and stuff, she might have even stolen her mom’s title of being my best friend” 

Sana grins, she can tell how close you are with Eun, the way your eyes light up when she is mentioned, and oh my- you also scrunch your nose like her. Sana is torn between admiring your closeness to her pupil, who happens to be your niece, or being slightly jealous.

“But enough about that little cutie, she already gets enough attention as it is,” you roll your eyes, knowing that you almost started ranting about the little wingwoman, “what’s it like taking care of thirty kids everyday?” 

Sana hums at the question, “well i’ve always wanted to be a teacher, for as long as I could remember, so honestly, for me it’s a dream come true. It’s not always sunshine and rainbows but I don’t regret my decision. Kids are just so much better than adults sometimes, they’re more honest and straightforward, if they want something they ask for it, they don’t beat around the bush. But then again that could be debatable cuz some kids are shy- ”  

Sana rambles on and on about her job, you lay your head on the palm of your hand as you stare at her talk on and on about how teaching the actual spawn of satan is literally the best. I wanna marry her. You think about times where you could walk into the classroom when Sana is teaching and give her flowers, drop off her lunch if she ever forgot at home. Your thoughts turn domestic really quickly, well that’s lesbianism for ya– and suddenly a waiter comes over asking for your order. 

“Oh can I have Grapefruit Green Tea Ade, 30% sugar, and two servings of coconut jelly please!” Sana is quick to order, knowing what she wants right away. Must be a favorite drink of hers, Quick Y/N memorize it! 

 The waiter looks at you, “And for you ma’am?” 

“Oh uhh… a vanilla milkshake please?” You mumble, your order seems childish compared to Sana’s, the pretty girl in front of you giggles as the waiter walks away. 

“A vanilla shake? That’s cute” Sana can’t hide her smile, your face flushes as you look away. Now it’s your turn to be flustered. Sana can’t help it, she finds you cute, a full grown adult and you order a vanilla milkshake, god that’s just so adorable. Her eyes roam your attire, you’re dressed casually, and you’re wearing a couple pieces of jewelry. They seem familiar. She looks at your necklace, and then your earrings, and finally your rings. Oh that’s right, they’re all from the same brand and a designer one at that. The price of your jewelry combined is pretty much what she earns in a year. Wait– she doesn’t even know your job, what if you’re a doctor, or a lawyer I mean you gotta be something big to afford jewelry like that. 

“Soooo, Ms. Y/N” Sana starts off, her voice dropping slightly, you feel the hair on your neck stand up. 

“Y-yes Sana” You don’t know if you’re trembling from fear or anticipation, maybe both. 

“Now, what is it that you do? I mean we basically met at my job but what do you do?” Sana swirls the plastic cup in her hand, and takes a sip of her drink. You anxiously fiddle with your hands on your lap, god she’s just so attractive. 

“O-oh! I’m a business owner. It began as a homemade organization. I started it myself actually, and it’s slowly growing day by day. I graduated with a business degree so I decided to do something with it. I think it’s pretty successful but more can always be done” You chuckle nervously, scratching the back of your neck, as Sana looks at you. 

“Oh? A business owner?” Sana looks surprised, “Well it must be doing really well then! I was just wondering because your clothes are designer and your jewelry is all from the same brand and it all looks super expensive, I’ve always wanted a Magical Diamond necklace and yours looks so pretty” 

“I actually have more, if you’d like I can give you some! As a gift.” You were happy Sana didn’t feel weirded out about being on a date with a literal CEO. Sana blushed at your offer, 

“No no, I shouldn't, they're yours and super expensive. I’ll get my own really.” Sana doesn’t want to take advantage of you, I mean yeah you’re a business owner, but she doesn’t know if you two have the same definition of successful. 

“It’s okay, it’s okay. I get all my Magical Diamond jewelry for free”

Sana’s jaw fell when she heard that, “for free?” Thousands of dollars worth of jewelry and for free–

You shrug your shoulders, “Yup for free, I made the brand after all.” You take a sip of your vanilla shake. Sana feels the circuit in her brain explode, no way, absolutely no way, you weren’t rich, you were Rich. Bold font with a capital ‘r’, type of rich. 

────────────────────

“Right after this turn, yup there it is, you can stop just at that curb over there” Sana instructed as you pulled up to her apartment complex. You pulled your car on park, and waited for Sana to leave, but she didn’t get out, instead she turns to you, 

“Thanks so much for the date, Y/N” She smiles as she holds your hand. 

“I should be thanking you for coming, Sana” You say bashfully, happy that she enjoyed your time together. 

“Of course! I loved it, see you next time, Y/N!” And the next thing you know she’s leaving your car and jogging on over to her apartment, next time. OH MY GOSH SHE SAID NEXT TIME!

You squeal in your car, your hands covering your face as you blush, kicking your legs as best you can before your knee hits the steering wheel. “Ow–” 

Sana rushes in and closes the door before leaning against the wall, and this time she’s the one squealing, sliding down to the floor and kicking her feet. 

[1ivinqdeadqir1]

Hi, I hope you’re doing good, I saw your post about exams and same here, it’s hard just to wake up to go to school in the morning. 😭 Anyway, I just read the post about Lalo being your first time, and I was wondering when you could find time, if you could write the same prompt just with Nacho? Oml the brainrot is HEAVYYYY. If not, that’s completely okay! Thank you so much.

Nacho Varga being his SOs first:

A/N: similarly to the Lalo one, I used different ‘ first time ‘ circumstances and I think it turned out pretty cute, gotta love nachito <33

Fem!Reader (implied, though you could very well just use whatever pronouns or gender identity you like)

WARNING(S): mentions of sex, kissing and death, generally just nacho behaviour tbh

First relationship:

he wouldn’t really mind at all, he’d be a little intimidated maybe at first and feel as though there’s a lot of expectations he’d have to fill

But you’d ( of course ) reassure him that he’s doing great <33

I can imagine you meeting at his fathers shop, and he greets you at the counter and he can’t stop thinking about how gorgeous you are

“ I was uh.. if you’re free later maybe we could go for a drink?”

“I’d love to, Ignacio. pick me up at 7 okay?”

His father also adores you. Papa Varga really admires how you bring out the good in his son

Nacho probably has a gym set at his house let’s be for real

Imagine training together ( if you’re into that )

Him accidentally giving you weights that are too heavy and when your muscles ache afterward he apologizes and gives you a massage

“Ignacio, where did you learn to give massages like this?”

“It’s pretty straightforward really… I guess”

He’s not much for PDA, just for his reputation but if it’s just the two of you he’d happily hold you

Once you’re aware of his job he’d be hyper vigilant over you ( you probably have to find out on your own…)

Nacho definitely has a fake ID made for you in his safe. Just in case.

First Kiss:

he initiates it, or at least goes to- and you pull away.

“ sorry, I-“

“No no nacho, it’s me I just… I haven’t…”

“ oh 😳” he’d find it really cute, maybe a little weird since I imagine you’re around 23-25, but still.

You give him a quick peck on the cheek to compensate when he’s not looking, and he can’t help but smile stupidly into his hand.

This all probably takes place with you both sitting watching the sunset from inside one of his cars or an old truck borrowed from his dad for a romantic date night. In the middle of nowhere.

“You’re going to be the death of me” he sighs it out, and you laugh it off, though he’s a little worried that part of him is being truthful.

Not for his sake, more for yours. Because how can he develop such a love for someone-

who then loves him back, for him to just die and leave you all alone?

“You’re so dramatic sometimes… tough guy”

Your first PROPER kiss is probably after the 4th date, something relaxed like a movie at his place and food.

You initiate it this time, reluctantly, but he welcomes it.

“ that was… new”

“ oh shut up and just kiss me already”

And he does, smiling like a fool because he just has such a love for you. He doesn’t say as much as he should, but nacho doesn’t have to say it all the time for you to know.

First time having sex (NSFW):

Your confidence has probably gone up a lot since your first kiss with him, and being with him in general honestly

He’s still nacho, though a lot less stressed than usual, he has you to come home to so now he has something else to fight for.

Some days when he comes home you miss him more than he’d imagined,

I can’t imagine nacho taking you on regular shopping trips, though if you needed something and asked he’d oblige.

Besides, you like earning your own money, it makes you feel… accomplished, and appreciate the work that went into getting it.

So when he comes home and you’ve gotten a new set of underwear or pajamas he’d be so flustered, and maybe a little confused

“I- uh, they look… nice”

You’d initiate it this time, and ask him whether or not he’s going to hurry up and bend you over

As a… half joke, of course

After some very much needed TLC from you and some from him, he’s relatively gentle when it comes to the actual intercourse bit

Especially because he can just guess based on the fact you hadn’t even had your first kiss that you’re more than likely a virgin to

“We can stop if it hurts okay?”

“You’re so sweet baby, it doesn’t hurt”

It does. Not as much as your friends had made it out to be, but still you can definitely feel a slight burning feeling

Aftercare is pretty important to Nacho, just because he likes seeing you so relaxed and carefree sprawled out on his bed as he cleans over your body with a damp lukewarm washcloth.

Expect lots of uncharacteristic hugging and kisses as well

He’s the big spoon, tho he’s not really bothered what he is as long as you’re close to him

“You smell so nice Ignacio”

“Mmhm”

We know he doesn’t talk a lot, but you know exactly what he means

You’d turn to face him and press kisses along his chest and the scar he’d gotten from Tuco

“You're so beautiful”

At first he doesn’t really understand what you mean by beautiful, since he’s a guy, and it seems a bit… odd to talk to a guy like that

But he inevitably chuckles and asks “ how so?”

“ you’re just… a beautiful man, inside and out.”

Damn, talk about a sting to the heart, he’ll definitely remember that in his depressed ass moments

“You’re trying to make me soft hm?”

“No! You just…”

“ I know, I’m only joking”

“You and your jokes… nachito”

You’d both then fall asleep, you first then him.

He doesn’t sleep for long, about 2 hours or so

And when he wakes up he just looks down at you and can’t even begin to wonder what he did to deserve someone so perfect

too bad this was one of the last times you’d ever see him alive 💀

[k0r3s-smu1]

𝐌𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐨 𝐒𝐅𝐖 𝐚𝐥𝐩𝐡𝐚𝐛𝐞𝐭

A = affection (How affectionate are they? How do they show affection?)

I believe he’s more into quality time than physical affection.

He often takes you out to beautiful locations to go cloud watching, or star-gazing if its night.

He holds your hand occasionally, and gives you forehead kisses <33

When he has free time, he likes to have picnics with you and nap together.

He doesn’t really communicate how much he loves you, but you can see it by the way he looks at you.

B = Best Friend (what would they be like as a best friend? How would the friendship start?) 

Being his best friend is actually quite nice.

Its a calm friendship, you two don’t talk too much but you enjoy each other's presence. 

You train together, go on missions together, nap together, muichiro trusts and cares about you a whole lot; so he prefers to be by your side as much as he can.

He does tease you as well, and enjoys when you get angry and talk back.

You must’ve approached him to become his friend, otherwise he wouldn’t have talked to you.

C = Cuddles (Do they like to cuddle? How would they cuddle?) 

He loves to be close with you, so of course he would be happy to do something as intimate as cuddling. He falls asleep quite easily with his arms wrapped firmly around you, his face snuggled into your chest or neck. Or laying on your lap, a certain calmness always comes over him. He feels secure pressed up against you, and he knows you're safe. 

He doesn’t exactly seek it out, but if he’s really missing your touch, then he might initiate it.

D = Domestic (Do they want to settle down? How are they at cooking and cleaning?)

He does look forward to the day he can settle down with you and live a normal life. But until Muzan is still alive and demons still walk this earth, that won’t happen until he has to retire.

He’s decent at cleaning, and its quite relaxing for him. But he’s not too good at cooking. 

He’ll try though, and it’s very enjoyable for him when you’re there, guiding him or preparing food beside him. 

E = Ending (If they had to break up with their partner, how would they do it?) 

It would be a simple “Let’s break up”. If you questioned him, he would give a straightforward explanation about this decision. Then leave. Either that, or he would leave a note in your estate and stop visiting. You’d have to seek him out for further questioning. Either way, Tanjiro most likely noticed how down you were and after learning what happened, convinced muichiro to come back.

Now, Mui elaborates on his explanation in a more heartfelt way, making clear he loved and cherished you, and that this is for the best. He bids you farewell, and this second explanation definitely gave you more closure then the first.

F = Fiance(e) (How do they feel about commitment? How quick would they want to get married?)

Truthfully, he doesn’t think about it a lot. He loves you dearly but he’s also fine staying with the

“partner” or “boyfriend” title. Marriage isn’t that special to him. If he does choose to marry you though, it wouldn’t be quickly- probably a good couple of years later. (Unless you initiate it, of course) He is a bit worried about commitment, but being a capable demon slayer definitely helps.

It would really suck if he started dating a regular girl only for her to die one random night because some low level demon came crawling into her house 💀

G = Gentle (How gentle are they, both physically and emotionally?) 

He can be a little dense sometimes and say offensive things unintentionally, and he might have a hard time understanding why you’re mad because of something he said.

To him, he’s just being honest… but please don’t get too disheartened at him, he’s trying :(

You’re probably his first relationship, he’s new & might be a bit clumsy. 

But he’s otherwise pretty gentle with you in both aspects. He knows he’s strong and doesn’t want to run the risk of hurting you in any kind of way.

H = Hugs (Do they like hugs? How often do they do it? What are their hugs like?)

Yes, he does enjoy hugs! Well, specifically from you. Just like cuddling, he doesn’t really initiate it. But he’s more than happy to if you wanna. His hugs are light and warm, and being so close you can catch his scent- almost non existent, but it's there- Like clean laundry and mint.

I = I Love You (How fast do they say the L-word?)

Not very fast. A few months into dating, maybe on a summer night, watching the stars.

I can see it being kind of random- It’s silent, and he’s just looking at you lovingly. And the words came, seemingly out of nowhere, so soft and sincere. Definitely caught you off guard. He’s always being honest, and it just felt right to him to say it at that moment. From there, he doesn’t say it a lot, but you know he loves you, and he knows you know.

J = Jealousy (How jealous do they get? What do they do when they're jealous?)

He probably doesn’t even understand what he’s feeling when it first comes up.

All he knows is that he doesn’t like what’s happening. The presence of the other man is irritating, 

And he’ll just drag you away from him; it’s not like that guy’s worth your time anyway.

I don’t think it’s exactly easy to make him jealous, but it’s not hard either… I'd say it's in the middle.

K = Kisses (What are their kisses like? Where do they like to kiss you? Where do they like to be kissed?)

Gentle and loving, his kisses make you feel all warm inside. It’s short but meaningful.

He likes to be kissed on the cheek, and he likes to kiss your forehead. 

But on romantic occasions, your lips are the best place for him.

L = Little Ones (How are they around children, how do they feel about having kids, etc)

I mean, we saw how he treated Kotetsu- I don’t think he’s particularly nicer around them.

Maybe gentler, but otherwise the same. Nor do I think he really cares about having them.

They’re a bit annoying, and a responsibility I don’t think he’d be the best at.

He’d rather grow old giving his undivided love and attention to you.

M = Morning (How are mornings spent with them?)

Aaaah, it's so sweet! He’s all dozy and cute, and this is the time he gets most cuddly.

He has work to be done, but it’s so tempting to just stay snuggled in bed with you. 

He stays sleepy for a while even after getting up, and kind of clingy.

He might rest his head on your shoulder while you cook, still drowsy.

He’s extra forgetful during this time.

N = Night (How are nights spent with them?)

Basically the same as the mornings! He’s softer, more cuddly and affectionate.

Definitely looks forward to sleeping with you, or having a relaxing drink of tea with you to 

settle down before going to bed.

Prefers to spoon you then the other way around, though he also likes laying on your chest

And listening to your heartbeat. (he thinks your boobs are comfy.)

He falls asleep relatively quickly, but awakens easily if you move. Not that you can…he won't let you go.

Part 2

[dumb-doll-lips]

hiiii do u have like, any advice on how to be more slutty/hookup with lotsa people? i see u post about it all the time and i wanna do it too 🥺

Awe I so love this ask. It made me all happy that I’m like someone that could get an ask about being slutty and hooking up. Not sure I’m the best at advice but I do like a chance to ramble on about stuff I like. Which slutty def is stuff I like lol

So I think there’s like too points w this. One is meeting the people. And second is the getting fucked part. Def feel like the first part is the harder part. Especially cause like I def still consider myself a bit of an anxious homebody. I think the apps are prolly like the easiest way to meet people but like you also deal w more time wasters. I’ve only been on one app, feeld, I like it but I have no comparisons (unless you count Fetlife which I don’t recommend for meeting hookups). Part of why I like feeld tho was I felt like it didn’t come off bad to not have a face pic on my profile and then I felt more comfortable being more straightforward about what I was looking forward. I do think if you do the apps you gotta be more straight forward and blunt about what you’re looking for and work on getting better at identifying those just who will just waist your time. I do generally aim to meet people quickly. Def encountered people who seem like they are just there to chat and I’m so not about that. Or they can’t lead things enough for me to thing it’d be a good fit, I rule Thah out fairly quick too. I also don’t feel like I’m doing anything that special on the app, like have some body pics in like dresses I wear out, and idk exactly what I have on my profile but it is very like I’m ideally looking for someone who can be more a fwb, like the friend part would be nice but also not a requirement. And something about big cocks.

I’m not as about meeting people in person bc I basically don’t like to go anywhere by myself other than like to the grocery stores. And like I dress up kinda when I go to the store and have had some guys start chat w me but like not a lot prolly bc I’m usually feeling more stressed there anyways. So I’m not as good w advice on that angle.

So part one, in summary, find a way or place you feel comfy meeting people and be straight forward about what you’re looking for. As a girl, I feel like the apps give you lots of guys to pick from. So like have priorities and no what you’re looking for. Like if tje goal is slutty they don’t have to be some perfect match.

The for what like I’m saying like the second part is w like the getting fucked part. The straightforwardness on the app I think def helps but I have then still went on to meet people who like aren’t as assertive as I’d like. Sometimes I think encouraging it is good. And other times I’m like nope, they aren’t a good fit. But like tbh they usually still got a blow job bc that made things a little more fun for me. I do have another post I’m gonna reblog that I made where I was like out things I try to do to encourage someone to be bolder about making a move or whatever. I think that kinda covers what I do to actually try to move it forward from just like meeting up w someone. And like maybe not the safest move, but like usually I’m inviting the guy back to my place after like meeting him for a drink or maybe dinner.

God damn I right a lot when it’s something I like. I think also like bad ar getting to a point quickly. And I have no idea what’s common sense or not. lol. Also I could very happily ramble on more about stuff if it seems like there’s anything I could be helpful w. I’m allll for encouraging more slutty.

[mingiswow]

Boyfriend!Wooyoung

⚠️ English is not my first language, so sorry in advance if there's any mistakes

my loud baby wooyoung

i love him 

you guys met at a concert

you two were sat beside each other and you couldn’t not notice how gorgeous he was 

his skin, his lips, his face, his hair 

he was perfect

but as soon as the show started you forgot about him enjoying yourself and your friends 

and that’s how he noticed you, having fun and not caring about screaming the lyrics to your favorite song

he thought you were adorable

so when the show ended he asked for your number

very straightforward

so yeah… that’s how it went

so wooyoung 

he can be a very immature lover 

not in a bad way 

but more as in he doesn’t have much experience in a serious relationship, so sometimes he tends to act quite immature 

but no worries

because he’s a quick learner 

you talk to him about something that he did and you did not like and he’ll be like 

“sorry jagi, I’ll do better next time”

he’s a pleaser in all senses of the word

he loves to make you happy 

in his own way obv

is a very touchy man (as we all already know)

so he loves having you wrapped in his arms

he feels so safe yet at the same time like he is protecting you

you are his safe space

his comfort place

he loves to vent out with you

and that’s because he trusts you with all his heart

and he wants you to be part of every aspect of his life

so prepare yourself because he’ll be presenting you to his family and the boy sooner than you think

talking about the boys

they love you

especially because you’re the one that can hold him quiet for a while lmao

but also because they see how much this man loves you with all his heart 

in conclusion: they ship you hard

San even asks if you’re okay with them being so close 

“of course, why would I not be?��

like I said before, Woo likes having you being part of every part of his life

because of that, you rarely fight

because you know exactly how he feels and what he’s feeling

so it’s so easy for you to help him

arguments only happen when you are a little too stressed for your own good

and if you are a person that needs your space on days like those, you might get a little overwhelmed with him all over you

so just ask him to leave you alone for a while

he might get a little sad ngl but he gets you

and does what you ask

he might prepare or buy you your favorite food after

so he can cheer you up

puts on your favorite comfort movie, wraps you up in a burrito blanket, and cuddles you for the rest of the day

pepper your face with kisses

smush you against his lips

and whisper sweet nothings against your ear, mouth, face

he wants you to feel loved, wanted

and he does that every time

ya’ll will want to kill me but I think he doesn’t have much experience in kissing

so he feels nervous kissing you

especially the first few times

so help our lovely boy and guide him

he’ll melt 

and soon enough he let his emotions and sensations guide him

he loves holding your waist and lower back

sometimes he wraps his arms around your own and traps you in his embrace to kiss you

but if you are taller than him, his demeanor changes

he becomes a full-on baby and looks up at you like 🥺🥺

utterly in love

hold his face when kissing him and you’ll have the man at your mercy

NSFW from here on ⇉ minors dni ⇇

talking about at your mercy…

sub sub sub sub sub

and I won't accept no as an answer

he loves pleasing you in his daily life

so he loves doing the same in bed

tell him what to do and he’ll do

loves being bossed around

especially if you call him your pup

even more, if it’s in a degrading way

“Why don’t my pup use his witty mouth of him and please me, huh?”

“Have I allowed you to touch yourself? such a dirty horny pup”

he can cum untouched just with you whispering dirty things to him

if you can carry and toss and manhandle him around oof

will become your fucktoy

he loves the idea of being used for your own pleasure

mainly because after all you’ll reward him for being a good boy

he always feels special when you call him your good pup

because it proves to him he can pleasure you and make you happy despite him being inexperienced

Over the course of time, he’ll find out he is a very kinky man

I think one of the kinkiest in Ateez

besides loving to sub, he loves crossdressing

loves the idea of wearing tiny lacy panties that can barely hold his dick inside 

all while using a matching bra and a cute skirt

the first time you caught him he felt shy

but just assure him that he is your pretty little princess and you’re ready to use him how you want and it’s done

he’s all hard and dripping 

like I said before, he gets off with dirty talking

he is also very open to trying anal 

particularly days that he is more in his feminine persona

fuck his ass with his skirt on and it’s over

he’s asking you to marry him after he gets back to his senses

not a fan of aftercare, he just sleeps his way out because he’s too tired 

so be the one to do that for him

also he is not into switching roles and domming you

but there are days he just wants to hold you close and make love to you

prove to you that he loves you, your body, your soul with all his being

those days are pretty common, especially around tour dates or when he’ll have to travel for a long period of time

because he wants to have your sounds and your body engraved on his mind so he can relish the feeling when he’s away

overall, Wooyoung is a sweet innocent boy just waiting for someone with patience and love enough to teach him the tricks of a couple life

someone who can endure his demeanor and accept who he is in all aspects of his life.

Masterlist My requests are open

[bg-brainrot]

To start, I’m a huge fan of your writing! Seriously, I’ve been reading your stuff since maybe October or November? I always look forward to updates, and I genuinely think your writing is of top-notch quality. Thank you for sharing your stories with us on the internet. ❤️

I saw your post saying you were in game development, and I wanted to ask what are some good ways to network and work with game studios? I’m actually an artist working in the animation industry now (this is an alt account to save posts for my brainrot lmao), but would love to transition into games sooner or later, just not sure how to find good info or leads? There’s only so many animation studios producing major work so it’s easier to scout info, but the world of games is daunting to say the least, even if I’ve been a gamer my whole life.

Any insight helps, but totally understand if you don’t have a straightforward answer to this question lol. You rock, and hope you’re having a good day!

Ahhh first off, thank you so much for reading my fic <33 You best believe I recognize your username when you like my posts and I appreciate it every single time. C: Second, thank you for asking a question!!! I am unreasonably excited to answer it!

To answer your question, I have a few tips, but I will say it will definitely depend on where you live what resources are available to you (it sucks, and it's honestly a huge downside to this industry :') ). Some tips below, sorted by, like availability ~

Networking from anywhere:

Join Discords! There are a ton for general game developers, a ton for people in specific fields, a ton for specific demographics within gaming, a ton for recruiting or for connecting with mentors-- and honestly, it can seem like a lot, there are a ton of people, a lot of them might already know each other, etc. but everyone is super friendly and super willing to help.

Join GameJams! I cannot stress this enough, but one of the biggest things that will help someone transition into games from another field is experience making games (I know it sounds counterintuitive, but bear with me haha)-- but making games, even if they're small games you make with a group over a weekend, shows directly applicable experience and looks great on a portfolio! GameJams are an easy way to find a group, set aside time, and make a game before you even join a studio. Bonus note: animators are *always* in high demand for those.

Reach out to people whose work you like directly! This is by far the most nerve-wrecking (to me at least), but reaching out to people, like cold-emailing, cold-LinkedIn messaging, is just such a good way to get to know people. As awkward as it is for you, people who like what they do will always be excited to answer questions and help set you on a path forward (like me! I receive messages myself and each time I get excited that someone even bothered to reach out tbh). If you're super lucky, you may even get a mentor out of it!

From in-person locations:

Join local indie dev meetups! I've done this in my area, and each and every time everyone is so willing to talk, to connect, and to give each other advice. The best part of these meetups is that they tend to be very informal, and you may even find teams looking to expand.

(Disclaimer, this one is expensive and genuine connections can be difficult given the sheer number of participants, but it's not impossible) Attend conventions/game dev events! Even at GDC, people from all types of industries attend to try to get their foot in the door, speak with recruiters, get portfolio advice, and learn a bit more about how the industry works. A quick word of warning for this one: be wary of the type of convention! For example, GDC is great for growth and connections, but attend something more press-oriented like PAX or more creator-oriented like TwitchCon and you may be disappointed at the lack of opportunities to just sit and talk. Smaller conventions can sometimes be more helpful to actually network as well.

Attend any local universities/incubator programs game showcases! Again, hyper-specific to this being in your area, but often people will take time to show off their game, host in-person game jams, and more-- usually you'll find these around major universities, major companies, and even places like video game museums. All great places to meet and get to know some mentors or even recruiters.

and some general tips for animation specifically that you probably already know as an animator in another field but are always worth mentioning:

Make sure that you know what type(s) of animation you want to get into (Technical animator, rig specialist, gameplay animator, etc.), which studios rely on which animation types (some studios have one generalist, some split up their animation pipeline very thoroughly, some have only 2D animators, some 3D, some a mixture of both), and which game engines they use-- the more programs you know, the better, of course. I've seen 2D animators spend many a personal hour learning 3D animation for the sake of getting on a game they want to work on, so the sooner you learn the better :')

Again I want to stress the gamejam, but if you don't want to talk to other people or it's difficult to find one, I would recommend at least trying to make your own small game. The reason being that, while animators in general are super highly sought after in the industry, the more you know about game development itself the more sought after you will be! A good animator is fantastic, an animator who knows why their animation breaks as soon as it's in engine is even better (and the best way to figure that kind of debugging is really from trying, failing, iterating!)

Beyond just reaching out to people, find animators you like in the industry and see if they're involved in any mentorship programs, are giving any talks, maybe already have some talks online (old GDC talks end up on YouTube sometimes), or even have guides on how they got their start in the industry. It's definitely not a clear cut journey for anyone into gaming, so there's no one-size-fits-all, but it can give you a gauge for how others in your position got there!

PHEW, I think that's it! I hope some of this is helpful, feel free to like, ask for clarification as I know I can ramble, and thank you again for asking! You rock and hope your day is excellent :D