#but they’d ultimately be cool with each other

[loveontherocks]

wonder how millie and caleb would act around each other in priya’s absence. potential dynamic to explore in season 3 (which we hopefully get) perhaps?

[washingtonleagueoffurries]

While I was watching a playthrough of RE4 remake, I realized how the Leon-Ashley dynamic reminds me so much of Lara and Sam from TR 2013. Like, literally both games were about saving the girl who keeps getting taken away lol

[celestialtarot11]

That was lovely 😍 Can you do eye contact in synastry pleasse

Eye Contact In Synastry

—Mars-moon asp, the moon person gives doe eyes, sweet and so whimsical, meeting the flaming passion and steam of the mars person. The mars penetrates the moon person to their core, and finds themselves melting like ice on a hot summer day. A cool chill blows their skin and for a moment their taken aback. The moon person yearns to crawl out their shell and into the mars persons arms.

—Venus-mars ultimate fuck me eyes. Lip bites and and leaning back as if inviting the mars person to pursue and the mars person eats it up. Eyes you like they found their prey. Ready to hunt and capture you in their arms, eyes boring into your playful ones.

—Moon-sun, the moon person hides their gaze away from the sun, retreating to their shadows. Scurrying off like the house pet they are, and the sun strides and shines their eyes onto the moon. Seeing them in their raw, vulnerable state. Exposing the moon. And the moon person gazes yearningly into the sun persons eyes, daring to ask the question: do you love me for who I am?

—Venus—sun, the venus persons eyes joyfully light up like pools of honey. Always expecting with eyes tracing the room, looking for the sun person. And somehow the sun person does the same until their eyes meet. Lines form underneath and wrinkles, unable to stop their grins.

—Neptune—Venus, the Neptune person create an escapade for the venus person. Alluring them and beckoning ever so slightly, if the Venus person blinked they’d miss it. Eyes wide and round, meek and transparent. And the Venus meets them with warmth, protection and familiarity, searching their eyes, as words unspoken pass between.

—Sun—neptune, the sun person looks for the neptune person in more ways than one. Looking to hold the neptune person in a comforting reassuring stare. You can do this. A subtle nod to the neptune person as their warm eyes trace over their figure, wrapping them in warmth like a blanket. Ensuring they’re tucked in and nothing is left behind. The neptune caresses the sun person and extends their mellow glances, calming them.

—Mercury-venus, the shiny and ever so bright mercurials eyes light up. Like a kid on Christmas day just to see the lovely, enthralling venus. How their eyes sparkle with enthusiasm and electricity to share their day with the venus person. And the venus surrounds them with loving, caring eyes, like a tender, invisible touch, only the eyes create distance for what hands would’ve done.

—Pluto-venus animalistic, raw in its entirety. Undressing each other in the room filled with others yet no one can compete. Eyes scanning the room for the familiar doe eyes of the Venus person, and deepening in desire. Persistently gazing until the Venus catches theirs and begins to play this game. Watching their every move and studying their mannerisms. Ingraining their image like a painting. The venus person knows there’s something so subconsciously disturbing and unnerving to the Pluto person. Your eye contact makes me shiver.

—Venus-venus and gazing at each other like it’s been decades since you two saw each other. Lovingly, caressing with eyes over forms with words unsaid. A slight furrow to the brows and a longing to be held, eyeing them, drinking them in as if this were the last moment you’d see them.

—Mercury-moon, instantly the mercury settles and their lively, frenzied eyes lower. Half lidded in a haze and grounded by the moon persons languid gaze. Calm. Soft. Patient. Alone their mind has so many tabs open, but with the moon person only one exists: this moment. Their eyes soften and a moment of reprieve crosses them.

—Mars-Neptune creating a violent clash, turbulent and unpredictable. Mars eyes are firm, set and locked onto the neptune whose eyes do nothing to help their impending curiosity. The neptunes eyes are boundless, held together by string and thread. The more the mars person glares to see them clearly, the image of their eyes blur more. Mars can never tell whats going on behind the neptunians siren eyes, always half lidded in a daze, far off in a fantasy.

—Sun-mars and your eyebrows raising, a pause and then theirs, and then a grin, and wrinkles line under the eyes as laughter spills out. Like two old friends seeing each other and catching up, always peering up from whatever they do, catching and affirming. Eyes never stay long on objects that don’t matter, like their mug. Keep talking to me.

—Pluto-mars feeling like each other’s gaze is like a hot poker tracing flesh. Warmth travels up the slender of your back, and eyes widen slightly to see the pluto person leaning forward to gaze boldly in your eyes. Eyes searching yours. Feeling the same escalating tension. They always do this. The leaning in thing. And yet the mars person meets back with resistance of their own, their gaze tracing the pluto persons flesh like a pointed knife, sharp and calculating.

—Mars-Venus and bringing venus person to the ninth circle of hell over and over again, eyes daring and blazing with an unbridled passion for life. The venus persons’ eyes widen like a gazelle, at the unpredictable nature of the mars person.

—Neptune-venus and being unable to sleep. The venus person cannot forget the neptunians eyes. It’s stained in their mind and years later they wake up, seeing their gaze behind their eyelids like the distant memory the neptunian was.

[metalandmagi]

Romance Anime Starter List

I don’t know about you guys, but I’m sick and tired of seeing “Top ___ Best Anime of All Time” lists that are nothing but shounen. So, with "My Happy Marriage" getting a little attention from the anime community, I wanted to put together a list of some romance anime that I consider good “starters” for the genre. Because if I were just now becoming an anime fan, I’d think all there was to offer was shounen action series.

And by “starters” I mean basic stuff that’s not too…out there, and actually involves the characters getting together instead of just harems or using romance as a side plot (sorry Ouran High School Host Club and My Next Life as a Villainess). 

So if you’re new to anime and want stuff that’s not just guys beating the shit out of each other (which is also fun, don’t get me wrong), here are some basics.

Taisho Maiden Fairy Tale- When the pessimistic Tamahiko Shima loses all function in his right arm, his family sends him away to live in the mountains with the cheerful, hard working Yuzuki Tachibana…who was purchased by the Shima family to pay off her family’s debts and basically act as a caretaker/future bride for Tamahiko so they’d never have to deal with him again. It’s a more cheerful version of My Happy Marriage (without the supernatural stuff), except in this one, the guy is the one who has massive self-esteem issues and an abusive family. There are still very serious themes, but ultimately it’s not meant to make you cry every episode. I swear it’s so good, but nobody watched it!

Horimiya- A slice of life in which pretty and popular high school queen bee Hori, finds out her quiet, unassuming classmate Miyamura is hiding piercings and tattoos that could get him expelled. The two gradually find out more about each other and get together in the most realistic way I’ve seen depicted in an anime. It’s also fucking hysterical and genuinely emotional.

Recovery of an MMO Junkie- Another slice of life that focuses on two adults who meet in an MMO game without realizing they also know each other in real life. I don’t want to say much more than that. It’s adorable, and the main character is so relatable it hurts.

Love with Yamada-kun at Level 999- Speaking of MMOs, this is a newer series about Akane Kinoshita, a college first year who’s reeling from a bad break up. In an attempt to get back at her ex, she winds up meeting Akito Yamada, a popular gamer who happens to be in her guild in the MMO they both play at an IRL meetup. The two go from acquaintances to something more as they keep running into each other. Even more relatable main characters and just wholesome relationships all around.

Snow White With The Red Hair- A fantasy in which an apothecary named Shirayuki (meaning, you guessed it, “snow white”) runs away from her home in order to escape becoming the concubine of her town’s prince. While fleeing, she is rescued by Zen, the prince of a neighboring country, and she ends up becoming an herbalist to repay him. It's super cute with some genuinely swoon worthy moments and a couple that just works so well together. I have a habit of comparing this to Akatsuki no Yona, even though the two aren’t really that alike. This is more romance driven while Akatsuki no Yona is more of a serious historical fantasy with romance elements (Yona manga is amazing, but the anime barely scratches the surface, so that’s why I didn’t include it).

Sasaki to Miyano- When the shy, easily flustered Miyano meets Sasaki, a cool “delinquent” upperclassmen, the two end up bonding over manga…specifically BL manga. That’s right, Miyano is a fudanshi, but due to his small stature and somewhat feminine appearance, he’s constantly trying to convince others that he’s not interested in having his own love story where he’d be reduced to a stereotypical doe-eyed uke. But as Sasaki and Miyano spend more time together, they realize that what they have is more than friendship, and they have to come to terms with their own perception of gay relationships. This is my favorite romance of all time. It’s a slow burn, but boy is it worth it. Their relationship is so natural and realistic, just like Horimiya. Just two people hanging out and bonding over things the way people do in real life!

Given: The story of some boys in a band with trauma. Enough said. It's great. Go watch it.

Bloom Into You- Yuu Koito is a high school girl who’s been waiting her whole life for her own perfect romance to start…but when she receives a confession, she realizes she doesn’t know how to respond when she’s just not into the guy. And then she gets another confession…this time from the cool student council president Touko Nanami, who basically jumpstarts her lesbian awakening. Very cute story about how we perceive the concept of love vs actually feeling it. Also has a canonically aro/ace side character, so that’s a win for me. Another show like this is Adachi to Shimamura (but I honestly don’t remember much about it. It just didn’t stick with me as much).

Ore Monogatari- Takeo Gouda is a tall, bulky high school first year with a sensitive heart of gold. He wants nothing more than to find his own true love, but most girls are intimidated by his enormous stature, and they end up falling for his conventionally attractive friend instead. That is, until he meets the tiny, adorable Rinko Yamato. He falls in love instantly, but he’s sure she’s interested in his best friend like everyone else, so he vows to help get them together, even though his heart is breaking. Peak himbo behavior. Pure of heart, dumb of ass.

Yuri on Ice- Yes it’s the gay figure skating anime everyone knows. And yes it’s a fucking romance, okay? I will die on this hill. The romance between Viktor and Yuri is just as important as the plot!

Kaguya-sama Love Is War- Two insanely smart high school students both have a crush on the other, but since they’re…you know…high schoolers, neither of them wants to admit it first. So they come up with increasingly convoluted plans to get the other to confess first. This will go down as one of the best of all time. It’s a hilarious yet poignant modern classic.

Fruits Basket- I’ve talked about it before and I’ll talk about it again. A romance “comedy” that slowly morphs into a drama about a girl named Tohru who finds herself living with the mysterious Sohma family after her mother dies. Little does she know, the Sohmas are the victims of a  (somewhat silly, but ultimately tragic) curse that she must fight to break. Even though I’m more into it for the family drama, the romance is still top tier and plays an important role in the story. This is my second favorite anime of all time, and it’s a classic for a reason. If anyone hasn’t watched it yet, GO WATCH IT! IT WILL RIP YOU TO SHREDS!

Blue Box- A sports romance about an aspiring badminton player named Taiki Inomata who has a massive crush on the girls basketball team's star player Chinatsu Kano. Through a twist of fate, the two end up living together and having to hide it from the rest of their classmates, all while Taiki tries to work up the courage to ask Chinatsu out. It's so sweet and wholesome, and it's a great blend of sports anime and romance that can appeal to anyone who is more hesitant to get into the romance genre. The animation is also so freaking gorgeous!!!!

365 Days To The Wedding- A workplace romance between the two most awkward people you could possibly imagine! The story takes place at a travel company that is about to open a new branch in Alaska, but because our two main characters are...like I said...very awkward, they come up with a plan to avoid being sent to work at the new branch...by telling their boss they're getting married. Because they wouldn't want to split up a married couple by making one move away, right? As ridiculous as the premise sounds, hilarious shenanigans ensue, but there's also a surprising amount of serious discussions about romance and marriage. The main characters also have major autism coding, so if you're looking for a neurodivergent romance, this is it. (There's also an episode that involves a princess wanting to give up the throne to pursue a life with her girlfriend!)

And now for some honorable mentions that didn't quite fit into the regular list:

Ride Your Wave- A movie about a surfer who falls in love with a firefighter……and I’m not going to say any more than that. Go into it blind. If you like stuff like Your Name, this is a good one to watch.

Gekkan Shoujo Nozaki-kun- A comedy about a high school girl who finds out the upperclassman she has a crush on is actually a shoujo manga artist, and no matter how she tries to confess to him, he just never gets it.

The Ice Guy and His Cool Female Colleague- A slow burn slice of life that focuses on a guy with ice powers who has a crush on his coworker. That’s it. That’s the show. When I say slow, I mean SLOW. It’s perfectly cute and fluffy, but my god does it take forever to get anywhere with these two.

Skip to Loafer- A high strung, small town girl decides to go to high school in Tokyo, where she meets a variety of classmates, including the laid back Sousuke Shima. The unlikely pair become friends, and soon enough, she starts to feel something more than friendship. The only reason I didn’t include it in the main list is because they don’t get together by the end of the first season, but it’s still really cute (also canonically trans character for the win!?)

So that’s my starter list. And no, I didn’t include Toradora, even though it’s a classic. I know it’s blasphemous, but I like it more as a comedy than a romance. It kinda lost me with the ending. But anyway, maybe someone will find something they like. Or maybe you'll just want to roast me and my picks 😅

[essycogany]

Radom Sonic Headcanons because I’m bored.

Some may be kind of out there, but here goes nothing.

(Free to steal)

Knuckles and Shadow would randomly meet in unexpected ways and weirdly get along the more they spend time together. They’d be great buds and grow a trustworthy friendship.

Shadow and Knuckles are unfazed by the Babylon Rogues (Mostly Jet) and tends to fight and win against them easily. They’re an unpredictable power house when put together.

Knuckle’s five people he’d trust to watch the master emerald are Amy, Shadow, Vanilla, Espio, and Tails. A few more people could earn their spots on the lists except for Sonic or Rouge. They’re forbidden to be a part of the list for obvious reasons.

Blaze, Espio, Shadow, and Knuckles gets trapped inside a cave and the more magic they use, the more power the cave gains to protect itself. The characters would have to accumulate a stabilized plan and combine their abilities together in order to get out. They’d also have random adventures of their own. Solving mysteries, discovering unknown treasures, and grow more as people the more they hang out.

Rouge and Blaze tries to convince Amy to go on some random heist, but Amy conflicts between having fun and being responsible. Cream eventually convinces her, but the four teens/young adults begs her to stay home. Cream wants to prove herself and become stronger. (But mostly wants to wear super cool outfits with them) Cream would eventually sneak out and follow the girls and they’d have to explain to Vanilla what happened.

If Whisper and Shadow met the first thing she’d ask him is if he was an enemy or a hero. His answer would be, “I am the ultimate life-form.”

Silver and Rouge’s first meeting would be Rouge convincing Silver to steal and Blaze would have to stop Silver from helping her.

When adventures run dry every so often, different characters like Knuckles, Amy, Tails, and others would randomly go on detective missions with the Chaotix (without money help) which would either help them out or stress them out depending on the day.

Silver, Tangled, and Amy’s group in Sonic Hero's would be “Team Bubbles” for no reason other than the three thinking it’s funny.

Shadow and Cream would have picnics every Friday and Cream would give Shadow lessons of the days. She’d be his friend/therapist and he’d randomly pay her a bunch of money. She’d never accept it though and gets on his case about her not needing anything from him, but his friendship. Leading him to pay her anyways. She’d be disappointed but use the money to pay for their meals.

On his free time, Sonic would take long naps that could last 18 hours. Maybe even a week depending how tired he is. When he’s not sleeping, he reads a lot about nature to learn more about plants. He remembers every page number in every book he reads. Also, small random angst, but if Sonic sees a plant dies, his internalizing states are extreme. Everyone around him pretends to not notice for the sake of his sanity. Luckily he manages to grieve properly by playing his guitar or finding new plants to care for.

That’s it! This is all to say it’d be nice to have groups of Sonic characters who’s known each other for a while, just…hang out. Give Sonic a break and let these other amazing characters interact. There’s so many stories to be had with them and I think this franchise could use it.

[softshuji]

Sometimes Tokyo is a suffocating place. 

Rindou loves it, don’t get him wrong. The various districts, various people, all milling about, some on phones talking fast, pushing through crowds that part unwillingly as they plough through, mothers and babies in prams and it’s loud, so loud, the tinny buzz of voices on top of each other and his head aches with the need for some silence. 

He walks into the library on a whim, his headphones blinking red and drained of battery and the cool quiet interior is a welcome respite from the noise, the collar of his shirt clinging to his neck under his hoodie, the occasional wisp of blond blue hair curling around his ears as the air con blows a blast of cold air.

Once he had hidden here with Ran, between the aisles as a police car rushed past, the two of them hunched over and catching their breath, a long stare that petered off into giggles and laughs, the two of them young and still new to it all. It’s a bit different now, a bit harder to get Ran’s attention since his Wife and child came along. He doesn’t resent it, he’s happy for him. Ran has been the source of his safety for years, it would be selfish to keep him like that- to rob him of what he knows Ran deserves. Peace, something to lean on when he is too stubborn to lean on him. 

Old habits do tend to die hard.

But he can’t lie and say it isn’t lonely sometimes. The days when he picks up the phone, types out a text to his Brother- the only person who was only ever a call away, a message away, a shout across the house- and imagines him juggling the throes of newfound parenthood, something he loves and enjoys, and having his little Brother clinging onto him still, this far into adulthood when Rindou thinks he should be able to stand on his own two feet and wishes it was easier to do so.

There is only so much music he can listen to, only so much he can drink alone, only so many clubs he can waste his time at before it bothers him- the strobe lighting, the flirtations of girls who’ll forget his name when the next hotshot with a wad of cash comes along, and maybe he flirts back for a time, just to throw out the napkin with their numbers on later because it ultimately means nothing to him when there’s so little substance and he hates the idea of meeting someone like that- playing pretend because there’s so little else to do.

He’s angry that it seems so hard for him and he wishes he were a little less….him at times. A little more like Ran, a little easier, a little less rough around the edges, the jagged and sharp points of him that are stubborn and unwilling to be smoothed down by time. If it were a year ago, he’d call his Brother now and they’d drive at night and he’d feel a little less like he’s wading out to shore, a little more seen, a little less like he’s squashed between here and there and scrambling for something to understand. 

Maybe he kicks at the ground then, and maybe he loses his footing and stumbles into you reaching up to get something from the shelf, you knocked sideways and him barrelling into you, one hand braced on the wall to stabilise himself, the other reaching for you to pull you to him instinctually. 

‘Shit, fuck, I’m sorry,’ he says, headphones clattering to the floor, the wires corded around his hoodie, an avid crimson spillingacross his skin. ‘You okay?’

‘Yeah, yeah, no I’m fine, don't worry.’ And you look up from where you’d bent to brush the dust from your legs with the beginnings of a smile. And maybe the light hits you at just the right angle, the sunlight dancing through the window, dust mites flickering in the golden glow- or maybe he’d touched your hand for a fraction of a second and it had been warm and soft or maybe he’s rationalising and something cold in him cracks a little but he smiles back and lifts a hand to rub at his neck with a trepidation that he curses himself for. 

You laugh, awkwardly, a brightness around the edge of you that feels warm, that feels foreign and weird and genuine and he watches the reflection of himself in your eyes, bewilderment and confusion and an attempt at a lopsided smile when you retrieve his headphones from the floor, the two sides now coming apart in your hands.

‘Oh,’ you say, a worried bite on your lip, the two sides of his now broken pair in your two hands. ‘God I’m so sorry, I can pay you for these-’

‘No need, it was my fault, I’m the one who hit you.’

‘No, no, I was in the way-’

‘You weren’t, I was just not watching where I was going. You don’t have to pay for anything, they weren’t that good anyway.’

He neglects to mention that they were his favourite pair, a set he bought a year back to kick off the DJ thing that never really went anywhere, because it was only ever just him and the kit, him and the music and maybe it was a lonely experience to not have anyone to share that with, long nights where the tinny sound of the music is somehow an ache in the otherwise silent house.

‘You sure?’ You cock your head to the side, lifting the two halves. ‘They seem really good quality. I can’t pay for it all now but maybe-’

‘Don’t worry, seriously. I got a tonne more at home.’

You blink and he curses himself again inwardly, avoiding and resisting a sidestep on his feet in nervous apprehension. He sees then, your books scattered on the floor at your feet, and bends to pick them, resting them under his arm as he leans down before handing them to you gently, his fingers brushing yours on the underside and it makes his chest lurch when you murmur a quiet ‘thank you’ that he’s glad isn’t lost on the reverberating drone and shuffle of feet in the next aisles over. 

‘Okay, I can get you a coffee? It doesn’t quite make up but I’d feel bad for not doing anything at all.’ You turn to pack the books into your bag and he watches you, the ease with which you hand the two sides back to him and wait expectantly for his reply, the loud and disastrous crash of his heart that he’s convinced you can hear, the long and ample silence that has his tongue clinging to the roof of his mouth. 

‘You don’t have to say yes by the way- I’m not trying to- you know, I just feel bad for breaking one of your things-’

His lips part. ‘Yes, yes, I’ll….’ he chews on his lip, hands helplessly holding the broken headphones, the swirl of something that feels like desperation clouding the flecked hue of his eyes. ‘Yeah, I think that’ll be okay.’

And it feels strange and different and new and terrifying when you grin brightly and pat his arm  and the hollow of his throat beats with nerves, pink flashing across his cheeks and ears in a way that feels so utterly like a betrayal.

You hum, hoist a stack under your arm and the sun is out, streaming through the windows as you lift your bag over your shoulder. ‘Okay nice, I’m going to go check these out but I'll meet you outside in ten?’

‘S-sure….’ he says, a whisper caught on his lips with a starved and suffocating breath, the dizzying euphoria, nerves and anxiety all rolling along his chest when he watches you leave with a short wav, the bag you’re carrying falling over your shoulder.

And maybe the pain is good this time, the sense of vertigo that has him bracing a hand on the shelf, a hand to his chest to rub at, slow and deliberate breaths to calm his racing heart.

Maybe this time, he feels a little less angry, a little less sad, a little more like something that feels scarily akin to happiness. 

Reblogs appreciated!

[jessejaredstories]

Lesson for a Lesson

Bryan considered himself to be a cut above the rest. He had always been the kind of guy to turn the other cheek when it comes to handling conflict with others. Even if they were the biggest asshole Bryan has ever met, he’d never stoop down to yelling vulgarities or other petty insults just to get back at them. He’d keep his cool attitude, stay respectful, and minimize future interactions; even if the person didn’t deserve as much as a single look in their general direction. Bryan held the title of always being the bigger person with pride, regardless of how haughty it made him look to others.

However, Bryan’s high and mighty attitude would soon meet its biggest enemy yet when the new neighbor Mr. Martin moved in down the hall. Bryan didn’t think much of Mr. Martin at all when he first met him. Mr. Martin was a single man living on his own. He was pushing 40 and worked as a PE teacher/football coach for the local high school. All in all, Mr. Martin was a pretty ordinary guy. 

As far as Bryan was concerned, Martin would just be another face he’d occasionally run into in their shared apartment building but ultimately ignored otherwise. And that was more or less how their relationship continued for the next month or so. They’d share pleasantries, but nothing else beyond that. They were friendly neighbors, at least until the first time they bumped heads. 

Their apartment building had an open access rooftop with a fully furnished lounge. Residents were free to make use of the lounge as they pleased. One day, Bryan decided to take his boyfriend up to the lounge so they could stargaze together out on the rooftop. While the two lovebirds were spending time together, Martin also happened to show up sometime later. He had brought his telescope to do some stargazing himself. Both parties kept to themselves for the most part. That is until Bryan and his boyfriend began to get intimate. Martin shot them a dirty look but then didn’t say anything at first. Only after a few minutes passed and the two boyfriends were still making out did Martin decide to speak up.

“Hey, I understand that you two are ‘in love’ or whatever, but can’t you go do that in a private room? This is a shared space after all, I don’t want to see that out here.”

Bryan didn’t appreciate the stern tone of voice Martin used with him. It made him feel small, like he was back in high school. He was just as much an adult as he was! But Bryan decided to bite his tongue. Martin had a fair point, it probably wasn’t very considerate of him to be full-on tongue kissing with his boyfriend out in public the way they were. So he apologized, took his boyfriend down to his place, and that was the end of that minor spat. 

But that incident turned out to be only the start of their problems. Soon after, Bryan decided to buy a new welcome sign for his front door. It was a pride welcome sign and had big rainbow letters on it. It only took a day until Martin was knocking on his front door, asking him to take it down. Naturally, Martin would never outright say he wanted it gone because of the rainbows, but Bryan wasn’t stupid. He knew how to connect the dots and read in-between the lines. Only a homophobe would be pushing so strongly for a pride sign to get taken, and Bryan would sooner drop dead than bend over for a bigot. He stood his ground, and Martin left with a scowl on his face. 

From that point on, Bryan and Martin were constantly at each other’s throats. Jab after jab and nonstop passive aggression. They continued having incidents and their animosity for each other only grew steadily over time. Bryan was getting fed up, but he never backed down nor did he ever blatantly disrespect Martin, even when he had no problem disrespecting him. It was an uphill battle, but Bryan saw a light at the end of the tunnel. His lease would be up for renewal soon. All he had to do was not renew his lease, move out, and he’d never have to see Mr. Martin ever again. It was simple! 

Or so Bryan thought. One morning, after Bryan’s boyfriend had spent the night over at his place, he received a very interesting text. One that would snap Bryan’s patience in half.

Babe! I ran into your bigoted neighbor in the elevator last night. I tried to ignore him, but he wouldn’t leave me alone. He kept harassing me and when I wouldn’t talk to him, he started calling me a worthless fag. I’m okay, he didn’t touch me, but I wanted to tell you what happened. I’m not sure I feel comfy enough to go back to your place anymore. : (

Bryan read over the text a couple of times. Once he made sure he read it right, Bryan decided enough was fucking enough. He then slammed his phone down on the nightstand and marched straight to his closet. He never wanted to be the kind of guy who got revenge, but Martin crossed a line after he went after his boyfriend. And if Bryan was going to get revenge, then he was going to come at him at 110%. He had to dig through his things but he eventually found what he was looking for- a body swapping potion. 

Bryan plucked the tiny vial out of his closet. He had saved it for when he really needed to use it, and getting payback on a bigot seemed like the perfect time to use it. Before he could use it, he had to prepare for what comes after the swap. He pulled out a chair and made a makeshift rope out of some leather belts he had laying around. Bryan then proceeded to drink the potion, but instead of swallowing it right away, he held the brew in his mouth. It tasted rancid, but he held out. Bryan used the belts to tie himself up to the chair, completely immobilizing himself so that Martin couldn’t do anything in his body. He used a real knot technique too, just for extra security. Once he was satisfied with his setup, Bryan swallowed the potion and blacked out.

The body swapping potion took effect immediately. Bryan’s consciousness left his body in the form of a long, glowing, snake-like mass of matter. It slithered out of his body through his nostrils and plopped onto the ground. It then began its long journey towards its intended target. Bryan felt weird leaving his lifeless body behind, especially while knowing that Martin would soon be inside of it, but he carried on with his mission. Their swap would only be temporary after all; once Bryan had his fun, they’d switch right back. 

Bryan’s soul made its way to the nearby high school where Martin worked. Luckily, nobody was able to see it slithering by. It slithered into the faculty bathroom where Mr. Martin was just about finishing up his midday shit. Bryan’s soul squeezed underneath the closed bathroom door with ease and slithered right up to Martin.

“Hm?” Martin noticed something glowing out of the corner of his eye. He lowered the magazine he was reading and screamed when he saw the giant, translucent snake creeping up on him. Martin leaped up into the air out of shock with his pants still around his ankles. Big mistake. 

Bryan’s soul quickly expanded until it was the size of an anaconda. It then used its massive size to wrap around Martin, constricting his mobility. Mr. Martin was hyperventilating. He couldn’t move! All he could was watch as the tip of the glowing snake tickled the head of his exposed cock.

A cold shiver ran through Martin’s body with the soul snake’s cool touch. The soul snake then forcibly wiggled its way into Martin’s dick slit. The sensation of getting penetrated made his cock harden up to full mast. Bryan’s soul then slithered down the length of Martin’s girthy member. Martin threw his head back as his body got taken over. He purred a deep, sensual mmm! as it happened. He could feel the cold feeling that started at his groin spread out to the rest of his body as Bryan’s soul took over his body for itself. 

The body takeover started off slowly at first, but as Martin’s body got filled with Bryan’s being, the process began to rapidly speed up. Suddenly, the entire anaconda started rushing into Mr. Martin’s body through his cock. Martin was gasping as the waves of pain rolled over his body. Luckily for him, it only lasted another five seconds. With one slurp, his now engorged cock swallowed up the last few inches of Bryan’s soul.

“Nrrghhh… Fuck…” Martin moaned. Those moans were the last thing Martin said before his body hunched over to throw up his own soul snake. Martin’s soul snake came rushing out of his mouth. Once it was out, it slithered out the bathroom, likely on its way to take over Bryan’s limp body. It left behind a smirking Mr. Martin, only this time, it was Bryan who was in control.

“Whew! That was easy!” Bryan said with his new, baritone voice as he stood up. Bryan immediately noticed the difference in their bodies as his consciousness adjusted to its new heavier, hairier vessel. His nostrils were penetrated by the strong yet familiar musk of his own hairy pits. He took a sniff of his new sweaty body odor and let out a loud, satisfied ahh! Bryan could literally feel how every new inch of skin felt as he moved around in Martin’s body. He then stretched out his new body, while also getting a feel for the thick hair he had all over his body. Bryan always had a thing for furry men, though he was never able to grow much body hair himself. To be able to takeover a hairy body like Mr. Martin’s was just icing on the cake for him. 

Bryan took a look at his reflection in the mirror, winked at himself, then stepped out of the bathroom, ready for revenge. He had one hand on the doorknob while using his other hand to jerk off, making sure he was still nice and hard for what he was about to do. An evil grin formed on his face. It was go time.

Bryan stepped out of the faculty bathroom ass naked with his erect cock swinging around freely. He wore a proud smile on his face as he displayed his hairy body in full display. He then wrapped a hand around his cock and proceeded to jerk off ferociously. Bryan made sure to exaggerate the volume of his moans and groans to make sure any nearby faculty heard him. Surely enough, someone heard him, and they stepped in to see the glorious sight of revenge live.

“WHAT THE FUCK!? MR. MARTIN HAVE YOU LOST YOUR MIND!?” the man shouted. He drew the attention of other nearby adults, who all came in to see what was happening. All of their jaws dropped to the floor as ‘Mr. Martin’ laid down on the table, naked and grinning.

“What do you mean? It’s my lunch break, brah! I deserve to have a little stress relief before I go back to teaching those cocksuckers- I mean, wonderful students! Hey, do any of y’all happen to have sweaty socks on right now? I could reallyyyy use a hand, I wanna finish quickly and my pits aren’t enough to get me there.”

Bryan lifted his arm and took a deep, loud whiff of his dank pit smell. The sight of watching Bryan lick up the droplets of sweat forming on his pit hairs made some of the standby faculty gag. They began to disperse.

“Shut the door to the faculty floor! We can’t let anyone else find out about this!!”

“I-I’ll go call a therapist, he’s definitely gone insane…”

“What’s the matter with y’all? Pshhh y’all act like you’ve never seen a dick before! Don’t be afraid! Bask in the full glory of the male body!! Look at my beautiful, hairy body!”

“Alright, Mr. Martin, let’s just take some deep breaths and get some clothes back on…”

“MAN FUCK Y’ALL!! Y’all some lame ass bitches! I don’t need y’all, I’ll just finish myself off!” Bryan lifted his leg high up in the air. His puckered up, hairy asshole was now on display for all to see.

“Here’s a cool biology fact for y’all! Did ya know you don’t need to go that deep to reach the male g-spot?” Bryan licked up his middle finger until it was soaked with spit. He then reached over to his ass, rubbing around his hole until his finger slipped in with ease. He let out an obscene moan as he fingered himself. “You really need about a knuckle’s length to get to the prostate, you just gotta- AWW FUCKK!! I found it!”

Bryan began jerking off and fingering himself at exaggerated speeds while howling and grunting like a monkey in heat. He accidentally farted while fingering himself, and the smell of his flatulence combined with his sweaty musk to create a particularly potent odor. He made sure to make a display of him sniffing up the strong smells while the audience covered their nose. He kept the act of intense masturbation up for another minute or so, really letting himself get into character, until finally climaxing. Bryan quickly pulled his finger out of his ass and used both hands to pump his cock. 

“Ohhhh fuckkkk that feels soooo gooood…!!” Bryan went cross-eyed as he slowly stroked his throbbing cock with the firm grip of his man paws. The pressure of trying to hold it in was building up, making for an extra strong orgasm that Bryan couldn’t help but give himself into. “Get ready y’all… Here comes Old Faithfullll!!”

Just as he advertised, an eruption of jizz came flooding out of Bryan. His whole body was twitching from orgasmic pleasure, but he managed to hold himself together just enough to point his cock around. He became a squirt gun as he shot load after load of warm, sticky cum all over the faculty lounge and himself. The whole place became covered in his seed, leaving him huffing for breath after such an intense climax. Any remaining faculty had evacuated once they saw what was about to happen, leaving Bryan alone in the lounge.

“Alright… Mission accomplished…” Bryan said with bated breath. “I just… I just gotta switch back…”

Bryan was satisfied. Not only did he completely destroy Mr. Martin’s reputation, but he’ll be coming back to his body naked and covered in jizz at his own workplace! Bryan was sure he’ll be absolutely humiliated, especially considering how many witnesses saw ‘Mr. Martin’ lose his shit in public. 

Bryan steadied his breathing in preparation to swap back to his own body. He had paid top dollar to get the most premium potion money could buy. The body swapping potion was special in that all he needed to do to switch back was simply think about! He focused his mind, thought about what he wanted to achieve, and willed himself back to his body! 

…But nothing happened.

Bryan opened his eyes to find himself still in the teacher’s lounge inside of Mr. Martin’s body. 

He wasn’t sure what he did wrong. He tried again but to no avail. He tried swapping back with his mind again and again but no matter how many times he tried, nothing happened. Bryan was quickly growing nervous, especially as he heard police sirens coming nearby. He tried several more times but it was futile. Bryan was arrested for public indecency as Mr. Martin before he could swap back to his original body. Bryan was in deep shit and he knew it.

The next three days were absolutely miserable for Bryan. He had spent those days locked up and berated for what he did. He hated every second of it. All he wanted was to get back inside his own body and run back into the arms of his beloved. No matter Mr. Martin. No more misery. No more pain.

Bryan pleaded guilty on all charges and took a plea deal in order to avoid jail time. He paid a hefty price for his freedom; a total fine of $50,000, 100+ hours of community service, house arrest, court mandated therapy, and he had to register as a sex offender. But Bryan didn’t care, they weren’t tied to his real identity after all.

Once he was out, Bryan traveled back to his apartment as fast as he physically could. He made it back to his apartment in record time and used the secret key to get inside. He was praying to God that his body would still be sitting there tied up in the chair, just waiting for him to return. He opened the door and his heart immediately sank when he saw an empty chair and torn belts. Bryan dropped to his knees. His eyes began to tear up. He noticed there was a sheet of paper sitting on the chair. Bryan crawled over to it. It was a handwritten letter, and it read: 

Hey there! First off, I want to thank you for switching bodies with me. To tell you the truth, I’m not the real Mr. Martin. The original Martin is looong gone now after so many swaps. But me, I actually used to be just like you. I was gay and pissed off at Martin, and like you, I decided to body swap with him to teach him a lesson for his homophobia. But then I found myself in the same situation I’m sure you’re in right now. I couldn’t swap back to my original body. For some reason, Mr. Martin’s body won’t allow its owner to leave. Only someone else can initiate a swap with Mr. Martin. I’m really sorry man, but I can’t go back. I won’t go back! I’m stealing your body for myself. My mind has been trapped in that homophobic body for God knows how long, just swimming around in that vile hatred… I want to be my own person again. I’ll be praying for you, I hope someone swaps with you before Mr. Martin’s body corrupts your mind, but considering how quickly it took over mine, it’s not looking good. Again, I’m so sorry. Best of luck. PS - Don’t worry about your boyfriend, I’ll be sure to love him just as much as you did and more! He’s safe with me. Bryan. 

Bryan was dumbfounded by the letter. He was even more dumbfounded by the pictures of himself. He had no memory of taking those pictures, which could mean that someone else took those photos with his body. Bryan swallowed the lump in his throat. The walls around him seemed to be closing in. He tried pulling himself together but was failing. Shriveling on the floor, Bryan began repeating a mantra to himself in an attempt to hold onto his identity.

“My name is Bryan, and I am a proud gay man… My name is Bryan, and I am a proud gay man… My name is Bryan, and I am a proud gay man… My name is Bryan… And I am a proud gay man…”

Bryan repeated that mantra out loud every single day from there on out. He said it as many times as he could before his throat got irritated from talking so much. He did everything he could to remember who he truly was. Everyday he studied gay history, watched only queer romances, did his favorite things, and even journaled his thoughts and feelings.

Days became weeks, and slowly but surely, Bryan was losing his grasp on his original identity. He gradually stopped following his routine. He forgot his identity mantra. He even began referring to himself as Mr. Martin. He had lost himself as his mind and soul merged with his new body. 

But while Bryan was gone, Mr. Martin was living the easy life. He was a single man living on his own. He was pushing 40 and worked as a busboy at a local restaurant. All in all, Mr. Martin was a pretty ordinary guy living an easygoing life.

The only real problem Mr. Martin had had to do about the new neighbors that just moved in across the hall from him. They were two young men sharing a single bedroom apartment. Mr. Martin never really cared to know his neighbors all that well, but he recently found out the new neighbors were actually a gay couple. He recently spotted them kissing in the hallway through his peep hole the other day. The sight of them kissing irked his soul, and he planned to ask them to not exhibit that kind of behavior out in public around the apartment building again. Surely, they won’t have a problem with it. Right?

[fanonical]

here's a secret i don't wany my players to know about our tabletop game - sometimes i plan puzzles/scenarios that don't actually have a fixed solution, and instead will be solved when i think they've come up with a cool solution

like obviously you can't do that if you're setting a riddle or something, but i just remember one time they were in a shapeshifter duel. they needed to pass through to the next room by duelling a magical being that could change into different things by saying 'i am a [whatever]'. the party was also given the power to do this

so, for instance, if she said 'i am a fish', they could say 'i am a fisherman', and she could counter that with 'i am a sword', going back and forth with different bodies that can beat each other in a fight

i didn't have an endgame here. i was just going to say they won when they'd gone long enough to impress her, or lost if they can't think of anything. that was the scenario, as written

but in the course of the scene, my players 'figured out' that they had to make her say 'i am a door', because that was what they were looking for, and started to chain together an impressive string of responses that ultimately led them there. and i started to encourage that, because that's smart as hell! way better than what i had planned

and that's what i mean - as a dm, give your players space to figure things out and change the scene in ways you hadn't anticipated. it's fun!

[valeriianz]

Smutty fic idea prompts - 36 is just perfect for Dreamling please?

36: A rolls sleeves up/takes shirt off, revealing body hair to B. B has no idea how to act normal around A anymore.

Hob dresses up as Sexy Santa for a staff party and Dream absolutely loses his cool <3

-----------

These days, Dream finds himself as the newest addition to Johanna Constantine’s friend group. It’s quite nice of her, if not a little presumptuous, to drag him along to nearly every social outing and local music show in order to introduce him to as many people in her network as possible. The only reason they are still friends, Dream and Jo, is the small mercy of her not putting up a fuss when his social battery has been drained and he awkwardly dips out.

The best thing to come out of these adventures, at least, is meeting Hob Gadling.

Hob and Jo go way back, or so she’d announced the first time he and Dream had met. At a bar where the lights were low but Hob’s natural charisma and warm smile had radiated through anyway. They got along immediately, exchanging intellectual conversations where Hob had surprising takes and kept Dream’s interest; kept the dialogue fresh and spontaneous. Dream didn’t even need to contribute much while sharing a space with Hob, he could simply sip on his gin something-or-other and listen as Hob went on passionate rants about revolutions or human invention over the past centuries– each time they met up he’d go down a 100 years. Or complaining about how washed up Shakespeare was (an argument Dream allowed himself to fall into and they’d talked about all night, much to Johanna’s chagrin and massive eye roll, muttering a very clear “nerds” under her breath).

Chemistry aside, Dream also couldn’t deny how… effortlessly attractive Hob was.

Deep brown eyes that seemed to sparkle with barely contained mischief, chocolate dark hair with brush strokes of greys that unfairly complimented his face, and a seemingly permanent five O’clock shadow that Dream never imagined would leave him staring and daydreaming… alas, he’d discovered quite a few new things about himself around Hob.

Like how he’d imagined on more than one occasion, how easily he’d be able to lift Dream, how those broad shoulders and chest, thick biceps that even a cable knit sweater couldn’t hide– might manhandle his own body, lifting and bending him into submission. Dream ached with it; the possibilities. Was dying to kiss Hob’s plush mouth, his gaze fell to it enough, or feel the stubble of Hob’s jaw under his own palm, under his lips, along the inside of Dream’s thighs.

Hob was everything Dream was not; roguish, masculine, and unbearably kind. It was no wonder Dream had developed a crush from their very first meeting.

And maybe Hob was interested too, if you squinted. He always offered Dream a ride home, set his hand on the small of his back, his shoulder, and never seemed to stop smiling in his presence. Dream was never very good at picking up cues though– his prior relationships had been him making the first move, striking immediately at what he wanted, courting in the most by-the-book manner, before he was ultimately either rejected or caught up in a love affair that burned out before the year was up.

He didn’t want to do that with Hob. Dream held back, kept his desires at bay… because he truly enjoyed Hob’s company. It would be devastating if Hob rejected him, or worse, fell into a relationship and then realised Dream was… too much, too fast, too methodical. Dream wasn’t sure he could handle not having Hob in his life now that he’d met him. He was determined to keep him around, even if it meant remaining friends. Dream could work with that, could suffer quietly and go home after a long night of drinking or dancing and being subjected to Hob’s ever-present smile, his unwavering gaze, the warmth his body radiated, even feet apart. Could hold onto those images and sensations and close his eyes, take himself in hand, and work himself to climax in the safe darkness of his own bedroom, clenching his teeth and imagining how it might feel if it were Hob’s hands on him instead.

All of Dream’s self restraint comes crashing down about a week before Christmas, at the staff holiday party Johanna had invited him along to.

Because Hob is sitting on a large red velvet chair at the back of the venue, surrounded by cotton snow and boxed presents, wearing absolutely nothing but a Santa hat, explicitly short red and white trousers, and black boots.

It’s a mockery of what you’d see at perhaps a mall: Santa waiting to greet children and ask what they want for Christmas while his elves putter around and keep order. This is…

Obscene, is what Dream’s brain provides before it completely resets and replaces the word with animal noises.

He’d overheard Hob and Johanna talking about this, how they had a “sexy Santa” every year (because Jo’s office was mostly comprised of women who voted on it every year, vastly sweeping the competition to the point of tradition). And to save on money this year, decided to find a Santa who would do it for free, hence Jo asking Hob to do her a solid.

Dream felt heat rush through his entire body, unable to look away as Jo, Matthew, and him walked out of the foyer and into the thick of the party. Dream heard Johanna speaking, but couldn't decipher her words, his brain wiped clean by the reveal of Hob’s body, something Dream had only imagined in the safety of his own head, and kicked himself over the exclusion of hair.

So much body hair. Thick, dark hairs covered Hob’s chest like a pelt, rolling down his abs and scattered out around his soft belly. It was enough to make Dream’s mouth water, a ringing sound began in his ears, making him dizzy as he forced one foot in front of the other.

Dream had only met Hob a couple months ago, while the weather had just turned cold and they’d both only seen one another buttoned and bundled up in high necklines and long sleeves. To see Hob nearly completely nude was a shock to Dream’s system. And holy shit, Dream wanted. He had to know how those thick hairs felt between his fingers, digging them in while he sat on Hob’s lap, grinding his hips down while his own naked chest slid along Hob’s. What sounds Hob would make while Dream petted and pulled and rubbed his cock along the swell of Hob’s furred stomach.

And then Hob spotted them coming in, his smile dazzling as he stood up and waved.

Giving Dream a fantastic view of his legs, which were just as thick and strong as Dream had fantasised, and just as hairy as his top half. As well as a view of how those pants rode up enough to make Dream question if the man was wearing underwear.

Dream stumbled to the nearest restroom, locking himself in a stall and attempting to breathe and calm his erratic heart beat.

Friend, friend. Hob is your friend. Dream chanted to himself, keeping his hand out of his pants and taking deep breaths as his blood circulation regulated itself. Don’t make it weird.

Dream didn’t know how to socialise on a good day, and how with a half naked Hob in the building– shamelessly on display and humouring drunk female staff as they boldly sat on his knee– Dream felt himself shutting down entirely, spluttering and stumbling over his speech with enough velocity that he feared he'd glitch and spark out, setting the place on fire. Or at the very least, melt into a puddle of goo, the remains of his dignity soaked into the hardwood floor.

Dream tossed back drink after drink, matching Jo’s pace if only to distract his wandering thoughts, losing his jacket somewhere in the scuffle and rolling up the sleeves of his black button down.

Johanna’s laughter snapped Dream back to the present, looking down at the red solo cup in his hand and Jo standing across from him, visibly swaying on that spot. Dream doesn’t remember what he’d said to elicit such a reaction, but felt his lips curl anyway. 

“What’s so funny?”

“You, dreamboat!” Jo’s laughter simmered down to a pleasant chuckle, if not a little devious. “I thought– nah, can’t be. But holy shit, you like Hob, don’t you?”

It took several long, embarrassing seconds to figure out what Jo just asked him. Dream felt warmth spreading up his ears.

“Of course. He’s my friend–”

“Nonono–” Jo stepped into Dream’s space, landing a heavy hand on his bony shoulder. “You like him. I can tell, because you haven’t spoken to him all night.”

Dream swallowed. The alcohol was affecting his brain, sloshing it around and rendering him speechless.

Johanna smirked. “Am I wrong?”

“You’re a menace, Constantine.” Dream said, pushing her hand off him and sliding his gaze sideways to find Hob rubbing the tops of his thighs. It’d been well over an hour since they’d arrived, Dream wondered how long Hob had been sitting there, playing a role he clearly wasn’t enjoying anymore.

Jo inclined her head.

“He likes you too.”

Dream’s head snapped back to meet Jo’s eyes, searching for that tell of humour or sarcasm, and finding none.

She leaned in conspiratorially. “He told me not to tell you. Thinks your eyes are ‘dazzling’ and your hands are pretty–” she makes a face at that one. “And that your hair looks– and I quote– ‘like raven’s feathers’.”

Dream swallows, his throat suddenly dry.

“When did he tell you this?”

Jo huffs a sigh, taking a sip from her beer, her lips making a smacking sound off the bottle’s mouth.

“The night after I introduced you two.”

Dream’s heart flips over at the revelation. 

Johanna winks and shoves at Dream’s shoulder. “Now go say hi before you break his heart.”

Taking Johanna’s advice seems like a death sentence, but Dream is just drunk enough to summon courage, finishing off his drink and setting the empty cup on a random surface, before forcing his shoulders back and finally making his way towards Hob.

The smile that breaks across Hob’s face once he spots Dream is staggering, and it strikes Dream down more so than before, informed with the knowledge that Hob might like him as much as Dream does.

Dream slips his hands into the pockets of his slacks, affecting nonchalance as he finally stands before Hob.

“Hello, Hob.”

“Hey, Dream.” Hob tugs on his ear, looking up at Dream. His entire body seems to relax, even slouching a bit in the chair. “Was surprised to see you here.”

“Oh?”

“Yeah, I know parties aren’t really your thing.”

Dream hums, his eyes selfishly taking in their fill. This close to Hob, he can catalogue every hair, curve and freckle in greater detail, storing the information away for later.

And with Hob looking up at him, giving the illusion of superior height, an unmistakable flicker of arousal begins low in Dream’s belly. 

“I can be persuaded, from time to time.” Dream smiles, coy. The alcohol gives him a confidence boost and relaxes him further. “I apologise for not visiting you sooner.”

Hob waves it off. “I honestly didn’t expect you to. I know this is… a lot.” He gestures to himself and laughs self-deprecatingly. “I only agreed to be Sexy Santa because I owe Jo a favour.”

“It’s a fetching look on you,” Dream says, flinging himself into the deep end. He bites his bottom lip as Hob actually looks twice up at Dream, his smile falling into something like disbelief.

“O-oh. Really?” Hob laughs, but it’s small, doubtful. Dream will have to remedy that.

Dream takes a long breath, grounding himself, licking his lips before speaking what he’d wanted to say to Hob all night.

“I believe it’s my turn to ask Santa what I want for Christmas?”

The prettiest pink flush rises up Hob’s cheeks. His lips part as his eyes rove across Dream, down and up.

Despite what Johanna said, Dream feels himself shake with nerves as he tips forward, touching the top of Hob’s thigh before slowly lowering himself onto it. His eyes never leave Hob’s as he goes, silently asking for permission and receiving a nod once he’s fully seated.

Hob’s hand instantly curls around Dream’s narrow hips, holding him steady, locking him into place both upon his lap and in his gaze; wide and dark and focused.

Dream crossed one leg over the other, settling his hands on his knees, which inadvertently causes him to sway that much closer to Hob. He can feel the heat of his body, this close. Can smell something sweet and earthy, like sandalwood and pine, mixed in with something tangy that makes Dream’s mouth water. He has to hold back the urge to close the gap between them and shove his face in Hob’s chest, into the crook of his neck, under his armpit and lose his sanity. Abandon all pretence and inhale Hob like a wild animal, scent and mark him with his teeth and tongue and–

Hob swallows. Dream watches the way his Adam’s apple bobs, fascinated.

“Are you messing with me?”

Dream cocks an eyebrow. “You think me capable of jokes?”

Hob laughs, soft, wonderful. “You are. You’re the funniest person I’ve ever met.”

His thumb is pressing into Dream’s side, caressing back and forth, sending spikes of electricity through his veins and heating him up from the inside.

“No one thinks I’m funny,” Dream says matter-of-factly. 

“Well, you make me laugh,” Hob says simply, his other hand coming across Dream’s front to lace his fingers together, forming a snare around Dream that ignites something within him. “You challenge me, keep me on my toes… keep me guessing.”

Dream’s heart beats so hard against his ribs it nearly hurts. He wonders if Hob can hear it, how he makes his blood race a mile a minute. 

“I’m being very serious,” Dream takes a breath. “But if you deny me, I’ll just say I’m drunk.”

Hob laughs again, his hold around Dream tightening and nearly causing Dream’s knee to bump into Hob’s crotch.

“Are you drunk?”

Dream is very aware that they are in the middle of a party, and although the people around them seem to be paying them little attention, it would probably be inappropriate to follow the path enticing him to resituate himself on Hob’s lap to instead straddle him. To grind his barely contained semi against Hob’s flimsy excuse for shorts, while winding his arms around his shoulders and kiss him stupid.

Dream leans forward, brushing his lips along the shell of Hob’s ear and lowers his voice.

“Not enough to not know what I want.”

Hob groans, Dream can feel the vibration in his own chest as he pulls back just enough to see how his eyes have fluttered shut, swallowing again before opening his eyes and focusing on him.

“And what do you want, Dream?”

“Whatever you’ll give me,” Dream wets his lips. His hands venture up, tentatively brushing his knuckles against Hob’s bronze skin, fascinated at how snow-white his own appears against it. His fingers uncurl as he dares himself to properly touch; pushing into the soft flesh at Hob’s sides and drinking in the unmistakable sound of a choked off whine from his friend.

“I’ll take anything, Hob.”

“Holy shit–” Hob whispers, his head lolling back, exposing his throat which Dream violently refuses to latch his mouth on to.

“Okay…” Hob clears his throat, his eyes swinging over to gauge Dream again. His pupils are blown wide, hunger clear in its depths. “Okay.”

He’s looking at Dream’s mouth as he speaks again. “Meet me out back in 10 minutes?”

Dream bites back a smile and nods, his heart soaring as he climbs off Hob.

Johanna gives him a knowing look as Dream stumbles back into the crowd to find his jacket and coat, managing a wave (great, now he owed her a favour as well) before all but running out of the building to make good on his promise to Hob.

Hob makes good on his offer as well; indeed giving Dream everything he’d wanted. All night.

[viola-verse]

June 21, 2025.

Warnings: Briefly alludes to Yoongi's "scandal" and how the antis treated him. Military dischargement. Alludes to the speculation that Yoongi's married is starting. X is still called Twitter in this cause I'm not calling it X.

Wordcount: 1,593

Send a request or a suggestion if there is something you want to read

Author's Note: This is short and sweet, not all imagines will be this short (or long - some might be quick timestamps & social media posts). This is just the idea that I had that started the Viola-verse.

Viola is in one of the dance studios practicing her choreography for her second comeback as a solo artist. As the music to title song fills the room, she moves along with it precision and dedication. Beads of sweat form on her forehead as she pushes herself to perfect each movement. Suddenly, she hears the door to the studio creak open, interrupting her concentration. She turns her head, about to scold the person, but stops herself when she sees it's Yoongi. 

Yoongi steps further into the room, clad in military uniform and a soft smile on his lips. Because their relationship is still unknown to the outside world, she was kept busy with schedules and dance practice. 

"I thought you could use a break," he says gently, as he picks up her water bottle and towel and brings it over to her forcing her to take a break. 

Viola's stern expression melts into one of gratitude, and she nods walking over to the sound system and lowers the volume of the music. She walks closer to him taking the bottle and towel. She gulps down the cool water, and then dabs the sweat from her forehead with the towel. 

"Thank you," she says, as she leans in for soft peck. “How did your discharge and live go? I tried to catch the en-” 

She’s cut off when Yoongi presses a kiss to her lips, pulling her against him.  

“I’m sweaty and gross,” she mumbles against his lips, a soft giggle leaving her lips.  

"I don't care," he whispers, his breath warm against her lips.  

Viola's heart swells, and she wraps her arms around his neck, savoring the moment. For a few minutes, they stand there, holding each other, the music playing faintly in the background as they begin to sway to the song. 

“Is that your title track?” he asks, his smile turning a little smug. He knows for certain that the song playing is her title track. He had a hand in writing it with her.  

Viola chuckles and nods. "Yes, it is. And it's all thanks to you," she replies lovingly, acknowledging his contribution with a warm smile. Her title track – You, Me, Us – is an emotional love song that perfectly captures the love she shares with him. Yoongi co-writing and producing the song makes it even more meaningful to her.  

“I left my wedding ring on during the live,” he admits, unable to hold it in anymore. Yoongi’s intention was to switch his wedding band from his left to his right hand, but it slipped his mind as he anxiously waited for the live to start. “Can’t get anything past Army’s, they noticed I was wearing it before I remembered I was.” 

Viola's eyes widen slightly in surprise. “How did they react?" she asks, anxious about how his fans would handle it. Her mind flashing back to last year and everything that went down only makes her worry more. 

Yoongi lips brush against her forehead in a soothing gesture. "You know how the fans react to things. They go wild.” 

"You don't have to wear your ring during work if it makes it easier for you. I understand,” she says, softly, reassuring him that she doesn’t have an issue with it if that’s what he wants to do. They’d had a few conversations about what they would do once Yoongi is back with BTS being the rapper and producer everyone loves. Ultimately, they never decided on what they’ll do.  

Yoongi shakes his head, his gaze softening. "I know, but I’m used to wearing it. I have been for the last 11 months. It’s a part of me now,” he assures her. “Everyone will just have to deal with it.” 

"I love you," she whispers. 

"I love you too," Yoongi murmurs, pulling her close again and pressing a kiss to her forehead. 

Their moment is soon interrupted by the door swinging open, Namjoon and a frazzled looking Jin. The couple breaks apart, taking a step or two back from each other.  

“Ya! We’ve been looking for you!” Jin scolds the younger man, who’d quickly disappeared after his live, avoiding whatever surprise the rest of the group had planned for him. 

Viola and Yoongi exchange a quick glance, a silent understanding passing between them. “Sorry,” Yoongi says with an apologetic smile. “I just wanted to see my wife.” 

Namjoon raises an eyebrow, clearly intrigued. “Well, you’ve seen her. We have a surprise waiting for you.” 

Yoongi looks at Viola, who gives him an encouraging nod. “Alright, lead the way,” he sighs, trying to pretend to be annoyed as he goes to leave the room with them. 

“You too, Hannie,” Jin calls out to her, holding the door open, using the nickname he uses for her. Hannie being from her Korean name Ha-neul. 

“Me?” she asks, confused.  

“You think we’d have a surprise for Yoongi Hyung and not include his wife, Noona?” Namjoon asks. 

“Give me a minute,” she tells them, scrambling to turn off the sound system and gather her belongings.  

Yoongi waits for her, a subtle smile playing on his lips as he watches her. Once ready, Viola joins them, and together they head down the corridor. The sound of chatter and laughter grows louder with each step they take, a clear indication that a celebration is underway. 

They enter the large rehearsal room, which has been transformed into a celebration space. Decorations hang from the ceiling, and a large banner reads, “Welcome Back, Yoongi!” 

The room erupts in cheers and applause as they step inside. Jimin is the first to speak up, his eyes twinkling with mischief. “We knew you’d try to hide, but you can’t escape us that easily!” 

“I knew you were planning something!” He says allowing his chosen brothers to hug him. 

“You know us too well,” Hoseok chimes in, handing him a drink. “Don’t worry we all went through this after our live. Couldn’t let all the food and cake go to waste.” 

Yoongi laughs, accepting the drink and taking a sip. The atmosphere is warm as everyone relaxes, enjoying the reunion. Viola watches as Yoongi interacts with the rest of his group, his face lighting up. It's heartwarming to see him surrounded by those who love and support him the most.  

As the evening progresses, each BTS member takes turns to express their happiness for them being back together again as a whole and being able to continue doing what they all love. Namjoon’s heartfelt words about brotherhood bring tears to Viola’s eyes, reminding her that no matter how much time passes, they’ll always be those same boys she met during their trainee days. 

When the celebrations start to wind down, Yoongi finds Viola conversing with Jimin and Hoseok. “Ready to go home?” he asks her. She nods starting to feel her social battery draining. 

They say their goodbyes to everyone and follow the staff member tasked with driving them home. Walking closely together, Yoongi slips his hand into hers as they exit the building to where the car is parked. The car ride is quiet but comfortable, filled with the soft hum of the engine. Viola leans her head against Yoongi’s shoulder, as they both feel the excitement from today turn into exhaustion. Both their social batteries are on nil. 

As they near their home, the city's vibrant lights reflect off the car windows, casting a warm glow inside. The driver pulls up to their building, and they thank him before stepping out into the night. Yoongi's hand finds hers again, their fingers linking naturally as they head toward the entrance of their home. 

Once inside, Yoongi and Viola change into more comfortable clothes and settle on the couch. Yoongi leans back, pulling Viola close, resting his chin on her head. Viola has her phone in her hand and starts scrolling through social media. It doesn’t take her long to find posts about Yoongi possibly wearing a wedding ring. 

"People are already speculating about your ring," she tells him scrolling through some of the comments left on one post. “It’s already trending.” 

He chuckles, taking her phone to get a better look. "Let them speculate. We’ll be fine as long as they don’t do anything." 

"What if the antis or sasaengs do something?” she asks, voicing her concerns. “It broke my heart seeing those funeral wreaths with your name on them in front of the building. My manager had to stop me from going out and destroying them. I should have done it anyway," she frowns remembering what happened in the months following his stupid scandal.  

Yoongi's expression softens as he takes her hand in his. "I know it was tough, but we'll face whatever happens together,” he tries to assure her. "For now, how about we focus on something else?" Yoongi suggests, trying to lighten the mood and get her mind off things. "Our first anniversary is coming up next month. Have you thought of a way that we could celebrate?" 

“If we have the time, I was thinking we could go away for the weekend. Maybe to the beach,” she says, the thought of a beach getaway bringing a sparkle to her eyes. 

Yoongi smiles, knowing the beach is one of his wife’s favourite places. “The beach sounds perfect,” he says, agreeing with her. 

Viola nods, feeling a surge of excitement at the idea. “Once I know our schedules, I’ll start looking for places we can stay.” 

“Sounds good to me,” Yoongi agrees, pulling her closer and presses a kiss to her lips. 

©️2025 @viola-verse & @dancinglikebutterflywings - Do not copy. modify and/or repost anywhere.

Tagged:

@carattinymoa - @rainyday-daydreamer

[capriciouscapsss]

How Will You and Your F/S Spend Your 1st Valentines Together ✧

BOOK A READING WITH ME 💞

Hi guys I’m back! Life’s been...catastrophic BUT that’s for another day so enough on that and lets quickly redirect and focus on the fact that reading requests are open again!! Alsooo open requests means PACS full of love being written 🙏🙏   soo yeahh… today’s pac will be made in honor of Valentines day just sailing by, a PAC dedicated to how your Valentines will be spent at the side of your F/S. Now this will focus more on your first Valentines together so keep that in mind when choosing....so with that being said LETS GET STARTED 💞

todays's muse of love is my idol elizabeth taylor in Cleopatra, a true icon and master of romance, who else to tell you how to spend the day of love with the one we love than the queen herself. we have four piles; intuitively choose the one you're most drawn to. 

Pile I. A Wink Worth Billions

[2oS, 4oW, 7oC, 2oC, 10oP, KnoC]

Stop being so cheeky pile 1. We get it you’re god’s favorite damn. Literally what other cards could have been more perfect?? Pile 1 get ready for the prettiest Valentine’s Day ever. Most of you haven’t had a Valentine’s Day where things went right, and this person wants to make sure that it goes perfect. Honestly your first Valentines will probably be spent in the early stages of your relationship. Like I’m not getting that you guys will be together for a long time before Valentine’s comes. So you both are in the state of mind of wondering if you both should play it cool and go casual your first year or if you guys should actually go all out and throw caution to the wind. And you know the thing about you both being together is that you both immediately feel the love with one another.

You both don’t fall in love gradually, it’s more like it comes hard and strong and one minute you both are meeting and the next you both are scrolling for hours on your phones trying to come up with the perfect gift. As I was writing this I got the vision of one of you going back on text convo’s to see if the other person has mentioned something they’d want or liked. Like that’s how much one of you is stressing. Although I don’t think it’s in a bad way, more like in a “the possibilities on what we can do are endless” kind of way. For the people that are barely getting to know your person, because I do feel like there’s that select few who won’t be serious with their F/S on Valentines, will be asked to bring things to a next level that day. Say we have a couple who’s barely getting to know each other and want to take it to the next level, the more masculine energy of the two will be more proactive and plan to make the connection more serious. For the people that are already in a relationship with their F/S the day off, I’m getting that they might pop a big question the day off. I’m not getting marriage lmao don’t worry, more like talk on the future like moving on or meeting each other’s parents. Or even planning a trip. Something that signifies making things more serious.

Also, I think that the masculine energy in this connection could be feeling real nervous about planning this as well lmao. Like there’s an element of “things are going so well, I don’t want to mess it up” combined with “but things would be even better if they said yes.” Ultimately I think your first valentines will make you both stronger at each other’s side. The bond will be strengthened and new steps will be taken moving forward. So to recap, with the masculine energy it’s going to be all about planning an event around making your relationship more serious. Something pretty that strengthens your unions. And for the other in this connection, it will be more focused on finding the perfect gift. Finding a gift that’s perfect for them but also doesn’t look like they’re coming on too strong. Lmao the energy the other person is exuding is equally as nervous, they’re going to want to take it further as well but will at the same time be nervous about initiating the conversation. Instant red flushes and heart palpitations when their partner initiates though, they’ll feel breathless. + Little tidbits I see include you saving them from doing something emberassing. Say they’re talking and walking but almost slip, you’ll help them last second. Or it could even be something like, if they’re the masculine energy and you the feminine, they could be talking to try and approach the elephant in the room but start trailing off nervously as they get closer leading you to prompt them enough to broach the topic. I also think that attire will look darker Valentine’s Day.

You both will be wearing darker clothing and if makeup is involved it’s more on the lighter side. Kind of elegant chic. NOW for a special select bunch of you I do see a proposal. I know, I’m sorry!! This is just for a select few of you I promise, and it’ll have to do more with you both being friends before the connection even started. Cause again, the love is still new, but sometimes when you have a long story with someone you just want to marry them as soon as you finally have them in your arms. So nothing out of the blue, don’t worry, more so this is for those going from friends to lovers. Also there will definitely be s8x okay that’s it bye. 

A little visual of the energy I'm getting

Pile II. The Royal Treatment

[KnoP, 5oW, 7oP, The Justice, 3oP, 10oW, QoP, the chariot]

baby pile two’s you are all so stubborn. And your future spouse is too. You guys probably have known each other a long time before you guys actually spend a Valentine’s day together. I’m getting almost like a sad vibe here? Like one of you has physically watched the other go on dates and so on in Valentines day. It could be that you both were friends before you were lovers and going out together is something new but also bittersweet? One of you keeps thinking what it would be like if you both just realized sooner and got together earlier. You guys both want this to be beautiful and right and amazing but you two don’t want to communicate when trying to talk about it. You both are acting like you guys are on the same page when I’m not even sure you guys are reading the same book

. You both are acting like this is no big deal because the other person is doing so as well. But in reality it’s a very big deal and you guys want to rejoice that finally!! you guys are together. You both might be talking to your friends and family members like “I just want this to be special”, and the whole time the other person assumes that you guys aren’t excited. Like I mean this probably happens and goes on until either a day before or the very day of the event. I even think you both argue when the truth comes out. The feminine energy in this connection will not lash out but rather retreat inward and stop talking? Almost like they want to complain but they’re going to feel like they’re making a big deal out of nothing and will retreat forward. Now I think the masculine energy in this connection is more new to this whole dating and emotions thing, and even though they don’t really understand how to fix this (that’s also been bugging them) they don’t want to be shut out on a day where things are supposed to be happy and okay. So I think they approach but it just spirals into a fight. Again you both are soo stubborn so you both will probably be just afraid to admit that you want this day to be celebrated more.

I can see you both arguing. Until one of you just snaps and admits that it’s not fair. As I wrote this I started to hear what it would sound like and it not only sounds, but it feels very in the heat of the moment. “I wanted this to be special and you don’t even care.” is what I heard. The other’s very confused, not even sure about what they’re talking about until they start piecing it together. I imagine it going from something very tense and angry to still and warm. A trickle of realization and hope. The masculine energy was the one doing the prodding I think, asking a bunch of questions in alarms and defensiveness. Asking what they did and why are they being ignored. The other then suddenly getting fed up and blowing up. Telling them the truth just to shut them up. I think that you guys are then going to be silent for some time before eventually talking and apologizing. It sounds almost like you both are then taking the time to finally talk about your feelings and leave it all out in the open. After time, we have the chariot card describing the last of it so I can see you both deciding to do something. A quick plan where you both have a destination in mind. One of you is smiling softly while the other’s making quick jokes as they drive over there. Hands are being held and smiles are being shared. Lots of eye contact once you both arrive to wherever it is you went.

No letting go. + Little additional tidbits I can see is the plans being made after the argument being very adventurous. Maybe it’s a long drive to where you both are going but it’s a celebration to the realization of feelings. A celebration that should’ve been planned a long time ago. I can see you both touching each other a lot as well. Hands around the waist of the others, neck kisses, kisses on the top of the head, etc. I think people didn’t really expect you guys to last long either or even have much in common which is why it was even more important that you guys celebrated the day of love together, and when you weren’t doing it like it deserved you both felt bummed. We have the masculine being more of a social butterfly in this case so yeah they’re definitely going to be the one that is badgering and demanding to fix the problem. In this case I could see the feminine being more of an introvert and instead choosing to keep it all in. Yeah, to end this off, I do see a long drive ahead of you both when you choose where to go. 

A little visual of the energy I'm getting

Pile III. Entrancing and Falling

[4oW, 3oP, 7oP, PoP, The Hermit, The lovers] 

Pile three you guys are the ultimate couple. Now let me start by saying this, MONEY IS BEING SPENT here. Like loads of money. I don’t know if you guys know about the couples that spend close to thousands of dollars for Valentine’s day and treat if like it’s nothing big? Yeah that’s you both. There are some cultures where it’s like that, where Valentines day is meant to be celebrated in big and meant to go crazy with the theatrics and you both do not disappoint. To be completely honest with you, I keep trying to summon the energy of you guys individually but it doesn’t really come out leading me to believe that you both are locked in and really solid when the days rolls by. Are you guys the type of people that lose their identity when they fall in love? No. That being said, are you guys so enamored that you both think of each other as their world? Yes. So do you both not want to talk to anyone but your own partner the day of Valentines? Again yes lmao.

This is kind of giving me Scorpio Venus energy. Like “I share you every day please just be mine for today.” Or days. Like mentioned before your partner wants to go big. And its liely that each year aftet that they’ll go bigger until they run out of ideas and even then they’ll ask around if that’s’ their last option. Why last option? Your person likes thinking of their plans for you. They pride themselves in being the one that knows you the most. They pride themselves in having you see how much effort they put into their gift since to them, their act of service, means more than just picking something out. I could see you both going out to little Valentines day parties before the actual day and people asking you and your FS what you’ll be doing and your FS just grabbing onto you and shaking their head. They’ll be telling no one about their plans by the way, they don’t care for others telling them if it’s a good idea or not like this person is so confident in their abilities of knowing you lmao. I can see them planning a trip for you both. Almost like a surprise getaway. It could be to an actual spot outside the country or to something as simple as a weekend spa. Whatever it is it will only involve you both. It’s going to be their version of a relax spot away from the world. Away from problems and into a world shared only by you two.

Like I said this is so Scorpio Venus, because even though it looks very flashy and big, all you both really crave are closeness and intimacy. There’s layers to this. Sweet words are exchanged. Thousands of I love you’s. I think you guys might even be told by other people that see you what a wonderful couple you two make. You both are also very patient with one another in the days you disappear. No rushing, just relaxation and love. Walking to a restaurant holding hands and buying flowers from someone nearby. Feeling the night warm up and being able to wear a more revealing outfit. This is another reason as to why I think you both are going to go on vacation, when trying to intuitively channel I get hot and humid weather. The kind that makes hair curl. Wearing more summer based outfits.

So to recap it would be something beautiful because of the attention to detail. Everything done bigger than need be. But at the same time it’s special because of the intimacy that you both share. It’s quiet in the way that there’s peace but electric because of the sensation you keep on sharing that “hey! I think they might be the one.” + additional tidbits I’d like to add would be that the feminine energy in this connection is holding on more. Kissing, hugging, they’re the one initiating the contact. Your FS could be a fire sign, particularly Aries or Leo. You both are already very comfortable with each other by the time you go out. One of you could be a serious workaholic that yes gains great money but also doesn’t have much time off so this could again be something that you both are particularly excited about since it means more time together. 

A little visual of the energy I'm getting

Pile IV. Seductive Woman

[QoW, 5oP, KoW, 7oC, AoC, 4oW, AoS] 

Pile 4, my previously heartbroken pile. Honestly you don’t know what to expect the day of Valentines. You’ve just decided to go on a new date not long ago prior and you’re not sure where it’s headed. The date you go to before this happens ends up being your future spouse. It’s exciting and fresh and new and honestly no one can blame you from being excited. They’re intelligent, well-spoken and charming. I mean they seem like the complete package. Like I mentioned before you probably haven’t had the best of luck with love when you’re close to meeting them. It’s possible that you could’ve just gone through a break up that left you feeling emotionally battered. You’re not wanting to do the whole love thing anymore. Ever dated someone that made you lose your spark? Your previous relationship will have you feeling like this. You’ve gone from being someone full of life, vivacious and bold to maybe someone more insecure and guarded. Protected. So going on a date was something really big for you.

And then going on a date on Valentines day? Something even bigger. But I don’t think you’re getting your hopes up. Almost like you’re excited because speaking with this person was fun. But at the same time, you’re just going with the flow. Letting things fall where they may. They on the other hand, are coming ready. Like they have thought and thought of about a million things they could possibly do at your side that wouldn’t be too much or too boring. You know it’s funny how most of the piles have been trying to keep between that imaginary line of it being just perfect and not too this and not too that. Like Goldilocks, it must be just right. I can see them checking the reviews for places on Yelp or just talking to people around them on what places would be good to dine in or what places they’ve gone to that a person like you would like. I got the funny image of them describing you to the person they talk to like “they’re like this and they do this and etc.” and honestly, they might just nail it. This is a more lighthearted version of Valentines.

There’s shy looks and glances but also hand holding and the occasional kiss. There’s so much banter and dry wit passed around too. I get the image of you both talking with big smiles on your faces as you eat dinner. It’s not like your trying to keep the smile up, it’s more like it won’t like your face. You both are just so amused with each other, like you’ve met your perfect match. You share the same humor and you see of yourself in each other. What they are is what you are as well. I think you both start acting much more romantic as the night is ending. Like you guys start seeing at each other’s lips, or casually touching at each other more. The attraction is real, but so it the chemistry between you as people. So to recap, we have you and this person being together after a tough period in your life. Nothing serious but leading up to it as the night goes on. + Additional tidbits I get from this pile is the Aries like behavior that you both have when together. Being brave and bold with one another, laughing and teasing the other person. They will be more well off than you are so be prepared to have them pay for everything. This is the type of person that even because it’s your first dates out with each other, they will not allow you to contribute a single penny. They’re definitely more affectionate as well, you being more awkward and not knowing how to respond to the flirtatious remarks but being a pro at handling the teasing. They’re very well spoken like I mentioned earlier so be careful cause they are great at flirting and making someone blush. You both talk about interests a lot the day of Valentines, and you guys could focus a lot on doing little things for each other. For example, say you go out to dinner; one person will put their hand on the small of the back of the other, push out their chair, etc. You both will be very attentive to the needs of the other person. I could see them also being in a field having to do with Law, that message came to me very randomly but take that as you may. 

A little visual of the energy I'm getting

Okay that's all! That was a long reading and it definitely has so many mistakes but I hope you enjoy reading! Have a great day/night and take care xx 💕💕💕💕💕

[olympeline]

More thoughts on national animal forms in Hetalia:

Their beast selves are slightly bigger than what’s considered normal for the species. Not to such a degree that they’d look like freaks, but big enough to make you take a second glance.

They’re incapable of human speech while in animal form. I’m on the fence as to whether they’d be able to speak to each other as beasts or whether they’d have to change back to hold a conversation. Leaning towards the latter, honestly. These forms are wild and primal and speech of any kind just feels too human.

The appearance of a nation’s human guise stays mostly consistent throughout their lives, but their animal form is different. It can change radically depending on what’s happening in the world. This is most often seen with territories and settler colonies who break away and ascend to true nationhood. Like Alfred, who only became a bald eagle after the USA won independence from the British Empire. Before that he was a young lion. And if you’re wondering whether a super badass Lion King style battle ever took place between him and Arthur during their war? I’m happy to inform you the answer is: yes. Absolutely Hell Yes it did. 👌

Only real animals count. So no unicorn form for Scotland, dragon for Wales, etc. They’re cool but I prefer the consistency of everyone having creatures that actually exist, you know? Oh and, if you’re curious, I picture Scotland’s animal form being a stag. Not sure about Wales’s yet.

Speaking of the UK family, Arthur is a lion but he didn’t start out that way. He was a rabbit in the distant past. Quite the transformation. When did he change? Hard to say. Definitely not before Roman Britain ended. Most likely it would have been either during the reign of William the Conqueror, or else at the start of the Hundred Years War.

The manner in which an animal form changes depends on the circumstances behind why it’s changing in the first place. For Alfred, who won his freedom in battle’s flame, it was a fast, violent, and painful process. The first night after the war was won, Alfred bloodily tore off his golden lion’s pelt and cast it into the fire. Then he resculpted his fleshy, naked, skinless body and reclothed it in a bald eagle’s feathers. The whole thing was over before the sun rose above the newly made country. And as agonising as it was, it was also a relief for Alfred. His lion’s skin hadn’t felt right ever since the start of the war. It itched, and chafed, and burned, and almost drove Alfred mad. Even as a human, it tickled and whined and gnawed at him in the back of his mind. Only getting worse as the war dragged on. Eventually Alfred was assuming his beast form regularly just so he could bite and tear at himself in a frenzy. The revolutionaries got used to seeing their fledgling country covered in the wounds he’d gouged into himself in a futile attempt to find relief. None came until victory was won and he could cast off his lion form - and his old self - for good.

Meanwhile Matthew, who peacefully slipped into a fluffy lion cub form after Arthur won him from Francis, was very different. His independence was gradual and diplomatic so there was no need for a violent ripping of flesh. Instead, over time, Matthew quietly started using his lion form less and less the more Canada drew away from Britain. Until one day, when he badly needed release from the trappings of the human world, he assumed his beast form for the first time in decades. Only to find it had changed. Something Mattie had been expecting for a while but it was still a shock when it suddenly happened. There wasn’t any pain or anguish for him, though. Just a small feeling of wistfulness at the realisation he’d never wear his lion form again. It’s fine, though: a Canadian horse suited him better. Fit like a glove right from the start.

Mattie ultimately becoming a horse is funny too because, while I haven’t made up my mind yet about what Francis should be, a horse is an option I’m considering. Which would mean Matthew went from French foal, to British cub, then ultimately back to horse again, lol.

Maybe…maybe a horse is good for Francis? Maybe? Urgh, I don’t know! Seriously, I’ve only just started this AU thing and already Francis has become the bane of my existence. 😂 France is a world power and England’s historical rival. So his animal form would need to be something that could not just fight, but win against a lion. Yeah, a rooster ain’t cutting it, lmao. A big destrier style war horse could conceivably kill a lion by kicking or trampling it. Horses are prey animals but that doesn’t mean predators aren’t still scared af of a horse’s kick caving in their skulls and smashing their bones to powder. Also, historically horses are symbols of wealth, grace, war, and just plain pretty to boot. All of which fit Francis. My only other idea is that he’d be another lion. Because England got its lion from French nobility. Or maybe he’d be a lion up until the French Revolution? Then he’d pull an Alfred and rip off his pelt - or have it ripped off him by force during the Reign of Terror - and be remade as a horse. Lions are one of the symbols of monarchy so it’s some nice imagery there. Napoleon relied heavily on his cavalry too. Yeah, it could work. Maybe…? What do you guys think? Any other ideas? Post em below if you have em.

A nation-person doesn’t always change their animal form completely if their real world circumstances are altered. Take Argentina for example; a Spanish colony who started as a black calf and still remained a bull after locking horns with Antonio and driving him out of his part of South America. A bull suited Argentina so a bull he stayed. Though his coat and horns did turn from black to silver post-independence. Argentina. Land of beef. Land of silver. Silver bull, geddit?

Finally, there’s the differing effects of conquest where the original inhabitants of the land aren’t replaced like what happened in the Americas. Cases like Romano: a nation whose animal form never changed through all his ups and downs. Not after Antonio conquered him, not after being set free, and not after unification with Feliciano. Romano remained an Italian wolf through it all. Change was possible but it never happened for him. I guess it would depend on factors like how much of the original culture survives, how tightly the controlled nation is under the thumb of the master nation, etc. In the most extreme cases a conquered nation’s animal form might change completely to mirror that of their conqueror. Other times they might shift only a little. Like, say, if Ireland’s original animal was a wolf. Then, after being crushed and occupied by England, that wolf began to look more doglike. Symbolic of the English (later British) goal of “taming” wild Ireland. Stuff like that. A case by case basis, really.

(That’s all for now. Hope you enjoyed reading. I’m tagging this as my national animals AU ☺️)

[save-the-villainous-cat]

Hero x Villain where Hero kills out of anger and Villain sees then falls in love with their rage?

“Nah, sorry, champ. HQ’s orders,” the guard huffed.

With a push that not only looked personal but must’ve felt personal, they forced the protesting hero back into the cell, handcuffed and robbed of their superpowers. And there they were, the almighty, pushed to the ground by a mere servant.

The villain watched them, an intrigued and satisfied smile on their face. Lazily, they leaned their head against the glass, arms crossed over their chest, wondering if this was an act for their own entertainment or quite real. The hero. In a cell. Right next to them.

It was a terribly serious prison with military grade technology which made it rather fun to escape from. The villain was simple in that aspect, they couldn’t resist walking away from a good explosion at the end of the day. To their knowledge, there were countless of attempts every hour or so but only one had ever succeeded at escaping.

And that was the villain. A year ago or so, they had forgotten.

With no weapons, obviously, but also special equipment to stop superpowers to develop, the prison’s secrets had to be cracked with wits, not the supernatural. Not even cell mates where allowed which pestered the villain especially. They were rather fond of talking someone’s ear off.

For the past two weeks the villain had decayed in here yet again and this time, they had to admit, it was trickier to find a way out. They’d imprisoned the villain in the what the guards called Deadly District. It meant the glass was made out of AM-III, the hardest glass in the world. The glass that could scratch diamonds.

Cool.

But also not very helpful when one is trying to break out of it. Not very helpful when it was caging them. It was a fairly new advancement, a small attempt at being scary.

“Oh, this looks fun.” The villain tilted their head and gazed at the hero with half-lidded eyes. For their great escape plan to work, they had actually needed the hero. Had wanted to seduce them. But this was way better than studying the guards. “Cutting your wings off. Poor thing.”

“I am a lieutenant of the association,” the hero hissed at the guard. “Are you aware of the damage you’re causing to yourself?”

The guard chuckled.

“Sorry, boss. Told you this is an order from high up. Not your call anymore.”

“Ouch,” the villain said, head still leaned against the glass. The false sympathy in their voice wasn’t provocative enough. They longed for the hero’s attention but they were nothing but a spectator in this situation. The hero didn’t mind them one bit. “Very disrespectful, I wouldn’t let that slide.”

“Count yourself lucky, your whole department is probably dead by now. Fucking traitor.” The guard spat on the ground and it would’ve been a lie to say the villain wasn’t surprised by that development. The heroes tearing each other apart? Wonderful.

When the villain stopped their daydreaming and looked back at the hero, the temperature had dropped.

The hero looked terrifyingly determined, like a monster ready to claw the guard open. They didn’t look like themselves, as if a trigger had been pulled and propped up another version of them. Something unpredictable and…wrong.

“Someone will die for this,” they promised and before the guard could do anything, the hero broke the handcuffs. Hatred and revenge consumed them, corrupted them, fuelled their powers till they were too much to hold but what scared the villain was the fact that they didn’t use them.

They went for the guard with their bare hands.

They grabbed them.

In their lifetime, the villain wouldn’t forget the way the guard screamed, how panic mirrored in their eyes, how they tried to reach for the touchpad to close the cell, how they ultimately fell and tried to crawl away.

The hero stood above them, expressionless.

“I’m afraid it’s you,” they said calmly. They pressed their boot into the guard’s neck, pressing until they were gasping for air. Their arms were outstretched, reaching for the hero but never touching them.

Above all, the villain didn’t forget how the hero leaned down and let themselves fall onto their chest, knees first. And then they punched them.

Punched them until their own knuckles scratched open, raw flesh greeting the cool prison, punched them until the whimpers and pleads went silent. The hero didn’t stop when the guard’s face was unidentifiable and just a gory mess of cartilage and broken bone. They stopped when the alarms of the prison roared and they could stick their fist into the guard’s face deep enough to leave blood up to their wrist.

“Holy fuck,” the villain whispered and for the split of a second the hero looked at them the same brutal way. But then, their expression changed.

In horror, they stared at the picture they had painted, at the bloody hand.

And the villain stared not only in shock but also in amazement.

“You got a boyfriend? Girlfriend? Someone?” The hero tore their gaze off the scene and looked at the villain anew.

“N-no.”

“OKOK, cool…”

Both learnt soon enough that this was just a fraction of the darkness within the hero.

[the-obnoxious-sibling]

What would happen if buggy stayed with shanks? Who he would be? How their dynamic would work out? Would they be happy?

*sighs*

anon, you’ve successfully identified my roman empire. literally the second post i ever made about shuggy was ultimately about this question.

two possibilities i've considered (one i think adheres pretty close to canon, and one a "slightly better communication skills than canon" au) under the cut.

if shanks avoided the topic of going to laugh tale, or if buggy decided to hide his outrage and go with shanks post-roguetown, i think they’d be low-key miserable for a long time.

buggy's skulking around with a powerful ofmd s1 izzy hands energy, furious at any perceived disrespect, while shanks could not care less about people laughing at him. half the time buggy is yelling at enemies for disrespecting them, half the time he’s yelling at shanks for disrespecting himself. the crew does not understand why buggy is their first mate if he hates shanks so much.

but hell no, neither of them is going to acknowledge that this (that they) might not be working. shanks can laugh off any discomfort, ignore any awkwardness, if it keeps his best friend at his side. and buggy gave up his pride to stay with shanks! he can be quietly (or not-so-quietly) bitter about it but he’s not going to give up now.

so buggy joins luffy in his sulking disappointment after that first interaction with the mountain bandits. “yeah, it’s embarrassing,” he admits, “but that’s how shanks is. he doesn’t care what people think.”

luffy asks why buggy stays with shanks, if he’s so embarrassing. buggy’s cool and tough, he could be a pirate captain in his own right!

buggy doesn’t have an answer for him—until that second encounter with the mountain bandits. the teary-eyed look on luffy’s face when shanks declares that no one hurts a friend of his? …yeah, maybe that’s why he stays with shanks.

shanks losing his arm for luffy and giving luffy roger’s hat is a turning point, one way or the other. this is the straw that breaks the camel’s back, and either buggy snaps and goes his own way… or his personal truth comes out, and he and shanks have to actually address it before they can move forward.

(in the timeline where buggy leaves, luffy runs into him around the same time as their first canon interaction, and he is even more bitter about the hat. luffy takes buggy's behavior a little more personally, too, since he knows about buggy’s connection to shanks, and he knows buggy knows how much the hat means to him, and to shanks before him. it’s very messy.)

(in the timeline where buggy stays, buggy as first mate to emperor shanks is a lot more like the cackling little gremlin he was on roger’s ship. worse, he’s downright smug. try and disrespect us all you like—we’re one of the four biggest, toughest crews around, nyeh! …sure, some people call us the weakest of the four, but we’re also the youngest! it's only a matter of time before we overtake those guys! just you wait!!

and the crew has learned by now that if shanks is wearing one of his patient, fond smiles while buggy rants then there's nothing to worry about.

they may not be perfectly at ease—buggy doesn’t like this self-sacrificing streak of shanks’, shanks would like buggy to be a bit nicer to people, and buggy might still be in the dark about shanks’ ultimate motives—but i think they’re pretty happy.)

if they’re both honest with each other from the start—if buggy calls shanks a coward in roguetown and shanks responds with the truth, if buggy admits why he reacted so harshly to shanks turning his back on that promise, that dream—i think things are awkward for a while. this kind of honesty is new for them! shanks' lightheartedness, buggy's anger, they aren't hiding the secrets they used to… can things ever be the same, now that the truth is out? how do they even talk to each other anymore?

it's almost ironic, the way being honest puts this distance between them.

eventually there comes a day—probably the anniversary of roger's death—where they are desperately lonely, even though they're literally within arm's reach of each other, and some brave member of their crew forces the issue. they realize that they've been overthinking everything, apologize, reconcile, and it's like the last piece of a puzzle sliding into place. it's just that easy. if you're here for romance, they probably get together at this point.

from that point forward, the crew never know shanks and buggy to be anything other than perfectly in sync—though they do still have the occasional spat about something silly and pointless. (buggy still claims shanks cheated somehow when they took the temperature at the south pole.)

buggy isn’t happy about shanks giving luffy his hat, but he understands why he did it. (he heard what luffy said his dream was, same as shanks.) he gives shanks a knowing look, part amusement and part exasperation, as they head back to their ship and out of luffy’s life.

this buggy is also very smug about being an emperor-level crew, but he's a little more settled, doesn't rub it in your face so much. he feels safer pushing back against shanks on certain things—he insists they need to dock at wano and see the kozukis, if no one else—and where shanks ignores his other officers when he's set in his ways, shanks will listen to buggy. he might still say no, but he always hears him out.

and yeah, i think they're happy. they're together. they're successful. their dreams—well, those are still in progress, but it's a good life they're living. why wouldn't they be happy?

[shieldkeeper]

Writing Prompt: Steer Word Count: 765 ---> masterlist

Ahhh… blue seas, clear skies, and boundless possibilities!

Or so it should have been.

Garen’s crew had set off from Old Sharlayan once all crew was accounted for. Everyone had their own place, their own duty, and their hull full of supplies for the journey that would take a few days to cross the ocean proper. They were as ready as they’d ever be to make for the New World of Tural.

Joining him was Emrys, Totsuka, Kojin, Luin, Mogcan, Olyxio, Seiseito, and most of all his Da, Yavin. Each associating and serving as ambassador for a specific society tribe to foster friendly relations amongst their people. Tural was but another place on the docket to complete that mission, though it was also for the fact of… adventure! A land full of mystery and intrigue compared to those of Eorzea and Othard. Tale was that Tural was home to many communities and tribes that had managed to make friends with their neighbors and live amicably.

Something that intrigued Garen most in his desire to bridge that same gap back home.

Though that was neither here nor there given their… current situation.

Halfway into their journey across the western seas did they encounter a storm unlike other. Yavin had been the first to sniff it out before it so much as came into view and warned Garen that they were in for a rough one. Trusting in his Da’s knowledge and experience with the seas, as captain of his crew he called for all hands on deck. To prepare for the worst as he would steer the boat on course—for the clouds they approached spread far over their path.

Indeed, the waves grew choppy and seized round them as they entered the fray. The unexperienced of the crew holding on for dear life to their appointed spot as the vessel swayed unnaturally beneath their feet. Rain poured heavily and lightning struck hazardly all around them. One wrong move and they might very well go overboard. Worse yet if their ship ended up struck and sunken!

Through it all, Garen managed to carry them through the storm. His Da barking orders to the others much like he had in his heyday as a captain himself. Where some struggled, Yavin was right there telling them what to do. Any who appeared to have no clue what they were doing, he sent down into the ship to instead fortify their belongings and nothing of import broke—though it was mostly to get the useless hands out of the way so he himself could take over.

It was an all-out effort to be certain… and there were times Garen wondered if he might have lost a crew member amidst the struggle…

But ultimately they had escaped rather unscathed! 

Well, except for the majority who were sick as a dog from being tossed and turned all over the place.

Once they were free of the storm’s clutches completely and able to assess damages, Yavin took over the helm as Garen checked in on each member. Mogcan and Olyxio having been the most useless of the lot (and at times, made things worse) had remained below deck for the majority. Out of fear of the situation, they had unglamoured back into their original forms and were found huddled together beneath a blanket as sylph and moogle refused to come out. Not until they knew all was well again. It was Emrys who truly kept everything safe and restrained below decks in the grand scheme of things.

Kojin and Seiseito had held their own above decks just fine. Luin and Totsuka struggled but ultimately were able to assist in a meaningful way with Yavin’s direction—though they may have been a bit too sick for words after being tossed about so roughly. Garen thanked them all regardless for keeping their cool and relieved them of their duties to get some rest.

Through the rest of the journey, Yavin and Garen took turns manning the wheel and watching for any further rough waters that might take them for a turn. Though it had been a rough one, it had been the only thing standing in their way of Tural.

For the closer they got, the clearer the waters became. Seabirds ringing in their arrival as Tuliyollal came into sight. Their destination just beyond the coral reef.

At long last, the New World lay right before their very eyes. A new place to call home as they settled in for their next grand adventure. And a step closer to Garen achieving what he so wished back home.

[katasstrophy]

I feel like I've seen every Bluelock boy paired with a very cute, very bubbly, and chill gf/reader before, but I haven't seen any of them paired with a cool and competent or even bossier type. Are there any guys you think of liking that type??? Or maybe just deserve that type to be kept in line lmao 🤣

nonnie!! 😳 NONNIE UR BRAIN I’M GIVING IT A THOUSAND KISSES UR SOOO RIGHT FOR THIS!!! i guess it doesn’t really show with the fics i’ve uploaded so far – which is a damn shame, i should fix that – but i am absolutely all for readers who are just… out there, ya know? they’re prickly, or easy to anger, or sardonic as all hell, or way too clever for their own good or yes yes, bossy<3 i eat that shit UP like it’s my last meal. this is not to say i don’t enjoy sweet, bubbly readers (bc i do!) but the type you describe just… scratches a certain itch iykwim 👁️👁️

i think one of my first posts ever about blue lock on this blog (cw. mid writing LMAO) was exactly about this. obviously most of the blue lock guys are only extreme egoists when they’re playing soccer, but i do think that aspect of their lives will ultimately start to bleed into their personality as they grow up/go pro. so having someone who’s just like “yeah that’s great and all but if you won’t make it to date night i’ll leave your sorry ass” is just. so sexy to them like?? they haven’t gotten their ego knocked down a peg in a while so i think they’d be drawn to a partner like that askdhxnbz idk if i’m explaining this very well but as far as i’m concerned all blue lock boys deserve an unhinged reader lol 😤

THAT BEING SAID!!! >:))) i have a top three list of blue lock men who i, personally, would love to put in their place and encourage anyone out there to do so as well LOL

1. MICHAEL KAISER — this cocky motherfucker ugh need i say more 🙄 the urge to censor his name was real strong but i persevered still cannot believe i’m (sadly) attracted to this horrible, horrible man. he’s sooo insufferable and just so obsessed with himself like he unironically refers to himself as the emperor when i tell you there’s nothing i want more than to make this man beg on his knees i mean it – what a pretty sight that would be hm? <3 all his past lovers probably treated him like he was god’s greatest gift to women (HE IS NOT) – and by now he’s not only used to it but comes to expect it – so when he meets you and you’re like “mm you’re kind of a prick leave me alone thenk yew✨✨” he’s just. so scandalized LMFAO suddenly he’s the one chasing after you and vying for a shred of your attention oooohh yes that’s exactly what he deserves how it should be

2. ITOSHI SAE — listen he might be my precious babygirl now but i used to hate this mans guts like no other and that little resentment still lives on in my heart in the form of wanting this man’s downfall to be a woman like don’t tell me that’s not the hottest thing you’ve ever heard. he’s just so single-mindedly focused on soccer – japan’s treasure and what not – and thinks he can get away with being an asshole because of it but you place down your foot and tell him to cut the bullshit or you’ll find someone who treats you better (AMEN SISTER) and suddenly he’s grappling with the reality that shit he might just fall apart without you yes girl make him suffer

3. OLIVER AIKU — i couldn’t not include the resident fuckboy here mmmm the possibilities for him are endless and each one more delicious than the last. he might not be as insufferable as the others but he still thinks extremely highly of himself, especially when it comes to his way with the ladies. typical “oh no i don’t do relationships” kinda guy who can show you a good time for a night before dipping in the morning – and you just don’t want that. so you reject his advances, say you’re not interested and move on, but for some reason, oliver can’t. literally physically wounds his pride when he crawls back for a second chance but you don’t budge, still wary of him due to his past behavior unless he can show you otherwise. and the way he scrambles to prove himself as trustworthy to you? god tier groveling from a man YUMM