#i can't form a single coherent thought so that must be good

[specialshinytrinkets]

THREE DAYS LEFT.fire text gif

Soooooooooooooooooo me and @spideygal had a convo in Discord late at night and. Well

Yes, Azazello is the one carrying, obviously

[cerastes]

As someone who hasn't touched it yet- how does IS4 stack up? How's first impressions been?

Ok, let me give my thoughts on IS4, now that it's been a week!

TL;DR -> This Rocks, I love it.

IS4 is far, far more polished than IS3. I feel a bit bad blasting and slamming IS3 so much, but the bottom line with it is that it's just very very flawed in ways that really make it hard to revisit it in the same way IS2 is always a fun romp.

If I had to point out flaws with IS4, it'd be that, on a personal level, I wish it had a few more Normal Arknights Maps. The vast majority of maps in IS4 are pranks and checks of some sort. This isn't necessarily a negative, but I do like playing some Tower Defense more frequently than what IS4 allows, since it's always got me worried about "oh god my team lacks X, Floor Y's Map Z checks X, if I get it, I'll D I E " so I try to go for my super tried and true team instead of daring to experiment all that much. This will eventually pass, but it's been a Thing for me.

Besides that, though? I just have a lot of good things to say about it. The systems feel like they were thought out this time: The Fordartals (sp?) system allows for a lot of player expression, agency, and just in general fun in a way the Light system of IS3 can simply never hope to compare to. About the only thing the Light system did right was the way it worked thematically: If you wish to confront The Corrupting Heart, you really, really gotta go in the dark, and for the best possible chance against, Izumik, Mizuki must find the Light again and be filled with hope. Yeah ok sure, thematically, these work, but the gameplay component sucks ass, because Light exists almost exclusively as a form of punishment and in basically no way as something you can use. It opens some roads, sure, but that Rogue Trader and Wish Fulfilled node are not worth having 9 out of you 11 Operators with Metastatic. Speaking of Metastatic, the single worst thing Arknights has done, even if you are maxed out on Collapse in IS4 and are packing four fully upgraded maluses, THAT STILL DOESN'T COMPARE to how bad Metastatic was. Let that sink in.

The endings are no longer RNG! Absolutely wonderful!

Eik is the first IS 2nd Boss I can say I think is good! Frozen Monstrosity was just annoying, Big Sad Lock is incredibly static, and The Last Knight, in my opinion, is the single worst and most boring boss in the entire game, not even just the game mode. Eik is like if The Last Knight didn't suck: Same principle, but done in a way that is actually not snooze-inducing. Mind you, the principle of the fight is still not something I enjoy, but unlike The Last Knight, that's wholly a me thing, as opposed to being an objectively awful and boring fight (like The Last Knight, the worst and most boring boss in Arknights).

Even though I said I'd like some more normal maps, the maps are good, to be honest! I can't think of any Fire and Water Unions or Out of Controls.

IS4 is the Smash of Arknights: (Almost) Everyone Is Here! Brush up on your gimmicks from various events, because they WILL appear.

The Midboss philosophy in IS4 is lovely, in my opinion: It's low HP bosses who can quickly fuck you up in their own way, be it stun, immense conditional damage, or simply supporting their team so well that you get overwhelmed. The Variant stages for the bosses are entire new maps, so that's also cool.

Collapsal enemies are congruent with the map design: Collapsals can be very quick, with a caveat: Normal Collapsal mobs speed up after they get hit, Casters speed up after not attacking for a bit, Aerials are fast but always have many loops and never directly go to the point until after a while. Shattered Champions are the exception, and they can either loop a while or just go straight for the jugular, making them apt Elite units for the faction.

There's much more I could say more concisely, but really, just try the game mode, get your ass kicked a bit, learn it, and then you'll see how coherent the design of IS4 is in terms of systems, maps, enemies, and features. Sorry, IS3, but you got your ass absolutely kicked like I did on my Waves 15 runs when you'd give my 2 main DPS units Metastatic on Floor 5.

[snicketstrange]

Solving the Apparent Plot Hole in SB of Netflix's ASOUE

The mystery of Esmé's sugar bowl in Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" is an endless source of speculation among fans. Kit Snicket's claim that the sugar bowl contains "sugar" that can cure the disease caused by the MM fungus has upset many, and for good reason:

The cure for the MM fungus was originally discovered by Beatrice Baudelaire, who used a hybrid apple and horseradish in her experiments. Nothing suggests that she would give special status to the resulting "sugar."

Count Olaf also seeks the sugar bowl, but he explicitly states in the TGG adaptation that he believed the MM fungus no longer existed. So why would he seek a cure for a disease he thought had been eradicated?

Horseradish alone is already highly effective in preventing death caused by the MM fungus. Sunny was infected, used horseradish, and showed no side effects or traces of the disease. This makes the definitive cure for the disease less valuable than one might think.

In truth, the only way to view Netflix's ASOUE canon as coherent is to accept the fact that Kit Snicket wasn't entirely honest about the sugar bowl's contents.

So, can we deduce what's really in Netflix's sugar bowl based on the information we have?

In Netflix's "A Series of Unfortunate Events" series, various clues are given about the mysterious contents of the sugar bowl. First, the contents are edible, evidenced by a flashback where Esmé uses the sugar bowl's contents to make tea. This same scene also reveals that the tea tasted bitter, suggesting the bitter nature of the contents. Beatrice, also present in this flashback, hints that the contents have some sort of power, adding that this power shouldn't be in the hands of one person but could be shared with many. Additionally, the contents are tangible: Quigley looks inside the sugar bowl and sees something he can't fully understand but is definitely there. Lastly, Kit Snicket, known for telling half-truths and omitting information, claims the sugar bowl contains "sugar" that cures the fatal MM fungus disease. This information, given Kit's history, may only be partially true.

So, how can these contradictions be reconciled? The crux of my theory lies in the idea that the "sugar" inside the sugar bowl is much more than it appears to be.

All signs point to there actually being sugar in the sugar bowl, likely derived from Beatrice's research with the bitter hybrid apple. What we call sugar could really be a remedy. But it can't just be a remedy for the MM fungus disease.

Firstly, Beatrice must have conducted various different experiments while on the island. After all, everything ends up on that island sooner or later. She must have used rare ingredients from shipwrecks or something that accidentally fell into the ocean somewhere to combine with her basic experiment of blending horseradish with apples. After all, the end result contains "something" that is abortive. Neither apples nor horseradish have abortive substances. This suggests that Beatrice used additional ingredients.

(This detail was first brought to my attention by TheAsh , as far as I know) She may not even know exactly what those ingredients are, as labels made of paper could easily dissolve in water.

If, by chance, in one of these experiments, it were possible to produce a unique fruit and a special type of hybrid apple, formed from a very specific formula and rare ingredients (some of which even Beatrice might not know), then maybe we're onto something. If the fruits from a single harvest had the power not just to cure the disease caused by the MM fungus... but perhaps the ability to cure all diseases! And that would be truly hard to replicate elsewhere, even by Beatrice herself.

So we might have something there. This would indeed be a great parallel to the biblical account of the tree of life, to which TE clearly refers (in a somewhat inverted manner, but still a reference). The tree of life in the Garden of Eden could make someone live forever. Beatrice's apple could cure all diseases. But this phenomenon wasn't replicated, and Beatrice knew she couldn't replicate the experiment.

In that case, to prevent the specific apples from losing their properties when they spoil, Beatrice must have made "sugar" from these apples. A type of sugar that preserved the healing properties of the fruit of life. But where would she store it? Indeed, this powder became the most valuable substance in the world.

And so, a safe, discreet (and preferably beautiful) container was needed to hold something so valuable and powerful. Esmé's sugar bowl proved suitable, as it could preserve the sugar even in case of fire and flood.

Esmé, thirsty for power, would love to be the guardian of such a substance. And of course, the sugar bowl is hers. Has she remained so beautiful and youthful over the course of 14 years by consuming a bit of this sugar over the years? Either way, after discussing with Esmé the importance of sharing the sugar bowl's contents with others, she felt obligated to steal it from Esmé.

catastrophist , this theory was for you! I hope you enjoyed reading it.

[mementoboni]

[part 1/4] DIR EN GREY WOWOW Interview & Document (2020)

“Of course, I have to face the other four members. I'm carrying their lives and my life is being carried by them as well. I did it with that determination.” — Kaoru

Notes before reading:

The whole interview is divided into 8 topics, and the translation is divided into 4 parts. This is the first part, which includes the previous 2 topics. The details of all topics and time markers are 👉 here.

I have added Chinese subtitles for this video in 2021. The whole interview was very meaningful, and I hope that with the English translation, more people can understand what they're talking about.

The five members were interviewed separately and then edited into a video, so the words spoken by each of them are not necessarily coherent.

Repost and share are welcome.🙌 I translated it all by my ears, so please feel free to correct me if you spot any mistake or any confusing parts.☺️

--- --- ---

01. Band Formation ~ Debut

►The Formation of DIR EN GREY

Shinya: All four of us were in the same band except for Toshiya on bass. Then the band broke up and we had to find a new member again. Kyo: Each of us all wanted to be in a band. So after discussion, we decided to get rid of one person and get the four of us together. (*Note: After La:Sadie's disbanded, the four of them decided to form a new band in addition to KISAKI.) Die: We were friends with Toshiya at that time, so we thought about finding all the members and forming a band with him. Toshiya: At that time, their band was gaining momentum. I would like to play with the four of them if it's possible and I happened to be invited. That's what happened.

►Origin of the Band Name

Kaoru: At that time, there was a band that communicated with us very closely. The band had a song called DIR EN GREY*, and that's where our band got its name. I always thought it was a good name, so I suggested it as the name of our band. (*Note: It refers to a song called "Dir en Gray" by the band "LAREINE" (with Kamijo as vocalist), which was formed in 1994.) Kyo: There were two alternative names at that time, the other one was proposed by me, but the final vote was 3:2 so I lost. (laughs)  After I lost, the band name became DIR EN GREY. (*Note: Another name is "如月" (きさらぎ, kisaragi ) → Dir en grey turns 25 today! )

►Looking Back at the time of Debut

Shinya: The three debut singles were produced by YOSHIKI-san. He also played the piano for our song after debut, I had no regrets at that time even if I died, that's how I felt. Kaoru: At that time, we had only recorded once or twice in a decent studio, and we had also recorded in places like homes.  YOSHIKI-san took us straight to a professional recording studio and said, "Let's make the debut single!" without giving us time to think.

. . .

02. Expression

►Awareness in the Creative Process

Die: After all, the band has been around for more than 20 years, therefore, we have to create something more exciting. It's not that I have to do anything, but I try to experiment with all kinds of things. So there are times when we can't be categorized as anything but DIR EN GREY. Shinya: While it is changing over time, now I just want to make songs that I feel good about. Toshiya: Every recording has to add the sound that you think is good, and you must like the songs you create, or you must love them. Kaoru: The overall sense of balance and the feeling that the listener will have, and of course there are many other things.  I would listen to the song several times to feel it, and repeat it over and over again. I can remember it by listening to it over and over again. After listening to it a few times, I will pay attention to interesting pieces, new discoveries, and so on, while I'm composing. Kyo: Most people have a fixed style after 20 years, like "This is the way this person is," but I'm not like that. Of course it's cool to stick to your own unique style, although I can do that and feel like I can keep myself. Kyo: I don't like to make people think that "This is how I am in the end" or something like that, it's not my style. I want to show the changes in each moment directly. When I can't express the music naturally, I may stop, and when I can't create freely, I will stop.

►Things want to Convey through Music

Toshiya: What I/we want to convey is simply "pain (痛み)". Living is a hard thing, and being able to create that power of anger, I think that's our music. Kyo: I am very bad at expressing beautiful things, or is that not for me?  It's... it's irritating.  Maybe it's because I often feel that there is nothing good in the world, and I don't like things that look like fabrications. Shinya: Those are supposed to be in the lyrics, and I don't particularly want to express the pain with the drums. 🤣🤣 Kaoru: I think that varies from person to person, and there is no right answer. For me, I also have a part of myself that I want to convey, so maybe I'm thinking about that while I'm creating.  If I were to say that we all share the same idea, it would be that we can express what we think without hiding it. Die: Being able to feel pain means you are alive, and hope is born from that. The first thing I/we want to convey is "to be alive". (*Screen caption: Feeling pain = Being alive)

►The Motivation for Expression

Kyo: If there is something that I want to convey which will be the motivation, I am not.  I'm just living. Toshiya: It should be the anger and sadness in life, just the two.  If I can express both, I feel I can be saved. Shinya: There will be people who come to see the LIVE, and those fans are my motivation. Kaoru: I think it's because I don't want to admit defeat. I don't want to admit defeat, it should be more like I don't like to admit defeat. I am a weak person, I will want to run away when things happen, and will want to give up when I can't do it. But on this point I still do not want to give in to defeat, I want to do it well. Kaoru: Of course, I have to face the other four members. I'm carrying their lives and my life is being carried by them as well. I did it with that determination. (*Oh, leader sama😳) Die: I think it's LIVE. LIVE is the most direct place to convey ideas and resonate with people. I am moving forward with LIVE as my goal.

(To be continued...)

--- --- ---

part 2. & part 3. & part4.

topics & time marks

中文翻譯 (My Blogger) part 1. & part 2. & part 3.

[wackus-bonkus-maximus]

to be fair, i DID steal the title of borealis green from the taylor swift song snow on the beach ft. lana del rey. it was inspired by this line in the song:

I searched aurora borealis green I've never seen someone lit from within Blurring out my periphery

which in turn inspired this line in the fic:

She lifts her gaze and falls into his, wrapped in green like northern lights.

nina has a point though like. every single artist/creator first had an idea they wanted to share in a way that would be really meaningful to others. she really said it best when she wrote, "they’re inviting you to a special part of their brain that they’ve decorated with their own experiences, references and visuals — things that they love and passed onto their favourite characters, so they can hopefully reach you." that's why so many fic titles are song lyrics, why the greatest literary works allude to other works, why fanworks exist. we make meaning from other people's meaning-making, and what's so amazing about that is that it comes out original and new every time someone creates their own thing based off the source of inspiration.

for example, i listened to "snow on the beach" and was inspired for a feligami fic because of the feeling of strangeness of new love the song conveyed - like the narrator is completely thrown off by such strong feelings and beautiful devotion. i imagined the same would be true for canon kagami's experience with felix! and i felt particularly strong about the line "i searched auroria borealis green" because to kagami, the color of felix's eyes has transcended the ordinary into phenomenal. especially when he gives her heart eyes. it must make her feel strange and weird and so, so happy, and isn't that such a nice thing to feel? and voila! there's my fic.

if someone had fed an AI this same idea to generate a "fanfic," what kind of deeper meaning would be gleaned? would there be carefully crafted language to make meaning, or double meanings? would there be references and allusions to other works you can make meaning of to form your opinion of the current work? until AI can do that (which God forbid EVER happens) there is no way it can be as good as anything a human being produces.

reading through this AI snippet anon gave, i see only a cheap perversion of the feelings this kind of fic can convey when written by someone intending to give you a piece of their heart.

"(he) looks at Adrien, still not believing that everything is real. "I can't believe this... You're real."

LOL way to say the same thing twice?! and without any overarching thematic meaning to "belief" or "real" either smh

"He hugs him back and kisses him, unable to control the emotions. 'I love you. I love you and I can't believe I have you.' "

?!?! seems like luka's controlling his emotions to me! i don't see him crying screaming shaking adrien or wracking with sobs. he expressed himself super coherently and also extremely basically. why is belief so hard for luka? why is he so shaken by the fact that adrien is real? if he's so overwhelmed, a hug and a kiss shouldn't nearly be enough to suffice his show of enthusiasm.

"Don't ever leave me again... I can't stand the thought of being alone again... Please."

well now this is just transgressing against luka's characterization. he has shown he is fine being alone, that he does not make people stay with him if they don't want to, that he makes no impositions on others' decisions. the only meaning i got from this sentence is that the AI didn't watch the show or care enough about luka to give him good dialogue.

this is an absolute imitation of human interaction and if this were an ao3 fic i would've clicked out within the first paragraph.

nina you put everything so eloquently but my favorite part has to be: "it’s very disheartening to see that people would rather ask a machine to spit out some easily digestible but impersonal interactions than give your work a chance." tbh i can't even digest the ai content, simply BECAUSE it's so impersonal. but i know that what the AI imitates is what lots of people are looking for/ personally want to see. which leads me to my other favorite part of your essay: "I can guarantee there are beautiful pieces of fanwork out there that will cater to your tastes and haunt you for years in a way Character AI or Chat GPT never could. And the good news is — if you don’t find anything, it means it’s time to write it yourself!"

PLEASE WRITE YOUR OWN STUFF!!! PLEASE DRAW YOUR OWN STUFF!! PLEASE MAKE YOUR OWN STUFF INSTEAD OF GIVING OTHER PEOPLE'S TO AN AI!! art is little pieces of our fragile human hearts that we want to share with you! we want you to get meaning out of it, we want you to be inspired by it to make your own!

watching character ai lukadrien create the most heart wrenching debilitatingly angsty love story to ever love story ever

Hey, I can tell there’s no malice behind your ask, but — don’t do that.

I write fanfiction myself, and a lot goes into it:

1. Unreasonable amounts of ✨ Time and Effort ✨

Just the other day, my WIP kept me up until 2 AM, because I wanted it to be neatly polished before even sending it to my beta readers (@paracosmicfawn and @dragongutsixofficial). The first thing I did the following morning was re-read it again, to correct any typos and inconsistencies my tired brain might have missed the night prior.

2. Research and analysis

For a cute little Lukadrien scene I wrote with my ✨ awesome girlfriend ✨ — something that was never even going to be published — I went through a dozen different sources trying to get a better understanding of what meditation actually is and to capture the philosophy behind it accurately. This does not make me special — all authors do it out of dedication and love for their craft, but it’s energy that could be spent doing literally anything else, especially when you consider how horrifyingly lonely the writing process can be (see point 1).

Also, there’s a reason I spend so much time making analysis posts on Silly Little Blorbos who do not exist! It gets my brain running and allows me to sharpen my understanding of the characters, so I can write them properly in my works.

3. A unique perspective on the characters, the source media, and life in general

Which gives all the flavour to my favourite AO3 works out there.

Like, yes, that extract you sent in your follow-up ask is cute, I guess, but it’s also incredibly generic:

When actual living breathing human (or Senti) beings share their work with you, they’re inviting you to a special part of their brain that they’ve decorated with their own experiences, references and visuals — things that they love and passed onto their favourite characters, so they can hopefully reach you. For instance, Character AI would never have had the genius idea to compare Felix’s eyes to an aurora borealis; this could have only sparked from @wackus-bonkus-maximus’ brain. Similarly, my version of Felix will often reference works of art and literature that left a strong impact on me as a child — an impact I’m sure can also be sensed in my approach to storytelling and even in the way I structure sentences and paragraphs.

Which leads me to my final and most important point:

4. EMOTIONAL BAGGAGE™

Because let’s be real — there’s a reason our brains latch onto certain characters, and said reasons aren’t always sunshine and rainbows. I’ve cried more writing about the Senticousins than over the loss of certain people or relationships in my own life. Long before that, I latched onto Clive and gave him everything I felt was missing from my life as a teenager, so I could live vicariously through him. And of course, I always make my characters some flavour of queer, because for a long time this was the only outlet I got for my own feelings and identity.

It takes a lot of vulnerability to put all of this on the Internet for others to read and judge, and it’s very disheartening to see that people would rather ask a machine to spit out some easily digestible but impersonal interactions than give your work a chance.

I can guarantee there are beautiful pieces of fanwork out there that will cater to your tastes and haunt you for years in a way Character AI or Chat GPT never could. And the good news is — if you don’t find anything, it means it’s time to write it yourself!

And of course, I cannot end this post without encouraging everyone to read about the writers’ and actors’ strike currently unfolding in the US.

[matryosika]

omg chan + squirting thoughts are not healthy for meee ajzjwindjshsvsh i'm h word rn

i wrote something for you babe, enjoy!

[20:54 p.m.]

pairing – bang chan x reader

word count – 1k

warnings – overstimulation, praising, squirting, softdom!chan, use of petnames: daddy.

your wrists were a red shade because of how your body moved aggressively against the ropes, your cheeks blushing as you struggled to keep your eyes open "i know you can take it a little bit more princess" chan hummed as he managed to kiss every single tear to make them dissappear "can you do that for me?"

you nodded with eagerness, your head rolling back as the ropes on your wrists and ankles burned your skin every time your body twitched under chan's touch. "fuck" you chanted, feeling how your legs were starting to shake due to the overwhelming sensations you where experiencing "it hurts so bad, daddy"

"it does?" chan asked with a sweet voice, melting your heart and mind "does it hurt baby?"

you looked at him with teary eyes, making his cock instantly twitch under his black pants. biting your lip you nodded again, his dark gaze sending shivers down your whole body and making your nipples hard in a matter of seconds. "my poor princess" he mumbled "but you are taking me so well"

your eyes closed shut once you felt two of his fingers filling your cunt while the vibrator was still against your clit, the mixture between pain and pleasure becoming too easy to differentiate. "fuck daddy" you moaned once again, feeling his hot breath crashing into the crook of your neck "it feels so good, chan"

"it does?" he inquired. the contrast between his softness and the way he manhandled you was heavenly, the way he asked you questions with empathy even when he knew damn well that he was inflicting pain on yourself was something that only turned you on even more.

you bit your lower lip as you tried to hold back your whimpers, slightly moving your hips against chan's digits to intensify the overwhelming feeling of pleasure "does it feel good princess?"

you nodded, unable to form a coherent thought or even speak. the frustration of wanting to close your legs and not being able to because of the ropes was making you lose your mind, already too fucked out to even think about anything that isn't chan. "tell me how good i make you feel" he ordered as he placed soft kisses along your shoulders and collarbones "i know you can do it princess, tell daddy how good he is making you feel".

you cursed under your breath when you felt his fingers curling up inside your hole, hitting that special spot that would make you come undone in a matter of seconds. "you make me feel so good daddy" you whined, feeling how the tears that were once streaming down your cheeks were now wetting your neck and naked chest. "you always make me so wet"

"mhm princess?" he hummed against your neck, his fingers picking up the pace and making you let out a painful cry "and what do good girls must say?"

your head fell back once again, the undeniable knot in your stomach threatening to come undone any second now. however, the feeling this time was too overwhelming.

"thank you daddy" you chanted and repeated over and over again, making him smile next to you.

"tell me what i want to hear princess" he pleaded, his lips brushing against your jaw while his fingers worked on your wet cunt "tell daddy what he adores to hear"

"i am yours" you cried, slightly tilting your face so chan's lips could meet yours "i just want to be good for you daddy, i want to be your good good whore" the knot was starting to come undone, but the feeling was unfamiliar and you were nervous because of it.

before you could even say or do something, chan's lips crashed into yours, kissing you sloppily as his tongue grazed against yours softly.

"daddy" you sighed in between kisses "daddy i can't"

"cum for me princess" he ordered, not slowing down the movement of his digits nor the pressure between the virbator and your clit.

"i feel like i am going to make a mess" you cried while doing everything you could to avoid cumming just yet.

"do it" chan encouraged "don't think about anything else, just think about me and how good i am making you feel" chan groaned, his voice almost sounding like whimpers sending you to cloud 9. "can you do that for daddy, princess? can you cum all over his fingers?"

you grunted softly, looking at chan with half lidded eyes as you came undone in his fingers. you could feel how your arousal was dripping out of you, making a mess on his fingers and the bed sheets that got instantly wet with your fluids. however, even at the highest point of your orgasm, chan never stopped. he looked at your body in awe while his cock got painfully hard in his clothes, moaning and groaning at the sight of you squirting all over your own bed.

"chan" you moaned loudly, tears streaming down your face as the ropes prevented your body from moving "fuck daddy i am cumming"

"that's my good girl" chan praised, removing the vibrator against your clit but still pumping his digits inside you trying to get them all coated with your essence. "look at how well you did for me, y/n"

even though you felt a bit dizzy, your eyes managed to fix on the pink bed sheets that were now 3 shades darker. chan's fingers were glistening with your own fluids, a proud smirk plastered on his face as he realized how good he just made you feel "god, daddy" you whispered.

his fingers traveled to your mouth in no time, making you taste yourself off of him. you made eye-contact with him while you sucked on them, faking innocence in your gaze and making him go insane "come here, let me taste you, princess" he mumbled, only to crash his lips into yours.

[safetycar-restart]

thinking about charles riding your strap and him complaining about his knees hurting but not being able to stop himself 😭 greedy lil bitch

charles' whiny noises and the lewd slapping of skin on skin echo throughout the room. he feels so full and weak, but he can't stop. he's close to buckling but he needs it, needs you. how such a large man could turn into putty on your lap is beyond you. his head is thrown back, tongue sticking out of his mouth like a dog in heat; you marvel at him. the sight is as pornographic as it is beautiful, and you feel yourself burn with a lust and a desire to somehow put your mark on him.

"feel good, babyboy?" your faux cock is stretching him out in the most delicious way, you know he feels good, but you also know your boyfriend loves to run his mouth, especially when he's fucking himself on your strap like a slut. you deliver a slight spank to the side of his thigh, causing his movements to stutter and for him to whimper. "answer me."

"mmhm, f-feels so good inside m-me. i d-dunno how you do this; my knees hurt," he whines; he resorts to rutting against you, his lips parting widely to let out a moan when your shaft rubs against his prostate, his dick throbbing in pleasure while his abs tighten. "b-but you're so– oh fuck– you're so big, you fill me up so well. f-fuck, please! please!"

"what do you want, baby? tell me." a smirk laces your words, one hand on his hips and rubbing circles into the heated skin with your thumb while the other ghosts over his inner thigh. you start to guide him to bounce on you again, and he does, little by little, gasping everytime he feels a sharp jolt of pleasure run through him.

charles gasps out his words, like his brain is nothing but stuffing and failing to form a single coherent thought. "w-want to– i wanna– please, wanna– cum!"

"yeah? is that what my babyboy wants?" you taunt. at his fervent nodding, you finally wrap your hand around his cock, slick with precum and painfully hard. he hastens his pace, riding your cock more erratically in a pathetic chase of his orgasm. "p-please, please!" he begs, abdomen constricting as his high nears.

with a few languid strokes and an encouraging 'go on, baby.' from you, he's painting your chest and his stomach with spurts and spurts of cum, not stopping until he's spent and possibly has nothing more to give. when he finally calms down, he rests his forehead on your shoulder, refusing to get off your lap. but you won't let him have a second of peace because then your fingers are swiping off the cum on your chest then smearing it all over his lips until he parts them and starts cleaning your fingers with expert swirls of his tongue and hollowing of his cheeks.

- 📓

I…. 📓 anon where the fuck do you come up with this shit because I am once again utterly blown away because this is just so fucking incredible.

Firstly, one of my biggest fantasies is making a sub ride my strap until their knees buckle and they end up impaled and stuck. So this is just incredible.

Obsessed with the image of Charles’s thighs shaking as he desperately rides your strap. He’s so close to just collapsing but he can’t stop because he’s so close and it feels so good.

And he’s so caught up in the sensations that he doesn’t even realise that he could beg you to fuck him instead and that you’d flip him over and give him exactly what he needs. His little mine doesn’t even think of that, because he’s only capable of thinking about getting himself up and down the strap.

He looks so good like this. His head thrown back and his hands gripping your shoulders. His mouth is hanging open, little whines and moans leaving his lips with each breath.

Asking him if he feels good is borderline cruel because now he must speak?? Must form sentences?? No no he must be fucked. That’s it.

Making him tell you how good it is makes his little mind malfunction and he slips, losing all purchase and he finds himself unable to lift himself back up again. His legs have fully given in on him.

He sobs and responds back to grinding and rutting against the strap. It feels so good but now he can’t fuck himself properly and he’s so close and he’s just…. He’s wrecked. He’s completely and utterly wrecked.

He shivers when he feels you start to rub the soft skin over his hipbone. It’s such a soft touch, but it feels overwhelming to his already sensitive body.

“Please…. Please please please,” he mumbles between his desperate grinds and sobs. The poor thing is completely wrecked, can’t even remember his own name.

You know he’s begging to cum as much as he’s begging for you to help him, so you start to guide his hips.

Maybe he’s actually too tired for even that? You squeeze his hips and pull them upwards a little, and bless him he really tries to follow the movement but he can’t? Which just makes him sob even more.

“Cum- please please mommy help me” he’s saying between sobs.

Maybe you remove your hands from his hips and hold them out to him, telling him to hold onto your hands and push down on them to bounce on your strap?

“Come on darling,” you say, “you can do it. Use my hands to help you.”

And he does. Because you’ve asked and he’s a good boy who always listens. He grips your hands tight and pushes down on them and he starts moaning loudly again, clearly so much better now.

“There you go,” you encourage him, “wanna cum for me?”

He nods, tears still running down his cheeks. He’s such a mess, his hair tangled, tears down his cheeks, a sheen of sweat over his entire body, his skin flushed red and patchy. But he looks so good, completely overwhelmed with pleasure.

You pull your one hand away from him, and he sobs until you move it to his cock. He’s leaking so much that you can just slowly stroke it, making him spill all over your hand almost instantly.

When his orgasm finally ends, he just collapses against you, making no attempt to move off you or to remove the dildo from inside himself. He just sits there, head resting against your shoulder as he tries to catch his breath.

“Good boy,” you say softly, “you were so good darling, so good. Here,” you say and offer him your fingers that are now covered in cum.

He suckles on them so happily, cleaning them of cum but not pulling away once that’s done. He just wants to suck them for a while as he tries to calm down.

He’s sleepy and soft for the rest of the evening, curling up with you after you’ve bathed him, unable to form words but feeling so warm and comfy.

[hajimeiwaswife]

EGUZKILORE

Word count: 1,4K

Warnings: post time skip!Iwaizumi

Summary: Iwaizumi finds some strange items in his birthday.

'What an intriguing flower' Iwaizumi thought, looking at the sunflower-like plant in front of him. Entering his office at the training department of the Volleyball National Team of Japan, he found it on his desk, waiting for him with a little note under it.

"In the beginning of it all, everything was dark. Not a pinch of light could be appreciated among the darkness surrounding the atmosphere. Sorginak and creatures of the night used the lack of light to attack the people who lived in the area." read Iwaizumi, confused with the terminology and the story, "The townspeople, tired of the danger it supposed, took a stone each and went to Mari's cave in order to seek a solution. In exchange of the stones, Mari gave the people the Sun, protecting them from the evil creatures during the daytime. But it wasn't enough, as they continued to damage the towns at night."

Iwaizumi sought the rest of the story, curious as to what happened next. How did the townspeople survive the creatures at night? Who was Mari? What was a sorgina? He needed answers, but he also had to work, so he left the flower and the note in his desk again and left his office.

"Iwaizumi-san!" shouted an excited Shoyo, running to him in an eternal happiness and bouncing.

"Good morning!" continued Bokuto, following the ginger enthusiastic boy.

Like that, the rest of the team greeted him, he was loved and respected as their trainer, something he really appreciated, as he had worked hard to get where he was. In his 27 years of life his main motivation had been surpassing the annoying man he had for best friend, Oikawa Tōru; he was sure that team could make his dreams come true.

"Happy birthday, Hajime," suddenly said Shugo Meian, greeting the trainer and surprising both the players and Iwaizumi himself.

"Is it your birthday, Iwaizumi-san?" asked Shoyo, eyes wide with curiosity.

"Yes, indeed."

"We should celebrate! Bokuto, bring the wine!" exclaimed Atsumu, forcing the white and black haired guy to follow his orders. Sakusa, who was observing everything from his usual corner, formed a scowl under his mask.

"Miya, we can't drink during practice." reasoned Ushijima, serious, and nodded at Iwaizumi, "Happy birthday."

"Thank you." returned the gesture Iwaizumi.

The morning continued like that; Atsumu tried to convince five different people to drink with him in 'Old Iwaizumi's honour', Shoyo and Kageyama challenged each other to see who was the best at guessing Iwaizumi's presents ―receiving a scold from Aran, who had to suffer their bickering since first hour in the morning―. Hajime was used to having to take care of men in their twenties as if they were his own children, but he had to admit it was draining to have to look after Bokuto so he didn't end up electrocuted, incited by Atsumu, needless to say.

During lunch break, Hajime returned to his office to get his meal, which was in a Tupper inside his working bag. He took it out and headed to the door so he could go to the canteen to heat it up. That was until he saw another flower, like the one in he had seen in the morning, attached to the wooden door. Surprised, he grabbed it and found another note.

"The townspeople decided to gather and go to Mari's cave again. With a stone each, they returned to the Goddess' dwelling and asked to be saved from the creatures that attacked when the sun faded in the horizon. Mari, who was benevolent, gifted the people the Moon, so they could be protected at night." 'Ah, that makes sense' thought Iwaizumi to himself, "It worked for some time, but the creatures got used to the light casted by the satellite and started causing trouble again. The disturbing laugh of the Sorginak didn't let the townspeople sleep, and again, they gathered."

Hajime turned the page, waiting to find the rest of the story, but there was nothing left for him to read. He sighed, he didn't know who was leaving those strange flowers and those notes in his office, but now he demanded answers and he wanted them in that exact moment. But how? The was no one there to continue the story, not a single soul. Frustrated, he went to the canteen as he had planned initially.

The rest of the day proceeded without events, just a couple of phone calls from his family and friends, the team's shenanigans and his pursue of the end of the story.

With a tired sigh, Iwaizumi returned to his office for the last time that day, he needed to pick up his belongings in order to go home a drink a beer as he had wished ever since he got up of bed. Just in case, he searched for a flower and a note, finding them on the top of his bag. The difference was that the only thing he saw was the plant, but no note. 'This must be a joke', thought Hajime to himself, seeking the note as a mad man.

"The townspeople grabbed a stone each again and returned, for the third time, to Mari's cave. They asked for help and the Goddess answered 'This is the last time I'll be helping you, my dearests'." Hajime turned immediately to find you at the door, smiling slightly as you talked.

He had seen you and talked to you before, you were the translator and interpreter of the National Team and of the MSBY. He had to admit he found you attractive and very interesting, but his busy schedule made it impossible for him to actually being able to think about inviting you to go for lunch with him someday.

"In that moment, Mari created a bright flower, one that could be mistaken for the sun itself. 'This flower will grant you the safety you seek at nights. The Eguzkilore will protect you'. Ever since, you can find an Eguzkilore at the door of every Basque house, seeking protection and light." you finished, walking to him nervously. "Happy birthday, Iwaizumi-san."

"Thank you," was the only think the athletic trainer could say after a minute of silence. He was still processing what had just happened.

"Um, the flowers are for you," you fidgeted, nipping at your lower lip, "I gave you three for you front door at your house, another for this door and the third for, eh," you coughed, feeling his intense gaze on you as you talked "for your car. I hope you like it."

Silence reigned in the room again, the only sound that could be heard was Shoyo's and Bokuto's shouting from across the gym. Hajime looked between you and the three flowers in awe, wondering what to say so he didn't mess up and make you think he wasn't grateful for such a thoughtful ―and unusual― present.

"Do you, uh, wait no, not that," he started, trying to form a coherent sentence, "How do you know this story? Where does it come from?" he asked quickly.

"Oh, that," you nodded, taking a deep breath, "Well, I read about it a couple years ago, I found it cute and endearing how the Basque culture explained the, uh, you know, the existence of the sun and the moon. And I thought that maybe ―not that you have to―, but maybe you could... like it? I guess." you awkwardly stated, looking at everything but him, warmth overtaking your features.

Hajime nodded again, smiling slightly at your nervousness, he thought it was cute. He also thought it was thoughtful from your part to get him a present for his birthday, and decided in that moment, in mere seconds, his next move.

"Maybe you can tell me more about his Basque stories?" he asked, nonchalant, "We could go for a drink and, yeah, talk about them?"

You thought about it for a second, your crush was asking you on an informal date after you acted in, what you thought, was the creepiest you had ever acted. But he seemed to like it? Men were strange. You were glad, though, the meaning of the Eguzkilore was very beautiful and you wanted to share it with him.

"Yeas, why not? There are a couple more I could tell you."

"Settled, then. C'mon, I have my car parked near the entrance."

Like that, the both of you exited the gym in a comfortable silence, Iwaizumi keeping one of the Eguzkilores in his hands so he could place it in his car. You were thrilling, it actually stood out in a very original way. You looked up at him and he smiled at you in a breath-taking way, causing your hands to tremble in excitement: you were going to get some drinks with Iwaizumi Hajime!

"I have a question, though, what's a so-, sor, sorgina?"

NOTES:

Eguzkilore is composed by "Eguzki" = "Sun"; "Lore" = "Flower". It comes from the Basque, the most ancient culture and language in Europe.

Sorgina: it could be the equivalent to what we know as "witches". They are described as Mari's assistants, they are usually good, but sometimes are described as "disturbing". They were part of the Akelarres.

Mari: the main goddess of the Basques. To contact with her you have to leave a stone at her cave.

[growling]

ep3 + ep4:

ep3:

operation errand run:

RANPO

always so impressed by how he has never been through a single mildly unpleasant event in his life ever and still keeping at it

cow

finders kyouka's:

"im a tiger!!1 NYARRR!!!" ok catboy.

i knew president was a cat person. natsume has ruined him

incest siblings get away from the cat

dazai do not touch the damn kitten

assigned catboy at agency

ranpo-san's day well-spent:

ooo ranpo episode eyes emoji... ranpo episode?? eyes emoji im on laptop :(

he's just a silly goofy guyyyyy

god i wish i were him...........

the swag on ranpo. sorry he makes me speechless

cat person thumbs up emoji

ep4:

akutagawa-kun's errands:

do i smell akutagawa episode......

get away from him dazai get a job

akutagawa voice "i would drag my cock across a field of broken glass just to hear you fart through a walkie talkie"

ok im gonna say something. why does akutagawa look like human scourge warrior cats in this

"i must choose toilet paper fit for dazai-san's buttocks"

akutagawa pain. genuinely a tragedy. this is nothing to poke fun at

wan! shorts:

i swear the portrayal of akutagawa/dazai (not just in the wan! series, but in the main seasons too) just changed so much from their first flashback scene we've saw. which was. frankly concerning! terrible! extremely bad! in a good way! made me want to watch akutagawa kill dazai with his very hands with massive prejudice, but, oh well, i guess that's never gonna happen......... i don't necessarily have any problems with the portrayal of akutagawa's side (which is.... complex. its messy it's allowed to be complex kay even if that may not be what the writers themselves intended, i dunno) but I think dazai should be meaner. just a bit. why can't anything ever from his past come back and bite him in the ass why does he just walk around with zero consequences (doesn't matter which type!! just acknowledgment that things happened!!) why does no one care why is he always portrayed as the chad to everyone else's soyjak. it's not only infuriating to me personally but also boring. any other thoughts anyone else would want to share 100% welcome please please please i was silent about him for too long

(was never silent about dazai ever in the whole series)

the mafia member who doesn't kill:

oh look its s3 finale reference-

(genuinely terrifying that there's two entire seasons more to go before i catch up) (no im not touching the mangas) (who the hell is sigma that one white-purple hair guy and what does he want from me)

glad to see akutagawa keeping being a hater

oh yeah that is set after s3 finale

bug respector Akutagawa. it turns out he literally just hates every other human with such an aggressive passion and humans alone. animals did not commit the original sin unlike them, they are pure

"no, this must be a trap to lure the ants into the ways of evil" atsushi is GRASPING

he really likes insects. bug enthusiast. i know these are like, semi-canon maybe only but i am accepting this as a fact from now on. nodding sagely sooo true

even the mosquitos man..........

atsushi bought him pork buns.......... when's the kiss

forming a duo with him:

it ended before i formed a coherent thought

anyway. bsd wan time

ep1 + ep2: (as grouped by aniwatchtv.to as i see there are actually 3 episodes for each separate. does this make sense)

ep1:

bungou stray dogs real:

holy shshsiiit i can't believe it its th. the stray dog............

its the stray dogs we've been hearing so much about...................

DOG CHUUYA he's so fucking tiny...... stop doing this to him 5'3 is average height he is taller than me 5'3 is average height *keeps repeating myself over and over clutching my knees rocking back and forth*

ruffshoumon........ doppo pawet......

"kunikida's abili- dammit, arfbility- creates whatever he writes in his doppo pawet notebook. alas, dogs cannot write"

beast beneath the hydrant.......

kitty :3

special arfbility no longer hooman

oh it's the human guys again. hello atsushi. kys dazai.

whats inside the locker:

dazai i need you burned alive

though i hate him slightly less in this style <3 makes me forget he's a jackass <3 this is a subject to change depending on whether he interacts with any women in these

"he's gonna banish it to the darkness"

the onii-sama one made my heart stop functioning until i fucking died. i am now speaking to you from the restricted area.

RANPO!!!!

i am having so much fun right now. engaging in whimsy.

an unfruitful exchange:

PORT MAFIA SPOTTED

CHUUYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

HE IS NOT SMALL!!!!!! STOP CALLING HIM THESE TERRIBLE THINGS HE IS NOT THAT TINY HE IS AVERAGE HEIGHT CHUUYA IS AVERAGE HEIGHT HE IS TALLER THAN ME HE'S AVERAGE HEIGHT AND TALLER THAN ME I AM ALSO AVERAGE HEIGHT HE IS TALLER THAN ME HE I 5'3 IS NOT SHORT IT IS AV

Tachihara lines this is more screentime than he ever had in every single prior season. who is this mysterious entity anyway

ep2:

let's go flower gazing:

kyouka spotted

CHUUYA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

port mafia silly momence. they deserve it sometimes

chuuya lightweight lore

akutagawa is yearning rn

i never said this before but unfortunately (for akutagawa) i ship him with dazai in a toxic fucked up unsafe insane nonconsensual age gap trashfire way. from the literal moment we saw them in the season 2 early episodes flashback. maybe they can feed me today

chuuya passed out..... its so unfortunate i am not present in his vicinity at the very moment and cannot take advantage of his vulnerable state. i mean i mean its very fortunate thats so good for her jsut jokinh haha....

STOP POKING THEM. DAZAI KYS!!!!!!!!!

get the incest siblings out my screen

wan! shorts:

chuuya wild beast instict. lets keep them that way forever

to the baths:

ranpo <3

why are you stopping him huh..... youre just jealous of his infinite joyful whimsy and thats why you actively just hate to see him living his best life..... i hc him to have autism, adhd, AND npd you know......... this is literally so disgustingly ableist and hateful towards him

kunikida you hopeless man.

DAZAI STOP FUCKING HUMPING HIM WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH YOU WHY IS IT ANIMATED SO FLUIDLY

holy ffuck sskk bath when <- no hope left for me anymore

CHUUYA!!!!!!!!!

Chuuya is accurate representation on how its like to be the short guy. im not saying she is, i mean 5'3 is average height, heh, just, you know....

he's minor-coded

jumpscare. atsushi's dreams post-s2

higuchi. stop. stop :|

she has stopped <3

[iwritethat]

Wally West: One

A/N: This was a detour from what I was doing. Oops.

Warnings: None

>>>>——————————>

"M'gann?"

"Yes."

"The cute alien chic?" You thought of the girl, clarifying it was indeed the correct one.

"Yes."

"And you're sure this one is the one because you said that 3 girls ago."

"Yes... I mean no, I don’t know - look can you please help me (Y/n)." Wally playfully pleaded with you like he’d done on multiple occaisions prior to this and you could only shrug in defeat.

"Sure but my conditions remain the same."

"I know, no bragging, pizza on me, you pick the film for the next 3 weeks."

"And?" You mockingly coaxed, knowing how much the next particular demand pained him which was evident in his deadpan but reluctant tone.

"And no mocking your dates."

"Good."

.

The following day you’d stategically accompanied Kid Flash on a visit to Mount Justice, the sight of you two together was no surprise to Robin, Aqualad nor Speedy though the remainder were intrigued by the mysterious stranger so Wally proudly made introductions.

"Hey M'gann, Conner, this is (Y/n)."

"Ah, this is who you love so much to talk about!" The Martian beamed grasping your hands as you shot a glare to a flustered Wally, the guy sheepishly running a hand through his strands.

"Is this your... girlfriend?" Superboy casually inquired after thinking of the correct terminology, yet again leaving you to wonder what your friend has been saying about you in your absence - also considering the implication this’d have on your scheme.

"No! Definitely not! I'm totally single, just because I've told you about (Y/n) doesn't mean we're dating. We're not dating by the way." Wally briskly recovered, blush fading as he emphasised his point specifically for the sake of M'gann.

"Nice to meet you both. Ah Kaldur!" You lit up once seeing the Atlantean, immediately embracing his form just as he did to you in hopes of catching up with him.

"It's been a while (Y/n), you look well."

"(Y/n) is here? Looking as lovely as ever, surprised you're still hanging with Wally though, you're way out of his league." Robin proudly joked as he walked toward you, genuinely happy to see you again and a girl called Artemis agreed with him despite only recently learning your name - supposedly teasing Wally was a commodity amount the Team.

"I'm here for training, Canary said she'd activated the sparring platform so I wanted to test it." With a content shrug you set your plan in motion, gesturing over to the designated area as indication.

Now you were very well trained, the team knew that so it wasn't a surprise when every single member landed with a 'FAIL' until Wally challenged your winning streak. You went two rounds, the first you played to his strengths allowing him to take you down with his speed and received the only 'PASS' of the day. M'gann cheered, flying over with questions and compliments whilst you comfortably sat up and proudly watched Wally bask in the desired attention. Meanwhile got to your feet, brushing yourself only to be met with a smirking Robin beside your figure.

"I know what you're doing and you are good at it, but I don't think it's gonna work."

"Does it ever work with Wally? He's never met a girl he's really caught deep feelings for but I'm only in it for the free food he's promised me." Came your knowing reply, softly smirking at Robin who seemed to disagree but accepted your justification nonetheless.

"There is one y'know..."

"Hey (Y/n) ready to get your ass whooped by the best there is? Fastest kid alive babe." The speedster smugly gained your deadly gaze, his boasting violating the agreement you’d struck less than 24 hours ago and thus not giving you a chance for Robin to elaborate like you’d wished.

This time you would not allow him a victory, like the others you took him out with a mischievous smile and then crouched over his waist whilst he leaned up on his elbows to meet you.

"No. Bragging." You raised a brow, tilting his chin towards you as you punctuated each word as a reminder before heading out. Although your plan had still succeeded to a degree, you walked backwards finding the Martian kneeling down to your friend inquiring about his condition as you winked at him - Wally seemingly impressed with your antics, as he usually was whenever he roped you into these scenarios.

.

You retained your attentive skills, even talking him up to M'gann but it became painfully obvious that her romantic affections were reserved for a certain clone which left you disappointed albeit pleased for her. Now, you had to break the news to Wally - you'd considered such measures while sitting against the wall in one of the Mountains many hallways bouncing a ball off of the other side as a form of contemplation.

Soon enough your felt a familiar comforting presence beside you, catching the ball and initiating a harmless game between the two of you.

"What's on your mind?" Wally knew you incredibly well, narrowing down I even the smallest quirks and he'd use that to his advantage.

"Nothing, but I'm afraid you might have to give up on M'gann."

"I know. Supes right?" He didn't seemed phased by your sympathetic disclosure, which surprised you slightly due to how long he’d spent gushing over the girl.

"Yeah, sorry West."

"It's alright. Thanks for trying, I'll still get you that pizza."

"But I didn't...?" His response was unexpected, leaving you somewhat speechless but he soon continued with conversation before you could finish, no evidence of heartbreak to be seen.

"That Dan guy you went out with? (Y/n) c'mon you're stunning, and he didn't even offer to pay the full check at the coffee shop. You deserve so much better, his flirting game was awful too." Wally reminisced on the details you’d cruelly given knowing he wouldn’t able to comment due to you deal, although such a thing was now void and you’d regretted that decision. Yet part of you enjoyed his mocking support.

"So I get the pizza but have to suffer your judgements for not getting you a date? I'm sure you have something to say about Jackson too." You threw your head back with an exaggerated sigh, Wally laughing as he replied.

"Don't get me started..."

.

How unaffected Wally seemed about the let down still puzzled you, although you believed something else must've attained his focus - not that you had any indication of what it was as you sat flicking through the channels.

"So... there's another girl." There it is.

"Dude, are you kidding me? Give yourself a month at least."

"No this one is the one, I know it." His tone was oddly confident compared to his usual dilemmas regarding that topic which automatically gained your full attention.

"Uh Huh. And when did you meet her? Love at first sight or whatever?"

"I've known her longer than a few days give me some credit here. But it wasn't at first sight, I didn't even notice it was happening or rather happened..." Wally's point was certainly more realistic in comparison and he was being truthful - again, maybe this peculiar circumstance held promise.

"You know my terms an-" You simply shrugged, assuming he wanted your assistance once more which dulled your growing investment slightly.

"No, not for this one."

"Hot damn, this woman must be special. Tell me everything!" That decision shocked you and it was evident in your tone, you excitedly encouraged him to indulge your lowkey interrogation since he never turned down your assistance.

"Yes she definitely is, but I don't know what to do for her y'know?"

"Romantic restaurant? Roses? Tell her over a romantic dinner." You listed things instantly, barely stopping for a breather.

"Would you want all that though?" Wally considered your ideas, furrowing his brows before he asked his question even if his posture radiated nervousness despite the confident facade he’d attempted to convey.

"Hah, no way! Honestly I'd love a chill night in, order a take out, put on a good series and just enjoy each other's company. I mean roses are nice too but I want to know my date likes me enough to relax and be themselves - you can't really do that in a fancy restaurant. Anyway, you should probably find out what this girl likes first." You simply smiled, giving him an honest opinion and advice for you felt he'd finally found someone more than just a crush to him.

"I guess..."

It was silent for a moment until familiar words echoed in your mind 'There is one y'know...' and instantly you stood up with your realisation.

"I know who it is!"

"What?! How?!" Wally snapped to with concern evident in his expression like a deer in headlights, unbeknownst to you why that was but he too halted in his tracks.

"Dick told me, I don't believe it Wally - it's great!" Now you had Artemis in your head, they'd hated one another at first so it certainly made sense that he'd grown to like her. They'd also kissed at New Years Eve or so you'd heard.

"Robin told you I liked you?! Are you kidding? He only knows because I thought he had a crush on you." That answer caught you off guard, practically disintegrating your ability to form a coherent sentence or even think straight due to the abruptness of it.

"Wait me? I didn't, um, I can't, since when? All the times I've been helping you with girls I... I..."

"Wait you didn't know? Okay stay there, I'm doing this again!" Wally held his hands out in defence, soon disappearing leaving you standing alone with your thoughts. A dangerous thing really.

Did you even have feelings for him? Quite possibly, that would explain why you occasionally compared dates to him and why you were always so willing to help him find his happiness but surely you wouldn't have suppressed them? It was so confusing.

Within a minute he appeared before you, a single red rose in hand and sheepish smile.

"I'm late I know that but there's no pressure for you. This is not how I expected you to find out, I aimed to flirt with you and only you before making a move so it wasn't thrown on you so suddenly but here we are. Guess I'm not great with girls without you."

With a mischievous grin, you pulled him close by his red hoodie and gently met his lips with your own and you couldn't deny how right it felt - an action you’d hope would quell the warring emotions. You pulled apart, his arms wrapped around your waist and yours on his shoulders.

"You're actually quite adequate, I'm just as surprised as you are."

"Oh you're hilarious." He matched your witty sarcasm, but still you find his happiness intoxicating.

"Can we, um could we take things slow? I know that's ironic to ask the fastest kid alive but please."

"I'd slow down for you, I want to take my time in every moment I get so it won't be a problem (Y/n). I promise." Despite the trace of concern in your voice, Wally was reassuring and sincere with his words so you both felt comfortable in whatever situation you'd crafted.

"So, I assume you won't be mocking my dates anymore."

"I think every date you'll have from now on is gonna be too great for me judge. Ah too bad, I know how much you loved me doing that." The speedster playfully responded with a knowingly satisfied smirk to which you threw him an 'are you serious?' expression.

Later, as you both sat comfortably on Wallys' bed eating pizza whilst a film played in the background, you received simultaneous texts from none other than Dick Grayson - his smugness translated even in a message.

[Dickiebird: Told you so.]

[anotherriceball0326]

***SPOILER ALERT***

This is a short Fruits Basket fanfiction that I've been working on. It takes place shortly after the group returns from the beachhouse. This is my very first time writing fanfiction so please be kind. I'm always open to constructive criticism/suggestions to improve my writing. It's a work in progress so new chapters be released asap.Hope you all enjoy what I've written ❤.

Summary

While Shigure is away for the weekend, Kyou sees the time alone as the perfect opportunity to confess his true feelings to Tohru. Sadly, his plans are quickly extinguished by a group of uninvited guests.

Chapter one: "I Need to. Talk to You"

It was a crisp, Autumn night. The moments they shared at the beachhouse were now precious memories. It was time to put Summer behind them and focus on what's ahead.

Shigure was gone for the weekend at a writers convention, leaving the teenagers home alone. It was the first time they were entrusted to be left alone for more than a few hours and they didn't want to screw it up.

Yuki was looking forward to some quiet time where he could focus on his school work, student counsel priorities and prepare for his upcoming exams. Tohru, of course, was still adamant about getting housework done.

And Kyou....well Kyou wanted nothing more than for that damn rat to disappear for the weekend with Shigure so he could really enjoy this time with Tohru... but the current circumstances would have to do.

"I'll be upstairs if you need me Ms. Honda." Yuki smiled, but quickly changed his tone after glancing at Kyou "Don't do anything reckless, stupid cat."

The nerve of this guy!

"Grrr.... SHUT UP YOU DAMN RAT! WHAT I DO IS NONE OF YOUR BUSINESS!" Kyou shouted. He knew that Yuki was just trying to screw with his head, but he wouldn't let him ruin this.

Not tonight. Not this moment.

This was the first time Kyou had been alone with Tohru since the beach house. The first time he'd been alone with her since he finally admitted to himself that he loved her.

He loved her... he loved her so much.

It was so easy for him to say that in his head. It was so clear to him now. Why had it taken him so long to come to that realization? Why had he not figured it out sooner?

There was so much time that he wasted trying to pretend as though he felt indifferent. Hell, it took him months to admit that he even considered her a friend. How long had he felt this way? How long had he longed to pull her in close.... how long had he wanted to hold her in his arms and never let go? How long had he wanted to feel her soft, rosy lips against his?

Kyou's heart began to race as thoughts of their first embrace played out in his head. He felt his palms begin to sweat. He knew something about this moment felt different. Almost like something big was about to happen. That thought scared the crap out of him.

"Kyou? You okay? You don't look too good.." Tohru asked.

"Huh?...Oh uh....no! I mean..... Yes...." Kyou felt himself start to panic. What the hell was he doing? This is Tohru. The girl he's grown so comfortable sharing everything with... The girl who saw his true form. The girl who accepted him at his ugliest and most terrifying.... Why is he suddenly unable to speak to her without sounding like a complete idiot?

He knew why... he knew that this moment was different. She was no longer just his warm hearted friend that was easy to talk to or a kind soul that he could vent his problems to...

No... she was so much more than that now. He now felt the overwhelming feelings of desire. The desire to make her his forever and to never leave her side. The desire to hold her in his arms and drown her in his affection.

The thought of it made his ears feel hot and brought redness to his face, but also an unsettling feeling in the pit of his stomach, like he may throw up if he uttered a single syllable.

"Okay, well... as long as you're sure" Tohru hesitated. "I'm just gonna start dinner, okay?"

Say something, idiot!

"L…let me help. "Kyou finally released a coherent sentence.

Tohru's face lit up. "That would be wonderful!" She exclaimed.

Damn it.... why does she have to be so cute.

He always thought Tohru was cute of course. That day she discovered their secret, he remembered thinking those thoughts. Her cuteness was obvious. Anyone with half a brain could see that.

But now... now he saw her as a woman. He noticed every small detail about her. The smell of her strawberry scented hair. The way her hair flowed as she flipped it away from her face. The adorable crinkle in her nose when she thought something was really funny. The melodic sound of her voice when she said his name. The warmth of her brown eyes as she listened with sincerity. The sway of her hips as she walked...

Stop! Stop it you pervert!

Kyou hated having those thoughts about her. The thoughts that extended beyond her cuteness. The thoughts that made him desire her in a way that he's never wanted any girl.

It felt wrong. It felt wrong because Tohru was so pure and innocent. He didn't want to taint the image of such a perfect person.

But he couldn't help it. He wanted her. He wanted all of her. All to himself.

That must be what love is. Kyou had never fallen in love before, not like this. Only love that was shared between a parent and their child or a platonic love that you have for your friends.

Okay, snap out of it or Tohru will worry.

Kyou began helping Tohru in the kitchen by chopping vegetables. His hands shook dramatically as he worked but he did his best to control himself. He tried to use the breathing techniques that his Master had taught him over the years.

Tonight needs to be the night. She needs to know how I'm feeling.

Kyou was beginning to suspect that Tohru possibly shared some of the same feelings he had for her. He noticed the way she looked at him sometimes and how bashful she became when they accidentally touched or how flustered she would get after he teased her.

I need to know. Honestly, what do I have to lose?

Kyou looked over at Tohru. The steam from the pot of stew she was making left a thin layer of sweat on her face. He could not help but stare and admire the beautiful features of her face. Even drenched in sweat, she was perfect.

“Kyou? Are you sure you're okay?” Tohru questioned, looking even more concerned than she did earlier. “You look like you're about to pass out. Are you feeling under the weather?”

As she said that, Tohru placed a hand on Kyou's forehead. It sent a shiver down his spine. Even just a hand to his forehead was enough to weaken his resolve.

“I said I’m fine….quit your worrying, okay?” Kyou smiled and grabbed Tohru’s hand as he removed it from his forehead.

Instead of immediately letting her hand go, he hesitated. He looked down at her soft, petite hands and smiled.

“You really do worry too much.” He said as he finally released her hand, hoping she didn't notice him shaking

“Okay. Well in that case, thank you for helping me tonight. It's always more fun when I get to cook with you.” She beamed.

I can't take this anymore! This is torture! I need to. .. No! It's too soon….

“Of course, dummy. What else would I be doing?” Kyou joked as he playfully bonked her on the head with a closed fist.

Kyou finished helping Tohru with dinner. They ate together with Yuki and mostly exchanged small talk that involved asking each other how their day went and sharing things that had been happening at school. Kyou was secretly begging for Yuki to leave so he could be alone with Tohru.

But how would I even start? Where do I begin? Do I just tell her in the kitchen or do I take her somewhere romantic? What if rat boy heard? Ugh! This is so confusing….

Kyou sat there, mostly silent as he contemplated how he was going to tell her.

“Are you all done, Kyou?” Tohru asked

“Uh…um…oh yeah, sorry. Here, I'll clean up.” He responded

“Thank you so much, but I don't mind helping" Tohru said as she stood up.

Before she could walk into the kitchen, Kyou extended his arm out to stop her. He was unable to make eye contact so instead he looked at the floor as he spoke.

“Tohru…I…I need to talk to you…about something important. I was thinking. . Would it be okay for us to go and talk on the roof. You know…so we're alone? Kyou’s voice shook as he finally gathered the courage.

Tohru’s eyes widened. He could immediately tell she was surprised by his request. They’ve had conversations up on the roof before, but never any that were planned. Kyou wondered if she knew what he wanted to say.

“Of course! Let me just go and grab a sweater. You should grab one too, Kyou! It's a little chilly out tonight.”Tohru replied with a glimmer in her eyes.

Kyou suddenly felt a flutter in his chest

This is it…this is my chance!

Kyou finished cleaning up as quickly as he could. He ran to his bedroom, grabbed a warm sweater and sprayed just the smallest splash of cologne on his neck.

His heart was pounding.

He met Tohru downstairs. She was wearing an adorable pink fluffy sweater that he wanted to fall into.

Kyou smirked as his nose quickly filled with the aroma of perfume, which he knew wasn't there earlier. His confidence grew even more knowing that she was putting in the effort the way he had.

“Shall we?” Kyou asked as he extended his arm for her to hold so he could escort her outside.

Tohru giggled as she grabbed his arm “Yes, let's go.“

As they approached the front of the house,  they were suddenly startled by a loud knock at the door.

Who could that be? And at this hour?

As Kyo opened the door, his heart immediately sank.

“Yo.” A deep voice exclaimed. Despite it being so dark, Kyou immediately knew it was the voice of Hatsuharu. At the door stood Hatsuharu, Momiji, Kagura, Arisa, and Saki. They all carried small overnight bags.

“What the hell are you all doing here?! Do you not realize how late it is?!” Kyo growled. 

“We’re here to party!” Momiji shouted as he jumped up and down. Momiji grabbed Tohru by the hands. “We’re going to have so much fun this weekend, Tohru! We’ll dance and start a campfire and roast marshmallows and...ooooo maybe even watch a scary movie! This is going to be so much fun!”

Yuki came down the stairs quickly after hearing all the commotion. “What's going on?” he asked.

“We heard you guys were going to be lonely all weekend so we came to keep you company.” Said Hatsuharu with a blank stare on his face.

ALONE…. WE WERE GOING TO BE ALONE… YOU MORON!

Kyou looked at Tohru. He wondered if she could see the disappointment painted all over his face. Tohru looked back at Kyou with a big goofy smile and squeezed his arm.

She unlocked arms with Kyou and began to greet all her friends.

"Welcome everyone!" She exclaimed as she helped them with their things. 

[sftswigan]

Middlesbrough quartet, Swears, tell us about the latest single and idea behind video and their direction on latest EP, Seersucker.

George and Joel from the band join us... Can you tell us a little bit about the band, who plays what and how the band formed?

We got together in the summer of 2017. We’d known each other for years via various bands and jamming together, admired each other’s work and decided to give it a go together. George (guitar) and Stephanos (drums)come as a duo on account of the whole ‘blood bond’ thing and teamed up with Joel (vocals/guitar) to write a few early demos. Tom joined the band around a year ago, replacing our original bassist Craig.

Having only been together for a short time, you’ve released quite a bit of material. How would you describe how your music has developed from when you released ‘Faith In The Nation’ to your recently released EP ‘Seersucker’ and how has the latter been received by fans and critics?

Loud, high energy shit but quite melodic. When we started this band the idea was to do music a little more pop-orientated and accessible than in our previous bands, but as time has gone on and we’ve defined our sound, we’ve ended up becoming darker and heavier, both in terms of the music and in lyrical subject matter.

The reaction has been really good. We put a lot of effort into spreading the word and it's been heartening to see it be so well received. We've had radio play in places we've never reached before, such as USA and Australia, which is super cool.

Your first set of songs are really catchy and as soon as I heard Subliminal I was hooked. Loving this new EP too! I like the direction it’s going. I first came across the band via a sponsored ad video. Thought I’d take a chance...turned out I like it what I heard/saw. How well did the ‘sponsored as’ work out and would you consider doing that kind of promotion for your next video?

Sponsored ads these days are a must for a band of our level. The way social media works these days is to limit the reach of non-paying brands in favour of those who pay. We don't like to spend too much but just enough to make sure people actually see our stuff. We put a lot of effort into our songs and videos etc so we're glad to hear that they are working and we are really grateful you managed to find us. We will be definitely using them for our newest video for 'Say Nothing'. We'd recommend any band use them, even if it's just a spare £10.

So let’s talk about your new single ‘Say Nothing’ that you released recently. What made you choose that particular song and theme for the video?

We chose to release 'Say Nothing' as a single from the EP as it’s one of our favourites from our EP 'Seersucker’ and we really liked the idea for the video. It’s had a good reception and was regularly picked out as one of the stand out tracks from the EP too, which is nice.

We came up with the idea for the video back in January this year. Joel and George were drunk at a bar in Manchester and they made a voice note on George's phone, shouting barely coherent instructions at the phone on what the video should go like. Later, we listened back to it when we were sober and expanded it from there. But really we just wanted to wear matching suits, pretend we were gangsters and shoot each other.

Great idea for a video and I love where the idea came from. Fits in well with the song. I see Sound Music Group are involved with the band now. How did that come about and what will they do for the band?

Thank you, it was a fun video to make. We were recently approached by Sound Music Group to work with us as a booking agent, and the idea is to book a tour with them at some point. Super excited to get back to gigging when we are all allowed to do so!

We can’t wait to see you guys play and we were gutted when we had to postpone the gig! Do you have any pre-gig rituals to prepare yourselves?

We can't wait to finally play for you too! We have various secret rituals to prepare ourselves. We might also go for a quick cigarette and/or extensive toilet breaks. But mainly we all get together separate from everyone else, talk about any last-minute set changes and hype each other up.

Who’s the worst for pre-gig nerves?

We've all been in bands and playing gigs for the past 10 years or more, so at this point I don't think anyone suffers too badly from nerves. As long as we know the set is well-rehearsed we are pretty confident that we will be able to handle anything that could go wrong during the gig - we've had enough experience with all that in the past! There's always a little bit of nervous excitement I guess, but that just shows you give a shit about what you're doing.

We’ll end the serious part of the interview with some more fun questions...

Big UK fest slot or support your favourite band?

Joel: UK fest slot

George: supporting favourite band

Favourite film/series?

A Scanner darkly, The Last Kingdom, The Rush Hour movies, Drive, The Nice Guys, anything Tarantino really. Theres too many to mention really.

If you were to be sent off to a desert island what album, book and other item of your choice would you take with you?

Joel: I would take...

For album I'll go for Bob Dylan - Highway 61 Revisited. A timeless album, every track on it is a classic and it's got my favourite Dylan song 'Ballad of a Thin Man'

For book I'll go for Stephen King - The Stand. Because it's really long so will keep me occupied for a good amount of time, plus it will be fun to read about a fictional pandemic again.

For item I would take:

Either my guitar to give me something to do and stop me going crazy, my laptop so I can write, a big ganja plant if I want to sack off trying to escape and just get high all day on a beach, or something useful like a compass.

George: I would take...

The album I would take is Badbadnotgood - III. The item I would take is my guitar and the book I would take is a Macbook so I can record music. I know it's not a proper book but it says book in the name.

Favourite beer?

That one is an easy one. We all love Keo Beer. It is a beer from George and Stephanos' homeland of Cyprus. Please sponsor us Keo. The only place we can get them from is at one of the supermarkets and they come in those big bottles were you get 3 for £5. But we need more.

Last question...

Summer or winter?

Joel: Winter, "Cos it's cold and dark like my heart".

George: I would say Summer because it reminds me of Cyprus.

Big thanks to George and Joel from the band! go and check their social media pages and give them a listen on the streaming formats!