#i had a lot of fun with this one and i feel like it actually hit the notes i wanted without dragging on

[plainclothesdisaster]

Danny opens the door to his apartment to find one Jason Todd on his doormat, knuckles raised as if about to knock, tupperware in hand. Surprise surprise.

“Uh,” Jason lowers his hand. Maybe Danny should have let him actually knock- better to keep up appearances, like he couldn’t sense Jason anytime they’re within a three block radius of each other. But he’s tired- so goddamn tired- of this whole charade.

“What’s on the menu today?” He levels Jason with a look.

“Soup. Lentils. It’s, uh, high protein. Very healthy.”

Danny shouldn’t find Jason’s floundering so cute, knowing what he knows. But seeing as he didn’t ask for this (in fact, he explicitly asked for /not/ this), he thinks he’s allowed a little fun.

“Healthy, huh?”

Jason nods, and presents the container for him to take. Instead Danny swings the door wider.

“You might as well come in.”

//

Jason sits at the modest kitchen table as Danny sets a mug of warmed soup in front of him, then takes his own seat, another mug in hand.

He hasn’t actually been inside Danny’s apartment before, he’d always just left the meals outside his door. Bruce had been coy about sharing details on his top Watchtower engineer, but the breadcrumbs from the case files told enough of the story: Danny was just a kid barely out of college with a large dose of trauma and way too much responsibility. Bruce had also been clear on one thing: Danny didn’t want help.

That just meant Jason would have to get creative with how he helped him.

But now that he’s actually here, face to face with his most recent pet project, he’s not quite sure what to do. Danny just watches him, completely unmoving, except for his eyes that watch as Jason lifts an awkward spoonful of soup.

“So did Bruce put you up to this?”

Jason sputters over his spoon. “Bruce? Don’t know who you’re talking about. I just saw a neighbor in need, and I cook a lot anyway, so-“

“Sure. And you just happen to deliver only on days I’m not scheduled to be off planet? You’re not slick.”

Jason swallows. He sure does know Danny’s schedule and he sure doesn’t have a good excuse. Danny sighs.

“It’s okay. The food’s good. I’m just trying to figure out, well, why?”

“It was um, implied that Batman’s favorite Watchtower tech could use a home cooked meal or two.”

“He never knows when to leave it alone, huh.”

“Not in the slightest.”

“Then why you? Unless—ah. He must have made the connection to your whole… situation.”

“My what?”

“Okay. Um. So, you do know you died, right?”

Jason chokes on soup. Again.

“Is that a yes…?”

“Yeah,” he croaks, “Yeah I just— How the hell do you know?”

“Ah. Well. That’s a bit of a long story.”

Danny gives him a strained smile and Jason takes a measured breath, not trying very hard to mask his disappointment. He wants to ask for more- desperately- but he shouldn’t. He’s supposed to be helping Danny, not the other way around.

Then Danny takes a spoonful of soup. He leans back in his chair the moment he tastes it. “Goddammit that’s good.”

Jason flushes with pride before Danny pins him with a look that chills him to his toes. His heart races, and he feels for a moment like he’s a bug under a microscope, and he’s not so sure he hates it.

Yet it’s Danny’s crooked smile that follows that makes his heart race even faster.

“Okay. How much time do you have?”

DPxDC Mechanical Engineer Danny

Danny caught the attention of Batman while studying at Gotham University for his alternative energy projects. He’s hired right out of college to work on the Watchtower.

He shows absolutely no tell of his abilities till there’s a dire situation- Flash’s electric discharge messes with one of his projects in progress and the whole base would have lost air pressure if he hadn’t done a quick fix using telekinesis and ice.

Of course Batman notices.

Batman assumes the worst- he suspects Danny’s a rogue of some kind, someone who has infiltrated the Justice League with an ulterior motive. But he can’t just fire Danny now- he’s the only one who knows how the new Watchtower energy source works. Plus, he’s not letting Danny go anywhere until he’s figured out his true motives.

Cue Batman subtly testing Danny- tossing things at him to trigger inhuman fast reflexes, having him lift too-heavy machinery, setting up convenient opportunities to steal or snoop or otherwise be up to no good. Danny does take advantage but only once, to use a computer terminal with unlocked clearance. He didn’t plant any bugs that Barman could find, and he otherwise kept up his powerless civilian act perfectly.

Still, Batman’s not satisfied. He brings an infrasonic sound emitter to Danny’s lab one day, and that, of all things, is what gets Danny to break.

“I know what you’re doing,” Danny admits with a sigh, finally. “If you’re really that suspicious of me, I can leave, but I kinda like my job so I’d prefer not to. The benefits are insane compared to what’s standard.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Sure. yeah. How about you turn off the freaking noise generator and we can talk?”

“Hm.” Batman obliges, and he takes the stool next to Danny at his gesture.

“Number one, I’m not a meta. Despite all the data and conclusions you’ve probably drawn otherwise. Number two, I’m on your side. I’m here to work on the base, that’s it. I follow your rules to the letter.”

“The-“

“The classified files I looked at? Yeah that was the one exception. You already know what I looked at, I’m sure, but maybe you haven’t figured out why. It goes back to point one- I may not be a meta, but I am something that organization, the GIW, cares about. I looked at your files on them to sus out your relations. Seeing as I don’t particularly love being the victim to twelve degrees of human rights violations if I can avoid it.”

“Hm.” The Ghost Intelligence Ward was one of many government agencies that the Justice League hadn’t worked closely with. But they also hadn’t been flagged for Justice League investigation. Danny’s comments made him doubt that call.

“Any other questions?”

“If you’re not a meta, what are you?”

“I’m an engineer. A pretty decent one. And I’d really, really like it to stay that way.”

Batman considers, and ultimately lets him stay. He likes Danny (everyone likes Danny), and it would be a massive pain in the ass to replace him. He really is a good engineer.

It’s only much later that his faith in Danny is repaid in spades.

Batman finds Danny on the Watchtower command bridge. Alarms are blaring, the station has been knocked out of orbit, out the window there’s shrapnel floating everywhere as a space battle rages around them.

On the station it’s chaos. Technicians run around, shouts from the med bay, sparks from the walls.

Batman and Danny stand at the main controls, watching the battle outside, stoic, unmoving.

Wonder Woman’s harried voice crackles through on coms: “We need backup.”

“There is no more backup.” Batman replies, while looking pointedly at Danny.

“What?”

Batman doesn’t move.

“What.”

“The impact from Darkseid’s initial attack should have sent this station on a terminal trajectory toward the planet.”

“Well. We aren’t currently plummeting to our deaths, so turns out it didn’t do that.”

“You did something.”

“I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“You’re lying.”

“Maybe Superman nudged us back on course in all the chaos.”

“I’ve been watching the trackers. No one else with the capability has come near the station.”

“Can’t you just be grateful we got lucky?”

Sounds of peril screech over the coms. Danny’s face scrunches.

“Luck had nothing to do with it. As it is now, we are going to lose this fight.”

“Isn’t there anyone else you can call?”

“I’m asking you. You can help, can’t you?”

The glare-off lasts a long moment more before Danny breaks.

“Fuck. Fuckity fuck.” Danny runs his hands through his hair. “Shit. You don’t know what you’re asking.”

“I’m asking you to save this and countless other worlds from a genocide. I’m also asking you to save my friends.”

Danny looks at him, hard, weary, and with a kind of deep resolve that feels far too ancient to be on the face of a supposed twenty-something.

“Fine. Fine. Okay.” He steps back and transforms. If Batman is surprised when he shakes off his human appearance like an old coat, he doesn’t show it. But what’s undeniable is the being in Danny’s place has the unmistakable presence of power.

“No one else can know.” His voice echoes in a way that’s sonically impossible, both sounding closer and further away than he should be.

He pulls a gear-shaped medallion seemingly out of thin air and puts it over his head in one motion.

“If I get in trouble for this, I’m blaming you.”

He vanishes. Outside, the shape of the battle changes instantly. The stars seem to glow brighter as the arms of the galaxy flash with the colors of the aurora. Then it’s like the void of space itself comes alive. It moves the spaceships back like they’re toys, plucking them from one side of the field to the other. It finds Darkseid at the heart of the chaos and massive arms of nothingness and darkness wrap around him. He’s screaming as it swallows him whole.

His armies scatter. The battle turns. The JL deal with the stragglers, but the air of relief is palpable.

Danny reappears next to Batman, once again donning his grease-stained coveralls. Arms folded.

“Happy?”

It took all of five minutes. Less, probably. Batman tamps down a thousand questions.

“Thank you.”

“I’m gonna need two weeks off minimum.” Danny snaps. “One to deal with the bureaucratic nightmare you’ve just caused me, and another to recover from the headache.”

Batman blanks. “Granted.”

Danny sighs. “And I’m not fixing the station until I’m back. It won’t fall out of the sky as is. Make up whatever excuse you want.”

“Done.” He considers. “I would prefer to tell them the truth. That you saved us.”

Danny glares. “I’m not supposed to save you. I made a pact not to use my power to influence the mortal realm.”

“A pact with who?”

Danny rolls his eyes. “The embodiment of Time. The concept of Justice. Among others.” He smirks at Batman’s confusion.

“And what, exactly, does that make you?”

He stands, framed by the space window, haloed by the stars. “I’ll give you three guesses.”

Batman frowns.

“Look. I like you guys. I like working on your base. I like supporting the work you do. But you can not go factoring me in to any of your plans or contingencies. This was a one time thing.

“So to answer your question again: I’m an engineer.”

[colorlessjay]

hello! may be a weird request but do you have any fanfic recommendations?

BUCKLE THE FUCK UP

OH DO I HAVE SOME RECS FOR YA'LL

Mind you, 90% are based on personal preference and fics I think about way too often than I should. A lot of them influenced the way I make characters interact

Some of them might not be your taste and that's cool!

First off, Gotta promote the fics that people wrote inspired by my art (I am truly honored)

Time Cast A Spell On You by bethefirstwhoeverdid

Cabin of Feathers by Featherpie (Izupie)

Return To The Past by faeryn

NOW FOR MY COLLECTION

Just any fic written by everandanon

I swear to you, all of their fics are worth a read. They are frustrating (In a good way for me) but the worldbuilding, comedy, dialogue, and character interactions always have me physically getting up and laughing. At one point during Quarentantion, I had to stop reading to rant to my friends about it because it made me feel so much that I went to 3 different friends about it. With Interest actually made my heart physically hurt at certain points. Expectations had me on a roller coaster ride But if you think their fics are a little overwhelming, I recommend reading Casicorn. It's the first ever fic I read from them and it solidified my love for this author. I swear I am on my hands and KNEES waiting for them to finish their newest fic

Where All My Journeys End - (a Twist and Shout alt universe) by Say_It_In_Enochian

Did reading Twist and Shout devastate you? Did it emotionally hurt your heart and make you wish there was something to make the pain lighter? READ THIS FUCKING FIC NOW I got so fucking lucky when I found it immediately after reading T&S and when I tell you the JOURNEY this fic took me? It healed my soul The struggles, the history, the relationships, the LONG fight to get to their happy ending I am FLOORED this doesn't have 1000 Kudos!

The Ed Sheeran Effect by tricia_16

It made me laugh. That's it. It's sweet and funny and really fun and just feels very campy, like it could've been a decent movie I would rewatch on days I just feel like feeling good Am I a sucker for HighSchool/College AU fics? Yes do I fucking care? No

The Best Years of Our Lives, My Ass by ireallyhatecornnuts (CharleyFoxtrot)

I. fucking. love. this. fic The story alone was so interesting but it was the DIALOGUE that hooked me in. I swear I think about this fic in the middle of drawing and go "Damn, good times" like it's a long lost friend

Slide Away by Castielslostwings

It's the TENSION that got me. I can't explain to you how much I just love their hate-pining for each other Read it, love it, in my digital bookshelf

Sleep Without You by turningthepages

Hilarious. The density is so high it could float. I swear to god I've read this fic at least three times and think about it once a week I remember reading it and cackling so much that I woke up my mom

Should've Just Asked by Annie D (scaramouche)

I wish this fic had a follow-up that was just Dean's perspective because I would LOVE to read more of it. The situation is so absurd and I binged it all in one day (I'm a very slow reader)

Pinfall by crowleyo

I'm gonna say it. I'm so actually angry this fic doesn't get enough attention. It is so so SO well-written and heart-wrenching. Am I still a sucker for highschool sweethearts? YES! I OPENLY ADMIT THIS! But COME ON

Of fuming and partaking and so on by zation

This fic and literally any fic from Zation. I absolutely love the way this author writes. It's so funny and self-aware and the dialogue and scenarios always keep me entertained and laughing They have such a large catalog of fics that I'm pretty sure I have at least 15 saved on my phone

Mr. Blue Sky by anyrei, queerwolf79

This fic specifically and literally ANYTHING from these two. I swear, a lot of their fics are certified bangers. Mr. Blue Sky is probably a personal favorite of mine cause I actually teared up

Love Me More by Saiorse_Irvyne

I'm not the biggest fan of A/B/O stuff, but MAN this has me feeling things. When a fic makes me feel strong emotions, I just gotta recommend it

Lock and Key by tricia_16

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH it's THAT good

Kind Of A Forever Deal by komodobits

It's FUN. It's FUNNY. It's so fucking campy and cute and the progression of their relationship was just AAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

It's Always the End of the World Somewhere by Annie D (scaramouche)

I can sit here and recommend Annie D's fics all DAY, but I'm recommending this one specifically because of this: “Get a room, assholes,” someone mutters. “Hey!” Crowley whirls on the offender. “I could set on you on fire!” And that's one of many fantastic quotes

Cinderwings by bendingsignpost

One of the first fics I've ever read from this fandom, and I recommend it to ANYONE regardless of whether they know Destiel or not. The story is so fucking captivating it makes me want to eat my foot it's so GOOD

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

Do I have a type when it comes to fanfics? Yes

But I like gravitating towards funny dialogue and silly shenanigans. I thrive off of fun fics that sometimes take themselves seriously, but still pull me back and make me laugh

If a fic can make me feel such a strong emotion that I PHYSICALLY have to get up? Then fuck yeah it's going in my archives

I would recommend some of the darker fics I have, but this is for fun

[edward-munson]

I don't care | S.H.

Summary: Taking care of Steve after he was attacked by an army of demobats seems like a lot of work, only because apparently he doesn't like you.

Pairing: Steve Harrington x f!reader

Warnings: angst, fluff, mentions of injury, allusion to smut

Word count: 2.2k

☆°•○♡

"You want them spicy or not?" You ask Steve as you make nachos for dinner for both of you.

He's lying on the couch, on his back. He still recovers from the attack of the demobats. His neck is almost fully scarred, but the bites on his stomach and his sides are still painful. You've been laying low together for close to two weeks.

Your friends didn't want to make you team up with them to find Vecna and kill him. Not that you're not brave or strong enough to do so. But you're still pretty new to all of this and someone had to stay with Steve. So you didn't even bother opposing the idea, even though he's not your biggest fan.

God knows why, he never told his reasons. And your friends didn't know either. Maybe Eddie did, but he wouldn't open his mouth about it.

"I still think this is really unnecessary. I'm not a fucking child" He complains as he walks past the kitchen door, leaning against the sink.

With crossed arms, he looks at your food. You made chilli beans, guacamole and cheese sauce for the spicy nachos. You look up at him, trailing your eyes on his neck for an instant before raising an eyebrow to him.

"You can't even hold your own weight, Harrington. Stop being a crybaby".

Steve scoffs at you, but doesn't move an inch from his position. "Jesus, I wish we had another plan".

You drop the spoon you were using, turning your face to look at him. "I'm only doing this because they asked me to. Get off your own ass".

You leave the kitchen, walking out to the bedroom you were sleeping on. You were staying at his house. It's not like there were other options, but you couldn't refuse to stay there when he's alone and barely walking. Well, he can walk. The worst part is that he needs rest because of his wounds.

The past two weeks you've been quite getting along. Not that much, really. It's not like you were friends. Probably more like close acquaintances. Because obviously, he was the one pushing you away.

You didn't leave your room for a while, you were too annoyed to eat, and since it was dinner for the two of you, it didn't feel like you should eat anymore. You decided to spend your time watching something on the TV, which would easily make you get bored.

And then you would read books, or write stuff. It's been pretty tough lately since Vecna appeared. Max almost got killed and now she was staying at Dustin's house. The other kids were coming back to Hawkins to help, maybe Eleven might be able to do something about that.

You actually wished you were doing something fun. Like, taking a trip to the beach or snowboarding since it's fall and the weather has been cold. Your thoughts were pushed back by a knock on the door. Steve didn't open it and you didn't mention doing it either, so he just stayed there.

"Sorry I was an idiot" His voice came out muffled through the closed door. "I know I've been cranky and annoying".

You only opened the door after a couple of minutes, not exactly sure if he was still there. But he looked up from the floor at you. "You used to be nice. I mean, way before this curse happened".

He stayed quiet, because you were right. But what else can he do if the world was turned upside down (almost literally) again? And you almost got them killed once, not on purpose of course.

You were also the one to get too close to Robin and he hated seeing his best friend sharing her friendship with someone else. Because up until then, he was the only one she was the closest he had to a friend, even though he had a strong relationship with Eddie too.

None of it was your fault, but he grew annoyed over you. He couldn't lie to himself and say you weren't too kind and helpful. But he started to become extremely unenthusiastic over you through the year.

"A lot has happened since then. I'm trying to live up to the fact that we're against another monster again" Steve leans an arm against the doorframe, but refuses to keep his gaze at you.

"Which isn't my fault, by the way. Not to mention I'm the one who pulled you out of the watergate before you were eaten".

Another few seconds of silence, which was followed by a sarcastic nasal laugh. He shook his head and hung it low to the floor.

"Oh, you want a prize for that? Because I remember clearly when I didn't ask for your help!" His words were harsh, even if not intended.

But now you were the one who didn't know what to say. Until you feel the bitter taste on your tongue.

"Guess I should've let them rip your skin apart, then".

He saw the door shutting in front of him, cursing himself for being extremely idiotic and insensitive. He almost felt like punching his own face for that.

Steve heard you talking to Eddie that night through your walkie talkie. It was a little bit hard to hear because the reception was static for you. But you could listen to Eddie and God, you missed him and the others. It started to become unbearable to live with Steve. He heard you lament the whole situation, complaining about the way you were treating each other.

He was bitter about the things they were going through. He was angry he couldn't have done more. And he was taking it out all on you. He couldn't face another apology on the same day, because he knew he didn't deserve to be forgiven. Not right now.

The next day, he made breakfast by himself. It took you by surprise, but by the time you were up, he had already eaten. And you wouldn't want to eat with him either. You remember Nancy saying the bickering was just "sexual tension" but you knew it didn't have anything to do with that.

Even though you felt your ears burning from the thought, you couldn't deny to yourself that he was pretty charming. And seeing him shirtless whenever he would change the gauze made you feel weird. God, his hair was always pretty while yours looked like a bird nest after waking up.

The day seemed to have lasted longer since you haven't exchanged a single word to each other. He was focused on watching movies, playing video games and listening to music. He was getting bored out of his mind, but there wasn't much he could do being injured.

You, on the other hand, went out to do some errands. In fact, you didn't care you left him alone. You were getting tired of staying inside. So you went to see Max, and invited her to eat at Burger King. She seemed to feel better to do something like that too. Everything seemed pretty fuzzy lately.

Will, Mike and Eleven were pretty close to Hawkins. Thanks to Argyle who thinks he's a speed racer, and Jonathan who encourages him to drive long hours so they can arrive as soon as possible.

It was almost 7 PM when you came back home. You've finally had some fun after a week. You obviously couldn't be going out since they still haven't found Vecna and he knows about you too. The man in front of you seemed pretty pissed that he didn't see you were out until he woke up two hours ago.

"What? Don't give me that father look" You dropped your backpack on the floor and followed upstairs.

He's got a whole show prepared and he wasn't feeling like he would regret it this time.

"You know you can't just fucking go out and yet, you still do" He walked behind you, like a mother scolding a child.

"Yeah, dad. I know so. But here I am, back in pieces" You turned on your heel to look at him before closing your door.

Much to your dismay, he was faster this time, holding it with his right foot and right hand. Even injured, he was still stronger than you.

"No, don't push it. You can be an easy target for him, you know that?"

You huff, dropping your arm to your side. "Look, Harrington. I'm an adult, and I'm very aware of what I do or don't do. So please, just stop making a scene and leave me the fuck alone".

Steve couldn't even stand arguing with you anymore, it was so tiring. But he knew he would blame himself if something ever happened to you out there. He couldn't let this happen to you, even though you've been annoying him for whatever reason.

He took a step towards you, his hands balling into fists. The way your eyes were boring into him in an unamused face irritated him even more.

"Look, honey" His tone was purely sarcastic and you felt it not only in his voice, but in his demeanor too. "You know you're putting yourself at risk doing that. If I'm not fucking sure you're safe as well, I won't live with that".

At each passing second, you could feel him walking to you, but you couldn't walk back. You couldn't run from him, you couldn't get away from him. You wouldn't, you didn't feel like you wanted to.

"And not just because of my friends, they sure would kill me. But because I couldn't lose another person" You feel his breathing hitting your face, his eyes flicking as he looks at you.

He looks down at you with such intensity, it's crazy how there's a magnetic pull towards him.

You hold his gaze, feeling a cold shiver down your spine. He didn't look like he was about to snap at you, even though his tone was a bit loud.

He furrows his brows when he sees your lip curling into a smirk. "Well, Steve" His fingers move by the sound of his name, you always call him Harrington. "I thought you didn't care if I died or not".

This time, he was the one to smirk at you. "Honey, I don't remember saying I never cared about you".

Your stomach sank at that. Because now as you think of it, it comes crashing down as a realization that he never really said anything related to that. He truly never spoke about it.

"Doesn't seem like it"

"You see, this is why you annoy me so much" His nose bumps into yours, but he still gazes at you like he doesn't mean to avoid eye contact.

"Yeah? Then you should–" He doesn't let you finish your sentence.

Steve crashes his lips against yours, his hands flying down your hips. He feels your immediate reaction as you don't correspond right away. For a few seconds, he thinks he's done the wrong thing and almost regrets it, until you grab him by the neck with both hands. You wrap your fingers around his neck, your fingertips grazing the nape of his hair.

Your lips are smacking his lips in a hurry, while he runs a hand to cradle your face. He slips his tongue into your mouth and holds his breath when he feels your tongue moving in sync with him. He doesn't want to admit this is what he wished he could've done before.

Steve has been so stressed lately that he could only think about defeating Vecna. He didn't realize how much you were willing to take care of him these weeks. All he knew was that he also had to take care of you. And this is why he became so angry when you left without him knowing.

Especially because if something did happen to you, he would feel the regret of being an asshole to you.

He rips a low whimper from you when he gently grasps your lower lip by his teeth as he heaves against your mouth. You're both too absorbed into your own feelings, leaving grunts and gripping each other everywhere.

His fingers were digging your skin every time you would kiss his jawline and he was growing eager. He didn't want to look like he was trying to take advantage of you, only noticing now how much you also wanted this.

He then roughly pulls your shirt off, watching as your chest is quickly rising and falling. And his eyes sparkled when he saw your cleavage for the first time like that. Your bra perfectly hugging your round big breasts.

Steve didn't wait any longer, holding your waist and pushing you back against your bed.

That night, he pounded on you just like you dreamed about. He slapped his hips against your ass just like you wished someone would one day. The air was filled with sounds and lust.

You didn't even notice when your friends arrived right after he had an orgasm. You didn't have time to get dressed, only getting caught when Robin opened the door to you both naked. He didn't have time to remove his condom. She saw you naked. And worse. She saw her best friend naked.

And you thought it was going to be awkward, until Eddie turned the awkwardness into "I knew these idiots would fuck".

The night was all about this. They decided to leave the Vecna subject for the next day.

[petermorwood]

Vinegar and brown paper...not.

I recently reblogged that amazing "Super Dad To The Rescue" compilation again, because when I was very young my Dad did something similar for me.

I'm a lot older now, and he's long gone, but I still thought of his saving tackle back then in connection with my medical mishap a couple of weeks ago.

That was when I got a graphic demonstration of how pellets of large smooth gravel caught in cleated winter boot-soles can act like ball-bearings against a hard floor.

I actually found a bit of the guilty gravel a couple of days ago, under the worktop. Here it is alongside a real ball-bearing. Yes. Quite.

The fall put my lights out, and happened exactly a week to the day before Storm Éowyn put ALL our lights out. We're thoroughly glad of that week's separation, because these two incidents happening simultaneously would have been No Fun At All...

Anyway, I slammed my head against the tile floor and was, @dduane tells me, unconscious and unresponsive for several minutes. This quite properly caused her some concern - which, she says, is Putting It Very Mildly - and involved an ambulance to the nearest A&E (ER in US English).

It was at the house 10 minutes after DD called 999 and we were on the way 5 minutes later, running on blues - lights, no siren - along our twisty country roads, while one of the responders checked my vitals and responses both physically and with the on-board ECG.

(Incidentally, chest hair and adhesive ECG sensors are not a good combination, though at the time I wasn't complaining. That - eek! - came - ow! - later - yipe!)

Once at A&E and accompanied by the paramedic triage report which determined I wasn't an emergency case, things slowed down and we were there for IIRC about 6 hours.

During that time I was checked again by a nurse, fitted with a cannula for bloods, then had yet another check from a doctor which led to a CT scan as a precaution.

After its results were examined I received a clean bill of health - contusion not concussion or worse - and was good to go.

The only expense was for the taxi which took us home.

(And buying a much more aggressive doormat for THOROUGHLY clearing debris off boots...)

*****

Out of curiosity - mine, and several other people who've asked - can anyone give me an idea of what this would have cost (uninsured) in the USA?

Internet search results are vague and only confirm my own equally vague suggestion of "a couple of thousand bucks at least".

I have a feeling it's pretty accurate.

[bittersweet-jack-of-no-trades]

Stan gives the Mystery Shack to Soos, Ford ties up some loose ends that came of Stan using his name to commit massive tax fraud for thirty years, and then, finally, they take the Stan o' War II out on the high seas. Except...

They have no idea how to sail.

Sure, they had taught themselves (sorta) when they were kids, but that was... a long, long time ago. And sailing, especially sailing the 40' 'aged but beautiful' vessel they bought off the coast of California and refurbished, isn't actually... easy.

So they dock themselves up in the closest marina they could limp to on their little inboard engine, apologize to each other for the arguments that were sparked while fighting the main sheet in thirty-five knot winds and sideways rain, and shuffle their way to a sailing class.

And aren't they a sight: two sixty-somethings, identical twins, strangely haunted looks in their eyes, who seem to know everything and yet nothing about each other. Their classmates learn this quickly: Stan knows Ford's fingerprints, but not his favorite food. Ford remembers what Stan got for his fifth birthday, but not the name of his last ex. They're top of the class, of course (there's no official ranking, but everyone Knows Who's Best), and Ford keeps calling the twenty year old sailing instructor "kid," and we're pretty sure Stanley is... is that a gun? They're an entertaining pair of old men, for sure. Stan can't help it--- he's an entertainer at heart, he loves the attention--- and Ford finds he likes being recognized, but not for his oddities--- just his personality, and his stories.

Finally they feel confident enough to go out sailing on their own, and it's fulfilling, and fun, and they find a lot of cool shit. But as much as they love each other, and as much they learn about each other while sailing the deep blue, one just isn't enough company for two brothers who have always dreamed of being known. So, once or twice or four times a year, they sail back to that marina, check in on that class, and maybe do a little show 'n' tell. They become known in the area, two grunkles with a love for the sea but a heart belonging to land, and their visits are wild, fantastical things, with preserved mystical creatures and stories changing hands across each dock. Stan and Ford--- twins, but each their own personality, and appreciated for who they are. The Stan o' War II is their home, their purpose, and their future.

Fifteen or twenty or twenty-five or maybe, if we're lucky, thirty years later--- that's when the Stan o' War II sails into the marina slow and uncertain. And when they dock, it's not Stan and Ford who step off, but two young adults, a man and a woman. The sailing instructor, who is now a new twenty-year old, but has heard all the old stories of his predecessor, steps forward warily.

"You knew our grunkles, Stan and Ford," Dipper says to the suspicious crowd. He looks at the sailboat, and his face crumbles in the unmistakable folds of grief. "They... they used to say that their first breaths were by the sea, in a small Jersey beach town and--- and in order to top that, their last breaths should be on the sea. And they got their wish. And now... and now, well... Mabel and I, we don't know how to sail. We don't know how to keep the Stan o' War II alive."

It's natural, then, for Mabel and Dipper go to sailing class. They're twins who have fantastical stories and strangely haunted looks in their eyes; they're top of their class, even though there's no official ranking. When it's time, and class is over, they step onto the Stan o' War II and sail into the sunset.

The Dockmaster of the marina smiles sadly. He's not worried, though--- he saw how much they were like their grunkles while they were staying at the marina. And if he knows one thing about the Pines family, it's this: they'll be back, again and again, each discovery better than the last.

[t00tsmcgee]

Rook as a companion banter episode seven : Lucanis

Banter written with my Rook in mind. Read more about him here.

Part 1 (Neve) | Part 2 (Bellara) | Part 3 (Davrin) | Part 4 (Harding) | Part 5 (Taash) | Part 6 (Emmrich) | Part 7 Lucanis |

-

Lucanis: “You eat garbage.” Calais: “I feel like I’m being accused of something?” Lucanis: “Not literal garbage but I saw you fish out a flat sandwich from your pack the other day and eat it like it hadn’t been in there for two days.” Calais: “It was still good. The cheese was a little hard and sweaty though.” Lucanis: *Shuddering*

Lucanis: “What do you like to eat?” Calais: “I like fries and chicken and fried chicken.” Lucanis *quietly whispering* “Ayayay..” Calais: “I also like fried fish.”

Calais: “I liked that salad you made.” Lucanis: “It’s a Nevarran recipe. Blood orange salad.” Calais: “I’d had it before, but it was never this good.” Lucanis: “Every salad is better with cheese and some kind of nut.” Calais: *chuckle* Lucanis: "What's funny? ..Oh." *sigh*

Lucanis: “Aren’t most Nevarrans vegetarian?” Calais: “Most, yes.” Lucanis: “But not you?” Calais: “No. I’m only just really discovering that food can be something besides sustenance. I want to experience as many flavours as I can.” Lucanis: “I’m glad you’re having fun.” Calais: *fondly* “I blame you.”

Lucanis: “What about drinks?” Calais: “I like almost everything, but I don’t drink alcohol. Always just kind of tastes like paint thinner to me.” Lucanis: “What about warm beverages? Tea, coffee, hot chocolate?” Calais: “I’ll take tea over coffee any day.” Lucanis: “Who hurt you?”

Calais: “You know, Lucanis, I appreciate all the effort you make to take care of us.” Lucanis: “Someone has to. It’s a miracle you didn’t all contract some disease before I was here to cook for you.” Calais: “I didn’t have much choice.” Lucanis: “No?” Calais: “Rations are rations. We just ate what we were given, back at the Necropolis.” Lucanis: “That explains a lot, actually.” Calais: “So your food is a real treat. Just wanted you to know how much I’ve been enjoying it.” Lucanis: *Warmly* “Thank you.”

Lucanis: “Don’t even think about eating that sandwich you still have in your pack. I saw you take it with you when we left.” Calais: “It’s just a cheese sandwich, it stays good for a while. Maybe a bit stale but-” Lucanis: “Unacceptable. If you want to eat that at least let me toast it for you.”

Calais: “Hey, Lucanis?” Lucanis: “Yes?” Calais: “Will you teach me how to cook?” Lucanis: “You never learned?” Calais: “Not really. I mean I can fry an egg just about, and I read books about it, but I see the most wonderful illustrations in those books, that make my mouth water. I want to be able to make those!” Lucanis: *Chuckles* “Sure, I can teach you.”

Lucanis/Spite: “Spirit One reminds me of home.” Calais: “What was home like, Spite?” Lucanis/Spite: “It was home. Where I belonged, until she did this to us.” Calais: “I’m sorry, Spite. You didn’t deserve it.”

Lucanis: “So how is that you can see Spite when no one else but I can?” Calais: “I’ve always been able to speak to spirits in this way. If one has manifested as a possession I can see them hovering around the person they’ve possessed because that person tethers them to this world. Otherwise I have to draw them here with my magic.” Lucanis: “But Spite can touch things when you’re around, too.” Calais: “He uses a little bit of my power to manifest that touch.” Lucanis: “Doesn’t that tire you out?” Calais: “No, I barely notice. He’s very careful.”

Lucanis: “You’ve taught Spite how to paint.” Calais: “Actually I didn’t teach him anything. He just.. took a brush and went for it.” Lucanis: “He seems to like it.” Calais: “I think it’s a way to express himself when he’s lost most of his ability to do so.”

Calais: “You have fun painting don’t you Spite?” Lucanis/Spite: “Yes! Many colours giving shapes to emotions!” Calais: “And your colours are so well chosen.” Lucanis/Spite: “Yes, he likes it!” Calais: “I like it very much. Can I have one to hang on my wall?” Lucanis/Spite: “No! Its mine!” Calais: *laughing* “It was a compliment, I like it so much I want to look at it all the time.” Lucanis/Spite: *snarling* “Fine! Pick one! But only one!”

Lucanis/Spite: “The Spirit One is hurting.” Calais: “Oh, that’s just my leg. It always hurts. Don’t worry.” Lucanis/Spite: “Perhaps we can help.” Calais: “How?” Lucanis/Spite: “We can fly. We can carry!” Calais: *laughing* “As exciting as that sounds, it’d be a little impractical. But thank you, Spite.”

Lucanis: “You seem fond of Spite.” Calais: “I’m fond of you too, Lucanis.” Lucanis: “I know. But Spite listens to you. I spent the best part of a year with him and he hardly ever listens to me.” Calais: “Well I do speak to spirits for a living. It’s kind of my thing.” Lucanis: “Makes being around you hard, he constantly wants to speak with you.” Calais: “I’m sorry. I’ll try to engage less.” Lucanis: “No, it’s alright. It makes Spite calmer to talk with you. I had an actual night of sleep the other day, after he spent all evening talking with you. I think you’re good for him.” Calais: “He’s adorable, once you get past all the anger.” Lucanis: “I enjoyed your company, last night.” Calais: “And I yours. That was some very good tea you made.” Lucanis: “It’s no problem. I’m glad you enjoyed.” Lucanis/Spite: “Should have kissed him!” Calais: “What?” Lucanis: “No! Nothing, please, ignore him.”

Lucanis: “You’re getting better.” Calais: “At what?” Lucanis: “Cooking. For a while I wondered if my lessons were actually landing, but that pot roast you made yesterday was delicious.” Calais: “Thank you. I learned from the best.” Lucanis: “Well-” Calais: “And the most handsome.” Lucanis: *clears throat* “I’m not sure that’s relevant.” Calais: “Helps me pay attention to you.” Lucanis/Spite: “*cackle* He thinks you’re handsome!”

Lucanis: “Cal, would you maybe like to learn how to dance?” Calais: “Dance? Why do you ask?” Lucanis: “I was taught how to dance for social occasions and official parties. It’s a fun way to exercise. You said you struggled with regular work outs, this might be easier, for your leg.” Calais: “You’d do that for me?” Lucanis: “After everything you’ve done for me and Spite? Of course.” Calais: “It’s not transactional, Lucanis. But yes, I would like to learn. Thank you for thinking of me.” Lucanis/Spite: “He does it a lot!”

Calais: “Kind of sad we don’t have music to practice dancing to.” Lucanis: “I suppose we could give Spite a violin and see what he produces.” Calais: “I like my eardrums in tact, thank you.” Lucanis: “You think it will be that bad?” Calais: “Do you remember when he tried to play my piano?” Lucanis: “Ah.. say no more.”

Lucanis: “You seem quiet, ever since we returned from Treviso.” Calais: “You let Illario live.” Lucanis: “Yes. I don’t have enough family that I’d happily execute whatever shredded pieces of it are left.” Calais: “Family isn’t always blood.” Lucanis: “And blood isn’t always the answer.”

Lucanis: “Mi amado, I would like to take you to Treviso soon, meet my grandmother officially. She’s invited us for tea.” Calais: “Are you sure? She didn’t seem to think much of me when we rescued her.” Lucanis: “She’s going to have to get used to you, whether she likes it or not.” Calais: “What do I even say to her? ‘Hello Mrs Dellamorte I’m in love with your grandson?’” Lucanis: “I’d leave out the question mark at the end.”

Calais: “Papi Chulo.” Lucanis: *Hard exhale* “What?” Calais: “Viago said I should call you that, that it was a cute Antivan nickname for one’s lover.” Lucanis: *Deep sigh* “You don’t listen to what Viago says. Ever.”

[toto-the-cactus]

Thoughts about Guilimans daughter (who I have named Olyssia Guiliman) being the little baby sister to the ultramarine. Adorable. Now picture adult Olyssia, the Lady of Macragge being the elder sister. Olyssia seeing Ultramarines, so long lives to the baselines, but still so quickly gone to she who has lived millenia.

I'll be frank here, I pulled this short thing out of my ass at 3am so hope this actually gives you some fun when comparing old astartes regarding Roboute's daughter vs 40k astartes regarding Roboute's daughter. Not a lot, but I had fun writing it.

-°-

Titus had heard about the Lady of Macragge during his years as a Neophyte.

Most astartes do after undergoing the gene-seed implantation, but it was usually mentioned in reverence the same way one did with a Primarch’s name during the preachings. Before any of that, the primaris had never even seen a sculpture or portrait of the Lady.

To see her in person alongside her father, their Father, was quite an experience he had yet to express properly; mind still unable to believe that he is in their presence while inside the one place in the Macragge’s Honour that just a handful of firstborn astartes were allowed into: The Resting Home of the Legion Mother.

The fact that he had been brought here by Calgar himself was the one thing that kept Titus in check to not kneel rushedly in front of his Primarch and trueborn like just some initiated marine; this was a place of peace and quiet that needed to be respected and more specially when both husband and daughter mourned the prone body of the woman inside the stasis field that kept her life in a limbo.

“My Lord” saluted Calgar but once his eye strayed to the Lady, his expression softened in a way that caught Demetrius by surprise. “Hello, little one” he said this time with a tender influx. Nothing like the hardened Chapter Master that the primaris had come to know.

“Hi, Calgar” answered the young woman with obvious strain in her tone and a few traces of tears on her face.

It had been said in the past that when the Lady of Macragge always visited her mother’s sleeping form, crying could be heard from the outside. One thing was hearing the serfs mentioning such a fact but another abysmal thing to see it become true. He had heard the fates this woman, the granddaughter of the Emperor, had achieved during her years leading the Ultramarines after the Heresy.

To see her reduced like this by the grief was… humbling and strange.

“To what I own this interruption, Calgar?” asked the Primarch impatiently. Eyes never leaving the face of his wife as if he hoped to see a change in her peaceful expression.

With that question, both Guilliman and Marneus went a bit far to speak privately from them. Leaving Titus and the Lady alone.

This couldn’t be more awkward.

Demetrian still had to wrap his head around how the Chapter Master simply greeted the young woman with a familiarity that floored him. As if her status as trueborn was merely a decoration extending from her.

“You’re Demetrian Titus, right?”

At her soft voice, the primaris finally dared to look at the Lady to her eyes. She was practically a carbon copy of the Primarch, but her baseline genetics did a good job to smooth the rough edges.

“That is correct, my Lady” he answered the same he would when regarded by a superior. “It’s an honor to even be let inside this sacred room, my Lady. I feel humbled that you know my name too”

“It’s the minimum I can do as my father’s daughter… I always try to remember the names of the astartes that Big Brother Calgar always mentions more than once”

Titus, again, has to do a double take at the familiarity the Lady refers to someone like the Chapter Master.

Where he looks up at her in both reverence and curiosity, those that have lived before the Heresy had known the Lady of Macragge when still a child of bright eyes.

-°-

Titus when Olyssia knew his name the very first time they met:

[captain-huggy-bear]

Treat You Right

Pairing: Clayton Keller x Fem!Reader

Warnings: unwanted advances, men not taking no for an answer, Clayton's involved in a fight.

Summary: You're not dating Clayton Keller, but there's one thing he can't stand and that's a guy not treating you with respect...turns out he hates it enough to fight a guy in a bar after a game.

Notes: All I have to say is i'm in my Clayton brain rot era.

Totally happy to take requests/ideas/prompts at the moment in my ask box :)

Writing Masterlist

It's a normal night or it starts that way. Being friends with a bunch of pro-athletes means you're often dragged out after home game wins to whatever bar they decide is best that night. Tonight it's Sunny's, a common choice for the Utah Hockey Club because of the pool table, dart board and the fact that most of the people who come in are old middle age men or contractors. Guys, who might ask for an autograph but not the usual screaming crowd that make it impossible for them to have a drink or two.

You never really had being friends with the lot of them on your bucket list, but Michael had met you when he'd taken his cats to the vets and you'd been there with your own, a fat black moggie called Gremlin who'd fallen in love with Ranger. From that point on cat dates had been a thing because in Kess' words 'you can't separate true love', you weren't entirely sure whether Gremlin loved Ranger or just wanted to lick the other cat bald.

Either way the moment you became friends with Kess was the moment you became friends with the entire team, suddenly you were being asked to events, invited to home games and the celebratory drinks after. It was nice, for the most part you felt like you were their sister, someone for them to look after but also mock, just as much as you made fun of them. You had a little community, a gang, a group where you belonged even if you weren't actually on the team.

The exception to that rule being Clayton Keller...you definitely did not want to feel like Clayton Keller's sister.

It was bound to happen, that you'd have a crush on at least one of the team. It wasn't really your fault, and well, Clay had this way of treating you, all soft and sweet and like a girl, that had you flushing under his attention and preening at any compliment he gave you. You were almost certain it was a one-sided crush doomed to go nowhere and leave you pining after the captain until you settled for some mediocre guy in finance. He was just so nice to you, so sweet.

Still, Clay was half the reason you'd agreed to come out to Sunny's that night. Determined to spend some time with or at least around him. You'd even gone home to change after the game into a nice dress before coming back out again because maybe, just maybe, this would be the night that Clayton Keller realised you were the girl he wanted.

You're waiting for your coca cola at the bar, leaning on your forearms and watching the room from over your shoulder. Kess and Dylan were playing a game of pool in the corner, Kess appearing to be losing based on the glare he was sending Dylan's way. The rest of the guys were sat around their usual table, beers in hand laughing and joking. Your eyes find Clayton like he's a magnet, he's smirking at something O'Brian's said, Tuna probably making some stupid dirty joke or telling a story at the expense of Kess.

"Hey, pretty..." You're pulled out of your people watching by a slurred drawl far too close to your ear for comfort. Your eyes shift to the man next to you, who might have been considered handsome if he wasn't staring at your boobs so blatantly that you suddenly understood what a tasty pastry felt like in a patisserie window. It wasn't particularly flattering.

You shift away from him as much as you can without appearing rude because he'd managed to somehow sneak up on you and get within inches of your ear. Something you're sure he thought was seductive but just made your shoulders tighten and your body tense.

"Hi." You try to keep your tone short, not wanting to encourage the man but hating to feel like you're being unnecessarily rude as well.

"Can I buy you a drink, baby?"

"I'm good, thanks." You gesture at the soft drink your bartender just placed in front of you, thankful that this is your cue to leave and return to the safety of a group of hockey players.

Unbeknownst to you in that moment Marino is nudging Kells with his elbow, chin gesturing in your direction. You look uncomfortable, the way you're shifting away from the man leering at you, practically leaning over you, says enough. Every time you shift away from him, he shifts closer and it's clear to Clayton that you'd rather be anywhere else.

He can't help it, the way it makes his hackles rise, the way his fist clenches tight around his beer bottle as he takes another swig, forcing himself to be cool, to just let you handle it for a moment. It's not like you're dating, it's not like he has any right to storm over there and maybe he's wrong...maybe you're interested in the guy leering down at you like you're a piece of meat. Maybe he's more your type than Clay is.

He doesn't really blame the guy for showing interest. You're beautiful, always, but...there's something about the way you look tonight. Maybe it's that your dress accentuates your hips or the fact that the colour makes your skin look like its glowing...or maybe Clayton is just a little weak for you. That's not exactly a new revelation for him. He's been weak for you since day one.

"Seriously, baby, that's not a real drink, let me get you a real drink."

"I'm good." You stress your point this time, snatching your drink back from the man who just tried to take it off you and straightening to walk back to the guys. Any pretence of politeness dropped because you don't have to deal with this and you aren't going to.

"Where the fuck do you think you're going?" It's a shift in attitude that you should have expected, you've seen it before, but you don't expect the hand that wraps around your wrist to stop you walking away, your drink spilling as you're jerked to a stop. His hand is tight, uncomfortable so and the situation has gone from irritating to frightening, fear running down you're spine because this strange man has his hands on you.

Your eyes find Clay's almost instinctively, wide and scared but he's already out of his seat and shoving people out of the way with short, sharp apologies as he goes. It's not like he's alone either, half the team are now looking your way, waiting to see if their captain needs any help or not. Looking to see if they need to also step in.

"Get the fuck off me." Still, in the time it takes Clay to reach you you try to shake the man off, glaring up at him like it might help. It doesn't, if anything his grip tightens and he pulls you closer, a hand reaching for the skin of your thigh like he has any right to touch you.

It's that that has Clay seeing red. Going from thinking he'd calmly intervene to storming between the two of you like a bull in a china shop. It must be the surprise of someone intervening that does it, but the man let's your wrist go and Clay's pushing you gently back and out of the way before he's letting a fist fly at the guy's face without so much as a word towards the other man.

"Shit, Clay...What the fuck are you doing?!" All you can do is take another step back, hands coming to your mouth because out of all the guys on the team, Clay's the last one you expect to be starting a fight in a bar with a guy at least a head taller than him.

He doesn't answer you because he's too busy fighting, you're so shocked, so focused on what's happening in front of you, that you jump when Kess brushes your shoulder, pool having been deserted in favour of helping O'Brian and Marino pull the two men apart.

Despite the size difference Clay's winning or it looks like he's winning, you're pretty certain he's broken the other guy's nose and even with a bloody busted lip, he doesn't look winded or ready to stop. Part of you hates it. A stupid display of male pride and dominance that you should not condone at all...another part of you feels a thrill at Clayton fighting on your behalf, at the blood speckles across his white dress shirt, at the bruising on his knuckles, at the way he licks the blood from his busted lip and smirks at the guy sarcastically. Like he's completely and utterly in control.

You're not sure he's going to stop, eyes feral, mouth pursed, huffing like an angry bull when Kess finally has him round the shoulders and starts pulling him away. Tuna doing the same to the stranger. But, Clay does stop, just shrugs Kess off with sharp movements, "I'm fine. He won't be if he doesn't fucking leave though."

It's Tuna that escorts the stranger out of the bar and you're certain the only thing stopping the bar owner from kicking Clay out is the fact he's a local celebrity who brings in half the customers.

"What the hell, Clay?" You're still shocked by the brute display of force from him, not scared, just surprised. You can't deny there's a certain appeal to it. To the way he looks at you as he wipes blood from his chin, how his large hands clench and unclench testing his knuckles for a break. They're just bruised. He's hot...hotter than usual and you kind of hate that you feel that way, like you're setting feminism back 100 years. But, God...

“No one gets to treat you like that, you hear me? No one.” He can't stand it. The entitlement to grab you, the belief that anyone has a right to touch you without permission, to talk to you like that. He's half a mind to chase after Tuna and the guy, to keep going, but he knows he shouldn't...he's already done more than he probably should have. Headlines in the morning no doubt already looking like 'Utah Captain beats local man in bar brawl!'.

"That...you can't just fight someone for being a asshole," You can see Kess gesturing for everyone to give the two of you privacy as Clay steps into your personal bubble. He's still amped up, chest heaving like he wants another fight, lips parted to take in more air. You hate that you want to take a bite out of him, you hate that you want him to take that energy out on you in a completely different way than fighting.

"Why the fuck not?"

"Because...because..." all you can come up with is, "I'm not your girlfriend, Clay...you don't have to defend me."

He looks at you like you're an idiot, the only time he's ever looked at you like that. Like you're daft and it makes you flush with warm embarrassment because why couldn't you think of something better to say.

"No one gets to treat you like dirt. Like a piece of meat. Like he owns you, okay? Doesn't matter if you're my girlfriend or not, men better treat you with respect or they're dealing with me."

"Clay...I get it, you're a woman loving, modern man but..." You're convinced this whole display is just part of his gentlemanly stick, his righteous desire for fairness and justice in the world and nothing to do with you. it would be cute how oblivious you are, if he wasn't so fed up with it.

"And before you start that shit, yeah, I'd defend any woman in here, but I sure as fuck wouldn't be throwing punches over anyone else, baby." Clay runs his hands through his hair frenetically, the strands messy and loose, hat non-existent for once.

You feel like your head is spinning, buzzing, confused because surely he's talking about the fact you're kind of friends, that you're not a stranger. He can't possibly mean...he called you baby? When did Clay ever call you baby?

His laugh is sardonic, disbelieving as he watches the way you stare at him, all wide eyed and confused like he hasn't been trying to flirt with you for the past six months that you've known each other. Like he doesn't try to compliment you every time he sees you. Like he didn't give you his number the very first day so you could meet up. Like he's not totally irrevocably in love with you.

"Do I need to spell it out for you, sweetheart?" He's being a bit abrupt, a little bit mean in a way Clay normally isn't with you. Not quite so soft and he'll apologise for that later but he's still angry about the whole thing and you're obliviousness to his feelings feels like a slap in the face, like he's not good enough for you to even comprehend the idea of something more with. You don't owe him anything, but fuck, he's frustrated with the ignorance of it all.

"You're not my girlfriend, but I sure as hell want you to be and I've been flirting with you for six months and if you're just not interested that's fine, I'll still be in your corner, but I need to know if I'm just wasting my time waiting." This time when you're backed against the bar top by a man, it's by Clay, and it's wanted. He's in your space but with enough room that he's giving you an out, you can slip under his arm and leave at any moment. But you don't.

"You like me?" It's every dream you've had about Clay, every want, rolled up into one. The way he barricades you in on the bar top. The smell of his cologne. The warmth of him. The intense stare of baby blue eyes as he tells you he actually likes you, that your stupid, silly little crush isn't actually as one-sided as you thought.

"Only been flirting with you since the moment we met, baby."

"You've been flirting with me?" You lean back to get a better look at his face, your mouth dropped in shock. In turn he leans back to look at you in a similar manner, eyebrows high, blue eyes blinking in confusion.

"Are you serious?"

"Fuck...I thought...I thought you weren't interested...I thought...I thought you didn't like me back..." You're practically having an existential crisis between his arms because he's just admitted he likes you that he's been flirting with you for months, that all your pining and your moping has been for literally nothing.

"Back?" Clay's smile is starting to grow, the one you adore, all teeth and dimples as he picks up on that one seemingly insignificant word and prods at it. As if that word has put all the frustration, all the anger, all the bad feelings of the night instantly to rest.

"I..."

"Do you like me, baby?" He's all teasing smirks and half-lidded eyes now, leaning back into your space so close that you're chest to chest, nose to nose. So close you can feel the warmth of his breath on your lips. So close it makes you stutter and freeze.

"Clay..." Your eyes dart to all your friends, all eyes on the two of you as you flush warm, cheeks growing supremely hot because fuck, Clayton Keller looks like he's about to kiss you in the middle of a bar with the entire team watching like they need popcorn.

You watch Clayton's eyes flicker to catch the audience watching, the way he takes a moment to pause, to think, whatever impulsive decision he had being put to rest for the moment.

"C'mon..." His hand is wrapping around yours in no time, tugging you along and out of the bar, away from prying eyes as if that isn't just as blatant, just as obvious as kissing you in front of all of them or whatever he might have planned to do. There's part of you that wonders if this might be all some big joke he's about to play, the insecure part, the little girl from your childhood part, that feels like he might turn around and laugh with a loud 'as if!'.

You let him lead you outside, the night air cool against your arms, the sort of chill that makes goose bumps raise on your arms. He doesn't even hesitate before shrugging off his jacket and throwing it over your shoulders, his arm coming to rest there, tucking you into his side like you belong, like its natural for him to do.

You don't speak as you walk, scared to break the silence until you come to a stop a few streets down in front of a shop that Clay had parked across from earlier in the night. No one is around but you and that's what gives him the confidence to push you against the brick wall of the shop, to lean back into your space and ask the question that he never got an answer to.

"Do you like me, baby?" It's more intimate this time, but less pressured. There are no eyes on you, there are no bright bar lights or teammates getting an eyeful. Something about the dimness of the night, the cool air, the feel of his jacket over your shoulders and him, oh him, leaning into your space again, has you answering honestly.

"Yeah, yeah I do..."

There's a silent conversation that happens as his hand comes up to rest against your throat, thumb rubbing against the underside of your chin. He watches you carefully and you try to answer him without words, that you want this, that you really do like him.

Whatever Clay sees must be enough because he's leaning in slow, just slow enough for you to dip out if he's misread the situation, hand tightening just slightly around your throat before his lips are slanting over yours.

It's not a frantic kiss, not forceful or aggressive. He kisses you like a slow dance, like your the sweetest thing he's ever tasted and he's trying to savour it, enjoy it for as long as he can. Lips soft and slow against yours, tongue licking into your mouth unhurried and patient. If anyone is impatient it's you, your hands tangling into his hair and tugging until he groans against you, until that patience breaks just enough for him to start devouring your mouth like he's a glutton for you.

When Clayton finally pulls back from you you're both heaving in breaths, chests bumping against each other and lips kiss bitten. The smile he gives you is so soft, so sweet it makes you want to melt into a puddle, his eyes crinkling as just a hint of his teeth comes out to play.

"Can I take you on a date?" His nose bumps against yours, purposeful in the brush against your own like he can't stand to be too far away from you right now.

"Yeah, you can take me on a date, Clayton Keller."

"Good, cause I really need an excuse to punch the next guy that looks at you funny," He jokes causing you to let out a huff of a laugh, hand escaping his hair to whack his shoulder admonishingly.

"Don't you dare!"

[red-riot-unbreakable-heart]

Shoto's First Kiss Chapter 9 Update

Okay so Shoto's First Kiss Chapter 9 is almosttttt done! I've just about finished writing it out but it's gonna need hella edits, so expect it to drop next weekend or Valentine's day weekend? Thanks for your patience here all! It will be a 40-50 page chapter. There's a lot to cover!!!

Posting a snippet of Chapter 9 below as a holdover - the plot is ofc subject to change! But want you to enjoy a lil dramaaaa while you wait! :)

“Well…” Toru says nervously into the phone.

“What?” Hitoshi says blankly, turning to you for an explanation about your friend’s uneasiness with that piece of the plan.

“So. Um. Mineta didn’t volunteer to be our distraction out of the kindness of his heart.” You say awkwardly as Hitoshi’s tired eyes bore into your own. “We promised him that he’d get to kiss me in exchange for his services as bait for Mr. Vlad.”

“Damn. Offering sexual favors in exchange for services rendered? You guys are way more hardcore than I thought.” Hitoshi actually looks impressed. “So hopefully Mineta didn’t say anything about that fun little bargain to Mr. King after he got caught. Sexual Quid Pro Quo is definitely grounds for some kind of legal action or punishment.”

The blood in your veins goes cold. Shit.

“But it was his idea!” Mina shrieks through the phone’s tiny speakers. You wince at the sound. You feel shaky like you might start crying again.

“Yeah but you all agreed to it. And Mineta held up his end of the bargain. This could be really bad if the school found out about it.”

Neito mouths something angrily on the screen and the corner of Hitoshi’s mouth quirks upwards fondly.

“Neito…you’re on mute, babe.” He says in that gravely voice of his.

Monoma quickly unmutes himself and repeats what he was saying:

“But it’s only a kiss! It’s not like we promised Y/N would sleep with him or anything!” He says, gesturing wildly. His face is a bit pink in response to Hitoshi’s using such an unexpected term of endearment.

“It doesn’t matter…you still made a trade of a physical favor for a service. I don’t know what kind of punishment they’d slap you with, but this sort of thing would definitely rub the UA administration the wrong way if they found out about it. Let’s just hope Mineta didn’t say anything too incriminating. I can stop by his dorm and ask him before I got to bed, if you’d like.” Hitoshi smirks. “I think he’s afraid of me, so I’d probably be the best person to do it.”

“Could you, please?” You say in a strained voice. Hitoshi looks over and sees how pale you’ve gone, he awkwardly pats your shoulder in what he must think is a reassuring way.

“Yeah, for sure. It’ll be fine. You’ll see.” He retracts his hand from your shoulder and gives you a thumbs up.

“Alright. I think we’ve mostly got our story straight. Don’t mention the alcohol. Don’t mention me needing to kiss Mineta. Don’t mention Hatsume. Don’t mention Spin The Bottle. Say we wanted to throw a game night to promote unity and bonding between Classes A and B. We good?” You quickly recap, counting off your fingers as you make each statement. “Dang, that’s a lot to keep track of.”

Everyone nods to confirm that they’re aligned (Toru doesn’t say anything to indicate that she’s not aligned, so you assume she’s invisibly nodding).

A message appears at the top of your phone screen from Shoto, a tiny preview of his text reads out in a bubble:

Shoto: You doing alright?

You quickly move to swipe the bubble away, hyperaware that Hitoshi can see any message that flashes across your screen. You quickly remind yourself that it’s not weird for your classmates to check up on you -  you’re one of the party ringmasters, after all! And the message Shoto had sent was completely innocent, so…

Another message from Shoto scrolls across the screen as Toru rattles off a list of questions for Hitoshi to ask Mineta. You try to swipe the message away but you accidentally pull up the text screen over your friend’s FaceTime faces.

Shoto: This sounds awful to say, but getting to sneak away with you to the janitor’s closet almost makes getting caught worth it.  

You swipe desperately to get the text screen to disappear and after a moment succeed. Toru is still speaking, saying something about Hatsume’s drones. You throw a terrified glance at Hitoshi’s direction. He’s looking at you, violet eyes wide with shock. His eyebrows are comically far up his forehead.

Oh yeah, he definitely just got a glance at Shoto’s text.

Oh God. Now he knows.

“Alright, Hagakure.” Hitoshi quickly turns back to the screen and nods in agreement at whatever your friend is saying. His facial expression instantly falls back to neutral –his eyebrows relaxing and his eyes narrowing back to their usual lazy squint. You stare straight ahead and try to keep all of your blood from rushing to your face. You feel hot all over but in a bad way. You don’t know Hitoshi super well, but you know he’s a good person. He wouldn’t spill your biggest secret to the world, right?

Hitoshi seemingly ignores you as he continues talking into the FaceTime. “Yeah, that’s a good idea. Alright, I’ll ask him all of that. I think we’re all on the same page – get a good night’s sleep everyone.”

Good nights are exchanged, and one by one your friends drop off the call. Hitoshi clicks off your phone so that the screen goes back. He slowly turns to you, his expression still uncharacteristically surprised.

His voice is as even and measured as ever when he says:

“Holy shit, Y/N. How long have you been fucking Shoto Todoroki?”

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

HAHAHAHAA Okay so yeah that's part of Chapter 9! I'll keep plugging away and hopefully will have it your way soon! For now, here's the rest of the series to catch up on <3

Shoto's First Kiss Series so far:

Part 1: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋

Part 2: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 2

Part 3: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 3

Part 4: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 4

Part 5: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 5

Part 6: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 6

Part 7: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 7

Part 8: Shoto Todoroki x Reader | First Kiss ❄️🔥💋 PART 8

XOXO,

Red Riot Unbreakable Heart ❤️

P.S. Here's the link to my 🔥Master List! 🔥 I just posted a new story feat. a super hot and mushy Touya Todoroki if you're into that sort of thing: Touya Todoroki: Sexy Uber Driver!? | Touya x Reader AU Imagine 🌶 💕

[energ00n]

Uh, had an idea for a potential apprentice?

I know that in Cyberverse, Maccadam was actually Alchemist Prime, and I’m pretty sure Blurr took over the bar after the war ended in the IDW comics (or something close to it not entirely sure).

So I was wondering if we could have the speedy motormouth be one of Alchemist’s apprentices?

No one knows why Alchemist took that one in, all they know is there are now several Blurr shaped dents and holes in walls from crashes, and Alchemist will sometimes walk into meetings with Blurr tucked under his arm (who’s legs are still whirling in the air trying to run. The general assumption is that Alchemist finds the blue menace funny. He gets used as a messenger a lot, Hermes style.

(I also feel like Alchemist would be the ‘Fun Uncle that gives you your first beer while your parents aren’t looking’ kinda figure to the other apprentices)

It was just an idea

Imma be so real I know nobody you’re talking about except for Alchemist Prime and it’s not even the same iteration

[gyu-tori]

A Slice of Temptation | K.TH

A BIRTHDAY SPECIAL

Pairing: idol!taehyunx fem idol!reader Genre: Smut and some fluff Warnings: Mature content, explicit language, food play, fingering, praising, teasing, kissing/making out, finger sucking (lots of it), unprotected sex (wrap it up before you tap it) , Taehyun calls reader baby, some dirty talk, others that I may have missed!!

Summary: What was supposed to be a fun, lighthearted filming for your idol segment quickly turns into something far more nerve-wracking when you're assigned to interview Taehyun for his birthday.

But the real surprise comes after filming, when he invites you to his dorm to "celebrate properly." Alone. Tension lingers in the air, thick and undeniable, until he finally decides to break it—one taste of sweetness at a time.

Word Count: 5.6k

The nerves had hit you the moment you stepped out of the elevator. Today was a big day—your first solo interview segment, and you were visiting the one and only TXT. The thought of being around your seniors especially on such a special day like Taehyun’s birthday, made your heart race.

You stood in front of their practice room, pacing slightly, trying to calm the butterflies in your stomach. The makeup artist had done a perfect job, your outfit was on point, and you were ready to film—but the looming presence of the boy group, especially Taehyun, had you second-guessing everything.

The PD-nim’s voice broke through your swirling thoughts, calling you over. “Y/N, we’re starting in 5! Ready?”

You gave a quick nod, though the nervousness lingered like a weight on your chest. “Yes, PD-nim. Ready to go.”

With a deep breath, you stood in front of the camera, the bright lights making everything feel a little more surreal. As the countdown began, your smile widened. You had this. You could do this.

“Three… two… one…”

The camera zoomed in as you cheerfully greeted it, the familiar words falling from your lips almost automatically. “Hello everyone! Welcome back to another episode of Y/N’s Cut,” you said, raising your hand in a playful wave. “I’m your host, Y/N! And today, we have a very special episode for you. It’s a day full of surprises because we’re celebrating one of the most talented groups under HYBE—TXT!”

You paused for a beat, giving the camera a bright smile. “We’re here to wish Taehyun a very happy birthday, and of course, to ask him some fun questions. So stay tuned, because we’ve got a lot to unpack!”

You turned toward the practice room door, your heart speeding up again as you mentally prepared to enter. You knocked hesitantly, feeling the weight of the moment.

From inside, you heard a chorus of greetings, the boys’ voices excited and welcoming. “Y/N! Welcome!”

The rest of the group greeted you warmly, but your eyes were immediately drawn to Taehyun. He was leaning casually against the wall, arms crossed, eyes studying you in that way that made you feel both seen and unseen at the same time.

"Ah! Sunbaes, it's so nice to finally meet you," you stammered, bowing to them, a nervous giggle slipping from your lips as you bowed slightly.

"Nice to meet you too," Taehyun replied, his voice smooth, though there was a teasing undertone in his tone as he gave you a once-over. "Everyone’s ready, do we start now?" he asked, his gaze lingering just a little too long on you, making your heart beat faster.

You nodded, but as you started to speak, the nerves came back in full force. "Actually, I only need you for this interview, Taehyun-ssi. If that’s alright?" you added, unsure if it was too forward to make such a request.

He raised an eyebrow, an amused glint in his eye. "Of course. We’ll let you borrow him for a little while," Yeonjun said, nudging Taehyun lightly with his elbow, his grin widening.

The rest of the members chuckled, but Taehyun didn’t move, only tilting his head toward you with a small smirk. "Alright, let’s get this over with," he said, though there was something in his tone that made you second-guess whether he was really as uninterested as he seemed.

You exited the practice room and he followed you into another room where everything was set up, the cameras rolling as the door shut behind you. You tried to steady your breathing as the small, intimate space became a little too quiet, even with all the eyes of the staff on you. Taehyun took a seat at the small table, his posture relaxed but his eyes still studying you intently.

You cleared your throat and turned back to the camera, signaling for the interview to officially start. "So, Taehyun-ssi," you began, trying to steady your voice, "today’s a special day. It’s your birthday! How does it feel to be another year older?" You hoped the question came across as playful and casual, but your nerves were making it hard to read the room.

Taehyun leaned forward slightly, his smile still teasing but more genuine now. "Feels pretty good. Another year, another milestone. But I’m not one for big celebrations. I’d rather just relax, enjoy the day with the members, you know?"

You nodded, trying to focus on the flow of the conversation. "I get that. Birthdays can be overwhelming sometimes." You shifted in your seat a little, trying to find your rhythm. "But I heard you have something special planned for the day, right?"

"Something like that," he replied, his lips curving into that familiar smirk. "But we’ll keep it low-key. No big parties or surprises. Just a cake, some drinks, and good company."

Your heart skipped at the mention of cake, and you quickly caught yourself, mentally reminding yourself to stay calm. "Well, we’ve got a special treat for you today as well," you said, trying to sound casual, though you could feel your voice wavering just a bit. "A cake to celebrate your day."

Taehyun’s eyes flickered with interest, and you quickly moved towards the table where the cake was waiting. Your hands felt unsteady, and as you reached for the box, you could feel your palms growing clammy. You took a deep breath and turned back toward him, offering the box with a slight tremor in your hand.

"I—I baked it myself," you blurted, suddenly feeling embarrassed by the confession. "I—wanted to make something special for you, Taehyun-ssi." You felt your face heat up as you looked at him, hoping the gesture didn’t come across as too forward.

He looked at the box for a moment before his gaze met yours. You couldn’t quite read his expression, but his eyes seemed to soften just a fraction as he took the box from your hands.

"Thank you," he said, his voice low and smooth, making your heart skip a beat. His gaze lingered on you, and there was something about the way he looked at you that made your face flush deeper.

As he set the cake down on the table, he casually cut a slice, the soft sound of the knife through the cake making you feel even more on edge. Without even using utensils, he grabbed a small piece and, with a teasing glint in his eyes, lifted it to his mouth. Slowly, he licked the frosting off his finger, his gaze never leaving yours as he did so. The slow, deliberate motion had your pulse racing, and before you could stop it, your face heated up, your cheeks burning with embarrassment and something else you couldn’t quite place.

You tried to focus on the conversation, but your attention kept drifting back to his finger, the way his lips curved as he savored the taste. You couldn’t deny how much the small action made your stomach twist with a mix of desire and discomfort. There was something undeniably captivating about him, and he seemed to know the effect he had on you.

Taehyun smirked again, his eyes still locked onto yours. "Not bad," he commented, his voice soft but with a hint of amusement. "You baked this yourself?"

You nodded quickly, trying to clear your throat and sound normal. "Y-Yes, I wanted to make something special for you."

"Well, it’s definitely... memorable," he said, his smirk never faltering. You tried to ignore the beating in your chest, continuing the interview.

The shoot had wrapped up earlier than expected, and the staff began moving toward the exits, chattering amongst themselves about the next project. But Taehyun stayed behind, lingering in the corner of the room with an air of calm that contrasted sharply with the chaos around him. You hadn’t expected him to ask you anything, let alone invite you somewhere. But when your eyes met, he gave a small, knowing smile, and your breath hitched in your throat.

Without a word, he picked up the box containing the cake you’d baked and turned to you. His voice was low, smooth, and somehow commanding despite its casual tone. “Come over to the dorms. Let’s celebrate properly.”

Your heart skipped a beat. You couldn’t tell if it was excitement or nerves that caused the flutter in your chest, but the idea of spending more time with him—alone—sent a rush of emotions through you. You swallowed hard, trying to seem unaffected, even though the mere thought of being alone with Taehyun made your heart race.

You hesitated for a moment, your mind running through a million possibilities. What would it be like? Was this something he did often with guests or was this different? He wasn’t giving you any hints, though. His eyes were steady, waiting for you to answer.

“Okay,” you managed, voice softer than you intended. You immediately cursed yourself for sounding too eager, but Taehyun simply nodded and motioned toward the door. You followed him, still unsure of what you’d gotten yourself into, but you couldn’t help the curiosity tugging at you.

The drive to his dorm felt like an eternity, and yet, it was over far too quickly. The air was thick with anticipation, and you couldn’t seem to control the nervous energy that buzzed through you. Every word he spoke, every glance in your direction, had your heart pounding. You tried not to overthink it, but every little detail felt magnified in the quiet of the car.

The moment you stepped inside the dorm, the atmosphere shifted. The door clicked behind you, leaving just the two of you in the quiet space. Taehyun moved with effortless grace, setting the cake down on the kitchen counter, his movements slow but purposeful. The air between you two was thick with an undeniable tension, each small shift of his gaze making your heart race.

He turned, flashing you a brief smile as he poured two drinks. You could feel the weight of his attention, his eyes lingering on you in a way that made you feel exposed, though he said nothing. The sound of the bottle’s liquid filling the glasses echoed in the otherwise silent room, the quietness making the space feel almost too intimate.

You stood by the counter, unsure of where to sit, fidgeting nervously with your hands as you tried to ignore the way your pulse quickened under his gaze.

“Make yourself at home,” Taehyun said in his usual nonchalant tone, but it only added to the air of quiet authority he exuded. He handed you a glass, his fingers brushing against yours as you took it, sending a shiver through your body.

“Thanks for having me over,” you said, attempting to keep your voice casual, though it came out a little softer than you intended.

“No problem,” Taehyun replied, not breaking eye contact as he took a sip from his own glass. He leaned back against the counter, arms crossed, looking relaxed but observant. “It’s just gonna be the two of us for a while. The others had to stay longer for some extra practice, and I got to leave early.” He shrugged, a small, cocky smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. “Perks of being the birthday boy, I guess.”

Your heart skipped a beat. The thought of it being just the two of you felt strangely intimate, and the way he said it made you feel like you were both on some unspoken edge, standing at the precipice of something new.

As Taehyun eyed you, his expression softened just slightly, but the teasing glint in his eyes never disappeared. He seemed to enjoy the effect his words were having on you. “I don’t mind the company though,” he added casually, though his gaze was still intense, focused on you.

You felt the weight of his attention all over again, your heart fluttering in your chest. You quickly tried to shake off your nervousness, but his words hung in the air like an unspoken invitation, leaving you both more aware of each other than ever before.

The dorm was quiet except for the soft clink of glasses on the table and the low hum of the fridge. Taehyun sat across from you, his fingers lazily tracing the rim of his glass, eyes locked onto yours with quiet amusement. The atmosphere was thick, heavy with something unspoken. It was like the silence between you two was more intimate than any words could express.

“You were so nervous earlier,” he mused, his voice smooth, teasing. “Was it because of me?”

The question was casual, but there was something about the way he said it that made your stomach twist. You quickly shook your head, feeling the heat rush to your cheeks. “No, of course not—”

“Liar.”

His smirk deepened, and before you could protest, he leaned forward, placing the cake box in front of you both. The moment was loaded with anticipation, the weight of his gaze on you making your heart beat faster. Taehyun seemed to savor the silence as he regarded you, eyes dancing with mischief.

He picked up the knife, slowly cutting into the cake with a deliberate slowness that made you nervous. You watched him carefully, unsure of what to expect next, and as the first slice was made, Taehyun’s eyes never left yours. The tension hung between you like a heavy curtain.

"You know," he said, his voice low and playful, "I don’t think I’ve seen you this nervous in your show."

“He watches my show?” you said in your mind. Your lips parted to respond, but before you could, he placed a piece of cake on a plate and slid it closer to you. His fingers brushed against yours as you reached for the fork. You looked up to meet his gaze, and there was something about the intensity in his eyes that made your stomach flutter.

"You’re not going to try it?" he teased, his voice smooth. "Don’t tell me you’re too shy to eat the cake you made in front of me."

You hesitated, looking down before speaking. “I’m not shy,” you whispered, though the heat in your cheeks said otherwise.

Taehyun chuckled teasingly, clearly enjoying the effect he was having on you. "Uh-huh. Sure you're not."

There was a quiet pause, before he suddenly reached for the slice of cake, scooping up a generous amount of frosting with his finger. His gaze never wavered as he held it between you two. “Open,” he instructed, his tone just a little firmer now, commanding.

Your heart raced in your chest as you looked at his frosting-covered finger in front of you. The simple request felt like it carried more weight than it should. Slowly, you parted your lips, and without missing a beat, Taehyun pressed his fingers against your tongue. The taste of sweet vanilla filled your mouth, and for a moment, all you could focus on was the taste of sweetness, whether it was the frosting or his fingers—it was definitely sweet. His eyes were still staring at yours, and the weight of it made your breath hitch.

You licked his fingers clean, feeling a shiver race down your spine as you did. His eyes darkened with something unreadable, a mix of amusement and desire swirling in his expression.

“Good girl,” he murmured, pulling his fingers away, the praise sending a jolt of electricity through your body. His voice, soft and steady, was laced with a warmth that made your thighs unconsciously press together. The way he said it, so calm yet so commanding, ignited a fire in you you hadn't expected.

Before you could gather your thoughts, his thumb brushed the corner of your lips, catching a bit of frosting that had escaped. You barely had time to react before he leaned in, his tongue dragging over the skin right next to your lips in a slow, deliberate lick. Your breath was caught, your body tense, as the sensation sent an uncontrollable shudder through you. 

“You taste… sweet,” he murmured, his lips barely grazing your jaw. You closed your eyes, your hands gripping the edge of the counter for stability as his touch intensified.

"But I don’t think this is enough…" Taehyun's voice dropped lower, a dangerous, teasing edge creeping in. He dipped his fingers back into the cake, this time smearing frosting along your collarbone, down the exposed skin peeking from the neckline of your top.

Your breath hitched as the coolness of the frosting contrasted against your flushed skin. “T-Taehyun, what are you—”

Before you could finish your sentence, his lips met your skin. He licked, sucked, and nibbled lightly along the sweetened trail he’d left, sending waves of heat and sensation through your body. The mix of pleasure and embarrassment had you gasping, eyes fluttering shut as you melted under his touch.

“You look good like this,” he whispered, voice thick with desire. “So soft, so obedient, so… tempting”

The words hit you like a shockwave, sending a rush of heat between your legs. He knew exactly what he was doing to you—knew how easily he could make you melt beneath him with just his words and touch.

His fingers trailed up your arm, then tilted your chin, forcing you to meet his eyes. His gaze was commanding, dark, and intense. “You want more?” he asked, his voice low and husky. “Admit it.”

Your pride warred with the desperate desire pulsing through your veins, but you couldn't help it. Breathless, your lips parted. “I... I do.”

A dark chuckle escaped him, and without warning, his lips descended onto yours, his kiss deep and consuming. His tongue slid against yours with a hunger that left you gasping for air, a whimper escaping you as his hands gripped your hips, pressing you further against the counter. You could feel the heat of his body, his strength, and his dominance wrapped around you in every movement.

Taehyun pulled away from the kiss, but not for long. He lifted you effortlessly, placing you on the kitchen counter, standing between your legs with an air of dominance that made you shiver. His hands roamed over your body, exploring every inch of you with slow, deliberate movements, and you felt yourself melting beneath his touch.

His lips trailed down your neck, his teeth grazing lightly, just enough to leave a mark. You gasped, your breath uneven as your hands gripped his shoulders for support.

“You like being told what to do, don’t you?” His voice was a low murmur against your skin, fingers playing with the hem of your top, teasing.

Your chest rose and fell with shallow breaths, your head barely nodding. 

He didn’t need any more confirmation. With a smirk, he slipped your top over your head, his eyes darkening as he took in the sight of you. His fingers trailed down your stomach, smearing more frosting onto your exposed skin as he leaned down, his lips following the path he’d made with his fingers.

“You’re my dessert tonight,” he whispered, his breath hot against your skin. Then, with a slow, deliberate movement, he licked a long, teasing stripe up your torso, swirling his tongue over each spot where frosting had touched “-the perfect gift”

You trembled, your body reacting to every touch, every lick. Your hands instinctively gripped his shoulders, holding onto him for support as he continued his slow, torturous exploration. His teeth grazed against your sensitive skin, sending a wave of shivers through you before he soothed the sting with his tongue.

“Taehyun—” You gasped as his mouth continued to worship your skin, sending you further into a haze of pleasure.

He silenced you with another kiss, this one deeper, more desperate. His hands slid lower, teasing the waistband of your shorts before pulling them down with a fluid motion. You shivered, the cold air hitting your heated skin, but Taehyun didn’t stop. His fingers traced the outline of your body, playing with the edge of your desires, pulling you closer to the end.

“Let me hear you beg for it,” he murmured against your lips, his voice low, a quiet command that made your body tremble with need.

You could feel the fire inside you burning, every inch of your body craving him. “Please… I need you,” you whispered, unable to stop yourself.

A satisfied smirk curled on his lips, his eyes dark with lust. “That’s my girl.”

He picked you up, as if you weighed nothing, and carried you over to the couch. He laid you down gently and went back to the kitchen. He returned, the cake in hand, placing it on the coffee table in front of you. 

“This isn’t fair for my baby, is it?” he says, sitting next to you. You stared at him confused until he grabbed the hem of his shirt, taking it off in one swift motion revealing his sculpted chest. The sight alone made your core tighten with need. 

Taehyun took more frosting on his fingers and smeared it on his chest, licking the remains from his fingers. “Why don’t you have a taste?” he asked, still staring at you while cleaning up his fingers. Hesitantly, you inched forward, slowly poking your tongue out whilst looking up at him. “Don’t be shy, baby, go on.” with his permission, you licked a stripe of frosting up his chest, gaining a bit of confidence. As you were cleaning up his chest, he whispered in a low voice “You’re enjoying this a bit too much now, aren’t you?”.

Before you could even respond, his hands grabbed your waist and pulled you over his lap. He pressed hard against your core, making you gasp, your body instinctively grinding against him. His hands moved across the back of your head, tangled in your hair as he tilted your head back, capturing your lips in a searing kiss.

The kiss felt like it took over all your senses, his tongue claiming yours with so much urgency that it made you breathless. His hands tightened around your hips, rocking you against his growing bulge as a low groan escaped his chest. "You feel so fucking good," he cursed against your lips, sending a jolt of excitement through you. 

 His hands slipped under the waistband of your pants, gripping your bare ass and pulling you closer. “I can’t wait anymore” everything was suddenly a blur and he was now hovering over you. "So pretty," he sighed, leaning down to press open-mouthed kisses against your collarbone, his lips igniting fire in the process.

With skilled hands, he removes your pants, sliding them down your legs and leaving you naked beneath his hot gaze. His fingers brushed against your clothed bundle of nerves, lingering on the damp fabric, and his lips curled into a cocky smirk. "For someone so shy, you seem to be excited" he teased, his voice filled with pride as he finally removed the last piece of clothing you had.

You whimpered as his fingers moved between your folds, gathering the wetness that had pooled there. "You're soaked," he groaned, inserting one finger inside you and quickly adding another, your hands gripping his biceps. The stretch caused you to arch against him, but his pace remained slow, much to your dismay. After months of not being sexually active due to being an idol, this was like the first time again.

His gaze never left your face, ensuring that you were okay. He drew his fingers back out, only to thrust them back in and curl them, touching that specific spot inside, making you let out a pornographic moan.

You clenched around his fingers as he quickened his pace, "Tae-" you bit your lip; you were close, he could feel it. Your eyes were closed, and your brows were furrowed.

"Taehyunie, please," you pleaded, your voice shaking as your hips bucked against his hand, seeking release.

"Calm down, baby," he said, his lips brushing across the shell of your ear. He pulled out his fingers, leaving you hanging on the brink of relief, making you let out a frustrated sigh.

Suddenly he sat up, pulling his pants down his legs, freeing his hard length from its confines, and your mouth dried up at the sight of him. You were staring, he noticed, but before you could do anything, he was already on you again, his lips slamming into yours . 

Pulling back from the kiss, he teased your drenched folds with his tip, his lips lingering over your ear. "Tell me, baby," he said softly, his voice dark and demanding. "Tell me how much you want this, how much you want me.". 

"I want it, so bad," you said, putting your legs around his waist and pulling him closer. "Please."

Taehyun wasted no time and pushed his length inside you, slipping in until he was pushed to the hilt. It seemed as if your walls had been filled to the last inch. You groaned as your walls pulsated, full and sensitive. He leaned forward, hands resting beside your head on the couch underneath the two of you.

"Does it feel good?"" He breathed into your ear, and all you can do is cry out and nod. He pulled out just enough to keep the tip in, then gently began sliding back in, this time deeper than before.

"Good," he said into your ear, straightening himself as he brought your hips closer to his and began to move quicker.

Fingers digging into your hips with such force that they would likely bruise later, but the additional pain just added enough to your already existing pleasure.

"Shit baby, you're doing so good,"

He could feel your entire body shaking and knew you were getting close because of the way you were squeezing him. He felt his balls tightening and realized he's only seconds away from cumming, but he wouldn’t let himself release before you had.

The sound of skin-on-skin clapping resonated throughout the living room as he chased his high while you clutched to the cushions for dear life. 

He felt good, too good to be true and you clenched around him even more, practically screaming that you’re ready to cum. "Tyun—fuck — I'm close," 

He brought his fingers over your bundle of nerves and started to rub in a circular motion. "Let go baby, I'm here,"

"Oh fuck, Tae, keep going — fuck — I'm coming, I-" With a loud moan, your back arched as you reached your peak. 

“Just a bit more baby, I’m close too,” he said, basically panting at this point, “Where do you want me to cum?” he asked before he could let go.

“Wait! Not inside, I’m not on anything, anywhere but inside,” you replied. Suddenly Taehyun had an idea, he pulled out and moved closer to the coffee table. He continued stroking himself and with a loud groan he released all over the cake he had brought over from the kitchen.

You were still laying down, eyes practically shut from exhaustion, when you felt something on your lips, “Eat up,” he said. You opened your eyes and saw him holding a piece of cake, topped with some of his release. You opened your mouth to take a bite, keeping eye contact with him. “It tastes sweeter now, hm?” He gave you a kiss after you swallowed. 

He then got up and helped you up, “Let’s get you cleaned up”.

The dorm was quiet, save for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the occasional creak of the couch beneath you as you laid tangled in each other’s arms, with you wearing his shirt and him only in his sweatpants. Your skin still tingled from the lingering sensation of Taehyun’s touch, your body utterly exhausted from the passion you’d shared. The warmth of his body pressed against yours, a steady comfort that made you feel safe, secure, and completely content in the aftermath.

Taehyun, ever so relaxed, reached over to grab a piece of the cake from the table. His fingers brushed against your lips, and you didn’t hesitate this time, taking it eagerly, making him chuckle.

“You’re learning fast,” he teased, pressing a soft kiss to your temple. “Can’t say I didn’t warn you.”

You pouted, playfully nudging his chest with your elbow. “It’s your fault for making me nervous.”

Taehyun just smirked, pulling you even closer, his fingers tracing lazy circles on your skin. “You’re so cute when you’re shy.”

As your eyelids grew heavy, the gentle rhythm of his touch lulling you to sleep, you let out a soft sigh. The contentment you felt with him in this moment was almost overwhelming, and you let yourself drift, thinking about how much fun you could have in the future.

But just as the calm settled in, the door suddenly burst open with an exaggerated bang, and loud, boisterous voices filled the room.

“Happy birthday, Taehyun!” the TXT members shouted in unison, carrying a mountain of gifts, balloons, and what looked like some very extravagant party hats. They seemed all too excited, grinning like kids in a candy store.

However, the moment they laid eyes on the scene in front of them—Taehyun casually sprawled out on the couch, you nestled in his arms, your hair slightly disheveled, the remains of cake on both of your faces—they froze. The energetic chatter immediately ceased. Silence stretched for what felt like an eternity, and the awkwardness in the air was so thick you could practically taste it.

Soobin, the first to enter, froze completely in place. His eyes darted from Taehyun’s smug grin to your flushed cheeks, and his mouth opened and closed, but no words came out. Behind him, Yeonjun, carrying a giant stuffed bear, stumbled in, completely unaware of the awkwardness that awaited. The second his eyes landed on you two, though, the bear nearly slipped from his hands as he froze, his face turning a shade of red that nearly matched the color of his shirt.

There was another beat of silence. Beomgyu’s face was unreadable as he looked between the two of you and then at the floor, visibly trying to ignore the fact that something very private was happening in front of him.

Yeonjun was the first to break the silence with a nervous chuckle. "Uh… we didn’t, uh… interrupt anything, did we?" he asked, his voice high-pitched, almost comically so. His eyes bounced between you and Taehyun like a tennis ball in a match.

You couldn’t even look at them. You simply buried your face in Taehyun’s shoulder, wishing you could vanish into thin air.

“Did we catch you at a bad time?” Soobin’s voice cracked, causing Taehyun to chuckle darkly, clearly enjoying the discomfort of his members.

“Guys, really?” Taehyun said, still relaxed, not at all fazed by the situation. He was practically lounging, an arm draped lazily around your shoulders as if the whole thing was no big deal. "You didn’t knock? Really?"

The awkwardness only deepened as the other members looked at each other with growing discomfort. Then, in true chaotic TXT fashion, it all erupted.

Yeonjun, clearly flustered, quickly reached forward and nearly dropped the stuffed bear. “Uh, yeah, Happy Birthday, I guess?” he stammered, trying and failing to make it sound casual.

Soobin, who had been holding a gift box, stood frozen, eyes wide in disbelief. “We—uh, we brought presents and—” He paused, glancing at the situation again and lowering the gift box. “Are we… interrupting?”

Beomgyu, trying to save face, cleared his throat loudly and grinned awkwardly, but his gaze kept flicking between you and Taehyun. “Best birthday surprise?” He half-laughed, though it didn’t reach his eyes. He seemed unsure whether to hand over his gift or take a few steps back and leave.

You couldn’t help but burst into nervous laughter at the ridiculousness of it all. Taehyun, however, seemed unfazed, thoroughly enjoying the discomfort he was causing. “It’s fine, guys. You can leave your presents over there,” he said, casually gesturing toward the coffee table, his voice dripping with amusement.

But then suddenly Kai enters, “HAPPY BIRTHDAY!! You better like my gift because it wasn’t che-” he stops mid sentence, completely overwhelmed by the awkward tension, suddenly dropped his gift—an expensive-looking watch—right onto the floor with a loud clink. He stared at it, wide-eyed. “I—uh—I didn’t… expect this,” he muttered under his breath, visibly panicking.

“Dude, did you drop your gift?” Yeonjun blurted out, eyes still darting between you two as if trying to process what had just happened. He too looked like he wanted to vanish into thin air.

With all the members now shifting uncomfortably in the room, Taehyun finally leaned back against the couch, a smug smile spreading across his face. He didn’t seem the least bit embarrassed about the situation. In fact, he seemed downright pleased with the effect his actions were having on his friends.

“Anyway,” he said, turning to you with a wink, “looks like the real celebration’s just getting started.”

The others finally relaxed, but the awkwardness lingered in the air as they awkwardly handed over their gifts, trying to pretend like everything was normal. Taehyun, still with that mischievous grin, leaned over to you, his lips brushing your ear. “Best birthday ever.”

You could only nod, still flushed and amused by the absurdity of it all.

As the rest of the members settled around, you and Taehyun exchanged an amused look, both of you trying not to laugh at the chaos that had just unfolded. Despite the initial awkwardness, it was clear that the memory of this would stick with everyone for a long time—and it would definitely be one they wouldn’t be able to shake off.

“Oh hey, there’s still some cake!” Kai exclaims reaching out for the cake on the table, your and taehyun’s eyes widening.

“KAI DON’T!”

© all rights reserved ─ @gyu-tori 2025

Rei's Notes ✎: Another surprise fic for tyunnie's bday!! The man who's slowly sneaking up to being my bias wrecker~ It's my first smut fic so please go easy on me huhu but I hope you all enjoy it~ I had to keep it short to post it on time... T^T I PROMISE I'LL WRITE LONGER SMUTS IN THE FUTURE WHEN IM BETTER!!

Taglist: @yunverie @dawngyu @hueningstar @hhoneyhan @immelissaaa @lovingbeomgyudayone @xylatox @i-like-to-read-at-4am @imlonelydontsendhelp @ode2soob

[starcurtain]

A Closer Look at the Phaidei Memory

I've seen so many people talking about this scene with Phainon and Mydei and making fun of how blatantly obvious Phainon is about his... respect for Mydei's... conspicuous body, but one thing I feel like a lot of people missed (or at least I haven't seen anyone discussing) is that this memory seems to come from very early on in their acquaintance.

Looking at it closely, it's clear that the two aren't particularly familiar with each other yet in this memory sequence. For one, Phainon questions things that he should easily know if he was well-acquainted with Mydei already.

First, very comically: "Do you even bathe, bro?"

And second, Phainon questions why Mydei isn't immune to the black tide:

This suggests that, up the point of this memory, Phainon had not been in enough battles with Mydei (or at least close enough to Mydei) to see him be affected by the black tide. Apparently, this memory-Phainon-and-Mydei don't have years of rushing into battle side-by-side to defend Okhema yet.

It's also hilariously clear that the Phainon in this memory has absolutely no idea how to talk to Mydei.

Breaking this scene down, it's literally Phainon just trying really hard to strike up conversation, doing his best to try to crack the tough exterior and get Mydei to actually interact with him. He jumps around through topics rapidly--the baths, the black tide, their personal sparring--looking for anything that will catch Mydei's attention.

Meanwhile, we can tell that Mydei is not particularly familiar or comfortable with Phainon yet because his dialogue is so different from any of his other scenes in the game. Although Mydei is obviously not the game's biggest yapper, he does always have full sentences to contribute to other conversations and banters readily with Phainon whenever he's baited into it.

In this memory, he instead starts off polite but also completely aloof:

This is the exact sort of response you'd have to a vague acquaintance coming up and trying to talk to you like you're best friends. Phainon skipped at least four steps of familiarity here, and Mydei is obviously at a loss for why the conversation is even happening.

He responds by blatantly stonewalling, answering Phainon's (slightly pathetic) attempts to start an actual conversation in nothing but single word answers:

You can even see Phainon recognize how bad he's failing half way through the conversation, which prompts him to vocally declare that he's going to make a complete topic switch:

And this time, it works!

When Phainon brings up their personal duel or spar, whichever it was, finally, finally Mydei caves and engages in the conversation with him:

Which prompts Phainon to laugh (in relief? lol) and flat out crow about how he's finally cracked the code and figured out how to get Mydei to notice him:

Poor Mydei, however, did not seem to realize his slight display of interest was going to lead him into a full conversation, and he responds to Phainon's blatant invitation to keep talking with a confused:

Witness Mydei accidentally turning down Phainon's request for a date in real time.

The only thing that complicates the situation is what Phainon says late in the memory: that they've battled "all this time." However, looking at his earlier comments, this last statement may just be in a general sense, as in "two Chrysos Heirs who have been fighting the titans for years," especially as the rest of the line "How do you train? Would you consider teaching me?" once again indicates a lack of close familiarity.

(It's also possible this line is just poorly translated in English, and was actually meant to refer to their legendary ten-day-long duel: "We battled all that time, yet I never saw you fatigued." Given the rest of the lines in the memory, I think "dodgy translation" honestly makes the most sense here, and would also just have really funny implications: Phainon and Mydei didn't fall in love at first sight; they fell in comically-long-duel at first sight. Okay, maybe for Phainon it was both.)

Phainon's earlier statements in the memory make it clear that he isn't very experienced with fighting Mydei specifically, with the overall implication of the dialogue being that they've just had their first duel against each other recently:

So anyway, where I am going with all this?

I know a lot of people got distracted by Phainon's (accidental?) pass at Mydei in the first line, but I think taking a step back and looking at the scene as a whole, in context, makes it even more hilarious and off-the-cuff:

Phainon and Mydei aren't well-acquainted in this scene.

Phainon literally walked up on a guy he barely knows and the first words that fell out of his mouth were "Dan Nicky your bobbies." "I would know that body anywhere."

Even Mydei was weirded out at first!

Like, Phainon has absolute foot-in-mouth syndrome around his new "friend." He spends the whole conversation narrating his own attempts to communicate ("Ah, I see I am unwanted. Instead of leaving, I shall try another tactic. Is it working yet?" and "Yes, yes, yes, it worked!") like this is a remotely normal thing to do around a person you're not even close with yet.

You can see his puppy tail wagging. He wants to be friends with Mydei so bad.

He is actively making up excuses to try to get Mydei to spend time with him here--first the comment about "Yay, you're here!" at the baths like he expects them to bathe together, then the whole "Why don't we go somewhere and have a long conversation about the insights we gained from rolling around in the dirt together?" to finally just flat out asking Mydei to train with him.

It's so charmingly earnest, straightforward, and even a bit awkward that I think this scene is really under-rated by the fans. It's not just another example of Phainon commenting on Mydei's muscles--it's a glimpse into what they were like before they were close and just how much Phainon wanted to connect to Mydei, how willing he was to explore to discover exactly what Mydei would be interested in so that he could seize that common ground between them.

Really a masterclass in showing us fans characterization right on the cusp of changing, and for showcasing both Phainon's charming audacity and Mydei's surprisingly-reserved-around-strangers behavior.

And, since we know the future that memory-Phainon-and-Mydei are headed toward... we also know it worked! Mydei is smiling by the end of the conversation! He and Phainon are going to become vitriolic best buds--er, rivals--and Phainon is going to get all the spars he wants.

Persistence pays off!

[utilitycaster]

I read your posts regarding c3 and what could be done differently, and I’ve always thought the way they handled Bertrand Bell was weird. He’s only in three episodes, then dies — c3 was my first campaign, and I had no idea who he was before, nor sure why I should care . Emotionally he didn’t leave an impact on the other characters (although I love Fearne’s jazz monologue) or the audience who has seen him one time before. They use his name for their party name but then don’t bother to see his grave, or remember him at all.

His death also means that we are tied to the moon plot very early on with an emotional weight so it feels like the group have to follow that story thread early on, setting up the mystery too early which then becomes exhausting to the audience. I wonder if c3 would have been better off if they didn’t bother with him, or if Matt and Travis agreed to really wait a while before killing Bertrand off, when they actually want to escalate the plot (would have had accusations of ‘scripting’ but who cares if it’s better narratively.) I think if he died around when Molly died then it would have been stronger (maybe too close a copy of c2, but at least that worked?)

I think a planned player character death can still be shocking and dramatic to the other players who weren’t expecting it, but how c3 executed it feels like a nothing burger and a waste of time. I don’t really know what would have changed if we just had Chetney at the start.

I'm going to be totally honest: I disagree strongly and I think you are assigning blame to a completely wrong place. That doesn't mean that you can't feel this moment failed to land (though I think that too is a criticism more of the overall campaign) but the concept of having a character show up, be quickly killed, and be replaced by the actual character isn't a particularly new one, doesn't require you to have a pre-existing attachment to the initial character for it to be a fun concept. It also, in my opinion, did serve a good purpose and frankly Bertrand had, in his three episodes, a stronger and clearer arc than several party members who have had over a hundred episodes.

I may put this specific piece in a separate post because I believe it's a requirement for understanding the failings of Campaign 3 but: A lot of discussion positions Campaign 3 as the story of Bells Hells, who were ill served by the Moon Plot. This is, in my opinion, incorrect. Campaign 3 is the Moon Plot Campaign, in which Bells Hells are ill-suited characters pushed through said plot because they happened to be played by the cast members. And to that end, I think that actually, introducing the moon plot immediately was a good idea. The problem was that the execution of that mystery was very poorly done. Bertrand led the party to Eshteross, and was then not long thereafter killed by a group of people working to destabilize the Chandei Quorum on behalf of Armand Treshi, so that he could bring in the Paragon's Call as a means of reinstating order in Jrusar. This presumably would also help them because then they wouldn't have to use Jiana as a middlewoman for the shipments they were receiving via her in Jrusar, and would generally increase their power. Bells Hells found out this was happening and thwarted it, but Treshi escaped.

This is when the plot began to become a mess, and while there were plenty of further opportunities to right it, I think basing the entirety of the early campaign in Jrusar and Bassuras, and severely paring down what was done in Bassuras [probably a whole other post but I'd have had Treshi remain captured in Jrusar but give up the information, making Bassuras entirely a data gathering mission, thus freeing up a lot of time in Bassuras for personal errands and bonding time] would have fixed a lot of the issues.

Again, that doesn't mean the concept worked for you, but this isn't even rearranging the deck chairs on the Titanic - it's complaining about the meal that was served on the titanic 4 days prior to them hitting the iceberg.

[roomwithanopenfire]

Stats Sunday

Happy Not-January! Thanks for the tag @blackberrysummerblog

I posted two fics recently! They're Stranger Things fics so not really of interest to most of you, but I had fun writing them so I'm happy they're out in the world.

I stilll don't have any words to share. I'm either too early or too late in in all my projects for sharing, but because we've finished a whole month, and becuase I've been doing such a good job tracking all my writing words in January, I have stats to share with you!

Stats and a couple graphs under the cut

Total words written for January: 13,945

Days I met my writing goal (200 words): 23

Days I didn't write or edit anything: 4

Day I wrote the most: Jan 21th with 1717 words. (This was the day that none of the internet was working on campus so i opened a word doc and finally wrote a draft of the last chapter of The Way We Are. I still have a lot of work to do on this draft, but it's getting closer!)

Number of Fics worked on: 6, plus one scrapped project

Daily Average: 440 words (but it varies wildly by the day, see graph below)

(some of the things that look like 0 words are actually 1 word, which is my placeholder if all i did was edit and didn't gain any words)

And here's a pie chart to show my WC distribution across projects

While my stranger things winter exchange fic (magnetic magical everything) takes up the most space on this graph, if you were to look at a pie chart of my mind this is what it would look like:

(ignore the very specifc percentages, google sheets hates me. this fic is so hard to write and the words are not coming easy but they are fucking coming and you guys aren't ready for when i finally finish this stupid (/pos) fic)

That's all I have to share today, thank you for listening to me and my graphs. I am very motivated by my data collection, so this is very inspiring to me. I'm sorry about the banner. I hope I'll have actual words to share next week!

Tags and Hellos:

@alexalexinii @aristocratic-otter @argumentativeantitheticalg @artsyunderstudy @arthurkko

@beastmonstertitan @best--dress @bookishbroadwayandblind @bookish-bogwitch @the-beard-of-edward-teach

@brilla-brilla-estrellita @cccloudsss @ciescen @confused-bi-queer @cutestkilla

@drowninginships @facewithoutheart @emeryhall @fiend-for-culture @hertragedyconnoisseur

@horsesarenotdeer @hushed-chorus @iamamythologicalcreature @ileadacharmedlife @larkral

@lovelettersto-mars @meanjeansjeans @m1ndwinder @monbons @nausikaaa

@noblecorgi @prettygoododds @raenestee @rimeswithpurple @run-for-chamo-miles

@rbkzz @shrekgogurt @skee3000 @supercutedinosaurs @sweetronancer

@talentpiper11 @terra-fae @thewholelemon @valeffelees @you-remind-me-of-the-babe + anyone else who wants too!

I've thrown a couple new people onto my tags list, feel free to share something you're working on if you want! (It does not have to be graphs lolll) (Also if you're on the tag list and don't want to be, just let me know adfsklj)

[05raine]

Human!Arcee

For the second installment in my human tfp transformers series, we have Arcee!!

She’s another one who’s design I revamped recently, so her design is a lot closer to what I originally imagined it to be, but lacked to talent to execute.

Design notes under cut vvv

Arcee was the second one I came up with a design for, and originally I tried to keep the sort of leather jacket a similarity between all the autobots, but I dropped that when I got to Ratchet and Bulkhead. However, I did try to keep that sort of cyber-punk/sci-fi/racer/mechanic look to them all to keep them true to their robotic origins.

With Arcee I tried to give her a motorcyclist/olympic runner build and look. She’s trained to run fast and kick hard!

It was also around this time of her first design where I tried to carry some of the transformer’s original designs through to their human ones, I did this through their footwear. I tried to mimic their original sort of leg designs with the shoes and it ended up with most of them having really cool looking boots if I do say so myself. They also help retain that sort of sharp, robotic feel to them all.

Arcee’s human design has a few scars here and there, and some tattoos to mimic her bike paint job. While her human design may come off a bit masculine, she still has a femme touch to her, long hair, heels, eyeshadow etc. I tried my best 😭

She of course has the autobot insignia as a necklace charm, and a few pins on her jacket. Yes, I head-canon her as a lesbian, sue me

It did actually take me a while to get her hair to a point that I liked while it stayed reminiscent of her original design, but I got there eventually!

This series has actually given me a lot of appreciation for shape language. Some transformers have sharper edges and shapes while some may have rounder or more squared edges, and translating that to a human design has been pretty fun!

And of course, as usual, here’s Arcee’s original 2023 design that was kind of horrendous and not as faithful to her original

I had designed her with far too many rounded shapes, and her torso was just way too small in proportion to what it should’ve actually been.

But I have changed, and grown, and learned, so I’m glad that I finally have the talent to do my girl some justice 😌

(jeez those eyes…*shivers*)

[pavizi]

Whats your opinions on hiveswap? Who are your favourite trolls from it?

i have a lot of genuine criticisms to put forth towards hiveswap (i think that the idea it puts forth of what made all of the trolls in homestuck unique are actually very common caste-wide traits is not only lame as fuck and devalues the message the original story was trying to send - but just feels kind of really lazy) but i do genuinely enjoy hiveswap. i think the way it expands on troll culture and establishes an alternative alternian 'aesthetic' to the brutalist black concrete we see in homestuck proper is very fun. i think the main cast (joey/xefros) are very well written and likable protagonists.

if i had to pick a favorite troll - in terms of actual personality it'd probably be tegiri? i just think it's fun to have an earnest 'weeaboo' type character that isn't done as a bad faith one note cringe culture joke. in terms of design though it'd go to chixie - she just feels the most like a proper 'homestuck troll' to me if that makes any sense