#i have mixed feelings about this but it WAS mostly about exploring more movement and pushing myself so overall it was successful :)

[diagnosedaskiwi]

song: butchers vanity

[neocrias]

Making out with svt

warnings: descriptions; headcanons; gn (mostly) reader self insert; you might find it a little kinky at some point;

pairings: svt x gn reader

gender/aus: fluff; slightly suggestive;

Scoups

The whole night, Seungcheol tried to focus on dinner, the conversation, and the sophisticated atmosphere of the restaurant. But it was impossible. From the moment you appeared in front of him, wearing that outfit that hugged your body in a way that seemed tailor-made to tease him, nothing else mattered. His dark gaze kept falling on you every second, his jaw clenching every time you moved in a way that made it impossible to ignore the effect you had on him.

On the way home, the tension between you was palpable. The city passed unnoticed through the car windows while the only thing that truly mattered to Seungcheol was the sensation of your skin under his palm. His large hand rested firmly on your thigh, his thumb tracing lazy circles, occasionally pressing as if testing your patience as if making it clear what was coming next.

When he finally parked in front of your house, he got out of the car first. The click of the door opening echoed in the stillness of the night as he moved around, his calm, calculated movements with that dominant presence that made your breath hitch before he even touched you.

Seungcheol extended his hand, helping you out of the car, his eyes never leaving yours. As soon as you were standing, he shut the door behind you—and before you could even process the movement, his body was already pressed against yours on the car.

The impact was gentle but definitive. One of his hands found your waist, pulling you against him, while the other cupped the side of your face. And then, without hesitation, he took your lips.

The kiss was fierce, filled with everything he’d been holding back the whole night. Seungcheol wasn’t one for half-measures, and there, against the car, under the dim streetlight, he made that clear. His lips were demanding against yours, his tongue exploring your mouth without rushing, as if savoring every second, as if he’d been waiting for this for far too long.

When he felt you melt under his touch, the need for more took over. Without effort, one of his hands slid down the side of your body until it found your thigh, and in one swift move, he lifted it, pressing it against his waist. The contrast between the cold metal of the car and the heat of his body made a shiver run up your spine.

Dressed entirely in black, Seungcheol looked even more imposing. The dark shirt clung to his body, accentuating every defined muscle, and the strength with which he held you against him made it impossible to ignore how badly he wanted this.

The kiss didn’t slow down. Seungcheol deepened every movement, exploring, dominating, as if his intention was to etch the feeling into every cell of your body. The firm hand holding your leg against him, his chest rising and falling against yours, the muffled sound of heavy breathing between kisses – all contributing to the electricity that hung in the air.

When he finally broke the kiss, just enough to look at you, his eyes dark and gleaming with desire, he smiled crookedly.

— I should’ve brought you home earlier... — He murmured, his voice rough.

But the way he pressed his body against yours afterward made it clear that the night was far from over.

Jeonghan

The smell of your parents' house was familiar, a mix of fresh coffee and old wood that brought back childhood memories. Lunch had been peaceful, and Jeonghan, with his charming ways, had effortlessly won over your parents. He laughed at the stories they told about you as a child, his eyes gleaming with that mischievous interest only he could have.

After eating, you decided to give him a tour of the house. You walked through the rooms, stopping at every detail that was part of your history—the mark on the living room wall where you used to measure your height as a kid, the bookshelf filled with old books, the garden where you used to play. But it was in your bedroom that the tour truly ended.

The space felt smaller now, but it still carried your essence. Jeonghan was immediately distracted by the old photos scattered around, picking one up with an amused smile.

— Look at you here, such a cutie! — He laughed, holding a picture of you as a little kid. — Who would’ve thought that this innocent little face would grow up to be so bossy?

You rolled your eyes, throwing yourself onto the old bed with a sigh. The mattress creaked slightly under your weight, and you closed your eyes for a moment, letting nostalgia wash over you. But before you could fully relax, you felt an added weight on top of you.

You opened your eyes only to find Jeonghan sitting on your lap, a mischievous smile playing on his lips as his fingers pinned your wrists against the mattress.

— Jeonghan… — You murmured, your heart racing.

— Yes? — He tilted his head, feigning innocence, but the playful glint in his eyes betrayed his true intentions.

— My parents are in the next room.

He smiled even more, leaning down until his lips barely brushed against yours, teasing.

— And? — His voice came out low, almost a whisper. — I don’t plan on making any noise.

And then, he kissed you.

The first kiss was slow, teasing, as if he wanted to test the limits of the situation. Jeonghan’s lips were warm and soft against yours, and the way he moved—always in control, always knowing exactly what to do – made your entire body react instantly.

But he didn’t stop there.

Jeonghan was a game of cat and mouse, and he loved playing with you. Every time you tried to catch your breath, he captured your lips again, stealing quick kisses, smiling against your mouth, his fingers lazily tracing your face, then trailing down to your waist, where he held you with deceptive gentleness.

The bed creaked softly beneath the subtle movements, and every time you tried to protest, he took the opportunity to deepen the kiss, his lips molding to yours with more intensity.

Your fingers clenched around his shirt, feeling the warmth of his body against yours. The way he dominated the moment, the way he whispered something between kisses just to tease you, made every cell in your body vibrate with anticipation.

And when he finally pulled away, just enough to look into your eyes, the satisfied smile on his lips made it clear that he knew exactly what he was doing.

— See? — He whispered, his thumb slowly brushing over your lower lip. — Not a single sound.

But his eyes said something else. He was just getting started.

Joshua

The elevator doors close smoothly, and you lean against the wall, holding Joshua's hand, watching him with a suspicious look. You two had just returned from a date, and throughout the entire night, Joshua had behaved better than expected—no pranks, no teasing comments.

He's been too quiet, which is never a good sign.

Then, before the elevator even ascends a single floor, he presses a hidden button on the panel. The lights flicker, the elevator gives a slight jolt, and… stops.

— Oh, no… — Joshua murmurs, covering his mouth with an exaggerated expression of surprise. — Looks like we’re stuck.

Your eyes widen. — What?!

— Yeah, it happened again… These elevators are a bit unstable, you know?

Suspicion hits immediately. 

— Joshua. What did you do?

He tilts his head, eyes gleaming with pure amusement.

— Me? Nothing. — But the mischievous smile gives everything away.

You let out an exasperated sigh and reach for the emergency button, but he moves fast. Before you can even touch the panel, Joshua steps closer and cups your face with both hands, his palms covering your cheeks, his long, warm fingers pressing into your skin.

— Hey, hey, what’s the rush? — He murmurs, his voice low and lazy, his playful gaze shifting into something more intense. — Maybe it’s a sign from fate.

Your heart jumps when he leans in slowly, his warm breath grazing your lips before he finally captures them with his own.

The kiss starts as a tease – just like him. Joshua’s lips move against yours deliberately, savoring, testing, as if he’s relishing your reaction. But as you respond, he deepens it, making it slower, more consuming, his tongue sliding against yours in a heated, intoxicating touch.

He smiles against your lips the moment he feels you melt in his arms, giving in to the kiss, your fingers dragging over the nape of his neck with growing need. One of his hands glides to your waist, circling it and pulling you closer, while the other discreetly moves behind you. His fingers find the right button, and without you even noticing, he presses it.

Suddenly, the elevator starts moving again.

You pull back with a start, blinking in surprise. — Wait…

Joshua lets out a low, satisfied chuckle.

— Oops. Guess it’s working again. — He shrugs as if he hadn’t just tricked you once more.

— You…!

He grins like he’s having way too much fun, his thumb brushing lightly over your swollen lips. — Don’t look at me like that. You liked it.

The worst part? He’s right.

Jun

The muffled sound of the audience echoed through the backstage hallways, and you could hardly believe you were there, accompanying Jun to yet another one of the group’s shows. He seemed calm, but there was something in his eyes—a mischievous glint you couldn’t quite decipher.

— Let’s go grab some water — he said suddenly, his voice casual.

You didn’t find it strange. Jun was the kind of person everyone adored—sweet and attentive to those around him—and he hated being away from you when you had a day to be together, so nothing seemed out of the ordinary. None of the members even glanced in your direction, too busy with their own preparations. So, without questioning, you followed him down the hallways.

It happened too fast. Before you even realized it, Jun pushed open the door of an empty dressing room and, in one swift motion, pulled you inside. The soft click of the door closing sounded louder than it should have.

— Jun-? 

Your voice was cut off as he leaned against the wall and pulled you against him, your bodies colliding in the narrow space. He smirked, a malicious glint in his eyes. — I didn’t scare you, did I?

His expression softened into feigned innocence, but his tone betrayed his true intentions.

Your heart skipped a beat. He looked nothing like the adorable Jun everyone knew—here, alone with you, there was something else, something undeniably provocative.

The question lingered in the air, but before you could respond, Jun slid one of his hands down your waist, giving a light squeeze. The warmth of his touch sent a shiver down your spine, and that cocky smile still hadn’t left his lips.

And then, he leaned in closer, so close that you could feel his warm breath against your skin.

— We’ve got a few minutes… — he murmured, the tip of his nose grazing your jawline.

— Yeah? — you asked, wrapping your arm around his shoulders and tilting up to capture his lips in a slow, restrained kiss. One that Jun wasted no time deepening as he held you by the waist with one arm, while his other hand tangled into the hair at the nape of your neck.

He used his grip on your hair to position you exactly how he wanted, making the kiss more comfortable for him—and better for you. He pulled you closer by the hips, leaving one leg between yours, your bodies pressed together enough to feel the rise and fall of each breath.

Outside, the show was about to begin. But at that moment, nothing else seemed to matter except the way Jun looked at you—and what he wanted to do with those stolen minutes.

Wonwoo

Wonwoo was off today and decided to spend his free day playing the game he had been waiting for over the past two months. He was sitting comfortably in his gaming chair, the room lit faintly by a soft yellow LED light.

The sound of the keyboard clicks filled the air, and the soft light of the late afternoon illuminated the space. Since the beginning of the afternoon, Wonwoo had been immersed in the game, as if nothing else in the world mattered. You watched him for a moment, respecting the fact that he needed this time for himself after working so much. However, it was already night, and the longing for his touch, for his presence, started to weigh on you.

You quietly approached, leaning against his back. Your hands, soft and delicate, began massaging his shoulders, feeling the tension accumulated there. Wonwoo let out a slight sigh of pleasure but kept his focus on the game, as if trying not to get distracted. But it was impossible not to notice the touch of your presence and the warmth of your proximity.

After a few seconds, he tilted his head back, his eyes meeting yours. His smile was gentle but full of something you recognized well: desire, affection, and a slight complicity.

Without hesitation, you moved closer and, with a quick motion, kissed him in the Spider-Man and Mary Jane style, your lips meeting gently as he was still leaning back. The kiss was soft, gentle, and even a bit playful, but full of undeniable chemistry.

Fortunately, that wasn’t enough for Wonwoo – and even less so for you. He took control, spinning the chair to face you without missing a beat, and with one firm hand, placed it behind your thigh, slowly pulling you onto his lap.

The movement was smooth, but full of intention. You settled there, feeling the warmth of his body against yours, and the world around you seemed to fade away. He was closer now, and the distance between the two of you seemed to vanish completely.

The kiss quickly escalated, going from something gentle and playful to pure need and desire. Wonwoo held your waist, pressing you down against him as you wrapped your arms around his neck, instinctively arching your back.

— Your game... — You murmured between kisses and caresses.

Wonwoo simply hummed, not paying attention to your words – he had better things to focus on: marking the length of your neck and shoulders. The sound of battle filled the space between the two of you's panting breaths. The game long forgotten.

The night was just beginning, but you knew that, beside him, time would just be a word.

Hoshi

The office was finally silent. After hours immersed in the group's new project, you and Hoshi were the last to leave. He stretched, intertwining his fingers above his head before casting a casual glance in your direction.

— Ready to go? — He asked, already walking ahead.

— Always. —  you replied, grabbing your bag and following him down the hallway.

Hoshi pressed the elevator button, but when the doors opened, he suddenly made a face as if he had just remembered something important.

— Oh, wait... I think we'd better take the stairs. I heard the elevator has been acting up lately. —  He scratched the back of his neck, his expression a mix of concern and amusement.

You raised an eyebrow, skeptical, not buying his excuse but also not protesting as he started heading toward the stairwell. Hoshi smiled innocently and began descending, still leading the way. You kept following him until, two floors down, he suddenly stopped and turned to you, biting back a mischievous smile.

— Already? — You crossed your arms, tilting your head to the side. — Couldn't keep up the lie for too long, huh?

He didn’t answer. Instead, in one swift motion, he grabbed your wrist and pulled you down a step, making you stumble slightly. Before you could regain your balance, his hands were firm on your waist, pressing your body against his. Hoshi leaned back against the railing, a playful glint in his eyes.

Before you could say anything, Hoshi leaned up, capturing your lips in a deep, yearning kiss. Stealthily, his palms slid along the sides of your waist until his fingers pressed firmly against your skin, keeping you close.

For a moment, the world around you disappeared, leaving only the heat of his body against yours, the intoxicating taste of his kiss. His touch became gentle again, filled with hidden intentions, but the way his fingertips moved was so light that you barely felt them creeping upward.

Not until he reached your chest, teasingly squeezing them.

You pulled away, breathless, your face flushed. Your heart pounded wildly as you opened your eyes again, only to find that satisfied smile on his lips. His scent, mixed with the faint, enclosed air of the stairwell, made your head spin slightly.

— You should know by now that I could never resist an opportunity like this. — He murmured, his voice low enough to send a shiver down your spine.

Your heart pounded against your ribs. You could feel his breath far too close to your skin – warm and enticing. The empty stairwell, the silence around you, the way he held your waist as if he had no intention of letting go… everything seemed to conspire against any chance of escape.

But did you really want to escape?

Woozi

You and Woozi had decided to have another one of those afternoons where you both worked on your own projects while enjoying each other's quiet company. His new comeback was approaching, and he still had many songs to work on, while you had to deal with the planning of this new project your boss had made you responsible for.

The room was immersed in a tranquil, almost dreamlike atmosphere. The soft strumming of Woozi’s guitar filled the space with an enchanting melody, blending with the sweet aroma of the warm cookies on the table.

At first, everything felt perfect. Your cup of your favorite drink was still warm between your fingers, and the ambiance seemed to conspire in your favor, helping you focus on the project assigned to you. But as the hours passed, the open pages on your laptop remained nearly untouched, the blinking cursor a cruel reminder that you weren’t even halfway through your planning.

A tired sigh escaped your lips, and Woozi, ever attentive, noticed. He stopped strumming, placing his guitar aside before standing up. His quiet steps didn’t immediately alert you, but soon you felt his firm yet gentle touch as he pulled your chair to turn you towards him.

Before you could question him, Woozi slid his hands around your waist, effortlessly lifting you, making a small laugh slip from your surprised lips. He didn’t say a word, simply carrying you in his arms toward the bed and laying you down gently on the mattress. His eyes met yours for a moment, a silent invitation reflected in the dark shimmer of his gaze.

He lay down beside you, pulling your leg over his hip, bringing your bodies closer. One of his hands traced slow, deliberate paths down your back, making your breath hitch. The kiss that followed was deep and sensual, filled with tenderness and intent. His tongue moved slowly against yours as his fingertips ghosted over your skin, coaxing you into relaxation in his arms.

You let your nails trail lazily down his abdomen, sending shivers across his skin, making him smile against your lips. Every touch was a silent promise that here, in his embrace, you could finally rest. The warmth of his body surrounded yours, and without even realizing it, your eyes began to close.

And just like that, clinging to him, you finally surrendered to sleep.

Dokeyom

You and your boyfriend were having yet another secret rendezvous at your place – just a night to binge-watch some random Netflix series while eating too much pizza and ice cream.

The house was filled with laughter, and footsteps hurried against the floor, as if, instead of a grown-up couple, two mischievous children had taken over the place. Every time you and Dokyeom were together, time seemed to rewind, and each date turned into a collection of questionable decisions and pure fun. The latest one? Play-fighting.

It all started harmlessly – a fierce battle for the TV remote. You grabbed it first, clutching it to your chest as if it were the most precious thing in the world. Dokyeom, with his usual mischievous grin, tried to snatch it from you, the two of you wrestling as if the fate of humanity depended on who would pick the next show.

What you didn’t realize, however, was that behind your boyfriend’s gentle and smiley nature, there was actual strength. And it was only when, in the blink of an eye, he grabbed your ankle with firm hands and pulled you down onto the couch that you understood how dangerous it had been to challenge him.

— Hey! — you exclaimed, trying to regain your balance, but it was too late.

Dokyeom laughed out loud, triumphant, and before you could turn around or come up with a counterattack, he was already on top of you. He pinned your wrists above your head with humiliating ease, his absurd strength contrasting with the bright, innocent smile he always carried.

— Did you really think you could win against me? — he teased, leaning in a little closer, his eyes sparkling with amusement. — You really shouldn’t underestimate me like that, sweetheart.

Your heart pounded – partly from the fight, partly because the sudden closeness between you made everything feel even more electrifying. Dokyeom held your wrists firmly but not tightly enough to hurt, and the way he hovered over you, his hair falling slightly over his eyes, made the world seem to slow down.

Dokyeom brushed his lips against yours, giving your lower lip a playful bite. You gasped against his mouth, and he finally took your lips in a gentle kiss, his tongue making its way into your mouth.

This kiss would be just like the others you’ve shared, but there was something different about this one – something more intense, something that sent shivers down your spine, that twisted into a familiar knot in the pit of your stomach, and all because of the way he’s manhandling you and pressing you into the couch effortlessly.

— I haven’t given up yet — you breathlessly challenged when he broke the kiss, squirming in an attempt to free yourself, but Dokyeom only laughed, tightening his fingers just a little around your wrists.

— Oh, really? Then convince me.

The challenge was set. And whatever the next bad decision of the night would be, one thing was certain – you two wouldn’t come out of this fight without consequences.

Mingyu

The kitchen was warm, filled with the aroma of spices and the soft sound of the knife slicing ingredients on the cutting board. Mingyu stood beside you, big and imposing, absentmindedly stirring the spoon inside the pan. But no matter how much he tried to focus on the food, he kept watching you – a gaze heavy with something intense, something that made your whole body tingle under his attention.

You tried to ignore it, continuing to chop the vegetables, but his presence was impossible to overlook. The way he moved, how his broad shoulders seemed to take up all the space around you, how the difference in size between you both became even more obvious every time he leaned in slightly to grab something from the counter.

And then, suddenly, you realized. His gaze wasn’t just a gaze. It was a warning.

Before you could react, Mingyu slid closer, his warm body brushing lightly against yours. He didn’t say anything – he simply pushed the scattered utensils and ingredients aside, clearing the counter. Your heart skipped a beat as you slowly turned to face him.

He was already there, too close, too tall, too broad, with those dark eyes locked onto yours.

Your stomach flipped when his hand found your waist, long fingers pressing firmly into the curve. But what truly caught you off guard was when he slipped his other hand under your leg, gliding up to the back of your knee before lifting you effortlessly.

A small gasp escaped your lips as your body was lifted as if it weighed nothing, and within seconds, you were seated on the counter, with Mingyu standing between your legs.

His warmth seemed to consume everything around you. Your breath was uneven, and you barely had time to say anything before he leaned in, his hands gripping your waist tighter as his lips met yours.

The kiss started slow, intense, as if he wanted to savor every second, as if he had waited too long for this. His lips were warm, firm against yours, and as the tension between you both grew, the kiss deepened, turning hungrier, more demanding.

Mingyu slid his fingers across your skin, holding you against him as if he didn’t want to let you go. His left hand trailed up to the base of your throat, his long fingers wrapping around it, applying just enough pressure for you to feel him there, but not enough to choke. Your body fit against his almost naturally, and the sensation of contrast – your height against his, his strength against your fragility – made your heart race even faster.

When he finally pulled back, your faces remained close, breaths mingling. Mingyu’s eyes were darker, a small, satisfied smile playing on his lips.

— Forget the food. — He murmured, his voice husky. — I have a better idea...

And before you could respond, he kissed you again, stealing any words that might have left your mouth.

Minghao

The deserted beach looked like a scene straight out of a dream – the sky painted in warm hues of orange and pink, the salty breeze caressing your skin, the sound of waves crashing softly against the sand. Minghao had chosen this place carefully, a secret hideaway where the world seemed to exist just for the two of you.

He stood in front of you, his gaze fixed on you with that intensity that always made your heart race. His hands were tucked into the pockets of his light pants, his posture relaxed, but his eyes said something else – he was having fun, and you knew that meant he was in a teasing mood.

— I have your present. — He announced, his velvety voice blending with the night breeze.

Your eyes sparkled with excitement, and you practically bounced in place, clasping your hands together like a child waiting for candy.

— Give it to me! Let me see! — You insisted, a wide smile spreading across your face.

Minghao let out a short, muffled chuckle, pressing his tongue against the inside of his cheek, the corner of his lips curving into an arrogant smirk. His gaze darkened slightly, glinting with veiled mischief as he replied:

— Beg me. — He answered. — Beg me, and maybe I’ll show you.

Your smile faltered for a second, weighing your options. Minghao loved this kind of game, and you knew the only way to win was to play along. So, slowly, you wrapped your arms around his waist, pulling him a little closer.

Your eyes traveled up to his, softer than usual, and you blinked a few times, leaning slightly into him.

— Hao... — Your voice came out lower, almost a whisper.

He laughed, a low, amused sound, and squeezed your waist with one hand before shaking his head.

— I know what you’re doing, but it wont work. — His fingertips brushed along your jaw, tilting your face up slightly. His smirk deepened, a spark of anticipation dancing in his gaze. — I want you to beg for real.

The way he said it, with his voice slow and dripping with provocation, sent a delicious shiver down your spine. Minghao wanted you to truly beg, and judging by the way he looked at you – with that lazy smirk and the mischievous glint in his eyes – you knew he wouldn’t give in easily.

So, taking a deep breath, you leaned even closer, your arms still wrapped around his waist, your fingers tracing subtle patterns along the hem of his lightweight shirt. Your gaze lingered on his lips before slowly meeting his eyes again, filled with something deeper, something more genuine.

— Please, Hao… — Your voice was soft, almost a whisper, and your fingers pressed gently against his waist as if urging him closer. — Give it to me…

For a moment, time seemed to slow down. You saw his smirk falter slightly, his eyes darkening as he took in your words and the way you said them. Then, Minghao tilted his head to the side, his lips curling back into that satisfied smile.

He hummed, looking at you with a predatory glint in his eyes, and finally, he leaned in toward you.

The kiss started off slow, a delicious contrast to his earlier teasing. His lips met yours with patience, as if savoring every second, drinking in the taste of your surrender. But it didn’t take long for the softness to shift into something more intense—the rhythm picking up as he gripped your waist tighter, deepening the kiss.

His fingers traveled up your back, the light touches sending shivers through your skin as he pulled you even closer, as if trying to erase any space between you. You felt his breath mix with yours, the warmth of his body radiating through the thin fabric separating you.

When he finally pulled back, that same smirk lingered, but his eyes now held a different shine – less playful, more intense. He kept his hand tangled in your hair at the nape of your neck, keeping you tilted toward him, and rested his forehead against yours, his fingers still gripping your waist firmly.

— Now that’s more like it. — He murmured against your lips, his voice low and satisfied.

You smiled, breathless, your eyes shining with expectation.

— And my present?

Minghao let out a soft chuckle, sliding his hands down to your arms before pressing a lingering kiss to your lips.

— I’m already giving it to you.

Seungkwan

The court was empty at that hour, illuminated only by the tall lampposts scattered around the space. The scent of dry earth and freshly cut grass mixed with the night breeze, and the only sound besides the rustling of the trees was Seungkwan’s slightly quickened breath – and your quiet, satisfied laughter.

— Stop laughing. — He grumbled, crossing his arms, but the glint in his eyes betrayed that he wasn’t actually mad.

— I’m not laughing. — You lied shamelessly, holding back another chuckle as you watched him huff.

You had made a bet. Seungkwan, always competitive, had sworn he could make ten consecutive shots without missing a single one. Knowing his exaggerated confidence all too well, you had doubted him. What he hadn’t expected was to miss the very last attempt, and now he was standing there, staring at you with feigned indignation while you basked in your victory.

— Come on, admit it. I won. — You teased, tilting your head to the side. — I told you you couldn’t do it.

Seungkwan rolled his eyes, tossing the basketball away before stepping closer with slow, deliberate steps.

— So what? I missed a single shot, that means nothing. — He grumbled, his voice lower now, laced with that same playful provocation he always used to throw you off.

Your heart skipped a beat, but you held his gaze.

— On the contrary, it means you have to do whatever I want for a full minute.

Seungkwan raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms again as if weighing the idea. The problem was, despite his stubborn front, he already knew he was doomed. The way you looked at him, a mix of mischief and that touch of sweetness that always disarmed him, made his pride waver just a little.

— And what do you want? — He asked, wetting his lips before looking at you more challengingly.

You took a step forward, closing the distance between you until you could feel the warmth of his body despite the cool night breeze. Your fingers trailed slowly up the fabric of his shirt, stopping at the collar.

— You know. — Your voice came out soft, almost a whisper.

Seungkwan let out a short breath through his nose, as if frustrated with himself for giving in so easily, but the way his shoulders relaxed betrayed the truth.

— You’re impossible. — He murmured, and then, before you could respond, he pulled you in by the collar of his own shirt, his lips meeting yours with the perfect mix of urgency and teasing.

The kiss started firm, dominated by his competitive nature, as if he was proving a point. But then, as the seconds passed, the initial tension melted away, giving way to something more genuine. The rhythm slowed, his lips moving against yours more languidly, the heat of his touch consuming every part of you.

Seungkwan cupped your face with both hands, his thumbs brushing over your skin as he deepened the kiss with a satisfied sigh. He had wanted to tease you, but in the end, he was always the one who got lost first.

When he pulled away, his eyes still closed, he took a moment before finally speaking, his voice a little husky:

— I bet you cheated.

— You missed all on your own, babe. I had nothing to do with it. — You laughed, resting your forehead against his.

He opened his eyes, narrowing them slightly before smirking. — Best out of three.

— If I win again, will you kiss me again?

Seungkwan let out a dramatic sigh, but the smile still lingered, hidden at the corner of his lips. — You’re not gonna win.

But judging by the way he was already pulling you toward the ball, you knew he wouldn’t mind losing again.

Vernon

It was only the first month of your relationship with Vernon, and you were already sure he was everything you could ever want: fun, funny, kind, and even a little shy. But there was a problem.

The kiss… or rather, the lack of one.

Vernon always came up with excuses whenever you had the chance to be alone, and it was starting to seem like he preferred anything over kissing you. So when he invited you over for a movie night at his place… you were surprised, to say the least. Was it finally going to happen? Did he want to make it special?

Everything was perfectly set up, the dim lighting in the living room making the atmosphere even cozier – and more romantic. You and Vernon were sitting on the couch, a forgotten bucket of popcorn beside you, while the movie played on the screen. You were the one who picked the film, excited by its premise – TikTok edits – but before you even pressed play, Vernon had already commented:

 — I'm pretty sure I saw some bad reviews about this one…

You ignored him, more focused on other things than the movie. But as the minutes passed and nothing you expected happened the slow-paced plot and forced dialogues started to weigh down. Boredom filled the air. You sighed, resting your head against the back of the couch, and without realizing it, you started playing with the soft strands at the nape of his neck, gently twisting them between your fingers.

Vernon, on the other hand, was distracted, his eyes on the screen, but when you started bouncing your leg non-stop, he smirked, recognizing your restlessness. He didn’t say anything, simply enjoying your impatience in silence.

— This movie is so boring — you huffed impatiently after a few more minutes.

Vernon let out a low chuckle and turned to you, murmuring teasingly: — I told you so.

You huffed again, sinking into the soft couch, but Vernon was more cunning than he seemed, and you barely noticed his warm breath approaching your neck in the dimly lit living room. A shiver ran down your spine as he leaned in closer, lightly rubbing his nose along your neck before leaving a soft kiss on your skin. A mischievous smile immediately formed on your lips.

Slowly, you tilted your head to the side, and your eyes locked on his. For a second, everything faded into the background – the forgotten movie, the justified bad reviews, the untouched popcorn. Vernon still had that playful smile on his lips when you leaned in, and he welcomed you eagerly.

It started slow and comfortable, filled with repressed longing. Vernon gripped the back of your neck firmly, deepening the kiss. You gripped the fabric of his shirt, pulling him closer to you. Sensing that, Vernon swiftly slid his free hand down to your ass, pulling you onto his lap with a strong, quick motion.

The movie kept playing on the TV, but your attention was on something far more interesting.

Dino

Your boyfriend had to cancel the dinner you were supposed to have because of the rehearsal for his solo launch, but he felt bad about rescheduling with you, knowing how much those moments meant to you – he also didn’t want to be away from you that night. That’s why he invited you to watch the rehearsal.

The muffled sound of the music still reverberated in the air as Dino monitored each step of the choreography in the mirror like a hawk. During the rehearsal, he barely took his eyes off you. Every movement of yours, every reaction, every subtle and hurried touch during the breaks between the clean-up of the choreography seemed to carry something more, an intensity and veiled yearning between the two of you.

And you felt every furtive glance he cast your way, sensing something growing between you, something irresistible.

Now, at the end of the session, the mood was different. The empty room and the sudden silence seemed to make the atmosphere more tense. Dino approached you unexpectedly, his steps firm, almost challenging. He stopped right in front of you, and in a swift movement, he pushed you against the door, trapping you between his body and the cold wood. His gaze was full of intensity, as if he was measuring the moment with precision.

His lips were close to yours, the heat of his body radiating onto you. The pressure of his presence was almost physical, and you could feel your heart racing in your chest, but you also felt a delicious shiver, as if the air around you had changed in temperature.

Time seemed to slow down as he looked into your eyes, trying to gauge if you were ready for the next step, for what had yet to be said. His usual confident smile was now tinged with something more mysterious, something deeper, something between provocation and anticipation.

Dino tilted his head, his eyes locked on yours, and you felt as though the air around you was condensed into a single point of tension. He lowered his voice, almost whispering, and his words were laden with something you could barely understand:

— You know what I want, don’t you?

The question lingered in the air, like a provocation and a promise. He moved closer, his body pressed against yours, and you felt the intensity of his presence like never before. Dino held your chin, tilting your head to the side, and let a couple of kisses and light bites along your neck.

You deeply gasped, feeling the heat of his body against yours. He hid his smile in the crook of your neck, lifted his head up, locking his eyes on yours again, then bit your lower lip, making you whimper softly.

— The others… — you started, but Dino cut your words off before you could continue.

— There’s no one here anymore, beauty — he murmured on your lips, and in the next second, he took your lips in a hungry kiss.

His hands traveled down along your side, lifting you with no effort and pressing your back against the door, his body pressed on yours. After that, he slid his hand right to your butt, squeezing your soft flesh and pulling you against him, pressing your bodies together with fervor and desire.

[littlest-w01f]

Bookstore

Nesta x Reader

Nesta MASTERLIST

MAIN MASTERLIST

Summary: Nesta is at her favourite book shop, the owner has a new book for her

Cw: Dom/experienced Reader, F!Fingering, Smut 18+ MDNI

Nesta looked out to the sign of her favourite shop, well, it had only recently become her favourite, mostly because of you, the 'scorchingly hot owner' of the place, a phrase coined by Emerie and the normally bold Nesta Archeron, got unnervingly nervous around you.

The store is an old-style building with tall windows that let in plenty of natural light, casting long shadows across the shelves filled with various genres of literature. Inside, the air smells like old paper mixed with a hint of coffee coming from the small cafe tucked away in one corner, she was there when it just opened, before anyone.

At the front counter, you stood behind the register, your back towards the door as you busied yourself with some paperwork. You had long, curly hair that fell down her back perfectly, giving off an aura of sophistication yet approachability at the same time.

Nesta hesitated for a moment before pushing open the door, the bell above announcing her arrival with a cheerful ding. She stepped inside, her eyes immediately drawn to your form over the counter. The sight of you stirred something within her, a desire she couldn't quite put her finger on but desperately wanted to explore further.

As if sensing her presence, you straightened up and turned around, flashing her a warm smile that made Nesta's heart skip a beat. "Welcome back," you greeted, your voice smooth like honey. "I'm glad to see you again so soon."

Nesta returned the smile, feeling a blush creep onto her cheeks. "Hi… I was just in the neighborhood and thought I'd stop by to browse." She glanced around the store, taking in the familiar sights and smells. "It's such a lovely day outside."

As you leaned against the counter, your curves accentuated by the formal clothes you wore, Nesta's gaze lingered on your curves, the swell of your breasts barely contained by the confines of your blouse. Her mind wandered to what lay beneath those professional clothes, imagining the softness of your skin, the firmness of your nipples. A sudden heat pooled between her thighs, making her shift uncomfortably, she'd never thought of the female body like that before looking over yours.

She quickly looked away, embarrassed by her reaction. "So, um, is there something new in today?" Nesta asked, trying to distract herself from the unfamiliar desires coursing through her body.

You chuckled softly, the sound sending shivers down Nesta's spine. "Well, we just got in a shipment of romace novels. Would you like me to show you?"

As you moved around the counter, Nesta caught a whiff of your perfume, a sweet, floral scent that mingled with the muskiness of your skin. It intoxicated her, making her head spin.

Nesta nodded, unable to tear her gaze away from your movements. The way your hips swayed subtly with each step was hypnotic, drawing her closer to the counter. You reached out tentatively, your fingers brushing against the spine of a book on the shelf beside you.

"You always have the best selection," Nesta commented, her voice barely more than a whisper now. But even that sound sent a thrill racing down your spine.

"I try my best," You replied, leaning in close enough that Nesta could smell the sweetness of your breath. Your lips were mere inches away from hers now, close enough to kiss if either dared to take that step. "Now what would you like? I know females like you like their spice."

The comment about her liking her spice caused Nesta to flush deeply, her pulse quickening. She wasn't sure why your words affected her so much, she wasn't one to blush, but she found herself wanting to hear more. "I do like spice..." Nesta mused aloud, her mind filling with all sorts of lewd images. She reached out to grab a romance novel off the shelf, turning to the back to read. The plot didn't interest her as much as the idea of you, the bookstore owner, sharing this intimate moment with her, and your gorgeous figure.

She glanced up at you, her heart pounding in her chest as she contemplated what to do next. Part of her wanted to reach out and touch you, to feel the warmth of your body under her fingertips. Another part of her wanted to lean in closer, pressing her body flush against yours and losing herself in a passionate kiss.

Your eyes locked onto Nesta's, seeing the desire burning within them. It mirrored the fire that had been stoked within your own belly. "Spice is good," you murmured, stepping even closer until there was no space left between you. The air seemed charged with electricity, every inch of your bodies practically humming with unspoken promises.

You noticed the book in her hand, the females on the cover, "Have you been with a female before?"

Nesta blinked, surprised by your direct question. She hadn't expected such boldness from you, given your previous conversations were only about books, despite the fact that she thought you would flirt with her. Yet, instead of being intimidated, she felt a rush of excitement. "No, not really," she admitted, her voice barely audible. "But I've always wondered…" Her curiosity piqued, she set the book back on the shelf and took a tentative step toward you.

"Wondered what, sweetheart?" You asked, your chests pressed together, your hand playing with the skirts of her gown.

"About how it feels, I suppose," Nesta confessed, her cheeks flushed with embarrassment and arousal. She could feel the heat radiating off your body, almost overwhelming her senses. Then she tilted her head slightly, gazing up at you through her lashes, a little more confident. "I want you to show me."

You kissed her instantly, lips pressing together, your hands at her waist, pressing her into the bookshelf. Nesta gasped into the kiss, as she did you shoved your tongue into her mouth, tasting her, her body reacting instinctively to your touch. She wrapped her arms around your neck, pulling you closer still. The sensation of your lips against hers was intoxicating, a sweet taste that made her knees weak. She moaned softly, the sound muffled by your mouth, as her body moulded itself to yours.

Your hands began to roam over her curves, tracing the outline of her waist before sliding upwards to cup her breasts. Through the fabric of her dress, you could feel the hardened nipples, begging for attention.

You kissed down her neck, licking and sucking, "Mother, you taste amazing."

A shiver ran down Nesta's spine as your lips trailed lower, leaving a trail of warmth and wetness in their wake. The compliment, though unexpected, sent a jolt of pleasure through her, causing her to grip tighter onto your shoulders. "Th-thank you?" she managed to stammer out, her voice shaky with desire. Her heart pounded in her chest, each beat echoing the throbbing between her legs. She was already wet with anticipation.

Reaching down, you pulled her skirt up, your hand on the drenched cloth covering her cunt, "Someone's excited," You teased.

Nesta whimpered, her hips bucking involuntarily as your fingers grazed the damp fabric. "Yes," she breathed out, her face flushed with shameless need. She couldn't believe how aroused she was, how eager to surrender to these newfound cravings. "Please, touch me," she begged, spreading her legs wider in invitation. The cool air hit her exposed skin, making her ache for your warmth once more.

"Oh, I entend to." You smirked, hand pressed against her heated cunt, pulling the cotton she wore to her ankles.

She bit her lip to stifle a moan, but it was impossible to contain the sounds of her pleasure. Each brush against her clit sent shockwaves of ecstasy through her trembling frame. Her hips rolled in time with your movements, silently urging you to continue.

Suddenly, you captured her mouth in another searing kiss, swallowing her cries as two fingers plunged deep inside her tight cunt. Nesta gasped, her inner muscles clenching greedily around the welcome intrusion. She rocked against your hand, fucking herself on your fingers as you pumped them in and out at an increasing pace. Her juices coated your palm.

Nesta's entire world narrowed down to the feeling of your fingers moving within her. Every thrust sent sparks shooting up her spine, igniting a cold fire in her core. She moaned into your mouth, her tongue tangling with yours in a desperate dance. She needed more, and craved the sensation of being completely consumed by this lustful encounter.

Breaking the kiss, she buried her face in the crook of your neck, biting down gently on the soft flesh there. "Don't stop," she pleaded, her voice laced with raw desire. Her walls clenched rhythmically around your probing digits, her orgasm building rapidly.

You slowed your hand a little, "Beg like a good girl, Nes." You groaned in the kiss.

Nesta's breath hitched at your command, a fresh wave of arousal washing over her. "Please, don't stop," she repeated, her voice quivering with need. She pressed herself harder against your hand, seeking friction where she desperately needed it. The slow rhythm of your fingers drove her mad, teasing her mercilessly towards release.

Her body trembled uncontrollably, her climax looming just beyond her grasp. She whimpered again, nipping at your skin in desperation. "Fuck, I'm so close," she whispered hoarsely, her nails digging into your shoulders.

"I know you are," You muse, watching the way Nesta's eyes rolled back, her thighs twitching around you, "You wanna cum all over my fingers, pretty girl?"

Nesta let out a strangled cry, her body arching off the shelves as your words pushed her over the edge. "Yes!" she screamed, her cunt clamping down hard around your fingers as she came undone. Waves of intense pleasure crashed over her, making her shake and shudder in your arms. Tears pricked at the corners of her eyes, overwhelmed by the sheer force of her orgasm.

As the last aftershocks subsided, she slumped against you, her limbs heavy and satiated. She gazed up at you with hooded eyes, a lazy smile playing on her lips. "That was… incredible," she murmured, her voice thick with satisfaction.

You smiled, cleaning her with a wave of your hand, "You're welcome, sweetness." You purr, licking your fingers clean of her release

Nesta watched, mesmerized, as you licked your fingers clean of her release. The sight alone was enough to send another ripple of pleasure coursing through her. You reached out tentatively, your fingertips grazing her cheek in a tender gesture, so different from how she had been finger-fucked by you.

"You're something else," She whispered, her voice filled with awe and admiration. A new hunger sparked within her, one that wasn't quenched yet. She wanted more, more of you, more of this intensity, more of everything that came with this.

"I know," You looked up when the bell rang again to tell someone else had entered, you kiss Nesta's head, "I owe you dinner now, meet me back here at 7 bells." With that, you left her to collect herself.

Nesta stood there, stunned, as you walked away. She felt empty without your presence, the lingering sensations of your touch fading quickly. But she knew she wouldn't forget this moment, nor would she forget the promise of more. Dinner, she'd never been more intrigued by a meal in her life.

{General Taglist- @nox-ceur @lilah-asteria @paleidiot @dee-writes-smut @adalia-jaycee @anarchiii @alwayshave-faith @minnieoo @velarisnightsky444}

[hymnserendipity]

Teacher Sugawara becomes the pet

Smut, no gender mentioned, Age up

Your life with sugawara was stable, after you both graduated from college he started working as a teacher and you in a office, you two live togheter happily and spend night timw and weekends chilling at home mostly. Your sexual life too was nice, sugawara was always caring, the two of you usually make out everynight and feel asleep naked in each other arms. Lately your coworkers started to talk about kinks and you got interested, so you search up a bit and decided to ask him about it

"Would you like to try something new in bed?" Sugawara's eyes widened in surprise at your question, heat rushing to his cheeks. "Um..." he stuttered, caught off guard. "Like what?"

"Do you have a kink?" Sugawara's face turned even redder at your question, his heart rate picking up. He hadn't been expecting this to go in this direction.

"A kink?" he repeated, his voice a little shaky. He let out a nervous laugh, trying to act more casual than he felt. "I don't... I don't know, honestly. I've never really thought about it."

"Try to think a bit" Sugawara took a moment to consider your question, his mind racing. He hadn't really allowed himself to explore his desires or kinks before, always too focused on his studies.

"Well..." he began, a hint of embarrassment lacing his voice. "I've... I've always been curious about... stuff."

"Tell me then" you smile gently, you never actually spoke about your preferences, you always just find out in bed. Sugawara swallowed hard, feeling vulnerable but also curious. He tried to ignore the heat in his cheeks.

"I... I like the idea of... being in control" he admitted, a hint of embarrassment in his voice. "But I also... like the idea... of... being dominated."

This is interesting.

"Else?" You ask. Sugawara hesitated, feeling rather shy and exposed. He took a deep breath.

"I've also... I've always wondered about...bondage." he admitted quietly, his eyes darting around shyly, avoiding your gaze.

" Me to you or you to me?"

Sugawara's face was so red he felt like he was on fire. He was surprised that you hadn't dropped to the floor laughing at how flustered he was getting.

"Both," he mumbled, his voice almost a whisper. "I'm... I'm curious about both."

"Okay, we can try!" Sugawara's eyes widened at your eagerness, a mix of nervous and excited. "Right... right now?" he asked, his heart rate already accelerating further. You nod.

"Anything else?" Sugawara thought for another moment, biting his lip gently. He couldn't believe that this was actually happening, and that you were so open to it.

"I've... I've also wondered about... being gagged." he admitted, his voice barely above a whisper.

"Close your eyes, Koushi." You whisper. He swallowed hard, a shiver of excitement running down his spine at your command. He nodded, his eyes already fluttering closed.

"Okay," he replied, his voice a whisper. "My eyes are closed." Sugawara was taken aback by the sudden darkness as you secured the blindfold, a simple necktie, around his eyes. His breath hitched slightly as he felt the fabric cover his eyes, taking away his vision.

"Mmph...!" He let out a muffled noise as the gag, another necktie, was secured around his mouth. His heart was racing, his breaths coming out ragged and excited.

Sugawara gasped as you pinned his body to the bed, his wrists being restrained with rope. He was hyper-aware of your every touch and feeling incredibly vulnerable. The loss of sight and restricted movement left him relying completely on you.

"Mmmph...!" He mumbled against the gag, his body tense with anticipation. "Shake your head if you want me to stop, or nod if you want me to continue, love." Sugawara took a second to process your instruction. He wanted to continue. The mixture of fear, excitement, and arousal was intoxicating.

He nod his head firmly, indicating that he did not want you to stop and gasped as he felt your mouth and lips on his thighs. The sensation was heightened by the blindfold, his other senses compensating for his lack of sight.

He tried to suppress a moan, the gag muffling any sounds he tried to make. His whole body was tense with anticipation and desire, his hands clenching and unclenching in their restraints. You start to suck his inner tight, tracing hickeys.

"What a good boy" Sugawara couldn't help the shiver that ran down his spine at your praise. He squirmed slightly on the bed, his wrists straining against the restraints.

"Mph...!" he mumbled again, the gag preventing him from speaking. He wanted to say something, ANYTHING, but the only sound that came out was a stifled groan. You trace his chest and stomach with your tongue. "Hmmm that's it." Sugawara's breath hitched as he felt your tongue on his stomach. His skin was hyper-sensitive to every touch, and the fact that he couldn't see or speak just intensified the sensations.

"Mmph... mmmph..." he tried to speak, but the gag only made it come out as unintelligible mumbles. He was starting to squirm on the bed. You smile, looking at him before taking his member and start to lick it like an ice cream. "What a good boy" You say before filling your mouth. Sugawara was practically squirming by this point, his body tense with desire. He couldn't speak, but his moans and gasps were louder, although still mostly muffled by the gag.

Being referred to as “a good boy” by you was both exciting and embarrassing. His cheeks flushed a deep shade of red, even though you couldn't see it. It was a good thing the blindfold was on, hiding some of his embarrassment.

He tried to move his legs, but the cuffs on his wrists kept him still.

"Do you like it, do you? Being vulnerable under my touch" Sugawara hesitated for a moment, his breath coming out in short, ragged gasps. He nodded slowly, an affirmative “yes” being his only reply.

His whole body was taut with anticipation, his muscles tense. He was completely at your mercy. He tried to communicate his submission, but his words were muffled by the gag. Blowing him off while he couldnt even moan was on another level.

Sugawara's body went rigid as he reached his climax, the sensation more intense than any he had experienced before. He let out a strangled moan that was mostly muffled by the gag. He was panting heavily, his chest heaving up and down. The lack of sight had heightened all of his other senses, the feeling of the blindfold and the weight of the cuffs on his wrists adding to the sensation.

He was a mess, but a good mess, completely.

"Good boy" As the blindfold was removed, Sugawara blinked, his eyes taking a moment to adjust to the light. The gag was next to be removed, and he let out a sigh of relief, his jaw still raw from the pressure.

He looked up at you, his body still trembling slightly, his breathing rapid. "Y-you're wicked good at this" he said with a shaky smile.

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

Sugawara's reading list:

[the-insomniac-emporium]

Broken Things (Resident Lover)

Pairing: Very much platonic Mia and Miranda (I am rotating them and their dynamic in my head) Rating: G for General Audiences Warning: HEAVY SPOILERS for Miranda's route, mostly implied but this won't make much sense if you haven't finished it. I recommend also getting the cult ending for maximum clarity. Summary: For two people that hate each other, Mia and Miranda have more in common than either of them want to admit. The night before an important (but heartbreaking) ritual, they share a few moments together. Alternatively: do you think they ever talk about being the only two to really know the MC? I think it hangs over them, equal parts comforting blanket and burial shroud. Exploring their dynamic a lil bit. Also, this is probably the longest thing I've written in one sitting in ages, so... cool. Noice. Just over 1.2k words.

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

If she had bothered to knock, there would have been no answer at best, and a flurry of feathered rage at worst. No point in entertaining that formality; not tonight, the eve of another undoing. Few things had any point tonight. But Mia had never been one to overthink things, never one to bother drawing up reasons for her behavior. That was what made her so charmingly irritating. Or just plain irritating, if you asked the headmistress whose office is now being invaded.

“I’m not in the mood for company,” Miranda warns from where she sits at her desk, the barest hints of exhaustion bleeding into her normally veiled expression. Even Goddesses get tired, it seems. Cruelties stir in the back of her throat, vile words and heavy hexes, but she doesn’t waste any energy on letting them spill out. Simply swallows, hard, and crosses one leg over the other. A stiffness occupies her bones this evening.

“I know,” Mia answers, without any snark, carefully setting down a couple glasses where there’s room. The bottle in her other hand has already been opened, the contents mixed with other things, and hastily sealed again. For once, Mia bothers to wipe the condensation off the bottom before setting it down. “Neither am I.”

This time, her lips curl up at the edges, but the downturn of her eyebrows betrays the bitterness she feels. Another thought dances on her mind, and her mouth makes it halfway open before she discards it, playing the movement off as an exaggerated sigh. Pushing Miranda’s buttons is easy… achieving anything else is Herculean. Part of Mia wonders how far she’s already pushing things, not because she cares about the consequences, simply because she can’t tell.

Leaning her weight against the desk (avoiding the side table like a single touch would kill her), Mia grabs the bottle again, popping the cap off with a flick of her thumb. Almost immediately the smell of strong whiskey drifts around the room. Miranda’s nostrils flare, briefly, the purse of her lips growing tighter. But she says nothing as Mia pours drinks for the both of them, eying them closely to make sure they’re filled evenly. A moment passes, then two, before Mia nudges one of the glasses closer to Miranda.

“I don’t know why I keep you around,” the headmistress says, bringing a little bite to her words to show dominance, her posturing a sad show of deflecting vulnerability. They both know exactly why Mia is still alive, why she’s here, in this town, in this day, in this life. Why she doesn’t slip out the door without a word and disappear forever. All the same reasons keep Miranda here, urging her hands to continue pulling strings, weaving and undoing and weaving and weaving and unmaking with the same heart that compelled Penelope to do the same.

Mia chooses not to point it out. Bites her tongue, nurses the mixed whiskey like it was her last. Lets the burn linger on her tastebuds. Breathes in deep, turning her gaze to the dark sky beyond the office window. A few tiny figures move across the campus grounds, returning from parties or maybe more clandestine affairs, utterly unaware that everything was going to be reset tonight. None of them have even an ounce of worth in her eyes, nor in Miranda’s.

“Nobody else has a clue, do they?” Mia muses, somewhere between a sneer and a giggle. Both halves sound forced. For a moment, she basks in the silence, only to remember she wasn’t one to find comfort in such things after all. A glance towards her companion reveals a raised eyebrow, Miranda not yet parsing her words. The details of the reset were a closely guarded secret, to prevent dissent, but most of her flock understood that something important lay past the dusk. What they didn’t understand is all the more fundamental, built into the very cause they pursued. “They all think they know what we’re missing.” More bitterness in her voice this time, acidity on a slow-drip to her veins, a scoff kicking out some of the weight from her chest.

Something clicks, then, an idea alongside Miranda’s tongue. Dimitrescu imagines her daughters. Beneviento’s grief haunts everything she makes, but the feelings fold into different shapes. Followers flood their senses with Mother’s goals, with her purpose, but they are driven by their devotion to her. Not to her. All the lives in the world, vast and uniquely faceted, and only the two in this room have a clue.

“You don’t love her the way I do,” Miranda whispers, nail guards finding places to pinch her own flesh. Slowly, she uncrosses her legs, and finally reaches for her glass. If there’s any fragility to the way she holds herself now, Mia is kind enough to ignore it, and uncaring enough to leave the pain without relief.

“Mmm, and you don’t love her the way I do,” she breathes. Neither of them are lying. Oddly enough, nor are they challenging each other. Just declaring their surviving differences in this moment of alikeness. “Salut,” Mia adds, ignoring the huff (of irritation or amusement, she cares not to differentiate) from Miranda, but cracks a smile when their glasses raise in sync. A toast to the heart of their shared world, to the central victim of the reset.

There’s no hiding the way Miranda recoils at the concoction, almost a snarl with glinting teeth, the strength of the cheap whiskey hardly diluted by whatever was added to it. Hardly her drink of choice. Yet she runs her finger around the rim of the glass, mirroring the way her tongue flickers across her teeth, savoring the misery of it all. Hauntingly familiar, the closest Mia had ever come to recreating a cursed relic from their past. At least it will get us drunk fast, she had once said, with this same grimace, the icon of their love cheering on the words. Teasing gently about her obsessions with efficiency.

By the time the memory moves beyond her eyelids, the glass in her hands is almost empty. Mia hums a halfhearted tune, pouring another round for Miranda, before pushing herself up from her perch. A few wrinkled papers get left behind, without anyone batting an eye. Everything was pointless tonight, remember? Beautiful nothingness, even stale blood gushing like ichor, almost all things rendered equal.

“Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some poor decisions to make,” Mia suddenly chimes, face twisting up into a visage of mischief, brushing the last of the dust off of her mask. One hand snatches up the bottle, the other smoothes over her leather jacket, subtly ensuring she could still feel the presence of her switchblade in one of the pockets. WIth unabashed glee, she waltzes through the doorway, off to draw blood and make merry with the worst of what the university has to offer.

She only hesitates for a microsecond, as she goes to close the door behind her. Glances back to meet Miranda’s gaze, all-knowing and piercing as ever, the two of them exchanging silent assurances. Their beloved would be remade, eventually, no matter how long it takes. No matter how many times they have to start over. A determination only matched in each other, as universally true as it is unspoken.

[limwt1]

my takes on what could have made ouat a world class show

genuinely forever thinking about how GOOD once upon a time could have been drives me insane so i thought i'd compile a list just for shits cause it's been on mind ever since tiktok started giving me ouat edits again.

the gloomy yet dreamy aesthetic they NAILED in season 1 but that disappears from the rest of the show? that shit would have slapped if they'd had the artistic vision to maintain it, especially for the modern day stuff.

the way they created this super interesting cast of characters in season 1, and abandoned most of them in favor of stacking more characters on top of them that were less unique instead of fleshing out compelling storylines for the people they already had.

a world-building thing that would have been so interesting was when they were all transported back to the enchanted forest in season 3, were there major changes in the political and social make up of the enchanted forest? i mean, they had a democracy in storybrooke, and suddenly they're supposed to go back to being ruled by a series of mostly greedy and evil monarchs? I WANNA SEE A FAIRYTALE WORLD REVOLUTION. not to mention all the different technologies they know about now, medical advancements, inventions, etc. they know about enough to try and reverse engineer at least SOME things. do women start wearing pants instead of dresses? do they dress modern now instead of wearing old timey outfits? is it a mix? is there a feminist movement in the enchanted forest now?

i also can't help but feel like snow and charming stagnate so much as characters past season 2, maybe season 3. like the snow 'evil-ish' arc that they did with killing cora was so interesting and i wish that had actually had more consequences.

they didn't explore the charming family dynamic ENOUGH. cause I just feel like the way snow treated emma versus how charming treated her were so disparate and it was never addressed in a way that felt satisfying to me. like after the curse was broken it felt like there was this huge distance between Emma dn Snow that was never bridged whereas i felt like Emma and Charming actually had a relationship that developed over teh course of the show.

either they need to remove the weird male SA stuff or embrace it fully and talk about how horrible it was, because the way graham and robin were treated in the show like their SA wasn't that important was genuinely fucked

[struggle-but-its-all-ocean-floor]

Now that chapter 2 is mostly over for all the members but Jin (whose chapter 2 is finally starting!), I wanted to write down my thoughts on how I think each member's reputation and image changed, what I learned about them, what my perception of them is now, etc.

For J-Hope, I think this was a great opportunity for him to "free" himself from the hope persona - which is very important and true to him but also constricting - and to promote himself more as a musical artist than a dancer - despite being the main dancer, even in his BTS solos Hobi usually chooses to limit his dancing. I think Hobi showed a cooler, smoother, stylish, more mature side of himself that increased his popularity and brand and resonated with a lot of people. He also proved that he's more than capable of going solo, even if I personally have mixed feelings about his voice.

I think Suga's chapter 2 was relatively "forgettable". He already had the image he wanted, released the music he wanted, produced what he wanted, so there was nothing to prove or show. Suga dropped an album that I'm pretty sure he didn't think was anything special and then went on tour. He also had fun with Suchwita. I think most of what he did was for Army and BTS, with the exception of the tour which was also for him. I don't think his solo ventures really felt like him going solo, but more like a side job. He did well, but I'm not sure his popularity, reputation, or image changed substantially - I mean, no more than expected.

RM had a pretty wild chapter 2. Through Indigo he explored a more artistic and uncensored side we all knew of, but it was in the build-up to RPWP than he started to express his opinions more freely. His amazing and diverse collabs also helped show a cooler and trendier side of him. RPWP was the game changer though. I think RM finally "escaped" his BTS leader image and mainstreamed this sexy, quirky, artsy, smart yet unserious image which he already had but the GP didn't know. Music wise, he's the one who did the most, showed the most, and had the most incredible material - even if his music isn't mostly to my taste. He's the most natural soloist along with JK imo.

V chose a path similar to Suga's. He did a lot of variety, which we already knew he liked, hanged a lot with the Wooga Squad, who we already knew, released a few songs in a style we knew he liked, did lots of photoshoots and work in fashion, which we also already knew he enjoyed... I don't think V took chapter 2 very "seriously" in the sense that he didn't strategically try to brand himself differently or find his own voice. He might've even released Layover a bit more for us than himself. He already had a strong brand and didn't change it. I think his popularity decreased a bit comparatively to Jikook because he was very lowkey.

Jungkook... well, he exploded in popularity. He had his BWL moment in Dreamers and L&R, his Dynamite in Seven, and his Butter in SNTY - kinda. His songs are GP friendly and in English, so they had a lot of impact, and his CK campaigns were genius marketing because they helped build this image of a sexy, attractive, gender nonconforming guy who can be both gender neutral and conventionally masculine. CK is also accessible to a lot of people so he got his face (and body) plastered all over the world. The collabs helped some too. Jungkook really committed even if at first he wasn't sure about releasing an album. I think he grew the most as a performer. He has continuously showed growth over the years, but imo he grew the most during the pandemic and chapter 2. His singing and dancing became more refined and unique, his stage presence and stamina improved. He was on fire with SNTY. Jungkook's vocals, dancing (eg. the sultry, relaxed hand movements he does now), stage presence, visuals, attitude, etc., all reached another level, an iconic level. Jungkook really changed his image, beginning in 2022 when his lives become so unfiltered - he sang his heart out, shared his life, didn't censor himself as much. I think Jungkook changed a lot - dropped the veil a bit -, and his music was a natural progression of him letting more of himself show. At first I didn't get it, but now I think it all fit JK really well - even if I don't/didn't like all of it. He's so effortlessly confident and comfortable on stage now, though. He might not have grown as a songwriter, but he grew so much as a performer, which is his art.

Lastly, Jimin... he surprised the most tbh, but in a negative-ish way. I had huge expectations for him and felt disappointed with his solo chapter. His image changed a lot, but in his case I loved the "old" Jimin better... I wanted something like Filter and Lie, I wanted him to show amazing dances and visuals. But he really went on a different route. He focused on singing and music the most, investing a lot in writing his own stuff, which is great but a bit unexpected. He focused a lot on inner reflection and less on his idol self, which up until then I thought was what he wanted us to see the most. And by becoming less "idol-like", he changed a lot. His choreos are more relaxed and less attractive now imo, and he engages his dance crew a lot whereas before he mostly carried his dances alone. He also showed us a much shier and reserved side of himself. His vocals changed too, or at least how he sounds in songs... I know Jimin had a lot of success, but I was surprised by how "unremarkable" I found him as a soloist. I thought he would set the world on fire, but he didn't take many risks on stage - his songs were risky, but not his performances or styling - or stand out that much. During Face he even looked a bit uncomfortable. He shines in BTS, but I don't believe Jimin truly shined on his own - not like he could've. I find his image less attractive and marketable now than pre-2022 Jimin - and that's okay but I lost a lot of interest in him as a performer. I used to love his fancams, but now I don't really care. He's still the cutest and loveliest, but, selfishly, this is not the artist Jimin I wanted.

Anyway, I'm curious to hear everyone's thoughts on this!

[glowyskull]

How mlady would get along w all the LU fellas 🥺🥺🥺 and anything else rolling around in ur brain ilysm

Ok, look

Hear me out

Nyru is just me simping for one of my fave franchises and pouring traumas into her (as one does w ocs)…, I very much will give her a poly relationship w the chain, anyone in Hyrule and any ocs you guys throw my way because I can

I have fun with ships so she gets all of them

Koridai? She’s dating. Dink? Yup. Ganon? Him too. She’s dating your oc. She’s dating you and you don’t even know it. (/j)

Nyru genuinely is just me having fun without worrying if it’s cringe or not

Why am I clarifying this? To justify her relationship w everyone being “she loves him”…

Shared traits? Will kiss everyone’s scars and will scold if they’re reckless (often) and/or refuse to be healed.

Time: Man is roughed up but he’s not always completely stoic. Nyru? She’s into that shit. She probs tried to heal the scar on his eye (and failed… and cried). She’s especially soft w Time. She likes to keep him company, be it in silence or rambling about something. Lil gremlin follows around tired gremlin. I like to think they can joke around and that makes her feel close to him. Poly ship w Malon? Hell yeah.

Twilight: The man, the lad. First Link she met so, first Link she gets comfortable around. Always manages to steal his pelt, it’s just comforting (and funny) to her. Will hold his hand and do the arm swing thingy while walking. Will scratch his head in hopes of getting the dog leg movement. The accent has her on the floor. Probs the one she talks to the most. Loves to pet and cuddle wolfie and died of embarrassment when she found out it was Twi.

Legend: Rat man. Nyru doesn’t mind his snarky attitude (though sometimes comments may hurt) and can actually have playful banter, but for the most part, she lets it slide. She likes to talk and ask him about magic. Likes to get him flustered. Any soft moments with him are greatly treasured.

Warriors: Wary of him at first. Military man? Can’t be good… but he is. Pretty boy gets her flustered. All over him for his field medic training. They share tips. He’s probs the one that can teach her small things to keep herself safe if there’s a fight. Probs bond over soldiers betraying them/being shit.

Wild: As the most prone to injury, Nyru is all over him all the time, asking him to stop being reckless... but will most likely join him on shield surfing and be equally reckless. Nyru is an ok cook, she likes to sit by him and learn. Especially potion making. Man can’t leave the pot unattended, she’s throwing random shit in there to make things (mostly dubious in nature). Will try to braid his hair.

Hyrule: Healing magic? All over him. Asking how he does it, how it works. Probs share lots of talks. Likes to go exploring with him as long as it’s not deep in a cave… she probs tried to pretend it was totes ok the first time… until they ran into a skulltula… Rulie had to fight it w Nyru clinging to him and crying. Probs bond over fairies.

Sky: Cliche? Probably. Do I care? No. Absolute cuddle buddies. Seeks him out for it. Nyru doesn’t have great stamina either, so she hangs back with him. Finds out he just jumped off sky islands? Why, how, teach me. The group pillows. Both kind but scary when pissed (though Sky can do more damage).

Wind: They pull pranks together. A weird mix of big sister yet also kinda parental? He probs also finds funny just how easily she can pickpocket things. They see how many things they can take from the others before getting caught (tho they probs don’t mess with Time’s or Legend’s stuff cuz that’s scary) Two gremlins.

Four: Man works with fire and metal, she probs finds that scary but fascinating. Though he’s a very skilled blacksmith, she’s still fussing over checking him for burns. Probs the braincell for her too.

[esotericfaery]

Intimate Spiritual Diary, Entry 7: Bullying, the Ascendant, Lilith & Pluto

TLDR: A mix of Astrology tips and emotionally pouring from my mutability. Way back when I briefly lost it; Sun / Ascendant clash as Lilith kicks ass, and strict stellium rules seem a bit funny.

I’ve really been going straight to town on Astrology for about a year now, and multiple times have noticed this, but never bothered to actually write it down - There’s a simple, quite obvious reason for why I have a pattern of being (or just feeling) completely misunderstood as to who I am as a person, among many people, for 43 years now: My Pisces Ascendant is opposite my Virgo stellium. The Ascendant is an intertwining of self-expression and how others perceive us; first impressions and how we instinctively want to be seen. My Virgo Sun is part of my stellium and the Sun represents innate identity and personality.

In opposition, the energy clash I’m talking about here becomes obvious.

It could have been more difficult though. I could be dealing with squares instead of oppositions; harshness without any motivation for energetic movement.

I was bullied so much as a child that in one situation, I was hurt further by losing my temper. I grabbed a boy by the neck, pushed him into a wall and yelled at him (Mars [action and aggression] in Scorpio [mystery & transformation] in the 7th house of one-on-one relationships of all types). When my father was called in because I was labeled as violent, he said he didn’t believe it because his daughter never behaves that way at home, so what did the boy say or do to me first?

I remember being called every insult you can think of. I don’t remember any specific incidents of things that were said to me mockingly, or with anger; not word for word. It was so much, and so regularly that it all blends and blurs together, because it was all too intense. Anger to a girl, especially in my situation with it mostly being expressed by boys, is incredibly frightening. It’s often repressed in the wars between the sexes. It’s no wonder to me now that eventually I became violent. I asked my parents for clarification, and they don’t remember any other times when I was violent.

Lilith deals with fear and repression between the sexes. There are 4 Liliths in Astrology and if you’re looking to simplify it or for a place to start, the most commonly worked with one is a point called Mean Black Moon Lilith, though the Asteroid Lilith, as it has a physical body, is also popular.

My Mean & True Black Moon Liliths are both in Libra (justice and balance) in the 7th house (one-on-one relationships, conflicts, alliances), Asteroid Lilith in Scorpio (shadow work, phoenix rising from the ashes) is also in the 7th, and Dark Moon Lilith is in Aquarius (innovation, humanitarianism, shock and sudden change, revolution) in the 12th House (mystery, esoteric exploration within multiple realms of experiential reality, mental health).

Lilith is deeply misunderstood on too many levels to go into here, as I’m not trying to write you a book. There are plenty of good occultic articles and books about Lilith. She’s still commonly seen as a demon, and yet without her protecting me and inspiring me, even on levels within my aura and subconscious which I wasn’t aware of at the time, I both think and feel that my experiences having been bullied would have been worse. Lilith is my warrior Goddess.

Pluto is also in my 7th house in Libra, conjunct (3° orb., applying) my Mean Black Moon Lilith, and so he had an equal part in helping me with all of this, through his superior transformative powers, assessing multiple angles through the Libran lens. Pluto is not a version of “the devil”, and He is not dangerous; far from it. Pluto is an active principal in fearlessness, death and rebirth. Pluto is my warrior God.

I guess some would choose to feel superior to those who had bullied them, yet I say now and I say in all times and I say in all experiences of non-time that I forgive every single one of the people who had ever bullied me. I release all energies which it is now karmically sound as it is karmically lawful, for me to release at this time and at all other appointed experiences of time and non-time. I transmute those released energies into the purity of Natural Law. It took my into my 20’s, but I later realized you all did it not for the pure sick joy of it, but because you were acting out due to your own un-addressed traumas. I hope every single one of you has found and finds all of the healing that it is karmically sound as it is karmically lawful for you to receive and achieve. We create and resolve our own karmas both individually and collectively, and we all deserve the freedom of the resolution that such experiences bring.

Find your Liliths at astro.com under the extended chart selection area, near the bottom in the common elements table, on the left, and the manual entry area to it’s right:

For all Liliths together, enter the following line in the manual entry area and continue -

h12, h13, h58, 1181

Specific Lilith instructions:

For Mean Black Moon Lilith, select “Lilith (Mean)”, under common elements, or if you want all 4 Liliths just enter h12 in the manual entry area.

For True (which is also known as Oscillating) Black Moon Lilith, enter h13 in the manual entry area.

For Dark Moon Lilith, enter h58 in the manual entry area.

For Asteroid Lilith, enter 1181 in the manual entry area.

I remember fondly only one teacher who never treated me like there was something wrong with me due to the bullying (not even in her body language, which people sometimes think they can get away with denying exists), which my friends knew was not instigated by me. If you knew me growing up, remember Mrs. Dennis at Wakefield Elementary? Best teacher ever. I hear bullies are sometimes handled differently now; fairly as teachers are taught to pay attention and actually pretend they care about kids in general, but in the 80’s and early 90’s, especially if you’re different in any way (I’m mixed race), you’re automatically stamped as the one “in the wrong”.

I was hurt knowing the capacity for violence that was buried within me, not realizing at the time of course, since I was a child, that this is a simple survival instinct which all people have. I’m not and have never been the sort of person who enjoys making others feel bad in any way. I was bullied regularly throughout my formal schooling experiences, in every school, for being curious and enthusiastically enjoying learning, and for having emotions. Plus, for the “crime”, of allowing myself to become so emotionally beaten that I would cry in front of other children, thus providing them with more to bully me about. It’s all caused me much sorrow, and confusion about my own sense of self and worth over the years, some of which must have still been buried, as I’m now writing about this at the age of 43. Strange, isn’t it? I’ve talked this stuff over with family, friends and therapists, and gotten support, yet sometimes things keep coming up until we recognize and express specifically and, perhaps, often enough on them.

Thank God/dess for tools like Astrology. Creative pattern recognition; equally an art and a science.

It’s so obvious to me now, but I’ve been downplaying all of that for about a year because of my chart ruler Neptune (in Sagittarius in the 9th) being daydreamy in an emotionally reckless way, causing confusion (probably sub-consciously) so that at times I have mistaken philosophizing for deep inner work. I’m not ashamed to admit it. I come by it honestly; none of that hipster bullshit for me. Chart rulers generally only sprinkle their energy around a chart, but that’s definitely a dollop. I have far to go yet in my spiritual growth, and yet I know that I have all the necessary tools to continue reaching and breaking through myself, freely rebuilding who I am.

Those experiences had also caused me to often seem more introverted than I am, to avoid making people uncomfortable with the (seemingly to them) disparity of who I am as a person, even though I only feel emotionally unstable when people treat me like I’m being dramatic for attention; as if I don’t even know what my own thoughts and emotions are, so they have been sent to me, and are fated to educate me into being their sort of human being, so they can feel comfortable. Some people would prefer that they understand who everyone is automatically and easily, maybe because they don’t think much, and presume that everyone else is basically a carbon copy of them. This comes across as shortsighted and lazy to me.

And I know lazy; I also have Jupiter in the 6th as part of my stellium or to some a, shall we say, thought-of-as-pseudo-stellium. There’s 13° between my Sun and Saturn, plus Jupiter is too erratic to be considered in an old fashioned stellium. It feels like how people describe their stelliums, as it’s 6 placements (including my Moon, though that’s not meant to be part of a stellium as it moves so quickly, and I kind of agree with that one), then in an unbroken Virgo line into the 7th through the Vertex and Mercury.

To sum that up, because there’s 13° instead of a limit of 10° between all of my Virgo 6th placements, people think their fully conjunct, traditional stelliums make them…. Better at having a stellium or something lol? It seems like a case of overthinking on their part. And when even a Virgo suggests someone is overthinking, listen up, cause we’re the “best” at that. Maybe they’re just competitive for whatever reason. My Neptune in Sagittarius is too busy daydreaming and philosophizing to care much at this point, so that doesn’t bring up any of that fiery Sagittarius Sun, Moon or Rising type of competitive drive.

Much love and gratitude to you all for reading, and to Lilith and Pluto for the true gifts of who they really are and all they do.

[canonisdead]

Yeti/Richard

Richard felt like he was a lost kid in high school. To be fair, he did forget the code for his locker a lot in school-

Lenny’s concerned that he hasn’t heard Yeti all day, but with the amount of things he’s busy with…

He couldn't find the smaller Teletubby himself, but the scientist didn’t really remember which small house he had been assigned to, so he just gave Richard some papers that listed all the assigned rooms.

It was like being given a list of locker combinations.

It felt like hours when the number of the tiny house matched the paper and knocked at the door.

“Yeti?”

The fluffy Chi rolled onto the floor with a grump, hearing an almost muffled sound of his name.

What time even is it? Did that sentence even make sense?

Everything felt sideways and his head hurt.

Yeti wanted to return to bed, but the person might forcibly enter if he didn’t acknowledge them. He stumbles and crawls to the door before twisting the handle.

…Oh right, it’s locked.

Good thing there are no cameras in any of the rooms. He was sure the security staff would laugh at him.

He nearly unlocked it when he remembered he didn’t even know who was on the other side.

“Who is it?” He internally cringes at the sound of how hoarse his voice sounds.

“Uh…it’s Richard but are you sick?”

Dammit.

He slowly unlocks the door, the taller red Tubby is blurry in his vision.

“Whoa, whoa, back to bed!” Richard drops the papers in his gloved hands and gestures him back to the simple bed.

Yeti won’t complain, the bed is more comfortable than snow and logs.

“Why are you even here?” He rubs his throat as he sinks under the covers.

“Lenny hadn’t heard you all day and clearly this is why.” Richard spun around at a rapid pace, it’s a miracle that he didn’t grow dizzy or lose balance. “We should really consider ‘stocking’ these rooms with medicine.”

Yeti grimaces. He isn’t sure about accepting medicine from anyone other than a few people. Who knows if someone will lace it with something.

“I’ll be right back!” Richard leaves and closes the door behind him.

Yeti stares at the door anxiously, mostly due to the lack of it being unlocked. Would he be able to fight someone when he could barely see straight?

Soon Richard indeed came back with a tiny cup.

Yeti was grumbling out a ‘not taking medicine from some random captain guy’ when his nose caught a familiar scent of citrus. With a mix of other scents, he recognized from the more…’sciencey’ areas around the base.

Maybe hopefully Richard got the medicine from Lenny, so that decreased the percentage of the medicine being laced with drugs to zero percent.

“Be very careful with it.” Richard pressed the cup to his mouth instead of letting him hold it.

If he weren't so sick and tired he would have thrown a retort at him.

Yeti had forgotten that medicine tastes terrible.

He barely stopped himself from throwing up the liquid. He literally swallows it down. Gagging and coughing once the cup is pulled away.

“Sorry.” Richard tried to check the mini fridge for water or something but was quickly reminded that they were code-locked.

It was Lenny’s idea to code lock almost everything, the fridges because, ‘just in case someone tries to drug someone else’.

Maybe he’ll have to go to the cafeteria-

Wait, the mini kitchen!

Thank god there was no door to this part of the tiny living spaces.

Yeti watched his quick movements with bleary confusion. He vaguely remembers exploring that part of this house but grew frustrated when he couldn’t find any meat.

He complained about it to Tisa, whose only response was, “If you have a problem with living conditions, you complain to Lenny about it.”

Having these…living conditions is miles better than inside the dome and the mountains, so he didn’t feel all that confident in talking to Lenny about it.

Would he sound a bit…bratty for having such a tiny problem of ‘there’s no meat’? After all, he could just walk to the cafeteria to find meat.

“Hi, I got you some water.” Richard interrupted his thoughts, he again pressed a cup against his lips.

Before he could even tell him that he could hold it himself. But he wants the taste out of his mouth, so he accepts it.

“How did you get sick anyway? Did you catch it from someone?”

“Yeti blames Tisa.” He doesn’t have proof, but he’s sticking to it.

“Uh? I guess I can talk to Lenny about that?” Richard was confused.

Yeti huffs, sinking under the blanket more.

“Alrighty, I’ll tell Lenny you’re safe and sound in your room and mention Tisa to him.” Richard supposed Yeti must be feeling better since he was speaking in third person again.

He pats his head, making Yeti sluggishly smack his hand away.

[rostomanologist]

For Noereen and Sonia: 2, 13 and 18!

ty for the ask !! <3

there's a lot of yapping so more under the cut :)

2. How much do they remember from the Dream? Did they have any particular experience in it before awakening?

13. How do they feel about death? Does it make them curious or scared? Do they wish to understand it or do they simply accept it?

18. [Free space for 3 pieces of trivia about your sylvari!]

Sonia:

2. it's hard to say what she remembers from the dream since she lives in it most of her life. however, her experience before awakening was rather vivid: first of all, it took much longer time for her to awake. second, the dream didn't give her the overall knowledge of tyria in the amount it gives to others, but instead let her explore its depths as a place. it also let her see more emotional memories of other sylvari. so upon awakening she didn't know where lion's arch was but could understand the concept of mixed feelings, for example.

13. at first, sonia was curious of death, but after being at the edge of it she prefers to stay on life side. she does accept the future of her dying (esp bc she feels her body is slowly fading) and is still curious to experience the mists, but she doesn't want to be alone upon her passing.

18. 3 facts!

1) sonia is disabled! she has something like FND (functional neurological disorder). when awake, she's usually fatigued and experiences movement problems, as well as dizziness, short seizure-like episodes and pain, so she relies on mobility aids and help of others. in the dream she's more active, though it doesn't mean her symptoms evaporate. she still gets fatigue and movement troubles (tho milder) from time to time.

2) her mobility aids are forearm crutches, powerchair (or should i say hoverchair) and her own magic :) her crutches also serve her as sceptres, and she uses them quite often in the dream. she also developed a fighting style using them. the hoverchair is a custom powerchair made specifically for her: it shares the concept of asuran hovering chairs aligned with the typical sylvari design. it's powered by magic and lacks wheels, instead floating comfortably over the ground, which is important for the grove's grassy and bumpy terrain. as for the magic, she uses it in the dream where she feels much more energetic; if she needs to go on long distances, she simply uses portals and blinks!

3) being heavily bound to the dream, sonia developed a very elaborate speech. when she was a sapling, it was very hard to understand her, as she used vague and complicated metaphors, and menders had to teach her to talk in simpler words. after some events in her life she involuntarily went back to her previous manner.

Noereen:

2. all noereen remembers from the dream is endless disappointment. her dream was bland, uninteresting, didn't fill her ambitions that were already blooming, no matter how she tried to explore it and answer to the challenges.

13. death is her main fear. her symbiosis with her legends is the only one thing that keeps her alive, and she Does Not want to know how death feels. all she wishes is to avoid death, even though her recklessness doesn't help in it at all...

18. 3 facts :)

1) previously her main legend was an echo of a white mantle inquisitor (probably lovisa), and their relationship was... rocky, to say the least. even though she weakened it by bonding with other echoes, it still haunts her from time to time, since it's the one her life depends on. she's also vulnerable to bloodstone frenzy because of it!

2) noereen has a huge bite scar on her side which is always partly healed. it looks fine, but if she loses her legends, it'll be a main cause of her death. nevertheless, she keeps it unprotected and it's mostly a miracle (and her bfs keeping her away from some of the fuss) how she's still alive exposing it like this.

3) she also has scars all over her body, but the side one is special not only by its nature, but also because it glows in different hue than her usual glowing. while her main glowings are pink, the scar is more reddish.

[runningmiller]

Time and Space

Summary:

Space may be haunted by many different things, things beyond what humans could know about. But some of them we do. In the history of human's experimenting with space travel, many thing have been left behind. Sometimes, they get a chance to come home.

A rover strolls along a gray, pocked surface. The whirring of mechanics lost to the vacuum of space.

Danny's face is lit by a table of controls and screens, none of which he has any experience with. But despite the many switches, lights, levers, buttons, and several different statistics being displayed, all constantly updating, he only needs the three most basic controls necessary for movement. He may also happen to have a space themed throw blanket draped over himself, but that’s between him and the moon.

Was he supposed to be messing around with a moon rover designed to see ghosts, after his parents got chatted up by conspiracy theorists that totally didn’t con their way into a legitimate NASA funded travelling educational tour for automated space exploration and manual space travel? No, but was he supposed to be a halfa, regularly sneak out with his friends, or be on good terms with even a small number of ghosts?

“This is so cool! I can’t believe they did this. They can make a rover and send it in space, why would they hunt ghosts?”

A howling, the sound so chilling in a way Danny can feel through his bones. He wonders if he’d feel it the same if he was really there, even with the absence of heat.

“What the?”

Maybe a meteor passed by? Still, a scan pops up, showing which way the sound came from.

Danny leans closer to the screen, looking for anything that might not be a rock or meteor. What if he discovers something? Would they name it after him?

Eventually, a small discolouration becomes visible, a familiar dull blue that Danny can’t believe he’s seeing.

“No way." It’s not actually a ghost, is it?

A ghost of what, an alien? Was he going to find an alien ghost, ghost alien, ghost of an alien, Alien That Is A Ghost—

As the rover approaches the figure, a head pops up cocked to the side, triangle ears perked.

It jumps up, lips pulled back growling, barking up a storm.

A dog. A dog with mostly blue fur, the face and spots visible on its body a shade darker, wearing a green vest.

Reflexively Danny tells it, “Whoa there boy, it’s okay, no one’s gonna hurt you.” It doesn’t occur or even matter in the moment that it can’t possibly hear him, the rover having no speakers.

Danny stops the rover, hoping that if he doesn’t move any closer the dog will realize it’s not a threat, and relax. A few minutes of barking later, the sound of sniffing, the dog investigating the intruder. Every few minutes, Danny carefully moves the rover until it seems to agitate the dog a bit too much, then lets it rest and get familiar with it, before doing the same thing over again.

As this carries on, Danny digs through his sleep deprived mind for why a dog would be in space.

A statue, a sacrifice to science, a time before animal well being was something people prioritized.

Laika. A mixed stray, found in the streets before being suited up and sent to space, before they ever knew how to bring anything back from the void. As Laika accepts the rover as a non threat, Danny wonders if they treated her well before they sent her up.

Moving the rover more freely, Laika continues to bark, but much less threateningly. She jumps around the rover playfully as it moves, and when it stops, she rolls on her back exposing her stomach, tail wagging enough it kicks up a dust storm. Danny is tempted to try petting her with the mechanical claws, but how could he ever tell if he was being careful enough, was petting her for the first time in decades worth the risk of hurting her?

As he debates with himself he sees her jump, but this time she doesn't come back down. Switching cameras to get a vertical angle, Laika is twirling through space, jumping and running as if it came as natural to her as walking on the moon's become.

“Well, guess you did get a lot of practice.”

An idea.

If she can fly, or float, could she come home? But then why hadn’t she before? Maybe she just didn’t know the way.

“Okay, let’s see, I got this. I mean, how hard can it be? Like three buttons?”

Danny flips switches and clicks buttons that look like they might do what he wants, hoping that they would do anything.

For the most part they did not, anything they would do, needing specific patterns to activate. It doesn’t help that Laika is howling, calling the rover to join her off the moons surface.

After what felt like hours, eventually the rover was floating into space, Laika posing playfully, head close to the ground with her paws in front of her, hind legs ready to pounce.

He hopes her attempts to play can lead her to game of chase and that it’s enough to convince her to follow.

A few more clicks, easier to find after sending the rover crashing into a crater more than once, and engines are on.

In Amity Park, a boy sits in his basement, only the sound of the occasional bark from behind a screen, and his own voice, heard only to himself, uttering reassurances.

In space, a rover drifts steady through space, a blue figure running with nothing beneath it’s paws.

Danny knows in ghost form, he’ll be fast enough to reach the park after it lands before authorities get involved, though he doesn’t know if ghost doggy treats will be enough to gain her trust.

But even so, as long as she’s on Earth, he’ll be able to find her and after that, well, he can figure that out later.

[thunderjolt]

strider (2014)

immediately after playing the nes game, i thought to myself: "hey! there's another exploratory strider game and it's been burning a hole in my steam library for 10 years!" well, i finally got around to it. strider 2014 is an interesting beast. overall, i think it's decent.

metroidvanias are a genre i'm very particular about. i think there are a few main pillars: map design, exploration, backtracking, movement, and combat. why don't we run through each real quick, in order of how impressed i was by them.

movement: the movement in strider is excellent. there are many ways to optimize it and tons of little tricks to use. you don't start the game feeling slow or useless either: this game starts you off with essentially the full moveset from strider 2, making you feel fast and powerful from the jump and only increasing your potency from there. the seamless transitions between most screens also result in traversal feeling super smooth. it's not frictionless though, and the movement does require player skill and input to get the most out of. definitely a highlight.

combat: this is really intertwined with movement. as i said earlier, this game starts you off super strong, and you just get stronger. that feeling of mowing through armies of dudes with just one giant laser sword is palpable here. yet still, the game doesn't play itself; you'll need the requisite amount of finesse and quick thinking to get through quickly, but the game gives you the tools to do so, and as you develop that skill it just becomes more and more satisfying

backtracking: some metroidvanias don't have room design i find conducive to backtracking. many of the games on the "-vania" side have enemies that simply require too much time and attention to defeat. personally, i believe that after a certain point in a metroidvania, rooms of enemies earlier in the game should be dispatched without much thought. this is the case in strider, and the game is better for it. you will still struggle with enemies that match the part of the game you're in, but otherwise getting back through areas is smooth thanks to smart upgrade design.

exploration: this is where i think things get a little weaker. the rewards for exploration in this game are there, but they are relatively few in number and don't really inspire curiosity. a problem a lot of people seem to have with super metroid is that its secrets tend to only reward the player with say, a paltry missile tank for their efforts. i don't really have an issue with that, though. even if the reward doesn't stack up, a map littered with little puzzle boxes to pique the player's interest and test their mechanical skills or knowledge is far better than one without. sadly, this game is just lacking in things that make the player interested in the world, and it's a shame.

map design: it's boring. this is what really kills an otherwise strong game for me. both the map (as in the world the player traverses) and the map (as in the thing that guides the player) are poorly designed in my opinion. the game world is not interconnected in an organic or satisfying way, and largely feels like a disjointed assortment of linear challenge rooms. this problem is patched up by fast travel points across the map, to hide the fact that you're mostly good in straight lines, but it's far from a solution. the map itself gives you extremely precise information on the layout and terrain of the world, where you can go to get rewards with your new upgrades, and a huge arrow with a number telling you your exact distance from the next objective. the game never respects the player's intelligence long enough to let them explore the map themselves, possibly because the developers knew they didn't have anything interesting. it's a real shame.

so overall, a mixed bag. i think the game is pretty fun overall, and it goes pretty cheap, so if you're in the mood to slash some shit up as a ninja in a metroidvania package, you could do worse.

[thedeliverygod]

a ranking of the Kingdom Hearts series thus far, by Sora with brief explanations

the games within the tiers themselves are not in any particular order

S Kingdom Hearts: The OG, my dearly beloved. The classic hero's journey. Gameplay was overall fun but definitely had some battles that felt impossible (unskippable cutscenes anyone?)

KH3: An absolute joy to play, I've never had more fun exploring worlds. It did suffer from having most of the main plot towards the end of the game and unanswered questions that were later answered by Re:Mind. The fact that employees from Disney aided with the development of this game really shines imo. A more in depth post about why I loved KH3. Battle was fun but also had difficult moments.

A

KH3D: The game that made me fall in love with Riku. The drop dynamic kind of sucked if/when you dropped in the middle of a boss fight I'm not gonna lie lol. But the story was great. Though Sora & Riku were essentially sent back in time (aka their appearance) the story and especially worlds are not repetitive. Flowmotion was extremely fun to use and the dream eaters were also another fun mechanic. Also the command deck is honestly my favorite iteration of the battle system so I was glad to see its new & improved form in KH3D and was sad to see it gone in KH3.

BBS: The introduction of the wayfinder trio, what a blessing. 3 different stories + a final episode. I loved that Terra, Aqua, and Ventus all had their own very unique playing styles (honestly I was the worst with Terra lol but I got used to him eventually). The first version of the command deck that I loved. Also the first time you could unlock treasure chests during battles (and they saved my ass). Shotlock also A+ loved it and so glad it came back in KH3. Difficulty was pretty standard; mostly a good level with a few really tough ones.

B

COM: So well written and intriguing. The worlds being 'repetitive' played into the storyline of exploring Sora's memories and it was the first time, so it felt okay. The first curse words of the series lmao aka Axel and Maleficent saying hell. This game pushed the gameboy advanced to the damn max. Also the first game we play as someone other than Sora~ enter Riku in Reverse/Rebirth. The card system sucked ass at times honestly and it was extremely hard to maneuver during certain battles on the GBA but that got a lot easier after the PS2 remake. While I'm glad the cutscenes were voiced for the remake, I will say the voice direction of RE:COM is some of the most awkward in the series. It also doesn't help that they did not put in any effort into changing the lip movements for the English language as they usually do.

Dark Road: Excellent writing and fun characters. Relatively fun gameplay at first, but quickly got repetitive. The good news was they let you use an auto function to cheat and speed through to get back to the story lol. I loved learning the back story to Xehanort and Eraqus and what made them into the adults we meet in BBS and later KH3. Shout out to my boy, Hermod. Never forgotten.

KH2: Character designs are immaculate and there are moments that are absolutely iconic. Had a good amount of fresh worlds while bringing back some beloved ones. KH2 suffered from some awkward voice direction and the game play was far too easy, imo. I beat it on critical mode with hardly any effort (other than the Roxas battle which is unique to the final mix version) and I'm honestly not very good of a gamer lol. I beat the game on my first play through in less than 20 hours which is kind of crazy. Also the 2nd visit to most worlds often feels forced and doesn't add much to the overall story of the game

C

KHX/KHUX: I barely managed to play KHX so most of this is based on KHUX. The fact that you could change your gender at any time was literally the best invention ever; signed, a non-binary person. I wish more games had that option. The customizable characters were freaking adorable and the options were limitless. The story was well written and intriguing when you got it. But... you had to do SO MANY repetitive endless missions to get to any story. I mean you'd get Disney related story sometimes but I mean like KH-core story. Not to mention essentially having to pay to win unless you got EXTREMELY lucky. And in general I'm just not a fan of MMORPGs so I dipped out after a while.

Days: Amazing story. Xion is my precious baby angel and I love her so much. The sea-salt trio reunion in KH3 was also the one that hit me the hardest tbh. But oh my god, the gameplay sucked. One of the hardest KH games to exist and I definitely nearly gave up on it a few times lol. The DS is just so awkward for KH gameplay and as we all know the graphics were.... abysmal to say the least. But there are some moments that were left out in the cinematic remake which will forever live on in our memory.

BBS 0.2: Really fun gameplay. Customizing Aqua's outfit was one of my favorite things as well and it really gave me hope that it would be a feature in KH3, but alas lol. The story overall was interesting, but it overall had to do a lot of retcons to try and make the past connect with the present so that was kind of awkward lol. Also they improved a TON from early models, but overall bbs 0.2 still looked a little weird at times compared to KH3 which had extra time to be fine tuned. Also it's essentially a KH3 demo rather than being a real game but essentially KH3 was already too massive so it made sense to separate it.

D

Re:Coded: I'll be real, I hated this game lol. It switching up the type of gameplay a lot was a fun idea in theory but actually playing the game it ended up being annoying. Also, it was essentially a rehashed idea of chain of memories when you get down to it. We explore previous worlds we've seen many times by now with Data Sora. We get little bits of new info but ultimately really the only useful thing is the very end of the game. I did enjoy the cinematic version a bit better; the voiced dialogue made a few moments a more comical.

Melody of Memory: A fun rhythm game, but the fact that it includes story that's important all buried at the end of the game is kind of pointless/annoying? lol. I loved seeing Kairi get her time to shine but I wish it was more than her just narrating over Sora's journeys and then a handful of important cutscenes at the end of the game.

[yewphoric]

HI HELLO HEJ HEJ 1, 7, 11, 18, 26, and 35 . . . FOR JENAIS AND RAGNARRRRR

HI HI HI HEJ HALLO!!! >:3 THANK YOU FOR ENABLING ME EEHEHEHHEHEH

are they associated with a certain color? what color do they wear the most?

HEHEHE. Ragnar is associated with orange to me, though he mostly wears blue in the form of his Stalhrim armor! He doesn't have that until he goes to Solstheim, but tbh I think I'm gonna have to mix in some blue to his previous armor designs, methinks hehe FOR JENAIS: Obviously he mostly wears black with red accents, because that's His Robe. Despite that, I associate him with green, and draw him with the color green a lot hehe. Orange is for warmth, fire, and all around like... idk. just Warm. And then the green for Jenais is definitely for envy, necromancy, and even a bit of Hermaeus Mora coding... >:3c

7. favorite animal? why?

Ragnar likes birds, mainly hawks! It really just finds them fascinating to watch, and feels that they guide it in the right direction... Hmmmm... :3c And Jenais likes elk! He's always admired their antlers and grace, even as a child.

11. what do they have in common with you? how are they different? would you get along with them?

OH BOY HEHEHE... we'll start with Ragnar again here. Ragnar has inherited my struggles with knowing myself and identity, as well as unhealthy selflessness. I think we could get along but communication might be kinda hard skjflsdj AS FOR JENAIS... those that know me know that he's a massive projection of a lot of Problems I have/had, especially around the time I developed him, lmao. He's very much gifted kid syndrome/burnout, he's been used as a vessel for me to explore being arospec, and in general he's kinda like if I just flew off the handle, but worse. And no, we would not get along, at least not at first... but I'm not sure I have the patience of a saint that Ragnar has to actually deal with him for long enough for us to actually get along KSDJLKDF

18. their opinion on lying, stealing, and killing?

HAHA WELL... funny I'm answering this today, since Ragnar has taken the reigns and developed itself in a direction I didn't think it would be going. SO LIKE. It's outwardly against lying, but actually lies QUITE a bit. Mainly about itself, its thoughts and feelings and such, as much lying to itself as it is lying to others to keep its appearance up. As for stealing and killing, it will do it if it must, but prefers not to. It generally stays away from stealing, as it never finds a valid reason to steal-- where as killing has become an inevitability in many cases. As for Jenais, well, his answer should be obvious: neither of those things are wrong, and in fact, they're pretty damn fun! >:3

26. how do they move? are they clumsy? light on their feet? do they use mobility aids?

OOH OK so Ragnar is very sure with his movements. He's very graceful, but his movements also hold weight. He's light on his feet but he's very muscular and has a good bit of body fat, so despite the grace it's easy to see that he could pack a hell of a punch if he needed to. He's quite sturdy too, and hardly ever loses balance. Jenais... I like to describe how he walks as almost like stalking, creeping, etc. He's fairly good at being sneaky, but even when not trying to hide, he moves with a strange sort of... I can only really describe it as a predatory gait, I guess?? Like he's ready for anything, always planning something. He's NOT sturdy at all though, and is easily knocked over. He used to be much more clumsy but has grown out of that for the most part. His posture isn't great, either, which adds a bit to his freaky, evil, creepy charm.

35. do they ever return home?

YOU WANTED TO HURT ME WITH THIS ONE. POINTS. I KNOW YOU DID /LH Short answer for both of them: No. Ragnar never had a home, how could it return? Jenais can't find home in the house he grew up in. Nothing is left but ghosts-- and the memories haunt him well enough as it is.

[miqojak]

Send 🏅 to see a screenshot or gpose of which you are especially proud.

Obscure Screenshot Meme

I've been AGONIZING over this, since I have a ton of old screenshots of which I'm proud - I'll look at a photo-shoot and be like 'this is my favorite'... then I'll say the same thing about the next one! The first ones here are because I just...the lighting/shadows just get me (a character half in shadow is just a sweet spot for me, especially when it's thematic for them), the door's colors tying in with the outfit - and really, because I kinda accidentally made this outfit all on my own and fell in love with it! It's mostly Solona's stuff, except for the shoes, but all from different outfit packs... and I just like how the high-waisted skirt works so well with the Hilda shirt! (I also can't help but love the very subtle middle-finger Jak is giving in the first one - as if to say 'eyes up higher, pal!') Plus I just can't stop using Reshade's 'magic border' feature that makes screenshots pop, and I'll never not love that.

These beach ones are because once again, I'm in love with vivid colors!! Plus it's really, really hard to get a picture with the fireworks and time it just right - no matter what tools you're using, it's just about timing and patience, and... the ADHD means I'm not the most patient person when I'm excitedly waiting on something, so this was an endeavor...and then I ended up with several good shots with different color-bursts of fireworks, and was like... well, you can only cram so many shots on a post before it's cluttered, so I picked one with the green/yellow color burst because that's the color of her eyes! Here, I can toss out a couple other contenders - the double burst of fireworks for cool factor, or the almost-bi-colors for bein' heckin' gay! (I came very close to using that one, but the tie-in to her eye color was too good!) PLUS it has proven quite difficult to find a swimsuit that I feel good putting Jak in... one where it feels like she could feel sexy - but it's not just thin strips of cloth that make me feel like she's a piece of meat on sale. She doesn't mind people looking, but you can't give it all away! (It also cracks me up that the lighthouse lights are like, highlighting her butt? xD She'd approve, she's proud of her assets! )

Last but not least - I love re-visiting screenshots I tried to do when I was new, and tackling them anew now that I have a lot of practice under my belt. They're usually not exactly the same, but in the same or similar vein, as an homage - and this is basically what I had in my head when I first made Jak, and I had to use the anemos jacket as her leather jacket! The Streetwear set was a godsend for her, as well as the Yorha stuff, but I've never had any qualms about most of the base Miqo racial gear - Jak likes her skirt! As a former 'streetrat' as she was so 'lovingly' dubbed by her now-partner, she learned that if people are admiring the view, they're not as likely to notice that you've robbed them blind while they let base animal instinct distract them. But here, I get to finally envision her tattoos, her style, her attitude... I've been really working on my expression-work (it's not easy), because Jak is expressive! I want to convey a little more than the base emotes give, most times (though there's nothing wrong with a /sneer most days... I just want more brow movement sometimes! XD) Also! The Yorha explorable zone is just... top notch for Gpose shots for her! I'd love more diverse backdrops (And I do mix it up at times!), but this one is so often the best suited to her aesthetic, that I keep coming back and using different areas of it.

Thank you so much for this ask! Sorry it took a bit for me to decide...then I got long-winded, as usual!