#i know they feel different but the core of the characters are always coming of age
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raayllum · 3 days ago
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King of What? :: a S7 Ezran Meta
Introduction
Because S7 in particular gave me even more Ezran feelings than usual, and I thought "What's more fun than methodically breaking them down and sorting them into categories?" so here we are. We'll be looking at a lot (but not all) of Ezran's s7 arc as well as some holdovers from previous seasons. There are also some motifs to keep in mind, such as the:
Phoenix motif
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Need motif (+ him and Callum later)
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Reflection Motif
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that we will dive into more later once they're more relevant / we can put the pieces in place. For now, a little background meta key up because S7 breaks Ezran down and then systematically builds him back up while also, in some ways, doing a complete overhaul.
So let's talk about it?
Pillars of Identity: Who is Ezran?
TDP is a series obsessed with a lot of things, but if I'd have to wager what the second core idea of the series is beyond the Cycle of Violence, I'd probably put in on a theme of Identity, specifically questions such as, "how do I, as a person, exist within the Cycle (breaking it, perpetuating it, both)?" and "who has, or is, my grief turning me into?" as they are deeply interrelated. To answer those questions, that requires establishing who a character is in 'normal life,' or outside of grief and the cycle (ie. trauma) and who they are within it.
With that in mind, I think Ezran has about five approximate pillars for his identity, in roughly this order:
Harrow's son
The king
Callum's brother
Zym's friend
Rayla's friend
I don't think that other characters pillars would be that different (Rayla's primary would also likely be her three duty bound parents) as it does make sense; most children's primary influence in life, especially as they grow, start with their parents as role models even if they may eventually separate and take an opposite road (love you Soren). Where Ezran differs, I think, is that while I don't know if Rayla would consciously conceptualize herself as her parents' daughter as her primary pillar, I do think that Ezran — especially Ezran in arc 2 — is always orienting himself around "I am Harrow's son" (for better or for worse in terms of what that means).
This is also why I put Ezran's identity as king as his second pillar. In his childhood / pre-s3, I think his second pillar would've been his identity as Callum's (little) brother. However, we see him place returning to his kingdom above helping Callum (brother) and Rayla (friend) returning Zym (another friend) to Xadia. The loss of his father strips away the relative safety of body and mind that being a prince comparatively gave him, fundamentally altering his internalized and externalized sense(s) of responsibility and his choices accordingly. It's the loss of his father and the subsequent grief, yes, which Callum also experiences, but uniquely the mantle of the throne as well, which is what he highlights in 7x02:
This all started the day that assassin came to Katolis and killed him. Our king. Our father. I never asked for this. I wasn't ready to be a king. I'm just a kid. That day changed me forever.
So let's talk about being the king. Let's talk about
The Crown
Ezran's crown is one of the few objects in the series to have an episode titled after it (3x02) and the only one I can remember that continues to be a symbol we consistently come back to throughout (i.e. unlike 1x07's "The Dagger and the Wolf"). Despite returning to Katolis to be king and sitting on the throne itself throughout the episode, Ezran struggles with the crown. It is, to him, in some manner different than the throne, despite ostensibly representing the same thing. He has, effectively, already made the choice to be king, yet persists in his doubt and hesitation as he struggles to learn the balance.
Opeli, however, contributes to that distinction, noting specifically that "the crown is a heavy burden to bear" and that "no one blames you for being a child". Ezran's choice to fully commit to, and his acquiring of the kingship fully, is made synonymous with him putting on his father's crown for the first time. In a lot of ways, Ezran returning home to Katolis was him realizing he can't run away from growing up (2x09) in his own words, and therefore that putting on the crown is him committing to becoming someone new: this is Grown Up Ezran, or Growing Up Ezran, actively. He is, from this day on by choice, no longer just a child, but also — more so — a king.
AARAVOS: The whining child king, in over his head, and he knows it. (4x04) DOMINA: Who is this child? ZUBEIA: He is a king! (5x01) KARIM: I've never negotiated with a child before. CORVUS: He is a king. (6x07)
This also folds into how Ezran conceptualizes his father. Again, as children often do, he looks to his father for guidance with the things that Ezran is struggling to handle per his sense of responsiblity (teaching Zym how to fly in season 2): "I just wish Dad was here. He'd know what to do, you know?"
When Ezran returns home in season three, he does so with the direct consequence of his father's actions on his shoulders and wrapped around his brow, and with his letter in hand, and these changes likewise reflect a more nuanced understanding of his father:
All of you knew King Harrow as a great king. He was a warrior, a leader, and a champion. But I knew him as my Dad, who loved me and my brother and our mom, and sometimes told really bad jokes. [...] I didn't see everything he had to do as king, but I do know my father had to make some very hard decisions... I haven't been through the things that made my father the king he was. So I've decided that I don't have to be the king my father was. My father made choices to keep fighting battles that started hundreds of years before he was born. To punish children for crimes their parents committed. I don't want to be that kind of king.
This is, of course, a speech made in the context of actively rejecting war and of pardoning those who would otherwise be punished, both things that Harrow did engage in directly and deeply regretted in the letter Ezran currently holds. Ezran then walks the balance of simultaneously rejecting who his father was, and honouring who his father was and who he wanted to be. This is perhaps best exemplified in season 3 of Ezran, two episodes after rejecting his father's 'way', having a mirrored path across the courtyard set to "Last Sunset" in one of their most overt parallels, prepared to give up his life and freedom in hopes others will make better choices with the (hopefully) renewed agency they now have.
By the time we get to season 4, Ezran has changed greatly. He's more confident as king, the team's resident diplomat and negotiator, and a lot more active in general, though not without plenty of room to grow. 4x03 offers a cold dose of reality that the road to the future he wants is going to be harder to walk, but still confident that we can get there because, "We all want peace, and we all want love."
He also has a more complicated yet positive view of his father as king and of the world at large. He best expresses this, perhaps, the first time he removes his crown (which is a permanent part of his identity, and of his character design):
I am King Ezran of Katolis. As my gift [of sacrifice], I offer you my crown. It has no jewels and it isn't made of precious metal. It's made from the steel of my father's sword. My father was a strong king, and I wanted to carry that strength with me. But he also taught me that strength isn't always about weapons and war. This crown reminds me of that lesson.
Rather than just seeing Harrow as something to not be, Ezran has come around to wanting to carry his father closely with him. He's learned that "peace demands just as much strength as war" and also decided to embody Harrow's closing thoughts as a king: "I now believe that true strength is found in vulnerability, in forgiveness, in love." A dual strength for a dual king, symbolized by Ezran taking his father's sword and reshaping it into something new.
Ezran is a King of Love as Strength. He is king because he's literally Harrow's son and heir, but also emotionally — narratively — Harrow's son in terms of breaking the cycle and choosing love (similarly how Janai in S7 becomes known as a queen of mercy just like her previous royal role model, Aditi). Harrow's son by fact, and Harrow's son by choice in some ways:
EZRAN: History doesn't have to be a narrative of strength. Not if we don't want it to be. It can be a narrative of love. KARIM: These are childish dreams. EZRAN: Not dreams, choices. I am a king. And as a king, I choose love over strength.
So Ezran being king, to him, is synonymous with choosing love as strength. With making choices. With being Harrow's son (positive). He forgives Zubeia and Avizandum because of Zym. He forgives Rayla because "I'm sure she doesn't mean to make [Callum] feel that way". He provides an anchor, a pillar, for other people to build their identity around ("Don't you remember who you are?") as a reminder and a lever (hi Soren). He can honour and strive to be better than his father simultaneously. He can hold pain and love in his heart at the same time.
Until he can't.
King of what? King of ashes? [Of nothing?]
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In seasons 4 and 5, we see Ezran remove his crown. Both are about sacrifices: he is prepared to offer his crown to Rex Igneous and to Finnegrin in order to help with their mission, asserting its sentimental value and importance to him: "You must bring Rex Igneous a worthy gift." / "It's not worthless. It's really important to me."
In season 7, he removes it just once. This is in admission to Callum that he "never asked for this". He was given the option of being king or not being king, but neither would've necessarily made him happy, and he made the best choice with the options he had... Options that he never asked for in the first place. The crown being a reminder to choose strength over love? He never asked to have to learn that lesson, either. It was a burden placed on him in making the best out of a bad situation, which is — unfortunately — an unavoidable part of life. But it can still be, or feel, unfair to him.
I think we see this aspect of Ezran struggling with what he wanted vs what was forced upon him in how he (and others) in 7x02 treat his high ranking position. We've seen first hand in 5x01 that Callum would overrule something like Rayla — and Runaan by extension — being arrested, but Ezran has the final say here as king. However, he does not directly highlight his own ranking. Merely, he reminds his brother of Callum's position:
Callum. High Mage. We need you at this council meeting.
And Rayla ("you're not my king, but you are my friend") reminds Ezran of his, because it is Ezran's status as king — the power, the trauma — that is driving them apart:
So, King Ezran. How determined are you to stop me?
Being king gives Ezran control over the people around him — Opeli, Soren, Corvus, Aanya, Callum — and over what happens. It gives him control. A sense of safety. And while these are understandable desires, they swing the wrong way in his anger.
So let's talk about who they swing towards!
Targets (Sol Regem, Runaan, Callum)
Ezran's anger has three direct targets in season 7, and as such, it's easy to see the way each stacks on top of the other.
The initial one is Sol Regem ("We need to find Sol Regem and destroy him"). This leads to finding an already dead dragon, which means in addition to having no one to blame, it means Ezran has no way to know or understand why Sol Regem attacked Katolis (beyond a hatred of humans). The destruction of the castle feels like losing his family all over again, in some ways, in addition to his childhood home.
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Then lo and behold, the man responsible for killing his father walks right into it.
You! This is all your fault! Everything changed the day you came. You killed my father!
I think this line shows a few things. As king, Ezran was supposed to protect and be there for Katolis (2x09) while also working to break the cycle. That's what, by Ezran's measure, a good king would do. He's utterly failed at the former, and if he's a bad king, then he shouldn't be king. So whose fault is it that Ezran, a bad king, is on the throne? Logistically and emotionally, it's Runaan. It's not quite rational but it is reasonable for Ezran to look at every event in his life from the past two years spiralling out from his father's death, and culminating in Katolis' destruction.
However, despite Runaan becoming the next target of Ezran's anger, he's not actually the most consistent target of it throughout the season: Callum is.
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After 7x02, Ezran doesn't breathe a single word of ire about Runaan for the rest of the series, even if he's still clearly angry months later in the 7x09 'epilogue'. Instead in 7x03, he's fixated on finding and dragging his brother back as punishment ("we can't let him get away with it!") for betrayal, which Ezran also takes personally and extends beyond himself: "Callum betrayed me. He betrayed all of Katolis."
The idea that a king represents his kingdom is an old one in terms of history, and considering that Runaan killed the king of Katolis, and Callum helped him escape, it's not that much of a reach. However, Ezran isn't even thinking that logically. If Ez was proposing hunting down the kingslayer and bringing him back to face justice, that'd be one thing. However, he only talks about holding Callum accountable, not even Rayla (who also betrayed him) or Runaan (the escaped prisoner).
His targets, quite literally, switched from Aanya having her arrow notched at Runaan and then to his brother, and Ezran's anger has subsequently followed.
Now, some of this is undoubtedly because of the three, Ezran is the closest to Callum. They had a childhood together and Callum was customarily always in his corner, if sometimes a bit scatterbrained/unreliable or angry. He, accordingly, expected Callum to be on his side, and barring that (stopping him from going after Rayla in the meeting) was prepared to enforce it. A lot of our emotional upset tends to come from "I expected you to understand/support me, and you don't" after all.
However, I think Ezran's emotional interplay is a bit more complicated. I think in 7x01, Ezran attaches to Callum as an extension of himself even as he self-isolates, such as sending Callum to go with Corvus "because we have to do something" in investigating Sol Regem, and for no real in-universe reason besides "Corvus offered to go, but I need to feel in control so I'm going to tell/order someone to go with him".
The other, bigger part of this is that Callum is the biggest hole in Ezran's reasoning.
EZRAN: He killed our father. Isn't that enough?
We know that part of Ezran's grief is that it forced him to be king and grow up quickly, something that Callum is adjacent to but can't relate to in the same way by virtue of not having the crown. But since the reasoning Ezran highlights is that 1) Runaan is a murderer (unlike the bulk of the people at his council table—oh wait) and 2) it's okay/right to punish him for killing their father... having his brother, who is also King Harrow's son (cue the identity pillar) disagree is a pretty big blow to it. They both loved their dad; he was their father, and they were both his sons. Callum is in the closest position imaginable to Ezran as anyone could be, emotionally, yet they have two completely different perspectives. It gives Ezran's reasoning much less ground to stand on, and he can't handle it. The fact that Callum's perspective (which was already a betrayal in its own way) then becomes action (which is what Ezran labels the betrayal), I think, is just the cherry on top.
Another thing that's worth noting, I think, is that neither Ezran or Callum are necessarily the ones who escalate things in 7x02; Aanya and Rayla are. Soren, Corvus, and the other guards are working under Ezran as his crownguard, but Aanya and Rayla are the rogue parties. Aanya isn't operating under Ezran's jurisdiction, but as his friend and ally. What this does mean, though, is that literally everyone at the Banther Lodge is on Ezran's side against Rayla and her weakened, injured father... except Callum, but as a mage, he's enough to tip the scales to take down the crownguard... and then use himself as a human shield.
One of the things about Ezran's anger and its targets in season 7 is that it does a very good job at illustrating exactly why the Cycle is so destructive to participate in, because yes, you may aim your anger at the people who 'deserve' it and are directly responsible—the acceptable, understandable Targets if you will—but you catch others in the crossfire. There is always collateral damage of people who didn't do a thing to you, whether that's the people who love them, or the people who are like them. (Insert Zubeia wanting to take revenge for the loss of her mate and child, claiming the lives of the assassins sent to take it, and then Lyrennus' pain at the loss of his child + Ethari's at the loss of his partner.) There is no clean way to kill your enemy in a manner that does no harm to anyone else (who is innocent).
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Ezran's targets by proxy of wanting to deal with Sol Regem's destruction of Katolis are the dragons and Zym (more on them in a second, though, cause that deserves its own section). His targets by proxy of wanting to punish Runaan is causing deep pain to Rayla, even before she's taken any action against him, and then on a more literal sense his own brother. His targets by proxy of wanting to drag Callum back by force likely would've been Runaan, Rayla, potentially Ethari, or even Corvus or other crownguard in the fight.
Callum shielding Runaan (and Rayla by extension) force Ezran to confront this fact, at least a little. Does he value punishing Runaan (and Rayla, a girl who's saved him countless times, who was willing to lose a hand for him, who has otherwise always taken his side)—perpetuating the cycle—over his brother's life. And Ezran is angry enough that he good and truly considers it (although we could say perhaps he was waiting to see if Callum would move out of the way). But where Ezran was willing to hurt Rayla emotionally if it meant physically punishing Runaan, he is not willing to risk killing Callum to keep the assassin as a prisoner.
This is also, I think, the turning point for Aanya. She is Ezran's friend and was willing to follow his lead, and upon seeing the choice that Ezran made—sparing Callum over killing him and Runaan—she shifts gears. She and everyone else (who are deeply uncomfortable with Ezran's increasing rage, but unwilling to speak out against it) recognize that pursuing and punishing Callum will not actually making Ezran feel better. So she tries a different tactic.
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EZRAN: We can't let him get away with it. Corvus, I need you to track them. CORVUS: [Gently corrects him] King Ezran, we already know where they're going. The Silvergrove. EZRAN: Right. And that's why I need you to track them. (7x03)
I also think Ezran taking 'being king' as such a core identity piece—Callum was Harrow's son too, but not in the way Ezran wanted/needed—lets Aanya reach him. She's also a child monarch, and reminding Ezran of this and that he and Callum can heal ("But I'll always be your brother" / "You're brothers") is something that Ezran deeply needed to hear from someone else, too.
AANYA: I know it hurts right now, Ezran. But you need to know that you and Callum are not broken. The both of you will heal one day. You're brothers. It's okay to be angry, and it's okay to be sad. But I think you should let this go, for now. You're the king of Katolis, and your people need you. EZRAN: You're right. I need to protect them.
EZRAN: But Katolis needs me. (4x03)
However, that doesn't mean Aanya's advice, nor how Ezran pursues that protection is faultless, so next, let's talk about
Dragons as Friends and Foes
Ezran has always been the dragon boy.
Back in 2021, I wrote a more long winded post that basically boiled down to���in a show where elf, human, and dragon relations are key—it was likely that Callum was always designed to be the human who engaged the most with the culturally elven side of things (primal magic, Rayla being his lancer), and Ezran (with his ability to talk to animals) was designed to handle the dragon-human side of things. Think how we see Callum's first meeting with Rayla, an elf, while Ezran is the one who discovers Zym as a dragon egg.
Although other characters (namely Rayllum in S3, and Soren in seasons 4-6) bond with dragons as well, this remained true throughout arc 2, wherein Ezran is the closest to Zym and Zubeia, the primary negotiator with the various archdragons, going on his 'big dragon missions' (5x01-5x03), etc.
Season seven, therefore, presents an interesting departure in Ezran's view of dragons. Previously, while they should've been enemies, he always saw them as friends and allies: being the first to run to and aid Pyrrah in 2x07, trying to commune with Zubeia to wake her up in 3x08, defending Avizandum in 4x08 on behalf of Zym, etc.
Sol Regem's attack changes all of that. As Ezran states:
But doesn't a home need to be safe? [...] Our ancestors spent generations building Katolis. I don't want to waste our time if it's all going to get knocked down. [...] We have to be ready. We have to be strong enough so that they won't even think about attacking us. Before we rebuild, we have to build our defenses.
In season 4 and 5, all Ezran wanted to do was work with the dragons. To work together with Zubeia to stop Aaravos; to call upon the dragons to help stop Claudia and Viren. Now, the dragons are a 'them'. Now there's an 'us'.
This isn't necessarily a 'wrong' way to think about it, though. An archdragon did attack and devastate Katolis, seemingly — to Ezran — for no apparent reason. To want to prevent that from happening is reasonable. Yes, Ezran is friends with dragons, but most friends aren't also born with the inherent capacity to utterly destroy your life as a built in feature.
At the same time, this new 'us vs them' mindset is challenged a few times in season 7. Although Ezran's assurances to Zym that "we're only building such powerful weapons so that we never have to use them" will not work out without consequences in arc 3, I'm sure, thus far we only see Ezran use them on another enemy he's willing to be increasingly violent with: Aaravos.
In 7x07, the Startouch elf offers up a double serving of manipulation — the bigger one being to join him and that he's humanity's ally, which Ezran steadfastly rejects, and the smaller one beneath regarding the Nova Blade (+ Callum), which Ezran 100% plays into. Both of these push Ezran further as a character.
The first avenue that Ezran rejects leads him to claim that:
I have allies already. The elves and dragons, fellow victims of your evil.
Even if the only elf he's currently working with is a recent addition is Terry, forcing Rayla and Runaan to go on the run in 7x02, and his draconic ally in Zym is deeply worried about Ezran and Aanya's project. But it shows that despite his coldness towards previous allies, Ezran still holds unity close and refuses to relinquish it entirely as an ideal.
Secondly, we have Ezran's choice to use the Nova Blade. This is both a departure and in line with his thoughts in 5x06:
CALLUM: We borrow this Nova Blade, wait for Aaravos to get out, and then just stab-stab, buh-bye bad guy. EZRAN: Wait, slow down. Shouldn't that be the last resort? If we can stop Aaravos from getting out at all, we can solve this without any violence.
On the one hand, Ezran in 7x08/09 is just following through with what he said here. If Aaravos was still trapped, they didn't need to resort to violence. Now that he's out, violence is accordingly on the table, just as Ezran said it would be. However, I think it still feels like a departure in some ways because of Ezran's repeated emphasis on strength and love over violence, and his choice (4x08, 5x06) to melt his father's sword down into a crown... only to now acquire a sword that isn't made for defense whatsoever, but for the express purpose of killing.
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That said, more on the Nova Blade in a second.
For now, I want to return to the archdragons, and just do a little season track:
7x01: Ezran finds out an archdragon / former king of the dragons destroyed Katolis. Furious, he wants to destroy Sol Regem in turn, but cannot as the great dragon is already dead.
7x02: Ezran takes out his anger on Runaan, Zubeia's servant assassin.
7x03-7x05: Ezran goes with Aanya to learn how to build weapons that can stand a chance against dragons / archdragons, in spite of Zym's misgivings.
7x07: Despite Callum giving Ezran the mission to go retrieve Zubeia, Ez delegates it to his crownguard + Terry, choosing to remain in Katolis and converse with Aaravos instead to "keep [Aaravos] busy".
7x09: Ezran (and co.) are spared from sacrificing their lives and "everything we are" because of the archdragons, who all sacrifice themselves to stop Aaravos. Ezran holds Zym while his parents / Zubeia die, and then instructs a memorial to be created in the Valley of the Graves.
So, after a season of being angry at an archdragon, at seeing dragons as potential enemies... Ezran and everyone / everything he loves is saved by those very same creatures. Instead of destroyers who force him to sacrifice, they are saviours who choose to sacrifice on his behalf. This doesn't remove responsiblity from Ezran's shoulders per se—in many ways, a world without archdragons adds to it, as he states, "It's up to us now, Zym" (in a nice callback to 1x03)—but I do think it greatly contributes to his perspective in his closing scene this season.
One of the ways it does so is bringing back the gift motif from 4x08, not only in "worthy gifts of sacrifice" but in Ezran's realization that:
We offered gifts that meant a lot to us. But the truth is, they don't mean anything to you.
being directly contrasted in 7x09, with:
AARAVOS: And what will your sacrifices buy? A mere moment of peace before I return to a world without you? Without archdragons. Your deaths mean nothing.
EZRAN: They have given us a great gift. A chance to keep on living. Keep trying to be better.
The first time Ezran spoke of the dragons in 4x01, it was with excitement for Zubeia and Zym's visit to Katolis. He believed "it would change how people see dragons". He offered gifts of friendship and peace in the Valley of the Graves, only for the portrait to be defaced. By the end of season 7, Ezran's desire for people to see the dragons differently has come true, and his honouring of Zubeia is allowed to stand in a way that's far more permanent than a painting.
OPELI: It's the gift ceremony. I'm concerned that holding in the Valley of the Graves is insensitive. EZRAN: Wait, what? It's a sacred beautiful place. It's a place of peace. OPELI: Some people have come to me in confidence. They worry that honouring a dragon in a place that is a memorial to so many great humans, some of whom died at their hands, is offensive. (4x03)
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EZRAN: Aaravos pushed us to to the brink. We were ready to sacrifice it all. Everything. You and me, Callum, Rayla... We almost gave up everything we are. But because of them, the archdragons, we didn't have to.
Now, I don't think this change at the end of the season will be enough necessarily for Ezran to halt Project Ruby Fire. I don't think it undoes the hard choices he's made or the things he's learned about himself. But I do think it asserts what he's aspiring towards, and helps direct himself to who he wants to be and how he's going to proceed going forward (Evrkynd, Runaan).
Speaking of which, let's finally talk about Runaan. Again.
A Phoenix
I've alluded to this this a bit before, but I think one of the main reasons Ezran chose to forgive Runaan was because of the archdragons' sacrifice. The dragons gave him a chance to keep living, to keep trying to be better—and Ezran then turns and gives that "great gift" in turn to Runaan. I don't know if I think that Ezran would've otherwise had Runaan executed, but forgiveness even more than just being spared is a much more active choice in a lot of ways, and not something that Ezran had to conflate, but chose to.
The other reason I think Ezran chose to forgive Runaan is because, as of the end of S7, he's been Runaan.
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As an assassin, I had convinced myself that I was a kind of peacemaker. A twisted peacemaker, I suppose. I believed that my act of precision violence was preferable... necessary, even, to prevent far greater bloodshed.
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[...] I was trained to accept that I was already dead, so that I might carry out my dark work without fear. But I am not dead. I am alive. I have a family I love. I have so much to lose, the very things I took from you.
"They have given us a great gift. A chance to keep on living."
Ezran now understands how someone can believe that to keep back chaos and death, you have to kill another person. To believe in your bones that someone has to die, even if that means your own destruction. That doesn't mean Runaan was right about Harrow, or that Ezran is necessarily wrong about Aaravos, but the journey to get there, the mindset, of how undeterred you are when you reach that place... Ezran's been there. He knows, now, in ways he didn't before.
He forgave Zubeia because everything was complicated: because he could relate to longing for his mother (Zym), to watching his father grieve his wife the same way Zubeia was grieving Avizandum, to wanting to protect his kingdom (Avizandum). To grieving family. Of a child who had lost things.
He forgives Runaan because he can understand being an assassin, and already dead, and realizing you almost lost / have forsaken your family along the way. Of violence testing you, and failing, and having to try again. To reforge yourself into something new—because the true heart you had before is gone, but that doesn't mean your heart is.
Ezran stands in front of the fireplace twice in season 7. The first is with Zym in 7x02 and where he has his initial disagreement with Callum. The second time is with Runaan in 7x09, a fire in his eyes. This evokes not only Ezran's fury and association with the dragons, but also the framing of Aaravos from earlier in the season.
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Ezran once asked if he was now the king of ashes. 7x09 demands him to answer if he wants to keep being a King of Ashes. If he wants to continue feeding his anger and hate, if he wants to continue fuelling the fire of hatred and grief within him. And Ezran says no. He says yes to forgiveness, though this time, he does not know the way:
EZRAN: But it's not that simple or easy. [...] Somehow, we have to hold it all in our hearts at the same time. (4x03) CALLUM: But somehow, you got past that. You forgave her, because everything was complicated. (7x02) EZRAN: I'm going to forgive you. I don't know how, but I have to try. (7x09)
He is presented with a phoenix (Runaan, back from the grave) and chooses to become one himself, and welcome back in all the other pillars of identity that had been crumbling over the past season.
EZRAN: I think about the people I love who are counting on me to do the right thing. Not the strong thing, not the harsh thing. The right thing. Do you love your sister, Prince Karim? (6x07)
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It's sort of fitting, then, that in choosing once again to be Harrow's son (positive), he's presented with a more literal bird phoenix in "Harrow's soul in is in Pip" then, too.
And the same rebirth goes for the world around him, too.
ASTRID: Everything burns when a star dies. (7x09)
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OPELI: King Ezran... perhaps it is finally time to rebuild. EZRAN: No. It's time to build something new. [...] Our world faced its end. But we survived. And on the other side, we find ourselves at a new beginning. [...] There is no such thing as utopia. But with hard work and discipline, persistence and patience, we can build a better place.
The Crown, Again (reforge into something new)
So I've talked about the reflection motif, and I've talked now about the phoenix motif. There's still more I could touch on in regards to Ezran's whole thing with Aaravos and the Orphan Queen, the layers of Aaravos' manipulation, the theme of following in your predecessors' footsteps and the good and harm that can come of it, but that's probably a meta for another day. For now, I want to return to the Need motif we touched on earlier.
TDP is very interested in questioning what characters deem necessary. Thus far, this was mostly done through Aaravos ("Aaravos did what was necessary" / "we will do what must be done"), Claudia ("I did what I had to do" / "Maybe he's just doing what needs to be done" / Whatever it takes, however dangerous, however vile"), and Viren ("I tried to explain that I had only done what was necessary"). S7 starts to shift gears and push further at the main trio, questioning and picking apart some of their mindsets (which again, could be a meta on its own) in regards to what sort of violence they believe is necessary and why, only for none of it to actually have been so because of the Archdragons. A nice little meta-narrative reflection.
What I want to actually focus on here is Ezran's idea of need. This is usually couched within his place of being king, and loyalty to his kingdom, as we've seen previously ("But Katolis needs me" / "You are the king of Katolis, and your people need you").
EZRAN: I wish [Zym] could come with me too, but you need to go be with your mom. That's your home. Both of us need to go home. (2x09)
So Ezran believes that needs to be king because Katolis needs him. Great. What does Ezran need?
Season 7 gives various answers, according to himself:
"Callum. High Mage. We need you at this council meeting" (7x02)
"We can't let [Callum] get away with it. Corvus, I need you to track them" (7x03)
"I need to protect [my people]" (7x03)
"Destiny works in mysterious ways. The Novablade came to my ancestor, only to be lost for generations until we needed it" (7x09).
The other people in his life have other ideas, as discussed.
ZUBEIA: But Zym, you must go. Your brother Ezran needs you. (6x02)
AANYA: But you need to know that you and Callum are not broken. The both of you will heal one day. You're brothers.
CALLUM: Mom said it was okay to be angry, but I couldn't let the bad feelings stick. Because we were going to need each other. Because we're brothers. I still need you, Ezran.
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Broken things can be mended. Crowns and swords can be reforged. People can be, too. As much as Ezran loves his council and his crownguard, he needs people who don't just see him as king. Callum is not his High Mage, but will always be his brother, and that's what's most important. He needs Callum and Rayla and Zym; he needs Aanya who can help keep him grounded. He needs his family because they help keep him who he is as much as he has for them in the past ("Don't you remember who you are?" in 4x07) now that it is up to them to maintain it, and the archdragons are gone.
And to be himself, Ezran needs to be:
Harrow's son with accordance to a Narrative of Love
The King of Katolis
Callum, Zym, and Rayla's brother
rising from the ashes and bringing others up with him, over and over again the way he always has. The way he always will.
Because not all cycles are bad, either.
Conclusion
As stated, there's more to Ezran's arc in S7: ideas of history and half-truths, of chains and Startouch elves, of home and memorials. Of what we carry against our will, what we choose to set down, and vice versa. What this meta was, then, was the first at likely two passes, focusing on Ezran's emotional state(s) throughout the season and his emotional processing. More structural and thematic based analyses of his character in S7 / across the show thus far will definitely folllow.
For now, though, thank you for reading and I hope you enjoyed a bit of a deeper dive!
All hail the king.
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dufferpuffer · 3 days ago
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Why do you think Arthur’s physical description is important to his character?
This is one of the characters I think the movies fucked up visually. Is it the biggest deal in the world? No. Though that's partly because so many of his scenes were straight up cut. But it is a shame.
I think Mark Williams brought a lot of warmth to the character. He feels like a lovely average father - who likes sport a normal amount and likes his eccentric hobby a large amount. He is sweet and fun, can be a little stern when he needs to be... ...But he is also kinda dopey. Even when he needs to come across as serious and capable.
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He has a constant sense of being a little lost. A little soft. Does his best but typically feels like he is out of his depth wherever he is. He basically looks like how I imagined Bagman.
This isn't how he is in the books. In the books he serves as a near constant voice-of-reason and source of information. He calms people down quickly and efficiently, takes control of situations responsibly and isn't afraid to tell it like it is. In fact he considers being honest and accurate very important, having seen a lot of darkness, suffering and death in his life.
When other people wont touch a topic because it is too sad, too scary or too stressful - he walks right in and brings it up. When everyone else is panicking he keeps his cool and works hard. A capable leader. Reliable, intelligent, strong and quick-witted. Everyone knows him, likes him - and owes him a favor or two because he's been solving problems for everyone.
Is that how Movie!Arthur comes across...?
In the books - he is tall and thin, similar to Bill, Percy and Ron. His red hair is balding and he wears horn-rimmed glasses on a kind face - im thinking a geek-ish vibe (younger Dr. Isaac Kleiner) He wears green robes and a long dusty traveling cloak. Simple and professional, if a little battered by a hard working life.
He sounds like an average sort of guy whose defining trait is his intelligence. Perhaps he is a little eccentric and scattered at times - but he can actually be quite imposing. He doesn't sound dopey.
Tangent: 'What is the function of a rubber duck?' isn't canon. He collects plugs. He knows the proper way to use a fellytone. He can drive cars. He understands Muggle clothing in detail - and how to get by without magic or eckletricity when camping. He works with Muggles for his job. He isn't clueless.
Another thing: He and Molly are not visually distinct in the Movies.
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Broad, friendly, homely, browns, patchwork and plaid - hair a little messy and tummies a little soft. They are almost always shown together and melt into a single 'warm parent' character. But they aren't the same. They are very different people and parents, yet fit together well as an odd-shaped team. Looking like that - like opposites that fit together well - portrays that at a glance.
That's my thoughts. I think for the scripts he was given Mark Williams did a good job of getting the gentle loving core of Arthur - and he's just a cutie. Look at him. He needs a cuppa tea.
But I also think that, as Arthur is a side-enough character people don't put much thought into his scenes, the Movie version of him pops up in their heads even when reading the books.
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royalarchivist · 14 days ago
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Bad: I don’t think people understand the effect QSMP had on some of the streamers in terms of like… The real raw mental impact, so I’m gonna set the stage for you. [...] Imagine that you were given a friend to play Minecraft with — like your best friend — BUT if this person dies, if they die in the game, you never get to talk to them again. Can you imagine what that’s like?
Bad: If you did not live through the QSMP, if you did not live through that, it almost sounds like, crazy. But I don’t think people realize how much of a joyous experience the Eggs were. They were SO awesome! They were literally so awesome to just hang out with and spend time with.
Bad: I’m not saying I regret it. To this day, I loved the experience. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Even knowing how everything went, I would still do it all over again. [...] I would still do it all over again, because — even knowing like, all the trauma and suffering and stuff like that — because it was just… It was just that fun, it was just that fun.
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Earlier today during his stream, Bad shared his experience and thoughts about the Eggs and the significant emotional (and traumatic) impact they had on him and his fellow QSMP members.
This clip a very edited-down version since his commentary was ~13 minutes long, so I highly recommend checking out Bad's VOD if you have the time. (Timestamp: 47:36 - 1:00:14)
[ Full Transcript ↓ ]
———
Bad: To be fair Chat, I really think the QSMP... I don't think anyone really can relate to it, Chat. It's something that's so... I've told people this before, like– but it's hard to understand. Right? Like...
Where was I? Sorry Chat, I'm losing my train of thought. Look, let me explain Chat– here's the dealio, ok? Here's the dealio, and this is what I mean when I say like, it's important to keep this in mind, Chat. Ok? It's important to keep this in mind:
I don’t think people understand the effect that the QSMP had on like, some of the streamers, in terms of like… The real raw mental impact, so I’m gonna set the stage for you. This is the analogy I’ve given to every person who I’ve like, shared this with. Imagine you meet somebody– [He hears a strange noise] What the fudge was that? Did you hear that?
Anyway– Chip! The story I was just relaying to Chat, Chip, was this: I was sharing this story with them, I said–  I was giving them an analogy. 
Imagine Chat, for example, imagine that you were… playing Minecraft, with like– you were given a friend to play Minecraft with, Chat, like your best friend, and [unintelligible] were like, “Hey, you get to play Minecraft with this person, right? BUT if this person dies – they’re currently your best friend, Chip – but if they die in the game, you never get to talk to them again. Ever again.” Can you imagine what that’s like, Chip?
I don’t think a lot of people understand like, what that does, right? I’m not gonna say that like, it creates this situation, Chip, that like, messes with your head, but it– Chip – but it totally, totally does, Chip. It messes with your head! It literally puts you in a position where you’re second-guessing and thinking about everything, Chip! You’re thinking about EVERYTHING Chip! Ok? And that’s the problem, Chip– is you turn into a paranoid monster because of it, Chip! Like, you don’t understand Chip– I was- I was so afraid of every dirt block, I used to carry a shovel with me Chip, and I would specifically right-click dirt blocks that looked suspicious because mines, Chip– mines could not be shoveled! Like, I was crazy, Chip! But here’s the problem, Chip: that craziness is still there. I’m genuinely like–
I remember thinking Chip, that I would one day– I was like, “I’m going to move past–” here, let’s go up here, Chip. I remember thinking one day Chip, I was like, “I’m gonna move past the underground base, one of these days. You know, one of these days, I feel like I’ll be able to grow and achieve the desire to build a base that doesn’t have to be underground.” But I don’t think it’s possible now Chip, because I think… I just don’t know. I feel like the paranoia– there’s still like, residual leftover trauma from that situation, Chip.
But here’s the problem Chip: I don’t think I don’t think– I don’t think people understand it. Like, I just really don’t. But I also don’t blame them Chip, ‘cuz I don’t think it’s possible to fully understand it if you haven’t lived through it. Like, if you did not live through the QSMP… I’m talking about the QSMP, I don’t- I don’t know if that was obvious– if you did not live through that, it almost sounds like, crazy. But I don’t think people realize how much of a joyous experience like, the Eggs were. Right? I don’t think people realize it. Like, they were SO awesome! They were literally so awesome to just hang out with and spend time with, Chip. So, it’s just one of those things that–
[He’s interrupted by a loud rumble of thunder above them]
Did lightning just strike here? Is it thunderstorming out…? But anyway, Chip. That’s the food for thought.
But that’s the problem– Like, every time it rains in Minecraft, I have to like, look at the sky, and I get this weird, like, second--hand vibe because of the trauma. The trauma, Chip! The trauma is real! But that’s the point– I’m not saying I regret it. I, to this day Chip, I loved the experience. I’d do it all over again in a heartbeat. Even knowing how everything went, I would still do it all over again. 
[He falls down] Dangit, don’t come over here Chip, ‘cuz I’m coming back up! Ok.
I would still do it all over again, because — even knowing like, all the trauma and suffering  and stuff like that — because it was just… It was just that fun, Chip, it was just that fun. I really wi– I don’t think it’s ever gonna be possible, Chip, to give people that same energy, like that same experience. You know what I mean, Chip? I don’t think it’s ever gonna be possible again. Like, EVER.
Because… because like, one: I will say on one level Chip, I will say on one level, like– it’s sort of emotionally like… It’s emotionally devastating, and I think to actually go through that– and this is where like, if I ever do end up going to a– see a therapist, if I ever do end up going to see a therapist at any point, I’ll talk it over with them and be like, “Hey, what do you think about this?” Because I genuinely think on one level, like– it’s created this fear of forming attachments because of like, how things can go. You know what I mean? Like, the fear of getting attached to something and then potentially losing it. Like, it’s- it’s a genuine thing. I think people forget about that.
Like, at the end of the day, everything was RP, right? On the server. You know what I mean? Like, everything was RP, Chip. BUT at the same point, even though it was RP Chip, it was still like– there the reality of you were still playing like, with another person, and you were still getting that experience, and it felt like you were genuinely attached to someone and you didn’t want anything bad to happen to them. It was GENUINELY stressful, Chip.
But at the same point, I don’t regret it, and I don’t think it was a bad experience. I’m– 
Sometimes in life Chip, you go through stuff, and maybe you have a certain amount of like, things that like, can happen, that you’re like, “You know what, maybe this wasn’t a good thing that this happened,” but at the same point, you still aren’t necessarily upset about it, because… it’s like growing as a person, right? Here’s the thing Chip; even bad situations, Chip, can lead to an overall good outcome. Like–
Even if you’re going through something bad Chip, just because a bad thing happens doesn’t mean that only bad things have to come from that. That’s one of the things I tell people all the time, Chip, is that if you go through a bad situation, you can learn from it, and you can use your experience to help others. And you can be that– you can be, at the worst-case scenario, you can be someone for other people who are going through that same experience to lean on when they go through that.I think there’s a certain amount of comfort that comes from that; from knowing no matter how bad your situation is, you’re not the only person who’s experienced it. You know what I mean?
#Badboyhalo#BBH#Bad#QSMP#January 8 2025#Edited#I know folks are going to add their two cents on this subject in the tags / comments / replies (and as always you're welcome to do that)#But for the sake of my sanity please don't be an asshole to any of the CCs / ex-admins / fellow fans / anyone else. Thanks#Most folks here don't need a ''Don't be a dumbass'' reminder but I had to block someone for that earlier and it was a bit disappointing#This is going to be a Tumblr exclusive clip because I don't trust Twitter to have common sense or common decency about this topic#Tumblr exclusive#Anyways business aside – that black line on the side is just part of Bad's stream btw. He just Has That#Took too long for this to render otherwise I'd edit it out because it's annoying#I'm just realizing this screenshot doesn't even have Dapper OTL but it's the best one I have so I gotta work with what I got#Honestly; I still miss QSMP dearly... I love the core intent of the project and the multicultural exchange#I love all the language barriers that were broken and I loved all the stories that were told and watching beautiful friendships bloom#But I am still so angry and disappointed about how things ended and all the poor communication and the admin situation as a whole#It's a complicated feeling#I agree with pretty much everything Bad says here#It's ironic that he uses that analogy because I've said almost the exact same thing when explaining why losing any Egg was so devastating#We weren't just mourning for the characters. We were mourning for the admins too#I'll never forget that last stream with Tazercraft and Richas; and Pac ending stream in tears#I wish they'd done away with the Egg life system. I wish they'd done a lot of things differently#If the project ever does come back in some shape or form I hope they are more transparent about things and have better communication#I dunno how I'd feel personally. They would have to do a lot of work regaining people's trust#And frankly I don't think they'll ever regain that trust from a large portion of the community#I remember near the start of QSMP I saw a comment from a fan that simply said ''QSMP; please don't leave me feeling bitter''#I think about that comment a lot
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rmbunnie · 8 days ago
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Something kinda tasteless about the way that alongside the concerns of "Batman needs someone to rein in his aggression/edginess" (mostly a meta concern,) "Robin is a symbol of undying hope right alongside Batman, Superman, and the police system," and "now that the thought's crossed my mind I think being Robin would be pretty sweet actually," one of Tim's points for why he should be Robin at the end of A Lonely Place of Dying is "we need to show the criminals of Gotham that they can't just kill Robin and expect to get away with it!" Because. They can. That's exactly what happened.
Using that line of reasoning, Tim makes the claim that the idea of Jaybin's life as disposable and inconsequential is heinous and bad, his killing something impermissible, but instead of disproving said idea they allow it to become true and devote their energy to making sure it doesn't become widely known as such. By covering his death up, they actually are permitting his murder to go unaddressed and deeming it acceptable, even taking away the opportunity for it to be consequential to anyone outside of Bruce's inner circle by not spreading the news. As much as we say "oh Bruce was a great dad because losing Jason crushed him" and "he almost considered trying to kill the Joker one time," he in all tangible areas did not do anything about Jason's death. Setting aside the question of killing the Joker or not, it's still shown in Batman Year 3 that Bruce's reaction to Jason's death in the time til Tim showed up was to hide away everything Jason owned and carry on with business as usual, a little angrier. Bruce didn't make any changes or actually evaluate anything in a significant way after the warehouse and Jason's death didn't warrant any tangible consequence, that's evident from reading the comic. I know some may disagree, and I acknowledge the room for interpretation, but in order to discuss Tim's reason we have to concede that it is explicitly written into this specific comic as something Bruce and Tim both recognize as fact, because it serves as the foundation that this reason is built on: there is good reason for the criminals to believe there would no punishment for killing Robin based on the actions Bruce did or didn't take in response. The concern about the public realizing there are no consequences for killing Robin wouldn't be reasonable if it wasn't true, if there actually were.
While they recognize that Jason's death came to pass largely without consequence, the fact itself is less of an issue to both Bruce and Tim than letting criminals actually find out that it doesn't have consequence. They know it's unjust, the notion that Jason can be killed without repercussion (and in making an effort to minimize his murder confirm it to be true,) but their concern isn't for what actually happened to Jason or the lack of proper response. At least on the vigilante side of things, the problem is public perception and continuing to uphold an image of Batman as just and diligent while permitting him to ignore injustice against those close to him. There's no efforts taken to actually disprove the idea that killing Robin would lack impact, what Tim proposes is just making it harder to prove right.
I think the best way to word what comes across tasteless for me here (aside from the side commentary on the unstoppable might of the institution of police and how it's an exemplar of heroism) is that beyond Tim's victim-blaming of Jason during his stint as Robin, (discussed in more depth by people who can word it better than me,) in the base text of a Lonely Place of Dying, it is foundational to the initial premise of Tim as Robin that part of his motive for being Robin hinges on accepting what happened to Jason as something that cannot be allowed in their pursuit of justice or go unaddressed for reasons completely unrelated to the actual harm, and then intentionally erasing the event and the way in which it was allowed and did go unaddressed. No matter how much it's claimed in later comics that Bruce was faultless and Jason doomed himself, Tim's Robin came to be at least in part (in-universe) as a cover-up for the lack of action taken about Jason's death, and by extension as an effort to overwrite his time as Robin and an individual entirely. And thought it wasn't the way his character viewed it, Tim wasn't passively complicit in it or going along with a poor grieving man, the intentional and deliberate erasure of Jason as a murder victim and the injustice of his posthumous treatment was part of his opening pitch.
#truly just “we can't let them think we do the thing that we do” at its core#because the thing that we do is bad and not fair like we want to look fair and would have consequences we don't want. so they can't know."#i see too much of people saying Jason took Dick's mantle so he shouldn't be mad at Tim when 1. he wasn't mad at Tim for it. didn't happen#and 2. Jason became Robin because Bruce was lonely and Jason was homeless and Tim became Robin in an effort to minimize Jason's death#Jason worried Dick wanted his job back (implying he would give it up if he wanted) and Tim shamed the dead kid he was hiding the murder of#can we spot the differences?#you can't really say Jason's gripe of “my death changed nothing” was off-base#when one of tim's first points on panel was that they should be giving the consequences of his murder the landlord special#i feel like all of the ways in which they made tim “more likable” were just leaning back into the status quo they branched out from#like “Jason doesn't like cops and believes they fail victims? well Tim thinks they're the good-hearted models for what a real hero is”#“Jason has conflicting opinions about cases with Batman? Tim is trying to bring back the true Batman who works exactly like he always did”#“Tim is nice and sweet and comes from a good family and has been there from the start. he respects what Batman is”#he's nice enough but his character is (meta not in-universe) rooted in a return to the safe classics that bring us good sales#idk why fanon props him up as the sad shunned outsider of the batfam when he is fr designed to maintain the norm and not rock the boat#also it's immensely funny to see Bruce accuse Jason of being needlessly violent over his emotional state as Robin#when not only does Bruce do exactly that and only that when Jason dies but he was doing it BEFORE too!#Oh No! he went from brutal to criminals and forgoing proper investigations to being brutal to criminals and forgoing proper investigations!#jason todd#batman#bruce wayne#robin#dc comics#discussion of tim drake#again not using the character tag because this isn't the most nicies#but i honest don't hate him that much
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copper-ice-cube · 6 months ago
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Main D20 Seasons Ultimate Ranking: part 3
Bonus: did I get any genres wrong?
(Part I, Part II, Part IV, Part V, Part VI, Part VII, Part VIII, Part IX, Part X, Part XI)
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maelancoli · 4 months ago
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Writing Intimacy
i often see writers sharing a sentiment of struggling with writing kiss scenes which honestly bleeds into other portrayals of physical intimacy. i see it a lot in modernized styles of writing popularized by the recent trend in publishing to encourage short, choppy sentences and few adverbs, even less descriptive language. this makes intimacy come across awkward, like someone writing a script or clumsy recounting of events rather than a beautiful paragraph of human connection.
or just plane horniness. but hey, horny doesn't have to be mutually exclusive with poetic or sensual.
shallow example: they kissed desperately, tongues swirling and she moaned. it made her feel warm inside.
in depth example: she reached for the other woman slowly and with a small measure of uncertainty. the moment her fingers brushed the sharp, soft jaw of her companion, eliza's hesitance slid away. the first kiss was gentle when she finally closed the distance between them. she pressed her lips lightly to gabriella's in silent exploration. a tender question. gabriella answered by meeting her kiss with a firmer one of her own. eliza felt the woman's fingers curling into her umber hair, fingernails scraping along her scalp. everything inside eliza relaxed and the nervousness uncoiled from her gut. a warm buzz of energy sunk through her flesh down to the very core of her soul. this was right. this was always where she needed to be.
the first complaint i see regards discomfort in writing a kiss, feeling like one is intruding on the characters. the only way to get around this is to practice. anything that makes you uncomfortable in writing is something you should explore. writing is at its best when we are pushing the envelope of our own comfort zones. if it feels cringy, if it feels too intimate, too weird, too intrusive, good. do it anyway! try different styles, practice it, think about which parts of it make you balk the most and then explore that, dissect it and dive into getting comfortable with the portrayal of human connection.
of course the biggest part comes to not knowing what to say other than "they kissed" or, of course, the tried and true "their lips crashed and their tongues battled for dominance" 😐. so this is my best advice: think beyond the mouth. okay, we know their mouths are mashing. but what are their hands doing? are they touching one another's hair? are they scratching or gripping desperately at one another? are they gliding their hands along each other's body or are they wrapping their arms tightly to hold each other close? do they sigh? do they groan? do they relax? do they tense? are they comfortable with each other or giddy and uncertain? is it a relief, or is it bringing more questions? is it building tension or finally breaking it?
get descriptive with the emotions. how is it making the main character/pov holder feel? how are they carrying those emotions in their body? how do they feel the desire in their body? desire is not just felt below the belt. it's in the gut, it's in the chest, it's in the flushing of cheeks, the chills beneath the skin, the goosebumps over the surface of the flesh. everyone has different pleasure zones. a kiss might not always lead desire for overtly sexual touches. a kiss might lead to the desire for an embrace. a kiss might lead to the impulse to bite or lick at other areas. a kiss could awaken desire to be caressed or caress the neck, the shoulder, the back, the arms etc. describe that desire, show those impulses of pleasure and affection.
of course there is the tactile. what does the love interest taste like? what do they smell like? how do they kiss? rough and greedy? slow and sensual? explorative and hesitant? expertly or clumsily? how does it feel to be kissed by them? how does it feel to kiss them?
i.e. examine who these individuals are, what their motives and feelings are within that moment, who they are together, what it looks like when these two individuals come together. a kiss is not about the mouth. it's about opening the door to vulnerability and desire in one's entire body and soul.
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tiyawnyana · 1 month ago
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A/N: thought I'd hop back in to writing but for my dear, beloved wife. I can see her as at first being rough around the edges; you gotta work for her love ya know? But at her core she's a lover and will worship her partner essentially. Also! She likes being called handsome!!
Characters: Sevika x Fem Reader
Warnings: cutesy couple, soft smut, oral (reader receiving), fingering, strap-on usage, some dirty talk kinda, maybe a little ooc
Men and Children DNI
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Long Day
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Lately, you'd been finding yourself dozing off on the couch, waiting for your partner to return to the safety and comfort of your shared apartment by the bar.
Tonight wasn't any different; you were curled beneath one of your old blankets, eyes becoming heavier as the bustling below didn't cease in the streets. The neon lights of the various buildings filled the room in a green glow.
Just as warmth seeped into your bones, you heard footsteps, large boots, approaching the door. The mechanical click of a metal arm followed by the door unlocking has you slowly coming back from a not so satisfying sleep.
The door creeks open and you blink slowly.
She's trying to be quiet, you can tell. She always slips those big boots off by the door, locking the door behind her as she carefully walks in through the small hallway to find you in the living room.
"Mm-" you hum, rolling over to face the ceiling as she comes into view, hovering over the back of the couch. You give her a sleepy smile, stretching your legs with a satisfying 'pop'.
"Hey, baby," she murmurs softly, flesh hand reaching down to cup your cheek as she leans against the back of the couch,"Sorry, did I wake you?"
You shake your head,"No- if you were maybe five minutes later then most likely," you lean in to her hand, cupping it with your own.
She nods, gazing at you.
She's silent for a moment before she sighs, shoulders finally sagging as she slowly relaxes.
You lift your arms, beckoning her in.
She huffs, circling the couch and hovering over you for a moment before crawling onto the couch to lay her head over your chest. Her legs hang off the couch, but she doesn't seem to mind it.
She slumps against you, head rested over the swell of your breasts.
You bring your hand down to pull the ponytail from her hair, carding your fingers through any tangles while drifting your other hand lower to lightly scratch over her shoulders.
She releases a low hum, her arms moving to hold on either side of your torso.
It's quiet. Serene, for a little while. You can almost tune out the bustling people outside the apartment.
"Did something happen, Sevi?" You ask softly, your gaze lowering to her relaxed form.
She grumbles against you, tensing for just a moment before sighing.
"Same bullshit, different day," she huffs, voice low and filled with frustration.
You hum softly, acknowledging her,"I'm sorry," you murmur.
"Nothin' to be sorry for," she murmurs,"it's a job."
You manage a half shrug, a hum once again before brushing some hair from her face.
"You're not injured or anything, are you?"
She hums a 'no', remaining quiet otherwise.
Gradually, the tension in her shoulders and back begin to smooth out, slowly allowing her weight to completely cover you.
It's comforting, really; her solid weight, concrete and toned perfectly aligning with yours.
She didn't believe in soul mates. But if they were real.. she's positive you're it for her.
At first, you don't realize she shuffles upwards until you feel her press a soft kiss against your throat. Her breath brushes the soft skin there, causing goosebumps to form across your chest.
"You're too good to me," she murmurs between kisses, moving them up to the skin beneath your jaw.
Your eyes flutter, a soft laugh escaping your lips,"Sevi- you deserve it," you hum, baring your neck further for her surprisingly soft lips. First time she kissed you, you had expected chapped lips- but no, just perfectly kissable lips.
Her flesh hand moves, ducking beneath your shirt to cup beneath your breast. Her kisses become more heated- your eyes flutter when she sucks softly, right over your pulse.
"Need you," she mutters between kisses.
"You have me," you respond back.
She pulls back, gaze locked with your before she moves up to slot her lips over yours, her kiss soft and sweet. Just tasting, refreshing her memory over the silk feel of your mouth before she tongues at the seam of your lips, begging for entry.
You grant it, humming at the back of your throat when her tongue presses against yours, tasting you.
You can feel her shift her weight upwards, pressing between your thighs as her metal hand moves down to grip your thigh, spreading you open and wrapping it around her waist.
You cup the side of her neck, thumb tracing the faint scarring from the warehouse incident all those years ago.
She kisses you harder, almost as if to swallow you whole. She would- with the guarantee you'd be with her everywhere.
She lightly bites your lower lip, soothing the slight sting with her tongue before pulling back, pressing hotter kisses over your cheek, down to your jaw and back to your neck where she intends to make her mark once more.
You shiver, panting softly, baring your neck once again,"Sev- Sevika-" you hum softly.
She grunts against your neck, not stopping her nipping and marking.
"As much as I love this couch- mmmph-" your eyes flutter as she sucks a mark over your shoulder,"Can we- can we move this to the bedroom-?"
You yelp as she's immediately sitting up to drag you closer by your hips, legs wrapped around her waist, lifting you and standing as she grips your rear.
You press soft kisses to her throat, one hand cupping the back of her head carefully.
She treads carefully, taking her time as she walks you to the bedroom before gently placing you on the bed and cupping your cheeks to kiss you again.
This kiss is deep but brief, she pulls back to grip the bottom of your shirt, looking at you for confirmation before carefully tugging it up and over your head. You're bare beneath the fabric and she's glad- one less obstacle for her feasting eyes.
She takes her shirt off quickly, and you're grateful for the heavenly sight of her as always.
Toned abdomen, dark skin, faint and new scarring across her body with those silvery blue scars beneath her metal arm and across her shoulder. Full breasts come into view as she takes off her bra, nearly having you salivate at the sight.
Your hands move to cup her sides, leaning closer to kiss over the muscle over her stomach, the gesture stirring something in her heart.
She stops you, though, and gently pushes you back against the bed, hands moving down to untie your bottoms and tugging them off. She kisses over your hips, almost like she was worshipping you and the feel of your skin beneath her lips.
That's exactly what she was doing.
She takes her time, remapping your body beneath her lips and hands- the warmth of her flesh hand a stark but welcoming contrast in comparison to the cold of her metal hand.
She was always so careful, cautious as to not knick your skin with her metal hand.
Shivers roll down your spine as she trails back up your legs, lingering above the band of your underwear before moving up to kiss and suck marks over your breasts.
She hovers above you as she moves, mouth coming to suck over a perked nipple.
"Mmph- Sevi-" you whine softly, fingers lacing into her hair,"Need you-"
"You have me," she murmurs, kissing over your heart.
She leans back, standing to grab her strap and belt, coming back and dropping it to the side before kissing back down your front. She pulls off your underwear, tossing them somewhere to be bothered with later.
You sit up slightly, peering down at her as she kneels down on the floor, tugging you in by your hips and lifting one leg over her shoulder, holding the other down against the blankets.
You're embarrassed to see she's just gazing down at your soaked folds, arousal clear as day.
"Sevika-" you groan, attempting to close your legs in embarrassment but she doesn't let you- instead, she leans in, blowing cool air over you teasingly before pressing a soft kiss to your folds.
This is what you loved (hated) most- she took her time, was a certified munch; drawing out the pleasure by giving light and soft touches, slowly spreading you open and licking over your hard clit. She'll pull back to nip along your inner thighs, teasingly kissing around where you most needed her.
You slump back against the bed, whining softly as she prolonges the pleasure while not quite giving enough-
"Sevi- please," you whimper, attempting to roll your hips up to no avail,"More-"
She groans against you, lips sucking over your clit and relishing in your yelp of pleasure. Her grip on your legs is firm, not giving you the chance to squirm into her or away.
Her metal hand holds you down with a firm grip over your stomach as she moves her flesh hand to spread you open further, almost admiring you before her middle finger prods at your hole, carefully pressing in and gaging your reaction for any discomfort.
You sigh in bliss, the discomfort and stretch a far memory from all the times Sevika had honestly fucked your brains out.
She leans back in, flicking her tongue over your clit as she thrusts her finger in and out of you, gradually adding another.
Your knuckles go pale as you grip the sheets, neck arching as moans tumble from your lips.
"Please- please! Sevi-" you babble, chest heaving with the harsh breaths you take in.
Sevika grins, gazing up at you as she quirks her fingers, rubbing into that spot.
"Perfect," she mouths against you,"So perfect for me."
A high whine escaped your lips, drawn out under her rough tongue and deliberate fingers as your thighs tremble. You reach that crest, tumbling over it with her force.
You're warm- so warm, you can feel the cool sweat across your body.
You whine, pushing at her hand as her grip never left, giving her more time to suck over your sensitive clit.
"Too much-" you groan, panting harshly, grimacing at the overstimulation given.
She finally relents, pulling back to gaze up at you with a faint smirk. Her lips are shiny with your slick much to your embarrassment.
She wipes her mouth with the back of her hand, standing up to hover above you and press a soft, lingering kiss to your mouth as she reaches over to grab the strap and belts.
You watch as she pulls it on, securing it over her thick thighs and buckling it over her hips. You spot she managed to grab your personal favorite- a deep purple colored dildo with ridges lined along the topside.
She again, leans in to hover over you as she reaches for some pillows whilst lifting your hips carefully, placing them beneath your lower back.
"You okay, baby?" She murmurs, always careful with you.
You nod, a soft, fond look in your eyes.
"Just admiring the art," you manage to speak softly.
"There's no mirror in here," she retorts, rolling her eyes fondly as she drips lube over the strap before leaning back over you.
You cup her cheek sweetly, tugging her closer to slot your lips over hers.
You can't help the groan escaping your throat, her strap giving slight stimulation as it rubs against you.
She kisses back like she's drinking you in, reaching down between your bodies to guide the tip to your hole, carefully pressing in as she swallows your gasp.
Her tongue pushes in, the faint taste of yourself a surprisingly hot aspect.
She pushes in completely, disconnecting her lips from yours to kiss down to your neck and muttering praises into your skin.
'So good, doll','Take me so well', and 'Always taste so good' to list a few.
You pant, gazing up at the ceiling as you adjust to her strap.
Your arms finally move, having felt like lead, to wrap around her shoulders and one hand cup the back of her neck.
"You can-" you swallow,"You can move, Sevi."
She kisses your shoulder, humming as she slowly pulls out, then pushes back in. She begins a steady rhythm, slowly picking up speed as your soft moans begin to tumble from your lips.
She pulls back from being burrowed into your neck, one hand gripping your hip as she speeds up more, gazing down between your bodies to see the strap covered in your slick upon each thrust.
"Fuck, baby," she muses,"so wet- all for me?"
You manage a weak nod, whimpering a soft moan.
At this point, you kind of go starry eyed. You can't help but gaze up at her, taking in each and every mark- every form of muscle flexing as she bucks into you, the sweat beading up around her temples.
Her short hair even manages to stick to her skin or swaying with her thrusts.
"You're so-" you moan, eyes fluttering as it takes you a moment to get back on track,"so handsome- fuck, Sevi-!"
Sevika groans at that, her hips stuttering as she sits up, chest heaving. Both hands now grip your waist, tugging you into her thrusts. Her tits bounce with the force she's picked up and you can't recall a time you wanted to touch her more.
You cry out a series of moans, head tilting back and eyes fluttering as the onslaught of pleasure builds up fast, that coil below your gut winding up quick.
"Ah- mmph-" you whimper,"Sevi- oh, fuck!"
She smirks down at you, groaning alongside you.
What you don't see is that the straps belts perfectly form over her own cunt, where she grinds her clit down as she fucks into you. She can almost imagine it's actually her cock that fills you up.
"C'mon, baby," she coos, flesh hand reaching down to press her thumb into your clit,"Cum on my dick-"
You bark out a moan, a plethora of various moans and whines ripping from your throat as your back arches almost painfully- you find your release per her request, tightening up on the strap like a vice.
Your vision goes white just as you clench your eyes shut, gripping over her metal hand still holding your hip. Your thighs tighten up, not letting her go.
You heave for breath, panting harshly as you slowly slump back onto the bed.
But Sevika doesn't stop, relishing in the sight of your release slicking up the strap even moreso. She bucks, rolls her hips, chasing her high as her clit grinds into the belt.
You whine softly, watching through nearly closed eyes as she folds in, hovering above you and rolling her hips until they stutter, a low groan coming from her throat as she cums.
She slumps on you, gasping for breath.
It's silent for a few moments and you realize you had completely tuned out the noise outside.
You slowly bring your hand up to card your fingers through the hair at the back of her head.
She hums against your chest, kissing you there softly.
"So good for me, baby," she praises you, before carefully sitting up and pulling the strap from your core.
You wince, feeling empty but she's quick to come back once she's finished taking it off and tossing it to the side. She had grabbed a damp cloth, carefully wiping you down and cleaning between your legs before cleaning herself. When she turns to toss the cloth elsewhere, you sit up, watching her move about and collecting the clothes into a pile.
"Do you want me to..?" You murmur in the quiet room.
She looks at you, a soft smirk on her lips as she crosses back over to you and tugging the blankets back before settling in. She pulls you into her side, covering you before she hums.
"I already.. did," she speaks softly, kissing your temple.
You pull back to look at her, eyebrow raised,"you did?"
She only nods in response before murmuring a soft,'Sleep'.
You settle in beside her, naked form pressed up against hers. You idly trace the metal design across her prosthetic before cupping her cheek and kissing her softly.
When you pull back, you manage to mutter,"Thank you, handsome."
Her cheeks warm, a small scoff coming out before she rolls her eyes and tugs you back down to sleep.
-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-—-
A/N: lmk if you wanna be added to a taglist! I might start writing for some other characters, lmk if you have any requests!
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tiza0925 · 10 months ago
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A New Skirt | 18+
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Warnings/Tags: NSFW, explicit sexual content, alternate universe, female/AFAB reader, teasing, multiple orgasms, lap sex, hints of a breeding kink, unprotected sex, creampie, SET IN THE FUTURE WHERE ALL CHARACTERS ARE AGED-UP AND OVER 18
Pairing: Bokuto Koutarou x Female Reader
MINORS DO NOT INTERACT
You turn to the side, bending one knee, to take one last look at yourself through the tall mirror that sits in your bedroom. 
And your chest falls with a small exhale of satisfaction as you focus on the way your skirt is just long enough to tease your ass, how your shirt hugs your waist oh so perfectly and makes it so damn obvious you’re not wearing a bra—
And a small smile forms at the thought of showing Bokuto your new outfit. 
The door creaks as you open it, and when you walk down the hall and into the living room—you see Bokuto getting settled into the couch, turning on the TV to find a movie for you two to watch. 
“You ready?” You hear Bokuto call for you, his attention on the screen as he sorts through the different movie titles to play, and you hum as you walk to where he’s sitting—your lower lip gets pinched under your top teeth as you walk around the couch to stand in front of him. 
And the moment Bokuto’s head lifts to look at you—
Your heart thunders in your ears, and you feel flushed all over your body as his eyes gradually widen—scanning every inch of your body like he’s trying to commit the image to memory. 
You swallow hard, feeling exposed, as Bokuto wets his lips, and his eyes remain focused on your skirt where your thighs are rubbing together. “You got a new skirt?” 
His voice sounds so rough like he’s already affected by this, that it causes a small shiver runs up your chest as you inhale a small breath, nodding with your hands behind your back. “Went shopping while you were at work.” 
“Yeah?” Bokuto seems amused by that as the side of his face lifts with a tiny smirk, and his lids lower as he leans back onto the couch—lifting his hips as he spreads his legs apart. 
Then he tilts his head. “It’s a pretty skirt.” 
You barely manage to suppress a grin as you purse your lips. “So you like it?” 
Bokuto hums, the TV forgotten as he sets the remote aside, and he motions with his fingers to ‘come here’. “I want to see it up close.” 
It’s the way he says it—with his voice low and eyes so murky with sudden desire—
It’s why you feel a jolt of heat sprout inside you as you close the distance between you, and Bokuto eagerly guides you to sit on his lap once he has his hands on you. 
“What made you want to buy this?” He asks as he makes you sit, legs spread by his thighs, and he runs his hands down the side of your thighs, spreading goosebumps with the heat of his hands. 
His hands that are so big that it can wrap around your thighs entirely. 
You shrug. “It looked nice.” 
A small lie. 
The real reason was solely for Boktuo—to get the reaction that you’re seeing right now from him. 
But he doesn’t need to know that. 
Bokuto hums and his hands wrap around your thighs as he slides them up and under your skirt, his thumbs teasing your covered cunt by a mere few inches. “Well, It looks really nice on you, sweetheart.” 
Your breath hitches at not only his words—but from the slight tease of one of his thumbs running over your covered slit—sliding it down from your clit to where your hole is. 
“I’m glad you like it,” Your voice is breathy, a little too preoccupied with the feeling of Bokuto’s thumb rubbing slow, small circles over your clothed clit, and your hands fly up to hold him by the neck. 
And Bokuto just smiles, all slow and syrupy, as he leans in closer to mouth at your chest covered by the thin fabric of your shirt. 
You can feel the heat and wetness of his mouth as he sucks on one of your tits—even if you’re wearing a shirt—and your core clenches when you feel him give your nipple an impolite bite to make it pebble up. 
He always knows how to make you melt almost instantly with just his fingers and mouth alone. 
His fingers aren’t even inside you and yet he’s already managed to get you soaking your panties as you moan, rolling your hips on his lap as he continues his torturous movement of his finger over your panties. 
“You can cum like this, can’t you?” He murmurs as he moves his head up to kiss the bend of your neck, and his finger teases your entrance by pushing your panties inside you for a moment, before sliding back up to rub your clit. “You’re so soaked, baby.” 
He continues to rub and tease your pussy over your panties until you’re moaning, feeling mindless, and your legs shake with a soft orgasm hitting almost instantly.
“Fuck—Ko—Oh, god—” 
“Let’s keep this skirt on, okay?” You hear him mutter as he slides down his sweatpants to let his cock bounce free. 
It slaps against your exposed thigh, causing your muscles to tense, and you whimper as he fists himself with a few strokes to get himself to fully erect. “Lift your hips for me, love.” 
And you immediately do as you’re told as you hold onto his shoulders for support, lifting each leg as Bokuto slides the rest of your panties off, and you gasp with a moan when you feel his thick cock slide between your pussy folds. 
His hands move to grip your hips, and he doesn’t fuck into you yet like you’re hoping he would. 
Instead, he guides you to rock on his lap, your pussy drooling all over the length of his dick as he slides them between your puffy slit, using your fluids as lube before he finally pushes the fat head inside you—
“Ko—!” You moan, low and sweet, and your fingers dig into his shoulders as he slowly pushes his hips up, making you take every inch of him, while his hands keep you in place. 
“Look at you,” He moves his head forward to capture your lips with his in one of the most gentle kisses he’s given you, all while holding you firmly to make you take his thick cock. “You’re so pretty like this, baby.” 
You whine from slight overstimulation—being torn between recovering from your first orgasm and feeling that liquid heat slowly beginning to grow in your belly again. 
But you let him fuck into you—feeling his dick all the way in your throat in the position you’re in—trying to kiss him back all while your senses explode and your pussy throbs because of him. 
“You think you can cum again for me?” 
You nod dazedly, not sure if you can, but—
But then you feel his thumb return to your clit—and god it’s so fucking sensitive and puffy—and he slowly rubs it while fucking into your tight pussy, making your eyes roll back and you gasp into his mouth.
“You’re so tight—shit—” Bokuto groans, moving to bury his head into the crook of your neck, and you feel hot air fan against your skin as he breathes heavily while he continues to rock into you languidly. “I just need one more from you, love.” 
You shudder, feeling that buzzing ache between your legs ready to combust any minute. 
“Then I can fill you up, okay?” He lifts his head, and your heart flips at the way he’s looking at you, and he kisses the side of your jaw, murmuring, “You just look so pretty in your skirt, baby, I can’t help it.” 
And hearing that pulls a small grin from you—
Because that’s the point. 
You wanted this reaction from him. 
And now you’re feeling just a bit more pleased that it worked out. 
“Please,” You moan, your fingers moving up to card through his hair, and Bokuto moans so deeply that you feel it against you. 
He uses whatever juices that gush out of your from his fucking as lube to rub your clit, and he picks up the pace—angling his hips in a way that he knows will have you seeing white shocks as he hits the right spot inside your walls. 
He fucks you while tonguing at the sensitive spot on the side of your neck, making you gasp out a sob as you hold onto him, and he sucks on your skin while groaning near your ear. 
It’s when he pushes his hips up and keeps it there, grinding his cock as deep as it can go inside you—making you feel every thick inch of him pulsing in your pussy—while he continues to thumb at your clit with practiced ease and skill—
That’s when your orgasm hits you, making you throb and cry out a moan as you hold onto Bokuto with all you’ve got—cumming over his cock as heat fills your cheeks and clit, spreading like wildfire and making everything so fucking hot around you. 
“Fuck—baby, just like that, I’m gonna cum inside you.” Bokuto’s moan is guttural, and his thrusts turn more demanding and selfish as he holds your waist with an iron grip, fucking your abused pussy and bouncing you on his cock like a limp rag doll. 
You feel electrified and boneless, all overstimulated and a puddle of honey—you don’t realize that Bokuto is filling you with his cum as he shakes and groans, your cunt taking it all in. 
And it’s within this moment—as Bokuto’s orgasm begins to cool down and you feel his dick twitching inside you as both of your fluids leak out between your thighs and onto him—
That you make a note to buy more skirts in the future. 
Perhaps to wear in public too to see what Bokuto will do. 
End.
Masterpost
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auroralwriting · 4 months ago
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your beauty never scared me
spencer reid x fem!bau!reader
you’re scared no one will ever love and understand you, but spencer always has.
word count: 2.2k
warnings: a bit of unrequited love, comfort/angst/fluff, negative self thought, spencer is always a sweetheart, reader has a darker aesthetic
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Maybe it was the fact that you came from a broken family from a young age. No, you didn't have a bad childhood, but it wasn't ideal for a young girl growing up.
It could have been the bad high school relationships, full of boys who didn't understand how to treat a young woman. Stuck at their stupid baseball games or waiting for them to finish their video game, sitting alone on their bed waiting for them to finish.
The most likely cause for your fear of love was simply the fear that no one would ever truly understand you, and therefore, never be able to love you right.
If you looked deeper, though, much further past the surface level, deep into the core, you would've realized that Spencer Reid had been there all along.
When you first joined the BAU, Spencer Reid was a typical little nerd, the glasses he wore even fulfilling the stereotype. His rambles about anything and everything were endearing, and lead you to begin your friendship with the man after he told you the history of your favorite movies.
"...its distinctive style with his signature blend of dark humor and whimsy. His imaginative vision, influenced by German Expressionism, is evident in the film’s surreal sets and exaggerated character designs. Burton’s decision to cast Michael Keaton as the chaotic title character and his encouragement of Keaton’s improvisation contributed to the film’s memorable, unpredictable energy. The innovative special effects and makeup, along with the creative set design by Bo Welch, further showcased Burton's unique approach."
By the end of his rant, Spencer had expected you to have been completely focused on anything else, but your eyes were trained on him, a small sparkle flickering in them.
"Spence, how do you know do much about Beetlejuice? You haven't even seen it before." you'd chuckled.
"I think Tim Burton is an interesting director. Maybe we could, uh, see it together sometime? If you want, of course." Spencer awkwardly fiddled with his fingers, the suggestion of the two of you hanging out outside of the work settle rattling his nerves.
You had given him a big smile, beneath your dark clothes and makeup was a heart of white and gold, a truly captivating soul. "I'd love to, Spencer! I own it, so you can come over whenever."
"Whenever sounds good," Spencer paused, thinking about what he had just said. "I mean, Thursday?"
"Thursday it is, boy genius." That name was usually reserved for making fun of Spencer, but the way you said it actually made his heart flutter.
Spencer would've never guessed that the girl, clad in dark clothing, the complete opposite of his own aesthetic, would be interested in hanging out with him. Then, it happened. And it happened again, and again, until you became friends.
Your friendship with the doctor grew. As you got closer, Spencer began to identify your fears and your tells. You played with your hair when you were nervous, bit the skin of your fingernails when you were anxious, tapped your foot or bounced your leg when you were impatient. He began to understand you on a deeper level.
It began to be the same for you. You knew his likes, dislikes, fears and worries. You understood his struggles with his mother and father, how sometimes this job didn't feel like enough until he made a true difference in someone's life.
Spencer Reid and you had connected in nearly a cosmic level, and that began to scare you.
It was two and a half years after Spencer had met you when he realized he had been falling in love with you for nearly a year. His small crush had grown exponentially. After Haley Hotchner's death, you'd taken in Jack for several days while Hotch planned the funeral and began to clean the house from the murders. Jack had taken to you quickly; he'd gone as far as to call you his favorite aunt.
Seeing the level of compassion and helpfulness you had displayed for Hotch made Spencer begin to realize that your friendship was beginning to move to the next level for him.
He began to think of you night and day, wondering what you were doing, how you were doing, what your plans were. He wanted to be with you, to feel your skin, linger in your existence. It wasn't until JJ had explained to him that that feeling he felt was love that he began to understand that you were in no place for him to admit his feelings.
Spencer never meant to profile anyone unless he was working, but he found it hard to not with you. He noticed your lack of dating, how even when you had the chance, you evaded it. He noticed your disdain to the notion of true love, or love at first sight, or even soulmates. It didn't take him long to piece together that it wasn't a hatred of love, no, it was a fear of it. However, he could never understand the why of the fear.
Now, you and Spencer had met five years ago. You'd both physically changed in looks over the time, but your friendship only remained and grew passionately stronger.
After the death of Emily, and finding out she didn't really die, Spencer had you as his rock. You grieved together, to the point that for three weeks, you lived with Spencer in his apartment. After you'd left, Spencer realized that he couldn't live without you anymore.
Spencer and you sat on his couch, the cold September month made you crave an early Halloween movie. So, Spencer put on his own copy of Beetlejuice he bought a few years back. The soft glow of the lamp cast warm shadows across the room, and the faint scent of popcorn lingered in the air. You could hear the distant hum of the city outside, blending with the soft rustling of the movie’s soundtrack.
"I like Adam and Barbara," Spencer hummed as he watched the screen. "They make a really good couple."
You nodded, "I guess they do,"
Spencer's brows furrowed at your words. "You don't sound convinced."
"I don't know," You shrugged, sitting up and crossing your legs. "He's sort of controlling over her. It's just too much, she's a strong woman."
"You mean he's protective over her in the afterlife filled with dead people they didn't even knew existed?" Spencer raised a brow, turning to you. "I'm pretty sure that's relatively normal."
Turning your attention back to the screen, you replied, "I guess so,"
Spencer sighed, finally deciding to ask you the question he'd been avoiding for too many years now. "Why are you so scared of love?"
His question made you turn back to him, a confused look on your face. "What?"
"You're so pessimistic about it. You always avoid dating, talking about it, anything to even do with love." Spencer explained. "I'm just curious, why?"
"Because, there is no way love that strong exists." You concluded, folding your arms over your chest. "That's why it's all in the movies. It's fake for a reason."
Spencer nearly chuckled at your words, finding himself in disbelief. Sure, he didn't really believe in soulmates, but he definitely believed in love. "Sure love exists," Spencer said. "True love has to come from somewhere to be spoken about. It's why its so deeply rooted into art and literature. Plus, with the psychological evidence of--"
"Okay, okay," You put your hands up in mock surrender. "I believe you, Spence." You'd never cut off one of his rants before.
"This bothers you," Spencer noted, his arms mocking your previous stance as they folded over his chest. "Why does this bother you so much, what aren't you telling me?"
You let out a huff of air in reply, your defences kicking into full gear. "Why do you care so much?"
Spencer stuttered over his words, “Uh- because it clearly affects you! It’s not hard to notice your dislike of it, and I want to know.” Spencer defended. He could see it in your eyes, though. You were too good of a profiler to not know he was lying through his teeth.
“The real reason?” You sharply replied, hating that Spencer was lying.
“Because I’m in love with you,” Spencer’s voice was filled with desperation. “Here you are, constantly belittling the idea of love when that’s all I want to give to you, and I don’t understand why.”
His words cut you like a knife. You hadn’t expected him to say that, let alone feel it. It almost made you feel guilty. “No one has ever understood me, Spencer. I don’t want to settle for just anyone who will pretend for their whole life that they know me when deep down they will never be able to understand who I am, what I need.”
“You think I don’t?” Spencer challenged. He tried not to feel offended at your words, truly. Yet they hit him like a slap to the face. He felt like he understood you.
“Okay, prove it then.”
Spencer was ready for this, “Your least favorite cases involve those with divorced parents. Not because of the affect on their children, but the affect it takes on them. You hate to see when it hurts one of them, or both.” Spencer’s first claim was true, and it caught you off guard. “You hate anything with a pumpkin scent, however, you enjoy real pumpkins because of their look rather than their scent. You bite your lip, tap your foot, shake your leg, all when you feel negatively.”
“Anyone could profile that,” You weakly replied, feeling thrown off at Spencer’s careful acknowledgment of your little tells.
“Are you afraid of love because no one will ever understand you, or because you’re scared you’ll never find someone who will.” Spencer finished. He watched as your mouth opened and closed, the words not quite making it out. “I see you, I hear you. My favorite thing is when you tell me things about yourself, your day, your feelings. Any day without you is a bad day and any day with you is a good one.”
Spencer’s words left your heart beating faster in your chest as you began to realize this is what you were looking for all along, but your own fear that you would never find it blind sighted you to the truth. The truth that Spencer Walter Reid was in love with you.
Spencer often recalled his own struggles with relationships, remembering the long hours he spent studying while his peers socialized. With him being so much younger, he had no way to truly connect with them. The sense of isolation he felt growing up made him cherish the connections he built later in life, driving him to seek genuine understanding and affection. On the other hand, your own problems with family and bad relationships drove you to hold a near-resentful feeling to love. It made you feel like it was something you could never have. That was something Spencer was beginning to see from your perspective.
"Please," Spencer's voice was softer, more vulnerable as his eyes pleaded with you. "say something."
"I'm sorry," you breathed. For a moment, Spencer thought you were about to reject him, until he saw the glistening tears form in your eyes. "I-I should've known sooner."
Spencer nearly chuckled, "I didn't want to make it too obvious."
"Spencer?" you asked.
"Yeah?" he replied.
"Why do you love me?"
Your question made his heart nearly crack at the raw fragility your tone held. All he wanted to do was to take you into his arms and sing you sweet nothings until you believed him, but right now that wasn't an option. "I love you because you're unapologetically you," Spencer's reply made you finally lock eyes with him. "You're so sweet and kind, you never try to hide the things you like and dislike. You're so bold and brave. You make me feel so alive, so wanted. Every moment with you is a reminder of how extraordinary it is to be around someone who radiates such genuine warmth and enthusiasm."
"You really love me?" Your voice felt meek in comparison to how your normal assertiveness and bravato sounded. Your heart felt three times bigger in your chest as a tear dared to slip down your cheek.
Before it could even leave your eye, Spencer brought his sleeve over his hand and soaked it up gently with the cuff. "I love you with every part of me."
"I think I want to love you, too." you admitted. It felt hard to say those words, to finally give into your darkest, most vulnerable desire of unwavering love.
"Even with your fears, you're beautiful." Spencer softly reached to graze your cheek. "This, your fears, nothing could ever scare me. I'll teach you to let me love you if I need to."
"That better be a promise," you slightly chuckled, holding your pinky out to the man.
Spencer smiled, locking his pinky with your own, "It's a promise."
As you held Spencer’s pinky in your own, a sense of peace settled over you. The weight of your fears began to lift, replaced by a tentative hope. "Maybe love isn’t as impossible for me as I thought," You whispered, reaching out to hold his hand. Spencer’s smile was both a promise and a comfort, signaling the beginning of a new chapter in your lives.
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boofeine · 2 months ago
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kinky things that make seventeen members more aroused during sex
WARNINGS: mdni, smut headcanons, afab reader, cum play, breeding kink, bondage, restraining, overstimulation, role play, edging, pain kink, orgasm dinal, spanking, choking
tags: @huen1ngk4i @aaniag @svteensworld @kooqitas @unlikelysublimekryptonite
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seungcheol – cum play and breeding; it has to be raw sex... there's nothing seungcheol loves more than feel your walls pulsating around his cock. the way he can see his hot cum spurr on your ass cheek or on your breast, belly, neck, anywhere really. sometimes, when he feels a little risky, he can't help but ask to cum inside you, the way your cums mixed comes out of your clenching hole when he finally pulls out, he's done but he's ready to get hard again.
jeonghan – having to keep quiet; it's all about the teasing, he loves seeing you suffer to keep it down when it feels so good. your lips caged in your teeth as small whines treats to come out, "is it too much, babe?", he would tease with a devilish smirk, testing all your limits by restraining your high until you can't take it anymore. when you're finally coming undone, he loves to press his palm over your mouth or demand you to bite him to not moan too loud.
joshua – multiple orgasm; like... HEAR ME OUT!! he likes to take his time with you, he's so gentle, with no rush at all. sometimes, it's not even on purpose, but he's edging you so much, that when it finally comes, you cum and cum and cum again. his stamina is crazy and he won't stop until he's satisfied. you squirm and sweat under his workship, "are you tired? i haven't even started with you yet, lay down again for me".
junhui – role play; see, he just gives me those vibes. he'd feel embarrassed at first, but once you fully clock him in, he'd be obsessed. specially, scenarios where you're doming him, he fucking lose his mind... use him, step on him, anything, he's rock hard under your actions. as he grows used to it, he even asks you to get costumized for it, getting really in character, he loves sexy costumes and lacy fantasies.
soonyoung – pain kink; is it new for anyone? hoshi, himself, said he works better under pressure. he loves the spanking and the degradation, he squirms and growls because of you, but it also makes him want to do a better job... if not to make you fully satisfied, he's not doing anything. i see hoshi enjoying face slapping, rough gripping like grabbing his cheeks and jaw while he's on his knees for you, thumb slowly making its way inside his mouth as you laugh at how pathetic he looks for you.
wonwoo – edging; sometimes he's in his mean mode, he normally is sweet and passionate during sex but breaking a sweat to make you beg him to let you cum is one of his favorites. the way you wrap your legs around his hips, rolling yours as you bumble breathy words in between "please", he never cums harder, pinning you down on the mattress to stop you from running, his core pressing over your clit as wonwoo alternates in rough thrusts and slow ones. it makes you almost cry for his mercy.
jihoon – being loud; different from jeonghan, he loves to hear you loud and clear, it bust his ego that he's doing such a good job at delivering pleasure. it could get him off guard at first, too afraid someone would hear, his cheeks flushing, as you scream your moans. but he grows attached to it, it turned into his breaking point every sex, he always pounds harder just to hear you. "is it that good, huh? fuck! let me hear you"
seokmin – overstimulation; especially during oral, he loves the way your legs close on his head when it's too much, how you whine, whimper, and cry out his name. how the grip you have on him always tighten when you say it's too much and that you can't cum anymore. he snugs to your arms, sweetly saying you're a good girl and that he knows you can take it. your pussy swollen and hurt as he whispers "just one more, give it to me" but it's never the last. he loves to treat you well before he gets anything, he gets hard just by pleasing and hearing you.
mingyu – getting tied up; just give this man some handcuffs, put him tied on the bed headboard, i swear he'd cum by just you using him while he's not able to do anything. he likes the frustration, the way he always tries to break free just to touch you as you look at him, tutting and disapproving his not so well behavior. he always cum faster than anything when you use his cock as your fuck toy on your cunt.
minghao – blindfold; he enjoys doing it on you, you always get more out of breath and sensitive when he gets you blindfold. the thrill of it making goosebumps form easily, anticipating every move he might do next. he's obsessed at seeing you so vulnerable, you look nothing but innocent those times. your low moans and whines, he swears you're heaven sent, bumping his length as he touches your body, watching you react shakily, watching you gets him wetter.
seungkwan – rage sex and spanking; not a surprise either... he almost never fights with you, but if there's a good outcome to those fights, it is how frustrated you both get and pull out during the makeup deed. it goes both ways, he likes both, you doming him or him doming you, either way is intense. the choking, the slapping, the way the words turn just a bit bratty and aggressive. he manhandles you like you're born to be his little light doll, changing positions and throwing you around on the bed sheets.
vernon – bringing more people to the game; yes, he's into it. he's up for the threesome always, more than three people, he'd ponder, though. he likes every different aspect of it, just sitting back and watching, or being watched, or mixing positions. it adds to the sex and he's up to it. he's not a jealous guy but normally sets to making the things to you and just receiving for the third person, maybe that's what also arouses him so much, he doesn't gotta do much to cum.
chan – orgasm denial; more precise, being the one receiving it. he enjoys the feeling of his red sensative cockhead burning and dripping pre cum every time you stop him from cumming. the way it hurts just a bit and enough to make him roll his eyes when he finally cums. he won't cum until you say he can and that alone, that hold of power you have on him, makes him tight on his ball. but he's good, he's so well-behaved, you must treat him well.
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kelseytheballerina · 6 months ago
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hot take but like, if you have to read guides and buy books and take a course on the type of personality you want to embody, I think it’s safe to say that it just isn’t you. you shouldn’t have to study for your personality or vibe or whatever. you shouldn’t have to listen to 10 hour manifestation audios while you sleep. if you’re not that person then you’re not that person.
a lot of you treat these things as if you’re an actor studying a role to perform and that can come in handy in certain cases, for example wanting to appear more relaxed or confident when you have a presentation coming up and you’re naturally meek. that’s different. or maybe there’s a part of you that already is there but you just want to allow yourself to pull it out more because you were taught to suppress it and you’re no longer in an environment that forces you to hide it and maybe you need help getting comfortable being free finally. that’s different. I’m talking about trying to stuff yourself into being a femme fetale sex bomb when you simply aren’t that kind of girl at your core. all the black dresses and heels in the world won’t make you as sexy as someone who naturally has that. doesn’t mean you can’t get closer, but you know.
I understand being drawn to certain types of women and wanting to emulate those traits and wishing that you could embody their energy, but studying these long guides and videos as if you’re taking a college class won’t do much more than make you feel like you’re putting on a performance and when you’re alone, you’ll be ready to metaphorically take off your wig, kick off your heels, and get into your pajamas bc it will be exhausting pretending to be someone you’re not for so long. even celebs you look up to who have molded themselves into a new woman we admire weren’t like that all the time because it was a performance. Marilyn had to turn that on like a switch. Beyonce has to get into Sasha Fierce mode and it takes a lot of effort.
if you are interested in adopting new personalities for whatever reason, I think maybe just keep in mind that the real you will always be there underneath and you will always be putting on airs. Marilyn was still Norma Jean under it all. Anna Nicole may have looked glamorous in her Guess ads but she was still Vickie Lynn under it all. I suppose there can be perks to playing a character, just maybe don’t get too wrapped up in it, remember that there are limitations to how much you can really change on a deep level, and maybe just learn to be okay with who you really are and make the most of that instead as it will ultimately be what you are most comfortable and natural at.
there’s a reason that after all the studying, you still aren’t her. it’s because you’re not like her and that’s okay
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anemoiashifts · 4 months ago
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why you should stop consuming media if you want to shift.
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where your attention goes, is where energy will follow. the more you focus on something, the more real it becomes.
⭑.ᐟ i made a post a while ago saying “why you should get off social media if you want to shift”. id like to expand upon that a little more. so, here’s a “why you should stop consuming media” or at the very least “why you should consume media carefully”.
you are being programmed through everything — social media, music lyrics, television, advertising, the news. this is why meta wants tiktok b@nn3d so badly. its taking away their ability to control & their influence upon you because average people spend more time on tiktok then anything else. this can be extended to news networks because more and more people are using it as news sources. media, not just social, need your attention in order to program you. as someone who has taken classes marketing, the core of what my class was, was teaching someone to be the best manipulator. my professor said to always “play on people’s emotions”. anything that has the ability to take your attention away & live in a negative & distracted stake, is taking away your ability to create the life you want to live. a lot of — if not everything — is about power & controlling you for someones benefit.
taking this into account, you can now begin to understand why television shows are called television programs. it is programming you to think & behave & make purchases. for example, the human mind does not know the difference between real & fake. if something provokes an emotion out of you — that emotion it is still real, even it was brought on by fiction. the human brain cannot truly comprehend fiction. this is why people form such emotional attachments to fictional characters because our brains cannot distinguish that they are a character or a scenario is not real.
power comes from your attention & what you focus on; what emotion it provokes.
₊˚⊹♡ why is this relevant ?
your thoughts & feelings create your reality.
by waking up every morning after a shifting attempt & saying “i didn’t shift, im not in my desired reality” is what you’re affirming to yourself. when you roll over & scroll on your phone, you are taking your attention away from persisting that you are in the wish fulfilled. you aren’t focusing on that you have already shifted. every shifting tiktok video is affirming that you aren’t in your desired reality. it’s reinforcing that idea of “you’ll shift tonight” “who would do this in your desired reality” “___ in my desired reality” — that you are still here. it’s hardly ever said “you’ve already shifted” on tiktok. again, this circles back to “playing on people’s emotions” — desperation & excitement. keeping people in a loop of shifting content instead of actually wanting to experience it for yourself. i will admit, practically everyone is guilty of this — self included. it definitely doesn’t come from a place of malice & i doubt it’s always intentional on anyone’s part but it’s something to consider that every shifting video you come across is a reminder that you haven’t shifted yet.
limit what you consume. for example, if you keep listening to a sad song, you’re going to be sad & pulled back into a time in your life that no longer serves you. it removes you from the present. the brain has no concept of time as it is a man-made idea. by eliminating media entirely (or limiting / being mindful of what is being fed to you & taking nothing at face value), you are getting that power back.
media keeps you distracted. it keeps you focused on other things & not your manifestations. it constantly brings back you into the 3d. the longer you’re focused on the 3d, the further away you will be removed from your manifestations & you will be pulled into things that fuel others desires.
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pythoria · 1 year ago
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i don't think you can fully understand astarion until you do an origin run tbh, or at least watch a video of his dream and all the responses you can give. it's hinted at in the final dialogue with cazador with his "you've never forgiven anything", but astarion wasn't some indisciplined brat who "deserved" or "kinda asked for it". He would apologise and beg for forgiveness, he would mind cazador's wishes and schedule and be constantly anxious about it, and the only reason that he got the worst of his wrath wasn't because his personality is just abrasive and it angered cazador, it was purely for entertainment, because he begged the prettiest, he screamed the loudest, etc. You can make the argument that he was the most vulnerable of the spawn, the least powerful, the runt of the pack.
Sure, he wasn't a great person while he was alive what with all his magistrate bs, but he was young and a bit of a dick, not evil. When he was alive and kinda abused some of his privilege as a magistrate that was posturing, underneath it there was always weakness and self-doubt. And when he was stripped of that little power he had, he became his "truest" (or rather basest) self, which was a scared boy who wanted to make it big or impress his superiors. On some level I think he admired Cazador for all the power he had, and we know that at the ritual "he wanted to be just like him". I don't think he would ever purposefully anger someone he looked up to, even with all the shit he was forced to do. For 200 years he was an obedient puppet, and it was his shortcomings, not his defiance that earned him all the torture.
So when you meet him after the nautiloid crash, you aren't seeing a single genuine personality trait of his. Not until the love confession in act 2. All you're seeing for the majority of 2 acts is a mask, a character he created, as well as him in full survival mode. Of course he doesn't want you helping innocents, this might be his only chance to escape, he doesn't want that derailed. Honestly, you don't really see the "real" him until after you've killed cazador. For anyone who finished his quest, y'all know how different he acts in the graveyard scene. He's uncharacteristically soft, even nice, and yes he's angry and he can't undo centuries of suffering, but you've helped him come back to himself. By act 3 he already stops rlly dissaproving of helping people, and when talking to the gurs he's defensive because he doesn't want to get their hopes up and dissapoint them, not because he wouldn't give anything to help. Astarion at his core is sassy, sure, but he is undoubtedly *nice*. He's a good person, he feels so much guilt for what he's done and sympathy for his victims, and he *has* to push it all down lest the psychological pain alone kills him. He likes killing, sure, but more as a sport than a past time. And honestly i could go on and on but let's leave it at that for now.
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lanadelreyscokewhor3 · 2 months ago
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LIKE A LOVE SONG- JOSH WASHINGTON
pairing: best friend!josh x fem!reader
word count- noo idea yet... writing this rn
summary: you and josh have been best friends for years, and the crush youve had on him hasnt subsided. things are all fine and dandy, until one night, the cat is pulled out of the bag...
warnings: implied SMUT, hella dirty talk, voygerism, dry humping, josh being a huge tease, pet names, some mocking, reader and josh are intoxicated, biting, etc etc
notes: hey so i need this man sexually! thats it thats all, im gonna open my account up to write for more fandoms and hop around:) just testing out the waters with this one
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"josh we are sooo gonna get caught.." you slurred, hiccuping with a giggle as he tugged your arm, pulling you down the empty hallway, leaving your scattered friendgroup behind in the abyss.
a glint was in his eye as he looked back at you, full of mischief and hunger, and you couldn't help but bat your eyelashes at him. he was so dreamy it was making you swoon.
you had always thought he was beautiful- like a dream come alive. ever since he had accidently bumped into you during freshman year of college, you had be under his trance.
"shit, shit i'm so sorry, i shouldve watched where i was going. are you okay?" he had asked as he quickly bent down to help you gather your spilled papers. it was straight out of a chick flick, and you had finally felt like the main character instead of the extra.
he made you feel so special, always making flirty comments (though he did that with everyone), and giving you looks that had your head spinning.
tonight was no different.
the booze in your system made you extra giddy, and you felt his grip tighten as the two of you neared an empty bedroom down the hall.
not a doubt had passed through your mind when josh asked if you wanted to escape from the group for a while- clearly a bit intoxicated, but still stable enough to make a coherent decision. not in a million years would you pass up a chance to be alone with him.
"isn't that what makes it so much more fun?" he cooed, tugging you into the empty room, slamming the door behind you with a whoosh. without a second to gather your breath he had pinned you back against the door, hand darting out to turn the lock.
"do you actually-" you hiccuped nervously. "-wanna do something with me? do you wanna have sex?" you giggled, your bluntness making him laugh.
"yes, i wanna have sex with you. i have for years. is that okay?"
your eyes widened. did this man just say for years?
"oh."
he bit his lip, eyes roaming down your body, stopping to admire every trance from under your fitted clothes. "you gonna let me fuck you? or are you too scared chris is gonna wanna join in?"
"oh shut up."
he smirked, breath hot and heavy on your skin as he placed a soft kiss on your collarbone, nipping it with his teeth enough to make you hiss in shock.
"he does, cause you're so sexy. like a porn star. you have such a tight bod. wonder if your pussy is just as tight."
his dirty talk had your face heating, brain turning to mush as you moaned, leaning into his touch.
"you know how much i've wrapped my hands around my cock wishinng it was you? too many times." you squealed as he bit down on your neck, hard, hard enough to make a mark for anyone with a set of eyes to see, but you didnt care.
"j-josh fuck i-"
"whats up baby? need some cock to make you think straight? you've been giving me those pretty googly eyes all night, thinking i haven't noticed. so naive." he cooed as you ran your fingers through his hair, back arching into his touch as his large hands traveled down to your thighs before swooping you up so you clung wrapped around his torso.
"you're so fuckin hot. makes me so hard just thinking of you."
you rutted against him, sighing at the friction it caused, sending shocks down your spine stright to your core. his lips found yours, teeth and tounge clashing, nothing nice about the kiss. it was rough and hard and full of need.
"fuckin pathetic, humping me like some bitch in heat." he growled, his mocking turning you on even more. you reached down, struggling to tug at his belt, needing it off.
the less layers between you two- the better.
you gasped as your wooden support was removed, as he took you over and tossed you down on the bed with ease- as if you were a doll. you barely had a second to look at him before he was on top of you, smirk coy as he rutted his denim clothed cock on your cunt, already soaked through your shorts and tights.
he was toying with you.
"im gonna fuck you so hard you're not gonna be able to walk for days." he murmred, lifting your hips up as he tugged at your bottoms, nearly ripping them in half.
"then how are you gonna explain to the group why you're limping around like some fawn hm? cause joshey fucked you so good and so deep and your tight little cunt couldnt take it."
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joejhang · 15 days ago
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my unasked-for input in the jeremy discourse
been seeing a lot of jeremy knox discussion as of late while mindlessly scrolling thru the aftg tag so i've decided it's time to step in. spoilers ahead continue at ur own risk.
the main criticism of jeremy i've seen in the fandom is the way he treats/deals with jean's situation. a lot of people think he's just not doing a good job and can be insensitive or thoughtless at times. i'd like to counter this by saying: he's doing his best, and he's actually doing pretty well.
the aftg fandom at large has this superiority issue where they seem to always know the right thing and the right way to go. i'm gonna remind y'all that we are very used to the foxes and andreil, and the trojans are a totally different environment to the one we've been acclimatised to. the foxes are not well-adjusted AT ALL and to an outsider's eye the way they deal with each other is probably really cruel and rude at times. it works for them because they're in similar positions in life and have no time for politeness and courtesy, and the only way for them to work together is to work out all the fights and issues head-on, with little concern for hurt feelings. it works for them, but that doesn't mean it's the best or only way to go for anyone else.
jeremy may have an untold backstory of his own, but i think we can all agree that he's much more well-adjusted than jean, who has been living in an abusive cult environment for years. the trojans and jeremy are completely unfamiliar to jean, but so is jean to jeremy. jeremy has no idea the full extent of jean's past and history of abuse, so you can imagine his shock and horror when he finally begins to realise the ugly details of what happened to him.
there's a lot of emphasis on action and reaction in the way the fandom sees characters and relationships, but not a lot on intention. i think, no matter the mistakes jeremy makes, his intentions are good. he wants to support jean and help him in his healing journey. was it wrong of him to tell cat and laila what happened in jean's freshman year without his permission? yes, of course. but i think people need to consider that jeremy is literally only human. he's a 22 year old boy who has unresolved issues of his own that's just trying to do the best he can with what he has. he shouldn't have talked about jean's past without his consent, but it's important to know that he didn't do it with malicious intent or just to gossip. he probably genuinely thought it was the right way to go to let cat and laila know, so they can help jean better by knowing what happened. it wasn't the right thing to do, but honestly i think people in the fandom are more pressed about it than jean is. jean remarks on it and seems a bit annoyed, both with himself for telling jeremy and jeremy for telling the girls, but he doesn't hold it against jeremy and clearly still trusts him. jean knows that jeremy wants the best for him, and is doing his best, and the fandom should remember that too.
i think a lot of the issues the fandom has w jeremy and also jerejean is that they seem to think jeremy is going to "heal" jean. i cannot explain how much this take boils my blood because people can't "heal" other people. healing is a complicated and long process that requires, yes, help from others, but also changes in perspective, environment and core belief. jeremy alone is not going to fix jean and make him good as new, and that attitude towards them is unhelpful when analysing the narrative. jean's slow journey of healing comes from the combination of: a huge change in environment (the mob mindset of the raven's nest -> the sunshine court), a support network (jeremy, cat, laila, wymack, the trojans, occasionally kevin and neil), a change in mindset (both towards exy as a sport and towards relationships with others and a relationship with himself) and simply time. no one person can heal another, and no matter how large a role jeremy plays in jean's healing, he knows he can't do it on his own. so do the other people around jean. it's why cat takes him on a motorbike ride, just to let him relax and see the world. it's why renee doesn't get jean to stay with her, because she knows how good the trojans will be for him. jeremy is not going to heal jean, but he can definitely help him with it.
the last and arguably most important thing is this: jean trusts jeremy. y'all can talk about how jean is traumatised and unfamiliar with the world outside the nest but i swear to god this fandom babies and uwufies him to unbelievable extents. jean may be unspeakably traumatised and at the end of his rope, but he is an adult, and he does have agency. he understands that jeremy cares about him and his wellbeing, and he trusts jeremy. jeremy isn't perfect. he's inevitably going to make mistakes and do questionable things along the way, but i don't think he's at all impeding jean's healing or growth, and he is doing everything with genuine good intentions. one person's definition of the "right" thing to do is not objective and all-encompassing. jeremy may do things that offend you, and that you would hate, but everyone has a different opinion on these things. do you guys remember the conversation between andreil after dr*ke's attack, when neil pushes andrew just to see him crack? if u think about it on an objective level, it was wrong, even cruel, to press someone about their history of trauma after a horribly traumatic event has just happened to them. but andrew doesn't hold it against neil, and doesn't even seem all that bothered by it. i think the aftg fandom would do well to look at things and events that happen in the books in context and stop thinking that there is only one right answer to every question and only one correct solution in every situation. just because something would be a no-go for you, doesn't mean it would be for everyone, and that goes for fictional characters as much as it goes for real life.
anyway i just find it so interesting how critical and quick to judge people are when it comes to jeremy, when, objectively, the foxes and even andreil have done probably more pressing and objectively "wrong" things to each other. if u read the series back, there are a lot of times when they push and challenge each other's boundaries, but there's an understanding that that is the best way for them to engage with each other. it would do everyone a lot of good to apply the same attitude to the sunshine court, considering how vastly different of a context this new series is in.
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kuroosdarling · 1 year ago
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POSITIONS — ༉‧₊˚.
ft. sanji vinsmoke !
꒰ SYNOPSIS ꒱ : sanji always liked missionary, but he was eager to broaden his horizons with you once you give him a proper taste.
꒰ CONTENTS ꒱ : MDNI. brief mention of blood (this man & his nosebleeds) mentions of creampie, overall vanilla sex — wc : 500 words
꒰ NOTES ꒱ : starting to post my fics that are just sitting in my drafts. i asked risu which character to post first and here we are with sanji <33 enjoy !!
reblogs and interactions are always appreciated ! (*ᴗ͈ˬᴗ͈)♡*.゚
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sanji always loved to take you in missionary. there was something so special to him about seeing your pretty face, slotting his body on top of yours and being as close as possible.
loved pressing his forehead against yours to gaze into your eyes. or better yet, when you carefully push back his slightly damp bangs out of his eyes so you could see his face better.
loved to wrap his arms behind your back, pulling you towards him to press your chests together — utterly driving him insane when he feels your nipples brushing against his.
above all, he loved seeing your precious face. intently watching each beautiful expression morph into bliss as he drove you closer to your pleasure, using your reactions to guide his way there for you.
but one day, you insist on changing positions.
he wasn’t so sure, in fact, he hasn’t ever done anything besides missionary so he didn’t even know how to go about it. but luckily, he had you to show him the way.
it started when you climbed into his lap, effectively kickstarting his old habits. after the initial gush of blood coming out of his nose and a few overly enthusiastic compliments — he simmered back down the moment you slid down on his cock.
it took him a second to try to not come instantly, but the way you were perched up in his lap, your chest directly in front of his face, your hands delicately resting on his shoulders — he couldn’t help it.
but he always had so much more to give you.
he soon realized that maybe new positions were a good thing. a different way for him to worship and love your body. his tongue running all over your chest, circling around your nipples as you bounced on his cock.
it was truly heaven watching you use him to get yourself off. your soft mewls fired up his core, driving his hips up further to meet yours. there was no way he’d want to stop having you like this. it might have even taken over as his new favorite position.
but something else overcomes him when he has you on all fours. the way you look so beautiful presenting yourself for him has his mind going drunk with satisfaction.
knowing that only he could ever have you like this, driving himself further into your warm cunt, deeper than he has ever gone — has him losing his control.
he’s still sweet, but there’s an edge to it now. his hips erratically snapping against you. he feels so high, so overwhelmed with the control you graciously gave him.
it’ll even have him reaching over to take one of his cigarettes, smoking it while his thrusts never falter. the view he has is one of the best ones he’s ever seen. screw the all blue, this right here was his life’s dream.
being able to admire your body from any angle is a new game he adamantly wants to play. so expect him to try and throw you in any position at any time. he has a lot of new things he wants to explore now that he knows how willing you are to help him.
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