#i might do his secondary pose one day

[aj-acent]

Putting my Favorite Characters in Hades Part 2: Hunter from The Owl House

Power description, Chthonic Companion, and a Better Look below:

okay this guys a lil different bc i see him like a mini boss that would show up at the fountain in Elysium starting after you beat Hades the “final” time. Sorta like how Hunter reacted to Luz saying the emperor was a lil bitch, he “wouldn’t believe” Zag actually beat Hades.

His powers would be similar to that shade in Tartarus that can teleport. However, after some dialogue Zag and him would build a relationship and you’d no longer have to fight him. Does that make any sense? Just making Elysium even worse than it is 🫡

Anyways, Hunter would stop fighting you and instead tell you fun facts about wolves and give you his homemade Chthonic Companion: Flapjack! I think it would be a timed session of like 5-10 seconds that how much damage you cause is proportional to how much health you get back.

Anyways, here’s a better look at Hunter! I gave him the cast crystal as part of the staff and covered him in that symbol to really show his dedication to the cause 🫡🫡

who should i do next?

[historic-meme]

Thinking about Leo Frank today and how even though there is a historical consensus he was completely innocent modern neo-nazis still put up websites claiming he was a child rapist and murderer.

Thinking about how this defilement of his memory is just a continuation of the antisemitic violence he faced in the last years of his life and is what killed him.

Thinking about the ease with which goyim, and white people specifically, accuse jews of heinous crimes. As if the main evidence and reasoning needed is that the accused is a Jew. Everything else is secondary.

Thinking about the local newspaper that was able to increase its circulation from 25,000 to 87,000 almost entirely on spewing antisemitism while reporting on the Frank case.

Thinking about how when the first major Northern newspaper reported on the case they considered the antisemitism in Atlanta to be a “natural” consequence of the Jews banding together to support Frank. A classic case of blaming Jews for antisemitism.

Thinking about how the mob, that tore Frank out of his jail cell, dragged him back to Marietta and then finally lynched him, were spurred by the fact his sentence had been commuted from the death penalty to life in prison.

Thinking about how the lynching was not a moment of angry mob violence but rather a carefully crafted plan. That these men sat around planning for months on how to inflitrate the prison, kidnap Frank, and then return to Marietta to hang him before the authorities could do anything about it.

Thinking about how after the lynching men, women, and children came by to grab “souvenirs” from the site including pieces of the clothes Frank was wearing. They sold postcards of photos taken of the lynching. They were all very popular.

Thinking about how the photos that clearly showed the lynchers were not published for fear of being arrested. Thinking about how no one was ever charged with the lynching due to the protection of the local community.

Thinking about how when the leaders of the lynch mob were named in 2000, it included the Governor of Georgia the year Mary Phagan was murdered, a future President of the Georgia Senate, and the Mayor of Marietta at the time.

Thinking about Judge Morris, a previous politician and at the time lawyer in the private sector who ran to the lynching site once he heard. How he calmed the mob and protected Franks body from further defilement.

Thinking about how the New York Times reported on his actions by calling him ‘the only hero of the Frank lynching’ in the same section where they quote him denying antisemitism had any part in the case and saying “The men who lynched Mr. Frank were intelligent men; they did it in an intelligent way...[T]hey brought him here to this town in the light of day, so that they might put him to his death in an appropriate place.” Later he said, “I believe Frank has his just deserts.”

Thinking about how this judge posed for a picture by Franks still hanging body.

Thinking about how eventually Franks body ended up in a local funeral parlor. Another mob threatened the parlor wanting to see the body and after bricks were thrown, they allowed people to file past his body.

Thinking about how these people who filed past Frank’s body probably thought he got what he deserved and were glad to see him dead.

Just thinking about how antisemitism never really changes.

[allwormdiet]

Sentinel 9.6

Well.

At least we're not as fucked as Brockton Bay.

"Ugh, how dare crime be prevented so I can't beat the shit out of the people doing the crimes for my own catharsis" - sentiments of the utterly normal

This glimpse into the inner workings of these two has not endeared me to them any further, tbh. I think the time in which they can actually turn these impressions around is starting to dwindle.

So. Here's Sophia's worldview laid plain, and it's about what I expected. Might makes right, violence and desperation and greed are the true nature of humanity, everyone can be divided between sheep and wolves and she refuses to be a sheep.

Mostly I think I'm just curious as to what, exactly, shaped her to be this way. Like obviously whatever caused her to trigger is a factor, but I don't know if any parahuman has had a complete overhaul of their personality brought about by their power coming online; I suspect that she'd followed some version of this mentality before the worst day of her life (so far) proved her right.

I can't imagine Piggot would be thrilled that Shadow Stalker thinks so highly of her, or at least the why of it.

This is cool, though. Give Wildbow credit, he can make just about any sensation of using a power sound rad as hell.

*sighs* Fucking Nazis

At least Sophia is sensible about what to do with them

Another neat fight scene, this one is a bit quicker than the Travelers tussle so I kinda like it more. That and it involves beating the shit out of Nazis.

Ruh roh Raggy

hiimdaisy_adachi_murder.mp3

Oh yeah, why eliminate the villain who you know is a particular threat to you, specifically, when you can try to torment her first?

This isn't even me saying that Sophia should try to murder Skitter, bc obviously I prefer the latter to the former, but taking the whole thing of seeing her secret identity into consideration, the response to crossing paths should be "take her down fast and hard," not "put her back against the wall and make her panic"

It's gonna fucking break her brain when she realizes Taylor is Skitter, huh?

There's something really funny about how basically every outsider POV we've gotten on Skitter involves hating her ass. Truly cursed to be unpopular.

I like the logical weaknesses of Sophia's power so far. Things getting into her shadow form, like bugs, fuck with her ability to remanifest because she has to "shove" them out of where she's going to solidify. The electricity I'm less clear on, maybe just some quirk of what she's "made" of in her altered state, but it's a good way to explain why she can't just leap through buildings willy nilly. The thing with the gas/vapor absorption that gets mentioned in a second also makes sense and is pretty neat.

Hey Sophia do you maybe regret playing with your food a little bit

Also still cool to see Skitter's powers from the outside POV

God that's so cool

...Y'know, if these two could get over their bullshit for like, a minute, they could probably have some very cathartic hate-makeouts. More blood than normal for kissing but less blood than normal for their usual interactions.

Lol

Lmao

Nuts that what threw her off in this moment was looking for a secondary murder weapon to cover up her power's tell.

Also: get fucked Sophia.

And you fell for it hook line and sinker, because you're a petty tunnel-visioned sadist.

Got the whole crew doing the group pose, love to see it

Also: hi Aisha, glad you get to join the team, sorry you had a trigger event, hope the future scenes with you are less uncomfortable than your first one

Skitter is so fucking good at playing up the villain role, she really should be proud of the work she puts into it.

Not entirely sure why they're kidnapping Shadow Stalker, but I'm sure it's going to be another photo album moment for the Undersiders and their rise to prominence.

Concluding Thoughts

Y'know, a lot of trouble could've been avoided if Sophia just ignored that impulse to play with her prey. I'm not gonna be like "oh why can't she just rein in the violence" because every parahuman we've met so far is either a participant or facilitator of violence, but the cruelty is what's gotten her in trouble here. Not only did she only get baited into this trap because she refused to make an earlier attempt at the killing blow, not only did she take the bait of hunting down a lone villain while a PRT convoy was under attack by fucking Nazis, but the hostility might have been avoided if she hadn't gotten her kicks from tormenting and assaulting Taylor. If Sophia was just Emma's friend who hung back and watched as she tormented Taylor, things might've differently all the way back in the medical tent, but alas, she was a willing and gleeful participant.

Little concerned about what the fuck they're going to do to her, but there's nothing to do but wait and see.

Also, cautiously glad that Imp has arrived, she seems fun from what I've picked up via osmosis, again fingers crossed that her continued presence in this story doesn't involve nearly as much wincing as Tangle 6.3 because holy shit.

[rosanna-writer]

every night with us is like a dream

Summary: The one where Rhys knots in Lucien, Feyre knots in Lucien, and everyone finds the whole thing pretty healing. Pairing: Feyre x Rhysand x Lucien Rating: Explicit Warnings: None

For Day 4 of @acotar-omegaverse-week: Getting Knotty! You can read it Here on AO3 or under the cut!

Perhaps it had all started with Lucien's sad eyes. He'd looked so lost when he'd arrived in Velaris, but at first, Feyre had just convinced herself that she was feeling nothing more than concern for her best friend after he'd been kicked out of his home again.

She was High Lady—of course she wanted Lucien to feel comfortable in the Night Court.

But she'd still only been an alpha for the few short months since she'd been revived Under the Mountain and gained a secondary gender along with immortality. Humans were just…humans. The instincts and biology of alphas, betas, and omegas were still new to her.

Lucien had said she didn't need to convince him of why she'd fallen in love with the City of Starlight—and its ruler—but Feyre had taken a few hours to show him the city anyway. The whole time, the urge to slide her wrist along his neck and soothe him with her scent had been so strong that she'd kept her hands balled into fists in her coat pockets.

He'd been through so much. They both had. If she was picturing how beautiful Lucien would look with her knot locked inside him, it was just those runaway alpha instincts urging her to protect and comfort an omega.

And besides, Feyre might have been incandescently happy to be mated to Rhys, but she wasn't blind. Lucien was gorgeous.

She knew her mate, though. There was something beyond just feeding and clothing Lucien because it was good manners to help a High Lord's son. Feyre caught the satisfied glint in Rhysand's eyes.

When Lucien joined the Inner Circle for dinner again a few days later, he wore black. Probably nothing more than a subtle indication that he was making an effort to fit in—he was an emissary, after all. He knew what he was doing.

Feyre found herself feeling something akin to pride anyway. It was just a shade too feral to be called patriotism—no, some part of her that hadn't existed until she'd become High Fae liked the sight of an omega wearing the color that would warn everyone away but her and her mate.

As they sat down to eat, a familiar expression flickered across Rhys's face, and she wondered if this was how he'd felt the first time he'd seen her in Night Court attire.

She'd heard of mated alpha pairs sharing an omega. There had been a trio like that at Rita's—Azriel had chuckled and explained when she'd asked why a fight hadn't broken out when two alphas had danced close to the same omega. Another strange facet of being High Fae.

There had been precious little time to enjoy her newly-accepted mating bond with the threat of war looming on the horizon. So much had changed and so quickly—Feyre and Rhys had never discussed the possibility of a third.

There was no point, at least as long as Hybern still posed a threat. But during the brief time that Lucien had stayed in the townhouse before leaving to find Vassa on the Continent…Feyre had thought about it.

And though she was sure it was just teasing when Rhysand had asked her if she'd like to invite someone to their bed—if she'd like two males worshiping her—Feyre thought about it again.

When the war ended and it was just the two of them in the townhouse again, she was relieved. Truly. But neither of them had the heart to dismantle the nest that Lucien had left in the guest room.

Rhys's salt-and-citrus scent was the best thing in the world. But smelling it laced with Lucien's had been…nice.

They'd invited him for dinner a few weeks later. He'd been back in Velaris to discuss the goings-on in Prythian's slice of the human lands, and Feyre had wanted to make it clear they regarded Lucien as more than merely an emissary. A member of their family, just like the rest of the Inner Circle.

Feyre had expected it to be awkward. Rhysand had never made a secret of his anger over Lucien's failure to protect her from Tamlin and the attempt to drag her back to the Spring Court. And Lucien had been hurt she'd lied after Hybern and deliberately made him the target of Tamlin's ire.

But at some point during the war, they'd buried the hatchet without realizing it. Gratitude for being alive made it hard to care about the past.

Feyre was content to sip her wine and listen to them talk about tailors in Velaris and the cut of Lucien's jacket. When Rhys ran a finger along Lucien's sleeve to feel the texture of the wool blend—and certainly not the firmness of the bicep beneath—he locked eyes with her. His hand lingered longer than it needed to.

What are you doing? she asked through the bond, taking a bite of food to cover the fact that she was speaking mind-to-mind in front of a guest.

Nothing I don't think you'd like. The words glittered with wicked amusement as they floated down the tether linking her soul to Rhys's.

She didn't dare drag the conversation out any longer. Lucien's golden eye was already clicking.

"Let me show you the shoulder seams," Lucien said, shrugging off the jacket with a slight stretch upward—and a deliberate flash of bare skin as his shirt rode up in the process.

Feyre's cheeks heated. The mechanical eye whirred.

In the end, it was Rhysand who'd broached the topic. Even as High Lady—and as an alpha—Feyre still sometimes found it difficult to ask for what she wanted.

"Stay the night, Lucien," he said as the meal came to a close. "There's plenty of room for you here."

"Is there?" Lucien said, voice sharp. Almost an accusation, but not quite—a challenge at the very least.

In another court, it would have gotten him in trouble. Omegas, after all, did what they were told, and that was doubly true when the orders were coming from a High Lord.

But not in the Night Court.

"It's not a command, just another option available to you. Consider tonight an opportunity to decide whether you'd like to spend another heat cycle among the humans or here instead."

Lucien's gaze slid to Feyre, who said quietly, "It's been a long time since an alpha's taken proper care of you. Let us."

A quiet understanding passed between them—Tamlin had failed Lucien as an alpha. And though Feyre wasn't an omega, he'd caused her suffering, too. In the end, she and Lucien had escaped together, and that connected them in ways deeper than just close friendship.

Even with suppressant potions, he still stayed with Jurian and Vassa during his heats, as far from any other fae as possible. Feyre might have been the only alpha Lucien trusted enough to get close to him.

But she wasn't sure that trust extended to her mate, too.

Lucien hesitated. That look of uncertainty was back, and Feyre had to stop herself from growling a command to get into the nest so she could fix this for him.

The air in the townhouse seemed to go still. But Lucien finally said, "Alright. Convince me, then."

Feyre felt the bond slacken in her chest, as if it had slumped in relief. Rhys's voice floated into her head again. Talk him through it while he takes my knot.

It sounded uncomfortably close to an order, and normally, Feyre would have bristled at that. But during those hundreds of years before she was born, Rhys must have had a third in his bed at least once—in this, she'd follow his lead.

Make it as good for him as you do for me.

He said nothing in response, but their mating bond seemed to hum with wicked anticipation. The silence had stretched on long enough that Lucien was looking at her curiously, waiting for one of them to explain.

"Upstairs," Rhys said, and Feyre took Lucien's hand to winnow them there.

In the guest room, she sat on the bed and made herself comfortable in the nest they'd left undisturbed for months. Lucien stared at it in shock.

Feyre felt her cheeks go hot again—keeping the nest around was a hint at just how long she'd been thinking about this, and that was a little bit mortifying. If tonight went well, he'd still tease her mercilessly about it.

They'd always be best friends, underneath it all.

But there wasn't much time to dwell on it; Rhys had already sprung into action. As always, he kissed like an alpha, fisting a hand in Lucien's hair to angle the omega's head just where he wanted it. Lucien melted against him, soft and pliant, lips parting.

"Good, Lucien," Feyre said, and his answering groan into her mate's mouth went straight to her core. She wanted to paint the sight of auburn hair slipping through brown fingers—a bonfire bright against the night sky.

There was no rush. She watched in rapt fascination as Rhys thoroughly plundered every inch of Lucien's mouth. The two males were both absurdly beautiful on their own, but together, putting on a show for her…Feyre could be content with just this and nothing else.

The bond was quiet, but Rhys didn't need to speak for her to know he was waiting for her to urge things forward. Those demanding alpha instincts had let up just enough for him to give her a turn being in charge. He'd yield to his mate and no one else.

"On the bed," she said. "I'll help Lucien out of his clothes."

Without breaking the kiss, Rhys walked Lucien backwards until his calves brushed the edge of the bed. Rhys leaned forward, easing Lucien back as Feyre reached for him.

"We've got you, omega," Feyre said, sitting forward so her front rested against Lucien's back. She could feel Rhys's eyes on her as she ran her nose in a slow line up the side of Lucien's neck—his pulse was throbbing, the scent of omega especially strong right above his mating gland.

Another time. If Lucien let her and Rhys sink their teeth into it, they'd do that another time.

But that thought still didn't stop the slight spark of magic as her cock began to appear, brought to life by the scent of an omega.

Instead, she pressed open-mouthed kisses along the line she'd just traced, undoing the buttons of Lucien's shirt one by one. For once, Lucien was quiet, just making contented noises in the back of his throat as she explored the planes of his chest.

Feyre glanced up at Rhys, who'd used magic to get rid of his shirt and was still standing at the edge of the bed, his wings folded back and out of reach. She wondered if Lucien knew what a show of trust it was that Rhys had them out at all.

Not that she wanted to start a conversation about it. There were more important things to do with Rhys looking down at them hungrily, pupils blown wide.

"You're being so good for us, Lucien," Feyre said, and he ground his hips back in answer, pressing his ass against her rapidly-lengthening cock. The arousal it sent blazing through her nearly had Feyre bending him over and knotting him immediately, their original plan be damned.

But that wasn't what Lucien needed from her. After Tamlin…it would be a while before anyone could be rough with Lucien. Instead, Feyre added, "When I said on the bed, I meant you too, Rhysand."

As obedient as he'd been, Lucien wasn't quite so far gone that he couldn't snicker at the rebuke and Feyre's irritated use of her mate's full name. She kissed Lucien's cheek.

"I wasn't aware you were giving me orders," Rhys said, smirking.

"I'm always giving you orders."

He knelt on the bed, straddling Lucien's thighs. "Which is exactly how I prefer it."

Feyre slid her hands down, resting them at the top of Lucien's pants. Rhys's eyes tracked the movement. Otherwise, he didn't move, clearly waiting for instructions.

"All you need to to do is watch, Lucien. I'll take care of getting you out of these clothes—Rhys can strip himself."

"Yes, alpha," Lucien said.

The words ripped a satisfied growl from Feyre before she knew what she was doing. The bestial, entirely-faerie pleasure of a compliant omega in her arms, his scent in her nose…it was still new and overwhelming. Feyre didn't know how she managed to think straight.

Rhys wasn't entirely unaffected, either. He'd shuddered as he pulled at the fastenings of his pants, wings flaring out involuntarily.

Lucien's cock sprang free as Feyre peeled off the rest of his clothes. In truth, she didn't care about his proud, impressive length—it was impossible to care when her fingers brushed the slick already dampening his thighs.

She ran a finger towards the top of his legs. "Look at how much of this you've already made for us. Good. You're being such an eager omega, all ready to take a knot."

Rhys tipped his head to the side and took in the sight of them. The expression on his face was soft, thoughtful and almost…fond. Something about it made Feyre's heart squeeze, even as he ran a hand slowly from the base to the tip of his cock.

"On all fours for me, omega. Eyes on Feyre," he said.

Lucien complied, leaning down to brace most of his weight on his forearms. Feyre ran a hand through his hair, running the scent glads in her wrist along his face and neck as she brushed the auburn strands out of the way. He tipped his head to the side and leaned into the touch.

"Would you like to keep going?" Feyre said.

"Please," Lucien said.

She'd thought the sight of Lucien and Rhys kissing was beautiful, but it didn't compare to watching her mate slide inside an omega. Lucien was already lost—eyes half-shut, lips parted, already pushing his ass back to take more, and Rhys's wings flared out in time with the thrust of his hips.

The sight was so entrancing that she nearly forgot she was supposed to be talking Lucien through it.

"You're taking him so well. We're lucky to have a perfect omega with us," Feyre said.

Lucien's response was nothing more than a desperate keening sound that went straight to Feyre's cock. She stroked herself along with Rhys's slow slide out and then in again.

Rhys brushed Lucien's back in a long caress over the scars criss-crossing his tawny skin. Lucien pressed a hand forward, and Feyre interlaced their fingers.

There was no need for words—they'd all suffered Under the Mountain, and they'd all gotten out. They'd survived. Feyre and Rhys had built a life together in the aftermath, and watching him with Lucien made her hope that Lucien could do the same and join them.

But that was too much, and it wasn't the time to discuss it, even as her eyes drifted back to the gland on Lucien's neck. Soon, maybe. But not yet.

"It feels good, doesn't it?" she said, and Lucien managed a nod. "I love how both of you look like this. And you haven't even taken Rhys's knot yet."

Lucien twisted his head back to look at Rhys over his shoulder. "Your knot. Please."

"You'll look at me while you take it," Feyre said. She curled a finger under Lucien's chin to guide his face back towards her.

The males moaned in unison as Rhys snapped his hips forward and his knot swelled and locked him inside Lucien. Feyre shivered at the sound, already positive that it would replay in her head night after night for centuries to come.

They looked perfect like this—Rhys's head tilted back in ecstasy, the flush creeping up Lucien's face as he struggled to keep looking at her instead of doing the same.

Feyre stroked Lucien's cheek with her thumb, just a few short inches from the mating gland in his neck. "We could keep you filled up like this forever," she said. "Take turns giving you our knots in this nest you made for us. It's where you belong, isn't it?"

Lucien's answering moan might have been a sound of agreement.

Later—she'd ask if it had truly been agreement later. Rhys was learning forward, a gentle hand on Lucien's lower back as he kissed Feyre. She parted her lips eagerly, welcoming the sweep of her mate's tongue into her mouth.

Somehow, he tasted so much sweeter with his knot inside an omega.

She kept the kiss brief, then went back to stroking Lucien's hair, running her scent glands over his skin, and murmuring praise. Even in this, Rhys followed her lead, bowing his head to pepper kisses along Lucien's neck and shoulders.

It meant everything to see them climax together—these two males she loved so much, who had both been to hell and back with her.

She could have watched them like that forever, but Rhys's knot faded eventually. Lucien pillowed his head on Feyre's thigh as the other male slid out of him and made the mess vanish with a flick of his fingers.

Rhys stretched, catlike, then sprawled out next to them on the bed. Lucien watched, his mechanical eye clicking lazily as he took in the sight of Rhys's muscles rippling with the movement. In some ways, Feyre thought watching them boneless and content was just as lovely as seeing them locked together.

"You can take my knot next if that wasn't enough. But if Rhys tired you out, we can rest. Your choice," Feyre said.

Lucien flashed her a grin. "Unlike that old bag of bones you call a mate, I can last for more than one round."

"Little Lucien," Rhys purred, "be careful, or I might just take that as a challenge."

"You're a lot less intimidating when your joints creak," Feyre said, ignoring Rhys's half-hearted snarl as she rolled Lucien onto his back. She pinned him down, and the smell of slick filling the air again was evidence enough that he didn't mind. And with Lucien under her, she was face-to-face with Rhys.

"You're more than spry enough for the three of us," Rhys said, pressing a kiss to the tip of her nose. A flicker of magic, and her clothes were off.

Lucien parted his legs for her. Feyre leaned down and ran her nose along his neck again; the scent of cinnamon and campfire and arousal and omega was just as heady as having a beautiful male under her and ready for her cock.

A shadow fell over them both. Rhys had stretched his wings forward and curled them around her and Lucien. In Lucien's nest and encircled in Rhys's wings…there was nowhere else Feyre wanted to be.

This was home.

She shifted her hips, aligning herself with Lucien's ass. His thighs were already coated in slick again, and she let out a satisfied growl.

"Are you going to be just as good for her as you were for me?" Rhys said.

The flush on Lucien's cheeks deepened a bit at the praise. "Yes, alpha."

Feyre's first thrust was slow and experimental—she'd never done this with an omega before. But Lucien was so wonderfully warm and wet and tight, already opening so beautifully for her, that she could drown in the feeling.

She moved faster, and Lucien let out an honest-to-Cauldron whimper. He snapped his hips up, taking her deeper, and the pleasure built like a wildfire low in her belly.

With a keening sound of her own, Feyre pressed herself deeper as her knot swelled and locked her inside. The first orgasm crashed through her, and at first Feyre thought her vision had just gone white.

But no—as she did with Rhys, she glowed. And her own light coaxed out Lucien's own. She was dimly aware of Lucien's back bowing beneath her and Rhys whispering, "Beautiful."

She'd been holding herself up on her arms, but the force of the overwhelming pleasure made them tremble. Lucien reached up and pulled her down against him, and the shift of her hips and the brush of her nipples against his chest made them both moan again.

Lucien's skin had gone hot, his own glow a fiery blaze that complimented Feyre's starlight. Rhys had loosened the damper on his own power, the tendrils of inky black making both their light even brighter and clearer.

Lucien held her close as Rhys stroked her hair and told Lucien how well he took Feyre's knot and how perfect he looked coming with it inside. Feyre wasn't sure how long they stayed like that, Rhys's star-flecked power sliding between her and Lucien, the tendrils caressing them both. It seemed like an eternity—but at the same time, far too soon—when her knot disappeared and her cock along with it.

She didn't let go of Lucien as she pulled them both onto their sides. Rhys slid an arm around Lucien, his violet eyes meeting hers over Lucien's shoulder as he pressed his chest against Lucien's back.

"Thank you for this," Lucien said, voice thick. "I— I wasn't sure I'd ever take a knot again."

"There's no need for thanks. Your trust is an honor," Rhys said softly.

Even now, after the dust had long since settled, Feyre couldn't help but marvel at the change—they'd come such a long way from Rhys leaving a head in the Spring Court garden and Lucien calling him Amarantha's whore.

"You'll always have a place here with us," Feyre said. Everything was still too new to say where here was—in the Night Court, in their bed, in this nest, in their hearts. She wouldn't push Lucien.

Not when the wounds were still healing over.

The mating gland could wait; they had all the time in the world. For now, Feyre merely held Lucien tighter as she leaned over to kiss Rhysand. Just having both of them with her was more than enough.

[avelera]

I still laugh rereading comments for Giving Sanctuary that are agonizing over the slow burn. And I completely get it, the actual amount of time passing in the story is secondary to the amount of time the reader spends in the story. It doesn’t matter that something only takes an hour in universe if it’s a 100,000 words to cover it.

… at the same time though, like, if I had put the date at the top of each chapter I wonder if it would be clearer to people how much of a relationship speedrun Dream and Hob are in that fic?

The continuous time from when Dream invites Hob to when they confess to one another is ONE WEEK. One week! It gets stretched out artificially to 5 weeks because of Destiny, but even that is only for one half of the pair, it’s still only 1 week for Dream. They are completely unhinged for each other lol.

And this part may sound a bit overly defensive but I think the amount of time from when they both knew their own feelings, both had pretty good evidence that the other might be interested too, AND they weren’t actively dealing with either 1) literally getting Hob settled after literal decades of traumatizing years on the streets or 2) actively dealing with mourning their sons either through dream flashback or the trip to Naxos (including its immediate grief hangover for Dream, because being like “Yeah I know you just ripped open the wound of your sons death to allow it to finally heal YESTERDAY but like… do you like me? As more than a friend??” Is just objectively imo the teeniest bit insensitive and something Hob is painfully aware of having just gone through it himself? Dream doesn’t pop the question after Hob’s ordeal either) … is quite literally ONE DAY.

Like literally, Hob goes home with Dream June 7th, they do the Robyn thing June 8, June 9 Dream says he wants to go to Naxos, June 10 they actually go, June 11 Jessamy appears and it’s a recovery day, June 12 Hob considers telling him but wants to wait until Dream isn’t pissed off about Destiny’s pestering and his own libido comes back which throws him for a loop and makes him anxious about dealing with the physical side of things in the midst of all the emotional stuff and that night going into June 13, Dream offers Hob the boon, more or less hoping that Hob will use it for something romantic between them or, failing that, just something that makes him happy. Dream is not clueless as of June 13, he’s 90% sure Hob is into him, they’ve had a couple days since Naxos so it’s not actively inappropriate to have the discussion, Dream is scrupulously careful of the power imbalance and wants Hob to make the first move before he makes his own feelings known in a way that could feel like pressure or Hob is beholden to him, since Hob openly voices a sense of inferiority and owing fealty.

Meanwhile Hob has screwed his courage to the sticking place, he’s ready to take the advice of Calliope, he’s got the boon and plans to use it as an escape hatch if it all goes poorly (basically as Dream intended btw! Dream sensed that something about the power imbalance was holding Hob back and he didn’t know HOW Hob would use the boon but wanted to give him an “one time use of Endless-level power” in the hopes that it might put Hob at ease and maybe even nudge him towards revealing his heart’s desire and maybe that would include Dream).

Literally that NIGHT, Hob was resolved to pose the question in the morning after a day of agonizing. Dream sensed the next morning was going to be significant and was flirting like crazy to give the “all systems go” signal to Hob that whatever he said would be welcome but Dream was PRETTY SURE he knew and wholly welcomed the advances.

Indeed, that was a huge part of why when Hob had the sex dream (courtesy of the proximity and everything that happened that day with the flirting plus his body coming back online after some time to recover its strength) Dream enthusiastically joined in. In his mind, Hob had pretty heavily implied that the next day he was going to ask to court Dream (or equivalent) so his reaching out in his dreams sexually was pretty much the same thing and Dream took it, perhaps incorrectly, as the signal he needed of Hob’s interest so he could finally pounce with his own enthusiastic consent. Dream is not a being of words, ironically. He thought Hob’s actions were pretty clear and he made very clear that he was excited and willing with this turn of events, basically “Yes! Finally!”

(Btw plenty of people picked up on this lol I’m not saying this went over people’s heads.)

The break down of communication was that Hob had his very careful, courtly, CHASTE proposal he wanted to tentatively put forth the other day, absolutely terrified he’d misread the situation or that Calliope had deliberately set him up to fail out of spite, or any other number of ways it could go wrong like—even if things had gone as planned he was going to be TERRIFIED to ask if maybe he was reading the signals right and Dream really had been flirting for the past 5-6 DAYS and if so that Hob was interested in earning Dream’s love in any way he’d be allowed. He was going to be CAREFUL and POETIC and RESPECTFUL and very ready to backpedal and use the boon if necessary to ask Dream not to be mad at him for presuming to know his mind.

So to wake up having had a vivid sex dream and be confronted with evidence that he lost control of himself in the night and basically assaulted or at least dirtied his friend in the most embarrassing way possible, all the physical stuff he would have been petrified to presume before he got the chance to be all courtly and poetic about his feelings, sent him into an absolute tailspin of fear that he’d fucked it up before he had the chance to get it right or slowly introduce the idea of adding a more romantic side to their relationship.

(Gosh now I want to write an AU of an AU where things did go as Hob planned lol)

So Hob has his freak out. Without Destiny’s shenanigans and without Dream also freaking out and potentially mind wiping Hob by accident in an effort to grant him what he apparently wanted which was to forget it ever happened… Dream and Hob probably would have reconvened the next day once they both calmed down and had a chance to think about what happened and realize there might have been misunderstandings (most likely because of Jessamy bonking Dream over the head and telling him to go make sure Hob knew it was actually him in the dream.

Even WITH the dinner though, door to door, that would mean on June 14th, 1 week after the White Horse meeting, they’re officially Together as a couple.

In that light I will say, I personally don’t think Hob was wrong on June 12 to decide to wait until morning after Dream was flirting with him all that day. He wanted to be awake and clear headed with a whole day ahead of them to discuss or patch things up if it went poorly. He was mostly sure he was reading the signals right but the catastrophe and loss in that 1% chance he was wrong was just too terrible to risk late at night after a confusing day. And Dream read that signal loud and clear that Hob was nervous and wanted to clear a space for them to discuss this and was wholly enthusiastic about reconvening once Hob had rested and gathered himself. But Dream was only holding himself back until he got a clear signal of interest from Hob first which he took the sex dream to be because dreams are obviously real to him and there was love permeating the whole thing (hence why Dream was so confused and upset about Hob’s freak out, neglecting to realize Hob’s point of view here of being in a tenuous situation, because Dream was so infatuated himself that it didn’t occur to him that Hob still found him hard to read and feared the consequences of being wrong).

Anyway! I still regret nothing about that sequence lol I love rereading the readers’ tears but I still wanted to defend my timeline and say these guys are totally unhinged and it’s not actually a slow burn at all by any normal human standard it’s like one night where they maybe could have said something sooner and it wouldn’t have been wildly inappropriate.

[la-pheacienne]

Hi! I love your blog and your replies in general. I am curious as to why do you think the majority of the book fandom latched unto Mysaria/Laena/Nettles, but despises Rhaenyra so much? I mean, out of all the women in Daemon's life, she is the one that always receives hate while the others are idealized and I never understood why. I mean, Daemon seemed to love her company, her personality, to spend time with her both before and after marriage...

My personal guess is that there's a combination between fatphobia (Rhaenyra was not exactly fat, but she did not remained as slender as before her pregnancies), and the fact that Rhaenyra has by far the strongest personality out of all of them and can't be used as a self-insert for projecting whatever the readers want on her.

(It's also the fact that Rhaenyra was hated and slandered the most by the maesters and the sources, but some readers seem to forget that)

I might be wrong, but this is the impression I got while seeing the horrible names Rhaenyra is called and everything.

Anyway, I'm sorry this turned out to be so long. Have a wonderful day!

Hello! Thank you so much nonnie 💖

Idk, are we certain that the majority of the book fandom absolutely despises Rhaenyra while latching unto Mysaria/Laena/Nettles? I think that the Tumblr and Reddit fanbase are definitely very hostile to Rhaenyra but not the general fandom. That's my impression, but I'm open for different points of view, because I don't really know. I think the general fanbase understands the deal with Rhaenyra, because the general fanbase is not made of Targaryen haters. Actually, the vast majority of fans of GRRM's work love House Targaryen and I think that's in the heart of the discussion.

The people that hate Rhaenyra so much are mainly Targaryen antis, so they loooove anyone that poses a "threat" (either real or perceived) to House Targaryen represented by Rhaenyra. Mysaria and Nettles are examples, Laena is more the innocent, perfect female character that died too soon so we can project whatever the fuck we want onto her.

The other reason is misogyny, straight and simple. First of all the misogyny runs so deep in the fanbase that people(at least those who do not like the Blacks) cannot even recognize this whole dance happened because of misogyny. They're like yeaaaaah but duty and sacrifice you know, she doesn't deserve the throne... Why? Well basically because she's a whore. That's the argument. Rhaenyra is a whore. And not even a perfect whore, because she got ugly and fat and old and her hubby ChEaTED on her with a younger hotter girl and THAT'S what happens to dirty evil WhOrEs like her, they turn into OLD HAGS and NOBODY wants them and EVERYBODY betrays them because they're WHORES. That's literally the general argument green stans have. The pleasure they derive from the possibility that Daemon sexually harassed a little girl, just for the implications this could have on Rhaenyra, is frankly disturbing. They literally want Rhaenyra to be punished for simply daring to claim her birthright while being a woman.

Fatphobia and ageism are also two huge factors. I mean I've seen her being called old fat hag too many times for me to ignore that.

So yeah, a combination of Targaryen hate, misogyny, fatphobia and ageism. Rhaenyra is not perfect and she ends up becoming a tyrant but the inability of a big part of the fanbase to recognise her tragic arc and the factors that made her that way is disgusting.

Also kind of irrelevant but it's useful as an indicator. All this glorification of women that have a minor role to the story like Mysaria, Nettles, Laena, Helaena, and in GOT Elia, even Sansa (she is mainly a secondary character in the book sorry), is really tiring and boring to me. You like what you like of course, but when I see blogs like that I just know it's a red flag. The issue with this is that they are pretending to side with poor victimised women but all they do is shit on other stronger female characters, like Dany, Arya or Rhaenyra. It's always a facade of hatred towards female characters that are central to the story, again, in a combination of Targaryen hatred, misogyny, fatphobia and ageism (depending on which character they're hating on each time).

(I'm kind of generalising of course, because I too love most of these female characters, I mean I love Laena and I do love Sansa but I don't really care about them, I guess? And of course these characters are not exactly equivalent, I mean Sansa is much more important than the others, I'm just generalising because I see a certain pattern of stanning victimised little girls and shitting on the main imperfect female characters)

[echo-rambles]

canon compliant future au where the guys are like, in their mid 30's and while skz hasn't officially disbanded they haven't really done anything together in awhile and they all have their own careers and lives happening;

chan, han, and changbin have managed to create their own company under the 3racha label. it's still decently new, especially compared to a lot of the other labels out there, but they made enough of a name for themselves when they were full time idols that they're doing really good for themselves. chan tends to deal with a lot of international scouting, while changbin runs things at their seoul head quarters. han was originally meant to stick in seoul with changbin, but he relocated to tokyo a few years ago to help open and manage a japanese branch of 3racha entertainment.

seungmin stumbled his way into acting, and he ends up becoming a pretty big household name. after producing two solo albums, he decided to try acting for fun, and found a love for it. he still sings of course, and even provides original songs for the ost of each show he's been in. he started out cast in secondary roles, either as the second love interest or the main characters best friend. one memorable occasion he managed to land the role of a villain. it's only recently that he's venturing into lead roles, romantic or otherwise. seungmin really wants to try performing in some sort of musical at least once before the end of his career. he thinks it'd be fun.

lee know lives in japan, running a dance studio of his own. he also is the founder of an organization for re-homing stray cats or any other sort of cat in need. sometimes he'll post snippets of himself singing, on the social media account he still shares with han to this day. but dance was always his first and forever love. lee know posts mostly about the cats he's seen through his day or rare candid moments of han working in a studio.

felix, hyunjin, and jeongin have stuck with the fashion industry. it's something they all love, and possibly always will.

jeongin produced a few solo albums of his own, in various genres, and while he continues to be an ambassador for mcqueen, he's begun branching out into the world of fashion design on his own. he's always had a love for fashion and creating outfits, and now with his experience and resources, he wants to try his hand at creating his own clothing. he remembers the thrill he felt wearing clothing and jewelry that sported well known initials, and one day he hopes to instill that same feeling in someone else with his own YJ emblem.

felix has small projects of his own over the course of his career, and he sticks with louis vuitton the whole time, thankful that they allow him so much freedom in certain things. he doesn't necessarily like to be tied down to one thing, and enjoys speaking out for many organizations that hold his interest. I feel felix would be the type to travel and vlog about it when he could. living a quieter life than some of his friends but still a full and fun life. he'd settle down somewhere in europe, possibly somewhere in italy as he slowly learns the language over the years.

hyunjin has made his way from versace prince to versace king. he's at every one of the events, smiling and posing and overall being the model ambassador. there are many pictures of him arriving arm in arm with donatella herself. he is the face of versace. he absolutely has a house in italy or france, and while it might not be his permanent residence he spends a fair amount of time there. there's just something about the european seaside that keeps drawing him back in. he's excited to collab with jeongin and his up and coming fashion line, happily providing samples of his art. it's said that versace is very supportive of whatever hyunjin has planned.

[that-irrelevant-ricecakeaddict]

French (📯/💋)?

seungmin x fem!reader (past/current French horn player)

!!!NOT ENTIRELY PROOFREAD!!!!

Writer's note:

so I myself am a French horn player (band kid of 5 coming 6 years), and just today I learnt a VERYYY interesting fact about fh players (and I think basically all brass players/band members);

apparently we're known to be good kissers 👀

then I remembered jeongin's cover in The Sound's album cover where he was holding a french horn (wrongly, may I add😭), and I started thinking; what if seungmin had a partner that was or is a fh player, and he found out about the kissing thing? (I spent the rest of the day daydreaming about this oddly specific concept)

!!no particular reason for choosing seungmin!! I just thought he might tease this kind of thing :'))

ADDITIONALLY! This is like my first ever fanfic so please bear with my crappy writing ;')

content upcming below the cut: established rs w idolseungmin, bestie jeongin for like a minute, fluff, mentions of making out, slight sexual tensions???

You were lounging on the couch of your boyfriend's shared apartment with his friends when you heard the door open. Lazily twisting your neck around to glance at the entrance, your eyes lit up when seungmin's figure approached the shoe cabinet next to the doorway. You padded over in excitement and saw his friend Jeongin had arrived home as well.

"Seung, you're back¬"

You pulled him into a hug and he laughed while leaning over to give you a kiss on the cheek. Jeongin rolled his eyes and muttered something between the lines of "get a room" and "seungmin you're stepping on my shoes". You looked behind the two boys, and saw no other members, so you assumed they had stayed out to do extra work.

The three of you entered the living room together, seungmin and jeongin collapsing on the couch the moment they did. It wasn't odd for them to be so burnt out, especially after they spent an entire day out being idols. You knew how mentally and emotionally taxing the workload could be, so who could blame your boyfriend and your bestie for their fatigue? You slid onto the couch next to the 2 exhausted idols.

"You guys seem especially tired. What was on your schedule today?"

"Album cover photoshoot for our newest album...We had to pose with actual instruments."

Jeongin replied, still showing no signs of getting up from the beige couch anytime soon. Seungmin rolled his eyes at him.

"Yeah, i.n. here got into an argument because of his prop...something about holding it the wrong way."

"Really? What instrument was it?"

"It was a french horn I think? i.n. was really confused by it."

"Y/N, didn't you play it last time? I swear I heard you mention it before."

Your eyebrows raised at jeongin's question. He was right. Having been in your primary and secondary school's band, you had played the french horn for 8 years, and had even played a little every now and then in university. And, not to brag, but you were pretty good at it too.

Seungmin turned to you, a look of surprise on his face.

"Really? You did? Why is this the first time I'm hearing about this?"

"Its just an instrument! Not really relevant information in my opinion."

Seungmin grumbled and tackled you into the couch, earning a yelp from you.

"It is to me¬ I wanna know everything about you, sweetheart."

You playfully fought back as jeongin slowly started backing away from the two of you, a look of disgust plastered on his usually smiling face.

A few days passed by after that conversation, and you had honestly thought nothing about it, until seungmin entered your shared room one night.

You were reading a novel when he entered the room, fresh out of a shower. His short brown locks were sopping wet, droplets of water dripping and leaving dark stains on his grey sweater; obviously seungmin hadn't made an effort to dry this hair. He plopped into bed next to you, silently screwing up his nose in annoyance when you didn't immediately pull him in for cuddles. You looked away from your book to see him sulking next to you, and smiled.

"What?"

"You're ignoring me."

"Well, fun fact; your girlfriend doesn't exactly enjoy cuddling with soaking-wet puppies."

Hearing this, he playfully punched your shoulder, continuing to scooch closer to you. There was a mischievous look on his face, and you discreetly pulled over a pillow with your free hand, your past experience with that expression anticipating you for a surprise pillow fight.

"Well...let me tell YOU a fun fact too."

He sat up and slid his arms around your waist, pulling your back into his warm chest. You rolled your eyes and tossed the book to one side, giving in to him. "And what would that be?"

"After our conversation with i.n. a few days ago, I happened to do some research on french horn players, and I found some very interesting facts¬"

"Yeah?? Out with it already, the suspense is killing me."

"Mm, say please?"

"Seungmin!! You need to stop watching chan's streams!"

He chuckled, the low sound vibrating in his chest and against your back.

"So apparently...experienced french horn players, or basically any brass players, are known to be especially good at kissing."

You blinked a few times at him. What the hell? Actually, that would've made a lot of sense. Based on what you've learned from your 8 years of experience, brass instrument players had to have VERY good lip and tongue control. And since french horn is one of the few brass instruments that require a relatively smaller mouthpiece, your mouth control was particularly well-trained. It had to be.

You grinned like a loon and swiftly turned around to pin seungmin to the bed's headboard. He widened his eyes in pleasant surprise.

"Really? Care to help me test that theory?"

Hearing this, seungmin's lips spread into a cheeky smirk. He extended a hand and caressed your jawline.

"Gladly."

WHABSGUDGAG I SWEAR THIS CONCEPT CAME OUT BETTER IN MY HEAD 😭😭😭😭😭

hopefully this story's decent enough for my fellow seungmin stans and/or fh players,,,it would be really awkward if it wasn't (crying rn)

also to any Stay thats a brass instrument player (current or past), is the kissing thing actually true? My aroace ass has like zero exp with that kinda thing T.T

[darthjess-book-reviews]

REVIEW: The Way of Kings by Brandon Sanderson

Summary (Provided by Goodreads)

I long for the days before the Last Desolation. Before the Heralds abandoned us and the Knights Radiant turned against us. When there was still magic in Roshar and honor in the hearts of men.

In the end, not war but victory proved the greater test. Did our foes see that the harder they fought, the fiercer our resistance? Fire and hammer forge a sword; time and neglect rust it away. So we won the world, yet lost it.

Now there are four whom we watch: the surgeon, forced to forsake healing and fight in the most brutal war of our time; the assassin, who weeps as he kills; the liar, who wears her scholar's mantle over a thief's heart; and the prince, whose eyes open to the ancient past as his thirst for battle wanes. 

One of them may redeem us. One of them will destroy us.

My Review: 5/5 Stars

"Life before death. Strength before weakness. Journey before destination."

"The Way of Kings" by Brandon Sanderson is honestly one my favorite books I've ever read. This book is a bit of a slow burn, but I truly enjoyed every second of it, even the slower parts, because they are clearly building to something, even though you'll have no idea WHAT until it slaps you in the face.

Sanderson's prose is simple and clear. His writing is easy to understand and he doesn't use overly flowery language or lengthy descriptions that distracted me. And where his writing was simple, the things he was writing about were deep and complex, posing questions like: what does it mean to live? What does it mean to be a good leader? Is it okay to do something wrong to make something right? And more. And while the characters make decisions based on these questions, we are never really given an answer.

Also, if you're one of those people who tried to read this book and stopped because there was a bunch of "random stuff that didn't matter"... you stopped reading too early. Like the stuff with the spren? Trust me, it matters. If you don't have the patience for a book like this, that's fine. There are plenty of books that I've heard are incredible that I tried, then did not have the patience to finish (*cough cough* "Midnight's Children" by Salman Rushdie). Definitely no shame in that, but also don't blame the book. There are just some books that aren't written for you, and that's fine.

Things I Loved:

1. The world - Roshar, the giant continent where "The Way of Kings" takes places, is incredibly unique. Sanderson has built his own fantasy world with its own creatures and ecosystems completely different from our own. While this might sound overwhelming, all of the details about the world are revealed over time, and the important details are repeated often enough (in different ways that do not seem repetitive) that it is easy to learn and remember.

2. The main characters - They are vibrant and are just as unique as the world itself, which makes them memorable and easily distinguishable. There are four main characters (Adolin, Dalinar, Kaladin, and Shallan) but they are supported by a beautiful cast of secondary characters that I came to love.

3. The struggles - THE STRUGGLES OF THESE CHARACTERS. I loved how Sanderson has his characters struggle, not just in their respective environments, but also in their own heads. Kaladin struggles with intense depression that comes in waves, and yet his part of the story manages not to feel depressing to the reader. And I love that he has kind of struggled with depression his entire life. I feel like you often don't see mental health problems talked about like this in fantasy, and it was very refreshing. Dalinar struggles with self doubt, Shallan struggles with guilt. And of course, Adolin struggles with the normal problems of growing up as heir to a High Prince's throne.

4. The "secondary" characters - Remember those "secondary" characters I mentioned? They are not just background people or NPCs who help move the story along. Sanderson has transformed them into actual, living breathing people, with their own incredible stories and personalities, people who could easily be main characters in their own right. Even though there are quite a few names thrown around in this book, it is done so with great care, to the point that I think even my sister (who hates books with "too many names") could read this without an issue if she really gave it a shot.

5. The philosophy - it's hard to go into this one without spoiling too much, but there's a lot of things in this book that make you want to take a good long look at our own world. Good fantasy is generally seen as escapism, but I think the best fantasy is escapism with realism hidden inside it. And "The Way of Kings" has exactly that. Even though the world of Roshar is so different from our own, humanity in any reality remains: in all its beautiful good and its terrible evil.

6. The twists - I really can't say anything about this at all without spoiling, but goddamn those twists at the end. I was literally screaming in shock and excitement and honestly a little bit of horror. When I finished the book, I proceeded to stare at the wall for about 10 minutes, trying to fully take in everything I'd just experienced. Honestly, wow. What a ride.

Things I Didn't Like:

...for a book that's literally over 1000 pages, you'd think I'd be able to come up with SOMETHING I didn't enjoy. Well, here comes the shocker. I literally can't think of anything.

As a writer, I have so much to learn from Sanderson, and as I reader I am so excited to read everything else this genius of a man has written. So thankful that this was recommended to me (thanks Katie) and so thankful to Sanderson for writing this book that literally got my fiance (who is 26 and hasn't really read since high school) BACK into reading.

I recommend this to anyone who loves fantasy and has a little patience. I promise, it's worth it.

[ineffable-opinions]

I Can’t Reach You (2023)

Kimi ni wa Todokanai. (2023)

Final review: sweet. Unfortunately, this brand of artificial sweetener turned bitter for me. Rating: 6/10

[My experience watching this was colored by my experience watching If It's With You. It might have received a higher rating (7/10) if I was being objective.]

Summary: A highschooler (Yamato) bottles up intense love for his childhood-friend & classmate (Kakeru) who upon learning of it struggles till happy ending.

Pairing: kuuru seme with kichiku-leaning tendency (which he regrets) X  nonke uke

What I liked:

1) Brocon-allegation that added a layer of formality between Yamato and his sister.

2) Comphet. Then, compulsory sexuality - evoked by pairing up during festival season. Doesn’t problematize it but addresses it in its own way. Of course, artificial sweetener galore.

3) swan!Kakeru – Kakeru being persuaded into delivering love charm to Yamato who reacts to it as expected.

Painting by Raja Ravi Varma

Swan: Basically, in the epic Mahabharata, king Nala basically enlists a swan to pass on love message to princess Damayanti.

4) Yamato and Kakeru hiding under the covers from their teacher who ignored the unusually huge bulge.

5) Them wearing uniform during outing – brought back memories of middle school days.

6) Kakeru’s academic strides to Yamato.

7) Sweet potato and rain-ruined confession.

8) BL quirk - Empty health room so that our CP can have an intimate moment.

9) Hair pin slipping off Kakeru’s love-interest – ominous end of love. Japan does this well, second only to Bollywood (lamp scene from Devdas (2002) for example.)

10) The dynamics between Yamato and Hosaka Yui.

Reminded me of Jian Yi and He Tian before Mo Guanshan’s arrival in 19 days manhua.

What I didn’t like:

1) Screenplay, direction and acting.

Some scenes were written blandly. It looked silly on screen. It is shame since it is a manga being adapted to screen, they had such rich reference.

Director didn’t do a good job. CGI glitter isn’t enough.

Idol acting from the main leads. They were vases (花瓶) in some scenes, good-looking but not agile.

Some poses our CP held were awkward and avoidable.

2) The narrative dragged on. I wish this one was a tighter, neater story with less pose holds and filler scenes. Secondary characters interactions were unimpactful.

[hollyhomburg]

@jjungcookie Ahhhh I think the ending will be drawn out, I really do want to give bily the best of happy endings, this story has such a soft middle that I think it would be impossible not to give it a good go you know?

As for Hoseok’s ex pack being connected to the mafia…I cannot answer any of the questions you have posed for it. I will say that you’re on the right track especially concerning his job working along side Yoongi.

Oh yeah definitely, I think all of the alphas are going to start frequenting jungkook’s boxing gym and taking lessons from Wonho. Ahhh I just got the idea for a sweet moment- what if in the future- the m/c really really tries her hand at self-defense lessons. And then one day she and Wonho go at it and she actually manages to beat him- do you know how proud she would be? Why is it sorta hot to imagine her and jungkook wrestling and him realizing “oh??? I actually have to try?? And claling her his little muscle puppy? Ahhhh now I really want to write that as part of the happy ending sections <3 I swear- your responses always inspire me to write little scenes.

As for the name of the assassins. I think that I might have fucked this part up a little bit- and jumped around and changed their names- its definitely something I need to keep in mind when I’m doing the secondary edits of bily in a few months. But the family only has four assassins; the snake (Jimin), the wolf (the man who was killed prior to Jin and Jimin’s shootout) and the spider- the assassin that the pack kills in this chapter. There is only one other left- ‘the bee’ who we will see in later chapters.

No one picked up on it so far, but you’ll notice in the last chapter that Jimin says “Tae, you don’t even kill spiders’ and then in this chapter- Tae ends up killing the man named the spider 😂 just a little bit of foreshadowing there. I do realize that the spider is never named in this chapter- although it is referenced in the next- so this probably has a lot to do with it 😭

I think that a lot of the time- because of my isolation as a person I worry that I’m not really writing these characters as believable. But I’m glad Hobi being ruled by his emotions kinda like- made sense. I know it’s easy to judge him when we’re not the ones in his shoes- but from my own personal experience, I think that not everyone always behaves in a level headed way during moments like this.

I totally get why you wanted to skip it. Honestly, I had a feeling that a lot of people would gloss over this chapter. There is this interesting dynamic that happens when you write a story with so many genreas- you cannot delve deep into horror without alienating the people who do not want to read horror, just like you can’t delve deep into smutt without alienating people who don’t want to read smut. You know? It’s okay if not everyone wants to read brains blowing apart late at night- I deeply understand.

As for the clean up…that is unfortunately jungkook and Yoongi’s job 😂 Jin’s and Jimin’s too. Lets just say the m/c, Tae, and Hobi aren’t exactly in one piece after this.

As for the other group too! I think seeing them adjust to this is one of the things that I had a hard time writing in the next chapter- just like this- I ended up going a little bit more of humerous route, I greatly look forward to hearing what you have to say about it next time. Thank you once again for such a stunning review of this chapter.

Before I Leave You (Pt.66)

(Omegaverse au, Mafia au, Bts x Reader)

Summary: Wolves always go for the throat, whether they’re cornered or hunting.

Tags: Blood, Guns, violence, near death experiences, everyone lives nobody dies...but someone does die this chapter, horror, non-lethal injury, talks of death and dying, a bit of body horror, Trans! tae, Tae is briefly dead named in this, implied/referenced intimate partner violence, flashbacks, brief suicidality.

W/c: 8.3k

A/N: ahhhhhh <3 we're finally ready for this part of the story <3 i wonder what your guys reactions will be, i'm really glad i decided to split this chapter into two peices! it's much cleaner this way. don't be 🥲 too mad at me.

Previous part - Masterlist - First part

(Four years prior, Hoseok)

Today is the day that Hoseok will meet his future pack, he just doesn’t know it yet.

It always feels like a bit of betrayal but the worst and best days of your life often come close together. Maybe just for contrast. A bit of good in the bad. A slice of cake in a feast of raw meat.

This starts as just another bad day in a long stretch of shitty days. The kind of days were anxiety bubbles up and how afraid you are is all you can think about. Taking one breath and then another like just staying alive means you're guaranteed to get better.

The only place to go from rock bottom is up, and hoseok's sneakers are firmly on the concrete, standing outside of the record store in the rain with no place to go.

Hoseok has been afraid for a long time. He can't really remember even if he thinks hard, the last morning he woke up not afraid.

What hoseok really needs is a day off, but he really can't fucking afford it. He can't afford anything- certainly not a one-bedroom apartment on his own. If he's really really lucky maybe he'll be able to find a closet room somewhere that will cost almost his whole paycheck. Because after today-

After today, Jung Hoseok will be homeless, packless, and alone. His pack dropped the news on him last night…or well ex-pack.

He doesn’t expect that he’ll be moving into the pack's house on this rainy day, he doesn't expect that by the end of the week, he won't be worrying about where his next meal will come from because Jin will be there with it ready. Jimin sometimes too.

He won't be worrying about where he'll sleep because the bed in their spare room that smells like tae tae tae will be his. He'll roll around in it when the door is closed, shy about it because Hoseok has never liked other alpha's scents so much before. And when he comes home and Jungkook has made a nest in it, it will feel like a bit of an impossible silver lining, a bit too much- to have an omega making him a nest, making something special just for him

It takes three weeks for Namjoon to make him a house key for himself. After he gets left outside in a very similar storm to this. The doctor will touch his cheek, thumbing at the dimples that they share. how special is it that each smile gets cradled like a crescent moon? the heavens have left imprints on both of their skin. Freckles for stars and dimples for moon's.

"I don't want you to get sick pup."

"People don't get sick from wet heads anymore hyung."

"They don't. But I want to keep you dry and comfortable in my den. i know you still want to look for apartments but...what if you didn't?"

But neither the weather nor Hoseok knows to prepare for good news. Right now the heavens open up and release its deluge, thick rain the way that only happens at the start of summer. Worms and other wriggly things crawl their way out of their holes to find a good spot to die next to Hoseok's shoes. Worn fancy sneakers that his pack-omega had gotten him a few months ago for their anniversary. They're the nicest thing he's ever owned.

His ex-pack omega.

It's hard to rewire your brain, especially for alpha's. Hoseok is a lone wolf. He hasn't been without a pack in so long, it feels weird to not have someone to call, someone he needs to trail after and cling to. He checks his phone but he doesn't have a single notification from them.

He doesn't have a single notification from anyone.

Hoseok is glad he doesn't feel his instincts as keenly as other alphas do. Otherwise, he might be inclined to gnash his teeth at the people who pass by him on their way to work, umbrellas almost bumping him, perceiving even closeness as a threat. So vulnerable without a pack (lone alphas are always the first to starve in winter).

Hoseok shivers even though its summer, he's soaked to the bone after a few minutes.

He has a key to the record store. He could go inside. Granted- he should be inside already. Opening up shop, making coffee, and letting the place warm up. But standing out in the rain feels too much like penance.

Hoseok likes the rain. The smell of it. The way it makes the whole world ache and go still. He feels every drop on his dark hair, soaking through his thin hoodie. It's cleansing almost, letting the rain soak him through.

(The end of relationships is always hard, let alone the end of abusive relationships, they’re downright terrible).

Hoseok keeps replaying their words in his head, with every slosh of a nearby car, every honk of a taxi. The stoplight red and green bleeding onto the wet concrete. Yellow flashing in contrast with hoseok's dark memories.

“You’re welcome to stay here until the lease runs out, but the four of us need to move back home. You understand Hobi don’t you? We’re just omega’s- we’re just girls- and we think this could be a clean break for all of us. We just don't want to lead you on any longer.”

The worst part is that Hobi had sort of known, had sort of already realized what was happening. he’d seen it in their looks; distant and despondent. Their touches that did not linger longer than necessary, cheeks turned as he comes in for a kiss. The phone calls hushed in the other room that cut off abruptly when he entered.

The lease on their apartment ends today. The place has already been professionally deep cleaned and Hoseok's things are packed in his car in plastic bins. He has 6 of them to his name.

He doesn’t have a place to go yet, he might just sneak into the back room at the record store and sleep there until he figures something out. Hoseok drove to work early because he didn't have another place to go.

This version of Hoseok is not the one you know, this version of Hobi is 23 and hopeless, can’t think about moving back in with his parents a city away, with nothing but a rusted-out Corolla that barely gets him to work let alone through the 200-mile trip. It will die on him in about 6 months and Namjoon will be thankful that Hoseok no longer is driving around in a deathtrap.

He hadn’t even gotten this job by himself, his pack omega- his ex-girlfriend had gotten him this job almost 4 months ago after his last one didn’t pan out. Temporary work for temporary people.

Nothing feels like his. Not his body and certainly not this job.

Hoseok hasn’t smoked in months, but something that feels an awful lot like self-disgust worms under his skin and he can’t resist. Not today of all days. Smoking is something that he doesn’t indulge in often, and hasn’t indulged in since… becoming an alpha to someone. But he guesses it doesn’t matter now without anyone to complain that they don’t like the smell.

The cigarette mixes with the smell of petrichor and Hoseok’s own acidic scent. The smell of a terrified alpha draws him more than a few looks but he pays them no mind. He's thankful for his soaking face, at least the rain keeps out the tears. Cool and soothing against his face.

Hoseok just wants- Hoseok just wants to call them. To talk to someone.

Ending relationships is always like this. You want to keep being good, keep being what they want, but that’s impossible. You can’t act or behave right and dupe someone into loving you. Sometimes the love just isn’t there. (A smaller shyer voice says it was never love at all, you can't possess love, only be given it and Hoseok feels like a cast aside possession. Love and abuse cannot coexist).

Hoseok should have known. He keeps replaying the moments in his head. He’d seen them exchanging knowing looks when they thought he wasn’t looking.He thought he was just being paranoid, until yesterday morning when they’d taken him aside.

“You knew this had to end one day Hoseok" "You knew one day we'd move on." "As much as we appreciate what you’ve done for us, we think it’s time for us to move on.”

“What do you mean? I thought we were leaving next week, you really left me with only a day to find a place to go?”

“We’re sorry Hoseok, your last rut was just too much to deal with. We think it's best if we just stay on our own. It's a clean break this way.”

"Wait, please- I love you."

"We know. We're sorry."

Hoseok is too much for anyone to deal with. He doesn’t call his friends (he hasn’t met up with any of them or returned their texts in months thanks to several pointed words from his pack omega). He doesn’t go inside yet because he deserves the rain. He sits out front of the record store, smoking a cigarette that will probably end up killing him down the line, and thinks Good.

He tells himself the irritation in his eyes is just because of the cigarette smoke blowing in his face, even though he knows it's not. He's not even inhaling right because his breaths come all hitched and pathetic. Anyone would be sad if their relationship of several years had ended. Anyone would be devastated.

Hoseok checks his phone again. Nothing.

Most people on the crowded street ignore him. Though the thick throng of people going about their business, probably going to work at their 9 to 5 jobs that pay enough to afford apartments and packmates. Hoseok is the one soul that stands stationary.

Until one, someone a few feet back stops, tipping their face through their hood to look at him. The only other person without an umbrella.

Hoseok knows his face and his name. It’s just Min Yoongi- his coworker and sort of friend who's coming in for his shift. Hoseok doesn't love Yoongi yet but they're sort of friends already. They might be better friends if Hoseok could get over his admiration and jealousy.

Yoongi has this way of quietly taking care of the people around him. He picks up Hoseok's jacket when it slides off the hook at work, asks him if he wants coffee and even pays for it when he goes to the coffee shop next door. He compliments Hoseok's music tastes when it's his turn to play something, he gives Hoseok the aux frequently in a way that feels a little bit like flirting.

The only two good things about Hoseok's job are the music and Min Yoongi.

He even laughs at Hoseok's shitty jokes when they're stacking new inventory saying cryptic things like "they can't be worse than my omega's jokes."

That's why Hoseok's jealous. Yoongi gets packmates, five of them who make him lunch even when he's only got a four-hour shift. that often linger outside to walk him home or pick him up in their shiney not new not old cars.

(Yoongi's packmates certainly have better things to do than send Yoongi to work with a second packed lunch. "Jin-hyung caught a glimpse of you through the doorway, the only thing that he hates more than Namjoon's snoring is skinny Alpha's.")

Min Yoongi has that look that people do when they're well-loved by packmates. Hair ruffled and neck dotted with bruises that might as well be mating bites for a beta. Beta's don't mate, but these ones certainly keep him close. He wears their scents like a shield. Sometimes so thick that Hoseok can't even smell any of his chocolate scent.

Right now, staring at Yoongi a few paces into the street, all Hoseok can smell is the rain.

When Hoseok had been introduced to him it had felt strange just by virtue of Yoongi's sub gender. A beta? Working somewhere so normal? Weren’t beta's supposed to be like- financial advisors or assistants to the president or something? Betas are supposed to have more important jobs than pushing vinyl and bumping Hoseok's shoulder playfully.

(Hoseok hasn’t seen it yet, the way that the owner hands over little white baggies to people who come in looking hungry for a high that cigarettes or alcohol can’t fix. Hoseok hasn’t yet realized that the record store isn't just a record store. This is just one front business of many that the family has organized across this city and the country for distribution of some of his most precious inventory). Yoongi has worked her for the last year, takes calls in the back for the family. The owner only bows to him when Hoseok's not around.

They only hired hoseok for tax purposes. Having three employees looks less suspicious than just two.

The beta looks concerned, and Hoseok knows he can’t hide the fact that he’s been crying as the beta steps up and pushes Hoseok back under the awning. Out of the rain and into the warmth of the doorway. This kind of movement would make any alpha snap, but not Hoseok. Hoseok just tucks his chin down and starts to cry.

“Oh Hoseok.” Hobi sniffles, and wipes his runny nose on his sleeve. Yoongi's hand curls against his throat, chocolate scent spiking to soothe. “You’re soaking wet."

Yoongi grabs his wrist and Hoseok almost keens at the gentle touch. Whole body shaking, shoulders curling in Yoongi's direction. Yoongi’s lips press into a thin line and then tugs him inside.

~-~

(Now, You)

You hold your breath. Still peering around the corner, watching and waiting for the man to spot you.

But he doesn't, after a breath where his soft footsteps echo, you wait, but nothing happens. You peak back around the corner.

You absorb and catalog the details as fast as you can; the black ski mask, covered by one of those traditional Korean masks, wooden with red lacquer. This one is a little different than the one that Jimin had; not twisted with thick eyebrows in a snarl. This one is white with red splotches on the cheeks, like a ghost sent down from above to rob you of your humanity.

The bulletproof vest stops at the collarbones. The gun itself is a black generic model. The long end is extra bulbous with something that might be an attached silencer. His hands covered in black nitrile gloves, leathery at first glance. There is a knife at his waist along with a barrage of other small things; rope and a knife, duct tape and handcuffs. His heavy boots look steel toed and reinforced.

The man (because it is a man you realize; tall, maybe taller than Namjoon) trains his gun at the landing on the top of the stairs. Pointing it in the direction of Hobi, Tae, and Jin’s hushed voices.

Hobi giggles and it sounds so bright. Echoing off the walls and filling the house with his musical laughter.

There is a phone cord tangled in your hands, long and white. You grip it tight.

This man might be silent but you’re quieter as you slide your bare feet across the smooth floors. Your strides are so quiet. You take one step and then another until you're behind the man, mirroring him.

You remember when Yoongi redid the floors, it was one of the few things that he did right away; before the pack came to live here (to love here). It took him weeks and weeks of sanding before he got them to his liking. Days more of brown dark stain that colored his hands ruddy until the soft matte finish stuck. Every pass with the belt sander and dirty rag a movement of love, a meditation for it.

Yoongi made every inch of this house with the same loving intent; to make it a home for all of you. a place to be safe and nurse your wounds and hearts. You won’t let it become a grave. You won’t let this person stay here and ruin it.

Most people get it wrong; In order to kill it is not a matter of elegance or effort. There is no such thing as a perfect kill either. Emotionless and analytic isn't enough and being justified only gets you halfway. There is no way to do it cleanly. People die just as they live, messy and hopeful and dirty.

Murder isn't a matter or wanting or wishing, It’s a matter of rage.

It’s always been this way. Rage has been chewing a hole through you from the moment that you pulled the trigger with Geumjae. From the moment you said ‘I do’. Rage that these violent things have been done to you, that they continue to happen, that you can’t just get away from all the hurt and trauma.

Rage has eaten you clean through to the bone. Rage has made you skinny and starving, rage has made you timid and fragile. But now you're the hungry one. Right now, only three words run through your head;

How dare she.

How dare she send this man into your house. How dare she point a gun at the upstairs, in the general direction of your nest and your packmates. The altar at which you so desperately cling to, for sweet dreams and sweeter worship (There is no deity above the god of love, not even death. Death cannot take the love from your chest, someone dying does not make you stop loving them).

How dare she even think about hurting the people you love.

There is no courage, no bravery, no thought in your head about how stupid it might be as you step closer behind the man. You are not a trained assassin. You’re just an omega.

The adrenaline rush is an old friend, a thrall both intoxicating and unnerving. Your heart beats loud in your ears. You grip the phone cord in your hands and take a quiet steadying breath. He doesn't see you, he doesn't hear you, he doesn't know that you're behind him.

Wolves always go for the throat, whether they’re cornered or hunting.

The assassin’s foot ascends the bottom step. You don’t let him get to the second before you’re moving, hurtling forward. Footsteps no longer light. Your hands go over the man’s shoulders. The cord no more than a white flash across his vision before you draw it tight across his neck.

The pain and panic are instant as you’re suddenly tethered to a six-foot-four assassin and struggling to stay on your feet as he stumbles back. You’re pulled off your feet and down the stairs, but you keep it as tight as you can and you don’t let go. Fighting to keep your makeshift garrote tight as he scrambles to get his fingers around where it digs into his skin. Spluttering loud.

The hard wire digs, cutting easily through plastic and then your skin as he tries to pull you off. You don’t let go until he backs you into the entryway wall and slams you against it with a dizzying clang of bone and body hitting something solid. Your head narrowly avoids one of the hooks that the pack hangs their coats on. An inch to the left and he'd have impaled your skull on it. An inch to the left and you'd be dead.

A single inch.

His head slams into your face, and you feel something in your nose pop, flooding your mouth with blood so thick you choke.

He slams you against the wall once, twice, and then a third time until your grip goes slack and slippery with blood. It knocks the breath out of you, and he finally throws you off. You both fall to the ground like stones. Both of you gasp and struggle for breath. At least one of your ribs it broken, but because of the adrenaline you can't even feel it.

When the man lifts his black gloves to his throat, they come away glossy with blood.

(It’s crazy how you never notice the change from the day to day, one day you are begging for a reason to hold on, a reason to live, and the next you’re fighting tooth and nail to keep going. Just about gnawing your own arm off to get out. To survive and live to see another day. Another sunrise.)

By that time the air has returned to your lungs it’s enough for you to scream. “Jin! Jin! There’s someone in the house there’s-”

You try and inhale through your nose and blood makes you choke. You push at the floor with your hands, struggling to stand, fingers slippery and tacky with your blood.

The man tries to scramble up the stairs but you latch onto his legs and make him drop. Doing everything in your power to keep him from going up to them, to your packmates. Hugging his ankle to your chest to slow him down (the same way you’ve hugged Namjoon’s arm and Yoongi’s, the way you held Hobi in the nest on the couch just a few shattered days ago).

The man turns the gun on you, pointing it to your head, you flinch, waiting for the shot-

and open them as He heaves a frustrated roar before he wheels away and turns, aiming at the top of the stairs instead of right in your face.

You could have died right then. could have and should have, but you didn’t. Your brain is too messy with adrenaline right now to make sense of it.

Why didn't he shoot?

The gun goes off, a bullet whizzing by Jin’s head. His face, scared, on the stairs flashes ever briefly. Ducking for cover just in time. The doorframe explodes in a cacophony of dark wood splitters. The doorknob sparks and bursts into a million pieces with another shot. metal clanking against the ceiling, the walls, down the stairs.

One second, you’re holding onto his heavy leather boot, and the next it’s colliding with your face and you’re out like a light.

Getting hit in your face is always such a disorientating experience. You’d never gotten used to it, even with Geumjae. Granted it’s hard to get used to the stomach-churning low vision feeling of weightlessness, like vertigo only worse.

"Hobi! don't- jesus fucking christ-"

You’re not quite sure what happens next only that you can’t see for a moment after the boot hits your face, and you take big breaths through your mouth. Blood, you taste blood. And then your vision comes back. Black spots and all and there’s Hobi’s face in front of you. No assassin, just him, helping you up from the floor. You're not on the steps anymore but at the bottom of them.

“The kitchen, the kitchen," Blood rushes over your bottom lip. Hoseok wipes it away, inhaling a jagged breath. "He’s-”

He pushes at your shoulders. “The car- get to the car.” It feels impossible. This can be happening in your house. Are you about to have a shoot-out in the street? On your quiet cul-de-sac? But then, in the corner of your vision dark movement.

You tug Hobi’s head down the second that the gun goes off- probably saving his life, definitely saving it as the bullet tears through the banister and ends in a hollow thump in the wall. he may not have shot you but he has no quams shooting at Jin and Hobi. The bullets hit the wall- Maybe 6 inches above your bent heads. Too close, close enough that Hobi trembles in your hold. And he rips something- a piece of the doorway, out of his arm with a wince before he covers your body with his own.

The volley of gunshots are so loud, so vicious as they blow things apart, tearing holes through Yoongi’s coat, the doorway, the banister, and the narrow stairway rungs. Pieces of wood hit your curled forms. Hobi shoves your head down when you try to look.

There is wetness, hot, something hot on your hands, your neck, you know it’s blood before you look. You think it’s from you until the Gunsmoke clears and you realize- fingers skimming across hoseok's forehead, a gash above his eyebrow.

A bullet graze by his hairline thats bleeding profusely. head wounds always bleed a ridiculous amount.

There are more bullets behind you but it’s just Jin returning fire.

Jin’s got Tae behind him. Her face ashy and pink from the shower and panic, her mid-length dark hair such a tangle, cowering behind his back. Jin's gun is so much louder without the silencer. Did he bring one upstairs? Or did he get it from Jimin’s stash?

Jin nearly drags Tae to the three of you, and she clings to you. Your hand finds her face. Fingers are red and bloody smudging against her cheek, blink and you're back there a million moments in the past; dotting red blush across her cheeks with a brush- your fingers- kissing it into place with your lips- painting a line of maroon across her eyelids to bring out the lighter flecks in her eyes- Watching her twirl in a red dress. Pressing your red lips against hers in a quiet dark moment in the library room. With her in Hobi's red car- Everything red.

If it starts with red, maybe it's fitting that it ends in red too.

Jin doesn’t give you time to reminisce. Pushing her shoulder down hard. His bare chest splattered with splinters from the door. Covered in wood fragments that stick to his black sweatpants and damp feet. Shouting, “All of you get down!”

You follow your pack omega’s words. Hobi and Tae With their damn alpha instincts blanket you as Jin fires again. The shots are so much louder in the small space. Another shot, another thunder strike. tae grips your wrist tight, your hands.

When you look down, they look mutilated. you can see bone in one place, deep gashes across the centre of your palms.

Your ears ring and you can't make sense of anything over the noise. Jin returns every bang with a boom of his own, bright flashes lighting up the dark staircase. Casing after casing tinkling down to the floor, rolling across the floorboards

But then, for a second- the gunfire goes quiet.

The house creeks and the three of you hold your breath. Jin's still half-concealed. The air heavy and clouded with gunsmoke and the smell of blood.

Hobi tentatively gets onto his knees and then stands when he doesn't immediately get shot at. You make a small noise in your throat, the loudest that you dare, but he’s looking after Jin, standing in the darkness, hackles raising his angry scent of burning sugar acrid in your nose. His hand slides out of yours, your blood on his palms.

And then you hear the rush of boots, echoing in the living room, near your nest- you’d never unmade it after you and Hobi fucked there. You'd been too busy taking care of Jimin. Hoseok bears his teeth.

Hobi turns, sliding out of your hands quicker than you can grab him. Quicker than you can tell him that he’s being dumb, that he’s being suicidal.

“Not my girlfriend! You asshole!”

The world is a dizzying cacophony of gunpowder, pain, bullets, and shouting. Jin yells Hoseok’s name. But the alpha heads after the assassin regardless of your cries. Jin narrowly keeps him from running headlong into no mans land. the open area by the door that would leave Hoseok a sitting duck.

Tae’s standing up on unsteady legs as you all spill out of the stairs into the narrow hall. Out from her hiding place cowering behind the banister. Your attention isn’t on her it’s on Hobi. Neither you nor Jin are looking at her. You’re running after him on shaky legs. Jin holds you both back, trying to corrall you. The air is cloudy with Gunsmoke, hazy and heavy. Her eyes are wide and pretty like dark marbles as she watches Hobi.

They’re just as pretty when the gun presses to the back of her head.

Everyone turns and goes still. The man has Tae in his arms, hand in her hair making her neck arch. The gun pressed to her jaw. Finger on the trigger.

Her body trembles and she doesn’t turn, frozen still in fear a shallow whine building in her throat.Jin has the gun trained on the man faster than you can make to step in Tae’s direction. But it’s no use.

He must have gone around, run through the livingroom through your pantry. A similar path that you took to surprise him. He must know the floor plan of the house, must have studied it to prevent situations like this. You have no upper hand here with tae in his arms.

Tae’s mouth is buttony and parted, but it settles into a resigned line.

Jin’s never been a good enough shot- not for one like this, even barely 10 feet away. He might hit Tae. Shaky, Jin takes his finger off the trigger and stoops down to put the gun on the floor. His other hand is up, already surrendering when the man jerks Tae's head back by her hair. Rougher than he needs to be.

“Don’t shoot her, please don’t shoot- please.”

The man juts his chin at the gun on the floor. “Kick it away now, be a good omega.” Jin grits his teeth but does as he says.

The man’s voice is rough as gravel. Dignified, but with no obvious accent. Not the quiet cadence that you’ve come to expect from the family. Neither posh nor lowbrow. Something in between. Flat and monotone. You're sure that you've never heard his voice before.

“I have to admit, your file said you’d be resistant, but it said nothing about you being dumb as fuck and a poor shot to boot.”

Jin licks his lips and bares his teeth, “Put that gun back in my hand and then say it again.” The masked man cocks his head to the side and then shrugs as if Jin's fury doesn't mean anything to him.

But He’s bleeding, it trails down to the floor so the words can't be genuine. It's a small wound, a graze on his right thigh. Red bright and hot that drips in onto the floor from his pant leg.

His hand tightens in Tae’s hair. “Line up against the wall. Now. Or I’ll blow her brains out in front of you."

You move first, eyes trained on Tae. But he snaps, eyes unreadable behind that mask, “No- not you. I’m not here to kill you.”

He tosses something to Jin and he catches it. Handcuffs that jingle and clink. Your foot hits an errant bullet with a similar tinkle. “Handcuff Jin to the stairs Hoseok.”

Your names, he knows your names. Your mind races over every detail, every moment trying to piece together a way to get out of this. a way to save them.

“Why are you doing this?” Hobi’s trembling, shaking. “Did Jimin-”

“Jiminie did nothing.” The man croons dragging the barrel of the gun down Tae’s cheek leaving a dark smudge in its wake. It's red on her face, the barrel must still be hot, your blood crusty around her lips.

“Honestly though, you should know he was a shit assassin. Truly piss poor even by industry standards. They always threw him the easiest kills."

The three of you are quiet, if he was hoping to elicit a reaction or more of a fight You don’t give him the satisfaction. Although jin grits his teeth, gnashing anger and an omega's feral instinct to protect their pups.

You step forward hands open, barely two steps from Tae. If you can just get to her maybe you can-

“Please- please don’t kill them."

He cocks his head at you, and you can hear the grin in his voice. “Oh no, you misunderstand me I’m not going to do any of it.”

He taps Tae’s head once again with the gun and Tae starts to truly struggle. You tremble in fury and horror as you realize what he means with a sickening lurch in your stomach.

“This is how it’s going to work Y/n” You still at the sound of your name. “Taehyung here is going to shoot Jin and Hoseok. And then once we’re sure they’re good and dead, I’ll kill her.” He tosses you another pair of handcuffs, these ones are meant for you.

You take one step closer; Jin's gun is between your feet now. But you couldn't pick it up or else he'd shoot Tae. Time, you just need a minute to figure out what to do. How to get them out of this.

Yourself now, that's a different story. If you where in Tae's position you'd turn your face to the side and bite the mans hand.

“And what about me then? If they're all dead what’s to stop me from fighting?” he seems to consider it only briefly, the gun in his hand tilting so that you can see the dark oval where the bullet will come out, where it will rocket through Tae's skull and take all the little worlds she dreams of, all her poems and words and make them nothing.

“You think you're so precious? I’ll just kill you.” he says it like it's nothing. like you're nothing. He nods to the others, appealing to them and not you. “What do you want? All four of you to die? Or just three? What will hurt Namjoon the least? Do you think Yoongi will survive loosing his mate? What do you think Jinnie?”

You think of Yoongi's mating mark, the spot on his hip where your small curved semi-circles sit. You think of them turning black- a brand of a dead mate. You think of Hobi's eyes opening and never closing again. You think of Jungkook nesting without Jin and you. Of Namjoon holding out his hand and having no one to take it without Jin there.

You won't let any of this happen.

The others shoot each other unsure glances but you shake your head. you shake your head because earlier on the step, the man didn't take the easy shot, the easy kill.

If he really had orders to kill you, he would have done it then.

you step forward and shake your head. “I don’t believe you. I know your orders are to take me. That’s what all of this is about isn’t it?” The man doesn’t drop his weapon. Just presses it tighter to Tae’s jaw.

“Handcuff Jin now Hobi. Or else I’ll-”

You see the darkness settle in Jin’s eyes and before you know it he's turning to you, eyes flat. Endless in their darkness, the way they might if-

You don't let yourself consider it. You won't let it get to that point.

“Pup-”

You guess it does make sense, having you kill each other as opposed to the assassin doing the dirty work and implicating Moonbyul. If you really are on that ‘no kill list’ like Yoongi said at the hospital, having you take out each other is the only logical course of action. Once Tae kills Jin and Hobi, she'll be free game. This is the only way retribution won’t fall back on her. This is so similar to what she tried and failed to do with Jimin and Jin. This is a second attempt.

Only-

Only this time, you have a bargaining chip.

You step forward, in front of Hobi and Jin, blocking them from his line of sight. Barely a pace in front of Tae, but from the way he tightens his grip on her you know that you can go no further.

“You can take me; I’ll go with you. Willingly.”

Jin makes a noise in his throat and tries to move, but dares not when the man tightens his grip on Tae’s hair hard enough to rip a bit of it out.

“That’s what she wants, isn’t it? If you just let them live I’ll go with you.”

The man is silent for a second. Hobi trembles and so does Jin. For a second, you truly think that he’s going to take the bait.

But the mask is directed towards the floor, then back up at you. “Those aren’t my orders.” His finger is on the trigger so close to Tae’s head. “Now cuff him, I don’t want Jinnie getting any ideas.”

Hobi’s hands are shaking as he unwillingly shackles Jin to the steps as slowly as he can. He's buying time too. Every second and every heartbeat is precious. Both ends loop around a single rung and click closed. The rung itself is a little loose from a bullet that blew it apart near the bottom, it’s got to be the loosest one. Hobi turns, and you see the pre-meditation in his eyes; he chose that one so that Jin could still get free if he tried hard enough.

Everyone is trying. Everyone is defiant. The quirk of Jin's eyes as he settles, staring with rage at the man, his voice a quiet croon when he says what might very well be the last words he ever speaks.

“Tae you can close your eyes honey, it’s okay.”

"No I can't" She struggles harder against his hold, but it only gets her part of her hair pulled out with how rough the man jerks her, tears clouding her vision. "I can't- don't- please-"

Tae's soul has always been butterfly soft and flower tender. She's not made for this. She's not made for murder or pain or anything that lacks softness. She's never been a killer; Jimin was always that side of their coin. Saint and sinner.

Your body goes cold and for a second, you think you just might pass out, especially when Hoseok grips your wrist. One final squeeze in what can only be goodbye before he steps away and in front of jin. Hair puffed up. Jin is lowering his eyes and no no no.

No.

Tae is staring at you, eyes wide and scared, but you watch in total powerlessness as her eyebrows lower. You see the moment Tae thinks it. Eyes meeting yours, lips mouthing something that you can’t read. Maybe I’m sorry no.

I love you. Sorry.

The truth is that Jimin drilled this with her years ago before she left for college and he couldn’t follow. When Jimin first realized that for the first time in their lives she’d be without him as a constant protector. Delicate delicate Tae with her delicate pink soul. So vulnerable to the world and all its wickedness.

Tae didn't confront him about it until the nightmares were waking him up regularly. They were simple nightmares back then; images of Tae hurt and mugged. Tae beaten and left in an alleyway. Tae stalked through the night. Simple, but enough to keep him awake. Enough to torture him in his wakon hours as well as the nighttime.

If Jimin saw her now he'd pull the heavens down and demand something truly awful in exchange. He'd take one of the knives from the kitchen and gut him from belly button to addams apple. He'd eviscerate him- and Namjoon might help.

Hut there is no one here to do any of that, there is only Tae in the man's hold.

“What are you so scared of?” She’d asked one morning, trailing endless patterns on his chest in an effort to soothe him back to sleep.

“Something happening to you while I’m not there, mostly.”

“Would it make you feel better? If you taught me the basics?”

Jimin's pause is telling, more telling are his eyes, hopeful when he looks up at Tae. “Yes, it would.”

It’s been years and years since Jimin Tae have bothered to drill any self-defense sequences it at all. Since he stopped asking her to refresh the basics with him once a year just to make sure. Jimin never thought that Tae would have to use those skills. Like with most things, you just sort of hope you don't have to fight.

But Tae knows you did fight. It's written all over your bloody face and your bloody hands, tightened to fists by your side. If you fought tooth and nail to save them she should fight too.

Tae has written fight scenes like this before. If she survives the press of the gun to the back of her head, she’s gonna have one hell of a personal experience to pull from for her book. The content will be endless.

She seems to swell in the space, alpha shoulders settling back. Her mouth is moving, mouthing words her eyes on you. Just in case this is the last thing she ever does.

I’m sorry, I love you.

“Be a good boy and pick up the gun Tae.” Tae bends down, syrupy slow. Intentional with her every movement. One heartbeat. Another. Tae's fingers are maybe an inch from the gun when everything goes haywire.

When she's about halfway bent she uses her momentum to hurl her body back, slamming her head into the gun and then into the man’s face. Cracking the mask and from the sound of it, the man’s nose. Tae's almost knocks herself out with the force of her own head colliding with the man’s face.

She turns, she’s not finished, not even close. She might be a woman but she’s an alpha too. Alphas always always fight to protect their pack. She turns and swings.

And drives her elbow as hard as she can between the alpha’s legs.

Hobi can’t stop his flinch. That has to hurt.

The assassin’s gun goes flying, skittering across the dark floor and under the bookcase and Hobi ends up lunging for it. You go after it too but you end up holding Tae instead, crumpling to the floor without anything to hold her up. She’s holding the back of her head, eyes watering.

The traditional mask lyes in pieces around you, shatered by the force of tae's headbut. The man clutches his nose, features still covered by the ski mast. Growling out- "Bitch- fucking bitch! I'll kill you. I'll fucking kill all of you-"

Jin struggles yanking his cuffed hands down as hard as he can- in another minute he might get loose, but not quick enough as Hobi finds the gun and raises it. The bullet hits the molding beside your pantry, missing the man by inches as he dives away to safety. A lucky shot by any standard, let alone for a beginner. Hobi shoots off after him. knocking into the wall before he's up and chasing it.

“Are you okay, Tae, Tae- look up at me.” Tae is clutching the back of her head. Blinking rabidly. That fucking hurt even if it was worth it.

“I’m fine just-” She leans over your legs and vomits, retching loud and horrible. Concussion- she must have given herself a concussion. Namjoon told you months ago how to read the signs of them shortly after the first time Jungkook ever had a seizure in front of you.

You hold her shoulders, watching Jin try and break himself free, yanking his wrists hard enough that it has to hurt. Moving to try and help him.

And then Hobi makes a noise in the other room, a pained ghasp, A thump and then-

Tae is already up and running, stumbling into the wall. You glance at Jin. "Go- just go" Jin grinds out. But Tae has longer legs than you do even concussed.

By the kitchen, Hobi slips on a fallen tangerine. (You remember then, Yoongi clearing the table with a brush of his hands for Jimin, tossing a whole bowl of them onto the floor. Where they've stayed since then) they're fighting, the man must have managed to disarm Hobi somehow because the gun sits under one of the chairs. Both of them are fighting just beside the dining room table. Part of it splintered and broken where someone broke it.

They're grappling on the floor now. Pushing against each other trying to gain the upper hand. you've watched the alpha's wrestle before- small disputes to settle and reaffirm the hierarchy, but you've never seen hobi move like this. You watch the man grasp at his waist reaching for the knife. His hands so slick with his own blood that it clatters to the floor. Hobi may not be trained but he's a fighter too. Gnashing his teeth and growling. Reaching up into the shallow gash at the mans throat and digging in his fingers.

And then he’s got Hobi on the ground and his hands around your alpha's throat. Tae tries to get him off but he backhands her, sending her sprawling to the ground and clutching her cheek. Too dizzy to stand. Big hands that squeeze and squeeze and squeeze Hobi's narrow throat. Spit at the corner of his lips turning frothy as hoseok tries to breathe and can't.

“I didn’t come this far to get killed by a bunch of family rejects; 11 years and 1458 kills later and I will not die. Just give up already- I didn’t come this far to-”

Hobi’s face is turning purple, hands scrabbling, pushing against his face trying to get him off unsuccessfully. Dying there on the floor. Hobi is going to die right there if you don't do anything.

Jin is shouting from the other room and there is a frying pan in the kitchen. On the countertop that you snatch on your way past, winding up for it before you swing it with all your might at the man's head and-

At the end of the day, it’s hard to say exactly what kills him. Whether it's you or Tae who wields the killing blow. It’s more of a group effort between you and her.

Tae has read countless books that described love as some gentle force, but this love has not made her gentle. Tae cannot sit there on the floor and watch Hobi die. She'd do anything to protect him and the pack. She’d kill people like Minnie did, would lie just as Jin had, would have sacrificed anything- even herself just like Yoongi.

Love had always been giving in Tae's mind, and she would give countless sins and untold violence, to have this not be the last day with you and the pack.

The gun is just sitting there under the chair. tae hardly has to lean over to get it. (If she makes it out of this alive, she swears to himself that she'll finally start taking those kickboxing classes that Jungkook teaches.) Tae lifts the gun at the same moment that your hand descends with the frying pan.

Tae turns, points, aims, and fires. She doesn’t even think twice about it. The trigger goes down as easily as breathing.

Getting shot in the throat definitely distracts him enough, definitely makes him let go of Hobi, clutching at his own throat instead of his. blood rushing over his hand and down onto hobi's face. So much that it almost splashes.

And then the frying pan hits his head with a hollow final thud.

There is a placid terror in things like this, a quiet as things go and come. The thumping, the sobbing breaths you let out, the descent of your hand, beating out your terror on the body below, a vessel for all of your fear.

The handle of the frying pan is thick and heavy in your hands. You bring it down on the man’s head, the curved edge of the cast iron connects with the plate of his skull with a hollow thud. One second, he's clutching at his blown-apart throat, and the next he goes limp, blood and brain matter splatters loud and heavy along the floor. Falling on top of Hobi like a lead weight.

Hobi's brown eyes are bloodshot and red in his mouth, heaving one big breath that sends the room spinning. Sends vertigo into his veins and panic-running adrenaline. You lift your arms up again and hit him, descending again and again.

His body is still, so still. His chest gives one open shudder and then goes truly quiet. Frozen in time. You are covered in blood, in your mouth, on your hair, on the ceiling. More and more splatters as your hand goes up and then down in an endless loop.

Dark cotton soaks, matted with blood and brain matter, blurry from your tears. A bit of it hits your face, wet and stinky. People never tell you how horrible it smells when people die.

You don’t stop hitting the man, even when it's clear he's dead. Even when you glare down at him through the tears in your eyes and see half a face staring up at you. An eyeball rolls across the floor.

There are arms around you pulling you off of him eventually. Dry warm arms, big and heavenly. One wrist dangles with a pair of handcuffs as Jin yanks you back from the man. The body.

“Pup- It’s done, pup- he's gone- Stop.”

There is blood all over you. On your face, on your hands, around the frying pan. Tae too, sitting just beside you. Half of her body splattered. Hobi's soaked with it and still struggling to breathe. But both of them, the three of them are alive.

“It’s over pup.” Jin sounds like he might be crying. Tae definitely is.

Hobi puts his head between his knees, gasping for every breath but still breathing. Tae's got him in his lap. Holding on to him as he splutters. face so soaked with blood he can't open his eyes without blinking rapidly.

It’s anything but over you think as you let go of the handle of the frying pan.

It clatters to the ground with a bloody and final thunk.

~-~

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Notes:

if the beginning of the chapter feels weird/different in terms of narration that is because it was mostly written 3+ years ago and my writing style has changed alot! kinda crazy! hopefully people will just attribute it to hoseok's internal monologue. it might be meandering but i kept reminding myself that this is hoseok at his lowest you know?

One thing i want you guys to realize is that the m/c may not be smart, but holy fuck can she take a beating and still get up.

Gun shoot outs are uniquely hard to write because like, just bang and it's done right? idk why part of this writing just felt so tedious usually i love writing stuff like this :(

hobi calls the m/c his girlfriend 🥺 did you guys notice???? he's such a cute pup charecter.

i have more notes for this chapter BUT i can't share them until the next one is out because it involves hobi's secret.

i hope you guys see like- how good the m/c actually is at the crime and thinking on her feet shit- i think that this chapter above all others shows her street smarts. she knows to keep the guy talking and distracted- i think it compliments her similarities to jimin and jin like. the trio of them are very capable people you know? vs hobi who just headlong rushes the assassin and fucks shit up. i'm not saying it's his fault- he does the best that he can in this chapter.

I'm trying to pull from my actual knowledge of how guns work but fun fact, silencers are still fucking loud, like still so loud that you need ear protection. and even blank bullets can still cause serious injury at close range.

I'm again at the stage where i can't tell if the gun shooting scene is clunky and too predictable or if it's actually as creepy as i've made it out to be.

This is one of those situations- the bargaining for each others lives, that i've actually never had to handle. it's actually pretty unusual for me to write about things that i haven't experienced in some way shape or form.

i've only written a few scenes in my life that have made me wonder like "huh- i wonder if people might actually think that i've seen a dead body, been around a dead body, or killed someone before?" and ngl, the scene with the assassin dying is one that makes me wonder that... i promise i just have a scarily vivid imagination.

[thelampisaflashlight]

Hello and welcome to “Can I cuddle that ghoul?” aka naptime with the ghouls, who’s sharing the blankets, and who’s kicking people out. Below the cut.

Aether: You’ve come to the right place. Aside from the benefits of being able to sprawl out in whatever strange pose he wants, another reason for his big bed is because he doesn’t mind a ghoul or two piling in for a cold winter’s nap, or a rainy spring day snooze. 

Kind of a bring your own pillow situation though, and if he gets too hot he can and will just scoot his bedmate off onto the floor without warning. Does he feel bad about this?

No. No he does not.

Dewdrop: He’s the one who deliberately leaves a space in his sleeping area for someone to come and lay down next to him. He’s hotheaded and won’t ask for people to join him, but he’s not going to kick a ghoul out if they curl up next to him unless they do something weird, which rarely, if ever, happens.

Fire ghouls tend to feel comforted by the sounds of others sleeping nearby, and do better sleeping in groups in general, so even if someone starts snoring he isn’t going to complain much.

He will, however, get cranky if HE gets kicked out of the nap pile, and everyone will hear about it. Very “you kick Miette??” of him honestly.

Multi/Swiss: Cuddle seeking missile. He’s here for one reason and one reason only; He can’t sleep alone. It’s that fire ghoul heritage in the mix making itself known. 

He’s the type who has to listen to podcasts to fall asleep at night if he’s stuck sleeping on his own, with the exception of if he’s on a tour bus, because then everyone is sleeping in the same area.

He whines less than Dew about being booted out, but his sulking isn’t much better.

Rain: You know how some little dogs look all cute and fluffy and wonderful to snuggle and then they turn into an angry rat beast from hell the second you even think about petting them? Yeah. Yeah that’s Rain with sharing his bed most days. 

However, if he’s down for a bedtime buddy, he’s going to be the most clingy person on the planet, which is nice until he starts using the other person as a body pillow and moving them around as such.

Mountain: Have you ever fantasized about falling asleep on the softest bed of moss imaginable on a warm, sunny day in the middle of a forest? Well so has Mountain, and that’s probably where the others will find him if he’s not in his bed.

Cuddling and naptime friends are secondary to that sweet, sweet back support he needs being the tall man he is. If you can squeeze onto the corner of his wedge pillow, you’re in business, but otherwise, do let him know if you need a blanket while you’re sleeping on the floor.

Cumulus: It really, really depends on who you are, because some ghouls get a free “Sure! I don’t mind, pop by and rest whenever you feel like it!” invitation and others are strictly on the, “Not if you were the last ghoul in hell” list.

Cirrus: It’s all fun and games until she gets too warm, and then you’re stuck on the floor again. Although she might change her mind once she cools down again.

Air ghouls are a bit like fire ghouls, in that they like having company when they rest, but they’re less heat tolerant, so unless she’s cuddling another air ghoul, Cirrus is probably going to push them aside.

Sunshine: Like Dew and Swiss, she’s more than happy to have a friend or two take a nap with her, but that bit of air ghoul in her means big nap piles are out of the question in the long term. 

Short naps are nice and cozy, but if she’s laying down for the night, give her some room to sprawl out.

Bonus Copia: People have seen his set up and gone, “On second thought-”, but the ghouls? Copia’s no bedframe, box spring on the floor situation is actually kind of nice. No one is above anyone else, there’s no fighting for who gets to be where, it’s just a big old pile of ghouls... and their poor, poor frontman who is getting absolutely crushed by a hoard of fully grown ghouls.

[comicaurora]

I really enjoy how you layout your action scenes and somehow frame specific moments just right, but I have no idea how to even attempt it myself.

What do you recommend reading/engaging with to get better at comic making/page pacing?

Good question!

I've routinely recommended Usagi Yojimbo - feudal japanese samurai adventures and also everyone is an anthropomorphic animal. You may have encountered the protagonist during his regular crossovers with TMNT cuz the creators are best buds.

Really cinematic framing - you can practically see the camera circling - plus a good blend of diegetic and non-diegetic panel backgrounds to make sure the important details draw the viewer's eye. Movements carry weight with the help of flowy fabrics and design elements like Usagi's ears.

Direction of movement is communicated both through rigid elements like sword-direction and flexible elements like whole poses following arcs and lines, and remains consistent panel to panel.

This comic is a masterclass in clarity of movement, and as a bonus it's got a large ensemble cast of secondary characters our protagonist stumbles into one-shot adventures with. Lots of opportunities for weird stuff to happen. Just a fun read overall, and as a bonus you'll learn a lot about clear comic choreography!

So that's fight choreography covered. Page pacing I kind of had to learn as I went along. The early chapters of the comic are paced much more leisurely and not as much stuff happens per page - I favored big splash panels over flow of movement - so I don't know if I have any recommendations for comics that specifically teach you how to do that. If anything, I have the opposite - a comic that has very leisurely pacing and lots of large splash panels and two-page spreads that I nonetheless learned a lot from, mostly in the space of dialogue and character reactions. That comic is Girl Genius, a steampunk adventure comic with a hefty focus on mad science that's been running for most of my life.

If we want to talk about ensemble casts, this comic has an absolutely massive roster, and it's only getting more complicated over time. Every character is unique, most of them have highly complex interpersonal dynamics of various kinds and the status quo is constantly shifting.

Languidness of the page-by-page pacing aside, the comedic timing of this comic is top-notch. The dialogue and banter does its job and then some.

It also has combat/action sequences, but they tend to be secondary to dialogue and banter, and usually serve the narrative by way of character development rather than "how do we take down the strong bad guy?" As a result, the action is often paced more for comedy than for clarity of movement.

But the dialogue is really top-notch, and the way pages are paced seems to be "at least one new piece of information per panel." Single units of exposition will be crowded into one panel, one panel will be spent on new characters popping in to help, stuff like that. If the dialogue abruptly shifts in tone, that's also worth a panel transition, so when characters have sudden moments of emotional vulnerability or genuine concern for each other, that'll usually be notably separated from their previous angle.

It's a good way of making sure that the big dialogue beats hit with a lot of punch. The dialogue bubbles are also subdivided a lot more than in some comics, with basically every sentence getting their own bubble - all serving to make sure that the audience never gets lost in a wall of text and always knows exactly what everyone's thinking and feeling at any given time. For a character-driven story, this is all very important.

It's a good comic, but fair warning, it's got a lot of archives - it took me about three full days to get through it last time.

There are plenty of other good comics, but these two are the standouts I think had the biggest effect on me personally. I might be able to come up with more suggestions if given more specific follow-up questions, though!

[daydreaming-away-reality]

Catching Stardust

Tadashi Hamada x Reader | ☁️ + ✨ | 3.9k

Most days, like any other university student, you would wake up tired. Unfortunately for you, that was not today. You had spent the entire night working on your lab report for one of your science courses and didn’t get a wink of sleep. At least it was handed in and done with.

(You had to double check - just in case your brain decided to get desperate and help you imagine the best case scenarios. Thinking and doing were two very different things, they were hard to tell apart when you were so dead tired though.)

It was one of those days.

“Morning, Honey Lemon,” you greeted as you navigated your way into the kitchen for some caffeine. Grabbing your travel coffee tumbler, you watched your blonde roommate in her morning stretching routine.

“Good morning, (Y/N)!” Honey cheerfully replied. “How was not sleeping last night?”

You halted your movements, looking up at her with concern. “Can you tell just by looking at me?”

Honey Lemon laughed. “No, silly. GoGo came home late last night and saw you up. I heard you shuffling around earlier this morning too. No raccoon eyes, if that’s what you’re worried about.”

“Thank goodness,” you said with a sigh as you continued pouring liquid energy into your tumbler. “This bio course is going to be the death of me.”

“You mean working two part time jobs will be the death of you,” GoGo corrected you as she walked out of her room. “Girl, you need time to have fun too.”

You stuck your tongue out at her. Rummaging through backpack, you noticed a missing tome of knowledge. “Has anyone seen my Medical Terms bible?”

“Coffee table.” Honey called out from the living room as she held the tree pose.

GoGo walked over to you with the heavy book in hand. You mouthed a thank you to her before taking a sip of coffee.

“(Y/N), you need to take some time to make some more friends or meet a cute boy,” Honey Lemon brought up. She exchanged a look with GoGo. “We know someone who you might like. He’s nice and funny, good looking as well.”

You gave your two roommates a sad smile. “By the time I’m ready for a relationship, a boy like that will already be snatched up by someone less stressed about their future.”

Grabbing your premade meals and a couple of snacks, you swung your backpack on.

“I work bookstore and pharmacy today, so I’ll see you both tomorrow morning. Good luck with your projects in the meantime.”

“Bye, (Y/N)!” Honey called out.

“Keep the luck, you need it more than we do,” GoGo said with salute.

Walking out of the apartment, you checked your phone for your schedule once more. Class at nine, bookstore at two and pharmacy at six. And it was already eight thirty, yay. Just your typical jam packed day, all so that you could pay off medical school tuition in the future.

Balancing everything in life was... impossible, but you were managing. 

Full course load university student, working two part time jobs, and a very minimal but still existent social life.

It wasn’t easy, but it was what you wanted. Going to med school was a necessary path to take if you wanted to help people out in your future career choice.

Just as you were arriving on campus, a voice caught your attention.

“(Y/N)…!”

You turned to see your friend Mina, another sufferer pre-med student.

“Hi Mina,” you greeted.

“Did you sleep last night?” she asked. When you shook your head, she let out a loud sigh. “Yeah, me too. Dr. Andrews is going to kill us with these lab reports and the test Thursday. I mean, I’d feel smarter if I weren’t so tired all the time.” 

You smiled. What a mood.

“Is my make up, okay?” Mina asked. “I don’t want Justin to see me at my worse - not yet.”

You glanced over Mina’s face. She had gone through the usual effort to make herself look cute. “You look fine and I’m sure Justin wouldn’t be scared off. He knows we’re med students.”

Mina made a face. “We’ve only been a dating for two months, (Y/N), two! He doesn’t know what kind of crazy we are yet. You never know when he might get skittish and ghost me.”

If you weren’t so tired, you would have laughed. 

Linking arms with Mina, you pulled her towards the classroom. 

Today was going to be just another day.

Tadashi checked over the information on his phone as he walked off campus towards the bookstore. He had been looking up information to help his robotics project and a certain book had come up in his recommendations. Deciding that the resource was worth checking out, and was worth the price, he was determined to get his hands on the book while his robot was still in the works.

Walking through the doors, he made his way to the medical section. Browsing the shelves, he kept an eye out for the particular title.

After circling the area for a while, he let out a huff. Where was this textbook?

Noticing a girl wearing a name tag, he approached her with smile.

“Hi, I was wondering if you could help me?”

She turned to him with a smile, (E/C) eyes making contact with his brown orbs.

“Of course, are you looking for something?”

Tadashi nodded, pulling out his phone and showing her the textbook information.

"Ahhh, this one. That’s a popular book with the first year pre-med student courses,” she commented. “Everyone always asks where this one is - we organize this one by title since there’s no author.”

Leading him back into the medical section, the girl stopped in an area of the bookstore that Tadashi had missed earlier. She tapped the spine of one of the books.

“This one is good resource for in depth procedural explanations,” she explained. “Not what you were looking for though...”

Scanning the shelves, the girl paused and frowned when she stopped a particular spot. 

“Is it out of stock?” she murmured, checking again. “For a textbook no one appreciates until third year, I’d be surprised if it’s sold out...” She turned back to Tadashi with an apologetic smile. “I’ll check if we have the book in stock - give me a second.”

Pulling out her phone, she typed up some information quickly. The results of her searching seemed to yield the same results.

“It looks like we’re actually out of stock for this textbook right now, although, we are restocking it,” she explained. “Would you like to request a reserve to get a copy?”

“That would be helpful, sure,” Tadashi agreed. 

“Great, let’s go fill out a form for you,” she chirped, leading him away. “Are you a med student?”

“No, I’m a robotics engineering student at SFIT,” he replied. “I’m working on something related to the medical field though.”

“Really? That’s so cool,” she exclaimed, looking genuinely interested. “It’s amazing to think how technology can incorporated into health sciences. If you don’t mind me asking, what are you working on?”

“A healthcare robot,” Tadashi explained with a fond smile. “It’s still in the works, nothing has been finished yet, I’m still working on the programming stages.”

“I think that’s incredible. I’m sure you’re capable of amazing things.”

The sincerity in her tone brought a smile to his face. For someone who didn’t know much about his project, the kind words from her were very nice.

“What about you?” Tadashi asked. “Are you a student?”

“Yeah, over at Sato Health Institute,” she responded. Sato was the top post secondary institution for health care in San Fransokyo located nearby - it even shared some programs with SFIT as Tadashi recalled. “I’m a pre-med student - if you hadn’t already guessed.”

“I might have had a feeling,” Tadashi said with a grin. “You seemed like you were familiar with things firsthand.”

The girl laughed. “Lots of firsthand experience, trust me.”

Approaching the help desk, the girl popped around to grab a paper and pen. Scrawling down information onto the page first, she then slid the paper over to Tadashi across the counter.

“Just fill out the rest of the form and the textbook should be arriving in the next three days.” 

Tadashi looked up from filling in the form, brown eyes flicking over to her name tag. “Thank you so much, (Y/N).”

“You’re welcome,” she replied. She took a sip from her coffee tumbler. Grabbing a sticky note, she offered it over to Tadashi. “If you’d like, leave your number and I’ll text you when it arrives - I’ll be working that day. I promise to use your number for professional reasons only.”

“I’d appreciate that,” Tadashi said as he wrote his number down. As he finished his form, he noticed a large medical terms textbook behind the counter on the desk next to the computer with a ton of sticky notes sticking out. “Is that yours?”

“That’s my current bible,” she affirmed with an amused tone. “Can’t survive without it.”

The two of them shared a laugh.

“Thanks again for your help.” Tadashi repeated as he returned the form.

“Just doing my job, don’t worry about it! It was great meeting you...” Her (E/C) eyes flickered down to the form and smile appeared on her face. “...Tadashi.”

As Tadashi left the bookstore, part of him was still lingering behind, thinking about (Y/N). She seemed like a nice girl and he really hoped that they might have another chance to encounter her again.

You fumbled with the door before pushing it open, popping back into the dark apartment. Hitting the light switch, you took off your shoes and checked for signs of your roommates.

Looks like Honey Lemon and GoGo were still out.

No surprise.

The three of you were always busy, whether the other two liked to admit it or not. 

Just as you were sorting things out in the kitchen and about to grab a snack, your phone buzzed.

Mina: OMG. Did you see Terry’s SNS profile update? 🤣🤣

(Y/N): What did he do this time? Do I want to know??

Mina: He put MD CANDIDATE. The AUDACITY of this man - I got a C+ working with partner project with him. My poor GPA... 😭

(Y/N): I mean...

Mina: DON’T

(Y/N): Cs get degrees 😂

Mina: RIP me. Seriously though, are you free to study for that bio test? 

(Y/N): let me grab my snack first, I’ll see you video chat

Mina: True MD candidate here

(Y/N): HA 

Letting out a sigh, you swiped a snack from the cupboard before heading back to your room. Fingers crossed you would get some sleep tonight.

“Oh, finally!”

Tadashi wiped his hands off with a rag and turned to look at Fred. Wasabi and GoGo were also looking at the beanie wearing boy, but neither of them decided to engage.

“Something up?” Tadashi asked, speaking up.

“The comic bookstore said they were out of that new series I was telling you guys about the other day,” Fred explained. “I refused to go to Richardson’s place, so apparently, they reached out to the nearby bookstore and they have a copy! I got to go pick it up.”

“The one near campus?”

“Yup.”

Tadashi paused, thinking for a moment before making his decision. 

“I’ll come with you.”

“Let’s go then, man!”

Catching up with Fred about the current condition of Baymax, the two soon arrived at the bookstore. Fred immediately beelined towards the help desk with Tadashi trailing behind him.

Just as Tadashi anticipated, a familiar face was working at the desk. This time though, (Y/N) was fairly concentrated on the stack of flashcards piled on her space next to textbooks filled with sticky notes.

“Uh, excuse me,” Fred said, practically bouncing on his toes.

That was enough to jolt her out of her studying. Shoving away her flashcards, she offered Fred a smile. “Yes?”

“I believe someone called about -”

“Oh! I know what you’re here for,” (Y/N) said, jumping up. She got up and skimmed over the bookshelf behind the counter. “Ah, here it is. Fred, right?”

At the sight of his new comic, Fred nodded happily. He quickly accepted it from you. “Is there a comic book section?”

(Y/N) nodded. “Just straight that way, it’s not a big collection, but you might find something.”

“Alright, thanks!” 

Fred turned to see Tadashi lingering around. “You coming, Tadashi?”

“There’s something I want to check out, I’ll catch up in a bit,” the black haired male responded.

As Fred disappeared, the girl turned her attention over to Tadashi. 

“I didn’t think I would see you again so soon,” she commented. “The book is not in yet, sorry.”

Tadashi smiled. “That’s fine. I see you’re here often.” 

“Yeah, when I’m not busy with classes or my other job, here I am.”

The words piqued your interest. “Other job?”

“I also work at a pharmacy,” (Y/N) explained.

“Ahh. You must be a busy person,” Tadashi said. He tilted his head towards your desk. “Studying too?”

She flushed. “Yeah. Only because today’s pretty quiet - my manager doesn’t mind as long as I’m work as I’m needed. There’s a test coming up.”

“Good luck, I think you need it.”

“I do. Thank you.”

Tadashi watched as (Y/N) moved back to sitting at the desk. As she picked up her flashcards, she looked up at Tadashi.

“How’s the healthcare robot going? Any progress in the last 24 hours?”

“Baymax finally had some supply come in for assembling,” he responded. “So, just a little bit.”

“Baymax?” she repeated confused. “Oh. Is that their name?”

Tadashi nodded.

“Baymax… I like it, sounds friendly.”

“I should probably let you get back to studying,” Tadashi commented, rubbing the back of his neck. “Sorry for bothering you.”

“Not at all, I’m happy to chat with you.”

- Wednesday. 6PM. -  

Honey: (Y/N)?

(Y/N): What’s up, Honey Lemon?

Honey: I heard the pre-med students plan on throwing a party this weekend? 

Honey: Are you going?

(Y/N): Nah, I think I have work.

GoGo: You always work.

(Y/N): Huh, I never noticed.

(Y/N): Anyways, parties are not my scene. I’d be happy spending a free evening at home instead.

GoGo: Mina says she’ll miss you.

(Y/N): She’ll have Justin, she’ll be okay

Honey: Well, if you ever decide to go, we know a boy you can take with you.

(Y/N): Thanks, but I’ll pass. 🥰

- Thursday. 5PM. -

Unknown: Hi Tadashi. The textbook you wanted finally came in! Feel free to drop by anytime to come pick it up.

Tadashi: Alright, thanks (Y/N)!

Unknown: Yep, no prob!

Tadashi: Hey, is this your personal number?

Unknown: yeah 😊

(Y/N) has been added to contacts.

Tadashi: Hope you don’t mind if I contact you like in the future. 😊

(Y/N): Oh, I wouldn’t mind at all!

“Tadashi, hi,” you greeted, waving as the boy came into your line of sight. With a baseball cap on his head today, you almost mistaken him for someone else. Pulling out the textbook, you handed it over to him. “Here you go! You weren’t the only one trying to get your hands on this textbook today.”

Tadashi peered at you curiously as he accepted the textbook. 

“You look tired,” he pointed out.

You just shrugged with a half smile. “The bio test was today - that was gruesome.”

“At least that’s done with,” he encouraged you. “Week’s almost over, too.”

“Best part is I’m off in five,” you agreed.

 You could see your words caught Tadashi’s interest. 

“Are... are you still working after?” 

Shaking your head, you leaned back against the counter. “Nope, told them I was busy today so no shifts at the pharmacy tonight.”

“Would you like to go out with me then?” Tadashi asked hopefully. “We can hit up a café and grab something to eat?”

Good thing you were leaning against the counter, because the surprise you felt would have toppled you over.

“Oh, um, sure!” you agreed, cheeks heating up a little. “I’ll meet you outside in five?”

“Sounds good.”

- Friday. 9AM. -

Tadashi: I enjoyed my time with you yesterday. 

(Y/N): I enjoyed my time too! Although the cookies there were kind of hard... 😢

Tadashi: Yeah... I find us somewhere with nice cookies next time.

(Y/N): Just a warning, next time might be a while. My schedule is usually full.

Tadashi: That’s fine!! If you ever find yourself with free time, let me know, I’d like to spend it with you.

(Y/N): 🥰

(Y/N): You’re too sweet, Tadashi. 

(Y/N): How are you single??

Tadashi: Haha, I could ask you the same thing. Probably the same reasons as you though. I’m usually too focused with what’s in front of me.

Tadashi: Hope to see you around though.

(Y/N): me too

- Some Tuesday. 8PM. -

“And your total is 18.95,” you said, pressing buttons on the register to confirm the amount. The customer tapped their card for the purchase before taking their bags. “I hope you feel better!”

“Thank you,” the customer responded as they left. 

You waited until they had gone completely before heading back to find your manager. Spotting one of older pharmacy students, you decided to talk to them instead.

“Hi,” you greeted.

“(Y/N), need any drugs?” Harper asked with a smile.

“I’ll take them all,” you joked. “Let Aria know I left if you see her for me?”

“Yeah, go. You’re free,” she ushered, waving you away.

As you pulled on your jacket and stepped out of the pharmacy, a figure caught you by surprise.

“Tadashi!” you exclaimed. 

“Surprised?” he asked. “Thought I’d walk you home, not safe for you to walk the street alone at night.”

“I do it frequent enough,” you countered with a smile.

“Ooh, risk taker,” Tadashi said.

You laughed. “I appreciate this though, thanks.”

Tadashi nodded. As the two of you were catching up each other on what happened throughout the day, you felt Tadashi slip his hand into yours. Fingers intertwined, you could feel your heart racing.

This was something you didn’t want to let go of.

- Some Monday. 2PM. -

GoGo: Yo, Tadashi

GoGo: Fred wants to know when you’ll be back with the snacks.

Tadashi: Just stepped back on campus. 

GoGo: Took you a while.

GoGo: You seeing someone behind our back?

Tadashi: Ha. Does Baymax count?

- A couple weeks later. Friday. 10AM. -

“Someone looks cute today,” Mina commented as you sat down next to her in the lecture hall. She eyed you up and down, nodding approvingly. “Not working today?”

“Yeah,” you replied. “My rare day off besides class. Thought I’d put a little more effort in today.”

“Well, you look adorable,” Mina confirmed. She let out a sigh when she saw the professor walk in. “Let’s see if we can survive these next two hours.”

“Challenge accepted,” you said, bumping her shoulder playfully. “Although, I might lose you halfway.”

Mina gasped and smacked your arm.

You laughed as you pulled your laptop. Although the two hours went by at a decent pace, you were glad the course was three quarters way through. 

At the brutal pace your professor went, there was nothing but review for the few weeks before final exams. It was nice to know you didn’t have to teach yourself an entire unit in a week before your final.

Bidding Mina goodbye, you weaved your way out of the lecture hall and out into campus. At this point, most groups of students you saw hanging around were study groups. You would have been like them too, if you hadn’t worked so hard to make things work.

Balancing two part time jobs along with classes had you putting in so much extra effort that it usually paid off in the long run.

Yay.

Navigating your way through the streets with the GPS app open on your phone, you soon spotted the campus you were looking for.

SFIT.

(Abbreviated, because thinking through what each letter stood for was too much effort.)

Slowly wandering around as you pulled up the campus directory, your eyes glimmered when you spotted the building you were looking for. Popping inside, you clutched onto your bag, peering around curiously. There was so much science happening in this space. 

Lots of creativity too, you wondered why their tradition was to prank the art school.

Poking around, you soon realized you were lost among the many rooms and labs. Your mission was a failure. Pouting, you pulled your phone.

(Y/N): Help me, I’m lost.

Tadashi: What do you mean?

(Y/N): I wandered into the lab building and was going to surprise you with a visit, but I don’t know where to find you. 🙁

(Y/N): I didn’t think this through...

Tadashi: Awwww

Tadashi: What room number do you see? I’ll find you.

(Y/N): Lab 2B

Tadashi: omw

As you awkwardly waited for Tadashi to show up, you tried not to look suspicious. Although admittedly, you were sure you looked suspicious regardless since you were lost.

“There you are,” the soft yet deep voice greeted from behind you.

Turning around to see Tadashi, you smiled. 

“Sorry for the trouble,” you apologized. 

“Not at all.” Tadashi shook his head. He took a moment to take you in. Within his eyes, you were absolutely beautiful. He didn’t want to mess up, so he kept it to himself. He’d voice his thoughts one day. “Welcome to Nerd Lab, by the way.”

So this was where Tadashi, your roommates, and their friends all spent their long hours working.

Tadashi took your hand. “Come on, I want to show you my lab.”

Following after Tadashi, the two of you entered the elevator behind arriving on the floor of his personal lab space. He opened a door, showing you his tidy space.

“Baymax won’t be in the works for a while, but here,” he pulled out several large blueprints. The image of an almost plush like character was found in the middle. “This is going to be Baymax.”

In awe of all the labelled details and planning in place, you looked up at Tadashi.

“This is incredible,” you breathed out. “You’re incredible too.”

Tadashi dipped his head down and captured your lips for a kiss. 

Before he had the opportunity to pull back too far, you went in and gave him a quick peck as well.

Although the two of you were flushed, the loving gaze you could see in Tadashi’s eyes made you feel hopeful about this relationship.

“Can I see the medical programming?” you asked, breaking the silence.

Tadashi shyly nodded. “All the computer.” 

- Later. -

(Y/N): Do you think we should let our friends know?

Tadashi: Nah, they’ll catch on eventually.

(Y/N): But if they don’t should I just accept their blind date request?

Tadashi: WHAT?

(Y/N): 😂

(Y/N): I asked for more details one time.

(Y/N): He’s this handsome robotics engineering student, who nice and has a good sense of humor. Apparently he’s very dedicated to his work too.

Tadashi: …

Tadashi: They’ve tried to set me up with their friend as well. 

(Y/N): Hmm, maybe we were meant to be after all

Tadashi: I think so. 😀

(Y/N): 😘

[crystaltoa]

Eeee Shauni I always look forward to your commentary! Honestly, you pick up things that I wasn't even consciously aware of, but are still somehow There and do reflect how I view the character/s in some way!

(Caution: Extensive rambling about badgers ahead)

The poses were honestly something I didn't put a lot of thought into, I just kind of drew what came naturally for each of them, but your analysis absolutely tracks with how I see them. Whenua's had a bit of a hard life in canon and virtually all of these AUs for one reason or another, but in KNPS his day job at least has some moments of peace where he can just putter around in the dark reshelving books and cataloguing books and whatnot. There's still the possibility of a Makuta attack, so he doesn't entirely let down his guard, but at the same time he's not braced for an attack and ready to run or fight during every waking moment of every day. I hadn't thought about what his closed/open stance say about him, but that absolutely tracks with how I view his character development.

In KNPS, Toa's eyes glow when they use their elemental or secondary ("mask" but not mask) powers. While Whenua's not actively using his powers here, the aqua-green colour kind of alludes to that. As a werebeast, he doesn't have access to his powers so that green colour doesn't show up there.

Ok, that's a lie. I actually just couldn't find a place for it that made sense in that image, but I sounded really clever for a moment there so I'm going to claim it was my subconscious doing A Thing and it just took the rest of my brain a little while to catch up.

I did consider giving werebeast Whenua a little green bowtie or something (his attempt at feeling somewhat like himself and looking a bit more respectable), but I've tried drawing that before and reached some unexpected complications. Depending on how stylized/realistic I draw him, a bowtie plus the suspenders can either make him look too goofy and cartoony or... if I make him too humanoid looking... what you get is, um, furry Magic Mike, basically. Sir that is a stripper outfit. Put a fucking shirt on that beast.

(Fly? I didn't intentionally draw one, but there might be a few unintended coloured specks in the image courtesy of my puppy Kevin chewing up my stylus, which hasn't quite worked the same since and keeps making unwanted dots and marks. I tried to clean them all up before posting, but I may have missed a few somewhere, My laptop being a bit old and crappy and not quite showing colours properly does not help.)

He is inherently going to look a little goofy as a werebeast with his suspenders and broken glasses, and he may or may not intentionally be going for a bit of a Beatrix Potter cottagecore critter vibe here, but... he's also the size of a small black bear, with long claws and sharp teeth and predator instincts, and woe betide any being who forgets that. In fact, having the instincts of a small animal (as opposed to a large apex predator) probably makes him potentially more dangerous, since he doesn't have the instinctive confidence of being top of the food chain, and is more likely to perceive other beings as a potential threat and react preemptively to that. The consequences of Whenua having a distorted perception of his own size and vulnerability could be potentially funny, but could also have serious consequences for anyone that triggers his fight or flight response.

The alternate werebeast expressions came about because the mouth was giving me a lot of grief in getting the expression right for the main image and I wanted to get a handle on how his face actually worked. I wanted to convey some humanlike emotion (in this case, annoyance) without cartoonifying the face too much. Avoiding stuff like this, basically:

So in a lot of disney and disneyesque art (and by extension, a lot of furry art), the animal's mouth doesn't move from the actual jaw hinge, they bring the movement to the end of the snout to make it move in a more humanlike way. There's nothing wrong with this kind of stylization, of course, but it wasn't what I was going for here and I wanted the mouth to work somewhat like an actual badger's (not sure if I entirely succeeded, but I think I'm getting there). The challenge for the main picture was showing just enough fang to remind you that this guy could mess you up if he wanted to, while still maintaining a fairly Whenua-esque expression and not making him look like a snarling mindless beast.

I did try drawing a smile. Thing is, smiling is fairly rare in nature. For most mammals, baring one's teeth is a sign of aggression. Canines, dolphins and some mustelids can make expressions we perceive as a smile, but searching for "badger smile" gives results like this...

Which is unfortunate for Whenua, since it can make him look frightening even when he's trying to be friendly!

For contrast, I did a content/peaceful expression and an actual deliberate snarl as well. I think the latter looks fairly terrifying and would make a certain werewolf think twice before trying to grab him by the throat again. Still, I could have pushed it even further if I'd wanted to...

Anatomically, his face is a little different from a real badger's. He has a higher forehead to imply there's still a somewhat humanish brain in there, and more of a chin. His ear placement hasn't changed much so he can still wear his modified glasses, though he did have to widen them across the bridge. Though looking at it now, I kind of want to tweak the stripe pattern a little to give him more black markings around the muzzle and a narrower nose stripe, which seems to be a more common colour morph.

Some Whenuas from various fan Human and human-adjacent AUs!

The first image features three versions of Whenua from @magicalgirlmascot's Kini Nui Public School AU, the second is my Toa Metru Fantasy AU /DnD AU and @bionicle-ramblings' fairy tale AU, third is Professor Whenua from my Pokemon AU idea.

Kind of an interesting exercise in bringing out different aspects of a character that relate to his canon self in different ways, a bit like refracting them through a prism. (Also an exercise in silly hair lore)

I've put a few notes in the images but as always, there are a lot of small character details so I'm curious to see what people pick up on.

Also, all of them together for size comparison:

[dragonageficrecs]

Anders/Hawke fic rec list

I tend to veer towards handers fics that highlight Anders' willpower, his heart for the refugees and for the oppressed, his cleverness. He was a spirit healer first and foremost.

Fics with asterisks* are those that I've come back to, or think about often. ^marks fics written in the modern plague (aka within the last 2 or so years).

-

WC <10k

^a brighter word than bright, a fairer word than fair by amells (aeviternal). Hawke and Anders are very happy to be together. Fluff and smut.

-

WC 10-25k

^sweet painted lady by Adarian. "Instead of becoming a mercenary or a smuggler, Hawke instead accepts work from Madame Lusine and spends a year working at the Blooming Rose." With this setup, F!Hawke meets Anders.

^Collision by dismalzelenka. Spicy first meeting fic for the Handers gift exchange. Fic rec post here.

Between the Shadow and Me by Ferasha. M!Hawke. This was a very interesting fic posing Hawke and Anders in a May/December romance. Never heard of Salieri Syndrome before this fic.

-

WC 25k-50k

for who would lose, though full of pain, this intellectual being* by angel_deux. After fleeing Kirkwall, Anders is made tranquil. Separate fic rec post here.

^You're the Best Thing I Never Knew I Needed by TheMoments (TBs_LMC).

Summary: The same day Anders, Varric, Fenris and Hawke return from the Deep Roads, Hawke’s world spirals out of control, complete with betrayals from unexpected corners. The one man she turns to suddenly becomes the best thing she never knew she needed…and not entirely through his own doing.

Notes: Very Anders positive fic and optimistic about mage rights.

Still Intact, I See! by TCRegan. Canon AU in that Hawke meets Anders in the Deep Roads.

It was an interesting setting; I don't read that many fics with a world state where the Hero of Ferelden is kind of a jerk. This fic really tugged at my heartstrings, reminding me that Anders spent a whole year in solitary confinement.

MUD AND SAND and its sequel GODS OF ANTIVA by spicyshimmy. Tevinter AU, non-Justice Anders.

The former has its own fic rec post here. Both were originally written as a fill on the DA kinkmeme, so expect some kinky scenes. I thought it a very interesting look into what it means to trade one form of slavery for the other, and how restless Anders might become in a society that practices inequality even though he personally might not be victimized by that form of inequality.

-

WC 50k-100k

Red Right Hand by Khirsah. "Aggressive Warrior Hawke is a hard man to say no to." Merits its explicit rating. This fic inspired me to replay as Aggressive Hawke.

SECOND AS A FARCE by spicyshimmy.

Summary: Originally written as a fill on the Dragon Age Kinkmeme. On one of his many escapes from the Circle, Anders runs into Malcolm Hawke, and becomes an honorary member of the family. Sometime between the ages of eighteen and twenty, Garrett Hawke became a man. Not just any man, either. Possibly the man, a specimen Anders had only ever read about in the romance novels his old friend Karl Thekla kept hidden behind the histories of Shartan and the Exalted Marches.

Notes: Oblivious non-Justice Anders. This involves Dragon Age: Awakening. The awkwardness of crushing on your adoptive sibling!

Oblivious Narrator, friends to lovers, mutual pining.

AU fics

Cinderanders by jullikesmagpies, mesitka. M!Hawke. WC 10,111. Fairy Tale AU. Top-tier crack in which Anders goes to a ball.

False Starts by insanity_by_proxy. F!Hawke. WC 14,667. Modern with Magic AU. "Five times Anders really should have just asked Hawke out, and one time she beats him to it."

^Darkfeathers by Dark and Stormy (betagyre). F!Hawke. WC 14,821. Avvar AU, secondary Cullen/Trevelyan. Anders is a lonely Augur of Darkfeather Hold.

Of Baskets of Flowers, Stray Cats, and Minefields: An Unusual Love Story by Gwyn_Paige. F!Hawke. Modern AU. Very fluffy!

Temptations of the Wicked by mevima, un-shit-yourself (fenix-down). WC 144,237. Modern Priest AU with Father Anders. I personally haven't finished this fic but I can imagine that it can hit all the right buttons for people. Merits its mature rating with the growing BDSM relationship between Anders and M!Hawke.

^Night Shift by ghostbunny. M!Hawke. WC 194,309. Vampire AU. Separate fic rec post here.

Edited for some links.