#i read books without even knowing who tf the mc is

[raehstats]

people don't realize how shocking is Andrew's "that doesn't mean I wouldn't blow you" because some people read aftg already knowing they end up together (bc of spoilers).

BUT AS A PERSON THAT DID READ THE BOOK JUST THINKING IT WAS A SPORT BOOK, I WAS SHOCKED, TO THE BONE, I FELT LIKE SHOCKING ON MY OWN SPIT, I FELT LIKE THE DISLEXIA WAS ACTING UP, I FELT LIKE I WAS MISUNDERSTANDING, MISREADING SOMETHING.

[creabirds]

the lovely @albonoooo tagged me to share my 10 favorite reads of 2023. oh boy, here we go.

so far i've read 61 books this year (which is below my goal grrr but whatever. when life hits you or something) so it's a tough decision. these are in no particular order:

once there were wolves - charlotte mcconaghy | a really haunting novel set in the scottish highlands revolving around a woman who is working on a project to rewild wolves to the area. the writing is brain-meltingly beautiful. please look up the content warnings tho!

middlegame - seanan mcguire | i do not know how to explain this one except it is absolutely brilliant??? about a boy and a girl with very special talents in language and maths, respectively (and they're not in love!). and like, alchemy and human experimentation. it's very weird but alas, i love weird books

girl, woman, other - bernardine evaristo | a beautifully interwoven story about the lives of twelve black British women (& other) that explores family and love in such a compelling way!!! it certainly didn't win the booker prize without reason

bunny - mona awad | if you like weird things this is the book for you. also if you enjoy unreliable narration, (toxic) female friendships and dark academia. it's a girl's right to be weird and slightly cult-ish

yellowface - r.f. kuang | i cannot make this list without mentioning r.f. kuang bc she is the loml. this book is not my favorite by her but it was certainly a banger, as always. if you're interested in topics of post-colonialism and systemic racism you should never miss out on her books

the deep - solomon rivers | magical alternate history about a mysterious mermaid population in a vaguely post-apocalyptic world. lovely portrayal of culture, (shared) memory and generational trauma

she who became the sun - shelley parker-chan | just another asian-inspired fantasy to add to my list of favorites because i just love them so much. this one was so fun and has queer and nb rep!!!

none of this is serious - catherine prasifka | i didn't really ENJOY reading this bc it kept calling me tf out the whole time. if you, like me, find yourself living in existential dread, the anxiety of a small rabbit being chased by lions, and a crippling social media addiction, this will be a fun one to get through

the raven cycle - maggie stiefvater | i've just finished my THIRD reread of this series in 5 or so odd years. yes it is that good. if you haven't read it GO NOW. it's ya but i promise it's not very ya-ish. paranormal fantasy / magical realism / legends and the most likable cast of characters you will ever see (did you say: where can i find ya books with female mcs that have a personality? the answer is HERE)

her body and other parties - carmen maria machado | i've never really read a short story collection before so this was an interesting experience. i loved some of them more than others but they're def worth a read, some even mind-boggling

sorry for rambling but if you truly expect an english major to not go on a rant about books you've been sorely mistaken

if you ever need book recs please feel free to slide into my inbox/dms i am a walking library

tagging @wanderingblindly @grubbyraccoonhands @drivestraight @maxcuntstappen and whoever wants to do it im not sure who of you reads books besides slurping down fanfic like its melted gummybears so uh.

[monstermaster13]

Werebelushi:

I would like to apologize for the rant I did about character transformation writers not only did it sound transphobic of me but also ignorant because I did not know bigender was a thing at the time and yes I do know that it's not the same as non-binary, the original rant was deleted and also it was not finished, so I had much more to say but in hindsight I wish I could have put more effort into it. Keep in mind I am not against people of any sexual orientation or species of race of any kind and I sounded like an idiot, and also said rant was unfinished, and yes I know that toxic person comment's sounded dickish but then again it did anyway because here's the thing, accusing someone of being a coward for using a character to express themselves is just moronic. Do these people not know that reviewers use characters all the time? Yeah, real movie characters are just themselves on screen all the time but most of the infamous ones have personas they use. Also fyi, Nathan's song parodies are NOT meant to be perfect in anyway but who you are to call them horrible if you have not even read them? It's like me saying 'oh the Lord of the Rings books are terrible' when I only saw the movie adaptation.

My issue with character tfs whether it be live action, animated, anime, comics, etc is that so many of them seem to like using MC aka mind changes and I don't like that because it's a dark ending and well identity death always scares me, the gender identity of the authors or artists isn't the issue, it's just the heavy focus on corruption and MC that really disturbs me, is it so hard to get a character tf that doesn't enforce that trope over and over? I have already made a rant about the incident in general and the person who started it so I got that off my chest, but I am just going to say my reason for not liking anime character transformations in general is that I feel that these can be down without so much of the dark and gruesome aspects, I like character transformations it's just I don't like MC.

Is that too much to ask? Look it was in 2022 and two weeks after Gilbert Gottfried's death, I was trying not to start the year off on a bummer but I get not one but two people making stupid accusations about me acting like using a character to vent out is cowardly and I did not need that. Do these people not know that's what actual authors do sometimes? The original 'anime tf writer' rant from that year was not complete and was not what I wanted to get across, that was just a random mini-rant and that was it, an incomplete mini-rant that I foolishly published without knowing I did not finish it.

I never meant to offend anyone or attack them for their gender identity, the only time I actually have gone at length about someone is when I rant about Kurvos and that's because I genuinely do not like him as a person, I feel that his reviews (which are gone) showed him at his most hypocritical, and I am not attacking him for his sexuality, I am just saying that he comes across as whiny and hypocritical. And also his argument with Nathan over the Tangled review was really what started it.

For the record Kurvos argued with Nathan on Youtube too..if Kurvos actually does claim to like Disney movies why does he always complain about how it's pandering to having a gay female character and why did he do that bizarre YTP clip that had dark creepy Disney music playing over a happy scene from Huncback? I am sorry but out of all the scenes, why one of the only scenes in which Quasimodo is happy?

And also I only specifically rant about the commissions Avianine does, not the author herself, just her character. And yes there is a bit of lore behind Ciel, Ciel used to be a male character who was cursed into being female but he/she eventually began to like it, that's why Ciel likes turning into a boy I guess. It's just I don't like Ciel as a character or understand why so many people commission for tfs involving her. I would never wish harm on Avianine herself even if I do make fun of the bad dialogue in her comics sometimes.

This is the official and definitive version of that mini-rant and of course it comes with an apology, I apologize for whatever happened that caused the sort of drama from two years ago to become a thing and for not thinking about my words or being careful with what I said, it was a mistake. And I am not in any way harming anyone.

[cutel3wdstuffz]

I'll never understood what happened to dark romances for them to go from evil villain falls in love and either corrupts the other person or starts together better for them, or like two people in a really terrible situation who gradually fall for eachother, and many other examples I can't be bothered to listing, to them now somehow only being considered dark romances by "booktok" if the ML is a goddamn rapist, like bro that's not dark romance that's horror. Why tf are you getting all giggly and gooey over the main character being raped? Like yes you're allowed to enjoy the whole story and I understand some people have like cnc kinks and stuff and may just find the scene hot based on that but you also have to remember to acknowledge that it's not cnc in the book, the scene itself was legit rape. I've literally seen people get bullied for saying certain characters from certain books are rapists because they raped the mc, like wtf is wrong with booktok 💀💀 this is why I'll never take book suggestions from booktok readers cause that shit is fucked up and they NEVER give content warnings about it in the suggestions so people may not know to look out for them (some of us don't read every single page before the first chapter, some of us skip straight to it so won't notice content warnings if there are any until its too late) but seriously booktok went from suggesting good books to suggesting books that are genuinely worse than wattpad stories. Like I'd rather read wattpad stories over some of the books suggested on there. One example is haunted adeline constantly gets recommended on there and everyone I've seen says it's a sweet but dark romance, and how it's such a good example of dark romances, only for me to find out the ML is a goddamn rapist and even the author has stated it as rape, its acknowledged even in the book as rape 💀💀💀💀 yet so many people will say shit like "oh it wasn't rape she wanted it in the end" when apparently in the scenes she was begging him to stop? Wtf are you lot on????? So yea a note to my followers to never take booktok suggestions without checking content warnings online because wtf. Like I've read a dark romance before that had some dubcon in it, none of it was glorified, both the ML and FL are using eachother the entire time, manipulating eachother to their advantage, where I got to before I got distracted they'd just started to realise that they may actually need to help eachother rather than manipulate eschother cause of everything they'd found out, it's toxic, its not glorified, honestly debatable about the romance part so far wouldn't say the first 2 books are exactly romance in the slightest, but the story is good, I can't remember the name but I can acknowledge both ML and FL are toxic af and its nothing to be glorified like what booktok is doing with their recommendations. Like I said before, you can enjoy the overall story with content such as that but you have to remember not to glorify stuff like rape/dubcon.

[kikyan]

Thank you for all your work! For the Obey Me boys, could I request some hcs for all of them with a Plus Size!Reader?

OMG OFC YOU CAN!! As someone who is also plus size, it’s nice to see that people are requesting this! This leaned a bit more on the insecurities and struggles that we tend to face because you know people always have smth to say and comment even when we didn’t ask for them. Those reminders that pop in last minute because it’s a rough life. Idk, I was just hella depressed a couple days ago because of this but this lowkey cheered me up! 

Lucifer

He worries a lot and takes on multiple responsibilities, but one of them is to take care of you and remind you how much he loves you for you. If this was based on appearance I can most DEFINITELY assure you that obey me would be a short game with little to no character developments and I stand by that comment. Lucifer was the last one whom we got a contract with but he was one where we fully impressed him and reached out to him.

He cares a lot about you, you helped him see things from a different perspective and relatively are living proof that he did not fail his sister or brothers. He did good, his hard work paid off. He isn't a failure. He'll do the same to you. If you ever felt upset or insecure, he'd remind you of your worth. There is no price because you are priceless. You're his greatest treasure and he loves you.

He'd love and appreciate hugs and cuddles because they feel so comforting. So much to love and so much to hold, you do things to him you know. Anyone dare talk shit or say some mean and rude things? He's on the way to scold them and make them eat those words because here they are, judging one without really knowing them.

Mammon

He'd pull stunts for you to scold him and then cuddle him afterwards because hugs >>>Mammon, being the sweet little tsundere he is and your first will always be around you. He wouldn't treat you any different than he would any other person, but here is a sad headcanon because I enjoy making myself cry. He could care less what others say and think of him, even his own brothers. He won't let anyone say anything bad about you though, not his brother, Lucifer, anyone. He doesn't want you to experience what he does constantly so he would do anything to make it all go away.

Someone spreads a rumor about you? He'd literally risk expulsion by fighting someone over rude comments or risk losing whatever money he has to ensure that those hurtful comments go away. It's sad because it's the 'I rather be hurt than let others be hurt' concept.

It hurts because I have that same concept and while it hurts me so much, it's the pure joy that we get when we see the ones we care about happy. Mammon would sacrifice any and everything to ensure that your life is as peaceful as he could possible make it. He wants you 25/8 around him because he lives off and for you. He loves you so much.

Leviathan

He is on the internet 25/8, he knows how it really is out there and he is the first one to defend anyone against these comments. He also understands what it's liked to be judged for his anime obsession, appearance, and his 'normie' comments. But you won't ever be bullied. While it takes him time to be fully pissed off, he won't hesitate to fight on your behalf and share his wrath with others.

He understands the struggle of not finding anything in your size so he himself, yes this otaku, will take up the amazing job with pride of making you a cute asf cosplay costume. He'll help you realize that you're perfect just the way you are. Also this man will have you near him for cuddle time which is all the time

Satan

Satan, like Lucifer, learned A LOT about himself. Mc taught Satan that he didn't have to be bound by what brought him. Essentially, he may have been born by Lucifer, but he isn't Lucifer at all. He is Satan, he is his own person and should not be tied down by this. He wants to ensure that his S/O understands that too.

He'll remind them that they aren't what people think they are and that they are special. They mean the world to him, like a good book that you can't put down, he will NEVER stop loving you and cherishing you for the entirety of your life.

Would love it if you sat on his lap while he read you a story or read together. He wants to have that moment, that experience of reading together which is cute ngl, but it's hard to have someone read from your side. Get on his lap, he wants you to be on his lap and read with him.

Asmodeus

Your personal hype man. He honestly doesn't care or give a damn what other's think. He'll tell you that you're perfect just the way you are because you are. Those comments? It's the haters and that's all they will be. Asmo doesn't want his S/O to feel insecure so the moment you're down, he'll stop talking about himself and focus on you. He knows what being insecure is, but rather than hiding it he much rather you feel better and feel confident..

The moment you're down, it's all about you. What do YOU want to do? Stay home? Okay, at home spa or simply relaxing. You want to go out? Where? Shopping? A cute pastry place or whatever they have at the devildom, idk.

Beelzebub

Beel is very adorable, please he doesn't overthink things and he is a man of action. All the brother loves you the way you are, but Beel might not understand insecurities at first because he sees nothing wrong and will never understand comments like that. He respects any and all opinions you have about yourself minus the negative ones because he cares a lot about you and it hurts him to hear you be mean to yourself or others to you. If you want to work out or anything, he'll be down to assist and help you. You don't? That's okay because there is no need, it's all about loving yourself and feeling comfortable with yourself.

Beel loves cuddles (who tf doesn't) and would request them constantly, especially when you're sleeping. While some think that Beel is 'dumb' it's because he doesn't tend to think things constantly. He's an outright person who says what they want to say and that's it. What would he say to you? That he loves you <3

Belphegor

We'd make great pillows so you can already tell that Belphie would also tell us that he loves us for who we are and not how we look like. Sure we beautiful and STUNNING, but he loves us a lot more because we are ourselves. He loves the cute stories we say when he's snoozing off on us, the hugs we give him when he wants them.

He hears any negative comments, he would not hesitate to invade someone else dreams and haunt them from within or unleashing hell on them. What do they know about his darling? Nothing, so they should say nothing as well.

[sevendeadlymorons]

Hi! Sorry for the disturb, I was hoping if You could do the reaction of the Brothers to MC singing. If you are busy, please do it when you are not. I don't want to stress you, Take all the time You Need ^^

Have a Good Day/Night dear, and Thank You!

We love a talented MC 🥺

Thank you, I hope you have a good day too x

Brothers Reaction to Hearing MC Sing

—————————————————

Lucifer

He wondered where that mysteriously hypnotic voice was coming from as he wandered through the house in search of it

Stopped in his tracks as he saw you sat on your bed, your face full of glee as you sang gracefully

It’s like nothing he’d ever heard before and it made his heart flutter, even after only hearing a few seconds of it

He admired you with a smile on his face, watching you closely from the corner, making sure not to make a sound and cause you to stop

He swayed slowly in time with your song, humming gently, feeling truly in peace when you sang

How is it he’d never heard you before. He wishes he could’ve experienced this angelic voice of yours sooner

Came and sat next to you when you’d stopped, holding your hand in his as if to say “please, keep going” because in that moment, he looked absolutely tranquil

Mammon

Just passing by when he heard a voice

It sounded so melodic and soothing, he couldn’t help but find where it was coming from

When he saw you laying upside down on the sofa, feet up on the head rest and singing your little heart out, he felt his chest tighten and a smile appear on his lips

He sat, head against the wall, overly flustered and red as a tomato as he listened to you, humming along to your song

There was something about hearing you sing thinking nobody can hear you that made him feel... special. it’s like he’s experiencing you in your own personal world

He didn’t even care if you were screaming the house down in some parts, he just loved to hear the joy in your voice as you sang those words

Got up to sit with you when you’d suddenly stopped, urging you to continue as he lays upside down with you on the sofa

Leviathan

Who tf was playing his favourite anime opening-

Dashed around the house in search for where the song was coming from and eventually found himself standing at your door

He creaked it open slowly and saw you, hopping and jumping around the room, singing your heart out, belting out the lyrics with so much passion in your voice

He thought he felt his heart jump out of his chest in that moment and he sank into the wall, a sappy smile on his face as he listened to you sing

Your voice was... incredible. He wanted to hear it more, every day, every second. He couldn’t get enough of it. He wanted you to sing all his favourite openings for him

Why did you never join him at karaoke with a voice like that??! He’s been totally missing out

Couldn’t hold himself back as he busted into your room, joining you in screaming out the lyrics as he saw you jump in surprise, but that shock quickly turned to laughter as you two sang it together until Lucifer had to tell you two to keep it tf down

Satan

Invited you round for a bit of tea and reading as he felt a bit lonely and wanted your company

A few minutes passed, and you were sat in his lap on the bed, enjoying eachothers company and warmth

Satan suddenly heard you start humming a song, taking his focus away from the book and putting it onto you

Your humming eventually turned into a quiet song, to which he quickly noticed you were in your own little world and probably didn’t know you were even doing it. He smiled and happily listened to you sing, enjoying the soft and soothing aura that slowly filled the room

A small smile crept onto his lips as your volume crept up and he hears you clearly begin to sing a slow love song, your voice so perfectly toned and almost angelic. He hasn’t heard anything like it and hugged your waist, feeling comfort take over him

He leans his head on yours and hums with you, taking in the words that you sang and feeling a blush spread across his cheeks from how hopelessly romantic you sounded

You quickly snapped back into reality when he planted a soft kiss on your ear, feeling your ear burn red with embarrassment but he whispered to keep going as he felt quite relaxed by your voice and wanted to continue feeling that way for a bit longer

Asmodeus

Who was singing without him??!

Knew it was your voice he heard as soon as he ran down the halls to hear it clearer

Stopped outside your door, ready to burst in, but decided maybe he should just take a quick listen first as he knows how hesitant you are to sing in front of him

Opens the door a bit and puts his ear to it, listening to you sing your favourite song that you play at least 6 times a day to him

When he listened closer, he realised how angelic it sounded. Your pitch was perfect and you sang it better than the actual song in his opinion. Why did he not know you could sing like that?

He felt his heart flutter suddenly and he physically felt himself swoon for you, a big sappy grin appearing on his face while the sound of your voice played through him in complete harmony

He rushed through the door with tears in the corner of his eyes, and embracing you into a tight hug, almost knocking you down in the process. He shakes your shoulders telling you how good you are that he needs you to sing that again for him

Beelzebub

He was just eating when he heard a mysterious noise coming from the music room, it sounded beautiful, like it came from the Celestial Realm

He wandered into the room expecting to see a record playing but instead, there you were, hand to your gut as you sung passionately

His mouth hung open as he stared at you, so hypnotised by the sound of that song and your voice that he completely forgot the icecream he grabbed from the freezer was now dripping down his hand

He quickly ate it in one bite and proceeded to rest on the wall, feeling his heart race in pure love as your words played in his head

It was a love song. Hearing you sing it so well with such power and raw emotion made him sorta emotional honestly. He smiled at you, like a proud mom smiling at her child

His cheeks flushed red when you started to dance around the room, really forgetting the previous serious atmosphere and replacing it with a joyous one as you leaped and laughed between words. It made him happy to watch

He rushed into the room to give you a hug when you’d finished, feeling you flinch in surprise in his arms. He turned to you and held your arms, asking you to sing for him again. He was hooked on your voice.

Belphegor

He invited you to lay with him as he was finding it difficult to get to sleep and thought you could possibly help

A few minutes later, you two were lying in bed in silence, hearing the calming noises of the owls outside and Belphie’s small snores

He rolled over a few seconds later and dug his face into your chest when he heard you start to suddenly hum a slow tune into his ear, making him feel drowsy and a big sappy smile form gradually on his face when you started to add lyrics

Whatever you was singing down his ear right now, that’s his new lullaby. No take backs

He wants to hear it every day. Every night. Every single moment he’s awake, and of course, he wants to wake up to it too. He was obsessed and felt himself blush hard

He felt so in peace and relaxed. Your voice was music to his ears as it echoed around the room, making it feel comforting. He listened closely to the lyrics, loving the sound of your harmonic voice while you sang a love song with ease

He sighed and hugged you, his eyelids drooping slowly as your voice drowned out like waves, the last words he heard being a simple “I love you” before sleep took over him, a smile still stuck on his face

[obeiii-mee]

Hi I hope you're fine! Can you make the reaction of the brothers to a Mc who managed to overtake Salomon and made 100 pacts, the 100 th being ... Diavolo himself ?! (idk if it is really possible) Thank you love on you

I don’t really know if it’s possible either but I gave it a go anyway! I love this concept tho because MC, being the powerhouse they are, now has absolute control of 100 demons one which is actual prince of hell. Idk why I find that funny tbh.

I hope you’re well too and that you enjoy reading these HCs!

————————————

The Brothers Reacting to MC who made 100 pacts:

Lucifer:

-*Surprised pikachu face*

-I’m sorry, w a t?

-Not only did an average human,with no magical capabilities whatsoever, beat a spectacular sorcerer in the span of just one year and managed to make 100 pacts before him

-But they also made a pact with Lord Diavolo as a grand finale??? (MC knows how to leave DevilDom with class holy shit)

-If you look closely enough, you can see Lucifer’s wheels spinning inside his head

-And here he thought you were going to get eaten in the first few days

-He needs to sit down for a few moments, his fucking logic has decided to take a walk

-He really went 0-0

-And on one hand, he’s totally impressed and actually very proud of their little exchange student

-But on the other hand, when tf did you have the time to make 100 pacts??

-You talked with at least 92 other demons and didn’t get murdered?

-Are all humans this hard to kill off or it just you?

-Taking aside his confusion and the way he worries like a middle aged parent, he’s actually pretty boastful about your situation

-Pride on another level, I’m telling you

- Pretty smug about it to Solomon too which is concerning because he isn’t really supposed to have favourites in the exchange program

-But he totally does

-“MC, you’re full of surprises aren’t you? You’re ability to adapt here is very impressive. Just don’t get too reckless, I don’t want you getting hurt.”

-Aw your tsundere and arrogant boyfriend actually really cares about your well being

Mammon:

-“But I’m still your first man, right?”

-Literally the first thing that leaves his mouth when he finds out

-Doesn’t matter how many pacts you make, he’s always going to insist he’s your first and therefore your best pact of them all

-He may freak out a bit at first because he doesn’t like the idea of you possibly chatting it up with other demons but he’s pretty chill

-Until you tell him about Lord Diavolo

-“Guess who just made a pact with Lord Diavolo!!”

-“Is it someone famous?”

-He’s a bit scared because the price you have to pay to be in a pact with Lord Diavolo is pretty damn high

-But if you keep insisting you will be fine, his worry will subside

-He’s a bit smug, like Lucifer, knowing you beat a powerful sorcerer in a non existent contest that he just made up in his mind

-Like “In your face Solomon, MY HUMAN got to make 100 pacts before you had the chance. Haha what a loser.”

-I feel like the brothers sometimes wish to just abandon Mammon somehowere so they don’t have to deal with this

-Dude doesn’t care how many pacts you have or with who as long as you remember ‘he was your first man.’

-Of course you of all people would be able to attain such a significant achievement

-You were his human after all

-No matter what you do, he will be even more smitten with you than before

Levi:

-“That’s cool. Will you pass me my headphones.”

-“....”

-“Wait....you did whAT?”

-You’re telling him that he barely has the courage to step outside the House of Lamentation but you can go right ahead and start making pacts with demons like it’s nothing???

-Did he just get beaten at life by a normie?? His normie even??

-He’s really panicking because the shit you’d have to deal with when making that kind of bond with Lord Diavolo is apparently very terrifying and he’s scared something bad will happen

-Pacts also mean markings on your body, so his whole jealousy thing kinda sparks here

-Because ‘it’s not fair you have all these people’s pact marks on you while mine is barely visible!”

-Even though his is like, really obvious too???

-Other than that, he just feels like you’re gaining EXP and getting stronger, like a video game character which is cool

-I want him to show up whenever MC gets in a new pact and just shout ‘Level Up!’ at the top of his lungs lmao

-He doesn’t have that much of an opinion on Solomon, besides his cooking, but he’s impressed and a bit scared that you can outdo a human like him in something as dangerous as this

-Lololololo, Solomon got wrecked by a human normie what a noob XD XD #badassnormie #solomoncanteven #gameoversorcerer

-The brothers seem pretty adamant at rubbing the salt into Solomon’s wounds, can we get an f in the chat for our white haired wizard boi

Satan:

-He knew that humans were capable of a lot of things but what the fuck?

-How is that even possible???? What is the likelyhood of a random human managing to make 100 pacts???

-He is probably the most unsettled because he relies on probability and logic to get him through his day to day life

-And that shit don’t make no fucking sense

-He’s not agitated, just very shocked

-And then he realises the potential threats you’ve been exposed to considering all the demons you’ve had a chat with

-So now he’s just thanking Lord Diavolo that you weren’t eaten alive by some lower level demon scum

-Don’t be surprised if he asks you how you went about when you started making pacts with demons

-You were always a bit of a special case and you certainly stood out from the very beginning but this was something completely different

-For a human like you, that is a very respected achievement you’ve unlocked

-Satan figures that since you made pacts with him and his brothers, you would try to do so with Lord Diavolo too

-But he actually accepted?? You just kinda gave up part of your soul to the demon prince and now you have full control over him???

-It’s amazing how easily you could make demons of all things to trust you

-He respects that and also appreciates your tactical approach to this as well

-It’d be pretty easy to summon a demon to get your ass out of danger if the need arises

-He has no idea what you do to him but it’s strange he would rather let you ramble on about the backstory of every pact you made in the past year than read his collection of books

-Wrath certainly isn’t the only thing in his heart right now

Asmo:

-#conflicted

-His partner beat his ex fuck-buddy at making a pact with Lord Diavolo

-Asmo knew you were special ever since that retreat at Lord Diavolo’s palace when you managed to summon him with such power

-But he definitely wouldn’t have guessed you would be capable of something like this

-Your bravery when it comes to this sort of thing endears him a lot

-He will probably want to see all of your pact marks now (haha you’re in danger)

-Unlike his brothers, he knew damn well why you had managed to make around 100 pacts in just one year

-Demons aren’t used to anything genuine or with good intent

-So, it makes sense they would be attracted like magnets to you and your approachable, kind nature

-After all, demons can’t deal with temptation very well

-Solomon is cunning and ominous, not that different from anyone else down there and it’s a fact the brothers don’t even trust him that much

-But Lord Diavolo?

-“MC honey you hit the jackpot! Tell me every little detail!! What happened? How did the topic of a pact come up?”

-He’s not worried about you overall

-Not because he doesn’t care but he believes that if you can survive for a year with the seven avatars of sin and also convince 93 other demons to make a pact with you, then you can handle whatever Lord Diavolo throws at you

-He probably buys a bunch of revealing clothing you can show off all of your marks because they look ‘fabulous’

-It’s the only think he’s gonna talk about for a while because how many other humans can say they have control of the prince of Hell???

-Asmo also acknowledges that Diavolo must have trusted you a lot for him to agree to this which he thinks is incredible

-He will definitely listen if you have any stories on the pacts you made because he finds them very thrilling and he loves the sound of your voice!!

-Again, he doesn’t need human souls, just a mirror, some skin products and drama to survive

-And you, if I had to guess

Beel:

-The calmest our of the seven about it

-You made a bunch of pacts? Cool, it just shows how strong and independent you are

-Which made him respect you even more to be honest

-He flinches a bit when you tell him about Lord Diavolo because he knows that the prince isn’t the type to agree to anything without being given something in return

-Even if he knows you can handle yourself, he will be right there beside you to help you out

-Also, uh, don’t tell Belphie about the pact thing Diavolo. He might blow a fuse

-You guys work out together sometimes and he is usually utterly mesmerised by all the pact marks you have on your body

-He kinda wishes you would have asked him or one of his brothers to come along with you when you made your pacts

-Just in case things went wrong

-He regrets a lot of things that had happened until now, but one thing he absolutely cherishes is the pact you made with him

-Beel is aware that his brothers think the same and if you think you can deal with the pressure of having some many demons under control, then he won’t nag you too much about being careful

-As for the Solomon thing, he doesn’t have much to say

-I mean, yeah, he is a sorcerer and you’re just a human but if you could make a pact with Lord Diavolo in such a small time frame before he even had the chance to?

-It means you’re just as special as he is

-And definitely a better cook

Belphie:

-ok maybe humans aren’t as stupid as he originally thought them to be

-Making pacts with so many demons is something that takes strength and intelligence, so props to you

-He would never admit it, but you being able to do all this shit without batting an eyelid is seriously restoring his love for humans and their culture

-might take a while tho

-He also wonders when you had the time to make so many bonds, considering he spends most of the day with you at RAD and at home

-Eh, he was probably asleep

-His view of you before the incident did a full 180 degrees

-This sort of thing in DevilDom is something worth praising, especially for an average human like you

-And ‘I guess you don’t look all that bad with so many pact marks on your body *angy boi blush* but I still like mine best!’

-It might be best not to mention the Lord Diavolo thing, otherwise his brain might snap in two

-But turns out, he seems pretty relaxed about it

-Too relaxed, I would say

-“Hey do you think you could use your pact with Lord Diavolo to do something that would tarnish his reputation and maybe embarrass Lucifer while you’re at it, idk.”

-Ah, so that’s what it was

-He’s such a mischievous, spoiled brat

-“No Belphie shush.”

-“I’m just saying-“

-Despite him hating humans way less nowadays, he still holds somewhat of a grudge against them

-Old habits die hard I suppose

-Especially for Solomon whom he never liked in the first place

-He finds it very amusing when he figures out you just beat Solomon at his life’s work in under a year

-He has a good chuckle about it but never actually brings it up in front of him

-Because he knows you’re gonna flick him over the ear for it

-Belphie is the youngest sibling and therefore the spoiled child, can’t change my mind

(Ok so poor Solomon, I kinda want to give him a hug now lol. Hope I didn’t make these too repetitive or short. Thank you for reading!)

Al~

[monaownsmyass]

A Rant about Chapter 11 (From a Zoey Stan)

Disclaimer: I talk about the racism in this chapter which might be triggering for some. I’m also not black and don’t intend on talking over black people so if anything I say comes across that way, I apologise in advance and pls feel free to correct me.

PB

Ever since day one, Zoey was treated like crap. We barely had any other interactions with her besides talking about Kingsley and her give us clothes. Zoey, despite being a confirmed LI, didn’t even have her own diamond scene until chapter 10, much later than when even Poppy, who’s not an LI, got a diamond scene.

But this is the breaking point. How tf are you gonna sideline a confirmed LI and then insert her into the bigger picture only to embarrass her, destroy her reputation, make her a laughing stock and make her publicly humiliated and not call it mistreatment??? To top it off, she’s also a black wlw. How anyone can victim blame Zoey here is beyond me.

For the benefit of the doubt, at first I thought PB was just clueless about what they did and didn’t realise it (it comes across that way in multiple books) but then, then they go ahead and put this in...

So you’re telling me, you’re fucking telling me that they knew how racist this sounded and still fucking went along with it??? If they were gonna make a subplot about how she got racially profiled, fine, good job, you know what the sad reality is like for black people. But to get publicly humiliated and embarrassed for it? That’s fucking RACIST! Idk how you’re gonna justify this when it’s clearly unjustifiable. I bet PB added that dialogue to show how woke they are but congrats, somehow you managed to do the complete opposite.

Poppy

Now let’s talk about Poppy. PB honestly never ceases to amaze me. They took a very complex character with depth and a lot of potential and just chucked all of that out of the window. It’s beyond salvageable at this point. And to make matters worse? The way PB wrote Poppy in that animal shelter scene (where we see a more vulnerable side to her) seems to be hinting at a redemption arc for her. I would’ve been all for it if this hadn’t happen. After this, there’s no way to save her character, I’m sorry but I can’t see it.

Going into detail now, I just wanna say, what. the. actual. fuck. I don’t even know where to start. Actually, I do, let’s take a look at how sad and pathetic this sounds:

Regardless of race, this shit is beyond messed up. But the fact that PB actually acknowledges it was about her race (as shown earlier), makes it baffling. I genuinely don’t understand how they didn’t see this as a problem. The way Poppy went after Zoey for absolutely no reason whatsoever makes it obvious that this is no longer a self-defence mechanism she uses for coping, this is cruelty.

And then we have the whole calling Zoey a ‘human sacrifice��. They do not only mention this once but MULTIPLE times. Poppy even labelled her folder as it. This made me the most upset. Getting a little historically literal here, actual human sacrifices were normally slaves, outcasts and criminals. I think it’s pretty self-explanatory why this was very wrong.

Zetas and Alphas

What a bunch of self-entitled, self-absorbed, low-life pricks that put others down to make themselves feel better.

So public humiliation wasn’t enough for poor Zoey apparently. She now has to endure tomatoes and wine thrown at her. Y’know how this entire scene reads and comes across as? A criminal getting stoned for their crimes. She was a young girl who was pressured into shoplifting by her peers and she was the only one that got caught cuz of her race. Need I say more? I will, that’s fucking RACIST!

Mc

MC is a little complicated for me. In my playthrough, I chose the good girl route and so my MC wasn’t as harsh as I’d assume the bad girl MC would be. I’m not excusing what she did because it was still wrong of her. She should’ve immediately gone to save Zoey. I’m just upset in a book called Choices, we couldn’t even choose between exposing Poppy’s credit cards and saving Zoey.

We’re always given the least important choices and we’re always asking for PB to give us choices that actually matter. This would’ve been the perfect opportunity. I’m playing as black!MC and even though I chose the good girl route, it still felt really... off. I can’t imagine how much worse it would be if players were playing the bad girl route with a PoC character especially if they’re playing as black!MC.

Zoey

Zoey. Poor Zoey deserves so much better. Fuck Poppy and the Zetas and even MC. The image of Zoey covered in tomatoes was so heart-breaking. MC’s convo with her... ugh.

If PB did anything right, it was making Zoey mad. She was right to be angry at MC (regardless if we took the good or bad girl route) and leave the posse. MC doesn’t deserve her. And to people saying Zoey should have known, it doesn’t matter! People are literally throwing things and publicly humiliating her so no it doesn’t matter if she should’ve known better. They shouldn’t have done that!!

I’m so fed up with PB sidelining and mistreating her and most female LIs and it’s even more disappointing that this is still happening after PB released their statement saying they’ll improve.

Idk how they messed up this badly after everything that’s happened, after all of our complaints and suggestions on how to improve. I just want to see Zoey thrive after this, with or without MC. It’s the least PB could do for her.

[botan-shirabuki]

Withdrawing Restraint (NSFW)

Pairing: Akechi Mitsuhide x MC

Summary:  Mitsuhide invites his love over for an intimate night -with a special twist!

Rating: Explicit/NC-17 (for graphic sexual content and language, detailed tags are on Ao3)

Word Count: 10,458

Author Notes: My first ever SLBP fic!!! It took me forever to write but I'm finally ready to share it on here now! I re-read it and it feels like reading it goes by faster than writing it did so I hope that's the case for you too.

I have to thank @otonymous @pseudofaux @rubyleeray and @dear-mrs-otome because all of your Mitsuhide fics opened my third eye and made my three-year-long writers block melt away.

I also gotta tag @simsontherocks @soulareclipsex @haythell and @aliensatemymemories Thank you so much for your support! 💖

Also shout TF out to the SLBP on Crack discord server for being so encouraging of my undying thirst 🥰

Ao3: here

When she made it to his chambers that evening, she let herself in to the sight of Lord Mitsuhide at his desk, his nose in a book as he waited for the pot of tea to finish boiling on the brazier.

"You've set quite the mood tonight, haven't you, darling?" she hummed in appreciation. Quite the mood indeed. There were only a few strategically placed candles lit, save for the lantern on his desk. The whole room smelled of a sultry perfume that swirled through the air. Just one deep breath of it made her shoulders loosen up and her fingers unfurl out of the anxious fist they were balled up in.

Mitsuhide looked up from his book, his crooked smile warm and loving as always. Though she could see something...deeper...behind his slate blue eyes. "Good evening, my love. Would you kindly close the door behind you lest we let all of the incense out of the room."

She humored him, quickly shutting the door behind her while her excitement radiated off of her. That morning, he had promised her a very special night while they found themselves alone in a hallway. He made it a point to push her up against the wall with his hands trapping her on either side. His voice was low and dead serious in her ear, making her breath catch. When she quietly agreed, he smiled in approval before tilting her chin in between his thumb and index finger to bring her in for a slow and gentle kiss. Unfortunately for the both of them, they were interrupted by the sound of two cheery maids talking to each other, making Mitsuhide instantly switch off and pull away from her. He had the audacity to greet them good morning as if nothing had happened before turning back to her with a knowing smirk before continuing on down the hall...

And there she was, worked up the wall after a whole day of anticipation. She nearly overbaked a castella thinking of what the night could entail. Almost fell off the veranda trying to will herself to not go find him and drag him to the nearest empty room. He owed her her dignity, not that she should have expected to get it back anytime soon.

"What do you have there?" she asked, her steps were hurried, even clumsy, as she walked over to sit down next to him. "Ah, if I had known you would be making tea I would have brought snacks..." She should have known; he always made tea.

Mitsuhide straightened up, taking a moment to think before he spoke. "I...aim to please you tonight."

Her eyebrows slightly furrowed, "You always do."

Though her affirmation shot straight to his heart and made it swell with pride, he continued on: "That may be the case, however, it is my duty to make sure I do so to the best of my ability, no matter what that entails." He used his free hand to reach for hers, while his other hand held his copy of the Lovers' Guide. His thumb saving a specific page that he was in the process of memorizing. He brought her hand to his lips to kiss each of her smooth fingers.

It was their first moment of physical contact that night and it was already electrifying. Truth be told, despite the gentle nature of his gesture, a good part of her thought she could have jumped on him right there and then. But it had become clear to her that he had very specific plans set. She blushed at the thought and averted her gaze from his, overwhelmed by her thoughts and the intensity in his eyes. She settled on the two empty teacups on a tray with two small white packets that looked like....medicine?

"May I ask what these are?"

Mitsuhide's eyes lit up in the way they did when a topic of interest came up in conversation. "I acquired these from the European merchants that visited the castle last week," he let go of her hand and the book, which he placed face down so that he could save the page. He held one of the tiny packets in between his index and middle fingers. "They're said to be the pollen of the Aisuri flower."

"A-Aisuri flower?" she repeated, the foreign name clumsily rolling off her tongue.

Mitsuhide nodded, "It was recently discovered by explorers in the tropics. It contains a potent aphrodisiac and has become quite popular among couples who have the opportunity to experience it." He examined her expression, blank save for the flicker of thought behind her eyes. Her lack of reaction made him backtrack, "But if you do not wish to take it, you do not have to," he gave her a reassuring smile, "our night will go on just fine without it."

She looked back at him, locking eyes and returning his smile. "Lord Mitsuhide, there is very little that I would be afraid to try with you." An experience like that was probably once in a lifetime, and she was touched by his honesty. "Let's make the most of this."

Invigorated by her enthusiasm, Mitsuhide held her pretty little face in his hands. "Yes, I couldn’t agree anymore," he said before pulling her into a series of light kisses. Before they could deepen, their attention was drawn to the whistle of the tea kettle. "Right on schedule," he half sighed, getting up to go attend to the tea.

After a short while, he had two perfect cups of tea made for the two of them. He took a deep breath and gestured towards them, "Shall we drink together?"

She nodded, reaching for the packets, "I'll pour them in." She lifted one of the little paper envelopes reverently; they were the star attraction of the night after all. She unfolded it to reveal a large coin-sized dose of a rather unassuming yellow powder; it looked like it could have come from any old plant, honestly. Ignoring any doubts that threatened to show themselves, she dumped the contents into the first cup-- his. The powder dissolved into the tea colorlessly, the drink looking normal save for a few flecks that caught on the inner wall of the cup. She proceeded to do the same to her tea with the next packet. Her eyes looked up from the cups to check on her lover, whose eyes were on her handiwork with blazing focus that made her look away. She dropped the remaining paper wrapper onto the tray so she could thoroughly stir the powder into the tea. Carefully, as if for Mitsuhide's watching eyes, she placed her utensil down and began to wrap her fingers around the cup.

Mitsuhide followed suit, picking up his, "Here's to us sharing this new experience together."

She nodded, humming in approval as she took her first sip. She couldn't have predicted how it would taste. It was very sweet, almost sickeningly so, yet it was still strongly herbal. The liquid felt thicker than an average tea. It coated her tongue and the back of her throat with a spiced aftertaste. She blinked in surprise as she swallowed it down.

"Is it alright?" he asked her, taking a long slow sip of his own.

"It is..." she began, but didn't really know where to go with it. She took another sip, noting how comforting the taste actually was. She took another moment to glance back at Mitsuhide, who was still staring at her. "....Is yours alright?"

Mitsuhide's lips turned up at the corners into a smile. "I don't mind it." he said in passing, more intent on watching how her lips parted as she prepared to take sip after sip. His eyes began to wander to the spot on her jawline where he knew she liked to be kissed. Admittedly, all of his preparation for the night had gotten him worked all the way up before even a drop of the concoction was in his system. He could have taken her right as she walked through the doorway, but what kind of gentleman would he be if he did that? So he let her take her sweet time, because for that night, time was all they had.

She found herself drinking her tea much faster than he was. Maybe because his gaze excited her so much. Interestingly, she noticed a buzzing sensation on her tongue. It slowly began to travel down her throat and into her stomach, neutralizing any remaining butterflies she had in there. She felt great, and she could tell that it was only the beginning. "How long does it take to take effect?"

"According to the merchant, it varies from person to person. It will probably take a few minutes to settle in. Let me know if you are at all uncomfortable," his eyes softened a little with concern.

"I will, thank you," she couldn't help but smile. She felt so safe knowing that he always had her best interests in mind. If there was anything she could have offered to return the favor, she would have done it in a heartbeat.

Suddenly, it hit her.

In actuality, it crept up on her and engulfed her completely without her even realizing it, but now it was here. Suddenly, the room was way too hot. All of her clothes began to cling to her, and underneath them, her skin was prickling as if someone was running a fine toothed comb all over her body. To soothe the tension, she tried rubbing her thighs together, but that just made her situation much worse. She was positively throbbing between her legs, she couldn't recall a time where the ache had been this bad. She dropped her empty cup rather clumsily onto the table and dug her nails into her thighs in an attempt to ground herself. The sensation made her release a shaky gasp.

"Darling, are you alright?" Mitsuhide reached for her shoulder to offer her support and was surprised to see how she tensed at such simple contact.

She slowly turned her head towards him, her pupils blown out, a deep blush prettily dusted across her cheeks, her lips slightly parted as breathed. She looked at him through her glassy eyes as if he was so far away, save for his hand on her. All she wanted was for him to be as close as possible so that she could...do something...about the burning desire within her. "I...I think it's working now."

Mitsuhide didn't hesitate to bring her into his arms, but he definitely didn't expect her to instantly pull him into a needy open-mouthed kiss. She crashed into him, clumsily trying to climb into his lap. Though it wasn't an unwelcome advance, he had never thought to prepare what to do if she initiated anything. While he contemplated what to do, he kissed her back, though his lips were far more cautious. He was concerned that the drink took effect on her as fast as it did compared to him. But at the same time, the sight of her being so openly and shamelessly wanton in the confines of his room turned him on to no end.

As if to further the conflict between his two heads, she began to pull the sash holding her kimono in place. "Lord Mitsuhide," she sighed against his lips before kissing him yet again, "I need you...so desperately, I need you..."

Well he couldn't possibly deny her there. He held her head in his hand while the other helped her toss her clothes aside. "Lay down on the bed, I wish to taste you," he whispered in her ear, making her visibly shiver, before he placed a trail of kisses down the side of her neck and across her collarbone. "Is that okay with you?"

She let out a very distinct whine when he licked a stripe down the expanse of skin between her breasts. "Yes, it's okay, anything is okay...." she pulled away and began to enticingly crawl to their bed.

Goodness, he liked her on this stuff.

He watched her ass sway back and forth in the air until she settled on top of the bed. With an effortless sigh, she relaxed, opening her knees up for him. Not missing a beat, Mitsuhide moved towards the bed and gently positioned himself laying on his stomach between her thighs so that her soft hamstrings squished up against his shoulders. He could feel each and every way she squirmed about against his clothes, searching for that little bit of friction that would appease her.

"Hold still," was all he murmured to her before he took his first taste, a slow drag of his pointed tongue from her entrance through her inner lips and over her clit which was already firm to the touch. She reacted positively, gasping out as if she couldn't have predicted how good that simple touch would feel. He licked the pads of his thumbs and repeated the same motion with them. If there was one fact that Mitsuhide couldn't hide from, it was that he loved to witness how her body reacted to him. Especially her most delicate womanhood. He loved to watch how deep it would flush; he oftentimes wished he could put it directly next to her face to see which one blushed deeper. His thumbs continued to sweep over her which got him moans and coos of approval from her. When one thumb began to dry out, rasping against her, he dipped into her for extra moisture.

Oh? Interesting...

She was far wetter than she normally got, especially considering he had barely started touching her. His thumb circled inside of her a few times and sure enough, when he pulled it out a chain of a clear liquid still connected it to her entrance. Curious, he swept it over her clit again. Looking up, he caught her staring back down at him. Her expression was anticipative, bordering on impatient. It was adorable to him. He took a moment to make direct eye contact with her before flattening his tongue against her, then closing his lips around her clit to suck the juice off.

"Oh Lord Mitsuhide please!" She cried out, her thighs closing in around his ears.

He wasn't sure whether it was the sound of her voice, her thighs closing off the reality of the world around him, the taste of her, or even that damned tea, but that was the moment where he lost his cool.

He released her with a very audible wet smack of his lips. He ducked down to tease her entrance with his tongue. The flavor of her essence made him groan and go back for more multiple times. The tingling sensation on his tongue made it all the more satisfying. He was losing himself in the moment and he wasn't sure if he could bring himself to care.

On her end, she was so close. Mitsuhide had never stuck his tongue inside of her like that before. She couldn't tell if she liked it or not because at that point she liked everything, but she knew for sure one of its perks: everytime he moved his head, his nose nuzzled against her clit. She took advantage of it, rocking her hips against his face and using his powerful shoulder blades to support her feet. "Please dear...hold my hips up to your face?"

Wordlessly, he obliged. His elbows were planted down on the bedding so his hands could hold up her hips. He had no complaints, he loved the feel of her slippery little pussy on his face. He was amazed that he even admitted that to himself but it was the absolute truth. With each gyration of her hips, he caught her inner lips in his mouth, suckling and pulling them until they started to unfold and glisten like a precious flower.

She began to pick up her speed, her toes curling into the clothing and her breathy moans and pleas increased in volume. Realizing that his hands were occupied, she took matters into her own hands to tug and tweak at her nipples in the way she liked them played with. All the while, her body was still hot and tingling. The smell of the incense still burning in the room grounded her as she felt she might be carried away in a torrent of pleasure.

"Mi- Mitsuhide...." she began, her hips stuttering erratically against his face. "I'm almost there...!"

Picking up on her urgency, Mitsuhide shifted his hands so that one held her up by her tailbone. The other inserted two fingers inside her. Encouraged by the squeak of a gasp she let out, he began to twist and pull his fingers in and out of her. That delicious slick fluid collected on his fingers, his chin, even his nose. He wanted more from her. He wanted enough so that he could collect it all in a bottle and keep it for later...

She was at her limit. She interrupted his thoughts by clamping her thighs around his head and punctuating his ministrations with a loud whine. She clenched around his fingers for a moment before falling limp back onto the futon. She basked in the afterglow for a moment, watching him lewdly clean off the mess she had made of his hand and face. As she lay there panting, she realised that she was still throbbing. Her skin was still hot, the tingly comb feeling still there.

"I...I need more..." her voice was a breathy whisper, but he heard her loud and clear.

Without hesitation, he pulled her up towards him by her thin forearm and into a smothering kiss. She barely had her balance when she climbed on his lap. Not caring if she was being too forward, she dipped her tongue into his mouth. The sweet taste of the tea mingled with something earthy and savory: presumably hers. Mitsuhide's tongue responded in earnest, sweeping across her lower lip before delving deeper. Her hands found their way into his hair in the hopes that they could keep him in the torrid embrace for as long as possible. She sat directly down onto his lap as she kissed him, feeling his erection as solid as could be through his hakama. The pressure made him groan into her mouth and bite her lip.

Eventually, he left her lips, starting to work his way across her jawline hungrily. He tilted her head to the right in order to do so properly. The new angle made her aware of her surroundings for the first time in a while. She caught a glimpse of Mitsuhide's teacup left alone on the desk to go cold.

"Hold on..." she managed to pant out. "You never finished your tea."

"Leave it be, I don't care anymore." he growled into the dip behind her collarbone. What he did drink must have been working just fine considering it made him capable of ditching his own plan for the evening along with a cup of tea.

"No..." she tugged at the hair at the nape of his neck, making him look up at her. The deep blue of his eyes was almost totally overshadowed by black blown out pupils. They were angry, slightly crazed because he was being denied the one thing that could soothe the animalistic need in him. The power behind them made her shudder before she continued, "It's only fair that we both take all of it, right?"

He didn't answer. His eyes never left her and his grip on her hips tightened as if to tell her not to move.

"Here," she resisted his silent command and lifted herself up off of his lap and onto her knees. There was a noticeable cool draft between her legs where she had sat down so firmly in his lap. She reached over to the table, picking up the teacup and settling back in his lap over the wet spot they made together. She raked a hand through his hair again, tilting his head back so she could position the teacup at his lips. "Drink."

As if she wasn't persuasive enough like that, she started to grind her hips down onto him. The delicious friction of her wetness rubbing him through his clothes made his lips part and his eyes cloud over. She seized the opportunity to pour the remaining liquid into his mouth. The tea was less favorable when lukewarm, yet he drank down the rest with no hesitation, letting the sweetness envelop his tongue and throat. He felt the last trickle of it dribble down his chin. Before it could travel down his neck, he heard the cup fall against the floor and felt her hands force the front of his robes open. She boldly licked up the remaining trail of tea starting at his pulse point and ending at his lips with a fierce and hungry kiss. Returning her ardour tenfold, he kissed her back, urgently undressing so they could finally feel the press of burning hot skin against skin.

He still had his clothes pooled around his knees when he finally broke their kiss and spun her around so that she would fall stomach first onto his desk. He hardly noticed how she knocked the Lover's Guide off of its surface while he adjusted her hips to accommodate him. She arched her back, her body burning and aching, willing and ready to be taken...

Mitsuhide went in easily on the first stroke. Any sense of order or decorum had flown out the window. If he didn't fuck her as thoroughly as possible in the next few minutes he would probably die. His hips roughly clapped against hers, pinning her in between him and the desk. She lifted one leg up onto the desk to offset the pain of her hip bones bumping into the edge with each thrust and placed her clammy palms flat against the cool surface. It didn't really stop her from being jolted back and forth, but it kept her grounded as she dug her knee into the floor and threw her hips back at him to match his thrusts as best as she could.

"Yes...that's it...You're amazing," Mitsuhide reassured her, though he didn't recognize his voice from how deep and growly it had become. The tight, wet, velvety drag of her walls drew him in and drove him even further into insanity. He tangled a hand in her hair to keep her face turned to the side. He wanted to watch how her face contorted with pleasure as he took her. How he longed to see her like this. Sometimes it was all he found himself thinking of, her trapped beneath him and being fucked into pieces. He loved how loud she was, with her groaning and whining and grunting. It was as if the pollen had erased her typical fear of getting overheard. He gripped her hips a little tighter and slammed deeper into her. The wet slapping of his skin against hers increased in volume, as did the sound of her moans and cries.

"Mitsuhide...please!..." she whined in need. It would have normally embarrassed her, but the way he was hitting her cervix fried her brain, his too.

The way she said his name set something even darker off within him. He kept fucking her, watching himself slide in and out, watching her arousal run down her inner thigh, watching her flush spread down her back. It was amazing, he remembered a time where he was afraid he'd break her into pieces if he held her a little too tight. Now, she was incoherently begging him to fuck her with all he had. Each time his grip on her hair got a little too tight, he felt her clench around him in excitement. She kept up with his frantic pace, her hips bouncing back to meet his halfway. All in all, she was phenomenal. He just wanted to do was pin her down and fuck her hard through the table until she cried. A part of him liked it when she got all teary-eyed and needy. It fed into his urge to watch how beautiful she looked as she fell apart from ecstasy. He wanted to see it so bad. He wanted it so bad. He wanted it so so--

Oh no.

His eyes widened as he hurriedly pulled out of her, but it was too late. He painted her lower back with several ropey, thick strands of cum. He hunched forward, an uncharacteristically loud lewd groan escaping from his lips. His orgasm blindsided him, hit him like a shot from his flintlock pistol. The subsequent feeling of euphoria spread through his body. The waves of pleasure seemed endless as he rubbed his sensitive head against the soft flesh of her left buttcheek.

"Lord Mitsuhide...?" she began, noting the unexpected warmth she felt on her back.

Part of him felt guilty, he would normally never finish before she was thoroughly satisfied. Though he had a feeling he was far from finished.

Without much of a warning, she placed her knee that was on the desk back onto the floor and rolled her hips back against his thigh. He could feel the slick glide of her lips against him. While she languidly humped his leg, He held his cock against the supple skin of her ass. Though he was still sensitive, He couldn't help but chase that extra bit of pleasure. Indeed, he was still fully hard and ready to go again. Though his first release had thankfully taken a bit of the edge off.

Letting out a tiny moan, she caught his attention. She turned her head to smile at him "That stuff really works, huh?" she said so casually as if she wasn't still rolling her hips against him, though her voice was noticeably throatier than usual.

Mitsuhide, though a little bashful, smiled back, "So it seems." His hand slides up her hip to rub the skin right below where he came, "How are you feeling?"

"I feel wonderful," she sighed, turning her head back to face forward. As well as he had fucked her, she had her head turned to the side for too long and it was starting to strain her neck. "though my knee is a little sore."

The floor hadn't been very kind to his knees either. Unfortunately, it seemed they would have to part, if only for a moment. "Wait right there for a little longer, I'll clean you up so that you can lay down again."

She made a tiny groan in the back of her throat to protest him separating from her, but she didn't fight him. "Okay."

With one last insistent rub against her ass, Mitsuhide rose to his feet to step out of his puddle of clothes and make the trip across the room to get a towel. As he walked he made a note of how his whole body seemed to hum in pleasure. So much so that it made the ache in his knees hardly noticeable over it. When he reached the dresser where he kept multiple towels on standby, he snuck a glance at her over his shoulder.

She sat back up straight to take the weight off of her knees. She unraveled the cord tying her hair back as most of it had come loose out of it anyway. Tossing her hair over her shoulder, she ran her fingers through it. It felt intriguingly good when they caught in the tangle left by Mitsuhide's fist, gently tugging at the base of the follicles. Ah, she wished she'd asked him to pull it a little. She even moaned a little when she felt it.

Her hand continued down to her breasts. They hadn't received much attention while they were mashed up against the desk, they were still so very tender. Just barely pinching their hard nipples made her catch a shaky gasp in her throat. Unable to resist the temptation, her other hand dipped between her thighs. She was still plenty wet and two fingers sunk in easily. They were obviously a poor substitute for her Lord Mitsuhide, but if he didn't get back over to her soon, she probably would have mindlessly kept going.

Luckily for her, he had witnessed her whole moment. He found her to be so effortlessly sensual and extremely ravishable. He could practically hear her body crying out for him and he was dead set on giving her exactly what she so clearly needed. In fact, he reached back into the dresser to retrieve a small vial of oil because if he thought he was being rough with her earlier...

She noticed his footsteps towards her and quickly pulled her fingers out of herself and hid them at her side as if she were some naughty child.

Mitsuhide returned to her side with a seemingly calm smile. "Could you please lean back over the desk for a moment?" he asked as he knelt by her side.

Wordlessly, she obliged, her chest making contact with the still-warm desktop. She couldn't stop her eyes from wandering down towards his cock; it was still aggressively hard, ruddy, and flushed as if he hadn't just painted her back. Normally, she found herself too flustered to even look directly at it, but now she found her mouth watering at the sight of it. She could practically feel its thickness splitting her open again as she eyed his girth.

Her indiscreet gaze inflated his ego. Grinning cheekily, he began to wipe up the mess on her back. "Flushed skin suits you so well," he stated idly.

Her eyes finally made it back up to his face. "Thank you, you look good too..." She finished, her words clumsy as she tried to keep up with the normalcy of their chat.

He didn't answer for a moment, just pushing her hair aside so he could blot the back of her neck with another towel. "Are you alright? Do you need anything to drink?"

"N-No, I'm fine for now," She really was. She felt plenty hydrated and the tingling sensation of the tea still lingered on her tongue. It was his free hand suddenly creeping up onto her backside that caused her to stammer.

"Well, in that case..." his hand slid down between her thighs. Taking a moment to relish in their heat and her little gasp, he swept his hand upwards, collecting her arousal on his fingers. Her breath hitched again and her thighs clenched slightly when he almost brushed up against her sex. He pulled his hand back out, examining the thick substance glistening in the candlelight.

She flushed even deeper at the sight. She hadn't ever made that much of a mess! She watched his expression, trying to gauge how he felt. Before she could pinpoint the what that look in his eyes was, they closed as his lips wrapped around his coated fingers. It was a rare sight to see Lord Mitsuhide so blatantly indulged. The way that he moaned when her essence hit his tongue made her ache desperately for him all over again.

Mitsuhide lowered himself until his lips were right above her ear. "I don't think I ever got to tell you how good you taste." His voice was a low purr that sent gooseflesh down her arms. He placed a wet, hot kiss right below her same ear, making her moan again. "When it hit my tongue earlier I believe it drove me wild."

Her back arched as he ran his hand down along her graceful curves, "I quite liked it when you were wild," she admitted. His words had her charged up and hyper-aware of the aphrodisiac still coursing through her system.

He grinned, pleased with her equally forward honesty. "Oh dear, then I assume you'll have to make more..." With that, he slipped his hand back between her thighs where he entered her still soaked center with two fingers.

"I'll...hah!" she gasped before she could continue. His fingers were slow and languid, a direct contrast to how rough he was earlier. But she could tell by how he hungrily kissed and nipped at her jawline that he was eager for more. "F....Faster...." she breathed.

His pace picked up, just enough so that she clenched around his digits and moaned desperately. He used his free hand to cup her chin and turn her face towards him. He kissed her hungrily, greedily. This time, he didn't hesitate to plunge his tongue into her mouth. She effectively submitted to his ministrations, letting him tease her mouth and sex simultaneously. At that point, she was so turned on she would have let him do anything to her, but her knee was beginning to sting against the textured floor. She gingerly tapped on Mitsuhide's shoulder to get his attention.

"Take me to the bed...please?" she asked, her voice was small and shaky, a clear indicator that what he did was not in vain.

Mitsuhide mentally reprimanded himself for getting carried away and momentarily losing sight of her needs. "Of course," he said, carefully pulling out from her and immediately helping her up, "Can you walk?"

He asked the question in complete sincerity without any bit of smugness but the question still made her blush and look down at her feet, "I, um...think so?" She slowly stood with his help, being mindful of her sore knee while also noting the dull pulsing ache of a certain spot within her that she definitely wanted to attend to again.

Her stumbling walk was so cute to him. He probably shouldn't have gotten such sick, smug satisfaction from the way she shakily put one foot in front of the other while she clung to his shoulders, yet there he was. She might have buckled if she had seen the predatory look in his eyes. He wanted to ruin her completely. He couldn't stop himself from thinking about fucking her until her legs completely gave out, so she would have to lay in wait for him to return to her so he could have her all over again.

She eased her way onto the bedding, being mindful of any aches. Making quite the show of sinking into the cushions on her stomach, she rolled over onto her back and beckoned him to join her. Without hesitation, Mitsuhide knelt down in between her spread legs and lowered his mouth to meet hers. He gently nibbled and sucked on her full lower lip before pulling away.

"Are you sure there's nothing else that you need?" He asked her one last time, hovering over her.

She laughed, slightly breathless from his kiss, "I'm fine now."

He sat up. His left hand found its way to the side of her stomach. Without breaking smoldering eye contact, his hand slowly slid down past her hip and thigh so that it could hook underneath her knee. Naturally, her knee bent as he lifted it towards his ducked head. "Not even for this?" he referred to the pink skin of her knee that had been previously dug into the bare floor. He truly felt bad for keeping her there for as long as he did, especially without a cushion.

She shook her head even as he kissed the aforementioned kneecap. "Not even..." she trailed off as she watched his eyes flitting all up and down her face and body, the gaze just as intense as before. She could even feel the tension in the way he was holding her knee, his thumb pressing into its side. "Why are you suddenly holding out on me?" Her tone was teasing, but the way she held his right wrist insisted that she was growing impatient. Mitsuhide chuckled to himself, there was no getting anything past her at this point. His thumb stroked her knee and he brought his lips to it one last time before he answered:

"Truth be told, my dear," he began, his voice was thick with lust. So much so that she shuddered when it reached her ears, "I'm afraid that once I start....I don't know if I'll be able to stop."

His words excited her all over again, setting a spark ablaze behind her eyes. She swallowed the breath that she has been holding before she let go of his wrist and reached directly for his cock. He visibly tensed up, surprised by her boldness and very sensitive to her touch. She gave it one gentle pump before she held it against her sex. She could feel herself throbbing against him when she whispered "I don't want you to stop. I could die if you stopped." The air between them thickened as she started to lift her hips so that her wetness could glide against him. "You know, you still owe me one from earlier--"

Mitsuhide let go of her knee so he could pin her hips down with both hands. "I understand, just stay still." His firm touch lasted for only a moment before he reached over beside the bed to fetch the vial of oil. From the feel of her just then, she might have been fine without it but they were better safe than sorry. He coated himself with a generous amount of oil before he did the same to hers, almost losing himself in the sound of her whimpers as he touched her. His normally careful and gentle movements were hastened by how frenzied he felt by the whole situation. He lifted her hips into his lap --a new trick he had read about that very night-- and looked her in the eyes as he said her name, an informal way of asking for permission to continue.

She crossed her legs behind his waist and nodded, "Lord Mitsuhide."

And with her say so, he sank in.

Her jaw dropped instantly. This was a new angle for her and she wasn't used to the sensation. She grabbed his wrists and nodded again so that he would start moving. Wordlessly, he drew back and then, much to her surprise, slammed back into her, knocking the breath out of her lungs.

His eyes on her were blue fire, burning the sight of those faces she made into his memory. "Forgive me," spilled from his lips as he held her hips snug against his.

"You don't have to--!!!" was all she could say before her voice was reduced to an incoherent scream as he started to pound into her repeatedly. His pace was relentless, the oil providing the perfect balance of slip and friction. The unique angle had him fucking up into a spot she hadn't been previously aware of. She spent a good portion of his strokes trying to describe how it felt to herself until she was startled by the long guttural groan she caught as it was being ripped from her throat. With the question answered, she slipped her hand between them so she could touch herself along the way.

His hands on her hips left white indentations where he held her. He continued to surprise himself with how horny he was despite his earlier orgasm. The same thoughts were flooding his head, this time spurred on by her bouncing breasts and lovely face, though her eyes were downcast in some form of concentration. He watched her mouth as a euphony of shaky moans and sighs escaped it. He would have liked to stick his thumb between those shapely lips if it wouldn't have dampened such a delightful noise.

He began to find his pace tiresome, even for someone of his prowess, and slowed down to a less frenzied pace. Much to his pleasure, her eyes shot wide open and locked with his when he did so. Her pupils were blown wide and in their depths were silent pleas for him to keep at that pace, at least for a little while.

"Yes, just like that....slow....." she whispered, her thighs clenching in on his waist as if to slow him down herself. Her voice faded into nothing as she processed the longer, deeper rolls of his hips. As he pushed back into her, his tip massaged her newly discovered sweet spot. This time, accompanied by the efforts of her own fingers, she felt a delicious pressure building up in her lower abdomen. While it was familiar, this time it was much more intense than normal. The feeling only increased with each stroke that began to feel torturously slow. She whined and bucked her hips on time with his as she chased the sensation.

His hand reached up to push a lock of hair from between her lips. He lowered his head to kiss her just as slowly as he was fucking her. "Please, tell me what you need," He whispered into her lips, sensing her urgency.

Her free hand reached up to hold the back of his neck and she fastened her lips back to his fervently before parting again. "Ca--" she cut herself off with a shuddering sigh when he paused completely inside her, "Can you go faster again?"

He smiled and kissed her cheek one last time before he straightened back up and readied himself against her. "I hope it isn't too late to tell you you look beautiful tonight."

She reciprocated with a smile of her own, "You do too." Her face then twisted back into one of insurmountable pleasure when he began to sharply piston his hips into hers. This time, while he was still moving quickly, his strokes were long and deep like the slow ones. Each definitive snap of his hips sent a jolt towards her core. She would have to recount to him how good it felt once she could find her words again. Until then, all she could do was rub herself furiously as he kept going harder and harder.

She made an indescribable noise and nodded at him to signal that she was getting close. Mitsuhide, a master in the art of her body language, didn't stop what he was doing. His fingertips dug back into the soft dips of her inner hips as he started to guide her along. He noticed that he had begun to rock her up higher on the bedding, but he couldn't be bothered to care because of the silken vice grip she had around him.

She was teetering on the edge, her voice leaving her lips in high-pitched squeaks and silent gasps. In her fervent chase for her long-awaited climax, she became hyper aware of her surroundings: the smouldering haze of the incense that was probably almost completely burned out at that point curled through the air and filled her nose with its enticing aroma. The room was comfortably toasty, even despite the sheen of sweat covering the two of them. She had all but forgotten the powder until just then, noting how its tingling effect had boosted her libido all along. And of course, she noted the beautiful man -the love of her life- above her. The one who had brought all of this together for her. He looked so damn good in that mood lighting, and now he was giving her all he had with every single pound. And he had found her a new favorite spot to hit. Her abdomen was getting so tight from the tension building that she started shaking from it. "Mitsuhide..I'm--!" She hardly squeaked out before her vision went white with stars.

Then nothing.

Nothing except an insane sense of bliss. The feeling of her thighs violently shaking brought her back to reality while she was still cumming. Somewhere along the way, Mitsuhide had stopped thrusting. But now that she thought about it, was he even inside her at all? Once she finished convulsing, she lifted her head to look at him. He had indeed pulled out from her, but what really concerned her was the look on his face. His eyes were wide with shock, and set directly between her legs. Before she could sit up all the way, she felt something wet roll down the inside of her thighs. Several other droplets followed suit. When she finally looked to where their bodies met, she saw that indeed, whatever she had just done had splashed across her inner thighs as well as his stomach and lap. She initially wanted to write it off as excess oil, but her cheeks betrayed her, turning an even deeper red before she could even speak. Unable to hide away from the embarrassment, she began to speak.

"I'm--I'm so sorry! I couldn't hold it!" She instinctively cupped her vulva, almost as if she was hiding what happened from him. "...I...oh hells, this is so embarrassing!" But what was truly embarrassing, was that despite her initial shame, her body was having a totally different reaction. It had felt so good, she found herself fighting against a smile. Despite that, she stammered on, "I...guess maybe I could help clean up?"

"No." his reply was simple; his voice was tense with restraint.

No? Her brows were about to knit before she found herself falling back into the bed; her weight was put on her shoulder blades and upper back as Mitsuhide held her off the bed by her hips. All that came from his mouth was an impassioned grunt before he was splitting her open again. A shocked scream got caught in her throat and the sound of his laboured breathing and the squelching of their bodies joining together repeatedly.

"What am I to do with you, hm?" he growled, his face now right above her, his breath fanning across her face. "You were so lovely just now, when you gushed everywhere." The force and speed with which he was taking her was absolutely punishing. She could barely focus on the filth of what he was saying to her. At least until he put his thumb on her clit, catching her full attention from how deftly he stroked it. His voice was low, coated with lust, in her ear when he spoke. "Tell me, did you happen to catch that noise you made when you clenched so hard that you pushed me out of you?"

She was sure she was blushing from that, but she could hardly muster any words between the incoherent and rather undignified noises she was making then. All she could do was shake her head no and hope he got the message.

"A shame," the corner of his mouth turned up. One could argue that he was a bit smug. "Then perhaps I'll have to make it happen again so you can see."

"Again?" she whined. She honestly didn't know if she had it in her (literally). But what she did know was that that same pressure was already building in her core all over again. Somehow, it felt like he was going even deeper than he had before and....whatever she had done had made her even slicker too. There was next to no friction, making his thrusts even more brutal. It was almost too much to take and her eyes started to roll back as she got closer and closer to cumming again.

"No you don't." Mitsuhide gritted out between clenched teeth. His right hand shot up to tangle into her hair and pull just how she silently wished he would. Holding her head by the hair, he forced her to look directly into his eyes. "Don't pass out on me. Stay with me. Focus on how it feels."

She nodded and her eyes refocused as they held his gaze. There was a palpable intensity between the two of them that kept their eyes interlocked even as they were both moving wildly. Her eyebrows pinched together in concentration, in pain, in pleasure. Since he had touching her covered, she brought her hand to hook behind his neck and hold onto the hair at the nape to let him know he had her full attention. As they bonded, she subconsciously opened up to him even further so he could go deeper until she could feel each thrust in her stomach. Her stare stayed leveled with his even as her jaw dropped almost painfully. Her breaths were tiny little squeaks that increased in volume as he moved. She wanted to cry out how good he made her feel but it seemed words were lost on her again. Instead, she kept nodding, encouraging him, and placed her hand over his that was touching her so that he would move it and she could finish stroking herself.

Incidentally, when he put his hand back down on the bed, he was able to really anchor down and hit it even harder. The jolt that she felt from that first thrust made her momentarily squeeze her eyes shut, but with a light love tap on her cheek, Mitsuhide reminded her to open them back up for him. It didn't last long though, as after five pumps of that, she cried out and frantically squirmed off of him, gushing again as she clenched at the sheets while she caught her breath again.

Her whole body was buzzing from her scalp where he had been holding her to her still-curled toes. Even though she had just done that thing she found so embarrassing, she couldn't stop herself from smiling. In the midst of her heavy panting, the feeling of damp cloth at her tailbone indicated that Mitsuhide had pulled her back towards him. Almost immediately, she felt his tip gliding between her lips again.

"Oh, you are absolutely breathtaking like ths," he groaned, the sound of it stirring her up all over again. He growled under his breath as he rubbed himself against her clit, "but I can't have you getting away like that anymore."

"Ahh, forgive me, please..." she whimpered, her hips bucking against him, begging to be filled again. "I promise I'll stay still this time."

His eyes were almost angry with lust as he grinned down at her. He lined himself up to sink back in as he said, "I'll hold you to your word." And with that, he sheathed himself in her again.

She gasped again. It still felt as if she had just came, and her thighs shook at his sides. Acknowledging her sensitivity, Mitsuhide went slower than what his carnal instincts wanted him to. The sound and feel of her sopping wetness tempted him. "You've gotten so wet for me," he breathed. "I didn't think it possible for you to get any wetter than before." Normally, Mitsuhide would craft his words with much more care than this, but it was as if she had somehow washed away his mental filter. His mind was a chaotic fray of so many erotic visions and sensations that he almost found himself lost in them. He stopped all the way inside for a moment, tensing completely when she started to whine and grind herself against him in protest. They both reveled in the slickness that joined them before Mitsuhide continued, "It's driving me crazy. Forgive me if I'm being too....mmm," he paused at the feeling of her clenching around him and captured her mouth with his own to refocus himself. When their lips parted, the fog had cleared away so that he could see the woman that he cherished so much looking up at him with so much love and anticipation that it was almost overwhelming.

"I love you," he breathed, his forehead resting against hers. "I love you so dearly."

Her eyes practically melted into tears. "I love you too. I love everything about you, everything you've done for me...." she paused to take a breath as he kissed away the moisture welling in the corner of her eye. "And you make me feel so good..."

That whisper caught his attention. His eyes steeled up again, "Oh, do I?" That question wasn't asking for reassurance; it was him coaxing Her to keep talking.

"Yes!" Her voice caught for a moment as he started to thrust into her lightly. She could feel each and every ridge and vein against her. "You...you gave me that drink tonight...and then you...did that, and you....touched me..."

The depth of her hot blush spurred him on further. Her slickness was now audible as he moved his hand between them. "Do you like it when I touch you?"

"I love it when you touch me!" Her pupils were dilated in her wide eyes as she looked up at him, a vision of innocence despite the obvious. "Your hands...they're so skilled. Yet so rough-- Oh! I love it when you're rough too!" Something about admitting that to him was deeply humiliating to her, so her head turned away from him towards the door. However, Her line of sight was immediately brought back to him when he tangled his hand back in her hair.

"Shall I be rough with you then?" His voice was low, and in any other circumstance, one would say it dripped with danger. His eyes boring into hers made her burn with desire to the point where it was almost too much. But while she wasn't paying attention, he had put all of his weight on her. At that point, there was truly no escape from the onslaught of his passion, so she swallowed down her shame and looked him deep in the eyes as he kept fucking her.

"Please be rough with me!" she begged him in earnest. "When you...when you hold me like that, it drives me crazy, it feels so good! I-- Sometimes I wish I could just keep you like this inside of me and just--!!"

He claimed her lips once more, drinking in the rest of her confessions before bringing his lips to her ear. "Then I need you to keep me in. I need you to take every last part of me and I need you to keep it for me, my love." Admittedly, he had intended to let her keep talking, but he was much closer than he initially realized and the urge to kiss her was far too strong to ignore. He was giving her his all at that point. Any semblance of caution or restraint was long gone as he got closer and closer to the edge. He buried his face in her neck to suck on it as he pounded away.

"Yes, I will! I will-- Oh, hells keep doing that!" her voice was a whole octave higher as she held onto him like her life depended on it. She was in absolute awe of his mastery of her body. Each stroke was so long and went so deep, and he simultaneously sucked on her neck and jaw so expertly, it felt like he was deliberately trying to make her pass out. Yet something about how rough he was being -something about how he wanted to keep taking her even through her own orgasms- made her feel a little bit like she was being used....which, compounded with everything, drove her straight to climax.

Her walls sputtered around him, yet no matter how hard she clenched down, he fought to keep fucking her until her body relented and began to relax as she clung to him. He wasn't that far after her though, as that tightness propelled him towards his climax too. He finished in her with a very satisfied groan.

They laid there, tangled up within each other and catching their breath for a long while before Mitsuhide lifted his head to push her sweaty bangs aside and kiss her forehead. She hummed quietly as he did. Their eyes met for a moment before their lips met in a slow and gentle kiss. Nothing urgent, nothing forceful, just the two of them enjoying the feeling of lips on lips.

"Shall I clean us up?" he asked, breaking off the kiss much to her disappointment. She had to admit she could feel the layer of sweat and other fluids coating her body, so she nodded back at him, unsure if her voice would come out without cracking.

Mitsuhide carefully rose up. He watched her face as she gasped at the obscene sound of him slipping out of her. It made him want to lean back in and bite her lower lip one last time, but he held back because she looked like she was ready to fall asleep.

He went to fetch the small water basin he kept in preparation by the desk. When he knelt back down between her thighs, he gently lifted them to place a dry towel underneath her. Upon lowering her hips back down, he got a good look at the mess they had made. Through the dim light, he could see their combined juices of exertion and arousal still dripping out of her and stuck to her inner thighs. He felt his mouth watering again. Even though he should have been behaving himself by then, he couldn't get the thought of one last taste out of his mind. Setting the remaining towel aside, he quietly laid down on his stomach. She was none the wiser until she felt a soft kiss on her inner thigh.

"Mmn...Lord Mitsuhide?" maybe she had dozed off after all.

"Please forgive me if I woke you," he breathed, sliding his forearms beneath her legs, "but I can't, in good conscience, leave you to sleep without cleaning you up first." His grin was seductive, and his eyes hungry, as he looked up at her again, his breath tickling her still sensitive sex. "Is that alright with you?"

She truly was exhausted, but she did prefer not to wake up all sticky. It wasn't like she could resist those eyes on her anyway. "Yes."

He squeezed her thighs before immediately dipping his face down to the side and sucking on her inner thigh. "Excellent," he groaned after releasing the soft skin with a distinct pop. He caught it back in his mouth, licking at it and grazing it with his teeth until the area was completely clean. He continued his trail until he reached the junction where her leg met her hip. He noticed she had begun panting again, so with a rather devilish grin, he gave her thigh one last playful nip before switching to the other to do the same.

"Oh...that's not fair..." she whimpered. Maybe he did really only intend to clean her off, but he was waking her back up in more ways than one.

On that leg, Mitsuhide took a little more time to cherish the feel of her soft skin under his tongue. He hadn't originally intended to leave any marks, but when he parted from her, he noticed that he left a faint hickey behind. As he was slowly working his way up, he felt her hand on top of his head. He looked up to see her propped up on one arm to look him in the eyes.

"Please don't tease me anymore." Her voice was shaky and coarse, but the urgency in her voice almost made it seem angry.

"Of course," he murmured. His eyes were glued to her face as he licked her up from beneath her entrance to the hood of her clit. His eyes closed back when the combination of their essences coated his tongue. He moaned, his nose buried in her folds too. He could feel her whole body shake as he did so and he heard the soft thud of her lying back down. His tongue laved at her inner labia before suckling them between his lips to catch any remaining juices.

He heard her moaning again and felt her feet squirming around him. While she did, he lifted his head to watch her pussy wriggle along with her hips. "Beautiful..." he whispered, drawing in close to gently kiss her inner lips. Once she settled back down, he carefully dipped his tongue into her, something he had been waiting so patiently to do. He scooped and probed for any remaining arousal that hadn't been pushed out of her. He did his best to commit the feel and flavor to memory as she spasmed around him. By that point, she was clearly very close. Before he could search for the evidence of himself inside of her, he pulled his tongue out and latched onto her clit, suckling and licking it until she came with an exasperated gasp.

"Okay, okay, no more!" She was panting as she ran her hands through his hair. "You won!" He crawled back up to her face to steal one last kiss from her. She accepted his kiss, wrapping her arms around him again until she shuddered against him and pulled away. "I'm serious! I don't think I have anymore left in me."

Mitsuhide looked down between them and it turned out he had subconsciously started rubbing her again.

He dropped his head, guilty as charged, "It would seem I'm wholly unable to keep my hands off of you at the moment."

She combed through his hair, fixing the wild flyaways and admiring the afterglow on his handsome face. "Then hold me while we sleep."

"Very well then," he positioned himself at her side, allowing her to use his arm as a pillow. He let her put her arm around his waist as she curled up next to him. "You were an absolute delight tonight," he stated plainly, a smile in his voice.

"You were a force to be reckoned with." her statement made him snort with laughter before she could continue. "I don't think I could withstand that on a regular basis. It could probably kill me." Despite her words, she couldn't wipe the grin off her face.

"That's fair. But what if we saved it for special occasions? I must admit, I am quite a fan of your newfound abilities," he said suggestively, referring to what occurred under the towel they laid on.

She lightly smacked him on the back; she wasn't ready to talk about that yet. "...I'm okay with that." She hid her face in his chest so he wouldn't see how hard she was blushing.

He hadn't meant to tease her, so he kissed the top of her head and embraced her. "I love you," he said, cradling her close.

"I love you too. Thank you for tonight," she lifted her head to look him in the eyes, "Thank you for everything." They shared one last tender kiss before dozing off into perfect, dreamless sleep.

[smallcowplant]

[ P A R T  T W O ]

my favorite thing is monsters (book one) by emil ferris 🧟‍♀️🔍🧛‍♀️

quick synopsis: adult (coming-of-age story from the perspective of a young girl, but definitely targeted at an older audience)/graphic novel. set in late 60′s chicago, the fictional graphic diary of ten year old karen reyes recounts her experiences as she tries to solve the murder of her beautiful and enigmatic upstairs neighbor, a holocaust survivor.

page count: 416

rating:★★★ (this is a hard rating for me...think 3.7-3.9....oscillating to a 4....4.2....I don’t know, man)

review: I keep doing this fun and cool thing where I buy a book without realizing it’s the first in an (unfinished) series, and then end up being cast woefully adrift by reality. that’s what I did with this one. purely based on the artwork alone, I can tell you that this book is a treat for the eyes. a lot is going on here, and there’s something so engrossing about being swept up into the chaotic pen strokes and colors. the story is an interesting one, and not entirely what you expect. the characters are all distinct and layered---really riveting people who feel near-painfully real. as the first book in a two (?) book series, it leaves off with the central (and now additional) mysteries unsolved---which leaves the reading experience feeling unfinished and kind of disjointed. I’m stuck in a bit of a confusing mid-zone with this one, where I truly....well, I can't say I enjoyed it, since this story is so much more than that? I was...fascinated? enveloped? I’ll be reading the next one, definitely.

one of us is lying by karen m. mcmanus 🥜🚓📱

quick synopsis: young adult/contemporary mystery/suspense. five students walk into detention. only four make it out alive. who did it...and who is lying?

page count: 361

rating:★★★ (firm 3.7)

review: the breakfast club....but with murder? if you’re down for that, you’ll enjoy this book! it certainly kept my attention. and MAN was this a suspenseful and super stressful read. (if you need a book that’ll make you go “wow, I’m glad I’m not in high school anymore”, this is it lol!) there’s a bunch of really interesting character studies going on in this one, and it definitely lends to a tense and involving read. the only reason the rating isn’t any higher is just that certain elements of it didn’t work...entirely...for me. that doesn’t mean that they were bad...just not what I...wanted? there’s two more books in this series, and while I’m not anxious to get my hands on them, I’m fairly sure I would read them!

murder at morrington hall: a stella and lyndy mystery by clara mckenna 🐎🍵💏

quick synopsis: adult/historical mystery. 1905. stella kendrick, a lively and confident american heiress, is tricked into an arranged marriage by her coldly ambitious father. her groom-to-be is viscount “lyndy” lyndhurst, who is both roughish and financially strapped. despite this rough beginning, they find themselves oddly drawn to each other. could they actually be a good match? however, all courtship is set aside when the pair discover the vicar who was  to marry them----dead in the library. now they must work together to solve the crime and find the culprit.

page count: 304

rating: ★★

review: ugh, it pains me to say, as I thought I was signing myself up for a fun turn-of-the-century murder mystery/romance...but this was just...meh. a meh story. I feel like it had potential to be an enjoyable, soapy romp with a dash of sensuality...but it was none of those things? (basically, I wanted a self-indulgent and delicious slice of chocolate cake...but I ended up with a week-old raisin muffin.) it didn't help that I had some issues with certain things the writer included. in particular, I REALLY didn’t like the equating of fat = mean/ugly and the repeated use of the word “bulbous” to describe certain characters noses----I had to do a quick google search to see what the hell the author was talking about. still not sure if she was trying to imply that the characters had rhinophyma/rosacea or just that they had bigger, “ugly” noses, but neither is good lmao. whenever you put a “plain/regular-degular person” with a big nose up against your array of stock White People™ characters with thin noses and angular faces, AND make those “plain” characters play the “wow, I’m so ugly but these characters are so pretty oh woe is me” bullshit in their inner monologue, I’m dipping. I’ve collected my paycheck, clocked out, left the building. (your story is already about a bunch of rich, straight, white people in 1905...I’m already skeptical, don’t test me. jk, but also not.) I’m fairly sure this would have caused a decent amount of people to DNF this book, but I’m a stubborn little bitch, and if I paid actual money for the hardcover copy at goddamn Barnes and Noble, I’m reading it. this is all to say that....if I’m being thrown out of enjoying your soapy historical murder mystery to gripe about random shit, there’s a problem. other than that? carpet was described a lot, the twist was decent, the romance was okay (no smut---or anything even vaguely close to romantic/sexual tension---and the kisses were not described at all, so I have no clue if either of them do more than press their lips together while admiring each others pale necks, but whatever), and the setting was the most interesting thing about this book (a crumbling english estate in the countryside?? sign me tf up). I won’t be reading anything more in this series, but that cover is pretty cool isn’t it? (I don’t know that the vase had anything to do with the story I read, but it does look really neat.) sidenote: hate to be a smarmy asshole, as I know full well how much work goes into writing, and I’m in no way trying to shame the author...this book just didn’t do it for me.

wilder girls by rory power 🌳🦷🥀

quick synopsis: young adult/horror/mystery. on an isolated island off the coast of maine, raxter school for girls is under quarantine. a mysterious disease has wracked the island, leaving teachers dead, students twisted and changed, and the woods that surround it dangerous and wild. while the disease consumes the island, the girls wait---for help, for the cure that was promised to them. but when hetty’s best friend disappears, she must venture out of the safety of the school, past the gate that separates them from the woods---and what she finds will change everything.

page count: 363

rating: ★★★★★

review: powerful, blistering, and utterly terrifying. that’s what immediately comes to mind when thinking about this book. I read it in a breakneck pace, devouring the whole thing in a feverish five? hour haze. once it was over, I sat bleary-eyed, the air around me feeling different than before, my hands tense and my stomach jumping. “you were a good one.” I said softly, kissing the spine. so yeah, it’s good. it’s very good. heartbreaking and awful and shockingly beautiful. this one hurts. I felt this one in my bones, in my soul. read it.

lovely war by julie berry 🌷💥💞

quick synopsis: young adult (but the youngest character is 18...so I think this could comfortably slot into adult)/historical (with a touch of fantasy). the intersecting stories of hazel, james, aubrey, and colette: a classical pianist from london, a british would-be-architect-turned-soldier, a harlem-born ragtime genius in the u.s. army, and a belgian orphan with a gorgeous voice and a devastating past----told by the goddess aphrodite, who must spin the tale or face judgment on mount olympus.

page count: 468

rating: ★★★★★

review: do you know how many times I CRIED while reading this book? because I certainly don’t! I lost track, as there are simply too many painful and beautiful things contained in this book. heart-wrenching, sumptuous and intoxicating, vivid in the best and worst ways, sharp and soft at the same time. I met my boyfriend while he was still active-duty military, so the wartime/seperation themes hit me very personally....but even without that, this book is excellent. expertly weaving together mythology and history in one gripping piece of art, it left me with a wistful smile on my face and a faint ache in my heart. it’s good. very good.

we have always lived in the castle by shirley jackson 🏡💀🐱

quick synopsis: young adult? adult? who knows!/mystery/horror. mary katherine blackwood is eighteen years old and lives with her sister constance. she has often thought that with any luck at all she would have been born a werewolf, because the two middle fingers on both of her hands are the same length, but she has had to be content with what she has. she dislikes washing herself, and dogs, and noise. she likes her sister constance, and richard plantagenet, and amanita phalloides, the death-cup mushroom. everyone else in her family is dead.

page count: 146

rating: ★★★★ (4.5/4.6!)

review: delightfully creepy and utterly odd, with a full cast of extremely unlikable characters and one of the strangest protagonists I’ve ever read. at NO TIME did I have any idea where the story was going, which lead to an completely bizarre (but fun!) reading experience. twilight-zonian/gothic...but better. very eager to read more of shirley jackson’s catalogue, because that lady sure knew how to weave a tale. very glad I read this one.

sadie by courtney summers 📻👥🎙

quick synopsis: young adult (mc is nineteen, and imo I feel like this slides into adult tbh)/contemporary/true crime. told from the alternating perspectives of nineteen-year-old sadie, who runs away from home to find her younger sister’s killer, and a true crime podcast exploring sadie’s disappearance.

page count: 308

rating: ★★★ 

review: sad, awful, raw. that’s this book, simultaneously bright red and angry and deep blue, sadness upon sadness. this book reminds me of every true crime documentary I’ve ever watched---how it wraps itself up in a depressingly soft way, all the emptiness left behind and everything forever-changed. gives me the same icky voyeuristic feeling consuming any true crime content always leaves with me---this peculiar feeling of peering in to others heartbreak, of their horrors. this is a hard book. it’s difficult and not easy to stomach---and it never lets up. know that before you go in. what you may expect/want is NOT what you’ll get. and that’s the trueness of this book. I have my own personal feelings regarding the story, thus the three star rating, but that’s on ME. this book is incredibly well-written and insanely gripping. I finished it the same night I started reading it. if you want a gritty, intense read set in the very bleak reality of our world, this is your book.

FEBRUARY

BOOKS READ: 14

PAGES READ: 4225

# OF 2020 BOOKS READ SO FAR: 17/50

in reflection: my goal for this month was to read ten books, and I did that ...plus four more! so I’m pretty proud of myself, lol! there were a lot of stellar reads this month, and I had so much fun discovering them all! definitely a TON of new favorites to add to my bookshelf! :^)

disclaimer: all fourteen of the books I read this month include/focus on potentially triggering content, although they do fluctuate on the scale of intensity and subject matter. my wrap-up reviews do not contain spoilers/a comprehensive list of potential triggers. I urge everyone to do their own research regarding the content of these books if you’re interested in reading them, and I’m always available for questions. my reviews are just that, reviews, and books that work for me may not work for you (and vice versa).

[secret-engima]

Are you in the One Piece Fandom? Wait what fandoms are you in? Overlord?? Akatsuki No Yona?? (THAT ONE IS A GREAT READ AND WATCH TBH—its so underappreciated!!) Undertale?? (Throws hands up)

Uhhhhhhhhh depends on your definition of “in”. If by “in” you mean “have consumed the canon content enough to know what’s up” then I am in a lot less fandoms than you’d think. If you mean “have absorbed enough of the canon and fanon via osmosis to kinda get the gist and enjoy the fanfic while ignoring the actual source material” then I’m in … enough fandoms I literally can’t remember them all off the top of my head but here’s a list of what I can think of rn:

Transformers (Animated, Prime-verse, Bay-verse, SORTA G1 but only for like- two fanfics and a couple one-shots)

Final Fantasy XV (obviously)

Final Fantasy 7 (this is one of those osmosis ones, the only canon content I have actually owned is the Advent Children movie. Have watched Crisis Core walkthroughs tho)

How to Train Your Dragon (movies only)

My Hero Academia (manga, anime, and vigilantes but I’m not up to date so no spoilers pls)

Katekyo Hitman Reborn (osmosis that led to watching some of the show. The fanfics are better. Hands down. Still glad the show exists tho, otherwise the fanfic would not.)

Harry Potter (solely via crossovers, I don’t tend to enjoy straight HP fanfic, but yeeting Harry into fandoms I do know is funny)

Naruto (I have watched exactly three eps of the original and up to the Diedara mocking Naruto with Gaara’s body in Shippuuden. Everything else is pure fandom Osmosis.)

Boruto (counting this as a separate thing because Naruto fans tend to be mean over the show (????). Which is a shame cause I adore it. Ninja school/youth slice of life with end of the world drama thrown in for flavor? Heck yeah. Also Mitsuki is My Bby Boi™ and I will hear no dissent)

Akatsuki No Yona (anime, slowly collecting the manga, it is The Best™)

One Piece (pure fandom osmosis. Have watched maybe the earliest eps before I got a headache from the animation/voice acting, after that I quit and live in fanfic only)

Undertale (have never played the game, no desire to, have absorbed plot through wiki entries and fanfic osmosis. Mostly I just adore the concept of a character who knows about save points and uses them for good or evil, as well as the whole “different runs” thing and the potential Angst and Hurt/Comfort having a Frisk with multiple runs under their belt could bring. Also Papyrus and Sans are the cutest things and I love them even though I hate skeleton characters as a general rule).

Sword Art Online (this is the anime that got me into fantasy anime. Period. My Fairy Tail fanfic would not exist without this anime making me interested in non-Case Closed and Detective School Q anime. SAO Progressive Light Novels are *chef’s kiss*.)

Log Horizon (anime is fun. I like the more political/economic take that makes it so different from SAO. Also the potential Shenanigans between Adventurers and Landers and the Lander POV potential is cool).

Star Wars (I have watched all the movies at least once barring Rise of Skywalker so no spoilers, am working through older Clone Wars seasons and gleefully have enjoyed Rebels and several of the games. I do NOT write for this fandom as a general rule because I have no desire to get involved in the flame wars, especially since the original trilogy was not my entry point? So I actually really enjoy a lot of the characters and shows outside the original trilogy and apparently my ability to like content that isn’t *raises imaginary holy grail* “the OG trilogy” is a crime against Star Wars and nature and possibly humanity. Let me enjoy my blind jedi and his crew of misfit pseudo-kids you puritans. Also Rey.)

Fairy Tail (anime, have yet to watch the last season, love this show with all my heart).

Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood (have yet to watch more than a few eps on the show, for all its on my reading list, so most of what I know is fanfic osmosis).

Fruits Basket (I … actually have not read fanfic of this? But I adore the books with all my heart and am so stoked to see the remade anime).

Case Closed/Magic Kaito (anime and fanfic. Treating these as the same since they’re in the same universe and spot of timeline, just have different MCs and premises).

Detective School Q (My first anime! Thank you youtube for the collection of pirated anime eps I got to binge before they all got deleted. As far as I am aware, there is no fandom still living for this show, which is a shame because it was good).

Rurouni Kenshin (the original anime! Never got past the arc with the burned villain but I still enjoyed it up to that point. No idea what the arcs after it are like. Don’t really care.)

Hobbit/LOTR (read the Hobbit, have watched all the movies. AU fanfics ftw.)

Bleach (this … is pure fanfic osmosis. I blame @wolfsrainrules @north-peach and @akaluan they got me curious. Still a little iffy on the show itself but like- I enjoy the fanfic. I’m a sucker Akaluan’s Dragon Eclipse fanfic especially.)

Princess Tutu (haven’t been in the fandom in forever? But I have a few fav fics and the show is *chef’s kiss*).

Voltron: Legendary Defender (started with the fanfics out of accident and curiosity, then hopped over to the show because the crossover potential it had with TF got me interested. Am currently in the second season so pls no spoilers).

Avengers: Earth’s Mightiest Heroes (show, fanfic, I enjoy crossovers. Someone did the world’s most epic TF:P crossover with this show and I have loved it ever since.)

MCU (osmosis that led to watching the movies. I think I liked all of the ones I watched barring Guardians of the Galaxy and Antman. Tellingly, I have made a point not to watch Endgame, Infinity War, GoG 2 or Antman 2. I can tell that the first two are just- no. I haven’t seen a fandom go up in fire that fast in years I have no desire to experience WHY.)

Edit: AVATAR. Why did I forget Avatar: The Last Airbender? hgdhgf. Anyway I like both A:TLA and Korra.

Uhhhh that’s all I can think of atm. I’m definitely missing some but yeah. Brief rundown of fandoms I am able to at least hold a basic conversation about and a brief bio of how/why I know them.

[countessogilvy]

Saying that there are other options and having MC make the choice to keep the baby because she wants to have it even if it was unplanned would be pretty nice considering how many real women play this book. Pretending that abortion is not even an option in a world where we still have to fight to have this choice speaks volumes about the quality of the book. It's just a fictional story but reading TF helped me to accept myself and I know people who need to hear that the alternative is not a crime

But why must women have to explore other options when its an unplanned pregnancy? Every single day, real women discover an unplanned pregnancy and make the choice to go through with it without hesitation or thought to any other option, whether it resulted in contraceptive failure or lack thereof. Whether the woman has a spouse/partner or if she is single. Taking an unplanned pregnancy to term is pro-choice, not considering termination is pro-choice. No one is required to actively look at the options, women are capable of making their own reproductive decisions without input from others. 

At no point did this book suggest that the alternative is a crime. At no point did she show regret to her decision, she was actually happy about her pregnancy. Shaming and admonishing her for not considering alternatives is anti-choice and that is the only crime here.

[monstermaster13]

Werebelushi:

I would like to apologize for the rant I did about character transformation writers not only did it sound transphobic of me but also ignorant because I did not know bigender was a thing at the time and yes I do know that it's not the same as non-binary, the original rant was deleted and also it was not finished, so I had much more to say but in hindsight I wish I could have put more effort into it. Keep in mind I am not against people of any sexual orientation or species of race of any kind and I sounded like an idiot, and also said rant was unfinished, and yes I know that toxic person comment's sounded dickish but then again it did anyway because here's the thing, accusing someone of being a coward for using a character to express themselves is just moronic. Do these people not know that reviewers use characters all the time? Yeah, real movie characters are just themselves on screen all the time but most of the infamous ones have personas they use. Also fyi, Nathan's song parodies are NOT meant to be perfect in anyway but who you are to call them horrible if you have not even read them? It's like me saying 'oh the Lord of the Rings books are terrible' when I only saw the movie adaptation.

My issue with character tfs whether it be live action, animated, anime, comics, etc is that so many of them seem to like using MC aka mind changes and I don't like that because it's a dark ending and well identity death always scares me, the gender identity of the authors or artists isn't the issue, it's just the heavy focus on corruption and MC that really disturbs me, is it so hard to get a character tf that doesn't enforce that trope over and over? I have already made a rant about the incident in general and the person who started it so I got that off my chest, but I am just going to say my reason for not liking anime character transformations in general is that I feel that these can be down without so much of the dark and gruesome aspects, I like character transformations it's just I don't like MC.

Is that too much to ask? Look it was in 2022 and two weeks after Gilbert Gottfried's death, I was trying not to start the year off on a bummer but I get not one but two people making stupid accusations about me acting like using a character to vent out is cowardly and I did not need that. Do these people not know that's what actual authors do sometimes? The original 'anime tf writer' rant from that year was not complete and was not what I wanted to get across, that was just a random mini-rant and that was it, an incomplete mini-rant that I foolishly published without knowing I did not finish it.

I never meant to offend anyone or attack them for their gender identity, the only time I actually have gone at length about someone is when I rant about Kurvos and that's because I genuinely do not like him as a person, I feel that his reviews (which are gone) showed him at his most hypocritical, and I am not attacking him for his sexuality, I am just saying that he comes across as whiny and hypocritical. And also his argument with Nathan over the Tangled review was really what started it.

For the record Kurvos argued with Nathan on Youtube too..if Kurvos actually does claim to like Disney movies why does he always complain about how it's pandering to having a gay female character and why did he do that bizarre YTP clip that had dark creepy Disney music playing over a happy scene from Huncback? I am sorry but out of all the scenes, why one of the only scenes in which Quasimodo is happy?

And also I only specifically rant about the commissions Avianine does, not the author herself, just her character. And yes there is a bit of lore behind Ciel, Ciel used to be a male character who was cursed into being female but he/she eventually began to like it, that's why Ciel likes turning into a boy I guess. It's just I don't like Ciel as a character or understand why so many people commission for tfs involving her. I would never wish harm on Avianine herself even if I do make fun of the bad dialogue in her comics sometimes.

This is the official and definitive version of that mini-rant and of course it comes with an apology, I apologize for whatever happened that caused the sort of drama from two years ago to become a thing and for not thinking about my words or being careful with what I said, it was a mistake. And I am not in any way harming anyone.

[e-luxion]

Why I think Johnny Suh’s Rising is...

Scorpio.

I don’t know why I had the need to make a whole damn post about it but I am cos I feel strongly about it, and I welcome people to come argue with me about this. ok that sounded semi-threatening, it wasn’t I promise. Please do interact and share your opinions, I love to hear them!! This is a completely useless post but here you go. Also, I didn’t go in too much depth in some placement and kind of kept things a bit superficial and did not talk about every single placement that he would have. 

First of all,

the way he just looks makes me nervous. That’s all. 

Let’s look at the basics of having a Scorpio Ascendant:

The most prominent thing about Scorpio risings are their eyes. 

They are usually piercing, intense and it stands out. Another thing that is common with Scorpio Risings is having “bedroom eyes” and/or “tired looking eyes”* 

Sharp looking profile. I am not going to talk too much about actual physical appearance of risings cos I think it is more complicated than that, like there is a lot that goes into it. But i can make a post about it if requested ;)

Even if the person is outgoing, they are very observant and really good at “reading the room”, and just picking up emotions 

Scorpio Risings are the mfs who just stare at people, they make intense eye contact for like no reason (whether is conscious or unconscious it depends on the person but in Johnny’s case, he 100% does it on purpose, does no one else remember that time he said he makes direct eye contact with people on purpose to make them nervous/uncomfortable??? (that's peak Scorpio AC culture right there) 

Very strong-willed individuals who can overcome a lot of hardship

Values privacy a lot and absolute kings of keeping secrets 

Scorpio Risings also have a magic way of making everyone open up their secrets to them. You probably won’t even realise, they just have that vibe that makes you open up

s a r c a s t i c

it does not matter who you are, what you are, what you’re into. Everyone is attracted to Scorpio Risings and you want to f**k them. I don’t make the rules, we just have that power. You can hate them or love them but you cannot help but be attracted to them. 

also fun fact for y’all, most celebrities have fixed sign risings (Taurus, Scorpio, Leo and Aquarius)

*reminds me of this one thing I saw on twitter once about how he hated when people asked him if he was tired when he wasn’t because he has a natural “sleepy” look or something along those lines

Now onto the fun part, looking at how his chart would look like if he had a Scorpio AC and why it somehow makes sense:

Leo Midheaven: For those of you who might get Leo vibes from Johnny, this might be why. The Midheaven is your “public persona”, the person your co-workers see and strangers see in public/work settings, and well Johnny’s job is being an idol so that is why he might act more like his Midheaven at first glance, and with his Mars also being in Leo, I believe it only heightens this. So Leo Midheaven is a midheaven that you’ll often find amongst performers/entertainers/singers/actors because people with this placement tend to be insanely charismatic, charming, creative and natural leaders. They also come across super confident, in their place of work they are loud and full of pride, you’ll just notice them no matter what. Naturally, they have a talent to inspire others, and sort of have a regal quality to them. The only thing bigger than their ego is their heart (very kind people), but it is their ego that helps them get far ahead in life, they’re also very ambtious and because they are so ambitious, they only aim for the best of the best (i.e. being famous). Great at storytelling, presenting, acting and possess an insanely creative mind, at the end of the day they just want to be seen. Seriously, Leo MCs seem to be those people that were just born to shine, they stand out wherever they go. 

Sagittarius on the 2nd house cusp: Lucky with finances and doesn’t worry much about money or their belongs (not @ Johnny throwing his fucking iPhone like it costs $5), even if you grew up poor (which he obviously didn't, he is a middle-class suburb lil bitch and it shows) you don’t worry too much about money. For some people, it seems like you spend your money a bit recklessly and just buy shit, and like to spend your money on experiences and travelling. Fun fact, I also have this placement I can confirm all of these are FACTS and I- mmm i dont want to talk about my spending habits cos yikes :) 

Pisces on the 5th house cusp: Two words: hopeless romantics. To the point where it’s slightly unrealistic, but that’s a different story. They really want the whole fairytale, the glass slipper and the spotting someone in a crowd and falling madly in love kind of thing. But also they express their love in a selfless, unconditional way, these are the kinds of people who love blindly and accept all your flaws. Can be very sentimental.

Cancer on the 9th house cusp: With this placement others have an affinity for you as an authority figure who has a strong nurturing or protective feel, very supporting and encouraging. It can be an indicator for moving away from the place where you grew up and finding comfort in foreign places. People with this placement also find it easier to adapt to different cultures. 

Virgo on the 11th house cusp: The helpful friend, looks out for everyone, they will always be there for you and great at giving advice. The type that remembers the little things, truly the parent friend cos they look out for you and the kind of person you usually love spending time with and make plans with. Actually only has a few *close* friends.

Sun in the 3rd: People with this placement are usually known for their intelligence and way with words. Sun in the 3rd house people hate to be bored and are always willing to try new things and experience new things (they also adapt very well to any situation), they’re also pretty light-hearted with a great sense of humor and can be mischievous. It also really balances the fixedness of his Aquarius sun. With the 3rd house of communication falling in the Sun, it gives the person a lot of confidence in their speech and pride in their communication skills. It is also said that people with this placement travel/move around a lot. Friendship, and again communication, is very important to them, they make friends easily and have a way of relating to others, also very open-minded. 

Moon in the 7th: This is definitely a people-oriented kind of placement, their emotional security is achieved through others, they have a strong need to be around people. (some astrologers also say that these people are the kind to always be in a relationship of some kind, it doesn’t necessarily mean an official “relationship” but A relationship, be it platonic, romantic/committed or literally just casual dating but they need to be with someone because they hate to be alone = feel unstable without someone) These are also the kind of people who fulfill their emotional needs per se through others, so by making others happy. 

Mercury in the 3rd: This is honestly such a perfect placement for Mercury, since it falls in its natural ruling house so the planet feels comfortable with this, especially being in an air sign (Aquarius). One of things that Johnny is known for is his “communication” skills, hence why he has a whole YT series: JCC or Johnny’s Communication Centre so this placement is the one that makes the most sense. Mercury in the 3rd house just boosts everything that Mercury represents, it might make someone have a short attention span or get bored easily but they pick up on things very easily, they are very good at multi-tasking and have a very active mind. They are usually the type that know a bit of everything, always have fun facts for you and can have a conversation in literally any topic with anyone, somehow know everyone and are friends with everyone, natural charmers. They LOVE to talk and talk a lot, they excel at any form of communication or writing, this reminds me of two things: (1) The translator at the Mexico concert said that Johnny asks a lot of questions, is very curious and excited to learn (spanish) and also talks A LOT. (2) I heard somewhere that Johnny was in a debating club in school. To sum up Mercury in the 3rd, are great at talking, communication comes easy to them and are huge social butterflies, a good sense of humour, very curious like a child and also like books. boom, jOhnny. 

Also to expand on this communication talk: He’d also have Capricorn in the 3rd house, which usually makes someone careful, these are the kind of people that think before they talk and unless they know what they are talking about, they shut tf up. Their voice can sound quite intimidating and authoritarian, but there is something comforting about it. Also tends to make someone very sarcastic, their humor is a bit dry, very dead-pan, the type to make jokes with a serious face and expect you to get it? Also tOO mANy dad jokes. 

Venus in the 2nd: Another Mr. Romantic placement that just fits Johnny way more than I want to admit. People with this placement are big old-timey romantic, they don’t fall in love easily but when they do they do fall hard and are completely head over heels, even if they don’t “fall in love easily” they secretly just want to be in love. They live for the pleasure, the romance and the beauty of it all. The type to send you a 100 roses with a card saying “to my one and only, from your one and only”, or buy you a huge teddy bear that smells like him, do the whole wine & dine you, picnic at a park and then take photos of you. It really isn’t about the huge romantic gestures, rather the small and cute ones, it’s about making memories and creating mementos, but also about the cheesy yet classy romance. They can also be super touchy, very physical. Another thing about them is that they really like to buy people stuff, and shower people with material things, it’s (one of) their love languages I guess. I can’t remember right but I am pretty sure I heard somewhere Johnny always buys members shit, like he just buys them stuff all the time. 

Mars in the 9th: I said I wasn’t going to talk too much about appearance here, but more energy/vibe instead but I can tell you this much, legend goes that people with Mars in the 9th either have a thing for thighs or have t h i c c thighs* or both so.... Very experimental people, lighthearted yet passionate, really turned on by languages and laughter/smiling. This is the kind of person that will debate anything to do with beliefs, and if you question their beliefs they’ll be like “:) :) :) ok cool ur opinion is valid, everyone has their own opinion :) :) :) except urs sucks :)” you know they secretly love intellectual fights, cos they’re opinionated as hell and have strong opinions, they’re super straight-forward and open-minded (regardless of the fact that they have very strong opinions) and are always willing to learn. Not the best at sugar coating things, kind of blunt whilst still remaining kind and humorous. But since his Mars is in Retrograde, the more aggressive sides of his mars will be very internalized. But their desire in life is to spread joy and laughter, they are very good at making others laugh and being playful.  Fun fact: people with this placement tend to move is a very bouncy kind of way, very clumsy. Another fun fact: I heard once that people with this placement may or may not have a teacher kink, and a sex abroad/while traveling kink, also having sex outside. 

*skip to 5:26

Jupiter in the 1st: First of all, I have seen a few Nctzen-astrologers type Johnny as a Sagittarius rising and this would be my explanation for that. Having Jupiter in the 1st will give you similar features and energy as a Sagittarius rising, people with this placement tend to have a larger than life presence, your presence is felt before you even walk into a room. Planets in the 1st house kind of go in pair with your rising (because well, it falls on that house duh) so it has a huge influence on how you carry yourself, how you present yourself at first sight, the kind of vibe that you give off and with Jupiter falling on your first house you just exude this optimism, enthusiasm and honestly? Just happiness and positivity. Also people with this placement tend to have big smiles and a large bone structure, Jupiter is the planet of expansion so it makes “bigger” everything that it touches so in the first house it will make your physical features “bigger”: big smiles, soft cheeks, thicc body, etc. This placement also makes people have a certain child-like quality, a permanent youthfulness because of the way they carry themselves (positive vibes y’all), they are also very driven and persistent people, with this fire inside that makes them succeed in anything they set their mind to, maybe it is because of this blind optimism that they eventually succeed. I don’t even have to go on about how this fits with Johnny because I think it speaks for itself. 

Saturn in the 4th: out of the many things Saturn represents, your fears is one of them, in the fourth house there could be a fear of losing family, also fear of being unloved (even if you are a very loved person, it is always in the back of your mind), also a fear of not being safe, and not belonging. Belonging might be quite important to him and above all, with this placement: family is taken seriously. People with this aspect value family a lot, and feel responsible for their family. And I think anyone that stans NCT can agree that Johnny definitely seems to take family quite seriously. 

Pluto in the 1st: LMAO ok so Pluto in the 1st, is one of the most intimidating placement a person can have. Even if you are the biggest cinnamon bun in the planet, people will be intimidated by you and lowkey scared of you at first glance. You will just naturally give off major alpha intense vibes, no matter what you do. This truly contradicts his (possible/hypothetical) Jupiter in the 1st, I can see it creating this extreme duality (that is very Johnny ngl) of being this intimidating ass man but also being a ray of sunshine that literally oozes positivity. With Pluto in the 1st, you also tend to rub people... a special way. When you have this placement in your natal chart, people either hate you or love you, there is no in-between whatsoever, but regardless of that everyone wants to f*ck you and if they say they don’t, they are lying to themselves. People with this placement tend to be insanely magnetic and people tend to be attracted to them, if they are in a room, you’ll notice them for sure cos their aura is just so intense. QWLL SHAPED LIPS 

I’d like to add this here to back up my theory: How Yuta said Johnny was the scariest hyung, and they all fucking agreed and Ten SHOOK his hand like “finally someone said it, that bitch is terrifying” and then there was that time (I couldn’t find it sorry) where Doyoung said that they were all watching a horror movie and everyone kept chatting and Johnny was like all of you shut up and Doyoung said that in that moment Johnny was scarier/more intimidating than the horror movie. Also, I have this theory that idols show probably would show their rising signs more in airports, cos you know they are just walking, minding their business with their “external self” faces on so I can see how their AC would show more in those situations. And like have you seen Johnny walking around in airports? That tall bitch is intimidating as hell, he has that stare and bitch face down to a T and then I remember he has the personality of a teddy bear and I am like ???????? how 

Note: for him to have these placements he’d have to be born at around 0:30 am. 

so HMU if you want me to do other members and I’ll do some research about it and do a post like that. I am not sure about some of the other members but I do feel strongly about Lucas, maybe Ten, maybe Taeyong (not too sure about him yet)

from your local hoe, Lulu xoxoxoxo

[lizzybeth1986]

Quick Thoughts on Lazy Writing, aka "Look Look, We Got You An Asian Woman LI, Now Give Us A Medal Just For Making Her Exist".

• Yep. This is not going to be about Chapter 15. I don't think Chapter 15 is worth a fucking QT post. It does not deserve it, this book doesn't deserve it, this team does not deserve it, I'm not giving it one.

• This chapter is basically part-resolution-of-Hana's-arc and part-sex-scene-on-the-balcony. I'll probably write about the balcony scene when I resume writing essays. But as of now...I'm going to write about Hana. At least that way she'll get the focus that she deserves, and that PB is so unwilling to give her 😡 So if you think I've whined too much about Hana Lee, my dear readers, let me tell you this: you ain't seen nothing yet. Leave now while you can if Hana-rants aren't your thing.

• Basically - since I'm not going to do the usual chapter walkthrough this QT - I'll summarize what happens. Xinghai and Lorelai insist on taking away Hana's belongings despite protests from Hana and the MC. There is a diamond option to help her retrieve her black embroidered cheongsam, which is more precious to her than anything else because it holds memories of her grandmother. Afterwards you get ready for the lantern festival and spend majority of the chapter trying to get Hana's parents to give a positive statement, and eventually figure out that Rashad is the key to this. You convince him to accept Xinghai's proposal, Lorelai and Xinghai openly support you and make a half assed apology to Hana, everyone is happy and telling each other their wishes, and the diamond option to scandalize the entire country (...or not. You can go to the bedroom instead lol) with your LI pops up. It ends with Maxwell getting excited about hosting your bachelorette in Las Vegas (somehow I have a feeling the TRR writers never read RoE Book 2).

• Yep that's it. There really is nothing worth writing about in this chapter, because they didn't bother to nail the most important part of it: and that is Hana's story.

• That's all I'm going to talk about today. Hana.

• Hana. Hana. Hana Hana. Hana Hana Hana. HanaHanaHanaHanaHanaHana.

• Did I mention Hana?

• Title: Light the Night. Which is straightforward, it's a festival dedicated to lanterns and takes place around nighttime. Though IMO the title should really have been: The Number of Fucks Given About Hana Lee By Her Own Writers Is Equal To The Number of Times Anton Severus Makes An Appearance In This Chapter

•

...I just had to slip that in somewhere since there is no way I can ever make this statement unironically IRL 😢

•

This is the first of many statements Hana's parents make about her inability to survive on her own. She is a "delicate flower" that requires watchful care and tending, and the MC is the "weed", the kind that doesn't fit in - but also the kind that is tough and resilient and can survive all manners of things, that depends on itself. Lorelai's argument is that without them, or without a partner that meets their approval, Hana will have very few skills to take care of herself (whose fault is that, I wonder!)

This is something Hana is aware of, and has been highlighting on the few occasions that the people who right her remember that she is meant to be a well-rounded character (which isn't often). She has spoken about not knowing how to live without her parents (Book 2 Chapter 2), how she doesn't know if her skills will help her in the real world (Book 3 Chapter 5), how she isn't even aware who she is (Book 2 Chapter 9). Her character arc was meant to be about learning what her parents neglected to teach her in their mad rush to make her the perfect aristocratic wife, the perfect hostess. Except that, unfortunately, these narrative threads were picked up in fits and starts: implied at and alluded to but never satisfactorily explored.

I will come back to punch holes in Lorelai's arguments (echoed by Xinghai at the festival) later.

•

On the surface this looks like a nice story? It harks back to a dress we've seen before (the black-red-gold cheongsam she'd shown us in Shanghai, alongside a dress she'd made specially for us. She also wears it when she proposes to the MC in case she's the one you declare your love to), something we know she made and is important to her, and tells us more about her youth (the dress seems to have been made when she was "of age", since those measurements perfectly fit an adult Hana) and her family in China. But I have two major problems with this:

1. How many chapters has it been since this book started? 19 chapters in Book 1, another 19 in Book 2 and 15 at present. That makes it 53 whooping chapters.

FIFTY THREE CHAPTERS AND WE LEARN ABOUT HANA'S GRANDMOTHER, SOMEONE SHE WAS IMMENSELY CLOSE TO, ONLY NOW??? IT TAKES US FIFTY THREE FUCKING CHAPTERS FOR US TO GAIN ACCESS TO THIS PIECE OF PERSONAL HISTORY????

2. The second major problem lies in the scene itself. I'll get there.

• So I'll start first with the main components of this scene:

1. The MC and Hana choose an accomplice (Maxwell/Olivia).

2. The accomplice distracts Lorelai

3. Hana distracts an attendant while the MC grabs the dress, but not before almost getting caught by another attendant. They make a run for it and find themselves in a secret hideout.

4. Hana changes into her dress and is happy. If you're marrying her, this is where she and the MC kiss. But besides this there's very little distinction between how this scene plays out if you're her friend versus if you're her fiancée.

•

The Olivia option of the Lorelai-distracting-segment is perhaps my favourite moment in the scene and the only reason it could be even remotely worth playing. Not just for Olivia herself, but also as a reminder that while Hana and Olivia have made their peace with each other and know each others' strengths, they will never actually like each other...and that's okay. Olivia reverts to her bitchy Book 1 persona, hinting at Hana's failed engagement with Lord Peter and casting her in a less favourable light, and I especially love that Hana lets her emotions take over here. There's always been a palpable tension between the two (and often Olivia is the one more open about it, while Hana usually prefers to display diplomacy instead) and this is one of the few times Hana gets to be anything other than neutral or cheerful. She doesn't like what Olivia said, and she makes it clear at least to the MC.

•

Hana Lee, Queen of Awkward Flirting xD xD

• We take a turn that almost lands us in a room where Lorelai is still talking, narrowly escape the attendant chasing us to finally find ourselves in a secret passage with a hole in the wall, from where you could easy watch the sunset.

• Hana changes into her cheongsam.

Very pretty. Lots of flowers and butterflies form the patterning of this dress.

• Now this was the point where I thought we'd learn more about this dress. Or about her grandmother. Or about her life in Shanghai. SOMETHING.

• But no. We get a brief conversation about how hurt Hana is that her mother is intent on disowning her, and the MC convincing her she is stronger than she believes herself to be. Which is nice, but it sounds like a repeat of what's been said before.

• Do you remember that one diamond scene option in The Sophomore where the MC get to to grab Natasha's Loose Pins posters so she can't sabotage Kaitlyn's band? I liked it, it was funny and I liked the thrill of the chase in that scene. And that was exactly the focus of that scene: the chase. Kaitlyn had other scenes focusing on her equation with the band, her trust issues post Gutter Kittens and how she has learned from her mistakes since TF Book 3. It made sense to have a funny, silly scene that revolved not around Kaitlyn but around that chase instead.

Well, that's exactly the focus of this scene. The chase! The fact that time was running out! The wild rush to grab that cheongsam before Hana's mother could catch her! That's exactly all this scene was meant to be and that's exactly how it was written.

But there's a huge difference here. Hana is not Kaitlyn. Kaitlyn's arc about her sexuality and about her coming out was highlighted in detail. She was given subplots that made it clear how complicated a journey it was for her and she has a canon sexuality openly addressed in the books. Hell, TF Book 2 has her scream "I'M GAY" in a crowded bar to her childhood friend Arjun!

Kaitlyn is allowed to be a well-rounded, imperfect person, who trusts the wrong people and suffers the consequences in such a way that it reflects on her self-esteem in the next few books. She had plenty of scenes exploring all these aspects of her journey, so a funny, light scene like this one works in the larger context of Kaitlyn's story.

But this scene - for Hana - was supposed to be the culmination of her entire journey. You hear that? Her entire journey! It was supposed to be the point where she made it clear to both her parents that this was who she was and this was the life she preferred to live, take it or leave it. This scene was supposed to be a watershed moment for her, and this is what it comes to? A scene where Hana isn't even the focus? Where her story, her journey isn't even the focus??

• The grandmother story irks me to no end for another reason too. It was clearly not meant to be development for Hana. If it were, there would have been more in the diamond scene itself. They would have spent the secret hideout scene on a thorough exploration of Hana and her childhood, her growing up, what this woman was like. If it really were meant as development, we wouldn't be hearing about this grandmother now at the very end.

No. That little tidbit about Hana's grandmother was bait. It's fairly obvious that most of us who love her character are literally starved for information about her compared to, say, Drake and Liam (Maxwell isn't exactly treated all that well either). So they push in this little story so that her fans can buy this scene that isn't even worth two diamonds, forget fifteen.

• So now we've got Hana's cheongsam, that she can now wear to the lantern festival (for a girl who knows how to sew, and sew beautifully, Hana has remarkably few outfits of her own) it's time for us to get ready. In some glittery beaded blue number.

Is it just me or does the art team for TRR have a thing for armbands?

• So the main problem now is to reach out to, and convince, Hana's parents before they make their final statements to the press.

• Penelope and Kiara love the festival, Olivia and Madeleine don't altogether hate it. Yay?

• Kiara is the only one among the court ladies whose wishes we hear, which is a nice touch considering she's always been the one given the least attention in the books. The lantern rituals are apparently both about letting go of things that are holding you back in your life, and making wishes for the future. Kiara is letting go of her doubts and her fears for this tour, and wishing speed in her learning of Icelandic. Hakim uses his wish to speak about work, and he's not the only one. Rashad needs help with getting a deal finalized for the Sloan firm too!

• We now move to Xinghai and try to convince him, but it only leads to a realization that Hana's parents still want to secure a match for her with the two men she'd firmly stated she had no interest in. This is nothing new, but this argument of Xinghai - also something Lorelai stated earlier - is something I want to expand on:

1. I'm incredibly familiar with the first argument. I've had a largely restrictive childhood under a very traditional Indian family dynamic (your parents are close to God so obey them), and didn't have much opportunity to mingle outside my home. As I grew older my father began to get increasingly frustrated that I was "glued to your mother's dupatta" (scarf) and not independent enough. And he said this genuinely, unironically. It never occurred to either of my parents that they'd created an environment that made it hard for me to actually make my own decisions without feeling like I was doing something wrong.

Xinghai and Lorelai are right to some extent: I mean, Hana herself on certain occasions has questioned how useful her skills are in the real world, in a Cordonia that needs her to be decisive and firm. But that didn't happen in a vacuum, did it? Both of them leave out (or in fact, don't even recognize) a significant truth about Hana's lack of independence - they were, to a large extent, responsible for it. She is dependent because they brought her up that way. Because they never gave her space to work things out on her own and the one time she demanded that space, they viewed it as an insult rather than actually give her that chance. The moment you place that much pressure and those many restrictions on a child, you've lost the right to talk about her lack of independence as if it's something that is a part of her. It isn't. You put her in that position. Tbh, it irks me that Xinghai and Lorelai genuinely don't see the irony in their statements.

What Hana had was an immensely restrictive childhood, and perhaps if she didn't have the friend circle in Cordonia that she did, she would have struggled. Her kind of upbringing doesn't allow for real world skills (something Lorelai views as a negative when she says "people wouldn't have to be resilient if they stayed in their place to begin with") and she's never been allowed to view even her own personal feelings as a good thing! This goes beyond "taking responsibility for one's past and future". She's never been allowed a responsibility that doesn't involve her being forced into matches she has had zero interest in, and that seem to have higher benefits for her family than they do for her.

All in all, Hana's skills do not fully equip her for independent living, sure, but they both overlook their own role in her eventual inability to adjust if it comes to that.

2. What Xinghai says about trust going both ways. He misses the fact that she already did. She trusted them completely and did everything they told her to, often to her own detriment. The engagement to Lord Peter? That's the perfect example of this. It wasn't her fault that the match broke: she followed through with it no matter how uninterested she was in the man, to the point where when he asked her if she really loved him she couldn't open up and tell him how she really felt. Yet she was viewed as responsible for the breaking of that match - for doing everything she was expected to do - and left Shanghai viewing herself as a failure.

She's spent years trusting them, spent most of her young life perceiving their worldview as correct and wanting to do right by them! She's gone above and beyond when it comes to trusting and respecting her parents' judgement! Even at the cost of her own happiness! There is only so much any human being can take before they realize how messed up this manner of bringing a child up is.

But guess what. None of this is actually addressed properly in the book, because we never get a real insight into Hana's upbringing and the effect it has had on his with any kind of nuance.

• After Xinghai and Lorelai tell us that what they're planning for Hana is for her own good, and imply that either Neville (the man is still around, yes) or Rashad can prove to be advantageous for her and moreso for their family and business. Hana and the MC briefly agonize over this, and if the MC correctly names the firm that Rashad wants as a client (IDK what happens if she doesn't - TBH I was sleepwalking through this chapter and wasn't interested in seeing what the alternative was this time. Sorry guys) they work on convincing him to work with Xinghai in exchange for introducing him to a contact in this firm.

• The MC first gets to choose what she will let go of, then chooses what she wishes for. Once this is done, Hana's mother makes a statement in support of the MC, having spoken to Rashad and suddenly realizing that their daughter can thrive without their handholding. Emotional family reunion. Everyone is happy. Lorelai apologizes and Xinghai reveals his wish for Hana to be happy. The end.

• There you go guys. This is how it ends. That's the conclusion of Hana's entire character arc. The culmination of a journey that lasted three whole books involving Hana fighting to create an identity for herself...ends in her parents realizing she's useful on her own after all. After all this time, after so much conflict and stress and confusion...it all boils down to her parents still seeing her more as an asset than as a daughter.

Awesome message, TRR, awesome message. Now give me a moment while I vomit.

Allow me to elaborate. She is still worthy only if she facilitates Xinghai's deal with Rashad's firm, if they manage to gain an advantage even minus her alliance with a titled man. There is no real change. Not in Hana, not in her parents, not in their relationship. This conclusion is superficial and is a horrifically weak way to end Hana's overall arc.

• To sum up the rest of the chapter before I give you a broader insight into why this chapter pissed me off so much...there is an LI diamond scene and then Maxwell announces a bachelorette party in Vegas (why aren't they doing that in Cordonia? Cordonia clearly has a gambling hub and a pretty famous casino if one were to recall RoE).

• The LI diamond scenes are quite sweet - all the LIs get to speak about family and having children - and there is a lot of sweetness and tenderness in all of them from what I've seen of the screenshots. Had this chapter not ruined this book for me, I would probably appreciate it better? In any case, I might do a four-LI-breakdown-essay of this scene once I feel up to it. I'll be doing the same for the LI scenes at the Capitol, Lythikos and Valtoria. Eventually.

• The Hana-specific scenes in this book, however...I think I'll pass. We have had just three so far: Polo Playing at Portavira, Snow Angel Making at Lythikos and Hana's Cheongsam here at Valtoria. None of these scenes possess any depth or nuance, none of them say much about Hana that hasn't already been said, each of them are pale echoes of the scenes we have seen Liam and Drake getting. If you're going to give an LI three individual scenes in 15 chapters of a book, those scenes had better be excellent, detailed and nuanced in their characterization. If you're not ready to give us that...then what's the point, team TRR??? You could have either given us more scenes with tiny but substantial tidbits, or less scenes but with bigger opportunities to know her better. But something tells me that you don't care enough about this character or your LGBTQ audience enough to actually do the work.

• And this problem isn't restricted to Book 3 alone. Hana has been subject to lazy writing since Book 2. The groundwork laid for Hana in Book 1 was really good...but that's all it was: basic groundwork. No Hana stan should have to pat you in the back for laying a good foundation for that character, not when the other two established LIs had just as solid a foundation PLUS excellent buildup in subsequent books. And no Hana stan should have to thank you now for throwing only scraps their way.

• Hana's foundations in Book 1 lay in two areas: her sexuality and her complicated relationship with her family. Hers was the classic coming-out-of-the-closet story, and it was heavily implied that she was never really given the space to view herself as anything but "straight", that she'd been pressurized into pursuing men, that the experience of falling for the MC itself was immensely confusing for her (in her first confession scene, she couldn't even articulate her feelings - that was how confusing this experience was).

But her sexuality is hardly ever directly touched upon in the books beyond that (beyond a botched Facebook response from a Pixelberry employee who dubbed her as "bi if she is pursuing you and straight if she is pursuing the Prince" like WTF - and a post from one of the writers stating that the team sees her as "bisexual...but that is something she is still figuring out". However the books never really touches on this the way they did for Kaitlyn, and they really, really should have. They should have established her sexuality in no uncertain terms within canon).

However she identifies herself, Hana's struggles would still be important and valid, and she would still have major issues coming out to herself and her family. In this recent chapter, Lorelai's issues are aired as a class issue rather than on the level of sexuality, which is contradicted by the very fact that Hana was pushed to pursue men, make herself desirable to eligible men, assumed by her parents to only have an interest in men. Not only does canon tell us very little about her parents' views on her sexuality, they don't openly voice what she identifies as!

• Book 1, in fact, is the only book they seemed to have put in some effort, but as I have maintained earlier, I refuse to give them credit for that because what you give in the first book is the foundation of the character. It can only come to life if you build on that foundation in the next book, and the next. But Book 2? Lazy writing from the start. The revelation that Liam - not Madeleine - was responsible for Hana's return came from Drake's scene, not hers. In Italy when Liam and Drake had amazing character and background building scenes, Hana was stuck with scenes that were barely about her. At the beginning of the Paris chapters, she got one of the most lackluster scenes in the entire book (the fashion runway with Penelope). I suppose there must have been some backlash because they brought out two good scenes in the Paris section - the Patisserie scene and the Library scene, only to treat her later like a persona non grata in Shanghai. SHANGHAI. HANA'S OWN HOME.

• This point is incredibly important, because Shanghai was the only place that was home to an LI. The narrative at this place should have been centered around her. The stories and love legends should have been told by her. Her background should have been receiving focus like never before but it didn't. Shanghai only lasted two chapters (as opposed to Capri's 3 and Paris' 4) and neither of those chapters gave her enough focus besides the confrontation with Xinghai. The panda reserve scene revolved around Liam. The night market scene focused on the mending of Drake and Maxwell's relationship with Hana functioning as a mere mediator. Liam was the one who got to give us the lovely dragon koi legend, not Hana who actually lived in China. Hana's only diamond scene in Shanghai focused less on her and more on the trip to NY - and she didn't even appear in the first chapter in that city!! (the writers later came up with the excuse that Hana was emotionally drained after her confrontation with her parents...except that NOBODY in the story - not even the MC - gave a flying fuck about where or how she was or why she wasn't there).

• I bring up Book 2 mainly because it's important for us to understand that what the writers have been doing with Hana isn't just restricted to this book or this post hiatus period. It's been ongoing. She's been given lazy, half-baked writing for a majority of the series, and I cannot even count the "development" she got in Book 1 because those are only building blocks. If you don't develop a character beyond that, all that's really there is a hollow shell. Hana had the promise and the potential to be a truly well-developed character, and they made a shell out of her instead.

• And it's not like the TRR team is unable to write women. Case in point: Olivia Nevrakis. Olivia's character development has been consistent and well-written throughout the entire series. Not only are her background, motivations and emotional state constantly given attention, the narrative somehow ensures she gets good development even when the focus isn't on her.

For instance, Olivia takes a definite backseat in Book 2, and she's mostly relegated to either investigation work or slowly becoming part of the MC's inner circle. She doesn't have a presence in group scenes where Liam appears, and she doesn't have a single individual scene the way she did in Books 1 and 3. Still, she is given enough material to facilitate her growing relationship with the MC (if she so chooses) and the group. As Liam's alternate LI, parallels have been consistently drawn between her and the MC especially in Book 3. Her faith and belief in Liam is constantly highlighted as unwavering, and her trust in the MC takes a while but culminates eventually in Olivia sharing an important part of her family history with her first.

Olivia's growth from a wary cactus to someone who trusts you if you reach out to her enough, wouldn't have been half as convincing if she wasn't given that kind of development. But perhaps this is because Olivia - like Liam - is so involved in the larger plot of the books, whereas Hana exists mostly outside of the main plot.

• But you know WHO isn't exactly all that central to the main plot of the series but still gets great character development? DRAKE. It started slow, with Drake's first individual diamond scene coming in as late as Chapter 7 (which IMO makes sense, since they needed the MC to warm up to him first), but he was given a solid foundation in Book 1 that was built on in Book 2, and furnished with detailing in Book 3. His diamond scenes were mostly rich in character development and the book was consistent in their focus of him as well.

In Book 3, there is a marked difference between how he is written as an LI versus as a friend. While his overall arc was frustrating to some readers, it was built up pretty well and the conclusion to it (the duel) was written in such a way that it really felt like a vindication of sorts. The duel in fact had an added significance if the MC was his fiancée, because both are commoners who are being targeted by Neville for "rising above their station". There isn't a single scene of Drake's in Book 3 that doesn't explore his character in a detailed manner, or have two diametrically different scenes highlighting his LI/non-LI status.

How does the duel act as a game changer for Drake? He tells it to us himself: the duel was not just for his honour alone, but for every commoner a noble has slighted. For his family, for his sister, for his fiancée (if he is marrying the MC) or friend. It's poignant, dramatic, powerful as a culmination of Drake's journey. The conflict resolution of an arc should end with a bang, and Drake's really did.

• Hana on the other hand is a different story altogether. No matter what her relationship is with the MC in Book 3, she is mostly relegated to "best friend" status regardless. Her initial conflicts as a fiancée seemed to indicate she feared turning into her parents (Chapters 1 and 2) and it sounded really promising, but that characterization was dropped as soon as the Unity Tour kicked off. She is depicted worrying about how she will survive and contribute to Cordonia and whether her skills really equipped her for the outside world, but it is explored only in one character scene of hers, and very very superficially.

Unlike the duel scene for Drake, Hana's conflict-resolution scene this chapter falls flat and doesn't really mark much of a change. The only difference in her relationship with her parents' is that they see her as useful minus a man by her side now. Emphasis on useful. What kind of resolution is that? Does it have a great impact? Does it have any impact?

• Hana's treatment is marginally better only when you compare it to Maxwell's, who has had just one character scene so far, and who hasn't seen much significant development since the beginning of Book 3. Even though the team has mentioned that he was meant to be an LI from the beginning, the way he was written in the beginning and the way they write him now tells me otherwise.

But they don't have that excuse for Hana. Hana WAS a confirmed LI from the beginning. She WAS part of the original lineup. Which means they should have been working as hard on her as they did Liam and Drake. What excuse does the team have for not developing her properly??

• The problem here is clear: both Drake and Olivia are centered within the narratives that focus on their stories. When the focus comes to Paris in Book 2, or Lythikos in Book 3, they are front and center. Compared to that, how is Hana going to compete? At the points that the narrative should be focusing on her, she is given garbage in place of content and story. Even when the narrative is supposed to be about her relationship with her parents and her growth outside their influence, she is the least important person. She was the least important person in Shanghai, and she's now the least important person in this chapter that was supposed to showcase how far she has come from the nervous, underconfident girl we met in Book 1. It's even more infuriating when you take into account that she was meant to be the only female LI, that they

1. never planned to give people who wanted to romance a woman in TRR more than just this option, and

2. couldn't be bothered to follow through and do a decent job of the one option they had.

• I hate calling Hana a Mary Sue, because that wasn't at all what she originally was. She was indecisive, had low self esteem, didn't always enjoy the activities and skulls she was pressurized into learning. There was at least one occasion where she spoke of getting her way by failing...and now the same character is labelled a Mary Sue.

But you know what? There's a reason why she is addressed as such. A Mary Sue is a mark of lazy writing and poor characterization, used on characters that are made to appear perfect in lieu of real development. And while Hana started out a little flawed and confused and in need of guidance, she soon turned into this Ms Perfect who was talented in everything and received praises from everyone instead of an actual insight into her character.

• Hana is at a disadvantage on her own. She is the only LI among the four who was brought up elsewhere (in China), and who wasn't from familiar ground (America)/fictional places (Cordonia) for the writers. Her issues are very culture-specific, they rise out of a context. Not many people may relate to that straightaway so it is essential that her story is handled with a lot more care and nuance. She is a woman of colour who is in the closet, brought up (as is hinted) in a family that doesn't exactly view her sexuality as normal. This is how the Hana of Book 1 was written.

Then Book 2 happened, and the writers either realised they didn't know enough to write this story convincingly, or didn't care enough to do the research. I suspect it's a mix of both. Even so, they should have done some reading up, done some homework, tried to at least center this character around her own narrative. No one is asking for a thesis on society and norms in Shanghai - they're asking for some good background, some basic research, legends and stories that she must have grown up with, if that's what it takes to do justice to this character. If you're going to create a character so unfamiliar to this world and make her a love interest, you had better put in the work that story requires.

Otherwise stop. Stop branding yourself as LGBTQ friendly when most of your female LI fans have to make do with mere scraps, stop patting yourselves on the back for including women of colour in your books when you view them as nothing but tokens.

• I'm sure Liam and Drake sound more lucrative...popular...whatever...and that factors into the way they're being writen, but when the lone female LI consistently gets the short end of the stick, what do you expect? They write Hana (and many other female LIs) in such a way that they're almost set up to fail. At least a few players I have spoken to have highlighted how they went from liking Hana in Book 1 to hardly interested in her presence in Book 2. That change didn't occur out of nowhere: when the writers themselves don't write her with any amount of conviction, how do you expect the readers NOT to lose interest?

There have been a lot of improvements made in terms of readers' demands. Whether it involved the way LI scenes were written, or Liam's initial lack of romantic interactions in Book 3, or even how Kiara's PTSD was addressed. The one thing neglected every. single. time. was Hana. And I'm saying this because I've spoken and spoken and spoken about how little Hana is given and how much more she deserves, and things still haven't changed. I highly doubt they will at this point. It's too late now. Hana's arc is largely over, and her ending makes absolutely no sense when you compare it to the way her story was initially written. Had she had the kind of focus that, say, Drake has been having, we wouldn't have this rushed mess of a conclusion for her story.

• Tldr: Hana could reached her potential as a character. She could have been interesting, imperfect, inspiring. If her writers were actually bothered. But they aren't, so those of us who do love her are left wondering if we care about her more than the people who created her (yes we do). I'm tired, fam. I give up. I think I'm done with this book, and I don't think I can ever get back to loving it the way I used to.

[scgdoeswhat]

ALL the choices asks!😉

Hey @i-miss-trr!! Sorry for the very late response but finally doing this!! Thanks for the ask  💖💖💖

Throwing this all under a “read more!” (Or at least there’s supposed to be a “read more” but tumblr is messing up again.

1. What are your MCs named?

I won’t name all of them, but here’s a smattering of my MCs from my top 5 plus a few others:

ES - Cristiana (Cris) Cameo

TE - Clarette LeFleur

DD - Rosalia Hancock

BB - Callista (Calla) Fiore

PM - Selene Park

TRR - Reina Puro

ACOR - Andarta

2. Do you make your MCs look like you?

Probably 70% of them do. For some books I have multiple LIs or play with a M!MC if none of the female faces stick with me.

3. Which book has your favourite MC?

I love my ES, TE, and DD MCs the most!

4. What’s your all-time favourite book?

ES and TE are top.

5. What’s your favourite current book?

Technically this doesn’t count anymore since it ended yesterday, but TE.

6. What book has the best LIs?

As a collective, overall group, I love the LIs from ES, TE, DD and PM.

7. If your real life significant other was a Choices LI, which one would they be?

I am single and always ready to mingle, but my type usually consists of snarky, assholes who tends to be hot. It’s a terrible pattern that crosses from real life and the game LOL! Beckett, Nick Peralta, and Jake fit that mold, but they’re a lot sweeter than the guys I go out with.

8. If you had to marry a Choices LI, who would you choose? 

Let me age Beckett up 10 years 😂😂😂

9. If you were to have a steamy one night stand with a Choices LI, who would you choose?

Big B Beckett … let’s see that metal twisting hahaha

10. What kind of Hayden do you have in PM? (gender/look/personality type)

I’ve had two Haydens! First one was black male Hayden and diplomat, I think. He reminded me too much of an ex (who was fine AF). Second time, white male Hayden and scholar.

11. Are you against dating a robot LI on principle?

Yes

12. If you were any character in a Choices book, who would you be?

Party twin from ROE. Hold down a job while on a Med cruise for 4-6 weeks and then get a multi million dollar inheritance? Done.

13. Who’s your favourite character that isn’t a LI?

Michelle Nguyen, Olivia Nevrakis, Briar Daly, Chanevi (yes, they’re a single unit lol) and Tim

14. What character do you wish was a LI?

Captain Everett…even though I’d still be picking Becks 

15. What book do you hate?

RCD because as someone who has been in the industry, it is so unrealistic and they did Victoria so dirty.

16. What book have you replayed the most? 

I usually don’t get around to replaying books, but I replay TF out of chapters. ES and TE fall under both lol

17. What’s your favourite ship that doesn’t involve an MC?

Diego/Varyyn, Nadia/Steve, Chanevi

18. What’s your favourite ship to read fan fic about?

It’s changed through the course of time (and I get so busy that I’m terrible at keeping up), but usually whichever ship I’m currently captaining 😂

19. Who’s the best looking female character?

Hana Lee, Bianca from AME, Priya Lacroix, Asian f!Hayden

20. Who’s the best looking male character?

Beckett. That is all. (First time I saw his in game art I was in love. Don’t think I’ve ever had such an extreme reaction to a character.)

21. Who looks the best naked?

Beckett. That is all. (Have you seen what he’s packing? O. M. L. When I saw his art in December it was like *BLESSED IMAGE*)

22. What’s your favourite diamond scene?

Beckett. Chapter 15. It had me swimming for daaaays. 

23. What’s the hottest diamond scene?

See above. Between him grabbing that headboard or Clarette with lightning coursing through her veins?? Fuuuuck 😂

24. What book’s world would you like to live in?

I was about to say something easy, breezy like RoE or RCD…until I realized that art imitates life (or is it life imitates art?) because both have many things I’ve done. I’d totally take TE too, without the, you know, someone trying to kill us angle. 

25. Who’s the most overrated LI?

Flynn (sorry lol)

26. Who do you hate that everyone else seems to love?

Hate is too strong of a word, but I don’t like the handsome stranger from AME much

27. Who do you love that everyone else seems to hate?

Nick Peralta, Harley and Priya 😂

28. Who’s the hottest character with the worst personality?

Nick Peralta LOL 

29. What’s the most overrated book?

Some people would probably say my fave books are the overrated ones 😂😂😂

30. What’s the most underrated book?

The Heist: Monaco.

I had an appreciation post about TH:M awhile ago because with all the different choices and combinations, that shit is hard to write. I’ll admit it, even though I say it’s underrated, I still am not appreciating it enough.

Whew! Thanks again for the asks @i-miss-trr!!