#i was so hyped when I realized they fit perfectly

[er1nne]

rafe loves when you try on clothes for him

kinda of a continuation from this one, anyways enjoy! (do not copy or plagarize, original work) The ring of the doorbell cut through the quiet hum of the house, startling you for just a moment before the realization hit. It’s here. Your heart jumped with excitement as you shot up from the couch, your legs carrying you to the door with an eagerness you couldn’t hide.

You flung the door open, and there it was—a sleek brown box wrapped in crisp, elegant packaging, sitting neatly on the doorstep like a perfectly delivered Christmas morning gift. The delivery truck was already pulling away, but you caught the driver tipping his hat to you as he drove off, as if he knew exactly how much this meant.

The box landed on the kitchen counter with a satisfying thunk as you tore into the packaging, peeling back the layers of crisp tissue paper to reveal the treasure inside. The first thing you saw— the dress took your breath away. Its soft sand color was understated yet luxurious, and the fabric practically begged to be touched. The delicate lace at the neckline was feminine and graceful, while the corseted bodice promised to cinch and shape you in all the right places. The way the fabric shifted as you lifted it from the box made you certain it would drape over your curves effortlessly. The fabric shimmered faintly under the light, soft and luxurious beneath your fingertips. It was stunning, even better than you had imagined, the kind of dress that practically whispered promises of perfection.

“Baby,” Rafe’s voice drifted in from the living room, a casual mix of curiosity and amusement. “What’s got you so hyped?”

You turned to see him leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed lazily over his chest, that familiar smirk tugging at his lips. His sharp blue eyes flicked from you to the open box on the counter, taking in the scene with an expression that was equal parts intrigued and entertained.

“Is that the stuff you were stressing about the other day?” he asked, arching a brow.

You held up the dress, letting the fabric catch the light. “Rafe, look at this. It’s perfect,” you gushed, unable to keep the excitement from your voice.

He pushed off the doorframe, sauntering closer with a look that could only be described as predatory curiosity. His gaze lingered on the dress in your hands, his head tilting slightly as his lips curved into a slow, teasing grin. “Perfect, huh?” His voice dropped just enough to send a pleasant shiver down your spine. “Well, try it on for me. Let me see.”

Your cheeks warmed under his gaze, and you rolled your eyes to cover up the butterflies stirring in your stomach. “You’re so impatient,” you teased, hugging the dress closer to your chest as you moved toward the bedroom. But you couldn’t help the grin spreading across your face.

“And you’re stalling,” he shot back smoothly, his voice following you down the hall. “I wanna see what I paid for.”

You disappeared into the bedroom, closing the door behind you as your heart gave a little flutter. His words played over in your mind—try it on for me—simple and casual, but the way he’d said it, with that low, confident drawl, made you feel flushed. You shook your head at yourself, grinning as you pulled the dress free from its packaging.

Sliding out of your casual clothes, you stepped into the dress, pulling it up carefully. The fabric skimmed over your skin like water, clinging to your curves in a way that felt both daring and effortless. You smoothed it over your hips, adjusting the straps before stepping back to take yourself in.

You blinked, your lips parting slightly. The dress fit like it had been made just for you. It hugged every curve, accentuating your waist and the line of your hips. The champagne satin seemed to glow in the light, and the neckline dipped just enough to be intriguing without being too revealing. It was the kind of dress that made you feel powerful, elegant, and a little dangerous all at once.

A soft knock on the door broke the moment. “You decent, or am I just coming in?” Rafe��s voice was teasing but edged with impatience.

You bit back a smile, smoothing the dress one last time before opening the door. You stepped out slowly, meeting his gaze. The effect was immediate.

When you stepped out, his reaction was immediate.

Rafe straightened from where he was leaning casually against the doorframe, his sharp blue eyes locking onto you like a magnet. His usual smirk disappeared, replaced by something quieter, heavier. His gaze started at your face, his brows lifting slightly before his eyes began a slow descent. They trailed deliberately, taking in the curve of your neck, the way the straps framed your shoulders, and the dip of the neckline that revealed just enough of your collarbone. His eyes lingered there for a beat too long, and you could feel your skin heat under his scrutiny.

“Say something,” you teased softly, shifting your weight. His silence, though flattering, was almost unnerving.

When he did, his voice was low, almost reverent. “Damn.”

“Well?” you asked softly, your voice more breathless than you intended.

He blinked, his lips parting slightly, but no words came out at first. Instead, he took a step closer, his movements deliberate. His eyes dropped again, tracing the lines of the dress like he was trying to commit them to memory. He lingered at the curve of your waist, where the satin clung so perfectly it looked like it had been painted on. His jaw tightened slightly as his gaze moved lower, over the swell of your hips and the way the fabric kissed the tops of your thighs.

He took a step closer, his eyes darkening as they locked on yours. “You look…” He trailed off, his voice low and rough, like he was searching for the right words. “You look unbelievable.”

The heat in his voice sent a thrill down your spine. “You really think so?” you asked, your voice softer now, almost shy under the weight of his gaze before turning back to the mirror in front of you.

Standing in front of the mirror, you smoothed the fabric over your hips, adjusting the fit as you looked yourself over. The dress was stunning, but his reaction had you second-guessing every little detail. You fiddled with the straps, brushing a hand along the neckline as you tried to make sure everything was just right. Behind you, Rafe moved, his presence unmistakable as he crossed the room. You caught his reflection in the mirror as he approached, his blue eyes locked on you with a hunger that made your breath hitch. He stopped behind you, close enough that you could feel the heat radiating from him.

He huffed out a quiet laugh, shaking his head as he closed the space between you. “Think so?” His hand reached out, fingers brushing over your waist before resting there, his thumb grazing the fabric in a slow, deliberate motion. “No. I know so.”

Heat flooded your cheeks, and you glanced away, but he reached out, his fingers brushing your chin to tilt your face back toward the mirror in front of the both of you, forcing you to not only look at him but yourself. “Don’t do that,” he murmured, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Don’t look away from me when you look like that.”

His hand slid to your waist, pulling you a step closer. The warmth of his touch seeped through the satin, grounding you even as your pulse picked up. “This dress,” he said softly, his thumb tracing a slow circle against your hip. “It’s dangerous.”

Your eyes flicked to his reflection in the mirror, your stomach flipping at the way he was looking at you. “Dangerous?” you echoed, your voice barely above a whisper. Your voice catching as he leaned in slightly, his breath warm against your temple.

“Yeah,” he murmured, his lips brushing just below your ear, sending a shiver racing down your spine. “Because now I don’t want to let you leave the house in it.”

A soft laugh escaped you, but it died quickly as his arms wrapped around you fully, pulling you back against him. His hands rested against your stomach, his touch possessive but gentle, and his eyes never left yours in the mirror. “Look at you,” he murmured, his voice dropping even lower. “You see this? Do you see how perfect you look? And you're all mine?”

You swallowed hard, your gaze locked on his reflection. His hands traced slow circles against the satin, his thumbs brushing over your waist as his eyes roamed over your body in the mirror. “Rafe…” you started, but your voice trailed off when his lips brushed the side of your neck.

Your cheeks burned as his words sank in, the weight of his hands on your waist making you feel both grounded and lightheaded at the same time. His lips found the curve of your shoulder, pressing a soft kiss there before trailing back up to your neck. “You’re not going anywhere,” he said, his voice low and rough. “Not in this.”

The tension in the room was electric, crackling between you as his gaze met yours in the mirror again. His hands slid to your hips, pulling you closer, and when he spoke again, his tone was softer but no less intense. “I might need you to keep this on for a while,” he said, a faint smirk tugging at his lips. “Or not…”

an: if you can't tell, i luvvvv this man :) word count about 1.6k but who's counting lol my masterlist / my carrd

[clarkeyhill]

Fit Checks | George Clarke

It was a chilly Saturday afternoon when I decided to post my latest fit check on Instagram. I had been experimenting more with my style lately, and today’s outfit felt like a winner: a cropped puffer jacket, wide-leg jeans, and platform boots that made me feel taller than I actually was. I paired it with some gold jewelry and topped it off with a casual caption: “Saturday vibes ✨.”

I didn’t think much of it when I posted the story. Sure, I usually got a few DMs or compliments from friends hyping me up, but this time, something unexpected happened.

As I scrolled through my notifications, I saw a reply from Georgeclarkeey.

George.

We followed each other on Instagram, but I’d never thought much about him. We went to the same high school a while back and had the occasional like-for-like interaction over the years. He was handsome, though, in that effortlessly cool way—dark curly hair, a strong jawline, and an easy smile in every picture. I had always kind of noticed him but never said anything.

His message was simple but flattering:

“Okayyyy, you absolutely killed this fit. Effortless.”

I smirked at my phone.

“Effortless? Took me like 45 minutes to pick this out,” I replied.

He responded almost immediately:

“Worth every second. You’re putting us all to shame over here.”

From there, the conversation just… flowed. George was funny, way funnier than I remembered. He joked about how he needed help picking his own outfits and said, “All I do is throw on a hoodie and call it a day.” I told him he should branch out, maybe try layering or accessorizing, and he replied with, “Alright, stylist. When’s my first session?”

“Book me for Thursday,” I joked. “First consultation is free.”

“Deal. But if I get too fly, it’s on you,” he teased back.

-----

Over the next few weeks, George became a regular in my DMs. At first, he kept sliding up on my stories, usually complimenting an outfit or reacting to a photo of my coffee runs or city views. But soon, our conversations got longer and deeper. We started talking about our days, sharing music recommendations, and swapping random memes late at night.

One night, he messaged me out of the blue:

“Okay, so when are you going to let me compliment you in person? This texting thing is cool and all, but I feel like we’d actually vibe in real life.”

My stomach flipped.

“Are you asking me out, George?”

“Depends. Are you saying yes?”

I smiled at my screen before typing, “I guess that depends on where you’re taking me.”

He suggested a cozy coffee shop downtown, and a few days later, we met up.

When I walked into the café, I spotted him instantly. He was sitting by the window, wearing a knitted jumper and converse that were clean enough to tell me he cared, but not so pristine that it felt like he was trying too hard.

“Wow,” he said as I walked over. “You really are as stylish as your IG makes you out to be.”

“And you’re taller than I expected,” I shot back, grinning.

The banter we’d had over texts translated perfectly in person. We talked for hours—about everything and nothing—and I realized how easy it was to be around him. He wasn’t just funny; he was thoughtful, attentive, and had this way of making me feel like I was the only person in the room.

---

After that first coffee date, we started hanging out more. Sometimes we’d grab food, other times we’d just walk around the city, talking about life and laughing until our cheeks hurt. Every time we met, I noticed little things about him: the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, how he’d hold doors open without making a big deal out of it, and how he always seemed genuinely interested in whatever I had to say.

Eventually, our hangouts started to feel like something more. One night, as we sat on a park bench after grabbing ice cream, he turned to me and said:

“You know, this started with me hyping you up on Instagram, but I feel like it’s turned into so much more.”

I looked at him, heart racing. “Yeah, I’ve noticed that too.”

He hesitated for a second, then smiled. “So, can I officially call this a thing? Like, you and me?”

I couldn’t help but grin back. “I’d like that.”

From then on, we weren’t just the occasional DM or casual meetup—we were us. It all started with a fit check, but it turned into something I never saw coming: a connection that felt natural, real, and just right.

-

🫶🏻

[drdemonprince]

I think think about your piece How to Go Places Alone And Not Feel Like A Freak Looser (or something to that affect) quite often.

While it is uncomfortable, tiring, nerve wracking, to feel like or be the odd one out, I am at least used to the feeling. It takes nerve but (especially as a kid/teen) have always gone to things alone and, once I get over myself, enjoy not caring what anyone thinks about my presence.

As an (ever transsexualizing >:) adult, I am getting back into doing & dressing however I want in public (embarrassing yourself is inevitable, might as well enjoy life!). This is a funner, freer, outlook, but I hoped being more myself would help me find my people.

I’m used to the awful feeling of being an alien freak looser (real or imagined) so I can hype myself up to be in my own world when I’m out. But I wonder if doing this, and choosing events based on interest instead of demographics or friendship, reinforces my felling of disconnect with people. It’s easier to accept, and dress like, I’ll always stick out (be alone) than it is to imagine mimicking those around me.

I went to an explicitly cruisey new years night and instead of studying the crowd intensely trying to fit in, wore my shiny platforms, smiled at people, and danced just for the fun of it. Feeling good about myself and enjoying my experience requires an ‘eh fuck ‘em’ attitude. I can enjoy being in public seeing all my fellow earthlings but it does not feel social. And I realize, my time there felt anything but sexy. I wasn’t about to walz into the darkroom (let’s walk before we run), but I hate that I couldn’t feel comfortable in this place I’ve always wanted to be.

I return to the same questions everywhere I go: I can exist, but how am I supposed to learn the codes of a space when I can’t study (ruminate) from afar?

How could I ever be social when (even joyous and embodied) I can’t get out of my own head?

How do you know when it’s time to listen to your gut and when to play into a social game?

I understand what you mean about the duality between doing your own thing in your own little alien bubble and actively placing effort into connecting with the people around you (which often feels like it requires masking).

But, from my perspective, both of those are strategies for dealing with social overwhelm -- one is more dissociative, and the other's more compensatory. Both of them reflect a discomfort with the people in the space. And they're both perfectly reasonable ways to deal with such feelings! But the way to move forward, at least in my experience, is to continue attending events until you attain enough familiarity with them that you actually start feeling more comfortable.

You said you didn't feel sexy at this cruisy party, and certainly weren't ready to venture into the dark room. That's fine! You can work your way up in whatever order of activities is least intimidating to most intimidating to you.

The first few times that I go to a club, I need anywhere from a few minutes to an hour to get warmed up enough to really dance on the floor and take up a ton of space and make weird gestures. I spend a lot of time lurking in the corner or reading a book at the bar at first. After I've been there a number of times, I know the deal of the space better, recognize a few people, maybe have developed a rapport with the door guy or a regular, and it gets easier to branch out and feel more at ease in my skin. People intuit this and approach me more often when I'm feeling more comfortable, and my reactions have fewer exit ramps built into them (one of my protective instincts is to throw out a lot of conversation-enders that make people feel rejected, lmaoo good one me).

The same general principles I've described here can apply to any new social challenge, including a bar with a backroom where people are fucking. Show up again. Do your thing. Maybe find a spot to post up and observe, since you mentioned an interest in doing that. Bring a book or some knitting if you want, and wear whatever outfit helps you feel comfortable and good with yourself. The first few times you do all this, people may get strong "I'm Doing My Own Thing Leave Me Alone" vibes from you, as they often do from Autistics, and that's fine. You're still learning and acclimating from being there. After a couple of tries, head into that back room. It's not as exciting as you think it's gonna be. You might get to watch some fucking or you might just see a bunch of guys pacing around who are just as awkward as you feel that you are. But then you'll know what it's like. And then you just keep showing up, and observing and participating in small ways (watching is participation in a sex club!), and you'll get steadily more involved in the space and connected to the people each time that you do.

I've been going to pet patrol nights for a long time and I've only just now gotten to the point where I can chat up random people and get into hookups relatively easily, instead of just standing around mutely hoping someone will approach me. Bringing friends has helped a ton to relax me and make me seem more approachable to others, too, so you could try that!

for anyone wondering here's the full piece

[undeadcannibal]

Hii can I request something for 141 + König and Keegan when their S/O is raging at their game? That’s currently me right now LMAO

Summary: How Task Force 141, König, and Keegan are with a gaming S/O who rages

Genre: Headcanons, request(s) Characters featured: Price, Gaz, Soap, Ghost, König, and Keegan P. Russ

Warnings: none!

A/N: I feel ya. I’m replaying Horizon: Forbidden West on the hardest difficulty for my second playthrough, and needless to say sometimes my ass just gets handed to me. OTL Thank you for the request though, I hope you enjoy! (Also, sorry Keegan’s bit is short, I’m slowly getting into writing more for him because it’s been YEARS since I’ve played/seen COD: Ghosts) ( Gif credit: xxx )

Price―

Doesn't game because he doesn't really enjoy them much, but doesn't mind if you game 

If you're raging at something, he doesn't really get it, but also doesn't judge you for it 

If anything, much like Ghost and Keegan, he finds amusement in your rage 

Can't take you too seriously when he thinks you're cute for getting so upset at the game 

Does tease you occasionally, but not to the point you're feeling worse 

Ohhh, will be that one person that watches something and can't help but comment on how it wouldn't work or something of the like

OMG WAIT-- 

"Are ya' winning, son?" meme fits him perfectly 

Totally the type to ask if you're winning no matter what you're playing, or if you're raging

Gaz―

Like Soap, Kyle is a good support system/partner to have when gaming 

Doesn't game nowhere near as seriously, but does have his own moments here and there 

So, whenever something gets to you and you can't help but react, he's laughing and doing his best to reassure you 

Sometimes can't help but be a tease and joke with you, but for the most part, he doesn't mind the raging. Is probably used to it because of Soap, imo 

Ooh, unrelated but kinda cute headcanon for him is he's absolutely the type to help you past a part you can't quite get. Loves helping you with games, he thinks those moments are sweet~

Ghost―

Soap has tried getting him to get into gaming with y'all, but it's just not really for him 

He does, however, like watching you though. Even more so when you've your moments of intense rage 

Like Keegan, he finds those rare outbursts endearing to him in an odd way he can't quite explain 

Won't really join you, but will watch you and even gets into it when you're playing a particularly interesting title

Will be commenting on situations and characters right along with you, and even nod along at those heated moments of raging 

So long as you're not physically destructive or too loud, he doesn't care one bit about those moments 

He thinks he'd probably be the same way if he were in your shoes

Soap―

Oh, this man is right there with you, he's your best gaming partner. Don't tell Gaz that though 

If the two of you aren't hyping one another up, you're raging together during those heated moments 

Doesn't matter what types of games you enjoy, he'll gladly watch or play with you when he can 

Even though he loves to share the moment with you, he isn't the type to be a backseat gamer 

Much prefers to let you figure it out on your own, especially when it comes to difficult puzzles and bosses 

Will also rightfully be yelling and cursing right along with you cause sometimes he can't help himself

König―

Being on the quieter side, I see him as the type to be have a silent and internal anger reaction 

When he sees you raging for the first time, it catches him completely off guard 

At first, he's worried something's wrong only to realize you were just frustrated at something that happened within the game 

He'll understand the frustration you feel and tries to help cheer you up 

He might not get raging at the game - since I personally headcanon that he either doesn't play them, or simply doesn't have the time for them - he won't mind it. Finds it a little humorous when you get worked up over something he thinks is trivial 

Catch him cheering you on and/or encouraging you during a difficult part or boss 

Absolutely hams it up when you're doing well too 

Keegan―

He finds your raging at the game very amusing

Count on him to tease you during the worst moments just to rile you up even more

I can see Keegan enjoying seeing the fiestier side of you regardless of the frustration and anger you're feeling

Still, he'll sit there right with you, and depending on whether or not he's been paying attention, sometimes he'll even join you in said raging

If you were closing to defeating a boss or other player and died before beating them, he'll understand the raging wholeheartedly

Isn't a backseat gamer type, but will offer some tips to try and help you, if he can

[wiz4rdd1]

“Baby, I don’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight”

Dom!Chris x Sub!fem reader

Warning- SMUTT again tbh, rough, pet names, cream pie, p in v , unprotected sex ( don’t even think of doing that), drinking, wall sex, ect u already know the drill ppl)

Summary- you go to a random person party with a friend but you don’t realize whose party it is until you meet him and find yourself in a room with him alone.. ( IK this is like the other one where ur in a party w Matt and Allat but I can’t help it..

———————————————————————

“Annndd.. done!” As I put my other earring on. I am going to some random person party to celebrate their 3.2M followers on instagram with my best friend Jennifer. I have on a silk dark glittery purple dress that fits perfectly on all my curves, black high heels on with two gold hoops. “Come on the party is about to start!” Jennifer shouted from downstairs. “Okay okay I’m done let’s go!” I said walking down the stairs. “Woah girl.. you look fucking gorgeous!” The girl smiling ear to ear. “Oh stop it look at you really!” I blushed. “Okay baby let’s go and get this party going!”

The party

There was a lot of people hundreds and hundreds it felt like. Liquor everywhere loud music hot sweaty people dancing rubbing bodies together, people selling some kinda “stuff”. “Okay babes let’s hit the liquor first!!” Jennifer stated as she grabbed my hand and yanked me to the kitchen full of different types of alcohol. I grabbed a clean red plastic cup and filled it up with some alcohol (you can think of any) “Baby I hope we see him! The life of the party who started this!”She shouted excitedly. “Who?” I curiously asked. “Duh Chris Sturniolo!” She basically screamed at the top of her lungs. I didn’t think we will see him but while we were partying and drinking I noticed someone. Him, the one who started this party, fucking Chris. He was staring me down across the room on a couch. He was man spreading with a cup in one hand staring. His jaw is clenched, eyes locked into mine, He was wearing an orange baggy shirt with baggy black jeans with different jewelry necklace, bracelets and rings.

I snapped out of my thoughts when Jennifer snapped her fingers at me. “Hey are you okay girl? Or are you going to keep staring at Chris!” She said smirking having a dirty thought in her head. “O-oh sorry was I staring at him for that long??” I said embarrassed. “Yes girl! But don’t worry who wouldn’t plus I think you’ll look fucking cute with him.” She gave me a wink giggling. “Jennifer stop! He is really cute though..” You can’t help but just stare. Stare into those blue eyes like your in an ocean drowning in them. While I was focused on him I couldn’t help but hear a song that I love so much, Cheap thrills by Sia. “Wait this is my shit!” I said smiling holding Jennifers hand while I took her to the dance floor. I was moving my hips to the beat and singing along. I didn’t even notice that Chris was staring at me again. He was watching how my hips move to the song, my tits bouncing up and down almost looking like there going to pop out and how my gorgeous smile bright up the room most importantly.

While dancing I feel someone’s hand grab my shoulder. It was Chris.. he was staring at me with…those eyes like he wanted to take me away. He leaned in to my ear and whispered “Hey ma you look so beautiful I wonder if you’re also beautiful in bed..meet me upstairs.” He smirked before walking away looking back at me making me clench my thighs and turn red like a tomato.“OMG girl?!?!? What did he say? What happened?” Jennifer squealed. “He said.. meet me upstairs!!” I squealed back. “What are you waiting for bitch? GOOOO!!” She hyped me up while pushing me. “Okay okay!” I said before walking up the stairs. While I went upstairs I look at her and she gave me a thumbs up. “Chris?” I said looking around looking for Chris until I feel a hand grab mine and took my into a random room and pinning me to the wall.

“You look so fucking beautiful y’know that ma?” He growled in my ear breathing. “o-oh thank you” I said flustered. “Y’know how much I tried to control myself not to fuck you right there and then in the dance floor in front of your friend?” He moved his face away from my ear and closer to my face our lips almost touching. I clench my thighs trying to control my throbbing heat from taking over but he noticed and grabbed my waist closer to him. “How much money do I have to pay you to let me fuck your pretty little brains out ma?” He asked. I smile letting my heat take over. “Baby.. I don’t need dollar bills to have fun tonight.” I leaned in almost touching his lips moving my arms around his neck. “Oh baby quoting the song that was playing earlier huh?” He chuckled as he smashed his lips into mine making moan. I started to pull and play on his hair while he roam my curves with his hands finally reaching my ass and lifting me up. One of my legs wrapped around his waist while the other one is still on the ground. while our lips were still glue together he pushing me harder against the wall which I don’t even care even though I can tell that’s gonna hurt like a bitch.

He lifts up my dress up to my waist revealing my pink laces up panties all damp and wet ready for him he rubbed his thumb over my clothed pussy making me whimper. “Huh so wet f’me already baby?” Between kisses. “P-please” I moaned. “Please what? Say want you want and I’ll give it to you ma” putting more pressure on my thinly clothed pussy. “P-please fuck-fuck me” I wined breathing heavily from the pleasure of just his thumb. “So needy f’me because I’m pressing my thumb on your tiny pussy” He chuckled. Before I can say anything he rips my panties off throwing the torn up clothing in his pocket. “Hey! That was my favorite one..” “I’ll buy you an another one baby” Chris said as he rubs his slender middle finger up and down against my folds. “Mhm-ah” I choked out. Buckling my hips so he can move but he doesn’t instead he moves his finger out of the way and puts his hard aching clothed cock on my pussy. “You feel that? That’s what you do to me.” He scoffs rubbing it rub and down on my pussy teasing me. “Please.. just put it inside me already.. please!” I pleaded. “Fuck ma with you begging like that I’ll give it to you slut.” He growled.

He turns me around my breasts pressed against the wall and my face while my back is arched enough for him to see my needy hole. “You can’t wait hm? Well imma fuck you till your needy hole only remembers me.” He says in a low raspy tone while unzipping his pants pulling his pants and boxers down to reveal his hard lengthy cock. “Mm- it’s so big!” I say in shocked as I’m looking at it afraid it won’t fit. “This might hurt cuz how big I am baby but be a good girl f’me and take it ya?” As he strokes his cock in front of my entrance. “I-I’ll be good for you..” I whimpered. “A-ah!!” I squeeze my eyes shut. “Ah shit you’re so fuckin tight ma” shoving his full length into me. “St-tart moving I can’t h-handle it” He starts moving in a slow pace each thrust going faster and faster. He is now pounding into me making me into a moaning mess my mascara all ruined running down my cheeks, sweat all over me, and my lipstick smudge. “Shit you feel amazing- fuck- ah” He groans pounding into me hitting my g-spot. “AH- fuck-fuck fuck, shit yes!” I say sluring gripping the walls with my nails.

His cock ramming into me like it’s a life or death situation but it feels so good. He continues to pound into me until I feel a familiar knot in my stomach. “Oh my imma go-gonna cu-m-!” Moaning loudly. “That’s it cum all over my cock slut.” He moans little while thruster even faster if possible. I start seeing stars releasing all over his cock while I can feel him twitch inside me knowing he’s close. “Fuck ma I’m going to cum can I cum in your pussy? Hm slut?” He smirked watching me struggle forming words. “Please oh please cum cum in my pussy please” I squeal. “Oh shit keep begging” He pounding mercilessly at my pussy now “Chris oh fuck..” Tears fall down my cheeks from all the pleasure. “I’m gonna cum!” As he squirts his warm liquid into my pussy. “Shit.. that was amazing.” He groans pulling out making me feel empty. I turn around lazily facing him panting but smirking still. “You were amazing shit if I had to pay you it would have been worth it, I can pay you though-“ I cut him off “baby it was fun and fucking amazing but I don’t need money” I smile kissing him before I fixed my dress and everything else. Before I walked out the door he grabbed my hand making me turn around. “Wait! Can I have y-your number? I want to meet you again, please?” I smiled grabbing his phone and putting my number. “Call me anytime baby” And turned around walking away back to my friend.

“Soooo??” She said slurring her words from all the liquor she drunk. “Let’s just say.. I’m doing that shit again”.

———————————————————————

sorry if the ending is bad or sum but please give me feedback on this. I did this bc I been playing this song on repeat bc it takes me back to the 2010s 😭 . LYSM for the likes on the last post btw very grateful!!

[ioniansunsets]

AAA HI i adore all your heartsteel content so much!! could i humbly beg for some ezreal content? <3 thank you!!

✖ Heartsteel!Ezreal Crushing On Photographer!Reader ✖

✖ Word Count: 1.3K

✖ Tags: Mutual Pining

✖ A/N: Everyone around you two ships you guys together, you and Ez are just oblivious. Maybe if you guys like this we’ll write a confession or established r/s sometime <3 This is shorter than usual but I hope it's still cute!

✖ Wrote This Listening To: https://open.spotify.com/track/79O9h4Q9w1X6w3tHTJSu8y?si=303aa73e776b48a9 Felt it was appropriately what Ezreal would listen to hype himself up everytime he sees you.

----

How did he even end up like this really.

Ezreal sits quietly in his dressing room. Leg shaking, fingers tapping the table, he’s jittery, anxious, so unlike him. So unlike the proud glimmering star that he knew he was. Like, he knows he looks great, his hair is styled now, he has all his makeup on making his already stunning features all the more enchanting. He’s properly styled in new branded clothes, all pinned to fit him perfectly, his waist and abs on show in the tight fitting top. He knew he looked fucking amazing but for some reason he just couldn’t help but to doubt himself. You were out there waiting after all. You were the one waiting for him to act all cute and charming. You were the one who knew how to make him look the best he ever has in almost every single photo. This was really so unlike him! Ezreal laughs at his insecurities, about to run his hands through his hair before realizing that the hairdresser was glaring at him. He holds back.

Instead, Ezreal sighs. Leaning back into the plush chair. The stylists fussing over him and holding up all these sponsored outfits for him, asking which he wants to wear next for the new magazine spread. Yet…all he can think about is how he would look in front of you. What would you like? Did you even like his type of cute and charming? What if you were more into people like Yone or Kayn. Ezreal pouts just thinking about it. It was unfair that you got to photograph them all, he just wishes he could keep you as his own personal photographer. So unfair that you got to look at all the other guys the same way you looked at him. But honestly, ask anyone of your friends and co-workers and they’ll tell Ezreal how special he was. How his fears were unfounded for he somehow was the perfect model for you. The way all of your best works and award winning shots were of Ezreal? How you stayed up editing multiple photos of his photoshoot photos, wanting him to look as stunning as possible. Everyone could tell you were a big fan, everyone except Ezreal himself.

So as he steps out and the studio lights hit him, the sparkle of his shimmery makeup making him look as ethereal as possible you can’t help but feel a flutter in your chest. Truly stunning, there was no other way to describe this idol other than that he was absolutely stunning.

“ Hey there. Uh yeah, let’s do this.”

Well that was awkward, he gives you a practiced wave and walks over to the set. Sitting with his legs crossed on the decorative throne. Head resting on his hands as he poses himself for you. You snap away, Ezreal fishing for praises from you, a bright smile on his face. Both of you doing your best to ignore the obvious blush on his face, it was just makeup right? Definitely just makeup.

The rest of the shoot went by smoothly. Honestly, being the one to get such up close and personal shots of Ezreal was…nice. After the makeup artist and stylists touch up his makeup, his eyes slowly make their way to you. He watches you fiddle with the camera while the other employees fuss over his hair and face. Taking in the sight of your serious expression as you pick the best shots. The way the corners of your lips curve up into a smile when you find good shots. Laughing softly to himself as he watches your nose crinkle when you scroll past a bad photo. Suddenly you look up and wave at him.

“ Hey Ez, which would be better? I’m not sure if the blue or yellow lights are the way to go for this one so I’m leaving it up to you.”

You call out to him during the break between set changes to take a look. Hand out to beckon him over.

“ Hmm? Can I See?”

Ezreal thanks the stylists working on him before he blinks over behind you. Carefully, he leans over your shoulder, hands reaching over to cover yours as he tilts the camera and the screen up towards him. A slight look of wonder on his face as he flips through the photos, amazed at how good you somehow make him look. Unedited photos and he already looks so good? Damn how did you give him such sex appeal while making him still look so cute. Gods bless you for being good at your job. Clicking left and right over and over before he finally decides on the one he wants.

“ Honestly the blue looks super good on my skin-”

As Ezreal turns to look at you with a smile on his face he pauses suddenly. Alarmingly aware of how his hands are on yours, how your face is a mere breath away, how your back was pressed against his chest, how your gorgeous sparkling eyes widen as you stare back, also suddenly shockingly aware of how close he is to you.

Ezreal swallows hard.

An awkward laugh leaving his lips as he blinks at you. If the two of you weren’t so caught up in the moment, you’d see the other staff members turning to look away, trying to give you two a semblance of privacy during this tender moment.

“ Sorry I didn’t-”

“ No don’t worry I don’t mind!”

After another moment of awkward silence, staring at each other, the two of your burst out laughing. Ezreal giving you a quick hug after he lets go of your hands. Friendly! Nothing too weird or out of character for him! Just Ezreal being Ezreal!

Only the pink dusting on both your cheeks hint at anything more between you two. But he was an idol and you were but his work colleague, a photographer. There can’t be anything between you two. You wave off the thought and thank him for his input as you pull the expensive camera close to your chest again.

“ I’ll uh, work on these and get them back to your manager tomorrow.”

“ Mmm, and thank you for your hard work as always. I look forward to the photos.”

Ezreal’s expression changes to a soft smile as he lovingly looks at you before he pauses and pulls out his phone. Doing his best to change the subject to relieve the awkward tension that now hung in the air around the studio.

“ Oh Yeah! I used our last shoot photo as my wallpaper! It was that good! I forgot to give you feedback on how much I liked it. Or maybe I did…hmm…”

He laughs, holding up his phone screen with a the solo shoot photos from a few weeks back. Trust this proud idol to use his own photos as his lock screen and home screen.

“ I am honored you like it that much then but yes, you blew up my messages with thanks when I sent it to you. Don’t worry, I know you love it.”

As you laugh in return, giving him a similarly warm smile from such close proximity, Ezreal feels his chest tighten. The furious beating of his heart was sure to give him a heart attack. A stupid love struck look on his face now.

“ I’ll go um, change for the next set. See you later.”

Before you can reply he blinks away back into his dressing room. The cycle of anxiety to repeat yet again. This was going to be a long shoot day…

[ofoceansandtombsanew]

hear me out... jjk characters at the cookout

jjk characters at the cookout

tags: headcanons, gn!reader, black!reader a/n: honestly this sent me into an intellectual overdrive. the hold jjk has on the black community needs to be studied

suguru

bro says "monkey" one time and gets jumped

he's pretty chill

suguru can take a joke and toss them right back with a grin and feel completely relaxed

he is punctual when he wants to leave thouh and will side eye if you told him "we're gonna leave" and you're still there an hour later

overall he enjoys himself. family is important to him so it means a lot to suguru to be included and accepted by yours

your older relatives might ask a bit about his gauges but he's classy enough that it doesn't matter by the end of the conversation. suguru is quite charming when he wants to be

yuuji

"i like em tall with a fat ass like megan thee stallion"

yuuji won over your cousins pretty much immediately with one take and one take alone

you leave yuuji alone for one second and the mf has a coordinated dance with them and your family is hyping them up

your family would honestly adore yuuji, he fits right in

he had them in a loving death grip when he said he was ready for the collard greens, beans, potatoes, tomatoes, lamb, ram, hog mog

falls right into the trap of staying way longer than you planned even though you started saying your goodbyes 45 minutes ago

can perfectly quote katt william's "whose goddamn white baby is this?" scene

promises to bring his older brothers to the next family get together

the guy your aunties call 'baby' with all the affection in the world

somehow knows all the dances? candy by cameo comes on and an uncle goes "what you know about this right here, young buck?"

passed his test with ease. like, do not come to the next get together without yuuji. they will notice

megumi

he wouldn't realize that your family is just teasing and wonder if they legitimately don't like him until you reassure him it's just familial roasting. just say something dumb right back, megumi

has to be dragged out the corner to really interact with anybody else

megumi isn't really a party person and an extrovert but due to most of his close circle being extroverted, he does know how to manage his energy so he isn't completely drained after a short while of being there

answers all questions about your relationship seriously and sincerely

megumi might be quiet but your family likes his honesty. bring his ass back next time

satoru

honorary light skin

toji

honorary dark skin

kento

the man your cousins wish they had; he's literally the epitome of "as a man, you should be doing x, y and z". you know it and when you bring him over, your family knows it

he helped with the dishes without even being prompted and hearts were stolen

being a foodie, kento will be grabbing seconds and knowing your family he won't be leaving empty handed either

he's invited to breakfast by your mom before you leave

mostly needs to be sought out for interactions like megumi. he won't turn anyone away, he welcomes the conversations he's just not a big go getter

you can convince him to dance when a slow jam comes on and enjoys how your face lights up in recognition when older songs your parents played in your childhood comes on

like yuuji, if you don't bring kento to the next family get together don't even bother coming because they'll ask over and over again why he couldn't make it

satoru fr this time

his ass cannot stay out of the banana pudding. so much so, most of the leftovers you take home are just containers of it. says he'll leave you if you don't learn the family recipe

like suguru, satoru can handle your family's teasing and he teases right back

let's your younger cousins wear his sunglasses if they ask

"wait if they're called tony toni toné why aren't none of them called tony?" "satoru please don't ask this right now" "no because-"

if they didn't know you were dating someone before you brought satoru over, they'd definitely know when he arrives. he's always draped over you and he's happy to let the world know

when pulled to the side to ask if he's serious about the relationship, satoru's usual bravado drops to tell your relative calmly he's 100% serious

he's a good time. dances even if he doesn't know the songs, sings along when he does and he'll leave somehow knowing everyone's names when you don't even remember half of who showed up

toji fr this time

fits in surprisingly well, your family is a hell of a lot better than his

tall, charismatic, got a deep voice and big feet. you and your cousins will be gossiping and swooning about it

toji is no stranger to being on a family's least favorite list. he's got plenty experience from his relatives, he only cares that megumi and tsumiki are treated well when he brings them along. if they're treated right, toji has no problems

danced with a good chunk of your aunties, your mom and a cousin or two in order to cement winning them over successfully but you got the most dances out of all of them

"someone's been quite busy, mr i don't care if they like me or not" "i don't but it doesn't hurt to gain approval anyway. your aunt virginia already invited me to her son's wedding" "i haven't even gotten my invite to quan's wedding yet" "sounds like i'm the family favorite to me"

[dropthedemiurge]

Boys Be Brave [EP.3] // Translation notes

Alright, I got prompted by @turndon100-blog @okiedokie2216 @lurkingshan and the ending of Ep.3 gave me hype boost so I'll try to write some clarification and translation for the scenes from my phone while I still remember everything xD Sorry if this is not going to be as well formatted as my other language posts tho...

Kiseob wants to prove to Jinwoo that he perfectly fits his entire "My ideal type" checklist and he lists all the things he nails. This might've been confusing to many in subs, but the thing is - 첫눈 (chot nun) in Korean can both mean "first sight" and "first snow". So Jinwoo immediately argues that Kiseob failed to achieve being perfect in all to-do points because Jinwoo hasn't fallen in love with him at first sight (as he mentions it in the beginning of the episode). But Kiseob confidently argues that no, there was no first snow this winter yet and shows the December article that says first snow is late this year and might only fall in January.

So technically Jinwoo can still fall in love with Kiseob at first snow and achieve perfect 10/10, therefore no failure yet! Poor Jinwoo can't argue with that logic... (That frustrated little jiggly stomping lmao)

This message also said that he better pay that credit back until Friday, otherwise there will be extra fee.

He said "Choi BalgEum. Look at me" (or focus on me) 🥺

눈치 없어 (nunchi opseo) is a phrase that literally means "have no sense" (it also was formed from 눈 - eyes, as I can guess), but it's used in the context of being perceptive (눈치 있어/nunchi isseo, having sense), feeling the subtext or nonverbal clues - and, well, the lack of it on the opposite, like being clueless.

So Balgeum actually means "Can't you see? Don't you understand the implications?"(of him holding Kiseob's hand) "I asked, don't you realize?" Stop following me around like a clueless fool" (he said that "having no sense" phrase 3 times in a row, who are you trying to fool here yourself, my guy lol)

Balgeum also curses twice at his piano not-friend-situationship. Here he says after asking to stop following him: "It's fucking embarrassing". Probably, the fact that he keeps showing up and asking to talk to him, but can also mean doing this while he obviously "has a boyfriend".

When they meet in evening, he also curses again "why the fuck do you keep appearing?" Balgeum is just definitely trying to hurt him as much as possible :(

This translation works but just to clarify - Kiseob says "Why do you often hide?". So he doesn't just ask why Jinwoo were still hiding under bed while he was talking to him, he was asking why Jinwoo was running away and hiding from him all the time (while he likes him).

"I hated you back then and I hate you now, that's why I run away."

And I just love the phrase 아니잖아... (anijanha) that he gets in response. Because it means "That's not true... (and you know it too)". There's literally a grammar point in Korean that lets you insist on something you know that the other person also should be aware of. So Balgeum angrily claims he ran away in the past and he runs away now because he hates Inho (I hope that's his name, forgive me if anything), and Inho counter argues that no, he doesn't hate him. And implies they both know it. That's why Balgeum resorts to less angry "Think whatever you want".

And the fact that even after this, Balgeum kept playing up his masquarade and saying he wants to vomit even thinking about that they had something, that he regrets it every day - no wonder Inho finally snaps and calls him an asshole/scum when he didn't use cursing before, unlike Balgeum, and so the i-dont-wanna-hurt-you-but-i-am-emotional "fight" begins.

But here we have a silver lining!

"- Meet me only three times... - I got it (what you want), so... (let go of me)"

알겠다 (al'getta) literally means "I know/I understand" but (going with my intuition) it's used naturally in cases that you understood the information you were given, received instructions and will follow them.

I'm not sure what Ep.4 will bring, but I won't be surprised if Balgeum and Inho actually will go to 3 dates because Balgeum sounded like he was giving in, after letting out his anger/fear/frustration/etc through wrestling with Inho. His final verdict for Inho pleading him to go on 3 dates with him is: "Let me go. I told you, I understand (your request and I will consider it most likely in a positive way)"

Here you go! These guys grow on me more and more with every episode. I am fascinated to see Jinwoo ditching his perfectly planned schedule, Kiseob finally refusing to follow where other people drag him, Inho fighting to make his love exist despite brutal rejections and punches, and Balgeum's carefully crafted defense walls breaking as he lets a glimmer of hope and love return to his life.

This show isn't deep at all, it's foolish and yet I'm starting to see layers and development and I'm intrigued where they all will go.

If you've got any other questions about this or previous episodes, let me know! (With timecodes preferrable)

[sammyjs-ponies]

Have you heard of the new show Wild Manes? What's your opinion about it?

I have been watching it!

I find it very pleasant and I enjoy it. In fact, the show feels like it would fit perfectly alongside shows from the 2003-2008 era, like Strawberry Shortcake, Care Bears, Horseland, and of course G3 MLP.

And I for one, love that. It's nostalgic even though it's brand new, and I've been wishing so hard to see shows appear that make that happen. It's like that feeling we all wish we could have again of watching our favorite childhood shows for the first time.

I've been sitting with the popcorn watching the mixed reactions from Bronies. The consensus is that G5 is a total flop and we're all craving something better to fill the void. I've seen about 75% of videos hyping it up "Will this be the NEW MLP???" and the rest calling it "Bootleg Ripoff" and at worst just hating on it for all the same reasons they blasted G3.

Wild Manes is a comfort show. Not something action-packed and profound with deep lore like G4 was, and it shouldn't be compared as such. These other shows I mentioned above have an audience of an entirely different set of people that Bronies often refuse to accept exist.

We do also love profound shows like G4, but the kinds of people who exclusively like G4-type shows have a hard time accepting different genres if they're not exactly the same... and tend to shame the people who have different tastes as if everything else is objectively "bad".

Imagine a person who refuses to eat anything but chicken tenders getting on a high horse and insulting a foodie for enjoying more foods than just chicken tenders.

As for my review of the show so far:

They're doing VERY well with storytelling for being limited to a 5-minute runtime, and if they ever get the chance to do more, I think they have great potential to have amazing stories. The "You're probably wondering how we ended up here" gimmick at the beginning of each episode, which is jarring to some people, would be way more enjoyable with a full 20-minute episode. In fact, it's VERY refreshing to see a cartoon doing something different for once.

As I said, I love how the show makes me feel. The art style is great. The background art is great. There's no villains or monsters or world-ending scenarios at stake, which is again, refreshing.

(Another thing Bronies tend to not realize is some people just don't want to watch characters fighting 24-7. High-stakes episodes are enjoyable once in a while, but how can it be special if that's how things just are all the time? I don't know about anyone else, but big battles to save the world are a lot more meaningful to me when we've spent some time living happily in that world to sympathize and understand why it's worth defending.)

And sometimes, I just want to watch cute characters have fun and live life, where the worst of the problems is a minor disagreement with your friend that gets worked out in the end. A world I can wish I lived in.

My only biggest complaint so far is that I wish the hair moved. You'd think with such a focus on hair, they'd have some real physics in the animation.

But again, they're just starting out. Surely things will improve if it takes off.

[problematicfanfics]

KINKTOBER ‘22 TEACHER/STUDENT (WIP) tombur

deciding to repost bc i added more (a while back) and i just constantly see the first draft get hype on my page and i figured i’d just share.

very slight NSFW

( ◠‿◠ )

Tommy wouldn’t necessarily call himself a good kid.

He would do his homework. He attended all of his classes. He’s averaged an A so far the entire year. So yes, by textbook definition, Tommy was a good kid.

1 Snapchat Notification: Anthony 🤯

“Right before p5 meet C hall bthrm”

“Bring cart Nathan feening 💀”

But he knew the only reason he ever made it through the day was thanks to his passing period restroom stops.

Anyone attending a “Western” high school can explain to you the ins and outs of the passing period bathroom breaks all the teens line up for. Each group eagerly awaits for a friend who has the supply.

And if you’re painfully unaware of the dark market being run in every bathroom stall, Tommy loves to explain it as a “social thing”. He’s just generally a better person like this. It’s an easy conversation starter, a fast in, a way to curry favor with more well-known kids in his school.

And he’s realized his grades have never been better.

Ever since he started smoking weed in his tenth year, he’s found he’s a rather studious smoker. His grades improved dramatically. Math seemed to make sense and he wasn’t struggling with anxiety from his testing. Stiff seats are easy to sit still in when your body finally relaxes. Class notes now fit smoothly in his brain between his knowledge of minecraft and song lyrics. Nothing negative seemed to be coming of his habits, despite the fear he gets from running in this little underground market. Passing a teacher in the halls can be a normal life versus permanent felony situation if they so much as ask to search his bag.

“…that fucking bitch doesn’t know her left from her right. Mate, I swear to God, she asked my chemistry teacher which one is which.”

Tommy chokes on the nicotine he’s hitting, lungs collapse into laughter. Promptly he erupts into a fit of coughing

“Yo, dude, get that checked out…” One of his friends in the stall next door said. “Ha, as if. Imagine being like… ‘Hey mum, my nicotine addiction might be affecting my health, mind if we take a look at it down at the ol’ doctor’s office?’”

The stalls laugh at the absurdity of ever revealing this secret to their parents.

Who cares if he’s started coughing from the metal shards when he laughs?

The day he truly understands he’s a functioning addict is when he makes his fifth stop in the C hall restrooms, waiting for his friend Jay while squatting on the toilet, as his other friend pretends to be doing “normal stall things” (as he puts it).

He knows the risks every time, six boys crammed into a stall to trade flavors and discuss about the girls they want and the bitches they hate, the snake “friends” who rat out others and the teachers they despise. He’s always ready to jump to shut everyone up when a teacher walks in. Sometimes, however, his guard falls.

Fifth period Tommy attends a US History class, something he had wanted to take since he saw it was an available course. His love for the subject, plus his new found study buddy, made the class a perfect choice in his mind.

Tommy didn’t mind attending the class. It had taken him upwards of three weeks to learn the teacher’s name (Mr. Gold, but the class called him Soot), and who he was (he was hired by the school three years ago and has been a teacher ever since), and his love life (he has a girlfriend, but all his classes found a picture of her on his instagram and they think he can do better).

He didn’t, however, have a hard time committing Soot’s appearance to memory.

His curly hair fell perfectly every day without a fail. The tight button up shirts he wore required him to roll up his sleeves if he ever wanted any relief from the room’s broken AC. It’s hard for Tommy to not follow his hands switching between the board and the lesson plan on his desk.

He’d be lying if he didn’t say he thinks that Mr. Gold was finer than the heavens. It seemed to be a popular debate in this girl’s restroom, too; was Mr. Gold hot or was it just the power dynamic?

As Tommy sits with his legs up between the railing and the wall, inhaling his cart like it was his life force in preparation for his fifth period class, he turns his phone for his friends to see. “You can’t tell me he isn’t hot!” He says as he gives the phone over to an equally contorted friend of his. “Gold? Tommy, you’re crazy. He isn’t that hot.”

“Listen I’m not gay but I’d be a victim. I’m just saying.” Tommy takes the phone back as he preheats the battery. One of his friends nods in agreement.

As the debate continues over the attractiveness levels of Wilbur's instagram posts, Tommy pulls up an old high school yearbook photo of the man. “You can’t say you wouldn’t want William Gold to fuck you, I honestly think I give this man fuck me eyes in class accidentally.” Tommy practically yells to prove his point to Aj.

Suddenly, a loud presence enters the bathroom.

“Ok, I know there’s more than one of you in there. Everybody out.”

The boys look around nervously to one another as Tommy holds back laughter. That is definitely Soot.

There is a tense pause. No one wants to respond out of fear of punishment (and slightly because he had to have overheard the conversation they were just having). “Guys, I’m not playing games here. Let’s go. We can take this to the head if we need.”

Quickly the boys hop down from their acrobatic positions and grab their backpacks.

“One, two, three of you!” Mr. Gold sighs at the sight. “Wow, no! There’s more! Five? SIX? There were six of you in there? My God it’s like a fucking clown car.”

The boys shift nervously under his look. “Listen, I don’t care. It’s just protocol. You’re lucky I’m not taking you down to the counselor, it smells like weed in here.” Everyone exchanges quick looks as they continue to try to hide the obvious vapes inside their hoodie sleeves.

“So you just… don’t care?” Tommy pipes up. His friends shoot him scathing looks, as if telling him to not push their luck and get out while they can.

Wilbur seems taken aback by the question. “Well, it’s not that I don’t care, it’s just… Listen, don’t say I’m letting you guys smoke in the stalls. I’m not. I just think you’re smart enough to not be dumb with it again.”

“But if you were truly concerned for our safety wouldn’t you confiscate our shit?”

“Listen, this is great energy Tommy, how about you keep it up in class and stop giving me fuck me eyes the entire period. I get you’re high but try a little harder.”

The entire bathroom goes silent before erupting into laughter. People with no business in the situation Tommy can hear snicker in the background.

“I’ll make sure to have you work for your money today.” Tommy says before Gold shrugs him off to prepare for his incoming class.

“I am so sorry you have to attend his class now.” Tommy’s buddy Nathan pats him on the back. “The sexual tension during lessons boutta go crazy” Aj jokes as he motions Tommy to head to class with him.

“I think I’m gonna be sick.” Tommy says as he sits in front of the classroom door with his head in his hands. “How do I look him in the eyes? I’ll just skip class by going to the nurse.”

Aj jumps in front of him before he can leave. “We’re already five minutes late. Please let’s just go in. The longer you wait the worse it gets and you know that.” Tommy reevaluated his choices before finally agreeing that Aj was, in fact, right, and that they should attend class.

“Tom Simons, nice of you to join us.” Soot singles him out in the middle of his lesson. Tommy’s equally guilty friend slips into the back of the classroom undetected. “Please, take a seat.” The sarcasm drips from his lips.

Tommy sits in his usual seat far in the back next to Aj. The work was boring mundane class stuff. They used their laptops to research the battles fought during the American Independence War and Tommy finished within the first three minutes.

Tommy raises his hand to gloat to his teacher, ready for the victory as he tells Soot his work is “too easy” and to “give him a challenge.”

“I’m done, easy shit.” Tommy says when Soot finally strolls his way over to the seat. He wasn’t prepared for Wilbur to lean over behind him to read, or the way he said “Good job, Tommy” as he got up (he can’t help but imagine him whispering “good boy” into his ear).

His eyes shoot up to meet Wilbur’s. Every quick retort he had loaded to fire falters. He feels like he needs to say something.

“Can I go to the bathroom?”

“Weren’t you just in there?” Soot makes a sarcastic sad face to mock Tommy’s surprised expression. “I remembered hearing a conversation about being a victim, if I’m not mistaken?”

Aj laughs as Tommy goes pale and forcefully chuckles. “Hey, haha, listen man, I-”

“Ok everyone, please discuss with the person next to you the notes you should have completed by now.” He redirects his attention back to the class, the low tone now projecting off the walls indicating he was referring to everyone.

Tommy turns to face his friend on his left. His shit eating grin left Tommy regretting his entire day.

“Can you send me the answers? I was too busy watching the in house entertainment”

About a week had passed since Tommy was caught, and he was being as careful as possible. Last thing he needed was another run in.

His fourth period lunch left quite a lot to be desired; in the mornings he was never hungry. Instead he fills himself with flavored air, weed, and a severely diluted once-iced coffee.

The lunch period only housed one friend every day, but on alternating days up to seven people would sit with them for lunch. Either way he was too high to notice anything happening around him. No difference was it to him if there was one or eight people, as long as he was being supplied the bodies didn’t matter.

These alternating days with a lot of people leads to everyone slowly making their way to the bathrooms after eating, using it as a pit stop and waiting out the remainder of their time.

Tommy had been waiting since 10:15, and the period ends at 10:30. He was finally getting his new cart today. For the last week he was either smoking scraps from all his empty carts at home or his friends’ at school. His “friend”/dealer had told him to wait in here but it was becoming ridiculous.

1 Snapchat Notification: Rizz 🤝

Rizz: “Soot’s on my ass but omw”

Tommy: “dude don’t come in here if Gold is gonna catch us.”

“he already doesn’t like me 💀”

Rizz: “Skill issue he doesn’t think i’m shady.”

“Or at least didnt before this.”

“Honestly Tommy i’d rather save my own ass and give u the shit before he catches me with 16 carts 💀 i’m dealing today i’m way overdue”

Tommy nervously taps his foot in the bathroom stall. He toys with the $50 in his pocket, rolling it up and flattening it. Honestly, he hates the way Rizz deals. His constant lateness, the sloppiness, as if he doesn’t care that this is something serious. This can be a crime if found out by the wrong person, and everyone will be in legal trouble. But to people like Rizz the real world doesn’t exist. The only reason Tommy continues to buy from him is because he gets a $15 discount (Tommy and Rizz’s cousin used to have a thing).

As he fumbles with the airbar in his hand he hears his “friend” walk in. “Open the stall door,” He knocks and Tommy unlocks it. “Here you fucking go.” He drops the cart in Tommy’s hand before opening his palm for the payment.

As he reaches for his pocket, the front bathroom door opens and the boys are sent jumping.

“What’re we doing here?” Gold asks the duo with his arms crossed. The door slams shut behind him.

“I’m paying him back for a meal he bought me last week,” Tommy explains as he gives the money to Rizz. “It was expensive.”

“I can tell. That’s a pretty big wad of cash. How much?”

“$50”

“And how much is a cart?”

“$65, so you can stop being weird about it now.”

“Ok, and so the constant going in and out of the bathrooms, Rizzario… is that just for fun or?”

He puts the money in his pocket. “It’s a pastime of mine. You should see the architecture up in here, truly stunning.”

“Yeah, I’m sure you get a kick out of it. Get to class.”

Tommy’s unfortunate second capture does not deter him from immediately smoking the cart with his friends minutes later in the same stall. He has been waiting for a week and he’ll be damned if he has to wait any longer. The lack of food in his system, along with his slightly reduced tolerance, makes walking to fifth period a little harder than usual.

Immediately upon sitting down it is revealed to Tommy by a kid sitting two seats ahead of him that there’s a test they are taking today and that he’s the only one who could “possibly forget about as big a test as this one.”, and he realizes he’s screwed up when even Aj is caught cramming at the last minute.

“Tommy, are you aware you failed my last test?”

“Yes Mr. Soot, I’m well aware. That’s actually why I wanted to talk to you today. I think I’m a pretty good kid. I do my work, I participate in class, and up until this point I have passed every test with flying colors. Please understand that I do try in this class and I’m not afraid to do extra work to get my grade back up. I’m not asking you to just change my score, I’m really wondering if there’s anything I can do to work for my grade.”

Soot turns to face Tommy, taking off his glasses and laughing. “A good kid? I’d hardly call you a good student.”

“What? Are you crazy? I actually do your work. I do more work than anyone else in any of your classes. I’ve never missed homework, or class work, or done poorly on a test before this. I always answer questions in class and respond when you try to have open discussions.”

“And yet, despite all that, you’re not a good student.”

“You’re mental!” Tommy exclaims. “Listen, if you don’t want to tell me where I can get extra credit in my grade, or if you just don’t want me to, then say it! I don’t want nonsense.”

Soot stands from his desk to address Tommy. The silence in the air hangs tight as the man evaluates his words. “You know you’re lying to yourself when you say you’re a good kid.” He finally says. “You know you come into class high every day, with barely any awareness. You babble off in group discussions for minutes on end, related to and not related to the topic. Your homework is subpar at best.”

“At least it’s done, man.”

“We’re not friends, Tommy.”

“Yeah, no shit, I know that. That’s why I came to you in person after class.”

“Mrs. Mark told me you resolve all your issues over email.”

Tommy’s mouth gets dry. Why’s he talking to Mrs. Mark about him? She never liked him much or his tryhard attitude in her stupid Advanced English Language class.

“Did she say I’m a bad kid? I swear she hates me. She’s always picking on me in class.”

“It’s honestly funny Tommy, because if you tried at all you could be such an exceptional student.” His demeanor shifts. Tommy can’t put his finger, but it seems like Gold has something he’s hiding. His mind instantly jumps to things Mrs. Mark could’ve told him. “Everyone keeps telling me that. Clearly it isn’t true if this is me trying.”

The tired teacher throws his hands in the air. “Once again! The lying! You’re so blind to it.” He walks back to his desk from the board for a final time. Throughout his speech he traces the wooden grain on his desk, eyes not leaving the boy’s. “Tommy, listen. You’re such a bright student. You’re wasting yourself with this crap. I know everyone knows you, I understand that you’ve gained quite a highly positive popularity status in this school when it comes to the social hierarchy. But if you just tried you’d see how much more you can do with yourself.”

“Forget it, Soot. I’ll just do better on the next one.”

“Maybe we’ll resolve this over email.” Gold writes out his number on a late pass before handing it to Tommy. “However, I am much more likely to respond over text.”

“No shot.” Kim says as she hands the money to the shopkeeper. “Strawberry Kiwi elf please, love.”

Tommy fumbles, laughing as he pulls out his phone “I swear! Look, it’s saved right here.” He shows her Gold’s contact on his phone, the only texts sent being a “hello” from each of them.

“Then let’s call him.”

“What?”

“If it’s really him, let’s call him. We’ll grab a coffee and walk down to the tracks and call him.” She grabs the box from the cashier. “Thanks, and can we also have…?”

“Cherry Cola Diamond please.” Tommy points to the wall. He reaches over the counter to grab it from the guy. “We can’t just call him. I feel so nervous. What if he’s actually just trying to get me in serious trouble? I mean, look at us.” He points around to the smoke shop they’re in. “This isn’t ok.”

Kim starts walking to the bin down the hall as she unboxes her new toy. “Listen babygirl. Everyone in the school wants that man. You should hear how people talk about him.” She ghosts the nic before dropping it in her cross body bag and strutting out the door, leaving Tommy to catch up. “Bag him, bitch.”

After much debate and argument, finally, at one pm on a saturday, after smoking a joint and walking on the train tracks, Tommy’s finger hovers over the call button.

“Kim, I can’t do it.”

“For christ’s sake,” She hits the button with his finger and puts it on speaker before shooting him an encouraging thumbs up.

As the line rings, Tommy seriously considers laying down on the tracks until the 1:30 pm train hits him.

Finally the line picks up.

The microphone shuffles up against some fabric before becoming clear. Soot’s groggy morning voice seems to burn through his ears.

“Hey, Tommy. Sorry I was sleeping. What’s up?”

He opens his eyes wide and shakes his head no to Kim, who just continues to nod her very adamant yes.

“What am I supposed to say?” He whispers to her.

“Hello?” Soot calls out confused.

“Ask him if he’s free to chat after school tuesday.” She says obviously as she rolls her eyes. Tommy just gives her an almost disgusted look back. “I can’t just… oh my god.” He redirects his voice to the phone. “Sorry, didn’t mean to wake you up.” Was all he could manage.

Gold chuckles slightly. “Don’t worry. I needed to wake up anyway to grade all the homeworks.”

“You’re seriously gonna be grading homeworks?”

“No. You caught me.” They both lightly laughed before realizing they seriously don’t know what to say. “Uhm, what are you doing?” Gold finally asks.

“I’m hanging with my friend Kim, we’re under an overpass by the train tracks.”

“You’ll have to show me one day.”

“It’s right across from the school, maybe I’ll show it to you one day during your break.”

Kim squeals through her hands and kicks her legs like a middle school girl watching her friend call their crush.

“Yeah sure, I’d like that… Listen I should probably get my day started so I’ll-”

“Oh yeah no now of course, I understand. I’ll see you on Monday.”

“Hope not, we don’t have school.”

“Ahaha, right. Forgot. Sorry, bye Soot.”

“Have fun Tommy,” Soot squeezes in before ending the call.

Tommy looks at Kim with a hatred in his eyes. “That was terrible.”

“…and then she made me call him!” Tommy explains his weekend to the morning bathroom bunch.

“You know Kim loves the drama. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s telling everyone right now!”

“Forreal man, why’d you even tell her that shit?” Kim’s ex boyfriend speaks up. “Trust me, she’s a conniving little shit.”

“I’m like best friends with her twin sister Janie ok? The friendship extends to her. Also she asked me to get nic with her. I couldn't say no, she always pays for me. Everyone thank Kim for the free nic.”

“Thanks Kim”s were mumbled throughout the stall.

Aj shoved Tommy hard enough he falls off the wall. “What did you even say? You can’t end there.”

“I was a nervous wreck! He like woke up to pick up the call and his voice was so fucking hot guys. It caught me so off guard to hear it was like one pm, I don’t know why he was sleeping…”

Tommy spent the remainder of their ten minute morning smoke sesh to fill them in on everything that went down, as well as field questions from his friends.

He wouldn’t lie, he loved it.

Just like with weed, it seemed as though good things only came with getting involved with Gold.

He was putting in good words with all his teachers (including Mrs. Mark!), he was the shit in all of his classes, and everyone wanted to know what was going to happen next.

Gold, as well as the rest of the staff of course, were painfully unaware of the rampant “teacher and student” buzz circling around the smoke clique.

Since Tommy’s last little stint with Gold it’s been one week and three days. Nothing has changed, except for having the favor of every teacher he has a class in. He’s too nervous to take the first step into a possible slippery slope of relations with his teacher (as any normal person would be. But sadly, Tommy is not a normal person, not by a long shot, and he knows this as fact as he lays in bed wondering what it would be like to have Gold 6 inches deep in him)

It’s hard to go to school when everyone thinks you’re fucking the teacher. It was supposed to be a joke, the whole thing; Tommy always chooses one joke a year to be his running gag. He had chosen the gay joke “crush on my teacher” route because of how ludicrous the idea of him and a male teacher ever getting together was to him. It was a joke he often made about the old, prehistoric male teachers he had in ninth year, as well as some of the older women too, though most were married and he always thought it felt wrong to talk like that about them.

The weekend rolled around once more and Tommy spent his time out late at friend’s houses, and finally out until two am on Sunday night. He had begged his parents for hours and when they said yes he didn’t care about the consequences of his decisions.

Finally, reality caught up to Tommy, and for the first time since he first started drinking in eighth grade he wakes up with a hangover. Classes seem damn near impossible to stay awake for. He deems his sunglasses aren’t providing enough darkness and accessorizes with a hat from the lost and found bin, in hopes that now the fifth period fluorescent light combined with seeing Soot’s arms won’t make him vomit all over himself.

He strolls into class three minutes late due to having been kneeled over the side of the toilet in the single stall gender neutral bathrooms just minutes earlier. Apparently it’s clear to everyone in the class he’s a hot mess, because all he can hear is everyone asking him if he’s doing alright. He dismissed each one with a “Yeah, no, just tired. You know how school is.”

Before he knew it he was face down on his keyboard.

Tommy was awakened thirty minutes later to the sound of a bang next to him. Mr. Gold had lifted the desk next to him before dropping it on the ground. “See me after class, Tommy.”

He could probably feel the smirk from Aj’s face even if he was on the other side of the world.

“Really? Falling asleep in class? That’s a new low, even for you.” Gold reprimands him. Tommy stayed. Yes, even he is surprised by it. Usually he’s the first one out the door if a teacher has an issue with him. But something in him almost wanted to hear what he had to say. He was excited for the man to tell him everything he did wrong, how to improve, what to do.

“I’m sorry Mr. Gold. It won’t happen again, I swear.”

They both looked at each other for a minute. “What is your sixth period class?”

“Gym. Such a bore, I hate my teacher so much. She’s so pregnant she can’t even stand near us because she’s scared someone’s gonna hit her.” The two laugh at the situation. “I mean, I can’t help but wonder why she doesn’t just go on maternity leave. Almost all the female gym teachers are pregnant this year.”

“Hey, they got a lot of free time over the summer. What else are they supposed to do?”

“They don’t have to keep fucking like rabbits!” He jokes and they laugh.

Silence once again falls over the room. It’s like something stops them from ever holding a conversation beyond some jokes. They’re too scared to laugh for too long, too scared of being too close, and Tommy’s way too nervous to actually make the first move. Everything relied on Soot.

“Call me Wilbur.”

“What?”

“You can call me Wilbur. William isn’t my first name. Well, it is, but I go by Wilbur.”

“Real quick let me just,” Tommy pulls out his phone from his back pocket and changes Wilbur’s contact name. “I like it. And here, we’ll take a selfie for the photo.”

Tommy turned around and extended his arm to get the two of them in the picture, snapping it before saving all changes. “I think this was a productive chat, Wilbur.”

“Don’t call me that in class or we’ll have issues,” He jokes around (but Tommy feels the difference in the weight of those words). Tommy mocks him before grabbing his bag and heading for the door. “Before you go,” Wilbur stops him just inches shy of the door. “Want to show me that underpass?”

Wilbur called Tommy’s gym teacher, making her aware that the boy was “making up a failed test” and would not be able to attend the period. The two sent off on their walk, Wilbur with his messenger bag and Tommy with some snacks he had in his locker.

Their destination wasn’t far away by any means, but the walk felt like forever as they desperately grasped at straws in order to make small talk.

“So you got a girlfriend?” Wilbur looks at the boy before pulling out his phone. “This is her,” he says, showing a photo of a skinny blonde woman, eyes green, teeth white. “Her name’s-”

“Jenine?”

“Please stop stalking my socials.” Wilbur jokes as he puts the phone away. “But yeah, Jenine. We actually- well, she, actually - decided we should go on a break about four days ago. Took all her shit out of the flat.”

Tommy was taken aback by the demise of their relationship. They seemed really happy from all the posts he saw. “Oh. I’m sorry to hear, man.”

The brunet smiled genuinely. “Nah, don’t worry. Just got more space to put all my useless shit in”

“Like what?”

“I dunno, figured I’d put up shelves to fill the big empty spaces and pile it with games or books or whatever a normal person puts on their shelves.”

“Well what does a non normal person put on their shelves?”

“Youtooz. Way too many to be healthy.”

“I won’t lie, I have a collection too.”

The pair finally arrive on the tracks, Tommy fiddling with the nicotine in his pocket. They’re sat on the weird raised platform under the overpass. The brightly colored graffiti brings some joy to the otherwise desolate area. He passes Wilbur a pack of chips, who was too busy tapping his cigarettes to notice the bag flying at his legs.

“You smoke?” The boy asks his… teacher? That’s a weird thing to ask your teacher. Friend?

He removes a cig from the pack and pulls a lighter out with it. “Yep, since I was fourteen.”

“Same,” He looks up abruptly, eyes wide. What a stupid fucking thing to say! But he has to know already right? (He so desperately wants him to know)

Tommy laughs and looks at the ground. “I mean no! I don’t smoke. Who gave you that idea Soot? Stop asking questions.” He hopes his jokes are funny enough to distract from his truth bomb.

“I know.” Is all Wilbur says as he lights up, a smile spread across his lips. He elects to think the smile is more of a mutual funny smile and less of a smile you’d give a child who’s rambling.

Tommy looks around as he internally debates ripping his diamond. Is it worth it? I mean, the guy knows. He’s lighting up in front of his face. He’s gotta be ok with him ripping nic right? They’re off school property.

Finally he lifts the nic to his lips and takes a hit. He avoids eye contact with the man in hopes it eases the anxiety he feels.

The teacher looks over at the boy and puts down his cigarette, smoke drifting through the air in sultry clouds that Tommy can’t help but lavish in. “I’m gonna write you up for that,” Wilbur laughs through his exhale. “Naughty.”

Tommy’s breath catches in his throat as he’s inhaling and coughs violently. He plays it off, mumbling about some “shitty flavor” under his breath, looking at the man in an attempt to ignore his reaction. “So, Soot, is it often you smoke with kids?”

“I wouldn’t say often, but I’m no stranger to taking a smoke with a student in the ’lot.” He grabs another cigarette from his pack and lights it with his dying one. “Chain smoking without worries is my favorite, though. This is a really nice spot. Did you know we’re not allowed to smoke anywhere near the school property as teachers?”

“I mean kinda makes sense, but what’s considered “near” the lot?”

“I guess anything within fifteen hundred meters of the school? I’m just assuming. I think they don’t want us to set a bad example. Mrs. Moore got caught smoking out of her car window and it was a whole big thing with the head.”

“What’d they say?”

The train begins to chug down the tracks at them. “Threatened to put her on suspension until she stopped smoking. I don’t know how they’d even enforce that though.”

The loud woosh of the train fills their ears, unable to do much but wait for it to pass by. Tommy waves violently at the passengers. Wilbur joins him. “You always do that?”

“Sometimes,” He shrugs (he always does, he knows he’d be so happy if he saw someone waving at him from the tracks, but he won’t tell him that, because he’s not a kid, and he’s had enough oversharing for one day)

“So,” Wilbur clicks his tongue. “How’d you find this spot?”

Tommy flips the vape over in his hands as a fidget. “I was walking around with friends one day, trying to find a new smoke spot for our spiff, and we stumbled across this.”

The man stretched out his legs, changing positions to sit slightly closer. “And the Do Not Enter sign didn’t deter you guys?”

Tommy didn’t notice the shift. “Wilbur, we were going to smoke a joint. I don’t think a stupid sign is really our concern.”

“So instead of one felony, you guys decided on two?”

“Either way we’re fucked,” He laughed. “Can’t imagine underage illegal substance use is too great of a look in court.”

“Trust me, it isn’t that bad. You can manage to get yourself some community service and occasional drug tests for two months.” Tommy hit his shoulder lightly “Speaking from experience?” Wilbur pretends it was harder than it was, knocking himself over slightly. “And what if I said yeah?”

“Naughty.” (he can feel the adrenaline rush to his head as the words leave his mouth)

The teacher smiles at his pupil and shakes his head. “What about it? Gremlin.”

He’s glad he didn’t cross a line. And he can’t wait to tell everyone about this in the morning.

Wilbur turns to face Tommy. “I don’t want to cross a line, but you’re a great kid Tommy. Do you want to possibly get a coffee together some time?’

“I’d be more than happy to.” They exchange a brief glance at each other’s lips, a passing second neither notice, and hope the other didn’t catch them. They continue to discuss location and time before they begin a slow walk back to the school ground to continue their day.

Morning smoke circles are a different type of friendship. The type where you gossip, even if you aren’t a gossiper. Everything you know is shared knowledge. Nothing is a secret, and you spill it all in the hazy fog of morning brain before classes. You spend ten minutes hyping each other up to get to class despite your lateness. You tell them about your weekend, your weekday, your classwork, your romance, your life story.

So it was no surprise that the next morning the first thing everyone heard about was Tommy’s escapades by the tracks.

Tommy entered into school the following days, elated and on top of the world. A week passed before he realized he bombed a really important math test he took the day after he met with Wilbur. He had been so caught up in the whole “hanging out with his teacher” thing he completely forgot to study. But he thought he did well!

He went to talk to the math teacher after class that Thursday, but it was no use. He spent the rest of his day on the verge of tears. The only stain left on his record for this quarter.

The next morning he and his friends met up in the E hall bathroom before classes started and began talking about all the other drama happening at the moment.

It’s not like he remembers it, though, and he wakes back up in his third period architecture class, slumped on Nathan’s arm, in the middle of a lecture from his teacher.

“Are you even listening to a word i’m saying?”

He looks up at Nathan before looking back at her. His brain is still catching up to become conscious.

“I- I um…”

“Repeat what I said.”

The silence fills the room, minus the snickering coming from three annoying girls in the corner. (He doesn’t know. Truthfully! He might as well have just randomly walked in now and he’d probably know more.)

But Nathan pulled away, and before he knew it he was yanked up by the arm and told to get out.

There were still 30 minutes of class left (apparently), and he was still tired, so he decided to pay a visit to his dear friend, the art teacher.

Well, he wasn’t really his friend. He just knew a spot to sleep in. But Rizzo can’t keep his mouth shut. For the second time in the same period he was pushed out of a classroom for misbehaving.

So bathrooms it was, and on his way down he passed a familiar guard he regularly chatted with. They waved and stopped to talk about their days, their summers and the upcoming break. The guard walked him as far as the bathroom door and they said bye.

Tommy hears mumbling in a stall before a meek “Is there a guard?” is heard.

“Nah it’s all good guys,” He walks up to the stall door and puts his foot under. “Let me in.”

They open the door and Tommy drops to one knee to get his airbar. “Hurry the fuck up, man.”

“Trust me, I’m always safe.”

As he stands, he turns to see the door opening.

And if he was any less high, he definitely could’ve come up with something good to get them out of trouble.

But he wasn’t. He was really high.

And now he was still high.

But sitting in the dean’s office.

Somewhere between getting caught and getting put in the room, Tommy blacked out. But he was here now and there was nothing he could say or do to leave without talking to him.

Like, the big guy. The man who could absolutely obliterate any hope of a future Tommy had (well, what any little of it there was).

The dean came in and sat directly across from Tommy,

jump #1

Tommy sits on the freezing bathroom stall tile. It looks clean enough to sit on, and he hopes the wet feeling on the back of his leg is actually just his imagination. His bag is over in the corner and his jumper is blocking the awkward vent between the door and the floor that someone might be able to see him through.

The smell of marijuanna that has permeated into the walls of the gender neutral bathroom made his head spin. Tommy couldn’t help but feel slightly bad. What was supposed to be a bathroom for people became a smoke spot. However, it doesn’t stop him from pulling out the crack wire from his bag and hooking it up to his school computer.

He turns the cool glass over in his hands and traces the black mouthpiece. It was almost empty and he didn’t have another 50 to drop. As he places the wires in their appropriate spots he pulls out his phone.

The glass heats up and he takes a hit as he types out a message to his dear friend.

Wilbur (US HISTORY)

> can i have a fifty

He knows he won’t respond. It was a dumb thought to even ask him, he fucked up the second he sent the text. Wilbur isn’t dumb. He’ll know it’s for a cart. There’s no way in hell he’d go as far as supplying the boy with drug money.

Wilbur (US HISTORY)

> can i have a fifty

< I’ll give it to you

after class, ok?

Tommy waits behind after class. Aj’s confused look as he walks out the door is all it takes for his stomach to get queasy again.

Soon enough the room clears out and all that’s left is the boy and the teacher.

“Fifty dollars?” Wilbur asks from his desk, rummaging in his bag for his wallet. Tommy nods. He can’t seem to get words out today, his muteness being noted by not just his classmates but his teachers as well.

But Wilbur doesn’t pry. That’s what he likes about him; he doesn’t need to speak what he needs out loud. He seems to just know.

Wilbur motions for the boy to approach the desk and so he does. Opening the front pocket of his backpack he drops the cash in.

“Do you at least get it safely?”

He nods.

“Are you ok?”

He doesn’t nod.

“Do you wanna talk about it?”

jump #2

“Tommy, do you know why I wear these?”

Tommy, confused, replies no.

“I like them. I like to think that people perceive me differently. Smarter, cuter, more approachable. But it’s a guise. They’re just glasses. They aren’t actually doing anything for me. You’re not a good student Tommy. You have some serious underlying issues that you’re just self medicating with weed and nicotine and adrenaline rushes, and you think it’s doing something. You try to trick yourself into thinking you’re a good student just like I try to trick myself into thinking these do something for me.” He picks up the glasses before setting them back down. “I don’t know if you’re really all that ‘good’ of a student.”

“I do everything you ask!” Tommy yells. “I have literally done everything you’ve asked. Do you understand how stressful school was for me? Do you understand I had nearly no future in school before this? I was skipping my classes constantly to game and play with my friends. I couldn’t sit still or focus in class ever. Information never made sense. I have found what works for me. One day I’ll be old enough to learn I don’t need it to function. I’ll have options and resources available to get help. I don’t right now though. I have to work with what I have. Something isn’t right up there and weed fixes it. Sorry if you don’t like it but that’s how it is.”

“Tommy, you act like I dont smoke weed myself! I know what it’s like!”

Tommy falls silent. He furrows his brow and contorts his face. “You’re an actual teahead?”

“Why do you think I gave you that fifty? Why do you think I never actually bust anyone? Tommy, I get it. I did the exact same thing. I still do. The only way I can ever grade all of your shitty homeworks is if I’m high. And I know what it’s like when there isn’t any other option because I didn’t have any. I want to find you what you need.”

“Probably a psych evaluation.”, Tommy laughs to himself. “I’m serious, Tommy.”

“Wilbur, I truly appreciate the concern. But “teacher helping me find myself” wasn’t exactly in my life plan. It’s all laid out perfectly, I just have to make it to 18.”

Wilbur stares in disbelief. “Living every day just to make it to eighteen isn’t any way to live. Barely making it through your weekdays just to party on the weekends isn’t healthy.”

“No shit sherlock.”

“I think I will get you a psych evaluation if you keep talking back”

“Alright, fine.”

jump #3

Wilbur’s palm lightly trailed up the boy’s stomach. “Is this ok?” he whispered breathlessly into his ear.

“Yes, yes. Please.” Tommy clenched his jaw. He hadn’t felt like this… hell, ever. He could hear the man chuckle. “Already? I haven’t even gotten to the good part baby.”

The way he said baby, fuck it drove him mad. It was just utterly intoxicating. His head floated from the weed as his nervous system went haywire.

Slowly Wilbur covered the boy with his body more, closing in on him on the couch. Tommy’s lungs burned from the green rip as he desperately tried to steady his breathing, the marijuana smell only making it harder to catch.

“Fuck, this is good shit, Wil.” Tommy’s hands were now in the man’s hair, not moving but instead paralyzed on top. Wilbur slowly started kissing up his neck. “Only peng for myself,” he laughed lightly. “And for you.” He deepened the kiss in the crook of the boy’s neck, hungry to taste him. “Where’s your usual witty banter kid?”

“Kid? I ain’t no kid. I’m a-“ he wheezed lightly. “I’m a man.”

Wilbur couldn’t help but genuinely laugh. “Nevermind, limit your talking. It won’t be needed.”

“And why’s that?”

“Well, you can’t talk when you’re making out.” He lifted Tommy’s lips to his, lightly testing the waters before jumping in. All composure Tommy had now left, and he didn’t mind at all. His hands grabbed the man’s woven jumper, one he often wore during the winter months of classes. Imagine after sitting in that cold class all day, he went over to his room and warmed him up? Filling the room with sex and sweat? He couldn’t help but moan at the possibilities they’d opened.

Wilbur disconnected the kiss to feel up Tommy’s sides again. “Fuck, you’re so cute. Such a good boy, just for me.” The boy couldn’t help but whine at the comment, grinding his hips up. Fuck, he was Wilbur’s good boy. His. He had waited for this since december.

Hot lips pressed against his ear. “How do you feel about taking this further?”

His eyes widened. How far?

“What do you want?” Tommy’s throat went dry thinking of everything he wanted, what he would beg for.

“Mister Soot, I- please, fuck me.”

The older smiles into the boy’s body. “You really want it?”

He nods his head viciously. How could he tell him he’s been wanting this for months now? That he’s been dreaming about it since he first laid eyes on him?

“I know you’ve been waiting for this.” He travels down the boy’s

[misc-obeyme]

I when to the mall another day with all my friend,and I tried on all the skirts in the store and none of them fix me

(my hips where too big :( ) I felt so sad and I told one of my friends

Could you do the brothers when mc tell them that they feel sad for not having any of the skirts fit them

Hello there, anon!

I went ahead and just did "clothes" in general, I hope that's okay. I wanted to keep things as neutral as possible.

I personally have a lot of OPINIONS about body image stuff, so I tried to keep that out of it lol. There's more focus on finding clothes that do fit and how the brothers might try to cheer you up.

Thank you for the request!

GN!MC tells the bros they're sad about not finding clothes that fit.

Warnings: some body image discussion, but not much, it's mostly fluff as usual

Lucifer

MC, you needn’t fret about such things. Don’t you realize there are several demons here that would make excellent clothes for you that will fit perfectly?

Will direct you to Barbatos first, but he has several suggestions. Lucifer isn’t exactly a fashionista, but he does care about his appearance. He’s picky about clothes and wants things that are high quality. As such, he knows where to get the kind of clothing you want and who to contact should it need tailoring.

He’s solution oriented so he’s going to start out with all of this sort of thing. But if you’re more interested in comfort than practicality, you’ll have to hint at it. He’ll pick it up immediately and switch tactics.

While he appreciates when you dress nicely, he tells you clearly that it doesn’t matter what you wear. You captivate him with your shining soul and your sweet smile. If you’re really feeling down about it, he’ll wrap his arms around you and kiss the top of your head, too. Not one for tender moments most of the time, but he makes exceptions for you.

Mammon

Immediately takes you shopping. You just need him with you, of course! He’ll find you multiple amazing outfits that will fit you perfectly. He knows all the shops and all the latest trends. Gotta keep up on this stuff when you’re a model, right?

Lets you pick out a few things for him, too. But mostly he’s ready to spend all his Grimm making you look and feel good. (Best not to ask where that Grimm came from, though. Ignorance is bliss in this case.)

You don’t really have to get him to comfort you because he’s telling you how amazing you look the entire time you’re shopping. But later, after you’ve brought all your purchases back to the House of Lamentation, let him know how much this meant to you. Tell him that you were feeling sad and insecure.

He’s blushing of course. And he’s going to bluster a little at first. C’mon, MC, he knows you’re appreciative of the Great Mammon treatin' ya! But he’s also gonna give you a hug because you obviously need one. Might get a little soft and genuine on you, too. He wants you to know that you’re perfect in every outfit you choose to wear.

Leviathan

Oh? You tried on some clothes that didn’t fit? Well, MC, who cares about normie clothes! He’s got a whole closet of cosplay that he made specifically for you and you can be sure that everything fits just right.

After overcoming the embarrassment he feels confessing this, he has a cosplay photo shoot with you in his room. Hypes you up like crazy while snapping pictures of you from every angle. You look so cute in all these different outfits! He’s so happy to see you in them!

Doesn’t like it when you’re sad, so he’s doing his best to cheer you up. If you’re still struggling, he’ll probably try to distract you with video games or anime.

Levi is not completely oblivious to your feelings and he cares about you, so he works up the courage to ask you if you want a hug. Say yes and he’ll wrap himself around you. He’ll tell you how much you mean to him - it’s a little easier when he’s not making eye contact but he still stutters a little when he says it.

Satan

Perplexed. Why would you be sad about clothes not fitting? Just buy some that do? Listen, this guy has zero fashion sense and he can be overly practical. He doesn’t quite understand so you might have to explain it to him.

He does realize that even if it makes no sense to him, you are sad about it and that is something he takes issue with. He wants you to let it all out. Don’t hold back, MC. Frustrated? Go ahead and yell about it, he’ll listen to every word. Sad? You can cry on his shoulder as long as you need to.

Satan probably knows an unfortunate amount about the history of making clothes and textiles. So if you’re in the mood to listen to him for a while, go ahead and ask him about it.

Otherwise you know he’s going to want to bring you to a cat café. It always makes him feel better and the cats don’t care about what you’re wearing. Trust him on this. Some kitty cuddles and a snack will take your mind off things.

Asmodeus

MC. You must know by now that this is his area of expertise. Why would you ever worry about some human world clothes that don’t fit right? He is here to make sure you always look fabulous.

Doesn’t even need to take you shopping because he already has a closet full of clothes that he bought for you. Of course he knows your size, so everything fits. Tell him what you were looking for and he’ll have it already, possibly in multiple colors.

Asmo also understands that there is likely a body image issue causing some of your sad feelings. That’s not something you’ll be able to work through in one night, but he’s going to talk it over with you while he does your hair or nails (or both).

Why not let him take you out to a party? You both look amazing and he would love to turn heads with you on his arm. He has many fans, but he’s a fan of you and he wants to show you off. Won’t hesitate to hold you close for the rest of the night - his soft touch brings you comfort.

Beelzebub

He gets it. He’s a big demon, they don’t always make clothes his size. But don’t worry, you’ll just have to look elsewhere for stuff that does fit. He’s happy to take you shopping if you’d like to try again.

He’s going to let you know that it doesn’t matter. Says it pretty bluntly, too. You’re just right the way you are, MC. You don’t need to be sad about this. He’s going to give you a bear hug and won’t let go until you say you’re feeling better.

Now of course he’s going to suggest going out to eat. Having some of your favorite foods is a great way to cheer up. Plus you know watching him eat is always fun. Somehow this outing really does make you feel better.

If you’re still feeling down, he will enlist the assistance of brothers that are a little more clothes savvy than he is. But if you just want him to comfort you, Beel will be more than happy to hold you as long as you like.

Belphegor

What? You’re sad that some clothes didn’t fit? You know that if clothes don’t fit, it’s because there’s something wrong with the clothes and not you, right? You just need to shop at a better store, MC.

Realizes that the human world has weird ideas about body image and clothes manufacturing, but doesn’t know enough about it. Just tells you to shop in the Devildom from now on. Anything that doesn’t fit can be altered. He knows at least three demons who can do that for you.

Anyway, he’s pretty sure Asmo already has a bunch of clothes for you. Nothing you could get in the human world could possibly compare to that selection. So don’t worry about it, okay?

More than happy to cuddle with you if that will make you feel better. Just know that he’s probably going to fall asleep with his arms wrapped around you. You might find yourself drifting off, too. If you do, you’ll have a pleasant dream that will leave you in a good mood when you wake up.

masterlist | Thank you for reading!

[tokiro07]

Undead Unluck ch.218 thoughts

[We Have a Title]

(Contents: Immediate reactions - excitement, character analysis - Ruin; thematic analysis - unity; speculation - Ruin/arc progression)

Hype

I think I've made it clear that I'm not a fan of hype. I don't like when expectations are constantly being built up and blown out of proportion, as that can only lead to disappointment. I much prefer a pleasant surprise where I can be proportionally excited with what's happening in the moment rather than allowing the pressure to build beyond what can be reasonably maintained

UU doesn't usually have a spoiler problem, at least not in my personal circles, so I was surprised that there was someone passing around leaks for this chapter. I managed to avoid them, and boy am I glad I did, cus this was the hypest god damn chapter in the whole run so far

Ruin's comeback, Fuuko's brutal display, and of course, Andy's return! I've said a thousand times that Tozuka is a master of iconic panel composition, and not only were there a ton of great panels here, but that final two-pager was just absolutely sick!

Fuuko's hair fluttering in the wind, Andy's blazing descent from the sun, the symbol of Fuuko's Unluck pinned to Ruin's back by the symbol of Juiz's Unjustice, the Sun and Moon both positioned at the top of the page as if watching on as everything unfolds. This is the end of an era and the beginning of a new one - no longer is Fuuko the lone leader of the Union, her right hand is returning to usher in the final phase, and everyone is bearing witness, the heavens themselves shining a spotlight on this momentous occasion

I kid you not, I was shaking when I realized what Fuuko was doing, and it took everything I had not to scream and jump with excitement when Fuuko dropped what will no doubt become her most iconic line in the series (my wife was still asleep, I didn't want to wake her). If I'd seen any spoilers, my realtime reaction would have been split up between knowing what happens out of context and then seeing it in context, and neither would have been nearly as fun, so I'm so glad I got to have the experience I did

Ruin

Onto the chapter itself, I definitely wasn't expecting to see Ruin this soon. I thought for sure we'd get a breather chapter or two to hang out with Tatiana, but I think Ruin is a character we can make an exception for

The first time Ruin showed up during the falling action of an arc, it felt a little like drama for drama's sake at first; I got over it pretty quickly, since it was clearly being used as a narrative device for transitioning into the next phase, but I could understand if people felt like a new character being introduced as a game changer is a bit of an asspull

This time, though, Ruin doing that is a callback to his introduction, an established modus operandi for the character to serve as an explicit agent of the narrative towards...well, ruin. Frankly I would have been disappointed if he'd come back any other way, as this way allows us to see the difference in how the Union responds to him

Before, no one saw him coming, and Fuuko got killed for it. Now, while no one was "ready" for him, Fuuko was able to react in time to make sure that no one died and then even got to retaliate in a way that demonstrated shocking level-headedness in the face of her own killer. Whereas Andy struck in a blind rage without any concern for what kind of ability Ruin might have, Fuuko immediately and brutally removed his head with the intention of inhibiting his regeneration. She was wrong, of course, but she made a conscious effort to win the fight rather than simply reacting on instinct as Andy did

While Chikara and Gina did end up getting hurt, they're not dead and likely not permanently wounded either (corneal damage is perfectly healable, it's retinal damage we'd need to worry about). Ruin is still very much a credible threat, but the Union of today is not the Union of yesterday, and they're definitely fit to overcome the so-called King of Negators

Ruin's Redesign

That said, I am left to wonder if the Ruin of today is the one of yesterday. His design has undergone some interesting changes, all of which completely incongruent with his own ability

Not only is his hair shorter, it's also lost color on one side, and the scar over his left eye has started to spread down his torso and arm, almost like it's metastisizing. Unruin's name implies it's supposed to keep its user perfect and pristine, but Ruin himself has only gotten worse for ware over the course of the loop. I'm wondering if this is a side effect of Unruin, like the more he uses it the more corrupt his body becomes, and it isn't negated by Unruin specifically because it's the cost of the ability and therefore the proper judgment of God or something

The fact that his hair has started to lose color further cements the parallels between him and Andy. Previously he just had the scar over the same eye, but now his hair has become short and slicked back, split between black and white while his scar creates a delineation in his skin tone, not unlike when Andy's personality reemerged from his Remember wound when Victor was in control of their body. The scar moving down the left side of his body also means it now covers the areas of Andy's 1985 and DEAD END tattoos, suggesting that perhaps his personal journey that we haven't been privy to is a parallel to Andy's after waking up from his own grave

Speaking of tattoos...I haven't seen anyone mention that Ruin is missing his Sun tattoo. What this means is unclear, but if I had to guess, it's a sign that Ruin does not currently occupy the role of Regulator. He hasn't been "chosen" by God yet, which I think suggests that this isn't L100 Ruin crossing between loops, it's L101 Ruin, whose life hasn't quite taken the same path as it did before. This might even explain his body - L100 Ruin told us he was sickly, so perhaps L101 Ruin simply got Unruin later this time around. Perhaps that scar is the deterioration of his body from his illness prior to gaining Unruin, and therefore either outside of the ability's purview or, again, seen as God's will and therefore not an imperfection

Ruin's fighting style also seems to be a bit different, as not only does he not seem to be making blood claws or moving through shadows, he also removed his shirt (which was UMA Blood last time) without turning it into some kind of construct first, suggesting that he doesn't have Blood or Shadow with him this time around. Instead, he seems to be fighting more like Andy, using his Soul to fire his own blood as a weapon, as evidenced by the fact that his fingernails were bleeding after attacking the Union

It's definitely possible that I'm misinterpreting it, but I have to imagine that this is a new Ruin being manipulated by Soul rather than the same Ruin going about business as usual. We'll most likely get that answered for us next week, so I wanted to get my speculations out of the way now

Ruin's Future

So if Ruin doesn't have his UMA friends with him and isn't a Regulator, what does that mean for his role going forward?

I don't think any of you will be surprised to hear that my thinking is that he's going to join the Union, as I've been speculating that for a long time and other folks have definitely followed suit since. I am saddened by the idea that he won't have his companions with him, but they could easily serve as an upgrade/character moment for him later, so I'll take it for now

The main crux of my thinking right now is that Ruin is clearly poised to undergo a character arc. As I said, he's starting to resemble Andy more and more and Victor less and less, suggesting that he's going to transition from being the one Negator that serves God and become the final Negator that opposes him

If the Union is a collective of the oppressed rising up against their oppressor, then Ruin is a bootlicker who fell for the propaganda that there was nothing he could do to resist the powers that be and joined them out of a sense of learned helplessness. The idea that Tozuka or Fuuko would see someone so brainwashed that they embrace their own enslavement and just leave them to blissfully suffer their fate runs pretty antithetical to the story we've been told so far, so I think it's far more likely that the coming chapters will be used a way to change Ruin's mind and teach him that he has the agency to live for himself and not live as the cultish servitude of a God he's never met and who clearly is willing to sacrifice him at a moment's notice

When Fuuko said there was still one member left to recruit, obviously she meant Andy, but the timing of that statement immediately preceding her noticing Ruin seems quite deliberate. Andy isn't present, sure, but for all intents and purposes, he's already part of the Union. He doesn't need to be recruited, just retrieved, and that could feasibly happen at any time since Andy could probably just decide to come back on his own. Instead, Ruin is the only Negator that still needs to be shown which side is correct, so while Fuuko may not know it, she was most likely talking about him, not Andy

Even her line about completing the Union with Andy's return can be left open to interpretation, as the act of his returning could either complete the Union with his arrival or with his help in proving the lie that Ruin believes in to be wrong

Of course, I don't think that can happen with just Andy showing up; rather, I think that the most recent additions of Tatiana and Kururu ideally would play a part to help flesh out their inclusions, though I wouldn't object to Julia getting Unjustice here. If absolutely nothing else, I'm banking on Chikara using Unmove, eyes or no eyes. What better time to learn how to use his soul to overcome his weaknesses than when he literally doesn't have eyes?

Unity

Whoever participates in fighting Ruin, I'm kind of hoping it ends up being a Summer or a Sick situation, where the group is so well coordinated that they basically just combo Ruin to hell and back. While the alternative of either Andy soloing Ruin or Andy and Fuuko tag-teaming him would be sick as hell, it wouldn't do much to further the themes of unity overcoming oppression, so it'd be much better for everyone involved to get to participate

Like I said before, the Union serves as a symbol of overcoming oppression through unification, so we can't have one or two members carrying everyone else - they all need to contribute to the whole, at least in some small way. After all, that's what Soul is afraid of, the Union having enough members to overcome anything that's thrown at them

Given the current political climate, Fuuko's retort to Ruin's claim that humanity has no hope of beating God struck a chord with me.

"It's the opposite. They're afraid of the Union being complete. The Ten Superior Rules normally only intervene during Quests. The mere fact that they've sent you here as an assassin is proof that they're panicking."

Union-busting, voter suppression, gerrymandering; those in power make a concerted effort to ensure that the masses believe that opposition is useless by removing every means of opposition available to them, but the message it should send is actually the reverse. Why are they taking away the means of opposition if opposition is useless? If it wouldn't work, why do they care? Why not let us struggle in vain until we learn on our own that it's pointless to try, that we're wasting our time?

Because we're not wasting our time. Our struggles may seem pointless, taking years and years, generation after generation, but change is inevitable. A stone is not split in two by the final blow, but the hundred that had gone before. So long as humanity perseveres, we move ever closer to happiness, even if the path there is arduous

Every loop, the Union has managed to hold back Sun from destroying Ark. And yet, the Regulators were new to Juiz in the 100th. Sun's most direct agents, with the ability to permanently remove players from the game, only became a problem at the end. Why? Because the Union isn't the only one running out of time

If Sun managed to destroy Ark even once in the last 100 loops, the game would be over, just as it would be if Juiz had managed to kill Sun, but neither of them have succeeded. Which is to say, both sides have reason to be desperate, to be feeling the pressure now. And between the two, only one has been getting stronger, by amassing more allies

Meanwhile, Soul's the only one who seems to think of his team as friends. He mourned the loss of Beast and Language, he offered to keep major enemies alive for the sake of Change and War's whims, and he tried to enable his entire team to escape Andy's defenses by rallying them to work together. The rest of the Master Rules, though?

Infighting for who gets which seat, abandoning Soul when he was trying to benefit everyone, insisting on taking glory for themselves. Everything that God designed the Roundtable system to do to the Union, it ended up doing to the Master Rules instead; it divided them, when it should have unified them

Just like Ruin is a demonstration of the Negators falling for God's propaganda, the Master Rules are a demonstration of the Union falling prey to the rigged system. Fortunately, the Union are Negators; the Rules were never going to be a problem for them in the first place, now were they?

Soul

Of course, since Soul is the only one to actually be trying to operate as a team player, naturally he's taken all of this into account already. Sure, the Union's about to be complete, but we all saw him smiling as Andy finally left his post

Soul's plan was never to have Ruin kill off the Union, though it would have been nice if he had; no, his plan was to get Andy's crispy, bare ass off of his goddamn house!

With Ruin attacking, Andy is a must for fending him off, so Fuuko was forced to bring him back. Now that he's gone, the Master Rules aren't restricted by his soul, and can leave the Master Room whenever they please (though they may still be restricted to acting during Quests, it's somewhat unclear). What this means that while the Union is complete, so too is their opposition

Really that's the perfect scenario, though. The Union has to beat back all of the Master Rules sooner or later anyway, so why not just make it a battle royale, huh? A bit more of a traditional shonen battle format, like with the fight against Under during the Spring Arc. And I'm willing to bet Fuuko considered that when deciding to bring back Andy

Speculation

With Andy's return and the Master Rules set free, we're just about to enter what I presume to be the penultimate phase of the story, as all that will be left after defeating the MRs is to face the Gods. I don't know how Tozuka plans to pace this, whether it's going to be a free-for-all like I said or if the MRs are going to have individual arcs with some breather chapters in between, but it's clear that we're moving into the endgame

Personally, I'm hoping for the latter. I shudder to think that that brief moment of Tatiana looking at Chikara's photo of her is the last bit of downtime we'll get before the epilogue, but it's definitely possible. After all, after Spring we had the Final Cherry Blossom Viewing, and then suddenly we were dealing with Revolution and Ragnarok. If we're going to have another high-tension, no-breaks stretch like that, Ruin's return is the most appropriate time for it

That said, I wouldn't hate it. That was a super exciting time, and some of the best story beats in the whole series came up during that storyline, so I have faith Tozuka can handle it just fine. I just want to see some more chill moments, y'know? Especially since Andy's coming back! No one knows him yet! We need him to reestablish his dynamics with everyone!

I want him to be happy to see everyone! I want memories to stir in Yusai's soul of a love long lost! I want Gina to see what her past self saw and angle for a triad with Fuuko! I want Julia to see Victor in Andy and form a bond with him as an altered soul!

Rip, Billy, Shen, Feng, Nico, hell even Void - there's so many opportunities for resolving rivalries and grudges, I need Tozuka to give us at least a couple of them before we hurtle into the endgame and no one has time to say anything fun to each other ever again!

But I suppose I'm looking a little too far ahead. We still need to deal with Ruin right now, and after that we should be seeing how everyone reacts to Remember. Hm, I wonder if maybe we're going to have an entire Remember Arc, actually, like a macro-version of Gina going into Fuuko's book and meeting her past self? I'm not gonna hold my breath for that, but that'd be a neat way to extend the runtime while also finding a perfect excuse to get some more characterization for everyone

Until next time, let's enjoy life!

[thomatri]

Haikyuu boys and girl as love languages

Synopsis - Haikyuu boys and Yachi<3 as love languages (separately) featuring Karasuno boys pt 2

Paring - Kageyama Tobio, Yachi Hitoka, Yamaguchi Tadashi, Ennoshita Chikara,Nishinoya Yuu

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Yachi Hitoka - words of affirmation

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Let’s be real this girl is slightly insecure so she be needing some hype sometimes. She’s always complimenting people in her head (cue that scene where Kiyoko is recruiting her to be a manager) but eventually she works up to complimenting you verbally. She’s a bit too nervous for any other love language and even words of affirmation makes her shy but it’s a step in the right direction. She truly cares for you and wants you to know <3

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Kageyama Tobio - quality time

———

He’s a simple man. Movie date at home he’s happy. He personally thinks it’s more effective like why spend a bunch of money going somewhere when there’s perfectly good streaming services payed by someone else. Similar to Yachi he gets flustered by other love languages but quality time is something he feels is the relationship itself which I completely agree.

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Yamaguchi Tadashi - Gift giving

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Insecure but in a different and objectively sadder way in the relationship. He feels like himself isn’t able to portray his love for you how he wants to so he buys you gifts to show it instead. You try to reassure him that he’s enough but as you guys progress in your relationship he just enjoys giving you gifts especially as he learns your interest and what not more so his gifts are more accurate. Though for some reason I feel like he’d buy you food?

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Ennoshita Chikara - acts of service

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I think being benched does something to your mental cause he is cannonly insecure because he feels like he’s not good enough and being benched as a second year Sure as hell ain’t helping. Anywho instead of sitting around pun intended he like to do things for you nothing crazy. Y’all favorite thing to do for each other is grocery shopping, Tanaka jokes that y’all like a old couple but you both don’t care. It’s just some classic ol retail therapy. Your dad will joke “is Ennoshita going to the grocery store? Ask him to pick up some bread for us”

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Nishinoya Yuu - physical touch

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If you read my Shiratorizawa version of this imagine Tendō biting but 5x more. Yes I’m taking the fact Nishinoya bit someone once and making it his thing fight me (actually please don’t) when he does bite you it’s in the comfort of just y’all two and he’ll nibble or just bite you softly it’s basically his version of a kiss. But don’t worry he has plenty of normal kisses which he’s completely fine with doing in public. Always holding hands. And always hugging. After a win or lost he’ll just walk or run depending on the match up to you and hug you and basically hold your hand all the way until you get back to Karasuno. He basically can fit into any love language maybe acts of service and gift giving less but he’s just a big fan of pda. Is it really a Nishinoya relationship if y’all not attached to the hip?

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Fun au

- these were short so I apologize for that

-not proofread and wrote at 2 am double homocide so I apologize for spelling or grammatical mistakes

- also why tf were these so angsty like half of them were sad 😭 I’m not projecting guys I swear it’s just Conan Gray is getting to me ig 🥀

- I feel like out of all these I wrote Kageyamas was my least fav and I’m surprisingly happy with Ennoshita’s

- also I jus realized Narita and Kinnoshita never played like I get they benched but like damn 😭 felt like they was benched even before the first years

[battlemaiden13]

Since I’m in spooky mood, yes I know it’s technically summer and months away, let me have my early spook mood🤣, what would each of the Skeleton do if they got to pick MCs Halloween outfit, no limits? Who would get Mc to match them? Would Berry perhaps get MC to be a genderbent vers of the punisher? Perhaps Syrup would get HND!MC to dress up as Ace(RTSTZA MC) and make him and his bro match that AU? Who would do couples themes? Funny? Who would pick outfits just to see Mc dressed as certain things? Inside joke costumes? And any skeletons, I know there’s the main (neighbour skeletons) however can be hotel and mafia aswell if you so please! Sorry I just absolutely love and adore how you write every skeleton, and I just love your HND vers!

I added some hotel and mafia boys to the mix! Thank you for your kind words!!

Sans -It’s definitely a pun costume of some type, you don’t get it though until Sans turns up in his matching costume. He’s very proud of himself for the costume choices which is obvious from the grin he can’t get off his face.  

Papyrus - He really doesn’t know what to choose, he wants you to be comfortable but he also loves the idea of matching so the two of you go over different costume choices together until finally deciding on a couple costume that you both like. 

Red - He wants to be just a tad mean since you gave him full control and ends up putting you in a rather skimpy maid outfit. He thinks it’s hilarious until you start calling him master and playing up the role turning him into a bit of a mess. 

Edge - He chooses a couples costume with a stylised Persephone and Hades. It’s a very sweet costume choice and you two look stunning in your costumes. Plue this couple's costume lets him dote on you the entire night. 

Blue - He’s a bit cheeky with his choice. He wants you to look sexy but doesn’t want you to see him as an outright pervert so he wants you to dress as a cheerleader. He hypes you up about it too and the colors chosen are his favorites. Basically acting as his own personal cheerleader. 

Orange -He gets you to be a lifeguard. Part of this is an inside joke but it’s mainly an excuse to see you walking around in a one piece and gets him to put in minimal effort when finding the costume but he didn’t realize how much the costume would affect him. He finds himself staring at you throughout the night and thinking about how next year he’ll ask you to wear something different. 

Berry - Doesn’t actually want a couples costume and gets you to dress as a spiderman variant. Either Spiderwomen, or ghost spider, spider girl. A female spiderman really. The costume is really well designed and put together, fitting you perfectly and you look exactly like the character. 

Syrup - He actually chooses a couple costumes although your part is a lot more revealing than the original story. You get to dress as little red riding hood and Syrup is going to be your big bad wolf. He likes his side of this costume because it’s minimal effort and he also gets to match with you. 

Killer -He chooses to dress you as a Final girl from a horror movie. Your clothes are ripped and you have fake blood on you, looking seriously injured from a long night of trying to survive. He thought it would be fine but when he first sees you it makes him panic slightly. He does calm down as the night goes on but the first reveal is a bit of a shock. 

Nightmare - the costume he chooses for you is a goddess costume. It’s gorgeous and makes you feel severely overdressed but you look beautiful. Whether Nightmare chooses a dark goddess or a lighter goddess costume depends on your normal style. 

Dream - The costume he chooses is an inside joke. Only he and you get it but it was worth it. You weren’t expecting him to pick the costume but somehow you also couldn’t imagine him choosing anything else. 

Colt -Colt wants to see you in full Skulls gear. What you wore during your time interning in the mafia (or would have if this isn’t HND). You look badass and very intimidating in your jacket, plus you added some battle wounds for added effect. Colt can’t help but stare, he has trouble getting up the nerve to talk to you when you look like this as he fanboys even though he was the one who picked the outfit. 

Rifle - A mechanic. Complete with overalls tied at the waist, white tank with grease stains,  messy updo hair, grease of face and some tools. He mainly did it as a joke, it’s literally his clothes with some fake grease, you weren’t supposed to actually look hot in them though so he freaks out a bit and makes a fool of himself when he sees you. 

[kimberlyannharts]

Ranger Academy: The First Arc

So! Ranger Academy has given us four issues, and as we're getting a break next month, these four issues are clearly meant to be seen as the first arc or chapter of the story. While I didn't really expect to give this series most of my attention, apparently I do have a lot to say about it, so let's discuss these four issues and my thoughts on the series so far.

Ranger Academy's kind of in a weird place, at least from my experience. As far as I'm aware, there's really not much discussion or hype for it in the fandom? Which, in some way, makes sense - the series is completely disconnected from the main series and from the beginning was stated to be skewed more towards younger readers; almost as an introduction to Power Rangers as a whole. And it does that job well......for the most part.

Before I get to the writing though, I just want to take a minute to highlight the art, since I don't talk about it enough in my recaps/other discussions. It's great! Drawn by Jo Mi-Gyeong and colored by Fabiana Mascolo, the art for the PR comics in general continues to be a high point. Every character, even the background teachers, have a distinct memorable design with a lot of personality in their poses and gestures, and the numerous settings we've already gotten - Sage's moon home, Ranger Academy's different campuses, the planet Chromia - all look fantastic. My only nitpicks would be I wish we got more non-humanoid cadets, and sometimes the way faces are drawn in profile look a little odd - especially when they have their mouths open - but those are nitpicks.

When it comes to the writing, things get a little trickier. For the most part, I think the story is good. The basic premise to all this in case you're new: a young girl named Sage lives on a remote moon with only her adopted father Rhianth and a herd of weird goat-like creatures. One day two cadets from the titular Ranger Academy, Mathis and Tula, crash-land on the moon and tell her about the Academy. Sick of living alone under her father's rules and wanting adventure, Sage stows along with them on their return journey and becomes an official student. So now instead of herding goats, she's making new friends, discovering secrets of the Academy, how her father connects to all this, and becoming a Power Ranger.

As I said, I think this is a solid premise for Boom's first ever completely original Power Rangers book (I count Power Rangers Universe as a sort of test-run for original stories, but that was still pretty connected to the main series and using established canon concepts.) The mysteries they've introduced, such as the lost Green campus, the implication that certain Ranger colors were purposefully erased from history, Rhianth's past, and Tula's interest in these secrets, all help build on the somewhat basic premise and are slowly giving the book its own identity. Sage herself is a very likable and relatable protagonist; a kid wanting more out of her lonely, isolated life so she takes the first opportunity she can to escape, but is now realizing that it's not going to be some fun adventure. The supporting cast is a little underdeveloped, but everyone's perfectly likable and I'm interested in seeing how they grow. I think for me there are two main problems that drag the book down: the setting itself being underdeveloped and the Ranger alumni cameos.

Ranger Academy itself? Meh

A criticism that immediately came out following the book's release, that I agree with for the most part, is the book pretty much follows the structure of a "magic school" story to a T. A "normal" kid who wants more out of life gets thrust into this new world by some kind of outside force. The school has a category system where kids get put into select campuses based on personality or skills. The main character doesn't fit in with everyone else until they find some friends to take care of them. There are secrets about the school that are being kept from the students, and secrets of the main character's family being hidden from them. Also, there's a bully.

During my first read of the issues, I agreed that this was a detriment to the book, but now rereading it again, I think the problem is less that the book follows these tropes and more that it speeds through these tropes REALLY QUICKLY. You can tell they want to move things along to the good stuff where Sage morphs, and I understand why - this is a Power Rangers book, and people want to see Power Rangers. But at the same time, you really don't get much of a chance to get to know the school outside of its basic layout of its campuses and that the headmaster is literally a giant floating head. You don't learn any of the non-cameo teachers' names, outside of the librarian, and that's mostly because he was part of Rhianth's old friend group. You see some of the classes Sage has to take, but there's no discussion on if each color campus focuses on a particular subject. We establish that first years are on a rotation schedule of attending classes in a different color campus each day, but what's the difference between classes in the Blue Campus and classes in the Pink?

Now this might seem trivial, and it kind of is. It does help the reader feel Sage's overwhelming new situation by not giving her, and therefore the reader, the full picture. And there's nothing saying that these concepts won't get developed down the road. Sage has three and a half years left of school, after all, assuming the book continues long enough to cover that length of time. But when it comes to these kinds of stories, the school's operation is a huge part of the charm - what makes THIS magic school stand out against all the others on the YA shelf? You basically have to turn the school itself into a character. Hogwarts is so iconic because that series does this perfectly. Ranger Academy simply doesn't have that yet - it still just feels like a generic school, really an army training camp more than anything due to the hostage negotiation and survival classes she takes, with nothing to make it stand out except for the promise that we'll get to actual Power Rangers stuff soon.

Oh, and.....the cameos.

The Cameos

So.....yeah. This is a big one for me. I think there's time for the series to fix my issue of the school itself feeling underdeveloped, but it's already too late for the cameos

Back when Ranger Academy was first being advertised, they were quick to show off that the book could cameo any ranger at any point in the franchise - the book itself accomplishes this through the Rangers using tubes as a sort of interplanetary, interdimensional Zoom........or just kind of.....showing up, as is the case with Cruger, Yale, and Katie. (I don't really know what constitutes a cameo physically being there as opposed to a tube hologram. It's another thing the book hasn't explained the rules for yet.) And for the most part, this is a fine idea. It makes sense, and fun for the simple novelty of "look!! it's my blorbo!!!" that no one is immune to.

But they get more and more out of place as the story of Ranger Academy starts to pick up.

Like I said before, the book is starting to hint that the school only having five colors isn't COMPLETELY MMPR pandering - the school is, indeed, intentionally erasing certain Ranger colors from their students' awareness. As someone who would love for the big twist to be this school and its system is inherently corrupt, this is a good start.

HOWEVER. In order to make this work, you have to assume that a) the Ranger histories that the students learn about just don't mention ANY rangers that aren't red, blue, black, pink, or yellow and b) the Ranger alumni who teach there don't mention them either. And that's just too much for me to believe, I'm sorry. For some colors like orange and white, maybe, but gold? Silver? GREEN???????? There are too many of those guys to believe they can get covered up. And I really don't see the ranger alumni being okay with erasing their teammates from history. Green is the third-highest ranking at SPD. Hello? SPD? I think these guys would have heard of SPD? Since Cruger teaches there? (And if not at school then certainly once they're out and traveling the galaxy.)

I've mentioned before that the cameos are starting to feel more like a higher-up mandate than something the author chose to do, and that'll only be supported by a lack of explanation as to how this works with the narrative they're weaving AND if none of the cameo rangers actually.......play a real part in all this. Not that I want the canon characters to overshadow the new characters, but it would feel like kind of a letdown to have access to ALL of these characters and not give them anything to do besides generic exposition (there's really nothing specific to their characters in.....ANY of the cameos' dialogue, besides the five hundredth "uh, is that a CAT???????" joke with Yale.) or not take the chance to develop some of them by, say, assigning them a mentorship role to a specific student. I LOVE seeing Katie, after BOOM kind of ignores her in favor of Jen, but is all she going to amount to is being their bus driver? I didn't even realize it was her until people pointed out that they called her Professor Walker. Nothing about her suggested that she was Katie. So I worry about the aforementioned "it's my blorbo" novelty to wear out pretty fast if the cameos start to feel more and more like just fanservice for people to post about online.

But overall.....it's fine. I'm going to keep reading, and we'll see where this goes. I don't think everyone will like this - as seen by how I barely see anyone talking about it lol. But I'm cautiously optimistic now that we're getting into the meat of things with Sage's new, FORBIDDEN!!!!!!!!! color.

(Just don't bring in Dark Specter oh god please)

Misc Thoughts:

= For all the build-up that the First Trial would be this HORRIBLE LIFE-THREATENING OH GOD HELP ME event, it was actually pretty...lowkey. They literally had no trouble until someone broke their ankle, which....could happen anywhere, at any time. Fern did that, you ain't special. We didn't even see any of those cool monsters they kept bringing up

= So after all my confusion about when and where this series is set, going back in my reread helped me notice that there IS a clue towards setting in a scene where Sage is going through yearbooks: a shelf labeled "Class of [X]498" (the first number is obscured by one of Sage's narration boxes.) So it's.....tentatively set in the far future of the PR universe?

= I've said it before that I don't blame the author for apparently not knowing that previously the books established Xybrians like Kartyr follow a name pattern of a one-syllable word (Trip, Star, Ace, Trek, etc) but it is a little funny to imagine the possibilities. Jerk, Dick, Twerp

= I think a joke could have been done with Cruger, a dog, and Yale, a cat, being in the same room together

= I hate that the Academy was founded by Zordon. It's too low-hanging fruit for me. I'll say it again that I wish it could have just been founded by some OC team

= #Lindy4Orange2024 and FUCK the Bandorian Monks!

[calliecat93]

RWBY V9 Soundtrack First Listen Thoughts

I'm gonna rank them later after I've let them digest a little (I have a first impression ranking, but still). So for now, after listening to all the new vocal tracks, here's my thoughts:

Inside: Not my favorite opening theme, but still superb! It fits the themes of the volume and Ruby's character arc perfectly. You can also tell jus thow amazing Casey's vocals have become. It's been a decade since This WIll Be The Day and she has gone from great to spectacular. And as this soundtrack proves, she is more than capable of handling the music with her dad stepping down. The song for me doesn't beat Let's Just Live, Rising, or Trust Love, but I think I can safely place it in fourth for opening themes.

Checkmate: I was hyped for this the moment I heard it in Chapter 3, and it did NOT let me down! It gives me serious Never Miss a Beat from Volume 3 feels! Gosh, that jazz, love it~! It is such a badass song that really hyped you up for the volume's first major fight scene. Love it~!

Chatterbox: Solid badass song! Not much to say really. Just a really solid song. Maybe I'll have more to say when I'm able to go over the lyrics, but still.

Worthy: I didn't care for the first half of it. It wasn't bad by any means, but it was annoying trying to make out the lyrics with Casey's a cappella singing for a while. That's not on her, it's just not my favorite type of music to listen to, so it's on me. But once we hit the second half? Loved it! It's such a beautiful song, and I'm sure it made the Bumblebee shippers happy after all the years they've waited for the big moment XD

Trapdoor: One of my biggest complaints about the RWBY soundtracks... in fact probably my ONLY one, is the lack of Ruby-centric songs. In the ten years of the show, we've gotten two, Red Like Poses Part 2 (Part 1 is more about Team RWBY than Ruby herself) and Until the End. I guess Casey realized it and decided to fix it with several of them, including this one! It perfectly describes how Ruby feels in the volume. Lost, useless, a failure who just gets others hurt, like she's being left behind by everyone and having her many issues pushed back for everyone else's sake. Trapdoor is a perfect title, because that's what it feels like for her until the door opens and she snaps. It nailed everything and I loved it~!

Quiet: This was the song I wasn't sure what to expect, since we got barely even a few seconds of it in the volume. But as songs like Indomitable (aka my favorite RWBY song) have proven, that normally means a very pleasant surprise when the full comes out, and that was no different here! I think, considering the clock noises and talk about being alone/waiting, this might be a Jaune song? Not too sure about that. But gosh does it convey the feeling of being alone and not realizing what you had until it's gone perfectly. If it is about Jaune then GOD it makes me feel even worst for him than I did in the volume. Ren and Nora better give him all the hugs when they're reunited. So yes, a pleasant surprise for sure~!

Guide My Way: I HAVE WAITED FOR THIS FOR SO MANY YEARS! The culmination of Ruby's character arc. This is very much a continuation of Red Like Roses Parts 1 and 2. In part 1, it was more about the team than Ruby herself. Part 2 was about Ruby's grief and feelings about her mother and her mother's response, a song that is even more painful now than it was then. But here? After all the pain? All the loss? After her identity crisis? Ruby has been reborn. She will be so much more than just trying to love by her mother's idealized example. More than the naive hero she was. More than the fairy tales that she read as a child. She will be her. The song captures all of that, the downfall and rebirth, perfectly. I need a bit of time before deciding where it ranks among all the RWBY songs, but it is 100% my favorite Volume 9 track!

The Edge: I fell in love with this song the moment I heard it. So much so that it beat Friend, which had taken the crown from Cold when it came out not that long ago, as my favorite RWBY ending theme. It does what any good ending should do, sum up the themes of the volume. Everyone was in some kind of bad place at that start. Ruby with her Imposter Syndrome and the aftermath of her plan falling apart, Blake and Yang struggling with their feelings, Weiss losing her home, and Jaune's guilt and solitude screwing him up mentally. But at the end? Aside from Weiss, everyone rediscovered themselves and took the next steps. Blake and Yang with their relationship, Jaune accepting the guilt, and Ruby learning to be herself. This is their rebirth and after everything, this song was just the cherry on top.

Overall? OMG guys, this volume was fantastic! If/when it comes out, go listen to it! Go purchase it! Show Casey, Martin, and CRWBY your support because they 100% earned it! The wait was relatively short compared to the past few, but that wait was still absolutely worth it with every track being a banger! 10/10!