#ignorinG rivals completely lmfao

[applesandbannas747]

What I love about this scene is the way it actually taps into Eugene's potential--as a fencer and as a character. One of the biggest things we learn about Eugene very early on is that he fails, but more importantly, he gets back up and keeps at it. And that was such a cool aspect of him and how he fits on the team that hasn't been tapped until now.

The thing with a character like Eugene is that everyone forgets about him. Scott doesn't even mention Eugene in his breakdown of the Kings Row fencing team:

And Kyle forgets about his existence as he tells Nick that his whole team lost their last round:

But, obviously, Kyle was wrong--Eugene won his last match.

Eugene isn't an x-factor or an underdog. He's not an up-and-comer that's going to spring at you out of nowhere. He's steady, and while everyone else is going through their drama, he continues to trundle along. And it's so forgettable and unremarkable that people forget him. They overlook him. But, slowly, he'll continue to weather the losses and improve because of them. And when Kings Row needs him, he'll be there. And when that's the downfall of an opposing team, it won't be because they didn't see him coming. It will be because they ignored him.

Eugene's stamina--his hardiness--is what he brings to the team, and it's not glamorous or impressive, not in the way that gets the spotlight. But he'll be there, continuing on even when no one's watching, ready to step up when he's needed.

Because it's all about the stamina, my bros.

[dangopango00]

COLLEGE BAND AU HEADCANONS

Legato x gn reader

It was pretty rude of me to just randomly put an au fic without explanation so heres the explanation bye still self indulgent; always will be i fear

more utc

- OK FIRST ABOUT HIM. He works for knives still but in this au his job is to cause vash suffering by 😭😭… outselling him??? Ridonkulous ik but go with it

- Knives wants him to outsell vash so vash realizes that art and human creativity is obsolete and instead help him run his tech/AI company that also focuses on helping global warming (humans suck they should die. robots go!)

- Hes apart of a band to rival Vash’s and ofc its the Gung Ho Guns; he hired them to play for him

- Tbh i think their genre isnt set in stone bc theyre purely doing this to outsell vash so I think theyd keep the core of it rock or indie but it has a lot of shifting gears, doing wtv gets the most traction

- Legato is the bassist but he knows keyboard if their keyboardist is absent

- I think legato writes most of the songs himself (to impress knives ofc this is still HIS mission afterall) and gets a lil sad and defensive if it flops LMFAO even if its just his first album; considering how Knives talked down on music Legato thought it’d be somewhat easy

- It DEFINITELY took him a while to write things that had some semblance of humanity in it tbh he had to have either another less emotionally stunted member write it or a ghost writer but he did still practice writing in his spare time since he had nothing better to do

- NOW ABOUT YALL. Ur roommates in a college dorm; if it were up to him he’d have an apartment but knives wanted him to keep an eye on vash and vash lives on campus

- He only has like one or two official rules as roommates but if ur pissing him off with sth thats not on the list he WILL let u lnow LOL

- The only rules established off rip are:

1. MYOB

2. Do not touch him (no tolerance rule if u touch him without permission he WILL be out of there asap even if its a lot of trouble and will probably even idk push u or sth ignore u forever, hope and pray on ur downfall idk its hard to translate his violent tendencies to modern society without getting him arrested ok)

- You often eat together when he isnt busy tbh usually in silence but its ok its comfortable silence (to him at least)

- Ok im gonna try to say this in the least creepy way possible but like. He likes to observe you for inspiration HEAR ME OUT. Just seeing u go about ur day and since hes always in first person POV seeing someone else just… live gives him immense inspiration on what to write

- He also gets inspo from other artists and heres where u come in hehe. You are a solo artist who doesn’t show your face and your speaking voice is pretty much completely different from ur singing voice (Not like insanely different but if you heard the two separately you wouldnt really connect the dots unless ur one of those people who connect voices easily + depending on ur genre u could be using a completely different tone of voice than usual)

- Your genre is a little similar to Legato’s in the fact that although you keep your core component (Love theme IMO but hey i dont make the rules yes i doo) you change around the other moving parts such as the instruments or wtv so he listens to your music often though he never really thought it would be you; just never really thought about the possibility

- Im not gonna say hes like obsessed with your artist persona or anything but he does (as much as he would rather khs than admit it since according to Knives music is the bane of this world) greatly enjoy your music and often finds himself getting your songs stuck in his head

- Hes def a gatekeeper i mean this is the guy who can name every song in ur discography (Not saying much though since you dont post too often)

- ANYWAY u have no idea this is going on since hes prone to just listening to music in his headphones rather than showing you or blasting it for the world to hear so ur relationship is developing as normal roommates

- You often get him stuff from the college snack shack and in return he often gives u whatever he doesnt want from the dining hall (that sounds crappy but its usually good stuff like ur fave fruit or cheese and crackers or sth)

- After u become a bit closer going on trips together becomes common not like vacation but like a little drive to a department store or him taking you with him to practice/performances

- SPEAKING OF PRACTICE U work part time at a coffee shop and it has a practice room which is where he usually brings his band it sounds random but I’ve encountered a coffee place like this before ok

- Killing two birds with one stone, he gets to see you on his way in and out and he gets a quiet place to practice + Vash often brings his band here too so ig killing two birds and one afterthought with one stone

- Other GHGs (NOT greenhouse gasses. Gung ho guns) think that ur another one of his groupies probably 💀 he def has tons i fear

- He def writes songs about you or rather than about you, references how u make him feel but he is in denial and thinks feelings are embarrassing so hes just like no they just gave me inspiration

- Its ok though the only one he has to justify himself to is himself bc hes like. The only one who knows its about u since his songs are never rlly about romance and in the rare cases that they are its very subtle

- When, if ever, he feels ready for touch he frames it like hes doing u a favor lmao “I will allow you to (blank)” he is tbh

Random Misc:

- Hes majoring in Ecology or Conservation Biology prob minoring in sth like computer science (his entire life surrounds Knives what did u expect)

- Sleeps in his daytime clothes and ur always like ???? Esp bc he wears jeans often… U two went to the department store one time and u convinced him to let u buy him pajamas so he could wash the day clothes overnight

- Hes a big ass fan of vinyls and cds and just physical ways of owning things like music or games but wont admit to himself he likes it its just for the aesthetic ok even though he has a record and cd player

- Wants to cut ur hair and feels like its one of the most intimate things u could do without having to touch too much (forever subscribed to knives cut his hair hc)

- If u have a lot of accessories and generally just a lot of stuff he gets annoyed if it isnt properly organized and will organize it for u wnv hes having writers block

- If ur an artist he has u make his merch designs n stuff 😍😍 he pays very generously he rlly dgaf abt money tbh + Knives sponsoring him

A/N: irrelevant but idk whether to imagine him as tristamp or trigun design like both are so good but Ok im done yapping ty

[andypantsx3]

hello omg you would not even believe how fast i binge read your fic series (completed ones mostly on bakugou and todoroki) and i checked your rules to see if this is out of line so i hope it isn't (im sorry if is :'))

well i just hoped to give some constructive criticism! (your fics are wonderful dw too much) i just noticed some things i wanted to make sure you knew :)

i absolutely loved the fact that depending on the character, the reader's strong suits and overall personality changes (for example, reader is strong willed and can rival bakugou for his fics, and for todoroki, reader is more soft spoken and polite). but ofc the reader remains oblivious bc where's the fun if they aren't, right? ;) next, i loved the little personalizations you added on the characters and your writing— there's a pattern to them, which becomes really noticeable after ehem binge reading a few and it makes me smile to see your signature writing!

but of course, just as you molded the reader to fit certain requirements in the fic, i personally think it would be nice to do the same with the characters too! for example, in your fics, the way the characters fall in love is repetitive and sort of monotonous— even different characters in different circumstances fell in love the same way and although I understand its appeal, i personally think twisting it up a bit for different characters gives each of the fics their own flare!

but!! don't let what i said get to you too much, bc your ideas for fics and how they unwrap are absolutely wonderful! it's creative! this is my personal opinion, and although i called it constructive criticism, it's really just more of i wanted you to know i liked your work, and my own personal opinions abt it :)

no need to reply to this if you don't want to and you can ignore it if you'd like, just thought to get it out here anyway :)

have a nice day! (⁠◍⁠•⁠ᴗ⁠•⁠◍⁠)

Hello my love!! Oooh this is like the first piece of feedback I've gotten that has been phrased constructively so thank you for that!! In my rules, I've said that I do accept concrit as long as people are polite about it and you very much have been!! Thank you for all the kind words. 🥺

Omg I have questions on a couple points though, if you don't mind anoning me again?? Or if you're comfortable, I'm happy to DM although I can see how that could be sort of uncomfy for you as someone giving critique.

Anyway, on to my questions!! Can you help me understand the "how they fall in love" point? Do you mean how both sides fall in love (aka reader is usually whipped and totally panicked about it and realizes the character has also fallen much later on) or specifically how the BNHA character falls in love?

And then which aspects would be the most helpful to change do you think? Like the timing by which this becomes clear to Reader within the overarching plot? Or, who falls first (like having Reader be actually indifferent throughout some of the fic)? Or the mannerisms by which you can intuit that the BNHA character has fallen in love (for example, Shouto watching reader with a fond little quirk to his mouth, etc)?

Or something else entirely that I'm not thinking of?? ����

I can't promise this is something I would for sure change because obviously I have a very specific idea of a realistic romantic arc given the character of a love interest (enemies to lovers with Bakugou and whipped idiot/prince with Shouto lmfao). But I think understanding your advice more could only be helpful!! Thank you for wanting to help me grow!!

[sweetestpopcorn]

‘Daemon never really did something like that for Rhaenyra’, and they proceed to ignore completely how Daemon had Laenor killed (Corlys Velaryon' son? The Sea Snake? The risk to do such a thing? Hello?) so he could marry her, had Qarl killed so he couldn't talk, and almost certainly had Harwin killed simply because he did not want the slightest rival for her. Those are 3 men in a row for Rhaenyra. (Daemon was not even subtle lmfao) But she isn't Laena, so I guess we just ignore it and pretend it did not happen - math or reading comprehension is not really a strong point of this fandom.

Just imagine if this: “Princess Rhaenyra was a different matter. Daemon spent long hours in her company, enthralling her with tales of his journeys and battles. He gave her pearls and silks and books and a jade tiara said once to have belonged to the Empress of Leng, read poems to her, dined with her, hawked with her, sailed with her, entertained her by making mock of the greens at court, the “lickspittles” fawing over Queen Alicent and her children. He praised her beauty, declaring her to be the fairest maid in all the seven Kingdoms.” had been said about Daemon and Laena.

😂👏🏻

You also got to love how many mentions there are about how Rhaenyra loved Daemon but radio silence about Laena's feelings for him. Ups 🤭

[designsdefiance]

FOR LOREN:

7, 21, 30, 42 (bonus for 42: what IS his end goal?)

FOR M'SEYLI:

3, 11, 22, 36!

loren:

7. what triggers nostalgia for them, most often? do they enjoy that feeling?

he's got like, extremely strong sensory memory, and it's sensory experiences that trigger nostalgia more often not. often the taste of a specific food or a scent, though sound can be a pretty powerful one too. as for how he feels about it, it really depends on what it is he's feeling nostalgic over? the smell of ul'dahn street food reminding him of the early days of his friendship with adeline is an empowering one, a reminder of how far they've come and how much she's done for him. the absolutely harrowing ache his double-ancient soul feels at the sights and sounds of elpis he could live without.

21. why do they get up in the morning? 

"morning" is a generous one because he's absolutely not an early riser lmfao. but on a more metaphorical sense, it's the people who depend on him that keep him going. he's slowly getting a little better at living for himself, but it's a long, difficult process, and as it currently stands, it's his friends and family that keep his head up.

30. who do they most regret meeting?

haurchefant :) though it's more about. how their first meeting and subsequent interactions went that bothers loren. if he could get a second chance he'd jump at it. as it stands, though, haurchefant was never anything but lovely to him, rivalling even adeline in the level of kindness he was shown, and loren repaid him by being, frankly, a complete asshole. he spent most of his time around the man being cold at best and actively rude at worst, as a release for years of pent up ishgardian trauma that he hadn't really made any effort to work through and had instead just buried and tried to ignore. during his time in ishgard, he did start to come around a little, though by that point his struggle was just feeling awkward and not really knowing how to come back from how badly he'd screwed up. and then the bastard died for him and now he's left with this harrowing guilt that he'll never really be free of.

42. how badly do they want to reach their end goal? 

tough one because this is the sort of thing i'm still sort of figuring out, but where i'm at with him currently: his overarching goal is just. security. prior to msq, though he's mostly happy with adeline + her father, he's aware enough that things could be pulled from under their feet at any moment, and all he really wants is to know that all three of them are safe and cared for. while this changes quite a bit throughout msq- he comes to care for the scions the same way, and the threats facing them become just a little more severe and worldending than "we might not be able to put food on the table today"- the core of it remains the same. he wants to keep the people he loves safe from harm, and safe from having to worry about where their next meal is coming from.

he'll go to... extreme levels to achieve this. at his lowest he literally doesn't care if it costs him his life as long as everyone else is okay. for a long time he also doesn't really care if it's what the other person wants if he believes it's for the best. especially with adeline he's caused quite a few fights with her by being completely blind to HER feelings and desires, and rightfully had his ass kicked for it. he's learnt to value himself a little more and include himself in his desires, but there's still very little he wouldn't sacrifice. he's extremely relieved to be in a position now, post-endwalker, where he really doesn't have to worry so much anymore.

m'seyli:

3. how do they put themselves to bed at night (reading, singing, thinking?)

she herself doesn't really need a whole lot. she's the sort of person who is asleep the second her head hits the pillow. however she DOES have something of a nighttime ritual, in that there's a specific song she always sings for m'kipfhi to help her sleep. she doesn't really need it herself, with one small exception; when m'kipfhi got taken into the first. she would sing it to herself to self soothe, though it didn't really aid her in sleeping much. it just kept her occupied until she got so exhausted that she couldn't stay up anymore.

11. how do they cope with confusion (seek clarification, pretend they understand, etc)?

she'll just ask. she's very direct about this sort of stuff- she HATES not knowing and she's not afraid to just ask someone to repeat or rephrase. she can get pretty frustrated pretty quickly if her attempts to get clarification still don't get anywhere but she doesn't see the point in fumbling around when you could just communicate directly.

22. how does jealousy manifest itself in them (they become possessive, they become aloof, etc)?

she doesn't really get like, properly jealous very often, it's just not really who she is. when she does though she just gets very clingy. not really possessive because that's antithetical to her core approach to relationships but like. very typical cat, you're not paying enough attention to me so i'm going to lay on you. try and ignore me now bitch.

36. do they actively seek romance, or do they wait for it to fall into their lap? 

romance to her was always kind of like. something she'd like to achieve one day but she wasn't really too concerned about finding it any time soon. she saw most of her tribe mates as like, sisters more than potential romance options so it was just never on the cards for her before she left, and once she left she had other priorities; getting m'kipfhi cured, and then. all of msq lol. she + krile were very much an accident- one that caused her quite a bit of stress, because balancing a new relationship and the stress she was under during shadowbringers and endwalker wasn't exactly ideal, but was ultimately a happy one!

[yuzukult]

yours, but not yours 03 (m) || csc & reader

title: yours, but not yours 03 pairing: choi seungcheol x fem!reader/oc genre: angst, fluff, smut, fake dating!au, bad influence!seungcheol, nice guy syndrome!namjoon, mechanic!seungcheol wc: 7.4k summary: when a nice guy gets too overbearing, you’re stuck with the option of having a fake boyfriend. warnings: oral sex (f.receiving) a/n: omg sorry for the delay... i’ve been in a really bad writing slump LOL if there’s some errors... ignore them. the fact i even finish this deserves a pat on the back LMFAO also thx @/cheolbooluvr ig for beta reading

Seungcheol stumbles back, wiping the red that formulates on the side of his lips. “Did you just fucking punch me?”

If there’s anyone he hated the most, Namjoon just kicked them off the top of the list and claimed the throne as his own. The fire that sets ablaze underneath Seungcheol’s skin is evident—the milky skin of his is flushed tints of scarlet, deep as wine and grows warm like the scorching sun.

Namjoon smirks, head tilted back with his chin up high like this is his territory and Seungcheol is a trespasser. It makes Seungcheol feel like he’s in one of those movies on National Geographic—he’s acting as if he’s a lion and you’re the lioness, while Seungcheol is just some opponent who wants what Namjoon has. He’s got his arms crossed over his chest, sucking in his cheeks for a brief moment before letting out the most brazen chuckle. He thinks he’s won, that smug look on his face giving it away. “Do you need a playback? I’ll do it again.”

In complete disbelief, Seungcheol scoffs. It takes all within him not to bash Namjoon’s face in but with you standing there, he can’t bring himself to show this crude side of himself in front of you. You don’t deserve to see him tear Namjoon to shreds—you deserve so much better than a guy who gets into fights instead of handling it civilly. He wants to be that, the kind of person you want, but when Namjoon takes the silence as a ‘yes,’ he’s prepared for another swing with a fist by his side. 

“Alright, that’s enough,” you chime in sternly, ready to interject but Namjoon is already pulling his arm back and driving a punch into Seungcheol’s jaw with all his might, awaiting that pleasant sound of his bones cracking from the impact.

Only that it doesn’t.

Seungcheol has his arm extended, palm out and against Namjoon’s knuckles as he continues to dab the blood from the cut. It’s almost like it’s from a scene of a film, out on the schoolyard with rivals from different schools ready to rumble. “Chill the fuck out. You don’t gotta go home but you can’t stay here. I’m not gonna hit you, if that’s what you think is gonna happen because I don’t waste my energy on guys like you.”

The silence is deafening—Seungcheol could almost hear the ringing in his ears from it. Namjoon doesn’t aim very well, but the strength behind his fist is strong enough for Seungcheol to suspect a sore jaw tomorrow. They can’t pull their threatening stares from each other, flames burning in their eyes, with teeths clenched down in semblance to the balled hands at their sides. 

You’re quick to shatter the glass of quietude, caring nothing more than to end this. You see why cigarettes tempt Seungcheol—suddenly your lungs are craving that breath of relief. “Go home.”

“You heard her,” Namjoon sneers. “She said go home. Guess you weren’t being a good boyfriend, huh.”

“I meant you.”

The two men turn to look at you.

“Namjoon, go home,” you reiterate, never stuttering over your words. “You don’t get to come here, to my house and punch someone in the face because you’re unhappy with something. You don’t get to act like a child, throwing a tantrum because you didn’t get the trophy girl and quite frankly, I’m not one. You’ve never once given me a decision tonight, thinking that it was better to come in place for Yubin, and none of this was discussed with me. When did you get to dictate my life?”

Namjoon drops his arm from Seungcheol, attention pivoting to you. “We had fun tonight, babe. I’m just doing what’s best for you,” he says, his favorite, signature line never fails to spill when it comes to you. Namjoon has developed this image of you that’s incapable of determining who would be the right fit for you because you ‘don’t know what you deserve.’ But it feels like every guy you choose doesn’t fit his criteria. “I want you to be with a guy that gives you it all, who takes care of you, who loves you, and gives what you truly deserve.”

“And what? You think that Seungcheol can’t offer that to me?” Inhaling in a deep breath, your lids squeeze shut. He’s your best friend’s brother, and although the trope is a cliche that you love, you didn’t love it in this scenario or when it involves yourself. “Namjoon,” you begin again; when your eyes lock on his, he sees the solemnity saturated in them. “It’s great that you care, but you’re overbearing and stepping over boundaries. Go home.”

It doesn’t take Namjoon long to slam the door with a scowl, driving off with his exhaust puffing smoke in your face. 

Rubbing your eyes, you let out a heavy breath that you’ve been holding the entire time. You felt a mixture of embarrassment and anger—from Namjoon making a move on you when you clearly weren’t interested, to him punching Seungcheol in the face—it's hard to even give Namjoon any type of margin of error when his toxic behavior is so awfully constant. 

“How you feelin’, pretty?”

Even with his jaw fractured and a hand against his cheek, he still manages to compliment you through his cherry stained lips. “If you’re askin’ bout me, I ain’t feeling so hot.”

“I can see that,” you retort with the roll of your eyes, tugging on his jacket sleeve up the stairs of your home. “Let’s get you cleaned up, yeah?”

Seungcheol is a simple guy. 

He sees you, and immediately his mind goes blank. Seungcheol is like a smittened 12 year old when they see a pretty girl for the first time; his mouth goes dry, all possible words get suctioned off his tongue, and his lips part as if he has something to say but it never comes out. He’s never been really good at expressing his emotions; elaborating clearly how he felt for you was an obstacle he had trouble 

So when you point to the dining chair placed in your small kitchen, he obediently does as he’s asked while you scramble to find a first aid kit in your storage closet instead of contesting it. He’s better at actions and gestures than words, so if it meant being like a well-trained puppy for you to understand the lengths of his likeness for you, then so be it.

“So… you and Namjoon…”

“Should I just stop feeling guilty and cut him off?” you interrupt, sighing as you drop the plastic box onto the square table. He notices everything here is kept minimal—two seats at the table, a loveseat couch, only two pairs of slippers for guests, and that was it. There is no intention of more, almost like you purposely don’t want anyone else coming in. “If it’s gotten to the point that he’s punching my fake boyfriend, it’s beyond ridiculous. There’s no boundaries when it comes to him, and it’s unfair that I have to constantly watch everything I do or say just to make sure I don’t upset him.”

“Should just cut ‘em off,” he spits, rotating his jaw. “He’s done nuffin’ but upset you. Stop being concerned ‘bout how he’s feeling and worry ‘bout yourself.”

You roll your eyes, tearing the wrapping of the alcohol wipe as you settle in the chair in front of him. “He’s my best friend’s brother.”

“This isn’t some romantic comedy. Stop naming that stupid trope. Tell Namjoon to quit and put your foot down. You’ve got a boyfriend now, and he’s gotta respect that,” Seungcheol says sternly, puffing his chest as if he’s all riled up.

Letting out a laugh, you shake your head as you wipe off the blood that dries on his wound. With a wince, he grimaces as he leans back. “Stop moving,” you nag before grabbing the ointment in the box. Squeezing a dollop into your finger, you apply it on gingerly as he scrunches up his face in fear of the pain, but it never comes. 

Physically, at least.

“If I’m your girlfriend, then why haven’t I met your family yet?” you joke, but Seungcheol tenses up.

Family. The word alone causes his whole body to stiffen and his jaw to tighten. Before he could react, you’re already stumbling atop him as a loud crack is heard, and his first instinct is to pull you onto his lap.

“Oh, fuck—”

“Geez, baby, if you wanted to ride on my dick so bad, you should’ve just said so. No need to break your chair for it.”

Somehow, you find yourself seated on his thigh, arms wrapped around his shoulders, and nose nearly brushing his. You can feel his breath ghosting your lips, the stench of cigarettes permeated in the fabric of his clothes, but you prefer this over Namjoon’s cologne. He smells… heavenly. It’s  like you are intoxicated, unable to control your thoughts properly, heart pacing faster than the cars you see on race tracks.

“I…” you gulp. Is he going to kiss you? His lips are so plump, cherry red, and visibly sweet. Unfiltered thoughts spill through your head; you want to taste his honeyed lips on yours, his hands roaming all around you. But you can’t have that. Right? But he’s so fucking close, you swear he’s gonna lean in for a kiss. Eyes hooded, he’s in a daze of you, equally as drunk on your scent. Notes of white jasmine—whatever the fuck that is, but he remembered seeing it on a body shampoo bottle in the bathroom. You smell sweet, with hints of something fruity and floral. He wants to drown in you.

And he manages to slip out the words that nearly have you tumbling.

“Wanna kiss?” 

Did your heart just stop beating?

You’re vacuumed from any words—you and Seungcheol don’t work, but why do you want his lips slotted into yours? He doesn’t fit the requirements of what kind of guy you want, the kind of guy you see yourself with–the fact that your first encounter with him resulted being under the sheets with your body against his, there’s no way he’d ever be anything more.

So, why does he make you feel this churning inside the pit of your stomach?

He chuckles, pushing his hair back and away from his face. Leaning back against your chair, he watches as you quickly shuffle off of him and clear your throat as heat floods your cheeks. “I’m just kiddin’. Maybe you should get new chairs, love.”

You sigh; the chair on the floor has its wooden leg split. It should’ve been a sign about a month ago when the creaking first started… and when you continued to hear the crack of the wood with each time your ass made contact with it, but procrastination seemed like the better option in those moments. “I—” you puff your cheeks in annoyance. The damaged furniture is the least of your problems right now. Turning to Seungcheol, you place your hands on your hips. “We need to establish some boundaries.”

With a quirked brow, he scoffs. “Boundaries? You’re the kidder now.”

“I’m just saying,” you begin to pace, huffing. “We can’t—this can’t be more than it is. We’re just two people who had sex once—” Seungcheol clicks his tongue as he crosses his arms while narrowing his eyes on you. “—a couple times, but that’s it. You’re just gonna be my fake boyfriend in front of my friends so they can back off with Namjoon. Capeesh?”

“You know, the fact you gotta lie to your friends sorta means that they ain’t good ones.”

“Well, outside of Namjoon, I like them, alright?”

“I’m just sayin’,” he adds, raising his hands up in defeat. “I’ll do what you want, baby, but you’re ova here tryna set boundaries with me when you should be doin’ that with your friends, too. But I like you, and you’re sexy when you’re serious, so I’ll bite. Gimme your conditions.”

Inhaling sharply, you walk over to the desk beside your bed to shuffle through the drawers for a sheet of paper and a marker. “Okay,” you begin, slamming the computer paper into the table. “This is our terms. Let’s start off with number one. No fucking.”

Seungcheol chuckles, watching as you scribble the words. “We already fucked, baby.”

“Well, anymore. No dilly-dallying. We’re strictly business, Seungcheol.”

“Alright,” he raises his arms in defeat. “Whatever you want, baby. What’s next?”

“No catching feelings—”

“—Can we decide on rules that we haven’t already broken?” He quirks a brow before leaning forward with his elbows propped on his knees. “You know I like you. Very much. Not just in the way to get in your pants, but more. So maybe… pick rules that we haven’t already broken, yeah?”

You puff your cheeks. “Fine. We’re just faking in front of my friends, right? So, I need you to be on your best behavior around them—I want them to believe that we’re real so that they can finally just come to terms that there are other guys that aren’t Namjoon.”

“You know,” he begins, tapping his foot against the wooden floors. “I still want my part of the deal upheld.”

You blink. “I must’ve missed that. What was it?”

“This is a trial,” he reiterates from the time before. “This is you considering me outside of just an acquaintance. A potential boyfriend.”

There’s a moment of silence before you let out an awkward laugh. “Let’s uh… let’s get back to the boundaries… yeah? How about… no fucking, no catching feelings, no sleeping over—”

“—All broken, but go on.”

You shoot a glare at Seungcheol before continuing. “No family involved. No telling people that we aren’t together, and lastly, this is exclusive.”

This intrigues Seungcheol. “Oh, well that’s new. I didn’t think you were the possessive type. Thought you didn’t like me, love.”

“It’s to spare anyone’s feelings,” you state sternly, writing down the rules onto the piece of paper. “I don’t want someone coming up to me later down the line, asking why you led them on when you were with me the entire time.”

“You know,” he begins, crossing his arms against his chest. “I keep telling you the same shit like a scratched up record. I like you, and I want to be with you. There won’t be another girl, so that rule is easy for me. The rest—can’t say that they won’t, though.”

“Seungcheol.”

He grins. “I’m kidding. But you know I’ll try for you, baby.”

Why does Choi Seungcheol do that thing where he makes the insides of your stomach feel sick? Is it because he’s absolutely repulsive?

Or is it because he’s actually swooning you?

“Where do you think you’re going?” 

You’re left frozen from how close he is. Seungcheol gently brushes his nose against yours, eyes hooded but irises dark and swirling with lust. He manages to steal the breath from your lungs so effortlessly, the cause of you stuttering over your words, and suddenly unable to be crude and blunt because Seungcheol is intoxicating.

Swallowing, you stumble back a bit. Palms resting against the hood of the bright red Audi in your garage—well now his garage, you’re not even sure how you ended up like this. “Uh, to… to my house.”

“You’re not going anywhere,” he counters, furrowing his brows. “You called me a fuckboy, mocked me, then when I act upon those ‘so-called’ talents, that sharp tongue of yours has nothing left to say?”

You clear your throat. “I’m just… Who cages someone after getting their ass roasted?”

He chuckles; it’s deep and hearty from his chest, head dropped down momentarily before his gaze meets back up with yours. “Wanna see how a fuckboy fucks?”

Mouth parted, now you’re really at a loss for words.

Leaning in, he pecks the side of your mouth with a wink before his hands grab the thickness of your thighs and tugs you lower on the hood of the car. With a yelp, you fall back onto your elbows as Seungcheol slides down in between your legs. 

You’re debating if you should be thankful you chose a skirt this morning or wishing you had on jeans instead so you’d at least have the self discipline to push him away.

But when he looks like that, he makes it hard to.

“Just tell me if you don’t want this,” he says reassuringly, fingers playing with the hem of your miniskirt. He likes this color on you—beige is so neutral on other girls, but when you strut in it, you bring light to it. “But if you do, and you’ve got your hand covering your mouth to hold in those pretty moans, I’m gonna have to ask you to let go.”

And with that, he disappears in between your legs.

Seungcheol pulls your hips even closer to his mouth, desperately wishing he could live in your pussy forever. You taste sweet; his favorite treat from now on, and when he hears those melodic moans slip between your swollen lips, it causes the hardness in his jeans to twitch.

“Fuck, baby,” he mutters against your wet folds. “I could do this all day.”

From the last time you fucked, Seungcheol makes it clear: he hates when you pull on his hair. There’s nothing worse than someone tugging on your strands, especially when they have no sense of control and end up hurting your scalp. And despite the fact that he enmitizes it, there’s something about you and when your pretty hands are knotted in his ebony locks.

“Fuck,” he says, and at first, it sounded like it was from pleasure of eating you out.

But when he curses the second time, it sounds more like pain.

“Fuck!”

Your eyes flutter open.

“Fuck!”

Fuck indeed.

You were fucking daydreaming.

Seated on the couch in the corner of the garage, you get the best view of Seungcheol. He’s underneath the hood of your car, working on whatever it was that made that weird sputtering sound yesterday, and definitely not underneath your skirt. Just your car.

“Fuck!” he exclaims again. “Are you just gonna sit there and watch me? I knocked over the rod and your hood fell on my head.”

“Sorry!”

Immediately, you’re at his side, lifting the hood while propping it back up with the metal rod. When Seungcheol finally shuffles out, he stands there, puffing with his chest out. You could already imagine all the thoughts that were running through his head because how did you miss that entire incident? “What the fuck was that? I was calling you for like five minutes—you were totally zoned out.”

You roll your eyes. “It wasn’t five minutes.”

“It wasn’t, but it sure felt like it.” 

Valid. He was stuck so it probably felt like an eternity.

As he rubs his head with a grunt, you can’t help but get flustered at where your thoughts drove through. Did you really just whip up an entire scenario where Seungcheol was tongue deep between your folds on some stranger’s car? And why the fuck did it feel so realistic?

This thing between the two of you is supposed to end in a fake relationship. No strings attached—no sex, everything kept a secret, and the end goal was to showcase that yes, there are other guys out there that are better than Namjoon and can be a candidate. 

Then again, it was hard to hold off your raging hormones when Seungcheol is just fucking standing there in that tight black tee with the fabric of the sleeves snug around his bicep. He’s not even doing anything and yet somehow he’s got your panties wet. Are you exactly like those other bitches? The answer is yes. And you’re more than just embarrassed by it.

He nods his head. “The fuck you thinking about over there? Lost ya for a second,” he reached over to grab the stained rag to wipe off his calloused hands. “You thinkin’ about me bending you over a car?”

Yes.

You know he’s joking, but it’s 100% true. And you’d be stupid to ever admit to it.

“I—Honestly, I’m not going to waste my breath answering that.”

He chuckles, just as thick and honeyed as in your daydream, except he’s the reality of it. For some reason, with how the sunset hits into the garage, he looks… handsome like this. Hues of orange, red, and yellow makes him glow, causing your heart to stutter in its beats for a brief moment. His lashes are long, brushing against the highs of his cheekbones gingerly, pomegranate lips plump and look like they’d be pillowy if you got to press your own against it and you could imagine they tasted just as sweet as the fruit. The injuries he sustained from Namjoon are almost entirely healed, but it complimented him well. He sort of had that bad boy-esque look going for him; the bruised cheek, scar at the corner of his mouth, the leather jacket, and the motorcycle?

You’re a liar if you said that you didn’t want to hop on his dick one more time.

And for some reason, your heart wanted to jump his too.

“Well, you came all the way here to talk to me and not just hang. What did you need from me?”

Right. You came here to ask for another favor. Why are these thoughts plaguing your once-logical brain? You have a MBA for fucks sake but all it took was good dick to scourge sanity with horniness.

“So,” you begin, rolling your lips. It’s intimidating to request this from him, only because you know how much he has to go out of his comfort zone to do it. “The girls and I were talking…”

Seungcheol raises a brow at you drifting off mid-sentence as you lean against the car as coolly as possible—even though he stifles a laugh at the sight. “Stop beating around the bush.”

“They want a weekend getaway at a log cabin by the lake.”

Confused, he puts down the wrench he picks up moments ago with a clang. “With just… you… or? ‘Cause baby, I know I’m your boyfriend, but you don’t need my permission for that.”

With a groan, you throw your head back. “No, no, I’m indirectly asking you to tag along and… be my boyfriend.”

“For the weekend?”

You sigh. “Yeah.”

“With… your friends and their boyfriends?”

Where was he going with this? “Uh, yeah.”

“Alright, cool. I’m down.”

Truthfully, you should’ve known something was up with how easy it was to convince Seungcheol to go. 

He’s got a spare helmet in the space behind him on the bike, patting the leather spot reserved for just you while showcasing that dumb cheeky grin on his face. “Hop on.”

“I’m not riding that.”

“Oh come on, you’ve ridden other dangerous things. Take my dick for example.”

You clench your fists by your side but they mean no threat to him. “I’m not riding your stupid motorcycle, Seungcheol. It’s dangerous! What’s wrong with my car?”

He actually has to cover his mouth because he laughed so hard in disbelief. “Baby, that shit is an actual death trap in comparison to my bike. Plus, I’ve always wanted to drive on the road that leads to the cabin. I heard it’s got the freshest air this place has to offer.”

“Again, I’m not riding your bike, Choi Seungcheol.”

Seungcheol is usually a typical fuckboy. Girls, just girls as a whole, is the easiest way to convince him to do something. These days, even when his friends promise the sluttiest girls at the bar, he doesn’t go. Instead, he finds himself in the garage underneath the apartment, in hopes you’d be bored and come down in your little tank top and cartoon fuzzy pj pants and sit to keep him company. He’s gone soft, he sadly admits, but at the same time he doesn’t mind it.

But Seungcheol is still deep down some type of fuckboy. 

And when you cross your arms over your chest, pushing up your tits in that bra he suddenly has marked on his list of things that make him happy, he gets a sneak peak of your cleavage in that tshirt. 

He’s technically not a fuckboy anymore because he only sees you.

But getting rid of that side of himself that caves into the sight of tits would be hard. Especially when they’re yours.

He’s already packing up the helmets and parking his bike in the garage while snatching the keys to your shitty Toyota off the hook on the wall.

Candidly speaking, he isn’t entirely sure what to make out of this. He knows that whatever it is between the two of you at the moment is just a facade, despite that fact you know the feelings he harbors, but a part of him is perplexed at how easy it is for him to just… give you what you want. Seungcheol doesn’t do that. He’s not the type of guy who gives in without much of a battle. 

Everything with you is a new experience for him.

Even driving in a Toyota, for fucks sake, because he’d be caught dead driving in a piece of junk if his parents found out. Or even staying in some cabin on a weekend “getaway” by a lake, which by the way, he’s not even sure what a trip like that entails either. Do people swim in lakes? And if they do, why would they willingly want to bathe in dirty water?

However, the sight of you, so bright and eager when you spot your friends at the door of the cabin (which is oddly way bigger than he imagined), makes all the discomfort go away. It didn’t matter that mosquitoes were going to bite him fourteen times, that he was never going to get the smell of firewood out of his clothes for the next three months, and that if he agreed to swim in that swampy ass water, he’d probably get sucked in by some monster created from all the shit people dumped into the lake. All because his attendance makes you happy, he doesn’t mind it.

That is, until he spots the expression on your face drop and the culprit standing beside Yubin on the second floor balcony.

Seungcheol nudges your side gently. “Did they tell you he was coming?”

The stoic look gives the answer away before you say it. “No, they didn’t.”

Seungcheol slings the bags over his shoulder, trailing behind you and up the creaky wooden steps while praying he doesn’t fall into the abyss if any of the flooring breaks. He doesn’t complain, you note, but you’ll compliment him on it another time.

Namjoon is here, and he shouldn’t be.

“Okay,” Yubin calls out in the middle of the hallway that you’ve stomped your way to. She has her hand out like it would be some type of Captain America shield but it doesn’t do shit. “I know you’re mad, and you don’t want him here—but he made a hefty deposit for this weekend and we can’t just… uninvite him.”

“You could and I would’ve more than gladly covered it.”

“It’s not about that,” she sighs, running her fingers through her hair. “You know I can’t choose between my best friend and my brother. Can’t you at least be civil about it?”

You scoff, brows furrowing while shaking your head. “Did he even tell you that he punched Seungcheol?”

She licks her lips before sinking her teeth into the flesh. “I—No, he didn’t, but I’m sure he had a good reason.”

“Yubin, you realize what you’re saying, right? He swung at my boyfriend.”

“I know, and I—”

You don’t even let her finish. Turning around, Seungcheol stands there with your bags on his shoulder and his own duffle in hand. Abruptly, you grab onto his wrist and lead him down the stairs as Yubin follows behind. “We’re leaving, Cheol, go start the car.”

“But we just got here—”

“Now,” you demand sternly, and Seungcheol straightens his mouth. He wants to tell you to just enjoy the weekend without interacting with Namjoon, especially with how many people are here, but he respects your decision. It’s Namjoon you were trying to avoid, and the only place Seungcheol won’t try to inject his opinions on. “Get ready.”

Before he could step out, Chaeryong blocks him in. “No,” she looks at him then at you. “No,” she emphasizes a second time as she points her finger in your direction. “We’re not doing this. You’re staying. Don’t make Seungcheol drive the two hours back just because of Namjoon.”

“I don’t wanna fucking talk—”

“Then don’t!” she exclaims; it’s almost like she’s finally releasing the frustrations she’s been holding back. “Fuck that, you have your boyfriend right here, so just have a nice weekend with us and him. Sure, Namjoon will be around, but why’s that matter when Seungcheol is here?”

Although Chaeryong makes a good point, you can’t help but feel the blood in your veins boiling when you see him. He swung a fist at Seungcheol, the only person (despite his potty mouth) who actually seemed to listen and respect both you and your feelings all because Namjoon claims that he knew what was “best” for you?

You close your eyes. Inhaling in a deep breath, you release it slowly before easing your lids open to look at Chaeryong. “Yubin let him come, despite knowing how I feel about him.”

“Well,” Chaeryong begins with a forced smile. “That’s a fucked up best friend. Please stay. It’s my last trip as a single woman.”

You quirk a brow. “You’re engaged, Chae.”

“I know,” she jokes, nudging you. “But I don’t know what life will be like after I get married. People change, things change. And I want at least one perfect weekend with the people I’m closest with.”

It wasn’t just her words that sway you, but the look in her eyes. How those chocolate irises are filled with pleas, the fronts of her brows curling up as she says that key word one last time. “Please?”

It’s gonna be a fucking long two days. 

Yubin can feel the tension; she knows you’re upset, but what grinds your gears is that she can’t even be bothered to try resolving any of this. She doesn’t seem to understand how you feel, and how her actions only caused a strain in your friendship.

Was she even your best friend?

And what’s worse is that you were so angry, you almost missed all the things Seungcheol was doing that was definitely not something he’s used to.

For one, he mans the grill. He rolls the sleeves of his shirt up to his elbows, exposing his flexed forearms with his veins popping, you almost lose your train of thought because of him. Truthfully, you’re not even sure if he knows how to cook anything other than a bowl of ramen, and you’re confident he only learned that just to get into a girl’s pants. 

Eventually, you realize he’s not that good at it when he drops a perfectly good piece of steak on the ground.

“We should just toss it,” he says, and four of your friends, including yourself, stare at him in astonishment. “What?”

“It’s a $30 piece of steak. We’re just gonna wash it and eat it—how do you just throw away $30 worth of steak?”

Seungcheol shrugs. “It’s… it’s not that much.”

You don’t know Seungcheol that well, but you know parts about him that you’re unsure are worthwhile. For one, he seems to not be able to understand the value of money. He doesn’t talk about his upbringing, but questions begin to flood in your mind on what his childhood was like because how do you think $30 is cheap? Yeah, you knew he had a crush on you and he likes the way you make ramen for him (boil the noodle first, drain the starchy water, add new boiled water with the powder packets in the bag, crack an egg, and add kimchi with two pieces of seaweed), but in actuality, you didn’t know the real Seungcheol. And you sort of want to.

Then again, he isn’t your boyfriend. He’s just someone pretending to be. 

But the urge to get to know him is beginning to be hard to swallow. Yet your consciousness remains reliable each time it hits you like a train to bring up one thing you seem to forget when he looks at you in that way: Seungcheol is and always will be a fuckboy. 

Maybe staying wasn’t a bad decision after all. When you lean against the railing of the terrace, the breeze flows through your hair coolly and soothes your burning skin temporarily from the summer’s wrath. The sun begins to set in the horizon, the lovely warm shades cast over the cabin’s property—it’s sweet, sort of reminds you of pouring honey in a cup of chrysanthemum tea, the petals infused with the water that boiled in the kettle over a soft fire. 

Chaeryong and her fiancé are exactly that.

You spot them a couple miles away, seated on a picnic blanket with Chaeryong’s head on his shoulder as he presses a kiss gingerly on the top of it. 

God, when will it be your turn?

You sigh. Chin resting against the palm of your hand, your shoulder drops. Watching them from a distance is just a reminder that you’re single and have been for quite some time. Tinder has been dry—not because your dms don’t get flooded but because you’re exhausted from seeing all those pictures of guys with their shirt in between their teeth while taking a mirror selfie with their abs out on display. Blind dates aren’t fun either. They’re blind for a reason—there’s so many fucking red flags, of course traits are going to be hidden from you. The last time you went on one, the guy claimed to be a surgeon. Turns out, he just loved taxidermy. Just because you know the workings of a knife doesn’t make you a surgeon, Will.

Bars are just for fucking—don’t forget clubs too. Friends of friends just doesn’t sit right—what happens if you break up with them? Wouldn’t that be awkward for the group to hang out again? Not to mention that it feels like the majority of the male population seems to not have a bone in their body with the etiquette and politeness that gentlemen used to have. (Not that you’re looking for an old fashioned man—you just want someone nice and caring).

You’ll continue to find it hard to believe, but speaking of the Devil, Seungcheol approaches from behind and leans up against the railing beside you. “Hey.”

“Hey,” you respond, not even realizing how down you sound. “What’s up?”

He furrows his brows, now concerned. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing.”

Seungcheol hisses in annoyance. He reads you like an open book.

“I just—” you grumble midway, rubbing your face with your hand. “Am I ever going to find love, Cheol? Like I’m tired. Worn out. Fatigued. Weary. Drained. Exasperated. Bitter. Indignant—”

“Alright, thesaurus.com. I get it, you’re tired of feeling like you’ll never be loved. But what about me?”

You roll your eyes. “What about you?”

He clicks his tongue. In a moment like this, he yearns for the stick in between his fingers, the head of the cigarette in the corner of his pomegranate pink lips as he drags in a puff to relieve that annoyance you bring to him each time you reject his feelings. He misses the sensation that occurs when he releases the smoke, almost like his filtering the negativity within him while blackening his lungs. It’s a give and take relationship. More than he’ll ever have with you, it seems.

“Baby, how many times do I have to tell you that I like you,” he says irritably, different from the times he’s said it before. “It’s getting exhausting. Tiring. Draining. Fatiguing—”

“Okay, okay,” you wave your hand dismissively at him. “I get it, I’m being a little dramatic.”

“I don’t think you’re being dramatic. But I do think you’re being unreasonable when you think I’m lying when I tell you my feelings.” Oh, how badly he wants a cigarette right now. It’s like talking to the wall when it comes to you.

“Come on, Cheol,” you laugh, turning around to rest your back against the hard metal fence. “You don’t really like me. You like the idea of it—someone who rejects you because they want something more. You don’t get that often and it’s alluring to you.”

His mouth falls agape like a reflex; the apathetic attitude you had toward him when it came to his emotions plagues pain in his chest. It spreads like rapid fire—fist clenching and jaw tensing, it’s almost similar to the rage that heats up inside from when Namjoon’s knuckles aim for his jaw.

But that’s what it was. Just similar.

The fury in him blossoms instead of explodes. With you, he doesn’t feel the urge to be pissed but disappointed felt like a more appropriate term. 

Seungcheol scoffs, shaking his head. “I—You know what, I’m done talking to you for tonight. I’m so tired, you know, just trying to tell you straight up that I like you. I don’t know what shit I gotta spit out to make you see that.”

You puff your cheeks. He’s frustrated, you get that, but how do you trust someone who struts around with the label ‘fuckboy’ plastered across his forehead? “You don’t love me, Seungcheol. I think you like the idea—”

“Please, please,” he says in a pleading tone. “Cut that shit out. Tell me, do you wanna hear me tell you that I ‘love’ you before we even get together? That doesn’t go with your ‘love plan,’ does it?”

Heart tightening at his words, guilt suddenly washes over your face. “Cheol—”

“I get that falling in love with me is unconventional—we fucked without even a date, and I’m your fake boyfriend before being your real one. We’re backwards—that’s fine, and I know I’m not necessarily the boy-next-door type of guy, but that doesn’t mean I don’t have potential either,” he huffs, pushing his hair back and away from his forehead before shutting his eyes. “Look, I’m gonna walk away now. You take what I say as you will, but I’m wishing, I’m hoping you’d believe me and listen to me just for once. I don’t feel like talking to you right now, so if you will, I’m gonna just—I don’t fucking know—I’ll go talk to the guys. See you back at the room, yeah?”

Fuck. You know you fucked up.

The fact that Seungcheol chooses to go talk to the men that don’t have anything in common with him (including Namjoon) over standing here with you meant more than it seems. He hates those types of guys—the ones that stand there with polo shirts, patterned shorts and gelled slick back hair with a beer in hand talking about work. They didn’t have hobbies outside of golfing and drinking IPAs, and most of the time, blamed their girlfriends for the instability of their relationships (also you will always side with your girls), never taking into account any of their faults. 

Seungcheol wasn’t like those guys—and as funny as it sounds, he wasn’t like the other guys.

Did he really like you? Truly like you and not that kind of stuff where you’d go through all the hurdles to get together only for him to get bored. Did he prefer the thrills of chasing or was he into doing mundane things with you like cleaning around the house or hanging up wet laundry? What about the whole thing with Namjoon? Does he need constant competition in order to value you?

What goes on in Choi Seungcheol’s mind?

You can’t really tell, but if you were realistic with yourself, you’d just ask him straightforwardly and he would do his best to answer. Instead, you choose this route instead—watch him from the porch as he tries to adjust himself in a group of people who weren’t like him and probably asked him questions like: “What stocks have you invested in?” “Does your girl like to ride you frontwards or backwards?” “Did you watch the game last Sunday?” and even the classic, “Have you done anal? With any girl?”

Discomfort is evident each time his face twitches; you could only imagine the topic of conversation at hand, and the subtle glances he makes in your direction only fuels the uneasiness that settles in your stomach. He’d rather be stuck in that than to stand here and listen to you turn down what he confesses every time, claiming he’s lying and nothing more or less. 

Then that’s when you spot Namjoon tug Seungcheol to the side.

Namjoon seems calm, despite the furrow in Seungcheol’s brow that makes it wrinkle in the spot between in a way you found so cute, but the volume of the words that come out their mouths remain low. You can’t hear anything they say nor decipher the motions of their lips, only their gestures toward each other. Quite frankly, it was the opposite of their previous exchanges. Cool, still slightly agitated, but remaining chill enough that a fight wouldn’t break out.

Even after a refreshing shower, underneath the covers with your back resting against the frame of the bed, that feeling in your gut doesn’t go away.

He hasn’t been back to the room yet. Ever since he came back for a bit to grab a couple of his belongings for a shower, you grow concerned and wonder if he’s going to stay here with you. Was he that mad? Did Namjoon say something? Was it worth bringing up the conversation again? Did he decide to sleep in the living room instead of in this room with you?

Maybe you should go check in on him.

Yeah. Sure, you might not know where you actually stand and if he’s still upset, but you should still check on him. He’s still your fake boyfriend after all.

Right?

Right.

You should, because what kind of fake girlfriend would you be if you just let your fake boyfriend sleep on the couch… right? Just fake. Not real—fake. Right. Fake. 

Maybe you wished it wasn’t fake.

Just as you’re about to toss the blanket off your leg, the door swings open.

You swallow.

He stands there, shirtless, with a towel slung over his shoulders as he ruffles it against his hair to get it dry. Why is he shirtless? Just… walking around the house with no shirt on, grey sweatpants hung low enough you could steal a glimpse of his hip bones. Fuck. Fuck! 

He sniffles and why your eyes trail down to his abs flexing instead isn’t something you could explain, then when he turns around to lock the knob, it’s almost like a turn on because your pussy clenches around nothing at the thought of something more based off the action.

But no. No. No. You asked for nothing more and you get nothing more.

“Hi,” you speak up, voice hoarse for some reason before clearing your throat and reiterating the greeting once more. “H-Hey.”

Why are you stuttering?

He only looks at you for a brief second before grabbing the pillow on the bed and throwing it onto the floor with a spare blanket. “Hey, baby.”

Baby. He used that pet name on you again. There’s a sense of relief that fans you, and suddenly you feel like everything is okay again, in spite of the fact that he’s shuffling to lay on the floor beside the bed after he switches off the lights.

“Are you still mad?”

“No, love.”

But his back is turned to you. 

“You’re mad.”

“I’m not, love. I’m just tired—the guys drained me out. Can’t be talking about stocks, work, and beers all the time. I don’t necessarily got a corporate job to be talking about.”

You’re silent.

He doesn’t say much, and his even breathing isn’t elongated enough to be asleep. 

What do you do? You can’t sleep like this. The regret in what you said earlier is gnawing at your insides, and you desperately have this urge to resolve this whole situation or else you’d be staring at the ceiling in the dark.

You gulp. Pushing down all the anxiousness that formulate in your throat, you inhale a deep breath. “Seungcheol?”

“Hmm?”

“Can you come sleep with me?”

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[kiisaes]

seeing the "bakugou literally hates deku and will always hate deku, also he can never be forgiven from what he did in season 1" argument in the year 2021 and in the context of literally everything that has happened within the series is the funniest thing ever

"bakugou will always hate deku" when bakugou canonically

sees deku as a worthy rival (on the same level as/possibly higher than todoroki) and since UA, has never particularly considered deku to be weak

has been watching deku since the very beginning. he also pays very close attention to deku's moves when they fight

is the first student outside of deku to know about one for all and promised not to tell anyone about the secret, when he easily could if he really hated deku that much

actively helps deku with his training and figuring out more about the OFA holders

is capable of holding a normal conversation with deku now and is considerably more understanding, even after their awful history

has only genuinely broken down emotionally in front of deku, and has only been moderately comfortable with deku (and all might) seeing him as weak. as far as I'm aware, no other student has seen him cry before

is willing to die for deku. he is willing to lose everything - his quirk, his privileged life, his future - for deku

cares about deku and wants to keep him safe/alive because "something about him makes [bakugou] want to keep him at arm's length" (284)

doesn't seem to mind at all when deku, someone he supposedly "hates", calls him kacchan, an endearing, innocent childhood nickname even though they are both 16 and training to be mf heroes

loves deku platonically thanks to all the recent chapters, even if his own dumbass brain hasn't caught up to that yet. argue with the wall lmao

"bakugou can never be forgiven from what he did in season 1" when bakugou canonically

addressed that the shit he did to deku was terrible. he's taking full accountability for his past actions, which is something lots of kids his age IN REAL LIFE can't do yet. if you're gonna judge a fictional character by irl morals and ethics, at least be aware that plenty of bratty irl 16 year olds don't take the full blame when they fuck up because they're under the mindset that they're young and can afford to make big mistakes.

is actively trying to atone, and has probably been trying to do that since as early as deku vs kacchan part 2, which is fully animated in s3 and has been out for years now

doesn't want to take the easy way out of his wrongdoings (aka just asking for forgiveness and moving on). he told all might that he wants to atone, not deku. he wants to prove to deku that he's changing without deku automatically forgiving him

"bakugou literally told deku to k*ll himself"

yeah, when he was 14. lol. I know that doesn't excuse something as extreme as a death threat but have you MET middle schoolers? I've had my fair share of shitty bully experiences throughout my adolescence and now that I'm older, I recognize that they were young themselves and have probably been going through their own troubles. still doesn't excuse it, but just take his fucking age and his background into account. he's also trying to atone for that shit so what else do u fucking need from this 16 year old trauma magnet lmfao

in CHAPTER/EPISODE 1 OF THE WHOLE SERIES??? dawg that was YEARS ago. we are completely past that, keep up!

it's heavily implied that this comment was super out of nowhere, and nothing like what bakugou usually says to deku. his friends said that was really out of line. bakugou was probably also aware of how harsh it was. it's further shown in the small heroes rising promo manga, "deku and bakugou rising" (I think that's the name), that bakugou typically ignored deku and let him do his own thing, with only a couple mild verbal jabs here and there (the insults aren't even special to bakugou - deku was quirkless, meaning that he was getting teased by literally everyone in the messed up quirk society)

deku didn't take this comment to heart and canonically cared more about BAKUGOU'S reputation after saying something so insensitive. he never once thought about actually "taking a swan dive". he may have low self esteem but he's not THAT swayed by outside opinion. in fact, he's really fucking stubborn and nobody has phased him from his hero dream except all might, his literal childhood idol, in the second chapter/episode. and even that lasted for like 5 minutes lol

people are allowed to grow and change into better people, janica. that's called character development. it's called growth in the real world.

like shit dude you don't have to romantically ship bakudeku - hell you don't even have to like them as a duo - but at least acknowledge that horikoshi is putting bakugou through a real character arc. I promise you, the current bakugou/deku dynamic is much more appealing than your season 1 echo chamber. we've moved on from the "bakugou and deku can never be on good terms" boat. we passed that ages ago LMAO

[mortedeveles]

Of Rivals & Summer Love | Masterlist

SUMMARY: Monoma Neito and you had always been rivals, nothing more, and nothing less. While you played with toys as a child, he was the kid that would come over and pull at your hair, or snap up your toys and run away. Attending the same schools, mutual classes for nearly the entirety of your life, it's safe to say his behavior hasn't gotten any better. Sure, now both of you are in your last year of high school, but he's still insufferable as ever. However, with the prospect of a memorable school summer trip coming up, friendship and romance in the air, and teenage drama weaving through crowd, your relationship with the blonde begins to change in an unimaginable direction, sending you both down a spiral of emotions- you just can't tell yet where it’ll take you. 

PAIRING: Monoma Neito x fem!reader. [MINI-SERIES]

TW’S & TAGS: High school, NO QUIRKS!AU. (Fr)enemies to lovers, pining, slightest tinge of angst, banter, humor, coming-of-age type of fic, teenage drama. Cursing, skinny dipping (public nudity LMFAO), a bit of sexually suggestive humor and I think that’s it. And Romance Written By Someone Who’s Never Been In A Relationship So It’s Probably Bad©

WORD COUNT: 23K (23,075 words) 

POSTING SCHEDULE: series has been completed! 

NOTE - PLEASE READ: This was initially a really long one-shot, but since Tumblr hates long fics atm, I’m posting it as a series. There’s some time-skips in the chapters, but hopefully it’s not too awkward. My writing game has been weak recently, but I hope you guys will enjoy :’)

I   ―  sworn rivalry. 

POSTED! 

II  ―  the highs and lows of high school. 

POSTED! 

III ―  shiketsu summer camp.

POSTED! 

IV ―  unresolved feelings. 

POSTED! 

V  ―   haste endings & new beginnings. 

POSTED!

A/N: Hey guys! I’m here with another series and let’s totally ignore the other Monoma mini-series I have on hold sobb but anyway! I’ve enjoyed writing this series so far, and I hope you guys will enjoy it as well! Please REBLOG, like and comment if you enjoy!! Much love <3

Want to be on the series’ taglist? Like/Interact with THIS post to be added! 

COPYRIGHT © 2021 BY VELES. DO NOT REPOST, PLAGIARIZE, OR READ MY CONTENT AS ASMR OR AUDIOFICS.

[elecmon]

Curious what you think of other species from Witchelny? i.e., Sorcerymon, Witchmon, MedievalDukemon, Mystimon, FlaWizarmon, and Wisemon?

my number one is forever going to be upset/disappointed/confused as to why Ghostmon isn't apart of the Witchenly gang. It evolves into both Witch and Wizardmon just toss in a sentence that they come from the ghosts of deceased Witchenly residents from after the war or something 😩😩 (shoves my headcanon into this ask LMFAOOO)

Sorcerymon - Beloved! Broke my heart!! I bully him way too much when I do Witchenly crew shit but I really do love the color scheme and the staff. I've been wanting to do a re-design for years now but never got around to it

FlaWizarmon - BELOVED!!! BLESS YOUNG HUNTERS FOR GIVING ME CONTENT love love LOVE his design!!! Especially glad he isn't just Wizardmon with a red filter like Sorcerymons is light blue filter (she says immediately after having praised) he's super unique and everything about him is a huge favorite of mine

Witchmon - I CRIMINALLY IGNORE HER she's so cute! She has such a great base personality + set of goals! SHE'S WIZARDMONS RIVAL!!!!! I really should do more with her personally but HHHHHH hard to draw 💔 Another beloved though (points at the current trend)

MidievalDukemon - 100% Didn't know he existed until the Witchenly lore dropped LMFAO BUT Everything about his profile is fucking FANTASTIC I love how he's this mythical hero, sick design I hope we see more of him in the future

Mystimon - AND NOW ON THE COMPLETE OPPOSITE SIDE OF THAT LAST ONE, I don't really care for Mystimons design or character(profile) It's super bland to me and fantasy generic, feels too out of place for Digimon. Honestly I can see him more as a yugioh card (this isn't a diss on ygo, Mysti just genuinely sticks out both Digimon and Witchenly wise)

Wisemon - ENDS WITH ONE FINAL BELOVED. I loooooovveeee noface digimon they're so cute. Every single one is 10 Botamon in a trenchcoat and Wisemon is no different LOL. My one and only highlight of Xros Wars//Fusion was just how great Wisemon was in it. (Maybe I just have a specific weakness for the demon man type digimon? 🤔?) His design is super simple but super effective and the colors aren't a rando splashed mesh of things

[olwolo]

I was going to wait until tomorrow since I don't have read-more on asks but ig you can always tag spoilers and just answer whenever you think it's the best so if you want to pls ignore this one and like djfjfjfj answer the one without spoiler I sent u before but LOL SERIOUSLY! I think it was expected for techno to be locked there but why is quackity always so bad when planning stuff against techno... who thought locking him and dream together was a good idea LMFAO but yeah I think c!phil would do a lot for c!techno so I'm pretty sure the techno's will has something about that, I just am not sure if he would want to involve the rest of the syndicate in this, I feel like he wouldn't bc it's his favor and techno is really the most lawful character there, wanting to try to resolve his stuff by himself bc he feels like he needs to. but idk maybe it would happen ?? Or maybe we will have only ✨ rivals bonding moment ✨ who knows really ogkgmgjg

Plus c!techno is also pretty smart and the way he started the conversation with what he wanted from dream, not even phased, yeah,, he knew it would happen lol but also cc!techno really is good and like,,, being unimpressed lol meanwhile c!dream keeps complaining his heart out. The way he groaned when techno called him roommate, just, fucking genius comedy. Everybody joked about that before but man did that coming out of him with dream scoffing made it funnier lmao this is the best bonding moment we had until now pleeeease I want more streams. It's kinda weird bc I try to think about a way for wilbur to be useful now but like,,, none,, although if they use the stasis chamber now (which I had completely forgot bc I'm a fool but ofc he would bc that's probably like the reason he was hesitant to leave stuff on the regular chest and for him to emphasis the "I have friends now" lol) we have plenty of time for wilbur to be relevant to the breakout later so like 👉👈 I too would appreciate a rewind of the 16th chaos boys pls,, it bugs me that dream hasn't mentioned calling the favor directly to techno but man am I excited for whatever they have planned. Techno joking that's his time to be plot relevant is always a good sign, nothing could go wrong really lmao but yeah it's going to be really nice and I'm also 100% ready to be surprised with the turn of events too, they somewhat always manages to do that anyways. Just here trying to think about how relevant was that techno was paying attention to each thing while going into the prison but man was just impressed by the red stone work ig but yeah hehe really exciting !!! Can't wait !!! 🧨

it's like c!quackity thought about putting techno in prison and any other thoughts stopped right there dsfhjk like you put two dangerous people in the same place and you expect nothing to go wrong. this decision is really going to bite quackity and sam in the ass and i can't wait. the way techno referred to his will as having instructions for phil was the first hint that there might be something more going on with the visit and obviously now phil will get involved and at the very least i would expect ranboo and niki to know about the situation if they won't directly take part in whatever will happen next. kinda ironic but i feel like quackity and sam opened a pandora's box when deciding to lock techno up because now phil will want to help his friend (and techno is like, 90% of his impulse control lol) and if dream gets out in the process then he will most likely want to go after quackity, because techno wants dream to tell him everything it will probably lead to the syndicate learning about las nevadas and just chaos overall. bonus points if somehow wilbur gets involved whether by helping phil or becoming the third roommate for more comedic effect.

to me it feels like c!techno went into the prison very aware that it could be a trap and also with the intent of getting info from c!dream. like all the sarcastic comments targeted at sam, the fact that he left his armor and weapons in the enderchest, observing all the redstone mechanisms and pointing out things about them, not being bothered by being locked up. c!techno might come off as like a cartoony character with all the humor he brings to the situation but he's really smart! and now he's locked up with dream, the only other person that knows how the prison works besides sam. and the interactions between techno and dream were so good!! i love the contrast of it. and i also find the fact that c!techno has no idea why c!dream even is locked up really interesting because it means that he still sees dream as just some guy and treats him as a regular human instead of the evil mastermind, something that hasn't happened to c!dream in months and i can't wait to see where that dynamic goes in the future. and just the comedy it brings with their interactions. love it.

[fucktexas]

5 years of Fuck Texas - Coming to an end

fuck texas turns 5 very soon, and, well, i dont think it needs to go much further than that, to be honest. this may come as a shock to you, or you may have expected this completely. i’m not your dad, i have no idea what goes on in your mind. maybe your dad doesn’t either. i digress.

ive... never been good with goodbyes, to be quite honest. hate burning my bridges, i suppose. i also struggle with a deep, DEEP sense of nostalgia for a lot of things i spend my time doing online. well, i suppose i should put one of those things im quite fond for nostalgically to bed.

it’s no secret that fuck texas has become a lot less active over 2020. running a blog centered around what’s basically one joke is well, hard! im surprised i kept it running as long as i did especially after taking several extended breaks. im struggling to really find a place for it in my life anymore. im more than moved on and this blog reached its peak like... 2 years ago at this point. it’ll never be the same, and that’s okay i think.

there was a lot of fun to be had running this blog, but, to be quite honest, ive also realized Fuck Texas came from a sort of ignorance i held for a long time. its not really a secret that i dont even live in texas, i live in new york. which, for most people, is seen as the exact polar opposite to texas. i wish it was as simple as me being like “Well we’re like rival states. we HAVE to hate each other.” it’s kinda like that, but it was also general ignorance for how a lot of southern states are run. it was always my impression that the south united states was a bunch of racist rednecks and not a place that housed so many minorities in the united states. that’s absolutely on me for taking years to realize that. the south has a big, BIG voter suppression problem, but to blame that on the people living there rather than the people in power, well, it’s fairly ignorant.

i dont consider fuck texas to necessarily be this Problematic Time Piece or anything, but the origins are less easy for me to swallow as ive gotten older. i started the original fuck texas steam group when i was 15. im 20 now! thats fucked up. literally 25% of my life has had fuck texas exist in some form. its crazy that such a large chunk of my life has involved this dumb joke exisiting in some form.

you can read that second paragraph again, im not good with goodbyes! its taken me a long, long time to say good bye to this thing ive created. but as god said “All Good Things Must Come To An End.” i just think the time is finally right. im ready to move on, and i think most people following are ready to move on.

it’s been a blast the past 5 years. its been crazy to see this dumb thing ive made extend far past my usual reach. i remember that one twitter post that was like “LMFAO THIS GUY ON STEAM REVIEWS GAMES BASED ON IF THEY HAVE TEXAS OR NOT”. insane to think how many people thought that was funny. i dont know if ill ever have that reach with any other dumb little blog or project i have, but hey, even if that never happens, at least that’ll always exist as a good memory.

ive run fuck texas in a way where ive attempted to avoid burnout to keep it going on as long as possible. if nothing else, 5 years is impressive for a gimmick account. ill gladly take that award at the next streamys. i think the burnout has finally set in though, i dont think it’ll ever recover to be honest.

thanks everyone whos followed this blog, who joined the original steam group before it got taken down, who followed the short lived twitter account, thank you. fuck texas wouldnt have been possible without you. i hope you all go on to live long, texasless lives. fuck texas the blog may be ending, but fuck texas the revolution will never end.

okay, maybe that last part’s a bit too pretentious. but im glad the message stuck with you guys at least. see you on the flipside.

if you have any interest in following me further (cool if you dont):

tumblr: @motherfuckermorgan

twitter: @MorganWillBRB

twitch: MorganWillBRB

[selfietake]

One day I’m gonna go more in depth with Raihan’s relationship with the other gym leaders / Leon when I have time to FINALLY SIT DOWN AND DO AN ABOUT PAGE GOOD LORD, but I think it’s important to note that although Rai was a real asshole prior to Leon metaphorically beating the toxicity out of his ego (see my portrayal info here), his personality over the years has been very ... multilayered and constantly changing. He had very different relationships with some gym leaders and especially Leon from when he was in the challenge to where he is now.

(Note some of this relies on plotting I’ve done with people, so if your muse is mentioned and you don’t like a particular dynamic you’re not bound to it, we can also plot, this is just default for my portrayal!!)

I’ve already talked about his days as a gym challenger a little bit. He was awful to Leon. Really rude and boastful, constantly trying to tear him down, absolutely determined to prove that he was better than him. He was a pretty cruel rival, but it ultimately ended up hurting himself more than Leon in the end. By the time they’ve become leader/champion, respectively, he’s completely mellowed out and apologized to Leon (extensively) for how he behaved when they were younger. He goes out of his way to reach out to him and be a good friend rather than a powerful rival because he no longer actually cares if he ever surpasses him or not. although he of course still jokes around & etc with him about it. He just wants to have fun with what he’s doing and he DOES have Leon to thank for teaching him how to enjoy that aspect of battling again: he let his head get way too wrapped up in Galar’s press. Now he just kinda YOLOS!!! whatever he wants and Galar benefits from his wild ass content.

At the same time, Leon is complicated? His existence hurts him, in a way, through no fault of Leon’s own. Because Galar is constantly comparing the two of them. Even his league information talks about how the only way he’ll ever be able to achieve anything he once dreamed of is if he left behind his home and went to a different region. Raihan doesn’t let it show (although there have been hints of it literally since his own challenge ended / instances where someone who read him well could pick up on it), but that stuff still gets to him, albeit he can usually brush it off and keep moving forward. He doesn’t blame Leon for any of that, he just kinda ... gets really salty at Galar itself sometimes. He wants to be his own person with his own accomplishments, not completely brushed aside as Leon’s shadow and have that be his identity. He’s reached a point where he’s just trying to chill and enjoy all the hopefuls who come through the challenge, but man does the press make it hard sometimes.

That being said, bouncing back to before he softened his persona (it’s been about??? 3-4 years since Raihan fully Stopped Being A Dick as of modern day portrayal), it’s worth noting that even at his worst, he’s always been kind to people younger than him and, as a gym leader, has always tried to help the gym challengers where he can. The seeds for being a Better Person were always there, they just took a while to bloom lmfao.

His relationship with the other gym leaders has gone through some shit though man I’m crying.

Nessa & Gordie are the exceptions, because he’s just ... always gotten along with them. Vibed you could say. He hasn’t always TRUSTED them, but they’ve always been kind of a trio in the sense that he never purposefully picked on them or singled them out over anything. With some people I’ve plotted with, this led to them becoming pretty tight-knit, the PLASTICS OF GALAR IS YOU WILL JKNHMNKJHNM. Doesn’t have to be true for every Nessa/Gordie I interact with, but as a default, he considers them his closest friends outside of Leon, once he mellows out and stops being SUS of literally everyone in his social circle.

Piers specifically got the worst of his bullying, on the other hand. Raihan was known to publicly talk shit about both Piers and Spikemuth for quite a while there and was, like, documented as having an extremely poor opinion on his gym. A lot of this is also through plotting, but it’s relevant overall to my portrayal, too: once Raihan started changing his attitude and shifting how he acted around people, Piers is someone he constantly began trying to reach out to. It wasn’t successful at first, with him being rightfully ignored, but as time went on and he started trying to advocate more for Spikemuth and flipped his opinions on its gym & leader in interviews (discussing how important it is to the challenge that the challengers get their asses kicked by someone strong enough to do it without gigamaxing so their heads don’t get big like his used to be, for example), the two of them finally reached steadier ground in which Raihan was able to properly apologize to him and try to begin mending that bridge with time. This is the path that led to him ultimately being amazed by Piers’ strength, both in terms of how he runs Spikemuth and how he battles. Piers is THE biggest indicator for how much Rai has changed, not only because he becomes one of Spikemuth’s biggest supporters, but because he wants to undo the damage he did by trying to lift Piers’ confidence in himself as well. It’s one of the few topics Raihan, still rather egotistical despite his growth, will constantly admit he was wrong about publicly & very loudly.

Allister is another notable leader, because he never really got to SEE the worst of Raihan, considering he wasn’t around for it. I just think he’s one of the most important to make a note of, because Allister is one of the leaders he’d make the most effort to reach out to and get to know, BECAUSE of how timid he is. The way he interacts with Allister is kind of a ?? window into how much Raihan has changed outside of his interactions with Piers and Leon, because although he’s always been nice to people who are younger, he also has never gone out of his way to seek them out himself, so him trying to build a friendship with Alli and make him feel welcomed among the leaders is a big Character Point:tm: for him.

The only other relationship he has with other gym leaders that’s NOTABLY complicated in a special way would be Milo, but there’s no extensive explanation for it other than he used to view him as fake and agitating. He hated being around him and couldn’t stand how ... gestures ... NICE he was. Although he was about as rude to him as any of the other leaders, Raihan would’ve not doubt at one point given him a more tailored apology for making those assumptions about his character.

Remaining gym leaders just had to put up with his general shit: him thinking he was on a pedestal in comparison to them, seeing himself as too above them to associate outside of business dealing with gym stuff, him occasionally vaguing them through media or outright dragging them, being rude to their faces / brushing them off, etc...

Raihan was Not A Great Person until Leon beat down his ego and allowed him to really ... contemplate what the hell he wanted with life / what he was doing with it. He recognizes how horrible he was and although his personality hasn’t changed (he can still be very petty, haughty, egotistical, etc), his outlook has and that makes a huge difference. He’s more humorous and less spiteful. He’s genuine and tries his best to make up for his past. He does what he can to help people and apologizes for his mistakes. Things that he’d never really done much before allowing himself to grow as a person. Because of that, he’s very tight-lipped about his own guilt / shame regarding who he used to be and he goes out of his way to never let Galar’s media sources know when they're getting to him because he doesn’t think he really has the right. That said, it’s not like he has unhealthy ways of handling all of this, he just keeps doing what he loves and tries to keep an optimistic outlook on everything.

People who knew him like 4 years ago versus knowing him now can absolutely see the change. We stan a queen bee redemption arc trope, go regina george. KJNHKJHN.

[goforwardgreenwriter-blog]

The Worm Reads: Empire of Storms, Ch 71-72

These goddamn chapters are so long I want to d ie

The Queen of the Fae was exactly as Aelin remembered. Swirling dark robes, a beautiful pale face beneath onyx hair, red lips set in a faint smile

Of course Maeve is also drop dead gorgeous. Somebody gotta put a cap on the amount of beauty in SJM’s novels, it’s becoming too much.

With [Maeve’s] attention elsewhere, Lorcan took up a place at Aelin’s side—as if they were somehow allies in this, would fight back-to-back. Aelin didn’t bother to say anything to him.

I mean, Lorcan being on your side gives you a much better chance of rescuing Elide, but sure Alien, be like that.

That ripple of Lorcan’s power the day Ansel’s fleet had closed in … [Aelin]’d known it was a summoning. The same way she’d summoned the Valg to Skull’s Bay. She’d refused to immediately explain Ansel’s presence, wanting to enjoy the surprise of it, and he had summoned Maeve’s armada to take on what he’d believed to be an enemy fleet. To save Elide.

This seems kinda weird to me? Elide has stated to Lorcan numerous times that she’s on Alien’s side, so wouldn’t Maeve consider her a threat and an enemy? Why would Lorcan summon her to save Elide, then? But whatever, the less time we dwell on shitty writing, the quicker we get this shitshow over with.

Elide was trembling; every bone, every pore was trembling

Every pore??? Lmfao is SJM just giving up at this point?? She can’t shoehorn in sexual references when her protag is confronting the villain so she wants to just get it over with.

Lorcan betrays them and Alien is shocked, but like... why are y’all surprised Lorcan was literally only with you guys for Elide, he has no reason to like anyone else in Alien’s group of jackasses.

Flame danced at Aelin’s fingertips. No. Her magic had been emptied, still hovered near burnout.

Maeve kick her ass please I am begging you, wipe the fucking floor with her

Maeve returned Aelin’s smile. “(...)Of course, the fools didn’t realize that when you had drained yourself on their armies, I’d be waiting. You were already exhausted after putting out the fires I had my armada ignite to tire you on Eyllwe’s coast. It was a convenience that Lorcan gave your precise location and saved me the energy of tracking you down myself.” A trap. An enormous, wicked trap. To drain Aelin’s power over days— weeks.

Alien’s tiny mind is fucking blown by this but no fucking shit!!! You’re a dumbass who thinks wasting her magic on shooting fireworks out of her ass is a good idea, of course someone would notice and take advantage of you!! Does Alien even have a goddamn brain???

“The armada was a precaution. Just in case the ilken didn’t arrive for you to wholly drain yourself … I figured a few hundred ships would make for good kindling until I was ready.” To sacrifice [Maeve’s] own fleet—or part of it—to gain one prize … This was madness. The queen was utterly insane.

I mean. Maeve is an evil bloodthirsty monster, but she’s way smarter than any of these dumbasses. Honestly, I’m starting to root for her. She figured out her enemy’s weakness and used it against them, which is more brain power than Alien is capable of.

Flame slammed outward, red and golden—just as a wall of darkness lashed for Aelin. The impact shook the world. Even Manon was thrown on her ass.

Love how SJM tries to make this showdown all ~epic and uhmayzing~ but then throws in Manon falling flat on her ass. The rivalry between Maeve and Alien is barely developed so I’m hardly excited for Maeve to kick Alien’s ass. Makes me wish I could be reading Death Note instead, now there’s a good power play between rival characters.

Lorcan grabs Elide while Maeve and Alien duke it out and he tries to get her to run.

[Elide] would not. She’d sooner die than flee like a coward, not when Aelin was going to the mat for all of them, when—

Going to the mat? Wtf??? Yes I know it’s an expression of struggling/fighting until defeated or victorious, but this completely threw me out of the story when I read it. This is a (supposedly) medieval setting, and this saying just seems out of place in this setting.

A whip of black sliced into Aelin. She went down. And Elide thought the impact of Aelin Galathynius’s knees hitting the sand might have been the most horrible sound she’d ever heard.

Elide was literally enslaved in a tower and abused by her uncle but seeing some stupid queen she barely knows getting the shit kicked out of her is the worst thing she’s ever witnessed. Okay, SJM, okay. Elide deserves so much better than to be reduced to a fangirl to splooge over Alien.

Aelin crawled backward, blood sliding from her right nostril. Dripping on her white shirt.

*clenches fist* fragmentsssssss. A comma or the word and would’ve sufficed better there.

Aelin tried to rise. Tried, but her legs had given out. The Queen of Terrasen panted, fire flickering like dying embers around her.

I’ll admit, I rather like the symbolism of the embers dying out around her, highlighting how she’s utterly failed and gotten her ass whooped. Very nice.

Fenrys and Gav roll up to the party while Maeve continues to beat Alien. I know it’s cruel to say, but I’m rather enjoying Alien getting her arrogant ass whooped after unfairly winning literally every confrontation with no effort in this novel.

But Maeve let the darkness around Aelin part. She was curled on her side, bleeding from both nostrils now, more blood dribbling from her panting mouth.

Considering she’s getting whipped and stabbed by black magic, I think she should be bleeding from actual wounds than having just a nosebleed lmao. Maeve starts grilling Gav.

“Did I or did I not tell you to execute Lorcan on sight?” “There were … circumstances that prevented it from happening. We tried.” “Yet you failed. Am I not supposed to discipline my blood-bonded who fail me?” Gavriel lowered his head. “Of course—we will accept it. And I will also take on the punishment you intended for Aelin Galathynius.”

NOOOOO I SWEAR TO FUCKING GOD SJM IF YOU KILL OFF GAV FOR ALIEN TO LIVE I WILL FUCKING FIGHT YOU

So Maeve kicks Gav out of her court and dishonors him, but he lives, thank god. If Gav ends up dying in this series I’m gonna have to have a long angry chat with SJM. Gav basically disappears for the rest of the scene even though he’s right there? Whatever spares him from the agony of this shitty book I guess.

Elide splooges about what a badass assassin Alien was and how she’ll wait for the right moment to strike, before Maeve removes all of Alien’s weapons for that exact reason. My sides hurt from the fucking cackling I did at that. Can’t believe I am about to stan Maeve, but she’s a ruthless, badass, calculating villain who is capable of thinking about things other than sex. Nothing but respect for my evil queen.

“What a powerhouse you two would be—[Aelin] and Prince Rowan. And any offspring of that union …” A vicious smirk. “You and Rowan could rule this continent if you wished. But your children … your children would be powerful enough to rule an empire that could sweep the world.”

Ungh, c’mon Maeve, I know you’re just fucking with Alien, but don’t make me read that garbage. Can’t wait until there’s a sequel series to Thr0ne of glass about Alien’s goblin kids being even more uber powered special snowflakes than their mother. C’mon, you know SJM would.

“It was so easy to tug on the right psychic thread that day Rowan saw Lyria at the market. To shove him down that other path, to trick those instincts. A slight altering of fate.” (...) Maeve said, “So your mate was given to another. And I let him fall in love, let him get her [pregnant]. And then I broke him. No one ever asked how those enemy forces came to pass by his mountain home.”

Great, so Lyria was nothing but a plot point to get Ratlin together now? Fuck off SJM, stop reducing your other characters as nothing but plot points for your precious OTP. Lyria deserved so much better than this.

“[Rowan] took the blood oath without question. And I knew that whenever you were born, whenever you’d come of age … I’d ensure that your paths crossed, and you’d take one look at each other and I’d have you by the throat. Anything I asked for, you’d give to me. Even the keys. For your mate, you could do no less. You almost did that day in Doranelle.”

Lmfao I love how one of the main selling points fans use for this series were “it depicts love accurately, Alien has more than one love interest!1″ and SJM fucking killed any chance of using that as a positive of the series hahahahaha I am actually fucking dying. Chaol, Dorito, and Sam didn’t mean shit because her one true love was Rowboat all long. Couldn’t have written a shittier plot twist if I tried, SJM, hats off to you. That deserves a slow clap.

Maeve ignored [Elide pleading]. “Well? When did you know [Rowan was her mate]?” “At Temis’s temple,” Aelin admitted, glancing to Manon. “The moment the arrow went through his shoulder. Months ago.”

Nothing turns me on more than my abusive boyfriend almost dying by an arrow to the shoulder. I know, I know, the mating bond in AC0TAR is different than the ones in T0G, but still.

Maeve shrugged. “If it’s any consolation, Aelin, you would have had a thousand years with Prince Rowan. Longer.”

Go tf off, Maeve!!!! I’d read an entire book of Maeve just ripping Alien a new one tbh

Turns out Alien is due to Settle in five years or so. What a relief, SJM’s precious Mary Sue won’t ever have to grow, god forbid, old and ugly! Phew, really dodged a bullet there!

Maeve calls out Cairn, the asshole dude Lorcan brought up many chapters prior.

A handsome, brown-haired warrior walked toward them from the cluster of escorts. Handsome, if it weren’t for the sadistic cruelty singing in his blue eyes.

So is he handsome or not, SJM? These two sentences are so contradictory. Maeve gives Alien a choice whether to come willingly or to refuse and let Elide be dragged along. Alien is a selfish shitlord, but she cares about Elide despite barely knowing her, so we all know which she’ll probably choose.

Next chapter, finally, holy shit that one was so long I had to skim most of it.

Aelin’s body hurt. Everything hurt. Her blood, her breath, her bones. There was no magic left. Nothing left to save her.

It’s funny how this is framed as we’re supposed to feel bad for poor Alien but I’m laughing my ass off. Act like a little shit, get hit, Alien.

Aelin simply nodded at the Fae Queen. Her acceptance and surrender.

Surprise, surprise. I’ll at least give Alien a little credit for considering the safety of somebody else besides herself or Rowboat’s Fae peen. Man, the bar is set pretty low, eh?

And because she had won, Maeve even loosened her power’s grip on Aelin’s bones. Allowed Aelin to turn to Elide and say, “Go with Manon. She will take care of you.” Elide began crying, shoving away from Lorcan. “I’ll go with you, I’ll come with you—”

Wtf Elide, no, you’re smarter than this!!!! Alien is sacrificing herself so you can be free, you run and get Alien’s comrades and then you have a chance to free Alien afterwards!! Goddamnit SJM you’re making me repulsed by Elide because all she is now is a tool to fawn over Alien dhfkhfksdh I'm so goddamn mad

Aelin’s soul splintered as she saw the iron box the escorts now carried between them. An ancient, iron coffin. Big enough for one person. Crafted for her.

Oof, so there’s the coffin bit I’ve been hearing about. Can’t really say I’m sorry for Alien. Yeah I know that’s mean, but she’s a massive unlikable selfish asshole who gets everything handed to her without her doing any work, so forgive me for not feeling bad when she finally gets a good deserved kick in the bottom.

“And tell Rowan,” Aelin said, fighting her own sob, “that I’m sorry I lied. But tell him it was all borrowed time anyway. Even before today, I knew it was all just borrowed time, but I still wish we’d had more of it.”

Again, good concept, just wasted on an absolute shit tier ship. Someone write an AU of this but with a good ship, yeah? And, y’know, rewrite most of the plot so it makes sense.

Maeve lowered the mask and drawled to Aelin, “Rumor claims you will bow to no one, Heir of Fire.” That serpentine smile. “Well, now you will bow to me.” She pointed to the sand. Aelin obeyed.

I shouldn’t be enjoying this as much as I am, but ahhh feels so good to read Alien get taken down a peg or two after being so irritatingly arrogant! Feels good, feels organic.

“Take off your shirt.” Aelin tugged her shirt out of her pants and slung it over her head, tossing it in the sand beside her. Then she removed the flexible cloth around her breasts.

So.... a bra, essentially? Is she wearing a bra? Or was SJM unsure of whether or not medieval women wore bras and was like “Ehhhh I’ll describe it as just a cloth, that way nobody can point fingers at me for shitty world building!”

Aelin didn’t fight as [the Fae warriors] each gripped her by an arm and hauled her up. Spread her arms wide. The sea air kissed her breasts, her navel.

Man, given how there’s only a few chapters left, this may be the last unnecessary focus on a female character’s breasts we get in this novel. And it’s right before our main character endures a harsh whipping. Oh SJM, you never disappoint.

Cairn halted. [Aelin] felt him studying the tattoo on her back. Rowan’s loving words, written there in the Old Language. Cairn snorted. Then she felt him revel in how he’d destroy that tattoo.

Evidently, SJM never learned what nuanced characters are. Cairn whips Alien some until Maeve orders them to chuck Alien into the iron coffin. Manon peaces out with Elide, and I hope SJM lets them run away with Abraxos to a better novel.

Time—[Aelin] was grateful Elena had given her that stolen time. Grateful she had met them all, that she had seen some small part of the world, had heard such lovely music, had danced and laughed and known true friendship. Grateful that she had found Rowan. She was grateful.

Another good example of good concept that’s wasted on a shitty character. This should be breaking my heart, but it’s about Alien and I fucking hate Alien more than almost any other fictional character. So alas, I’m left just feeling hallow and tired.

So Aelin Galathynius dried her tears. And did not fight when Maeve strapped that beautiful iron mask over her face.

Seems odd Alien would describe what is essentially an object meant to torture her as beautiful, but alright. We’re almost done folks, buckle up for the final leg of this shitstorm of a journey.

[doegred-main]

I am reading quickly through the second article (sadly I do not have much time) and THIS passage is gold:

The alliances that come forth in Tolkien's retelling of the siege are a wish-fulfillment story of the purest so rt. Hungary's John Hunyadi, a nobleman under the extremely weak King Ladislas V of Hungary, was far too bus defending Belgrade against the incidental Turkish invasion that came at the time of Constantinople' siege, to come to any Theoden-like last minute rescue. Dol Amroth's counterpart of Venice was too caught up in the notion o f being rid of Constantinople as a commercial rival to be devoted to sending help , although eventually some help did m terialize. The Pope of Rome, Nicholas V, did urge Europe to help, but his exhortation was deliberately phrased weakly, because of the Roman Catholic mistrust of the Greek Orthodox church. Perhaps that is why Tolkien casts the Pope of Rome as the Satanic Saruman, all greed and ambition. Gandalf, though, is the wish-fulfillment Pope, not only of the rescue, but of the reunification. When, through his works, the Kingdoms of Gondor and Arnor are united, the true wash is that the Empire of Byzantium and the Holy Roman Empire — i .e . France and the Germanies — to a fully mobilised aid of the threatened city , taking the time to depose the old Pope whose betrayal of Christendom is blasphemous.

I think the author ABSOLUTELY saw through Tolkien, and still I am in somehow a disagreement because I think JRR, while being in principle VERY close to the opinion of Bessarion, would have advocated for a more complete "renouncing" of any doctrinal claim that discosted itself from Roman Catholicism, in doctrine if not in rite (like in the case of the Basilian monks, with all due differences). Which, is even more interesting if one is pretty convinced, like I am, that Bessarion was not completely honest in his claim of having found no issue with Catholic doctrine, and prioritised the need for help.

Thus I think that, more than complimentary, the parallelism between Minas-Tirith and Constantinople is meant to underline the survival of a "shell" that preserves a "seed of greatness" without being truly able to create until another of Tolkien's wish-fulfillment great heroes (Aragorn) comes to give new life to the culture. Even his marriage to Arwen is seen, rather than a very poor political move that in reality would have ensured a feeble grasp on the throne, as a "reuniting of the bloodlines" and "strengthening of the blood ties" to even more ancient wish-fulfillment heroes. This I believe especially given Tolkien's approach of "good, civilised, Rome in the west" vs "obscurity and barbarism in the East" which completely ignores the existence of the Roman Empire in Constantinople in "The Death of Arthur". What is more it underlines some of his more uncomfortable, and often ignored elements of his philosophy that make him very appealing to far-right groups. Which leads to@istarnie-nerdanel excellent tags

#to read#TYYYYY!!!!!#j rr tolkien#byzantium#Anyway UH this proves that JRRT WAS an expert on his field#BUT that a lot of things widely accepted at his time were later disproved by more recent historical discoveries#And that's a paradoxical situation#ETA +: the idea that Byzantium was ' impotent' is hilarious considering how Alexius Comnenus dealt with both the Frankish leaders and#the Muslim caliphates LMFAO

I do not think Tolkien didn't know about the sources and the academical discussion. Procopius of Cesarea and Anna Comnena are hardly newly discovered sources. I think he, sadly, gave an ideological reading of the situation and embraced a certain school of thought because of ideology.

@istarnie-nerdanel as separate post because only visible in the replies otherwise + (not quite what you asked but at least) to link some papers that at least link Gondor to the history of Byzantium, but the Tolkien Byzantium remark was trying to remember earlier was of course was from Letter 131, ""In the south Gondor rises to a peak of power, almost reflecting Númenor, and then fades slowly to decayed Middle Age, a kind of proud, venerable, but increasingly impotent Byzantium."

And I just thought of Elendil ruling the united kingdom from Arnor, not Gondor-- with the original seat of power being overrun and Gondor being the last surviving part of the Empire. That's also pretty Byzantium-like.

@undercat-overdog mentioned military paralels-- I'm not awake enough for this but i'm sure she's right some are probably mentioned in these

https://muse.jhu.edu/article/182557

Which at first glance seem to further strengthen the Byzantium link?

I've read none of them due to going to sleep lol. But might be Something.

[univcrse]

CLARKE LITERALLY THOUGHT EVERYONE WOULD DIE IF HE OPENED THE DOOR WHEN ARE YALL GOING TO GIVE THAT UP she wasn't pointing it at him for funsies hence her CRYING and she still chose him over the human race so

lmfao no. 

1. they only were in that situation bc SHE kidnapped him, like what the fuck

2. girl still shot at, drugged, tased, chained and brutalised him. he wanted to go save his sister and she did something controlling and manipulative as usual. it’s still abuse??? you still hate octavia for chaining and brutalizing him, regardless of motive???? a+ double standards!! the truth is that you only have a problem with his abuse when it’s at the hands of someone you DON’T ship him with. when it’s clarke, you invent lies or completely ignore it. you’re perfectly happy with his abuse as long as he’s near the white supremacist abuser you ship him with. when are yall gonna give it up that you hate bellamy blake, no matter how brown you are, no matter how many times you defend him against racists from your rival fandom (like… lol).

3. yall sound… insane lmao. “she still chose him over the human race” THE FUCK?? you chant this over and over like it means something but how tf does “i cant kill this person in cold blood” translate to “im in love with him”??? how low are your standards if you think someone not murdering a FRIEND equals them being in love??? do you think she’d have murdered raven? or is this really your opinion of clarke, in which case, get her the FUCK away from bellamy.

4. clarke not killing him doesnt change the fact that she considered it and was capable of going through with it (according to bob), and that she drugged and kidnapped him in the 1st place??? all of which is abusive AS FUCK?????

you’re just further confirming the fact that yall have DELUDED yourselves into believing some alternate romantic version of t100 to continue shipping your otp. keep lying to yourselves lmfao