#is that a point i should even try to prove

[sophiamcdougall]

#what happens if the PM steps down?#does that trigger an election?#It's a rare thing I know

Rare? It's been happening every five minutes since 2016!

No, it doesn't trigger an election, because we only vote for our MPs. We're not, in principle, saying "this is who I think should run the country", we're saying "I want this Local Weirdo to represent my interests in Parliament". Then the biggest gang of Local Weirdos forms a government and their leader gets to be Prime Minister. In theory, you don't need a new election if a PM steps down because everyone's vote for their Local Weirdo last time is unaffected. Oh, also we're supposed to have fixed terms now, sort of. Even if there were an election, however, that does not create any kind of opportunity for random criminals. Tate would have to either join one of the existing parties, try to get selected to stand as an MP, try to win that election, at which point, if everything went wildly improbably well for him, he would be representing a single seat. Then he would have hope he could convince everyone else in the party to choose him as leader. At this stage, he would discover that whoever the current leader is probably doesn't want to leave, and most of the other MPs want to be leader as well. Or he could form a new party and again, try to become an MP for a single seat, while also hoping he could get enough of his pals into parliament to form a government. Nigel Farage is the most successful at doing this that anyone has ever been. His party now has has five parliamentary seats. Out of a total of six hundred and fifty.

He has been at it (under various new party names) since 1993.

That's not to dismiss Farage as a danger. He's fucked up our country before and could do so again. The Conservative party is in such a state of collapse that it's just possible, with sufficient dark money on his side, that he could mop up what's left of it, and, if Labour proves sufficiently unpopular in government, he could ride a Musky wave of disinformation and chaos into power.

But again, he has been working on getting into that position for thirty years. If Tate wants to be PM, that's about the time commitment he should expect to put in, and in the meantime I believe he has some legal concerns to deal with. There's also the small matter of Farage himself, who is hardly motivated to make way for him.

andrew tate declaring his intentions to run for uk prime minister even though we have a parliamentary system so you can't just 'run' for prime minister

[celestiamour]

since you asked for hyun-ju ideas, here am i 🙂

Imagine being her girlfriend and finally managing to hype her up to wear something more feminine for a date (like a dress or a skirt), only for that confidence to be shattered by some strangers on the street ;((

so, after a bit of comfort, you just need to prove how they were wrong, and show your sweet girlfriend how nice you think she looks on that outfit *wink wink*

ft. cho hyun ju x f! reader — squid game

╰₊✧ hyping her up to go out wearing a skirt for the first time┊0.7k words

contains: fluff with suggestive content at the end!! gender dysphoria & insecurity but mainly euphoria, established relationship, reader is shorter

➤ author's note: i went off prompt and didn’t do smut for this one because i really just wanted to focus on her gender euphoria moment, so sorry (also this is my first time writing for a trans character centered around gender identity! my knowledge mainly comes from having an ex girlfriend who was trans and told me about her experience, but if i got anything wrong or need improvement for something, please tell me so that i can improve and do hyun-ju justice!)

she stared at herself in the mirror, almost in disbelief at first at the reflection looking back at her. it’s insane how a little bit of makeup and stylized outfits could completely transform her appearance, the magic being something she’s heard about plenty of times but has only been able to witness at this moment. her fingers nimbly adjusted her hair, brushing it back before pushing the front stands forward to frame her face, and then flying to her pleated skirt to straighten it out. her heartbeat was all over the place, both from the happiness of finally feeling like herself and from the anxiety of planning to go out in public like this.

hyun-ju paused at the thought of that, looking back at herself and suddenly focusing on all of her insecurities again— the more masculine features that other people would point out and whisper about from her face to her frame. she looked at her bare legs and found the contrast with the dainty piece of cloth too stark to ignore, finding herself crossing her legs and wondering if she should just wear pants like she usually did.

self-consciousness started to consume her entire being and thoughts about it not being enough raced across her mind, taking in a deep breath and considering just taking it all off to stay in for the night. the last thing she wanted was to get harassed by some assholes on the street just for trying to be herself, especially when she knew you would yell back at them and a fight was very much possible as it happened in the past before ending with you in the hospital for a broken wrist (the other guy was in a much worse state, but she still didn’t like the idea of you getting injured or possibly even arrested for her behalf).

“babe, are you finished changing?” you called out and broke her out of her thinking, but you entered before she could say anything. she cringed slightly and closed her, feeling embarrassed until she heard you gasp in pure delight, “oh, you look so beautiful!”

the heat radiating off her cheeks from being sheepish quickly changed to that of being flustered, “r-really?”

“of course!” you took her hands into yours, spinning her around like she was a princess wearing the most luxurious ball gown ever crafted even though it was bought at a local mall, “i knew this outfit would look good on you, it really is your color!”

“right, i was just worried it looked weird…” she felt a little stupid expressing her concerns, but she knew you were understanding, “i just feel like… i don’t know, i feel like i’m too tall to wear something like this…”

“being too tall isn’t a problem! personally, i would kill to be your height and to have your legs, and i know plenty of other people would too. it’s a trait that lots of top models have, so you don’t have to worry about anything!”

your words made her crack a smile, feeling the initial confidence flood her and your arm wrap around her waist as her gaze returned to the mirror once again with both of you admiring her beauty. seeing herself in your light was always enlightening like she was a completely different person in the best way possible, and she was so grateful to have you as her girlfriend to pull her out of her negative thoughts. 

“well, we better get going. if we stand here always just staring at how pretty you are, i might not be able to control myself and we’ll be home all night,” you teased, standing on your tip-toes and kissing her carefully on the lips so as to not mess up the tinted gloss.

“i don’t think i would mind that…” 

“don’t tempt me now…” the fluffy atmosphere became charged with a familiar tension with your touch lingering on her skin, one of your hands traced up her thigh with sinful ideas forming on how you could mark up the unblemished skin and ruin the makeup you wanted to preserve a mere few seconds ago.

after a few seconds of heavy silence, you finally pulled her to join you on the bed, all teasing smiles and lust, “well, we can just order an uber instead of walking, we can spare ten minutes. that’s all the time we need, isn’t it?”

[htaesan]

　ᅠ ✿　ᅠ IT’S THE THOUGHT THAT COUNTS　　────　ᅠ ( park sungho )

𝓹recis ⠀ : ⠀love, to park sungho, is just a waste of time. yet when he falls for you (literally), he might just change his mind.

　　　ᅠ 박성호 ⠀⠀◜◡◝ ⠀⠀𝒇 reader ⠀wc 1.7k ⠀ genre love at first sight fluff meet-cute baker / cafe au ⠀ contains mentions of food profanities ⠀ note my first fic here AND my first bnd work ever! sungho's just awkward in here kekeke (actually idk what i'm writing here) ⠀ tagging @a-dream-bookmark ,@/k-labels , @k-nets , @k-films , @sgz-net

　　　ᅠ ＞︿ 　　please leave feedbacks 　　& 　　reblog

Sungho wasn’t the type to easily fall in love. To him, love is a waste of time and money—why would you pour your heart, time, and effort out to someone who you won’t even spend the rest of your life with? All of his friends, from different points of his life, have tried various ways to get his heart hooked onto a girl. But, of course, none of their attempts proved successful. To everyone around Sungho, he’s just a cute guy with a heart of stone. 

However, after 20 years of letting Sungho decide for himself, the universe decided to catalyse the whole entire reaction for him—pushing the future love of his life into his face, right at his workplace, where he had only recently gotten a job at. 

Literally. 

“Oh my god…” 

You blink confusedly—one second ago, you were getting up from your seat to go grab the drinks the barista had prepared for you. Now, you’re on the floor, with lattes spilled over your clothes, and your back slightly aching from the impact. 

“What the f—oh my goodness, I’m so sorry,” Sungho says, scrambling to his feet. How could he be so stupid? Knocking a customer down and drenching the lattes in her hand all over her is certainly going to ruin his perfect reputation. Quickly, Sungho reaches out his hand, offering it to you. 

You look up, eyes widened. Was this handsomely cute guy the one who pushed you to the floor, having both of your drinks soaking your clothes? You blink again, perplexed, as you try to take in the situation. 

“Oh, yes,” you mumble, taking his hand, realising that people are watching. 

“I’m really, really sorry, ma’am. I didn’t mean to–” 

“It’s okay,” you say through your polite smile. As you steady yourself, you look down on your outfit and realise that it is certainly… not. 

Sungho watches you analyse the situation of your latte-drenched clothes with eyes widened in horror. He panickedly searches for napkins in his apron and his pockets, and hands you a crumpled one he’s found in his pocket. “Here.” 

You give him a chuckle. “It won’t really help a lot but,” you pause, grabbing the napkin from him, “it’s the thought that counts, hm?”

Bingo. 

As you smile, tingles rush through Sungho’s skin. He’s suddenly hyper aware of how his arm is still extended awkwardly, long after you’ve received the napkin. His eyes blink forcedly as he retracts his hand. Sungho gulps, weirdly feeling faint.  

“Well,” you chuckle sheepishly. “It’s getting awkward—I should go back to my table. Thanks for the napkin,” your eyes look at the name tag pinned to his apron, “Sungho.”

You give him one final smile before walking away, oblivious to Sungho’s tongue-tied state. 

“Yo, Sungho,” he hears Dongmin, the barista, call. “Are you gonna just stand there or what? The mess ain’t gonna clean itself, you know.”

Sungho then burst himself out of his daze, scurrying to clean up the mess, ignoring the eyes of people in the cafe. As he’s mopping the final traces of the homemade tomato sauce off the floor, his eyes catch a glimpse of you—laughing angelically, illuminated by the sunlight shining through the window. 

That was two weeks ago. And Sungho is desperately trying to get rid of this fluttering in his empty stomach, one that he feels every single time his brain replays the scene in his mind. 

Love is a waste of time, he repeats to himself like a daily mantra. 

However, Sungho knows that repeating that isn’t doing anything to combat the fact that his cheeks are heating up every single time he sees you walk into the cafe. And, certainly, hiding behind the fresh baskets of bread he baked this morning and eavesdropping on you ordering your menu for the day isn’t a really good solution, either. 

“What the hell, Sungho?” Dongmin hisses. “You almost hit me!”

Sungho smiles sheepishly. “Sorry, Min.”

“Welcome to The Boy Next Door. Good morning, Y/N,” Sungho’s attention is pulled to Donghyun, the part-time barista, who’s greeting you. You smile back, leaning against the counter as you think of what to get for the day. 

“Good morning, Donghyun,” you nod. 

“What’s the occasion today? Assignments or an online meeting that you can’t be bothered to take at home?” Donghyun asks, giggling. 

You laugh with him. “I need a quick brunch—I have a nail appointment after this. What do you suggest?”

Maybe it’s the love hormones, or maybe it’s the fact that Sungho’s completely bewitched for you—he stands upright, eyes staring straight at you. Without hesitation, he voices, “you should try the Mushroom Cream Pasta—it’s my own recipe.”

Regret flushes through Sungho as your eyes widen with surprise. “O-oh! Sungho, I didn’t see you there,” you say with a fond look that makes Sungho’s heart pump even faster than it already is. 

“Sungho… what are you doing?” Donghyun questions. 

“I…” 

Cover this up quickly, you idiot. 

Sungho gives you a small grin. “Well, I just heard that you wanted a brunch… idea? So, I gave you one!”

You laugh, and it hits Sungho right in the heart. “Alright, I’ll take one of the Mushroom Cream Pasta,” you tell Donghyun, who nods in response.  

“You’ll be cooking it for me, right, Sungho?”

Yes, ma’am. 

And that’s how Sungho found himself in the kitchen, eagerly yet nervously cooking up a pasta dish for the girl he’s somehow grown shy of. As he’s tossing the ingredients together, Sungho thinks about your laughter—how angelic he finds it, and how it makes your eyes crinkle so cutely. As he’s grating the cheese into the pan of pasta, Sungho’s reminded of his “meet-cute” with you—how cool you sounded when you shrugged off his frantic apologies, instead of getting worked up about it like some other customers do. As he’s carefully plating the dish with rather shaky hands, Sungho confirms to himself—he might just have a tiny crush on you: one of The Boy Next Door’s loyal customers. Cupid’s cheering in the background—his arrows had hit the target, exactly where it’s needed: right at Park Sungho’s heart.

“Here… you go,” Sungho manages with a small voice. He stands rigidly at your table, his arms tightly kept next to his body. He forces a polite smile, secretly wishing that you wouldn’t notice his nervousness. 

“Are you usually this awkward… or is it just me?” you ask, laughing at how wide his eyes get at your question. 

Sungho quickly shakes his head. “No! Certainly not, I’m not… usually... awkward…”

You laugh again. “Well, then it’s just me.” 

If it were totally up to Sungho, he’d love to just take a seat in front of you and watch you eat. However, the universe isn’t totally on his side, so he excuses himself to go tend to another customer’s order. 

“Hey, man,” Dongmin says, catching Sungho’s attention. He looks up from the salmon sandwich he’s constructing. “Is it just me or you’re just weirdly obsessed with that girl by the window?” 

Sungho’s eyes widen in surprise, and he gives a train of awkward laughs. “What? No… what are you talking about?”

No, you know what he’s talking about.

“Dude, even a five year old can catch up on it,” Dongmin rolls his eyes. He ruffles his hair before continuing. “You better shoot your shot before it’s too late—I think she’s just waiting for you to ask at this point.”

“Huh?” Sungho says, handing the finished plate to Lia, another coworker who passed by. 

“Are you really dense or what?” Dongmin replies, laughing. He pats Sungho’s shoulder before signalling towards you. “Y/N, right? Just go tell her you like her.”

Flabbergasted, Sungho freezes. His eyes widen in realisation, and everything starts to kick in. 

He actually likes someone.

He likes you. 

Dongmin is just teasing him, trying to get him to like you—however, little did he know that this isn’t a simple tease that Sungho would ignore. 

“It’s a fucking wake up call,” Sungho mutters to himself. “I… finally like someone.”

However, being a man with no experience of approaching a girl he likes, Sungho remains at his post, arranging freshly baked pastries as he waits for you to finish your meal and pass by him when you walk out of the cafe. 

“Sungho!” you exclaim, rushing towards him. 

“Yeah?” he replies, breathless somehow. 

You smile shyly. “Thanks for the meal—I mean, for cooking it. It’s really good! I love it.”

Sungho mirrors your smile. “You do?” he laughs, “oh—oh my God! I- that’s such a relief! I really– I really thought it’d be horrible or something, you know, I’m afraid I accidentally put in sugar instead of salt, and sour cream instead of the normal one… you know?”

You nod, still smiling. “It’s really good, Sungho. I’d eat it again next time I need brunch.”

“Of course! Yeah, yeah. Of… course,” Sungho nods, eyes darting here and there. 

“Also, may I ask you something?” you continue. 

Sungho tilts his head as he narrows his eyes a little. “Sure, of course.”

Taking a deep breath, you say, “did I… do something wrong? To you? ‘Cause all you’ve been doing these past couple of weeks is avoiding me whenever I come in…”

Sungho sucks his breath through gritted teeth, pinching the bridge of his nose. He exhales heavily before replying. “Are you… willing to hear me out?”

“Yeah, of course,” you nod. “Make it quick though, I have a nail appointment soon..”

“So, this is really really awkward—’cause we’re talking in the middle of the cafe, and I’m holding bread tongs as I’m speaking—I told my friends for the past twenty years that I’d never fall in love, and that love is a waste of my time but then I kinda fell in love and I would absolutely love it if you gave me the honour of becoming your boyfriend,” Sungho says, in one go, without taking a breath in between his words.

“Oh.” is all you’re able to manage. 

“So,” Sungho gives you a smile. “I know the… first impression isn’t great but I could make your second impression of me better?”

You laugh, giving him a napkin that you’ve neatly folded into a heart and written your phone number on it earlier. “Actually, it’s the third impression. And of course, feel free to make it better than the pasta you made me just now.”

― © htaesan, 2025.

[candyheartedchy]

A deep analysis on SpongeBob and his struggle with fitting in because I think about this detail of the little sponge more than I should.

Let first start off with this little snippet from the pitch bible.

“He wants to fit in, but like a square peg in a round hole, he can’t.”

The rest in under the cut because this ended up being a bit long.

Throughout the series, especially in the earlier seasons, SpongeBob is always going out of his way to make himself appear either “cool” or “mature”. Heck the whole premise of the first movie is focused on his desire to prove himself that he’s not a “kid”. In both the episodes “Ripped Pants” and “MuscleBob BuffPants” he desperately tries to fit in. So much so that the attention he gets from ripping his pants and wearing the Anchor Arms quickly gets to his head, going to the point where he pretends to drown just to make folks laugh. And in both episodes, he starts to slip, realizing that he can’t keep these acts up for too long. Worried of losing his audience.

But he’s determined. He wants people to like him, and with Sandy just recently befriending him around the timeline of these two episodes, he wants to look cool to her. With Patrick being his friend since childhood, and mostly likely the only friend he had befriended before Sandy showed up, he didn’t want to take any chances to miss the opportunity to make another friend. Ironically Larry is in both episodes as well, who SpongeBob becomes jealous of due to the lobster’s own popularity and just being everything he isn’t. Same with the “Spongeguard on Duty” episode where he gets mistaken for a lifeguard by Larry and goes along with the act because it gives him attention.

Another incident that relates to SpongeBob’s struggle with his self image is the “Blackened Sponge” episode. It starts off of him having a dream where he’s rescuing someone, dreaming of being seen as this big, buff hero. After waking up from the dream, he accidentally gives himself a black eye and vows not to tell anyone how it happened to avoid being made fun of. He then goes on, almost bragging about the injury to a crowd, about his fake fight just so he can appear cool. But once Squidward comments about not caring about this, SpongeBob gets PISSED.

Self image is EXTREMELY important to him. He will do anything to avoid being ridiculed by others. He will not allow himself to be laughed at. No matter what.

Many times it shows that SpongeBob doesn’t handle public ridicule very well. Most of the time he seems either oblivious when folks (mostly Squidward) are insulting him or he just waves it off by misinterpreting it as something else. As of he’s pretending he doesn’t notice to avoid being reminded at how he’s really seen by people.

Countless times in the series, he’s shown to have a perfectionist attitude about how he does things. He has to do everything correctly or else.

Even with his own cousin, he gets frustrated from taking all the blame for Stanley’s mistakes to the point he ends up snapping.

This also is what causes him to fight with Patrick a lot. Because of SpongeBob’s obsession with being perfect, he clashes with his best friend’s laidback attitude on life. And yet there’ a kinship between the pair. He knows that Patrick can be affected by people comments just as much as he does, because they are both outcasts.

Which comes to SpongeBob’s struggle with loneliness.

In the episode “Gone”, we see SpongeBob waking up one day to find himself all alone in Bikini Bottom. He starts taking on the forms of his friends to live out all their lives while also getting attached to a boat for company. I believe he was experiencing his worst fear here. Being abandon. Which he already experienced this twice with his own pet snail, Gary, heartbrokenly trying to find him or watch as his snail grew attached to Patrick for a bit in another episode. He’s scared of being replaced or left alone.

This replacement issue comes up multiple times that tends to connects to what he’s good at. His job. The whole thing that kickstarts the first movie is the fact that Squidward gets the manager job. He also becomes so distraught when the original fry cook, Jim, shows up, causing SpongeBob to think he’s was getting replaced. He hates the idea of someone being better than him. Not out of pride, but out of fear. Especially at things he’s good at. Because if he’s not the best, what is he good for then?

He hates being seen as a joke. Constantly correcting folks whenever they try to belittle him.

He’s known as being optimistically annoying by folks, but that’s because he has to. It’s his way of coping. Even the first movie shows him crying and even getting “drunk” to distract himself from the reality that he will always be seen as a joke. He wants people to like him so BADLY because he knows he’s different. He knows that even when he’s genuinely being himself, others will criticize and judge him no matter what.

He wants to fit in, but deep down he knows he can’t.

[osmanthus-wine-addiction]

16 Lactation

Zhongli x Reader / NSFW / Zhongli's heat makes him produce dragon's milk

Your lover had a habit of avoiding you whenever his heat came around. You've always found it unnecessary, but he insisted.

"Just let me take care of you." You pouted, determined to prove you could be of help to him during these trying times. "I visited Bubu Pharmacy and asked Doctor Baizhu to give me that medicine you usually take. At least let me come in and brew it for you…"

"My dearest, I appreciate all that you do for me." He sighed. "However, I can handle this on my own. It is not something I want to burden you with. As soon as I am certain this affliction has passed, I shall make it up to you."

And so you could only stand there in his doorway. He wouldn't even open the door wider than a crack, as if swinging it open all the way would reveal something so unflattering, it would send you running.

Although the two of you had been together for some time already, Zhongli had made it a personal mission to keep this particular aspect of himself away from you. It only made you all the more curious. You've asked him many times before, what exactly happens during his heats. All you got were vague answers, like how he had less control over his impulses, which you were more than willing to accommodate. There were also physical changes that only took place during these times, things he warned you would find bizarre. You had seen him a handful of times with his draconic features out, horns protruding from the top of his head and teeth elongated to a point. Even if he sprouted a scaly tail, you would not be surprised.

"Zhongli, I'm not scared of whatever you're hiding. Even if you're not entirely yourself, I know you won't hurt me. Just let me come in. I'm already here and I'm not going home until I watch you drink this." You held up the medicine.

"You truly drive a hard bargain." He finally yields to your stubbornness. An exasperated smile is on his lips, appreciation brimming in his eyes.

You grinned, looking straight into Zhongli’s eyes. As soon as he pulled the door open all the way, your eyes immediately swept up and down his body. Sure enough, crystalline horns glinted in the dim light. A scattering of scales were visible along his neck and wrists, possibly all along his glowing arms, underneath his sleeves. He turned, allowing you to step inside. Your gaze returned to his face after he shut the door. There was a perpetual flush on your lover's face. You tried to pull him in for a hug, but he gracefully evaded you, determined to stay out of your reach even though the two of you were now alone inside his house. There was a thick tension in the air and it was getting even more apparent the longer you stayed in his presence.

As soon as you entered his kitchen, you pulled out a pot and unwrapped one of the herbal pouches, emptying it's contents followed by several cups of water. The herbal tea was covered and sat on the flame, waiting to come to a boil.

You turned your attention back to Zhongli, who was leaning against the wall beside you, arms crossed. His eyes were shut, possibly to keep them from constantly raking over your form. It was impossible to suppress his growing arousal with you so close, right within his reach, but he had to do his best. Your faint scent drifted into his nostrils, stimulating him further.

Your eyes glanced over at the pot of medicine. "Do these herbs suppress whatever's going on with your body?"

"The opposite." He replied. His voice was a bit gravelly.

"It amplifies it?" Your eyes widened. No wonder he was so on edge. "Why would Baizhu give you something that makes your symptoms worse?"

"So that it runs its course over a shorter amount of time. That way I can get back to you sooner as my usual self, darling." He explains with as much patience as he could muster. That was the main challenge during his heat. His patience was in pitifully short supply right now.

"Oh…" You fell silent as the words sunk in.

"Perhaps I should excuse myself while you brew this." He sounded almost desperate to get away from you.

"Wait!" You wouldn't let him, of course.

Zhongli let out a surprisingly loud gasp as you backed him into the wall he was just leaning against. Poor man was so jittery, you immediately stepped away to give him some space.

"I don't want you to hide from me, Zhongli. You can show me what your heat is like."

"Darling…" Zhongli breathed unsteady as if he had just gotten the air knocked out of his lungs. He swallowed thickly before granting you what you had come here for. "Very well."

First, you reached up, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him down to meet your lips. You could feel his body tremble. Normally, he would not have such a strong response to a simple kiss and your embrace. Your hands wandered up his chest. That was when your eyes widened.

"Zhongli…" You had to pull away to make sure what you were feeling underneath your palms wasn't just your imagination.

His face was even redder now that you had discovered the true extent of his physical changes. Haggard breaths fanned against the top of your head as you reached up to unbutton his shirt. Initially, you did not notice the soaked patches because of the dark color of the fabric. His chest also felt different from usual. It was softer, fuller than what you remembered.

"It is as you've guessed. While in heat, my body undergoes quite the rigorous change. Aside from producing eggs, it will also produce a substance which is akin to what humans nurse their young with."

You blinked at him. "Milk?"

He nodded. "Does that unsettle you, dear?"

You shook your head, a strange smirk on your face. "So you lay eggs and lactate during your heat. A bit strange, but nothing I can't get used to…"

"If unchecked, this could go on for months. All the while, I would exhibit behaviors that you may find exasperating…"

"Like horniness?" You giggled.

This had always been your suspicion as to why your lover was so adamant on staying out of your way while he was on his heat. Letting his pristine image slip in front of you occasionally was one thing, but being unable to restrain himself was an entirely different matter. A gentleman like Zhongli would predictably lock himself up before he would ever allow that to happen.

"That is among them, indeed." He sighed, relieved that you were still in a light mood. "Along with nesting tendancies, increased need for physical proximity, irritability, and a constant, voracious appetite."

"Do they feel heavy?" You asked, eyeing a trickle of creamy white that had seeped out from his engorged chest.

You reached up, brushing a fingernail against the glistening peak. He let out a soft moan as you proceeded to play with it. "A bit, yes."

"I've tried cow's milk, goat's milk, and coconut milk before, but I've never tried dragon's milk…"

"Are you suggesting that you'd like to try it?" He could hardly hold in his shock, but even moreso the anticipation from your bizarre words.

"Can I?" You asked, warm breath fanning over the sensitive skin of his areola.

Zhongli nodded slowly, as if in a trance. He squeezed his eyes shut and let out a gasp when you leaned in, closing your lips over his nipple. A shiver rippled through his body when you began suckling. A deep rumble emitted from his throat. His large hands found their way to the back of your head, cradling you against his chest, while his fingers threaded into your hair. Your own hands reached up to fondle his luscious mounds, kneading them diligently, earning you an appreciative hum from your lover.

The flavor and texture of dragon's milk was undeniably different from what you were familiar with, a mixture of sweet and metallic. It was thick and creamy, probably very nutrutious too. You were latched onto one teet for a good few seconds before drawing enough milk to swallow, moving onto the neglected one immediately after. Over your head drifted a steady stream of groans and shallow breaths while content purrs vibrated through his chest.

Once you were pleased with your fill, you let go of the abused nipple, giving it a parting lick. Zhongli panted as he met your gaze, eyes burning with muted desire. You reached up and wrapped your arms around his neck, gathering him into a kiss. Your lips were still glazed with his creamy excretion. He didn't mind the taste of himself on your lips. It wasn't the first time you had swallowed something of his.

"Someone's a bit worked up." You teased him, reaching down to palm his bulge through the silk of his pants.

Zhongli chuckled. "That's expected, is it not?"

You sunk down to your knees, fingers latching onto the waistband of his pants. "Do you need me to milk you down here too?"

"Darling…" He breathed, cheeks flushing an even deeper shade of red. "I'd be lying if I say I'm not imagining your lovely lips wrapped around my cock right now."

"See? It's not so hard to be honest with me." You grinned up at him as you tugged down his pants, revealing how needy your lover actually was underneath the collected facade.

You traced the bulging vein with the tip of your tongue before taking his cock into your mouth. It immediately throbbed with ignited pleasure. You had to hold him still with your hands as you sucked on the leaking tip. Zhongli let out a strangled moan as you toyed with his cock.

"My dear, please…" He choked out. "I cannot withstand teasing right now…"

Even though Zhongli was already bursting from the bit of stimulation you were giving him, thanks to his heat, he still wanted to afford you as much time and patience as he could muster. This manifested in breathless pleas and soft whimpers, sounds you had never imagined coming out of your lover in all the time you had known him. You couldn't possibly resist him like this.

Your lips parted wide as you eagerly shoved him into your mouth. The gagging and initial discomfort of having something so thick lodged in your throat was ignored. Your focus was solely on drawing as many of those delicious sounds from your lover's lips as you could.

Zhongli leaned against the wall, legs trembling as you knelt in front of him. His hands were once again buried in your hair as he got lost in the sensation of your mouth wrapped around his throbbing cock. You bobbed your head along his shaft, up and down, lips dripping in saliva. He freed a hand to massage his leaking teet, which spilled a cascade of milk all the way down his abdomen. You almost thought he had climaxed, but the sweetness of his milk was a welcome quencher. An unwilling groan escaped Zhongli as you spat him out to clean up the mess his milkers had made on his chest and abs.

"You did not need to do that, but I appreciate the gesture." Your lover somehow still had his manners intact even after all you had done.

"It would've gone to waste." You insisted. "Might as well let me enjoy it."

"Do you… enjoy it?"

You nodded. "It tastes quite good actually."

With that, you got back to pleasuring him, massaging the pouches at the base of his cock while swallowing him to the hilt. Zhongli arched his neck back as his senses were overwhelmed, just like how you imagined him. Seeing your reserved lover at the brink of his self control was such a treat. You gave his cock a gentle squeeze with your palms while simultaneously prodding the slit on his tip with your tongue. He immediately bucked against your lips, plunging his cock against the back of your throat. A loud groan escaped him as he exploded into your mouth, spilling his milky white cum down your throat. Perhaps his heat had something to do with it, but the sheer amount of his release was alarming. You nearly choked trying to swallow all of it. Inevitably, much of his load ended up escaping your lips and dripping unceremoniously down your jaw and chin, resulting in an unsightly splatter on the front of your shirt.

"Have you had your fill yet?" Zhongli sighed, shaking his head at your less than dignified state.

"I.. I think so." You answered as you got up.

Your lover gently wiped what he could off your face and neck, but the stains on your clothes would have to be washed off. The scent of herbal tea permeated the kitchen, mixed with hints of something heady and suggestive.

"It appears I may need to have you visit more often rather than seal myself off to you during these times." Zhongli muses as you drape your arms over his shoulders. "You do such a fine job alleviating the burdens of my heat."

"Of course." You replied proudly while turning off the stove.

---

I know some of you will be wondering how the fuck a dragon produces milk. Let's just say dragons are mythical creatures, not lizards, and he's probably related to a platypus lol. Also, he may or may not be a protandrous hermaphrodite like a clownfish in here. My brain had to do some serious cartwheels to make this brainrot make sense, so please don't speculate way too hard on the biology of this smut like I did.

[crime-scene-psychic]

I honestly think that the Nolan Batman trilogy was the best and worst thing to happen to the Batman franchise, because on one hand, it was the first live-action instance of trying to make Batman more gritty and serious (because while the Keaton, Kilmer, Clooney movies took the story much more seriously than the 60s television show, they were still goofy at times, which is why I honestly think they're the best rendition of Batman, because they were able to balance silliness with seriousness, which is what Batman is all about, but that's obviously an entirely different thesis) which then allowed for more people to take comic book movies serious, consequently leading to the rise of the DCEU and, obviously, the MCU (we would not have the MCU today and the actual good movies that came out of it without Nolan's trilogy, there's simply no argument there).

However, the Nolan trilogy also unfortunately made "dark, gritty Batman" the norm, meaning that once anyone tries to actually have some fun with Batman, they immediately get shit on by comic book dude bros. It also created the most annoying characterization of the Joker that everyone has been trying to replicate since and no one will be able to replicate, because they simply do not understand the character (I honest to God think the closest live-action actor who has ever made a Joker character work besider Heath Ledger was Cameron Monaghan in the Gotham television show, and he wasn't even really Joker??? but at least he didn't make it everyone else's problem and was a good mix of goofy and psychotic, not just psychotic) and will never be Heath Ledger (but they don't stop trying much to my forever annoyment).

And while I can recognize the cultural and significant impact on the comic and film community that Nolan's trilogy had, it is still by far my least favorite adaptation because of how serious it takes itself (and of course, the racism. The racism is actually the bigger one for me. Fuck Christopher Nolan for that. Ra's al Ghul is NOT a white man just because you want a plot twist, and you CANNOT just erase Bane being mixed race because you fucking FEEL LIKE IT because him being mixed race is extremely relevant to his origin). Batman has had serious moments in the comics, don't get me wrong, and I know things must evolve and change over time and that I cannot expect an 80 year old character to not be further developed throughout the decades, but it almost feels as if Nolan and Goyer (the writer) read a Sparks Notes version of the history of Batman, cracked their knuckles, and said "yeah, I think I got it."

Spoiler alert: they did not get it.

When I watch the Nolan trilogy (which I haven't in quite some time and I really don't want to, even to prove a point to people on the Internet) I notice how uninspired it feels, story-wise. While the action and cinematography is excellent, the story is lacking for me, and when you're telling a story like Batman, that has decades of content, you cannot just forgo storytelling for cool special effects.

I'd much rather watch a Batman adaptation that has the shittiest effects known to man with a writer who whole-heartily cares for the characters they're writing and has taken time to research. And that's honestly one of the biggest problems the comic book film industry is having now, both DC and Marvel. They're not hiring people who actually care about these characters to write them and they're focusing much more at appealing to everyone they can instead of who the movies should be made for: fans.

You're gonna have such a harder time convincing my mom, a woman who only cares about Wonder Woman, to watch the new Captain America film than you would someone who has read the Sam Wilson Cap comic run. And while this entire issue stems from the fact that the film industry is just that, an industry, and has become less about filmmakers making art and more-so how much money investors and producers can get out of ticket sales, it is still infuriating to see franchises you care deeply about be ruined by guys just there to cash their paychecks and be done with it.

And really, the film industry as we know it needs to be fucking demolished from the inside out, but that will never happen and now we're a bit off-topic. So, back to Batman.

I think another issue I have with newer live-action Batman adaptations is that they choose to forgo a VERY IMPORTANT character when it comes to Batman/Bruce Wayne's evolution as a character and story line.

Robin.

Since whatever the fuck the casting of Chris O'Donnell in 1995 was (why was he, like, a grown man?), people have been afraid to touch a live-action Dick Grayson with a six-foot pole (besides Titans, which I'm gonna get to in a sec). Which is ridiculous, because he is, like I said, an insanely important character when it comes to showing the growth Bruce Wayne goes through.

Bruce Wayne becomes Batman because he is so angry about his parent's deaths and the corruption of Gotham that he doesn't know what else to do. All the money in the world cannot change things for the better, his own father tried and died for his troubles, and he is left with no other option. Bruce Wayne works during the day to fight corruption via charity and his company, Batman works during the night and is able to do what Bruce Wayne can't (beating the shit out of people, mainly). The two are separate sides of the same coin.

And despite this seeming like a good arrangement, it's pretty obvious in most adaptations (at least they get THAT right) that beating the shit out of people in back alleys is not a good replacement for therapy. You're able to see the toll being Batman has on Bruce. He quickly becomes more occupied with being a vigilante than being himself. Bruce needs something to break through this internal struggle and help him balance both lives.

And so a boy named Dick Grayson comes along.

Dick's so important (and so are the other Robins, of course, but Dick being the first means I have to talk about him a bit more) because he forced Bruce to get his shit together. Here's a boy who's about the same age Bruce was when his parents died, who also just saw his parents killed in front of him, and is so full of rage he has no idea what to do. Sounds familiar...

Bruce is able to help himself by helping Dick. He gives him an outlet to vent his anger and frustrations while also looking out for him in the best way he can. While there are many issues with how Robin comes to be in various comic runs (and if this was real life it would be fucking ridiculous) Dick becoming Robin is extremely important. If he hadn't been taken in by Bruce Wayne, if he'd been allowed to let that anger continue to bubble up inside of him, he probably would have killed Tony Zucco and that would have been enough to set Dick down a terrible path he might not recover from.

The same goes for Bruce. If he were to set out and kill the person who shot his parents, he wouldn't be a hero anymore because that single event would shatter the entire point of Batman, which is that he is not meant to decide who lives and dies. If he were, how would he be any different than all the villains in Gotham that he fights as Batman? How would he be better than the corrupt businessman and politicians that he has to battle as Bruce Wayne? He wouldn't.

Batman needs Robin and Robin needs Batman, because they are yin and yang. Light within darkness, darkness within light. You cannot separate these characters and still tell an accurate story, it's impossible. I think that's a huge issue Nolan's movies have, on top of many others. You cannot accurately present to me a Batman story if there is no Robin, just as you couldn't give me a Robin story without Batman.

Every Robin is so important to how Bruce Wayne as a character is developed, and disregarding this as a creator is not only disrespectful to the character, it misses the entire point. I refuse to take your adaptation of Batman seriously if you can't figure out how important Robin is. He isn't just some kid sidekick, he isn't an optional side character, he is what makes Batman human. You cannot have gritty, Neo-noir Batman and forgo Robin just because you see him as the sidekick in tights. When Batman was silly and took itself less seriously, sure, there wasn't a lot to Robin nor Batman's troubling pasts. But now that you want to deep dive into Bruce Wayne's psyche and pick apart what makes him the way he is you wanna throw in the towel and erase the part that humanizes him? Fuck. You.

You can't make a complex Bruce Wayne and take away parts that help audiences understand his complexities, that's fucking STUPID!

Titans, for all its faults and problems, will always have my gratitude as it had the fucking balls to give, without a doubt, the best and most rounded live-action adaptation of Dick Grayson we have ever seen. Titans introduces Dick at a very important and rocky time in his character arch: him leaving Bruce.

If you're not in the know, there's a falling out between Bruce and Dick that's been written a couple different ways over the years, but all comes down to Dick being "fired" from being Robin and leaving Gotham. This is a bit of a newer story line in comparison to how long the character of Dick Grayson has been around, and eventually leads to Dick becoming independent from Bruce, signalling his evolution from "side kick" to his own hero, Nightwing. However, there's issues with Dick having to give up the Robin mantel, because it's something that is whole-heartily Dick Grayson. Robin wasn't something Bruce Wayne came up with, it was the nickname his parents gave to him. Even the colors are his, those were the colors of the Flying Graysons' uniforms. Robin is much more than just a vigilante alter-ego to Dick, it is the last link he has to his past and his parents. So when this is taken away from him and given to another, this causes a huge internal struggle for Dick, as he has to deal with the anger he now has for Bruce, a man he originally looked up to and idolized. This is Dick seeing how wrong it was for Bruce to do some of the things he did to Dick, despite at the time those choices being what both needed.

The way Titans is able to portray this extremely delicate time in Dick's story line in a way that not only makes sense for his character, but also allows for growth is really admirable. Like I said, the show isn't perfect by any means (can I PLEASE get a Romani actor to play Dick PLEASE) but it's the first time I feel that the character is wholeheartedly taken serious in a live-action setting. You can tell the writers have a better idea about how the characters should interact in a live-action setting and while some choices are questionable to me, the heart is there.

Nolan's movies in comparison feel soulless and devoid of all creativity and love. He does not care about these characters, no matter how much he tries to make you think that, and he never will. Christopher Nolan, you will NEVER convince me that you give two shits about Bruce Wayne. And if you, the director, can't bother to care, why should the audience? Why should I care about your adaptation if you can't even be bothered to put an ounce of individuality into it?

With Matt Reeves' Batman films underway, things are getting worse again. For a while, we only had to deal with the shitty Joker adaptations that tried to replicate Ledger's Joker, but with the Reeves Batman movies, the film bros are making themselves known again. I remember when the new design for the Riddler dropped and I said it was shit and people on Twitter and YouTube got SO PISSY at me and told me I just don't understand Batman and that I'm childish for enjoying the designs for Gotham Riddler/ Batman Forever Riddler and whatever and that I'm stupid, which none of those things are true, I hate to be confident in anything, but I think I know more about Batman than you do, Twitter troll.

The suit sucked and the character sucked. They just created a new character but gave him the Riddler's name. That's NOT the Riddler. That's honestly closer to Hush than Riddler, so just... do that? But of course, less people know about Hush than Riddler, and you're not trying to make a film for fans, you're trying to make money, so why would you ever be so silly as to do that! I'm not gonna talk to much about the new Riddler, just because it's super old news and it's not the point I was trying to make here, it's just something that continues to piss me off when it comes to gritty recreations of characters, because Riddler really never was supposed to be some Zodiac Killer wannabe, he's supposed to be a guy who leaves you riddles and makes you solve them and he's supposed to be a little silly about it. And I'm not saying you can't do a more gritty Riddler, because Arkham Knights did it super well imo! Just don't reinvent the wheel! Don't just make a new character and call him by another's name, that's a disservice to the character themselves and their creators.

This is a hard topic, because you have people who get the point of these characters (people who have actually read a comic before and paid attention to the story) but you also have insufferable film/comic bros who worship the ground Nolan and Reeves walks upon and who don't even take time to explore the rest of the Batfamily comics (his gang of vigilante children show up in the stand-alone Batman comics, though, so I don't know how they're missing this, unless they have the reading comprehension of a goldfish, which they probably do tbh). It's why I think a lot of these weirdos don't like Gotham Knights or Wayne Family Adventures, because they hate the thought of there being any semblance of fun in the Batman franchise. Not everything needs to be doom and gloom! Let Dick Grayson be bisexual and let Bruce Wayne have a PTA rival! You can have your cake and eat it too!

I know this seems like a silly sentiment coming from a person who just wrote an entire essay on this, but maybe don't take Batman so seriously? I don't mean, of course, that you can't care about these characters, I'm actually saying the opposite! I care very deeply for these characters, so much that I obviously spat all this out. I just think some people need to fucking chill when it comes to realistically portraying Batman. There's nothing wrong with taking a more serious approach to the characters and I have no problem modernizing them, but you can't just have action hero Batman, you have to have the human behind the mask too. And if you can't balance that, then I'm sorry, but you shouldn't be making Batman adaptations, because you obviously don't understand what the character is about.

I'm nervous to see where Reeves will go with the character, and only time will tell. I've heard rumors he plans to introduce Robin, I've heard rumors he doesn't. Either way, it's obviously out of my hands and I'll have opinions either way, but I really hope he has a better understanding of the history of the franchise than Nolan. While I appreciate, again, what Nolan did for revolutionizing not only the Batman franchise but the comic movie industry as well, I can still find faults in how he went about things. I truly don't believe we can have a worthy adaptation of Batman live action without Robin and without embracing the silliness of Batman's villains and I really hope producers, writers, and directors realize that soon.

Sorry if you read all that...

[slutforpringles]

SMM: I just, where I feel sympathy for Doohan is just in the fact that when a driver finds themselves in a, you need to prove yourself or you'll lose your seat scenario, that doesn't normally come in the very first races of your career, and it doesn't normally come two months before you've even got in the car for preseason testing. Every single question Doohan gets asked now, it's going to have an undertone of, you might lose your drive. Every session that he does is going to be done with the backdrop of, you could lose your drive. Every time he makes a mistake in a session or something goes wrong for him, there'll be a TV camera cut to Franco Colapinto standing in the Alpine garage. That is how it's going to be for him now. I just, just to say that word again, because sympathy is kind of very rare that we would dish it out in such circumstances. I think the sympathy lies in the fact that I quite like Doohan, I like the way he goes about things. He's trying to be as professional as he can, and he's very determined. He's clearly a decent driver, and I say decent in F1 context, he's obviously a very good driver in pretty much any other context. Is he a superstar? I don't think so, but I do think he deserves a real chance to show how he can perform in F1. I am just a little bit worried he won't necessarily get that in these first few races. The counterpoint is if he steps in and does do a really good job, that I think that will speak volumes for his ability and his capacity to handle pressure, because I can't imagine a worse kind of setup to be making your [debut]. The only recent equivalent I can think of really, is it kind of felt a little bit like Nick De Vries was on a road to nowhere within the Red Bull organization, after the weird way that he came into Formula One. But even that was such a bonus for him, it almost didn't matter. Whereas for Doohan this is everything. He's worked super hard from this, and he's having his legs chopped out from underneath him before he's even started. ES: Yeah, it's certainly not ideal. I don't think it's a great situation to bid him in, and I do think it's worth trying to make sure your drivers are in the best possible environment to thrive, but at the same time, the point I'm sort of making is that it's within his power to make sure that the worst doesn't happen to him. I don't think we should underestimate Jack Doohan. He's a very quick driver. Without that chassis-crack problem, it's possible he could have won F2 a couple of years ago, and I think then people would view him a little bit differently.

Scott Mitchell-Malm and Edd Straw discussing Jack Doohan's situation within the Alpine organisation and his future in F1 within the context of Franco Colapinto being signed to the team as test and reserve driver on The Race podcast

[jweekgoji]

iLOVE your works 💗💗💗 a sequel to your most recent would be amazing…

maybe sentinel and starscream come at a close tie so they both get a special treat~…

Sentinel/Prime!Reader/Starscream [TFO]

tw: nsf//w (minors, don't read please), power imbalance, jealousy, competitive behavior, slight posessive behavior, master/subordinate relationships. word count: 1,4k additional tags: Prime!Reader, cybertronian!readr, gender-neutral!reader (but they have valve in this one), double valve penetration, valveplug, threesome, rivalry between Starscream and Sentinel, pre-TFO events, sub!reader, dom!Sentinel, dom!Starscream. a/n: I will forever not stop making sentinel the most pathetic one in this duo. thank you for your request~

Ever since that blessed day, you can't help, but thank Alchemist for the idea he once gave you.

There was no doubt that ever since you had confronted two of the most arrogant mechs you had ever seen in your entire life, you now finally had a chance to have some rest.

The only thing left to do was to lazily keep track of the score, watching as these two faithfully carried out your every slightest errand, eagerly awaiting their reward like faithful dogs.

'One point in Starscream's favor, two in Sentinel's favor...Six points for Starscream, five for Sentinel....'

All it took was to sit in your comfy office, minding your own business while your two assistants ran back and forth, handling your assignments.

Some of these were extremely important; some were just dusting at the bottom of the list, waiting in the dark for their time. Just for those types of occasions, sometimes it's nice to have someone like Starscream and Sentinel.

You could mark the one's success in your notes, and at the same minute, the other would burst in, immediately taking all of your attention away. Such a harmless competition, you didn't even specify what exactly you could offer them for their hard work, but the barely disguised implication in your tone left not that much room for guessing.

Until...

“Congratulations, you have an equal number of points,” you announced, an easy, almost perfect smile on your face, the one you always wear in public.

“There can't be-” Starscream begins, until he is interrupted by Sentinel.

“With all due respect, but there's definitely some kind of mistake here,” he gets in front of Starscream, an almost offended look on his face. Him? On equal score with Starscream? That sounds like a very personal insult.

The member of the high guard only huffs in frustration and shoves the blue-and-gold bot forcibly aside, almost pushing him down to the floor.

“You should do a recount. One has to be the winner,” the jet crosses his servos over his chassis, pede tapping lightly against the floor in a barely concealed display of anger.

“Someone like me, obviously,” Sentinel sneers, his servo settling down at the center of his chassis as if trying to emphasize the sincerity of his words. “I am your advisor, after all, no wonder I'm better at dealing with your errands.”

Your optics only flicker between Starscream and Sentinel, silently observing their conflict. You would probably laugh at this if you hadn't had to endure it for many, many cycles.

“There is no mistake here, my calculations are correct,” you say simply, placing your servos on the surface of your desk. “However, I am not satisfied with the quality of your work. You will still have a chance to...prove yourself, one last time.”

Who knew that your seemingly innocuous game, which was supposed to resolve what seemed to be...an inexhaustible conflict between your two subordinates, could lead to more than unexpected consequences?

You'd be lying if you said you didn't feel an ounce of pleasure in this arrangement.

“Can't you stop twitching for just one minute? You are getting in the way,” Starscream hissed softly, throwing a sharp glare in his rival's direction.

“It's not my fault you're taking up...ngh- so much space,” Sentinel groans, blue optics flickering slightly at the momentary shock of pleasure that runs along his spine.

Your poor, poor advisor can't help but let out another shameless moan as he barely thrusts forward, the tip of his spike pressing against Starscream's own, rooted deep inside you.

“If you have any protests, you can always leave,” the jet hummed. His servos tightened their hold on your thighs, spreading them further apart to make a room for two.

Sentinel's golden wings bristled at these words, and soon after, he leaned closer to you, only to start bickering with the other mech right behind your shoulder. Oh, the sheer audacity!

“Like I would,” Sentinel purred, almost in spite of the leader of the high guard. “As if I can trust you how to properly care for our dear Prime over here.”

That arrogant, self-centered bastard, how ironic— if only you weren't there, Starscream would have wiped that smirk off his faceplate this instant.

“Are you going to do something already?” you, once again, have to be between the two mechs, both literally and figuratively now. “I'll fall into recharge faster, unless one of you actually starts moving.”

That commanding, demanding voice of yours, the one you use to remind them that despite how intimate and vulnerable the position you all are in, you're still a Prime. Their leader.

Until you feel both of their spikes twitching inside you, a light blue blush spreads all over the cheek plates. Primus, help you with these two. You can't even boss around your own subordinates without them getting head over heels for you, and here you thought that would have a negative effect on them.

But are you really that surprised?

Starscream is first to assist your orders, as he bowed his head, close enough to plant a lingering kiss on your neck, teasing the sensitive surface. It's best to focus on your needs now, rather than that too pleased with himself advisor that keeps giving him challenging glances.

“I bet I can satisfy our Prime better than you do, Starscream,” words thrown so carelessly, only pushed the never-ending conflict back to the surface.

To keep his own words, Sentinel pushes his hips forward, igniting a soft gasp from you. Having both of them together inside you was certainly a new experience. If your humble advisor lacked the length that the high guard had, Sentinel had the girth, stretching your inner walls with every single slow thrust.

Starscream on the contrary, compensates for everything that Sentinel couldn't give; with the combination of a consistent feeling of fullness, his spike easily presses against a spot deep inside that makes you see stars.

“Like you ever satisfied them for once,” Starscream snapped back, the red optics dangerously glowing in the poorly lit quarters.

It takes time, at first, for both of them to finally find the pace that actually lets them move without bothering the other. One thrusts in, then pulls out, then for the other to do the same.

 How embarrassing, utterly disgusting, even, the both mechs keep thinking. Even such a short moment of pleasure and intimacy leaves Starscream mentally gagging at the feeling, with Sentinel having pretty much the same thoughts.

 Only briefly, for a short moment, they cooperate to push together in one time, both spikes rubbing against each other in the tightness of your valve.

 The looks of embarrassment and awkwardness are totally worth it, you believe; maybe that will teach them not to cross each other's paths anytime soon, instead of fighting over your attention like sparklings.

Frag, you hiss through gritted teeth; no matter how much they may annoy you with their constant quarrels, they're pretty damn good at working together, sometimes. Maybe you need to organize this more often, just to relax and have a break in their company, which is... a rarity.

The constant stimulation is almost too much to bear, thoughts are too hard to concentrate on, and you barely pay attention to them, as you faintly hear them insulting each other. Primus knows how much they had done it for today.

Finally, you reach for both of them, grasping Sentinel's chin with one servo, bringing him closer, while the other servo gently tilts Starscream's head down to meet your lips, releasing all the buildup of tension in a single, lengthy, hungry kiss.

 Sentinel can be heard practically whining at the sight, begging for the same lovely affection you just had to give his enemy right in front of him, only for you to kiss the needy advisor in return.

As your own overload approaches quickly, your optics begin to dim, and you can barely hold back anymore. That delicious tightening of your valve around the both spikes makes Starscream and Sentinel hold back, just in order not to overload from that sensation alone.

Slowly, you tilt Sentinel's chin slightly back, leaving your advisor panting heavily, glossa out, desperately trying to catch his own breath, and cool down the overheating frame. The soft huffs and puffs of Starscream don't go unnoticed by you, no matter how hard he tries to look all calm and collected behind you.

“I think...I need another round to sum up the scores.”

[horse-girl-anthy]

this is gonna be an off the cuff ramble/vent so don't read if that doesn't interest you.

I am thinking I'm going to back away from Ikuhara fandom in the next six months (coinciding with when I finish the rewatches I'm doing in my server). I feel like I've exhausted what I have to say about his shows, and I've also developed a very specific way of understanding them which clashes with others. I'm torn between feeling like it's worth trying to delineate my own understanding and feeling that I'm just being territorial, pedantic, or close minded. at a certain point, even if I could be proved "right" on my interpretations, I'm losing the enjoyment I should have in the stories by caring what other people think about them. at the moment, I'm thinking I want to flesh a couple more ideas and then let it rest. I'll always be grateful to Ikuhara and happy I put time into this blog, but nothing lasts forever.

so all of that to say... I was on the fence about writing what I'm about to write. I recommend people who don't want to read someone objecting to common RGU fan interpretations to just check out now. I'm not trying to start anything. but after reflecting on it, I decided it to share my thoughts on this topic; I think it's worth saying, even if it makes me look contrarian or problematic.

---

I watched RGU in 2014, right as the western fandom was experiencing a shift in how it approached the show. I won't detail all that went on during that time--today I'm specifically interested in two characters: Nanami and Miki.

before, I'd say the fandom was overall less critical. things were taken more at face value. for instance, Nanami was not always taken seriously, while characters like Miki, just because they were "nice," were seen as "good guys." however as time's wore on, there's been a backlash to that way of approaching the show. the characters most likely to have received misogynistic hate in the past (Anthy, Shiori, Nanami, and Kozue, mainly) were reinterpreted, while "good guy" characters were increasingly scrutinized.

that was a good thing, as it was a counterbalance to the previous attitude. however, it's been more than a decade since I joined the fandom, and I still see people talking like it's 2014. the way that people have reinterpreted the anime has, often, not resulted in interesting readings. this is because people are still applying an ideological lens to the story, rather than engaging with how it presents itself.

I specifically want to highlight Nanami in this regard. I check the RGU tag almost every single day, and I have seen scores of posts which are nigh-identical to each other. it's always people talking about how she's a "calf to the slaughter," she's actually a victim, etc. and I just... don't get anything out of it.

I think a lot of this shift began with this essay series called Palace Perspective. it's been a long time since I read it--actually before my Utena renaissance--but I didn't like it at the time. it was written in this very self-serious style, and all I remember it arguing was "Nanami is a victim, Touga is a bad guy." I'd loved the Touga/Nanami relationship since I first watched RGU, and that was never how I felt about it. Touga certainly harms Nanami, but based on the series itself, it seemed to me that in large part, Touga was the victim, and Nanami was harmed by his victimization.

anyway, since around the time that essay series came out, people have had this attitude of "actually Nanami is a very deep character, you guys," as if it needs to be repeated over and over. and there's a denial that Nanami is a comic relief character--"actually her being funny is just a ruse because the show is camouflaging that she's a victim!" okay, yes, they do lure you in to Nanami's story slowly; she's initially silly, but all along hiding under that was some serious shit. I'm not denying that. but I'm also not buying that line entirely.

the Shadow Girls do an entire play about how Nanami's comedic suffering is the result of her own actions (they call it "divine justice"). take episode 16 specifically. yes, we have Nanami dreaming about being a calf for the slaughter. that is a great scene and indicative of the unhealthy relationship between her and Touga. but isn't the crux of the episode that Nanami is making a fool of herself??? she tries to one-up Juri at a party. her failure to realize what the cowbell is highlights her ignorance. the show is absolutely poking fun at her. you can go into why Nanami ended up this way, but I don't understand how we've gotten to the point where people are so over-serious about Nanami--and RGU in general--that they can't laugh at it.

I'll take a detour here to talk about Miki. it's become increasingly popular to frame him as a sexist--I've even seen him termed a "raging misogynist." he gets blamed for his strained relationship with his sister and written off as "just as bad as the other male characters." that's another case where I really don't see it. or at least, I feel like people have lost track of degrees in these things. Miki seems unsure of what he believes, sometimes expressing progressive views but other times regressive ones, and he does act within a patriarchal system. but does he comport himself that badly? or is he just a normal 13-year-old boy who falls into temptation?

I want to make a comparison between him and Nanami here. I think you could make a very real case that Nanami has far more sexist beliefs than Miki. she treats every female character as competition, as a hussy out to steal her brother. when she finds out the truth about Anthy and Akio, she immediately jumps to victim blaming Anthy. and another thing: Nanami plays princess.

the fact that so many people write about Nanami but this aspect of her character is rarely commented on is mind boggling. it's like, her whole thing. Nanami wants to be the center of the universe; Touga is her everything and she wants to possess Touga. she constantly acts the victim and tries to manipulate things so her enemies look like the villain.

I'm not saying this to shit on Nanami! I love Nanami, she's one of my favorite characters of all time! but I've found it alienating to be in a fandom where whitewashing is framed as appreciation. even her backstory: people make post after post about how it wasn't Nanami's fault she killed the cat, because she's a victim. here's the problem with that: why are we engaging with the story on the level of blame? I recently read an essay on methods of analysis that placed "vilification and heroization" as the lowest form of engagement with fiction. I understand why someone would want to defend a character from attack, but aside from like, youtube comments or old forum posts, who exactly is attacking Nanami? and also, how is saying "actually she's a victim so that explains everything" accomplishing anything?

I am being unfair here, because some people do engage with the work enough to say more than that. people will point to the neglect Nanami experienced as the cause of her behavior. that's there, it's certainly there. I'm not objecting to serious attempts to explain character motivation in reaction to vilifiction, but more to the impulse to try to paint characters as morally pure. isn't Nanami so great because she's so complicated? when people approach the story with the drive to whitewash, so much of the nuance and feeling of the work goes unnoticed. episode 31 and 32 do portray Nanami as a victim (of Touga and of her parents and of Akio). however, they also portray Nanami's motivations, and not all of them are pretty. over the course of the arc, you watch her entire worldview fall apart. it doesn't matter whether not it's "her fault" she has that worldview--the process is painful and humiliating either way.

all of this carries through to how people react to both Nanami's final scene in the show and her comic relief section in the film. the comic relief scene is bad because it doesn't take Nanami seriously enough, while her final scene is bad because it shows her waiting on Touga and Saionji, which is sexist because she's partaking in traditional gender roles. the only way I can understand those reactions is that people didn't actually pay attention to how she was portrayed in the show, as a comic relief character or as a serious character. I'd understand the objection if Anthy's final scene involved her waiting on Akio, but Anthy and Nanami are different characters (I also don't get much out of the endless Anthy/Nanami posts because of how they are flattened in comparisons). unlike Anthy, Nanami spent the entire show demanding to be waited on, but when we see her for the last time, she's contentedly serving others. that is called character development.

I wanted to highlight Miki and Nanami because I feel they point to a major problem of the fandom: the maintenance of the prince and the princess, just with new definitions. the prince is bad, masculine, harmful, and needs to be rejected. the princess is good, feminine, eternally victimized, and above question. I find this sad because I thought we were supposed to be transcending the gender binary. I know saying this makes me sound anti-feminist, but I'm not. I'm not saying "oh we need to transcend the gender binary by never criticizing men or ignoring how women are victimized"; that would be stupid. but my vision of feminism is vigilantly critical of all things, evaluates each situation on an individual basis, and avoids self-flattery and self-deception.

[skvaderarts]

Jayvik Request #1: By Eros Set Ablaze

Summary: Word Count 3.9K A03 Link

Viktor heads to the forge for the first time to see Jayce about some discrepancies in their calculations and it awakens something in him. The "this better not awaken anything in me" meme except he doesn't even get past the first three words. Set right after they meet in S1.

Slowly working my way through the ones you voted for on this list.

By Eros Set Ablaze

Note: This one is for Kaylakenobi and Wuekka! Truly, we all have the Jayvik Brain Rot. There is no hope for us. I hope this was worth the wait!

—

It was a combination of necessity and curiosity that compelled him to leave the lab that day. 

Waiting for a break in the rain, he’d seized his opportunity and left behind the familiarity of the lab to venture across town, his destination a place he’d never been but had heard oh so much about.

Jayce had a complicated relationship with the forge, at least by Viktor’s personal estimations. He spoke of his work there often and held great pride and reverence for his family’s heritage as toolsmiths and skilled metal workers, but also seemed to feel trapped by that same legacy at times. Perhaps that was part of the driving force that had guided him down the path to creating Hextech. A desire to improve lives, but also a yearning to stand out via his own merits. To make something of himself outside of his family name. To break the mold, metaphorically speaking. He didn’t want to spend his entire life in a forge, hammering away against an unyielding anvil until his arms and back gave out any more than Viktor wanted to spend his existence as someone else's assistant. Neither of them was content to stay in the boxes that had been constructed around them by the circumstances of their births.

The two of them truly were more than the sum of their parts when they worked together. They were partners.

It was that little word, wasn’t it? The way that Jayce had claimed him as his equal the moment he’d proved that his conviction matched his own. The night it had become their dream, not just Jayce’s. The way his friend’s idealism brought out his own, long since buried under layer upon layer of staunch pragmatism. The way it inspired such undying loyalty in him. No one had ever looked at him and seen someone worth touting about at their side with pride. The vast majority of people didn’t even ask him his name. His position as Heimerdinger’s assistant had held more weight than his first name ever had. Yet he couldn’t muster the energy to lament that fact. It was simply the way it was.

Except with Jayce. Never with Jayce.

Jayce was out of the lab that day, working on a prototype mold for a new project they’d just finalized the dimensions on. Or so they thought. That was what his intrepid companion intended to find out and the reason why he’d made the decision to do the molding process himself. And consequently, the very thing had brought Viktor out in the rain. A risky endeavor for him specifically. He didn’t want to consider the dire consequences of slipping on the uneven cobblestones beneath him. Such a largely inconsequential thing to everyone else. But him?

Other workshops and small parts manufacturers were ready and willing to do the job for them should the need arise, but Jayce hadn’t seen the point in bringing anyone else on board when he was certain that he could handle it. He was going to try. And if he couldn’t then he would ask for help. It wasn’t a matter of pride so much as it was a matter of certainty in his competency. He knew from hard-earned experience that this should be a simple task for him, so why not spend a few hours doing the physical work required? He wasn’t above it.

And Viktor wanted to see it. He wouldn’t admit that, but he did.

Forge work wasn’t simple. Hammer work by its very nature refused to be delicate on the body. Yet the very notion of such a thing was strangely thrilling to him in concept alone. He’d seen the aftermath of a few of Jayce’s trips to the forge, but this time he wanted to see if he could watch the process unfold. To educate himself.

Such a romantic notion, to be physically capable of such a task. Though perhaps only to him. He didn’t desire to try it, but still.

Viktor fiddled with a folded sheet of paper in his pocket as he approached the address. He’d never seen the building in person before. In his mind, it was far smaller. And yet here it stood, in all its magnificence. The Talis family forge. As splendorous as it was intimidating at first glance.

Clad in bricks that reached a height equal to that of several multi-story buildings in its general vicinity, the factory building cast a shadow over him as he gingerly navigated the gravel path that led to its side entrance. He’d been told to use it instead of the bay doors should he stop by while Jayce was there. According to him, he kept it unlocked in case of emergency. A good policy. It was always best to take preventative steps when working with volatile, flammable substances.

It was a truly colossal building with soaring ceilings and mammoth riveted steel beams that spanned the width of the and breadth of the ceiling, supporting the building's roof. The structure was dark inside, save for the tall, narrow lead glass windows that flanked either side of the forge’s chimney that stood like a monolith at the center of the back of the building. Along the length of the towering central pipe were slats to visually indicate the position of the flame. 

And by that metric, the machine had only recently been activated. There were flames in the mouth of the forge, but they were low and didn’t seem especially hot.

Viktor paused as he got a better look at the machine. Surely he’d gone to the wrong part of the building? This didn’t look like the kind of complex mechanism that could be operated without a skilled team at the helm. He wasn’t familiar with how the forge was operated, especially one of this magnitude, but it was gargantuan. How was someone supposed to turn it on, let alone use it?

Clearly, he needed a better look at the machine.

As he ventured further into the vast space, the full breadth of the machine became undeniable. Impressive. Truly an impressive work of mechanical engineering. A tool of a truly timeless trade. But then something else caught his eye.

Standing ever so slightly off to the left side of the machine was Jayce, and he appeared to be assessing something. Perfect. Just who he was looking for. He hoped it wasn’t a bad time to interrupt him but-

Taking a deep breath, Jayce grasped one of the leavers on the left side of the machine, pulling it downward until it clanked loudly, a loud rumble emanating from the floor below them. With a concerted effort, Jayce then heaved the resistant leaver back into an upright position, locking it into the proper notch required by the mechanism to enable the machine to do… something. He released it and stepped back, watching as the cogs and gears creaked to life and slowly began to turn. They were larger than he was in both circumference and height, but they still budged, if only marginally. Stopping to observe, he caught sight of his unexpected guest.

“Oh! Hey, Viktor! I didn’t hear you come in! You got my note about me being away from the lab today, then?” He did not speak with the air of a man who had just done what he had. There wasn’t a hint of strain to his tone. Despite how difficult that had looked, it had posed little difficulty for him.

It was impressive, honestly. Viktor’s pulse picked up a bit, something he barely perceived, but still noticeable, even if the cause wasn’t clear to him. He had never considered Jayce weak by any means, but that had still thrown him for a loop a little. It had been, dare he admit it, thrilling to watch? Why was that?

Jayce made his way over to him at a leisurely pace, pleasantly surprised to see him. He’d been asking him for the better part of the last half a year or so to come by. Perhaps a tad longer than that. They were always working on some project or another, but mostly in the drafting and scale model phases. And if they weren’t then they were collaborating on the structure, Viktor was generally at home with all the small core components and mechanisms while he worked on the casings and structures. A harmonious whole. Complex algorithms; networks of masterfully drawn diagrams and grids. Sequences and probabilities. It was a science. Much like fire. And yet, so unlike it. So much less wild and uncontrollable. Or so they knew thus far.

“I’m surprised you finally took up my offer to see how this all works. Do you want a demonstration?” He asked almost a little too eagerly. The shorter of the two couldn’t help but be subtly amused by his thinly concealed excitement. He was trying to play it off as confidence, but Viktor knew Jayce well enough to recognize that special brand of childlike wonder that flared up in him any time he was eager to share something new with someone. How could he deny him the pleasure? And for what?

In truth, Viktor was there on other business entirely. His curiosity notwithstanding, he needed to go over a few key calculations with Jayce before they proceeded with the testing phase. He wasn’t sure if they would have a knockdown effect on the physical dimension of the prototype that Jayce was about to cast, so he’d elected to come. His desire to finally see the forge in person was a secondary personal desire, even if it was one that he was eager for an excuse to indulge in.

It was strange. He was a child of the Undercity. He’d never been a stranger to industrial processes, or especially curious about the majority of them aside from loathing their negative effects on the air quality of the place he called home. He’d seen bits and pieces of them during his time. But this was the first instance that he could recall where he was genuinely intrigued. Perhaps it was Jayce’s personal ties to the process that sparked his curiosity. He was contagious. His excitement and optimism.

“Certainly, Jayce. That being said, the calculations… “ Viktor gradually trailed off as Jayce untucked his collar and began to undo the front of his shirt, shrugging out of his vest. He then set to work undoing the buttons on the front as they continued their conversation, much to the growing confusion of his companion. Surely working with hot metals with no shirt on was an occupational hazard? Was it a matter of being more exposed to the air for cooling purposes? The mind boggled.

“Hold on. Give me one second to get this going and then I can give you my undivided attention. This isn’t nearly hot enough.”

“It isn’t?” Viktor eyed the forge curiously. How exactly did one go about heating something like that? Or gauging the heat levels when they were this low. Was there another lever that he needed to pull to facilitate this process? He supposed he would find out shortly but it was still an exciting prospect. He couldn’t fathom even trying to handle something like this. Knowing his luck, he would tumble into the forge. Not from clumsiness, but sheer bad luck. He seemed to be brimming with that.

But as he pondered this, his eyes drifted back over to Jayce and he froze. His body became as rigid as steel and his breath as slight as a whisper.

He’d… never seen Jayce with his shirt off before… 

Despite the amount of time they spent together, they’d never had any reason to. He was sure that Jayce had probably disrobed around him before, but his eyes were always on the task at hand and hardly ever on what was going on in his immediate vicinity. Their work demanded focus.

And perhaps that was a good thing because if he’d seen him like this under those circumstances it would have almost certainly resulted in an accident at the lab.

Jayce shook his head in response to his previous inquiry. He hadn’t noticed the look of surprise on Viktor’s face. Seen the look of perplexed turmoil that followed it. The quiet panic in his eyes as he realized he was staring and desperately tried to stop doing so to no avail. One eye on the forge at all times, especially with a second person there. There would be no slip-ups.

Viktor only vaguely registered what Jayce was doing as his eyes swept over individual muscles they could find from his torso to his shoulders and neck. It was an arresting sight, the way they flexed as he roughly folded what he’d been wearing, paying little mind to how the room had fallen silent. Each muscle was toned in a way that alluded to his industrious and unconventional athletic habits. It made perfect sense to him now why Jayce always looked so… fitted in everything he wore, but the sudden realization still blindsided him like being doused with freezing water. 

Perhaps that was what he needed someone to do, actually.

“Hold this for me, would you?”

The question was entirely innocent and mundane on Jayce’s part, but Viktor couldn’t help the way his heart threatened to spring from his chest as he accepted the garments with a nod, gesturing with an outstretched hand towards the forge. He kept his composure, feigning a demeanor of composed casual professionalism and unspoken comradery with his closest companion, but he would not attempt to deny the internal struggle he felt surging within him. He felt his heart leap again, this time pounding in a way that made him sure he was very close to embarrassing himself. What was happening to him?

“You might want to stay a few feet back.”

Stepping away from Viktor, Jayce returned to the front of the forge where he took a moment to loosen his shoulder before reaching up and grasping the two-handed bar-like handle that powered some sort of pulley system. The machine groaned and shuddered as gears turned again, faster this time than previously, expanding and contracting the bellows that sent air into the forge. He continued in a rhythm, pulling downward on the handle before allowing it to ascend again, the muscles in his hack and arms flexing as the machine did battle against him but was pulled back under his sway yet again, Jayce always winning the tug of war. Sweat ran down his body in channels from a combination of the exertion and heat, but he hardly noticed, so focused was he on the task at hand. He kept pulling.

The flame grew brighter. Bolder and more brilliant until it soared high above them, the central chamber whistling from the suffocating pressure that had been building up within it. The forge rumbled deep, the ground beneath them shuddering ever so slightly as the fire scorched white hot, silhouetting Jayce in a flattering light that highlighted every visible edge of every muscle his exposed torso was constructed from.

He wasn’t alarmed. Viktor hardly registered the vibration beneath his feet or the now deep red and pink flush on his face. He felt his breath catch and then slow, deepening before evening out gradually. Following the same rhythm Jayce’s body did until he came to a stop and pulled something from the forge, reaching over to grasp the handle of a large hammer.

He was cut like polished stone, chiseled from fine marble like the grandest spires of Piltover. Like a sculpture crafted for his eyes and his eyes only. It was mesmerizing. The rhythm of it. Viktor’s heart rose and fell with each deafening pound of the hammer, the sound wringing through his entire being. His gaze followed the arch and flex of the muscles in Jayce’s shoulder and back as his eyes saw little else. The exposed skin on his face and arms pricked from the warmth that flowed through him, be it from the scalding temperature of the forge, or the blood that pounded through his arteries and veins he did not know. He had stopped questioning it by then.

Viktor hadn’t registered that he’d gradually inched closer to him any more than Jayce registered the questioning gleam in his eyes as they bore into him from behind, the blaze of the flames reflecting in his warm amber-brown irises like light dancing off the shoreline at night. He crooked his head ever so slightly to the right, his normally brilliant mind unable to conjure any other image than the one before him. Unwilling to manifest a single other thought than the ones currently dancing about his now vacant skull.

This sight as he beheld it in all its unexpected splendor, this experience. It had such an effect on him. Such a hold on his failing faculties or lack thereof. And it gripped tightly, unyielding. Unrelenting in its almost vengeful power. He had never felt such a rush of sensation before. He felt the deep flush in his face spread to his neck and his ears as he let out a heavy breath. The air was stifling. Sweat ran down his face as he watched intently, only barely focused on the demonstration. He almost felt faint.

He suddenly thought better of his no doubt disheveled appearance and made a concerted effort to compose himself, shifting his posture ever so slightly for what little good it did. What he needed was a distraction, but there was no salvation to be found. Within the walls of the building stood only Jayce, the forge, and himself. Only the flames fanned by the kiln of Hephaestus himself as Viktor lingered upon the precipice of purgatory, lips sealed in voluntary damnation. Oh, how readily and unknowingly he’d strolled with open arms into the mouth of hell.

Jayce finally came to a stopping point in his demonstration and glanced over at him, immediately noticing two things. That he’d gradually made his way just that little bit closer but not close enough to put himself in danger, and that he looked noticeably dizzy. It seemed that way to him, at least. His face was flush and he looked almost startled that he’d turned around. His breathing seemed uneven in its pace and depth and he wasn’t standing up as straight as he normally was, leaning more on his cane than usual.

“Viktor, are you alright? You look a little overheated. Maybe you should sit down?”

“Overheated? No, I… ” He considered protesting for a moment before realizing that Jayce had misunderstood his current state and decided against it. He was right, in a manner of speaking. He certainly felt warm, but not externally as much as he did internally. Why push him away from a desirable conclusion in favor of one much more personally humiliating? He didn’t have the faintest idea how he would explain what had just happened to Jayce if he was pushed to. He hardly understood it himself. He’d never experienced such an intense reaction to something so harmless in his entire life.

But the more he thought about it, all he could do was shake his head slightly and let out a small chuckle. Jayce had promised to educate him should he ever stop by, and that was certainly one way of looking at the experience. Educational indeed. Eye-opening. He had some soul-searching to do. Or if he was willing to be honest with himself, perhaps he didn’t.

There were some… obvious conclusions he could draw from his experience.

“I suppose I’m unaccustomed to the heat.” It was a half-truth and he knew as much, but it was so much simpler than explaining that. He needed to figure that out for himself first…

Jayce hurried over with a chair he’d stolen from the back corner of the room, setting it a few feet back from where Viktor currently stood. Further from the offending flame but still within view of his work. He gripped the chair and held it still, concerned that Its wobbly back leg would prove to be a tipping hazard to someone who wasn’t aware of it. Maybe he should fix it just in case this visit wasn’t a one-time thing. He hoped it wouldn’t be.

“Seems that way.” 

“Still…” Viktor attempted to look in every direction aside from straight ahead at his friend’s chest as he leaned over him in the chair, his arms outstretched over him as he grasped the back of the backrest. He kept his eyeline and head straight ahead, lower than Jayce’s viewing angle allowed him to properly register, Viktor’s eyes lining up almost perfectly between his chest and his stomach. The way he glistened in the low light, the fire framing him as the storm raged on outside visible only through the murky windows behind the forge… “Did you have more to show me?”

Jayce nodded and stood back, letting go of the chair. If it was going to tip or he was going to fall over then it would have happened by then. “If you're up for it. I’ve got a few ideas to run by you.”

Oh, he most certainly was.

Clearing his throat and shaking his head as if to physically shake the image he’d just borne witness to down into the depths of his subconscious, he leaned back into the chair so he could reach into his pocket and fish out the piece of paper he’d brought all the way over from their lab. Unfolding it, he handed it to Jayce who grasped it and immediately started reading over the calculations. His brow furrowed. There was a problem.

“Most certainty. And your calculations are off. By half a percent, might I add. We must have been falling asleep when we did this.” Viktor sounded amused and they both shook their heads in disbelief, but it was still a problem. It would’ve cost them time and resources to make a second mold and they had too much going on for that. But that crisis had been averted so that was one less thing to worry about. “The corrections are listed on the back. You misplaced a variable. An easy mistake to make on two hour’s sleep.”

Jayce looked like he was going to ask if Viktor had come across town specifically to bring this to his attention, but he knew that was the case. He continued to wear that amused look crossed his face. They probably had been half asleep. It was becoming more and more common for them to spend grudgingly long hours in the lab. A habit he hoped they would collectively break after this new breakthrough. “Well, I’m glad you mentioned that now. Just in time, too. Looks like I have to make a few corrections. I’m going to have to heat the forge back up. Are you going to be able to handle that, or is it going to be too much for you?”

Oh, he certainly hoped to find out.

—

Am I the first person to write something like this? Probably not. Is it any good? Debatable. Did I laugh while writing it? Yes. So I hope you enjoyed reading it! Sorry for the wait! And if you have any further requests, let me know! I have a few more Jayvik prompts coming in the near future and more chapters of one of my existing works on the way (along with another mini multi-chapter fic that I’m about to start) so feel free to check those out. I’d love any feedback you can give me. Thanks for checking this out! I hope you have an awesome day!

[yourfourthparent]

something interesting about dick riordan is how he never compares white characters to food in physical descriptions but when a character of colour is white passing he still finds a way to compare them to food. it won't be about their skin but it'll be about their hair or their eyes. and yet he doesn't do it with white folks. huh. i wonder why that is (sarcastic).

[snekdood]

"if we make america worse and more of a dictatorship that will be even harder to unravel and make it the way we want the country to be, maybe then everyone will join our Glorious Revolution!" bb girl you cant even be in the same room with someone who thinks you should vote, how in tf do you think you're gonna unite people to fight in The Revolution with you? it's gonna be you and your 5 friends, i hate to break it to you.

[insertcoolermonikerhere]

had a lovely little conversation with @xicheesecake that essentially amounted to me yelling incoherently at her but i love love love breath of the wild and will never never be normal about it so all of YOU have to suffer. :).

[jackass-jones]

Shinjiham is cute when it’s romantic but tbh I think i vastly prefer the idea of them being best friends instead. Like, neither of them really saw it coming and weren’t really looking to get another best friend (Shinji has Akihiko, Kotone has Junpei and Yukari respectively) but it happens anyway. Kotone takes a liking to Shinji much faster than she does anyone else and I’d say a big reason is just the fact that he’s so reserved that it allows Kotone to do most of the talking while he just listens and they love this arrangement cuz Kotone doesn’t get to talk about her own interests very much. Though I think some of her needs to talk to Shinji stems from this insecurity that he isn’t happy in the group and she has this people pleasing problem and wants everyone to be happy so she makes a much bigger effort to talk to Shinji. And it’s very unfortunate because Shinji intentionally acts cold and distant because he doesn’t want to form any attachments because he wants to die soon, but aaaaaaaagh dammit this girl just keeps talking to him and being sweet and encouraging him to engage in his interests and share them with the others and he just can’t seem to say no when she’s got those damn puppy eyes. And Kotone is just able to get him out of his shell by being persistent but not in an overwhelming way, she’s very cheerful and supportive of him. And Shinji is able to offer her support by encouraging her to talk about herself and by making sure she’s taking care of herself. They just click really well and make such a positive dent in each other’s lives and it’s all about basic acts of kindness going a long way you know?

[netherdevil]

unnormal vivilly dweller thoughts in my head

[raventhekittycat]

tomorrow is the day ive been stressing bout so hard oh god wish me luck