#it only lasts a couple very memorable months though

[gguk-n]

Transition (Charles Leclerc x Driver!Reader)

Part 2 of Replaced

Summary- After being kicked out of Ferrari rather rudely, Y/N must try to find a seat in the ever changing driver's market in the craziest year at Formula One till date.

{Reader's POV}

After leaving our home in Monaco, I spent the next couple of months regrouping with my team. I visited my family to clear my head; my mother always knew what to do in a difficult situation. She was the brains of the family. After a long and deep talk with her I realised what I wanted with the future. Number 1, I wanted to race in Formula One until I was 60. Number 2, I wanted a team that loved, valued and respected me as their driver. Number 3, last but not the least, I wanted to be paid more than what Ferrari was paying me.

Every team on the grid was open for picking except McLaren. Mercedes was losing their star driver, RedBull had to negotiate with Checo; the two teams I was eyeing right now. If I knew Horner and if I played my cards right, having a female driver on his team would change the dynamic and bring more spot light on the team. If Toto signed me, he would be replacing one iconic person with another; enough to make headlines.

The first race of the season hurt, I couldn't believe the next 24 races would be my last time in red, I couldn't fake the smiles. It hurt every time I saw Charles. We met for the first time since I left a day before Bahrain's media day. He looked as handsome as ever but his eyes held this deep seated sadness, you could see it. "Been a while" Charles almost whispered when our eyes met in the hotel. "It has, I've missed you" I replied. "I've missed you too" he almost cried out wrapping me in his arms. "The last few months were torture. You'll come home now, right?" he asked still holding me in his embrace. "Charles" I began, he pulled away, tears visible in his eyes, "I'll come back soon, mon tout. I need time" I mumbled. "How long will that be, mon cherie?" he asked. I wiped the tear that slipped out of his eyes, "The day I sign a team, I'll move back. I'll know my future and I'll finally be able to look at you without jealousy" I said. "OK" he nodded, kissing me for the first time since we met. "Je vous aime" he stated. "Je t'aime aussi" I replied back.

I finished P2 in the first race of the season. All the media and commentary were going crazy. It felt nice to finish P2. Max was fun to talk to post race during the cool down. He was always the more level headed one in our friendship. Max asked me about how things were between the two off us away from the prying eyes of the media who had already started to announce an imminent break up between the two of us. "He's been shit, since you left" Max spoke. "I'm sorry" I apologised. "oh no, don't apologise to me. I was just stating the obvious." he shook his head. "I heard you're talking to Horner" he commented. "Yeah, we're discussing but like I'm discussing with a lot of teams, honestly." I replied. "As you should, I think it would be fun....if we were team mates." he replied thoughtfully. "I wouldn't mind terrorising Charles in a RedBull" I laughed.

The next few races were quite memorable with me on the podium for every race. It was a proud feeling, a bitter sweet one though. Charles only saw me at race weekends but that was the nature of the sport, didn't mean that I didn't love him any less.

The talks with RedBull fell through since I wasn't able to bring in the kind of sponsors they wanted and the dream of driving in one too. Mercedes was very iffy, where Toto wanted to bring a new driver on the grid; while I was still effectively seatless. But Susie was a smart woman, she knew having me on the team after the void Lewis would leave, would do wonders since I was the first and only female driver on the grid in a really long time and having me would bring the similar kind of publicity, if not the same.

After months of back and forth, and negotiating; Toto agreed bringing a junior driver in too early wouldn't benefit anyone. I would race for Mercedes for the next 2 years and if the options opened up I didn't mind letting Toto have his little fantasy. My announcement would happen in Monza, the home of the tifosi. The perfect time and place. I had moved back in with Charles after the contract was signed. I did not tell him that I planned to announce it in Monza. Charles was just happy to have me back.

Mercedes made the announcement just before free practise, effectively ruining any plans the media had, it played in my favour and I had a ball. "You love drama don't you" Charles laughed. "What can I say? I have a knack for the theatrics" I laughed along. "Quoting Chandler are we?" Charles muttered kissing me as he said it. The days leading up to the race were crazy. As both me and Charles got ready to get into the car he said, "Can't wait to see you in black. You look hotter in black anyways" "Hope to be your teammate again in the future" I nodded as we put our helmets on. Charles won the team's home race. I missed the podium by a smidge, but knowing my future was secure didn't make the loss saddening.

As Charles got down from the podium to meet me, Arthur handed him something. "I thought, whether I finish podium or not I'd ask you this but as a 2 time Monza winner sounds so much cooler." he rambled. "What are you talking about Charles?" I questioned. He got down on one knee, the crowd went silent. "Will you Y/N Y/L/N do the honour of making me your husband?" he asked. I had tears in my eyes, "Yes" I nodded. Charles slipped the ring on my finger and kissed me. I could taste the champagne on his lips. I wrapped my arms around his neck and deepened the kiss while pulling his hair. We pulled away to a lot of hooting and screaming. "Wow" Charles exclaimed. "That's the hottest thing you've done till date, I think I'm hard" he said. "I'm staking my claim." I stated. "I'm always yours, now and forever" he replied. "Can't believe we'll have two Leclerc's on the grid next year." I commented. "Can't wait to race you Mrs Leclerc" he said kissing me again.

[hobis-hope95]

Blessed by the Gods

fancast!Benjicot Blackwood x Bracken!fem!reader

Summary: You, the only daughter of Amos Bracken, had just been offered away in marriage to a man much older than you, and in the hopes of having some peace and quiet for you to express your anguish towards the Gods that allowed this, you go to a place you found a couple months ago - a beautiful clearing with flowers scattered around and a weirwood tree in the middle. You knew it was risky, as you'd seen him there before, but in a moment of distraction Benjicot Blackwood found you and now you must suffer the consequences.

Warnings: 18+, enemies to lovers, a little fluf (veeery little), kinda dom x sub, swearing, hunting (it's basicaly it but I don't know if there's another term for it, when you read you'll know), smut, porn with (very) little plot, fingering, p in v, unprotected sex, rough sex, breeding kink, praising kink.

Authors note: Heyy, so this is my very first time posting something I wrote (I do write a lot but mostly I get stuck and end up not finishing it) because I'm OBCESSED with Kieran Burton since I saw him in the goddamn teaser, plus I've been reading plenty of fanfics of him and two of them particularly inspired me for this (I'm sorry, I don't remember the names or the authors to tag them). Last but not least, English isn't my first language, so I'm sorry for any mistakes.

You should hate him. You should’ve never been in that place, for you knew it was Blackwood territory, and should’ve heard him getting closer before. But you didn’t. You knew he went there frequently and if he saw you in the golden dress you wore in that particular place, he would definitely tell you to go back to your lands, but not without some provocation first. But that weirwood tree was so beautiful even if hidden in the middle of the woods, the flowers that bloom around it were so unique that you had to go there and admire them in a way to flee from the confinements of Stone Hedge. Or you told yourself that this was the reason you went there.

You found it the first time by accident. You had got lost in the woods, no track of a clearing nearby for you to situate yourself, when you saw the red leaves and decided to get near, for you knew that the weirwood roots extended long through the floor – making itself exclusive for a few yards in its radium – and you would be able to see the sky without the treetops being on your way. When you got there, though, the place was so gorgeous you could not leave right away.

After that, you tried to memorize as much of the path you could and return to that same place for moments of peace. That was until one day you heard footsteps – of one person it seemed – and you hushed to hide away. Moments later, hidden behind some bushes, you saw when no other than Benjicot Blackwood appeared through another end of the clearing where, you didn’t notice before, had a small trail that probably led straight to Raventree Hall.

Bloody Ben. Lord Blackwood. Lord of the house you were supposed to hate, and yet you found him so extremely gorgeous. You’d saw him only a few times. On Riverrun where your families sometimes were called by their Paramount Lord or near the stream that divided their lands, often arguing with your cousin in the company of a few others of his House and a few times you ended up being the victim, getting back home after slapping him across his face with his obscene remarks or just leaving after outsmarting the man – for the second you took much pride in.

On some of the times you’d been on the clearing you ended up having to hide when hearing his footsteps and waiting for him to leave before you could move. He’d mostly sit in one of the roots of the old tree and do whatever he felt like doing at the moment. You’d seen him reading, cleaning his sword, crafting some arrows and doing nothing at all, but he always stayed for about two hours before finally leaving.

Today however, probably because you were stressed with the news of your arranged marriage, you didn’t hear him getting close. When he saw your dress, the colour of your house shining through the rays of sunshine, a smirk crept in his face with the ideas he had in mind.

He knew it was wrong, hideous, the idea of wanting anything that came with the red stallion in a golden shield, your House’s coat of arms. He knew that from any woman he could want, you should not be a possibility. But with your hair that finished around your hips and a face that looked like a gift from the Gods, allied with your wits and challenging manner, he could not lie to himself that more than once he woke up in the middle of the night hot and bothered after a much-detailed dream about you – and eventually would handle his hardness with the thought of defiling you and making you his.

What he didn’t know, and you tried to deny it as much as you could, was that you also had conflicting thoughts about him. Since the first time you’d saw him in Riverrun, his face showing a mischievous glow with a smirk on his lips as your family entered the room, you fought with your own body as your heart raced and your cheeks burned in his presence. You hated the way he mocked your cousin and told you the lousiest of things, his lascivious expression making you hot and bothered as well, and you hated that every time you saw him, you knew that at the end of the day you would toss and turn for hours trying to erase his face from your mind.

You told yourself it was just because he was the only one who didn't walk on eggshells when talking to you – or anyone for that matter – and because you liked the challenge, but deep down you knew that your feelings for him were far from hatred, and the idea of trying to find out the true meaning of them scared you.

“Gods, have I done anything to anger you so that I’m faded to marry Forrester Frey? I would do anything, please!” You asked to the faced weirwood tree, knowing you’d have no answer but desperate enough to look like a crazy woman who talks to a tree by yourself. What you did not know was that someone did hear you.

Benjicot took his blade from his waist, taking extra care to not be heard, and when he got close enough to you, he acted quickly, one arm holding your body – your arms entrapped – and the one with the blade stopping on your neck.

“My, my, look what we have in here, a lost Bracken broodmare, far away from home” Her breath got caught up on her throat with the feeling of the cold blade on her skin and her heart jumped on her chest with his body pressed against her back and his voice so close to her ear “Good thing that I found you before any other predator did, huh?”

“Let me go, please!!” You pleaded, pure panic spilling from your voice, and Benji almost moaned – he had no idea that having you pressed against his body in panic would arouse him that much “Oh no, my darling, I could not do such a thing. You just committed a crime, you see, for you are far away from your father’s lands and what fair lord would I be if I do not punish criminals like you?”

“Please, I’ll vanish from your sight in less than a minute and no one will know about this, okay? Just please, let me go!!” Your eyes were burning with unshed tears with the thought of the possible punishment he had in mind, and you didn’t stay still, moving your body in an attempt to free yourself from him even if useless, as he was taller and way stronger.

“No, no, no, my darling, I could not possibly do that, your Bracken lord can play blind on your actions, but I am a serious ruler and punish all criminals as their crimes demand” He tightened his grip on your body, his fingers pressing harder against the clothed skin of your waist, and as he continually pressed on you, a warm feeling cursed through you until it reached in between your thighs “But what punishment would be enough? Thieves, who take things that don't belong to them, have their hands cut off. Murderers, who take lives that do not belong to them, pay with their own lives. Now you, who committed invasion of lands that don’t belong to you, what could I possibly do to punish you correctly?”

Once again you pleaded, ‘please’ sounding like a repeated prayer on your lips as he inhaled the sweet smell of your hair “I could not invade your father’s lands, or I would be committing a crime of my own” He stated as if he did not listen to your pleads and when he spoke again, his voice was huskier and low like a whisper “But I could invade your territory myself”

You hated yourself for how your body reacted to his words, your thighs squeezing together when you felt the heat on your lower belly grow, and hated even more that a side of you wanted him to go ahead with his threat full of mischievous intentions. Him, on the other hand, was more than pleased to hold you that way, his front fully in contact against your behind and his groin pressed against your back.

“Please, Benjicot, lord Blackwood, please” You repeated and started struggling even more when you felt his hard cock pressed against your back, trying to move away “Please, please! What, my lady, do you want me to do?” He mocked, repeating what you said in a higher pitch, as his hand with the knife left your throat and went to your hip “You want me to be gentle?”

Another wave of heat made you close your eyes for a second, a hard sigh leaving your lips and you didn’t answer. He laughed when he heard you “This is supposed to be a punishment, but I’ll make an exception if you behave” He said, his breath hot against your ear as the hand on your hip went further down and grabbed the skirt of your dress, pulling it up.

Your neck now free from the threat of his blade, an idea came to your mind. You were not sure if it would work, but it was your only hope, so you took it. Bending your head forward to gain some impulse, you took a deep breath – bracing yourself for the upcoming pain – and shook your head back with all your strength, hitting his head on the side.

Benjicot, surprised with what had just happened and with his head pulsating, faltered his grip on you long enough for you to get rid of his arm around you and start running, your head spinning and your vision still blurry from the blow. You felt and heard when the skirt of your dress ripped, before the other man’s hand lost its grip on the fabric, but you didn’t turn around to check the damage.

With your vision still recovering and the pulsing pain in your head, you headed to the woods, still not sure if you followed the right path, only caring about getting as far of him as possible. Benjicot, on the other hand, quickly recovered from the dizziness, the pain easily subsiding, and he growled before following you, euphoric and feeling his blood rush through his body straight to his cock with the expectation of hunting you down.

You ran as fast as you could, your breathing burning in your lungs and your legs aching, and tried to dodge the trees and bushes in your way. Even with all your efforts, you heard his steps and breathing not that far away, and fear crept inside you, being the one thing that prevented you from collapsing in that moment.

He knew those woods like his own chambers – losing track of how many times he went there to hunt, explore, have a moment of peace or take out his anger on the trees – and he had the advantage of being taller than you, his muscles trained for endurance in the battlefields, so even if you ran with all your strength, it would still be easy enough for him to reach you.

“Bracken!! Do not think you can run away from your punishment, you’re still on my lands” Your step became unsteady when his voice seemed closer than you imagined and after tripping over a tree root, you couldn't keep your balance, ending up falling with your body and arms protecting you from ending face first into the grass.

As you were turning to place your hands on the ground and help you stand, you heard a twig cracking right behind you and soon enough his voice made you turn your head “Poor mare, doesn’t know her way home, but don’t worry, I’ll show you when I finish your punishment if you want”

You tried to turn yourself so you could stand back up, but before you could do anything, he caught your ankle and pulled you closer, turning you to face him “No, no my darling, you’re not escaping me again, now come here, the quicker it starts, the quicker it finishes, if you want... or you could just enjoy it”

“No, no, no!!” You repeated like a prayer and when he positioned himself between your legs, you started to punch and scratch at his chest, face and arms “Calm down, I think I was mistaken, for you are not a mare but a kitten, but no need to show your claws. I know I said that I would be gentle if you behaved and you didn’t, but I do have a soft spot for beautiful girls like you”

Quickly enough, as if your efforts meant nothing, Benjicot grabbed both your wrists and held them above your head, leaning his body closer to yours – his groin pressing against the middle of your thighs and his mouth just a few inches away, his breath hitting your face.

“You know what surprised me about your behaviour just now?” He asked, looking at your eyes, before he kissed your jaw and a hand went to your ankle “Because every time I see you, be in the Tully’s assize or the boundary, you are always looking at me so needy that makes me want to fuck you right there”

He left open-mouthed kisses through your neck as you felt the hairs on your nape stand and his hand began to move up your leg through the fabric of your dress “So why now are you pretending you do not want this?” He moved his hips forward, his hardness pressing against your clothed folds, and you didn’t have the strength to hold a moan.

“Be-because I don’t! You Blackwoods are just so ugly that I’m surprised to see something like that in the middle of a crowd” You spat, trying to regain some of your pride, but he chuckled, lifting his head with a smirk.

“Act all you can, kitten, but that moan just annulled everything you said, you know” His hand now was in your inner thigh and as he stopped talking, his calloused fingers went straight to your folds. You bit the inside of your cheeks to hold your voice and furrowed your brows, but he still looked almost amused at your efforts.

“Fuck you” You twisted in his grip but could not move enough to escape his touch and he took the chance to move his index finger through your folds, watching as you closed your eyes and your hips grounded into his touch “Oh, my lady, deny it as much as you want, but your body will remain true to its desires”

His smirk grew wider, his tongue sliding through his teeth, as his thumb found your clit and he watched in pleasure as you clenched your jaw and your legs opened wider for him. He circled your bundle of nerves with his thumb while his middle finger slid down your folds, reaching your entrance, and didn’t waste the opportunity to shove his finger inside you to the point where only his last knuckle was visible outside.

You moaned loudly, having been caught off guard, and your walls tightened around his finger “Fuck, you’re so tight, it’ll feel delicious around my cock” Benjicot started moving his finger, almost completely withdrawing before plunging it back inside, while still rubbing his thumb through your clit, and soon enough you were a mess, your thoughts fogged with the pleasure his hand was giving you.

You didn’t even notice when his hand let go of your wrists, too caught up on the feeling of his finger inside you and his pace growing faster by the second, as you fought against the undeniable pleasure you were feeling, and when he curled up his digit inside you, the thin string of pride you hung yourself by collapsed, giving in to the urge of your feelings and enjoy as he claimed you.

“M-more, please” You whispered, completely giving in to the ache of your heart. That was why you could not stray your eyes from him at every assize, that was why you would walk too close to the boundary and why you would come all the way from Stone Hedge to that specific clearing with that specific weirwood tree.

Your heart wanted him and there was no denying it, not anymore, not when his middle finger curled inside you so deliciously that made you see stars through your eyelids and not when you caught a glimpse of him and he looked at you like a starved man “Say again, kitten? I didn’t hear you” He teased, thinking you had yet again tried to deny your wishes.

“More, please, Benjicot” You said before you moaned again, your eyes fully opening now with your brows furrowed in pleasure, and for a second he wished he had a portrait painted of you like this. He pushed another finger inside, his pace now relentless with his cock throbbing through his breeches, and with his free hand he grasped the front of your dress, tearing the fabric to expose your full breasts.

“Stopped putting up a fight now, kitten? But this is not a treat, this is a punishment” He said as he curled both his fingers inside you once again before completely withdrawing from your wet cunt. He lifted the fingers that were on you seconds ago and looked at them, making a disapproving sound with his tongue “Just look at that, look at the mess you made on my fingers, huh?”

He tapped at your lower lip with his wet fingers, the smell of yourself arousing you even more “Now be a good girl and open up” And you did as he said. You closed your lips around his fingers as you felt them press at your tongue and moaned as you tasted yourself “Clean them”

You ignored the smug smirk on his lips, knowing he was enjoying bossing you around more than anything, and hollowed your cheeks sucking on his calloused digits. Now it was his turn to let out a pleased groan and when you looked at his eyes his pupils were blown, his irises darker, what almost made you moan on his fingers again.

“I’ve heard you back there by the weirwood tree, your cunt of a father wants to sell you to that old Frey?” Benjicot retreated his fingers from your mouth and ran them down your chin, your saliva running through your skin as he slowly traced a way through your neck and collarbones until he reached one of your breasts, both his digits circling your already pointy nipple as he watched your velvety skin under his touch, his smirk had gone away from his face “That old dog deserves not even a piece of you”

You felt your heart skip a beat with his words, trying not to conclude anything for he had not confirmed yet “But soon enough he won’t be a problem, don’t worry kitten” He twisted your nipple between his index and thumb, trying to calm down his anger with the thought of Forrester Frey being anywhere near you, before you asked “How?”

“Because after I finish with your punishment, no man will take you as their wife” He pinched your nipple and you moaned again, the threat mixed with his ministrations and the dark expression in his face being almost too much.

The Blackwood lord moved his other hand to the laces of his breeches, undoing them while still stimulating your breast, and your breath hitched on your throat as you looked down, fixed on his slender fingers dealing with the strings, seeing as it became loose around his hips before he had to let go of your breast to get rid of the fabric that covered his lower part.

As he took off his breeches he came back to his position between your legs, your thighs on top of his, and his smirk placed itself back on his face as he watched your eyes widen with the sight of his bare hard cock.

“You’re- this is-, you are so big” You let out, shock and want on your face as he pushed your dress up, revealing your glistening cunt to him “I know, kitten, but do not worry, it will fit” You lifted your gaze from his hips to his eyes, finding him already staring back at you, and all you could think was that you wanted him more than anything in the world.

He placed both hands on your hips, bringing you closer, and grabbed him in his hand to slide through your folds, collecting as much of your juices as he could. He wanted you, desperately, he wanted to completely fill you with his length and fuck you mercilessly until all he heard was your screams of pleasure, he wanted to ruin you to any other man and to have only you for the rest of his fucking life.

And so, with the promise of punishing you in his head, he shoved his cock all the way inside you in one thrust, leaving you gasping, your mouth opened and your eyes closed, the stretch and pain of your first time almost bringing you to tears. He had never experienced something like this before – as his previous experiences had been with whores – and didn’t even dare to move, your cunt gripping him so tightly he thought that if he moved at that moment he would cum on the spot.

As he noticed your eyes closed, he pinched your nipple “Open your eyes, kitten, I want to look at your beautiful eyes” You sighed before opening them and when you did, he noticed the tears you tried not to spill. That made something snap inside him, breaking all the will he had to hurt and punish you, and he bended down to meet your face, his breath on your face and his eyes on your lips.

“As soon as I saw you there, next to the weirwood tree, all I wanted to do was to hurt you, make you regret stepping on Blackwood territory on that golden dress of yours, but it’s rather difficult to focus with that pretty face” One of his forearms was keeping him steady as his free hand came to your breasts, the feeling of your soft skin on his calloused fingers almost making him moan “Go on, tell me how you hate me, fight me, tell me how you are disgusted by me, so I can focus on punishing you”

A moan. You opened your mouth to say something, anything, but all you could do was moan and it went straight to his cock, throbbing inside your warm and tight walls, still not moving. As he glanced up, he met your teary eyes and opened mouth in an erotic portrait, he growled as he let go of the rest of his resistance and crashed his lips against yours in a desperate kiss. As your mouth was already agape when he did it, his tongue easily slipped inside and found yours, and you reached for the back of his head, your fingers curling on his black hair.

As he kissed you hungrily, he started moving, his cock almost leaving you entirely before pushing himself back inside, and the sensation of being full of him was so good that you could not control your moans. As he felt the vibrations coming from your mouth, Benjicot squeezed your breast hard and you were sure that would leave a mark – but you couldn’t care less.

As his pace grew a little faster, the pure pleasure replacing the pain of the stretch each time his hips met yours, he let go of your lips, glaring at your face with the squirms and sighs you let out. Even if his dreams were vivid, nothing would compare to having you like this – a mess of fabric, hair and red bruised lips – at the moment, the feeling of your walls always so tight around him and your soft skin on his hand made him grunt.

Your eyes went to his on that exact moment and you could swear that your walls squeezed around him at the sound. He placed his face on the crook of your neck as he started biting and placing kisses to the skin as a way to mark you, and started going down through your collarbone to the front of your chest before placing his lips to the nipple that wasn’t being stimulated.

The wet noises of skin slapping against skin and the feeling of both your nipples being teased made your eyes roll back in pleasure and now you didn’t even try to muffle your sounds anymore “Such a noisy kitten, taking me so well” He praised, lifting his head from your chest, and held your hips with both his hands, so strong that you now worried that you’d get bruises all over your body “You should be mine and not that Frey cunt”

With his firm grip on your hips, he pressed deeper into you, your back arching from the ground and trying to keep up with his movements “Please... Benji” Two of the only three words that you could pronounce at the moment – the third one being more – too caught up with pleasure to form a coherent phrase, and Benji laughed at that, full of pride for making the so beautiful and correct daughter of Amos Bracken look like a common whore “Do you want to be mine, kitten? Mine to fuck and use as I please?”

His words aroused you even more, his hoarse voice sending waves of heat straight to your cunt, and you tried to nod your head in affirmation, because that seemed like the only thing you could do at the moment “Use your words, kitten, I know you can do it” He moved one of his hands so he could brush past your clit and that made you gasp.

“Y-yes please, I want you, I want you Benji” As she nearly screamed, the man felt satisfied, his hunger for you only getting bigger with the way you moved your hips in time with his, your face making the most erotic expressions as your moans and repeated words sounded like an exclusive prayer for him.

“I’m going to fuck a baby in you, fill you with my seed so much you’ll be leaking for days, so your bloody father won’t have an excuse but to marry you to me” He grunted in between his words, moving faster and deeper as he assaulted your clit, and you started feeling a knot form inside of you, the pleasure becoming almost too much “Please, please” You didn’t even know what you were begging for, but only wanting this to never end.

“Yeah? Do you want to be my wife? To have your Bracken womb filled with Blackwood children? Your cunt to be used by a Blackwood cock? Is that what you want?” He leaned in, one of his hand still giving you pleasure, his head once again going to the crook of your neck as he grasped at your thigh, squeezing the flesh as he moved you so you could wrap your leg around his waist, and he heard you when you weakly repeated “Yesyesyes”

“So I’ll make sure you get until the last drop of my seed to, soon enough, you be swelling with my babe” He whispered into your ear as he pressed further to your clit and his pace soon enough was so fast you thought he would break you. Your moans got louder as you wrapped both your legs around his waist, the knot on your lower abdomen about to snap, and he looked at you before whispering “Go on, cum for me, kitten”

And that’s when it happened. The knot snapped within you as you flooded with pleasure, your whole body spasming as your walls grew impossibly tighter around him, milking him, and with just a few more thrusts he shoved himself as deep as he could inside you before he shot his load straight to your core, coating your womb. As he started coming down from his high, he captured your lips in a sloppy kiss and let most of his weight on top of you, which you didn’t care as his warmth and his skin on yours was all you wanted at the moment.

You let out a dissatisfied grunt as he removed his softening cock from your cunt, some of his seed spilling from you, and lied to your side, pulling you to his embrace “Did you really mean it? Marrying me?”

“Yes” You said, the warmth spreading across your face “Well, you filled me with your seed and the possibility of me getting pregnant is almost certain now. Marrying you is the right thing to do” You tried to be cautious with your words, but for the love of the Gods, he had just fucked you in the middle of the woods, caution was one thing you had abandoned long ago “Okay, I admit that since I first saw you in the assize I haven’t been able to remove you from my thoughts and I dreaded the day that the news of your possible engagement would come.”

You took a breath before finishing “We have nothing to do with each other, our families fucking hate one another, but every time I got inside Riverrun fortress, I hoped you’d be there” You said, absently moving your fingers through the skin of his chest, but did not dare to meet his gaze, for you were now as embarrassed as you could be.

“I am glad to hear that, for I have almost the exact same feelings as you. I ached for being able to get closer to you at the assize and to kiss you when I saw you standing next to the boundary. I almost went to Kermit Tully to ask him to propose a betrothal between us” He answered, his hand on the back of your head caressing through your hair. You lifted your head from his chest, his words making your heart flutter, and he leaned his head to capture your lips in a soft kiss, both your and his feelings pouring down into each other.

“But I must stop you from going straight to my father, for he would kill you before you would be able to ask to see him” One of your hands went to his cheek as you parted to breathe, only now noticing you left nail marks there, and stroke his skin.

“Oh, I do know that, for I would never take you back to Stone Hedge with your dress like this” He laughed when he saw your eyes widen at his words, remembering now of the tore skirt and bust of your dress, and quickly added “I’ll give you my cloak and we’ll go to Raventree Hall for you to change, after that we’ll go straight to Riverrun and ask Lord Tully to bless our union, for your father would never go against an order of his Lord Paramount”

“That sounds like a solid plan, not that bad for a Blackwood” You teased and he smirked “And you were not that bad for a Bracken” You gasped in false shock at his words, lightly slapping his shoulder, and he laughed “It will surely be good to have you as my wife, a good way to keep things interesting”

“I hope so, you Blackwoods are not usually that fun though” You bit your lower lip as you’d seen him arch his brows “Well, it depends on what fun you’re talking about, because at least in one kind of ‘fun’ I exceed expectations and you just proved it right”

"Shut up!" You exclaimed and he turned you again before kissing you.

“Don’t need to ask twice, my lady” He said and you kissed him again.

It could have not been the way you expected it to go, but one thing you could say: the Gods did grant you a way to free yourself from a marriage with someone twice your age, still uniting two people together, in hopes of a prosperous – and maybe more peaceful – future ahead.

So that's it! As I wrote it mainly for the smut part (oh god, what a good first impression) the plot part may be a little off, I'm sorry. Please, feel free to leave a note if you guys liked it and maybe soon I post another, a series this time.

[tinyapplejuice]

LARRY DATING HEADCANONS

✧.*

•Larry will honestly be such a clueless guy when it comes to dating. He is a robot who originally works for ONLY THE LAW- meaning he has no idea or has a well-known understanding of romance. You could even say he is basically a baby bird and you need to steer this relationship for the first couple of months or maybe a year or so, guiding him.

•As much as he loves you, he will not put you over his job, maybe over Lawrie but that is very debatable. He loves Starr Park and its rules! He will sacrifice everything even his own brother and his life to keep it safe! It’s probably a no-brainer for him to choose which one is more important. But despite all of that, he holds you very very dear to his heart! He doesn’t hate you or think you’re nothing to him, no it’s quite the opposite! He cares for you a huge ton like the people he also loves; Lawrie and R-T! He adores and loves you so much!!! Though not as much as Starr Park and the rules!

•That additionally means he will absolutely NOT allow you to break the rules even if it’s minor. Every time when it seems like you are about to do something, he will immediately stop you and scold you. One time he tried to let you off but he was just glaring at you, gritting his teeth as his eyes followed you. He ultimately just cringed and denied you from doing it. He just can’t.

•I think that Larry simultaneously uses all types of love language to show how much he cares. Though he especially leans towards physical touch and spending time!

•Larry is someone who likes to be with his lover. I like to imagine ever since he figured out how relationships work, he wants to show them how much he cares about them so he’s physical with his way of showing affection! Sometimes it’s a bit corny like a kiss on the hand as he bows down or can be simple like handholding. But whatever it is, he enjoys it. It’s one of his ways of showing affection!

•Another reason why he’s so attached to his lover is the fact that he doesn’t have any time to spend with them. As a cop, it’s his duty to keep whatever he’s assigned to safe and oh boy, he’s very busy with his work. In Starr Park, there’s always something going wrong meaning he and his brother often have to spend a lot of time to fix and cool things down. Which causes him to spend less time with you and be more clingy. He wants to make it up with you!!!! So whenever he has the time to just be with you even if it’s for a second he cherishes it!

•As I mentioned before, Larry is inexperienced with the concept of love and so often times I would like to think he downloads a source; a movie or a book to get an idea of it. That could also be a part of how he figured out relationships!

•But since he had gathered that information from movies, books, and all of those things. He creates a certain expectation, something that can be somewhat achieved only in fiction because it’s impossible for couples to be lovey-dovey all the time, onto you. That causes way too much pressure as he wants to maintain that perfect couple look. He didn’t mean to do it on purpose, it was on his mindset because he was taught. However if you’re teaching him and building him up to be a better person in relationships, he will change sooner or later.

•Larry is a huge planner guy. He loves to be ahead of himself and be able to know what’s going to happen due to the schedule he has prepared. Yet even with him being excited and prepared for it, at the last minute it gets canceled. There’s something that goes completely wrong at Starr Park and they need Larry to come back and fix it. This is extremely disappointing and sad for Larry who looked forward to it probably a week beforehand.

•So with that in mind, yes, he does remember every single important event. Your birthday? He has it memorized probably even to the exact time you were born if you know it. Your anniversary with him? Got that! He’s prepared to give you the best gifts and celebrate a good day with you! Any holidays you like to spend? Has that inside of his memory so when you come to meet him, he always has something to do with you! He always has a huge special gift prepared for you! It’s usually flowers or things from the gift shop at the theme park. Maybe a romantic date if he has time too?

•Larry is a confident guy, he can make the first moves. He usually does if you’re not the one initiating contact however just in the first few weeks of dating. He would just watch your moves and wait patiently. He wasn’t sure if you would like it and so he would slowly creep his hand onto yours. Something small and something cute so he wouldn’t “scare” you off. Honestly, he was kinda afraid that your feelings for him were nothing.

•Larry doesn’t want to cry in front of his lover. He hates it even though he does it once in a while. Why? One, the oil splatters everywhere and it’s annoying to clean it up as it just smears. He doesn’t want his lover to do extra chores for him. Two, he’s a cop. He isn’t as strong or intimidating as Lawrie but sometimes he feels a bit weak when he shows a vulnerable side. Now he cries for a lot of different reasons; anger, sadness, he’s a robot. He doesn’t understand any of it and so often time it messes with his code, making him more emotional.

•Larry does get angry from time to time with you if you guys ever get in a fight. When he gets angry, it’s usually a shocker since many people perceive him as this happy, silly, optimistic guy. He usually snaps and explodes. He yells and screams before ending up in tears because he feels guilty. He will not hit you, he has great strength and is very cautious about it with you.

•Correlating to it, Larry is also not a violent guy. No, I’m not saying he will never have to use it. He will have to from time to time in Starr Park but he prefers to be docile. After all, it’s Lawrie's job to be the more aggressive one out of the two. So he prefers not to be physical.

•Larry is not afraid to yell out “I LOVE MY PARTNER” out loud.

•Larry isn’t easily flustered, shockers I know. He may seem like it but he actually just usually gives a small smile and laughs it off, thanking you generously for your appreciation. Even so, there are moments where you have him slightly blushing if you just play your cards right.

•Since he is a robot, he can either be the coldest or the hottest thing ever. His body is ice, shivering cold in the winter while it’s burning hot in the summer. The bad thing is that he likes to be with his lover so it gets very uncomfortable because of his body temperature. Sadly, he doesn’t feel how cold or hot it is to know the pain.

•Most of the time he’s smiling but the little face in his hat is not. That’s where you know he’s faking his smile. That face is an indicator of his real emotion. So he may seem all good and happy but inside he’s frustrated and mad.

•Larry tweaks when you give him any sort of affection. Whether it be physical touch, gifts, or any sort of that. He will go haywire, for the first few times he went short-circuiting and ended up overheating but now he has learned to control it.

•His siren, oh boy! If he’s really really happy then it blares up. It’s sweet but it’s actually so so so so dreadfully bad. It’s so loud and bright. It hurts your ears and eyes, it causes people to stare at him weirdly. Overall, the thought of it is nice of him but…

•Anyways! Larry is completely obsessive about you. He thinks about you every time at his job every single day! He’s always gushing to you to Lawrie when he has the chance, acting like a high school girl who had found her true love, giving his brother his thoughts and feelings to you- maybe even sprinkling a gesture for help. And trust me when I say this, Lawrie is far worse with the concept of romance than Larry is. He literally is absolutely so infatuated with you.

•Just like rules, he keeps your boundaries very dear to him. It’s sacred. He always reminds himself it’s like a mini law of Starr Park and if he breaks it accidentally, he will apologize furiously and so so much.

•Larry tries to look to impress his lover and maybe swoon them but it honestly ends up failing so badly and at that point, he just gets incredibly embarrassed for trying. He does that once in a while, you cannot stop him.

•Since he’s a cop, after all, his first instinct is to protect you. So everything that might seem dangerous or threatening to you, without hesitation he will jump in and save you like you were some sort of royal he needed to save. It’s all cute and silly before he jumps one of your friends and tries to arrest them claiming they were going to hurt you.

•That also means he is the literal fun police. No buts, whys, or anything like that, he will stop you if it goes against the rules or if it’s too dangerous. It’s for good intentions but the actions are not in the right place!

•Larry is easily a jealous man. Due to the fact that almost everybody in Starr Park hates him for shoving the rules up to their faces, he worries that you might have the same exact opinion as him. So he’s very clingy and often time gets fussy whenever he feels like your relationship is drifting apart. You have to comfort him that you won’t leave him.

•He would and WILL spend hours rambling about the rules of Starr Park to you. If you do listen and you’re interested in it, he will soar. He will immediately think you are the most important person to exist and he will want to marry you.

•Without a doubt, he’s the most cheesiest man to exist. He loves using corny pick-up lines. (He doesn’t know it’s cringy, he’s trying his best). He thinks he swoons you over with it.

•He will unironically correct you. Since he’s a cop and he corrects people from doing wrong, he would unintentionally point out. Oh, you used the wrong grammar? He will say what you missed. Your posture is not good? Yep, he’ll mention it. It’s not to make you feel bad, no, it’s just how he works.

•Larry is more competitive than his twin, Lawrie, so whenever you guys are doing something that’s some sort of rivalry. He will try hard to get the victory. It’s going to be so tense since he’s probably going to be the only one who takes it seriously. And if he doesn’t, he’s going to be so pouty. He will probably just ignore you for a few minutes because he didn’t get the win.

•Larry is also very clueless about emotions in general. He has much trouble understanding his own so do you really think he’s going to understand yours? No, he wouldn’t. That means he won’t be able to support you when you’re upset even if he has all the information he needs about it. He panics very very much and tries to comfort you.

•Speaking of comforting you. Usually when you’re feeling down, he will try to make you laugh by doing silly poses with his floating head or cracking up funny jokes. But if you really do need a friend to talk to, he will be there. He may just speak words based on facts from the computer but he truly means it when he says he cares and loves about you. He does but he doesn’t really know how to show it.

•Most of the conversations you would be having with this boy is so bland and straightforward. It sounds artificial because it is. He only bases the talk on real facts and doesn’t know anything about trends and such.

•Lawrie would be such a huge third wheel when Larry invites him to hang out with you guys. Larry will be so loving to you and Lawrie just has to watch as his brother clings onto you. It’s a bit awkward for him.

•He will point out random, cute pictures that have two characters and ask you, “Us?”

•Larry probably makes Lawrie act like you a couple of times, commonly used in the first couple of months of dating, so he wouldn’t be nervous to you face to face but it probably would work as well as he thought because Lawrie would just be too unenthusiastic and he didn’t act like you. Plus if he messed up, Lawrie would be super amused and tease him. He still does it from time to time but not as much as he did in the past.

•Larry will do everything in his power to make you feel the prettiest/handsome person ever. He doesn’t want you to be insecure ever despite his lack of confidence. Larry is the type of person to think that his partner is the most dashing person ever and if you ever think otherwise then he will be upset!

•If you’re someone who’s afraid of bugs, Larry would carefully let the bug go and scold them, thinking they understand the human language.

•Larry seems like a guy to be curious about everything so often times if he sees something he doesn’t know. He will come to the number one trustworthy source; you!!!

•He also loves to engage in a conversation! Whether it’ll be talking or listening, he’ll always be somewhat speaking to his love!

THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR READING!!! AND YES I WILL BE DOING LAWRIE DATING HEADCANON!!! HAVE A GOOD DAY!!! ⸂⸂⸜(രᴗര๑)⸝⸃⸃

[therealcocoshady]

Love Game

Author’s Note : shoutout to @shady-577 for texting me the idea for this 👀. Y’all think I’m the Angst queen ? You haven’t met this amazing human being 😂.

TW : ANGST

Marshall raised an eyebrow when he walked in Denaun’s place and noticed shopping bags everywhere. He knew his friends liked clothing but the quantity was over the top. The whole living room was filled with tons of new clothes, with items from various designers’ most recent collections.

- New wardrobe ? He asked.

- Yeah, I figured I could use an update, his friend shrugged. Apparently, I should try wearing things that are more fitted.

- Who said that ? He chuckled. Did you hire a stylist too ?

- I’m just trying to keep up, man, Denaun said evasively. Not everyone wears the same sweatpants and Lions apparel, you know. Maybe it wouldn’t kill you to make an effort either…

- I’m fine, thanks, he chortled. Seriously, though, what’s that for ?

He started looking at the items his friend had bought and noticed it wasn’t only clothes. He spotted bags from various stores, containing expensive candles and even skincare. That’s the it hit him : there was a lady. And like the asshole he very much was, he was not about to lose an opportunity to make fun of his best friend.

- I know your fifties are just around the corner but… skincare ? He asked with a smirk.

- I need to moisturize, Denaun replied. My skin’s a little dry.

- And the candles ? He asked with a raised eyebrow. Just admit it ! You’re seeing someone !

His friend gave him an annoyed look and sighed, not denying anything. It made sense. As refined as Denaun could be, he was not the type to invest in $90 candles that smelled like peonies. His friend had not really been in luck with the ladies, in the past years, and he was happy he finally found someone. He was a great guy and he deserved some happiness.

- What’s her name ? He asked.

- Shut up, Denaun replied in embarrassment.

- She hot ? He asked with a smirk. Slutty ?

- Man, don’t talk about her like that ! His friend snapped.

- I was just asking, he said in his own defense.

Damn. If he was getting defensive, it must mean he really liked that girl. Whoever she was, he just hoped she was worth it. Denaun was a sweet guy but he had a knack for only attracting the wrong girls, the ones who ended up playing him. He also knew he was to blame, in a way : he couldn’t count the times when women dates his friends in hope to get closer to him. He had always tried to make his friends benefit from his status but, when it came to the ladies, it wasn’t too easy and a lot of them were only interested because of the money or the fact that they could meet Eminem, without really caring about the guys they were dating. Before he could say anything more, they heard the doorbell and, minutes later, you were walking in, carrying bags of freshly baked cupcakes, both sweet and salty.

- Hi boys, you said before giving both of them a peck on the cheek. Where are the others ?

- Running late, Denaun said. Let me help you with that.

He grabbed the bags of cupcakes and went to put them in the kitchen, while you babbled to him about the flavors. You were so cute, thinking about everyone and what they liked. You had memorized everyone’s favorites so that you could make them. You had walked into their life a couple of months ago and the whole group agreed that you were the sweetest thing on earth. With your fluttery eyelashes and warm smile, you managed to turn these Detroit rappers into gentlemen and, whether it was Bizarre, Swift, Kuniva, Denaun or Marshall, they were at your beck and call. You had them wrapped around your finger, especially when you wore your flowy sundresses. Marshall was partial to your white one. The last time he had seen it, it was in a ball, on the floor of your bedroom, while he was fucking you senseless. Ironically, it was the night you wore this innocent little number that he had discovered what a freak you could be, happy that he had finally given in on the attraction. Your chemistry was off the charts and, looking back, he was surprised either of you had waited that long before sealing the deal. He kept on looking at you while you were talking to Denaun, remembering the view he had when he fucked you from behind and you were begging him to go harder. The memory almost gave him a boner and he wondered if you wearing the white dress was intentional, debating whether or not it should happen again. On the one hand, the sex had been so great only a fool would turn down the opportunity for more but, on the other, he didn’t want to make things complicated. The two of you were friends and you fit right within the group. If he slept with you again, you might get the wrong idea, catch feelings, and it would ruin the whole thing. The others wouldn’t forgive him either : they were all protective of you and they loved having you around, enjoying your sarcastic comments, terrific cooking skills and encouragements. He didn’t want to hurt you. Even though you weren’t nearly as innocent as the others imagined you were, you were a sweet little thing.

- I need to go and put these away, Denaun said as he gestured to the bags.

- You went shopping ? You asked.

- I think he’s got someone to impress, Marshall couldn’t help but grin.

- You mentioned something about fits and neutral colors, Denaun said as he royally ignored Marshall.

- Glad to know you take my advice, you giggled. Wait… is that the Dyptique candle I mentioned ?

- Figured it wouldn’t hurt to try a new smell for the house, he shrugged nervously. You were right. Peonies is a nice scent.

You giggled and pecked him on the cheek, happy to notice he was taking your advice. Marshall quietly stared as you brushed Denaun’s shoulder, mentioning something about his biceps being bigger. You being all touchy-feely wasn’t surprising, you were like that with everyone, but his friend was looking all flustered. That’s when he realized what should have been obvious : you were the girl Denaun was doing all of this for. Of all people in the group, the two of them were the guys you were closest with but he had never interpreted your friendship with Denaun to be more than that. He wasn’t too sure of how he felt about it, though. Did you hook up with him too ? Did he mistake some slutty behavior for some off the charts chemistry ? He frowned and kept to himself the whole afternoon, even when the others joined. He didn’t talk and, instead, paid attention to your every move. You were the flirty type, for sure. Always had been. But it was painfully obvious that Denaun was under your spell, making sure to make room for you on the couch, fluffing the pillow on your side, making sure you always had a glass in your hand. The worst part was that you didn’t even seem to realize it. How could you though ? You were used to all of them giving you the princess treatment all the time. It was like some magic power you had : whenever you walked into a room, you managed to turn gangsters into southern gentlemen. You did it gracefully, effortlessly, pecking their cheek, giving them nicknames and batting your eyelashes. Even himself was guilty of giving you a special treatment, falling victim to your « Hi handsome », spoken in your sultry voice that could draw anyone in. He was always soft with you. Everyone was. They were all whipped. You had often joked about not needing a boyfriend or husband because your rapper friends kept you happy, but now that it was obvious that Denaun had feelings, it was sad. The worst part about it is that he was protective, urging the others to put some respect on your name whenever they made some joke. His friend was a great guy, who obviously only had the best intentions, unlike himself whose actions towards you were more so driven by lust and desire. When everyone went home, he decided to confront Denaun.

- So… Y/N, huh ? He asked as he scratched his throat.

- Is it that obvious ? Denaun asked with a worried look on his face.

- I don’t know, he shrugged. Have you guys fucked around ?

- No, no, his friend assured him. She’s not like that. She’s a lady.

If only he knew the lady he was mentioning had been on her knees, weeks ago, begging for him to choke her. It was almost painful, at this point. If he had known of his friend’s feelings, he never would have given in on the attraction.

- Does she know ? He questioned. That you like her ?

- No, his friend sighed. I wanted to ask her out but… when she mentioned she wasn’t looking for anyone, I didn’t dare. Plus, I wouldn’t want to ruin the friendship.

- You really care, huh ?

- Man, I don’t want to sound corny or whatever but… I think I’m in love with her, his hype man confessed.

- In love ?! With Y/N ?! He almost gasped.

- Man, have you seen her ? Denaun asked. She’s so beautiful. And so nice to us. And for once, there’s a woman who sees us, praises us as emcees. She’s always hyping me up, I can talk to her about my own projects. Finally, there’s a woman who doesn’t only sees me as your hype man. No offense, bro. Love the job but… you know. Most of the time, you’re Eminem and we’re chopped liver. Y/N, she’s not like that. She treats us all the same.

He hummed and looked away, hoping he would be able to have a neutral expression. The last thing he needed was to crush his friend’s heart and tell him that, though you did treat them all the same most of the time, he had painted your walls white, weeks ago, and made you cry tears of pleasure, abusing each and every one of your walls, doing some nasty shit to you.

- I’ll tell her, eventually, he shrugged.

- About your feelings, you mean ? He asked.

- Yeah. I want to treat her right, give her what she deserves, his friend said with a smile. I’ve never met a girl like her. She’s special.

- That, she is, he agreed.

Marshall liked you. He liked you a lot. You always brightened his day, laughing at his stupid jokes, keeping him fed and down to earth, with your cooking and humor. You also kept him humble. There was nothing not to like about you, lovely person that you were and, in hindsight, it wasn’t surprising that Denaun had fallen for you. And his friend was right : you did deserve the world, as well as a man who was willing to give it to you. Only he knew he couldn’t be that man. He didn’t want to, either. As great as you were, dating wasn’t in the cards and he knew it. He would have gladly enjoyed you as a friend with benefits but he couldn’t do that to Denaun. Not when his feelings were so sweet, so noble.

That night, for the first time, he didn’t reply right away when you texted him and he even found some lame excuse not to see you, when you asked if he wanted to come by your place. There was no way he could keep on fucking you and, with the chemistry the two of you shared, he knew he wouldn’t be able to handle himself if he was alone with you. There was something terribly intoxicating about your pheromones and, whenever he was in your presence, he couldn’t see straight, only being able to focus on you, anything you did and said. You tried reaching out to him regularly but ended up giving up. The two of you crossed paths a couple of weeks later, when Denaun invited you to listen to some beats he’d made in his hope studio. When you walked in, everyone greeted you with a hug, as usual, except for Marshall, who was rather cold. You were extremely hurt that he would give you the cold shoulder, this behavior being so unlike him. So far, he had always been extremely warm towards you but now, you could feel him take a step back and it broke your heart. He ignored you for most of the day, even though you regularly glanced at him. He was acting normal with the others and you were the only one he was different with. When he went to the kitchen to grab a drink in the fridge, you followed him.

- Marshall ? You asked nervously.

- Mmmh ? He asked without so much as looking at you.

- Ahem… can we talk ?

- I should go back to the others, he replied coldly.

- Marsh, it’s sort of important, you pressed him. Can we go outside ?

- What is it ? He sighed.

- We need to talk about… you know… us, you babbled. I mean, what happened…

- There’s no us, he said immediately. Nothing happened.

- Are you serious ? You asked in disbelief.

- Just because I fucked you doesn’t mean there’s anything between us, Y/N, he said coldly. You don’t mean anything, alright ?!

You bit your lip, visibly flushed with embarrassment and overcome with sadness. Marshall stared at you, an unreadable expression on his face. Your face was crumbling but his was steady, unmoved. His gaze was cold, devoid of emotion. You scoffed and mumbled an « ok then » before turning and meeting Denaun’s gaze. He looked visibly hurt.

- I was coming to get you guys but, obviously, you have your own stuff, he said in a sad voice.

- Shit, bro, it-its not-, Marshall began.

- I don’t want to talk to you, man, Denaun replied.

You were about to say something, at least try and mumble an apology but, before you could get any word out of your mouth, you started feeling dizzy and nauseous. You ran to the nearest bathroom, tears in your eyes, holding your nonexistent stomach. So much for telling Marshall you wet pregnant, you guessed.

[creadigol]

*Warning: Contains a very creepy criminal and mentions of past murders.

Hero could only manage a pained, wet gasp as they lay bleeding on their kitchen floor. 

It had all gone so wrong. 

The case was a typical undercover deal. Hero got the missions handed to them from the police themselves. A simple bag and tag of a drug dealer. Not even big time, just little things here and there. Normally, something this small wasn’t even on Hero’s radar, but they were told the Criminal had a type and Hero fit the bill perfectly. 

Hero had the looks and countenance Criminal would respond to. 

And oh how Criminal had responded…though they certainly weren’t a drug dealer. 

Well they were…but they were something much worse as well.

“I don’t want this to last all night dear,” Criminal cooed from above. They had a look of concentration as if trying to memorize every agonizing moment of Hero bleeding out. “You gave a good fight…truly the best I’ve seen…but now I really must move on. Can’t have you be the only victim this week now can we?” 

Criminal knelt down beside them. Despite every fiber of Hero’s being telling them to move, run, flee, they could only give a pained whine, their hands clutched over their abdomen. 

“Yes,” Criminal continued. They reached out and stroked Hero’s hair. “You really are perfect aren't you? It’ll be difficult to find someone else who fits so well…but it really can’t be helped.” 

How could they have been so blind? All the victims had all looked the same…all looked like Hero. When the police told them the drug dealer had a type…how had they not seen? How had any of them not seen? 

The serial killer they had been hunting for months now stood over them, a smile spreading on their lips as Hero’s eyes struggled more and more to stay open. 

“Come now,” Criminal took both of Hero’s hands in theirs and gently pulled, taking the pressure off the wound and letting the blood spread across both their hands. “Let’s not prolong this dear.” 

Hero could only whimper as they felt the blood flow freely. A tear escaped, despite their best efforts. 

“That’s it,” Criminal grinned as they watched Hero cry. “My favorite part.” 

“Yeah?” Came a voice from behind them, “Mine too.”

A grunt and suddenly Criminal wasn’t above Hero anymore. A new strong pair of hands clamped over their abdomen and an icy feeling spread through them viciously. 

Hero cried out and jerked, only to have the same hands hold them down by the shoulders. 

“Easy,” Came a voice. “Easy now, that was a lot to heal. You’ll need to eat and sleep for a week before you move around.” 

“Villain?” Hero rasped. Their vision had cleared and the pain in their stomach had ebbed to only a throb. Their entire body was heavy though, as if they had used every last ounce of their energy and then some, leaving only the power to breath and whisper a few words. 

A hand ran through their hair, sweeping it from their sweat covered forehead. Unlike before, this touch only conveyed concern and comfort rather than sadistic pleasure. 

“Yeah buddy, it’s me. I’m sorry I was late, but you should be alright in a couple weeks.” 

Hero gazed up at them in confusion. “But how?” 

“Like I don’t know what the police are up to at any given moment. When they called you in for a minor drug deal I got a little suspicious…and here we are.” Villain gave them a  rueful smile. 

“But…Criminal…” Hero struggle to keep their eyes open. 

“No longer a problem.” Villain said. Then they looked a little troubled, pausing in their ministrations of Hero’s hair. “Best not to look to your right though…you have too fair a disposition to look at Criminal now.” 

Hero could only open their mouth in response before darkness took them.

[pastelbluecloudy3]

Hello there !!! i hope you’re having a Great time !! I had an idea of a “ hantengu clones x fem!reader “ but as modern au , in which like hantengu is the clones grandfather and sekido is the oldest , karaku the second , aizetsu is the middle , and Urgoi is youngest + zohakuten , in which hantengu owns a flower shop or smth ?? And fem!reader works/help him and she meets zohakuten when he visits hantengu , Fem!reader is sweet and kind and she treats zohakuten as her younger brother and when she meets the other bros they like have a small crush on her ???

[ Sorry this is long :( you don’t have to write it , it’s up to you and as you like !!! :)) ]

𝙸𝚝𝚜 𝚘𝚔! 𝙸𝚕𝚕 𝚝𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚝 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌! 𝙰𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎𝚏𝚞𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚢𝚘𝚞𝚛 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚒𝚗𝚐!

𝙿𝚊𝚒𝚛𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝚂𝚎𝚔𝚒𝚍𝚘 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝙺𝚊𝚛𝚊𝚔𝚞 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝙰𝚒𝚣𝚎𝚝𝚜𝚞 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝚄𝚛𝚘𝚐𝚒 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛, 𝚉𝚘𝚑𝚊𝚔𝚞𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚡 𝙵𝚎𝚖!𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚍𝚎𝚛 (𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚝𝚘𝚗𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢.)

𝚆𝚊��𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜: 𝙽𝚘𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚐! 𝙹𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚏𝚕𝚞𝚏𝚏!!

┈┈••✦♡✦••┈┈

You have been working at a flowershop for a couple of years. You worked for the elderly man named Hantengu since no one else would. They would always find the flowers amazing and very pretty, but they never wanted to work for him. You and your kind soul decided it would be a great idea to help him knowing he can barely move. More and more people saw you working for him so more people decided to come by and most likely say hello or would buy the bouquet.

One day, you were digging the flowers out of the soil to put into a pot when you heard a younger voice. You thought it was a child, but you guys were closed. And the only adult voice you heard was Hantengu's. Since you had a curious mind you got yourself up off of the ground and walked towards the front seeing a small kid who almost looks like Hantengu in a certain way? He turned towards you while looking at you. You looked back at him giving the small kid a soft smile. He looked at you with a sort of suprised yet comforted face. Once Hantengu realized that Zohakuten wasnt looking at him as much he turned around. "Oh yeah... Zohakuten... This is one of my employees. Her name is Y/N..I thought you were gone already y/n?" The elderly man had stated while you were still holding the flower pot."I thought I would stay a little late to help you! Im guessing this is your grandson though Hantengu?" "Yes.. Yes he is.. And hes a little troublemaker. But im taking care of him for only a month because of his parents." You looked at the small figure walk towards you and looking up at you. He has never seen someone work for his grandfather and stayed this long with him. The last time he has seen him was a couple of years ago.

"I am also taking care of his other siblings... And they are very problematic... I'll give you a some days off if you think you can tame them?.. Please..? " Hantengu says in a shivering tone. You hear the nervousness in his tone knowing that his grandkids might be trouble. But not wanting to put anymore pressure on him then what he already has. You decided to take the job! He'll pay you as much as you want. Zohakuten took you because he memorized his way from the flowershop to his home. And once you got there you immediately heard yelling. You should've said no. But you wanted to be nice and help him though. Release some stress and presure to help him! Zohakuten opens the door to 3 guys yelling at eachother. They were siblings.. 4 siblings. The three turning towards you. Sekido. Karaku. And Urogi. They looked at you in shock. But Sekido looked at you and scoffed. " Hey! Who did you bring here?" The one smiling in joy said. You looked at him startled since he was slightly yelling in excitement."You idiot you scared her! What will she think of us now?!" This sibling said in rage. You were about to speak until Zohakuten said something before you. "You fucking idiots she's staying with us because grandpa is getting a break." You we're shocked by this kid's vulgar words at what age? 10? You saw someone coming down the stairs with a little more saddening expression than the rest. You thought he was just sad because of something personal. "Who... Who is this?" his tone sounds very sorrowful. "She's gonna help us Aizetsu. She's helping because Grandpa couldn't take us anymore." He looked at you in some type of confusion before responding."Oh.. " is all he said.

Of course they dont know you so they arent that happy.But you already learned their names throughout the time of them meeting you! You found out Sekido was the oldest. Karaku second oldest. Aizetsu being the middle child. Urogi being the second middle child. Then Zohakuten as the youngest. But.. They were very... Chaotic. You sometimes would refer them as inside out characters because you thought it was pretty much funny! Sekido personally thought it was annoying but he soon grew a liking to it. You all actually ended up watching the movie because they were confused at first. Karaku wouldn't stop talking about it while Urogi thought it was amazing that he was technically the main character. Aizetsu thought it was you mocking him for his sadden expression but after you cleared it up to him he enjoyed it. A little time moved on until all of them told eachother they had some sort of crush on you in the kitchen. You and Zohakuten were watching a show while he had his head laid on your shoulder. He felt comfortable with you. He thinks of you as the nicer big sister he always wanted!

Once you had to leave, the brothers started coming to the flowershop more often and as much as they can because they wanted to see you more. You never thought it would happen but Zohakuten started doing small work in order to help you plant a flower. The 4 older brothers were being a little chaotic but they were behaved. Karaku broke a pot once and had to pay for it. The older brothers started hanging by you and helping you. You thought it was sweet of them! You are starting to have small crush on them. You knew because of the way your heart would beat everytime you would see one of the 4 older brothers. When Zohakuten would be around he would always sit in a corner doing whatever. But still manages to do something once and a while.

You thought maybe they weren't so bad. Just a little out going!

┈┈••✦♡✦••┈┈

𝙸 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚝𝚘 𝚜𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚖 𝚜𝚘 𝚜𝚘𝚛𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚕𝚎 💙 𝙸 𝚑𝚊𝚟𝚎 𝚊𝚕𝚘𝚝 𝚐𝚘𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚘𝚗 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚒 𝚍𝚘𝚗𝚝 𝚠𝚊𝚗𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚝𝚘 𝚊𝚌𝚝𝚞𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚗𝚔 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚠𝚎𝚛𝚎 𝚒𝚐𝚗𝚘𝚛𝚎𝚍. 𝙸𝚝𝚜 𝚗𝚘𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚜𝚝 𝚜𝚒𝚗𝚌𝚎 𝚒𝚖 𝚜𝚝𝚒𝚕𝚕 𝚕𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚝𝚘 𝚖𝚊𝚔𝚎 𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚊𝚗𝚏𝚒𝚌𝚜 𝚒 𝚑𝚘𝚙𝚎 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚍𝚘 𝚎𝚗𝚓𝚘𝚢 𝚝𝚑𝚘𝚞𝚐𝚑!

[iliveforyouilongforyouvesuvia]

The Arcana HCs: M6 planning their wedding with MC

My silly little sequel to this post:

M6 when MC calls them their husband/wife/spouse

~ I have snagged a few pinterest aesthetic ideas for some visuals. Yes they look like stock photos. Unfortunately the image limit is ten so some characters only have one. Let the chaos of Vesuvia's cutest couple begin! ~

Julian

Lights. Action. DRAMA

He spent the six months leading up to the event writing and rewriting all of his lines so he could be completely memorized and off book for the big day

He wants to be perfect for you, enough said

Will also write your lines for you if you request it. He doesn't mind either way, as long as you say "I do" you've been perfect

So many people want to come that the merchants at the south end marketplace agree to clear the square to celebrate

You end up having to do less planning than you expected to. Everyone loves Julian and is quick to volunteer their services

Nazali is thrilled to officiate the ceremony

Julian will admit to having dreamed of this day for years. If you have strong preferences he will prioritize them, but if you're okay with it he'll be delighted to plan the whole thing

As someone who wears layers of leather for the aesthetic in a Mediterranean climate, he will wear black and red to his own wedding

The ceremony is elaborate without being drawn out. He fumbles once or twice but the way he delivers his vows leaves everyone in tears from the combined humor and love

The party lasts through the night. There's drinking and wild dancing and dramatized reenactments of your story so far

He held onto his life for you, and now he gets to promise it to you. He's so happy

Asra

They might be a chill person, but they are still extra. Just take a look at their hat

Happy to leave you in charge of the logistics, all his input is on specific details

Wants to get married on the best day of the year for commitments but isn't worried about the weather at all

Faust is central to the ceremony. She is the keeper of the rings (if you go for that) and will happily stand in for a scarf if you choose a handfasting ceremony

Somehow the Arcana's Magician agrees to officiate. You don't know how that happened

You send invitations to all of the friends that Asra has made during their travels and they're surprised when they actually plan to show up

Selasi is a guest of honor, of course

Aisha and Salim are very happy to share wedding traditions from Zadith (their home country) for you two to incorporate

Things that Asra has preferences on: his outfit. The number of pranks he's allowed to play on the guests. Having good music to dance with you. A meaningful ceremony. All of the colors and magic in his decorations. Honeymoon destination.

Things that Asra is happy for you to decide: catering. Guest list. Venue. Drinks. Budget. Your outfit. Order and type of ceremony

They will help you every step of the way. You've had their heart for years as it is

Nadia

She will ask for your input. But she is planning this wedding

Her last wedding was described as a "drunk Vegas drive thru" and she wants to do right by both herself and you

She wishes she could officiate herself, but she can't, and she doesn't want to ask any family members (though they are all invited to attend) and it starts to look hopeless

Until Valerius offers. He's somehow perfect

The whole affair is about seven different events, exquisitely planned, with multiple outfit changes, ceremonies, and caterers

She will adjust the schedule according to your natural energy levels, but she doesn't do things halfway. She will marry you for the whole world to see

Has ideas for all of your outfits but prioritizes what you want to wear. As long as you make free use of all the tailors and materials available to you

Natiqa and Nasmira arrive early to help wrangle political guests and logistics

Portia is her maid of honor and Chandra acts as messenger owl to coordinate different locations

Lucio is preemptively banned from crashing the reception. Thankfully he doesn't even try

This is the day of her dreams and she gets to call you hers in front of all of Vesuvia. Her eyes are full of joy, despite the stress

And she's really excited for your honeymoon

Muriel

Getting married sounds like a better and better idea the longer he sits and thinks about it. As long as it's with you

Correction: Especially if it's with you

Asra volunteers to officiate as soon as he tells them about it

He wants something small. Something quiet. Something short, sweet, and to the point. Something with under ten people

Unfortunately, after playing a leading role in saving Vesuvia, half the town knows of him personally and adores him. And you.

And both of the heroes? Getting married???

You do a good job of not letting it slip at first, but Nadia mentions it to Portia, who tells Julian, who tells the whole South End

The compromise you make is that the original ceremony will remain as planned. Nadia even classifies the event as a state secret so no one finds out the place or date

After you return from your honeymoon, Nadia will arrange for a public holiday and festival that serves a double purpose to celebrate the marriage. All you two have to do is show up

The ceremony is a simple handfasting in a sacred part of the woods. There are more creatures and sprites in attendance than humans and it's perfect

Needless to say, Inanna is the star

The festival is actually fun for Muriel. He's not alone anymore, and it's wonderful

Portia

Everyone knows Portia. Everyone loves Portia. Everyone owes Portia a favor (lovingly) and is happy to contribute

Mazelinka insists on officiating. From the prow of her boat

It's going to be a big crowd of people, but the good news is that Portia loves the ocean and the docks and beach have lots of space

It's a town effort - the palace chefs and bakers happily volunteer to cover the food, most of her friends play instruments, and Aunt Tasya has resources to spare

You end up planning for an efficient mid morning ceremony and afternoon and evening celebration around a massive bonfire with music and drinks

Rainy days are spent with a notebook and pencil brainstorming ideas together

Pepi even behaves when Portie wrestles her into the biggest bow collar yet

Being an ambassador, she doesn't want to let her wedding get political, so she only invites personal friends from overseas

Nadia has granted you permission to take the boat to the islands for your honeymoon

The ceremony is sweet and casual. Portia's vows are a patchwork of her humor, mischief, and favorite love poems

Julian does his best at a shovel talk. Nadia does a better job. Mazelinka puts them both to shame: "If you hurt my girl, the Devil will seem merciful next to me."

Portia's just excited for this new adventure

Lucio

It takes some time before either of you are ready. Partially because he has a bad track record with keeping his promises, and partially because your friends are cautious

However, he will manage to prove himself worthy of you and eventually even earn Asra's (reluctant) blessing

There is some discussion on where to get married. He's not keen to celebrate in the Palace and revisit his days as Count

But he wants a party. He wants a good party. He wants the best party

He doesn't care about the ceremony as long as it results in you calling him your husband

You decide to keep things relatively simpler and get married in one of the temples in the temple district

To your surprise, Nafizah not only vouches for you but requests to officiate. It means things are oddly traditional, but Lucio doesn't mind because it means he's doing things properly

The party is a little harder to organize. He's not warmly welcomed in Vesuvia yet

This is where you get to see all the ways his life has changed: Lucio sent invitations to every person you two have helped and befriended on your jobs

You set up a big tent in the field behind the Palace and guests pour in from far and wide

It's not the most lavish celebration, but it's genuine and full of love and a new beginning

[gods-angriest-girlthing]

talking about my feelings during deadpool & wolverine a couple months after it came out because i didn't want to spoil it

that being said, spoilers for deadpool & wolverine ahead!

i had the great privilege of seeing deadpool and wolverine the day it came out. i went and saw it with my dad and my uncle, who got me into the MCU a little over 10 years ago. i did not grow up watching x-men or any marvel movies (the first MCU film i saw was guardians 1, which is a pretty good starting point for kids. i was ~12 when i watched it.) that being said, i was a big fan of deadpool as a character when i was a teenager because i learned he was an openly - and very obviously - queer character, which made me incredibly happy as a queer youth. the first deadpool movie came out when i was about 14 years old, which was a very rocky time for me growing up. i do not remember the age fondly, aside from the first deadpool movie coming out. and i fucking loved it.

now i will admit, i am a filthy goddamn sinner and skipped movie 2, only because uhhhh i was busy when it came out, but i absorbed the film through osmosis and i will probably actually watch it and love it. if you must throw rocks at me, do i now, i will not give you the opportunity to do it later.

from here on out, i will be talking about deadpool and wolverine, so proceed reading at your own risk.

on july 26th, 2024, i entered a local theater alongside my dad and my uncle to watch deadpool & wolverine. i will admit, my expectations were not as high as they once were for MCU movies, due to the dwindling quality and memorability of the last several movies to come out after endgame - with the exception of every spiderman-centered film, but i digress.

i went in with lower expectations than i should have had, and it's my own fault for letting my guard down.

because holy fucking shit.

i have not felt the emotions i felt about this movie since i had watched RRR back in 2022. i will probably do a post like this about RRR at some point, that movie was absolutely divine. anyways, back to DP&W.

first of all, starting the movie with a montage of deadpool killing people to FUCKING NSYNC'S "BYE BYE BYE" WAS BRILLIANT. i was in complete fucking shock, and looking back on it, i definitely had to process the movie a few times because i blacked out during a few scenes. i didn't leave my theater seat once, and i am a person who pees constantly. i drank several liquids beforehand, and i was fucking SAT through the whole movie.

i'd also like to mention at this time: this was the first movie i watched where i was aware that hugh jackman was an actor on the screen. and holy shit. what a man. in the month that followed, i became aware that i had absorbed hugh jackman's acting abilities in the past, been like "oh that's cool, he's talented" and then completely disregarded it. now i realize this man has a RANGE and is really fucking cool. shoutout to hugh jackman, thanks for doing it the way you do.

back to the movie.

i've sat here contemplating if i should talk about the highlights of the film, but really and truly, it's nothing but highlights. so i'll talk about my personal favorite moments. and i do mean favorite, i won't give a straight up play-by-play of the movie.

deadpool's intro scene killing people to bye bye bye

deadpool's cute little birthday party

the suit montage

the wolverine montage, which i'll be honest if i think about it too long it does make me sad (specifically crucified logan) i'll be real i'm just a big crybaby so it's fine. wolverine montage is so funny.

deadpool and wolverine fight

DOGPOOL MY DARLING GIRL

THE HONDA ODYSSEY OBVIOUSLY

elektra, blade, and gambit, oh my! and oh my gosh hi laura you're all grown up now!

basically gambit's whole existence tbh i love this goober

the ending is fucking perfection in every way, from wolverine's beautiful abs (thank you again hugh jackman for torturing yourself please never do that again though <3) to the ending party scene where wade gets to be surrounded by everyone he loves. just flawless.

i could genuinely go on and on and on about this movie, but i think the biggest thing i want to say is that i genuinely knew nothing about x-men going into it. i hadn't watched elektra, blade, any of wolverine's specific movies, or really any x-men film at all for that matter. i went in basically blind, just a goofy gay kid with a love for deadpool. and i had a great time. thank you for not fucking this one up, marvel + disney. you did good.

being excited and gay about RRR another time though because i was reminded of the amazing film while writing this!

[ingravinoveritas]

MY GOODNESS THAT TV INSIDER SNIPPET WHERE YOU CAN SEE THEM MOVE PHYSICALLY CLOSER TO EACH OTHER IN ABOUT 20 SECONDS. UGHHH. DAVID WAS LITERALLY HALF OFF HIS SEAT TO BE CLOSER TO MICHAEL

Hi, Anons! Oh, gosh, I love both of these so much. Putting them together because I think there's a definite connection worth discussing.

So first, Anon #2 I know you must be referring to the new interviews with Michael and David that have come out the past few days (on Screen Rant Plus, Movieweb, etc.). Anon #1 is referring to another clip that just came out today, so I'll put the video up here for anyone who hasn't seen it and then discuss it further down this post:

Anon #2, how beautifully you have phrased your observation, and I could not possibly agree with you more. I've noticed a lot of people saying that Michael and David look sad or miserable, but I don't think that is the case at all. Well, a couple of things: 1) We have no idea when these interviews were recorded, though if I had to guess I'd say within the last month or two, and if that is the case, Michael was still directing/working nonstop on The Way, so that would explain him looking tired (along with running around after two little kids all the time). 2) I'm fairly certain that a large part of them not looking at each other is because they are trying not to give anything away about the second season, and Michael and David both know they won't be able to keep quiet if they make even the tiniest bit of eye contact.

3) I fully agree with your assertion that the lack of staring shows how close Michael and David have become, because to me, it also means that they no longer feel a need to be "on" around each other. They've both spoken in the past about how much they hate doing interviews/photo shoots, and that it became far more bearable when they had each other. That was the case four years ago, and now we've all gone through a global pandemic and some of the darkest times in our lives. That naturally strips away any sense of pretense--seeing someone at their worst, or when they're sick or afraid. I get the feeling that Michael and David have been through all of that and where so many other relationships/marriages fell apart, their relationship is even stronger now as a result. They love and accept each other exactly as they are, and it shows.

Finally, 4) What you said about Michael not staring at David makes my heart ache and seems so true. On the season 1 press tour, he was already in love, but didn't know when they would see each other again. I'm reminded of that one interview where they both suddenly seem to realize the press tour is coming to an end, and they don't know when they'll see each other next:

"Can we just...see each other? For no reason?"

He doesn't even have to ask that question now. Michael doesn't have to keep his eyes on David every moment because he has already memorized his whole face, the stubble on his skin, the softness of his lips. And he knows with perfect certainty that he will never be without David in his life again.

And this all fits in beautifully with the video you've mentioned, Anon #1, because they absolutely do move closer to each other in that video, and not only does it look like they did it completely unconsciously, but David seems to actually mirror Michael:

Michael is the first one to move closer, as we see above, and then right after he does, David moves closer. And again, they're not staring at each other the whole time. nor do they seem to be playing up their "personas"--Michael and David are just being themselves, and their natural inclination is to be close to each other. (Also, Michael's fucking wiggle right after he moves is killing me, because I think he only does that when he's very, very happy...)

Absolutely beautiful. I so appreciate you both sharing your thoughts with me, Anons. Thanks for writing in! xx

[raainberry]

Hiii i just read that you wanted some song+idol ideas. So how about a jeongyeon and fem reader short fic with Twice's Ice Cream?

Waves

« Emotions come in waves, and the purpose of that wave is to try to create an urge to act on the emotion. »

Jeongyeon x gn!reader

Fluff (?)

synopsis - teaching your passion is all fun and games until you fall for one of your customers

word count - 1.1K

T/W - Food (mentions)

A/N - Thanks for the request! It was a nice combo, I actually enjoyed writing this one. I only made it into a gn reader bc it’s the way I write, I hope it’s alright with you. Hopefully you find the hidden references to the song ;) Also got inspired by surfer Jeongyeon, never forgot her and I’ll make sure no one does. Hope you like surfing or else this is gonna be awkward.

A whole afternoon of surfing would sound like more than enough to anyone remotely enjoying the sport, right?

For you it wasn’t even close. You would stand on your board the whole day if you could.

You liked to think your experience would allow it. Not the sea, though. Even the water needed a break from the tumbling.

You usually only stopped when it did, and sat down on your board to cool off as you floated around, appreciating the environment you were so familiar with.

Unlike the majority of Earth’s population, you’ve never been far from the sea. Your parents owned and ran a small but successful surfing school in Busan. As instructors, they happened to be a bit tougher on you, but you eventually became their proudest graduate. Your talent even allowed them to promote you to the same title as theirs.

That was about five years ago. Five years prior to your first encounter with her.

Your favorite ‘student’.

When you learned her name, the last thing you expected was for your brain to get stuck stuck on loop over it.

Jeongyeon.

You smiled to yourself at the mere thought of her.

She was all you seemed to think about. Her name alone managed to warm your chest enough, to the point you’d feel your heart melt.

She had come in for a few lessons a few months ago, always with a friend or two. However that didn’t keep you from getting closer to the woman, and it wasn’t long until you stopped using lessons as excuses to see her.

You probably would have continued for a while if it weren’t for her. She was the one to ask you out first.

“I think I’m ready to take on a few waves on my own, what do you think?”

The water was gentle that morning, carrying you the same way it did any other day. You took in your surroundings as usual, letting your eyes get pulled wherever they pleased. The scenery was particularly memorable, as if it knew about what was to come. Wanting to remember it, you pictured it all in your mind, trying to retain every little detail.

“Like… without me around?” You asked hesitantly.

She was more than ready. However, a very selfish part of you couldn’t help but feel hurt by her thoughts.

You focused on the landscape surrounding you in order to keep your emotions in check.

The moon was slowly retreating to leave room for the sun. The light color was filling the sky as the day settled itself. The early morning clouds, and the sweet, gentle breeze that came with them. The smell of iodine, and salt in the air, coming from the water surrounding you. The endless blanket of sand covering the shore. The houses hidden behind the cliff and trees bordering that same shore, no doubt sheltering people still deep into their slumber. And of course… Jeongyeon smiling at you from her own board a couple feet away.

Your eyes stopped at that last detail, just like your heart almost did before getting ahold of itself to keep you alive.

You’d only known her for a week by then.

How or why it had happened, you didn’t know, but you had grown to care about her in ways no professional should.

Every glance at her was a painful reminder of that.

Sure there were no actual rules against dating one of your customers. This wasn’t school and you quite literally ran the place, but still…

You had dealt with a fare share of attractive customers. Your own convictions and passion for the sport made it easy for you not to cross the line.

But with her it seemed to do the exact opposite.

With every lesson that passed, the air seemed to constrain with every glance you shared, making it hard for you to breathe in between the laughs she caused.

“That’s kind of what I paid for, no?” She joked once more, pulling you out of your thoughts with yet another laugh.

“Right.”

“Why, are you gonna miss me?” She teased.

Another thing of hers you liked. She hadn’t stopped since she met you. It felt as if it were her favorite hobby. Teasing you.

Oh, how you wished it was.

“Kind of.” You admitted, surprising even yourself.

She could tell that, you knew by the small chuckle that left her lips shortly after.

“What do you say we go for ice cream? As a thank you, it’ll be my treat.”

You smiled despite how much you disliked the hidden goodbye her words let transpire. You couldn’t help it when she was doing the same in front of you.

“Show me you’re actually ready. Then I’ll think about it.”

Needless to say you went out for ice cream with her that day.

And the week after.

And the next.

A four hour long train to meet her every time.

For months.

Until you couldn’t anymore.

“I’m leaving next week.”

Your eyes lifted from the banana split between the two of you.

“For tour.” She added. “We won’t be able to meet like this for a while.”

You knew that. You had known for weeks. She hadn’t kept it a secret.

Yet it hit you just as hard as if she had.

“I’m gonna miss this.” She said softly, playing around with her spoon and a bit of vanilla ice cream before bringing it to her mouth.

You bit your bottom lip. Out of worry or at the sight, who knows… A smile rested on her lips. It took you by surprise, but the reason not so much. You always had a great time on these weekly ice cream dates after all.

“I’m gonna miss this too.” You finally said, a sigh replacing the words you held back.

That was hours ago.

The night had settled after what felt like an unusally long day.

After you parted ways with her, after you left her embrace before who knew how long… The day simply felt painfully slow.

You had plenty to do, to occupy your mind with, yet the only thing on it were the words muttered by the singer at lunch.

“We won’t be able to meet like this for a while.”

You sighed at the memory. It seemed so far away now.

Was it dramatic to feel this way?

You had spent so much time with her until now.

Was it selfish to wish for more?

You sighed once more.

One thing was sure, you were going to wait for her. Whether you liked it or not, you’d be there when she’d come back.

But would she?

Was she going to miss you the way you would miss her?

The way she knew you were going to miss her?

It was obvious you were head over heels for her. She never took advantage of that, but she never acknowledged it either.

Sure, she hugged you back.

Sure, she held onto you too.

But it never felt as more than what it was.

Comfort.

Yet she would also look at you, and allow you to see parts of her she seemed to guard carefully from the rest of the world. It made you feel important. Like you mattered to her.

Was it wishful thinking or reality? A twisted mix of both?

There was only one way to know and all it took was a train ride to the capital city.

Four hours was a long time. It allowed you to think and put a plan in place.

“Close your eyes.”

That’s what you would tell her. Right before draining the mess she’d made, melting that heart of yours as easily as the sun would all those ice creams you shared.

“It’s the only way I’ll be able to tell you why I love you.”

[jessicanjpa]

stalker

Edward is in Chicago to "inherit" from himself. To pass the time at night, he decides to visit his old house. An excerpt from this 1970 one-shot.

I had hunted for a few days in the northern suburbs of Chicago during the four dark years of my rebellion. By that time, I had already arrived at my plan to feed only on the worst criminals; it seemed only fitting that I should spend a few months protecting the city I had once called home.

But in the end, I couldn't bear to stay or to venture any closer to where I had lived as a human. Regardless of whether the spirits of my human parents had any means of seeing what I was doing, it just felt too wrong to bring that kind of darkness that close to their graves... to the people I had once known and cared about. There was also the very real possibility of cornering a victim and discovering that he was someone I had known. And since Carlisle had practiced medicine in and around Chicago once already this century, we had never lived near this area in the years since.

So this was really my first time back. I strolled aimlessly through the night, trying to match the buildings I passed with the blurry streetscapes from my human memory. I did eventually find an old hotel that seemed to be in the right place, and a couple of small parks.

There was a certain street I wanted, but for the life of me, I couldn't remember where it was. I finally surrendered and ducked into a telephone booth. I flipped through the frayed telephone book in annoyance, looking for a decent street map. I finally found one and ripped it out, memorizing my route as I walked.

Once I got past the audience of cops and prostitutes and adolescent children out too late for their own good, I relaxed and slowed my pace. I still couldn't put my finger on any particular building, but this was starting to feel more and more familiar. After taking one last look at the map, I crumpled it into my pocket and turned down a street where the front yards were bigger. The mental barrage quieted a little, settling into that unique, rhythmic whisper that comes from a neighborhood where nearly everyone is asleep.

I knew this street. The houses nearly all looked wrong, but the roll of the hill felt right. I had ridden my bicycle here, laughing and calling out to... someone. I squinted at the pavement, feeling the tingle of a memory that was trying to wake up. I had fallen here one day. No, that wasn't right... I remembered getting off my bicycle, feeling a heavy weight on my chest... my mother carrying me home, rubbing my back and telling me to breathe more slowly. An asthma attack, presumably.

Happier memories came to me half-formed as I walked on. More bicycle rides... a nameless boy with freckles and black hair. A pair of girls, teasing me from across the street. One house seemed particularly meaningful, despite being the wrong color, though I couldn't figure out why. Perhaps the freckled boy had lived here? There was a brick firehouse that looked about right. And when I finally turned onto my own street, the bright scent of roses washed over me at just the right place.

Home.

I was fortunate that the real estate company had let the trees and brush get overgrown in the backyard. I found a sturdy oak whose branches offered a good view of the house. My eyes traced over the lines of the house first, finding comfort in the angle of the roof and the peaceful shush of the breeze slicing through the screens around the side porch. There was a formica table perched inside and crumbs beneath it, evidence of the family who had rented the house for the past three years.

The interior was dark, but moonlight was more than enough for me. I could see into the parlor where I had spent hundreds of hours practicing the piano. I leaned out from the tree, trying to see whether there was a piano in there, but I didn't have a full view of the room. I should have come earlier, when the family was up and moving around, so I could have gotten a fuller view via their minds.

I briefly considered letting myself in. The windows were all unlocked in welcome, after all; I wouldn't need to break anything. It was my house. But... that was a line I probably shouldn't cross. I crawled up into the higher branches, rewarded by a tight knot in my throat as I looked into my old bedroom for the first time in fifty-two years. Two twin beds filled the space, complete with the lumpy, blanketed forms of two dozing boys. My first guess was twins, but after a few moments I thought the one on the right might be a little older, based on the quality of his dreams. I left them in peace, more interested in the room itself than its occupants.

More memories began to return to me, coming in such quick succession that I dared not breath for fear of interrupting the flow. I remembered a scene in which I was the one lying in the bed, crumpled in blankets. Mother was feeling my forehead, humming a tune that eluded me, but still placed an unexpected warmth deep in my chest. I could hear the clink of a spoon and smell the aroma of... chicken soup, I thought it was.

Then I was seated at a desk just there, over by the farthest wall, tinkering with a model biplane... or was it a model train? I remembered coughing, curling up with a book and wishing I could go play outside. I remembered sitting at the desk, now taller in my chair, writing with careful penmanship in a journal. Next I was playing on the floor, meticulously lining up row upon row of tin soldiers.

I remembered posters on the walls, various incarnations of Uncle Sam or heroic-looking US soldiers telling me to come save the world. That my country needed me. I remembered sitting at my desk with a forgotten pencil lingering over a page of mathematics, gripping the desk's edge with the other hand and refusing to look up as my mother pleaded with me to go to college instead. Then I was a child again, huddled up in a fort made of bedsheets, surrounded by books and toys.

One memory led to another, skipping back and forth through my brief span of human years and filling new, aching holes inside my heart. I kept my eyes locked on the quiet room until I came up empty, and even then I continued to stare, shifting my gaze to look again at the sleeping boys.

Was this what I would have had? What would it have been like to have children of my own? Would I have stayed in this house?

I really had no excuse to stay. There wasn't the faintest hint of vampire scent on the air, apart from my own, and the unlocked windows and cars told me everything I needed to know about the crime rate. I had learned all I was going to learn, if I was going to keep my vow to stay outside. But all I had waiting for me was a depressing hotel room with an even more depressing book. And... there was something keeping me here, something even more intangible than the memories that teased the corners of my mind, flitting away whenever I tried to grasp them.

I didn't think it was nostalgia, not really; for all I knew, half those new memories were invented. And while the sight of my human home did stir something deep within me, that was all it was: just a sight. A picture. There was hardly anything about the structure in front of me that was really familiar... that was really mine anymore.

That was the problem, I supposed. It was the lost potential—this new version of the life I could have lived. More than the house itself, I couldn't take my eyes away from the home I had been so eager to leave behind.

That was excuse enough, I decided—that it might give me some small shred of purpose to stay and guard a family I cared nothing about, in a house that was all but a stranger to me. I imagined the sleeping boys to be my own sons, and the dozing parents across the hall to be myself and the wife I loved more with each passing year. And so I let myself stay, just for tonight, keeping vigil over the life I had lost so very long ago.

[phantomdialogue]

˗ˏˋ. ݁₊ ✶ ˖ 𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐛𝐲 𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐲 𝐡𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐲 - 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓 ☆ . ݁ ˖ˎˊ˗

premise: harriet and wyn broke up months ago over a four minute phone call. the only problem: no one in their lives know. as the annual lobster festival trip comes up, harriet thinks that they have gotten away with not telling anyone; she'll have a fun week without wyn there and then break the news to their friends. their new problem: wyn got dragged into coming and now they've made a pact to make it through the week acting as if no time has passed between them at all.

couple: wyn connor and harriet kilpatrick

tropes: second chance romance, fake dating, one bed trope, friends to lovers, vacation romance, found family

content warnings: death, grief

review below!

review:

i love emily henry. that's the whole review basically. i adore her writing and her characters and this book is no exception to that at all. do i love it as much as her og three? admittedly no for me. those are some of the best 6 star reads for me ever. is this better than 75% of the romance genre? to me, yes. i understand why people love this so so much. i even understand why they might rank it as their favorite one of her books.

for me personally, the going back and forth and nonlinearity of it didn't fit as well with this story as i felt like it did with people we meet on vacation. i understand its importance to the story but i almost wish we had stayed only strictly in the present and instead they would have been at the cottage for two weeks instead of one and given it more time there for everything to unfold and put tension on these characters.

i adore wyn though. he's such a great mmc and i think his depth really adds to the romance. the same can be said for harriet as well. something that i think emily henry did so so well in this story was fleshing out these characters and making their flaws/insecurities really count towards the story and their relationships. you felt how wyn and harriet's childhoods really played a part in their character and it felt very well-rounded rather than just thrown in for a sad detail.

overall, this really does stand out as another amazing romance book by emily henry that i'm so in love with. i don't think there will ever be anything she writes that i don't immediately love at least a little bit and i can't wait for the new book in april!!

my ratings:

characters - 4.75 ☆ - change and grow, memorable, multilayered

this had such a fun ensemble of characters that really stood out to me amongst the emhen universe. sabrina, cleo, parth, and kimmy really just brought so much light and love to the story and even the romance itself. you really felt that found family aspect that i feel is so important for these characters. you fall in love with their friendship and the connection they have and watching it change over time. my one little nitpick is that i feel like most of these characters had their little emotionally immature moments that threw me every once in a while as just a tad bit dramatic but it still works with the story so well.

plot - 4 ☆ - nonlinear narrative, steady pacing

am i becoming a lover of the second chance romance plot? maybe. nothing like the movies really did it for me last year and i really loved that aspect of the story here. i think that there were little bits and pieces that i wish were fleshed out a little bit more with the ensemble characters. i wanted to sit a bit more with the ending conflict but i also understand the time frame of the story wouldn't allow it. if we had gotten just a bit more time to really feel that ending angst of it all, i think that would have elevated the plot just that little bit more at the end.

setting - 5 ☆ - atmospheric, picturesque, rustic

i wish i could visit knott's harbor, maine. the way that emily henry describes it really just gives you that hallmark movie (in a good way) nostalgia, picturesque feeling and you can really envision how it could be adapted in your head. i think it may be my favorite setting for any of her books so far and i really think it sets the tone of the story so well.

writing style - 5 ☆ - beautifully written, descriptive, witty

i will never not love emily henry's writing. there is something so warm and inviting and funny about it while still delivering some absolutely gut wrenching lines with ease. everything flows so well together and all of the characters have such distinct voices through her writing that i'm almost certain i could just read the dialogue alone and know who's talking when.

favorite quotes (some spoilers here, of course, but minimal):

“Surprise.” His gray eyes communicate something more akin to Welcome to hell; I’ll be your host, the devil.

Quicksand, I think again. An old predator-prey instinct seems to agree, my limbic system sending out marching orders to my muscles: Be ready to flee; if he gets any closer, you’ll never get away.

“Do you want me to draw you a diagram,” I say. “Desperately.”

I was more scared of marrying someone who couldn’t bring himself to leave me or to keep loving me.

I hate how entangled we still feel on a quantum level. Like my body will never stop trying to find its way back to his.

“Because in this life, I decided not to stay there,” he says. “I decided to do something different than my parents did, be someone different. But if I had another one to live, I’d want the one where I stayed too.”

An ache starts behind my ribs. Like having this small bit of him has transformed all the pieces I can never have into a kind of phantom limb, a pain where there should be more Wyn.

Arms up, baby, he says gently.

He’s become my best friend the way the others did: bit by bit, sand passing through an hourglass so slowly, it’s impossible to pin down the moment it happens. When suddenly more of my heart belongs to him than doesn’t, and I know I’ll never get a single grain back. He’s a golden boy. I’m a girl whose life has been drawn in shades of gray. I try not to love him. I really try.

“I thought I made you.” He tips his head so that my hand slides back toward his ear. “Just by wishing.”

“You fit with me, and I was there.” “I know,” he says. “I think that’s really why I went. To find you.”

Home, I think. That’s new. But it’s not. It’s been growing there for a while, this new room in my heart, this space just for Wyn that I carry with me everywhere I go.

“End of an era,” I say. “Nah.” His eyes slice sideways. “Another beginning.”

“In every universe, it’s you for me. Even if it’s not me for you.”

"I got rid of every single piece of you, like that would make a difference, like I could cut you out of me, and instead, I just see everywhere you’re supposed to be.”

“And I’m mad at you for not coming to me tonight,” I say. He tilts my chin, kissing the other side of my throat, whispering softly, “I would’ve made it to you eventually.”

“Love means constantly saying you’re sorry, and then doing better.”

Another little reminder of how well these people know me against all odds, all the pieces of me I’ve come to see as difficult or unpleasant, the parts I never voluntarily share but have sneaked out here and there across years.

“You didn’t ruin it. We’re just changing the shape of it.”

Before I knew Wyn, I could have been okay without him. Now I’ll always feel the place he isn’t.

I know I’ve chosen the right universe.

[lonelywretchjervistetch]

My DCCU: Character Essay - Mr. Mxyzptlk

So...did you see the last episode of MAWS?

I just wrote an essay discussing this series, and without making you read that (although here it is if you wanna), let's just say I love almost everything about it, but the villains have me...nervous. Which, yeah, not exactly a unique take on the series, critically speaking. It is, in fact, the most common refrain about the series amongst Superman fans.

Now, since then, to be fair, we've gotten some very promising characters make their debut, or becoming more prominent. Task Force X - which includes Amanda Waller, the General (who's gotta be Sam Lane, but may also take some inspiration from Wade Eiling; time'll tell on that one, though), and a very cool super-armored version of Deathstroke - are our main antagonists, and I'm excited to see what comes out of them. Their former associates, power couple Brain and Monseiur Mallah (who are also gay in the comics, if you didn't know) are a more sympathetic turn on the characters, but quite satisfying in this form.

But no, there's only one real reason I'm making this post. And that is of course, the villain featured in the most recent episode, as of me writing this post. He's already up above, so let's just get into it.

Fun fact about me: I love a lot of Superman villains, but of all of them, my absolute favorite is Mr. Mxyzptlk. He's a mischief-making, chaos-loving, harmless and harmful menace from the 5th dimension, who obeys no laws of the dimensions below. The origin of legends, past and present, of genies, leprechauns, fey, and imps that tease men with ill-fated wishes. An all-powerful being disguised as a man dressed in a funny little hat.

Mr. Mxyzptlk is the Robin Goodfellow of Superman's world. He appears to amuse himself, no matter the cost to the Man of Steel's day. Usually, you can send him back via making him say his own name backwards, but that's just one of the rules to Mxy's games. And make no mistake, that's what they are: games. Mr. Mxyzptlk has played on the side of angels and devils, and he really only cares about his own amusement. And his relationship with Superman, varied as it can be, helps to fuel his morality.

I could bring up the character's live-action appearances (which are notable in their own right), but those are mostly afraid to really go for it. The closest to the original character would be Michael J. Pollard's version in Superboy, a mostly forgotten series from the late'80s, and a version that actually wears the comic book outfit. There's also the Supergirl version, which was notable, and played by Peter Gadiot and Thomas Lemmon; and there's the version played by Howie Mandel (yes, really) in Lois and Clark: The Adventures of Superman in the '90s, which is a more evil but passable version of the character. Oh, and the Smallville version? Yeah, absolutely doesn't count. If you want a true adaptation for Mxy, you gotta go animated.

The most iconic adaptation of this character was portrayed by the late, great Gilbert Gottfried in Superman: The Animated Series. Now, I say the most iconic, but that's probably a bit biased on my part. In my opinion, this is the most fun and accurate version we've seen of the character, taking from his original design for inspiration. An annoying imp that appears every three months, his debut episode in the series, Mxyzpixillated, is one of my favorite episodes of the series, and goes balls-to-the-wall wacky, as you should with Mxyzptlk.

The character had only a few more appearances in the series after his first, but Gottfried's performance was so memorable, he was brought back for multiple incarnations, including the video game DC Universe Online, and the more recent animated series Justice League Action, which would be one of Gottfried's last performances, and therefore his last appearance as the character. He'll be sorely missed for a number of reasons, but the voice he gave to the imp is never going to leave me.

Which brings me to the version of the character we see in MAWS. And yeah, this is obviously a VERY different version of the character, appearance-wise. Outside of the orange and purple color scheme and one other exception, this version has no design similarities with any version of Mxyzptlk, and is obviously very anime-inspired, as is the entire series. I mean, for Chrissakes, the title of the episode is a reference to Ouran High School Host Club. They knew what they were doing.

We meet Mxyzptlk in the middle of a heist, and he already shows his power and prowess by tricking Clark immediately. Amongst a bunch of fantastic DCU references, and a lot of multiverse talk, we eventually stumble upon his actual goal: the reclamation of an ancient artifact stolen from him by the League of Lois Lanes. And that artifact is...his hat. THE hat. And lemme tell ya, I was overjoyed to see that stupid little bowler.

Once he gets it, we get a glimpse of true Mxyzptlk power, as he goes full chaos lord on us. He's eventually defeated through trickery with portals, and NOT through the backwards name gambit. And even then, he's not actually defeated, and returns in the end to annoy his new target: Lois Lane. Yeah. He's haunting LOIS, not Clark. And honestly, I'm...very intrigued.

This Mxyzptlk is, honestly, a faithful version of the character, straight-up. Sure, there are elements missing, and the outfit is completely different, but he also sort of looks like you'd expect an imp or genie to look. Like Alan Moore said in Whatever Happened to the Man of Steel?, why should an extradimensional imp look like a little man in a suit and funny little bowler? I think this works, honestly.

I'm also excited to see him in the future of the series, and see what they do with the character as a result. Mxyzptlk is, as I said earlier, one of my favorites, whether he helps or hurts the Man of Tomorrow. And if I had one complaint, it's that I want him to go wackier. Like, CRAZY. Watch his appearances in Superman: The Animated Series if you haven't, and you'll see what I mean. The potential is quite literally unlimited when it comes to the fifth dimension imp.

But if that's the case...what would I do with Mxyzptlk in my DCCU?

Mr. Mxyzptlk in My DCCU

I would do...not much more than Easter eggs at first. Look, I love Mxyzptlk, but having him as a character in a film or film series is extremely tricky. But instead, Mxyzptlk is both a seen and unseen force in my DCCU, hovering around Superman's world without actually interfering in it directly. Not exactly his bag, I know, but it's a good way to get him to work in a film series. Essentially, I'm turning him into a background character in the first and second films, to be noticed by only the most observant. Disguised as other characters, maybe making odd gestures every now and then as if to manipulate things around him. The ultimate Easter egg character, basically. Until, possibly the very end of the second, or even the third film in the franchise.

Fast forward to the second film's post-credit scene.

A poker game is being played, but we're table level. All we see are the hands and the cards, which get increasingly stranger as the game goes on. Three voices are speaking, and we get the immediate idea that these people are watching our heroes. Eventually, a fourth voice juts in, and we also find out that a fifth one of them has been invited, but chose not to attend. Finally, we pan up, and we see...some dude.

This guy, whoever they are, should've been a face we've seen in the first and second films, usually hanging around the Daily Planet, but also around Metropolis. In fact, they should be visible in every conflict or battle seen in the films thus far. As we look at the others, we should see similar figures that've appeared in Batman, Wonder Woman, and Flash films that've come put by this point. All extras, and all watching our heroes. In fact, it'd be great if the Flash-focused person hasn't appeared yet, because the Flash's film releases after this one.

Finally, as we pan back around to the Superman-focused character, who is smoking a cigar, the conversation turns to what's coming. Mxyzptlk is aware of what's coming for Superman, but the rest refer to "the first Crisis". Mxyzptlk sort of brushes it off, even as they're saying things that hint at the first big even film to come in the DCCU. And these should be vague yet intriguing clues to this event. But Mxyzptlk insists that his guy'll be prepared, and that he has a lot of money riding on that outcome. With that, the mysterious figure looks directly at the camera.

Yeah, realizing that we're peering in on the game, he probably berates the nerds in the audience for knowing who he is without it being said (possibly by turning into a more comic-accurate version of himself) , then confirms that he'll be back in the next one, but not as the big threat. Maybe he'll be there to help, maybe not; depends on his mood that day. After a few more snarky remarks, he gives us a look and tells us to buzz off. We may even get a glimpse at the other imps in the room, those being Bat-Mite, Wondermite, and Mopee. And with that, he snaps his fingers, and the film ends officially.

Yeah, I basically pulled an Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania to bring in Mxyzptlk. And, since that scene is one of the best of the film, I don't think that's a problem! In the next film, we know what Mxyzptlk's identity looks like, and he may even give us a wave from the background in his first appearance in the next film. He won't interfere directly, but in the last post-credits scene of this trilogy, he'll finally get caught by Superman. Over time, Superman's had some experience with magic users, probably via Wonder Woman. And magic, in my universe, has a distinctive smell of some kind.

Knowing that Mxyzptlk's been watching him throughout the films, Clark finally confronts him on it, and asks what he wants. And Mxyzptlk actually replies and shows himself, explaining that the battles to come are pretty intense. He won't help or harm, but he just wanted to give a heads-up, mostly because it's fun. With that and a bit more conversation, Mxyzptlk leaves having given this ominous warning.

Does he return? Maybe during a Crisis on Infinite Earths movie, maybe in the Darkseid-based Justice League film to come, who knows? This version of the character is basically a Watcher, maybe throwing in some fun chaos here and there. It's sort of hard to add Mxyzptlk into a film series, because he's not a plotter. He's an all-powerful one-off character who, were he to be introduced as a genuine threat to the films, could just kill Superman immediately. It wouldn't make sense. So, make him neutrally bent, and keep him as a fun Easter egg character.

That take may be disappointing to some, but...like, c'mon, guys, he's a pretty big gun. Having him as the ultimate threat of a film also wouldn't make it very fun, because we don't want to see him get killed, but he also can't really win. It'd just be unsatisfying. I like the idea of making him this greater, scarier presence, while also making all of the imps these all-powerful observant beings that watch over our plane with fascination and/or reverence. And maybe, just maybe, we can squeeze some mischief in there somewhere.

Any other ideas on how you would introduce Mr. Mxyzptlk to a cinematic universe (if you should at all)? Reblog! Comment! I'm extremely curious, frankly. This was one of, like, three ideas I had, but the one I thought worked best.

And if you liked this, check out my other Superman essays here!

[cedar-sunshine]

Star Excerpt

I've been going back and forth on posting this for a while, but here it is! Feat: Tristan being depressed, Ori being a little off-putting. This is the VERY beginning of star, the opening words. Comment if you want me to post more anytime/if you liked it!

TWs- internalized transphobia (not incredibly overt), discussion of SI, discussion of death, discussion and minor representation of visual hallucinations.

I wrote this when I was dealing with REALLY severe depression and it hasn't been seriously edited since, so I can't vouch for it being great. Hope you enjoy it!

Tristan

It's getting cold faster than usual this year.

It feels like just yesterday that the first couple of leaves fell from the maples, but now I'm walking over ground that cracks and snaps with frost, and my breath hangs in the air like fog.

With hope, the coming winter will pass just as quickly as fall has been, collapsing in on itself in what remains of my mind. Realistically, I'll probably die before that can happen. The main question now is whether I'll die from the sickness, starvation, hypothermia, murder, or the other option. Guessing which one is going to finally take me out is the only thing left in my life that I could call entertaining, in a twisted, fucked up way. There's also a chance I eat the wrong plant and die from poisoning, but I'd argue that that falls under the last option, especially as I've practically memorized the plants in the northwest. It's been my only pastime for the past year and a half, if you don't count vivid fantasies of my own impending death.

You're never really aware of all the interesting ways one can die until you are, aren't you?

As it is, I've decided that my most likely fate will be turning back on my trail, finding the people who I've been running from with less and less conviction for the past eight months, and letting myself be ripped to pieces in whatever horrifying fashion they desire. It wouldn't be much worse than what's going on in my head already, I'd guess. And they'd be right in whatever gruesome thing they have planned for me. It's not like I haven't been asking for this since I ran.

I'm not exactly sure where I'm going, other than a vague idea of 'east'. If I even have the direction right. For all I know, I've been going in circles for months. I can see the mountains in the distance, though, so I can't be too far off. I know the silhouette of the rockies.

My half-formed plan when I first fled was to get to the rockies and find refuge in a cave, gathering food like a bear in the fall, and then count on my pursuers not being able to survive in the mountains. I'm not sure why I had thought that a half-dead, psychotic fifteen year old with identity confusion would survive out there any better than they would, but it's the only plan I have, and without a plan, I don't really have much to do other than sit down and die.

Honestly, that option has been sounding pretty nice lately.

Still, I'm nothing if not a creature of inertia. Every step, every breath, every heartbeat, only exists because I've lost the energy to do anything other than stay the same. What is in motion stays in motion, even as the friction of my brain tears at me to just stop.

I'm not sure why I don't.

The sun is bleeding up from the horizon, lighting the clouds near it a pinkish golden color, bringing color to a gray sky. The mountains are saturated with dark, vivid blue shadows and patches of gleaming white snow that hurts to look at.

The light burns my eyes, and I refocus my gaze on the ground in front of me where brown and orange leaves are encased in frost, crunching under my footsteps. With the frost, I'll be leaving pretty clear footsteps until the sun fully rises, but I can't bring myself to care. A brutal, ritualistic death, no matter how gory and painful, seems no worse than the other option.

I try to avoid thinking about the future. Whenever I do, the pull to just stop gets almost overwhelming, and the panic that causes makes everything around it worse. The stability of my mind is nothing but a coin flip, and when it's landed on heads, I try to do all I can to avoid flipping it again.

Still, the future isn't the most avoidable thing.

As I watch my worn-out shoes leave a trail in the frost and leaves, my thoughts can't help but drift towards one of my many taboo subjects.

What happens next is perhaps the scariest question I can pose to myself, mostly because I don't actually know the answer.

I can feel my pulse lift and the fog of my mind start to thicken and creep towards the lucidity I've held for almost a week now, if you ignore the flashes of blood and corpses that don't exist hanging from trees in the edges of my vision. My hands clench and unclench, fingers racing along my palms, ruined nails scratching at my rough skin.

It's not proper for a girl to have such un-ladylike hands.

It's not proper for a girl to cut her hair and hide in the woods on her own, either, is it?

Perhaps the question of what's proper for a girl isn't the most important thing right now.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my burning mind. This part of the forest doesn't have as much undergrowth as usual- notably, it's missing the rampant salal and huckleberries that I've been seeing around here, along with the old growth trees and logs that scaffold the way for smaller plants. I'd guess that it was clear-cut before the disaster, and is maybe five years out from it.

I wonder if the forest knows that it's safe now, that the power tools are dead and the constant consumerist demand has died with most of the world's population. I wonder if its trauma will live on in its occupants, teaching its deer to flee at any movement and its flowers to hide in the deepest, thickest tangles of plants. I wonder if it knows that the world has changed. Maybe it can feel that the human feet that used to trample it have lessened, and maybe it feeds on the corpses and can taste their disease and fear. Perhaps it remains unaware, always living in fear of the next hunting season or the return of the lumber companies and hikers who tear up the native plants and bring with them grasses and Himalayan blackberries. Perhaps it can see me walking through its trees and it wonders what a child so clearly unfit for this life is doing. Perhaps it waits for me to give up and die, so it can welcome me to its soil and bring me home. Perhaps it sees me as only another of the ones that have torn it from its roots and killed its children and brothers, and it only feels distrust and hatred. Perhaps it still wishes I would give up and die, but only so my threatening existence ends.

Perhaps it's just wood and leaves, and I've truly lost what's left of my mind.

I wonder what it thinks of me, if it looks beyond my humanness and sees that the blood running through my veins is the same as what pulses in its children, a cousin of the golden sap that bleeds from its bark. I wonder who it sees.

A girl with rough hands and a shattered mind, maybe. Or a boy who's met death and come back, rather unwillingly. Maybe it only sees a scared child running blindly, or an animal that sacrificed its humanity to keep its straining, breaking heart beating in its chest. Maybe something else entirely, something that's fading away from the inside out and barely even still going.

I wonder who I would see, if I was brave enough to look.

Orion

I go over the bear trap one last time, making sure that it's not being blocked by anything. It's on its last legs, rusty and creaky. It's not a pretty beast, but it does the job, even if the job might give me tetanus one day. I don't really have another option right now, so I choose to remain positive. I have it set on a rough game trail, with the jaws and trigger covered in vines and leaves. I've got a camp set up in a small cave by a cliff less than a mile from the trap, so I can check it every evening, along with the rope ones that I have on other trails. With luck, I'll get something in a couple days, hopefully big enough to last me through the winter. I dream of the day when I get a moose in my traps.

Once I get a catch, I can dry the meat for the winter, and then next spring I'll keep going east and get over the mountains. The east of the mountains is more habitable than the west, so I'll keep looking for a town of survivors there.

I know that there are people out there, and I know that those people have probably grouped up and started rebuilding societies. It'll take a bit to convince them that I'm not sick, and that I'm not there to steal their resources, but I know I can do it. People like me. I like to think that I've held on to most of my charm through what I can only really describe as the apocalypse. Maybe I'll start a family, if I meet someone there who's sweet and pretty, someone who thinks I am too. Maybe we can find a stray dog and live a small, nice life. I just need to take it step by step, and the next step is finding food.

I've always wished that I knew a bit more about plants, especially since the sickness hit and I've been doing this all on my own. I know the basics- thimbleberries, chanterelles, cedar- but not much more than that. I think it'd be helpful to be one of those people who can dig food from the ground during winter. I'm dealing, though. Perhaps a diet consisting mainly of meat isn't the healthiest thing, but I'd say that I'm actually doing pretty well, given the whole apocalypse situation.

The cliff that I've made my temporary home in is only maybe ten or fifteen feet tall, on the base of a relatively steep hill. The cave's entrance is much shorter than me, but if I crouch, I can get in and into the more sizable inner part, where I still can't really stand up. I have coils of rope shoved into a corner, and I toss my beat-up backpack on top of them before sitting on my equally used sleeping bag. It's developed rips and holes that make it not much more useful than a warm blanket, but a warm blanket is still something.

I've adopted a crepuscular lifestyle more recently, altering my waking time to match that of the wildlife. I set my traps early in the morning and check them long after the sun sets. It took me a bit, but I get around five hours of sleep every time I try, amounting to maybe ten every day. I spend the rest of my time either maintaining my body or fantasizing about the town I'll find in eastern Washington. It's not the most exciting life, but it's nice to have some routine in a world like this.

I don't feel very tired yet, so I pull over my backpack and dump its contents on the base of the cave, searching through them. My two extra knives are tied together with a worn out length of twine, along with my flint in its' case, and my bunched-up, too-large raincoat unfolds on the ground, along with a medley of other things, but it only takes me a few moments to find what I was looking for.

When I was a kid, I got three journals for one of my birthdays. I wrote through one of them before the virus hit, and the second one was finished frantically in the first few months. Those two will be burnt to ashes when I have the time, kindling soaked with things that aren't worth remembering. The one I've been using for the past year or so is about halfway through, with my ideas and feelings journaled about once a week. Most of it is plans, maps, paths over the mountains, dotted with records of where I set traps. I'm no artist, but I've sketched out ideas of what a surviving society might look like. Abstract maps are my strength.

I flip to a new page and pull my pencil out of the inner pocket on my backpack, and begin writing.

When I wake in the evening, my head rests uncomfortably on my open journal, with a messy, half finished list of the steps I'll need to take to get over the rockies. My spine aches from being curled up like a dead shrimp for hours, and when I stretch it cracks more than I think should be healthy. It's colder than it was in the morning, but I push myself to get up and shove my stuff back into my bag.

The sky is gray outside, and the air is that sort of sharp cold that hurts a bit to breathe. Every inhale reminds me that winter is soon, and that I'll be over the rockies by this time next year. Maybe I'll even have found my survivors by then, and I'll have my little life set up. I'm sure any little budding village would be happy to have a young member with trapping knowledge, someone who can contribute and still has his whole life ahead of him.

The trail I've set my traps on takes about two hours to fully complete, and a bit more with my care to avoid my own traps. I've made that mistake once, and I never plan to make it again.

The bear trap is surprisingly well hidden for a metal jaw in the leaves- its rust blends in with the leaves scattered over it, and if I wasn't aware of its existence and studying every step I take, there's a good chance I'd lose a leg to it. I feel a twinge of apology for whatever poor thing gets caught in my trap, but we all need to eat. Anyways, it's probably no more violent than any of the other ways a thing could die out here.

I return to my little cave as the first couple of raindrops start hitting the leaves, and I curl up in my sleeping bag to stay warm as I watch the rain fall.

It's hypnotizing, in a way. The quiet roar is the loudest thing in the woods, and it drowns out any other sound. Within half an hour, the rain has turned from a gentle patter to a downpour, turning the world gray outside of the cave. The cave has a helpful slant that keeps the water from running down to where I'm sitting, but the cold still ends up saturating my skin, soaking through me just as quickly as the rain would.

I lie down and turn away from the cave entrance. There's no better time to sleep than during a rainstorm.

☆☆☆

That's chapter one of star! Thanks for reading (:

[gaast]

As I did this time last year, I wanna take some time to go through all the games I played this year, do little write-ups about them, and move on.

For context, if you're not following the link, a couple years ago I decided to play only one game at a time, and play it to completion before starting a new one. I have been pretty bad at keeping that promise, but it has definitely helped me work through more games.

With that, let's get into late 2023-late 2024:

But first! An update.

I quit Assassin's Creed: Valhalla. I got literally everything you can get on the map and just didn't care enough to play anymore.

FlipWitch - Forbidden Sex Hex, December 6-December 8

A fun pixel-platformer with lewd elements. It hasn't stuck in my head because it didn't really do anything new or memorable, I guess. I remember thinking it was cute, though, and if a lewdgame can leave that kind of impression on me then that means the art was good.

ForumWarz, sometime in December-January 1

This game was made in the late Bush era and it shows. It takes as its entire genetic template the cesspit that was that decade's Internet culture, and amplifies it all to absurd degrees. The game is racist, ableist, homophobic, transphobic--you name it, it's got it.

At its height it had hundreds of concurrent users. I remember sitting in INCIT lobbies just making the most rancid jokes because it was awesome. It grabbed random images from Flickr or something, and tasked players with making a demotivational poster out of them. People would then vote on the funniest one. Meanwhile, you're all in a chat together. Despite how offensive the game tried to be, I remember the users actually being pretty tolerable. It was like if the /b/ of the time were way smaller and moderated.

INCIT doesn't work anymore. The last ForumBuildr forum was created in April 2023. Evil Trout keeps the ForumWarz servers running because it was something he made with his friends, regardless of whether he stands by it--and hosting it is so cheap.

I got so many scoops just because I was the only one playing.

This is a dead game that also serves as a time capsule of an Internet that is no more. It's funny, you can see so many prescient anxieties about Web 2.0 technologies, the ubiquity of search engines, conspiracy theories, and so much stuff that would end up being so deleterious to the Internet's overall health.

And it's still fun.

I blew through it in a couple of days (notwithstanding the above dates; I returned to it after a delay) thanks to buying the forum visits cheat. I don't regret it. It made me feel sad. I was nostalgic for an era of Web gaming that just doesn't exist anymore. I was nostalgic for the anxieties we used to have about what is now our reality.

I'd honestly still recommend that you try this game out. It's indefensible. But it has something to say that I don't think it did back in 2008. If nothing else, it's the most engaging way I've yet to see a game take place on the Internet.

Buckshot Roulette, January 12

Well worth it. Fantastic atmosphere and gameplay and graphics. Deserves the hype.

The Other Side, January 12

Really cool, well-executed short horror experience.

Cuphead, January 15

This was my second foray into Cuphead; my first had come many years earlier.

The date is a bit misleading. I started late in the night of January 11 (so it was the morning of the 15th) and I finished it later that day.

It's good! It's really fun! It's very snappy, and it always feels like it's your decisions or execution that caused you to lose.

But, like... I thought it was supposed to be difficult? Everyone always said that it's difficult. It's pretty easy.

Ah well. Still worth it.

Myst III: Exile, January 14-January 16

The "one game" policy apparently failed me a little more than a month after my first roundup post, I see.

For me, this was revisiting a classic. Exile isn't my favorite of the original trilogy, but it's still an awesome game, and it has an emotional payoff, even if you're not a fan of Saavedro.

It's the peak of the original trilogy, imo, in gameplay and visuals (though some of the puzzles are... not the best). If it had a better, more engaging story like a certain one of its predecessors, it'd be so much better...

The Coffin of Andy and Leyley, Chapters 1 and 2, January 20

This game is shaping up to be fantastic. Honestly. It has all the makings of a modern horror classic. I'm super excited to see where the remainder of the game goes. If it can ride the momentum it built in the first chapters, it'll be a fantastic success.

Neotrogla, January

This one stuck with me. It's a short Twine about swarms and being trans and working class. And dead bodies.

Play it if you're okay with the thought of becoming a hive. Otherwise, stay away.

Drain Mansion, January 27-January 28

Another lewd platformer! In the style of lewd platformers I enjoy!

Sadly this one didn't stick with me. It was more fun to play, I think, than others of its ilk, but a bit less enjoyable overall. The constrained setting doesn't actually do it any favors.

Cover Me In Leaves, January 28

...I'm so sorry, I don't remember this one at all.

Darkest Dungeon, December-February 1

I wanted something that played like Dohna Dohna and this sure counted. More of a -core game than the porn one, though.

It's fun, it's really fun, and I liked it a lot, but I personally wasn't compelled by it. I'd get the sequel just to play more of its gameplay, but not because I'm invested.

Sonic Forces, December 27-February 2

This game sucks.

What a fresh take on a bad game, I know, but its crime isn't just that it's bad. It's that it's boring. It is a boring game. Liam O'Brien's voice work is maybe the only thing in it that excites.

But it's real crime is that it isn't awful in a spectacular way. It's just mid. Mid, with horrible controls.

Warhammer 40,000: Mechanicus, February 2-February 17

I'd been wanting to "get into" Warhammer for a little while. I saw this game was on sale for cheap on Steam so I got it. Around the same time, I was like, "I wanna play an XCOMlike. This was the first game that came up in a search for that.

Gotta say, this game rules. Maybe it's a bit repetitive, but the combat always feels engaging, the music is fantastic, the visuals are great, and the writing (despite grammatical issues that I just cannot let slide) is very, very fun.

Looking forward to the sequel.

In Stars and Time, February 18-February 25

Sometimes a game just gets it. Gets you. Nails your internal monologue. Replicates your fears.

Scenes from this game still haunt me.

Better yet, it's a mostly-lighthearted adventure RPG. It's heavily dialogue-focused, which is great because the five main characters are such a joy to spend time with. It's even better watching it all break down thanks to the desperate, painful, terrified actions of but one of them.

It sucks, you know.

I'm so glad this game came to my attention. I'm so glad it's getting so much recognition. It deserves it, it really does.

I can't recommend it enough. Also, the instruction manual comes with a recipe for cookies, which I baked and were pretty good!

Armored Core VI: Fires of Rubicon, February 25-March 5

I wanted to play a robot game and I had never played any of From's offerings outside of its Soulslikes. So I gave it a shot.

The game's good. The graphics are great. The characters are fun.

That's about it, though. I found it to be frustrating, and it hasn't really stuck with me. It was just another game I've played. Which is a shame.

Boyfriend Dungeon, March 8-March 15

I enjoyed it enough to get all of the achievements, but I wouldn't call it a standout game or anything. It's good--it works, it's fun, it keeps you engaged--but it didn't have nearly the depth I wanted from it.

It's an indie offering so I can't really knock it too much for lacking depth, but I think it promised more than it should have. A smaller roster to start with that expanded through updates might have been a better call. I don't know.

Not to say I'm down on Boyfriend Dungeon. I like it a lot and definitely recommend it. Just go in with tamer expectations than I did.

Death of a Wish, March 15-March 17

Ah, the sequel to one of my favorite games ever, Lucah: Born of a Dream. It lives up to its promise. The action is just as intense, if not more so thanks to the awesome parry system, and the visuals remain stark, unique, and bleak.

The world itself is much less abstract, viewed through Christian's eyes, but it's still just as fucked. If anything, it's even more fucked, with little to oppose the forces that be, apart from some children who can't get their acts together because one of them just can't get along correctly.

And that's what I like about this game so much. Christian's failing is that he takes too much onto his shoulders at once and in the process tramples over his friends without meaning to. By figuring out how to work together with them, that's when the world starts changing.

Something we should all remember, I think.

Cassette Beasts, March 18-March 30

This game knows what it is, and it makes sure you know that it's its own thing. It's fun, with great designs, awesome setpiece fights, fun music, and great twists on the gameplay. It also looks really pretty.

You should play this game.

In Other Waters, April 4-April 8

This is a very interesting game that is just too railroaded to rise above itself. Also, the grammar is kind of unforgivable.

Still worth playing, but...

Dangan Ronpa: Ultra Despair Girls, April 9-April 13

A continuation of my goal to engage with the whole series. Ultra Despair Girls is really easy but it's also really fun. I enjoyed it a lot.

The Legend of Zelda: Link's Awakening DX HD, April 27-May 5

I've never played the original, and when I remembered that I had downloaded this before Nintendo could nuke it.

It's fantastic! The team behind this remake did an amazing job making everything look good, feel good, and work good. It really does feel just like playing a GBC game that... keeps going.

And Link's Awakening itself is a classic for a reason. It's really good.

The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Seasons and The Legend of Zelda: Oracle of Ages, May-May 26

I'd played both these games when I was a kid, and going through Link's Awakening made me wanna replay them. I'm not upset that I did. They're still as great as I remembered they were.

I know that people who've played these titles kind of evangelize about them but they really are the underappreciated gems of this series.

Loop Hero, May 26-June 9

I finally managed to finish this game. I'd been playing on and off for years but never managed to get too far because I didn't quite understand how resource-gathering worked and also I didn't take big enough risks.

So, Loop Hero is fantastic. It's dismal, bleak, and grimy. It's got great art, even better music, and stressful, engaging gameplay. Don't pass it up.

Tales of Hearts R, April 16-June 23

The last Tales game I played was Zestiria around when it came out, and it was so bad that I stopped playing any Tales games at all. And I had had a dream of playing all of them!

But I wanted to use my Vita and I had already bought Hearts R. So I figured I'd give it a shot.

I fell in love. It's a Tales game so it's never astounding, but man, it's really fun, with actually multifaceted characters, great music, and fun battles. It's everything you'd want from a Tales game.

The dream is back.

Riven (2024), June 26-June 28

Riven: The Sequel to Myst is one of my favorite games, so learning that they'd released a faithful yet updated version of it meant I had to try it immediately.

This is probably the version of Riven I'd tell new players to start with. It's got a lot of features that make it easier to get into, and some of the more egregious puzzles have been changed to be less, you know, bullshit. But in the transition from still-based point-and-click to real-time (which works very well) was lost some of the charming parts of the original, especially the FMV portions that really, really sold the original trilogy.

Weirdly, this version adds some tedium, with a bit of extra backtracking, and more of the village on Jungle Island to "explore," except it's a lot of ladders to climb very slowly and get lost in while trying to figure out some of the more intricate large-scale puzzles, including the new ones. I managed to lose track of the submersible for a while even though that really shouldn't happen?

But at its core, it's still Riven, and this update was made with clear, intense love for the original. If the original was exactly the same but they replaced the sound-number elements with what they did in 2024 (for accessibility), plus adding in the free exploration, it'd be the perfect Riven.

Even if you've played the original Riven, play this one, too, because it's really fascinating to see what changes they made for 2024 and how they stayed faithful to its source material.

But if it's your first time playing a Myst game, start here. And then play the original Riven.

Another Crab's Treasure, August 3-August 10

I love this game. It is what it is and it knows what it is. You'll either like that or you won't.

Fear & Hunger, May 7-August 15

I could write essays about this game.

I'll just say that I love it and it's fantastic.

Mother 3, finished August 30

Another game to write essays about. I fucking love this game. It's not new to say it's incredible. But it really is one of the best RPGs I've ever played. Please play it.

Warhammer 40,000: Boltgun, August 10-September 15

Super fun and incredibly well-executed FPS. Love it.

milk inside a bag of milk inside a bag of milk, September 15

Oof (positive).

Persona 5 Tactica and Repaint Your Heart, September 20-October 19

I wanted a strategy game and I got a strategy game.

I actually really love this game. It's good. Really good. Because it takes place after Persona 5, the Phantom Thieves already know each other and get to be cute and together for the whole time.

The new main characters added for Tactica are adorable and I love them. The DLC also adds even more great character designs. And the music overall is great.

It's hard to recommend if you don't know Persona 5 and you're not already predisposed to liking the battle system. But man. It's really good. And nowhere near the amount of people will play it as it deserves.

Daemonologie, October 27

Oof (positive).

The visuals are astounding.

Mouthwashing, October 27

Not gonna talk about this one. I love it, though.

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine 2, October 13-October 28

It's fantastic. It's everything you want. It looks so fucking good.

That's all.

Fuga: Melodies of Steel, October 28-November 14

I love it!! It's so much fun!!! The designs are so good!!!!! Play it!!!!!!!

Warhammer 40,000: Space Marine, November 9-November 17

A bit crusty, but it's still good.

Fire Emblem: Engage, November 15-December 1

It's okay. It's very okay! And that's fine.

It's fine. The art is fine. The maps are fine. The combat is fine. The music is fine. It's all fine. Nothing too good, nothing too bad.

It's a shame, because Fire Emblem as a series promises so much. But it has severe limitations that I'll talk about some other time.

Anyway, I like Engage.

Celeste, December 2-December 4

It's pretty good! I don't think it's as great as people made it sound to be, but it's fun and snappy and works. If you want to play a game like Celeste then play Celeste.

[four-alligators-in-a-trenchcoat]

Transitioning to a Flip Phone: Beginning

As my semester started winding down, and finals started ranking up I found myself going back to the ever-present though of transitioning to a flip phone. I finally did it! Here is how it is going. I had done tons of research about transitioning to a flip phone months before hand, I didn't have many requirements like needing WhatsApp or any particular apps as I had access to my computer for specific things such as banking and schoolwork. I ended up going with the Sunbeam Bluebird for a couple reasons, despite its price. (also I just wrote it off as a reward for completing my semester lol)

Accessibility: I knew I wanted a T9 flip phone, a QRTY keyboard would have never worked for me at a flip phone size, woe to my fine motor skills. Voice-to-text is an option if you pay for the subscription (I do) and so although I try to exclusively type as a way to get proficient, longer more urgent texts can be sent quickly. Its very accurate as well! Restrictions: No social media! No googling! No videos! Nothing! Its all I have ever wanted from a flip phone, restriction wise. Instagram reels is/was such an addiction for me, and even with time-limits, greyscale, and just un-downloading it, I always came back to scroll. I was debating on whether or not I wanted a search engine, because although I love to google all the random questions I have, I also will absolutely read on AO3 for as much time as I can possibly allocate to that. Although I am not a huge fan of reading FF on the laptop, its a small workaround for the benefits im seeing. On the case of music: Spotify, I REALLY wanted to keep this as an app, but knew that with what I was looking for I would need to take that loss. I can download music onto the phone through an SD card, and it still has bluetooth which means I am still able to use my noise-cancelling headphones. Additionally, I mainly listen to music while im studying, which means I can just listen through my laptop; and I dont mind driving in silence. Basic Qualifications: Number one, navigation, Im in an area where the construction is crazy and I cant always rely on road signs. I live out in the country, so I havent needed or had the chance to memorize anything other than my usual routes and highways. Luckily, the Bluebird has Waze (which I had never used before) but it works really well! I will need to find a way to attach it to my dash so I'm not looking down at my lap though... I mentioned bluetooth in restrictions, but it was important to me that I could connect my QuiteComfort Bose headphones, especially being on a loud college campus and needing some peace and quiet to study properly.

The transitionary phase was incredibly easy, I have an AT&T phone plan and I just switched my SIM card from my iPhone to my Bluebird. Boom. Done. I imported my contacts with a MicroSD card which was equally as efficient. I can still access and use Messages on my MacBook, but they don't sync to my flip phone. All messages go through to the device I last messaged on. I did have to manually set up my voicemail, but that didnt take much effort.

The only difficulties I have had to deal with is that both my job and my school require apps for two-factor authentication. I believe I can work around that for my school, and get authentication codes by text message, but for my work I don't have that option. This is a big reason why I am considering keeping my iPhone useable, just without a SIM.

On the note of what I am going to do with my iPhone, for right now it is being kept charged and usable, because I'm still transitioning some of the information (like menstrual trackers) and the mentioned need for TFA. Another PRO about the Bluebird is that it does have hotspot capabilities, so Im assuming I would be able to connect my iPhone if I was ever out in the wild and needed to use it, assuming of course that I had taken my iPhone with me.

Day 3 Final Overview:

I have gotten quicker at typing on the T9 predictive keyboard and feel confident responding to messages without using text-to-speech. I also figured out how to attach media to my messages, which means everybody is receiving grainy low-quality pictures of my cats. Im finding that I have so much extra time to do things during the day. Where keeping up with household chores sometimes gets overwhelming by becoming a huge task to schedule into my day, I can do smaller things during downtime. Reheating some food for lunch? Five minuets in the toaster? Boom, I can clean off the counters, sweep the floor, and pick up a little as I wait. That makes such a huge impact on my day-to-day especially compared to the 40 reels I could have seen and than totally forgotten. I learned how to change the ring-tones for my contacts and notifications. There is a 'wolf howling' option that has been dedicated to my friends, of course. The little jingle of my phone can only mean that someone has texted me, so I'm less paranoid about notifications and the urge to pick up my phone whenever I see the screen light up. That was such a huge distraction in my day, picking up my iPhone to check my notifications quickly turned into a 'quick scroll' through Pinterest (my beloved) or Instagram, which was constantly detrimental to my studies. In overview, I'm having a good time and I'm excited to stick with it, especially as winter break approaches (TWO MORE FINALS LEFT LETS GO) and I have a ton of free time I would have spent on my phone. I'm excited to start reading more!