#it's just that i don't really like my tape design

[theagstd]

One Night Stand ; 42

➥ rundown ; as if the unexpected twist of a one-night stand turning out to be your CEO boss wasn't surreal enough, the situation takes a more challenging turn when both of you discover that you're expecting his child.

→ genre ; enemies to lovers | CEO au | pregnancy trope | slowburn

→ Jungkook x y/n

→ contains smut, fluff and angst

→ Chapter forty two ; wc | 8.3k

primarily on Wattpad

index ⇢ next chapter

Jungkook spent the rest of his night with you, secretly. you insisted he comes up to your bedroom since it's the last night you both have here in your home country, the flight is early the next day so you will be leaving your parent's place by midnight.

"y/n you're gonna get us in trouble-" "no I'm not, I just want you to look around..." "we can do this in the morning too." you rolled your eyes while you tiptoe back to your room as he holds your hand tightly, making sure you do not fall over in the dark.

"not when my parents are gonna keep their eyes glued on the both of us the whole damn day." You gently close the door behind you, making sure to lock it. Turning around, you face the man standing there with his hands on his hips, and you wrap him in the biggest hug you can manage ...though your pregnant belly gets in the way, making it impossible to give him the full, squishiest hug you're aiming for.

"I've missed you so much." Jungkook can't stop beaming his signature bunny smile. To him, this is the cutest you've ever been, and he's at a loss for words—or actions—that could convey just how head over heels he is for this version of you.

"I've missed you much more darling.." he murmurs into your hair as he places a kiss. You pull away from him and look up to see his face, his hair covers his forehead and his eyes curiously search your face as they smile before his lips do.

Jungkook watches you, he notices how you look at him with so much love and adoration and he wants to tell you so much, not just three words but so much more, he can't find them though.

The words, because it's not much, he doesn't think he can just say it, it's not worth it, he wants to show you to make you feel them and he just can't wait to go back home and embrace you in himself. "let me show you around."

you whisper and change the atmosphere because you know and feel it too and here is not the place, god it's not. This isn't your home now, your home is where you and Jungkook belong together, sleep together share memories and make love together and it is waiting back in Korea for you both.

"I've spent my whole life here; you can see the very old posters of The Beatles and Ariana Grande." You both glance at the walls, where the faded, curling edges of the posters tell stories of years gone by. Jungkook chuckles softly, his eyes lingering on a particularly worn Beatles poster. "This one looks like it's been through a lot,"

he says, pointing at a corner held together by yellowing tape. "Well, it survived my teenage angst and an unfortunate attempt at redecorating," you reply with a laugh. He smiles warmly, his gaze shifting to you.

"You had an awful taste in decorating, my love," Jungkook teases as he turns around and walks over to inspect the other posters plastered on your wall. You frown, trailing after him.

"Really? You get to tell me that?" "Why not? Just look at this selection," he says, smirking as he points to one of the posters. "You've managed to pick the top 10 most random and iconic pictures ever—like, what even is this lineup?"

You cross your arms, glaring playfully. "Excuse me, but this 'random lineup' was carefully curated during my teenage years. Don't disrespect the effort!" He laughs his bunny smile in full force and taps on the corner of a faded Ariana Grande poster.

"Yeah, because clearly, this is peak interior design, genius." you roll your eyes and punch his shoulder which he giggles over, he loves teasing you over the stupidest matters, it's how you two even bonded. How this whole everything started- teasing.

Whether it was the night you both met each other at the club, how you took the first step teasing him about how he stares at you and how you both teased each other the whole past 8 months whilst being together as boss and secretary to now... to-be- parents and maybe more?

There's not much around your old bedroom, after all, it has been more than 3 years since you've been here and nothing has changed, except how lonely and unlively it is now unlike before, how you would keep it colorful with fancy lights and books decorating your table and how your bed would be made with plushies and cute bedsheets, now its all just dull and mature.

maybe you don't like this much because you're used to the shades of rich colors back at Jungkook's place, how bright yet soothing the colors feel unlike your old bedroom which has far too many colors. Your tastes have changed now, you've become a new person, a better person and you like it, you like yourself more now.

"I want to go back home." you murmur as you lay on Jungkook's chest, his fingertips caressing your locks as he leans against your bedhead. "this is home too. Your home, your first home." he reminds you, he wants to tell you to recall the memories and moments, although the definition of home has changed for you now, this place and the people here are still your first.

He doesn't want you to forget that no matter how much it changes for you. "I know... I know and I- I love this place too, it's dear to me. But..." your voice trails as you play with the thread of your sweater, a pout decorating your lips.

You know this is not what he means yet Jungkook's words feel like you don't care or feel much for this place and it makes you sad and angry even that his words feel like it's putting you down.

You just miss your place, the place you've gotten so comfortable the past few months, a place you never want to leave. Even though that place has no people except for Jungkook that you feel dear to, it means much much more than a place with people you know.

You've formed that connection with the walls of the house that you don't need people, you don't need anyone, all you want is Jungkook and Bam and it's enough, it's the world for you.

It's funny because you grew up with people around you, your parents, grandparents, uncles and aunts, cousins, many pets and friends. Coming to Korea was a massive change to your life when you had no one to call your own but after the whole chaos you finally found peace, love and people in one person and even though he was with you here, right next to you, he doesn't feel home yet and you know its because of the rules your parents made.

"but..?" he asks gently. "but I miss it." he chuckles this time, your head shakes at the rumbling of the laughter from his stomach. "just one more day and we'll be back there, bear. Don't worry, I'm not leaving you here or anywhere. You're coming with me, home. our home."

"Promise?" he smiles, and this time he looks down at you, while your head shifts to look up at him. "I will never go back without you, you're in this with me, forever. Understand?" he presses his fingers together on either side of your cheek, making your pout even bigger as you both erupt in laughter.

"it's too late y/n, I think I should get back to the room-" "Stay until I sleep, please... I can't fall asleep," you mumble as you gaze at him for sometime, trying to tell him that it's difficult to sleep up here, alone.

He smiles, nodding his head he decides to stay just an hour longer until your eyes close. His fingers run through your hair, his breathing soothes you in the silent night.

You realize just how close you are to Jungkook—something you haven't felt in years, not even with the man you loved for so long and had plans with. Jungkook looks up at the ceiling, thinking about how calm he is around you and how much he loves you. he can't wait to go back home too, to have you all by himself.

He places a kiss on the temple of your forehead, and attempts to leave your room but your hold on his t-shirt is too tight that he does not have the heart to pull you away, so he decides to stay the night even though he is unsure and afraid even of what your parents might feel about this.

-

The morning comes by, and the chirping of the birds and the sun's rays wake you up. You blink a few times before heaving a deep sigh, as you turn to your side you notice the bed is empty and there's no sign of Jungkook. You think he must've left early in fear of what your parents might say. "morning baby!"

you caress your belly as you attempt to get out of bed slowly, now that your bump is getting big. After freshening up, you head downstairs, stopping in your tracks when you hear laughter—coming from not one direction but three. You peek into the living room and freeze.

Jungkook is sitting there, laughing with your parents like they've been best friends for years. "Oh, Y/N, honey! Come here," your mom calls out, way too cheerful. You frown, feeling completely out of the loop, and reluctantly sit down beside Jungkook. He turns to you with those smiley eyes, his grin wide enough to make your heart do a little flip.

"You didn't tell me you won the prom dance and got crowned prom queen?" he teases, his voice all playful. Your jaw drops as you look between your parents, trying to piece together what's happening. "Uh... what?" you ask nervously, your voice almost cracking.

The sudden question catches you completely off guard, and for a good reason—you'd practically erased that memory from your mind. It was, after all, one of the cringiest moments of your life, one you'd been trying to delete ever since. "go on, tell him." Your mom leans forward, clearly ready to nudge you further into the conversation, but your curiosity gets the better of you first.

You glance between the three of them, raising an eyebrow. "Okay, hold on," you say, crossing your arms. "Can someone explain how you three became best friends overnight? Because this was not the vibe yesterday." the three of them erupt in laughter, confusing you even more.

"Oh, hun, should we tell them?" your mom asks your dad, her eyes glinting with mischief. Your dad chuckles, giving her a nod. "Your mom and I caught you two in the kitchen last night." At that, Jungkook choked on the water he was drinking, his coughs escalating into a fit. Meanwhile, your eyes nearly pop out of their sockets.

"You... what?" Your mom waves a hand, trying to stifle her laughter. "Oh, don't act so surprised! We saw you two, all close and cozy by the fridge. You thought we didn't hear the giggles?" Jungkook finally catches his breath, his face flushed, whether from coughing or sheer embarrassment, you can't tell.

"I... uh... wow, okay," he mumbles, avoiding eye contact. You gape at them, mortified. "Seriously? You were spying on us?" Your dad raises a brow, clearly amused. "Spying? You were right there! If you're gonna sneak snacks in the middle of the night, at least keep it down." Both Jungkook and you have never been so embarrassed before, his eyes turn red, and so do your cheeks.

"It's okay now," your mom says, her tone far too reassuring for your liking. "Your dad and I experienced this too back in our day. It's not too—" "Stop. Right there." You hold up a hand, your face burning with secondhand embarrassment.

"Please don't finish that sentence." Jungkook shifts awkwardly beside you, looking like he's debating whether to laugh or flee the scene entirely. "Yeah, uh... let's not compare notes here," he mumbles, scratching the back of his neck. But your mom just smiles knowingly, leaning back in her chair.

"Oh, sweetie, you'll understand someday." You groan, sinking lower in your seat as Jungkook glances at you, his lips twitching like he's fighting back a grin. "At least they didn't hear all the nonsense we spoke about..." "Oh god, we did. do not have to whisper now, we heard all of that." "okayyyyy I'm leaving-"

"Y/n, sit back down and have breakfast." "you need to stop embarrassing us!!" "fine, I'll stop." your mother puts her hands up, giving up as you all laugh it off. "now tell me the whole prom stuff. " "mom I can't believe you told him that!" "I had to!!" ......

-

Your parents realized a little late how deeply the two of you loved each other. Your father quickly came around, accepting your feelings almost immediately. Your mother, however, was more hesitant. She wasn't happy with your choice, as he didn't fit her expectations, especially with his tattoos and appearance.

But as she watched the way you both missed and cared for each other, she began to see how genuine your love was. all night she barely got any sleep, recalling how unfair she was towards you both, she understood she'd been wrong to withhold her support, especially after watching you two in the kitchen and how close you two were.

She never really had anything against Jungkook, and now she knows she never will. It's so obvious how much he cares about you—she can see it in his eyes now. The first time she met him, she didn't even give him a proper look, brushing him off completely. But now, as she takes a moment to notice him, it hits her.

There's this little ache in her chest because she knows she was unfair, cold, and unwelcoming to someone who's done nothing but love, support, and take care of you—all on his own. it took her some time to get over her thoughts and talk to him, she's glad you woke up later. you didn't have to see the awkward conversation between your mother and Jungkook.

putting her ego aside was difficult but not too much because she looked in the eye of the boy who loves her daughter and who she loves too. Jungkook could see her hesitation but he calmly paid attention to her and with your father around, it took no time for the three of them to gel up.

the four of you sit together in the living room, laughter fills every corner as he flips the next page of your baby album. "y/n! you're adorable. I've never seen a prettier child than you." Jungkook hums softly as he settles beside you, pulling the photobook closer to his face to admire you better.

His gaze lingers, studying your features closely. Your lips were always so plump, and your eyes so big and round—he can't help but wish they hadn't changed much as you grew older. But then, there's your hazel eyes now, deep and alluring, like a siren's call. It's those eyes that make him fall for you even harder every time he looks at you.

"she was the prettiest child.  no one in either of our families has seen a child more beautiful than her." "Mom now..." you roll your eyes as you blush at the compliments you receive. it's too much to handle and it's brushing on your already large ego. "Our Y/N is a princess. We just needed a king for her," your dad says, draping an arm around your shoulder and pulling you closer with a proud smile.

Meanwhile, your mother, sitting beside Jungkook, nudges his shoulder with hers, raising her eyebrows playfully. Jungkook tries to smile, but the lump in his throat is hard to ignore. Your dad's comment echoes in his mind, and though it was meant as a compliment, it only makes him doubt himself more.

A king? He thinks you deserve so much better—someone greater than him—and he can't help but feel a little low, wondering if your parents might secretly feel the same way about him. "He is one, Dad. He keeps me like a queen," you say proudly, placing your hand on Jungkook's thigh and looking up at him with a warm smile.

Jungkook glances at you, chuckling softly. "We're not playing kingdom here," he teases. "All I want is a partner, and she's... she's just the perfect woman I could ever hope to find. Though, I do agree—she deserves a king, someone way bet-..."

You roll your eyes, cutting him off with a playful smile. "You need to stop! I don't need a king. Even though you... are one—with your mansion and all that— you're just a simple man. And that's exactly what I love and want."

The two of you get so caught up in your words, exchanging soft smiles and heartfelt glances, that you don't even notice your parents watching you. They exchange a look of pride and joy, their hearts full. Seeing the love and understanding between you both reassures them that you made no mistake—in fact, you've done everything right by choosing this man.

"alright alright now... you both need to get a room." your dad jokes and you immediately cringe at her words. "ew dad!!" "What?!! you two were lost in your world, I had to say something. anyways I've got a great plan." he gets up from the couch and claps his hands. "why don't you both, go around the city.. show him your school,

and the parks and just spend the rest of your day out... Jungkook has barely seen around the neighborhood." you look over at him and see him raising his eyebrows at you. "should we..." you whisper and he shrugs.

"It's a good idea, I haven't made out with you in so long-..." "shhh y/n-" "okay dad!!" you pull Jungkook's arm so he can get up from the couch, he looks over at your mom and sniggers. "is she always this excited?" "Trust me she is, only if she loves the person."

;

"You need to be careful, baby," he says as he puts on a coat for you, evenings can get cold so he can't take the risk of you falling sick. You're dressed in a summer dress, that fits your bump perfectly. It's a pretty baby pink and lavender and a hint of cream.

"I am! I'm just so excited," you exclaim as you grab a couple of snacks to put them inside your bag. "Sit down, I'll tie your lace." You sink onto the couch as Jungkook gets down on his knees to carefully tie your shoelace. With your growing belly in the way, bending down has become nearly impossible, and you can't even see your shoes anymore.

"All done!" he says, giving a gentle tap on your thigh as he stands back up. "Y/N, honey, son... take care, okay? Call us if you both need anything," your dad says warmly, and you both nod in response. You step out into the front yard, pausing at the doorstep while Jungkook walks to your dad's car. He opens the door for you, carefully guiding you inside.

As he climbs into the driver's seat, you give a wave to your parents before driving off. You guide him through the neighborhood, showing him the area and telling him how different it was during your childhood, and how you made friends around and were so close to them as you grew up. He listened to you ranting about high school drama and the dork you were.

You didn't tell him about the other details, because you wanna save them for later when you show him the place. "Isn't this nice?! I never thought I would be driving around the town, pregnant! never imagined this day would come so so soon..."

You let out a soft sigh, gazing at the early signs of fall while taking in the familiar sights of your hometown. Jungkook occasionally glances at you as he drives, his pace careful and unhurried. When you finally speak, it stirs a question in his mind: are you truly happy about this?

On the surface, you seem cheerful, your usual excitement shining through. But deep down, could there be a shadow of sadness or guilt you're keeping from him? He doesn't want to press you, yet his curiosity lingers.

"Oh! Let's walk around here," you suddenly say, pointing toward a garden. "You can park over there." Without hesitation, Jungkook steers into the spot you indicated. You both walk around the concrete, and you look down, biting back a smile as you feel giddy about this place.

The man beside you frowns as he looks around in an attempt to find something that amusing you so much. "anything or anybody around? Making you smile so much?" he asks as he gets closer to you. You roll your eyes and silently gesture toward a bench overlooking the children's playground. Without a word, you both take a seat.

Jungkook waits patiently, sensing that something's on your mind but unable to pinpoint what. Is it a memory? Someone nearby? "You've got to tell me what you're hiding," he finally says, breaking the silence. "Do I look extra good today, or what?"

he dusts his jacket and makes his eyes to show off himself to you. "Oh, please!" you scoff, rolling your eyes. "Calm down, Mr. Full-of-Yourself." You have to admit though, he looks irresistible in that hoodie and baggy sweatpants, he looks so warm, you might even...

"What is it, then? Why are you blushing so much?" he asks again,  this time more insistently. you chuckle and look at the little children sliding down the red max slide. "you wanna know?" you ask and he nods eagerly. you get closer to him, however you don't meet his eyes.

"I had my first kiss here..." Jungkook's ears perk up at your words. "I was 15, and there was this boy named 'Taylor.' We weren't anything official, but I knew he liked me... One afternoon, we walked to this park, just talking about everything—the craziest stuff. We sat on a bench, and he was quiet, a little shy, never saying how he felt. I guess I was too, at first. But then, the words just slipped out..."

your voice trails off,  your gaze lowering as a faint blush creeps onto your cheeks. Jungkook watches you intently, his expression soft, his dark eyes focused entirely on you. There's a moment of silence as you gathers your thoughts, his quiet presence giving you the space to continue. "...and before I knew it, it just happened."

your voice is barely a whisper now, face flushed with a mix of embarrassment and nostalgia. Jungkook leans in slightly, his curiosity evident, waiting patiently as if the story holds more than just words. you take some time as you smile, looking at the kids.

"so.. how was it?" he asks. he doesn't want to show you but he feels tenderly jealous. He's fully aware that this was all a years old tale but he couldn't help but feel that pit in his stomach. "it was really bad, the both of us were....sloppy and god.."

You chuckle softly as you reminisce, watching Jungkook clench his jaw, his lips twitching like he wants to laugh too but holding back. You glance at him and notice how his expression shifts—his brow furrowing deeper with a hint of discomfort. This makes you laugh even harder, and he frowns deeper, clearly resisting a smile.

"What's funny?" he asks, his voice low and serious. You reach out to pinch his cheeks gently. "You look so cute when you're jealous, you know." He frowns again, gently pushing your hand away. "I'm not jealous." "Oh, heck you are," you tease, cupping his jaw and pulling him closer just a little.

"There's no way you're kissing me on this bench where you kissed some random Taylon." You burst into laughter, shaking your head. "His name is Taylor, not Taylon! God, baby, you're hilarious." Jungkook stiffens at that—at the unexpected nickname.

Did you just call him baby? His breath catches for a moment. he looks over at you and sees you still laughing, caressing your bump. "what did you call me again?" he asks. you look around the place like you hadn't heard him, picking your inner cheek to act like you're not with him. "look at me." he murmurs but you don't.

You continue to ignore him, enjoying the moment as you gently tease him. "Darling, look at me," he says softly, pulling your elbow gently to turn you toward him. You comply, your gaze meeting his wide, warm brown eyes. He looks at you like he's never heard that word before—though he often uses it himself, hearing it come from your lips feels different, sweeter.

His heart races, faster than it ever has before. You notice the way his eyes sparkle, full of emotion, and can't help but smile. "What did you call me?" he asks, his voice soft this time, almost reverent. He seems to want the entire world to be silent so that when you say it again, it resonates loudly in his ears—only his, spoken from you.

so you give in to it and whisper. "Baby...my...baby..." This clenches his heart so much, that he feels it in his throat, he feels his heart drop to his stomach, and he feels the little cocoons in his stomach open up and become butterflies as they fly around, making him feel giddy. he loves it, he loves everything you say but this- this is heaven.

he might die if you say it once more. You notice his eyes shifting across your face, each glance more intense than the last. Those sparkles—bright and endless—reveal more than just emotion.

You see the moonlight, galaxies, and the entire universe swirling inside those deep, warm brown orbs. Every blink feels like a new revelation, a glimpse into a world only he holds. you never thought a man would feel so much by one word, but here he is.

the man of your dreams, your life and your world. going crazy that you called him 'baby'.  his lips twitch, he can't wait to kiss you. he must kiss you, god, he must. so he does. he cups your jaw and gently places a kiss on your lips. the kiss makes you feel so out of place, it feels soft and tastes ever so sweet. you missed him, that you know, but this much?

it's like you can't get enough of him, and he feels the same. here you are making out with the man you know you are settling with, the father of your child and the man of your unexpected dreams. kissing him on the same spot you had your first kiss and somehow this one feels a thousand times more than anything you've ever felt.

It's real, raw, sweet, it's a dream and everything you've ever needed and ever asked for. it's like living in a bubble, a perfect bubble in a perfect world, with the perfect man and the perfect kiss.

your kiss is interrupted when a little boy comes to you and taps on your knee. you look at him curiously. "hey...are you okay?" you ask him and he nods. he seems to be about 4, not younger or older. he wears a blue jumpsuit and a little bucket hat. "you have a little boy?" he points at your belly and you look down at it with a smile.

"I'm not sure, love. maybe a boy or a little girl.." the boy giggles as he looks over at Jungkook who gives him a wink. "what do you think champ? boy or girl?" "Mmm.," he thinks. "my mama has a baby too. little brother. I think you...have a baby girl." he says and you look at Jungkook with wide eyes who looks back at you with a wide smile.

"yeah?" he asks and the boy nods. "I hope so too.. just like her mama." he murmurs as he looks over to you and you blush. "Jo- jo, come to mama..." you both hear his mother call out for him and he responds immediately. "here.. for you.." he hands you a lollipop, which you take with a smile. "you look pretty, lady..." "thanks love."

"come here." Jungkook gives the boy a high five before walking away toward his mother, who gives you a warm smile. You glance at the man sitting beside you, who has bright red ears. "You heard that?" you ask, raising an eyebrow.

He nods and opens his arms, pulling you into a gentle side hug. "He was the sweetest boy." "He is, he is," you whisper, smiling softly. Jungkook places a kiss on your head, his thoughts lingering on the moment.

The way you spoke to the child so kindly, with that motherly tenderness, shows a different side of you—a side he hasn't seen before. But he knows without a doubt that he'll cherish this part of you the most. For once in these few months he can't wait to see you give birth to the child you're carrying... his child. 

Jungkook and you leave the park after spending only a few minutes there. Once back on the road, you decide to show him around—a little tour of the places that shaped your life. You point out your college, where you spent countless hours chasing dreams and deadlines, and then gesture toward a few of your cousins' homes.

Though you glance their way, you quickly decide against visiting them, especially in your current situation. You know too well that stepping inside would mean turning your personal life into the day's headline.

Your cousins wouldn't hold back from sharing the news with anyone who would listen, and right now, you're not ready for the world to know even though you're cousins are the loveliest people who would be over the moon to meet your baby, you know you need to prepare yourself and Jungkook for this before you face them.

As the evening dwindles, Jungkook and you wander around town, pausing frequently at various stores so you can use the restroom—pregnancy often comes with its own set of challenges and honestly you're so done with them, you can't wait to be free but you know you're gonna miss this way too much once you've given birth.

you feel beautiful and you love the feeling of carrying your child inside you, it's a blessing that you cherish so much. "I'm feeling for some ice cream right now..." you mumble and the man beside you squints his eyes as he turns to face you. "I do not like the sound of that." he says which makes you groan.

"I'm not gonna fall sick! I need some." "Nuh-uh, you've been having way too many the past few months, I can't take the risk." Jungkook can be very protective and sometimes he is very serious about it, when he says no, it's a no. but not now, you haven't had anything cold for some time and you know the ice cream takes well here, especially the ice cream trucks that serve the best crispy cones.

"please, I promise I won't have any more ice cream until I deliver. this will be the last!" You plead, and somehow, this prompts him to roll his eyes. He dislikes seeing you lower yourself like that. he glances at you and sees how you've got that ridiculous pout on your face that makes his insides clench because you look so fucking adorable so he can't say no.

"you promise?" "I do!" you say and nod eagerly, which makes him chuckle. "fine, puppy."  He mutters under his breath, following the directions you give him as you guide him through the streets to one of the town's most famous ice cream trucks.

"I can't park there, where sh—" "Just park on the side; we can walk down," you cut in. "Oh, no, no, no," he scoffs, shaking his head. "I'm not letting you walk that far." "Jungkook, stop being a dad now." "I'm being a dad?! I'm your man of course I'm gonna take care of you, that's a long way down, you can't walk so far."

"I can and we will so park right there Mr. Jeon, come with me." He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes briefly. You're being stubborn again—something he dislikes, but he knows it's part of the package that is you, and he has to handle it. You might have noticed the subtle shift in his mood caused by your insistence.

"I'm sorry," you mumble softly, guilt creeping into your voice. "I just wanted to walk with you while I eat some ice cream." He sighs, his tone gentle as he responds. "I wasn't mad, darling. I'm just worried about you." he places his palm on yours and rubs his thumb.

"we'll do as you wish." he smiles and parks the car by the street before helping you. you both walk down the lane, admiring the surroundings and how couples are all around the place, making you feel like you're one of them too something you've always been jealous of, that you don't have your person but all the people do. but here you are, with your man, walking down to get some ice cream you've been craving.

"the clouds are getting dark." Jungkook says and you look up. "I hope it doesn't rain." You both stand in line, patiently waiting for your turn. You already know what you're going to order, but a strange craving has been tugging at you, and you desperately hope they'll accommodate your request. Jungkook stands beside you, his hand enveloping yours as he gently caresses and plays with your fingers.

he loves how your skin is always so soft, he doesn't know how, maybe it's your body lotion. but it does magic, or maybe it's just you. You're magical anyway. "ooo, I can't wait!" you clap and giggle like a child, which makes him giggle too. You've become such a foodie and he loves seeing you do the happy dance and make all those crazy yet cute sounds.

you feel a few baby kicks and you so badly want Jungkook to feel them but you're waiting until your surprise. You've been planning a few surprises for him and hopefully, they go well and maybe he'll bond with the baby better.

He's getting along well, very well and it makes you so happy but you know he can do better and maybe when you surprise him with everything, then he will open up more and be himself when it comes to baby matters until then you tell yourself to calm down and feel these kicks by yourself.

"good evening kids, what you'll like to have?" the vendor asks, you can easily say he's an aged man in his 50's, who loves spreading joy. you smile back at him and look at the flavors. the cotton candy intrigues you with its pink and purple shades even the birthday cake flavor looks good, so you decide to get that.

"One scoop of cotton candy and a scoop of birthday cake, with some sprinkles, chocolate syrup- oh and strawberry syrup...and maybe some...caramel sauce too," you mutter and Jungkook's eyes widen like saucers when you say all the topping options available.

"Okay-" "in a waffle cone!" that was all it took for Jungkook to crack up. the vendor laughs too as he shakes his head and grabs a cone. "on it kiddo. pregnancy is wild I guess."

he says to Jungkook, giving him a wink as he scoops the ice cream. "very wild I must say." "It's all a fun ride, enjoy while it lasts.... what would you have?" he asks. "one mint and choc only, thanks," "ew." you comment in a whisper, as Jungkook gives you a side eye.

"here you go, mama." the man hands you the ice cream which looks crazy but you know it's gonna be super satisfying for your cravings. "love to see adults being kids." the man says as he hands Jungkook his ice cream and he pays the bill. "mmmmmm, this is so good!" "is it?" "you wanna tr-" "oh hell no- enjoy your craving miss."

He holds your hand again as you both slowly make your way to the car. "Y/n..." "Mm?" you respond, looking up at him. He glances over to see you carefully shaping your ice cream into something he can't quite describe—you're trying to form its sides and shape it, and it's a bit odd because then you bite into it and it gets all messy, but he finds it endearing.

"What?" you ask again, and he lets out a small snicker. "You're crazy you know." "mm hmm, tell me something I don't know." this makes him scoff as he nods his head and looks at you again. "you keep looking at me... what? is there ice cream on my face?" you ask, not sparing a glance at him, fully focused on flavoring your delicious treat.

"I keep looking at you because you're beautiful," you let out a sigh. "tell me something I don't know." this makes him laugh, he loves your cocky side, you're a crazy woman. As you both walk, he starts to feel a few drops falling on his skin. At first, he doesn't think much of it, but soon enough, it begins to drizzle. "It's starting to rain,"

he says, and you both pick up the pace. He doesn't want you to get wet, especially with ice cream in hand, so you both hurry yet carefully to the car. By the time you reach it, though, you're already soaked. "hurry."

He opens the door and helps you get inside safely before he gets to the driver's seat. "fuck." he breathes heavily while you're struggling to breathe, because you can't stop laughing. "y/n this is not f-"

"oh my god, this has to be the most fun I've ever had in a long long time!!" you say, holding your belly because it's hurting so much with the laughter. "baby you're soaked. oh god.." He takes off his hoodie and hands it to you.

"Here, put this on." you hand him your half-eaten ice cream cone before taking the hoodie. Without hesitation, you slip it on, letting out a soft "mmm" as the warmth surrounds you.

Despite being damp on the outside, the thick material hadn't absorbed much water, allowing his comforting warmth to seep into your body. he admires you from top to toe, he fucking loves it when you wear any of his clothes, it gives him butterflies especially when it doesn't fit you, and it makes him realize how small you are.

"you're gonna be cold though." you mumble as you look over at him and notice him in a tank top, he doesn't say anything just tsks you. You zone out for a moment, wrapping yourself snugly in the oversized sleeves that practically swallow you whole. He watches you with a soft smile, shaking his head in disbelief. You're such a kid—it's almost hard for him to believe.

Just a few months ago, you were so different, someone he imagined would grow into a fierce, unstoppable woman. But now? Now, you're just a sweet, endearing puppy, and this whole journey has been nothing short of a whirlwind. "shall we go home?" you look at him immediately. "what no! we didn't have dinner-"

"but you're wet, baby. let's get you changed, don't want you to fall sick now." he turns off the ac and gives you back your cone. "you've had ice cream too.. and we have to pack anyway, we'll be leaving in a few hours." "yeah now that's exciting." you mutter and he raises his eyebrows. "woah you're being straight-up rude now."

"What?!?! I just want you all to myself." he places his palm on your thigh and rubs it. "you have all of me anyway." "yeah but.." you let your finger caress his jaw to tease him and he understands your motive yet he doesn't say anything, he knows if he says something to tease you back, you might hop on to him and just take him raw.

now that's not what he wants, not in the car and certainly not in the middle of the streets, You've both outgrown that with this pregnancy, now it's time to be more responsible. "I know darling, I know." "ugh Jungkook, you're such a pussy blocker." he cracks up and looks at you like you're insane. "what the fuck is that?!!" "exactly what you are, mister." "Oh, baby..."

;

you both get back home safely, your mother rushes to bring a towel to dry off your hair and Jungkook does his own. "did you both have fun?" Your mom asks, and you nod quickly, spilling everything about what you both did—how the time flew by, how many bathroom breaks you had to take, and how you ended up getting ice cream.

Meanwhile, Jungkook takes over the packing. Since you're busy hanging out with your parents, he figures it's best to give you three sometime alone. After packing his stuff, he heads upstairs to tackle yours too.

"Hey, I'll do your packing, okay?" he says softly. "I'll help y—" "No, no, don't worry. Spend time with your parents," he whispers with a reassuring smile, just as your mom asks if you'd like some tea. "I'll have black tea!"

he shouts before heading upstairs. Jungkook steps into your room and opens your wardrobe, ready to pack your clothes. As he pulls the doors open, his eyes catch the posters plastered inside. He can't help but laugh, shaking his head at the glimpse of your teenage self.

He starts folding your clothes neatly, grabbing your toothbrush, hairbrush, and face wash before opening the suitcase to pack them. When he spots a few bags tucked inside the suitcase, he hesitates. 

He knows it's your stuff and debates leaving it alone, but curiosity gets the better of him. Carefully, he peeks inside one and freezes when he finds a few baby clothes, most of them with words like "Daddy" and "Dada" printed on them. He stares for a moment, his mind racing, before quickly closing it back up, deciding not to pry any further.

Letting out a small breath, he grabs a fresh set of clothes for you, zips the bag, and finishes up quietly. "did you need some help?" you scare him when you walk inside the room, he sighs and shakes his head. "nop, all done." you hand him the tea and sit beside him on the edge of the bed. You notice he's a bit quiet and it whirls your mind a bit then you think, he might seen the little clothes. "did you snoop on my things-"

"what?! No!" he says too fast which takes you back but then he sighs and nods. "I did, I'm sorry- I didn't mean t-" "dad gave them..." You say it with a small smile, but his brows knit together when he hears your words.

"But when?" he asks, genuinely confused, especially since he hadn't noticed your dad going anywhere. You chuckle softly, placing your hand gently on top of his. "After you told him..." "Told him what?"

Jungkook blurts out, utterly baffled. He stares at you, completely lost, trying to piece together what you mean but coming up empty. "about you.." you whisper and this makes him chuckle. "seriously?" "I know my dad is a bit.." "he's cool, he's a cool dad." Jungkook says, remembering how kind your dad was to him and how he jokes around.

"I- i never got a chance to say this because I was upset too but... I'm sorry that they were rude to you. They never usually do that but I think everything was too overwhelming so-" "You do not have to say sorry for that." Jungkook turns to face you, taking both your hands in his and holding them tightly. "I understand, it was a very justified reaction.

Your parents are sweet, I'm just happy that they are supportive now and have accepted me." his words touch a part of you and you can't say that you feel very grateful to have an understanding man like him.

He looks at you and smiles, his eyes smile before his lips do and that says everything you. You can't wait to tell him the words that you've been feeling, but you know the right time will come and it may be now but next time could be better.

The two of you continue to look at each other for some time until he takes his palm and places it on top of your bump, caressing it. "all good?" he questions and you nod, placing your palm on his. "All Very good." the two of you break into laughter. 

;

The four of you sit down for dinner together. Your mom initially planned to cook, but you were adamant about getting takeout from the In-N-Out pop-up since it's something you can't get back in Korea. The meal is lively, filled with laughter and lighthearted jokes, making the evening feel warm and effortless. You're relieved to see how easily Jungkook connects with your parents, but for him, it's something much deeper.

He's not just bonding—he feels like he's found a family, a complete one. He sees your mother as his own, your father as the father he's always longed for. It's everything he's ever dreamed of, and for once, it's not just a dream. He's living it. "okay y/n, time to leave." he looks over at his watch, the cab is gonna be here any minute now.

You nod and walk to your mother, giving her a big hug. "I'm gonna miss you, Mom." "Oh dear, take care of yourself and the baby. Call me every day, and let me know when you deliver, okay?" your mom says, cupping your face gently before kissing your cheek. She then caresses your bump with a warm smile. "Oh, the baby is so big! I can't wait to meet him or her." You smile back, your heart full. Your dad steps closer, waiting patiently for his turn.

He looks at you with kind eyes and opens his arms wide. "Take care, honey," he says softly, pulling you into a warm hug and placing a tender kiss on your hair. Jungkook stands to the side, watching the whole exchange. A tinge of emotion swells in his chest as he takes in the sweetness of the moment. It's heartwarming, almost overwhelming, to witness such love.

Then your dad turns to him, his expression just as warm. Without hesitation, he pulls Jungkook into the biggest hug he's ever received, leaving him momentarily stunned but deeply moved. "take care, son, we're always with you. " Jungkook feels something in his veins, he feels so loved, he feels that fatherly affection and it's so so nice.

"take care of my y/n, and the baby too yes?" "will always, dad." Jungkook gives your dad another hug, a tight one which makes the both of them chuckle. you smile and hold Jungkook's hand. "take care Jungkook." your mother says and he smiles. he runs to give her a hug, carefully placing his arms around her as she pats him in the back. "see you soon, mom.." he mumbles and she gives him a tight forced smile. "the cabs here, we'll take your leave"

Your dad helps you to the door, steadying you with a gentle grip, while Jungkook lingers behind to grab some snacks, something you always seem to forget. "She always forgets to pack snacks," he mutters to your mom as he stuffs a few bags of chips into his carry-on. "She knows she'll be hungry in about four hours, She can be so clums—"

"I know my daughter loves you with all her heart, and I know everything was just a mistake, but if you don't marry her, Jungkook... I swear, I will not let her stay with you for long." Jungkook pauses as your mother speaks.

"I love my daughter, but I also value our family name, she's naive and has done a terrible mistake which i can not reverse, but if you don't make things legitimate—like they're supposed to be- I might as well, find someone better for her."

next chapter ⇢

i don't usually type a/n notes here because i don't have much of an audience here on tumblr like wattpad but happy new year!! hope this update was good enough, do leave a like and comment if you enjoyed reading this chap!! mwah.

[bacchuschucklefuck]

and! barbarian!fig! its her

[copperbadge]

Recently I ran across an article about an art center that was doing creative expression classes for people with disabilities. Not that unusual, I've encountered that and trauma-oriented art therapy before, but it was the first time I'd come across the idea since getting diagnosed with ADHD. While the class was aimed more at high-needs disabilities, it occurred to me that I could -- if I wanted -- make non-prose art about being disabled.

Outside of my work in scene design I've never been much of a visual artist because I've never felt I had the combination of "something to say" and "a meaningful way to say it", but I started to question how meaningful and complex I really had to be to just make some statements about having ADHD. I can do it in prose, after all.

So I started thinking about how you would talk, in visual language, about things like time blindness, shame stemming from undiagnosed disability, the shift in behavior that medication can induce. Ways to express my condition to people who don't experience it. I still didn't really know how to build the pieces but whenever I went to an art museum I'd think about how I might do a gallery installation. The centerpiece of my mental gallery was a pair of barcodes, one marked "Neurotypical" and one marked "Neurodivergent".

[ID: An interior view of a small booklet, with pages marked 1 and 2, showing barcodes -- on the left, labeled Neurotypical, and on the right, in slightly weirder configuration, labeled Neurodivergent.]

And then I thought, why not make a zine? Nothing you're thinking of couldn't be put in zine form instead of on a gallery wall.

[ID: The booklet continues to pages 3 and 4; on page 3 is a postage-style label reading AUTISM with up arrows on either side, and on page 4 is a QR code labeled ADHD. The QR code technically should work but it just dumps a block of text I wrote about having ADHD into a browser.]

I grew up with zine culture in the 90s and I always wanted to make one but much like with visual art, I never felt like I had the right kind of thing to say; either I had too much to say or too little, and anyway I wasn't confident that what I wanted to do wouldn't just come off as trite and obvious. But you can make a six-page zine out of a single sheet of paper, so I did: I made Helpful Labels For Strange Brains by idab zines, a division of Extribulum Press. (i--dab is a term for a cuneiform tablet that contains a royal communication.)

[ID: The last two pages feature the same image -- a cereal bowl with a spoon in it, the spoon containing a single Adderall pill. One image, however, is captioned "Wake up. Pour yourself a cup of iced coffee. Fix a bowl of cereal. It's going to be a good day." while the other is covered in a detailed ADHD-style step-by-step process for the same actions, culminating in "It's going to be a day like that."]

I'm pretty pleased with how it came out -- the art all looks intentional and it still has that "taped this together after school" aesthetic I remember fondly from the 90s. And the confines of six pages, each only a few inches square, offers a good structure to keep things clear, simple, and meaningful.

[ID: The cover of the zine, labeled "Helpful Labels For Strange Brains" in a kind of esoteric stampy font.]

Especially nice is that if you wanted to you could just hand out the flat sheet, and let folks fold it into a booklet or not -- there's instructions for folding it on the back of the zine. Additionally I have some sticker backed printer paper so I could print it such that you could literally turn the labels into real labels.

Anyway if you want it, here ya go. You can print it on a single sheet of paper and follow the instructions on the back to fold it. I thought about selling it but I do not have the spoons to do a bunch of printing and folding and shipping.

[helslastangel]

I'm back bxtches

Random Observations #9

Y'all still need the disclaimer or will reason prevail?

🦂 Scorpio Mars are POWERHOUSES in my not-so-humble opinion. If you are prone to procrastination, especially in your career or as an entrepreneur, Aries Mars might hype you up but a Scorpio Mars (esp in 10H) is gonna make damn sure you finish your to-do list.

I had a friend with this placement and she literally bribed me with weed to come to her house, then she took my phone and house keys and made me sit and finish designing my business cards and send them to Vistaprint before she'd give my damn keys back. Made over $5K USD from my next few clients though so I wasn't even mad about it lol

🦀 I don't care what the astrology girls like to say - my observations of Cancer moons is that they are FORGIVING AF. Like it takes a lot for a Cancer moon to be really done with you and chances are you're more wrong than they are.

Cancer moons come off as manipulative to a lot of people. But when you actually dig below the surface, you'll notice this common thread where people who aren't good at seeing other people's points of view unless they need something immediately project that attitude onto people who genuinely give a shit.

Obviously there are evil Cancer moons and they're extra terrifying for the above reason, but they're the minority and the slander is unnecessary imo. The people who have literally put up with my WORST behavior the longest and genuinely dropped it after a good open conversation were all Cancer moons.

👬 Which leads me to another interesting astro trope I'd like to kick over right about now. Gemini moons. Love them but in my experience they are usually what people think Cancer moons are. Gemini moons, from my observation, don't soak up as much, if any, of other peoples' energies. They're gonna keep it moving emotionally regardless of how you wanna be in the moment. That means they can easily smile with you for years if that's the path of least resistance, but that does NOT mean they particularly like, care about or think highly of you at all. They MIGHT, but you will NOT know unless they want you to know or you somehow trigger them enough to rip the black tape off the redacted parts of their mental file on you.

If you're someone who is used to everything being totally transparent and straightforward, you're in for a wild ride with a Gemini moon in your life. I've had quite a few as friends or coworkers, etc., and I promise without fail there always came the day where I ended up wiping tears of laughter from my eyes, feet up on my desk, twiddling my thumbs listening to the 11-minute voice note from the latest Gemini moon in my life. Pretty much telling me in no uncertain terms exactly what they thought of me, where I should go, why, and how happy they would be to direct me there personally.

As a Capricorn moon, I never have the kind of reaction they'd like to this but it's always interesting to see the abrupt change as they can literally seem perfectly cool 3 minutes before the other twin takes over. I don't even think it's a good or bad thing, just how it goes.

Cancer moons seem this way but chances are you chose to ignore the VERY OBVIOUS SIGNS THAT SOMETHING (probably everything) was wrong, lol. Cancer moons can't hide their feelings for shit (reason #101 why I love them; it's easier for me to fix a problem if i can quickly see there is one 😂).

🦁 Let's change tracks and talk about Leo mercuries for a minute. Y'all get your inside and outside voices mixed up a LOT, lol. Every Leo mercury I know had trouble speaking quietly in quiet-appropriate situations but then catch them outside trying to get their friends attention at the other side of the street and suddenly it's like Tom got their tongue and tossed it to Jerry. Can barely get a sound out. Why is that? I know it wouldn't be all Leo mercuries but for those who experience this, please tell me what it is, I'm genuinely curious lol. As a Libra mercury I kinda have a similar problem. On another note, I've noticed that Leo mercuries can be highly persuasive people even if solely because of the amount of power and confidence they put behind the things they say.

My ex-husband has Leo Mercury at 24° (Pisces degree) and I promise you that man could make you believe anything against your will 😂 One time he was trying to get out of having to go to a friend's event and rather than just decline like a normal person, he crafted this masterpiece of an excuse that somehow involved me needing his attention (I had been on the couch under his arm half the day so no lol) but the way he spoke on the phone?

I swear to God even I caught myself nodding along all like "yeah, yes I did feel a bit neglected today and wanted more time with babe"... 😂😂😂 like NO TF I DID NOT FEEL NEGLECTED AT ALL but I got second-hand convinced lol. And yes he was loud when I or his friends were 12 inches away but couldn't raise his voice for shit to order through the drive-thru at McDonald's lol it was cute, though, I'd do the yelling into the intercom thing 😂

🐟 Lemme say this about Pisces suns - you are very underrated, from my observations. I've noticed Pisces suns in particular struggle with one of two major issues when it comes to others' perceptions of them - either people seem compelled to minimize/infantilize their contributions and achievements, or people fail to notice they exist altogether (or forget about them easily). I've always held my Pisces sun friends close for as long as I could and hyped them up because nearly every Pisces sun I've met has been incredibly talented and usually creative in some way. I'm talking genius levels of ability in some area that goes completely overlooked or undervalued by the majority of people in their circles.

These are the people who you vaguely notice as the cool server, hot bartender, friendly delivery guy, helpful sales associate, only for you to run into them somewhere else and you find out they run a whole personal training business or play 6 instruments perfectly and give lessons to kids, or taught themselves professional photography and have a camera in their bedroom worth more than your savings account. I've met so many Pisces suns who seemed to be one way and then there were so many layers to them that it was like reading an interactive novel.

That's what was on my mind for now, drop your favorite placement from your own chart in the comments, I'll compile them for random observations #10 😘

[renai-fr]

Perler Flight Banners!

Made the first of these when I made the flight flags a bit back (my flight, Light), and figured it was a good time to make the rest of the flight banners and share the designs! To the best of my ability, they're also to scale with each other, so I think they'd look pretty good if you wanted to make the whole set and put 'em on your wall or something.

Sort of also for Dergtober's first prompt ("Flight"), but uh, ran into that thing with trad media where sometimes you run out of materials, ha! This is also why they're mostly not fused (Ice and Water share most of their mid/light blue beads, for example).

(Crafting info after the break!)

First off, all of these are either 17x34 or 19x34 (these squares are 17x17 on their own). They fit fine on the larger squares, but my big squares happen to all be either bright red or bright yellow, and don't show off the colors very well. They almost all use transparent beads for structural reasons- if you want to cross-stitch these, the transparent beads are fine to ignore! I was just making them so they could theoretically hang on a wall.

Colors used (my best guess, not gospel! I get most of my beads from kits/mixed bags, and they don't always list the color names :/ )

Light: Cream/Créme, Yellow, Cheddar, Transparent

Lightning: Copper (metallic), Robin's Egg, Parrot Green, Glitter Blue, Turquoise, Transparent

Fire: Black, Cherry, Orange, Cheddar, Neon Orange, Transparent

Arcane: Pearl Pink, Cheddar, Raspberry, Pink, Light Pink

Plague: Red, Cherry, Raspberry*, Pewter, Brown, Kiwi Lime

Earth: Brown, Light Brown, Pewter, Dark Gray

Ice: Robin's Egg, Pastel Blue, Gray, Dark Gray, Toothpaste, Light Blue

Shadow: Pastel Lavender, Purple, Dark Gray, Pewter, Toothpaste, Transparent

Wind: Kiwi Lime, Dark Green, Bright Green, Yellow, Rust, Red, Transparent

Water: Denim, Turquoise, Pastel Blue, Parrot Green, Teal, White, Marshmallow, Pastel Yellow, Transparent

Nature: Olive, Bright Green, Kiwi Lime, Dark Green, Marshmallow, Cream/Créme, Transparent

(* I used Raspberry on Plague's flag because I ran out of Cranberry. Cranberry looks WAY better, but like... mismatched didn't work at all. I highly suggest using Cranberry in place of Raspberry in all places it occurs on the design!)

Another color note- when you fuse metallic beads, the shiny stuff makes a lil halo around the bead's center hole. For Lightning, since they have wires/chains on their banner/support, I figured it would work fine, but you could swap the Copper beads out for Rust and it would look good enough, I think. You do lose the shiny factor doing that, though.

A couple of these extend off of the side of the boards; better to use a bigger board for them if you have one (or like, if you have a third 17x17, sticking it to the side of the others and scooting the entire design over a peg would also work!)

As is very visible on the Light banner, it's really easy to get a faulty fuse where the boards meet. The trick where you put masking tape/painter's tape on the back of the beads before ironing (the OTHER side, and then take the tape off to iron its side, to be clear) helps a lot on multi-board fuses. You don't have to poke holes in the tape, but I find that doing so with a ballpoint pen or what have you can help a lot with keeping the beads from moving around, etc.

Happy crafting- if you end up making any of these, please ping me (or um, whatever I'm supposed to call it... still don't quite know how this site works) so I can see!

[banananutmuffin28]

Don't Go (I'll Stop You Before You Do)

Pairing: Se-mi x GN! Reader | Player 380 x GN! Reader

Synopsis: There's a glint of steel in the far right corner. The lights flicker on and off, but you manage to catch a glimpse of Se-Mi's face as hands wrap around her throat, as the weapon sinks into her skin.

She screams, and you run.

A/N: I wrote this on a whim! So sorry if my writing is a little subpar here, I was SO eager to get it out! I tried my best, though! (I love Se-Mi so much it hurts).

A man twice your size walks up to you, his face twisted into a ghoulish smile. You take a step back, eyes trained on the fork in his tight fists.

You try not to focus on the blood that oozed from the tip.

The lights flicker on for just a split second, illuminating his bared, yellow teeth.

He was a large, brawny thing. Muscles bulged from his bloody tracker, and he had to bend over slightly to meet your gaze. His hair was slicken with sweat--he was covered in it, really. It trailed down his veiny neck, past a tattoo of a design you couldn't quite make out, and fell onto your shoulder.

You bit back a scream.

He leaned back, amused at your expression. He didn't seem to care about the contestants fighting behind him, rather, it seemed as if he relished in it.

Lazily, he tapped the tag taped to your tracker.

"You really shouldn't have picked X if you didn't want to get hurt," He drawled. "In fact..."

The man stepped back, and continued talking, though you soon drowned out his words. Instead. you flickered your eyes around you, trying to devise a plan to escape his clutch. You couldn't stay here. You had to make sure that she's okay. You had to-

Pain exploded in your cheek.

With a gasp, you scramble backward, wincing when your back collided with the cold steel wall. Hot, sharp pain stung your right cheek and tears pooled in the corners of your eyes.

The man leaned in, trailing his fork on your neck.

"You listen to me when I talk to you, you hear?"

Hate broiled within you, and your face curled into a sneer. You shift your body to the side, hands pushing his fork back as you knee him in the crotch.

"Go fuck yourself."

The man howled, his legs buckling beneath him. He ripped his hand away from your grasp and swung his fork around wildly.

"Why you little-"

A burst of pain escaped from your shoulder, making you scream in agony. The man wedged the weapon deeper into your flesh, twisting and turning until you collapsed onto the floor.

Meaty fists plummeted against your skull again and again, each new crunch spiraling you further and further into the depths of unconsciousness.

Desperately, you roll to the side and begin wrenching the fork from his hands, fighting to keep your eyes open.

This was your only chance. You couldn't overpower him, and you can't let yourself die while Se-Mi's fate was still left unknown. You had to go to her no matter what.

The man opened his mouth to speak, but you slammed your head against his before any words could escape.

His grip loosened ever so slightly, letting you pry the fork from his hands.

Quickly, you begin stabbing the weapon into his neck, his face--anywhere that looked important.

Soon, blood was pouring from his wounds and his movements grew sluggish. The metallic liquid permeated every one of your senses, and you were afraid it would brand itself into your very soul. With a final stab, the man fell to the floor and didn't get back up. You let out a shaky sigh and crawled away from the man.

Fearfully, you looked around.

Everything felt like it was...more muted, as if you were merely a fish watching the chaos unfold from below. Your head hurt like hell, and each breath you took didn't seem to give quite as much air as it should. The wound in your shoulder was something else entirely, choosing to make itself known with every little movement you made.

Quickly, you tear a piece of cloth from the limp man and wrapped it around the wound.

Like hell were you going to bleed out now.

You look around the room, gripping the utensil with so much force that you were surprised it didn't crumble in your hands.

Where the fuck is Se-Mi?

You let out a breath and scrambled in the direction of her bunk. You supposed you were somewhat fortunate that the man ambushed you in bed, as you didn't need as much sight to devise where she was.

The further you ran, the harder fear gripped your heart. Fallen bodies lay strewn across the floor, accompanying equally as many splotches of blood.

What if one of them is her?

You shove that thought to the furthest corner of your mind.

No, Se-Mi was one of the strongest women you knew. She wouldn't let someone kill her so easily. And, she had Min-Su to protect her!

Right?

When you reached her corner of the bunk beds, you looked around wildly.

Men and women alike grappled against each other, too busy in their own fights to pay you any mind. An elderly man was clubbing his opponent with a metal pipe, a woman was slamming her own against the floor, while another group entirely cornered a lone contestant.

"Se-Mi!" You scream, loud enough to make your sore vocal cords hate you. "Where the hell are you?"

There was no answer.

"Fuck, Se-Mi, please!" You yell.

Suddenly, it was getting harder to breathe, to see. You didn't know if it was due to the lack of blood or the stupid flighty panic pounding in your chest, but whatever it was it was sapping the strength away from your legs and rendering your ability to stand upright near impossible.

A flash of Se-Mi's bloody face appeared in your mind, almost mockingly. Above her stood Thanos and his lackey, drenched in her blood and grinning from ear to ear.

No, no, no-

You can't let that happen. You won't.

Se-Mi was the only light you still hand in this damned tunnel of the world. You couldn't fail her, not now.

You had to-

And, just then, you hear something that makes your heart drop.

It was your name, whispered oh so softly that you were afraid you had imagined it. But then, you hear it again and again, and soon you were running towards the voice, uncaring of who you pushed past.

You glared into the darkness, as if your gaze could part away the dimness to reveal your beloved. If you could see just a little further, then maybe you could spot her and kill whatever bastard was hurting her.

Panting, you stop for a moment and crane your gaze to the right and-

There's a glint of steel in the far right corner. The lights flicker on and off, but you catch a glimpse of Se-Mi's face as hands wrap around her throat, as the weapon sinks into her skin.

She screams, and you run.

You run faster than you thought you were ever capable of. Your surroundings blur, the screams of the others become muffled, and in your mind it was just you, Se-Mi, and the man who was stabbing something into her jugular.

"Get off of her you asshole!" You hiss, hooking your arms around his armpits and pulling him back. In the corner of your eye, you see Se-Mi yank herself away from the (fork? glass shard? You couldn't quite tell) object and sink into the floor.

Angrily, Nam-gyu whips his head towards you and sneers. "Why, if it isn't Se-Mi's little bitch. I'm surprised you didn't come running to her aid the second I plunged that shard into her. Thought you were lying dead in a pool of blood or some shit." Hastily, he yanks your head back. "After all, you wouldn't ever abandon your master, now would you?"

"Just shut up, you asshole," You spat out, and slammed your fork onto his chest. He moved away at the last second, letting the weapon swing in the air instead.

You let out a curse as you begin to lose balance, but turn your body to the side just enough to lock his neck in your elbow. You lean against one of the pillars holding the mattresses upright and begin to squeeze, cutting his airflow.

The sight of his panicked eyes made you smirk.

"And you're one to talk," You spat out, pulling his hair to slam his head against the metal beam. "You've been following Thanos around like a lost fucking dog. I'm surprised you can make decisions without him around."

You pause, and take a quick glance around the room.

"Where the hell is he, anyway?"

There's a sharp intake of breath as Nam-gyu stills.

And then he bites your shoulder.

Swallowing back a sob, you release your hold on his neck and step backward. Whatever small blood clot that managed to form breaks, allowing the dam to break loose. Nam-gyu pushes you onto the floor, voice cracking as he kicks your ribs.

"He's fucking dead! Your side fucking killed him!"

His hands grab your collar, and he pulls you close enough for you to see the veins bulging out of his neck.

"And now, I'm going to kill you too--"

Nam-gyu doesn't get to finish his sentence.

What were once words instead turns into choked gurgles. Blood spills from his mouth, and his eyes roll back into his skull. A thick glass shard protrudes from his throat, deep enough that you knew he was a dead man walking. Another, smaller shard soon follows, spraying you with his blood.

Before long, his limp body was thrown to the side, and his filthy presence was instead replaced with a comforting one.

Se-Mi nuzzled her face into the crook of your neck, breathing shallowly. Her arms wrapped around your waist, and though your ribs and shoulder screamed in protest, you couldn't bring yourself to pull her away.

"...Thank you," She murmured, and you melted into her touch.

"It's nothing, really," You say, suddenly feeling bashful.

"No, it was everything." Se-Mi pulled away to look at you, cupping your face in her hand. "I would've died if it wasn't for you."

"What about Min-Su?" You furrow your brows, looking around. "Where is he?"

Se-Mi let out a shaky sigh, stilling in your embrace.

"It...doesn't matter."

"But it does! Why the hell would he--"

Se-Mi gently flicked your forehead, rendering your brain momentarily speechless. "Hush now," She whispered, arms bringing you close to her once more. "All that matters now is keeping you and I safe. You're bleeding."

Delicately, she rips a chunk of her tracker to use as a make-shift band-aid, tying it around your shoulder and knotting it twice. Then, she pulls you to a safe corner of the room and begins fussing over cuts you don't remember getting.

Basking in her attention, you turn your gaze to her neck and cup the wound. Though the bleeding had stopped, the size and brutality of the wound made your heart ache. It was long and ugly, like someone had taken a miniature saw and brandished it against her jugular.

Worry wormed its way into your heart.

"Are you okay? Does it hurt too much when you move?"

"I'm fine--"

"No, you are not!" Frowning, you break from her hold and press a kiss to her neck. Your gaze turns downward, noticing a gash on her leg. "You really shouldn't ignore your own needs, Se-Mi."

Protectively, you wipe the blood away from her calf and kiss her nose.

"I'm your partner, Se-Mi. We promised to protect each other, okay?"

Se-Mi smiles, and leans into your touch. She places a hand in your hair and kisses you softly. You whine and kiss her back, savoring the sweet taste of her lips.

"I know, I'm sorry" She whispers when the two of you pull away at last. "I love you."

With a smile, you intertwine your hand in hers.

"I love you too."

You didn't know what hellish nightmare would happen tomorrow, but what you knew for certain was that you would face it with her, together.

[snowthedemonfox]

So we got some screenshots for Ep 3, and I'm going to talk about some things I've noticed + some theories

I went off for over an hour in the bunnydoll burrow's VC talking about everything I noticed, but I'm realising writing it all down would be a smarter move, cause I know I'd forget it. If I've missed anything you think is important, let me know! I'll edit this post with new notes.

Let's start with the first screenshot, because that just makes the most sense:

The elephant in the room is the realistic human hand. I don't doubt this is the scene that has some level of blood and gore in it. We can't see what the hand is connected to, but whatever it is, it seems to be taller than Pomni and Kinger. They're both looking up, and the camera angle is facing down towards them both.

We can see 2 heads hanging from the wall behind Kinger, and what we can assume to be a 3rd behind the desk behind the hand.

One of these heads, as many have pointed out, seems to resemble Pomni. The face is entirely white, what I can assume is an eye seems to be the same size as Pomni's, and you can see that familiar looking hair on the side.

Even the other two things we see look like other members of the cast!

The head to the right of Kinger looks like Ragatha. It's got the hair, and even the face looks to be made of actual fabric, like a real doll. It seems whatever these things are, they're meant to look like more 'horror' versions of the characters.

(Side note, but if I had to guess, if Glitch releases a 3rd sticker sheet for episode 3, I wouldn't surprised if we got a new set of icon variations for the main cast. But instead of candy, we get these horror versions instead. I think that'd be cool, and I really hope that's what happens.)

You could even go as far to say the 'human' hand we're seeing is from the horror version of Kinger. Like I said before, the camera is looking down at them. Why would it be looking down? Because whatever's looking at them, is attached to the wall.

Moving onto other details in the room, we can see there's a chair behind Pomni with some kind of light on it. At first, I thought this might have been the tape recorder from the February trailer, but you can see the tape recorder is on a desk, not a chair.

And while there is a desk in the room, whatever is on there doesn't look like a tape recorder. It looks more like a photo, or some kind of radio.

The giant 'M' on the rug. We know the ghost lady's name is Martha Mildenhall, so this probably implies she owns the mansion the gang are exploring. Why would she need their help, though? Maybe whatever force is moving the hand in the screenshot, is some kind of 'evil' ghost, and that's why Pomni and the others are there to help. There's evil ghosts inhabitating the mansion, and Martha needs help to get rid of them. It's simple, it's your basic video game quest, it seems like a normal adventure plot that Caine would come up with.

There seems to be something behind the chair, but I can't make out if it's a door, some curtains, or some kind of closet. The lighting isn't doing me any favours. Either way, I doubt it's important to the episode, probably just background decoration.

As for my other thoughts that aren't as related to the screenshot itself, I do believe that everyone is going to be split up. Obviously Kinger and Pomni are working together, but I'm still not sure if Jax would be hanging with Ragatha & Gangle, or if he'd be off doing his own thing. As for Zooble, I'll get to them later.

And this might just be me looking into things too much, but it almost looks like one of Kinger's eyes is focused entirely on whatever is behind the camera, while the other isn't focused at all. Like he's half paying attention to the 'danger' he and Pomni are in.

But that's really all I have to say about the first screenshot. Let's move onto the main event:

Again, let's get the obvious out of the way: new Zooble design! They've got some new parts, like the arms, unicorn horn, and the blocky yellow and pink thing, but also some old parts, like the bluish-green ring, and their classic black and white antenna. So far, I like this design! I'm happy to see that they've decided to mix things up a bit. Not my favourite design, but still decent. They've got good taste.

Before I talk about Zooble and Caine, I first want to talk about the location they're in. At first, I thought this might've been Zooble's room, but looking closer, it's obviously not. Then I thought it was that little desk area at the end of the dorm hallway.

But nope, the hallway has different plants, picture frames, wallpaper, and no chairs to be seen. The plants we can see look similar to those seen in Caine's resturant realm from Ep 1, so I think I can safely guess that this is a new location, made specifically for him and Zooble to chat.

Speaking of that, I think that's going to be the driving point of Zooble's character development this episode. Something is going to convince them to join the future adventures, and it seems this will be that something. We know thanks to the AMA, that Zooble not going on adventures is important to their character, so having their episode focus on this topic makes sense.

What I can assume happened to lead up to this interaction is this:

Caine announced the adventure, and just like in both Ep 1&2, Zooble immediately expresses that they are not interested, and walks off. Caine can't really do anything about it yet, so he focuses on everyone else. Explains the rest of the adventure to them, and sends them on their way.

He then catches up to Zooble before they reach wherever they planned on going, and teleports them both to this new room. It looks almost like some kind of waiting room, or a room where they're both supposed to talk things out. It's got the comfy chairs, wall art, I wouldn't be surprised if there's a little table between them.

Zooble, obviously, is not impressed. They don't care about Caine's adventures, and want nothing to do with whatever he has planned for them in the meantime. Caine, on the other hand, just wants to figure out why Zooble doesn't want to go on his adventures. He spends so much time figuring them out! Just for the humans! Why won't Zooble participate!?

This very likely evolves into an argument between the two. I like how Caine is clearly angry in this screenshot. It's nice to see him show some more variety when it comes to emotion!! Zooble doesn't care for whatever Caine is saying, and Caine just wants to understand why they don't care.

Something happens, maybe they do talk it out, maybe something else, but by the end of the episode, Zooble decides that maybe going on a few adventures isn't that bad. I think it's way too early to guess what happens in that huge timeskip, but for now, this is the best I've got.

I feel Zooble's arc in this episode might touch on a few topics, like how while they might think staying by themselves all day and doing their own thing is better for them, isolating themselves isn't doing anyone any favours, and that, for lack of a better term, going 'outside' every once in a while can't hurt.

... and that's pretty much all I can think of to say regarding these two screenshots! I'm sure we'll get to learn more as the episode release gets closer, but I'm excited to see how things turn out!! :3

[fandumb-whimsey]

Scarecrow Leg Observations/Headcanons

aka I thought about it too much and now it's everyone else's problem.

(important note: I am not in the medical field and I learned/looked up a lot of this with the help of Dr. Google)

The leg brace seems like a simple detail which can be overlooked in the larger design. On the surface, it's pretty straight forward: leg got damaged and now needs an orthopedic brace to function. This in and of itself is interesting since the artist undoubtedly referenced actual braces, specifically old ones, to fit Scarecrow's aesthetic:

This is a running theme with him; he seems to favor old, antique items and will repair things (like the use of duct tape or zigzag stitching for tears on his costume) before replacing them, which fits an image of someone coming from a background of poverty. Not entirely important to the conversation, just an interesting aside.

There is official material which states his leg is "permanently broken", which is probably the easiest, most succinct way to state this issue, but it's not entirely an accurate way to put it. If a leg is considered broken beyond repair, it's likely to be amputated. Bones which don't heal correctly the first time can be broken again and realigned to heal properly, often through surgery with the use of pins, rods, plates, and/or screws. However, "permanently broken" could also be implying he has suffered irreparable nerve damage which affects the use of the leg (more on that in a moment). One possibility: The bones in Scarecrow's leg do not heal properly due to the severity of his fractures likely needing surgery. Unable to access such resources after his run-in with Croc, this results in a malunion. In his case, the misalignment could be subtle as there is no obvious bend or twist in his leg, but still causes problems which requires use of a brace.

Another possibility: Perhaps he is lucky and his leg does heal well. Maybe there's no malunion at all. Unfortunately, whether the bones mend together well or not, evidence strongly implies that it was broken seriously enough that it damaged his peroneal nerve, leading to muscle weakness and foot drop, which necessitates the use of the brace to function.

If you look closely, you can see there is additional support around Scarecrow's ankle that would otherwise prevent rotation of that joint. You can see this in the game when he circles Batman on the airship:

When he takes a step with his good leg, the foot remains more parallel to the floor. Compare that to the foot in the brace, where the toes point upward with each stride due to being in a fixed position. I feel this is a strong indication of him having lasting damage here (such as foot drop) and part of why the leg brace is vital to his mobility (and undoubtedly one of many reasons why he's so furious at Batman).

Something like this often has trickle down effects. Having to compensate for a weaker limb can throw the body off balance, especially if it's a leg. This can create joint and back pain outside of (or in addition to) the issues related to the initial trauma. Combined with the other things he has had to deal with, there is something to be said of Scarecrow's tenacity. He is very driven and ambitious, even if it's the pure, seething drive for vengeance which causes him to persevere. It's a quality one can admire. :)

The rambling ends here, thanks for reading. And an extra big thanks to a very special someone who, without their help, none of this would be possible...I'm of course talking about my guy KILLER CROC for going absolutely feral in those Asylum sewers, really gave Jonny here a spooky glow-up, am I right?

Pictured: Scarecrow regretting his fear toxin frivolity into the sewers.

[smytherines]

I didn't really have the ability to take screenshots, but my partner and I just rewatched npmd for the first time in a little while, and it feels like we don't give Curt Mega enough credit for being the filming day director for that show.

In high energy, plot-propelling numbers like High School Is Killing Me and Hatchet Town the camera pretty much never stops moving, accelerating the pacing and escalating the tension, and then when we get to The Summoning it's frenetically swirling side to side and up and down like a tilt-a-whirl. It's done subtly enough that it doesn't make you sick, but it's still a distinct nightmare circus sort of vibe that works so well for the song. There's a genuine menace in how it is staged and lit and shot that is very very cool.

The first time my partner and I saw The Summoning we had to immediately go back and watch it again, because the entire first time we were talking about how fucking cool it looked, how intense it is, how cinematic it is. It's a massive moment in the Hatchetfield series, and the way its shot lives up to that moment.

Speaking of, my partner wandered into the kitchen while on his phone, and I asked him what words he would use to describe the cinematography of npmd. He paused for a second and then started reading out a list of thesaurus entries for the word "dynamic," which feels like a cliche but yeah- dynamic is a pretty good word for it.

Curt Mega and Nick Lang did the editing, Nick Lang directed the show, the scene and lighting direction is pitch perfect, every aspect of the technical design works really cohesively. It is definitely the most visually ambitious taping of a Starkid show.

It's just really incredibly cool to have a group of people creating and acting and writing and directing and filming unique shows with unique songs, and they put them up on youtube FOR FREE. For anyone to watch.

(That's also why you should help fund tinlightenment if you can. Independent theater only exists if we fund it)

[jade-len]

so today i tricked my very straight male friend into reading svsss.

okay look, i wasn't planning to at first and it's not like it was completely my fault. he wanted to read it!

i was showing him how badly they fucked up mu qingfang in the donghua by comparing it to the english novel design (he said that mu qingfang went from looking like a soft dilf to a predator registered on the epstein island list). and then, i showed him how different some of the other character designs were like gongyi xiao's ("he looks like he'd be a genshin character" -friend, to eng novel design) and luo binghe's ("lowkey, he kinda gives airbender vibes" -friend, to bunhe eng novel design)

so that was all i was gonna show him, nothing else. but after seeing them, he goes, "these designs actually look hella cool. what's the book called?"

now, do i:

A. tell him the name, eventually revealing that it's a danmei when he looks it up?

B. just straight up tell him that it's a danmei?

C: don't tell him the name just yet, spill the summary, get him interested, and tell him to not search anything up about it because there's heavy spoilers and it will reveal them the moment he types it up on the search bar

i go with C, obviously.

me: so, basically, some guy named shen yuan transmigrates into an incel harem male power fantasy novel where the protagonist, luo binghe, has hundreds of wives. thing is though, the guy pretty much took over the body of binghe's teacher he had when he was a teenager, who turns out to be a really scummy dude. and now he has to be nice to him so that the protagonist doesn't rip off his limbs and put him into a pickle pot in the future to suffer for eternity.

friend: that sounds hilarious and horrifying at the same time.

me: yes it is, and you should read it. it's like. my favorite novel at the moment. but don't search up anything about it because people spoil that shit. i'll let you borrow my novel

friend: nah don't worry, i'll just pirate it

friend: wait. does it have pictures?

me, my plan coming together: yeah, it has pictures. buuut, when you pirate it, it doesn't. trust me dude, i tried and was severely disappointed. plus, the physical copy is so much better

friend: fuck yeah ok thanks

me: hold on though. i'll text you later to see if my friend who's borrowing it rn is done reading it

he's hyped. he's excited. he craves a good book and a good transmigration interpretation. he's especially happy about the fact that it takes place in a chinese setting with cool powers and an actual good main character. "this sounds so good, god i wanna read it so bad."

i tell him that binghe is actually adorable, too. that it's pretty much found family! my friend then asks if shen yuan adopts him and becomes a father figure or something.

and i said "yes". you know, like a liar. (the father figure part probably isn't a lie though)

now i'm gonna give him the novel tomorrow! of course, i'm gonna cover the chapter 2 bunhe sexual awakening scene with washi tape and say that my baby cousin (sorry baby cousin, you would never <\3) scribbled all over that paragraph with her markers, and since i'm a neat book freak, i put washi tape and just wrote the scene! i don't know if that's really all too believable, but he didn't seem to care that much. just a simple "if my baby cousin did that to my book i would punt them into the sun"

i think what'll be more hilarious is the fact that you can't really tell that svsss is a BL. especially not volume 1. there's like, only a few lines indicating, but if you remove the baby binghe sexual awakening scene then you probably won't be able to know (...if you don't really read romance or anything. idk he's kinda dense anyways). so let's hope he gets attached and has a slow descent into the homo before i drop svsss vol 2 on him!

ok anyways i'll update you guys later with a reblog. maybe in about two or three days lol

(also don't worry, we already fuck around with each other on a daily basis like this. he's already tricked me into reading some manga i was unprepared for, and i thought that it'd be funny to mess around with him using svsss this time lol)

[yridenergyridenergy]

Live report - Tour24 Who Is This Hell For? 2024/11/23 at Sendai PIT

Setlist

CONCEIVED SORROW

DOZING GREEN

IIID Empire

Phenomenon

Keigaku no yoku

Magayasou

Tsumi to batsu

DIABOLOS

VINUSHKA

Soshaku

Ochita koto no aru sora

The Inferno

-encore-

The Devil In Me

Cause of fickleness

Uroko

Eddie

Wow, tonight was way more energetic and intense than in Sapporo, which makes me feel sad because Dir en grey don't tour in Sapporo every year, and it was just a matter of using one setlist versus the other.

And well, the highlight of the night was definitely that blunder Shinya did in Soshaku hahah!

First, the SE was the same. Shinya walked on stage wearing black pants rather than white like yesterday. I found that it didn't suit his grandeur that much. Die came next with the same thights but the tunic/vest he wore was white, I think with some smokey design? I was in shimote tonight, so I didn't see much of him. Overall, the members did not change places even half as much as they did in Sapporo, which is odd considering that the energy was much higher today.

Toshiya arrived and BAM, he has a beautiful red satin dress cut from a bit above the belt/hip all the way down, exposing his left leg. Sometimes, when he raised his bass, we could see his belly a bit! The top portion of the dress was like a somewhat ample dress shirt, with long sleeves and buttoned up, and Toshiya wore a black tie with golden ornaments, some dingle at the bottlm of the tie. I felt that it was a detail that tied in subtly with Kaoru's outfit, which was the Versailles/Innocent Rouge costume! It looks amazing! Nobody had mentioned that he was loyal to the style all the way to the toes: he wore shorts with black thights underneath, and I didn't see his shoes much but they seemed to match that old French royal fashion. He had an elaborate bowtie or whatever, hair tied and sleeked back except for one strand on his right. He looked downright fabulous. He remained entirely stoic and without a drop of sweat yet again tonight! Kaoru had some zigzag makeup lines on his left temple at least.

Kyo then arrived at the very end of the SE and,.as I thought I'd remembered, he walked slowly, smugly with his hands in his pockets, dressed all in sleek black. His chin was even a bit up, like he was indifferent to our cheers or that it was the very least he expected. Like damn, he and the other members know exactly what kind of effect they have on us!

Conceived Sorrow started and already, it was 100% felt, emotional. Everybody raises their hand when the line about not being able to reach comes up. Kyo ends the song with the loud a capella to seal the deal.

We didn't really do anything or make any noise after that ending, which Dir en grey seems to have prepared for because the intro to Dozing Green started soon after. Already, it was clear that Kyo was engaging us more into the show from early on, and I think he even had us sing one part in this song already.

The IIID Empire was then played, which I had kind of forgotten that it was in this tour! And man, these two shows have checked a few things off my bucketlist: I saw Toshiya throw his mic stand meters in the air, with my own eyes! Every single soul in the venue was looking forward to it, so it would be a real downer if he didn't do that one time. The crowd participated a lot in the lines, fist-pumping, etc.

And then, I really did see Phenomenon live! I feel like it must have happened in one of the early tours I attended, but I'm not sure that Kyo had been doing those hip sways with his arms up back then. If he did, then I certainly wasn't in the second row with a perfect spot on the side to watch it!

Phenomenon starts with Toshiya crouching, before any sound is even made, which is really like... intimidating hahah? He stayed in a low posture like that for a very long time.

Keigaku no yoku - How could I have forgotten last time that Kyo kicks at his crate right before the song starts? I've never seen him do it. The crate is taped to the stage, but his kick is strong enough that the crate moves forward a little. And it was an odd action today especially because I think we hadn't really cheered after Phenomenon's: "kore ijo" kind of grated by Kyo, so the kick almost gives the impression of being frustrated by our silence. Anyway, Kyo again changed most of the lyrics of Keigaku no yoku, and once it seemed like he was making a mistake and sang the second line of a verse before the first, but he ad-libbed the second portion, so let's assume it was intentional hah. I don't really remember what he said. At the end though, I want to correct that he sings about "you" shouting: "Hurry up and die!", not himself like I'd written in my 11/21 report.

Magayasou was as always Shinya's spotlight, but Kyo was definitely more invested in the song today compared to the Sapporo show. The backdrop video had a lot of colourful flowers which turned into... Mush? Something rotten? I,m trying to remember what kind of thing they transformed into by the end of the song.

I don't remember if there was as much of a break between the two songs as last time, but Tsumi to batsu came next and again, it feels like Kyo sang more diversely this time around. His growls are awesome no matter what though. He gets on his crate and crouches almost for the entire song. I think there might be a lyrics memo sheet taped there just for that song?

I think it was in Tsumi to Batsu that Toshiya literally dropped to his knees, out of nowhere? And/or there was another song where he went on one knee, then rotated to the side and stretched one leg while his bass touched the floor. Again, quite "intimidating" hah.

By the way, twice throughout the show, I can't remember which songs specifically, but Kyo was so invested that he almost fell backward from his crate. No actual danger, just a step backward which seemed to serve to catch his footing because he'd gotten intense.

DIABOLOS was once again very felt, but this time Kyo did not ask us to sing half as many "Blue Velvet"s. And by this point in the show, Kyo had already called out "Sendai" 2-3 times, and I'm certain he did during that song too. The segment before: "Saa, ningen o yamero" was also different and shouted, I'd say even more emotional than in Sapporo, like probably with Kyo clutching his shirt or his head during that part more? Oh and he thumped his mic on his chest super hard most likely in this song and another time near the end of the show.

Vinushka starts after the break with Toshiya just leaning back on his speakers, arms draped widely on his side while he looks at us sexily. There's no other way to describe it, and it's more or less appropriate for Vinushka hah?

Toshiya kept nodding and smiling at us, whether it was because we knew the beat or were reacting like he wanted to the melodies.

In Vinushka, I think it was, Kyo placed his hands at his sides, palms facing us, after throwing the mic over his shoulder, and raised his hands slowly to demand our cheers. I'd love to remember exactly what song it was, because Vinushka is pretty obvious from all the times they've played it, but the song in which Kyo did it and he got almost no response from the crowd, only after a delay, you could see that he raised his eyebrows and looked down at his positioning, as though pondering: "I'm in the right position, aren't I? Isn't it clear what I want?" It wasn't necessarily something he did every time in whatever song it was, but yeah, the crowd should have been more adaptive and smart.

Oh, in terms of Kyo's facial expressions, there's also one growl or scream he did at the end of a song, which he seemed taken aback, blinking a bit after it like he was surprised by how much it took out of him.

Soshaku... It started a bit off from the start, like Shinya was one note too late, but then he fucked up the drum melody for real by seemingly repeating that first 'phrase' of the song rather than moving on to the rest of the composition. The band kept going for a few seconds, but it was Kyo who just stared unimpressed first toward us, then circled back to stand right in front of Shinya without singing anymore. We couldn't see his face, but his posture exhibited a polite: "What the actual fuck?" Die had actually been at Shinya's platform already with one foot raised on it, but I don't know if he was subtly trying to steer Shinya in the right direction or if that's just what he wanted to do in Soshaku anyway. Once the others realized that Kyo had properly disconnected from the performance, everyone else stopped playing. Shinya appeared clueless at first, then he seemed to shake his head quickly. I don't think any words were spoken between the members. When Kyo was assured that Shinya would do his part, he turned around to face us and said: "Suman" (Sorry about that). They picked back the song from the start, and I can't say that Shinya's drumming was 100% synchronized or accurate, but at least he did proceed with a different phrase than the one he had repeated.

Kyo made extra efforts to pump us up after that, and even had us sing multiple parts of the song, from what I remember.

Same thing with Ochita koto no aru sora. Kyo gives me the impression of emitting a vibe of: "This song is yours, guys" and we sang a lot.

It was in one of those last couple of songs that Kyo actually smiled in satisfaction. Always so heartwarming to see!

Toshiya was the MVP backup vocalist as always!

The Inferno was very much the same as in Sapporo, with Kyo throwing his mic and leaving before the song's even finished. However, I think he engaged more with the audience this time, coming up in front of his crate, crouching, and at one point either in this song or another one, he even did the hook fingers or something like that toward us.

The Inferno ended much differently though, unless I missed something from being in kamite in Sapporo. Kaoru dumped his guitar near the front of the stage after he finished, Toshiya was low and dragged his bass across the floor toward the back for the audio effect and punkassery, Shinya left at some point and Die stayed to do some distortion but for a shorter period of time. He was all smiles as usual!

It was funny because all the technicians/assistants had to come on stage when the band left before the encore to clean up the instruments that had been left there, which I hadn't seen in Sapporo. Toshiya's guy even had a hard time with his mic stand, which in fact looked bent a bit. The technician tried to force it back in shape and tested its balance on the floor a couple of times. What's funny is also that Toshiya's mishandling of his bass was apparently so bad that it took forever for it to be tuned, and we chanted: "Encore! Encore!" for so long before it was ready. The poor guy didn't seem to be able to fix the cords, based on what I saw on the monitor in the background.

Maybe to make up for that delay, but it also felt that way in Sapporo a bit, but the members walked back on stage almost simultaneously, not one at a time for each to savour their cheers.

Toshiya made a gesture toward his left, presumably at Shinya, smiling and I think even clapping afterward. I don't know if the band had a mini "What the hell happened there?" chat backstage about Shinya's mistake, which could also explain why it took them so long to return for the encore.

Kyo was once again utterly nonchalant, indifferent, but in a super teasing way, as if to say: "I deserve all your cheers and attention, but it doesn't sway me."

Shinya had changed into a sleeveless version of the tour T-shirt, Die I think also had that custom sleeveless sweater, Toshiya came with the black sweater this time with the same shorts and long leather boots, Kaoru might have removed his upper jacket, and Kyo had only wiped off his sweat hah.

The Devil In Me was intense as always. Kyo did the noose at the end, and I saw exactly how he measures the right length. He didn't do the disvesting/shedding part with the mic cord afterward though. In the song, the bass seemed off at first, and we could barely hear the back vocals at all? Even more reason to have Die and Shinya properly do them on stage. Kyo asked us to sing the first or second chorus, which ends in: "What did you really love?" but it sounded like nobody sang or few people knew how long to maintain that: "Kaaaaaaaketa"

Man the people in the first row were almost not headbanging sometimes, it was so stupidly frustrating hah.

I remember Cause of fickleness starting and Toshiya just nodding like: "Yeah, you know which one." All the members who could came at the edge of the stage. Kyo had us sing most of the "Wake me up"s. He took off his ear monitor once in a while to hear better.

Uroko also had Toshiya nodding and mouthing like: "Oh yeah, you know it" hahah. Kyo demanded that we sing more than just the "Anata shidai de", or it was in another song, but man was he demanding tonight hahah. His own voice was spotless but he gotta come for us!

Before the last song, Kyo asked: "Sendai? Sendai? Sendai? Sendai?", so much that at one point we were exasperated, who else was he talking to if not Sendai hah? Then he asked us if we could go on, become one, etc. and I think his new variant where he growls about us going to die then or something?

Kyo let his mic drop to the ground after Eddie. He seemed to contemplate what to do after Shinya's last hit of the drums in the final climax, but he opted for not leaving and took one of his water bottles, drinking briefly from it, then tossing it in the crowd. Actually, I can't remember if it was with the first or second bottle, but he threw it in the general direction of someone in front of him who he gestured at and the reversed L that they had on their shirt. Hopefully they did catch the bottle meant for them, because Kyo's throw was not that gentle and precise hah. He also christened people a lot in front of his crate.

Shinya once more took a very long time to get off his platform. He seemed characteristically impassible, but everybody cheered for him, so I hope he felt our appreciation despite his mistake. He threw his four drum sticks and I believe he waved at us briefly.

Die squirted us from far away, huge smile on his lips. Kaoru did the same but just to shimote. He threw a towel right to the first few people in front of his position on stage, delicately.

Toshiya threw some picks and got on Kyo's crate to clap with us and smile. He climbed back down and bowed ever elegantly before leaving the stage.

On his way out, Kaoru pointed to the background, which had the tour name, as though to really make us think about it.

Die left with much appreciation and satisfaction as usual. People were cheering him on as he prepared his towel to throw, and he made it almost reach the back!

That's what I remember for now. I need to sleep hah.

[commodorez]

I still believe the craziest form of computer program storage format from the 1980s is the cassette tape. Logical I get it but to store entire programs on little tape (that I only remember using to play music) is just crazy to me. Idk

Agreed, cassette tape for data storage was really clever. The concept had its heyday was the 1970s in a wide variety of encoding schemes for different computer platforms. It did persist into the 80s, mostly in Europe, while the US switched to floppy disks as soon as they were available for systems. The majority of my Ohio Scientific software is on cassette.

Talking with UK vs. US Commodore 64 users in particular will highlight the disparity in which storage mediums that were commonplace. I've got a few pieces of software on tape for mainly the VIC-20, but I rarely bother to use it, because it's slow and annoying. To be fair, Commodore's implementation of data storage on tape is pretty rock solid relative to the competition. It's considered more reliable than other company's but Chuck Peddle's implementation of the cassette routines are considered quite enigmatic to this day. He didn't document it super well, so CBM kept reusing his old code from the PET all the way through the end of the C128's development 7 years later because they didn't want to break any backward compatibility.

The big thing that really made alot of homebrewers and kit computer owners cozy up to the idea was the introduction of the Kansas City Standard from 1976. The idea of getting away from delicate and slow paper tape, and moving towards an inexpensive, portable, and more durable storage medium was quite enticing. Floppy disk drives and interfaces were expensive at the time, so something more accessible like off the shelf audio tapes made sense.

I've linked two places you can read about it from Byte Magazine's February 1976 issue below (check the attribution links).

You might recognize a familiar name present...

There are a few ways to encode binary data on tape designed to handle analog audio, but the KCS approach is to have 1's be 8 cycles of 2400Hz tone, and 0's be 4 cycles of 1200Hz tone. I say cycles, because while 300 baud is the initial specification, there is also a 1200 baud specification available, so the duration of marks vs spaces (another way of saying 1's and 0's), is variable based on that baud rate. Many S-100 computers implemented it, as do a few contemporary proprietary designs.

The big 3 microcomputers of 1977 that revolutionized the industry (Apple II, Commodore PET 2001, and Tandy TRS-80 Model I) each have their own cassette interface implementation. It kept costs down, and it was easy to implement, all things considered. The Apple II and TRS-80 use off-the-shelf cassette deck connections like many other machines, whereas the original variant of the PET had an integrated cassette. Commodore later used external cassette decks with a proprietary connector, whereas many other companies abandoned tape before too long. Hell, even the original IBM PC has a cassette port, not that anybody bothered to use that. Each one used a different encoding format to store their data, rather than KCS.

Here's a sample of what an OSI-formatted tape sounds like.

And here's a Commodore formatted tape, specifically one with VIC-20 programs on it.

I won't subject you to the whole program, or we'd be here all day. The initial single tone that starts the segment is called the "leader", I've truncated it for the sake of your ears, as well as recorded them kinda quietly. I don't have any other tape formats on hand to demonstrate, but I think you get the idea.

You can do alot better than storing programs on tape, but you can also do alot worse -- it beats having to type in a program every time from scratch.

[shirozora-draws]

I am so late but I am finally done with the first round of merch that I am satisfied with. I am satisfied and we are rolling forward with this set. Now to send off all of my final sample orders so that I know these are absolutely working and are worth posting to a shop site as pre-orders.

Clan of Three lanyards. I recognize that I could easily turn these into washi tapes if I wanted to. We'll see.

Grogu Baby Crimes. Sticker & acrylic shaker charm. Completely revamped after carrying around the old version as an acrylic shaker charm and deciding it was too unwieldy and, more importantly, not cute enough. This will be a sticker option and an acrylic shaker charm option.

Keldabe kiss - Interstellar version. Matte & holographic sticker.

Keldabe kiss - Tatooine version. Matte & holographic sticker.

Live Cheen Reaction. Sticker. For all the fans of Cheen Yofree, the unluckiest third-wheeling Rodian OC.

Need A Hero. Sticker & acrylic charm. The only thing I'm putting forward with Din's face for now. I wanted something cute.

Clan of Two. Sticker. A straightforward general sticker.

The Battle Couple. Sticker (for now). This was actually designed to be an embroidered patch, but I'm not really there yet. The sticker shape is odd so I might present this as a kiss cut sticker.

Luke on Ossus - no scars. Sticker. For people who don't want scars?

Luke on Ossus - scars. Sticker. I just wanted to doodle a thirst trap, thassit.

The Storm. Sticker (for now). I wanted to make more merch for my fics and might use this template for the other fics in the Dangerous Dreams series.

The Clan of Three. Sticker. This motherfucker held me up for MONTHS. I didn't like the previous full-body version especially after getting several sample stickers so I started over... and then got stuck. For months. But here we are. The final piece of the puzzle.

Limited - Tron. Sticker & acrylic charm. I wanted to make a little Tron merch. The acrylic charm will be double-sided with Tron on one side and Rinzler on the other. Thank god this guy is more or less symmetrical.

Limited - Rinzler. Sticker & acrylic charm. For people who like Rinzler. This will be double-sided with Rinzler on one side and Tron on the other side.

I'm sending off a final round of sample sticker and charm orders so that I can get a feel for the revamped and new designs, and once I'm happy I'll get the pop-up shop up and running.

Round 2, I'm looking at small prints, possibly the embroidered patch, and maybe a Tron|Rinzler standee. Also a sticker for The Suns maybe, possibly also The Stars. What if I did a WarGreymon|BlackWarGreymon charm?????

And now.... we write.

[polycraftory]

Getting Started: Junk Journaling

So you want to get started with scrapbooking/junk journaling? This is a craft, like many others, that you can get started on with very little supplies! However, we'll get a little deeper into stuff as well for some additional tips and supplies that might be fun or helpful.

What You Absolutely Need

Scissors / Cutting Implements - If you can, buy a nicer pair of scissors for your own sanity, but any scissors will do starting out! Detail scissors specifically are really helpful. Exacto knives can also be helpful, but you'll also need a cutting mat if you don't already have one. This category is worth investing in because dull scissors are a nightmare.

Adhesive - ZipDry is designed for paper so it doesn't bleed through thin stuff and it dries quick and clear. Double sided tape rolls are also very helpful, especially with large areas or gluing a bunch of stuff quickly. This is an area worth investing in earlier! Thin paper and magazine paper will have bleed through with certain glues.

Notebook/Paper - Use what you have! If you, like me, have a million journals lying around, use that! As you get deeper in, you might find it helpful to specifically look for notebooks that lie flat when opened. You can also use sheets of art paper if you want to go more independent collage style rather than journaling. Watercolor paper/notebooks are nice because they are thicker, but you can use whatever.

Materials to Actually Cut/Glue/Use - Okay, here's where you really can do whatever you want forever and spend as little or as much as you want. You can cut up books and magazines you have on hand. If you have a printer, you can print stuff out! People sell really amazing curated mixed packs of materials (you can support some great shops on etsy doing very cool and niche stuff! If you are really on a budget, amazon sells some bulk packs as well).

Material Tip

If you don't have a husband that works in a mailroom (we are very lucky) and you don't have a lot of magazines on hand, try going to your local post office and dig through the recycling bin! A lot of people will throw out magazines/ads/catalogues there and you might find some gems. You can also get a free trial for some magazines and just cancel once they want to charge you money. Nic finds Vogue and GQ helpful for people. National Geographic can be helpful for backgrounds and animals.

Leveling up details below the cut!

Level Up

Slide Cutter - Make sure you get one with a replaceable blade! Super helpful for bulk cutting out big shapes.

"Okay, but I see people online with fancy stuff and I want to get in on that action!" you may say. Here is some fun stuff to play with!

If you see someone whose junk journaling content you like, you can also just reach out to them! A lot of people are happy to share links to the stuff they use and a lot of junk journalers online run their own shops/have affiliate links to the stuff they use!

Fun Junk Journaling Variety Packs - truly this is where a lot of people spend a lot of money because you can buy all sorts of fun niche packs depending on the vibe/focus you want to go with. You can also buy packs of quotes / letters / sayings. This can be helpful especially when doing character focused stuff. My wife really likes the packs from PengellyCrafts on etsy.

Washi Tape - People really like using washi tape, especially the transparent ones. These can be surprisingly expensive.

Transparent Stickers - These are fun because you can get a lot of detail and layering without intricate cutting. If you are careful with detail cutting you can cut the white border on normal stickers if you can't swing transparent ones.

Stamps - Like transparent stickers, this can add fun depth and layering, though with perhaps slightly less detail. The best part about stamps is that they are infinitely reusable and you can get all sorts of stamp pads. The downside is they are surprisingly expensive. You can even get stamps that help you make backgrounds like stars or wood texture. There are also "container" stamps like jars and bottles that you can put stuff in!

Embossing Powder - You can pair stamps with a glue stamp pad (or get glue markers) to use with embossing powder and a heat gun to create embossed details that add depth and texture. Make sure you are careful about what order you do things in when using heat!

Distress Ink (or Distress Oxide) & Blender/Diffuser - Make things look aged! This is a stamp pad you can use to make any paper or image look older than it is. Make sure you also get the little foam blender they also sell for application since it'll go on too thick if you try to use it directly on the paper.

Wax & Wax Seals - Wax can be fun to play with because it is both an adhesive and also adds dimension. Note: a lot of embossing or wax in a journal can make it hard to close a notebook.

Old Books - You can buy used books or use books that you don't want anymore for backgrounds to cut out words. Things like recipe books and encyclopedias can be especially helpful/vibe-y.

Fun Edges / Frames - You can get scrapbooking scissors or edge punches to add fun details and shapes to paper edge. It just depends on whether you like that look! Something like a simple round edge punch can be helpful.

Have Fun With It

Do you do other crafts, like painting or cricut? You can pair so many different crafts with junk journaling to make a cool multi-media piece. The most important thing to remember is to use what you have and have fun with it! Don't put off starting because you want all the bells and whistles or think you have to spend a bunch of money like the people who create junk journaling internet content! Create joyfully and lean into the chaos.

Please let us know if this guide was helpful and if you'd like a more specific buy list or tutorials on anything! We are here to help make crafting more accessible <3 You got this! Go junk journal!

If you want to see Nic's junk journaling, we are going to queue some in the next few days. Check our pinned post to find our junk journaling tag for inspiration!

[drdemonprince]

When other people say that they do not have enough time to get something done, they (often, if they're quite healthy) mean they are taking into account the time it takes to do the laundry and arrange new pieces of furniture and cook dinner and meet up with friends to see a movie and run to the post office or the hair dresser and take the dog for walks and do the dishes and paint their nails and drive to the store and go to their cousin's wedding and go to the barbecue their friend is throwing on the weekend

they don't winnow their life down to just spending time at the computer, working from when they wake up until they cannot focus their eyes anymore, granola bars, coffee, and bottles of water all around them because of course they did not take time to have lunch or breakfast, only dragging themselves away from work when they are truly too exhausted to do any of it anymore, and then lacking the energy to do much of anything that remains of life but to eat a tiny bit more, sponge themselves off, and go to sleep.

i just saw a video of a fursuiter on their bed, legs kicked back, head propped on their hands, delightedly announcing that after many years of hard work they had finally finished their Master's degree. And some part of me, some sick withered part, thought really? you had time to do a Master's degree while also getting a fursuit done? and going to conventions, presumably? you had time in the day to research fursuit makers, have a sona designed and drawn by someone else (or to draw it yourself), to contact a maker to make a duck tape dummy of yourself, and to have a friend over to help you make it and to cut it off of you, to send it in the mail to the maker, to then get it and make videos? you had time to set up this beautiful bedroom that i see in your video, with a soft pink sham on the bed and LED lights behind your bookshelf and lamps and all kinds of stuffed toys? you had a life? you were out playing, and dancing, and pursuing your hobbies, and you did a master's degree?

because when i was working on my doctorate, there was nothing. three layers of foam on the floor with a fitted sheet over it. a folding card table from aldi that had cost $40 that my grandparents got me. no food in the fridge. no time to even get the internet installed, just stolen wi-fi when my laptop could pick it up. i woke up, got dressed, and slunk into the office. i sat alone in the dark working until my hunger made me furious and i could not write another word. and then i walked to the grocery store, got something to subsist on, went home, ate, kickboxing video, went to sleep. every day. with almost nothing breaking the routine.

and ive gotten better, so much better, but my brain still kind of works that way. i feel like i have to quit my job and stop being a writer if i want to have hobbies. to paint my bedroom. to marinate a meat for longer than fifteen minutes. to get a driver's license again. to take a trip. but i dont want to be like that any more. how do people know when to stop? i feel like i have to give everything my absolute all until there is nothing left or else i have done nothing. i feel that i would have to treat a hobby like a job to get it done. I feel that anything that takes more than two minutes is a huge waste of time i must feel guilty for. i am working on all these things. jesus i have been working on them for years at this point. but because i have been so successful at telling people to do less, i get pulled in. interview. workshop invitation. email. urgent in the subject line. call from my agent. meeting request from my boss. new book idea, better sell it now while my sales figures still look good. recording studio session. deadline. writing. can you talk about this. can you talk about that. tag. email. book idea. deadline. long heartfelt email. still so often i have to take my own damn advice.

and this is why i am getting a fursuit made!! and going to cons! and going to leather and latex events! and making socials that are separate for these things!! i am going to let myself be silly and soft and do frivolous things. i am so sick of what i do to myself, all the pursuit of seeming like a strong mature adult.

[finniestoncrane]

Here is me requesting my birthday maxi smut honestly im thinking maxi threw some stuff together for a little surprise for her ! And ( he actually does give her a real gift) but the best part comes in the bedroom....

Pun not intended 🤣

I Got You Something

Maximus x Fem!Reader, word count: 1k ay happy birthday!! i love maximus, he's just the softest, sweetest little lamb and the strangest little bug ever and i am obsessed with him and how he'd learn how to be a good boyfriend to someone ;-; 🧡 request info • prompt list • send me a request • kofi • masterlist minors DNI!! 🔞 cw: fluff, lil bit of smut, oral sex mostly!!

"You're paying attention, right? Because I really can't see anything..."

"Yeah, yeah, I got you! Just a little... further...Oh, shit, watch that pile of... what is that?"

Your feet kicked something soft in front of you and you recoiled, caught in Maximus' arms.

"Max! Can you just uncover my eyes, please?"

"No, almost there. Just a little further..."

As sweet as the gesture was, you almost regretted telling Maximus that it was your birthday. He was so keen to impress, so determined to make sure you still retained a semblance of your old life, of some goodness. He wanted you to keep that optimism, the kind that made you excited for something like a birthday, something he'd never really been all that fussed by.

More importantly, he wanted to be a good boyfriend.

So he kept his front pressed to your back and guided you over the miscellaneous debris that he had neglected to clean out of the way when he found a safe enough space to set up for your surprise. And then, when you were past the door frame, he removed his hands from your eyes and practically squealed.

"... ok, tah-dah!"

When your vision returned, you found yourself in an empty room, the view from the window suggesting it was on the outskirts of the settlement you and Max had been staying in for the past couple of weeks. On the walls there were tiny triangles of stained fabric, tied together to form bunting. In the corner, a bed with the cleanest sheets you'd seen in months and a dresser with an assortment of your favourite snacks. And in the centre of the room, two dining chairs and a wobbling table, upon which there was a strange looking package.

"Max! This is..."

"It's not great, I know, but... Happy Birthday!"

You could tell that your silence was worrying him, so you choked out whatever words could come to you first.

"Maxi... this is amazing."

The effort he'd put into making the space look at least a little welcoming, and a tiny bit liveable, had rendered you almost entirely speechless, unable to express to him how much it really meant to you.

"You sure?"

"Of course! It's... I love it. It's amazing. Thank you."

Reaching up to him, you cupped his cheek as you pressed a kiss to the other, beaming a bright smile at him before you gestured to the package on the table.

"And this?"

"Oh, right! Your present."

"My present?"

Your eyes widened, excited at what you had suspected had been a gift.

"It's not really like... We don't- didn't... do birthdays in the Brotherhood. But I know it's a big deal for you so..."

He reached for the gift, pulling out a chair for you and placing the parcel in your lap once you were seated. As you looked closely at it, you could make out some of the design on the paper. Singed edges of old comic books, scraps from books, all held together with some strips of duct tape. It upset you to even unwrap it, as you thought about the effort he had gone to, so you tore the paper away gently, admiring your gift once you had revealed it.

"Oh, Maxi, this is so sweet."

You held an almost pristine souvenir mug with the Nuka-Cola logo on the front. There was no way of knowing how he'd managed to find it up here, or how much he might have had to spend to get it from a trader. It was perfect.

"It's not great... it's... I'm sorry, it's crap."

"It is not! I love it!"

"Wow, really? Because I had a back-up if you didn't-"

Your ears pricked up, eyes focusing on his sweet, flushed cheeks as your pupils dilated.

"A back-up? You mean there's another gift?"

Maximus stammered over his words, nervously scratching at the back of his neck, flustered by the intense focus you were now giving him.

"It's more of a... like a surprise."

"Well, show me!"

With a renewed excitement, Max took your hand and guided you from the table to the bed, slightly giddy in the way he practically skipped over to it.

"Ok, lie down."

You raised an eyebrow with an excited smile, but did as he asked, letting your body sink into the busted bedframe and watching as he sank to his knees at the bottom of the bed. His hands, shaking with nerves, skimmed up your thigh and grabbed your hips, pulling you down the mattress closer to him. You let out a squeal of shock, giggling as he hooked his fingers into the waistband of your pants, pulling them down your legs and taking your underwear with them.

"Max!"

"What?"

You sat up on your elbows, looking down at him with a grin so wide it almost hurt your cheeks.

"Are you really doing this?"

"Yeah... I've been practising."

He raised his eyebrows, his lips forming a sweet, proud smile.

"Yep, I've been practising."

"I don't even want to ask how..."

"Then don't, just let me show you."

With your lower half completely exposed, your pants and underwear placed in a small heap next to where Maximus knelt, you felt your body warming with arousal, anticipation spreading through your veins as you felt him leaning in, his warm breath on your thighs, then against your cunt.

And then, his tongue, hot, wet, pressed flat against your lips, forcing the tip between then, spreading them apart as he dragged the muscle up and down over your entrance, teasing it as he reached the top. He had been practising, and he’d obviously learned a little bit about anatomy somehow.

“Max… Max, this is… it’s so good…”

He paused for a moment, smiling happily, a sense of pride in his work.

“It is… you taste good… better than anything I’ve eaten out here…”

You gripped at the sheets as he returned to your body, lips enclosing over your pussy as he sucked and lapped, moaning with satisfaction at how you tasted, how you felt against his face, thighs pressed against his cheeks. And with the innocent joy he always held for these intimate moments together, he wondered if you’d let him do this again for his birthday.