#just not close enough to the source material for me to truly be in love with it

[natashashill]

tell me you love me

pairing: agatha harkness x reader

word count: 3.1k

warnings: 18+ angst, hurt/comfort, cunnilingus, thigh riding, happy ending

a/n: this was my first time writing smut so tell me if it sucks so i can improve lowk but i have some more reqs to get to so hopefully it’s only up from here!!!

summary: based on this req

Opening up the text, you couldn’t focus on anything else for the rest of the day. Agatha’s text was vague, asking you to meet by the campus cafe once you were done with your classes. Her text lacked its usual warmness, something that was reserved for you alone. You turned your phone off immediately after shooting off a quick confirmation, trying to focus on your upcoming meeting with Professor Maximoff, who never tolerated distractions. You were so close to finishing your senior project, and her guidance is crucial to helping you finish.

The meeting flies by, with the two of you reviewing source material necessary for the finishing touches on this presentation. Soon enough, you were packing up your things and getting ready to head to the cafe. You check your phone for any other messages from Agatha, but there were none. You make your way to class with a slight frown, a funny feeling in your stomach deeping with every step made.

You see her sitting at a corner table, eyebrows furrowed as she stares at her phone. You take a few hesistant steps towards her, until she can see you. Her head slowly raises, a small smile gracing her face but it fails to meet her eyes. She gets up to meet you in a hug and waits until you both place your orders before saying anything.

“Y/N, I know that you’re about to graduate and I just need to say this now and get this out of the way. You’re such a smart girl with such a bright future ahead of you and my precious girl, I cannot be the one to hold you back. I’ve seen the way you worked so hard for this degree and I refuse to hold you back. I love you so much sweetheart, but you have your entire life ahead of you. You have all this time to explore the world and meet new people, and I know it will be a matter of time before this comes to the end. I don’t want this to end bitterly, I love you so much and I have only love for you. I will always cherish you and be rooting for you, but I can’t keep seeing you anymore, I need to let you go.”

You stare blankly at her while your brain starts to process what she just said. Almost at perfect timing, your server comes back with your orders, and she drops eye contact to focus on her drink. Your eyes start to well up with tears and suddenly your throat feels extremely dry.

“Agatha, I don’t want to break up with you. I love you, I only love you. I don’t want anyone else in my life, but you. I couldn’t have made it through this year without you, I can’t imagine my life without you now.”

She looks up at you with a watery smile, but you can tell she’s made up her mind. Your heart plummets at the thought of the situation. You start to replay all your moments in the head.

The movie nights at her place after she came back from work and picked you up from college along the way. Your head on her shoulder as you both giggled through another cheesy romcom and shared a pint of ice cream.

Your birthday, where she pulled out all the stops to make you feel cherished. Inviting all your friends and planning a special party, where you ended up going to a beautiful dinner before returning to a surprise party with all your closest friends. You knew she was behind the entire thing especially when she came up to you with a small box at the end of the night containing a small necklace with a heart pendant that you haven’t taken off since.

You slowly go to grasp the necklace when you realize what she’s doing, paying the bill. You hear her say that she knows you won’t understand right now but she loves you and is looking out for you. You face the window as she exits, not willing to believe that she’s truly walking out on you right now, six weeks before you were graduating.

You blew up her phone for the next week when you realized what she had actually meant but you received nothing from her. No texts, no calls, and not a single voicemail. Two weeks later, she sends you single text stating how much she loves you yet she cannot continue to be with you when you have your whole life ahead of you. At that, you cry. You cry and cry and cry and mourn all the good times you have had that she seemingly gave up on.

—------

Three months have passed, and you still can’t get her out of your mind. You graduated, she sent you a bouquet of flowers with a congratulations note you couldn’t bear to throw away. It sat tucked away in a small corner of your bedroom until it died, where you could throw it away without another hesitation, although you did save the card, not that you would ever admit it. You started your first job, now stuck in a cycle of long days, before mustering the last of your energy into making something to eat and passing out until the next morning at 6am sharp. You mourn the love you used to have with Agatha, how lively everything was with her, and her encouragement that would set you ready for whatever you needed to face.

Agatha wasn’t doing any better. Her days became increasingly longer since she decided to end things with you. She couldn’t stomach her thoughts, wondering if you replaced her yet, someone new and younger who was more worthy of your affection. She knew deep down that she made the worst decision of her life by ending things with you but she couldn’t escape the thoughts that made her feel that maybe she was saving herself from the heartbreak that would have occurred if she waited until you met someone else. She avoided everything that had anything to do with you, too afraid that she could run into you while you’re with someone else, not even eating the same ice cream brand anymore. Her work days became increasingly longer, hoping that she could avoid the outside world, and hopefully you.

Her co-workers drag her out one Friday, deeming that she works to hard and needs to get out more. They drag her to a local karaoke bar where she immediately beelines to the bar, ordering a double shot of tequila and a lime. She started to loosen up for the first time in three months, starting to forget about you. Her time came next, choosing to sing Shallow. Just as she finishes wrapping up the song, she sees someone enter, someone who just happens to be you. She hurriedly exits off the stage, hoping you wouldn’t notice her. She orders another drink and nurses it, hoping you wouldn’t recognize her there. Unexpectedly, she hears your voice next to her as you order out a martini, and she hesitantly lifts her head up.

Interestingly, your friends decided that evening would have been the perfect time to reconnect through all of their busy schedules. You dressed up for the first time since graduation, hoping that you would finally be able to focus on anything but her.

“Y/N? Is that you?”

Your head whips around faster than it ever has, and all of your pre-gaming efforts went out the window as you lock eyes with her. You’re unable to speak, but you notice her. The subtle differences, how dimmed her eyes look now, how her eyebags grew. You manage to slip out a simple hello when you realize you’ve been staring at her for quite a bit now.

She reaches out towards your hand on the bar, stopping her hand right before yours, hesitant knowing she doesn’t have the right to reach out to you anymore.

“How are you sweetheart?”

“I’ve missed you”

Oh.

You shouldn’t have said that, but you couldn’t help but blurt it out. Her eyes have always been hypnotizing to you, and you couldn’t help but be putty around her. Your gaze quickly drops to where your hands are before slowly returning to her face, catching the way she’s looking at you hungrily. You have just a second before she leans in closer and kisses you. You kiss her back, arms wrapping around her and moving closer, you hope you never have to break apart.

Her arms wrap around your waist as she stands up and tugs you closer. Her lips capturing your bottom lip before leaving your mouth entirely.

“I’ve missed you too sweetheart, so much my darling.”

That’s all it takes for you to bring your lips back to hers. She kisses back for a second before slowly pulling back and leaving you with a small pout. She chuckles but takes a long look around making sure her co workers are thoroughly distracted, before gently moving towards your ear.

“Come home with me baby, even if it’s just for tonight, let me make you mine again.”

You let out a small gasp before whispering a small yes. You see the smile return to her face, the same way it always used to be. She covers both of your tabs before ushering you to her car, focused on getting you both home as soon as possible.

She just barely gets the front door open before you’re on her again. Lips desperately meeting hers and she kisses you back just as desperate. Her hands meet your waist again and she guides you both towards the couch. She lays you down before breaking the kiss, hands making their way towards the hem of your shirt, making a single tug, eyes meeting yours in a silent question. You nod and she starts unbuttoning your shirt, leaving small kisses and praises as she goes. After eagerly throwing your shirt somewhere you’d have to search for tomorrow, she goes straight to unhooking your bra. You look down at her with your eyes half-liddled, practically keening in anticipation with what she’s doing but to your temporary disappointment, she makes her way back up to your lips.

She meets you in a harsh kiss before making her way down to your neck. She starts sucking harshly and you let out a breathy moan, letting your hands get tangled in her hair. She makes her way down to your tits, lightly teasing one of your nipples with her tongue, before wrapping her lips around it and gently sucking. Your hands tighten around her hair and press her closer. She brings one hand to twirl and twist around your other nipple while bringing the other closer to your pant zipper. She takes your nipple out of her mouth with a small pop. She quickly unzips your pants before bringing them down leaving you bare with just your panties. You lock eyes with her as your hands untangle from her hair and move along her back until the reach the zipper of her dress. She gives you a small nod before you quickly unzip the dress. She busies herself back in your neck in the meanwhile, leaving marks that you’ll have a hard time justifying to your friends when they see it the next day. Leaning back to step out of the dress, she slowly removes her own bra for your enjoyment, savoring the look on your face as her tits come into your view. She leans eye level with your crotch, lightly rubbing your clit through your soaked panties.

Another moan escapes you and your hips involuntarily buck upwards, desperate for more. She softly slides your panties to the side, before slowly licking a stripe up your core. The first taste of you makes her desperate and suddenly she’s harsher than before. She places one arm at your hips to prevent you from moving, while they other goes to keep your thighs apart. Her tongue swirls around your clit before bringing her lips down and harshly sucking a few times. You can’t stop the moans that leave you and you bring your hands back into her hair, lightly pushing her head closer to where you need it. She doesn’t relent, lips harshly suckking your clit before slipping her tongue inside your core. Your fingers tighten around her hair and you feel the vibrations from her moan against you. She focuses back on your clit, sucking and teasing before slipping a finger into your core. She starts to pump her finger in and out, and your moans grow increasingly louder. Your fingers tighten in her hair, your thighs start to shake, and she knows your close. She adds in a second finger, sucks extremely hard on your clit, and suddenly you’re falling apart for her. She works you through the aftershocks, lightly pumping in and out while whispering sweet praise, before removing her fingers and bringing them up to her lips to taste. She catches the look in your eye and she sends you a small wink while gently rubbing her other hand against your thigh soothingly.

As she stands up, you let out a soft whine of displeasure to which she shushes you softly. She gently leads you upstairs to her bed, settling you in the center and slipping out of her panties before making her way to join you. Your lips meet once again in a passionate embrace and her hands hold your face as if you could slip away any second. Every moan that leaks through only spurs her more as she straddles one of your legs. She starts rocking her hips and your hands attempt to guide them, before she pulls them away and pins them over your head. The new angle gives her a better angle as she rocks her hips and her hair drapes over her face. The sight is too much for you to handle and you wish you could frame how she looks in this moment. Spurred on by your eager gaze, it doesn’t take long for Agatha to call you her desperate slut and push her leg closer to your center. Her degradation only turns you on more and you eagerly buck your hips against her thigh, desperately seeking whatever friction she allows you. Agatha watches you desperately hump her, the sight only pushing her closer to her climax. Pressing her knee right at your core, she eagerly watches as your face twists in please and it only takes another second for you to reach your peak. Watching you come undone, sends her over the edge as well and she breathes out a desperate I love you while she comes. She drops slightly next to you, out of breath but refusing to take her eyes off of you. She looks up at you with a soft smile and sweetly asks you to stay, and you knew you couldn’t resist her. You settled against her chest with the covers wrapped around you both and when your eyes started to droop, you didn’t resist.

Everything came crashing the next morning when you woke up to an empty bed. You look around desperately, hoping that there’s still a chance she may be in the bathroom or the kitchen. When you hear nothing, tears start cascading down your cheeks rapidly. You check for a note but there’s nothing and you can’t wrap your head around the fact that she just left you alone. Wrapping the covers around you, you start to sob and bring back all the hurt and pain that you felt when she first broke up with you. Suddenly, you hear keys rattling in the door and you rush downstairs as she’s entering the door. She drops her bags at the sight of your tear-streaked face and engulfs you in a hug as you reach her. Your sobs turn into wails as you bury your face in her neck. She rocks you both gently while whispering sweet nothings hoping to soothe you slightly. She gently pulls you away before reaching to wipe your tears.

“My darling girl, what happened? What’s gotten you so upset this early in the morning?”

You take a deep breath as you attempt to answer and she gently rubs your back encouraging you to speak.

“I thought you left me again. I woke up and you weren’t there and there wasn’t a note or anything saying you would come back and I thought you wanted me gone. I don’t want to be gone, I wanted to wake up in your arms again. I missed having you with me, I hate every day that I don’t get to be with you, and I wanted you back. I assumed that you thought this was going to be a mistake and that we can’t see each other again anymore. I love you so much and I want you to love me back.”

You look up to see tears glistening in Agatha’s eyes as she takes in your words. She gently cradles your face in her hands before speaking.

“My love, I’m sorry I haven’t made things clearer for you. I love you so much, and I couldn’t stop thinking about you the entire time we were apart. It was my own insecurities that lead me to break things off with you. I refused to believe that you would still want me after you graduated, that you would see past this infatuation and find someone who’s more your age. I didn’t realize the extent to which I woud hurt you and for that I can’t even begin to apologize. As for last night, I have to admit, I was worried about where to go from here, but I don’t think I can leave you again. You mean too much to me for me to walk away again and I want you to stay with me for as long as you wish. My intention this morning was never to leave you alone, I went on a quick grocery run to get ingredients for breakfast in case you were willing to stay. I’m so sorry you woke up alone my love but I’m not going anywhere unless you want me to.”

You don’t respond but you fall right into her arms again, allowing yourself to fall and trusting her to take care of you. She knows that you love her just as much and that you will talk more on this later, but she focuses on making sure you’re alright and letting the future deal with itself. She guides you back to bed, bringing you back under the covers and wrapped safely in her arms as you start to drift asleep. She presses a gentle kiss to your forehead before letting sleep claim her as well.

notes: i absolutely adored this prompt so thank you to whoever sent it in. i hope this is okay and everything you could hope for!

[kryzobi-wan]

Don't come for me, it's just a joke 🙏

[runningfrom2am]

cold nights // epilogue

summary: a few years later...

pairing: coriolanus snow x fem!reader

wc: 3.7k

masterlists / nav / requests

tags/warnings: tribute!reader and mentor!coriolanus, r is very sweet (too kind for this world. literally.), sunshine x grumpy trope kinda, he falls first, violence typical for the source material, depictions of mental illness, also she's is very smart (as she should), district twelve!reader.

a/n:

here it is :) the epilogue :)

(i'm crying, could you tell??) i figured it was time to post this now that we've officially entered the overlapping requiem/michigan cherry era. tbh i was just afraid to let these two go bc i love them so much.

thank you all again SO so much for all the love on this fic. it has truly meant everything to me that so many people came on this actual JOURNEY with me, i never intended this to be so long but here we are.

anyway, stick around for requiem!! and i hope you loved this if you made it this far!!

my asks are also open to talk about this series! (i do have emoji anons open now too!)

send me any and all of your thoughts! here!

series masterlist // playlist // pinterest board

You were all dressed up in one of your finest gowns, attending the gala that preceded the presidential election.

Coriolanus was running, of course, and you were so incredibly proud. He's worked toward this for years, and you had been there every step of the way since the tenth annual Hunger Games, all those years ago. It felt like a distant memory- albeit one that still haunted you regularly.

You were a whole new person. A Capitol citizen most of the year, and you were happy most of the time. You and Coryo had always gone home in the summers, though, to spend your days surrounded by friends and family under the District Twelve sun. You always looked forward to it, but three months never felt like quite enough time. You missed your old life, but that's all it could be now.

While some Capitol elite was talking your ear off about the upcoming games, that's all you can think about. Well, how after the election that your boyfriend would most certainly win, those summers of peace would be a thing of the past. It was hard to think about, which is why you focussed on how you could work around it. Perhaps you would make smaller visits throughout the year- although Coryo was prepping you for the endless tasks that would even be put onto you as the First Lady of Panem. Once he wins the election, he would propose- and it would be followed by the wedding of the century. You didn't know if you dreaded it or if the pressure of it all just scared you beyond what excitement could repair.

"Miss Y/L/N?" Your train of thought is abruptly interrupted and you hum in response, bringing the champagne glass to your lips, acting like you were paying attention the whole time.

"Yes?" You respond as you lower your glass. "My apologies, I just spaced out for a moment there. It's a big day, after all..." You chuckle to recover, tilting your head slightly at them.

"I was just asking if you had any input in the arena for the next Games, if you could give us any hints." The man asks, seemingly impatient with you getting distracted.

"Oh," You reply, smile fading softly. "No, I- I really try to stay out of all of that." You laugh nervously, gripping tighter onto the glass as you take another sip, relieved when you feel someone's hand on your arm.

"Y/N, come sit. Coriolanus's speech is about to start, he got me to save you a seat at my table." Sejanus says, linking his arm with yours.

You politely excuse yourself from the conversation and allow him to pull you away. "Many thanks." You whisper to him, chuckling slightly as you glance back over your shoulder at the older man you were speaking to. "Some people are so tone-deaf, aren't they?"

"Most definitely." He sighs, shaking his head as he guides you toward his table at the front of the banquet hall, close to the stage. "Apparently that will never change."

Sejanus Plinth was your saving grace all these years, that, however, had never changed. You didn't see him as much anymore, with you being locked up in your office in the Snow penthouse focused on writing book after book until you were burnt out. His role as a doctor in and out of the Districts certainly didn't help either, but you knew he was partial to working back home in Twelve so he could spend more time with Lucy Gray. You were glad he was much more fulfilled in his adult life than you were; you always knew he would do well and you were proud. You had to take moments every so often to remind yourself that when you first met him and Coryo, you had been sad that you wouldn't get to see the men they would become but you had wondered. Now, you had your answers.

"Is that not the truth." You scoff under your breath, smiling and giving a quick wave to a few familiar faces as you pass. You had become somewhat of a people-pleasing expert, the same way Coriolanus had.

You sit down at the table at the front of the room just as the lights slightly dim, and the spotlight hits the stage. You gently cross one leg over the other, careful not to wrinkle your dress and clap in just the perfect polite way you had learned how to over the years, smiling as you see Coryo walk up onto the stage.

He waves, and people whistle and clap, and the smile on his face seems a little more genuine than it normally is during these speeches. Of course, though, this is his final address before he no doubt gets voted in as president, and you know that he is excited.

"Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for coming out tonight..." He says, in a subtle cue to get people to quiet down so he could speak, a drink still in his hand that he delicately hovers above the podium next to him. "This has been such an incredible opportunity for both of us running, and I must say, it's been fun." He tips the glass toward the other table at the front, and your eyes follow the movement to the other candidate, your friend and former classmate, Hilarius Heavensbee. They've never gotten along, and you know Hilarius wants nothing to do with this job. Not really. It makes you sad, a little bit, that his family would push him this far when he had confided in you in his freshman year that it wasn't what he wanted.

The man just gives Coryo a polite but nervous smile, taking another sip out of his own champagne glass. From where you were, you could see his hand trembling. You knew he would have to go next, and Coriolanus Snow was always a tough act to follow.

"Now, I am very happy about this turnout, because I have two important announcements to make." He continues, and whispers fill the room. You look over at Sejanus, a slight look of shock on your face. You didn't know he had anything special to announce, and he always kept you in the loop on everything. Sejanus just shrugs, looking back up at Coryo again. It must not actually be a big deal- it was probably just thanking some more people who have donated to his campaign.

"Firstly," He clears his throat, taking a step to the side as the screen behind him lights up. "For just a moment, see me as your head game maker and forget all about me running for president. Or don't, actually, maybe keep that in mind, but at the back of your mind." He chuckles, the little joke making the audience laugh. He was much more personable now than he once was, you smile a little as you remember helping him write his earlier speeches in a way that would make him more likable. "With the help of my fellow candidate and personal good friend, we are trying something new when it comes to The Hunger Games."

When he speaks, your heart drops and you sit up a little straighter- feeling all eyes on you as you just focus on him. For the first time, he looks down at you and gives you a small smile, the slightest nod in an effort to reassure you that it wasn't as scary as it sounded. You swallow and just keep your smile on as best as you can, ignoring all the stares.

"So, we all love The Games. They're exciting, the stakes are high, and I know every year we all pick our favourite tributes to root for and it's hard to watch them fall but, god, do I know better than anyone how good it feels when they win." Your cheeks burn intensely as Coryo sends a smile and a wink your way, and the screen behind him flashes to a picture of the two of you, taken after your shared university graduation just a couple of years ago. You were both smiling, but he was looking at you as he held you tight around your waist, and you looked into the camera and held up a three-finger salute. People are laughing and awe-ing at the photo of the two of you, and you laugh nervously, looking over at Sejanus with slightly panicked eyes.

You would be absolutely fine with this if he had just run it by you before, and you knew that whether you liked it or not, the Games were an integral part of who you were now, and always would be- but you certainly didn't want your name on anything to do with these new changes they're making. But, he wouldn't be talking about you at all if he knew you would hate it. You had to remind yourself of that.

"So, you all know my beautiful Y/N, of course, we're all big fans of hers here," Coryo says, gesturing to where you were sitting and you let out a nervous laugh, shaking your head at him in a way that would appear teasing to everyone else while he waits for everyone to finish clapping for you. "Don't get embarrassed already, darling, I've got a bit more to say about you so just sit tight, okay? Nothing bad, I promise." He says to you, looking into your eyes even as he stands up on the stage, everyone's laughter echoing in the background.

"So, I have known Y/N and her outstanding mind for years now. The Games are what brought us together when we were both just kids, but you all already know that story so I'll spare you the details. The bottom line is, I am so proud of the woman she has become. She's written two books that will soon become three, she graduated in the top three percent of our class with only a District education to build on, and she is the single most well-spoken, well-mannered, beautiful, and caring woman I have ever met. Truly, she has changed my entire outlook on life." He says, talking more so to the audience than to you, knowing that you're so embarrassed by this. And he would be correct. "It has truly been a privilege to know her, and to love her."

"But that was a long journey for us both, and a seemingly endless uphill battle for her recovery, despite her strength. The Games can be scary, let's be totally honest. It's life or death, and winning will change you, but Y/N came out the other side and wanted to make a difference for her family and that inspired me. And she continues to inspire me every day." Coryo says, pausing to take a sip of his champagne again. "So, all of this is to say, I'd like to thank her for all her support through my education, this campaign, and through the life we're building together. She inspired this idea in me and with the help of my fellow game makers as well as the Plinth family..." You look over at Sejanus as he continues, suddenly realizing he must have known about what was happening. He keeps a small smile on his lips as he watches, refusing to make eye contact with you.

"This," Coryo says, turning to look up at the screen while a picture comes up of a small cul-de-sac of beautiful homes. "Is just the beginning of the Victor's Rehabilitation Initiative."

You tilt your head, a shocked and confused smile on your face as you take in the photo and try to decipher what he's talking about.

"So, recently, Y/N has been more open with everyone about the struggles that came with being crowned a victor in our Games. Yes, they get to walk away with their lives, but what if winning meant something more? What if it meant security for them and their families, so they're not returning to their Districts with no sense of what to do next? That, everyone, is what this program is for. To help the strongest of them find a purpose again, and to encourage the bravest of Panem's children to get back on their feet after such an impressive feat as winning the Games."

You have to very consciously force your jaw to stay shut when you realize what he is saying, clapping along with everyone else while your smile relaxes into something more genuine. You knew that he wanted to abolish the Games altogether, and you knew that no matter who won the election, they wouldn't proceed for much longer. This was the first step in that direction, and you were flooded with emotions. Pride, excitement, relief.

"For ten years, until the beginning of the mentorship program, our victors were cast aside. Never to be heard from again after their win, I, for one, became curious as to what happened to them after the Games as soon as I met Y/N, and I have heard that question from many of you as well since we were all given the pleasure of getting to know her." Coryo's smile is one of pride and excitement, sparing a glance at you as he allows the audience to have their responses. So far, all seemingly positive despite the present undertones of him caring about the people in the Districts. He was a smooth talker, he knew exactly how to command a space and get people to believe what he wanted. And he was using it for good. "I mean, how many other victors have something extraordinary, just like her, that won't be utilized or nurtured? We never knew."

"From now on," He continues, the crowd quieting down. "Our victors will be given homes in what we've decided to call Victor's Villages in each of the Twelve Districts. They'll have ensured security for themselves and their families, and a generous sum of prize money to help them with whatever they need. Whether that's medical attention, both physical and emotional, or, if they so choose, when they reach the appropriate age, they could apply at our university to further their education. Though, between you and I, admittance is not guaranteed." He winks at the end and it's accompanied by laughter, which you try and go along with, but you're too close to tears to even process fully what was going on. This was a huge step in the right direction, even if like he said, acceptance was not guaranteed. "What I mean, is that it will be up to them. They can live their lives to the fullest, just like our gem, Y/N."

He looks at you again, and you can really only see his blurry form through your tears until someone is handing you a handkerchief to dry your eyes while people clap and cheer over the idea.

This was something you couldn't have imagined years ago. This was everything you've wanted since the Games- to make a difference, for people to care. And it was happening right before your eyes. Thanks to him. Thanks to you.

"And with that," Coryo says after a few moments, waiting for the crowd to quiet down after taking in your reaction. "We can move on to my second announcement, which is my formal withdrawal from the presidential campaign."

Gasps fill the room and your smile disappears, a hand coming up to your mouth as you look up at him, shocked and confused with the announcement that blindsided even you.

"Are you happy here?" You ask quietly, not wanting to disturb the peace of the evening as you walk from your parent's house back to your own in the Victor's Village.

"I couldn't be happier." Coryo replies through a soft sigh, swinging your hand gently as it's clasped between you.

"Are you sure?" You say again, feeling a little uncertain despite weeks of his endless reassurance that this was, in fact, what he wanted.

To him, this scenario was perfect. He could keep his job as head gamemaker, planning to only return to the Capitol for a few months or so every year for the Games. He knew that wouldn't last much longer, though, not with Hilarius Heavensbee in office. Coryo gives it a few years and a few major "accidental" mistakes on his part for the viewership of the annual event to die out and open the door for the president to call them off, just like he had always wanted to.

And every day Coryo would wake up to see you in your happy place, the only place you'd ever felt truly at home. He was more than happy to give it all up for the greatest sake of seeing you smile.

"Of course." He smiles, never growing tired of telling you the same thing over and over again if it meant he could ease your mind.

The moonlight bounces off his in a way that makes you think it could be glowing if you didn't know any better.

"I told you that I would be. Years ago. You remember?"

"Of course I remember."

He lets out a breathy laugh at your reply, shaking his head. "That was a foolish question. I don't think you've ever forgotten a single word anyone has ever spoken to you."

"Sure I have." You say, tilting your head as you look up at him, trying to catch the same moonlight reflect in the blue of his eyes as you walk down the path. "I just don't forget... the important bits."

"I will try my best to take care of you while you're here."

"My honest, best advice? Figure out a way to escape."

"I can't have killed them all for nothing."

"You are not a beast."

"Please, don't walk away again."

"I survived because I had to learn to love you."

"Like in your books?" His voice interrupts the swirling of speech from years past, and you shrug.

"Not exactly... it feels different. Because I can hear it, still." You explain, voice dropping into something more quiet as the remnants of your fear eats away at the back of your mind, the cold night breeze imprinting your skin.

"God, the way your mind works, love." He says, and as you look up at him to be met with an expression of pride that always changes everything. "You amaze me every day."

You stay quiet, cheeks getting hot as you look back down at the path.

"Are you happy?" Coryo asks after a moment, eyes never daring to leave your profile as you walk next to him, hardly more than a silhouette in the dark. But certainly more than a ghost, now.

"I am." You reply, the smile creeping back onto your lips. "Such hours are beautiful to live, but hard to describe..."

He hums softly in response. That was a yes, but also a no in the most you fashion possible. His heart remains heavy in his chest knowing that there is nothing more he can do for you to help you heal besides be present. "Is there anything more I can do?" He asks anyway, hoping that maybe you would come up with something.

You shake your head, giving him a tight-lipped smile laced with reassurance.

"Well, then..." He sighs, rather dramatically. "I did have an idea, you know, something that might make you happy. Even just for this one beautiful hour."

You let out a laugh, squeezing his hand a bit. "If that was you asking me if we could-"

"I would like to marry you." He says, for the first time ever, not feeling guilty about interrupting you.

You stop in your tracks, and he stops with you instantly as if he were waiting for it, his hold on your hand not faltering for a second.

"I... you-"

"Darling," He starts, stepping in front of you now, blocking out the moon but hardly putting a dent in the presence of the stars over his shoulders, their soft light reflecting off his blonde curls. "I do love nothing in the world so well as you."

Your shock and confusion begins to wear off as he speaks the familiar words, and you laugh softly. "In your own words, Coryo."

He tilts his head at you, clearly not having expected that kind of response. He expected a lot of things. He planned for everything that could go wrong, he prepared for rejection, for tears, panic, even, but he did not expect that. "I, uh..." He chuckles nervously, giving his head a quick shake to get himself back on track.

He had read that play just for you. Just for this- because he knew how much you loved it, and he remembered the joy it brought you. The smile on your face when you told him about it that day at the lake had never left his mind.

"If you ask me in your own words, I shall say yes." You assure him, hands gripping tighter onto his despite your surprisingly calm demeanor.

"I thought you would like that... You know, knowing you..."

He's quick to defend himself, and your eyes almost sparkle as you look up into his own. "We should have learned by now that our story is our own, yes?" You ask. "We are not Beatrice and Benedick, or Laurie and Amy, or even Romeo and Juliet, just like I used to think we were supposed to be when my days were numbered. I thought I wanted one of those stories to be mine at least once before I died, but I was wrong." You say, taking in the embarrassed flush of his cheeks even in the dim lighting. "You are you, and I am me. No matter what you say I will be happy to marry you, so long as you ask me yourself, and not as someone else."

"Alright then." He gives you a curt nod, a smile on his face as he lowers himself in front of you, careless of the dirt that would no doubt cake into the knee of his pants. "You're everything to me, Y/N/N. My world... my heart, my soul. I didn't know what love was until I met you. I've spent the entirety of my adult life learning to love you, and I never intend to stop. Not even for a moment, so please, let me marry you, love."

"A Coryo indeed." You say softly, recalling the first day you had met him- when you only knew him as Coriolanus, and how far you both had come since then. The growing smile on your lips twitches and you nod, holding his hand a little tighter and attempting to pull Coryo back to his feet. "Of course I will. Nothing would make me happier."

He stands again and very quickly his arms are around you, holding you just as tight as they always had.

taglist: @soulessjourney , @that-veela-girl ,  @dreamyysouls , @rockstarbfs , @maysileeewrites , @baybieruth , @kitscutie ,  @fratboyharrysgf0201 , @totallynotkaibiased , @stelleduarte , @secretsicanthideanymore , @bejeweledreverie , @drewsandsebastianswife , @niicole-87 , @queenofshinigamis , @innercreationflower , @nallasstuff , @iovemoonyy , @thatmarvelchick19 , @wearemadeofstardust0 , @regulusblackcore , @puredreamagination , @fantasticchaosthing , @becauseseaotters , @secretsicanthideanymore , @cascadingbliss

if you want to join the taglist for future fics (requiem, michigan cherry, etc.) as well as the bonus content for this fic, follow me over on @runningfrom2am-library and turn on post notifs! all i do over there is reblog my own writing, so it's effectively a taglist :)

thanks again for being here.

xx, raye

[creampuffqueen]

I wanna hear more avatar headcanons! From the novels or just the avatars themselves! I loved reading your kavik and yangchen hcs 🥹🫶🏻

ahhh thank you!! i'm glad you like my random thoughts lol 🫶

here are a few more random thoughts i've been having that i just haven't quite made into posts yet (mostly yangvik because i love them but some other avatars as well):

yangchen is actually a terrible cook 💀 she's basically always had people taking care of her so she never really needed to learn! she can make a good cup of tea and that's about it. she regularly burns rice. she's also just generally bad at remembering to feed herself. kavik, who is a decent cook, is largely the only reason she remembers to eat

as for the other known avatars: kyoshi is by FAR the best cook. she's genuinely good at it. aang is a very close second. roku, kuruk, and wan are all average at it. korra has been banned from every kitchen in republic city

yangchen and kavik both strike me as people who really enjoy physical touch. they both really enjoy cuddling with each other, even before their relationship turns more romantic. acts of service is also a major love language for them

i also feel very strongly that they never used typical labels for their relationship. they usually referred to each other as their 'partner', occasionally 'lover', but most often just continued to use 'companion'. these vague labels frustrate scholars to no end, and today in the atla universe nobody can agree on the nature of their relationship. which is exactly how they wanted it lol, they were extremely private about their relationship

yangchen does have the iconic crooked smile that all the avatars share, but it only comes out when she's well and truly happy about something

her laugh is the same way. she has a very convincing fake laugh, as her real laugh is kind of 'ugly'. it's some kind of snorting, wheezing sound that kind of sounds like she's dying but is also absolutely adorable. yangchen hates it. kavik adores it, and will make an absolute fool of himself trying to hear it

yangchen is a massive, merciless flirt and takes great pleasure in seeing just how red she can make kavik's face turn. but on the rare occasion kavik gets enough confidence to flirt back, she turns into a total mess

pik and pak's favorite place to sleep is right on top of kavik's face

because of how hard she works herself, yangchen often falls asleep in the strangest places. if she's actually tired, she can fall asleep literally anywhere. it's simultaneously a superpower and a massive annoyance

a somewhat sad/bittersweet headcanon i have is that yangchen dies first. i've seen a lot of people saying that she lives to 150 but i can't find a source for that anywhere so i'm choosing to ignore it. yangchen has already watched too many loved ones die, she doesn't need to see kavik die before her as well. they both live very long lives, but kavik outlives her by a few years. after yangchen's death, he returns home to the northern water tribe

at one point, only a few months before his death, he is out for a walk when a little toddler wanders up to him all alone. he chats with him for a few minutes until the boy's parents find them and thank him for watching over their son. 'kuruk, what have we told you about wandering off like that?' the mother asks. the toddler waves goodbye, and kavik walks home feeling oddly contented. he never meets the boy again, and he dies well before kuruk is revealed as the avatar, but he feels a sense of peace from the interaction, knowing deep down that yangchen has made it safely back into the material world

when kavik dies, he wills his bone necklace to kuruk's family. they don't understand why until kuruk's sixteenth birthday. (SERIOUSLY THEIR NECKLACES LOOK ALMOST IDENTICAL ITS WILD)

that's all the thoughts i can scrape up off the top of my head, but i'm just generally thinking about avatar characters All The Time lmao. thank you for asking!!!

[mimisempai]

A time for everything

Summary

Loki was at peace with himself. He had sacrificed himself of his own free will to give everyone the chance to live as they chose. 

As he watches over the timelines, he's grown accustomed to living with the void left by the loss of his friends and one person in particular. 

But unexpected help may change the course of events.

Notes

POV of Loki reuniting with Mobius and the continuation of their story together.

On Ao3

Rating G - 2020 words

"Let the time pass."

Mobius' voice echoed up to him, flying through the timelines, louder than all the other voices.

Loki smiled slightly, closed his eyes, swallowed his tears and exhaled deeply.

He had so much time now.

At the heart of the temporal flux, he felt all the lives that could continue to exist, free.

He had done what he had to do for all of them. 

Never again would anyone be eliminated, wiped out, replaced because they hadn't followed the path that determined their destiny.  

Never again would anyone's memory be erased because they had made the wrong choice, the wrong decision.

There would be no more fate. No more destiny. No more predestined choice.

"You could be whoever or whatever you wanted."

Now they could all be whoever or whatever they wanted. 

Good or bad. Hero or villain.

Not because someone else decided.

Free to choose and live with the consequences of their choices.

That was what he had done for them and for himself.

And since it was about living with the consequences of your choices, Loki, alone with himself, couldn't ignore the consequences of his own choices. He hated people who lied to themselves, so he wouldn't lie to himself by ignoring the void left by the loss of his friends.

The loss of a friend.

The loss of a love.

The loss of Mobius.

But sacrifice meant nothing when there was nothing to lose.

Mobius.

His ultimate sacrifice.

So he could choose to live his life the way he wanted to.

"What if his choice was you?"

Loki shook his head, closing his eyes and choosing to ignore the thought. Searching deep inside of himself for peace, he slowly let it slip away.

He could not and would not go back.

Even though the feeling of loss seemed unbearable, he was truly at peace with the choice he'd made.

For the first time he'd made a choice in full consciousness. Not driven by outside forces, or by a desire for revenge, or for some unlikely glory, just a completely selfless choice because only he could make it.

He would endure it, however painful it might be...

For them.

For him.

"Let the time pass."

Mobius' voice echoed inside him, and he let time take its course.

The timelines unfolded as they would.

Secured by the tree, by him in the heart of the tree.

The passage of time didn't erase the absence, but the awareness of those lives unfolding, free under his care, was enough to remove the sting and turn it into a phantom pain. 

Until one day he couldn't feel it anymore.

"Idiot."

A voice, clearer than all the others, louder, sharper, as if addressed to him, snapped him out of his meditation. 

He searched the timeline for the source of the voice, but every time he thought he had reached it, it seemed to disappear like sand between his fingers. Like it  jumped from one time line to the next.

"In your new wisdom, there's still something you haven't learned."

There was no longer any doubt that the voice was really speaking to him. It had a familiar tone, but Loki couldn't remember who it belonged to.

He called out softly, "Who are you?"

He scanned the timeline, waiting for an answer, when suddenly the voice sounded again, clear and loud.

"Deep down, you know it."

Loki closed his eyes, trying to concentrate deep inside, and felt a familiar aura. 

His own.

Opening his eyes, he called out, "Loki."

"Good answer," the voice replied as the elder Loki materialized in front of him.

"You!"

"Me."

"But how? Why?" 

Loki was so astonished to see this variant that he could only ask, "What are you doing here?"

The elder Loki replied gently, "By doing what you have, you have freed us, so I'm here to offer you some of that freedom in return. You do not have to carry this burden alone."

Loki shook his head, "But how?"

The other Loki replied softly, "Same aura, same powers."

He gently grabbed one of the timelines, which glowed a faint green at his touch to illustrate his point.

Loki, overwhelmed as he began to understand the implications of what the older Loki was suggesting, asked, "How long?"

The other Loki replied quietly, "As long as you need, a lifetime, who knows? Nothing has to be final. There are so many others like us that we can teach, and so the burden will be carried by all of us."

He raised an eyebrow at Loki and added, "So? What are you saying?"

Loki didn't have to think long and nodded slowly.

He stood and held out his hands to the old Loki. The other Loki did the same and, pressing their palms together, they nodded together.

"Now."

Time flowed fluidly from Loki to the elder Loki, and when Loki was sure that the time flow had stabilized, he helped him to the throne.

He bowed to him and said softly, "Thank you, my friend."

The other Loki nodded gently and said with a half-smile on his lips, "Go. Go be with him."

Of course, the old bugger had seen through him.

Loki straightened up and headed for Mobius' timeline, but before he laid a hand on it, he turned to the other Loki and said in a determined voice, "I'll be back.

The other Loki nodded and replied with a smile, "I'm sure you will. I know you."

Loki chuckled softly, grabbed the timeline, and dove in with only one thought on his mind.

Mobius.

Mobius.

Mobius.

He opened his eyes and found himself on a beach, facing the sea.

But he was immediately oblivious to everything around him, for all he could see was the familiar figure standing in front of him with his back to him.

He quickly used magic to change his clothes into something more appropriate, and barefoot he approached in silence, restraining himself from running.

Suddenly, he heard Mobius' voice, almost a whisper in the night, "Loki..."

Loki replied softly, "I'm here."

"So old Loki is replacing you and keeping the time flow going?"

On Mobius' sofa, their hands still intertwined, Loki nodded. Mobius asked again, slightly hesitant, "And... it's permanent?"

Loki shook his head and replied in a slightly contrite tone, "No, I wouldn't be able to do that to him, and I don't want to let go of that responsibility. I hope you understand that, Mobius."

Mobius looked at him with an expression that was a mixture of pride and wonder and said quietly, "When I told you that you could be whatever or whoever you wanted to be, I wasn't thinking about this."

Loki laughed slightly and replied, "I know that, but that's part of it. You showed me that I could choose my own destiny. That's what I did."

Mobius lost his smile and asked, "Does that mean you're leaving again?"

Loki, sensing the vulnerability of the other man behind his question, asked softly in reply, "What do you want? Do you want me to stay?"

Mobius shook his head sharply and replied, "I have no right to ask you that! Your task is far more important, Loki."

Mobius didn't say more important than himself, but Loki heard it anyway.

He looked at him fondly and said softly, "Idiot. I know what I want. But I also want to know what you want, Mobius. Not what your conscience or your scruples tell you to say because you think that's what I want to hear. So I repeat, what do you want?"

Seeing that Mobius looked confused, he added, "You have the right to say what you want. Free will is about that too. It's not about looking at jet ski magazines and thinking they're great, but not allowing yourself to ride them because it's not appropriate. Tell me what you want, Mobius."

He watched Mobius open and close his mouth several times, seeing his inner struggle so clearly because he'd been through it himself not so long ago.

"I want my friends back. I don't wanna be alone."

It had torn his guts out to say those simple words, so yes, he understood exactly how Mobius felt right now. So he gently stroked the back of his hand with his thumb, "Come on, Mobius. Let go. Tell me. I promise I'll take it all."

Suddenly, Mobius took a deep breath and said in a weak voice, "I want you to stay."

Loki let out a sigh of relief and, squeezing Mobius' hand in his own, replied gently, "Well done. Now, do you want to hear what I want?"

Mobius nodded slowly, and Loki replied, still gently, "I want to stay too."

"But... the flow of time, the timelines..."

Loki replied calmly, "The elder Loki has offered me the opportunity to share this burden, he has generously told me to take all the time I need. I'll do it, but I should also come back sometime, I already have an idea of what we can do, so if you can accept some time apart, I..."

Mobius interrupted, "I can, if it means seeing you again."

Loki's smile widened as he replied, "Then I only have one question left."

"What's that?"

"May I stay here?"

Realizing the implication of Loki's question, Mobius didn't answer immediately and looked at their intertwined hands, then looked up and asked Loki, pointing at their hands, "What's that?"

Loki replied quietly, "What do you want it to be?"

Mobius breathed, "I don't know."

"That's all right. We don't have to decide now. We have something we didn't have before. We have time."

Mobius looked so lost as he replied, "Having so many choices, so many possibilities, it's both exhilarating and suffocating at the same time. I realize that I haven't stopped to think about what I really want since I've been here. I've never had to before. Now that I can, it's like I have a variant to catch, and I have so many leads I don't know which one to follow." 

Loki put his hand on Mobius' shoulder and said softly, "Mobius, it's normal. Just give it time. You don't have to decide what you want to do or be right now."

Mobius sighed and replied, "To answer your question, of course you can stay here, I have a guest room and... well, unless you want to... huh... I mean..."

Loki chuckled softly and said, "The guest room is perfect. We know how to fight side by side, we know how to work side by side, now we just have to learn how to lo... live side by side."

He could tell from Mobius' slight gasp that his slip of the tongue had not gone unnoticed. He shouldn't be too hasty; he had lived through enough centenaries to know how he felt about Mobius, and while he had an idea of how Mobius felt about him, they had time to put it into words.

Now was not the time.

He slid his hand from Mobius' shoulder to his cheek and cupped the other man's face between his hands, slowly bringing his closer and asking softly, "May I...?"

Mobius breathed, "...yes."

That was all it took for Loki to close the remaining distance between them and gently press his lips to Mobius'.

The kiss was incredibly soft, almost chaste, and lingered, deepening their connection, their lips learning each other.

When they parted to catch their breath, Loki pressed another kiss to Mobius' forehead before wrapping his arms around him and pulling him against his chest.

He whispered into the gray hair, "I don't know any more than you do, you know? This is as new territory for me as it is for you."

Mobius wrapped his arms around him and replied softly against Loki's chest, "We'll just have to figure it out as we go along."

Loki hummed approvingly. 

True, there was so much to figure out, but now they had the time to do it.

One choice at a time

One step at a time.

As long as they did it together.

_________

Still not beta'd

Still not my native language

Still hoping you'll enjoy this story 🥰

Still thanking you for bearing with me 😝

Timeless Growing love : here (After season 2)

Lokius masterlist : here

[beyondthesefourwalls]

Can I request rooster, smut, front porch, with “Right here?” Prompt??? Ty ❤️

I loved this prompt so much 💕

------

warnings: smut, outdoor sex

Porch Swing Swaying

Truly, you think the oversized porch swing was the best idea you had ever had. It hung from the ceiling of your front porch, and the extra money you had to fork out to make sure said ceiling could support such a project was worth every penny. You had always wanted a porch swing, and you had spent every day out here since you got it. It was the perfect spot for sipping your morning coffee or reading a book in the evenings, or even taking an afternoon nap or watching the rare thunderstorm that had rolled through San Diego just yesterday. 

The best part, though, was that it was big enough that your fiance could stretch out with you with little to no problem. There wasn’t room for any space between your bodies if you were both lying down, but a desire for distance wasn’t something either of you have ever had. 

It had gotten dark hours ago. The sky was an inky black, the moon hidden by some residual clouds. The outdoor string lights that lined the front porch were the only source of light. You and Bradley had been out here since the sun had set. At first, you had cuddled up as you scrolled through your phone looking at different honeymoon destinations and catering companies. But that had been discarded and now you lay with your legs tangled and your bodies pressed against each other tightly as you exchanged kisses. They had started slow and sweet, quickly simmering to an all consuming passion that you had never experienced with another human being before. 

To think, you’d get to feel this with him for the rest of your life. 

“I want you,” you breathed, tilting your head as much as you could as he tasted the skin of your neck, occasionally nipping softly. “Please, baby. I need you.” 

He pulled back just far enough to look at you. He met your eyes in the dim glow of the porch lights. You knew it was late enough that there was a slim chance of any of your neighbors coming outside, and dark enough to provide protection even if they did. The thin knitted blanket draped over the two of you would do the rest. 

“Right here?” 

You nodded, and he kissed you again, tangling his tongue with yours and tasting your mouth. Pushing his sweatpants and briefs down far enough to free his cock was easy, but you whined when your tight leggings gave you more trouble. Bradley chuckled against your lips but helped you ease the material all the way down your legs. You didn’t bother kicking them off all the way when they caught on one of your ankles, instead lifting your freed leg up and over his hip, opening yourself up for him. You gasped in delight when he immediately dipped his fingers inside of you, but shook your head. His fingers weren’t what you were after right now. 

“Need you,” you repeated, pushing your hips into his. You moaned when his cock brushed your clit and repeated the movement. 

“Shhh, baby. Had to make sure you were wet enough for me, but I should have known better. You’re always wet for me, aren’t you?” 

Your response was lost when he pushed himself into you. You felt so full, even before he bottomed out. You dug your teeth into your bottom lip to keep from screaming and waking up all of your neighbors. 

Despite the risk of being outside, Bradley was unhurried with his thrusts. He made sure you felt each and every drag of his cock, inch by tantalizing inch. The chains on the porch swing creaked as he whispered sweet and filthy things in your ear, and the coil inside of you grew tighter and tighter. Your orgasm crashed over you like a slow wave and you came with a breathy gasp of his name. He brought his lips back to yours again and you knew it was because he was close, too. Your pussy pulsed around him and it wasn’t long after that you felt his hips stutter and his warm cum fill you. 

The porch swing swayed gently as you lay there tangled together, and you knew, without a doubt, that this wouldn’t be the last time you did this here.

word count: 720

-------

Wanna participate in the party? See details here.

[lycorogue]

Latest Story: You Pretended Not to Care

HOO BOY! THIS STORY! (And by that, I mean the source material) I've barely written 3k words of fictional prose since 2022. Then I read through episode 20 of the webcomic adaptation of Not Your Typical Reincarnation Story (aka I Thought It Was A Common Transmigration), and I churn out a 7200-word BEAST to fill in that "fade to black" we got.

I did try to write this so even if you don't know/remember the source material you can still (hopefully) enjoy this sweet bit of smut. Hope I did right by all of you!

Oh! And btw, it wasn't until after I had this story edited did I go back and find the English translation of the original Korean webnovel. I'm pleasantly surprised at how close I was to the character's motivation and inner monologue. It was so cool to find out that I was able to pick up on the crumbs the author (and adaptor) left for me.

Also, in case it isn't clear, any italicized text between two chevrons (<>) is Killian remembering passages from Edith's diary. Also, for any who may be unfamiliar with the source material, or who might need a refresher, the reason Killian had Edith's diary in the first place was because she used it as a handwriting sample to prove papers were forged in her hand.

Finally, I tried really hard to make it evident when I switched POVs. If any part (or the whole thing 😬) feels "head-hoppy" please let me know.

OK! Enough stalling!

Summary: When Suna Choi reincarnated as Edith Rigelhof, the villainess of the novel Suna read the night before she died, she knew she had to do everything possible to avoid Edith's cruel execution at the hands of her own husband. Seemed easy enough to avoid the pitfalls that led to Edith's demise. She attempted to befriend the novel's protagonist Rhyse Sinclair. She refused to be her despicable father's spy. Most importantly, she wouldn't fall in love with her husband Killian Rudwick. His heart already belonged to Rhyse, and his arranged marriage to Edith wasn't going to change that. Despite her best efforts, Edith is still being forced down the same path as the original novel's plot. At least, that's what it seems like. But when Edith finally waves the white flag and decides to just follow the plot after all, the novel again has other plans. Edith steels herself for the next main plot point: a failed attempt to seduce her husband… except… this time it isn't going to fail…. **A more in-depth look at Episode 20 of the Webtoon adaptation that doesn't shy from the smut** Rating: Mature/Explicit (due to description of a sex scene) Word Count: 7,228 Status: completed one-shot Continue reading below, or find this story over on AO3 or on DA.

You Pretended Not to Care

Dreading what she was about to do, Edith cracked open Killian's bedroom door. She hated this. She hated it all. She hated that she had no control over this life either. She hated that her fate was locked in. She hated that she had no choice but to have the entire Rudwick family despise her. To have Killian hate her.

Worst of all, she hated how she didn't hate him in return. She wanted to. She needed to. It would make everything easier. Despite the past three months, though, she didn't hate her husband. What's worse, there were those quiet moments where he didn't seem to remember that he was supposed to hate her as well.

Those quiet moments -- those glimmers of hope that he could maybe learn to love her -- were the cruelest parts of this new life. Those breaths of fresh air where she truly believed that she might have found a home where she could relax and enjoy life. That she found a loving family. That someone could maybe fall in love with her. That she wasn't destined to have her own husband cut her down while she begged for his mercy.

She didn't want to advance the story to its next plot beat. It was too painful to be so vulnerable, and for that vulnerability to be twisted into manipulation and used against her. She had no choice though. That was now clear. Despite how much she fought to not be the Edith Rigelhof she had read about, despite showing kindness and humility and making every strategic move she could think of to avoid Edith's downfall, the story marched on exactly the same.

Edith purposefully didn't pick out dresses for herself while the dressmakers were at the estate, and she was still accused of being rudely disapproving, unappreciative, and entitled. She graciously accepted the dainty ruby necklace Rhyse picked out for her, and yet Killian's older brother Cliff still bought all of the other jewels for Rhyse in order to make a point. Just like in the novel. Edith wanted nothing to do with espionage and smuggling information to her father. She even sent him a letter stating precisely that. She was then framed and accused of espionage nonetheless. It didn't matter what she tried. The story was already written. There was no way to change it. The plot would just correct itself to keep following the path already carved by the novel.

Tonight, Edith will attempt to seduce her husband. There was no getting around it. The story would find a way to make sure of that. Even if Edith never left her room again, she'd probably still be accused of it; hated for it. She'd lose Killian no matter what she tried. She might as well lean into her fate. She could at least enjoy getting one kiss.

Edith stood beside Killian's bed. She stared at his beautiful face; his bangs fallen into his eyes. His white shirt was loose and partially unbuttoned, leaving a tantalizing view of his strong, broad chest. A chest she wanted to lie upon; to be held against. Edith knew she was doomed the second she set eyes on Killian. Not just because he was destined to literally kill her, but because – aside from his older brother's mesmerizing golden eyes – Killian was the most breathtakingly beautiful human she had ever seen.

She knew the deal. Killian was madly in love with his family's ward: Rhyse Sinclair. He'd spend his whole marriage to Edith loathing the arrangement and resenting his wife's very existence. It was impossible to win her husband's affection, especially away from the gorgeous and charming little Rhyse. There was no point in falling in love with Killian.

She couldn't resist no matter how hard she tried, however. Even before being reincarnated as Edith, Suna Choi had preferred Killian. He was the secondary love interest of the novel Stop Obsessing Over Me, Brother! She knew that his attempts were hopeless, that Rhyse and Cliff were end-game. Still, the way Killian loved Rhyse and supported her felt so much more sincere. Suna had wondered what it would be like for Killian -- or, really, any man -- to love her the way he loved Rhyse.

And then she was reincarnated as his wife in an arranged marriage. She saw him pine over Rhyse instead of her. Suna didn't fault him, though. It was that devotion towards Rhyse that Suna had fallen in love with Killian for in the first place. She didn't begrudge Rhyse for making Killian smile so brilliantly. She just wished he would smile her way now and again as well.

After tonight, there was no hope that she'd ever see Killian smile again.

Good, she thought, I can't keep pretending this marriage will ever work out. I can't keep holding onto hope. After this incident, please hate me like you're supposed to. So that I can resolve my own feelings.

Edith brushed her hair back and out of her face as she leaned down towards her husband. His soft lips were temptingly parted as he slept; beckoning. It would be the last bit of fun Edith would be able to have. She could give herself a treat. Make what she was about to do worth it.

Even with how cruel Killian had been to her, though, she couldn't do that to him. She knew that he was saving every part of himself for Rhyse. He was going to hate Edith either way, but she couldn't bear to take that away from him. She wasn't the villainess they had all decided she was.

Instead, her lips drifted to his forehead, softly brushing his bangs out of the way without use of her hands. She soaked him in best she could; inhaling his scent as her lips tenderly kissed his smooth skin, the tension of his daily scowling at her relaxed as he slept.

Her lips lingered a bit longer than they probably needed. She didn't want to pull away and give up the only loving contact she'd probably ever have with her husband. Edith needed it all over with, though. She retreated slightly, but still stayed close enough that her face would fill Killian's vision as he opened his eyes.

Now, when he wakes up, Edith thought, he'll look at me with disgust.

She wanted to avoid this next part so bad. She feared seeing what true disgust would look like carved on Killian's angelic face. She knew she'd seen close, and it pained her each time she remembered each of those cold, heartless looks. This would be a new level, though, and she struggled to not cry in anticipation.

Killian stirred oh-so-slightly. His breathing shifted. His lashes fluttered.

Here it comes. Get it over with, Killian. Prove to me that you will only ever hate me.

Edith expected a scowl upon him seeing her. Shouting. Shoving. A demand for guards to take her out of his sight. A berating for her vulgar behavior.

She did not expect Killian's right hand snatching hold of her left wrist.

Edith jumped back, tugging slightly against Killian's tight -- but still gentle -- grip.

“You pretended not to care this whole time.” There wasn't any grogginess in his sharp tone. It was as if he had been awake the whole time. Edith panicked that he had somehow known about her seduction attempt and had faked being asleep.

She wiggled to break free, but Killian tightened his grip. Edith was startled not by his strength, but by his control. His grip was firm, unrelenting, and a bit ravenous. But it didn't hurt. The tension made it seem like he wanted to hurt her, and yet his grip never once clamped down enough, as if something inside him was able to stop his muscles just before breaking that thin line.

“Are you now so overwhelmed with lust,” Killian continued, “that you can't pretend anymore?” He was sat up in bed. His head was tilted forward, knocking his bangs back into his eyes, giving him a mischievous, fox-like stare. He finally smiled at Edith, but it wasn't the warm, beaming, kind smile he would give to Rhyse. This was a lecherous smile full of cunning and the satisfaction of a successful hunt.

This wasn't how it was supposed to happen! Everything else had gone exactly how Edith had read it in the novel. No matter how she handled the situation, the end result was always the same. Edith was still accused of being vulgar and entitled after the dressmakers visited. She was still left with just the dainty necklace while Rhyse received the rest of the stock the jewelers brought to the estate. Edith was still accused of espionage, put under house-arrest, and eventually let go. It shouldn't have mattered what she did that night. Killian was still supposed to awake disgusted with her seduction attempt.

Killian's look was anything but disgusted though.

“No,” Edith choked out in fear. Her mind raced as she tried to sort out what Killian was planning on doing with her. “I just--”

“That's fine,” he interrupted. With the elegance and strength only gained from years of sword mastery, Killian yanked on Edith's left arm, pulling her towards his bed while also flipping her onto her back. In an instant, he was straddling her knees.

Edith's long, red hair billowed out behind her like a messy halo; pinned beneath her body. Her left arm equally pinned to the bed by Killian's stern grip still on her wrist. Her right arm was free, but it felt too heavy to move as Killian looked down on her with that mischievously lustful grin.

“Satisfy me, Edith. Seduce me like the Rigelhofs taught you.” Killian started undoing another button on his thin, white shirt. His eyes drilling into his stunned bride beneath him. “Who knows? I might end up attached to your body.” His voice got deep and had a voracious gravel to it.

What is he doing? This isn't right! This isn't how it was supposed to go at all!

“W-wait! Killian!” Edith willed her right arm to move, and she pried Killian's hand off of her. Without him pinning her down, Edith sat up best she could. Her eyes flashed with worry, panic, and confusion. She knew this wasn't what Killian wanted. It couldn't be. The novel version of him had no interest in Edith. He would never fall for her seduction attempts. He was too devoted to--

“Are you sure...” She took a deep breath. She didn't want to ask. She didn't want to hear his answer. She didn't want him to change his mind. She knew she had to be certain, however. “You'll be alright with me?”

Killian stopped undressing himself. The passion and thrill of the hunt flushed from his face as Edith looked up at him in full earnest.

“...and not Rhyse?” she finished.

A pain shot through Killian's chest and his stomach twisted slightly. Does she truly not care, he wondered, enough to bring up my feelings for Rhyse?

He pulled away, stepping off the bed and allowing Edith to sit the rest of the way up. Her eyes were so huge and sincere. It was hard to not recognize the surprise painted across her face. It made Killian want to both retreat from her and devour her.

Even if we were forced into a marriage of convenience... she really doesn't expect anything from me, her husband....

Her lack of expectation from him infuriated him. She was fully aware of his love for Rhyse, and she had resigned herself to a loveless marriage. Even so--

<His face is glowing and his body is so hot! I can't stop drooling, just thinking about him....> <I really think Killian is more my type than Cliff.> <I happened to see him wave at Rhyse-- I thought I might be blinded by his smile.>

Killian was giving himself to Edith, and yet she stopped him. Even when he thought he was offering her exactly what she desired she still expected nothing from him.

Killian wanted to satisfy her. He demanded that she satisfy him, but he knew he wanted it the other way around. He wanted to reward her words in her diary. He wanted her to keep watching him and desiring him. He didn't want her to give up her fight for his affection. He yearned for her to crave him.

He rested a hand beside her leg on the edge of the bed, then made it creak slightly as he leaned towards her. She leaned away, giving him space as she studied him and tried to figure out his angle.

His angle was lust.

With the blinding swiftness he used before to catch her wrist and pull her onto the bed, Killian pinched Edith's chin between his thumb and forefinger. Halting her retreat instantly, Killian leaned closer, bringing her face inches from his. He stared intensely into her large, uneasy eyes, and delighted in how his boldness caused those doe-eyes to soften and close slightly.

They were the furthest from Rhyse's eyes. Edith's large breasts -- raising and lowering in quick, short breaths -- were far from Rhyse's as well. Edith's full, supple thighs and curved hips were the opposite of Rhyse's slender frame. Her wavy, fiery red hair equally foiled the elegant fairness of Rhyse's straight golden-blonde locks.

Killian loved Rhyse. It was true. He'd do anything for her. He wanted to spend every waking moment with her. He delighted in her smile. He wanted to protect such a gentle and delicate woman. She was sunshine personified. He had wanted to give her his all.

Edith was the farthest from Rhyse that he could think of. Yet he also wanted to give her his all. In a different way. In a more primal way. He wanted to gift himself to Rhyse. He wanted to lose himself in Edith.

And yet, Edith hesitated when he offered precisely that. If this was what she wanted, why would she care if Killian would regret their night together?

“I should be asking you that question.” He whispered. Soft. Firm. Challenging. Playful. Aloof. Yearning. “Aren't you the one who was so confident in yourself that you would crawl into my bed in the middle of the night?”

She wouldn't believe him if he told her he wanted this. He wasn't even sure he could say those exact words.

Edith...

He'd get her to accept his offer. To forget Rhyse the way he did. This wasn't about her. This was about a man and his wife. This was about quelling a fire. This was about finally letting go and truly going for something he desired without hesitation.

Killian pressed his lips against Edith's.

Her eyes stayed wide; frozen in shock. Those lips weren't supposed to be hers, as much as she wanted them to be. They were Rhyse's. Killian had waited the last four years for her. He had never before felt the touch of a woman. Never tasted another's mouth. And yet he was pressed against Edith's.

It was a bit awkward. A little innocent, but still very lustful. Suna never felt this level passion before in her life. Either of them. It shot warm shivers through her core.

Killian ravenously pushed on her mouth with his own, trying to force her down. Edith retreated across the mattress, and he pursued her, crawling his way back onto his bed. His left knee wedged between her legs.

Edith's fear of the consequences and misconceptions of this night vaporized as Killian's kiss drained her brain of oxygen. This night alone didn't cause her eventual death, so why not enjoy the bliss?

With a gasp and slow exhale to steady his breath again, Killian pulled away. He towered over Edith as he remained kneeling with their legs interwoven. Before Edith could regain her own senses, Killian brusquely snatched her wrist once more.

<His face is glowing and his body is so hot!>

“After all the snooping and sneaking glances,” Killian aggressively teased, “now you can touch me all you want.” He finished unbuttoning his shirt and pressed Edith's right hand against his tight pectoral. With a shrug his undone shirt slid off his shoulders, revealing them to her as well.

Edith fiercely blushed as she remembered that Killian had read a portion of her diary when she used it to try to prove her handwriting was forged; that she wasn't the one who sent insider knowledge to her father. Her face and ears burned as she tried to mentally recount exactly what she had said about Killian; what he could have possibly read. How lustful had she been in her writings? Was he just toying with her to teach her a lesson?

“N-no,” Edith stammered in a panic, “that's not what I...” Her eyes darted from her hand on his chest up to Killian's deep, dark eyes. The puckish grin and challenging stare had both fallen; softened. Killian almost looked defeated; pleading. He couldn't have possibly wanted -- genuinely wanted -- Edith to lust after him, could he?

His chest beneath her hand was firm and silky, but it rose and fell in uneven, subtly quivering breaths.

That's right. Killian didn't know the touch of a woman before now. He wouldn't possibly go this far just to mess with me, right?

“What I mean is...” Edith relented. She pressed slightly with her finger tips, and Killian's grip loosened, more cradling her wrist than actually holding it. He gently directed her to follow the crease separating his pecs. Edith's fingers quaked against the soft ridges of his chest. Before her mind could catch up with her body, her fingers slid down to his abs. She outlined each one with her nails, memorizing the sensation as it shook through her.

Killian's muscles were all the more defined as he directed Edith to explore them. He flexed each one as her fingers wandered. He had to. It was the only way to keep himself from shivering at her touch. He wasn't expecting the tingles along his skin. He didn't anticipate how much his body would miss the delicate tickle of her fingers as they roamed to a different part of him. He wanted to collapse into her. He wanted to give her everything she desired of his body. He wanted to devour her in kind. He wanted to tear the nightgown she was wearing. Ruin his sheets. Decimate his mattress.

He had always been able to keep his desires in check before. He was able to have full control of himself. With Edith, however? With her feather-soft touch? With those fierce quips? With those saucer-large inquisitive eyes? With her quiet lusting for her husband? With that porcelain skin? He was becoming a beast and he needed to rein himself in.

“Are you happy now?” He asked her barely above a whisper. His voice strained as he struggled to contain himself. They hadn't even done anything physically strenuous, yet sweat already dotted his temples. He hoped Edith didn't hear him gulp down the sticky saliva making his mouth dry and his teeth hungry for her skin.

<I really think Killian is more my type than Cliff.>

He had never been preferred over his brother before. He was either Cliff's equal or he had fallen behind at some point. Killian knew his father would never overlook Cliff and name him heir of the dukedom instead. He also knew that it was pointless to think that he could ever win Rhyse away from Cliff. There was no world wherein Killian got what Cliff desired.

Killian didn't need to fight for Edith though. She was all his, and she preferred it that way. He wanted to make sure she would always choose him over his brother.

As he stared down at her, Edith melted at Killian's soft, flushed face. His tight voice rattled in her head; otherwise empty due to her brain traveling along with her fingers across Killian's exposed stomach. His hand giving her the guided tour. Happy? she thought, I could spend the rest of my life just touching this man's waist, stomach, arms, and chest...

Suddenly, she realized he had asked her a question that she didn't answer. Blushing harder, she focused on her hand traveling back up to his left pectoral. She was acutely aware of what she had been doing, and how humiliating it was that he had read her diary and then called her out on what she wrote via... this! She couldn't look at him. Not into those soft, pleading, lost eyes.

She tried to ignore the quivering in her voice as she answered. “Huh? Oh... I-I...”

Killian used his right hand to continue directing Edith's fingers as they skated across his chest. Meanwhile, his left hand found her ankle and started venturing its way up her leg, pushing up the skirt of her nightgown slightly as he did. His nails dug tantalizingly into the back of her calf just below her knee.

“Yes...” Edith breathed, finally answering Killian. Yes! Good Power Almighty, yes! In both this life and her previous one, she had never been more happy. She wanted this to go on endlessly.

Screw restraint. Edith's breathy “yes” was all Killian needed. That single word was filled with tension begging to be released. It broke Killian's willpower. He needed her now. His hand snaked from outside her gown to under it, feeling the silky lines of her bare legs. A fever raced through him and his groin twitched.

Like a taught fishing line, Killian's eyes darted to the nape of Edith's neck. That obscene lure that snagged him their wedding night. With an invisible yank of the line, Killian's lips crashed into her neck.

Edith gasped and twitched at the touch, which just made Killian linger there all the more. His teeth gently scraped across her collarbone and his lips brushed against her skin in phantom kisses. Each inch his mouth crawled caused her to squirm and gasp again.

This was a fun game. He wondered how many times he could make her quiver. Was it infinite? Would she eventually numb to his touch? Could he turn that gasp into a squeak or a moan?

I can't believe I find Edith Rigelhof adorable...

Her chest heaved in shaky breaths against his bare chest, and his heart raced knowing how undone he was making his fiery bride. His hand crept higher up her thigh, his forearm pushing the skirt of her nightgown up and over her knee. All of his slow, methodical, gentle touches made her shift and squirm, and it excited him all the more.

“K-Killian!” she gasped as her leg twitched against his touch.

There must be something wrong with me, Killian mentally berated himself as he shifted his weight forward, creaking the bed again.

Then it happened. Edith groaned. It was strained, like she was fighting against letting the lewd sound escape her lips. It was soft and deep and rumbled out of her chest.

Killian ripped his arms out of his sleeves and tossed his shirt to the floor. He then crashed right back into Edith, concentrating on her right collarbone this time. His hand reaching her bare hip as he rested more of his weight against her.

Edith's mind went blank. She knew she needed to keep her wits about her. She needed to strategize. She had to deduce how this act would be twisted by the story to keep the plot on track. Prepare herself. Find a way to at least lessen the blow.

Instead, her mind was filled with Killian's lips on her skin and his hand on her hip; wordlessly instructing her to strip. She was more than happy to comply.

Shifting her weight, Edith slid the back of her nightgown up to her waist so she was no longer sitting on the skirt. Lightning shot through her as her fingers entangled briefly with Killian's. She then squeaked out his name as his hand followed hers and he caressed her ass.

“What's wrong?” Killian roguishly chuckled into Edith's ear before nibbling on it. “No final words for me tonight?”

He was right. It was mortifying for her to be his putty like this. She needed to take charge. Just as she had always done with him. She had never allowed him the upper hand before. Every time he had pushed her she would push right back.

First, she needed to regain her bearings.

Edith arched her head to try to pull away from Killian's insatiable mouth. It backfired and instead left more skin for him to explore, making her squeak with surprise. Her nails scraped across the sheets, and she gathered whatever loose cloth she could into her tightening grip. Her toes curled. Her stomach flipped. She had failed. She didn't want Killian's lips to ever leave her skin. She panted his name once more as she submitted to him.

Shifting his weight to better balance himself, Killian kept his left hand exploring Edith's leg and hip. His right hand then traced its way up her spine, searching for the tie to her nightgown. Upon feeling the soft ribbon tail, he tugged. Her gown loosened. The neckline instantly drooped and slid off her right shoulder, granting Killian more real estate to traverse. As his lips and left hand continued their private expeditions, Killian's right hand traveled back down Edith's spine, making her shiver at his touch.

His middle finger caught the buttons along the ribbon at Edith's waist. It was a bit more work to slide them back through their restrictive loops than he expected. Despite normally being a very dexterous person, Killian was clumsy with his unbuttoning, and he growled his frustration about it into Edith's shoulder. Gasping, Edith grabbed the back of his head and held him against her skin. Her hips shifted in his grasp as well. Her left leg pushing against his right, spreading herself more for him.

Killian's chest tightened. His nails pressed against her hip. He slid his left leg over, shifting her leg as well. A new fragrance wafted into the room. It made his head spin and his heart race. Cradling the back of Edith's head, Killian broke from her grasp and collided with her lips.

Running on an autopilot she didn't even realize she had, Edith massaged Killian's lips with her own, demonstrating the proper way their mouths should dance. Her tongue gently tapped against his lower lip. He instantly granted her entry, and she gingerly ventured into his mouth. He greedily pushed back, nearly choking her.

She pulled back with a gag, and Killian instantly stilled. Heat billowed off of them both as they stared each other down, studying their partner for their next move. Cradling each side of his face, Edith gently pulled him down to her. She gave him a cautious, closed-mouth kiss. He allowed her to set the pace, so she tested the waters with her tongue again. His lips parted hungrily and welcomed her inside. She gently pushed against his tongue before trying to wrap her own around his. Understanding, Killian responded in kind. Softly this time. He let her take the lead as his mind instead focused on her buttons again.

Edith rested her head against the bed, and pulled Killian down with her. She left her back arched for his hands to undo her buttons. The new angle helped him, and they unfastened all the easier. Each time she felt her nightgown loosen a bit more around her waist, Edith ran her nails across Killian's back. Finally, the third button was released.

Realizing his task was done, Killian sharply inhaled Edith's scent. Pulling away from her mouth, he slowly let his breath back out with a ravenous sigh. His hands roamed her bare legs. Her hands explored his back. His heart pounded in his ears. He couldn't believe the next step he was about to take. There would be no undoing this night. He would never be able to pretend it didn't happen.

“Killian?”

Her voice was too gentle. Too breathy. Her eyes were too wide and pleading. Her hair looked too enticing sprawled out behind her on his bed. Her skin was too soft. Too warm. Too welcoming.

“Tell me what you want, Edith.”

“I--” She studied him. This was her out. She could escape before this whole thing went any further. They'd regret this in the morning. She knew that much. At least, Killian would regret it the moment his lust was satiated. She just needed to tell him no, and he'd probably let her leave.

She couldn't deny what she wanted though. The weight of his body pressed against hers was too sweet. The slight roughness of his swordsman-calloused fingers sent electricity through her. Her body was feverish and her mouth was dry and starving. She'd break if they stopped now.

“I want you, Killian,” she whispered.

That puckish smirk returned, along with a glint in his eyes.

“What do you want from me?”

“Whatever you are willing to give.”

“What if I already did that?”

Edith's face fell. Of course he was just teasing her, playing with her. Her face burned with embarrassment and desire. She curled in on herself, and nibbled her thumbnail to try to release some tension.

“Do you wish for me to leave then?”

Killian's stomach flipped as Edith looked up at him with a little pout. Watching her bite down on her fingernail made him instantly miss her mouth. He wanted to hear her pant again; moan again; to gasp out his name again. He would never sleep again if he didn't know those sounds by heart.

He leaned in so his lips were tantalizingly close to hers. “I wish for you to tell me specifically what it is that you want from me.”

Her gasping breaths tickled his lips. Edith's mind raced for the right answer. She knew this was a test of some sort. Her brain was too full of lewd thoughts though. Now wasn't the time for strategy. Before she could finish calculating, her mouth blurted out, “I want to feel you.” Her eyes darted towards his waist before blinking back to match his gaze. “All of you.”

Killian's crotch twitched. In an instant, his tongue was in Edith's mouth again, and his hand was tangled up in her hair. His free hand scrambled for the bottom hem of her nightgown, and he was startled to find her hand already pulling it up for him.

They broke away from each other, and he hurriedly peeled her gown up and over her head. He didn't look at her skin as it was exposed. Instead, his eyes followed the cloth as it slid up her body and through her long, thick hair before it dropped to the floor. When he turned back to his bride she sheepishly had her arms over her chest and her knees pressed against his leg still wedged between them.

Could Edith Rigelhof be shy about her body?

With a tenderness Killian didn't understand, he brushed his fingers against her exposed collarbone. He then played with her shoulder for a second, drawing a few circles and causing Edith to shiver at his touch. He then traced her arm down to her elbow, and then across to her wrist. His hand never ventured towards her breasts, instead concentrating on the goosebumps growing on his wife's arms.

Edith squirmed beneath him. Her breath quaked in anticipation. She fought the urge to just grab him and do whatever she needed to satisfy herself. She felt so close to the brink as it was already, it wouldn't take long.

What is he doing? she thought as Killian's feather-light touch skated across her skin. Why is he so--? It kept her a second to realize the word she was looking for was sensual.

She was still nervous about letting him fully see her. True, he had watched her in the tub their wedding night, but she was able to partially cover up, and the rose water obscured his view slightly. Killian's room was dark, but this was still different. He could destroy her at any second.

She didn't take her eyes off his face from the moment her nightgown was tossed to the floor. That fox-like mischievous hunger he first had when he caught her in his room was gone. As his hand traced her arm his eyes had a soft concentration to them. He focused on exploring every inch of her skin with genuine curiosity. His upper teeth brushed his lower lip, as if fighting against biting it. He gently pressed his knee against her bare crotch, and Edith resisted grinding against it.

Why isn't he simply taking me?

Then Edith remembered how new Killian was to all of this. As flustered as she might be, she still had some experience in her previous life. Killian didn't. When his hand reached her wrist she relented to his touch and let him pull her arm away with ease. With her free hand, she cradled his face and brushed his cheek with her thumb.

“Edith.” He whispered her name. He had no clue why. It was like a prayer. Like a confirmation that he wasn't actually asleep. She was there. She was waiting for him. She was gorgeous.

He started at the nape of her neck, then kissed down to her cleavage. He tasted the faint salt pooling along her skin. He felt her chest shiver at his touch. He focused on her soft panting. Her breasts were so velvety. He never imagined how pillowy they actually were. As his lips and tongue explored her chest Edith moaned again.

“Killian--” She sharply inhaled as he switched to the other breast. “Please.” She whimpered slightly, but held his head in place.

Hearing her plead with him awakened the animal instincts in him once more. In a flash, his pants were off and on the floor. He then grabbed behind each of her knees and angled her so he was pressed against her soft flesh. She gasped at him simply knocking on her door. Her heat engulfed him. Juices already welcomed him.

“Do it again,” he growled. It wasn't malicious. He meant to demand this of her, but his voice came out wanting.

“Hmm?”

“Plead.” He hoped she didn't hear the pleading in his own voice.

Edith's nails dug deliciously into Killian's upper arms as she weakly tugged on them. She looked up at him with her large, saucer-wide eyes, her eyebrows pinched in yearning. “Please,” she whimpered. “Keep going. Don't stop.”

Killian's crotch twitched again in response, and he thrust forward, causing Edith to cry out. His angle was off and he instantly knocked into bone.

Edith winced, but truly didn't want him to stop. She pulled his hands down to her hips. Then laced her legs around his waist, holding him in place so he couldn't retreat. She then shifted her hips and arched her back. As she readjusted around Killian he rubbed against her clit and she cooed.

“Are you okay?”

Edith blinked up at him.

Did he seriously ask me that?

She nodded. “Slow. Please?”

He complied. At an achingly slow pace, he slid out of her until just his tip remained inside. He then slid back in just as slowly, allowing Edith to shift and readjust his angle as he crept back into her. He watched every inch of her shifting body and blushing face.

“Like this?”

Edith whimpered out an affirmative as she bit her lip.

Killian gave her a couple more slow thrusts to memorize the proper angle. He felt like he was going to burst at this pace though. His whole body vibrated as he ached to build up the pressure faster.

“I can't keep going this--”

“Faster,” she interrupted. “Please.”

He gladly complied. Noting the angle he needed to be in, he shifted them both so he could thrust his hips faster. Edith cried out once more, and Killian instantly paused, nervous that he hurt her again.

“No. Please. Keep going,” she panted. “Like that. Please.”

He did as his wife asked of him, causing her to squeak and moan some more. It was becoming Killian's new favorite sound.

“Killian.”

No. Hearing her pant out his name like that. That was his new favorite sound.

He leaned in and kissed her neck and along her jaw. She shuddered at his touch and ran her fingers through his hair.

Suna had boyfriends in her past life. She had slept with them before. It wasn't terribly frequent, but she wasn't inexperienced.

Nothing felt as good as Edith felt in that moment, though. Her body was feverish. Tension was knotting in her stomach. Her mind grew foggy. Her skin tingled. Killian's body was the exact weight to counter the pressure building inside her.

Maybe it was the learned vigilance of a swordsman. Maybe it was because Killian was a virgin. Maybe it was because he was exploring and experimenting. Maybe it was because he was subtly looking to Edith for direction while pretending he was still in charge himself. But Edith had never known a man so attentive. Every changed note of her moans told him where to press. Every shift in her breath directed him where to kiss. Every mew that escaped her lips informed him of how fast he should be going. A few sharp gasps instructed Killian on where to focus while inside her.

“Killian,” she panted again. She was cresting the hill. Her whole body felt so tight. She didn't realize that sex could feel so amazing. She wanted more. She didn't want Killian to ever let her go.

His back was clammy against her greedy hands. The sweat from his chest mixed with hers. His primal grunts and growls only made her body heat up faster. His face remained buried in her neck and chest.

“Edith,” he gasped, causing her heart to skip. She didn't want to admit until that very moment that she had been wondering if he was just picturing her as Rhyse. That he was ignoring who he was actually sleeping with. That he was using her as little more than a sex doll stand-in for his true love.

“Edith, moan again for me.”

He quickened his pace again. One hand anchored him to the bed. The other wrapped around Edith's back and latched him to her. He rocked his hips, trying to remember to grind against her slightly as he thrust into her.

Edith's chest tightened as her breath became harder and harder to catch. She bit her lip and groaned against the tension. She whimpered with longing and pinched her eyes tightly closed. The pressure in her crotch increased, but the one against her stomach lessened.

“Edith.” Killian's voice shook as he struggled with his own tight chest. “Look at me.”

She did. She released a breath she forgot she was holding, and opened her eyes. He wasn't pressed against her anymore. He had pulled far enough away to look at her; watch her face again. He grunted as he quickened his pace once more, slamming hard into her. She didn't care. She needed that extra pressure as well. She winced, trying to trap a scream inside her throat.

“Don't.” He brushed her lip with his thumb. “Don't hold it in.”

He grunted and gasped as he climbed to his own climax. With an animalistic drive, he did whatever he needed to finish. He barely slid out of her, keeping the pressure of her vagina firmly wrapped around him.

Every inch of Edith felt too weak to do anything but let him use her. Still, she wanted to repay him for his efforts, so she tightened herself best she could. She instantly felt him pulse against her, and she screamed out. She didn't try to muffle herself this time.

Her constricting around him, followed by her crying out in ecstasy was the final push for him. Loudly moaning himself, he released all of that built up tension inside his wife. She responded in kind. Her back arched and she rocked onto the back of her head. Every muscle within her tightened like a rope about to snap. Her toes curled and her nails dug into his back. He felt her hips shift and her walls pulse around him; squeezing him dry. She cried out with a high pitched scream of pleasure, and her legs shook against his hips.

Both spent, Killian collapsed against Edith's chest. Her legs flopped to either side of him, and she melted under his weight. They both struggled to catch their breaths, but Edith had little problem running her hand through Killian's hair, petting him.

Killian was the first to even out this breathing. Gently, he lifted himself off of Edith and brushed his sweaty hair out of his face. Her hand rested against his chest, not ready to separate from him.

“Edith,” he whispered once more.

She couldn't respond. Her own breath was still too shaky.

Tenderly, he untangled himself from between her legs.

Here it comes. Edith looked away from him. He was satiated now. His senses would soon come back, and he would throw her out of his room; instantly regretful for his lapse in judgment.

Killian took her in. He watched her start to curl into herself again, her eyes tightly closed against him.

Is she nervous that I will want to go again before she recovers?

Killian brushed her hair out of her eyes and kissed her forehead.

Edith's eyes shot open, and she turned to face him. “Killian?”

He didn't say anything. He simply snuggled next to her and rested his head on her shoulder. He then pulled the sheets up around them.

“You should stay here tonight.”

She blushed as she nodded, then rolled onto her side. Killian's arm snaked around her waist and pulled her close to him. His body heat wrapped around her was soothing, and it wasn't long before she fell asleep in his arms.

Killian felt Edith's breathing slow as she dozed off. Her body relaxed against him. Her scent filled his nostrils, making him feel a little dizzy. He didn't hate the sensation though. Despite common sense screaming otherwise, he didn't hate anything that happened that evening.

He had been relieved to find out that Edith had woken up earlier that day, but didn't know how to approach her. He had feared that he was part of the reason she had fainted in the first place. He had assumed that she no longer wanted anything to do with him.

His heart had danced when he caught her in his room. She looked so earnest and innocent it had overwhelmed him.

Then he was inside her, and he never imagined a feeling so amazing. It took all of the willpower he had earned from years of training to not climax after that first corrected thrust. He couldn't let that opportunity go by so quickly. He focused on Edith instead of his own euphoria as best as he could to make it last.

Besides, after everything, didn't he owe Edith that much?

Killian kissed the crown of her head and pulled her in tighter.

What am I going to do with you, Edith Rudwick?

He buried his face into her plush locks, and fell into one of the deepest and most restful sleeps he remembered having.

[dr9com9ge-ix]

I'd adore to know more about Wili, if you've had any more thoughts...

Hello Anon! I’ve had many thoughts since this was sent and have accumulated them! Accompanied by some Wili Art by yours truly! (Long post warning, Yapping time! Thank you so much for sending this ask!!!!!)

So this is Wili- Former employee of K-corp (Specifically the food resource development team, Mostly focused on horticulture) and now current employee of the Limbus company! He has a strong desire (nearing obsession) to innovate on how food is obtained and spreading it across the city when he finds it by any means necessary! He left his old job because he felt like it was stagnating and didn’t let him expriment as much as he’d like to (He was in a very middle position I imagine, Not quite at the bottom but not a big enough shot to be on level with Dongrang or something)

And so this spurs him to look elsewhere to satisfy this hunger for knowledge, for a world where one could just pick an apple off a tree and never starve again and well like… His literal hunger!

So he was offered a chance to satisfy that by the Limbus company and he happily accepted! Ever curious about the abnormalities the company faces- If whether or not they’d taste good or provide anything for people. Both in the name of science and the future but also because he is hungry. A wee bit of mad scientist and a gourmand in one.

His EGO is called Stomachache!— It sort of delves into the carrot on a stick/ Forbidden fruit sort of vibe of the future he wants being akin to a ravenous hunger, the kind that turns people into feral animals. He literally bites people in his EGO attack! (Thats where the healing comes from-) He also is quite food agressive and it factors into his passive making him go faster, Probably the sanity hit from EGO use making him act alot less polite than he usually is.

He definitely wants the whole “Food is now easily accessible for everyone!” utopia so he could eat as much as he wants and not think of the possibility of it being taken from him- Also because he thinks the worst thing you could do to someone is just starving them!

Butcher Vanity is probably the main song I listen to when doodling him- Its a very him song to me. Also still thinking about other characters relating to his past/ would be in his Canto and I think it’d be cute to make em fruit themed (There… Isn’t alot of characters to work off of in his source material…Its literally just The Hungry Caterpillar)

Also for other EGOs aside from his own he definitely would have Mountain of smiling bodies/ Smile - Its relating to the hunger! And well he may or may not be willing to kill to have consistent and hearty meals. (also say Hi to Erik my boy he’s in this doodle page too). Maybe also a Fairy Festival/ Fairy Gentleman Ego too. As for IDs- Mayhaps an Eighth Chef/Greta one, a Liu assocation. All that jazz!

Other wee facts about Wili

- Wili has pretty bad hunger pangs, enough to make him want to eat before he thinks he’ll get them. Has a tendency to overeat though.

- He loves talking at length about agriculture — Though mostly from a scientific lens, as he’s never been a farm boy. Mostly working on plants in a lab setting rather than a field. He’ll also yap about food preparation too.

- Kind of dude that will try to grow stuff from groceries.

- His favorite food is a fresh fruit salad but a nice rare steak is a close second!

- He may or may not have considered who to eat first in case of an emergency and may have been too enthusiastic to try human flesh. (much to his coworkers’ horror and then eventual “Okay Wili we know…” /exasperated)

- His little caterpillar hairclip was a gift from a former coworker at K-corp. He thinks its very cute and just has it on him all the time.

-He’s… Maybe also inspired by the Genetically Modified Caterpillar video- In the sense of “Little hungry dude becomes horrifying due to this insatiable hunger and devours things due to science!”

- His name comes from the unused title/ Draft title of The Hungry caterpillar which was “A week with Wili the worm” Because I really didn’t want to name him after the author (I’d have Eric with a C and Erik with a K in that case) and couldn’t find a caterpillar-ish name that would work.

[canipetthatdeaddove]

Hi!

Just saw you reblog that post about Thorin and physical touch from me with your thoughts, and I wanted to say I’m not trying to tone police anyone, or virtue signal, or anything like that at all, really! I just thought it was an interesting take, is all. I really enjoy reading other folks headcanons, and I think however anyone wants to interpret the source material, films *or* book, is completely fair enough. Truly, I just really love seeing all the variations that people come up with - it’s one of my favourite parts of fandom!

Anyway, I’m sorry if it upset you, or if my reblogging it made you or anyone else feel attacked - that was certainly not my intention! Of course the post wasn’t mine, as such, but since you reblogged directly from me and it’s been in my queue for a few months now (so I’ve essentially reintroduced it, I guess?) I just wanted to clarify, and apologise if I caused any upset.

Thanks, and take care!

@conkers-thecosy NOOOOO CONKERS NEVER! You are the sweetest most precious thing you've never done anything wrong a day in your life and if anything happened to you I'd kill everyone in this room and then myself. (Parasocial relationships are weird, but I've been following for a couple years before my last blogged was nuked and I know what a force for positivity you are in this fandom.)

I am coming from a humble place, but unfortunately my writing style is "condescending, stuck up" so bear with me. I don't mean to sound like a butthole when I write.

These anti-dark-Thorin takes get reblogged by all the popular bloggers in the fandom. I'm never personally offended by them, just exasperated because I think it's almost an auto-reflex people aren't really inspecting very closely. We ARE all anti-censorship, right? We're not, like... passively encouraging totalitarianism, yeah? Not even accidentally by reblogging posts that discourage a negative depiction of a character in favor of a positive one, right? RIGHT!!!??? (insert padme and anakin meme)

All of this could have been said without invalidating those people who write dark-Thorin. That's ONE of the main points I want to make here. Love romantic, heart-melting, chivalrous, not-bigoted Thorin. Promote him. Write about him. But don't make him the standard. That's not reality.

Maybe because of the shades-of-grey character that Thorin is, it's caused people to come out the gates in defense of him. And I love all the ways in which writers have enriched his character by leaning into or creating positive qualities so it's easier and more satisfying to enjoy him and Bagginshield. (So that's its easier for Bilbo to put up with his ass lololol.)

I think it's wrong and a terrible disservice to, as I said, imply that people who explore the dark side of Thorin misunderstood the source material. Or to discourage creativity. "You're not playing in the sandbox right!" No, it's just I'm writing a Game of Thrones AU, and you're doing The Princess Bride AU. Neither is wrong just very different.

I know, @conkers-thecosy, your intention was not to do what I have described above. I don't think its the intention of MOST authors to repeat censorship-y rhetoric. I just don't think a lot of Hobbit fandom writers are inspecting this at all because they feel very strongly about a negative depiction of Thorin.

I have a great deal of admiration and respect for you @conkers-thecosy and nearly ALL the writers I've seen do this. I'm not mad at anyone. When I'm writing in my own voice, though, I can be what others have called "spicy". Blunt, direct, er... rude? That's not my intention towards you or anyone else in this fandom in regards to this issue. I'm sorry if my reblog was overly-aggressive.

[blackstarchanx3new]

FSR Rambles 9, i have no funny title

Just two dudes being gay

This is more goofy dialogue based on the VIZ English translation. (I have never read the fan translation and don't have a ton of drive too lmao I'd rather just read the Japanese one when I'm big brained enough deadass.) Where it's weirdly specific death mountain is for Vio specifically.

Like huh. I just find that interesting.

This is especially interesting to me because of how Shadow words "You're truly one of us" AFTER Vio pretends to kill Green.

Either way, Shadow's having a grand ol time showing Vio around.

Shadow Link's in love. Let him be in love, I'm sure it won't bite him in the ass-

Vio- you don't need to be flirting back-

VIO

VIIIIIIOOOOOOOOOO-

Shadow plays Vio's flirting off by showing him how the arena works:

Because I always wondered how Vio knew that was even there and FSR is just me adding context where it's not necessary and gay scenes because I enjoy that kind of thing.

Like I get we don't NEED to know how Vio knows this info but like...By golly i'm a weirdo for those kinds of things and I'd LIKE to know...

I just like, that he keeps sitting on Vio's lap while explaining this shit. It's funny. He's so unsubtle about his crush on Vio.

Vio either doesn't care or is into it too lmao whichever you decide it's funny.

Vio continues to uh, say things he REALLY doesn't need too for the plan.

Vio's crippling loneliness is biting HIM in the ass now.

For some reason recounting what his home town looks like sends Shadow into a fit of laughter.

So Shadow's weird fit here was mainly caused by Vio just being nice to him. Shadow is used to being treated like shit and Vio's just talking to him like a person, he isn't pushing him away or making demands.

It's not as much what Vio IS doing, but what he ISN'T doing. He doesn't push him away when he hugs him or gets too close, He isn't overly critical of anything Shadow really does.

The lack of expectations, punishments ex.

And cause Vio's his friend-

TWO OF US, TWO OF US-

More in the realm of what Vio DOES: He seems pretty happy, which is something Shadow himself noticed Vio was kinda miserable and lonely before. There's a certain aspect of pride there lol

"I can make you happy when they couldn't." as later pages show he's extremally jealous of Link and by proxy the four Link's relationship with each other.

Because Vio is just, there being generally nice it sows the seeds of doubt and betrayal towards Vaati in Shadow Link's mind.

Vaati isn't someone Shadow can trust or rely on, Vio IS at least he seems to be.

He doesn't have to TRY to get Vio's approval or minimal affection. He can hug Vio and get the physical affection he craves without seemingly strings being attached, as well as vent his feelings.

OF COURSE we know Vio's being two faced here but we're talking from Shadow's perspective in these moments. X'D

Of course on Vio's end: He's doing shit he really doesn't need to lmao which as we know in present day Vio does care for Shadow Link.

I'll say it again, the weird as heck exposition scene where Shadow reminds Vaati vio's on their team purely for the audience is weird and I'm not a fan of that kind of storytelling. X'D

But I worked with it rather than against it. I'm trying to stick to the source material buuuut diverged somewhere later down the line which will become apparent WHERE very soon.

Vaati is just being a whinny brat who wants stuff done "Now now now" hah.

So like, Big poe HAD to coordinate with these two right????

Big Poe KNEW Vio's name and Green's name so it's only logical he TALKED to Vio/Shadow Link right? More "Fill in the blanks" stuff lol.

Like we can imagine that's what happened without being told but like...I really like the idea of those scenes so I drew them hah.

Big Poe has no faith in Vio, because he's NEW and also a HERO.

Despite Vio wanting to work alone, he HAS to put some level of trust into Blue and Red here, which he is OBVIOUSLY hesitant to do.

Seriously we were robbed of SO much of Vio's inner turmoil and struggles with the mole plan.

He really just wishes they weren't even a factor here which shows how little he wants to engage with them. He's kinda running away from the other 3 in being with Shadow Link.

Evil plan party. We see this attempt on Blue and Red's lives in the manga so, I don't need to elaborate much.

Shadow making the fake stone sword was just smth I thought would be fun. He'd know what those swords look like well considering he stole Red's.

Vio's discomfort is understandable. I hate that shit too bud-

He can't really tell anyone anything considering if he's sus he is DEAD.

VIO TRUELY WAS THE IMPOSTER-

I'm sorry. I can't stop with the fucking Four Swords among us memes.

Not that he talks about how he feels much outside of NEEDING to be quiet anyway hah.

I like to think Shadow is the one that teleported Vio out of there. He's the only one we know of who's implied to have teleportation powers lol and we KNOW that was the real Vio and not Shadow in disguise...

More of Vio's mental struggles with the infiltration plan. He is stressed out to the MAX right now and only starts coping better overtime with smothering those feelings, realizing Shadow NOTICES and KEEPS noticing them he has to adapt.

Vio already struggles with the idea he's a bad person just for considering joining Shadow, he doesn't want the other 3's blood on his hands lmfao.

Shadow Link casually throws a temper tantrum after that shit goes bad.

Vio's hero instincts wants to make him feel better.

Vaati blaming his mistakes on Shadow Link wouldn't be out of character would it. X'D

He's just ranting his frustrations with this.

Vio's emotional detachment from everything helping him see things objectively.

You might also read this as Vio talking to himself.

Shadow's grateful for the comfort at least hah.

Vio not so subtly thinking he's always right lmao.

Vio...You don't need to hold his hands to have this talk-

More seed sowing of Shadow Link's distrust and betrayal of Vaati we see in the manga.

Vio perks up at the mention of Zelda because they don't really know how she's doing rn...

Shadow's vague threat of "If she behaves I won't mistreat her" doesn't leave a lot of confidence in her safety, WE know she's okay but like...the four dinguses don't.

Shadow instantly gets pissed off from Vio getting distracted by his "I just need YOU to live" rant when Zelda's brought up.

Mans wants Vio's attention purely on him so much it's embarrassing.

Side note: he was gripping Vio's face pretty hard if Vio feels the need to like, touch it after. Shadow needs to learn what "Gentle" is-

Idk if this is truely a retcon or like, just the manga being goofy but the timeline of the Dark temple and Shadow going to harass Zelda is lowkey vague so I just went with it being before for this scene to work the way it does. Every fan story fucks with the goofy timeline in the manga, so am I lol. Gives us interesting shit at the expense of cannon which is what I care way more about blah blah blah i don't think anyone really cares that much lmfao.

Anyways, Shadow's jealous. Extremally jealous.

Since I've stated before Shadow has a crush on Zelda this should come to no surprise, but he's pissy at how close Link and her were.

And now he's upsetti spaghetti about Vio being attached to her.

You know: Cause he's the hero, loyal doggy good boy by design, forced by fate AND the gods to continue saving Hylia's OP human OC self insert lmfao.

(I love Zelda, the character and the series as a whole, but JEEZ is the lore confusing, convoluted and really REALLY silly when you spell it out how it is lmfao.)

Suffice to say: Vio cares about Zelda.

HAHA. IT'S WHAT LITERALLY HAPPENED TO HIM FOR 7 YEARS BECAUSE I'M CRUEL AS HELL.

*Loses Vio *Has to watch Link (By proxy Vio) be close to Zelda without him. Literally forced to watch because he's a SHADOW. *LOSES HIS FUCKING BODY/ABILITY TO SPEAK OR DO ANYTHING REALLY

Shadow Link suffers so much in this comic.

Shadow Link's jealousy continues.

He just wants what Link had.

His dad stand ins (Gannon and Vaati) abuse him, he has no princess with loving childhood memories attached, no team nobody he can trust, nothing.

In his perspective: Link had everything and lost it or threw it away via his own stupidity.

Of course that ticks him off.

Vio stop, you're getting emotionally invested-

Okay real talk about Vio for a moment:

I put forth the idea he doesn't really understand WHY he wants to help Shadow, he just DOES. And Vio goes off on impulse a lot because he can't fully trust his own feelings. (He just doesn't HAVE a lot of feelings so the ones he does have he tries to go with)

And then he'll justify whatever he ends up doing with logic and reason later.

Like, he could make up a LOT of excuses as to why he's being nice and comforting rn that don't loop back to "I like Shadow Link":

"I'm a hero I help people"

"For my own safety it's best for him to not be going ape shit"

but like...

those aren't the reasons lmao. Vio's actions speak louder than his words. The fact he's bothering at ALL shows how he really feels.

The fact he KEEPS doing unnecessary shit that shows he's starting to grow attached to Shadow Link shows how he really feels whether he knows it or not.

This mainly pertains to FSR only.

Hehe.

So Shadow calms down when he realizes that shit IS going well for him at least it appears to be and he IS getting everything he wants.

The hesitant hand hold is one of my favorite sets of panels rn. Agh.

Like he starts off just curling his finger around Vio's then full blown grabs his hand with more confidence.

I have a hard time articulating this but like:

Shadow Link WANTS to be close to Link. That's like, something this man wants SO BAD. But on some level he knows that isn't gonna happen so when VIO is accessible to him, he clings to that shit. Because Vio IS Link.

It's not only a victory over someone he simultaneously wants to be like and cannot stand, but is a sign Link in some way is FINALLY acknowledging him, which is smth we KNOW he wanted from the actual manga.

These points are expanded upon in pages I'm currently working on but agh. The reasons WHY he feels this way just made me grin like the grinch lmfao.

Lemmie translate Shadow's 1st line for ya: "I stalked you so I know your interests"

Lmao.

The Gerudo is meant to say "Ur gay if you can read this haha"

Obviously not what it'd say if this was a real book but what it says from an audience perspective doesn't matter since 99% of yall can't read it lmao.

Anyways, Shadow can read Hylian and Gerduo. Because, he's Gerudo lmao.

I'm only digging my heels in about that more and more cause of that text in Hyrule Historia. (EVERYONE USES THAT BOOK FOR WHAT THEY BELIVE AND IGNROE THE REST, I'LL DO THE SAME THING LMFAO)

The implication Shadow Link just...IS Gannondorf???? (His emotions anyway) just, utterly baffles me as a manga only reader lmfao. Like that's a layer of this queer kid I didn't expect. I always thought Gannon MADE Shadow Link but like didn't expect this bitch to LITERALLY make him out of himself.

Honesly that shit just makes a lot of sense considering Gannon puts Shadow Link on the same level as Vaati, but that just makes Shadow's gay ass feelings towards Vio and his betrayal of Gannon and Vaati just...HMMMMMMM??????

GANNON BRO WHAT'S WITH THE EMOTIONS YOU PUT INTO LINK'S SHADOW LMFAO??????

It's something I'll keep in mind while writing FSR going forward. (Edit: I certainly did and I COOKED)

I kinda on the path of "He's Link's Shadow + Dark magic from Gannon"

But with the book text it's making me consider making FSR Shadow:

"Link's Shadow + Gannon's emotions + Dark magic"

(I did. And I COOKED)

The ramifications of Shadow BEING a piece of Ganondorf just MMMMMMM that shit would be so fun to explore.

(Edit once again: YOUR BOY. COOKED WITH THIS INFO I LOVE THE PAGES ABOUT THIS SO MUCH I AGH-)

Shadow, personal space my dude Vio just wants to read the gay Gerudo book-

Shadow showing interest in Link's life before this is kinda weird (Intentionally so)

Bro is jealous of Link as we've previously touched on and he kinda let's that slip here. He WANTS to know more about Vio and by proxy Link too.

There's SO MANY things I wish we got expanded on in the manga:

HOW DO THE FOUR PEICES OF LINK FEEL????

What do they REMEMBER?

Green seems to remember EVERYTHING from Link's childhood at least, but what about the others??? Are their memories warped in some way?

Because here's smth to consider: WHY DO THEY ACT SO DIFFRENT IF THEY ALL HAVE THE EXACT SAME MEMORIES?

Like from a funny haha character dynamic angle: Yeah it's more fun to have 4 different personalities than 4 clones I understand that. But as I've stated: We don't like "Because writing that's why" as an answer here lmfao. Like yeah, that's THE REASON but it doesn't have to be the IN UNIVERSE one.

But from the actual like, lore perspective why did the sword rip Link in 4 pieces instead of just, making clones?

I discussed this with a pal but like if we look at it in terms of metaphor:

Link's a piece of paper that got ripped in 4 pieces.

Green got the most but he still isn't the full piece of paper.

Blue and Red got pretty even smaller pieces than Green

and Vio got the smallest peice.

Hense why he's so distinct from them. Honestly what Makes Vio so Unique as a Link to me is his LACK of Link traits or his ODD ways of showing off traits we associate with Link.

I want Vio to describe exactly how he remembers Link's memories later but he doesn't remember them like their HIS memories, it's like a third person perspective, he knows who he is, He's LINK but the more he thinks the more he realizes he's NOT Link.

It's a surreal experience that he doesn't like to think about much.

I feel like Shadow's never been faced with this kind of topic before, so he's just sitting there like "...WHAT?"

Like Vio dumped a LOT on him identity crisis wise.

Vio doesn't talk to the other 3 about these insecurities cause like:

Would that really be a productive conversation at this point? X'D All they've done is argue at this point in the manga. Blue and Red are the most on the same page at this point and Vio's been unable to really get back to them or discuss his mole plan Vio only knows Green Blue and Red are ALIVE cause of Shadow Link's tantrum earlier, on top of that: He is currently struggling on if he should even BOTHER regrouping with his team mates or if he should just do this entire thing by himself because he can't trust the others to do their part in defeating Vaati and "The darkness behind Vaati"

Vio's going THROUGH IT at the moment and cause of that just kinda dumps on Shadow Link a fraction of his problems. Which he quickly regrets doing in the next page.

He's literally stunned with himself at his own honesty for once. This wasn't something he planned to do.

This was the first time since he has become VIO that he opened up about his feelings and he quickly gets embarrassed about doing it.

Also not Shadow blatantly staring right at Vio's lips. I thought that was so funny while drawing it.

LOL.

The kiss is so hilarious because like, Shadow my dude wtf.

It's so out of left field.

I was debating on if I wanted Shadow Link and Vio to kiss before present day or not, but I think it was the right decision.

If you read their interactions at the start of FSR, they're a bit TOO comfortable with each other if we ONLY take their cannon manga interactions into account.

Also, this is my fan comic, I do what I want lmfao.

Art wise: didn't wanna make it extremally saucy or anything lmfao, just a quick confusing ass kiss.

It does it's job of completely blanking Vio's brain to the point the only thing he can really focus on is his own heart trying to rip it's way out of his chest hah.

Shadow you broke him-

Shadow's question of "Are you having second thoughts" can be read a few ways, a few I didn't intend to but they're all interesting.

Like, wtf is Shadow truly asking there is pretty vague XD

The intended one was that he was asking Vio if he regrets joining him because he's still attached to his teammates.

Which Vio gives his response for, while utterly panicking.

I do think it'd be funny if Link's first kiss was with Shadow lmfao, so that's a fun detail. Vio, who did you expect it to be with? X'D

He has realized at this point: Oh shit I might have taken a wrong turn here at some point.

And you might argue: Well okay if Vio has an "i fucked up" moment here it makes the one he has later in the OG manga not mean anything"

to that I say "HAH! NO U DUMBASS????" Vio's LOGICAL you see not emotional. Shadow VERBALLY stating he trusts Vio is a very different action to just, kissing him like this lmfao.

As Vio can't even really comprehend wtf Shadow was trying to DO in that moment.

And onto Shadow's emotions here: Bro kissed Vio no hesitation. (Bitch didn't even ask permission, jerk.)

Like, Vio "Sad" (More complex than that but let's roll with that for now)

Shadow: Ah yes, lemmie kiss him to make him feel better

Like. Shadow-

He's confused but he's got the spirit??? XD

He likes Vio, Vio tolerates him. Shadow's been getting bolder and bolder with how he shows affection towards Vio up until this point.

Vio hasn't told him off for any of it, so he just assumes it's fine lmao. Keep in mind, Vaati and Gannon make it DAMN WELL CLEAR when they're pissed off at something he does, so Shadow's perspective of boundaries and appropriate behavior is FUCKED.

Vio continues to wonder wtf he got himself into as Shadow continues to lack the sacred knowledge of personal space.

I always thought it was curious Vio continued his mole plan even AFTER the other 3 showed up. Bro felt he didn't do enough clearly.

Or ya know he just wanted to hang with Shadow longer idk who knows-

Since I reached the image limit i'll pick this up later. Lol.

[snorlaxlovesme]

Tag game! What are you top 10 fandoms of all time? Name them and then tag ten more people. Feel free to write as much or as little about why you like them! I'll start. (thanks for tagging me, Howl! @howlingmoonrise)

Soul Eater - I 100% would not be the writer I am today without the Soul Eater fandom. Back in like 2013-2015 I was having the time of my life online because every day I was either writing for a prompt or reading a fic of a prompt I sent someone else. Everybody in that fandom was so supportive and sweet, I truly do miss those days because that community introduced me to how much FUN a fandom could be.

Yuri on Ice - There's truly nothing more fun than being a part of a fandom for an ORIGINAL anime, with no previously published source material. I just recently re-watched YOI with my sister and while it's obviously a stunning show on its own, I kept trying to describe to her the fandom experience after each episode dropped and I couldn't properly encapsulate how unhinged things were in a way that would make sense to her. Truly a you-hand-to-be-there kind of Moment, and I'm glad I was. Like, where were you when the last minute of episode 10 dropped? WHO were you, afterwards? Words cannot describe.

Link Click - Truly I don't know where you've been for the past year if you've somehow missed how insane I am (and everyone else is) about this show. I have been writing an essay in my head for the past WEEK that I really need to type out one of these day because the structure of season 2 is the most psychotic storytelling I've ever seen. And AGAIN, an original show with no source material!! This is fandom at its PEAK!! Especially since since, unlike YOI, this is show has MYSTERIES to be solved, mysteries that you actually CAN unravel if you watch the show closely enough. Nothing more delicious to a fandom than that. I'm going to be a maniac December 27th. This is your chance to unfollow me now.

The Raven Cycle - I'm not like, a booktok or bookstagram or booktube person because I unfortunately don't read as much as I'd like, but the aforementioned sister is, and I've asked her "I know a lot of these influencers are normally reading current books, but have any of them read TRC?" and the answer threw me off so much? Because she said yes, a few of the people she followed HAD read The Raven Boys, but maybe of them didn't finish it and thought it sucked!! Imagine!! Now when I started reading TRC I already had a lot stacked in its favor: I had read Shiver by Stief and loved it, so I knew that her novels often had slow starts; half my dash was reading them and you know how it is when mutuals start reccing a thing; and finally, one of the best friends wanted to read them and suggested we start together. So I personally never had a problem getting into them, but from an outsider's perspective I can see how it's honestly a hard sell. And honestly? A big part of why these books REMAIN so close to my heard is because of the fandom. I have made so many friends because of TRC, talented amazing friends, writers and artists and just general lovers of the books.

Pokemon- Idk man. Being a Pokemon fan is a way of life, at this point. It's so intrinsically intwined with my daily life in so many ways. If you haven't experience the pure bliss of Pokemon fanfiction I'm not really sure what to tell you. I you weren't there on that fateful day on 11/11/22 to watch Ash Ketchum become a World Champion in real time I REALLY don't know what to tell you. Most of you were probably there for Pokemon Go, at least at the beginning. Remember how for a single summer it felt like world peace had been achieved? Pokemon did that. Me and @supreme-sauteer spent like 6 months of this year playing Pokedoku every single day.

Avatar: The Last Airbender - I was reluctant to include this on my list purely because Legend of Korra was like my first real fandom and it was one of the most toxic environments to have as one's jumping off point. There was absolutely no decorum there, people would harass Bryke AND each other on the daily and the ship wars were brutal. But despite it all, I do have many found memories of it too, and the ATLA renaissance of 2020 was a good time for all because of all the good meta content that came out of it. Plus I listen to the Braving the Elements Podcast host by Janet Varney and Dante Basco, and the cabbageheads there are really fun people who love engaging with the show in really thoughtful ways.

Miraculous Ladybug - Listen I am not a part of this fandom anymore since I stopped watching near the end of season...four? Maybe? But that doesn't take away how nostalgic I am for the pure mania this fandom was in the early seasons. I have to give props to this fandom for the dedication they had to wrangling the episodes as they were released in French, English, Korean, etc to organize them and sub them properly so everyone could watch. And the FANWORK that came from this show!! It was such a delight. The memes week by week were hysterical, all the thousand ways you could ship TWO people was so much fun. The art and the fanfiction from Miraculous Ladybug is so unhinged and silly and passionate and I miss being a a part of it.

Big Brother - Most would not know this from my blog because I never talk about it here, but I am diehard Big Brother fan and have been since the beginning. 26 seasons and I've missed TWO. If you've ever talked to me at length during the summer I've probably ghosted you in the middle of a conversation because BB was on. It's the reality show that I truly think would break me mentally but I also fully believe I'd fucking win. Genuinely really want to be a houseguest one day. I watch a TON of analyses about Big Brother on Youtube and all of my family watches it. Every year we do a BB fantasy draft pick based off of contestants' initial interviews only. I've won the past 2 years in a row.

Jurassic Park franchise - We're getting into the weird ones now because I don't post about these on Tumblr despite the fact that they are my entire life. I am a diehard Jurassic Park fan and unfortunately a giant fan of the rest of the franchise despite the fact that most of the subsequent movies are garbage. But they are MY garbage, and I love them. And something that isn't garbage at all? Camp Cretaceous. One of the best shows ever created and SO much fun. But I'm involved in the fandom on the Youtube side of things because the Tumblr fans are a bunch of freaks only concerned with the ships.

Chaos Walking - A classic! The greatest novels of all time, if you haven't heard. This is the smallest fandom I've been a part of, and despite all my hopes and dreams of the movies expanding this trilogy's reach, it unfortunately had the opposite effect and had some people jumping ship because the movie really was THAT BAD. But that doesn't take away from the fondness I have for the fandom, and I expect in the upcoming years it will have an uptick again when the new trilogy comes out in 2026. You should unfollow me because of that, too, because I WILL lose my fucking mind. Did I mention they were the greatest novels of all time?

andd here's ten people to tag!

@flurrin @supreme-sauteer @kaen-ace-of-diamonds @cthulhu-with-a-fez @villainanders @ilarual @johnbottoms @ashxketchum @texasfave94 @mykingdomforapen

[gothamsaved]

` Your portrayal is absolutely amazing and I will eat my own leg as proof 💅 — @saintfromkrypton

[ … ] I love you dearly but do not eat your own leg please, Love. I still stand by your praise holding a ton of value, as I know you only give it when you feel it’s truly deserved. I know you don’t just do this because of a bias, &&. I appreciate the support you always give especially when it’s needed, but do want to remind I wouldn’t have gotten so comfortable in how I write Bruce, nor hold the confidence I have now ( shaky as it is,,,, ) without you being here to constantly talk to me about HCS or indulge in media for both our boys.

Yes I adore you because you’re my partner, but you’re my best friend, offering so much support &&. always hyping me up to tackle any ideas that creep into my brain, no matter how stupid I feel they may be. Anytime I have a “OH WHAT IF THIS HAPPENED—“ you patiently listen to my ideas &&. provide much needed logic to help them feel more stable &&. grounded so I can actually use them, feeling more confident in what I share as a result. You take care in our replies to really implement ideas we’ve talked about in private &&. it always delights me to know you’ve been listening &&. value them enough to add into our writing.

This is a very long winded way of saying I adore you as a friend, definitely love you as a partner both in writing and everything else, &&. do hold your words close to heart. Getting into dc, even the idea of breaking into this character to try writing him was so intimidating at the start because there’s so much content to sift through, so much source material to keep in mind. But your support &&. presence in going through it has made it a bearable journey to go on &&. you push me to be my best. To truly have fun as well as pour all I have into Bruce in my replies &&. my edits / analysis posts.

` [ ꗃ ] TRANSMISSION RECEIVED ˒﹚) ↳ 「   ASK MEME :   HOW’S MY PORTRAYAL?   」

[demonslayedher]

Things that went through my head while watching this episode:

--It's pointless for demons to fight each other… unless it's fun.

--Have we ever seen more joy on Nezuko's face? Maybe joy isn't the right word, but it's close, at least for a demon. I know we're getting more of Nezuko: Advanced in the swordsmith village, but I really wish we couldn't have gotten just a little bit more of her losing herself like this to drive home the point that, at her core, she is currently something different from human now, and for as long as she's not human, she'll run the risk of doing this again. Also, it would drive home just how hard she's always had to fight her demon nature, even if it did get easier once she freed herself from Muzan's control and unlocked the restorative powers of sleep.

--Speaking of Nezuko's powers, Daki's right, Nezuko is a but of a one-trick, two-trick pony using the same sloppy kicks and slashes all the time--she totally lacks finesse or conscious effort to improve in her fighting abilities. Rather, the abilities she comes up in the moment--exploding blood, and now regenerative abilities that put Daki's to shame, and hardened blood that saves her the trouble of her body part flying every which way--are things that her more of a gut reaction of what she wants in the moment. And, while there's other motivation behind it like wanting to protect her brother, what Nezuko wants most deeply and simply in those moments is violence. Rui? She wanted him to burn. And here, we see she wants to hurry up and get back in the fight--a fight which has now been more safely removed from where Tanjiro is--and she summoned back her form purely for the purpose of want to kick Daki again, really hard. And when Daki makes that's harder? Nezuko adjusts, again, so that she can kick her harder. Oh! Turns out stomping on her is pretty satisfying. Let's do more of this. Tanjiro who?

--I love how before Nezuko truly remembers the song--much less who she is--she is very slightly starting to calm down as she feels the memory of her mother (or least enough of a memory of her to welcome her ghost back, if that is the case. These poor Kamados have a such a busy afterlife) . Some fun things Hanae-san said in the Kimetsu Radio reaction to this episode were that Kuwashima-san (a veteran seiyuu who voices Kie) had to reign in her very skilled singing voice to make the lullaby more believable something a simple mother would sing to entertain a child, and Hanae's first recording session for Yuukaku-hen was the "singing" (thank goodness he didn't) of the lullaby as Nezuko is beating him up, as the animators/producers wanted to fit the scene to his performance and timing instead of the other way around. As for his timing, he considered it on a panel by panel basis, down to every whack and thump from Nezuko that interrupts him.

--Hey, Tanjiro, stop making promises you can't keep. You sure as hell haven't been able to keep Nezuko from getting hurt and having to fight. You said something similar to this right before Daki crashed the town.

--Speaking of promises he doesn't have the power to keep, I love Uzui laying into him about how he made such a brazen promise to Oyakata-sama about this not happening. It's doubly satisfying after having rewatched that recently.

--I love the scene of Daki whining and crying at Uzui so much that it spawned a feel-good fix-it AU, in Part 1 and Part 2.

--I love how when Gyutaro first made an appearance the fandom's collective response was, "His voice, I hate it!! …It's perfect."

--Because it is!!!!

--Excellent job, Ohsaka Ryota-san. After your career of voicing pretty boys, I hope you had the time of your life performing the most wretched a voice imaginable, yet still making us all fall hard for Gyutaro as a character. Good source material for his story, yes, but what really sold his anime adaptation for me is the cooing and affection in his voice not just for Daki, but even for teasing Tanjiro later.

--On that note, I love Daki's complexity. Aren't we all like her, at some level? "I did my best, but it didn't work, I'm done being a big girl, time to baby me?" We all have an inner Daki, she just blows it to demonic proportions.

--Then again, that's something that makes her such a foil to Nezuko, the other feature imouto of this episode: in the Taisho Secret, Tanjiro harps on how she was always so reasonable and patient and mature, even when she was hurting (which I guess makes her a good embodiment of the "don't you ever get tired of being nice" meme). Even though tiny!Nezuko indulges in getting Tanjiro's love and attention, as a human, she never hoarded Tanjiro for herself or expected him to do anything special for her. However, she and Tanjiro had a secure, loving family, whereas Ume & Gyutaro's enire worlds were each other. Now as demons, they take "unhealthy level of attachment" to a literal level.

--One thing that makes me curious is how often Gyutaro comes out and does anything, as it seems Daki doesn't frequently undergo anything as frustrating as Nezuko's fire or a Pillar chopping off her head. However, Gyutaro has eaten more Pillars than she has, and as the more powerful one, presumably done the larger share of killing the Demon Slayers who come into town. Sure, maybe Daki has to fish them out, but maybe there are a lot of times when it's more advantageous to just sick Gyutaro on somebody right away instead of blowing Daki's oiran cover. Also, perhaps earlier in their demon careers, Daki got beat up on more frequently so Gyutaro was more acively involved in beating bullies up, hence, why he got Muzan's attention.

--In the midst of this long and different night Tanjiro is already having, he's just so bright and happy to hear the sound of Inosuke's voice and that is heartwarming. And I just had to check against the manga, yup, Tanjiro is totally confused that Zenitsu seems to be asleep. He's got no idea. I love how, perhaps, all three of them have had no idea for all this time. Nezuko, though. Nezuko's witnessed it four months ago and I'll bet that scene plays in her dreams.

--Speaking of Power Napping, I love how Nezuko looks so little here, like the littlest she's been in this whole series???? She may as well be asleep on her mother's back again while being unable to stay awake to watch Dad perform Hinokami Kagura. I hope she's having good dreams about her mother.

--Finally, a doodle I made after this episode first aired:

[thelioncourts]

You’re definitely right they can remove some of the useless love interests but even if you do the stories are still about Lestat. Louis would just be there to offer support or whatever but he has no arc or character development in these books after TVL. That’s why it’s impossible to keep him a main character with these book storylines cause even if he’s there in every scene he wouldn’t be doing anything.

So I totally get why people would rather he just leave the show than be used as set dressing for lestat.

But I don't think they're going to just do book storylines??? Like??? They've not done book storylines as they're written thus far, so why would that be subject to change???

I'm sorry, I'm not meaning to come across as short or anything, but I have 11 asks in my inbox all about this right now and I don't have answers and don't really know why people are coming to me.

As I've said in previous asks, I have said most of what I can and have to say on the matter.

As a Louis-fan, I get where everyone is coming from, I truly truly truly do. Knowing his fate in the books, regarding material, is enough to have us all on edge, so please don't take this as something it's not, I just --

The show has already given Louis so much more than what Anne ever did. Not even talking about what the change of time period and race adds to him as a character, we have a fully fleshed out development of him as an individual, as well as him and Lestat as a couple and as parents to Claudia.

Show!Louis has this family that we learn so much about, at least in comparison to the book. In the book, we know Paul, and we know Paul because he's the catalyst for Louis. It's similar here, only we get Grace and we get Florence and we get Paul and we get Louis' relationship with each other these characters. We know that Paul and Louis were extremely close. Paul could come preaching at Louis' establishments in Storyville, causing scenes and making trouble for Louis, and Louis could threaten him and pull a knife on him and the next day they could be sitting at the breakfast table, bitching to each other like any set of siblings when telling on the other to mom. We know that Florence has insane expectations riding on Louis' shoulders and that the death of Paul was a catalyst for her too, no doubt since it's very obvious the entire family knew of Louis' queerness before Lestat even came around, but it was a thing they didn't talk about, and then he goes and moves in with Lestat anyway. We know that he and Grace are close, that he was the first person to know of her pregnancy (via vampirism), that they drifted immensely in his fear of himself as a vampire. We know that the loss of that family for Louis was the reason for so much of his pain, for so much of his struggles with vampirism as a whole.

We know that Louis is a businessman, and a good one too, and he likes it. Sure, he didn't like all the racist shitbags he had to deal with, but he was better than all of them and they knew it and he liked that. He was ruthless in his business, strong and fierce and proud, and the loss of the Azalea, the race-war waged against the black population of New Orleans, was yet another source of devastation.

We know, as a parent, Louis is smothering sometimes, motherhenning Claudia to the point that she had to learn how to shut him out of her head. We know, as a parent, Louis is softer, to the point of fault at times, but that he also gives in to her whims, drinking human blood again when she points out that his criticism of hers and Lestat's eating habits make her feel poorly. We know, as a parent, he watched her go out to hunt on her own proudly, like a parent watching their kid go drive to a friend's house for the first time.

We know, as a lover, Louis is spoiled by his husband. "How can I say no to you?" followed by Louis' most pleased, beautiful smile. We know, as a lover, Louis can look at his husband like he hung the damn moon that guides their nightly hunts. We know, as a lover, Louis can be argumentative, assured that he is right and not afraid to tell Lestat so. We know, as a lover, Louis will smile brilliantly at his husband as they sneak around in coffin together, acting like damn teenagers in love. We know, as a lover, Louis, for all his issues with Lestat, loves him tremendously so, to the point that their hearts sync up and that, when Lestat is lying there, "dead," Louis cradles his body to his chest and screams his agony.

None of this is in the books.

It's all made by the writers of the show. And, as of now, the writers have yet to disappoint me with their writing of Louis. So until that moment comes, I'm going to be optimistic because 1) they've yet to prove me wrong and 2) if I'm not optimistic, what am I really sticking around for then? I don't want to stick around and be miserable at the thought of something all the time.

[ratcandy]

Do you have any tips for new fanfic writers? Anything from basic writing tips to characterization tips. Thanks!

Oh man oh man Asks like this always throw me for a loop dghKJH. I warn that I am completely self-taught, so I can't give any professional advice, I can just tell you what works For Me!

Sooo...... Let's see,

(lots under the keep reading, big long post, and mostly just me rambling)

Biggest piece of advice I can give is to JUST WRITE. GET those words down!! Do not sit there and stare at a blank page agonizing over the perfect first sentence. JUST WRITE. Put something down, you can come back and edit it later! And TRY not to edit as you go, or you will just rewrite the same paragraph 1 million times instead of progressing forward. Just keep writing. Keep going. You can come back later!!!

That may sound silly on paper but seriously one of the biggest problems I've faced while writing is Starting, or having a tendency to go back and rewrite entire paragraphs in the middle of the fic because I didn't like how it sounded. And then I get trapped in a loop of rewriting over and over again, never moving the fic forward, and demotivating myself because it will never be "perfect enough" to me.

Perfectionism is a HELL of a BEAST and I will probably never truly defeat it, but the easiest way to ensure you'll at least finish something, whether it's good or bad, is to actually write it down.

Which honestly is another thing. Write bad!! Allow yourself to write badly! It is okay to write badly! Everyone will start Writing Badly, because that is how starting Goes!! Even if you've been writing for years, you will Write Badly at one point or another, and that is okay! Writing badly is better than never writing at all, if it's something you really want to do.

Anyways ..... Those are my more broad writing tips, to get you actually write the damn thing. But once you've started writing,,, well what other tips do I have. Let's see......

Well, specifically regarding fanfic writing:

DO NOT WORRY about what Other People want. Fanfic writing is a FUN endeavor. You are having FUN. Obviously wanting validation and interaction is what every writer strives for, I'm not saying not to wish for people to comment/kudo/what have you, but do not bog yourself down in someone else's standard if it's not what you want to write.

Look man I strive on grabbing random characters nobody cares about and getting too attached and writing giant things about them. That's what I do, and it's fun to me! And at the beginning, most people do not care to look at those things! Does it suck ass when I don't get as much response as I'd like? Fuck yeah it does! And it can be demotivating as all hell! But for me, I'm writing what I want because it's fun, it appeals to me specifically. And eventually you will reach an audience, even if you don't think you will. And even if that audience ends up being you, three other people, and a shoelace, that's still four people who are in love with your work and want to see what happens!!

INCLUDING yourself!

Mostly my point here is not to change your writing to make what you think other people will pay more attention to. I find this more upsetting than writing what I want and getting little to no response, because now I'm not enjoying what I'm writing, either. And at that point...... what IS the point?

Anyway when it comes to characterization, honestly I've found that is an extremely broad ballpark and everyone truly can do what they want forever. Listen, no matter what you write, someone is going to look at your interpretation of a character and think "he would NOT fucking say that," even if your characterization is as close to canon as you can possibly make it. Because everyone's got their own interpretation going on, even if it's become completely detached from the source material.

So don't try and appeal to everyone; write YOUR characterization. How do YOU interpret that character?

If you do want to stick as close to canon as you can though, aka you're Me, really that just boils down to drenching yourself in the source material and chugging that shit like your life depends on it. Studying the hell out of dialogue, speaking mannerisms, facial expressions/movements if it's a visible medium, how they interact with other characters, how they act when alone, etc etc.

Great character building exercise is to just ask yourself "If I put [x] character in [y] situation, how would they react?" and then just jump from there, honestly hdgKH

Better yet, if you're the worldbuilding type, go extra batshit and just make shit up about how the world works. Hey man if it's not directly contradicted by canon (assuming you're wanting to stay within the realm of canon), then no one can tell you you're wrong! And having the characters interact with that piece of the world in a consistent and believable way will help solidify it!

It's a lot like walking into a place you're probably not supposed to be in. If you look and sound confident enough, people will have no issue believing you are supposed to be there and you know exactly what you're talking about hgKSJDH

Or you're awesome (not me) and want to totally ignore canon, and in that case, go off!!! Go out there and do whatever you want with those characters. The world is your oyster, and if those characters are story-telling devices made perfect for your idea, then do whatever you want forever. Who's going to stop you ?

Umm. Well! that's about all I can think of off the top of my head. Read your work aloud/run it through a text to speech after writing to see if everything sounds normal. Do not trust Word's or Google Doc's grammar detection, they tend to fuck it up. Wordhippo.com is my best friend and I'm introducing them to you now. Look up examples of how to write a certain action scene if you're feeling uncertain of yourself (aka i've read so many examples of dancing recently it's doing something to my brain).

And go get 'em tiger ,knock em dead

[7grandmel]

Todays rip: 29/11/2023

Susume​→​Number One

Season 2 Featured on: The Voice's Highest Quality Video Game Rips

Ripped by 2achary

We're just shy of closing out November and entering the Christmas season, so I figured it'd only be right to highlight some more all-timer rips for me. And, hey - Love Live has like, tenuous ties to the winter season through Snow Halation, right? That's good enough reason for me to cover Susume→​Number One, I say!

We Are Number One was, especially early one, always one of the most fun sources to get rips from - there was just so much going in its favor! Be it the fun vocals, immediately recognizable instrumental, that could be mixed and changed in so many ways and still be identifiable, or just the pure fun ska-tune the song had...there's always something to look forward to with WANO, and the team rarely just leaves it at a mere mashup. Because of that, I'm almost always able to enjoy WANO rips, even with barely any knowledge of the source material - which is exactly where Susume→​Number One slots in.

I remember January 2017 as being a time where the fanbase was in pretty high spirits, coming hot off the heels of off several episodes of the Christmas Comeback Crisis in December the year prior, and a huge slew of rips basically confirming SiIva was nowhere near ending (before Chaze himself would fully confirm that with the monochrome pause). And though I have little to no attachment to Love Live!, and SiIva really hasn't been able to convert me, that high from the fanbase sort of carried over into this rip - I can now only associate Susume->Tomorrow in any form with the happy feelings of SiIvaGunner continuing onward from way back in 2017. And that's all thanks to the excellent work done with Susume→​Number One - its at times the original song's instrumental with Robbie Rotten's vocals, at times pitch-shifting WANO's saxophone to be in key with the song, and even intersperses little segments of The Noble Haltmann and Snow Halation toward the song's middle. All together, it becomes a really celebratory anthem, almost the complete opposite emotions that the various Season 1 finale rips elicited.

Though I don't think I'll ever truly connect with Love Live!, I'm happy that its music has been able to find new life on an entirely different platform, with a whole new emotional meaning and an all new fanbase. Thanks, gang.