#just use allure instead of physics at this point

[kaiserouo]

nemesis

[limewatt]

hghghhh i did a bunch of shit today i’m tired. art stores are fun to look around in though

[dollfacefantasy]

CONCEALED CARRY ♡

pairing: ada wong x fem!reader

summary: you have a fixation with a certain weapon strapped to ada's thigh, one that she is more than happy to indulge in.

cw: nsfw (18+), smut, oral sex (f receiving), knife play

wc: 1.7k

kinktober slot: day 15 - knife play

The slender, silver blade drags in a thin line between your breasts. You shudder at the chill the metal brings you. It feels almost as cool as her gaze on your face.

"Is this what you wanted, baby?" she asks.

Her scent clouds the air around you. The heady richness permeates your senses and gets you feeling lightheaded before she's even really done anything. Everything about her adds onto that sensation in this moment. From the warm weight of her body on top of yours to the sight of her in that form fitting red dress, all of it makes your heart beat faster.

When you don't answer, a small smirk tugs at her lips. She recedes back onto her knees between your thighs. The rest of her body is flattened out like a stretching cat. She drags the smooth surface of the knife down your belly.

"I see the way you stare at it," she taunts. Her dark eyes remain on yours, staring a hole into your psyche.

You shudder at both the implication and the position she has you in now. Your nipples begin to pebble beneath your thin bralette. Unlike Ada in her alluring outfit still on from work, you're dressed much more delicately. Light colors cover your chest and hips with matching lace bordering the garments.

"I just like watching you," you defend. Your own voice comes out much quieter and with less certainty.

She chuckles. The blade slides lower on your tummy. She hooks the point beneath the elastic of the waistband on your panties. The dainty fabric goes taut as it's drawn upward.

"Don't lie to me, darling. It's not me you're focused on," she continues.

You know she's telling the truth. This isn't the first time you'd done this, just the first time she's called you out.

She'd been gone all day today, off at some meetings to set up her next contract. Darkness had long settled outside by the time she came home. You were tucked away in bed, awaiting her return. When she finally entered through your bedroom door, the first thing she did after greeting you was undress. You were already in your sleeping attire, and she was ready to do the same for herself.

Standing between her side of the mattress and the wardrobe, she first unzipped her tall boots. The black leather parted to reveal her smooth legs. While removing the shoes, she stood with her limb hiked on the end post of the bed. It caused her dress to ride up enough so that you could see the holster that held her knife pressed against her flesh.

You're not sure what always attracts your eyes to study the thick handle and tight black straps fastening it around her muscle, but without fail, that's where they always fixate.

And this time, she'd noticed. You were staring long enough that she couldn't just drop it.

She pulls the knife more against your panties, wordlessly threatening to snap the hem of them into two. You take your lip between your teeth as you watch. Regardless of how obvious it was, you still aren't so eager to admit your affinity for sharp blades being in such close quarters to your body.

But she's determined to get that out of you.

"I notice it every time. Each time you see it, you almost start drooling," she mocks.

Your hips squirm a little, but the movements don't aid you in escaping from her teasing.

She pulls the point of the blade loose from your underwear and drags the smooth side down the top of your thigh instead. A small noise of automatic shock leaves your lips. Her eyes flit between your limb and your face.

"Why the panic? Isn't this what you want?" she asks.

A heavy breath leaves you, but you nod. This was exactly what you wanted, the physical evidence of that already collecting between your thighs.

She rises all the way back onto her knees now. Temporarily dropping the knife beside her, she uses her hands to remove her dress. Her body stands before you like a statue. In the dim light of your room, her skin glows the most beautiful, warm shade you could ever imagine. Black lingerie covers her curves. Her hands glide over her figure before she lowers herself again. You know she does it to tease you, but fuck, it works perfectly.

Her face sits inches away from your cunt. She merely stares at the junction of your thighs for a few moments, leaving you to marinate in anticipation. You take that time to admire the back of her body, in view from how she lies on her stomach.

Soon, her thumb comes up and rubs at your clothed center. You whimper at the feather light touch, feeling the smallest spark of stimulation. The pad of her digit swipes up and down. It traces from your clit to the bottom of your entrance.

"You're so wet, babydoll," she purrs, "I can feel it soaking through already."

Your cheeks heat up, and your body slumps down against the pillows a little more.

"I missed you," you try to justify.

"I don't think that's what has you all hot and bothered," she responds.

Reaching over your leg, she grabs the weapon she previously put aside. She drags the blunt edge back up your leg and across your hip bone. You watch every inch of its journey.

She brings it to rest on your pelvis. It sits there, balancing on the flesh of your lower belly. She directs her attention back to the pussy in front of her face. Leaning in, she kisses over the space her finger had just traced. 

Her lips press against the fabric, each little peck pulling another sound from you. She swears she can taste you already, but that may be just because your scent is so strong. Her soft tongue slips out to kitten lick your little nub over the fabric.

"Ada," you whimper. You're trying really hard to hold still. She hadn't said it, though it was implied you were supposed to keep her knife where she placed it.

"What, baby?" she asks and looks up at you, "Getting impatient?"

You nod, your normal pout starting to grace your features.

She smiles at that and grabs the handle of the blade again. Her slender fingers wrap around the thick base and guide it down between your legs. Your muscles tense up on instinct. 

You trust her implicitly, but the image of something so sharp down there triggers a primal part of your brain beyond control.

Before you can ask what she plans to do with it, she slowly moves the point above your center. Bringing it down, she snags it on the fabric of your panties. She jerks it, the movement rough but also precise. You remain as motionless as possible. This is the most well-behaved she's ever seen you. Maybe the two of you would have to play with this toy more often.

The blade glides through the cloth with no resistance. You flinch a little, but the action happens without you feeling so much as a scratch. Your breasts heave with each breath you take now. They feel heavier with the mix of arousal and anxiety.

She puts the knife down again so her fingers can pull apart the tear in your underwear. The sound of fabric ripping fills your ears as she reveals your drippy cunt to her eyes.

"Such a needy girl," she coos when she sees how your folds glisten with arousal.

"Just for you," you add in defense of yourself.

That makes her smile before she closes the distance between her mouth and your cunt. Her tongue darts out this time to get a real taste. Your head falls back at the feeling of her licking your tender bundle of nerves. Her movements are calculated, performed in a way she knows from experience will work you up further.

You whine, your legs squirming on either side of her while your toes curl at the foot of the bed. She opens and closes her lips, making out with your cunt as her tongue laves over you and teases the possibility of pushing inside.

"F-fuck," you stammer out, eyes drooping with the weight of your desire.

She loops her arms around your thighs to hold you in place. It was something she normally did when she could tell you were about to start getting fidgety. But right now, there's one key difference in comparison to most other times.

Right now, one of her hands holds the smooth side of the blade to your belly. The metallic surface chills you to the core, causing chills to break out across your skin. You're at no real risk of being sliced since she has the sharp edge tilted upward, but the feeling of it there, the idea of that control, it has you gushing all over her chin.

Your moans increase in volume and frequency, the pitchy sounds bursting from you without restraint. She can feel your legs going taut with the urge to buck your hips. Pulling back, she gives you a warning look.

"Better not squirm, sweetheart. Wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," she says.

Somehow the words hit you with heat. They drive you closer to the edge like a cylinder block left on a gas pedal. You keep your ass flush against the mattress as if it's glued there.

"I can't- ah- I'm gonna cum," you whine.

She doesn't respond verbally, only ups the fervor with which she eats you out. A squeal erupts from you, and your fingers dig into your bedding. Your thighs tremble violently against each side of her head.

Your release washes over you in waves. The first is the most intense, hitting you all at once and bringing you so high up. Then you start fizzling down, descending the slopes of pleasure as her tongue massages your pussy through it.

You manage to keep still for the most part throughout the whole thing. Once most of the pleasure has run its course, she pulls back. Her mouth leaves your soaked cunt and the tattered remnants of your panties that surround it.

When she discards the knife to the side, your muscles fully relax. She crawls up your body, tilting your chin up with the bow of her index finger. A small kiss lands on your lips, and you're sure you can taste yourself on her lips.

"Such a good girl for me," she whispers when the two of you part again, "Next time maybe I'll leave a little mark."

[taintandviolent]

Okay but what about jealous reader killing James so he never leaves her 🥸

warnings: short drabble - sorry!! physical aggression, jealousy, murder, mentions of gore, james being cold. loosely uses the concept in AHStories where ghosts can still experience 'death', but kind of modified. there isn't a long of a cool down period, if you will.

“What do you mean a dime a dozen?!” Your breaths came out in uneven, angry pants, fists clenched tightly at your sides. After everything, after the weekend you’d spent in his arms, with his large but nimble fingers petting your cunt like a kitten, after all of that – you were a dime a dozen. 

“Yes,” he purred. “Don’t be foolish, dear. Think about the sheer volume of women that walk through my doors – you think you’re the first that I’ve courted?” 

You clenched your teeth. He had a point, as much as you didn’t want to admit it – he had a point. Surely, you weren’t the first, but by some deluded thought, you hoped you had been special. 

You took a running start, put both hands out in front of you, and pushed him backwards onto the bed. His interest seemed piqued, but he was a master in bluffing, in keeping his cool and remaining impassive. You hated that. You were on top of him, thighs on either side. You leaned down, and kissed him. As passionately as you could, a desperate attempt at changing his mind. 

Much to your dismay, he did nothing. 

“Damnit, kiss me back!” You howled and beat at this chest with closed fists, hammering his pectorals. You gripped his face hard and yanked it towards yours, smashing your lips hard against his. Still, nothing. His lips didn’t so much as twitch underneath yours. It was like kissing a corpse. You pulled away, chest heaving. 

“Oh, little ember, you are so full of rage, it delights me.” 

“So, I’m special?” you asked. A glimmer of hope. 

He seemed to consider this. Truthfully, the answer was yes. James had decided that the moment you challenged Elizabeth, completely unphased by the power she exuded – you had been ready to fight there in the lobby. Had James not drug you away, there surely would’ve been a scuffle. He’d decided it the moment that you two got back to the hotel room and you devoured him, hungrily, angrily, demanding that his attention be on you. He merely wanted to see how far you’d go with that anger. 

So, he shook his head. It was a small, subdued movement, accompanied by a patronising smirk, but it was a confirmation nonetheless.

“How DARE YOU!” 

You loved him. He’d made you love him and he’d just tossed it aside like some casual one night stand. How many women had he been with? The thought made your stomach clench with nausea. Twenty? Thirty? A hundred? More? He was the handsome, alluring owner of a lavish hotel, of course he’d gotten his dick wet in countless women. You were nothing. 

Oh but you were. Your teeth clenched, molars squeaking against each other as you got up off of him. 

“Stay there,” you said coyly. “Stay there if you care about me at all.” There was a pitiful tone in your voice, intentionally. 

You reached behind your back, pulling your shirt over your head and tossing it to the floor. You unclasped your bra, and dropped it, too. Before you returned to the bed, you grabbed a large, mean looking knife off his table of tools. Though you tried to cover it with demureness, the rage burned in your eyes, anger roiling in your system like boiling water. You straddled him again. Whether or not James had seen you grab the knife, you didn’t care. You pressed it against his neck, just above his neck scarf. 

“Say you love me. Because I know you do.” 

“Mm, no.”

The glinting tip of the knife punctured his skin where you thought his heart would be and you pushed deeper, gritting your teeth. Instead of screaming or begging for mercy, James let out a throaty groan, akin to the ones you’d heard when you’d sucked his cock. Furiously, you continued stabbing, plunging the knife deep into his chest over and over again. Warm blood splashed onto your face, dripping heavily down your neck. The room was filled with the heady scent; hot and irony and you screamed through your teeth, cramming the knife as far down into his body as you could. 

You took your hands off the hilt, and pressed them against his cheeks. His skin was cold already – but then again, he’d always been a few degrees colder than you. You’d never figured out why. And you supposed you never would now. He’d never get the chance to tell you. He’d fallen still, though his cold, soulless eyes were still locked on yours, watching your every minute expression. 

He’d known all along that you’d had it in you. You were special, delightfully so. None of his other pickups had been brave enough to kill him. Most of them meek and mild, like soft little lambs with a pathetic bleat. Elizabeth might’ve – but she never got the chance. 

James blinked, and exhaled a low, syrupy breath. His lips upturned into a smirk. “Cathartic, isn’t it?” 

[crazyforteyam]

Metkayina Tales (part one) -

Catch My Breath

Neteyam x f!Metkayina reader summary : After Sully's family arrived at Metkayina for seeking sanctuary, Neteyam couldn't help himself as he is completely smitten by you. warnings : none, Neteyam being shy and goofy, Lo'ak being Lo'ak lol word count : 4,5k notes : all characters are aged up (18+) inspired by this song series masterlist

“Mother, wait!”

Your voice breaks out of the tense between Ronal and Neytiri. The crowd began to split and you walked between them. At a glance, you looked like the other Metkayina girl. But as soon as you walk, it is clear that you have several physical differences. 

Your skin color is turquoise, but it appears lighter than the other. Instead of black, your long wavy hair is filled with dark brown, with the half top braided and the rest just hanging effortlessly. A dark green tattoo is located outside your outer eye and your forehead. Big dark blue pendant hanging between your collarbone, connected to your shell-like top, and a tiny pocket tied to your hips.

It is clear that you radiate a different aura from the other Metkayina. The clan has its eyes glued on your presence, and the Sully family is not an excuse.

Especially the oldest Sully son, Neteyam. He noticed directly that you are alluring and his heart fluttered at that moment. You smiled at the Sully family, and Jake greets you. His family followed him and you returned their greetings. You walk straight to your parents, Ronal and Tonowari. 

“What is it, Y/N?” Your mom asked.

“Mom, I saw them, when I was praying to Eywa,”

“What did you see?”

“Their arrival. Besides, it’s the tradition to preserve uturu,”

“Are you sure?” Tsahik seems in disbelief.

“Never been so sure before,” You answered clearly, there was no doubt in your voice, and your eyes radiate honesty. As the first Olo’eyktan’s child, you have an important position in the clan and sure your words can’t be ignored.

Tsahik's eyes shifted to Olo’eyktan. They looked at each other and finally made a decision. 

“The Sully family will stay with us. They will be like babies, so teach them the way of the ocean, to prevent them from being useless,”

A relieved feeling appear on Jake’s face, as he said “Thank you.” 

Olo’eyktan continued his speech as he points at you, Aonung, and Tsireya. 

“This is my children. Y/N, Ao’nung, and Tsireya. They will show your children what to do.”

Ao’nung confronted his father while Tsireya greeted the Sullys. You, however, still in your position, smiled at the Sully family as your gaze meet them one by one. 

As the Sully family passes by, you look at your father and asked, “Dad, what about tomorrow’s plan? Will the celebration still be held?”

“Of course,” Tonowari answered and his body shifted into yours. “Tomorrow, you must spread the invitation to all the people. For today, prepared the equipment,”

“Okay, dad,” you replied, and went back to your pod. 

As you walked, you can see that Sully family's arrival created a new atmosphere at Awa’atlu. Children began to approach Tuk, but their mom pull them back. The adults murmured, and many eyes observed the way forest Navi looks, especially with their dark blue skin and a small tail. You walk past those people and enter your pod.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

“Sully’s stick together,” 

You can hear their voice, and as you want to enter Sully’s pod, you seek permission.

“Excuse me, am I bothering you? I want to deliver the news, from the Olo’eyktan,”

When you said that, six pairs of yellow eyes shifted their glance at you. 

Jake said, “Not at all, Y/N. What is the news?”

“Tonight, we will have a celebration. A tradition, actually. And as you are all now part of Metkayina, so you all are invited. Olo’eyktan will be happy if you all come.”

“Of course, thank you for your invitation. My family and I will attend,” Jake replied with a smile on his face.

“Where is the location, of this celebration?” A deep voice breaks the silence. On the right side of Jake, it is Neteyam, the older son who is asking. He is the tallest child for sure, with long braided hair and a broad figure. His head tilted when he looked at you, like studying your expressions.

“At the Hope Cove. It's where we usually held a party. Also, there will be some traditions too. Our sacred tales. And you can taste our finest food.” You answered him with a slight smile, then he said thank you. You look at the rest of the family, but it seems like no one wants to speak again. So you take a step back.

“Okay, pardon me, I have to leave. There are still plenty of people to be told.” You smiled and wave to them goodbye as you leave their pod. 

Jake then went with Neytiri, while Tuk and Kiri followed them. So it remained Lo’ak and Neteyam alone. Lo’ak then looked at his brother. 

Several minutes ago, it is Neteyam who teased Lo’ak about how he must behave at this new home. But now he found Neteyam's eyes glued to you, how your body walks, your hair swings, and how you smile when you spread the news to other people. His gaze never left your figure. Lo’ak raised his eyebrow upon noticing his brother's new attitude.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

That night, Hope Cave was filled with decorations. The celebrations started, and everybody sat in a circle, including the Sully family, who was trying to blend in with the locals. In the middle of the circle is the Olo’eyktan family. People chatted with each other. The Olo’eyktan himself, Tonowari, cleared his throat and then his voice echoed in the cave, silencing everyone.

“Tonight, we celebrate the birth of Y/N. My eldest daughter, a gift from Eywa to Metkayina. Years ago, when I and Ronal haven’t been blessed with children, we prayed to Eywa, seeking a way out to save an heir to this clan. Months passed, and the Great Mother finally showed us Her Greatness. 

When our Tsahik is praying in her pod, suddenly a baby arose from the sea, a beautiful baby girl. Eywa gave her several physical differences, but I bear no mind. Her birth remarks a new hope and grace for Metkayina. As long as we have her, our clan is safe for sure. She is a miracle, the goddess incarnation, one that cares deeply for others!” 

You walked in from behind the circle, and a blush appeared on your cheek. Your father always says the sweetest thing. Your body is decorated with beautiful jewels. Thousands of pairs of eyes looking at you while your feet stepped toward him, and he held your hand.

“Let’s pray for Eywa for the peace and prosperity She has bestowed upon our clan!”

Tsahik then stood up and sing a tune, a hymn of worship to Eywa. The crowd followed her, and the cave then slowly filled with a bioluminescent glow, shone from the dome and ground. The glow then faded away as the hymn stopped.

“This is amazing,” Lo’ak who is sitting next to Neteyam, chuckled in amazement. 

“Yes,” Neteyam agreed.

“She is amazing, I think?” Lo’ak pointed with his eyes, to the person who Neteyam laid his eyes on. He couldn’t get his eyes off you, who is now sitting beside Olo’eyktan in the middle of the circle. Your brown hair seems to glow in the dark and radiates warmness, looks so different from another. Lo’ak smirked, he catches his brother looking at you, again. 

“Seems like the mighty warrior has a crush on someone,”

“Lo’ak,” Neteyam warned in a deep tone. “Don’t tease me now,”

“Oh, I won’t. Besides, I agree with you. The girls here are gorgeous, bro,” Lo’ak whispered, and he then smiled at the other girl. Tsireya, the other chief’s daughter. She lowered her head, blushing shyly after seeing Lo’ak.

Neteyam rolled his eyes. His brother is such a rizz master.

Olo’eyktan raised his hands as he spoke again, continuing the traditions.

“Now, let my daughter bless us with the blessed water. Come, Y/N,”

You step forward, and you bring an antique bottle in your hand, filled with water that was blessed before by Tsahik. As usual, your job is to sprinkle the water on everyone's face, say their name, and a short prayer to Eywa. Starting from your family, then the rest of the clan. As now the Sullys are part of the clan, so you did the same to them, making a way toward them slowly.

“Bro, she’s coming. Get ready,” Lo’ak elbowed his brother. 

“Ssh,” Neteyam mumbled.

You finally stand in front of the Sullys. Jake is the first, he says thank you, while Neytiri nodded in response. Neteyam is next, as he is the older child. He gulped nervously, feeling butterflies in his stomach. You stand in front of him, and he feels his legs weakened like turned into jelly.

“What is your name?” Your soft voice sounds like a melody to him.

“Neteyam,” He answered. His eyes sparkled when he look at you.

“Neteyam,” You repeat his name, then sprinkled the sacred water into his face and said the prayer. Neteyam wants to respond so badly, but his tongue like tied inside. Instead of thank you, he slipped out some gibberish sound. You raised your eyebrow, but then you chuckled. He shook his head helplessly and finally found his voice, “T-thank you, Y/N,”

Lo’ak instantly laughed but he covers his mouth when he saw Neytiri glare at him. But she can see that something is happening with Neteyam, and she shared a knowing look with Jake. Kiri rolled her eyes and Tuk seems smitten by you also. You smiled at Neteyam, then passes to bless the other siblings. Tuk is happy, she giggled when the water sprinkled into her face. When the ritual finished, you walked back to your father. Then Olo’eyktan declared, “Now it’s time for dancing and feast! Enjoy, everybody!”

The crowd stood up, and some of them walked in pairs, ready for dancing, as the music started to play. While the others approached the food served on top of the longleaf.

“Bro, what was that?” Now Lo’ak finally can laugh out loud, shooking his head in disbelief. Neteyam didn’t respond anything, his hand rubbed the back of his neck as he lowered his blushed face, feeling completely shy and idiot. 

“You like her, don’t you?” Lo’ak asked him again.

“Stop it, skxawng,” his brother grumbled, but Lo’ak keep talking. “You know, you should ask her for a dance. Make a move, bro!” Lo’ak hand patted Neteyam's arm, trying to give him some courage. Then he saw Tsireya, and he approached her in a glance, talking with her, completely forgetting about his brother. 

Neteyam shook his head, realizing how different is Lo’ak from himself. But a slight smile curled on his lips then. Maybe he can approach you and talk to you? His eyes trying to find you. But it’s hard, with all the people moving and talking.

Finally, he saw you, sitting on a rock alone. He walked to you, but then a man approached you first, his hands reaching yours. That man looks fine with toned body and tattoo around his arm, clearly one of the Metkayina’s warriors. You accepted his offer, and dance with him. Neteyam sighed. He waited for you to finish your dance with the man, but then another man also approached you again.

Neteyam frowned, he finally gets back to his family, while Kiri and Tuk are trying some food. He sat beside them, but sometimes he steal a glance in your direction. He feels so insecure inside. Who is he, thinking to be able to dance with the prettiest girl in Metkayina? He even couldn’t talk clearly to you. He is not a Metkayina warrior, he is just a newcomer. You’re out of his league. Maybe he has to bury his feeling inside.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neteyam grumbled as he took a step outside his family’s pod. His lips are bleeding, and his elbow and knuckles are injured due to his previous fight with Ao’nung and his skxawng bunch. But the physical pain remains nothing to a thing deeper inside. He feels tired and exhausted. 

Since he was born, there are so many things that he has to carry on his shoulder. He remembers he trained hard to be the future Oloyektan with his father, and then suddenly his family have to move to this reef clan. Neteyam feels puzzled when he left the forest, as he loves it dearly. He loves to hunt with his bow, climb the trees, and fly with his ikran.

Honestly, he finds the sea nauseating. Everything is so different, and he always prefers to ride an ikran rather than ilu or tsurak. Flying is his favorite thing to do, not swimming. But the sad truth is, being the oldest son, Neteyam must always put the other's needs above his. He always covers all his feeling deep inside. Kiri and Tuk already showed some dislike for the sea and Neteyam could not burden his parents by showing that he hates the sea too. Lo’ak always makes trouble, and it frustrated him. 

Metkayina people are always either judging, mocking, or bullying his family. Neteyam walked fast between the villages, his shoulder is tense and there is a crease on his forehead. People looked at him but he didn’t pay any attention. He keeps walking until reaches the end of the Awa’atlu village. It is a beautiful coast actually, with the sun meeting the sea and palm tree leaves waves. But Neteyam’s mood is still ruined, and he shoves a stone into the sea in anger.

“Ow!” The stone hit somebody who is swimming down the sea, and Neteyam began to panic. He dipped his feet into the water and reached the sound. You emerged from the water right in front of him, with an annoyed face and your hand rubbing the back of your head.

Neteyam's eyes widened, he never thought that he will hit you, his crush. Actually, the only thing about the reef people that he finds amusing is you, but with you busy with Tsahik training with Ronal makes he rarely sees you. To meet you in this condition is kinda embarrassing for him.

“I’m sorry, Y/N. I shoved the stone recklessly, and I don’t know you were swimming down there. Is it hurt?” Neteyam asked softly and came to you.

You scowled and sighed. “Luckily for you, the stone didn't hit my head directly. It just went through the back of my head.” 

“Let me check your head,” Neteyam walked passes you, and now he is behind you. He places his hand gently at the back of your head then he sighed in relief. “There is no injury,” 

“Yes,” You responded, and turn around, now facing Neteyam. 

You are not annoyed anymore. Honestly, you were quite touched by how responsible and gentle he was. You can feel that he completely feels sorry. Then your eyes saw his lips, the bleed was still there. Also, his elbow and knuckles are wounded. 

“Actually, it is you that injured. What happened?” Your brow furrowed at the sight of the blood on his lips and you held his fingers closely, examining the wound at his knuckles. 

Neteyam pulled his fingers from yours as he spoke, “It’s okay. Nothing to worry about,”

“Neteyam, I am tsakarem, Tsahik in training, a healer. I will clean and take care of your wound,” you replied.

“No, truly. I will take care of myself,” Neteyam wears a slight smile on his face.

You shook your head. “No. A healer doesn't leave without healing an injured person. Come with me.” 

Your hand grips his fingers tightly. Neteyam couldn’t move at your action, so he followed you to the beach and you both sit facing each other. You began to wash the wound on his knuckles and elbow, and put some paste on it. The paste is always there, inside a little pocket hanging on your waist. And for Neteyam’s lips, you washed them with a small cloth. Then you pat the cloth gently to get rid of the blood. 

Without your knowledge, Neteyam feels very nervous yet happy, very different from the moments before when he was angry. Now here is he, sitting at the beach with you taking care of his wounds. His eyes follow your movement, as they can’t hide the admiration he feels for you. Relax man, he whispers to himself.

“Done,” You finished your job, but you are still curious. “So, how did you get hurt?”

Neteyam cleared his throat. If he tells you the truth, will you believe him? Especially about Ao’nung behavior. “It’s nothing. I slipped on the edge of slippery rock,”

You chuckled. “Don’t lie to me. This kind of wound is caused by either fighting or collision.”

Neteyam sighed in defeat. “Sorry. Actually, I was fighting with some Metkayina boys. They mocked Kiri. I tried to break them up, but Lo’ak is still angry so he punched the boys.” He shrugs. “So I don't have any other chance than to join the fight. Until my father came,”

You realize that he didn’t mention the doer. “Who were the boys?”

He looked at you as he try to gather all the courage inside him. He wants to lie, knowing that you are Ao’nung’s older sister and he doesn’t want to make the conditions worsened. It's already worse with Lo’ak attacked on Ao’nung. 

But when he saw your eyes, he couldn't do anything. It's like all his strength weakened when he saw your light blue eyes, similar to the ocean. He knows it's not wise to leave himself so open, but he is hopeless anyway. Finally, he began to talk, “Ao’nung, and some of his friends. But I didn’t know all their name.”

You took a deep breath. “It’s okay. Ao’nung could be reckless sometimes. I’m sorry for his bad behavior,” 

“I’m sorry for Lo’ak’s behavior too. He gets angry easily,”  Neteyam reciprocated. 

Unexpectedly to him, you laughed. The confusion spread on his face as you talked, “Look at us. Older siblings always have to take the blame. You know, Ao’nung is such a mischievous boy. He once took all the strings and needles from my mom’s room, as he want to make a necklace. Then he created a necklace similar to mine and put it on my mom’s table along with the stuff he stole before, so she thought it was me who was guilty. She scolded me, but Eywa blessed me as Ao’nung’s short hair was left in the needle. Then he gets his punishment, not to touch strings and needles for a month.”

Neteyam rejoiced and was no longer nervous, he laughed at your story. “Similar to mine. Lo’ak want to go in the middle of war while we were instructed just to be a spotter above. I took the blame, but my dad still banned him from flying on his ikran. Poor Lo’ak, he cried almost every night,” 

You giggled. “Our brothers are stupid, yes. But I think we will still love them, are we?”

“Yes,” Neteyem nodded. A warm feeling entered his chest. Moments ago, he feel that no one will ever relate to his condition. But now he found someone who is sharing the same burden, at least to one similar condition, older siblings who always have to put an eye on their reckless younger brother. His lips curled in a smile, he was no longer feeling pain.

“By the way. I want to cook some meals. Would you care to join me? You must be hungry after fighting” You offered him. 

Neteyam shook his head. But then a growling sound came from his stomach. You burst into a laugh again, “You are hungry indeed,” and Neteyam accepted your invitation, with a sheepish smile on his face. 

It seems that Eywa always makes him look embarrassed in front of you. Or, maybe this is his destiny indeed? Neteyam thought that as you both went to your pod. 

You entered your pod. It was small but cozy, connected with a larger pod on the right, your family pod, the largest in the village, consisting of all the Tsahik and Oloyektan pieces of equipment. 

But your own is filled with your belongings only, some healer's stuff, a bed, and a small kitchen. Neteyam also notices a bottle full of gold liquid, sealed in a box, which looks like it’s important stuff. You see his face filled with curiosity when he saw the bottles, so you approached him.

“It’s our sacred water, called tsarki. Very powerful, it can heal any person whatever their conditions are. It’s very rare to get, and my mother always reminds me to use it in a crucial moments only. So, I keep it safe in my box,” you explained to him, as he nodded. 

You went to the kitchen as he sat on the carpet. You bring the food, the grilled fish. Both of you eat, and he praises your cooking. After eating, suddenly a woman appears in your pod, with a baby in her arms. Panic can be seen on her face.

“Y/N, can you help me? My son, Ihaka, is ill. He has trouble breathing. I tried to go to Tsahik, but Olo’eyktan said that she is still on the ocean, and ordered me to go to you instead,” 

“Of course,” you smiled, trying to calm her, as you carried the baby, “Let me see him,”

At a glance, Ihaka seems like a normal baby, but if you observe the way he is breathing, it’s clear that he has a problem there. You lay down Ihaka and took some massage oil. You start to massage his upper body, with your hands on his shoulders, making gentle strokes towards his chest. He is still coughing, but the pain seemed to have lessened. You bring him close to your chest. His eyes finally closed in sleep, and you put him again on the bed. 

“There he is,” you smiled at his mother, and continue your words, “I’ll give you some potions, and he must drink it every day, to help cure his problem,” His mother nodded in pleasure. But when you step towards your medicine stuff, Ihaka is awake again. You reach him again, but Neteyam asked, “Can I help? I know some tricks to keep baby asleep,”

Ihaka’s mother seems hesitant, but you were curious. You nodded and give him permission. Neteyam carried Ihaka's tiny body in his arms, as his hands caress his cheek gently. Neteyam then sang a song, that seems like a lullaby tune. He sang it slowly, brushing the hair on Ihaka's forehead and gently swinging him. You never heard the lullaby before, but it seems to work on Ihaka. He closed his eyes again, ​​sleeping soundly, even snoring softly.  

You raised your eyebrow, “Seems like you are an expert with babies,”

Neteyam grinned, as he speak in a low voice, avoiding waking Ihaka, “I have 3 siblings, what do you expect?” then he put Ihaka back again on his mother’s arm. You gave her Ihaka’s medicines, and she expresses her gratitude by saying lots of thank you, bowed for you and Neteyam, and leaving your pod.

“It was beautiful, the lullaby you sang before,” you now speak to Neteyam, as a new feeling crawls inside you, impressed by him.

Neteyam chuckled, “My mom always sings that song when she put her children to sleep. As I’m the oldest, she taught me a lot about handling babies, so I can help her just in case,” 

“That’s very nice,” you replied. “You’re a good big bro for sure,”

Neteyam blushed hearing your compliments, feels like he is on cloud nine. He couldn’t believe that his crush is saying sweet things to him! He couldn’t stop smiling when he walked back home. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tomorrow, he came again to your pod. You both are sitting face to face. It is afternoon time, the sun shone lazily and the wind blows gently into your room, making your room curtains made of seashells rub against each other and create a melodious sound. 

"Tell me a story about your parents," You asked Neteyam, as you grip his hands. You spend this day with Neteyam listening to your story about how your day went with the Tsahik training. So in exchange, you want him to tell the stories about his people. 

Neteyam quirked his eyebrow. 

"My parents? The Toruk Makto thing? I think you already know it,"

You rolled your eyes. He noticed a few of your hair strands fell on your face as you did that.

"Not the Toruk Makto stuff. Tell me their story far before it, right from when your dad visited Pandora for the first time."

"Ow." Neteyam realized as he questioned, "You sure? It's quite a long story,"

You nodded, and then he started talking again.

"When I was still a kid, my family always gathered in our hammock and embraced each other. I remember my mom telling a story about when she first met my father. He is still a dream walker, spending his last hour trying to run away from thanator with his shirt ripped, and a few scratches on his body.

On the opposite, mom is ready to shoot him with her arrow. Nevertheless, a sign of Atokirina landing at her bow prevented her. Later, when he is attacked by viper-wolfes, mom saved him, although she is still displeased with his presence. But father said that it’s love at the first sight," Neteyam stopped, a big grin created on his face. "Such a dad joke. Little does he know, that Eywa destined them to be together, right from their first meeting." 

And so, Neteyam tells the whole story of the dynamics of his parent's relationship, which seems like enemies to lovers' journey. Jake faces many difficulties and choices, which side is he on? But sure Eywa gave her a path, as Jake decided to lead the war against RDA, and return with victory. In the end, Jake is converted into his Navi body and started a family with Neytiri, the woman that he truly loves.

You sighed. "It's a beautiful story."

"Thank you," Neteyam responded. "I always think that my dad is a lover, he is willing to risk everything to be with my mom. While my mom is a fighter, she fought against her parent's view to be with him, and also fight to protect the clan,"

"No," You cut him. He seems confused, and then you spoke again. "You can't separate a lover and a fighter. If you're a lover, you have to be a fighter. Because if you don't fight for your love, what kind of love do you have?"

Neteyam doesn't say a word in response, but you feel his eyes fixated on yours. As you tilt your head and try to question him, you realized that his eyes are shining, with a yellow and green glow with a gentle look. You can't help yourself as you drown in his eyes and keep staring back at him, as he gives you a smile.

"You're right." Finally, he breaks the silence, but his gaze still fell on your face as he spoke again. "A lover must fight for who they love."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

notes : to be continued soon! :D

this is my first attempt to write fanfiction and english isn't my first language. i'll be very happy if you leave a reaction, lmk what you think of my writings! :)

[lyramundana]

Hello, I'm back again hope you're doing great

So I've been thinking about yandere! Alpha minsung x sub! Omega! fem! Reader we'll if you're comfortable with abo of course.

Well and to spice it up what if some stupid alpha dared to try to mark her.

If ur not comfortable with this please ignore it and love u 😘

----🦋anon----

Hello there! I'm happy to see you here again. And don't worry, there's not much content that can make me feel uncomfortable, so feel free to share your most twisted, unhinged thoughts here. If I see an ask I don't feel like doing it, I'll still make sure to reply.

Omegaverse x Minsung throuple?? FUCK YES. This sounds so freaking delicious. Here you go~

ALPHA! MINSUNG X OMEGA! FEM! READER

WARNING❗ Hints of non-con at the end. Proceed accordingly if this topic is sensitive for you.

It's common knowledge that two alphas don't usually mate with each other. Not only because of the biological traits that prevents them from doing so, but also because they tend to be too territorial and dominant for a relationship to work. However, as rare as it is, there are cases of alphas falling for one another and somehow building a functional committed relationship. Han Jisung and Lee Minho were one of these few cases. Their instincts showed on their first meeting, a pair of alphas trying to one up the other constantly and even getting physical more often than not. However, the more they fought and tried to dominate the other, the more they felt it was less about pride and more about just having contact with the other. Because there's another well-known fact about alphas, and it's that they tend to have the thickest, most intense sexual tension ever. It was specially obvious with these two, to the point they made everyone around them uncomfortable with their displays. Of course, didn't surprise anyone that they ended giving in their urges and fucking like animals during a common friend's party. Eventually, they became a power, intimidating couple no one dares to mess with.

Jisung wasn't the typical alpha, fitting more in the traits of an omega sometimes and letting Minho pamper him like one, but those close to him knew the boy owned up to his rank by every word. Minho was usually the one in charge, but it didn't stop them from still fighting for the dominance from time to time. They were also terribly possessive over each other. An alpha is already territorial by nature, so one can guess the chaos two of them can bring. Minho had beat people almost to death for getting too close to his Sungie. Jisung knows how to use his pheromones to force people to submit to him and then punish them like he wants for daring to touch his mate.

But as happy as they were together, they couldn't stop feeling something was missing. Like the last piece for a puzzle to fit. It frustrated them to no end, not being able to be completely content with what they had. They tried all they knew to find out what it was, to no end.

Until they came across the sweetest, most alluring and mouth-watering scent ever since meeting each other. Her. An Omega. Their omega.

Then it all makes sense finally. That's the missing piece. She was what they've been looking for all this time. What their hearts had been crying out for. When she's with them, they feel complete and at ease, and they share a silent agreement.

They can't let her go. She belongs to them.

Their first instinct is to simply take her as she is, their wolves growling in their heads to claim her already and tie her to their sides, but their logical sides tell them to wait. They need to be cool-headed about this. After all, one risky move and they could scare her off, and they don't want to force to come (but they don't mind to if it comes to it). No, instead, they play the long game, wooing her carefully and slowly getting her trust. She's so perfect for them, so precious. They have the perfect plan to claim her forever.

When she hits her heat, it's completely unexpected and particularly strong. She had been taking her medication for it and, according to her phone calendary, it shouldn't have arrived until some weeks later so she doesn't understand what happened (she couldn't know her new "friends" replaced her pills and changed the calendary on purpose). She's now sweating in her bed, curling in ball in her underwear because she feels fire underneath her skin, her insides ache and throb in feral need, and the world around her seems blurry, confusing. There's only one thing that can calm her down, and what a coincidence, her alpha friends just passed by to "visit her" and sensed the smell, the delicious calling of an omega in heat. Their omega, who needs them to help, to relieve her from this pain. The omega tries to fight it at first, knowing she's not on her right mind, but her instincts betray her and surrender to the alphas looming over her like predators about to devour their prey. And that's probably the best way to describe them.

Minho's plan was to wait out until she begged for them, but Jisung was losing his mind with the smell that reeked the entire place. The younger just wanted to jump on her already and claim what was theirs, and Minho was struggling to remain in control of himself too. In the end, the frustration for having waited so long and the omega's arousal was messing with their senses, and so they gave in what they've been craving since they met her.

It was messy, rough and animalistic. Their feral instincts took over them and they made sure each trace of her skin was covered in their scent. They kissed, gropped, bruised, marked every piece of her body they pleased. By the end of it, she was shaking in their hold, overstimulated, cum running through her skin. The only thing that prevented them from cumming inside was that they wanted her to ask for it. They wanted her to beg for their seed.

When her heat passes and she realizes what went on, she feels a mix of emotions. She's certainly scared for her future now, for what it means for her now she's been mated by not one, but two alphas. She's flustered because she enjoyed it a lot and loved the way they brought her to release. She's angry at them for going along with it despite knowing she wasn't in the best state of mind, but they explain that they simply wanted to help, since they know an omega's heat can be painful without a partner. Also, they were affected by the heat too and weren't fully conscious of their actions. Really, they didn't have ill-intentions. How could they, when they clearly care so much about her and have been her loyal friends for a long time? The omega ends up giving in their sweet words and gestures, swayed by their tactics, and not seeing the way their grins seemed more twisted.

Because now they've mated her, there's only one step left. She's already his, their propietry. They just need to find the right time.

Right after that event, their relationship takes a shift. She doesn't feel entirely comfortable with them after what happened, no matter how much pleasure they brought her, but can't bring herself to cut ties with them. They notice her distance and slightly panic. Jisung proposes to take her already before she strays away at once, but Minho calms him down and says she's uncapable of leaving them now. She's on step in their claws, and if they play their cards right, she'll come to them willingly. In the meantime, they force themselves to endure the "only friends" status and swallow the poison that threatens to choke them in their tongue when she's being close to others.

It's not that surprising seeing other alphas infatuated by her. They understand it, she's a gorgeous being and the world should be put to her feet, but it doesn't ease the boiling rage they feel when they see some of these unworthy assholes staring at her too much or trying their luck with her. They've beated and almost killed some of them for this. Alpha are terribly territorial and they can't stand the slighest glint of competence..

Since she doesn't have any claim marks, she's considered single and so other alphas flirt with her openly. She finds a liking to one of them, a friendly alpha that treats her with a softness she's not really familiarized with. She walks around with his smell on her, and MinSung see red. But the breaking point comes when they find out the guy almost marked her. He tried to claim her as his own, to steal her away. And that's when the boys say "fuck the waiting".

Omega is confused at why her love interest stopped talking to her, and dissapeared from the face of earth all of sudden, but she doesn't have time to question further before a pair of furious alpha storm in her house. The powerful, heavy grip of their pheromones makes her limbs useless against her will and her body becomes jelly under their vicious hold. They're frustrated for the lack of so desired intimacy, veins hyped with adrenaline for the recent blood in their hands, and pissed off by her bratty behaviour. How dare she let another alpha touch her like that? How the fuck could she allow herself to be claimed by another? Doesn't she understand her body belongs to them? She's their mate, her place is by their side, carrying their pups and pleasing them. Didn't they make that clear when they fucked her back then?

Omega realizes too late that her worst suspicions were true: That they took advantage of her heat and they were fully conscious of what they were doing. But it's too late.

They scent her the same way they did during their first time, and her head already feels fuzzy with the familiar smells that bring back those hot memories. Her body is slowly falling under the spell of their strong pheromones combined, and she grows more compliant the more she remains in their arms. Her clothes are tore off her body, leaving her completely exposed for theri greedy hands. There's already a patch of wetness running through her inner thighs, and she tries to supress a moan when she feels a warm tongue lick down those traces. The remnants of her logical side try to fight it off, but they're stronger and she's been frustrated too. When one of them slips his dick inside wet cunt in one go, she loses herself. Mind blank, her body only following their wishes.

When it's over, she comes back to her senses with their mixed cums inside her...and two claiming bites in her shoulder and neck, chaining to them forever.

Now she's truly under their mercy and no amount of fighting can break off the power of these bites. She's finally theirs to have, to worship, to adore, to breed.

[lovejosephquinn]

Hope you're all ready for a fluffy fluff and smutty smut first date with Joey, this has been living in my head all day.

Word Count: 4k Under 18's DNI.

First date's are always unnerving and you'd been particularly sweating for this one since the moment Joe had asked you out. Giving you the option to choose where he took you for a meal, you simply couldn't decide on what the right answer would be so you were practical about it and gave him 3 options to choose from.

Italian - basic yet delicious.

Steakhouse - classy yet simple.

French - romantic yet alluring.

Joe kept it a surprise from you, not telling you in case you changed your mind when he insinuated in a rather innocently sexist manner that was what women tended to do, yeah he's not wrong but he didn't have to be so exact about it.

All he told you to do was dress up real nice. He had a thing about looking good in public, looking sharp and dressing like a gentleman or at least at times an old man which was something you teased him about a lot, it was never comfortable clothes with him from what you knew, only his nearest and dearest got that view and you were hoping that maybe one day, if things took off; you'd get to see a a rather messy and simple version of the man you were now dating.

You'd met through mutual friends, hitting it off instantly and going to back to his flat to continue drinking, yet instead of pursuing things further as most people would in this century; you only had the one drink and you stayed up talking all night. You swapped numbers so you could stay in contact since Joe wasn't big on the whole social media scene. It was all quite refreshing. You left fairly early that next morning after falling asleep on his sofa, waking up with a blanket draped over you seemingly after Joe had left you to slumber whilst he clambered off to bed at goodness knows what time. And he had text you almost instantly that next day and continued to for the next few days, which turned into hours and hours of talking on the phone. Whenever you'd both got a spare minute, you were spending your time giggling at something he said, Facetiming through your dinner break. Nothing but throwing jokes at one another and flirting back and fourth until your jaw was aching from all the smiles he alone brought to your face. Eventually, the smiles turned in butterflies, you'd not been used to this amount of attention before, someone clearly wanting your time over anything else. You started to like him pretty quickly, not that it was difficult and within a week he'd mustered the courage to ask you out.

And here you were, you'd had your wardrobe practically turned upside down from the amount of clothes you'd put on and then decided not to act on. Your mind was elsewhere, wondering how the date would go, you weren't particularly phased about the mess seeing as the anxiety of time getting closer to Joe picking you up from your home was drawing near. There were more important things at stake - like your sanity of finally picking something worthy of dinner with this man or making a physical impression, something he'd clearly remember for a long time and would keep him coming back for more.

You'd slicked your hair back into a ponytail, curling the ends to make it look a little more fancy, a nice face of minimal and natural looking make up and ended up sporting a beautifully low cut khaki satin dress, the heels to match and a simple blazer you could sling over your shoulders if you were to get cold at any point through the wintery chills of the evening.

The moment your phone lit up from the corner of your eye, you could've thrown up, sure the first meeting with Joe was a surprise and just your average spending time with an added bonus of wanting to be in his company for longer, though you'd had a little thing called liquid courage before you'd even set eyes on him, which helped to get you through the night and created a more confident you in the long run. But now things had gotten a little more serious if you could call it that - the first date was officially in swing and every crevice of your body was sweating; your feelings instantly getting the better of you.

You walked out the front door putting a brave face on and spotted a little further down the road a car that was in full ignition, the lights shining brightly through the dark night. You calmly strolled over, you were the clumsiest soul and would only have made a scene in tripping over yourself in the first 30 seconds if you hadn't. You peered in through the passenger window to see Joe looking down at his phone, the screen giving his face a beautiful glow.

You attempted to open the door, which was automatically locked, of course it was. Joe peered up, ridding his phone into the bottomed shelf in the side of the car door and leaned over the passenger seat, releasing the car door open and making the light come on so you could catch a gaze of one another easier. You smiled at him and he lingered a little longer to get a proper look at you, his smile mirroring yours as his sight fell upon each and every part of you he could view. He looked so sexy from below, you were sure it was illegal to look that good.

"You look breath taking, beautiful." He muttered, moving back to his seat so you could get in, your face flushed just in time for the car light to go out once you'd closed the door, the familiar feeling of the butterflies that had caught you in surprise over the previous days made a come back instantly. "Well thank you handsome." You winked back at him, his cheeks blushing as crimson as yours.

"So I'm dying to know, where are we going?" You said as he pulled of the curb and onto the road.

"Well option number 3 took my fancy, it's little French place I've walked past so many times in my life and never had someone special enough to go with me."

Special? You were special to him. Was he trying to kill you with such particular wording?

"Fantastic, I'm excited." You really needed to give yourself credit for the way you played it off so coolly.

Once you arrived, conversation well in spark over the low sounds of the radio that played in the background, Joe got out of the car and ran around as fast he could to open your door for you, offering you his hand to step out. You took it without a second thought and swivelled yourself around as ladylike as you could, getting out and shutting the door behind you. The streetlight above you gave every glimpse of the most gorgeous man you'd ever laid eyes on. He cleaned up good.

He was wearing a full black shirt, blazer and trousers, smart shiny boots that screamed expensive, his hair ruffled and messy from the wax but curls still prominent on top of his head. His facial hair neat and newly trimmed. You'd smelt him from the moment the car door opened back on your street, which made your thighs clench due to it's delicious intoxicating aroma. Joe hadn't let go of your hand, clearly under the impression you were checking him out before lifting your hands up in unison into the air, bringing you back down to reality from your gawking. "Give me a twirl." You turned all shy. Not like you. He twirled you around in a full 360 motion.

"Jesus, you're stunning Y/N. How did I get this lucky?" He couldn't take his eyes off of you again. Nobody had ever looked at you the way Joe had. Pulling you in from his grip on your hand and replacing it to the small of your back, locking his car with the other; you proceeded over the road and to the entrance of the beautifully lit and quaint little restaurant you were to be dining at.

Joe did all the things only your imagination thought a gentleman could possibly pull off, he pulled out your chair for you to sit once you were shown to your table, hanging your blazer on the back of your chair for you before sitting down himself, ordering the fanciest and most expensive bottle of champagne you could get. Let you order first in which he approved quite highly of your good taste. Most of all, his eyes just remained solidly on you and he'd only take them away if he oh so needed to. The conversation was light and brief by the time your champagne was placed in the middle of you both, clinking your glasses together and taking a sip of the sweet bubbles that hit your taste buds. Echoes of laughter begun when you fed each other the oysters you'd got to share, juices dribbling down your chin; cheeky remarks falling from Joe's lips when he saw it only making you adore him even more. The way he cold go from sweet, to cheeky and back to his radiating sunshine self over and over baffled you in more ways than one. It seemed he had the ability to make you happy, make you laugh and make you want to mount him and rip his clothes off all in one go.

You enjoyed the most delectable 3 course meal, which took hours to get through down to the way you took so long to eat since you were too busy chatting each other's ears off. He'd become someone you were comfortable around so quickly, sharing your deepest secrets and your fondest memories with one another, delving in the occasional extremely flirtatious comment and making yourselves and each other more keen by the minute. Joe had took your hand in his at some point after the second course finished, stroking his thumb over the back of your hand whilst listening to you go on about something that had happened at work that you'd forgot to tell him. His eyes just listened intensively, fluttering down a few times to your now food stained, less glossy and soft lips as he proceeded to nod to show he was still interested. He'd made such an effort and had given you a truly memorable evening.

By the time the bill came around, your eyes grew twice the size that they were before when you saw the price. You insisted on putting towards it but Joe just laughed in your face. "Who would I be if I made you pay? I asked you out - I pay." You shook your head in refusal but he wouldn't take no for answer.

"So does that mean if I ask you out again, I pay?" Joe barked a laugh at your try, but it wasn't to say he liked the thought of you mentioning seeing him for a second date.

"It's not tit for tat love, just your company, your incredible personality and the way you look tonight is worth it." You frowned, but your lips couldn't quite help the creep of a smile that froze onto them from his compliments, looking back up he was already smiling back at you. You thanked the waiter as Joe slipped him a personal tip for being such a good host to you both. He did the same as he'd done before, getting out of his seat and putting your blazer back around your arms before you got out of your chair to leave.

Joe took your hand in his this time, intertwining your fingers together as you got out of the restaurant, the knowing of this night confirmed so well by the way he held your hand so sweetly. You walked to the car, his chivalrous instincts kicking in once more, opening the door for you and shutting it behind you once you were in. You didn't want it to end and surely enough he read your thoughts.

"You want to come back to mine?" Joe spoke in a slightly nervous, shy tone, not a way you'd of imagined for him to be after the success of tonight. You'd already been to his as per the first night you met, but this felt insanely different on account of feelings flying here, there and everywhere.

You didn't leave him hanging long, you just needed to find a way to say it without sounding to desperate in your reply. "I'd love to."

Joe drove into the night, his flat a few miles out from the bustling city, having to make a short run through quieter roads to get to where he lived. His hand fell upon the middle of your thigh once he'd changed gears and you felt your heart burst through your chest. Your core aching when you looked down to watch his hand tense against the bare flesh sticking through the slit of satin, goose bumps flared under his touch, making him glance at you a few times when you suddenly looked awkward about it. You were sad when he took his hand away, resting on his own thigh and you readjusted yourself to try and calm down.

"Everything ok Y/N?" Joe broke the silence of the moment, his full attention back onto you when he hit a red light.

"Yeah I just-" You bit down on your lip and he noticed instantly, his eyes flashing down to your thighs which were clenching again, your chest puffing outward trying to breathe out regularly, a fire burning in his chocolatey gaze had him almost screaming to have you where you sat. He had kept his filthy desires to himself all night, not being able to wait to get you alone before he attempted to get his hands on you. Knowing this was unlike the two of you to want to go all the way on a first date, yet the way you wanted it so mutually was unbearable yet unknown to you both, until now.

"You just?" Joe continued, trying to urge you to come out with it.

"Can you pull over please?" You'd just hit a back country lane after leaving the main road, the city now a lit up scene behind you. Joe pulled over as requested on the side of the road. Darkness all around you, a rare sight of a car seen only minutes before so it was clear not many people would travelling down here at this time.

You took off your seatbelt, letting it fall to the side and turned to Joe. He tilted his head to the side slightly, the reflection of the lit up, muted sound system was the only thing keeping your features alight. He took off his and watched you, both of your lips parting slightly as you sat in pure silence, the only noise was the oxygen you exhaled, although in this mere moment, it felt like you weren't breathing at all.

"I hope I didn't go a step to far in asking you to come back-"

You cut Joe off, throwing yourself over to his space and enveloping your arms around his neck, crashing your lips onto his and opening your mouth slightly to deepen the kiss, your tongues plunging through to one another, dancing in unison as whimpers hummed from one to another. Joe followed your lead and the only thing that was different was the smirk that you felt from his lips as they crushed against yours making you ache. Joe hand creeped onto your jaw, cupping over it, your face tilting inward which only intensified the heat between you. Not quite the slow and quite frankly cute first kiss you imagined, actually this one was right up your alley.

You broke the kiss and moved yourself up and over the middle that blocked you from being nearer, caging yourself between the steering wheel and Joe's body, resting down onto his lap and your dress inching upwards instantly when Joe wrapped his arm around your lower back, pulling you in to him further. You kissed his lips once more before moving down to his jawline and shortly after, his neck. Something you'd never found attractive until you first saw his, you'd imagined it to be soft to the touch, his skin delicately taken by your lips when you slid your muscle down the thickness of a vein that stuck out in the middle of it, nibbling at the goose bumps that now appeared, mirroring the ones of your thighs earlier. You hit a particular spot just off to the side of his throat when you earned the most unholy groan erupting out of his mouth. The first of many.

Your clothed cunt sat upon his bulge, the hardness pressing up into you and straining through his trousers. You attacked his neck further, sucking a purple bruise into his skin, your teeth gnawing at the spot where you were marking him gave him ammunition to buck himself up into you, your hips dry humping downward as you felt the covered length throbbing as it stroked perfectly through your folds, hitting your clit in the faintest of ways.

You came up for air, your assault to his neck had your lips gleaming from the little bits of saliva that escaped you, the overpowering scent of him tinging away at your nostrils, the entirety of your body screaming for him to give you everything.

You bore your sights into one another's, perfectly silenced but watching each other. The wet patch forming on your underwear told you all you needed to know. "I want you Joe." You panted towards him, pecking at his lips, your hands resting on his chest as you picked up the pace, grinding into him, making him feel the heat radiating through your panties, appearing to be absolutely ravenous and starved on top of him as if you hadn't just eaten a full meal.

"Right here?" Joe whispered, your lips inches away.

"Right now." You confirmed.

Joe's hands settled onto your waist not a second later, lifting you slightly. You held your hands on the back of his seat, keeping yourself in a position so that he could unbutton his trousers and pull them and his boxers down to his feet. You gawked down at his now released cock, your mouth fully parted whilst inaudible noises stammered there way out from the depths of your vocal chords making him chuckle, not jokingly, more fiercely.

"Fuck, you're so-" You managed.

"Something I'm rather confident about." Joe interrupted.

His horny state got the better of him when he tugged your dress up to your stomach, pulling the thin cotton of your underwear out and gripped it into his fist. "Do you mind?" You shook your head slowly, catching on to what he meant too late when he tore the material from you, repeating the other side and taking them directly off from your front, they would of just fallen off if it weren't for the wet mess you were making against them.

"Let me make you feel good, baby." Joe positioned his cock upwards as you set yourself down, taking him in with a yelp from your throat, the girth feeling like it could rip you to shreds. It didn't matter about adjusting, you were that soaked enough for this man that he slid in pretty easy once his tip had made it's way through your entrance.

"So tight. So fucking pretty." Joe put his hands back to your hips and you gave him a nod as a signal to continue whilst practically beaming over the whole thing. He moved you up and down slowly, feeling the way your cunt clenched firmly around his length, repeating the process several times, your moans falling out of you as he hit every spot. No man had ever made you feel this turned on this quick before and it showed right through from the way you gripped onto his blazer, loud noises of skin slapping against skin filled the air. Borderline pornographic noises bouncing off every spot of the inside of the car. You pushed yourself down to the base, writhing yourself against him, grinding yourself closer to release.

Joe pushed his hand through to reach your clit, his finger finding it expertly, your folds already parted from you devouring his cock so he had better access to push down on your sensitive bud, circling around it in a way that matched the pace of you riding him.

"Joe I'm going to- oh my god." Your words only made Joe buck his hips upward, forcing you to lean midway up into the air as he began to fuck your gaping cunt with all his might. You wrapped your arms around him, your face falling into the crook of his neck whilst your fingers clawed into his curls, letting him make you feel as good as he had outspokenly promised to. Your orgasm hit you in an instant, no warning given as you almost fell from being in such a vulnerable and weak state. You managed to somehow keep yourself propped up against him, your whole body came alive, screaming his name slight with the intensity raging through your body and cum dripping down Joe's cock. Wetter than ever, his thrusts became wild and the force of your climax had Joe spewing inside of you, his body jerking the way yours just had, his eyes rolled to the back of his head when his release hit him hard. A long drawn out moan fell from his lips, your name mixed somewhere in-between.

"S-shit I didn't mean to c-cum inside." Joe panted, a mild state of panic under the bliss he was still experiencing.

"I'm on the pill, relax baby. I would've told you before but I was to eager to have you." You felt him calm at that and suddenly he didn't regret it so much anymore.

You lifted yourself off him, his slick sodden cock falling against his shirt. A whimper overcame you both from the loss of contact when you climbed back over in your seat. You sorted yourselves out, you used your defiled underwear to clean yourself up as best you could, whilst Joe just covered himself back up, a mental note given to clean up later.

Nothing but a smile came over you both, Joe reached for your hand, lifting it to his lips and planting a kiss onto your knuckles.

"You are something else." Joe grinned, hitting a wink your way.

"In a good way?" You giggled.

"In the best of ways." Joe confirmed.

"You're still coming back with me right?" As if he had to ask.

"Only if you promise to do that again."

"I promise, but this time. I'll be the one on top of you."

The first date nerves were gone in a flash, it couldn't have gone better. The feelings had multiplied and you couldn't help feeling that going back to his flat was the second date already. Except unlike last time when you went over, you wouldn't be accidentally falling asleep on the sofa, you'd be purposely under the covers with the man you were quickly falling in love with. The man you'd given yourself too, not just your body, your heart too. And maybe, just maybe you'd get to see him in sweatpants come the morning.

[sweetheartsaku]

༄ MISSION: OUR SUMMER― 4EVER.

𝜗𝜚 ―OT5 【투모로우바이투게더】 VERSION || NIGHT EDITION.

HONEY RAYS BLEED ONTO THE WOODEN FLOOR. its sparkly glimmer draws to a precious high school group of six, finding them lying down on the cold wooden floor, sweating bullets and drained (or rather drowned) in the sun's merciless heat.

smiles and giggles like cold-iced tea, a sickly-sweet bond, a youthful and forever blooming teenage friendship that lasts 4EVER.

you find yourself with your beloved high school group, on the empty floor of your bedroom. dust follows the beams of burning light onto the wooden planks, summer sunshine absorbing the colour of your light curtains and smooth oaken floor.

the group of six are all lying down, playful banter filling the silence. yeonjun initiates, craving touch and physical affection. yeonjun being the ENFP he is, crawls closer towards you and basically blankets himself onto you hopefully soak up your cold.

"yeonjunnnn... get off meeeee..." you whine, his warm body pressing against yours. you attempt to swat him away, gently pushing him off except― he's very insistent on being under your skin during this heatwave.

soobin perks his head up, curious on seeing the commotion out of boredom. kai and taehyun are also next to each other, pinkies interlocked as one of kai's eye flutters open. taehyun feeling allured to sleep from the sunshine, not bothering to open his eyes. kai pokes his head up, torso instantly lifting up from the floor, pinkies still connected with taehyun's.

everyones attention is now on beomgyu, who has gotten up to impossibly increase the strength of the fan. the large window of your room is slightly open so that if a rare fresh breeze were to pass by, your group would be the first to feel it.

you notice this and use it as an excuse to escape yeonjun's affectionate antics. you wriggle out of yeonjun's grasp, and inch closer towards beomgyu. he currently has the fan angled towards him. his eyes flutter closed, sitting down, legs spread, and cold air of the fan biting his cheek. but this... didn't satisfy you.

you quickly angle the fan towards you instead, stealing his fresh air. but obviously... beomgyu took this a bit personally.

he immediately reacts and pouts, pointing the fan back at his face.

"'scuse me, gyu. this is my fan." you poke.

"EXCUSEEE ME? i was here first. if it's yours, go get one yourself!" he huffs. you both playfully banter over the fan, fan moving back and forth between you and beomgyu.

this goes on back and forth for about a minute, and hyuka gets impatient and giggly watching you both. yeonjun has now found coldness from his slightly younger member, soobin. still on the floor. he's visibly annoyed, but too lazy to actually do anything drowned in the sun (and yeonjun).

you suddenly realise taehyun's absence, snapping back into reality. your side eyes snap back, now widening.

"DID TAEHYUN GET TAKEN AWAY BY THE SUN?" you exclaim.

just as you speak, taehyun opens the door to your room, with a ginormous blue box in hand. everyone breaks out of their sweltering daze, making yeonjun and soobin sit up. you, beomgyu and kai's head turn towards the boba eyed boy, eyes now curious.

nonchalantly, "it's a cooler, by the way." taehyun says.

the sun must've absorbed the groups braincells except his, because he somehow gained all the motivation to get up and pack an eski through that little nap he took.

he sits down a little farther away from the door, sitting closer to the group. everyone gathers around, fan now on a swivelling setting spreading its cold air. the brunette opens the cooler's lid, revealing heaven. a colourful assortment of frosty popsicles and ice-creams, packages underneath glistening ice.

everybody grabs their own, like they haven't eaten in years.

"bon appetit baby!" yeonjun calls, eagerly unwrapping his popsicle. everybody has a satisfied look on their faces, individually enjoying their own sweet and cold flavours melt on their tongue. they all savour this moment but...

you take a look around. these were the boys alongside you for as long as you can remember throughout high school. your other friends who had slowly drifted apart, the select few you had fought with, the friends who just never worked out. you had no idea what real friendship was until you felt their hands on your back, always being there no matter what happened. each individual who had provided you comfort in their own ways and haps.

yeonjun who knew how to lift up your mood and make you feel better about yourself,

soobin whose presence and warm hand soothe was more than enough,

beomgyu who knew how to make you smile and gently comfort you through understanding eyes,

taehyun whose mature and cute advice knew how to make your heart flip,

and kai's bubbly aura always being there to spend time and take your mind off things.

these were the wonderful boys who had been taking care of you, unveiling to you real friendship, and a teenage-dream bond that you could never fathom breaking. their smiles meant the world to you, and you have no idea how to repay them for everything they've simply unconsciously done for you.

yeonjun is the first to chomp away his popsicle, wooden stick still resting in his mouth.

"y'know, i bought a karaoke box."

ending the scorching summer with a passionate karaoke, and friends that would last a lifetime.

ARE WE GONNA FEEL THIS WAY FOREVER?

TAGLIST: @hyukassubi @lun4kazumii

[overrgrown]

stray my stand in thoughts in no particular order (e1-7 spoilers) ~

sorry it's long lmao I have a lot of jumbled thoughts that I need to yell about so this is me screaming into the void

Joe being used as a stand in by ming and tong is very telling

ming honestly doesn't act like a spoiled rich brat. he's occasionally entitled, but he's very polite to staff and he genuinely cares for his sister.

I don't think that ming wants to hurt his sister. he wants tong to choose him instead of his sister so that he can break her heart instead and then ming isn't to blame

idk if ming was ever trying to be subtle to Joe about what he was to him. he flat out told him he was a stand in (just didn't mention for who)

Joe getting a second chance at a maternity figure only to have her immediately fall into major trouble and then health issues has got to be triggering the fuck out of Joe rn

do we find out where Joe 2.0's spirit is at all? and what happened to OG Joe's body??

jfc poom is so pretty I can't focus

ik sol and ming are more than likely gonna become friends at some point but my messy ass would LOVE to see them be bitter bitches to the end with each other

where did ming get the chain....?

it's making me so fucking sad that Joe is falling back into his previous direct footsteps bc of his situation and its literally all he knows to do. same people, same habits, same mannerisms, same career, everything

he has an opportunity to completely rebrand and live his life without being under ming's thumb but he is consciously choosing to stay around him. why? what is so alluring about the person who used and emotionally cheated on you for who knows how long and then drunkenly called you the target of his actual affections????

Joe is not only too humble. I think he genuinely doesn't think he deserves better. this life is all he's ever known and he's never had the stones to try and improve himself and get his own life

his job is literally to be a nameless, faceless body double who does the work for a person who gets to take all the credit

(not that I'm shit talking real stunt doubles. y'all are the core of my fave action movies and ily)

but it says a lot about Joe's character and how passive he is usually and it's so interesting to me that he's the big risk taker when it comes to his stunts but he's too scared to make a move to improve his life or branch out on his own

those inconsiderate little bitches. you can't just add a character willy nilly to an already finished script. it'll throw off the whole movie and that's way more work for the writers

yo that hesitation at Joe not being able to break those mugs???? I felt it physically that was GOOD FUCKING ACTING

sol has never done anything wrong in his life he could murder someone in front of me in cold blood and I would help him cover it up

I would come out to sol i trust him with my party drink I'll go to war for him

damn bro how the hell did Joe get roped into being a stand in for HIMSELF that's some meta shit right there. like how is this not just self harm bc that's what it seems like to me

tharn? that's a new name. will we meet him?

ming's condo being green and gold like Joe's old house I am chewing on fucking concrete

OH THE MIRROR SWIPE THE HARSH REMINDER THAT HE IS IN ANOTHER BODY AND THAT HE IS USING THAT BODY AS A STAND IN FOR HIMSELF AND THAT HE NOT ONLY SOLD HIMSELF TO MING BUT HE SOLD JOE 2.0'S BODY GOD THAT WAS *chefs kiss*

is the backception here that ming is kissing Joe 2.0's back bc it reminds him of OG Joe or because it reminds him of Joe reminding him of tong hmmmmmmmmm either way: seek help babe you have a problem

the juicy juicy parallel of ming waking up to an empty pillow I'm gulping this shit down like water this is my life blood rn thank you for the delicious meal

i am not immune to the mesh shirt

AHA I THINK I JUST MET THARN

Update: I am correct

JOE'S ACCIDENT WAS A SUICIDE ATTEMPT?!?!?!?!? holy fuck bro

I thought I was going to hate ming a lot more when I started this bc I have a lot of manipulation trauma but I kind of.... get him

how old is tharn supposed to be bc he looks 16 and it's unsettling

I knew we couldn't trust that twink

YAS BABE YOU LOSE YOUR SHIT YOU YELL YOU GET MAD YOU TELL PEOPLE TO FUCK OFF YOU KICK THARN OUT OF YOUR ROOM DESERVE TO UNHINGE YOURSELF A BIT

ming is about to step off the edge I can feel it this man is about to overflow and drown everyone around him in his search for Joe

"tOng PlaYed tHe scENe hImsELF" oh so tong has always been a piece of shit got it

shut the fuck up why am I actually getting emotional over ming realizing that his Joe is the one in front of him and that it's been him all along

but on another note I am going to pound him into the cement for interrupting that shoot I hope the footage wasn't ruined by ming's emo ass

the back hug with the clear JOE though and comparing it to their first meeting?? stupendous no notes

up is going in a bubble I am kissing his forehead he acted the fuck outta that last scene MWAH

[demonslayedher]

Hantengu: As Bad As You Can Get Without Being Muzan

I've touched on this in old meta entries and I'm just going to wind up linking them here, but a friend got me going on this again today, so I'll state it again: Hantengu is one of the most insidious characters in this whole series, if you're going by sweeping themes of self-mastery which Gotouge may or may not have consciously intended.

For starters, I'm going to compare Hantengu to his polar opposite, Rengoku Kyojuro, mostly by referring you this post where I already explained how Kyojuro displays samurai-style idealized virtues of self-mastery, stoicism, and inner peace about death or aging. A common theme in oni lore is how letting one's passions run amok is what brings out the demon any person has potential to become, whether these passions are greed or worry or even joy. Kyojuro is very clearly a passionate person, but he's self-aware enough to know that his passions must be kept in check in order to benefit from them, and that means putting effort into maintaining them. He's seen how that can lead to burn out as in the case of his father, so he maintains his own balance by recognizing and accepting the harsh truths of any situation with as much grace as he can muster, recognizing and taking steps to overcome his own shortcomings, and recognizing and making a choice to "set his heart ablaze" instead of getting lost in frenzy.

Hantengu, on the other hand, lets his passions run so amok that they take their own physical forms, and even then no single one of them is ever consistently powerful enough to be sustained for long before he's spawned something new based on whatever new frenzy he's in. It's his reckless abandon of self-control that made him so demonically powerful.

There are other characters who lack self-control, though--Inosuke and Zenitsu are who they are because they are the perfect agents to introduce chaos to any scene. They gradually take steps to learn self-mastery, however--Zenitsu is hyperaware of his own failings, to the point of rumination, and Inosuke is hypoaware. However, at their core, their desire to do better by other people leads them down paths of self-improvement, a path which keeps them aligned with humanity as opposed to the allure of powerful demons.

Demons in this series display similarly admirable traits, though--Kokushibo and Akaza have striven as hard as any Corp member to improve themselves, for instance. Gyutaro and Daki might have had blatant disregard for others due to a lingering jealousy and hatred for how much better everyone else always had things than they did, but they have always taken active roles in standing up for themselves and trying to improve their circumstances.

If we dive into more loathsome, demented demons, we still see that they know themselves enough to own their faults, whether they see them as faults are not. Douma is quick to recognize his own lack of passion, Enma is unashamed as about what gives him pleasure and uses his underhanded, self-protecting tactics in order to play the long game in his strategy, Gyokko is an artist, and Muzan is perfectly clear and at peace with who he is and what he wants. Muzan's desires are so plain to him that it even opened up a believable opportunity for Tanjiro to feel sympathy for him in their final encounter, though Tanjiro made the choice not to.

Tanjiro never even entertained the notion of pitying Hantengu, though.

I'll come back to Tanjiro, but to borrow from this post about themes in KnY as they relate to oni lore: In many philosophies, even an excess of positive emotions can be detrimental, and people who follow those philosophies are instead encouraged to not given into any emotion too strongly. Likewise, the lack of a virtue can be bad, but an excess of it becomes a vice.

While the Ki-Do-Ai-Raku fearsome foursome represent the danger of unchecked, excessive emotions, Zouhakuten represents an excess of virtue, which turns it into a vice. From an outside perspective, of course Tanjiro was doing the right thing attacking a tiny oni, because this oni will go on killing people if he doesn't, but Zouhakuten focuses so intensely on the injustice of attacking the small and weak that he is ignorantly convinced of his own self-righteousness.

The other demons don't do this, particularly--they justify what they do, like Daki saying how this is just the way the world works that beautiful and powerful oni can do whatever they want because that is how the world works, but she doesn't claim her actions are righteous. Muzan also makes rational points--which Zouhakuten echos--about how the demon slayers drive a lot of the violence due to their own inability to make peace with their lot in life, and going out of their way to attack demons. However, as much as Muzan believes he is superior, he doesn't belief he is a god who can cast moral judgement on others, nor is he interested.

Zouhakuten, taking the form of a deity that fiercely protects the precepts of Buddhism and threatens those who defy it, makes the daring claim that he is just.

The Demon Slayers Corp members, at least those like Tanjiro, are guilty of the same thing. The difference, however, comes back to self-awareness. For example, Tanjiro is confronted with the question of whether Zouhakuten/Hantengu has ever eaten anyone in Tanjiro's life, and as he has not, Tanjiro must at least question if justice is on his side anyway in attacking Zouhakuten. It was an easy answer, but being mortal and easily killed for sticking his neck out by picking fights with demons, it's something Tanjiro continually has to question and reaffirm.

Yes, the answer is always easy for Tanjiro, and yes, there are Corp members who are only in it for the glory or the money (and these characters are not treated as heroes). However, Tanjiro must also continually self-reflect on his own weaknesses and failings. Taisho Secrets tell us he's even reviewing his training and battles in his sleep to analyze and learn from them, and we see his continual efforts to improve no matter how beaten down he's gotten. In the heat of battle he has to keep himself confident and focused. He's got to keep from beating himself up unfairly, and he's got to keep from getting over-confident, it's a balance to maintain and it takes practice to read oneself with clarity.

He's constantly having to practice self-mastery, which means Total Concentration of whatever strength he needs to pull from, including passions like righteous anger that make it feel like his heart and/or forehead are ablaze. It takes him practice to be able to keep rebounding, but he's got humility to be able to learn from others, take criticism, and analyze himself with clarity.

These are the virtues which Kimetsu no Yaiba extols, and which most separates the paths of righteous from the paths of those who who gave into their passions.

As a few other examples: --Nezuko retains her virtues by recognizing her own weakness and focusing on self-mastery --Rui lost himself in a feeling of entitlement, conviction in his own sense of justice, and disappointment in his parents. Or so he thought! That was all the result of running away from a truth about himself he didn't want to face; the fact that he was the one responsible for breaking his family bonds. --The Pillars, with all their human faults, remain righteous because they could easily succumb to their own sorrows, angers, and self-loathing. The fact that they do not--however much these things have messed them up--and they keep striving to better themselves, for the sake of a conviction in something difficult to achieve otherwise.

Zouhakuten, instead of rising above his own shortcomings, is a deeper concentration of, a wallowing in those unbridled passions. Being so convinced of his own righteousness, he does not have any clear self-understanding, and therefore, has no inclination toward self-mastery.

He is, after all, Hantengu.

Hantengu made himself into what he is because he convinced himself of his own lies about his own helplessness, and this utter lack of self-awareness and his unchecked passions are what make him a demon. By doing nothing to improve himself, he grew out of control. And, ultimately, Hantengu is selfish. Everything must revolve around him and how he is the most wretched creature, the most powerless thing to ever have the harshness of the world thrust upon it. Among a cast of relatable demons, made victims of their own poor luck or circumstance or a desire to amend some wrong done to them, Hantengu is the worst because he got himself there for nothing but his own self-centered lie.

While all the demons have relatable traits which have flown out of control, he's the most realistically like someone we all know or have met. He's the most benign and hardest to catch, one whom many philosophical, religious, or therapeutic texts try to warn against for how his insidious fleeing from truth grows into something monstrous.

The scariest part is that the wallowing Hantengu might be closer than we think.

[spicylove4ever]

The 7 sins characterization on Helluva Boss on the social aspect.

So far, on Helluva Boss we have only meet these:

Mammon, the Greed. Asmodeous, the Lust. Beelzebub, the Glutony.

Surely everyone has noticed how when it comes to socialize, Queen Bee and Ozzie are very different from Mammon.

On the first place, both Ozzie and Bee have loved ones, and are quite nice to be around with, which opposes Mammon greatly. And this is quite baffling because "they are the embodiment of Deadly Sins, they are supposed to be the bad guys, every single one of them".

Well, it appears Vizzie and her team simply designed them to be those sins. The embodiment of each of those things, so it's not implied they have to be bad guys, but on the other hand... they kind of are.

I mean, Beelzebub casually talked about stealing drugs with no shame at all and even called the one who she was doing to a lame person for being upset for it. Not to mention how she encourages drinking to the point of almost get completely wasted.

And Asmodeus acts sexually intimidating and we saw how he acted with Moxxie's romantic song that had no dirty remarks. He was imposing with his view and acted sexually intimidating.

But it's a little of a surprise they don't look bad since they also can be nice and mostly... next to Mammon they REALLY ARE.

..In comparision, yes. But also we really thought they surely we're supposed to be freaking monsters, so what we got instead doesn't seem like the big deal we had in mind.

But their behaviour and how their social approach is different than the Sin of Greed can be, in fact, explained in how they are the embodiment of each Sin.

Let's start with Ozzie.

Lust is about sexual desire, but sex related demons are pretty much designed to be charming and seductive as well, which means they have excelent social skills. Verosika, for example, is a pop star, with many fans.

Ozzie, on the other hand, he thrives from any lust that is felt anywhere. So he exposes a sex-positive way of life, in which each individual doesn't have to sleep with him, but can be in each way, even in loving relationships. In fact, he mostly seems to focus on people feeling any type of lust and get to enjoy it, since sexual pleasure has the word pleasure on it.

Ozzie's relationship with Fizz is very active on the sexual aspect as well, and affection and love are very present on this relation as well. After all, the physical intimacy and affection do compliment sex, even if they are not a must.

So, lust is something that implies positive social interactions (at least if one intends all participants to enjoy, which is what Asmodeus wants) and coexists with love and affection just fine to the point it can mix with ease.

As for Beelzebub.

As a sin that implies indulgement and obtain satisfaction through food or ingested stuff, Bee aims to please and allures people into her style of life. Key word on allure.

I already analysed how she is and directs her realm:

So as someone who thrives on people being glutonous, she has found that the party queen thing fits her just fine and she seeks that everyone finds that satisfaction on indulgement. This means she uses positive ways to interact with people.

Also, feasts and parties are extremely social events in any culture. This means she has to be someone who is nice to be with.

Then why is Mammon the only one who is entirely a monster, you may ask?

The answer would be: greed is something completely anti-social.

Greed is competitive, and the people allowed around those who are greedy are either people you can get stuff from or straight up leech from.

For example, the twins Glitz and Glam were only a team because they exploit what they are as a team, but they were observed as kind of competitive between them as well, when the only moments when they talk to each other they are salty.

Mammon is the same, he is mostly open about how he only cares about Fizz as a money-maker and puts extreme preassure on him, and gives only encouragement for what he wants Fizz to be and do.

The conclusion we can get for this is: these Sins express social interaction in a way that fits what they are. Glutony is completely fine with social stuff and for Lust has social interaction as a must, so they have to be not complete assholes. Meanwhile Greed is definitely one.

So, we can expect whoever Envy is to be horrible as well, and Pride might have their moments, but most likely is pretty awful too.

Wrath can be a kind of a good person, since one can feel wrath from rightful anger from a offense concerning a loved one. And we have seen people from Wrath being nice and even loving with each other. The social aspect of wrath can be mostly partnership.

As for Sloth, I feel this being is pretty neutral with people. XD

[neptunes-sol-angel]

"You believe you are unworthy, but I know you are so much more. Sometimes the world doesn't need a white knight, sometimes it needs something darker, so you have two choices: you could either become the destroyer of this world, or you could be its savior." - Dr. Fate (Black Adam 2022)

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Pile One👤

The backbone of your shadow relates to manipulation and the desperation to be known and seen, even if it means being acknowledged for notorious deeds. You're savvy when it comes to being charismatic and having your way with others, as well as getting on another person's good side. You have this cheeekiness about you that's both your strength and your downfall, it's charming and useful for networking but is also a gateway for making enemies that don't find your wittiness to be amusing or convincing. You could see another person's trust as something that you should take, from finding their weaknesses and exploiting them through soft lies or willingly dousing the person with what it is that they seek, even if it's you, in particular, because I'm seeing a lot of puppetry/pinnochio themes, you could be the type to be a couple of steps ahead of people that want to manipulate you by allowing them to think that they have power over you, but it ends up being you with most of the control in the situation. On the other side of your shadow, is acceptance that everyone will not like you and it's not your responsibility to win over their approval and letting go of thinking that everything needs force. Coexisting with your shadow, is understanding that recognition is yours by not overcompensating and and overexposing yourself to multiple people and causes. Allowing things about yourself and your life to remain a taboo, is what makes you harmonize with your shadow side while still being able to shine.  Why the world needs this, is because you teach others that lust or desire for something that someone has, isn't a valid admission or reason to give away your trust. I feel like this has a lot to do with independence, and valuing self-importance, with not just the people that learn from you, but also yourself. You could be likely to come across someone who's prone to reconciling with another person out of longing or to acquire something about them that they feel that they don't have within themselves (confidence, love, strength, etc), feeling that they need to look or be a certain way to be attractive (maybe even cling to something that they consider an enhancement that they need), or any other situation that relates to seeking power that they feel that they don't have. Your shadow mostly teaches others to find their own strengths so that they don't feel like power is something that they need to consume or force out of a person through manipulation, but I also get that the benefit of being around your shadow relates to beauty as well—it enlightens a person to know that feeling inadequate about their looks doesn't mean to do more, there's a physical appeal in what they keep as a mystery or the unparalleled allure that comes from remaining unfiltered.

Pile Two👤

I'm getting that the people who are drawn to this pile are highly in tune and developed with what the traits of their shadow side are, you guys could be rebels and skeptics instead of blindly conforming to anything, but besides having your own thoughts and beliefs, there could be something different about you that you can't exactly pinpoint on why you don't feel like you can relate to anyone in this world or what makes people likely to alienate you in some way, I feel like at some point in your life, you thought that mimicking your surroundings instead of expressing the authentic parts about yourself would make you feel more included or at home, but it never really changed anything in regards to how people treat you besides making you feel even more alone inside. This could be something that you struggled with before growing more confident with yourself, but your message about your shadow, is that the only thing about it that's holding you back, is the way that you choose to go about accepting it. Your message reminds me of the movie Megamind. Don't allow your loneliness or another person's poor reaction to you, interpret your differences as a weapon. Being unique or misunderstood shouldn't conclude you as someone who's an enemy to the world or someone to be feared. Furthermore, just because you're different, doesn't mean that you don't have anything useful to contribute to the world. Change is the only constant, and what's more useful to change than something new and what isn't common? Accepting yourself doesn't mean reducing yourself to what other people call you, nor does it reflect on how much you appear to not care on the outside. It takes grit to walk freely without anyone's validation, but don't let the hardness from your surroundings, harden you inside, or make you believe that just because the world isn't showing you care for your feelings, that you aren't deserving to express and receive sensitivity. Why the world needs your shadow side, is because that there's a truth that needs to be exposed within humanity—there isn't anything normal about it. You help others take a step closer to loving and appreciating who they are by helping them let go of trying to get others to normalize the things that aren't, and to instead, just normalize their selves. Co-existing doesn't come from fighting all of the time, or trying to get people to agree with you, co-existing starts with just being.

Pile Three👤

(specifically 1:36)

What I'm picking up about your shadow side, is that it relates to possessiveness and smothering. You guys could be very powerful visionaries because of how much they're derived from pent up emotions that you could have been taught to keep in or a lot to do with love that wasn't reciprocated, the ace of cups isn't in your spread, but I'm just getting this image of this huge cup being overfilled your feelings and dreams. When I think of the people in the pile, I think of Georgia from the show 'Ginny and Georgia' on Netflix. You guys have a huge heart, and you mean well, but how you direct and show your love can be depicted with the worst parts of your shadow, it doesn't mean that you're a bad person at all, this is just about not particularly making the best choices when you react emotionally. What makes your shadow side combust, is not having any boundaries with the real world and what you envision for yourself, in a way that makes you inconsiderate, but also prone to heartbreak, like you could treat others as if this is just your world and they're the props. This could also look like not having boundaries with others or trying absorb another person's space. I keep picking up these specific scenarios, or should I say messages? To be careful with assuming that your love language should be something that another person should accept. I'm seeing someone growing up to be a parent, who loves their child to pieces, but shows it in a way that's self absorbed and suffocates the child in the end by wanting to give them a life that you didn't have but you don't realize that you're restricting them from their growth or identity. I'm also seeing someone having a specific dream about their life that they want for themselves, but are wanting specific people to fill in roles without realizing that everyone has free will and it's their right to have it. These themes are about making other people your happiness and in some way, robbing them of their right to make decisions in however way that this applies to your life, this isn't at all to say that this makes you bad, to make you aware. Similarly to pile one, your shadow side is needed for both the world and yourself, your message is also like life and death. You could have had a lot of endings, and are having trouble letting people or things go because of fear over it possibly being literal, as if your life ends if you can't have this specific person or achieve these specific goals, or that the only way to continue on is by living through another person, but it's not true. I feel that the cup I was thinking about earlier is actually supposed to symbolize the fountain of youth, you are the source for what makes your life lively, it isn't to be measured by the things that don't work out, create more dreams, goals, interests, but most importantly, see the next day as a reason not to attach to whoever or whatever isn't meeting you half way.

[theresattrpgforthat]

Are there any RPGs that would work well for a Touhou-styled game? What are your thoughts on recreating something as complex as a bullet hell shooter in tabletop form? Thank you!!!

THEME: Touhou Bullet-Shooters

Hello friend! Bullet Hell Shooters are not usually the kind of games I like to play. I prefer social drama over physical combat, although I definitely understand the allure.

I looked up Touhou and as far as I understand, it’s a shoot-em-up game in which the protagonists protect a haven for yoke called Gensokyo from various threats, or “incidents’. What I understand about bullet shooters is that knowing your enemy is key; so repeated runs or play-throughs are expected so that you can get used to enemy attack patterns, etc.

Now, I'm not a dungeon-crawling aficionado here, but from what I've heard about dungeon-crawls - that is, if you think from the point of view that rogue-like video games provide the same level of grinding and failure as a bullet-shooter. Dungeon crawls have the ability provide the same kind of feeling, because your characters have to travel the same ground over and over again. The difference might be that in dungeon crawls and rogue-likes, it's not just the player getting better - the character also receives upgrades in the form of equipment, or abilities.

So when it came to recommendations for this post, I found a few games that might vibe with Touhou themes, but I also tried finding some other rules systems that you could potentially play around with to find the style of play you're looking for.

Next Dream, by ohnoproblems.

A gmless, diceless game for 3-6 players using the belonging outside belonging system. You will need to know the rules detailed in Chapter 1: Playing the Dream found in the full rulebook to get the most out of this play kit.

Based on the Touhou series by ZUN, Next Dream lets you create and play your own stories in its world. Play as one of the colorful and eccentric denizens of Gensokyo as well as its undergirding social, metaphysical, and narrative pressures. Plot festivals and crash incidents; delve into the arcane and mingle with the divine; fill the skies with your own histories, emotions, and desires as written in the language of magical artillery.

I’m including this game even though it doesn’t really fit into the bullet-shooter vibe, because it’s inspired by Touhou. Your characters might be involved in conflict, but you could also take actions like “fall out of love” or “delve into old knowledge.” Belonging Outside Belonging games ask players to play both a character and a setting element, facilitating GM-less play. These games are usually very exploratory and emotional. I suppose the answer that the designer had for your question about recreating a bullet-hell-shooter was to… well not do that. Instead their goal was to focus on the story elements of Touhou that felt meaningful and abstract the combat out to look at the emotions underneath it.

This World Summons Too Many Heroes, by Nick Duff.

This World Summons Too Many Heroes!! is a tabletop rpg about regular people being pulled into a fantasy world to become heroes, demon lords, goblins, talking swords, or any kind of adventurer you could think of! Go on an isekai adventure in the Kingdoms of Ceria, where summoning scrolls have been scattered across the countryside and people are recklessly using them to steal people from other worlds and bring them into this one with new powers gifted to them by a goddess of reincarnation.

A hidden magical world is basically an isekai, so this game has some thematic elements that might resemble the setting of Touhou. The idea in this game is that people from other worlds keep being brought into one kingdom, and the sheer amount of them is causing a lot of problems. If Gensokyo is letting too many things past its barrier, perhaps the problems in This World Summons Too Many Heroes look pretty similar. The Goddesses Expansion is an add-on to this anime game, and it comes with new classes, new enemies, and new toys to play with in the same fantastical world.

I’m also including this game because it’s based off of the LUMEN system, which prioritizes combat and making your characters feel powerful. If you are interested in dynamic combat and the ability to face off against a vast number of foes, you should definitely check this system out. I even have a LUMEN folder where you can see a number of different themes!

Gun Witch - Lead, Thread and the Dead, by Blackberry & Holly.

GUN-WITCH: LEAD, THREAD, AND THE DEAD is a role-playing game designed for two or more players, centred on making your way in a world wracked by war and decay, where even the gods are struggling to find their footing. It’s a game about building community and connection inimical to the very context, about finding common ground with people who view things in a way you never could, and about doing what you can to bear a weight that you can’t let drop, no matter how much you might want to let go. It’s also about the weight and power of violence, wielding your weapon properly, and working astonishing miracles of life and death at the end of the barrel of a gun.

This is another game that lists Touhou in its list of inspirations, although it also digs into the western genre to give you a world full of danger and violence. This game also has guns as an integral part of combat - so expect to have the ability to shoot through your problems. Your characters are Covens of different orders, all of which take different jobs and walk the Sacred Path of the Six Chambers. The art really draws me in for this one.

Knave, by Questing Beast.

KNAVE is a rules toolkit by the creator of Maze Rats and The Alchemist's Repose for running old school fantasy RPGs without classes. If you are introducing a group of new players to OSR games, Knave allows them to make characters and understand all the rules in minutes.  Every PC is a Knave, a tomb-raiding, adventure-seeking ne’er-do-well who wields a spell book just as easily as a blade. This is an ideal system for players who like to switch up their character’s focus from time to time and don’t like being pigeonholed. A PC’s role in the party is determined largely by the equipment they carry.

Knave is a pretty well-known game in the OSR scene. OSR stands for Old-School Revival, which is a very popular sphere for dungeon-crawlers. Your characters are pretty small and squishy, and you are raiding tombs. It’s very likely that your character dies during play - and you’ll have to create new characters to throw into the dungeon and try to solve problems that you didn’t survive the first time.

RUNE, by Gila RPGs.

You are an Engraved. Cursed to wander the shattered world of Obron, you seek the power to take back control of your fate. Explore Realms, kill Rune Lords, and carve the power of fate into your very being.

RUNE is a solo tabletop RPG inspired by the soulslike genre of video games, including Dark Souls, Bloodborne, and Elden Ring. In RUNE, you are a wanderer of the lands of Obron. The world is dangerous, but full of power if you are willing to reach out and take it. RUNE combines narrative exploration with tactical combat to capture the environmental storytelling and high stakes combat you love in soulslike games.

What stands out for me in the RUNE pitch is the following quote: “Enemies have movesets that are determined by dice rolls, telegraphing their intentions and giving you a moment to react.” The designer also describes RUNE combat as a “puzzle” that you will have to solve - which sounds similar to the idea of learning enemy patterns in order to overcome them. It’s not going to work for group play, but it’s something that you could play around in solo mode and maybe steal some ideas for something else!

Breathless Games (SRD designed by Fari RPGs)

Breathless Games are games about characters who are getting into more and more dangerous situations, with depleting resources that can only be re-charged whenever you decide to “take a breath.” The biggest problem about taking a breath is that, well, the GM gets to advance the situation, make it worse. There are a number of Breathless games that have been made for different genres, quite a few of which focus on horror and survival, but there’s also a Magical Girl game, a monster-hunting game, and a southern gothic game! You can check out my Breathless folder to see what I’ve found on Itch so far.

Other Games I’ve Recommended

Mystic Lilies, by Will Uhl at Merry Mancer Games.

Blood Neon, by Rad Mad. 11dragonkid's video about Infinite Revolution also mentions Touhou games in terms of game feel, even though the game itself is in space.

I’d also recommend checking out my Hellbusting Games post, particularly the bit about Hell Grinders.

[thecorvidcurio-if]

Thoughts On Love

"What do you think love is?"

These are their answers before their routes are played. Their answers afterwards will be under the cut.

Vicente

"Love is providing for those you care about. It’s attending their needs and ensuring their safety and happiness. Love is putting those you care for before yourself."

Abby

"Love is uhhhh... I dunno! All I really have t’go on is what everyone else says, ‘n they all say different things! It's in songs ‘n stuff, uhhh— Oh! Right, it causes LOTS of drama, which is always fun! Not sure what the point of it is, though!"

Marina

"Someone can say they love you all day every day and it’d still be empty. Words are fuckin’ worthless. We are what we do, not what we say. If there's no love in the way someone acts then there's no love at all. Period."

Thea

"Ah, love… I do appreciate a good romance. In fiction, that is. In reality, it rather loses its lustre. Romance is alluring, and few can resist the... siren song, if you will. The problem arises when people confuse desire for love. You can't have love without desire, but you can most certainly have desire without love. Most of the time, people don't actually love their person of interest but just the idea of them. It’s harder to love a whole, flawed person. It’s one thing to love the way someone shines. It’s quite another to love the rest of them as well."

Kaida

"Love is non-existent. Any amount of… ‘care’ someone claims to feel for you only stems from whatever you provide for them. Once you are no longer useful or they’ve otherwise taken all you have to give… It’s frankly impressive how quickly ‘love’ gives way to the resentment of being saddled with someone who has become a useless and disposable thing. I have no interest in subjecting someone to that, and I have even less interest in being reduced to such a state again."

Shiloh

".......Mm. My….. understanding… is that love…… comes from the heart... I…. don't think my physical anatomy… has any organs….. including a heart muscle…… but I… haven't been able to check... I….. don't have a pulse…… so it stands to reason I don't…Mm. …I don’t have a heart. So….. it follows that love…… is beyond me…. Right?"

????

"Love is not something that one such as I am at liberty to consider for myself, but in a general sense, my view of it is complicated. Rarely do I see a happy ending. Not because they do not exist but, well… By the time I come around, ‘happily ever after’ has typically run its course. Even so, the pain I see is but a clear sign that love is something truly precious."

 Vicente

"Love is a house you’ve built with those you care for. It takes time and a team effort poured into a process that can be frustrating and exhausting. The quality of the result is decided by the materials used and the care taken in its construction. If you do it right, it can provide warmth and shelter even on the coldest night in the dead of winter, and there’s a comfort in knowing that those dearest to you are safe with you there."

Abby

"Love is when someone appreciates you for you, even when you're not— Even if you aren’t— Mmngh… I dunno. It’s— It’s being seen. Being really known by someone, ‘n they come closer instead of runnin’ away. ‘N you see them like they see you, even the not-fun bits, but even those bits are worth it 'cause it's them, y'know? They’re them, ‘n that's enough for you. You're enough for them, or— Or, at least, you’re not too much. They don’t, y’know— They don’t come at you with a list of all the ways you aren’t what they want you to be. They aren’t just— I dunno— Tolerating you, I guess.”

Marina

"Sometimes the people who're s'posed to love you suck absolute shit at it. So, you leave 'em behind, and you find people who put their money where their damn mouth is. People who actually give an actual, genuine fuck about your wellbeing and happiness. People who don’t have a million stupid, useless, infuriating conditions and expectations you need to meet for them to keep giving a fuck. People who don’t threaten to take their love away to keep you in line.”

Thea

"Attempting to describe what love is would be pointless. It isn’t something so easily put into words, which is perhaps why I have found it so elusive for so long. I can describe what it isn’t, though. It isn’t a role you play. It isn’t a costume you desperately try to fit into, carving away any parts of yourself that may be inconvenient. It isn't a transaction, and it isn't a competition. It isn’t something you should have to fight and beg for, and it isn’t something you can gain through expensive gifts and pretty lies. It isn’t something you can gain by twisting things to make yourself look good, because eventually things will untwist, and you’ll be seen for exactly what you are.”

Kaida

"I’m rarely ever wrong, and even more rarely ever happy to be wrong. In this, I’m… beyond pleased to be both. I… cannot say that most claims of love are honest and sincere. But... I can accept that sincere love exists, and when it does— ...I thought I understood, but I didn't, and I don't. Nothing is as I thought it was. Something I have been so sure of for thousands of years has been proven false and that's… That’s terrifying. I'm... okay with that, though. The terror of it all is far preferable to the loneliness of the alternative."

Shiloh

"Mmn. Love is…… scary…. It’s a feeling of…. flying and falling, at the same time… Everything is both hazy…. and unbearably vivid... Going too fast… while moving in slow motion…. Mm. It’s…. an ache… but it’s an ache to savour. It's… all too much… but never enough. Holding you together…. while tearing you apart….. And it's wonderful….. I’m still… fairly certain that I… don’t have an actual, physical heart, but… It sometimes… feels like I might…"

????

"I still do not know. Even having experienced it, I do not understand it. But I find that I do not want to, nor do I need to. I am simply glad to have it. That is all I need. All I ask. More than I ever thought I would receive. Just... just to have it. To be around it. That is all."

-------

Forever ago in the far off ancient time of 2017, one of the writers for Dragon Age made some tweets of the romance options he'd written responding to being asked about love. I really liked the idea so when I remembered it I thought it'd make a good warm-up, and once they were done I thought you all may enjoy them. So, here you go. I hope you all have a lovely day.

[writersdrug]

A snippet instead?

Ok, so I didn't come out with the story this weekend. I overloaded myself with trying to write this, and also working sixteen hours this weekend. I just ended up exhausting myself, and writing to a point where I feel like it started to derail and not be what I wanted it to be. So I'm postponing it to next weekend. I hope all of you can understand, and I appreciate your patience. In the meantime, please enjoy a few snippets from the story (to prove that I am actually writing)!!

P.S. I did notice that listening to the Skyrim soundtrack on loop does give me a creativity boost

slight nsfw below the cut, I tried to do this without too many spoilers but also with something to hopefully keep yall satisfied.

- - - -

Watch your every step. From the moment you step foot into those woods, you can’t trust anything you see.

That’s what the client had drilled into his head before Konig had begun his journey. He called you dangerous, cunning… “A sneaky, meddling bitch…” he had grumbled over the din of that crowded tavern. Two small pouches, one of silver, one of gold, sat in between the two patrons on the table. Stains of ale and coffee rings littered the unvarnished wood. The wax of the thick candle had trickled down and formed small, hardened pools at the base – it’s flame flickered weakly, casting unflattering shadow’s against the man’s weathered features, and making the portentous hood covering Konig’s face only that much more ominous.

He'd listened warily as the sorcerer described the witch – you. Centuries old, too much knowledge and too little wisdom to use it sensibly. You take whatever you want by whatever means possible, and your favored method was using your physical assets and the promise of sexual devotion to coerce those within your web to do your bidding. “Sometimes, she does it for fun.” The warlock added. “Akin to a serpent, she winds you into her embrace, and then crushes your bones before she swallows you whole, saving your heart for last.” You’d done it to him, ensnaring him into your alluring trap, before stealing his spellbooks, his potions, his most prized collections… and vanishing into thin air.

An enchantress, Konig had concluded.

- - - -

You pulled the thick cloak tighter around your body – you were tiny. Well, everything was tiny compared to Konig. But you were unexpectedly small. With the way the sorcerer had described you, he had expected you to reach his shoulders at least. But there you were, craning your neck to look up at him with fearful, owlish eyes.

“State your business!” You demanded, your voice cracking slightly.

Konig didn’t respond. He took you in – your lips were pulled into a frown, parted slightly to reveal your perfect teeth, the way the fabric of your cloak quivered where it bunched in your fist… perfectly ordinary things that ordinary people do. But, besides the fact that you were a witch, something about you made it all so captivating.

- - - -

“I’ll let you do the honor, boy.” The warlock spat.

Konig looked back at him – his eyes were still transfixed on your naked form, his hands outstretched and clutching around the air, choking you merely with his will. “See what she has done to you, what she has taken from you? What she would have taken?”

Konig remembered your fingers tracing over his heart. The way your nail had slightly dug into his skin.  Did you truly take anything from him, that he didn’t already give to you?

- - - -

Let me know if you'd like to be tagged in the post!

[silversiren1101]

Mino, tell me how you take care of your scales?

Minovae's eyes light up a little bit at the question, and then she starts to look a little bashful.

"It's a little vain, I've been told, but honestly I promise that the care routine is necessary... planar-touched humanoids like us aren't really a seamless union. Most of the time."

She nods as she rolls up her sleeve and points to a patch of scales on her elbow. The scales are in rougher condition than the others easily seen on her, and seem to be at odds with the more delicate human skin around them.

"You see where the skin here is a little irritated? And the edges of the scales are kind of scratched up and matte rather than glossy? All the movement on the joints makes spots like this pretty messy and itchy throughout the day, especially when it gets cold and dry. Everything rubs against each other and chafes because it's--now here's a thought--almost like human skin and protean scales aren't actually compatible. People like us are more like... mishmashes? Rather than mixes. Oil and water that kind of bubbles around instead of sugar that dissolves in hot water."

Her sleeve stays rolled up as she shifts in her seat - and you notice now how angled she has to sit to avoid her tail getting caught in the chair back. She lives a totally different kind of existence than most others, having to consider things about her body that are so strictly incompatible with daily, common things and actions. Even sitting in a chair can be a difficult, embarrassing thing.

"From others I've talked to, like... Woljif", she scratches at her chin until she comes up with a good example. "His horns flake and get itchy if he doesn't care for them properly. Especially where they connect into his head, he's mentioned before that he's wanted to ram them against a tree to relieve some of the itch and ache. It's a lot of work to care for these features, and especially so when almost never have anyone that tells you how to do that!"

"Lann had it really bad when we first met. I saw the line where his scales met his skin and knew immediately he was in pain from them almost all the time. Maybe he had gotten used to it, but hell did I make it a mission to teach him how to actually care for himself. You can dislike having them, but just ignoring them tends to make it all the more painful... I do think he's a bit happier now though. Or at least not as in mild constant pain anymore.

Upon seeing your expression, she waves it away with a smile.

"No need to feel bad or anything for finding people like us pretty or cool or alluring, not knowing how uncomfortable or how much effort they take to care for! I love my scales, I really do. I just wished they loved me back so effortlessly!"

Her fingers start idly tracing the ones on her wrists and the backs of her hands as she talks.

"As for how to care for them - it's taken my whole life to figure that out, but this routine is what works for me. First it starts with a bath."

She then starts to describe how she prefers in-ground baths because of her tail. Her physical body may be small but with her tail's length and size, it can be hard to fit even into a large tub.

"They need to soak. Really soak. It helps free up some of the dirt and oil and skin that gets stuck under their edges. I use special salts in the water that both my scales and skin- oh and feathers too- agree with. A long soak once a week for the deep clean, at least an hour."

At your expression upon hearing she sits in the tub for an hour she laughs a little embarassed.

"Yeah, an hour. You can see how I get the accusations of vanity. I've managed a long time without the long soak, but it does make them a little more cloudy and prone to cracking, and the skin around them can get irritated or infected if I've been stomping around the wilds. The Civil War especially... I think I had more damaged scales than not for a good chunk of the war. You try convincing your Hellknight captain that you need regularly baths as opposed to the bucket of cold water and some magic like everyone else can manage with. I never bothered asking."

She laughs, but you can tell she has no anger or bitterness about this. It would've been a big ask to need such special treatment in war time for something that ultimately was a minor inconvenience to her most of the time.

"After the soak, then it's time for the brushing. I have a whole collection of brushes, each for different types of scales. The ones on my face don't get the same brush as my elbows and they don't get the same as my tail. They're all different density and flexibility and so each requires different brushes, picks, and files to care for. The thorough brushing itself also takes an hour to two... but it does go a little faster if Regill is there."

Realizing what she's said and at your incredulous expression, she smiles so very warmly.

"He volunteered, actually. After we started sharing a room and he saw how much time and effort it took, he watched. Quietly learned, but asked a few questions. I really thought he would scold me for caring about them so much and being vain when he learned what their care fully involved but..."

She sighs happily. Love shines deeply in her gaze.

"He'll pull my tail into his lap and brush my scales and feathers with all the right brushes and everything. I think he finds it a little meditative to tell you the truth," she chuckles. "Regardless, his help is appreciated, and it's really quite... affectionate."

Minovae abruptly shakes her head.

"Anyway! So the one hour soak, then the few hours of brushing and picking and filing. Did I mention the filing? The edges of the scales on my body especially need to be buffed down sometimes if they get chipped or they've grown a while. They can scratch others and me without it. Very annoying. Anyway, 3 hours in already now it's time for the waxes and balms."

Her tail abruptly swings up onto her lap, and she holds up the end of it so as to point out the scales.

"Just like the brushes, I can't use the same thing everywhere. My tail scales here are flexible but really thick so they're prone to getting scratched to the hell up and cracked. A very thick wax goes on all of these, nothing to weigh it down or make it stiff, but to make a protective layer. It goes on quick and fast but needs time to set - another hour. Luckily I do that first and then take care of everything else."

She then points at her elbow and wrist scales again.

"These get more of a balm that helps keep them shiny and strong, but also protects the skin around them. You can see with my elbows that I probably need to put on some more in a bit. It's been a bit cold recently."

Lastly, she beams brightly and points at the scales around her eyes and on her cheeks.

"The face ones are the worst. Ever wondered why it's like to be pinched every time you make an emotion? I have to use a special balm on these ones to keep them flexible, but it also has to be one that doesn't irritate my face. This one goes on every morning and night. Otherwise my face just kind of hurts..."

Minovae claps her hands together and keeps them clasped.

"It's a constant effort. But the big care nights once a week I've turned into a bit of an excuse to relax at least. Wine in the tub with a book. My husband of course is good company when I'm sprawled out on the floor and either he's helping or scathingly going over reports or Order operations... It's not so bad."

"And besides... I really do love them. I wouldn't give my scales up for the world."

Excellent question thank you - really loved this one.