#like that Is the girl who gets to finally indulge in her interests and lead projects around it

[peachssodapop]

I have been totally obsessed with the missing poster since I first saw it. I think the way that they're depicted in it is a pretty good look into how Hyrule views the two

[parfaitblogs]

pretty isn't pretty ❀ s. reid x reader

in which the man you take home drunk meets the person you are sober, and he's all too forgiving for a stranger you'll probably only see once. 

pairing: spencer reid x fem!reader genre: fluff (18+ for suggestive content) tags: alcohol consumption. reader has a bad relationship with her body. elusions to a hookup.  word count: 2.2k a/n: this isn't ooc for spencer reid you've just never hooked up with him. and that's ok. but i have. happy valentine's day from australia!! yay!!

"love looks not with the eyes, but with the mind. and therefore is winged cupid blind." (a midsummer night's dream, william shakespeare)

There's a downpour of rain that came on so suddenly it had shocked you and your friends into a nearby bar. Droplets splattering against pavement and bouncing up to your otherwise exposed ankles. A skirt a poor choice of clothing for the cool air of a February night. 

The bar is small. You're sure if you concentrated hard enough, you could indulge yourself in each and every conversation happening around it. Men by the pool table succeeding at impressing the three girls they had found; gloating about their skills. An older couple huddled up in the back corner of the bar, two barely touched beers between them. A group of friends similar to your own occupying a booth and laughing louder than anyone else in the bar. 

A man. Alone. A glass of clear liquid that looks like water — but surely not? — between his hands, and a bartender talking to him and preparing more drinks. 

You connect the man to the group of people in the booth, for he turns his head and stares at them for a few seconds, lips moving as he counts them up. 

Then, his head turns to investigate the sudden rush of cold air entering the bar, and he meets your eyes. Newfound confidence — or the final tequila shot you took during pre's — kicks in, and your feet are carrying you over to him, a mere locking of a gaze inviting you in. You think. 

Maybe you're tipsier than you thought. 

"Do you need a hand with those?" you ask him, nodding your head towards the six glasses all filled to the brim, resting atop the bar. 

He hesitates, and glances back at the group of people in the booth, who are less concerned with him now that another conversation has piqued their interest. 

"If you're offering," he nods, picking up two of the glasses. "Though, it isn't wise of me to let a stranger handle my friends' drinks."

"You can pat me down first if you want," you reply, holding your arms out, as if you were in TSA. "See for yourself, officer."

He chokes on nothing, his eyes wide, and a coughing fit ensues for several seconds after. "It's—um, agent. Actually."

Your eyebrows shoot up, and your hands drop back by your side when he doesn't move to check for illicit substances on your person. You assume that means he trusts you.

"That's fancy," you quip, picking up three of the glasses. "What makes you an agent?"

"Working for the government," he replies, leading you over to the table, where you help him put the drinks on the table. "I left my water at the bar."

An expert excuse to drag you away from his group of friends before they have a chance to engage with you, really. 

"Working for the government," you parrot back to him, leaning against the bar when he does. "Do I get to ask more questions, or is it your turn now?"

"You can ask more questions."

He tells you his name when you ask. You tell him yours. 

And more questions got you drunk. More questions got you dragging him back to your apartment. More questions got you barely picking your feet up as you walk backwards, stumbling, as his lips kiss your own, and his hands hold your waist against his. 

Your hands fumble with the door handle of your bedroom, and you take the few seconds to silently pray to the universe that the girl who left the house earlier didn't leave fifteen failed outfit options strewn throughout it. 

You don't get a chance to turn around and check, for his lips are back on yours the second the door swings open, and he takes barely a moment to locate your bed in the room. If there are clothes everywhere, he doesn't make it an issue. 

He was a really good kisser. Mind blackening, body tingling, head reeling good. Every sound that hit your ears came from your own lips, you're sure. 

He breaks the kiss only to murmur, "Sorry," when the backs of your knees hit your bed frame, but you're a little too happy to care about the inevitable bruise currently forming on the skin there. 

Fingers of yours drag up to his scalp and entangle within his hair as you lay back on the bed, and he follows you down.

You force him to kiss you. Again. 

"Do you do this often?" you ask him, breathlessly, when he pulls away to litter his generous kisses over the skin of your jawline and neck.

"What?" he asks, hair covering his eyes as he pauses to look back up at you.

"Go home with girls from bars."

"Will you believe me if I say you're the first?" he moves back up to level his face with your own. 

"Probably not."

"You should."

You do.

Unfortunately, the question stemmed from the weird middle ground between being so drunk you don't remember five minutes ago, and being so sober you overthink every decision, accompanied by the sick crash from the sugar in your drinks. Which meant your liquid courage was dissipating with every ticking second, and you were retreating back into the secluded palace of your mind. 

It was why, when his fingers hook beneath the hem of your shirt, your own hands fly to stop him, wrapping around his wrists and freezing him in motion.

"What's wrong?" he asks. 

That causes you to freeze. 

You're not sure if telling this inherent stranger that you don't want him to take off your clothes because you're remembering why you don't do hookups and are suddenly feeling too insecure to want to sleep with him is a good idea. But there's something about the way his eyes are filled with so much concern, instead of the frustration you expected, that makes you want to spill every single secret you have out to him. 

"I'm... um..." you hesitate, and he leans back enough for you to crawl out from beneath him, hugging your knees to your chest as you do every self secluding human trait there is. From your eyes fixating on your bedding, to your fingers interlacing and fidgeting with each other. 

He doesn't rush you to talk. 

"I just... don't think I can do hookups. With strangers," you sigh, defeated. "I'm sorry I made you come all the way here for—well, nothing."

He's still silent, and it's your eyes lifting to try and read his expression that triggers him into a response. 

"We don't have to have sex for me to enjoy your presence," he replies. "I enjoyed talking to you."

"Yeah, but—" you force air through your nose to stop yourself from scaring him off with a verbal rant "—you don't know me. Not really. You came home with me with the intent of sleeping with me. And now I'm telling you we can't do that, so you can go."

His eyes burn against your skin as he studies you. "Do you want me to leave?"

The answer should be yes. You don't know this man, and he does not know you. Yet, there's a clawing need to ask him to stay. So you can get to know him, and him, you.

"No," you fidget with your fingers again. He chooses not to stop you. "I liked talking to you too."

"Great," he picks his feet up and crosses them on your bed. You hope your cringing at his shoes on your bedding isn't visible. "Can I ask why you don't do hookups?"

"So you can read my mind?" you quip, and his lips twitch into a smile as he huffs. 

"Let it go."

"You can't tell me your job is to read minds and expect me to let it go."

"My job is to use behavioural analysis to build the profile of a criminal," he replies. "Not to read minds."

"Sounds exactly like something a mind reader would say," you bite down on your bottom lip to stop the dumb grin from spreading across your face at the way he's looking at you. Unimpressed, but ultimately amused. 

"Well, this isn't me trying to read your mind. There's many reasons why someone might not want to have sex. I want to know yours, so I know how to approach the topic in the future."

Your breathing stops, but you force yourself not to focus on the implications of his words. Excitement for a man you met that night was never wise. He could ghost you come tomorrow morning, you remind yourself. 

"It's kind of heavy," you say, lifting your gaze to look at him through cautious eyes. 

"I can do heavy."

You purse your lips. "I don't know," you stretch your legs out in front of him. He takes them and sets them in his lap, and your heart flutters. "I don't like the idea of someone I don't know seeing me naked."

Hands ghost over your skin. "Why?"

Your head lowers to your fidgeting hands. "I'm just not happy with how I look, I guess? If somebody doesn't know me for my personality, they don't have anything to stick around for if they see me the way I see myself. Not to say I have a stellar personality. But I'd like to have at least one redeeming quality. Because... my body... isn't..." your voice is small by the time you finish, and you're skeptical as you face your fears to stare up at him once more. 

He visibly swallows, and you regret every word that had just left your mouth within seconds. So much for the whole not scaring him off thing.

"You don't have to say anything," you break the silence that only lasted a few seconds, anyways. "It's a weird personal thing. I'm fine with having sex with partners. Obviously. It's just strangers."

"I think," he pauses, and his hands stop their stroking on your legs as he strings together his words. "I think you're with people that are too shallow if they don't still want you after seeing your body."

"Well—um, nobody's actually ghosted me after sleeping with me..."

And now you feel dumb. Admitting to having an insecurity that's entirely baseless is dumb. He's probably turning over the very thought that you're dumb inside his head, and formulating a plan to get out of here, and—

"I get it," he surprises you instead. "But in the opposite way. My personality isn't for everyone. Or anyone, is a better way to put it."

"I like your personality," you tilt your head to the side.

He smiles weakly at your attempt of reassurance. "You've known me for one night. And you were drunk for most of it."

"So I'm not allowed to like your personality?" you challenge. "Isn't there something about not needing much time to know whether or not you like someone?"

"Sort of. We can determine a few things about people within those first few seconds, but they aren't set in stone forever. What you like now, might become annoying in a few months time," he says. 

"I don't think I'll find you annoying in a few months time," you murmur.

"And I don't think I'll dislike your body. But you won't believe me, and I won't believe you," he counters. "Make sense?"

"Yeah," you nod. "Is this some weird mind reading thing to manipulate me into sleeping with you?"

"No, because I can't read minds," he shoots you a look, "and I also don't care about having sex with you tonight. I can wait."

He can wait. You hope you don't look stupid smiling at the concept of him waiting for you, implying he will be here for more than just one night. 

"I think a psyche evaluation for a first date is kind of insane," you say.

"I can make it up to you?" he offers, and you stare with keen interest. "We can go get coffee. Or something. I won't analyse your behaviour during it."

"That doesn't close off the possibility of you reading my mind, though."

"What would I find?" he then asks, throwing you off balance. 

"If you read my mind?" he nods at your question. "Um... a lot of insecurities, I think. My friends. Song lyrics. My favourite colour... what would I find in yours?"

"A lot," his hands drag along your shins. "I don't even know where to begin."

"It's the high as fuck IQ," you shake your head, dismissively; jokingly. "I hate it. Stop thinking."

"I do with you, I think. Well, I haven't really thought about much else other than you. Which isn't common. I can usually split my attention well."

"Is it because you can't split it, or don't want to?" you ask him.

"Both. I'm quite content just listening to and thinking about you."

You duck your head as a smile paints your lips. "Welcome to normal brains."

"Thank you. I don't mind them."

"Give it a few weeks."

His shoulders shake as he laughs, and you think the sight is wonderful, and you're easing back up post anxiety. You have to applaud him for doing it so quickly, and so well.

Laughter and the positive tension between you two dies down, and you're left looking at him with fond eyes and the same stupid smile on your face. All while he's staring back at you, and you're sure you can see his attention fail to stay on your eyes, for his gaze keeps dropping to your lips.

"I haven't thought about much but you, too," you say. 

He kisses you.

your reblogs and replies are always appreciated ♡

[yeagersss]

Sukuna x quiet!Reader - College AU - Part 1/?

Note: completely self-indulgent because I'm studying abroad rn and am a very quiet person :')

Basically he approaches you for a final grade project. He usually pairs with Gojo, Geto and Nanami but in this elective, you can only work in a group of 2. So with Gojo pairing up with Geto ("Sorry man ╰(●▿●)╯") and Nanami not taking the elective, he's left finding a partner on his own.

Technically he can ask anyone and anyone will be willing to work together with the Sukuna Ryomen, but he takes his studies seriously. He has a merit scholarship. So he needs someone equally serious about this.

Because really who wouldn't want to be paired up with the campus heartthrob? The sexy, tattooed bad boy who's leading the basketball team. Men want to be his friends. Women want to be in his bed... So he needs to be picky.

So he spots you. Sitting in the corner of the lecture hall, typing away on your laptop while listening intendly to the professor's words.

He's seen you around the campus. Walking around with large headphones on, or sitting under a tree and tapping away on your iPad. You're usually alone.

He's never seen you in any of his matches nor parties. But he's seen you plenty of times in the library, scribbling on your tablet. It's like your lost in your own little world and that's when it clicks to him that you don't care who he is... So you're fucking perfect for this project.

So he approaches you after class. Just before you can slip on your headphones and walk away, you hear a gruff "hey". You turn around and look at him in surprise. "um... hello." You say softly.

He looks at you. Unsure of what to think of you. You're like an anomaly to him with how quiet and reserved you seem. "you got a partner for the project?" he asks.

You shake your head. You didn't know anyone in this class and the one girl you were acquainted with was working with her friend so you were just going to ask the professor to pair you up with someone randomly (and pray they weren't a free rider).

"well I need a partner and you look like you actually take this shit seriously so you want to pair up?" Sukuna asks. You eye him carefully. You know who Sukuna is, so you're a bit suspicious why this man would approach you of all people when he can have anyone else.

But considering you had no other options and you knew Sukuna was an exceptional student who is serious about his studies (you had way too much experience with free riders and despise it) you can't say no and agreed. It's just a project. You can tell he doesn't seem to have any interest in you besides working together to get a good grade.

Sukuna nods, pulling out his phone and giving you his number. "Let's meet up tomorrow to discuss the topic, yeah?" He asks to which you again nod, saving his number and shooting a quick text to him so he can have your number too.

And while all of this was happening, your shoulders were tense with how you can feel people's eyes on you. Some were frowning, some were glaring and some were looking in surprise.

You place your headphones on and with a quick "bye" you were out of the classroom and away from the scrutinising looks.

Sukuna walks over to Gojo and Geto who joke about him being desperate enough to get together with the "quiet girl who doesn't even talk".

He rolls his eyes and looks down at the text you had send him earlier, a small "hi y/n here". He saves your number and pockets his phone as the three of them start walking to basketball practice.

[absolutebl]

This Week in BL - Must you, Japan? has become Thank You, Japan

Organized, in each category, with ones I'm enjoying most at the top.

BL OLYMPICS! Week 3

This is my last week of passing out metals in various sporting events, as part of the weekly updates.

Aug 2024 Week 2

Ongoing Series - Thai

Century of Love (Weds Gaga) eps 9-10fin - There were a lot more unnecessary dramatic speeches than there was practical medical aid being administered. Very extra, boys. I wonder how long it took them to get that "birds meet hug" shot? Meanwhile, great grandpa‘s attitude that he knows best in every way is thoroughly annoying, and yet absolutely appropriate to his age. My great gramps (RIP), had he had the body of a 20-year-old, would behave in exactly the same self-righteous know-it-all way. The doctor is great. I would like him to get his own romance please? What happens when you are the villain in someone else's reincarnation story? There's a whole fanfic there. And yes I cried. I am a sap for this kinda thing.

Final thoughts:

This is a great little show about a young man who fell in love with a pretty girl 100 years ago, and when she died in his arms, he was cursed to live until he could meet her reborn self. Only this time around, she’s reborn into the body of a man. I love it when Thailand gets all up in its own historical business and reincarnation and shizz. I like this pair (it’s not DaouOffroad’s fault I didn’t enjoy most of their first series.) Daou’s wushu is pretty snazzy and we got a fun meet cute. (Erm... Remeet cute? Meet cute 2.0?) Plus this is a very PRETTY show. Despite some ham handed comedy moments, this ultimately has more in common with something like I Feel You Linger in the Air meets First Love Again, then (as one might expect) Until We Meet Again or The Director Who Buys Me Dinner. The leads turned in great performances, although Daou outclassed everybody else on that screen. It’s a good story and a great BL. I’m not sure this is going in my rewatch rotation, but I can’t find any major faults with it beyond a certain level of camp that is sadly endemic to lackorns. Also I’m going to give it credit as the kind of BL that one could safely recommend to lovers of melodrama and historical romance, without having to qualify it as “good for a BL.” It was, to put it succinctly, simply a VERY ENJOYABLE show. 

Under those auspices I really can’t give it anything less than a 9/10. 

Bronze in Fencing

My Love Mix-Up Th (Fri YT) ep 10 of 12 - It’s cute. They were cute. I enjoyed it a lot. I talk quite a bit about why they're using nai as a you pronoun here:

This Love Doesn't Have Long Beans (Fri iQIYI) ep 6 of 8 - Honestly the side couple is truly stellar in this show. I wasn’t sure about them at first but now I absolutely love them. Not sure how they are going to resolve such intense dislike (from JJ) by the end of the series. But I’m interested to see them try.

Meanwhile, there isn’t anything else airing right now that makes me laugh as much as the behind-the-scenes from this show. Highly recommended.

Monster Next Door (Thai Thurs Gaga ) eps 1-2 of 12 - Oh it is so much fun. I’m particularly delighted that our musician is a drummer and I don’t have to listen to him sing... I hope. I’ve been waiting for Big to lead a BL forever. I’m disposed to enjoy this. We can all be confident in one thing, the kisses are going to be great. I like the side couple too, very indulgent daddy. While I am disturbed by the tortoise in the tiny tank, I love the extrovert friendship group. They remind me of my own college crew. It is a cute premise, but I will need them to actually be together in the same room, looking longingly at each other a smooching within the next couple of episodes.

YouTube served me both episodes 1 & 2, and I don’t think it was meant to. So this may be next week's review as well.

The Trainee (Sun YouTube) ep 6 of 12 - I wasn’t wild about this ep or where this show is going. But I enjoyed the language play. 

Gold in Linguistic Gymnastics

(my new favorite sport)

Sunset X Vibes (Sat iQIYI) ep 9 of 12 - Wow. Sam admitted it just out loud like that! Right after a betrayal? Balls on that boy. Worked on Yo tho. Too well, actually. I wish Yo had made him suffer and dragged him over the coals for a while. But I guess Yo really really likes him back. Meanwhile, the GL side plot also moved quite rapidly. A lot happened in this episode.

I Saw You in My Dream (Weds Gaga) ep 4 of 12 - Them ALL jumping into the water was totally ridiculous. It’s still a little slow, because it is a pulp, but I’m rather enjoying it.

Knock Knock Boys (Thurs Gaga) ep 12fin - Almond and Latte were cute. The breakfast with the four of them was funny. I did laugh a lot. Almond getting "first time" advice from his two resident gay dads (or at least trying to) was super sweet. Also I got a lot of smiley kisses. Nice final ep.

Ultimately how do I feel about this show?

A story about 4 boys of differing personalities who end up living together and pair up, falling in love. Slow moving and waffling, with some artificially generated family drama makes this a classic Thai pulp except that in general it's a smiley kiss of a show. It had plenty of good qualities like great communication and sexual rep (including toys, first time, safe sex, and sexual identities). The heat levels were on point and well executed, and the performances were good. It’s just that the script and the directing were lackluster, rendering it ultimately forgettable. Still, fine on a rainy afternoon with some camomile tea or whatever. 7/10 

Love Sea (Sun iQIYI) ep 9 of 10 - I’m getting some sort of PTSD from this show, It is making me feel like I’m the problem. Trash watch

Ongoing Series - Not Thai

Cosmetic Playlover (Japan Tues Gaga) eps 1-2 of 8 - Anyone surprised by this jump in the standings? Yeah, probubly not. Anygay... this show is GREAT. Warped af but great. Lemme try to explain.

I actually said out loud during ep 1, "Well this is boundary pushing." By which I mean mine and everybody elses. But it’s Japan, *checks watch* it’s about time they turned out something edging into unpalatable and kinky. And because it’s Japan, I’m more forgiving than I would be were this show nested in the clumsy hands of say... Thailand. So actually this being me, and me being of questionable taste, I’m enjoying this show a lot.

You want me to list the ways? Sure.

Younger seme with grabby hands.

The younger one identified the elder gay as his personal property and it’s now: single motivation, on target, against all odds.

Uke cares about his work and not much else.

Seme cares about the uke and not much else.

Uke is gonna make this boy WORK for it.

That one particularly Japanese style of obsession that I actually adore.

Passes the sniff test!

I’m being reminded of that KBL Love Mate. Which I believe I enjoyed but no one else did. For exactly this set of tropes. Only Japan is better suited to handle them. For me this is a case of:

Must you,Japan? = Oh yes? Well, thank you very much, Japan.  

I Hear the Sunspot AKA Hidamari ga Kikoeru (Japan Weds Gaga) ep 8 of 10 - enter the evil girl character. Yawn.

Takara's Treasure AKA Takara No Vidro (Japan Mon Gaga) ep 6 of 10 - It is what it is. 

It's airing but...

Battle of the Writers (Sun YT) ep 2 of 12 - I did not catch ep 2 before they took it down from USA YT. I don’t know why it’s down. Either they got a deal for distribution off YouTube or there’s some sort of scandal. Frankly, I wasn't particularly impressed with ep 1 so I’m not rabid to find wherever it’s gone or why. Still, perhaps someone will let us know the sitch in a comment? It's a me problem. I'm figuring it out.

Sugar Dog Life (Japan Sun ????) 10 eps - OMG a uni student who looks too young and a... COP. GAH. The subversion and kink of it all. Why can't I find it? Do I have to go grey?

4 Minutes (Thai Netflix/Grey) - A rich boy at uni suddenly gains the supernatural power to see four minutes into the future. I have a source, but I've decided to hold off and binge if it ends okay, since it's only 8 eps. I depend upon y'all to tell me if it's safe.

Meet You at the Blossom (China) - it's your funeral (or, more likely, one of the main characters'). You can argue but... statistics. You know my feelings on this matter. MY BLOG, remember?

In case you missed it

The Time of Fever AKA Unintentional Love Story 2 (Korea movie) trailer IS COMING IN SEPTEMBER!!!! (Yeah this is gonna sit here until then)

Next Week Looks Like This:

Ooo, nice spread.

Upcoming BLs for 2024 are listed here. This list is not kept updated, so please leave a comment if you know something new or RP with additions.

Still Coming This Month!

8/12 First Note Of Love (Taiwan Mon Gaga) 12 eps - About a singer with stage fright and his timid fan stars Charles (H4 the puppy one) and Michael Chang (the youngster in My Tooth Your Love), plus side couple featuring a Thai actor Jame (Koh in Gen Y) and Liu Min Ting (of Guardian fame). What a damn tean. I can't wait. With thier powers combined!

8/13 Addicted Heroin (Thai Tues YT) 10 eps - supposedly Jinlo with air this on their YT channel. Stars August (Love Sick) so I'm excited despite Jinlo's poor reputation. From the trailer it looks like it's following the original pretty closely... just Thai style. GIMMEEEEE!!!!

8/16 The Last Time (Thai Fri YT) ? eps - Convoluted story of loss and possible reincarnation or something.

8/22 The On1y One (Taiwan Thurs Gaga) 12 eps - announced in 2023 this one has a high school set stepbrothers trope and is reputed to be high heat. From Taiwan! It's made for me. Based on a novel Mou Mou from the Your Name Engraved Herein folks, so it could go dark. Still, I'm very excited.

8/22 The Paradise of Thorns (Thai movie) theater release - Jeff Satur is back but this does not look like a BL (the gay lover's death is the inciting event). More in Goodbye Mother vein. Looks dark and dramatic. He opposite and extremely well known actor Toey Pongsakorn who has never done gay before.

THIS WEEK’S BEST MOMENT

Linguistic flirting trope! One of my all time favorites. FANTASTIC. (I did keep hearing Gun yelling Papiiiiiii! in my head tho.)

(Last week)

Streaming services are listed by how I (usually) watch, which is with a USA based IP, and often offset by a day because time zones are a pain.

The tag BLigade: @doorajar @solitaryandwandering @my-rose-tinted-glasses @babymbbatinygirl @babymbbatinygirl @isisanna-blog @mmastertheone @pickletrip @aliceisathome @urikawa-miyuki @tokillamonger @sunflower-positiiivity @rocketturtle4 @blglplus @anythinggoesintheshire @everlightly @renafire @mestizashinrin @bl-bam-beyond @small-dark-and-delicious @saezurumurmurs

Sigh, Tumblr in its infinite wisdom doesn't like too many tags.

[gothicallybright]

✮ PROM NIGHT ✮

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

You, a complete nerd, have to indulge watching everyone else already pick out their dates for the upcoming prom. You're alone. It doesn't help that the most popular girl in school, Chappell Roan, has been mercilessly bullying you ever since you started attending this school. However, after a brisk conflict, you're placed in detention with her. The rule is; no one gets out until someone apologizes. And, no prom.

w: smut, profanity, etc.

⊱ ────── {⋅. ✯ .⋅} ────── ⊰

Chappell Roan.

Chappell Roan.

Chappell Roan.

That name seems to be following you. You see it everywhere. On every damn board, on every school article, during every speech, at every event… It's haunting you. Chappell Roan is the star of your class, and probably the whole school. And she hates you. Your nerdy disposition seems to give her an itch that she scratches by shoving you whenever she walks past you. At this rate, you probably could install pillows on your locker because of how many times she pushes you into it. Your arm is getting sore. If she has a bad day, she might even pin you against the locker by your shirt, spitting profanities straight to your face. You could never wrap your head around the fact why she hates you so much. Is it because you get better grades than her?

It's Friday. The weather has never been better. The Sun is finally shining after weeks of rain and clouds. Everyone is blooming like they're buds on the trees. Except for you. You are like the galanthus. Your head drooping down while everyone else is basking in the sun. You clutch your books between your arms and wander around the hallways. You frequently visit the announcement board. You love to stay up to date about school news. Your eyes light up upon seeing a competition poster. It's a writing competition. Writing has been your passion since childhood. There is an enrollment table for interested students to sign their names. You excitedly grab the pen, pressing it against the paper. Hold on. You abruptly stop. You see her name again. Chappell Roan is already enrolled in this competition. What the hell? As if she has any talents beside being a complete jackass. You sigh in defeat, putting the pen back, giving up on the competition.

Speaking of Chappell, the sound of the bell ringing signals a race with her friends. When the ear piercing sound erupts in the stiff air, you immediately take cover by walking next to a wall. You hear a stampede of running students behind you, each one pushing the other. It's a dangerous mess. Someone could get seriously injured, especially if a collision happens. You shoot a quick look behind you, and sure enough, Chappell is in the lead. You had no time to react before she uses your shoulder to launch herself forward, basically using you as trampoline. You stumble, nearly falling due to the force. You know she workouts, a lot. It's evident in her toned physique. You're ashamed to admit that you often stare and fantasize. Who wouldn't, though? It's Chappell Roan, the absolute badass of this school. Her car, a black Ford Mustang from the 1900s, is always parked by the entrance. A subtle rebellion towards the teachers at the school. You sometimes spot her leaning against the hood of the car, smoking a cigarette in her leather jacket that she boasts about every fucking time. Not to mention that the car is a cabrio. God forbid it's sunny outside, you can literally hear her car radio for miles when her roof is down.

Chappell looks back at you after nearly shoving you to the ground, giving you the finger with her tongue out. Ugh. You grit your teeth in anger, wanting so badly for her to trip and fall, to feel the humiliation she's providing you every waking moment of your life. Your each step grows heavier and heavier, full of rage. You hate that arrogant bitch.

Classroom 13 is known for being one of the biggest classrooms in school. You enter the room with a sigh, already hearing the boys laughing along with Chappell. You roll your eyes upon seeing their new 'invention'. Playing catch with a chair. ''Catch!'' one of the boys shout, throwing the chair towards Chappell. She catches it, obviously having to mimic dumbbell workout. You contain yourself, sitting down at your designated seat. Chappell throws the chair back with so much force. The boy catches it, stumbling backwards with a grunt. ''Jesus… Chappell relax.'' He says with a stern voice. ''Or what?'' Chappell proudly says back, raising her hands. The boy keeps quiet, throwing the chair back to her.

She catches it, with one hand. You scoff. So fucking arrogant. Sudden silence fills the room and you turn your attention back to Chappell. She's now standing with her feet apart and knees slightly bent. Body turned sideways. Her right arm is bent, holding the chair. The left arm is extended outward for balancing and aiming. Uh oh. She's about to seriously launch the chair. The boy has his eyes wide, arms placed in a defensive manner. Shit. Do you say something? This could seriously damage the school property. ''Catch the ball, Ryan!'' She shouts at the boy, Ryan, before launching the chair towards him. He dodges the chair and you cover your ears. The chair collides with the wall, breaking. Chappell and the other guys start laughing about it.

Just as the collision happens, the teacher enters the classroom with a visible frown on her face. She looks at the broken chair and a possible hole in the wall and turns towards the class. Everyone is seated. ''Who the hell did this?!'' She shouts, and some students flinch. Chappell has her hand on her mouth, snickering quietly. You eye her. You won't let her get away with this.

After class, which was filled with misery and shouting from the teacher, you rush towards your class teacher's office. You knock gently, observing your surroundings before entering. You greet the teacher and ask for a private chat. She accepts with a smile and you sit down. ''Everything okay?'' The teacher asks you with a curious look on her face, her hand reassuringly placed on your knee. ''Something happened during English just now…'' The teacher seems even more invested now. ''Chappell threw the chair at the wall and broke it… and… and… she's been making my school days a living hell. Miss…'' You look the teacher in the eyes with a 'please take action' look. ''Miss, Chappell is tormenting me.''

After the private chat, you sneak out of the office and walk to class like nothing happened. It's lunch break now, and from this classroom the school's playground is visible. You watch. Observe. Chappell is smoking a cigarette with her friends when the teacher approaches her. You perk up, your sudden movement catching the attention of your other classmate. She also perks up. The teacher sternly walks towards Chappell and begins shouting. You're unable to make out what she's saying, but based on Chappell's facial expressions, it's no good. You can see that she's also shouting back, which further infuriates the teacher. Chappell is then forced to put out her cigarette and to follow the teacher, which she reluctantly does. The boys are laughing behind her, presumably from the humiliation Chappell just experienced. Fucking finally.

Chappell is absent for the rest of the day.

It's a breath of fresh air. You finally spent your day at school, normally. You walked the halls with no fear, and you even socialized with some of your classmates. It was a great day, really. You are now walking towards your locker, the final bell just rang and everyone is leaving the school. You open your locker, taking out the books you brought with yourself today. In the process, you accidentally drop your key and you put your books back in your locker to pick it up. You bend down, picking the key up, and just as your spine straightened upwards again, you're suddenly slammed into your locker again, the metal shelves inside sending a sharp pain through your back. It's Chappell. Of course it is. Her eyes are watery from rage and you can tell by her grip on your shirt that you're probably going to be needing stitches today.

''You think I don't know you snitched on me?!'' She growls, her knuckles turning white from how hard she's gripping your shirt. You had enough. ''Get your hands off of me!'' You push her away, surprised that you actually managed to do so. Chappell stumbles backwards, her hands clenching into fists. Oh, shit. She swings her fist, punching you square in the face. The force of the punch travels through your whole body, your system shocked by the sheer strength of it. Your legs give out and you fall to the ground, holding your bleeding nose. You have no time to catch your breath before Chappell lifts you up, blood trickling down your face and onto the hallway tiles. She pins you on your locker again, holding you by your shirt. Fucking hell, she's strong. But, your book is stronger. With the last drop of your strength, you reach into your locker, pulling out 'The Count of Monte Cristo'. A book with a hardcover with over 1000 pages. Chappell draws her attention towards the book, confused. You notice her grip on your shirt easens down, and, using her confusion to your advantage, you push her off of yourself once again. She stumbles backwards, and you launch the book towards her. She groans as you hit her in the abdomen and she falls to her knees, holding her injured spot. But, you're not done yet. You walk over to Chappell, ready to give her another good kick in the abdomen, but you're tackled to the ground by her. Chappell gets on top of you, but her face is contorted in pain. She doesn't have much strength left. You hit her good. She coughs, the contraction of it pressing against her injuries. She hisses, reaching with her hand to ease the pain. ''You fucking bitch!'' You say through gritted teeth, your hand grabbing hers, forcing it to push further into her abdomen. The pain she's feeling is unbearable at this point, you watch with delight as her blue eyes begin to shed tears. The tables have finally turned. Your eyes frantically look around, landing on the book. You're going to make sure there's blood on that book, today. You extend your hand out, but it's still out of your reach. You try to wiggle, but Chappell's body is pressing you down. You try to wiggle harder, and she notices. She grabs your hands, pinning them both above your head. Her other hand reaches into her pocket, pulling out a knife. She flicks it open. Shit. It's a dull knife, there's no way she can kill you with that. As if she'd have the balls to do so anyway…

Chappell raises the knife and the panic sets in. Your breathing becomes shallow, your body activating fight or flight. You squirm under her, like a worm on a hook, pleading for your life. Of course, your cries go unheard, as Chappell doesn't give a shit that you're in this situation. You challenged her, and she's going to finish it. But, like Heaven sent you hear the teacher's stern voice ring out through the empty hallway.

''GIRLS!!''

Chappell drops the knife, the metal clanking echoing. She stands up, and so do you. She's holding her abdomen and you're holding your bloody nose. ''Both of you! To my office, now!'' You can hear that the teacher had enough, but you couldn't care less. The only thing that matters to you now is that Chappell will probably be needing bandages. And it's because of you. It's a feeling of pure greatness. She deemed you weak, and you just kicked her ass. Well… she nearly killed you, but, you did more damage to her than she did to you.

The teacher slams the office door shut and the principal is already there. Oh, fuck. He orders the both of you to sit down, and you oblige. Chappell is still holding her abdomen, doing some bitchass act to get a lighter sentence. The teacher gives you tissues for your bloody nose and you use them, watching the white paper turn red immediately. ''What the hell was all this about?'' The principal asks, even he not believing something like this could happen. ''Sir… she started it…'' Chappell mutters weakly, holding her abdomen. ''FUCK you!'' You shout back and the principal immediately raises his voice. ''Hey! Hey! Hey! Both of you! Quit it!'' He crosses his arms and leans back into his chair. ''So… Tell me what happened.'' He looks to you, and you lock eyes with him. You take a deep breath. ''Today, in English, Chappell broke a chair and created a possible hole in the wall. I reported her to the teacher and she attacked me in the hallway. And she tried to stab me!'' You shout in despair, looking towards the teacher for approval. She nods her head, looking at the principal. His attention moves towards Chappell. ''Tell me, Miss Roan, what happened today?'' You can tell by his tone that he doesn't quite believe you. After all, Chappell is the most prestigious student in this school. No way would she ever do something like this. Chappell coughs, her face immediately twitching with pain and you roll your eyes. ''Sir… I didn't break that chair. It was purely an accident. And what went down in the hallway just now… I… I confronted her for falsely reporting me and she just straight up attacked me…'' The principal nods with sympathy. You explode with anger. You shoot up from the chair, your hands slamming down onto the principal's desk. ''WHAT THE FUCK? SHE NEARLY STABBED ME TO DEATH AND YOU'RE BELIEVING THIS CRAP SHE'S SAYING?!'' You yell, your body language matching your words. ''Miss… I'm going to ask you to relax and sit back down.'' The principal speaks calmly, but seriously. ''NO! JUST BECAUSE HER DADDY PAYS FOR EVERYTHING DOESN'T MEAN SHE OWNS THIS FUCKING PLACE!'' This seems to hit Chappell's nerve. She completely drops the act she's playing and stands up, pushing you. ''Shut up, bitch!'' She shouts at you and the principal finally takes action. He also stands up, placing his hands on the desk, leaning forward. ''Both of you are in detention for the rest of the weekend!''

It's Saturday morning and you wake up with a pounding headache. That punch really did wonders to you. You slowly get out of bed, making your way downstairs. Your mother is already waiting in the living room, her hands crossed on her chest. ''Eat something and I'll drive you to your detention.'' She says with a stern voice. You can't believe your own mother doesn't even believe you. ''Mom… You know I didn't do anything.'' You try to reason, but she ignores you. You sigh, opening the fridge and making yourself some plain cereal. You finish eating, get dressed, load your bag with books you'll be reading to pass the time, and get in the car. The drive towards the school is silent, your mother doesn't look at you once, and you keep quiet. It was a painfully long drive. The silence was eating you alive, but you made it to school. Mother leaves you in front and drives away without saying a word. You groan in frustration, slowly entering the school and walking towards the classroom.

The classroom you'll be spending your detention in is number 4. Not bad. You have a good view of the parking and the playground. It's spring, the nature is beautiful and green. Everything's blooming so nicely and the smell of spring always softens you. You sit in one of the chairs, pulling out your books from your bag, setting them aside. You decide to meditate for a little, to prepare your mind for the rest of the day. You close your eyes, taking a deep breath in. Your ears listen to the harmonious sounds of the birds chirping outside. You begin to relax. Your shoulders letting go off the pressure you didn't know you had. Your peaceful solitude is broken by the loud revving of a car. It's Chappell, you know it by the rock music playing on the radio. She parks next to the entrance, nearly knocking down the trash cans. You have no idea how the hell she passed her driving test. She slams the car door shut and begins walking towards the school. You look away and focus on your breathing, trying to get it steady.

Just as you begin to relax again, the class door barges open and Chappell enters. She eyes you down with pure hatred and sits somewhere in the back. Soon after she sits down, the principal enters. ''Now, girls, remember. One of you apologizes and you're both free to go. Prom is tonight. I'm sure you don't want to miss the biggest school event.'' He reminds, before leaving the class. ''Ugh… You see what you did?!'' You shout, turning to face Chappell. She has her feet up on the table, rocking on the chair. ''Relax, princess. As if you even have a date for prom.'' She says with a smirk on her face, snickering quietly. ''Shut up! You don't have a date either!'' You shout back. Chappell crosses her arms. ''I could invite any girl to prom and she'd say yes.'' She boasts, her head held up high. Hold on. Girl? THE Chappell Roan is into girls? ''Any… girl?'' Chappell raises her eyebrows, as if surprised by your question. ''Yeah? Wasn't it… obvious?'' She shrugs and you roll your eyes. ''No? You're mean to everyone, how could I know?'' She perks up on her desk, her feet back on the ground. ''Me? Mean? No. I'm just better than anyone else.'' She shrugs, leaning back on her chair, rocking. You raise an eyebrow and look at her stupid. ''You? Better than anyone else? Oh, please.'' You roll your eyes, deciding that the conversation is over. You turn your back to Chappell and open your book. You hear her scoff behind you and you just slightly raise your head, perking your ears up. ''Yeah. I'm better than anyone else. You think I didn't catch you staring at me many times? Just admit it, you also think that.'' You blush. That's such a silly comment. You hate Chappell Roan. And her boasting. And her personality. And her stupid style. And her pretty hair. And her black Ford Mustang that you want so badly to put your legs in. No, you want her to put your legs in it. Ugh… You shake your head and laugh. ''I stare at you because I want to laugh at how full of yourself you are.'' You reason, your back still facing her. ''But, you love it.'' Chappell says quietly, but just enough for you to hear it. ''I hate it…'' You mutter back, unsure if you even mean that. Do you really hate it? Or do you just hate the fact that you love it?

You hear the loud creaking of her chair. She must've gotten up. You brace yourself, your shoulders tensing up. She walks in front of your desk, placing both hands on it. Her veins are clearly visible and you look down at your desk, face red. She bows her head down to your level, whispering; ''You love it.'' You shake your head once again, burying it in your hands to hide the blush on your face. ''I hate it!'' You repeat yourself once more, this time louder, face still buried in your hands. ''What was that? I couldn't quite hear you because your hands are on your face.'' She obviously teases you, bowing down even closer to your face now. ''I said, I hate it!'' You repeat yourself louder, slamming your hands on the desk, but your head is still looking down. Unsatisfied with your answer, Chappell grabs your chin and tilts it upwards. You're now face to face with her, literally. You're a blushing mess and you can't hide it now.

''I knew it! Ha! You're blushing! You do love it!'' Chappell boasts, clapping her hands together once. Shit. Quick, quick, quick! Think! In reality, you have no time to think before Chappell snatches the book from your hands. ''Is this the book you beat my ass with yesterday?'' She flips it over, revealing the title. ''W-U-T-H-E-R-I-N-G Heights. Watering Heights? What type of book title is that?'' She scoffs. ''Watering Heights… Jesus…'' You roll your eyes. ''It's Wuthering Heights. You give it back now.'' You reach your hand out to take it from her, but she raises her hand up. ''You're going to have to catch me first!'' She shouts, before rushing out of the classroom. You follow suit, screaming. ''Chappell! Wait! We can't leave the classroom!'' No response. She's way faster than you. The only navigation you have is the loud clanking of the chains she attached to her boots.

You hear her slamming the lockers rhythmically with your book screaming the lyrics to 'I Love Rock 'n' Roll' by Joan Jett and the Blackhearts. You can't help but laugh at her cliché self.

You manage to catch up with her, now a few steps behind her. You gasp in shock as she starts ripping the school posters plastered on the wall, some of them are student's art pieces. "Jesus Christ, stop!" She responds by singing louder and skipping around, the clanking of her chains echoing with each landing.

During one of her performance jumps, her car keys drop out of her pocket and as she bends down to pick them up, you catch up to her, your arms embracing her figure, preventing her from going any further. You both burst out laughing. "Give me the book back!" You triumph out of breath and she gives you your book back with a smile on her face. A genuine smile. You reflect on all the times she made you feel miserable and hopeless, and now, you're kind of enjoying her company. You hold her as you both continue to laugh, unaware that the principal is just around the corner.

"Chappell Roan!!" His raging voice rings out in the air and you stop laughing, but Chappell continues. "I'll see you both next Saturday, too!" He warns and Chappell flips him off. You slap her hand down, but it was too late. The principal drags both of you back in the classroom, and this time, locks it.

Chappell hits the door with her fist, cursing out the principal. "What a fucking dick!" She groans in anger, giving the door a final kick before sitting down next to you. You lock eyes with her and she makes a grimace, causing you to laugh. "You know... that was really fun." You say, rubbing the back of your neck. "Sure was. Until Mr. Great decided to be a party breaker..." She stands up, bloating her stomach with air and hunching her back, raising a finger. "Chappell Roan! How dare you have fun under my watch?!" She imitates the principal, perfectly hitting his unusual high pitched voice. She stomps around the classroom, still in character, mimicking door locking. "No prom for bad girls!" She boasts in his voice. Chappell walks over to the teacher's desk and sits down, exhaling like the principal does. You snicker at how perfectly she imitates him. For sure, she has been in his office more than she was in class. She opens the desk drawer, pulling out some documents and begins reading them. During her speech, she does the principal's high pitched cough multiple times.

You're laughing your ass off at this point and she seems to be enjoying that. She jumps over the desk, seemingly out of ideas. Her eyes wander around the classroom, scratching her head in curiosity. "I could go for a smoke now." She concludes. "You can't smoke in the classroom..." You say, insecurely, knowing your warning will probably go unheard. "Who says I'll be smoking in the classroom?" Chappell walks over to the big window and opens it. She climbs on top of it, jumping down on the freshly cut grass of the school's playground.

You roll your eyes with a smile as she lights up the cigarette. You walk over towards the window, sitting on the windowsill, your feet dangling out of the window. You sit in a comfortable silence as Chappell bounces around, unable to stand still. "Hm... you know what this reminds me of?" She thinks out loud and you hum in response. "That one scene in Romeo and Juliet." She shrugs, taking a drag, blowing the smoke out. You blush at the thought. "Really? How so?" You ask, genuinely curious. Chappell gets down on one knee, puffing her chest. "Oh, my dear Juliet! Here's to my love. O true apothecary, Thy drugs are quick. Thus with a kiss I die!" You groan playfully, facepalming yourself. She stands up, proudly. "How'd I do?" "Don't ever do that again, please." You replay back with a smug. "Aw, damn it!" She hits the air, exhaling. Suddenly, her face drops into a mischievous look. Oh no. "Ever heard of the story where Romeo kidnaps Juliet?" She asks with her eyebrow risen. "No-"

You don't even get to finish the sentence before she grabs your leg and begins pulling you down. You gasp, but soon start to laugh as you resist her pull. "Stop it! I'm gonna fall!" You yell through laughter as you begin to loose your balance. You eventually give in and jump down, the ground shock sending a sharp pain through your legs. You hiss through your teeth, holding your legs. "Now you heard the story." She shrugs and you hit her shoulder. "Where'd you even read that?" "I didn't, I just made it up."

Chappell puts out the cigarette on the window, leaving a black stain on it, flicking the cigarette butt somewhere in the grass. You climb inside and sit at your desk, opening your book. Chappell makes a sad facial expression, her shoulders drooping down. "You're not going to talk to me anymore?" You look up at her, confused. "We can talk, but I have to finish reading. Remember the teacher gave us homework to write an essay on this novel?" Her eyes widen. "An essay? On Watering Heights? Pish, who cares?" She leans back into the chair. "Chappell, it's worth 90% of our grade." She looks around confused. "And?" You put the book down. "Well, I don't want you to fail her class. I'll help you." Chappell smirks. "Is this a date invitation?" You sigh. "No, you idiot. It's me saving your ass from failure."

Chappell suddenly becomes serious, her eyes gazing deep into yours. "You're saving... me?" You shrug. "Yeah... I think you aren't that bad after all." You finally admit. "Look, I'm sorry for being such a jerk towards you. I don't know why I did that... I guess I always admired how smart you are compared to other students. I wanted to have your knowledge and I knew that you could outdo me in every subject, so I guess I wanted to get rid of the competition... " You cross your arms over your chest, faking being offended. "Get rid of the competition? You're ridiculous." Chappell looks down, admitting regret. "Yeah, well... I guess nerds aren't that bad after all..." She stops, clearly thinking on what to say next, or even if she should say it. She looks down at the desk, taking a deep breath. "I did it solely because I didn't know how to tell you that I wanted to go to prom with you..."

The bomb is officially dropped and your mouth opens in pure shock. It's 5pm now and the prom is in two hours. You have to make the decision, even though it's pretty clear on what you're going to say. Her eyes meet yours. "Do you... want to go to prom with me?" She blurts out, her eyes immediately looking away from yours. You're taken aback once again. Do you, really? Fuck yes, you do. "Yes! I'd love to go to prom with you!"

Before you know it, you're escaping through the window hand in hand with Chappell. You run through the school playground and crouch walk past the principal's office window. Chappell unlocks her car, even having the time to open the door for you. The principal notices you and shouts out the window, but Chappell turns up the radio, rock music blasting through the air. The principal rushes out of the school, his fist in the air. Chappell revs up her car, speeding off the parking lot while flipping off the principal. Your laugh fills the air as your true happiness finally comes through. If somebody told you you'd be going to prom with your year long bully, you would call them crazy. But, turns out, crazy things do happen. Chappell looks down at her watch. ''So, we have exactly one hour and forty-five minutes to pick out our clothes for the prom. And I know a perfect place for that.''

She parks in front of the 'Textile House Store', neatly getting out of the car and opening the door for you once again. You mumble a shy 'thank you' before following her inside. The interior is filled with various clothing, each sorted in their respective sections. The walls are painted in warm pink with a few floral samples. There's a loud radio in the corner of the store playing current hit songs. Chappell pulls you towards a specific section labeled 'PROM'. Your eyes don't seem to land on anything you like in particular, so you scratch your head in a thoughtful manner. ''Come on, there's bound to be something you like. Look around better.'' Chappell suggest, gently nudging you forward by your back. You rummage through the clothes rack, pulling out many pieces, but still, nothing catches your eye.

Suddenly, through the stereo of the radio, a familiar synthesizer riff kicks off. You instantly recognize the song to be 'Girls Just Want to Have Fun' by Cyndi Lauper. A switch is instantly flipped and your mood increases as your body begins swaying to the music. Soon, almost every piece of clothing becomes interesting to you and you pick out a few. You call Chappell over and ask her opinion. ''Hm... well, this one is out of the game, for sure... Grandma style for prom? Seriously?'' She grabs the floral dress out of your hands and hangs it back onto the rack. ''You know what? Put it all back. I'll help you with the outfit choices.'' She says, crossing her arms over her chest. Your eyes narrow. ''Fine, I trust you.'' You say, your finger pointed towards her. The same song is still playing and Chappell skips around the store to the rhythm with you struggling to keep up. She comes to a halt at the miniskirt section. ''Are you serious?'' Your shoulders droop down in disappointment. She raises her hands, defensively. ''Woah, woah, woah, hold on a second and watch.'' She grabs a black miniskirt and hands it over to you. ''So, get that with a pair of go-go boots'' She says proudly, putting her hands on her hips, like she got the job done. ''Miniskirt and go-go boots?'' You scoff. ''Baby... I can't wear that to prom.'' Her eyes widen. ''Why not!?'' You lower your voice, coming closer to Chappell. ''It's kind of slutty...''

It only took a few kisses for you to change your mind and actually buy the miniskirt, without the go-go boots. 'You'll look too ridiculous' in your own words. You also bought a stylish red blazer and a black vest. Chappell bought a similar vest and blazer, just in a soft gray tone. She also got gray trousers which you were against, but she didn't care.

It's nearly 7pm and prom is just around the corner. The sun started to slowly set itself, painting the sky in bright orange, giving you even more dopamine. Chappell is driving the two of you towards the school, where the prom is going to take place. Her car roof is pulled down and you're enjoying the gentle spring breeze traveling through your hair. Chappell has her left hand placed on your thigh, gently stroking with her thumb. ''Hey, do you think they'll have the prom king and queen competition?'' You wonder out loud, looking at the sky. ''Mhm.'' Chappell nods affirmatively. ''I also heard rumors that some students will be doing the Carrie thing on the winners.'' She snickers. ''The... Carrie thing?'' You ask, confused. You were never that much into horror. ''Yeah. When two students dump a bucket of blood on the winners.'' Her eyes gleam with amusement and you gag. ''Ew... that's just disgusting...'' You shiver at the thought of being covered in blood during such event. ''Oh, come on baby. It doesn't even sound that bad. You'll get that adrenaline rush and you won't even know that you're all bloodied up!'' You eye her, pushing her hand away. ''You're disgusting!'' You snuggle up in the corner of your seat and Chappell sighs, turning up the radio.

Eventually, her car speeds into the parking lot of the school, knocking over a few trash cans. She makes the 'oops' grimace and gets out, opening the door for you. ''Madam-'' She bows down, extending her hand out for you to take it. You take it with a smile and walk hand in hand into the prom hall, which is already filled with half-drunk students. You notice how much people stare, whispering amongst themselves upon seeing who's your prom date, or maybe upon seeing that you're Chappell's prom date. Everyone in school knows about your rivalry, and it's sure a head turner to see you two walking while holding hands. Each glare you get, you glue to Chappell even more, and she gladly embraces your figure, her arm wrapped around your waist.

Chappell greets some of her friends and they express their confusion on the date choice, but you just have your eyes on her, every word her friends say falling onto deaf ears. You begin to tug for Chappell to end the conversation and go to your assigned seats already. She eventually gives in and waves goodbye to her friends. You sit down and Chappell fixes her tie. You rest your head on your hand, admiring her. She gradually becomes insecure, looking around awkwardly. ''Is my tie out of place...?'' You laugh. ''No, no, everything's perfect on you. That's why I'm staring.'' She snickers. ''You'd kill me if I told you where I was staring at during the whole ride here.'' You hit her shoulder. ''Asshole!''

The lights dim lower and a student steps onto the small stage, adjusting the microphone. ''Welcome all students and fellow colleagues... Khm... I...'' The student is obviously nervous and having a stage fright episode. However, other students are impatient and he is booed off of the stage. Ryan takes over the microphone and opens an envelope. ''The principal wrote; Dance now, think later.'' The hall erupts in claps and cheers as the DJ takes over the stage, setting his equipment down. You turn to Chappell, your hands clasped together excitedly. You frown upon seeing her down straight alcohol. ''What?'' She asks, shrugging, setting the cup down. ''What what? Let's dance!'' Chappell reluctantly agrees, taking your hand.

The night slowly becomes a blur as you take a shot with each new song, the dancing exhausting you even further. A few of the students are already slumped over in the corners or in their chairs, but those who are still standing are doing slow dances. The DJ catches on with the atmosphere and changes the mood of his songs. 'Every Breath You Take' by The Police fills the room, Chappell immediately perking up. ''Hey, I love this one!'' She slurs her words, clearly having too much to drink. You scoff. She places her hands on your waist and you rest yours on her shoulders. Your bodies sway in sync with the music, eyes never looking away from one another. Chappell eventually bows down her head, and you accept her kiss. Despite being a total jerk, she's surprisingly gentle with her kisses, her grip on your waist becoming stronger. The alcohol in your system makes your emotions much stronger and something inside you starts burning, begging to be put out. You press your legs together, causing you to accidentally slip a moan out. In response, Chappell's lips move down to your neck, leaving a kiss on every surface. Her hand starts sliding down to your lower back and you push it away. ''Not in here...'' You whisper, bringing her hand back to your waist. You can hear her breathing quicken as she pulls you closer. ''Let's go to my car.'' She whispers back and you can almost hear the desperation in her voice. She obviously wants to explore other parts of your body, too.

You don't remember how, but you're suddenly in the backseat of her car, back leaning against the car door, your head up in the clouds as Chappell continues to lavish your neck with kisses which increase with pressure the further she goes. Your thighs are frantically rubbing together, trying to ease the burning desire. Chappell is very aware of how wet you are, her hand teasingly grasping your underwear. ''Uh... please...'' You breathe out, unable to control your breathing. She seems to oblige without a word, her eyes locking with your narrowed ones. She pulls down your skirt along with your underwear, slowly sliding two fingers into your dripping cunt. The newfound pleasure nearly pushes you over the edge, your hips buckling upwards. You want to feel more and more of her. You need to. Her fingers begin to slide in and out and her thumb is applying gentle pressure on your clit. Your eyes dwell with tears of pleasure, your hips now buckling upwards faster. Chappell places her free hand on your hip, preventing you from further movement. You squirm under her, the pleasure you've been feeling increasing down a little. Until, you feel her tongue slide over your folds and then inside. Your back arches like a cat as you let out moan after moan, your bottom lip caught between your teeth, the pressure you're applying bursting your lip, drawing blood. Each one of her licks is bringing you closer and closer to climax. You reach out your shaky hand, pushing Chappell's head further down. Your fingers tangle in her hair as she brings out her hand, sliding a finger in. Her tongue is now lapping over your clit and her finger is fucking your cunt. You're a moaning mess at this point and hearing her low moans only further pushes you. ''Fuck... I'm going to...'' You murmur, voice shaky and incoherent, body rhythmically riding her fingers. Chappell quickens her pace and you're finally pushed over the edge. A shockwave surges through your body, a near scream escaping your lips. Chappell kisses you, sharing your juices in between tongues, whispering quiet praises each second. She's leaning against you, her lower part of the body in between your thighs, grinding herself on you. You're overstimulated and the fabric of her trousers are like needles and pins. You push her away, placing your hand on her cheek. ''Can we go home now?'' You plead, further slumping down on the seat. ''Of course.'' She says, fixing her tie and leaving the car to sit in the driver's seat. You decide to stay in the backseat, slowly drifting away to sleep.

The next morning, or the next day, you wake up in a unfamiliar place. Your eyes flutter open and you look around. The room is filled with band posters, guitars, vinyl, cds, vhs tapes and video games. The bed you're lying down on is completely black. Black pillow case and blanket. However, in the stiffness of it all, you recognize the familiar embrace of your now girlfriend Chappell Roan.

[quicktosimp]

Touch and Sketch

AN: I may or may not have been procrastinating my course finals in order to get this done... But I am so glad it's finished! Warnings: Reader has Bad Parents (This is not Important), Doctor/Patient, inaccuracies, Sassy!Rafayel, Sub!Rafayel, Top!Reader, Bondage, Inhuman Biology, Rafayel has Two Dicks, Breast Fucking, Blowjobs, Cum Eating, Overstimulation, Drugged Cum (Kinda).

After many years of working your ass off and earning your degree, you now get a very interesting patient, an Artist who lives on Whitesand Bay

I have always been a girl of science; as a child, I was told I was only to get As or not return home. I remember many missed meals the nights I dared to bring home anything but perfection. Sports are nothing but a reckless endeavor in order to injure yourself for fame and glory; sympathy seekers, without a thought between their eyes, if I dared to ask to play soccer, my parents would ask me in return if I'd like them to start my journey of brain damage while holding a frying pan. Politicians are greedy scumbags; every single one of them is corrupt. Stealing from the poor, while smiling widely that they would make everything better; yet behind them is the man who pays the rest of their million dollar salary. The only "good" ones are useless; they will never get anywhere because no one powerful will ever indulge in their ideas for peace and prosperity for everyone. Obviously, there is no money to be found in housing the homeless and finding them jobs. My teacher sent home a pamphlet for the school's debate class, stating that I had shown exceptional understanding and had great potential in it. My parents were all for it, until she made a joke about how it could help me become a wonderful politician someday. The ride home was silent besides the thrum of the engine. Upon arriving home, my mother and father stood on each side of me, my mother yelling about how useless I would be in the real world of politics, while on the other side, my father screamed about how he didn't raise me to be a conniving thief. Looking back on that particular memory, I don't know whether what my mother or father spewed at me was worse.

However, there is one career field that they despised even more. Artists. In their mind, artists are even more useless than politicians; they are people with no brains or talent, simply living in their parents' basements and draining their money on meager supplies that cost more than a house mortgage, only for their "work" to sit and collect dust. Complete waste to society, they would say. I can recall every mutter and complaint in my kindergarten years when we had an art project, all the way through my elementary years until finally I was able to drop any and all art classes, relieving me of the pain of watching all my hard work go directly into the trash.

All the hard work eventually paid off; I graduated with high honors and was able to get scholarships to Harvard Medical. Several grueling years and I was able to transfer to Linkon. Quite a jump from America to China, but the education is incomparable. The technology and understanding of the human body is unparalleled; my student visa was expanded twice. Once for collaborating over the effects of Protocore Syndrome and the affects on the prefrontal cortex, that was how I met Zayne, now the lead surgeon at Akso Hospital, the two of us are good friends now, and are unexcelled as colleagues. We paired together for social events we were expected at, however I must say I was pleased when he brought the cute hunter with him. They truly complement each other. The first time I saw Dr. Zayne actually smile was with her.

The second time I extended my visa was when Linkon University offered a full-ride scholarship if I wished to expand my PHD in neuroscience and surgery and expand into neuropsychology. An additional benefit was that I would be contracted into working at Akso Hospital for an additional 10 years. I jumped at the chance and signed the contract without hesitation.

I’ve long ago graduated and am living in China on my work visa; my residency is long done, and I am now one of the top neurosurgeons in China, but I oddly found that I refer the psychology part of my job. Being able to help those who suffer the mental effects of Protocore Syndrome has become my passion. I even took on the Hunter girl in as a patient after her grandmother and childhood friend passed. Despite all the pain I see being able to help people work through their mental and emotional trauma, it makes me elated... no, that’s not the right word... I believe I'm healing that little girl who was never enough.

But it's little Miss Hunter who found me my most unusual client. She was worried about him after he made some comments about himself, and she didn't trust anyone else. I must say I was both insulted and intrigued when I was handed several NDA forms, but nonetheless, I signed them. I could visibly see Miss Hunter relaxed as I signed the forms, thanking me profusely for taking on this new client.

I raised my eyebrow at her, an uneasy feeling growing in the pit of my stomach. Miss Hunter isn't one to beg or apologize for something she didn't do. I cannot help but wonder just who my new mystery client is. But with unease comes the passion of challenge, like a fire lit in me leading me to now.

My heels sinking into the sand of Whitesand Bay, the warmth was pleasant, but the gritty feeling of the sand particles trapped in my shoe, chafing my skin. Despite that, the breeze was perfect under the beaming sun, cooling me from the stifling weather. The calls of the gulls sing around me as they dive and feast on the unknowing morsels hidden in the shallow ends of the sea.

The address I was given I figured it would be on the beach. But I underestimated just how close it would be. I follow along a long bar of sandy land, easily half a mile long; I make a note on my phone to wear more accessible shoes next time and to pay attention to the tides; otherwise, I may miss the appointment or be unable to leave his house afterwards. Well, house is in loose terms. It's far too large and grand to be a house. Steep walls that say it should be a two-story building, yet the window panels show otherwise, letting me see in from near floor to ceiling, and what I believe to be a giant statue in his living room.

Thick, sturdy, double wooden doors meet my view, so I raise my hand and knock on the door. He's just another client, after all.

Several minutes go by before I ring the doorbell; his house is quite large, and he probably couldn't hear my knocking. Several more minutes go by before I start to get antsy. Pulling out my phone, I quickly dial the number I was provided, only to hear the dial of being hung up on. Scowling at my phone, I call once again; this time, I notice that it didn't even ring; it was probably powered off.

As I contemplated heading back on that grueling walk, I looked back and saw that the tide was already coming back in. I would make it maybe halfway before the sandbar would be flooded. And considering I have electronics and paper files on me, the only option I have left is to enter his home.

I knock one more time out of curtsy before I open one of the heavy doors. The door opens to a vast room; papers, pencils, paint brushes, and other art supplies litter the floor, as random unlit candles were sporadically placed around the room. There was ample of light in the room; not only were the walls giant windows, but the ceiling itself was made of clear glass. What little walls there are painted white, while the floor is a delicate ash gray wood done in an intricate pattern. I wished to toe off my shoes in respect of his home, but seeing all the supplies and what I think are also rose petals, I choose to keep them on for my safety.

“Hello? Is anyone here?” I called out professionally as I took another step, my heels clicking against the floor and echoing through the room.

I take several more steps into the open room, where I am able to spot a large orange couch and a white lounge chair, several tropical house plants, and a gorgeous-looking hardwood coffee table. I can't say it’s homey feeling, no it's too open... almost clinical despite the chaotic environment. I wouldn't say it's overcompensating; truthfully, I wouldn't even say this is a home. It's an office where he happens to sleep in.

The soft padding of feet on the floor drew my attention to the other side of the room. Next to a large statue of a woman stood a man, dressed in pristine black slacks and an expensive-looking white shirt with a deep V-neck and long puffy sleeves. He dresses as expensively as his house.

I turned to face him and nodded my head slightly, "Apologies for the intrusion. I'm Dr. (Y/L/N). We have an appointment today. I would have waited outside, but the tide is rapidly coming in," I explained regally.

I examined his face, waiting for his response. He seemed to be at war, calculating how he should react. Slowly, his face relaxed into a lazy grin, leaning onto one foot, exuding confidence. But I could see under his facade; he's a predator, and he's sizing up his prey.

"Well, I can't say I'm surprised cutie, people like to stop by all the time," He pushes away from the statue moving closer to me, "Now I'd introduce myself, but I recon you already know who I am," He winked at me cockily.

Although I have no idea who he is, his confidence seems to be well-earned. There's no sign of any familial touches, and the few items he has are related to his work. This is a man who worked hard to get where he is.

Ignoring the pet name, I cleared my throat, "I do not profile my patients before I meet them. Our mutual friend Miss Hunter referred you to me, and she did not even share your name."

There was a brief moment in his eyes where he was genuinely confused, a slight narrowing before returning to the previous cocky attitude, "Well, I gotta say, that's a first. I know I do my best to say out of the limelight, but I'm pretty surprised that a cutie like you doesn't know my name," He walks past me before lowering himself into the white chair I noticed earlier, gesturing to the orange couch next to it, "Take a seat."

I sit on the stiff couch, the material didn't have any give, very obviously unused, "Thank you Mr.-" I trailed off in a question.

He leaned heavily into the chair, crossing his leg over his knee, "Rafayel, you can drip the mister part," He waved his hand, his dislike of being called mister genuine.

"Rafayel," I stated, testing his name on my tongue.

I reached into my bag, pulling out a clipboard and a pen, my preferred method when working with a patient. As I stated before, my name is Dr. (Y/L/N). I am your physiologist, as of four days ago when you signed the paperwork," I explained, pulling out the digital form showing his signature.

I handed it over to him. As he read the document, his brows furrowed as he scanned it. I let him read every word, never giving the impression of impatience; this is obviously critical to him, and I will not work with a patient who cannot or will not consent.

"Well, I guess I already agreed to this, so what can my lovely little shrink do for me?" He smirked, handing me back the file.

Despite his verbal willingness, Rafayel's body tells another story. The leg in the air is perfectly still, yet the one on the ground fights to keep from twitching; his fingers flex in the air, and no matter how perfect his calm, smug demeanor is, I could see the defensiveness in his eyes. He was studying me, just as I am here to study him.

I crossed my legs, while sitting primly, I clicked open my pen, "So what would you like to talk about?" I asked softly, giving him the room.

He leaned forward for a moment, his muted purple hair ruffling in the light breeze, "Shouldn't you tell me what to talk about? If Miss. Bodyguard is to be believed, then I need to work on my personal perspective and self worth," His words took a mocking tone at the end.

"Well, those are certainly things we can go over eventually if you're willing," I commented, noting down what he said, while holding eye contact, "However we've known each other for, "I glanced at my watch, "Approximately five minutes, and I find that those types of conversations, are typically inappropriate in these situations," I admitted with a slight turn of my lips, the best smile I can muster.

Several rings adorn his elegant fingers; I notice them as they glint in the sunlight. Definitely expensive tastes; one of those rings could pay my rent for the two months, "Well as you know now my name is Rafayel, this is my home, which doubles as my art studio," He states boastfully as he gestured to the room.

"Your house is quiet gorgeous," I replied respectfully, keeping my honest thoughts to myself for now, "The architecture is unique; I can't say I've ever seen it before," Several pieces displayed like they were commonly found at a local store, yet they all oozed the feeling of history and power.

Breifly, a flash of shock went by, quickly masked by suspicion, before going back to his cocky image: "I see you like the Lemurian pieces; they're just old knickknacks I managed to find," He waved them off like they were nothing, yet I could see they meant a lot to him even if they were just knickknacks.

I cocked my head to the side, "Lemurian? I've never heard of that before; what is the Lemurian time period? Where was it located?" I shifted forward, interested in this piece of history.

This seemed to take him by surprise: "You- What- Well..." My questions seemed to fry Rafayel's brain. He cleared his throat before continuing, "The Lemurians were a people; they're extinct now. A genocide caused by humans," He sneered at the word human, as if he was different from them...

"You seem to be the expert here; what else do you know of the Lemurians? I'm quite intrigued," I pushed my glasses up further on my nose, knowing this would be a good way to get to know Rafayel.

Rafayel mimicked my posture, leaning forward as if he was going to tell me a secret, "Well I guess I could put on my lecture hat," He winked at me, before he started his lecture.

Over the course of the next hour and a half, I learned much about Lemuria, and it's people, I also learned that Rafayel tends to be a guest lecturer at different universities, he also tend to complain about someone named Thomas, he seems to be related to Rafayel's work, and keeps him on task, which is not something that Rafayel appears to care for. Rafayel has a well-placed ask, going between aloofness and a carefree man pouting and clinging; he's careful not to reveal his hand. Guarded, sharp; I truly question who Miss Hunter recommended me as a patient because one this is for sure, Rafayel is a dangerou s man.

But that wouldn't stop me; it never did before. And that's what had me coming back another day.

~~~~~

Whitesand Bay is one of my favorite places to be. If Rafayel isn't working on a project he seems to prefer to be outside on the sand or in the ocean, it's a nice change of pace instead of sitting inside for an hour and half when its absolutely gorgeous out. So here we are several months later relaxing in the hot sand, I buried my feet deep under, and I leaned back, letting the sun bathe me in warmth, as I listened to Rafayel.

"I hate selling to those egotistical pricks. Yet Thomas says that it's good for business and that I can do whatever I want with the money I make. But that doesn't change the fact that the bastard bought one of my paintings about the tragedy of Lemuria, when he has a fucking skeleton displayed in his house!" He ranted, filled with justified anger,

I turned my head to the side to see that Rafayel had now sat up, glaring at the water, his teeth gnashed in rage. I slowly lean up, giving him the attention he deserves, "It is because he does not see them worthy of human respect, that because they are inherently different, they are inhuman... But as the artist, you should have the right to refuse a client; that is something you should speak to Thomas about," I tilted my head to the side, "And any other time, I would tell you not to be childish and to work diligently; however, if Thomas isn't going to respect your boundaries, then I wouldn't give him anything to work with. Your art is yours to display and sell, and if Thomas cannot respect your wishes, then he shouldn't have access to them," I explained firmly.

Rafayel look over at me, the righteous fury still burning in his gaze, but slightly softened, "You, Miss "Needs to be responsible and get your adult responsibilities done," is telling me that I need not to do my adult duties?" He raised his eyebrows.

"I mean you are self-employed; you could threaten to fire him" I shrugged, "Of course, talk to him first, ensuring he understands the situation and your wants and feelings, but if he won't respect them, then you can fire him."

I sat up more, brushing the sand off my sleeves, turning to face him more, "Now, if you don't mind me asking, something I've noticed is you get extremely angry when mentioning humans and the genocide," I hold my hand up as he goes to speak, "Let me finish please," Rafayel snapped his mouth shut with a pout before I continued, "Obviously this is is a horrifying thing of the past, that does deserve righteous anger, but this happened centuries ago, yet the level of anger you show the way you speak of yourself, makes it seem as if you were there... Where does this level of rage come from?" I asked softly, pointing out how odd his behavior was.

Rafayel scoffed, looking away, "You wouldn't get it..." His body language was almost closed off, but despite his scoff, his tone gave off vulnerability.

I slowly scooted over and rested my hand on his shoulder, "I can't understand if you don't tell me... But that's up to you; I won't push you if you're not ready," I stated softly; I truly wanted him to feel safe and comfortable.

Rafayel tensed under my touch, despite his hatred for working out I could feel his muscles on his shoulders and back were prominent under my touch. Languidly, he rolls his head to look at me; his dual colored eyes gazed into my own, showing anger, but deeper than that, there was mourning, "I doubt you'd believe me even if I told you," Longing, resentment, pain, and hope, all showed in his eyes, conflicting each other.

"You're wrong Rafayel, I will believe you. Whether you teleported back in time, managed to meet a Lemurian, or you're one yourself, I'll believe you," I squeezed his shoulder reassuringly, after working so many years in a messy world of protocores and protofields, anything could be the truth.

I had seen the way he would talk about Lemuria, how Rafayel would gaze off into the distance, his mind far away from Whitesand Bay, how his eyes would darken when speaking of the genocide, the betrayals they faced. There has always been more about this man.

My proclamation took him by surprise, his eyes widened, showing me more of the pretty blue on the top, Rafayel looked down breaking eye contact. I don't push any further, letting Rafayel come to his own decision.

We sat there in silence for several minutes, waiting, letting the ocean breeze cool our sun-warmed bodies. I didn't mind; these types of decisions aren't to be made frivolously. I would rather Rafayel take his time and refuse to speak, then for him to answer me and regret it later.

Finally with a huff Rafayel flops himself into the sand, his hair now covered in sand, I stifled my huff, attempting to keep the grin off my face as his childish antics. I would rather see the childish antics than the cold playboy act; this way, I know that while I'm not seeing all of him, he's letting his guard down in his own way.

From underneath his fringe, Rafayel pouts up at me, it's quiet adorable, "Play with my hair."

My heart picked up speed; thankfully, I was already warm from the sun, so I didn't need to worry about that. "Pardon?" I believe I managed to keep my tone even and my face neutral.

Based on the smirk now covering Rafayel's face, I apparently failed. Gently, he grabbed my wrist, bringing my hand to his hair, "See, it's not that hard," He closed his eyes and leaned back in to the sand.

I huffed, amused as I started to play with the dusty purple strands, gently brushing the sand out of his hair. He's such an odd man; I can't help but smile softly.

It was in this moment that I realized that I may have found that my feelings were a little more than just that of a patient and psychiatrist.

~~~~~~

It was another many months since that day on the beach that I received a call late in the night. I was finishing up my files for the night when Rafayel called me, he was moody, the fluctuations in the short call were extreme, yet I could hear his breathlessness, when I pushed asking if he was alright he grumbled a bit, trying to give an excuse. When I pushed further, he snapped that I was that worried I could check on him myself. So here I am, knocking on Rafayel's door with my medical bag strapped to my back before I opened it. Knowing that after all these months, Rafayel will never open the front door.

As I walked inside and it was more of a mess than usual, what I learned was an artful mess, is now straight up chaos, it looks as if he has a tantrum.

"Rafayel! Where are you!?" I called out, my voice echoing through the high walls.

None of the lights were on, none of the candles lit; the only light comes from the wall length windows, pouring in the moonlight; what would have been plunging darkness, seemed calm and simple.

"Rafayel!" I shouted even louder as I spread up, trying to spot Rafayel, my concern blooming into rapid anxiety.

I heard a low grown come from the couch, "Keep it down, would you?"

I rushed over to the ugly orange couch, thankfully finding Rafayel there. His face was flushed, and his breathing was ragged; I also noticed that half the buttons on his shirt were undone; he's over heating.

Kneeling on the side of the couch, I gently reached up and felt his forehead. Rafayel was sweaty and concernedly warm to the touch.

"Rafayel, are you okay? What's going on?" I asked urgently, "Do you need me to bring you to the hospital? I remember the one you prefer to go to," I rushed out the rest.

If Rafayel has a form of protocore syndrome that could explain some of the symptoms he's exhibiting. I internally cursed myself out; I should have been firmer when I warned him off of using protocores as materials in his paint.

"I'm fine, just a little tired," Rafayel huffed, batting away my hand.

I glanced into his mixed irises; exhaustion oozed out of them. Sighing regretfully, I stood up and said, "Alright, then let's get you to bed."

I gently wrapped my arm behind his shoulders, "Ugggg, it's too hot in there," Rafayel whined, leaning heavily into my arm, showing no sighs of being helpful.

"You're already too cold; I don't dare put you near anything else that's cold," I bit my lip, getting even more concerned.

Using my other arm, I placed it under Rafayel's knees, "Come here, I got you," I commented, as I lifted him into my arms.

Instantly, Rafayel's arms wrapped around my neck, "Hey, hey, hey, what are you doing?!" He sputtered out, looking at me, completely bewildered.

Thankfully, my work in the hospital and my regular workouts made Rafayel's weight easy to carry as I made my way to where he said his room was.

"Right now, I am bringing you to bed, where I will watch you until you're either better, or I decide to bring you to the hospital," I glance down at him firmly, "And no, you cannot whine, pout, or otherwise manipulate your way out of this."

"I'm fiinnneeee, I just need a cold bath, and I'll be good by morning," Rafayel whined attempting to squirm out of my arms, unsuccessfully.

I shift my hold on him, so I could grasp Rafayel more firmly, essentially pinning him to my chest, as I planted my feet, "Choose now, I bring you to bed and watch you, or I drive you to the hospital, your choice," I offered firmly, leaving no room for argument.

Rafayel's flushed skin spread to his ears as he gaped at me bewildered, and something else I can't quite pin. He then hid his face in the crock of my neck before mumbling, "Bed."

"Alright, one bedroom observation for the night," I stated, continuing my trek to his room.

Rafayel's hair tickled my chin as he mumbled into my neck, little things like, "This is so unnecessary," "I'm fine," and the occasional, "This is so embarrassing."

"There is nothing embarrassing about needing help, especially during a medical episode," I soothed, as I toed open the door to his room.

Yet again, there is more artwork and supplies scattered around the room, but the giant king-size bed in the middle of the back looked grand yet well loved and used, which eased some of the anxiety about Rafayel's sleeping habits. My eyes briefly drifted to the gorgeous panels of art, which may be a mural of the sky? I cannot remember all the of the different art things Rafayel taught me, no matter how many times he gasps and calls me a heathen.

Shifting Rafayel's weight, I pulled back the covers with one arm and gently set him down on the bed, "Where are your pajamas? I'll grab them for you," I asked gently, as I looked at Rafayel, his eyes refused to meet mine, his posture was curled inward, he was either nervous or ashamed.

Slowly, I cupped his face, gently bringing Rafyel to face me, "There is nothing to be ashamed of. If you don't want to go to the hospital, then I will be here to care for your every need," My thumb gently caressed his cheek.

Rafayel looked at me from under his eyelashes, a slight pout still hanging there... adorable...

“There in the bureau, in the top shelf,” Rafayel petulantly replied.

I smiled softly at him, “Thank you Rafayel, that was very good of you,” I all but cooed at him.

The flush covering his face and ears quickly spread down to his neck; I back away to grab his pajamas; the bureau drawers are heavy but polished smooth under my hands, letting the wood slide open with ease. Not wanting to rummage through his belongings, I grabbed the first pair at the top, a pair of white silk pajama pants. Peering inside the drawer, there weren't any shirts in there. I shrugged my shoulders as I closed the door, some people have a thing against sleeping in shirts, and if Rafayel is already complaining he's hot, then I wont push it.

I hand over the pajamas to Rafayel, "Do you need any help putting them on?" My concern rose as his hands shakily took the soft cloth from me.

Rafayel shook his head vehemently, "No, I got it."

I nodded my head and turned around, sitting on the floor as I slid my medical bag off my back to rummage through it.

"Hey... Aren't you gonna leave the room or something?" I could hear his blush darken without even looking back.

I start to pull out my stethoscope and placed it around my neck for later, so I can check Rafayel's vital signs, "You're far too unsteady right now. I don't dare leave your side until you're safely tucked in bed," I explained factually, waiting for him to change.

I could hear a disgruntled humph behind me before the soft rustling of clothing, I fought back chuckled as Rafayel muttered and whined behind me, a slightly irritated patient is nothing new to me.

"There, I'm done now," Rafayel called out from his bed.

I stand back up and face Rafayel, my eyes flickered to his bare chest, unable to ignore the soothe toned skin, leading into the lean muscles of his stomach. Clearing my throat, I met his gaze, somewhere between flustered, annoyance, and that same damn emotion I couldn't spot earlier, "Alright, let's get you settled into bed."

He waved me off, as he scooted further onto his bed, "I'm fine! I don't need you to tuck me in," Rafayel whined, as he pulled the covers over his lap, relaxing against the head board.

I shake my head amused, "That's fine," I pulled out an old school thermometer; I find them more accurate than the forehead scanners, "Here, take this," I ordered softly, as I handed him the thermometer.

Flopping his arms on the bed, Rafayel continued to whine, "I'm too sick to do this; my arms are broken. Do it for me."

"Fine then," I sat on the side of his bed and pressed the tip to his mouth, "Open up."

Rafayel flicked back pursing his lips, before opening his mouth, and placing the thermometer properly, "Thank you Rafayel," I smiled softly, as I grabbed my stethoscope from my neck, "Just breathe normally for me," I placed the ear-tips in place, and the drum on his chest, listening deeply.

Looking at my watch, I kept count: 98 beats per- minute, no 100 beats per-, 103... 105? Rafayel's chest was rising and falling faster than before. Risking a glance, I flicked my eyes up to Rafayel's face. His eyes wide and avoiding mine, the flush from his heated skin traveled down his face and to his rapidly rising and falling chest. Poor thing isn't used to being taken care of.

With the gentle beeping of the thermometer, I took off the stethoscope and removed the thermometer from his mouth.

"The hell?" I whispered, perplexed at the blinking numbers 34.5 Celsius, 94.1 Fahrenheit.

Rafayel spotted the number yet seemed unsurprised, "I'm like a frozen fish put in the microwave for 10 seconds."

I looked up at him completely befuddled, "Rafayel do you not know how serious this is? You are physically burning up but are reading at a hypothermic temperature!" I reach down into my bag, grabbing my phone, "I should have just taken you to the hospital; I don't know why I thought-"

My phone was plucked out of my hand, "Hey!" I shouted indignantly, "You are hypothermic; I'm taking you to the hospital!"

"I'm going to sleep now. Stay here if you want," he grouched, rolling over and taking my phone with him.

"Rafayel!" I seethed through my teeth as I watched him getting comfortable on his bed.

Without another word, he ignored me, and his breathing evened out. While he peacefully entered dreamland, Rafayel had successfully provoked me into a frenzied state. I paced back and forth next to the side of the bed. Logic tells me that I should simply carry Rafayel out of the bed and to the hospital, no matter his protests, the other logical part of me remembers that I cannot treat a patient without permission.

I rake my fingers through my hair, pulling at the strands as I contemplate what I should do, my heart pounding in chest thrumming in my ears, as I continue to pace the floor, only guided by the moonlight shining in the room. Groaning loudly, I grab the digital scanner thermometer and drag a chair in front of Rafayel's bed; I slump into it before gazing at Rafayel's face, and I pause, taking a closer look... Despite his even breathing and relaxed posture, his eyes are firm, there were no subtle movements, and his expression is ridged... He's faking it! I rolled my eyes while fighting back a groan of irritation. I double-checked the time and calculated to check his temperature and heart rate every 20 or so minutes. Grabbing my notebook, I started to write down Rafayel's symptoms, the time I took his vitals, and the results. Thus beginning what will be a tedious night, honestly, it brought me back to my residency days, when I would be forced to do the overnight patient sit-ins. Honestly, I didn't mind those. Sometimes, I was the only person who was willing to talk with them, and it taught me empathy and what's really going through their minds. It made me a better doctor.

Eventually, my watch beeped, reminding me to take Rafayel's vitals; glancing at his face, it seems he may have actually drifted off to sleep.

Standing from my chair, I leaned over Rafayel, "I'm just gonna take your vitals," I whispered, just incase he was still awake.

I used the digital scanner and found that his temperature is the same, his heart rate is much calmer this time, a steady 98 beats per minute. Satisfied with my findings, I moved to sit back down and note my findings, but something caught my attention out of the corner of my eye. Something small glistening in the moonlight; slowly, I turned, following the tiny sparkles.

Nothing could have stopped the gasp that left my lips. Tiny little blue scales dotted along Rafayel's cheek bones and down his neck. I caught myself as I reached out to touch them, stopping before I could, not wanting to break Rafayel's trust.

Instead I sit myself down, and put away my note book, as I recalled the story that Rafayel once told me, about when the seep sea would wash ashore... Ebb Day... One day a year, when the tide is at its lowest and the flows in the opposite direction, is the day when mermaids are at their weakest. It seems that the mermaids in the story may just be the Lemurians. With a quick search on my phone, I found that today was, in fact, Ebb Day.

Despite being willed with concern and also curiosity, I simply sit there and watch Rafayel sleep. I had already theorized that Rafayel was a Lemurian, seeing the proof in front of me was still a shock. Hoping that Rafayel was telling the truth, I relax in my place, waiting to see if my little fishy is feeling better in the morning.

~~~~~

"So you do have a tail?" I asked excitedly, sitting next to Rafayel on the sand.

The night had passed, and finally Rafayel was back to himself, but after what transpired last night finally broke down the remaining walls he had up. Rafayel is much more relaxed, and finally telling me some more about his past, he's still keeping something from me, but I think he's waiting for our next therapy session before talking about them.

The sun beamed down on us, as Rafayel smirked at me, "Now that would be telling," He ran his fingers through his hair, before relaxing into the sand.

Giddily, I leaned closer to him. "So that's a yes! Tell me! Does it match the colors of the scales on your face? What does it look like?" I pestered him gleefully, wanting to learn as much as I could about him and Lemurian biology.

"Humph, I don't feel like telling you," Rafayel teased, rolling to his side.

I crawled over so I was facing his front, my hands sinking into the warm sand, "Come on Rafayel please! You're killing me here!" Honestly, I had never heard myself speak like this and act so... freely... but I couldn't find it in myself to care enough to stop.

I wanted to reach out and shake his shoulder, try and get his attention, but something stopped me, as my hand stayed in the air, feeling like maybe that was pushing too far.

Rafayel cracked open an eye, glancing at my hand, he reaches up and lances our fingers together, "You ask too many questions. I just wanna relax," He whined.

The warmth from his hand seeps into my own as I stare at our interlaced hands. There was an ember of warmth, and a bottomless pit of Longing gnawed at my stomach. I don't think I've ever been touched like before. I've never held someone's hand like this. Besides taking vitals or examining a patient, I never touch anyone. Handshakes aren't a thing in China; I don't really have any friends; truth be told, I can't even remember the last time my parents hugged me. Yet here Rafayel was touching me of his own free will, not as my patient receiving care, but as my friend... maybe I could wish for something more.

"What? Crab got your tongue?" Rafayel's words were teasing, but his voice was softer, "Come here, it's time for a nap,"

"Wha-" I was cut off by a gentle tugging on our clasped hands.

My other hand rested on top of the sand wasn't stable enough to keep me up, sending me sprawling forward. Blinking owlishly, I went to speak but was distracted by the warmth under my cheek, the steady thrum of his heart under my ear; any thoughts that I had before were wiped from my brain.

Gently tugging methodically pulled at my hair as Rafayel's fingers combed through my hair.

"Rafayel?" I gasped softly as the small ember of hope grew into a spark.

"Shhh, nap time," Rafayel muttered, softly playing with my hair.

"What if I don't nap? It ruins your REM sleep," I countered, yet I did nothing to move away from my spot on Rafayel's chest.

Then just stay here... Stay here with me," Rafayel whispered serenely.

My eyelashes fluttered against his chest as I gazed up at him; I figured that Rafayel's eyes would be closed, yet instead, all I could see was the pretty pink of his iris looking down at me full of lo- no... I can't use that word, not yet.

I cuddled closer to Rafayel, resting easy so my side was along his body, "Alright, I'll stay," I whispered tenderly, as I rested my other hand next to my face.

Rafayel squeezed my fingers in return, there wasn't a smile on his face, but his expression is tender, peaceful, I realized very quickly, that I could stay like this forever. Just Rafayel and me, here on this beach, the sand underneath us, the breeze flowing over us and through our hair, while the sun beats down on us. Our own paradise, just me and my little mermaid.

What could have been minutes or hours later, Rafayel softly whispered into my hair, "Tell me my muse, would you let me paint you?"

"Paint me?" I asked, conflicted.

"Yes, paint you. Or maybe you would prefer to be sculpted? I can do that as well. You are my muse, whenever I look around I see you, the sand and how it soaks up the warmth of the sun, the water how its remaining and stead fast no matter how low the tide is it will always return to me; I see you everywhere in my home, among my work, on my furniture... I just want to show you more. Keep a part of you there permanently... Maybe," Rafayel trails off his laminate.

"Maybe what?" I asked breathlessly, unable to believe the poetry being spoken to me.

Slowly, Rafayel sat us up and rested me in his lap, "Maybe you could paint something? You're own design that can stay here with me," His hand, that was still tangled in hair, angled my head towards his face.

I haltingly shake my head, "I- I've never done something like that before..." I trailed off as a blush blossomed across my cheeks, admitting weakness.

And just like that, that cocky smirk I love to hate came back, "Ohhh, so Miss Perfect isn't perfect at everything."

Scoffing, I looked away; "I was focused on my academics," I muttered bashfully.

"Is that right?" Rafayel teased, "Seems that the student finally needs to teach the master."

I couldn't help but roll my eyes at his dramatics, "Oh please, I'm sure that even then it would still be me teaching you something," I sassed, knowing I knew absolutely nothing about art.

That damned smirk grew even more, "Oh really? Then tell me, what will you teach me, my dutiful master?"

~~~~~

"I must say, I think I'm a fan of this brush," I praised professionally, as I dipped the brush back into the cobalt blue.

"Th-that one? It's so old and frayed... I think you should- oh-" Rafayel trailed off as I placed the brush against my canvas, gently dragging it across the width.

I hummed, pleased as the bristles caught and dragged across the surface. The best part was watching Rafayel squirm, "No, definitely this one, I like the way it leaves s t r e ak s," I mused as I continued on with spreading the paint.

Rafayel shifted his wrists the best he could, "I could teach you how to do that on purpose! Just free my wrists, and I'll show you how!" He had a pleasant smile on his face while delicately pleading with me.

I reached up and tested the ropes holding his wrists in place, "But if I do that, I lose my canvas... You wouldn't want me to lose all my hard work, would you?" I asked stoically while admiring the work I had done on Rafayel's chest.

"Come on, I can show you some really good ones, you just gotta let me down," He bargained.

I sat back and enjoyed my view: Rafayel kneeling on a pedestal, his arms bound high above his head, a delicate blush covering his cheeks and down to his chest before it hides beneath the bright yellows, oranges, and blues I've painted there.

Dutifully ignoring Rafayel's lower half, I grip his hips and pull him as close as I dare to, my breath mingling with his, "But if I did that, I'd be paying less attention to you. And that would be quite unacceptable, wouldn't you agree?"

Rafayel's lidded eyes only reviled the pink, while he gazed down at me, "You-" He licked his lips, "You always pay attention to me."

I smiled softly as I leaned closer, our lips brushing together, "Always, and that's why you're going to be my good fishy and be my canvas," I purred, before backing away.

Grabbing a wide and long brush and dipping it into the French blue, I gently lined up one edge of my brush along the cobalt blue and spread it across, mixing the two together as I covered his ribs in the new shade.

"Ohhh," A small little moan leaves his lips as the cool paint touches his ribs.

"Ohhh?" I teased lightly, "Does my fishy like that?"

Rafayel shook his head, trying to say no, yet the way his ears reddened even further, how his nipples are stiff peaks, and the way he leans close to me, craving more, all tells me a very different story.

Gently cupping his face, I rubbed my thumb along his cheek, accidentally smearing paint there, "You don't have to lie to me. I'll never judge you for what you like," Dipping my brush back into the paint, I held it right above his sternum, "Tell me right now and I'll stop," I offered gently, looking deep into his eyes.

Just barely there, a small whimper escaped his mouth, "Please..." Rafayel tried to look away in shame, but I held firm, ensuring that all he could see was my love and conviction for him, "Please... Don't stop..."

I smiled softly, "Good boy."

I bring the brush down, smoothing out the blob of paint, back and forth over his ribs, doing my best to work on my squirming canvas. After thoroughly covering his midsection in blue, I placed my brush down, my work piece finally coming together.

Looking at my palette, I didn't have the color I wanted, and I wasn't quite sure where to go from there.

"Rafayel... Which color should I use?" I questioned, wondering where his brain was at.

"Hmmm?" Looking down as the slew of colors on his chest and the dabs of paint on my palette, "Oh," he sucked in a breath, "Umm... Mix the... the um... turquoise with the... cornflo- no, the azure blue," He stumbled through.

Remembering the names from earlier, I scooped up two dollops of the paint, mixing them into something lighter and vibrant, "Perfect, good job Rafayel," I cooed, lavishing the paint across his just a tad lower then the last bit.

Rafayel leaned further into my touch, widening his knees even more, "Good?" The whine breathlessly left his lips.

"Yes, Rafayel, you're being very good for me," I cooed, gently rubbing his bare side.

Grabbing a thinner but longer brush, "Now tell me what does this one do?"

Huffing out a breath, he reluctantly responds, "It's for- for fine details," Rafayel eyed the brush wearily.

"Hmmm," I pondered as I looked over what I had done before putting the thin brush down. I could visibly see Rafayel relax, well... until I grabbed the sponge brush, "This will do nicely," Pleased with my selection I dipped the course-looking brush into an off-white yet tannish color; I believe the bottle of paint was labeled cashmere.

"Now that brush will make an uneven surface, why- why don't you use one of the large flat ones? Like you used earlier?" Rafayel rushed out, his abdomen already tensing.

A slight smirk escaped me, "Well, it seems like I chose the perfect one then," Thus, I began to drag and dab the sponge across his navel, coloring it a nice sandy tone.

Although it was quiet challenging to paint him, as he keeps wiggling about, unsure if he wants to get further or closer to the stimulation, Rafayel head leaned back, his mouth hung open, and eyes screwed shut. I couldn't help but chuckle at the pretty sight he made while I dipped my brush back into the paint, needing to cover more of his stomach.

Slowly, I moved lower, and lower, and lower, more entranced by the way Rafayel's body heaved in each breath, not daring to release his moans, as I moved closer and closer to where I've been ignoring.

The pretty silk pants did absolutely nothing to hide his enjoyment. A rather large and unusual bulge tented his pants, throbbing and twitching, eager to be free.

I placed the brush down and carefully wiped my hands clean of any residue paint before I grabbed the clean parts of Rafayel's hips, my thumbs slipping under, toying with the waistband. “Tell me what you want,” I ordered softly, not leaving room to be ignored.

Rafayel rolled his hips towards me, whining, “P-please.”

I let my thumbs slip lower, massaging his hips, “Good boy for using your manners, but you don't quite tell me what you want...” My grip becomes just a bit tighter, and I relish in the moan that leaves Rafayel’s lips: “One last try... What. Do. You. Want?” I enunciated each word by tugging him closer to me.

Rafayel's pretty dual-colored eyes met mine, now damp from unshed tears, “Please... please touch me...”

I squeezed his hips while remaining silent, letting him have a moment to figure out that he didn't tell me enough, and the way Rafayel’s eyes widened and shone even further is just as delectable as the whimper that left his lips.

Rafayel bit his lip, before releasing the swollen abused flesh, “Please...” he briefly looked away before meeting my gaze again, “Please take off my pants... and...” his Adam's apple bobbed as he swallowed, “touch my cocks,” he whispered the end, while looking nervously at me, most likely expecting an adverse reaction.

“Yes Rafayel, I would love to play with your cocks,” I crooned softly.

I released his hips as I toyed with the string holding the silk pants in place. While I was terribly interested in Rafayel’s unique biology, I needed to make sure his comfort comes first, and that starts with me curbing my scientific instincts and simply begin worshiping Rafayel’s body.

Agonizingly slow, I pulled the drawstrings, undoing the neat tie that was holding the expensive fabric in place, "Is this what you've wanted, Rafayel? For me to play with your pretty cocks?" I cooed my questions as the knot unraveled.

Rafayel eagerly nodded his head, "Yes, I can't stop thinking about it!" While the nervousness was still present, anticipation dominated his emotions.

I loosened the tie, all the while holding up his pants, refusing to let them fall, "How do I play with your cocks? What do you fantasize me doing?"

And just like that, those pretty tears flooded his eyes once again, yet they were stubborn enough by refusing to spill over and flow down his cheeks, "No... I-" Rafayel attempted to protest, shaking his head.

Using my free hand, I threaded my fingers into his soft, dusty purple hair and gently pulled, unwilling to cause him pain, yet refusing to allow him to break our gaze, "Yes, you can, just open those pretty lips of your and tell me," My words where firm, but my voice was soft; gentle and unyielding.

The longer I stare into Rafayel's eyes, the more I notice that the dual colors of pink and blue constantly shift, back and forth like the tide, but right now, barely any color could be seen due to his lust-blown pupils.

Rafayel blinked back tears, wetting his eyelashes, "You... You um... You use both hands, one on each cock," I left go of his pants letting the fabric pool around his knees, but I ignored his cocks for now, prioritizing our eye contact.

"What do I do next?" I asked, watching how his mouth moved up and down, yet nothing but little whines and moans escaped his lips.

Despite his nervousness, Rafayel's voice becomes bolder, "You stroke them slowly... All the way down to the base, and then back up... but..." His voice trails off as he heaves in another breath, "You ignore the tips... no matter how much I beg..."

Confidant he wont look away, I languidly lower my hands to were his cocks are, following the trail of heat I graze the tips my fingers along the first shaft, feeling the warmth, and how they pulsed with want. Reaching the bottom, the base thickened as the two combined at his pelvis. I can't quite bring myself to wrap my hands around them. Instead, I continue to lazily brush my fingers against his shafts, needing to arouse him even more.

"So you like it when I'm mean to you? When I make you work for what you want?" I asked smoothly, avoiding the way Rafayel rolls his hips into my hands, refusing to give him more stimulation.

Rafayel fingers flex as he tried to grasp the ropes holing him up, "Yes- no, I don't know, please just touch my cocks, please," With a broken whimper, the first tear spilled, it was beautiful and pearlescent, as it slowly rolled down his cheek.

"Good boy," I cooed, finally wrapping my hands around his thick cocks; they were already slick from pre-cum, allowing my hands to slowly glide up and down his shafts.

Just like that, Rafayel's eyes rolled back while a deep, rumbling moan left his lips, his head falling back, pushing his hips into my hands. His whole body was tense; even under the layers of paint, I could see his abdomen flex and his thighs strain—anything he could do to get closer.

With Rafayel distracted by my hands, I finally get to take a look at what I'm working with. The bottom, where they join at the pelvis, expands into two deliciously thick cocks; angry pulsating veins throbbed a deep pink color, yet the more I stroke them, the closer that color turns to red. They were almost indistinguishable from human anatomy, but down the underside of both cocks lay a ladder of small ridges, leading to a dusky pink pointed tip, and not a single hair in sight.

Absolutely gorgeous.

I licked my lips as I fought the need to taste them... For now I ignore the urge, instead focusing back on Rafayel, his flush was dark enough that it resembled a sunburn, and I couldn't help but coo in sympathy, "Looks like I have a fried fishy in front of me. So pretty for me," I softly smiled at Rafayel.

Semingly difficult, Rafayel struggled to focus his eyes on me, the pink darkened to a deep red as he battled with his lust, "Pretty?" he moaned dazed through hooded eyes.

I squeezed his shafts just a tad tighter as I stroked him, "Yes, you're my pretty fishy," I confirmed teasingly, as I avoided the tips of his cocks, playing into his fantasy.

The small drips of pre-cum have turned into a steady flow, soaking my hands and puddling on the stand between Rafayel's legs. I could barely hear anything over Rafayel's moans, yet the moment I picked up speed, wet squelching noises competed for competition.

"You've been so quiet... tell me what you're thinking," I order softly, wondering what little amounts of Rafayel's brain are working.

"Itsss goood," Rafayel slurred, "Your hands, oh fuck, they feel so good," He groaned, as I sped up a little, "So pretty, please please make me cum," He cut himself off with a moan.

All of Rafayel's lustful noises sent waves of heat to my core; the primal part of myself wanted to reach down and finger cunt my fingers slickened by Rafayel's pre-cum, but that would mean letting go of one of Rafayel's cocks... I bit back a sigh as I wiggled my hips, unimpressed with the way my wetness clung to my panties. But watching Rafayel how he gazes at me longingly, worshiping, putting all his hope and trust in me... I know I can't disappoint him.

"As you wish," I whispered, holding his gaze as I lowered my head. Lazily, I lolled out my tongue, revering in hearing the gasp that escaped his lungs, fighting back a smirk I liked the tip of his bottom cock; the salty taste bloomed across my tongue, but there was something else something heady and smokey, just like his evol... just like Rafayel.

Humming, I couldn't help but go back for another taste using the flat of my tongue; I start at the base and lick upward, over the ridges, collecting all the spilt pre-cum letting it build in my mouth, before finally flicking my tongue over the tip of his dick.

"Oh fuck, please my pearl, so good," Rafayel's voice took on a higher tone, not a whine, almost as if he was singing, slowly his scales start to revile themselves, dotting over his face and neck, over his broad shoulders to Rafayel's hands; I bet that if I were to walk around him there would be a plethora of scales along his back, yet from here I can see the ones that cover his thighs and calves, and even under the paint I could see the shapes of the scales attempting to break free, surrounding his groin.

In this moment, I think I finally believe that gods exist... and one is kneeling before me right now.

Unable to hold back anymore, I lick the tip of Rafayel's cock one again before taking the head into my mouth, suckling gently, letting the hot flesh press against my tongue. I moaned as more of his taste coats my tongue; I hollowed my cheeks and sucked harder, urging more of the salty fluid into my mouth.

“My p-per-peral, please, n-no more teasing," Rafayel gasped around his words, attempting to thrust further into my mouth.

I stayed right where I was, gripping Rafayel's hips tightly, refusing to let him slide in deeper; instead, I continue to suck on the tip of his dick, flicking my tongue over the slit repeatedly. Under my hands Rafayel couldn't stop his hips from twitching, wanting to encase more if itself into my warmth.

Looking up into his eyes, Rafayel focuses on me, his pretty eyes still brimming with tears, I hold still, doing nothing but sucking the tip of his cock, and waited. Until his moans increased and became whiny.

I was completely entranced; if this is how sirens lured their victims, then I would be long dead... He's just so fucking beautiful.

Finally, I gave into Rafayel's desires and slowly made my way down his cock, my tongue rubbing over each of the ribs on the bottom of his cock, as I continue to take more of his cock, my nose brushes against his top cock; the ridges bumping each time, until the tip of his top cock rests on top of my head, a steady stream of pre-cum dripped onto my hair. I mentally cringed at the prospect of cleaning it out of my hair, but it wasn't enough to deter me. I doubled my efforts as I moved back up, making sure my tongue fitted into every little ridge. His top cock smearing more of his pre-cum onto my face.

Rafayel's eyes watered further under my efforts as he mewled, "Please, please, oh fuck, yes, please don't stop," His hips further attempting to thrust into my mouth, seemingly mindless on their own accord.

I moved off his bottom dick with a wet pop before lavishing the top one with my tongue, cleaning up the mess of pre-cum that had drooled everywhere, licking every drop that had spilled in between, Rafayel's other cock was warm and slick as it slid against my throat, drooling all over my shirt causing the white material to become sheer in some spots. Gazing down at my semi-exposed breasts, a new idea forms, one that I've read men quite like. Pulling off Rafayel's cock, I methodically start to unbutton my shirt.

"No! Why did you-?" Rafayel cut off his own whine as he stared at my  hands, "What are you doing?" He asked, licking his lips, unable to tear his gaze away.

After undoing the last button, I pushed my bra up slightly, "Something new," I commented lazily, as I grabbed Rafayel's bottom cock and lined it up between my tits, I spat in between my cleavage to slicken the way, as I slowly moved down to cover Rafayel's cock. In the meantime, I took his top cock into my mouth. Allowing me to thoroughly pleasure both simultaneously.

"You're so pretty," he whispered reverently, "making me feel so good; please, please, don't stop."

I hummed around his cock, as I grabbed my tits and slowly started to slide them up and down his cock, this thick heat throbbing and drooling everywhere, making a mess all over my tits and under my chin. His top cock throbbed in unison with its twin, letting me slurp every drop of his pre-cum. I set a steady place as I duel pleasured Rafayel, the very taste of him sent waves of heat pooling in my core, and my pussy throbbed with each of his moans. I wanted more.. no.. I needed more!

I squeezed my tits tighter, uncaring if I left odd marks for later; I hallowed my checks and speed up my pace, rigorously working Rafayel's cocks. I growled lowly in my throat as Rafayel's moans increased in pitch, no longer sounding human like; instead, it seemed as if he was singing, high and needy, wordlessly begging for more, as his cocks leaked everywhere. With each melodic note, the flame inside me grows, my brain becoming fuzzy as I crave even more. I didn't care how my jaw ached, or noticed how I gagged when I took his cock into my throat, just as long as I got more . More of his moans and whines, more of his cum, just more, more, more!

"AHh! Per- pleas! Fu-!" Rafayel brokenly screamed, as he flooded my mouth, and spilled over my chest, bathing me in his cum.

I swallowed everything he gave me, craving every drop. Popping off his cock to lap up every drop I missed, cleaning them both before taking it back into my mouth. Cum and drool everywhere, but I couldn't care less, just as long as I get more.

"No! Please! It- it's too much!" Rafayel squealed, his abdomen flexing attempting to get away from the overwhelming pleasure, his cocks over sensitized from recently cumming.

Letting go of my tits, I grab his hips, my fingers sinking into his plush ass cheeks, as I pulled him closer, devouring everything that spills from his cocks.

"Please, please, I can't, not so soon!" Rafayel whimpered, struggling against his restraints.

Popping of his cock, using the flat of my tongue, I lick a broad stripe over the tips of his cocks, "More," I demanded simply, my voice both dark and empty, before I continued my ministrations, Rafayel's squeals and moans echoing through his home.

It won't be until long after the sun sets that we'll finally learn that Lemurian cum is addictive to humans; not that I care; I just want to plan another painting lesson soon.

Tag list: @anemonelovesfiction, @loakstahni, @xylianasblog, @etherialblackrose, @eywaite, @tallulah477, @neteyamsoare, @nakedinthetrees

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Gimme.....Fernando x Mermaid!Reader

Mermaid?

3035 Characters 550 words

this is the most random request I’ve ever gotten idek know where i got this idea from but do enjoy this is my first nando fic!!

Fernando's obsession with mermaids started at a young age, the age of 16, the typical teenage hormone-induced age, where everything and anything could make a lad horny. It wasn’t until Fernando saw a mermaid documentary that his thoughts of erotica surrounding them started to wander, something about the unknown nature of mermaids enticed him.

It was almost like a taboo, only for him to secretly indulge in. He’d once mentioned his interests in mermaids to his mates and they just laughed him off, saying that mermaids were not real and that if he wanted action that bad, he should just invest in a flashlight and let his thoughts wander.

It wasn’t until he got a little bit older and started focusing more on his career that he saw the first signs of mermaids actually existing.

He thought he was delusional and that his mind was playing tricks on him. Perhaps his thoughts of an interaction with mermaids really were taking over his brain, leading him to find anything and everything related to mermaids real.

Fernando really thought he was going crazy. He’d heard the stories from local fishermen who were at sea for ages and how they had seen and one bold man even claiming how he’d actually had sex with one of them. Fernando knew better than to believe them and made it a vow that he’d give up his mermaid fantasies.

That realization only came after he’d asked one of his one-night stands to dress up like a mermaid while having sex with him. He'd even gone ahead and got the girl flippers and the whole ensemble. That same girl used the flippers to whack Nando and call him a freak. He knew if this got leaked to the public, his career would be over.

Fast forward to the middle of June and the Spanish heatwaves really got Fernando thinking about his little taboo kink. He had decided to take his boat out and just clear his head; he’d find a quiet little spot and park his boat, letting his mind wander here and there. He’d been used to the little creeks and slight changes in the water direction, just blaming it on wind direction and tide changes.

What he would not expect even in his wildest dreams was that there was a mermaid sitting right on his boat. She was stunning; everything Fernando could have imagined.

Her hair was cascading down her back, and her eyes gleamed under the setting sun. Fernando didn’t know what to do; he didn’t want to startle his precious fantasy, but he really wanted to get close to her. He mentally made a note to get his fisherman friend the biggest export deal in the country because it was him who had told Fernando to dock where he had docked.

Fernando didn’t even have the chance to decide if he should make a move or not; his mermaid lover made the choice for him. She lunged forward to capture his lips and, coincidentally, his heart as well.

The kiss was intense; every single perverted thought Nando had couldn’t even come close to how good it finally felt when she made contact with him, and that’s when he knew that land or sea, they would be together for the rest of their days.

[obiwansito]

Let me take care of you

read on ao3 𐐒𐐚 masterlist

pairing- hunter x fem!reader

word count- 2.1k

summary- it's the opening of pabu's theater, and it's first play is starred by omega, your kid. you wouldn't miss it for anything in the world, even if you are sick. luckily, hunter is there to take care of you.

tags- sickfic, fluff.

a/n- i wrote this while being sick and wanting someone (hunter bad batch) to take care of me. so yes, it's completely self indulgent.

“Are you sure you're going to be all right?” You heard Hunter say, as you finished applying lipstick in the bathroom. You turned to see him, giving him a comforting smile.

“I'll be fine, love. It's just a little sickness.” You said, though you didn't know if you were trying to convince him or yourself. “I would never miss Megs' first school play.”

Pabu's school had put on a show to inaugurate the newly completed theater, and Omega would be one of the leads. She had been so excited when she told you about it, and you wouldn't let a stupid illness take away your chance to see your little girl shine.

Hunter seemed to analyze the situation a bit, but ended up nodding. “All right, I believe you.” He walked towards you, resting his hands on your cheeks. “But promise me that if you feel worse, you'll tell me and let me help you.”

You looked at him fondly. “I promise.” He smiled at you, moving closer to join his lips with yours in a tender, sweet kiss. You stayed like that for a few seconds, enjoying each other's company, until you heard a throat clearing.

“Sorry to interrupt your moment, lovebirds, but we must leave now or we'll be late.” Crosshair said, in his usual sarcastic tone, leaning against the door to his room.

You snorted, twisting your eyes in amusement. “Okay, okay. Now come on.”

The new theater was packed with people. Citizens from Upper and Lower Pabu had gathered to see the children in their school play. The three of you looked for your seats, finding Tech and Phee waving to you in the middle rows.

“Hey, guys.” You greeted them, sitting down next to Phee. “Where's Wrecker?”

“He went to get snacks. I told him it wasn't a good idea, because it's too close to show time and everything is really crowded, but he didn't listen to me.”

Phee elbowed her fiancé, shaking her head. “Have a little faith in him, Brown Eyes. He'll do his best not to miss a second of Megs' play.”

And as if he had called out to him, a deep voice could be heard making its way through the seats. “Sorry, excuse me, oops... Sorry, just let me... through... Excuse me...” Until he finally fell into the seat next to Crosshair, who looked at him with a disapproving but amused grimace.

“You're not going to believe this, I was in search of snacks when I found this new food stand, I'd never seen it before and...” A loud shhh immediately fell on Wrecker. The lights went out, the show was starting.

The curtain opened, revealing two girls conversing. It was Omega and Lyana. You took your mind back to the time when your kid had told you about the play. It was about the founding of Pabu, and its history in general. Something interesting to Tech, who was even leaning forward in his seat because of how attentive he was. However, it was perhaps not such an interesting topic for Wrecker, who seemed more interested in whispering to Crosshair every detail he noticed about Megs' performance.

On your side, you tried to concentrate on the young students' words, but it was almost impossible to ignore the uneasy feeling you felt in your body. You were trembling slightly, you were beginning to shiver.

The only person who noticed your discomfort was Hunter, who put his hand on your shoulder, giving you a concerned look. “Cyare, are you alright?”

You nodded, trying to shrug it off. “Yeah, yeah... I'm just a little cold.”

But your boyfriend didn't seem convinced, as he said your name sternly. “A little cold? You're shivering, mesh'la. Let me at least give you my coat.” He whispered, waiting for you to listen to him.

“Fine.” He took off his coat and draped it over your shoulders, and you immediately felt his warmth on you. His smell was comforting, and it made you feel better by the second. You glanced at your boyfriend, he had rolled up his shirt sleeves to his elbows, revealing his veiny forearms.

You blushed as you realized that you were eating him with your eyes. It wasn't the time, you were in your girl's school play, and you were sick. You would save your fantasies for another day.

You went back to focusing on the play, time flew by as you watched Omega glow on stage. She was so big now, and so talented. It's not like anyone had ever thought otherwise anyway.

However, you never stopped feeling the discomfort lurking in your body. Now you felt warm, you were sure you had a fever starting.

And this did not go unnoticed by your boyfriend, who kept turning around to make sure you were okay.

When the play was finally over, all the people stood up to give a standing ovation to the children in charge of the play. You smiled to see Omega so happy, laughing as she heard Wrecker's cheers.

“She was really amazing. They all were.” Phee said to you, still clapping her hands.

“You're right. There couldn't have been a better theater opening.”

As the curtain closed, people were beginning to disperse. You turned to leave as well, you wanted to congratulate Omega, but Hunter stopped you by gently grabbing your arm.

“Mesh'la, we need to go home. I can feel your fever from here, and you're still shaking.” He said softly, tucking a lock of your hair behind your ear.

You nodded, you really were feeling bad, but your priority was still your girl. “Fine, but at least let me say hi to Megs.”

“Of course.”

You both walked backstage to the theater, where the rest of the batch and Phee were already greeting Omega. The girl was talking smilingly to Tech when she saw you two arrive, calling your name excitedly and running up to you to hug you, making you giggle.

“How was the play? Did you like it? Did you see the part where I rescued Lyana? And the speech at the end? Thanks for helping me rehearse!”

You laughed at her enthusiasm, kneeling down to meet her. “Yes Megs, the play was amazing. And so were you, you have such a talent for acting. I'm proud of you kid.”

“Thank you! I really appreciate you telling me that, buir.” Your smile widened when you heard that little word at the end. She didn't say it that often, which made it that much more special.

“You were really good, ad'ika.” You heard Hunter beside you, and you could almost feel his proud smile.

“Hunter!” Omega broke away from you to hug him, and you stood up looking at them tenderly.

“Hey.” Tech said next to you, resting a hand on your shoulder to get your attention. “I couldn't help but overhear you and Hunter talking inside, my apologies for intruding. But I heard you were feeling bad. If I may, I could run some tests on you so I can give you a correct diagnosis and proper treatment for a nice recovery.”

“Oh, that's very kind of you Tech. But I'm fine, I probably just caught the flu. Hunter will take me home, I'll take some pills, and in a couple of days I should be better. I appreciate it anyway.” You smiled at him, it was sweet the way he cared.

“Very well, then. Likewise, you know I have medical training and I'm available for anything.” You thanked him once more, and realized that Omega had heard everything.

“Are you all right? You're not staying for the celebration?” Your heart dropped when you saw her worried. You immediately hugged her to console her.

“I'm sorry, Megs. I'd really like to stay, but I'm feeling ill. Besides, Hunter insisted, you know how he is.” The girl giggled at this.

“Yeah... I understand. It's for the best, after all. Get some rest, buir.” She hugged you for one more time, then said goodbye to Hunter, while you said goodbye to the others.

You and Hunter walked out of the theater, the freezing night wind reaching toward you and making you shiver. Your boyfriend noticed, pulling you close to him to feel his body heat. “Don't worry, cyare. I've got you. We'll be home soon.”

You nodded, the discomfort invading your entire body like a poison.

You walked home in silence, with only the sound of the waves and the wind in the background. Your body was getting heavier and heavier, you just hoped you could get there quickly to rest.

When you finally arrived, Hunter opened the door for you, helping you to your shared room. “Lie down, mesh'la. I'll go get a fever cloth and some pills.”

“ Okay... just be quick.” You muttered taking off your shoes and lying down, covering yourself with the blanket. You were feeling too sick to bother changing your clothes.

Hunter came in a few seconds later, sitting you up to take the pills. “Here, love. I'll help you change.”

He sat down next to you to gently remove your jewelry, organizing it on your nightstand. Then he removed the clothes you had chosen for the occasion, and helped you into a nightgown he had pulled out of your closet.

He released your hair from the updo you had made for yourself, leaving a kiss on your forehead. “There you go, cyare. Ready for bed.” He said with a small smile on his face, caressing your cheeks.

“Thank you, darling.” You whispered, leaning back and placing the cold water cloth on your forehead. “Will you stay with me?” You asked, but it was more of a request.

“Of course.” He removed his clothes, leaving just his underwear and laid down next to you, hugging you underneath the sheets. You automatically began to feel better. “Sleep, beautiful. I've got you.” He whispered against your skin, and your eyes closed, falling into a deep sleep.

The next morning, you woke up feeling a gaze upon you. It was Hunter, who was beside you cuddling you. “Good morning, mesh'la.”

You smiled tenderly at him, giving him a small kiss on the lips. “Good morning, love.”

“How are you feeling?”

You took a few seconds to analyze yourself, you were already feeling better, but you had no doubt that at any moment the symptoms would return. “For now, I'm much better.”

“I'm glad to hear that. It took a while for your fever to break last night.”

You raised your eyebrows. “You stayed up taking care of me?”

Hunter shrugged, looking at you with tenderness and concern. “Not all night, but yes. Until your fever broke.”

You looked away, feeling a little embarrassed. “You didn't have to, surely you were tired too.”

He rested his hand on your cheek, making you look up at him. “Of course I had to. I'm always going to take care of you, love. Your well-being will always be my priority.”

You smiled genuinely at his words, you felt your heart fill with love. “Thank you, Hunter. Really. I love you.”

“I love you too, ner cyar'ika.” He leaned in to give you a soft, tender kiss, when a knock at the door caused you to part.

“Guys, are you awake? Can I come in?” it was Omega.

“Just a second.” Hunter said, getting up to pull on a pair of pajama pants. No need to traumatize Megs. “You can come in, ad'ika.”

The girl opened the door, poking her head out and calling your name excitedly as she looked at you, coming in to give you a hug. “How are you, are you better now? Hunter did take care of you didn't he?”

You laughed at her multiple questions. “Yes, Megs. I'm better now, and Hunt took very good care of me.”

“He better.” The three of you laughed at this.

“Um, kid?” Wrecker poked his head out, looking at the girl. “Can I come in now?”

“Oh, yeah!” Omega looked up at you, a giant grin on her face. “I've got a surprise for you.” She waved her hand at Wrecker, motivating him to come in.

“Yesterday when I went looking for snacks, I found a new stand, and they were selling...” He revealed what he was hiding behind his back, it was a box full of delicious Mantell Mix. You gasped in surprise. It had been a long time since you had last eaten that.

“I know you're sick and technically shouldn't be eating that... But if Tech doesn't find out, I don't think anything will happen.”

The three of you looked at Hunter, who nodded. “Eat it, love. You deserve it.”

You squealed happily, hugging him and then Omega. “Thanks, guys. And thank you, Wrecker.” You smiled at him as he handed you your snack box.

“Oh, you're welcome! Anything for you.”

You took a bite, it was delicious. You may be sick, but you couldn't be surrounded by better nurses and people who love and care about you.

© obiwansito, 2024. reposts, copies and translations are not allowed. my work cannot be used for training AI.

[enriquemzn262]

It’s turboweeb shit time, so be advised.

Anyway, with the new anime season finally settled, let me share with you what I’m watching, or what I at least tried, so in case any of this is of your interest, you may check out:

Mayonaka Punch

A v-blogger has a falling out with her old friends, leaves her channel and accidentally gets involved with lesbian vampires, who now join her in her quest to reach one million subscribers in order to take revenge on her former partners, with the promise that once she does, she will let the main horny lesbian vampire suck her dry (of blood).

Great animation, weirdly deep character developments, an underlying plot of anxiety and denial, and even an exploration of what happens when an immortal vampire gets too close to the spotlight, all the while keeping an overall comedic energy.

8/10, its an original anime so the story will probably warp up by the time the season ends, hopefully they don’t fuck up the landing.

Dead Dead Demon's Dededede Destruction

Aka DDDD

What I originally wrote off because I’m sick and tired of high school anime, it turned out to be quite the fascinating show about life after an alien invasion, with tons of Roadside Picnic vibes, a great cast of screwball characters who are actually as relatable as they are realistic, and for once its a show set in high school that doesn’t give a single shit about glorifying that era of education, you will not see any mention of any school council, festival or any of that tired nonsense.

Plus, there’s always an inherent darkness brewing around the story, with episodes 0 basically setting up how everything will go to shit at some point, and the story slowly moving towards that endgame, it’s great!

Oh, and if you’re a fan of Doraemon, you’ll be pleasantly surprised too.

10/10, I’m absolutely glued!

No Longer Allowed in Another World

In an era where there’s 10 million isekais about the most boring male main characters who go into your standard fantasy world to get harems and be overpowered, here we have a story in which the MC actually wanted to die (by double suicide with his lover), and accidentally got summoned into said standard world, only to say fuck it, I want to die, you fuckers deal with this shit on your own.

No overpowers, no useless harems, no boring MCs, it’s so far a hilarious story about the one guy completely incapable of playing along with the world, and how said world, which keeps getting standard boring guys who do fuckall and just end up indulging in their newfound powers, deals with him, including the love interest, which the guy barely acknowledges, and the standard cute cat girl that’s now the jobber of the group.

7/10, could have tried to make a more unique world, oh well.

Shikanoko Nokonoko Koshitantan

Not gonna lie, I too fell for the earworm of a theme song that dominated memes for a good month before release, and while it does have its moments, it hasn’t really lived up to the potential of it’s wacky premise, mainly because it tries too hard to go for the “cute girls doing cute things” angle, instead of completely embracing the batshit insanity that pops up in every episode.

I’ll still watch it, if anything, I want to see what else they come up with in between the boring school life shit.

6/10, needs more nuclear deer antlers.

Alya Sometimes Hides Her Feelings in Russian

There’s a good number of romcoms this season, and while all are set in high schools, since DDDD showed me there was a chance I could watch a show set in one and not deal with the usual bullshit, I gave it a watch.

It deals with the usual bullshit of school councils, school festivals, clubs and the like.

Honestly, the russian part is what made it somewhat interesting, but that hasn’t led nowhere, so now I have a female love interest that’s nothing more than your standard tsundere, and your standard male lead who at least doesn’t lack a backbone, but that overall remains boring.

5/10, the weird sister is the only interesting thing, but in a car crash sort of way, may end up dropping it if they actually try to be serious with her.

Too Many Losing Heroines

It’s garbage, had an interesting setting of following girls who are basically third wheels in their own love stories, and it could have worked, have they not chosen to tell the story from the point of view of the most boring, spineless, stuttering betamale in existence, the usual curse of the romcom, somehow turned up to 11.

It’s a pity really, overall the animation is really good, and while it gets too horny for its own good many times, it’s still cute to see those girls dealing with their unanswered feelings, a pity we can’t just follow them and instead have to stick with mister whatshisface.

3/10, dropped it after not being able to finish the latest episode (4? 5? I can’t be arsed to check), seriously, just write off the dude and the show will at least be 6/10.

I tried a couple more shows, and iseaki I didn’t know was one that I dropped after the first episode (oh no, I’m actually trapped in a VR game!!1exclamation point), and another about a drunk V-tuber who reinvents herself around alcoholism (good premise, extremely boring execution).

Not gonna lie, I only really like the first two, the other two may drop the ball really soon, and I’m another school council episode away from dropping the russian girl one, so overall it’s been a pretty underwhelming season.

Do watch DDDD though, that one truly is the absolute gem of this season!

[aihoshiino]

chapter 143 thoughts!

remember when tokyo blade was the longest most drawn out arc of oshi no ko. remember when that was our metric. i want to go back to those blissfully innocent days.

This chapter falls in line with a lot of other chunks of the Movie Arc where as a standalone tidbit of the story there are things about it that I like but taken in the greater context of everything around it, I have decidedly more mixed feelings on it. This is very much "chapter 123… 2!" with all that statement implies. If you liked 123, this will probably be like crack cocaine for you but if you were hoping for a more concrete resolution to what's going on with Aqua and Ruby then you're probably in the same boat as me in terms of coming away feeling frustrated.

Lacking resolution aside, I did really like a lot of what we got in this chapter, both in terms of the twins' relationship and as individual characterisation for them both. Immediately what stood out to me was Aqua's avoidant response to… well, basically everything Ruby says up to a point. It's funny to remember that he was the one who called Ai out on avoiding important conversations and yet here he is doing the very same thing. Like mother like son, huh?

Ruby's first line is also interesting. It definitely makes sense for her to fear a separation from Gorou given that it's basically happened twice now, but her specific fear that if she doesn't affirm his existence it will simply vanish implies a certain lack of security in his presence that I think is very interesting. We haven't really gotten enough time in Ruby's head for me to really dig into what that means for her, but I'm putting a pin in it nonetheless.

Aqua's response here also lines up with my prediction last chapter that we were heading for a rejection. Even if indirectly, he spends most of this chapter trying to turn Ruby away and shut her down without actually addressing her proposition, which I really don't blame him for lmao. Free my boy. Even when he does finally give Ruby an inch, so to speak, and start playacting as Gorou, it doesn't feel at all like a sincere moment of self expression. He's indulging her with a facsimile of their old dynamic, sure, but the actual words he's saying aren't particularly encouraging.

Of course, that's not how Ruby sees things. Or rather… That's not how Sarina sees things. She spends more or less this entire chapter with no stars in her eyes whatsoever. This makes a very interesting contrast with Aqua who, even in the moments that he identifies most strongly with his past self, never loses his stars. In this chapter, "Gorou Amamiya" is never anything more than an act for him but Ruby seems to have entirely returned to being Sarina, at least in this space.

Aqua snarks about her mental age not changing and I think this is truer then you might assume - I do think Ruby goes through a bit of a regression in this chapter and I mean this in an entirely value neutral sense. If you've ever returned to a place or people that defined a certain period of your life, it's very easy to find yourself slipping back into the mindset and behaviours that characterized you at that time. The quickest and easiest example of this is probably a person who lives on their own going back to their childhood home to spend the holidays with their siblings and parents. For better or worse, a return to old dynamics means a return to that old headspace - and that's just for regular people without any reincarnation baggage in the mix.

Ruby's experiences as Sarina have always been extremely foundational to her as a person and at least as of the private audition, she is characterized as seeing herself equally as both girls. So in a situation like this where she's finally getting to see and talk to Gorou again, it makes sense for "Sarina" to have taken the lead here.

As I've talked about before, this difference in how they individually view their reincarnation and how it affects their sense of self is always something that's had the potential to cause friction between the twins and we see it here, I think. The two of them aren't quite on the same page.

That said, this is a sweet conversation. It touches on the unique position the twins are in to give each other closure in a way nobody else really can. That said, it does feel really weird that this talk just… never happened before? I guess you could argue that this is a make or break point for their relationship and it took them being really pushed to have this honest of a talk but even then, I can't think of any real reason it didn't come sooner other than "the author didn't want it to happen yet".

i do have to ask though. where did aqua get those glasses. has he been wearing contacts this entire series and we never knew??

The question of to what degree the twins should be considered the people they were before their reincarnation has been a pretty consistent subject of debate in the fandom, particularly as pertains to Aqua. Wherever you stand on the issue though, I think Aqua is right when he says the Gorou Sarina wants him to be is a person who no longer exists. Too much time has passed and way too much has happened. Even removing reincarnation from the equation, there's not a person on this earth who's the exact same as they were 20 years ago. Living changes you just as much as dying does. Even if some intrinsic, unchanging core still exists, his experiences as Aqua Hoshino have changed him way too much for the "Gorou Amamiya" Ruby wants to see to be anything more than a performance.

more absolutely goated expression work from Mengo, btw: that wonky, rueful smile when Aqua first takes off Gorou's glasses. Sooooo good.

It's also just so so good to finally get some insight into what's going on with Aqua after he's been out of focus for so long. It's also really fantastic to finally see him let his walls down a bit and admit to some of the turmoil rolling around in his head. I think this is part of why we see him slip back into a single white hoshigan here; while the stuff he's saying here is concerning, it's honest. Possibly the most honest Aqua has been for a good long while and him finally letting himself be vulnerable with someone he trusts could be a really good positive step for him.

I say could be because… well, I don't think Ruby quite has a handle on how to help Aqua here. She's not even thinking of helping Aqua after all; she addresses him (in the Japanese text) as 'sensei' over and over to an almost excessive degree. Not only that but her responses to him are a little…

The core of this talk between Aqua and Ruby is the idea that Gorou-as-Aqua has changed in a way that leaves him unable to perform the role he once played in her life, while Ruby argues that nothing has changed. And like… to a degree, both of them are right and wrong. Gorou's core values are something Aqua inherited from him and they continue to drive him. But it simply isn't true that nothing has changed. Like I said up above: twenty entire years of living changes a person even before you factor in the trauma of Ai's death and everything Aqua has done to himself and other people in the name of avenging her. But this is something Ruby is unwilling or unable to see.

More great paneling work from Mengo: When Sarina hesitantly asks if 'Sensei' likes her, there is a very pointed beat panel of Aqua's face with his eyes hidden before he pops the Gorou act back on and goes 'uhhh yeah sure'. Once again, we see 'Gorou Amamiya' as avoidance and insincerity at least in the context of this chapter. It's an act Aqua is half-heartedly putting on but to Ruby-as-Sarina, this is the miracle of their reunion happening again before her eyes. And if they're 'Gorou' and 'Sarina' right now, what happens next shouldn't be a surprise.

And… this is the part of the chapter where I stop having nice things to say. Because believe it or not, I don't mind the kiss and I think in the context of this chapter, it makes a lot of sense and it helps to have had the story finally, explicitly lay down that this is 'Sarina' pursuing 'Gorou', at least from Ruby's POV. I also really liked the framing; that clashing of tones returns again, with the double spread shoujo looking kiss ruined by Aqua's pin-eyed look of alarm and dismay. This is the moment of tension breaking transgression the series has been building up to for over 140 chapters…

And we immediately cut away from addressing it. For at least one more week. I'm going to be really honest… this fucking infuriated me! It feels like an implicit admission that this is going to be needlessly dragged out even longer even though we finally had the perfect opportunity to properly address and solidify what is even going on with Aqua and Ruby right now. It feels like cynical reaction bait. It feels like a roided up version of 123 - throwing AquRuby shippers scraps so they'll keep reading while also avoiding undeniably canonizing an incest ship to not scare off the wider audience. My man has created the Schroedinger's Cat of incest. Is the guy in the box nailing his sister or not? Well gosh, you'd better tune in next week and maybe you'll find out!!!!

In short, the lack of resolution just sucks and the fact that it really seems like we're just leaving things there and moving on to something else makes me want to scream. The Movie Arc has been such an unfocused mess for so many chapters now and this really just takes the cake. Like… remember when this was supposed to be about Ai? Remember when this was supposed to be about finally digging into her past and her private life? If half the stuff in the script is just made up then why am I even supposed to get invested in what's going on in the movie in the first place?

At this point, I just desperately want this arc to be done so we can move on. Say what you will about Tokyo Blade's pacing, but at least that was focused and cohered with itself on a week to week basis. The Movie Arc by contrast feels so far removed from any of the ideas we started with that I have no clue what to expect or anticipate from it going forwards or if I should even bother to try.

[moistvonlipwig]

Unpopular opinion for the ask game: admittedly I would not describe myself as the world's biggest AtS fan, but even accounting for that I really don't understand why Fred is such a popular character.

I mean, Fred seems perfectly tolerable on an individual level. I wouldn't object to hanging out with her if she were a real person. But as a character, she just feels like yet another self-indulgent iteration of Whedon's recurring Cute Nerd Girl character archetype (like Kaylee on Firefly and at least arguably Willow in the first season and a half of BtVS before the writers figured out ow to make her interesting). I think Amy Acker is a very good actor -- I really like her as Root in Person of Interest -- but as Fred she just never seems to get anything remotely interesting to do.

The three big Fred story arcs I remember her being involved in are (1) a fake-out where it seems that her parents might be horrible people but -- surprise! -- they're actually really nice; (2) the world's most interminable love triangle (in which Fred's role is mainly to be a prize for Gunn and Wesley to fight over) that forms part of what the show itself will later, via Gunn, describe as a "turgid supernatural soap opera"; (3) randomly getting sick and dying so that the surviving cast (or, well, mostly Wesley) can feel sad about it and Amy Acker can finally have something different to do on the show.

What exactly am I missing? What makes Fred any more interesting than somebody like Oz (another inexplicably popular character with no obvious arc or complexity that I can see)?

strongly agree | agree | neutral | disagree | strongly disagree

I agree to an extent. I would certainly say Fred is a lot more interesting than Oz, although to be fair I think almost every character ever put on television is more interesting than Oz (whose only role on the show is to be Willow's eerily perfect boyfriend and to Tell Funny Joke).

There are kernels of an interesting character and arc for Fred in S2 and S4 of AtS, particularly in relation to her ruthlessness, anger, and capacity for violence. Her tasering Connor and torturing him in 4.01 "Deep Down" is a great character beat. 4.05 "Supersymmetry," where she wants to sent Professor Seidel to Pylea as he did to her, is a great Fred episode...right up until the end, when the writers inexplicably choose to have Gunn kill Seidel to 'preserve Fred's innocence,' a choice with some profoundly misogynistic and racist implications, and which will lead to one of the most tedious, annoying, and drawn-out breakups in television history. And while Fred gets mired in the love triangle bullshit for most of the middle of Season 4 (as does poor Gunn), she does get an excellent chance to shine in the Jasmine arc, which is probably the highlight of her run on the show. Her threatening Lorne ("I'll kill him, Charles!"), surviving on her own and killing the demon who tries to eat her, telling Jasmine "I loved you so much" before shooting her more times than necessary to wake up Angel -- all fantastic stuff. Unfortunately 4.20 "Sacrifice," the weakest episode in the arc, kind of puts her on the back-burner, but she still gets a great showing in the first two episodes of the arc, and it's believable that she would sign up for Wolfram & Hart in the S4 finale.

Although I think the love triangle was a blight on all three characters and especially Fred and Gunn, IMO the real killer of Fred's arc was S5. In S5 any character traits beyond Cute Nerd Girl get stripped away. The characters (and writers) start treating her like Cordelia, the heart of the group who everyone trusted and confided in, because, um, she's a woman, and Cordelia was a woman, so, you know, they're the same, I guess. She doesn't even get to stay a particle physicist, for fuck's sake -- they have her doing all kinds of random forensics and biology and technology stuff completely unrelated to her actual degree (or almost-degree? I guess she never technically completed her PhD). 5.15 "A Hole in the World" is enraging for so many reasons -- it's a speedrun of what was done to Cordelia in S4 only this time even more egregiously about the manpain of the men around the dying woman, Fred delivers a frankly insulting line about not being the "damsel in distress" when she so blatantly is, Fred is weirdly infantilized in relation to Wesley -- but frankly the part that gets my goat the most is that Fred should never have been excavating that coffin because Fred is not an archaeologist. She is a particle physicist. It drives me nuts that the show does not care about this basic fact of her character in S5. Also, she ran the lab! She should know better than to handle an ancient artifact without protective gear! Wesley tries to blabber later about her being "curious" or whatever, like she's a fucking child, but she's not a child, she's a 30-year-old woman who runs a lab and should know to wear a goddamn Hazmat suit, and she also should've delegated the task anyway because, again, excavating coffins is not her job.

And this lack of care towards her character is, I think, emblematic of the fact that Joss Whedon (and I do blame Joss for a lot of this, though possibly not the love triangle -- no clue whose idea that was) was simply not interested in Fred beyond the archetype she represented. It is, IMO, deeply telling that when Joss saw Amy Acker in the role of Lady Macbeth and realized she was, like, actually good at acting (lol), his immediate response was not, "Gosh, we better give Fred something cool to do on AtS," but rather, "Gosh, we better kill Fred off and give Amy Acker a better character." Which, hey, Jonathan Nolan has said he cast Amy Acker as Root specifically because of her performance as Illyria, so, I guess things work out the way they're supposed to -- but it says a lot about how little Fred was valued as a character that she was so easily cast aside.

So overall, I would say that I think she had the potential to be very interesting and there are times when that potential shines through. But it is true that for a lot of the show she's simply a cute traumatized nerdy waif girl a la Kaylee/River/early-seasons Willow (speaking of Willow, have I mentioned how much I loathe the scene in "Orpheus" where Willow condescendingly tells Fred she has a girlfriend after they've bonded over nerdy stuff?) who is often reduced to the object of men's affections or guilt or grief. I suspect that the reason she's so well-loved in fandom is simply because people like that archetype. Relatedly, it's only recently, in my own fandom experience, that more and more people have started to engage with Willow's flaws and later-seasons behavior, whether it leads them to love her even more or to bemoan her botched character arc or to declare her a bad friend; for a very long time, she was popular simply for being the cute nerdy girl cinnamon roll too good for this world, too pure (the damage that meme has done to the internet is unspeakable). I personally tend to find the archetype a bit grating, although certainly there are moments I found charming from both Fred and early Willow. (The worst example of this archetype in recent memory, IMO, is Willow [no relation] [except she's clearly based off BtVS Willow] from the aggressively middling kids' cartoon The Owl House, who even gets a horrible cutesy voice to go along with the personality.) But that's why I suspect Fred is so popular, despite the fact that the character as she exists is admittedly far less interesting than the character she could've been.

[sebbyisland]

akahika final thoughts (500 words + 1k supplementary content)

part 1

part 2

part 3 (you're here!)

Conclusion

It’s not mind-blowing to have some yuri or shojo influences in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine (or any shonen magazine). I mean, Blue Box is right there. What IS surprising, at least to me, is to see the Akahika rivalry take up so much narrative space. I love seeing girls who fight in a healthy way, and to have it take up space in the story rather than just a one-time thing is so satisfying to witness. I still can't believe the magazine that gave us Goku vs Vegeta, Naruto vs Sasuke, and Deku vs Kacchan now gives us Akane vs Hikaru (and Karashi. As a fun topping), and it feels completely natural with the rest of the Weekly Shonen Jump lineup. Similar to how shojo magazines have changed over time, we can see shonen magazines make changes by releasing a story like Akane-banashi. The fact an important rivalry for the shonen protagonist is informed by shojo and yuri story beats is just one of many ways Akane-banashi leads these changes.

I’ve wanted to make an essay about shojo rivalries for years, but if you had told me in the past that a shonen rivalry would inspire me to finally get it done, I would have told you, “be serious.” I have a love/hate relationship with shonen rivalries. I often find it dissatisfying when the protagonists rival is both most important to the protagonist’s story and most important to the protagonist’s personal life, but at the end, there’s this expectation that the protagonist still needs to adhere to social norms of what is actually supposed to be the most important part of your personal adult life, so now their rivalry can’t carry as much emotional weight as it once did. Honestly, it reminds me of Class S breakups because girls need to “grow up” into “real women.” Akahika, however, will never have that problem because while Hikaru is important to Akane’s STORY, she’s not the most important person in Akane’s life, nor is Akane the most important person in hers. This also means the emotional intensity of the Akahika dynamic is a bit more mellow than the average shonen protagonist rivalry, but I much rather have this so there’s room to watch Akane’s growth. I’m also a slow burn fan, so I could be biased.

In my biggest, most self-indulgent fantasies, Akane-banashi gets fully adapted into an anime and a live action film and Akahika becomes the next big shonen rivalry and the animated adaptation makes their homoerotic moments even more homoerotic and in the story conclusion Akahika run the Arakawa school together like how Issho and Shiguma do but better which basically makes them rakugo wives. Will any of that happen? Who knows! I don’t care. Akahika is already winning. 

As a final note: Thank you so much for reading this! Even if you only made it through a portion of it, I hope it was informative. I know I learned a lot in the process of putting things together, at least. The discussion of shojo rivals is really underdeveloped in fandom, so I hoped this could spark your interest in them! My inbox is always for questions. I ask that you please consider skimming through the Supplementary Materials before sending a message, though.

Supplementary Materials

I’m using this section to include any extra commentary that didn't fit the main essay + educational materials that might be useful.

Educational Resources

I am far from an expert in shojo or yuri. There is a lot of nuance I did not cover because that was not the focus and I am not someone informed enough to discuss it. I barely feel like I'm informed enough to write this essay 😭. If you would like to learn more about the topics discussed (in English) from people who actually know about this stuff, I recommend reading essays like this one from a professor in manga + gender studies , this huge resource on yuri research, and the following blogs: okazu.yuricon.com, @/fehyesvintagemanga, @/osharenippon, @/retroyousei, @/brickme, @/yurimother and this article she wrote, @/empty-movement, @/animefeminist, @/ani-mentation, and also this paper on the early shojo decades. Oh, and this documentary on Takarazuka. And these interviews with a yuri author that inspired the "this too is yuri" meme.

Some commonly cited books are By Your Side: The First 100 Years of Yuri Anime and Manga which is by the host of the okazu.yuricon blog I mentioned in the paragraph above, and Boys Love Manga and Beyond: History, Culture, and Community in Japan. It might be more accessible to read an academic review of these books.

Bishonen/girl prince/boy prince aesthetics are informed by multiple different pop culture influences, not just the Takarazuka Revue. You can learn about one such influence here.

If you are interested in learning more about Takarazuka Revue, or watching a performance from a Takarazuka troupe, there is a fan wiki written in English for this very purpose.

If you don't watch Utena, you should at the very least watch Shiori's monologue since this was a big inspiration for part 2. You can also literally watch all of Utena eng sub/dub for free on Youtube (trigger warning list).

This isn't necessarily educational, but if you read all of this, you might be interested in this butch x butch yuri anthology.

Addressing Gaps in Analysis

I’m worried I threw around the term “sapphic subtext” a lot without clarifying what that exactly means.

The intention was to convey a distinction between "yuri" as a literary genre and "implicitly sapphic/lesbian relationships" overall, aka sapphic subtext. GL/yuri often has relationships that are almost entirely built on recognizable subtext because certain tropes get popularized. Often times, when I refer to "sapphic subtext," I am specifically referring to the subtext established by the yuri genre itself. However, because yuri also includes explicitly sapphic romantic/sexual relationships, it felt too confusing to just refer to everything remotely sapphic as "yuri." Hence, for the purposes of this essay, when I meant subtext, I said "subtext," and when I mean something explicitly sapphic, I said "yuri." Please know that these definitions are not concrete.

The full extent of the Takarazuka Revue's influence on how gender roles are represented and/or challenged in Japanese pop culture is complex. I want to clear up potential misunderstandings from my use of gendered terminology that may have come from this:

Do not confuse the Takarazuka-inspired girl-prince/girl-princess sapphic dichotomy described in this essay with a butch/femme dynamic. There is obviously overlap, but they are not synonymous with each other. A butch character is not always a bishonen character and vice versa. A femme character is not always a princess-like character and vice versa. I get these differences might seem miniscule, but when trying to do formal literary analysis, I think people should always be weary of applying Western terms to a culturally non-Western phenomenon, even if it usually communicates the same thing in a colloquial context.

"Are you familiar with the term akogare? So, in my research I did come across akogare (one of those nuanced "no direct english translation" words that seems to describe a deep admiration for someone??) to describe the sapphic subtext of retro shojo. Since I cannot with confidence explain what it means nor how the term is typically used, it wasn't mentioned in the analysis.

"Akane-banashi is a shonen manga and yet you barely acknowledged shonen manga history. What gives?" The answer is quite simple. The focus of this essay is not the shonen manga industry. I'm sure someone else would have a lot of fun analyzing Akahika in context of the history of shonen manga, the gender roles in shonen manga, or the impact of shonen manga on pop culture, but that person is not me.

“Why didn’t you talk more bout Glass Mask?” I never read/watched Glass Mask. While I was willing to read MANY things for this, I was not about to start the juggernaut that is Glass Mask just so I could include it in my analysis. I would love to see someone compare Glass Mask with Akane-banashi, though.

"What about Ruka?" This isn’t about him.

"What about Urara and Mayura?" This isn’t about them.

"I have misgivings about [interpretation of a complex aspect of RGU's narrative]?" Part 2 is catered to an audience who is familiar with Akahika, but not RGU, so some things like the rose bride/prince dynamic were dumbed down a bit. If you have RGU questions feel free to send an ask!!!

"Wait, why don't we talk about Act Age?" Short answer: I never read Act Age. Long answer: Act Age was a popular theatre manga published in Weekly Shonen Jump that was discontinued because the author was arrested for sexual harassment towards minors. Given Akane-banashi released approx 2.5 years later, it is possible that the former success of Act-Age influenced Akane-banashi's inception, but this is purely conjecture. I personally consider Act-Age defunct and irrelevant. I only mentioned it in the part 1 footnote because it used to be published in the same magazine as Akane-banashi.

[doverstar]

Been going through your tags trying to find an explanation (after I found your blog looking up Captain Hook), but I'm not quite sure where the dislike for the D+ 2023 film comes from. Granted, I've little familiarity with the book, and most of the hate I'd seen thrown its way was in regards to its Tinkerbell (for exactly the reasons you'd assume with the internet), but I remember enjoying it, mostly for Peter, Hook, and Tiger Lily. It seems the issue stems from Wendy's character: what, might I ask, was the major change?

So firstly, it was a play, and then it was a book. The book has more detail and is by the same person who created the play, therefore it's more fun to read than the play. The good news is, I don't actually have to go into detail about this because you can just read the book and you'll know what I was talking about. Read the first three chapters, nay, the first few pages, and you will see that Disney+'s film was the farthest cry it could be. If you want some opinions, I'll take the rare opportunity to indulge:

I really don't care about Tink in the 2023 film. Tinker Bell does not have to look any specific way apart from being no bigger than your fist, slightly inclined to an hourglass figure (the only real physical descriptions of her in the original) and making a sound like the sound of bells when she speaks. She can look any way apart from that; it's open to the imagination. She's a fairy. There were some interesting moments dialogue-wise with Hook in the Disney+ film. The rest of the movie is garbage from start to finish. But if you have no familiarity with the source material, you won't understand the hate the film rightly gets (it does not get enough). As for Wendy, my favorite character, this film is not about the same person. This film depicts a girlboss™ in a nightgown. That's not Wendy. Wendy is actually strong, because she's soft, and compassionate, and mother material. But in a movie like the 2023 film, in a Neverland like the one in the 2023 film, there's no room for girls like that. We can only have strong, independent nothings. Little boys like Peter and his friends and dirty vicious men like Hook and his crew need a little girl like the real Wendy. She comes to Neverland and changes start happening. Neverland functions essentially the same way all the time, and then the Darlings show up. Wendy's influence affects changes in Peter and in Hook that directly lead to a final confrontation between the two, which is something that had not happened for who-knows-how-long, and which needed to happen. I could go on. I could talk about Wendy and Peter Pan as a story forever and ever, because it's my favorite, but I don't need to say more because if you just read the book and broaden your horizons, you'll immediately get what people are talking about. Even Walt's first foray into Peter Pan adaptations understood the story better than this live-action mess.

[fuckyeahfightlock]

Punk Rock Cool Kid Required Viewing Batch 5/The Final Batch

The Wall Urgh! A Music War Liquid Sky The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle

(I'm rewatching all the "required viewing" films of my alterna-teen years) Notes on these films below the cut.

The Wall (1982, dir. Alan Parker)

I couldn't do it. Couldn't rewatch The Wall. I think its status as a 1. cult, 2. rock, 3. good-to-watch-while-stoned movie starring punk rock (and later philanthropy) icon 4. Bob Geldof put this on the must-watch radar in the '80s, despite it being centered on exactly the kind of music against which punk was a violent reaction. It is not punk. Not even a little. I just don't care about it enough to watch it again.

When I was a teen, our gang of small-town, high school drama club weirdos encompassed the hippies/deadheads and prog-rockers (not to mention the drugs-enthusiasts) as well as the punks, so some pop culture cross-pollination was inevitable. The Wall seemed subversive, and we lived for subversion. I did not then and never had and never have since been a Pink Floyd fan, but I was definitely a Bob Geldof fan and I recall he wrote fairly extensively about the making of this film (it drove him a little crazy) in his autobiography, Is That It?. So I was there for Bob Geldof.

(Here he is with his then-wife Paula Yates. One of my favourite things about Bob Geldof is that after both Paula and her new partner Michael Hutchence died, Bob--who had three daughters with Paula--adopted the girls' half-sister. I see that he has become a "fathers' rights" campaigner, which can be kind of cringe and problematic so I'm going to just look at that through squinty eyes and imagine his heart is in the right place because I really admire him.)

I watched The Wall on YouTube, so I was able to set it to 1.25 speed in order to get through it quickly (which, of course, makes the music sound just that much worse but I wasn't there for the music). But it is so self-indulgent woe-is-me white guy who refuses to get therapy; so self-important; so "aren't we clever clever artists?" that I only got about 15 or 20 minutes in. That's a vibe I no longer have even one atom of patience for.

Urgh! A Music War (1982, dir. Derek Burbidge)

With a few too many performances by the Police (they get three songs while every other band gets just one), Urgh! A Music War is nonetheless a compelling--sometimes downright exciting--documentary of post-punk/New Wave. Featuring 30ish live performances by artists running the gamut from punk poet John Cooper Clarke to New Wave stalwarts Devo and Gary Numan, from reggae bands Steel Pulse and UB40 to operatic performance artist Klaus Nomi, from the Go-Go's, Oingo Boingo, and Joan Jett to Devo, Toyah Willcox, and X. There is no narration, just the name of each band and the city where the performance was filmed. Even with the inclusion of a few largely-forgotten bands like Invisible Sex and Skafish, the film flows pretty evenly, and the variety of styles keeps things interesting.

Not every song is my favourite, but New Wave is my favourite, and this is its primary contemporary document. It's a fun watch (or listen) for anyone whose fervent music fandom started with '80s New Wave (like mine did), or as an overview for the uninitiated. I had to buy this one on DVD but I ain't mad at it.

Liquid Sky (1982, dir. Slava Tsukerman)

OK, so I had a very strange experience of this film. Somehow I had it in my head that director/co-writer (with star Anne Carlisle) Slava Tsukerman was the second female lead in this film:

I have thought this since the first time I saw it, which is relevant to the aspects of this film that are lesbian (and otherwise queer), feminist. . .just overall woman-y. I thought this film was directed by a woman and co-written by two women. But I learned, about five minutes before my rewatch ended, that Slava Tsukerman was a middle-aged straight Russian dude, and the brash and beautiful performance artist Adrian (above) is played by Paula E Sheppard.

All this to say, this film is queer, weird, New Wave-y, surreal, and modern thanks to the women who co-created and starred in it, and I really can't make sense of how this particular guy came to make this particular movie at this particular moment of grimy/high crime New York City New Wave. It really threw me off.

Liquid Sky tells the story of Margaret (Anne Carlisle), a fashion model; her girlfriend, drug dealing singer Adrian; her rival, the bitchy male model Jimmy (also played by Anne Carlisle); and the alien spaceship that lands on the roof of her apartment and kills all her sex partners by "feeding off pleasure." Sex partners is not the right word though, as there are four or five encounters with Margaret at the center of this action, and they are all rapes (she has no orgasms, so the aliens don't kill her). Margaret, unaware of the flying saucer or the aliens, understands her circumstance as a power she has developed--to kill people by fucking them--and she evolves from victim to avenger. As the UFO begins to float away, Margaret, dressed in a wedding gown, shoots up heroin (the titular "liquid sky") to bring on an orgasmic rush of pleasure and thus be carried away with the aliens.

This movie is aesthetically remarkable, with neon lights, intense graphic makeup, architectural hairstyles and avant garde/high fashion New Wave clothes. The music is a real trip--all composed on a Fairlight CMI synthesizer by director Tsukerman--relentlessly weird, otherworldly, futuristic. This one was particularly important to my high school girlfriend as it is one of the few films we could find with lesbian characters in it--even though the couple is dysfunctional to the point it seems they don't even like each other. The queer theme in this film focuses more on androgyny ("to be fashionable is to be androgynous"), with heaping side-helpings of sexual manipulation, rivalry, and the ways female sexuality can be used as a weapon--wielded by women, or against them.

It's a fairly straight-up Sci-Fi plot hung on a very un-straight framework, and it even has a semi-comedic side plot involving Jimmy's Jewish mother and a German UFOlogist ("You're from Germany? I'm Jewish.") trying to commune with the aliens, who she seduces with Chinese takeout and access to her window so he can set up a telescope.

Liquid Sky is bizarre and important, at times uncomfortable, always beautiful--especially on the remastered Blu-Ray edition put out several years ago by film archivists Vinegar Syndrome. Worth a watch is you like Sci Fi, New Wave, queer cinema, or cult movies. It's all of that and more.

The Great Rock 'n' Roll Swindle (1980, dir. Julien Temple)

This movie could have been good. Alas, not so much.

The conceit is that a private detective (played by Sex Pistols guitarist Steve Jones) uncovers the truth about the Sex Pistols: that Malcolm MacLaren (herein, a character called "the Embezzler") had a grand plan to invent the Sex Pistols (true)--and indeed punk itself (debatable)--to bilk record companies and fans out of as much money as possible (a happy side effect, for him, but probably not the initial goal). The story is lightly framed in a How-To style, "Lesson One," "Lesson Two," etc, and overall has a pretty punk, DIY, collage aesthetic, stitching together new narrative footage, archived concert and interview footage, animated sequences, talking head moments, and (of course) a significant dose of embedded advertising for MacLaren's shop, SEX. But what could have been clever and actually funny comes off as half-thought-out and unpleasantly cynical.

Johnny Rotten (John Lydon) refused to participate, saying the movie was "Malcolm's vision of what he believed; not true in any form." Though he was present for filming, Sid Vicious had already died before the movie's release. By 1980 when the film came out, The Sex Pistols were a memory, and punk itself--three years after its invention--was essentially a relic. The film is joyless in the extreme, and on the unremastered DVD I watched, it's washed-out and unpolished in a way that seems just plain old, sloppy, rather than punk. I was surprised how unpleasant it was to watch; it was my least favourite of the punk docs, by a large measure.

"Ever get the feeling you've been cheated?"

So this was fun! Glad I revisited these films of my teens. I'm compiling a list of recs of related films to share soon--music documentaries of the last 30 years, punk-adjacent films that came out after I left high school, etc. Hope you enjoyed reading these posts.

[ovwechoes]

DPS Girls & Concert Headcanons!

It's finally arrived; each of the OVW DPS girls have plans to attend a concert, but who would they each go see? These are my personal headcanons (SFW)!

It's somewhat long so it's under the cut - enjoy and let me know any thoughts you have c:

Elizabeth Caledonia "Calamity" / Ashe: Ashe is the type of girl who would do anything and drop however much she could to see Ella Langley, Riley Green, and Johnny Cash tribute acts. She loves the idea of cowboys and the wild west, and loves country music alongside it. Neil Young is another she appreciates and would do anything to see as well, for the nostalgia of course.

Echo: Echo's not the type to fixate on music, and enjoys vicariously through concert videos online. However, if she was to go see someone, it would be an artist who she knows the people she's going with enjoy as well. She values the importance of music, but there isn't a specific artist I can imagine her being into enough to go see them live.

Mei-Ling Zhou / Mei: Mei's mostly interested in classical music; it helps her to focus as background noise or relax when she's had a stressful week. I can imagine she'd go to concerts in opera halls for classical music iterations and sit there, silently enjoying herself. However, I think she'd pay to see artists such as Iron & Wine, Bon Iver, and other indie folk musicians. Indie folk is one of those guilty pleasures that helps her focus in the same ways as classical but has substance beyond instruments. She values it and would enjoy herself (as long as she had someone to come with her ofc).

Fareeha Amari / Pharah: She'll tell you if the conversation ever came up that she would pay anything to go back in time and see Queen live. She absolutely adores them, but tribute acts to her never do them justice. That's who I think Pharah would go to see if she could live. However, Fareeha also loves classic rock as a genre and would do anything to see AC/DC, Guns N' Roses, etc. She would go solo or with other people, she's not too bothered and she knows how to protect herself if anything happened. All she's interested in is hearing the music through her feet and enjoying it live, seeing everyone around her and embracing the rock culture.

Vivian Chase / Sojourn: Sojourn's a fan of classical jazz; she loves to sit with a whiskey on the rocks, in a dingy bar and enjoy the music so she doesn't tend to go to concerts as much as she used to. However, when she was younger and in Overwatch as it's lead commander, she used to always make an effort to try and see alternative rock artists like Imagine Dragons, Arctic Monkeys, and The Strokes. Whenever she listens to them now, she gets thrown into the past and wouldn't refuse a ticket to see them for old time's sake.

Olivia Colomar / Sombra: She definitely enjoys EDM and goes to raves moreso than concerts; she enjoys club culture and has been known to indulge in everything about them. She was first exposed to The Prodigy, and her love for EDM kept growing from there. The Prodigy, Deadmau5 and Skrillex would be the ones I could see her wanting to see the most live at a rave.

Satya Vaswani / Symmetra: We know that Symmetra has a more eclectic side with her sashay emote, so one of the most obvious things I could think of her enjoying would be drag brunches moreso than a concert. She would love the feeling of the music through your body, the dancing, the interactions happening in front of her. I think she'd enjoy night performances in concert halls as well, especially with strobe lights and voguing; it would be autism heaven for her. However, I think she appreciates modern classical music that helps her unwind and relax, especially if she's overwhelmed or overstimulated with the work that she's trying to complete at tht moment. Artists such as RuPaul, Philip Glass, and Tycho would definitely be on her radar though (if she decided to go to a concert).

Lena Oxton / Tracer: Tracer's got a very upbeat attitude, and it seems very likely she would enjoy pop artists, especially if she's struggling with things mentally or with guilt. It helps distract her, so she would definitely agree to see artists such as Chappel Roan, Lady Gaga, and Charli XCX. She enjoys being able to dance in the crowd to their music, screaming her heart out with whoever she's with or with total strangers. Alternatively, she used to heavily enjoy pop-rock artists such as Paramore, and would make an effort to see them when she could. It's still close to her heart, so I don't think she'd decline seeing them live still.

Amelie Lacroix / Widowmaker: Widow's a fan of classical ballet music; it reminds her of a time she was herself, and it brings back the emotions she once felt to some degree. She would pay anything to see them performed live by an orchestra, or even during a ballet, just to be able to feel like a normal woman again. Widow would never decline to a concert that features music from the artists such as Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky and Felix Mendelssohn.

I'll be making a version with the overwatch DPS males next! Any thoughts or opinions about these are always accepted, and my asks are open to any and all requests <3

[total-drama-brainrot]

Hello! About the fake dating!au, I was wondering how the episode Niagara brawls would play out if Alenoaheather was happening. Would Alejandro and heather still be paired up or would one of them be paired up with Noah?

Well, to be entirely honest, I haven't really thought too much on it yet. Mostly because it's still kind of up-in-the-air as to when Noah's elimination would take place in this AU. I think we've sort of settled on post-merge, so he would be present in the Niagara Falls challenges, but the timeline's still really vague so I personally haven't really invested any time in figuring out the semantics of how each episode would play out.

But since you asked, I might as well toss my hat into the ring! I'll just type out my thoughts as they come, so please excuse this response if it's a little all-over-the-place or formatted weirdly.

Off the bat, it's been fairly well established that the canon final four remains unchanged, so at the very least both Sierra and Cody are still present in this challenge; this is important, since in canon the only reason Heather ends up partnered with Alejandro is because Sierra is the one who rejects him as a husband first. I don't really see a reason to change the canonical play of events here, unless a brainstorming session later on down the line necessitates Noah being paired with either Heather or Alejandro for whatever reason. Mostly just because keeping as many "pre-written" plot points as possible lessens the workload on our shoulders (us, of course, being me and @perpetualexistence, and occasionally @ur-local-brown-multifandomist).

But that does leave the question of who Noah would be paired with.

And again, this would be super dependant on who's left in the competition at this point; since Noah's made it to the merge, we know someone has to have taken his place in the London elimination- just that small change could have potential consequences on all of the subsequent eliminations afterwards, so the merge cast might look almost completely different to World Tour's "official" line-up.

And this is also super dependant on whether or not it's Blaineley who wins the Aftermayhem challenge- I'm not sure if any of the others intend to swap her out for a more interesting/plot relevant contestant (which, as much as I do love Blaineley, she's just find of there with no real relevance to the story) like perhaps Lindsay, Leshawna or maybe even Beth- I assume it'd have to be a girl, since the show itself works to even out it's gender ratios, but it could hypothetically be anyone.

So Noah's partner could be... literally anyone, save for the Final Four (Alejandro, Heather, Sierra and Cody).

...Unless?

Now, don't judge me here, but I do kind of like the idea of Noah ending up with Heather as his partner. Maybe it's the vast potential of how their (entirely self-constructed, and self-indulgent) character dynamic could play out in this scenario, or maybe I just want the opportunity to write Noah trying and failing to pick up Heather, eventually leading to her being the one to carry him across the Falls tightrope like a pathetic, soggy kitten. Or maybe I'm just getting my Noaheather on- who knows?

All I'm saying is, they'd be giving a lot of Connecticut Clark and Malfina vibes and I'm so here for it.

And maybe I just want to see something new; there's so many explorations of how an Alenoah Niagara Brawls challenge would play out (and they're all wonderful, don't get me wrong!) so it's time to give some other pairings the spotlight!

Plus, this particular scenario would not only allow the contestants to see Heather and Noah acting like the "fake" couple they're supposed to be, but Alejandro could also play it as either a double-breach of his trust (since he's also supposed to be "fake" dating Noah, at least, and he has his whole romantic rivalry with Heather) or take advantage of his position and try to charm whoever he's partnered up with and either secure a valuable ally for later on down the road, or beguile his next elimination target into a false sense of security- since a huge part of Alejandro's character is his conniving flirtatiousness, and I don't want to completely negate that.

Now that I'm thinking about it, Alejandro's flirty nature could be a conflict point between himself and his partners. That's a thought for another time, though.

But, again, it's still very up-in-the-air and I don't really think I can give a definitive answer until a proper elimination order has been established- or, at the very least, the elimination order pre-merge. So, uh, sorry for the lack of a definitive answer!