#my dream tiger looks a little different

[stelaernis]

❛ dream tiger ❜ ﹔ my dreams bear fangs and stare with a thousand gazes. based on govy0807.

[ozzgin]

Yandere! Sea Monster x Reader

In the spirit of Mermay, I come to you with a slightly different approach: an octopus hybrid, dwelling in the dark depths of ancient waters. :) Hopefully close enough to the sea monster you imagined, @wally0117

Content: gender neutral reader, male yandere, monster romance, reader likes sharks (a lot); inspired by The Shape of Water and My Octopus Teacher; photo from Whalebone Magazine

He’s always been aware of humans, naturally. Observed them from the beginnings of time, from the very first rudimentary attempt of a boat that crossed his waters. Though he can only guess how these creatures exist, how they breathe, how they move. What arrives in his depths is always a corpse of some sort. Bloated, decaying carcasses, rarely intact, whether chipped by fish or by time. Everything else is left to his imagination.

Until today. The fish are restless, the currents are stronger. Something must be happening above, stringing him along curiously. His many legs sway in tandem, opening and closing, as he investigates the source of interest. His pale white eyes narrow to a mere squint, unused to the light of the surface levels. At last, he finds it: a human.

Yet this one is unusual. Intact - save for the bleeding wound - and unlike the washed-out, cadaveric blue tint he’s normally accustomed to. He notices a twitch of the limb and it dawns on him: this one is still alive.

You wake up with a violent cough, thrusting out the leftover liquid that had invaded your lungs earlier. You clearly remember drowning, so how did you end up on shore again? The answer reveals itself rather quickly: a monstrous creature, albeit humanoid for the most part. The upper half resembles a man, but the torso ends in thick, enormous tentacles, now flopped onto the sand, surrounding your body. You search for the creature’s face, framed by translucent tendrils that seem to replace what you’d expect as hair.

“Thank you”. He scans your features and remains silent. Does he even understand human speech? After a moment of consideration, he looks ahead, surveying the water, then returns to you, giving you a nudge. He most likely wants to know how you ended up in that situation to begin with. “That’s, well…”

Conveniently enough, the monster has brought you back to your little camp, so you reach for your backpack and pull out a book. Of course, no words can ever replace the image itself. With renewed enthusiasm, you open your encyclopedia and turn it towards the man, showing him a photo of a sand tiger shark, tapping on it excitedly. “I was looking for sharks!”

Ever since the bizarre, life-saving encounter, you’ve been returning to the same spot most days. And without exception, the monster will be waiting for you in one of the neighboring caves. Judging by the pellucid, pale skin and his reluctance to be in the light, you guessed early on that he might be a creature of the depths.

One that has been around for a long time, it seems. Once he understood your interest in sharks and other aquatic animals, he developed a liking to play guide for you, silently touring you through forests of kelp, hidden caves, labyrinths of reefs and hills. He knows where the animals linger, and they don't scurry away when you approach. You've never dreamed of being so close to them, staring into their eyes and tracing their fins as they swim past you, unbothered and relaxed. The monster will gaze at you from a distance, amused by your passion.

On ground, you’ve begun your own little experiment: can the octopus creature learn sign language? You didn’t need long to discover how intelligent he is, mimicking your gestures with flawless ease, instantly memorizing the meanings, the connections, the implications. He seems to be terribly delighted by this newfound tool of communication, often asking you questions with earnest curiosity.

Ah, yes, the questions. It makes sense that he’d want to know more about humans, though his interrogations are rather…particular. Specific. It’s less about humans as a whole, and more about you. How long have you been swimming here? How deep can you actually swim, with or without aid? Might you have a family waiting for you back home? A mate, perchance? No? Interesting.

"My vacation will end soon", you sign with pursed lips. He tilts his head. "Leaving?" his webbed hands gesture, somewhat uneasy. You nod. You can discern a glint of melancholy in his eyes. Eventually, he resumes: "Would you like to see my home?" Your eyebrows raise in surprise. His home? Down there? Was such a thing even achievable for a human like you?

The plump suckers attach themselves to your skin, one resting over your mouth. "Do you trust me?" You cast one final glance over the underwater abyss, a black hole trapping all light and matter. You shake your head in approval. Without hesitation, he plunges over the cliff, pulling you after him and into the yawning void of darkness. His form glows eerily, and his movement is swift and elegant. You can tell this is his land, his territory. You would've been dead a long time ago.

He releases you on the wet stone, inside the air pocket of a cave. You need a few moments to overcome the wave of claustrophobia pressing against your lungs. As you catch your breath, you recall your long path from the surface. It would be impossible to make it back out again without your friend. A cold shiver runs across your spine. "Have a break, and I'll show you everything else afterwards", he gestures with a smile. "How long will it take? I don't want to walk back at night", you explain.

Silence. You stare into his empty orbs, awaiting a reaction. There's not a sound, not a gust of wind, not a shred of light. "You're not going back", he finally answers.

You see, he's done a fair amount of research himself. He doesn't need an encyclopedia to figure you out: how you breathe, how you move, how you exist. In fact, he is rather confident in his ways of helping you adapt to a life spent together. He would've never brought you down here if he wasn't certain of your survival. His grin widens in anticipation, a strange warmth enveloping his innards at the mere thought of it: a future with you in it, right here. However, one question remains, a cheeky, perverted detail that has been on his mind from the moment he met you, yet he could never investigate it properly.

How do humans mate?

[soleilapproves]

Lucid Submission - chapter 3

Synopsis: Sukuna Ryomen is reborn as a human being as punishment for ruining the balance of good and evil in the divine realm. To lift his curse and return to his original form, the former demon king must complete the condition bestowed upon him by the deities. Except it can only be done by having a child with the street thief who stole his coin pouch.

fanfic masterlist

You couldn’t bring yourself to sleep that night. You could feel each tired vein in your eyelids latching on to every bit of rest they could get every time you blinked. You looked down and cursed yourself for being so fearfully compliant with your new husband. His heavy arms encased around you like he was sure you would run away. 

He chuffed like a stallion every time he snored into your neck, terrifying you to your core as you tried to make as much space between yourselves as possible. Of course, your efforts were in vain as he made sure that you would not be able to move an inch while lying next to him. Much too paranoid about his ‘pearl disappearing.’

The rest of the day after the wedding was dull. Uraume had left with Sukuna for some urgent merchant business (apparently, he controlled many ports around the area), while Yuuji and Megumi went to train little children at a local school. Nobara wasn’t much of a conversationalist, only choosing to observe you–possibly to see how you could plan to escape.

Your life as a thief wasn’t as exciting as being a rich wife, but at least you had the repugnant thrill of constant aversion. All the riches that came with being Sukuna Ryomen’s wife made you cautious, like your new comfortable lifestyle would be snatched away as soon as you got used to it.

But it wasn’t like you planned to stay that long anyway. Any kind of freedom was going to be better than staying as an egotistical rich man’s wife–a life so suffocating and mundane that even the poor wouldn’t dare dream of living it. 

The claustrophobia was now in its final course of setting into the core of your chest. You scratched and slapped the arms that held you, hoping for some kind of relief. Mental or physical. Sukuna grunted and simply turned, taking you with him. Your body now splayed on top of his, arms holding you still against his chest as your face mushed against his collarbone. His scent enveloped you even more, now becoming the air you breathed. If you didn’t crave worldly freedom so much, you would’ve held your breath and surrendered to a supposed afterlife. 

“Lord Sukuna, I wish to ask you something,” you mumbled into his neck. The man didn’t even let out a grumble of acknowledgment. “I also cannot breathe.” 

Your husband yawned loudly as he mumbled incoherent words. The deep rumble in his chest managed to jolt you like you were a feeble doe. Legs quivering and heart racing. He wasn’t much different from an animal, either. A monstrous bear, tiger, or any uncomfortably large and loud beast would suit him best.

He rolled you back down to the mat you two were sleeping on. However, before you could get up and finally breathe air that didn’t smell like herbs and possibly blood, the man rolled on top of you, pressing his heavy frame on your body. You were afraid that he would be able to feel your racing heart with the way his chest pressed flat against yours. At least his eyes were closed, so he couldn’t see your sheer terror.

“You must take me for a fool if you think that I am falling for your little thief tricks. Lying and scheming are your forte, are they not?”

“Lord Sukuna, please, let your wife at least live for a few days before killing her. It will give you more satisfaction,” you quipped, prideful even during your panicky state. His eyes squinted as he stared down at you.

“Tongue still sharp as ever, even in the dead of the night. Had I been in my former glory, you would not have been so quick to reply like that.” 

“My sharp tongue comes with my body that you have forcefully married.” His tired red eyes rolled at your response. “What is it that you wished to ask me, wife?” You try not to shiver at his reference to you. 

“I wish to… relief myself.” 

He silently blinked at you before groaning and pulling out a small pebble from underneath his side of the tatami mattress. He threw it across the room, hitting the paper sheet of the sliding door. Curious, you frowned at the sound of slight rustling outside your room.

The door slid open to a grimacing Nobara. “At least warn me before I see something like this.” You could see her blench as she rubbed her eyes.

You gasped as you pushed your husband off, who was now more compliant with you. You yanked the covers off you and threw them at your husband, who was lying with his arms across his face. “You are lucky I am tired, wife.” 

Your chest ached slightly when you saw the tatami mattress right outside your bedroom door. Your years of hardship may have turned you a little selfish, but you still had a heart. It felt like seeing a bleary-eyed little sister waiting for you after your long journey.

“Were you cold?” you asked as you followed her out to the water closet. “I have not felt even the chill of spring nights under the care of Master Sukuna,” she responds curtly. 

You stop in your tracks, and so does she. The snow blankets everything—all your thoughts, worries, and concerns. “I do not actually want to go to the water closet. I just wished myself a moment. If it is possible, can we sit outside for a few minutes?” 

It felt strange asking someone younger for permission, but you let it slide. It’s not like living as a thief made you a stickler for the rules. “Few minutes.” She walks you back to the estate’s courtyard, and you both sit side by side, covered in warm robes, watching the snowfall. The large cherry tree in the middle of the courtyard was now almost entirely white. 

You didn’t expect any kind of camaraderie from Nobara. Your cases were wildly different–you were a ratty and uncivilized thief picked off the street to be Sukuna Ryomen’s wife, while Nobara was a uniformed…soldier. To be quite honest, you weren’t sure what to refer to her as. Her skills as a fighter were too sharp for her to be called a simple maid.

There was something more to her; you were sure of it. Her tone was too harsh to be a nobleman or aristocrat’s daughter–perhaps a merchant’s daughter. Her taste in clothes was great, and her sword’s sheath was of impeccable craftsmanship. Even an austere like you could tell. 

You wondered if someone had taught her all these things. She sure looked like she was well-loved as a child. So were you, but there was always a chronic emptiness in your heart. No parents to dote on you after work, only a sick and tired grandmother who tried to give you everything she could before taking her last breath. 

You even thought you could have a chance at having a family when you met your first love, but you soon gave up that hope after nearly being sold off as a wife to an old rich geezer. It had taken you ages to run away from him, to run away from a forceful marriage, only to land back in the same predicament but with a different person. 

“I do not understand him,” you speak out in the silence, echoes of your voice getting swallowed up by the snow. Not even your murmurs could leave the estate. “Nobody does. That is just how he is.” Nobara doesn’t look at you as she replies. “No, he could just take the marble from me–if I even have it. Why does he need to marry me for it?” 

“He believes you have it, but you are just unaware. He plans on coaxing it out of you sooner or later. And as long as the townsfolk know you are his wife, you cannot leave Seion.” 

So you were trapped. If not under Sukuna Ryomen’s thumb, then under the people’s watchful eyes. 

Unlike divine beings and spirits, human beings usually follow a daily routine. Sukuna Ryomen was surprised to learn that they meticulously followed everything–even down to how many bundles of firewood they would collect for the day. So, to make his life more comfortable, the former demon king also devised a routine. 

His day usually starts with a quick exercise regime to keep himself strong. Should the day come that the Deities have finally returned to their senses and want him back, he can easily fight them in his human form. However, the four demon companions who followed him to the mortal realm out of their loyalty to him would beg to differ. Uraume, Nobara, Yuuji, and Megumi were well aware that even the most swole of humans would be like a small piece of twig for the weakest of deities. Sukuna Ryomen just enjoyed imagining the ones who punished him in pain, including that no-good Divine Judge, Higuruma Hiromi. 

He would then eat a hearty meal and set off for business meetings. After his first hundred years on Earth, Sukuna learned that the only way to earn respect and power was to be rich. So he did exactly that: he spent decades earning money and bought out most of the shipment ports around his town. The fact that people forgot who he was every ten years immensely helped him. Divine punishment magic and all. 

And at last, he’d end his day by meditating beside his old statue. Getting to the abandoned shrine was a bothersome journey, but the peace he felt there was unlike any other. It was the closest he felt to his former life.

His new wife, however, was ruining everything. He couldn’t exercise with his normal concentration because he needed to always have his eyes on her. He did trust Nobara, but he needed self-assurance. He could easily take her with him for errands for the day, but he didn’t want the old bastards he traded with to land their leery gazes at her. She was still very jumpy, and something about another man, even a few feet in her presence, made him want to burn his hair. Other than his trusted bodyguards and servant, of course. 

“She just won’t sit still, and even refuses to eat. I’ve tried everything. You deal with her,” Nobara huffs as she smacks fresh new clothes on Sukuna’s unclothed chest, which was redundant because they had soaked in some of his sweat. He didn’t bother dressing up after his workout and charged to his quarters, noticing his wife had taken solace in the furthest corner from the door. 

“I am not going to eat you,” Sukuna sighed as he walked over to her, making her only pull her legs closer to her chest as she scrambled to throw what was closest to her–a lacquer box pillow. Sukuna, of course, easily dodged her attempt to attack him. He veiled his amusement at her discontentment. 

“Who’s to say you won’t? After all, you said you were a demon,” she tried her best to sound assertive, but her shivering body gave way to her veracity. Brave woman. She quickly dragged herself across the floor of the room, hoping to make it past Sukuna to get out, but he grabbed onto her ankles and pulled her to him. No grunt or sound of effort escaped his lips. She could only groan as he grabbed both her wrists and sat her up.

“I am here to give you clothes, woman. Calm down!” he reasoned as he sat on his haunches, giant hands still holding her wrists. His wife wriggled, trying to throw off his balance, but his exercise regime had made him sturdier than a raging bull. It wasn’t a shock to him that he was much bigger than her, but the sight of his arms being much larger and stronger than hers stirred something dire in him. Snow falling like dust before the avalanche. 

“I don’t need clothes. I am already wearing them. I’ll change when these get dirty. You rich folk sure do love draining every single resource you have–warm water for baths–”

“Which you clearly enjoyed. I could hear you groaning and moaning like old wood yesterday.” Maybe it had been a while since he had a woman in close quarters, but he barely held himself together when he heard her across the estate.

“That was because your little servant scrubbed me so hard that I bruised everywhere!” she yelled as she tried to wriggle some more, but his grip was taut. He pushed her down on the ground, her back hitting the wood with a thump.

“Your stubbornness will simply not do. I always considered myself a patient man, but now I am unsure. I will put you to work and exhaust you so much that you won’t have the strength to even think about escaping.” And with that, he dropped her clothes on the ground and lightly shoved her to the side. Only to remind her of his strength. 

And not because the sight of her being dragged around made him feel light-headed and lecherous.

After calling for Nobara to dress his wife up for the day, he called on Uraume to allot his new bride her wifely duties for the day. “She’s been on the street for most of her life so I doubt she knows how to cook. I also do not want her near fire, blades, arrows, or anything that can be a weapon. Have her organize my accounts by name. Nothing too extensive, but enough to make her want to lie down as soon as she’s done.” Uraume quickly nods before packing his things and handing them to him. 

He never enjoyed working anyway. It was a good thing he had her to help out now. 

“How long will you be meditating for, master?” Uraume asked as he walked Sukuna to the estate’s main entrance. Sukuna left with a swift response, “I expect to be back before sundown.”

The scenery around his statue was always beautiful. Stalky bamboo trees made everything look like a maze in this part of the valley. A stream nearby always had small foxes drinking from it, and the sun shone perfectly for their red fur to glitter.

Three hundred years ago, this place was bustling with people, buying talismans and offering fruits at the foot of the statue. Now, it is just a husk of what it used to be–weathering and moldy wood turning to dust as soon as one touches it. His statue had all smoothened out, his extra pair of eyes were invisible and his horrifyingly glorious mouth on his abdomen was gone too. There was not much difference between his human form and the statue.

Time stood still when Sukuna Ryomen was at his abandoned temple. He touched the smooth, worn gravel of his face and sighed. After a little more time, this statue would return to being taken care of. Offerings and people would return. So would his former glory. But where would his humanity go? Would he take it with him? Or would his sudden return to his former form make him forgo everything he had learned as a human being? 

Most importantly, how would his return affect his wife?

“I see you finally found her,” A familiar voice echoes in the forest. Sukuna already knows who he is before turning around. The Tengu spirit was here. 

“Why do you suddenly show yourself when I found my path of return, Geto Suguru?” Sukuna still didn’t turn. The spirit laughed, velvety rich voice raising hairs on the back of Sukuna Ryomen’s neck. He hated how humans were so expressive; it was no wonder they never had the upper hand with Deities and spirits.

Cool air blows all around Sukuna as the sound of wings flapping gets closer to him. If he turned around, he’d be face to face with someone he could’ve easily snapped in half if he were a demon again. “Because you haven’t.” Sukuna shivered as the tengu spirit whispered in his ear. 

“What are you talking about? I saw her eyes; she has the marble!” 

A dark claw digs into Sukuna's shoulder as he is ripped from his spot, and is turned around to face Suguru. He looked the same as he did hundreds of years ago–long black hair falling around his shoulders, dark pools of obsidian that never had a hint of good or evil behind them, and his signature smirk. Sukuna Ryomen hated tengus–they played around too much. Ambivalent creatures. They never lied, but they weren’t the friendliest company either. Only came around when they were bored. 

“Are you still angry that I told you about the souls passing by your domain?” 

“You said they were rejuvenating!” Sukuna exclaimed but caught himself when Suguru dug his nails into his shoulder. “Careful with your tone. Remember, you are a mere human now, and I could easily end your pathetic little life right this moment.” 

“Do it. I’ll only come back to life within a few mere minutes. I am cursed, remember?”

“Oh, I know, which is why I’ll keep killing you, making each death more painful than the last. It’ll keep you stalled long enough for your little bride to run off or die with time. Human lives are just so frail, you see.” Suguru stretched a wide, ugly smile, baring his pointed teeth at Sukuna. A loud message. 

Sukuna was sure the spirit could hear his pathetic human heart beating rapidly along with the sound of his blood rushing to his face. The veins in his neck bulged out as he tried to restrain his anger. The mere thought of someone taking his marble away from him angered him. 

“Tell me what you are here for and leave me immediately.” The sooner Suguru left, the sooner Sukuna could go and protect his wife. 

“You are a foolish demon.” 

“If you’ve come all the way to the mortal realm to tell me that, then I believe you are the foolish one,” Sukuna’s attitude angered Suguru as he shoved him, his taloned foot slammed on Sukuna’s chest as he cemented him to the ground. Sukuna groaned as he tried to grasp onto the spirit’s foot, but his hands went through them like he was trying to catch onto the air. 

Right, humans couldn’t touch spirits, but they could do whatever they wanted to them. No wonder folktales and legends were such a big part of human culture.

“You have become even more bold. I was only here to say that you asked the wrong question at the trial.”

“What are you waiting for then? Tell me,” Sukuna could barely wheeze out the words with the pressure on his chest. Taking pity at the pathetic man’s state, the tengu spirit lifts his leg off and clutches Sukuna’s collar, sitting him up against his will—a man at the mercy of myth. 

“Your pearl–she doesn’t have it. Don’t bother torturing it out of her.” Sukuna wasn’t surprised that the Suguru assumed he would’ve done that. But something about his newfound humanity irked him enough not to perform needless acts of violence. 

“What are you talking about?”

“The pearl is from the Divine Realm. A human cannot fathom its existence. It only exists as dust in her blood as in yours,”

The former demon’s pathetic human heart beat rapidly like thunder trapped in a cage. He let out an aching sigh as cold sweat dripped down the back of his neck. “You want me to kill her to get the pearl?” 

“No, all you need to do is mix your blood with hers, and you will have the complete marble.” 

“I cannot make her go through bloodletting–she’s too weak.” 

Suguru laughs loudly and the ground beneath Sukuna’s body trembles. Fresh snow is shaken off the bamboos.

“There are less…practical ways of mixing blood. One of them will surely give you your complete marble.” Still confused, Sukuna could only squint at Suguru’s all-black eyes. 

“A child, you daft demon. You must have a child with her to return to your original form.” 

—

taglist: @sukubusss @lady-of-blossoms @gradmacoco @cheriiepies @brunnetteiwik @poopooindamouf @miakxn @emochosoluvr @sunasgf1

[juanarc-thethird]

Be My House Husband p3

At the Vale Summer Fair

Jaune is participating in a cooking competition. This year's theme is barbecue. So he brought along his famous pork ribs covered in a special siracha and barbecue sauce. Plus a few secret ingredients that are valid in the competition rules.

Jaune: *Shaking a little*

Coco: Nervous?

Jaune: Hm? Oh! Coco, I didn't expect to see you here.

Coco: And miss out on a chance to see you, hottie? Not even in dreams.

Normally Jaune would blush at this point and tell her to stop, but he doesn't say anything. Coco stares at him and she can see that he's distracted. His mind is elsewhere.

Coco: Jaune?

Jaune: Oh sorry! Yes?

Coco: Are you okay? *She asks concerned*

Jaune: Y-Yes, I'm totally fine.

Coco: Jaune....

She stares into Jaune's eyes and he sighs.

Jaune: This isn't my first time doing this, actually. I really put a lot of effort into my dish. But I don't think it's enough. I mean, look at the guy over there. He brought a whole pig, the guy over there brought three-meat sausages, and the guy over there…

At that moment Coco took his hand and he stops. He then looks at her and Coco starts talking.

Coco: Jaune, I've eaten your food and I can safely say that you are the best chef I know. There's no way you're going to lose this competition.

Jaune: But the others...

Coco: Forget about the others. In the end, what will decide the winner is not how complicated the dish was, but how tasty it is. So believe in yourself the same way I believe in you, okay?

Jaune stares at her for a few seconds, absorbing every word she said. That calmed him down a bit and with a smile he answers back.

Jaune: You're right, I have to trust in my abilities. Thanks Coco.

Coco: You're welcome, tiger. *She winks at him* Now where are the rest of your friends? I thought I'd run into your team or team RWBY by now.

Jaune: They couldn't come.

Coco: What? Why?

Jaune: They had plans, but that's okay.

Coco: If you say so. Oh! I think the judges are coming. Good luck!

She then gives him two thumbs up and walks away.

Jaune: *Looking at her walk away* Thank you.

The competition continued and after a couple of hours, the judges finally came to a decision. All the contestants are standing on the podium as they await the results. While spectators watch attentively from the stands.

The master of ceremonies together with the judges are in front of the podium. Two of them hold a trophy and a plaque while the other holds the envelope with the winner.

Master of ceremonies: Ladies and Gentlemen's. After a long discussion, the judges came to a decision.

Judge 1: *gives him the envelope*

Master of ceremonies: *He takes an envelope and starts to open it* This year's winner is… *He pulls out the paper and…* Jaune Arc!

Jaune: *Shock* What?

Coco: Heck Yeah!! That's my future husband! WOOHOO!!!

Jaune walks to the center of the podium and receives his first place plaque and trophy.

Judge 1: *Shakes his hand* Congratulations, young man.

The crowd applauds in excitement. People then approach him to congratulate him and talk a little more about his dish. It was a great day for him. As time went by the celebration began to die down and he stepped away from everyone to get some air. He finds an empty bench and sits down.

Jaune: *Sighs*

Coco: I told you you'd win.

Jaune turned to see Coco giving her famous smile. But this time she looked different, Jaune could see how the warm light of the festival made her skin shine like the sunset. Her eyes were so beautiful; dark brown like wood. And her hair, was her hair always looked this nice?

Coco: Hello~ Jaune are you there?

Jaune: *Blushing* Huh?! Oh! Sorry! I was thinking on something else.

Coco: Was it about me?~💕

Jaune: *Red* Huh?!!

Coco: Hahaha, I'm just messing with you. Can I sit beside you?

Jaune: *Looks away* S-Sure.

She sits beside him and looks at the starry sky.

Coco: Today the stars look beautiful, don't you think?

Jaune: *Looks at Coco* I... I think so

Coco: *Looks at him* So how do you plan to celebrate your victory?

Jaune: Um... well, I never thought about that.

Coco: That's what I thought, that's why I took the liberty of calling everyone to tell them about your victory and preparing a table for us at Imos Pizza, your favorite pizzeria. My treat.

Jaune: *Smiles* Thank you, Coco.

Coco: Don't even mention it. Now get up and let's eat.

She stands up but jaune grabs her hand.

Jaune: Wait

Coco: Hm?

Jaune: Before we go I just want to say that… Well… Thank you very much for your help.

Coco: It was nothing.

Jaune: It was something!

Coco was a little surprised by Jaune's raised voice. So she looks at him intently, paying attention to every word.

Jaune: I was so nervous about this competition and I thought my friends would be here to support me. But they couldn't come. But you came and not only helped me with my nerves, but you also trusted me. And that's why I… I…

Coco: *Nervous* (Is he... Is he about to....)

At that moment Coco's phone started ringing.

Coco: Sorry! *She immediately grabs her phone and puts it on silent* Sorry about that. You were saying…

Jaune: I... I want to thank you.

Coco: Just that?

Jaune: Y-Yes...

Coco: O-Ok, so should we go now?

Jaune: After you.

Coco: Ok

As she takes the lead while Jaune walks beside her, Jaune can't stop glancing at Coco and a crazy idea pops into his head.

Coco: By the way, Jaune. *She turns to look at him* What kind of pizza do you wan-!!!

At that moment Coco is kissed by Jaune on the lips. She freezes and a few seconds later Jaune realizes what he did.

Jaune: Sorry! I just wanted to kiss you on the cheek! I didn't mean to kiss you on the lips! Um…! I'll see you at the restaurant!

Jaune ran away, leaving Coco behind. Coco can't believe what just happened, and slowly a huge smile fills her face. Jaune just kissed her.

Coco: *giggling like a school girl* Jaune just kissed me. He freaking kiss me! Today is the best day of my life!!

[orshii]

Ready To Love

Author: orshii

Pairing: Kwon Soonyoung x female reader

Word count: 5,1 k

Summary: Soonyoung, your best friend and soulmate, lived and breathed football until a devastating injury shattered his dreams. Unable to cope with the loss, he pushed everyone away, including you. Now, faced with the challenge of bringing back the friend you once knew, you must navigate through his pain and rediscover the bond that once held you together. Will you succeed in resurrecting the old Soonyoung, or will his journey lead him down a different path?

A/N: This is my first Seventeen ff lol. Well...yesterday as soon as I woke up, I just needed to write something with Hoshi LMAO. Cause recently he killed me, I love this hair on him sooo much. And his style?? Let's not talk about that...It's just a little drabble I needed to write out of myself, it's not a big deal tho. The story was inspired by Seventeen's Ready To Love ofc, cause I'm in love with that song istg. Okaay bye. (divider)

Life's journey resembles a roller-coaster ride, filled with unexpected twists and turns, but we shall never lose ourselves along the way, if you do, you remain alone with your toxic thoughts, that slowly eat the remaining life out of you. 

When the most important person in your life becomes the strangest person on Earth. My best friend couldn't stop the venom from spreading through his brain, poisoning it and making him believe he was nothing but a breeze of the dark autumn night. Soonyoung was a maximalist, football was his life it made him believe he was perfect, and that nothing could come his way.

But on a rainy game day, that promised a good future for him, he slipped on the wet green field and fell on the ground. Soonyoung's knee buckled beneath him as he slipped on the rain-soaked field, a sharp pain shooting through his leg, rendering him immobile amidst the downpour. Rain fell on his face in slow motion as he was screaming from the pain. That day was the end of the beginning of his career.

Since then, Soonyoung pushed everyone away from him who tried to approach him. Well, the ones he knew his whole life. His parents and me, I was his best friend. In past tense, because since the day of his injury, he did not want to talk to me. And the times when I tried to talk to him, he treated me like he didn't even know me. He looked down on me in front of his new troublemaker friends, making me feel like I was a clown trying to entertain them, whenever I tried to approach him at lunch breaks.

He has been my best friend since we were little. My parents introduced us when we were little to each other as Soonyoung's family lived opposite our house. Since that day we have been inseparable, we did everything together, even though we had different interests, him finding football as his lifesaver and me finding photography that helped me through difficult times of my life. We always adored each other's passion; he supported me whenever I wasn't sure if my photos were good enough. And I always attended his games to support and cheer for him, just be the first to congratulate him whenever they won.

Now that football wasn't there for him, he buried his cheerful past self deep down into his soul and a new careless Soonyoung came to the surface. He got into a new friend group, they were bad guys, and they always partied and got drunk whenever they had time. I couldn't recognize this Soonyoung, as neither did anyone who knew him before. He turned from a harmless hamster to a merciless tiger.

Our university’s football team had the last game of the year, everyone was excited and everyone attended to support their team. Except for one person and it was Soonyoung. The accident happened half a year ago and since Soonyoung isn't part of the team, they are bad, like really bad. They couldn't win a game; the team was falling apart without him. He was their fully trusted captain, who held the team together with his eagerness and his confident aura. Deep down I knew he was glad the team couldn't win without him, if he couldn't play then they deserved not to win.

The game was again a disaster as I watched it with my good friend, she was in the same major as me and we quickly became friends, photography connecting us. Watching the game everyone started to get bored, as winning the match was hopeless, they couldn't win, no matter how hard they tried.

They lost but that did not mean they couldn't throw a party for the sake of keeping the traditions. Everyone was invited, and it was held in a rich guy's house called Hongjoong, who was the new captain of the team, trying desperately to put the broken team's pieces together again. I kind of pitied him, because it was a very hard task breathing life to people who already lost hope. But he was known as a determined leader who would never disappoint his team, and it really seemed he was trying with his whole heart.

When we arrived at the party, my friend already got lost in the crowd as she was a real social butterfly, while I on the other side, liked the quieter places and fewer people. The living room was already full of students, most of them drunk, as they were dancing along to the loud music. Some random lights lighted the living room from time to time, for the sake of this seeming like a club. Through the sweating dancing bodies, I navigated myself to the kitchen to pour myself a drink. The furniture was all white and luxurious, I looked around as I searched for something to drink. I needed to relax a little, as recently I felt overwhelmed with everything I needed to do for the classes, project after project. I stayed up for nights, and on the days coffee was my only savior.

It was unhealthy, but Soonyoung wasn't the only one who got injured that day. Well, just theoretically, because my heart broke every time, I saw Soonyoung fall deeper into the dark and not let me in. It hurt because he was the only person in my life that understood me wholly. I tried to live without him, but it was hard. And seeing him laughing with his new friends made my heart fade into the dark.

"Woah, woah what did that whiskey do to you?" A strange voice brought me back to reality as I didn’t even realize I was pouring out the drink into a glass while I wandered off. I looked up just to meet with Hongjoong's sharp glaze, holding my wrist to stop me from pouring the drink that had already flown down to the kitchen counter.

"Oh—sorry, I got lost in my thoughts." I blushed in embarrassment, trying to find something I could clean the mess.

"It's okay, let me help you." He smiled at me and opened a cabinet to pull out a dry cloth to wipe the whiskey off.

I looked at him frowning. "How did you—", I hit my forehead as I realized this was his house.

He chuckled. "Yes, this is my house, I should know where my things are." He looked so adorable with his blonde hair falling into his eyes as he tilted his head down to clean up the mess I made. He looked so decent, as he was wearing a casual beige pullover paired with blue jeans with cuts on its knees, a lot of accessories in his ears, and on his fingers. When he was on the football field on match days, he always yelled at his team like a lion, trying to keep together his team, but now he looked nothing like that he was just a sweet guy.

"I'm so sorry again for making a mess." I ran my fingers through my hair.

"It's okay it happens." He finished the cleaning and took my glass to pour half of it into an empty glass.

He reached my glass towards me and took the other to his hands. "Let's drink then."

I chuckled at the fact of how casual he was, after all, I was just a stranger to him. "Cheers!" we clinked our glasses together and downed the whole drink in one go. The both of us were making a face when we finished the drink, from the bitter taste and the burning feeling it left behind. We both started to giggle looking at each other's faces. 

Suddenly people streamed into the kitchen as we were laughing, one familiar guy in front looking straight into my eyes. I saw nothing from my past best friend. He looked completely different. His blonde hair which almost seemed like ash was hidden beneath a black cap that was turned backward. His ears were pierced, just as his eyebrows. He was wearing a black sweater, that was oversized, hiding his well-defined body, white crosses on its sleeves, that matched with his blue jeans, with black and white crosses on it. He was the total opposite of the old Soonyoung. He was glaring at me with sharp eyes, I saw a hint of disappointment evident. But I felt more of it, I just hated him with my whole heart.

"Well, well, what do we have here?" Soonyoung clapped as he came closer to us in the kitchen.

"What are you doing here? You were not invited." Hongjoong stepped in front of me, hiding me from Soonyoung, preventing me from hunting me down.

Soonyoung laughed out loudly that sounded fake. "I thought everyone was invited to this party, Captain." He leaned down to Hongjoong, to be on the same height level as him. Their height difference was barely visible from the outside, but Soonyoung looked so intimidating it made the Captain look small. But he did not let it happen. He straightened up and stepped closer to Soonyoung grabbing his collar.

"Everyone is invited. Except you." Hongjoong hissed through his teeth. "Get the fuck out of here!" He raised his voice.

Soonyoung laughed again, sounding the same as before, there was no life in it. His eyes met with mine as he looked behind Hongjoong. His eyes on me made me freeze as if almost to death, it was so intimidating I just couldn't move. I wanted to scream at him, to hit him, to beg for his old self to come back. But all I could do was look back at him with no emotions on my face. Slowly, I turned away, mirroring his detachment. I buried my emotions deep alongside his old self.

"What if I don't want to?" Soonyoung stepped even closer to Hongjoong and pushed him on the chest, Hongjoong's back hitting the fridge.

"Enough! Get the fuck out of here Soonyoung, you are not welcome here." I yelled at him suddenly, surprising him with my sudden impact.

His eyes rounded for a slight second in surprise, probably because I never called him Soonyoung, since we were kids, I always called him Hoshi, he asked me to call him like that when he found out what it meant, since he was obsessed with stars, he always adored them. For a second, I thought that's it, that is my Hoshi, he is still there. But his sharp glare was back in the blink of an eye.

"Are you in search of a new emotional support to replace me?" His question sounded full with disgust. I just couldn't believe this person was my best friend.

After half a year, he couldn't tell me anything else other than to humiliate me and I felt sick, I just never wanted to see him again.

I stepped closer to him, our faces inches apart, I tilted my head up to glare at him with zero emotions.

"There's nothing to replace." I said to him as I pushed him on the chest and fought my way through the crowd that assembled in the kitchen, people were always in for the drama.

Every year our neighborhood gathers together as we are close to the end of the year. We just celebrate the year at the end of autumn so we can say goodbye together to the year. This is the reason I am sitting in the house of our neighbor next to us, watching as the adults talk with each other, not like I am not an adult, but I just hate the shallow conversations where they ask about my life and what I want to do in the future. They had nothing to do with my life then why did they ask the same questions every year?

In the past, it was fun. At least Hoshi made it fun, as we always hid in the corners to judge the people and gossip about them. Now, I was sitting here all day on the couch with a glass of fine wine in my hand, and judging the people around me alone. I didn't see Hoshi all day, but I knew he was here somewhere hiding in the corners or who knows where. His parents were here and I knew they made him come along not accepting no as an answer, they were very strict if I may say.

The sun was already down and I felt so bored all day, I couldn't wait for the moment when they were distracted enough so I could slip out to be free. And that moment came quickly as I saw my parents were talking with a man and I quickly slipped outside through the backdoor.

When I closed the door and turned around, I froze. Hoshi was sitting on the top of the stairs leaning forward on his knees a glass of wine in his hands. He was staring up at the sky looking for the stars that were hidden between the dark clouds. I hesitated, I just wanted to get out of there, but seeing Hoshi like this…He seemed so—vulnerable in this moment and I kind of wanted to take advantage of it.

So, I slowly approached him and sat next to him on the cold stairs. As he felt my presence, he didn't even look at me, he just looked down at the glass in his hands, his features seemed full of regret and shame. I didn't want to be the first to say something. I tried to imply that I was there if he wanted to tell me something because I really deserved that. I took him in, while he was deep in his thoughts, he was wearing the same black cap turned backward, his ashy hair that grew down to his nape lolling out from the cap. He was dressed up in full black clothes, a sweater with black writings on its chest, and its sleeves decorated with white flowers, paired with black oversized pants and black sneakers. A cross was hanging from his neck that swung between him and the glass he was holding.

"Why are you here?" He breaks the silence, his voice unstable.

"Just wanted to escape from inside, it's boring." I hated him, but seeing him like this I couldn't be mean to him.

Hoshi just nodded still analyzing the glass in his hands.

"And you?" I asked looking at his sharp side profile, his cheekbones puffy like a hamster.

He shrugged. "My parents won't let me go home and it's boring without—" He stopped when he realized what he was about to say. He seemed angry at himself at that as I was observing him. He was drunk and, in this state, it felt like the old Hoshi was screaming at this person next to me to let him out of the prison he made. I knew my Hoshi was still there I just needed to somehow fight with this poisoned Hoshi.

"You know this shit is very boring without you. There's no one I could gossip with about Uncle Chanyeol's third wife." I said what he didn't finish and tried to lessen the sour mood a bit.

At that, he snapped his head up to look at me with surprised eyes. There he was, the Hoshi I loved so much. Many emotions went through his face as he took me in, finally looking into my eyes, finally seeing me after half a year.

"Well, the second was much uglier not gonna lie." He said looking back at the glass as he downed it until the last drops.

I hummed. "Not to be a bad person but he looks like a witch, who would curse you the second you stay alone with her."

And Hoshi laughed out wholeheartedly, that made my heart whole again. The sound of his laughter puzzled the pieces of my heart together. It made me realize how important he was in my life, and how much of an influence he was in my life. Everything he did affected me, even if it was good or bad, I felt the same way as him. I felt like he was my soulmate and if he was hurt I was hurt as well. It made me realize that I loved him so much not just as my best friend but as my soulmate. But after he pushed me, it faded. And I hoped it'd be gone in seconds, but as I heard him laugh again, made me realize it was never going to fade.

I smiled, hearing him laugh sincerely again, knowing it wasn't fake. Then as he realized what he was doing, his laughter faded into a smile and his smile faded into a thin line.

"You shouldn't speak to me." The sour Hoshi from moments ago had returned.

"Yeah…I shouldn't." I looked down at my hands fiddling with my rings taking in the sour emotions Hoshi was feeling.

"You know…" He broke the silence that fell on us, looking up at the sky. "…I always wanted to be perfect, and I truly believed I was, just until…" He looked down at his hands again as he tried to hold his tears back. I just listened to him, letting him speak whatever he wanted out of his heart.

"I'm so tired, I'm so tired of pretending everything is fine, Y/N." He buried his face into his hands, sobbing.

Tears started to appear immediately in my eyes seeing him like this. I scooted closer to him and hugged him, pulling him to my chest as he was still sobbing. "It fucked up everything— a-and I don't know what to do with my life anymore." He mumbled into the crock of my neck, wetting it with sour tears that made my heart break again.

"I know, I know it's hard Hoshi." I caressed his back up and down as I leaned my head on top of his, staring into the dark and chilly night. "There's life outside of football too. You can't just push away everyone you love, because some shit happened to your life. It's not fair and you know that."

He was quiet for a few moments, to take my words in and slowly lifted his head to look into my eyes. His eyes were red and puffy, his eyes barely visible, as the tears were still flowing down his puffy cheekbone, his lips trembling a little from the flow of emotions. "I-I know I fucked up and you have no idea how much I regret it. Pushing away my real friends and my parents. But mostly you, Y/N." One tear flew down his face again.

I slowly reached my hand towards his cheeks and cupped it just to wipe the sour tears away from his face. "I'm sorry for pushing you away…I really miss you, you being by my side all the time…" His eyes still stared deeply into mine.

I sighed, detaching my hands from his face, and letting it fall onto my lap. "I miss you too, Hoshi. But…you really treated me like shit, it hurt you know." I tried to blink away the tears that tried to escape.

"I know, I know, I was such an asshole, please forgive me.” He turned towards me.  “You really deserve better than that…" He said reaching for my hands, but along the way, he knocked over the glass that was between us. It made me realize he was just drunk and who knows tomorrow he is going to be the asshole Hoshi again.

I smiled at him sadly. "Go home Hoshi and sleep." I stood up and left him there without waiting for an answer.

Days later, it was already late at night when my phone rang just as I arrived home and parked my car, after a tiring day, as I was at classes all day and learning for the exams at the library. I sighed as I turned the engine off to pick up my phone, where the name of Hoshi's mother showed. I frowned as I picked it up.

"Y/N, darling, I'm glad you picked it up." Her voice seemed hurried and full of concern.

"Hi, what happened?" I asked her, leaving the formalities behind ages ago, as she treated me like I was her other daughter.

"I just wanted to ask, if you saw Hoshi today. We've been looking for him all day, but his phone is off and we don't know where he is." I heard as her voice got a little weaker.

"I saw him last night, but that's all, I'm sorry," I said looking down at my hands, running through the maze of my thoughts.

"Oh, okay, maybe it's better if I call the police, I am very concerned." Her voice deepened as she was thinking. "Anyways, thank you Y/N, I hope you are okay, we miss you." She wanted to hang up but I stopped her.

"Wait—, I might— I might know where he is, give me an hour and I'll find him," I said a little hurriedly as a place appeared in my head.

"Okay, thank you so much, Y/N." She seemed a little relieved at that.

I hung up the phone and quickly started the engine of my car, just to drive through the town to a place no one would search for Hoshi. And it was the football field. It sounds ridiculous but, why would anyone search for him there? When he didn’t step on that field since his injury happened?

When I arrived there, I still had doubts about him being at the field. But all my doubts disappeared when I saw him on the barely lit field, the moon above him shining at his presence. I approached the fence that separated us and just observed him as he was facing me, but he couldn't see me as the darkness hugged me around.

He was standing in the middle of the field the ball in his hands; he was wearing black shorts and a beige sweater on top the black cap never leaving his head. He squeezed it like he wanted to drown it like it could've helped make his misery better. Then he lifted his right hand in the air and threw the ball into the chilly air, his first intuition was to run after the ball, and he tried, but his knees buckled and he fell on the ground. My heart broke at the image of him breaking on the field of his dreams, I couldn't watch him suffer anymore. I stepped on the field slowly; he was still lying down with his face down and his shoulders were shaking. I walked towards the ball and took it in my hands. Then I walked towards him soundlessly.

"Hey!" I yelled at him while I was walking towards him. He snapped his head up at the sound. "Catch the ball!" I said not leaving him to think as I threw the ball towards him.

He quickly stood up, wincing from the pain, that his still unhealed, injury caused, and caught the ball.

"What are you doing here?" He tried to turn away from me, so I wouldn't see his face that screamed he was crying.

"The question is mine." I folded my arms together frowning at him.

He shrugged. "Needed to clear my head." He looked down at the ball and picked at some strings on it, not daring to look into my eyes.

"Your family is searching for you."

"I know." He spoke. "But I just wanted to get away from home."

"Why?"

"Because they want to control my life, and I can't stand it anymore." He turned away from me, looking up at the sky.

"Well, at least they are doing it, instead of you." I said stepping closer to him.

He suddenly threw the ball to the green grass with a wave of anger the ball almost bounced back to his hands.

"Hoshi, what is going on with you? It's not you." I said trying to stay calm.

"Well, you have to live with this, because this is me." He yelled at me turning towards me and pointing at himself.

My heart started to race, he kind of scared me. "No, it isn’t you, you changed." My voice got quieter as I stared down at the ground. Now I was the one not daring to look into his eyes.

"People change, and then what?" He lifted his arms in the air frowning.

"You act ridiculous, you know? You lost football and now you think you are a nobody?" I scoffed at him in disbelief.

"Football was the only thing that made me feel alive." He lifted his hands and turned around showing the field. "You can't fucking understand what am I going through." He pointed at me raising his voice.

I scoffed. "No, I really can't understand Hoshi." I looked deep into his eyes. "But I really tried to be by your side after your injury but you just threw me away just like that fucking ball.

 “I pointed at the ball in his hands. "I get it, I get that football was your life, but life sometimes sucks and you have to live with it, it can't be perfect…" My voice cracked as the emotions flew through me. "…nothing can be perfect Hoshi, neither can you…"

Tears started to appear in my eyes and I turned around. "You are on your own now." As soon as I turned tears flew down my face, and my heart broke into a million pieces again, but it was worse than everything beforehand because hope left my soul as well leaving nothing behind but dust.

I was near the fence where the exit was when I heard him.

"Y/N, wait!" He yelled after me, but I just closed him out.

All of a sudden all I could feel was that I was being pushed against the fence, which made a loud noise, as it echoed around us like bird chirping. His face was close to mine, his hands on both sides of my waist as he pushed me against the fence.

"Please listen to me." His voice was barely a whisper, that I felt on my lips.

I didn't say anything as I was too stunned being this close to him, his dark peachy scent hugged me around, making me feel woozy.

"I'm confused, okay?" His hands left my waist and he supported himself on the fence on both sides of my head. "It's…" He sighed and took off his cap with his right hand to run his fingers through his silver hair. This hair color fitted him so well, he changed but it was still him. He threw his cap on the ground now his hair falling into his eyes as he looked at me. "It's not just about football. It's about you Y/N."

My heart started to race quickly as I just looked at him with wide eyes.

He leaned closer. "The reason I pushed you away was because I wanted to be more than friends. And I knew you didn't want that." He leaned his forehead against mine. “I couldn't be friends with you anymore so I pushed you away before I fell in love with you more." His voice was low as he closed his eyes. "I was not ready for love, not when I knew you weren't as well." He whispered it and I barely could hear what he said.

"But," he continued not letting me say a word. "I realized I can’t live without you, because you are my escape from this fucked-up world and you are my purpose on this earth. I know that my life won't suck if you are by my side and that with your help, I can put my life together again." His voice crackled as tears formed in his eyes when he opened them again.

I was stunned to speak; I never could've imagined that Hoshi was thinking of me like that. But at the same, I was waiting for this moment my whole life.

"You are so stupid, Hoshi," I said the first thing that came to my mind after I gathered my thoughts. I reached my hands towards his swollen face and cupped it.

"I was in love with you my whole life," I said to him honestly.

His barely visible eyes rounded his mouth fell open, he looked so adorable. "Are you joking?"

"No, I'm not. Well, I'm sure it wasn't that deep when we were kids, but…since we grew up and started university together I fell in love with you deeper as the days passed Hoshi, and I couldn't help it." I looked down on the ground feeling shy as I just put my heart out in front of him. "My heart broke when you pushed me away…"

He slowly reached his hands towards my waist, squeezing it reassuringly, and leaned his forehead against mine. "I am so sorry, Y/n, for being so stupid, I won't ever forgive myself for treating you like that." He whispered onto my lips, his cold breath against mine, our cold breaths mixed just to melt into each other.

"You deserve the whole world, Y/N. And please let me give you the world, forgive me." He whispered the last few words, coming out like forgotten promises.

I smiled at him as if my eyes were sparkling from the happiness I felt. "Are you ready for love?"

He smiled fondly and looked at me like I was his whole world. "I'm ready for love. Can we stay together forever? I will give—"

"Just kiss me already you idiot." I interrupted him impatiently.

He chuckled and cupped my face, just to push me more into the fence that hurt my back, but not until one of his hands reached behind my back to pull me off the fence, body flesh against his. My lips curved into a sincere smile. I couldn't believe my soulmate had just confessed to me and promised me the world.

"You give me purpose." He whispered onto my lips like sweet promises and closed the distance between our parted lips. When his lisp met mine, the world stopped spinning, everything slowed down, the clocks stopped ticking, and the rivers stopped flowing. Everything stopped. It was just the two of us in this world, as he promised me the world, and with this kiss, he gave it to me. His lips moved against mine slowly, passionately, like he wanted to carve this moment into the history books, where two best friends went through ups and downs just like a roller-coaster, so in the end, they were finally ready to love each other wholeheartedly, staying together forever.

*Ateez masterlist*

[mylovesstuffs]

100 Reasons Why I Love SEVENTEEN !

A/N: Okay, let’s be real—this was both the easiest and hardest thing I’ve ever written. SEVENTEEN gives me too many reasons to love them, so narrowing it down to just 100 felt like I was betraying 1,000 others. But at least, I tried. This list is a mix of my emotional breakdowns, daily fangirl struggles, and moments where I stare at my bias list wondering how it got so wrecked (answer: SEVENTEEN). If you’ve ever felt personally attacked by their talent, visuals, or Hoshi’s tiger agenda, welcome to the club. And yes, I know I was dramatic at times, but listen, if SEVENTEEN can drop masterpieces out of nowhere, I’m allowed to be extra !

I didn’t keep it monotone or too serious as neither SEVENTEEN nor I are ever that serious so why should this list be? That being said, I genuinely love them with all my heart. If you think I’m trolling, I promise you, I’m absolutely not. Keep reading, and you’ll see that every reason listed here comes from a place of genuine love and appreciation.

1. The way they roast each other more than a barbecue on a summer’s day.

2. Hoshi’s tiger obsession – honestly, who wouldn't let him?

3. Seungkwan’s diva energy, which could power a small city.

4. Dino pretending he’s not the maknae when he absolutely is.

5. Woozi’s height jokes—yes, I'm (we're) going there.

6. Joshua being the gentleman but slipping on camera lol.

7. Dokyeom's laugh. That contagious sound deserves its own Grammy. Please nominate him.

8. How Jeonghan tricks them like it’s his life’s mission (or purpose).

9. The constant chaos of 13 people trying to talk at the same time.

10. Minghao’s perfectly timed “Please stop.”

11. When they do ‘rock-paper-scissors,’ it’s more intense than any K-drama and let's this game decide fates TT.

12. Joshua’s “I’m from L.A.”—okay, flex.

13. The Going Seventeen episodes that feel like survival shows (it fr is).

14. Dokyeom's ‘twoteen’.

15. Jun randomly living his philosophical life mid-interview.

16. Every time they forget Dino’s an adult now.

17. The fear in their eyes when Woozi holds a guitar. (Mingyu...)

18. Vernon being… Vernon. Is he confused, or are we?

19. Seungkwan screaming at literally everything—relatable king.

20. Mingyu thinking he’s subtle about being clumsy. He isn’t.

21. How they’re truly a family—you can feel the bond.

22. When they cried after winning their first Daesang.

23. How they protect each other without saying a word.

24. Seungcheol always being the dad figure they need.

25. The way they celebrate each other’s little wins.

26. Their constant gratitude toward Carats.

27. How Woozi composes music like a wizard.

28. How every member brings something unique and different to the group.

29. That time they promised to stay together forever (cue tears).

30. How they work so hard but still stay humble.

31. Daring to ruin my bias list every single comeback.

32. They choreograph like they’ve got 28 legs.

33. Do they have to look that good? Like, chill bro.

34. Why is their discography so perfect? No skips?!

35. How they make even random words sound deep (adore uuuu).

36. “13 members but one team” – poetic and unfairly cute.

37. How they can make me laugh and cry in the same hour.

38. Their concert VCRs—pure emotional damage.

39. How Mingyu casually models while being a cinnamon roll.

40. Every time Hoshi says, “I'm a tiger.”

41. Woozi’s producing. Absolute genius.

42. SEVENTEEN's choreography – they invented synchronization.

43. Kyeom’s voice. Heaven called; they’re jealous.

44. Seungkwan’s ad-libs that hit harder than my alarm clock.

45. Jun being an underrated vocal king.

46. Vernon’s raps – smooth like butter.

47. Minghao’s art – talented and soulful?

48. Dino proving maknaes aren’t babies anymore.

49. S.Coups’ leadership—he carries 12 chaotic kids on his back.

50. Jeonghan’s ability to make any concept work.

51. How they’ve sacrificed so much for their dreams.

52. The sleepless nights we know they’ve had.

53. When they talk about missing their families.

54. Seeing them tired but still giving their all.

55. Their honesty about their struggles.

56. Watching them grow from rookies to legends.

57. Knowing how much pressure they’ve faced as a 13-member group.

58. When they write letters to Carats and it feels so personal.

59. Their vulnerability in their music—‘Don’t Wanna Cry’ anyone?

60. Knowing they truly care about each other like brothers.

61. Hoshi’s hand gesture that looks like a paw.

62. How they never explain Vernon’s randomness.

63. Joshua being everyone's favorite Hyung-oppa-angel-gentleman.

64. Dino’s Michael Jackson dances—we see you, King.

65. Mingyu cooking like he’s on MasterChef.

66. Jeonghan cutting his hair and the world losing its mind.

67. When Woozi’s serious face becomes extra serious.

68. Their obsession with food—it’s basically another member.

69. Every time they express gratitude towards Carats, it feels like they truly mean it.

70. Seungcheol constantly babying his members, and we love it.

71. The way they manipulate my emotions like puppeteers.

72. They’ve made me spend money I don’t have.

73. I didn’t ask for this level of emotional attachment, yet here I am.

74. Their photobooks take up more space than my furniture.

75. Why do I know their blood types? This feels illegal.

76. They live rent-free in my head, and I’m charging them soon.

77. The way they casually drop bops while I’m still recovering from the last one.

78. Their lightsticks—why are they this pretty?

79. I tell myself I’ll bias one member, but they drag me into OT13.

80. They’re the reason I learned how to stream like a professional.

81. They make me feel like I’m part of something special.

82. Their love for Carats—it’s so genuine.

83. Every moment feels like they’re leaving a legacy.

84. They’re more than idols—they’re inspirations to me.

85. Their messages about youth and teamwork hit deep.

86. How they remind me that hard work pays off.

87. Knowing they’ve changed lives, including mine.

88. The way their laughter feels like sunshine.

89. They’ve taught me to appreciate every little moment.

90. They’ve turned 13 into my favorite number.

91. SEVENTEEN just being SEVENTEEN.

92. They don’t take themselves too seriously.

93. They’re down-to-earth despite their success.

94. The way they constantly grow but stay true to themselves.

95. Their genuine friendship—you can’t fake that.

96. They make being a Carat feel like being part of a huge family.

97. Their artistry—it’s unmatched.

98. Their passion, which is so contagious.

99. The fact that no other group could ever be them.

100. Because, honestly, they’ve made my life brighter in so many ways.

ⓘ There you go, a completely balanced (read: unhinged) list. What’s your favorite reason? Or did I just write all the reasons you already had?

[blushy-tigerrr]

story time w/ tiger!!

so, as you all probably know from my post on friday, i was able to visit @applesyaboi for a second time this year! although, this time, it was a bit different. we weren’t just spending time together as friends. i am honored and blessed to call this lovely man my boyfriend, and i have for about a month now. he’s made my life so much brighter even from the crazy distance between us, and this past week that i got to spend alongside him has only solidified how in love with him i am.

i’ll get really into the sappy stuff at the end, but here’s a condensed version of what we got up to! :3

this past thursday (thanksgiving for my fellow americans), apples picked me up from the airport and brought along with him a small bouquet of red roses. i had previously told him that these were my favorite flowers, so that was such a lovely surprise. along with that, we were finally able to have our first kiss right there at the airport as neither of us wanted to wait any longer. it was everything i had ever dreamt of and more. after that, we hopped into his car and drove back to his apartment. that first day was a whole lot of snuggling, kissing, tickling, and snuggling some more.

over the next few days, we did a lot of stuff together despite the cold midwest weather. we went out for food a few times (i went to texas roadhouse for the first time hehe), went grocery shopping so i could make us food at home, met his friends and family, and visited him at work to deliver lunch one day which was so lovely to be able to do. this week was packed full of really fun stuff, and it was lovely to get to meet the people in his life that i had heard so much about.

this is probably the section most of you really want to hear about. of course, knowing the two of us, not a day went by without us tickling each other at least a little bit. most mornings if not all of them, apples would tickle me as soon as i woke up which was really mean because i’m somehow more ticklish right after i wake up. we also explored some spots we didn’t get to last time, and i discovered just how bad my neck and ears really are… illegal btw. he also got my thighs and hips a lot more this time because of some posts i’ve reblogged craving those spots to be gotten… and that was really fucking flustering fun. but enough about me! this lil shit was way more ticklish this time than he was last time, so i was able to get plenty of revenge. i even found some new spots on him that work extremely well. i won’t out exactly what they are though. it’ll have to be up to him to say ;) but i could not get enough of his giggles and his precious smile. UGH i’m so in love <3

unfortunately, our time together has come to an end, and we were both very emotional today when he dropped me off at the airport. i can’t express enough how much fun i had with apples. last time was wonderful, but this week was so much better than i could have ever dreamed. i feel completely at home and comfortable when i’m with apples, more so than i’ve ever felt with anyone else. he’s truly a very special person, and i feel so grateful to be his girlfriend. he’s given me all the kinds of love i have always secretly desired and done so as if it were second nature. he never allows me to make myself feel like a burden, he always reassures me when i need it, and he’s so patient and understanding with me in every way. i’ve only ever dreamt of a person like that, and now this perfect human is my boyfriend. i couldn’t be luckier.

apples, i love you endlessly. this isn’t goodbye, it’s see you next time, even if that next time doesn’t come for a long time. you’re everything to me. thank you for being you. you’re my world. i love you, baby <3

(also here’s a picture of the pretty flowers he got me i’m so in love guys don’t look at me)

[inthemytdl]

Teenage Dream

Summary: Jack prepares for his first date (with a girl)

Note: she/her pronouns

“Are you sure?” Jack brushed down the black shirt and army style jacket Dean gave him.

The sleeves went a couple inches past his hand, so he had to roll them up to fit properly. The shirt, on the other hand, fit well. 

“Trust me, chicks dig the bad boy look,” Dean said. “A little dirt, a little grime. Works every time.”

Jack had never been on a date before, but he imagined dressing nicer than this. Wearing his FBI suit, maybe. It was the nicest one he owned and the sleeves fit perfectly.

He turned to Sam. “Is that true?”

“Sometimes,” Sam said, without looking up from his computer.

But Jack had seen a good amount of romance films and couldn’t imagine Sam as the bad boy in any of them. In his mind, he was always the nice guy. The hero.

“Did you think you’d go in your FBI suit?” Dean laughed. “This is a date, kid, not a case.”

“I like that suit. Cass says blue is my color.”

Cass nodded. “It’s true. And that”—he pointed at Jack—“is horrible.”

“Hey!” Dean shouted. “That’s style. Army green, simple tees. That’s in right now. It’s all over the mags.”

“Mags?” Sam said.

“Magazines. God, you guys are old.”

Jack watched the scene unfold. Dean was doing that thing where he pretended to be young again while Sam groaned and Cass filed his nails against the wooden table. Usually, he’d let it go on, but there were just thirty minutes until his date with you and he still didn’t have an outfit.

“I don’t have time for this!” Jack shouted. His skin was hot like when he used his powers.

“Woah. Relax. It’s just a date,” Dean said.

“He’s never been on a date before, Dean,” Sam countered.

“So? Neither has Cass and he’s doing fine.”

“Dating, love, relationships. Those are human things,” Cass said. “Trivial.”

“Trivial?” Dean craned his neck toward him and the pair erupted into yet another argument as Sam approached Jack.

“It doesn’t matter what you wear,” he said. “Just be yourself. Girls can tell when you’re faking.”

“They can?” Jack felt more nervous than before. It was all too human. And he was only half of that. He wasn’t used to having sweaty palms or a butterfly-filled stomach. He thought he was sick the first time he felt their flutter before Sam explained that it was normal.

“Uh, yeah. Sometimes,” Sam coughed. “But you’ll be fine.” He gave him those puppy dog eyes he gave families when working a case: his attempt to take half of their pain. It worked sometimes. Jack was grateful it worked now.

“Okay,” he said, leaving to change. 

He hurried to his room and put on a white button up paired with a brown suit. That blue tie he loved. He stopped for a moment to look in the mirror, did an awkward smile, then made his way back to the command center.

The chaos had died down by the time he arrived, and all three of the boys sat around the table listening to Sam. Jack overlooked the scene from the head of the table. This was one of the few times the bunker was quiet: when one of them was talking and the others listened. And that was rare. Most days, they talked over each other.

“Woah. Look at you.” Sam was first to notice him. His dimples pinched his cheeks as he smiled.

“Much better,” Cass rasped.

Dean scrunched his face and made his way over to him. Jack wiped sweaty palms down his blazer. Dean was never all that nice to him, but a couple months in the bunker and they had become somewhat of a family.

“You’ve got to learn how to properly tie a tie,” Dean said, and he adjusted it for him. “There. Not as good as before but… decent.” He nodded, then fished in his pocket and produced silver keys. “Here.”

“You’re letting me drive the impala?” Jack said.

“Don’t make me regret it.”

Sam clapped. “Alright, go get ‘em, tiger.”

A rush of energy overcame Jack, though he couldn’t tell why. It might’ve been confidence or nerves or something entirely different—he wasn’t sure. He wasn’t used to feeling this way. He had grown accustomed to fear and adrenaline. Love, even. But never romantic, and never like this.

This would be the first time he went on a real date, and one where no one tried to kill him. He felt prepared; he knew what to do. Once he got to the restaurant, he would pull your chair out for you, you’d talk, and then you’d fall in love with him.

There was only one thing he was unsure about.

“What should I say when I get there?” he asked. 

“I read in a Teen Vogue magazine it’s custom to talk about your interests,” Cass said.

“Zombies?”

“No—no zombies!” Dean said. “For the love of god, no zombies.”

“Just follow her lead, okay?” Sam said.

Jack nodded, making a mental note of all the advice he’d be given. But if he wasn’t allowed to talk about zombies, what would he talk about? 

“Uh, kid.” Dean laid a hand on his shoulder. “You’re not moving.”

“I’m not?”

“No,” Cass said. “You’ve been standing in Dean’s beer puddle for thirty seconds now.” 

“Oh.” He felt the liquid squish below his feet.

“Here, I’ll walk you.” Sam placed a hand on his back and led him to the door.

“You’ll call me if you need help?”

Leaving during a case felt wrong—like when he finished a box of cereal and it didn’t have a toy in it or when he waved at someone and they didn’t wave back—but Sam insisted he go.

“Yeah,” Sam said, opening the door for him. 

Jack lifted a slow hand and waved goodbye. 

Sam smiled and waved back; gave him that look that took half his nerves, half his pain. Then the door shut and it was time for his date.

[koririmao]

k so i was thinking about best friend!hao x u doing anatomy homework. imagine hin asking you for some random body part and if you got it right he WOULD KISS THAT PART hwheh

-💌

tiger stripes | zhang hao

pairing| bff!hao x chubbyfem!reader

cw| fluff!, slightly suggestive?, kissing body parts, mentions of abuse, common fem insecurities (you're beautiful and worthy, don't let anyone tell you any different ilysm <3)

wc| 1.1K words

prolouge| ever since the zhang family moved next door, little you and little hao have always been the best of friends, doing anything and everything together being only children and neighbors. your favorite game was pretend doctor where you would take turns being the patient. this ignited a spark, encouraging the both of you to take medical courses in the future. similar as you are, both of you grew up differently as he was raised in a loving an encouraging household, while you were being beaten up by your step father every day until you turned 16 when your mom finally caught him in the act and forced him to move out.

playlist| all of me by john legend "love your curves and all your edges, all your perfect imperfections"

ask from 💌 anon| "k so i was thinking about best friend! hao x u doing anatomy homework. imagine hin asking you for some random body part and if you got it right he WOULD KISS THAT PART hwheh"

a/n: the way this ask was so convenient because im a nursing major and were about to learn muscle anatomy next month? ilysm 💌 anon <3

one warm summer evening, as the sun dipped behind the horizon, painting the sky with hues of orange and pink, you and hao found yourselves alone sitting on the floor of your bedroom. it was finals week and you decided to procrastinate the whole two months now you're stressing over how you're gonna do in the exam. you knew how careless you were and you knew you should've had that mindset months ago to scare yourself but we can't turn back time now can we? in complete utter desperation with no other choice, you decided to phone a friend and he arrived at your doorstep in a jiffy — literally, he was just next door.

fifteen minutes after you sent your text, the doorbell rang making you rush down the stairs but your mom got to it first. she opened the door to hao, grinning from ear to ear while holding out a container. even in a casual shirt and baggy pants, he still looked very presentable. "good afternoon, mrs ln! my mother baked these cupcakes earlier, they're still warm!" he handed it to her using both hands. "oh why thank you, hao. come, come in, ill get you something to drink" your mom gestured for him to come in as she made her way to the kitchen. upon entering, he noticed you from the flight of stairs and smiled wider.

and that's how you ended up gossiping and laughing on the floor while eating the cupcakes and drinking milk. you caught a glimpse of your beside clock while trying to catch your breath. "holy fuck it's 8:57 already?!" your eyes widened while wiping away the crumbs and icing from your lips. "guess we spilt too much tea" hao chuckled. you took out the cue cards you had prepared and gave it to him. "okay, no more mucking around. let's get some work done!" you dust the crumbs from your hands together before sitting down in a more comfortable position.

twenty minutes have passed and you made zero progress so far. hao even tried repeating the same question after every other one but you still couldn't get it through your thick skull. "it's hopeless, im never gonna be a nurse. guess you'll have to find someone else to be your assistant" you bent your knees up to your chest as you buried your face in them. "hey, hey, don't say that" hao scooted closer and hugged you while rubbing your back soothingly. "i wouldn't dream of having anyone else helping out dr. zhang, hm?" he lifted your cheeks to make you face him, smiling in reassurance.

"i'll tell you what, for every muscle you get right, i'll kiss you right there" he brushed a strand of hair from your face behind your ear. you felt your face heat up as his words echoed through your ears. "w-what?" he snickered. "well, maybe you're having trouble learning about the body because you're not giving enough love to this one. so, i will be doing it instead" he took her hand and kissed it. at that moment, you came to the realization that you started to see hao differently over the years since puberty so this was all coming to a surprise — but you liked it.

renered speechless, you gave a small nod as a response as he scooted backwards and took out the questionnaires once again. "let's start with an easy one, where are the biceps located?" you flexed your arm and pointed at it with a smug face, making both of you laugh right after. "that's right, good job yn" hao leaned forward and gently pulled your arm towards him before kissing your bicep, fulfilling his promise from earlier. you pouted and puffed your cheeks as you tried reverting the blood rushing to your face. "cutie" hao cooed at you and pinched your cheek before sitting back up.

"next, can you tell me where's the tendinous inscription?" you thought for a few seconds before finally pointing at it, poking your belly in the process. "good job, princess" hao liked giving you those nicknames since neither of you were dating anyone, no one was going to be jealous about it. he lifted your tank top ever so slightly and planted a soft kiss just above the belly button. "that tickles" you giggled in response. you should have kept that to yourself, tho. after saying that, hao kept on kissing, even moving around, painting your belly with his lips. "hao, stop!" you whined in between your laughter while trying to push his head away. hao finally declared defeat and stood back up, drinking some milk to rehydrate his palette.

"now, where were we?" he hummed as he was looking for a harder question. "ah, yes, the sternohyoid!" he gave a cheeky grin. you shifted your gaze to the side, trying your hardest to remember what it could be. giving up, you took the chances and pointed on your forehead. "hmm, are you sure?" hao asked in a teasing manner however he has been using thag to play mind games on you and thought you weren't gonna fall to his tricks again. "positive" you smirked to yourself, almost tasting the sweet victory. "aww, you're wrong, sorry" hao pouted while crossing his arms to form an x for incorrect. "oh, dang! i actually forgot that one, where is it again?" you innocently asked.

hao smirked and took this opportunity to lean towards you and kiss your neck. "here" he looked back at you, smiling feeling proud of himself as you froze in your position. "hey, you said you would only kiss me if i got the answers right" you smacked his arm playfully. "yeah but, i was really hoping you would get that one" he bit his bottom lip and winked at you. you rolled your eyes as he only snickered in response. he shuffled all the cards and pulled a random one from the deck.

"ooh, the gracilis!" hao widened his eyes while reading the question. "ah, i know this one because my step father used to always complain about it - its somewhere here" you encircled your inner thigh. "thats correct!" hao clapped and cheered making you also clap in response. hao carefully spread your legs apart and started lifting up one of the leg openings before you grabbed his fist, stopping him. "hm? what's wrong?" hao looked up at you in between your thighs. "y-you'll see my stretch marks..." you looked away while hiding half of your face with your hand. "so? if tigers can proudly flaunt their stripes in the wild then so can you" he continued exposing your thigh before kissing it. "that's where the gracilis is" you bit your lip as your face flushed pink, looking at where he just kissed you. not only that, that comparison made you feel like the most beautiful woman in the world. maybe hao is right, this body isn't so bad after all. you're just a fluffy cat in this world full of strays — with tiger stripes.

[bulkyphrase]

Smutty Stony Rec List

I wrote this in the notes of a post like a year and a half ago and I’m finally delivering! This list is both the fulfillment of that ancient promise, and an Xmas present for the Steve server’s #stony-nsfw channel.

I am very skewed towards bottom Steve, so if that’s not your jam you can probably safely skip this list.

Enjoy, and Happy Holidays!

Got You Under My Skin by BlossomsintheMist ( @cherryblossomsmist) (Ults | Explicit | 26,115 words)

Summary: “I’d be happy to show you a good time,” Tony said, smiling a little obscurely, Steve thought, as if to himself, but still with that warm, knowing look, affectionate and oddly fond, “any time you want.” Steve Rogers goes to Tony Stark's birthday party. Things progress from there, with a lot of flirtiness leading to propositions, and propositions leading to, well, what comes next, and Steve isn't even sure what he wants after that. Set in the Marvel Ultimate Universe, and written for the 2014 Cap_Ironman Reverse Big Bang. Art by wiredoll, here.

Baby, You Can Drive My Car by BlossomsintheMist (@cherryblossomsmist) (616 | Explicit | 7,485 words)

Summary: “Nothing but the best for my best guy,” and this time, Steve’s groan was soft and shuddering and all about Tony calling him that old-fashioned phrase, it never failed to make him feel warm and, and soft, and cared for, the way Tony always managed to do so damn well, “this is the Lamborghini of fucking machines, all right? Written for Day Ten of Kinktober: Fucking Machine.

Chapter 19 by blue_jack (MCU | Explicit | 5,098 words)

Summary: Anyone who was anyone knew about Captain America.

The rest are below the cut!

I’ma Bite Your Feelings Out by blue_jack (MCU | Explicit | 4,174 words)

Summary: “I’m sorry, but we have to do what?” Steve asked, sure he’d misunderstood. “I said that someone needs to have sex with Tony,” Dr. Strange told him, sounding annoyed that he had to repeat himself, as if Tony weren’t currently a wolf, standing six feet tall at the shoulder. A little bit of clarification wasn’t too much to ask for.

Exhausted by FestiveFerret (@festiveferret) (MCU | Explicit | 2,764 words)

Summary: “You going to sleep, love?” Tony asked, and Steve nodded. “You okay with keeping the collar on?” Tony knew Steve understood what he was asking for - as much as he knew how badly Steve wanted this.

Exposed by FestiveFerret, SirSapling (@festiveferret, @sirsapling) (Ults | Explicit | 5,979 words)

Summary: Of all the people Steve could be stuck with while this agonizing drug surged through him, of course, it had to be Tony Stark.

Not In Kansas Anymore by fohatic (@fohatic) (MCU | Explicit | Rape/Non-Con | 28,585 words)

Summary: It was truly uncanny, how alike they both were. His voice. His mannerisms. His meticulously-groomed facial hair. If he didn't know any better, Steve would've thought that it was the same man he’d left back on Earth-617... The only noticeable difference between them was that look in his eyes... Steve hadn't missed it, the way that this Tony was watching him as if he were a rabbit that had wandered into a tiger's lair, regarding him with an unsettling sort of amusement as he invited him deeper into the penthouse, brown eyes sharp and smoldering with something that Steve didn't recognize. Steve Rogers attempts to covertly gather intel on a mysterious weapon from a parallel universe's Tony Stark, and ends up in a predicament that he never saw coming.

if love is a jungle by fohatic (@fohatic) (MCU | Explicit | 15,393 words)

Summary: It was Tony's wet dream and worst nightmare all rolled up into one.

Perfect Body by IronShield (MCU | Explicit | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | 12,677 words)

Summary: Steve Rogers is struggling with his sexual desires, he doesn't know if he should share them with anyone. One day, out of curiosity he reads some SteveXTony fanfiction and Tony wonders if the fanfic matches up the the real deal. The first chapter sets it up, chapter 2 and on will contain all the smut!

Ravenous by IronShield (MCU | Explicit | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | 14,362 words)

Note: Not exclusively Stony, but it is the main ship

Summary: Sequel to "Perfect Body" Steve keeps thinking about the promise Tony made. Now Steve wants to fulfill his body's every desire once again and get with a few other Avengers.

girls can't play guitar by isozyme (@isozyme) (Ults | Explicit | 4,209 words)

Summary: On nights when Tonia fucked Eve, Eve left her bed sated and woke up with a guilty desire to walk into Tonia’s room, strip off her kevlar uniform, and surrender herself to whatever Tonia wanted to do next. Captain Eve Rogers has a complicated relationship with sex and masculinity. Tonia Stark has a really big strap.

what it looks like (from the outside) by isozyme (@isozyme) (616, Ults | Explicit | 5,786 words)

Summary: “I talked to Rogers,” Tony said. His tone was edged with wheedling — Tony was building up towards asking for something. “And now I need your opinion: what are your feelings on threesomes?” “With Rogers?” Steve asked, surprised. Steve certainly — surely — probably — didn’t approve of threesomes. Even if Tony asked for it, in his haughty, affected way, the way that said it was all a joke until you said yes, Steve would — he wouldn’t say yes. He certainly wouldn’t have thought other-him would go for it. “No, with a platypus,” Tony teased. “Yes, obviously, with Rogers.” Commander Rogers from Earth 616 comes to visit Ultimates Steve and Tony. They have a threesome with feelings. That’s it, that’s the fic.

All the Love You Hold and Hide by Mireille (MCU | Explicit | 17,294 words)

Summary: On a mission, Steve triggers a booby trap that turns out to be a skeevy sex curse, of the "fuck or die" variety. Tony volunteers as tribute.

Under The Spell by Ridley160 (MCU | Explicit | Rape/Non-Con | 23,125 words)

Summary: Steve gets doused with a heat inducing sex pollen from a giant centipede that Tony has been researching. Wild with a fiery desire Steve bends to the will and whim of the creature, allowing it to use his body in any way it pleases. Tony attempts to talk Steve out of it and get him away from the bug, but he too is subjected to the monster's pollen, and finds himself unable to resist the temptations. Then there is finding how to deal with the aftermath. Heed the tags

Little Red Button by scribblywobblytimeylimey (MCU | Explicit | Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings | 6,298 words)

Summary: Sequel to 'All There in the Manual' for firelordstark: “[I]t would be interesting if roleplaying an android were an actual kink of his and not just his subconscious trying to construct a situation where Tony would be interested in him.” (What do you know? Freud was right.) Tony takes so well to Steve's suggestion he starts to wish he'd mentioned it sooner. It's easy to believe the rest of it – that he's the sex-toy android Tony built for when Steve's not around, built to please him, modded within an inch of his life to react to pressure sensors in all the right places – when Tony's even gone as far as to integrate a voice modification filter that fits like a gag but lets out every last sound, not quite in Steve's voice, but flattened a little with a tinny edge, just like he *would* sound if he *were* a robot sex toy. And that's not even all of it. One of these days, he's going to learn to never underestimate Tony Stark.

In the Springtime of His Voodoo by shaenie (MCU | Explicit | 9,821 words)

Summary: “I’m removing Captain Rogers from this base, but not from active duty. I want him as SHIELD’s liaison to Stark Industries first and foremost. He’ll report directly to me,” Fury says. “As it is, your identity as Captain America is not public knowledge and it will remain that way until I say otherwise. That said, if you think you can get Tony Stark to work with you if you disclose that information, you have permission to do so.” Also available as a podfic read by paraka (@paraka)

Satiety by Sinope (MCU | Explicit | 956 words)

Summary: From a kinkmeme prompt: Tony builds a fucking machine designed specifically for Steve. It fucks him for hours, through multiple orgasms until he's sore to the point of crying and begs for it to stop. Once Steve can't come anymore, Tony unties him and plays with his sore hole. Then he fucks him. Afterwards, he licks his cum out of Steve. Contains exactly what it says on the box.

A Particular Style by sinuous_curve (MCU | Explicit | 3,640 words)

Summary: “The erotic tale of one camp counselor’s descent into lesbian madness?” Toni rattles off the summary, pressing the back of her hand to her forehead in a swoon that Steph can’t see. “I can’t fault your taste. It was always one of my favorites.”

Simple Biology by stark-contrast (dweetwise) (@dweetwise) (MCU | Explicit | 9,925 words)

Summary: “God, I'm sweating bullets in this thing,” Tony said, already unzipping his undersuit. “It’s not just me, right? It feels like a sauna in here.” And Steve's resolve crumbled by each inch of sweat-slick skin that was revealed. Or, Tony gets hit by sex pollen. Fortunately, Steve is there to help out—if only the guilt complex would let him.

[kepnerandavery]

My favourite quotes from When He Was Wicked..

1. “Francesca turned to Michael, her eyes startlingly blue, even in the candlelight. Or maybe it was just that he knew how blue they were. He seemed to dream in blue these days. Francesca blue, the colour ought to be called.”

This is the first moment that makes you realize just how deep Michael’s love for Francesca is ❤️

2. “When she smiled at him he couldn’t say no. And he certainly wasn’t strong enough to deny himself an hour in her presence. Because her presence was all he was ever going to get. There would never be a kiss, never a meaningful glance or touch. There would be no whispered words of love, no moans of passion. All he could have was her smile and her company, and path. All he could have was her smile and her company, and pathetic idiot that he was, he was willing to take it.”

Sigh.. My poor child. I wish I could give him a hug and tell him he’s going to get everything he deserves (soon-ish) 😅

3. “He turned and looked at her, his strange, silvery eyes catching hers with an intensity she knew he didn’t often allow to rise to the fore. “And then it was gone, and he was himself again”

Little does she know, that the Michael that she thought she saw here for a second is his real self. It’s just that he’s pretending to be someone else in front of her to mask his feelings 😢

4. “Francesca?” he gasped. “Frannie, Frannie, what is—”

When he called her “Frannie” for the first time, my heart exploded ❤️ I also noticed that he only calls her that in "somewhat" serious situations 😭

5. “She was still there, and she was still the Countess of Kilmartin, and even if he was the earl, with no questions attached to the title, she wouldn’t be his countess, and he just didn’t know if he could take the irony of it.”

My man really had to go through all seven stages of grief about three times over before she fell for him huh? 😢

6. “He didn’t try to finish the sentence for her. She wished he had; for years she wished he had, because maybe then he would have said the wrong thing, and maybe then she wouldn’t have leaned into him, and maybe then she wouldn’t have allowed him to hold her.”

I feel like this moment is so important for them both. It’s the first time where they stepped out of the familiarity of their relationship, and failed to figure out who they were to each other. And that’s pretty good news, for Michael. Down the road, I mean, cause right now, it really sucks 😂

7. “He was a brave man; he’d proven that countless times, on and off the battlefield. But he was an honest man, too, honest enough to admit that the prospect of facing Francesca was terrifying in a way that no French battlefield or toothy tiger could ever be.”

Ahhhaa 😭

8. “Do you have any idea how long it takes for mail to reach London from India?” “Five months,” she answered promptly. “Four, if the winds are kind.”

Are we really gonna gloss over the fact that she knows this? 😏 Frannie, you’re not coming across as indifferent as you’d like to seem 😂

9. “He’d needed her to step away, to move out of his reach. She was going to have to set the boundaries. Because he wasn’t sure he’d prove up to the task.”

Sighh.. I can’t understand how he kept all of his feelings to himself for six years 😢

10. “There was something different about her, something entirely unexpected. Something that shook him down to his very soul. It was a sense about her—all in his mind, really, but no less devastating. There was an air of availability, a horrible, torturous knowledge that John was gone, really, truly gone, and the only thing stopping Michael from reaching out and touching her was his own conscience. It was almost funny. Almost.”

God, Micheal really is an angel when it comes to her. The fact that he doesn’t even ponder the possibility of a relationship with her is just so.. 😭

11. “You, my lord, need a wife. Immediately.” “Oh, really? And why is that?” “Because in your present state, you are clearly a danger to unmarried women everywhere.”

Is he a danger to other woman, or to you Francesca? I’m pretty sure it’s the latter 😋

12. “She had remembered how he took it—milk, no sugar. For some reason this pleased him immensely.”

Gahhhh 🥰 Small victories for him 😊

13. “But soon. You’re not getting any younger. Michael just stared at her in shock. “I can’t imagine permitting anyone else to speak to me in such a manner.”

Haha 😂 He’s such a sweetheart, and no one can convince me otherwise

14. “And then of course there was the small matter of his skin crawling, which was his general reaction to the thought of Francesca with another man.”

How much more could he take? 💔

15. “He was Michael. He was… well, it seemed difficult precisely to define what he was to her, but they had an unbreakable bond, they two, and it seemed that four years and thousands of miles had done little to diminish it.”

YES!!! 🙌

16. “And even in those early days following John’s death, when she’d hated him for leaving her, even when she’d been so angry with him that she wanted to cry—she had taken some comfort in the knowledge that he was alive and well, and would return to her in an instant, if ever she asked it of him.”

Micheal was living with a broken heart in India, but little does he know that half the work to make her fall for him has already been put in by his past self 😋 All he had to do was be himself 🥰

17. “She reached out and took his hand. “We will get through this,” she said. He nodded, and then he closed his eyes. But just when she thought he was asleep, he whispered, “It’s better with you here.”

Sighhh ❤️

18. “He had never seen her wake up, he realised. He wasn’t certain why he found that so strange; it wasn’t as if he’d been privy to many of her private moments before. Maybe it was because in all of his daydreams, in all of his fantasies, he’d never quite pictured this—the low rumbling from deep in her throat as she shifted position, the small sigh of sound when she yawned, or even the delicate ballet of her eyelids as they fluttered open. She was beautiful. He’d known that, of course, had known that for years, but never before had he felt it quite so profoundly, quite so deeply in his bones.”

Michael Stirling deserves the entire world, and this is precisely why. No one could ever love her as much as he does 😭😭

19. “It was something in the way she moved. Something in the way she breathed. Something in the way she merely was. And he didn’t think he was ever going to get over it.”

And I will never get over how he feels about her 😫

20. “I have no wish to hear about your amorous exploits,” Francesca said stiffly. “Funny, you used to ask about them all the time.” He paused, watching her squirm. “What was it you always asked me?” “I don’t—” “Tell me something wicked” he said, using his best trying-to-sound-as-if-he’d-just-thought-of-it voice, when of course he never forgot anything she said to him.”

The fact that he tries so hard to pretend like he doesn’t care about her too much 😭 Also I love that he’s slowly starting his to let down his guard and use his charm on her 😏

21. “I knew there was a reason I loved you so well,” he said dryly. “One really needn’t worry about falling into the sin of vanity with you about.”

Look at him, casually throwing in the world “love” concealed in a joke. I see you Michael 🥺

22. “Where’s that new earl of yours?” My, she was blunt. “He’s not my earl,” Francesca pointed out. “Well, he’s more yours than anyone else’s.”

Lady Danbury knows best. Come on, Francesca! We know this!! It’s best not to argue with her, and go along with whatever she says 😂

23. “It was like a sickness with him, a sixth sense. He couldn’t be in a room with Francesca and not know where she was. It had been like this since the moment they’d met, and the only thing that made it bearable was that she hadn’t a clue.”

I just.. 😭😭

24. “A man would have to be a fool not to want to marry you.”

Oh my god. My child, I can’t even be mad at him for not telling her how he feels because of how respectful he is 😢

25. “Michael snorted with disgust. Anyone who took the time to really look at Francesca’s eyes would have realised that they were quite their own colour. As if the sky could even compare.”

Haha, what an adorable lovesick puppy 🥰

26. “How did you know I was in the garden?” she inquired. He didn’t say anything. Or maybe he would have done, just not quickly enough to suit her. “Were you watching me?” she asked.His lips curved, not quite into a smile, not even into the beginnings of a smile. “I’m always watching you,” he said grimly.”

Damnn 😏 This, right here is the moment that we all knew it was about to go down. There will be no more facades from this point forward. We’re about to witness the charming, smooth-talking Michael Stirling in all of his glory 😍

27. “Good God, he was staring at her toes. Her toes. What had his life come to?”

*screams internally* 🤣

28. “Now that it had finally happened, now that he had tasted perfection, he was in more agony than ever before. Now he knew exactly what he was missing; he understood with painful clarity just what it was that would never be his.”

Oh god. Someone get this man a whiskey, or a hug, and maybe a therapist 😢

29. “You do realize, Kilmartin,” Colin said, his voice so soft it was almost chilling, “that there is no reason you can’t marry her. None at all. Except, of course,” he added, almost as an afterthought, “the reasons you manufacture for yourself.” Michael felt something tearing in his chest. His heart, probably, but he was growing so used to the feeling it was a wonder he still noticed it.”

Colin Bridgerton, what a godsend. I honestly don’t know why he bothered with becoming a writer when we all know that matchmaking/counseling is what he was born to do 💁‍♀️😂

30. “He might not ever have all of her—her heart, he knew, would never be his—but he’d have most of her, and that would be enough.” “It was certainly more than he had now. And even half of Francesca—Well, that would be ecstasy. Wouldn’t it?”

He’s waaaay too good for this world. Am I biased? Maybe. Do I care? Not one bit 😋

31. “I will give you children,” he said softly. “Or at least, I will try.”

Ohhh GOD 😭❤️

32. “Who would have thought, after all his years of bad behavior, that he’d emerge such a hopeless romantic?”

Pstttt. As if he hasn’t been a hopeless romantic since the day he met her 😂

33. “There was nothing she valued more than a cool and clear head, and Michael had managed to steal that from her with a single kiss. And then he’d done more. So much more. She was never going to be the same. She was never going to be sane.

“You look distressed,” he said. She wanted to strangle him. He cocked his head and smiled. She wanted to kiss him.”

Haha. Cuties 🥰🥰

34. “Dream of me,” he said softly.”

Aww ❤️ I’d be very surprised if she was able to dream of anyone else 😋

35. “He told her about India, and she told him of her childhood. She gave him her opinions about political matters, and he actually listened. And he told her devilish jokes that men were never supposed to tell women, and women certainly weren’t supposed to enjoy. And then, once the bed had stopped shaking with her mirth, his mouth would find hers, a smile embedded on his lips. “I love your laughter,” he would murmur, and his hands would curl her to him. She’d sigh, still giggling, and they’d begin their passion anew.”

This is my favorite part of the book. It sums up their relationship to a single paragraph, and it’s just so beautiful ❤️❤️

36. “Why? It’s because I love you, damn me to hell. Because I’ve always loved you. Because I loved you when you were with John, and I loved you when I was in India, and God only knows I don’t deserve you, but I love you, anyway.”

Oh god, finally! I can’t get over how he told himself that he was never going to tell her any of this, but he just absolutely had to do it when he thought he was going to lose her forever. It’s so tragic 💔

37. “If this is to end, you will have to do it. You will have to walk away, Francesca. Because now… after everything… I’m just not strong enough to say goodbye.”

If my future boyfriend isn’t even remotely anything like him, I don’t want him. Who cares if it’s irrational? From now on, Michael Stirling is the gold standard of men 😭

38. “Six bloody years, all lost in a single moment. All because he’d thought he might actually have the right to feel happy.”

*screams* You do deserve to be happy!! 😫

39. “I don’t care if you’re barren,” he said, his voice hot against her ear. “I don’t care if you deliver a litter of puppies.”

I can’t. How can he be this.... perfect? 😭

40. “His heart had always skipped a beat when he saw her across a crowded room. Anything more, and he didn’t think the organ could take the strain.”

Sighhhh 🥺 I swear, the number of times I sighed while reading this book is striking 😅

41. “It’s not nothing,” he murmured. “When it’s you, and when it’s me, it’s never nothing.”

Oh my god ❤️

42. “This thing between them, this bond—it wasn’t just passion, and it wasn’t wicked. It was love, and it was divine.”

Hallelujah!!! 🥳

43. “She didn’t have to love him. But she did have to feel free. Free to be happy. Because if she wasn’t happy… Well, that would kill him. He could live without her love, but not without her happiness.”

He’s so damn perfect. It’s almost infuriating. Almost! Does Julia Quinn actually think that we won’t be stupid enough to look for this in the real world? Because I will. I am certainly just that dumb 😅

44. “You have to say it,” he said. “If you feel it, then you have to say it. I’m a greedy bastard, and I want it all.”

YESS ❤️

45. “For the rest of my life,” he vowed, “I will love you. For the rest of my life. I promise you. I will lay down my life for you. I will honor and cherish you.”

What a perfect ending to a beautiful book. I was rooting for him since the first chapter. He finally got his happy ending 😇 And Francesca deserves every bit of his love 🥰

[thatsnotmygunflash]

WIP Title Tag Game

Rules: Make a new post with the names of all the files in your WIP folder, regardless of how non-descriptive or ridiculous. Let people send you an ask with the title that most intrigues them, and then post a little snippet or tell them something about it! And then tag as many people as you have WIPs.

Thank you @incorrectcoldflashblog for the tag!! I have a ridiculous amount of WIPs, and this was a great way to finally sit down and make a list of all 92 of them 😅  I didn’t add my Sterek WIPs, mostly because there are 75 of them and I don’t have the time right now, but maybe I’ll do that at a different time. 

ColdFlash

A Brighter Future

An I’ll Use You As A Warning Sign 

Burn Notice

Cause Maybe You're That Thing I Need To Save Me

For Better Or Worse 

I Love to Hate Who I Was Because It Means I Could Change

I'd Cross Galaxies to Find You

I'll Tell You All About It When I See You Again 

I've Got Decades On You

It's The Second Glance That Ties Your Hands

Life Worth Fighting For

Love Me Silently 

Make Me Feel Seventeen Again

Maybe You Don't Know What's Lost Till You Find It

More Then What We Seem

No More Bad Boys

Romance Isn't Dead 

Side Effects May Include 

The Horrors I've Endured 

We Could Be Enough

Well Shit, If It Isn't The Consequences of My Actions 

What Are Friends For 

You Bring Stars To My Eyes

You Give Me Headaches 

You Got This Heaven In Your Eyes

You Know In Your Soul

You Need To Allow Me To Help 

You Should Be Here

Hannigram

A Day In The Life Of Someone Else

A Flight For The Fallen, Flies the Crow

I Dance With Demons On A High Wire 

I Won't Find A Way Out Looking Inside  

Batfamily

General 

409 In Your Coffeemaker

I Wish I Wasn't All Talk

I'm Your Mother Now

Never Gon' Get Away

One Of The Epics 

Robins Sanctuary

The Bat Academy 

The Nest

Waiting For Never

Tim/Jason

The Sparrows Tend To Fall Asleep

Dedicated To You

Everything Blurry Looks The Same

I'll Be A Better Man Today

Maybe If We Went Another Way

Product of Our Upbringings

Silent Protector 

Sit Back And Watch The Beauty In The Fall

The Robin To My Hood

You Are My Dream Come True

Your Name Has Echoed In My Mind

Slade/Dick

Falling Back Into You

Only One Place To Run To

Operation Osprey 

Relief 

Tim/Kon

Family Vacation 

Growing Pains

Wash Me With Your Water

Wayward Waynes

Buddie

Breakfast With Buck

Couches Make Great Metephors 

Call Me Anything But My Name  

Cowboy Like Me

The Other Mr. Diaz 

Am I Too Late

Ana vs. Buck

You Never Have To Pretend With Me

Who Gave You So Much Power?

MCU

Turn Back The Clock

Uncle Frank

Spideypool

How NOT To Seduce a Mercenary by Peter Parker

I'll Be Your Reason 

Same Side Of The Tracks

Spider Behavior 

Spideypool's First Couple's Retreat 

The Definition Of Insanity 

The Years Start Coming and They Don't Stop Coming

Yoda You Be My

People Say That's Love's a Game

Destiel 

73rd Hunger Games 

Cassie

Everything Went Right 

Family Engagement

Free Will Orphanage

The Rebels 

Weyler

A Little Bit Of Sugar, But Lots Of Poison Too

Courting an Addams

Love Drunk On Your Blood Till Sunrise

Percy Jackson

The Age of Prophecies

The Favored Son 

Trending Water in the Wishing Well

I'm tagging @thefastestqueeralive @simpledontmeanpeachy @vexic929 @nytephox @tiger-in-the-flightdeck @tiacat11 @whaaaaaaaalllle6 and who ever else wants to do it!

[wondrouswendy]

Why Fictional CaseyWake Is Interesting

Back by popular demand (one person asking me to continue my essay), I will continue promoting my Fictional CaseyWake agenda. The Fictional CaseyWake tiger has escaped its cage (and is doing just fine, if a little tortured).

DISCLAIMER: While some of this post involves media analysis, I am not an expert by any means. I am just a fan interpreting things. Don't take what I say as gospel. Also, I am only working with canon presented to us through the video games.

Further, this post is not to discredit or attack FBI Casey/Alan Wake. This is just my way of explaining why this other version of CaseyWake is interesting to me. Don't come at me with a pitchfork.

As a reminder, this post was made with fun in mind.

With that said, this will be a much longer post than those I usually make, so buckle up buckaroos.

I. What's the Deal With Fictional Casey?

The Casey we meet in the Dark Place in Alan Wake 2 is not the same as FBI Agent Alex Casey. There are certainly parallels between the two men, they of course share the same name, the same face, the same voice, a handful of the exact same dialogue lines, but their perspectives on life, Alan Wake, and everything in between is extremely different.

In Abhi Jha's interview with Sam Lake, Lake describes how he decided to revive his love of hardboiled fiction through the Casey we see in the Dark Place. Alan has received visions he doesn't understand of the real Alex Casey which he has then interpreted and curated into becoming his own character named Alex Casey. At the time of this creation, Alan believes Casey came from his imagination. We later learn in Vision 02 that Alan was receiving visions of the real Alex Casey as his inspiration. In Lake's words, this is "an echo of Casey he has molded... turning the knobs more, going more into that hardboiled inspirations." He is a "fictional character coming to life" who is different than the "actual FBI Agent in Washington with Saga who does have similarities and potential of being pushed in that direction but not quite. More three dimensional. With real worries and all of that."

From this, we can extrapolate that Fictional Casey is an exaggerated version of the real Alex Casey and not necessarily a one for one copy of him. Fictional Casey's worries are therefore extremely different than his source material's worries. They live in two entirely different contexts and have vastly different people around them. FBI Agent Alex Casey had an ex-wife and currently has a partner he has a close relationship with. Fictional Casey essentially only has Alan.

Also, Fictional Alex Casey has a little hair floof whereas FBI Casey does not. Their wardrobes are completely different. FBI Casey prefers coffee as his poison of choice; Fictional Casey prefers whiskey.

II. Tropes of Interest

A. Hatemance/Enemies to Lovers

If you’re looking for a hatemance, the pairing has you covered given the whole “Alan killed Casey off for shock value” situation. There’s sex appeal in that alone, but I also think there’s this tender bond between Alan and his character which I will continue to go through later. Alan calls on Casey for help in the Dark Place later on. Maybe it’s on a subconscious level, but it’s certainly there.

In the QR code videos released by Remedy and added into the remastered version of the game, Alan brings up the importance of his character, Alex Casey several times.

In Vision 01, he describes how the Dark Place tapped into his "unconscious mind." Taking things and twisting them to ultimately create a mystery for him to unravel. He specifically writes, "I needed a detective to guide me. Echoes of Casey haunted me."

From Vision 02, he writes, "I saw visions carried by the ebb and flow of different dream states, they seeped in from the reality beyond, things I had a connection to but also things I couldn't possibly know. I used them in my writing to make it real so the parts that weren't would become so. And there were visions that I knew were not real. Ideas I had lost. Often of Casey. I had written about him for years. I use them as well."

In Initiation 2: Casey from Alan Wake 2, Fictional Casey introduces himself with no aggression. To me, in this scene, he is almost acting like a questgiver, an NPC you'd meet in a game whose purpose is to be the guide for the protagonist. There's no immediate malice. In fact, he sacrifices himself to the monster that threatens them.

Casey, who's supposed to be the hero in the narrative, is killed by the Dark Presence. Alan doesn't protect him. You could argue that Casey's final lines of dialogue in this chapter are a moment in which he's breaking through the narrative, implying that he's tired of being used as cannon fodder to protect Alan and to further him on his quest to escape the Dark Place.

B. The History Between Alan Wake and Fictional Casey

For six books, Alan exclusively wrote Alex Casey's story. I would argue that most authors do not stick with a character as long as this. Authors tend to write trilogies if they stick with one character. Often, authors tend to write a story with a character for the course of one novel and then in their next novel, they may shift that character to the background to let another character take the spotlight (this happens all the time in romance novels, for example).

For Alan to write six books worth of Alex Casey, he must have enjoyed it in some way. Something must have appealed to him. His character, the universe, the mysteries. However, something changed with Alan to cause him to not only kill off his star character, but to then proverbially shit-talk him during an interview with Harry Garrett (though the argument could be made that because this interview is shown in a dream sequence that it isn't necessarily something we can reliably trust happened in the real world; if this has been confirmed to be real canonically, please feel free to tell me).

You could argue that Alan killing off Casey in The Sudden Stop threw his marriage and his life out of control. Alan experiences writer's block because Casey's gone. Now this could simply be because the well of inspiration with real life Casey ran dry, because FBI Agent Casey's life had become warped because of Alan's novels.

Alan spends an undefined time with his character Alex Casey. Six novels worth and then thirteen years in the Dark Place. That's a lot of time together.

C. Hurt/Comfort, Angst, and Whump

Alan hurt Casey, personally. He killed him off. Not once, not twice. Several times. He sacrifices Casey over and over.

Casey's echoes in Alan Wake 2 are familiar to Alan. They guide him along to create suitable plots for his escape attempts.

Even though Alan has hurt Casey so much, Casey can't help but assist him with escaping the Dark Place. Even when Casey begins to question his existence, even when Casey starts breaking the fourth wall, he doesn't stop helping Alan.

This lends itself to juicy Hurt/Comfort, Angst, and Whump potential.

D. Alan Wake: Dude in Distress

The bodyguard trope. Casey arguably functions as a bodyguard to Alan in the Dark Place. Casey is always there for Alan.

I hear what you're saying. Is it because he has no choice in the narrative? I would argue no. He has a choice. We see moments where Casey questions his state of being, he breaks the fourth wall. He acknowledges his status as a fictional character as Alan leaves Zane's theater. He knows there will always be another case for Casey. he walks off into the night's loving arms and cheekily says, "Roll credits."

In my interpretation, there's a part of Casey that enjoys this life, fucked up as it may be sometimes.

E. Forbidden and Star-Crossed Romance

There is potential for forbidden romance between these two. After all, you aren't supposed to fall in love with your creation. It isn't real in the physical sense.

If Fictional Casey isn't important to Alan, if he isn't a threat, then why does the Dark Presence continue to kill off Casey? Why does it continue to separate them, as it does in Initiation 5 when Scratch takes over Alan's body to shoot Casey? It knows that Casey is Alan's guardian angel in the Dark Place. It knows that Casey has been useful in creating plot points to help Alan figure it out.

Further, there is the potential for no happy endings with these two. Of course, that could be a turn off for some and a delicious morsel for others.

F. Sexual Tension

In culmination, these elements of their relationship create sexual tension between Alan and Casey. There's so much potential in their history for romance. Charged moments in the Dark Place.

One could argue there's a will they/won't they moment in Initiation 5 - Room 665 when Casey is pinning Alan to the alley wall. Freud did say, after all, that gun's have phallic imagery. Take that as you will.

On a more superficial level, Alan can shape his fictional character to be his vision of the ideal man, the ideal partner. Or, conversely, his ideal fling. His ideal hot mess. Maybe Alan's version of the manic pixie dream girl is a hardboiled detective.

III. The Act of Creation as a Form of Love of the Self, the Creative Process, and the Creation Itself

Prepare yourself for a bumpy ride through my philosophizing. Sorry in advance. I'm sure others could dive deeper into these particular subtopics better than I could, but I want to just throw this spaghetti at the wall and pray something sticks.

A. Love of the Self

Loving yourself is hard. It's a platitude to say it, but it's true.

Alan and his character Casey do share some qualities. Depression, alcohol abuse. Often as writers, we do draw inspiration from ourselves to add dimension to our characters. Alan doesn't need to be a hardboiled detective himself to share similarities to his fictional character. Alan is destructive, angry, confused, self-loathing, and dysfunctional all throughout Alan Wake 1 and 2. Much of Alan's worst qualities are in Fictional Alex Casey.

In Initiation 5, as Casey lays dying from Alan/Scratch shooting him, he says,

"I was dead tired. I just wanted it to be over. It was all my fault."

Circling back to Alan's writer's block, arguably Alan being in the Dark Place is Casey's fault to an extent. Something happened to cause Alan to want to quit telling Casey's story. Perhaps if Casey had continued to be a source of inspiration, Alan would have continued writing his books?

Going back further, if Alan had never created Casey, his life could have taken an infinite amount of turns. But because Casey came to life through Alan's writing, because of their history, Casey feels some degree of responsibility for how events in the Dark Place have shaped up.

Continuing, he says,

"...I'd had this dark place in my head for so long. Sometimes I'd forget the pain was there. Like it was the way you were supposed to feel. I was not in a dark place. I was the dark place, the source of it all, the vessel. Me and the writer, we were the same."

Casey's final monologue in this chapter echoes sentiments Alan is experiencing. The overall metaphor of the Dark Place as not necessarily a physical or supernatural realm, but a state of mind. Some days are better than others. Some days, you're used to your pain that it feels natural.

This then relates to Fictional Casey's potential guilt. What broke down between Alan and his character to cause Alan to want to kill him off? Did writing Casey's story leave Alan feeling too depressed? Too gloomy as he tells Harry Garrett? Was it early signs of writer's block? A lack of direction?

Relating back to Alan, Alan and the Dark Place are largely one. He finds out Scratch is him. Scratch is Alan + the Dark Presence. Alan/Scratch has been the one haunting Alice, tormenting her. He is the source of it all.

Thus, there is a recursive relationship where Alan's self-loathing feeds Casey and vice versa.

However, there are positive elements of Alan's character in Fictional Casey and vice versa. Casey solves mysteries, he protects others, even at risk to himself. Alan has goodness inside him, but it is cloaked by his own self-doubt and self-loathing.

Alan so badly wants to be the hero all throughout Alan Wake 1 and 2 to save Alice (from the Dark Place and later Scratch), but he's struggling against his own narrative and the meta narrative at large. Fictional Casey is arguably the idealized hero-fantasy he has for himself, which is later realized when he sacrifices himself. He willingly goes back to the Dark Place to save Saga, her daughter, and FBI Casey from the Dark Place and its jailor, the Dark Presence.

B. Love (and Hatred) of the Creative Process

To quote a great tumblr post for the 100th time, the act of creation is like sticking your hand in a cylinder of irradiated water full of piranhas. At the bottom is a button, that when pressed, will give you the best orgasm of your life. However, the irradiated water is obviously toxic and the piranhas are constantly biting. In short, the act of creating something is a struggle. But when you manage to hit that button...

Ask any writer (and any creative person at large), there's nothing more enjoyable than being inspired and filled with energy. Writing a new story is exciting. It's often why people tend to have a backlog of WIPs, because sometimes creatives are always chasing after the next new rush of endorphins. Sometimes we fall in love with a universe, sometimes it's a character, an idea of ours.

On the other side of the coin, hating the creative process, I'll quote a tweet from one of my favorite Youtube video essayists, "I hate literally every step in the filmmaking process. The only thing I hate more than making a film is not making a film." Similarly, most authors state that the worst thing about the writing process is not writing.

Alan can't write because he has writer's block, and he has writer's block because he killed off his character, and he hates that he isn't creating. See the vicious cycle? He can't psych himself up for whatever new book he was supposedly going to write prior to the events of the first game.

C. Love of the Creation Itself

Even in Alan's nightmares, he has copies of The Sudden Stop stuffed into his car's trunk like that meme about the person who trips and has pictures of their senpai shoved up their sleeves.

Art is subjective. It's tailored to our personal experiences and vision. Alan (and on a meta level, Sam Lake) enjoy hardboiled detective fiction. Alex Casey is the realization of that love come to life.

Understandably, there are elements of this style of relationship which are not equal in power. We see these elements repeatedly with how Alan uses, yes even abuses Fictional Casey to further his own goals.

Yes, you could say that loving your own creation (no matter the medium) is masturbatory. It's self-aggrandizing. But loving something you put time, effort, blood, sweat, and tears just feels good. We as creators have a right to feel proud of our works.

IV. Interesting Parallels

I'm sorry to all my English major friends for the fumbling I'm about to commit with literary analysis.

A. Biblical

It wouldn't be a deep dive analysis if we didn't bring up the Bible. Of course I'm talking about God and Adam. Anyone creating their own original universe with their own original characters is playing God. Alan creates Alex Casey through the divine act of turning his imagination into tangible writing.

Will someone PLEASE draw Alan Wake and Fictional Casey in the vein of Michelangelo's The Creation of Adam already???

B. Literary

John Milton's famous lines from his work Paradise Lost:

Did I request thee, Maker, from my clay To mould Me man? Did I solicit thee From darkness to promote me?

Of course, Paradise Lost is an epic poem about the story of Genesis, but this stanza in particular, spoken by Adam to God can easily be applied to Fictional Casey towards Alan. Casey didn't ask for any of this. He didn't ask to be created, he didn't ask to become Alan's guide in the Dark Place.

I’m a sucker for Frankenstein by Mary Shelley so I regret to inform everyone we're bringing it up.

I think there’s some Frankenstein/His Monster vibes with this flavor of CaseyWake. I think there were moments where Casey resented coming to life, certainly much later on as he lives and dies over and over.

From his dying moments in Initiation 2:

"I remembered dying in this alley in a dream I had. He was just gonna keep killing me here, loop by loop. You're not gonna get what you want. You think you know. You know shit. You don't really wanna know. You're gonna get what's coming to you."

And then from Frankenstein:

"Remember that I am thy creature; I ought to be thy Adam, but I am rather the fallen angel, whom thou drivest from joy for no misdeed. Everywhere I see bliss, from which I alone am irrevocably excluded. I was benevolent and good – misery made me a fiend. Make me happy, and I shall again be virtuous."

Unlike his real counterpart, Fictional Casey has no one other than Alan. He has no friends, no found family. Arguably, even FBI Casey wants nothing to do with his fictional self. He is completely reliant upon Alan. I suppose you could say we the audience are his only true friend, as we function as voyeurs into his fictional life, much like Alan (but we seem to want to take better care of him than Alan does).

C. Mythological

Pygmalion and Galatea.

The Greek sculptor Pygmalion fell in love with his sculpture of a woman. He asked the goddess Aphrodite if his sculpture could become real, and somehow the goddess of love was like "yeah sure bud." The sculpture, Galatea, comes to life, and they live happily ever after.

(This is the part where I'll make a brief Weird Science shoutout since it's a somewhat similar premise).

V. Conclusion

If you have somehow made it this far, thanks for reading.

There are likely things I've forgotten that I wanted to talk about at some point. Maybe I'll have to make a part two if I end up remembering them.

Hopefully my essay will help inspire others to create fanworks featuring this particular version of CaseyWake. I would love to hear what others think, so please don't hesitate to share your thoughts!!

And finally,

[atlasthegreatest]

The Jackpot / Mary Jane Watson x Gender Neutral! Reader

Mary Jane is used to big moments—whether it’s on stage, in front of a camera, or swinging through the city. But this Valentine’s Day, she’s the one pulling off the grand gesture.

Word count: 1821

Warnings: Spider-Man! Reader. Established relationship.

New York City was always breathtaking at night. The way the skyline glittered against the dark, the hum of life that never truly quieted—it was a stage Mary Jane Watson knew well. Whether under the bright lights of Broadway or the flashing bulbs of paparazzi, she was used to grand moments.

But tonight? Tonight was different.

Tonight, Mary Jane wasn’t the one being swept off her feet by a web-slinging hero. She wasn’t the one improvising, reacting, living in the thrilling unpredictability of her life with Y/n. No, this time, she was the one planning the big moment. And if she had her way, it would be perfect.

Y/n had no idea what was coming.

Mary Jane had been careful, dropping hints but never too many, playing it cool even when she was buzzing with excitement. It was Valentine’s Day, and for once, she wanted to be the one pulling off the impossible. Y/n had done so much for her—saving her, loving her, making the impossible feel like an everyday miracle. Now, it was her turn.

So, when Y/n arrived at the rooftop she had told them to meet her at, they were met with something straight out of a dream.

Fairy lights were strung up between the buildings, casting a golden glow over the rooftop. A small table was set with candles, their flickering light illuminating takeout containers from Y/n’s favorite spot. Soft jazz played from a speaker nearby—Mary Jane’s signature mix of old-school romance and effortless cool. And in the center of it all, Mary Jane stood, grinning like she had just pulled off the role of a lifetime.

“Whoa,” Y/n breathed, stepping forward. “Red, did you—?”

The redhead woman shrugged like it was nothing, but the sparkle in her eyes betrayed her excitement. “You always do the big, dramatic stuff. Thought it was my turn.”

Y/n’s heart swelled as they took in every detail—the way she had thought of everything, the way she had turned a simple night into something extraordinary.

“You’re incredible,” they murmured, pulling her into a soft kiss.

The redhead smirked against Y/n’s lips. “I know.”

Dinner was easy, filled with laughter and teasing, MJ stealing bites from Y/n’s plate even when she had the same thing on hers. She told stories from rehearsals, Y/n shared the latest from their day, and for a little while, it was just the two of them, the city fading into background noise.

Then, just as the night felt like it couldn’t get any better, Mary Jane stood, holding out her hand.

“Dance with me?”

Y/n chuckled. “On a rooftop?”

“Afraid?” the redhead arched a brow.

“Never.”

Mary Jane pulled Y/n in, swaying to the music, her arms wrapped around their neck, Y/n’s settling at her waist. The city stretched out below, endless and alive, but right now, all that mattered was her—the warmth of her touch, the way she looked at Y/n like they were the best thing in her world.

As the song came to an end, Mary Jane leaned in, her lips brushing against Y/n’s ear as she whispered the words that made their heart stop.

“Face it, Tiger… you just won the jackpot.”

Y/n’s breath hitched. Mary Jane pulled back, grinning, waiting for their reaction.

Y/n laughed, shaking their head. “You went all out, huh?”

“For you? Always.”

As Y/n kissed her under the city lights, they realized something—Mary Jane Watson had pulled off the perfect grand gesture. And in doing so, she reminded them of the simplest truth.

She was their jackpot, too.

———————-

The night wasn’t over—not by a long shot.

Mary Jane could tell by the way Y/n was looking at her, eyes still wide with surprise, a hint of something softer lingering beneath. She’d caught them off guard, and that was exactly what she had hoped for. After all, Y/n was the one always swooping in, the one making her feel like she was the center of the universe. Tonight, it was her turn to return the favor.

The redhead laced her fingers with Y/n’s, swaying slightly even though the music had faded into the city’s natural rhythm—cars in the distance, the occasional honk, the sound of the wind weaving through the buildings.

“Okay,” Y/n murmured, shaking their head like they still couldn’t believe it. “You planned all this?”

The woman smirked. “Don’t sound so surprised.”

“I’m not—it’s just… I’m usually the one pulling stunts like this.”

Mary Jane hummed, leaning up to press a soft kiss to the corner of their mouth. “And look how good I am at stealing your thing.”

Y/n laughed, squeezing her waist. “Yeah, you might be too good at it.”

The redhead spun Y/n around suddenly, pulling them into another slow, effortless dance, just because she could. The city stretched out beneath them, the twinkling skyline reflecting in her green eyes as she tilted her head.

“You know,” she mused, “I wasn’t sure I could pull this off.”

Y/n raised a brow. “Mary Jane Watson? Doubting herself? Now that’s new.”

Mary Jane scoffed, swatting Y/n’s shoulder playfully. “I’m serious. It’s different, y’know? Planning something for you. You always make me feel like I’m in a movie—like every moment is this huge, magical thing. I wanted to do that for you, for once.”

Y/n’s chest ached in the best way. The thought of Mary Jane, someone who thrived in the spotlight, spending weeks planning something just for them—just to make them feel the way she always did when she was in their arms—was overwhelming in the best way.

Y/n tightened their grip on the woman’s waist, pulling her closer. “You didn’t have to do all this, Red.”

The redhead smirked. “I know.”

“But I love that you did.”

Mary Jane’s expression softened. “Yeah?”

Y/n nodded, brushing a strand of hair from her face. “You always make things exciting, Red. But this? This was… perfect.”

The redhead grinned. “Good. Because I wasn’t done yet.”

Y/n’s brows furrowed, but before they could ask, Mary Jane took a step back, tugging them with her.

“Come on,” she said, backing toward the ledge of the rooftop. “One last surprise.”

Y/n’s heart picked up, but they trusted her. They always did.

And then Mary Jane jumped.

Y/n barely had time to react before the redhead pulled them with her, their stomach flipping as the two of them fell—only for them to realize that MJ wasn’t panicking. No, she was laughing, and it took Y/n half a second to register that she had something wrapped around her wrist.

A web.

Their web.

Y/n barely had time to be impressed before the web went taut, swinging both forward, Mary Jane’s arms wrapping around Y/n’s shoulders as she whooped in excitement.

“You stole my web shooter?” they yelled, half amused, half amazed.

“Borrowed!” Mary Jane corrected over the rush of wind. “You always get to do the swinging—figured it was my turn.”

Y/n couldn’t even argue. The thrill of swinging through the city with her in control was… new. Different. And Mary Jane? She was good.

She maneuvered the web like she’d been doing it forever, twisting effortlessly, pulling them both higher, then lower, the wind rushing through their hair.

Y/n’s heart pounded as the redhead executed a perfect arc before finally landing on another rooftop, her boots hitting the surface with a confidence that made their breath catch.

Mary Jane turned to Y/n, grinning wide. “So? How’d I do?”

Y/n stared at her for a moment, then shook their head, letting out a breathless laugh.

“Red,” they said, stepping closer, “you are the jackpot.”

Mary Jane’s smirk faltered for a second, surprise flickering in her expression—before she rolled her eyes, wrapping her arms around Y/n’s neck.

“Damn right, Tiger.”

As Y/n kissed her under the stars, the city stretching endlessly around them, they realized something—tonight might have been Mary Jane’s grand gesture, but every moment with her felt like winning the jackpot.

Bonus Chapter:

By the time Y/n and Mary Jane made it back to her apartment, they were both still buzzing from the night’s events.

Mary Jane had flopped onto the couch, arms stretched over her head, a satisfied grin on her face. “Not bad, huh?”

Y/n sat beside her, shaking their head in disbelief. “Not bad? You swung us through the city using my web shooters. That was insane.”

The redhead turned her head to smirk at them. “Insanely hot, you mean.”

Y/n rolled their eyes but couldn’t help laughing. “You could have told me you planned on jumping off a rooftop.”

“And miss that look on your face?” Mary Jane nudged them playfully. “No way.”

Y/n exhaled, leaning back into the couch, still absorbing everything. The fairy lights, the rooftop dinner, the dancing… and then Mary Jane stealing their thing and swinging them both across the skyline like she’d been doing it for years.

Y/n turned to her. “Be honest. How long have you been practicing with the web shooter?”

The redhead bit her lip, eyes sparkling mischievously. “Two weeks.”

Y/n’s jaw dropped. “Two weeks?”

“I had to make sure I didn’t, y’know… die.”

Y/n groaned, running a hand down their face. “Mary Jane Watson, you are going to be the death of me.”

The redhead grinned, reaching over to sit on Yn’s lap, arms draping lazily around their shoulders. “Nah. I’d never let anything happen to my jackpot.”

Y/n’s face heated, but they let the redhead hold them like that, her fingers tracing slow circles against the back of their neck. For all the grand gestures of the night, this was the part Y/n loved the most—the quiet moments after. Just the two of them, tangled up.

After a beat, Mary Jane sighed dramatically. “Okay, now that I’ve officially nailed my own big, romantic moment, I need food.”

Y/n laughed. “We just ate.”

The redhead pouted. “Swinging is hard work.”

Y/n raised an eyebrow. “Red, you swung, like, twice.”

“And I looked amazing doing it,” the woman countered. “That burns, like, double the calories.”

Y/n snorted. “That’s not how that works.”

“Agree to disagree.” She grabbed her phone and started scrolling. “Chinese? Pizza? Oh! There’s this new dumpling place I’ve been meaning to try—”

Y/n shook their head fondly, watching as their girlfriend got completely lost in her food search, talking half to them, half to herself about exactly what she was craving.

And it hit Y/n, all over again—Mary Jane could plan rooftop dinners, and she could steal their web-shooters, and she could knock them off their feet with a single line… but at the end of the day, it was this version of her that had stolen their heart.

Completely.

Hopelessly.

Y/n leaned in, pressing a kiss on Mary Jane’s cheek. “Whatever you want, Red.”

The redhead blinked, surprised at the sudden affection, before her smirk softened into something warmer.

“Yeah?”

“Yeah.”

Mary Jane beamed, then immediately turned back to her phone. “Cool. I’m getting both dumplings and pizza.”

Y/n laughed, wrapping an arm around the woman as she made the call, already knowing they’d let her steal their web-shooters again if it meant getting to love her like this.

After all, they’d already won the jackpot.

[jimin-jungshook-over-literalbae]

Blinding Lights Chapter One

Hey guys! I wanted to try something new! This is content I’ve been playing around with for a long time but didn’t have any confidence in. This piece is already in it’s second chapter so I decide to try posting the first chapter to see if people are interested. I hope you guys like it!

Hybrids: Munchkin Cat Reader (Omega), Fox Jin (Omega), Panther Yoongi (Alpha), Golden Retriever Hoseok (Beta), Wolf Namjoon (Alpha), Calico Cat Jimin (Omega), Tiger Taehyung (Beta), Bunny Jungkook (Beta)

Masterlist

Word Count: 3312

Next Chapter

It’s easy to hate the world when you’re trapped in a box. Staring at the same walls and praying for a break in the mundane, ordinary, repetitive days. Hybrids hate being trapped. They crave freedom, open air, sunlight and comfort. Trapped Omegas are worse. Without a pack, their self-hatred only grows, leaving room for little else.

Since I was twenty, I had spent most of my time trapped in the small space under the floorboards. My newest owner said that’s where Hybrids belong unless they’re needed. My job is the please the boss’ clients. They get to live their fantasies. Some are sexual and other are more into physical pain. It’s a shock I have lost my mind completely.

It’s been seven years. Seven long year living a life worse than death. Learning to dread specific sounds, like now. Muted voices, the shuffling of feet, the whisper of the carpet being lifted, and the creak of the trap door. Next is the smell of my owner’s grossly expensive cologne. The person he’s with usually smells like some other gross cologne. It usually makes me feel like I should sneeze.

The man with my owner is a panther hybrids. He’s handsome, though in a less conventional way than the stereotypical pretty boy. The man appraises my small form, scantily clad in the outfit the maid put me in when she gave me my bath. I can’t read the look in his eyes, but the duffle bag in his hand sends my heart racing.

“I’ll leave you to your fun,” My owner makes his way back up the small ladder, closing the trap door and leaving us with no light but the bare single bulb. For a few moments, the Panther hybrids just studies me. He steps toward me and I shrink back, drawing my knees up to my chest.

“I’m not going to hurt you,” His voice is soft. Whether that is to put me at ease or because he’s scared we’ll be overheard, I’m not sure. He holds up a piece of paper. Written on it is ‘Can he hear us?’. I shake my head.

“Sound proof. He advertises not having cameras or microphones as a perk,” My voice cracks. He gives me a quick nod before rifling through his bag. He pulls out a walkie-talkie.

“I’m in,” His tone is clipped.

“Status?” A voice crackles over the speaker.

“One female munchkin hybrid. There’s a trap door under the carpet in the dining room. Close to the entrance. No guards in the room,” His words come out fast. This becomes more confusing the longer it goes. It feels like a fever dream.

“The hybrid?” The voice sounds different this time. Maybe a different person?

“No visible major injuries? She’s alert and conscious. One chain securing her. Cheap but sturdy. Shouldn’t take me long,” He pulls a couple of familiar tools out of his bag. My teeth dig into my bottom lip.

“10-4. Update me when we can move,” He sets down the device, picking up one of the tools,” And Yoongi? Just be careful.”

“I’m going to move your leg into a better position so I can get the chain off. You’re getting out of here,” He adjusts my leg and is about to start when I shake my head.

“Key is taped to the door. In sight but out of reach,” His eyes widen at my words.

“Bastard,” He mutters as he reaches up and removes the key. He unlocks the shackle on my ankle. My leg feels foreign without the added weight. I stand but stumble when I try to walk. Under everything else, I catch a faint whiff of his scent. Black pepper and rose. It twines with his Alpha’s scent. It nearly sends me into my Omega headspace.

“Hit it. Let’s get this asshole,” Yoongi throws the walkie-talkie back in his bag when he’s done and creates and creates a little distance between us. He hands me a t-shirt that is way too big. It fits me like a dress, going to my knees. He carefully positions me on his back, my legs and arms wrapped around him. My nose is pressed to his scent gland, relishing in his comforting scent.

“Don’t let go, no matter what. I’ve got you,” With the duffel bag, it must be difficult to carry me, but he doesn’t seem to be struggling.

The trap door opens, revealing a man with longish black hair and dark colored bunny ears. He reaches a hand down and helps Yoongi up. Tattoos wrap around his hand and disappear into his long sleeved t-shirt. He takes the duffel bag and glances around quickly.

“Van is outside the gate. I’ll guide you to the door. Stick close,” The bunny hybrid says.

“Bossy Brat,” Yoongi mutters. He follows the bunny hybrid to the front door. Then, almost like magic, we’re outside. Seven years of darkness leading to this moment of light.

He walks to the van and climbs in the back. The back of the van is mostly empty. The front seat is occupied by a Beta with a bright expression. I can’t help but tremble a little at the unfamiliar face.

“Let’s get you comfortable,” Yoongi gently lifts me from his back and settles me on a small pallet in the corner, near the seats. One of the blankets smells like him, and I quickly pull it around me. His scent soothes my nerves,” I’ll be back, Little One. Hobi, keep her safe for me.”

“Always. Go make sure Jiminie gets out safe,” As the person moves to the back of the van, I recognize him as another hybrid. He’s a golden retriever.

Yoongi leaves the van and I can barely suppress the whine that builds in me. I huddle in the little blanket, trying to stay out of Omegaspace. The Beta moves closer and I can’t stop myself from flinching. His scent makes its’ way to me. Mint and sunflowers. It’s a calming smell.

“Are you okay?” His voice is gentle,” My name is Hoseok.”

“Okay,” I meant to say ‘I’m okay’ but it’s hard to fight the drop.

Some time passes in a comfortable silence. The opening of the back door causes me to jump. The figure stepping in make me cower. His brown bear ears and the scar on his right cheek give him away. He’s the boss’ second in command, a Beta. He heads straight for Hoseok, and my body is moving before I can’t stop myself. I firmly place myself between Hoseok and the Bear. I hiss, only partially aware of the slip.

His hand closes around my throat, my feet leaving the floor of the van. A growl leaves Hoseok. My hand closes around his wrist, but it makes me feel smaller. My feet kick out, trying to find purchase to relieve some of the pressure on my throat.

“The boss wants to see you. Be a good little bitch and scurry to your master,” I can barely comprehend his words, the loss of breath getting to me.

“Let her go,” The voice behind me is much darker and rougher than I expected.

“I wouldn’t move, if I were you. It would be so easy to crush her throat,” His grip tightens just a little and I can tell he isn’t paying attention to me.

I dig my nails into his hand, my other hand going to where his thumb rests on my throat. You can’t grasp without your thumb. I manage to get my fingers under it, pushing it back hard. I feel it dislocate. I hit the ground hard and roll. I’m moving entirely by instinct, my Omega in full control. The two Betas leap at me and I panic. I scramble to the front and wedge myself in the front passenger seat floor. Then the sound stops.

“On the floor,” This voice is unfamiliar. A growl echoes through the van. I peek up to see a pink haired cat hybrid wit ha gun pointed at the unnamed Beta. The gun moves, pressing to the back of his head,” I said; down.”

I’ve never seen a more angry Beta as he lays on his stomach. Although I can’t smell him from here, in all the confusion, this reaction tells me the pink haired boy is an Omega. The Beta is dragged out of the van by people I can’t see from here.

“Missed the boss but got a few of his lackeys. Maybe they’ll have some info,” This comes from the pink haired Omega, his high pitched voice very distinctive.

“Lets load this one up and then we can head back to base,” This voice is unfamiliar.

“What happened to his thumb?” Yoongi. I can feel my Omega being pulled to his voice, to the safety and Alpha brings. The only thing keeping her here is the unknown voices.

“Your little Omega in there. She’s in a full drop right now,” This one is Hoseok.

“Can you guys load him up without me? I’m gonna check on her?” It’s Yoongi again.

“We’ve got him. She’s in the front passenger floor,” Hoseok’s voice already sounds like it’s getting farther away. They door beside me opens and I flinch.

Yoongi looks down at me, concern softening his expression. I move without thinking, somehow unwedging myself and wrapping myself around him. My face buries in his neck. His hands hold me gently.

“I’ve got you. I’m not going anywhere this time,” His cheek rubs on the top of my head, gently scenting me.

He somehow climbs into the passenger seat with me wrapped around him. We sit in silence for a bit. HIs calm presence and gentle scenting do a lot to clear my haze. Coming out of a drop always leaves me feeling exhausted and scrambled.

“Did you really dislocate his thumb?” There’s a chuckle hiding in his voice. I nod my head.

“He had his hand around my throat,” A soft growl leaves Yoongi at my words,” You can’t grip without your thumb. Dislocation was just a side effect. It wasn’t intentional.”

“A little badass, huh?” He muses, leaning me back some so he can examine my throat. It’s probably already bruising.

“I’m not that young,” I huff, crossing my arms,” I’m 27. I’m just short.”

“You’re the same age as Jimin and Tae. Still younger than me, though,” His tone is teasing. I roll my eyes,” What is this on the back of your shoulder?”

It’s like a shock of cold water. Memories bombarded me. Tears, blood, the smell of burning flesh. My hands begin to shake and I have to shove back another drop.

“A brand. So everyone knows who I belong to,” My voice is smaller, and more emotional, than I would like. To my surprise, another growl leaves him and his face buries in my neck.

“He won’t touch you again. I’ll kill him,” His voice is muffled and rough,” Mine.”

My heart skips a beat at his words. Is he claiming me? Why me, of all people? His chest rumbles with a soft purr that melts my heart as his warm breath caresses my neck. He can’t mean it. I was born alone. The driver’s side door opening interrupts my thoughts.

“Jungkookie and Jiminie are taking the ones we caught and dropping them off. Namjoon is meeting them there,” Hoseok climbs into the driver’s seat,” Lets get home, shall we?”

The look he gives me is warm and kind. I smile back hesitantly. I rest my head on Yoongi’s shoulder, listening to the two of them talk. At some point, I started dozing off, exhaustion weighing too heavy on my sleepy mind. I’m not fully asleep, but I’m not awake either. There’s a faint ringing and Yoongi shifts some.

“Hello?” Yoongi’s voice is a soft whisper against my hair.

“Where is the girl?” This voice is unfamiliar.

“I have her,” Yoongi’s answer is clipped.

“Yoongi,” The man’s voice is exasperated,” We don’t know if she’s safe.”

“I’m not letting her go there, Namjoon,” Yoongi tenses.

“We don’t know-“ Yoongi cuts him off.

“Nobody consents to living like that. You haven’t seen her. She’s so frightened,” His fingers dance up and down my back absentmindedly.

“I know you’ve grown attached but we still-“ Once again, Yoongi interrupts him.

“They branded her!” I can smell his anger and I whine, nuzzling into his neck. He lets out a breath.

“Just… bring her here. I just want to talk to her first,” The call ends and Yoongi makes a frustrated sound.

“It’s okay, hyung. He’ll know. I feel it too,” Hoseok says gently.

“If he doesn’t, I”m staying with her,” His lips press to my forehead. We drive for a while longer but then I can feel Yoongi nudging me awake.

“C’mon. There’s someone I want you to meet,” He helps me out of the van and his hand engulfs mine. I squeeze it softly, trying to quell my nerves.

I follow him through the building. We end up in an office, sitting on a couch across from a tall Alpha with light brown hair and gray wolf ears. I sit gingerly, playing with the hem of my t-shirt. His scent washes over me, pine and fire. A warm and exciting at the same time.

“It’s nice to meet you. I’m Namjoon,” When he smiles, I see dimples wink at me from his cheeks.

“I just have a few questions to ask you,” He crosses his long legs and leans back in his chair,” How long were you held there?”

“Seven years,” I don’t miss a beat. I kept count. It helped me hold onto my scrap of sanity,” I was twenty when he bought me.”

“Bought you?” He presses.

“I’m a munchkin hybrid. They’re often passed between rich households. The last count came in at less than a hundred, nationally. Even fewer are female. It’s why I’m so small, despite my age,” My hands hover uselessly. I would normally play with my tail to keep me calm, but that’s not possible right now,” I moved homes super often. Plus, the boss would visit on our anniversary.”

“You don’t have to answer this, but what was your job?” He phrases the question carefully.

“To satisfy whatever urges his crew or potential new clients,” I can’t stop my voice from shaking.

“Did you choose this job?” His question nearly sends me into anger.

“Who chooses that job? I was tortured and raped. I can’t even-“ I stop myself. Yoongi’s hand lands on my knee, squeezing comfortingly.

“You can’t what?” It’s Yoongi this time, his voice hesitant.

“Use my tail,” My voice is small and broken. I didn’t want to talk about it.

“W-what do you mean?” Even Namjoon seems stumped by that one.

“Not long after I got there, less than a year, I tried to escape. It’s why they started chaining me. It part of my punishment. It’s best I just show you,” A sob nearly chokes me. I stand robotically and turn, lifting the shirt enough to show my tail. It’s a broken, twisted mess. It’s basically shaped like a bow, zip ties used to hold it in place until it healed that way. I feel numb as I lower the shirt.

“You’re safe here,” Namjoon’s voice calming, like his scent,” Yoongi, you should take her to see Jin. She needs medical care to make sure there are no other issues.”

“Namj-“ The door behind me opens and I turn to see the black haired rabbit,” Sorry, didn’t know they were here.”

Now that we’re here, away from the mansion, I can catch his scent. It reminds me of a salty ocean breeze. The shock comes at realizing he’s a Beta. Rabbits are almost exclusively Omegas.

“We didn’t get a chance to meet earlier,” The rabbit offers me a smile, little bunny teeth on display,” I’m Jungkook.”

“Y/N,” I find it hard to meet his eyes. I’ve been too well trained, I guess.

“C’mon, pretty girl,” Yoongi hops to his feet and reaches for my hand,” Lets go see the doc.”

This time, we end up in a normal looking car. While he drives, Yoongi fiddles with the radio, looking for something he wants to listen to. Once it stops on a station, he offers me his hand. I take it quickly, his touch bringing comfort. I play with his fingers, trying to quell my nerves about meeting another unknown person. When he parks the car, I can feel anxiety rearing its’ ugly head.

“Hey,” His voice is soft,” I’ll stay with you, if that’s what you want. I won’t leave you.”

“Why-“ My voice breaks,” Why me?”

“Hmm?” His ear flicks, obviously confused.

“You’ve comforted me so much, but I don’t deserve that,” My lower lip trembles, despite my best attempts.

“Come here, Kitten,” He unlatches our seat belts and pulls me on to his side of the car. He leans his seat back and suddenly, our noses almost touching. My breath catches as his dark eyes peer up at me.

“With everything going on, you may not have noticed. You,” He bumps my nose with his, his hands resting comfortably on my sides,” are my mate. Our mate.”

My eyes go wide, the scattered and missing pieces suddenly making sense. In my daze, my Omega took a little control and nuzzled into his neck, my nose lightly nudging his scent gland. He lets out a breath, his arms wrapping around me gently.

“I’ll always be here,” My head lulls to the side, a whimper leaving me, as he nuzzles my scent gland. His lips brush it gently, his warm breath sending shivers down my spine.

“We should probably go in,” My voice is breathless, broken up by soft purrs.

“Probably,” I curl up on his chest. One of his hands trails up and down my spine, causing a content purr to leave me.

The ringing of his phone rudely interrupts us. He sighs and fumbles a little, managing to get it from his pocket. He answers and presses it to his ear.

“What?” His tone is grumpy,” Okay, okay, we’re coming.”

We clamber out of the car, his hand, once again, reaching for mine. He pulls me along, leading me through the small clinic. His knuckles tap on the door in front of us. It opens quickly.

“Come on it,” Gray-black fox ears nestle on a mop of blonde hair. A floral scent, orange blossom and lilies, permeates from the Omega,” I’m Dr. Kim Seokjin. Mates know me as Jin.”

“Nice to meet you. I’m Y/N,” I peek up at his face for a few seconds, but I quickly feel awkward.

“Lets look you over and make sure you’re okay, hmm?” Jin’s voice is cheery.

The exam feels like it takes forever and parts of me fill with fear. Yoongi stays the whole time, holding my hand or petting my hair. When he gets to my tail, I can hear him gasp.

“That’s horrible,” His voice is broken,” So, for your tail, I’ll have to straighten it out. I can give you some meds and do it now. It should be healed by morning.”

I take the offered meds, which hit fast due to my hybrid metabolism. The next twenty minutes are grueling. I can feel him working, feel the bones breaking and readjusting.

“How are you feeling?” Jin asks when he’s done.

“Sleepy,” I answer honestly, struggling to stifle a yawn.

“You did so good, Kitten,” Yoongi’s voice is soft as his eyes meet mine,” Lets go home.”

He lifts me gently. I can hear them speaking but I can’t interpret their words, my brain too exhausted. The gentle motion of his walking lulls me to sleep, my head resting on his shoulder.

[ombrathefurry]

how do you generally design characters/choose color pallets?

whenever I try and create a good color pallet they always end up clashing and looking absolutely awful

i've tried using websites but they always end up being very bland, so i'm turning to the expert lol

the only character i've created that I actually. like. is the one that's just a black freaking tiger with rainbow glowing stripes, but that's because monochrome with color pops just always is flawless </3

Expert what expert

I'm by no means any expert, but I'm really happy you think my designs are appealing enough for you to ask me this!!

I ALWAYS try to come up with a character concept or idea for who they are before I start designing. Because of this, you see a lot of my designs turning out to be designed very strategically, with their features actually having proper functions and reasons to be there

This is why I have such a hard time with gifted designs. I don't know how to make them work without a background or concept I can really connect to properly.

For specific character designs, I usually think of and flesh out a basic idea in my head. Depending on how lucky I end up being, I can imagine every detail right off the bat. Other times, I have to put some work into it and experiment a little.

Here's an example of me working out a character design WIP right now

Development of Mr. V

Some characters just pop into my head exactly the way they are, like how Samuel did

Cogsworth too

Some of my characters come from dreams, too, and I just immediately sketch out my interpretation of the idea I'd had

Peter came from a dream about a white rabbit with a weird face killing a nuclear family's father leaving the mother and child alone with no idea what happened (it was disturbing, (there are more disturbing details,) which is why I made peter very unsettling)

Butch came from a dream that had something to do with fake peppino from pizza tower running around the It Steals maze area throwing cleavers at whoever he ran into

Dreams are a GREAT place to come up with character concepts

They give you a very solid ground before you start designing

One of my guidelines for creating characters is that they should be instantly recognizable as their own character. What are their special features? What defines them? What features would I keep if I were to draw them at the bare minimum detail? What parts of the design would make the character unrecognizable without them?

For example, Reena without her yellow.

Queen without her shadows.

You see this rule pop up a lot online, though mostly focusing on the idea of the silhouette of a character standing out from the others.

While I think it's a good option for when it comes to developing designs, I don't like worrying about it too much. I try to create the individual features of the character rather than immediately think about the silhouette.

All things considered, you're also totally allowed to break the rules to achieve something else. For example, Saleem and Minnow have identical silhouettes because I wanted them to give an uncannily similar vibe. Some characters who were derived off of others through dreams I might have had have very similar silhouettes as a nod to their origins, though have very differentiated individual features.

I look to various other artists and designers I like for feature ideas when I'm super stuck (usually when my ideas are more abstract)

for example, scrawl came from a very abstract dream and literally didn't have a face (they were just a bunch of hands and looked a little bit like a black void worm from Rainworld)

I took inspiration from Fooffle's Space AU Warren for his face, Sir Needle's sona's ears for his hair, and gave him this sweater from a random thing I found on Pinterest that I liked

Bennet (and the rest of the caravan gang) came from a dream about various different individuals riding on a wagon - Bennet specifically in the dream was Uncle Ben who runs The Urban Rescue Ranch. I ended up giving him the name Bennet in reference to this, as well as Uncle Ben's broad shoulders, muscular build and curly hair.

Queen's entire existence is inspired off of the protagonist from Bendy and the Dark Revival. As a nod to this, I gave her a partially monochrome color scheme with some accents. Queen's shadow face was inspired off of this specific fanart of Caesar from The Mandela catalogues.

(I can't find the source for the life of me sobs)

Mr. V was inspired off of Itward from Fran Bow, as well as Pastra's sona Clyde the veldigun. I gave him Itward's large hat and formal attire, and Clyde's long limbs and striped patterns. I also gave him deep halloween colors as a nod to both inspiration's aesthetics.

My biggest thing about features is there has to be a REASON why they have these features, but that's just personal preference (and there doesn't have to be a good reason, or even a reason at all every single time)

okay now for the main part of the ask (I've been stalling)

Sorry if this is disappointing, I don't have a process for picking colors that work together

It's a lot of trial and error, and some characters I've even stalled making profile pictures for because I don't know what to color them as.

to me, you can pick any color you want. It's actually very impressive to think about how many colors you could use.

I'll try to explain what I do know about the placement of colors, though. It doesn't matter what colors you use, but in my opinion, the placement of these colors is what really matters in designs.

Depending on how many colors I'm planning on giving the design, I like to split them up into parts. Primary coloration (1,) which takes up most of the design, secondary coloration (2,) which takes up less of the design but still a good amount, (Sometimes I have more, tertiary, quaternary, whatever, that take up about an equivalent ratio of the design as secondary,) and accent colors (3.)

Similar colors can also be grouped together in these sectors. For example, all the purple in this character would be primary, the greys secondary, and the oranges the accents.

For Chakra, his purples would be primary, all the bright colors of the wounds secondary, and his outstanding eyes accents.

Each sector should be different and differentiable from one another!

Divide your character up into sectors for coloration. Decide what colors go where. Sometimes it takes a bit of shuffling to find what works for you. Adding inbetween colors to branch the gaps between your selected colors can help tie things together, too.

To me, instead of WHAT colors you use, it all comes down to how you USE those colors.

Cordis is mainly dark colored, primary, with their secondary rainbow colors and their accented white features. Even with rather bright colors in their palette, they still come off as a dark gloomy character because of the placement/ratio of those colors.

Monarch has very clashing colors, though when separated and balanced out, they appear harmonious and work together.

Anyways that turned further into a rant about character design than anything else

I hope this helped :D