#my first impression of him ever was from the trailer and I had the same reaction

[wolfofcelestia]

I personally thought Zayne was funny from the start. The first meeting where MC rushes into his office shows he has a sense of humour and idk a comfortable dynamic with her. And then the next main story meeting with the motorbike - it was giving chaotic duo, the kind of couple (platonic or romantic) where people are surprised they're together since they're so seemingly different but they actually complement each other very well.

Skkskdk I accidentally pressed submit instead of enter so sorry for spamming your asks. But honestly even in the frozen seal bond story, honestly Zayne gave off more of an awkward vibe to me rather than cold. Like the poor man just didn't know what to say really😭😭😭 I honestly think Zayne hides his slight social awkwardness and nerdiness (very adorable) behind that Ice King reputation. The only version of Zayne that I think truly deserved to be seen as very icy from the start is the Foreseer (for tbf, obvious reasons).

Honestly my first impression of him (in the story) was a little different because I was kinda turned on when he was counting down and making us hurry up and come to him like a trained dog

But yeah, the part where MC threatened to just leave him on the road when he was questioning her control on the bike just made me click into their dynamic even more

Zayne's definitely awkward af in the beginning, but it also shows that he's trying for MC. He's so used to being on his own, but he wants to make an effort outside of his comfort zone to reach her

I do also agree that his awkwardness comes across as cold. Guy just has a resting blank face that people can't read so they think he's scary when he doesn't reciprocate a hello as warmly as they expected (which I have irl experience with asdnflkj). Even when he was making a joke in his first anecdote, people were surprised af because they weren't expecting that from him, but he's literally a fucking comedian and they just don't get it

Like, this guy makes me laugh so easily. When I was trying to get him to say "Do you actually believe I don't feel anything?" for the last ask, I caught this line and just started laughing

Him being all red and pouty and threatening to tap my ass

Don't threaten me with a good time, doc asdflkdj

[jiminiecrickets]

HONEY POT. PJM / KTH / M!READER

summary. there's something wrong with the popular kids at this small-town high school. something deeply, viscerally, hauntingly wrong...

wc. 8.8k

tags. smut | top!reader, bottom!tae, switch!jimin, jimin in skirts and heels, voyeurism, multiple orgasms, biting, spitroasting, brief daddy kink (r. receiving), gratuitous blood/gore, blood as lube (from another wound), cultism & religious fervour, cannibalism, murder

note. happy halloween!! i began this in early august to be on time, but uh, we know how that turned out :')

"—and i was like, no, that isn't how this works! i'm literally the best he's ever had, why would he ever wanna break up with me? i even bought him that stupid walkman he kept whining about and he still went and cheated on me and then tried to dump me. me! how could he?"

"well, he was already on his way to being a forty-year-old junkie who lives in a trailer park and hates life. he could've had so much with you. he'll realise how much he messed up – he'll get his karma."

"i know, i know... you're right. i just wish he could've been nicer. could've saved us both the trouble."

jimin lifts his soft dark eyes from his pink handheld mirror. he smacks his glossy lips and shuts the mirror with a clack, crossing his legs the other way and leaning back against the steps of the steel bleachers. he glances up at taehyung, who sits one step above him.

dressed in a cropped, pale pink shirt and blue jeans, taehyung fans his hot face with chunky rings on each finger, eyes lifted to the sky in a futile effort to hold back tears. jimin had already helped him redo his makeup in the bathroom, and this wasn't the first time taehyung had cried over a boy. poor thing just had too big of a heart – he wasn't made for modern boys and their vices.

jimin sucks on his teeth and sighs, turning forwards to lord over the verdant grassy field, where the senior boys are engaged in tryouts for college football teams. "don't worry, honey. we'll find the right one for you eventually. maybe try an athlete? the artsy ones are always such snobs."

"oh, they aren't all that bad, really," taehyung mumbles, patting the corners of his damp eyes lightly. "anyway, they all want you, not me. they're not into anyone who isn't a cheerleader."

"you're being silly. they just don't think you're interested – you keep rejecting them." jimin scours the field, tucking his dark hair behind his ear. a diamond stud flashes under the sun. he reaches out and touches taehyung's knee, leaning in for secrecy he doesn't need. "how about that one?"

"he called me a sour bitch. no."

"and that one?"

"he made me do all the work on a paired project and took my ninety-eight for himself. no."

jimin purses his lips, eyes flickering between their faces, warm and shining under the sun. all around, they looked quite similar – all fairly muscular, with the same lazy grins. not bad for eye-candy, he supposes, but taehyung is a romantic, which is how anyone he dates manages to bury themselves so deeply in his heart.

motion by the changing rooms on the other side of the field. jimin's eyes flick over naturally, and they widen.

strong, handsome, and, most importantly, taehyung is already looking at him.

he keeps his watchful gaze discreet, following the figure as he crosses the field and joins the coach to speak with him briefly. he is handed a football, which he tosses and spins in his hands a few times, and the coach gathers a few lounging boys to help out.

they spread out, and the tryout begins.

jimin isn't an expert on the game, only knows the basics, but he knows how to read a man – and the coach is clearly impressed by what he sees. jimin observes quietly, crossing his legs and uncrossing them, as he runs circles around the rest of the boys, leaving them far in the dust.

at last, when the boys are huffing and puffing with their hands on their heads and the cute one takes his time wandering back to the coach – after meeting jimin's eyes for a quick, sparkling second – jimin turns his head in taehyung's direction.

"what about... that one?"

taehyung huffs, pressing his knees together and resting his elbows on them. jimin doesn't mention how his gaze flicks to his shoes before meeting jimin's, almost as if he didn't want to be caught looking. he gives the footballer a once-over, then inspects his nails. "too tall."

jimin watches him push back his cuticles with his thumbnail, those thick dark lashes brushing his fine cheekbones. his prettiness makes him a honeypot for invariably bad people, and though jimin feels for him, he can't say he wants him to stop trying. everyone has their place in the world – even cheaters and liars. taehyung's relationships make it easier to weed them out for proper atonement.

"are you sure?" jimin asks carefully, tilting his head. "he looks like just your type."

"i don't have a type," taehyung sighs. "if i did, it'd make finding people that much harder."

eventually, jimin hums, and turns away to watch the tryouts.

out of sight, taehyung's shoulders slump slightly, and he exhales shakily. he nibbles on the edge of his nail as his eyes follow a figure lifting a water bottle to his lips. his sweat-shining throat bobs as he swallows rapidly, and a trickle of water escapes from the corner of his lips; it trails down his neck to soak into the collar of his shirt. he wipes it away without much thought. taehyung presses his thighs together.

suddenly, jimin turns back to him, propping his chin on his palm. his eyes are big and innocent as he asks, "hey, tae? you know that ex we were talking about earlier? i want his address."

"o-oh, um – just to make him sorry, right?"

"yeah. he will be."

taehyung swallows. "yes. okay. is it bad that i feel... that i pity him?"

jimin giggles, sweet and high like a bell. he squeezes taehyung's knee. "you're my best friend. i'm not going to let anyone get away with hurting you. you know that."

"mhm, i know. just make sure nobody sees you, alright? i don't want you getting in trouble for vandalism or something."

"oh, my charges would definitely include more than petty vandalism, but you know me – i cannot be caged!" he jumps to his feet and stretches high above his head, his shirt riding up to expose a sliver of pure, unblemished skin. the way he scrunches his nose slightly makes taehyung's heart flutter.

he exhales softly as his neck cracks, and he flashes taehyung a quick smile as he packs up his pin-studded messenger bag and slings it over his shoulder. "you can give me his address after school, but don't leave it too late. don't forget about the curfew. i have to go for now, but you make sure you take care of yourself, okay? if you feel too sad to study, i'm sure my mother would let you go home early if you asked."

taehyung hums and nods, leaning forward on the bench as jimin skips down the bleachers until his ivory pumps make a satisfying clack on the concrete base. "your nepo-baby status is really helpful sometimes, y'know?"

jimin beams, his eyes crinkling to crescents. "i know! see you around, honey. love you!"

"love you," taehyung echoes, and watches him go. his all-white outfit makes him as bright as the moon, and just as breathtaking. effortlessly, he carves a path through the crowds like moses and the red sea, perfectly oblivious to the power he wields over them all.

taehyung sighs and turns back to watch the tryouts, and that one special player right in the middle. just as he wishes you'd come and cheer him up, you glance over, grass stains on your shorts and a new bruise on your knee. as you meet his gaze, the biggest grin splits your face. you wave with your whole arm and taehyung giggles to himself, hiding his warm cheeks behind his knuckles as he lifts one shy hand.

his heart races. for you, he'll keep up this masquerade. this was a dangerous neck of the woods, and he wouldn't let anything steal you away – not even jimin.

he's waiting patiently for you at the edge of the field when you finally manage to break off from your mates. his slim fingers dance lightly over your arm, leaving goosebumps in their wake. as quickly as his touch arrives, it vanishes, his arms once more wrapped around his body like a hug.

"hey," he greets softly.

"hey yourself," you reply, amusement light on your tongue. "i saw you earlier. i hope you didn't get bored watching me chase after a ball like a dog."

he huffs. "what are you saying? dogs are cute. you were cute. i like seeing you bound across the field – you make for some especially tasty eye-candy, sweating and panting like that."

"do i, now?" you say playfully, leaning against the steel fence. he leans in too, matching your smile with a pretty, half-bitten one of his own. his lashes flutter as you tease a kiss, the tip of your nose brushing his cheek. "next thing i know, you'll be begging to lick me up."

he clicks his tongue, turning away from your almost-kiss in half-assed defiance. "tch. here i am, trying to be sweet, and you ruin it all. boys like you have only one thing on their minds."

"hey, you started it! besides, are you telling me you wouldn't wanna taste of my lollipop?" you smirk, gazing at his side profile. he's drop dead gorgeous, all full lips and big eyes, and you could easily while away your days doing nothing but admiring the symmetry of his features.

taehyung rolls his eyes, but there's no heat to it. he sniffs. "you wish. you wouldn't last long enough to enjoy the view."

you place a hand over your heart. "careful, pretty boy, or you and your mean insults could remain part of me for a long, long time. words hurt, you know?"

"what do i have to be careful for? you like me too much to do any lasting damage to me. it's nice, really. nice to know you love me – in your own, silly little way." he pokes your chest, and you catch his hand in yours and lift his knuckles to your lips. the ghost of a kiss shivers over his skin.

"silly?" you parrot, returning his hand to him with a knowing look. you rest your hip against the top of the chain-link fence, casting a glance casually over the field. "you think my acts of love are silly?"

taehyung hums, leaning over and grasping your chin. he turns your face towards him. "'sweet', then – that's probably a better word for it. none of my exes ever did what you do for me. not even close. i'm sorry, baby – please don't pout."

"i'm glaring, actually," you huff. "this is my glaring face."

"don't, you'll get wrinkles," taehyung chides. he glances around, and swiftly, like a little bird, flits up on his toes to press his lips against your cheek. in the blink of an eye, he settles back into place on his side of the fence. he sighs, and a sudden weight slumps his shoulders. you straighten, turning towards him properly.

"he noticed you," he says, his voice lower than usual. "pointed you out to me as a potential boyfriend."

the smile you were wearing drops like a stone. "he did?"

taehyung doesn't trust himself to speak; he nods instead, staring at his shoes.

"well," you say, at a loss for words. "i mean, he's tiny. what's he gonna do to me?"

his head snaps up and the intensity of his gaze catches you off-guard. "don't underestimate him. you can't. he – he can do more than hurt you. he'll ruin you.

"no, no – don't roll your eyes," he snaps. "i know, i sound paranoid, but you haven't even been here for six months. you haven't seen what i've seen." his focus flickers to your surroundings, and he seems uncomfortable even when he leans in to whisper. "please. keep away from him, don't tell anyone about us, and for the love of god, stop visiting my house after curfew. he's whip-smart – he notices it once, he'll catch on like that." he snaps his fingers. "also, we have a change of plans. mark's off the table – jimin wants him."

at that, the corners of your mouth turn down. you cross your arms. "not if i get there first."

"baby – baby, look at me. you can't risk it."

"fuck," you hiss between your teeth. you clear your throat and wipe the expression off your face, flawless neutrality taking its place. it still simmers under your skin, but it's always easier to sweep something under the rug than clean it up. "fine. i can bring a friend over tonight instead. it'll be easy enough – these sheep will follow me anywhere. we can... have him for dinner."

taehyung's eyes glimmer, the hint of a smile playing at his lips. the worry's sloughed off his shoulders for now, and that's as good as you can hope. "i've always loved your lamb steaks. i've been waiting for this – for you. i'll be at yours by seven sharp."

"wear your pretty clothes," you hum almost offhandedly as you survey your fellow students. there's not a care in the world in those empty heads. "something black – and sexy."

taehyung flicks his bangs out of his eyes. "everything i wear is sexy. you'd do well to remember that."

"yes, dear."

—

his hands shake. that oil-heat, sweat-sheen, bone-crunch. his breath rattles through his lungs like the tongue of a too-small bell.

the weight of the kitchen knife in his hand is too much – he lifts it, and it tilts forward dangerously, trembling in his red-wet palm. the silver glimmers and flickers under the yellow shed lights.

a warmth behind him, a sturdy presence – tender hands slide down his arms, tracing him from collarbone to wrist like a delicate porcelain doll. they fold around his slim fingers, big scarred knuckles too worn to be a boxer's – they wear gloves for protection.

"split the skin shallow, so you don't pierce the meat," you murmur, your breath hot against his ear. you guide his hands with your own, slowly pressing down until the pop of released pressure signifies the beginning of the cut. "all the way down, just like that... good. you slip the knife under the skin and peel it back, making a scything or slicing motion to cut the membrane. long, slow strokes to control the angle of the blade. you want the meat nice and lean."

the night is still and silent outside, not a cricket or dog to be heard. the rushing of taehyung's pulse is loud enough for them all. he can feel your excitement against him – the quickened breathing, the thudding heart, the hitched gasp when his grip tightens on the knife and steadies.

"perfect," you croon in his ear, an undercurrent of a growl echoing beneath your words. "take your time. i want your first time to be..."

you shift against him, and he feels something prod his backside. he bites down on the inside of his cheek to silence himself and takes a deep, shaky breath, pressing down with the knife. sinew and muscle part easily under the sharpened blade.

"it's easier," he whispers, barely a breath, "than i thought it would be."

"you're doing very well, but remember, i'm guiding you. you won't find a better person to teach you."

your hands are big and knowledgeable over his own, each arc of the knife steady and precise. the blood warms his skin up to the knuckles, but it pales in comparison to your own, smeared up past your wrists in a deep ruby red. a bucket by the leg of the table is full of gore, intestines wrapped around a bladder and stomach and hacked-off chunks of fat. it was a job too bloody and slippery to give to your pretty shrike.

"this will be your steak," you hum, stroking the heavy, lick-wet cut of meat almost reverentially. you press your lips to his shoulder, then to his temple. he can feel your smile against his skin. "perfect knifework. it's almost as if you've done it before."

"well, it's like you said," taehyung breathes, gently placing it in the metal bowl at the top of the table. a secondary bowl beside it is already filled with some lesser cuts of meat, which you'd done to kill time before his arrival. "there's no better person to teach me."

he turns around in your arms, carefully linking his bloodied fingers behind your head. he noses your jaw, his lips brushing over yours. the strappy black top he wears clings to him like a second skin, and the gap between it and the top of his pants reveals his toned stomach, flexing now as he presses his hips against your thigh. he whines softly as you knock his knees apart and slide your leg between his with a teasing grin.

"no need to play coy, beautiful," you purr, digging your palms into the edge of the table. "if you want it, just ask."

"but where's the fun in that?" he gasps as you nip the soft skin of his neck, canines making reds and purples bloom across his sun-kissed skin. "o-oh – y-you know you shouldn't do that, baby. not so high."

with a furrowed brow, you growl softly, slowly rocking your thigh against him. "rules, rules, rules... why does he dictate your life like this? scared of being tossed aside?"

taehyung shakes his head, his head falling back with a moan. for someone who doesn't like being marked up, he sure does make it easy. he exhales as your breath trails up his throat and over his jaw. "he's not. he doesn't."

"yet you pretend as if we've never met when he's around, and you don't say anything when he forbids you from working with your hands. he thinks you should stay clean and pretty because he likes it that way. he holds you back, and you let him."

you punctuate your words with a fist around his throat, slowly pressing in. the flush that'd dusted his chest and neck while working the knife spreads to the apples of his cheeks, sweet and shy. his breath catches, and he looks up at you through the dark forest of his lashes.

you can almost understand jimin's rules. someone as beautiful as him shouldn't need to mar his skin with stains and calluses. that he still desires it – desires to delve deep into the marrow of mortality, watch it squeeze out between his knuckles – turns your stomach, in sickness or adoration.

"i'm sorry," taehyung nearly whimpers, panting short and shallow as his blood-slick hands scramble at your shoulders and chest. his eyes are black with lust and his pulse throbs under your fingers. "i know. i just don't want to upset him. i care about him."

you don't look away when you grab one of his hands, resting over your heart. you lift his knuckles to your lips and, under the heavy haze of hunger, he watches as you wrap your lips around two of his fingers. your cheeks hollow, and your tongue swirls slowly around each joint, as if savouring more than the iron taste.

he swallows thickly as the hand around his throat shifts, less to choke and more to pull close. his heartbeat thuds at the back of his throat.

pinned between your body and the table, the tiny shed door locked behind you, he realises suddenly what it must feel like to be your prey. you have a visceral animal strength about you, muscles like steel cable wound tight, always on the brink of snapping. only the patience of a tiger in wait keeps the mask from slipping, breaking.

your canines graze his finger, held firm in the heat of your mouth. the look in your eye says it wouldn't take much to release that perfectly wound tension, to let the slick nubs of your teeth open him up.

the look in his eyes invites you to.

eventually, you pull away, a satisfied smile splitting your face. you crush your lips against his, nicking his lower lip, and he moans at the warm iron flooding his mouth. greedily, your tongue laps at the stinging cut.

"fuckin' perfect," you husk, gaze flickering down to the red smeared over his throat and jaw, then further down to the obvious bulge in his pants. you snicker. "hm. need help with that?"

"please." he reaches down, as if to undo the buttons right there and then.

you grab his wrists and tut. "sweetheart, not over our dinner. you know better than that."

he groans. "it's your fault for driving me crazy!"

in response, you just laugh and grab the bowls of steaks. it's a surprisingly light sound even though you were ready to eat him up mere moments ago. "come on, then. we've got all the good cuts already. head in and put these in the fridge; i'll deal with the carcass. i'll be quick, i promise."

"you better be," he mutters, loosening the latch on the door. "i'll kill you otherwise."

when you open the door to your bedroom, halfway through drying your hands on a tea towel, you are greeted by the sight of an angel on your bed, long slender legs spread just for you. you toss the towel onto a nearby chair and lean against the doorframe, crossing your arms. you let out a slow, appreciative wolf whistle, smirking when taehyung's eyes snap open and he bolts upright. he relaxes at the sight of you, one hand already slipping back between his thighs.

"you're not much of a gentleman, leaving me alone to entertain myself. you have to make it up to me."

"demanding little thing." you click your tongue, leaving the door open and approaching him on the bed. he leans back against the piled-up pillows, sighing softly as his fingers slip back inside himself. they do so with whorish ease, and the smoky darkness of his gaze is smug.

a challenge, then? you can do that.

your fingers glide over the back of a chair, slow and thoughtful. you drag it to the end of the bed and straighten it to face him. he shivers slightly in the warm night as you take a seat, leaning back and spreading your knees. one hand rests casually on your leg and the other props itself up on the armrest, curled in a loose fist.

he pulls his fingers out slightly. you snicker at the confusion in his flickering gaze. "what are you getting up for? i was just getting comfy."

"i—" he falters. almost indifferently, his fingers glide in and out of himself, keeping himself hard while he gathers his thoughts. "but you promised you'd fuck me tonight... killing always did rile you up, red-blooded beast that you are."

"beast?" you parrot, exaggerating a pout. "aw – and here i was, thinkin' i was more than an impressive cock to you." you run your thumb over your nails, your eyes flicking to his open legs and sticking there as he pulls his fingers out to pump his dick twice, thrice. his hand travels back down. "no. i promised no such thing. after all, you've got a date with your pretty boy tomorrow, yeah? don't want him wondering why you're so loose for him, do you?"

he whimpers softly at the mention of it. his fingers dig deeper inside him, upping the pace, and his cock pulses with need. "n-no... i-i mean, i could just say i got a bigger toy..."

"oh, no, sweetheart – if you like a man, never tell them your toy is bigger than them. 'specially them rich types. they bruise easily." you sigh softly, thumb gliding over the edge of your jawline. his twitching cock blushes under the hunger of your gaze and his hole clenches. "you'll just have to wait it out. patiently."

"but i want you." he gasps, the wet squelch of lube making everything ten times dirtier. his breath quickens and he adds a third finger, shuddering at the stretch. "ah– baby, please, i've already been doing this for ages—"

"i didn't ask you to."

"your fingers are thicker than mine," he whines, eyes growing big and ever-so-slightly teary. he's good, you'll give him that. the slight lip tremble, the shaky breaths. you could make him cry properly. he's always been a pretty crier. you wonder if his eyeliner will run.

he sinks his fingers in until the knuckle and he moans, bucking onto his fingers. "god, won't you just fuck me already? why touch yourself when you can touch me? i can see how hard you are!"

you lift your hand off the bulge in your jeans and undo your belt teasingly, thoughtfully – as if you might take him up on that tasty, tasty offer. you lean back in the chair and exhale softly as you free yourself from the confines of your underwear. your cock taps your stomach and taehyung keens, unable to tear his eyes off of it as you wrap your hand around its base, stroking shallowly.

"w-wait," he gasps, beginning to pull his fingers out, "wait, i wanna – let me—"

"no," you say sharply, movements halting. "sit back. i didn't tell you to stop."

"but i can—"

"taehyung."

he quietens, chastened but obedient. he gnaws on his lower lip as his hand returns to its rightful place. he quivers as he watches your palm smooth over your tip and slide back down, precome bubbling from the slit. he can feel his own smearing over his bare stomach, hotter than his warm skin.

instinct takes over. over and over. over and over.

he's such a good boy for you – he's wasted on a creature like jimin. then again, are you really better than him? just the same, you've denied him his basest needs. to part flesh with steel, impart bliss with lust – you've just dropped one piece of control for another.

no. you can be better. you are better.

taehyung gasps sharply as you all but lunge at him, pinning him to the bed by his throat. his golden hair haloes him on the crumpled white blankets, like a gilded apollo so gently posed against marble. he blinks slowly up at you, eyes soft with worship and dark with desire, and kisses the thumb tracing the cupid's bow of his lips, a hand curled around your wrist. the other reaches for you.

you groan softly as he pumps your cock, twisting his wrist expertly. your belt buckle clinks and he giggles, eagerly reciprocating your greed. he hooks his legs loosely around your thighs.

"and you were the one preaching patience," he hums as you lean away to tug your shirt over your head. it gets tossed into a corner without so much as a glance and taehyung flushes at the view, half-lidded gaze raking every inch of revealed skin like a man starved. "oh..."

"how many times have you seen me shirtless?"

"not enough." he grabs your hand and pulls you into him, his hands locking behind your head and tugging you into a heated kiss. "you're also not bloody enough for my liking."

without waiting for a response, his teeth clamp down in the junction between your neck and shoulder, where the meat is soft and muscle is taut.

pain blooms like a shard of ice, sudden and sharp. a decisive movement, it left no room for bruising. taehyung groans, guttural, and digs his teeth in deeper, if only to keep the wound open for longer. his fingernails print stinging crescents into your biceps and he whimpers, eyes rolling back, as you shove his head into your neck, forcing the blood down his throat.

melting heat and iron, the sharp tang dissolving into sweetness – his tongue laps at the oozing wound, the arc of his teeth imprinted forever into your skin until the white of your bones will gleam under the midday sun.

when you allow him to pull away, his eyes are black, dazed and blissful. he smiles from ear to ear, teeth red and stained down the chin and throat, and crushes his lips against yours, tangling your hair in his grip and moaning sinfully loudly. his cock throbs, crushed between your bodies, and he bucks against your shaft, the vein on the underside catching against the ridge of your tip with a shuddering bolt of pleasure.

"i'm yours! i'm yours, all yours," he whispers fervently, obsessively. his tongue swipes over his lower lip, the oily heat marking him just like a sheep bloodying the muzzle of a wolf.

he smiles. he laughs. he presses your foreheads together, his stomach slick with his orgasm, and kisses you again, this time sitting upright in your arms.

"you're good to me. so, so good to me." he leaves the print of his lips against your throat and jaw like a jealous girlfriend, your own blood a perfect valentines' red. "fuck me – please? or i could suck you off, if you're still worried about tomor—oh!"

you flip him over and pull his hips towards you, slotted perfectly between your thighs. his own shine with excess lube and you push your cock between his plush thighs, thrusting impatiently to coat it. over his shoulder, he watches, wide-eyed, as you drag a few fingers up your chest towards your shoulder – towards the red bite mark leaking down your chest.

you smear the blood on your cock. taehyung's core throbs – his back arches. he nearly screams as you yank him onto your cock, burying yourself hilt-deep in not-enough thrusts. his mouth falls open as the burn sears its way up his spine and caresses his brain. he swears he can feel you in his throat.

"fuck! fu-fuck," he burbles, crying out as you set a steady pace, your hips slapping against his ass. you push his knees together with your own and his eyes show their whites, mouth open in a perpetual moan. he buries the chants into the pillow, staining it with blood, and his knuckles whiten around fistfuls of blanket as your cock scrapes his insides so deliciously, stabbing and thudding against his prostate. "fuck, oh my god, fuckfuckfuck—!"

you click your tongue, gaze glued to the point where you meet. "you've got a mouth on you, haven't ya? should fuck you until you forget how to talk. that'll clean you right up, nice and ready for your little boytoy. would you like that, sweetheart?"

"fuck, daddy, please, yes please," he whines, letting the pillow swallow the rest of his sounds. the ricochet of skin on skin echoes loudly in the cosy bedroom, and his cock throbs as it swings between his creamy thighs. shit, you could watch the ripple of his ass until the day you died, and none of it would be wasted time. you're beginning to suspect he has a stronger hold on you than you thought.

your shoulder stings like a bolt of clarity and you growl, grabbing and pulling his hips to meet your thrusts. he whimpers at the sound. "what an obedient pup. a little eager, but i s'pose that's normal, given that tonight was your first time." you huff and slap his thigh, making him yowl and his hips jerk. "wasted, you are. such steady hands. i could use someone like you."

"y-yes, yes, use me – ah, ah – love being used! mmn—!"

"not quite what i was saying, but i'll let it slide." you slam your hips into him and he chokes on it, letting his head falls limply to the pillow. he hasn't felt your cock in so, so long – he can't believe he'd almost forgotten how good it felt, how it filled him up just right to knock his brains out. you gripped him so tightly, too, as if he might get up and leave at any time – but you should know by now that he'll always be the one running back to you, that sick glint in your eye only making him swoon harder.

you had a few bad habits, sure. a few dark fantasies. but so did taehyung. and now he had your blood in him – your essence, the purest part of you – which could never be taken away, even if the elders found out about your relationship. they could take you, but not the part of you that you'd planted deep inside him. they'd never be able to dig it all out. you were a rot to their perfectly-tended garden, and taehyung wouldn't let you be cut out so easily – not when you were so sweet on the tongue.

he licks his lips, the faint taste of what remains fluttering his heart. he'd been careless with his moans, the cries of your name like a prayer. he found so many little deaths with you, and the best ones came screaming.

suddenly, emptiness – you pull away, hand slipping out of his. you halt, stiller than the dead.

hoarsely, taehyung whispers your name, a whine on the tip of his tongue. "n-no... so close, was so close, please..." he turns around.

his heart drops like a stone.

"hello," says jimin, in a voice like silk.

"baby, put the knife down," taehyung stammers, all pleasure doused by the sight of that too-big blade pressed up against your throat. "don't."

"why should i?" he adjusts it, nicking a fine pink line beneath your ear. red beads along it like a string of pearls. "he's a killer. he must be cleansed, same as the rest."

unconsciously, taehyung wipes his mouth, as if your influence on him could be removed so easily. he can still feel the heat of it pulsing against his lips. "but he's mine."

you roll your eyes, hands open and half-raised. of all the things he could've said...

yet, it seems to give him pause. the kitchen knife almost loosens – almost. he tugs your hair roughly, punishingly, and you grunt as the blade whispers against your skin. you have half a mind to teach him a bloody hard lesson, but taehyung might not like that.

"wait!" taehyung darts forward, hand outstretched. he slumps on the bed in front of jimin, gripping the sheets. "how – how did you find us?"

"i followed your ex," jimin replies, observing the wet blood painting half of your chest. the red against your skin is rather pretty... and it's in the shape of taehyung's teeth. "this mark is good at covering his tracks. not so much for those of others."

taehyung's eyes widen. no. you promised to stay away from his ex! then again, he never did see the face of the meat he was cutting up... and you weren't one to be one-upped by the likes of jimin.

"he's not a mark," he pleads, "not officially. he could join us! how many people has he already killed? how long did it take for you to realise? you only found him because he was too rash with this one."

jimin's eyes narrow. "all that tells me is that he grew cocky and let his guard down."

"the mark was cruel to me. he did it for me," taehyung implores, his eyes earnest. "he loves me. and i love him. put down the knife. initiate him."

you frown. initiate?

for a long time, jimin says nothing. he doesn't move.

he lifts the knife. taehyung's eyes widen.

he raises his hands in surrender. he huffs and crosses his arms, drumming his fingers against his arm as he cocks a hip. his skirt and knitted vest give him the impression of a private-school kid, although the short sleeves of the dress shirt seem a touch too tight to be unaltered. he wears a shiny pair of tall, heeled mary janes, but you hadn't heard him until the knife was at your throat. odd.

"fine," he drawls, eyeing you with a slight curl to his upper lip. "you have two minutes to convince me. you're so lucky i like you, tae. wh—i mean, why do you even care? you said he wasn't your type."

"well," he searches carefully for the right words, "things change. and he fucks me the way i like it. you can't tell that from a glance."

jimin's gaze strays briefly downwards, over the shine of blood and flexing muscle. you're still hard, and when his gaze flicks up to meet yours, your lips twitch up into a smirk. you adjust your undone jeans and cross your arms.

eventually, jimin steps closer, reaching out curiously to prod at the bite mark. ruby red oozes, and he watches closely as your eyes flutter briefly shut. his tongue glides over his glossy lower lip. "hm... but he's still a killer. i don't know what makes him more useful to me alive."

it's as if a lightbulb flashes over taehyung's head.

he leans forward, resting a hand on your thigh. he tilts his head against your hip. "maybe you can... try him. see from my perspective."

"i'm not getting on my knees," jimin scowls immediately, "not for a sinner."

"but you don't mind it when i do?"

jimin opens his mouth. he closes it. he throws his hands in the air, knife waving around carelessly. "we're not the same! i'm already doing you a kindness by letting him live this long. i should be flaying him right now for tainting your body with his filth. you're supposed to be pure. unsullied."

"pure?" you repeat, scoffing. you can only stay quiet for so long. "oh, you lot are crazy-crazy. worse than me."

his eyes narrow and his knuckles whiten on the knife handle. taehyung shoves himself between you, gripping your hand in his own. "no! stop it, both of you! if you kill each other, who's gonna take care of me? i'm still hard."

he's the perfect height for you. you prop your chin on his shoulder with a lazy grin, wrapping your arms loosely around his waist. you play with his cock, making his breath stutter. "you're right as always, sweetheart... how cruel is he for cockblocking you? you deserve everything in the world and more..."

jimin's fingers twitch. taehyung bucks shallowly against you, but you keep him firmly in place as you stroke his cock, already sensitive. you kiss his neck. you haven't taken your eyes off of jimin.

he presses his thighs together as taehyung lets out a soft whimper.

"come on, sweet thing," you croon into his ear, cupping his chest and grazing his nipple. "don't you want my cock?"

gulping, he tries not to show how affected he is by the hardness pressing against his ass. "a-ah, um..."

"what was that?" you flick your wrist roughly and taehyung's eyes shoot open. blood fills his mouth from a bitten cut in his cheek.

nervously, he lifts his eyes to jimin's. his gaze is fixed on your hand and the way it engulfs taehyung's cock, flicking over his slit and grazing the veins with your nails. "i want – i w-want..."

"say it, tae."

the words come not from your lips, but jimin's. two fingers slip into taehyung's ass and he jolts with a sweet moan as you curl them.

"i want your cock," he rushes out in one breath. "fuck, i want it so bad."

"even more than your boyfriend's?" your words are sly, coated in a thick layer of faux innocence. "why?"

taehyung doesn't bother answering. you know the answer – so does jimin. he turns in your arms and cups your face in his hands, bringing you down for a desperate, hungry kiss. you thrust your fingers into his hole and he jerks, clamping down around you. you swallow his moans, pumping your fingers teasingly.

"i wonder," you drawl, kissing a trail up taehyung's neck, "if he likes watching. maybe that's why he doesn't want to date you. he wants to sit back and watch as other men ruin your pretty little body – after all, it's hard to enjoy the faces you make when preoccupied with doing all the real work."

the sharp intake of breath and the way he clenches around you tells you what you want to hear. he looks up at you with those dark, dark eyes, his breath quick and shallow, and leans into it when you sit him down on the bed with a creak. swiftly, he turns over, arching his back and wiggling his ass. he gazes back at you with huge eyes as you remove your pants. he's almost shy – though the twitching cock leaking down his thigh is anything but. red and angry, it demands attention.

you glance at jimin. the knife's still in his hand, but the thought of it seems secondary to the sight of taehyung on his hands and knees. you can hardly blame him.

from the edge of the bed, you grab the bottle of lube taehyung had brought with him. you slather a generous amount onto your cock and push a few fingers into taehyung with the remnants, exhaling softly as he pushes his hips back against your knuckles.

"my perfect boy." you scissor your fingers, then slide them out. "c'mon – don't be shy. show your dear jimin how well i stretch you out."

he glances your way sharply. you're already staring at him, grinning in the airheaded, cocky, handsome way that all popular boys seem to know intrinsically. the soft lips, the blood, the way you manoeuvre taehyung's body around yours as if he's a prop to make you look better... every jock knows that rising in the ranks means he needs to talk louder than the next guy, take up more space than the next guy, have prettier girls on his arms than the next guy. they say confidence is key, but that's only good at pool parties where nobody wants to really call anyone's bluff.

you're the only one who does it right. you're the only one with a cock to match that body.

taehyung exhales shakily as he reaches back and parts his asscheeks, fingers digging harder than necessary into the plump meat. he hides his burning face in the sheets as jimin steps closer, and his breath quickens as you tap your cock against his ass, teasing his hole with your tip.

"cute, isn't he? surprisingly sweet, too. thought he'd be more of a brat when i first saw him," you hum, casually stuffing your cock into him in one smooth movement. taehyung yelps and lets out a quivery little moan, his slick walls clenching around your thick cock. he sounds like he's trying not to cry – you sigh patiently and pet his hair before your hands return to their rightful places on his hips to pull him onto you.

his body jolts with each thrust, his muffled cries breathy and whiny. his ass ripples with the slap of your hips. on a particularly rough thrust which has him seeing stars, he whimpers out a "daddy" that has jimin's breath hitching audibly.

"good, baby," you husk, palms gliding down his body appreciatively. you slap his ass – so hard your palm stings – and he chokes, already-wobbly knees giving out beneath him. he catches himself just in time but the angle has your cock driving deeper inside him, oscillating wildly from kissing his prostate to fucking his brain out his ears.

you grab a fistful of his hair and loom over him, your lips brushing his earlobe. his spine arches when you tug roughly, his eyes rolling to show their whites as your cock throbs inside him, each thrust wet and slick. "tell him how you feel, whore," you murmur, soft but loud enough for your voice to carry. he gasps sharply at the title and his aching cock leaks like a faucet into a puddle of his own precome. he shakes his head, embarrassment hot in his core.

you tilt your head. "maybe i'll even let you suck him off."

"it f-feels good," he cries immediately. the quick, precise slapping of skin on skin echoes in the room. "i love your cock! i love tay-taking cock, love being fucked by big cocks – oh god! – 'n' yours is the biggest! love getting stretched wide on your dick, getting fucked 'til it hurts—! i-i never wanna come off, mm, i love being your cockslut – wanna be your bitch, your toy, all yours—" you bury yourself balls-deep in his guts and his mouth falls open, thick white come spurting from his tip; it's almost humiliating how you can make him finish without a single brush against his dick. he smiles, broad and wobbly. "ohhh..."

you peck his cheek, pressing against his back low and heavy like an animal. you grip his jaw. "coming already? don't go passing out on me," you chide, tilting his head in jimin's direction. "look at him. look. there we go. see how hard he is? he must like how obedient you get with me – with your daddy."

heat floods his body to the marrow. you've never used that title on yourself before – it's always been taehyung's thing, something you don't mind only because it's him. the raking burn of pleasure hurts, blooming from his cock all the way up his spine and out to his fingers and toes.

possession. it spins in taehyung's jumbled mind. you fuck him like you want to bruise your name inside him, forcing him to think of you and only you even when jimin sits on that chair in front of him, a perfectly manicured hand wrapped around his leaking length, just begging to be touched.

briefly, taehyung wonders how you might fuck jimin. he's giving you his infamous bedroom eyes, but there's an acrid darkness that taints his gaze. jealousy? inadequacy? scorn? taehyung's thighs are hot and sticky.

maybe you'd be rougher with him, tie him up and fold him in half with his legs over your shoulders. even as he distantly obeys your whispered order to open his mouth, and even as jimin slides his velvety cock between his lips, he can't stop imagining you behind jimin, manhandling him and forcing him to ride you to get off, even though jimin's such a pillow princess.

you grip taehyung's hips, sweat shining on your skin. you spread his ass and thrust deeper, smirking when he jerks forward, choking down the rest of jimin's dick and ripping a pleasured curse from his throat.

taehyung's limbs feel like jelly. he braces against jimin's hip, hooking his thumb under the hem of jimin's skirt to pin it back. as he sinks down on his cock, he chances a glance up.

rid of his little sweater vest and unbuttoned down to the navel, jimin does very little to chase his high. he meets taehyung's eyes and tilts his head slightly – he's almost perfectly still, and the only thing he does is gather his skirt in a fist. your quick, snapping pace sets taehyung's, and it's only by the blown pupils and pink-tinged cheeks that taehyung knows he's doing well.

"so," you begin, and your voice is remarkably steady. "did you come here intending to kill me?"

"please, i barely know who you are. there are others—" his breath catches, and he closes his eyes to steady himself "—others who're more deserving of atonement than you. which isn't to say i thought you a paragon of virtue – you're a handsome guy on a sports team, and sin comes to your type like moths to a flame. i knew i'd come to collect eventually, but you surprised me. congrats – not many can."

"did you watch?" you ask, patting taehyung's ass almost fondly. "he did so well with the – what did you call him? your mark? did you see how beautiful he looked, nearly orgasmic as he cut him open and warmed his hands with his blood? you must enjoy it, too – seeing the life fade from your victims' eyes. otherwise, you would've culled me the moment i took your kill."

his eyes narrow. "you're sick."

you laugh. "y'know, you and your little 'cult' aren't slick. i saw how pretty girls and guys don't shy away from the forest or the nasty parts of town because what they can do far outweighs the shard of glass a cokehead waves around. i thought it was a creative writing exercise gone crazy, something to explain the unusual disappearances around here. it was good for me, though. nobody'll raise a fuss if one more douchebag goes missing."

"i should kill you now."

"but then sweet little taehyung would be upset – you heard him." you pout. "besides, you must've liked something about me or you would've gotten rid of me as soon as i ravaged your favourite boytoy. do you have a thing for corruption? is that why you stayed, watched him come as soon as he tasted my blood? if you like, i'll let him bite the other side."

he pulls taehyung's throat down on his cock by his hair. taehyung eagerly laps up every throbbing inch he receives, nails digging into jimin's ass. he jolts and gags slightly as hot come pours down his throat without warning – his eyes flutter shut as his throat bobs, lips pressed against jimin's base.

"oh, i like you," you purr, something of a song lilting your voice. "are you as angry when you take cock, i wonder?"

"try it, i dare you."

you turn your attention to taehyung, who sits jimin's cock in his mouth like a good boy. he suckles softly, dazed and faraway. his walls are soft and hot, each gummy ridge stroking and clamping around you to pull you in as deep as possible when you finally, finally come, forcing him over the precipice as well for the nth time that night.

you pet his hair and he leans into it, moaning as you gently pull out, letting him sink into the mattress. thick come drips down his inner thigh, pooling in the dips of the bed. softly, you groan, gathering yourself and lavishing kisses upon kisses over his neck and shoulder. "what do you think, baby? should i fuck the cultist freak?"

taehyung pops off wetly, licking his lips. his chest heaves. it's hard to scoop his brain up off the floor, but the thought of the two people hottest people he knows putting on a show, all for him? "p-please..."

you raise your eyes, and meet jimin's glare with a smirk. "you heard him. don't wanna disappoint, do we?"

"you think you deserve to fuck me? after everything you've done? you don't even kill for a reason," he scoffs. "you're no better than an animal."

"what is it with you and prettyboy here thinking i'm less than human? you cower behind your righteous moral justifications when you take a life and hold me to the same standards, but animals don't have morals. i can only be one, baby, so choose."

jimin glowers.

"you've got me in a box," he admits eventually, and his expression twists as your smile turns gloating. "shut up. you can fuck me – just this once."

"those are dangerous gambling words," you tease, but lay back against the headboard, one hand behind your head and the other wrapping around the base of your cock. your absence above him makes taehyung blink – hard – before he shuffles after you like a sleepy puppy and buries his face in your shoulder.

his thighs still twitch every now and again, and he lifts his unfocussed gaze to meet jimin's. it clears, just enough, for a fat, satisfied grin to spread across his face and he shifts to spread his shaky legs, showing off the warm glazed mess between his thighs like a piece of art.

jimin's cock throbs. taehyung grins lazily, knowingly, eyes half-lidded and hungry. he slides your slick cock between the vee of his fingers and flicks his wrist. a pearl of precome beads along your slit and follows the line of a vein, gathering eventually along taehyung's slender finger.

unwise, a voice whispers in his head, regal and maternal, yet youthful.

with a sigh too breathy to be accidental, taehyung splays his fingers over his lips and tilts his head back, taking one finger at a time against his scarlet tongue to clean it. his lashes graze his cheeks. his eyes are black corridors of velvet, and he gives jimin's invisible leash a tug with a curl of his pretty fingers.

it was never that taehyung made it too hard to say no. he made it far too easy to say yes.

[violettwrites]

but daddy i love him! — tp!daryl

a/n: this is something a little different from my trailer park!duo i’ve been writing, but i listened to one taylor swift song and i couldn’t help myself

if you enjoyed my writing, don’t forget to like, reblog, and/or comment! i really appreciate the support 🫶🏻

summary: reader comes from a well off, extremely religious family. when she becomes close with the town’s local outcast, her father, the local preacher, has something to say about it.

pairing: tp!daryl x goodgirl!reader

warnings: none tbh !

word count: 2,778

resources: divider by @adornedwithlight

➸ masterlist

➸ ask box

ever since you were a little girl, your life had been laid out in front of you. you had a path to followed and you had never deviated from that path. you kept your faith close to your heart, god with you everywhere you went.

your father was the well known preacher in your small town, where everyone knew everyone.

and everyone knew you— the preacher’s daughter. the one expected to be perfect, sinless, and pure. people looked to you as a reflection of your father’s teachings, a symbol of his devotion. for years, you wore that role like a cloak, heavy with responsibility, but it fit you. at least it did, until you met daryl dixon.

daryl wasn’t like anyone you had ever known. rough around the edges, always lingering on the outskirts of town with his older brother, merle. both of them stuck in a trailer park on the other side of the county line. they were known for getting into trouble— as sinful as they came, as your father said, warning you to stay away from them. but there was something about daryl that drew you in. maybe it was the way he never tried to impress anyone, or how he seemed to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders without ever saying a word.

you can remember the first time you noticed daryl dixon— leaned up against the outside of the gas station, his bike parked in front of him as he stood there, a cigarette between his lips. when you had caught his gaze, in that pretty little white sundress, looking like the epitome of an angel, his blue eyes locked onto you. you had left the church once the sunday service was over, in need of a sweet treat in the shape of a slushie. on your way out, with your blue raspberry slushie in hand as you passed him, you had locked eyes with him, those piercing blue ones boring into yours.

it was a few weeks later when you saw him again, this time behind the church. you had come out to get some fresh air after a long sunday service, your father still inside talking with some of the congregation. daryl was leaning against a tree, his eyes scanning the horizon like he was waiting for someone— or maybe something.

“shouldn’t be out ‘ere, should ya?” his voice was rough, like gravel under your feet, but there was a softness in it that surprised you.

you hesitated, unsure whether to run back inside or stand your ground. “maybe not,” you replied, your voice steady, even though your heart was pounding in your chest. “but i could say the same for you.”

he gave a half smile, barely there, before his gaze turned back to the woods. “ain’t exactly my place, is it?”

“no, but it’s not like anyone’s going to come looking for you here either,” you said, stepping closer. there was something exhilarating about talking to him, like you were teetering on the edge of something dangerous, something thrilling.

daryl didn’t say anything for a moment. he just stood there with his hands in his pockets. you could see the faint outline of a bruise under his eye, and it made you wonder what kind of life he lived. you had heard rumours about the dixon brothers, but you had just assumed that was all talk.

“yer the preacher’s kid, huh?” he asked after a long silence, eyes coming back to focus on you— and your heart pounded against your chest again at his piercing blue eyes locked in on your figure.

“don’t call me kid,” you scoffed for a moment, looking down at your white sandals, brows furrowed before looking up at him. you nodded eventually, chewing on your bottom lip. “and you’re one of the dixon brothers.”

daryl chuckled at your defensiveness of being called kid, but left it at that. he nodded his head at your observation. “reckon that’s what people call us,” he hummed, however it seemed there was a bit of defensiveness in his tone too.

“is that all you are?” you asked quietly, somewhat curious about the boy behind the rough exterior with the name he carried.

for the first time, daryl looked at you, really looked at you. his brow furrowed like he was trying to figure you out, figure out why the preacher’s daughter was out here talking to him like he wasn’t the town’s pariah. he didn’t have an answer; but you could see that same quiet rebellion mirrored in his eyes, like he was just as unsure about his place in the world as you were about yours.

from that moment on, your paths crossed more than you’d like to admit. you’d find him by the church sometimes, or he’d show up at the gas station, always at odd times like he was avoiding being seen. the two of you would talk, but never for long, however it was long enough for you to feel like there was something more to him than the town’s whispers could ever capture.

it wasn’t long before you started sneaking out, the weight of your father’s expectations growing heavier with each passing day. you’d meet daryl in secret, late at night, down by the creek just outside of town. the moon would be high in the sky, casting a silver light over the water, and the two of you would just sit there— talking about whatever came to mind those nights you’d spend together. your faith, his avoidance of it, your families, your hopes, your dreams. nothing was off topic.

in daryl, you found freedom— a way to break free from the life that had been laid out for you since birth. and in you, daryl found something he’d never had; someone who didn’t judge him. someone who saw more than just his last name.

but the world you both came from was small, and people talked. it was only a matter of time until your father had you cornered in your room, his voice rising as he yelled at you.

“i will not have my daughter running around with the dixon boys!” you could tell he was mad, it showed by the way his face was red, and more obviously by his tone.

“you don’t— you don’t understand!” you cried, your voice smaller, but still just as loud as his. you could feel the sadness in your bones when people talked down on the dixon brothers— especially daryl. he was just someone, much like yourself, trying to find his place in this world. “he’s good, daddy! he’s good!” he really was. you had never met someone as gentle as daryl dixon. how his calloused hands were so soft against your skin, or how his words weren’t seething with hatred towards you. he was so much better than those boys in your congregation— the ones your father wanted you to be with.

your father looked at you like you’d lost your mind— like the devil had taken over your soul. shaking his head in disbelief, he stepped closer to you. “good? you think that boy is good? i’ll tell you what, (y/n), that boy is trouble. he’s a dixon. you’re risking everything by being with him— your reputation, your future, your soul!” his voice grew louder with each word, a sharpness to them that cut right through you, however you could hear the fear in them, and it left you trembling.

tears welled in your eyes, but you wiped them away, standing firm. “he’s not like everyone says he is, daddy. you don’t see him the way i do! he’s kind, he listens— he cares!” your voice broke as you tried to make him understand, but you knew in your heart it wouldn’t matter. “he cares about me.” daryl dixon would never be good enough for your father, or anyone in this town.

the silence that followed was suffocating, the weight of your father’s disapproval hanging in the air like a storm about to break. another step closer, his voice softened, but it was still filled with authority. “you need to stop this, before it’s too late. before you lose everything.”

you but your lip, choking back the frustration, the sadness, the weight of it all threatening to overwhelm you. “i’ve already lost something.” you paused for a moment, swallowing the lump in your throat that was practically choking you. “i’ve lost myself.”

your father froze for a moment, as if your words had slapped him right across the face. his band, once poised in an authoritative gesture, fell to his side. “what are you talking about, darling?” his voice was softer now, edged with confusion. “you haven’t lost anything. you’re just… mixed up.”

you shook your head slowly, your tears finally spilling over, falling down your cheeks. “no— i’m not mixed up. for the first time, i feel like i’m seeing things clearly. daryl— he doesn’t ask me to be anything i’m not. he doesn’t expect perfection from me. he doesn’t see me just as the preacher’s daughter; this image you’ve painted of me. he truly sees me.”

you could see how your father’s eyes softened for a brief moment, but the stern preacher facade quickly retired. “it is my job to protect you from people like him, from this kind of confusing. he’s luring you in, you’re just too young to understand.”

“i’m not too young to know what i feel!” you countered, your voice shaking but firm. “you raised me to have faith, to believe in the good in people. but you won’t even give daryl a chance!”

“because i know where this leads!” he snapped back at you, his voice booming inside the four walls of your bedroom. you stood there for a moment, body shaking as you looked up at him, fear and sadness laced in your eyes. “he’ll break your heart. he’ll pull you down with him. and when he’s done, you’ll be left picking up the pieces, alone.”

the words stung, but they didn’t deter you. you were tired of being afraid, of being conformed into someone you weren’t. you stepped closer, standing as tall as you could in front of him. “maybe he will. maybe i’ll get hurt. but that’s my choice to make. not yours.”

for a moment, your father looked like he wanted to argue further, but his face softened again, the fight draining from him. he sighed, rubbing a hand over his face. “you don’t understand, (y/n). you have no idea how hard life can be. i’m trying to protect you.”

you swallowed hard, feeling the lump in your throat grow again. “i’m not a little kid, anymore. i don’t need protecting.”

with that, you turned and walked out of your room, your heart pounding in your chest. you knew this wasn’t the end of the fight. your father wouldn’t give up easily, but for the first time in your life, you weren’t walking a path someone else had laid out for you. you were walking down your own, no matter how uncertain or dangerous it seemed.

and no matter where it led, you knew daryl would be waiting at the end of it, standing in the moonlight by the creek, with those piercing blue eyes that made you feel like, for the first time, you were truly seen.

the tension from the argument with your father was still heavy in your chest, but you pushed it down as you made your way towards the creek, the pale light from the moon guiding you. your heart beat faster with each step, knowing he’d be waiting for you like he always did.

as you approached the creek, the familiar sound of water rushing over rocks greeted you, and there, leaning against a tree in his usual spot, was daryl dixon. his silhouette was bathed in moonlight, the soft glow highlighting the hard lines on his face and the quiet strength in his posture. he looked up at you when he heard you approaching, his blue eyes finding yours immediately.

“you’re late,” he muttered, but there was no way real bite in his words. he looked you over, as if checking to make sure you were alright.

you shrugged your shoulders, a small smile tugging at your lips despite the weight of the evening. “had to deal with my dad. he knows about us.”

daryl’s eyes darkened slightly, and his jaw tightened. “figured that’d happen sooner or later.” he kicked at a rock, his hands stuffed into his pockets. “what’d he say?”

you took a deep breath, stepping closer to him. “he said i’m throwing my life away, that i’m risking everything by being with you.” you laughed bitterly. “he thinks i’m gonna lose my soul just for knowing you.”

daryl’s gaze dropped to the ground, and he shifted uncomfortable. “maybe he’s right,” he mumbled. “ain’t no good for ya, (y/n). you should be with someone better. someone who ain’t…” he trailed off, his voice tougher than usual.

you felt a pang in your chest at his words, but you weren’t about to let him talk like that. without thinking, you reached out and took his hand, your fingers intertwining with his. his calloused skin was rough against yours, but the warmth of his hand grounded you.

“don’t say that,” you whispered, stepping even closer so you were standing right in front of him, chests almost touching. “you’re good to me, daryl. i don’t care what my dad, or anyone else, says. i know you.”

he looked down at your hands, his fingers tightening around yours for just a moment before he glanced back up at you, those blue eyes searching your face for any hesitation. “you don’t know everything, though. ain’t nothin’ in my life but trouble.”

you shook your head, your voice soft but firm. “i don’t care. i don’t care about the rumours, or what people say, or even what my dad thinks. i care about you.”

for a long moment, daryl didn’t say anything. he just looked at you, his brow furrowed like he was trying to figure out why you were here, why you kept coming back to him when you had every reason to walk away. but then, slowly, his expression softened, and he let out a heavy sigh.

“yer somethin’ else, ya know that?” he muttered, a small smile tugging at the corner of his lips. it was barely there, but it was enough to make your heart flutter.

you smiled back in return, feeling a warmth spread through you that had nothing to do with the cool night sir. “maybe. or maybe you just bring out a side of me no one else sees.”

daryl’s eyes flickered, and for a second, you thought he might pull away. but instead, his free hand came up to brush a stray piece of hair from your face. his touch was gentle, careful, like he was afraid you might break.

“yer dad ain’t gonna let this slide,” he said quietly, his thumb brushing your cheek. “you sure this is what ya want?”

you didn’t hesitate. “i’m sure. i want you, daryl. i only want you.”

his gaze softened, and for the first time, you saw a flicker of something vulnerable in his eyes. “alright then,” he whisperer, leaning in just enough this his breath mingled with yours. “if that’s what ya want.”

and before you could respond, his lips brushed against yours, soft and hesitant at first, like he was giving you a chance to change your mind. but you didn’t pull away. instead, you kissed him back, your hands coming up to rest on his chest as the world around you seemed to fade away. the creek, the woods, the weight of your father’s disapproval— none of it mattered in that moment. all that mattered was daryl, his lips on yours, his arms wrapping around you, pulling you close as if you were something precious. something worth holding on to.

when you finally pulled away, breathless and your heart pounding, you rested your forehead against his, your hands still pressed against his chest. “i’m not going anywhere,” you whispered, your voice steady, even though everything inside you felt like it was trembling.

daryl nodded, his arms still around you, and for the first time, you saw a hint of relief in his eyes. “neither am i,” he said quietly.

and in that moment, standing there by the creek with daryl’s arms around you, you knew that no matter what came next— no matter how hard things got —you wouldn’t be facing it alone.

[see-arcane]

As a fan of the book Dracula and Dracula-adjacent media, I am very used to disappointment. I can still clap when the media is impressive while pretending the characters do not have the names they have. After enough trailers and interviews, I see Nosferatu 2024 is now sadly in that category, RIP to Thomas and Ellen Hutter, the un-Harkers set to get the Francis Ford Coppola treatment ala Robert Eggers. But if directors can play dolls and make the Mina/Ellen character do bloodstained kissy kissy with Dracula/Orlok, I can do this:

ACTUALLY SUBVERSIVE IDEAS I’D BE COOL WITH IN NOSFERATU (2024) FROM LEAST TO MOST COOL

Idea I’d Be Least Cool With, But Seems Eggers-shaped:

Ellen goes full Thomasin x Black Phillip, giving into the darkness~ ooh she loves her some Orlok, talk cadaverous to me babey~ And they make out bloody style and devour the puritanical human society because Eggers will pull a del Toro and make 99.99% of the human characters assholes not worth saving from the Horrors. Maybe Thomas and un-Van Helsing are left standing, maybe not. But it’s basically the Eggers MO of Monsters/Myths > Humans, however innocent or evil, extra dark ominous ending.

Idea I’d Be Somewhat Cooler With:

Ellen is 2 goth 4 U Thomas. But she’s also not oblivious to how Orlok is going to drink everyone. Which is bad. So she’ll 1) embrace her own dark inner lust and monstrosity~ while also 2) pulling a Bride of Frankenstein climax (We belong dead.) to see to it that she and Orlok are destroyed by sunrise. Not a ‘She was too pure for this sinful Earth!’ ending, but a ‘She was too gothique and eager to monsterfuck to hang around with you prudes. But fiiine she’ll destroy herself and her beloved Orlok to save you all or whatever. :/’ Which is slightly better than the scenario of un-Van Helsing and/or Thomas executing her and Orlok. So. Sure. Vampiric murder suicide, dying with her True Orlok Love (Orlove) uwu

Idea I’d Actually Be Pretty Cool With:

Eggers says he’s focusing on the sex/death drive and love story of Nosferatu (many asterisks here). If he has the guts for it, he’ll turn it on its expected heel and do the unthinkable—put a magnifying glass on Orlok getting very weird with Thomas. Who he drinks from first. And leaves imprisoned rather than outright killing him.

“But how do you explain him coming at Ellen’s invitation? What about the whole locket scene??”

Well, that’s where the bittersweet bit happens. Heavy on the bitter. Because if Eggers wants to really put his heel down on the horror part of vampirism and Dracula’s original MO, this would be the perfect point to do a bait and switch with Ellen herself. She wants Orlok? Wants him to ravish and drink her and make her one of his undead so they can be vampires together forever and ever?

“You want me. My touch, my gift. This I know. But the question remains,” cue that sharp little rat grin, “why would I ever want you?” Remember; the only one that explicitly craved what Dracula had to offer in the novel and in Nosferatu was the Renfield character. The one who saw the Count as a means to their end, who pined for him and what he could give. Bar the more sexual/amorous elements with Eggers-Ellen, she’s going after the same thing. This, when Classic Dracula is very much about preying on those who are terrified of and/or loathe him—he’s a conqueror, not a suitor. If you want it, he doesn’t want you. So it’s very possible that Ellen’s unwittingly set herself up for not only disappointment, but a potentially violent end.

“Sounds fucked up. But again, where’s the ‘love story’ bit? What’s up with him taking the locket?”

The locket that Thomas had. Of his wife, who he loves. Who he risked death and worse to crawl his way home to. Who, if he’s anything more like the novel Jonathan Harker he was based on, would become aware of Ellen’s condition/Orlokian preference and simply be heartbroken, yet still unable to turn against her. Ever.

Thomas Hutter’s heart belongs to Ellen, breaking or not. Thomas is also the one who Orlok clings to like his own shadow for the entire stay in the castle. The locket is taken not because it’s an image of Ellen <3, but because it’s an image of the competition/distraction for Orlok’s pet real estate agent who he is Very Normal about. And this is all supposing he doesn't just outright destroy the locket in a petty rage, per the vile thing-mirror scene.

The climax comes with Orlok about to off Ellen, only for Thomas to arrive and offer a trade. Him for her. Orlok takes the deal, latching happily onto Thomas and setting himself up for the sunrise trap. It would make sense. It would boot the old Reinforced Hetero rule of ‘he has to be drinking a pure maiden for it to work!!’ It would be genuinely subversive and tragic as a gothic love triangle, perhaps capped with un-Van Helsing arriving too late and finding Ellen grieving over the corpse of Thomas, Orlok having gone to burning dust as he fed.

Which could lean toward a special knife twist ending in itself:

Ellen mourns not just what was lost, but what she threw away, not realizing what she had in Thomas until he died for her. Tragique. ...Unless.

Ellen refuses to let un-Van Helsing ‘desecrate’ Thomas’ corpse with stake and saw. In fact, she kills him outright when he tries. Cut to the next evening, where Ellen sits patient and unblinking at Thomas’ bedside. The sun goes down. Cue some implying beat in which we realize that Ellen’s clocked that she’s been misinterpreting her prophetic dreams all this time. An epiphany that comes to fruition as we see her smile at some sudden change off-screen while facing Thomas’ cadaver on the bed.

The Embodiment of Death she was pining for was never Orlok, but Thomas. Rather, Thomas fully metamorphosed into Nosferatu.

“Come to me,” she whispers. “Hear my call…”

Thomas hears. A claw-tipped hand raises up to hers. The wedding ring on it gleams.

The End. (?)

It won’t happen. I know it won’t happen. But goddamn would I love to be proven wrong.

[matildaanymore]

𝐒𝐄𝐂𝐑𝐄𝐓 𝐑𝐄𝐋𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍𝐒𝐇𝐈𝐏

𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐈𝐍𝐆 : dominic fike x fem!reader

𝐒𝐘𝐍𝐎𝐏𝐒𝐈𝐒 : Dominic Fike is suspected to be single according to his fans. However… they don’t know about the mystery girl Dom is secretly seeing. What happen’s when she’s right infront of them the whole time.

𝐖𝐀𝐑𝐍𝐈𝐍𝐆𝐒 : none??? also this is my first ever fanfiction so please bare with.

︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

liked by dominicfike, bobbyskeetz and 17,030 others

y/nusername : coachella, cats, cherries and chats.🍒

user : ur so gorgeous

➥ y/nusername : thank you! x

user : omg what’s the cats name?

➥ y/nusername : Lyra x

user : pretty omggg

user: dominic liked? 

➥ user : i know wtf, crossover? 

user: is that dominic? 

➥ user: don’t be dumb 

user : that literally dominic. that’s his sweater

➥ user : not only 1 person has that sweater

You were sat in Dominic’s trailer at Coachella while he was doing soundcheck with his band. You had just posted on instagram which led you to scroll endlessly, through the comments and the home feed. 3 knocks were heard on the door which startled you at first.

“Come in!” soon the door opened revealing the sweaty florida boy who has just finished rehearsing. “Hey babe”. Dom strolled over to you placing a kiss on your forehead which made your cheeks turn a light shade of pink which was covered up by the blush you put on this morning. 

“How was soundcheck?” “It was good, it’s so hot out there today i thought i was gonna pass out” you chuckled to yourself shutting your phone off throwing it to the other end of the sofa while letting out a sigh. 

“What’s wrong?”. Dom was currently patting his face down with a towel while downing bottles of waters and piecing together his hair after coming back in a sweat. Lately you’ve been thinking a lot about your relationship with Dominic. Nothing negative of course. You loved him endlessly but all you wanted to do was to be able to walk around in the public eye freely without people secretly taking photos and making assumptions on your relationship. You get the odd comments every now again on your posts or his posts whenever you’re in the same area but no one even knew you knew hung out one on one without your groups around. He came and joined you on the sofa throwing your phone back onto ur lap as he groaned from still being hot and sweaty. He had his arm around the back on the chair and head leaned back which soon turned into your direction. “I want to go public… with our relationship. Not straight away obviously but we should start hinting something”. “Why’d you say that?” He gave the impression that it was fine for this to be kept a secret when in reality he wanted to be by your side 24/7 and nothing more than to kiss and hold you in public. He started playing with your hair twirling it around his finger while still making direct eye contact trying to figure out if you were being serious. “I’m just so sick of hiding what we have. We are people just like everyone else. We should be allowed to talk and interact without us worrying about peoples assumptions”…

It was silent for a minute or two. The silence wasn’t filled however the thoughts in each others heads broke it. “Let’s do it?” “Huh?” “Let’s go public then.” Dom said standing up pulling his phone out and unlocking it. You quickly snatched it off of him which caused him to look up at you again “Hey-!”

“Announce it tonight.” “What?” “On stage. Dedicate a song to me instead of posting photos online. We can then do that whenever” you said also standing up wrapping your arms around his shoulders which led him to putting his hands around your waist and foreheads resting against eachother.

 “Okay.” “Okay?” “Yeah ok. I’ll dedicate a song to you. I’m not telling you which one though” 

“Deal?” He held out his pinky to make it a promise. “Deal.” And with that you interlocked fingers and shook on it. 

It was a few hours later and Dom was performing on stage. You were stood in front of the barricade with the photographers, security guards and a mix of his and your friends who arrived later in the day. You spent the first few songs singing, dancing and looking around. You spotted a bunch of people holding up signs for Dominic and screaming at the top of their lungs for the boy. It made you happy that these people have travelled all the way here to see him to see him in his element. You soon got snapped out of your trance when ‘How Much Is Weed?’ suddenly ended. “I want to dedicate this next song to my girlfriend.” while sending a wink in your direction which made fans scream. It wasn’t obvious that it was you to others but this moment felt special and euphoric to you both. All of a sudden ‘Ant Pile’ started playing through the speaks which made your jaw drop. You laughed slightly which cause him to also giggle on stage midway through the first lyric. 

liked by user, dominicfikelover and 120,289 others

dominicfikeupdates: Dom dedicated his song ‘Ant Pile’ to his unknown girlfriend at his set at Coachella today. 

user : i was there and let me tell you my heart broke a little 

user : he winked in the direction of y/n and her friends. 

➥ user : everyone in their friend group are in couples apart from…

➥ user : oh my god. 

user : @y/nusername @dominicfike you’ve got some explaining to do

➥ y/nusername : whoops 🏃

You ran backstage after Dom’s set finished while smiling ear to ear. Quickly flashing your stage pass at the security guards you ran to him jumping into his arms. “I love you so much”. “I love you more” 

He pushed your hair out of ur face giving you a long passionate kiss. His arm wrapped around your shoulder leading you back towards his trailer. This time you flopped back onto the sofa letting out a breathe you didn’t know you were holding in.

liked by dominicfike, radvxz and 302,299 others

y/nusername : “And that’s when you kissed me” ☀️

dominicfike : i love you 

➥ y/nusername : i guess i love you too. evil man. 

     ➥ dominicfike : HAAHAH

dominicfike: mother 

➥ y/nusername : get out of my comments. 

user : well this wasn’t expected. 

➥ user : i suspected it. 

     ➥ user : no one asked. 

user : OH. MY GOD. 

radvxz : come back to england. don’t bring him with you. 

➥ y/nusername : deal. 

     ➥ dominicfike : right well…

         ➥ radvxz : i wifed first. 

            ➥ dominicfike : who said we aren’t married

              ➥ y/nusername : who said i’d say yes. 

liked by clairo, billieeilish and 580,929 others 

dominicfike : “my yellow” ☀️

y/nusername : ANT PILE??

➥ user : she’s just as shook as us 

     ➥ y/nusername : he didn’t tell me what song he’d dedicate to me. 

user : ummm

➥user : ummmm

     ➥ user : UMMMM HELLO?

billieeilish : at least i didn’t post about it

feliciathegoat : thank god finally 

                                 ︵‿︵‿୨♡୧‿︵‿︵

author: i’ve never written before so this was scary but i tried my best. i just need ideas to post about so i can do it properly - love matilda! pls gimme time xx

[wandringaesthetic]

ugh okay

Netflix Castlevania Nocturne season 2 trailer commentary and rampant speculation:

(mostly about Alucard we all have our faves)

I love how he's animated. He is so still most of the time. Not that he can't move incredibly fast, but there is no wasted movement, does not flinch, at all, ever, facial expressions are certainly there (his little smile when he mentions Trevor, cut out my fucking heart Sam Deats et al), but very subtle. He sounds so much more sedate than he does in the other series, but the dry humor is certainly still there (who are you to call anyone sarcastic, sir?). He has seen and lost so much. Nothing surprises him. Nothing is worth any wasted effort. The impression of incredible age and weariness.

As ever, I like the fact that he is supposed to be incredibly strong but it's usually depicted in a very understated manner, like this has been true since season 1 but it took until it was drawn attention to in season 3 for me to notice he has been wielding a longsword like it's a rapier this entire damn time.

He is literally sitting like an old man exactly like those two football players in that video. What? I'm comfy. Sort of like a bat, too.

He is kind of giving me death flags??? Like more or less saying to Richter that he's got to finish the job if he can't (the reverse of Symphony of the Night where Alucard has to finish it because Richter couldn't and oooooooooo are we going to get evil/possessed/"master of the castle" Richter I must KNOW) A character like Alucard is difficult because he's OP and isn't technically a main character (anymore) so one way to solve him overshadowing the actual main characters is KILL HIM. Also, being passively suicidal in Symphony of the Night is kind of Alucard's whole thing. Like, Again, overanalyzing the 30 seconds he's in in the last season. Stating he has a kill count in the hundreds thousands?? Big if true. He's been spending most of the last 300 years killing vampires. Castlevania vamps are generally not portrayed as obligate evil and he's often defensive/admiring of vampires in series 1. What happened? (I do not like the most obvious potential answer to this. Like, I won't hate it if that's what happened but agh I want him to have had one happy lifetime, at least. Especially if we, again, take inspiration from Symphony and have him fighting their shades/reanimated corpses. Like. I would love/hate that.)

Are we ever going to explain Maria's powers in any way? If we have evil/possessed Richter I do very much like the idea of her marching in to save him.

maybe the single frame here that intrigues me most is Olrox holding back Mizrak. Toxic bara is back, baby. Perhaps it never left.

I am intrigued re: what we're doing with Juste, because, hmm, the Juste/Lydie/Maxim situationship is more or less the same as the Cecil/Rosa/Kain situationship, yes? But we got the bad ending where Lydie and Maxim are dead or worse and Juste probably killed Maxim. Like if y'all had just accepted the homoerotic rivalry as homoerotic maybe you would not be so weak to demonic possession/brainwashing/whatever and it probably wouldn't have to be like this. In contrast with the might-as-well-be-canon trephacard polycule. As ever, I'm fascinated by the implications of something that is probably never going to play out on screen. Aren't we all.

I'm glad Drolta's back, she was fun. She's the sort of character that doesn't need a reason to be back because she didn't have all that strong a reason to exist in the first place she's 99% vibes and that's ok. (though oh. ohhhhhhh. she's the succubus analogue. let's torment alucard with illusory hellworld, yes?)

[slimeboiss]

I'm bored and with more Hundred Line news slowly dripping out I figured that I'd give my impressions on all the characters we've seen so far.

TAKUMI SUMINO

The protagonist himself, and probably the one guy we know the most about, even if most of that is just standard protagonist stuff. Kodaka's protagonists pretty must just follow the same archetype - relatively normal character among a cast of far more talented and impressive psychopaths, which usually leads to him developing a complex about it. And from what we've seen so far... Takumi seems to pretty much fit the bill to a T. Will he probably subvert expectations? Most likely - we've seen it with Hajime and Yuma from Rain Code before. There's definitely more to him than meets the eye, but I highly doubt that he's gonna be anything more than an average guy at the beginning, the straight man for the more unhinged characters around him.

He *does* seem to have an edgier look than every other protag we've seen so far. The rest of his look is pretty background character coded, which fits, but his hair makes him a dead ringer for Yomi from Rain Code. Which if you still remember that game, is a pretty far cry from "just an average guy". 50 percent chance that this is some sort of stylistic choice or if it actually means something about his personality - maybe he's a lot more rebellious than he seems from a first glance? Hard to say.

From the earlier promo art from before we knew what this game was supposed to be, the two "protagonist" characters had the same red hair and black color scheme, plus the katana that Takumi uses in battle. It looks like these traits were carried over to the final design at least - an interesting tidbit, even if it meant that we lost another potential female protagonist. This time with glasses, even!

DARUMI AMEMIYA

The second character we know the most about so far, and she's gotta be one that sticks out the most. When the trailer first dropped in June I swear like half of all discussion was just talking about her - more specifically, her design.

On first appearances, she very much reminds me of like a Kokichi-esque character, you know the one character in every game that just exists to make trouble and make the game more interesting when Monokuma's not around. She's a murder game fanatic, she has a bunch of crazy sprites, and also fights with floating knives. She's like if you asked an AI image generator to create THE danganronpa character.

She's not the first female character to be like *this* in Kodaka's works - Junko, Genocider Syo, Shinigami, etc, etc. - but exactly WHAT her role is is hard to pin down. She's been a lot more prominently advertised than other characters, so part of me believes that she has to have a significant participant in the game. Whether or not she's THE designated problems clown that every Danganronpa game, 90 percent chance she's going to be like top five most popular characters to come out of this game. hundred percent guarantee.

As a bonus note, I wonder if she was based on this character from the old promo art before the game was retooled entirely? I have nothing else to go off besides similar vibes - but it was a thought I had nonetheless. Probably the only other character from these early images that I can see carrying over to the final game besides Takumi, so this is the last time I'll bring it up, promise.

EITO AOTSUKI

TV Tropes says that he's supposed to be an apprentice astronaut - I have no idea where they got this from, but it would make him design make more sense. Plus his last name also means "blue moon", for what it's worth.

On the surface this guy seems like a coolheaded nerd. That was my first impression anyway. Someone said early on that he had Nagito vibes, and well... yeah I can definitely see that. Pretty boys in Danganronpa are hardly ever sane, and aside from his massive forehead he is definitively a pretty boy. Of course, this was before Tokyo Game Show came and went and...

Well, you've all seen that screenshot by now lmao

So yeah he's definitely gay. And gay for Takumi, no less. And if we know anything about characters that gay homoerotic tension for each other in Kodaka games (and Uchikoshi games to some extent), is that they're NEVER unproblematic. Just look at his face in that CG - he's definitely a freak.

As a side note, when the trailer first dropped I was under the impression that his weapon was a huge ass wizard staff, which fit with his whole nerdy vibe. I then realized it's actually supposed to be a big ass scythe - so make of that what you will.

HIRUKO SHIZUHARA

I fucking love tall women with long hair and glasses. Anyway, she's the cold, serious type with a penchant for bloodlust. She has a giant axe and admits to getting excited cutting down monsters. She's a freak yeah, but at least she does that while looking hot.

A lot of people have compared her to Peko for obvious reasons, but honestly, she's like a pretty direct copy of Martina Electro from Rain Code to a T. A statuesque woman with glasses with a lust for blood? Yeah that sounds familiar. For how much of a clone she is, the one thing that differentiates the two is that, for all her presence, Martina was ultimately submissive towards the far more problematic Yomi (the guy I said is identical to Takumi, ironically) - while Hiruko hasn't really given off those vibes so far. Wouldn't be surprised if Kodaka doesn't somehow work that in though. Disappointed, but not surprised.

TAKEMARU YAKUSHIJI

I don't have good quality shots of him on hand so enjoy this crusty cropped screenshot of grumpy Takemaru.

Not much to say about this guy so far. From what I've gathered from his intro, he's a rough and tumble type of guy, a delinquent who still believes in justice. And he used a motorcycle in battle. Sound familiar?

I can see him being a standard "jerk with a heart of gold" - he doesn't seem to be quite as violent as a certain other motorcycle riding delinquent, but who knows. He's one of your starting party members, so I'm guessing he has some early prominence in the game.

KAKO TSUKUMO AND HER BROTHER

Putting these two together since they seem to be a package deal - and to be honest we're reaching the point where I don't have a lot to say about most of them.

Kodaka has NOT had a great track record with brother sister relationships - yes, not every brother sister relationship he's written has devolved into incest, but when Kako is saying "dearest brother" and seems to practically joined at the hip... can you really blame me for being a bit hesitant? There are of course ways that this doesn't end up being gross, and I sure as hope this doesn't turn out to be another Junko/Mukuro in DR3/Kiyo Chapter 3 situation.

OKAY, my fear from first impressions aside, Kako seems to be the meeker, quieter of the two, while her brother acts as her assertive protector. I don't think there's a scene where they've been apart so far... take that as you will.

Kako mentions that the two of them havent graduated junior high yet (im assuming that means theyre ninth graders, around 15 years old) - so they're presumably in the same grade. Maybe they're twins? It's hard to tell with same-face syndrome and all, but hair style aside they do have similar faces. Which does lead me to wonder... what if they're identical twins, but Kako's brother is transmasculine. This is just my pipe dream honestly - Kodaka hasn't been great with LGBT rep before, buuuuut he's improved... somewhat? Uchikoshi, on the other, is pretty good on LGBT issues - famously good even, especially in Somnium Files. It's hard to tell what influence Uchikoshi has had on the game aside from the branching paths approach to storytelling, but I have a little bit more confidence in the LGBT rep in this game if Uchikoshi is on the team.

Don't have much else to say about them, other than I'm CROSSING my fingers that they don't turn out to be weird. On my knees even.

ANGIE YONAGA TALENT SWAP

I know it's kinda cheap to do the whole "this character looks like this character" shtick because Komatsuzaki's style has had sameface syndrome since the very beginning, but coome ooooon, if you're going to give her the same skin tone-hair color combo then it's going to be impossible not to notice.

Anyway that aside, I can't really say much else about her. We hit the point where these character's dont have names yet so I'm going in blinder than blind. Out of all the characters, she seems like she could be a Danganronpa character the most - her outfit very clearly communicates a "talent", I'm guessing mechanics.

She gives me tomboy vibes. Like, she's also one of the only girls in the entirety of Kodaka's games to wear full-length pants as far as I'm aware.

THE TOKEN THING

Im still not sure whether or not this is a boy or girl. I'm leaning towards boy, but I'm only like 80 percent sure that's right.

He's the token character with the cartoony design that's inevitably going to rank at the bottom of every popularity poll regardless of whether they're actually a good character or not. Character-wise, they come off as a shy fifth grader - Chihiro level shy, not whatever Mikan had going on.

not much else to contribute to my opinion other than that their design is definitely just a retooled beta ryoma

THIS GUY

Exaggerated screaming sprite? Cartoon character on shirt? Fuckass hair cut? Yeah this guy's a fucking nerd. He's going to be Takumi's annoying "best male friend" character who you either love despite his eccentricities or want to shove off a building. Or both depending on which day you're on.

Flip of a coin that he's also the token pervert character.

-

Aaaaand those are the first ten characters. There are still five more characters to go through (plus the mascots), but I wanted to ask why the characters were split up this way. Why don't the other five guys show up at the beginning? My current working theory is that they're part of a separate class, perhaps one that gets the rest of their students massacred, leaving these five as their sole survivors. There is ONE character that could be an exception to this, but we'll get to her when we get to her.

GUY WHO LOOKS LIKE HE SELLS KNIVES

Yeah you can probably find better higher quality images somewhere else.

This dude... he's edgy. He's like someone's Tokyo Ghoul OC. He gives me Korekiyo vibes, but like, in the first impressions kind of way. He seems like a laidback kinda guy that would still stab you in the throat when you look away. And it looks like he's threatening the bowl cut nerd with a knife in at least one route, so that's not far off the mark.

His design also feels kinda traditional japanese mixed with modern gothic elements - the blue hair and eyepatch. The eyepatch also has an eye symbol on it, so symbolism yay.

SAMURAI GIRL

A real prim and proper girl. Highly traditional. Nothing much else to say, she has a cool design. That's not always an indicator of a "good" character in these types of games, but one can hope.

GREEN TOMATO GIRL

Hard to imagine this character isn't going to be a chuunibyou. Or at least, very difficult to take seriously. The creepy smile reminds me of a jack-o-lantern... wait is that the intent?

Not a lot to go off on rn, but she's definitely one of the characters I'm more interested in finding out about, if only to learn why she wears a mask with a smile for hours at a time. What's the mask for? What is the point of the mask?

ABSOLUTE UNIT

When I first saw this character from behind on the cover art, I thought she was chubby. Turns out she's actually just jacked. She's cute! She looks like a jolly character, just a ray of sunshine. It's nice to get female characters that don't just fall into the same body type.

As a side note - this isn't as blatant as Ryoma's design, but she does remind me a bit of one Sakura's beta designs, which gave her a more traditionally cute face to contrast with the rest of her body.

Her more cartoony face also reminds me of Ibuki's beta design too, although hers doesn't look *quite* as stylized based on the few brief glimpses we've gotten of her.

KARUA KASHIWA

One of the more mysterious characters so far - Takumi's childhood friends that Takumi tried to protect from the monster invasion. We don't actually know what happened to her after that - she;s not with Takumi when he wakes up, but she appears alongside the rest of the cast with a different outfit.

I know danganronpa same face syndrome is insane, but its hard to imagine that we're not at least meant to assume that these two are the same character

Theres zero chance that there isnt a huge twist regarding her, but what exactly she is or what role she plays is anyones guess because there hasnt even been an english trailer since what? June? Oh, speaking of June-

Both Kodaka and Uchikoshi have a habit of introducing female characters to be pseudo-love interests/close confidants. Think Kyoko, Chiaki, Kaede in Kodaka's case, and June, Phi, Iris, Mizuki in Uchikoshi's case. As far as characters we've seen so far, she fits the bill the most so far. She's the childhood best friend with a ton of mysterious circumstances surrounding her! She has white hair and purple eyes!

However because she's so obviously suspicious and close to the main protagonist, that also means that the likelihood of her actually being the "mastermind" is close to zero. So congrats Karua fans!

SIREI

Serves the same basic role as Monokuma but instead of Monokuma's gimmick of having the voice of a children's mascot, he instead has a deep sexy voice. I don't know whether or not he's supposed to be the antagonist or moreso a morally unhinged mascot character ala Shinigami, but idk both seem just as likely.

I would have a plushie of him.

NIGOU

ninety percent chance this thing is literally just comic relief who cares

IN CONCLUSION

I spent an hour typing this out and embarassed myself in front of my mutuals by revealing that im invested in how danganronpa 4 turns out.

[b4mpyre-k1zz3s]

could i request some chris pontius or steveo x shy reader? where maybe it's her first day on set and she like works in makeup and he's just flirting w her making a blushing mess lol tysm

Cat and Mouse

Y/N gets her first real job and gets caught up in a romance she could have never imagined!

Steve-O X Fem!Reader

(Fluff)

2.8k Words

Warnings: Suggestive content, slowburn, flirting, teasing, crude language, drinking, accidental injuries, praise, stalkerish behavior from Y/N if you squint

An: Thank you so much for the request!! Finals hav been kicking my ass lately but I somehow managed to crank this one out XD There’s something about the dynamic of this fic that just enchanted me and I would be more than happy to write this kind of fic for some of the other guys! I’d especially love to see what would play out with Johnny, but maybe that’s a little self indulgent X) Anyways, as always, my requests are open and I’m still accepting fic requests for my 100 follower special, so keep sending them in!! I have a few good ones of my own coming down the pipeline so keep your eye out! ;)

It was your first day on set, so it was understandable that you were nervous as you walked into the trailer on the Paramount lot, your makeup kit in tow. All you were told when you first got the job was where you would report to and that you would be working on a movie set- that’s it. Kinda sketchy but hey, maybe it’s a privacy thing. It was just you in the makeup trailer as you collected yourself, taking a deep breath as you flipped the bright white vanity lights on and started to set up your gear on the counter.

You were so immersed with arranging brushes and products that you didn’t even hear the trailer door open as your client walked in, only being alerted to his presence as you felt the foldy director’s chair he was sitting in shift a little as he took a seat. Holy shit. Speechless, you blinked a few times, trying to register who you were looking at- not that you didn’t know him, it’s just this was too good to not be some dream. “Are- are you Steve- O?” He chuckled, flashing you that boyish smile as he sat back in his chair, “In the flesh, baby.”

It was about then when you realized that maybe you were leaning a little too close to him- your boobs were practically squished against the back of his head. He didn’t seem to be that bothered by it, not looking upset in the slightest as you stepped away, blushing. It would be impossible to deny that you’d had a crush on Steve ever since you saw him on TV, back when he was swallowing goldfish for a living, and this first impression wasn't helping the feelings that stirred inside of you.

Trying to distract yourself, you grabbed a shade of concealer that looked like it matched his skin tone to cover up the blotchy mauve shiner that covered nearly a quarter of his face- a product of a movie star lifestyle you could only dream of. “Hey, don’t worry about it.” Steve gestured to the glaring mark with a finger, his voice low, “Kinda wanna keep it there. Looks pretty rad, y’know?” You nodded, the only response your body could give, your eyes wide. He seemed so cool, so calm in comparison to his usual obnoxious stunt dude behavior.

And so you continued with what you were being paid to do, trying your damnedest to stay professional. This was hard, especially when you needed to lean in towards him, maybe four inches away from Steve’s face, tilting his chin up with your left hand to get the angle you needed to look at something or other. Of course, he wasn’t making it easy for you with how he kept catching your gaze the whole time with those sweet eyes of his. Part of you was a little pissed off- what gives him the right to do this? To make you all flustered with nothing but a look- but another part of you was maybe a little too excited at all of this.

A few minutes in the same room as him and you were already wrapped around his finger. Hell, you weren't in the slightest turned off when you caught him stealing glances down your shirt when he thought you weren’t paying attention. Weirdly, you found that kind of endearing, maybe even attractive. Those five minutes in the makeup trailer felt like an eternity and you breathed a sigh of relief as you stood up after you finished your job. Turning around, you went to zip up your case when you heard something behind you, “Hey, what’s your name, makeup lady?” Your heart jumped a little when he spoke up, his raspy voice barely above a whisper. You whipped around, nearly nose to nose with Steve as you avoided looking at him as much as you could, concealing your pink face, “My name’s Y/N.”

You couldn’t see it, but there was a little glint in Steve’s eye when he realized just how much he was affecting you. “Well,” His voice took on a slightly different tone, “I guess I’ll be seeing you around, Y/N.” And just like that, he was gone out the trailer door that he didn’t bother to close on his way out.

And you wished it ended there- that you could just be left alone with your silly schoolgirl crush on the cool movie star, but of course it didn’t. It couldn’t. Of all places, it happened in the white food tent around lunch time. You were going down the line of fold up tables, picking through what the catering services had brought in those silver aluminum pans- chicken, some vedgie thing, and some crinkle fries- when you heard someone call to you from a ways back, “Hey, makeup lady!” Assuming it was some production supervisor (they never seemed to respect you), you rolled your eyes, not even looking back as you replied, “I have a name, you know.”

“Oh yeah! Shit, what was it…Y/N!” Your heart sank when you realized who it was as they slipped in next to you in line. Steve seemed totally unphased, still as friendly as he was before but with a suggestive tone in his voice that made you shiver, “So, how’s your first day goin’? Everyone nice?” He didn’t take anything from the trays as he moved along, seemingly only there to talk to you, “If not, I’ll totally kick their ass.” You hoped Steve didn’t notice how much your hands were shaking as you nodded and smiled, hiding the warmth on your cheeks as you speed walked away with half a plate of food.

He wore that smug ass look on his face with pride as he sat down at the table with the guys like he just won the Super Bowl. Understandably, they were a little confused at his bravado. Johnny wasn't impressed, “What the hell was that?” Steve just grinned as he took a sip of his beer, shooting a glance over to where you were sitting with your back turned to not look conspicuous, “That chick’s in love with me. Watch.” Steve turned his head back and just as he did, you whipped around almost on command to try and catch a glimpse of him with that needy look in your eyes like a lost puppy. Unbelievable. Of course, all the guys besides Steve immediately turned towards you and made eye contact. Faced with this, you were a deer in the headlights, and quickly returned to your food.

Bam chuckled, a sly grin spreading across his lips, “Dude, if she’s got the hots for you that bad, you gotta get that ass!” He spoke as if he was some experienced playboy, but he had no clue. It’s not just about sex- there was a lot more to whatever it was that was going on between Steve and the makeup girl. When broken down, the two of you really wanted the exact same thing, the only difference was that she was too shy to admit it and he wasn’t. It evolved into a hunt- a cat and mouse game. This was more than getting ass. “Whatever, Bam.” Steve rolled his eyes. Ryan leaned to one side to get a better look at you, “Oh yeah- you gotta tap that.” Johnny cracked up at his bluntness and Pontius simply shoveled a bite of food into his mouth, flipping Steve a thumbs up.

You knew it was in violation of your contract but something you weren't proud of inside you compelled you to do it. On the lazy afternoons you weren't doing makeup but you were still on the clock, you found yourself snooping around the set in hope of getting a glimpse of Steve. It wasn't a tall order to blend in with the nameless PAs and set people, so you mostly went unnoticed, ducking behind corners and slipping into empty dressing rooms. Every time you saw Steve chatting with the guys with a beer in hand, or in the middle of a stunt if you were lucky, you had to hold yourself back from giggling like a teenage girl. However, it wasn't always that easy to get your fix.

This routine went on without any hiccups for about a week before a problem was presented. Filming was outside for a stunt involving the Three 6 Mafia, but the dense summer heat was pushed completely out of your mind as you peeked out from behind a white trailer. There, in front of all the cameras, was Dave, Bam, and Steve, filming some bit where Dave eats horse shit. All vomiting aside, the only thing you could see was how cute Steve looked in the little farmer’s outfit that the costume department whipped up. Sweat glistened on his skin under the midday sun as he took off his straw hat, using it to fan himself. It’s rare for a guy to be able to pull off the overalls no shirt look, but he certainly could. Damn.

But just as you were thinking about how you wouldnt mind shucking his corn, you accidentally made eye contact with Bam. Oh shit. There wasn't a way in hell that he didn’t see you. You hadn’t even noticed that you were steadily creeping out from your hiding place until you were far from the safety of the trailer wall, so, acting on prey animal instincts, you ducked behind the nearest object.

“Hmm?” It was only then that you noticed what you ducked behind was a man- Ryan, to be specific. God, if this could get any worse. Drink in hand, he just raised an eyebrow, looking down at the strange scene- you, crouching behind his foldy chair, “Makeup lady?” Oh, you were screwed. You could feel your fingers go numb as you panicked, your fight or flight instincts kicking in as you skirted away, your heart beating out of your chest. Ryan shrugged, taking a sip of his beer.

It was embarrassing how flustered you got around Steve but you just couldn’t help it. You had a lot of time to mull over it before you came into work the next day and it was apparent; something had to happen or else you were sure you would spontaneously combust. The tension was killing you, but there was no way he’d pay you any mind. Immagine a celebrity like him dating- hell, going on a date- with some makeup artist he met on set. Be reasonable, you thought, cleaning off your brushes idly.

Steve strutted into the makeup trailer, cool as ever, “Hey! How’s my favorite girl doin’?” Your knees felt a little weak under you at his words, holding yourself up with one hand on the back of the chair as he sat down. His favorite. No, no, he didn’t mean it like that. No way he would. “I’m, uh- I’m good, yeah.” You hardly noticed the smirk on his lips as you hurried to distract yourself, busying your hands with your brushes to still their nervous shaking. This was not what you needed this early in the morning.

Suddenly, time froze as you heard the hard thwack of your elbow against the side of Steve’s face. Your jaw fell and you stumbled over your words, hurriedly apologizing at your absentmindedness, “O-oh my god! I am so sorry- I can’t believe-“ He was still a little stunned, the mark on his face reddening, when you realized that you had instinctively reached out, gently touching the soreness on his perfect cheekbone out of concern without realizing what you were doing. It was like lightning shot through your fingertips, traveling up your arm, and your face said it all. Steve just smiled that cute, boyish smile, making eye contact for just a second longer than a person normally would, “Hey, it’s cool. I don’t mind.” You felt the tips of your ears get hot as he winked at you, “But hell, you of all people know how’t touch it up.”

Taking a deep breath, you pushed down all your nerves as you cleared your throat and tried to sound confident as you grabbed something to cover up your blunder, “I really liked your performance yesterday.” It was a vain attempt at small talk, sure, but it was something. He looked up at you, “Oh, did you?” There was a funny tone in Steve’s voice- sweet and kinda teasing- that gave you butterflies in your stomach and made you wonder if you were really as sneaky as you thought you were being, “What part did’y like? The puking or me shovin’ stuff in my ass?”

God, how he laughed when Steve saw how embarrassed you got. Stuttering a bit, you tried to come up with an explanation, but he just waved you off, “Ah, I’m just fuckin’ with ya. But I mean, if you wanna watch sometime,” The euphemism wasn't lost on you and he could practically see the thoughts running through your head as he continued, “I could bring you to check out the set sometime.” All you could do was nod. Oh, he knew. And the worst part was he didn’t care.

Steve chuckled as you practically led him around the set. It was like you knew the place because, well, you did, but he pretended not to know about your little stalker activities. While you were busy, Jeff came up and tapped him on the shoulder, “Hey, dude. Rick needs you- something about that rake jump stunt.” And when you looked back from ogling some camera equipment, Steve was gone.

But from across the set, you met eyes with Chris who smiled at you with that dopey grin you’d seen so many times on tv. One week in and you were still getting starstruck. He walked over to you, striking up a conversation, “Hey, Y/N! You know what I heard?” Chris leaned in towards you like he was gonna tell you a secret, shooting a nod towards Steve as he was walking away, “I heard he’s awesome in bed. I mean, that’s what I’ve heard from the ladies.” You could tell that Chris saw this as a perfectly normal conversation topic, but you still got a little flustered, “O-oh, he is?” Chris nodded.

Sitting on camping chairs under one of those fold out tents you see at barbecues, Johnny and Bam watched from afar, cracking open cans of Miller High Life. Bam turned his head to one side like a dog, peering around Chris’ shoulder, “Looks like Pontius is tryin’t steal Steve’s girl.” Johnny chuckled, bringing his can to his lips, “Once he gets his claws in her there’s no way he’ll get her back. We oughta’ go interviene.”

Out of the corner of your eye, you saw a blur of two men who you recognized as Johnny and Bam. Chris waved, “Oh, hey guys! We were just talking about how great Steve is in bed!” He gave Bam a nod, “Isn’t that right?” His eyes went wide for a second before he caught on, “Oh, yeah! He’s, uh- he’s great.” Johnny quirked an eyebrow from behind his sunglasses, “Have you slept with him, Bam?” It was like a Three Stooges bit as Bam rushed to cover his ass, putting his hands up, “No- no! I mean, I heard that he was good.”

“I mean, I’d get it from Chris, but I never expect that from you.” Ignoring Johnny’s teasing, he reached out a hand to you at the perfect time to formally introduce himself, “Hey, I’m Bam. I really like girls.” Eyes wide at all the action that was suddenly happening around you, you just nodded. You couldn’t decide if this was him hitting on you or not when you felt a protective hand on your shoulder as someone spoke from behind you, “Okay, guys. Get lost.” Jumping a little, you turned around and might as well have leapt ten feet off the ground. It was Steve. All the guys joked and dispersed as he spun you around, turning you to face him and that smile that always got to you, “They didn’t say anything bad about me, did they?” You fiddled with one of your nails, looking anywhere but his face as you joked back to try and ease the tension, “Oh, on the contrary!”

Steve smiled, leaning a little bit closer to you as the low tone of his voice slipped into nearly a whisper, “I’m gonna be honest with ya, Y/N. I really like ya.” The way that he could just go out there and say that with such confidence made you break a sweat, and you were practically glued to the ground you stood on as he nearly whispered into your ear, “Let’s get drinks sometime, yeah?” All you could do was nod in response.

[sp1rit-realm]

༻¨*:· 𝐁𝐔𝐓𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐅𝐋𝐈𝐄𝐒 ·:*¨༺

༻¨*:· summary ·:*¨༺ you get butterflies upon meeting the town freak.

༻¨*:· notes ·:*¨༺ 𖦹 fem!reader (she/her prns) 𖦹 college!au 𖦹 fluffy. so fluffy 𖦹 modern!au (reader found corroded coffin on spotify or something) 𖦹 chrissy is alive and well and gay as hell! 𖦹 i did not proofread this⎝(ˊᗜˋ)⎠

༻¨*:· word count ·:*¨༺ 𖦹 4.6k (wow. longest fic i ever wrote. cray cray)

Walking down the seemingly never-ending hallway, you curse yourself. Being 5 minutes late to your first class wouldn't leave an excellent impression. You cringe when the door creaks open—squeezing your eyes shut and pursing your lips. You beeline to the back of the class and take the first empty seat you see. The boy sitting beside the vacant one gives you a tight-lipped smile. He has big brown eyes and long curly hair. 

'He's cute,' You think to yourself. 

Two weeks later, you sit in the building's lobby. Eddie almost does a spit-take when you tell him your first impression of him. "I swear!" You protest—eyes squinted from laughter, "I thought you had to be James Hetfield's son. Distant cousin, at least."

"It's just because of the clothes," He laughs.

"And the hair! The hair!"

He laughs more; you join him.

Not long after you've met, the two of you drive around in his van blasting music, singing, talking, the whole nine yards. Soon, you're at his trailer, talking to this famed "Wayne" Eddie always speaks so highly about. He doesn't say much before leaving, and you're worried he doesn't like you.

"He likes you just fine, lovely," He reassures. Your stomach flips at the nickname. Lovely, he's never called you that before. 

You nod, butterflies swarming in your stomach.

"What made you move here?" He asks, expertly rolling.

You're startled by the question, "Wanted to get away from my place. Family sucks sometimes," You shrug.

"So you decided to come to the rundown, shoddy town of Hawkins, Indiana?"

"Yeah."

"And then you befriended the town freak?"

You nod.

He shakes his head, "It seems like you're doing life all wrong."

"I think I'm doing it all right," You argue, "I met this boy, and we became friends. He's, like, the best friend I've ever had." You smile, looking at your hands as they rest in your lap.

Eddie smiles when he sees your eyes wandering around his room. He grins when you gawk at his homemade Corroded Coffin poster.

"You have a Corroded Coffin poster?" You practically squealed.

Eddie was confused, "Yes?"

Your head whips around so fast Eddie's worried you've injured yourself, "So you know who they are?" You were practically gushing.

"Yes?"

"Oh my God," Your words are rushed, "I love their music. I can't find any posters or shirts or anything. Where did you find this?"

Eddie can't stop his heart from overflowing, and his cheeks hurt from smiling so much, "C'mon. I have something to show you. It's in the car."

Excitedly, you skip through his house and up to his van. He searches through the back to find a CD. He's giddy as he hops in, signaling you to do the same. Once you're in the bucket of bolts, as you like to call it—Eddie hates the nickname with a passion. Eddie starts the van, slotting the CD into the player.

"This is, uh," You hear a voice come through, "Our first recording. Hope it sounds good. This is Eddie Munson. From Corroded Coffin," He adds, "For record purposes—or something like that. I'm really fucking high right now."

Your jaw is on the floor, "You're lying."

"I'm not lying!" He argues.

"I genuinely don't believe that my best friend is part of the band Corroded Coffin."

"Baby, not only am I part of it, I'm the lead guitarist."

The nickname, everything about this, has the butterflies fighting their way up your ribcage. You won't let them win.

"If I ever got to see you perform," You say, exhaling smoke, "I would've thrown my bra on the stage."

Eddie laughs, hoping you don't see how red his face is getting. "You wouldn't have," He disputes, "I'm just some guy."

"Or my panties," You ignore him, "Or any article of clothing." 

"Again, babe, I'm just some guy." He repeats.

"Some awesome guy," You correct, "Who is sexy and can play the guitar."

Eddie sits up to stare at you, "Did you just call me sexy?"

Your eyes are saucers, "No. No, I didn't. I would never say anything like that."

A smirk crawls up Eddie's face, settling on his lips. It's a good look, you think, before shaking your head. Trying to get rid of the thought like your mind was an etch-a-sketch. 

"What are you thinking about, pretty thing?"

The butterflies are in your throat, and you're unsure how long you can contain them. "Nothing," You respond, bringing the joint back to your lips.

He snatches it away from you, and you whine. He frowns at you, mocking sympathy, "You can have it back when you tell me what you're thinking."

Finally, you sit up, "'M thinking about how I want to smoke some more." You huff, crossing your arms.

"C'mon, babe," He pleads, batting his big brown eyes.

The butterflies are in your mouth, and you hold your breath, willing them not to escape. "I have to leave," Your words are rushed as you stand up, frantically looking for your sweater.

Eddie watches in amusement, "Looking for something?" He holds the sweater out of your reach.

"Whatever, I don't even need my sweater." You huff, going to storm out of his home.

Eddie stops you, "Shit, baby. I didn't know I upset you that much. I'm sorry." He frowns, and it feels sincere. So many things feel sincere with him, and it hurts your heart. You accept his apology and walk back to his room. He snuggles up with you in the tiny bed. It's nice when you lay with Eddie. His hands explore your body—they trace over your stretch marks and scars, rub up and down your thigh, and grab at your stomach. He doesn't touch you like a typical boy would. He's not lustful; he's gentle. He has no ulterior motives—he just wants to be close to you. He squeezes your hip, and you sigh pleasantly—a butterfly escapes. You let him know that he is bliss through a simple sigh, and Eddie takes that information and runs with it. He squeezes your hip again. You hum.

"Nice," You tiredly whisper. 

Eddie can't help his grin, "Yeah? Feels nice, baby?"

You nod lazily, "Like when you call me baby."

Yeah, you're tired—tired and high.

He hums in response, and you fall asleep in his arms.

Eddie can definitely get used to this, he thinks. He finds you lovely like this. You have a little bit of drool on the corner of your mouth, and you'll totally freak out about it later. He's not sure why. All he knows is that you'll pitch a playful fit if he pokes fun at you. You'll do that thing where you get all pouty, and Eddie just wants to kiss your lips, which is something he cannot do. So he'll stick with not making fun of you. 

You're softly snoring, and Eddie can't help but think that this is domesticity—this is what it's all about. For the first time, Eddie knows what he wants. He wants to wake up to you clinging onto him like a koala, and he wants to wipe away your drool, and he wants to get up and make breakfast for you. 

"Baby," He whispers. It's gentle, like he doesn't want to wake you up, but he knows you'll be upset if you're late to class. You groan and murmur: "Five more minutes."

He wants to say okay, but it's eight o'clock, and you need to leave in twenty minutes. 

"Baby," He repeats, softly shaking you, "It's eight."

You nearly spring up, "Eight?!" You ask, exasperated. "Eddie," You whine, "Why didn't you get me up earlier?"

"Because last night you told me to get you up at eight," He shrugs.

"I said eight at the latest, Eddie." You frown and cross your arms. And then you feel it—there's drool on your face. You furiously wipe at the side of your mouth, growing more embarrassed by the moment. You get up, grab your clothes, and head to the bathroom. It's pretty cramped in there; you make do. You splash cold water on your face, grab your toothbrush, and brush your teeth for undoubtedly shorter than two minutes. Your fingers comb through your hair, and you call it a day. 

You lean against Eddie's doorframe, "Funny seeing you here." You smirk, and then your face heats up when you realize he's shirtless. Then, you can't stop staring at the plethora of scars that litter his body. What the fuck?

"Like what you see?" He asks, flashing his teeth. Then, his expression drops as he realizes that you're not enjoying the view; you're wondering what the fuck happened to him.

"I'll tell you in the car," He mutters. This is it—this is the end of any kind of chance he had with you. You won't believe him. Hell, he didn't believe it for a while. 

On the drive to school, he tells you. He tells you everything, keeping his eyes on the road. He's too scared of your rejection. At the end of the story, all you have to say is: "I believe you, Eddie."

You're parked when he speaks next, and the three minutes in between feel like torture.

"You do?"

You can't make out his expression, "Eddie," You laugh out, though nothing's humorous, "If you told me the loch ness monster was real, I would believe you."

"Babe, this is far weirder than the loch ness monster. There is another dimension, baby."

The nickname has another butterfly escaping from your mouth as you smile. 

"What's got you so happy?" He laughs as you try to hide your grin.

"Nothing," You shake your head. Eddie doesn't believe you. 

"Are you happy that I almost died? What is it?"

You turn sheepish, fidgeting with your rings, "You called me baby again."

"You're cute as a button."

Class is spent yawning and passing notes to one another. Eddie's good at drawing, and he draws you amazing, stupid doodles. You keep every single one. They are hung up all over your room.

"Worst room decor ever," Eddie mumbles as he enters your room.

"Best room decor ever," You correct him.

"I can't believe you kept all of this. All of my shitty drawings."

You furrow your brows, "They're not shitty, Eddie. Don't say things like that."

He laughs at your sincerity, "Okay, baby, I won't."

There's no way he's not saying it just to fluster you at this point.

"Stop," You whine.

"Stop what, baby?"

You huff as you plop onto your bed, "Calling me baby."

"I thought you liked it when I called you baby, baby."

"I like it when you do it sincerely, Edison."

"Edison?!" His brows jump, "Isn't that the dude who invented the lightbulb?"

"All those years in high school did pay off!" You clap, "Good job Eddie!"

He scowls, "Funny. Real amusing," You giggle, "Yeah, keep it up. Keep laughing at the freak."

You pout, "I'm not laughing at the freak. I'm laughing at the smart boy I met on my first day of college."

Fuck, Eddie wants to kiss the pout right off of you. He settles for sitting next to you.

"Don't pout, baby," He rests his head on your shoulder, "I'm not worth pouting over."

This time, you actually pout, "What do you mean 'not worth pouting over?'"

"C'mon, sweetheart," He sighs, "I'm not worth much in general."

"You are worth so much, Eddie. And I'm not just saying that. You mean so much to me. You think I'd pin anyone's drawings up all around my room?"

He hides his head further into your neck.

"Hey, don't get all shy on me now." You chide, though the words have no backbone to them. 

"'M getting shy on you. Not gonna stop until you're done being sappy." He murmurs into your neck—his hair is tickling you. You cant find it in you to care. 

"C'mon," You whine, "Show me your pretty face, Eddie." 

"No." He nuzzles further into your neck, "Called me pretty." He's soft-spoken—it's an intimate moment. An intimate moment that's unlike any other you've had. A boy is on your shoulder, and you built up the courage to call him pretty. 

"You are pretty," You affirm.

"So are you."

You smile, butterflies growing stronger.

"You want to have lunch together?" Your voice crackles over the phone, and Eddie is unable to make out what you're saying. 

"Sorry, what was that, sweetheart?"

"Edward," You state, "Would you like to get lunch with me?"

He frowns, "I can't."

You frown, too, "Why not?"

"An old friend is in town. I'm getting lunch with her at the best diner ever." He explains

"Oh!" 

"Yeah, I'm really excited to see her." He continues.

"Okay, okay, we get it. You can't wait to see your BFF." Your tone is slightly more bitter than you intend, and Eddie picks up on it.

"What? You jealous?" He teases.

"Furthest thing from it, Edwin."

"Edwin?!"

"Goodbye, Edmund." You hang up. 

Dejected, you walk to the cafeteria.

It's only been a year since Eddie last saw Chrissy, and he's missed her like hell. Back in the little diner, they laugh over nothing and everything.

He gets a call in the middle of Chrissy telling a story.

"Baby?" He answers, and Chrissy lights up. 

"Can you get me something? A burger, maybe?"

And, of course, he'll bring you a burger. He'd bring you the sun and the moon if it meant he could see you smile.

"No," He declares, "No, I will not do that."

"Did I do something, Eddie? Sorry for calling you Edwin earlier. If that's what you're upset about."

"I'm joking around, baby. I'll definitely bring back a burger for you. I'll get you all the burgers you want. I'll fill my van with burgers, even." He twirls his hair. Chrissy can't stop grinning.

"Love you forever, Eds. I gotta go now."

"Why?" Eddie wines.

"'Cause there's a really cute boy walking towards me. Bye!"

And before he can respond, you've hung up.

"So..." Chrissy starts, "Who're you calling 'baby?'"

"Nobody," Eddie goes red, staring at his fries.

"C'mon, Eddie," She pleads, "I told you all about my girlfriend. Time to tell me about your partner."

"I'm not dating anybody, actually," Eddie frowns the slightest bit, "We're just friends."

"Okay, so," Chrisssy claps her hands together, "While I am here, I will be rolling out my master plan: Get Eddie Together With The Love of His Life. I'll figure out a way to shorten it."

Eddie's eyes widen, "Woah! Love of my life? A little too far, Chris."

"I saw that smile," She giggles, "Don't try and hide it from me."

"Reminder to self," You say, walking to class, "Just because he's cute does not mean he's interesting."

"Where's the pretty boy?"

You turn around to see Eddie jogging toward you. He holds a box that has your name written on it, next to it, a big heart.

"He was boring," You scoffed, "Wouldn't stop talking about baseball. Who even cares?"

Eddie throws his head back, "Exactly! Who fucking cares?! Not me, I'll tell you that much."

You laugh, going to snatch the box from his hands. "Mmm. Burbger."

“Burbger?” He laughs.

You nod, “Mhm.”

"Good burger," You sigh, "How come you've never taken me there? To the diner?" You clarify. 

"Never felt the need to," He shrugs, and it hurts your feelings. 

"Cool." 

He nods, oblivious to his hurtful words.

You don't drive home with Eddie for the first time in weeks. You know you're acting childish, but he really did hurt your feelings.

Eddie still doesn't think anything is wrong until you don't text him goodnight. You always say goodnight to him. 

'Baby,'

He texts you,

'I'm not sure what I did to hurt you, but I'm sorry.'

You don't answer, and his anxieties grow by the second.

What did he do?

"Eddie?" Chrissy croaks, "It's two in the morning." 

"It's actually two fifty-eight," He corrects.

"Eddie," She scolds, "You know I love you, but shut the fuck up and tell me why you called me."

"I kind of fucked up big time. A big ole fucky-wucky on my part, Chris."

"Eddie, stop speaking in riddles and tell me what's happening."

"She won't talk to me—she didn't say goodnight, she won't answer my texts, she didn't come home with me today," He rattles off.

"Woah, woah, woah cowboy." Chrissy sighs, "Do you have any clue why she might not have said goodnight?"

"Because I fucked up?" He asks.

"Obviously. Do you know why you fucked up?"

"No. I don't. I have not a clue, Chris." He sighs, "Not a clue."

"Okay. Unhelpful," Chrissy groans, "Recall today's events."

"I woke up at seven forty-six," He begins.

"I meant your interactions with her, dimwit."

"She asked if I wanted to have lunch," he begins recounting his day, "Then she asked for a burger. I gave her the burger, and she said it was delicious. She then asked me why I never took her to the diner, and I said I never felt the need to. That's it."

Chrissy rolls her eyes, sighing, "You told her you never felt the need to?"

Eddie senses he's made a big mistake, "...Yes?"

"You idiot. Obviously, this diner is special to you, right?"

Eddie rubs his hand over his face, "I told her it's the best diner ever."

"Idiot! Idiot, idiot, idiot! You are so incredibly foolish, Edward."

"I know," He groans, "I'm going to apologize now."

"Goodnight, Munson."

"Night, Cunningham."

You wake up in a haze. Sitting up, you make a mental note to never cry yourself to sleep again. The first thing you do is check your phone.

Eddie's text lights up your screen.

'Hey,' It beings, 'Sorry for saying I never felt the need to take you to the diner. It's a really special place for me. I don't go often because I need it to remain special. I need it to stay stuck in time. I've only ever gone with my friends from before you, but I'll take you soon. I promise.'

It doesn't come off the best, but you know what he means. You're new to his life, and he wants to keep the diner old.

'Thanks, Eds :) I forgive you,' You reply.

'See you at school,' You finish.

Eddie walks into the lobby with a wild grin, searching for you. You're on your phone, probably playing that stupid game he likes to make fun of.

Eddie pulls out the seat opposite yours. You look up and smile.

"You look like the Cheshire Cat," You smirk.

"He went... that way," He puts on a goofy voice, reciting the creepy cat.

"Who did?" You play along.

"The white rabbit."

You widen your eyes, "He did?"

"Who did?" He furrows his brows.

"The white rabbit," You chuckle.

He takes a deep inhale, "What rabbit?"

Laughing, you continue, "But you just said— oh dear."

Eddie stands up, extending his arm toward you, "Can you stand on your head?"

You giggle, taking his hand.

You grab lunch together. Eddie's not ready to take you to the diner, so you settle for the small pizza place next to campus. Eddie nearly inhales his food, and you laugh when he chokes on his soda. You feel an overwhelming sense of joy when it comes to him, and you know the butterflies are making their way out.

On the drive to his house, he taps along with a song you've just played, and you're bubbling with excitement that he just listened to music that wasn't metal. Let alone a piece you showed him.

"I could get used to your music," He pauses, inhales deeply, then continues. "I think."

You laugh—you're always laughing with him, it seems.

You find yourself on the couch with a bowl of popcorn, ready to watch Scream. Eddie plops down next to you when the movie starts. About five minutes in, he pretends to yawn and reaches his arm around your shoulder. You giggle, leaning into him, and the butterflies flap their wings rapidly. You fall asleep on Eddie's side.

"Lovebirds," You hear a voice boom, "Go to bed."

You groggily open your eyes and look up to, what seems to be, the voice of god. It's Wayne, you realize.

Eddie's face is bright red after his uncle's words register. 

'Lovebirds.'

You seem unaffected by the term; secretly, excitement bubbles in your stomach.

"Didn't I tell you to fall asleep in a bed? Not on my couch?"

"Sorry, Wayne," You mumble.

He pats you on the shoulder, "Just don't want you two to have back pains before you're supposed to."

"Thanks, Wayne," You murmur as you shuffle to Eddie's room.

"Of course," The man grumbles.

"Told you he likes you," Eddie mumbles into your hair as he presses a chaste kiss to your head.

"Kids in love," Wayne mutters, sitting on the couch.

Fucking midterms. You genuinely cannot stand them. You've been up late every night this week studying and want to bash your head in. You've barely had time to see Eddie outside of class, and it just makes everything ten times worse. You've talked to him over the phone, but nothing matched his touch. His warm, calloused hands would run up and down your arms when you were cold or up and down your sides when you lay together. You've missed his lingering kisses on your cheek and forehead.

You've also missed Wayne. You've come to understand how he shows love—just last week, he gave you your favorite candy, and you were gushing about it to Eddie.

Now, you sit in your room—the only light coming from your laptop, and the wrapper of Wayne's gift is crumpled on your desk's side. Your phone buzzes, and you smile at the stupid picture of Eddie that lights up your screen.

"Hello?" Eddie says in a goofy voice, "Hellooo?" He asks again.

"Hi," You respond with a giddy smile.

"Hi, I'm lookin' for a real pretty girl. She told me that this is her phone number. She's brilliant and sweet, and my uncle Wayne loves her."

"Yeah? Lookin' for her?"

"I sure am."

"I'll let her know in about an hour—when she finishes studying."

Eddie pouts, hoping you'll hear it, "Why?"

It doesn't go unnoticed, "'Cause she's gotta study."

"Booo!" He yells. You hang up.

"Hello?" You ask with a smile.

"Hi."

"Someone told me a very handsome guy was calling for me. Said he's got cool rings and can play guitar."

"Oh!" You can hear him chuckle, "I do recall that conversation."

"So," You take a deep breath, "What'd ya want to talk about?"

"Politics, the weather, the deal with the DMV, and how I hate my wife."

You laugh, "So I've got 90's stand-up comic Eddie on the line?"

"Sure do, sweetheart."

You fall asleep on the phone.

"Eds," You whisper.

He turns the music down, "Yes?"

"What if I fail?"

"Baby," He puts his hand on your thigh, and the butterflies won't stop flapping their wings, "You're not gonna fail. You've been studying all week. If anything, I'm going to fail."

You roll your eyes, "I told you you should've studied."

Eddie rolls his eyes back, snatching his hand away from you, "I told you the only way I was going to study unless it was with you."

"Oh, so this is my fault?"

"If I fail, it's your fault, sweetheart."

"How do you think you did?" Eddie finished long before you. Your whole body is filled with bubbling nerves.

"I don't know," You respond, not daring to look anywhere but forward, "I feel like I'm going to faint." You murmur.

"Okay, baby." Eddie grabs your shoulders and runs his hands up and down your arms, "Take a deep breath. In... and out."

You don't care that you might be blocking the hallway—the students can find a way around you. All that matters is Eddie is helping you calm down—his hands are on you, and his head is resting on yours.

"You feelin' a little better, baby?" He asks after a few minutes.

"Feelin' a lot better."

"I'm glad."

He kisses your shoulder, and you swoon.

"What's on your mind?" Eddie asks, bringing the joint to his mouth. It's a roach at this point—he still insists on smoking it.

"Nothing," You answer—he can tell you're lying. He says it, and you roll your eyes, "Eddie, I'm not lying."

"Seriously, babe." He sits up, "What's goin' on in that pretty little head of yours?"

"First off, rude." You cross your arms with a sad expression, "Second, nothing. I am literally thinking about what I'm going to have for dinner."

"Food. You're going to have food. Now, what are you actually thinking about?"

It's strange that Eddie is being so adamant about this. Usually, if you ask him to leave something alone, he'll leave it alone. It's as if he knows that you've got butterflies in every crevice of your body—that you like him—and he's trying to coax it out of you. You're unsure why.

"What are you thinking about?" You shoot back.

"Not fair. I asked you first." He pouts.

"And I asked you second." You shrug with a smug smirk.

"Yeah, so you should answer first. I should answer second." He reasons. 

"I'm thinking about a person," You begin, "A boy." It's all you supply.

"A boy?" Eddie asks, suddenly growing insecure. His crush on you isn't a new thing. He was sure he was in love with you the second you said he looked like James Hetfield. He would swear on his life that he liked you the second he saw you. 

"Yes, Edward, a boy. Okay, your turn. What're you thinking about?"

"Chrissy."

It's painfully apparent that you're hurt, "Chrissy? Who's Chrissy?"

Part of Eddie is happy you seem jealous. The other part of him feels terrible.

"Chrissy is the girl I went to the diner with."

You nod dramatically, "Oh, yeah. Of course. Of course."

He can't hold it in any longer, "Jealous?"

Your eyes are saucers, "What?"

"What?" He parrots.

"What makes you think I'm jealous?"

"Just a hunch," He shrugs.

"No," You cross your arms, "Why do you think I'm jealous? And what exactly am I jealous of?" You demand.

"Well, the change in body language when I said Chrissy would suggest that you are jealous. Jealous of Chrissy and I's relationship."

"One, the correct wording would be 'Chrissy and me,'" You quip—Eddie rolls his eyes, "Second, you sound ridiculous. You sound like you're stupid, but you're trying to be smart."

"Don't call me stupid," Eddie crosses his arms, "I'm brilliant. Thank you very much."

"I didn't call you stupid, Eds," You pout. 

"Stop pouting," He pokes your jutted-out lip, "It makes me want to—" He cuts himself off by bringing the joint back to his lips.

"It makes you want to what?" You ask, secretly hoping the answer is what you've been wishing for.

"It makes me want to do something I shouldn't do."

"Yeah?" You smile, "Like what."

"Sweetheart," He sighs, "I have a feeling that you know. And I'm not sure why you insist on hearing it from my mouth."

"I don't know what you mean," You feign innocence.

"I think you know exactly what I mean." He whispers into your ear, and you shudder at the sudden closeness.

You turn, "C'mon, Ed's," You're so close that you're sure the butterflies will float out of your mouth and go straight in his, "Don't make me say it."

"Well, I don't want to say it, either," He mutters.

"So... where does that leave us?"

Three beats of silence go by, and a butterfly escapes when he puts his hand over yours.

"Can I kiss you?" His voice is a whisper.

"Yes."

guys i fink im going to do a part 2 :0

as always, thank you for reading <3

mutuals:

@queerpumpkinnn @woahlifehitsyahuh @evergreenlover @reysdriver @thesunandstarss @tracymbcm @youre-so-lovely @y4ksh42 @until-i-found-you @inkluvs @imabee-oralizard @prongsio @puppy-coded @spaceagebachelormann @starsval @doyouknowwhoyouare13 @dancinglikeaballerina @ghostlyfleur @just-another-lovesong @starlit-epiphany @justpjostufff @lovers-tunnel @zvdvdlvr @cosmal @vampieteeth @bruisedboys @meredarling @maddipoof

[astoundingbeyondbelief]

Kaiju Week in Review (February 11-17, 2024)

Warner Bros. unfurled the second trailer for Godzilla x Kong: The New Empire, which seems to be going over much better than the first. There are multiple glimpses of the ice Titan Shimo throughout, and an even briefer look at Mothra reflected in Jia's eye. (My favorite shot, of course, is Kong decking Skar King as he's holding out Suko like a wriggling shield.) The rough shots from trailer #1 still look rough, but at least the new footage is more impressive.

The new issue of Empire (how fitting) has a short article on GxK—the big revelation there is that Godzilla Evolved is pink simply because that's director Adam Wingard's favorite color. Collaborations are also popping up. Circle K is offering a movie-branded sandwich, chocolate bar, and Froster drinks/cups. Godzilla and a seriously wizened Kong are also entering the mobile game Lords Mobile.

I don't know much about Oscar politicking, but Takashi Yamazaki's strategy of bringing a model Godzilla with him everywhere he goes seems like a winner. Both appear in the "class photo" taken of all the nominees at the Oscar Nominees Luncheon. At the same event, Yamazaki and Godzilla met with Steven Spielberg, who told Yamazaki he had seen Godzilla Minus One three times. Posting their photo together on Twitter, Yamazaki said he had "met God."

Toho's English Godzilla YouTube channel also uploaded a six-minute video on Minus One's VFX, with a focus on the various ways the production was able to shave off costs. Officially translated behind-the-scenes featurettes for Toho Godzilla films are a rarity, a sign of how badly they want that little gold statue. It's worth watching just for Yamazaki scooting his chair around the office.

Shout! Factory's onslaught of old Toei tokusatsu films on its streaming service turned out to be a prelude to offering them all on disc. The Classic Tokusatsu Collection Blu-ray set includes Planet Prince (1959; called Prince of Space), Invasion of the Neptune Men (1961), Watari the Ninja Boy (1966), The Golden Bat (1966; called Golden Ninja), Magic Serpent (1966; called Dragon Showdown) , Ninja Scope (1969), and Terror Beneath the Sea (1966). None have ever been released on English-friendly Blu-ray before; some haven't even made it to DVD. The set is $70 and limited to 2,500 copies.

Major caveats seem to accompany every English-language release of vintage tokusatsu these days, and unfortunately this set's no exception. Despite the existence of English dubs for at least some of these films (two of them riffed on Mystery Science Theater 3000), only Terror Beneath the Sea is dubbed; the rest are Japanese-only. And the dubbed Prince of Space well-known to MiSTies was actually an amalgamation of Toei's two Planet Prince films, only the first of which is present here. (Even the first film seems like it's going to be in upscaled standard-def, going off the streaming version.) No special features in the production description either, although one person who got the set early reports that at least one trailer is included (for Invasion of the Neptune Men).

IDW has announced still another Godzilla miniseries, Godzilla: Skate or Die. First-issue description:

It's Australian skater punks versus Varan and the King of the Monsters in this thrilling debut issue by writer/artist Louie Joyce (A Fistful of Pain)! Four years ago, four best friends and die-hard skaters found the perfect location for a DIY skatepark. After months of hard work, they created the world’s sickest spot that they could enjoy for the rest of their lives… That is, until the ferocious Varan appeared in the middle of central Australia and started making a beeline for their beloved park. Why is Varan on a rampage? Why did Godzilla just appear off the coast? What does their beloved skate spot have to do with this? And most importantly…what are these punks willing to do to save it?

Sounds like there's a lot of author appeal here, as Joyce is Australian and calls the tale "inspired by all the amazing DIY spots I've had the privilege of skating[.]" And a meaty role for Varan is a pleasant surprise.

Perhaps inspired by the success of Troll on Netflix, we've got another Scandinavia giant monster movie on the way. Kraken will be directed by Pal Oie (Dark Woods) from a script by Vilde Eide. No cast yet, but here are the plot details divulged by The Hollywood Reporter:

[T]he thriller will follow Johanne, a marine biologist who encounters several strange occurrences while researching a fjord, including the brutal deaths of two local teenagers. “At the bottom of Norway’s deepest fjord rests a mythical monster as large as a mountain, with a myriad of arms ready to crush and devour anything they can grab,” the film’s synopsis reads.

Krakens are certainly having a moment in giant monster stories right now, between Ruby Gillman, Teenage Kraken and the three that somehow wound up connected to the Monsterverse. (To wit: Na Kika was originally called Kraken, the unnamed antagonist of Skull Island bore the same name internally, and the guardian of Atlantis in the Justice League crossover comic is a Kraken as well.) This seems like a more back-to-basics approach.

[piracytheorist]

Episode 29 thoughts

I made some passionate statements about the first part. Now it's time for a bit of analysis.

So I had seen the trailer where Anya looks sad after having failed her tests and it kind of struck me how she reached the point of crying alone in her room. And well, now I know it was because she was scared of being separated from Becky.

And because I can't keep my mouth shut about this, one of the reasons Anya's friendship with Becky helps her - probably without her realizing it - is that she has someone to back her up when Damian and co. bully her. Becky is always on her side and losing that could cause her severe stress. Sure, they'll still be in the same school, but when your school environment is so toxic and also demanding, losing the constant presence of a friend in the class can be devastating. Trust me, I know of toxic environments in class, and I know of not having someone to back you up. I don't call Damian a bully just to spite fans.

At the end, Damian, despite willingly choosing to let Anya win, he inwardly accuses her of manipulating his feelings - when in fact Anya was simply terrified of losing Becky as a classmate, and that's why she cried. He's still not ready to confront his feelings. He showed sympathy to Anya and then told himself that she manipulated him into that. It shows that he has potential but in no way does it justify the way he makes fun of her - as well as practically encourage Ewen and Emile to jump in on the bullying.

Anyway. Tests go bad, and Anya despairs that she'll be separated from Becky. Becky however, continues believing in Anya. I wonder if Becky would ever consider purposefully flunking her tests so that she can stay as Anya's classmate. She's not doing that well in the friends department either.

Twilight notices her achievements in ancient language (jesus what are they teaching those kids) and is surprised, searching for a reasonable explanation.

We are reminded that he doesn't know anything about her past, can only speculate about it, and decides that since he doesn't have the full info there is no point to do that. The dutiful spy regaining control after the still-in-development paternal feelings got him trying to make sense of his daughter's mind?

Despite her failing scores, Loid still announces to her he made her favourite dish, which instantly fixes her mood.

I think, when in the first episode Anya heard Twilight's thought about how he wants a world where children don't cry, it gave her the impression that he would provide her with an emotionally safe environment - something that was solidified when he was ready to punch Swan for making her cry. Even if she doesn't realize it fully due to her young age, she chose to stay with him and do her best to get into Eden because she trusted that in his heart, he truly wants her to be happy.

So one could argue that Anya is very lucky that despite the levels of Twilight's emotional constipation, he really has the heart to comfort her after she's had a bad day. But it's not really a matter of luck, when she chose to stay with him after she saw what he hides beneath all the spy front, is it?

Warning for blood under the cut.

I gotta say, the transition to the second part was way too jarring. Since the last sight of the first part was a background, the second part should have slid in with another background - like for example, the busy city around Franky's kiosk.

I feel like an idiot, having spoken about the Cyrillic sentences in the previous episode, and now we get this.

I... What even are some of those. Why so many alphabets. Where are those even from and what do they have to do with the Ostanian culture. Does anything make sense anymore. What is life.

Anyway. Anime-onlys are finally introduced to the name Garden and What. The. Fuck.

This image isn't in the manga. I think it's the first time the anime shows more violence than the respective manga chapter, lol. Where did they even get that much blood and how did they get it so high on the wall? Asking the real questions here.

"They eliminate one traitor after another on the shadow government's orders."

That is extremely interesting! Shadow government? Employing an independent assassin group to clean out their traitors?

... Traitors, a group which would include Twilight and Franky?

Franky immediately describes someone fitting Yor's fighting abilities and Twilight is like "No such thing!" shaking his head even. The denial runs deep already, lmao.

Honestly, a bit of a shame we were robbed of Twilight's face as he walked away.

"This isn't worth any intel you might promise me."

Franky puts his skills and connections to use and it was cool to see him in his natural environment, being so smooth and certain in searching around for information.

The part of Franky working with Yor could be summarized with "expert meets expert but they're both such idiots they do not immediately suspect each other". Like Yor I understand being naive and so trusting she sees all those contraptions Franky creates and immediately believes he's all legal about his business. Now how Franky saw her demolish his decade-old work and was like "I shall not question this" beats me. Guess he was also lovestruck for that Kacey woman, and like Loid, he sees a clear spectacle of extraordinary physical strength and goes like "Everyday occurrence. I'm just sad my invention is gone."

That cat is traumatized for life.

Yor's coworkers are... a bunch. We got some sympathetic moments from Camilla in episode 16 but she's still the mean girl type in the office. Yor's naivete truly protects her sometimes from having her feelings hurt, doesn't it?

I think this will play a role in identity reveals. When it comes to everyday civilians, Yor sees the best in them and assumes they have the best intentions. When she kills, she considers her victims bastards and traitors. Right now, Yor has an amazing impression of Loid... how will that flip when she finds out about all the lies he's told and all the ways he's been using her and Anya?

The change in her expression though, when she realizes she's getting a call from Shopkeeper!

I wonder what client was so important that he had to call her in the middle of her workday. Hopefully the plot kicks off from the next episode and this thirsty anime-only shall find out!

[colorful-white-ideas]

Bill did promote BKW and we didn't notice it?

I know I've been very critical of Bill lately because of the last marketing fiasco of the Boy Kills world promotion. But one anon brought to my attention something that made me think in some coincidentical events of last year that now make sense. Have time? This is looooong

Anon said "Now that I know that he initially did the voice over as shown at TIFF and he got replaced, maybe that played a part into his lack of promotion, especially as the lead "

2023

- July 22 : Bill is spotted attending a UFC match in London.

- July 23: the BKW trailer comes to light, the famous " Cannes trailer". Someone found it and shared it with the world. Don't ask me who I just remember it was everywhere suddenly I even made a post about it too. Now (2024) is no longer up on that page. In that trailer the boy inner voice was different from the one we have now.

- The bobbysill IG acc caught our attention again after days of speculation if it was Bill's or not . Bob uploaded this :

*Willemandersson is Bill's friend.

-July 24: this same acc had a mental breakdance after someone went to the BKW producers to complain about someone "leaking" pictures of the movie without an official release of the trailer , calling it a hoax and bla bla ( sadly I don't have screenshots of those negatives comments but the pic of Boy is later erased) Bob starts posting a couple of pics that no one has ever seen before and that are absolutely Bill related:

Now let's jump in time.

August 3 The Toronto international film festival announces BKW premiere for sep 9

Sep 2 Bill is seen attending one again a UFC match in Paris .

Sep 9 The day of the premiere in Canada. Bill went to another UFC event , this time in Uppsala.

Coincidence?

Isn't curious that every time something big about BKW was out or about to happen ,Bill , let himself be seen in a UFC match ? It is very well known that he loves those sports, so I don't think these were the first or only times he attended a public UFC event.

Which is more important: the images we saw of him among the public didn't come from fans around him but from the official media present at the event. They were not accidental sightings, he wanted people to see him there. He knows how to hide , he could have gone and refused to be acknowledged in the public but he smiled and played along with the media there.

In 2023 the SAG AFTRA strike paralyzed the industry, no one could really promote upcoming projects without being accused of going against the strike. Maybe this was his way to promote the material, also for what we see now of the BTS shots , he had a really good time filming. I bet he was so excited about this movie he literally couldn't wait to start showing off what he was able to do.

After all HE and his team reached out to the crew asking to audition for the movie. You can look it up. So this movie wasn't just a cash grab for him HE WANTED to be part of it.

But something happened cause that enthusiasm was non-existent this year.

The first critics to the movie at the TIFF were 50/50. Not very impressive.

2024 it is announced that the inner voice now will be done by H. Jon Benjamin. The original voice was replaced just months before the world premiere.

There is a trailer going around with a voice that pretty much sounds like Bill and if it's really his I can hear he put a lot of effort to give the character an identity that went beyond than just the goofy one the director wanted as the final product.

( * personal note I like both results )

Maybe anon is in some way right after all ? Maybe Bill agreed on erasing his voice but as an exchange decided to not use his actual voice to promote it.

A tantrum ? Yes absolutely. But also if you think about it maybe he saw it like they didn't take him seriously, his whole effort was not appreciated so along with the production team decided to "stay in character" and not talk about Boy. Others could do it for him.

****PLEASE do not take this as proof of anything, it's just speculation I did on my way home from my job.

He by all means could be just a diva who just didn't want to be part of the fuss of this premiere and that's it. Only the crew and him know what really happened. ****

[magicalbats]

Also since there HAS been so much content coming out I thought it might be fun to do a bit of a recap on everything and share some of my thoughts! I know there are at least a few people who read my fics without playing the source material or really having much baseline info on the characters before going into it (and you guys are incredibly special to me, rest assured 🫶🥺) so I figured this might be a nice way to do some little introductions!

Sticking this behind a cut so anyone who doesn’t want to see me rambling can easily skip over this post lol

In an attempt to keep things somewhat chronological, I’m going to start with the drip marketing for these two. Iirc they were officially announced one day apart, back to back, and I saw multiple people making angel/devil comparisons with them which really tickled me. 🤭

I’ll talk about Sunday first since he’s by far the character we’ve known the longest and man what a wait this has been. We met him in 2.0 and he is finally going to be playable in 2.7, and in a lot of ways it almost feels surreal that we’ve finally made it to this point. Genuinely it’s been such a bumpy, perilous ride with him. For a good moment there I wasn’t even sure if he was going to make it out alive or not, then I wasn’t sure if he was going to be playable, then leakers were saying he would be joining the Stellaron Hunters and then it was actually wait, he’ll join the Astral Express instead, and then he was getting a new outfit and for a second there it even looked like he might end up getting a new VA too. 🤣 When I tell you this man has had me STRESSED this entire time.

Luckily there is finally light at the end of the tunnel though, and I’m honestly so, so happy with how his playable look turned out! My silly little guy with his youth pastor drip 🙏🥹 He’s honestly my second favorite character in HSR right after Sampo, and I know that probably sounds bizarre for how different they are but look. I’m a woman with a refined, complicated palette okay? xmdkdmdkzk There really isn’t anything at all I don’t like about this man, he’s a little crazy but he’s also soggy and a bit pathetic at the same time, I’m sure you can see why he’s like crack cocaine to me. And the fact we’ll get to travel with him from now on … the fics really do just write themselves.

And that’s not even mentioning the religious trauma, god. I need him more than I can even put into words. Please let me win this 50/50 in a few weeks, I am begging. 🙏 😭

For Ororon I didn’t have that same immediate click with him when we got our first glimpse in the 5.0 Natlan trailer. He barely showed up for five seconds which didn’t help but he was also presented in a very mysterious, brooding kind of way that just didn’t lunge out at me. But the one thing I will always give Mihoyo credit for is they’re very good at layering different personality traits on their characters to make them not so one note. With that in mind I wanted to meet him first before drawing any definitive conclusions on whether or not I liked him.

And I am SO glad I did because he truly subverted every single expectation I think everyone had just based on that initial impression. Not only is he NOT an edge lord of the highest order, he also turned out to be one of the sweetest, cutest characters I’ve ever seen. 😭 He’s just a little guy, your honor. Please do not bully him.

He’s confirmed to be in his early 20’s but he has this very innocent, guileless manner about him that makes him feel indescribably boyish in the most charming way possible. He’s also a grandmas boy, and he calls anyone who he perceives to be older than him granny or gramps. I have some thoughts about him calling us mommy, either accidentally or on purpose … and other thoughts about him using the vegetables from his quaint little garden in less then wholesome ways. 😏 Like, guys. He loves animals, feeds squirrels, raises aphids, and he’s got his own little cottage core farm away from the rest of his village. I don’t think you understand what he’s doing to me.

With his release in game and access to his full bio we’ve also learned that he has a talent for art on top of everything else and look, I’m just saying but he might actually be perfect.

What are we looking at here, you may ask? Ororon’s art, that’s what. 😤

I was very pleased to learn that we actually do have another male character coming up in the Natlan lineup at SOME point in time, but this is the one and only look at him we’ve got so far. His name is Ifa and he’s a veterinarian, and also seems to be Ororon’s bff. I don’t have much else on him yet but we know he exists so I figured I’d mention him. For posterity if nothing else. lol

I fully admit knowing he’s a veterinarian is like having a fast pass into my pants. I love animals so if a man also loves animals there’s not really much else I can do other than fuck him, you know what I mean? 🤣 I’m very curious to find out how accurate the drawing of him is, so I’m really hoping we get to see some visual leaks coming out soon.

I’m also going to take a quick moment to talk about Mr. Reca too. Now, he doesn’t have drip marketing yet but he did appear in version 2.6 in the main storyline and wow, he was such a blast. Definitely a bit unhinged like his lightcone art suggests but in such a fun, mostly harmless way that I can’t help but stan. Also he’s a girl dad to a mechanical frog who acts as his assistant director? Good lord …

Indeed he is a little film nerd freak and also a Memokeeper, we don’t know much else about him just yet but I want to assure everyone here that as soon as I got my first glimpse of him I was looking so incredibly hard and I have not stopped looking once. He resembles Zhongli imo, if he was less unflappable and more prone to whimsy. I like that. A lot. 😏

“We can shoot a movie, we can bang like Rambo 🎶 “

We knew for sure Lighter was coming pretty early on into 1.2 when Caesar and Burnice got their banners so his drip marketing didn’t come as a surprise and he also has the esteemed honor of being the FIRST ever limited male 5 star in ZZZ, and yes it feels like a long time coming even though the game is only a few months old now. ✋😩 All the other men are either 4 stars or standard 5’s so I was more than likely going to pull for him no matter what. Out of desperation, and to show support for the men, even if he ended up not being to my taste.

For better or worse though, he actually turned out to be an amazing character and I fear I am very smitten with him. He’s just so cool and hard boiled, but also a little silly? A little goofy? And man, I don’t want to take up a bunch of time waxing poetic about this, but the fact he’s the only guy in the Sons of Calydon that we know about, surrounded by all women, and he is not the least bit threatened by it just really does something to my brain. Like, I unfortunately can’t add the picture due to Tumblrs image limit but his drip marketing has a little shot of him buying stuff for the girls — makeup and fashion magazines, stuffed animals and snacks and like … that’s real masculinity right there. I can’t decide if he’s like a dad or a big brother to them, but either way I am HERE for it.

I’m genuinely confident beyond a shadow of a doubt that he would have no problem at all buying tampons/pads for you, and I also think he’d be perfectly respectful about it too. He’d ask what brand you prefer, what size and what type, and he’d make sure he came back with exactly that even if he had to traverse a hollow completely blind to get it. I’d bet everything I own on that. I like him a lot. 😌

His banner will be available this coming Tuesday and I am unfortunately going into it on a 50/50, no guarantee, so please pray for my success. djemfkxksmwkw

So remember when I said Mihoyo is good at layering different personality traits on their characters? Yeah, so Harumasa is another great example of that.

When we first met him I (and I think many others too) kind of got the impression that he was a smooth talking playboy type and I even called him a fuck boy on multiple occasions. 🤣 But at the start of 1.3 in Yanagi’s story quest we actually got to see him interacting with his fangirls and he was not feeling it at all so I now suspect that he probably only flirts when it’s beneficial to him, specifically so he can fall back on his good looks to get by and put in less work than everyone else. He understands what pretty privilege is and he intends to use it to his advantage. lol

I actually think he ended up being a very charming character now that weve gotten to see more of him. He’s chronically tired and maybe just a bit lazy, doesn’t like hard work or long days, calls out sick often and looks for any excuse to leave work early. He’s INCREDIBLY relatable tbh. 🤣 Based on a few brief pieces of dialogue in Yanagi’s story I’d started to suspect he might actually be for real sickly in some way but then we got a leaked image of his weapon …. And it’s literally just a pill case full of medicine. So although I don’t yet know all the details I have to say Harumasa has really grown on me since his first introduction where I mistook him for some kind of womanizer. lol And this is exactly why I like to wait and actually get to know Mihoyo’s characters before deciding whether or not I like them, they’re just so incredibly good at layering them together in a way that imo makes them feel more tangible and alive. I genuinely can’t wait to see more of him in the near future!

Gonna go ahead and just toss WuWa right here, this won’t take too long seeing as there’s only one new male announced so far! 🤪 And look, I’m going to be completely honest here. Kuro Games is really pissing me off with this because we still have not seen hide nor tail of Scar since 1.0. Let me say that again. 1.0!! It’s been MONTHS that he’s just been rotting away in jail, let him out already you sick bastards! I want him!! I need him!!

Now Brant … I literally know nothing about him aside from his appearance and his name. He was just revealed the night before last so this is literally all we’ve got atm. But I will say I think he’s real cute and I definitely think I’m going to like him a lot. It took me a while to figure out what he’s reminding me of and then it suddenly clicked that his silly little cape looks a bit like Howl’s Moving Castle, doesn’t it? I’ve never seen the Ghibli film before, just screenshots, so I’m not sure what Howl is like or how that might potentially play into Brant’s characterization but I thought that was an interesting possible connection.

I especially like the deep plunge in his shirt, that shit goes almost straight down to his pants. He might be a little slutty. 😏 And the obvious pirate motifs paired with the harlequin mask on his hip. I am definitely looking. Disrespectfully, I might add. Eager to learn more about this one tbh.

And finally we have the big HSR reveal from the livestream on Friday. 🤭 I was ofc hoping for a preview of the next planet we’ll be going to since version 2.7 will be the last update before 3.0 but I wasn’t even remotely prepared for the trailer that dropped. Three men feels like a HUGE win so yes we are definitely celebrating this one.

Much like Brant all we’ve got so far are faces and names so I won’t be able to talk too extensively about these characters unfortunately. As for my initial impressions though I will say that Anaxa has my attention the most right now. I like the eyepatch and his long hair tied in a loose ponytail over his shoulder, and just his entire general vibe. He definitely seems to be my type and for the moment he’s the one I’m most looking forward to meeting.

Mydei is next in line for me, he looks like he might be a hot blooded masculine type and in fact I’m almost reminded of Itto a bit. I think? He might be equivalent to the god of war, Ares or Mars, so he should be an interesting one.

Phainon is definitely attractive but I think he looks a bit too much like Ayato for me to get super excited for him right off the bat. I don’t dislike Ayato, mind you, but his personality just doesn’t do much for me overall — so I’m tentatively looking forward to actually meeting this guy and seeing how he is in person. All of these characters seem to be alternate versions of ones from Honkai Impact the 3rd which I know close to nothing about but based on what I’ve heard Phainon should be a Kevin expy and I think he’s pretty important? I expect he’ll probably get the characterization to match tbh so I’m choosing to trust the process for now.

And that about wraps it up!

I will say if nothing else, this has taught me that if you’re someone who enjoys male characters the key here is to play multiple games at the same time to get your fill. 🤣 Because individually other than HSR they’re really just giving us crumbs one at a time. Like going into Natlan we truly only had two confirmed boys and maybe Capitano further down the line to look forward to, the rest were all girls. But when I put them all together like this we’ve suddenly got ten men to talk about, and tbh that’s really giving me the pick me up I needed. alsmfcosmszk

So, if anyone’s stuck with me this long, what are your thoughts on these characters? Who’s your favorite and who are you most looking forward to? Are any non players thinking about picking up one of these games? Feel free to share any of your thoughts with me, my inbox is always open! 🫶😊

And of course happy thirsting everyone!

[the-sky-queen]

I WAS ABLE TO WATCH PRIME SEASON 3 EPISODE 2 AND I AM SCREAMING!!!!!

Thoughts and spoilers under the cut :D

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

So, I gotta talk about the Grim Birdies first. They are really cool and super powerful! Like they are just epic. Their screams are haunting, but i wish they had more than two. It gets a little annoying to have to listen to the same two sound effects over and over again. But I really like the main one who got her face crushed. I kept looking at her in the trailers and seeing that little 'scar' she has and wondering how she got it, and now I know! Yay!

Next, OH MY GOODNESS THEY WASTED NO TIME GETTING EVERYONE TO TEAM UP. I wish they spend a little more time on everyone's reaction to each other, rather than just having the two Bigs look at each other, but it's fine. THE ROSE TRIPLETS HAVE UNITED AND I LOVE IT. I noticed how when they were all saying what they were gonna do when this is over, Thorn said jungle, Black said adventuring, but Rusty didn't say anything, which I hope means she's gonna go back to No Place. Whatever happens to her, I'm putting her in No Place for With Great Power Comes because I can't bring myself to separate Rusty from Black. They're too perfect. :)

Let's see, uhhhhhhh oh yeah! So, Nine being a giant floating head is kinda silly. Like yeah, it makes total sense, but just not being able to see what the rest of his body is doing leads to some awkward bits. I kinda wish they just didn't make him able to do this? I was imagining Nine only getting info from his bots and like, making it so we don't see him as much can help build some suspense for the finale, you know? Not showing your villain can do WONDERS for the story and the fear factor. Take Sauron from lotr for example. We barely see him throughout the trilogy, but we FEEL his presence in every single movie. If he was shown more, his fear factor would decrease. He would become less impressive. So, yeah, I don't think Nine should be a floating head, but that's just me. I hope he won't feel the need to pop up constantly in the coming episodes.

And of course, CAN WE TALK ABOUT SONIC??????? So, it looks like one of my original predictions was semi right in a way. Sonic's going to be losing his energy gradually over the course of the season. GOODNESS JUST. THE WAY HE STUMBLED OUT OF THE ROOM. BOY YOU ARE NOT OKAY. YOU BETTER NOT JUMP RIGHT BACK INTO THE ACTION NEXT EPISODE. SIT DOWN. TAKE A NAP. IT'S NOT GOING TO FIX THINGS BUT IT MIGHT HELP A LITTLE BIT.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA

Oh yeah! And also MANGEY IS THE CUTEST LITTLE BOY EVER. During that one scene where they were talking about Nine I think he was slinking out of the room because he felt bad for being connected to Nine and I was like aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!!!!!!!!!!!! BUT LO AND BEHOLD, HE'S ALSO STILL A GENIUS EVEN THOUGH HE'S A FERAL BOY AND I LOVE THAT SO MUCH. Mangey also seems to be sticking close to Sonic and I love that. He's filling in for Tails. :( aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa

Also, where is Shadow?????????????????? We're seriously not checking back in on him????? aaaaaaaaaaaaaa Boy really is doing that one Undertale AU down there. (says the girl who has no knowledge of Undertale besides the comics for said AU)

And to end it off, whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy did you leave the rest of the Kraken crew in No Place???????? Did you think you'd be coming back?????????????? There's no way you thought that, the entire world is falling apart. Come on guys, we're in the final showdown, the time for dumb mistakes is over.

Let's see . . . I think that's all my thoughts. Still not big on the council, but I don't think anyone is. (I kid you not, I was begging Grim Birdy to tear Babble's mech open and kidnap him so we don't have to listen to him for a few episodes. Alas. Not so.)

So, that's everything! YOU GUYS CAN TALK WITH ME ABOUT MY PREDICTIONS AND SUCH BUT PLEASE NO SPOILERS.

[moonlight-tmd]

Can you write more on the mob family a.u but focused on Prowlbee?

To be honest it's one of those prompt ideas that don't click with me well so there's little info on that, but i can try. [anker post]

Prowl was impressed with Bee's abilities since they met- the scout was discreet, he planned ahead and took note of every advantage he had and used it. On top of the impressive skillset, he was adorable- cute and deadly one might say.

They get together and i will say it's about a year of them dating when Bugshot shows up and abducts Bee. They are left wonderign where the fuck Bee went until they get an unregistered Spark Signature on their radar along with Bee's. So they go check it out and are forced to into a chase with a black and yellow old school camaro with a closed-off trailer. So in a chase they get bumby and only then they see Bee, cuffed and gagged, nearly falling out of said trailer. At one point they get into a crash and Bugshot grabs Bee, points a blaster to his helm and tells them to frag off. And to their surprise they learn that the fucked up bot that is trying to murder Bee rn is his own Sire.

"You wouldn't kill your own Sparkling!!" Prowl protested, his own Spark trembling in its casing.

"Try me." Was all Bugshot said with the coldest and most Sparkless expression they ever seen.

They take advantage when Bugshot focuses his attention on Bee for a nanoklik to tell him to stop crying. Bugshot has to flee cuz he is outnumbered. Bee is so scared he is unable to talk until they go back to base. Ratchet kept him in medbay for the night cuz apparently his SIre has stuffed him with stasis-inducing chemicals.

The next day is when he is really questioned. Although it's just Optimus with him, he doesn't want to pressure Bee with others in the room. So Bee tells him the bare minimum he needs to knows, he refrains from telling OP about more personal stuff like how he was treated or where he was and did. Only that this was his Sire, he was forced to commit crimes and that he run away. Also that Bugshot wanted him dead cuz he knows too much.

Optimus is torn in what to do- one one hand this is a serious case that needs to get to Elite Guard for proper action. At the same time he doesn't want to tell the Elite Guard cuz they will take Bee away and put him somewhere no one can find him, and Bee obviously wants to stay with them cuz he feels safe here.

Prowl is very much stressed out- first Bee is kidnapped and then it turns out it was his Sire who's a boss of an underground mafia and THEN HE TRIED TO KILL HIM- yes, Prowl is very stressed out and scared. He sneaks into medbay when Bee was being held there and had a talk with him. Despite the scout feeling iffy from all the drugs he managed to push himself to answer few of Prowl's questions; that he was a former criminal, that he was suffering as a Sparkling and that he never wanted such life so he ran away. He was sure that Prowl would become sceptical of him but instead was met with a surprise of him promising to stay by his side no matter what.

Bee is scared to recharge with Prowl cuz the ninjabot has a room with uncovered entrance smack-dab in the middle on his room- so instead Prowl recharges with Bee every night in his room.

Now it's the 'idea flops dead' moment- idk what to do.

Most likely Team Prime manages to be heroes and catches Bugshot, they lie to Elite Guard that he wanted to steal the Allspark and he is taken captive- but of course he breaks loose just before they reach the prison on Cybertron and he is again missing without a trace. The Earth is being watched by an additional E.G. ship so that no more unwanted guests arrive to bother them.

As for Bee and Prowl, while they are concerned about Bugshot coming back they try not to focus on it and live their lives. However Bee feels this unfairness towards Prowl for not telling him some very important things- one day when Bee was keeping himself secluded on purpose and Prowl tried to talk to him- "My family had hired hitbots many times, Lockdown included... There was always a list of targets to be eliminated. Before i ran away i noticed that list and... one of the names there was "Yoketron"." Bee confessed, his family eliminated everyone who could potentially endanger them. His Sire hired Lockdown to offline Yoketron- Prowl's Sire-figure, for that very reason.

He didn't say anything else, he just left Prowl and locked himself in his room for the time being while his sparkmate tried his best to get him to explain further. Prowl was left to figure this out on his own for the night. In the end Prowl firmly stated that Bee is nothing like Bugshot and will love him no matter what.

On the side-note; Bee might teach Prowl few tricks from his criminal life just in case. You never know when you find yourself in danger with no advantages whatsoever.

And that's it. Nothing more to tell. Hope you are happy.

[mliter]

Persona 3 Reload.

This is a remake of the 2006 classic. I played it way back then... But don't remember much. I don't think i played it right too.

Did you know? This was revealed accidentally through an altus moment. Somebody on the social team accidentally posted the trailer on instagram early. That verbal lashing was probably inhumane.

You're back in the shoes of Persona 3's iconic protagonist, navigating a refreshed world harboring a dark secret. Almost everything's the same, but some things are different, and some things are new.

For one, the voice cast. The main stars of the show have returned, with new voices. A lot of people with ties to the original game weren't too happy with these choices (i dont think theyd be happy with any lol) but i really like them. Aleks Le, Alejandro Saab, Allegra Clark and Zeno Robinson stuck out to me the most. My god did Zeno put on a GENERATIONAL performance as Junpei. He breathed new life into the character. I can't imagine anyone else voicing him now.

I recognize Allegra Clark from three houses. She did a good job as Mitsuru. Alejando Saab's take on Akihiko was not what most were expecting. With the time i've spent with the character, i think it's perfect. Aleks is on a special run right now. he killed it as Makoto.

Still on the topic of voice actors, many of the original voice cast actually are still involved in this project. They've returned to voice some of the adult characters.

This is a really cool show of respect to the first voice cast imo. There's something a bit poetic about this. But i can't really put it into words properly. Someone better at this kind of thing could do so.

This is a remake. And by god it's a good example of one. Everything's been remade from the ground up to today's standards. The UI is AMAZING. It consistently impressed me up until the final act. Atlus has convinced me that good UI is an art, and they have all the masters in their studio. The environments, the character portraits, the music, the everything. The PS2 version looks cute in comparison.

Something that seems to be lost in production is the more somber and relaxed color schemes that the environments had in some of the overworlds. A lot of people didn't like this, but i did. The brighter color schemes used in the school really helped to sell that seaside setting that the school is located in far better than the original. Have you ever been to a (good looking) sea? They did a good job conveying the look.

No longer limited by technology, the environments are far more lively. People that don't really get in your way litter the school hallways, Paulownia Mall is packed and the stations are full with activity.

Battles got a huge overhaul, with a banger new battle theme. Alongside party members getting fundamental changes, the entire cast got brand new battle uniforms. I guess going through all of what they were going through in just their school uniforms seemed a bit too much. All of them were designed to their strengths and personality. (Why give junpei a jacket if he's just gonna tie it around his waist...?) They're really good. And it's a solid upgrade that puts them in league with the phantom thieves's looks with me.

to boot, a new ability came with these uniforms. Theurgy. In game, it's explained as a special cartridge that the gang can load into their evokers when ready. They're pretty much fusion spells. Everyone gets one, and they all have their own animations that play when used. Persona 5's baton pass also makes a return, now known as "shifting". I made some great plays off of it.

The story's the same, told through a new look, new console and new voices. It's just as good now as it was back then. The message still remains. I'm glad this was on game pass. I had fun going back to Tatsumi Port Island, seeing these faces again. My favorite bit of the game was the november school trip.