#my other guys are all level 30 or 5 and under I need to play them to feel where I want em to go

[sentient-cloud]

I said in the tags but I really want to give my wizards each like. Friends / ties into the greater lore.

I mentioned Taryns dating Dalia. She used to work for Harold Argleston in the wizard city library. She is very specifically interested in preserving the histories and stories of lost or heavily isolated worlds due to her Dragonspyre heritage, dragonspyre specifically is a big focus for her. She’s working with Milos to make copies of dragonspyre knowledge crystals and books and taking accounts of the fate and history of Dragonspyre and archiving them (at first in the wiz library ab then the Arcanum) and with this she’d also I think definitely have ties in with Khrysalis (very close with Zaltanna) and Empyrea, and I also think with Azteca as well. She’s friends w Pork and Beans i think they’re very dear to her as people who see her as a crew mate and a friend and not The Wizard tm. She needs that, friends to just chill with. Fucking hates Fitzhume their beef is insane. I also unfortunately think she’d get on with Stallion, he’s a valuable firsthand source after all (even if he’s extremely unreliable and prone to exaggeration. She’ll take what she can get)

Well. Obviously I have a lot more with her than anyone else 😭

I think Autumn never really made any meaningful connections or lasting friendships until Dasein, though I also can see her getting on with Moo Bu perhaps

Other guys eaugh. Well Katherine at least was buds w Baldur Goldpaws, and she’s from Hrundle Fjord so I imagine she knows a lot of those guys. Haven’t super played her to know what I want with her

Same with Quinn honestly. I definitely think I want him to have a feeling of isolation about him, I’m sure I’ll find some guys to be his buddy or enemy or whatever though

Oh Kestrel. Well. She at the least was A member of the spiral geographic society and was a planned member of the Celestia expedition before she blew up.

[cant-get-enough-btr-forever]

Big Time Games: "Recycle Rush."

In my last post, I said I would give y'all a play-by-play of Big Time Rush online games. So, that's exactly what I'm doing.

Unfortunately, I can't upload more than 30 images per post. So, I'm only including Recycle Rush in this one. Don't worry—"Stage Rush" will come next.

Enjoy!

The rules are simple: Hit the spacebar to drop the trash on the boy below you (he catches it). The trash eventually gets dropped into a dumpster.

Also, lol—cows give you bonus points. "Green Time Rush" approves.

This is how my very first game went:

Side note: Notice how the Palmwoods only has two floors. The levels literally stack up as the game goes on. Interesting.

Let's try this again!

Carlos drops it on James...

...James drops it in the dumpster...

And, uh, yeah. That's it. That's the whole game.

Level 2: I noticed that these yellow exclamation points pop up over their heads. They let you know when the boys are about to turn around. Good to know! I just wish someone had told me...

Suddenly, a wild Kendall appears.

To accommodate this new arrival, the Palmwoods morphs into a 3-story building. See what I mean?

Kendall valiantly carries out his duty.

Level 3: There is now a 2-liter bottle magically floating in the hallway.

So this is how you get bonus points—you need to drop the trash on the bottle and the guy simultaneously. It isn't always a bottle; sometimes it's a banana peel or a soda can. Clearly, you need a bit of timing (and patience) for this.

But since I'm an expert, I pulled it off. On the second try.

Ah, Logan. 'Bout time you showed up.

Side note: The elevators' positions don't make sense. Why are they so far apart from each other?

Crap. I dropped trash all over the lobby. Bitters is not gonna like this.

Logan's exclamation point works well here—it's like he's saying, "What the—dude, seriously?! I'm over here!"

Anyhoo, I was able to restart Level 3…

…only to fail once more.

This is not good for my ego.

'Tis but a scratch. I brushed myself off and labored on.

Level 4:

Listen, I really wanted to know what would happen if I dropped the trash on the Cow.

Don't make the mistakes that I made, friends. You must always ensure that the boy is under the trash, too.

Still, it was hilarious to watch the Cow plummet whilst enveloped in a trash bag.

I corrected my actions, and was rewarded with the sight of Logan carrying the whole frickin' frackin' Cow on his back.

Ahem. Anyway.

Does this mean that they're going to recycle a...a cow??

Whew. The Cow jumped out. By the way, in this level, the dumpster moves from side to side. Is the Palmwoods haunted again, or...?

Level 5: The guys are now speed-walking. Thanks, boys. Make my job harder for me.

Also, here's something bizarre: Carlos starts out on the top floor, while James is directly below him.

Moments later, Carlos is several floors below, and James is in the lobby.

Well, they ain't called Big Time RUSH for nothing!

Level 7 (Level 6 is identical to Level 5): Okay, everything is going about the sa—

Wait.

Oh, dear God.

There are two Jameses.

Who recycles more garbage than YOU?

I love this game, guys.

From here onwards, the difficulty doesn't change much. So, I simply got my score to 10,000 before stopping. Which took a lot longer than I'm willing to admit.

Final Thoughts: This is quite fun. More fun than I thought it would be, which is always nice. I give it an 8/10.

If anyone wants to give it a whirl, here it is. Be sure to use a computer, and not a mobile device.

Happy playing! 😁

[ofstarsandflames]

Hello all! I know it is a little late (more like a lot late) and RobStar week is already over, but I still wanna share the prompts I wrote in advance!

Something unfortunate happened in my personal life, but everything's okay now! If you would all accept, then I hope you enjoy this prompt for day 3!

(Day's 4-7 should be coming out soon!)

RobStar Week 2024, Day 3

Training

Starfire stretched her arms, her eyes never once leaving her handsome opponent. 

He stood across from her, on the other side of sparring ring. Though he was stretching in a similar manner, he was also displaying an air of calm and confidence. He was not worried about how he’d fare. 

And, as much as she hated to say it, he had reason to feel so self-assured. 

 “3 more minutes of prep.” Cyborg called out from outside the ring side.

‘3 more minutes…’ Starfire repeated to herself. 

She knew it would be in her favor to keep focus on her upcoming spar, but the trio of voices coming from the side couldn’t help but momentarily capture her attention. 

“What’s their score again?” 

“27-0” 

“How long do you think she’ll last this time?” 

“Judging from past instances, I’ll give her 4 minutes.” 

“I’ll give her 5. She improves with every loss.” 

“C’mon guys, have a little faith! This time she might actually win!” 

‘Thank you Beast Boy.’  Starfire was happy at least one of her friends was on her side. 

“But just in case, l give her 5 and a half.”

“Traitor.” The red-head muttered under her breath. 

Robin, also having heard the peanut gallery’s conversation, laughed silently to himself. Oh, why did he have to be so handsome!?

“30 seconds guys!” Cyborg called out.

Starfire ceased her stretching, checking to make sure her ponytail was secure (having such thick, curly hair sometimes made it quite difficult to maintain hair ties). Her bangs were still loose, but nothing that would hinder her. Her dark purple spaghetti-strap tank top paired with her black knee-length work out shorts made for a very cute and very practical sparring uniform. The white arm wraps she donned, at Robin’s insistence, were also secure. 

Robin was also checking himself over. He wore a white men’s tank top with a pair of loose black work out shorts. Like Starfire, he had a pair of white arm wraps covering his hands. Unlike Starfire, he still had on his signature domino mask. 

Oh, how Starfire never tired to see him in his workout clothes. 

They both fit and complemented his frame perfectly. Not too skinny, but not too buff; a perfect combination of the two. Showcasing the dexterous strength of the lean muscle in his arms, displaying the vigor of his legs and thighs, and don’t even get her started on his chest… 

“Star.” 

“Huh?”

 Starfire looked up, unable to recall when she gazed down. 

Robin watched her with an amused smirk, a tiny blush colored on his cheeks. 

“Focus.” He pointed at the timer. “We’re about to start.” 

“Oh, heh. Of course.” Starfire said bashfully, wiping a small bit of drool from the corner of her mouth (when did that get there!?). 

“Get ready you two!” Cyborg called out, officiating the match. 

“3… 2... 1... Spar!” 

Starfire wasted no time rushing toward her opponent. Using the bo-staff gifted to her, she tried to use its length to trip the other. Robin, of course, recognized this move from a mile away; he flipped backwards, dodging the staff and landing on his feet with one arm as balance. 

Starfire, however, knew this would happen. While he was recovering, she too stepped back to asses his figure (professionally, she reminded herself). 

Nothing yet that could clue her in to how he planned to fight this match. 

After 27 sparring matches, Starfire began to grow familiar with Robin’s various battle formations and combat styles. Having no powers in a world full of powered beings, he needed to find some skilled and creative ways to, as the humans say, “level the field of playing”. If this were a normal fight, Robin would have already found a way to not only overpower her but combat her own powers against her. 

However, this was no normal fight. This was pure hand-to-hand combat, relied on with nothing more than their limbs, staffs, and innate battle prowess. In fact, something deep within her felt more natural engaging in combat without her powered abilities. As if, in some strange sense, this was similar to how she started out- 

Robin stood back up, masked eyes gazing without mercy at his opponent. 

Uh-oh, looks Star needed to focus. 

Robin ran to her left, prompting the alien to defensively aim her staff in that direction. However, in nothing more than a split second, the human threw himself in the right direction. 

Starfire, with barely enough time to register the attack, was quick to direct her staff in the same direction. 

The staffs made a loud contact, their wielders now face-to-face. 

‘That was too close…’ 

Starfire let out a breath in parallel with Robin quickly backing away. 

Drat, he knew what she wanted her next move to be. In terms of strength, even without her powers, Starfire would be able to greatly overwhelm her leader. 

However, it looked like he was planning to defeat her with his agility. 

That would be a problem. While Starfire herself was very agile, both her mind and body considered to be in top shape in that regard, she was no where near the level of Robin. None of the Titans were. 

If that was the case, Star needed to end this spar quickly if she wanted a chance a winning. 

The fight went on for 4 more minutes, the majority of it consisting of quick jabs and dodges. Neither were willing to get closer to the other than needed, recognizing it would only take one stray step to be taken down. 

Star could feel her chest heaving, her breaths beginning to grow heavy. Robin took deep breaths as well, drops of sweat running down his arms and chest. 

His grip on his staff was still firms, his stance being balanced primarily on his right leg, while he partially rested one of his arms on his left- 

Wait, his stance! 

Starfire ran right for him, surprising the boy wonder. He held his staff in a defensive manner, as it looked like his opponent wanted to strike him mid-frame. 

However, right as their staffs were to make contact, Starfire quickly lowered herself to skid across the floor. Now standing right behind him, Star quickly jabbed Robin’s back before he could realize what was happening. 

Within seconds, Robin had fell to the floor. The staff, one end still placed on the middle of back, kept him in place. 

Starfire breathed heavily, starring down at her seemingly defeated partner. Her eyes were wide, full of disbelief, before a quiet sentence left her lips. 

“...i have won…” 

Cyborg and Beast Boy stared into the ring, jaws slack in disbelief. Raven, much more collected that the boys, simply had a raised eyebrow. 

“I-I have won!” Starfire said, much louder than before, 

“YES!” Removing the staff from its place, she raised it happily and in triumph. “I am victorious!” 

Starfire looked up at her friends, eager to see their reactions. She expected to see looks of joy and pride and her victory, especially after their earlier comments. 

… 

Why are they all now giving her knowing looks? 

“Star…”

Robin’s voice, playful in nature, made her freeze in her tracks. 

Slowly turning, Starfire saw that Robin, who was still laying on his back, was now half-sitting upright using his elbows. He tilted his head down, gesturing toward her legs.

“You sure about that?” 

Nervous, Starfire looked down. Sure enough, her standing legs were in between Robin’s laid ones, his staff in between to ensure she could not escape. 

“...sometimes I really do not like you.” 

And with that, Starfire was tripped and pinned down by Robin’s body. 

“Match!” Cyborg called out, ending the spar. “What does that make now?” 

“28-0.” Raven said, using her powers to change the board. 

“Nice job, Star!” Beast Boy exclaimed with a thumbs up. “You almost had him!” 

“Haughhh…” Starfire groaned from underneath her handsome prison. 

“Now, what were the terms of our deal again?” Robin said with a voice full of mirth. “If I won you’d make a fresh batch of brownies, all for me?” 

“Yes, yes.” Starfire said with exaggerated annoyance. “Is there anything else I may bestow upon you, Your Majesty?” 

“Well, now that you mention it-”

“Robin!”

“Okay, okay.” Robin chuckled, helping Starfire up. 

She dusted herself of upon standing up. Luckily, the smile on her face told the others she held no hard feelings. 

“You may have conquered me this time, Robin.” Starfire said as they walked side-by-side out of the training room. “But I assure you, one day soon it shall be I who conquers you!” 

“Looking forward to it, Star.”

[tmgstudios]

Tips on Consuming Podcasts for Those With Short Attention Spans

hi there! your local podcast guy with adhd here! for a while i struggled to consume podcasts because of my short attention span, but over time i have developed a few tips and tricks and am now absolutely in love with the medium. these aren’t in any specific order, and hopefully some of these can be useful to others as well!

1. check out podcasts that have visual aspects

whether its the occasional visual bit or a set thats super interesting to look at, visual stimulation is key! i personally love the sets of tmg studio’s podcasts, so that plus the occasional visual bits mean i don’t get under-stimulated as quickly! this doesn’t always work however, so feel free to take it to the next level;

2. engage in something else visually stimulating while listening to your podcast of choice

for me this is usually video games. something like minecraft, that requires attention but not reading, tends to work the best personally, but i’m also definitely not against plowing through something like dead cells or hades as i laugh along to my favorite podcasts! it doesn’t have to be video games for you, whatever media/activity will allow you to be visually stimulated while not blocking your audio should do the trick. some of my friends like to play mobile games like subway surfers, and others like to play something on their browser like flight rising (specifically the coliseum. podcasts are a great way to get some coli grinding in)

3. listen while in motion

so this one might be a little confusing on first glance, but i literally had no other idea on how to write it. essentially, this means listening while physically in motion. whether you’re on a walk, folding laundry, or eating dinner, being physically in motion can help stimulate your brain.  this can ALSO extend to listen while in a moving vehicle, like a car or a plane. i personally love listening to podcasts as i stare out the window on road trips or plane rides. i have a ton downloaded just for this purpose. some people like to listen to podcasts while they drive, so that’s another thing you could try, just be careful it doesn’t distract you from the road to much!

4. take breaks

podcasts can be long, and you absolutely do not have to listen to them all in one go! 20 minutes here, 30 minutes there, break it up however you need to. 

5. listen to podcasts you know are going to hold your interest

this might go without saying, but be sure you’re finding podcasts that cater to your interests. if you try to muscle your way through a podcast you aren’t interested in just because it’s popular/your friends like it, you won’t have a very good time. you like horror? listen to a horror podcast! dnd? find a dnd one! are you like me, and story-based podcasts stress you out? find a comedy podcast! the possibilities are endless

if you’ve got any tips & trick to add on, please please do so!!! i really love podcasts and the amount of people i’ve talked to who say they want to get into podcasts but just can’t sit through them, and it makes me sad. 

podcasts definitely aren’t for everyone, so if these tricks still don’t work for you, that’s ok! there are plenty of other forms of media out there. but that said, i hope anyone who’s wanted to get into podcasts but been unable to due to the medium gives these tips a shot!

if you’re not sure where to get started in terms of what podcasts to listen to, hit me up! i absolutely love podcasts, and while i tend to be a comedy guy myself, but have plenty of friends into other kinds of podcasts, and with all that knowledge combined i’m sure i can find you some good recs

good luck and happy podcasting!!

[nataliealynlind]

queen america sentence starters

episode 5: psychological warfare

"do you know how many times texas has threatened to secede?"

"so important everywhere"

"he has all the vibes of a sash chaser"

"i really hate meet and greets"

"she may seem nice, but that's only because she's good at this"

"she has this ability to make every person feel like she's speaking only to them"

"you will not hang out with that girl"

"she can't keep wobbling around like some baby giraffe"

"when did rich people get together and decide kitchen islands needed to be 30 feet long"

"everything okay? you just seem ... happy"

"she's not the type to change her schedule for family"

"don't let her start messing with your eyebrows or nothing"

"we've been literally telling everyone how you used to work here- you're our claim to fame!"

"they're being really strict with you, huh?"

"i had to get totally naked for a spray tan"

"but on the upside- my ass looks awesome"

"my parents definitely miss having you over for dinner"

"no matter what happens, when all this is over, we'll be here waiting for ya"

"hopefully- hopefully- who knows what'll happen at nationals"

"you should just be so proud of yourself for making it to state level"

"you're late- is there a boy or something?"

"i'm sorry are you under the impression that we're friends who joke about their personal lives with each other?"

"for the record- i'm allowed to be late. you're not"

"are you using the literal meaning of the word science right now?"

"walk across the goddamn room"

"makes it look like you're in a gap commercial"

"you want it to look like you're so goddamn beautiful and graceful that the person looking at you might think they're hearing the music in their head- that maybe you inspired the music into existence"

"maybe you inspired the music into existence"

"however bad you think you are multiply that by three"

"i hate the thought of being stuck on a boat with a bunch of strangers"

"she probably just wants to spend time with you"

"i'd like to put you on a boat where you can't run away from me"

"i really like you... a little bit"

"do i need to explain further or do you still not understand the logic?"

"don't pretend you don't know what i'm talking about"

"this may shock you, but i don't remember every conversation we've ever had"

"those were important conversations"

"you enjoy it too much- until you don't"

"you are such a little idiot sometimes"

"you'd be miserable- all three of you"

"he'd really be a terrible father, wouldn't he?"

"and you my sweet girl, would be a terrible mother"

"like i said back then- people like you and me- not meant for parenthood"

"the yellow's gonna make (name) look like a skinny little banana"

"i know what it is i'm asking why you're wearing it?"

"i don't really drink-"

"well you will tonight"

"the prep schools in dallas played the prep schools in tulsa"

"plus a bunch of us went to camp together"

"you have my full attention"

"okay i'm not that needy"

"we were barely even together to be honest"

"and you didn't try to push her down a staircase- good man"

"it wasn't with the right person, but it's still my kid you know?"

"regardless of what i think of her mother, which is very little"

"you're a very nice man"

"you look terrified- it's okay- this room is terrifying"

"those guys- they look so judgmental"

"who's that pillow for- it's so tiny- why would anyone want a pillow that small"

"let's start over- i'm name- this is my parents house- i have nothing to do with how they decorated it"

"if you need anything- like- at all- call me, okay?"

"it's not like i'd have sex with your dad to get in your head"

"girls do that?"

"she was taking pictures of you and name in the hallway"

"this whole process is crazy- and lonely... we need friends"

"i'm glad i'm not the only one who thinks that"

"to me all of this sorta feels like a vacation in a very different life than mine.

"i'm almost scared to want any of it too bad."

"oh my god i bet you were so cute in your little outfit"

"listen to me- this is a launching pad. you just have to play the game."

"look at 90% of news anchors in every major city. what do they have in common? pageants"

"i'm not good at this stuff like you are. i don't know how to say the right thing all the time."

"i wasn't born good at this- i trained for an embarrassingly long time."

"you'll get better- and then life can be whatever you want"

"oh no i've had 11 shots- this is what i'm like when i'm hammered"

[bratshaws]

goodness gracious 72. brb x oc

a/n: hi I really love Bianca, she's one of my favorites im ngl

check out the fic's playlist made by the sweet @wiipes !!

pairing: plus size!oc x rooster

warnings: Fluff, Bea facing demons, HONESTLY IM JUST PREPARING YOU GUYS BECAUSE THINGS WILL GET INTERESTING SOO ENOUGH AAAAAAAAA

chapters:

1/2/3/4/5/6/7/8/9/10/11/12/13/14/15/16/17/18/19/20/21/22/23/24/25/26/27/28/29/30/31/32/33/34/35/36/37/38/39/40/41/42/43/44

45/46/47/48/49/50/51/52/53/54/55/56/57/58/59/60/61/62/63/64

65/66/67/68/69/70/71

(pls let me know if you want to be added to the taglist!!)

taglist: @mirandastuckinthe80s @roosterschanelslut @wiipes @lcahwriter @shrimping-for-all @gretagerwigsmuse @frenchtoastix

@lizzie-rdj @fanboyluvr @atarmychick007 @comebacktoearthpls

@peachiicherries @mak-32 @lizziespidiepridie @roosterswifey @ollyoxenfrees @piceous21 @sqrlgrl22 @hofficoffi @lexhalstead3 

@lorilane33 @legendarydreamersharkparty @luckyladycreator2 @emilybradshaw @j-6o @louisahale @leobabbyyy @kulicny @winter-run @ktjmac @graciereads

-

It wasn’t as good as they thought it’d be. Bianca was not having a good time by the second they stepped on the dog park, the little girl - who’d usually run with Jolene - just sat on the grass with her arms hugging her knees and her face against them. Beatrice’s worried eyes returned, looking back at Rooster “It’s worse than I thought.” she whispered so her niece wouldn’t hear, “When Leo mentioned she was angry I didn’t think it’d be this much.”

Bradley, while confused by the little girl’s reaction, wasn’t as worried as Beatrice, “She just needs to distract herself.” he says, leaning down to kiss Beatrice’s little nervous wrinkle between her brows, “She won’t even remember why she was mad in the first place.”

The brunette wasn’t convinced, but she nodded, looking around to locate Jolene - who was zooming all over the park as she usually did - before she approached Bianca. She crouches to her level, rubbing her niece’s forearm, “Bibi.” she tries to gently pry them open, but the little girl just hugs her knees even tighter, with a little angry whine coming from her throat, “Bibi, come on, we’re in the dog park, don’t you want to play with Jojo?”

Bianca just shakes her head still pressed against her knees, almost folding in herself with how much she’s curled up. Beatrice looks back at Rooster again, which makes the pilot get closer and crouch next to his girlfriend, “Hey,” he gently pokes the part of her cheek that wasn’t covered by her arms, the little girl once again noising her complaint so “Bibi you are missing Jolene almost toppling the other dogs over.” which was true, Jolene would either leap over other dogs or just play-wrestle with them so hard they’d fall to the ground - and they’d always be bigger than she was.

But that also got no reaction, Bianca just remained hugging her knees. Beatrice sighs, dropping from her crouch to rest on her knees, placing her hands on her thighs, “Bibi, Bianca,” the full name finally made her peek one eye up - she wasn’t crying, good - to look at her aunt, “Doing that isn’t going to help anyone, especially you. You need to let everything out.”

Bianca looked from Beatrice to Rooster, then she slowly dropped her knees to straighten her legs on the grass, crossing her arms instead, “I don’t wanna have a little sibling.” she mutters, kicking the grass under her bright colored sneaker, “I don’t want it!”

Beatrice inhales deeply, trying to think how she could explain it to her without worsening her temperament. Rooster took that as a cue to excuse himself and get them all some water, kissing Bea on the cheek for encouragement before he finally stepped away. Beatrice gently tucks a strand of blonde hair behind Bianca’s ear, making the little girl’s green eyes snap to her aunt’s matching ones, “Bibi, listen,” she begins, “Sometimes…we can’t really prevent things from happening.” she says softly, “It won’t be so bad.”

“Daddy is going to get out of the house more and mommy is going to sleep at her job!” that wasn’t true, obviously it was an example that Cynthia used but Bianca was too young to understand it, “And I’ll be alone!”

“You won’t be alone.” Bianca grunted, about to pull her knees back but Beatrice held her legs down, “Hey, no more hiding. We are going to talk.” no response, “Bianca Marie, look at me.” her niece does, still no tears in her eyes just an anger that only a five years old could have. Beatrice shuffles closer, ignoring the grass stains on her jeans and trying her best to stay on Bianca’s level without straining the tendons on her legs.

“Why do I have to have a little sibling?” the five years old asks, genuinely confused, “I don’t want it.”

“Things like that you don’t always have power over.” Beatrice says, which only makes her niece huff angrily and kick the ground beneath her feet, chunks of earth and grass sticking to the sole of her shoe, “And, it’s not so bad to have a little sibling. You know I was the youngest sibling.” and Leonardo hated her before she was born, she hasn’t forgotten about that yet, “And your dad is my best friend. You know that.”

“But you are my auntie.” Bianca says quietly, plucking blades of grass by the fistful, just so her hands are stained green and there was now an empty brown patch where the grass once was, “And that doesn’t work.” of course for a five year old it wouldn’t make sense, there was no connection between her aunt and her little sibling for her yet. 

Beatrice chews her lower lip, seeing Rooster was busy playing with Jolene not too far away. She was thankful he gave the two of them space to talk, knowing that this would have to be resolved by the brunette alone. “But it was pretty much the same situation.” Bianca just plucked more grass, watching it float down her hand when she patted it, about to wipe the green on her Strawberry Shortcake shirt but Beatrice stopped her, “Bibi,I know it’ll be strange and even a bit scary, but you can’t get mad at your parents like that.”

“Yes I can.”

“No you can’t.” Beatrice cuts her off, “We get mad when people do things we know are wrong. Neither of your parents had any idea they’d have another baby.” Bianca huffed through her nose, looking like a little bull with her eyes narrowed and lips pouted, “And honestly, it’s going to be scary for them too. It’ll be new and the same all over again.” Not to mention Leonardo feared this one would be premature just like Bianca was, especially since Cynthia was ‘past the birthing age’ according to her doctors so the risks were a bit high.

Bianca's pout remained, her arms going back to the crossed position as her aunt tried to make her understand the whole situation, “If it’s scary, then why is it happening?”

“Like I said, they didn’t know.” or planned, “Sometimes things like that happen when you don’t expect it, so you have to wing it however you can.” Bianca’s eyes moved from her aunt to the side as she took in her words, her lower lip slowly receding back to normal, “Do you remember that time we were going to visit uncle Mikey and uncle Gui but we couldn’t because the plane didn’t work?” Bianca nods, “And we had to stay at the airport until we got a new one?”

Beatrice was happy to see her niece’s smile returning as she recalled the many games they played at the airport until it was time for the next flight, “Yeah! Nonno and I played hide and seek! I won!” 

“Of course you did.” Bea grinned, “See, it’s a bit like that. It was a scary situation wasn’t it?” Bianca nods, “But we had fun in the end didn’t we?”

“Yeah…”

“I won’t lie to you and say it will be easy, Bibi. It’ll take you some time to get used to having someone else at the house.” she explains, gently combing some of the blonde hair that slipped from her ponytail back, preventing it from falling over her niece’s eyes, “But being mad at your mom and dad because of that is not good. They didn’t do that to hurt you.”

Bianca lowered her gaze, guiltily, “Do mommy and daddy still love me?” 

Beatrice gasps softly, giving her niece a sweet smile before she scoops the little girl in her arms, kissing her cheek with a smile and pulling back just enough to stt her face “Baby, of course they do.” she says, letting Bianca place her head on the crook of her neck again,” You know they do, they love you so much.”

“Okay…”

Beatrice rubs her niece’s cheek with a thumb,wiping a piece of grass that got stuck on her skin away, “Plus, think about it, how cool will it be to be a big sister? Did you think about that?” Bianca shook her head and Beatrice had to figure out how to explain it because, well, she wasn’t anyone’s big sister. “You can…uh…” Bianca watched her aunt with interest, waiting for the reason why it’d be a good idea, “You…you can…tell people about it! Maybe even, defend your little sibling…like Batman does!”

Bianca’s eyes finally shone with excitement, “Batman?” Of course her favorite superhero was enough for the little girl to pay more attention to “I can be Batman??” 

“Yes, of course, just…not always, but if your little sibling is in danger, you can rush to their aid, right?” But Beatrice lost Bianca, who repeated ‘I can be Batman’ under her breath in pure wonder, probably thinking she could go to school with her Batman costume when her little sibling was born. Beatrice thought that at least she seemed a lot more excited about it now, at least that she could see.

Rooster got back from where he was playing with Jolene, two water bottles in his hand and his neck and part of his chest glistening with sweat from running after the pitbull so much, “Hey, how’s t-”

“I can be Batman!” Bianca’s high voice cut him off, her little arm shooting up to the air in victory, earning a confused yet clearly entertained look from the pilot, who turned his questioning gaze to Beatrice. His girlfriend gave him an awkward shrug, barely being able to keep the wriggling five years old in her arms since the excitement made her way too eager to bounce all that energy off, “I can be Batman!!” she screams as her aunt lets her go and she runs after Jolene, just like they planned it would happen.

“Don’t wander too far Bibi!” Beatrice calls, cupping her hand around her mouth so her niece could hear it better. Bianca stopped, then turned towards the two before giving them a thumbs up and a barely toothed grin, just before she could run off and disappear after the pitbull in the park.

Beatrice sighs, grabbing one of the water bottles from his hand to bring to her lips, blinking when his eyes haven't moved from her form yet. She furrowed her eyebrows in confusion,  the bottle still tilted into her mouth when he leaned closer to kiss her forehead “You are too cute.” he mutters against her skin, pulling back to look at her sweet yet reddening face, lowering the bottle to show her smile, “You did good,she looks better.”

“Yeah, well,” she turns to look over where Jolene and Bianca were, no matter the distance she knew her niece would be safe because Jolene would be close by or glued to her side  “I hope so, I’d hate for her to be upset because of something like that.” Bradley’s arms wrap around her waist, her back to his chest, so they both keep an eye on Bianca from afar.

“You are good with kids.”

Beatrice gives him a weird look, smiling, “Me? You earned the title of Prince on the first meeting and all my other nephews and nieces like you a whole lot…even if…most of them aren’t children–but you know what I mean!” he chuckles behind her, dropping his lips to her temple while he keeps her against him, inhaling her sweet lavender scent. Bianca was back to her old self, laughing and screaming in delight with Jolene and a few other kids in the dog park, making Beatrice let out a sigh of relief.

She pulls out her phone when it vibrates in her back pocket, looking down at the screen and chuckling softly, “Leo.” she answers Rooster’s unasked question, “He’s asking if Bianca is better.”

“Well, she is.” Rooster says, propping his chin on the top of her head so she could reply back in peace and his eyes would remain on Bianca in the meantime. Bianca was now running around with a football that belonged to some older kids - not too old, around seven or eight- and was giving them a run for their money with how fast she was going around them - and their dogs. He feels Bea put her phone back inside her pocket, lowering his face to her ear without taking his eyes from the little girl, “Is he calmer?”

“Yes, he is.” she replies with a grin, leaning back against his chest with her shoulders relaxing, “Another one…God my mom will lose her mind.” she snickers with a shake of her head, one of her hands coming up to rub her temple, “She’ll start crying, then she’ll call all of us and be surprised we knew before she did and then cry more.” she also had a feeling that when her time came to have a child, her mother would definitely faint…which she shouldn’t be thinking about right now, time to avoid the subject entirely.

She feels Bradley’s mustache tickling her neck, biting back her smile the best she could, “Brad…” she scolds softly, her smile widening when he pulls her flush against him, “We are in the middle of a dog park.”

“And there are other couples making out around us, so I don’t think people will care much. Plus the children are all far from here.” she hummed unimpressed, “I’m just kissing you.”

Beatrice’s breathing hitches when he finishes the sentence by kissing right on the curve of her jawline, goosebumps immediately forming on her skin, “We both know there’s more than kissing–”  her eyes still on someone talking to Bianca, a tall woman with dark hair that looked eerily familiar, her niece pointing to where she and Bradley were and making the woman look her way over. 

Bradley felt Beatrice immediately tense up in his grasp, her eyes wide as saucers, “Bea?” he questions when she goes quiet, a shudder darting over her body, “Bea, what’s wrong?”

“...Hannah.”

“Huh?”

“Hannah…Dreyfus…” one of her bullies, probably the worst of her bullies during High School, she always made sure that Beatrice’s day turned into a living hell no matter what. Of all places she’d see her, why here and why now? She was having such a good day and seeing her again triggered a lot of unwanted memories in her brain. “She’s making her way over, fuck. Hide me!”

“Hide-” Beatrice breaks free from his grasp to hide behind him, clenching the back of his Hawaiian shirt and trying to make herself as small as possible, which considering his height wasn’t so hard. But seeing her like that, having such a reaction only meant that whoever this Hannah was, she wasn’t a good person in his book, so he took it upon himself to stand in front of Beatrice as straight as he could.

Hannah, the red haired woman got closer and closer, pulling her sunglasses to her hairline, “Oh, hello, is that–Beatrice? Is it really you?” She tilted her body to see Beatrice’s form partially hidden behind Rooster, giving her a confused smile, “What a surprise!”

Bradley didn’t know how to react, yet, but he kept his eyes on that woman at all times, only looking away when Beatrice slowly stepped out from behind him, immediately holding his hand, “...hello…Hannah…” the woman made it seem like she was going to hug Beatrice, but the brunette made no movements to actually step closer, making this situation even more awkward than before. “Roos, this is Hannah she’s…an old classmate of mine.”

Hannah laughed quietly, “Hi.” she tried to not feel intimidated by his presence there, close to Beatrice, “And you are Beatrice’s new boyfriend?”

“I sure am.” he didn’t know why, but everything in him said to keep Beatrice close by - this woman’s whole energy was giving him terrible vibes.

“I thought you and Eric– well,I guess in the end, it wasn’t meant to be.” he didn’t know why but that sentence sounded very passive aggressive. He flicked his eyes down at Bea to check her reaction and she hasn’t moved her eyes away from Hannah at all. She looked like a prey keeping her predator within view or else she’d be attacked. “It’s been so long since we’ve seen each other! What are the chances we’d meet here, at this park?”

Beatrice’s jaw clenched, but she forced a small smile “Yeah. What are the chances.” she forgave Hannah for what she did, but she couldn’t help her body from reacting how it was right now. She hasn’t changed much, the red hair was still the same dark blonde as before, long to her mid back, the freckles just as strong as before and her eyes icy blue. 

“I was just, well,” she points to a redhead little boy who’s currently playing with Bianca and Jolene, “My son and I just got here with our dogs and we saw your niece there. I was worried she was alone with a pitbull but then she said she came with her aunt.” neither Bea nor Bradley liked how she said Jolene’s breed, “I’ve never been to this dog park so, we are all trying to get our bearings.”

“Of course.” Beatrice replied in a clipped tone, “But Jolene is a great dog, pitbulls are actually called nanny dogs because they get along great with children.” Hannah’s smile faltered for a bit, her head nodding in response, clearly not expecting Beatrice to reply to it that way.

“Yes, the breed shouldn’t be a stereotype,I know…well, how have you been? I was surprised you didn’t join our graduation back in High School. Or prom.”

Rooster tried to hold his surprise, giving Beatrice a look - she didn’t go to her High School graduation? Nor prom? “I was spending time with my family.” was Beatrice’s reply, this time interlacing her fingers with Rooster’s, her posture stiff but no longer nervous, “So I couldn’t join.”

“You missed a lot.” Hannah smiles, “We had so much fun.”

“Oh, hah, that I don’t doubt.” the brunette’s voice is nearing monotone, not even daring to hide how bothered she was by this conversation. And Rooster was having the same feelings by proxy, standing even closer to Beatrice with a hand on her shoulder.Hannah’s eyes moved from Beatrice to Rooster, then back again to the brunette, dropping her eyes down Beatrice’s body.

“Well,” she begins, “You look good. You haven’t changed much.”

“I disagree,I think I changed a lot.” Beatrice cut her words quickly, “Brad can you please pick Bianca and Jojo so we can go home?”

“Sure, gorgeous.” The nickname appeared to have shocked Hannah,but she just arched both eyebrows and ignored how Rooster glared as he walked past her to where Bianca and Jolene were, leaving the two women alone.

“..I meant physically-”

“I know what you mean, Hannah.” Beatrice snaps, crossing her arms with her eyebrows low, “But I did change, a lot. So much has happened ever since we finished high school.” for the first time ever,Beatrice was facing one of her worst bullies without fear but she wasn’t attacking Hannah like she always dreamed to do when she was younger, “Are you and Grayson still together?” 

The popular bully and the jock who also bullied her, she had to know, “No, we divorced a few months ago.” Hannah says in a cold tone, the same anger Beatrice saw in her eyes whenever Hannah bullied her returned, “I’m sure you must think it’s hilarious.”

Beatrice inhaled, looking at Rooster from a distance, Bianca on his arms and talking nonstop, “I don’t.” she replies, finally meeting Hannah’s eyes, “I am sorry it happened. You two…seemed to like each other a lot.” Who knew that tormenting a girl in high school could bring people together? 

“...I…” Hannah licks her lips, the fury in her eyes turning into confusion, “Thank you…uh…”

“I should go now, Hannah. And, again ,I’m sorry about your divorce.” she didn’t touch her shoulder, she didn’t get closer to the other woman, she just nodded and backed away from her, “I hope you and your son can go through it together.” she turned on her heel, her strong façade dissipating into pure relief, closing her eyes with a sigh as she met Bradley halfway, hearing Bianca talk about what she did with Jolene.

Bradley placed the blond girl on the ground so she could hold her aunt’s hand, bouncing on the spot, “You okay?” he asks, moving his eyes from Beatrice to the woman who was still on the same spot, “Did she say anything else?”

“Nothing of importance.” Beatrice replied in a quiet voice, looking over her shoulder to where Hannah was, then moving her gaze away when she turned around, “We can go.” she assured him, holding his hand so she could tug him away with a small smile. Rooster gave Hannah one last look, one that made the dark blonde woman stop on her tracks for a second, just watching all of them walk out of the dog park.

“Mr.Scoops!” Bianca squealed, jumping up and down while holding Bea’s hand, “I wanna go to Mr.Scoops!!”

“Oh, God.” her aunt groans, “I don’t know if I’ll be able to handle another trip there, I already had my share of ice cream for the day.”

“We can just get something for Bianca and then take her to Leo,I’m sure he’d appreciate it.” Bradley adds, his eyes remained on Beatrice, trying to read her reactions. When they placed Bianca inside the car, alongside Jolene, he stopped in front of the passenger seat just as Bea was about to open it, “Baby.” Bea drags her eyes up his face, “Are you okay?”

His girlfriend looked back at the dog park, narrowing her eyes, “...yeah.Yeah I am.” her jaw was set tight, the tendon jumping but she sighs one more time, “It’s…I don’t know, I guess I’m no longer…who I was then. I got scared and nervous but…but it’s not worth it. She hasn’t changed, I don’t think, I didn’t give her enough room to ‘maneuver’ but honestly I hope she gets better. She divorced her high school…’sweetheart.’”

The air quotes used twice made Bradley arch one eyebrow, but he didn’t stop her from finishing her sentence, “Was she one of your bullies?”

“Hah, yeah.” she laughs awkwardly, furrowing her eyebrows, “Queen Hannah, that was her. Popular and the reason cheerleaders get a bad rep, it was…yeah, it was pretty bad.” but Beatrice relaxes the more she speaks, tucking her hair behind her ears while looking up at him, “I’m fine.”

Rooster stared at her for a long time, almost making sure she was really fine, bringing one of his hands up to her cheek, then down to cup her chin, tilting her head up just enough for him to press their lips together in a sweet kiss, ‘Okay. If you say so.”

“I am.” she smiles, kissing his thumb when he runs it over her lips, her red cheeks turning redder at how his pupils enlarged and he pulled his hand away, “But you seemed really upset seeing her, more than me. Almost if you were ready to throw hands.”

“Please baby,” he opens the passenger door for her, grinning down at Beatrice when she steps inside, “I’m a gentleman. You know that. I’d never hit a woman.”

“I know.”

“But I’d gladly give her a verbal ass whooping if you hadn’t.” he pushes the door closed, walking around the Bronco towards the driver’s side, looking back at Bianca swinging her legs while humming a song, “So, Mr.Scoops?”

“Mr.Scoops!!”

Beatrice smiles back at her niece, “Okay, fine. But I won’t get anything else, we are only going to get stuff for Bibi.” Bradley’s lips form a cute pout that Beatrice couldn’t help but kiss, “And you of course.” Rooster grins against her mouth, turning the car on and driving off. Meanwhile Bea turns her head towards the park, her smile lowering until it is no longer there, leaning back on her seat.

Strange how both times she visited this park, Rooster learned more about her past. First, it was Eric’s surprise meeting at the supermarket and now Hannah…and yet she managed to deal with both things as maturely as she could, mainly because she didn’t want to revive the past anymore. Not when she had someone like Rooster, she had a good relationship.

Her smile returned, just in time for the clouds to part and the sun make itself known once more, yeah, she felt this year would be a good one. And she’d also be an aunt, again.

[whatsjenniupto]

Adventure in the Quinta

I used to live in Potsdam, or Prussian DisneyVegas as I not so fondly remember it. Sintra seems to have the same sort of idea behind it. "We're rich. Let's build over the top architecture and turn our extensive grounds into an adventure land."  

I support this choice more in Sintra than I ever did in Potsdam. I think it's because of the "choose your own adventure" parks surrounding the palaces.  

As I entered the grounds of Quinta da Regaleira, I was overwhelmed by the shear size. I looked at a posted map to try and make a plan, scanned the QR code to download a copy to my phone, and waited and waited and waited for the impossibly slow, but unlimited, data to respond. I decided to climb up towards the main event, the Initiation Well, turning up empty paths whenever I saw another human.  

And it was the best decision. Right up until I made it to the well, heard the crowd of people, and couldn't find the end of the line.  

Nope. Not doing it. 

I turned around immediately, deciding to cross off the remainder of the grounds and return to the well after last entry at 5:30. Climbing up the side of the mountain twice was better than standing in a ridiculous line and potentially not seeing something.  

Off I went, once again turning any time I saw another human. Up to the top, down to the bottom. Prancing around through the woods on tiny paths, exploring every tunnel, cave, and grotto, loving every moment of it.  

Finally, I felt I had covered everything other than the main palace, the absolute bottom of the grounds that led to the exit, and the well. I could feel the grounds emptying. I was making more decisions based on interesting looking paths than away from humans. It was almost 5:30. Back to the well I went.

The line was gone! I slowly filed in after reading a sign about how we needed to keep moving, quickly take photos, and be respectful of everyone who also wanted their moment in the well. In case we forgot, staff yelled over the top and up from the bottom, "Keep moving, keep moving!"  

I wouldn't say that this was my favorite moment of the palace. I did get to watch a woman refuse to keep moving, taking 3000 selfies with various hair swoops, leans, angles, and then proceed to disrespect the staff who were trying to allow everyone in attendance to get through the well. Nice humaning, lady, but her disrespect did allow me to capture the photo on the right with fewer people in. Because of its insta-fame, the well had lost the hidden magic the rest of the grounds have. It's already been discovered. By everyone.

Quinta da Regaleira is amazing. I can completely see why it is my guesthouse owner's favorite castle; it might be mine as well. The way the architects played with the water level in the grottos was probably my favorite aspect. You're above, you're below -- well done leading viewers through multiple vantage points. Going close to closing time was ideal. For my first hour or so, I strategically shot behind walls and foliage for people-free shots. Or waited, willing that guy in the blue shirt to just, a few more steps, yes! I also avoided almost every supposed insta-epic look out and every female possible. Oooh, there's a dress. Opposite direction. Ugh, and a hat. Definitely not. Around 5:45 the crowd really started to die down.

NOTE: You really do need more than 2 hours. Because of my palace research, I ended up with just under 2 hours and I would have loved more time to take it all in at a much slower pace. Not that I do slow well, but a little more breathing room that I was going to be able to fit in every inch would have been nice.

[defensefilms]

The Sixers Are Gonna Do This Bro!!!!

“All that cute s### came to a cease”

Oh my gaaaaahd, Ooh my gaaaaahd, Wooooooooo!!!!!!

Yo dawg. This is happening, dawg. 

Look, we’ve been in this phase of Sixers history since Embiid’s first full season as a starter, and for all that time and even before, there was one team we could not beat, could not solve, could not account for , and even at times didn’t belong on the court with. 

In game 5, the most crucial game of the series, on Boston’s home court, we not only beat them, we forced thier starters to the bench with 3 minutes still to play in the 4th, because the score was a blowout. 

This was Boston’s great wakeup call, and at no point, did anyone believe they could lose a decisive game at home by the kind of margin that they did. 

Joel Embiid’s 3 to put the Sixers up by 17 with 8 minutes remaining in the 4th quarter, took the air out of TD Garden. All that cute s### came to a cease at that moment.

The whole idea that the Celtics are the better team is evaporating before our very eyes. They didn’t come close to making a come back. Maxey’s pull up 3 over Jayson Tatum with just under 4 minutes still remaining, sent their starters to the bench looking very meek while they were at it.

Celtics fans reportedly booed the home team off the court at the end of the game.

We hve waited for a statement game from Joel Embiid and this here was it.

33 points, 7 rebounds,  3 assists and 4 blocks, and it needs to be said that for the most part Embiid carries our defense. It’s not something that is just starting in these playoffs the bailout for any perimeter guy that gets blown by is that Joel Embiid is in the paint and he’s a great shot blocker.

He seemed more decisive tonight, Charles Barkley on NBA On TNT after the game noted how Embiid “either shot it quickly or passed it”, not allowing Horford to use his leverage and bother him.

Zach Lowe of ESPN noted how this was probably the first time the Celtics were truly scared to play Joel Embiid. The league MVP 1000% had that energy for the C’s in game 5. 

Tyrese Maxey is the most special young man in all of basketball.

I had literally given up hope that we were going to get a big game oout of him in this series, and he comes out and gives me 30 points, 7 rebounds and 3 assists, he was not bashful at all tonight, finally playing up to the level we know he is capable of and his performance was the catalyst and cherry on top of a collective Sixers performance that was just beautiful to witness.

He was absolutely fearless in game, I mean just attacking no matter who the switch is, made Marcus Smart go the wrong way several times, his last shot over Jasyon Tatum, no hesitation pull-up 3′s or going to the rim, he was incredible.

It was a lot of things in this game up anc including Tobias Harris’ best game of the season with 16 points, 11 rebounds and 1 assist, plus Doc River’s decision to paly Danuel House Jr over George Niang means he deserves his share of credit and recognizing the need for a more athletic guy in the lineup..

James Harden pitched in with a healthy 17 points, 8 rebounds and 8 assists, he lived and did all his work at the freethorw line and again, the effect of that is how the Celtics can’t use thier athletecism in transition. I fully believe that Harden is not the problem with this team, even if we do have our problems.

Right now however, no team other then Golden State is in as much trouble as the Boston Celtics.

And now Boston Celtics, let me talk to you, playas.

Bro, do ya’ll really believe that you’re the better team, and if so then why?

Why do you believe that you’re better when you can’t stop Joel Embiid from routinely dropping 30+ points. How are you the better team when Marcus Smart and Derrick White are out here routinely selling games? 

Do you realize that Al Horford put up 0 points tonight. Is that a sign that the Celtics are better?

Jayson Tatum put up the least efficients 36 point game you’ll ever see out of him but the real issue with Tatum’s inefficient shooting night is that Jalen Brown was a very efficient 9-16 from the field and had 24 points, and this here is the problem with Boston.

Why can’t the Celtics star players have the kind of shot distribution between the two of them that leads to wins, instead of awkward disparities and uncharacteristically passive performances out of either of them at the absolute most inopportune of times.

I’m telling you, that the most concerning thing about the Celtics offense is that Jayson and Jalen do not run enough 2-man-game and pick’n’roll action between the two of them.

Game 6 will be the biggest in the careers of their top stars and potentially a deciding game for the future of the Celtics as a franchise.

[littlesniggy]

I JUST SAW THE REBLOG FOR 30 MINS LEFT OMGOMGOMG can i please request kizaru,crocodile and doflamingo with a male s/o thats around their age (like 5 years-ish younger) and he tries acting dominant with them but gets put in his place (nsfw headcanons or just a pharagraph whatever you’re comfortable with) sorry for my bad english it’s not my first language love you <3

Last but not least - here it is! This is officially the last request in my ask box! I hope you like it! It starts from rather innocent with Borsalino to explicit with Mingo ✌🏼️

Warnings: 18+, nsfw

Characters: Borsalino, Sir Crocodile, and Doflamingo

Word count: 900

Borsalino

The admiral was sitting in his office at the marine headquarters, doing the boring but necessary paperwork when a certain someone suddenly entered the room. Borsalino looked up with this lazy smile on his face. “Oooh, what are you doing here?” he asked you, tilting his head to the side while he watches you approach his desk slowly, Whenever he looks at you he can’t quite fathom how long it’s already been since you two had started dating. It feels like ages and yet he’s not fed up with you yet.

You take a seat on the side of his desk, rolling up your sleeves to expose your arms. “Thought I’d pick you up from work.” You reply, smiling at your partner. “Pick me up? But I’m not done with work yet.” Borsalino argues but you hold up your finger and press it in front of his lips. “And I’m telling you to stop what you’re doing and come with me.” You whisper, leaning forward to look straight into his eyes. The admiral’s eyes form to slits as he eyes you up and down.

“Are you trying to give me an order, Y/n?” he asks you, pressing his hands on the surface of the table and slowly getting up, his aura pushing you pack by itself until he somewhat towers over you. “And here I thought you were mature enough not to play those little games, Y/n. It appears I need to teach you some manners despite your age.” You two were always eye-level with each other but you really appreciate moments like this where you simply feel helpless in front of him.

“Why don’t you get down on your knees?”

Sir Crocodile

You don’t know why you’ve been feeling like this lately, but for some reason you wanted to annoy your partner as much as possible. He calls it childish but so be it. He hasn’t been paying attention to you as much as he used to. Sure, you don’t want him to be all lovey-dovey, swooning over you like some love-struck idiot but a tiny bit more attention couldn’t hurt, right?

You’ve noticed that Crocodile let you do a lot of things but when it comes to giving up power to you – especially in the bedroom – he has none of it. You’re usually not the dominant type of guy though you can stand up for yourself to him, you just most of the time choose to avoid conflict if it benefits you in the long run. But today is different.

When he comes out of the bathroom after taking a shower you don’t hesitate a second and press his body against the wall, taking him by surprise. You mouth finds his and you burry your hand in his black hair while the other one moves down his body before dipping down into his boxers. You can feel how his member reacts under your touch and you grin into the kiss, feeling confidence rise in your body.

Until it is ceremonially crushed by him fading into sand, disappearing from your sight, only leaving dry sand on your lips before he manifests himself behind you and presses your body against the wall instead.

“I thought men around my age already knew their place and didn’t have to be taught again but it seems I was wrong.” He said slowly, his hand dipping down into your pants, grabbing your dick harshly.

“Let me teach you where exactly you belong.”

Doflamingo

You are lying between Doflamingo’s spread legs, his length dipping down your throat with each thrust of his hips. He has his arms crossed behind his head, a cocky grin on his features while he watches you giving him head. The stubbles of your beard scratch against his thighs whenever you take him in deep enough and he loves this feeling.

You look up at him from between his legs, feeling your own erection press uncomfortably against the mattress, pre-cum staining the sheets.

“What a good boy.” Doflamingo praises and teases you at the same time, knowing full well that you’re not too fond of being called “boy”. As a reminder, you let your teeth scratch over his length, earning you a hiss from the man in front of you. “Careful there, Y/n.” he chuckles, thrusting his hips upwards as some sort of punishment, letting you choke on his dick.

You let his cock leave your mouth with an audible plop and look at him with one brow raised. “You should rather be careful when I have your dick between my teeth. You never know what might happen if I’m not careful enough…” you purr. Your lover lets out a breath laugh at your comment and watches with curiosity how you put your hands on his thighs and press them against his upper body, exposing his most vulnerable body part to you.

“And what do you think you’re now doing, Y/n?” he asks, voice still amused. It’s not like you’ve never taken him but every time he has been the one to initiate it and also the one in charge. “I’ll let you take a guess, Doffy.” You say with a fake smile before placing the tip of your dick against his entrance.

But when you try to thrust forward your hips wouldn’t move one inch. Confused, you try to move again but it doesn’t work. A dark and low chuckle that is rumbling through his chest gives you the answer as to why you’re not able to enter him.

“Did you really think I’d just let you do as you please? Now, I think it’s time you bow down to your king and make up for this insolence.”

[leon-scott-kennedy]

Distrail

Chreon, Rated-T

Read on Ao3

For a price, anyone could check into a seedy motel, even three people covered in blood, guts, and grime, no questions asked, especially with the ashes of Raccoon City still cooling 100 miles away. So the horizon still held a faint glow of destruction when Leon and Claire stumbled, barely conscious, through the front door of the Tadpole motel at 2 PM October 1st, using each other as support and Sherry clinging to Leon’s back like a koala if a koala drooled and snored.

Two other motels along the highway turned the odd couple away, rumours already flying about Raccoon City, zombies, and a nuclear cover-up. But at the right price, triple the going rate, Claire managed to convince the manager to let them bunk down, courtesy of Leon’s stressed credit card.

The fact Leon’s credit card worked, or that he even still had his credit card, was a miracle. His wallet hadn’t exactly been a priority, and honestly, they could sleep in a cockroach-infested basement, and Leon would be happy because they were dead on their feet after hiking on foot what Leon estimated to be a good 30 miles of rough terrain to get to the nearest town. The sun barely peeked over the horizon when the sky behind them exploded.

Raccoon City was gone. The people Leon had sworn to defend were gone. Sherry and Claire were all he managed to protect, and he’d be damned if he failed now.

The motel room wasn’t terrible; two double beds, a small tube TV, and a leaky faucet. It wasn’t good, but it wasn’t something out of a horrible nightmare. They’d left that behind them.

“I’m glad we don’t have a blacklight,” Claire joked, but her tone fell flat.

Leon nudged the bed farthest from the door suspiciously with his boot, dragged back the yellow duvet, and inspected the mattress before he lay Sherry down and tucked her in. He even let Claire shower first, insisted, while he watched Sherry sleep, tossing and turning and whimpering from reliving the horrors in her dreams until Claire emerged from the bathroom, hair still damp, and crawled into bed beside Sherry.

By the time Leon scrubbed his skin raw, the water was cold, and Claire had passed out cold with Sherry cuddled up beside her, little hand tangled in the front of Claire’s dirty tank top like a lifeline. Leon passed out face first on the other bed. He couldn’t even muster the energy to get under the covers.

Movement woke Leon. He jolted awake, reaching for his gun on the bedside table, only to find Claire, fully dressed, perched on the end of his bed and tugging one of her boots. She smiled sadly at the gun levelled at her head.

Leon lowered Matilda, gasping for air. His arm fell limply to his side. “Claire?”

“Hey.” Claire pulled on her second boot. “Sorry.”

Leon blinked at the sleep crusting his eyes. “What... what are you doing?”

Claire sighed and set her foot back down solidly on the ground, hands grasping her thighs. “I need to find Chris. I need... I need to know he’s okay.”

“Now?” Leon glanced at the clock. The bright red numbers read 7:46. The setting sun outside glowed faintly behind the curtains.

“If you ever need me...”

“Forget me. What about Sherry?” Leon snapped, somewhat mollified when Claire winced.

“I know you’ll take good care of her.” Claire’s attention briefly snapped to the sleeping 12-year-old that had survived literal hell. “Leon... if I didn’t have to.”

“Yeah. Yeah, whatever,” Leon scoffed, then rolled over. His heart thundered in his chest. He heard Claire briefly wake up Sherry to say goodbye, promising they’d be in touch, that if Sherry ever needed her, all she needed to do was call.

The door creaked open. Leon clenched his eyes shut, willing down the panic swelling in his chest until it ached. This was it. He was all Sherry had left. They were on their own.

“Take care of our girl for me.” Claire’s voice was barely a whisper.

Leon’s hands trembled, buried in the sheets and pillows, he struggled to suck down air, and his hearing fuzzed. Claire was gone.

For hours, Leon faded in and out of consciousness, barely able to keep the crush of dread at bay. Finally, at some point around 3 AM, he gave up all pretense to sleep and kept a vigilant guard. He jumped at a car alarm, tensed at the slam of a door, and clenched Matilda tightly when soft footfalls passed their door. Eventually, Sherry climbed into his bed to watch early morning cartoons with him.

“Is Claire going to be okay?” Sherry asked softly. She hugged Leon’s arm, cuddling into his side like he used to with his grandma.

“Yeah. Don’t worry about her,” Leon said. He slumped to the side, gently resting his head on top of Sherry’s. “She’ll be fine, kiddo.”

When the sun rose, Leon and Sherry trekked down to the front office to extend their stay another night, then hiked into town searching for clothes and sustenance. Being out in public, surrounded by people, set both Leon and Sherry on edge. They jumped at the slightest sound, and Sherry refused to release Leon’s hand for anything less than going to the bathroom, and even then, he had to stand guard outside the stall. Thank god he had pissed before they left the motel because Sherry was clinging to the back of his jacket while he tried seemed ridiculous.

Their shopping trip was quick. They grabbed what they could, Sherry setting a brisk pace through the little thrift store they found, dragging Leon from rack to rack. They scrounged up a few changes of clothes, socks, underwear, which Leon was a little uncertain of, a jacket that fits over his side holster since he had a license to carry, and a backpack that they filled with snacks and a deck of cards from a little corner store. It turns out Leon’s palette was similar to a twelve-year-old.

The tenuous credit limit finally crapped out on Leon when he tried to buy a six-pack at a shady liquor store on the way back to the motel.

“No job. No money. Just great,” Leon sighed.

For the rest of the day, they holed up in their room munching on junk food, watching terrible daytime TV, and playing Go Fish until Leon made the brilliant decision to teach Sherry how to play poker, and she fleeced him for all the Cheetos.

Leon had no plan beyond survive, and he hadn’t even planned for that. His body ached from being tossed by mutated monsters and shot. His wrapped shoulder twinged.

“Shit,” Leon cursed and clutched his wound. They needed help. He needed help. Taking care of a kid without any resources would be impossible; never mind, he’d never taken care of a person in his life. He had no siblings, no parents. His grandma died when he was nine.

Leon smiled at Sherry in reassurance when she questioned him. This little girl couldn’t be another statistic of the system. He could fix that. He would fix that.

Covered in orange Cheeto dust, Sherry crashed around 8 in the evening. The glow of the sun behind the curtain reminded Leon of the mushroom cloud that had enveloped the sky 36 hours ago. Leon’s stomach twisted in knots. Every creak, every thump, every squeaky break, Leon tensed, waiting for something to crash through the door and disrupt the precarious peace.

Leon hunkered down on his bed, the one closest to the door and any potential threat that came for them, and prepared for another sleepless night on edge.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Around one in the morning, his eyes beginning to droop, Leon nearly fell off the bed in his mad scramble for his gun when someone knocked heavily on the door. Checking his clip, Leon cautiously crept to the door, motioning for now very awake Sherry to stay out of sight.

“Who is it,” Leon called.

“Hi. Look, I’m sorry to bother you. My name is Chris Redfield. I’m looking for my sister Claire.”

Leon blinked and glanced back at Sherry, whose head had popped out of the blanket at the sound of Claire’s name. Then, double-checking he had bolted the chain, Leon opened the door a crack to peek out.

A man a little taller than Leon stood under the flickering light outside the door, his hair cut short and a 5 o’clock shadow. Chris Redfield, decorated member of the Racoon City Stars Division. Leon recognized him from the old photo Claire had shown him, but also the records he’d run across during his frantic hunt through the Police Department.

“Chris?” Leon said, astonished it was actually him. He slammed the door, unbolted the chain, and flung the door open again. “What the- Claire’s looking for you. What are you doing here?”

Chris, who eyed the gun uncertainly, brightened at the mention of his sister. “Is she here? The manager at the front recognized her. Said she was here with some guy and a kid.” Chris glanced past Leon into the room to Sherry curled up in the other bed peering out with curious fear from under the blankets.

Leon shook his head, eyes scanning the parking lot. “She’s not here. She left this morning to find you.”

“Fuck.” Chris winced and glanced at Sherry again. “Shit, sorry.”

Sherry giggled into her hands, and Leon rolled his eyes. “I think she’s dealt with worse.” Like the apocalypse.

“But she’s okay. She’s alive?” Chris asked.

“Who? Claire? Yeah. Yeah, she’s fine. Saved my ass more than a few times.” Leon smiled wistfully and then frowned. So Claire had left, and now, here, her brother was trying to track her down. It must be nice to have someone that gave a damn about you.

“Oh, thank god.” Then, finally, all the tension and stiffness in Chris’ posture melted. “I got her message, and...”

Leon scanned the dark parking lot again for any sign of life, then gestured into the motel room. “You should come in.”

“No.” Chris waved off the invitation. “No, I need to find her.” But the fatigue in his voice threatened to topple him, and that would definitely fell Leon if he tried to catch him.

“Dude, you’re dead on your feet,” Leon said. “It’s the middle of the night. Crash for a few hours.”

“Yeah!” Sherry chimed in, bouncing on her bed. “Stay!”

Chris shook his head. “I can’t.”

Leon pursed his lips. “Look, I don’t know you, man. But I do know that if you pass out behind the wheel and wrap yourself around a pole, you’re pretty damn useless to her.”

Chris opened his mouth to argue, and Leon sighed, tilting his head to the side, ready to give up when Chris snapped his mouth closed and cleared his throat. He studied Leon closely, scrutinizing him like he would a suspect, but Chris must have been satisfied with what he found - weakness, terror, immaturity - because he finally said, “just a few hours.” And the anxiety squeezing the life out of Leon eased, just a tiny bit. Enough that he could breathe.

Chris excused himself to run and grab his go-bag, and Leon cursed his stupidity because nothing was stopping Chris from running. That tightness immediately returned, but a few minutes later, another sharp knock sounded at the door.

Leon smiled tiredly and welcomed Chris into the room, relieved to have the company, someone who knew what they were doing; an adult. Leon grew up fast, but he’d never been an adult in his life. Racoon City was supposed to be a fresh start, and now, he was back to square one. Not even. He was in the basement of square one—the root cellar.

Leon finally caught a good look at Sherry with the lights on, still covered in orange dust, her fingers and cheeks stained. “Jesus. Did you eat the Cheetos or roll in them?”

Sherry laughed. “Leon taught me to play poker, and then I won all the cheezies,” she said to Chris, who grinned.

“Nice job.” Chris offered her a high-five, which she eagerly accepted. The hero worship was already forming.

“He gets a little wrinkle right here when he lies,” Sherry said, pointing a small finger between her eyebrows.

“Okay,” Leon said, scooping Sherry off the bed and carrying her off under one arm. “Let’s get you cleaned up and back in bed, munchkin.”

Cheeto dust proved a formidable adversary, but they managed. When they walked back into the room, Chris was standing exactly where they had left him, his bag still slung over his shoulder and his boots laced.

Getting Sherry tucked back into bed became a struggle now that the brand new company hyped her up; no hesitation whatsoever. She liked Chris. She even made Chris put her to bed, Leon faking offence at being disregarded for the new guy, but there was something about seeing a six-foot boulder of a man coax a tiny twelve-year-old back to sleep that made Leon’s chest ache. Especially when Chris told the story of how Claire was convinced that if she left fake teeth under her pillow, she could trick the tooth fairy into giving her more money. It never worked. The tooth fairy left chocolate coins instead. Fake money for a fake tooth.

Leon watched perched on the edge of the other bed, a little envious of Chris’ skill with kids. He double-checked the safety on his handgun, then the clip. Chris eyed Leon as he set his weapon back down on the bedside table, and Leon couldn’t muster the energy to be self-conscious about his paranoia.

Chris may be Claire’s sister and a fellow survivor of Raccoon City, but Leon didn’t actually know him. For all he knew, he was a traitor like Irons or Wesker. Maybe he wasn’t the man Claire believed him to be. What the hell had he been thinking? Inviting a stranger to stay with them?

With Sherry asleep again, Leon and Chris were left to settle in for the remainder of the night. For Chris, that meant shedding his bulky jacket and combat boots.

“It’s Leon, right?” Chris said. He stood awkwardly beside the bed, watching Leon click off the light and climb under the blankets, tucking himself up against the edge of the mattress as close as he possibly could without toppling off. “Claire mentioned you in one of her messages.”

Leon almost facepalmed. He hadn’t introduced himself. He really was doing everything backwards. “Yeah. That’s me. Leon S. Kennedy.” He curled up into a small ball.

“Jesus Christ.” Chris swiped his palm across his mouth. “You’re the new rookie.”

Leon chuckled humourlessly, his hands tightening into fists around the sheets pulled up to his neck. “Was a hell of a first day.”

Chris picked up real quick that Leon didn’t want to talk about it. So instead, he climbed into his side of the bed, the one closest to the door. The mattress dipped under his weight, and Leon tensed. Where else would Chris have slept? The floor? The last person Leon shared a bed with was his ex, who had seemingly saved his life. If she hadn’t broken up with him, if he hadn’t gotten drunk, if he hadn’t slept in hungover as hell, he would have arrived right in the middle of the initial panic, and who knows if he would have survived that. No one else in the department had.

What would it have been like? The screams, the moans, the pleas for help- the sounds still played on repeat in Leon’s head. Lieutenant Marvin Branagh, mouth agape, stumbling towards him with his hands out. Leon had put two bullets between his eyes.

The first indications of a panic attack slammed into Leon. Abruptly, his throat closed. He couldn’t breathe, his vision slid out of focus, and his chest compressed. Like someone reached into his chest and squeezed his heart in a vice. His entire body shook.

Suddenly, a warm voice murmured in his ear, the soothing tone talking him down, calming him. Leon wasn’t alone. He wasn’t trapped in the police station battling endless waves of the undead, the people of Raccoon City he’d taken an oath to serve and protect.

“Leon, kid, you need to breathe,” Chris said. His presence was a solid wall behind Leon. “I’m going to touch you, okay?”

Leon focused on Chris’ voice. His vision began to swim back into focus, his hearing rushed back in a sudden wall of familiar night noises like the drip of the faucet in the bathroom or the lonely car that passed on the highway. He nodded, not fully understanding what Chris was saying. An arm slid around his waist and pulled him back into a firm chest. Leon flailed, seconds from panic again when Chris’ voice rumbled in his ear.

“You’re going to be okay. I got you.”

Leon grasped Chris’ arm, his grip probably tight enough to leave bruises, and he choked on a shuddering sob.

“It’s okay, Leon. You’re going to be okay.”

Gasping for air, Leon rolled over and buried his face in Chris’ chest, and Chris let him. Leon’s sobs were muffled in Chris’ arms, not wanting to disturb Sherry in the next bed. He felt every subtle muscle flex when Chris tightened his grip or shifted them into a more comfortable position. That’s how Leon passed out, wrapped in the reassuring embrace of a complete stranger, one who understood the hell he’d lived through and the fear and uncertainty he felt in his soul.

Morning came quickly. Leon woke up still curled into Chris’ chest with a death grip on the other man’s faded t-shirt. Chris’ nose was buried in Leon’s hair, each soft snore ruffling his hair, but his embrace hadn’t lessened overnight.

The warmth of embarrassment burning, Leon snuck out of bed, anxiously loosening Chris’ hold and dashing for the safety and solitude of the bathroom, horrified at his complete lack of control the night before. No one had held him like that before, at least not since he was a child and his grandma would sit up with him after a nightmare. But, sadly, this was another type of nightmare, a waking one.

When Leon finally mustered the courage to wander back into the room, Chris was up, sitting on the edge of the bed with his elbows on his knees.

“You okay?” Chris asked the same time Leon burst out, “I’m sorry!”

Chris sighed. “You didn’t do anything wrong. When I showed up on your doorstep last night, I saw right away that you were barely holding it together.”

Leon’s fists clenched at his side. He couldn’t meet Chris’ gentle gaze.

Chris crossed the room in two enormous strides and considerately grasped Leon by the shoulders. “It was the shock finally hitting you. It happened to me too, but I was alone,” Chris admitted. “Hey. Hey, come on. Look at me.”

Leon bit his lower lip, but he slowly looked up, eyes stinging. “I don’t know what to do.”

Telegraphing his movements, Chris gently pulled Leon into a tight hug. “You’re not alone. We’re going to do this together. I want to take Umbrella down, but first, I wanna make sure you’re okay.”

Leon jerked back so fast Chris stumbled. “I want to help. I want to make those sons of bitches pay.”

Chris smiled. “Good. But first, I have a safe house.”

Together, they set the plans. Leon and Sherry would meet Chris in two days, hopefully with Claire in tow, at Chris’ new safehouse three states over. Sherry and Leon could catch a bus a couple miles down the highway to get them most of the way. The trick would be getting up the mountain to the cabin. But they were in this together. Hope simmered once again.

Armed with a freshly drawn map on motel stationery, Leon watched Chris pack. Umbrella wouldn’t know what hit them.

“Here. Take it.”Chris handed Leon two rumpled twenties, a five, and a few ones he dug out of his wallet. “It’s all the cash I have on me, but it should be enough to get you there. I’ll drop you off-”

“No.” Leon took the cash, but waved off Chris’ offer to give him and Sherry a lift to the bus station. “It’s in the opposite direction. We’ll be fine.”

“Two days,” Chris promised. Sherry had climbed out of bed and now clung to Chris’ arm as if he couldn’t leave as long as she was attached. He ruffled her hair. “With or without Claire, I’ll be there and we’ll go from there.” Chris grabbed Leon by the back of the neck and dragged him into a gruff hug, their foreheads lightly pressed together. “It’s gonna be okay, kid.”

And Leon believed him. That is, until two hours later when an unmarked vehicle pulled up on Leon and Sherry hiking down the side of the road, hand in hand. They never made it to the rendezvous.

[pradaksj]

the swimming lessons

all rights reserved © pradaksj

↳do not repost, translate, or claim as your own.

❧ pairing⟶  jungkook/reader

❧ genre⟶  swimminginstructor!jungkook , fluff, a bit of comedy? head canon/bullet points 

❧ rating⟶ e for everyone??? none??? idk how ratings work lol i just know that m = the dirty, which this story has none of

❧ word count ⟶ 5,000 

❧ summary ⟶  accidental swimming lessons with jungkook were definitely worth the money 

❧ a/n ⟶ i literally dreamt something similar to this in like january and told myself i'd write about it when i had the time so hear i am :)) this goes out to all my folks who can’t swim !! i'm on the same boat with you , get it?  cause we can’t swim ... ok anyways ... enjoy ! (note: i have not proofread this yet so sorry for any mistakes!! ill get to it soon !! ) 

“hello, welcome to lucky duck swim school, how can i help you?” the receptionist, who was loudly chewing her gum, sounded more like an automated voice message than a person...

see today was your first official swimming lesson

yay!! 

how fun!! ...

://

totally not embarrassing for someone your age !!!

honestly, it wasn't your fault you didn’t have any family members or friends with a big pool you could learn in growing up 

and by the time you did, you were too much of in an awkward phase to be properly taught

aka your body absolutely refusing to float on its own anymore

but after several trips to the beach with friends and attending different pool parties, you were tired of being made fun of !! 

no longer would you remain at 5 feet and under !!! not on your watch ! 

and so here you were, ready to start your journey into the world of swimming :)) 

“hi i um have a swimming lesson at 3 with um ... i believer her name was um—” 

hmmm what was her name ??? jennie??? no, maybe it was aaliyah ??? no that wasn’t it.... 

the receptionist taps on her keyboard buttons, her long nails making a noise 

pop, her bubblegum goes 

“jungkook” 

“yeah jungkook” you mindlessly say. 

wait 

WAIIITT

jungkook????

ummmmm 

that was not the game given to you by the last receptionist 

jungkook is a boy’s name !!! 

you didn’t want a boy instructor !!! 

not with the way you were looking 

“i um—i had asked for a girl instructor—” you awkwardly mention 

she rolls her eyes

um RUDE 

she continues clacking with her keyboard, looking for god knows what 

she sighs 

“there’s no slots with female instructors available for today, nor for the rest of the month, the earliest i can probably squeeze you in by is july.” she bluntly states. 

JULY??? 

july was when you needed to already know how to swim !!

that’s the peak of summer ! 

there was no point in knowing during winter or any other season besides summer for that matter 

and you were not going to get made of by your friends this year

no no NO

“soo do i reschedule you or.....” 

you sigh 

“no ill take it” you pout, resembling a child. 

“it it makes you feel any better, jungkook’s our best instructor, most popular too” 

wink 

oh yeah that makes you feel so much better 

>:( 

you were going to make a complete fool out of yourself in front of the so called “best instructor” 

“well go get yourself washed up, get into the pool, and jungkook will be with you shortly” she smiles, her attitude now changing now that (what looked to be a supervisor) was passing by. 

what a bi—

flip flop. flip flop. flip flop. 

your sandles press onto the water on the floor of the girls locker room, a grouchy look now on your face 

this wasn't fair 

you made an appointment with a female instructor!! 

you didn’t care if he was the best instructor or the most popular ...

squeeaaakkk , you twist the rusty shower handle

...because now you were you were going to be judged for your lack of skills 

not that you had any to begin with, but still! 

god, you sounded like such a karen ... 

it’s just ...

a guy instructor ??? 

really??? 

you understood that this wasn’t elementary school anymore and boys certainly didn’t have cooties anymore but like :// 

no no, you had to give this jungkook guy the benefit of the doubt

if he was one of the best, it was clearly because he was professional and good at what he does 

putting your worries to rest, you turn off the shower 

this was going to be fine

just fine 

clearly your worries were not put to rest 

just a temporary halt 

:) 

pat. pat. pat. 

okay let’s get it ! 

making your way out to the pool, you dip your foot in 

ooooo 

cold

VERY cold indeed 

1 ...2...

you dip your whole leg in, quickly using the momentum to place your whole body in 

“5 feet and below ... you’re my bitch !!” you think to yourself 

your hand still clearly gripping onto the ledge, still afraid of accidentally reaching 6ft

.... now to wait 

“megan seems to have fractured her leg last weekend on a rollerskating day gone bad, so you’ll be taking up her appointments for the next month of two until she’s cleared for work” 

huh ???

“but—” 

“also she, well now you i guess, have a lesson to teach at..” 

jungkook’s supervisor looks down at his watch 

“oh i guess in 30 minutes, could’ve sworn it was at 4..” he mumbles that last part to himself

30 minutes?! 

“don’t worry i’ll up your pay for the remaining time that she gets better” 

he winks ;) making a clicking noise with his mouth before leaving the staff room 

jungkook sighs 

today was supposed to be an easy day :/ 

a simple cleaning of the pool along with a couple of measly hours of being the lifeguard and that would’ve been it but noooo 

he just had to be the highest rated swimming instructor on the company website 

he couldn’t complain though, sometimes it was fun reading the reviews past students left, even if sometimes they were a little too...

whats the word...

provocative? 

it often made him wonder if he was in fact an actual good swimming instructor or if the high highly rated reviews were for other reasons.... 

honestly it’d be dumb of him not to acknowledge the amount of googly eyes he’d get ranging from the mother’s of his younger students to his actual adult students (female and male) 

he just liked to think that didn’t come into play when they wrote their reviews 

hehe 

changing into his black fitted rash guard, he glanced at megan’s schedule 

name : y/n 

age: 23 grown

swimming level: beginner  aka noob. 

he chuckles to himself 

well won’t this be fun 

he couldn’t lie beginner adult swimmers were always a spectacle to watch 

they almost reminded him of baby ducks learning how to swim 

only that they’d verbally curse their frustrations here and there 

quickly showering, he begins to make his way to the pool 

hmm, he wonders..

what should he eat after today’s lesson? 

a bacon cheese burger sounded really good 

maybe even grab himself some birria tacos from that new restaurant that just opened near his apartment 

hmm no he had to start spending less on takeout 

sigh 

looks like it’d be rame—

woah 

as corny as it sounded, he could’ve sworn he felt his heart skip a beat 

because whoever it was in that pool was pretty, like really pretty 

hOly ????? 

wowzers 

you couldn’t be y/n ... could you?!?!?! 

you were the only person who looked 23 years of age in the pool ...

ermmmmmm 

mayday mayday 

jungkook.exe has STOPPED WORKING  

whoever this jungkook person was, sure was taking their time 

deciding to have some fun before your lesson, you begin to gently play with the water 

swish. swoosh , the water goes 

soon you’d be well on your way to becoming the next michael phelps 

hehe 

maybe with time you’d even be able to a somersault in the water like your friend always—

“y/n?” a voice from behind says your name

ah finally 

taking in a deep breath, you turn your attention to the so called “best swimming instructor” 

OH.

MY .

GOD. 

WHAT ?????? 

this man looked like he came straight out of GQ magazine !!!! 

this HAD to be some mistake , there was just no way ... 

your cheeks feel as if they were burning up 

probably because they quite literally were 

there was no way you’d be able to come here every saturday for the next month, not without fawning for this dude every single minute 

“u-um” 

of course you were a stuttering mess

of FuCkiNg course 

“that’s me” 

cue the awkward smile 

:) 

“be professional” jungkook tells himself

at the end of the day, you were his student 

any crush on you would just have to wait until of course ... you were no longer his student 

for now the only goal was : teach you how to swim 

the next one down the list being : to take you out on a date ! 

he offers you a handshake 

wow he had a strong grip 

“i’m jungkook, i’ll be your swimming instructor for the next month” 

he flashes you his all too famous smile

there was just no way this man was real

just nO wAy 

“um..” 

crap, you were still holding his hand! 

idiot, idiot, idiot ! 

“sorry” you awkwardly laugh 

ha ha ha 

so funny 

:/ 

god did you just want to hide to disappear 

“it’s fine” he laughs 

even his laugh was attractive :( 

ugh 

“so y/n, before we begin with anything, i think it’s important to review about what kind of things you already know and what you don’t” 

oh right ... 

for a moment you had COMPLETELY forgotten you were here for swimming lessons 

how embarrassing 

“oh um..” 

um, um , um. 

IS THAT ALL YOU KNEW HOW TO SAY???? 

“so like floating, holding your breath underwater, pushing, gliding, arm movement, that kind of stuff,” he explains 

you knew a cool trick to make it look like you were water bending :D 

of course you weren’t going to admit that here 

silently you nod your head no 

he gives you a reassuring smile, sensing your timidness 

“that’s fine, only more for us—” he corrects himself, “for you to learn,” he laughs 

hey you weren’t complaining 

;) 

“so i personally always like to start off with teaching my students how to float. as long as we get that down then you’ll have no problem learning the rest” 

gosh his smile was so infectious 

shaking your head, you reminded yourself that this was your teacher 

+ you paid 300 bucks for these classes, so you couldn’t afford to be giving him the googly eyes all day 

you were so cute :( 

jungkook couldn’t help but find you so endearing 

the color of your swimming goggles even matched your swim suit :(( 

so cute ! 

“okay so the first thing i want you to practice is going underwater for a couple of seconds, just so you get used it,” he instructs, “i’ll demonstrate” 

taking in a deep breath, he goes down under 

1...2...3 

he’s back up 

pausing for about another three seconds, he takes in another deep breath of air before going back under 

1...2....3...4....5

he repeats the same thing over and over, until the max count becomes 20. 

“use my finger as your reference of when to go up, but come up for air whenever you feel like you need to. it’s important to go at your own pace, so don’t feel pressured to get it the first try” 

no pressure at all 

okay 

“you ready?” 

you nod your head 

“okay, deep breath in”

you sink your head underwater, mentally counting the three seconds before going back up 

“good job,” he gives you a high five, and you almost feel like a schoolgirl, “now let’s try to five seconds” 

woo!!! 5 seconds here you come !! 

taking in a deep breath you go down under again 

1....2.....3....4...5

easy peasy ... LEMON SQUEEZY 

“okay now to ten” 

1.....2......3......4.....5......6....7

umm

now why were these seconds going by slow all of a sudden? 

sucking it up you manage to make it to 10, but not without being out of breath 

“you okay?” he’s quick to ask 

yup, totally fine ! 

you definitely didn’t see the gates of heaven for a quick moment :D 

nodding your head, you enthusiastically say, “let’s go for 15″ 

he smiles at your enthusiasm

ahh so cute 

“1....2.....3......4......5.......6......7......8......9.....10.....11.....12....13...

nope nope nope

you were not going to make it to 15 

immediately you make your way back to the surface, trying to catch your breath 

“hey you did amazing,” he immediately reassures you, “remember as long your going your own pace then you’re doing just fine” 

<3 

well doesn’t that make you feel better 

you wonder if he’s this kind to all his students 

besides the most obvious reason, there was no question as to why he was the “most popular” instructor 

and to think you had been complaining earlier !! 

and soon you’re back underwater, going at your own pace until finallyyyy you’re able to make the 20 second count 

“nice !!” he genuinely celebrates with you, making you feel completely proud for yourself 

“okay now that we have that done, we can move onto learning how to float facing both front and back” 

ohhhhh

he was just thinking ahead 

cool :o 

“so what i want you do is first relax,” he laughs, gently pushing your stiff shoulders down 

as if your blush couldn’t get any deeper 

“now my personal belief is that all humans can naturally float, just that for others, it takes a bit of a push to get them at that state,” he begins to explain 

others meaning people like um you 

“the key to floating is to relax” 

oh you’ve heard that before

many MANY times and each time you’ve tried to so called “relax” you just end up sinking 

“the moment you fight or stress for even a tiny bit, you will sink. now i know what you’re thinking, ive heard that before” 

damn 

he was good 

“but sadly it’s true, until you learn to relax then you’ll be able to swim” 

you sigh 

this was where it became hard 

you were the queen of stress 

you and stress went hand in hand almost like a married couple 

it was just that deep water was scary !! very very scary !! 

the amount of horror stories you’d seen on tiktok was enough for you to know, ocean = scary 

“so here’s what i need you to do, i need you to place your arms on top of the water like as if you’re going to fly” 

you follow his commands 

he separates your arms, which had been too close together, giving them a small rub 

“remember you need to relax y/n,” he chuckles, feeling the tension in your arms

“relax, i need to relax,” you repeat 

“okay now right now when i tell you, you’re gonna take a deep breath in and look down, from there you’re gonna let you body move forward. so remember you’re not gonna jump, you’re just gonna let your body glide forward and float. almost as if you’re flying to me,” he explains 

mm it was easier said than done  

“you ready?” 

“okay deep breath in” 

you inhale a deep breath in 

“look down” 

you do that as well 

“and let go” 

slowly your body begins to rise on its own 

oh my god !!!!! 

you were about to float!!!!! 

the day has come !!!

no more staying at 5 feet and under 

you were ready to hang with the big kids :D 

but as quick as the momentum came, the faster it left because soon you felt yourself sinking, the breathing exercise jungkook had made you do now coming in handy 

no!!!! 

you almost had it :( 

it was right in your grasp, only to have it snatched away 

not wanting to offend you, jungkook keeps his giggles to himself 

“hey at least you almost had it,” he comforts you, “let’s just try again” 

you sigh, now letting your doubts creep in 

because of this, this time your body almost immediately sank this time

he frowns 

you were losing confidence :/ 

“come on i’ll help you” 

grabbing your hands, he signals for you to follow his breathing pattern

“deep breath in” 

“deep breath out” 

god, was his voice soothing 

“i need you to relax y/n, let everything go” 

a soft feeling of relaxation washes over you, similar to that feeling you’d get when you were on the verge of sleeping

“i’m gonna let you go at the count of three, and then you’re going to float, okay?” 

silently you nod, knowing that speaking would only cause you to tense up again 

“1...2....” 

he lets go, and soon you’re floating, just like he said you would 

you hold your breathe for a good while before standing back up, a huge smile on your face 

“holy shit! i did it!!” 

he gives you high five with both of his hands, for a second holding them before letting go 

“now let’s try floating on your back” 

he notices that there’s now a fire in your eyes that wasn’t there before

clearly you were now more determined to learn, excited too

preparing yourself to float once more, you realize you were missing something.... 

“jungkook...” 

he tilts his head, confused by the faint blush on your cheeks 

“do you think you can um—” 

now it was his turn to blush 

“o-oh yeah” 

what was his problem??? 

you were a student asking for help 

that was all ...

point blank. 

he helps you get on your back, his hand placed under your back as a way to keep you up 

“1....2....” 

you float easily again!! 

“nice!!” he smiles 

summer, here you come !! 

“okay so we’re gonna keep practicing that for the remaining time that we have and next week i’ll start teaching you about stroke techniques and which ones are easiest to do” 

nodding your head, you practice your floating by the end of the hour  having it practically mastered 

the two of you get out of the pool, now drying off 

“you’re a really fast learner y/n,” he compliments you 

hehe 

you mean, you didn’t wanna brag butttt 

you were a fast learner indeed 

“thank you,” you say in return, “but that’s only because you’re a great teacher” 

woah 

did you really say that :o 

aren’t you feeling a little bold today y/n  

his blush returns for the second time today

well technically you weren’t in class anymore ... 

a little flirting wouldn’t hurt right? 

if only he knew what to say .... 

hmmmm 

“well at least you won't ever drown!” 

HUH???????

jungkook, you idiot !!!!! 

someone needed to smack him straight in the face for that ! 

at least you won’t drown????

no fucking shit 

well there goes his chances with you now going down the drain 

but to his surprise, you laugh 

“you’re right, i won’t,” you say in return, “well i’ll see you next weekend jungkook” 

you flash him a smile, and he was certain he felt butterflies in his stomach 

walking into the girl’s locker room, you let out a sigh of relief

wheeeeew ! 

faking confidence was hard ! 

very VERY hard 

“so today you’re going to learn how to stroke so you can officially be called someone who knows how to swim, next week you’ll learn to tread water and continue perfecting your swimming, and then the final week i’ll teach you some fun extra things” 

“sounds good,” you say, definitely excited to learn more. 

“okay so now that you know how to float, right now when you float facing downward, you’re going to pull against the current with your arms, alternating each one. now the tricky part is that while you do that, you also have to paddle your legs a little and come up for air when you need to, and when you’re back in the water you should slowly be exhaling bubbles of air rather than holding your breath” 

well that sounded hard :/ 

“let me give you a demonstration,” jungkook says

he’s quick to float facing downward, showing you the maneuver he wanted you to learn while coming up for air every five seconds

thought it was a little childish, he somehow still looked good doing it 

he truly was blessed with the looks of a god 

he comes out the water

“okay now your turn” 

you nod your head, that determined look you had on your face last week now returning 

following his example, you begin your attempt at paddling and stroking your arms at the same time

SPLASH! SPLASH! SPLASH! 

immediately you begin to panic and water begins to splash everywhere, including on jungkook 

noticing your panicked state, jungkook is quick to grab you and place you back on your feet 

“hey hey, i got you,” he comforts you, not wanting you to feel discouraged 

you sigh 

:/ 

well that was embarrassing 

“remember y/n you have to learn to coordinate everything, so think of it this way. your legs have to always be paddling, it’s the arm and coming up for air that switch roles. when you come up for air, it’s only your legs paddling, while when you’re head is back underwater it’s both your legs and arms paddling. once you get that pattern, the bubbling will come naturally” 

you make an ohhhhh face

you could do that ! 

“remember what i told you last weekend y/n, you need to relax and be comfortable so you can build confidence. there’s no need to panic because i’m here,” he smiles at you 

gosh this just wasn't fair >:( 

cute and charming ???? 

this boy really had it all 

not wanting to disappoint, you try one more time, failing once again 

now you were frustrated :/ 

“damn it,” you mumble to yourself, a sadness to your voice

jungkook feels his heart swell 

he didn’t like seeing you sad :( 

but doggy paddling was the most basic technique he could teach you so he couldn’t really cheer you up by offering a different technique 

you needed to learn to doggy paddle before you could move on to the more bigger strokes

damn it ://  

“hey don’t feel bad about not getting right away,” he gives you a small smile, “i remember when i first started learning it took me forever to even learn how float, so the fact that you’re already at this point is enough of an accomplishment” 

well that makes you feel little better ... 

“but you were probably a kid, im ...” 

old , is what you want to say 

figuring what you were gonna say, he only laughs 

“who said i was a kid? i was probably like 19″ 

whaaaaaattttt! 

assuming he was your age (which he was), you do the quick maths in your head 

that was like .... 4 years ago ! 

how the hell did he get so good in such little time???? enough to be teaching courses ??? 

“not knowing how to swim is nothing to be embarrassed about y/n, if anything it takes a lot of courage to even sign up for a class so don’t beat yourself up too much for not getting it right away” 

he ruffles your wet hair, a small affectionate gesture 

you didn’t know how it was possible but you were falling for this man and QUICKLY at that 

he was just so ??$%@^! 

UGHHHH

“so let’s try one more time, and if you still can’t get it then we’ll push it to next week, a free extra lesson on me” 

eeeeek 

though the temptation to purposely fails was very intriguing indeed, you still had to try for the sake of it 

if you got it, you got it, and if you didn't well .... 

an extra week with jungkook it was :D 

“you ready?” 

you nod your head 

“1...2...” 

you float and begin to paddle, this time actually getting the hang of it !!!

you hear jungkook’s muffled voice from above the surface, “there you go!!” 

holy shit ! 

you officially knew how to swim !!! 

at least enough to save your own life if push came to shove 

once you were out of breath, you stand back up, a grin on both of your faces 

for jungkook it was hard not to tackle you in excitement so instead he settled for a very enthusiastic high five 

“you did it!” he cheers 

“ahhh!” you giggle like a child 

“from here on out, the rest is a piece of cake!” 

yay yay yay !!! 

“now let’s start working on deeper strokes, maybe we’ll even have time to throw in backstrokes!”

:////

noticing your changed expression, he awkwardly laughs while scratching his neck 

“or maybe not” 

this week was the final week of swimming lesson with jungkook

:(( 

last week’s lesson of treading water and perfecting your swim seemed to had gone by in literally the blink of an eye ! 

and so today was possible the last time you’d see jungkook unless you managed to grow the balls and ask him out once that clock hit 4, once you were no longer his “student"

by now you were 100% sure you liked the dude... like a lot 

and he was definitely someone you wanted to get to know outside of this pool 

you just weren’t sure if he liked you the same way 

you mean yeah there were definitely times that had you raising an eyebrow here and there, but you always excused it as him simply being a kind hearted person by nature 

because clearly his five star rating on the company’s website had to come from somewhere 

not that you checked or anything....

who were you kidding 

yes you did

your favorite review was the one that went..

“wow!! this dude is amazing !! came here for beginner lessons and even i found myself fawning for the dude , and i don’t even play for that side of the team !! not only were his lessons thorough, but he’s a very charming person ! 10/10 recommend!” 

and so you were stuck 

did he liked you or was he just treating you like he treated everyone?? 

“ahh y/n,” jungkook’s voice suddenly brings you back to reality 

“today’s our final lesson!” he announces, not sounding too sad

in fact he sounded excited  

damn :/ 

he playfully jumps into the pool, today being his so called “fun day” 

“so since today’s your last lesson i thought i could teach you how to do a.....” 

he pauses for dramatic purposes 

“SOmERSAuLT!!”

immediately your eyes light up 

ahhhhhHHHH!!!! 

you always wanted to learn how to do a somersault in water, remembering the number of times you’d look at your friend in jealousy whenever she did one 

“you ready??” 

eagerly you nod your head yes

“okay so the steps to doing a summersault is first of course, you need to take a deep breath” 

okayyyy 

“from there you tuck your chin to your chest, next you do the moment of the somersault by swinging your chest forward and gently kicking out your legs, so basically forming a ball and then kicking out.  naturally, if you have enough momentum, you’ll spin, but if you don’t just use your arms to complete it” 

“think you can give me a demonstration?” you innocently ask 

he winks at you, “of course i can” 

taking in a deep breath, he follows his own instructions, and you watch he perfectly executes his somersault 

“woahhh, that was so cool!” you say, even now finding the trick to be amazing 

“now i dont expect you to get it right away, so right now that you try i’m going tog hide you thought the movement so you get the gist of it” 

sounds fair enough 

you weren’t trying to drown on your last day either 

“okay, you ready?” 

“yes” 

“let’s get it!” 

taking a deep breath in, you feel jungkook’s hand get placed on your back, ready to push you so you could do the somersault 

“1...2...” 

and slowly you feel yourself spin with the help of jungkook, a smile already forming on your face 

“ahhh!” you smile big and wide, causing Jungkook to smile along with you 

“you think you’re ready to try it on your own???” 

“yes sir” 

“okay 1....2....” 

mustering up as much as force you possible could, you push yourself into ball and successfully do the somersault 

YUPPPPP 

WHOSE DOING IT LIKE YOU???!$%@$!

feeling an immediate rush of adrenaline, you begin to splash water all over once you come back up for air, declaring an all out water fight with jungkook 

soon the two of you are chasing one another, you now using your new swimming abilities to get away 

hehe 

you’re a swimmer 

:D 

the sound of jungkook’s infectious laughter fill the air and soon you feel him grab your waist at an attempt to stop you 

“gotcha” he says, and he turns you around to face him 

slowly each other’s heavy breathing becomes relaxed, and it’s as if you’ve felt a shift occur in what you considered your new “friendship” 

“so....” he awkwardly says, hands still wrapped around your waist 

his was was RED

like cherry tomatoes red 

this only makes you giggle 

if you had doubts before, you DEFINITELY didn’t have em anymore 

he liked you :)))) 

and you liked him :)))) 

and in ten minutes you were officially no longer his student so......

“there’s this new restaurant that opened near my place....” you say 

immediately his eyes light up 

“cancun eats?” 

you nod your head and he gives you a toothy grin 

“i was wondering if you’d want to go out some time...” you muster up the courage to ask him out 

%^@%!@&!@^&@%! = jungkook’s brain 

holy crap !!! 

you liked him!!! 

he wasn’t just delusional !!! 

“hello?? jungkook??” you laugh, waving a hand in front of his face for jungkook.exe had truly stopped working this time 

nodding his head yes like a child,  the two of you being to lean closer to another, the clear goal in mind being each other’s lips

because honestly you’d come this far now, might as well give him a .... 

“wait!” he suddenly interrupts  he glances at the digital clock on the wall, remembering your final lesson officially ends at 4

because no way in hell was he going to get fired for kissing a student on the clock 

3:59 

.....

4:00 

“okay now,” he smiles, and you only roll your eyes, happy to have taken up on those swimming lessons. 

a/n : i was gonna make this longer but this was always meant to be a small little head canon so :))) pls give this a like, comment, or a reblog if you enjoyed it !! (if u can of course) and my ask box is always open for whatever !! :)) see yall next time 💞

[purplepenntapus]

Rating Versions of Harry Osborn: Updated

Wanted to redo this post with a more comprehensive and inclusive list of Harrys

616 Comics: 

Just such a good and complex character. The OG Harry. His relationship with Peter just adds so much depth to every Green Goblin arc because of the inherent conflict of Peter knowing he needs to take down Norman Osborn, but not wanting to hurt or lose his best friend. (If you’ve read Kindred no you haven’t.) He’s still... ugly... I’m sorry 616 Harry... I love you so much but they did you dirty... Some artists do their best with what they have but... I’m not a big fan of western comic style in general so that doesn’t help. Has three failed marriages by the time he’s 30 because he’s gay and deeply closeted.  8/10

Spider-Man the Animated Series (1994):

The Harry plotline in this show reeeeally doesn’t feel earned, because the first time we see Harry having an active role in the show, he asks Peter to move in with him because Norman wants him to have a responsible studious roommate  (a detail from the comics I was EXTREMELY excited to see play out), and Peter comments that they barely know each other. Ultimately they live together for all of one day before Peter decides to move back in with Aunt May. The next time we see Harry, MJ calls him Peter’s best friend, despite the fact that we haven’t seen Peter hanging out with—or even MENTIONING—Harry since the last episode when they were basically strangers. Really it feels like he’s just there to cause romantic drama as the guy MJ graciously settles for when she gives up on Peter. I found the whole goblin plotline kind of boring and lacking in depth.  3/10

Raimi Trilogy:

I was never interested in Raimi Harry until after I started liking and exploring other versions of Harry, because I just thought he was kinda a shit friend. He’s a pretty strong character overall, but his motivations aren’t as obvious. He’s torn between his love of Peter as his best friend, and his bitterness towards Peter for being the man his father wished he was. I don’t think Raimi Harry really wanted MJ, he just wanted to get back at Peter in a way by taking someone that HE loved. However I feel like his characterization kind of sways back and forth between sympathetic and not depending on how he’s written in the scene, and it disappoints me that the thing that gets him to stop tormenting Peter is the butler telling him out of nowhere that Norman died from his own blade, rather than any real character development on his part. 6/10

Spectacular Spider-Man:

I still haven’t watched all of this show because I... can’t STAND this version of Peter... but I’ve watched many clips with this boy and he’s just... so sweet... He only wants to be loved and keeps getting his heart broken. Deserves better. On everything. He deserves a better father, a better best friend, better love interests, everything. I do really enjoy the way they incorporated 616 Harry’s drug abuse into this show with the Globulin Green, it was a very clever way to incorporate that aspect of his character, but tone it down for younger viewers. I’ve watched the scene of him getting “unmasked” as the Green Goblin about a million times it’s very good. 8/10 

Ultimate Spider-Man:

I love him. Most people fear drifting apart from those close to us, so watching Harry struggle with the new and increasing distance between him and Peter as Peter seemingly makes new, “better” friends is downright heartbreaking. Especially when he overhears Sam implying that Peter only hangs out with him for his money which is something he’s clearly experienced a lot. (Seriously Sam what the fuck.) I also love his struggle with Venom throughout the series as a metaphor for his anger and bitterness, it’s never truly gone even when they work hard to remove it. It’s always there to bubble back up under extreme amounts of stress, especially when Norman is involved. (Also this isn’t a Norman review, but USM Norman is the only version of Norman Osborn that has rights and he works hard to be the father Harry deserves.) Had an honest to God meet-cute with Peter like come on???? Its unfortunate how much they cut back Harry’s role in the third and fourth season, I really would have loved to see more of him. Threw a party specifically so he could ignore Peter to his face because he was jealous and I respect that level of pettiness. 9/10

Spider-Man: The New Animated Series

I didn’t think it was possible to create an uglier Harry than 90s Harry but this blonde, fuck-boy lookin creepass came and proved me wrong. Who the FUCK is this?? Doesn’t have any recognizable characteristics of Harry Osborn besides being rich and hating Spider-Man. Also just... look at him. I wouldn’t trust this man anywhere NEAR my drink at a party. #NotMySon -3/10

The Amazing Spider-Man:

He’s okay. I think he has some very emotional scenes and good chemistry with Peter, but it’s dampened by the fact that he wasn’t present in the first film and had to share the second with like two other main plot lines. Ultimately ends up being the least sympathetic version of Harry Osborn because he became the original Green Goblin and killed Gwen, rather than following in his father’s footsteps. That’s not to say he’s a completely unsympathetic character. He has a strong motivator in his fear of death, and I do think the choice they made for his character were interesting and could have developed really well, but they didn’t get the chance since the franchise was dropped. 5/10

PS4 Spider-Man:

ABSOLUTELY ADORE HIM. WISH WE GOT MORE OF HIM. HAVING YOUR EXPECTATIONS OF HARRY OSBORN BROKEN AS YOU SNEAK AROUND NORMAN’S PENTHOUSE AND LEARN THAT HE’S BEEN SECRETLY STRUGGLING WITH A GENETIC DISEASE HE’S BEEN HIDING FROM HIS BEST FRIENDS FOR YEARS WAS -chef’s kiss- GENIUS. PLEASE GIVE US A SECOND GAME WITH VENOM HARRY. 10/10

Marvel’s Spider-Man (2017):

Still easily my favorite version of Harry Osborn. When I first began watching the show I was startled by their decision to make Harry a science genius like Peter because it was so different from their usual dynamic, and many people who aren’t fans of the show point to this as something they dislike. But I actually ended up really loving the decision. It gives a different flavor to Harry in how he reacts to the events of the show and how we interpret his character traits, while still being very inherently Harry Osborn. Harry is jealous of Peter, he loves him dearly, but there’s always this ember of bitter envy ready to burst into anger whenever the plot creates friction between them. This is one of the defining traits of their relationship and in most versions it’s not hard to understand why. Peter has what Harry wants. He’s intelligent, he has potential, and most importantly he’s loved. Peter is the son Harry knows Norman wishes he had, and that creates a wedge between them. Marvel’s Spider-Man changes this dynamic. Harry can easily stand toe-to-toe with Peter in terms of intelligence, and in fact they often work together to create things or solutions Peter couldn’t have come up with on his own. That initial wedge between them isn’t there, creating a very endearing and loving friendship that we know is doomed to sour because it isn’t enough. MSM Harry could be the person Norman wants him to be, and that places the full weight of his father’s impossibly high expectations on his shoulders, always within reach but never quite achievable. So it makes a lot more sense why Peter initially has a low guard towards Norman (as opposed to some other series where Peter seems oddly dismissive of Harry’s justified complaints) and Harry’s own steadfast loyalty to his father. On the surface Norman seems like a perfectly loving parent, he encourages his son, he created an entire school for him when he was wrongfully accused of sabotage, it’s only when you start to dig deeper into their relationship that you see the subtle manipulations and the issues Harry has from constantly chasing his father’s approval. This creates a Harry who is desperate for validation and extremely sensitive to rejection, which colors his relationship with Peter throughout the show. I’m still mad he got nerfed in the second and third seasons because Disney is homophobic. TLDR: I may be biased ... Infinity/10

MCU:

Where is he? Who knows? Man missing in action.  ?????/10

[darealsaltysam]

what your paladins main says about you

a comprehensive essay by a paladins player of right around 4 years

this is like really long so i’ll make it under the cut so my followers don’t have to scroll through this if they don’t wanna

(for context i’m a current maeve main, i used to main skye and sha lin and played tyra a long while ago)

.

Androxus

it’s not a phase, mum

“i don’t care we don’t have healer, i’m really good at him i swear”

you ult every time it loads in and you die before the final shot

your favorite mode is siege because you can fly up and shoot the whole point on ult

you’re usually really stand-offish and don’t communicate much and/or a 13 year old boy with anger issues

.

Ash

you are level-headed but in a scary way

you will hold the point solo even if it costs you your streak

“get on the point” “guys get on the point” “attack the objective”

you’ll ult to save yourself 99% of the time

good leader

.

Atlas

you probably used to main lex or androxus before he came out

“he’s like a flank, but a tank, he’s great!”

you chase after solo kills instead of sticking to the point

healers hate you, flanks and damages fear you

your favorite mode is death match

.

Barik

you’re a former/current tf2 player looking for something fresh

you don’t like working too hard so you spam turrets on the point and hope for the best

“healer stick to me i’m boutta ult”

actually really nice between rounds

but you don’t communicate much mid-game and kind of do your thing

.

Bomb King

you’re a really old player. you have the beta makoa skin and you were there when lex was first released. veteran’s discount.

your favorite maps are the old ones and they barely show up any more

the team always underestimates you

“who plays bomb king in 2021 lol?”

you need a hug

.

Buck

“wait, he’s a flank? i thought he was a tank??”

you’re also a veteran in the game

you’re a dying breed. i like never see you. do you even exist?

you’ve been here since like the first day of the game

buck gets so many skins and you want all of them but the best you have is a random recolor

.

Cassie

sweetest person alive

“we can do it guys! let’s try to all rush the point this time!”

you are the bane of every flank

the opposing team hates you, your own team kind of doesn’t notice you’re there

*casually gets a pentakill*

.

Corvus

you know those weirdly political kids who like ww2 and know the details of every tank to ever exist? yeah that’s you

but like that’s corvus. as a character.

but no one ever plays him.

like i never even see him do you exist???

you are a cryptid.

.

Dredge

yo ho you’re a hoe

no seriously the other team views you and they FEAR you

“yeah i just got a penta kill” “YOU WHAT?” “eyes on the point mate don’t get distracted”

hella good at the game and hella casual about it

you like onslaught on the one sea map the most

.

Drogoz

another veteran, are we?

you’re either useless or can wipe out a whole team in seconds. there is no in-between.

you always have a really cool skin.

dovahkiin, dovahkiin...

“i don’t care about the point i gotta get them trips”

.

Evie

you bought her because you thought she was cute, admit it

*turns into ice right before dying* *turns into ice right before dying* *turns into ice right be

your personality type is identical to her. no question about that.

always buys faster reload and better speed

strangely good communication with the team

.

Fernando

gay gay homosexual gay

“he’s kinda hot if you look at him the right way”

fernando is the tank for gay people

you are gay people

i don’t have much more to say

.

Furia

mum energy. not as much as inara mains, but still, mum energy.

will protect every member of the team with your life, even the flanks

you’ve been maining her since she was first added

i bet you didn’t even know she’s canonically seris’ sister

“we’ve literally failed to capture the point the last 3 times we might as well give up and go to another game”

.

Grohk

“yeah i have a gremlincore tumblr blog, how could you tell?”

i honestly have no words

you’re kind of like a catboy but a racoon

do you even heal the team or do you just pretend

you were there when lex got announced and thought he was cringe, now everyone finally agrees with you

.

Grover

he was your first purchased character and he’s stuck around ever since

he’s the only healer you can play well

“i am groot lmao”

you would never say a word to your team

would give your life for the tank but that’s about it

.

Imani

daenerys targaryen on drugs

your favorite anime is my hero academia

your husbando is todoroki

you see where i am going with this

“team protect me i’m gonna ult” *dies 5 seconds into ult*

.

Inara

BIG MUM ENERGY

your team is your family. you will protect them with your life.

can only hold your own with a good healer so you have good teamwork going for you

*cutely places wall in front of your ult*

useless in tdm so you stick to onslaught, siege and koth

.

Io

are you a furry, furry, or a furry?

“victow! dont ult on my tweam pwease! uwu!”

you 100% find her attractive in some way shape or form

you are either a 30 year old redditor who enjoys loli content or a 16 year old teen who is playing a shooter for the first time

she’s kind of cute, i guess

.

Jenos

i can never tell if i’m going to absolutely destroy you or if you’re gonna kick my ass

*cutely holds you up so the whole team can shoot you to death*

kamehameha

you’re a healer??? i guess???

your character has such deep lore and i bet you don’t even know half of it

.

Khan

one day you were playing and your team desperately needed a tank. you picked the first one you saw. suddenly, you’re lian’s foot stool

despite 2 layers of heavy armor, you’d still let this man walk all over you

“this skin is really cool, wish it wasn’t behind a pay wall...”

YEET

you actually know the game’s lore, for some reason

.

Kinessa

i never trust people who are good at a sniper. if you’re bad that’s natural and you’re 99% of the population. if you’re good you are definitely up to something

you’d sell your sister for 5 pennies if you could

you’re missing from the team all game and somehow have the most kills

“we have a kinessa???”

you are an urban legend to your team

.

Koga

someone’s been watching naruto

you are so shit at the game. like i’m sorry. no one’s good at koga i’m so sorry

how do you have so many skins for one character???

you’re always missing from the point

healers hate you. so does the enemy kinessa.

.

Lex

quit the game /nm

“who mains lex in 2021??? lmao???”

wall hacks, aimbot, and it’s all legal for you as an ability. you are a hacker in a world of puny vanillas. you like it easy so you go for the easy min max character. have fun getting hated

you think he’s hot and press on his loading abilities just so he can scold you and you can hear him being mad at you

*bonk* go to horny jail

.

Lian

"she could step on me”

you used to main some sort of healer but switched over when you got sick of everyone being needy

you can hold a point all on your own for a really really long time but the moment your team gets there you start flunking

you wish you had more skins for her

you don’t

.

Maeve

so imagine this. it was like 2018 and you were just chilling playing the game. you kept getting killed by maeve. in every game. she was in every game you went to and she kept killing you over and over and over again. you got frustrated, snapped, and bought her to see if you could do the same to others. you are now the maeve in every game. the cycle repeats.

your whole team doubts you but then you casually get a quad kill and they just sort of look away

you die a total of two times each round and 99% of the time it’s because you go too fast and fall off the map

you repeat everything she says in her accent because you think it’s cute

“welcome to ze meant streets, kitten!” “can you shut the fuck up” “i hate to cut and run, he-he!”

.

Makoa

you have the plushie skin or the beta skin, otherwise you don’t main and only play casually stop lying to yourself

“attack turtle go brrr”

you’re really good if you get paired with a good healer

otherwise you’re useless

you wish you could get better teammates because you could really thrive with an organized group. but on paladins you won’t get that, i’m sorry-

.

Mal’Damba

i always forget this guy is even in the game

you’re definitely under 6 foot IRL

you have an older sibling you always fight with

you’d love to have a snake irl

you’re really chill outside of the game, but when playing you hella rage

.

Moji

you are so precious

but also such a little shit

you annoy me but i also want to give you a hug

“let’s go guys!! to the point!! wheee!!”

please never change but also get out of my sight

.

Octavia

you always main the new character until the new person drops

somehow always have enough credits to buy the new champion whenever they come out

you don’t like having a stable main cuz you get bored

you like hanging out at the training rage

hate siege and love team death match, you like your games quick

.

Pip

you are the worst and best thing to ever happen to this game

you only pick him to heal yourself and hardly ever heal your team

no one notices you there until you ult

then you get focused

honestly you just seem like you wanna do your thing and i can respect that

.

Raum

you probably go to therapy or desperately need it

“BIG MAN BIG. HE IS BIG. BRRRR”

you always love the demons in media

you like being in charge of the team and wreck the point any time you are there, you like fighting on your own but having a healer nearby is nice too

you probably have daddy issues

.

Ruckus

you think ruckus’ and bolt’s dynamic is cool and that’s one of the main reasons you started playing him

he’s the only tank you can play

you used to main either inara or ying at some point but chose violence instead

really short irl. you physically relate to ruckus and spiritually to bolt.

“funny goblin man :)”

.

Seris

certified girlboss

you can hold an objective all on your own or heal your whole team no problem. either way you are SLAYING

“alright. who’s ass am i kicking today?”

mum energy is inferior to inara but still kind of there

i’m like 50% sure you have a foot fetish

.

Sha Lin

*pointing and chanting* incel, incel, ince-

whether that’s about you or the character you can decide

you like minecraft bedwars on the side

“if i don’t get this headshot i am literally going to spontaneously combust”

really useful when there’s no other long distance people - otherwise a nuisance

.

Skye

AWOOGA *jaw drops to ground, eyes roll out of head* BOOBA BOOBA BOOBA

you bought her for the tiddies, didn’t you?

she’s actually really satisfying to play once you get the hang of her, but can be real tough on rough days

you need a break i think - maybe play some other game for a bit?

*casually gets team kill with ult*

.

Strix

you own at least one pretty knife

you played him when he was unlocked on rotation, fell in love, and spent a whole evening collecting credits to buy him fully

“haha bird man”

i’ve said what i said about snipers. if you’re actually good at him you are hiding a body somewhere. i fear you.

why does everyone ship him with viktor????

.

Talus

little furry child

he reminds me of tommyinnit because he is small and annoying

if you play him you are tall and intimidating 

i’m friends with a tall scary talus main

i can’t say bad things please spare me

.

Terminus

you always ult at the worst time and just get killed again 5 seconds after

“hey losers watch this” *goes on the point, dies, revives, kills one person and dies again*

you’re only a good tank if you cooperate

you don’t

on your own you’re a pretty good player

.

Tiberius

*sigh*

you think the cat is hot, don’t you?

“his accent is kinda cute tho hehe”

you saw that one ending scene in zootopia with the dancing tigers and it CHANGED you

you are probably a furry. if not your awakening is coming. be ready.

.

Torvald

you’ve been playing this game for too long

you’ve seen skins rise and fall. you’ve seen nerfs and buffs. you’ve seen reworks and remakes. you are ancient. older than the dragons and wiser than makoa. respect.

people see you on the opposing team and get really annoyed

“the point is really crowded, we can’t move in” “don’t worry guys, my ult is charged up”

you’re really good at all the characters but you like this guy a lot because you think he’s funky fresh

.

Tyra

you’re either new to the game or have been playing for too long

either way you can KICK ASS but you need to keep behind your team to do the most damage

flanks are the bane of you, especially the fast jumpy ones

you really want one of the cooler skins but you can only ever get the basic ones. such is the curse of maining one of the OG characters.

“bite me”

.

Viktor

you are level 100+ guaranteed, and everyone fears you

“oh shit they got a victor. flank focus him”

you probably play COD and CS:GO normally and wanted to go with something familiar and easy. your skill from the other more advanced games DWARFS everyone else

but why are you playing “guy with gun 132″ in a game with magical elves and fairies. like come on bro.

you don’t have any in-game friends because paladins is your guilty pleasure game you would never admit to

.

Vivian

“step on me” syndrome cranked up to 100%

this woman could spit on you and you’d still respect her more than your own mother. good for you

“i’m not a simp. i’m just tier 3 subbed to pokimane ironically”

you sweat the game hardcore. former victor main or he’s your secondary.

you’ve got her on level 50+ at least

.

Vora

like the maeve mains but somehow worse

bought her out of spite or played her while she was on rotation, now here you are grinding credits for her a day after she became unavailable

honestly you’re really good at the game i have nothing else to say

you enjoy the newer characters more than the OGs - you’re either a former vivian or lian main

you miss the play of the game feature in the game because you’d get all of them with this girl

.

Willo

you seem like the moji mains at first but show your true colors soon after

“fuck you” x50

you are a trash talker on max overdrive. you need to sit down, do some breathing exercises and have a drink.

you hate your own team more than the opposing guys

when you see a willow on the opposing team you make it your sole goal to eliminate her as many times as humanely possible

.

Yagorath

i bet you didn’t know she was canonically female until you read this

you don’t like sweating too much so you pick the tank that leaves you heavily relying on your healers and damages

you can hold a point really well so you like siege and onslaught

“are vora and yagorath connected in the lore somehow and do i really care?”

you have a friend who you always party up with to be your healer, otherwise you might switch to another character

.

Ying

“tanks love me, flanks hate me”

you are too powerful. literally. how are you so strong

you’ve mastered the most difficult healer in the game. the others are really easy for you to play but you have trouble with seris

motivate your team a lot but start shading and trash talking if they don’t cooperate

you’ll gladly play someone else for a long while and like taking breaks from her

.

Zhin

this is your first main after switching over from overwatch. we can smell it on you.

you’re really annoyed with his personality and voice lines but the character is too good to play for you to pass him up for that. you respond to his voice lines aloud very aggressively to let him know he’s an ass

“YES ZHIN HEALERS AREN’T USELESS YOU SELFISH PRICK”

you try your best but you’re not a great team player

infinite trips on a good day, die repeatedly without kills on a bad one and you switch over to vora or skye for a bit.

.

this took me hours to write out pls leave reblog and note thanks uwu

[clatterbane]

Today's opthalmology timeline, in a nutshell:

* Finally worked in for a fill-in appointment at a few days' notice, after I had to cancel the last one thanks to what I am still not sure wasn't COVID.

* Have to leave an hour earlier than I was prepared for, on roughly 10 minutes' notice! 😬

* In a freaking wheelchair to help speed everything up, while barely awake and also autistic, and working under Swedish punctuality expectations. With even cab drivers inevitably showing up at least 5 minutes early. 😬

* Does this mean that the Household Swede will adjust the time he asks the cab company to send a ride accordingly? HAHAHAHA.

* (After my last phone update, Samsung's calendar UI is TOTALLY FUCKED. This very much includes the event time display. And Google's is bad enough for me already. 😬)

* We do, indeed, manage to get out and to the cab roughly on time. With all the required shoes, pants, wallets/bags, ID, jackets, and eyeballs about our persons.

* Thanks to the current Plague situation, Mr. C cannot wait in there. Ends up in an atrium area, rather than needing to leave the university hospital buildings entirely.

* They remember NOT to use the dilating drops that I react pretty badly to.

* Hurry up and wait in the hallway!

* Some other guy waiting offers to move a chair out of the way for me. I honestly cannot imagine why. It's not even really in my way, and my arms do mostly work fine.

* Ah, likely the wheels more than some weird sexist assumptions. That's... something, I guess?

* Once again, I am relieved to have half my face behind a mask.

* Finally choke out a vaguely appropriate response in broken-ass Stressed Autistic Person Swedish Mode.

(May sound oddly specific, but this is NOT my first tango.)

* I do not, in fact, sink through the floor.

* The laser table's electric height adjustment mechanism is borked enough today that she has to make two phone calls and summon someone else in to help get it usable.

* Yes please, do not attempt to perform somewhat lengthy and tricky procedures on my retinas while working awkwardly at a roughly 30° tilt--as everyone involved is increasingly distracted by the cricks in their necks. 😬

* After some tinkering under there, Second Phone Call White Coat Lady gets the table top/laser zapping contraption level again, and vaguely capable of moving up and down.

* I decide not to push anyone's luck, and give these proceedings the go ahead once it's at a level that the laser wizard seems satisfied with.

* Which naturally involves hunching my shoulders and neck down and forward a bit. For what turns out to be "only" like 25 minutes (?) straight.

* With the first laser treatment seeming to destabilize things, and Haunted Eyeball springing (another) fresh leak just the other day--and maybe the biggest so far? The swirls of blood in there are enough to obstruct the doctor from seeing that retina well enough to do much zap-zap on it today. 😬

* Yes please, do not attempt to continue playing the world's dullest video game inside my eyeball if you cannot clearly see what you're shooting that laser blaster at.

* This entire situation is not worrying in the least. Nope.

* But, that's okay! She has time to work on the other, so far symptom-free (*fingers crossed*) eye instead, while I'm there!

* More drops to take effect, more waiting out in the hall.

* No further awkward conversations arise. Maybe the dorky clip-on shades also serve as some deterrent. 😎

* More awkward hunched leaning toward the machine. For a probably 45 minute session this time around.

* Finally over for today! 😎

* She cannot find an open appointment anytime soon. But, they will try to work me in ASAP to try again on (hopefully less actively by then) Haunted Eyeball.

* Now, where in the hells did he get to? 🤔

* That last determined stabbing at predictive text options is essentially a monkeys and typewriters level success.

* This communication actually draws his attention enough to come and investigate, at any rate.

* I can finally just about make out ANY of this exchange by the time we get home.

So far, in the more immediate aftermath? This does not seem to be the worst Pupil Dilation Hell migraine. Tomorrow may well be a different story, but I can worry about that then.

Did I mention that I am due in Lund for ANOTHER sedated gastroscopy session in the morning? (I.e., roughly Circadian 3 a.m. for me.) 😬

Because of course I am. Maybe that will be less eventful. *fingers crossed* At least I should be knocked the fuck out for most of it.

Then, once we get home? I may sleep until further notice. When I am not doing my damndest to gobble my way through All The Now Vaguely Swallowable Food that Malmö has to offer.

At least, AFAICT from the shitty shitty current calendar view? Nothing else currently scheduled for at least the next couple of weeks. (When I am anticipating more Fun With Gastroenterology.) We also need to schedule another blood draw for endocrinology, but that can be done at primary care.

That may change at any time, of course. At least they do seem to be trying to play catch-up on several pressing issues the NHS had just been choosing to neglect, such as bleeding retinas and the whole "inability to swallow solids" thing. Not to mention the diabetes, beyond mostly keeping the lifesaving prescriptions coming.

As little as I may enjoy the process sometimes. Also, thus far? Nobody has openly treated me like something stuck to their shoe. That certainly helps make the rest easier to manage.

[excelsi-or]

your type (pt. 9)

Hello wonderful people!! I started a summer job and have been reading a SHIT ton, so I haven’t been writing as much. But I’m kinda back into this story again, and we’re about past halfway so I think we can get this done. :) I hope you’ve all been well~~

w.c. 3.1k (yeah, i’m not apologizing for length anymore. i hope you’re all cool with that lol)

pairing: jihoon x OC/reader

pt. 1; pt. 2; pt. 3; pt. 4; pt. 5; pt. 6; pt. 7; pt. 8

“You have a new boyfriend,” Jungkook says the next time they meet up for lunch in the fall semester.

She shrugs, studying her mug. “I guess so.”

He lifts an eyebrow. “You’re still apprehensive.”

“It’s only been 2 months.”

“That’s enough time to know, don’t you think?”

She shakes her head. “It really isn’t.”

Jungkook rests his chin in his palm. “I told you I loved you after two months.”

“We were young and naïve then.”

With a smirk, he doesn’t bother to point out that that first ‘I love you’ had been only three years ago. “Well, how does he feel?”

“Not sure.”

“Trust your instincts on this,” Jungkook encourages. “You have amazing intuition. You told me before I’d even fully moved in with Taehyung that I’d probably wind up dating him.”

“I said that because Taehyung is a good looking, intelligent man and anyone would date him if they were in his proximity long enough.”

Jungkook snorts. “I guess that’s a fair point. But come on. What’s your gut telling you?”

“My gut says that it’s confused,” she replies honestly. “I can’t gauge how honest he is with me.”

“You can’t compare him and Byunggu. No one knew that Byunggu was going to blindside you like that.”

She chuckles. “Do you know how much he’s come up in the last few months? I haven’t talked about him in forever, and all of a sudden, he’s just the topic of every conversation.”

“New boyfriend will do that. Especially after what happened last time.”

She runs a hand through her hair.

“As someone who has dated you, trust me when I say, you’re an all-in kind of lover.” He nudges her fingers with his. “So just go all in.”

“Go all in? And then?”

“Well, if you get hurt in the end, we’re here. You have people around you to hold you up and take care of you. But you can’t go into every relationship anticipating an end.”

She studies the chai in her mug, the way it ripples when she moves her hands even a little. “I guess you’re right.”

Jihoon (13:41)

Hey, lemme know when you’re done at lunch.

Got some stuff I want you to hear before we head home.

Jungkook nods his head towards the phone lighting up at her elbow. “Is that him?”

She nods.

“Are you going to reply?”

“He wants to know when I’m done with you so he can show me something he’s working on.” She fires off a quick text.

“Works in progress?”

“I guess they’ve been less and less finished, yeah.”

Jungkook hums. “If Yoongi hyung were here, he’d say that means Jihoon really likes you.”

She finds Jihoon in the studio an hour later. Bumzu, one of the TAs, had directed her to the studio when she’d appeared in the music building.

“You’re legendary,” Bumzu had said. “Anyone who’s had Jihoon’s attention this long is legendary.”

She’d had no response for that.

Gently, she touches Jihoon’s arm to make him aware of her presence. Jihoon looks up at her and slides his headphones off. Wordlessly, he passes them to her, and she takes a seat in the spare chair. With her feet up, and her knees hugged to her chest, she listens.

“Can you bring up the sound of the piano? The bass seems to be overpowering it.”

She does this for an hour, and he adjusts as they go along. By the end of it, Jihoon is thoroughly pleased with how the song’s turned out.

“I wish I was as useful for your chemistry research,” Jihoon chuckles. He takes the headphones and puts them on the desk. “You going home?”

“No, I actually have dinner plans.”

Jihoon tilts his head at that. “You do?”

“Correction, we have dinner plans.”

“We do?”

“Jihyo told me to tell you that we’re going for dinner with her and Seungcheol.”

Jihoon’s sweet questioning face quickly changes into something of disgust. “Ew. A double date?”

“I think Jihyo wants to tell me something.”

“And Cheol and I need to be there? Why?”

She shrugs. “I have no idea.” She kisses the top of his head as she stands. “But you need to be ready by 5:30, okay? So, no spending the night here.”

Jihoon hums his agreement. He catches her hand and tugs her back towards him. He pouts up at her until she concedes to a kiss, a bemused smile on her face.

As she closes the studio door behind her, she bumps into someone. Stumbling away from her is a girl she recognizes but can’t place.

The other woman recognizes her first. “You’re Wheein’s friend, aren’t you?”

It takes her a moment. “Byulyi?”

Byulyi smiles at her. Her eyes dart to the door she’d walked out of and the smile on her face falters. “How are you?”

“Good. Just heading home.”

“You taking a music class this semester?” Byulyi asks, her eyes flicking to the door again.

“Oh.” She gets the meaning and the looks. “No. Just visiting someone.”

“Lee Jihoon?”

She holds her breath for another story and Byulyi doesn’t fail her. They start to walk towards the exit.

“If you’re friends with Wheein, you must be a nice person.”

She questions the connection, but doesn’t press that point. “And?”

“So,” Byulyi smirks, “why are you hanging around Lee Jihoon? The man’s manipulative and a swindler. He’ll con you of the love you have to give and leave you heartbroken.”

They push out into the sunlight, enveloped by the dying heat of the day. “He knows the right words to say and he knows exactly when to say them to get to you.”

If she hasn’t learned that already, then she’s an idiot. With a deep breath, she thanks Byulyi for the anecdote and the information. Byulyi is on the list of women Jihoon’s dated. These women follow her around now; the stories are variations of each other.

And at this point, she really doesn’t know what to do with them.

“I heard another one.” She sets her backpack down at the end of the dining table.

Jihyo glances up from her evolution flashcards. “Who?”

“Moon Byulyi.”

It only takes Jihyo a second to place the name. “Wheein’s music friend?”

“Yeah.” She empties her backpack on the table and then takes her water bottle to the sink to refill it. “I don’t know what to make of it. Apparently other people know Jihoon and I are…” She struggles to find a word.

“Dating?” Jihyo chuckles.

“I haven’t told him that his exes keep telling all his secrets.”

“I promise you, the look on his face when he looks at you isn’t one of a man who’s in for the sex or even just for the chase. He’s in. For all of that and all of you. I promise you that.”

The boys are already sat at a table when the girls arrive. Seungcheol pulls Jihyo’s chair out, and Jihoon looks conflicted as to whether he should do the same. Smirking, she slips into the chair next to him. She doesn’t kiss his cheek like Jihyo. She grabs his hand under the table and gives it a squeeze.

“Have you looked at the menu?” she asks him.

Jihoon shakes his head. “Not yet.”

She studies him for a moment. “Do you trust me to order for you?”

At this offer, Jihoon tilts his head. “Go ahead.”

Conversation is light. They play rounds of cards while they wait for the food. When Jihoon wins the last round of Shit Head, Jihyo and Seungcheol roll their eyes.

“You guys can’t win every game.”

She laughs. “You guys just aren’t good at games of speed.”

“Or strategy,” Jihoon adds with a smile.

Seungcheol stacks the cards as the food arrives. She leans towards Jihoon as she names the various foods before him. He’s pleasantly surprised at the range. There are foods that he will definitely eat, and a few that are out of his comfort zone but aren’t off-putting.

“So, what do you have to tell us?” Jihoon asks once everyone’s tucked in.

With his head bowed towards his plate, practically shovelling food into his mouth, Seungcheol answers, “We’re dating.”

Jihyo hits his arm.

“What?” Seungcheol lifts his head slightly to look over at Jihyo. “Did you want to make it a big deal?” He straightens up and looks at the couple across him. “We have decided that we are only going to see each other. Be exclusive.”

It takes a lot of effort to keep from laughing. Jihyo hasn’t had any other man over in the last month and a half. This isn’t surprising. The formal announcement is.

“That’s great.” Jihoon’s focus also seems to be on the food as opposed to the actual conversation. She nudges him with her elbow and he puts his chopsticks down. He mimics Seungcheol’s formality. “Seriously. This is excellent news.”

With a good-natured roll of her eyes, Jihyo meets Jihoon’s gaze. “The way you’ve committed, Jihoon, it’s really made us reevaluate.”

Jihoon furrows his brow at Seungcheol, but his friend won’t look at him.

Later that night, back in the safety of their apartment, Jihoon demands, “What the hell did you tell Jihyo?”

Seungcheol raises his hands in defense. “She asked me last month what my take on your relationship was! I couldn’t just tell her you were in it for a bet! I actually like Jihyo. I wasn’t going to tell her that your relationship was a façade. The only reason she decided to even give me a chance is because you’d been given a chance.”

Jihoon’s gaze could level mountains. “You straight up lied to her.”

“It was that or tell her that we bet on your relationship. You don’t understand how protective they are of her.”

Jihoon shakes his head in frustration. “What?”

“Byunggu?”

“Holy shit. What’s wrong with him? Isn’t he an actor or something?” Jihoon is almost tired of hearing about this ex-boyfriend.

“They threatened to ruin his entire career by blasting it on social media how awful a person he is. The girls have receipts. Even if your girl’s deleted all the messages and rid him from her life, her friends are holding onto them.”

Well, at least Jihoon knows the other man’s definitely not castrated.

“So, yeah, I lied a little about how real your emotions are.”

“Jihyo’ll be furious when she finds out!”

“What else was I supposed to do, Jihoon?” Seungcheol watches Jihoon begin pacing. “I like this girl. Genuinely want to make this work. Even if I only get a few months with her, it’ll be worth it to me. And if I can show her that I genuinely want to be with her in the time before we’re revealed to be the biggest assholes of all time, then maybe I can keep my relationship.”

Jihoon shakes his head in disbelief. “You and Soonyoung put me up to this bet. I told you guys I wanted to back out months ago.”

Seungcheol remembers that day. He was so sure that he would never be one to settle. At least not for years to come. “You can still back out. We can just give up, tell the others that your game isn’t as good as we thought it was. And if we end the bet now while everyone can get away relatively scot free, maybe we should.”

Jihoon shrugs.

Seungcheol catches his friend’s eye. “And I’ve seen the look on your face, Lee Jihoon. You have real feelings you’re scared to admit to.”

He rolls his eyes. “Did it not occur to you that I have to pretend otherwise this won’t work?”

“Whether you’re pretending or not anymore, I don’t know. But what I feel for Jihyo is genuine.”

Hansol (14:21)

You still on campus?

Late lunch?

It’s October and the air is getting crisper. She steps out onto the green with a scarf wrapped around her neck. She finds Hansol at the campus coffee shop. There are two sandwiches on the table, one for each of them.

“Seungkwan?” She slides her bag onto the floor next to her.

“Yeah. It’s one of the reasons why I wanted to have lunch.” He grins up at her, all gums and bright eyes. “I can’t eat two sandwiches.”

“Why doesn’t it surprise me that Seungkwan gets upset when you don’t finish all your food?” She starts to eat and nods in his direction. “Was there something you wanted to talk about?”

“Hmm?” There’s a ball of food in his mouth and his questioning eyes make him look adorable.

Chuckling, she says, “Well, we’ve rarely eaten out without you asking me something.” She juts her chin in his direction. “What’s up?”

“I, uh…” His cheeks start to redden. “Have a question about a girl.”

Her brow furrows slightly. “That’s new. You’re usually pretty confident about that.” She chews a bit. “Shoot.”

“What made you decide Jihoon hyung was a good idea?”

She tilts her head.

“I have a reputation like hyung’s, but mine’s not real.” He studies the contents of the sandwich. “And I just… I don’t know how to convince her.”

“Ah.” After spending the last four months with the boys, she knows whose reputations are real and whose have been garnered by association. Hansol is the latter, not really dating all that much. The girls he pursues are particular, which must mean this girl he’s interested in is amazing.

“You could just tell her the truth.”

“Do you believe everything hyung says?”

She takes a bite, allowing herself some time to think through her answer. She decides that Hansol deserves her honesty. “Not at the beginning, no.” She lowers her sandwich and holds his gaze. “But a relationship doesn’t work unless you trust that the other person’s being honest. And it gets really tiring to second guess everything your partner’s saying.”

Hansol’s cheeks redden even more this time, the blush creeping up to his ears and down his neck.

“Have you lied to her already?”

Hansol’s eyes widen. His voice is tight, practically squeaking out, “What? No.”

She makes a face. “You’re blushing.”

“Oh.” Hansol’s brain scrambles. “I just… uh…” How does he avoid telling her that her relationship is a bet? “Talking about her makes me nervous.”

She lifts an eyebrow, impressed. It’s rare to see Hansol nervous or outside his comfort zone. “You must really like her.”

“Uhm… yes,” he fills his mouth with sandwich, “I do.”

“Then… just be honest. You’re not your reputation.”

Lettuce gets caught in his throat. “And she’ll just… buy that?” He coughs.

“If she’s smart? No. She won’t. But actions help. Prove to her you’re not your reputation. You’re a good guy, Hansol.”

Hansol stares at this woman who he has grown to like. Her company is great, she’s awesome at games, and her humour matches the group’s well. As conversation veers towards classes and research, Hansol can’t help but think about how the bet will end and how hurt she’s going to be. Four times over the next hour, his tongue almost slips. Almost letting out a secret that will definitely end her relationship. Not just with Jihoon but with every one of them.

She checks her watch. “I gotta get back to the lab. The NMR should be done now.” She slips out of her seat and pats his shoulder. “I’ll see you later.”

“Are you coming for dinner tonight?”

She bends down to pick up her backpack, slinging it back over her shoulder. “It’s at yours, isn’t it?”

Hansol nods.

“Yeah, I’ll be there.”

As soon as Hansol walks into his apartment, he says to Seungkwan, “We need to call off the bet right now.”

Seungkwan has his pink apron on that the boys got him as a joke. “I’ve been saying that for about four months now.”

“Well, we really need to call it off.”

Seungkwan waves his spatula at Hansol, but his eyes fall to the iced Americano in his roommate’s hand and he calms down. “We both know that the guys aren’t just going to do that. Not when they know Jihoon’s this close to winning.”

“What?”

“Do you just ignore all of noona’s feelings? The look on her face when she looks at Jihoon hyung? She’s fallen for him already.” Seungkwan huffs and then takes a long sip from his drink. “It’s just a waiting game now.”

Hansol shakes his head as he heads to his room to drop off his things. “Tell everyone to come early. We need to talk about this bet right now.”

Hansol rarely asks for anything from the others, so when they receive his text, they’re there in thirty minutes.

“What’s wrong?” Jeonghan asks upon arrival. He slips out of his shoes, his eyes not leaving Hansol’s face. “Who’s dying?”

“We’re assholes and we need to call off the bet now.” Hansol grabs his hand to help him over the one step into the house. “If you guys want the money, I’ll give you the money. But I don’t want to see noona get hurt.”

Seungkwan counts heads. “Where’s Jihoon hyung?”

Joshua has his phone out. “He got stuck in the studio.”

Hansol immediately calls Jihoon. When Jihoon answers, he puts the phone on speaker and sets it in the middle of the small dining table.

“What’s going on, Hansol-ah?” They can hear a mouse clicking on the other end. “Dinner’s not for another hour. I can’t make it right now.”

“I want to talk about the bet and you need to be here.” Hansol leans closer to the phone. “Can we just call it off? Hyung, you already know that she likes you. And if she,” he glances at Seungkwan, “if she hasn’t fallen for you already, she’s falling now. So, can we just end this before anyone gets hurt?” Hansol tips his head both ways. “Or more hurt.”

“Yes!” Seungcheol pushes through to the front so Jihoon can definitely hear him. “Let’s call it off.”

The ripple of agreement through the group is comforting to Hansol, but everyone listens when Jihoon’s voice comes through again.

“You guys thought I was still faking it?” His voice is soft, vulnerable. He’s even stopped clicking around on the computer. “Guys, I,” he pauses, trying to bring himself to admit it, “I stopped faking months ago.”

Seungcheol slams his hands down on the table. “We got in a fight last month about this. What the hell are you saying?”

“You told Jihyo without consulting me first. I wasn’t going to tell you that you were right.”

Now, Jeonghan slams his hands onto the table. This second smack causes Jihoon to swear. “So, this is real? Lee Jihoon has a girlfriend?”

“Hanging up now.” They can hear the smile in his voice. “See you guys later.”

[aerial-ace97]

Intro to BMEG

Happy holidays to my mutuals, followers, and D&D fans!  With the year of 2021 coming to a close, I have a gift for all of you!  For those who may not know me, I am super into monsters.  I am also super into D&D.  But a big part of that for me has always been the monsters, which I might like almost as much as D&D.  In fact it was the Monster Manual III of D&D 3.5 that first ever convinced me that I’d found something that would change my life.  In spite of that though, even as I am now over a decade into my experiences of D&D and over half a decade into my longest campaign, I have noticed something about how villains and monsters have come to be handled in D&D.  It seems to me that lately, more and more often the BBEG ends up being made into some sort of humanoid enemy, which is totally fine depending on the situation and what’s needed.  But I find myself craving the return of monsters that I know so much about but don’t always get the chance to use, and not just the classic ones, but the underrated and forgotten.  So this year, I want to truly dive into some of these ideas, specifically with the mindset of searching for creatures that might be able to serve as the BBEG.  I want to find the best monsters of each monster type to be your next BBEG, or as we’ll call them the Big Monster Evil Guy.  I think that there’s a lot of cool classic and underdog monsters that could use some attention.  Each month of 2022 will count down the top 50 (sometimes 30 or some other number that conforms to the type) of that specific type of monster.  Now I myself play 3.5 D&D (kinda) but I often take monsters from many versions and iterations and have a fairly systems-neutral perspective on the lore of monsters.  Therefore, this is not a series that is going to focus on 5e monsters.  Rather, we’re going to be using 5 specific systems in order to give you as many options as possible.  Specifically, for January we are looking at the top 50 Aberrations of the D&D expanded universe.  I don’t have a name for that month yet because everything I come up with sounds stupid.

The Rules

There are thousands of monsters out there between the systems I’ll be using and even looking at just aberrations there are still 100s to choose from.  So the ground rules are these.

- The systems I will be pulling monsters from will be from what I’ll call the more modern editions and spin-offs of D&D.  Specifically, D&D 3.5, Pathfinder, Starfinder, Pathfinder 2nd Edition, and D&D 5E.  Before anyone asks, I like 4e ok but there are reasons I’m not using it which will be detailed in later rules.  If you want all of the specific books and places I’m pulling from, I have a list at the end of this post.

- I am using official creations only for this, which is somewhat redundant as you can see the books I’m using below.

- I am not rating this on CR.  Almost any monster can be re-tooled, classed up, or advanced to be utilized throughout a campaign.  I have a Cacodaemon in my main game that is still making trouble for my level 14 party, and they start at CR 2.

- The one limiting factor I’ve decided on is that any monster I review must have an Intelligence score of 8 or higher (or -1 or higher for Starfinder/Pathfinder 2E that don’t spell out full scores).  The reason is that while I believe most creatures can enhance in levels, you need at least about this much intelligence to be able to have the foresight to increase your own intellect, CR, classes, or what-not and therefore gain the chance to rise to become a BMEG.

- Ok actually one other limiting factor, and sorry I lied about CR.  I will also not be counting any creature of CR 25 or above.  At that point, they are essentially demigods and should really be classified under different measures.  I will be making exceptions however for creatures that have other forms that are either lesser or younger that progress to CR 25 or greater.  For instance, when we get to it down the line, true dragons won’t be off the list just because EVENTUALLY they can get higher than CR 25.

- As these series are split up by type, I need to put a consensus of who rules on the decisions of monster typing when there is disagreement.  I genuinely think that 3.5 had a great system for typing monsters and so those are the overarching types which will give us the monthly types.  But for specific type disagreements.

     ~ Where 3.5 and 5e disagree on a creature’s type, 3.5 will always win out on typing.

     ~ Where 3.5 and Pathfinder disagree on a creature’s type, 3.5 will usually win out on typing, but not always.  In the cases when it does not, you will be made aware.

     ~ Starfinder adheres to Pathfinder typing and so is ruled by the same laws.

     ~ Pathfinder 2nd Edition has some odd rules about typing that is usually pretty easy to path, but there’s sometimes some weird overlap and sometimes types that have never appeared before.  So that will be taken case by case.  For aberrations, it was pretty simple.

     ~ 4e’s typing system is, like a lot of things about 4th edition, quite alien to the language that is used in any other system and this is the main reason I’m having to ignore 4th edition for the purposes of this.  I didn’t want to, because it has some cool unique monsters, but ultimately not enough for me to try and figure out the conversion rate for everything in it.

- Finally, and especially prevalent when we look at aberrations, we will be ignoring any and all straight pulls from Lovecraftian works for this list.  Don’t get me wrong I love Lovecraftian genre and the many creatures Pathfinder used from them are great.  But they take up room for other aberrations and this is really an exploration of the systems of D&D, not lovecraftian works.  Besides perhaps someday I’ll do a list of Lovecraft creatures from the systems.  To clarify, lovecraftian-style creatures are of course allowed, otherwise you don’t get aberrations to begin with.  But specifically pulled creatures like Gugs and Hounds of Tindalos are off limits.

- Even with restrictions, there are 141 aberrations for me to review and narrow down into the 50 best aberration BMEGs.

On January 1st, I will begin with my honorable mentions for the Top 50 Aberrations BMEGs.

Resources Utilized

- D&D 3.5

     ~ Monster Manual I

     ~ Monster Manual II

     ~ Monster Manual III

     ~ Monster Manual IV

     ~ Monster Manual V

     ~ Fiend Folio

     ~ Book Of Exalted Deeds

     ~ Book Of Vile Darkness

     ~ Heroes of Horror

     ~ Expanded Psionics Handbook

     ~ Oriental Adventures

     ~ Planar Handbook

     ~ Frostburn

     ~ Ghostwalk

     ~ Manual of the Planes

     ~ Sandstorm

     ~ Stormwrack

     ~ Draconomicon

     ~ Fiendish Codex I

     ~ Fiendish Codex II

     ~ Libris Mortis

     ~ Lords of Madness

- Pathfinder

     ~ Bestiary 1

     ~ Bestiary 2

     ~ Bestiary 3

     ~ Bestiary 4

     ~ Bestiary 5

     ~ Bestiary 6

     ~ Aberrations list on OGN

- Starfinder

     ~ Alien Archive 1

     ~ Alien Archive 2

     ~ Alien Archive 3

     ~ Alien Archive 4

- Pathfinder Second Edition

     ~ Bestiary 1

     ~ Bestiary 2

     ~ Bestiary 3

- D&D 5E

     ~ Monster Manual

     ~ Volo’s Guide to Monsters

     ~ Mordenkainen’s Tome of Foes

     ~ Fizban’s Treasury of Dragons

     ~ Eberron: Rising from the Last War

     ~ Mythic Odysseys of Theros

     ~ Van Richten’s Guide to Ravenloft