#obviously I'm going to wait on that for a bit but like | Explore Tumblr posts and blogs

akkaweo-akkaweo · 2 days ago

Text

Better choices

Naoi Rei x M!reader

Tags: softdom, jealousy, post-orgasm torture

WC: 7.2k

—————

The little digital watch on your wrist beeped on the hour: 10PM. You carried with you a battery-powered mosquito lamp, a bag of nacho chips, and a jar of salsa. Your destination, barely a hundred meters from the door of your house, was a quaint playground in the roundabout-cum-cul-de-sac in your village.

To be more specific, your destination was Naoi Rei, seated on a big, decorative rock near the edge of the playground.

"You're late," she pouted.

"By less than a minute, hello?," you rebutted, setting the mosquito lamp right by her legs. In shorts, she needed it more than you.

"Hmph," she pouted harder.

"Don't fret now," you said, as you reached out to grab her shoulder, which she grumpily pulled away from you with a huff.

You clicked your tongue. "Alright, guess I'll just have to eat these nachos alone," you muttered, emphasizing the last word. In a snap, Rei moved a bit to the side to give you space.

"Apology accepted," she rolled her eyes.

As neighbors for the majority of your life, Rei had always been like this with you; this meeting spot was hallowed ground for your friendship, and talking time like this an inviolable agreement. Even when you both went to different colleges, got jobs, or experienced any manner of trouble in the dead of night, the rock remained the rendezvous point.

"Lemme guess," she said, forcefully grabbing the bag of nachos from your hands, "Sooyoung." You sat down, opened the jar with held breath, and took a loud sigh.

Tonight's agenda, as it had been maybe 3 or 4 times now: Sooyoung, a girl you met at work. Well, "met at work" is a loose description, considering you "met" for the first time when she asked you about chips at "work," in the convenience store nearby.

"Usual opening question," Rei asked, a mouth full of nachos. "You still wanna do this?"

"I'm not wasting any effort, okay?," you rebutted. "It's not over 'til she says it's over."

You've been trying to woo Sooyoung for nearly a year now. Successes include a meaningful chat over coffee, a fairly uninteresting movie where you held hands, and a less-than-stellar bar crawl.

"Okay," Rei said with a groan. "Here's a thought: offer to go with her clothes shopping?"

"Clothes shopping?," you remarked. "I mean, doesn't that come off... weird?"

"You're literally the only person I know who'd say that," she replied. "Unless you wanna stare at her tits in the dressing room like a perv, no, it's not weird."

"Bruh, what the fuck?," you reacted. "No, I meant it'd be weird to buy her clothes."

"Again, you're literally the only person who'd say that," she replied. "Women would never pass up an opportunity to get more stuff for their wardrobe."

You grumbled as you sat on the rock, back against Rei. This rock used to be big enough for the two of you; now both of you were more leaning on to it and using each other as ample support.

"It's not that, it's... she's not reciprocating, and I would be offering to give something material. Out of my own pocket. That's a waste of effort." You scratched your head, irritated.

"Well, you're not wrong there, though I'm pretty sure you've spent on her more than once," Rei said with a mouth full of nachos, still holding the bag hostage. "I mean, let's look at it now: you've taken her to the movies, you've had a café date, you've gone drinking without sex..."

"Rei," you groaned, remarking at the aside.

"You've offered hiking which didn't materialize, you offered a blackbox theatre date... That's as much as anything you can offer in this boring ass town, and you spent on those too," she continued.

You slicked your hair back in frustration. "I just wish I could get a clearer sign with her, you know?," you added. "That's it. I want to know if I should even...," you trailed off.

Rei let out another exasperated sigh. "Dude, obviously you don't want to stop chasing after her, so why wait for a sign? You could always just read into it that she's waiting for you to do the right gesture. Or offer the right date. If she's intentionally playing hard-to-get, play harder."

"That's why I need you here," you replied. "I have no idea what that would be or how else."

"So quit your bitching and just offer what I said," she retorted. "The worst that can happen is that she says no, and you'll beg me to come here for more plans. Big fucking deal."

Now, you and Rei are best friends without question, but you know when she gets worked up. An imaginary klaxon rang in your head: she was in that territory, and that was a first.

"Alright, sorry," you relent. "I'm just paranoid, I suppose."

Silence – rare even for Rei and her usual side comments about your questionable decisions. All you could hear was the quiet munching of nachos.

"Any nachos left?," you asked, and Rei shook the bag as audible proof it was close to empty.

"So, uh," you asked, "how's that guy you've been trying to ask out?"

"Gave up," she said coldly. "Unlike you, I know when to quit when I'm not wanted."

Silence again, no less awkward. So much more awkward that you're patting your thighs and tapping your foot silently, trying to resist the urge to walk away. But the sinking feeling in your chest wins out.

"Well, thanks for the advice. Keep the salsa," you said. "I'll... leave you to it then."

You slowly get up, trying to feign leaving, when Rei started sniffling. "I really wish you'd get the hint," she whispered.

"Wait, Rei, wh–"

"I said I wish you'd get the fucking hint, you doofus!," she hissed as she stomped her feet, looking back at you over her shoulder. "It's always Sooyoung this, Sooyoung that, or maybe even Vicky this, or Jen that, it's always gotta be someone else!"

You stayed frozen. "Rei–"

"And here I am, crawling to you every single time you need me because I want to be with you, hoping you're gonna realize it one day," she cried, almost bawling. "And all you ever do is just fuss over more women who will never give you what I can!"

You're not just frozen now; you're shellshocked. Sure, you always had a nagging feeling asking Rei about other girls would be a bit awkward, but you never assumed she'd ever take it personally. More than that – that she had any feelings for you to take it personally.

"Rei–," you tried to speak, more firmly, but Rei had already gotten up.

"No. I don't want to talk to you," she responded. "Not about work, not about your life, not about other girls. Just leave me alone." She walked briskly into the darkness; you sat there, surrounded only by the screeching of cicadas, the lamp and a jar of salsa on the floor, and the ringing silence in your ears.

The hundred-meter walk home felt more like a kilometer, the excruciating length of it fraught with rewinding to every single time you were with Rei.

"I wish you'd get the fucking hint."

There was this one night when you asked Rei for help when you were seeing a singer-songwriter who was very into Laufey, an artist you'd only heard by name before then. Rei made you an entire playlist even before you got to the playground. You spent the night listening to the music, and she would tell you all about the "lore" of her: her twin sister, her ethnic background, the jazz inspiration, etc.

"What's your favorite song of hers?"

She twirled a strand of hair around her finger pensively. "Maybe this one," she said, cutting the song to her choice.

One day, I will stop falling in love with you,

Some day, some will like me like I like you,

Until then, I'll drink my coffee, eat my pie, pretend that we are more than friends,

And of course I'll let you break my heart again.

"Wow," you reacted, "it has such an old sound you don't hear anymore."

"Hmm," Rei reacted, staring up into the black sky, even though there were no visible stars in your neighborhood.

"What do you like about it?," you asked.

She looked at you, her eyes glistening from the halogen streetlights. Her blank expression turned into a smile you'll never forget, only because you've almost never seen it on her: her eyes scrunched up until you could question if she could still see, her grin nearly ear-to-ear, hiding a deep chuckle.

"I guess I just relate to it a lot."

You laid quietly on your bed, tears welling in your eyes as the song blared in your headphones, staring up at the ceiling of your pitch black room.

You were worse than a doofus. You were a dumbass.

=====

"I think we should stop seeing each other," you said sternly to Sooyoung.

"O-okay, um," Sooyoung responded. "W-well, if that's what you want..."

"I just need you to answer me honestly," you added. "You were never into me, were you?"

"I mean...," Sooyoung scoffed, trying to find the words. "Look, you're a great guy and all, and I really enjoyed the dates, I really did. But... you're just not my type. And to be really honest, I was trying to let you down easy. I thought you'd never take the hint."

That stung, a little. Maybe a lot more than you ever ought to have felt.

"Then... before we call it quits, can I just ask you something? I need your... advice," you sighed.

"Okay? Go ahead, I'm listening," she said, turning the chair around for you. "You're taking this a lot better than I thought."

"Thanks. Uhh...," you scratched your head, trying to figure out a proper way to explain everything. "So, I've been talking to someone else to get advice. About our dates and stuff."

"Sounds like a great friend, if they suggested all those things we did," Sooyoung remarked.

"They did... she did," you corrected yourself. "Actually, more than just us. About a lot of personal stuff. But girls and dating in particular. Ever since we were kids." The more you explained it, the more ashamed you felt. "She... told me the other night she was hurt by me asking for help about the girls and dating part."

Sooyoung rubbed her neck. "Yikes. I sorta figured where this was going halfway through your story. I suppose you've figured out what that means, right?"

"Yeah. admittedly a little late," you paused. "But... am I too late?"

"What do you mean by that?," she asked.

"Let's say I wanna... try and date her," you continued. "Am I too late to ask her out?"

"Honestly?," Sooyoung replied, "It's not so much if you're too late or too early if she really likes you. But, if this girl were like me and I was in her shoes, I'd want some form of assurance that I'm wanted by you. I mean, you've literally told them you were interested in other people. Other girls. Girls that weren't her. It'll take a little bit more than 'trying' to date. You need to want her, choose her."

You fell silent. Sooyoung likely saw the gears turning in your head.

"Maybe start there. If you wanna take her seriously, why would you? What's there to like about her?," she continued. "You're a sweet guy, really. You don't need to change a thing about yourself, for now at least. But you gotta make all of that choose her, or she'll never believe you."

Sooyoung's phone started ringing. "I'm so sorry," she remarked, "just remember what I said. Do it with purpose, and with someone who can appreciate you more thoroughly." She then stepped out, both literally and figuratively.

"Goodbye," you whispered to the empty seat in front of you.

=====

The little digital watch on your wrist beeped on the hour: 10PM. You were sitting on the rock in the middle of the neighborhood playground, an unopened bag of potato chips in hand a battery-powered mosquito lamp by your feet.

You shook your foot anxiously, and checked your phone again, probably the 12th time in the past 10 minutes.

You looked at your text to Rei: "Meet at the rock, 10PM" – the same message you've been sending her when you ask to see her, and the same unanswered message you've sent after that night. This was night #4.

A part of you wanted to leave it with finality, to accept Rei was fully done with your shit. She had every right to be, and you didn't think she was wrong for it. But you remembered Sooyoung's words: act with purpose.

10 minutes passed. Then another 10. You thought you heard someone heading to you, but it was just a lone night jogger. Then another 15.

A hooded figure suddenly walked up to the streetlight, wearing a pair of light pink pajama pants with a still indiscernible cartoon print and chunky rubber slides. Her face was obscured, but you didn't need to see it to know who it was. You stood up in... excitement? Frantic? The feeling didn't matter.

When Rei was finally right next to you, she had no makeup on, her eyes very puffy and reddish. Her face was scrunched into a scowl, but softened as you looked at her.

You reached out to hand her the potato chip bag. Without words, she grabbed it gingerly before taking a seat on the rock. You sat the same way, back against hers.

You struggled to find the words to say, the right ones at least. You wanted to say everything right away, that you were sorry and you were insensitive and self-centered.

Rei heaved a heavy sigh. "You can say anything you want," she replied. "Stop overthinking it."

You tried to angle your body a little bit more towards Rei. "Remember that night after the school play?"

Silence, though you heard her breathing sound shaky.

---

"Um... I want to leave the Science club."

You dropped your sandwich. "What?! B-but why?"

"Because... I just got into the school play," she said with a subdued smile.

You slammed your hands on the table excitedly. "Oh, forget the Science club! That's amazing! When's the show?"

"End of the year," she replied, loosening up to your cheer. "But I need to quit to focus on rehearsals and all."

"Yeah yeah, totally," you said, and hugged her tight without thinking. "I'm so happy for you!

---

"Hey Jen," you asked your cute friend in the Science club, "what's a good color of flower to give someone?"

She looked at you, puzzled. "Color?"

"Yeah," you continued. "Or type. Design? I don't know, I've never learned about flower names."

"Design?!," she replied incredulously. "So you've never heard of poinsettia? Chrysanthemum? Geranium? Jasmine??"

"Um... violets like the color? And roses!," you replied excitedly.

Jen slapped her forehead. "O-kay. And here you are in the Science club."

"I'm a chemistry guy, okay?," you defended yourself. "Please help me."

---

At the end of the show, you waited by the backstage with a handful of three white roses and three violets. You didn't have that much money, but you wanted to get Rei her favorite flowers – fortunately the only flowers you knew. Rei stood out well, delivering her lines with clearly and making everyone laugh with her witty lines. She deserved these flowers.

5 minutes passed. Then another 5. Then another actor came out, noticing you.

"Oh, you looking for Rei?," he asked. "She went out with her friends in the other direction. Sorry."

Without thinking, you texted her right away. "Meet at the rock, as soon as you can."

---

"I waited for you that night," you continued, "even if you'd left. I ran to this rock and waited, even if you were late, like actually late. Even if I was tired, and sweaty, and full of mosquito bites."

You heard Rei sniffling.

"Rei, I'm sorry," you said. "I wasn't... attentive. I was selfish. Or self-centered. Whatever the word is. I wasn't looking at what was right in front of me." You paused, trying to gauge if Rei was still capable of listening.

"I hope you believe me, but before everyone else it was you," you said, holding back your own tears. "That was almost 10 years ago. I'm not going to pretend that I currently reciprocate your feelings for me, but I want to try to bring back what I felt a long time ago."

Rei paused and sniffled. "I still have them."

"Huh?"

She pulled out her wallet and pulled out a folded piece of paper, with one rose and one violet dried up and pressed on it.

---

It was almost 11:30PM. You'd been waiting at the rock for almost 40 minutes. You'd rushed to the rock, no snacks or mosquito lamp or flashlight; just you.

Your legs were shaking. You felt your heart race only slightly slower than how it was waiting outside the backstage. You felt your fingers get cold, even when your palms were sweaty. You barely could sit still.

Of all the classmates you've ever liked, this feeling was the first you attached to one – and it was Rei.

You heard and saw a car drive up to her house, and saw a figure step out of it. You stood up, wanting to see the figure better, but there was no need – the figure started running hurriedly to your direction.

"Rei! You were–" you tried to say, before all of her crashed into you at full speed. You almost got knocked off your feet, if not for the rock catching your fall. Which hurt a bit, but you ignored with Rei's tight hug.

"I'm so sorry! My friends just whisked me away, I was actually looking for you, and–," she frantically replied.

"No, it's no bother, really! You were great! I got you these–," you said at the same time, before stopping and pushing Rei away in shocking realization.

"Ow! Hey, what was – oh no!," she exclaimed.

In your excitement, you hugged with the bouquet between you, the paper wrapping ripped apart by the moisture and the flower petals bent out of their original shape. When you let go of each other, it had fallen to your feet.

Rei looked at you, tears suddenly starting to well up. "I'm sorry...," she said softly, "I didn't–"

You picked up the flowers, offering it to Rei anyway, feeling your cheeks flush with heat and your heart thumping in your ears.

"I got you these," you said softly. "Sorry it's a bit... yeah."

She went in to hug you, making sure the flowers stayed in your hand and away from you while she did. She held you in a hug for a long while, both of you calming down.

---

You held the paper in your hands while Rei spoke.

"That night, when I got home, I remember pressing the flowers one by one," she explained, "and I remembered that with every flower I did, I was extra careful and extra giddy. And that's when I knew I liked you." You folded up the paper the way she did.

"I didn't really... have a crush on you or anything either," she continued, her body starting to face yours. "But a part of me kept thinking, 'if he asked you out, I'd say yes right away.' So I waited."

Rei looked away again. "Then you started going out with Jen," she added, her face more distraught. "Then that didn't work. Then there was that girl you met at your freshman mixer. Then it was... I don't know how many girls you talked to me about. But every single one felt like there was one thing I had but two things I didn't."

You started anxiously biting your nails. How had you not noticed this sooner? How could you completely have ignored someone who you ran to incessantly?

"But I stayed because you meant a lot to me too," Rei said. "I don't regret any of it. I don't hold it... no, I did hold it against you for a bit. A while. A long while. Maybe I still do, just a bit."

She fell silent. She wasn't crying anymore, but you could imagine her face looking very close to weeping.

"I guess all there's left to say is," she added, "I wanna give you a chance."

You didn't quite have the words, but your body was telling you to move, to act.

Grabbing her into fireman's carry, you lifted her with all your energy to sit onto your lap. "Whoa, hey, what are you doing?!," Rei reacted. You were now both face to face with each other, foreheads and cheeks pressed up. You felt the warmth of her breath, and paused.

This was it, the feeling that was missing. You went through every single time you went out with Sooyoung, then all the times you went out with Rei. You thought about all the places you'd gone with Jen, then remembered all the times you went there first with Rei. You remembered every single date you've been on, then brought yourself right back to this moment. Rei was the missing piece – the yearning for reciprocation, for recognition, for a sign, and like a puzzle she belonged right there, in your embrace.

You didn't even think too hard about what to do next. You planted your lips on hers, briefly — and everything felt right.

When you parted from her, she looked at you, stunned, for a whole second, before she closed her eyes and dove into your lips, for twice as long.

"Finally," Rei smirked, "thought you'd never figure it out."

You kept on kissing, the screeching of crickets and birds around you interrupted only by the smacking of your lips against one another. Rei's lips softly cushioned yours as your heads twisted, trying to push each other in more deeply than physically possible; but such was your appetite for her, and hers for you, yearning to dig deeper for everything that was just unearthed.

You released your grasp on her and she looked at you, her scowl dissipated by a more sincerely warm and toothy smile. She didn't have to explain anything further, all her feelings told by the smile plastered on her face.

"Rei, I'm–," you started, but silenced by a single finger on your lips.

"Stop," she butted in. "Save it for later. Just hold me first."

You brought in your thighs under her to hold her more closely, still cradling her like a baby. She wrapped an arm around your shoulder and nuzzled her face on yours, releasing all the aggression she had pent up.

Every time you shifted your position, she used her other hand to fix it back in place with a light slap. "Stop ruining my moment," she hissed, though her tone gave away that it was less hostile and more clingy.

She released you from her grip and stared at you again. "I'm ready to forgive you now," she said, a hint of sass audible in her voice.

"What an honor," you replied, rolling your eyes. She grabbed your face between her fingers, squeezing your cheeks.

"Shh," she rebutted, "you're not off the hook yet." She stood up, offering a hand to you.

You held it, though looked at her puzzled. "Wait, where are we going?"

"My room," she replied, starting to pull you towards her house.

"Wait, but your family–"

"Not home," Rei said curtly. "Just trust me."

You dropped your hesitations and let her pull you in, following her into her house, up the stairs, and into her room. The lights were off, and before your hand reached the switch, she stopped you.

"No," Rei said firmly, "I wanna do this in the dark." Your mind started racing – was this really happening? You've never gotten this far with a girl, you've never prepared for it either mentally or materially, but you weren't against the pace things were going. Maybe you were even excited.

In the shadows, you saw Rei take off her shirt, her silhouette only accented by the plain white walls and cabinets in the room. You saw the curves on her body, the way her breasts rested on her body, her bare legs and thighs smooth and slightly toned. She stood a bit awkwardly, but with purpose.

"I don't just want you to like me back," she replied firmly, "I wanna prove to you I'm better than all of them."

Rei stepped closer, her body only slightly illuminated by the moonlight streaming from her window.

"Do you want me like this?," she asked, her voice shaky.

"Y-yes," you stammered, still shocked at the pace of things.

Your heart raced. You knew Rei to be competitive, or at the very least petty enough to do the most out of spite. You couldn't possibly imagine how she was going to utilize that burning passion in the moment.

"Rei," you said, "are you sure you wanna do this right now?"

She stepped forward until she was face to face with you, her breath warm just inches from your face. She removed your shirt and pants, letting them fall to the floor. Her eyes pierced into yours.

"Yes," she said with determination, "I'm gonna make sure you never forget me."

Rei pushed you down by your shoulders to sit you on the bed, and knelt by your feet. She pulled down your underwear and let it sit by your feet, then crawled up in between your legs until her mouth was right up to your groin.

"Look at me," she spoke sternly.

Keeping her hands on your legs, she dipped down to catch your dick in her mouth, held in place in between her lips. With her lips almost vacuum sealed against the tip of your erection, she shoved her head into you, forcing your length in as if her mouth were immovably tight.

The feeling of her lips grazing against your length, lubricated by her tongue swirling around your shafted continuously, was incomparable. When you let go of her gaze to throw your head back in ecstasy, she dug her fingernails into your thighs to grab your attention.

Rei sucked you off with almost mechanical pace; she covered your length from base to under the tip with consistency, not so fast that she was ramming herself into you, but definitely slow enough the you weren't writhing and ramming yourself into her in chase of stimulation.

"Fuck, Rei, fuck," you reacted, watching her eyes stare unmoved from yours. Even when your legs trembled, her hands held you firmly in place. She even moved her hands down to your ankles and heels, wrapping her forearms behind your calves.

"Fuck, Rei, that's so good," you continued, her pace only slightly picking up. "Holy fuck, holy shit."

As you approached your climax, you started uncontrollably bucking your hips, as if chasing after her. Yet Rei continued at her pace, unchanged even with your disruptions. It was almost torturous keeping yourself from finishing.

"Rei, please, I wanna cum, I'm so close, faster," you begged.

"Mmm-mmm," she said, shaking her head. Still Rei continued at her pace, your head now fully facing up at the ceiling. Your eyes were wide open, even rolled up as you approached climax.

"Rei, Rei," you called out her name. "I'm gonna, I'm gonna–"

Then she stopped, popping her mouth out from your cock. You twitched for a few times, then your hips started bucking in search of her mouth, thighs shaking uncontrollably. Rei stared at you with a devilish grin, as if mocking your current state.

"Are you okay?" she asked, rubbing your thigh. You didn't even know what to reply; it felt good – amazing, even – up until that moment she denied it from you. You just stared at her, wide eyed, confused.

"Great," she replied with a smile. From her bedside table, she pulled out a lip tint, applying it to her lips until it glistened in the moonlight.

"Okay, let's mark that... one," she remarked, gingerly tracing a single, horizontal line on the inside of your bare leg with the tint. "Ready for number two?"

"Hold up, what do you mean number–" was all you could utter before Rei took your cock in her mouth a second time. She engulfed your dick in its entirety in one go, until her painted lips landed at the base of your groin.

She kept the suction in her mouth as she slowly – very slowly, almost dragging her lips across every vein on your shaft – lifted her head. When she got to the bottom of your swollen head, she released her lips and took your length in again, repeating the process.

You've never felt the sensation before: you were sensitive, still close to your orgasm; but you could feel something still pooling up within the base of your cock, even adding to what was already there just before she stopped sucking you.

After three more slow and gentle bobs of her head, Rei's lip tint left a faint stain around the base of your cock, wet from saliva and very much visible – like she had wanted to leave it there. She teased you a bit more, sucking only the half inch right under your head, before releasing it with a pop. Your mouthed barely formed a coherent sentence, overwhelmed still by the ticklish sensation on the underside of your shaft.

She released you briefly to purse her lips, keeping them moist, before resuming back at the same consistent pace she was at just earlier. Rei stared at you with unmoving, almost dismissive eyes; you felt her soft, luscious lips press up against your groin as they landed at the base of your dick. Her tongue pressed up on the underside of your shaft, the tip just barely tickling frenulum. All that, and you felt her pace pick up, her face slamming a tad lighter onto your body.

"Fuck, I wanna cum so bad, Rei," you groaned. "God, you're good at this." Rei chuckled with your dick still in her mouth, the vibrations adding stimulation.

Again, you neared your breaking point. Your breathing turned into loud gasping and moaning, until all you were saying was her name over and over again: "Rei, Rei, Rei." The suction on her lips broke as she smiled, now shoving your dick as far deep into her throat.

Except it didn't reach the back of her throat, Rei's face and nose instead slamming into your hips. Even when it was practically buried in your pubes, she still stared at you with hungry, lustful eyes.

"Rei, I'm gonna– fuck, I'm– hah, fuck–," you bumbled, your torso rocking back and forth as she continued to suck harder and faster. You could feel the swelling tide of cum in your shaft, ready to burst, and you bucked your hips in the air...

Then Rei stopped, again, releasing you from your grasp. Your hips stayed in the air, chasing after her mouth, and you groaned aloud in frustration. One, two droplets of white spilled from your tip, which Rei watched as it slid down your shaft. You reached a hand for your cock, intending to stroke yourself to completion, but Rei suddenly lunged at you, shoving you fully onto the bed.

"I told you I wasn't gonna make you forget me," she said mischievously. "But you owe me for making me cry my eyes out the whole week."

You gasped for air, out of breath from being denied a second orgasm, but you didn't move as proof of submission. She grabbed a long ribbon from a drawer and sat you up, tying your hands behind your back. She made you sit with your back to the headboard of her bed, reapplied her lip tint, and drew another line down from the previous one on your thigh. "That's two," she cooed.

Now you felt a pain in your groin, like from the denial. You still felt a load ready to come out with the right amount of coaxing, but judging from Rei's treatment that wasn't going to come easy.

She took you in her mouth again, this time going even slower than before. Unlike the second time, where she was more frantic and hasty, she returned to her pace from when she started – mechanical, consistent, tantalizing.

But this time the sensation on your dick was different. It tickled, almost painfully, but in a stimulating way – you wanted it to keep going and end right now.

Still Rei sucked on, her lips covered in spit. She started to spill so much drool from her mouth that it began coating your shaft, slowly dripping over your balls and onto the bed. The trails left behind were cold in the air, even when it started spilling onto your taint.

Now you were seated completely on the bed, legs splayed outwards, while Rei laid on her stomach. You could see her ass in the dark, not wide but definitely sizable, like you could grab a whole handful of it. You've never noticed these features on Rei – not her boobs or her butt, maybe her thighs the few times your hormonal teenager self ogled at all the girls in your PE class – but you realize now that she was just as hot as a lot of the girls you've dated.

She let go of your cock to flick it with her finger a single time. "Ow! What the fuck was that for?!," you whined.

"I said, look at me," Rei growled, swallowing your dick whole right as she said it. The sharp pain from the flick actually made the load welling up in your shaft retreat, and now you weren't sure if she was grabbing attention or keeping your orgasm delayed again – maybe even both.

That delay never came. She picked up her pace again, the pain in your balls increasing as you could feel them trying to squeeze out a third one. Though it welled again at your base, you now felt all of your cum fill up your length, from base to tip. As Rei's sucking continued, you felt yourself twitch, and you swore that the trails of saliva she left started turning whiter.

"Rei, please, I'm so close," you begged. "I wanna cum so bad..."

"Keep begging," she muttered, as she picked up her pace yet again.

"Rei, you suck me so well, holy fucking shit," you praised, hoping that would encourage her to let you actually finish. "Your face looks so fucking hot while you take me whole."

Rei started moaning at your words, and you notice one of her hands, while the other was wrapped firmly around your base, was in between her legs. Each moan she made only brought you closer to finishing.

"Please, Rei," you begged, "I wanna cum so bad, I wanna cum for you so bad..."

Rei let her mouth go of your dick and started licking your frenulum vigorously. The extra sensation was enough to start breaking the dam, and your mouth blubbered to make sure she knew that "I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna cum, I'm gonna cum– agh!"

With one final thrust in the air, you burst, as Rei's hand around your base let go. For a split second, you swore time slowed down as you saw your cumshot burst into the air – which you've never, ever seen – then another, and another, and another. The sudden ecstasy of your release made you increasingly lightheaded, almost blanking out

After what felt like minutes, you came to, and Rei's face was completely drenched in white, viscous globs of cum, dripping onto her chin. Her mouth, agape as she caught her breath, bore strings of cum that spanned her lips, trembling with every pant she made.

You stared at each other. She smiled in satisfaction, licking her lips and lapping up all the cum she could with her tongue. You finally found the presence of mind to laugh, your high fully felt as it coursed through your bones. "Holy fuck, that was amazing," you remarked, and Rei gave you her toothy smile in pleasure.

She pulled out her tint again to mark your leg – a single line right next to the second, now looking like T mixed with an F. "That's three," she chuckled, "you're crazy, you know that?" You breathed heavily, gasping for air, still laughing.

Without warning, Rei gobbled up your dick again, now doubly aggressive than how she sucked you prior. Your eyes widened, your abdomen crunched, and your hips tried to retreat into the bed, only being stopped by said bed against Rei's relentless bobbing.

You writhed and laughed as the sensation turned more ticklish, as your shaft felt every ridge on Rei's lips rub against it. You laughed, groaned, even yelped as the sensation blended into the pain in your balls from being wrung dry.

"Rei– hah, stop! Fuck, stop!," you begged. Rei groaned her rejection of your request, replacing her mouth with the quick stroking of her hand.

"Come on, take it," she taunted. "You owe me all of it."

Your body twisted and contorted from the extreme sensation. But surprisingly, you could still feel something welling up in your shaft – your release merely held back by the ticklish sensation.

Rei rubbed you faster, scraping off some cum from her face onto yours until it was slick, sliding, and squelching with her grasp.

"One last," she reassured, "give it to me. I want it all over my face. I want it all over my mouth. I wanna feel your seed all over me. Make me yours. Mark me. Claim me."

Your writhing was frantic and aggressive. If not for Rei's weight on your legs you would have shaken yourself free, but your arms were still held back. No amount of retreat stopped Rei's unrelenting stroking.

"You're mine," she growled, taking your whole length in one last time. That last line of dirty talk was all you needed, and you cum another – a fourth? – time. It disappeared into Rei's mouth, but when she let go, a few streaks of drippy, clear fluid left a trail around your tip.

You panted, eyes heavy from exhaustion and ecstasy and head buzzing. You felt Rei trace another line inside your thigh. "Four," she teased, "if only we could make that five." Worn out as you were, you felt your dick twitch still, the prospect of being used by Rei surprisingly a turn on.

Rei clicked her tongue at the sight of you, slowly kissing your sensitive cock. Each one was light and cold at each touch, making you twitch and shudder harder and harder as she continued. She giggled as she continued, picking up the pace.

You heaved to catch your breath. "You're... very... pleased... despite... being sad..."

Rei paused her kissing. "Sad? I wasn't sad," she replied, dragging her tongue from the base of your cock to your tip, with a slow, dick-achingly long drag. "More frustrated. I've wanted you for so long and you kept wanting others. Now that you're mine, I'm never letting you go."

You laughed in panic. "Okay, I'm sorry... Fuck, I've never... never had a blowjob... like that.."

Rei giggled as she made another long stroke on your dick, your groans even louder behind hard-gritted teeth.

"You sound like you're in pain," she cooed, her tone seemingly mocking you. "You want me to stop?" she dragged her tongue once again, intent to continue until you stopped her. But you said nothing, merely groaning and gasping for air, eyes almost watering at how sensitive you felt. And Rei loved watching you squirm.

Like the end to an elaborate ritual, Rei took your dick in her mouth fully, wrapping her lips tightly around your head, forcing it through her mouth, and keeping the seal tight around your shaft – the same way she started. Inside her tongue did most of the work, stroking the full underside of your dick as she bobbed her head gently up and down the lower half of your shaft.

Painfully, you squirmed, feeling something pool at your base. "Fuck, stop! I'm gonna– fuck!"

Before you realized it, you squirted into Rei's mouth – squirted, meaning you felt a sharp jet of liquid spray out of your dick. Rei had let go of you just before you did, the fluids coating her face, your torso, your thighs, and the bedsheets.

With that, you let out a single laugh, and felt the ringing and the blackness in your field of view take over.

=====

When you woke up, the sun was almost about to rise. On Rei's bedside, her alarm clock read 5:39AM.

You tried to get up by propping yourself up with your hands – revealing that your bindings have been removed. Your groin ached and your member felt sore and sensitive, and you groaned to summon all the strength you had in you to get up.

Hobbling to the bathroom, you realize your skin felt surprisingly clean. You had been sweating and drenched in all manner of ejaculate last night, yet you felt like you'd taken a clean shower.

When you got to the bathroom, you turned on the faucet and rubbed your face, trying to wash the grogginess out of your system. When you opened your eyes, however, you found a little surprise: Rei left her lip tint counter on your thigh, the lines now forming the character 正. Around the base of your dick was a pink stain, the same ones caused by Rei's lips.

You grinned instantly – she accomplished her mission. "God damn," you muttered to yourself, "definitely the best blowjob I've had."

"Good," Rei replied, suddenly waiting at the door. You jumped, instinctively hiding your crotch in your hands. Rei tossed you your underwear and pants, and you swiftly put them on. She however wore your shirt, which fit her nicely – stretching down just past her hips that she was fully, but just barely, covered up.

She held your hands in hers, swinging them playfully. "I think I went... a little overboard last night..."

"You think?," you laughed at her.

She tilted her head and looked away. "Well... maybe I planned to go overboard..." She could barely hide her smirk.

You rolled your eyes. "I sure hope I've apologized sufficiently then."

"Hmmm," Rei replied cheekily, "take me out on a date first. Then we're even."

You embraced Rei tenderly, rubbing your hands on her back as she rubbed her face into your chest. Things felt right – for once you weren't just giving, but receiving twice over.

"I'm sorry for taking you for granted, Rei," you said softly into her hair.

"It's okay," she said, her face squished into your bare chest. "Don't go."

You held Rei by the shoulders and stared at her. She smiled from ear to ear, her eyes squished so much she looked like she couldn't even see. That's the Rei you liked.

"So," you replied, "how about we go clothes shopping?"

—————

#kpop smut #girl group smut #ive smut #rei smut #male reader

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wonderlandwalker · 2 days ago

Text

Hell hath no fury like a Buckley pt. II | Steve Harrington x reader

pt. I / stranger things masterlist / inbox / pt. III?

summary: Steve’s patience is legendary (in his own mind). Too bad reality keeps rudely disagreeing. Spoiler: He’s about to lose it.

word count: 5.8k

tags / content warnings: fluff, some hints to smut, robin who keeps interupting, later actual smut, me being a mythology nerd again

a/n: used scene cuts instead of transitions because I couldn't be bothered apparently, prolly a lot of repetitive synonyms I should fix but again apparently can't be bothered to. basically it's a bit of a mess but it's a bit of a mess I made with love. I might have had a bit of a mental meltdown, it's kingsday, I'm trying my best

Later was a fucking myth.

Not the cool kind—with dragons and sword fights and glory. No, this was the cruel kind.

The kind where Sisyphus wakes up every goddamn morning thinking, ‘Maybe today the boulder stays at the top,’ only to watch it roll back down again.

The kind of hope that survives solely because no one’s brave enough to strangle it.

Everything started the night of the fucking party itself.

Because for one fleeting, blissful hour, he’d almost—almost—convinced himself he could forget. The way your mouth had felt against his in that dim bathroom light—hot and hungry, teeth scraping his lower lip like you were marking him, claiming him. The way your lips had brushed his skin afterwards, tender in a way that wrecked him more than the bruising grip of your hands ever could. But then—

His fingers brushed yours as he passed you a drink. A graze. A spark. And suddenly, the world narrowed to that single point of contact, to the electric current that shot up his arm and straight to his ribs, knocking the air from his lungs. Because it wasn’t just a touch. It was a revelation. A reminder that he’d been lying to himself. That no amount of pretending could erase the way your body had arched into his, the way your breath had stuttered against his mouth when he’d pinned you against the sink.

And you knew it.

He could see it in the way your eyes flickered to his, in the way your lips parted just slightly. You knew, and you were letting him drown in it, in the way his fingers trembled around his glass, in the way his chest rose and fell like he’d been running.

“Ahem.”

Robin cleared her throat like she’d caught him mid-sacrilege, arms crossed, one eyebrow arched so high it nearly disappeared into her hairline, Steve jerked back like he’d been burnt, his drink sloshing precariously in his grip. “You two are disgusting,” Robin announced, her voice flat, and his jaw clenched. “We’re not doing anything.” The words came out rough, frayed at the edges—less of a defence and more of a confession: We’re not. But Christ, I want to.

Robin threw her hands up like she was appealing to an invisible jury. “Exactly!” Her voice pitched higher. “And yet it’s still too much! I mean, look at you!” She jabbed a finger at Steve, who stood frozen, caught between guilt and longing, like some tragic, lovesick monument to poor self-control. “Harrington looks like he’s two seconds away from either proposing or spontaneously—”

Your teeth caught your lower lip, Steve’s gaze snagged on the motion, it's knowing, vicious—and just like that, Robin’s tirade dissolved into meaningless static. Because that look? That wasn’t just a smile. That was a promise.

So he let it go.

Let Robin rant; let her seethe.

Let her mutter something about “emotional damage” as she stormed off, because none of it mattered. Not when you were looking at him like that.

He could wait a little while.

Right?

He offered to drive you home as the party came to an end—obviously—because he was raised with manners. Because letting you walk alone at night would simply be irresponsible. Because the thought of you in his passenger seat—his fingers itching to bridge that impossible six-inch gap between the gearshift and your thighs—was the only thing that made the last hour of Robin's pointed coughing fits bearable.

He'd played the role perfectly: attentive but not eager, close but not crowding. The model of whatever-the-hell you were supposed to be now. Steve gripped the wheel like it might steady him, knuckles matching the pale dashboard. He'd been good. Patient. Certain Robin's campaign of terror would lose steam by sunrise when she realised her best friend's happiness mattered more than her flair for dramatic interruptions.

Right?

Because when he'd pulled up to your house that night, he had practically launched himself from the driver's seat to open your door like some over-eager Prince Charming, and Robin had just... blinked. No dramatic gasp. No sarcastic commentary about his pathetic display of chivalry. Just a slow, considering roll of her eyes like someone who'd seen this train wreck coming from miles away, before turning on her heel and disappearing inside.

So yeah, Steve had gone to bed that night with a dopey smile still plastered across his face, half-convinced Robin's silence meant reluctant acceptance, maybe even approval.

He should have known better.

Another day had slipped through his fingers in a sun-drunk haze of laughter and lukewarm beers, Eddie’s voice a distant hum in his ear about— Christ, he didn’t even know. Not after you’d peeled off your clothes in one effortless motion, tossing them onto the dock before diving into the water. Not after the sunlight had shattered against the lake’s surface just to worship you, turning every droplet on your skin into liquid gold.

Steve was pretty sure Eddie had been talking about dragons. Or dungeons. Or possibly the existential dread of minimum wage monotony —hell, it could’ve been a manifesto on the meaning of life for all he knew.

It didn’t matter.

Nothing did.

Not when you were hauling yourself back onto the wooden pier, water falling off your body as you wrung out your hair with both hands, shaking it loose like some kind of mystic siren emerging from the depths, and he suddenly understood why ancient sailors crashed their ships against rocks.

He wondered if you knew.

If you noticed the way his gaze tracked your every movement like a man staring into the sun—knowing it would ruin him, but unable to look away.

If you enjoyed it, the way you’d caught him staring earlier as you stretched out on your towel, the straps of your swimsuit digging into the soft give of your shoulders as you arched your back—fuck—like a cat luxuriating in a sunbeam. He’d nearly choked on his own tongue, his beer bottle slipping through his fingers before Dustin snatched it with an exasperated, "Dude, what is your problem?"

But most of all, he wondered if you regretted that night at the party. If it had been nothing more than a drunken lapse in judgement, a moment of weakness you’d rather forget, and you were just too kind to say it.

Or maybe—

Maybe you felt it too. That electric, unspoken thing that crackled between you every time your knees brushed under the picnic table, every time you leaned in to murmur something just for him, your breath hot against his ear, your lips almost grazing his skin. Maybe you lay awake at night, replaying the same moments he does—his hands on your waist, your teeth at his lip, the way you’d gasped when he—

Yeah.

He was so fucking fucked.

It takes him another goddamn day to get you to himself again. The sun had begun its slow bleed into the horizon, staining the sky in hues of bruised purple, the summer air hanging thick between you, heavy with the scent of honeysuckle and the distant, drowsy drone of cicadas. Then—then—as you turned your head to find him already watching. His gaze dropping to your lips like he’d built them a temple in his mind, worshipping them with every stolen glance, his eyes holding that particular brand of devotion usually reserved for holy relics and half-court shots, as if even the act of blinking felt like treachery against the sacred privilege of watching you.

Then, you leaned in.

Slow.

Testing.

Close enough to watch his pupils blow wide. Close enough to feel his breath stutter against your mouth, warm and uneven. Close enough to—

"Don't mind me." Robin wedged herself between you like it was her assigned seat, the wooden steps groaning in protest beneath her. "Just enjoying this lovely summer afternoon," she chirped, her grin all malicious delight. "And by 'lovely', I, of course, mean physically painful to witness."

Steve's head dropped forward with a groan so guttural it might have been comical—if not for the way his fingers were currently attempting to fracture his own kneecaps, the veins in his forearms standing out like he was physically restraining himself from either screaming into the void or tossing his best friend into Lover's Lake. "Robin," he gritted out, voice fraying at the edges, "I swear to—"

"What?" She pivoted sharply, hand flapping between you like a malfunctioning windscreen wiper. "You'll what? Finally put us all out of our misery and end this"—she mimed an explosion with her hands—"three-day-long foreplay session? Because let me tell you, at this rate I'd genuinely rather—"

"Okay!" Steve barked, loud enough to startle a nearby crow into flight. His ears burnt scarlet, hand snapping back from your waist, and Robin smirked, hauling herself up with the triumphant air of someone who'd just single-handedly prevented a nuclear meltdown. "You're welcome," she stage-whispers to you, dusting off her jeans with exaggerated care before sauntering away, leaving only the faint scent of her shampoo and emotional devastation in her wake.

Steve stared blankly at the space she'd vacated, his jaw working like he was mentally composing his own obituary. You bite your lip to stifle a laugh as he tips his head back toward the darkening sky—either praying for patience or for the earth to swallow him whole—before his gaze slides back to you.

And this time, you're already watching him. Head tilted in that dangerous, familiar way—the same angle Robin struck right before dropping a truth bomb that levelled entire friend groups. The same tilt you'd worn seconds before your lips crashed into his. "Got something for you."

Your voice cuts through the air, yanking Steve out of his spiral of self-loathing and directly into a new, more dangerous one: You got him something?

Fuck. He hadn’t gotten you shit. Not flowers, not candy, not even a half-assed postcard from the Gas ‘n’ Sip—just a mountain of unresolved sexual tension and a concerning number of daydreams involving you, the backseat of his car, and significantly less clothing.

But then you rummage through your bag, pulling out a cassette tape. The label is blank. No track list. No heart doodles. Just the ghost of your fingerprints on the plastic case.

Is it a mixtape?

The thought sends a jolt through him. Mixtapes aren’t casual. Mixtapes are declarations. Mixtapes are the kind of thing you spend hours agonising over, second-guessing every song choice because what if they don’t get it? What if they don’t hear the things you can’t say out loud—

“Are you gonna take it or what?” You wave the tape in front of his face, and Steve snatches it a little too eagerly, his fingers brushing yours just long enough to make your smirk widen. “What’s on it?” he asks, voice rough.

You flash him that look again—the one that said he wasn't a participant in this game but a bystander. “Just a promise I made you.”

The drive home is torture. Every red light stretches into a personal hell, every stop sign a cosmic joke.

Why the fuck didn’t he leave his Walkman in the car like usual? But nooo—this time, he’d actually cleaned the damn thing thinking you’d notice.

He parks crooked in the driveway, tires screeching against the curb, barely kills the engine before he’s out of the car. The house is empty, thank fuck, no parents to witness their son taking the stairs two at a time like the hounds of hell are on his heels.

The Walkman is buried under a landslide of junk in his desk drawer—old mixtapes labelled in Robin’s messy scrawl, loose batteries that may or may not be dead, and a condom wrapper he swears he didn’t leave there. His fingers close around the familiar plastic, the weight of it suddenly heavier than he remembers. And for one paralysing second—thumb hovering over play—Steve feels terrified. What if it’s nothing? What if it’s everything?

The cassette clicks into place.

He presses play.

Silence. A vacuum of sound so complete Steve can hear his own pulse roaring in his ears. The kind of silence that comes before lightning strikes, before car crashes, before the world splits open and nothing is ever the same again.

Then—

A hiss of tape.

Static crackling.

The faintest hitch of breath—your breath.

Your voice.

Not the one you use when you tease him by the pool, lazy and sun-warmed. Not the one that laughs at his shitty jokes with an eye roll he can feel. Not even the whisper you reserve for when he's close enough to count your eyelashes.

A gasp fractures the silence – raw, unfiltered, and obscene. A moan follows, punched-out, and Steve's stomach plummets straight through the floorboards.

Holy fucking shit.

Your breath stutters in time with the unmistakable sound of skin on skin—his traitorous brain helpfully supplies the images in brutal HD: the way your thighs would fall open, the flush crawling up your chest, your fingers working in frantic circles.

A choked-off whimper.

The creak of bedsprings.

The slick, filthy noise of you fucking yourself—

"Steve—"

His name spills from your lips like a sacrament, like a damnation, syllables trembling at the edges like you’re coming apart just from the thought of him, and—

Christ.

He rips the headphones off like they've electrocuted him, but it's too late. The damage is done.

Your voice echoes in the hollow of his skull, in the marrow of his bones, in the aching throb of his cock straining against denim. He grips the edge of his desk until the wood creaks under his palms, trying and failing to unhear the way your voice shattered around his name—

Fuck.

The numbers on his alarm clock bleed together in the dark,

2:37 AM;

3:12;

4:49;

Each minute stretching into eternity as he lies there, wired and restless.

Sleep might as well be some distant continent he'll never visit again. Not when every time his eyelids grow heavy, his body betrays him with perfect recall, the memory plays mercilessly behind his closed eyes: your lips parting on a silent gasp as he leaned in, the way your breath hitched when his fingers found bare skin. How, for one crystalline moment suspended between heartbeats, he'd never been more certain of anything.

And then there's the goddamn tape.

It sits on his nightstand like some sacred relic and cursed object all at once, the plastic casing still warm from how often he's turned it over in his hands. He'd lasted exactly twenty-three seconds—just long enough to hear your breathy sighs and the rustle of sheets—before slamming the stop button.

He can imagine all he wants—the way your muscles might twitch under his touch, how your back would arch when he finally—

Fuck.

He needs to see it. Needs to see the exact shade of pink that blooms across your chest when you're flustered. Needs to catalogue every micro-expression that crosses your face when he—

The ceiling fan creaks above him, its lazy rotations doing nothing to cool the restless energy under his skin. Steve Harrington — brought to his knees by a cassette and what-ifs.

He debates his next move like a general strategising for war:

Option One: Throw caution to the wind. March up to your front door, push you against it, kiss you again—properly, this time—no hesitation, no interruptions. Just his hand on the back of your neck, your chest flush against his, and finally —finally— discovering if you taste as good as you sound on that godforsaken tape. Consequences and Robin’s inevitable shriek of horror to be damned.

But what if you push him away? What if he's misread everything?

Option Two: Play it cool. Wait for you to make another move, to give him some undeniable sign that this isn't just some one-sided fantasy cooked up by his sleep-deprived brain.

But what if you're waiting for the same from him? What if you both end up stuck in this purgatory of almosts and not-quites?

Option Three: Seek counsel from the devil herself. Ask Robin for advice and resign himself to a lifetime of mockery and possibly a commemorative plaque titled "World's Most Desperate Man".

He snorts, dragging a hand down his face. That's not happening.

At 5:27 AM, he makes a decision.

The bouquet of zinnias and baby's breath sits on his car hood like an indictment; he should've gone with something edgier. A single rose, maybe. Or just shown up shirtless with a six-pack like a normal person.

But the clock's ticking.

He grabs the flowers and forces his legs to carry him up your walkway.

The doorbell's chime might as well be a gong announcing his impending doom. What if you're not home? What if Robin answers instead? What if you take one look at him and his sad floral peace offering and just—

The door swings open. Time stops. There you are, leaning against the frame like you've been counting the minutes since he left last night, like you knew exactly when he'd crack. That sundress—the pale yellow one with tiny white embroidered flowers that clings to your hips like it was personally commissioned by God to test Steve Harrington's self-control—should be classified as a lethal weapon in at least five states.

"Well," you drawl, eyes dancing over his dishevelled state. "This is a surprise."

Steve's brain whites, all higher functions crashing. "I was, uh—" His throat clicks like a jammed record. Some distant, rational part of his mind that sounds suspiciously like Robin yells: Focus, Harrington! So he thrusts the bouquet forward like it's a live grenade. "Wondering if you'd want to go out with me."

You blink at the flowers, then back at him, that damn smirk playing at your lips. "If I want to go out with you?" Oh God, abort mission—

"On a date," he blurts, voice cracking. Smooth. "Like. Dinner. Or a movie. Or—fuck, I don't know, mini-golf?" Mini-golf?

The window above you explodes open with enough force to rattle the frames. "OH MY GOD," Robin's voice shrieks like a banshee, her head popping into view. "Dingus, if you stammer any longer, I'm invoking my best friend veto. This— "She karate chops the air between you two so violently Steve instinctively flinches “—is a hostile work environment for me." Steve's left eye develops a concerning twitch. "We're not at work, Robin."

"It feels like work!" she wails, draping herself dramatically over the windowsill. "The emotional labour of watching you two eye-fuck? Unpaid overtime!" She fake-sobs into her hands. "I need hazard pay! And possibly witness protection!"

You laugh — that bright, unfiltered sound that does dangerous things to Steve's circulatory system—and suddenly the flowers, Robin's theatrics, and even his own bone-deep embarrassment all fade into background noise. There's just you, smiling at him like he's something special, like maybe this is exactly what you’ve been waiting for. You tilt your head as your eyes spark with mischief. "Do I get that mini-golf date or not, Harrington?"

He spends the entire next day tearing through his closet like a man possessed, as if some divine intervention might suddenly produce a garment bag labelled: Outfit That Screams Casual First Date But Also Low-Key Says I’d Follow You Into Hell If You Asked.

He rejects: the navy polo—too "meeting your parents"; the leather jacket—too "trying too hard"; the stupid fucking Hawaiian shirt Eddie got him as a joke—actually, no. That one was never an option.

By the time he settles on light jeans and a soft grey Henley—rolled-up sleeves, one button undone, hair perfectly imperfect—he’s worked himself into such a state that it’s a miracle he didn't drive his Beemer straight into Lover’s Lake on the way to pick you up. You slide into the passenger seat, all golden warmth and that fucking perfume that's been haunting his dreams with the tenacity of a poltergeist, and suddenly he forgets how lungs are supposed to function.

You smile at him — that slow curve of lips that says you're fully aware of the devastation you're causing— and Steve's brain promptly abandons ship. His mouth, the traitorous bastard, keeps working without supervision: "Turns out the closest mini-golf place is, like, a fifty-minute drive," he blurts. "We can still go—we can definitely still go—but, uh, if you wanted to do something else, we could—maybe—I don't know—"

"Steve—" His head swivels so fast he's lucky his spine doesn't snap. The seatbelt locks with an audible click, which feels vaguely humiliating. "Let's go to your place."

Error 404: Steve Harrington.exe has stopped responding.

His heart flatlines.

His palms go damp.

The entire universe narrows to microscopic focus: the way your teeth worry your bottom lip, the faintest blush creeping up your neck like a slow sunrise. Some distant part of his mind registers that he should probably breathe at some point. "Unless your parents are home," you add quickly, eyes flickering down. Suddenly uncertain. Suddenly vulnerable in a way that cracks Steve's chest wide open. "Or you don't want to." And just like that, his system reboots. "No! I mean—yes! I mean—" He exhales, shaky, running a hand through hair that's already hopelessly dishevelled. "That sounds nice. Maybe we could pick up some Thai food on the way?" Your nose scrunches in immediate, visceral disgust, and it's the most adorable thing Steve's ever witnessed. "Absolutely not. It's Chinese food or I'm leaving."

And just like that—under his hopelessly adoring gaze—you're you again, all sharp edges and soft laughter. The nerves evaporate from his system like morning fog burnt away by the sun.

It's easy.

It's simple.

It's everything and nothing all at once.

And now the dining room is bathed in warm light, the kind that makes everything feel softer, more intimate.

You’re drinking the overpriced wine he "borrowed" from his parents’ cellar, presenting it to you with the second-hand expertise of a man who’s absorbed exactly one wine tasting seminar by sheer osmosis. Steve holds it with the reverence of a man who doesn’t quite know what he’s doing but is determined to look like he does; he swirls it, smells it, and—after a theatrical pause—lifts it to his lips.

"Notes of…uh—" He squints, as if the answer might materialise in the wine. "Grapes. Definitely grapes."

The laugh that escapes you is bright, and you press your hand to your mouth like you’re trying to smother it. His chest tightens, his ribs suddenly too small for the way his heart swells. He cannot help but watch as the dim light flickers in your eyes. "I was thinking," he starts, voice low, fingers tracing the stem of his glass and you tilt your head, lips curving. "Hmm?"

"Since you got to choose dinner…"

Your grin widens. "Yes?"

He leans in, just slightly, close enough that he can see the way your breath catches. "...I get to choose dessert."

Your eyebrows lift up.

His stomach drops.

Oh.

Oh, fuck.

"Shit—I didn’t—" he groans, dropping his face into his hands. "I meant the ice cream maker," A crimson flush travels up his neck. "We have this stupid fucking ice cream maker, and I wanted to—Christ, I’m terrible at this." But then your fingers find his jaw, tilting his face up. Your touch is grounding, and when he finally meets your gaze, you’re looking at him with something unbearably fond. "I know what you meant," you murmur, thumb brushing over his pulse point. "But for the record?" You lean in, close enough that he can feel your breath against his lips. "I like both options."

For one agonising moment, he waits. Waits for Robin to kick the door in, for the phone to ring, for the universe to rip you away like it always does. But nothing comes. So he closes the distance.

The taste of you—cherry gum and Riesling—is dizzying. Addicting. Perfect. And every doubt evaporates. Certainty slots into place, a puzzle piece he’s been searching for all this time. His fingers slide into your hair, cradling the back of your neck as he kisses you, savouring the way your breath hitches when he tugs just enough to tilt your head back—until you’re arching into him with a gasp that goes straight to his dick.

He’s not hesitant anymore.

He's determined.

His free hand skates up your thigh where the fabric gives way to fever-warm skin. Every inch higher is a revelation written in scripture only he can read: the soft crease of your hip that makes you arch when he brushes it, the violent shudder that wracks your body when his thumb finds the lace edge of your underwear and strokes past it once. "Tell me to stop," he murmurs against the swell of your breast, lips dragging damp heat across flushed skin. His voice is rough enough to scar, the words vibrating through you like a struck chord.

The contradiction of it—his hands saying "mine" while his mouth offers a way out—makes your pulse stutter wildly under his touch. But you don't tell him to stop. You moan his name instead, and something primal in him finally fucking snaps.

His hand fists in the fabric at your hips, hiking your dress up. He drops to his knees like a man starved for communion, the hardwood biting through his jeans as he drags you to the very edge of the chair. The first swipe of his tongue is a revelation—hot and wicked and perfect—and your thighs clamp around his head instinctively, heels digging into the small of his back as you gasp. He groans, the sound filthy and low, vibrating against you as your fingers knot in his hair hard enough to hurt. He likes it—the sharp sting, the way you hold him exactly where you want him, the helpless little noises you make when he sucks just there—

He stands so fast the chair screeches against the floor, nearly toppling. You whimper at the sudden loss, lips parting to protest, but he's already hauling you up by the thighs. With one sweeping arm, he clears the table—glasses shattering, plates clattering. The polished wood is cold against your back when he lays you down, but his mouth is already back on you like he's been granted a single taste of salvation and intends to make it last forever.

His hands are everywhere—roaming, memorising. He licks into you like he's trying to learn you by taste alone, each desperate sound you make another stitch unravelling in his self-control. When your hips jerk up against his mouth, he pins you down with a forearm across your stomach. "Steve—" you choke out, back arching off the table.

He lifts his head just enough to meet your gaze, lips glistening, pupils blown black with want. "Yeah, sweetheart?" His hand digs into the soft swell of your ass, kneading hard enough to pull a gasp from your lips, and Christ, the way your muscles jump under his touch is going to haunt him for the rest of his goddamn life. His fingers slip lower, teasing, and when he finally pushes one inside, your eyes flutter open—wide and dark and only for him—before drifting shut again as he crooks it just right. But God—

It’s not enough.

He's fucking ravenous—a man possessed, a sinner on his knees, drunk on the punched-out whimper you make when his teeth graze your clit. Every sound you give him, every shudder, every desperate roll of your hips against his tongue just feeds the hunger, making it gnaw sharper at his ribs until he’s certain he’ll die if he doesn’t ruin you in every way imaginable. So he lifts you up again, and your legs lock around his waist, fingers tangling in his hair, your lips tracing his skin with filthy promises and sweeter vows.

He carries you to his bed like a man on a holy fucking crusade—shoulder clipping the doorframe hard enough to bruise, hip smashing into the hallway table with a crash that sends some forgotten heirloom —a vase? a statue? something his mother will interrogate him about later— tumbling to the floor. His shin connects with that goddamn antique trunk, pain flaring bright and sudden, but it barely registers.

He doesn’t care.

Couldn’t possibly care.

Not when you’re rolling against him like that, not when your teeth are at his pulse like you want to drink him whole, not when every ragged, punched-out breath you take is his name, his doing, his to devour. The world could be burning down, and he wouldn’t notice—not when you’re here, not when you’re his, not when—

Finally, you’re beneath him on the mattress, and Christ, he’s exactly where he wants to be. He’s made it to fucking Bethlehem. He worships you like a dying man at his last confession, like every taste could absolve him of every sin he’s ever committed. His hands bracket your hips, fingers digging into the soft flesh, holding you down as you squirm, as your fingers twist in his hair again hard enough to make his dick throb. The groan it pulls from him vibrates through you, and fuck, the way you writhe at the sensation—

"That’s it," he murmurs, lifting just enough to watch your face contort—eyelids fluttering, lips parted. "Being so fucking good for me." His tongue drags a slow, filthy stripe over your clit. "Please—" It’s barely more than a whimper, your entire body trembling with the effort of holding back. And fuck—

Who is he to deny you?

He doesn’t think he’s capable of the fact. Not when you look like this—wrecked and wanting, your skin slick with sweat, your chest rising and falling. His teeth find the soft skin of your inner thigh, biting just hard enough to make you jerk up into him. "Cum for me," he growls against your skin, the command rough with want, with need, with something dangerously close to consecration. And when you do—when your hips stutter and his name tears from your throat—he thinks, distantly, that he gets it now.

That he understands Sisyphus

Some things—the salt-sweet taste of you on his tongue; the way you clench around his fingers like you're trying to keep him there forever; the broken way you gasp his name like it's the only word you remember— are fucking worth eternal damnation.

He lingers, drinking it in. He could spend perpetuity like this, unravelling you piece by piece, learning the cadence of your gasps, the rhythm of your pulse beneath his tongue, the spasms of your chest as your breath steadies. He really fucking could.

But at the same time—

He still wants more of you.

His hips stutter forward that next inch before he means to, his composure cracking like thin ice under the sheer, overwhelming rightness of it.

Holy.

Fucking—

—Fuck.

It's just the head of his cock inside you, but you clamp around him like a vice, like you're terrified he'll disappear. As if he could ever walk away from this—from you. A groan tears from his throat, his forehead dropping to yours as he struggles to breathe. His hands—usually so sure, so steady—shake where they grip your hips, his thumbs pressing into the soft skin there.

"Jesus," he grits out, voice wrecked. "You—fuck—you feel—" But language fails him, because how the hell is he supposed to describe this? The way you take him, like you were made for it. And when you clench around him again, when your legs lock around his waist to pull him deeper— he has to bite his own tongue hard enough to taste copper to keep from unravelling completely. Because if he doesn’t get a fucking grip, this’ll be over before it’s even really begun, and that would be a goddamn tragedy.

He wants to defile you properly—wants to catalogue every broken sound you can make, every way your body trembles beneath his. So he slows down, even though it fucking kills him, pulling almost all the way out before sinking back in with measured thrusts. His hands find yours, fingers intertwining as he pins them down, using the leverage to angle himself deeper, harder, until you’re moaning like it’s prayer, like it’s absolution, like he’s the only thing keeping you tethered to this earth. "Look at me," he murmurs, voice rough as gravel, and when your eyes meet his—dark and hazy and pleading, pupils blown so wide he can barely make out the colour—he knows he would do anything to keep this—to keep you.

He would find a way to lasso the fucking moon if you asked.

Would dive off a cliff after you without a second thought.

Would push that fucking boulder up the hill forever.

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midnight1nk · 3 days ago

Text

So, this week's episode...

[spoilers below cut]

Well, it looks like I got it right. It was a silly episode, though nothing related to the teaser we got. That's a shame. I suppose it's just to hype us up for the future. Either way, let's see what this is about!

(the following is my live reaction:)

shoes, huh? ......spaghetwhat now?

oof, yeah man you're gonna need a new pair

ooh damn. well, it is Bob after all. ofc he would say that 😌↕️

nah it's still bullshit, idc what anyone says

why, this doesn't look suspicious at all. a mirror shop conviently placed here on an alleyway

"🤨?" what? I gotta be on high alert every episode! Last time, the Team dropped a callback to IGBP out of nowhere, who knows what they drop on us next

uh, wha? how did.....? I shouldn't be questioning the logic of the SMG4 universe, this isn't what's surprising. It's a fact that mirrors were also used in WOTFI 2025 hmmmm

(you guys are gonna have to drag me away from this scene or I'll start thinking too hard on this)

c'mon dude, there's no need to prove yourself of anything

oh hey Swag! how's Chris— *record scratch* ......i'm sorry wha?

😦

RADIATION?

oh i did not like the realistic mouth ADKL;JK

wait hold up! enhance... ENHANCE....

....is that who I think it is? there's no way, right?

IS THAT STEVE? omg HI it's been so long

FM?! it's really you? omg ^^ it's been.... oh wow, it has been years, hasn't it? anyway damn, it's been SO long

like I know FM and X aren't gonna come back but it is heartwarming to see them again after a few years. We mostly seen Cube walking around

she was a fairy 🧚✨

see? I told yall Mario would totally be a disney princess (that crowd's just being a much of haters)

I ain't trusting that, hell no

AY back to the clubhouse!

Oh, Depresso, I didn't expect you to come back from Karen's arc

....😶 "what?" well, I was gonna say that I hated that heavy breathing like. Mario, what the hell did you do? But for some reason, this starting to remind me of something. I'll talk about it later if this is going where I think is going

ofc the meme guardians would be the ones who enjoy this lol

well, 4 would be the one doing the redesigns. this tho.....

and now Swag's glowing green smh, told yall I don't trust it

Well, it was mostly 3 that made fun of you, Mario, but that's bc it's 3 we're talking about. I suppose from how you feel, you might remember it things differently

MORE?!

Mario, telling you rn, it ain't worth it

yeah, I knew Swag was gonna say "CHUG"

😨 oh i don't like that..... I think my hunch may be correct

(also don't

what is up with his hand? he destroyed a nokia, and yall know those are practically indestructible

guys, i don't like this

😨😨😨

MIYAMOTO NOOO

the cutaway from that fight scene tho LMAO

JAMES?!

why did I have a feeling 3 would like this new look? lol (it actually makes me think)

killer fish from san diego.... (FISH MENTION?!)

well, 4, what else did you expect? This seems like a normal SMG4 plot honesty, it just feels.... a bit strange if that's how I would describe it

*points at 3* Can we talk about the fit tho? the puzzles hoodie and the silly pants..... that's a Fit (with a capital F) if I ever seen one 😎

perhaps one day we get James to do a 3 cosplay like Luke did? maybe???

and that's a fire bound to happen

....omg, Bob? Was this from the explosion?

it'll never be enough, right? but also this is Bob, he's got a whole set of standards

oh yea, this is VERY similar to the thing I'm going to talk about

Mario: "I WILL be pretty" :( aw but you were

EXACTLY, you really did have a point from the start

TIME TO SHUT THIS DOWN

Do the thing, Mario! YEAH

It's bad enough as it is that people were already mad about the switch 2 (and by extension the new mario kart) would be expensive

Well, at least Miyamoto listened

Wow, 3 was really happy with this new form until he was changed back. huh.

Look, I know it's supposed to be funny and all, but something's telling me it goes deeper than that. And I'm gonna talk about it OBVIOUSLY. You are talking to a theorist here, ofc I would overanalyze stuff

At least, things are back to normal

and THERE! Right there is all I need, thanks Team!

Such a tease to have the cafe right there and Swag coming out of it, but we don't get to be in it (*head in hands* /lh) one day tho....

*explodes* <- that is probably the second episode in a row that ended with an explosion

Congrats to Michelle940607 for your art being featured in the end credits! 🎉 seriously some of the art I've seen from you guy look like they belong in a museum omg

.・-: ✧ :--: ✧ :-・.

This certainly was an episode and I'm not quite sure what to think of it /gen. It did start off and very similar to a classic SMG4 plot, I noticed we got a lot more of Mario's 64 version in this one. But for some reason I can't point my finger on it, hmm.

I'll be real, it did feel a bit uncomfortable of the whole "true beauty" thing and all that jazz, but it was a nice message at the end with Mario accepting himself. As someone who has dealt with self-image issues before, it hits closer to home more than anything. The good thing is that we got our silly goofball back.

"So, what's the big deal about your hunch?" Well, I'm glad you asked, chat. For most of the episode, I couldn't shake this feeling of familiarity until I remembered what it was when Mario transformed the second time.

You see, there is a body-horror film called "The Substance". I do wanna warn that there is a bunch of gore and things that make want to look away, I know not all of you have the stomach to look it up so I might as well warn you now. It's also the whole point of the film to make you feel uncomfortable and unsettled, perhaps even grossed out. Basically, the film brings up the topic of perfection and societal beauty standards, more specifically in Hollywood. Truly, the victim of the film is an older actress desperately wanting to bring her perfect self while at the same time hating herself for how she looks now, despite being beautiful anyway. She took a serum (that was a radioactive-green color) and it worked, only later to abuse it bc of the perfection mindset Hollywood put on her.

Perfectionism, it really leads someone to their downfall....

There's a reason I brought this film up. Throughout the whole episode, it felt off. Sure, I was uncomfortable about "fixing" one's self image, but there was another thing. The close-up to Swag's realistic mouth, the mirror. The radiation given to Mario, the heavy breathing and distortion of his body. Hell, even the way Mario feel against the table and knocked the book off from it. This is practically a PG-13 version of the film, except y'know with Mario and in the SMG4 universe. Heh, and wouldn't you know it, pink being used in the two medias to represent perfection. (you're gonna have to trust me on this for those who don't know)

Now, can we talk about 3? We GOTTA talk about 3.

On hindsight, it's part of the joke that someone would like their new look and get sad when everything turns back to normal, which in this case was 3. And it indeed caught me so off-guard to see James just there, it did get a laugh out of me. BUT if you put this context of the film in mind, this bit adds on to the topic of 3's insecurities. He already feels like the "worst version of 4" and still getting used to having friends. Then, to have this radioactive solution that supposedly makes you look perfect and become "true beauty" on him, 3 looks really happy about it. Sure, he goes on to say how he's handsome and is "The Rizzler", but that might be him trying to put up a front of his own self-image to others. And maybe to himself. Ofc everything reverts back to the way it was and 3 is upset about it. Back to being the "worst version of 4". Not to mention 3 wearing a Puzzles hoodie, y'know the one always in pursuit for perfection.

The more you think about, it really is sad.

Speaking of 4, he was the completely opposite. 4 was the first one to ask Mario what the hell did he do to them and was dumbfounded to know the reason why, for shoes. Until the very end, you can see 4 being unhappy until he's back to his old silly self. He didn't want this "perfection". Now, this is not me trying to connect it to goop!4, really I'm not. But it is just interesting that 4 didn't accept the unexpected "perfection" and rejected it.

Maybe I'm looking too much into thing and likely that the Team didn't plan all this, but these are my thoughts. Personally, it was an ok episode, all things considered, but I know some people aren't happy about it which that's fair. I just hope some people *cough cough* reddit *cough* don't take things too far and start blaming our new writer. We're just getting started and I did get a catch on some of their work, so I can put in a good word. Please do give them a chance, looking at you reddit. Not all episodes are going to be heavy-hitters and that's okay. There's always another week.

It's valid if you don't like the episode or you're unsure what to feel, just don't go looking for someone/something to blame on. Perhaps it's me being too optimistic, who can say? Besides, I know the Team's cooking, I got a hunch

I still can't believe Evan from the Team actually followed me omg

Anyway, it is an interesting direction the Team went with this episode and I do hope we get more of 3's inner turmoil of being "4's worst copy" like the "Trash Friends" episode. Oh, and they follow-up on the Puzzles and WPNZ teaser somehow, a prison escape perhaps?? Who knows!

As for all of you, if you are dealing with self-image/body issues, just know that you're a wonderful person inside and out. It might not feel like it bc we're talking behind a screen, but seriously you don't have to change to be loved. You already are, and very much friend-shaped to give you a virtual hug 🫂💙 If you want, talk to somebody about it and try to handle it in a healthy and respectful way to yourself. For example, instead of the usual black hoodies I wore in high school, I dress and doll myself up with some nice and comfy clothes. Even if I'm not going out, I still do it and that helped me rebuild some confidence in myself. You can always do what you can for yourself, however you can :)

Well, that's all from me folks! I do apologize taking a while to post this out there. Just putting out fires in my production job, y'know the usual. I'll see yall in the next one, and remember: numbers always go first!

...wow, I can't believe we got to see FM after so long. That's wild. I do wonder how Chris is doing tho

#smg4 #smg4 spoilers #ink reviews #even so-called perfection is never enough #that's why chat there's nothing wrong with staying as wonderful as you are now 💙#(also that rat and cheese bit was really funny lol)

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astral-prayers · 3 days ago

Text

jack whose heard of you from murmurs and gossips from his fellow dorm mates, thinking about how it's only been a short while since you've mysteriously gotten into this world with how much trouble follows you. jack pities you, somewhat. but he wouldn't be found near any radius with you. he's not really that interested on being a part of your.. "shenanigans", savanaclaw's already an exuberant bunch of competitive try hards. but. whenever he hears the accomplishments you've done–managing to acquire a gemstone from the abandoned mines, being able to make two students work together without making any shady deals, standing against the housewarden of heartslabyul–all the air of trouble, mischievousness, and thievery immediately dissipates.

jack didn't really made much out of you at first, obviously. you tend to stick with your usual... chaotic friend group. he surmised that they made you feel at home, and practically make you clean up their mess but that's something only a bystander would think of so jack holds that thought off, undoubtedly he'd be like you too if he's in a world so far from what you've been used to. jack's thoughts about you is as blank as your interactions together, but it's altogether much more positive than your other schoolmates views towards you.

the first you talk to him, or rather even acknowledge that he also went to night raven, was just a simple bump in the hallway. it was almost lunchtime, only one more subject and every student's favorite time would come. there's a commotion going down the hallway, the garden's brimming with people doing their things, and jack's too caught up with his studying that he didn't register walking towards someone. there's a small yelp that elicited from your side, one which jack's ears perked too–he reacted pretty fast too, his hands surged to hold your arms before your awaited fall. just in time, he thinks. but he blinks, and sees that it's you; the Prefect, the one who's been plaguing the student gossip. jack's ears are straight up by that point and you wallowed out a "sorry, i didn't see where i was going!" and he huffed. "no need. i'm sorry i didn't see you too." he says, too aware of his tail wagging side to side, too aware of how your heartbeat's palpitating, and maybe a bit aware of some savanaclaw students looking at both of your way. but you don't seem to mind, maybe you're used to it (he thinks, yet again.) "no, no, it's my fault! really! i saw you were walking clearly while i was.. you know.. just waltzing about. really, i'm sorry." and jack cracks a curt smile, he retracts back his hand from your arms and fixes his cuffs before shaking his head. "it's okay, we we're both preoccupied with something." and you smile, and jack's feeling his tail puffing up, then he looks sideways and says; "i'll be going now. you should too, you'll be late to class." before anything else–before he does or says anything–jack starts walking. but the universe, or maybe You, seems to have other plans. "Wait! I never got your name–" you yell, albeit it could be considered a whisper too, you don't know, jack doesn't know. but what he knows is that he turns around and looks at your eyes, and says: "Jack Howl, nice to meet you." too fast but not too slow to notice your eyes crinkling in delight and a smile so sunny he starts to smile too. and then you reach out your hand for him, before saying the name he's heard people utter from the mouth he's heard others would spew out miracle sounding magic. "nice to meet you too! i'm the Prefect of ramshackle dorm, Jack!"

#twisted wonderland #disney twisted wonderland #twisted wonderland x reader #twisted wonderland x you #jack howl #jack howl x reader #jack howl x you #i love jack howl 😞😞#not proofread #disney twst #twst wonderland #twst #twst jack #twst x reader #twst x you

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ask-americas-monster · 2 days ago

Note

How long has it been? It was hard to tell. More than a few hours, possibly few days. It was also so goddamn cold here. And to think it all started with a simple call, they needed her for a mission, expected big damage, so obviously a medic is a nice thing to have. And she ended up here, tied to that goddamn chair.

Her wrists bleeding again with every move, scabs opening when she pulled at the restrains again with the little strength that she had left in herself. Those fucking Russians, oh how this thick accent was pissing her off beyond her limits. Yet, she was tired. Fighting back and refusing to speak was tiring. Especially with being woke up by violence whenever she got to close her eyes for a moment, slip away into that warm and fuzzy darkness.

Everything hurt, her muscles flexing on their own causing her to shiver constantly. It was hard to tell if it was cold or pain getting to her. But she did it for her team, distracting the enemy from her little bundle of joy as she called the privates that ended up with her. Barely 18 year Olds, they didn't deserve to go through that yet. She could still only hope that they were fine.

One of the Russians typed something on his phone before telling her to pick a number for her call. Mhm, nice, getting one chance to save herself. Fake hope was a nice manipulation technique. Out of the options that she had in mind, Adler seemed like the safest one. Mostly because he'll know what to do. Doesn't hurt to try. She said the number, waiting for response, staring at the glowing screen like it was supposed to save her. Finally, the click was heard.

"I'm alive, but that might change. You have to find me."

Not using his name was obviously on purpose. Her voice a bit unsteady from how exhausted she was. Alice was also unaware that Adler was informed that his help would be nice, because they can't find her after she went MIA.

- @alice-sparrow-solace

P.S I don't mind shorter answers, this was just to build the world and situation a bit

He wasn't ready to actually be called in the first place, judging by his whole Interpol presence and all. Save to say he wasn't the most eager to leave his workload behind and actually get back into gear in the first place. They just wouldn't let him start an early retirement, right?

The debrief was cut short, really short to save time and get the lost squad to safety. Something about it seemed off to him though, as if this felt a bit too familiar. With his arms crossed he watched the preparations, his mind running through every possible plan they could use to get through with this.

Her call though, that made him change his mind quickly. That usually so soft voice he had learned to adore meak and tired. He had to keep it together, had to actually keep his calm and not go out of his way. Kuwait had been bad enough back then. "Lucky you...guess I know who we're searching for then. How long can you last?...I'll be there..."

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nebrasska-alasska · 3 days ago

Note

Is chapter 17 of “we’re gay so let’s have our wrists tethered” really coming out this Sunday?🤭 Is it a juicy one?

I’m so sorry for being so bold asking that, it’s ok if you don’t want to give spoilers or anything, it’s just that I really really love your fics and you got me horribly obssesed,😀 I’m literally in med school rn and can’t stop thinking about those gay hedgehogs😔, I remember refreshing my page in an unhealthy way when you were releasing chapters from The Secrets In Our Quills.

Also I take this opportunity to tell you that I remember you answering an ask and saying that you think your writing is not feeling the same to you anymore or something similar to that, I just want you to know there are thousands of us out here who really value it, cherish it and love it very much and can’t wait for more of your work to be released so pleaseee don’t doubt yourself in that aspect🙏🏻🙏🏻 .I hope you’re doing good yourself and with your school, I have friends and my sister also in dental school and know how hard clinics can be and I as a medical student can understand high pressure😣 so I really hope you’re also saving some time for yourself and your peace of mind.

I’m so sorry this came out so long lmao. Greetings and love from México!!🫶

Yes currently the plan is to publish the next chapter of 'Tethered at the Wrist' (we’re gay so let’s have our wrists tethered trololol) tomorrow! As of right now. Might change. I guess we'll all find out tomorrow evening ;)))

And omg yes it is a juicy one! THE juicy one of the fic, at least, in my opinion. Like obviously fun stuff will still happen after this chapter, but this is kind of what a lot of the story has been building up to. So I've been having a blast finally writing it!!! :D

And thank you so much for your kind words about my writing!!! Truly, brought a tear to my eye, that means so much to me! I actually decided to take a short break this part week from writing and dedicated myself to spending time with my family and focusing on making the hard decision of where I want to go and practice for the next chapter of my life (and truthfully, the weight of it has left me feeling a bit depressed and fatigued). But now that I've sat down to work on the next chapter of 'Tethered at the Wrist,' I can say that the break was very much needed. I'm really pleased with how it's been turning out so far, and I hope it lives up to the juicy hype ;))) But yes, thank you again for your lovely comments!!! <3

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nabi-unveiled · 1 day ago

Text

Catching Up: Love for Love's Sake (Ep 4)

Other Reacts: Ep 1 Ep 2 Ep 3

Yes, it's 3:15 in the morning. Yes, I have to work tomorrow. No, I can't even sleep in because I have to interview a potential intern at 9 am. Plus, the kids will be home with me too since it's a school holiday. I don't care. I'm starting episode 4 anyways.

And yay! We've went back to the fight. I was hoping we would find out more about what happened.

Is this a new way for them to do the subtitle for "debuff/curse". I guess that's fine so that people who don't understand gaming get it. It feels a little late in the game for that though. Still, I loved this screenshot, because you can see the transition that's a bit gamified. And the purple aura energy is showing up on Yeowoon's arm.

We didn't have any debuffs last episode so I guess the debuff really does relate to affection of Myungha and not Yeowoon's personal affection. Fine. I'll exit my clown car theory about the debuffs....for now. Outside of my clown car, it makes sense that the debuff would show up now since Myungha's affection level just plummeted.

Myungha absorbs the debuff. Yeowoon is left in shock. He definitely is feeling rejected/slighted at this point.

Myungha is dragging Sangwon through the halls. Sangwon says "I'm not a kid." I'd be careful Sangwon. That line of thinking means he can hit you. I know Myungha knows how to fight, but I do wonder more and more every episode about "why" he fought. I'm already developing a lot of head canons on that score. Maybe we'll find out eventually though.

He's not going to hit him (not that I thought he ACTUALLY would anyways), because we now have a ringing sound. I'm guessing the debuff is having an effect. He absorbed all the bad purple energy, and it was STRONG this time base on his -99. Was the -99 in red last episode? If not, it should've been. Sorry, random thought.

Myungha falls down the stairs.

I've given up on the episode names being strictly related to missions. The gamer in me though is going to retranslate this as "progress". That feels better in gamification terms. Especially if it's talking about progress in the mission quest. I obviously have no clue whether that is right. Wait. Unless they're talking about aspects of the game being "in development" like new code/levels being written or the story being redeveloped/changed. Hmm. That actually feels likely. We'll stick with development.

KYUNGHOON! You're back. I missed you so much. I'm guessing they're having to skip class to go to the competition. Apparently, Myungha has hurt his leg. Kyunghoon struggles to get over the wall. Based on how Myungha hopped the wall, I'm guessing it's the right leg that's hurt. But Myungha's leg obviously wasn't THAT badly hurt. It didn't look like he tried to favor one leg more in the landing. Guess that could depend on the type of injury though. My perspective is probably skewed. I've dislocated kneecaps more times than I wish to recount. I definitely wouldn't have made it over the wall shortly after one of those times. My personality is such though that I'd have doubled down and probably hurt myself more while trying. Lol.

Sangwon is waiting on the other side of the wall. I loved his "hi". Kyunghoon asks if he was waiting. Myungha says it's a "disease". It works, but I wonder if there is a different translation of that word. They've used it several times. It was also used in a very similar way during Secret Relationships ("being nosy is a disease").

Sangwon says he was just late to school. It's coincidence that they met up. I love that he's somewhat "talking back" to Myungha. But I also have a very sarcastic/roast style sense of humor. These types of exchanges always make my day. I wish I had more of that energy in my life.

Kyunghoon asks about the shoes, and Sangwon realizes that he had made a mistake. I didn't mention it last episode as the post was already getting really long. But my guess is that Sangwon was upset about the shoes, because he thought that his mom gave them to Yeowoon. His mom had just been to the school after all, and it appears like they have a complicated relationship. I'm guessing there's a lack of affection there too based on Sangwon's reactions to Myungha's signs of care. This is all conjecture on my part. The show isn't really SAYING any of this at the moment.

But now he knows the shoes weren't from his mom. It's okay Sangwon. I made several bad calls in the last episode too. Sangwon decides to follow.

And just like that, we have a gaming party embarking on a quest.

Our trio notices that Yeowoon is standing instead of taking his place on the blocks. Is he wearing the blue shoes? It looks like it. Myungha is still outside of the love supremacy zone, but he yells Yeowoon's name. I'm taking note that his number is 251 just in case it pops back up at some point. I loved the sound effect as the camera circled around and Yeowoon realized his name was being called.

Yeowoon is recalculating his affection, and the number starts moving up fast. Lol. This feels very much like love indeed. Highs and lows and emotional turbulence. Some might say that's the fickle nature of teenage affection. I'd say that doesn't ever really change. But maybe that's just the nature of my personal relationship talking. Maybe it'd help if we had affection scores above our head so we'd both know when we screwed up. On second thought, I don't think I'd want to know my score. That feels like a recipe for disaster.

Yeowoon takes his place at the blocks with magic sparkles coming off of his blue shoes. The affection level keeps rising.

If this wasn't a "game", the new shoes would be disastrous in a competition. But as I've thought about it, I actually like that this feels like an equipment upgrade in a game. Higher tier equipment immediately leads to better outcomes in a game assuming you have the skills to use it.

The music reminds me of late 90s/early 2000s movies. I kind of love it since we're panning across Sangwon and Kyunghoon's faces, and it feels like a friend montage moment out of one of those types of "high school" movies. Ah nostalgia.

Affection level is back at 0. The subtitles say Yeowoon is second, but I'm guessing he's actually third. They announced two other names before him.

Yep, he's third place based on the next part of the dialogue. Myungha says he did well. Yeowoon is crying, but Myungha definitely doesn't understand the reason. Yeowoon is trying to figure out why Myungha is nice to him.

Poor boy is definitely dealing with romantic feelings now. I'm loving the romance driven emotional angst of it all. This is my cup of tea.

The coach interrupts. Yeowoon is still emotional, but Myungha says he'll wait. They can eat together afterwards. Yes, please do. I'm always going to be down for a shared meal.

Yay! Our whole crew is EATING together! And Yeowoon is smiling.

Yeowoon tells Myungha to eat too and gives him food. OMG - our affection level has crossed the zero threshold. We're now at 5. And it keeps climbing as he keeps giving Myungha food. Lol. Kyunghoon tells Myungha to eat slowly and Sangwon's face is priceless! He seems absolutely disgusted by Yeowoon's actions. We end on an affection level of 17 for now.

Sangwon and Yeowoon are bickering. I love it. so. much. Frenemy relationships are the best. I'm looking forward to seeing how this develops moving forward.

For those that like talks about linguistics, they said a bit about honorifics too. If I followed it correctly, Sangwon used more casual speech with Myungha and Yeowoon didn't like it. I could be mistaken though. Myungha really is the exasperated parent here. Lol. Cutie Kyunghoon helps Myungha out. He is worried that Yeowoon's feet might hurt since he ran with new shoes.

Yeowoon says he's fine, but he asks what happened to Myungha's leg.

🤣 This pout had me dying. For the game aspect, it really is like now that his "affection level" has went up, it's unlocked all kinds of new dialogue/expression options.

I wonder if Myungha realizes that his leg getting hurt was due to the purple energy. He's a smart cookie. I bet he's figured that out.

This whole scene just put me in a good mood.

Yeowoon offers to help "hold" Myungha. I'm betting there's a better translation of that. Kyunghoon used the term earlier too. I bet it has to do with letting Myungha lean on him or something like that rather than "hold" as I typically interpret. Myungha says he fine.

Yeowoon wants Myungha to rely on him too. This is a tricky situation. Yeowoon wants them to be EQUALS, but Myungha is definitely going to struggle with that. Myungha has taken on a caretaker role, and while those things aren't mutually exclusive, it can make things complex.

Yeowoon asks how Myungha knows his (shoe) size. Myungha says he let the fan (sis) pick it out, and that she wants to meet Yeowoon. Yeowoon doesn't seem happy about Myungha hanging out with her often, but he agrees to meet up with Si-a.

Yeowoon has essentially walked Myungha home. He tells him thank you which Myungha teases him about. But he says it again and leaves.

The entry light starts flickering and there are some jarring sounds. Ominous music plays, and Myungha's head is hurting.

OOOOOOH. It WAS development like "game in development". Exciting.

We're back at the bar from episode 1. Senior is asking Myungha questions.

I first noticed the three butterflies in the corner of the paper. It shouldn't be a surprise given my blog name that I'm likely to notice butterflies. They're a symbol of transformation and personal growth. Actually, they have different stages of development just like a game. A butterfly's development requires they insulate themselves from the world and focus on changing themselves before they can emerge in their final form. I don't know whether that has anything to do with this show or not though.

But these questions are interesting. Yes, I used my phone to translate. Though it kept giving slightly different translations depending on the angle I held it, I think I got the gist of it. One of the things says "like minded friends" which was what the quest said in episode 2. If I remember correctly, that was in Myungha's hand writing. So is senior having Myung-ha essentially write the game levels? I had said in an earlier episode that this was really a quest for Myungha's own happiness as well.

It WAS his writing. I love this shot. It feels like a magic dungeon with the candles and lighting. The shape of the glass is nice. I think it's a glencairn whiskey glass. Actually no. The base is wrong. It doesn't matter. The glass itself is probably not symbolic. I just find certain types of glassware pretty. As a fun side note, I used to drink everything (soda, milk, etc.) out of a red wine glass that I got while dumpster diving in college. I loved that beautiful glass. My roommate eventually broke it "on accident", but said it was "probably for the best" so that people didn't think I was drinking alcohol. Fun times 🙄.

It's late/early. I'm rambling. *Focus brain*

Senior is in white as the "heavenly" being with the power. Am I supposed to trust him? I don't. But it feels like he's God/angel coded.

"Will there be happiness to 29 year old Tae Myungha?"

"So the standard is very important." says Senior.

Myungha doesn't hear him clearly, and we can't hear his next line clearly either. He's muffled as if he's under water. It's the same sound as when he first entered the game world.

This feels important, and it feels mistranslated. Or at least like it was translated without the needed nuance. I need to pause anyways. I'm tired enough that I know I'll miss details if I keep going tonight.

(pause)

Ok. I've slept a few hours and hung out with the kids for a bit. I've mulled it over. I'm guessing that senior is really meaning that Myungha needs to be very careful about what goals/words he's using. Happy is a pretty vague term. I actually walked down the aisle to a song called "Different Kinds of Happy" from the movie Sweet Land. The idea/theme in that movie is that happiness can take different forms and mean different things to different people. In a game, if you don't have a clearly defined objective, then it's going to be difficult to meet it. So what does Myungha actually mean by "happy"?

But Myungha "can't hear" what senior is telling him. Myungha, and us by extension, are missing a critical piece of information. I'm guessing it has to do with the standard/clearer objective or that it's a warning of some kind.

We're back in the video game world. Myungha is looking at his notes.

AND OMG - YES! HOORAY! A time jump/alternate world that GETS how problematic it is for a 29 year old to be suddenly back in high school. The dialogue is clearly establishing that he IS 19 in this world. It's how I had resolved it mentally myself in episode 2. I love it when my head canons become actual canon.

Anyways, it's a good question. What CAN he do? Because "making someone happy" on a identity level scale really isn't easy. I would argue that it's not actually possible. That they have to strive for their own happiness as they accept themselves. It's not just circumstances that's driving Yeowoon's mental disdain for himself. New shoes are great, but they're not a long term solution. When you're dealing with suicidal ideation the other person has to "want" to live. A lot of times they don't even realize it until the moment. Yeah, it wasn't my grandfather's first attempt before he succeeded. My brother's neither. So far my brother has always decided he wanted to live and sought help in time.

I love that Myungha is being smart about this. He goes "What does he WANT me to do?" If you're playing a game, that's an important question. It's anticipating the game maker's design. I am noticing that the butterfly is on the journal paper here. But it's only one this time, and it's in the top right corner instead of the bottom corner.

Now THAT'S interesting. He doesn't remember "senior". There are a lot of fun implications in this development, but I'll have to stop for now. It looks like my husband has got off of work early today. It's a national holiday. I should've expected it. This will have to wait until after everyone is asleep tonight. I didn't get very far in this session, but it's fine. I really should've been working/writing anyways. I have five scripts due in the next two weeks.

(pause)

Well...the emoji tag game happened, and I got a wee bit carried away with it. I loved it so much. But then my brain was broke so it's taken a few days to get back here.

The fact that Myungha doesn't remember "senior" from his real life is a cool detail. I had said I thought it was in odd in episode 1 that he wasn't weirded out by the situation. It could mean that ONLY senior is obscured. Or it could mean that the facts of his "future" will slowly disappear as he creates a new story leaving him only with the 19 year old version of Myungha. There are a few other possibilities too, but I'll go with those two for now. I actually like the latter one in some ways. I don't remember if he recalled senior once he entered the video game during episode 1. That would provide evidence for which possible interpretations to keep moving forward. I might have to go back and check that out.

Regardless, we know this memory was jarring. The question is what triggered the memory.

We're down to 288 days left to complete our mission so a good bit of time has passed, and we're reminded that death is the penalty. We still don't know whose death we're talking about though.

We cut to Kyunghoon and Myungha walking down the hall together. Myungha is complaining that the teacher treats him like a thug. Kyunghoon proposes that they go to college together, drink together and have fun together in the future. I love the video game sound effects in the music/soundtrack.

OH! Random thought. I wonder if those sound effects show up at critical/specific moments. Is this like the rain drops in When It Rains or just a fun part of the soundtrack? Sound analysis is tricky for me, but it can add a lot to a show. And I LOVE it when sound is used symbolically. That would require an entire rewatch though as I'd have to focus just on the sound. I'll try to make note of it moving forward though to see if I can find a pattern. I can't promise I'll catch it every time though.

Hold up. We HAVE had a sound. The freaking water. I said before that it sounded like water when Myungha is shifting between worlds. That's definitely a specific sound at critical moments. Is that significant? Is it even water? Stop brain. You know your hearing can't be trusted. Move on.

Myungha is obviously uncomfortable here. Probably because he knows that he doesn't have that kind of time. He was just reminded of the countdown. It could also be because he didn't have that kind of life in the past. I don't know if he has those resources in the current videogame timeline either. Money isn't an obstacle for Kyunghoon. But it will be for Myungha and Yeowoon. But I figure it's that he feels like he's lying to Kyunghoon by agreeing to a future that may not exist. Yeowoon has already called him a liar after all.

Ah, the bullies are circling for blood. Frizzy blond guy asks Myungha if he's gay and is obviously intimidating Kyunghoon. Myungha says "I'm gay. So what." That's the confidence of someone who is very comfortable with themselves. I wonder if he was always that way, or if this is a manifestation of him already working through that part of his identity in the "real world".

Cutie Kyunghoon steps in between to protect Myungha 🙌🙌🙌. This is VERY important. Why? Because it's a dynamic shift. Myungha is collecting people in his life that care about him too and who will stand up for him even if it's risky. He's gathering "like minded friends" as well.

🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

Myungha kisses the bully.

Should I be laughing? Probably not. This is a forced kiss. But AM I laughing? 100% yes. And all of the bully gang not knowing how to respond is epic.

Blond guy is rightfully angry, and Myungha just scolds him for swearing. What I love about this interaction is that it quickly and decidedly shifted who was the "victim" in this interaction.

Blond guy - Tak ...Joonho? It'll eventually stick with me. Anyways, he punches Myungha and we see Myungha deftly assert his dominance. He threatens to kiss him again.

This is the second interaction where Myungha has really shown this guy to be pretty pathetic. As he seems to be a leader in this "gang", he's probably not going to react to this well. He wouldn't be able to keep power over his bully gang if he ignored things like this. I'd expect backlash soon. He'll either take it out on his own members or start targeting people Myungha cares about (Yeowoon, Kyunghoon). Potentially both. If he comes after Myungha himself, it will be sneaky style. He can't (or shouldn't) risk another direct confrontation like this one. He's already lost twice.

Teacher intervenes. Apparently Myungha has got some type of cleaning duty punishment.

Yeowoon is on the other side of the window being cleaned. I'm trying to figure out if Yeowoon had heard about the fight or he just noticed Myungha's busted lip. Either way, his expressions here are KILLING me. They are so earnest and so different than what we had in previous episodes. The rise in affection level has definitely had an impact.

Myungha tries to brush it off, but Yeowoon won't let him. "Who hit you?" Myungha tells him he doesn't need to know.

Yeowoon gets very serious. Just like that earlier interaction with Kyunghoon, this is actually very important. Yeowoon is asking to be seen as an equal. As someone that Myungha can rely on. He's asking Myungha to trust him. Ooh interesting. Yeowoon dropped honorifics.

Yeowoon drags Myungha to the nurse's office. It's a reverse of care. Yeowoon taking care of Myungha. I mean, technically Yeowoon had intervened before. However, this is DIRECT care. Yeowoon asks if he's really not going to tell him. Myungha responds "What would you do if you knew?". Yeowoon - "I'll kill him". 🥹 Yes, I'm taking the threat as a squee worthy moment. There was no hesitation. Just a direct assertion of "you matter to me that much".

Myungha rubs his head.

I'm going to have to think about this one. Why is this man's physical affection so hard for me to interpret? This feels like a parent/child interaction to me. Which...is possible. Is he in guardian mode? Trying to calm Yeowoon down while acknowledging that he's grateful for Yeowoon caring about him? Or do other people see this as just a friendly interaction? Because things would not end well if my friend rubbed my head and used that tone with me. I'd see it as condescending for sure. But cultural differences could be in play here. I'm going with guardian mode.

Myungha says that rather than hit, it's more like we kissed. And Yeowoon's reaction is amazing.

Myungha is flustered by Yeowoon's reaction. Yeowoon has to be cycling through all kinds of feelings. One - this gives him hope. Two - Myungha was kissing someone besides him.

So many thoughts running through this boy's mind.

He says he should ask Tak Joonho. That means he DOES know who was involved, but he wanted Myungha to confide in him on his own. "Can men kiss too?" "I want to kiss him" while staring at Myungha's lips and putting on the ointment. Baby boy is down bad.

We cut to Sangwon coming towards the bully gang. There's the "hi" again. Love it. But it does feel like he's out of the loop. It feels more like he's invading their space. @dropthedemiurge I see what you meant now. He's not part of the hierarchy of this group. The uniforms vs. plain shirt is visually depicting that as well. That does make me have some questions about the earlier rooftop scene, but I'll hold them for now.

Did he come because he had heard about the fight? Or is this just part of his routine? He does seem to do whatever he wants. Case in point - he didn't come to class just because he didn't want to. Skipping seems to be a regular occurrence for him.

Tak Joonho says that he's going to teach Myungha/Kyunghoon a lesson. Sangwon is trying to put the pieces together. I do find it odd that Joonho is openly admitting that Myungha kissed him. I would've expected him to threaten the others and keep that quiet. Unless he's expecting Sangwon to commiserate with him and understand.

Not happening though. Sangwon is clearly on Myungha's side in this one. I figure he knows Tak Joonho enough to know he instigated whatever happened. The chuckling of the other students as Sangwon pushes back has got to raise Joonho's ire.

Tak Joonho thinks Sangwon is teasing him, but he's actually angry.

I'm rewording this line a little bit in my head to fit better with that sassy head tilt that just made me so happy. In some ways, it's a lot like Myungha earlier. "Yes. I am. What are you going to do about it?" It's a statement and a challenge.

Unlike Myungha, Sangwon does punch Joonho and IMMEDIATELY puts his hands back in his pockets. LMAO. That's a dominance signal right there. He knows Joonho isn't going to immediately punch back. He doesn't see him as a threat.

Joonho says he's holding back because he's rich. Sure you are. Keep telling yourself that. Kyunghoon seems to be pretty rich too, and you tease him just fine.

Note - I do realize that they've said that Sangwon can get away with everything due to his family. I'm sure it does play some role. But it's not everything. Sangwon is exuding dominance in this situation. He's even leaning in a mock little bow and saying "thank you" in a snarky tone. God, I love him and his self-confidence. He has grown on me so much, and I'm only halfway through this show.

Joonho asks if he can't see that he's outnumbered.

Sangwon (in other words): Bring it.

I'm sorry. I've tried to ignore that hideous wall color this entire show, but now we've added what has to be one of the ugliest arrangements known to mankind in front of it. I'm sure there are people who like that kind of thing, but it just makes me wonder why someone thought a feather duster was appealing. Normally I would be trying to figure out if the red meant something, but I just can't. It's an eyesore.

Is Si-a considered part of our gaming party now. I'm not sure. 🤔 They're collectively worrying about Sangwon though.

Si-a asks if Myungha wants to be a model for Swoony (the brand). The pay is better after all. Pay is always an enticing thing.

Myungha tells Si-a to buy him dinner. I'm confused. Why does he want Si-a to buy him dinner? 🤔 Myungha doesn't do things without a purpose. What's the catch?

LMAO. It's because Yeowoon is here. He's giving her the fangirl moment. Yes, she better buy the meal. A good one too.

Wait. Her name has an "h" sound? The subtitles now say "Shi-a". Did I miss that before? No. I'm pretty sure that's a change in subtitles.

Yeowoon looks ticked. My guess is that he thought he was going to get to eat with Myungha alone. He wouldn't be reacting like this if he had known it'd be a fangirl moment. Yeowoon is being very terse. Yes, he seems to be a more introverted, private person. But this is what you do when you're thrown for a loop. Myungha, you really need to give us introverts a heads up for these types of situations. Especially true if you gave us false expectations and now expect us to socialize with someone we are not comfortable around.

I'm still bitter over there being no food at the company meal that I drove two hours to yesterday. Don't promise me food and then give me a non-alcoholic beer instead. Shared meals are sacred. Oh...it's probably this kind of stuff that prompted the anon's "what's with you and food" question the other day. I get it now. Sorry anon. I didn't understand what you were asking.

I'm squirreling. None of that's really relevant. Yeowoon is just upset because he expected alone time with Myungha (pretty sure on that one), and he isn't getting it.

This conversation is awkward. Si-a signals Myungha to please help. Myungha asks Yeowoon if he has any questions. "Are you two close?" I've said all along that I love how direct Yeowoon is with Myungha. If he has questions, he is going to ask them. It's admirable, but lol. He's not looking at Si-a at all. Yeowoon is grilling Myungha.

Myungha responds playfully and tries to direct the conversation back to Si-a. I actually see that as a way of trying to include her in the conversation. He was trying to create a fan moment for her after all. Si-a says they're just colleagues which Yeowoon smiles about. But then Myungha protests that designation.

Yeowoon didn't like that at all. 🤣 "Are you closer to her than you are to me?" I love that Si-a can see this is important to Yeowoon. She's giving Myungha this look that's like "You idiot. Don't you dare make my blorbo upset!"

Myungha says "I only have Yeowoon in my heart" which makes Yeowoon beam. Si-a takes the opportunity to ask for an autograph. Si-a, I know I struggled with you in earlier episodes. I'm sorry. I can respect your non-toxic, supportive fangirl side.

"What do you think of when you run?" "I imagine there's a big crocodile chasing me." Well...that would be motivation I guess. I never imagined what was behind me when I ran. I was always focused on the finish line. Different things for different people I guess.

Ok Yeowoon. Let's not manifest that energy. There are too many trucks of doom in dramaland. And I've had two of my family members hit by vehicles. They survived, but they still have side effects. My brother got hit by a car while he was INSIDE a building.

Anyways, Yeowoon is saying that the vision has changed. He now imagines that someone is waiting for him at the finish line.

Sweet. I wish I knew what his personal affection was at this point though. We're seeing the impact of Myungha's affection level changing in his mannerisms and dialogue, but has it impacted how he sees himself?

Si-a says that's romantic, and Myungha breaks eye contact and visibly shifts. Lol. He felt that one.

We cut to them walking home. Yeowoon tries to ask Myungha about Joonho again, but Myungha says that Yeowoon isn't allowed to say kiss.

We got confirmation that Yeowoon thought it was going to be the two of them. Myungha chastises him a bit saying he needs friends. That's really not the point Myungha.

Yeowoon said that he's annoyed. Myungha says "he's been rude lately". Did he drop honorifics?

Yeowoon says "I want to go play with you". My kinky brain takes that line a completely different way that intended. But he's asking him out really. I LOVE this frame. There's a blinding light of love, but it's mostly over Yeowoon. Yeowoon knows he wants to kiss Myungha. He knows he wants to spend time with Myungha 1-1. Myungha still hasn't come to that realization yet.

It's an amusement park near the sea. Myungha seems hesitant, but he says yes. Wasn't Myungha's mom near the sea? I wonder if that's part of his hesitation. Yeah, there's definitely something there. This means something more to Myungha for some reason. But he's agreeing anyway.

Well hello. 👀 She's pretty. She was hidden initially in the frame, but they've now exposed her as she's asking Si-a for help. Who is she? Is this the person returned from abroad that Kyunghoon mentioned?

We're now in a dream sequence. 100%. "Do it with me too. The kiss."

Based on the game interface, this is Myungha's dream. Fun. Realization is coming. It's a bit of a kabedon moment with the tree. I'm enjoying it, because as confident as Myungha was when he kissed Joonho, he's not confident at all here. He's flustered.

Myungha wakes up.

Yeowoon has been sending him messages. Apparently he woke up early. If you get messages from me at 4 am, it means I haven't went to bed yet. Not unusual.

Myungha has a message from an unknown number. It's referencing children's day, mother's day, and teacher's day. Myungha isn't sure who it's from though. My immediate guess is his mom. But that doesn't make sense. He hasn't had contact with his mom since he was really little.

Is it the heavenly senior? We know information about the game comes to Myungha through his phone. "But no time for me to meet you." It's reminding me of the poem I wrote for my grandfather following his suicide. It wasn't about holidays/time, but about hiking trails. That was our thing. "But no trail that brings me to you." Crap. I'm crying again. This has been a week of tears in BL land. For the record, I cry very little in real life. But I bawl like a baby watching shows. It's cathartic in some ways. I can't analyze this properly. I'm going to read things into this that aren't there. I'm sure this will become a reoccurring event. I'll wait until the next message to figure it out.

Yeowoon came to pick Myungha up, and it looks like he paid for the bus fare for both of them. Cutie. Myungha may not realize it, but Yeowoon is definitely taking him on a date.

The mural next to the bus is of the sea. I could get a better angle this time. Phone keeps translating different based on angle, but it's better than last time. Something about sacred and beautiful love. Something about a lighthouse.

I love that Yeowoon quickly says "Look at the seagulls". There were birds on the mural too. Seagulls are a trip down memory lane for me. I got handed a bone during my oral qualification exams and asked what I could tell the professors about it. It was a seagull bone.

Seagulls have so many different symbolic meanings depending on culture. I know there are a few different takes in literature. There are also a lot of different meanings for them in Native American lore. Some positive, some negative. It depends on the tribe. A lot of it has to do with their ability to navigate in a storm and overcome obstacles if I remember correctly. There might have been something about the connection between physical and spiritual realms which would be interesting given the premise of this show. Like a bridge or messenger between the two. I don't know what they typically means in S. Korea though. I'll dive into that later.

Yeowoon says he should've brought shrimp chips. They're not my favorite, but my sous chef loves shrimp chips.

Oh. We're feeding them to the seagulls? I mean, they'll eat it. It's a fun experience for the human. It probably doesn't give them the nutrients they need.

Myungha asks if Yeowoon likes the sea. Yeowoon says he likes the mountains more. I love them both, but I live closer to the mountains. I've asked my kids this question before. One chose sea. One chose mountains. One chose "Wherever Uncle Zach is". Yeah, I'm not the only one who thinks my brother is awesome.

They're planning to climb mountains. Yeowoon wants to climb "Kongryung". Based on Myungha's reaction, that must be a hard climb. Based on Yeowoon's reaction, I'm guessing it's a long one. "I'm happy to be with you." Myungha doesn't seem sure how to process that.

Yeowoon asks if Myungha has been here before.

This feels like a lie. It's going to be interesting if lying becomes a thing for Myungha. Well-intentioned lies. But lies nonetheless. It might not be a lie though. That's just my gut talking.

They're planning on going to a clam kal-guksu place. I enjoy noodle soups, but I've never had clams in any capacity. They're not very common here. I have dissected one and done an experiment on heart rate for a class though. Not important.

Apparently, Yeowoon doesn't like seafood. And Myungha slips up. He's using information from the manuscript. Yeowoon is rightfully perplexed and then amused that Myungha knows this about him.

"Sometimes it feels like you're someone that knows me."

Yeah, that's probably going to hurt when he realizes Myungha has known about him all along.

All of Yeowoon's little smiles are killing me this episode.

Yeowoon says he now understands why Myungha likes the sea. Did Myungha say he liked the sea? I don't remember that. 🤔 It could be in an earlier episode, or I could have overlooked it. If he likes the sea though - is that why we have a water sound? Yes, I'm still stuck there. My brain is still obsessing over a sound that probably isn't even what I think it is. I curse my brain sometimes.

Yeowoon says "I've come to like it too". Cut away to them sitting on the stairs in their coordinating blue/green shirts.

There is so much I could say about that closing frame, but I know that I'm out of images. Anyways, we're halfway up the stairs. We're building the relationship. We're sitting side by side. We're equal...in this moment at least. There's no railings on this part. It'd be easy to fall off the sides.

The blue/green combo I find interesting, because it's a shift. These two characters have worn a lot of black & white. What does the shift mean? Is it part of their relationship developing or the changing levels of affection?

Is this show even color coded? I'll have to think about that. Because Sangwon also wears a white undershirt. He's definitely not a "heavenly human" type. Wait...is Myungha the ONLY one wearing a different color undershirt as part of their uniform? Is he the only one in black? I guess that makes senses. He's from a "different" world after all. But why black? Actually, Yeowoon's running outfit was in black too when he had the -100 value. So Myungha isn't the only one in black. Nevermind. I was overthinking again.

This was a fun episode. I'm loving that Yeowoon is so open and direct with his feelings. Myungha isn't there yet, but he's beginning to react. Now I just need to convince my brain that it's 4 am and it needs to just let the water sound go. IS IT WATER?!?

Don't tell me. Because if it is water, that means it's important. And if it's not water, I'll eventually realize it wasn't important.

For now, I'll just distract my brain with a more pressing question - what happened to Sangwon?

#love for love's sake #live reaction #korean bl

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lanawinterscigarettes · 2 days ago

Text

Gilmore Girls characters reacting to you asking to "try on" their lipgloss/chapstick as a way to kiss them (headcanons)

Characters included: Lorelai, Luke, Rory, Lane, Dean, Paris, Jess, and Logan

Warnings/contains: gn! reader, kissing (obviously), fluffiness, umm nothing other than that I don't think

Beginning notes: this idea is so stupid I know!! but I thought it might be cute to write out okay (I also need to practice writing for these characters more)

Lorelai Gilmore

Oh God. You so much as lightly suggest to wanting to try on her lipgloss or chapstick and she pulls out a whole makeup pouch full of them with all kinds in different flavors and colors and sizes and shapes and-

You can't even get a word in the first couple of minutes that she's speaking because she's taking the time to go through them all, trying to find the best one that would fit you perfectly

She doesn't quite pick up on what you're asking her right away until she finally pauses and sees the shy and somewhat hopeful smile on your face, but once she does catch on she gets all giddy and a little smug, saying something along the lines of "aw, you little rascal you, c'mere" before giving you the kiss you so desired

Luke Danes

He absolutely does not understand what you're trying to ask him at all, mostly because he doesn't wear chapstick anyway. You literally have to spell it for him step-by-step and he still won't get it

"Here, take this chapstick and put it on so I can kiss you"

"Why do I need to put it on for you to kiss me? Are my lips really that chapped?"

"No, it's so I can ask to try the chapstick on and then kiss you afterwards"

"...but I can just give you the chapstick and then have you put it on. Why would I need to put it on first? That doesn't make any sense"

He's basically just like "??" the entire time you're attempting to explain it to him, and he only kind of gets it by the tenth try, though he does manage to pick up on the idea that if he wears chapstick more often you might kiss him more, so your plan sort of ends up working ig

Rory Gilmore

It's a toss-up as to whether she'll immediately pick up on what you're asking her or not, though she'll probably get it within the first couple of minutes or so, her cheeks flushing a rosy hue as she avoids eye contact and stammers a little bit

"W- Well, I think I might have some extra in my bag if you're that desperate... oh, I'm guessing you must've meant the other way you try on someone's lipgloss or chapstick, huh? I should've known"

After that she just sort of awkwardly sits there, waiting to see which one of you is going to make the first move (it's probably going to have to be you) and then after the kiss she seems to be in a daze for a moment or so before clearing her throat and hastily changing the subject

Lane Kim

I actually think she'll pick up on what you're asking her fairly quickly, though she might play dumb unless she's certain the two of you are alone so her mom won't find out she was kissing someone randomly after they posed her such a flirtatious question

She'll most likely let you take the lead (unless you're as inexperienced as she is), melting into it as the kiss goes from a short and sweet peck to something much more tender, almost forgetting what you were even supposed to be doing in the first place

Afterwards, all she can do is say "wow" for the next couple of minutes or so, appearing a little awestruck, though she does make a cheeky comment about how the chapstick/lipgloss you now have on you compliments your complexion once she gets over the initial shock of it all

Dean Forester

He doesn't really get it at first but picks up on what you mean pretty quickly once you explain (thank God) so you're spared the embarrassment of fumbling over your words for any longer than you have to. He thinks it's cute despite you disagreeing with him on that

Makes a big show of applying a fresh layer of chapstick just for you, and is even so kind as to lean down so you're not craning your neck and having to stand up on your tippy toes to be able to reach him

Gives you an affectionate pat on the head once he's done kissing you because he's obligated to make you aware of how short you are compared to him at least once every time you see him while saying "there, happy now?", chuckling as he enjoys the indignant look on your face while you smack his hand away

Paris Geller

She honestly just sort of glares at you when you first ask ("I don't wear lipgloss, and I left my chapstick at home this morning")

Definitely is one where you have to explain to her what you mean, to which she answers with a soft little "oh" in response, almost as if she feels a bit sheepish for her initial aloof demeanor

It's kind of awkward for a couple of minutes after until one of you changes the subject, and you think that's the end of it until later that day when she approaches you, her face red and her lips looking shiny

"If you still want to try it on, you may." When you hesitate, she huffs in aggravation and demands "well? Are you going to try it on or not?"

You don't even think about questioning her further because of how flustered she obviously is, planting an affectionate kiss to her lips before watching in amusement as she stalks away, grumbling to herself as she wipes off the excess lipgloss on the back of her hand

Jess Mariano

Okay say what you will but I think he'd catch onto what you mean fairly quickly, especially if you're looking a little flustered when you ask

"Oh, so you wanna try on my chapstick, do you? In what way, exactly?"

He absolutely teases you first, adding something along the lines of "maybe I forgot to wear chapstick this morning. Still wanna try on my lips and see how they fit? I promise I'll be gentle. I'll only bite if you beg me" while he nuzzles his face against the side of your jaw before finally giving in and kissing you the way you want

Never play the flirting game with him and expect to win is all I can say because he'll come out on top nearly every time

Logan Huntzberger

He's another one who I think would actually understand what you're asking, he just plays dumb at first to see how frustrated he can make you

"Hm, I don't think I have any chapstick on me... didn't I see you grab some before we left, though? Maybe you should check your pockets"

If you were trying to catch him off guard with your question I'm sorry to say it doesn't work. You only realize he's messing with you when you spot the playful grin on his face

"What's the matter? Can't find it? Or did you still wanna try on mine?"

The soft, muffled laughter that escapes him at the insistent kisses he ends up letting you attack him with are so worth the annoyance he made you feel beforehand

End notes: some of these are a little bit longer than others, sorry about that! I tried to keep them all the same length but alas I do not control the little guy in my head who directs me on what to write 😔 /j

Likes < reblogs | comments are greatly appreciated | requests are currently open | divider by @/uzmacchiato

Main masterlist | Gilmore Girls masterlist | wanna be added to my taglist? | my Kofi

🏷 taglist: @missmewts @ghot-girl @gilmore-angel @pvnk-whvre @alexxavicry @noisy-dumb-piece-of-shit @theonetruepotato87 @caplanreblogsfics

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storkmuffin · 10 hours ago

Note

since you don't seem to mind discussing the lyricism behind ateez songs.... 'we know' is one of my favourites and i love how dramatic and grandiose it is. but obviously i'm going off the english translation. are the korean lyrics even more ~overpowered manhwa character-coded~, or does the translation given on genius match the nuance of the song adequately enough in your opinion?

So this song, We Know, is one that I hadn't paid much attention to, and thanks to you I gave it a very close listen. It's terrific.

The lyrics read as rather amusing to me even though the song is so serious, because this is how a lot of my bilingual friends and I talk. We say 80% of the sentence in korean and then switch over into English to finish the thought and then say a whole sentence inEnglish before bursting into Korean again. It has that bilingual person vibe.

There is one minor error in translation.

Feel trapped in fear - 넌 두려움에 묶여, 느껴

This isn't wrong per se, but it misses the nuance in the Korean. The Korean is more poetic - You - Be Bound by Fear - Feel it. (huh that came out like an Emily Dickinson B-side). There's two stages, is what I'm saying, in the Korean version. You're first to be bound/ tied up by fear/ in fear, and THEN you feel it.

Hong Joong comes in with another fun Korean sound-play when he does his wordplay.

Keep an eye on neglect, not foul play / Timing, wait, it's far away, yeah = 반칙 아닌 방치 주시하지만 timing wait 먼발치 yeah <- banchik - bangchi - monbalchi

Do you see the minute differences in the sound in ban-bang-bal and chik-chi-chi being a little bit of an unbalanced rhyme? I love Hong Joong's clever little brain.

There is one major error in translation

현실 속 누군가 과녁 안 조준되어 있어 / 빤이 보이는 진실을 왜곡하고 왜 평가를 원하니? / 뚜들기는 폭언 그 사이 요동치는 거짓 세상이 / 피할 수 없게 붉게 물든 꽃잎과 초라한 자신

In reality, someone Isn't targeted at the end The obvious truth Is being distorted, why do you want to evaluate it? Between the violent words beating me This shaking false world is Inevitably dyed red With flower petals and pathetic self

Error, here is that 과녁 안 조준되어 - is translated as 'isn't targeted' but Mingi says 'target' as in the noun, not the verb., and the 안 doesn't mean not, it means inside the target board. It's an archery pun, I think. So that lyric, as I understand it, says, In reality we are being aimed at because we're placed on the target.

If I were to just have a go at the translation of the error? It comes out like this:

In reality- aimed at while placed on someone else's archery target/ why are you seeking evaluation when you've distorted the truth that's clear to see/ the heaving of the false world visible through the battering of violent speech/

Honestly? I tried but Mingi's lyrics function like poetry at this point, and I find poetry hard to parse sometimes. I both do and don't understand what he's trying to say, but oh he says it so well.

#ateez meta #kpop meta #kpop ask #ateez ask #we know lyrics #we know translation

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sometimeslwish · 22 hours ago

Text

Something Just Like This (With Rafayel)

T'is the fishies turn! I made the fucking mistake of posting this a day earlier than intended and I had to redo everything *face palm* Anyways, now you know why him and Caleb gave me so much trouble, it's hard to be specific and mention everything when there's so much variety. I said I was going to be more specific about the tags on each post, but... how do I do that when I'm not even going into extreme detail?

Word count: 1,637

Tags: voice acting, just general +18 content, Rafayel putting his whole pussy into his art as always, nothing too explicit, just mentions of fluff, smut and angst, Raf being a bit of an art critique near the end.

Social media handles

YouTube

madebyrafayel (speed paints and some art tutorials)

legendsoftheseaasmr (va account)

Twitter

madebyrafayel – it started as his secondary art account for the more mature stuff, then it became a mess of art, audio sneak peeks and him interacting with Thomas and the fans.

Instagram

madebyrafayel – the most aesthetic out of all of his accounts. It's a well balanced mix of his art, photography and little moments.

How it started

He woke up one day, started drawing, and while thinking about the drawing, he decided he was going to do voice acting. No fanfare, no big "I just found my calling" moment, just a quiet "yeah, I'm going to do this". The moment he was done with the art, he wrote down the storyline and everything about the character he was going to play, made a new account for his voice acting and set out to buy the things for his set up. He lives quite a cushioned and calm life, so he wasn't in any hurry to succeed or be good, he just wanted to have fun.

— He doesn't talk about the account on his instagram or twitter, doesn't mention his plans to anyone. Simply posts videos and lets it grow on its own. He's content with people stumbling onto it.

— His first audio is a merman god audio (God Of The Tides). It's elaborate and the sound effects are quite realistic. He records all the parts for it in one sitting, slowly editing and posting them as he goes. Again, he's in no hurry, he's enjoying his time.

— Obviously, people recognize his art and talk about it, some even try to get his attention and ask if that's him, but he says nothing and lets it fester.

— Thomas comes along after a year and a half, and by then he's revealed that yes, that va channel with art awfully similar to his is actually him. He became his editor and unofficial manager.

— His posting was a mess, sometimes he'd post three consecutive weeks in a row, on others it would take a month or more for him to post. People could see the shift in time management the moment he went from posting randomly to posting bi-weekly. Now he posts his audios on Fridays.

Channel

— Deep blues, watercolor corals and sand tones, a little bit more and the account itself would have a wave animation along with the sound of the shores.

— The intro of his videos is a little animation of himself. It starts with a view of a chibi version of him fiddling with a little fish trinket while he waits for the listener, when they approach, he'll turn and say “Hey, cutie! Wanna hear a new story?” and then pull you along into a room as he starts narrating. He'll stop talking once the place and time has been set and then the sound effects will start and throw you into the first person pov.

— He likes going an extra mile by marking timestamps in his videos, he usually divides them into three acts.

— He draws art of the characters, it's the only thing you see throughout the video. It's always a full body picture that gets zoomed into so the details are slowly shown as the video progresses. You can tell a series is coming depending on how elaborate the drawing is.

— His content is M4A, and very occasionally he's specific about gender. Pet names vary depending on theme, setting and character, but the only one that is truly his is “cutie”.

— Sirens, mermaids, water fairies, spirits, whatever type of sea/water creature he can come up with. Played a naga once, never did it again, no matter how much the fans begged. He'll switch it up and play humans while the listener is the water creature every once in a while.

— His merman god character makes a comeback every once in a while. It's his most famous series along with The Lemurian Painter (a sequel to The God Of The Tides, where the god has fallen along with his people) and Abysswalker (the third installment to the God Of The Tides series, where lemurians have gone extinct and the seas have started to dry up)

— Some characters are connected and make references to something that happened to the others, it's a nice easter egg the fans always look for.

His sfw content

— Summer at the beach. A lot of his audios are set around water, be it a tub, a river, pool or even the beach or in the sea.

— His videos are as elaborate as his art, sometimes even more, you can tell he's putting his entire pussy soul into it. He has playlists for each oc he makes, it's almost like a little multiverse for each one.

— Changes his voice, accent, speech pattern and entire demeanor depending on the character. He's fully immersing himself into the acting and having a blast.

— He does a little bit of everything; friends to lovers, enemies to lovers, strangers to lovers, doomed romances where a character dies, tooth rotting fluff, dark romance. He has no qualms about playing angel and devil. He'll play an assassin one day and a sweet painter the next.

— All of his oc's have an alternate version of themselves, the sweet ones get a yandere version and the rougher ones get a kinder version. He likes experimenting with their background and seeing how they would be if things went differently.

— He actually cries whenever a crying scene is involved, and sometimes he takes a selfie and posts it; that's all the fans need to know that an angsty audio is coming.

— He deviates from the water theme a little when doing cute dates; cute dinner dates, cooking/baking at home, going shopping, doing art together, car rides, lots of mundane and seasonal, cute things. He did a pottery date once and it was so realistic that if you actually went to do pottery while listening to the audio, you could pretend he was actually there.

— Sleep aid by humming. Sometimes he full on sings depending on the character, and the fans love it so much that there's an account dedicated to posting the clips of his singing. He has also done a few chronic pain audios, most of them focused on hand related pains.

— Alternates between being soothed by the listener and soothing the listener, it's concerning how realistic he can get with the audios.

His nsfw content

It takes him creating a very specific oc before he starts doing nsfw audios. The character is a shy, clumsy little thing that gets flustered easily under the listeners attention. It's the character’s first time and it ends up breaking the dam and opening the door for his other oc's.

— It's as varied as his fluffy moments; it can be a romantic moment for established lovers, a one night stand or even crazy sex between two yanderes. He does a lot of things thanks to his many oc's and the scenarios he puts them through.

— Those are, of course, linked to a different app. The tamer ones are more accessible than the ones with hard kinks, it's based on patreon tears.

— Accessible: oral (f & m receiving) hand jobs, fingering, prone bone and a bit of body worship, anal stuff, first times (in general), playing with toys, phone sex and just things that you'd consider vanilla. The aftercare for these is light, even if it might not even seem like it because of how naturally it flows into the scene.

— Paywalled: Monster fucking, light bondage, dom & sub dynamics, degradation, spanking, daddy kink, mommy kink, dub-con and cnc, you name it, he's probably done it. Whenever he does those, he ends them with more thorough aftercare scenes.

Extra things

— The most common ones, the ones that prevail throughout the characters are: praise kink, body worship, being vocal in bed and switchy dynamics.

— Thomas and Rafayel bother each other a lot on social media. Rafayel constantly complains about having Thomas breathing down his neck and Thomas constantly complains about Rafayel in general. Sometimes it looks like they are actually arguing but if you look at their private chats, they're just chilling and having a normal conversation.

— Sometimes he'll stream while drawing, as a teaser for what's to come. You never know what he'll draw, whether it'll be an elaborate drawing or a simple one. He'll chat with the fans then and talk about the characters, he gives so much content about them that the fans can make fanart and fanfics about them. He hypes up their art and offers criticism when they specifically ask for it, even encourages them when they do fanfics. He's made a few commissions here and there just because he felt like giving something back.

— Doesn't really care about showing his face and fans don't really care about it either. Yeah, he looks great and beautiful, but that's the last thing on their minds when he's voice acting and playing a character.

— He does this thing where he talks to Thomas randomly in some audios. It isn't weird because sometimes he has to give him pointers of what sound effects he should add– he's very specific, sometimes he'll even tell Thomas to remind him to look for a specific sound effect that came to mind– but it's different from the usual thing because he'll randomly go like "Thoooomaaaaas, I know you're theeeerreee" (kind of like what markiplier does with his editor where he has a whole skit) Thomas always films those moments and posts them on twitter, there are fan made compilations of them.

— There's also the occasional blooper reel, especially the ones Thomas finds too funny to not post. Rafayel always yells at him for it, saying something along the lines of "You're ruining my reputation!"

Series masterlist.

#somsplaylist #love and deep space #love and deepspace #l&ds #lads #lnds #lads fanfic #lads headcanons #rafayel #rafayel headcanons #love and deep space rafayel #lads rafayel #love and deepspace rafayel #rafayel love and deepspace #l&ds rafayel #lnds rafayel #rafayel fanfic

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padawan-snack-packer · 2 days ago

Note

can i request like... a child/teen reader & either any of the corries (authors choice) just something with reader having a rough time and getting comfort? (feel free to ignore this bit if it's too specific, i'm not sure what you're looking for in requests) maybe reader with sucky birth parents, sneaking out in coruscant and grafitti-ing or something and getting caught by a corrie? tagging an alt so i can find this ask @what-would-ahsoka-tano-do

not shipping obviously, more platonic/familial?

"You’re Not in Trouble, Kid"

Hi!! First of all, thank you so much for the lovely request! 💛

I loved this idea the second I read it — sneaky graffiti artist reader + big brother/father figure Corrie??? YES PLEASE.

(No shipping, all completely platonic/familial as requested!)

I hope you like it! 🥹✨ And feel free to send more requests anytime if you’d like — I adore writing these kinds of comforting, found-family Corrie stories!

Title: You’re Not in Trouble, Kid Characters: Commander Fox (Coruscant Guard), Teen!Reader POV: Second person (Reader) Tone: Comforting, real, slightly rough around the edges — but safe, fluff and bits of humor!!

(Also tagging your alt as asked: @what-would-ahsoka-tano-do 🌟)

You’re half-finished with the tag when you hear the heavy footsteps behind you.

Too late to bolt. Your spray can clatters to the ground, bouncing once, twice, and rolling to a stop against the grimy wall. You freeze, your pulse thudding hard enough that it echoes in your ears.

You hadn’t meant to get caught.

That’s the first thing that runs through your mind when the red-and-white armored Coruscant Guard stops at the mouth of the alley, helmet tilted ever so slightly in your direction. His pauldron and kama definitely say Commander, but it’s the way he just stands there — arms folded, patient — that feels a hundred times more dangerous than any blaster.

You don’t even want to turn around.

Getting arrested? Fine.

Maybe it’s easier than going home tonight.

You freeze, half-finished tag still bright and dripping across the wall: a defiant streak of neon yellow and angry blue, a messy tangle of words you don’t even fully remember deciding to write. Your backpack’s half-zipped, spray cans rattling inside. You can hear your own heart hammering louder than the Coruscant traffic overhead.

You expect shouting. Sirens. A stun cuff snapping onto your wrist.

Instead, the clone just… sighs.

A slow, tired sound, like someone a hundred years old.

He steps closer, careful, boots crunching over broken bits of duracrete.

“You done, kid?” he says, voice low and not angry at all.

You blink, shoulders stiff. Slowly, you turn.

Standing there at the mouth of the alley is a clone trooper — yup. Definitely Coruscant Guard. The kind of trooper you’re supposed to stay way the hell away from.

Except… he’s not reaching for his blaster. He’s not even moving toward you. Just standing there, arms folded across his chest, helmet tilted like he’s studying you.

Waiting.

You shuffle awkwardly, kicking a pebble by your foot.

“I wasn’t—” you start, then stop, because what's the point? There's bright neon evidence all over the wall behind you. A mess of colors — blue, yellow, green — angry letters that started as cursing out your parents and turned into... something else. Something bigger. Something yours.

You hug your arms around yourself, feeling very small all of a sudden.

The clone sighs — long and low — like he’s tired clear down to his bones.

He steps forward, slow so he doesn’t spook you. His boots crunch over trash and broken glass. He taps the side of his helmet, and with a soft hiss, he takes off his helmet.

You’re not ready for how normal he looks. A little older than you expected, with a scar across his cheekbone and tired brown eyes. Tired, but not cruel. The city lights catch on the silver at his temples.

He crouches down a bit until he’s eye-level with you.

“Name’s Fox,” he says, voice rough but careful. “And you’re not in trouble.”

You blink, not sure you heard him right. You shift from foot to foot, half-ready to bolt anyway.

“You gonna arrest me?” you mumble, not quite meeting his eyes.

Fox huffs a soft laugh, like that’s the dumbest idea he’s heard all day.

“Nah. No cuffs, no charges. Look, kid — you’re a pain in the brass for the night shift, yeah, but…” He glances up at the angry graffiti splattered across the alley wall. “…looks to me like you had somethin’ to say.”

You chew your lip, throat tight.

“I just—” You scowl down at the cracked pavement. “They don’t listen. Nobody listens. At least the walls can't talk back.”

For a second, Fox doesn’t say anything.

The city hums around you — speeders whooshing by overhead, neon signs buzzing and flickering. Somewhere farther down the alley, a droid is arguing with a merchant about credits.

When Fox finally speaks again, it’s low, like a secret just for you.

“I know what it’s like to not be heard.”

You glance up, surprised. There’s something real in his voice. Heavy. Like he means it.

“You do?” you whisper.

Fox’s mouth twists into a wry smile, half bitter, half fond. “Clone or not, everyone gets talked over sooner or later. Especially if you don’t fit nice and easy into someone else’s idea of who you’re supposed to be.”

You let that sit for a second, feeling it soak into the cracks you didn’t realize were already open inside you.

“You got somewhere safe to go tonight?” he asks, softer now.

You hesitate. Then you shake your head.

Fox doesn't react the way you expect — no pity, no frown, no ‘poor kid’ looks. Just a slow nod, like that tracks.

“Alright,” he says, standing up with a grunt. “Hot chocolate or caf? There’s a vendor two blocks over who owes me a favor.”

You blink at him, stunned.

“…Hot chocolate,” you manage to croak out, because your throat’s too raw for anything else.

Fox gives a quiet snort, like he’s half-amused, half-relieved. He reaches out a hand — gloved, solid, steady.

You stare at it for a long second before you finally grab on.

His grip is warm, anchoring. Not squeezing, not pulling. Just there.

“You’re not in trouble,” he repeats, guiding you out of the alley like he’s been doing it his whole life. “You just needed someone to see you.”

You don’t say anything. You don’t have to.

For the first time in months — maybe years — you feel your chest loosen a little. Like maybe breathing isn’t supposed to hurt so much after all.

You glance back once at the wall, your messy, furious colors burning bright in the dark.

Fox squeezes your hand, just a little, like he knows what you’re thinking.

“Good work, kid,” he says. “World needs more color anyway.”

The city feels different when you’re not running.

The two of you weave through the lower levels of Coruscant, the neon buzz of signs washing everything in pinks and blues. Fox keeps a loose but steady hold on your hand, steering you around potholes and slow-moving droids like he’s been doing it forever. He doesn’t say much, but somehow the silence feels safe, not awkward.

Like you don’t have to fill it with anything.

You realize after a few minutes that you’re still holding onto him. He hasn’t let go either.

It’s weird. You don’t usually trust people this fast. You’re not stupid.

But Fox has this… thing about him. Not just the armor, or the Commander title. It’s in the way he keeps checking over his shoulder for you. The way he slows down when you lag. The way he grumbles when a speeder skims too close to the curb, like he’s personally ready to fistfight the entire city to keep you from getting a scratch.

Eventually you reach a little caf stand tucked between two towering buildings. It smells like sugar and something fried. The stand’s owner, a grizzled Twi’lek with an eyebrow piercing, gives Fox a lazy wave, like they know each other.

“Commander. Usual?”

Fox leans an elbow on the counter. “Yeah, and throw in a hot chocolate. Extra marshmallows.”

He doesn’t even have to ask what you want. It guts you a little, how easy he makes it.

While you wait, Fox peels his helmet off again and puts it over the table. His hair’s a little messy underneath, streaked with gray at the temples. Somehow, it makes him look even safer. Less like a soldier, more like... someone who could be your dad if the universe hadn’t been such a jerk.

You wrap your hands around the warm drink when it’s passed to you. It’s so sweet it makes your teeth ache, but you don’t even care. It’s the best thing you’ve tasted in months.

Fox blows on his caf and takes a slow sip. For a while, neither of you say anything.

Then, casually, like he’s mentioning the weather, he says:

“You know,” he drawls, “the Guard’s rec room walls are lookin’ a little rough these days.”

You glance up at him, confused. Marshmallow foam sticks to your upper lip. You wipe it off with your sleeve, embarrassed.

Fox chuckles under his breath, shaking his head fondly.

“Could use someone with, say, some artistic talents,” he continues, tapping a gloved finger against his cup. “Brighten the place up. Make it less like a prison block.”

It takes you a second to catch up.

“…Wait. You mean me?”

He raises an eyebrow, mock-serious. “Well, it sure ain’t gonna be me. I’d just draw stick figures and angry notes about paperwork.”

You snort into your hot chocolate, and Fox grins, quick and fierce and real.

“I could put in a word,” he says more gently. “Make it official. No cuffs, no chasin’ you through alleys. Just you, a bunch of paint, and a few of my brothers making terrible suggestions about what to draw.”

You bite your lip. The part of you that’s used to disappointment, to people saying nice things and never meaning them, flinches a little.

“…You’re serious?” you ask, voice small.

Fox leans down so he can look you dead in the eye.

“Dead serious, kid,” he says. “You got somethin’ to say. City like this?” He gestures vaguely at the endless sprawl of towers and traffic. “It needs voices like yours.”

Your throat tightens.

You blink down at your half-empty cup, marshmallows melting into foam.

“I’m not... I’m not really good,” you mumble. “It’s just— it’s just stuff.”

Fox shrugs like it’s no big deal. “Doesn’t have to be good. Just has to be yours.”

You sit with that for a second, turning it over in your head like a smooth stone.

Maybe you could build something new out of the mess.

Maybe you don’t have to do it alone.

Fox reaches over and ruffles your hair — gently, careful not to startle you. It’s so parental it makes your eyes sting.

“You’re family now, kid,” he says, half-teasing, half-serious. “Means you’re stuck with us.”

You laugh — shaky, surprised — and for once it doesn’t hurt.

#star wars #clone wars #sw tcw #swtcw #clone troopers #star wars clone wars #star wars clones #star wars fic #star wars the clone wars #the clone wars #commander fox

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intuitive-revelations · 3 days ago

Text

Semi-live/retrospective analysis of The Well!

Another semi-liveblog / semi analysis of episode 3! Again, I watched and wrote this early using the iPlayer release, but am posting when the BBC 1 airing ends. I'm scheduling it, so hopefully the football doesn't go long and knock it off-time.

As a warning, while comments are generally made in chronological order with the episode, note that I do come back and make edits in some cases based on later information, which may include spoilers. So maybe don't follow along with these comments while watching the episode for the first time (not that I expect anyone is doing that, but just in case)!

I love we're picking up right off from Lux with these costumes in the TARDIS. We could have had the Doctor and Belinda change first, but this sets us right up after the TARDIS left. Not that unusual for the first few episodes of a series, but I do like it when it happens.

"swatted by a giant moth" Kill the Moon thoughts intensify...

"and your mum will whistle at my behind" Interesting again to see how Fifteen is particularly aware of the power of attraction and how to manipulate it. I would say it feels a little iffy doing that with the first black Doctor (though I'm not black, so I don't want to get too carried away speaking about racial implications myself), but we have seen plenty of bits like this sexualising the Doctor with previous incarnations. See 9 and 10's relative flirtiness, 11 too, although while seemingly being less aware of it, with his relative asexuality (though I'd argue he still enjoys the game of it all, given his relationship with River etc., even if he's sometimes a bit less aware of when he's led someone on - Amy, Nefertiti, Marilyn etc.)

The return of Toxic! 20 years later!

A little silly the TARDIS had exactly the same (military?) uniforms. Couldn't we have had the orange spacesuits or something?

The crew not reacting to the Doctor and Bel straight away is a little weird, but I assume we're just at a point with the jump where there's no return and they need to pay attention.

My astrophysics nerd heart loves the spacescapes we're getting this era.

(Future comment: wait, does this mean Midnight is actually a Moon, based on the proximity of that ringed planet? Or at least a binary system? I really need to go back to that episode and see how things match up.)

Carbon 46 - I assume not "Carbon-46" right? That would be impossible. The number must have a different meaning than isotope - maybe the atomic configuration? (Future edit: YUP!)

A lot of specific numbers this series. Some of them stood out previously (e.g. that six-six-six-sixteen) but I'm not sure any mean anything. An interesting point to note though, given the later discussion of 13 being unlucky as an Earth superstition. Could be hinting at future significances.

"Hope is irrelevant." Interesting. We just had the Doctor discussing the idea of the TARDIS bringing hope last episode (very DotD, since I didn't say it before), so this may be starting to form a theme. Was there any discussion of hope in The Robot Revolution?

"It's not appropriate to call me 'babes'." This is obviously meant to be antagonistic, but honestly... hell yeah, speak back to your "higher-up".

Hmm... more emphasis on heart beats, here as a life sign. But not the Doctor's this time. I'm still adding it to the list though.

Yay, another deaf character!

Interesting choice to have part of the signed conversation untranslated. Was there any significance there? Also is this recognisable BSL/ASL? I think I recognised a bit, with the thank you, but don't know about the rest.

Nice also to have the Doctor be more confident at it, after some of Twelve's mistakes last time.

So everyone else went mad? I assume it was caused by something sound related then? But then why the mirrors?

"A nurse who can't sign? That's against the law." "Well, we have different laws. But you're right, it should be the law."

In retrospect, I like the detail that Aliss didn't react to the door opening! She was facing the other way, and of course she didn't hear it. I was wondering at first why she was so nonchalant to it opening.

Mercury... so another source of reflections?

"I can still lip-read."

Between Bel's struggling as a nurse and the Doctor's questions, I'm kinda struggling to buy that the crew will keep buying their authority. This is a common DW trope, so I'm not sure why I'm so sceptical this episode... (Future Edit: Given who the enemy is this episode, no wonder the writing has got me feeling so anxious about this! Genuinely quite a compliment to Angel Walfall, RTD, and the show crew on making me feel this way without even knowing why!)

The well itself gives strong "Satan Pit" vibes. Maybe this is why we didn't bring back the orange, as it would have felt too similar?

I like some of the world-building we're getting this episode, with regards to the 'wildlands' and entering the force as a teenager. Far more than we usually get for "generic interstellar space mission".

OH? So something has happened to Earth. Presumably not erased from time given last episode, but perhaps its future history has been, depending on what's happening in the present. I can't remember if I said this before, but this all feels surprisingly Lawrence Miles "Book of the World" so far (or just the stolen planets arc I guess), not that I'm saying it's more EU (or in this case, unofficial writing) cribbing, just a similar vibe with the mystery of Earth somehow being missing.

Interesting to have two explicitly human-like alien species this series already. Not as common in New Who compared to Classic. Feels a little bit of a shame we're not getting some prosthetics or something though, given that Disney+ money, to give a least a little bit of an alien appearance. That's always been why I've quite liked aliens like the Singers of Akhet, or the Drahvin (BTW RTD, can we can get the Drahvin back, pretty please?).

That jump scare took a couple repeats to see what happened. Something was behind Aliss. Is she possessed, or carrying something with her? Maybe something to do with that wound?

"What's that thing?" "Magic" lol (Another point for the Magic vs Science unravelling laws of rationality theme in this show, plus how the Doctor fits into it all)

Maybe I'm so sceptical of the authority thing because of this guy's (reasonable) doubts.

Feels quite Series 4. 'There's something on your back'

"But it's just a grey star now. Nothing special." "Well, a grey star is a star that's collapsed." Hm, a grey star isn't a thing. Is it meant to be a fading white dwarf (i.e. between a white dwarf and black dwarf?) or maybe a neutron star or something? Maybe something between a black hole and neutron star? That would better fit the "collapse" description.

"It was an Xtonic Star. But that's ancient history, 400,000 years ago." Wait, I know that star...

"Carbon 46" "And the definition of that is?" "Diamonds. This is a diamond mine. The entire surface of this planet was once made out of diamonds" WAIT I KNOW THAT PLANET...

Holy shit, so this is a Midnight sequel?! No wonder the sceptical tone felt so strong (also tbf I saw something comparing the episode to Midnight, but didn't realise how strong the connection was going to be!)

The monster perked when it heard the Doctor was an expert, didn't it...?

Oh, this soundtrack! With the trumpets blaring. Was that from Midnight or another episode? It sounds kinda Twelve era, but I expect I'm wrong. (Future edit: I checked, it's definitely from Midnight. It's part of the same named song on the Series 4 soundtrack.)

I wonder... if Earth's been destroyed/erased, were the events of that episode effected? How many of the Midnight passengers, if any, were actually human again? If none, maybe it's uneffected?

This is some interesting development for the Midnight entity. So it's some sort of 'perspective'-based creature, always behind the person it's attached to. Feels very Weeping Angel-like, though it's clearly not just a matter of sight. It seems to be linked to the direction Aliss is facing.

"It can't be behind from every angle." "Try telling it that" YESSS, non-euclidean creature, let's go.

A shame this episode kinda kills the "dying TARDIS" theory of it though. Though worth noting this is the same episode Belinda had the translation circuit introduced to her, which is key to that whole idea?

"If it was a clock face, then you die at midnight."... that's a little bit of a stretch... I get it from their perspective, but surely hands at 6 o'clock would be a better comparison?

Side note... did we ever find out when Midnight took place exactly? Right now, I assumed if was the 51st century, but I don't think that's canon. We know it was around 400,000 years ago at a point 500,000 years in the future. So it's a bit further forward than we thought. Actually halfway towards the 200,000 future of human empire era of Series 1 now I think about it, though still 100,000 years away so it's not significant.

Side note 2: 400,000 years isn't a very long for a star to die in? It's fictional granted, but I wonder what type of star Midnight's sun is meant to be. I guess it could have already been in its last days? But the process of dying is meant to be slow in most cases. It presumably would have to have been quite a big star, as the larger they are the quicker they burn out. This seemingly rules out the fading white dwarf theory, since it takes forever for that to happen (fun fact: we believe there isn't a single black dwarf in the universe yet!). A neutron star / black hole intermediary state is a bit more likely, which might place the star right around the Chandresekhar limit which JWST and other telescopes are searching for bodies around. That's still not that much more massive than the Sun though, so the star really must have already been old in Midnight.

"It has fun. Oh, it played games" Interesting. This fits, but gives the creature an even more malevolent feeling, than its learning state we saw (though it was clearly more malicious when it fully took over Sky and possessed the Doctor). The mention of games almost makes me think this will link back to the Pantheon or similar creatures in some way.

As if Midnight wasn't dangerous enough, now everyone's got guns.

Cassio you moron...

...though deliberately killing him via the creature is crazy! WTF Shaya

Is Aliss even still 'her'? If so, it seems to be a change in MO for the entity.

"Please don't turn your back on me." Oh, you know that was an "a-ha" moment at the writing desk!

"My old friend. You have waited 400,000 years. Who are you? Are you there? What are you?" Are we about to get something crazy?

"It knows my name." WHAT. LIKE, 'NAME' NAME? Now I want some to analyse those whisper and see if they can discern anything. If the whisper we hear here is what the Doctor's hearing, it almost sounds just like two or three syllables. Could just be "Doctor" but doesn't sound like it. Sounds closer to "Theta" if anything...

On the other hand, it's clearly more than what we hear, so there's not much to conclude. The Doctor reacts a LOT more while we hear nothing, so there might be some telepathic contact taking place too.

(Does that mean Series 4 now has three episodes in a row with characters who know the Doctor's name? River and the entity?)

"Oh yes, there it is." Ah, for a second we were seeing the Doctor get possessed again! Can you imagine if the Doctor turned and suddenly started acting like the released Sky did at the end of Midnight? I know some of y'all have theorised it could happen in a way involving the Master, but I would love to see Ncuti get a villainous moment, like the Cyberplanner or in 42 (speaking of which, there was a brief second I thought we were talking about that star earlier!).

Ha, I knew the Mercury was significant. So it destroyed the mirrors itself then? Quite "Little Nightmares"-y, plus I swear from something else too, but I can't remember.

"Mercury 16" Oh come on, that isn't an isotope either. I guess it must be some configuration of Mercury, based on the diamond thing (maybe this is why Mercury vapour isn't an issue when it gets spilled - though I suppose even if it was, both the soldiers and the Doctor and Bel have whatever they'd need to heal the exposure).

Oh, so is it attacking something behind it involuntary? Weird... If so, that might explain what happened to the cockpit in Midnight. But did anyone go behind Sky in that episode. Although actually, there have been a few points where it seemingly could have struck previously (e.g. as Cassio walked to the other side of the room and Aliss turned), so maybe there is some control to it? The rules are a bit unclear, but that comes with non-euclidity I guess.

It seems interestingly to be linked to the line of sight specifically? The Doctor told people not to look earlier, so maybe not looking at it when you're facing it is enough to be safe? That would explain the screaming before gettng thrown too. It's like some sort of defensive mechanism to hide and avoid being seen, which is apparently harmful even to itself - very Weeping Angel-like again. Like the entity only attacks when it can gurantee it can kill whatever sees it. But apparently its peripharies (e.g. over the shoulder) aren't so vital.

"I want to see it" How very Listen of you, Doctor. At least he only seems to get a glimpse in the shadows and isn't attacked the same way.

I didn't see it first time watching, but just realised they did actually reuse the orange spacesuit! Aliss wears it when they escort her out, though it's clearly been retouched in grey to serve as a miner's spacesuit. I wonder how many of those suits have actually been made and reused? Given it fits Aliss's actress, maybe this is one of the ones fitted for Jodie, Jenna, or Mandip?

I knew everyone just getting out felt a bit too easy...

Jesus, something tells me this is going to remind Belinda how dangerous this is again, after the relatively comfortably story last time. The Doctor's sacrificial play probably helped solidify her trust of him, but I don't think she'll be as carefree about sticking around as it looked like she was going to be.

Interesting no-one questions if Belinda nearly dying would be enough to move the entity to Shaya. (Future edit: knowing it didn't actually go to her shows how flimsy this really was. It's also a nice reminder that the thing is intelligent, and doesn't have rules it needs to follow. After all, why should it go to the killer? It probably only did so previously because they were the most convenient nearby body. Or actually, in retrospect, I guess that, like it looked for the most intelligent person in the room in Midnight, this time it's just looking for its safest way out. In the past, that's been sticking with whoever kills the previous host - "survival of the fittest", after all (not that that's what that phrase really means) - but here, it knows Shaya is ready to sacrifice herself, so there's no point leeching onto her. It also doesn't go with the Doctor, as this time he's too smart, and would catch and stop it. Belinda was a good try, but her odds now probably seem to low (plus maybe her being shot would have effected it too?). The better option is to pick someone else in the room: not a soldier - but the group's quieter nurse.

I feel like Shaya running away face forwards could have been done a bit more carefully, given she was almost throwing everyone behind her. (Future edit, again: given the final twist, this makes more sense...)

Also, she kinda comes across as another Doctor parallel doesn't she? Like with Mr Pye last episode, here "running across the galaxy" to bring hope (again that theme). Feels like the kinda thing that could be setting up the Doctor to sacrifice himself some way in the final episode this series.

This music as she sacrifices itself sounds familiar again? I'd assume from Midnight, but it sounds more like something from Girl in the Fireplace. A lot of repeated soundtracks this year so far. Mostly reasonable choices, but Amy's theme and the This is Gallifrey bit feel like they could be arbitrary choices. I hope Murray Gold put some thought into it and it's not more of a Time of the Doctor situation where they had limited recording time and had to reuse some themes (as much as I love the Long Song / Infinite Potential returning for Eleven's regeneration). I wonder if there's more subtle Midnight callbacks in this episode's soundtrack I missed? Whether there are or not, I will say I did love the soundtrack this episode, including the more original bits. (Future edit: Again, I checked this. I don't think it's actually Madame de Pompadour, which is what I was thinking. I think it's just a similar sounding theme, either original to this episode, or possibly unreleased from Midnight.)

Mrs Flood again. So the use of the vindicators IS important, including to whatever she's thinking. Again... is my theory that they're accidentally messing with Earth's position in the Web of Time correct?!

Actually defeating the Midnight entity (albeit not killing it), rather than just surviving felt a little bit of a shame, so it actually sucessfully getting out does boost this ending quite a bit! Now I just kinda hope we get a third story to complete the trilogy, as it's quite a cliffhanger. Maybe that could be the one to actually reveal more about it?

Ooh, the credits give the entity a name (or lack thereof) for crediting. "It Has No Name". It seems to be a male actor, maybe whoever did the glimpses of it on set? The whispers sounded more feminine to me.

Overall thoughts

I really liked this one, even if it was a bit of a disappointing follow-up. Definitely doesn't match up to Midnight in terms of the tension and anxiety, even if I was feeling it early on. Maybe more should have been done with Cassio's coup - we could have seen more and more whispers among the crew members over the story? The room most of the action takes place in is also way too big, so you don't get the same claustrophobia. That being said, between this and the entity's behaviour itself, I get you don't just want to do Midnight, but again. I still think it was a good and creepy story, but the comparison to Midnight kinda makes it look worse by comparison. We also don't get the same breakdown of the Doctor's character behaviour, though again I understand you can't just do the same thing again. It more just happens in the background here, mostly via Cassio. On the bright side, I'd argue we've gotten a similar breakdown of Fifteen from Belinda just a couple episodes ago, so I'm not too upset.

Meeting the entity again is cool though, especially with it seemingly recognising the Doctor. The implication that it learned the Doctor's name is a bit of a bombshell, even if it sadly didn't amount to anything. Its shows of force are neat, quite poltergeist-y, and matches up with the cockpit getting torn off in the previous episode, but overall it didn't really match the creepiness of that episode. I'm kinda shocked we never got a point of it mimicking someone again (can you imagine if it was doing so throughout, and when we got to the airlock Belinda suddenly started repeating people's words!). It seems a lot more physical rather than psychological / mental in this episode. On the otherhand, the MO change does kinda make sense. It's been 400,000 years after all - it was only really doing what it did in the first place to learn! Probably doesn't need to learn anything else at this point. Learning more about it, like its connection to perception, was pretty cool too.

I liked the characters in this episode - while some crew members were clearly more "redshirt"-y, a few of them like Cassio, Shaya and Mo stood out, as did Aliss. I really loved how you could feel the different communication barriers coming across through the episode, between the discussion of signing, the soldiers turning off their captions to speak without Aliss hearing (though, as she says, she can definitely lipread some of it) and the Doctor making an effort rather than just relying on the automatic captioning. The latter in particular feels like a bit of a relevant topic, given I've just recently seen "anti-DEI" talk turn to the idea of getting rid of interpretors and just having subtitles available. Again, I'm not audibly or visually impaired (just shortsighted), so I'm probably not the best person to talk about it, but there've been plenty of discussions especially on Tumblr on why this is a bad conclusion to come to.

One thing I'll say, less about the current episode and more in general - maybe this is just me, but do modern DW episodes tend to feel a bit underdeveloped? Not in terms of editing (though I'd argue some changes could have been made to the last few episodes, as much as I liked them) but in terms of plot pacing? It feels like a lot more happened in older episodes, whereas nowadays I check the time part way through and am surprised how close we are to the end - it sometimes feels like we could have done more with the concepts, scenery etc. Maybe it's just a matter of growing up and your attention span / information processing changing (if anything, I'm glad I seem to be going that way in terms of paying attention, rather than the opposite!). On the other hand, maybe this is evidence we need to bring back mid-season multi-parters, or at least the 50+ min episodes we got more of in Capaldi's run.

Ruby next week! I'm surprised it's a Ruby episode with the Doctor and Belinda actually on Earth, I thought it was going to be more of a Doctor-lite episode with her. When is it going to be set? I assume last year or something - too long for Bel to hang around on Earth? Also, "boyfriend", "pheromones", what is this, Torchwood?

#Doctor Who #Fifteenth Doctor #Belinda Chandra #The Well #DW Spoilers #Doctor Who Spoilers #DW Meta #DW Theory #made a small edit as I referred to RTD alone as the writer and forgot to include Sharma Angel Walfall. Added now.

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