#oops couldn't help but set the scene a little more

[yukipri]

So, I binged The Acolyte last night.

I had a mental block and couldn't get myself to start while it was coming out, and I also haven't touched any High Republic era media before which made me hesitant. But the spoilers/gifs/fanart etc I saw convinced me I should give it a try.

I'm not a huge fan of binging, I like sitting and thinking with each episode, so I expected to just watch an episode or two, give it a day or so, then continue if I liked it.

But, to my great surprise, once I started, I couldn't really stop (aaand stayed up till 7 AM, oops).

I think it had several things going for it:

-The acting was genuinely phenomenal. I feel like I would have felt completely differently about the show if different actors had been involved, and i mean that more strongly than I usually do. Their delivery in certain moments really sold me.

-It's not your usual Star Wars genre. I'd consider it mystery/suspense with a touch of horror, and it really does come together. Some of the characters are experience a more stereotypical Star Wars action/adventure story, but are jerked out of their genre at certain moments. It's pretty neat, and makes the twists fun and interesting (even if you were completely spoiled beforehand, like me lol)

-The costumes were gorgeous and unique.

-Some truly gorgeous cinematography, shots that have beautiful composition and lighting.

-It was rich in lore and references, some from Legends that I caught, many from the High Republic that I didn't catch but appreciated nonetheless. It felt deeply connected to the SW Universe.

-While cynical, the writing says things that I've thought about but never really thought Star Wars would have the guts to say. The writing is also Tight, meaning that little moments of character interactions bring up things that will be necessary/helpful to the plot later, and I appreciated that. There felt like very little waste.

-There are genuinely no "good" or "bad" guys. Every character makes mistakes or has horrible qualities, yet also positive ones. We see and understand motives, even if we don't agree with them, and see the fallout of those actions. This made almost everyone compelling. The narrative and writing gives the audience space to think.

Things that I wasn't as much a fan of:

-I felt like most of the sets felt kind of generic and Earth-like, especially in comparison to the rich costumes and alien characters.

-There are some fantastic fight scenes and emotional scenes, where the acting and cinematography was fantastic, but I wish the music had been a bit more memorable. I can't really recall any of it, and I feel like there were scenes that could have been truly iconic had the music resounded more with me.

Now, some more specific thoughts, SPOILERS below:

On Sol:

Sol is a character who, I believe in most cases, I would have absolutely despised. But holy shit, Lee Jung-jae. I am not exaggerating when I say that his performance is perhaps one of the best, if not THE best performances I've ever seen in live action Star Wars. He played this character so tenderly, so genuinely.

Despite being misguided, having made terrible decisions, and making mistakes that even he acknowledges, Sol himself always truly thought he was doing what was right, and loved Osha with his whole being even at the end, and it Shows. The way he looks at Osha was so sincere.

This is why I can't get myself to hate Sol as a character. It makes me feel so conflicted, like how can a guy with so much love and genuine desire to help and do good go so wrong? And that, I think, is one of the major points of the show, and Lee Jung-jae absolutely sells it. What a phenomenal actor. You could genuinely watch this show for him alone.

On Osha/Mae:

When the first info/promos for Acolyte came out and Amandla Stenberg was announced as the main character, I admit I was a bit confused. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't that I thought she couldn't act, but it's just that her face is so kind. She looks so warm (and gosh, she's so beautiful), but it made me go hmm, she looks like a Good Guy Protag, a Hero, so I was a bit confused as to how she was going to lead "the Acolyte," which from the title, I assumed she'd be Dark Side. Even with the early promo scenes of Mae fighting Indara, I wasn't really sold on her being "Dark."

And it turns out, that was exactly the point of the casting.

Amandla was perfect, and was brilliant at portraying two characters who not only have different and distinct personalities, but also both shift and change throughout the show. Mae never came off as "Dark" to me, because she isn't. Osha's not necessarily Light OR Dark, but she's independent. They are balanced, yet cycling, reminiscent of that little palm-to-palm circling ritual that the girls do. Amandla's portrayal of them was poetry, and made me so very invested in them.

I think if there's one thing I really wish the show had included more of, it's both Osha and Mae's pasts between their tragic separation and their reunion in the present. What was Osha's Padawan-ship actually like? I feel like the exact reason for the timing of her leaving the Order was ambiguous, and I wanted to know more. And was Mae with "the Master" the entire time?

I truly wish Osha could have heard the full story from Sol, because of his many crimes, ironically, killing her mother really was a genuine accident. There are things I wish he could have apologized to her for, or that she could have understood about him, such as how that night at the coven was largely driven by how Sol felt connected to her. This is one part where, while I get how the writers went this way, I do wish I could have felt more closure to their relationship.

I found it so tragic that Qimir erased Mae's memories and they had to be separated so soon after finally understanding each other. I really hope that if there's a season 2, they can be reunited.

On Qimir:

Preface by saying I was spoiled regarding his identity long before I started, by all those thirsty posts/tweets. And man, I GET IT.

But thirst magnet aside, I found him a genuinely fascinating character. For one thing, he's kind of an ironic character to *be* a Darksider. He seems so chill and laid-back, is honorable (or at least keeps his word), and despite his words about using emotions to harness energy, we don't really see him passionately mad/anything really. In contrast, the Jedi we see around him are furious, scared, sad. It's interesting that he almost seems more calm, but not necessarily because he's trying: he just doesn't care.

Manny Jacinto's portrayal of the character made him so damn Likable. Which, is pretty hard to reconcile with the fact that I genuinely liked Jecki and Yord, but a lot of his lines make me just go, y'know he's got a point. Like the whole, "She was a child," "You brought her here." Like yeah. Honestly, fair. His little quips, the delivery, the I'm-just-a-chill-dude attitude, actually keeps his word, and on the flip side, undeniable ruthless skill and viciousness that took down a whole team of Jedi single-handedly. It's a very BRRRRRR combo.

In general, I don't really get too attached to "Dark Side" characters, and don't really have a favorite Sith. Or at least, I didn't, but I think Qimir (or whatever his actually name is) might claim that spot now. Truly peak character, I truly hope we get to see more with him.

And this is kind of an aside, but can I just say, it felt unreal to have entire fight sequences focussing on just two Asian actors, with the other protagonist we see a black girl, for huge chunks of the show? No white people except comparatively brief side characters? In a Star Wars show?!?? All of them unique and well fleshed out and phenomenally written and acted?? None of it felt like "forced diversity," it's all so natural, that when I step back and thought about it in these terms it just...again, feels unreal. I'm so grateful for these characters, and hope we get more like them.

On Jecki and Yord:

Honestly given what I saw about Yord before hand, I was expecting him to be far more annoying than he was. Sure, he was a little stiff, but he felt like a young Jedi Knight who was trying to prove himself and do his best, and I think he very clearly did care for Osha.

Jecki, gosh I loved her. She felt very similar to Ahsoka, if a bit more by the book. She was very wise for her youth. I loved the budding friendship between her and Osha, how they helped each other and weren't jealous.

The thing about both of these characters, which I think the writers did so well, is that they felt like protagonists. In another story, they would have been the main characters, the heroes. Both of them were so young, so early in their training/careers. They could have become Obi-Wans, Ahsokas. Jecki especially was bursting with so much potential.

But alas, this was not that story. It makes it that much shocking when their lives are cut so abruptly short. We were given time to get to know these characters, to care for them, and then without much fanfare, boom. Gone.

On one hand, I sorta Hate That. On the other, I deeply respect the writers for going there, because I think it did have an Impact on the story and show.

On the Witches/Mother Aniseya:

Admittedly I was a little ehhhhh on some of the world-building regarding the witches, just the use of the words "witch" and "coven" and some of the chanting with gasping cackling women etc felt a bit caricature. I do get that they wanted us to have a vibe for this group and to get one with limited screentime, and sometimes stereotypes are the way to do that. I didn't love it, but also didn't mind it too much.

I actually really loved Mother Aniseya. For one thing, the actress is Gorgeous, her costume stunning, and she really sold the whole otherworldly ethereal immortal goddess vibe well, in a way that still felt Star Wars. For the other, I liked how she was the soft, empathetic one, it kinda contrasted with expectation of her position.

I also loved Mother Koril, and how again, she was designed as a character foil to Mother Aniseya. I love how we didn't see too much of them, but could still see that they were partners who loved and respected each other (I hesitate to say "wives," because I feel like their society may not exactly have the same concept of marriage, but partners was undeniable). I think it was a neat Oh moment when they stated that Mother Koril is the one who carried the twins. Love them.

I know I'll have more thoughts, but yeah, to sum it up, I enjoyed Acolyte a ton more than I thought i would, and am so glad I gave it a chance.

Other things:

-Mentioned earlier that I love "little moments of character interactions bring up things that will be necessary/helpful to the plot later." Some actual examples of this: When we see Sol noticing Osha's tattoo and Osha saying he must hate it, which in the moment, shows the kind of guardian-student relationship they have, and how little seems to have changed for them in the time they've been a part. Later, it's shown to clearly identify Osha after Mae steals her clothes. Another is the rolly polly moth things, which at first seem just like a way to show This Forest Dangerous, but then are a plot point to temporarily escape from Qimir, and later on, to show Vernestra's connection to the Force (and also her light whip). Stuff like that, I really like.

-I so appreciated Qimir's Cortosis helmet. For one thing, it's neat that it's not just cool-looking or a disguise, but actually is Force-blocking. I think an official SW account factoid said that this is also how beskar works, though beskar is stronger. The two effects this has: when the user is wearing it, they're forced to confront what's inside of them. The other, is that it hides the wearer's identity from Force users who would otherwise recognize them. The latter is my personal headcanon for beskar helmets, so it's very gratifying to see it in canon! The former has some interesting implications for Force-users who wear beskar.

-The cynical view of the Jedi Order as an Institution, and all the politics, corruption, and obscuring of dirt that that entails. Admittedly this may be because of my own increasingly cynical perspective on the Order, but it felt honest and I agreed with most of it. The fact that individuals are trying their best to do "good" does not negate the fact that they are pretty much acting as Space Cops. This line by Senator Rayencourt felt especially raw:

"I think the Jedi are a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion, a delusional cult that claims to claim the uncontrollable. [] Your emotions."

Framed as a religion having unchecked power—that feels uncomfortably realistic! And also zeroing in on how for all their power, the Jedi are still people, and just as fallible (and therefore, must necessarily be held just as accountable).

Also:

I can see how this portrayal of the Jedi may make some folks uncomfortable, especially if you love the Jedi, but I long hold that the Jedi as an organization are deeply flawed. It's part of why I personally like the "fall of the Republic" era; both the Galactic Republic and Jedi Order have deep, fatal flaws, and this is an era where that all comes to a head—one where they must fall, or fix themselves.

So in conclusion, my favorite parts: the characters, and the moral grayness of almost everyone. Many stories may claim there's no good/evil dichotomy, but few ever truly show it, but this one did.

I'm not sure yet if I want to "fandom" over this or if I'm pretty satisfied with having just watched it, but it was definitely worth the watch and I'm glad I gave it a try!

~~

~~

I also kept a lil document of live reaction notes as I was watching, which I'll copy below:

Episode 1

UEDA?? The planet is just, UEDA?? A pretty common Japanese surname?? That's like. Naming a planet Johnson or somethin...

Loving the costumes 'n set

Oh wait I recognize this scene, it's the one they played as a preview at the AMC Star Wars marathon

Idk how to feel about the Space Generic T-Shirt

Ooh Neimoidians (thank you for no horrendously exaggerated Evil Japanese Accent TM), and interesting Jedi ship shape

Oh interesting interesting they intentionally paralleling TPM eh

Hrmn not a positive first impression of Master Vernestra, her lines are so mechanical

Very cool pilot chair droids and tentacle alien

Osha says practice vehicle safety and wear seatbelts and protect your head!

Oh Osha has Trauma I see. Girl ain't getting good sleep

Oh wow Sol Loves Osha, oh no is this going to lead to Padawan Jealousy Trauma between Osha and Jecki. How much are we heavily paralleling TPM here

Kill the dream eh?

Episode 2

Oh there are multiple Jedi temples, that's nice

Jedi Temple using same security system as Jabba is...uh

Mae tips, good for her

Master Torbin just sittin' there, lookin like some random youtuber. why tabi socks

Man I dig Mae's patchwork cloak with massive princess hood.

It's pronounced KAI-meer??? My Chinese ass thought it was Chee-mir

Barash Vow

Ohhh so Mae doesn't know that Qimir...? (was spoiled)

Episode 3

ooh i like the fairy clione things

Ohhh village all women??

Mother Aniseya is stunning

Oh she and Koril blatantly lesbian, fantastic

Oh gosh the Jedi are NOT looking good here. They don't have the right to train children?? WTF

You must let the children take the test?? And if they pass the Jedi will take them away??? That does NOT sound very consensual!!

Oh gosh, selling "you are special" to a child, after separating her from her community...

Really feel like "how does taking a child away affect their community" should be factored into jedi stuff

Mae that is...sudden and violent wtf

Kinda not trusting Sol here

Episode 4

Wow Kelnacca looks...mentally stable

Ohhh Qimir's ship? Looks suspiciously Kylo Ren-ish

Qimir really suspicious eh

Oh wow not using the Force or anything, just using a sniffy guy

They're really doing a Fellowship of the Ring walk huh

Look I absolutely adore Mae's long gorgeous cloak but that is going to drag half the forest floor with her

Not liking those tree bulbs. looks spider eggy

Osha don't Touch the Thing, that's such a Pippin move

oh no, not spider eggs...rolly polly moth vampire thing

Really enjoying Osha and Jecki's friendship, I'm so glad it's not former Padawan jealousy

Oh, Mae, oh no....knowing spoilers...oh...

The red lightsaber igniting next to Osha's head...dang what fantastic composition

The lil hand twitch and head snap. I Get It.

I remember when "Darth Teeth" was trending

And wow that's a Cliffhanger

Episode 5

Oh no Osha knocked out that doesn't bode well

How many against one is that damn

The double spear through then hidden head lop...wow

holy shit booma-saber

Oooooh the cut treeeeees damn

all that death before even the opening title

Honestly GO JECKI, that's very impressive, her win against Mae AND double saber against Darth Teeth, Anakin level spinning and drama

Holy shit Jecki's death was brutal...

She was a child - You brought her here - FAIR

Why risk discovery - I did wear a mask LMAO

Damn did he just casually break Mae's leg

I don't make the rules - the Jedi do

The Jedi say I can't exist...wow

Holy shit Yord's death

Damn full on brawl

I've accepted my darkness, what have you done with yours

Damn really yeeted Qimir from the fight by sticking a light on his back

Pip tho ;_; killin droids feels like killin pets...

They've turned you against me - really Anakin quotin

Wow Sol, not even going to see Jecki????

And wtf how can Sol not tell that Mae's switched them??? Has fandom been grossly misunderstanding how the Jedi use the Force....how the fuck can any Jedi tell apart any clones eh...

While not exactly subtle, I appreciate how lil details in character interactions have had pay offs. Like the tree bugs and Osha's tattoo being a way to identify her

Episode 6

He really just makin a hot pot

his lair kinda looks like sequels Luke's island

Not sure how I feel about the elephant rock bird things

Honestly glad we get to see Sol upset and affected by everyone's deaths. Might explain part of why he can't tell apart the twins?

Oh he's really wearing hakama hakama

Wow Qimir really just getting in buck naked eh. Is this the scene that Manny froze his balls off for

His line about it being fine in a fight but vengeance a few hours later

Oh he brought a change of clothes

Damn the Jedi are taught "it fades"???

Aww Osha, u aren't tempted by the soup??

Oh wow we revisiting bodies, that feels...u usual for SW. Oh there's a Kel Dor... (why are there no flies buzzing yet. or are there no flies yet)

Mae wakes up so peacefully compared to Osha

Oooh sensory deprivation mask, all dark, nothing but breathing, evocative of Darth Vader even if breathing is not similar

Episode 7

Vergence....iiiiinteresting

Sol, stalking lil kids is creepy af

Oh my god you're just gonna break in???

See - You cannot deny the Jedi have a right to test potential Padawans - Why the fuck not???? You don't have the right to stalk, spy on, break into random people's homes, and talk directly to their children without permission from guardians??

Guh Sol....

Interrogation after isolation from guardians....

Oh, the Jedi Council is right for once??

Do not alter this little girl's destiny because you have formed an emotional attachment to her

Gosh I thought Indara was the most innocent in this buuuuut

Episode 8

I'm surprised they never added Darth Teeth's mask to the front credits

"See you in hell" Oh I know Han mentioned Hell like once but I thought they were avoiding mentioning it in newer media

Holy shit Rayencourt: I think the Jedi are a massive system of unchecked power, posing as a religion, a delusional cult that claims to claim the uncontrollable. - Kinda uncomfortably real!!

-We don't control the Force - no, your emotions - OOF

I didn't realize till this ep how the cool Brendok eclipse got that line, it's the comet ring. super neat

oof Mae climbing out of the scene of Trauma...

Oh that is some Wu Xia shit

"I will destroy you if i must" really??

Nice dagger saber

Okay Sol that is Cool

oh gosh, the plot-relevant inversion of clothes resulting in it reflecting how they swapped light/dark is SO cool

very yin yang fighting

Damn it keeps coming down to the unarmed opponent thing

Damn, Mae going the justice route

Damn, just Damn

Gosh the thing about Sol is that he is SO well acted, so sincere in his love and devotion, it's hard to hate him

I'm glad the helmets block the Force identity like that tho, fits headcanon

Glad Basil continues to shine

Oh no. Vernestra...I thought you were doing the right thing revealing the truth, but instead you're continuing the cycle of covering up crimes

Oh...use Mae to find Vernestra's former Padawan...that's a cycle alright

And ends with Yoda okay

[queerpiratebrainrot]

ALRIGHT!I JUST WATCHED THE MIRACULOUS MOVIE AND I HAVE THOUGHTS! There will be spoilers ahead, so tread carefully

A list, in no particular order, just how they pop up in my head:

The animation was STUNNING! Just, props to the animators, I enjoyed the movie visually SO MUCH! From the use of colours and lighting, to the way they used all of that to upgrade the characters: it was absolute perfection. (though some of those close up shots of Hawkmoth were A Lot. But that was probably the point)

The absolute chaotic energy that both Tikki and Plagg (but mostly Tikki, cuz unfortunately. there wasn't a whole lot of Plagg, which I understand due to time, even if it is sad) is FANTASTIC! I adore Chaotic Tikki so much. She has my whole heart! That little scene of Tikki pushing Marinette's hand to Adrien's? Lovely. Tikki explaining absolutely nothing to Marinette when they first meet? Perfection. Just. Give me more Chaotic Tikki, please!

The soundtrack? WONDERFUL! I kinda knew it was a musical, I think, but I completely forgot, so when Marinette sang those first few notes, I had to catch up a lil, but DAMN I was excited! (sad we didn't get Ce Mur Qui Nous Separe (I don't know the english name oops), but it was still fun!)

On that note: Adrian having the most Disney Princess I Want song in the movie is just perfect. No other words needed. Best choice they could have made there.

ALSO on that note: Marinette's singing voice? BEAUTIFUL! It fits so well! I just couldn't help but enjoy her songs, if only for that.

BUT I didn't have to, because the music itself, without the lyrics was just so well done!

Slightly less good: The hawkmoth song was missing some flavor, in my opinion. It started out, and I was EXCITED cuz it started so HARD and then it didn'treally deliver, I think. It kind of kept in the same range and didn't really go up, ya know?

I really REALLY liked Marinette and Chloe's relationship. The way Marinette fired shots back at Chloe, and they actually seemed to be becoming more frennemies? Amazing. I wish we would've gotten more of that in the tv show, considering earlier seasons Chloe and her character developpement, but I really enjoyed it here, in the movie

I'm happy we got to see Gabriel and Adrian actually confronting each other. Both Adrian standing up to his dad (although the timing was a little off, more on that later), AND Gabriel finding out his son is Chat Noir and the resulting Crisis. At least there was some emotional pay off there! (looking at you, season 5 finale)

NOW on the timing thing: There just wasn't enough time. I understand that they wanted to do the superhero origin story for people who aren't familiar with the show but do go to see the movie, but I feel like they just didn't have the necessary time to create the emotional tension needed for the end scene to actually hit as hard as it could have. We got to see a hint of Adrian and Gabriel's relationship, and what was shown was great! But if we had gotten a little more of that perspective and tension, it would've felt better to watch Adrian stand up to Gabe and his parenting skills. And consequently, enjoyed more of the end scene with them figuring out each others identities. Genuinely, I was happy we got at least some pay off there, but it felt too easy. (which again, makes sense due to the limited time, but I feel like they should have made choice: either the Big End Fight with Hawkmoth, OR the Origin Story. And since they did kind of set up a possible sequel, I feel like the choice could have been made)

With the feeling of too easy: I had the same feeling of Marinette and her finding confidence in herself and Ladybug AT THE END! The sudden change during the montage, I liked and felt like it made sens, since we then, during the big battle, get Marinette's insecurities over only being confident when she's Ladybug and all that. That is wonderful and so in line with the core of who Marinette is as character, no matter what version of her we get, that I love it very much. I would have enjoyed a liiiiitle more time with the Angst, but it's allright!

MOSTLY CUZ: that scene where she's dragging Cat Noir's unconcious body onto the debris of the Eiffel Tower, and she goes 'Don't. Touch. Him.' through tears and with a broken voice? AMAZING! When I tell you I Went FERAL! My children! absolutely STUNNING

The actual fight of the end battle? Marinette surrounded by flame and a Paris that is falling apart? Ladybug in Hell, essentially? GORGEOUS! Cat Noir running up the Eiffel Tower to fight Hawkmoth? Stunning! The Eiffel Tower slowly collapsing, as Ladybug watches and cannot Do Anything to stop it? HEARTWRENCHING!

Marinette revealing herself to Adrian at the ball? AMAZING SCENE! (although i laughed and had to utter 'Real Subtle, Marinette' when I saw the ladybug wings on the back of the dress, which was, againg, stunning). The way the scene was framed like the rejection scene? WONDERFUL!

The glitter on Chat Noir's mask? I loved it! Such a fun little detail we don't get in the show!

Did not like the Plagg farting scene. Just. No thanks. It's cheap comedy and that runtime could have been spent better, with a better characterisation of PLagg and his relationship with Adrian. But whatever, it's fine.

THE LADYNOIR CONTENT AND BICKERING! JUST FANTASTIC! ladynoir stans got FED this movie, and I am HERE FOR IT!

So yeah, that was an incomplete list of my thoughts on the movie! Overall I really enjoyed it! I really liked this version of the characters and their relationships. They feel a lot more genuine and real in comparison to the tv show, in some ways. I had so much fun watching it, and will probably go a second time, to see how it'll feel like on a rewatch. And just to enjoy the vibes. I do hope we get a sequel, because I am Curious. And would love more Natalie content.

[dalesramblingsblog]

Brief Look at Judge Dredd Novels, Cinematic Interlude: Judge Dredd (1995)

We should, perhaps, begin with the obvious.

The biggest problem here is Sylvester Stallone, in manners both gross and subtle. On the one hand, his performance is... well, it's pure Stallone. It's a mind-gratingly stoic and staid performance, with all the mumbling you've come to expect, and on the most obvious of levels it's simply not very good.

But the deeper problem here, and the one that really sinks the film, is one that fandom generally seems to come very close to correctly diagnosing, if only to ever so slightly miss the mark in the way that only science-fiction fandoms really can.

The problem, as John J. Fandom, MD would have you believe, is that the film chose to show Judge Dredd's face, one of the biggest no-nos of 2000 AD. And they are, at least, partially right, but only in the sense that the prominence of Stallone's face is a symptom of the overwhelming amount of distortion that the actor's mere presence inflicts upon the very cinematic grammar of the film.

Witness the first scene in which Dredd is revealed, and you can practically hear the creaks as the generally satirical and sceptical lens in which 2000 AD cast the Judges at its best moments is wrenched into a far more conventional "action movie" template.

This impression certainly isn't helped any by the eventual arrival of Rob Schneider, who was seemingly one of your go-to guys in the nineties for lame action movie buddy comedies.

(Granted, the only other film I've seen from the decade that fits the bill would be Tsui Hark's 1998 JCVD vehicle Knock Off, a rather terrible film that I only ever bothered to watch because Sparks did the theme song. At any rate, it simply wasn't worth it.)

It's not that the juxtaposition of Judge Dredd against this conventional setting couldn't create a perverse frisson, but it would definitely require a much more incisive and self-aware script than William Wisher, Jr. and Steven de Souza were apparently willing to provide. As is, you're left with... well, a conventional action movie, which is probably in the Top 2 Least Interesting Things You Could Ever Do With Judge Dredd.

The other, as it happens, would be to make it a conventional sci-fi film riffing on Star Wars and Joseph Campbell, and oops they did that one too, complete with a James Earl Jones voiceover that makes a point of having him say lines about "forces." The best encapsulation of the sheer strangeness of this experience is the scene in which Max von Sydow's Fargo reveals to Dredd his nature as a clone. After seemingly never shutting up throughout the whole film, Rob Schneider is practically forced to the periphery of the frame for an Atonement with the Father or whatever.

Rather than being as liberating as one would hope "getting less Rob Schneider" would be, it only reinforces the sense that the film is caught between two - three, if you count the tone and aesthetic of the original 2000 AD comics, but all impressions of the film's behind-the-scenes would seem to suggest that you'd be the only one - competing sensibilities, and ultimately ends up doing neither of them particularly well.

Sure, it looks good, with some wonderful set design and special effects, but the reduction of such an interesting world as Judge Dredd down to superficial and facile pleasures - and I include in this remark the utterly extraneous catfight between Diane Lane's Hershey and a rightfully bored Joan Chen, for the record - can't help but sting a little. The biggest saving grace the film has is that it isn't that long, but at that point we'd best stop scraping the bottom of the barrel before we end up with splinters.

And accordingly, we should end with the obvious: The fact that this made nearly nineteen times as much as the contemporary Tank Girl film is the kind of thing that it's hard not to view as anything but a moral abhorrence.

[angie-j-kay]

OC in Fifteen, doubling as a Snippet Sunday because I AM TIRED.

I'm sneaking into @k--havok's open tag, and tagging @dyrewrites and @doublegoblin. Also leaving an OPEN TAG FOR EVERYONE as well. :D

Rules: Share 15 or fewer lines of dialogue from an OC, ideally lines that capture the character/personality/vibe of the OC. Bonus points for just using the dialogue without other details about the scene, but you're free to include those as well!

Writing for Agent Bethany Larson, FBI. We'll meet her in Chapter Six, I believe.

1.

"Well, the fellow at the desk called me 'Missy,'" she shrugged. "I showed him my badge and everything, and all Officer White did was grumble about how 'first Nelson let the perp go, now the feds are here effing things up.' Only that wasn't the word he used. I don't like that kind of language. Besides, I didn't get this far by not being curious."

2.

"Yes, that's a lovely thing to say in front of the FBI agent, Chief Perkins. Great job. Now could you give him the keys before you write up his dismissal paperwork? For some reason, I just don't trust you to give me the right evidence."

3.

"To be fair, anything that can shred a man without leaving any signs of forced entry is probably outside of your weight class."

4.

"Ever get a really bad feeling about something?"

5.

"She's gone, glitter or no."

6.

"That's not mildew in the bathtub ... that's blood residue or I'm Martha Washington."

7.

"... if you're not here to kill [SPOILER] then... I really don't know why you're here.”

8.

"...I take it you were responsible for that, Little Miss Arson?”

9.

“You picked a heck of a damsel to play shining knight to"

10.

“This isn't about one person's job, you know? There are things out there, very real things that could cause a lot of death and destruction if they wanted to. You cops couldn't handle it. The army probably couldn't handle them either, some of the things I've dealt with... Demons, monsters, cultists. That one in ten case I investigate, I wasn't kidding when I said you needed a stiff drink afterwards.”

11.

“It's pretty far off, don't you think?” Miller cocked her head sideways at the church. “If you want help from a higher power, though, we've got the time.”

12.

“Get your danged gun, Rutledge!”

13.

“Good guys do not dismember people, Rutledge!” Miller yelled back. “I shouldn't have to tell you this!”

14.

“Son, I drop this gun and your mole escapes!” she called back. “Now why don't you go radio your boss and tell him I have the genius who burned down [SPOILER]'s office, hm? ... Can you do it fast, please? This one's got kind of a foul mouth on her!”

15.

“A peace offering, that's all.” Miller dismissed him with a small hand wave. “You've got bigger problems, [SPOILER], and I think you've already lost people to that problem. Now, I also think that young lady in there knows more about this murderer than she wants to tell me. She might tell you.”

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Angie's Patreon

Angie's Ko-Fi

Alright, folks, I've got my first Patreon and Ko-Fi rewards queued up and ready to go! For $3 USD a month, Tier 2 supporters on my Patreon and Ko-Fi can download printable chapters of my novel, What You Cast Out: A Tale From Little Egypt. The first two chapters are set to go live on February 1, though if I'm completely honest my first time posting things on Ko-Fi glitched a bit and all of the February rewards are already available for download there. Oops.

Anyway, while Tier 2 supporters will be able to read this before everyone else, chapters will be made available every other Monday on both of my sites starting on March 5.

All of the art on these covers is made by me, a combination of watercolor, collage, and just a smidge of digital manipulation for the covers themselves. NO AI WAS OR EVER WILL BE USED IN THE PRODUCTION OF MY ZINES.

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If you like this post, I'd love it if you shared it so more folks could see it. The more people share this post, the more people will be able to read the novel!

And if you'd like to join my taglist, let me know!

The current taglist: @wedgie-of-destiny, @nightacquainted, @storminmywake, @brokenandlonelysouls, @tattur, @theamazingchickenman, @solstice-muse-collective, @axl-ul, @tucsonhorse

[laurenkmyers]

(1/2) Hi, Lauren! Would you recommend me to watch Two Worlds? I'm debating with myself for a few weeks now, watching all these gif sets on tumblr. The things is... I find most of the BLs quite cringy which is a big no for me. Usually I like the BLs you're watching (I've really loved KinnPorsche, Not me, Kisseki, A Tale of 1000 Stars, ...), but there have also been shows you really loved but I wasn't able to finish - main example being Love in the Air (i just wasn't able to get past episode 3).

(2/2) Next shows I've tried but didn't finish are for example: Naughty Babe, Cutie Pie, Pit Babe. Could you advise me on which scale do you think the Two Worlds are? It looks intriguing but I'm afraid of a possible cringe lurking in the background. Looking at the BLs I've loved and the ones I didn't finished, would you be able to guess how I would feel about this one?

---

Helloooo sweet anon! Thank you for your messages!

Firstly, I must say, the bl's you listed that you enjoyed are superior. Well done on your immaculate taste. And the list you provided that you couldn't finish is also hilarious and accurate and I'm agreeing wholeheartedly on your opinions.

In terms of Two Worlds...I'm gonna be honest with you, I only started watching it for Max Kornthas. The man has a hold on me that I can't explain. So I may be slightly biased, however, that doesn't stop me from telling you that the show has surprised me in so many ways. I'm thoroughly enjoying it as a whole and hope more people watch it once it's finished. (Learning that it wasn't a domundi/mandee production also helped massively.)

Where it stands on a kp/notme level vs cutiepie/naughtybabe/pitbabe level, let me try and break it down for you:

Production level isn't quite kinnporsche WOW, but it's also not naughty babe cgi tiger TRAGEDY. It tips more on the kp side of production value. The locations are gorgeous, and the cinematography is pretty as hell. There are some dodgy camera tricks being used, but nothing to worry too much about.

The acting: As a whole I would say it's definitely better than your average thai bl. It's absolutely not Gun Attaphan level good. But I will say that Max is kinda killing it- and I'm not saying that from a particularly bias lens. His acting has improved an incredible amount since cutie pie/naughty babe. Nat, bless him, still has a little ways to go to really impress me, but he's also improved so fucking much I have to commend him. The guy playing the 2nd love interest is definitely the weakest actor of the bunch, but overall the acting is pretty good. No major complaints from me.

The narrative: I think this story in particular is incredibly interesting, it's unique, it's angsty, it's romantic, it's brutal, it's exciting, and a little bittersweet. The pacing can be a bit all over the place at times, but if you just go with it, you'll catch up quickly enough. The one major flaw for me in thai bls in general is that sometimes the story seems way more complicated then they actually are. This story really isn't that complicated if you don't think too hard about the details. Are there plotholes? Ofc there are. But it's nothing too glaringly obvious that I want to rant about it.

Another plus is that there is no quick-how-can-we-promote-this-thing-that-has-no-relevance-to-the-show product placement, which is something I only noticed two episodes ago but am highly grateful for.

The thai bl cringefactor: There are moments where I thought I would be cringing up a storm, but so far it's been pretty tame in terms of typical bl cringe moments. There's no guitars or singing (praying it stays that way), but we have had a few 'oops i tripped and fell into you and now we're staring into each other's eyes' moments, but honestly? They didn't bother me in the slightest. Maxnat pull off the elongated looks very well.

Spice level: We've only had one NC scene so far, it was definitely more on the romance side of the fence than the spicy one, but it lasted 7 minutes long...do with that information what you will. We've got more to come from both Maxnat and our side couple (who I'm also enjoying greatly, btw) Maxnat know how to fucking de-li-ver and from the looks of the trailer, our side couple also get a pretty steamy moment too.

The only potential downside to the show is the hefty trigger warning list. If you want to know them you can message or dm me and I'll make a separate list for you.

This response probably didn't need to be as long as it did, but I wanted to give you the facts. Do I think you should watch it? Yes. Do I think you'll like it? I think so. But is it to the standard of bl you seem to really enjoy? No. Do with this information what you will! And please feel free to tell me if you do start watching it and enjoying it because I'd love to hear your thoughts!

ps. (the CACKLE I let out reading that you couldn't get past episode 3 of LITA was wild because you're so valid. I skipped episodes 1-7 because I also couldn't handle the cringe, but if you did want to try it again- episodes 8-13 are much better- still a little cringe, I won't lie to you- but it's definitely the stronger of the two stories.)

[ceph-the-ghost-writer]

Writing Log Aug. 23

This seems like a fun and neat habit that the more responsible writblrs I follow have. So let's give it a shot.

Word Count Roundup

Apophenia Rewrite Attempt #1: 10,521 (like 3k more than the original! :O)

Phagophobia Rough Draft: 39,714

The Primrose Path: 7,291

Target(s) of the Week

Finish sketching out final chapters of Phagophobia

Write a little bit of Primrose Path. Something. Anything. It's been too long.

Some spoiler-y rambles for Apophenia/Phagophobia under the cut

What I naively believed would be just a little polishing or adding a few scenes to Apophenia has completely changed the entire story. Oops. This isn't a bad thing, mind you. It just means there was a lot more work to be done than anticipated.

Renato's motivations have been the biggest driving force behind all the changes. Ever since he stopped just wanting to drink Isaac dry I've had to come up with a lot more complex worldbuilding and personal history. His cruelty towards Isaac in the rewrite comes from his job as one of the Unseen Hand's thugs. As does his guilt when he realizes he grabbed the wrong agent.

This revelation is rapidly setting in on Part 5 of Apophenia. After escaping from the shapechanging ouroboros, the boys have holed up in a motel room while Renato calls for backup. Which is where my outline went careening off course yet again. Rather than let Isaac go for various reasons (one of them being so Apophenia can link up with what I'd written for Phagophobia), Renato has decided to hold on to Agent Soto. It looks like they'll be going on a messed up roadtrip a lot sooner than expected.

Which means most of Phagophobia is moot. I mean, the general shape of some events will remain (Kinslayer showing up to bail Renato out, Renato going to Dorian for help, etc.). But pretty much everything is going to have to be redone. Again, not a bad thing. I can already see a lot of ways this will improve the story.

In light of all this, I've gone ahead and replaced the next chapter or two of Phagophobia with simple explanations in brackets. I simply don't want to spend time on writing out scenes I don't have clear motivations for. However, I am writing the final scenes of the story. While these may completely change in the future as well, I think the general concept is solid enough to give it a try. Anyway, I'd like to at least say I brought Phagophobia to some type of conclusion before continuing with any more rewriting.

Or outlining rather. Which, if you couldn't tell, I'm terrible at.

Anyway, have the first tidbit of that final scene.

They took him out to the woods to die. Isaac wondered if it was meant as an extra layer of cruelty or just the most practical place to murder somebody. Maybe a little of both, he decided. Zamora sat with him in the backseat, gun in her lap, while Quinn drove. The sound system remained off. Nobody talked, not even to gloat. Isaac wished he could come up with some last words. An epitaph that would haunt them forever. Empty fantasies, of course. At best, the enforcers believed they were doing the Coven, the world, a favor. At worst, they just didn’t care. No matter where their reasoning fell, he was trash to them. Something to be buried and never thought about again. So, he stared out the window at the dark trees flashing by and didn’t waste his final breaths. “Seatbelt.” Isaac started at the voice. His eyes darted to Zamora, then Quinn, but neither were looking at him. He tugged on the strap across his chest. The connection point. Both secure.

[honeyhotteoks]

I’m sorry this is going to be a little long… oops? I finally have a long weekend and now that I’m home I’m ready to dive into TNT (which I’ve been holding off for so long it’s insane I didn’t cave in earlier lol)

“Yunho would recommend we all stop drinking water if Mingi said it was a good idea.” I actually giggled at this and scared my parents’ cat lmao T^T This is hilarious and I already love the character dynamics! Also, kudos to woo for helping mc by giving her lozenges, I already love his character juygtfdfghj (I have a feeling he’s gonna be my favourite)

Oh gosh Mingi’s “it’s okay, I’m not going to hurt you” and Yunho's “I’m just worried about you, I want you safe” had me melting on the floor. T^T

As someone who finds… the whole abo thing slightly… *sigh* how do I put it nicely? A lot of it goes very close to the nc category and always manages to make me uncomfortable especially since boundaries are not set before and just... Yeah. So, the fact that they’re talking about it beforehand and setting boundaries makes this so much better? I mean I know you said that ch 3 borders on dubcon, but they did talk about it so I guess that worked out well?

Bruhhhhhh I LOVE HOW YOU’VE WRITTEN MINGI HERE JKHTYRDFGCHJH the no-nonsense, level-headed guy~ T^T (who also runs away when things calm down lmao... Well... We can give him this one though, the aftermath is quite awkward)

JKGFVHKJIU You’ve got me all blushing and giggling with the dialogue especially the “Alphas are meant to provide,” He reminds you, “so let us.”

I love the awkwardness and the lingering feelings that are there throughout chapter 4~ And the last line obliterated me jkhgfjlui T^T She just wants her yungi T^T

OKAY CAN I SAY I LOVE JUNG WOOYOUNG? Remember when I said he’s gonna be my favourite in the beginning (lol I started writing this ask like… 3 hours ago oops?) I KNEW THERE WAS A REASON FOR THAT HAHAHA~ Can I get work friend!WY too please?

Oh gosh, okay Seonghwa! LMAO I love how he took the whole thing in stride. We love an unphased man~ And he offered himself up for the next heat??? AND THE WAY HE DOES IT OML. “you’re pretty, I’m pretty.” I was literally rolling on the couch in laughter.

Oh gosh, Sannie being the voice of reason is so on brand. (And side note, the whole, “but being a romantic doesn’t mean you have to let people hurt you” seems like such a San thing to say I— *sob*) I honestly love chapter 5 so much? Can’t wait to see how the friendship between mc and woosanhwa grows (because I literally love them so much rn ahaha) and how things turn out with yungi~

P.S. sorry if this is weird and feels more like a smash of random words jskmsns T^T I'm always kinda nervous to send asks but I loved the fic so much I just had to tell you ;-;

!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! okay so i was literally giggling and clapping my hands reading this review i LOVE it thank you so much for taking the time. it means so much to me that you would do this 😭

but also YES to work friend wooyoung, like in my opinion he just has the makings for the perfect best friend character and there's so much more to come with him and the MC here. he's the most fun to write every time, he gets to have the best dialogue lol

also regarding your note about dubcon/noncon, i couldn't agree more! i'm comfortable reading both of those things if called out clearly in a fic, and i recognize why it's a kink, but it's really a sensitive topic that isn't for everyone and should be handled delicately. that was a big reason why i wrote the consent scene pre-heat in, and i'm glad that resonated with you! i've mentioned this on the blog before, but there will be a noncon scene in a later chapter between the MC and another character however, i just want to be clear it is not actually sexual, it's more just the implication of it and reader grappling with being an omega and feeling like she doesn't have the autonomy she wants to have. i really hope that is taken well by everyone, but just wanted to mention it again since you talked about it and for any other readers that may not have seen my earlier note.

also wait yes protective mingi / alpha mingi makes my brain spin. i'm excited to write yunho later on being a little more self assured about everything because he was leaning more hesitant in earlier chapters and letting mingi take the lead.

thank you SO much for your comment again, you pulled out some lines that honestly i was really proud of when i wrote them, so this comment means a lot.

[fourseasonsfigs]

Love Surrounding

Here we have a pair of Junzhe figs that are all about celebrating love.

This fig set reminds me of this interview question and Zhang Zhehan and Gong Jun's responses:

One of the great things about being a Junzhe fan, is that all of our merch celebrates love in one form or another. It's really delightful.

Speaking of delightful, these two figs seem to be a combination of all sorts of great fandom nods.

First, the two of them are sporting pink hair, so this is clearly meant to be post Happy Camp pink powder! Gong Jun is here wearing a "Happy and Love" sweatshirt.

Gong Jun wore this cheerful Happy and Love sweatshirt during the filming of Legend of Anle. The fig maker kept the sentiment but also made it JZP themed with the orange symbol.

Zhehan is wearing a Surround-theme shirt, inspired by his Surround single released on May 7, 2021:

I can't help but mention here that Gong Jun actually wore a surround-themed shirt on the 5-month anniversary of the release of Surround, also during the filming of Legend of Anle:

Thank you RealGe forthe pics!

I feel like I've seen Zhehan wearing an outfit like this somewhere before. The fig maker clearly took the base clothing inspiration from something specific, but I couldn't find anything in my (badly organized) picture folder. If I find it, I'll come back and update this post!

Found! Through the sharp eyes of a very clever fandom friend, HERE is the inspiration for Zhehan's outfit:

Even the pose and everything. Wow! The fig maker did indeed switch up the Lanvin name, but everything else is right on. Fantastic!

I've had this set for a very long time, and just hadn't gotten around to posting about them, mostly because I was trying to dig up that picture of Zhehan. I figured they're well overdue a nice long post, so they're getting one!

These two cuties are too wobbly to get to pose for more than a few seconds at a time, so I popped them onto fig stands with some fig stickers.

They look like they're high-fiving here!

Gong Jun is quite a bit taller here in this set than Zhehan, and the volume the fig maker gave his hair lends it even a little more height in the back.

Case in point, with the larger hair diameter making his head look quite a bit bigger. I'm a big fan of Junjun's hair swooped off his face and touseled a bit, so I approve.

Their little pose with their feet turned in is very cute.

I missed out on buying this fig set at the time, so I had to hunt it down on Xianyu. Well worth it.

The detail on the shoes is just charming.

The expressions are so bright and cheerful!

Yes I love the little JZ on their feet. Did you notice the little notch detail on Zhehan's pants? You probably saw it before, but I'm not sure I registered it until just now.

I was hoping with the cute foot positions they'd be super stable figs just standing around, but no, they turned out to be a bit wobbly.

Oops, the top-down view here is more like an angled-top view, but it's still good enough to see the hair and the cute little details on the outfits.

Speaking of cute, these box cards are adorable!

What a sweet set! I really like this one, I'm glad I was able to track it down.

Material: PVC

Fig Count: 467

Scene Count: 31

Rating: ...say bye bye to all the troubles

[liliansun]

day 27/365 of haechan <3

my sunflower journey!

so I 'discovered' NCT on wattpad in 2017 (of all places) through fan fics (can't remember the author or the name) but originally I had been reading this particular author's exo fics and wanted more so then I read their mark, jaehyun and taeyong fics

and being a person who's interest was now held, i went through their music and their contents. i tried to find a 'temporary bias' (like the one i kind of hold onto before getting into the group) but none quite stuck. i did like them though. but because i was into other groups more, i just left it at that.

and then at the end of the year i saw jaemin and thought he was cute. learnt that he had been on hiatus for awhile and had just come back fairly recently. again, left it at that.

i'll be honest, i thought whoever styled nct in their early days needed to re-evaluate themselves quick or get serious help/get fired. either or.

NOW 2018 CHANGED THE GAME. i was exploring the kind of groups i liked and new songs and games and content and it was seriously so fun. and in my irl it wasn't exactly the best time for me.

so i looked into nct again, this time without making the fuss about a temporary bias and boss had come out. i was watching more of their content and their weekly idol 2018, i was very into them. was learning their names and trying to find that 'bias connection'.

found it in haechan, didn't quite know him yet but i thought he was funny and cute (an opinion that still hasn't changed) but he wasn't my bias yet.

stop! wait : for context i was really interested in the whole 'extra member' / 'make your own celebrity from the industry' (which i kind of still am but kind of different? idk how to explain)

anyway, i was watching idol imagines on yt and found a really good jaemin one. and then looked to see anymore - oop there's one of haechan. seriously good.

and i thought! wow - what if haechan was like 'bestie' or 'platonic' best friend. and i adored him that year in exactly the same way. watched things again and realised i had found a bias and i really adored him. it was also amazing to me that i biased someone my age? instead of someone older than me? and i became a sunflower on his birthday.

absolutely sick. will be rinsing that fact into the ground.

though i have to point out i wasn't quite the 'sunflower' like i am now. i had other ults but he was quickly becoming a heart favourite. he became my 'neon boy' in my notes (i wonder if i still have it) but i liked his mischievous tendencies. and at that point i had a pastel boy, a monochrome boy and a neon boy.

but when simon says came out? he absolutely blew me away and i got more and more into them and their stylist either got replaced or shaped up. thank fuck. never want to see that haircut on him again, just saying.

we go up too? i was praising his ancestors and all that came before him.

2019 was relatively calm but such good music. i got a new ult group that year and that was exciting and i brought my first album and then joined a nz nctzen group and they were holding a go for arguably one of my favourite kpop albums ever.

i only really asked for haechan and that was practically all i got and i was through the moon. i'd never forget it.

see haechan in boom was a cultural reset for me and i'm forever in remembrance of the era. i was also learning more about him, but more so in the way that kpop profiles or youtube guides wouldn't tell ya...like the shit you pick up on yourself. not too much. little by little.

also the highway to heaven video - yum. just yum. and what he says? oh my god he's got me blushing.

in 2019, i started seeing him as a guy. but let me also set a very dangerous scene - in 2019, i started ulting a rookie group and my monochrome boy was enlisting. so i reflected on my three 'ult' biases and i realised that monochrome boy was more my thing over pastel boy. but i couldn't quite drop the wild card.

2020 - ridin' came out and that was fucking a-1, but i think i was very on him then.

i remembered someone said to me, okay but there can't be that many members and you only having just one bias? or like...do you have a bias wrecker at least? my answer was no. like, there's been nobody that has 'wrecked' his position as my bias.

do i appreciate the other boys? heck yes. i have a penchant for a lot of the dreamies (they're similar in age to me) and the rest. like they're equal to me.

haechan though? definite bias, definite favouritism. definite top.

my monochrome boy was still in the military at that point and wouldn't return till my birthday in 2021 and i was like hmm pick an ult. and i always juggled between them.

but when i moved into my new flat in 2021, i realised that i had probably chosen haechan when all i could talk about was him. and monochrome boy i love but haechan was just completely in my face. he was everywhere and i wanted him to be everywhere.

and it continued like that, my flatmate would rub haechan in my face when she was just as obsessed with her kpop boy.

and i don't quite know when the switch from 'healthy' to 'unhinged' attachment to my kpop boy happened or where it came from. but like he's basically the only idol ever with the exception of sunwoo on twitter.

i'm on every sunflower page that i can understand and some sunnyside egg suburban mums and some eccentric teenager from the country keep actually putting photos of the actual sunflower in the group. pretty sure they're bots at this point because they never interact with each other and they don't read the 'you know this is for lee haechan right?' posts that come up once every fortnight.

and like i've always been protective of him but now i'm protective.

like if anyone shits on him or things anything remotely disagreeable about him. i don't want to know. and i don't like you. don't talk to me. you're wrong.

and i think because some of my irls know now, i don't have to calm down. and i've gotten the green light from them. so i think that's enough for me.

and here we have it, niwa the sunflower. my personality trait. this bloody took a whole hour and i was considering bullet pointing. of all things.

anyway haechan ily.

Okay okay wait now I wanna share mine w you too. Okay so I got into tumblr after having my baby bc I was staying up late at night and had nothing to do so I started smau’s after reading a couple and I was HEAVILY into enhypen at the time and I met some amazing people (one in particular ((she knows who she is)) and I got close) would RAVE about Jeno and our mutual friend at the time would rave about jisung

I have a tendency to tunnel vision on one or a few particular groups so I wasn’t interest in nct other than I knew Simon says and cherry bomb and chewing gum and that was it.

WELL. favorite era hit and I was 🤰 jungwoo tunnel visioned and I was really getting into nct 127 and ngl hyuck was the last person on my mind. I was more interested in the older members than mark and Haechan and I kept it as that UNTIL THEY WENT INTO UNIVERSE era and I was still familiar w wayv and started to get more into them than the dreamies and I was really becoming Yangyang and xiaojun biased

So the universe mv really had me on my knees bc jungwoo w pink hair 🤕but this is where hyuck started to catch my eye. I then started to do some research and found out through this particular angel that mark and hyuck were in diff units as well and I listened to the universe album and CRIED listening to beautiful for the first time

Fast forward I started poking around w dream when the glitch mode era hit and gawd damn lemme tell you HAECHAN DID NOT LEAVE CRUMBS

Him on the arcade stage REALLY had me swooning and Jaemin was really running laps in my head at the time also so again, hyuck wasn’t my first priority. So I’m going through the dreamies old songs and I fucking hit hot sauce and hyuck had me in a chokehold

So then I jump to hello future and yk the beginning where they throw the stuff up around him,, yeah that did it for me 😭 THEN I WENT BACK TO RIDIN AND I WAS ON MY KNEES LIKE A SLIP AND SLIDE

and I was just so mesmerized by his laugh, the way he smiles, his constant teasing w his friends and the love he has in his eyes and everything he does. He’s captivating and enticing and unpredictable and I love everything about him from the top of his sweet little head to every mole he has on his body.

And theN I GOT FUCKING DELULU AND EVERYONE FED INTO IT AND NOW I HAVE ALL THESE AMAZING FRIENDS BC MY HYUCKBRAINROT WAS STRONG 😭🫶

[misireads]

Chocolat by Joanne Harris

[physical book, read in finnish]

a young woman who's spent her entire life travelling settles down in a small town in france with her daughter. she sets up a chocolate shop opposite the church, angering the local priest who can't stand the thought of the townspeople suddenly indulging in chocolate instead of god. the woman, vianne, couldn't care less about the opposition she's facing and ends up becoming part of the community, helping many of the troubled people and forming friendships with them.

➕ you can see from my goodreads scoring that i'm pretty picky with literature, but when i actually like a book i notice it early on, and this is one of those. this was a joy to read, not just because i love chocolate but i enjoyed the storytelling, all the little moments and poetic descriptions of food and drink. i'm also a sucker for these kinds of stories about small close-knit villages with a set of characters and archetypes who are all a bit strange in their own ways, and stories where the main character makes others' lives better. this also subverted pretty much all my expectations, i thought (especially based on the english-language cover on goodreads??) that this would be a romance story so i was expecting a tsundere kind of deal where the priest and vianne fall in love, but no. and i'm glad it wasn't so. i think the movie version might be that? i haven't ever seen it

➕ the language was so descriptive, this was the perfect book for reading out loud to myself because it was very easy to give life to the characters and their lines. i also had fun pronouncing all the french. i know that's not really about the book itself but it's about my reading experience so it goes here anyway

➕ i've read dozens of mystery/suspense/horror books in my life but this one had a much more thrilling ending climax scene compared to most of those. i never would have thought that [spoiler] it would be so intense to read about an embarrassing priest hogging a mountain of chocolate in a moment of frenzied sugar-lust

➕ i need a good cup of hot chocolate so bad

➖ while i mostly like this kind of poetic prose, i feel like sometimes the writing could have been more explicit instead because i didn't quite understand what some parts even meant. and i read the finnish translation.

➖ didn't fully understand vianne's character, she was unhappy that her own mother made her travel throughout her childhood but then when she had a child of her own, she decided to also drag her around instead of allowing her to settle down and make friends? so the little girl has to have an imaginary friend instead who [spoiler] is beginning to disappear towards the end because she's finally made real friends but "now pantoufle is coming back bc oops i'm deciding we're gonna take off again!" not really mother of the year material, and she's supposed to be like this holy angel of goodness so it doesn't really all add up. i didn't really get that part.

➖ the PoV alternates between vianne and reynaud without any implication which one we're talking about so the first few lines of each new chapter is a confusing mess.

➖ i kind of would have wanted the "evil" characters to have a redemption at the end but there was none. not even for caroline despite one good moment towards the end but no.

➖ they fed chocolate to a dog

⭐ score: 4- -- not quite a perfect four because of the extensive list of things that still bothered me. it's not a perfect book, but a charming little one regardless.

[nighttimepixels]

Two hundred year-old rotten wood decidedly did not make for good, stable footing.

Crimson cursed colorfully as the latest creaking beam, a too-perfect bridge from a higher level, began to give out under her. Quickly abandoning it before it could collapse fully and she could fall another fifty feet, Crimson practically threw herself with a little too much practiced skill to the towering rubble slide that had formed at the bottom of the haphazard shaft of ancient, overgrown buildings and settled earth she'd been making her way down. Keeping her center of gravity low, she skidded down the steep slope as it gave way in a more predictable, rideable manner, jogging off the last few steps as it slowed and evened out.

The distant glow of daylight barely bounced around to help see this deep into the half-buried structures she'd been exploring. The encroaching overhangs of old human architecture, either too spacious or too cramped in her opinion, didn't particularly help, even if she came properly equipped...

... but her usual internal grousing about the finer points faded into background noise as she caught the sound of a creaking door coming from inside the dilapidated structure to her right.

"there ya are," she grinned, sharp grin curling sharper. "'bout time, after ya teased me this whole damn way-"

Despite her bulk and the added weight of her own gear securely buried in the bag slung from her shoulder, she moved quietly through the debris of the half-collapsed structure and past the threshold of one of those strange modular human dwellings she'd been exploring for years now. The light of her flashlight suddenly felt a lot more effective, able to bounce off of closer walls and the gleam of once-shiny human belongings. Old picture frames, metallic knick knacks, the glimmer of some shattered glass here and there...

Inside was hardly in better shape than outside, but there was something decidedly more intense in the atmosphere the moment the doorway was behind her. Darkness clung to the ceilings, the corners, just around bends both her flashlight and the light clipped to her jacket couldn't quite reach...

The shadows were all just a little too dark, and Crimson's bones itched with the familiar feeling of being in a place that didn’t entirely want to be found.

Ghost hunting was a messy business, one she’d been in for years now, though not a lot of monsters were too tempted to venture into the densest sites of human ruins and risk becoming the latest victim of something even their knack for magic had trouble explaining. The remnants of human society that had suddenly ceased to be an unknowable amount of time before monsters had surfaced in the world... well, they were interesting as much as dangerous. She had always been the type to appreciate a good mess, and damn if the very real specters of a species that had since vanished didn't entice her to explore the overgrown and half-buried ruins of the society that had ended without warning.

And this particular spirit she was eyeing the entrance room for a sign of was a hell of a lot more intriguing than the usual angry remnant inclined to drop half a ceiling on her.

... For all the odd quirks of this one, though, the strangest part was that this spirit hadn't clung to one area like most did- no, Crimson had been tracking them for a few days now. Each time she'd sworn she'd finally lost the damned trail, some little wisp of a sound had been picked up by her audio equipment, or there had been that tell-tale sharp chill that had brought icy crystals to an exhale, or her camera had caught the tail of a spectral glow slipping through some wall she hadn't seen a crack in-

There was something to this one. Something that might just throw a damn light on the maddening mystery of what had happened to the humans.

"alright, ghostie, ya guided me this far… what is it you want me to see…?"

[latte-fairytaekwoon]

Let Me Love You (Jeong Yunho and Song Mingi)

Pairing: Jeong Yunho × Plus sized! Reader (Female) × Song Mingi

Genre: Smut, Fluff, Angst

Summary: After finding out their girlfriend has been feeling insecure about her body, Mingi and Yunho take matters into their own hands to remind her that she is beautiful.

Word Count: 4.5+K

Warnings: Body insecurities (remember you are beautiful just the way you are), poly relationship, oral (female receiving), fingering, multiple orgasms (female receiving), unprotected sex (always use protection). (This was utter trash)

Taglist: @little-precious-baby @multidreams-and-desires @galaxteez @yunhofingers @yunhoiseyecandy @brie02 @deja-vux @couchpotatoaniki @daniblogs164 @a-soft-hornytiny @nanamarkie @minhyukmyluv @yunsangoveryonder

Special requested by @monbaebes

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Watching her favorite boys play around on the seashore, Y/N chuckled softly as she returned her gaze on the fruit in front of her. Picking up a small knife, she carefully began peeling some of the mangoes, apples and other of the juicy produce they had brought with them. Meanwhile she focused on making sure they had something to replenish their energy with, one of her lovers was concentrated on building a rather complicated architecture with the sand under his feet. Slowly but surely, the castle was beginning to take form and the man couldn't be much happier or pleased than seeing his masterpiece come to life.

"Mingi, think fast!" The other tall male shouted as he tossed the beach ball he was holding in the other's direction.

Mingi's naturally small eyes widened significantly as he witnessed his creation crumble down due to the impact of the beach ball colliding on top of it.

"Oops! Sorry bud!" The culprit grimaced as he saw the result of his little trick.

Immediately standing up, Mingi began chasing after his friend.

"I'm going to kill you Yunho!" He threatened, Yunho running and taking cover behind the oblivious girl who saw nothing that took place.

"What in the world?" She looked back and forth between the two guys.

Pointing an accusatory finger at him, Mingi let out a huff.

"He destroyed my sand castle that I was working so hard on!" He exclaimed.

"I didn't mean to." Yunho defended himself.

Not wanting them to get into a silly fight during their vacation, Y/N began to calm them both down.

"Come on you guys, you're making a scene over things kids would argue over. Seriously, this is why we hardly go out."

Hearing her displeased tone, the boys quickly straightened up their act and decided to just let it go. Seeing the delicious fruit in front of them, the young men sat at opposite sides of Y/N and dug into the food. She was grateful she opted for packing plenty of fruit given how much her boyfriends ate. She sometimes wondered if it was because they were so tall or because their stomachs were a bottomless pit. She decided a long time ago that it was probably a combination of the two.

As they enjoyed their snacks while enjoying the view in front of them, Y/N's wandering eyes soon locked themselves on the two women sitting not far from them. Although she wanted to look away before any negative thoughts clouded her mind, she couldn't help but admire their long, slim legs, their small waists and flat tummies. She envied their shape that they confidently showed off in their revealing and sensual bikinis, making more than a few heads turn in their direction to rake their eyes on their glamorous bodies. And there she was, feeling too big in her cami top and shorts.

Looking away with eyes falling on the strawberry she was holding, Y/N suddenly felt an uneasy feeling in her stomach. Losing her appetite, she tossed the fruit back in the container and just sat back, unable to hide her uncomfortable face which Yunho noticed right away.

"Honey, is something wrong? Do you not feel well?" He asked which immediately sparked the attention of the other male.

Although she didn't feel well indeed, Y/N didn't want to cause any alarm or have them fret over her behavior and decided to make up an excuse.

"I guess maybe I'm just exhausted after spending so much time out in the sun. I think I'm just going to go back to the hotel room. You guys stay here if you want."

Plastering on a reassuring smile, she gave them no chance to argue or say anything else as she quickly got off the beach towel and started heading back towards the hotel that was just in front of the beach. Her arms were crossed protectively in front of her chest, head lowered to avoid eye contact with the young men who were heading in the opposite direction. She shut her eyes when she heard them snicker behind her, no doubt making fun of her figure. She just wanted to lock herself in the room and crawl under the covers of the bed, just her alone with nobody else.

But the sudden calls for her from behind let her know that it wasn't going to be the case.

"Geez, couldn't you at least wait for us baby?" Mingi pouted as he linked an arm around her.

"Sorry, didn't want to cut your playtime at the beach short." She felt even more bad knowing they decided to follow her back.

"It's fine darling. It was getting too hot anyways. Besides we can have just as much fun in the hotel room as we do in the beach." Yunho added, leaning his face so he could whisper in her ear.

"Or maybe even more fun." He snickered suggestively, which made her blush and cling closer to the male on her right, who simply let out a small snort.

"Don't tease her Yunho. You know how shy she gets with these things." Unable to hold back from making her even more flustered, Mingi's hand that was on her waist dropping to slightly pinch her butt cheek.

"And it makes me want to eat her up even more."

With a soft huff, she shoved his hand away from him and simply walked faster to hide from their vulgar teasing that had her cheeks burning bright red.

"She's so adorable." Yunho chuckled, to which Mingi agreed with. Taking advantage of the fact she couldn't hear them, both of them started whispering a few things amongst themselves, huge grins plastering on their faces as they planned out how they were going to spend their night with their lovely girlfriend.

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Staring at her reflection in the long body mirror, Y/N cringed at the sight. She knew the guys were waiting outside in the hot tub for her, no doubt aching to see her in the dark blue bikini they had picked out for her, a color Mingi aggressively shoved into Yunho who wanted to go instead for a more baby pink choice, but eventually caved into the other's choice. She didn't feel up to going out in it though, she felt it unflattering and unsuitable for someone her size. Stripping out of it, she tossed on a tank top and shorts once more, wanting to be as covered up as much as possible. Feeling satisfied with that, she quickly came out of the bathroom, not wanting to make the boys wait any longer.

Hearing the glass door of the room slide open, the young men excitedly looked over hoping to see their gorgeous girlfriend in a swimsuit they bought her, but their faces fell flat when they saw her clothing choice.

"What happened to the bikini we bought you? Oh god! Please don't tell me we got the wrong size." Mingi groaned, already beating himself up for an imaginary mistake.

"No it fit fine, I just.... I just prefer being like this." She replied as she slipped her body inside the hot water, setting herself in between both of the men, who wasted no time in drawing their bodies closer to her, effectively trapping her.

Looking up from one and then to the other, Y/N knew by the smiles on their face that they were up to something else and it wasn't particularly pure. Taking the lead as he usually did, Yunho brought a hand up to trace the outline of her jaw.

"So pretty..." He muttered as he bent his face down to hers.

Starting off with small pecks, Yunho eventually pressed his lips deeper into hers, hand still cupping her jaw so his thumb could draw circles around her cheek. Y/N moaned when she felt his tongue dart forward and infiltrate her mouth. She gave in and allowed him absolute control, moaning louder when he pulled her tongue inside his own mouth and briefly sucking on it. For a few minutes they were lost in their little world until the third person in the relationship reminded them of his presence.

"Ok you got your turn, now let me make out with my baby."

As soon as Yunho's mouth was detached from her lips, it was quickly replaced by Mingi's, who unlike the other male, was more fervent and rougher with his kisses. Whereas Yunho preferred a lot more tongue action, Mingi enjoyed nipping at his lover's lips. Indeed he made sure to get her lips as swollen and red as possible. His teeth endlessly tugged at her bottom lip, a smirk appearing on his features each time he drew out a gasp or whine from the girl in front of him. Her sounds intensified when she felt Yunho's lips occupying themselves on her shoulder and neck, leaving small love bites on the visible patches of skin. His large hand dove underwater to clasp at the end of her top, rising it up slowly so he could take it off her.

Feeling her insecurities rise up once more, Y/N quickly withdrew his hand off her body, ending the makeout session with her other boyfriend in the process.

"Baby did we do something wrong? Did we push it too far?" Yunho immediately worried that they hurt her in any way. Mingi was also mirroring the same feeling his friend was bearing.

"No, it's not you guys...it's me."

Both of the men looked at each other in confusion.

"Are you sick? Is that it? Why didn't you say something before." Mingi brought a palm over her forehead, attempting to figure out if she had a fever or not.

Shaking her head, Y/N took a deep breath before she went any further.

"I'm not sick I just hate my body ok? I hate being chubby, it makes all the clothes I wear look ugly on me. I wish I was skinnier like some of the female idols you guys see almost on the daily. Maybe then I'd be more attractive for you guys.."

Her confession broke them to pieces. They couldn't believe she felt that way and they cursed themselves for not noticing earlier on about their girlfriend's insecurities.

"But darling, you are very attractive just the way you are." Mingi spoke up, though they could tell his words didn't have much of an effect on her.

Joining in to make sure she felt loved, Yunho tilted Y/N's face so she could clearly see his sincerity at his next words.

"Listen to me, your body is very gorgeous just the way it is. You may not believe it, but trust me when I say Mingi and I are absolutely crazy about your body. It makes you more irresistible and we wouldn't have you any other way."

His words lightened her mood just a bit, a hint of a smile starting to form on the corners of her lips.

"And we're not the only ones who think so. There were some assholes who were shamelessly checking you out while we were trying to catch up with you back on the beach." Mingi added, face frowning as he recalled the way they heard the group of men talking about their girlfriend in such a lewd manner.

"What? N-no, I'm sure you got it wrong. They were probably making fun of me." Her theory however was quickly shut down by Yunho.

"No baby, we heard them clearly as they went on and on about how hot you look....among other things that weren't exactly family friendly." Although he tried to hide it, Yunho couldn't keep his teeth from gritting against each other in a jealous manner.

"And we saw how their faces kept turning to stare at your ass." Mingi recalled rather unhappily.

Y/N felt even more embarrassed now, her hands coming up to hide her reddened face, which continued to stay hidden even when she felt both males press themselves into her.

"But if that still doesn't convince you, how about you let us demonstrate how much we adore your figure?"

Peeking out and uncovering her face, Y/N took in their hungry gazes that were awaiting for permission to devour her. Although she nodded slightly, it wasn't enough for them.

"Darling use your words please. We'd much rather hear you say how much you want us as well." Mingi deepened his voice enough to cause an effect on her.

Biting down on her lip, Y/N's voice shyly spoke out.

"Please.... touch me." She gulped before uttering her next words.

"Make love to me."

Finally hearing the magic words, both men stood up, their bodies drenched and pouring water. Taking hold of Y/N, Mingi brought her out of the hot tub as well and sat her in front of him on the wood extension of the hot tub. Reaching for her shirt, he quickly peeled it off her body and moved it somewhere else while Yunho took care of her lower half, removing her shorts and equally discarding them somewhere else.

"Fuck, she looks so damn pretty." Yunho marveled at the sight of her bare, soaked body right in front of him.

Snaking his hands down her torso, Mingi gripped the top of her thighs so he could pry them open, letting Yunho gaze into her exposed heat. He let out a chuckle at his friend's star struck expression.

"Well? Don't just stand there like an idiot. Put those long ass fingers of yours to work." Mingi told him.

Instructing Y/N to keep her legs wide open, Mingi brought his hands back up her body so they could cup her breasts. He squeezed them in between his fingers, astonished at feeling how soft and tender they were. While she was still getting adjusted to the feeling of Mingi's hands around her boobs, Yunho came up in front of her and began kissing along her collarbone, making her tilt her head back.

"God your boobs are so squishy." Mingi groaned as he pressed them against each other, thumbs tweaking at her nipples.

While Mingi's hands continued playing around with her chest, Yunho took advantage of her dazed state to brush his fingers along one of her thighs. Creeping it closer in between her legs, his thumb started slow and gentle motions on her clit. He smiled against her neck when he felt her shudder as he pressed down on her button.

"Mingi be sure to hold her steady while I finger her pretty pussy. You know how she tends to get."

Removing his hands off her breasts, Mingi proceeded to move them to her hips, knowing fully well they'd be wanting to buck into Yunho's hand. Y/N looked down and watched intently as one of Yunho's fingers slowly slipped inside her hole. She gaped with amazement as he effortlessly slid his finger out of her body and then back inside. It always amazed her how such a little action could make her so weak and pliant towards her lovers. Yunho of course knew this and loved to use it against her. Smiling ever so smugly, he inserted a second finger into her hole, his pace starting to pick up. Her breath hitched as she craned her neck back to rest her head on Mingi's shoulder, the latter taking the opportunity to plaster kisses on the side of her cheek.

"Do you like having Yunho's fingers inside of you babygirl?" He asked, lips brushing against her earlobe.

"Y-yes." She responded.

When her thighs tried to close, Mingi was quick to pry them back apart, his grip tight enough that they could leave prints on her skin.

"No babygirl, keep those pretty legs of yours open for Yunho."

Knowing exactly what to do to tip her over the edge, Yunho angled his fingers upward so they could rub at her sweet spot as he continued to wiggle his fingers inside of her. A third finger was added to the combination, which had the recipient crying out from the stretch.

"How on earth are you always so tight babygirl? It's like we don't fuck you enough." Yunho expressed, thumb circling on her nub with more detailed and faster motions.

The wet and sloppy sounds emanating from between her legs were like music to both men's ears. They enjoyed hearing how wet they could make her become, Mingi especially licked his lips as he saw how her folds started to glisten from all the arousal seeping out of her.

"Shit, her pussy looks so good. I can't wait to eat her out."

Shooting a smirk to his friend, Yunho worked his fingers deeper into his girlfriend's core, thrusting them sporadically in an effort to bring her closer to her high.

"Well just let me get her cum with my fingers and then I'll leave her in your hands..... or should I say mouth?"

Hearing them say what they were going to do to her made Y/N shudder. With eyes shut, her voice slightly broke into half cries half whimpers as she came on Yunho's fingers. Mingi's hold on her thighs prevented her from shutting her legs and thus making her orgasm feel more intense as it washed all throughout her body. Making sure to keep his fingers lodged inside until she came down from her high, Yunho gently leaned in to press a kiss on the corner of Y/N's mouth.

"Look babygirl."

Opening her eyes, she was met with the sight of Yunho's fingers pulling out of her heat. They were covered completely in her cum, leaving her surprised that she could produce that much from just his fingers. Keeping eye contact with her, he brought his fingers up to his lips and licked them clean.

"Oh Mingi, you're going to definitely enjoy eating her out." Yunho locked eyes with the other male, sending him a knowing wink.

"Then I guess I better not let her juices go to waste."

Moving her body so she could face him, Mingi layed down on his back and motioned for Y/N to move herself on top of his face, which she hesitated to do. Sensing what she was worried about, Mingi smiled at her.

"Baby, it's ok. I want to feel those thick thighs of yours on me. Now come over here and smother my face with your sweet pussy."

Getting help from Yunho who took hold of her arms, he placed her right on top of Mingi's face. Spreading her lips apart, Mingi's tongue came up to lick up the leftover arousal from Yunho's previous fingering session. Y/N couldn't help but gasp not just from the over sensitivity of her pussy, but from Mingi's warm mouth consuming her taste. Closing his eyes, Mingi lost himself in the sweetness her body had to offer. Flicking his tongue out, he made sure to pay close attention to her clit, circling the tip of his wet muscle around it. As if they had a mind of their own, Y/N's hips began to slowly grind down against Mingi's tongue movements. When she noticed what she was doing, she made an attempt to stop her motions.

"No babygirl. Show Mingi how much you enjoy having him eat you out. He told you to smother his face and that's what you're going to give him. After all, that is what he wants. Don't you Mingi?" Yunho piped up.

The man underneath Y/N responded with a muffled moan against her wetness. His hands clasped themselves on her ass, harshly slamming her down until her heat was covering the entirety of his face. Guiding her hips, he made her drag her core along his tongue over and over, slurping up every inch of tender flesh without leaving any patch dry. Y/N began panting, each stroke of Mingi's tongue making her fall deeper in that hazy state she had been in just moments ago while Yunho had his fingers knuckles deep in her. And both men knew it, they had learned and memorized each pitch of her sounds and every tick of her body to know what she liked and when she'd come crumbling down from the pleasure they gave her.

Knowing she needed a little encouragement, Yunho began peppering open mouth kisses along her neck as his fingers brushed along the sides of her waist.

"Go ahead love. Cum all over Mingi's face. Make a mess of his pretty face." He softly instructed her. A pleased grin framed Yunho's face as merely seconds later, Y/N fulfilled his command. Mingi groaned wildly as his face was smothered by her mound, her thighs trembling and clenching around his skull as another flood of her juices poured out onto his face. Making sure to lick up as much as possible, Mingi detached his mouth from her reddened folds with an audible pop, a proud smirk on his face that he was not wiping off at any moment.

Knowing she was still too worked up from her orgasm, Yunho carefully lifted her up into his arms. Gesturing for Mingi to follow, he carried her bridal style back inside their room, where he layed her down on the soft king sized bed. Stripping themselves out of their swimming trunks, the men whispered a few words amongst each other before reaching the decision of who got to have her first. The beaming look on Mingi's features answered her thoughts on who it was.

Setting himself right next to her, Mingi began stroking his already hard length.

"Come here baby. Hop your pretty self on top and ride me." He motioned for her to sit on top of him.

With hands pressed to his chest, Y/N slowly sunk herself down until his entire cock was safely nestled inside her. Hissing at the excruciatingly tight grip her tender flesh had on him, Mingi looked over to Yunho, who already had one hand wrapped tightly on his dick.

"We really should fuck her more often, she's unbelievably tight." His voice rasped out.

"Well why don't you do something about it? You're literally inside her idiot." Yunho reminded him rather agitated, anxious to get his own turn with his beloved girl.

With sharp cries, Y/N held onto the headboard in front of her as the man underneath her started pounding his hips up into her. Their moans were filling up the room, along with the slick sounds protruding from between their thighs, where they were connected. Yunho eagerly watched them, his hand working to stroke his twitching cock, making sure not to speed up in case he accidentally made himself cum. He knew he'd get his turn soon, but for the moment, he reveled at seeing the two individuals he cared about the most be so intimate with each other. He watched as their facial muscles started contorting and scrunching up with pleasure, their bodies starting to layer a thin sheen of sweat from the intensity of their love making.

Already vulnerable from the previous 2 orgasms, Y/N started to feel that familiar heat pooling in her lower abdomen, spreading under her skin and making her dizzy with lust. Mingi's pace turned slightly more rough. He loved watching as he made his girlfriend ride his cock, especially when he was blessed with the sight of her breasts bouncing right in front of him. He thought it was one of the most amazing sights to behold. Sensing that she was close given how worked out they had gotten her before and by the way her sounds grew more frantic, Mingi gripped at her sides to hold her down as he bucked his cock deep enough to have her crying out.

"That's it babygirl. Let yourself go. Cum all over me." He grunted at her, feeling himself reach his own brink from the frenetic pace he set for themselves.

With aching thighs, Y/N violently shook on top of him, vision darkening as her mind only payed attention to the sensation of her walls clamping around her lover's cock. Feeling overly constricted to the point of hurting in a most delicious grip, Mingi quickly pulled himself out of her core before any of his cum could start spilling inside her. With the help of his hand, he finished himself off by spurting drops of cum onto her thighs and stomach, some of them dripping off to land on the sheets underneath them.

"Oh my God." Mingi threw his head back onto the pillow behind him as he tried to steady his racing heart.

Finally seeing his cue to come in, Yunho fitted himself on the large king sized bed and carefully pulled Y/N off Mingi's lap to sat her on top of his own. Whereas Mingi preferred having her face him, Yunho opted to keep her facing away, pressing his chest onto her back. His voice gently shushed her whimpers as he sunk her down onto his overly endowed length. Fitting himself in her always took a little longer due to his size.

"You're doing so well baby." He cooed in her ear as he waited for her to adjust to him. Mingi was definitely right in exclaiming how tight she was, he himself was gritting his teeth at how hard her walls were squeezing at his shaft.

Knowing she was overly sensitive, clit swollen and folds puffed up, Yunho decided to go for a more slow and sensual pace. His hands gently rolled her hips to move on top of him, soft and blissful sighs being breathed out of their mouths. He made sure not to overwhelm her, and he himself wanted to enjoy the moment for as long as possible. When he heard her agitated moan, he let her relax on top of him as his hips took over. He was careful not to snap his hips too aggressively, still being gentle and precise with each thrust he shot up at her. With one hand sliding in between her legs, his fingers brushed against her pinkied clit before carefully circling around it.

"You're so beautiful my dear. Absolutely perfect." He murmured against her neck whilst his lips pressed tiny kisses on her warm skin.

Y/N gasped when she felt his pace slightly speed up, causing her body to jolt forward, which was stopped from falling when Yunho's arms held her in a tight embrace to keep her close to him. She knew she was definitely waking up sore the next morning, her thighs were already burning from cumming so much and from being bounced on top of two monster cocks that belonged to her tall boyfriends. Her 4th orgasm of the night slowly and silently crept up on her, rendering her almost numb to everything except the dull sting of her juices pouring out once more onto Yunho's cock. Even after she felt him pull out and coat her backside with his hot seed, she was still in hazy state, worn out after all the attention the two men bestowed upon them. The last thing she saw before passing out on the bed was Yunho's voice purring in her ear:

"Remember Mingi and I love you just the way you are..."

[ventura-starlight]

𝓻𝓸𝓷 𝔀𝓮𝓪𝓼𝓵𝓮𝔂 𝓪𝓼 𝔂𝓸𝓾𝓻 𝓫𝓸𝔂𝓯𝓻𝓲𝓮𝓷𝓭

hello everyone :)) I am so sorry I have not been active. I think my chemistry teacher knows I write and doesn't like it so she assigns like 3 hours of homework a night. I also have been casted in my schools production of The Secret Garden so that has kept me busy. I am trying to stay afloat at school and have inspiration to write but that is a lot harder than I expected. if you have sent in any requests I am going to work on those as soon as I can but I haven't had the most creativity :') I hope you aren't upset and enjoy this as compensation for my lack of content.

SUMMARY-> ron weasley as your boyfriend :)

KEY 🔑 -> Y/H- your house at hogwarts

WARNINGS-> curse words, snape slander 😌, not edited, but otherwise pretty sweet domesticity

*+.-°><°-.+*

how does it feel to live my dream?

this man is a grade A simp and I will die on that fucking hill

would he ever admit it?

hell no

does everyone know?

yes

how you two met

let me set the scene 😌

you were just going to potions class, you hated Snape and weren't afraid to show it to the snake of a professor [period 😼💅]

ron and harry were only sat a few chairs away from you so they normally laughed at the interactions you shared with the potions teacher

and so when Snape had some smart stuff to say to you,,,,,well lemme just;

"L/N I suggest you keep that smart tongue to yourself unless you want to end up in detention" Snape quipped with a slap of his wand again your desk

"I do apologize professor" you said with sarcasm dripping off your tongue. you sighed and brought a hand to your forehead, "I do hope you forgive me Professor Snake- oops! I mean Snape" you snickered as the other students giggled, including the red headed weasley boy

"Detention and 50 house points deducted from Y/H" Snape shouted with a scowl only for your giggles to grow louder. From that moment on, Ron Weasley had a crush on you

my man here was struggling to even talk to you

you exuded this aura that was honestly very intimidating to him

shy boy indeed

how you two got together

so Ron's crush on you obvious to anyone who had eyes

you just didn't see it

I mean you of course had seen the boy around school before, everyone knew of him

you may or may not have liked him as well

but when people told you he felt the same you deadass looked at them like "🤨"

this situation was much like the case with ron

for some dumbass reason you just didn't see why he would like you

everyone knew you liked him

except him

hermione and harry were kinda tired of hearing him be so lovesick

they were happy for him, just annoyed with how,,,,sappy he was

with the help of the twins, hermione and harry brought both you and Ron to a small party in the griyffindoor common room

basically they threw you two in a closet at the party

"JUST CONFESS YOUR UNDYING LOVE FOR EACHOTHER ALREADY!" yelled George from the other side of the door. you heard some light crying

"Oh Georgie our little brother is all grown up!" Freddie sniffled as the duo walked away

you and Ron were really just standing in the closet like "🧍‍♂️🧍"

yeah it was awkward

after a while you spoke up,

"so uh do you like me back?" you said with a faint warmth spreading across your face. he frantically tried to explain himself,

"I NEVER WANTED YOU TO BE UNCOMFORTABLE BUT I-I WAIT" his eyes widened as his brain registered what you had said, "Like you back? of course I do! Are you an idiot or something?"

you only scoffed, "Well sorry I'm not the most obvious about it" Ron only looked down and apologized for his outburst,

"I didn't mean to say your stupid, I just thought it was obvious, I suppose I wasn't as obvious as I thought" he stated simply, as if it was a fact that you would find in any textbook

you shrugged "Im a little oblivious sometimes I suppose," turning your full attention to his face you simply said "Well I guess that's good huh? We have something in common!" you laughed slightly. He held your hand hesitantly,

"Yeah I guess it is" he replied with a smile.

"AWWWW YAY!" the two of you heard the twins says more people began to cheer from outside the door.

semi anticlimactic but it was sweet

relationship headcannons

So, to start, love languages <3

Ron's love language for you is gift giving and physical touch

this boy,,,,he has to be holding onto you in someway at all times you are together

it kinda grounds him and brings him a lot of comfort

(unless of course if you are uncomfortable with that! he is very respectful of your boundaries)

so in turn he also loves giving you gifts

I think he like does either wood carving or something like that

so expect handmade gifts!

he paints rocks for you 🥲

if you display them in your dorm?

man might cry

he just loves seeing you love the things he gives you 🥺

His preferred love language from a partner is either physical touch, which I have discussed previously

but his other one?

acts of service

he doesn't necessarily expect gifts or anything like that

he just loves it when you do little things

like for example you left him a note

it was a day of a match and Ron was honestly nervous about it

it was nothing too fancy

simply,

have a good day today! you are gonna do amazing hun, I'll be in the stands cheering you on! love you :)

-Y/N <3

he keeps that note now in a box under his bed

that box holds every note or doodle you have ever given him

if you want to help him study he is gonna be so thankful

he loves dates taht are spontaneous

you two have become Snape's worst nightmare since you started dating

double trouble >:)

SO MANY SNACK DATES

LIKE YOU GUYS JUST LISTEN TO MUSIC OR WATCH MOVIES AND EAT SNACKS WHILE CUDDLING

it's heavenly 😌

Speaking of cuddling!

he loves lying on your chest

it's kinda just his safe space

credits to virid on tumblr!

he is a caring lover, his biggest concern is is making you happy in the relationship

he wants to be the person that helps you grow, not by force, he wants to support you through whatever you are going through

you help him be more confident in himself, believe in the good in the world

honestly you changed his life

and he couldn't say thank you enough for being in his life

I don't think he can sing so he hums instead. this happens a lot while lying on your chest so yeah

songs that I think fit your relationship

This December- Ricky Montgomery

How Can I be Sure- Durand Jones and the Incantations

Sinatra- Forrest Nolan

Like or Like Like- Miniature Tigers

-----------

he just loves you so much please my heart can't handle this right now 😭

*+.-°><°-.+*

@70swonderpoisonstark ​ @peterandtheparkers ​ @brianmydear ​ @casuallywriting ​ @fantasticnewtimagines ​ @silversslytherin @sugawaraaaa @ghullehh ​ @living-through-the-fictional ​ @fire-in-her-veinz ​ @regalillegal ​ @a-hopeless-fan ​

[lovelivingmydreams]

Green-eyed jealousy

Happy birthday Virgil! I love and appreciate you. So I decided to get this posted today! Have a good one! Oh and everyone who might read this: enjoy!

Also IMPORTANT! What do you think the fandom would name Virgil's Vine character? Like how we named Remy? I need to know!

Part 1: Something there

Part 2: The Prince's enemy

“A bit on jealousy would be good,” Virgil muttered in agreement as he looked through the fridge for a snack. It was late. Janus, Logan and Patton were asleep. And if Remus wasn’t sleeping, then he’d be in his part of the imagination. So Virgil felt safe being himself in the commons.

It’d been a month since the introduction of his character, and Princey had decided it was time for an encore.

When they made a vine starring the Prince and Valerie as a fair maiden earlier that week they discovered that amongst the lovely notes were careful pleas to bring the nemesis back.

“What kind of Jealous though?” Virgil wondered as he spotted some leftover pizza.

“What do you mean?” Roman asked as he leaned against the kitchen counter next to him.

“Well is it, ‘Are you cheating on me?’ Jealously, or ‘Hands of he’s mine!’ jealousy?” Virgil clarified as he got up and showed Roman the pizza, silently asking if he wanted some.

Roman nodded as he thought about the question.

“Well, I love the drama in the first scenario. But there is something protective about the latter that is just hard to resist,” he mused.

Virgil nodded thoughtfully as he reheated the pizza.

“Well, we could try out both. See what works?” he suggested.

Roman smiled. Anxiety had a hard time suggesting activities to do together, but he tried anyway.

“Excellent idea!” he exclaimed, not missing the small smile on Anxiety’s lips.

The pizza was set on the table and both sides took a slice. They brainstormed ideas and in the end they had a few scenario’s they wanted to try out.

“So I have a different villain at my mercy when you come in,” Roman sets the scene.

Virgil nodded and took a deep breath, getting into character. The previous scene he’d played the ‘am I not enough?’ angle. This time, Roman wanted to go more for betrayal.

“What the frick do you think you are doing?” he demanded as he charged at the prince.

Roman looked up shocked before being yanked by the sash.

Virgil looked down at the floor where the villain was supposed to be. “Stay out of this!”

Then he looked back at Roman. “Are my feelings a joke to you?” he demanded.

“I…” Roman started, almost actually afraid of Anxiety. But he’d seen him tear up during Lillo and Stitch only days ago, and remembering that helped keeping him grounded.

Roman got a lot more respect for Virgil and Virgil for Roman. They agreed to never let it get that bad again though.

“What is going on here?!”

Virgil let go of Roman and jumped back at once. It was no longer safe in the kitchen. He was caught. This was it. The end for him. Either they'd all find out now or they would ban him from the upper conscious forever cause they believed he really was going to harm Roman.

Roman, knowing that Anxiety was probably panicking and that he couldn't address that right now, turned around to face their company surprised. It was Patton and he looked rather frightened.

Roman smiled brilliantly at the fatherly side, stepping forward and to the side to shield his friend, giving him the chance to gather his bearings before having to face Patton directly.

“Padre! What brings you down here at…” He glanced at the clock. “Two in the morning?” he asked.

Patton looked him up and down confused. “I heard shouting and came to see what was going on… Are you two alright? What were you doing?” Patton asked worriedly.

Roman chuckled, a little nervously. He wasn’t sure what he could tell Patton without breaking his promise to Anxiety. The scene Patton walked in on must’ve looked quite worrisome. How to convince him that it was all in good fun?

“Princey wanted to pitch some ideas, and since I was already up, I was the lucky guy who got to listen to his rant. We were trying some stuff out,” Virgil drawled tiredly as he stepped around Roman, his guard back in place.

Roman relaxed, relieved Anxiety had taken charge. Then he turned to him with a haughty/teasing expression, crossing his arms and cocking his brow. “Oh, please! You liked it! Don’t even try to deny it,” he scoffed.

Anxiety rolled his eyes. “Whatever. This won’t work for a vine anyway. It’s too much trouble to have the Prince and the Nemesis interact like that. It’ll be too much work, he’ll get tired of it before we get past the planning stage,” he pointed out. “I’m going to bed,” he announced.

Roman was slightly disappointed. They always had to cut their bonding time short because of stuff like this.

“Okay, goodnight kiddo,” Patton smiled tentatively.

“Night,” Anxiety huffed before disappearing up the stairs.

Roman stretched. “Well, I should get some sleep as well,” he allowed before setting the dishes in the dishwasher.

“How did you get him to do that?” Patton wondered. Roman shot up confused.

“Do what?” he asked.

“Talk with you. He doesn’t… you two don’t like each other. Right?” Patton was playing with the hem of his pj’s nervously not quite meeting Roman’s eyes.

Roman just chuckled carelessly as he explained himself, though he skipped around addressing his and Anxiety's less than friendly past dynamic. “Well, you know me. Once I get something in my head…” he shrugged. “He must’ve realized resistance was futile. And the chance to threaten me without any consequences must’ve been inviting.” He patted Patton on the shoulder in passing.

“Sorry for waking you up padre. It won’t happen again.” And Roman meant it. He just had an excellent idea.

Virgil had just settled back into his bed when there was a quick, light knock on his door.

Patton probably wanted to berate him. He probably didn’t believe he’d done nothing wrong and was going to tell him off for whatever he thought he had been doing to Princey.

Well, better get it over with. Waiting would only make it worse.

Virgil got up and opened the door, only to find Roman rushing past him.

“Wha… Princey!” he whisper yelled as he closed the door. “You know you can’t be in here!”

Two weeks ago, Roman had had the splendid idea to spent as long as he could in Virgil’s room to understand him better. Of course the cautious side hadn’t been a fan of the idea but Roman was adamant and had made the excellent point that as long as Virgil was in the room with him, he could kick him out whenever necessary.

“I won't be long, forlorn  ranger,” Roman assured him grandly, smiling from ear to ear his eyes sparkling. It made Virgil hold off on kicking him out. This was unstained, genuine excitement. By now Virgil knew Roman’s tells and right now he wasn't showing any. And anything that got Roman like this was worth at least listening to.

“Spare me your excuses, sir underarm stink! I’ll show you what a real villain is!” he growled as he raised his hand as if readying a spell.

Roman made a flourish with his hand and showed Virgil an elegant silver key.

Oops the story you seek is in another post. Find part 2 here

@selenechris

[screpdoodle]

Duality - Chapter Seven (The Aftermath of an Almost Victory)

Tick tick tick…

The dulled colors of the world swirled together as Kaos forced his eyes open, squinting to try to make out the blurred shapes against the blinding sky. He lifted his head off of the ground, rubbing his temples as the blood roared in his ears. A deafening, rhythmic beat pounding through his skull. Kaos pushed a fallen beam off of his chest, coughing as dry, dusty air flooded his lungs, scratching at his throat like thousands of tiny claws. His vision lagged as he looked around, slowly processing what he saw. Walls toppled revealing their inner workings. Bits of steel plating and banisters were laying haphazardly around, the ceiling now open to the cloudy sky above. He… he had done it?? Frantically, Kaos felt himself over, making sure he was still in one piece, before he let out a sigh of relief. By the Ancients’ mercy, he was alive.

“Kaos? Kaos!!”

In a flash, Kaos was scooped up off of the ground, his feet dangling as a battered Dyskord squeezed him tightly. Kaos coughed, almost immediately trying to push away from his brother’s grasp.

“Hey, hey! You’re gonna crack my ribs again, idiot!” Kaos cried, trying to sound as angry as he could despite the grin curling across his face.

Dyskord set his brother down, a strained laugh escaping him. He looked even more disheveled than usual, open cuts littered his olive skin, bruises already starting to bud; but then again, Kaos probably didn’t look much better himself. Taking a moment to catch his breath, Kaos surveyed the damage he had caused, his eyes seeming to glow like the embers that floated through the air. The silence in the air, the still of the grounds, it was all so… beautiful.

“We did it.” He spoke softly at first, waving his hands in small, back and forth motions. “I… I did it! YES! YES!!” Kaos didn’t care who in the Skylands heard him. This was his moment. This was his time.

The euphoria felt like bubbles in his stomach fizzing up into his brain, bursting into sparkles of pride. This must've been what Mother felt like at Mey’s sheepball practices or when Dyskord graduated: pure, unadulterated glee. He couldn't help but cackle, throwing his hands into the sky in triumph. Dyskord, on the other hand, didn’t seem to be as enthralled, his wry smile starting to fall. Kaos followed his gaze to the edge of the island, where the students had gathered (as they did during every emergency evacuation), huddled together. Kaos could almost see the looks of terror on their faces, students and staff members alike quaking in fear at his absolute, ingenious might. He was practically bouncing up and down at the thought, but instead he paused, squinting to try to make out a shape along the horizon. A shape that looked like it was barreling towards them. Kaos’ heart sank as he watched the figure lumbering over the wreckage, rage practically radiating off of them. Mr. Webster.

“I- I think I hear Mother calling.” Kaos tugged on Dyskord’s sleeve, not daring to take his eyes off the behemoth. “We-We’d better go…”

“Y-Yeah. Heh.” Dyskord turned his head to the side and called out, “B-Be right there, Mother!”

“Oh, don’t worry. Your mother will be hearing about this.”

A large hand grabbed a hold of Kaos’ arm, a squeak escaping his open mouth. His limb looked like a toothpick compared to Mr. Webster’s tight grasp. Kaos gulped, his eyes trailing up from the hand, Kaos immediately began batting at Mr. Webster’s hand, kicking and squealing like a frightened pig as the principal lifted him up off of the ground. Kaos tried to worm his way to freedom, albeit to no avail. He had come too far. Too far to lose now. It wasn’t fair.

“So, Kaos...” Mr. Webster snarled, “Anything to say for yourself?”

“SCREW YOU!” Kaos squealed.

With his free hand, he threw a wild punch at his teacher. Kaos’ fist rebounded off the side of his gaunt face, causing nothing more than irritation and a throbbing pain through his frail hand. Kaos recoiled, whimpering as he tried to shake out the pain, Mr. Webster’s only reaction was a mere eye twitch. Without another word, he began walking back through the wreckage, carrying the flailing Kaos at arm’s length away from him. Dyskord held back, wondering how easy it would be to leave Kaos behind and feign innocence over the whole situation, before finally grunting to himself and running after his brother. If living with his brother was Hell already, he really didn’t want to know what it would be like if he got on Kaos’ bad side.

“Care to explain yourself?”

Kaos sat on what used to be a chair; the back had crumbled into scrapwood and the legs were nowhere to be found. The principal sat across from him on the other side of what used to be his desk, which was now simply a lump of blackened char. Dyskord stood in the only remaining corner of the principal’s office. Kaos had to admit, he preferred the more ‘open’ look the room had now. Not that he had much time to admire it. His gaze was locked in a staring contest with the Principal’s one, bloodshot, eye. Yes, eye. The principal was a Cyclops. Ever since his first day of school, Kaos had found it a bit odd. Cyclopes were known for terrorizing villages with axes, giant snowballs and Slobbering Mutticuses; not running a school. Though, to be fair, both were bent on conquest. The principal folded his massive, blubbery hands in his lap, mucus green skin prickled with beads of sweat. His general demeanor was held in contrast with the suit he always wore, the buttons of his top threatening to pop as they kept his rotund body compressed. Mr. Webster stood at attention next to the door, which was somehow still standing, despite most of the wall having crumbled down around it. He didn’t dare take his beady, black eyes off of the brothers.

“Well, I thought the school needed a bit of redecorating.” Kaos snickered, trying to maintain his nonexistent cool. “More open architecture is all the rage these days.”

“Enough jokes. This is a serious matter, Kaos. You put people’s lives at risk.”

“...would you believe me if I said it was an accident?”

“Of course it wasn’t an accident! I told you, Odius, this child is nothing but a troublemaker. He should have been expelled when he set that one kid on fire!”

“That wasn’t my fault! Besides, genasi are fire proof. It’s not like the ‘damage’ was permanent.”

“You little bugger, only fire genasi are immune to fire!” Mr. Webster hissed, “They were a life genasi!”

“...oops?”

Behind him, Kaos heard Dyskord slam his face into his hands, groaning. Kaos shot him a quick glare, then looked back to the principal with a forced smile. The principal clearly wasn’t impressed with the scene, a frown on his slack jawed face. Mr. Webster, in contrast, looked like he was about to burst a blood vessel, the right side of his face twitching.

“Boys, do we need to consult an… outside force on this matter?” The principal said coolly.

“No! No no, there’s no need.” Kaos waved his hands, jumping to his feet. “I’m sure we can sort this out!”

“Y-Yeah!” Dyskord chimed in, his tone dripping with panic. “We really don’t need to concern her. She’s a very busy woman-”

“DON’T YOU DARE BRING HER INTO THIS!!”

“ENOUGH!” Webster snapped, slamming his fist against the door. Only for it to fall off its hinges and hit the ground with a thud, sending up a plume of dust. Mr. Webster pointed to what remained of the secretary’s office. “Boys, out, NOW.”

Kaos muttered something under his breath as he turned on his heels, storming out of the room. As he passed Dyskord, he grabbed him by the sleeve of his jacket, dragging him along. As Kaos plopped himself down on the cluttered floor, he stared out at the wreckage, now littered with students trying to find some semblance of their material goods. Kaos clutched his own backpack to his chest as he began chewing on his nails. His mind wandered until he felt the sting of his teeth against his fingertip, the dry taste of his nail mingling with the dirt that was tucked beneath it. Before he could move onto the next finger, Dyskord swatted at his hand lightly to grab his brother’s attention, then shook his head. Kaos huffed, curling up around his backpack. He could hear the principal talking, not to Webster, but someone else; saying things like, “Yes, yes,” “Sorry for the inconvenience,” and “Thank you ma’am.”

Kaos buried his head into his knees, trying to think of some way, any way, he could possibly get out of this in one piece. His brain felt like a jumbled mess of wires all tangled around him, the cold embrace of dread forcing its way down his throat. Typical. Even when he finally succeeded at something,something always had to mess it up; and Ancients knew the calamity that he just lived through would be nothing compared to the calamity that he was about to live through. Kaos didn’t know how much time had passed as he got lost in his thoughts, but he looked up at the sound of heels tapping against the floor, quickly approaching. He felt his heart drop to the pit of his stomach. Shooting a quick glance at Dyskord, the two brothers heard the principal speak up once again.

“Ah, Mrs. Horvitz. Pleasure to have you here.”

“You’re in deep trouble now, mister!”

The castle doors were thrown open as Mother stormed inside, dragging Kaos by the ear. Her angular face was contorted in a familiar scowl, lips pursed and gaze steely enough to make even the strongest of dreadwalkers cower in fear. Kaos yelped as she swung him forward, falling to his knees with a thud. Dyskord peered around the corner, making sure to keep his distance, letting Kaos take the brunt of their mother’s fury for the time being.

“What were you thinking!?” Mother cried, coming to an abrupt stop in the middle of the foyer, pulling Kaos to his fee, her slender fingers clasped around his arm. “Blowing up your school!? Honestly, Kaos! I would have thought you would have learned your lesson after last time you pulled a stunt like this!”

Kaos stared up at his mother, practically petrified. She let go of his arm, resting her gloved hands on her hips. Even when she wasn’t positively irate, she had an air of anger about her that couldn't be shaken. Perhaps it was her angular features, or the constant frown she wore no matter the occasion.

“What was it last time?” Dyskord asked, bracing himself.

“I tried to flood the gymnasium,” Kaos said nonchalantly before turning his head to face his mother once more, “But, Mother! This time was different! I-”

“Actually succeeded.”

Kaos nodded enthusiastically, grinning.

“That’s not a good thing, Kaos!”

Kaos smile quickly fell. Mother sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She bore a look that mirrored one you’d give a partially dead roach. She finally let go of her son’s arm with a sigh, turning away.

“You know what. You’re filthy. Head upstairs and get yourself cleaned up. I’ll deal with this later when the entire family can talk it over…””

“Wait, the entire family? Is Father coming back?” Dyskord had already been halfway up the stairs, attempting to make his escape, but this news made him stop and look back.

“Yes, Dyskord. Your father will be joining us for dinner...” her voice dropped to a mutter, “...if he’s not late again... So I expect you both to be cleaned and presentable!”

Dyskord gave a thumbs up, then dashed the rest of the way up the stairs, leaving Kaos to fend for himself. Kaos turned, taking a step towards the stairs, only to be stopped by his mother’s hand on his shoulder.

“I expect you’ll behave yourself tonight.” His mother said, a bitter edge to her voice.

Kaos brushed her hand away, sighing. “Yes, Mother…”

Not waiting for her to say another word, Kaos dashed up the stairs, nearly on all fours, and into the washroom at the end of the hall, slamming the door behind him.

Kaos let the hot water run over his body, his head tilted to the sky as the water plastered his hair to his head. His mother had been right, he was completely filthy. Dust and dirt covered virtually every inch of his body. The cuts and bruises he had received from the explosion needed to be cleaned too; dirt, grime and dried blood nestled within them. Kaos picked shards of shrapnel from his skin, taking extra care around his birthmarks, before taking the pieces he had collected and coaxing them into a small, glass bottle he had grabbed; a trophy of sorts, to remind him of his near victory.

Kaos ran his fingers through his hair, catching them on the countless tangles as he attempted to clean the coating of grime and oil it had gathered. The soap Kaos was using ran down his scalp and into his eyes, immediately beginning to burn. Kaos scrunched his eyes closed and frantically began shaking the soap off of his hands, the suds pooling at his feet. This soon became frantically trying to wipe the soap from his eyes, tears trickling down his cheeks as the burning reduced to a dull stinging. He cursed under his breath, kicking the wall of the shower in frustration. Kaos just seemed to have the worst luck today.

Kaos couldn’t help but wonder what he did to deserve this, what sin he had committed that cursed him with such horrid luck. At least that Ancients-forsaken place was finally gone, but that was only one problem solved out of the many more he had to face. Kaos sighed quietly as he turned off the water, letting the cold soak back into the bathroom from beneath the closed door. With the absence of the rushing water, Kaos could now hear Dyskord getting his lecture from all the way downstairs. Mother’s shouts were unmistakable; the usual ‘how dare you enable him’ and ‘you’re better than this’ sort of verbal chastisements that seemed to be commonplace. Dyskord was getting let off easy, as always. A quick slap to the side of his head, then sent to bed without dessert. Not another word on the matter. It was nothing compared to what Kaos normally went through. Even the slightest step out of line and Mother would have his head. At least it was nicer than Father’s usual punishments…

Kaos shook his head, beads of water flying everywhere. He knew he should dry his hair off in the towel, but he didn’t feel like it. This was much more fun. Once his hair was only slightly damp, Kaos grabbed his bathrobe off of its hook and slipped it on. It was a few sizes too big for him, but he liked it nonetheless. He tied his scarf around his waist to hold the robe in place, then slowly opened the door to the hallway, just as Mother was finishing up her lecture. He paused, grabbing onto the railing and standing on his tip toes as he tried to hear even a sliver of the discussion, but he was too late. Sighing, he pulled the bathrobe tighter around himself, then headed for his room, trailing dripping wet footsteps on the carpet. He could hear his mother’s heels on the hardwood downstairs, heading to the kitchen, the sunset filtering through the clouded windows signalling it was time to start cooking dinner. And for him to get dressed in something ‘presentable’, as Mother put it. With a huff, Kaos pushed the door to his room open, then froze.

“What are you doing?!”

Meyhem looked up from where she was sprawled on his bed, an old leather-bound notebook held open in her outstretched hands. At the sight of Kaos, she dropped in her face, then sat up with a grin, her hair falling in front of her wild, blue eyes.

“Mother’s ma~ad,” She giggled, pulling at the drawstrings of her oil-stained hoodie.

“That doesn’t answer my question, idiot!”

Kaos ran forward, making sure to keep his robe closed with one arm as he attempted to climb the ladder to his bed. Meyhem just laughed, grabbing the book before jumping over her brother and landing on the ground. Kaos screamed, losing his balance and toppling down on top of her, more to his detriment than hers. Meyhem simply scurried out from underneath him and made a beeline for the door. Kaos pushed himself up on his forearms, blowing his bangs out of his eyes just in time for Meyhem to chuck the book back at him, the edge of the spine colliding right between his eyes.

“Oops!” Meyhem giggled, poking her head back into the room, “Sorry, little brother!”

“I’m not little!” Kaos cried, rubbing the point of impact to try and nurse the oncoming headache. “I’m older than you!!”

Kaos forced himself to his feet as Meyhem ran back to her room, her giggles lingering in the air. Kaos grumbled under his breath, then slammed his door shut, resting his head against its surface. He just couldn’t catch a break, could he. Once he was sure she wouldn't be returning for a surprise attack, Kaos plopped himself down under his loft, looking over the book to make sure no damage had become it. More than it already had, of course. Kaos ran his fingers over the leather cover, feeling the marks he had etched into his surface to mark it as his own before flipping it open. A few pages had been torn out, and some of the loose ones were missing, but that would be an easy enough fix. Meyhem was conniving, but she wasn’t the best at hiding things. Throwing a quick glance to his window to check the time, Kaos pulled out a quill he had stashed off to the side and flipped to a blank page. It had been a while, but without another outlet, it was the best he could do.

Kaos’ hand jerked to the side as his door slammed open, the ink from his quill creating a long, splotchy line across his page. Kaos growled, then slammed his book closed. He craned his neck to see who had the audacity to disturb him before dinner was even ready. Sure enough, Meyhem stood in his doorway; now dressed in the closest thing she had to something ‘fancy’, a pair of silken pajamas.

“What is it now, Mey.” Kaos huffed, hoping with all his might that Meyhem wouldn’t answer and he could go back to venting his emotions.

“It’s time for dinner!” Meyhem giggled, then tossed a wad of crumpled-up paper at his head. It rebounded off of his skull, rolling across the ground. He looked down at it, recognizing the parchment his journal was made of, then looked back up at Mey.

“It’s not. Go away.”

“Yeah it is!” Meyhem climbed under the loft, plopping down beside him on the pile of laundry. “Mother said so.”

“Then why don’t I smell it?”

“‘Cause your nose is dumb.”

“Is not!”

“Is too!”

Kaos couldn’t help but crack a smile, reaching up and ruffling Meyhem’s choppy, black hair. She scrunched down, beaming wide enough to show the gap where her front teeth should have been. She was a pain, that was for certain, but she was a pain Kaos was willing to put up with.

“How was school~?” Meyhem asked, a cheeky grin on her face.

“Har har. Shut up.” Kaos rolled his eyes as he climbed out from under his bed, making his way to the ladder.

“Mother told me you got in an accident! Is that true? Did you die??”

“Mey, don’t you have chores you need to do?” Kaos looked back with a wry grin as he put his journal back in its place, beneath his pillow. Luckily, Meyhem hadn’t messed up too much of his bed layout, so he didn’t need to spend hours getting everything back into place.

Meyhem paused, tapping her chin. “I can’t do my chores right now, it’s dinner!”

“Then maybe you should go help Mother by setting the table, hm? After all, we want everything to look good for Father when he-”

“Father’s coming back tonight?? Why didn’t you tell me!”

“I didn’t know until-”

Before he could finish his sentence, Meyhem had already ran out of the room, leaving Kaos alone once again. He sighed, hopping off of his ladder from the final step. It was at that point Kaos finally smelled it. The ‘succulent’ aroma of charred meat and blanched vegetables - the Horvitz family specialty. Kaos’ nose twitched, his stomach doing a summersault at the thought of tolerating such slop. What he wouldn't give for some decent food.

Throwing one last glance to the hall, Kaos began to get dressed in the ‘fanciest’ clothes he could find; black slacks and a wrinkled, collared shirt that was two sizes too big. That was the most effort he was willing to put in for his dad. As he stepped out into the hall, Kaos wrapped his scarf around his shoulders like a shawl, then paused as the sound of heavy-handed knocking cut through the quiet of the castle. His heart sank.

“Dyskord, be a dear and fetch the door. I do believe he’s here.”

<- previous chapter | next chapter ->

[catb-fics]

Vampire Van fic as requested! Not actually thought out a storyline past this chapter yet so if anyone’s got any thoughts/suggestions let me know... Special thanks to @fuellingmyfix for the vanpire pics 😘 

Happy Halloween everyone!  🧛‍♂️ 🎃 👻 💀

Love Bites (Van McCann) Part 1

Warnings: none for this part... / Word Count: 2.5k

You appraise your reflection in the full-length mirror, turning this way and that. You're wearing a figure-hugging black dress in the softest satin material with a plunging neckline. It trails on the floor and has a deep slit right up to mid-thigh.

"I don't know, do you think it looks too slutty?"

Your best friend Emma shakes her head emphatically. "Y/N... Halloween is the only night of the year that you can actually get away with dressing slutty and no one cares!"

"So it does look slutty?" You say, adjusting your cleavage, wondering whether the push-up bra you've put on was a step too far.

Emma giggles, linking her arm through yours and steering you in the direction of the door. "Honey... if you've got it, flaunt it! That's what I say!"

The Halloween party you're both attending is in the more affluent area of town and you take in the huge, sprawling, four-storey house as you walk down the driveway.

"Who is this guy again?" You ask your friend, feeling a little wary.

Emma waves a hand dismissively. "Oh, he's just a friend of a friend. I don't actually know him personally. Apparently he's just moved here a few months ago. And his parties have a reputation for being amazing."

The house looks every part the perfect setting for a Halloween soirée, it's dark and shadowy, and there's a distinct sense of foreboding that lingers as you reach the front door. Emma grabs the ornate door knocker and you listen as the sound echoes as it strikes the heavy wooden door. Long minutes seem to pass and you're just about to suggest that you walk away when the door starts to open with a creepy creaking noise. To your surprise there's no one standing there and you peer inside into the deep shadows.

"Hello?" You utter uncertainly.

Silence.

"Maybe we should go..." you start, but Emma takes your hand and pulls you inside.

"Come on Y/N," she urges.

"But it doesn't even seem like there's a party here. It's so quiet. Maybe it's the wrong house."

"No, it's definitely the right place," Emma says and you both step forward.

Without warning the door slams shut behind you both, and the noise is so loud you practically jump out of your skin.

"Fuck!" You cry out, your heart racing, both turning around in shock.

"It was probably just the wind," Emma says, but her voice doesn't sound so sure.

You're feeling decidedly uneasy now. The house is even creepier inside than it looks from the outside, it's bathed in shadows and it's eerily quiet. There's a huge grand staircase running up from the ground floor and an elaborate chandelier hanging from the ceiling which gives off a muted glow. The only sound is the loud ticking noise coming from the tall grandfather clock standing against the far wall.

"This place is giving me the creeps. I think we should just go," you say. It's not cold, but you can feel goosebumps breaking out all over your body.

"Ladies!" A deep voice sounds from behind you and you both whirl around.

"Christ! Where did you come from?" Emma exclaims, addressing the tall figure who seems to have literally materialised from nowhere.

"Did I frighten you?"

You go to speak but the words catch in your throat as you take in the man standing in front of you. He's tall and slim with hair that falls long around his ears and curls at the collar of the black shirt he's wearing. His skin's as pale as porcelain and his lips are full and pink. His eyes are ice cold blue but somehow there's fire in them too. They're mesmerising and you can feel yourself being drawn in.

"You about gave me a fucking heart attack!" Emma blurts out loudly and this breaks the apparent trance you've been in. You glance down, embarrassed that you've been so obviously staring.

"I do apologise," the man addresses Emma, but his eyes are firmly fixed on you. You can feel a slight flush rising to your cheeks. He's bloody gorgeous.

"I'm Van," he says and he reaches out a hand.

Emma introduces herself and you watch as he takes her hand and plants a kiss on the back of it. Despite him greeting your friend he doesn't take his eyes off you and you feel self-conscious under his alluring gaze.

"Hi... I'm Y/N," you say, and Van reaches for your hand, bringing it to his lips and kissing it.

His lips are cool but you feel like a spark of electricity emanates from them as they connect with your skin. You can't help the sharp intake of breath you make and you know Van's heard it by the way his lips pull into a small smile.

"Welcome to my home, come on... the party's this way," he says, and you feel a sense of relief as he turns away and you're released from his gaze.

You glance at Emma whose eyes are wide and she's wearing the biggest smile. She nudges you excitedly and you can't help but grin back at her. You both follow Van down a long, dark hallway and your ears begin to pick up the sounds of music as you near your destination. There's a huge wooden door at the end of the corridor and Van stops there before flinging it open and beckoning you both inside.

The room is huge and it's filled with party-goers standing and sitting around, chatting and drinking. You feel a little bit of the tension start to leave your body as you take in the scene, it looks like any other regular party you might attend... apart from the luxurious setting of course.

Van offers to get you both a drink and you gratefully accept, then he turns to walk away and you watch him go. He moves so gracefully it's almost like he's floating on air.

"Oh my god look at this place!" Emma's practically squealing beside you. "Van must be loaded!"

"Yeah," you breathe as you look around in wonder. The room is tastefully furnished and everything looks antique.

"And he's so into you!" Emma nudges you again.

You feel a little fizz of excitement in the pit of your belly at her comment, but you hardly dare to believe it.

"I doubt it," you say, modest as ever, but Emma's not hearing any of it.

"Y/N! He couldn't take his eyes off you! I swear it looked like he wanted to rip that dress off you and fuck you right there in the hallway!"

"Oh my god Emma!" You cry, your cheeks going crimson at the thought. "Shhh... he's coming back over!"

Van passes you and Emma a tall glass of something sparkling, and his fingertips lightly brush yours. Now he's back you can feel yourself tense again. Your mind scrambles for something charismatic to say but all you can manage is, "Great party! This is a lovely place you've got."

You cringe inwardly, thinking how dull you must sound, but the looks Van's giving you suggest he's thinking anything but. You start to wonder whether maybe Emma is right.

"You know, I think it's the people not the place that make a good party, don't you?" He says, then he adds. "And this party just got infinitely more interesting..."

Oh my god, he's a charmer that's for sure. Emma is looking at you with the same wide-eyed stare she had earlier and to your surprise she suddenly steps forward, glancing around like she's looking for someone.

"Y/N, I've just seen one of my brother's mates, Craig. You know the one, always stoned, got in trouble for selling gear to those school-kids last year. I'm just gonna go and say hi. You stay and chat to Van for a bit..."

"Emma..." you call after her but it's too late. She's already backing away, a gleeful kind of look on her face at the prospect of leaving you alone with Van, and his amused expression suggests that it’s clear that he knows exactly what's going on.

"So... looks like it's just me and you then Y/N," he says, leaning into you slightly.

You're suddenly gripped with awkwardness. "Oh, don't feel like you've got to stay with me, I'm okay. You're the host of the party and all... I'll be fine on my own..."

You smile at Van, raising your glass in a kind of friendly gesture, expecting him to politely back off, but he just stands there looking at you.

"Are you trying to get rid of me?"

"Oh... I didn't mean that... I just... I don't know..." You stumble over your words, trailing off, embarrassed that he's having such an effect on you.

He laughs, a low throaty chuckle. "I'm only teasing. Come on, come and sit with me." 

He steps away, beckoning you to follow him and you do. He leads you over to the far corner of the room, and sits down on a chaise-longue covered in deep red velvet, patting the space next to him. You take a seat, and your dress falls open as you do, revealing your legs right up to the tops of your thighs.

"Oops!" You giggle, immediately shooting out a hand to cover yourself.

Van's eyes rake down your body and he takes his time, not even trying to be discreet about it. It occurs to you that you'd be offended if any other guy so brazenly checked you out, but you actually want Van to desire you. You take a deep breath, letting go of the material, letting the satin slide off your legs, exposing them again. Van shifts in his seat, pressing his thigh right up to yours.

"Mmm... that's a pretty dress." His voice is smooth. "But you do realise that this is a costume party don't you?"

"Yeah, I don't wear this kinda thing all the time you know! I'm supposed to be a vampire... Dracula's bride or something."

Van's smile widens. "Oh? Well I don't see any fangs."

"I couldn't get them to stick, useless things," you giggle. "And anyway, what about you? You're not dressed up."

"Maybe I'm a vampire too..." His grin is cheeky now, and you start to feel yourself relax a little.

"Well... where's your fangs then?"

He pauses, then leans closer. "Close your eyes..." he whispers mysteriously.

You giggle, doing as you're asked, putting your hands over your eyes, waiting.

"You can look now..."

Woah! As you open your eyes you note two perfectly pointed white fangs between his slightly parted lips and you watch as he slowly runs his tongue over them. For some reason the action seems blatantly seductive, and you can feel your whole body flood with heat.

"Oh... errr... they look so realistic!" You stammer, pulse racing as his eyes seem to shimmer with some sort of hypnotic quality which you find you can't look away from.

"Mmm... they're sharp too... come a little closer...”

All of a sudden he's leaning in so close you're forced to lean back, and you feel one of his hands flush against your back and the other around your waist as he brings his body close to yours. His face is so close to your neck you swear you can feel his lips brush against your skin. You gasp at the sensation, completely caught off guard.

Just as suddenly he rights himself, but his hands remain still splayed on your waist, his eyes burning with a look that sends shivers right through you.

"What is that fragrance you're wearing?" He says, his voice a deep whisper. "It's... intoxicating..."

You've literally just met this guy and he's pressing himself against you with the familiarity of a lover. You shift to the side, feeling shook, and he releases you, although he keeps his eyes trained on yours.

"Umm... it's Chanel..." you mumble shyly, looking down at your feet.

You spot the glass of champagne that you'd placed on the floor, stooping to pick it up as a distraction, but in your flustered state you manage to catch the glass with your foot. The glass tips to the side, instantly shattering into what looks a million pieces, the contents flowing out all over the floor.

"Oh god, I'm so sorry!" You exclaim, and you immediately rise up out of your seat and then drop to your knees to clear up the mess.

"Leave it Y/N, it's fine," you hear Van say, but you're so embarrassed about the mess you've created that you keep your head down, attempting to scoop up the broken glass.

"Ow! Shit!" A jagged piece of glass catches your finger, creating a deep gash which instantly fills with blood and you curse out loud.

But that's not the worst thing. As you glance up at Van he's staring at you with eyes as cold as shards of ice, his lips pulled back into what could almost be described as a snarl. You feel genuine fear flash through you for a second, scrambling to your feet and stepping back. Van advances on you, shooting out a hand to grasp the wrist of your injured hand.

"I’m sorry... I'm so sorry," you repeat, trying to pull your arm away but his grip is vice-like.

"You should go!" He snaps, his voice sharp with not a hint of the charm he's been displaying all evening. He releases your wrist suddenly, pushing with force, making you stumble backwards.

You start to panic, desperately glancing around to find Emma. Your altercation with Van has raised some attention and the loud background chatter has started to tail off, and you see her rushing over looking concerned.

"What's up Y/N?"

You don't have chance to answer. Van's voice booms out suddenly. "Get out!" He commands.

The DJ stops the music, and the whole room suddenly falls silent. You're frozen in shock for a moment, until you feel Emma's hand wrap around yours, and she's pulling you towards the door. You drop your head in shame and confusion as you both exit, rushing down the corridor you were lead down earlier, not stopping until you've pushed the front door open and you're out in the cool night air.

"What the fuck was that?" Emma starts exclaiming instantly.

You just shake your head, feeling so unsettled by the whole experience that you can actually feel tears pricking at the corners of your eyes. "I... I don't know... we were getting on so well... and then I went and smashed a glass..."

You lift your cut hand up, and the blood is flowing out the gash now and dripping on to the floor. Some has splashed on to your bare legs.

"What the hell?" Emma cries, rushing forward and grabbing your injured hand for closer inspection. "You did this and he's kicking up a fuss about a broken glass?"

"I know! I don't get it!" You sob. "Maybe it was like antique crystal or something..."

Emma looks incredulous. "Don't make excuses! He completely overreacted. Come on, Y/N... let's get you home so we can look at that cut."

You nod, blinking back the tears, glancing back at the house as you make your way back up the the long, winding driveway. You think you see a shadowy reflection at one of the upper windows but when you blink it's gone.

Read Part 2 now...