#oops massive tag ramble

[intotheelliwoods]

LMAOSKDO TEEJ I LOVE THIS DEARLY YOU HAVE NO IDEA the leos just sip their cucumber gatorade and enjoy the show LMAO

2AL gets Havoc rights for being one of few Future Leos who is actually nice to his yougner self pfft

Discord shenanigans led to me wondering what it would look like if Havoc and LH Little Leo met @elliwoods’s 2AL duo and well

He’s gonna be fine but I think Big Leo might have some mild new traumas to overcome after the giant Ninpo fox has a little fun terrorizing him while LH Leo sips his fancy gatorade and laughs at his misery <3

[grokebaby]

Been thinking about it and honestly I've been feeling like I don't really wanna post about several ocs anymore

[galvatronsthighs]

@malenkiandromeda

Sorry this is a side-blog so I can't reply/send asks

BUT I AM ALWAYS HAPPY TO SEE OTHERS GET INTERESTED IN THIS DUMB DYNAMIC I LOVE!

Roddy and Galvs had a lot of parallels I feel and don't often see them pointed out, combined with the fact Galvatron saw this little Autobot runt show up inside Unicron but still wanted to reach out against their 'common enemy' gets me feeling. Plus the fact this "no-name runt" actually did it and subdued Unicron? Fucking superb you funky little fire car!

[aquariium-ediits]

Muriel Icons, Requested By Nobody (Self Indulgent)

Notes; I'm in love with this man. Sobbing screaming crying my eyes out. He's the perfect man. Nobody can change my mind. I'm doing his route rn and I am scared to death and back to life that I'm gonna accidentally get his reversed ending :') These are super simple but idc he's perfect so he doesn't need anything fancy <3

reblog and credit if you use!

[dramaticvhs]

5 sterek fic recs

here are some fics I've read recently that I encourage you to check out!! I've enjoyed all of them immensely and I hope you will too :)

all are completed unless stated otherwise. please check tags before you read, some contain sensitive content.

Thirty Messages by Julibean19

(Teen and Up, 16k, Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings)

“Look. I think my friend is obsessed with you… or your cell phone at the very least. And if your stupid fucking voice saying the same two words is all he’s ever gonna have of you, then you have to let him go. You don’t let him get attached and you don’t drag it out. If you hurt him, or lead him on, even just a little bit, I swear to God I will kill you. So call him back, and end it.”

In which Derek leaves town with Cora, and Stiles thinks he might be going insane... because no one would leave this many rambling voicemails for someone they weren't even dating... right?

what a big heart i have (better to love you with) by crazyassmurdererwall (smartalli)

(Teen and Up, 20k, No Archive Warnings Apply)

Stiles has a massive thing for Derek Hale.

This is not news. Stiles, after all, has been carrying a torch for Derek ever since they bumped into each other at a taco cart at the start of his freshman year.

But what is news? With no hope of ever capturing Derek’s attention, Stiles is thinking it might be time to let that torch go. Try to let it burn out.

(Derek might have something to say about that.)

Derek Didn't Know What To Do But Maybe Stiles Did by tiedtogetherwithadagger

(Teen and Up, 13k, No Archive Warnings Apply)

He let his head fall onto Stiles’ shoulder with a sigh of relief. He wasn't losing his pack, at least not tonight. Erica would be okay.

“Thank you,” Derek exhaled into Stiles’ hoodie.

“Always,” Stiles said.

Pack Up; Don't Stray by the_deep_magic

(Explicit, 55k, No Archive Warnings Apply)

AU – Werewolves are an enslaved underclass, collared and tagged by human masters. Detective Stilinski’s on duty the night they bring in an untagged stray.

Bad Dreams by Smowkie

(Mature, 5.7k, Graphic Depictions of Violence)

The sword glinted in the moonlight and Stiles groaned as he twisted it in his dad’s stomach.

“Please stop,” John said weakly, blood trickling down his cheek. “Please, Stiles, stop.”

It felt so good, though, and Stiles sucked in a breath as the euphoric rush of pain and fear from his dad filled him. He grinned and John flinched. “I don’t think I will,” Stiles said.

Stiles woke up with a gasp and he sat up and pushed the cover off himself, sweat making his t-shirt cling to his torso. Counting his fingers he slowly started to breathe normally again, and when the panic attack wasn’t threatening to take over he rubbed his face and looked at the time. 4 am. Well, three hours of sleep was better than nothing.

I made this list a month ago and forgot to post it... oops.. If you're up to it I always love finding new fics so a comment or reblog with your favorite fics are welcome. also my dms are open for recs :) I'm trying to figure out how to set up my ask box which is not easy in my silly little brain, but maybe it'll be open for recs soon

[somethingclevermahogony]

Find the Word Tag Game

@inkovert tagged me here- thanks! Go to their page and check out some of their stuff, its great stuff!

my words were melody, leaf, smooth, and ache. As of right now I only have two WIPs, books 1 and 2 of The Testaments of the Green Sea (both of which are currently unnamed, oops) and so I will be drawing from there.

I am tagging @apolline-lucy, @illarian-rambling, @that-chibi-writer, @hallowedfury, and whoever else wants to answer, if you want to play! Your words are violet, crunch, flower, and teeth.

Melody

Istek, Dati, and Sihunu danced with a feverish intensity. It was as if, just for that moment, Istek's age and his sickness had melted away. He danced with the smooth movements of a younger man, held close both of his loves, the brave captain of the poems given new life by the melody. Dati and Sihunu leapt and spun with the grace of bounding gazelles.  Lat watched his parents from his table, a slight smile on his usually sour face. Though he would never admit it, he was quite fond of weddings. After a moment of hesitation and more than a few bowls of wine he leapt up to join his elders in their frenzied dancing. Penetinos sat near the newcomer Fasti and her son Zures, his face was pale, but the smile on his face was wide. Fasti poured the old man a bowl of wine, though in secret she added just a touch more water than may have been typical. If the old man noticed he did not say. Zures stared in wonder at the tip of Penetinos’ wizened finger as he used his sagecraft to produce a tiny blue flame, only for a moment.

Leaf (Leaves, that counts right?)

"Narul! Look! A forest!" Ninma said as she wiped the tears and snot from her face. Narul was shocked from his stupor by a wet little palm that drummed on the top of his head.  At the foot of the crested hill upon which they stood stretched a lush forest. The transition from the arid field and rock to thick greenery was almost unnatural in its suddenness.  " Did we go the wrong way?" Narul said. " Nope, northwest just like Burun said! Maybe he forgot to tell us about the forest?" Narul frowned. "I don't even understand how trees like this could be here, the ground is so dry." "Maybe the trees are like you. We should go in!" Ninma said and unconsciously dug her nails into his scalp. Her heart was pounding, and her skin was laced with goosebumps.  "Like me?" " Yeah! Like forestfolk with magic but um forest trees? Forest forest?" She said with a giggle. Narul gazed up at the massive trunks. Was she right? The whisper of the leaves beckoned him into the shadows.

Smooth

Narul ran his fingers along the smooth linen which started at his midsection and ended shortly below his knees. It had taken quite some time to assemble the outfit, and in the end after finding no actual garments which could appropriately fit him, the attendants and seamstresses had resorted to wrapping his waist with an ornate table cloth, snatched from some store room and trimmed and shaped to more closely resemble the long pleated skirts favored by Chibalan nobility. A cloak made from snowy white sheepskin, the largest they could find, was draped over his shoulders, held in place by an ornate bronze pin in shape of a snarling bear. His hair was combed and braided, bedecked with rings of Korithian silver and beads of  Shamabalan agate and Makoran Amber. The attendants had even tried to shove a signet ring onto one of his fingers, an endevor which would ultimately prove to be in vain. Failing at this, and the application of other more common jewelry, they took to him with bowls of a strong smelling paste, dying his skin with shades of rich red and earthy brown, covering his arms, hands, and chest with wave-like patterns.

Ache

"...I curse you Narul. May you live amongst those vile creatures for a thousand years. May you bear witness to countless atrocities, to every abomination to slither forth from the minds of humans. May you see cities crumble and families wither! May your fleeting happiness be drowned in the filth of the ages! And when time finally catches you, when the names of all who you loved have been wiped clean from your decayed mind by the hands of time, when your petty morals have been smashed by the depravity of man, may you remember my offer. May you remember the kindness I extended. May you mourn your choice. You will die alone, unloved, forgotten, a relic, a lonesome fool who bet his harvest on a diseased field! Enjoy your fleeting time with these humans, but know that when that girl is an old woman, when her body rages against her, when her bones ache, you will not understand her plight, and she will hate you for it. Every love you will ever feel, will end with sorrow and hatred. And when I return to enact my justice for the depravity of your mothers kin, you will receive no kind words from me! This was your choice, Narul. Enjoy it.”

[buttercup-barf]

It all started... With this doodle of Ronna. (Massive OC ramble incoming.)

And then I decided to completely change their face, and. Kinda species? I'm torn on keeping her a gor, because on one hand, it's just me projecting stuff, but on the other, I don't wanna monster'ify my favourite girlboss.

I wanna give them more scars from their Epic Showdown as well. Not gonna show the full body, because nakey woman, but when I actually figure out the placement, it will look soooo cool.

I also wanna figure out Shilo's face. Ian's so easy, his face is literally just a bunch of rectangles and wet puppy eyes, but the mental images of these two don't align with how I draw them. :-[

Here's also Yumeno and Aibo, her little magical girl-esque guardian. I promise there is no Meduka Meguka nonsense happening, I PROMISE-

And some other OC stuff. First, The Love, a-la the original magical force in Yumeno's world, and Aibo's creator. Main reason for the body horror tag, because yes, the wings are supposed to sprout from the side eyes, and those veiny things are hands clinging to a wall. I know The Love looks like a tumor, but they're not, I prommy. Then Byte, a robot, whom I am still figuring out, and Maque, who is. Basically just my type in women. Oops.

[fainthedcherry]

PARAMORE RELEASED THEIR A24 TRIBUTE COVER TODAY. AND I GOT INSPIRED BY THE LYRICS AND THE VISUALIZER.

IMAGE CREDITS BC VERY OBVIOUSLY THIS IS AN EXPERIMENTAL PIC COLLAGE PIECE PRIMARILY BELOW DESC (I DID NOT TAKE THE COOL PICS OBV.)

OK GIANT CREDIT BLOCK GO (Freepik and pexels my beloved saved my entire college year lmao):

1 OCEAN WAVES

2 OCEAN WAVES AGAIN

3 YES A THIRD OCEAN WAVE

4 VERY COOL DROPLETS

5 FLAME. OO FIRE PRETTYYY /POS

6 BG I CHEATED YOU INTO BELIEVING IS RAIN

The drawing though is made by my acoustic arse /lh

THE LYRICS ARE TAKEN FROM THE VID I LINKED. HAYLEY'S VOICE MY BELOVED AND FOREVER DEAREST ENTIRE BAND /POSPOSPOS. I wanna sing like Hayley so badly, she is such an idol to me, when it comes to vocals and I wish to sing as expressive as her some day 🤧✨💖

--

WHAT MORE CAN I SAY, OTHER THAN I'VE BEEN EXPERIMENTING WITH SHORT DRAWINGS, THAT TAKE UNDER A DAY TO COMPLETE TO FIGURE OUT SOME THINGS I WANNA DO AS AN ARTIST AND POSSIBLY COMMISSIONS. + These drawings genuinely kinda de-stress so it's been free therapy too, oops. I wanna do more of these vector-style drawings, that are just me taking lyrics and creating these fun collages, of things that inspire me or I like. It's a chill practice and lets my creativity actually do the work for once, instead of my usual need to outdo myself in every drawing and improve lmao. Improvement is cool and all, but dear god did I not realise how hard my need for perfection last year stress and strangle me tf out. I seriously need to re-evaluate the way I approach art as this massive, intimidating medium, when most artists literally draw for fun, and for me it's been like...A Sisyphean task.

--

If you enjoyed seeing this, I might make a sequel with C'est Comme Ca and w/ Marco in it instead and a red BG,, if I want to, I might turn these into a series, just like those aesthetic icon drawings I made of my 2 boys, started Lotta, and IMMEDIATELY lost that sketch due to my USB's death back in 2022 and lost all motivation for art due to that massive loss /neg

--

Not sure what else to add here other than my thoughts that I already did!! Other than ofc, the usual, MASSIVE thank you to my friend Hollowed-Hartlocke for introducing me to Paramore back in 2019 <3

Think I'm done rambling now tho!! OH WAIT. I can add, that I had to actually pull out Adobe Illustrator just to add stretched text for aesthetic purposes. Then I got so impatient with the effects panel not showing me the usual layer-effects and me being too lazy to look up, whether InDesign was the one, that had the usual layer effects I use in an Adobe program or not. Btw still mooching off my college acc that shoulda been dead long ago but just isn't??? LMAO I'M STILL GONNA USE IT IF I CAN ALRIGHT.

OH YEAH BTW. This drawing took 3 hours. NO I'M NOT KIDDING. PEOPLE WOULD PROBABLY BE SHOCKED THAT SUCH A LAZY LOOKING PIECE TOOK SO LONG. BUT I GENUINELY AM RATHER SHOOK THAT I TOOK SUCH LITTLE TIME TO CREATE THIS. TBF I threw MOST proportion checks and canvas flips I do out the window, so there's a BIG chance I will hate this, if I flip the canvas xD ANYWAY I RAMBLED LONG ENOUGH I THINK NOW. JUST ENJOY EXPERIMENTAL ART

^Before-bed edit; Yeah his torso's a TAD too much leaning to the left, it's off-center to the rotation of his pelvis to be in fact, but maybe? I'll roll with this mistake. It kinda gives the piece its abstract nature..I kinda like the mistake?? This is the first time in my life I ever tolerated a mistake I did and now declare it on purpose and will probably build one into the next piece as well. Hell, maybe it'll yield an interesting result. Anyway, it's 12PM as I write this, and I have to get up at 4AM for my train soOooo, yeah, gotta sleep ASAP for school.

I have NO clue again what to 100% accurately tag this, so forgive me if the tags are wrong LMAO, I just will believe what I believe it has overlaps w/ within art-genre.

This piece kiiinda gives pop art??? So I'm gonna tag it as such as well, but but might be incorrect. If a pop-art enjoyer wants to correct me, PLEASE DO. I'm going off the definitions of pop-art I learned in high-school. So I could most def be wrong about me adding this tag in particular. How tf do people confidently tag their posts when I doubt almost every tag I add man. Tagging is the worst part of uploading art to me due to how hard it is to label art really, not meant to be in a genre. xD

Def adding Paramore tags tho bc I NEED to know more Paramore fans out there bc we feel like such a tiny community, when they're literally one of the most influential rock bands of the 2000s and 2010s imho AUGH

[braveclxrke]

Fanfic origin story

thank you for the tag @ravens-words 🖤

What was your first fandom (reading and/or writing)?

Reading: i believe that it was teen wolf and Spn

Writing: The first three fics I posted were Teen wolf, then Shadowhunters and then Spn

What was the first story you ever wrote?

It was a Teen wolf AU, i wrote it back in 2015 and never finished it (oops and apologies to the person who commented the other month asking if it will ever be updated…unfortunately not)

What's a piece of advice you would give your younger fic writing self? 

From looking back at my old work - separate your paragraphs lol, i have some massive blocks of writing.

But also, just write - even if it's not perfect and there are errors, just find your writing style and keep writing.

What's an early fandom interaction that stuck with you (be it a nice comment, a friend you made, a fic that got a lot of fedback)? 

There are so many people that have influenced my tumblr/fandom experience, i have to give a shout-out to two of the most important

EJ @ravens-words, my dearest and bestie, you have beta read soooo many of my fics and have pushed me to write when I couldn’t, you listen to my chaotic rambles that turn into the fics and are always there to brainstorm and help with ideas, most of my tarlos/malex fics wouldn’t be here without you.

Ashley @bellamyblakru - my amazing co-admin, from your sassanach sister across the sea, I can 1000% say i wouldn’t be writing Merthyr fics without you, you brought me into that fandom and have ALWAYS, supported my fics, no matter what fandom it's for and even for shows you don’t watch, I hope you know how much that means to me! in summary; these two amazing people are the reason I write/post and I love them 💛💖

Post a sentence or two from an older fic and a sentence or two from a newer one (if you want)

Your heart knows the truth

Merlin felt his lip quiver. For as long as he had known Arthur, he had never wished the man didn’t care for Merlin, he'd never wished that Arthur didn’t feel the same as he did.  But today he did. He wished with all his heart that Arthur just saw Merlin as some servant, someone who could be replaced.  Merlin closed his eyes, another tear escaping. For the first time, Merlin wished that Arthur didn’t love him like he loved Arthur.

False hope is a terrible thing, if it's the only thing keeping you alive you'll be dead by dawn.

TK glanced down at the phone next to him, “No word from Carlos?” She asked, her voice gentle. The Adam's apple in his throat bobbed as he swallowed hard, the wood of the chopstick creaking from his tight grip. “No,” He lamented. TK went to take a bite of food, pausing as he found his appetite was gone. TK let them fall back into the box, TK sticking the chops in and placing the food on the table. TK rested his elbows on his thighs, his hands clasped together as his chin rested on them, “I fucked up,” He confessed.

tagging: @morganaspendragonss @marwani-strickland @lire-casander @tailoredshirt @bluenet13 @howlingsaturn🧡

[neverendingford]

gonna ramble a bit about the christian (southwest US protestant specifically) concept of Redeeming Love and it’s too long for tag talk

-

btw I’m gonna talk a bit about suicide, specifically how people discuss it and how people reacted to finding out about my recent attempt, so just a heads up I guess.

I’m going to refer to the specific form of christianity I was raised with as just “christianity”. I know christian teaching and culture is different in different places so just keep that in mind k thx. I know it’s a #notallchristians moment and I’m not saying every christian is the bad kind of christian I have personal experience with. blah blah blah, caveat section over.

-

the idea of Redeeming Love, as I learned it, has a lot in common with the “nice guy” strat in dating. The cliche where the girl says no and the guy keeps trying because eventually she’ll realize he’s worth it. it’s literally in the name. to redeem in the transactional sense. affection can be exchanged for goods and services. how I learned it in church was that if you love enough it can change even the hardest heart. god loves us and so we have to change for him, and the worst thing you can do is reject god’s love. it’s present in the evangelical strategy, where you make friends with someone just to “witness” to them, using your relationship with them as currency to buy their changed heart/behavior. many christians are nice to you so that you’ll “see and experience God’s love” through them. it’s a relationship that’s bought not earned and they try to cash out as soon as possible.

the story of Hezekiah and gomer is used by many as an example of redeeming love changing someone’s heart. the man must love her enough and she’ll become faithful (that’s how it’s taught. I don’t think that’s the actual meaning of the thing god’s got going on but this isn’t bible class. If anyone knows how it’s taught and interpreted in Jewish tradition I’d love to hear it). It’s also used in a very gendered way (in my experience. remember that’s the lens you’re reading from). you might be able to tell since my examples are basically “man loves woman so much she learns to love him back” and the whole “bride of christ” metaphor. (I know there’s a lot more to it but I don’t have the education or time to break down the whole of christian misogyny)

So... how does this relate to the time-honored human tradition of “oops all bad time to die”?

It’s true that isolation and loneliness are linked to suicidality. humans need support, and giving them support is a pretty good way to reduce the “want to die” levels in their blood. BUT, a lot of people treat “redeeming love” as the remedy. They pay you love in exchange for “don’t die please”. The classic “if you kill yourself you’ll make everyone sad” feels like it fits in this vein of social exchange. it’s leveraging affection to prevent an action in a “ends justify the means” gambit. Emotional manipulation is okay if it’s for a good cause. I can manipulate this person because I’m saving their soul. I can emotionally control you to stop you from hanging yourself. it’s a massive part of the stigmatization of suicide and any discussion around it. people rush to “fix” the problem without stepping back and allowing you room to breathe.

I have never told anyone to not kill themselves.

I have always (I was a kid once so not technically always but whatever) done my best to be someone who listens without judgement. Would I be sad if my friend kills herself? Absolutely. But I don’t need to tell her that. she already knows. I don’t need to use our relationship as a weapon against her to control her behavior. she already worries over whether everyone would be devastated if she committed. we all know “killing yourself is wrong” is a cultural value. hell, it used to be seen as an unforgivable sin in christian tradition. if someone is opening up to you, they don’t need you to immediately tell them to stay alive. if they’re opening up that means they’re already trying.

The hardest thing is when you open up and get shut down.

when you take a risk and get burned.

everyone says “it’s okay to ask for help” but the more important lesson is that it’s okay to ask for help more than once. it’s okay to find someone else after the first person turned out to be ignorant or a dick or whatever.

This isn’t coherent. I promised to talk about redeeming love and then turned it into a ramble about how we treat suicide, but that’s what’s on my mind so deal with it.

part of why I’ve had such a hard time learning to accept gifts and friendship from people is because I expect the gift card to be redeemed in the future. I expect them to attempt to cash out. so many christians don’t give out of charity. it’s seen as an investment. your kindness will reap the dividends of their immortal soul.

I don’t have a good ending really, except to say hey, don’t use relationships as currency, don’t use them as leverage. yes friendship comes with certain commitments, yes you should be okay with putting out effort and work for your close friends, but it shouldn’t be used as a weapon to extort behavior from someone.

[igbylicious]

AHHHHH SALTY your questions unlocked a lore dump too long to put into the tags (TIL that 30 is the maximum number of tags on a tumblr post) so i’ve tried to put it into a coherent ramble under the cut!!! o(>ω<)o

(…seriously this is ~1k of pure lore. oops?)

firstly, abt reader’s possessive streak!

honestly, pretty much all of them have some degree of possessiveness; it comes with the werewolf thing lol! Yunho is more of an exception than the rule (but even he is not immune to jealousy, just better at regulating it.)

so they all feel that contradictory thing that their alpha does, abt loving to see their mates happily together but also like. hey. what abt me. ^^;;

that being said, the lines between ‘protective’ & ‘possessive’ do blur waaaaayyyy easier for an alpha, or for a werewolf who turned another. and reader is both for some of their mates; so that makes those feelings even more intense and harder to control.

thankfully the alpha has plenty of practice, and also Yunho is very willing to call them out on it if things get out of hand lol

also, although werewolves feel more intensely than humans, they are very ‘live in the moment’ with their emotions! so unless things really get out of hand, there will be some snapping and growling (or sulking lol) at most, but it’s usually nothing that a few good cuddles and/or fucks can’t fix (ᵔ◡ᵔ)

making sure that everyone gets enough attention is the key to a happy group of mates! ♡

how did reader meet the others & general dynamics

San, Yunho and reader grew up in the same pack! (but they broke off to form their own at one point)

for Yunho & reader, things were very smooth sailing; they got attached to each other from an early age, went through a lot of self-discovery together, shared a lot of firsts ♡

also i wouldn’t call Yunho and reader the ‘alpha pair’, but Yunho is the closest thing to a right-hand man of sorts — if only bc he’s the quickest to call out his alpha if the possessive streak ever gets out of hand or they are unreasonable/unfair lol

San, however, lived more isolated in his youth. he was the runt in his litter and by traditional werewolf values, strength matters :(

obv Yunho and reader couldn’t care less abt how strong or weak San might be; if anything, it fuelled their protective natures. (in fact, reader may have gotten into a physical altercation or two w/ anyone who ever dared to be mean to San ᕦ(ò_óˇ)ᕤ )

but despite their protection, San still turned out a skittish, withdrawn wolf, and needed some persuasion and warmth before he could open himself up enough to be with them and feel deserving ;; Yunho and reader mated San together at the same time ;;

(there is NO reason to examine why i keep giving San angsty insecurity backstories asdjkjasd no authors exploring old baggage through the safety of fiction here, nope nothing to see!)

as he grew older, San did grow into his strength in massive leaps, almost like his body was making up the late start — however, he is still super submissive despite being among the strongest in the pack now

the submission has just shifted to a healthy place now; San just loves being doted on, or pleasing his mates as a service top uwu. he kinda loves still getting treated like a lil pup, now that it’s coming from a place of love askdjasdjk

[INTERRUPTION] is anyone able to overpower reader?

i have a vague idea for a Yunho x reader centric fic that delves into this question, focusing on the hunt they talked abt in marked 👀 (basically: if they wanna try, the alpha makes them WORK for it)

but in terms of power, Jongho and the alpha are fairly even-matched; Jongho edges out reader in sheer physical strength but reader is far more agile, so a ‘fight’ between them has the potential to go Jongho’s way

which is extra inch resting bc Jongho and reader did have some pride and friction sitting between them, back when Jongho joined 👀

back to how reader met the others & general dynamics! uwu

Jongho and Mingi came into the group as a mated pair; Jongho is a born wolf who turned Mingi during their travels together

when Jongho’s old pack dissolved he decided to wander by himself for a while and came across Mingi; he took one look at Mingi and immediately was like “lol this weak human 100% won’t survive if i let him out of my sight so i guess i have to stick with him now ¯\_(ツ)_/¯”

it didn’t take long for Mingi to figure out Jongho had a crush on him bc Jongho is not as subtle as he thinks he is but it *did* take them a while to get their act together lol. eventually Jongho turned Mingi and they became official mates, sometime after which they crossed paths with reader’s pack and decided this was a good place to call home.

but that does mean Jongho was a extra possessive over Mingi when they joined, which was fine at first bc youknow, they’re mated & the alpha is not tyrannical abt pack hierarchy anyway (if anything they’re incredibly relaxed abt it unless a situation really calls for leadership)

but when feelings spread around and a conversation started abt Mingi and Jongho becoming everyone’s mates, it became a lil tense bc Jongho was resistant to fully acknowledge reader as his alpha — particularly when it comes to Mingi

and like i said reader is not tyrannical but they do expect to be recognised as alpha; so they needed some time to settle into a dynamic that felt comfortable for them both

now there is a sort-of-compromise where Jongho respects reader’s position as alpha of the pack while reader respects Jongho’s position as the one who turned Mingi; they occasionally bump heads but make it work just fine ♡ (esp when they can blow off steam together or even w/ Mingi involved uwu)

(also Mingi highkey EATS IT UP to see Jongho act that way over him lol. Jongho has a hard time expressing his feelings so Mingi likes to (lovingly) tease him abt how extremely embarrassing for Jongho to be forced to admit he feels so strongly abt Mingi and Mingi LOVES it asdkjadsjk)

i’m still Thinking Thoughts abt Hongjoong, Seonghwa & Yeosang; there’s a few different ideas that i don’t wanna pin down just yet — but i am pretty set on the order; Hwa and Yeosang joined the pack before Mingi & Jongho did, while Hongjoong was the last before Wooyoung

idk it’s just fun to me to make the irl captain into the baby of the group lol. Joong gets to be a lil menace without carrying too many responsibilities on his shoulders in this AU. as a treat.

he is just abt as enthusiastic abt skinship in this au as he is irl so you can imagine how that goes sometimes ♡(>ᴗ•) Yeosang has a similar issue, but in his case there usually is some degree of ‘the wolf doth protest too much’ going on hehe~ meanwhile Hwa is the biggest grooming enthusiast ( ◡‿◡ )♡

OKAY I AM DONE I HAVE BLARFED OUT EVERYTHING I HAVE TO GIVE THANKYOU TO WHOEVER IS STILL HERE FOR LISTENING ASKJDASKJDAJK (っ˘з(˘⌣˘ ) ♡

marked [jwy x reader]

pairing: Wooyoung x gn afab reader (briefly feat. Yunho & background poly ot8)

rating: 18+

genre: smut, fluff, werewolf AU, found family

summary: Wooyoung is the newest member of your pack, and under tonight’s full moon you will claim him as your mate. (OR: Wooyoung knots for the very first time and you fuck him through it 👀)

wc: 8.1k

warnings: sub Wooyoung, dom alpha reader, reader is physically stronger than Wooyoung, predator / prey play, knotting, breeding kink, dacryphilia, overstimulation, multiple orgasms, unprotected vaginal sex, creampies, stomach bulge / cum inflation, biting & marking (w/ light blood mention), cunnilingus, face-sitting, cum eating, reader has a mild possessive streak, implied m x m, Wooyoung is called ‘good boy’ & ‘pup’, a sprinkling of hurt / comfort

a/n: @wooyoungisbaby asked me if i would turn Wooyoung into a werewolf & then i blacked out and suddenly there were 8k of words on my screen ฅV•̀ᴥ•́Vฅ

a/n²: idk how to put this in the warnings but werewolves have an estrous reproductive cycle in this fic, and there is an off-hand mention that the reader is not currently fertile. just to balance out my own ‘love breeding kink, squicked by pregnancy’ conundrum ^^

Sunlight trickles through the cherry trees overhead, a light canopy of pastel pinks looking down on you and Wooyoung. The gentle sunlight warms you with the glow of spring, a blossom swirling down the breeze to land right on Wooyoung’s nose.

He barely even notices, too busy fussing in your embrace. You’re curled up against his back, and your arms have him pulled into your chest, legs tangled together. There is a blooming tapestry of red marks on his neck; gentle indents of your teeth, slow bruises sucked into his delicate skin.

You blow the cherry blossom off his nose with a giggle, and the pink petal flutters down into the grass, luscious green brimming with white and yellow daisies. The flowers give off a pleasantly sweet waft but you are not interested in floral aromas, only in the alluring scent radiating from Wooyoung’s heated body.

You burrow your face into the crook of his neck, breathing in deep as Wooyoung whines in your hold.

“Easy, pup,” you coo at him, and lightly pinch his waist in warning. “Don’t want to wear yourself out before tonight, do you?”

“I won’t, I won’t,” he says, wiggling in your arms. He hisses when your teeth sink into the tender skin of his neck again, the noise morphing into a breathy, pitched moan as you lap at the bite. “Just wanna play…”

You giggle at his protests; Wooyoung is easily the most rambunctious pup you have ever dealt with.

Sometimes you find it most effective to fuck the misbehaviour out of him, to burn off all his frenzied energy as you ride him — or to make him wear himself out on your cunt, your fingers tightly wrapped in his hair as you hold him down, his mouth eager to please.

But sometimes, that feels like just a bit too much of a reward for his mischievous ways.

For those moments, you prefer your current strategy; to force Wooyoung into a cuddle, spooning him as you playfully gnaw on his neck and shoulder. If you hold him down long enough, his endless squirming will tire him out just the same as any other method. Wooyoung might be energetic — but he is a young pup, turned only four weeks ago, whereas you are a born wolf, and he cannot stand up against your superior strength.

It’s hard to believe he has been in your life for barely a year; Wooyoung was all alone in the world when you stumbled on him during a hunt; a lonely, pitiful creature with no-one else to turn to. Your wolf had demanded for you to grant him protection and you listened, never led astray by your canine instincts. You brought him into the pack, where your mates welcomed him with open arms.

At first, it was just a visit; so he could catch his breath, rest up and decide what to do next. But when Wooyoung decided to extend his stay indefinitely, he soon decided he wanted to be turned as well.

(If there’s one thing you quickly learned about Wooyoung, it’s that he never does things halfway. It was you and your mates who talked him into waiting for a while, until he was absolutely sure, but Wooyoung never wavered.)

You were the one to do the honours, pinning him down under the light of the full moon, your seven mates surrounding you in a wide circle. Wooyoung had seen you in wolf form before; he’d even napped while curled up against your huge lycan body, engulfed in dark fur — but it was never like this, never with your jaws snapping right in his face, clawed paws heavy on his chest as your scorching breaths fell down on his vulnerable, tiny figure. You were careful not to crush him, of course, but he needed to keep still; no matter how willing he was, a human’s instinct runs deep when a predator’s maw closes around their weak flesh.

Wooyoung was not immune to those instincts, and your chest ached when he cried out in pain at your bite. His hands pushed uselessly against your head, but you are strong even for a wolf; and the limited capacities of his fragile human body stood no chance against you at the height of your power, basking in moonlight.

You had lapped at his wound afterwards, easing him through his shakes as your saliva mixed with his blood, broken skin mending under your raspy tongue into a darkened scar as the first seed of his transformation took hold.

For four weeks now, Wooyoung’s body has been changing under the surface. It comes with restless agitation, giving him more energy and stamina than he knows what to do with, yet the process is also exhausting; a slow adjustment to his heightened senses, stronger muscles, an increased sensitivity to the presence of others — your presence especially, as the one who turned him.

And tonight is an important stage in Wooyoung’s lycan life; the next full moon. His first complete transformation, catalysed by the moon’s bright luminescence.

The reshaping of his human body into a wolf is a symbolic milestone, but it will also unlock Wooyoung’s full potential, allowing him to grow into his full strength. With time, he will even learn to transform regardless of the night sky — though only few werewolves are powerful enough to deny a full moon.

(You are, but you see little reason to ever deny the celestial body that has given you so much.)

Now, lazing in the sun together, you lap at the scar you left on Wooyoung’s skin that night. All your other bites always heal rapidly but this one lingers, and always will. You are eager for tonight, when you get to add a second permanent mark to him. To imprint on him as your mate.

Your neck and shoulders are already littered with the seven bites of your other mates, binding their spirits to yours, but there is always room for one more; especially if that one more is your Wooyoung, your playful, mischievous pup whose sensitive heart bursts with love and easy affection.

Of course, you have laid with Wooyoung long before tonight — as have your other mates. You always needed to treat Wooyoung like glass, knowing how easily you could break him; but Wooyoung never made it easy to hold back.

Loneliness had carved a deep, dry well in his chest cavity; never realising the depths of his emptiness until you and your mates submerged him in a lake of care and devotion, replenishing his marred soul. Hungrily, Wooyoung had taken anything that you felt safe to give him, while he freely gave back all he had.

These past four weeks, you have tested his limits together, watched how they stretched further and further as Wooyoung slowly grows into his powers — and tonight, you won’t have to hold back any longer.

“Wanna play…” Wooyoung whines again, and you follow his gaze to San and Mingi, who are laughing and rough-housing by the edge of the nearby brook, just down a gentle slope of grassland.

You hesitate, not wanting to let go of Wooyoung. But��� are you still holding onto him just to keep him well-behaved? Long years of sharing your mates have taught you to recognise a possessive streak when you feel one, and the resistance against releasing Wooyoung from your arms feels awfully familiar.

Maybe it’s nothing but greed; your urge to trap Wooyoung in your arms, to flood yourself in his scent, to keep his neck littered with your bites.

You had found Wooyoung, you had turned him, and a primal instinct calls out from deep within you, to always remind the others that you claimed him for his first full moon.

But from somewhere deep underneath the possessive wolf, you know very well that it would do Wooyoung good to stay bonded with your other mates — his future mates. They will respect your claim.

You tip Wooyoung’s chin, lightly pecking his lips. “Promise to save some energy for me, my sweet pup,” you smile at him, and loosen your grip.

Wooyoung perks up when you release him from your hold — but instead of immediately bolting off to San and Mingi, he turns around in your arms to dive in for a deep, heated kiss. He sucks at your bottom lip, repaying your bites with one of his own. You yelp in surprise at his sudden passion, and Wooyoung giggles at the undignified noise, his laugh bright and filled with adoration.

“I will,” he breathes between kisses. “I’ve wanted this for so long.” His lips brush against your neck and shoulders, against the seven marks that he will join tonight. “Wanna be with you. So badly.”

“But first you wanna play,” you tease him, and lightly push him away, before your possessive nature takes over and you can never let him go ever again. “Go. They’re waiting for you. Just like I will.”

Wooyoung presses one final kiss to your neck, then lets himself be pushed away and joins San and Mingi. You watch them with an odd mingle of jealousy and joy; joy to see Wooyoung’s happiness with your other mates, jealous to see them without you.

It is a familiar maze to navigate; you are no stranger to possessive urges, yet you also feel blessed beyond measure that your mates love each other as much as they love you. The two feelings are in conflict yet forever intertwined; they are less two sides of the same coin, and more the sides of the same mobius strip; inherently connected, endlessly feeding into one another.

However, you are broken out of your musings by a gentle breeze from behind you. It brings a familiar scent that effortlessly tears the mobius strip in half, halting its flow through your emotions.

You turn around to see Yunho standing underneath one of the cherry trees, a few blossoms sticking to his dark hair and a faint smile on his face as he observes how the good-natured wrestling between San, Mingi and Wooyoung has turned into a rowdy cuddle pile. Yunho notices you looking at him, and he gives you a slow nod, eyes twinkling. You reach out a hand, beckoning him closer, and his smile deepens.

Yunho’s long fingers wrap around yours, never letting go as he sits down next to you in the grass. Immediately you take advantage of his proximity, wiggling yourself between his legs to curl up against his warm chest.

Yunho chuckles at your need for touch, loosely putting his arms around your waist. It’s a stark contrast to how you held Wooyoung earlier; Yunho does not fear the loss of you, resting in the tempered confidence from years of devotion. His mark on your neck is the oldest, and your eyes flutter shut as you luxuriate in the comfort of his scent, like earthy woods and petrichor. You didn’t realise just how badly you missed the grounding familiarity of him until right this second, and you sigh out in bliss, leaning deeper into him.

For just a moment, you let go of your possessive jealousy over Wooyoung — but Yunho does not.

“Gotta admit, didn’t think I’d see you separated from Wooyoung’s side anytime this month. Especially not today,” he chuckles, rubbing a lazy hand over your waist.

A self-conscious warmth flushes under your skin. Yunho does always see you clearest. “I got a little carried away, didn’t I?”

“No more than last time,” he says, a quiet laugh rumbling in his chest. “Or any time before. Remember Hongjoong? Yeosang? We practically had to drag you off of them to give those poor guys some peace and quiet.”

“I was taking care of them!” you huff, even if you know Yunho’s right.

“And you’re taking good care of Wooyoung now,” Yunho says, and he presses a soft kiss on your temple. “I’m not saying it’s bad — I’m so happy that we have Wooyoung now, really,” he murmurs, gathering you a little closer in his arms. “But… I did miss you these last weeks. Especially knowing there won’t be a hunt tonight…”

“Oh? You think you would’ve been the one to catch me?” you tease Yunho, poking his chest. “Confident, aren’t we!”

“Think I would’ve had a good shot,” Yunho says, grin widening.

A faint heat sparks inside you at his easy confidence, bringing back memories of how he earned that confidence over and over again. “I missed you too,” you admit, feeling apologetic. You had promised to lead your mates on a chase under the full moon again soon; but through your refusal to share Wooyoung with the others, you also stopped sharing yourself. “We will make up for time after Wooyoung has settled, I swear.”

“I know we will,” Yunho hums. “For now, keep taking care of our Wooyoung first. The pup needs you to get through tonight.”

You glance up at Wooyoung — but the first thing you see is San, who is face-down in the grass, yelping as Mingi and Wooyoung playfully got him pinned down; Wooyoung’s teeth are locked around San’s bicep while Mingi laughs, nipping at his mark on San’s neck.

“…Or maybe San is the one who needs you?” Yunho says, cocking his head at the chaos in front of him.

San laughs helplessly, resigned to his fate, until he realises they are being watched. He wheezes out a weak “help!” as he reaches out to you and Yunho, a desperate dimple poking at his cheek.

Yunho muffles a laugh with his hand, and gives you a sideways grin. “I’ll get Mingi, you handle Wooyoung?”

You grin back at Yunho. “Oh, I’ll handle him alright.”

The day’s warmth has cooled in the hours of dusk, but there is nothing to cool the blood pulsing through your veins, running hot with canine hunger. The wolf inside you is utterly transfixed on Wooyoung; your senses are growing ever more keen as the moon bathes you in her light, and the scent of Wooyoung is almost overwhelming now. His sweetness permeates the air so thick that you can taste him on your tongue; his excitement, his impatience, his need to be taken and claimed by his alpha. By you.

Wooyoung turns his head, eyes glittering darkly as they meet yours, an agitated energy crackling around him.

This is all new to him, you remind yourself. He does not know what to do with all these untamed impulses that pound against his chest and growl in the back of his head. You will teach him, show him exactly how to control the wolf, and how to let it run free. You will show him everything.

And Wooyoung may be a predator now, but you shall devour him all the same.

You stand together at the forest’s edge, but your gaze lingers on Wooyoung’s exposed collarbones, already contemplating where to leave your mating bite. Right next to the mark of when you turned him? Or do you want to cover as many different parts of him as you can? Both options are tempting in their own ways.

For now, you simply cup the back of Wooyoung’s head and pull him close so you can kiss your first mark on him. “Remember the clearing we picked out?” you murmur, tongue darting out over the old scar tissue. “Let’s make a race of it. You get there before I do, I’ll have a nice surprise for you.”

“A surprise?” Wooyoung says, his eyes shining with eager curiosity. “You’re on.”

Without warning, he bolts deeper into the forest, giving himself a generous head’s start as he leaves you behind. Your most rambunctious pup, for sure.

You grin, pleased at the challenge he gives you.

Just to give him fairer odds, you wait a little longer. You breathe in deeply as you pull the lingering scent of Wooyoung into your lungs, and clench your muscles, feeling your lupine power in just a simple contraction. You can still hear him in the distance, twigs breaking underfoot, the rustling of the underbrush. He is getting farther now, embracing his newfound agility; perhaps even thinking he stands a chance. You lick your lips at the thought, knowing how misguided it would be… then you leap into motion, starting your pursuit.

The wolf revels in this opportunity to show off its full power, and you dart through the woods with nimble swiftness. A faint cloud-cover hangs in the sky above, but the moon still pierces through to provide ample light. You do not need it, not with your keen senses guiding you; but for Wooyoung the illumination will surely be helpful to try and beat you to the clearing.

You can smell Wooyoung’s excitement in the air; you can hear him pant for breath as he pushes his body to new limits, fevered blood rushing through him with every pump of his heart, and his eagerness to outrun you feeds right into your own thrill of the chase.

Because for you, it’s not about whether Wooyoung beats you to the clearing.

For you, it’s about the hunt.

You are not as skilled a tracker as your other mates, but you don’t need to be. You know exactly where Wooyoung is going, and he is not subtle in making his way.

It does not take you long to catch up with Wooyoung, spurred on by your need to pounce on him, to finally claim what is rightfully yours. Wooyoung does not notice your presence immediately; he may be empowered by the moon same as you, but he is not as practised at making use of his gifts.

But when he does catch sight of you, your sudden proximity goads Wooyoung’s competitive spirit to new heights, completely unaware of the fact that he is not a competitor; he is prey. You revel in his innocent, breathless laugh, the lively spark in his eyes — eyes that widen when you lunge, right at him.

There is no real force behind your tackle, just playfully grabbing onto him to fall into a tumble together — then immediately release him. Wooyoung scrambles back on his feet, staring at you with wide eyes, his heart slamming against his rib-cage. His hair is in disarray, leafs and twigs stuck in the longish strands, a light scratch across his cheek.

“What was that?” he blurts out; miffed, but not entirely displeased. His scent easily gives that away.

“Better keep running, young pup,” you warn him, a light growl edging into your voice, lips curving to expose sharpened teeth.

Something about your grin causes a skip in Wooyoung’s pulse as he finally realises the true nature of your game. His human instincts have not yet faded entirely, a small bump of fear in his throat — but it is mere background noise in the heady waft of arousal that you catch in the air. Wooyoung is excited.

However, he is also not ready to submit to you, his rebellious spirit still burning strong. “Then you better keep up, old-timer,” he says, grinning right back at you.

He gives you no chance to respond to his taunt, dashing off through the woods again. Already Wooyoung is getting faster than before, and for a moment you indulge him again, letting him believe he is pulling ahead. The clearing is nearby; you can see it in the distance, cloud-cover pulling away to bathe the area in radiant moonlight, setting the forest aglow.

Wooyoung laughs in triumph at the sight; it is cute how confident he is of victory… but not cute enough to let him have it.

Again, you tackle him to the ground — and this time, you do not give Wooyoung an easy escape. He yipes, struggling on pure impulse as you wrestle him down, rolling over the rough forest until you pin down his arms and come to a stop, right on a soft patch of moss.

He whines and instinctively tries to throw you off him, but your grip on him is too tight. He stills when you drape yourself over him, breath scorching against his neck. The vein beneath your lips throbs.

“Surprise,” you whisper, and latch onto his throat.

Wooyoung cries out, back arching as he scrambles to grab onto your shoulders, hips jerking upward. He is hard against your thigh.

You draw a shuddering breath at how he squirms against your hold, exuding dizzying arousal from his pores. Already Wooyoung’s nails begin to elongate into claws, digging through your clothes to scrape at your shoulders. You giggle at his lack of control, allowing your teeth to sharpen as you nip at his jugular.

“Not so fast, my sweetling,” you say, trailing your mouth up to his jaw. “No need to rush. Let’s have some fun first.”

He shakes his head, eyes squeezed shut as he trembles, the beast within encroaching on his lucidity. “D-don’t know if I can—”

“You can,” you growl lowly, yanking his arms down to force them against the ground. “You will listen to your alpha, pup, and it’s not your time yet.”

Wooyoung whimpers in submission, tilting his head back as the wolf retreats with its tail tucked between its legs. You lap at the exposed skin of his neck to soothe the harshness of your reprimand, but it needed to be done.

Wooyoung is such an energetic pup; better he burns some of that energy now, to make his transformation easier to control. It’ll be hard enough on him as it is, and you will do anything within your power to smoothen the process.

Just lucky for you that the best way to help Wooyoung, is exactly what your own wolf calls out for; demanding for you to ravish Wooyoung until not an inch of his skin has gone untouched, to mark him as your own. To have him sink deep inside your waiting cunt, and take everything he has to give.

You press your mouth against his in a starved kiss, tongue delving past his willing lips as you pull and tear at his clothes, encouraging him to do the same with yours. Your fingers glide over Wooyoung’s chest, his stomach, his thighs, every part of him you can reach; never stopping the slow roll of your hips into his, hot mouth swallowing every moan wrested from Wooyoung’s throat by your aggressive worship.

His muffled keening makes your blood sing, but it is not enough, not nearly enough to sate you. You tear your lips away from his and Wooyoung whines at the loss, his moans free and loud and delectable.

Your wolf growls sweetly, pleased at Wooyoung’s shameless need for you, and for a moment you simply revel in his existence, his pretty noises, the pitiful way he writhes underneath you. You admire how his tanned skin glows under the moonlight, stars dancing in the reflection of his wide, dark eyes as he stares up at you in desperate reverence.

“Hmgh, w-want— want—” he babbles, a shimmer of unshed tears joining the vibrant constellation in his eyes.

You can’t help but marvel at how fortunate you are, to have found another beautiful mate to add to your devoted family. Your fingers play over his sharp jawline, his striking features merging together into such a pretty face. The face of someone who is so generous with his love and his mischief; using both to take care of his loved ones in all the ways they need — but first needing to be tamed himself.

“Hm? What do you want, Wooyoungie?” you purr at him, pushing away the tattered remains of clothes. His cock is hot and aching against your folds, but you don’t take him inside just yet. “Behave, and I might just give it to you.”

Wooyoung makes a tearful noise, grabbing at your waist and ass with sharpened claws. “Want you,” he whines, and you hiss at how his nails scrape at your skin. He tries not to scratch at you, but Wooyoung does not know his own body right now, struggling to comprehend both his limits and full capabilities. “Please, please, need you, it— it’s too much, I can’t—”

A thin sheen of sweat sets his skin further aglow, and his addled pleas slip deep between your ribs, appealing to the softer side of your wolf — with success. Because you are not only a predator; as an alpha, you are a caretaker as well.

And, looking at your sweet pup, whose lucidity is rapidly slipping through his clawed hands, who is frenzied and disoriented from what’s happening to him; perhaps ‘behave’ is too cruel a demand to make of him right now.

Gently you peel his hands off of you, and lift them to your lips to nip at his knuckles. “Breathe, my good boy, deep breaths,” you soothe him, rolling your hips a little firmer against his cock, giving him much-needed friction. “I’ll take care of you, don’t you worry.”

Wooyoung tries to follow instructions, drawing hitched breaths — but he chokes on a wretched groan when your hand wraps around the base of his cock, and guide him as you sink down with a blissful sigh, eyes fluttering shut. Your body is pliant for him, enveloping him in wet heat, and Wooyoung gasps with sharp, staccato moans as his hips jerk, body trembling. He claws at the moss underneath, leaving deeply etched trails in the dirt.

There is a subtle elongation in his joints, the faint crackling of bones and muscle shifting underneath skin as his veins grow more prominent. You bare your teeth, snarling lowly at his wolf to back off, but you know it won’t allow itself to be repressed for much longer. It’s almost time.

You rest your hands on Wooyoung’s chest to give yourself leverage, and start to move.

Wooyoung’s whines grow more animalistic by the second as you ride him hard and fast. He bucks up to meet your every thrust, pouring all his aggression into the slam of his hips. Your cunt twitches around his cock as he hits deep inside, a pleased growl rumbling inside your chest.

The forest is quiet around you, nothing but a soft rush of wind and rustling leafs; its inhabitants know better than to come near two wolves in their moon’s heat. Nothing except the sharp sounds of skin slapping against skin, of raspy moans and pleased snarls.

The heady smell of sweat and arousal mingles with the freshness of the woods, gentle moss and sweet blossoms. Slick leaks down your thighs and onto Wooyoung’s pelvis, and your own instincts become harder and harder to ignore with Wooyoung laying right there underneath you, flushed and splayed out over the forest ground with the vulnerable column of his neck beckoning for your attention. It’s too early for that, but still you drape yourself over him, slating your mouth over his in something that can’t decide whether it’s a bite or a kiss.

Wooyoung groans against your lips, so tightly wired he might snap at any moment. He is beyond desperate for a quick release of tension and you do your best to provide, relentless as you hump into his lap. His cock drags against your clit with every swerve of your hips, your thoughts becoming hazier with every spike of heat Wooyoung sends through you.

Unable to help yourself, your lips trail to his shoulder; the one unmarred by your other bite from turning him. You lap at the skin, exploratory grazes of your teeth as you kiss and suckle at Wooyoung until this side of his neck is completely reddened with bruises and faint teethmarks.

Wooyoung whimpers and snarls, his clawed hands back on your waist as he convulses underneath, the mounting pleasure just as overwhelming as his primal instincts. His skin is feverish, same as yours, sweat-slicked bodies coiled around one another, muscles rippling under the moonlight with brutal stamina.

Suddenly Wooyoung’s noises rise in pitch, and you can feel it before he can even slur the words out, tongue lolling in his mouth.

“F-fuck, it’s— It’s happening— I’m— I— mngh, ahh—”

He swells inside you and Wooyoung stutters out a broken cry when, for the first time in his life, his knot grows.

His jaw falls slack, voice stuck in his throat and tears brimming on his lashes. You tighten around him, hips forced to a halt by the swollen tissue at the base of Wooyoung’s cock, keeping him locked inside you as he shudders and floods your throbbing walls with white heat.

It’s enough to send you over the edge with him, his knot stretching you out and pressing just right against your sensitive bundle of nerves. Your vision whites out with a roar of static as your wolf slips out just a little further, and you sink your sharp teeth into soft flesh, breaking skin as you finally claim what is rightfully yours.

Wooyoung spasms underneath you, his arms trembling as he scrambles to hold onto you, every contraction of your walls draining him further.

Mindlessly, you mouth at the bleeding wound, uncaring of the metallic taste on your tongue as you encourage the skin to knit together into a scarred mark that will never fade. Your head is empty; all you know is to lap at Wooyoung’s tender neck, to grind into him with your limited movement, every instinct crying out to chase down your pleasure, demanding for Wooyoung to surrender all he has to you.

The predatorial haze takes over, and you don’t snap out of it until you taste a faint whiff of distress in Wooyoung’s whimpers.

“Ngh, ‘s too much— Ah, ahhhh, Alpha…” he calls weakly for you, his instincts in conflict with itself; the wolf needs to buck into you until his knot softens and he has nothing left to give — but those final remnants of the human still linger, desperate and overwhelmed by his own body’s hunger.

His distress shakes you out of your daze, leaving you to feel oddly unsatisfied and untethered. The mating is not yet finished; Wooyoung’s spirit tugs at yours but it is one-sided, incomplete. You are incomplete.

But you push your discomfort aside, knowing it is only temporary. You have been through this before; Wooyoung hasn’t. He needs you to be strong, to guide him.

You run a clawed hand through his hair and press a soft kiss on his swiftly healing mark. The bleeding has stopped already. “Do you trust me, sweet pup?” you ask, trying to sound gentle despite the roughened edge in your voice.

“Y-yeah,” Wooyoung sniffles, turning his head so he can nuzzle at your palm.

“You can do this, I know you can,” you reassure him, your thumb brushing over his cheekbone. “Been doing so well, my good boy, need you to be strong for me just a little longer.”

He nods shakily. “Oh-okay, hmnh, I trust you…”

Affection bubbles warmly in your chest, watching how Wooyoung tries to blink away his tears. Despite himself, he can’t stop his shallow rutting up into your cunt; his wolf knows he has yet more to give, won’t let him rest until he has spilled all his seed in your womb, safely stuffed inside by his knot.

There is no stopping this, and so you take him through it, as gentle as your canine impulses will allow; leading his confused body to pleasure with your hands and your mouth on his body, wherever you can reach, wherever makes him feel good.

Wooyoung follows easily, and soon his gasps and whimpers are sweet to your ears again; his body no longer confused. You stop holding back, sucking at his throat and clenching around his cock until he cums again, and again, sobbing and writhing in sublime torment as he generously fills you up, your stomach starting to distend from the sheer volume of his cum.

The shift inside him is gradual. His lupine side slowly grows louder, more demanding, until it is powerful enough to endure the onslaught on his senses. Wooyoung’s whimpers turn to low growls, gritted teeth sharpening into fangs, and a jolt of excitement sears through you.

It is time to bare your neck to him.

You tightly wrap yourself around Wooyoung and overturn the two of you, landing on your back so Wooyoung is on top of you, your legs locked around his waist with him still buried deep inside your wet cunt. Wooyoung yipes, disoriented by the sudden change, but groans deeply when you tangle a hand through his hair, yanking him to where you need him.

Wooyoung shudders as he breathes you in, mouthing at your neck and shoulders, tongue lavishing at the seven marks already there like he can taste your mates (his future mates). He never stops his shallow, clumsy rutting, grinding his pelvis hard into your clit, his knot pressed against your walls.

Your breath hollows at the constant friction, panting at how he tongues your skin, honing in on his chosen spot. Your hand tightens in his hair, pressure building in your stuffed belly.

“Do it,” you rasp, voice hoarse from exertion and your own impending transformation. “Almost there, my pup. Do it, claim me.”

Wooyoung needs no further encouragement, budding fangs sinking into your shoulder, right next to Yeosang’s mark. Euphoric pain bursts through you as he bites down, still humping mindlessly in pursuit of more, more.

You mewl as tension coils and sings through you, every sensation intensified in the heat of the joining. Entangled in body and spirit, fierce desire spilling over into one another as the mating ritual is completed with a forceful rush of ecstasy. You clench around Wooyoung as the heat washes over you, clamping down on his thick knot with a ragged moan. Wooyoung snarls into your shoulder when your walls tighten around his cock, shuddering with yet another release as you pull him into freefall with you, a weightless plunge into searing pleasure.

Wooyoung trembles above you, his body shaking violently as he twitches and spills ever deeper inside your cunt. Humming with gratification, you press his hand against the swell of your stomach, to let him feel how he has filled you up. Wooyoung groans, careful not to dig his claws into your belly, still shaking.

His fangs finally detach from your injured flesh — and he immediately collapses on top of you, worn out from the mating and from cumming inside you so many countless times.

You breathe hard, putting your arms around Wooyoung’s collapsed body. For a moment you think he has passed out completely… but then you feel his raspy tongue on your skin, tiredly lapping at the fresh bite on your shoulder to try and encourage the wound to close up and heal into his mark, binding you together. Your body does not really need Wooyoung’s help, your innate regenerative powers more practised than his own, but you still burst with fondness at his care; pushing through his exhaustion to tend to you.

(You truly are so very lucky, to have found this mate.)

Wooyoung can’t possibly have much more left in him; but his wolf is not done with him yet. You can tell clearly from his scent and, more significantly, from the way his knot has not begun to soften yet.

Your lycan instincts roar at you to keep fucking Wooyoung, to drain him completely empty so he can breed you — but you repay his kindness, tending to him first.

Carefully, you gather Wooyoung in your arms, lifting him as you get up on your feet. He whines, his trapped cock twitching tiredly at the change in position. You are a little shaky from your own exhaustion, from holding your instincts down, but Wooyoung feels light as a feather under the power of the full moon.

You carry him to a sheltered spot right at the base of a cherry tree, where blossoms slowly flutter to the ground in a gentle breeze. There you find slight cover from the moonlight, and you know he can transform here with as much comfort as is possible.

Still careful, you lay Wooyoung down to straddle him again. He is whimpering, thick tears glistening on his cheeks, and a sweet satisfaction rumbles in your chest at the sight. You bend down and indulge in the taste of his flushed, salty skin with sweeping strokes of your tongue, the wet muscle slowly elongating as the full moon’s peak draws closer.

You don’t have much time left, so you slowly continue the shallow roll of your hips, mouth trailing down his neck to suck soothingly at his fresh mark. Your hands run up and down his chest, clawed fingers lightly scratching over his dark nipples.

“We’re not done yet, my sweet,” you hum in his ear, nipping at the lobe. “Gonna take all you have to give, make you stuff me full until I’m leaking around your knot, until I’m well and bred. Wouldn’t that be perfect, hm? My little pup giving me pups of his own.”

Your estrous cycle is not in its fertile phase right now, but that makes the thought of carrying Wooyoung’s litter no less sweet. How he would dote on his little ones, spoiling them rotten when he’s not busy trying to fuck more into your womb.

The thought stirs you up as much as it does Wooyoung; he snarls through his cries, bucking his hips in a futile attempt to flip you back over. You growl back at him in challenge, daring him to try. Making him waste all his excess energy as you ride him for a few final spurts of his seed until he cums dry inside you.

Wooyoung still whines and squirms, but it’s getting weaker and weaker, and his cock finally softens. It won’t be long before his knot follows, and you shower his teary face with tender kisses during the wait. You squeeze around him just one more time, unable to resist teasing a last whine out of your new mate.

He is completely worn out, just as you intended, moaning hoarsely when his knot gradually softens, a translucent trickle escaping past it onto Wooyoung’s lap. He makes a noise between relief and regret when you let his cock slip out, grabbing at your hips to keep you close.

Fur is starting to stand on his knuckles, and you huff in amusement when you realise he is pulling your hips forward while wiggling down himself, trying to get your thighs in his face.

“Greedy pup, haven’t I tired you out enough?” you lovingly chide him, pinching his cheek. You had anticipated for increased stamina, but his vigour goes beyond your expectations; you can only imagine what waits for you as he grows and settles into his full powers in the months to come.

Wooyoung grates out a low whine, an inhuman noise while the beast encroaches further onto his mind and body. “H-hungry…”

It can do no harm, you suppose, and you are never one to tell Wooyoung ‘no’ when he wants to sate his appetites on your cunt. So you indulge, allowing him to nuzzle at your soft thighs, smearing his cheeks with sticky arousal.

Tiredly he laps at your juices and the steady trickle of seed leaking from your cunt, his hand pressed on your belly. The bulge is less prominent without his cock and knot stuffing you full, but there is still a faint swell of his cum, amplifying the curve of your stomach.

You growl lightly at the lazy swipes of his tongue, leaving tingles of pleasure in its wake that are just enough to stir arousal but not enough to lead to a final release. Your own hunger snakes its eager tendrils through your veins, and you tangle a hand in Wooyoung’s hair to steer him, his mouth on your weeping hole and nose on your swollen clit.

He groans at your unspoken demand, fingers digging into your thighs as he slurps noisily and lets you use him freely for your needs. His tongue grows thicker as it elongates inside your velvet heat, and your grip on Wooyoung’s hair tightens with a sharp moan at the coarser texture against your walls, plunging as deep as it can reach.

You shudder and snarl, eyes squeezed shut in the chase for another high, closing in on your quarry with ease. Heat spikes in your core and fresh slick gushes onto Wooyoung’s long tongue as your thighs clench around him, like jaws snapping around their prey.

Panting hard, you ride it out against Wooyoung’s eager face, nudging his nose against your clit — but then the full moon reaches her highest point in the night sky, and Wooyoung cannot deny her any longer, even if you tried to keep him in line. But you don’t try, instead heeding the moon’s call same as him.

You shake off the unsteadiness from your orgasm best you can, and lift yourself off Wooyoung’s face to turn him around onto his elbows and knees, from where he claws at the moss and dirt around him, carving deep gashes into the dirt as his muscles and bones stretch and reshape themselves with loud, visceral noises.

Wooyoung is completely exhausted, so fucked out that he has barely any strength to fight the transformation; no human resistance left in him to make the process more painful and drawn out. Still, you hastily shift into your own wolf form, changes rippling through your body with a swift smoothness from countless moons of experience. It comes as natural to you as breathing, the enormous hulking mass of your canine body as familiar as your human shape.

You use your massive bulk to tower over Wooyoung, mounting his convulsing body to keep him restrained. Your maw gently but firmly closes around the nape of Wooyoung’s neck to calm him, partially shifted and covered with dark fur.

He spits out yowls and other animalistic noises as he changes underneath your, scrambling for purchase as hands and feet make place for clumsy paws. Wooyoung’s body swells in size, pushing against your larger form, but you stay firmly mounted until Wooyoung has completely slipped into his wolf and his shakes have subsided, slowly quieting down.

A hush falls over the forest in the wake of Wooyoung’s very first transformation.

Even you find yourself struck with awe as you clamber off of him, recognising the honour of being his witness. His crumpled form still breathes heavily, and you nudge your muzzle at his chest to help him upright, steadying him on his four legs.

Your sharp eyes take in his appearance with wonderment and admiration. Wooyoung is slightly undersized for a wolf, but with strong limbs and a beautiful shining coat, dark with conspicuous streaks of grey across the lines of his canine face. His eyes are a striking gold, long tongue lolling out of his mouth as he looks back at you with what you recognise to be a grin.

He yelps playfully and without further warning, roils back and pounces at you.

The following scuffle is embarrassingly short; he whines when you pin him yet again, but the sound is pleased, like he’s gotten exactly what he wanted. You huff a rumbling laugh of sorts and bend down to drag your tongue over his snout, overwhelmed with affection for your boisterous pup — no, wolf.

You throw your head back, and a deep howl echoes through the forest. Wooyoung joins you in a lupine duet, and it is not long before your other mates respond to the call with their own voices from elsewhere in the woods, knowing they have been summoned.

Mere minutes pass until they find you in the clearing, small groups of twos and three emerging from the cover of the forest.

You watch how they approach Wooyoung and sniff at each other; your mates are meeting Wooyoung for the first time all over again, while Wooyoung perceives them in greater depth, enriched by his wolf’s perspective.

Wooyoung basks in the attention, ears perked up and tail wagging adorably; your pup may have grown into a wolf, but he is not quite a predator yet. Seonghwa takes the last turn to reacquaint himself with Wooyoung, and immediately tries to groom his future mate, nipping at his fur — but Wooyoung has no patience to keep still, his energy renewed and bursting at the seams from his metamorphosis.

He slips away from Seonghwa and decides to test his newfound powers again with another playful pounce — targeting Jongho this time. Jongho, among the very strongest in the pack, predictably snorts and bucks Wooyoung off him with ease, retaliating within the blink of an eye.

Just like that, you and your mates spent the night together with playfights and chases, with long peaceful interludes where you are curled up against each other in a large pile of paws and fangs and fur, napping and grooming one another. You do not nap however, tireless under the moon and from the exhilaration of your new connection to Wooyoung, who whines affectionately as you lick at his face and lock your jaws gently around his muzzle.

As the night draws to a close, you lead Wooyoung away from your other mates, who seem to instinctively understand your needs. They let you have this one last selfish impulse, to keep Wooyoung for yourself again when he changes back.

You lay pressed together in the grass at the edge of the forest, blossoms scattered around you, watching the sun come up in the distance after the moon has shied away.

The transformation back to one’s human side is much easier, especially after a fulfilling night like this. The wolves have been sated, willing to rest until they are called upon again. It’s not long before Wooyoung’s naked human form rests next to you, half draped over your own body as he nuzzles at the fresh mark on the junction between your neck and shoulder.

“Are you alright, my pup?” you hum at him, gently carding your fingers through his dishevelled hair. Your skin tingles at the press of his lips against his bite.

“‘M not a pup anymore,” he mumbles against your shoulder, childishly petulant but, strictly speaking, not wrong either.

You breathe out a laugh at his grousing. “Of course, you big strong wolf,” you tease him, “but you are still my good boy, right?”

Wooyoung raises his head, dark eyes glittering in the budding sunlight with an unexpected solemnity in his expression. “Always,” he says, and rubs his nose against yours. “That’s what this means, right? I never have to leave now?”

You swallow down a sudden lump in your throat, resolving yourself to never stop pouring your care and affection into the deep well of Wooyoung’s heart. To make sure he never feels the need to ask that question ever again.

“You could have stayed no matter what. This pack is your home now, whether you are our mate or not,” you press on him, foreheads touching, “…but no, you never have to leave.”

Wooyoung’s worry fades at your reassurance — and makes way for a crooked grin as he cheekily bites his lip at you. “Would you hunt me down if I tried?”

With a good-natured growl, you flip Wooyoung onto his back and sit on his thighs, hands pushing his shoulders down. “Every single time,” you rasp. “We all would, all eight of us. You’d never stand a chance.”

Wooyoung draws a shaky breath, and you are amused to feel him twitch against your cunt. Seriously?

“All eight of you,” he sighs out, almost wistfully. “Doesn’t feel real yet, that you are my mate now. Tonight… tonight was just… yeah. Wish it never ended.” He tiredly grins up at you. “And I got seven more times waiting for me.”

He giggles, clearly not complaining about the prospect, and cranes his neck to reach up for a light kiss. You meet his lips halfway, deepening the kiss with just a touch of possessiveness at the mention of the other mating rituals.

It’s that inherent contradiction once again; even if your possessive streak is fading now that your mating bite clearly stands out against Wooyoung’s skin, a faint echo still rings through you, urging you to keep him to yourself — but you also revel at the prospect of witnessing how Wooyoung accumulates seven other marks next to yours, tightening his bonds into your family until you are one great whole.

It’s the latter emotion that asserts its dominance right now, your wolf humming contently at the thought of you and your family engulfing Wooyoung with such fierce devotion that he will always know that he belongs.

“Seven times,” you promise him in a hush, pecking his lips again, “and then a lifetime more to come.”

[rosesakura]

Hi hi!!! For ao3 wrapped:

3, 6, 12, 16, 18, 19, 20, 29, and/or 30! I wanna know everything about your writing lmao, sorry if I went overboard I’m just very curious!!

I literally love you

obligatory under the cut note because I am 99% Julie is the only one who wants to read this rambling lmfao

3 -- what work are you most proud of?

I fucking wish I could say my whumptober collection but we all know I massively failed at that so :)

I actually haven't written much this year so a lot of this is going to be repetitive lmfao I am actually proud of the progress I made on the stars are already dead because it's such a heavy topic to write about (cathartic for me, but also heavy) and for a while, I was updating pretty frequently.

6 -- favourite title you used

okay so I do actually love the the stars are already dead title because I think that it illustrates Oikawa's overwhelming sadness and depression. the thought process was playing on his connection to the stars and how he was always so excited by the vastness and awesomeness of space but now it seems so insignificant to him and he no longer has that kind of appreciation. also people would probably say he's a star athlete and so he's "already dead" because of being so numb because of his sister. I put a lot of thought into that title, actually!

12 -- how many WIPs do you have in your docs for next year?

LMFAO dude you are not ready. there's also a difference between wips I have started and which ones I actually aim to post and/or finish next year. for haikyuu, specifically? I think I have maybe 10? they include finishing tsaad, some more zombie background, mermaid AUs, and a new fic I don't think I've talked to you about before 👀

if I am including potential other fandoms, it's, uhh.... way more lol got a lot of fire emblem on my mind, specifically sylvix and casphardt, potentially some octopath? maybe some outlander! I am ambitious but I have no time lol

16 -- what's your most common "Additional tags" used?

protective *insert character name here* lol I am but a simple lady who just wants to feel safe. also hurt/comfort and emotional hurt/comfort

18 -- the character that gave you the most trouble writing this year?

fucking YURI from fire emblem, god. he is impossible and part of the reason i lost my motivation for whumptober -.- Oikawa has also been a bit of a bitch for me this year, but I think that has ore to do with the fact that he is very severely depressed so it is altering the way I would usually write him. not impossible but has slowed me down a bit and stressed me out about being too ooc.

19 -- what's one pairing you want to explore next year?

I have so many tbh I am garbage. I have alwaaaaays wanted to try writing Tanaka/Kiyoko and I Will force myself to try that out sometime soon. also love Kyoutani/Yahaba and think they could be fun! I have also never written a poly ship before and have an idea for bokuakakuroken !

other pairings for other fandoms include (potentially) Todoroki/Momo, Claire/Jamie, Link/Zelda (haven't touched them for YEARS), and some older fire emblem games, perhaps Leo/Sakura, who I wrote my very first fic about.

20 -- which work of yours have you reread the most?

ones I haven't publish yet. LOL okay um here:

all the sylvix chapters from reach for my hand (oops I love them), demons at daybreak, soft silver kisses, and chapters 15-28 of Unravel (special attention to 23 because I am always in need of Daisuga)

I like to read my oneshots a lot because I am very low on time and energy, or I'll read parts to try and inspire me or make connections when writing another chapter

29 -- favourite line/passage you wrote this year?

I had to go hunting for this one. but it's from chapter 11 on tsaad and I think you commented on it too. I was so pleased with the whole interaction between Iwaizumi and Takeru and almost made myself cry rereading it today lol

"And it was in that moment that Iwaizumi truly understood: Takeru needed to talk about them. Iwaizumi and Oikawa had both been careful not to mention either of his parents, too worried about upsetting him. But Takeru wanted, probably even needed, to talk about them. After all, one of the ways the dead stay alive is through the lives of others, through their pictures, their memories, their stories, never truly fading from the earth as long as someone carries them in their heart."

also thought I'd post this lil snippet of an unpublished fic because i really like my idea for it :)

“Do you know what the worst part is?”

Kuroo snapped his mouth shut and swallowed sharply, scared to hear about the worst part.

Kenma drifted closer to him, close enough that he was nearly pressed against the glass. From this close, Kuroo could see the pain in his eyes, easily see the marks and cuts left over from his group’s poking and prodding.

“I thought that, out of everyone here, you would be the one person who wouldn’t hurt me or wouldn’t let anything bad happen. And I shouldn’t feel good with you here. But I do.”

Despite the positive note that Kenma’s sentence ended with, Kuroo couldn’t handle it. Kenma was right; he shouldn’t feel good with Kuroo here because Kuroo did let them hurt him. He had been so positive he’d be able to keep Kenma relatively safe. He had failed in the one thing he promised to do.

“I know,” he managed to choke out, glancing away when Kenma pressed his hand against the glass of the tank. “I know, I know I fucked up. I just came to check on you. I’ll go.”

“Aren’t you listening to me,” he snapped. “I don’t want you to.”

30 -- biggest surprise while writing this year?

that it's hard to do when you have a full time job. :) I'm always surprised when people like my writing tbh. i know that sounds bleh but it's true! especially with tsaad, it's a very personal and very sad story so to see people react to it so positively is a beautiful surprise <3

[beif0ngs]

“Don’t worry, Nico Robin! We have dependable friends! Keeping a low profile here will definitely help at some point, so be patient for now.”

[somethingclevermahogony]

Friday Kiss Tag (Not Friday, oops)

Sorry its not Friday, time flies. Thank you for the tag, @mk-writes-stuff !

Rules: Post a scene with a kiss.

Here is the introduction to 2/3 of my pirate polycule.

Narul nodded. But he was too distracted to actually enjoy the view, rather he couldn’t stop thinking about Otilia and Ninma, and whether he would ever actually see them again. He glanced over at Suru, who was leaned over the side, whether gawking at some sort of sea life or emptying his guts, Narul could not tell. Penetinos sat scribbling on his wax writing pad, about what Narul had no idea,  after all they had only just left. Narul was pulled out of his thoughts by Istek who gave his arm an appreciative squeeze. “You’re a big lad, aren’t you?” Narul didn’t know how to respond. “What?” “Oh don’t be shy, lad! You’re a great big bull of a man! Be proud of it. I was born a scrawny little shit and I’ll likely die a scrawny little shit! The beard helps to hide it though.” Istek bellowed as he stroked his admittedly impressive whiskers. All the while he continued to squeeze and inspect Narul’s gargantuan bicep. “Thank you? You said you’ve met another spiritblood before?” Narul asked curiously, not sure whether to scoot away a bit. “ Oh yeah! It was about oh twenty three years ago, big brawny fella, Pyritian, I would guess he was from somewhere around Namut abouts, bout your size, maybe a bit smaller. Didn’t talk much and when he did it was mostly nonsense. Not a big fan of his. He paid me to ferry him from Korithia to Shabala. Bastard got in a fight with my first mate, threw him overboard and broke my rudder. If he wasn’t one of you lot I would have had him thrown off the side but I value my head. I let him off on the beach. He didn't give so much as a thanks, just stormed off into the forest. Never saw him again. I hope that you’re not such an ass, eh?” Narul shook his head and lifted his hands innocently. “Never.” “Well good! Where we’re going is going to be a big enough pain as it is!” Istek chuckled. “So this demigod, what was his name?” Istek scratched his cheek thoughtfully. “Mab? No Maba, something like that I think. I’ve heard of other demigods around the Green Sea too, mostly nonsense I imagine, sept for maybe one. Warrior queen in the forests north of Makora, she’s a monster they say.” Narul nodded thoughtfully. Istek chuckled, and gave his arm another experimental squeeze. “Gods, these are massive! Your hands too and just imagine~”  From across the deck one of the sailors called out. “Oi, Istek, get your hands off of that man, you old deviant. I swear someone should beat some sense into you.” Istek shot to his feet, bristling. “Don’t talk to your captain like that!” “What if I do?” Narul watched as the two rough old sailors approached each other. Istek was at least a head shorter than the other man but broader at the shoulder. Narul tensed. The rest of the crew seemed oddly apathetic to all of this.  Istek and the sailor who had dared to speak against him, glared at each other for a moment and Narul was concerned that he may have to step in, but then as he rose apprehensively to his feet, Istek stood up on his toes and pressed his lips to the sailor’s. The two stood like that for a moment, the sailor cupping the shorter man’s bearded cheek. When at last the two separated, Istek turned and laughed at Narul’s confused but relieved expression. “Narul, I would like you to meet my first mate, Dati.”

Tagging @illarian-rambling , @dyrewrites , @elsie-writes , @kaylinalexanderbooks , and whoever!

[yetanotherlesbianonthiswebsite]

#dragon age#dragon age veilguard#dragon age veilguard spoilers#10000000000000000% THIS#the inability to conceive of something interesting to do with thedosian geopolitics in response to inq's massive decisions#in orlais (still the seat of power for the dominant world religion)#betrays a fundamental lack of imagination for the scale of storytelling & worldbuilding that i love most about this series#(and/or is covering up a lack of time to execute on that reactivity)#sorry for rambling in your tags kass but i think theres an assumption in the writers' responses & the responses of fans defending this#that fandom is just butthurt about not seeing their faves again#that this is just fandom nostalgia/entitlement instead of. a misuse of the series' core premise#inq tells you that you're charting the future of the world#whether that feels hollow given the relentless centrism of the game itself aside#i was so hopeful that at least veilguard would deliver & show something of those changes#but no. they just dont matter

You are not rambling Casterisk, I feel the exact same way! To me, Dragon Age stood out as one of the very few triple-A RPGs that let you dabble in geopolitics. Sure, it often was only semi-successful with it, but my central love for the series was precisely scope! In Origins, you decide the fate of two crowns and at minimum three dynasties before the Final Act begins! In Awakening, you guide the fate of a major polity within one of aforementioned monarchies, and your decisions can lead to the destruction of the second-largest port city of the continent. In DA2, your character is sucked into the vortex of a megacity of integral importance to the continent's trade networks as its political institutions collapse into more and more violence. In Inquisition, you decide the outcome of the civil war of the perhaps second or third most powerful political entity of the entire continent, and you make an era-defining call on a papal election with a sede vacante. Dragon Age shines for me most when your character is in a reciprocal and overwhelming relationship with the politics around them, where you (have to) reshape the world and the world inevitably alters you back. There is a reason my most played fantasy RPG in 2023 is Elden Ring and not BG3, despite me loving D&D mechanics and hating Fromsoft mechanics. BG3 is relentlessly interpersonal and ER is very geopolitical in scope. I am not saying either scale is bad per se, just that I vastly enjoy one more than the other. I don't care about my faves having cameos, I don't even strictly care about Thedas; I care about consistency in scale. That Veilguard seems to be taking the "Oops! All interpersonal conflicts!" approach to geopolitics that BG3 engages in does sting.

I am not enraged, just disappointed about the decisions that carry over. It does not matter who my Inquisitor romanced. It frankly does not matter if the Inquisition was disbanded or not; its political power is marginal at this point. And it does not matter what vow the Inquisitor took towards Solas; again, the power of the Inquisition is basically void at this point.

But we are going to go to Nevarra at this point. Orlais and Navarra share a border. Do you think it is unimportant if war hawk Gaspard rules Orlais or is dead? We are going to Weishaupt; do you think the binding legal decision to exile the Wardens from Southern Thedas backed by the major powers of the region matters not? Do you think the sweeping reforms ushered in by one Divine Victoria versus the regressive restorations of the status quo by Divine Cassandra do not have rippling effects that spread out across the schism lines? Do you think the socioeconomic position of Tevinter wouldn't be accelerated or decelerated towards its inevitable breaking point by the decisions in Southern Thedas? Do you think a ruling Briala would mean nothing to the Shadow Dragons when deciding where to send their freed elves? Orlais is the hegemon of Southern Thedas. Its civil war and its outcome do have consequences even a Magisterium and Black Divine have to consider and react to.

Origins was very viscerally about the cost of war, and the way a power vacuum in a monarchy implodes violently. DA2 was about how oppression and autocracy will encroach on your life no matter what. Inquisition was about how catholicism will absorb any opposition to it and how it will render the individual moot and broken. Veilguard is about... some guy and how much of a sob story his life is and how much you should want to fix him.

[nikki-ships]

I had this funny lil idea some time ago, so here it is, finally out of my sketchbook lmao