#q’s are just menace to the universe

[sad-trekkie-life]

The duel started because of a woman, but still squire sabotages Kirk with shooting Spock and Kirk agrees immediately. With a genuine fear in his eyes.

[hwanghyunjinenthusiast]

17:12 — JOSHUA

inspired by this clip of shua at the airport today. special mention to @duhnova i've never been the same since she sent it to me <3

"s-shua."

"hm?"

"why're you being so..."

"so what, baby?"

you flash your boyfriend a little pout that makes him laugh. joshua's large hands massage your thighs as he leans forward to press his lips to yours. you nearly melt into him again when he licks into your mouth only for joshua pull away the moment you let your guard down—earning himself another whine in protest.

"you're such a tease," you complain, lightly punching his chest for good measure. "i thought you said you missed me."

he laughs again, that sinful tongue swiping along the plump curve of his bottom lip. you know he doesn't miss the way your eyes catch the movement and it only makes that stupid smirk grow wider.

"i did miss you, sweetheart," he coos and if he thinks he can distract you with the way his hands grip your thighs with just a tinge of possessiveness, he's not wrong. "it just so happens that i also miss the way you react whenever i tease. why? does my baby hate it so much when i do?"

you want to say that yes, you do hate it when he strings you along like this. but part of you is well aware of joshua's penchant for building up your arousal and anticipation. he likes the chase. likes holding the prize over your head to see how desperate you're willing to get just to get his hands on you.

well, in this case: his tongue.

"just want your tongue in me, shua," you mumble, the muscles of your aching cunt clenching around nothing as your boyfriend gazes up at you with a lazy, hooded gaze. "gets me so hot whenever you kiss me like that... please, please, baby. i've been good for you, right? you'll give it to me, right?"

a low laugh reverberates in joshua's chest as he reaches a hand up to tuck your hair behind your ear. when you beg so prettily like that, how can he ever refuse you?

that's how he finds his face smothered between the plush give of your thighs as he slurps at your pussy like he's been dreaming of the entire week. your fingers are tangled in his hair, eyes screwed shut. every breathless moan that slips from your lips rushes straight to his cock, but joshua doesn't have any plans on relieving himself until you've coated his face with release.

"fuck, joshua," you breathe sharply—air whistling down your throat when he slides two fingers inside you. coupled with the sensation of his hot tongue alternating between flicking across your clit and licking long stripes across your soaked folds, you're completely at the mercy of your merciless boyfriend. "s-so good..."

he laughs again—those deep-seated vibrations humming across every nerve ending between your legs. it doesn't help that your boyfriend knows exactly how to drive you insane at any given moment, curling his long fingers as he flattens his tongue across your slit.

your spine immediately straightens at the stimulation and joshua's hands migrate from your legs to twine them with yours—making it much easier for you to rock your hips into his face as he brings you to the apex of pleasure.

"shua," you nearly sob, loving how your fingers fit in the spaces between his, loving how he makes you lose your mind every time, loving him. "'m close."

he parts from your sopping cunt for just a moment to breathe out, "i know, baby. i know," before he dives back into you—tonguing at your entrance until all that's coming out of you are high-pitched keens of his name.

you come undone on your boyfriend's tongue when he squeezes your fingers with his. like a wordless confirmation that he's allowing you to come and the authority he has over you magnifies the sensation a few hundred notches.

joshua helps you ride it out the entire time—peppering your inner thighs with butterfly kisses as he goads you on. my beautiful baby, you look so fucking sexy when you come all over my face. that's it, pretty. let yourself feel it. i promise i'll make you feel even better in a minute.

[hivemuthur]

The Game of Teaching Body - Ch. 5.

viktorxfemale!reader mature! (for now, I will mark later chapters as explicit when the time comes)

AU university, AU modern era, slow burn, frenemies to lovers, teasing, pinning, banter, eventual romance and therefore smut, Viktor is simultaneously a menace and needs a hug, TA Viktor

Ch.1. | Ch.2. | Ch.3. | Ch.4. | Ch.6. | Ch.7. | Ch.8. | Ch.9. | Ch.10. | Ch.11. | Ch.12.

word count: 5,4K

tag: #the game of teaching body

summary: Viktor discovers this thing called feelings and doesn't like it. Also a small tw, as he is a bit mean in this chapter. Another also: if you read my other multichapter, you will discover that Angus and Ambrose travel through all my AUs as cameos :') Besides that, I am slowly learning how to phase out the use of Y/N, so with each chapter there will be less and less.

Cross-posted on AO3 + POV3rd Person Version

—

You sat cross-legged on your bed, absentmindedly picking at the seam of your pyjama bottoms as Sue knelt by the bed frame, painting her nails. You knew you had to tell her, especially after almost an entire week of brooding, miserable sighs, and coming up with new expert ways to avoid Viktor.

“So… it was about him all this time? I should’ve known,” Sue said, her tone analytical, as though piecing together all of your encounters with Viktor since the beginning of the year. When she thought about it with her science brain, it all slotted together seamlessly, though the crease in her brow betrayed her concern.

You gave a small huff. “Even I didn’t know,” you said quietly, though who were you kidding? You knew—you just didn’t want to admit it. The truth was, Viktor’s rejection had been a big blow. Not because you didn’t handle rejection well—you were usually the one doing the rejecting, as frankly, people terrified you most of the time. You felt bad for underestimating him. You had presumed Viktor was lonely and would welcome someone willing to get to know him better.

You’d been oblivious to all the hungry glances he received in the corridors, the girls giggling as he passed by them with his nose in a book. The way people looked at him when he was flushed from alcohol, his accent slurring slightly, occasionally drawing words in his native language.

You were also oblivious to how all those things about him made you feel, and you kept telling yourself you had a special intellectual connection that came before all of that. And it was a terrible lie, because when you thought of him now, the first things that came to mind were his long fingers, the way he formulated sentences, and his long eyelashes.

“Earth to Y/N?” Sue’s voice snapped you out of the palace of your mind. “Have you tried talking to him?”

You rolled your eyes, but your lips quirked into a reluctant smile. “Yes, and it went dandy. He told me he got carried away, and I told him he was a wanker. We shook on it and lived happily ever after.”

“Y/N, don’t do that with me.” Sue placed her hand on your foot, smearing some of her freshly painted nails on the bedsheet in the process. “I’m sorry I left you alone. I didn’t know it was—this big.”

“I’m only telling you about this now because I’m only able to talk about it now. You wouldn’t have been able to do much before,” you said, offering her a reassuring smile. “Besides…” You trailed off, looking down at your hands. “I’m glad at least one of us is happy.”

“What did Hale say?” Sue asked, curious to know what kind of ancient wisdom Hale had stored up for the event of a heartbreak.

“Oh, he doesn’t know yet,” you whined, hiding your head in your knees. “He has a very scary dad side that I’m not ready to unleash just yet.” Seeing the questioning look on her face, you added, “Sue, I can see him in my head going to Viktor to have a chat about hurting the love of his life. I don’t think I can handle that yet. Besides…” You sighed reluctantly. “It’s Hale who keeps telling me I’m the queen of the world when I’m clearly not.”

“Alright, that’s just unhealthy. You are a fucking queen of the world. Not even a month ago you did an impromptu guest star spot in a musical in front of, like, five hundred people.” It was much less than that, but Sue wasn’t very good with numbers. “And seeing you turning inside out over some sad fart makes my skin crawl.”

“Is that what we’re calling him now? Sad fart?” you chuckled despite yourself. You weren’t entirely sold on the “fart” part, but you couldn’t shake Viktor’s sad image from that evening in the lab. The way he’d looked so tired and flinched every time you snapped at him. The way his brows furrowed, and he lowered his eyes. The way he’d tried to stop you, and you wouldn’t let him.

Sue’s hand moved to your knee. “Yes. Sad fart it is,” she grinned at you shyly. “How long do you need before I take you out, shower you in love and compliments, and find you a cute boy to hang out with to make Viktor’s blood boil?”

“Give me twenty minutes,” you sighed, watching Sue’s eyebrows waggle at you.

She didn’t find you a boy, but the two of you got ridiculously drunk that night and danced around in the courtyard fountain to Kate Bush, still in your pyjamas. A few lights in the building flickered on, including the one in the TA’s office—though neither of you noticed. It was obscenely cold, and a security guard tried to chase you down campus as you hid under the workbench in the lab. You returned to your room wet and giggling, minus one of your shoes.

***

A week later, the pub was packed with students blowing off steam before the next round of assignments loomed. You sipped your cider as Hale leaned across you to steal a handful of crisps, Sue laughing at his antics. You’d run into Viktor, Jayce, and Mel, and decided to act like an adult by accepting Mel’s invitation to your group’s usual spot by the fireplace.

“See, Viktor, this is where you go wrong,” Mel teased from across the bowl of breadsticks, wagging her finger at him. “You never give us the gossip. Jayce and I are still waiting to hear who left that very telling mark on your lip.”

Jayce grinned, raising his pint. “Yeah, man. We were taking bets. I was sure it’d be some PhD student. Mel thinks it was a theatre kid.”

Viktor’s smile was tight, his fingers curling around his glass. “I assure you, it’s nothing worth betting on.” He couldn’t think of anything worse happening in this moment.

“Very mysterious,” Mel sang, her eyes narrowing. “Did you actually kiss someone, or did you just hit yourself in a drunken slur?” She pushed too far this time, as Jayce hissed and pressed a hand to her shoulder, signalling her to back off before Viktor snapped her neck.

You smirked, hiding it behind your drink. It was almost satisfying watching Viktor squirm under Mel’s playful interrogation. Almost. But the mention of it “not being worth betting on” made your stomach twist slightly. Before you could think of a cutting remark to add, a voice interrupted.

“Y/N?”

You turned to see a tall, sandy-haired student standing by your group, his expression nervous but determined. You blinked in recognition.

“Angus, right?” He exhaled in relief, probably because he wasn’t prepared to remind you how the two of you might have known each other. Encouraged, he crouched to level with you.

“Yeah. I, uh…” He rubbed the back of his neck, his cheeks colouring. “I’ve been meaning to ask you something since Open Days, but I never got the chance.” He hesitated, glancing nervously at your friends.

Hale raised an eyebrow, clearly enjoying the show. He had learned about the mishap with Viktor shortly after Sue. He’d made a dramatic fuss about being the second to receive the news, swore revenge on the vile "sad fart" who had hurt the love of his life, and promised to keep you safe till the end of his days.

“I was wondering if you’d like to grab coffee sometime?” Angus finished, his voice steady despite the flush creeping up his neck.

Your lips parted in surprise. You glanced at Sue, who gave you a subtle nod of encouragement. “Sure,” you said, smiling. “That sounds nice.” Actually, what the hell. You could have coffee with Angus.

Angus beamed, pulling out his phone. You gave him your number, aware of Mel’s approving smirk from across the table. As Angus walked away, Mel leaned in. “Finally, someone with taste. Well done.”

You laughed lightly, but your gaze flickered to Viktor. His expression was carefully neutral, but the tension in his jaw was unmistakable. A moment later, he stood. “I think I’ll call it a night,” he said, tapping his cane against the floor. “Leg’s acting up.”

“Aw, come on,” Jayce said. “You’ve only had one drink!”

“Some of us value our health, Jayce,” Viktor replied, his tone dry. “I’ll see you all in class.”

As he was leaving, you caught the stiff line of his shoulders and the slight unevenness of his gait. For a moment, you considered following him, but you stayed put.

Viktor walked back to the dorm, the clinking of his cane against the tile floor echoing in the quiet hallway. His mind was far from the dimly lit pub he’d just left behind. No, it was still wrapped around the conversation, the questions, and that damn mark on his lip. The one that made his heart sink the day he woke up to find it had faded completely. It should have been nothing. Nothing more than a harmless tease from Mel, a drunken mistake he could brush off with a wry smile. Yet, it lingered in his mind, gnawing at him like an itch he couldn’t scratch.

Who left the mark on my lip?

The question had come out of nowhere, but it felt like it had pierced right through the veneer of calm he usually wore. Viktor had been careful, so careful about keeping his emotions in check, about staying distant. But every time someone mentioned the kiss—the touch—it reminded him of something he couldn’t define.

He paused outside his dorm room door, staring at the worn wood as his hand hovered over the knob.

What did I expect?

He had spent years learning to shut off the noise, to keep his focus solely on his work. He had indulged in a few distractions in the past, each one a failure. Yet, every time you were near, it was like something else tugged at him, pulling him off course. It had started with your questions in class, your jokes, the way you always seemed to say just the right thing—or just the wrong thing, depending on how one looked at it. You were the kind of person who got under his skin without even trying, and Viktor hated it.

He entered the room, tossing his coat onto the chair by his desk and walking over to the window. The city lights below flickered in the distance, the sounds of the busy campus fading as he closed the blinds. He sank into the armchair by the window, resting his cane beside him.

Angus.

The thought of him—that stupid student asking you out so casually—caused a familiar tightness in Viktor’s chest. There was no reason for him to feel threatened. He didn’t care about your personal life, didn’t care who you decided to spend time with. Yet, the image of you smiling at Angus—so effortlessly, so innocently—made something shift deep inside him.

The way he’d felt leaving the pub, the way his muscles had tightened when you accepted the offer to grab coffee with Angus, was all so... foreign to him. He wasn’t supposed to care. He wasn’t supposed to feel anything.

But Viktor had learned long ago that desire wasn’t so easily suppressed.

He closed his eyes for a moment, the silence of the room thick and suffocating. His mind wandered back to the pub, to the way you had laughed with your friends, how your smile had lit up the room when Angus had approached you. He hadn’t expected it to affect him this much. He had expected to walk out, let it go, but instead, he’d felt something stir in him—a jealousy, perhaps? But why? You weren’t his.

The stupid part of Viktor wanted to fight back. To make you squirm and run back to him, so this time it would be him who left a mark on your lips and left you to deal with Mel’s questions. He wanted to make your face go flush red as he teased you about how much you’d enjoyed your performance in the lab with Sue. He would push your buttons, tease you out of your mind—but that was it. Keep you at arm’s length.

Stop this.

But the thought only lasted for a moment before his mind drifted once more to you—your strange talents, your sharp wit, the way your eyes seemed to challenge him whenever they crossed paths. You were a puzzle, a mystery he couldn’t solve. And the more he tried to distance himself, the more intrigued he became.

He pushed himself to his feet, leaning on the cane as he crossed the room to his desk, where his textbooks lay open. The distractions were easy enough to find—work, studies, the endless grind of the lab. But tonight, he wasn’t sure if any of it would be enough to quiet the storm raging inside his mind.

***

You carefully adjusted the pipette, trying to focus, but Sue’s chatter kept sending jolts of disturbance through your brain. You were still a bit jumpy, and avoiding Viktor was still a thing. Unfortunately, today was his class.

“Are you going to tell me anything about Angus, hm?” Sue mused, propping her chin on her hand, her voice drifting in and out as she worked. “He has a slight accent, no?” She set her samples down, waiting for a response from you. When none came, Sue’s mind drifted, and she asked an absent-minded question into space. “I wonder where Viktor’s accent’s from.”

You barely registered Sue’s words as you focused on your task. You set the pipette down, your mind drifting to Viktor because of your friend. All you wanted to do was sigh—the man was still a sad fart.

“Czech,” you muttered absentmindedly, tapping the edge of the flask with a frown on your forehead.

Sue blinked, glancing over at you. “Czech? How do you know that?”

You shrugged, your attention still fixed on the exercise. “I have ears.” Your voice was dry, tinged with something sharper. “And he’s got that... all-knowing, ‘life is hard where I come from’ Slavic man attitude.” You snorted, the bitterness slipping out more than you’d intended.

“I guess that makes sense… oh crap, careful!” Sue instantly wished she hadn’t mentioned Viktor at all.

You didn’t have time to respond before you misjudged the tilt of the vial and knocked over the alkaline solution. Your hand shot out instinctively to catch it, but you winced as it splashed across your skin, a burning sensation searing through your palm.

“Shit,” you hissed, immediately pulling your hand back.

“That’s going to burn.” The voice was cold and precise—Viktor, standing directly behind you. You hadn’t noticed him approach.

He stood there, his cane resting lightly against the counter, his amber eyes fixed on your hand.

“Focus and coordination would serve you better in the lab than... ears,” Viktor said, his tone dry, though not unkind.

You winced again as the pain spread across your hand, and you looked up at him, still trying to shake off the surprise. “Great. Just great.”

Viktor raised an eyebrow, glancing at the vial you’d knocked over. “What did you spill?”

“This,” you replied, your voice tinged with frustration as you pointed toward the workbench with your chin. “Sorry, I got distracted,” you sighed, feeling defeated.

Viktor’s lips twisted into something like a smile, though it didn’t quite reach his eyes. “Distracted. Of course.” Is it Angus who keeps you distracted? A snarky thought pushed itself into his brain.

He stepped closer, his movements precise as he gently guided you toward the back room for first aid. You felt a twinge of discomfort as you walked, the sting of the burn reminding you of your mistake. Viktor’s presence was unnerving, to say the least, his focus intense as he prepared the supplies.

When you reached the office, Viktor carefully set to work. He adjusted the temperature and beckoned you to the sink. His hands brushed lightly against your skin as he held it under lukewarm water. You bit your lip, trying to focus on anything but the sensation of his fingers on your hand.

“Should’ve been more careful,” he muttered, his voice quiet but firm as he gently dabbed at the burn. You let out an annoyed sigh and rolled your eyes at him. The cool water on your skin felt like a relief, but the occasional touch of his fingers sent a strange, electric shiver through you. It was all very sudden after days of avoiding each other and pretending there was no elephant in the room.

He hummed lightly, continuing to treat the burn with a careful hand. After a few moments, he glanced up at you. “Why weren’t you wearing gloves?”

“I said, I got distracted,” you repeated, your voice quiet and tight with frustration.

Viktor’s lips quirked into a slight smile. “And what distracts you so? Angus? Or is it my accent?”

“Please stop,” you muttered, your pride and your hand both hurting now. “You’re not funny.”

There was a long pause. Viktor’s touch, though still efficient, had softened. His fingers were careful as he applied ointment to your burn, his movements deliberate, as if sensing the shift in you. He applied pressure to the heel of your palm, then gently played with your fingers.

“Why didn’t you wear gloves?” he repeated, his voice lower now, as if the question weren’t really about the gloves anymore.

You glanced at him, feeling oddly exposed, your heart speeding up slightly. You didn’t know why you had answered so quickly before, but now the silence felt heavy. His fingers were too close, too intimate, and his gaze was locked onto yours with an intensity that made the air in your throat feel thick. Why was he suddenly letting his touch linger longer than necessary? After making sure to push you away—no, not push you away, but keep you at arm's length, as if said arm was the length of the equator.

“I—” you started, your voice catching in your throat. You bit your lip, then involuntarily glanced toward his lips—barely a second, but enough to make your pulse quicken. Immediately, you scolded yourself in your mind. Girl, get a grip. But Viktor was completely unreadable. His face remained a mask of calm, yet you could’ve sworn there was something flickering in his eyes. Was it amusement? You couldn’t tell, and it drove you insane.

The silence stretched between you again, gooey, slow, almost suffocating. You dared not look up at him, but you could feel his gaze weighing down on you like a tangible thing. Your mind was running a mile a minute, trying to decipher his motives, his intent, but it was no use. He was too good at hiding whatever was behind that steady, unreadable exterior.

Viktor took a sharp breath and reached for the bandages, and you almost whined at the loss of contact. You hadn’t realized how much his touch had steadied some part of you until it was gone. Viktor smirked under his nose, amused, seeing the way you visibly relaxed when his hands found yours again.

“How did you know I was Czech?” he asked, his voice a mix of curiosity and something more playful, like he was enjoying this little game you’d somehow stumbled into.

You blinked at him in surprise, momentarily thrown off balance by his tone. “I... can recognize some Slavic accents.”

Viktor tilted his head slightly, his amber eyes gleaming with an unreadable expression. “And where are you from, Y/N?” His voice had an edge of genuine curiosity, but a challenge lingered in it. Make her squirm.

You raised an eyebrow, masking your sudden unease with a smirk, feeling a flicker of irritation at how easily he seemed to disarm you. You threw him a bait, not realizing it was he who was the hunter. “Guess. I’ll give you three questions.”

Viktor’s eyes lit up, his lips curling into a small, amused smile. He was clearly enjoying himself now, the opportunity to ask something personal laid before him. “Favourite food from home?”

“Pierogi,” you answered without hesitation, though the word felt like a small, sharp confession. You quickly added, “Don’t overthink it.” It was bizarre that you were talking about this now.

His gaze sharpened as he processed your answer. His eyes narrowed just slightly, and a gleam of realization flashed in them. “You’re Polish.” He thought to himself, I should have known.

Your eyes widened in surprise. You hadn’t expected him to guess it so quickly. “Half-Polish. But yes. Impressive,” you said, leaning back slightly, a bit thrown off. “You’ve got two questions left.”

Viktor studied you for a moment, the mischievous gleam in his eyes never quite fading. He seemed to enjoy how off-balance you looked. Then, with a slight tilt of his head, he asked innocently, “And who’s your favourite TA?”

You blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in the questions. You hadn’t expected him to ask something so pointed. “Uh... despite everything, you,” you said, your voice faltering for just a moment. You quickly averted your gaze, trying to mask the sudden awkwardness that swept over you.

Viktor smirked, clearly delighted by your response. “Flattery won’t get you far,” he said, his tone teasing, but there was a softness to it.

You straightened, meeting his gaze again, your expression firm, though you could feel the heat rising to your cheeks. “I think I’m being honest.” You chose not to elaborate on why, as it was a revelation to you as well.

Viktor’s amusement flickered for a moment, and his gaze softened slightly. He studied you for a few beats, the tension between you palpable as he took in the way your jaw tightened, the slight flush on your cheeks. Then his expression shifted back to something more serious, more gentle—as if he decided to surrender something in that moment. He took your bandaged hand back into his and began tracing circles around your wrist with his thumb.

“Why are you such a pain in the ass for me, hmm?”

You blinked again, clearly thrown off by the question—again. You felt an uncomfortable tightness in your chest. “Why am I... what? What do you mean?” Your voice had a slight edge to it, as if you were trying to mask the unease building inside you. Why would he do that now?

Viktor didn’t respond immediately. Instead, he continued to trace light, lazy circles around your wrist, his touch almost soothing, though the underlying intent was far from that. His eyes never left yours—sharp, testing.

“Don’t play coy,” he said, his voice low, the corners of his mouth curling up. “You know exactly what I mean. Why do you make things difficult for me, Y/N?”

You felt your pulse quicken, confusion and frustration mixing. You tried to shake it off with humour. “You... reap what you sow?” you said, a weak attempt at deflecting.

Viktor didn’t falter, his gaze still steady, his expression unreadable. “Oh, I think I’m well aware of the consequences. But you seem to enjoy making things... complicated.”

Your heart raced, the teasing tone from him sinking in deeper. Without thinking, you pulled your hand away from his, trying to put some space between you, but Viktor didn’t miss a beat. His eyes narrowed, watching you closely as you shifted.

“Are you fucking with me?” your voice was sharp now, your frustration bubbling over. You crossed your arms, not sure whether you wanted to storm off or stay and challenge him.

Viktor’s lips curled into a half-smile, amusement dancing in his eyes. He leaned in slightly, his voice barely above a whisper, the teasing tone still lingering. “Wouldn’t you like me to?” He didn’t break eye contact, watching you with quiet, unnerving intensity.

“You are so full of yourself,” you scoffed, but the stupid part of your brain whispered a wistful maybe that rang in your skull like a bell. You wanted to deflect, but something about him made you lose your grip. “Is that your attempt at being cruel?”

“No,” Viktor said, his voice dripping with poisonous sweetness, each word calculated to make your skin prickle. He closed the distance between you, leaning over to murmur into your ear, his breath warm against your skin. “This is my attempt at getting even.” He scolded himself for giving away his intent, but the heat rising within him was stronger than reason. It was anger, of course.

Your breath caught, your pulse quickening as his words slid into your consciousness, the warmth of his proximity undeniable. Viktor smirked mercilessly against your skin, savouring the moment in which he had almost made you fall apart.

“You can now think about how my hands on your skin made you feel, regardless of Angus,” he continued, his voice a low hum, sending a shiver down your spine. “And how your name sounds in my accent that you studied so carefully, Y/N. And what it would sound like in other circumstances… though I think you had a glimpse.”

Your mind spun, his words wrapping around you like a snake. Viktor straightened up, and for a moment, the room felt too small, too suffocating. The air became sticky, and you couldn’t escape the weight of the silence between you.

“You can take the rest of the class off,” he said, his voice cool and casual now, though the teasing glint never left his eyes. “Just don’t touch anything… unclean with that hand.”

“Eat shit, Viktor,” you spat, the words bitter as they left your mouth. You turned on your heel, eyes filling with hot tears, your lower belly tightening into a burning knot. You didn’t dare look at Sue, your emotions too raw. With one last furious breath, you fled the classroom, your legs carrying you down the corridor as you crumbled against the nearest wall, trying to suppress your sobs.

When you finally got there, you slammed the door to your dorm room shut, leaning against it as your chest heaved with unspent fury and helplessness. The small space felt suffocating, your desk cluttered with books and notes, the unmade bed in the corner serving as a silent witness to the chaos inside your mind. You pressed your hands to your face, the bandaged one brushing against your cheek like a quiet reminder of everything that had just unfolded. You pulled it away sharply, staring at the neat white wrappings with a mix of disgust and shame.

Your mind raced, replaying the scene in the lab. The smug tilt of Viktor’s lips. The unbearable warmth of his fingers brushing your skin. The low hum of his voice, so calm and calculated, deliberately needling you until you unravelled. And that final, infuriating smirk—the one you could still feel seared into your memory.

You flinched, a sharp, involuntary movement, as if you could physically shake him out of your mind. “He is so full of shit,” you hissed under your breath, pacing across the room. Your anger surged, hot and unrelenting. “This is just a game to him. Some cruel, twisted game.”

But then the anger faltered, giving way to something more raw and disorienting. Why had he pushed you like that? Why did he say your kiss was a mistake, only to turn around and toy with you like this? Was he just cruel, or did he mean something more? The uncertainty gnawed at you, twisting your stomach into knots. You hated the way your mind kept circling back to him, as if he’d taken up residence there, smug and untouchable.

You slumped onto the edge of your bed, resting your elbows on your knees and burying your face in your hands. The silence of the room pressed in on you, a heavy, suffocating weight. Your chest felt tight, your thoughts spinning endlessly, looping back to the way he’d leaned in close, his words dripping with venom and something else you couldn’t name. Your vision blurred, and you realized your hands were trembling.

When there was nothing left to pace about, nothing to distract you from the storm of emotions building inside, you let out a shaky breath. A memory surfaced, soft and fleeting: your mother’s voice, calm and steady, guiding you through moments like this. You closed your eyes, the words coming to your lips before you could second-guess yourself.

“My heart is full of love and understanding,” you whispered, the mantra shaky at first, then gaining strength as you repeated it. “My heart is full of love and understanding.”

You said it again, and again, your voice steadying with each repetition, the familiar cadence grounding you in the present. But when the words finally felt stable in your throat, you hesitated, your lips parting as something reckless and desperate rose to the surface.

“Viktor’s heart is full of love and understanding,” you murmured, the words trembling as they left you. The sound of his name in your voice felt foreign, wrong, and yet it lingered in the air like an accusation.

Your voice cracked. Your chest tightened. And before you could stop it, a sob broke free, raw and unbidden. It was as if speaking his name had opened a floodgate, releasing the tangle of emotions you’d fought so hard to contain. Confusion, anger, longing—all of it crashed over you, and you doubled over, your face in your hands as tears spilled onto your lap.

The mantra was supposed to help, but instead, it only seemed to amplify everything you’d been holding back. You cried until your breath came in gasps, your body shaking with the force of it. It wasn’t fair—none of it was fair. Viktor had no right to get under your skin like this, to make you feel so small and exposed.

When the tears finally subsided, you sat in the silence, your breath still uneven, your body heavy with exhaustion. You stared down at your bandaged hand again, the edges of the wrappings slightly damp from where your tears had soaked through. A bitter laugh escaped you, quiet and self-deprecating.

“What a mess,” you muttered, your voice hoarse.

You leaned back against the wall, the anger now dulled to a slow simmer beneath the weight of everything else. And for the first time, you let yourself admit what you’d been avoiding all along: you should’ve probed him more. You should’ve insisted, pressed for answers instead of letting him dictate the moment and twist it into something cruel.

The thought was uncomfortable, prickling like a splinter lodged deep beneath your skin. He was probably doing this because he was hurt, and it wasn’t easy to let that idea settle in your mind. But once it did, it sat there, heavy and unyielding, refusing to be ignored.

[stellarred]

You know, I just noticed something.

Zoom in on Q as he is coming towards Picard in the AGT clip below. If you look closely, he is rubbing his red-gloved hands together--not like an evil villain, who rubs their hands together as in " Hehe. This is going to be good."--

but as though he's caressing one hand with the other, running his palm and fingers down the length of his other raised hand.

Now, why would he do that?

Could it be that while Q is being forced to put Picard through this challenge by the Continuum, he is internally desperate to feel some kind of tactile sensation with Picard, and he is, in a way, self-soothing or pleasuring by caressing himself?

I mean he's doing it while he's coming towards Picard, and it bears repeating that even though Q is supposed to act menacing and be all Judge Q-ish--a stark difference from the Encounter at Farpoint Judge Q--Q takes every little opportunity he sees to get very physically close to Picard in AGT (leaning very close to him to whisper into his ear, and even inserting his fingertips into old Picard's tunic, his nose barely two inches away from his capitaine's. HELLO!)

I mean, I have no doubt that Q touches himself when he is obsessing over Picard in some remote corner of the Universe.

Who wouldn't?

Such a menacing judge.

A judge in love, for sure!

[deepspacedukat]

So, like…..what’s the consensus on Q insisting on dressing his S/O (w/their permission ofc!)? I personally think he’d be really into it lmaoooo. He’d completely replace their wardrobe (and possibly all of their “distasteful” starfleet uniforms. Good luck explaining to Picard why you had to go to your shift on the bridge dressed in a sparkly purple and gold evening gown). I also think he’d be a little confused by human gender norms around clothes; I don’t think the Qs as a species really have that the way humans and other mortal species do. In other words, he’d see no problem with putting a masc s/o in a fancy ballgown or a fem s/o in a stylish tuxedo, unless they expressed to him that it made them uncomfortable.

My justification for this: He sees mortal species as lesser beings, so obviously he finds their sense of fashion lesser too. So it’s only natural he step in and save his poor, lovely S/O from the peril of the drab clothes the rest of their species insists they wear! (He dresses them in nothing but gaudy silk fabrics, rhinestones, and glitter…..the only three things humans ever got right about fashion, in his opinion.) And also I read a line in a fic where he called mortal clothes boring and my mind chased that plot bunny down like I was running a marathon lmao.

OMG I ALMOST FORGOT ABOUT MAKEUP!!! That man can fucking ROCK a sexy red lip, and he’d be damned if he wasn’t going to do matching, coordinating, or at least complimentary makeup looks with his S/O (Again, unless they expressed they don’t like it).

Matching lingerie? Probably.

The inspirational fic in question: https://www.tumblr.com/unknownfacelessfanfictions/755468839619280896/i-have-an-idea-for-a-q-x-reader-specifically-the

🌑

Ooooh, honestly, given all of the knowledge that the Q have about the galaxy, they'd probably be pulling fashion inspiration from species Humans haven't even heard of.

"Where'd your dress today come from?"

"Oh, y'know, I have no idea. Q said it was some species inn the Gamma Quadrant? I think?"

Personally, I think Q would love having a cute Human partner to dress up like his own lil doll. He'd be so insufferable about it, too. "Darling, you simply must try this neon green lipstick from [Insert Random Planet Here]! It would pair excellently with your bone structure! And oooh! It would go so well with this whole ensemble that I just happen to have right here!" *snaps his fingers and an obviously planned out and not-at-all-spontaneous outfit appears*

OH MY GOD AND WITH LINGERIE. That man/entity would be absolutely unstoppable. He'd have soooooo much lingerie set aside in lil universe pockets for his partner.

Obviously, if they really didn't like him doing that, I think he'd stop, but if his partner enjoyed it, he'd become an absolute menace.

And Ooooh, coordinating looks? Abso-fucking-lutely! After all, in his logic, what higher compliment could a mortal get than having a god want to play dress up with them? To match their appearance?

[ninyard]

thanks for answering my previous ask‼️‼️ it’s okay if you can only write tips for your pov, i asked you YOUR process not someone else’s cus i like whatever it is you do to write, if that makes sense? i also don’t mean to shit on the way other people do things tho sjsjdnddjdj. you weren’t rude at all and i do see where you’re coming from‼️ i guess if i need to ask more specifically, how do you plot out ur socmed posts? i think that’s what i struggle with when it comes to writing my own? like i can find funny haha tweets or tumblr post for my/my friends charas to say but i wanna be able to write funny original stuff too? if that makes sense? 🫶🏽

I get that!!! This got long and it’s really messy so,, sorry if it doesn’t make sense~~

When it comes to making posts I personally don’t like to use already existing tweets. sometimes I can find inspiration in em but I’ve never intentionally looked up tweets to use for my socmed stuff. To each their own but it’s not for me! I don’t think they’re really socmed aus so much as like… incorrectaftgquotes type things? And I don’t really find much inspiration from it tbh. I might have one or two somewhere that are loosely based on a tweet I seen but I try my best to avoid that n make most of them as original as possible.

I guess know what kind of thing you’re going to make, in a way. My Exy fans au is essentially every big event in canon from an in-universe fans perspective. So that one’s easy to plot because it already exists and it’s just about coming up with the posts. Sometimes the fox tweets will just randomly branch off into their own things (like the Kevin-outing-Jeremy au) or sometimes they’re just their own standalone au series’ (like the andreil outing au).

I don’t really make long multiple-post “plotted” socmed stuff in the same way someone like Jas did with the Trojans au, but that’s just my personal preference. it takes a lot of work and it’s a lot like a fic in some ways!! It’s like writing a fic except it’s all dialogue and the dialogue has to be under 260 characters. And SOMETIMES there’s pictures. But they’re kind of just the same thing when it comes to plotted stuff. So maybe just do what you’d do if you were writing a fic!

In terms of coming up with funny things I guess it’s just like… don’t force it. If you’re finding something isn’t working, then don’t force it to work. I have all these ideas and scrapped tweets that just didn’t quite work for the post I had bc sometimes ya gotta accept something isn’t quite right. If you don’t want to just copy tweets and use those then try to find somewhere to start - for me that’s the hardest part of the ~random~ fox tweets and why it’s 1000000x easier to make a post that has purpose (like the party, or the q&a, or X au). I think finding pictures is a pretty good place to start, but I swear I’ve spent more time staring at a wall just trying to get into the zone of making tweets than time I’ve spent actually making them.

And I suppose it’s important to check like,,, are you (in the general sense) making them because you want to and have a funny idea, or is it because other people are/fomo/you see how many notes some of em get? Neither answer is wrong! But it’s easier to be funny, in my opinion, when I’m making them because i just randomly thought of a funny idea, versus making them because I feel obligated to or forcing things that aren’t funny because I “have” to post. Does that make sense? I always like to see when peoples’ socmed aus have some sort of story or reason, like the psu intern, or the foxes kids, or the Trojans au, or the au where Seth is still alive and tweeting like the menace that he would be. They’re always more interesting to me than posts that are just reposted tweets with Neil Josten slapped on em. But again that’s my personal preference!!!! Do whatever you want!!!!

Do you care if it’s ooc or not? Is it something that could happen in canon, or canon adjacent, or is it just an au where canon compliance doesn’t really matter at all? For me I try to make them as in-character as possible (with the exception of the fact that I don’t believe Neil, Andrew or Jean would tweet at all irl). I know it doesn’t bother some people if they’re ooc because they’re just for fun and that’s fine too. But them being “in-character” for me takes up a lot of space when it comes to coming up with the “plot” of the posts, if that makes sense!! (There’s always leeway when it comes to this tho - they’re never going to be 100% book accurate)

For me I almost have the characters as their own characters in my posts - which sounds crazy but bear with me. Like Kevin always typing with proper punctuation, and Dan always typing in lowercase. Neil doesn’t use text speak or shortened things like ‘bc’ or ‘lol’ whereas Nicky and Allison do. Nicky uses a lot of punctuation marks, Andrew uses proper grammar but doesn’t always use periods at the end of his posts, and he’s more likely to just post a picture than type out words sometimes. Does that make sense? Figure out how your characters are going to somehow have an individual voice through tweets. And it’s little things that probably don’t make a huge difference to most people but I care about those kind of little things way too much!!

TLDR; Why are you making them? Find where to start, don’t force it, and how in-character do you want them to be? Come up with your characters “voice” - how do they type/tweet? Just have fun!!! And don’t care about what other people are gonna think!!!!

[gingersp1ce547]

ok it’s jojoever i have brainrot now i need to assign stands to every qsmp eggs

ramon : Killer Queen - bombs + cat what more do i need to say

Chayanne : Pearl Jam - Just making extremely good food

Tallulah : Hermit Purple - Thorns design that reminds of Rose

Leo : Purple Haze - Color matches + rabid dog vibes

Sunny : Emerald green - using jewels to fight is perfect for her

Empanada : Paisley Park - don’t have an explanation, em just gives me yasuho vibes

Pepito : Bohemian Rhapsody - go make spider-man real king

Dapper : Gold experience - gruesomely killing your enemies with your knowledge of living creatures is such a dapper thing

Pomme : Sex Pistols - go my little sniper queen

Richas : Heaven’s door - Perfect for an artist with a taste for fofoca

Dude i saw the word sex pistols in the context of stands my brain went “part 5? PART 5!” Like a dog hearing its name being called so im more than happy to brain rot with you bout all of this!

-killer queen is so perfect for ramon. If he had it during the election arc, fit would have to have stopped him form making foolish a speck of ash on the floor after he arrested tazercraft

-chays fits so well from a symbolic, “stands are a reflection of ones soul” perspective too. Like even though he’s a warrior, at heart he the main thing he cares about is taking care of his family though both physical protection and just general wellbeing. Such a good pick for him

-Hermit purple is such a good pick with tallulah. Im imagining phil sighing as he pulls out another camera for her to destroy before they eventually start having super cheap ones on hand for that exact purpose

-Listen i see purple haze for leo, i get it i can see the vision. But my fugo loving brain refuses to let go of what purple haze means for him as a stand symbolically and wants to give it to q!cellbit EVEN THOUGH WERE ONLY TALKING ABOUT THE EGGS.

Anyways in context of only assigning stands to the eggs 100% i think she should get out purple haze, but if were talking about everyone i also think born this way would be a really good fit for her and i cant quite explain why outside of the vibes just mathcing in my head

-sunny would so be besties with emerald green. Like tubbo would have to not only give sunny stuff but also it. I can totally see her giving it a nickname and its own room and stuff

-Your so right about empanda having yasuho vibes. Something about the crypticness of the power of paisley park coupled with all the shit both the characters have been though mashes really well together

- Bohemian rhapsody is so fucking funny for pepito. Especially because like idk if youve ever read any jojo’s fanfics but theirs this really good one called chimera were long story short the ascended version of dio from eyes over heaven goes to another universe and just fucks with the dio their by basically forcing him on a part jumping self-betterment arc? Anyways during it the author had the reason ungalo’s life became so shit was because he accidentally used his stand to make the story of holes come true with him acting as the main character and now every tine i think about that stand i cant not think of that.

But anyways him and roier would abuse the fuck out of his stand and it would in fact be hilarious

-As a giorno lover, dapper is so giorno coded. He would be so fucking unstoppable with that stand even without it being its requiem version. I can so see him using it to fuck with his dad for funnsies too.

-Pomme would be so sweet to the pistols too, she would make sure they get the best treats. I think at first she would struggle with keeping them in line but with etoiles help she would be the perfect balance of stern and sweet.

-richas with heavens door would be the absolute worst. Like the biggest menace ever. He would use it on his parents to make it so they could never give him a bath again and then they would have to find a work around for what doesnt count as bath but still technically got him clean until their able to convince him to reverse it.

[lifezvictory]

Okay, so today’s (technically yesterday’s since I’m writing this post at midnight but I don’t really consider it to be the next day until I either go to sleep, or the sun comes up, whatever comes first) episode of SaMS was very emotional, to say the least. Normally I don’t write posts about those because my possibly neurodivergent brain (haven’t been officially diagnosed but I’m almost certain it’s true) doesn’t really know how to formulate coherent, smoothly flowing pros about hyper-emotional stuff, especially when I’ve recently been exposed to it. But, I have some thoughts that I have to share, so I’m releasing them into the chaotic bowels of Tumblr. (These thoughts, of course, contain spoilers for the latest episode so only click read more if you’ve seen it or are willing to be spoiled.)

So, I have a feeling that Eclipse is really, truly dead this time. And when I first got acquainted with this orange menace, I would’ve been extátic at this. I was the first time he “died.” But now? I’ve actually got mixed feelings.

On one hand, Eclipse really was a terrible person and he kind of deserved what he got. But on the other? I’m a little disappointed with the writers’ decision. Because, it felt like they had been leading up to a redemption ark for Eclipse. All this talk about him having nobody and no purpose, I just felt like it could have been leading up to something bigger. And even though I used to hate Eclipse with a burning passion, I have read two amazing fanfics that did an ark for him insanely well, and I would have loved to see the original creators of this character’s take on it. Although, there was a part of me that thought it might not go that direction because in one q & a, someone asked if Eclipse could be redeemable, to which Sun and Moon understandably denied and I thought could possibly be the opinion of the creators themselves, and not just Sun and Moon’s.

The little scene near the end of the video, with Eclipse and Solar Flare in the mindscape right before their death really got to me, especially with Eclipse’s reaction. He was genuinely terrified unlike his first version’s death, and I’m pretty sure the guy went through the five stages of grief in those thirty seconds or so. It resonated with me because it humanizes (animatronicizes?) Eclipse, showing that he fears death as much as anybody else, but it’s also relatable to me, personally, because I have quite a bit of anxiety surrounding my own death.

One thing, or rather one person that i feel like people aren’t focusing enough on however, is Solar Flare. I know many people didn’t care about them much (The Blue Guy, in his video talking about SaMS lore said that they’re basically just Eclipse’s minion which fair) but they always held a special place in my mind. I felt like there was so much possibility for their character, especially the way the lore episodes were going. They were just developing, or at least appearing to develop, sentience and a personality/identity of their own, only to be killed off along with Eclipse when they hadn’t really done anything wrong. They were only following their programming to serve Killcode when he was evil, and actually seemed to be forming into a decent person before their demise. Only for all that potential to just be wiped away in an instant, with not many people taking notice, in universe or out. Eclipse was the only person who got to know the true them, if only slightly, and he never even appreciated them or treated them well. Hell, I don’t think Solar Flare even got a single positive interaction with anyone in their entire short existence. Yet they still somehow managed to remain so well-intentioned and wise? (I have to continue writing my Solar Flare-centric fic in their memory)

In real life, death is just like that. It cuts lives short, removing vibrant beings with lots of potential (I have no clue what happens after death but I’d like to think of it as a permanent absence and not an absolute destruction for the sake of my sanity.) But, this is fiction. And there’s a point where I’d just rather not have fiction be quite this realistic and devastating, you know?

The fact that Solar Flare was so accepting of their death made it even more heartbreaking for me, personally. They were completely accepting of it, and didn’t seem afraid at all (although it could be because they weren’t yet emotionally developed enough to express it.) This, to me, meant that they had nothing left to live for, and felt as though they no longer had a purpose. And for me who, as you would know if you’ve been reading my posts for a while, likes Solar Flare quite a lot, it devastated me. I want to give Solar Flare a big hug.

I’m not sure how to end this post. But, that’s my thoughts on the latest lore. I think this was probably the longest post I’ve made to date.

[ch0colate-cake]

so I had an idea

I personally enjoy the new cookie run update. During the first part I had an idea; the second update merely fueled my interest. So what if, in an alternate universe, good ol' xylitol nova cookie absorbed the black hole? Let's say he was going back to save Xyl-Q. He already knew what a competent leader astronaut cookie was, so he believed that in sacrificing himself he would have a good follow up to continue leading the cookies in their quest to defend the cookieverse from the black hole. By building the ship as a plan-B-temporary-safe-house, he would ensure the continuation of his people. Blah blah, Xyl-Q dies, and with this devastating loss xylitol nova cookie raises his staff and (i onno how) he takes in the black hole. I don't know where I'm going with this there are several plot holes I can name off the top of my head 😦

At first this was just a fantasy, i didn't even know what the black hole looked like up close . By the second update i had enough reference pictures and information to draw it and make a below decent introduction. I don't have a good drawing app and I know my current computer/tablet is just a generally shoddy piece of tech; therefore I drew on paper

this is what I would think of the costume to look like.

Just a sketch, a doodle if you will. I turned his staff into a halberd/pole axe because a staff was not imposing enough and weapons are menacing😦

I tried to keep the staff gem but I don't think it's recognizable. Also I made it cracked because he is in his flop era. 💔

the wings were another problem that I had trouble with, mainly because this is my first time drawing and coloring crystals of any sort

the little robot things were a little confusing, and even worse to fit into the design (I forgot about them😨)

the creatures ended up being a little crushed in there. A sharp teleport is only what I could describe as people drawing lines for where an object used to be, before drawing the object in a different place. Also I turned them into critters because the black hole itself is a critter.

on the left is my first drawing of this costume. I decided to keep the shattered mask, and make only one eye visible (so I cannot draw the other😀).

am I aware that this would be a nightmare to make sprites of/animate/draw? Yea. Which is why I will keep this au in my mind where it belongs.

will I be drawing again? No probably not this so don't look forward to it. Maybe something else but don't get too hyped up (and yes it will be on paper)

will I be annoyed if this doesn't get above 2 notes? Yeah maybe. Probably. I don't know myself that well

Costume info Super epic costume, mainly because it would fit in with the epic costumes. Bio? I'm too lazy :4 sorry.😟

Name? Idk something like xylitol nova cookie's reign of terror or xylitol nova cookie's black hole-ly ness or xylitol nova cookie's refrigerator running or xylitol nova cookie's kys or xylitol nova cookie's shoulda stayed in drafts

No there is no name😔 not yet anyways

[miriasuu]

Posting OC stuff because i love her ^q^

Her name is Maeve di Angelucci, the sole princess of the Italian monarchy in my little universe ^q^ She's (un)happily married to her yandere hubby, Noël von Weissmann ♡

To sum it up, he's an angel (as a race, rather than a 'divine religious being') and told the King and Queen of a false prophecy that their daughter would be taken away on her 18th birthday and killed so they raised her in total captivity from the outside world. while he made his schemings to steal the German crown prince's identity and plan to get married to her since her hand would be offered much earlier (ye olden times, at 14) so they could avoid the prophecy. but he's the menace here! and he killed all the other candidates. oopsie

I'll put more art of her under the line~~ otherwise the post will be too big. More art (that cannot be posted here) on her Toyhouse! Plus i'll update it with her entire bg + noël later ♡ just uhm. be advised some quiiiiiite unnerving stuff below. not gore violence or anything but theres 1 uhm. well just to sum it up she has a lot of pregnancy themes, is all

Royal Wedding (TL would be too extensive, sorry!)

Maeve at 14ish (L) and 18~20 somethings (R)

happy family?

quick sketch to demonstrate height diff (ssorry for the yaoi hands. im not. fixing it) and discarded sketch of a previous height diff of them

M: "Ah! That's right, you don't pray... In fact, there's no reason to... I'm sorry... (Christian)" N: "You realized that just now? I'm only making company... (Angel)"

Although their marriage is a very disturbing and manipulative one, I still like to imagine some rare casual moments between them. They mostly occur later, when she's past 24 (which is when she finally mentally breaks and gives in for this sick love and becomes equally yandere). Did I say? They eventually have like, 5 kids total. LOL all before that though.

("How cute... It's like a puppy...)" "Maeve~, what are you doing?"

Generic yes but bunny x wolf, it's cute

A discarded idea of an unicorn au or. something. i still like the idea but hmmm. nah. or maybe yay? i don't know tbh

Oh and a little preview for her general reference for Artfight! I still need to finish painting, but hehe :3c it's only for general conception because i like varying her with dresses but im not gonna draw like. 5 diff ones for 1 ref lol

Anyway if u saw all thank u look at her TH theres like looots of love between them 2 ( ^_^)b oki ily byee

[jorjorbonks]

Book Review | The Wind-Up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami

⭐️⭐️⭐️

Spoiler Free Review:

It took me over a month to read this book. Not because of its length, 600 pages the longest book this year thus far, but because it infuriated. It was boring and it felt like it was never going to end. You read 300 pages and it should be over, but we’ve barely nibbled into the meat of the book. It takes a very long time for the book to get any real traction. We get a couple scraps at first with some weird things, but nothing super interesting. I did find many parts of it interesting however. I find the mystery of the book interesting, the characters, and whatever crazy things happen are interesting. I also found the main character to be incredibly dull. Although Toru Okada is supposed to be an “Everyman” sorr of character, it does not mean he has to be the most boring man alive. He does get less boring as the story goes on, but he also just really weird and a little creepy. Overall an ok read. I don’t think I’s read it again.

Spoilers!!!:

I do not like Toru Okada. He hangs out with random 16 year old girls, waits for them to come out to seem him by waiting outside their house. One of the last things he says about said 16 year old girl is that she looks good in a bikini when he is possibly dying in a well. But the scene he sees her in a bikini he comments about her still being underdeveloped. Like huh?? He also goes to visit her at the end of the book in this village work place thing. And they hold hands and she makes a comment about people thinking they’re lovers and he says you’re right. Huh???? Toru please leave her alone. The plot also takes a long time to start and it’s just incredibly mundane at first with a few notes of weird going on. I suppose that is the best way to introduce the craziness that ensues. It still does not make the beginning any less boring. Of course the spoiler part isn’t just for me to talk negatively about the book, but it’s also for me to give insights. The themes also remind me of The Stranger by Albert Camus with the go with the flow thing in a sense. The world is ultimately random and trying to fight it will just lead you to self destruction. Mr. Honda, a psychic Toru and Kumiko, his wife, that they used to visit tells him to be careful of water. Not just that but to not fight the water. To keep still at times and other times to move with it. And going against that can cause major issues. This happens to many characters such as Lieutenant Mamiya who tries to fight against the water, the world, and suffers greatly. Besides the conflict of challenging the universe, the antagonist Noboru Wataya is also a rather menacing one. Having such a powerful role in society as well as having so much money he already is very scary. Going against him can be deadly. But also, his power of being able to manipulate others is even more terrifying. My remaining questions and possible answers to them are:

Q: What is the Wind-Up Bird? A: It is probably a sort of sign for change? It shows up to Toru granted for a long time, but the moment a major change happens, his wife leaving, the bird stops. A soldier hears the bird, and the next thing we hear about is the fate of the soldier and his company.

Q: What exactly can Noboru do? A: I think he can manipulate people, or at least bring out their true selves sooner than they should be.

[kipperlillycopperkettle]

hiiihiiii i feel like i know less than i want to about your spyreverse thg au but i'm fascinated (and so glad i've inspired you to ask for questions about it-- its been so fun to get q's in about np <3) but !!! what is the moment/pov/section/idea you are proudest of for your au !!!! either smth you've written or smth you're excited about !! also also im so interested in who all this fic is centric on? i know you've referred to it as the bad kids thg au before but your tag is spyreverse specific? are the Seven in this also (fingers crossed?) other npcs or characters from pirol ??? idk how povs are working in your au- whether it's multi pov or just one/two but either way: how did you choose how to write pov/s for this fic !! if just one, why did you pic the person you chose; if multiple, how do u choose how to write which pov/s when ??!! xoxoxoxxoox and congrats on fellow huge long involved au <3333

this* fic is bad kids centric BUT because i am a menace, i have slotted a LARGE majority of the characters from fantasy high/the seven/pirates of leviathan into this universe! i went back and forth for a while on whether or not to make the seven tributes (which i didn't like because i wanted kristen and antiope to both be from district two and etc) or to make them have won the year before (which i didn't like because then i didn't have enough npcs to fill out the whole hunger games bracket, and then what do i do with characters like penelope who thematically would be fun to play with in either games, etc) and so i ended up splitting the difference and making it a quarter quell where the twist is that it's double the tributes (like haymitch's games in canon); though the games in the FIC are 75. because i felt like it lol.

so yes! the seven are here! the seven are actually up against the bad kids in the arena (sam is one of fabian's district partners! antiope is one of kristen's!) and there are SOOOOO many npcs in this fic <3 (i had to start a google doc with a quick summary of who was doing what in this au to keep them all straight which i may release as an npc guide after the fic is published!) unless i have made the active decision to not have a character in the au (chungedown bim is not here. because i simply do not want him to be) they're probably in the au! including npcs no one else cares about like tulwar from pirates of leviathan (he's one of the d4 mentors and also his dynamic with cathilda is SO important to me in this fic) and also talcidimir tallbreeze from the seven is the caesar flickerman esque figure <3

the pov thing is fun, actually, because i wanted to do a hunger games au. but i couldn't decide who won so i was just like. i will write all of the bad kids winning in slightly diverging timelines and each of the sections where they win will be from their pov (and somehow i thought this fic would only end up about 60k lol). i am also trying to write a few scenes from different povs during each larger section for a look at what's happening outside of the arena. so like midway through the adaine section, aelwyn (who is her mentor in this au) gets a scene and then a little bit later on, arianwen gets a pov.

i don't really pick per se; basically each of the bad kids has a section, which, aside from those two little out of arena povs midway through, follows them from the first important event in canon (eg: for some of them, it's the reaping for the seventy-fifth games, for fig, it's her first reaping, etc etc) until their arc wraps up (some point AFTER they win the games). for the out of arena povs that's a BIT more complicated, but usually it's just whoever's pov i feel like will be most significant/add the most to the story — so adaine has aelwyn and arianwen, but fabian has cathilda and halliariel (cathilda being, in this au, not his mentor but bill seacaster's).

*i say this fic because i DO have two prior to canon spinoff fics rotating in the back of my mind and also hanging out in my google docs that are a few thousand words each for sandra lynn and cathilda. i don't think either of those will get finished before the main fic but! they're fun and i like writing them! i think sandra lynn's is largely going to be about her thing with the adventuring party (a capitolite and his gamemaker wife in this au) and also her early romance with gilear and also her dynamic with her mentor, who is a signifcant figure in fig's section as well. cathilda's is both about her relationship with tulwar and also about her losing all of her children to the games. both of those spinoffs kind of spawned after writing their povs in the main fic and going, oh i want to explore more of [x character] in this au, so that's how i chose the povs for those two!

i'm pretty sure i switched to calling it the spyreverse thg au after i started the sandra lynn spinoff fic! bc the MAIN fic is the bad kids thg fic but the au is more encompassing y'know?

for how i choose to write which pov when: i just write whoever i feel like when i have inspiration! i write out of order so if i have a good scene idea for adaine, i'll write that one day, and then i might write a fabian scene the next day, and a riz one after that, and so on and so forth.

there's a lot i'm really excited about in this au: one of my favorite things about this au is getting to write dynamics that don't exist at all in canon (fig and max durden, who is one of her district partners; antiope and kristen; corsica and kristen, tulwar and cathilda), i love the fact that i got to take all of the listed canon names for aguefort teachers and turn them into interesting characters with fun dynamics (ellen fleetfoot the survival teacher my best friend), i love getting to write victor dynamics and this fic provides ample oppurtunity to write differing victor dynamics, but if i had to pick ONE scene/moment i'm proudest of, there's a scene after adaine wins where it finally hits her why aelwyn is the way she is that i just think is really striking. it was also one of the first scenes i wrote so it's just very dear to me <3

send me an ask about the spyreverse thg au!

[sungbeam]

Okayyy 🥺🫶 And yeah~ mr. junbug is an absolute dork- i was dk biased for 3 yrs until going svt got captions and became a full jun bias 😭🫶 (oh god i just realized that's been a long time ago now 🫣) I didn't know of the photos until I looked em up and saw mr. prince... 🫠🫠🫠 bro looks so beautiful- (there's always is- but like damn- he inhaled a lot of that air bhehbea) OMG HE WOULD LIKE you know in the tag he originally wanted to be the scarer that chased svt around!? Yeah, he dreams of being a menace 🤭🥺🫶 and like him being a villain bc he dreamed of it and finally achieving it could be vv fun~ (honestly in general villain jun 🫠) [makes me wonder who you bias in svt 👀]

Your fics always feel vv indulgent for me hehe~ 😌🤭 and dw i have full trust in you that you have answers to it all 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

I agree it really is!! But we appreciate them and that's gotta count for sth!! 🙂‍↕️ OMG I AGREE!!! He's just so soft and sweet- those are his exact vibes omg- 🤭 OOOh you did? But omg I absolutely understand why- even more so knowing she biases juyo! you know i have no idea? there are so many instances of me basing a character off of my friends it's not even funny ehbbha 😭 but you're right it is a lot easier to do so that way!! (i told my two irl friends about the last instance i had written characters based off them and they didn't mind but idk if that's universal- but i also think it's cause imitation is a form of flattery? so?) but i'm sure she wouldn't mind esp bc she's with juyo in a way in it 🤭🙂‍↕️

WE HAVE A VV LOW BAR BUT AT LEAST WE HAVE A BAR!!! It would be perfect if we were playing limbo 🙂‍↕️

Ohhh it's so cute 🥺🤭💖 it does fit my blog quite well hehe~ thank you~ (It's pink on my samsung too! a little more vanilla on a laptop but it's okay!! it's still cute!!) and okay~ bc of q you'll prolly end up as 🐿️ - or possibly a squirrel with a star~ 🙂‍↕️🙂‍↕️

KATE SORRY FOR THE HOPELESSLY LATE RESPONSE i have been on tumblr the very bare minimum this whole week bc of the thanksgiving holiday 😭😭 omg no cuz jun has been hitting different... like i think they finally figured out how to style his hair AKFNKDND but also YES he's sooo fkn funny i crack up watching gose 😭 ALSO TELL ME HOW WE BOTH BIASED DK AT SOME POINT I THINK WE NEED TO COMPARE BIAS LINES SOME TIME!! but jun is a secret menace confirmed lmao i remember him in that ep u mentioned and he's soooo hahahahhaha (but i currently bias dk, minghao, and seungkwan!! it used to be jeonghan and vernon in my bias line too tho haha WBU!!)

ahhh no that's true tho ! i used to have a moot where we would conspire to write characters based off one another in our fics haha and it's a lot of fun 😌 talking to irls abt fanfic tho is so nerve racking for me tho cuz like the stigma surrounding it 💔 i fear some irls r more judgmental than others

OMG UR RIGHT IT DOES FIT UR BLOG!!! then i chose well hehe awwwh wait a squirrel w a star is so cute pls 😭 i love that omg

[vinnylignes]

Illmatic By Nas- Album Review

Few albums shine as brightly in the pantheon of hip-hop classics as Nas’s Illmatic. With a runtime of just under 40 minutes, this 1994 debut album not only introduced the world to a young rapper from Queensbridge, New York, but it also completely changed the face of East Coast rap. Illmatic is still regarded as a classic nearly thirty years later and is frequently listed among the best rap albums ever made. However, what is it about Illmatic that continues to be discussed, and how does it fare in the radically altered musical scene of today?

Nas, the Prodigy from Queensbridge

Even though Nasir Jones, often known as Nas, was only 20 years old when Illmatic hit, his lyrical skill, intelligence, and wisdom suggested that he was a much more experienced musician. Nas was raised amid the hardships and obstacles of inner-city living at Queensbridge, one of the biggest public housing projects in the country. This background would serve as the conceptual center of Illmatic, as Nas painted striking portraits of societal oppression, street life, and pursuing ambitions in the face of overwhelming odds.

Illmatic has a who’s who of 90s hip-hop talent behind the boards, with beats from producers like DJ Premier, Pete Rock, Q-Tip, Large Professor, and L.E.S. The tone of the album, which is rough yet beautiful, soulful yet minimal, perfectly reflects the essence of New York City during the height of boom-bap production.

Foundation of Storytelling

The first track, “The Genesis,” instantly immerses the listener in Nas’s universe with its subway noises and conversational fragments. The album then shifts into overdrive with “N.Y. State of Mind,” a terrifyingly accurate portrayal of Queensbridge life. DJ Premier’s menacing beat features somber piano loops, and Nas’s lines are sliced through with surgical accuracy. Hip-hop history’s most frequently cited lyrics, “I never sleep, ’cause sleep is the cousin of death,” capture the paranoia and hyperawareness required to thrive on the streets.

Though every song on Illmatic has a sense of purpose, “The World is Yours” stands out for its upbeat message and catchy Pete Rock production. Nas provides glimpses of hope and fortitude within the adversity, asking, “Whose world is this? You own the earth.” Illmatic is so captivating because of the way it strikes a careful balance between hope and actuality. Although Nas avoids romanticizing the streets, he also resists giving in to negativity.

Perfect, But is it?

Illmatic is still hailed as almost flawless. One of the album’s advantages is its compactness—with only ten tracks, there are no fillers or wasted time. With Nas serving as both narrator and participant in the grim realities of New York living, each song adds to the whole story. It is important to note, though, that Illmatic was so firmly rooted in its era and location that some may find it lacking in the genre-defying innovation that came to hip-hop later on with albums like OutKast’s Stankonia or Kanye West’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy.

Nas doesn’t go too far outside of his lane, which might be criticized as an Illmatic drawback. Although he is a gifted storyteller, the themes of poverty, street violence, and survival are largely restricted to his surroundings. Although Nas creates these images with great detail, listeners anticipating more variety in material from track to track may find the subject matter repetitious. However, Illmatic never intended to be anything more than a moment in time captured in the life of a young man in Queensbridge, and it succeeds admirably in that regard.

Relevance in 2024

Even while listening to Illmatic now feels like stepping back in time, it’s hardly antiquated. The production may allude to the heyday of boom-bap, but Nas’s concerns of poverty, survival, and systemic inequality are true today. Hip-hop can be poetic and rooted in the hardest truths of existence, as Illmatic reminds us in a time when the distinction between “conscious rap” and commercial trap is striking.

Nas stated as much on “Life’s a Bitch,” “Life’s a b***h and then you die / Which is why we get high / Cause you never know when you’re gonna go.” Illmatic’s force and relevance come from its enduring realization of life’s fragility.

Conclusion

Illmatic is still regarded as one of the most important hip-hop albums, setting the standard for production, lyrics, and storytelling. Its influence on the genre is indisputable; it has influenced listeners’ generations and shaped the careers of upcoming musicians. Illmatic is not only required listening for anyone wishing to comprehend the foundations of hip-hop, but it also serves as a roadmap.

#IllmaticForever #Nas #HipHopHistory #NYStateOfMind #ClassicRap

Sources:

Nas’s Illmatic is a Canonical Album for Hip-Hop History. Available at: Pitchfork

DJ Premier on the Importance of Illmatic. Available at: Complex

Nas Discusses The World is Yours. Available at: Genius

A Reflection on Nas’s Memory Lane. Available at: Okayplayer

Criticisms of Illmatic and Nas’s Lyrical Density. Available at: The Atlantic

Illmatic's Place in Nas's Career. Available at: The Guardian

[sskk-ao3feed]

Never a Dull Day

read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/PyhYkC3 by MagicCandleQueen In the midst of a heatwave, Chuuya barely has the energy to do anything besides lay on the ground and simply wanting to perish the heat is that bad. Not just him, but also his friends as well. And apparently, also to their friendly neighborhood tiger spirit. Words: 1956, Chapters: 1/1, Language: English Series: Part 8 of Countryside's Spirits Fandoms: 文豪ストレイドッグス | Bungou Stray Dogs Rating: General Audiences Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings Categories: Gen, M/M Characters: Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Ozaki Kouyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Izumi Kyouka (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin, Higuchi Ichiyou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tachihara Michizou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Hirotsu Ryuurou (Bungou Stray Dogs), Yumeno Kyuusaku | Q (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Fukuzawa Yukichi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Background & Cameo Characters Relationships: Nakajima Atsushi & Port Mafia Ensemble (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu & Kunikida Doppo (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu & Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Minor or Background Relationship(s), Dazai Osamu/Nakahara Chuuya (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Ryuunosuke/Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Akutagawa Gin & Akutagawa Ryuunosuke & Nakajima Atsushi Additional Tags: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Modern: No Powers, Alternate Universe - No Ability Users (Bungou Stray Dogs), Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, OR IS IT, Hot Weather, its too hot to think of anything-, Tiger Nakajima Atsushi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kitsune Dazai Osamu (Bungou Stray Dogs), Tengu Fukuzawa Yukichi (Bungou Stray Dogs), Kunikida Doppo is So Done (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu is a Menace (Bungou Stray Dogs), Dazai Osamu is Bad at Feelings (Bungou Stray Dogs), Nakajima Atsushi Has a Bad Time (Bungou Stray Dogs), i am so sorry qwq, I'm Bad At Tagging, How Do I Tag, Slight OOC read it on AO3 at https://ift.tt/PyhYkC3

[seph-on-an-irrational-planet]

I really want to like The Giggle but it’s missing something the same way the worst Q episodes of Star Trek miss something: Q doing random bullshit cannot be the primary driver of the plot. Wacky Q nonsense is fun but it needs to have a purpose and in all the best episodes (Q-Who, Tapestry, All Good Things…) Q does just enough silly bullshit to get Picard to the real plot: whatever lesson he’s intended to learn. The Toymaker has none of this going on, he’s messing with the Doctor just because…. he’s an antagonist I guess?? So what was the point of the companion puppet show scene? If the Toymaker is trying to critique how the Doctor has handled caring for his companions and losing 1/4 of the universe to the flux then it’s really interesting! Or is he contriving this situation to warn the Doctor about the One Who Waits? But no he’s just being irritating because that’s who he is. The puppet show scene is so good and yet it goes nowhere (WELL THATS ALRIGHT THEN).

I don’t need or want the Toymaker to be a rehash of Q, but this episode would’ve really stuck the landing he had an actual reason for doing what he did. It would also make the sudden ‘losing the game of catch’ make sense. Q intends for Picard to win once he grasps the point. The Toymaker intentionally losing as a covert message to the Doctor (because that’s the only way he can communicate/he’s afraid of something idk) would be brilliant. And he could still kill people and be a menace! Q didn’t particularly care when people died in his episodes (Q-Who especially) in fact he blamed it on Picard being reckless even though it was he’s fault they were there in the first place.

Anyway this episode was so close and yet so far ughhhh I need doctor who to get better and fast