#she was beyond gorgeous in each and every scene

[wh0reforcoriolanussnow]

Red Carpet || Tom Blyth x gf!reader

Summary: Tom takes you to your very first movie premiere and it happens to be the movie that he is the protagonist in. A sweet moment happens between the two of you which leaves fans further fangirling over your relationship.

A/n: I have been constantly asked If I will ever do a Tom Blyth x reader imagine and the answer is yes :). Btw I absolutely love @yzzart’s Tom Blyth x actress!reader imagines and you should totally go check them out!

Warnings: none :)

Wc:

Divider by @pommecita

You were beyond nervous and excited to attend the red carpet Premiere for The Hunger Games The Ballad of Songbirds and Snakes. Especially since you would be attending as your boyfriend’s plus one who happens to play Coriolanus Snow in said movie.

The two of you kept your relationship as private as you could, but at some point along the way of him filming, everyone knew the two of you were together. Your public affection towards each other during the behind the scenes did not go unnoticed by fans who recorded it and took pictures.

It was bound to happen someday. "You look absolutely gorgeous, darling," Tom hugs you from behind, your exposed back flush against his outfit, as he admires your reflection in the mirror. You hold his arms that were protectively on your waist.

"Thank you, Tom. You look as handsome as ever," You giggle, turning around to place your hands on either side of his face, admiring every little detail on his face that you have already noticed about a thousand times, before placing a gentle kiss on his lips.

You two were on your way to the event, his hand never left your thigh as you lean your head against his shoulder. Your phone suddenly buzzed as you look at the caller id. It was Rachel. You immediately answered it as it went through to face time.

"Where are you guys!" She yells in the speaker, loud chatter in the background. She was already at the event. "We are literally around the corner," You say taking a look around your surroundings as Tom chuckles. "Let me see your outfits!" Rachel stares at you with a wide grin.

You laugh at her energy as you pass Tom the phone as he holds it up so that the both of you were on screen. Rachel gasps as she covers her mouth, "You guys look fucking amazing!" She squeals as you chuckle.

"Wait until you see the back of Y/n's dress," Tom lets out a whistle as you nudge him with a smile. "I can't wait to see! Oh wait, I think I see your car pulling up right now. See you soon!" She quickly says before hanging up.

Tom squeezes your thigh, his way of asking if you were alright without any words. You nod with a small smile. You arrived at the premiere and the flashlights coming from the cameras shone through the windows.

Tom steps out first before lending you his hand, aiding you as you get out of the car. He gives you an encouraging smile as you smile back at him. Everyone started screaming when they saw the two of you, causing you to smile even more.

His hand rested on the small of your back as the two of you were whisked into interviews. "Tom! It's so great to see you, we'd like to ask you a few questions if that is alright?" The woman smiles as she passes Tom a microphone.

"Of course!" Tom offers the man a smile. "What was your favourite things about filming this movie?" You stayed quiet as you look at Tom, giving him a smile. "Well, I was super grateful to be able to work with such incredible actors and actresses, Peter and Viola just to name a few, I really enjoyed the atmosphere on set, we were all like family," Your boyfriend answers.

You saw a lot of cameras pointed your directions so you wave and smile, "Would you like to explain to us and your fans who this beautiful girl is beside you Tom?" You snap your attention back to Tom and the woman. Tom smiles as you as you look at the woman. "I think you and everyone already have a pretty clear idea on who she is," Tom laughs as does the woman.

"This beautiful girl is my girlfriend. She's stuck with me during the whole filming of the movie and I'm so grateful that she's mine," He answers, his eyes not leaving yours as he pulls you closer to him. "He's just too sweet isn't he?" You chuckle at the camera making them laugh.

Tom presses a kiss on your cheek as you could feel your face heating up slightly. "You two are just too adorable! Thank you for your time, the woman smiles as Tom hands her back the microphone. "My pleasure," Tom gives her a final smile before the two of you are once again whisked into other interviews, where you would sometimes be included.

Then it was time to take pictures. Tom's hand never left yours as you both stood where they were taking the photos. Tom protectively places his hand on your waist as you both pose for the cameras. You were almost blinded by all the flashing and deaf from the shouting.

The string on the back of your dress suddenly became loose as you curse under your breath. Tom looks down at you before moving to stand in front of you in a protective manner to cover you from the cameras. "You okay?" He asks concerned. I look at him with a smile from his sweet gesture.

"The back of my dress came undone," He looks over your shoulder. He then pulls you into a hug as you were slightly taken back. You then feels his hands working on tying your dress back. You let out a chuckle as you rub his back.

The cameras directly in front of you were confused but the cameras by the side all awed at his actions. "There you go, darling," He kisses your cheek as he pulls back. You give him a grateful smile, "Thank you."

"Y/n! Tom!" You hear a feminine voice call out as Rachel and Josh make their way towards the two of you. "Hi!" You smiled, pulling Josh into a hug and then Rachel. "Oh you look stunning," Rachel holds your forearms as you couln't keep the smile of your face.

"Have you looked in a mirror? You look gorgeous Rach!" You pull her in for a second hug as you all laugh at something funny Josh had said as the four of you pose for a picture.

After the premiere, Rachel sent you so many links to nearly every single social media platform. There were a bunch of posts and tiktoks about what happened with your dress and how Tom helped you by hugging you.

You chuckle as you show Tom the posts and hundreds of tiktoks that had already been posted. "They love you," Tom chuckles, kissing your forehead as the two of you lay in each others embrace.

[surielstea]

Move Me, Baby

Eris Week, Day Seven: Free day

Pairing: Eris Vanserra x Fem!Reader (arranged marriage)

Summary: Reader and Eris slowly fall in love with both the music and each others movements, on the dance floor and off.

Warnings: Smut | minors dni | Beron being Beron | p in v | 18+ | creampie | begging | praise | suggestive | teasing/taunting

A. Note: Last Eris Week day, and it would not be a Surielstea Eris fic without a ballroom scene, so enjoy… ;)

3.9k words.

Eris has never felt this way before. This eagerness and anticipation. But this female, his betrothed, she was changing things, stirring up feelings that he had long since thought dead. Hope, being one of them.

He stood outside my door anxiously, silently pacing back and forth as he waited for the clock to strike seven, when he was supposed to be here. He hadn't meant to come so early, but his impatience got the better of him and suddenly he was dressed and ready and meandering towards my chambers.

I was unaware of the males presence just outside my room, too busy admiring myself in the mirror. The dress Eris had gifted me this morning was exquisite. Made of the smoothest silk, the deep green shimmering fabric catching the light as it moved like water— and when I put it on I looked as beautiful as an emerald.

The cut of the dress was beyond flattering, with a low neckline and form fitting bodice that hugged me in all the right places. The skirt of the dress was long and flowing into a train that blended from emerald to a glimmering gold.

I decorated myself in golden jewelry, adorning a few rings that paired well with my engagement ring.

I looked to the clock on the wall to see it a minute past seven, when a knock sounded at the door.

I smiled slightly and strides over to the door, I took a moment— making sure my hair was still neat and my painted lips weren't smudged for the umpteenth time. Then I swung open the door and was greeted with the Heir of Autumn.

Eris froze as soon as he saw me, his eyes drinking in every inch of me. His mind went quiet and his throat dried, he had always thought I was gorgeous but tonight I was downright devastating.

I noticed how he stared particularly long at my chest, his eyes roaming over my ample cleavage on display.

Finally, he looked to my eyes and sucked in a sharp breath, understanding that he had been caught.

"You're late, Vanserra," I say and he gives me one of his signature smirks that had my knees buckling. "What's your poor excuse?"

"I know, I know," He rolled his eyes at my chiding tone. "By all of one minute." He adds and I smile up at him. He reaches forward and brushes a strand of my hair behind my ear. "You look absolutely sinful," He said as I linked my arm with his.

I smile broadly. "I know," I sent him a wink and his smirk only widened.

We walked in silence towards the ballroom, but every now and then Eris would steal glances down at me and how perfectly the dress he chose for me hugged my dips and curves. He had never seen something so worthy of worship.

He wanted to be closer, linking arms wasn't enough, he needed more than friendly contact— but he had promised a night of dancing and sparkling wine, not a night in his bed, no matter how much he fantasized about the latter.

"Act like you're in love with me," I say through a tight lipped smile as two royal guards open the large wooden doors leading into the ballroom.

He momentarily wagers how brutal my glare would be if he rolled his eyes, but decided it best to place a hand on the small of my back, bare due to the low cut of my dress.

We strode into the ballroom as one, his protective grip on me claiming me off limits to any male who thought they were good enough for me. I ease into a graceful saunter, nodding my head at bowing guests and curtsying court members. My fae ears perked up at the sound of soft music playing from the live orchestra in the center of the ballroom, filling the large hall with notes and tunes of beauty. I would've lost myself in the sound of it if Eris hadn't guided me over to the dais, where his father and mother sat in their thrones— or rather throne, the Lady of Autumn was sat in a simple, cushioned chair instead.

Eris's mask of cold calculation slipped in place as his arm left my waist in favor of bowing to his parents formally. I do the same, curtsying with a feminine grace that took years of practice.

"Father," Eris rose from his position and I did so I few moments afterwards. "Mother," He nodded his head.

The High Lord gazed at me with a sickeningly honeyed expression, as he always did, and Eris's hand slipped back into mine protectively. The movement doesn't go past either of their notices, but while Beron narrowed his eyes, his wife smiled softly.

"Our newly weds," The Highlord purrs, his eyes taking me in with feline enthusiasm. "You look absolutely delectable tonight, my dear," He hums and I nod with a soft smile.

"Thank you, my lord," I will myself to sound polite and pray it doesn't come off as sarcasm. Eris's hand squeezes mine, relaxing me slightly.

"You are quite proper compared to the last lovers my son has taken into his bed," The high lord says and Eris stiffens.

"Father, I would appreciate it if we didn't discuss past partners while in the presence of my wife." Eris said with a terse voice.

'My wife.' He had said, the words still echoing off the walls of my mind as Beron replied, "Oh c'mon, boy. I'm only teasing, surely she isn't too bothered by it. Right my girl?" His cold gaze slides back to me and my back straightens under the weight of his gaze. I try not to cringe at the nickname and the possessiveness that came with it, but Eris made his distaste clear.

"I don't mind in the slightest, My Lord," I say with a soft voice, leaning into Eris's side, telling him it was all a ruse and I was fine, that even if I was upset I didn't need his protection. But I could still feel the heat rolling off of him, he was ready to pounce and shred into him like one of his smokehounds might.

"See? Shes a perfect little obedient wife, isn't she?" Beron arched a brow, directing all his attention at his son. I wanted to reassure Eris, to tell him his father was only saying all this because he knew that when he spoke of me it got under his skin the most, but that comment, it made my stomach knot and bile threaten at the back of my throat.

Beron smirks, satisfied at the level of discomfort he had breached in both of you. "She is perfect, yes. I would have no complaints." Eris said with a cool grace that I marveled at.

Berons smile widened with amusement, to my dismay. "You've got quite the grip on my son, girl," He hums. "Wrapped around his finger." Beron leans lazily back into his throne. Neither of us supply a retort, which seemed to invoke enough boredom for him to excuse us. "Well, off you go then. The guests have come to see that happy couple dance."

We bow in a synchronized motion once more before Eris whisks me away towards the dancing aristocrats, planting his hands on my hips and holding my back to his chest as he guided me through the grand hall, as far as he could get from his father.

"You didn't have to answer that, you know," He mutters beside my ear, his lowered voice sending a shiver down my exposed spine.

"Answer what?"

"What my father said. About me being with other lovers, you didn't have to agree with him." He clarifies and I frown, my brows bunching.

"I simply didn't see the point in starting an argument with the High Lord at a ball thrown in our honor," I supply, whirling around to face him, he was much closer than I was anticipating and I had to crane my neck to look up into his gold flecked amber eyes.

"I only meant that you didn't have to go along with his teasing, I can't imagine it's very amusing to think about your husband's past partners." Eris expressed.

"Why?" I tilt my head. "I don't have an issue with you being with women prior to me, we live long lives, I don't have any right to be upset about what's happened in the past." I say while mindlessly straightening his dark green suit jacket. He let out a strained sigh and I glanced up at him, a smirk pulling at my lips.

"Don't tell me you're jealous, Vanserra," I taunt and he scoffs, looking anywhere but my eyes.

"Please. I am not, that's laughable." He shakes his head.

"Really? So my past relationships don't affect you in the slightest?" I suggest with an arched brow.

He looks down at me, it was humiliating the way he towered above me. "No, I suppose you're right that it is jealousy. My perfect little obedient wife having a history of other males certainly does not please me." He retorted and I sneered at the recall of his father's description of me.

"You're almost too easy to rile up these days, My Lord," I grin devilishly up at him.

"Oh, you're pushing it Princess," his hands return to my hips. "If it's anything, it's the dress you're wearing that is riling me up." He stated amusedly and I smirk, not falling into the flustered haze he wanted me to.

"It's only a dress," I reply innocently. "One that may end up on the floor of our bedroom tonight if you play your cards right."

"Keep talking like that and I doubt this dress will even make it to the bedroom." He remarks and I curse myself for blushing, losing the little game we had been playing as a rush of heat washes down me.

"Is that a threat, or a promise?"

"Could be both, but I'd mark it as a warning."

"Careful now or we might find ourselves skipping this ball entirely." I grin at him mischievously.

"Is that such a bad thing? I'd much rather have you to myself than watch all these people gawk at you," He smugly says.

"We must dance at least once, first." I say with a knowing certainty, pulling him closer to the dance floor, towards the rising music that I could feel thrumming through my bones.

He lets out a low grumble but obliged anyways, and took my hand in his, his other on my waist. "Alright, one dance and then I will carry you back to our rooms if I have to." He said with a defeated sigh, his eyes roving over me as I pulled him onto the tiled floor, in the center, closest to the music.

"So impatient," I tease while placing a hand on the nape of his neck.

The music flows into a new song, and like clockwork Eris and I easily slip into a graceful waltz. It came like second nature, spinning and twirling beneath the warm lighting, the gold of my dress fanning out, the other dancers giving us a wide berth at the flowing fabric.

I was far too aware of the eyes that were on us, some stealing glances between turns, others outright staring. But my husband didn't seem affected, he was too caught up in my movements to comprehend the idea of anyone else. I flash him a wide smile as he twirls me, then pulls me into his chest with enough force to invoke my crashing into him.

The music ceases and we're met with our heavy breathing, his hands tightly on my hips. "We have danced," He stated with a puff of breath. "And now I am free to be as much of a selfish ass as I wish," He hummed, slipping his hand into mine and pulling me off the dance floor before the next song could start.

I let out a soft laugh as he steers me through the throng of court ladies attempting to get our attention that he ignored, and continued to lead me towards the door. "Calm down, your highness." I purr, squeezing his hand slightly. The use of the nickname made him pause, and he turned back to look at me. "We can't just ditch halfway through a ball that was set in motion for us," I explain.

"There's nothing left for us to do here, aside from me standing here, watching as the others stare at how ravishing you look tonight." He intoned and I flashed him a lovely, innocent smile.

"And that's such a bad thing?" I bat my lashes up at him and he smirks, taking a step towards me and closing the distance between us.

He leans in closer, his voice a rolling purr as he says, "You have no idea how incredibly torturous it is to watch every one here foam at the mouth over the sights of you in that dress"

"You're being dramatic." I scoff, looking at the crowd surrounding us who quickly averted their gazes. "The looks everyone was casting our way had little to do with me." I shrug and look back to the Heir.

"My fawn, do not go shy on me now. You look like an angel tonight." He shakes his head and turns away from me again, his hand still interlaced with mine as he pulls me through the large doors which the guards closed behind us, shutting the peering eyes of the crowd out.

"An angel, hm? Careful Vanserra you're starting to sound like you have some real feelings for me." I say, bumping into him playfully.

"My 'Real Feelings' for you would be on display the moment we walked into that ballroom if I wasn't worried about ruffling our people." He makes clear and I grin. Our people. I might have been from the winter court but he was fully prepared to share his lordship with me, as his high lady.

"Oh?" I glance up at him. "And what exactly do these 'Real Feelings' consist of?" I say while continuing the journey back to our chambers.

"Would you like a demonstration?" He suggests as we reach the doors of our suite.

"I've always been a visual learner." I retort, the flirtatious hum in my voice enough to send any male wild.

"You know exactly which buttons to push to drive me mad, don't you?" He asks while throwing open the door and following in after me.

"I don't hear you complaining." I shrug, my snarky attitude sending him into a spiral. He tightened his hold on my hand and pulled me back, pressing me into the door and pushing it shut with my weight.

"No, I'm certainly not complaining." His hand comes to my waist, and the click of the lock makes my ears perk up. "Quite the opposite actually," He confesses, leaning forward and pressing a claiming kiss just below my jawline, licking, sucking, and biting at my neck. I let out a soft sigh at the feeling of his lips on my skin.

"Eris," I murmur through a hushed moan.

"Yes, love?" He voices, the sound vibrating against my neck.

"You're moving too slow, I think you've been patient enough with me." I grumble, my hand slinking into his deep red hair and tugging on it slightly as he tortures a particularity sensitive spot just below my pulse point.

"You're going to be the end of me." He grumbles, his restraint slowly slipping from his grasp. "Do you have any idea what I want to do to you?"

"Enlighten me." I smirk with lustful eyes, a challenge.

"The list of things would take us days to get through, my dear." He admits and my core heats at the idea, a wicked grin on my lips.

"Good thing we've got nothing but time." I suggest.

"You're not making it easy for me to maintain my control." He grouses against my skin.

"Who says I want that?"

"You're toeing a dangerous line, pretty girl." He narrows his eyes on me, a cold smirk playing at his lips.

"There's no line, it's just a statement." I retort, my hand tugging at his hair while the other undoes the buttons of his shirt. "Right now there is nothing I want more than for you to lose control." I admit and his teeth brush over my neck as he grins wildly.

"Have it your way love." He grabs my hips and pulls me over to the bed, practically carrying me and settling me down onto the bed.

"Please." I press my thighs together, my hands fumbling to get his shirt off.

"What do you need?" He hummed, coming to hover over me, his muscled arm mmm flexing with the movement.

"You, I need you." I murmur as he dips down, his lips sealing over that same sensitive place on my neck, biting and kissing around it, forming a group of purple marks around the area.

"Oh yeah?" He purrs, his knee coming down to press in between my legs. I gasp, gripping the sheets beneath me as he allowed me to grind down on it, friction sparking up my spine.

"Yes, oh gods, yes I need you." I sigh, my head tilting back, giving him further access to my throat.

"And what do you need me to do to you, my pretty wife?" He asks and my mind reels with possibilities. A list, he said he had. I wanted every item on that list crossed off by the end of tonight.

"Eris I can't take it anymore, please," I writhe beneath him, biting into my lower lip to stop myself from pleading with him any further.

"Keep begging and I'll consider it." He drawls, his voice low and flooded with lust.

My breath hitched as I let out a soft, "Please." My head is heavy with need and my core thrummed. "Please take me right here, right now. Do whatever you want to me Eris just, please, I need you inside of me." I whimper, pathetic, that's what I was, and I'll be full of shame in the morning when I remember how needy I am, but right now the only thing I cared about was his touch.

A resounding tear sounded through the room and I gasped, looking down to see my dress falling from my frame. "I warned you what would happen to this dress if you kept your teasing up." He growled and I grinned, showing off all my teeth.

"I've never been too mindful of warnings." I utter, hands moving to the buckle of his pants as he kisses across my collar bone.

"I'm painfully aware." He grits through his teeth, holding back his groan as I palmed him through his pants.

He pulled back to look down at me, taking in every dip and curve of my body, his hands caressing over my waist and it felt like flames licking up my side. "Gods you're beautiful." He murmured, mostly to himself.

I revel in his touch, left only in my underwear before him. He helps me with the task of his pants, thrashing them off and discarding them onto the floor to join my ruined dress.

His hard length met my clothed cunt and I gasped, my hands forming into fists at the sudden stimulation.

"Eris, please," I whine, my brows furrowing with need. He smirks and in one fluid movement he's moving my panties down my thighs, revealing how wet I was, all for him. He grunts at the sight, his eyes losing any emotion except desire, lust.

His eyes trace the outline of my body as he leans down, his lips pressing to mine and I moan as his cock pressed into my aching folds. He takes the opportunity of my open mouth to slip his tongue in, exploring with it eagerly, flicking and curling it so skillfully that it made me wonder what it could do in other places.

"You sure about this, baby?" He panted into my mouth, his words ghosting across my raw lips.

I nod, fervent to please him, to feel him.

"Words beautiful, use your words," He whispered over my lips.

"Yes, Eris, please— I'm sure," I whimper and he grins, my words all he needed to hear before aligning his head with my entrance and pushing in.

I gasp at the stretch, my hips lifting and back arching in adjustment as he continues filling me, inch after inch, seeking new unfound levels of pleasure. I move my hands to his back, muscles shifting as he leans down.

His hips meet mine, fully sheathed inside of me. I look down at where we connect, my pulse picked up as he begins to move, and I watch, stare as he pulls out only to thrust back in, stretching me wide.

He continues his brutally slow pace, groaning and panting filling the room as I grow more and more used to the pain, slowly morphing into pleasure.

“Yes, Eris, yes,” I chant, shoving my head back into the pillows, eyes rolling back as he molds my elastic walls to his cock.

“You’re doing so well, such a good girl,” He praised, leaning over me and pressing a kiss to my cheek, his touch all too innocent as one of his hands comes up to grope my breast. His touch was smoldering and burning, but I delighted in it, for it was purely him and no one else could replicate the marks he left on my skin.

“Eris,” I whimper, his name the only thing my mouth could form, everything else was an incoherent moan. “Eris,” I repeat and I realize I was praying to a god willing to answer my every request.

“I know, I know,” He said over my skin, his warm voice like embers still crackling. “You going to come, my love?” He taunts, but I was too caught up in reaching my high to pick up on his teasing tone.

I nod frantically, scratching my nails down his back.

“Go ahead, come for me.” He implored and I let out a cry of pleasure as his thumb presses to my clit, the bundle of nerves sending shockwaves up my spine.

A wave of white hot ecstasy washed down my spine, staining my cheeks, warming me down to my very bone.

His climax was quick to follow, my clamping down on him beckoned him to barrel towards his peak, his release seeping into my most untouched places.

He co tinted to guide me through my high, slowly coming down. He leaned forward and placed a supple kiss to my sweat slick forehead. “You did so good, my dear,” He murmured into my skin as he slowly pulled out, grunting softly as I milked him for all he was worth.

“Come now, let’s get you cleaned up,” He gathered me into his arms and I smiled softly at the warmth and familiarity of his embrace. And I knew then, as I found comfort as he cradled me, that it was no longer just sex, but rather what I had been craving for years and hadn’t been able to name it. This intangible thing that I had always yearned for without realizing it, love, I loved him. I knew there was no return from this point on.

Eris Week Tag List: @adharanotfound @mp-littlebit @its-me-meg @olive-main @bookwormysblog @inurus @iwishiwasaprincess @randomgurl2326 @tigerlily00 @i-know-i-can @bubybubsters @booklover0318 @lalaluch @hallabongy @paintedbyshadows @ninthcircleofprythian @chasing-autumns-chill @deepestmentalitypersona @myromanempiree @rosewood-cafe @witchmoon10 @andreperez11

[finleycannotdraw]

yo, hi,

please rant about the use of colours/shots in dead boy detectives (if you want to), that would be amazing to read!

omg hell yeah i would love to. <3 buckle up everybody!

(there were some other people in the comments who wanted to hear more as well. for convenience's sake i'm going to keep it all in one post.)

I'm not going to talk about every single frame in the last post, because there are a lot, but I'll be sure to touch on all of the ones that have a good amount of depth beyond the dramatic lighting. (sorry, Angie shot.)

...this is going to get long.

so first, this one:

With Edwin's brown coat, Niko's green coat, the brown bushes in between them, and the trees behind Edwin, this shot is cohesive and satisfying. I drew the orange lines to sort of illustrate how your eye moves across the frame; the line of eye contact, the tree branch (dashed lines) almost parallel to that, the sidewalk/grass line, and the lapels/shadows/folds of their jackets all form a general diagonal streamlined snapshot. Then the black post behind Niko, the tree between them, and the tree trunk behind Edwin continue to divide the frame vertically and add to the additional invisible "line" created by their height difference. Finally, the sky behind Niko, as well as her hair, contrast heavily and very well with the darker colors of the tree behind Edwin, though there is still white on his side (the building) and brown on hers (tree branches). If you were to take a single diagonal line from the bottom left corner to the top right, you would get two incredibly distinctly colored sections, but they complement each other so well.

This whole scene is gorgeous because of the pale sky and water up against Niko's hair and the brown tree trunks with Edwin's jacket, but I also love it because it's so simply colored. We have the classic blue+orange color dynamic, but diluted down to very pale blue and very dark brown. This shot specifically features Edwin focused at the center (the blue lines show that he is standing mostly straight up, while the trees on the borders of the frame are all leaning inwards), with Niko crouched down to fit with the shape of the hillside (orange) AND the silhouetted rocks in the foreground. Then the hillside, the shadow on the water, the general cutoff of the tree branches, and the island in the distance (purple) frame the two of them in the middle without making a Point of it. It looks very natural, especially with the dark shadows around the border of the frame. (personally sort of brings to mind Wanderer Above The Sea of Fog).

I don't think I need to add any annotations to this one. The lighting is sharp and so are the shadows. The fog and the shine on the water, his hair, and the collar of his coat are starkly lit, while everything else, including his face, is deeply shadowed. Plus it's all an ominous, murky green. It's almost the opposite of Lilith coming out of her blood-red ocean. 10/10 frame, I have no words.

I gasped the first time I saw this shot. There are so many vertical lines (orange), which make the space feel thinner: the spike, the bulletin board(?) on the far left, both doorframes, the edges of the table and boxes, the tile on the wall on the right, Maxine herself... and then there are the diagonal lines, all sort of spreading out from Maxine, which includes the table edge, the shadows, and the wall tiles again. Then there's the fact that it's all so dark, but not quite pitch black. Once again we have a green/orange combo, and the light behind Maxine being so small in the whole frame makes it very effectively claustrophobic. We also never saw her enter this room from behind, which elevates her as threatening, because the camera work makes it seem as though we, the audience, are backing away from her as she enters, and then hiding from her as well. While I am devastated by the lack of a sapphic romance arc, I have to say I was blown away by the production of this scene.

I love this one because they're arranged so neatly around the book. I didn't draw a curve over their heads, but it's easy to visualize by following Monty's hairline up to Edwin's, and then Edwin's down to Charles' down to Crystal's. The height order is perfect. Then there's the black-brown-black-brown of Monty's jacket, Edwin's jacket, Charles' jacket, and Crystal's hair. The book itself helps frame their faces (diagonal blue lines), and their clothes fall into uniform with the vertical trees behind them, creating a satisfying, natural, unobtrusive background. This is definitely more visually appealing than a shot of them leaning over and looking down at the book/camera. It's also broken up very nicely by the greenery. Plus, none of their faces are shown from the same angle! Refreshing!

Poor Monty :( but hey, he gets a really awesome shot here! We're back to orange+blue, and the angle of this shot makes it look like the vertical trees behind him are positioned diagonally (orange) to follow the dark blue shadow behind his head. We also get two light sources: one of them is the moon, and the other one comes from the same place as the music. The moonlight (blue) sort of encircles his head and cuts off at the line of trees about halfway across the frame. Both the back of his hair and the far side of his face are illuminated, which is very effective in terms of bringing him into the foreground and making him the focus of the shot even though he's not in the middle of the frame. It's also balanced nicely by having background detail on the left, with the orange trees, but not on the right, where there's nothing but dark blue behind Monty. This is also a great shot when it comes to his hair and jacket, because the jacket is used to add to the framing of his face with the dark blue background, and his dark brown hair is lit sparingly, which ties in the left side of the frame.

Like the frame with Maxine, this one has a lot of shadow and a little bit of light, and again works with an orange/blue (or teal, really) color scheme, but this one is much friendlier. The windows are larger than the doorframe and Charles isn't actually blocking the light the way Maxine did. Instead, he's illuminated from the right by Edwin's orange lantern, and the shot is balanced by highlights (blue) that stop it from becoming cramped and stressful. There are stable vertical lines (purple) and rafters and shadows spreading out from the center (orange). Charles, though he is blocking the window, is wearing a white tank top, and his skin takes on the warmth from the lantern, so he's not in silhouette and he blends very nicely with the scene. I love that he's not at the center of the shot, but instead framed almost perfectly in the right window. (Another thing I love about this show is that the characters almost always interrupt the continuity of the background even when they're positioned to be framed by it. It makes the scenes feel much more natural even while they continue to be gorgeously directed from an artistic/stylistic point of view.)

This is one of the simpler ones, but it's perfect. The Night Nurse's hair and vest are the same brownish orange, and her shirt is the same as the walls, sticking with our tried and true brown/green (easy variation on orange/blue) color scheme. She is framed in the blackness of the doorway, but once again interrupts the white doorframe on the left side. Even the lamp and the board (?) on either side of the frame fill the negative space in a natural way. Also, the vertical lines of the board, doorframe, door, and lamp aren't perfectly spaced apart, which makes the whole shot feel more down-to-earth.

There is so much going on in this shot. The beams of light (orange) are emanating from behind Edwin in a shape sort of reminiscent of wings. The angles of light/shadow and the immediately obvious position of some of the mirrors (blue) also spreads out from behind him, reinforcing the wing imagery and focus. The background is lighter than the floor, and Edwin's clothes blend in with the floor and the reflecting highlights (green) in the mirrors. It's all balanced by shadows (purple), which aren't so much shadows as they are dark-colored mirrors and the blood on Edwin's face. This shot is an unsettling combination of chaos and order, increased by the strange phenomena of mirrors endlessly reflecting into each other, especially since Edwin doesn't show up in any of them. You'd expect him to look out of place, and he mostly does, but there's just enough immediate immersion with the color scheme and light angles to make him fit perfectly. And he wouldn't fit in this shot nearly as well if he were wearing his usual clothes. It's such a good way to introduce Despair. I love this scene.

Now I needed to include these two next to each other, because they're. They're the same scene. Maren is on the porch looking down at Crystal and the boys, but the color schemes and blocking are so starkly different. Maren is wearing black, and the house is washed-out yellow and maroon, both unfriendly colors in this scene. The windows all show the gray reflections of the dead tree instead of even a glimpse inside the house, immediately showing that Maren is hiding something. Then in the shot with Crystal and the boys, they're positioned behind her on the path. Edwin is next to the brown gate and gray stones, and Charles is sort of shadowing Crystal and framed by the green bushes. Crystal's shirt is flower-patterned to match the pink petals on the ground, and her red hair and purple jacket make the whole shot more vibrant and friendly-looking than Maren's, even though Maren is supposedly the one being helpful/friendly/hospitable. The first time I watched this episode I knew I couldn't trust Maren as soon as I saw her standing on her front porch. This scene is, as Charles would say, brills.

Okay, last one, I have to stop somewhere. (I have so many more. I have. SO many more. that i could talk about. but this post is so long already). There are three windows, evenly spaced, white light and curtains framed in them. Charles is in nearly full silhouette as he opens that chest; his head and the lid of the chest intersect with the vertical window frame, and his arm runs parallel to the middle bar. He also blocks a good portion of the leftmost window, while Edwin stands in front of the one on the right. He's fully framed by the window and standing farther back than Charles, not quite silhouetted but still very dark compared to the background. When he ducks down to inspect the cabinet, his head ends up in front of the wall between the two windows. This whole scene is an excellent display of blocking/framing/lighting, just in terms of where they end up holding any given position while they talk. Once again, there's nothing artificial or manufactured about their blocking. These aren't statement shots (all film projects have a few Really Good Shots, but they're often at extremely important, pivotal, or emotional times, instead of spread out through the storyline.), which makes them even better.

I might have to make another post and include shots with Jenny, the sprites, the Cat King, Esther, and more landscape shots. There is no shortage of stunning frames and scenes, and there's no reason not to dive into the production and hidden meanings.

TL;DR: this show is an ARTISTIC MASTERPIECE. Please watch it. :)

[broodwolf221]

I love your writing and meta so much and have burned through most of your fic already, so I trust your judgment! Do you have fic recs I should check out? Thanks in advance!

oh no i cry 😭 pls this is so sweet.....

gotta start with the recent gift i got from arlathan exchange bc it is soooo good! sweater has a gorgeous, vivid writing style that i really enjoy. this one is spicy! 🔥but seriously her writing is just So Good? i love the way they set scene and tone

hunger by @fadedsweater / sweaterghost on ao3

In the moonlit dark of Mythal's palace there is a hunger that rumbles beneath the sprawling marble floors and shakes the foundation of each gilded pillar. It is a hunger that spreads like smoke and burns like fire. Solas has known this hunger for a long, long time. Solas visits Mythal’s court, intent to sway her from her current warpath. Meanwhile, Mythal can't help but notice that he has gone far too long without feeding. Ancient Arlathan, but with vampires.

my friend jazz has been getting into da and they've written so much lovely stuff for it, always with really excellent characterization and fascinating premises. one of my personal favs from their writing is this exploration of cole and vivienne's relationship

wellspring by @jazzmckay / desiredemon on ao3

Long ago, Cole promised, "I can protect you. If templars come for you, I will kill them." Vivienne never expected such a thing to ever take place.

i still need to finish this one and this is a nice reminder to get on that, but this writer has an extraordinary style and their handling of solas is so good?? i'm in awe tbh. seriously beautiful writing.

though my language is dead (still the shapes fill my head) by @darethshirl / mafalda_157 on ao3

She gazed up at him, silent and calm, green eyes unblinking. Outwardly she was the very image of tranquility, her expression as unmoving as the surface of a vast clear lake. If any thoughts or emotions lurked somewhere in those depths there was no way to tell. - This veiled world will always feel muted. Still, Solas tries his best to communicate.

another spicy one, but playwithdinos has suchhhh a vivid style and there's just something so lovely and profound about it. my first introduction to her writing is this one, and her depiction of solas is fascinating i love it.

the switch by @playwithdinos / @dinoswrites / playswithdinos on ao3

Lavellan usually lets Solas take charge when they're alone, but she's back from slaying the Fereldan Frostback and she's not in the mood to bow to anyone. Fill for this kink meme prompt: http://dragonage-kink.livejournal.com/13696.html?thread=53207680

anddd another spicy one (anyone else sensing a theme here?), this writer is... wow. wish i knew their tumblr if they have one so they can know i'm gushing about them beyond my comment. this is a delightfully messy and complex examination of how solas/andruil/ghilan'nain might happen, and i'm absolutely enthralled by the characterization of andruil and ghilan'nain here - and solas as well!

Power, Intrigue, Danger and Sex by Hezjena on ao3

When Solas later recalled the evening, he liked to imagine it was the result of careful manipulation, a triumph of his skilled diplomacy and a delicious trickery where he allowed himself to be underestimated… rather than the result of too much ice wine and morbid curiosity. *** That time Solas accidentally-on-purpose has a threesome with Andruil and Ghilan’nain in Ancient Elvhenan.

okay, rosie's writing is So Good? i'm always super impressed by how she describes scenes and also just... the layers. seriously. the foreshadowing is always amazing. her handling of solas is sooo good and also? an extraordinary artist? too powerful tbh <3

In the Blue Morning by @rosieofcorona / rosieofcorona on ao3

He wants to stay like this forever, wants the sun to forget to rise, wants the castle to sleep and sleep in an endless dream. But the light keeps coming, every moment. The castle will wake, and they will see. And this will cost them, in the end.

i could so easily keep going tbh but this is already getting long and i might've passed the @'ing limit already lmao

[petrichor-idyllic]

2. Reader and Minho liked each other but noone had time to explore the feelings. But when Minho gets back from that night with Thomas in the maze the reader is so happy hes still alive and there is some tension building up...later on the keepers meeting (book scene) where Minho is a total hottie and says the most iconic stuff as usual reader cant help herself and once the meeting is over she suddenly kisses him.

This is a request from an anonymous user that asked for two in one, so I've had to separate them, and I'm bad at tumblr, but I'll post them at the same time to make them easier to find.

I actually whipped my copy of the book out to pull direct quotes from it. This was effort. Also, yes I know Chuck isn't there because he's the one that tells them about Alby, but this isn't here for accuracy points (I may or may not have also written the whole thing before noticing this myself but shhhh)

BEYOND THE OTHER SIDE

MASTERLIST | MINHO MASTERLIST

SUMMARY: See above. Book based fic. Fem!Reader.

WARNINGS: Inappropriate language, some suggestive themes but under spice because of one slightly heated make out session.

"You're still here?" You don't even bother looking up to see that it's Newt. You're sat in front of the Doors with your legs crossed, Chuck using your thigh as a pillow as you told the boy to get some sleep, even if he refused to leave your side.

"What does it look like?" The British boy sighs, rubbing your shoulder.

"You know they're not coming back, right?"

You shoot him a glare, "Don't say that- if anyone can survive out there, it's Minho."

The last twenty-four hours have been a blur. First, Minho found a 'dead' Griever, resulting in a expedition for him and Alby to go check it out.

As far as you can tell, that thing definitely wasn't dead. That much was obvious when Minho came around the corner carrying an unconscious Alby.

Every part of your body was screaming to go in there and save them- help them- anything you could think of.

But Thomas beat you to it.

It had been a weird enough week as it was with another girl showing up a day after Thomas and the Box refusing to go back down, but this was definitely the hardest blow.

Now three of them, two of the most important people in the Glade, were stuck out there.

You would be lying if you weren't playing favourites.

You and Minho have an interesting relationship, to say the least. He helped you out when you first showed up in the Box. He taught you how to defend yourself and did a good job at keeping the other boys away from you. He's surprisingly emotionally intelligent and offers an understanding to your feelings of isolation that the other Gladers can't seem to grasp. It doesn't help that he's gorgeous and kind of funny.

All of this resulting in you crushing on him. Hard.

And the feeling is mutual.

And you both know it.

After a drunken confession (and make-out session) during one of the Bonfire nights, you both decided to just be friends. After all, maintaining a relationship in the Glade isn't an easy task, and it's key for Minho to focus on his work above everything.

So, you've both been pushing your feelings for each other down in favour of the greater good.

The sexual tension has been killing you, and him, especially when you've had a bit too much to drink and he keeps looking at you like that.

But this is painful. He's gone. He could be dead and you'd never see him again. Never having fulfilled your promises of a relationship once you both escape.

You've been sitting there all night. Both you and Chuck. Chuck for Thomas, you for Minho. Some early risers sent you both sympathetic glances but it just made you angrier.

You don't need their pity. They're going to be okay. They have to be okay- he has to be.

The rumbling of the Doors startles you, even though you've been expecting it since you sat down.

"Chuck," you lightly shake the boy, causing him to stir from his slumber, "Chuck, wake up. The Doors are opening."

He's groggy, but still eagerly awakes, pulling himself off of you and allowing you to stand up.

Gladers start to gather around as the giant stone entrance prepares itself to settle for the day. You, Chuck and Newt stand at the front of the crowd, Newt's hand still lingering on your shoulder in preparation to comfort you. The blond is far more realistic than you, but he still doesn't want to watch you crumble when the hope fades.

He knows your and Minho's relationship better than anyone else. He hears about it from both sides pretty much daily.

The Doors open painfully slow, almost like they're mocking you.

It reveals an empty corridor. Your jaw tenses, and you ball your fists, trying not to let your emotions take over as you look at the floor. Newt rubs your shoulder, and you can see Chuck anxiously looking at you from the corner of your eye.

It's like all the Gladers hold their breath, waiting to see your response.

But you don't get the chance to.

"No shuckin' way," your eyes flicker up to Newt, who is staring straight ahead. You follow his gaze, watching as Minho and Thomas stumble down the stretch of concrete.

"Minho!" Your voice is scratchy and you lose all care for the rules. Rushing forward, the Runner seems to be in far better condition than the Greenie, who looks like he's seen the Devil himself.

Your feet move beneath you, diving into Minho's arms. "Woah, easy, girly," he scoffs, but his muscular arms come around you. The hug is tight and full of enough emotion to show you how terrified he was.

He's alive. Oh my God, he's alive.

"Uh, this is sweet and all, but we need to get Alby down," Thomas interrupts. You pull away from Minho.

"He's still alive?"

"He better shuckin' be," Minho sounds like he's had quite the night. "Where even is he?"

"Come on- help us!" Thimas rushes to the wall by the Doors. To your surprise, Alby is strung several feet above the air, tangled to the wall with Ivy.

"How the..." You meet Newt's equal look of disbelief, but you all get to work helping your Leader down.

Thomas and Minho basically pass out the second they get to the Med-jack's hut. You let them. The next day is about to be interesting and they both need to rest.

The Gladers are already thinking about what this all means and with the revelation that Thomas had somehow killed THREE Grievers, the Glade is in some kind of uproar.

Some people are worshipping the ground that he walks on, and others want him burned at the stake. Gally is the chancellor of the latter crowd.

Alby's got the serum, so there's a ray of hope yet. But Thomas broke the rules.

Obviously, you're of the belief that Thomas has done a good thing. Alby and Minho might not have survived if it weren't for him- how could he possibly be punished for all of this?

Thankfully, that seems to be the majority opinion. But with Newt in charge and a hatred of the poor constructed democracy of the Glade, it's hard to say what will happen.

Which is why when it came to the Gathering regarding Thomas's existence in the Glade, you're stood right outside with Chuck, not so subtly eavesdropping in.

Nearly all of the Keepers came up in a group together- "veterans" as they call themselves. So, there's not much chance of you becoming a Keeper. But now you wish you were.

"What do you think they're-?"

"Shh, Chuck," you snap at the boy, hushing him as you try to make out something audible enough to gain information from.

The general chattering seems to be pretty pointless. It's just people saying the same shit everyone's been saying since the trio returned.

It doesn't take long for silence to settle, and for Newt to give the introductory speech that he is no doubt rolling his eyes about. The Keepers each take it in turn to state their opinions, thankfully most of them siding with Thomas.

Gally then has about a forty page essay on how Thomas is the spawn of Satan until Newt finally speaks again, "With no more words from Gally- go ahead, last but not least."

Minho's distinct voice fills the room. "I was out there; I saw what this guy did- he stayed strong while I turned into a panty-wearin' chicken. No blabbin' on and on like Gally. I want to say my recommendation and be done with it."

"Good that," Newt almost seems relived. "Tell us then."

"I nominate this shank to replace me as Keeper of the Runners."

You and Chuck look at each other as silence consumes the inside of the room. Both of you wear expressions of disbelief, looking at one another to assure that you actually heard that correctly.

Unsurprisingly, Gally spoke first, screaming about how Minho should lose his spot on the Council for even suggesting such a thing.

Then chaos erupts as Newt desperately tries to calm down the boys.

"Shuck it," you really do pity Newt. He somehow got swept into everyone's bullshit and the man just wants to grow his plants. "I've never seen so many shanks acting like tit-suckin' babies. We may not look it, but around these parts we're adults. Act like it or we'll disband this bloody Council and start from scratch." A beat skips as Newt seems to compose himself, "Are we clear?"

The quiet from beyond the door tells you that they've all gotten the hint.

"Good that." Newt continues, before he seems to address Minho. "That's some pretty serious klunk, brother. Sorry, but you need to talk it up to move it forward."

You and Chuck exchange another round of stunned glances. Newt's actually considering this?

There's no way. This isn't adding up. Minho would never give up his job- he's too good at it. And you've seen him injured and on prescribed rest. He hates it. The boy can't sit still for two seconds, even when he is in the Glade. If he were to just become a normal Runner, Minho would still be far too overqualified for the gig.

"It's easy for you shanks to sit here and talk about something you're stupid on. I'm the only Runner in this group and the only other one here who's even been out in the Maze is Newt." Minho sounds frustrated and still tired.

A bad mix, to be sure.

So, of course, Gally has to open his mouth. "Not if you count the time I-"

"I don't!" Minho shouts suddenly, making Chuck jump away from the door, but you don't move. Minho's playing a game here- you just know he is.

"And believe me, you or nobody else has the slightest clue what it's like to be out there. The only reason you were stung is because you broke the same rule you're blaming Thomas for. That's called hypocrisy, you shuck-faced piece of-"

"Enough," you're actually kind of disappointed Newt shut him down. It's about time someone shouted at Gally and just hearing Minho do it is making you feel some kind of way. "Defend your proposal and be done with it."

Minho takes a second before picking up again.

"Anyway, listen to me. I've never seen anything like it. He didn't panic. He didn't whine and cry, never seemed scared. Dude, he'd been here for just a few days. Think about what we were all like in the beginning. Huddling in corners, disoriented, crying every hour, not trusting anybody, refusing to do anything. We were all like that, for weeks or months, 'till we had no choice but to shuck it up and live. Just a few days after this guy shows up, he steps out in the Maze to save two shanks he hardly knows. All this klunk about him breaking a rule is just beyond stupid. He didn't get the rules yet. But plenty of people had told him what it's like in the Maze, especially at night. And he still stepped out there, just as the Door was closing, only caring that two people needed help."

You don't think you've ever heard Minho be this passionate about anything. It's definitely only adding to your liking of him, and hearing him agree with you with such determination is making your heart rate increase.

"But that was just the beginning. After that, he saw me give up on Alby, leave him for dead. And I was the veteran- the one with all the experience and knowledge. So when Thomas saw me give up, he shouldn't have questioned it. But he did. Think about the willpower and strength it took to push Alby up that wall, centimetre by centimetre. It's psycho. It's freaking crazy."

He seems to take a breath before continuing even further.

"But that wasn't it. Then came the Grievers. I told Thomas we had to split up and I started the practised evasive manoeuvers, running in the patterns. Thomas, when he should've been wettin' his pants, took control, defied all laws of physics and gravity to get Alby up onto that wall, diverted the Grievers away from him, beat one off, found-"

"We get the point," Gally stops, halting Minho's actually quite enthralling retelling of the events. "Tommy here is a lucky shank."

"No," Minho sounds completely furious, "you worthless shuck, you don't get it! I've been here two years, and I've never seen anything like it. For you to say anything..." He trails off, followed by a loud groan of frustration.

You feel angry for him. He's right, you don't get it- you've never had to experience the horrors of the Maze and Minho does it literally every single day. How can Gally even think he has a leg to stand on?

"Gally," he's suddenly scarily calm, "you're nothing but a sissy who has never, not once, asked to be a Runner or tried out for it. You don't have the right to talk about things you don't understand. So shut your mouth."

"Say one more thing like that," you can imagine spit flying from Gally's mouth as he throws the words at your future boyfriend, "and I'll break your neck, right here in front of everyone."

"Great," Chuck mumbles, "we're already at death threats." You shush him again.

Minho laughs.

A sound that sends shivers down your spine. Probably because you can tell what's about to happen.

There's a loud slapping sound. It's followed by the noises of chairs crashing and breaking and several loud, incoherent shouts.

"I swear, Gally," Minho's voice rings above the commotion, "don't ever threaten me again. Don't ever speak to me again. Ever. If you do, I'll break your shuck neck, right after I'm done with your arms and legs."

Damn.

That was hot.

Should that be hot? Do you have some interesting problems?

Probably, yes, but that can he dealt with at a later date.

"Holy shit," you murmur, Chuck humming in shocked agreement.

There's a lot more shuffling and arguing, but unfortunately, Gally decides to talk even more.

"Things are different now. You shouldn't have done that, Minho. You should not have done that. I know you hate me, that you've always hated me. You should be Banished for your embarrassing inability to lead this group." You're assuming that this is directed at Newt. "You're shameful, and any one of you who stays here is no better. Things are going to change. This I promise."

Well, that's... ominous.

"And you, the Greenbean who thinks he's friggin' God. Don't forget I've seen you before- I've been through the Changing. What these guys decide doesn't mean jack. Whatever you came for- I swear on my life I'm gonna stop it. Kill you if I have to."

You're quick to grab Chuck, yanking him towards you and out of the way of the door which flies open. Gally looks shook up, clearly Minho did more than just shout at him from his dishevelled clothing and red face. He doesn't even glance at you as he slams the door behind him.

He storms off, leaving you and Chuck to, once again, exchange glances before shrugging it off and returning to your original positions.

The discourse continues, mainly about Gally and the Changing and what it all means, with Frypan pointing out that the guy has obviously lost his mind.

The structure falls apart pretty quick. Newt giving up completely as he makes Thomas speak his piece.

Newt finally makes his judgement.

"Here's my recommendation. You broke our bloody Number One Rule, so you get one day in the Slammer. That's your punishment. I also elect you as a Runner, effective the second this meeting's over. You've proven more in one night than most trainees do in weeks. As for you being the buggin' Keeper, forget it. Gally was right on that count- stupid idea."

You know Minho's playing a game when he argues this. "Why? He's the best we have- I swear it. The best should be the Keeper."

"Fine," Newt just wants to leave at this point, "if that's true, we'll make the change later. Give it a month and see if he proves himself."

"Good that." Minho sounds completely unfazed, almost expectant of this outcome.

The vote commences with everyone agreeing to Newt's terms; even with some queries from Winston. Newt agrees to the proposal of another Gathering if shit hits the fan.

You pull Chuck out of the way again as the door flies open, most of the Keepers in a hurry to leave. Both of you flash them some slightly suspicious, sheepish smiles because you couldn't get away quick enough to play it off.

Thomas and Minho head out, leaving Newt in the Gathering room but they continue talking in the doorway.

"Keeper?" Thomas questions, yet to notice you. "You want me to be a Keeper? You're nuttier than Gally by a long shot."

Minho fakes an evil grin. "Worked didn't it? Aim high, hit low." He playfully nudges Thomas, "Thank me later."

Thomas notices Chuck, looking between you and the boy, who speaks. "That sounded like a real klunk show."

Thomas scoffs, playfully shoving the younger kid.

Jeff suddenly comes running over, stuttering over something about Alby wanting to talk to Thomas, which peaks Newt's attention, and he shoots out of the room, grabbing Thomas and dragging them in the direction of Alby. Chuck follows, probably to take part in some more eavesdropping.

You're definitely not the best influence.

"That was quite the trick, Keeper," you exaggerate the 'Keeper', causing Minho to grin at you as you casually lean against the wall, finally gaining his attention.

"You're one to talk- you could get time in the Slammer for listening in on private affairs."

"You knew I was here?"

"'Course I did- I always know where you are. Can't afford not to." You roll your eyes. Of course, he noticed you were there- he's too perceptive not to.

You take a moment to admire him. Despite getting in a fight and shouting his lungs out, Minho looks as perfect as always. And the things he said and how he acted so in control and determined makes you pull your bottom lip between your teeth.

"What?" His voice becomes considerably lower. "You know you can't look at me like-"

In an instant, you stand up straight, grabbing his shirt with some force and yanking him towards you. He makes no effort to protest as you press your lips against his.

It's just a peck, but you're now very aware that this breaks the set of boundaries you'd both set.

"Shit," you whisper, "fuck, I forgot."

He lets out a low chuckle that almost has you squeezing your legs together. "You know, when I was out in the Maze, all I could think about was you."

Your heart skips a beat, "Yeah?"

"Yeah, I just- I have everything I want right in front of me, and I didn't wanna shuck it up. But it took me nearly dying to realise I don't care anymore. This is dumb. I want you- and I can have you. Why wait?"

Your foreheads touch as his words bring tou closer together, noses touching, his eyes fixed on your lips.

"Why are you still waiting then?" That's all the confirmation he needs to ignite the kiss again. He pushes against you, your hands diving into his hair and humming into his mouth as you hit the wall behind you.

He effortlessly holds you in place, pushing his knee between your legs, hands holding your waist. Your lips dance against each other, tongues brushing just in the slightest, showing one another your wants but without taking things too far in such an open place.

"(Y/N)?" He breaks the kiss, panting more than he does after working all day.

"Yeah?"

"Do you, uh, do you wanna be my girlfriend?"

You scoff, taking him by surprise before pecking his lips once again.

"Yes, shucking obviously- I thought you'd never ask."

Wooo, finally finished this piece. It took me a hot minute but here it is. Sorry for any errors or anything, I've not reread it because it is very late but I just had to get this out.

Hope you guys enjoy :)

[freakshowtwopointoh]

the 'just watch me drive' bit gets me every time and I can't stop giggling but then it made my mind remember that movie I saw 'babydriver' and now I'm just thinking of au jordan in those scenes as a getaway driver for their wild group of friends who are all linked in some way to criminal activity with each using their powers and skillsets to get the group as a whole rich beyond belief and now I have a mighty need for this au and the chaotic adventures.

FUCKING SAME DUDE I CANT KEEP FROM GIGGLING EVERY TIME

omg that's iconic

esp bc i defo think jordan loves to drive. also i love babydriver its amazing. brain go brrrrrrrrrrr sorry not sorry

fjsdklfajk just add tthis to my list of aus

Jordan didn't outwardly complain when Brink brought new people into the fold, but they were never pleased about it either. The more people in the know, the more possible problems down the line.

At this point in the game, the others picked up on their wariness about newcomers and would not stop teasing them about it. Andre had actually created a bingo sheet of 'Jordan fucks with the newbie'. When Emma was brought on, they got a bingo in under three hours.

So when Brink told the team that he found a new recruit, Jordan ensured they kept their eyes forward, ignoring the reactions of their friends behind them.

"Alright, alright. Look - her power is weird but it's especially critical to this upcoming mission so please, don't scare her away."

Jordan forced themself not to roll their eyes - they never scared anyone away. People just couldn't handle them. There's a difference. But then Brink gave Sam a very pointed look, and they had to stifle a smile. They had forgotten about that... incident.

The metal door creaked open and in walked probably one of the most gorgeous people Jordan had ever seen. Big brown eyes, full lips, gorgeous deep skin, and long locs pulled back into a ponytail.

"Everyone, this is Marie."

Fuck. Jordan was fucked.

---

Marie was skeptical when Victoria told her about this new job. Multiple missions, little-to-no information about the group or the jobs. Just - do what these people tell you for the next few weeks, months, or even years, and then her and her sister would be set for life. To be fair, that is the deal that Victoria gave her initially when she caught her stealing on the job, but still. At least she had known Victoria for a few months beforehand. She's never met any of these people, and now she has to play nice? She just had to stay focused on Annabeth. If she could find them a good, stable place to stay...

So she went, pocketknife in tow, trench coat on, prepared for pretty much anyone when she walked into the cold conference room. Sitting around a large table were six people about her age, and the only other person in the room was a much older man with white hair and a beard. Marie presumed he was the head of whatever kind of ragtag criminal organization this was. This was confirmed when he introduced her.

"Everyone, this is Marie." She gave a small wave and the others introduced themselves. Andre, a black man with short hair and a relaxed posture, Luke, a tan blond man who looked like he had walked out of a Gap catalog, Cate, a thin and pale preppy blonde girl with piercing blue eyes, Emma, a bubbly white girl with short blonde hair, Sam, a pale muscular man with curly brown hair and puppy dog eyes, and Jordan, a small Asian girl with headphones in who seemed to have a permanent frown on her admittedly very pretty face. The leader went by "Brink", and she was sure there were a plethora of shitty puns she could come up with if he wasn't her boss. She took a seat in between Jordan and Sam, knowing Brink would likely want to begin quickly.

Taking in the group, it was clear whatever they were doing paid well. She wasn't well-versed in designer brands but the few she did recognize were scattered throughout the group.

---

The mission seemed simple enough, once Brink explained the details, but it was clear he was holding things back. Mainly because he hadn't mentioned the newbie's powers or why they needed her. I mean she was unassuming, but weren't they all? Jordan was halfway tempted to corner Brink and demand answers, but they knew they wouldn't get any information out of him he didn't want to give.

[loonarii]

my 5 favourite k-pop music videos <3

I love music videos, and in k-pop there are a lot of mildy shitty ones, but there are also some amazing ones that are just as iconic as they are aesthetically pleasing. Obviously budget will come into play here, so big 4 groups will be more prevalent on this list, but I tried to be as fair as possible, within reason. Also, I'm a girl group stan, so don't expect many boy groups. Obviously I will forget some, but maybe I'll make a part two, and you are very welcome to leave your fave mvs in the rbs or comments. This list is in no particular order, lets gaur

1. 'Feel Special' - TWICE (JYP Ent.)

This music video inspired this list, and for good reason. 'Feel Special' is in my opinion, the epitome of Twice, as they stand today. It encapsulates their more mature concept post 'Yes Or Yes', but it doesn't alienate their debut cuter concept, it rather welcomes it with open arms and celebrates it as a part of Twice's history, something their newer releases occasionally struggle with. Visually its a feast, its decadent and lavish, and positively gorgeous. Each member has her own movie-esque set, employing various genres and aesthetics, and then the members unite in the most glittery set ever concieved, the gold contrasting their raspberry and champagne outfits magnificently, while also referencing the group's official colours, as seen on their lightstick. The whole video is cinematic and opulent, and every detail, down to Sana's dip died pink hair, and Nayeon's stunning ginger curls which I wish she would bring back, is flawless. The only gripe I have is Chaeyoung's unblended foundation in her solo scene, but hey, we aren't all be perfect. My favourite scenes in this video are the afor-mentioned glittery golden arches group scene, as well as Jihyo's rainbow vintage television scene, that was surprisingly ahead of its time in terms of its retro aesthetics. It's a must-watch music video for the history books, and it's Twice's best song too - it deserves no less.

2. 'Why Not?' - LOONA (BlockBerry Creative - ew)

Note: If you would like to watch this m/v, please stream it from a non official yt channel, in accordance with the boycott. They will usually be marked with 'Boycott Ver.' in the title or something similar.

Loona has a lot of amazing music videos in their arsenal, but 'Why Not?' goes above and beyond. It's one of the most visually striking music videos I have ever seen, and its grasp on colour, composition, and rhythm is completely unparalleled. It's vibrancy is just gorgeous, full of neon lights and shining metallics. The video exists in a constant state of dichotomy: both cool and warm, metropolitan and pastoral, manmade and fantastical. You would assume this would ruin the video's visual message, but the contrast actually enhances it, as well as furthering the group's lore. it's unafraid to experiment with aspect ratio and camera movement, and along with the subversive editing, the final product is unique as well as timeless. Who cares that the last five scenes were neon and retro-futuristic? It's time for Heejin and Hyunjin's black and white minimalist mildly 1920s suited up dance break with a 4:3 aspect ratio of course! As the song itself says, why not? It's as playful as the song, as well as being visually stunning. My favourite scenes include Choerry's upside down mirror moment with the neon lights, as well as Kim Lip in the field with the funky glowing orbs, and of course the cult circle on the moon scene. Fucking iconic.

3. 'Ditto' (Sides A & B) - NewJeans (Ador)

Note: I have a full review of this song, if you are interested.

Where the other videos on this list are overwhelmingly vibrant or cinematic, 'Ditto' is understated and personal. Arguably one of the most influential k-pop music videos of all time, it breaks every rule of what a music video of this genre looks and feels like, rejecting glamour and high fashion for an unromanticized schoolgirl aesthetic surrounded with melancholy. It's heartfelt and unassumingly tragic, and truly makes the viewer yearn for a time they only half remember. It is one of the most beautiful pieces of cinema I have ever seen, and I am so happy that K-pop stans loved it to death as I did, despite how starkly different it is to most everything in k-pop before it. It does however remind me of f(x)'s '4 Walls' m/v, which isn't a shock as Min Heejin (ew) was their creative director also. It also has vibes of the cult classic (?) Japanese movie 'All About Lily Chou Chou'. It has sparked many trends in the industry, including but not limited to: b-roll interspersions, the typical schoolgirl aesthetic, and the general rejection of the polished, glitzy vibe we expect of k-pop idols. Their impact on trends is notable, but in my opinion, no one has executed this aesthetic to the standard that NewJeans has. The unassuming tragic beauty of 'Ditto' is difficult to put into words, you must go and watch the two music videos for it - they are life changing.

4. 'Kill This Love' - BLACKPINK (YG Ent.)

Say what you will about Blackpink, but they KNOW how to do a music video, and 'Kill This Love' is one of their best; it is beyond extravagant. The sets are huge and striking and insane - Jennie floats on the heads of two enormous swans and all four girls dance in the middle of a huge fucking BEAR TRAP and its ridiculously cool. The fashion and styling is amazing too - my fave looks include Jennie's Lara Croft moment with the braid, Lisa's big ass fur coat from her cereal scene, and Jennie's gorgeous eye makeup from her shopping scene with Lisa. In a word, 'Kill This Love' is extra(vagant). Even the scenes that are conceptually ordinary - Lisa's cereal aisle, Rosé crying in her car - are elevated into the extraordinary. There is no real storyline or through line between the scenes other than their saturated colour palettes and the members themselves, but who cares? The members look like fucking goddesses, the dance looks amazing, and there are MULTIPLE jaw-drop moments throughout the runtime - what more do you want? Where 'Ditto' rejects the typical k-pop visual aesthetics, 'Kill This Love' epitomizes them. If I wanted to explain to western pop stan what k-pop is about, this is the video I would show them first. My favourite scenes include: the group scene with the exploding statues and the bad bitch combat outfits, Rosé caught in the storm with beautiful lighting, and THE BEST SCENE IN A BLACKPINK MUSIC VIDEO EVERRRR... Jisoo's goddess moment with the sun and the reflections. Nobody does music videos quite like Blackpink.

5. 'What Is Love?' - TWICE (JYP Ent.)

This music video is so unbelievably special to me. It doesn't break any boundaries with camera movement, editing, or aspect ratio like 'Why Not?', and it doesn't entirely reinvent the typical k-pop music video like 'Ditto' either, but I think it is one of the best music videos ever because it is so FUN. 'What Is Love' is a music video that is a series of references to iconic movies, most of which being about love, as the title suggests. It harkens back to 'La La Land', 'La Boum', 'Pulp Fiction', 'The Princess Diaries', and many more, with the girls playing the characters, on their fictional discovery of what love truly is. It's so special to me because it reminds me of doing exactly what the girls are doing with my best friends and my big sister - trying to learn what love is from the movies is something almost everyone has experienced, and thus the whole video feels nostalgic both for its references, and for its overall concept. It's fun and lighthearted and a memory of simpler times. Oh, to be a 12 year old obsessed with 'The Princess Diaries' again, to be a tween watching 'Pulp Fiction' with your big sister when it's probably not age appropriate, to be young teen watching 'La La Land' right when it came out. What a time to be alive. That's what 'What Is Love?' is, it's a celebration of life, of growing up, of being just a little naive and knowing it. Iconic, truly.

[rawliverandgoronspice]

I wish mineru got to me an actual character because every single theme we get that has to do with her (thunder islands, spirit temple, construct factory) are so gorgeous and made me fall in love with her, the soundtrack does so much heavy lifting in this game

You're so correct about the soundtrack, it tells such a compelling tale and it really builds off itself constantly, it's genuinely one of my favorite parts of the game!!

Honestly Mineru had tons of potential. I really liked the entire quest to find her and her body, it was the part of the game that kind of sold me the most the mystery and wonder of having such a big world spanning the sky all the way to the Depths. The atmospheric mood of the Thunderhead Isles was wonderful, loved following the light all the way to the Depths (I had already stumbled upon the actual Construct Factory in them before). It was the part of the game that "felt the most zonai" to me, this sort of puzzle-like intricacy of how their influence permeate the world that their name alone was meant to invoke. I regret the lack of worldbuilding here, even a very light one (what was were the Thunderhead Isles? What significance did they have in zonai culture? What about the structures on the ground in the jungle? I would have *loved* more... anything in the Construct Factories), but it was still a treat as a gameplay experience.

(I mean I hated having to pilot the Construct Body itself, but that's more a me problem than a game problem, thankfully the boxing match was a ton of funs regardless)

The character herself though.... Like I feel like there's a lot of potential inherent to her status as one of the last zonais AND her status as the king's sister (not to mention her engineering proclivities). She feels like she should have a very unique perspective on the entire situation, insight about what caused the fall of the zonais (or their departure/refusal to engage with Hyrule), have both tenderness but also criticism towards her brother his wife might not have (as his lover and as an inherently lesser being bound to his good will, she's a priestess so she probably prays to the gods and zonais are said to descend from gods can we talk about that also), share a unique relationship with Zelda through their common love for knowledge (I think Zelda having a strong relationship with Mineru sounds more meaningful than her having one with Sonia as of now tbh, and it would have helped their scenes to be more interesting than an excuse to infodump, I almost said that it's a ship before remembering they're technically related SOMEHOW?? so mayyybe not).

But in practice, she has no desires of her own. She's but an extension of her brother's will, except softer, muted, heartbroken not for her loss (and the fact that her entire race is about to die out once she does), but for Hyrule's perdition. I am still not over the fact that when she swears her oath of fielty to Link, she *touches her brother's hand*, aka the only meaningful relationship in her life that we got to see, zonai skin touching zonai skin for... probably the last time ever? And the camera couldn't care less. No lingering, no body tension, not even one of the little sounds that BotW/TotK characters love to make in cutscenes everytime anything happens, not even any callback to the explicit motif of people touching each other's hand as a sign of support and unity (so you know what symbolism/allegory means game!!! you know this!!!!), the game doesn't seem to be aware that she should be a person with feelings that extend beyond her performative guilt about a situation that has basically nothing to do with her/she couldn't have done anything about/she did everything she could about, actually! She's just here to be a vessel for the restoration project of her brother's kingdom (Rauru being the only one allowed any emotion of genuine grief and upset, and it only lasts like half a second --which sucks!! I wish that, if Sonia was to be fridged anyway, it at least motivated him to become vengeful and furious and make a mistake that costed him his victory, which would have made him sliiightly more compelling instead of reverting back to a fancy cardbox of unquestionned perfection).

Also she's technically the last one you're supposed to get (but you can get her first??? this is such a weird choice sometimes linearity is good nintendo!!!), and after such a long quest, there should have been a narrative reward to finding her that goes harder than "and then Rauru decided to hype you up like crazy to Ganondorf, also Zelda is probably a dragon but you probably already know that" in my opinion. Some modicum of depth; a different emotional texture to the conflict. After that much build up, the payoff didn't land for me.

Yeah. Mineru. She really could have been the aqua-glue holding that ultrahand-ass of a plot together, but Alas.....

[decaffedthoughts]

Firsts and Flowers

pairing: non idol sana x gender neutral reader

word count: 4.6k

fluff and a touch of angst

summary: scenes from yours and sana’s relationship firsts, accompanied by the bouquets you bring to each, from introduction to anniversaries and beyond.

a/n: guess who’s back! i do have specific photos for what sana is wearing for every single scene lol, ask me if you’re interested. low/no plot, just me fawning because i am down horrid for sana. this is for clownracha’s may prompt, flower language

First date

Bouquet: white roses, calla lily, hibiscus

Her number had come through a mutual friend, Bang Chan. A former coworker of yours and a current coworker of hers. You'd heard her name a few times through him but not much else. Chan knew practically everyone in the damn country, or at least seemed to at times, so you trusted that he could tell who was similar and who would work well together, at least as well as one human could.

So, you sent a small "hello" to the provided number that night.

Hello

Is this Sana? Chan gave me your number

Sana speaking

And who might you be

The first tricky part of meeting someone was completed. Now it was just the other hard part of staying in touch. It was a Friday, so both of you were relatively free to text late into the night, not needing to worry about your semi-soul-crushing schedule ruining the night. At some point, you realized you'd never seen her face and decided to shoot your shot for a selfie. You told her to choose whatever she pleased, hoping it's not too glamourized to make you unintentionally feel wrong in your chip-dusted sweatpants.

In the end, nothing could have prepared you. Sana was clearly in lounge clothes, she might have even taken it right before sending it to you, but she was still the most gorgeous woman you had ever seen. Maybe it was because she was not some high-held celebrity that hardly seemed human, but something about her still felt otherworldly.

Your sleepiness allowed much of that sentiment to flow through your texts, which you could worry about later. For now, it was simply wondering how Chan could have set you up like that without warning. You'd be sure to get him back for that somehow. Your attention diverted from revenge plans back to Sana when she sent a simple question mark, and you realized that the effusive praise was simply a draft.

Sorry you broke my brain by being wildly gorgeous

Did you take that just now?

Mhm

Decided you were special enough to get a never before seen picture

Chan likes everyone, but he doesn't keep everyone around

It's almost annoying how many friends he has

I can barely have a public conversation with him, I swear

It was easy like that for weeks. One text every few hours, or on lucky days a spree of a few hours with just a minute or two between responses. It progressed to something other than simply friendship feelings for you. Could you continue to be friends if that invitation was rejected or didn't work out? Sure, but you wanted to try, and I hope that Sana feels that same feeling too.

Hey

Do you want to get dinner with me next week?

Are you asking me on a date? Spicy

Give me the details

You did, and she agreed. It felt unreal. Maybe she didn't have the same feelings yet, or maybe she did, but it seemed she was at least open to them. Next week was far enough away that it gave you enough time to adequately plan everything, but now the same date was too far away, and each minute of waiting seemed to drag on.

As time does, it passed, and the day arrived in front of you. Sana's apartment was closer to the restaurant, so you agreed to meet there and walk over. You ended up very early due to sheer nervousness and saw a flower shop not far away. Not wanting to show up that early, you headed over but only planned to look.

Almost immediately, many of the flowers caught your eye, and you rethought that "just looking" idea. Deciding that the cashier would likely know more than you do, you headed up to them.

"Hey, any good recommendations for a first date? Kinda impromptu, so I don't have much time." You explained to them, Dongmin, according to the name tag.

They nodded and took you around the shop, picking up a few flowers and explaining their meanings. You checked the time and had a few extra minutes, especially if you walked quickly. On the way out, you thanked Dongmin, and they wished you good luck on the date. You smiled, fresh white bouquet in hand. Maybe you could come back if all went well.

Steadying your shaking hand and knocking on the door correctly took you a moment. Before properly taking in Sana, you shoved the bouquet toward her. You knew you might end up stunned by her, so you took a moment before it happened. When you finally got the courage to open your eyes, you were more right than you knew.

Her hair was now a soft purple, tied up by a large black bow. She wore a shoulderless black sweater under her blue-gray dress, and, as predicted, you just couldn't stop staring. Silently, which may have made her a little nervous or uneasy, admittedly, but what words could you use to describe the practical angel in front of you? And she wanted to go on a date with you? She took the bouquet with gratitude and a smile, bidding you wait a moment while she put it in a vase. There wasn't much else for you to do or anywhere to go, so you inspected what you could see of her apartment from the doorway. When she returned, she held out the flowers in a large jar, notably not a vase.

She laughed sheepishly as you stared, "People don't really give me flowers, so I didn't plan for this. More about the flowers than the container, right?"

You didn't have an answer, so you just nodded because they looked perfectly fine in the jar. You were more surprised that people didn't give her flowers often. If you had to guess, you would have said she had a long line of suitors waiting to give her gifts. Maybe she did, and they just weren't partial to flowers. It was the only thing that made sense; Sana was too beautiful not to give gifts to.

You walked down the street together, unpopulated since it hadn't warmed up too much. Despite having only text conversations to that point, your conversation flowed well, and the silences were short but comfortable. Each of you had various ideas and stories to share. Walking down the street also provided plenty of distractions for you both, mainly in the form of cute animals needing the time to be outside.

It passed in what feels like no time at all. And the meal went just as fast. The food was acceptable, but you knew that wouldn't be what you remembered regardless. Instead, you noted how Sana's face lit up when she laughed or how shyly she reacted when you complimented her, among other things. Surprisingly, she retaliated on the compliments quickly, smirking when you responded.

Honestly, you didn't see the sun setting in the window, nor the number of people that entered and exited as you sat there talking. As expected, a waiter came over eventually, asking if you wanted to pay. You almost didn't notice them in the middle of a story of one of your coworkers nearly destroying the microwave.

For a few minutes, you gathered up everything and left, but the moment you were back outside, you began to laugh together again. That seemed to be the theme of that first date, and there was no reason you could find to complain about it. It was significantly darker that time, which removed your visibility of Sana's face, but it made it easier to step closer and feel the backs of your hands brushing as you walked. You didn't know who finally made the move to intertwine your fingers, but neither stopped to comment, simply enjoying the moment and letting it breathe. Her hand was soft, and you found yourself wondering what it would be like to be able to hold it as often as you wanted in the future.

You arrived at her doorway faster than you had expected and far quicker than you wanted to. After a few minutes of awkward and stuttered goodbyes, Sana took a step forward and briefly hesitated before pressing a kiss on your cheek. When she stepped back, she opened her mouth to say something, but you felt a small and uncontrollable smile spread across your lips. She must have seen it because she closed her mouth and gave you a small smile. Each of you whispered a final goodbye before you turned and headed back down the hallway.

First makeup

Bouquet: chamomile, zinnia, lotus flower

It wasn't a fight about something stupid; you had learned better than to minimize your own feelings by now, but it was something that didn't need to be a fight at all. One or maybe a few conversations, and you could have worked it out together. Instead, you held it in because of a misguided vision of being a "good" and "unproblematic" partner, especially this early in your relationship. Eventually, as should be expected, you couldn't hold it in anymore.

You felt that Sana didn't set aside enough time to text you or text you back during the day, and she was equally unavailable on some nights. On the weekends, she was much more active in calling or texting you. But other times, she could be virtually unreachable for hours.

You could hardly remember what had set you off just a few minutes later. The more you walked and thought, the more embarrassed you became. Here you were, with an adult job and living independently, yet you still didn't communicate properly with your girlfriend.

Without really realizing it, you had walked the reverse path you usually did. That time from Sana's door to the flower shop you often visited. You walked in, unsure if you wanted to buy anything, but simply being around nature was calming.

Ultimately, you decided it couldn't hurt to show up at her apartment with a bouquet. Along with a heartfelt apology and readiness to communicate, pretty flowers always help. So you asked the cashier if there was a common "after a fight" bouquet or flower they might recommend.

It took a few minutes of searching, in which you stewed in your thoughts even more, but they did come back. The chamomile and the lotus were instantly recognizable, even to you. And the other one was a white zinnia. Or was it a zinnia? You couldn’t remember, but it was a pretty flower and fit perfectly with the calm white theme.

You distracted yourself on the way back by constantly fiddling with the flower petals and placements, not wanting to think about what you'd do in a few minutes. What would you do if Sana turned you away or didn't open the door? You'd have to leave the flowers, text her that they're there, and hope she reads them rather than just swiping them away. You wouldn't blame her if she did, but you'd continue hoping for the best.

You knocked hesitantly and waited, scuffing your foot along the floor. Mercifully, she opened the door, but her face fell slightly when she properly saw you.

"You're not my kimchi jjigae." She said simply.

You winced. Kimchi jjigae was a spicy comfort food for her, so it must have hurt her more than you thought.

"I'm not. I hope you'll let me apologize anyways. I'm sorry for not talking about any of my problems before they exploded. I didn't want to cause any problems so early into our relationship, and I wasn't sure what you would think if I did. Clearly, this was worse, and now I seem immature as well. It doesn't have to be right now, but I hope you can forgive me."

You chewed and pulled at your bottom lip as you waited for her to answer, and her face was impressively smooth and impassive.

"I'll need more time to move on, but I forgive you. Come in, and I'll tell you how to make it up to me."

You perked up significantly and followed her inside as quickly as you could.

"Yes, ma'am! Thank you, baby. I'm sorry again."

"First step in making it up to me. Stop apologizing."

First birthday together

Bouquet: yellow tulip, yellow jasmine, dwarf sunflower

It was Sana's first birthday while she was with you, and it was a big moment. You wanted to get a gift that she liked and made the day worth her while. It was mid-winter, so flowers were generally out of season, but that wouldn't stop you. Quite the opposite even. You'd be going for a yellow bouquet to mimic a piece of the sunshine that you were so missing during these months. It included some dwarf sunflowers, which, despite the name, were still relatively large and perfect for your idea.

It was technically a late birthday gift and date, as her friends got the first pick for surprising her on the day of. Genuinely, it was more than worth it. You had shown up for a date as if you weren't taking her directly to them when they were simply waiting just around the corner, almost literally, just behind a curtain in the private area of the restaurant. She had left your side to greet them almost immediately, though not without a small kiss full of gratitude first. It didn't bother you at all, her friends were all wonderful people, and she looked radiant as she took in the whole scene. When you left for the night, she had complained about her cheeks hurting from smiling so much, but even the whole way home, she couldn't stop gushing and giggling about it all.

So, you simply sat back and listened, nodding even though you were sure she wasn't paying attention to you. You knew you'd get her full attention the next day regardless. Though when you returned to her apartment, you told her how beautiful she looked so happy, which only made her laugh again and jokingly swat at your arm.

She joked about it again the next day, asking if you were taking her on a date this time or if you'd secretly bring her to see her family. Honestly, it wasn't a bad idea for a future birthday, but you didn't say that, only repeating the idea in your mind to return to later.

The aquarium was rather crowded when you got there, with many people having the same idea. A weekend, insulated from the cold, and a generally nice place for a date. Of course, you had been expecting this, so it didn't ruin your experience entirely, even if it made moving around and looking at the tanks a little more difficult.

You'd been to an aquarium on a previous date, it was hard to come up with wholly original date ideas all the time, but this one was much bigger. That experience helped you know that Sana's reactions would be much more entertaining to watch than the fish ever could be. She had a perpetual curiosity and affection for the creatures of the world that you never got tired of. One of her many admirable and adorable traits. If you got into all that, you could be there all day.

The water shimmered and moved, entrancing patterns across the angles of her face, and you truly couldn't look away even if you wanted to. After watching the school of fish moving in inscrutable patterns, she finally noticed you staring at her and started pouting and whining.

"Look at the fish! Aquarium time, baby!" She took your hand and dragged you closer to the glass, forcibly turning your head with a pout every time you tried to rotate it back and look at her.

Eventually, you accepted the motion and stared at the fish, slowly separating your mind from all the people you knew were there and immersing yourself in the sight. Of course, Sana began to get impatient and tugged on your hand again after a while. You snapped out of your haze and followed wherever she planned to go next. Planning was evidently a generous word, as you were sure she was just walking to whatever caught her fancy as she saw it, but you would have followed her anywhere by then.

Much of the time passed like that: watching Sana and then watching the fish at her urging before she saw something new and exciting and dragged your stumbling self behind her. You wouldn't even dream of having it any other way.

You told her you wanted to take a slight detour on the way back. You didn't tell her where, but it wasn't like the florist was overly exciting by now. Or, it wasn't for you, but Sana's previously mentioned affection for the world often extended to plants as well. Especially very pretty plants like all the flowers hung up in that shop. You freed her to wander around as she pleased while you headed up to grab your pre-ordered bouquet. It was even prettier than you thought it would be.

"Princess!" You called out to her and heard Sana's shoes hitting the floor a moment later.

"Baby?" She asked before seeing the bouquet in your hands and running the last few steps.

"Oh, it's so pretty! My personal sunshine for the winter months, I love it." She took the bouquet from you and stared at it, sighing dreamily.

The walk back to her apartment was filled with her softly stroking the flowers, sighing, and several instances of her almost tripping. You very nearly teased her for it, but it was hard to when it happened because she was too busy staring at something you bought her.

She thanked you one more time at her door with a small kiss, and you were left staring at her door with a little dopey smile.

First anniversary

Bouquet: daisy, hibiscus, white jasmine

It was hard to believe a year had passed with Sana at your side. At that point, something very obvious first came to mind to commemorate the occasion. Buy a new bouquet. They were a nice way to celebrate big events and a reminder of you that Sana could look at every day, even if you couldn't be there with her. After confirming they would work with flower meanings, you decided to ask the florist for a bouquet meaning something like "love for a beautiful person." It was the one major descriptor that came to mind when you thought of your girlfriend. She was beautiful in every way, inside and out.

In the last few years, so much had happened, individually and together, but the excitement of knocking on her apartment door was always the same for you. Sometimes, between the moments of knocking and Sana answering, you daydream about when you wouldn't have to knock on this door at all. You would plan a day and simply see Sana emerge from behind a door while you waited. Or maybe you would make her wait for you. Whatever the situation, you longed for the day that you could share more time and space with her.

For now, the excitement remained. When Sana opened the door that time, you were more than excited, you were shocked. She opened the door, peeked around it, and you saw her hair was pink! You gasped and pushed in to get a proper look at her. As if the sight was unbelievable, you reached out and ran a small amount through your fingers, but the color stayed the same. It was a delicate floral pink, and it made her shine. Maybe you should go away for a few days more often if something like that was going to happen. As soon as you thought it, you knew that was unsustainable because you couldn't even imagine being away for that long now, and certainly not by choice.

"I love it. You're gorgeous. And happy anniversary, I love you." You stepped forward and rested your hands on her hips, practically hypnotized by the smile your words brought forth.

"My beloved," she crooned, holding you close. "Happy anniversary to us, the first of many, I'm sure."

You stood there for a few minutes, simply enjoying each other's presence before you had to leave and face the wide world once more. Thankfully, when you stepped back, you could survey her outfit. You didn't have to, as you could be sure she looked great, but then again, why wouldn't you? A simple black outfit, a skirt with a little pearl belt, and knee-high black boots. But you processed all that fairly quickly, though with some needed appreciation for her legs, because you were drawn back to her bright hair falling down her shoulders.

The way Sana giggled made you sure she noticed, but if she didn't expect that much reaction, you clearly hadn't shown your appreciation for everything about her well enough thus far.

Sometimes you thought your relationship became a little routine, which was comforting in its own way, and wondered if you and Sana could even surprise each other anymore. Well, this was proof that you most certainly could.

If it were someone else, or maybe some time else, you might have been concerned about someone trying to make a move on her. By then, you were confident and secure enough. She had told you that when she dressed up, it was for herself and maybe for you. And if anyone else had the gall to approach her, she was generally quick to rebuff them and point you out as her loving, doting, and sole partner. Although there had been a few times she'd let them keep trying for laughs as you looked on from a few feet away. It was mostly fun to watch the excitement dull as they realized she was not some doll to bend to their whims but a strong-willed and opinionated person.

Thankfully, tonight no one like that should bother you. It was a little cliche, but you returned to the restaurant of your first date, and it felt like stepping back in time. The place wasn't popular enough to have the money for major renovations, but it was popular enough that it was well-maintained and looked practically the same as you remembered it.

It wasn't private by any means, but that worked to your advantage as you and Sana spent about an hour scoping out passers-by and making up stories about what they might be doing. You both started pretty regular, but as time passed, you both came up with more ridiculous possibilities that sent you both into giggling fits.

The sunset, and eventually, you both had to leave. Not because you were disturbing people but because you had other exciting places to be. Or you might have planned for that, but Sana immediately turned back towards her apartment, pulling you behind her. When you wordlessly expressed your shock and confusion, she giggled.

"Listen, I had fun, but I'm tired and don't want you to leave yet. I mean, you can if you want, but I want you to come with me."

"No! I wanna go with you; we can do whatever you want at your apartment. It's our anniversary until I leave."

You walked the rest of the way back in happy, companionable silence. As soon as you got in the elevator, you drifted towards each other, pressing as much of yourselves together as possible. Of course, you reached her floor all too quickly, but Sana didn't hesitate to pull you forward, clearly excited as a puppy for whatever she had planned behind her apartment door. And you followed dopily, endlessly drawn into her gravity.

First proposal

It is the height of summer, but thankfully there is a light and cool breeze for your picnic today. Sweating through the heat is not generally attractive. Sana is wearing a rather casual outfit filled with bright yellow and pink for the summer, topped off by heart jewelry she had bought on a previous date. You've got a camera bag slung over your shoulder, with the excuse that it's just a nice day and you want some pictures. In reality, you want something like a proposal to be captured with something better than a phone camera. Which is all well and good if she says yes, but that inevitably leads to what will happen if she says no. No, you will not psych yourself out 2 minutes before you need to leave.

To your credit, it's a cute ass picnic date, even without the promise of a later proposal in your mind. You spend it talking about nothing, asking benign questions, and hardly paying attention to the answer because you could be entranced by your pretty girlfriend instead. It's a beautiful arrangement.

The sun is still high and hot in the sky, but when you look at Sana, it simply feels right. So you stand up and reach a hand out to her.

"Will you come with me, princess? I have a place I want to show you." You say.

The place is not the thing of importance that you want to show her, but she doesn't need to know that yet. A small clearing dotted by flowers and a surprising lack of weeds. You put the bouquet and the basket down while she looks around and peers at every type of flower.

"Baby?" You call, and she comes bounding back to you, her smile wide and eyes gleaming.

"Yes, darling?"

"The bouquet. The white roses you may recognize from our first date, where I ambitiously got them as a sign of new beginnings. I wanted so badly to know you better and hoped I could convince you to stay. I'm so glad that whatever I did or said worked. The little ones are yarrow for everlasting love. Which I hope we have because I can't imagine life without you now, and I hope I never see what it's like. Honeysuckle are the spindly ones poking out the sides, and they're for the bonds of love. For me, that is not a duty to stay but rather an agreement that we both have made and wish to stick to. And the firework-like ones are myrtle, but there's something else I have to do first."

There's no grand reaction, so you don't think Sana has caught on to you yet. Or if she has, she is holding her emotions in very well. You reach into a tiny pocket at the bottom of your camera bag and pull out the small blue box. There's no hiding what it is, so you turn and push out one knee. And the way her face scrunches as she bursts into a strange combination of tears and smiles is the picture that will be etched into your mind forever.

"The myrtle means love in a marriage, which I believe we could have for the rest of our lives if you would like. So, Minatozaki Sana, will you marry me?"

"Oh goodness, of course I will! I'm too in love to ever dream of saying no, and how dare you think otherwise."

You laugh through what may be your own tears; no one can confirm nor deny and wonder how you could have believed otherwise. You've never felt this happy before, and you won't likely have many moments better than this one, if any.

"I love you, princess. I love you so much."

"And you better keep loving me. You're stuck me to you now, and I'm not letting go."

"I would never want you to."

[iisasarcasticlittleshite]

Now listen, someone's gonna read this and get offended, so I'm putting up a warning right now, this fic is meant to be funny, no offensive, if you don't find it funny, that's fine, do me the honour of scrolling on, dear adventurer!

CW: people watching, fashion policing.

It was an unsuspecting Sunday afternoon. The sun was shining, pigeons crowing as you and Levi sat at one of the many cafés around the cobbled courtyard of your home town.

The day is picturesque, not too hot, not too cold, and you're basking in the late afternoon sun, just watching the world go by with your fiancé across from you.

Despite appearances of a perfectly sane, perhaps even boring couple, you and Levi are not at all capable of having a boring afternoon.

Therefore, as Levi takes the first sip of his tea, his eyes dart to a young man meandering past beyond the shipping rope dividing the seating area from the rest of the courtyard.

He catches your eyes, guiding them to the young man.

"That jacket, fashion statement, or crime?"

You turned a carefully neutral expression to steal a glance, hiding a snort behind your own cup.

'As the queen of hearts once said: off with their heads!'

The faintest snort left Levi's lips, pushing his hair back from his face, backlit by the slowly lowering sun.

Utterly gorgeous as your lover is, you now have a job to do: find the next target.

You spoke softly to each other, ensuring no one further than three feet from you ever heard.

'Girl in the purple dress?'

'You mean the wizard from every kid's nightmare?' Levi drawled. 'She could do with a belt.'

'Maybe, I like her boots though.'

Levi shrugged, conceding, turning his attention to the next passer-by.

The two of you could spend hours like this, content in each other's company, each looking for ways to make the other laugh, be it through Fashion Policing or just utter nonsense.

You revelled in these Sunday afternoon, after all, you are probably one of the very few people who have ever seen Levi crack a smile.

And you're the only one who's ever made him laugh.

Of course, this means things can get utterly ridiculous.

After an hour, you'd settled yourselves into other topics, which cafes brewed tea better, when you spied someone too perfect to pass up.

'Guy in the trench coat.' You mused into the rim of your cup, discretely flicking you eyes to the gentleman in question.

Levi took one look at the rather...interesting person, and chuckled to himself.

'He looks great, if he fell out of Middle Earth through Narnia's asshole.'

A bark of laughter tore from you before you could so much as put your cup down, so powerful you knew it'd give you a belly ache as you shook with blinding delight.

Levi's smile grew, his heart growing light. He wasn't usually one to make a scene in public, but with you...your booming delight could never be an embarrassment, and he glares down anyone who gives you so much as a disapproving glance.

That laughter, the kind that puts tears in your eyes is exactly what he's aiming for, and he won't let anyone steal that glee from you.

@pamakali, I blame you for this. Thank you <3

[tabbyhoney]

Gorgeous

Inspired by the Fanfiction 'Fear of you' from @sleepwalkersqueen

Note: Apparently my brain didn't like that much of an open ending and I also couldn't wait to let my friend proofread it:). But this most likely will be the last chapter and once I have a seperate AO3 account I will post it there (I'll post it once it is on there and when I figured AO3 out;)). Btw. yes, I did write sappy poems.

Last

Warnings: Torture, implied intend of r*pe, implied r*pe, swearing, Junto

Chapter 06

Perhaps she is the most beautiful girl you met,

A rare porcelain curse

Raying light in the sunset.

A Beauty beyond the universe.

Shining eyes beyond the horizion,

Dipping down into the deepest sky and ocean,

Touching the soul, but touching none,

Something so sweet and rare for lovin, not asking fo devotion.

Cascading blonde hair shimmering rosegold,

Rich colour for a luxurious one.

Warm hands with a soft touch made to hold.

Glistening smooth skin.

A warmth you only knew from a better time,

But ten times more loving.

Because as you learned over time,

It was never her beauty that encaptured the first time,

It was the strong eyes,

Held together by the nose that was so far up,

Arrogant, snarky, true and unbelievable wise.

Her entire attitude held together by a flawless setup.

A setup that barely held lies in her soul.

Instead it was the fuel,

Fire burning up her truthfull goal.

Recovery for a fool.

Three men were currently inside a back room in the pink cavern. A large, bulky one held a cigarette between his teeth while he leaned against the door, blocking the only entrance. A smug grin was plastered across his face. 

The other man was pacing around the room, one eye always on the two figures sitting on the sofa. A scene that could freeze the blood of the toughest soldiers or would put even Harima into a sweat. Being prey to hungry predators.

Wine glasses clinking against each other, one shaking that was held by the slender hand with red-colored nails of a woman who wished for nothing more than to escape this room. Eyes flicked at each man at any given second, hoping to find any kind of loophole to escape this tension-filled room. She feared even her smooth talking would not get her out of here.

The taste of the most expensive wine felt wonderful on the taste buds. The rich flavor and the sweet note in the aftertaste left a warm feeling of fulfillment. In any other situation, she would have sighed, leaning back against anything and relaxing in this feeling. Listening to the quiet of the night while the alcohol slowly consumed her mind, easing up her muscles and stress. Watching the cats and birds with a smile. A blissful heaven on earth as she dreamed about a different life.

Only this time, with each sip she was forced to take, felt like another second closer to hell.

 

The warm hand resting against her waist burned into her skin. It felt like a hot iron tightly pressed into it that could even make the strongest person howl in pain; she stayed quiet. A sensation that only grew with the pain when she got pulled closer to the side of the man, she tried her best to forget his name. Not wanting to indulge in his promise, he made her.

“Now tell me, little lady,” he purred against her face. “Takami liked you, didn't he? Or at least he pretended to.”. His voice sounded like a mockery, being so full of himself that he was certain Shinyo only pretended, but they never actually had any conversations like that.

She didn't know if he liked her the way she loved him, with all her flaws overflowing with unearned unconditional love.

She pressed her lips together tightly; the hot air and the smell of blood in his breath made her sick. Her stomach churned, and she had to hold everything together to not vomit on him. Even if this could give her a satisfied feeling of defying that man, it reminded her too much of memories she hid in the deepest depths of her mind. Even if those memories haunt her with every decision.

The man chuckled at her reaction, having noticed every muscle that tensed up in her body and how her face contorted in pain he hadn't even inflicted on her yet. Her heartbeat was louder than the crashing waves of a storm. He had her exactly where he needed her to be, in terrifying fear with phantom pains.

Talons grew from his fingertips, wandering down her side. The black dress along her skin was cut open by the second. His hands dug deep into the flesh of her hips, right at the side where the fat of her ass started. She held back a scream with a sharp gasp. The sudden stinging pain made her realize how helpless she is.

“Perhaps a little snack would ease your mood?” He asked with his head buried in the crook of her neck. Nibbling at the thin skin with his sharp teeth, just enough so no blood escaped the bruised flesh. But enough to make her body shudder.

Amaya stayed as quiet as a mouse. The freshly inflicted wound soaked her torn dress full of blood; it was cold. With a snap of his finger, one of the men went outside to get some food. Momentarily getting her out of this trance just to fall right into the radio silence again. Her ears and eyes are deaf to everything surrounding her, like a toy with no will or mind.

She didn’t notice when he got back. The sharp talons traced lazy patterns into her skin; even that didn't put her back into reality despite the burning of her flesh. Only the smell of something with meat caught her full attention; to her growing horror, it was definitely chicken—a bird at the very least.

“Look at that; he brought some chicken nuggets,” the man grinned. Taking the plate, he broke his hot touch on her body, leaving a cold burn mark. “Take one,” he said, practically shoving the plate into her face. A wide grin that belonged to the devil spread across his lips.

For the first time since she had to endure this endless torture, she was not able to hold back her wretching. Holding her hands against her mouth out of instinct, she covered her nose to block out the sickening smell of the chicken. This was already too much to handle, and this was not even the worst they could do.

All she could see in that moment was the dead bird on her desk and how it tasted when her instincts overwhelmed her tiny, stupid bird brain. The crunching sound of breaking bones is mixed with the bloody taste of fresh, untouched meat. The classmate who saw her—or was it even a classmate? She couldn't remember.

“Come on, you look half-starved. Some meat will do you good,” the man cooed. “Or perhaps you'd like something else? Beef? Snake?”

Amaya would prefer to eat nothing. Her skin crawled with just the mere memory of meat between her teeth. How the light, chewy texture melts in her mouth with each bite. A little bit chewy in some parts, it felt like polishing your teeth with something rubbery. The taste filled all your senses with a warm, pleasant feeling that made you dig right into it again. Stupid instincts.

With a forced smile that made her face feel ticklish, she said between her teeth, "N-no, thank you." As soon as she tried to decline the offer of food, his hand snapped forward to her throat. Squeezing it tightly.

Gasping for air, her hand snapped forward to his wrist, trying to pull it away from her but having no success. Not even her own talons seem to bother the man.

“You eat it.”

 

Slowly, he pulled away from the terrified woman. Her heartbeat was racing like an old machine running over time. Shaking like a leaf, she took a nugget off the plate. With a quick glance at the man, she realized there was no backing down. Biting down on the tasteful little piece was the first problem. Focusing on all the weird sensations in her mouth was the second. The last and worst part was continuing her chewing and having to swallow it.

Even with her worst hangover or being incredibly sick, Amaya has never felt such an urge to cut open her stomach. Her throat burned when she tried to hold back her wretching. Tears were prickling down the side of her face, the mascara running along with it.

But even with her best efforts, she was not able to hold back the contents of her stomach.

Junt- the man, laughed at the pitiful figure. Watching her vomit at the side of the table and listening to her cry. Now it was clear he knew about her apprehension towards meat; this was the beginning of her torture. If he had not known this fact, it must have been the luckiest guess of his day. How could he know something as intimate as that was beyond her understanding? Only two people knew. One would take it to their grave, and the other wouldn't care enough to tell him that.

Junto grabbed her hair, pulling her up with such force that she fell against the sofa. With his thumb, he wiped the remains off of her lips, disgusting. Eyes glowing with satisfaction, he sat between her legs. His sharp red eyes bore into the depths of her brain, making out each imperfection on her face. Absent-mindedly, he stated, “On closer inspection, you really don't look as perfect as everyone claims.”.

 

Her eye twitched.

 

“Are you willing to talk now?” He asked while placing one hand under her chin to make her look into his eyes. “Or perhaps we should just start with the fun part.”

With one swift motion, he tore open her dress, revealing her underwear. The sound ripped through the room, with the other two men glancing at the display with a smirk on their lips. “The girl also started to remember afterwards. I mean, not that she knew much anyway, but for me and my men, it was a good stress relief.”.

“And a good thing is you aren't pregnant, right? At least your doctor had some interesting things to say about you. Nature can be cruel, right?”

Exposed, vulnerable, and in absolute misery would be the best way to describe the emotions of Amaya. The dreadful torture of him taking his time was only the cherry on top.

Oh, Amaya could curse every single choice she ever made right now. She could curse out the day she started at university and the day she started working for Tartarus. Curse the day Endeavour gave her the last key to every floor in prison. Curse the day her parents were lucky enough to have her. Curse the man who would be responsible for this.

Even with the fear and anger rising in her chest, she still wasn't able to shake this gorgeous face off her mind. She was praying that she would wake up next to this charming asshole of a man and had no worries except for the next week, when she would be at work again. At this point, she would even quit Tartarus and work in a clinic or be self-employed. Being woken up by an energetic little fluff ball instead of enduring this. Or dealing with criminals in general.

Everything in this world would be better than this.

Even death would be less cruel.

dying for a man who you fell in love with in disturbing circumstances...

With the last drop of spite she found in her trembling body, Amaya did what she was able to do.

 

Curse the man who was responsible.

“Fuck you! You can do whatever you want, you sick bastard, but I will not give you the satisfaction of winning a game I never wanted to play,” Amaya snarled right into his face. Eyes burning with fire, she was determined to never wipe out. Not for him, not for anyone. Even if it meant experiencing one of the worst disgraces known to humans, even if she would die from it for him,.

The last person to always have trust in him.

Pouring oil into an already-stirring fire was promised to cause an explosion, but parents mostly never told their children to never take out an oil fire with water. Juntos's talons dove deep into the pulse on her neck, blood trickling down where the talons bore into her skin. Feeling her vision get blurry and her head start to feel lightheaded, Amaya did what she was able to do best.

Never back down too easily.

Activating her quirk made her body temperature rise instantly, and the wounds started to close themselves. At the cost of exhaustion and a fever, she was filled with determination to not die. After all, she still had so much work to do. Even if it would take all her energy to survive, for one last hello, she would endure. For one last hug, she would survive.

The blow she expected to feel never came. She was ready to feel the ripped clothes leaving her body completely, becoming more vulnerable than she already was, but it never came. Junto didn't do the thing he hinted at from the beginning.

Instead, it was a skilled hand twisting her arm in an unnatural position; it did not crack just yet, but the pain was burning. The skin stretched and had already turned red; the snap was short and less painful than expected.

A crack in the ear deafens the sound traveling through hollow parts of her body. The grinding of the broken bone inside was an agonizing pain that got more uncomfortable with the thought of what was happening inside. Her quirk started mending the bones back together, at least as best as her quirk allowed it.

Her breath got caught in her throat, and she suppressed the urge to scream. The small amount of energy she had left was daring to leave her completely. How pathetic to already be at the limit, she thought.

“It's no fun if you are already expecting that." Junto chimed, pushing the table with a quick kick into the next wall. The crash of splintering wood was loud, along with the glass bursting into millions of shiny pieces.

Junto grabbed her by the hair, throwing her with no effort to the ground. She shrieked and covered her head with her arms, hoping it would shield her from the hard floor, but it didn't.

“Now let me tell you one thing, Songbird," he purred, rubbing his shoe into her cheek. “I just want a nice little present for Takami, perhaps your head or maybe your eyes.”

If his sickening sweet voice was a reference to something he could not possibly know was unknown and, quite frankly, not her concern at the moment, instead, she had to focus on the stinging in her cheek. The warm liquid that traveled down her forehead when she failed to protect her head. Her body burned like an open fire as she tried everything in her power to keep the damage to a minimum. Quirk started to let the downside show by making her feverish.

Tears welled in her eyes, and a broken sob escaped her throat. She wished for nothing more than to go home, snuggle up in her futon, and never get up again from the cozy warmth. And just maybe not be alone in doing so, but being alone would be fine too.

“No need to cry; I'll make sure you'll stay alive." Junto's boot left her cheek, and he crouched down to her on one knee. His talons grazed along her bruised cheek. “I still need you alive, much like his chick.”

Amaya froze up for a moment. Not because the stinging got worse by the cuts and with the air contact, it started to burn like the pits of hell, but because he had Shinyo’s kid. Somehow.

When Junto stepped away, she was ready to jump up and try escaping the stuffy room. She didn't care if they might catch her; she just needed to escape. Before she was even able to balance her weight on her shaky legs, the two other men pinned her to the ground. Their entire body weight was pressing against her arms, the broken one pumping with excruciating pain.

Struggling in their grip, she continued trying to stand up, but they were much stronger even if she were to use her mutant powers.

“Why do you even care? He probably gives no shit about me!” Amaya spat, glaring up at the man. After all, it was him who said he didn't care.

Junto laughed; it was cold and honest.

“Silly woman”

—----------------------------------

Shinyo didn't know why he even bothered trying to sleep while his babyfeathers were somewhere out there, alone and malnourished in the cold. The anxiety gnawed at his insides, and the paranoia made him choke on his own breath. If his poor kid's condition would even make him stay alive long enough, that was questionable. Deep inside, he hoped he was at least somewhat safe with that damn Spider.

No matter how much he searched and searched, his sweet little chick was nowhere to be found. He felt as helpless as a bird in a cage with cut-off wings. A half-dead one, even.

At this rate, he might as well die. There was no one he could ask for help from anymore. No one would be stupid enough to challenge the government for some malnourished kid. Especially his kid.

His limping steps led him back to the room where Wolf was. He wouldn't dare admit it, but he felt the need to know his opinion.

“I thought we agreed you would sleep,” Wolf said without turning around.

Shinyo smirked, his eyes empty. “I don't need beauty sleep; I am already perfect.”

“You'd be surprised when you find out there are prettier people outside.”

Shinyo slumped down on the floor, making an agreeable sound. Deep down, he knew the reason why Tsuki was not the image he saw—there was someone even better than the woman he married so quickly.

Wolf turned around, not expecting Shinyo to agree with him. He raised an eyebrow. “Oh? And who is that?” Wolf asked, thinking he might know the answer.

His eyes darted up, gleaming with danger. Shinyo didn't understand why Wolf would even care, considering he would put her in danger if he even dared say her name. He might as well lie to him or just punch him to the ground.

“I met a pretty woman at my interrogation before they started using the more extreme methods.”

“Oh? Does the dog have a crush?” he mocked.

“She smelled like you.”

Shinyo’s eyes widened; it couldn't be Tsuki, and he has not touched any woman ever since. Not like that or ever since leaving Tsukis Place. He prayed to any god that would hopefully hear him that Wolf would not say her name, which he feared might be the one. The image that still haunts him in the most precious way.

He wasn't even able to deny her presence in his head anymore; she had too many similarities to Tsuki but was so much better than he remembered her. 

“I believe her name was Howashi Am-”

“Stop!” Shinyo growled, “I don't want to hear her name.”

Wolf stayed calm and silent. He could practically feel Shinyo’s body tensing up at the mention of her name. Even if Shinyo snapped at him, he was certain of one thing, something his nose never lied about. Though it was a deranged scent, it was clear he cared very deeply about her. That or she was the reason he was so fearful of being touched.

“She seemed genuine; maybe she can help.”. He scratched that thought quickly out of his mind. Back then, she didn't seem like the type to use physical harm on people; she had a sharp mind for that. 

Wolf was, of course, correct. Was there someone better to ask than a pretty woman who worked for the country and had the charm of a prince who made every princess in the land fall in love with him? She could simply sleep herself to the information he needed. Hell, she could probably let Harima eat out of her hands if she played her cards right.

But that made his stomach sick.

"No,” Shinyo said. He did not want her in danger. “I can't let her go through this." Unlike his son, he was able to push her to safety because she still had a life worth living. But most importantly, he still felt like he owned Keigo in a way he never realized he could own something, much like he once thought Tsuki belonged to him. Amaya did not belong to him. "Besides, I have no way of fucking knowing where she is." And as long as she was as safe as now, it would be okay. It was okay to never see her again, despite the ache he felt in his empty chest.

He just needed to find Keigo, maybe leave her a message, and flee the country. It was as simple as that. A safe life for his kid and himself.

“I know where she works.”

Shinyo could swear he felt his blood freeze when Wolf said that. What does he know? Clearly, knowing she is a therapist in Tartarus is not as helpful as it sounds; they can't simply call the fucking prison and ask for her.

“We could call them. If we were lucky, she is even working right now.”

He felt his eyes twitch. He would not have thought Wolf of all people to be this stupid. Especially with the long waiting time for her to come here, if she would even want to see him, "Yeah, sure,” he said sarcastically. “Let's call the fucking prison I escaped and ask them about the whereabouts of my therapist. Great idea, dumbass.”

“What are you talking about?” Wolf asked, surprised by the reaction. He would have thought Takami would do anything to find the pup, even calling someone like her. “She works in the pink cavern,” he added to make his point clear. He didn't know she was his therapist.

Ah shit. Of course, she mentioned something like that.

Shinyo scratched his neck; he was not sure what he should do about it. On one hand, he might find his precious little Keigo, and on the other, he might endanger one of the last people he might fight for or at the very least protect with his life.

But as he thought about what would be best to do, Wolf already dialed the number of the bar. Not granting him another minute to ponder about the possibilities.

—-------------------------------------

Cleaning the bar was one of the top priorities before opening. Every spot needed to be clean so that men and women could make a new mess again. It is truly astonishing how many liquids are spilled in a place that is meant for pure entertainment and not for pleasure, granting every wish from the lips. This isn't a strip club, after all.

Ever since this white-suit guy disappeared with Amaya, the barkeeper has had a bad feeling. Because it was someone straight from Harima, he could not help her, and he wanted to. She was not only arguably the best performer but also someone who was just so nicely human in every way.

He still remembered the news about the motel from not many days ago, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it was Harimas' men. Especially those men.

The phone ringing made him jump slightly, having been caught up in his thoughts. He clamped the phone between his head and shoulders so he could still continue cleaning the glasses.

“Pink Cavern, you are speaking with Kim Jun; what can I help with?”

“Hello, is someone with the name Howashi Amaya working?”

“Uhm… Who is this?”

“If she does tell her, Fang Li asked for her.”

“Please stay on the phone; I'll go get her." Jun placed the phone down on the counter. He hurried towards the room where he had seen them disappear earlier. With force, he knocked on the door.

“Excuse me!” He yelled, “Miss Harima is on the phone for Amaya.”

Never in his life has Jun seen a door open so fast. In front of him was the rude man in the white suit; he didn't care to remember his name. He glared up at Jun with a honey-tinted smile.

“We are busy,” Junto said sternly.

“You really want to anger Harima's wife?” Jun asked, glaring just as much down at him. He knew no one dared mess with the Lady of the Big Boss.

Jun could practically see the blood boiling in Junto. The hesitation was evident in him, but deep down, he knew he couldn't keep her hostage if the lady boss wanted something from her. The last guy who did that was never seen again.

"Fine,” he said, opening the door and gesturing to the man to let her go. 

Amaya got up as quickly as possible, almost falling over from her lack of balance and her hurried action.

Her face was red and deeply bruised on her right side. Her nose and clothes were bloody, though most of her wounds looked relatively healed. But her body burned from the heat; he could feel that when she walked beside him. He would guess she definitely has a terrible fever.

They walked in silence towards the bar. Amaya is trying her best to hold the torn dress back together. Without wasting a second, Amaya took the phone, and Jun gave her a chair to sit in, just in case the adrenaline would make her too weak to stand.

“Minori! I am so glad you called. Listen, I am really sorry about what happened.” She spurted out like a pistol when she felt like she finally got the chance to explain to Minori her situation.

“What?” The voice of a man caught her off guard. If her suspicion was correct, this was not Minori but Fang Li. The Wolf-guy Endeavour caught him after cutting Shinyo off from more time.

She glanced over to the bartender, fully aware of what he had done for her. Help her escape with a quick lie.

“W-why did you call?” Her voice felt raw and had this hoarse sound from crying.

“Are you able to find out where Takami's kid is?”

Her heart dropped.

“Where should we meet?” She needed to get out of this place as quickly as possible.

Wolf stayed silent on the other side. He was surprised she would want to meet up with them; it felt suspicious. Though he could hear the pain in her voice with every word, he could hear the suffering through her frantic breathing on the phone. He had no choice but to do what Takami often lacked: trust.

“Seriously, we should probably discuss this eye-to-eye… please.”

He looked over at Shinyo, whom he held down because he wanted to take the phone away. Gladly, it was easy since he was still injured and, on top of that, exhausted. It was more like keeping a child at arms length, except the child wouldn't scratch and bite like a cat.

“All right,” he said. He didn't know what was happening, but something was off. He gave her a vague location and hoped he could actually trust her. 

Amaya was able to escape into the cold, alone and unfollowed by the red eyes. Walking mostly aimlessly around the streets made her realize how many injuries she actually endured for Shinyo. Her skin was burning like Endeavour’s outbursts, and at the same time, she felt like freezing to death. Every step reminded her that she couldn't heal the broken bone in her leg due to her exhaustion. The coat on Jun kept her relatively warm despite her changing temperature.

 

But she had to carry on and tell Shinyo what likely happened to little Takami. Tell him everything she knew.

Living through a dream, day to day again,

Seeing life passing by like an endless loop of time,

Hoping one day I regain

Every second you stole from me, that sticks to me like grime.

You don't believe in destiny, and gorgeous

Neither do I.

But still and I know it is forever this will be for us forever.

Red and gold and a blue sky,

Smelling like a rainy storm that barely just passed.

Wishing upon luck to not make us cry,

Always knowing this fairytale is made to be a nightmare.

But even after every scar,

every trauma caused within the name of you,

Even though it was never you.

I find myself not feeling the slighest regret.

No regret in seeing your eyelashes flutter,

The grin that barely left your lips.

Voice always louder than a quiet mutter.

A character that made my heart flutter.

No regret in a sacrifce for you,

Even if it's myself.

I love you.

[eemcintyre]

"Seawolf: The Pirate's Curse" (2005) review

Surprisingly, honestly... why did I enjoy this? I guess after a couple of major misses for me in the form of "The Kidnapping" and "Beyond Forgiveness", my expectations were appropriately low, but this one actually had some likable characters and humor, and that always manages to rope me in. I have a soft spot for fun, silly action fare like this bc of childhood shows like "The Greatest American Hero", I think.

So, the title never makes any sense... what was it supposed to mean? what curse?

First and foremost, I must say TIG is looking oh-so-very pretty and rugged here- the necklaces, the bandanas, the curly-q hair, the tank tops, the sweaty, the ARMMMSSSS 😩

Initially had absolutely no clue what was going on in the beginning; a bunch of people with weird ass outfits in the dark and I was just like please no don't let that be him in the damn fucking cape and eyepatch and o n e l e g; I was like he can't possibly have one leg the whole time, right?? 🤨

But yeah I was definitely experiencing the "dear God what did I get myself into, cheers to another awful mess" 🫡🥂

Why does half the audio sound dubbed (particularly everything that comes out of Rachel's mouth)? Also props to Rachel for being the most emotionally unaffected person ever bc her reactions were so disproportionately calm to what would happen if my bf was constantly disappearing overseas and totaled my gorgeous pink car

We're getting some very Max Parrish-type hooting and hollering up in here; a concise summary of Thorpe is that he's basically if Max had a boat and was an alcoholic instead of a drug addict

We get another hallmark of TIG's movies with a slew of incredibly cringe one-liners that elicit a physical reaction of pain from me, but for every few there was actually a genuinely funny one here and there, so I'll allow it this time...

The whole "I'm a pirate, my father was a pirate, etc." speech had me ROLLING and NOT IN THE WAY THE WRITERS INTENDED I THINK BC HUH??

When he met Helene in that random room full of paintings I was sure we were supposed to take it that the mission was smth art theft-related. but no she just has a passion for maximalist design ig.

Why does the camera get randomly shaky for no reason? Very avant-garde of them

Am I the only one who thinks that Carlos looks like a Walmart George Clooney? Someone else pls tell me I'm not insane

Always throws me off-guard but it's such fun to see TIG in an uncharacteristically light scene like the one where he's dancing in the parade and surrounded by the circle of dancers in the bar. At least he seemed like he was having a good time in this movie 🎉

Ramon and his lil book and the bar scene of Thorpe and Helene drunkenly arguing w each other and sitting on the side of the road was what really started to sell me

anD THEN HE FKIN DR A G S HER ASS 😂

Plus I cannot go without mentioning my appreciation for the way he was holding her knee 👀💕

Love how he spends the majority of this movie just dressed like someone's hot dad who works out, in his cargo shorts, tank top and goatee- oH WAIT IT'S BC HE IS A HOT DAD WHO WORKS OUT IN REAL LIFE

Love how Carlos and all the other villains are devoid of personality or motive except for ~money~, like "the Colonel" doesn't even have a name!!!

Was genuinely stressed that my boy was going to clock himself in the head when he was swinging that rope trying to scale that building

When Helene straight-up PUNCHED HER SISTER IN THE FACE like these ladies have some beef and I need to know where it stems from

This film is another great example of TIG's grossly underutilized comedic potential- a là the map reading scene

Hilarious how Carlos just shrugs like "I don't care, whatever I guess" when who he believes to be Marlena says she wants to say a dramatic goodbye to Thorpe

Ok but how did he not die?? Thank goodness but how??

Even more hilarious how the Colonel, who has had nothing but hatred and murderous intent for Thorpe throughout, is just so touched by Thorpe's being a ✨ big softie with morals ✨ that his vengeful compulsions are soothed and he's content with taking the gold like "hey bro, we're square now <3" and just fuckin walks away

Good on them for giving the treasure back to Mexico

Was legit concerned for too long there that they weren't actually going to end up together and I was screeching

DO THEY ACTUALLY USE THE SAME SHOT OF THE BOAT AT SUNSET IN THE MIDDLE OF THE MOVIE AND AT THE END?? lmaooo

Honestly, I think they could have leaned even more into the humorous aspect and the treasure hunt part of the film; made it a bit more of a National Treasure/Indiana Jones sort of thing, and I definitely would have liked some more character development, esp. for the sidekicks and villains, but overall, I award this film an unexpected 6/10. I had a good time 🙃🩷

[awalkoflife]

sometimes i'm totally fine and then i'll think about india's reaction to felix's death.

this is purely based on my own headcanons and my interpretation of india as a character so feel free to disengage entirely, i just needed to write it down. i think that india and felix were close friends before they ever became lovers. there isn't a lot of evidence to back this up but there is a level of comfort and familiarity and consistency with the two of them that would suggest they have a bond that extends beyond just mere sexual intimacy and attraction. she respects him for who he is, for his quirks and charms and yes, even his flaws. she understands him, can relate to him, is aware of the pressure and the pedestal that he's been placed upon.

india was the girl born into privilege, who was given everything from a young age not only because she was wealthy but because she was beautiful. i think she shared this burden with felix --- both of them yearned for a deeper connection, to find a sense of clarity and purpose. she is spoiled and entitled and a princess in every sense of the word but she isn't cruel. her heart is easily bruised and although defiant in nature, she craves the idealisation of belonging. she never wanted to solely belong to a world of materialistic aristocracy, she wanted to belong to him. to experience genuine love with someone who knew what it was already like to have everything else in the world handed to you on a silver platter. she wanted the kind of love with felix that wasn't easily obtained. true love. the kind of love money or privilege or status couldn't buy. something that would forever be just theirs.

the night of felix's death, i don't think it was their first rendezvous in the maze. yes, they were a little drunk and intoxicated but they were also giddy and laughing and holding hands. they knew what they were about to get up to and they were revelling in it together. that sense of familiarity is echoed in this scene; with each other, with the location, with the utter excitement both are experiencing as a result. there's also something to be noted about the way that they escaped together. they wanted to be alone, to detach themselves from the suffocating confines of oliver's party inside of the saltburn estate. it wasn't just about sex for them. it was about being alone, just the two of them, in their own private domain where they could give each other pleasure and intimacy and a taste of the connection they were craving. to me, this decision on their part made a statement: it wasn't just a quickie, it hinted a lot more about the precious, sacred nature of their relationship.

although not included in the canon event of the movie, there's an alternate reality where my portrayal of india would have gone up to felix's bed and slept there the night of the party. she would have waited on him even though they were interrupted, fallen asleep and would have woken the following morning to her worst nightmare come true. grief, up until that day, was a foreign concept to india --- a girl who had never lost anything of importance. while she worshipped felix the same way that everyone else did, it wasn't as straight forward as simple infatuation. in truth, it didn't start out that way for her. india first fell in love with felix while they were friends, before they ever became lovers. she loved him for the man that he was. the vivacious, fun, gorgeous, silly, wondrous creation. he was a dear friend first and foremost, someone who she wanted to protect, to cherish and to hopefully be with in the end. the loss of felix in her life represented more than just the loss of love. it stole away a part of herself that she'll never be able to retain, a part of herself that he awakened within her. she'll never forgive herself for leaving him in the maze and for not going back to check on him. life, inevitably, is never the same without felix river catton.

[moonlightcrusader]

MY SUPER MARIO MOVIE REVIEW (SPOILERS AHEAD)

Okay, so I have finally composed myself and I will say…man…the Mario movie was fun!

My overall review is its very funny, full of heart and the animation is gorgeous. There’s a lot of unexpected scenes that I found heartwarming and added to the characters/ plot.❤️

However…that being said…the pacing and script is my main concern. I know they have to fit a large chunk of lore for a good runtime, but there isn’t much development.

“But Moon, mario wasn’t all about story” I know, but a movie provides a chance to add story at a cinematic level.

Expanding the world and if not that the characters. If anything, I do not mind the simple plot. Mario needs to save Luigi and work alongside Princess Peach to defeat Bowser. Perfect.

However. I would have really liked more expanded characters. But I will elaborate below because that’s not my only critique.

Beyond here will be spoilers, read at your own risk!! My blog will start reposting/ talking about spoilers from here and now since it’s officially out!

***

CONS/ WHAT I WISH IT HAD MORE OF:

-I wish the bros got more screen time. Their chemistry and brotherly love was amazing, and I was itching to see more of them together.🥺

-that fight at the end with Bowser tho WAS EPIC! But Luigi was super underutilized omg… I really thought he was gonna have another role in the movie. I think they missed out on the side characters having more of a role or even a conversation…

-Speaking of which, idk, I found Lumalee kind of annoying. I know it’s probably going to set up a future movie…but I thought at least we would get some insight as to why the Luma was captured, why it hates living so much, idk….lol. But I did love the voice of Lumalee, super cute :)

-characterization. Apart from Mario and a LITTLE of luigi, and DK, the rest felt bland… I feel like bowser could have been more fleshed out (but don’t get me wrong, I loved how he had a crush on peach, his song and planned on marrying her. AHHH I LOVED IT) toad could have been more fleshed out. What are his goals at least? Not every character has to have an internal conflict, but he just felt…there. And what a shame because hes charming!

-okay guys, but peachs characterization. I’m sorry, this deserves its own post, so I will hyperlink it here when I finishing writing that, but omg yeah I am not quite attached to her portrayal yet😅 what a shame too because I love her so much…

-wish we spent some more time getting to know Mario’s family😭

-not a fleshed out ending. Hoped that peach would have reacted being on earth, maybe a montage of Brooklyn adjusting to having this pipe that leads to another world. What was the cities response overall when it came to cleanup? I know they have HAD to had some questions why a huge gorilla with a tie was there…and talking! Lol…

now… drumroll please…

***

POSITIVES/ WHAT I FREAKIN LOVEDDDDD:

-Mario. Omg they freakin ACED Mario. His character flaws, his goals, aspirations, internal conflict, personality, everything I headcanoned/ hoped for. He’s a goofball who loves adventure, plumbing and loves his family. His determination, stubbornness, (RIZZ HE GOT THAT RIZZ!!!) and charm. Ugh. That affirms it. He’s my fav. I wanted to hug him through the screen many times SO BAD!!!🥺❤️

-luigi and Mario’s brotherly love/chemistry. Omg. The flashback of them as babies and when Mario was cupping Luigi’s face and almost crying out of relief. Like omg omg I’m so happy to that attention to detail😭🥺❤️ they love each other so much it’s just… *chefs kiss* I’m hoping for future movies we get more brotherly scenes, I’m still waiting for that piggyback ride🫶❤️

-baby peach. I just…I wasn’t expecting it. She was so cute and the fact that the toads just adopted her and raised her as their own tells goes sweet they are. 🥹 I’m so glad we got some of a backstory for her! But Omg…she was someone’s child then! :o I love lore…

-bowsers singing and the song peaches is a legit masterpiece. If my man don’t make a song like this and doesn’t sing it with that much enthusiasm I don’t want him!!😤😤😂💞but yep Jack black was awesome hehe he had me dying of laughter and he was super intimidating as Bowser!! He understood the assignment 💅🏼

-which reminds me. I love the plot of Bowser wanting to marry Peach and getting jealous of Mario. I wish we got Mario’s reaction of peach wearing the wedding dress tho I don’t think it really hit him that Bowser was trying to marry Peach…

- speaking of which…Mareach! We got a few cute scenes!! Nothing major, but I see that they are making it a slow burn romance 😏😂 okay, I can wait! While I wish we got more scenes, I loved how DK called out Mario’s attempts at flirting, Peach calling him adorable when he had his cat suit🥺🥺 and her giggles when Mario promises to buy her a pet turtle if she comes to Brooklyn. That was so freakin cute!!!��️❤️🥹 you can tell Mario likes her, and peach has a fondness for him :)))

-CAT MARIO WAS SO ADORABLE DID YOU SEE WHEN HE BEAT DONKEY KONG HE WAS KNEEDING ON HIM LIKE A CAT WOULD AHHHHH-

-the animation and the storyboarding. Everything art related. The score. I wanted to fly when I heard bowsers theme. I wanted to cry seeing the beautifully crafted action scenes and I can’t wait to see the storyboards 😭❤️ illumination went all the way!!! Also the character design!!! I love all of their designs!!!

-the pop songs were a nice touch and the humor was great. :3

-SEEING MARIOS FAMILY AND THE FACT THAT CHARLES PLAYS THEIR DAD IS SO ADORABLE AND AWESOME I WAS FREAKIN FANGIRLING!!!

-also like I headcanoned THEIR MAMA IS SO ADORABLE I LOVE HER SO MUCH!!! No wonder they came out as sweet incredible boys 🥺🧡

-the soundtrack man. They were cooking up in the studio I’m telling you!!! I heard it’s on Spotify now so I’m gonna be listening to it lol

-luigi is so precious but I wish HE HAD MORE SCREENTIME

-DK and Mario’s relationship give me rowdy sibling vibes and I’m here for it

-I love how they can travel from Brooklyn to mushroom kingdom through the pipe, at first I thought it was a star VS the forces of evil thing and the worlds merged until I realized the ending… XD

-I loved all the voices!! I think everyone did an amazing job, I heard a few inconsistencies throughout the movie but meh, everyone seemed excited for their roles!!!🧡🫶

If I can think of anything else I will add, but yeah, I think I had higher expectations for the movie😅 I think if it had a bit more time to flesh out characters, it would have been SUPER great. I loved all the references inside the movie, you can tell it was crafted with passion and love❤️ it was a very fun experience and of course the BRAINROT increased💞

Of course, this is my personal opinions and such, if you have a different one, that's fine! This is just what I would liked to see/ what I thought would have been better in the movie. That’s all!! :3

[avengerscompound]

The Tower - Starting Without Us

The Tower - Starting Without Us

Series Masterlist

Pairing:  Avengers x OFC, Bruce Banner x Bucky Barnes x Clint Barton x Wanda Maximoff x Steve Rogers x Natasha Romanoff x Tony Stark x Thor x Sam Wilson x OFC (Elly Cooper)

Word Count: 3196

Warnings:  smut (ten-person bisexual orgy, oral, vaginal, and anal sex, double penetration)

Synopsis:  Bruce and Elly come to bed to find the rest of the group has started something without them.

Author’s Note: Requested by  Peteypie & Harrysbigtoetattoo28 on AO3. You can send in your requests too.

Starting Without Us

Takes place after Happily Ever After

Bruce and I knew what was happening before we even reached the bottom of the stairs.  Our bedroom in the Palace of Asgard was cathedral-like, and noise carried in it like an echo chamber.  The moans, grunts, and soft sound of skin against skin coming from the bed at the top of the podium echoed through the room, giving away exactly what the rest of the group was doing.

I looked up at Bruce and smirked, and he softly laughed and shook his head.  “Looks like we’re missing out on an orgy,” he joked.

I laughed and started stripping off my clothes.  “Not if I can help it.”

Bruce laughed again, and followed me up the stairs, shedding his clothes and shrinking down from his larger, green form, to his smaller human one.  We were both naked by the time we got to the top of the stairs, and we stopped side by side, watching the scene before us.

“Do you ever get struck by how unbelievably attractive our husbands and wives are?” I asked Bruce as I took hold of his forearm.  Before us was a sea of gorgeous, sweaty bodies, writhing together on the oversized bed.  Thor was on all fours, his face hidden by Clint’s thighs as he bobbed his head up and down on the archer’s cock.  Clint’s hands were tangled in Thor’s hair and he arched his back on the mattress as he lay back, every one of his sinewy muscles pulling tight. 

Sam was on his knees behind Thor, one hand braced on the god’s shoulder, and his head dropped forward as he fucked him.  He was going slow and deep, and each time he thrust in he swirled his hips.

Off to their left Bucky was laid out on his back as Wanda sat on him bouncing up and down on his cock.  She still had her knee-high socks on and her corset had just been torn open at the top, letting her breasts spill out.  They bounced with every movement, and it was clear that Bucky was as mesmerized by them as I was.  His ornate prosthetic arm was curled around her waist and his metal fingers dug into her hip.

On the far end of the bed were Steve, Tony, and Natasha. Natasha was pinned between the two men as they sat caging her between their legs.  All three were naked, but it was hard to tell if anyone was actually fucking.  They moved as a single organism, kissing and caressing each other.  They seemed truly connected in a way that went beyond the physical.  Almost as if they were feeling everyone around them through the threads only I could see.

“Every time I look at any of you,” Bruce said.

I turned and looked at him, a soft smile playing over my lips.  “God, I love you,” I said.

“I love you too, El,” he said.  “Come on, we have some catching up to do.”

I jumped onto the mattress, and Bruce caught me from behind and knocked my feet out from under me, and we both went tumbling onto the mattress.  I squealed and landed, completely breaking down into giggles, and when I tried to crawl away, he caught me around the middle and pulled me back toward him.  My laughter was soon cut short by his tongue lapping up my folds from behind.  I pressed my face into my forearms and spread my legs wider for him.  His tongue swirled up from my cunt to my asshole and back again.  It set my nerves alight and I moaned, pushing back against him, trying to get more.

I completely lost myself to the feeling of Bruce’s tongue moving over my most intimate places, sending a soft current traveling through me, under my skin.  The sounds coming from everyone else, and the pleasure I could feel radiating off them that traveled through the threads that connected us was nothing but a background buzz.  Like rain on the roof, or the sounds of waves hitting the shore. 

It wasn’t until the mattress dipped in front of me that I realized the rest of the group had moved around.  I looked up to see Thor kneeling over me, his cock standing hard against his belly and leaking precome down his shaft.

“Good Evening, lover,” he said, his hand moving to my jaw so he was cradling it underneath.  “I’m glad you and Bruce were able to join us.”

I wanted to snark back at him and tell him how rude it was not to wait for us, but at that same moment, Bruce pulled my clit between his lips and a hot jolt tore through my spine.  All I could do was moan and open my mouth, offering it to him.

“Oh, that’s it.  You know just what your mouth is for, don’t you?” Thor praised and wrapped his hand around his cock.  I moaned and stuck out my tongue as he tapped his cock on my cheeks and rubbed it over them, smearing his precome onto my skin.  I looked up at him, my head already feeling fuzzy.  “You want it badly, don’t you?” Thor teased.

I moaned in response, tilting my head up.  Thankfully, he didn’t make me beg for it, because the next moment the head of his cock was pushing in between my lips.  He knew what I could take and he didn’t go slowly or let me adjust, he just shoved in as deep as he could go.  I gagged as he pushed past the back of my throat, adjusting myself so it was open for him.  He was in complete control as he fucked my throat hard and deep. His hand moved from my jaw to my neck, and I knew he was feeling the way his cock made my throat bulge.  His other hand went to my hair, wrapping it around his hand so he could hold me in place or force me further down on his shaft. 

Behind me, Bruce got up on his knees.  He tapped the head of his cock against my clit making a wet sound that matched the sound of Thor’s cock moving in and out of my mouth.  With another smooth snap of his hips, he entered me and began to thrust.

I couldn’t see anyone else around me in my current position, and all my focus was on trying to stop myself from falling apart completely between them.  The mattress dipped beside me and I opened my eyes and looked to the side as best I could.  Tony was walking on his knees around the side of me followed by Wanda and Clint.

Tony moved behind Bruce, and Bruce’s thrusts slowed and almost stopped.  He moaned loudly and even without seeing what was going on, I knew that Tony had started to fuck his ass.  Wanda lay down at a right angle to me and scooted under me, arching her head up to start licking at my clit.  As she did, Clint moved in between her legs and guided his cock into her.

Thor tapped on my cheek.  “Focus,” he said, his voice a deep rumble.

Bruce began to thrust again, it was slower and more erratic but it didn’t matter.  With him filling me while Wanda licked and sucked at my clit, it was almost enough to bring me over there and then.  Add to that the way Thor’s cock is blocking my airway and the feeling of everyone’s pleasure surging through the threads, I was right at the edge of my orgasm already.  I had trouble keeping my elbows locked and increasingly it felt more and more like Thor was holding me up by my neck and hair.  My mind felt thick like molasses and it became hard to tell where I ended and everything else began.  Wanda pulled my clit between her lips and pressed down on it, and that was all it took to send me spiraling over.  I came, choking on Thor’s cock as I clenched around Bruce’s.

Thor pulled back and practically hauled me up into a passionate kiss.  I kissed back in a daze, my walls still pulsing around Bruce.

Bruce pulled out and when Thor broke the kiss, I gazed around at the group.  Bruce had collapsed down, his face pressed into the mattress and his ass popped up as Tony fucked him.  Wanda was still beside me on her back.  Her feet were on Clint’s shoulders as he thrust into her cunt.  Thor turned his attention to Bucky.  The two men started to kiss as they pressed their cocks together and Thor began pumping them at the same time.  Natasha was riding Sam, and the two were kissing passionately as she bounced on his cock.

I turned, straddling Wanda’s face and Steve moved up behind me, putting his hand on my neck and guiding me forward so that as Wanda sucked on my clit, I did the same to hers.  She was so wet that every thrust of Clint’s hips made a squelch and sent droplets of fluid slashing up onto my face.  I licked up everything I could, running my tongue from her clit to the base of Clint’s cock.

Steve reached over me and Wanda and pulled Clint into a harsh and claiming kiss.  As he did, he thrust his cock hard into me.  I gasped and clenched up around his thick shaft.  He thrust into me hard and fast, and I had to brace my forearms on Wanda’s hips to keep myself from collapsing on top of her. 

Things were always more intense for me when I was with Wanda.  We created a feedback loop, where her pleasure was fed by mine, which in turn fed back to me again.  With that and my already overstimulated state, we were both on edge almost immediately.  I tried to focus on her and push mine back.  If I came too many times too quickly I wouldn’t last as long as this night was shaping up to go.

Wanda arched her back under me, and little orbs of pink light drifted off her fingers only to be snuffed out immediately.  Every time she moaned, I felt it against my cunt.  She was getting close, I could feel it, not just through the connection we shared, but the way her muscles spasmed under me.  I pulled her clit between my lips and ran my tongue over it and it sent her over.  She bucked up hard under me and cried out.  Her orgasm knocked mine over with it and I arched my back, grabbing hold of Clint’s hips as I came over Steve’s cock.

Clint groaned. “Oh fuck, Wanda.”  He pulled out of her and began to pump his cock.  I tilted my head back and opened my mouth and Clint came, splattering my mouth and chin, as well as Wanda’s pussy with thick white ropes.

As Clint sat back on his heels, Steve pulled out of me.  “Don’t think you’re done yet, little bird,” he growled as he crawled toward him.  I climbed off Wanda while I had the chance and the two of us just lay on our backs side to side breathing heavily.  I turned my head, Natasha was climbing off Sam and she beckoned me over.  I got onto my hands and knees and crawled over to her.  Behind me, Thor scooped Wanda into her arms and the two began to kiss, and Steve had Clint on his back and had started to fuck him.  Bruce and Tony were making their way over to join him.

When I reached Natasha, she pulled me into a deep kiss, licking Clint’s mess from my lips.  Sam sat up and watched us for a moment, before taking my hand and pulling me toward him.  I held the kiss as long as I could with Natasha, before pushing Sam onto his back and straddling his lap.  As I lowered myself down, he guided his cock into me.  I started bouncing and Natasha went to join Clint and Steve, as Bucky moved up behind me and Sam.

Bucky kissed my neck as he lubed up his cock and I leaned back against him, letting him hold my weight, as I rolled my hips in a figure of eight on Sam’s cock.

“Look at you,” Sam teased as he ran his hands up to my chest and cupped my breast. “You’re already so fucked out, Elly.  Normally you last so much longer.  Are you getting old?”

I leaned over him and put my hand on his neck.  “Never,” I said, and started bouncing up and down quickly on his cock.  He looked up at me, his tongue teasing over his lips and he pulled me down into a hard kiss.

Bucky put his metal hand in the middle of my back, stilling my movements.  His cock pressed against my entrance and I squeezed my eyes closed and willed myself to relax as Bucky pushed his cock inside my cunt alongside Sam’s.

“God, I love how well you take us,” Bucky groaned as he seated himself fully inside me.

Sam stroked my hair and kissed my neck.  “That’s a girl.  How are you doing?”

“So good,” I moaned and began to move between them. 

“Eager,” Bucky teased as he ran his hand up my spine.  “Just relax, El.  We’ve got you.”

They both began to thrust into me.  I became putty between them, letting them use me as they saw fit.  Steve was still fucking Clint, and Natasha had straddled Clint’s face and was grinding down on it as she kissed Steve.  Wanda and Thor were in the lotus position, sitting face to face as Wanda slowly rolled her hips.  Tony was still with Bruce, but they seemed to be taking a breather for a moment and just watching everyone as they stroked themselves.

Sam kissed down my neck and pulled one of my breasts into his mouth, sucking on my nipple as he snapped his hips up under me, and behind me, Bucky wrapped an arm around my waist and began to rub my overly sensitive clit.

I came shuddering between them, but neither was done with me yet.  If anything, my orgasm spurred them on.  They thrust harder and faster, and as one pulled back the other thrust forward so there was never a moment I didn’t feel full.  I moaned loudly, my eyes falling closed as I just gave in to it.  I came again, and then a third time, and I started to think I would pass out between them.  I squeezed my walls around them, trying to milk them.  Sam jerked up under me and groaned loudly as he finally came too.  Bucky kept thrusting but it was only six more thrusts before he was coming too, his come mixing with Sam’s.

“Fuck,” Sam groaned.  “God damn.”

Bucky hummed and slipped out of me, kissing my shoulder and I took the opportunity to slither off Sam.

I lay catching my breath, and just watching the rest of the group.  Thor and Wanda split apart and Thor went to Bruce, taking Clint with him.  Steve came over to Bucky and the two began to kiss, while Sam moved to Wanda.

Tony approached me and ran his hands up my shins and down my thighs.  “Got one more in you?” he asked.

“For the man I married? Of course,” I answered.

I spread my legs for him and he crawled up over me, kissing me deeply as he sunk his cock into my aching cunt.  He slowly rolled his hips as we kissed and I relaxed and rocked my hips with his.  Natasha crawled up beside us and ran her hand through Tony’s hair.  It made Tony moan into my lips.  The moan turned into a gasp as her hands tightened and she yanked his head back.   He mewled and bucked into me.

Natasha pulled him back onto his knees and pressed a searing kiss onto his lips.  He never broke the slow, deep rhythm of his thrusts, and as they kissed, Natasha straddled my face.  I tilted my head up and began to lap at her cunt.  Someone had come inside her - maybe multiple people.  It mixed with her fluids and coated my tongue as I licked up her slit.  The heady concoction overwhelmed me and I drank it down greedily.

I suckled on her clit as her fingers met mine.  She rubbed it in tight circles as Tony’s hips sped up.  The three of us moved together as one, rocking our hips, licking, kissing, and hands roaming over each other’s bodies.  I focused hard on Natasha, nipping at her clit and pulling the tiny bundle of nerves between my lips.  I suckled on it and flicked my tongue over its surface.  All the while pleasure was swirling through me, building pressure in my core ready to break.

Natasha’s orgasm hit a split second before mine and we both bucked hard as they took hold of us completely.  Natasha braced her hands on Tony’s shoulders to stop herself from falling.

The clench of my cunt brought Tony over with me, and he thrust in hard cursing as he spilled inside me.  Natasha practically oozed from off the top of me, collapsing on the bed and humming as she lay on her back looking up at the ceiling.  Tony lay down half on top of me, his cock still inside me as it softened.  I played with his hair as I turned my head and looked at the others.  Wanda, Sam, Clint, and Bruce, all looked as spent as the three of us.  They lay together in a little cuddle pile nearby.

 It was only Steve, Thor, and Bucky who were still going.  Steve was lying on his back as Thor fucked him, and Bucky was behind Thor, thrusting into his ass.  They were going a little harder with each other than they would with any of the rest of us, and you could see how close they were getting.  Thor was barely holding it together.  His eyes were leaking blue plasma as his powers threatened to take him.  He wrapped one large hand around Steve’s cock and pumped it.

Steve moaned and arched his back off the mattress and came all over his stomach.  Thor seemed to relax as Steve came, no longer trying to hold himself back, he thrust into Steve’s ass and came inside him, a look of pure relaxed bliss on his face.  

Bucky kept thrusting, chasing his release, and Thor moaned, his eyes rolling back as he took it.  Bucky shoved in hard and his hips jerked as he came too.

It took a moment for the three men to break apart but when they did, they looked more fucked out than anyone else in the room.

Wanda waved her hand lazily and brought up washcloths from the basins at the bottom of the stairs.  We slowly cleaned each other up and when we were all finally in bed properly, we fell asleep, completely spent, and wrapped in each other's arms.

~ END ~

[2amvoicemail]

God, I can't get over how much I love Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind. I've rewatched it 3 times since I first viewed it last week, and it's just PERFECT.

To begin with, there is not a single character (Except Howard's wife, who was only in about 30 seconds of the movie, but her lines were still extremely impactful) who is either perfect or villianous. Every character has made mistakes, exhibits questionable morals, but in a way that is perfectly balanced to make them perfectly human.

Jim Carrey is not dissimilar to Steve Carell in the fact that they are both primarily comedic actors who SHINE in dramatic roles. They both capture the essence of what it means to be an emotional person so well. Hearing Jim Carrey as Joel speak from the soul of his heartbreak gives me chills, and I'll never not cry during the scene of him driving away from the beach house, watching his memories be erased, knowing this is the end, and finishing with "she was just some girl."

And the SOUNDTRACK, oh my god. It makes the movie. The scores are perfect for each scene. That one piano song that plays during the scene where Joel and Clementine are kids, and while Joel is letting go of his last few memories makes me yearn for this kind of bittersweet sadness that drives me to write.

From a completely aesthetic point of view, the way this movie was filmed, directed and edited was gorgeous. Every visual detail represents something, from the books at the library slowly disappearing to Clementine's hair colors representing whatever season the memory takes place in. I feel like every time I watch this movie, I notice another small detail that I hadn't before, Shoutout to the post-production team, every detail matters and the editing pushed this movie beyond how perfect it already was.

This movie is the epitome of what it feels like to experience heartbreak, loss, regret, and then the down-the-road realization that even though you were hurt, it was all worth it to experience love. It left me considering the beauty of failed friendships and relationships.