#side note probably gonna use shinee memes

[ghostlyvisage]

//A little series of writings I did awhile ago for a prompt meme I can't find now. There probably will be spelling errors, but this also might explain Ghost's backstory a l'il more? Either way have Fun! Bits and bobs under the cut!

Wine-

Parties had never been his thing, even as he stood, shined to perfection and greeting the guests with smiles and bows. Energon was passed around, mechs congratulating him on graduating his courses and dropping not so subtle hints that they wanted to higher him as there own personal lawyer. And he joked back, he always did with a tip of his helm and dip of his wings. 

This party was supposed to be about him, and he hated it. He made a joke here, dropped a compliment there as he made his way out to a balcony, finally stepping out with a vent. The balcony was quieter at least, letting his frame relaxe slightly and holding his wine close. 

“Hhhhheeeeeyyyyy,” An arm wrapped around him, his older brother pulling him into a side hug, using his wings to hide him from the party. “Bored as always, Star? You know you can always dip, you have an excuse now.” Another cube of wine was pushed into his servos and Star shook his helm. 

“Well unfortunately I’d like to stay on some peoples good side, so no, Sky, I wont be disappearing with whatever cute servant passes my way.” The bright blue seeker let out a loud laugh, holding him a little closer before finally letting him go. 

“So, you gonna go through with it? Challenging the council by helping the lower caste?” ‘Sky’ finally pulled back far enough to lean his side against the railing, golden optics alight with humor and understanding. 

“While I will have to entertain other nobles, I can charge them enough to offer my services to others who actually need them for free.” His wings flicked and he knocked back what was left in his first cube. “I have the money, now I have the means. Just like we talked about when we were younger, Sky. When you stole treats from the kitchen for the younglings outside the tower.” 

Just like they had talked about during late nights, forming ideas on how to help the servants out. Whispering under a blanket with an older data pad and falling into recharge with notes scrawled out in shaky writing. 

“Welp, to Starfall! May all your dreams come true!” Sky gave him a mock toast and laughed, drinking his own highgrade. Skyfall laughed, and raised his own glass, grinning. 

“And to Skyreacher, the older brother who gave me the push I needed.”

-----------

Conjunx-

“Dawn?” Starfall called into the empty mansion, his worry only increasing when all he heard was his own voice echoing back. “Dawnstar? If this is another prank that your doing with Skyreacher its not funny this time.” His vents shook, wings held high as he slowly made his way down the hall to his office. 

The panicked call he had gotten earlier hadn’t been reassuring, and he had rushed home as fast as he could. And now he felt like he was walking to his death, servos clenching before extending his claws out. He needed to be prepared, even as he opened his office door. 

Sitting in one of the soft chairs infront of his black desk was the soft pink frame of Dawnstar, the femmes wings low and trembling. Her back was to him, but he could clearly see the mech in his chair pointing a gun at her. He didn’t recignize this mech from anywhere, but he knew that he had to be sent from the council, and Starfall closed the door behind him. 

“If you wanted my attention you didn’t have to threaten her.” Starfall hissed, slowly slipping into the other chair. He didn’t see anyone else, wings flaring wide to try and sense an EMF field or something that might suggest someone else in the room. “Quiet bold of you, i must say. You are from the council, yes?” 

The silver mech before him gave a smile, blue optics showing no emotion. 

“I am, Lord Starfall. The council had noticed your… efforts with those below your station. And they have sent you many messages to get you to stop.” The gun waved slightly, and Dawnstar flinched, servos curling into fists in her lap. “We are keeping your mechling out of this… for now. But this will be your only warning.” 

The mech stood, slowly circling the desk and turning the gun to Starfall. He tapped it against the mechs chassis, helm tilting to the side. 

“Stop playing these foolish games and getting the workers wound up for nothing. Or else there will be consequences.” That smile never wavered, even as the mech left the room. Of course they felt threatened, they never had anything better to do than feel threatened about everything. 

He took a vent and turned to Dawnstar, immediately scooting closer and taking her servo in his. 

“You can’t keep doing this Star, they’ll kill you! Or worse!” She sobbed out, squeezing his servo and looking up at him. “Please, stop for a bit, let it die down until they turn there attention to something else. Please.” She begged him, squeezing his servos. Starfall gave a soft vent, pulling her close and gently running his claws through tense cables. 

“You know I can’t do that Dawn. Not now, not when they need me the most.” Not while he could still give them a voice. 

“And when they take everything from you? Then what? The lower caste would tear you to shreds! What about me? What about Sunray? Our son?” She choked out another sob and buried closer to him, her smaller servos clinging to him. 

“It’s okay, if anything happens to you, you know Skyfall will take you both in.” Star murmured, holding his bonded close and gently rocking her. “It’s okay Dawn. They won’t do anything to either of you.” 

-----------

Wings-

His vents were hard, he could barely keep up with the mechs dragging him along, tripping over his own peds as he tried to desperately calm his pounding spark. Dawnstar was dead, they killed her. They killed Sunray. They killed them all and Skyfall hadn’t answered any of his desprate com calls. 

He was shoved to his knees, and he felt the dirt under them, and it was a welcome distraction to the drying energon on his frame. Their energon, when he held them before he was slammed with something in the helm and dragged away from there corpses. 

Would they even get a proper burial? They had nothing to do with his work, they were just… 

‘Collateral Damage’ is what the mech had said, holding the smoking gun with that twisted, sympathetic grin of his. His vents shuddered and hiccuped, and he shuddered as the blindfold was torn off. Starfall winced at the light, shaking his helm and squinting his optics, trying to look up-

“...Skyfall…?” His voice cracked, optics going wide as he stared up at his older brother. The sky colored seeker stared down at him with blank optics, a soft smile on his face. Skyfall said nothing, looking up behind him before slowly approaching. Another mech took his place, and enforcer by the looks of it. 

“Starfall, for your crimes against the Senate, your brother was given two options. Have you arrested or volenteer your for reasearch. He chose to give you for research. His and your sacrifice will be remembered.” The mech droned on and on about the ‘crimes’ he commited, and Starfall started to struggle. 

“Skyfall? Skyfall what is the meaning of this?! Sky!?! SKY WHAT IS GOING ON?!!?” He felt his panic rise, looking behind him as Skyfall gently grabbed one of his primary wings. 

And cold realization settled low in his spark, his optics widening as he looked up at Skyfall. 

“Brother…?” He whispered, voice cracked as that grip became firm. 

“I’m sorry little star.” Skyfall whispered back, placing a ped firmly on his back, between his wings. 

“Sky, brother, please! Don’t do this!” Starfall cried out, hot tears starting to well up again. 

Skyfall yanked, tearing fragile wiring and Starfall’s world started to spin. There was a hot/cold feeling, and he swore he purged as the wing was torn from its housing, discarded like it was useless scrap. His frame shook, emf field going wild as his smaller secondary wing was torn off immediately after the first. 

He felt his vision swim, his voicebox and throat felt raw, and he felt Skyfall lean in close. Something was whispered in his audial, lost to pain and fear, and Starfalls face was forced to look up. 

The enforcer holding his face was saying… something, he couldn’t tell what. He couldn’t think anymore, vents shuddering as he gulped in air. 

Why would Skyfall do this? What happened? He had been so supportive, even funded it with his own credits! Had given him everything he needed to give the people what they needed.

So why did his older brother, the mech who stood with him the longest, who he shared his deepest worries and fears, do this? 

Why was his big brother hurting him? 

He gave another shuddering vent, tears falling into the dirt under him as the enforcer let go of his face. 

“Finish it off, we cant have him flying away before we’re ready.” Servos, painfully familiar servos grabbed onto his wings, gripping them firmly but gently before the rest of his wings were torn from his frame. 

And finally, spark swirling with pain and the gut-wreching feeling of betrayal, darkness filled his vision. And the last thing he saw was his wings being tossed to the side, and his older brothers sky blue plating. 

—-------

[thekaijudude]

Team MLV vs the Ultra Brothers: Who will win?

Either way, let’s also set up 3 basic rules. The first concerns both sides, the second concerns only the Ultra Brothers, and the last only concerns only Team MLV, because if they have this, they WILL win.

—1: No enhanced forms or fusions.

—2: No reality manipulation or dimensional manipulation or whatever you were talking about in my last qn. I don’t know where Taro and Ace showcased this, but even if it was in their shows, it’s clearly considered non-canon now. I mean, why wouldn’t they have just used that to find the Kingdom in UGF3 if it was canon? 

—3: No elemental abilities, ‘cause if Team MLV has this, even if Vylcan’s the only one using them, the Ultra Brothers have no shot, especially given the other rules. I mean it, if their elemental abilities were allowed, Vylcan could probably just amplify himself enough to destroy any one of the Ultra Brothers with only a few punches.

Anyway, I’ve sent you a doc with all of the abilities of each member of Team MLV. (Btw, recall that Ultraman Adam is my name for the OG Ultraman).

Point 2 is gonna rub some feathers tbh cause the reason why they dont use those abilities anymore is the same reason why main series ultras dont just show up and instantly annihilate Tier 2 kaiju even tho theyve shown very clearly that they could, same reason why Tartarus dosent also instantly destroy US Zero since it was clearly shown in UGF3 ep 10 that even the upgraded US Zero barely makes him flinch (recall that Seven was also involved in that fight thus I can say that AT's damage was due to Seven rather than him, consistent with the fact that he took a hit from Shining Ultimate Zero and was still standing AFTER getting a beatdown from the Leo brothers), same reason why PI Belial didnt also instantly dissipate Geed and Z as well despite the vast difference in power and why can Deathcium Ray Burst knock down PI Belial as well

Its all to make a good show, otherwise fights would end in under a few seconds, and the entire displayed conflict between the Ultras and the Absolutians would also end in a single ep since I pointed out that there simply isnt enough Elite Absolutians to handle even the entire cast of UB-level Ultras

Otherwise by your rationale, the infamous Ginga S episode 12 meme where the Zoa Muruchi that solo'ed both Ginga and Victory would be universal level

There are fans that are for and against those feats still being considered canon or nah. Personally, considering the other ridiculous feats of power we've seen beings other than Ultras have protrayed, as well as how powerful Ultras get as they grow older, Im of the opinion that those hax are canon, and they only reason why they dont showcase those abilities anymore is as said, to have a more interesting fight sequence

(Additionally as I also answered before, TsuPro wouldnt want to have to address a situation of "Hax vs Hax" regularly cause it inevitably introduces an extremely convoluted system, iirc i talked in depth about this in the Chaos Darkness vs Sphere ask)

And with good reason too, as the franchise has tried its best to shift away from delving into higher and higher powerscales beyond New Gen Ultras (Movie form++ like US Zero is the current cap) or else theyll eventually encounter the same problem like Dragonball by writing themselves into a hole whereby the in-universe/multiverse/omniverse scaling cannot keep up with its inhabitants (unless they would have a do a metaversal level of retconning every few years just to avoid this issue, which is an absolute pain in the ass to do due to its implications like what Marvel and DC comics do from what I can understand), which was something they alr did up till Taro which was why u saw that they toned it down so much up till now, with the exception of rare occurences of Legendary Ultras and High Tier fusions obviously

(Note that we're currently not even vibing at Multiversal scales mind you, low multi-universal at best with the current UGF plot, expect things to stay this way for the foreseeable future until TsuPro decides to shift their target audiences to young adults)

Thus Im vibin with this canon, and by removing those abilities, youre bascially nerfing them as far as Im concerned

But again, this has too many characters in a single ask, recall I told u max 2v2 yo, unless u can generalize 2 groups in a short summary via numbers or sth within the ask itself (or summarize and highlight the main attributes like base power, multipliers or sth, not just a reference scale to yet another OC which we dk the scaling for) cause I sure as hell aint gonna read all that in the link u sent just for an AU ask

[vensleep]

I’m very sad, give me Nathaniel please

[cherriesradio]

Class 1-A relationship headcanons

Part 2 - https://cherry-cake-pies.tumblr.com/post/640893672076001280/class-1-a-relationship-headcanons

Part 1 - https://cherry-cake-pies.tumblr.com/post/640877154337538048/mha-relationship-headcanons-class-1-a

Fluff

Mezou Shouji

Best hugs ever

I mean what else is he gonna do with all those arms? Fight villains?

Y/n is the only one who can call him by his first name

Shouji is super tall and y/n just calls him “Mezou McTallMan”

He has like 5 million IQ and plays chess with y/n and they just sit their feelin stupid cause they keep losing

Shouji and Tokoyami are best friends and then when him and y/n get together all three of them are best friends and it’s adorable

Y/n never really cared about the mask but was like “hey you don’t need to take it off if you don’t wanna”

And it melted Shouji’s heart that they were fine with it

Thier hair is always ruffled because of how much he messes with it

They just don’t bother anymore

He doesn’t like getting to much attention so for events they have little at home/ in the dorm party’s with just a few other kids

He 100% takes advantage of how scary he can look

If someone is trying to get at y/n he will look at them with the most haunting glare in the world

(*cough* Mineta *cough* *cough*)

Kyouka Jirou

Rockin out to rock but also crappy 2000’s pop music at three am

Jirou will just be sitting beside y/n as they mess with her lobes

Y/n is as much as a crackhead as the rest of the Bakusquad so they all get along great

Bakugo has almost stabbed both of them for kissing in public and being affectionate in public

Coming back to the dorms all sweaty from going to a concert and jumping around for four hours straight

Has the hardest time trying to teach y/n how to play everything because it hurt their ~delicate fingers~

Leaning on each other’s backs and listening to music sharing ear buds 😫

Getting records and hanging them on each other’s walls and painting them if they don’t like the songs 💜

She has a ton of vintage art/ band hoodies and they just share them at some point because they keep stealing them from each other

Going to the arcade with Denki and Kirishima and whoever else wants to come

Y/n always says Jirou has a “out shine the stars smile” and she becomes a blushing mess every time

She’s not very good at comforting :(

She tries tho

She’s great honestly

Hanta Sero

He asks y/n if he annoys them and y/n legit feels so bad like “I love u so much don’t you dare think that>:(“

He likes saving up for dates and going to fancy restaurants and stuff but he’s fine with small inexpensive dates

They’ve gone to sixflags at least ten times and they have definitely broke a whole ride from messing around with his tape

That couple where even before they were dating they were dating

Jokingly kissing each others hand/ cheeks, cuddling up to each other, always asking if the other was going somewhere too, that kinda stuff

Hammock cuddles

I think you understand

Prank war in the whole dorm and y/n and Sero are the kings (or queens) (or non-binary royalty) of it

Bakugo has declared war on them multiple times but never goes on it because of how hard they go

Everyone has said it, you know it

Spider man kisses

He has almost passes out from the blood rushing to his head before

if Mineta walks up to y/n from behind he will tape him up and they can’t have a normal conversation without Sero glaring at him

So many inside jokes

Once y/n put his hair in a bun or something and he was like :0 “oh my god there’s a world without hair in ur face”

Sometimes either of them will sneak in the others dorm in the morning before they wake up and put sunglass on them or draw on their face

“This reminds me of u” insert simp meme

This boy will make sure y/n is always holding his werid long lanky hands

They teach Todoroki what “Yeet” means and now they all use it all the time unironically

Fumikage Tokoyami

👏head 👏scratchys 👏

Y/n has to get him a nightlight so Dark Shadow doesn’t go wild in the middle of the night

Huge edge lord y/n is his only soft spot

Watch dumb vampire movies

They binged all the Twilight movies in one night and everyone makes fun of them for kinda unironiclly liking it

I know Halloween is only really a american thing but they 100% have Halloween party’s at the dorms

They’d set up the whole thing

Y/n gets him black nail polish and skull rings and edgy everything

He has a box that takes up like half his closet of just gifts from y/n

He doesn’t do gifts as much as just spending time with y/n

He does love the gifts tho

Give each other plenty of space

Just say “hey I wanna be alone for a bit” and he’ll be gone in a second

He’s always the little spoons cause he’s scared of peaking their eyes out accidentally

They didn’t keep the relationship a secret they just aren’t very physically affectionate to each other

So one day Shouji is like “oh are you crushing on y/n? Like you are really nice to them and they give you stuff”

And he sits there like “dude we’ve been together for months how do you not know”

And then they are like maybe we should announce it just to make sure? So they do that and the whole class is in shock that they were together for so long and no one noticed

Jokingly calls Tokoyami “Emo Peacock” 

You can’t tell me they try to do the Waltz as a joke but get really into it and do it whenever they hear any music now

Jirou could literally be playing hard core rock or heavy metal and they’ll be doing the waltz to it

Dark Shadow low key feels like a third wheel sometimes but then y/n give him a tight hug and he feels appreciated

Shouto Todoroki

Feeding the simps

So ya know that thing in the notes app where you can share notes? Yeah they share one of those where they list things they hate about Endeavor and after a month they are already on a thousand

Just sit in the same room

Could be doing anything not even envolving the other but it’s nice just to have the other there

Protecting the girls from Mineta together ❤️👏👏

at first it honestly just seemed like they were really good friends because they kept it a secret (mostly cause if it got out to the public Endeavor would find out and probably try to break them up)

Even in private they would just kiss the others cheek or forehead and hold hands and that’s the only difference

He talks to his mother about y/n a lot and she is so excited to meet y/n

She has really high expectations just because of how good they sound but does take in that Shouto is literally in love with them, he’s gonna have slight rose tinted glasses

Yeah their just as good as Todoroki made them out to be

When he told y/n about his childhood (endeavor, his mom, his scar, Dabi…) y/n cried because they felt so bad and cuddled him all day trying to help any way they could

They totally made him go to therapy 😌

Has a written down list of thing they said they like so he can get them one if they feel down

He has literally bought them a cat when they were feeling really down and y/n had to explain that he can’t just go and buy a cat when their feeling bad

They keep it tho don’t worry

He’ll turn off the air conditioning when he wants y/n’s affection

They’ll just come running at him and tackle him so he can warm them up/ cool them down

Expect goodnight texts

Make custom memes about how bad of a parent Endearvor is

Legit the start of Todoroki crushing on them overhearing them tell a friend that they don’t think Endearvor is a good hero/ deserves to be number 1

Once asked All Might to adopt Todoroki (I mean he thought about it for a second before Aizawa told him no)

Todoroki let’s y/n cook stuff on his left side

Deku will just wake up in the morning smelling eggs and think someone’s cooking but find y/n cracking eggs onto Todoroki’s left side

[takahero]

in honour of finishing inkspell, here are some basta observations I picked up along the way. also, inkspell spoilers warning! i also have MANY MANY thoughts so i’d love to hear what you guys think to some of the questions raised

“He hadn’t changed: the same thin face, the same way of narrowing his eyes, and there was an amulet dangling around his neck to ward off the bad luck that Basta thought lurked under every ladder, behind every bush.” — pg.138

“Basta’s left hand was bandaged, Elinor noticed when he took his fingers away from her mouth.” — pg.139

“‘I’d have been here much sooner, believe you me, but they put me in jail for a while on account of something that happened years ago. No sooner was Capricorn gone than all the people who’d been too scared to open their mouths suddenly felt very brave.’” — pg.140 (see they never tell us WHY he was in prison, do they? the possibilities are endless. we know he committed atrocious things, like arson, but imagine if he got put in jail for something completely different…LOL)

“‘You wouldn’t believe how often I’ve told him there’s nothing to be ashamed of in going to jail, particularly when your prisons here are so much more comfortable than our dungeons at home.’” — pg.140 (OHHHTMGOD MEME IDEA)

“Basta flung his arm so roughly round Orpheus’ neck that his glasses slipped down his nose.” — pg.141

“‘Hold your tongue, Basta!’ Mortola interrupted him abruptly. ‘You’ve always liked the sound of your own voice.’” — pg.141

“‘Well, Silvertongue, I’m sorry it’s taken some time,’ he said in his soft, cat-like voice.” — pg.180

“‘My son always said revenge was a dish best eaten cold,’ observed Mortola.” — pg.181 (question. did basta find out about mortola’s true identity between inkheart & inkspell? do u think he realised it when mortola cried when capricorn died?)

“Basta passed a finger over his throat and winked at him.” — pg.186 (wink 2 LMAO)

“Basta bent down and picked up a rusty helmet lying at his feet. ‘What do you expect me to say?’ he growled, throwing the helmet back into the grass with a gloomy expression, and giving it a kick that sent it clattering against the wall. ‘Of course it’s our castle. Didn’t you see the figure of the goat on the wall there? Even the carved devils are still standing, though they wear ivy crowns now — and look, there’s one of the eyes that Slasher liked to paint on the stones.’” — pg.190

“‘So Basta was right after all. He’s dead, here and in the other world too.’” — pg.191 (interesting….so Basta knew Mortola’s plan wouldn’t work? he just wanted a ride home?)

“‘I’d really like to know what happened!’ he muttered. ‘I always said Capricorn wasn’t here, but what about the others?…What are we going to do if they’re all gone?’ Basta sounded like a boy afraid of the dark. ‘Do you want us to live in a cave like brownies until the wolves find us? Have you forgotten the wolves? And the Night-Mares, the fire-elves, all the other creatures crawling around the place…I for one haven’t forgotten them, but you would come back to this accursed spot where there are ghosts lurking behind every tree!’ He reached for the amulet dangling around his neck, but Mortola did not deign to look at him.

“‘Oh, be quiet!’ she said, so sharply that Basta flinched.” — pg.192

“‘You’re going to leave them here?’ That was Basta’s voice.” — pg.193 (at first I was like oh so he has a heart….but then he was mean to resa straight after this 🙄)

“‘Sorry, but he must have overlooked me, shut up in that cage as I was,’ purred Basta in his catlike voice.” — pg.377

“‘Wasn’t it Mortola who had you put in the cage to be fed to the Shadow?’ Basta just shrugged his shoulders and flung back his silver-grey cloak. Of course, he had his knife. A brand new one, it seemed, finer than any he’d ever had in the other world, and undoubtedly just as sharp.

“‘Yes, not very nice of her,’ he said as his fingers caressed the handle of the knife. ‘But she’s really sorry.’” — pg.377 (okay so it SOUNDS like he threatened/made some kind of bargain with his knife, but I strongly doubt that considering how afraid he seems of her?? i know he’s technically working for the adderhead but even by the end of the book, it seems he is far closer to mortola than adderhead. what is their relationship? or does he sincerely think she’s sorry/has deluded himself into believing such? UGH SO MANY QUESTIONS)

“Basta had always liked describing his own and other people’s abominable deeds in detail.” — pg.378

“‘But we’re not going to shoot you.’ Basta came a little closer to Fenoglio, his face as intent as that of a stalking cat.” — pg.378 …. living for all the cat references tbh

“‘He wants you to crawl on your belly to him, that’s what our noble lord and master likes. But never mind, he pays well!’” — pg.378 (yes basta all abt getting that bread LMAOOOO)

“He slowly drew the knife from his belt. Its blade was long and slightly curved.” — pg.379

“‘Hey Basta, I know you like the sound of your own voice.’” — pg.379 (AHAHAHAHA HOW MANY PEOPLE HAVE CALLED OUT BASTA ON THIS NOW? IVE LOST TRACK)

“With a regretful sigh, Basta put the knife back in his belt. ‘Yes, very well, you’re right,’ he said in surly tones. ‘I need to take my time with this sort of thing. Questioning people is an art, a real art.’” — pg.380 (LMAOOOOOOO HE IS SUCH A DRAMA QUEEN)

“Basta. The same thin face, the same twisted smile. Only the clothes were different. Basta was no longer wearing his white shirt and black suit with the flower in his buttonhole. No, Basta now wore the Adderhead’s silvery grey, and he had a sword at his side. With a knife in his belt too, of course. But he was holding a dead chicken in his left hand.” — pg. 455

“‘Yes, they are!’ purred Basta. ‘The little witch, and the fire-eater into the bargain. It was well worth the wait. Even though I’ll probably never get that damned flour out of my lungs again.’” — pg.455 (ok….so who’s gonna draw basta sitting amongst the flour AAHHAHA)

“‘Servant? Who’s a servant here? Just listen to him. As bold as if he’d never felt my knife! Have you forgotten how you screamed when it cut your face?’” — pg.457 … don’t call basta a servant…..noted

“‘Oh, don’t look so disbelieving, little witch, I still can’t read and I don’t intend to learn, but there are enough fools around the place who can, even in this world.’” —pg. 457 (i wonder how much capricorn influenced basta’s views on reading. because capricorn said that he learnt how to read from a maid, right? so basta certainly wouldn’t have trash-talked reading in front of him. and even after living in OUR world for nine years, I’m still surprised that he never attempted to learn, given how dependent we are on it. anyway my headcanon is that he secretly wants to, but doesn’t want to give others the satisfaction of knowing they have something he doesn’t. also nobody he knows would be willing to teach him (unless he threatened them) bc of his obviously violent and short-tempered nature…and learning requires so much patience. still, though, would love a fic of basta being taught how to read in secret and having some kind of positive interaction)

“‘You’re even more talkative than you used to be, Basta.’ Dustfinger’s voice sounded as if he found this tedious.” — pg.458 HAHAHAHAHAHAHAAH IM DYING. honestly the animosity between them was just. A+++

“Basta was in an even worse state. He was sitting close to Mortola, his face so red and swollen that Meggie almost failed to recognise him. But he had escaped death once again. Perhaps the good-luck charms he always wore worked after all.” — pg.526

“The sunlight falling into the room made Basta’s face look like a boiled lobster.” — pg.575 

“Basta put his hand to the amulet hanging around his neck. It was not a rabbit’s paw, as he had worn in Capricorn’s service, but something that looked suspiciously like a human finger-bone.” — pg.581 (THIS STILL IRKS ME SO MUCH)

“The Piper straightened his back, as ready to attack as the viper on his master’s coat of arms…He was a good head taller than Basta.” — pg.582 WHY DO I KEEP FORGETTING HES NOT TALL LMFAO

“The two men were standing so close that the blade of Basta’s knife wouldn’t have fitted between them.” — pg.582 HAHAHAJAHAAJAHAHHAAHAHAHAH PKESJENE I LOVE THIS SO MUCH … IMAGINE BASTA SQUARING UP W HIS NOSE JUST SMACK BANG IN THE MIDDLE OF PIPER’S CHEST OR SOMETHING

“The Piper struck Basta in the face so hard that his head hit the door frame. Blood ran down his burned cheek in a trail of red. He wiped it away with the back of his hand. ‘Take care to avoid dark corridors, Piper!’ he whispered. ‘You don’t have a nose any more, but one can always find something else to cut off.’” — pg.582-583 THIS SCENE WAS SIMPLY……CHEF’S KISS

are you serious is he dead??? WHAT. okay I knew dustfinger’s love for farid would be the end of him and basta being the instrument to rip that away from him was totally heartrending. i WISH it had been more climactic? like dustfinger unleashing his fury and fighting basta, blind with anger and grief. THE DIALOGUE POTENTIAL BETWEEN THEM AS THEY FINALLY TALK ONE-ON-ONE, and then some revisiting of the scene where dustfinger has the opportunity to kill basta but AGAIN withholds because killing is not in his nature….THEN MO IN SHINING ARMOUR SWOOPS IN TO DO THE JOB

now, off to inkdeath!

[crusherthedoctor]

Sonic Heroes: Sweet or Shite? - Part 1: SILVER

There are some heroes I like. And there are some heroes I don’t like. But why do I feel about them the way I do? That’s where this comes in.

This is a series in which I go into slightly more detail about my thoughts on the heroes in the Sonic the Hedgehog franchise, and why I think they either work well, or fall flat (or somewhere in-between). I’ll be giving my stance on their designs, their personalities, and what they had to show for themselves over the course of time. Two things to keep in mind:

1. These reviews will be focusing mainly on game portrayals. Though alternate media will occasionally be mentioned, it'll be for the sake of adding onto a point if a portrayal is similar enough, or to compare and contrast if a portrayal is different enough.

2. These are just my own personal thoughts. Whether you agree or disagree, feel free to share your own thoughts and opinions! I don’t bite. :>

Anyhow, for today’s installment, I decided to challenge myself by starting off with a complicated one. Born from the future, and never content to stay put in said future, it's the saviour whose debut came from the most unfortunate game... Silver the Hedgehog.

The Gist: Once upon a time, in the distant future, there was an idealistic young hedgehog named Silver, gifted with the power of telekinesis for reasons unknown. With his amazing potential, he was truly destined for a wonderful, prosperous li-just kidding, it was shit.

“All two of us.”

For as long as he knew, the world was forever plagued by Iblis, the terrible Flames of Disaster. Cities stood in ruin, flames stood high, the floor was lava... it was a bitter life to be certain, all thanks to Iblis. Not even defeating the titular creature did much good, since it would simply come back to be a shitty boss fight another day. What was he - and his friend, Blaze, a character we definitely never saw before and definitely didn't have a completely different backstory before - to do?

Trust the first person he sees, of course. Even if they look like they might be related to the same Flames of Disaster that he fights so constantly.

If he had eyelids, he'd be winking at the camera.

This mysterious fellow, Mephiles the Dark, informed Silver that if he were to wipe out Iblis for real, he would need to take a trip into the past, and eliminate the root of the problem... Sonic the Hedgehog? That was what Mephiles claimed, yes. What was his proof? There was no proof.

That was good enough for Silver.

Oh look, it's Fleetway Sonic.

After an elaborate series of events, which should sound exciting but really isn't because it was just Silver going “Iblis Trigger grrr” in varying tones of voice, he was finally able to corner the blue hedgehog... twice! And despite having less fighting know-how than the hero who saved the world plenty of times, he effortlessly came close to killing the blue hedgehog... twice!

This looks like a jobbing for...

Why twice? The first time was halted by Sonic's friend Amy Rose, who Silver had met beforehand after she mistook him for Sonic, an understandable mistake that even the keenest of eyes would be forgiven for making.

The second time was also interrupted, this time by Shadow the Hedgehog. There's only room for one controversial non-blue male hedgehog in this franchise, sonny boy. Actually, his reasons were more benevolent than that: he wanted to show Silver the truth about what was going on, by time travelling to the incident that gave birth to Iblis. Why was one able to to this, so long as more than one Chaos Emerald was present? No one knew.

That was good enough for Silver.

“I challenge you to a dumb-off.”

As it turned out, Iblis was one half of a sun god called Solaris, the other half being the aforementioned Mephiles. The Duke of Soleanna wanted to reunite with his late wife by harnessing Solaris' power, which succeeded from a certain point of view since he's dead now too. The resulting blunder split Solaris into two halves. One half was all brawn, with little capacity for intelligence. The other half was Iblis.

Understanding the error of his ways, and after making peace with Sonic, Silver went back to the future to try something different, which consisted of doing the same thing he always did. Luckily for him, the script decided it would work this time, albeit at the cost of Blaze sacrificing herself... Maybe? Sort of? It’s not entirely clear what happened to her, and it’s not like this was the last we ever saw of her.

~La laaaaaa, la laaaaaa, la laaaaaa, heading to a better game, la laaaaaa~

But ohhhhh nooooo, turns out THAT didn't solve anything either! In the present, Sonic was killed by Mephiles, after the latter realised he should probably do that already if he wanted to make any progress at all with his plan. This incident led to Iblis being brought into the present, and they fused to become the omnipotent Solaris once more. Such power... such divinity... such devastation...

Actually, he was really easy. The antlion from Underground Zone was harder.

Manchild robots - 1, god of time - 0.

With their super forms in tow, Silver, Shadow, and the revived Sonic joined forces to defeat Solaris, with Sonic in particular going the extra step in retconning Solaris out of existence entirely. Since time itself reset, meaning Iblis was no longer a memory, Silver's timeline was given a second chance. What was he to look forward to in this new, promising future?

Shit.

The Design: Let's take a closer look at Silver's appearance, shall we?

Or rather, a certain thing that's wrong with it.

He's holding up fifteen fingers.

Yes, you all know what I'm pointing to: the hairstyle. Let it be known that I'm very aware of the intention behind this design choice. It's supposed to be based on the Japanese Red Maple Leaf, which holds a lot of relevant symbolism for Silver's character. This is a fine idea in theory, and I can respect the intent and the creativity.

But here's the thing: If it looks like a ganja leaf, people are going to say it looks like a ganja leaf. I know some fans will gnash their teeth at me saying this, but the fact of the matter is that intentions and ideas, no matter how good they may be on paper, don't always translate well into the final product. Unleashed Secret Rings Black Knight Sonic '06 in general is certainly no stranger to showcasing examples of that, and Silver's hairstyle is no exception. There are ways to incorporate symbolism in a character’s design without making them look like meme bait in the process, and no amount of “umm ackshually” will change that, I'm afraid.

That said, there's another reason why I'm staying clean of Silver marijuana: it doesn't work for a hedgehog character. With the other hedgehogs, their hairstyles are simple and get the point across: Sonic's goes without saying, Shadow's is more angular to befit a slightly rougher hero, and Amy's is a cute bob cut of sorts. But Silver? Even without the ganja, you've still got the two tentacles making up the back of his head.

I'd rather not be reminded of hentai quills, thanks.

“I thought Crusher-san would like it :’(”

I do find it hilarious that they went through numerous designs for Silver, and this was what they chose to go with. Some of his prototype designs may have fared better had any of them been used instead... but we didn't end up with any of those ones. We ended up with this one, therefore I'm judging this one.

But don’t worry, it’s not all bad with Silver...

The Personality: As far as actual character goes, Silver's personality is as straightfoward as most characters in the series, yet it's no less interesting, because it took a while for it to fully evolve to what it currently is. The seeds of his character - a good-natured yet awkward and rather insecure kind of guy, who doesn't fully understand how the present time works - have always been there, but it was often downplayed in earlier titles due to him being hungry for Iblis Trigger blood... or being an arsehole for no reason.

Although to be fair, everyone in Rivals is an arsehole for no reason.

Eventually though, after the writers gave him a Snickers, these traits got more opportunity to shine. Mostly in side media admittedly, but it's been noted in the games as well. With no Iblis to angst over, he's proven to be a surprisingly bubbly chap, who just wants to know how you're all doing, fellow anthro kids. And whereas his naivety was previously used for intended tragedy to benefit the evil plan of a guy who thought taking the -istoph- out of Mephistopheles would make him inconspicuous, now it's been used for a bunch of low-key contexts that do a much better job at endearing him to the player.

Finally, something I can relate to.

Hell, he even seems to have learned from the Mephiles incident, as he was quick to make it clear to the next shadowy deep-voiced anthro with demonic eyes he met that he wasn't gonna fall for any of them fibs no more, ya hear?

“YouTube and Twitter don’t count.”

All in all, it works well enough, in my opinion. His personality does pave the way for some funny and wholesome moments, and since they’re no longer trying to build him up like he’s Shadow 2.0, he's nowhere near as much of a tool as he was before. So I guess you could say... I like it?

Does this mean I can say that I like the character as a whole then, design and '06-induced idiocy aside?

Well, not quite...

The Execution: This is where the complication part comes into play. We know now that I like his personality, not so much his design, but that's only the half of it. It would be more accurate to say that I like his personality... and dislike everything else.

Aside from that, obviously.

For starters, the creation process for his character and story was summed up with, in their own words, “Think Trunks from Dragon Ball Z”. So he comes off as rather lazy and uninspired. Now I'm not expecting my Sonic characters to be 100% unique, there's always going to be similarities to other franchises no matter what you do, even if subconsciously or by complete coincidence. Taking inspiration in itself is no big deal at all.

But... was that it? Copying a DBZ character to such a blatant extent? Was there no other thought put into it?

Naturally, this ties into an overarching problem: the franchise's mid-00's habit of trying way too hard to be the anthro Dragon Ball Z. Sonic has had DBZ influences since the early days, with the Chaos Emeralds and Super Sonic, but it didn't assimilate itself into every waking aspect of his universe. It was merely an additional flavor that added to the complete package, in the same way that a Death Star with a moustache didn't mean the franchise was suddenly Star Wars the Hedgehog.

But come the turn of the millenium, nearly every main title in the series ended with Super Sonic and/or Super Shadow saving the day, while everyone else either stood around being useless, or only helping in ways that no one actually cares about. Including the in-universe President apparently, since only Sonic and Shadow were featured in the photo on his desk.

Amy smiled. “I guess the rest of us can go fuck ourselves, huh?”

This reached its peak with - of course - Sonic '06, with Silver in particular being an obvious result of this then-ongoing trend. And yes, it would be unfair to use him as a scapegoat, considering it was already a problem long before he turned up. But moreso than even Shadow, it's an era that Silver is forever a relic of, for better or for worse.

But it doesn't stop there. Since Silver is considered a mainstay character, his gimmick of being from the future also creates problems of its own, because in order for him to make further appearances, he keeps turning up for little explained reason, and thus he suffers the Deadly Six problem of being shoved into places where he doesn't belong, for fanservice's own sake. Take Sonic Colours DS for example, where he went back in time JUST to check out Eggman's theme park... Okay...?

On one hand, I’d visit it too, since it's made by Eggman. On the other hand, I’d stay clear of it, since it's made by Eggman.

And when there IS a justification with more weight to it? It's just recycling the '06 routine of trying to avert his ruined future, which isn't much better. The cause may differ depending on the story, but if his future is a permanent shitehole for one reason or another, he might as well cut out the middle man and stay in the present altogether, since that's where his friends are anyway. But they seem intent on not doing that, despite the future schtick being a noose around his neck at this point.

In hindsight, maybe this was a hint to how the rest of the arc would turn out.

And then there's his dynamic with a certain purple cat... No, not Big. The other one.

“I’m here, by the way.”

Simply put: I don't like this dynamic. At all. Or rather, I don't like how they keep milking it. Blaze's backstory was radically changed to justify her presence in Silver's future, and it really shows, since she barely even shows up half the time, as if the developers themselves forgot she was in the game. But her backstory has since been restored to her original alternate dimension interpretation, so hanging around with the grey hedgehog is all good now, right?

To be brutally honest, I probably wouldn't care for this dynamic regardless. But I would be more willing to tolerate it, and I'd refrain from groaning every time they're seen together... if they weren't intent on playing it up so much in spite of '06 being wiped out, sometimes with a bit of commentary involving their thoughts and memories, which only succeeds at making things more confusing. If Blaze is around, Silver will be nearby, and if he's not at first, he will be soon enough. This franchise does have a problem in general with restricting who's allowed to interact with who (I personally believe Sonic Heroes may have led to this, or at least it accelerated it), but I'd argue it's at its most insufferable here, with Blaze's potential and her entire world taking a backseat to being the sidekick of Ganja Man.

And you might say “Well, it's part of the franchise now, so you'll just have to accept it”. To which I ask: Have you accepted Two Worlds? Have you accepted Solo Sonica? Have you accepted Sonic's friends not doing much as of late?

Yeah. That's what I thought. “It’s just how it is” doesn’t mean you can’t criticise it.

Meanwhile, Marine is lucky enough to get so much as a shout out.

So yeah, I have quite an extensive list of grievances involving poor Silver. But... very little of it has to do with him, right? They're all indirect problems that he just so happens to be linked to, as opposed to someone like Chris Thorndyke, who is genuinely a shit character through and through. This is more comparable to Tails being bitchy in Lost World, or Amy being manipulative in Chronicles, or Sonic being a smug dumbass in IDW, or Shadow not wearing a Hawaiian shirt in Boom. Frustrating, regrettable, but not really the character's own fault.

Yet even after all that, there's one last kick in the teeth... How do you fix all this? And how do you fix it when he's since gained a sizable fandom, many of whom like him for these very attributes? If you leave it as it is, you're stuck with this big, awkward mess that everyone pretends to ignore. If you try to do something about it, you'll get complaints about disrespecting the True Silver Spirit, and you’ll get questions about why you didn't create a new character instead... And if you did use a new character for the sake of a clean slate, THEN you'd get complaints about not using Silver.

It's a tough call to be sure, and it's such a shame because like I said, I do appreciate his personality, so I can't say he's bad outright. But with all this... clutter, I can only put him in the average category. So, in he goes.

Crusher Gives Silver a: Thumbs Sideways!

Well, I'm glad this one's out of the way. Putting my thoughts into words with Silver was harder than it should have been. I do slightly regret starting this series off on a rather downer note, but rest assured, it's a lot more positive from this point onwards, since while I have higher praise for some heroes more than others, the hero characters as a whole fare a lot better than the majority of villains not named Eggman.

I guess you could say that I hope to show why Sonic's friends aren't as shitty as the haters would suggest. ;)

[thejudgingtrash]

would you class percy as a morally grey character? i’m really interested to hear your input

Anon 2: Would u class percy as an Morally Gray character?

Hey there! Let me write that essay for you about morally gray Percy ^^

It’s not about whether Percy is a morally gray character or not, it’s about he has to be otherwise the story doesn’t make any sense. At least for me it wouldn’t.

Ashley (@gr33kg0ds) said in the tags of my dark!Percy post something along the line of people diminishing Percy’s character because they need him to be pure and fluffy and I wholeheartedly agree with that!

Just because Percy’s twelve doesn’t mean he’s pure and didn’t do unproblematic things. I’ll mostly refer to The Lightning Thief because that book is the Magnus Opus for Riordan and perfectly stands for Percy as a morally gray character from the very beginning of the saga. (Also the only book I’ve recently re-read)

As much as I love fanon with all the amazing artworks, debates, memes and jokes, analysis, cool edits and wonderful fanfics, projecting your version of Percy doesn’t make the image in your head real. Percy in canon is not the fun and fluffy boy you imagine him to be or which social media sites (Reddit, Twitter, Instagram and yes, also Tumblr) tend to make him to be. He’s a scrawny little sarcastic twerp that was the unpopular kid. He isn’t that cringy dude Tony Lopez doing that fucking weird TikTok dance (side note: I don’t even know who this person is and I don't care, I saw the video and immediately wanted to delete every social media app on my phone, so thanks Tony?), kissing his Yeezys goodnight, vibing to our lord and gay icon Taylord “T. Swizzle” Swift song and flexing them iPhone 11 Max Pros. Percy literally said that going to Burger King with his mother once in a while would be considered a luxury. He’s a poor bastard in literal sense.

Part of the problem with the distinction of Percy’s character and his motives stem from the fact that Percy is a sneaky unreliable narrator and we as the audience (especially if you’re younger) don’t question most of his behavior if you even question some (pretty sure that most of us only picked up weird stuff as adults). Everything seems plausible to you. But does it mean that his behavior is necessarily good? Something that would paint his character as good?

Like I’ve said, let’s take a look at TLT. The very beginning of everything and the wonderful line that gets quoted everywhere: “Look, I didn't want to be a half-blood”. 

The very first line that quoted everywhere or used as in moodboard and edits but its meaning and significance get brushed off for the most part. It immediately sets the tone and the atmosphere for the book and for Percy as a character. A(n in my opinion) morally gray character. The very first thing we hear from Percy is that he doesn’t want to be in this world. He’s an involuntary participant who has been (upon further reading) blackmailed and forced into this world and is only cooperating to get his mother back and said in regards to his father (who also stands for the Greek pantheon) ”well yeah, would be nice to know about my dad but I’ve survived without him the past twelve years so I don’t know, he wouldn’t be missed necessarily I guess?“ That pretty much tells you, it foreshadows, that we will be dealing with someone with grit, someone that fights back, someone that went through shit, someone that isn’t a goody two-shoed character. Does it mean he’s a terrible (in the sense of evil or bad) character from the get go? Not really, but it tells you in nuances that he won’t be the white shining knight you might expect from a fairy tale.

There is so much that little Perseus Jackson has to offer you directly in the first book. So much that paints him as a morally gray character. From the illegal candy stash all the way to tricking Procrustes into his own trap. He knows right from wrong and isn’t innocent by any means. He wants you to think he’s innocent. Yes, he hunts monsters and the book also tells you that some adults (Gabe) can also be monsters, but Percy’s personality is so interesting and full of facets which I love! He’s misleading you on purpose. Deflects, plays events down. He lies in front of you to others but you don’t really doubt it. Instead of questioning it, you understand it.

What distinguishes Percy from other male protagonists in that notion that the author doesn’t try to paint him as particularly good (the reader connects the dots, in reality) is pretty much that. Percy is neither inherently good or bad. He’s in the middle. He does lots of questionable things and his personality adds to it. Something that immediately comes to my mind is his lack of fear of consequences. He thinks in the short term and not in the long term. Of course, he’s caring about those that are close and important to him (Grover, Annabeth and his mother of course. And well. The world not getting destroyed by his weird father and fucking crazy uncle would be a plus). But Percy isn’t really a strategist (yet). Look at the Medusa head thingy. Annabeth and Grover warn him, that he’s gonna get his ass beat and he doesn’t care. That these gods could squish him in the end didn’t matter to him.

The Olympian gods are painted as these unpenetrable huge mighty force and some fuzzy annoyed twelve year old dipshit sends them the severed head of a monster - but not any monster, the monster his father had a role in creating (well, Athena for the most part, but you know what I mean). (Also, I know this kinda reckless behavior gets sorta rewarded but at first, everyone was like ‘NO, NO, NO!’ before Percy was glorious with his attempt). Percy essentially tells these ancient forces that drive the way of his new cosmos how shit‘s gonna work from now on.

Percy isn’t fear riddled and doesn’t think about the possible outcome. He manipulates, he lies, he persuades and all of this as soon as he hits twelve. But probably earlier. Pretty sure he had to become a believable lier in order to trick (survive being around) Gabe. Perseus is angry, he’s agitated. Had Riordan written Percy as a soft spoken, frightened, goody two-shoed kid, almost nothing in TLT and the follow-ups would have made sense. He’s the outcast, but slowly blossoms into the strength and muscles of the group. Of the entire camp. Someone that outsmarts opponents and wins battles. But he didn’t do that by playing nice and being a bootlicker.

TLT would’ve been a perfect standalone book that would have emphasized that Percy is an involuntary person sive) if you skip Kronos, leave a little bit foreshadowing with the prophecy out, tweak the talks with the gods and Annabeth’s first meeting and skip Luke and the scorpion at the end. The ending would’ve been “and so Percy had a first awesome summer vacation and found a group of friends for life” or so (aka PJO movie 1 in less shitty and more cohesive).

The morally gray character shrinks a little bit in the SOM because there lie straighter dangers ahead which dive more into the bigger picture and Percy grows more into the character who takes care of friends and but he does come back with TTC, and definitely BOTL and the St. Helens explosion.

Consequences of Percy’s interactions had people partially dying. There is doubt, there is guilt. But the show must go on. There are battles that have to be won. There is no big giving up, no big overturn for the bad guys.

Also... isn’t it interesting that we start with Percy saying ”look, I don’t want to be in this world“ in TLT and it ends with TLO where he says ”for once I didn’t look back“? The full circle? The way that accepting his fate took five books? To change Percy from being an involuntary participant to becoming voluntary? He didn’t want to be a half-blood, he didn’t want to be the kid in the prophecy, but he actively chose to be in the end. He went from a darker shade of gray to a mayhaps lighter, if you want to say so.

To conclude, I repeat myself again: it’s not about whether Percy is a morally gray character or not, it’s that he has to be.

Thanks for asking me about some meta stuff I really do like diving into these things here and there. Tumblr’s sorta glitchy, I do get notifications but I really don’t see asks, so I’m sorry if my response is mad late ^^

[littlefreya]

Ok kinda vague I know, but any fluff to smut headcanons about any Henry character???

Fluffy Headcanons: Falling in Love with you

How about the moment when he realizes he is in love with you and tries to get your attention? 🥰

Henry 

Henry claims he doesn’t know how to act when he likes a girl. It’s kind of true and even worse since you are not just any girl. The truth is he liked you from the moment you were introduced. A liking that kept blooming in his chest whenever he saw you or even heard your name.

He always enjoyed speaking to you, the way you really listened and you couldn’t help but notice how he stared back at you in his ocean blue eyes, drowning into every word you said. 

Often he would text you, sending you silly memes, cute animal videos and asking you about your day. He would compliment you too, on occasion, admiring your mind, your humour (you make him laugh like no one else does) and your beauty too of course.

But he never said a word, too afraid you won’t return his feelings and the magic of the possibility that one day you’ll come out first, will be broken.

More characters below the cut!

Charles

Charles has a history, no one ever refused him and he was probably with more women than the king of England himself. Yet he matured to be a fine man. 

You vex him at first, a spitfire, so stubborn and full of opinions. You won’t settle and act properly like most of the girls at court. Yet it’s not too long before he realizes these are all the qualities he likes about you. 

Being a man of culture, sophistication and romance, he begins to write you love poems and sends one of the servants to leave them in your bed-chamber, he adds a flower to every note. In his letters, he confesses his love to you in the most erotic and sensual ways. Oh how he would like to taste the honey off your lips and feel your heart beating next to his naked skin.

 August

Okay, let’s just say that if Kingstach here “decided” he is in love with, you are in grave trouble. August doesn’t take no for an answer and if he sets his mind on a target he means to succeed. 

The thing is, a man like August doesn’t love, or at least that’s what he’d like to think. You caught his attention a while ago, at first you intrigue him, he finds himself trying to find information about you, either by gently interrogating you or putting his CIA resources to use. He finds out where you live and watches you through the window every night, learning more about your behaviour, determining your emotional status. 

You start finding little gifts at your door, you are not sure who they are from, he never leaves his name or any indication. It starts small, a bouquet of roses and a box of chocolates, which escalates to expensive luxurious gifts, some quite disturbing. When you throw away the set of outrageous lingerie, he fumes, yet there is nothing he can do about it. He is about to go and do something extreme and if anyone finds out how he feels about you, it will put you in danger. 

That’s when he realizes, he likes you. Guess he will just have to take you with him then.

Stephen

The little baby. He is still too young and you are his first love. He works for your parents, sort of and known you since you were both kids and ever since then he liked you and imagined how you’ll be his first kiss. 

But he is shy, he blushes when you are nearby, scratching at his nape and smiling sheepishly. He does everything around the house to appease you if you need something fixed he’ll fix it in second. He even goes out of his way to buy you an expensive typewriter because he knows you love to write stories, it’s all the money he has in the world and he spends it on you.

He finally gains the courage to ask you out on a stroll to which you obviously approve. During the walk, he holds your hand and when the star begins to shine he moves to close the distance between you and press a gentle kiss on your lips.

Walter

The big grumpy bear hardly has time to anything but work and sulking all day long. Police enforcement is a harsh life and the things he has to witness surrounds his world in darkness. He is a tough shell, yet beneath that brooding face, there is a soft heart that needs to be loved. 

You catch his eye right away, it’s your graceful empathy, the way you care for others and look into his eyes as if you can drink up all that sorrow in him. He never shows any emotion on his face other than his usual frown but then he brings you a caramel macchiato every morning and sometimes a delicious pastry. 

One day you get to the office and as he appears on your doorstep to greet you “good morning” you notice he hasn’t brought you anything this time. Instead, he asks if you’d like to have breakfast with him someplace nice.

Captain Syverson

Do not expect the big grunt to be romantic and offer you flowers. Sy is all confidence and a pinch of arrogance too. He knows ladies are lining up and he knows he can make them drop one by one. But he only has eyes for you. 

Since you work together, he is gonna come up as an asshole at first, being extra hard on your ass. But then he is also kinda protective and possessive. Always making sure your helmet is tight enough around your head before heading on a mission.

Your unit spends some time at the local pub and this guy tries to pick you up. Sy notices you don’t like it and before you even manage to say a word he comes up and asks the guy to leave you alone, nicely. That guy must have some death wish since he ignores Sy and keeps harassing you.

Next thing you know that jerk is on the floor in a half-nelson hold and a black eyes. After that, Sy doesn’t even need to ask, your panties are on his floor by the end of the night.

Geralt

They say that Witchers don’t have any emotions, but it’s quite the opposite. They feel more intensely than anyone else. 

Every time he comes to the tavern and finds you there he can’t see or hear anyone else but you. He sits by your side while you get drunk on ale and beat him at Gwent. Silently, never uttering a word, he looks at you adoringly while you speak and tell him your crazy tales. 

When it’s time for you to go home he walks you to your door, making sure you make it safe. Drunkenly you swagger onto him and dare to steal a kiss from his perfect lips. Geralt smiles, stroking your hair back and looking into your eyes. He doesn’t dare taking advantage of you in your current situation and only wish you’d remember you kiss him come morning. 

[vegalocity]

10/18 spicynoodles plis

Prompt meme || @deborahsworld

10.A Shy Kiss/18. Holding Hands

Hell yeah time for fluff

--

Okay... first date....Going pretty well so far. The Movie was okay—MK wasn't very big on horror movies even ones as old as this one was, but Red Son was really excited when he saw it was being played for a ‘foreign movies’ night at the movie theater and what, could have have argued against such enthusiasm?—if a bit slow going and atmospheric.

Though after the heroes found the monster frozen and seemingly dead in the abandoned Norwegian outpost, all twisted and malformed, he really hoped his appetite wouldn't be killed by the end of this with even worse when the monsters started actually moving.

And then the monsters actually started moving.

The dog turning into a monster and killing the other dogs hurt the animal lover inside him, and he felt a bit of his latent arachnophobia begin to rear its head when the hairy legs sprouted from its back, and then the actual form the monster, halfway through killing the remaining trapped dogs had sent a chill up his spine and then-

“See how they were able to make the monster look goopy? It's not really very goopy except during the close up shots, because it's an animatronic so it had to be dry most of the time, they got the shine effect by piling liquid latex ontop of the finished paintjob until it started drying while it trailed off of the frame. And that right there? When it took the hurt dog? That was actually filmed in reverse, having the tentacles start out around the dog puppet and then rapidly pull away so when they reversed it it looked like they actually moved and had torque behind the action.”

“Really?”

“Yeah it's really fascinating how they went about effects before computer graphics were refined, everything had to be practical so even if it doesn't look the best, it doesn't hit that uncanny valley that bad CGI makes because even if it doesn't look real it looks real enough.”

It didn't feel quite as disturbing with that rattling around in his head, focusing on how much work must have been done to make the monster move as realistically as possible, how many times they'd practiced and trained in a controlled sound stage and adapting it to the set...

They weren't the only ones in the theater, but it was a mostly empty showing, as was usually the case with foreign films as old as this one. So it wasn't like they were disturbing anyone with Red Son leaning over to whisper interesting details MK would have never even thought to look up to make the overall experience less scary. Red Son seemed aware that he wasn't the biggest horror fan, and was trying to soften the blows the more intense moments would bring by talking through them and bringing back  the reality that it was just a movie they were watching.

“I was alive in this era and I can state with general expertise that computers were certainly not that advanced yet. Computer AI wasn't past that of your average graphing calculator until at least the mid 1990's.”

“They got that sound effect by putting a microphone in a tin trash can and recording the sound of a racecar zooming by and put it in a reverb chamber until it sounded completely unrecognizable”

“Blair is already a Thing at this point, you remember when he was dissecting the Norwegian base's monster? He was using a pencil eraser to point out that era in its chest and then he'd touched the eraser to his lip! And since it started by probably just a small contingent of shed cells it probably took him longer to assimilate than the others.”

“This is actually really cool! The stunt double for Copper that they got for the scene actually was a double amputee! They made fake hands for him out of latex, filled them with fake blood, and styled the chest jaw like a bear trap for that disgusting pulling shot.”

Though... That one didn't work as well... When the long tendril shot from the Thing's stomach and sprouted slider legs and a second head, the extending neck hissing and glaring down at the heroes, he felt his gut turn, even as the heroes took the flamethrower to the monster.

The monster's first head ripped from its body and grew spider legs. And Oh GOD that was disgusting, without thinking he reached for the edge of the armrest to grip as the heroes had to play cat and mouse with a severed, spider head. He'd missed, and his hand clapped down atop of Red Son's and squeezed.

Red Son jolted beside him and MK saw him turn in his direction in his periphery.

“You know if this is freaking you out too much we can leave.”

“No! No, it's okay. You like this movie! You wouldn't know so much about it if you didn't like it!” Besides, he shouldn't be getting so spooked about some kinda gross kinda spidery horror movie from the 1980s, what kind of hero got freaked out at a little practical effects?

He couldn't see Red Son's face very well with only the light of the movie itself to see by, but he made a strange sort of humming noise and slipped his hand out of MK's, moving his arm to put the arm rest up and then slide his hand back into his own.

“Here, that should be more comfortable then.”

And it was. Red Son's factoids and chatter alongside the movie were doing well at cutting the edge off of it again, and it was aided by not just their connected hands, but now by his physical closeness as well.

“I've heard the director had this stylistic rule about after the Things start invading, the idea is that if a character has light reflecting off their eyes they're human, if not they're a Thing.”

“Most people think Palmers was the shadow the dog assimilated back earlier but I think it was Norris, Palmers didn't get turned into a thing until after they go and talk to Blair again I don't think.”

“Actually...I don't think I like that translation very much. Like yeah it's more polite and Gary's a gentleman, but 'I'd rather not spend the rest of this winter tied to this fucking couch' emphasizes the stress of the situation better.”

And then came the time of the final confrontation, MK braced himself, squeezed Red Son's hand in his own. It was indeed gross, and frightful, and the puppetry alone was REALLY good. All those moving parts and there's no way that THAT was an animatronic so it HAD to be a puppet. And wow that was a REALLY good explosion.

...huh...Apparently he could do it too.

The movie ended with what MK felt like was a tentatively optimistic note. The remaining two heroes sharing a drink as the research facility and the monsters it housed burned around them. And you maybe get the feeling the two of them won't survive the cold, but they stopped the monsters and that’s what matters.

Though MK was right to worry over the movie killing his apatite because by the time the lights went up and the credits rolled he found he wasn't very hungry. Which felt ridiculous since he was always in need of quick carbs for Monkie Kid things. But Red Son had lost his own apatite as well apparently and the two of them could do nothing but laugh a bit awkwardly at their date being derailed by a movie being a bit too gross.

So MK pulled him into a nearby park and they went for a walk instead of the restaurant they'd planned for.

“Most people think that Childs is a Thing and I'm tempted to agree, He doesn't have the eye shine but neither does MacReady and we know he's not a Thing, but MacReady's breath is steaming and Childs' doesn't until the very end there, and MacReady wasn't drinking, those were Molotov Cocktails, that was gasoline and Childs just downed it without a thought to taste or smell.”

“So you think the Thing won at the end?”

“I don't know, but they do have one flamethrower left and Childs whether he's a Thing or not just drank gasoline. So MacReady as a person is probably as good as dead.”

“I Dunno, I like the idea that he wasn't a Thing in the end, gives it something not dissimilar to a happy ending, but like, it's not like they hadn't been wrong about who was a Thing before. The dog handler wasn't a Thing but he got shot anyway.”

“That's very true.”

It was about there that MK realized he'd yet to let go of Red Son's hand.

Well... he hadn't pulled away... MK squeezed Red Son's hand in his own, and Red Son—on a tangent about how in the time before CGI they'd made the stylistic title card with use of a fishtank, garbage bag, flash paper and a lot of smoke—squeezed him back.

A few hours and a plate or two of street vendor food when either of their appetites returned later and Red Son had insisted on walking him home. He was staying in a penthouse that his family technically owned but he was the only one who actually knew about it, and he wanted to be a gentleman before he headed back there.

“Well,  I hope you enjoyed yourself a bit. I feel as though I should apologize for choosing such a niche film, mother always said I was the only one who cared about foreign horror movies and just because I find movie effects fascinating especially in a time before technology was as advanced as it is now doesn't mean I should subject others to my incessant yammering.”

he didn't really think Red Son could pull off shy, but he'd folded his arms tightly and was very pointedly NOT looking at him now. And Sure, this felt like a big step, but that playfully self deprecating tone wasn’t gonna fly here. He moved slowly, giving Red Son time to pull away if desired. Placing one hand on Red Son's shoulder, the other on the side of his face to turn his head. He had to get on his tiptoes to make it to his level, but he leaned in-

It was nice. Soft, and Red Son of course ran hotter than an average person so it was warm too. He pulled away just as he felt Red Son start to press back against him. When MK opened his eyes, he noticed Red Son's were still closed for a moment longer before fluttering open.

“I like your incessant yammering.” He had such a cute blush. “it means you're passionate about something.” 

“You... wanna come in? Monkey King gave me this new tea blend I've been meaning to try out.”

--

Prompt meme (I’ll stop when y’all stop sending stuff)

[quirkwriter]

How Class 2A’s Couples Get Together Part 1

Kiribaku: Karaoke Night

This is how Kiribaku gets together. In this au, everything happens in the manga until the war arc. There has been no villain attacks so far in their second year. It is around the middle of May. This is separate from both I don’t hate you and When He Sees Me

Bakugou thought joining the other idiots for karaoke night was stupid. He didn’t want to waste his time listening to Kaminari and Sero singing off key for most of the night. He wanted to save his eardrums and go to bed early. But Kirishima had somehow convinced him to come this time.

Bakugou had just walked past Kirishima’s dorm so he could decompress in his own dorm before the stupid karaoke night. But Kirishima’s door was cracked open and he happened to hear what was going on inside it.

“Mina,” Kirishima whined. “I’m not confessing to him through a song! Or confessing to him, period! Are you out of your mind? He’s gonna say no for sure!”

“You don’t know if you don’t try, Kirishima!” Mina said, handing him her guitar. “Come on, play something!”

Bakugou thought he had heard enough. Kirishima was gonna confess his love to either Kaminari, Sero, or maybe if he hoped enough, it would be him. No, Kirishima doesn’t have feelings for him. Why would he? He was just his best bro. It was probably Kaminari if he was being honest. The two idiots were always cuddling on the couch and shit like that.

Bakugou was more annoyed than usual when he arrived at karaoke night. He knew that Kirishima was gonna confess to Dunce Face tonight. He knew how fucking insistent Mina was about crushes, so Mina probably found some way to convince Kirishima to sing Pikachu a damn love song or some shit like that. It made Bakugou sick to his stomach.

Kaminari and Sero were up first, laughing all the way through “Never Gonna Give You Up.” Bakugou groaned, explosions sparking in his palms at the morons’ antics.

“I can’t believe you fucking rick-rolled us,” Shinso said, rolling his eyes as Kaminari and Sero sat back down on the couch.

“What can I say?” Kaminari laughed, resting his chin underneath his hand. “I’m a walking meme. You know I had to!”

“You idiot,” Shinso and Jirou said at the same time.

“You’re up, Kirishima,” Mina whispered, nudging Kirishima gently in the ribs. “It’s your time to shine.”

Kirishima wringed his hands nervously as he walked in front of the TV. He wiped the sweat of his forehead and tried to calm down his racing heart. Jirou pulled the soundtrack up on the TC behind him, signaling for him to start.

“Baby, I, I wanna know,” Kirishima began, his voice shaking slightly. “What you think when you’re alone. Is it me, yeah? Are you thinking of me, yeah?”

Bakugou ground his teeth in frustration. It was Kirishima’s time to confess to Dunce Face. He wanted him to be happy, but a selfish part of him hoped that Kaminari would reject him.

“We’ve been friends now for awhile,” Kirishima continued, his hands clutching the makeshift microphone like a lifeline. “Wanna know that when you smile, is it me, yeah? Are you thinking of me, oh, oh?”

Bakugou snuck a glance over at Kaminari, who had a wide grin on his face. It was definitely Kaminari. Who else would it be?

“Boy, what would you do? Would you wanna stay, if I were to say?” Kirishima hit the note perfectly and Mina whooped in excitement. “I wanna be, last, yeah. Baby, let me be your, let me be your last first kiss. I wanna be first, yeah, wanna be the first to take it all the way like this.”

Bakugou tuned the rest of the chorus out, annoyed at Kirishima’s nervousness and Kaminari’s giddiness. He didn’t want to stay and listen to the whole song, but he didn’t want to upset Kirishima by leaving.

“Baby, tell me what to change,” Bakugou perked up at this part. Who would be telling Kirishima to change? He doesn’t need to fucking change anything, damn it! “I’m afraid you’d run away, if I tell you, what I wanted to tell you.”

Bakugou growled to himself. Kaminari better not run away from Kirishima and break his heart! He’s fucking kill the bastard.

“Maybe I just gotta wait,” Kirishima’s voice shook, eyes adverting to the floor. “Maybe this was a mistake. I’m a fool, yeah. Baby, I’m just a fool, yeah.”

Bakugou couldn’t watch this. He couldn’t watch his best friend and crush get his heart broken in front of everyone. Bakugou abruptly got up and went back to his dorm room, muttering an excuse about being “too fucking tired for this shit.”

“Bakugou, wait!” Kaminari called after him, but Bakugou ignored him. He was the idiot Kirishima loved. He couldn’t deal with the dumbass at the moment.

Bakugou slammed his door shut behind him, sliding down the door as tears threatened to pool out of his eyes. “I’m not gonna fucking cry, damn it.” He told himself as he angrily wiped the tears from his eyes.

“Bakugou,” Kaminari knocked on his door, panting loudly on the other side. “Bakugou, you gotta come back down, man. Kiri is really upset you left.”

“I don’t give a fuck, Dunce Face,” Bakugou growled through the door. “Now leave me alone. I’m fucking sleeping.”

“That song was supposed to be for you, Bakugou,” Kaminari sighed. “You basically just rejected him, bro. You could at least have the balls to reject him after the song, and with your words.”

“Huh?!” Bakugou shouted, throwing the door open. Kaminari fell forward, catching himself on the doorframe. “What the hell you mean the song was for me? He’s obviously confessing to you, idiot!”

Kaminari burst out laughing. “The whole Bakusquad was in on this, man. We all know Kiri has feelings for you, Bakugou. So we had Mina pressure him into confessing tonight. And I...I like someone else.” Kaminari blushed, thinking about the person he had a crush on.

“Why didn’t you just fucking say so earlier?” Bakugou huffed angrily. He stormed downstairs, dragging Kaminari with him. “We’re gonna fucking fix this!”

Bakugou told Kaminari to put a karaoke track on the TV while he stormed in front of it. He glared pointedly at all his idiotic friends. “Listen up, extras. I’m gonna sing the best damn song you’ve ever fucking heard!”

“I’m surprised you got him to come back,” Jirou whispered to Kaminari after he sat back down. “What’d you say to him?”

“Nothing much,” Kaminari said with a shit-eating grin. “Just said that Blasty just left because he was embarrassed about his singing voice. Worked like a charm.”

“You’re so getting killed by him later,” Sero chuckled. “Did you even think that through?”

Kaminari deflated. “Guys, just let me have this!”

“Let it out,” Bakugou began, a cocky smirk still on his face. “Been building up, you better let it out. Say everything that you’ve been meaning now.”

“Damn, he really is a good singer,” Jirou mused to herself. “I’m surprised.”

“Man, Kacchan just has to be good at everything,” Kaminari whined. “It makes him so unlikeable.”

“I want it to burn,” Bakugou glared at Kaminari. That’s it. He officially feared for his life.

“When you tell me that I’m such a wreck,” Bakugou sang, his face completely neutral once again. “It isn’t easy cleaning up your mess. It’s like I got a rope around my neck. He says it won’t hurt.” Sadness briefly flashed in Bakugou’s crimson eyes before it was gone again.

“But everything you do makes my heart race,” Bakugou’s face flushed. “I can’t even think straight.” Kaminari pointed to the pride flag behind the TV and tried not to laugh.

Bakugou’s eyes narrowed. “Is this just a game to you?”

“Reruns every night. It’s always the same fight,” Bakugou took a deep breath and stared at Kirishima. “And I think you should know…”

“I hate your touch. I hate your mouth.” Kirishima’s jar dropped as he turned his face away, tears prickling at the corner of his eyes. “I can’t stand every single word that falls out.”

A soft smile developed on Bakugo’s face. “But you’re all that I’ve been dreaming of.” Then his face hardened and he rolled his eyes. “This is not another song about love.”

Kirishima looked at his crush in confusion. He just said he hated him but then he goes and sings something like this? He hates getting mixed signals like this.

“I hate your voice. I hate your lips,” Bakugou glared back at Kirishima, then he turned away, angrily blushing. “I hate how bad I wanna steal your kiss. But you’re all that I’ve been dreaming of.”

Kirishima opened his mouth to say something, but was cut off by Bakugou’s next line.

“This is not another song about love.”

Kirishima slumped in his seat. Of course this was gonna be a rejection song. He held his head in his hands, not looking at Bakugou any longer.

“Asphyxiated just to say the least,” Bakugou sang, taking a step forward. “And with your eyes you’re suffocating me. Emptied my lungs, it’s getting hard to breathe.”

Kirishima lifted his head. Was Bakugou still talking about him? Why was he giving him so many mixed signals?

Bakugou’s eyes hardened again and he turned away. “You couldn’t care less.”

“That’s not true,” Kirishima said quietly.

“But everything you do makes his heart race,” Kaminari stepped in, taking the microphone from Bakugou. “He can’t even think straight.” Kaminari pointed to the pride flag again.

Bakugou snatched the microphone from him. “Is this just a game to you?” He sang in response, shoving Kaminari away as he glowered at the blond idiot. “Reruns every night. It’s always the same fight.”

Bakugou then turned to face Kirishima again. Rolling his eyes, he sang, “And I think you should know…”

Great. I’m about to be insulted again. Kirishima thought to himself.

“I hate your touch. I hate your mouth,” Bakugou sang, looking annoyed, his face red with anger. “I can’t stand every single word that falls out.”

Kaminari popped back up behind Bakugou, snatching the microphone from him again, “But you’re all that he’s been dreaming of!”

Bakugou snatched the microphone back. “This is not another song about love!” Bakugou’s palms sparked threateningly towards Kaminari.

Bakugou sent Kaminari another angry glare before turning towards Kirishima. “I hate your voice. I hate your lips. I hate how bad I wanna steal your kiss.”

This time Mina stole the microphone from Bakugou. “But you’re all that he’s been dreaming of!”

Bakugou growled, yanking the microphone out of Mina’s hands. “This is not another song about love!”

Bakugou cleared his throat. “The sky fades from blue to grey,” he sang, taking a step towards Kirishima. “His touch is like an ocean. Still I’m drowning, how bad I wanna sink and let it take me away.”

“He don’t know why he comes back,” Kaminari sang without the microphone, sinking dramatically into Sero’s arms.

“He does every time,” Sero sang along, placing Kaminari back down on the couch.

“They get close to the end,” Mina sang, twirling around Bakugou, getting him more annoyed. “It’s a finish line.”

“Sing these words for the boy you’ve been dreaming of,” Jirou sang from the couch, giving Bakugou an encouraging thumbs up.

“Is this just another song about love?” Kaminari teased, poking Bakugou in the side, making him flinch.

Bakugou shoved Mina and Kaminari away, taking another few steps towards Kirishima. “Let it out. I’ve been building up, I better let it out.”

Kirishima blinked back at him in surprise. “Say everything I’ve been meaning now, dreaming ‘bout. I mean it now. I need it now!”

“Bakugou…?” Kirishima stared back at the blond in confusion, a light blush coloring his cheeks.

“I need your touch,” Bakugou’s face flushed red. “I have no doubt. I want your love until it all runs out.”

Kirishima opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by Kaminari and Sero screaming, “Cause you’re all that he’s been dreaming of!”

“Is this just another song about love?” Jirou smirked.

Bakugou shook his head, rolling his eyes at his idiots’ antics. “I need your voice. I need your lips. I need you bad. I wanna steal your kiss!”

Bakugou crouched down in front of Kirishima, singing the last few lines softly. “Cause you’re all that I’ve been dreaming of. This is just another song about love.”

Bakugou drops the microphone in Kirishima’s lap and leans in to kiss him. Kirishima’s eyes widened, but kissed Bakugou back. When Bakugou pulls away, he’s smiling fondly at him. “You idiot,” he said softly. “You know I could never hate you, Shitty Hair.”

The remaining Bakusquad members cheer as they watch Kirishima kiss Bakugou again. “My ship!” Mina squealed happily.

“Fuck off, extras,” Bakugou scoffed at them, but there was no bite to his words. “This isn’t a fucking big deal.”

Bakugou grabbed Kirishima’s hand, pulling him to his feet. “Come on, idiot,” he said to the redhead. “Let’s go to my room where these idiots aren’t gonna fucking spy on us.”

Once they were out of earshot, Mina squealed again, pumping her fists in the air. “I knew karaoke would make Mission Kiribaku a success!”

Kaminari relaxed back into the couch. “Hey, wasn’t doing karaoke Jirou’s idea?”

“Simp,” Sero laughed at his friend.

“I’m not a simp,” Kaminari exclaimed, flushing red. “I just want Jirou to get some proper credit, that’s all.”

“Well, anyway, I think I’m going to bed,” Shinso said as he got up from the couch. “As happy as I am at this love confession, I’m tired.”

Mina pouted, but eventually agreed that they should go to bed. Now she had to plan on how to get their next ship together.

Hope you enjoyed this fic! Let me know what other couples you want to see get together in Class 2A.

[charmandhex]

A TOTALLY UNOFFICIAL AND VERY MUCH NOT SANCTIONED BY NBC OPENING SCENE FOR AN AS OF YET NONEXISTENT PILOT OF THE ADVENTURE ZONE: BALANCE ANIMATED SHOW THAT I AM 100% NOT GETTING PAID FOR

Credit to: the McElboys

No credit to: me, Charm H. Adventurezone, sleep deprived [job title redacted] and overly ambitious fic writer

[Our opening shot is of the world of Abeir-Toril (or whatever the fuck we’re going to call it to avoid copyright issues idk that redacted job title up there sure isn’t lawyer) as it drifts through the Prime Material Plane. From here, we can see little but clouds, water, and land masses. One regular-sized moon orbiting the world drifts into view. If you look closely, but you’re only looking closely because you’re a nerd who knows what to look for, you can see a much, much smaller moon -THAT’S NO MOON got there first Clint what now- drifts over a massive, still lake and a brightly colored spot that we might know to be Neverwinter, wait- Eversummer, hm, that was graphic novel, but can we use that there?- KINDASPRING there we go. The initial shot is quiet, for a moment, before seven notes -yes those ones folks- ring out.]

GRIFFIN [audio only]: I can guess what you’re probably all expecting. Some big, dramatic speech to match the big, dramatic intro we’ve got going on here. [As Griffin talks, we start to zoom in on a continent conveniently labeled NOT-FAERUN. We fly by our much smaller moon, but not close enough to see anything of interest – yet. We see Kindaspring, all busy and fantasy and so on. We catch a glimpse of a city buried in the shadow of a mountain range, with a bunch of dudes who all look the same. A city on a cliff, a shining gold monument in the center and trails of dust on a track around the city. Canyons, and a dash of pearlescent color just for a moment. Blink and you miss it, and a flash of a black and white tent in the woods near Kindaspring. You get the picture.] But, fact of the matter is, folks, we kinda blew all the budget on this one shot! Completely boned it in the first two seconds! So, let’s get right into it and roll some fuckin’ initiative- oh, can I say fuck? Are we allowed to do that, here on NBC Peacock? Shit, I’m going to completely bone our cussing budget too- anyway! Let’s roll some initiative and meet our heroes.

[Zoom in on wagon on road outside Kindaspring. It’s not a very impressive wagon. There are patches on the canvas. The wheels are all creaky and bouncy over the dirt road. The horses look like they could use a nap. There are stink lines, y’all. The road, meanwhile, is pretty well-used. There are ruts, and the sides of the road run clean and even. It’s surrounded by woods, and we’re far enough out of Kindaspring to not get any noise from the city, nor close enough to our destination to even get a hint of whatever the fuck I’m going to have to call Phandalin that isn’t Phandalin.

But back to our characters. Right now, only one is visible, a buff human man, like super buff, no you don’t understand animators, he must be a brick shithouse of a man, he’s very sensitive about this. He has massive muscles and massive sideburns, and he looks way too happy to be driving this wagon. You just know the vehicle proficiency jokes are coming. Cartoon GRIFFIN pops up in the corner of the screen, looking unimpressed.]

GRIFFIN: …Well, maybe not heroes. Three… boys. Three very messy, very murder hobo, very horny boys. [A beat.] Tres horny boys, if you will. So, uh, first up is-

MAGNUS [aware of Griffin and waving at everyone- listen, fourth wall breaks are kinda a thing for me, folks]: I’m Magnus Burnsides, human fighter! [Stat card for Magnus pops up on the side. There’s a not very flattering picture with it.] Also… [with the wagon reigns in hand, he starts counting off on his fingers, concentrating] Uh, master carpenter, man of action, rush into battle- oh, and I’m from Raven’s Roost, and-

[The canvas flaps blow open behind MAGNUS, and MAGNUS’S stat card disappears with a pop and a tiny bit of white smoke. TAAKO steps out, already exasperated and swinging a hand, colliding with MAGNUS’S head and pushing it to the side.]

TAAKO: Yeah, save the backstory for like… 40 more episodes, my dude. We don’t have time for that shit right now.

GRIFFIN: O-kay, guess we’re just gonna assume we can swear whenever we want.

[As GRIFFIN is talking, TAAKO stops pushing on MAGNUS’S head.]

TAAKO [triumphant, shouting]: FUCK!

[Flock of birds flies out of the trees.]

GRIFFIN: So this is Taako, the elf wizard [TAAKO’S stat card pops up. Much more flattering picture.] and-

TAAKO: That’s Taako, you know, from… podcast, elf wizard and baller chef, yes, thank you, very much. AND very, very beautiful. [TAAKO does a hair flip. There are sparkles and magical sounds.] And very, very bored. [TAAKO’S stat card disappears.] How far away is this fuckin’ town? What’s it called again?

MAGNUS [shrugging]: Beats me. [To GRIFFIN] Did we come up with a name that doesn’t violate copyright?

GRIFFIN [evading the question, because I still am]: Aaaaaaaaaaaaand last but not least, Merle Highchurch. [A beat. GRIFFIN sighs.] Merle, that’s your cue.

MERLE [inside the tent]: Wha? Somebody say my name? [Canvas flaps rustle rustle rustle. MERLE’S face pops out, looking around owlishly. He also steps out to the front of the wagon.]

MAGNUS [now very crowded and still trying to drive]: You missed your cue, old man.

MERLE [indignant]: I was busy studying my cantrips!

TAAKO and MAGNUS [in unison]: Gross!

MERLE: No, not like-

GRIFFIN [interrupting]: And Merle is a cleric! [MERLE’S stat card pops up. The picture was taken too high, so we can only see MERLE’S hair and forehead.]

MERLE: I’m a what now?

GRIFFIN [overly enthusiastic, it’s a bit now, folks]: Now, for those of you who aren’t familiar, clerics are kind of a support class magic user. They can cast things like buffs-

MERLE: Huh?

GRIFFIN [still overly enthusiastic]: and heal their party members-

MERLE: I can do that?

GRIFFIN: Clerics also serve gods, and Merle’s god is Mort-

MERLE [indignant again]: Hang on! That doesn’t sound right!

GRIFFIN [pushing out of his little bubble and leaning into the scene]: Then who is your god?

MERLE: Uh… Pan! [MERLE pulls out the Extreme Teen Bible.] See? Pan!

MAGNUS [whispering to TAAKO]: Okay, I guess this is how we’re resolving that whole thing. [TAAKO shrugs. MERLE is smiling. It’s adorable, like those little smiles Carey Pietsch does I love them so much, y’all.]

GRIFFIN: So, Magnus, Taako, Merle. Off on an adventure of epic proportions. [GRIFFIN is getting excited.] Full of action and danger and goofs and found family and-

MAGNUS: Now hold on! Epic proportions? Epic? [MAGNUS waves a hand around at the generally pretty chill woods, the boring road, and the stink lines wagon.]

TAAKO: Yeah, so far this is snoozeville, population, uh, me and these two chucklefucks.

MERLE [peering at GRIFFIN]: you sure you got the right dnd party, bud?

GRIFFIN [looking at audience]: We’re still negotiating contracts, so I’m filling in for, uh… someone. So for now, hey, I’m Griffin McElroy, your Dungeon Master, your best friend, and your announcer for this pilot episode. Ahem. [GRIFFIN clears his throat.] Grab your shields and ready your spell slots. Strap in your asses and… really, just strap in your asses. And, for the very first time, welcome to the animated version of… THE ADVENTURE ZONE!

[Title card and Mort Garson’s “Déjà Vu” plays. All my ideas went into dialogue, folks. Fan artists, this one’s all yours.]

[We pop back into the same scene as before.]

MAGNUS: Yeah, so, uh, like we were saying, before, uh, whatever that was, what we’re doing now is-

TAAKO [interrupting]: Hold on! We are not, I repeat, not doing some dumb recap where we explain this boring job... unless…

MAGNUS, MERLE, and GRIFFIN [all have gone laser eye meme]: UNLESS?

TAAKO [singing]: Flashback sequence!

[There’s a loud POP! as the scene shifts, and we’re now in your standard fantasy tavern. There’s a table with four chairs right in front of us, all of which are empty. The tavern acts as a backdrop behind that, illustrating just how fantasy this world is. We see humans and elves and dwarves yes, because we’ve already seen them, but also Gnomes and tieflings and haflings and orcs and Genasi and aarakocra (try spelling that one, folks ;) I’m sure that won’t come up later) and so on and so forth.

There’s another POP! as GRIFFIN’S window reappears in the upper right corner. He looks slightly ruffled.]

GRIFFIN [straightening his hair and glasses]: Wow, that is going to take some getting used to. Anyway, the boys should be here in a second, and-

[Three more pops as MAGNUS, TAAKO, and MERLE appear in three of the four seats at the table. MERLE lands upside down. He immediately starts struggling to right himself]

MAGNUS [looking at the empty chair and frowning]: Wait, what was the name of the guy we were meeting again? Gumdrop?

TAAKO: Hm… Gurgle? Guava? Gumbo?

MERLE [having finally righted himself]: No! My cousin, uh… um… oh, that’s right, Gundren!

[As MERLE says GUNDREN, another pop as GUNDREN pops into existence in the chair. He looks like if you put MERLE through a grinder, not like we’re gonna run into one of those in an episode or two, right, fellas?

Nasty boy that he is, GUNDREN lets out a grunt and then spits on the floor. People have to clean that, GUNDREN! This is why you- (SPOILERS REDACTED)- anyway.]

GUNDREN: So, like I was saying, boys. You take my wagon from here in Kindaspring down the road to Mandolin-

TAAKO: Oh, that’s what we’re calling it?

MERLE: I thought that was another TV show?

[Up in the corner, GRIFFIN shrugs.]

GUNDREN: Uh… yes? That’s… what it’s called? [GUNDREN looks suspiciously at them. It seems like he’d give the job to someone else in an instant, if literally anyone else would take the job. But magically, he’s stuck with these boys.] But, uh, you get my wagon and my goods to Mandolin, and I’ll let you in on the next job. And that job, boys… [GUNDREN laughs. It sounds like if you threw rocks in a blender.] That’s the kinda job that will be the last job you ever need to take.

MAGNUS [cheerfully]: Well, that sounds murdery!

[There’s a loud POP! and we’re back on the wagon again, all of our boys already in place.]

GRIFFIN [shrugging, smiling]: Guess you’re going to find out! Oh, and boys… let’s roll initiative.

[fuck-you-i-am-spiderman]

Spideyyyyyyyy!!! 🕷️♥️🧡💛💚💙💜 hello

*stretches fingers* where to begin, where to begin. WELL, one of the things that stands out to me about your writing is that it’s the embodiment of the “is for me? 😳👉👈“ meme in which me is….. me jkldjakljgklsdg. Like, this is why we can just plot an entire novel-length fic together off the top of our heads on VC, just give us like five minutes, because we share perfect taste in ships and tropes. The beautiful thing about this is that I always know I’m GOOD going into your fics. Like, you know what I want without having to ask. And so your fics are always a safe, familiar place for me to go and yours is some of the work that helps me calm down and sleep if I’m having a bad night and just need to read something that’s like a virtual hug.

Another thing that shines about your work is you do such an amazing job of ensuring equal parts love and attention to all the OT4/Core Four. I think it’s really sweet how you take the time to write stories where each one of them gets the spotlight for a while and has their trauma addressed, like with Lost in Lace and Baby Dragon, for example. You offer representation for everyone who relates to these characters and you very tenderly craft that representation and treat the characters with the respect they didn’t get from canon. With your multi-chaps, you do a wonderful job of honouring all the dynamics and never letting the BROTPs feel less important. The bonds are SO strong whether romantic or not.

Stemming from the above actually, I feel like the way you write the Core Four reflects a lot about you as a person (all good things!) and I see that in HD since we’ve become friends. You treat your characters with the same respect and attentiveness that I feel you treat people, not just me but others I see you interact with. Your people skills translate into your writing, if that makes sense. Like what I say above about how you take the time to ensure everyone gets the spotlight for a while, especially when they need it most, and I think that’s just something you do as a friend, too, and it’s a really great thing about you! You have a very big heart and your sensitivity makes you extremely empathetic, which allows you to get deep into these characters’ heads and write beautiful, believable relationships that are full of feeling.

Your passion and drive to overcome all the hurdles of life and keep creating is very inspirational, my dear. Truly, truly, I cannot say it enough that passion ALWAYS shines through and IMO it’s one of the most important things a writer can have ‘cause it’s the fuel for everything else, but also it’s just something that can be *felt* and I always feel your passion in your work and in everything you do. There is so much of the essence of Spidey in your work and that’s a very good thing! There is an inherent value in that, as in you. It is certainly a gift to this fandom.

Anyway anyway I honestly just think you are a natural born storyteller and that’s just something you have to accept. I’m very fortunate to be privy to all the fun ideas you help bring to life over VC. I would gladly listen to you narrate Rotten OT4 fanfic to me. You have good energy and you always make me laugh and I love that I can just interrupt like “OH MY GOD WAIT WHAT IF” and you’re just like “FUCK YES WRITE THAT DOWN” and then we don’t jdklajklsgjlkg but it’s so much fun tbh. Our VCs are probably the reason I haven’t gone completely insane without regular human contact outside my family jkldajkljglsdg. It’s easy to forget we’re in a pandemic with good company.

in true ADHD fashion this has ended up a little left of the point, but you get it, you get it lmao

SO MUCH LOVE ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

(shout out to tumblr for letting me write essays in people's ask boxes now...... y'all are gonna live to regret this experience jdklajlgjdsklg)

BABE, ILY ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜 

I cannot fully explain how happy it makes me that you think of my fics as a safe space. Like YOUR fics do that for me, they’re like a breath of fresh air that uplift my every mood. whether they’re soft and silly or more indepth and angsty, like you got me and it’s like my own personal library of comfort fics for every occassion and mood. Honestly yeah, we have such good taste in ships and our VCs are one of my absolute favourite things, they always stem the best and most glorious ideas.

Thank you so much, for me - I love all of the different dynamics within the rotten four so much and it’s super important to me to get the balance right and show equal amounts of love to all of the dynamics, even when a specific dynamic is more of a central focus. Like the others don’t just disappear and what compells me the most with ot4 is that they’re all so important to one another and they’re all so interesting in their own right, I’ve read and seen far too much media for poly ships that try and ignore parts of the ship and that’s just not what I’m about. Seriously I keep saying thank you but truly, it means a lot to me that you feel like I write something that offers representation, that’s something so very important to me and it’s so validating to hear that it’s coming across in the intended way.

Have I said this before? Um I love you !!!!!! But seriously, you constantly say how lovely I am but you are such a wonderful person, like I’m so glad we’re friends because you are one of the most kind, genuine and glorious people I know. You are truly fantastic and I feel so blessed to have you in my life 💖💖 💖💖 💖💖 💖💖 

I can’t believe you think I have people skills :’)) I mean...like I try very hard to make sure people feel respected and loved and heard. I try really hard to make sure my friends know how much I care and yes mutuals, you are all my friends and I love you very much! But something that is important to me within my writing is to really show that love and care. So I’m so relieved that that translates well into my writing. Thank you so much, that’s such a high compliment.

(lol side note I now am imagining “essense of Spidey” as a little potions bottle with like a gradient shimmery colour 😂)

I’M NOT CRYING YOU’RE CRYING. You think I’m a natural born storyteller? 🥺 I have so much anxiety when it comes to my own capabilities and this means so much, I can’t even fully take it in but wow just thank you, it means so much more than I can express. Babe, I will gladly narrate ot4 for you any time!

🙈 OMG no, we are the worst when it comes to not writing our ideas down omg dheruhrgefvgvfehwgwvey like I legit just want to record everything on our video chat so I can savour it. We truly have some of the most fantastic ideas and I love crafting them with you, it is legit so much fun and it gives me so much serotonin. I think we need to video chat more!!!!!! Because legit, you make me feel so much better and you just have this way about you, like you are a gift and you radiate such soft and warm energy, like you and your writing and your art and everything are a ray of sunshine that I never thought I deserved.

and you know I love your rambles because oh would you look at that? my reply is just as rambley and I love that for us so, so much. and anyway, I love you very much and reading this made me so happy ♥️🧡💛💚💙💜

[kangtaebins]

Weird Asks That Say A Lot

I said I was going to just answer all of these bc of boredom,, and so here I am

1. Coffee mugs, teacups, wine glasses, water bottles, or soda cans? Teacups are aesthetically pleasing idc what anyone says

2. Chocolate bars or lollipops? Lollipops

3. Bubblegum or cotton candy? Cotton candy supremacy

4. How did your elementary school teachers describe you? I was told that I was a leader a lot, and was told that I was very intelligent. Ah yes, I suffered from gifted kid burn out in high school-

5. Do you prefer to drink soda from soda cans, soda bottles, plastic cups or glass cups? Look, plastic cups are the best. Specifically the ones with the lids and reusable straws

6. Pastel, boho, tomboy, preppy, goth, grunge, formal or sportswear? It truly depends on the day bc some days I would say goth and other days I’d say grunge, but most days- pastel

7. Earbuds or headphones? Earbuds

8. Movies or TV shows? TV shows bc- idk actually I’m just not a movie person

9. Favorite smell in the summer? I have a weird obsession with the smell of cheap sunscreen and I have no clue why

10. Game you were best at in p.e.? I hated gym in high school and rarely participated despite the teacher being irritated with me (truly she gave up after a few months bc I really did not care at all) HOWEVER- I went to town in volleyball and still enjoy playing volleyball v much

11. What do you have for breakfast on an average day? I don’t eat breakfast often,,, 

12. Name of your favorite playlist? Probably my Navy or Indigo playlist

13. Lanyard or key ring? Key ring 

14. Favorite non-chocolate candy? Anything green apple!!!

15. Favorite book you read as a school assignment? I actually genuinely enjoyed Romeo And Juliet tbh

16. Most comfortable position to sit in? I always curl up in a ball on the couch, but in a chair I manspread ngl

17. Most frequently worn pair of shoes? Nike slides <//3

18. Ideal weather? Between 50-70 degrees, sunny but not warm, being able to wear a hoodie and not be hot or cold

19. Sleeping position? I usually either sleep on my left side or on my stomach (my back once in a while when it’s hurting bc I’m a hag)

20. Preferred place to write (i.e., in a note book, on your laptop, sketchpad, post-it notes, etc.)? I write on my phone more than anything

21. Obsession from childhood? Hm- I was really obsessed with High School Musical as a kid. My friend and I would put it on and lip sync to the songs and pretend we were the characters

22. Role model? Is it- wrong to say myself? Bc I feel like that sounds arrogant but genuinely it’s bc I’m constantly trying to better myself mentally and learn and grow. Idk I just am proud of who I am and look to myself when I need to find motivation

23. Strange habits? Strange? Idk if it’s strange but I’m constantly twiddling with the hem of my sleeves bc I love the feeling of it

24. Favorite crystal? Citrine 

25. First song you remember hearing? WH- bitch idk tf

26. Favorite activity to do in warm weather? Stay tf inside in the air conditioning

27. Favorite activity to do in cold weather? Stay tf inside in the heat

28. Five songs to describe you? To describe me?? Girl idk I'm all over the place. How about songs that resonate with me instead,,, Alive by Khalid, Paranoid by Lauv, Phobia by Dvwn, Fake Smile by Ariana Grande, and Breathin by Ariana Grande

29. Best way to bond with you? Truly I'm not very difficult to get along with, just don't be an asshole. Talk to me about psychology, current events, say Soobin is the cutest to exist idk it's not that hard

30. Places that you find sacred? I- hm. I'm not like a church person or anything so idk. Maybe just anything really old or places with very detailed and unique architecture

31. What outfit do you wear to kick ass and take names? I don't own many clothes,,, let alone nice clothes. I also don't really dress to impress I'd much rather be comfortable

32. Top five favorite vines? Oh god if I h a d to pick???? The lipstick in the Valentino bag, they were roommates, it's an avocado- thaaanks, jared 19, and uh,,, zach stooppp you're gonna get in trouble

33. Most used phrase in your phone? Tbh it's probably "girl what-" or "no bc"

34. Advertisements you have stuck in your head? That 877-CASH-NOW ONE JFC

35. Average time you fall asleep? Between 11pm-1am

36. What is the first meme you remember ever seeing? Probably the troll face one or smth

37. Suitcase or duffel bag? Suitcase

38. Lemonade or tea? I mix them together!

39. Lemon cake or lemon meringue pie? Lemon meringue pie bc I don't really like cake

40. Weirdest thing to ever happen at your school? Y'all I- went to a hs/college mixed school,, I've seen it all. Weirdest?? Idk but one weird thing I remember was when we were making whistles in art and some dude made a penis whistle 😭

41. Last person you texted? My best friend :))

42. Jacket pockets or pants pockets? Jacket pockets

43. Hoodie, leather jacket, cardigan, jean jacket or bomber jacket? Hoodie 100%

44. Favorite scent for soap? I love soaps that smell like soap. Like ok duh I know that sounds dumb but yk what I mean? I don't want lemon or mint or whatever, I like the plain soap smell

45. Which genre: sci-fi, fantasy or superhero? Fantasy

46. Most comfortable outfit to sleep in? Oversized t-shirt, no pants. I question anyone that is comfortable sleeping with pants on-

47. Favorite type of cheese? Feta!

48. If you were a fruit, what kind would you be? I feel like I'd be a pineapple and I have no clue why

49. What saying or quote do you live by? Not necessarily a quote but more of a thought: live for yourself, enjoy each day, do what gives you joy

50. What made you laugh the hardest you ever have? I have had so many instances in which I have laughed so hard I peed and to even attempt to name one is impossible

51. Current stresses? Making sure my family gets their vaccines and stays safe

52. Favorite font? I don't think I have one? Anything except comic sans

53. What is the current state of your hands? What does this even mean 💀 I mean,, they're holding my phone, cold, and my nails are unpolished

54. What did you learn from your first job? That people are assholes but I'm capable of not giving a fuck bc life is not that damn serious

55. Favorite fairy tale? Is The Three Little Pigs considered a fairy tale?

56. Favorite tradition? Putting up the Christmas tree with my mom :( it's always a lot of fun

57. The three biggest struggles you’ve overcome? Depression, grief, and hopefully one day- smth I'm currently dealing with

58. Four talents you’re proud of having? Makeup!! But also: singing, crying on command, and tying cherry stems with my tongue

59. If you were a video game character, what would your catchphrase be? Sick of these bitches

60. If you were a character in an anime, what kind of anime would you want it to be? I don't watch anime so idk

61. Favorite line you heard from a book/movie/tv show/etc.? It's this line from Eleanor & Park: "Eleanor was right: She never looked nice. She looked like art, and art wasn't supposed to look nice; it was supposed to make you feel something."

62. Seven characters you relate to? Holy hell, 7?? Probably won't get that many but hm,,, Darlene from Roseanne, Hermione from Harry Potter, Emily from Pretty Little Liars maybe?? Idk I suddenly blanked

63. Five songs that would play in your club? As if it's Your Last by BP, anything from SHINee, anything from Ariana, also anything Rihanna, just a bunch of women tbh

64. Favorite website from your childhood? FUCKING WEBKINZ BRO

65. Any permanent scars? I have a few on my arms idk where they came from tbh, I also have one on my hand from my sister 🧍🏻‍♀

66. Favorite flower(s)? Sunflowers!!! I also really love lilacs 💔

67. Good luck charms? My dog's collar that I wear as a bracelet

68. Worst flavor of any food or drink you’ve ever tried? Licorice-

69. A fun fact that you don’t know how you learned? It takes repeating a piece of information 12 times at random to memorize it completely

70. Left or right handed? Right

71. Least favorite pattern? Fucking chevron- and realistic camo, and anything with the American flag

72. Worst subject? Yall im awful at history. American history, world history, all of it-

73. Favorite weird flavor combo? Either pickles and peanut butter or cheese and grapes

74. At what pain level out of ten (1 through 10) do you have to be at before you take an advil or ibuprofen? I'm stubborn but also always in pain so I've become numb to a lot of body pains. I have to be at like a 7-8 before I take smth otherwise I'd always be taking it

75. When did you lose your first tooth? I was probably like 5 I was definitely in Kindergarten

76. What’s your favorite potato food (i.e. tater tots, baked potatoes, fries, chips, etc.)? I fw baked potatoes

77. Best plant to grow on a windowsill? I have a love for succulents

78. Coffee from a gas station or sushi from a grocery store? Oh my- I don't drink coffee but coffee from a gas station

79. Which looks better, your school id photo or your driver’s license photo? Driver's license for sure

80. Earth tones or jewel tones? Jewel tones

81. Fireflies or lightning bugs? I say both,, but I think I say lightning bugs more

82. PC or console? PC

83. Writing or drawing? Both

84. Podcasts or talk radio? Podcasts definitely

84. Barbie or polly pocket? Barbie

85. Fairy tales or mythology? Fairy tales

86. Cookies or cupcakes? C o o k i e s

87. Your greatest fear? Losing people I love

88. Your greatest wish? To live comfortably and be a great mother

89. Who would you put before everyone else? My family

90. Luckiest mistake? Guessing on 90% of a test and getting an A 💀

91. Boxes or bags? Bags are easier to carry-

92. Lamps, overhead lights, sunlight or fairy lights? Fairy lights!!

93. Nicknames? Sam, Sammi, my sister calls me Sams, my best friend calls me Bub, and my gf calls me Baby if that counts- 👀

94. Favorite season? Fall omg it's gorgeous and has perfect temperatures

95. Favorite app on your phone? ✨tumblr✨

96. Desktop background? Its literally a pic of Soobin, Taehyun, and Beomgyu

97. How many phone numbers do you have memorized? Like 4-5

98. Favorite historical era? The one where white people learn their fucking place and stop being racist, homophobic, classist, sexist, all the -ists and -phobics,,,, so none. Fuck history :))

[adamsvanrhijn]

Hello there! I have been happily working through your incredible wtmy,tbws fic like a duck enthusiastically eating a bowl of peas, and was wondering if I may request a director’s commentary on the "never cared to 'til a minute ago. Always been a delicate bloke." conversation OR whatever scene from that fic that you most enjoyed writing? Thank you!

thank you! i am loving that simile very much.................. a duck enthusiastically eating a bowl of peas. amazing.

under cut because the fic itself is Adult Content haha

& also because this is Absurdly long... doing this meme for other people is really hammering in for me how much i rely on single line dialogue & short paragraphs lol. i’d love to work on that, but, womp womp, it hasn’t really been happening.

there is ... a lot going on in this scene lol. i feel very galaxy brain while writing this fic and it’s very pretentious, but i’m just gonna poke at the relevant bits around that quote instead of quoting The Whole Thing. this is from chapter 5 of when to my soul, the body would say ! 

context -- they’ve had morning sex in front of a mirror, then they went for breakfast at the place they’re staying, where richard is using a persona for Safety Reasons, & now they’re just hanging out and richard has been checking thomas out for the last 5-15 minutes without him noticing... until he comments on thomas smoking, and then thomas...

...lets his eyes wander, himself. 

Richard, fully dressed save for his shoes, is turned from the bureau, arm slung over the top of the chair. He did his hair this morning, because Evelyn Price would not have gotten up to anything in the night that could possibly alter the work of a week's worth of Brilliantine, and Thomas sort of hates it.

Not how it looks.

What it means. Or represents, rather. That they've got people other than each other upon whom they need to make good impressions, be they in service or just in the world at large.

right, so, this is like, the Ground Work Thoughts for thomas here as far as this particular interaction is concerned, because this is Very Much about perception / Being Perceived, and before the conversation even happens he’s paying richard a lot of attention, almost to the point of scrutiny. and richard is put together in a way that is very much not for thomas’s sake, it’s for they-left-the-room’s sake, and so he’s noticing that and that’s his frame of mind as they move on.

side note! hair styling oil & pomades really were worn for multiple days in a row. amazing. i could never. there should really be more in this fic about richard’s hair being all floraly <3 <3 <3 but there isn’t. womp womp. that would have been a Factor in this bit huh lol.

"You ever try it?" asks Thomas. Meaning smoking.

"No," he says. He tilts his head thoughtfully. "Never cared to 'til a minute ago. Always been a delicate bloke."

Thomas coughs impolitely.

"I don't see the harm in saying it, Thomas."

The feeling he can't describe leaves him, and a different one forms, in his gut instead of his lungs, an uncomfortable and unwelcome weight. Knotted.

aaaaand boom. thomas Did Not Sign Up For This. 

richard’s being 100% honest, just speaking casually, but thomas’s reaction is enough to get him on the defensive & he’s not an idiot so he knows why, but this is also not something he has lately put a lot of thought into. he’s Accepted It About Himself (we’ll get into this). thomas meanwhile is not ready to approach the subject of Delicacy for anybody he cares about, because to him it’s not a good description, it’s not something he aspires to be or wants to come across as, but he has many times in his life come across as it anyway. he’s Not Like That. 

so the word alone sticks in the wheels of his rolly suitcase emotional baggage, even though it’s richard using it on himself.

"Well, you clearly haven't got a problem with playing at being normal," Thomas says pointedly. Tough not to be pointed when he feels like this, because he's no stranger to it, is he. "If I didn't know better I'd be asking after your wife and baby like the rest of this place."

Lucky those people were leaving after breakfast; Thomas wouldn't be able to take two full days of it.

He hasn't asked about the photographs in the wallet yet, either, and he's not sure if he will.

normal being heterosexual, in this instance, which is contemporary vocabulary.

and richard is very good at playing straight when he’s not fearing for thomas’s life, so. it’s true! it’s a legitimate opinion. but it’s also a pretty significant logical leap that richard is about to pick up on, because that makes him uncomfortable, given thomas is basically saying.... you seem straight, what are you talking about, which isn’t going to make him feel excellent about the sense of identity he’s settled into. 

the rest of this is an Achievement Thomas Is Yet To Unlock so i won’t say much other than that this is not a significant addition to richard as the reader might know him from ywntmha, but, a lot of the big emotional work & development in that fic happens in 1929, with this meeting as the impetus... so it is very significant for thomas, at this point. we’re still in january and they still have a ways to go both in the next 24 hours and in the rest of the year.

Richard raises his eyebrows. "And what's that got to do with it?"

He shrugs.

It should be obvious. It would be obvious, to anyone who bothered to think about it for more than half a second.

that’s not a good faith question; richard’s goading him into actually saying the underlying thought. on one level thomas knows that, which is why he doesn’t say that part out loud and only thinks it.

"It's pretending, is all it is," Richard continues, a little too gentle.

"Don't call yourself what they call you," Thomas returns, a little too sharp.

and since goading doesn’t work, new tactic on richard’s part here, and though thomas can tell it’s intentional it does work on him, so.

writing this was interesting for several reasons but one of the big ones is, and anybody who’s been following me since Before da will probably know this, i like... have very little patience for discussion about personal identity, especially when it comes to reclamation ? i am way more interested both on a personal and academic level (bc i can’t lie about that lmfao, hashtag english major) in community + external ideas imposed on people.  

and this might seem like a very 2010s conversation for them to be having, but... this period of time was really the Dawn of queer/lgbt identity Concepts: words were being coined, communities were coming together in new ways, in continental europe & the us especially there was a lot of rapid development and transition here owing to various roaring 20s factors, and i think richard given his situation would have been exposed to that, for one, but also just, it’s gonna be in both their environments because it was getting to be a thing from the victorian era w/ the medicalisation of homosexuality and things are only expanding. 

"delicate” is a euphemism, not a slur, but it has hella connotations & they are both fully aware of them.

"Rather it be me saying it than them."

Blasé like it doesn't mean a thing at all.

You should know better, he wants to say, you should know better than anyone.

"Don't see how you can feel that way when it's not true to begin with."

thomas’s Only Gay Friend Is My Boyfriend is showing here lol, this is shining light on a gap in what he knows about richard & what he Thinks he knows about richard, so there’s a dissonance. and he sees richard as Masculine on a conscious or subconscious level, and he’s in a These Are Antonyms place re “delicate”. some black & white thinking going on here.

& i feel like the other part is probably fairly explanatory but, richard gets a sense of control and self-assurance by using a word for himself that might not be kind coming out of other people’s mouths and Being Okay With That.

"Thomas…"

They lock eyes.

A tense moment passes.

It is Richard who breaks first. He turns back to the desk with a small sigh.

"This has very little to do with you," he says carefully.

richard, knowing thomas as he does, is able to tell that he’s taking this personally, because he Is, so that’s that there, but again this is something he’s already settled in himself and so there’s also an element of having to justify again this thing he’s already figured out, which he isn’t exactly fond of.

anyway i said i’d get into this -- there’s a lot of interesting like, Societal / Subcultural / Etc politics with regards to being a male servant in this day and age and Gender In General, and valets especially -- throughout the time period leading up to this but ESPECIALLY in the 1920s when there are fewer men in service than there ever have been and more and more kinds of, say, manufacturing jobs as the automobile industry picks up & labour saving devices start having more complicated parts, and probably yknow most of the boys he went to school with are in that or mining or railways, so he’d have thought about it earlier on in his life probably. or Has rather. ftr his brother was in the carriage works i don’t think that ever comes up but there’s a lot there lol. there’s some family stuff in but level in time that we’ll get to........... someday. ANYWAY. 

the point is.

valeting is an effeminate job.

like, point blank. i’m seeing that idea both in sources specifically about servants & just general of-the-era stuff about great houses. when you’re talking about gay men in service a lot of them are valets, and some of that lines up w stereotypes & common lifestyle habits of gay men in general -- looking after hair shoes and clothing, obvs, attention to detail in physical appearance (note that men who Get Valeted also care about details, but they are not the ones who actually have to think and decide about it; whereas their wives are probably giving their ladies’ maids more directions as to hair styles and dresses etc etc because they’re expected to care about that part of the process in a way that men weren’t), exposure to social mores in a variety of different contexts, being well-connected within both the communities that help him get work done: tailoring, hairdressing, shoemakers, drapers, etc and in General, having softer skills like sewing and whatnot. and you’re unmarried and looking after the presentation of another man so there’s some like, desexualisation stuff there.

and thomas and richard would both know this very, very well. they’d have encountered the idea both as men in service and as gay men and especially as gay men in service.  

this richard has been working at buckingham palace for more than twenty years at this point, minus his war backstory which....... is complex and i haven’t gotten into it very much anywhere but he was getting cosy with some higher ups and having To Do about presentation there too and like, was in the service corps which was non-combat supply lines ....... and apprenticing valeting / actually (non-principally) valeting the Literal King Of England for nine.

he has had a LOT of time to get over his shit.

he not only likes his job* but he’s also very good at his job, literal 2nd highest valet position in frankly The World, which is fucking wild, and that combined with his Childhood of like, being second best to his older brother who was like, a perfect human being so far as he could ever tell and that included being very traditionally like, athletic and Leaderly and having-a-sweetheart-in-your-youth-you-then-marry when he was more interested in, you know, story telling and Arts N Crafts (i’m being tongue in cheek) and just generally not ... especially into the Boys Will Be Boys stuff............................

he’s fine with it! he is Fine with being called delicate, it’s helped him get over a lot of his issues just to decide oh, this actually fits my personality and the trajectory my life has followed, so i’m going to just accept that and move on ! etc. 

but thomas is not anywhere near there for himeslf and therefore he isn’t for other people, too, because one of thomas’s Problems is that he hates seeing other people comfortable and happy when he isn’t... and that even applies to richard, because love does not make us perfect. 

*he wants to leave service and he’s tired of the constant scrutiny of working where he does for whom he does, but he does like his actual duties in a lot of ways.

well here’s a novel. i hope this satisfies you!!! <3 <3 <3

[avelera]

⭐star⭐ The Only Way Out Is Down :D

The original meme was: Reblog this if you want readers to come into your ask box and ask for the “director’s commentary” on a particular story, section of a story, or set of lines. Or, send in a ⭐star⭐  to have the author select a section they’ve been dying to talk about!

Sorry it took a second to get to this! I kept mulling over what I wanted to talk about that I haven’t gone into detail on already. Usually I sorta default to the Drift section in the chapter “The Handwriting of God” because it was a late addition to the story that I’m very proud of, but I’ve talked about that before.

Soooo, I think instead I’ll go into detail about how the “twist” in the chapter “Treachery” was constructed, because I feel like I learned a lot as an author by doing it and it’s probably the single thing in the story I put the most effort into. Warning, this is very self-indulgent ;P

This is gonna by default have a lot of spoilers for The Only Way Out is Down so please don’t read below the cut unless you’ve finished the story unless you want to be spoiled!

The “twist” in question is the revelation that Hermann’s own traumas with regards to Newt’s possession are writing the “sins” that they’re visiting in each Circle, and that they’re Hermann’s sins in particular, not Newt’s. Furthermore, he’s been identifying himself as the guide, Virgil in the original “Inferno” by default, having convinced himself he’s the hero of the tale here to rescue Newt and not require any saving of his own, when in fact the role he fulfills is that of Dante, the man in need of rescuing from sin. This comes to light in ch. 12, Treachery, after Newt and Hermann have consistently failed to figure out the central logic for why the Circles are styled as they are, or why they break when they do in order to free them to move on to the next and hopefully to free Newt once all 9 are completed. 

This twist may not have been planned since ch. 1, as such, because I started the fic as an Inferno-based character study of Newt with the question of, “How do I do a Newt Recovery Arc story where Newt is actually present from the very first chapter?” I’d been reading quite a few Newt Recovery stories at that point, and noticed that somewhat by necessity they all began where Uprising left off: with Newt bound to the chair and the Precursors speaking through him. Then the inciting incident would begin that would allow Newt to finally break through, but usually that was several chapters in.

So I realized 2 things from the outset: 1) I didn’t want the Precursors still around. They just create too much plot to solve and questions to cloud the narrative like “When is this Newt? How good are they at faking him?” and what to do with them after Newt’s freed. Are they all killed? Does the war happen? It sets up a whole huge conflict that also asks the question of how Newt is involved with a theoretical Pacific Rim 3. So I decided this was going to be a Pacific Rim 4, the Precursors are already dead but for some reason Newt STILL won’t wake up, allowing the narrative to stay focused on his recovery with no dangling questions after. 2) Obviously, in order for Newt to be there from the beginning, we need to start inside his head. This made it even more a mindscape journey. His POV gives us reasonable assurance that this is really him and he’s not corrupted. He remained psychologically separate from the Precursors, which is the story’s world state that I deliberately set up so I also didn’t have to answer questions of “how guilty is Newt for what the Precursors did?” He’s not guilty and he actually knows it, because that separation remained distinct in this particular interpretation. 

Originally, Newt was absolutely supposed to be Dante, the man at the center of his life who is lost with no way forward and must go on a spiritual journey to regain himself, which may be a bit unfair and confusing for readers to solve the twist because he sees himself as Dante in his opening monologue. But the more I thought about it, the more I wanted to set up that expectation and then flip it for one simple reason.

 I didn’t want this to be a “Hermann saves the day” story.

The narrative structure of a lot of Newt Recovery Arcs by default place a lot of pressure on Hermann’s character to be the rescuer and the Knight in Shining Armor. That can lend itself too to a character who has all the strength while the other has all–or most of–the weakness besides maybe the occasional moment of doubt. I didn’t want to do that. In fact, I wanted to deliberately subvert that. I’d already done a story with Prayers to Broken Stone where one half of the ship is in crisis and the other half rescues them, and I always thought that story was a bit flawed because it made one side out to be this angel who never tires of their constant rescuing of the other, and the other out to be desperate and broken and crying all the time. I wanted to do a more balanced rescue story,  with mutual rescue, which is one of my favorite tropes for romance.

I started realizing even from ch. 2 in Hermann’s POV that Hermann was Not OK. That the years separated and the revelation of Newt’s possession had shattered him, but he had duct taped himself back together and fiercely refused to acknowledge he was anything but the hero designated to rescue Newt from his coma. Even the fact he’s spent a year Drifting with Newt to try to revive him was meant to be the reader’s first warning sign. Hermann isn’t just being a good partner, he’s not just a hero doggedly refusing to give up. He’s broken. He’s repeating the same attempt every day, shattering his own physical and mental health in order to dash himself to pieces against the problem of Newt’s recovery. This should be the first warning bell for the reader, and for Newt once he’s regained enough of himself to start paying attention to Hermann’s mental health.

I conceived of a crossover style narrative, where Newt would begin the story outwardly broken and in need of healing and begins to transition as he healed into the stronger party of the two. He starts breaking Circles all by himself as early as Circle 5, the midway point, technically he did so with help all the way back in Circle 2 but was too in his own head and convinced of his own weakness to notice. The point of Newt’s arc would be that with each Circle, he gets a bit of himself back. He faces his old traumas and re-writes them to become victories. The reality remains unchanged, sure, but new memories help to ease the old ones. 

By the end, Newt’s only remaining trial is to face the memory of the Precursors and realize he was a hero the whole time, that he was targeted because of his strength, that they attacked his self confidence deliberately because they knew he was strong enough to defeat them, and that he doesn’t need to be prey to their manipulation anymore. Then, he’s able to step free of his own traumas in order to save Hermann. That was the big subversion I had built in from Ch. 2 onward. I wanted Newt to be the hero of his own recovery, not without help, but the help was to pull him out of the depths of despair so he could be his own hero. 

Hermann’s assurance that he’s the hero of Newt’s story is in fact hubris, and that hubris is why it takes him so long to figure out what is in fact the embarrassingly simple reality that they are in the Drift, so these Circles are constructed from both their memories and the traumas being addressed belong to both of them. His blindspot is himself, as it is with many people. Newt doesn’t recognize this in part because Hermann is so tight-lipped and secretive about the trauma of those 10+ years. So Newt is buying that Hermann is fine because Hermann says he’s fine. That is, until the evidence becomes overwhelming that he isn’t. Each Circle has in fact, brought Hermann face to face with his failures, and it’s reopening the wound until the point where he shatters from the self-imposed guilt.

Hermann’s arc in the story is also a recovery arc, but he needs to actually finish falling before he can pick himself up again. “The only way out is down” is the title and the theme of the story. In order for recovery to begin, they have to push deeper into the things that hurt them, rather than running away, before they can come out on the other side. Newt had to regain his strength because he’d already hit rock bottom and was honest with himself about this fact. Hermann’s journey is first and foremost to stop lying to himself. He can’t begin to recover until he’s acknowledged that losing Newt, learning Newt was possessed and he did nothing to prevent it, the vengeance he took on the Precursors by destroying their planet, and the devastation of that not being enough to wake up Newt immediately actually broke him and he is not ok as a result. It may seem outwardly that the narrative is therefore punishing Hermann, saying he needs to be pushed down while Newt is raised up, but I always envisioned it more that the wound has festered. It needs to be reopened and cleaned so it can heal properly, even if on the surface that looks like he’s being wounded all over again, it’s actually a step in the healing process.

So knowing this was going to be the parallel arcs of the characters back in Ch. 2 I actually went ahead and said it in the dialogue:

“…The journey into Hell was instructive, not punitive.” Hermann frowned. “But you are not Dante, and I am not Virgil who can keep whatever is down there from harming us….”

In addition, many times Hermann notes Newt’s parallels to Virgil without connecting the dots, for example when he notes in the same chapter that Newt’s catchphrase, “Fortune favors the brave,” is actually a Virgil quote. Hermann assigns himself the role of Virgil/Savior, and Newt goes along with it because he doesn’t know Hermann needs saving too, but it’s Hermann hubris and part of that too is that Hermann did not do a close enough read of the text until it’s too late. 

Hermann is the one going on a journey into a strange place, which is Newt’s mind, where he is in fact an outsider. Newt is a native of this Hell, just like Virgil. Newt has seen all these memories before. While Hermann has a surface level knowledge of Inferno and the order of the Circles of Hell, that doesn’t mean he’s an expert on what’s actually in them the way Newt is. In fact, as early as Limbo, it’s Hermann asking Newt to explain what’s happening in the Circles/memories, in dialogue that is deliberately cribbed in its formatting from The Inferno. 

“"Tell me, my master, tell me, lord,“ [Dante] thenbegan because [he] wanted to be certainof that belief which vanquishes all errors,"did any ever go – by his own meritor others’ – from this place toward blessedness?”

Parallels with:

“Newton, stay with me, what are we looking at here?”

“I’m trying, Herms, but.. ugh, I think I’m feeling kind of seasick? I’m here but I’m also…also there? I don’t…”

“Why would it be showing you this? This level corresponds to Limbo. Think!”

Even the opening quote from Inferno in the chapter summary is taken from when Dante and Virgil go into Limbo and is meant to be one of the first clues of what’s really going on:

The poet, white of face, began: ‘Now, let us descend into the blind world below: I will go first, and you go second.’ And I, who saw his altered color, said: ‘How can I go on, if you are afraid, who are my comfort when I hesitate?’ And he to me: ‘The anguish of the people, here below, brings that look of pity to my face, that you mistake for fear. Let us go, for the length of our journey demands it.’

The poet is Virgil, who is in distress when he thinks about the horrors encapsulated in the Circles, which mirrors Newt’s fear of going into them. Similarly, the next chapter’s quote is: 

I learnt that the carnal sinners are condemned to these torments, they who subject their reason to their lust.

But Newt didn’t choose, in TOWOID at least, to be subjected to Drifting with Alice. Newt is not the one who subjected his reason to his lust. Hermann did, by his own admission, when he admits he was too jealous of Alice taking Newt to visit Newt in his new home when he was invited, where he might have begun to learn that something was wrong. 

There’s a thread of anti victim-blaming in this story that actually gives away the answer to the riddle very early on, when you realize none of the sins could apply to Newt because Newt was under duress in every memory, while Hermann had free will, which is the only way one can properly have guilt, which is what the Circles are actually addressing: Hermann’s sins, Hermann’s guilt, what Hermann believes he should have done differently to save Newt sooner, meanwhile these memories are constructed too so that Newt can gain strength from seeing himself freed over and over, from that demonstration that someone did are about him. 

This goes back to ch. 1 when Newt gives his furious rant at Hermann for never noticing or caring. It’s not that Newt is actually mad at Hermann, by his own admission, he just wanted to see that someone cared enough to try to rescue him, and that’s what the Circles are accomplishing for him. Thus, the Circles are constructed from both of their needs, but Hermann’s is opening his eyes to how terribly he’s been beating himself up for not doing something sooner, to the point where he finally cracks and admits it to himself as well as Newt.

This is why I needed to do two drafts. Because like the characters, I actually went into the Circles not really knowing myself what made them break or not. I resolved to write out all the best thematic “memories” to match the 9 Circles and then find the internal link between them after. That required me to re-write Wrath, actually, in order to make sure it was clearer that Hermann was th eone who got angry, not Newt, and to throw up enough smoke around Newt’s body killing Hannibal Chau to make it seem like he was the one who acted with the traditional definition of “Wrath”. 

Actually, each Circle is very carefully constructed so that Newt’s actions are the surface level definition of the sin discussed, but Hermann is the one who actually committed the sin. Newt is physically suspended in Limbo, but it’s by the Precursors. He’s trying to reach out, but he can’t. Hermann is the one with full autonomy who refuses to reach out once he perceives himself as rejected. Lust has Newt in the throes of physical pleasure, but it’s not a pleasure he chose and Lust itself is not a sin. It’s the act of Lust being used to harm others, Hermann’s sexual jealousy of Alice leads him to the sin of abandoning (unknowingly, he’s actually pretty hard on himself) Newt to these torments. And so on. 

A lot of effort was put with the second draft to make a casual reader see the sins as Newt’s and the careful reader to see the sins as Hermann’s. By knowing this from ch. 2 on I was able to interweave into the story these two layers so that a careful reader could sense something subtly off about the characters’ interpretation of events, e.g they’re Newt’s sins, until the final revelation in the chapter Treachery, which I hoped would be a gut punch when everything fell into place, which in a way is the “passage” I’m responding to with this ehehehehe….

[hansolmates]

hoshi; strawberry bubblegum (m)

feat. sex shop worker!Hoshi x female reader 

genre/warnings: terrible generalizations of college parties, playful interaction, phone sex, slight dom themes, use of penetrative sex toys, squirting but honestly idk what this is really how on earth did we get here *hangs up*

word count: 3.6k

“I’m just looking,” you say, trying to swallow through your dry mouth.

Your tongue lays flat against your mouth like sandpaper as you watch Soonyoung from the counter. His elbows are perched across the glass display table, looking at you like a stray birdie who’s lost their way. “Looking for?” He asks.

“Just, some mints.”

“Oh, so breathplay?” He dives under the counter and picks up two tins, one blue and one red. “Hot or cold?”

“No, no.” You shake your head violently, “Like, actual mints. Spearmint. Wintergreen, y’know?”

Stupid stupid stupid. You know this isn’t a Wal-Mart or Rite-Aid and they aren’t selling Altoids, but then again, it never crosses your mind that Soonyoung would be the one behind the register of your local mall’s sex shop.

Really, there’s nothing wrong with him working there, of course there isn’t. A job is a job and sex is something that deserves to be respected and treated to your own devices. But of course, Soonyoung is the reason you ended up here in the first place.

Soonyoung is a friend of a friend, one you’d make the occasional joke with at parties and exchange obscure memes with in your friend circle’s large group chat. On a much grander spectrum, he’s the theatre department’s star pupil. Sure, Junhui has unlimited power in the way he controls his limbs. Minghao sways like water and his body is absolutely mesmerizing and while Chan may be the cleanest dancer out of all of them, there’s something so captivating about Soonyoung that has you constantly craving more.

It’s what made those stupid college parties that much more bearable. Your vision blanks out to last week, where a very inebriated Soonyoung grabbed you in the middle of your tantrum because Seungkwan spilled his sangria down your shirt. You were painfully sober and wanted to go home, but Soonyoung wouldn't relent and spun you to an empty corner of the dance floor.

God. Soonyoung had moves. You remember the way he grabbed your hips like the sweetest sin, telling you to stay a little longer.

Could he tell you weren't drunk? Probably not, because his dancing was sloppier than usual, more focused on pressing his hips to yours, his hot lips fanning over your neck.

“You smell so sweeeet.” Soonyoung had slurred into your hair. “Like strawberries.”

“That’s the sangria,” you had reasoned into Soonyoung’s ear as his head droops along your shoulder. You feign drunkenness, leaning unceremoniously on his sturdy body when he tries to swing the both of you to the music.

“Mm, nope. That’s just you,” the warmth of his fingers bled through your waist, his honeyed voice leaving you molten. “I bet you taste just as sweet, too.”

Lord save me.

Ever since then, you’ve been nothing short of a mess. You don’t know where you and Soonyoung stand, and you’re too nervous to ask. You prefer to dance around the topic, and by that, ignore him at all costs until the next party. Anytime your group chat pings to Soonyoung or you pass him in the halls, you can’t help but be reminded of what could’ve been. The way he was rubbing circles along the dip between your shirt and waistband, and you, needy and attracted to him, was ready to pull him upstairs and show him how much you’ve wanted him all this time. Just as you were about to propose the idea, Seungkwan threw up and nearly passed out, and both of you begrudgingly scrambled with the rest of your group to take him home and care for him.

The hairs on your body are probably all standing up despite your warm sweater. This circumstance is entirely upon realizing that during your journey through the sex shop, a certain (the only) cashier has been eyeing you throughout.

Definitely not in a weird way, but in an all-too familiar way that makes your cheeks warm and your skin tingle.

Soonyoung is still leaning against the glass display case, elbows propped up and the heels of his palm tucked between his cheeks. There’s nothing particularly interesting about this, he looks like a regular student trying to get through his shift, dressed casually in his athletic clothes. The only thing that bothers you is the flicker of light dancing in his eyes, looking straight at you. 

“You’ve been pacing the entire floor for the past ten minutes,” he drawls, tilting his head to the side. “I’m sure you’re not looking for just mints.”

You twitch, fisting a ballfull of fabric in the pocket of your hoodie. “Can you not tell that I’m kinda-sorta-seriously embarrassed that you’re here?”

“Oh, so it’s my fault?” Soonyoung points to himself, the bottom of his cotton candy pink lips jutting out in a way that makes your heart thump. He hops off from his place at the register, striding over to you with an eager smile.

Yes, it’s your fault. Your fault that I’m here because last week we could’ve spent the night and fuckin’Seungkwanjusthadtobarf–

“Not your fault,” you say archly, jutting your chin. “I’m just, frustrated.”

“Mm,” he hums, running his hand across the long line of products, you had no choice but to follow him. “What’re you looking for?”

“Just, a vibrator.”

“Size? Length? Width?” He suddenly pulls you to the end of one aisle, filled with vibrators. “Color?”

“Soonyoung,” you giggle nervously as he pulls out a box situated on the top shelf. “I can do it on my own.”

“As a worker, I’d nod my head and tell you if you need any help, I’m right over there,” he waves vaguely in the air, the other hand swinging around a neon studded dildo, “But as your friend. I’m telling you, let me help. Now, big or small?”

You freeze, biting your lip. “B-big.”

He doesn’t say anything to that, but instead throws the dildo back on its display. Soonyoung swings over to pull out a drawer on the floor with various boxes, picking and poking through them. You start to fidget in you place, nervously looking around the shop even though you are absolutely sure no one else is in the store. Soonyoung is picking out sex toys for you.

“Going to BTS tonight?”

“What?”

“Hobi’s throwin’ a banger.” He says into the drawer, threading through boxes of all sizes. “Yoongi and Jihoon are finally mixin’ together too. It’s gonna be a hell of a night.”

“Depends on Seungkwan’s stomach tonight,” you reply honestly, and you can’t help the satisfied smile on your face when you hear him chuckle, “Are you working all night?”

“Not all night, I’m coming late though.” He pulls out the box he wants with a satisfying “aha!” and hands it over to you. “Found the one.”

The box fills up both your hands, and you hold onto it as if you were holding a half-foot sub. With a little bit of toggling you flip open the top and pull out a long baby pink vibrator, with ridged edges and a heart shaped button. “It’s pretty.” You say, twirling the smooth silicone in your hand. It may just be Soonyoung’s job to help customers pick out something to satisfy their fantasies, but it certainly is perfect.

“And, it’s rechargeable.” Soonyoung pops in brightly, pointing to a little USB port. “Ah, the power of digital.”  

“How much?”

“Nothing. It’s yours.”

“Wait, what?” You cry, handing it over to Soonyoung like it’s a game of hot potato. “If you let me take this without paying, you’re a terrible worker.”

“I’m not giving it to you as a worker, I’m giving it to you as a friend.” He insists, pushing it back in your grip. “You can’t not be in love with it, I mean, it’s cute as fuck.” He points to the little heart button in the middle.

“Yeah, but–”

“If you’re so concerned, Venmo me in the morning.” He looks a little bothered that you’re fighting so hard, because you and him both know it's absolutely futile. “But for now, just take it. Think of it as insurance.”

“Insurance for what?”

There’s nothing like betrayal from a person as attractive as Kwon Soonyoung. The smile that’s once teasing, even playful from having a casual conversation over vibrators is suddenly darkening. His eyes scan the room, as if there’s someone watching the both of you. If there’s a co-worker watching the security cameras or something, he doesn’t mention it as he leans down, his hot breath kissing your ear. “No matter what, I’m not planning on leaving you high and dry tonight,” he murmurs smoothly, his hand covering yours to tighten the plastic in your grip.

It’s officially 2:44AM and you’re currently tucked in your bed. Alone.

You don’t want to even move because you’re wet, mildly drunk, and very disappointed. You didn’t even put in the effort to change out of your party clothes, only putting in enough energy to shuck off your too-tight jeans and dive under the covers.

Trying to feign exhaustion, you close your eyes. To your chagrin all you can think about is Soonyoung, finally showing up after work and bringing a breath of fresh air to the overcrowded house. Shining like a little star in the middle of the floor as he slides up to you, hands automatically attaching onto the sliver of skin where your t-shirt ands and your jeans barely begin. Just like last week, but without a drip of liquor. He didn’t even take one shot, you note gleefully as his wet lips glide over your neck, feeling nothing but genuine, mutual pleasure from the both of you. The song playing in the back isn’t the smoothest, but Soonyoung’s nothing but swave as he says “you missed me?” while swaying his hips against yours. The way he flips you around to wrap his arms over your waist, pulling you closer as he rubs his length against your ass.

The vibrations of your phone break you out of your reverie, and to your sheer amusement, it’s Soonyoung.

“I fucking knew this was gonna happen again.” He snarls in the line, and you can already imagine him childishly shaking his head.

You both laugh, the tinkly sounds bouncing nicely off each other. “Not my fault. Chan was apparently your responsibility.” You say.

“Yeah, well. Chan can barely stomach three rounds of chocolate milk, I should’ve known he can’t even hold his alcohol.”

“Is he okay?”

“He will be. Passed out on the toilet and I had to carry him back.”

“That’s good.”

A beat of silence, and you hear a door click shut on the other line. “But are you good?”

“I’m good.”

“You would’ve been more than good if you came home with me tonight.” He mocks regrettably, and you’re reminded of the dampness between your legs. “Do you still have your insurance?”

Your eyes trail over to your nightstand, where the pink vibrator sits on a towel. Absentmindedly rubbing your legs together, you exhale into the line, “Yeah. I just cleaned it.”

“Really, just cleaned it? It’s like you knew this was gonna happen.” Soonyoung chuckles, “What a good girl.”

He’s toying with you. “It would’ve been better if I had the real thing.” You murmur into the line, giving him a taste of his own medicine. “Maybe you’re too much of a good boy to come over here and finish what you’ve started.”

Soonyoung curses into the line, and satisfaction swells in your body. There’s a bloated, palpable sexual tension that excites you, and while having Soonyoung with you would probably be better, this would suffice for now.

“Everyone went back to the party,” Soonyoung says in a last ditch effort, “And Chan’s out like a light.”

“I’m too wet,” you reply instantly, adding a whine for effect. And it isn’t a lie, you can feel your panties cling to your folds. “I’d be dripping down the entire road before I get to your place.”

“That sounds adorable.” Soonyoung says as if he’s talking about the weather. “But I guess hearing your pretty moans will do for now.”

“Will do?” You scoff into the line, sitting up straight.

He sputters into the receiver, and you can tell he only just realized how off-putting that backhanded compliment was. “Wait, I’m sorry–”

“I could hang up the phone and let you rub one off all alone, and in the lucky chance, Chan might puke before you’re able to come.” You say sharply, “Kwon Soonyoung, my moans better make you burst through your fucking pants.”

If it’s possible, you hear him gulp. “Will do.”

And a brief, frustrated sigh bubbles to your lips, and you run a hand through your hair. “I’m sorry, I wish we could’ve finished what we started earlier.”

“Mm,” he’s a little sad, a little longing, but you can tell that he’s trying to pick up from where he left off. “Your legs looked killer in those jeans. I couldn’t keep my hands off of you. I’m still hard, just thinking about you rubbing your cute ass in those jeans, right against my dick.”

Slowly but surely, you spread your legs, a finger rolling up and down your dampened panties. “I almost soaked through my jeans, feeling your bulge ride against me.” You bit your lip, swirling your fingers. “Those dancing pants, they’re thin.”

“Not thin enough.” He husks, and you can hear the static and the sounds of rubbing into the receiver, probably him pressing his lips closer to the screen. “Do you still have my gift?”

“Y-yeah.” You say softly, momentarily distracted by the way your fingers glide smoothly through the fabric.

“Fuck, are you touching yourself already?” You whimper in reply, and you hear him breathe into the line, trying to form a level response. “Be a good girl and grab the vibrator for me.”

Unless you put the phone on speaker, you had to use your other hand to grab the vibrator. In the fear of not wanting to accidentally hang up on him by putting your phone down, you reluctantly pull away from your clothed core, reaching for the rosy toy, cool to the touch.

“Now, put it on top of your clit.” He instructs delicately, and you quickly oblige. “Push the button into to the third setting.”

You think nothing of the instructions he gives you, and like a videogame you click at the diamond encrusted heart rapidly to three.

Suddenly, the vibrator springs to life, and you almost drop it because it is so strong. You initially pegged Soonyoung as someone who’d want to play around a bit, not cut straight to the chase. It buzzes so fast that you have a hard time pressing it firmly to your bud, feeling your whole body go into inferno.

“S-Soonyoung!” You cry, your phone trembling in your grip. “Too much!”

“Press it twice.”

You do so, and to your relief the tool rumbles to a semi-comfortable vibrating pattern. It’s enough to keep you riled, but not so hard that it burns a hole through the cotton. “Jeez, Hosh,” You say the nickname breathily, “Let a girl breathe.”

“Yeah but, I bet your panties are so soaked that you have to take them off.”

To your chagrin, he’s right. You rub the vibrator up and down your folds, “Yes. They’re staining my sheets, and I’m all sticky,” You lift the vibrator a centimeter off, the material glistening. “My juices are sticking to the toy.”

“Fuck, that’s so hot.” Soonyoung rasps. “I’d love to taste you right now.”

You press your phone to your ear, quickly using your free hand to shed off your underwear and throw them in your laundry basket. “Yeah?” You press the object against your folds again, but this time without the barrier of your panties. It feels even better. “What else do you want to do to me?”

“I want to kiss every fucking inch of you,” he grunts, the sound like dark chocolate melting  through your ears and straight through your core. “And use my tongue to lick that sweet pussy of yours until you come. And then I. Wouldn’t. Stop. I’d keep going all night just so I can hear those pretty little whines of yours.” He says slowly, deliberately, making sure you get every dirty detail. “Are you pretending that my tongue is that little toy? Does it feel good?”

On cue, the vibrator manages to wedge itself onto a particularly sensitive spot, and you moan into the receiver. “Y-yes Soonyoung.” You say breathily, “It feels so good, I, I want more.”

“You want more, baby girl?” He asks, and you can practically hear him smirking through the line, his pink tongue licking across his lips. “Press the button again.”

This time, the pulses are more drawn out, but powerful. Each wave sends you into another length of yearning, and you throw yourself against the pillows, clutching the sheets so hard that your knuckles lighten. “Sssssoonnn,” you cry, shaking your head, your hair probably buffing up the receiver. “Mmmp–”

“Do you hear this?” You press your phone closer to your ear, and you hear the faint, slick sounds of his hand pumping his dick. It’s in a rhythm mirroring the pattern of your vibrator, and it makes you even more aroused. “Do you hear how much I want you?”

“Fuck, Soon, I,” You twirl the vibrator closer to your entrance, “I wish we cut right to the chase when we had the chance. You could’ve fucked me against the wall in front of all your brothers and I would’ve been satisfied.”

“Careful,” he coos, but you can feel him stuttering in his hold, “God, I want to fuck you right now. Wanna–” he pumps faster, the sticky sounds bringing you closer to your high, “Wanna–ngh, wanna feel your walls clench around my hard dick, and milk me out.”

“Y’know, you’re the reason I went to that–ah–sex shop in the first place,” Sweat beads at your hair, and you click another button on the vibrator, eliciting another cry. You hear a low, sexy groan coming from the base of his throat, “I burnt out my old vibe, too busy thinkin’ about how different things could’ve been last week.”

“I’m glad,” he says shamelessly, “That way, every time you use your new one, you can think of me fucking you.”

“I wish, I wish this was your dick fucking me. I wish you could just hold me down and take me and clench around you so hard that you cum so deep inside that my walls cream–”

“Put it inside you,” he groans throatily, impatient, “I want you to put that vibrator in your pretty little pussy and pretend it’s my dick fucking you. You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

“Y-yes,” You put your phone across your thigh, bopping the speaker key before positioning the pink vibrator against your entrance. You hope he hears the slick sounds of the silicone slipping  inside your core, “C-can you hear that, Soonyoungie?” You say, pumping the object in in a slow rocking motion. “Can you–ah! Can you hear the vibe go deep in, my walls are dripping against it, it’s so smooth and wet.”

“Such a damn tease,” but you know he loves every second of it, as you hear his breaths burn harshly into the speaker. You let your eyes flutter shut, pretending Soonyoung really is in the same room as you. “I’m gonna come,” Soonyoung rasps. “I want you to push your vibe in and out exactly as you can. I fucking wish that could be my dick right now, fucking your little body raw. Be a good girl and take my dick?”

You can imagine how engorged his length must be now, his thumb flicking across the beads of moisture lapping at the tip, rubbing with the other hand like rapid fire. How Soonyoung’s strong hips and thighs are bucking into his hand with an utter loss of control, all because of you. Pleasure is like a blue flame, ripping through your folds. “I’m your good girl,” You echo, taking your other hand to rub circles into your clit, “I’ll take your dick whenever and wherever.”

“I’m coming,” Soonyoung grunts your name, and you bounce against your toy faster and faster, trying to meet his high as much as yours.

No one speaks, only the sounds of breathy moans and thick squelching. You hear both your bed springs rock, and you imagine how rough you two would both be and how fast you could break either of your mattresses with your combined weight. Within seconds, Soonyoung moans, the sound coats from the back of his throat, indicating that he’s finishing himself off. It encourages you to keep going, the thought of his come dripping off of his dick, landing on his belly and the rise and lull of his chest is enough to spark you wild.

You see white and black spots supernova into your vision, and your hand moves on its own, despite the extra dampness and the vague awareness that you’re coming, much more than usual. You moan out for Soonyoung, your legs shaking and the entirety of your body trembling like an autumn leaf.

You let the vibrator out with a “pop”, shutting it off and throwing it across your duvet. Your eyelids flutter open and regain its vision, and you note that something is dripping from your hand and your bedsheets are more absorbent than they let on.

“Soonyoung,” you whisper in disbelief, “Are you still there?”

“Mm, are you okay?” he asks throatily.

“I think I just squirted,” you say in awe, running your hand over the large damp spot, “I’ve never done that before.”

“Fuuuuccckkkkk,” you imagine him smacking his head against the headboard, “That’s so sexy, I can’t believe I missed that.”

“Not very sexy when you’re alone and have to clean up the mess,” you put your pillow over the spot, deciding you’re too tired to take care of it right now.

“I swear, once Chan wakes up I’m shoving him two Tylenols and booking it to your place. No way in hell am I going to let you get away again.” Soonyoung promises.

“I sure hope so.” You giggle tiredly, melting deeper into your sheets, “But the  vibe you picked out is actually pretty sweet.”

He snorts, “Wait ‘till you have the real thing, it’s sweeter.”