#so I have to rely on feeling for what I looked like

[meo-eiru]

Since I'm busy working on a valentines day drawing I thought we could do something different until I'm done with that. Trivia night! I'll be writing what's basically a compilation of fun facts we've already established or haven't learned yet. We will also learn more about their backstories.

For tonight we have Silas

Silas has a mom and dad but isn't close with neither of them

As a child he was quite needy compared to other elven kids

Elves almost never stray too far away from the elven village but Silas liked to play in the depths of the forest

He learned about humans from a story book he found while playing in the forest

He was amazed by the colorful imagery and the familial relationship depicted in the book and wanted to have the same, which kickstarted his human hyperfixation

He's currently the most knowledgeable elf in humans within the village

His house is located quite far away from the village, he can still reach there by walking but it's not somewhere where the other elves can just stumble upon

He likes sweet things like fruits or honey but dislikes the taste of meat so doesn't feed it to you much as well

He, just like the other elves, while natural with most other living things, hates all demonic creatures

He's very nice and sweet with you but wouldn't glance twice at other forest creatures and is actively hostile towards demons

Of course he would never let you see him make that kind of face

He thought of using magic to make you live as long as he does but it feels like tempering with your humanity so if you die he's planning to die with you

He's actually not that good at magic compared to other elves, he just knows the basics and relies on books for the rest

He's average height for an elf

He doesn't like leaving bite marks or hickeys on your body because it feels like dirtying your perfect form

But he really likes it when you mark his skin, whether they are hickeys or wounds

While more compassionate than other elves, Silas does have a bit of a superiority complex like them

For example, unlike other elves he does see the intelligence of humans but would still say elves are smarter

He doesn't have any ill intentions with it, to him it's just like saying a unicorn is be better than a horse

He doesn't like eating carrots because he thinks they look like elf ears

He loves learning more about you but dislikes hearing about your family

He doesn't want you to have pets, only the two of you are allowed inside his house

He does have a bathroom in his house but it's just a replica of what he saw in books and isn't actually that functional

If you want to use the bathroom for your baths instead of the river like he does, he just carries the water from the river to his house then uses magic to make it rain on you like a shower head

Even if you don't allow him inside the bathroom he still watches from the window

He has a diary where he writes everything you do in a day, from what activities you did to how many times you blink on average

If you offered to live in a human city with him he would refuse, while he likes humans you are his utmost priority and it's better for you to be inside his house away from everyone's reach

[frogsandfries]

I was introduced to the concept of zines in college, because of a partnered creative project. The first zine I ever contributed to was about social media. It did cost a fortune to print because it was done at the school's favored print shop, in full color.

I don't know how prevalent small bookshops selling zines used to be before the age of the internet, but I think I've only been to one bookshop that sold zines. Which is a real loss, imo. I wish there were more small bookshops and that I had more opportunities to explore zines. I think it's kind of inevitable that the internet caused things to change. Chicken wings and ribs used to be poor people food until they got gentrified. Printing on paper used to be the only way to access and disperse information. Now that we have the internet, it's unfortunately not surprising that zine making has been gentrified.

Plus, I'm sure a lot of people who would like to make zines wouldn't know what to put in one that they'd actually like to share with people. Furthermore, it can be hard to swallow the concept of "if I spend five dollars, I can share this with (let's say three people, for example)" when I can hit reblog or forward or send or submit.......for free.

And then there is the cliche of turning your hobby into a grind. If I can spend five dollars, make three zines, sell them for three dollars apiece, etc etc, maybe I don't need enough money to sell a hundred zines, I just need money to make fifty and I can use the rest of that money for groceries or rent and still keep making fifty zines every time I want to make a new one.

Oh, let's not forget that a lot of USians don't carry cash often if ever, anymore, so now I have to factor in the cost of card transactions, into the cost of my zines. Most people aren't going to find themselves in an avant garde bookshop. Most people may not even find my zines on Etsy or Shopify. This kind of forces an (optional) evolution: if I make a fifty page basically a proper magazine, but because it's full of (idk messages about the best places for poor people to eat in LA), I 'can' call it a zine, I can sell it on like, Amazon, or use a Kickstarter and distribute it nearly infinitely.

I can't look at zines through a pre-internet perspective. I don't have that perspective. I understand that zines should be accessible to those who have very little if any money left over after Life. It can feel tempting to make the flashiest, full color zine. It can feel necessary to print your twenty page zine in full color. It can feel necessary to do the entire thing on the computer. It can feel necessary to make it as professional as possible. It can start to feel like making an "old school" black and white, no computer, xeroxed zine is going to get your zine looked over because it's not flashy enough and nobody likes plain ole boring black and white. Or if I add a cardstock cover, maybe my zine will look a little more professional.

I think a lot of us don't come into zines with any kind of mentor to guide us and regulate the culture, and us younger folks come into it with a mindset that we have to have in the rest of our lives: one upsmanship. If the last guy or the first zine we ever saw had a really professional looking cover, we need one full color page. If that guy used a black and white cardstock cover, we need a color accented cardstock cover, we need a glossy full color cover.

Anyway, all this to say, personally, I don't think zines are the right medium for my creative endeavors. I don't think I say this as like, begging for someone to prove me wrong. I say this as a person who cannot tell a short story. I don't need to rely on zines to get my fanfic (although, even if AO3 did not exist and a monthly zine was the only way to get my Spirk fix, personally, I still wouldn't know where to get some sweet sweet Spirk zines; but that's a me problem).

I feel like I'm about twenty-five years too late to the zine scene.

the whole point of a zine is that it's cheap to produce, amateur and homemade. if you're being asked to apply to participate in a print project, it is not a zine. if the final product is being printed and bound professionally, it is not a zine. if you are being asked to enter into any kind of licensing agreement more complex than "my work can be reproduced as part of this publication" it is not a zine. nine times put of ten if the final product costs more than $5 you have left zine country. im so serious about this.

[shomatoriashi]

02/09/25; 09:40pm

sylus x fem.reader

obligatory tags: @voidsylus | @daturasflower | @madam8

warnings: mentions of nausea and vomiting.

you let out a sharp gasp of pain, feeling a dull ache forming against your temples as you struggled to keep your nausea at bay.

this had to be a migraine, one that was potent enough to make your stomach turn sour as your brain was felt pounding against the confines of your skull. your boyfriend had left momentarily to grab the groceries that had been delivered to your shared home-

leaving you feeling dizzy and alone as you braced yourself against the onyx counters. your vision had gone hazy, casting what looked like spider webs across your line of sight, your steps uneven when you attempt to walk into a nearby restroom.

you became dimly aware of heavy steps and a grunt of your name, a powerful pair of arms wrapped around your form to help with your balance. “sweetie, what’s wrong?”

you swallow thickly, struggling to get the words out, “sick… bathroom, now!”

needing no further urging from you, sylus picks up your form with ease, taking quick strides towards your master bedroom as he helped you brace yourself over the toilet. you hid your face, your dry heaves echoing throughout the area as you felt the contents of your lunch come out of you. along with the horrible sensation of puking your guts out, the intensity of your headache seemed to grow by a tenfold, leaving you drained and miserable by the end of it all.

sylus flushed the toilet, wiping at your face with a damp and warm handkerchief. he wipes at the corner of your mouth with concern shining within his rufescent eyes. “what happened? we ate the same meal for lunch-“

“migraine… it came suddenly.” you admit to him with a gasp, practically clinging to sylus’s broad chest when he carries you out of the bathroom and into your shared room.

“i told you that you needed to stop staying up so late, waiting for me. that migraine must have been triggered by your lack of sleep.” sylus gently scolds you, and you could only bring yourself to let out a soft whimper in response. clinging to the front of his shirt, you rest the side of your cheek against his chest, allowing sylus to settle you on top of the bed.

placing the comforter over your form, sylus disappears momentarily before coming back into the room with some medication and a cold bottle of water in hand. he takes out two white tablets and hands them to you, “take this. it should help with easing your pain.”

you nod, praying that your vision would return to normal soon when you place the tablets within your mouth. taking the bottle of water, you uncap it and drink as much as you could handle, making sure that you had swallowed the tablets.

a few minutes later, the webs finally dissipate from your vision while dimming down the harsh intensity of your migraine to a tiny simmer. your mind was clearer now, and you were able to see sylus’s smug face smirking down at you.

“hm, what’s got you grinning like that?” you ask while giving his chest a poke with your fingertip. he simply shakes his head, letting out a rich chuckle while grabbing a hold of your hand to place a kiss at the back of them. “nothing, sweetie, it’s just… i find it nice to see you depending so much on me. i could honestly get used to it.”

you roll your eyes at him, feigning annoyance while at the same time gripping his wrist. you pull him into the bed, and despite how laughable it was to think that you could ever overpower sylus-

he falls into the plush mattress with you, already taking you within his arms while rolling back into bed. feeling the sensation of his sweet kisses against your hair, you visibly relax while clinging to him. no words were spoken, yet you could feel the depths of his devotion for you through his actions alone.

perhaps you could get used to relying on him as well ♡

end notes: hhhhh i wanted to write and post something cute for valentine’s day for all the lads men, but i have a bad headache, so have some fluff with my favorite husband instead 😖

all stories are written by rei; please do not repost, plagiarize, or translate my works!!

[sturnschris]

LET ME TAKE CARE OF U.

pairings : smart!gg!reader x bf!chris

content: reader shows up at chris‘s house in the middle of the might and things quickly lead too sex

warnings: PRAISE. PRAISE. PRAISE. (can u tell this au is au comes with a loooooot of praise), established relationship, A LOT OF SMUT, smut without real plot,unprotected sex (do not do), cream pie, multiple orgasms, overstimulation, from the back, fingering, softdom!chris x sub!smart!goodgirl!reader, etc……

a/n: this is in my old theme | this took super long too write and im still not happy w it but here you go + it doesn’t rlly have an ending 😭

too lazy too count words rn maybe ill update this.

love ya!💋

“who the fuck is that?” chris muttered to himself, getting up from the couch. nick and matt had gone to sam’s house, but chris had stayed behind, wanting some alone time with you. of course, he’d completely forgotten you had an exam to study for, so here he was, alone at 4 a.m., mindlessly scrolling through youtube. he opened the door and blinked in surprise. “baby? what are you doing here?” you looked up at him, shivering slightly. “can i come in?” “of course, my love. come in,” he said quickly, stepping aside to let you in. his brows furrowed in concern as he closed the door behind you. “are you okay? what happened? i thought you were at home studying.” you sighed, stepping out of your wet shoes and wrapping your arms around yourself. “i was, but then i couldn’t concentrate, so i went to the library. but it started raining, so i decided to wait until it stopped. except now it’s 4 a.m., and it still hasn’t stopped.” chris smiled softly, brushing a damp strand of hair from your face. “why didn’t you ask me to pick you up, hmm?” you frowned, looking away. “i don’t want to rely on my boyfriend all the time.” he chuckled, the sound warm and soothing, before leaning in to kiss your forehead. “you don’t have to, baby. but let me take care of you, okay? you can always call me.”

you nod and lean up to place a soft kiss on his lips. he smiles against your mouth, his hands gently settling on your waist, pulling you closer. “you’re freezing,” he murmurs, his voice soft but firm. “let’s get you into something warm, baby.” without waiting for a response, he’s already guiding you toward his room, grabbing one of his hoodies from the back of a chair. “here,” he says, holding it out for you. “take off those wet clothes and put this on.” you slip out of your damp clothes and pull the hoodie over your head. it’s big on you, the fabric enveloping you in warmth, and the scent of him clings to you like a comforting embrace. chris steps closer, his eyes scanning you with quiet intensity. “you look good in my brand,” he murmurs, his voice dropping lower. “perfect fit.” he pulls you closer, his lips pressing against yours in a slow, deep kiss. his hands move lower, gently gripping your thighs as he backs you toward the bed. the kiss grows deeper, more urgent, and you can feel the heat radiating between you. “let me take care of you, baby,” he whispers against your lips, his hands sliding up to your waist as he pulls you closer, guiding you towards the bed.

he sits down on the bed and pats his thighs, motioning for you to come closer. you climb onto his lap, straddling him, your knees sinking into the mattress on either side of his hips. his hands find your waist, steadying you, his touch warm and firm. “you’re so beautiful,” he murmurs, his thumb brushing over your cheek as his other hand rests at the small of your back, keeping you close. your cheeks heat up at his words, and before you can respond, he leans in, capturing your lips in a deep, slow kiss. his lips move against yours with a soft urgency, and you can feel his fingers pressing gently into your skin as if anchoring you to him. your arms wrap around his neck instinctively, pulling him even closer, your body melting into his as the kiss deepens. his tongue brushes against your bottom lip, and you part your lips for him, he chuckles, the sound low and teasing as his lips hover over yours. “so eager, huh?” he murmurs, his breath warm against your skin, a smirk tugging at the corner of his mouth. he kisses you again, slower this time, savoring every second. “need you, chris,” you whisper, your voice soft and pleading, a slight pout forming on your lips. his eyes darken at your words, something shifting in his expression as he stares at you. “yeah?” his voice drops, low and smooth. “how bad, ma?”

your face flushes instantly, heat creeping up your neck as your gaze drops to avoid his intense stare. your shyness takes over, too embarrassed to say anything, and he notices, his smirk growing. he gently lifts your chin with his index finger, forcing you to meet his eyes again. “c’mon, baby,” he coaxes, his voice laced with both dominance and softness. “need to hear you say it. hm?” his thumb brushes over your bottom lip, his tone dropping even lower. “you gonna be my good girl?” you nod slowly, your voice barely above a whisper. “i need you s’bad, chris.” his smile grows, and he leans in, pressing a soft kiss to your cheek. “atta girl,” he murmurs, his voice warm and dripping with approval. his hands slide up your thighs, gripping just enough to make you shiver as he holds you steady in his lap.“that’s all i needed to hear,“in one swift movement, he flips you over, pressing you into the bed so you’re face down, ass up. a gasp escapes your lips, but it quickly turns into a soft whimper when you feel his hands firmly gripping your hips, holding you in place. he tugs your pants down with ease, your underwear sliding off with them in one smooth motion, leaving you exposed to him.

his warm hand trails down the curve of your spine before sliding lower, his fingers teasingly running through your folds. you let out a quiet, shaky whimper at the contact, your body instinctively arching into his touch. he grins behind you, his thumb brushing lightly over your clit as his fingers explore. “so sensitive,” he murmurs, his voice dripping with satisfaction. “you like that, baby?” you nod, your breaths coming out in uneven gasps, your body already responding to him in ways you can’t control. “yeah, you do,” he says, his tone full of pride, his movements slow and deliberate, savoring how easily you fall apart under his touch. “so fucking good for me.”he slowly slides one finger into your soaking cunt, his movements deliberate as he thrusts it in and out, letting you feel every inch. a soft gasp escapes your lips, and your back instinctively arches, pressing yourself closer to him as he stretches you out once again.

“so tight, baby,” he murmurs, his voice laced with approval as he watches the way your body reacts to him. his free hand grips your hip, holding you steady as his finger pumps in and out of you, curling slightly to hit just the right spot. you whimper, burying your face into the sheets, your body trembling with every slow, deliberate thrust of his finger. “chris,” you breathe out, your voice barely audible, but he hears it loud and clear. “that’s it,” he says, his tone dark and full of praise. “take it, baby. let me stretch you out. you’re doing so good for me.” he adds a second finger, easing it in slowly, and the stretch makes you gasp again. his fingers move in sync, curling and thrusting deeper, drawing soft moans from you with each motion. “your so perfect,” he whispers, leaning down to press a kiss to the small of your back.

you clench around his fingers, your body trembling, signaling that you’re close. but just as you’re about to tip over the edge, he pulls his fingers out, leaving you empty. “n-no,” you whimper, turning your bright red face toward him, your lips trembling. “i-i was so close.”he grins, his confidence radiating as he brings his slick fingers to your lips, brushing them against your bottom lip. “i know, pretty girl,” he murmurs, his voice low and teasing. “but i want you to cum on my cock, okay? can you do that for me?”your cheeks burn even brighter as his words settle over you, and you nod shyly, your voice barely above a whisper. “y-yes, chris.” “goooood girl,” he coos, leaning down to capture your lips in a heated kiss. his hands grip your hips, positioning you exactly how he wants, his touch firm yet careful. “gonna make you feel so good, baby.”

he grips your hips, guiding you to arch your back just a little more as he presses his body against yours. you feel the weight of his cock against your folds, and it makes you whimper softly, your thighs trembling in anticipation. “look at you,” he murmurs, his voice dripping with pride as he teases your entrance, sliding his tip through your slick. “so wet for me, baby. you want it that bad, huh?” you nod, biting your lip, your face still flushed. “please, chris,” you whisper, your voice barely audible. he chuckles darkly, leaning over you so his chest brushes your back, his lips brushing against your ear. “don’t be shy now, ma,” he coaxes, his hand sliding up your side to cup your cheek gently. “tell me what you want. i wanna hear you.” you swallow hard, your voice trembling as you manage to whisper, “i want you… i want all of you, chris.” “that’s my fucking girl,” he murmurs, pressing a kiss to your shoulder before slowly pushing into you, inch by inch, his hand never leaving your hip as he keeps you steady. the stretch makes you gasp, and he pauses, letting you adjust. “you’re so pretty,” he whispers, his tone softer now, full of adoration. “taking me so well, baby.”

he starts thrusting slowly, his movements deliberate as he watches the way your body reacts to him. your eyes roll back, a soft moan slipping past your lips, and your back arches instinctively, craving more. “faster, please!” you cry out, your voice desperate and trembling. he chuckles darkly, his hand reaching up to stroke your cheek, the contrast between his soft touch and rough pace making your body shiver. “so polite, hmm?” he teases, his tone dripping with approval as he picks up the pace, his thrusts growing faster and deeper. your fingers grip the bed sheets tightly, your knuckles turning white as the pleasure builds with each movement. you bury your face into the pillow, muffling the loud screech that escapes you as he drives into you harder, your body trembling under his control. “that’s it, baby,” he growls, his voice low and full of praise. “take it all. take everything i give you.“ his grip on your hips tightens, holding you firmly in place as he keeps up his relentless pace, each thrust pulling more sounds from you.

the pleasure in your stomach builds embarrassingly fast, and panic settles in as you realize how close you are after such a short time. how do you tell him? you can’t. you’ll just hold it—you have to. but of course, you should have known better. the second you clench down around him, chris lets out a low groan, his pace faltering for just a moment before his grip on your hips tightens. “you gonna cum, princess?” his voice is low, teasing, laced with amusement as he watches your body betray you. you shake your head vigorously, your face burning with embarrassment. “n-no— mmm- agh,” you manage to choke out, your words dissolving into a mess of moans as he thrusts even deeper, pushing you closer to the edge you’re desperately trying to avoid.

“no?” he repeats, a teasing edge to his voice, before snapping his hips harder, the force making you cry out. the sudden intensity sends a shockwave through you, and before you can stop it, your orgasm crashes down on you, ripping a loud screech from your lips. your body trembles violently, your walls fluttering around him as waves of pleasure roll through you, leaving you breathless and overwhelmed. his grip on your hips tightens, holding you steady as he continues thrusting, riding you through your high.

but he doesn’t slow down, his pace relentless as the overstimulation starts to overwhelm you. your legs are shaking uncontrollably, and your toes curl as another whimper escapes your lips. “s‘too much,” you cry out, your voice trembling, tears threatening to spill from the intensity coursing through your body. chris leans over you, his hand wrapping around your neck—not hard, but firm enough to make you listen, grounding you in his control. “c’mon, baby,” he murmurs, his voice rough but steady, his lips brushing against your ear. “you can take it. i know you can. you’re my good girl, aren’t you?” you let out a shaky sob, the mix of pain and pleasure making your head spin, but his words are enough to keep you from breaking entirely. his grip on your neck tightens slightly, his thumb brushing your jaw in a gesture that somehow feels both tender and commanding. “just a little more,” he growls, his thrusts growing harder and more erratic as he starts chasing his own high, your body clenching and trembling beneath him. “give me one more, princess. i know you’ve got it in you.“

your eyebrows scrunch together, and your head falls into the pillows, your screams muffled as the pleasure overwhelms you. “gonna cum, baby,” chris growls, his voice strained. “where do you want it?” but his words barely register—you’re too lost, too busy chasing your own high to answer him. his hand tangles in your hair, gently pulling your head up as he taps your cheek, his touch both commanding and grounding. “c’mon, ma, listen to me,” he urges, his tone firm but soft enough to pull you back to him. you manage to nod weakly, still trembling, but he needs more. “where—fuck—where do you want it?” your mind is a blissful haze, thoughts incoherent as your body writhes beneath him. thinking feels impossible, but somehow, you manage to squeeze out the words through broken moans. “i-in me… ah—mmh—” his lips curl into a smirk, his movements faltering for just a moment as he takes in your response. “fuck, i love you,” he groans, his voice heavy with both affection and raw desire. his thrusts grow rougher, deeper, chasing his release as your walls flutter around him, pulling him closer to the edge.

he lets go of your head, letting it fall back onto the pillows as your body trembles beneath him. without missing a beat, chris reaches down, his fingers finding your swollen clit, massaging tight circles that send shockwaves through your already overstimulated body. the sensation is too much, your back arching as a broken scream escapes your lips. your walls flutter and clench around him, your orgasm crashing into you with an intensity that leaves you breathless. your vision blurs as your body goes limp, completely at his mercy.“fuck, that’s it,” chris groans, his movements growing erratic as he chases his own release. the way you grip him, tight and trembling, sends him over the edge. with one final deep thrust, he lets go, thick ropes of his release spilling into you as his hips stutter. he collapses over you, his chest rising and falling heavily as he presses soft kisses along your shoulder and back, his hands gently soothing over your trembling body.

“you did so good, mama,” he murmurs, his voice soft and full of affection as his hands continue to gently rub over your sides, grounding you. your body is still trembling slightly, but his touch soothes the aftershocks. you hum in response, too blissed out to form proper words, your cheek pressed into the pillow as your breathing begins to steady. his lips brush against your shoulder, leaving lazy kisses in their wake.“my smart girl,” he praises, his voice dripping with pride, his fingers brushing a strand of hair from your face. “always so good for me.” his words make your heart swell, and you manage to mumble a quiet “all for you” before your body completely relaxes into him.

there will be a pt. 2 which will be the after care and it will be based on THIS ask!

all dividers from. @issysh3ll

@delooshunalhoe @chrisdollete @christophersturnn @sturniologirlzz @sturnxies @lov3bug @mattsside @emely9274 @sturnlovematt22 @sophand4n4 @sfoiasturn @blahbel668

[gothwizardmagic]

god ok also gotta say as a choreographer, whoever did the superbowl choreo was a fucking GENIUS like. it manages to be so effective without ever being flashy or complicated & like. flashy & complicated are great but to do the basics this effectively is PHENOMENAL. the repeated motifs are so striking and so strong and so CLEAR in their meaning its PAINFULLY effective - the contrast of more relaxed dancers just vibin and having a good time at the beginning & end, when its just people being themselves vs. "what america wants" - disquieting, emotionless, rigid lines of soldiers throwing salutes while kendrick & sza are singing on stage in the middle, keeping the people entertained & distracted as the goose-stepping dancers circle like sharks

and thats not to even mention the SCALE - working with such crisp colour lines in such an ENORMOUS group is staggering to even fathom like. making sure all the reds are in the right place at the right time & you dont have someone who was a blue in one section but accidentally wound up in the white group somewhere in the shuffle....... the formations are UNBELIEVABLY complex & span such an enormous space, its mind blowing to think about. over a hundred dancers. over a HUNDRED people to keep track of at all times to make sure they're getting from one place to another in the right way at the right times in the right formations. over a HUNDRED.

the dancers executed FLAWLESSLY too - taking big steps and remaining PERFECTLY in line is incredibly hard & they made it look effortless. the amount of split-second transitions to nail and vibe-shifts to hit.... oh my god. also shot to the camerapeople who were working their asses off on those transitions just as much as kendrick & the dancers were

also thinking of scale like... arena choreography and stage/film choreography are VERY different things. on a stage or in a music video etc. you have ONE front. at most on a big stage the audience might wrap slightly around the sides but generally speaking, you're choreographing for the people or camera in front of you, and they're gonna have a pretty good view of your face the whole time. arenas are MASSIVE, and there are people on ALL SIDES. you can't pick A Front, you have to be entertaining people all around you simultaneously, which means completely rethinking how things are structured. you also can't rely on detail nearly as much, because the audience is Really far away. even if there are screens, you want to make sure that there's something to look at on the stage itself, so the audience doesn't feel like they're just watching a music video. it's still a live show & you want it to feel like one

so theres a balance to strike between giving the individual artist focus & acknowledging that they literally... can't face every direction at once. even if kendrick is facing away, there are always dancers doing something that'll be visually striking at a distance for the audience to enjoy. but at the same time because there ARE cameras, it also has to work for video & HAVE those detailed up-close elements, so the footage doesn't just look like a guy bopping around with people walking past him for the whole time. the most effective example i can think of is in peekaboo - the groups of white-clothed dancers in the X is visually strong from a distance - even if you can't see exactly what's going on, it's an interesting visual, whereas up close you have the strong music video feel of kendrick popping up out of nowhere; of all these different up close groups of dancers giving their full performance directly to one front while that front is rotating from one group to another, as opposed to the multiple surrounding fronts on the main stage. it transitions from an arena show to a music video (and then back when he walks out onto the main stage with that trail of dancers so the visual is most effective from above rather than up close) SO EFFORTLESSLY and makes absolutely brilliant use of the space

this is literally jsut stream of consciousness it could definitely all be phrased better & honestly i could keep talking for a Long time like i didnt even get in depth abt the use of colour in the costuming & the way every costume is slightly unique in the up close shots but when you pan out to the stadium they become lines of clones like. god i could go on!!!! i coudl go on!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! its a masterpiece choreographically fr its elegant its communicative its mindbogglingly complex ive watched it five times now trying to absorb as much as i can

[yanderes-galore]

Yandere Shouta Aizawa/Eraserhead from BNHA but an AU where he's a villain? Can be concepts or a short, I'm happy with either! Darling could be a hero or a civilian but either way they have a powerful quirk, I think it would be cool to see what happens when Darling is faced with a yandere they can't rely on their quirk to defend against c: Of course, if you wanna keep Aizawa as a hero and feeling slightly guilty over his actions(but rationalizing them, of course), that could also be fun. Heroes are trustworthy, right? ;)

Honestly... Could go for some Villain AU, sure. I made you a hero in this :)

Yandere! Villain! Aizawa with Darling who has a strong Quirk

Pairing: Romantic

Possible Trigger Warnings: Gender-Neutral Darling, Obsession, Manipulation, Possessive behavior, Violence, Stalking, Restraints, Kidnapping, Sadism, Forced relationship.

Honestly, this idea is pretty neat if we make it a Villain/Hero story.

You're no doubt a pro hero who learned how to utilize your strong quirk for good.

Although, since you have such a strong quirk, you've most likely been utilizing it more than you should.

Since you've trained you've used it as a crutch.

You just haven't realized it... until it was taken.

Many pro heroes have a tendency to rely on their quirks.

Aizawa no doubt knows this weakness heroes have.

He may be lazy but he's observant.

He's actually learned how to fight with not just his quirk due to this.

After all, it's easy to bind a hero if they can't rely on their power.

Pathetic.

Aizawa no doubt observes his targets.

He knows you're a pro hero, he knows your quirk, and he knows your standing on the ladder.

Aizawa actually knows a lot more about you than you think.

He's always been observant of those he deems as targets.

Honestly, him being your yandere in this scenario is humbling.

When you first encountered Aizawa, that's when you realized just how vulnerable you are.

He knows that too.

You knew Aizawa was an infamous villain.

You knew of his quirk, you knew he went by Erasure.

Despite that... You weren't prepared.

You had first met him when you were called to detain him from a scene.

Unfortunately, you became reckless.

During your fight against him, Aizawa managed to make eye contact with you through his goggles.

It's nearly instant that your quirk stops and he manages to restrain you.

By the time the binding cloth wrapped around you... you expected him to seriously hurt you.

If not kill you.

Yet, instead, the villain grinned at you with a look of sadism.

Honestly, he was having fun with this.

You're cute when you realize your efforts are hopeless.

When you squirm it's amusing.

"Did you just realize you're out of your league? You seriously call yourself a pro when you can't even fight without your silly quirk?"

By the time the fight concludes and Aizawa spares you, you're left feeling weak.

This is also the start of you two seeing one another frequently.

Aizawa becomes the reason you train harder.

You're humiliated and anxious after your recent loss to him.

So after that... you work hard on training without your quirk.

Aizawa, on the other hand, is keeping track of your every move.

He likes how much he's affected you.

It's funny how him simply putting you on your rear is enough to make you rethink your whole routine.

If only all heroes thought about that.

Aizawa likes you because he's manipulative.

He likes to toy with you, to see how much he can push you before you're vulnerable.

In a twisted way... He's fallen for you.

He loves to make his hero hopeless.

It's a satisfying feeling to see someone so powerful fall.

Aizawa craves it when it comes to you.

You're driven with the urge to best Aizawa, to convince yourself and others that you can be strong as a pro.

Aizawa, however, meets with you because he enjoys seeing and toying with you.

He wants to see you break.

Each fight you two have gets closer and closer...

Yet you haven't studied Aizawa as much as he has with you.

Each fight ends the same.

You try to fight him quirkless, he's much faster than you, and you end up restrained.

It's not like you can avoid him either.

Even when you try to focus on other threats in the area, Aizawa always seems to be there.

Aizawa could easily control his obsession.

It's easy for him to kidnap you.

Well... with some planning.

Aizawa would have to snag some quirk canceling cuffs if he plans to keep you in one place.

Yet once he does... All he needs to do is find you again.

Your final fight is actually closer than expected.

You had been training your skills in physical combat just to face him again.

You aren't as fast but you've managed to learn some decent defense.

Unfortunately... Aizawa is once again determined to break you.

You manage to break out of his cloth a few times, you even manage to get him to blink.

Although... eventually Aizawa catches you off guard, once again making you feel weak despite your reputation.

You expect this to go as the last few times... only for you to feel the metallic click of cuffs on your wrists.

"Sorry, sweetheart... This time you're coming with me."

Once at this stage, things are easy for him.

Aizawa likes to keep you in his secret hideout, cuffed in his room where you get to look all pitiful for him.

Despite being such an intimidating villain... you notice he certainly naps a lot...

Most of the time near you.

Aizawa originally takes you so he can break you into his little doll.

You soon learn that... isn't entirely true.

Aizawa wants to break you not only for his own sadistic joy...

But because he adores you.

To him, this is his form of courtship.

He wants to keep you here as his entertainment, all for his pleasure.

You may not understand how he feels... but breaking you mentally is euphoric.

Poor you, supposedly a big strong hero meant to protect the innocent...

Now you're just like a civilian, captured and helpless, all at his mercy.

You may not love him yet, or even understand his motives...

But he'll break you... then train you to be his...

How's it feel to be weak, hero?

[poppetsisters]

There's this really cool horror trope I've noticed lately of a villain being introduced in a simplified, unscary form, but later evolving into something so detailed and terrifying, it takes your breath away.

This is not the same as a traditional metamorphosis like in body horror cinema because the trope relies on the medium it uses to sell the scare.

Minor spoilers for Don't Hug Me I'm Scared. Major spoilers for Inscryption and I Saw The TV Glow

To introduce you to the concept, I'm just gonna show you the Care Hound from Don't Hug Me I'm Scared.

It's the Carehound alright, or rather a pictorial representation of the Carehound. But how do they look in real life?

Ah.

Like the rest of the show, this is both terrifying and hilarious. You think because it's a 2D representation of the dog that the eyes on the side of the head are just artistic license, but then he turns toward you and you realise no actually, he literally has two eyes on each side! Genius. 10/10 joke.

But you see what I mean right? You're given a disarming image of the antagonist so that later, they can pull the rug out from under you with the truth. And there's an element of adaptation limitation that is then broken through. Suddenly the artifice doesn't feel so fake, and you're pulled in.

Now let's talk about Inscryption. Ironically, the game does this in reverse. Though Leshy is hidden in shadow during most of Act 1, we see his evolved form first.

and when Act 2 starts, we see what he was like before.

I believe this was done to de-fang our feral card master after having been our antagonist the whole game. Where once he was powerful polygons, he is now pitiful pixels.

But while all this has been happening, the real threat has been hidden in our deck this whole time.

P03 was introduced to us as nothing more than one card in our deck. He wasn't even a good card. But now it's Act 2 and we realise he, along with the other three Scrybes were trapped in lesser forms by Leshy when he took control of the game. For a whole act, we see something close to a status quo with these guys, who bicker and fight over control of the disc.

We see P03's true form in all it's 16-bit glory, as well as the environment he inhabits. While atmospheric, you can tell the graphics hold him back. He seems so small and pitiful. Simple and limited.

and then he takes control.

The first time I played this section, there was something so visceral about the leap. I stopped seeing P03 as an NPC inside a 90s TDC and was forced to see him as an entity haunting a cursed floppy disc. Once again, the artifice made me too comfortable, and now anything that felt more real than that became hyper real.

and no movie pulled this off quite has effectively as I Saw The TV Glow.

I am once again flashing a spoiler warning. If you haven't seen I Saw The TV Glow, do not continue reading until you have.

We are introduced to Mr Melancholy as the antagonist of a young adult fantasy series called The Pink Opaque.

Not as the antagonist of the movie we're watching, but the villain of the TV show within the movie.

Right off the bat, Mr Melancholy isn't even on our radar. Even worse, the special effects they use to portray him are laughable.

We see him once again as our lead characters stare dreamily up into the sky, further re-enforcing how silly this guys looks. I mean come on, he looks like an uncooked pancake!!

That all changes when Owen sits down to watch the final episode of The Pink Opaque, which was mysteriously cancelled after a cliffhanger ending.

The build up and climax to what happens next is one of the most harrowing cinema experiences I've had in my entire life. This is your final spoiler warning.

Isabel and Tara, the two leads in the Pink Opaque, are kidnapped by Mr Melancholy's henchmen and brought face to face with the moon man himself.

He looks... good. No, good isn't the right word... he looks convincing. The visual effects between the last time we saw him to now jumped a literal century, and combined with the crt filter hide any possible cg imperfections. In short, it make him look like he's really in the scene.

Or rather... that he's really in the room.

He gets closer, explaining his plan to trap the girls in a realm without magic or memory, where they will suffocate in the nightmare. Where they don't remember the powers they have, or the people they are. where you don't even notice the aspect ratio switched.

Where you don't even remember that you're dying.

and just like that, Mr Melancholy becomes the most real thing in the entire world. He becomes YOUR villain, he's trying to kill YOU! He's already succeeded in killing YOU. YOU are SUFFOCATING right now and you don't even KNOW!

and that's when you remember to breathe.

[slytherinshua]

♩　HEAL THE SOUL 　( 최범규 )

genre sickfic , fluff , angst , beomgyu x fem!reader   cw implied abusive parents for both beomgyu and reader , cold symptoms (cough/headache) , beomgyu and reader are homeless and ran away from home lol inspired by 0x1=lovesong and loser=lover , not proofread   wc 1089   request yes   note i swear this txt emo era needs to go away (or not and that just means more txt fics)   net @kstrucknet @moadiarynet

You were sick. Nothing too serious, but something unpleasant enough to remind you to not take being healthy for granted. It was even worse now that you didn’t have a bed to sleep in, or warm food, or a shower. Beomgyu would have to drive another hour or two to the nearest public gym, and you really didn’t want to bother him enough for that just so you could ease your body with hot water. 

Your head ached, though. And your throat felt a bit dry. You had coughing fits every hour or so, and not much appetite. But Beomgyu was paying close attention to you whenever he could, feeling your forehead for abnormal temperatures, and making sure you had enough layers to stay warm. It definitely wasn’t the most ideal time for you to fall ill, but there wasn’t much you could do to prevent it either. 

Running away from your old town, your old life, with Beomgyu months ago had easily been the best decision of your life. Away from the constant headaches, the pain, the discomfort. Two broken souls in a beat up car driving until they found somewhere new to call home. That’s the life you two had now. But it wasn’t so bad. As long as you had each other, you got through alright. 

Beomgyu had left five minutes ago to buy whatever the cheapest hot meal was at the gas station. You were parked in the empty parking lot by the old laundromat, bundled up in one of Beomgyu’s old hoodies. You couldn’t run the heating in the car while you were parked, much as you would like to. Already tight on money as it was, you both knew how important it was to save gas. 

Your mind wandered as you looked out the window, headache pounding at your head as you shivered. You wondered what your mother would think of you if she saw you right now. How she would mock you for surviving off a twenty-year-old car and your old savings. You had worked hard to leave. Saved up as much money as possible from old part time jobs and bake sales. Although you had to give up luxuries like a warm bed, a functional kitchen, and the stability of a proper home, your current “homelessness” felt much more homely than your childhood house ever had. 

Beomgyu joked about it with you all the time. How your similar childhood experiences of abuse had led you here into each other’s arms. How it wasn’t quite so bad if it meant you could spend the rest of forever with each other. Perhaps the scars were just pathways to a better future.

A cough bubbled in your chest and you scrunched your eyes shut in frustration. You were tired of this stupid cold. You rasped out a few painful coughs before your throat cleared, burning and sore as always. You tucked your legs up to your chest, staring up at the pink sky. It was pretty as always, but the earlier the sunset, the more you anticipated how cold the night in the car would be. You could hardly enjoy the pretty clouds or colours thinking of how much you would have to rely on Beomgyu’s body warmth again that night.

“Ramen and painkillers for only fifteen thousand won,” Beomgyu grinned as he slid back into the drivers’ seat of the car, two steaming bowls of ramen in each hand. One spicy and one mild chicken flavour. A small packet of Advil was stuffed into his pocket as well. 

“Fifteen? How much of that was for the pills?” you asked a little on edge. What was not in your plan was to have your sickness burden down your expenses. It was already tight as it was.

“Ten thousand— But I won’t let you argue with me about this. I want you to feel better as quickly as possible,” Beomgyu said simply, placing the ramen on the dash of the car. 

“Beomgyu.”

“I said I’m not gonna argue. I already paid for them, so you’d better take them,” he reiterated a little more sternly, giving you a stubborn look which you had rarely seen directed at you. You sighed, recognizing a losing battle before it even started. Grabbing that packet out of his hands you pushed one small pill out of its casing and gulped it down with a little water. Beomgyu’s smile came back on his face as soon as you swallowed. 

“Now eat.” He grabbed a pair of chopsticks and scooped up a few noodles between them. Blowing on them softly, he held them out to you, carefully feeding you the warm broth-coated noodles. You hummed in thanks, grabbing the bowl from his hands and sipping more of the warm soup part.

It had been a while since you’d had a hot meal. Even if it was just instant ramen, it soothed your throat better than anything else had. Your headache was starting to subside thanks to the painkillers, and you were once again grateful for how attentively Beomgyu took care of you. He knew exactly what you needed without you even having to ask. 

The feeling was foreign. Of course, it had been years since you had first fallen in love with him. But having someone who truly cared still took adjusting to. You’d always had to beg your parents for basic things like clothes without holes in them and medicine for flu season. Years of being ignored and neglected made the switch hard to properly process. 

You hoped you could at least repay him with the same amount of love and attention that he showed you. Out of anyone you had ever met, Beomgyu certainly deserved it. 

After you both ate and cleaned up, driving around the deserted roads until you found a safe spot to park for the night, Beomgyu took out his grandpa’s old guitar and gave it a few strums. Adjusting the tuning of the old strings only took him a minute to do thanks to years of practice. He played almost every night. And on nights when he didn’t, he would still sing you to sleep while you were wrapped safely in his arms. 

The life you had chosen to live with Beomgyu certainly wasn’t easy, but every hour you spent in his company you felt your hope grow a little more. Some little voice inside your heart told you everything would work out. Because if you had Beomgyu by your side, what else did you need?

txt taglist (bolded could not be tagged): @kangtaehyunzzz,, @eternalgyu,, @90steele,, @ddeonudepressions,, @cham3li,, @wolfmoonmusic,, @98-0603,, @weird-bookworm,, @candewlsy,, @blossominghunnie,, @amara-mars,, @wccycc,, @seunghancore,, @ujisworld,, @sobun1est,, @bananabubble,, @talkingsaxy,, @sxmmerberries,, @talking-saxy,, @nicholasluvbot,, @cupidslovearrows,, @50-husbands,, @hursheys,, @stannwjnss,, @gong-fourz,, @nonononranghaee,, @forever-atiny,, @stantxtforabetterlife,, @loserlvrss,, @lexeees,, @cupidslovearrows,, @hyukabean,, @nicholasluvbot

[runawaybridee]

"wanna spend the day together? just us." - s. gojo

requests r open!!!

659 wc, lowk wrote this during class, idk this might be ooc but wtv

satoru gojo is the sweetest lover ever. sometimes you feel as though you don't deserve him. more often then not, really.

satoru knows this. he's constantly reassuring you, even more so this valentine's season. seeing all the couples together, looking so happy. you and satoru are happy, it's just been.. difficult lately.

he's had endless missions. you've had a couple of your own, but since he's the strongest it means that they rely on him to go after most special grade curses. you were stuck at first grade, even though you very much qualify for special grade.

you just miss your boyfriend, and you're a bit insecure since your last partner.. well, your last partner was an asshole. never gave you attention, not like gojo does. sure, they didn't have the kind of money as your current boyfriend, but they never even paid for dinner!

gojo is freaking out. you've been more distant. instead of the usual wide smile he's greeted with, it's just a small hum of acknowledgment. there's no dinner on the table, not even takeout. he doesn't ask you to cook for him, you just did it.

now, it's different. you just snuggle into his embrace and stay quiet.

did he do something wrong? is it his haircut? oh god, you're totally going to break up with him. this is it! he always knew he'd die alone--

your voice snaps him out of his thoughts. "satoru?" he looks at you. "yeah? what's up, pumpkin?" he smiles when he sees your face scrunch up at the nickname. you huff, "i asked you a question."

"oh, sorry. what was it?" he grins wider, "which one smells better?" you're holding two perfume bottles, asking him which smells better.

he brings one up to his nose and hums softly, then the other one and chews on his lower lip. "this one." he holds up the peach-scented perfume.

"okay," you say softly. he wraps his arm around you, tugging you closer. you hesitantly lean into his chest, closing your eyes.

you wake up to an empty bed, again. gojo is probably on a mission. you sigh to yourself, standing up. you waddle over to the bathroom to wash your face and pee.

once you're done, you smell something sweet.. souffle pancakes?

you walk into the kitchen and see your sweet boyfriend over the stove, attempting to make the perfect pancake. "'toru?" he lifts his head, smiling at you.

"morning, pumpkin!" he says happily, "made you some breakfast!" you furrow your brows in confusion, your boyfriend is not a cook.

"how long have you been up?" you ask, "i dunno! two hours?"

"babe, you have work. why are you making breakfast?" he huffs, rolling his eyes. "who even cares? the elders can't punish me." you blink at him.

"c'mon, don't you wanna spend the day together? just us!" you stare at him, feeling the tears brimming in your eyes.

his eyes widen, "oh! don't cry, i'll--i'll go to work!" he rushes over to wipe your eyes. you sniff, "no.. no, don't.. please don't go."

he wraps his arms around you. "okay, i won't.. i'm right here, baby." he scratches your back gently. you hiccup, "i just miss you, that's all.." you say quietly.

he nods, "i know.. i miss you too." he presses a kiss to your forehead, "i don't want my girlfriend to be sad, okay? so, smile f'me."

if anyone else would've said this, you probably would've punched them. but you just press a kiss to satoru's cheek. "i love you." "i love you, pumpkin."

you don't have to know that shoko was the one who told him to stay home today, at least not right now.

this was supposed to be finished yesterday but my room was so nasty I had to clean it 😔

masterlist , taglist

[allthecastlesonclouds]

i lied today’s the day Autistic Rah’ōxah post be upon thee

she's so very. so very autistic. here's my list of evidence.

Flat vocal affect

Deep facial/name blindness, to the point she has to rely on her friends/father to remind her of people.

A high sense of morality- she's bothered by people who're going against good, that's a quarter of the reason she's in the business of adventuring! (the other quarters are evenly split between friends and punching) she wants to do good– she rescues parker from an owner who doesn't want him + lets him have interests, if her friends are wrapped up in their drama she'll try to deal with the issue herself as best she can

Special Interest- punching! she punches a printer well enough to fix it! she found a course in college specially to focus on punching! when it's suggested she take a level in rogue or wizardry she looks so confused at the suggestion– she's happy where she is, why would she want to learn anything that isn’t her SI?

Her whole emotions deal. She says she doesn't like them, that she's bored by them, and she very much is in a way. but she does have feelings, she just doesn't express them in a very neurotypical way– and views this other way of expressing emotions as acting (see all of Feel Better Soon). But she is genuinely hurt by things (Legzi stealing, the girls ignoring her and them breaking apart), confused (especially when she's trying to talk with her dad about a new topic or understand emotions), and caring.

she's very uninterested in speaking which is a very autistic thing! she'll speak when it's important to her or when she's required to give a response, but she doesn't really seem to care to try– and she'll choose what she says carefully when she does! (and how lovely it is that she has friends who will listen when she has something to say!)

she also very much doesn't understand social cues– like why she's dressed in a suit for season three instead of proper adventuring gear, or that rinald is trying to be their rival, or that legzi didn't get into darkmouth at first (and what to say to respond to some of these things)

(i would've added more examples but i'm at the image limit u.u) Anyway!! Autistic Rah'ōxah real everyone go watch Drawga and read Ladies Book Club <3 <3

[marvelrivalsimagines]

A Blessing From the Gods

Characters: Hela, Moon Knight, Scarlet Witch, Winter soldier

Prompt: “could you do Moon knight, Bucky and any other character of your choice with another avatar of a Greek gods?” - anon request

Author’s note: I tried to keep which God you are the avatar of vague so you can imagine whatever kinds of powers/backstory you’d like. Also I’m not sure if the requester wanted the HCs to be romantic or platonic but I think these can be read either way. 

Warnings: None!

When Hela sees you for the first time she is immediately intrigued by your presence, for better or worse. She can tell that you are definitely no god yourself, yet she can sense that you have brushed with divinity frequently. She has had brief, and awkward, conversations with Moon Knight about his connection to Khonsu so she realizes that you must also be an avatar. But an avatar of which god? As much as Hela likes to pretend she’s all knowing and above childish emotions like curiosity, she can’t satiate her burning desire to know more until she finally talks to you for herself. 

Hela approaches you with her usual confident smirk and a snide comment about how there appears to be “yet another mortal avatar running about”. As you share your first conversation Hela's face is stoic as she bluntly asks you her burning questions, but if you are observant enough you can see an amused look in her eye. Hela is pleasantly surprised, you are far more interesting to her than Khonsu’s little knight. 

As Hela learns more about your relationship with your god she says she finds herself even more thankful for her dominion over death, preferring to rely on her legions of Hel to do her bidding over having some weak and fickle human. A lot of your conversations have this same energy lol. It sometimes feels like the goddess looks down on you, but it’s undeniable that she enjoys your presence simply because she keeps coming back to you.

A lot of the other heroes think that Hela has it out for you with how much she picks on you. It isn’t common for Hela to have good intentions for anybody outside of herself, not even her own brothers. But with all the time you’re starting to spend with the goddess of death, you’re able to pick up on the subtle tone of affection in her voice when she speaks to you. Even if her words are just as demeaning as what she would say to others. 

If you have a more adversarial relationship with your God, Hela is always eager to listen to your complaints and she always takes your side on arguments. Hela doesn’t have many good relationships with the other gods but she likes you, so as far as she’s concerned you’re always right. Hela also loves stirring the pot between other gods, so sometimes she’ll give you less violent ways to get back at your god. For example, she’ll tell you stories of something embarrassing that happened to your god centuries ago and then tell you to bring it up to your god whenever they start to bother you.

To be completely honest, the Moon Knight system doesn’t pay you much mind when you first join the fight for the multiverse. The Fist of Khonshu is here to carry out his god’s will so his senses are focused on the mission at hand, not necessarily the people around him. Marc knows you’re there as he’s cautiously aware of all the people around him, but it’s the old bird who brings his attention to you. Khonshu, with his knowledge of the other gods and their avatars, recognizes you and then proceeds to yap about your god in Marc’s head for 5 minutes straight. 

How your first interaction with Moon Knight goes depends a lot on what Khonshu has to say about your god. If he speaks positively about your god then Marc is definitely curious about what kind of a person you are. Khonshu historically hasn’t played well with the other gods, so Marc can’t help but wonder what kind of deity you’re wrapped up with if Khonshu can get along with them. If Khonshu doesn’t like your god then Marc may be pressured by Khonshu to confront you in an attempt to settle some 2,000 year old beef between gods. I’ll pray for you if that’s the case 

But whether your first encounter is out of Marc’s own curiosity or because of Khonshu’s petty drama, as the two of you inevitably talk Moon Knight feels a small connection starting to grow with you. Marc’s connection to Khonshu has always seemingly alienated him from the other heroes who think he’s plain crazy, but as a fellow avatar you’re both able to share some of your experiences with each other. Whether your relationship with your own god is as turbulent as Marc’s or not, Marc feels a slight weight lifted off his shoulders as he’s able to speak with someone who can truly understand the pressure of constantly being beneath a god’s gaze. 

Marc doesn’t let many people into his life, but when people do get close to him the entire Moon Knight system becomes very protective over them. So if you have a bad relationship with your god, or really anything in your life starts to go south, Moon Knight’s first instinct is to seek out some sort of revenge for you. However it’s obviously not possible for him to go against a whole god on your behalf and that fact is really frustrating for Moon Knight. Be careful what you complain about around Moon Knight, he will throw hands for you at a moment's notice lol.

Wanda is unfortunately another one who doesn’t pay too much attention to the people around her, so she might not acknowledge you at first. She’s worried about preserving the very fabric that holds her reality together, so you’re gonna have to do something kind of eye-catching to initially get her attention lol. 

As one of the most powerful magic wielding beings and the Sorceress Supreme of her universe, one thing that will definitely make her interested in you is any magical abilities your god may have bestowed upon you. While Wanda is concentrating on controlling her own chaos magic on the battlefield, her mind is still able to recognize a kind of magic she has never seen before. Cue her now being mildly distracted as she low key tries to watch you and fight the enemy team at the same time. 

Instantly Wanda has a need to know everything about your abilities, and as soon as the battle is over she’s trying to speak to you. What kind of magic do you wield? How did you get these powers? Are you just a beginner at magic or can you show her some of your advanced spells? Honestly it might kind of feel like when you tell someone you have a skill, like drawing or speaking another language, and someone just immediately puts you on the spot and asks you to do it for them. It’s especially intimidating if you know that she’s the Sorceress Supreme of her universe, like how are you supposed to impress her lol? But don’t worry Wanda means well, she’s just very blunt and is curious about the different kinds of magic people have access to in these new universes <3

Wanda isn’t known for being very social, but whenever there is down time in between missions you two tend to seek each other out now. Whether it’s a conversation about your personal lives over some lunch, or the both of you focusing on honing your magic in complete silence, Wanda is so used to your presence that it starts to feel strange when you’re not around. In her universe she’s constantly holding reality together, constantly fighting off magical threats, constantly trying to gain more control over her powers. But here with you Wanda greatly enjoys feeling more like a ‘normal’ person. 

You know, if you’re having a problem with your god you’ve now got a whole Sorceress Supreme on your side, and Wanda isn’t afraid of talking back to gods and higher beings. In her timeline she is constantly trying to stop power hungry gods from collapsing her universe, so if you need someone to just casually intimidate your god into being a bit kinder to you, Wanda has more than enough experience to get the job done. She will ask to speak to the manager for you.

Everything that’s happened in the first few weeks of the time stream entanglement has become a blur for Bucky. Suddenly he’s in another dimension with a new (and tentacle-y?) metal arm and he’s fighting alongside other heroes from different dimensions for the fate of the universe. Alright, cool. This is fine. Before all of this mess started, meeting you and being told that you’re an avatar of a Greek god could have shocked Bucky, but now that fact somehow seems like the most normal thing he’s been told in his life. 

As you, Bucky, and the rest of your team head out on your mission Bucky has heard a little bit about your background from Steve, who gave him a brief on all of their strange new teammates. As you clash with the heroes on the other side of the fight Bucky finds his normally focused senses drifting to you. Divine powers tend to be pretty flashy, and a trained soldier like Bucky can immediately see how skilled you are at what you do. As Bucky gets caught off guard by a diving Psylocke, the flash of your abilities is a welcome sight as you help him fend her off. Your reward for helping Bucky? A gruff “Thanks”, before he hones in on another enemy. Isn’t he dreamy <3

After that fight you’ll most likely have to approach Bucky first. Bucky knows he should probably give you a proper thank you for your help, but unfortunately Hydra brainwashing will do a number on your social skills. When you check in on Bucky after the fight is over, you’ll find that he’s slightly more talkative than usual - really just towards you, Steve, or Clint though. He has a lot of questions he'd like to ask you, he’s not as familiar with all these gods and aliens as some of the other heroes are, but he also doesn’t want to accidentally offend you. Bucky knows that he certainly doesn’t have a happy or inspiring story behind how he got his powers, so he doesn’t want to accidentally be too invasive. 

As the two of you grow closer you notice that Bucky tends to stick by your side a lot, both in and out of combat. In combat, Bucky sticks by your side as he knows that he can rely on you if things get rough. He also wants to be there in case he needs to return the favor and help get a diver off of your back. But when you both are just relaxing in between missions, Bucky finds comfort in your presence. Consciously or subconsciously, Bucky knows that you’re a person he can let his guard down around, which isn't a very common experience for him. With everything that he’s been through in life, the fact that the former Winter Soldier trusts you means a lot. 

Bucky really empathizes with you if you have a bad relationship with the god you serve. He has a lot of experience with being used as a living weapon, being treated like your only worth is what you can do for the person giving you your orders. He can’t stand to see another person live that way, especially not when it’s you. Bucky knows that he can’t go up against a god, and he knows enough about these kinds of power dynamics to understand that trying to stand up for you might actually make your situation worse. So Bucky commits himself to supporting you in whatever way you ask him to.

[meanbossart]

Triple question here (started as one, then I got to thinking).

We've all seen Bhaalist Drow (that man can get it), but what would an Absolutist Drow look like? How'd he turn out if he controls the Elder Brain?

Alternatively, what would the dynamic between Bhaalist Drow and Ascended Astarion be like? Or AA and non-Bhaalist drow?

This is kind of a cop-out, but the supposed aftermath of the "control the brain" endings are really boring to me 😭 don't get me wrong, the actual cinematics and lines since patch 7 are AWESOME, but I can't think of any interesting followups after you become the literal absolute leader of the whole Sword Coast, y'know? Maybe that's a failure on my part.

Which is why in DU drow's evil ending I canonize that he can't fully control the brain with the stones - but he can keep it UNDER control and therefore uses it as a bargaining chip to further his own political games on the long-run and govern with fear.

Regardless of alignment, post-amnesia DU drow is always strongly opposed to the concept of the Absolute and relying on a more powerful force to achieve his goals (besides his own father). He used to be on-board with it pre-game, but that changes after everything that happens during the campaign and ESPECIALLY once he finds out how Orin used it to take him down.

So, basically, it's hard for me to come up with an answer to your first question because that would have to be a very different character. There isn't really a version of himself where he becomes that specific brand of evil without Bhaal's influence - even without Shadowheart or Jaheira to lead him down a slightly better path, a redemptive DU drow is more likely to become a full on murderer and cannibal rather than want to strip the earth of the ability to fight back - that's half the fun of it, after all.

As for Ascended Astarion, that's another branching path in this story that I'm still planning on exploring 😇 similarly to how we occasionally dip into the Bhaalist timeline for the drow.

An universe where both AA and Bhaalist DU drow exist would be tricky, since AA gives a tav the ultimatum of either being turned into his spawn or ending the relationship. I realize I could retcon this, but I don't want to - it feels core to that version of his character to want to have control over his partner IMMEDIATELY, and take the rejection as a betrayal. "Normal" DU Drow would never accept to be turned into a vampire spawn - Bhaalist DU drow would take the offer alone as an insult, not to mention do everything in his power to keep Astarion from ascending in the first place.

So, a romantic relationship between Bhaalist DU drow and Ascended Astarion simply wouldn't survive. In fact, I think they would very shortly after kill each other because of the ever-competing size of their egos.

Things wouldn't work too differently between normal DU drow and Ascended Astarion, save for the fact that DU would leave him alive and (hopefully) vice-versa. The person he fell in love with isn't there anymore and now encompasses everything he finds most irritating and off-putting - the exuberance, the pompousness, the thinly veiled desperation - he would lose his patience with AA right off the bat and from that point on they could hardly be in the same room together. Fortunately, Shadowheart and Jaheira would be around to keep DU drow from going off the deep-end after that.

There is one timeline where Ascended Astarion could really thrive, though:

I haven't gone much into the third possible outcome for a Dark Urge yet, but it is one where A.Astarion proposition would seem a lot harder to turn down - if not be the only choice he has left.

[lesbianherald]

No because they’re both going through corruption arcs!!!!!! I think all the time about how S1 arc 1 Jayce and Viktor are the comic relief characters - their scenes are always a source of hope and levity when everyone else is going through the horrors of impending war and how intentional it is for when they eventually fracture. The story is literally set up so that you fall in love with these characters and then watch them lose themselves.

This is a really interesting way to look at it! I hesitate to call Viktor's a corruption arc in the traditional sense of the word because so many of the choices he makes I think are so rooted in this base desire to survive.

ok more below sorry for yapping so much today

To survive in piltover first and then just to survive in general. I think part of Viktor's arc is so interesting because he's not necessarily making all the right or safe decisions, but he's making decisions I think most people could see themselves making in his shoes.

His fatal flaw i think is his inability to see himself as someone who has support. He thinks he has to shoulder this alone. Shoutout singed! His mentor essentially signs off on his death. The bridge scene happens which makes him feel like he can't rely on Jayce. Sky is present, but he completely doesn't recognize (or want) her affection for him or her ability to help in a way that's so extreme it results in her death. Piltover doesn't give a shit about him. (Every scene in the council room with Viktor, and the scene with mel, jayce, and the weapons conversation are so important in illustrating this)

I also think his desperation to live + a bit of his internalized ableism play a huge role in Viktor's arc as we find him going back to the hexcore before having any shimmer that would guarantee his survival. He's 1000% responsible for his own actions but his own actions are so based in his lack of power in so many ways so its hard to view him and Jayce's arcs as the same type of corruption at least.

I see a really interesting thread between Viktor's arc being tied to isolation and Jayce's arc being tied to being surrounded by the wrong people (!!piltovian high society in general!!). Viktor's arc being what happens when you feel you have nobody and Jayce's arc being what happens when you have a lot of people and feel you have to please everybody.

I also see Jayce's arc as one of what happens when power you don't want gets handed to you and Viktors as what happens when no matter what you do you can never obtain the power you need. It puts them at really interesting odds.

[reno-writes]

Icy-Hot

[Image from Love & Deepspace]

Rating: +18

Word count: 2,984

Type: Smut

Characters: Zayne x Reader [Female Reader], Caleb 

Trigger warnings/content: Jealousy, a little bit possessive, childhood friends to lovers, genitalia.

❅*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙ ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛ ˚₊⋆⋆꙳•̩̩͙❅*̩̩͙‧͙    ‧͙*̩̩͙❆ ͙͛

The thrill of chasing her into the fields was something Zayne never really did as a child. Always observing from afar your joyous smile through the golden fields as your smile shines. That daisy flower print sundress that grandma made with that teal sun hat. Keeping the sun out of your young glimmering eyes.

“Zayne!” Your voice was so clear, so chipper. The sun always gives you this warm glow dancing on your skin. All he could do was sit, stare and admire. Until he saw another boy come out to call out your name. His smile made him angry. Maybe that was the first time he felt jealousy. Your cute sundress dancing as you chased the other boy named-

 “Zayne?” His fingers kept clicking away on his keyboard. Resting his scarred hands on his keyboard to glance at you through his frames.

“What is it? If I answer your question, will you let me get back to my work?” Though you have been friends since childhood; you still had that prying question that prodded his work time. Yet, everytime, he fell for your siren voice. Capturing his attention, pausing his work.

“Listen- I sprained my wrist and ankle,” you sat at his therapy chair, dangling the wrist from the grasp of the other hand. Legs crossed over at the knee, ankle clearly swollen. All he could do was sigh. You were like this all the time. No matter how many times you do this hunter job, you always get reckless. And no matter how many times you come to him with an injury, he was always expecting you to come in. Saying his name. Of course, no one else had the privilege of calling him by just his name. It was always Dr.Zayne for everyone else. He got up, a little annoyed but a little pleased that you relied on him this way. Grabbing a bottle of some icy-hot (a cream that cools on the skin, then feels hot to help ease the pain), he knelt down on a knee to apply it on that ankle.

“And I need you to listen when I tell you to be more careful,” carefully pulling the shoe off and the sock off in one pull. He could see your ankle definitely was sprained at least, if not broken. “What did you even do? Trip?” Bingo. Face turning into that cotton candy pink, he could read you like a picture book that he used to see you read as a kid. “Always clumsy. Always.”

“Hey! I couldn’t- ouch!” He intentionally applied a little pressure when he rubbed the cream into the skin. A little massage would help circulate the blood a bit. Reaching into his pocket, he pulled out the wad of bandages, all perfectly wrapped up. Snuggly, he bound it around the base of your foot, to the top of your ankle. “Watch it!” 

“You wouldn’t be injured if you had just listened to me like I always tell you,” as he cuts the end and clips it. Standing up onto his feet as he takes a hold of your injured wrist and starts the same process. His ice gray eyes only stared at your wrist when he subconsciously started to tighten his grip. Were your wrists this small? “Have you been eating?” Maybe it was his imagination that felt like he went through this before.

“Of course I have been since-”

“Well, hello, Zayne. Or shall I say, doctor?”

Zayne looked up and recognized the face that he knew all too well. The boy that chased you in the fields. The one that always danced with you. The one that always told you that you looked pretty. The one that took you away from his novels to play spot the i-spy books. Taking the words that Zayne said already but exclaiming it.

“Hello…Caleb. Colonel now I assume,” he could feel icicles forming in his blood. “I had heard you were back,” nearly snapped at him but he wanted to stay professional in case anyone came in and saw how he was acting. Caleb chuckled. Zayne clenched his fist. There was no way this man came back just now when things were just finally becoming great in his life. You, him and his job. 

“Well-” Caleb stated slyly, as he grabbed your uninjured wrist. Clearly trying to assert dominance despite being in Zayne’s office. “You know, she and I were just out, you know.”

“So you were the one that let her get injured. That makes more sense now.” Of course Zayne was not going to back down from Caleb. Not when he came into his office, with you injured on his couch. Caleb scoffed and clicked his tongue.

“Now that she is all bandaged up from the doctor. I am going to bring her home with me and make sure she is well taken care of. Thank you. Doctor.” Zayne raised his eyebrows. There was something off about Caleb. Granted, when Zayne and Caleb were young, there was a rivalry. Now, there was this weird aura.

“I am about to be done with my shift anyway. I can bring her home-” Zayne insisted, sensing some sort of eeriness from Caleb. As he stood in front of his desk to close his laptop, he felt a pull from Earth. Landing his ass onto his office chair.

This man had Evol. That means he-

Caleb shook his head and lifted you off the couch with ease. Casually smiling at you, then at Zayne. “Thank you for the offer. But you must have other patients. It’s unprofessional to only pay attention to someone you personally know.” As he used his dirty boots to kick open the door, there was a little tinge of flaring purple in Caleb’s eyes. “I appreciate you taking care of her. As she did fall pretty hard earlier.” He did this. Caleb definitely was the reason why you were hurt. After Caleb left, he felt all the gravity lift off of him. Nearly falling out of his chair, he had to take a moment to compose himself. He stood up, packed his laptop. Unhooking his trench coat and scarf to venture out in the cold. His smartphone buzzed to only see your name blinking on his screen.

“Zayne speaking,” he knew it was you. It was this game he liked to play to see what your reaction was going to be. There was a sigh on the other end. “I am sorry, Zayne. Caleb was being a bit of a brat. I demanded he take me home. I am almost there.” Zayne could tell you were fiddling with your fingers while being in the car with your childhood best friend. Caleb probably could hear the whole conversation, but clearly you did not care. “I can make some honey chamomile tea to make it up for you?” Your voice was as fresh and pure as the snow. Unlike that prick Caleb that-

“Hm, I was thinking about picking up some macarons. Did you want some?” Zayne was already about to walk into the dessert store to order a pack of twelve, before he heard a chuckle from you. “What?”

“You are already in the sweets store right?” You knew him too well. “I heard the bell that chimes whenever you go to that store”. You were his girl. Caleb could not catch up to Zayne’s status with the time that was lost.

“I’ll see you at your place then.”

 It was just like old times. Just you and him. The blanket on your lap as you sipped some hot tea, gently coasting it with the injured wrist. The snow was falling outside your window. It was times like these that he cherished. 

“Do you have work tomorrow?” Always asking that. Nonetheless, he savored every word and action, recording it into his brain.

“Of course I do,” your face clearly showed disappointment and you shook your head. 

“You never have time anymore. We used to hang out all the time-.”

“We used to. I am a doctor now. People need me.” “Well, I need you too, Zayne. As a friend.”

His finger clutched onto his cup of hot tea a little too hard. Those words cut deep. “You can always make an appointment-”

“That’s why I have been talking to Caleb about-” There you went, pouring salt into the wound and rubbing it in. As the cup he held shattered in his fingers. “Zayne! Are you hurt?” He could see you get up and grab a towel, wrapping it around his fingers. “Oh thank goodness the tea didn’t get on you.” Your voice was soft. Careful. Alluring. “You could have gotten hurt, doctor.” Seductive.

“Doctor? You have never called me that before.” Pulling his hand away from you, he looked at the cuts on his fingers and assessed it. If he got hurt, would you pay attention to him more than Caleb? No no. He can’t stoop as low as that colonel. He could never use Caleb’s dirty tricks to keep you around himself. Caleb would of course. That would be absurd. “I am fine.” There was a look on your face. One of concern. “What is it now? Are you okay? Does your wrist hurt?”

“This is what I mean, Zayne.” He was puzzled. He was just doing his job to make sure you were physically, mentally and emotionally okay. It was always his job. As a friend sure, but as your physician too.

“And what do you mean by that then?”

“You are always working. Why can’t it be how it used to be? Just not thinking about work all the damn time!” It hurts to see you hurt. It hurts to see you on the verge of tears. It hurts to see you apologize on the behalf of Caleb, that old friend of yours…and begrudgingly his as well. Maybe he was working too much. Every time you came in, injured or not, work felt like home again. “Sorry, forget what I just said. I am just stressed about Caleb.” There it was. His time to strike.

“Oh? What do you mean? I thought he was your friend?” Zayne says with clear curiosity as he gets up to fix another glass of tea. You sigh and plop down on the couch. “Not as a therapist. Not as a doctor. As a friend, and as someone that knows Caleb and how he is-”

“That is the thing. Something is off about him.” Pouring the hot water into his new cup, he came back around and sat next to you. “You saw it too, right?” He nods in agreement. Not just because he wanted to slightly win you over, but also he definitely noticed that stare. “I am not crazy! Thank god! I didn’t think Caleb was so possessive over me.” 

“But I get a little possessive too. Understandable when you keep getting hurt.” You shook your head, trying to convince Zayne that there was more to it.

“I swear when you do it, it's out of love and care. And it never bothers me when you do it.” He felt his heart race. The warmth of his blood flowing into his arms. “When he does it…I don’t know. Am I crazy Zayne?” He must have been so out of it, when he blinked and saw himself reflecting back in your eyes. His arm goes up and around your shoulder, bringing you close. Grasping your bandaged hand. Gently caressing the white fabric with his finger tips. Smiling. 

“So you don’t mind when I get a little possessive with you? That is a bit surprising.” Checking another thing that you mentioned into his mental notebook about you. He felt your temperature rising against his arm. He would know this with how much he has examined your body. He knew every little thing your body did. What it did. How it reacts. He turns and guides your injured hand to his face. What made him nuzzle into your palm was beyond him. Maybe it was those jealous feelings he felt before that made him like this.

“I mean…” your voice fell into a whisper. “I definitely don’t hate it.” He kissed your palm. Slowly letting go as your palm stayed in place. That hand never left contact as it slid across your shoulder, your neck line, then your other shoulder. Grasping it gently. It was like the time you smiled in that sunlight, but something else was there now. It wasn’t jealousy or admiration. It was beauty. It was love. Something he only heard of in novels. Of course he knew it existed. He just never cared to explore it.

“Then let me ask you a question,” leaning against you. He could feel you shaking in his grasp. “Do you hate it when I am this close?”

“I don’t hate it ever.” “Ever?” He faces closer. “What if I say you are the reason I have a fever right now?” You swallow, as your eyes look over his shoulder. He knew you were lying. And you knew you were lying too. “Then cure me.” Hovering his lips over your quivering ones. As he gently captures your lips with his. His arm slides back to where it once was, as he leaned over you. Your injured wrist on his chest. His heart was beating so loudly in his ears. The taste of tea lingered on his tongue. Sticky honey exchanged before he pulled away, caressing your cheek. “I think I need more. It’s not enough.” Panting as he dived in for another kiss, pinning her arm down. “Let me do everything. We can’t have your wrist injured any further.” His fingers rub small circles into your arm. “Hold onto me darling.” Releasing your arm, just to sling those arms around him. Gently grasping his hair to just release that extra tension. Unbuttoning those pants slowly, fumbling despite doing it so many times to tend your wounds near your hipline. As he kneels in between your legs. His long fingers hooking on the belt loops and pulling it off, as the panties come off with it. This was one of the few times you looked shy. You never were this shy in front of him when you needed something. Only he got to see this side. Doctor Zayne, was the only one seeing you in this state. Discarding your pants elsewhere in the room, as he yanks off his belt and unzips his dress pants. His bulge greeted the air. Slowly peeling off his pants, as he was about to take off his boxers; he looked at you. You needed him. Not how you said earlier. But it might as well mean the same thing. Zayne went down to capture your lips, this time nipping at your lips. As his own hand slipped onto the elastic band of his boxers, to slip it down his thighs. To kick it off behind him. 

“Doctor- I mean Zayne-” He craved more. He wanted more. The sinful want that fell from your wet lips made his breath get caught in his chest.

“What can I do for you darling?” His mouth breaks to fully hear your pleas. 

“I need you. Please”. His calloused fingers grasped his leaking member. Slowly pumped it before guiding it to your wet entrance. His mind was elsewhere. How he prayed he will be the first and only one to see you in this state. You are his patient. He was the one that will always be there for you. Slowly pushing into you, your face contorts into discomfort. Your nails racking down his sweating back as he grits his teeth.

“Breathe for me,” stating as if he knew exactly what he was doing. He only studied anatomy. The practice was never studied. As your breathing steadied, he pushed in inch-after-inch until he was fully inside. “It’s okay darling. Let me handle this like I always have.” Zayne’s fingers gently gripped the bed. As one hand held part of your hip, he started to slowly find its rhythm. Melodic moans filling the apartment, harmonizing with his moans. Until her phone started to buzz. 

Caleb

Zayne wanted Caleb to hear everything that he was hearing. To see every droplet of sweat trailing down your body that came from him. However, some things were kept a secret. Just like a patient and doctor. His pace went harder, more relentless without realizing as you finally gasped out.

“I’m cumming Zayne”. He was frantic for your touch. Your nails dug in as your orgasm coursed through. Zayne was not far behind, before he pulled out, nuzzling his face in the crook of your neck. His hand is adjusting so it’s near your hair. Tugging it oh so slightly.

“Me too darling-” his seed spewing out onto your bare stomach. His panting slowly subsided. “You finally listened to me.” A smile tugging on the corners of his lips, as he kisses your forehead. Getting up to grab a paper towel to clean up his mess he decided at that moment to put it on you. Discarding the paper towel, before grabbing the blanket you wrapped yourself up earlier to hug the both of you on the couch. You were slowly falling asleep as he tucks himself between the back of the couch and you, one arm pulling you close. 

“What about work?”

“I can call in.” “But what about the patients?”

“But you said you needed me darling” As your exhausted eyes closed, he tucks a hair sticking to your nose, behind your ear. Before picking up your phone and noticing a few missed calls from that childhood friend of yours. Unlocking it. Then merely texting a simple message.

[I am with her now. Doctor’s orders. She is in the utmost care. Talk to me anytime you need a talk (11:32pm - Doctor Zayne)]

[blackbat05]

Night time Comfort - Sincaraz

Plot: Set after R4 against Holger at AO. Carlos decides to make a trip to check in on Jannik.

A/N: Ummm so my first Sincaraz fic?!! Much thanks to @ohohoseok cuz she gave me ideas from her own fixations?🫶🏽😆 Enjoy!

“Game, set, match. Sinner.”

Carlos switches off the tv with a sigh of relief. Although he felt sad for Holger, but he was glad that Jannik had made it out of the excruciating Australian heat with a much needed win.

“He didn’t look good. For a moment I thought he was going to retire.” Juan Carlos observes.

“Jannik’s strong,” Carlos says with admiration. “I would have. It’s why he’s the best.”

Juan Carlos and Alberto’s stares to each other don’t go unnoticed by the young star. Carlos stands and changes out of his hotel room wear.

“Carlos, where are you going?”

“Honey lemon.” Carlos blurts out and quickly adds, “The match made me thirsty.” He grabs his keycard and makes a beeline for the door to stop the onslaught of questioning from his coach.

“Sure, honey lemon.” Alberto snorts.

***

Carlos tugs at his tee for what is the umpteenth time on the way up to Jannik’s room. Would it be too intrusive? Would he look too aggressive? Would Jannik be well enough to talk to him?

The lift stops at the designated floor and Carlos’ feet suddenly feel like lead. He takes a deep breath and walks to Jannik’s room, hoping that he has managed to catch the star of the day.

The door opens as Carlos is mere feet away from it and Simone steps out together with Darren who spots him holding a bag of drinks.

“Carlos!” Simone strides over. Before Carlos can even come up with an excuse, Simone rattles away, “Could you stay with Jannik for a while please? It won’t take long. I have to cancel the courts tomorrow and Darren has a last minute interview with the press.”

Carlos is wide-eyed at the request but like the champ he is, he recovers quickly and agrees.

Which is how he found himself in the same room. Alone. With Jannik who is currently sleeping, blissfully unaware of his presence.

Carlos is at a lost. He’ll just have to rely on his mechanical movements to get him around the room. First, honey lemon in the fridge-

“Carlos?”

Crap. Clumsy! He thinks. Carlos turns around and he almost has to steady himself on the mini bar at the sight of Jannik who looks absolutely adorable and confused at the sight of him.

Jannik grasps his glasses at the bedside and switches on the lights. “Carlos, why are you in the dark? You could be hurt.”

“I didn’t want to wake you.” A moment of silence passes and Carlos holds up the bottle of honey lemon awkwardly. “For you! If you want to drink now.”

Carlos nearly topples the bottle on the table that has Jannik cracking a smile. “I would like one.”

Carlos grabs a bottle and places the other in the fridge. He shuffles over to Jannik and hovers where Jannik is propped up on a bunch of pillows.

“Carlos, sit.” Jannik offers.

“No, no. You need the space.”

“Please.”

How could Carlos deny Jannik’s request when the Italian is looking at him behind those thick rimmed glasses so innocently?

Carlos looks around the room and finds a solution. “Could I? Uh…” He points to the makeshift sofa bed. “I can push it together.”

“There’s more than enough space for two of us.” Jannik pats the bed beside him, unaware the effect that his action has on Carlos.

“It’s okay, I’m strong. I don’t want to dirty the bed.” Carlos insists and speedily gets to work, pushing the sofa bed towards Jannik who looks amused. After displaying a show of strength, Carlos hops onto the sofa.

“Great game today.”

“Did you not see me? I almost felt like throwing up.” Jannik responds. “You’re too nice.”

“I’m serious.” Carlos frowns. “You were great out there today.”

“Thank you Carlos. I just hope I’ll get enough rest to be ready for the quarter finals.”

“Then rest.” Carlos says, moving closer to Jannik to help him with the pillows. “Simone and Darren should be back soon. I’ll be here.” Carlos pauses.

“That is if you’re okay with it.”

***

“Darren!” Juan Carlos calls out. “Did you see Carlos by any chance? He was supposed to be back an hour ago.”

The older man shakes his head. “But I think I might have an idea…”

The pair heads up to Jannik’s room where Simone is already outside, signaling them to maintain silence.

“They’re sleeping.” Simone tells them, opening the door to the dimly lit room.

Juan Carlos quietly follows them in to find a sight to behold: The sofa bed pushed to be side by side to the bed, his student crammed uncomfortably on the mentioned sofa bed, sleeping without a care in a world, with Jannik wrapped in a blanket beside him.

“Carlos? Wake up.” Juan Carlos nudges him gently.

“Eh?” Carlos blinks the sleep out of his eyes to find the three men staring down at him. “Sorry! I forgot the time.” Carlos fumbles slightly but remembers not to wake the ginger at his side.

After a couple of hushed goodbyes (and Carlos’ insisting that they leave as soon as possible to not disrupt Jannik’s sleep, the pair leaves to head back to their room with Carlos unusually quiet on their way back down.

Still, Juan Carlos does not let this golden opportunity pass.

“So…”

“Not a word Juan Carlos. Not a word.”

[jackiesunshines]

IN ANOTHER LIFE, MY DEAR | I.ENGEN²³

summary: you read over the collection of letters your ingrid has sent you over the year of your love. her words make your grief calmer.

contains: retelling of romeo and juilette in gay, letter form, juilet.ᐟingrid x romeo.ᐟreader, mentions of homophobia & death/suicide, set in an unspecified time in norway, ingrid is the only daughter of wealthy family while reader is apart of a poorer family of farmers, this is wlw!!, implied masc.ᐟreader, inaccuracies of the romeo & juilet story i'm adapting the story to fit what i want this to be, ingrid and reader are around eighteen to twenty years old, unhappy ending.

author notes: i just had the idea for this and was like might as well write it. hopefully you guys enjoy 💞

from lady ingrid of the engen family,

i saw you the other night at lady frida's gathering. you were wearing such a stuffy dress and i could tell by your expression that you hated every second of it, but oh you looked stunning. in your usual garments that i see you in, you look always look so handsome. is that weird to say of a woman? i hope not because the word suits you. i think stunning suits you as well. maybe one day we can try on dresses together? only if i can see the cute pout you had last night.

━ june 2nd

from lady ingrid of the engen family,

do you know i am sending my letters in secret? relying on the bribing of the men who work on my family's estate grounds? every time you write back, my heart feels warm. my parents don't believe in being close to ones "below us," whatever that means. i don't see you as below me. not at all. i made my riding teacher take me all the way past your family's farm, so i could see you. it was late in the afternoon, and i was worried that you would be resting inside, but no, you were out working like one of the men. if someone saw you and your brothers, they wouldn't be able to tell you apart, but i can. your brothers aren't as beautiful as you, no offense to their looks. you're like a rose amongst a bunch of flower less stems. you didn't see me, but i saw you. those few minutes felt like getting a taste of heaven. please write back sooner than last time.

━ june 14th

from your friend ingrid of the engen family,

are we close enough that i can call you my friend? is it strange that i complimented you various times but only now asking for your hand in friendship? i loved seeing you today, down by the river with your dog. if only my brother didn't take me away, i would have talked to you longer. i pray he didn't tell my parents about what happened, but they keep things from me, so what do i know? do your parents do the same? i doubt they do with the way they allow you to work on the farm. however if they do then they would be hypocrites. i ate a very sweet strawberry cake today as a treat and it reminded me of you. when the taste fleeted me, it reminds me of you the most.

━ june 23rd

from your friend ingrid,

how did you find a way to send me a gift? you are so clever. it just draws me to you more. i'm wearing the dress you sent right now. it's so soft but not as soft as your skin. that night, i snuck out and came to see you for those few minutes, i can't get it out of my head. please, may we do it again sometime soon? you said in your last letter that i hugged like someone yearning for something. it is true. i yearn for you.

━ july 1st

from your dove, ingrid,

no one has ever compared me to an animal before. especially not a bird, but when i came to your family's farm with my father, i heard you whisper to your friend who was there at the time that i was as angelic as a dove. thank you. i would compare you to an adorable animal as well, but that would be underselling your beauty. so for now and hopefully forever, you are my angel.

━ july 9th

from your dove, ingrid,

sorry for not writing back in ages. i'm having troubles here at home. my parents want me to get married. can you believe them? they say it would be worthwhile to get married now when my beauty isn't fading, but you always told me that my beauty would never fade. who shall i believe? am i only worthy if i am gorgeous? please help me answer this question of mine. you seem to be in a better state than me when it comes to marriage. your parents don't seem to care about your romantic life, but mines are stuck in the restricted standards of our class. i don't want to marry anyone who isn't you. is that too big of a confession?

━ october 24th

from your dove, ingrid,

we kissed last night. i can't believe it. forget any marriage to some man who can't even have half of the strength and smarts that you do and none of the beauty. i love you

━ november 1st

from ingrid,

my parents called me into their room and sat me down and told me that i would be getting married by the summer of next year. somehow, some way, they have found out about our letters. those disloyal men of my family's estate must have ratted me out. we are too close for my family's comfort. women shouldn't write like this to one another. my mother told me i should put my serenading skills to use for a man as that is the way of nature. if that is the way of nature, then why does it feel so unnatural? i'll find a way to write to, my love. hopefully, this is not my last.

━ december 2nd

from ingrid

happy new year, my angel. they can take me away from our hometown, but they can never take me away from you.

━ january 1st

from your dove,

putting my name on these feels risky now. i don't know how long the couple i pay for will continue doing this for me. i don't know the next time my family will try to tear me away from you. i have not met my husband yet, we will meet on our wedding day, but i promise you that day will not be a happy one. let's plan something together. take care, my angel.

━ february 16th

your dove,

i will send the couple with the amount of money we need and the documents i have forged. you are so handsome that i hope that when this plan happens, people will take one look at you and just believe you are a man. hopefully, they don't look closer because then they will see that your beauty is something a man can never achieve. i had to put a compliment into here, i would say sorry, but i know you love it. i love you, take care.

━ april 4th

your dove,

can't wait to be with you, my angel. see you in a month.

━ april 18th

your dove,

my family and his family have decided to get us married earlier than planned. i think my parents are worried that i am still thinking of you, and of course, they are right, but that doesn't mean it makes me any less angry. i will never be wed to him, i swear on my life. i love you, and we will be together, whether in this life or in death. if i can not run away, then i promise i will never let him take me away from you.

━ may 22nd

to my angel,

is it true? there are rumors that you have died of an illness, i don't believe that for one second. my wedding night is tomorrow, and my family is feeding me lies. i kept telling myself that, but then they showed me a letter from your father that stated your death right there in ink. i don't know what to believe, but i do know i do not want to be wed to this man. not for one night or for the rest of my life. i told you i would love you forever, and that is true. we promised to be together, but i never thought it would end up being in death rather than in life. i am only writing this in hopes that my family will find this and see that they have driven us to madness. i'll shall see you in heaven, my angel. i will ignore the sharp pain of the dagger by thinking of the sweetness of your kiss. i love you.

━ june 1st

author notes: this might suck? idkkkk 🙂‍↕️