#targeted because they were suddenly in a position where it was obvious that they were on their own

[bibiana112]

Haven't really posted about this but long-time headcanon of mine that what happened to the Kurashikis for them to end up at the hospital was that Akane got sick but pushed through it still going to school and not telling anyone about it because she would see Aoi pushing himself during flu season to keep going to work and learned to do the same through observation, not wanting to bother him or anyone else with something so minor until one too many days without getting treated later she collapses at school and gives everyone a big scare that the teacher needs to send her to the hospital for and realistically in my mind at least there's no way Aoi would be able to get her in or out of there without someone flagging cps unless someone saw this kid come pick up his little sister at odd hours with a story that wasn't matching up and realized that's a prime target for unethical science shit

[hwanchaesong]

━⁠☞🍽️ Fourth Course: Partners in everything until you realize that you're nothing but his mere puppet in his very own acidic heist. 🥢

🎧: Olivia Rodrigo - Favorite Crime

wc: 826

genre & warnings: angst, college setting, bets and heartbreaks, cursing, hints of sex, break-up, etc etc

a/n: this is a part of The Sour Restaurant series. if y'all want, you can read the other album inspired fics of other groups here.

"Where are you going?" Yeosang asked, confusion written on his features when you suddenly got out of the bed, picking your discarded clothes on the floor.

He's alarmed to say the least, as he was expecting a cuddle session after your first night of intimacy with him.

So, why are you getting ready to leave?

When you don't answer him and continue dressing up, he repeats his question, only to be ignored again.

"Baby? What's up?" his frown deepens, now leaving the comforts of his sheets and picking up some clothes to wear as well.

"Isn't it obvious?" you huffed, putting on a shirt and looking for your bag so you could exit his apartment, "I'm leaving."

Yeosang tugs on your arm, pulling you close to him and stopping you from moving around.

"Why are you leaving? You can stay the night with me." he mumbles, his chest rumbling on your back and you hate how weak you are for him.

But you had enough. You have given him what he wants, you have given in to your desires, so now it's time for you to fix yourself. Maybe hear some reprimanding from your friend once they hear the story tomorrow.

Their voices echo in your head, pushing the knife deeper into your wounded heart.

"Don't get involved with that guy, Y/N. He's a player!"

"Save yourself from the heartbreak."

You would have listened to them, but where's the fun in that right?

Choosing to shield Yeosang from their bullets wasn't a wise thing to do, but you were in love with the man, leaving you no choice but to succumb to his charms.

"You wanted me to stay?" you scoffed, glaring at him and tugging your arm back, moving away from his body before you do something that you will further regret in the long run.

"Of course I do." he mumbles, sincerity lacing his tone and for a second you almost believed that he's been genuine with you.

He appears to be hurt at your attitude, but he doesn't deserve to act like a puppy who got kicked. The audacity to be in pain when it's supposed to be you, the one who should be grieving over murdered love that you are burying six feet under.

You hum, glaring at him with a meaningful smile that he couldn't quite comprehend, "Why? I mean— you already got what you want. Your mission is done."

He stands still and somehow, his breathing becomes shallower, his heartbeat spiking up as Yeosang slowly begins to understand your questionable actions.

You heard them. You fucking know everything.

Yeosang sits quietly in the corner of the classroom, listening to his friends talk about their endeavors and mundane problems in life.

"Oh Yeosang-hyung." Wooyoung called him, catching his attention and raising a brow at the younger in a silent question of what he needed.

"Is your mission going well?"

Yeosang's muscles have gone rigid for a second, remembering the purpose of why he courted you for so long.

But then again, he was ready to throw the stupid bet away.

Why?

Because he genuinely fell in love with you.

All the fake affections he shows, the 'I love you's', the countless nights of cuddling each other, random gossip and eating chicken in the middle of the night.

Everything is suddenly real, but then, what about his ego?

"Yeah." he answers absentmindedly, "I think I'll be able to do it tomorrow."

"Damn, looks like we have to throw in our money the day after tomorrow." Hongjoong laughs, fixing his position from the chair, "Didn't know that Y/N was such an easy target."

Yeosang's fists clenched, not liking the way you are referred to by Hongjoong. Still, he held himself back and forced a smile.

"I second that." Seonghwa butts in, giving Yeosang a pat on the back, "Advanced congratulations to you, my bro, for winning a bet successfully."

"Y/N, I can explain."

You held a hand up to stop him, shaking your head in disappointment. Mainly for yourself.

"Save it Yeosang. Besides, I let myself drown tonight despite knowing that this is nothing but a bet." you close your eyes, willing yourself not to cry.

At least, not in front of him.

"Y/N, baby, please." it was barely a whisper, a weak voice and meek begging but you're not about to give in.

You avoid Yeosang's hand that was attempting to grab you again, trudging towards the door of his apartment, ready to walk out of his life.

"Well, at least you have a new nerd in the notch of your belt. Congratulations, Yeosang."

Then you slammed the door shut, leaving Yeosang and his regrets, the pain of letting you go swallows him alive.

You did your best to love him with all you can, and even after all that, his hands remained soiled by your broken pieces. A crime that won't be forgotten and never be forgiven.

taglist:

@acciocriativity @iarayara @stolasisyourparent @shakalakaboomboo @nsixns @heartssol

[iwritenarrativesandstuff]

Trimax Thoughts Vol. 5 Pt. 2

I want to talk about Knives for a sec. Up to where I've read in the manga so far, we really don't have much of an understanding of him yet. I think I may have a slight advantage in having watched one of the shows before starting (I've watched Tristamp) because otherwise I don't know if I would quite get what to make of him so far.

I won't say anything about Tristamp here since I'm not going to assume everyone in book club has seen it, but I did draw a conclusion from it that, after reading volume 5, I am almost positive applies to the manga version of Knives too.

Knives treats Vash as if he were an extension of himself.

[ID: A panel from Trigun Maximum volume 5. Knives stands casually, holding a cup and smiling as he greets his brother in Vash and Hoppered's shared flashback to July. Hoppered thinks "It's him..." as Knives says "Hey Vash." End ID.]

Ok so first off I need to establish something because it's important. Listen. I have no doubt that Knives loves his brother. I do not doubt that. But his behaviour towards Vash is actively and deeply cruel. Knives is friendly up until Vash disagrees with him, and then his mood suddenly changes for the worse - he has gone so far as to specifically target people Vash loves just to break the ideology he disagrees with, shifted culpability from himself to solely on Vash several times, violated his autonomy, and has on a few occasions physically restrained him. <- That's. Really bad. I would argue that these behaviours are in keeping with uh... pretty textbook manipulative/abusive behaviours.

However, here’s the thing: these kinds of behaviours are typically perpetrated because the person wants power over the victim. I think it's easy to read that into it, but I honestly don't think that's Knives' intention at all. He wants Vash with him. If anything his little "Watch it!" when Vash shoves him away just after the colony ships fall reads as genuine confusion. He's incredulous every time Vash points his gun at him. After all, as Knives puts it: they're brothers. They only have each other.

If Knives wants power over anything, I'd argue it's power over Rem, not Vash. He sees Vash's suffering and believes it was her who "made him like this", disregarding his own accountability in both Vash's continued pain... and her death. I do have to wonder if his attempts to break Vash's pacifism is also an attempt to make Rem's ghost leave them both for good, because there is no way Millions "I thought I'd spare her but now I see she was just as flawed" Knives felt no sadness or remorse over her death.

[ID: A screenshot from Trigun Volume 2. Knives sits in the escape ship with most of his face shadowed. He is hunched slightly, with a difficult to read, rather blank expression. End ID.]

^He is totally not bothered by this, definitely a-ok with her death. /j

But here's the thing: I really do think Knives believes that without Rem's influence, his brother will think and act exactly like him; that she has "corrupted" him somehow. This plays out in the way he's almost eager to show Vash their Plant abilities, apparently completely ignoring that Vash is confused and terrified - there's a serious dissonance to their interactions, where Knives seems less uncaring then oblivious to Vash's obvious distress. A good first indicator is directly before Fifth Moon, where Knives realizes that Vash has blocked out the memory of July, and is more intrigued than alarmed by this. Idk man if that was my brother I would be. Concerned.

See, if you read Knives as wanting power over Vash, then it's kind of reminiscent of the older sibling who thinks they know what's best for the younger. Indeed, that is the role Knives seems to take on at times.

But Knives is not actually older. They're twins.

Zazie also has an intriguing line after seeing the lengths Vash will go to in order to protect those he cares for: "It definitely isn't in Knives' nature to fight for anyone." <- This is an odd conclusion to come to for someone who is supposedly doing everything for a new world that's safe for all Plants, including Vash. I'm choosing to take Zazie at their word since I don't think they would have any real reason to lie or really see the point in lying.

So, what this implies is exactly what I stated earlier - Knives makes little, if any distinction between him and Vash. The world is divided into "same" and "different", "family" and "threat". It unfortunately allows Knives to continuously undermine Vash's autonomy - it's fine to forcibly activate Vash's angel arm because it's "our" power. It's fine for the doctor to poke and prod at Vash's arm to get readings because Knives is supervising it. Vash will stick with him because they're brothers, right? Of course he will. And if he doesn't... well that can't possibly be Vash. It's Rem's corrupting influence. And that makes him violently angry as he attempts to destroy any last trace of her that persists in his brother. Because surely, without her, Vash would be just like him, right?

One last note I'd like to make is the way Knives keeps obscuring Vash's face when he forcibly activates Vash's angel arm.

[ID: Two screenshots from Trigun and Trigun Maximum. The first image shows Knives grabbing Vash's face as he forces him to activate his angel arm during the Fifth Moon incident. The second image is of the same during the July flashback. End ID.]

The thing is, you can't argue this is necessary to activate the ability. In the July flashback, Knives actually has his hand placed rather gently on the side of Vash's head... up until Vash tries to resist. That's when Knives slams his hand down over his face instead and shoves him onto the floor.

In the context of Knives seeing Vash as an extension of himself, it could take on a few different meanings. If he muffles Vash's screaming and crying, perhaps he doesn't have to see the clear distress on his brother's face. Maybe it's representative of stripping Vash of his personal choice in these scenes. Maybe because this is the truth of the matter - Knives does not want to see the person Vash is if that person is so wildly different from himself, to ruin the illusion of twin as extension instead of a separate person.

Meanwhile, Vash is trying so hard to be everything Knives isn't. Knives' face is shadowed in flashbacks to create distance between them until July reveals the destruction they both caused and Vash can no longer deny the harm he too is capable of causing. The twins cause me emotional damage man.

[gffa]

Hey Lumi! I’m watching The Bad Batch for the first time. Just finished the episode where Rampart is trying to get his bill passed and then Palpatine at the end manages to manipulate the situation so that even though the truth was told, the clones still lost. Rex at the end of the episode says something like “Palpatine was always one step ahead of us during the war and he’s several steps ahead of us now” I’m curious as to how much Rex knows about Palpatine and what actually happened. Because I don’t think he would know Palpatine is a Sith Lord but I think it’s obvious to many (or most) people in the galaxy that Palpatine was using the war as a way to gain total control over the galaxy. What are your thoughts on this?

This is an interesting question that I've been trying to figure out, because I don't recall anything that says for sure Rex knew that Palpatine was Sidious, but what they do know is: - Obi-Wan told Bo-Katan, Ahsoka, and Rex that the Council suspected, "Darth Sidious is the Sith Lord who orchestrated the Clone Wars and played both sides of it from the beginning." while they were on Mandalore. - Rex looked into what Fives was trying to uncover, he knew it went "all the way to the top" and at least suspected that Palpatine had to be involved given Fives trying to target him. - When Order 66 happened, they saw a holo-figure of Darth Sidious giving them the command, which triggered them calling him "My Lord". For the most part, Palpatine used a hologram version of himself for announcements and such, but he did make at least that one speech to the Senate in his true form during ROTS. - They knew that the Jedi had battled Palpatine, because he made the speech after the lightning scarred him, so why would the Jedi have gone after a politician? How could an ordinary politician stand up against a Jedi Master of Mace Windu's calibre? - Obi-Wan and Yoda know that Palpatine is Sidious because they saw the footage of Anakin swearing loyalty to him. While they wouldn't have been able to tell her directly, they almost assuredly told Bail, who may have passed on that information to Ahsoka. (Whether at Padme's funeral or another time?) Ahsoka could have told Rex after that, they were still in contact for many years afterwards.

Most likely, I think they both put the puzzle pieces together from the above--neither of them knew about Anakin being Darth Vader--and Rex's words in TBB episode could be (if I'm remembering right, I only saw it the once and haven't seen it since, so my memories may be fuzzy) theoretically be just as a politician, I think they all knew he was playing dirty even just as Palpatine to get himself into position as Emperor, but I think it's more that they just looked at all the puzzle pieces, saw him suddenly look like that hologram the clones got, and quietly put two and two together. If I've missed anything (entirely possible! it's a hazy question of who knows what at what point), feel free to jump in, but afair I'm not sure it's directly stated anywhere and I think either Rex just figured it out once all the pieces fell into place or the biochip in their heads had that information and, once triggered, all the clones knew it.

[unhonestlymirror]

It's KAB time.

I will tell you about one more thing that we encounter here every day. These are KABs (guided aerial bomb), or FABs. Aviation bombs of great power. This is one of the most terrible things that I encountered in the war. Very destructive and the occupiers use these bombs en masse.

You can suddenly come under fire and not even have time to get scared. Hitting a bullet or bursting a mine is a moment but you hear the bomb before it explodes. You hear it approaching with a characteristic sound. And you understand that if it flies at you, there are few chances.

Roughly speaking, there are two types of gliding bombs. Those that were created as controlled (UPAB-500B and 1500B) from the very beginning and modified FABs (high-explosive aviation bombs of general purpose), to which correction and flight control modules are attached These are FAB-250, FAB-500, FAB-1500.

They are not done very well, but the russians have a lot of them, and they can quickly equip the required number of bombs. Enemy planes fly up 40-50 km to the battle line, launch these bombs. They fly to their target and hit it. If they hit, of course.

Something about the quality and design of processing. We often find remnants of control modules as in the photo.

It is obvious that the design provides for quick manufacturing, and the charter is minus the quality. Sometimes bombs fall, but do not explode.

This "specimen" actually lay under our feet for some time. Over time, it was taken away from here and, I think, blown up somewhere away from where it could do harm. They aimed at the road, or at something that was travelling by it.

I can assume that the russians, as often happens, saw ideas about such "recycling" of old bombs in the West. They liked JDAM's technical solution. Their propaganda likes to mention it in the context of the aerial bombardment campaign of Yugoslavia.

One of the russian weapons experts referred to this system (which includes a GPS-based guidance system and wings). He called it the "bra bomb." The russians have always had problems with naming.

The very range of dropping guided air bombs depends on the flight parameters of the carrier - speed and altitude. Accordingly, the higher and faster the aircraft drops, the farther such bombs will fly. KABs are considered a difficult target to shoot down since the bomb carrier does not enter the area of ​​​​air defence.

In addition, we can not afford to keep stationary air defence systems near the front because there are not enough of them to cover objects in the rear. Moreover, as soon as the air defence systems are brought closer to the front, the resistance to their destruction also increases. In a word, it is impossible to reliably protect yourself from KABs here at the front. There is no suitable resource. And even if there was, it would not always be possible anyway.

The russians use these bombs every day and in large numbers. The targets are different. The positions of our units are in the immediate vicinity of the contact line. Logistics routes. Places of possible location of equipment, headquarters, warehouses, etc. They do not hesitate to shoot on the roads and in their own trenches, which were occupied by the Armed Forces. There is a defined list of roads and logistics routes. From time to time, bombs fall either next to these roads or even on them. However, in this case, the effect is questionable.

Daily is that the russians conduct thorough aerial reconnaissance of various depths. Near the contact line, in our rear. These are the same commercial drones as ours, as well as their regular "wings" - Orlans, Zaly, Superkams. Based on the results of the intelligence, they are trying to launch airstrikes at the corresponding points. I don't know what the accuracy statistics of these strikes are, but from what I could assess with my own eyes, I would say that it is not high.

There are objects that the russians have been shooting at for several months in a row and can not hit. Fields, towns, and villages are strewn with debris from these bombs. The worst thing is that they often purposefully launch anti-aircraft missiles at residential buildings, trying to reach infrastructure facilities. Many settlements were destroyed or hopelessly damaged by these bombs. They simply turn walnuts and neighbouring villages into crushed stone and clay.

They use them both during the day and at night. The graphs look variable. In a certain period, concentrated and massive airstrikes took place at night. For example, during the day, they reconnoitred something, and with the onset of darkness, begin shelling the specified coordinates. During the day, the strikes were carried out as a result of more operational reconnaissance or a reaction to some events. For example, the occupiers could receive information that equipment had passed in a certain place. Then they raise the plane and launch a bomb there. Even if belatedly.

Another example. When another KA-52 government helicopter was shot down, they launched 4 bombs on the square, where they thought the MANPADS missile might have come from. With the corresponding accuracy that I have already spoken about. We have repeatedly seen bomb explosions during operation. This solves the problem of high losses of battleboards. Aircraft become unreachable for MANPADS. On the other hand, the bomb's flight time increases, and we have more time to hide if there is such an opportunity.

This story is primarily about how we move forward in a situation where the enemy has air superiority. Under constant airstrikes. When the targets are located in the steppe, like in the palm of your hand, the surrounding fields are mined, and the narrow corridors for movement are restricted and shot at. I can't imagine anyone considering launching a ground offensive without the necessary air assets. But the Armed Forces do it and have success.

[scrapironflotilla]

This is probably a question with an obvious answer but when divisions were relieved and swapped out - I'm reading Passchendaele by Nick Lloyd, and it's German divisions specifically that triggered this thought - how did that work, logistically? Because surely that's a lot of men to ask to just get up and go all at once? All I can think is that happened bit by bit over a day, but I'm genuinely unclear.

It's not really an obvious thing so much as a generally uninteresting or routine thing. We just lump it in with a bunch of other administrative stuff that is vital to keep a war or battle going, but that happens largely on paper and (hopefully) without any fuss. The finding and allocating of billets in French villages (still full of civilians) or the transport of daily supplies of food and ammunition are similarly treated, but equally important.

But it's actually one of the more dangerous times, as you can occasionally see during the war. As you rightly point out, that's a lot of people to be moving about around and through the front lines, as such it's a very tempting target for artillery.

But fundamentally it's about how many men you can move quickly and safely in and out of the front line during darkness. Reliefs commonly happened at night for the reason that the enemy can't observe you. This meant that tons of work went on at night including reliefs. The time of year and amount of hours of darkness varied as well, further complicating matters during summer.

There were a few ways of conducting a relief, but they generally followed a pattern where the commanding officers and staffs of incoming units would visit their new positions a few days before relief to start the hand over process, getting detailed information about the quirks of the line and on various important points. Sometimes some incoming officers would be attached to the HQ units of the outgoing units to familiarise themselves with any special conditions there. Then a detailed timetable would be drawn up at corps and divisional level which settled the times for each brigade and battalion to start marching on the actual swap over.

The swap itself varied in how it was specifically done, like which units were taken out where and when, in what order along the line. This is where details like the amount of routes to/from the front line become important and have to be weighed against the ability to hold the line if attacked suddenly. But generally the battalions and brigades in the front line would be relieved first, and those in the support and rear positions later on. If the ground was difficult and nights were short it often meant that relief had to be done piecemeal and over two nights. This was always a nervous time as if the enemy found out it would likely mean some attempt at disruption through either artillery or a raid.

If I get a chance later this week I'll have a look through my research and see if I can find anything to illustrate this with.

[mariacallous]

Nikki Haley spent the dying days of her presidential campaign reminding anyone who’d listen that Donald Trump is unhinged and unfit. But when she ended her candidacy last week after Super Tuesday, she suggested it was possible Trump could still win her endorsement.

“It is now up to Donald Trump to earn the votes of those in our party and beyond it who did not support him,” she said. “And I hope he does that. At its best, politics is about bringing people into your cause, not turning them away. And our conservative cause badly needs more people. This is now his time for choosing.”

Of course, it’s impossible that Trump, who regularly called Haley “birdbrain,” will make anything resembling a positive moral choice. He does not build willing coalitions. He only attempts to dominate through violence and intimidation. We know this about him because our birth certificates are not dated “Yesterday.”

But if Haley is overly optimistic about Trump, perhaps it’s because she uncritically consumes mainstream media, which seemingly can’t help but default to covering Trump as if he’s a normal candidate — even after his attempted coup and multiple criminal indictments.

Yes, major news outlets, including the New York Times, are now more likely to acknowledge that Trump outright lies than simply makes “false” statements, but the press still resists definitively calling him out for the terrible and dangerous person he is. Because their baseline assumption is that Trump is erratic and malevolent, it’s not generally regarded as big news when Trump does awful things, such as mocking Biden’s speech impediment during a speech over the weekend. (Watch the footage below, though it should be mentioned that the NYT published an article noting that Trump mocked Biden’s stutter.)

Implicit in the media’s ongoing coverage of Trump is the idea that he might suddenly stop behaving like Donald Trump. Case in point was an absurd article Axios ran last week from national politics reporter Sophia Cai with the headline, “Top Trump advisers try to steer him off personal drama.” The top of the article is bad enough, as it presents Trump’s unhinged vendettas like a “Sex and the City” brunch scene, but the low point is Cai’s suggestion that Trump is “toning down” his rhetoric as he attempts to woo college-educated voters.

On what was once Twitter, the caption above Axios’s article read, “Looking to November, Trump tempers his claims about the 2020 election — a little.” (An earlier version of the tweet that didn’t hedge as much and was widely criticized was deleted — see it at top of the post.) Cai wrote, “In some recent speeches, Trump has used different terms in describing his typical complaint that the 2020 election he lost was ‘stolen’ — saying, ‘We were interrupted,’ or ‘something very bad happened.’”

These are obvious euphemisms for Trump’s ongoing election lies, but Cai’s assertion isn’t even true. He told supporters at a North Carolina rally just days before the Axios article that “what happened at that last election is a disgrace, and we’re not going to let it happen again. Did you ever notice they go after the people that want to find out where the cheating was — and, by the way, 82 percent of the country understands that it was a rigged election, OK? You can’t have a country with that.” (Surprise! Trump’s “82 percent” claim is a lie.)

In fact, the very day after Axios’s piece dropped, Trump went on Truth Social and proclaimed, “the Election was RIGGED.”

Trump’s remarks at a Rome, Georgia, rally on Saturday were just as disturbing. He insisted that he’d won Georgia in 2020 and that the election was “rigged.” Those same lies painted targets on the backs of Georgia election workers Ruby Freeman and Shaye Moss, who won a defamation suit against Trump ally Rudy Giuliani. It’s clear that Trump won’t accept an election loss, and we can expect that he’ll incite more violence and harassment. It’s the height of irresponsibility for a major media outlet to suggest otherwise.

And it’s not just Axios. After Trump won the South Carolina Republican primary, NBC News ran an article headlined, “Fewer grievances, more policy: Trump aides and allies push for a post-South Carolina ‘pivot’.” If you’ve paid any attention to the words that come out of Trump’s mouth, you’d understand that Trump’s policy is personal grievance. He’s openly vowed to spend his second term persecuting his political enemies and anyone who dared tried to hold him accountable for his crimes.

[kemetic-dreams]

In the stock market, a short squeeze is a rapid increase in the price of a stock owing primarily to an excess of short selling of a stock rather than underlying fundamentals. A short squeeze occurs when demand has increased relative to supply because short sellers have to buy stock to cover their short positions.

What's a Short Squeeze and Why Does It Happen?

Key Points

A stock that rallies hyperbolically when there are no obvious current events driving the response, could be experiencing a short squeeze.

A short squeeze can potentially be worth trading, but only if you exercise great care.

The aim of short selling is to generate profit from a stock that declines in value. (Short selling involves borrowing a security whose price you think is going to fall from your brokerage and selling it on the open market. Your plan is to then buy the same stock back later—hopefully for a lower price than you initially sold it for—and pocket the difference after repaying the initial loan.) While there are potential benefits to going short, there are also plenty of risks. One big risk is when a bullish catalyst (earnings, news, technical event, etc.) pushes the stock price higher, prompting short sellers to "head for the exits" all at once. As the shorts scramble to buy back and cover their losses, upward momentum can build on itself, causing the stock to move sharply higher. This is known as a short squeeze.

Understanding the short squeeze

What makes a short squeeze so dangerous? Think of it this way: When you buy a stock, the worst thing it can do is drop to zero. But the upside is unlimited. If a stock has a growth narrative and there are enough believers, the share price can go well beyond what looks reasonable by traditional fundamental metrics.

Classic signs of a short squeeze can include:

A security has a significant amount of short sellers (short interest) who believe the stock price is going to fall, and then instead the stock price sharply rises, forcing many of these leveraged short sellers to quickly exit their positions, buying back the stock in the face of potentially increasing losses.

A dynamic narrative that tries to justify the detachment of share prices from a company's intrinsic value

A case for massive growth as well as for financial stress

Traders with deep pockets aligned on both sides of the trade, often using options and other leveraged instruments

With GameStop (GME) in 2021 and Tesla (TSLA) in 2020, there were many classic signs of a short squeeze. Traders with short positions were covering because they had to, either because they had sustained large losses or shares were no longer available to be borrowed. In 2022, short sellers targeted troubled companies such as Bed, Bath & Beyond (BBBY) and Carvana (CVNA). In early 2023, the most heavily shorted companies included Coinbase Global (COIN), a cryptocurrency firm, and Occidental Petroleum (OXY).

When a stock suddenly experiences a dramatic climb, with or without good news, it's important to ask yourself, "Who would buy shares up here?" The answer? Someone who doesn't have enough money to hold on any longer, or someone whose pain threshold has finally been crossed.

Proceed with caution

If you're a long-term investor who happens to own a stock that's getting squeezed, it's probably not a good time to trade. Instead of acting on emotions, remember what got you to where you are in your investing journey—and where you'd like to be. If buying a stock that's in squeeze territory doesn't fall within your long-term objectives, you might want to step aside and not trade. If you do decide to venture in, make sure you have no illusions and no misconceptions of the dangers. Understand that when you’re dealing with a stock that’s being squeezed, you're taking a big risk. 

Identifying a short squeeze can be relatively simple—after the fact. The trick is to identify the conditions that could lead to a squeeze ahead of time, and then determine how you might want to play it (or not). 

Shorting a stock is a complicated business. Because you can't sell something you don't own, shorting requires the seller to "borrow" the stock (and pay interest to the stock lender), then sell it. Locating the shares can sometimes be difficult for your clearing firm because of high demand or a small number of outstanding shares.

Measuring a short squeeze can involve a metric called the short interest ratio, a.k.a. "days to cover." It indicates, in days, how long it would take to cover or buy back all the shorted shares. Basically, you divide the number of shares sold short by the average daily trading volume. The more days to cover, the more pronounced the effect can be.

Another measure is "short interest as a percentage of float," which reflects the number of short-sold shares in proportion to the total number of shares available for trading in the public markets. Most stocks have a small amount of short interest, usually in the single digits. The higher that percentage, the greater the bearish sentiment may be around that stock. If the short % of the float reaches 10% or higher, that could be a warning sign.

Consider the fundamentals

If you're buying a stock that seems to be in the throes of a short squeeze, especially at high levels, it helps to understand other potential reasons why the stock might be moving. 

Consider checking the fundamentals. Is there anything that would make you want to own the stock? Are you tempted to buy it because everyone else is? It's important to always do your homework, and remember it's never wise to go all in. A stock that's in a short squeeze may still have a long way to climb, and if you don't think the fundamentals support higher prices, then perhaps you should look elsewhere.

In the case of TSLA in 2020, there were some positive fundamentals underlying the short squeeze, including the company's more consistent profitability and hopes of it being included in the S&P 500 Index (SPX). The stock saw its share price run up to new highs, then decline nearly 60%. 

But then TSLA rallied again and split its shares, and its addition to the SPX became a reality, illustrating that a short squeeze doesn't always have to end badly. Other stocks that were caught up in short squeezes haven't always fared so well, in part because they didn't have the fundamental support. 

Playing the squeeze on the long side? 

If you want to trade a stock during what might be a short squeeze—that is, buying a stock with a higher short interest in order to potentially play the upside of a squeeze—here are some things to consider:

Trading such a stock may be okay as long as you understand the risk and how to control it. Whether you make small or large trades, you have to control and limit the risk. Decide how much money you would be comfortable losing in any trade ahead of time.

Don't underestimate how high the stock can go and how long it can take. When a stock gets caught up in a short squeeze, analysts generally expect it to correct eventually, but no one knows to what price and when; if it happens at all. 

If the stock still has very weak fundamentals, yet is moving significantly higher without any real, structural changes in the corporation, then be extremely careful buying on this type of upward momentum. The markets may run out of new buyers willing to pay higher and higher prices and the stock may in the end fall quickly. 

The bottom line

A short squeeze is a high-risk situation and it may cause havoc in the market, but most don't last forever. Most eventually subside.

[blackjackkent]

OK, more Rakha adventures. I'm kind of torn on what to do next here.

I'd honestly really like to take her down to the teahouse to deal with Ethel because I'm intrigued by the weirdly positive conversation they had in the refugee camp, but Ethel is still several levels above us. Same with the other thing Rakha is most interested in at present, which is going to kill the fake paladins chasing Karlach.

So I think our best bet is to clear out the blighted village and head straight for the goblins in the temple right now, and then circle back to everything else.

And the first thing we run into in wandering the village iiiiiiis...

Poor old Barcus.

Not a scene Rakha is easily able to parse at a glance. Several goblins, calling up mockingly at another creature - equal size, with grey-blue skin - tied to the enormous windmill in front of them and screaming as it spins.

One of the goblins looks over with a nasty smile as Rakha approaches.

"Look what we got here! Another little birdie wantin' to fly!"

"Stop this thiiiiiiiiiing!" screams the creature on the windmill with abject panic.

The goblin laughs gleefully. "Yehehehehe - flap those wings some more an' I'll feed you a worm!" he crows. His eyes narrow at Rakha. "An' you - hope you got a stomach for heights!"

She doesn't overly care about the tied up creature - but the goblin's mocking tone is unmistakable, as is his air of menace. Goblins, she has learned, are already an acceptable and satisfying target, and this one is making an effort right from the jump to rouse her anger.

It mocks us. Kill. Bleed. Destroy. The beast stirs excitedly.

Were she a calmer person, unburdened by the blood-hungry voice behind her eyes, she might spare a moment to wonder how this little pipsqueak intends to make good on his threat. But she is not, and suddenly all she can focus on is the clean and obvious line of his neck where the right pressure would snap--

Attack the goblins.

(A/N: I forgot that I left off yesterday having just done the other fight with the Blighted Village goblins, so Rakha had no spell slots left and charged in blindly with only cantrips. Luckily, all my most ill-advised combat choices are still perfectly in-character for her. XD Also luckily, getting Fezzerk down to low health ends the combat early.)

The battle is short and brutal; Wyll follows up with an eldritch blast on the group's leader to supplement Rakha's opening electric shock, and he folds like tissue paper.

"Stop! I give up!" the goblin yelps, scrabbling backwards out of reach of Rakha's still-glowing hands. "M-mercy! Please!"

He squirms nervously, peering up at Rakha with a desperate, pleading gaze, all the bravado gone. "I know things," he says eagerly. "If you let me live, I'll make it worth your while. I p-promise!"

Rakha hesitates. The beast is not yet sated, and won't be by anything less than this creature's blood spattered out through the dirt. But he promises knowledge. Answers. Is it possible he knows something she needs?

"Talk and you might live," she says sharply; her voice strains with the effort of holding the beast in check. "If it's worth my while."

The goblin brightens, sensing hope. "M-my lot are camped nearby!" he stammers out. "I can get you inside. No hassle! You can loot it, do whatever! There's a hidden path, p-past the bridge into the camp. Over to the side before you reach the first guards. Easy!"

Rakha's eyes narrow. Useless. This is not the information she wants - about herself, about the tadpoles, even about the Absolute these goblins apparently follow. All he offers is a way to avoid a fight.

Of all things, Rakha does not want to avoid a fight.

No mercy. Kill the goblin.

The goblin's eyes widen with a moment of pure, exhilarating terror.

"No, wait--" he starts to scream, but the words are cut off into a bubbling gurgle as Rakha's dagger, in her hand in an instant, sinks through his throat. Warm blood spills over her hand and for a moment she is conscious only of the smell of flesh and iron as everything else fades from her.

She comes back to herself kneeling at the goblin's side, staring at his corpse. The others have scattered in terror, and the only remaining sound is the windmill's implacable creaking.

Good... the beast purrs, satisfied.

-----

She does, in the end, let the gnome down, more for curiosity's sake than anything else.

"Urrrgh. Magga cammara... those pustulent thugs!" He squints up at her warily. "Well. Get on with it! Whatever you are."

"Get on with what?" Rakha asks, puzzled.

"You saved me," the gnome says with exaggerated patience. "Now you'll extort me. That's how this works, yes?"

Perhaps to her credit, this hadn't even occurred to Rakha. As always, the low-level simmering desire to kill still sits at the back of her mind, but taking his money wasn't even on her radar. "You owe me nothing," she says, as if confused how he came to this conclusion.

"Nothing?" the gnome says, startled.

Rakha blinks once, then again. "I... *could* extort you, if that's what you want?" she says uncertainly.

He straightens up and scowls in evident irritation. "You're teasing me now," he says. "I'm certain of it. Take my pack, if you can find it. The only reason those goblins caught me was its weight. I'll travel lightly from now on."

Teasing? Rakha had meant the comment entirely seriously. But she just shrugs and doesn't argue the matter, but turns and walks away without another word, leaving the gnome dusting himself off and muttering irritated nonsense behind her.

[bruisedandbloodysunflowers]

This is just a silly little exercise with one of my favourite art pieces done by @mr-oldman-appreciator - because honestly, who hasn't thought about patting the devil butt. Featuring Dummy, the tiefling warlock - a lovable ditsy clown who sadly did not learn the importance of looky, but don't touchy.

~*~

"You know, darling. Has anyone ever told you that it's remarkable that you're still alive?" Astarion drawled as he'd stepped close to watch the tiefling woman wriggling on the ground on all fours, looking for all the world like a cat getting ready to pounce. "What in the hells do you think you're going to do?"

"Sshh! You're gonna give away my position!" Dummy hissed over her shoulder, shooting him an irritated look. Arching a single eyebrow, the vampire had held up his hands in defeat. In all honesty, he couldn't wait to see how this was going to turn out - and if any bodily maiming would be involved. Far be it from him to stand in the way of the girl's own stupidity.

The target in question was none other than Raphael, currently discussing some sort of contract business with Tav, the leader of their merry little group of misfits. He had his back turned to them, focusing completely on the performance of convincing Tav to aid his cause - whatever that was supposed to be about. Truly, he must have been committed to the act if he couldn't see the quite obvious clown woman creeping along the ground on her belly, her tail waving to and fro, wide eyes on the prize.

Once she'd deemed that she was in striking range, she sprung - pulling herself up to smack the devilish trickster right on the butt, spinning around to declare loudly to Astarion, "Didja see that?! Fifty points!"

"Uh, love? You might want to.."

A hand promptly curled around both of her twin white braids, yanking her head backwards and causing a strangled yelp. Dummy might have had some colourful words for the wise guy, if she hadn't found herself suddenly looking up at an extremely pissed off devil.

"I do realize that you were brought up with barely an education nor a brain-cell to rub together - but I would have thought that at the bare minimum, you would have learnt not to touch what you have no claim over." Raphael's voice rumbled, a dark growl through clenched teeth as his eyes lifted to make contact with Tav. "Do pardon whilst I borrow this companion of yours. Consider it a compensation for letting your pets run around without the proper leash."

In a bright burst of flames, both Raphael and the tiefling woman he was strangling disappeared from sight.

"..Do you think we should be concerned about that?" Tav asked Astarion worriedly, looking at the slightly singed patch of ground where they'd been standing.

"Oh, I'm sure she'll be just fine! Who knows?" Astarion grinned, resisting the urge to break down into a hysterical fit of cackling. "If anything, she might even be returned all the better for the experience, ha--!"

[wrathfulmercy]

4)  for sender to bite receiver’s throat.  (reverse!) Rick and Sam. (and obviously I'm thinking about that scene in TWD - though don't do that, I need Sam alive hahah!)

Sensual biting and licking prompts from here @mettleborn

A jealous little prick. That’s how he felt like, the booze bedazzling his senses that made him all uncontrollable and so very angry. They had said it before: no strings attached. No relationships. No feelings. And still they found each other in a dark corner of a club like this fighting for what seemed like hours every now and then when they ran into each other. Investigation. That’s what this should have been. A serious task they would both focus on no matter what even in a high state pumped full of drugs to impress a target they wanted informations of. The truth of it was just: no matter how many drinks, how many substances would run through Ricks blood or how strong his will of a perfect performance was, he couldn’t shake that awful jealousy of not having him when he was right there. As long as they wouldn’t see each other it was easier. Still hurt, but was manageable. But in here? Where he could see him live a life he couldn’t be a part of? It burnt like motherfucking salt in a fresh wound and Rick couldn’t snap out of it.

It started on the dance floor. The back and forth. The guilt tripping. The feelings Rick despised to have and had missed at the same time these years before. Like oil to a flame their words hit each other right at the same spots and sooner than later they were pushing each other like damn animals that just fell into a blood rush that led them now here into this dark corner with Rick’s back against the wall while Sam simply couldn’t stop fucking talking. Or slurring, whatever that was. Rick wouldn’t even listen anymore. What counted was the moment of having him. Of having him standing right there focusing on Rick no matter if he did it with insults, fists or just a fucking kiss. It didn’t matter.

The sounds of the room drifted away just like Sam’s voice and it was obvious that Rick wanted nothing more than to escape his dissociation that nearly took him off his feet and made him mumble “shut up” as if he couldn’t take it anymore. “Shut up.” he repeated in a more steady voice that at least brought Sam’s attention to him and his eyes without another useless word as if he was waiting for an answer. But he wouldn’t get one and that wasn’t only because Rick didn’t even listen. No, his fingers tips twitched under the hyper arousal and rage he was under and without even realizing it he suddenly pulled on Sam’s wrist to change positions with him only to make sure that the other wouldn’t lose his stand as Rick’s teeth sank into his throat for a bite that was made out of distress and longing but also with the intention of owning and shutting him up.

It took a moment until the warning of this bite turnt into something sensual, something that brought his tongue out to drag along Sam’s flesh after he had left his mark there. Licking someone’s wound after causing it, oh how very romantic wasn’t it? In exhaustion he released himself from his skin, not noticing at first that he had pulled on Sam’s hair to tilt his head to give him the needed space but slowly his fingers let go and shifted into a caressing gesture of stroking down his face while he hid his head in the crook of Sam’s neck. “At least you stopped fucking talking now.” he murmured against the man’s skin under hard breaths, not mentioning that it would also give the man a mark he would wear for others to see that would hopefully keep them away from him. “I wanna leave now.” Was it embarrassment that made him say that or was he waiting for Sam to join him? Rick himself wasn’t sure of it as he pulled away and let go of him, a last look at the man’s neck bringing a proud smirk to his lips. “I’m sorry.” He was not. In fact he slipped his hand lovingly along the mark to adore it for a moment before he would face the truth of Sam’s reaction. “Do you wanna stay here?”

[sparrowkin]

While I recognize I’m too damn old for tumblr...

I accept the risk that I am shouting this out into the void. Having said so...Here are some thoughts I have had on bullying in the present and the past.

There is something people who refuse to engage in or use our time bullying that bullies--and abusive personalities--of nearly every stripe will simply never have. I wish with all my faded ginger hair-covered Druid brains that this thing was enough to protect the targets of abusers and bullies. I can’t pretend, even for an instant that it’s enough on its own; that would be dangerous and irresponsible. What I hope is that by sharing something even so simple that it’s probably a gold medalist in the “staggeringly obvious” category, if you’ve missed it or forgotten it, that you may get some recharge or some reinforcement or affirmation out of it. Thank you for bearing with me, whoever you are.

In Roald Dahl’s Matilda there’s a scene where Mr. Wormwood rips the book out of his daughter hands in rage that she is enjoying something that he cannot see the point of, that he cannot share or experience for himself, without (I think) reflecting on why this may be so. He rips every page from her library copy of The Red Pony,  this self-righteous rage at what he sees as exclusion (spoiler: it’s not exclusion Mr. awful fictional father of the year) just accelerating at every tear and crumple. 

What he can’t see is that he has not been excluded, unfairly or otherwise; he has exiled himself. An enormous percentage of bullies and abusers (I think) have at some point in their life exiled themselves without necessarily realizing that it was the kind of exile most likely to become forever. They do this for uncountable reasons, for all the motivations the kinder (than me, I am neither nice nor forgiving) guidance counselors and teachers and checked-out but well meaning parents assign; instability or violence they themselves are suffering from, insecurity, fear, unmanaged rage, undiagnosed mental health needs, the desperate need to fill a void by fitting in with some people even those people are predatory f&ckwafflers...Or even more benign reasons. More understandable and relatable reasons. All of their friends have declared themselves too old for She-Ra and just want to watch Grease. Jim Henson dies and suddenly nobody thinks Muppets are cool. Art projects are never going to be as good as That One Girl who Can Draw...

(Sometimes I think it’s happened because historically, things have been really, deeply bad and people have been pulled away from “childish stuff” to grow up faster, provide for their family in need sooner. Given how things went down in the Depression for my grandfather and basic empathy I am not here to cr&p on anybody in that position.)

What I’m getting at is that for a wide variety of possible reasons, good bad and ugly...people give up their appreciation of wonder. Sometimes it’s bit by bit so someone doesn’t even notice, sometimes it’s accelerated. Once gone though, it’s not impossible to get back but it is difficult, and our general society in the US doesn’t make that easier. 

Now the historian in me is making faces and grunting and preparing to sit up and hurl things--probably unintelligible personal papers from the 18th century or Civil War privy contents or toenail clippings of the Venerable Bede so let me just clarify; this is a theory based on the experiences and interpretations of literary and non fiction works by one person. One. I’m an undergrad lit major, I have a grad degree in history and some training in Mainline Liberal Ministry. I am spectacularly good at being wrong; I could be wrong here.

A sense of wonder and joy does not have to come from the Big Experiences in your life--that trip you were lucky to take to the Grand Canyon, the fan vaulting in Westminster Abbey, the Pacific or Atlantic Ocean, or a whale watch. I mean it can...of course it can but it can be very small as well...Skyscapes at 2pm from on foot wherever you live or for a hot minute in the car or through a window. The cat doing something ridonculous... A color in an ad on a Bus, a sparrow. TREES.--okay now I’m getting into what could be mistaken as Inspirational BS here so moving on...it can be a book, a story that grips each side of your head, pulls you down to the page and will not let you go until it’s over and you’re transported, transformed, legally High off Your Arse...wishing there was more. Sometimes it doesn’t matter worth a damn how you encounter that story--book, TV, movie, song...

It is my theory based on empirical observations and data from a very limited sample pool, I genuinely suspect, I even believe it is possible that bullies and abusers have exiled themselves so profoundly from Wordsworth’s (I can’t stand the guy but he got this idea right) “Inner Eye” and from the capacity to take in the larger world that they have lost the ability to do so in any way. There’s no inspiration or laughter or strength or hope or determination to draw from anything but domination of every nasty kind possible over anyone they can get into a position to dominate. (However unfounded my concern may be to clarify I do not mean a healthy responsible Dom/Sub dynamic here). In actuality, dominate may be the word they use to themselves, consciously but it’s really more about needing to tyrannize (not in the Greek city state definition) and then destroy any and all opposition. That imperative grows until a child reading a book becomes how dare they!?! because the bully/abuser recognizes that here is at least some portion of another human being’s experience that they can no more control than they can shape the weather. That chink in the armor, that gap in the advancing charge, that inaccessible bit is an unholy and raging terror to a lot of bullies and abusers. 

if you’ve been bullied it may well have been more than I was. It may still be going on. You may be in the slow and horrendously dangerous process of extracting yourself and everyone you love from the reach of one or more of the worst kind of bullies: abusers. I wish I could help you more than by simply saying all this. I’m more sorry than you will likely ever know that it’s not enough. But it’s out there.  (PS, I have ADHD. There will be typos.)

[cursedvida]

Several points:

1) I don't care if you like Snape or not. This isn’t about whether you like Snape. It’s about how you categorically state that Snape was little less than the devil for being an asshole as an adult when I don’t think anyone with common sense denies that. He was an asshole who projected his frustrations onto those closest to him. But you can agree with that and still critique without dismissing all the character's background.

2) I don't generalize about a group of people because they dislike a character. I state with reasons based on academic knowledge and professional experience that deliberately ignoring how cycles of violence work in people from highly vulnerable circles is simplistic, ignorant, and fallacious. If you want to rant about how bad Snape was, find another argument because the "your traumas don't excuse you" one is easily refuted.

3) Interesting that you bring up Sirius, who almost killed one of his peers without caring at all about ending a life or that one of his best friends could have ended up in Azkaban and traumatized for life for committing a crime. The same Sirius Black who loves to preach about rejecting racism but treats his house-elf like trash. But since that's the easy part, let's focus on the important: Harry and Sirius come from troubled backgrounds, but in their adolescence, they found support groups and positive role models. Harry was practically adopted by the Weasleys, just as Sirius was taken in by the Potters. That means they did have healthy emotional role models and safe environments where they felt supported. They also had a solid circle of friends and, by the way, a stable financial situation. So, you are comparing the trauma processing of a character who experienced violence at home and school and belonged to a lower social class with two rich characters who, outside their dysfunctional family environments, had a safe space at school. That comparison doesn’t hold up. It’s absurd.

4) Genocide is wrong, but you skip over the part where (as if it’s not obvious) Rowling already made it clear that besides his love for the Dark Arts, Snape’s main motivation for joining the Death Eaters was surrounding himself with powerful people to feel safe. That’s common for people with low self-esteem who are constant victims of abuse and humiliation. Also, they were probably the only people who didn’t treat him like garbage at school, and the only way to fit in at Slytherin. It’s the same thing as far-right groups targeting vulnerable kids, feeding them nonsense to empower them, and suddenly they’re running podcasts saying terrible things. Yes, it’s wrong, but I went to a Catholic school in an upper-middle-class area and saw many people follow awful trends and later grow up and realize they didn’t know what they were getting into. I don’t think you can condemn a 17-year-old for joining a cult that promises to give him the power he’s never had, especially considering this kid has suffered continuous abuse at home and been an outcast at school. I also don’t think it’s absurd to believe that someone accustomed to hostile and violent environments has a distorted perception of right and wrong or warped moral standards. If we’re going to talk about Snape being a Death Eater, the reality in the canon is that he was only a Death Eater for about 3-4 years, yet he spent almost 20 years risking his life for the “right side.” So, that argument also falls apart on its own.

5) I’m not talking about “people who don’t like Snape,” but rather people who discuss Snape’s character as if he’s beyond redemption and one-dimensional, ignoring his complex backstory. Was Snape a bad teacher? Terrible. Was he mean to kids? Awful. Were all the other adults responsible for the children’s well-being and mental health fully aware of how he behaved in class and did absolutely nothing? Also true. And that includes Dumbledore, who put him there in the first place. So both he and the rest of the adult staff are indirectly responsible for allowing Snape to do as he pleased. And I say this because I had terrible teachers, and to this day, I don’t just blame them, but also all the adults who knew what was happening and did nothing.

6) I don’t hate Lily, but I think she was a terrible friend. But that’s just my idea of friendship and the experiences I’ve had. I’ve had friends who went off the deep end, and we’ve said and done horrible things to each other. But in the end, if you care about someone, your issues are a personal matter, and I can assure you that even after months without speaking to one of my friends, I would have fought anyone who tried to bully them. I don’t think that insult was that bad given the circumstances. It seems to me she was already tired of justifying being friends with the “weird kid” obsessed with the Dark Arts and used the opportunity to cut ties. That’s fair, and she had every right to do so, but that’s not what a true friend would do. And of course datibg yout ex best friend bully is gross as hell.

Canon Snape defenders are fucking delusional. Do I find him an extremely complex and intriguing character? Yes. I actually love it. But yall wanna play the "poor baby he did no wrong" card.

Tell me how you can justify him when he BULLIED children while he was an ADULT, and worse, he was their fucking PROFESSOR. THAT MAN WAS A TEACHER. He was supposed to teach the children, help them out on a subject HE taught, with incredible patience because they're ELEVEN YEARS OLD. Yes he was bullied, I know (the hows and whys of it - that's literally a whole another discussion tho). JUST BECAUSE HE WAS BULLIED AS A CHILD DOESN'T MEAN HE CAN BULLY CHILDREN AS AN ADULT

Your trauma doesn't excuse and allow you to abuse other people.

"Oh but Dumbledore forced him to join Hogwarts as a teacher so he could keep a close eye on him!", "oh but he was a spy!" How could he actually act civil towards literal children while teaching them, am I right? FUCK YOU. Literally fuck you, I don't care what he did. His redemption, his mistakes, his flaws aside, he could at least try to be a decent fucking teacher. I know he was miserable all the time, but that doesn't excuse him actually being such an asshole to literally babies. Him being an interesting character doesn't absolve him of his crimes or flaws, and it's NOT BECAUSE HE'S UGLY. IT'S BECAUSE HE BULLIED THE CHILDREN HE WAS SUPPOSED TO TEACH. ALSO BECAUSE he was a RACIST and he called his best friend, the supposed love of his life a FUCKING SLUR. How do you even excuse that?

[theroundbartable]

Kaz doesn't talk about himself. But sometimes he says things that give the crows glimpses into his life.

They don't realise it often, like when Kaz suddenly knew farm language with Colm Fahej. But sometimes, it's obvious.

They are on a job, a smaller, trivial one. They are still gathering information, Inej, Jesper, Wylan and Kaz, when they overhear their target talking. The man has a rasp in his voice, not unlike Kaz's own and Jesper can't help make a joke of it.

"Hey, Inej. You think Kaz and him are related?"

Inej smiles from the corner where she vanished, at least, Jesper assumes she does. At the very least he knows that she knows what he's referring to.

"Shh, quiet.", Kaz silences him.

"Aw, come on, Kaz. He looks JUST like you."

"If I were ugly, perhaps." Kaz mutters and gestures him quiet again.

"Seriously though. What's with his voice?", Jesper finally says, because it's something he can't ask about Kaz. But he sure as hell can ask about a stranger's ticks and problems, which Kaz would know how to exploit.

Kaz rolls his eyes. "It's from the Queen lady's plague. Must have reached the late stage, when the firepox get's stuck in the lungs. It's nasty business all that scar tissue. Blocks the vocal chords. Now move, we gotta go!"

Jesper pauses. Wylan pauses. Only Inej and Kaz move on from their positions. Jesper and Wylan exchange a glance. Then they follow suit.

[srslysierraa]

Hi Hi! ~ 🌙 anon here! I saw your current state of panic in having nothing to write so here I am! Your free to decline this request if you'd like!

Parings:

susbedo x gender-neutral! reader x jealous! albedo!

genre: fluff + crack

okay so imagine susbedo and albedo fighting over you in dragonspine in front of the group consisting of the characters present in shadows admist snow storms (bennett, traveler (either one is fine), paimon, amber, and eula).

albedo confronted susbedo after seeing him with his significant other and just hugging them a bit too close with his face buried in the nape of his lover. jealous, he tried to pry his lover away only for susbedo to cling onto them like a koala.

and thus it began a tug-of-war between the two homunculus's for you as the group watched in bewilderment and... I guess shock -

susbedo isn't the whopper flower by the way it's the third, cocky albedo -

thank you and have a good rest of your day! 👓

“ Not yours, mine. ”

Prompt ;; fake!Albedo and Albedo fighting over you in Dragonspine, never in a million years did you thought you'd be in a position you are now.

Type ;; one-shot, fluff + crack.

Chars. Involved ;; fake!Albedo / Subject 3, Albedo, Eula, Amber, Bennett. [Genshin Impact]

Triggers ;; identity theft.

A/N ;; THANK YOU SM, I love how this is a susbedo one too since I've been brainrotting him all day 😭 Albedo was nice but Susbedo really made me feel things fr so this is great shdbjdj. Also i really hope this is what you meant-

Walking through the white snow of Dragonspine has always been soothing for both your eyes, and mood. Though for some reason, recent events had been so far from relaxing.

Here you are, standing in the crowd with the rest of the people you've been walking with for the past hour or so, right after defeating a plant that somehow in some way replicated your beloved's looks to a T - well, almost that is. You noticed it first, when he showed up out of nowhere after the avalanche. You rushed up to him, worry in your eyes and looking all over him for any signs of injuries, and yet he didn't have any particular expression on his face. All he said was, "I'm okay." And immediately looked away.

At first you thought he was just tired, especially after having to jump down after Bennett during the incident. Maybe he hit his head? But suddenly you noticed something, something.. odd. He no longer has his little mark on his neck. You were confused, definitely, but something held you back in asking about it, seeming like it wasn't the appropriate time to do so when all everyone wanted was to head back. Still, you couldn't shake the fact that something was wrong with Albedo, and soon enough after you, Traveler, and Eula got together to talk about it, "Albedo" attacked you up to the moment where the real Albedo shows up and all of you had to take down a mutated plant.

And that's chapter one of today's weirdest events.

Albedo assured everyone that the reason this whopperflower in particular was trying to be Albedo was because of Durin's blood that seeped through the ground of Dragonspine, and you bought it, i mean - between Albedo and you, it's obvious who's the brainy one in the relationship, so you had no reason to not trust his hypothesis in the matter.

Or so you thought.

It's not like he's particularly being bad, all Albedo wanted was to protect you. He knew that there was another one, subject three, most likely lurking somewhere right now. And if he's trying to target everyone that had contact with him, then you're no doubt part of the hitlist. It doesn't help that you know Albedo's secret of him not particularly being a "normal" human, so the least he could do is not tell you about the failed experiment - the 'third' Albedo.

And so here you are.

Walking by the snowy wonderland as you finally thought that the whole "fakebedo" drama has come to a close, sometimes stopping by the fire to warm yourself up. You sensed that something is lurking, but you merely assumed it's a fox or a boar considering it is Dragonspine. But as you're about to turn around, you were met by a really familiar face.

"Oh! Albedo, you scared me!" You huffed, jumping back when you saw your lover inches from your face as you turned. "What were you thinking sneaking up on me like that?! You almost gave me a heart attack," The sigh was almost trivial, a bit exaggerated, but that was a common thing between you two.

Though, at first the Chief Alchemist only tipped his head to the side just a bit, before a small smile graced his features. "Sorry," It was short, but maybe he was just teasing? You shook your head, crossing your arms as you look at him. "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be at camp? We agreed that we'll all be meeting you at your camp soon, no?"

Albedo looks at you with an unreadable expression, silent for a few seconds before perking back up, "Meeting?" "Mhm," You smiled. "What? Did you forget? Me, Eula, Amber and Bennett are supposed to see you really soon, what if they see you left the camp and head down the mountain!"

His expression went soft, a hand by his chin as he replicates his signature thinking stance. "I see, no i didn't forget, don't worry. Let's walk back up together." You couldn't help the small smile creeping up your face, nodding softly as you start to walk side by side with what you assume was your lover.

The walk was quite peaceful, finally a moment of relaxation after the chaos, as you and Albedo take care to make sure that each step was careful. However, the blonde looked at you, as if studying you. You chuckled a little, "What?" as Albedo snaps his gaze away. "Nothing. You're perfect." As sudden as it was, you mustered a small laugh thanks to how he said that with a blank expression. "That's awfully random, thank you Albedo, you're perfect as well." Is what you would say, but he shakes his head immediately.

"No. I'm different, imperfect. You're an organic and real human being, your existence and mine are nothing short than opposite, and since you're perfect, I'm hardly am." Though no tone was raised or too low for comfort, you can still see the solemness behind the words. You stopped your steps, tugging at his sleeve as you look at him. "Albedo, look at me." Your voice was soft, borderline whisper, but he obliged - stopping his walk to look back at you.

"We've been over this, haven't we? I do not care if you were made synthetically by human hands. I do not care if your existence weren't created the same way mine did. The fact that you exist is a miracle in it's own, and i wanna cherish that miracle. So please, stop thinking you're any less than what i am just because of how you were brought to this world, you're perfect, purely because you're you. I love you."

Fake Albedo never understood anything about the real Albedo, how he gotten his recognition, how he won over many people's affection, how he's able to live a normal life amongst humans despite of his secret. And definitely not how the hell he somehow has someone like you by his side, but he also understood one thing at this moment, he understood exactly why Albedo decided to have you beside him. He understood why everytime he spies on Albedo, the real one always looked so at peace when talking to you. It seemed so obvious to him now.

As Subject three stared at you with a bit of wide eyes, you can't help but felt embarrassed ; like the whole speech was unnecessary. But as you're about to defend yourself from said embarrassment, you felt a pair of arms around you, embracing you tight with a small "Thank you." to the side of your ear. The blush crept it way to your face, feeling it heating up despite the cold weather. "Of course,"

After you broke the hug, you both continued the peaceful walk, occasionally talking about a few things. You however, slowly getting a bit colder due to the unlit torches along the way, Albedo noticed this before asking, "What's the matter?" The shook of your head seemed forced, but you went through with it. "Nothing, a bit cold is all, how are you not bothered by the cold hm?" Albedo remained silent, slowly embracing you in another hug out of nowhere.

"Uhm, Albedo?" "Yes?" "What're you doing?" It was obvious what he's trying to do, so you couldn't help but giggle as you ask. But Albedo only continued the hug, before answering you. "You seemed warmer earlier when i hugged you, i was wondering if i could warm you up this way again."

You hugged him back, obviously, though it didn't seem so obvious to him as to why you did that, he only responded with "I'm not cold." A few seconds into the hug, "I know, but i wanted to hug you anyways." Such a simple sentence can leave someone like Subject three so dumbfounded, both you and Fakebedo remained in that position in a while, and as you two broke out of the hug, you couldn't help but cup his face and give him a small peck on the forehead, before humming to yourself as you leave him frozen in his position.

The camp was right up ahead, and as you about to go near it, what you thought was Albedo suddenly pulled you to his side - burying his face to nape of your neck as he hugged you close to his chest. You can't help but see Amber's bow from the tip of the snow, signaling that she and the rest have arrived. "Albedo, we can't let them wait too long, I'll let you do this later-" "No." That caught you off guard, as he only tighten the grip on your waist. "Stay, just a little while longer." He kept his face buried as you try to pry him off, no luck of course, he was too busy cherishing you to ever think of letting you go. "But Albedo-"

"Y/N?"

You swear you're seeing double when you suddenly heard what sounded like another voice of Albedo's, that is until you looked up to see the real owner of said voice. "...Albedo?" You croaked out, looking at him in bewilderment, the rest of the gang rushed towards you three also, Eula being the first to say something. "What happened here? Y/N? Where were you?!" The Spindrift Knight questioned, though Albedo, the real one, seemed obligated to answer. "We were worried you might be in trouble due to you not attending, but i can see that you merely just got held back by something unfortunate."

You were confused, and you had every right to do so, because if that's Albedo then.. Who's the person embracing you right now? Before you knew it, Albedo already had your arms in his, tugging you to come to him. Seeing as Eula already has half a mind to cut whoever is latching onto you right now, you obliged, releasing yourself from the grasp of the mysterious Doppelganger of Albedo's.

"I, I don't understand but, that means that that one is bad news right?" Bennett asked, pointing to Subject three. Fakebedo only narrowed his eyes, getting himself a handful of your arm in his. "Let go." He hissed to his real counterpart, tugging you along to his side.

"I should be the one to say that." Albedo's words though sounded calm, was obvious to have a bit of anger behind it. He tug you back to his side as well, taking his arm to be by your waist, keeping your body safe in his hold. "Let's go." He told you, but that didn't last long as Fakebedo suddenly pulled on your arm to make sure you didn't go with the real Chief Alchemist, in doing so also pointing a blade towards him. "Give her back!" As he was about to slice at him, Eula and Bennett intervened, you can almost see the sad expression as he looks at you before both Bennett and Eula goes chasing the fake one away. Amber made sure both you and Albedo isn't hurt, while you do a little inspection of Albedo yourself, hoping that he didn't get cut in anyway.

You stayed in the arms of your real lover, muttering an "I'm okay," to Amber, before looking down on the path Subject three had taken to flee. You felt a bit sad with how desperate he seemed, but you could never leave Albedo, especially not for a literal fake copy of him.

"Albedo?" "Hm?" " Tell me one thing only you and i would know." "Remember how you were messing with my alchemy things only for you to create a glittery substance, and because you think it's pretty you thought you could touch it but then your finger turned blue and it made your whole hand glittery, and a few hours later you forgot about it so you wiped your eye with your glittery hand only for your eye to get even more itchy and messed up because you kept getting glitter in it and-" "OKAY! That's enough, that's enough. Thank you, love."

[bratkook]

come over. (m) jjk

pairing. jungkook x reader genre. smut, pwp,  warnings. jungkook is a self proclaimed pervert, smut in forms of: mutual masturbation, voyeurism through bedroom windows, rough sex, oral (m receiving), jungkook is a lil mean but just a little, dirty talk, use of vibrator, multiple orgasms, forced orgasm, overstimulation, unprotected sex word count. 7.2k summary. the guilt of being a dirty peeping tom eats Jungkook alive, not knowing this was all part of your elaborate plan to sleep with the new neighborhood eye candy. author’s note. #84 requested by @taestybae​ from this promp list! ty for sending this in bby 🖤 (requests now closed)

Jungkook knows it's wrong, god does he know it's wrong. Acting as if he didn’t mean to leave his blinds cracked open, tilted at just the right angle that allows him to still be able to see out, the view he’s granted being your own window a few feet away. 

It’s funny now, how when he had first purchased the town house he had hated how close his neighbors were to him, and now here he was, an absolute pervert who was thankful for the narrow distance between your buildings.

The self proclaimed pervert simply sits at his desk, mindlessly going through work emails while his eyes continue to drift up, staring through his blinds for any sign of movement. 

Jungkook’s chest feels tight as he waits, eyeing the ticking clock in the corner of his screen and seeing it was nearing nine at night. Maybe you had plans tonight, going out with your friends, mind too preoccupied to indulge the filthy fantasies Jungkook had swirling in his head. It had become his favorite daily activity, sneaking a peek at you, sometimes doing simple things like relaxing with a face mask, or having a dance party. 

Of course those moments were all adorable but his favorite moments were the ones where you would walk around topless or lather lotion on your body after a shower. Sometimes you’d take the teasing a step further, blinds fully opened with only the sheer curtain coming in between him and your shadowed silhouette, caught in the act of what he could only assume was you touching yourself. 

Jungkook used to think it was purely accidental, just a careless neighbor who had no idea his bedroom had the perfect view, but he swore you had made eye contact with him far too many times for this to not be intentional.

Before his mind can spiral further, there’s suddenly a flicker of light and like a magnet, Jungkook’s eyes lock in to their target, seeing you walking into your room with a small towel draped over your shoulder, sports bra and tiny workout shorts showing him how your body was glistening in sweat. 

Pushing off his desk, his chair rolls and squeaks along his floor so he could get a better view, completely invested in seeing the way you get comfortable after your trip to the gym. Call it creepy or call it attentive but Jungkook had grown to know your schedule, you were his neighbor who enjoyed giving him peep shows so it was sort of hard for him not to realize the usual routine you had. However, this was the first time he had seen you come back from the gym this late. 

Jungkook groans now at his realization, palm coming to rub down his face as he hears his own thoughts, behaving like a man who had a notebook where he jotted down your schedule. 

He didn’t, but still, he felt like a creep. A dirty fucking creep. 

With his eyes screwed shut he shuffles the chair back to its rightful spot like a child in time out, angling his body to prevent his wandering eyes from looking through his window once more, the shame once again eating away at him like it did every time. 

Did you really do this on purpose? 

Of course you did, you weren’t stupid. 

The second Jungkook moved into your neighborhood he became the talk of the street, suburban house moms, young teenage girls, even your elderly neighbor had begun to wonder who the cute boy who went jogging down the street was. He oozed sex appeal, not even realizing how swooned he had everyone with his morning workout, he just thought everyone waved and smiled at him out of pure friendliness. 

Although he had no idea how hot he looked, you were blessed with the gift of vision and common sense. It only took you one glance of him exiting his house, long hair partially tied back, running shorts hugging his thighs so beautifully and you were sold. 

The minute you realized he was your next door neighbor it was like a lightbulb went off above your head, it was a blessing in disguise and you were not about to pass up the opportunity to have this go in your favor. Giving him a front row seat to you and everything you had to offer was the cards you chose to play and so far it had been going well. 

That is until you exit the shower, excitement coursing through you, already wondering how you’re going to tease him tonight. With your towel loosely hanging around your chest, you’re ready for the small show, but as you get into your usual position you notice that his blinds are now tightly closed, no gap between the shutters to allow him a peak of you. 

It’s a sudden and very unexpected chain of events. With a small huff of disappointment you perch yourself onto the end of your bed, directly facing your window as you sit in thought, your saucy plans for the night being ruined. 

Wondering just what could have made Jungkook flip a switch like that kept you up at night so when you see him coming in from his run the following morning as you leave for work you don’t think twice about speaking up. 

Your neighbor flinches when you greet him in good morning, not expecting to hear your voice so close to him but he could thank your connected driveways for that. 

“Oh, good morning.” he smiles politely, pulling out his airpod and pausing his music entirely to give you his full attention. The small nerves of being called out bubble up inside of him, only having talked to you once prior he wasn’t really sure where this conversation would go, were you about to call him a disgusting pervert?

“Did you call it a night really early last night?” You bite instantly, soft smile not giving away your true intentions but he knows, the way his eyes widen slightly make it obvious. 

“Yeah,” he sputters out, wiping his sweaty palms on his black shorts, nerves already making his heart skip. You knew, there was absolutely no way you didn’t and this solidified it. He had assumed you did, his guilty conscience making him believe what you did was intentional in order for him not to feel like the peeping Tom he very clearly was, but hearing you sneakily admit to knowing he hadn’t watched you last night made him feel like a bucket of cold water had been dumped over him. 

“Haven’t been getting much sleep lately so..”

You simply nod along as he trails off in a lie, lips spreading out into a smirk as your eyes very obviously give him a once over, focusing on the deep cuts of his sleeves that expose his sides and art filled arm, how the shorts he wears hit above his knee and leave his glorious thighs out for you to see. He was truly blind to his good looks. 

“Sorry I haven’t really given you a proper neighborly welcome, can I have your number?” Already fishing your phone out of your pocket because you knew he wouldn’t say no, still you tack on a helpful lie to make your flirting a little more subtle. “The neighbors have a group chat, I’ll add you to it so you can get all the hot gossip.”

If he knows you're lying he doesn’t show it, instead he looks a tiny bit disappointed that you wanted his number to add him to a neighborhood group chat. Regardless he recites his number with a smile, his phone instantly vibrating in his palm with a text from you, a friendly ‘hi neighbor’ with a waving emoji at the end. 

As he starts to save your contact you open up your car door, grabbing his attention once more. “I’ll text you if I ever need sugar...or other neighborly things.”

The suggestive teasing in your tone isn’t lost on him now, his cheeks flushing at the implications behind your words. “Yeah, whatever you need.” 

He’s admittedly even more disappointed when your message thread runs dry, not even being added to the gossip group chat that he was sort of curious about. You hadn’t even given him a show since the night he shut his blinds but it was all part of your plan, expertly crafted to go in your favor. 

While you’re at work you get the email that sets everything in motion, a notification of your package being out for delivery. A very cute baby pink wand would be placed at your door step in discreet packaging and if things went the way you anticipated it would be making its proper debut tonight, hopefully with an audience of one. 

Jungkook is pulled away from his computer screen when his phone vibrates against his desk, your name illuminated on his homescreen. He pauses for a moment, wondering if this was simply a text initiating him into that damn group chat that he had no idea didn’t actually exist, but when he unlocks it and opens up the thread he sees it's just you. 

Y/N 3:48pm : hi jungkook, sorry to do this but im getting a suuuper important package delivered today could you please keep it safe until i get home later tonight? 🥺🖤

You wanted him to guard a package, just neighborly things, exactly what you said you would text him for. 

Jungkook 3:49pm : sure, what is it?

He feels stupid immediately after hitting send, fingers curling together into fists as his eyes glare at his screen. Why the hell would he ask what the package was? Being a peeping Tom was clearly not enough, no he had to know about your online purchases. 

Y/N 3:52pm : just something for sore muscles 😅

Just like a typical horny boy would, his mind wanders to what exactly could be in the box, quickly texting you an ‘okay!👍🏻’ before locking his phone altogether. He was going to lose his mind. 

All according to plan. 

Jungkook guards that package with his life, placed delicately on his kitchen counter, exactly where he left it the minute he saw the postman drop it off. He’s been glued to his couch since then, regularly looking over his shoulder to ensure the brown box wouldn’t spontaneously disappear. 

Just as he feels himself getting antsy the gentle knocking from his front door has him springing up from his couch, pausing a few feet away from the door as he eyes the knob before looking back at the package. Should he greet you with it in his hands, or would that seem like he was trying to rush you away?

When you knock a second time he opts for just opening the door, seeing you standing there with that friendly smile, a small tweed skirt and matching top showing him you had just got off work, his eyes focusing on your exposed legs for a moment too long until your voice snaps him out of it. 

“Hi Jungkook,” you greet him with that honey sweet voice, the tiny glimmer in your eyes betraying you but he doesn’t spot it. “Did you get my package?”

“Hey, yeah I did.” Leaving the door ajar, he steps further into his home, quickly retrieving the light box and bringing it to you, still patiently waiting with that polite smile as if you didn’t know what was packaged inside that box. 

“You’re a lifesaver!” you cheer, holding it close to your chest with a small sigh, “I don’t know what I would’ve done if this got stolen.”

Jungkook can feel his face warm up, not able to stop his mouth from running on autopilot, unintentionally outing himself as an extremely observant neighbor. “You must be really sore from going to the gym all the time huh?”

There's a silence that falls over you both as you eye him curiously, gaze flickering with the same mischief from earlier, something he can easily spot now and he desperately wants to shrink into himself. 

“Definitely,” you agree with a laugh, “thanks again, have a good night!”

And just like that you’re gone, leaving him with his forehead pressed against his front door as he feels like an idiot. “Really, you must be sore?” He mocks his own voice, rolling his eyes before standing up straight and retreating back into his room to finish the work he had neglected in favor of protecting your package. 

The same package that you were currently clutching onto as you bolted up your stairs with a pair of scissors in the opposite hand, debatably not the safest choice but it had to be done. You feel like a crazed woman as you stab into the clear tape to break the seal, peeling back the flaps and letting out a giddy laugh when you spot the sleek white box, a photo of the device printed on the front. 

With steady hands you pull out the prized toy, carelessly tossing the empty boxes to the side, hearing them land with a light thud. The soft silicone against your thumb fills you with anticipation, a silent click against the first button dulls down the excitement when it refuses to turn on. 

“Stupid fucking chargers.” you grunt, setting the device down and making your way back to the discarded boxes, pulling out the tiny white cable to plug it in. 

The provided pamphlet states a full charge in one hour, plenty of time for you to get a grip on yourself, the last thing you needed was to rip open your blinds and come face to face with your hot neighbor with the crazy eyes you’re sure you were sporting earlier, you really didn’t need to scare him off before the main event. 

Jungkook is none the wiser as he mindlessly scrolls through the endless data in front of him, eyes floating through the numbers in a dazed manner, his mind far too occupied with that stupid package. He knew exactly what it was, proudly deciphering the code of something for sore muscles to spell out vibrator for him in giant neon letters. 

Were you using it now, in your bedroom a good feet away from his own, laid out on your bed directly in his line of sight?

His mind continues to play out salacious scenarios as you finish applying your favorite lotion after the small body shower you took, the silk robe hanging off your shoulder as you bend forward. Your pink toy lays on your bed, the buttons now blinking to indicate a full charge, your plan was now back in motion. 

As you step back into your room and slowly crack open your blinds you realize Jungkook’s are still tightly shut. Looking up into the slowly darkening sky you notice the clouds beginning to loom overhead, a smile spreading on your lips as you think of a way to get Jungkook to open up his blinds for the show. 

Jungkook’s phone buzzes with a text a few seconds later, eyes widening slightly when he realizes it’s from you. 

Y/N 7:02pm : lol does it look like its gonna rain to you?

His head tilts in confusion at your question, nonetheless he stands from his desk, fully sliding up his blinds to stare up at the sky. When he notices the grey clouds he looks down at his phone to start to type, the small flash of movement from across the way making him freeze, looking directly through your window once more and seeing you innocently sitting on your bed, staring right at him with a smile. 

Jungkook can feel how wide his eyes get as he stares at you, leg crossed over the other as you rest back onto your palms, head tilted as you wave at him in greeting. Right where you want him. 

His hand raises up to wave back at you, the voice in his head screaming every obscenity he could think of as he attempts to smile, the grimace in his face making it hard for you not to laugh. 

You start slow, wanting to give him enough time to shut his blinds if he really wants no part in this, your hand coming up to begin pushing the robe off your shoulder further, the first sliver of skin being exposed to his eyes. Jungkook wants to scream, bang his head into the glass as he sees the way your skin glimmers, already knowing you had lathered on that damn lotion of yours. 

When he doesn’t move you let the other sleeve fall down, the swell of your breasts holding up the soft material, shielding them from his sight for another moment. Your eyes never leave his face, needing to see his reaction when you sit up straight and let the material pool around your hips, tits fully exposed for him to see. 

His reaction is well worth it, jaw dropping slightly as he spots the way your nipples harden in the exposed air, forehead nearly ramming into the window when you bring your hand up to pinch and twist at the pebbled buds. He feels his cock stirring in his pants when your head drops back, lips opening up to let out what he knows is the prettiest moan, head leveling out as you bite your lip and stare at him once more. 

Jungkook doesn’t know what to do as he watches you, champagne colored robe still hooked around your elbows as you reach behind your bed and pick up the pink toy you had bought today. The metallic capped bottom shines in the light and he feels like he’s caught in a trance as you showcase it. 

For a moment your attention drops down, landing on your phone as you quickly type out a message before setting it aside once more. His phone comes to life in his hand, nearly scaring him with its vibrations. 

Y/N 7:18pm : touch yourself please

He swears he’s gonna bust his load then and there, typing out a quick ‘okay’, a message you ignore entirely in favor of turning on your toy. The excited look in your eyes is clear as day when the device buzzes in your hand, Jungkook’s eager fingers unbuttoning his jeans as you start to trail the vibrating head along your body, passing over your nipples and gasping at the ticklish feeling. 

Looking across the way once more you see Jungkook’s gaze locked onto you, his body fully illuminated by his bedroom light, allowing you to see his hands start to push his pants down, taking his black briefs with them. Your teeth bite down onto your bottom lip as he raises his palm up to messily spit into it before coming back down to fist his slowly hardening cock. His covered chest rises and falls as he huffs out a breath, slowly squeezing his shaft as he glides up towards his head, coating his palm in the stray beads of precum that drip out of it. 

This further solidified that Jungkook was a pervert, at least in his own mind, who else would be so eager to jack off to the sight of their neighbor this easily. You didn’t think so though, knowing every one of your actions had a purpose, Jungkook wasn’t a pervert for being a predictable boy, he was doing exactly what you wanted him to do. 

As the head of your toy trails down your chest you take your time, circling your navel before reaching your hips, sliding down your thighs as you lean further back and begin to spread them apart. In a slow movement that Jungkook can’t look away from, you finally reveal yourself to him, folds glistening with your arousal, coating your inner thighs, allowing the toy to glide with ease. 

Jungkook groans loudly as you pass the buzzing toy over your clit, a featherlike touch that makes you twitch and moan, his hand tightening around his cock as he twists on the way up. You were absolutely sin personified, giving him a show as you tease yourself, mouth dropped open as you finally press the toy against your clit, fingers slipping into your entrance and pumping inside of you. He can only imagine the way you sound as you stretch yourself open, hips rolling up into your hand as the pleasure jolts through you. 

Fuck, what he would do to be able to touch you, hear your moans, be the one to hold that toy against you until you were writhing around. 

You can see it in his eyes, the want clouding them as he watches you, his hand steadily pumping his length, quickening up each time your body twitches. When you pull the toy away his brows furrow, releasing his cock as he places his sticky palm against the window, wondering just what you were planning now as you reach for your phone once more. 

It only takes you a few seconds to type out the message and hit send, looking up at him with that same predatory gaze you’ve been wearing all night. As he unlocks his phone again you stand up, letting the robe fully slide off your body, pooling around your feet as you step closer to your window, arms crossed under your chest to push your tits out further as you watch him. 

Y/N 7:32pm : come over

He rereads the message three times, cock still out for you to see as he contemplates his options, finally looking back up and nearly choking when he sees the way you’re almost pressed against your own window, a sweet smile on your lips as you wave him over. That helps him make his decision, locking his phone and groaning as he slips his cock back into his briefs and shimmies his pants back on. 

Your eyes gleam as he turns to exit his room, the light dimming off as he bolts down his stairs towards his front door. When he steps out onto his porch he sees the ground is damp, small droplets now falling from the sky, the chill creeping through his thin layers as he navigates across your connected driveways with his palms covering his extremely prominent bulge. 

“Please be unlocked,” he whispers under his breath when he gets to your door, turning the knob and sighing in relief when it unlocks. Jungkook doesn’t care about manners as he steps in, locking the door behind him and instantly climbing the stairs two at a time, already knowing where your room was since your house was a mirror copy of his own. 

When he finally pushes his door open he finds you perched on your bed, fully naked and waiting for him with that same toy trailing up and down your torso. The need for introductions are thrown out the window as he crosses the room, immediately settling beside you, his large hand cupping your cheek to pull you in for a kiss. 

It catches you by surprise, the normally shy neighbor who got nervous whenever you caught him staring, never expecting him to be the type to go after what he wanted like this but the way he takes control makes you lean into his touch. His lips are tender against yours, hand guiding your face closer as he slowly licks his way into your mouth, a moan of approval leaving you as his warm tongue tickles yours. 

You’d often fantasized about kissing him, wondering if he was the type to tease, to pull back and leave you wanting more but the desperation guides his movements, stops him from not fulfilling his own desires. Jungkook kisses you with passion, hunger leading him until he’s pushing you flat on your back, hands dropping down to gently hold onto your neck. 

The toy is cast to the side, your own hands sliding through his long hair as you sigh into his mouth, the wet smacks of each kiss filling your ears. 

“Take it off,” you mumble against his lips, trailing your hands down his back and tugging his shirt up, determined to rip it off of him to finally see the glorious body you know he has. Jungkook presses a quick kiss against you before kneeling up and pulling his shirt off by his neckline, each inch of exposed skin making your mouth water. 

The way his muscles rippled, pulled taut as he stretches out and tosses the black long sleeve aside, bulging out when he finally relaxes, you can’t help but let your fingers trace each ridge on his stomach. Jungkook lets you take him in, not opposed to the lust swirling in your eyes, your tongue licking over your lips as you admire him, following the lines of each tattoo up his arm until you reach his face. 

“Like what you see?” he murmurs, looking down at you with lidded eyes, letting them roam along your body, the swell of your tits that rise with each breath, how your hips can’t keep still, searching for any bit of friction you could find. 

“You’re fucking unreal.”

He holds his breath when you begin undoing his pants, in a hurry to see his cock without the distance between you. “This is what you wanted isn’t it?” he realizes, the completely unphased look on your face, the perfectly executed texts and package delivery, just knowing that he had done everything you wanted him to do. 

“It was fun though wasn’t it Jungkook, tell me–“ he helps you tug his jeans down, his briefs going with them and joining his shirt on the floor, “What did you like more, seeing me do everyday things or watching me play with myself?”

A choked groan slips past his lips as you wrap your hand around his cock, slowly sliding up his length as you question him, enjoying the way he struggles to respond. “God you’re filthy,” he grunts, jaw slack as you sit up, face now level with his cock as he rests on his knees. 

The sly smirk you give him shows that you know this, know exactly how filthy you are, using it to your advantage to get what you wanted. With bated breath he watches the way you inch forward, tongue sticking out to gently lick the swollen head of his cock, the salty bead of precum picked up by your tongue. 

“Can’t help it.” You sink onto him as the words leave your mouth, lips wrapping around him and he sighs at the warmth that envelops him, the wetness of your tongue circling his tip making his stomach tense up, muscles flexing to keep himself from thrusting into your throat. 

The small moan you let out as he fills your mouth makes his body rattle, the feeling of his dick heavy on your tongue as you slide further down, wrapping your hand around the base to steady yourself. This was much more satisfying than seeing him play with himself a few feet away, the sighs of appreciation that float in the air each time you pull back make you keep going, wanting to see him fall apart. 

Jungkook doesn’t know when his hands tangle themselves in your hair, taking it upon himself to guide you up and down his length, starting a filthy rhythm that lit his body up. He urges you down more, hands coaxing you, pushing you further onto him until you’re choking as he fills your throat. He doesn’t think you’ve ever looked prettier, eyes full of tears, nose pressed against his stomach as you hum around his cock. 

He pulls you off of him a few seconds later, the wet gasp you let out ripping through the air as you catch your breath but that sly smile remains on your face, eyeing his messy length, bobbing slightly as he moves around. 

Leaning over you once more his hands cup your face, thumb rubbing under your eyes where he spots the unshed tears threatening to spill over, collecting against your lower lashes. “Fuck, I bet you’re pretty when you cry.”

The rasp in his voice makes your stomach flip, more wetness coating your thighs and further ruining your sheets. “Make me,” you whisper, smiling when his eyebrows raise in question. “Make me cry Jungkook.”

His cock throbs at your response, wanting nothing more than to do what you want, turn you into a crying mess as you beg for him like he often thought about. “You sure?”

With a small nod you’re crawling backwards, flipping yourself over onto your hands and knees, arching your back for him as he eyes your exposed cunt, sodden folds shining when you wiggle your hips. “I’m sure.”

Jungkook fists his cock as he approaches you, slotting his knees between your thighs, inching forward until he’s circling your entrance in a teasing motion. Flashes of the way you had spread yourself open minutes prior play in his mind as he slowly breaches your entrance, the first feeling of you taking his breath away, eyes falling shut as you let out the first moan. 

Your hands fist the sheets as he stretches you open, his size filling you up so deliciously, inch by inch splitting you open. He can’t look away from it, mesmerized with the way you take him in, molding around him like he was meant to be there. 

A whimper leaves you as he presses his palms onto your ass, holding you still once he finally bottoms out, hips pressed flush against you, walls fluttering around him as he gives you time to adjust to his size. 

“This is–“ you groan when he slides back a little, “this is just how I pictured it.” The laughter laced in your voice piques his interest, leaning over your body to see you with your face pressed against your sheets, a teasing smile on your face. 

“Yeah?” Jungkook questions, tightening his grip on your ass, fingers digging into the soft flesh, no doubt marking them for you to see later. “You pictured getting fucked from behind by your neighbor?”

“Mhm,” you squeal out, giggling when he starts to fuck into you, pulling out nearly all the way before thrusting back in, the small smack of your skin mixing in with your laughter and moans. 

“I knew it,” he grunts, trailing his hand up your spine, around your neck until his palm was pressing your face into the mattress, holding you down as he ravished you, stretched you apart and turned your impure thoughts into mush. “Knew you did it on purpose, fuck, do you know how guilty I felt?”

Your walls tighten around him and he moans out at the feeling, the warmth sucking him back in each time he pulled out, the wet squelch of you soaking his cock getting louder each time. 

“S-sorry.” It's quiet, but he knows you don’t mean it, knows the words are lace with trouble as you start to rut back onto him, the playful smile felt against his palm spelling it out for him. 

“Oh you’re sorry?” Jungkook picks up his merciless pace, knowing he found the right rhythm when you let out a cry of surprise, arching further for him and keening as he nudges against your sweet spot, the first sparks of your orgasm flashing within you. The fact that you were getting what you want sending you closer to the edge faster than expected. 

“No, I’m not,” you admit, shamelessly moaning with each thrust. There was no way in hell you were sorry, if this was the outcome you’d do it all again the same exact way. Jungkook wouldn’t argue with that, the earlier guilt he felt long gone, replaced with pure hunger, only increasing when your moans start to get breathier, the panting felt against his hand, hot and heavy as you whimpered. 

“I know you’re not, you love putting on a show for me huh, knowing I was watching you from my window while you fucked with me.”

His words make your mind spin, the intoxicating roll of his hips dragging you under into the same state of desperation he was in, weeks of mindless torture fueling the both of you with more than enough sexual frustration. 

“I loved it,” you whine when he pushes your face harder into the sheets, the roughness he’s displaying making your stomach flip, thighs spreading out further for him and you let out a trembling moan when he sinks deeper into you. 

You were going to cum, he recognized the way your body tightened up, walls clamping around him, making him curse as he continues to rut into you. Jungkook smiles as you cry out, chest pushing into your mattress, hands pulling at your sheets in desperation until suddenly, you’re cumming with a shout of his name, the feeling taking you completely by surprise. “F-fuck, Jungkook.”

He gasps as you gush around him, dripping down your thighs, creaming his cock until it's slick with your arousal. Jungkook doesn’t waste any time pulling out of you, needing to see your face as he sank back into you, now on your back with a dazed out smile. 

A soft groan drips off your tongue, thick and needy when he bottoms out once more, arms wrapping around his shoulders as he starts to rock into you, forehead sweaty with his long hair falling around his face. It frames him perfectly, a simple curtain letting you see every expression he gives you, a private show just for you to witness. 

“Wanna make you cry,” he confesses, bending down and kissing your chest, his right hand mindlessly swatting at the bed until he finds exactly what he’s looking for, that damn vibrator he had guarded with his life earlier. 

The second the small vibrations meet your ears, your eyes go wide, catching the evil smirk on his lips as he holds the toy between you, fidgeting with the settings until it’s low enough to start. “Wait Jungkook, I’m sensitive.”

He leans back enough to trail the head down your stomach, taunting you as he circles your hips and reaches your mound. “You told me to make you cry though didn’t you baby?”

The excitement rushes through you once more, letting out shaky gasp as he just barely touches your sensitive clit, your body jolting and squeezing around his cock. Jungkook shuts his eyes at the feeling, bringing it back to rest against the tiny pearl, the low settings making a hum course through you, your fingers digging into his shoulders. 

“Ah, Jungkook,” you cry, chest heaving as he starts to fuck you again, hips swirling around, unsure if you want to retreat from the toy or press against it harder, the slight sting of pain morphing into pleasure the longer he keeps it up. 

“What?” he mocks, raising the settings until you’re shouting, a delirious laugh following suit as your thighs tighten around his waist in reflex. Jungkook knows you love this, your teeth biting down onto your bottom lip as you stare at him with glassy eyes full of tears, urging him to fuck you harder, begging him for more. 

He does what you ask, pistoning his hips into you with enough force to jostle your body, the head of his cock just shy of hitting your cervix, waves of pleasure mixing in with the vibrations against your clit. Jungkook can feel his own orgasm creeping up on him, crawling up his spine, goosebumps flaring out on his skin, each wet thrust and cry from you only pushing him closer. 

Jungkook watches you carefully, lost in his own pleasure but focused enough to see the way your eyes well up further, the needy sobs you release as he fucks you just right wrapping around him and urging him on, not wanting to hold back when this is what you’ve been wanting. 

The small inkling to be mean and actually see the tears fall spurs something inside of him. With a few more clicks the vibrator hits the highest setting, buzzing intensely against your clit and you nearly thrash at the sudden feeling, back arching up as you gasp. 

Jungkook chuckles, the low timbre making you whimper as he presses the head of the toy harder against you. “You gonna cum again, make a big mess around my cock?”

“Jungkook,” it’s a choked cry of his name, your arms seeking purchase around his frame, needing something to ground you as you start to float off. 

“C’mon, wanna see you cry.” He watches in awe as your body tenses of for a moment, the pleasure catching just right to push you over. 

“Fuck, fuck–“ you chant, words slurring together as a second orgasm is pulled out of you, eyes rolling back when the euphoric feeling crashes over you, tears finally spilling over and body turning limp as he continues to fuck you through it just like the last one. He feels like he won as the wetness pools under your eyes, brows furrowing together as you mewl at the feeling of your orgasm cresting, heartbeat slowing in your chest as you come down. 

“So good,” he mumbles at the high vibrations felt against his cock, the flutters from your velvety walls keeping him from turning it off, sliding it down a bit closer to your entrance until he’s gasping as well. 

“Too much,” you plead, eyes misty as you stare at him, mouth dropping open in a quiet moan when he ruts against you in search of his own release. His free hand reaches up to cup your cheek, wiping away the stray tears that had fallen against your skin. 

“I knew you’d look pretty when you cry.” He sighs, shutting his eyes when you pulse around his length. “I’m almost there, you okay?”

His concern makes you smile, nodding as you place your hand over his own on your face, dealing with the oversensitivity for him to get his own release. “Yeah, cum inside me please.”

Jungkook groans in response, sliding the vibrator further down until it rests against the base of his cock, gliding along his length with each of his thrusts, the buzzing making his body tingle. 

“Shit,” he grunts out, hips fucking you with more urgency, rutting against you sloppily, eyes opening up to stare directly at you and the lustfilled look you give him is what pushes him over. A choked groan dies in his throat when he sinks into you as deep as he can, spurts of his cum filling you up as his face twists in pleasure, mouth dropped open to release a soft moan that you swallow with a sweet kiss.  

You hum against his lips when he thrusts shallowly a few more times until finally coming to a halt, turning off the toy and chucking it aside with no care before collapsing on top of you in pure dramatics. Jungkook has no qualms about how much he weighs, making himself right at home as he nuzzles into your chest, sighing in content when you rake your fingers through his hair. 

“I feel sweaty, and I know I made a mess on your sheets.” Jungkook mumbles out, cheek pressed against your tits, eyes slipped shut with his slowly softening cock still inside of you. No doubt would your sheets be damp with an unholy mixture of the night's debauchery, something you would surely deal with later. 

“It’s okay, I like the mess.” Your words are meant to be joking but the way his cock twitches inside you shows he takes everything you say seriously, simply rolling your eyes with a smile as you tease him further. “You’re a pervert.”

Jungkook scoffs at this now, taking full offense as he pulls out of you with an accusatory glare, eyes zeroing in on your evil smile as you prop yourself up against your headboard. “I’m the pervert?” When you nod he laughs loudly, finger pointing at you in a less than threatening manner, “Says the one who gave me free shows every night!”

“It’s not my fault you’re easy to rope in, you were hooked the second you saw me have that dance party in here huh?”

He nods instantly, knowing exactly what night you were talking about, it was the night he had moved in, before you had even realized he was your neighbor, having a full on dance party to some top 40’s from the 2000’s playlist you found. That was the first night he ever saw you and ever since then he had left his blinds cracked just to see a glimpse of you, not knowing what lewd ideas you had planned. 

“Was it the facemask that did it for you?” You laugh, playfully nudging his side with your foot as he glares, the small smile on his face showing you he wasn’t taking this seriously. 

“No, it was those sexy ass boyshorts you had on, I think they were grey. They made your ass look nice.”

He laughs with you as you squeal, knowing exactly what pair of underwear you had on, the oversized shirt doing nothing to hide them as you danced around like a lunatic. 

“Is this gonna be a thing?” he wonders, taking it upon himself to enter your bathroom to grab a towel, the least he could do was clean up the mess he had caused between your thighs. 

“What?”

“Should I text you about the weather tomorrow, call you over to mine this time? I’ll let you choke me if you’re into that.” He says it so casually it catches you by surprise, a cackle leaving you as he finishes cleaning you up, handing you your robe to cover up as he slips back into his underwear. 

“Are you into that?”

“I could be,” he winks, flopping onto your bed beside you, letting his hand trail up your thigh until it reaches the hem of your robe, tracing the goosebumps that flare up because of it. 

That was definitely something you could work with, mind already planning out the next time you’d torture your neighbor, wondering just how your hands would look like wrapped around his thick neck. Maybe you could see if he looked pretty when he cried. 

He spots the mischief in your face instantly but before he could indulge you further, there was one thing absolutely eating away at his mind. “By the way, you never added me to that gossip group chat.”

Your lips purse into a tight smile as your fingers return to his hair, twirling each strand as you hold back a laugh, knowing it absolutely did not exist. You weren’t in the mood to crush his spirit, knowing he desperately wanted to know the ins of the neighborhood gossip so you simply shrug in faux apology, telling yet another white lie. “My bad, I’ll add you tomorrow.”

It’s good enough for Jungkook pressing a kiss against your thigh as he thinks of what the following night will bring, his mind also picturing just how cute your hands would look around his neck.