#that's not a suggestion for anything in particular just that kind if vibe

[mallory524]

Hi! I have this idea of reader trying to get Bob to watch a horror movie and him being kind of hesitant because maybe he's scared or horror just isn't his thing idk. But eventually reader convinces him and it ends up being cute and funny.

movie night :)

bob x reader

summary- Bob doesn't really want to watch a scary movie, but he'll do anything if it means spending the evening with you

tags- thunderbolts* spoilers, sort of established relationship, holding hands, kiss, thunder/lightning, Void mention

word count- 1176

notes- yayyy i love getting requests, plz keep sending them in you guys

Bob feels sort of silly about how much this movie is getting to him. It's not really the kind of thing he usually watches, but of course he'd watch anything that you want to watch. Yeah, he almost didn't, but he eventually agreed to this. He will take any and every opportunity to spend some time with you.

The two of you have gone out a bunch of times... or at least, Bob is pretty sure that's what happened. It's not always clear what really counts as "going out", but you've gotten plenty of meals together, seen a few different movies and plays, and Bob almost always tags along when you go to the grocery store. He loves hanging out with you, no matter what you're doing. You have a really comforting presence to him.

This afternoon in particular, it's pouring rain, and it has been all day. The tower isn't filled with that same lovely natural lighting it usually is, but it's still beautiful in a way. You lit a few candles to add to the very important vibe. Bucky is convinced you're going to forget to blow them out and burn the place down.

The group is just taking a lazy day, and everyone's hanging out in their own rooms, except for you and Bob in the living room. You were doing a jigsaw puzzle to pass the time when you suggested watching a scary movie.

Bob was sort of hesitant at first and you practically had to beg him. "Oh come on, please," you had said, trying to pout to look extra sad, but you couldn't stop giggling at how ridiculous you knew you looked in that moment.

Bob kept shaking his head and softly laughing, too. "Nuh uh. I really don't do scary movies". He was trying to make it sound less cowardly than it was, but he was definitely worried that the movie would be too much for him.

"Come on, Bob," you said in almost a singsong kind of way, "It's dark and scary and stormy out... It's the perfect time for this kind of thing."

The idea of curling up under a big blanket with you in the dark was definitely enticing, but he still wasn't sure.

"Hey, hey. I'm just messing around," you tell him, smiling and gesturing at the puzzle, "I really don't mind if this isn't your thing. We can keep doing this." You were always so nice to him. You got him to do things that were out of his comfort zone, but you never forced him to do anything if he really didn't want to. You'd always just tell him it was fine with that warm, comforting smile. You could probably convince him to do anything when you looked at him like that, even if you weren't trying to...

"You know what? Sure."

"Yay!!"

Now you're sitting on the couch together and watching some obscure horror movie he'd never ever heard of. You told him it wasn't that scary, and now Bob's wondering what you do consider scary because goodness-

Bob is so on edge, and the conditions outside aren't helping. Since you originally sat down to watch the movie, day has turned into night, and so the only light in the room is coming from the tv screen and the candles. The weather is somehow getting even worse, with huge cracks of lightning lighting up the dark sky every minute or so, and then you both jump at the ensuing thunder every. single. time.

You subtly glance over at Bob. He really is such a sweetheart. The man is bulletproof. You watched him tear Bucky's vibranium arm off and then proceed to turn into a vicious physical manifestation of darkness that engulfed New York City. Now, he's wrapped up in a blanket, grimacing at all the cheesy fake blood and gore on screen. Occasionally, he jumps and sends his popcorn flying up just a little, almost comically.

He's a cool guy and he wasn't kidding: these kinds of movies are really not his thing.

He catches you looking at him, and he turns hesitantly to meet your gaze. "What is it?"

"Nothing, it's just... I... hope you've had as good a day today as I have, hanging out with you."

Bob practically glows when he hears you say that, but he wants to play it cool. He tries to look back and forth between you and the movie, trying to show you that he cares about this thing you care about.

"Thanks. I really did have a good day. To be honest, I like ... I like doing stuff with you," he says with a shy smile.

Before you can say anything in response to his sweet words, there's another loud sound from the movie, and Bob instinctively reaches for your hand. Neither of you make any move to pull away from the small embrace.

"Hey Bob," you say, playfully smirking at him, "Are you scared?"

It's barely even a question. Of course he is.

"Well I guess it is a little much, I mean I uh- I like the story I guess, and I know it's all fake but it is freaking me out a little..." he starts to ramble, but you gently squeeze his hand and that's enough to pull him back into the moment. He trails off and you lean a little closer.

Looking right into his eyes, you quietly suggest, "Well maybe don't look at the movie anymore."

Bob notices your eyes fall down to his lips, and he knows what you're thinking. He leans just a tiny bit closer and stops so that, if he had somehow misread this, you'd have the opportunity to cut him off right then and there. Of course, he didn't and you don't.

Right as your lips are about to touch, the loud thunder startles you both and you stop short. He expects you to pull away and move on, like how the characters always seem to do in every cliche movie he's ever seen, (not unlike the one you're watching now), but of course that's silly. You just laugh quietly and lean back in to give him a proper kiss.

After that, you lean on Bob's shoulder and, in spite of the awful loud screaming and tense music blaring from the tv, you both fall asleep. You may have missed the last 20 minutes of the movie, but you got what you wanted tonight. You got to play into the fun, creepy vibe of the evening, you got Bob to spend an hour and a half with you, and you got a kiss. Bob's happy, too, because it is now abundantly clear what the nature of your relationship is.

Bucky was right; you absolutely did forget about all those candles you lit. He ends up walking around the tower and blowing them out himself. When he finds you and Bob on the couch, fast asleep in each other's arms, he just smiles to himself, turns the tv off, and goes right to bed.

[ourtalechara]

In the case of my handwriting being illegible, transcription under cut (plus extra context)

Frame 1

Oh, you don't 'ave to worry about ME, Mr. Brimstone.

Frame 2

I may well report the news,

But that don't mean I can't keep a secret.

Besides...

Frame 3

Who's to say I haven't a secret or two of me own?

Frame 6

What was that eye signal?

Eh?

A spell to make one's heart beat more frequently?

N-no?

Then why did it.

Harry doesn't know Byron's deal at this point, he's just curious and making conversation. Byron doesn't trust him, but Harry's trying his best to get him to open up.

Uh, with any luck this should have been clear from the comic itself, but... Byron's never really felt anything that one might label as "love" for another person. He doesn't understand it, and so he has no explanation for why he felt his face flush and heart rate quicken when Harry winked at him like that, other than some dark magic used to endear oneself to someone else (he likely becomes even more distrusting of Harry after he tries to cast a spell on him)(also he's probably never been winked at before)

[anghraine]

It's always been intriguing to me that, even when Elizabeth hates Darcy and thinks he's genuinely a monstrous, predatory human being, she does not ever perceive him as sexually predatory. In fact, literally no one in the novel suggests or believes he is sexually dangerous at any point. There's not the slightest hint of that as a factor in the rumors surrounding him, even though eighteenth-century fiction writers very often linked masculine villainy to a possibility of sexual predation in the subtext or just text*. Austen herself does this over and over when it comes to the true villains of her novels.

Even as a supposed villain, though, Darcy is broadly understood to be predatory and callous towards men who are weaker than him in status, power, and personality—with no real hint of sexual threat about it at all (certainly none towards women). Darcy's "villainy" is overwhelmingly about abusing his socioeconomic power over other men, like Wickham and Bingley. This can have secondhand effects on women's lives, but as collateral damage. Nobody thinks he's targeting women.

In addition, Elizabeth's interpretations of Darcy in the first half of the book tend to involve associating him with relatively prestigious women by contrast to the men in his life (he's seen as extremely dissimilar from his male friends and, as a villain, from his father). So Elizabeth understands Darcy-as-villain not in terms of the popular, often very sexualized images of masculine villainy at the time, but in terms of rich women she personally despises like Caroline Bingley and Lady Catherine de Bourgh (and even Georgiana Darcy; Elizabeth assumes a lot about Georgiana in service of her hatred of Darcy before ever meeting her).

The only people in Elizabeth's own community who side with Darcy at this time are, interestingly, both women, and likely the highest-status unmarried women in her community: Charlotte Lucas and Jane Bennet. Both have some temperamental affinities with Darcy, and while it's not clear if he recognizes this, he quietly approves of them without even knowing they've been sticking up for him behind the scenes.

This concept of Darcy-as-villain is not just Elizabeth's, either. Darcy is never seen by anyone as a sexual threat no matter how "bad" he's supposed to be. No one is concerned about any danger he might pose to their daughters or sisters. Kitty is afraid of him, but because she's easily intimidated rather than any sense of actual peril. Even another man, Mr Bennet, seems genuinely surprised to discover late in the novel that Darcy experiences attraction to anything other than his own ego.

I was thinking about this because of how often the concept of Darcy as an anti-hero before Elizabeth "fixes him" seems caught up in a hypermasculine, sexually dangerous, bad boy image of him that even people who actively hate him in the novel never subscribe to or remotely imply. Wickham doesn't suggest anything of the kind, Elizabeth doesn't, the various gossips of Meryton don't, Mr Bennet and the Gardiners don't, nobody does. If anything, he's perceived as cold and sexless.

Wickham in particular defines Darcy's villainy in opposition to the patriarchal ideal his father represented. Wickham's version of their history works to link Darcy to Lady Anne, Lady Catherine (primarily), and Georgiana rather than any kind of masculine sexuality. This version of Darcy is a villain who colludes with unsympathetic high-status women to harm men of less power than themselves, but villain!Darcy poses no direct threat to women of any kind.

It's always seemed to me that there's a very strong tendency among fans and academics to frame Darcy as this ultra-gendered figure with some kind of sexual menace going on, textually or subtextually. He's so often understood entirely in terms of masculinity and sexual desire, with his flaws closely tied to both (whether those flaws are his real ones, exaggerated, or entirely manufactured). Yet that doesn't seem to be his vibe to other characters in the story. There's a level at which he does not register to other characters as highly masculine in his affiliations, highly sexual, or in general as at all unsafe** to be around, even when they think he's a monster. And I kind of feel like this makes the revelations of his actual decency all along and his full-on heroism later easier to accept in the end.

------------

*The incompetently awful villain(?) in Sanditon, for instance, imagines himself another Lovelace (a reference to the famous rapist-villain of Samuel Richardson's Clarissa). Evelina's sheltered education and lack of protectors makes her vulnerable to sexual exploitation in Frances Burney's Evelina, though she ultimately manages to avoid it. There's frequently an element of sexual predation in Gothic novels even of very different kinds (e.g. Ann Radcliffe's The Mysteries of Udolpho and Matthew Lewis's The Monk both lean into this, in their wildly dissimilar styles). William Godwin's novel Caleb Williams, a book mostly about the destructive evils of class hierarchies and landowning classes specifically, depicts the mutual obsession of the genteel villain Falkland and working class hero Caleb in notoriously homoerotic terms (Godwin himself added a preface in 1832 saying, "Falkland was my Bluebeard, who had perpetrated atrocious crimes ... Caleb Williams was the wife"). This list could go on for a very long time.

**Darcy is also not usually perceived by other characters as a particularly sexual, highly masculine person in a safe way, either, even once his true character is known. Elizabeth emphasizes the resilience of Darcy's love for her more than the passionate intensity they both evidently feel; in the later book, she does sometimes makes assumptions about his true feelings or intentions based on his gender, but these assumptions are pretty much invariably shown to be wrong. In general the cast is completely oblivious to the attraction he does feel; even Charlotte, who wonders about something in that quarter, ends up doubting her own suspicions and wonders if he's just very absent-minded.

The novel emphasizes that he is physically attractive, but it goes to pains to distinguish this from Wickham's sex appeal or the charisma of a Bingley or Fitzwilliam. Mr Bennet (as mentioned above) seems to have assumed Darcy is functionally asexual, insofar as he has a concept of that. Most of the fandom-beloved moments in which Darcy is framed as highly sexual, or where he himself is sexualized for the audience, are very significantly changed in adaptation or just invented altogether for the adaptations they appear in. Darcy watching Elizabeth after his bath in the 1995 is invented for that version, him snapping at Elizabeth in their debates out of UST is a persistent change from his smiling banter with her in the book, the fencing to purge his feelings is invented, the pond swim/wet shirt is invented. In the 2005 P&P, the instant reaction to Elizabeth is invented, the hand flex of repressed passion is invented, the Netherfield Ball dance as anything but an exercise in mutual frustration is invented, the near-kiss after the proposal in invented, etc. And in those as well, he's never presented as sexually predatory, not even as a "villain."

[chanelrolls]

25 headcanons of adoptive big brother!caleb

cw: pseudocest, (if you're uncomfortable w this, please choose to scroll away.) gets more suggestive as it goes

big brother!caleb is the type of older brother figure who shows his care through actions more than words. he’ll ruffle your hair on the way out, toss you a towel if you’re crying without asking what happened, and stand behind you silently when you’re confronting someone who wronged you.

big brother!caleb insists that he’s “chill,” but he lowkey screens anyone who tries to get close to you. you’re not allowed to know this, but he’s stalked your classmate’s socials before and memorized license plates if someone picks you up. just in case.

big brother!caleb is the kind of guy who lets you win in video games once, only to completely obliterate you in the rematch while saying, “nah, i just gave you a head start earlier.”

big brother!caleb knows how to read moods frighteningly well. if you’re pretending to be okay, he’ll casually bring your favorite snack and plop down beside you, nudging your knee with a, “so, we gonna talk about it or should i just sit here until you do?”

big brother!caleb teases you relentlessly (intentionally going in your room for no particular reason and leaving with the door open, stealing your snacks at midnight, reads your diary, tickles you in your weakest spots, etc.) but never crosses the line. if anyone else tries the same thing, though? they’re getting the scariest smile he can muster. “you think you’re funny? try it again, i dare you.”

big brother!caleb will 100% fight someone on your behalf and then lecture you for putting yourself in danger. “next time, tell me. that’s what older brothers are for, idiot.”

big brother!caleb calls you “shortie,” “squirt,” or “kid” even if you’re the same age or taller. it’s about the vibe, not the height.

big brother!caleb always insists on walking on the outer side of the sidewalk, like it’s not even a big deal. if you point it out, he just shrugs and says, “habit.” but you notice he never forgets to do it, even when he’s distracted or in a rush.

big brother!caleb when you’re out together and someone flirts with you, he becomes suspiciously territorial. arm slung over your shoulder, leaning in too close, “they bothering you, kid?” with a playful grin that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

big brother!caleb remembers every detail about your preferences. like how you hate soggy fries, that you always tap your pen when you're nervous, and that you like your tea exactly two and a half spoons of honey sweet. he never says anything about it, just... adjusts things quietly.

big brother!caleb sends you playlists with songs he says “just reminded me of you, i guess,” and sends them like it’s not the most thoughtful thing in the world. if you ask why, he deflects, “dunno, lyrics were funny.”

big brother!caleb hates when you cry. not in a “don’t cry” kind of way, but in a visible shift in demeanor kind of way. the teasing vanishes. he sits next to you, gently nudges your leg with his, and murmurs, “you don’t have to talk. just breathe, alright? i’m here.”

big brother!caleb when you fall asleep around him, he watches over you like a guard dog. phone in one hand, hoodie draped over you, eyes sharp. someone could cough too loudly across the room and he’d glare.

big brother!caleb just looks at you a little too long sometimes. like he’s trying to memorize something. and when you ask what, he’ll just smirk and go, “nuthin. just makin’ sure you’re real.”

big brother!caleb always saw you as his little sister, his kid. but one night, you walk out of your room half-asleep, wearing one of his shirts, rubbing your eyes like a sleepy kitten, and something in his chest just… short circuits. he blinks, looks away, jaw clenched, thinking, “get a grip, dude.”

big brother!caleb starts overthinking everything. when you tug on his sleeve to get his attention, when you fall asleep leaning on his shoulder during movie nights, when you call him “calebie” in that teasing, singsong voice, it all messes with his head. he tells himself, “she’s just being annoying again,” but his ears still burn every time.

big brother!caleb becomes weirdly avoidant. a little too quick to leave the room when you're in your pajamas, suddenly “busy” when you ask to cuddle during storms like you always used to. he doesn’t want to be a creep. doesn’t want to ruin what you have. but at the same time, he finds himself wondering what it would be like to hold you longer, tighter, and differently.

big brother!caleb is territorial. again! the worst is when you go out with other guys. he’s not even subtle, already arms crossed and jaw clenched, tossing out lines like, “you trust him?” or “if he touches you wrong, you call me, yeah?” he tells himself it’s protective sibling duty. but when he sees you smiling at someone else the way you used to smile only at him… it burns.

big brother!caleb when you walk out of the bathroom wearing just a towel. he’s sprawled on the couch, scrolling through his phone, and looks up just as you mutter, “forgot my clothes.” instant freeze. you’re nonchalant, but caleb's brain blue screens. he stares at the wall, his neck stiff like he’s being held at gunpoint. “y-you tryna get yourself killed or what?” he snaps, tossing a hoodie at you without looking. but his ears? flaming.

big brother!caleb when you catch him watching something… explicit. you walk in unannounced and there’s that split-second delay where he fumbles with the remote, panic in his eyes. “pipsqueak, knock next time!” he barks, face redder than a tomato. you laugh your ass off, but what stays with him is how not embarrassed you were. and for the rest of the day, he can’t stop thinking about what it would be like if you were the one making those sounds—

big brother!caleb when you ask him for dating advice. you lean on his bed, kicking your feet, and say, “hey… do you think i’m girlfriend material?” caleb’s jaw tightens. he tries to play it cool, spouting generic guy logic, but his stomach is twisting. when you say you might ask someone out, he blurts, “he’s not good enough.” then pretends he was “just joking.” he wasn’t.

big brother!caleb when you fall asleep in his bed, again. you claim it’s just because your room was cold. but he finds himself lying stiffly beside you, watching the rise and fall of your chest, wondering if you can hear how fast his heart is beating. when you unconsciously cuddle closer and mumble his name in your sleep, he stares at the ceiling thinking, “this is bad. this is so bad.”

big brother!caleb when you tease him with another girl. you nudge him toward a pretty girl at a party, whispering, “she keeps looking at you.” caleb shrugs her off with a weak excuse, but his jaw clenches when you smirk, asking, “what, not your type?” later, when you’re alone, he mutters, “stop doing that.” when you press, he won’t explain, because how is he supposed to say you’re his type without ruining everything?

big brother!caleb is definitely the type to watch you on your sleep, sometimes massaging your hair or even testing his limits by dragging a hand across your thigh.

big brother!caleb goes through talking stages only for the sole purpose of distracting himself from his growing feelings for you. and suspiciously, all of the girls he's talked to looks like you.

[spicynova]

nerdy!soobin would definitely put you in this predicament :)

pairing: college nerd!soobin x college reader

cws: 1.7k words, mostly fluff, study sessions with soobin!, slightly suggestive towards the middle & the end lol, soobin calls reader pet names ( lovey, love, baby, pretty girl ), he’s kinda strict w/ reader ( only cause he wants you to do well ).

a/n: heavily inspired by soobin’s 2024 dazed korea photoshoot (specifically the photo above) :)

… ꨄ

you were just munching on some of the chocolate covered pretzels you found in the junk food stash of the kitchen cabinet when you stopped altogether in your tracks once you saw your boyfriend.

you didn’t even realize when he got home since you were busy going through some study material and annotating notes for finals week, heavily engrossed on nothing but the thought of passing these last exams with flying colors.

maybe that’s the reason why you weren’t aware of his presence or the fact that he didn’t make it known. you know he could do this because he’s done it before, not wanting to interrupt your intense focus on studying.

because he knows the minute you know of his presence, you would want a 30 minute break that ends up being however long your night was until you both fall asleep into the next day.

you took a quick snack break but you didn’t think you would see him at all. has time really passed that quick?

upon seeing you as well, his eyes peel away from the tv screen to your face and immediately his lips widen into a soft smile.

“hey, pretty girl.” he mumbles loud enough to reach you from across the living room. “didn’t wanna interrupt your scholar activities.”

and after scanning his entire frame in a doubt take, you can say for once that you’re truly happy he decided to do that.

he would’ve definitely distracted you with this look he got going on and you might even combust because of the nonchalant vibe of his current position.

he looks good. great even.

the kind of good that your brain kinda of short circuits everytime you realize his existence.

there he laid in all his glory;

sprawled over your couch with a huge, dark blue university hoodie that looks great enough to steal and a white tee bunched up underneath, arms crossed over his stomach and hood over his fluffy black locks, comfortably tucked right underneath his jawline. he wore his usual straight khaki cargo pants, legs spread wide apart with one foot hanging off the edge of the couch.

what you couldn’t rip your eyes away from was his exposed abdomen, slightly revealed underneath the shirt and hoodie. it must’ve rode upwards from any movement before, but now you’re just ogling at how his features were accentuated perfectly by just something this natural yet particular.

something about your silence and straight stare made him move a bit and now you’re realizing the small grin mixing in with his smile, snapping yourself out from your thoughts by rapidly blinking your rounded eyes— as if that was going to do anything.

“hi, baby,” you spoke softly and slightly muffled with the pretzel in your mouth, trying so hard to keep your voice neutral as you pad closer towards him on the couch. his arms stood crossed over his chest as his eyes racked over your entire frame once you got closer, uncrossing only when you reached a distance enough for him to wrap a hand around your midriff.

his palm is searing hot against your bare skin- probably from being tucked into his body heat for long or probably because your overheating self in general.

“i’m almost done,” you murmur, feeling him rub the side of your waist in a gentle manner, something he does to soothe or comfort as if it was his first instinct. it’s your favorite combo; the gentle touches and his round eyes peering up at you through his messy bangs. “just taking a snack break..”

“yeah?” his low voice was just as soft as he looked, just as comforting yet heavy as his gaze. there’s something there in his dark irises, something twinkling as his long fingers curl around the dip of your waist. “and how’s that going for you, hm?”

he adjusts his head higher on the crook of the back cushion and arm rest to face you directly, waiting for his answer with a soft smile.

he must know what he’s doing to you.

the natural lighting that pours into your house and surrounds your boyfriend in this beautiful glow was definitely sent by the glowing gods exactly for him; shaping his chiseled jawline and facial features perfectly by shadowing his harsh lines and highlighting his soft plumped edges.

“uhmm…” you quickly seat yourself, which happened to be the space between his waist and the edge of the cushion, legs curling and tucking your knees into his body as he rests his arm over your pressed thighs underneath his armpit. “it’s going okay. i just have to study the muscles chapter for anatomy and then i should be done for today..”

you nod as you bite into another piece of the pretzel — to keep yourself from not losing it completely as you meet his gaze. the way he actually listens, paying full attention and even nodding softly after each sentence..

“oh? sounds like you’ve gotten far,” he hums. “i’m very proud of you, lovey.” his hand runs down the side of your upper thigh out of comfort and affection, your other hand falling on top of his.

he always has to be touching you somehow. to show his love language in some way.

“mhmm, thank you, soobie.” you murmur with a pause, before you offer him a pretzel too. he nods and opens his pouty lips for you to feed it to him, letting his tongue engulf the treat before he closed his mouth.

“mmnn, they’re good..” he spoke in between chews, shifting to rest his other arm behind his head. the movement makes his shirt and hoodie tug up higher and you might just be going more insane.

He kept his eyes on you the entire time, observing your movements and mannerisms that began to slacken. He assessed how you snuggled closer to the couch to prevent yourself from falling off.

or maybe cause he knows you’re starting to fall prey to your procrastination and wanting more of his warmth like always. this is how it always goes.

at least that’s what he thinks; he doesn’t know that you’re busy shifting and squirming closer because of your desire to quell the familiar warmth that rises from deep within your body upon seeing him.

this natural, this casual, all for you and waiting for you.

you stay in silence, letting your eyes trail over his outfit, admiring his beauty.

“baby,” his tone suggests that he knows what you’re doing, set as a gentle warning as his hand reaches over the slightest to pat your rounded butt. “cmon, go do your last thirty minutes and then we can cuddle. promise.”

“but-“ you already begin to whine in defense and in attempt on having him give in. nerdy soobin never lets you miss any studying because he knows how important it is.

“go. it’s not like i’m going anywhere,” he drawls out in such a lazy tone, folded arm behind his head shifting as he gets more comfortable on the couch. “i’ll be right here when you come back.”

something in you wants to just tell him how you truly feel, why you’ve been ogling him for so long but another thing lets you know that he knows why as well. the tiny grin smile on his lips, the narrowed look on his face, the slightly raised eyebrows — it all gives off that drowsy look he’s portraying, but with glint of mischief.

“soobie,” a soft whine falls from your pout, hand reaching up to tug on his hoodie strings and fingers twirling the material. “i’m tired..” you tried, you really did.

he knew you were tired; you must’ve started since early because of how you look. you didn’t even try slipping off your bedtime clothes before you got to work, his smile widening as he took the beauty in front of him.

“i know baby, but another 30 minutes wouldn’t hurt after studying all evening.” he supplies, still patting your butt lightly. “c’mon, think of me as your good reward for being a great scholar, yeah?”

“but what if i want my good reward now?” it might be a bit cheesy and even soobin knows it, his bunny nose scrunching in slight digust. once you push and shove him, his grimace turns into a bright smile as he giggles, holding your hands away from hitting him. “soobin…”

“noooo,” he drawls out in a rasp, his fluffy hair falling over his eyes as he shakes you from his hold on your hands. “come back after your thirty, you thirsty animal.”

okay, so he did know.

“but i only want cuddles-“

“mhm, yeah. you don’t think i can tell the differences of what faces means what already?” he supplies, twisting his neck to eye you once again. he’s so sassy.

there’s no point in denying it either.

“okay, but you expected me to act this way so i don’t wanna hear it..” you huff, rolling your eyes as your lower lip curls further down once he pulled you closer to lean over his stomach. “you knew what you were doing putting this on.”

“what, my regular clothes?” he scoffs back in an incredulous tone, hands letting go of yours to wrap around your body and pull you closer. “you shouldn’t be talking?”

now it’s your turn to squint your eyes at him, highly confused about his comment and he sees this, but doesn’t add on. instead, he pulls away abruptly and pushes you into a standing position despite your loud whines.

“go, i won’t say it again,” he softly reprimands, chuckling at the way you slouch your posture and turning you away from him. “i’ll be waiting here for you, like a good boy..”

he gives your butt one last pat before you’re huffing. he hums, snacking on the last pretzel you gave him and watching you trudge back.

“i might give you more than just cuddles if you study for an hour..” he finally calls out, and you’re immediately running back to your room to do exactly that.

curse him. you can hear him laughing at the sound of you running.

“have fun!!”

————- ꨄ

a/n: there’s a part 2 to this post … lmk if you want me to post it :) tehhehehhehhhhhh

[yeoobiii]

hello, can I ask you to write a mini story about Heeseung, where he teaches Y/n how to kiss 🙏🏻

⋆｡°✩ 𝙛𝙤𝙡𝙡𝙤𝙬 𝙢𝙮 𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙙

꩜ bestfriend!heeseung x gn!reader

꩜ best friends to lovers (?), first kisses

꩜ during a game of truth or dare you admit to all your friends for the first time that you've never been kissed and that you're frankly scared you'll mess up once the situation presents itself. Heeseung sees a perfect opportinity to help you out with that.

or: Heeseung teaches his best friend how to kiss and both of you get a bit lost in it

wc: 5.1k (this has gotten a bit longer than I intended to but honestly I just went with the flow and here we are.)

warnings: consumption of alcohol

a/n: thank you for the request, anon! btw requests are open if you'd like me to write something specific, I can't promise you anything on how quickly I'll get it done or if it's something I'm up to writing but like the link is in my bio :)

I hope you like this, anon!

There’s a few things none of your college friends knew about you. Despite knowing most of them for over three years now, some things just never came up naturally in conversation. Like the fact that you’ve not had your first kiss yet.

Why make a big deal out of it? You’ve also never been in love before. You didn’t feel the urge to inform everyone about these things, especially since most of your friends have a rather active dating life. You wanted to do these things at your own pace and didn’t want anyone involved in how you could “solve that problem”. You simply never intended on telling them. That is until last weekend happened and somehow your roommates were able to convince you to participate in a game of truth or dare.

It was a Thursday night and your roommate told you that they were having a few friends over for a cozy hang out and you were definitely down to chill with them because the both of you were friends with similar people and got along great in general, so having a few drinks with your friends in your dorm room seemed like a nice way to spend the evening.

And everything went smoothly enough, people were trickling in and out, the overall vibe very casual and comfortable. That is however until your friend Sofia suggested a game of truth or dare. To be fair, the overall intake of alcohol increased as the evening was progressing. It was almost inevitable that a suggestion like that would arouse sooner or later.

Before you even properly thought about it, you agreed to play and sat down in a circle with around five other tipsy college students.

Only later on did your brain register that Heeseung was one of the few chosen ones. For a split second you even wondered when he had arrived, but then you remembered that he greeted you with a friendly embrace when he first arrived about half an hour ago.

Technically, there was nothing wrong with him participating in the same game, the both of you were friends after all.

You met Heeseung pretty much the first day college started, you were both in stats together and happened to be sitting next to each other on the first day and it’s been like that ever since. However, you guys didn’t hit it off right away, you were friendly with each other, sure, but that mostly also out of convenience and occasionally you shared your notes with each other or he was making sure you didn’t fall asleep in class. It was all really casual and you would have considered him more like a colleague than a friend.

That was the case until one particular night that was destined to shape the kind of friendship the two of you would have with each other forever.

It was one of your first frat parties, the first semester was about to end and freshmen with various kinds of majors gathered to celebrate this collective milestone. Safe to say the liquor was being poured without much hesitation.

It wasn’t the first time you’ve run into Heeseung at a frat party either. Usually you’d shoot each other the occasional nod, acknowledging the other’s presence and moving on with your night and that’s all there was to it.

However, fate had other plans for this particular night.

At one point you excused yourself from the dance floor and went out the back door into the small garden to catch some fresh air, to your surprise not many people were out there, just you and a small group of three people maybe, who seemed to be passing around a blunt.

It took you a second glance to not only see your roommate but also Heeseung being part of that group, your roommate immediately greeting you enthusiastically upon locking eyes with you and beckoning for you to sit with them.

Shortly after you were sitting on your ass, your roommate's arm interlocked with yours, being pulled into the conversation easily.

Heeseung sent a brief smile of acknowledgement your way, before taking a hit from the joint. You returned his smile and also greeted the fourth person sitting with you who was eventually introduced as Heeseung’s friend Jake.

The joint was being passed around and eventually landed in your hand as well and afterwards the conversation seemed to flow effortlessly. You joked and laughed along to whatever your company was saying but were also emerged in the more heated discussions.

At one point you were so deep into the conversation with Jake that you didn’t even realize your roommate getting up and going back inside and like ten minutes later, Jakes excused himself to the bathroom and didn’t seem to return anymore.

Which only left Heeseung and you.

Now, you’d be lying if you’d say being in such close proximity with a cute guy like Heeseung, all by yourselves in this somewhat intimate setting left you completely unaffected. You could feel yourself growing slightly flustered at nothing in particular, but you eventually catched yourself when Heeseung asked.

“So, what’s your favorite dinosaur?”

You fell into comfortable conversation after that and the longer the night went on, the more intense the topics got.

Whenever you think back to that one particular part of the evening it kinda feels like Heeseung and you were the only two things existing at the moment. Your brain didn’t register the people stepping in and out of the garden as the hours passed by. 

It was well past 3am when you checked your phone for the time since sitting down. You told Heeseung and he was just as shocked as you were at how quickly the time had passed, almost apologizing for taking up so much of your time, but you assured him you were enjoying yourself.

“It has been a while since I sat down like that and was able to talk to someone for hours about whatever popped into my head.” You admitted to him and he seemed satisfied with that judging by the smile that graced his lips.

“Me too.”

And you could swear by the way his eyes shimmered in that moment that there was something – whatever that may have been – between the both of you. Or maybe it was just the weed.

Regardless of what you guys shared was something different than what you thought it might have been, you grew close very quickly after that evening. Heeseung started to joke around with you in class, you eventually asked him for his number and social media, he started sending you memes occasionally, you started to hang out outside of class in your little friend group.

At one point you were convinced he was actively seeking you out at parties, because ever since that evening, you always bumped into each other sooner or later during the night.

And whatever there might have been that one evening, nothing came of it. However, it almost seemed like you grew closer to Heeseung than all your other friends. People in your friend group would casually call you best friends and the more time passed the more that statement became true.

All occurrences in the past have led you to playing truth or dare on a Thursday night on the floor of your dorm room with each other. And usually that wouldn’t be an issue. Heeseung and you have progressed to a stage in your friendship where you knew almost everything about each other; almost.

You could feel the alcohol running in your system and were sincerely hoping you wouldn’t say something that you’d eventually regret. You just crossed your fingers and hoped for the best.

For the most part the game did run smoothly, it was fun and you had a good time, the only dare you had to do was show them your most embarrassing dance move.

That is until your roommate asked you truth or dare.

“Truth” you chose this time

“What was your first kiss like and who was it with?”

The question in and of itself was harmless, it matched the vibe of the very easy going game they had going on, Nonetheless, you felt put on the spot and before you could stop yourself – because you can’t pull off a lie for the life of you – you blurt out that you’ve never been kissed.

None of your friends seemed super unfazed by this seeing how you’ve not dated one person since you started college but Sofia’s eyes grew double in size.

“Not even a peck on the lips or something?” she questioned a bit bewildered.

You just shook your head, seeing from the corner of your eye how your roommate gave Sofia a light nudge at even asking such a question.

You couldn’t help but risk a short glance at Heeseung and were almost a bit startled when his eyes met yours instantly. He sent you a soft smile upon locking eyes with you. Was that pity you saw in his eyes? Your stomach turned itself upside down.

You really wish you could say it didn’t bother you at all, that at the age of 21 you’ve never kissed someone before. You didn’t want it to be a big deal, it really shouldn’t be a big deal.

But you couldn’t help but think that you lacked something or were one step behind everyone. It felt like missing out on an experience that usually people have in their late teens and early twenties.

You don’t know why it hasn’t happened for you yet. It’s not even that you want it to be with someone really special, the moment has simply never presented itself before and you usually take this for what it is, but right now – Heeseung’s expression burned into your skull – you suddenly feel a bit small.

“It’s not just that” you eventually start to break the silence, not yet realizing that you were about to make this so much worse, “it’s also the fact that even if I’d want to kiss someone, I wouldn’t know how.”

It took your drunken mind a hot minute to catch up with what you just said. Something within you simply wanted to fill the silence but the fact that your filter was basically non-existent due to your tipsy state was not taken into consideration the moment you opened your mouth.

You mentally slapped yourself across the face, this time not having the courage to even glance into Heeseung’s direction.

“It’s not that hard, I can show you!” Your roommate offered enthusiastically, intentions pure.

Your face flushed at the suggestion and you cringed a bit, more out of embarrassment that you ended up in this situation in the first place than by the proposal itself.

“I’ll let you know if I ever want to take you up on that suggestion.” You reply as nonchalantly as you can muster.

It’s not like the thought of asking a friend how to properly kiss has occurred to you before, but you could never quite bring yourself to get the request past your lips.

Your friends laugh at your response and easily move on with the conversation, taking the attention off of you. And that was that. Or at least that’s what you thought…

Two weeks later you enter the lecture hall and already spot Heeseung sitting in his usual spot and just like on autopilot you placed yourself next to him and the both of you exchanged greetings, just like you usually would. You’d also catch up about your weekends and shortly after the lecture started, taking up both of your attention.

It wasn’t until halfway through the lecture that Heeseung poked your shoulder, extending his notebook to you, clearly wanting to show you something.

With blue ink he has written on the page:

“You want me to teach you?”

Your eyebrows furrow, confused at what he meant.

You write down below him:

“Teach me what?” Confusion clear on your face as you watch him write something else.

“How to kiss”

You choked on your own spit.

Heeseung chuckled next to you. You could smack him across the head right now and you made a mental note to do just that once class is over.

Once you collected yourself, you took the pen from Heeseung and wrote three question marks under his proposal.

Why would he offer to teach you in the first place and out of all the places to suggest this to you he chose the middle of your lecture? Why?

He grinned at your question marks and if you didn’t know him any better you thought he was making fun of you. Had any other person done this to you, you’d probably actually have been hurt but first of all you still didn’t know if he was serious and second of all it was Heeseung. You knew him well enough to know he’d never use such a situation to make fun of you.

At that moment the professor seemed to notice your lack of attention and decided to ask you a question directly, returning your attention to the lecture where it stayed until you were dismissed.

The topic didn’t arise again between Heeseung and you even though the whole scenario didn’t seem to be able to leave your mind. At lunch you stared at Heesung making conversation with Jake over something you did not pay attention to, trying to figure him out.

In your head the puzzle pieces were just not fitting. Why would he suggest that all of a sudden? And why was it so hard for you to find an answer to his question…

After the whole frat party thing where you originally became friends, you had developed a small crush on Heeseung that gradually developed as time went by. It’s just after some time had passed and neither of you made any advances towards the other you eventually abandoned the idea of getting with Heeseung and were left with two options, getting over your crush or having to live with your unrequited feelings.

You chose the first option. It took you quite some time but you managed to accept the fact that Heeseung was simply a really good friend and your feelings faded as seasons changed.

You’d be lying saying they ever went away completely. There’s no reason denying that Heeseung was painfully your type and that no matter how hard you tried to tell yourself that you didn’t like him like that anymore, you were attracted to him.

So, saying his suggestion to teach you how to kiss took you by surprise was the understatement of the century.

He probably just tried to be a good friend, right? Your roommate had suggested to teach you as well back then and there were no other intentions behind that, you were certain of that. So, why are you questioning Heeseung so much?

The topic didn’t come up again until one day you were hanging out in your dorm room. Just your roommate, Heeseung and yourself. It was often like that, sometimes Jake was also around but today it was just the three of you, that is at least until your roommate told you that they were heading out for dinner at around six and didn’t know when they’d be back.

Once they left, it was just Heeseung and you left.

Ever since he made his suggestion in class, you dreaded being alone with him, because you didn’t know if the topic would come up again or if you even wanted it to.

Heeseung was lying on your bed, his feet resting on your lap, while you were sitting at the end of the bed, back resting against the wall. Heeseung was scrolling through his phone when you decided to address the elephant in the room, because you figured if he wasn’t the one to bring it up, why shouldn’t you?

“Were you serious?” you simply said, not in any particular tone, just wanting to clear the haze in your head.

“Do you mean about the kissing thing?” He said without looking away from his face. The fact that he instantly knew what you were talking about indicated enough that he was aware it’s been eating at you.

You nod.

He locked his phone and threw it to the side, moving to sit up and also lean his back against the wall so that he can face you.

“I was and I still am.” He said, no trace of irony to be found.

“Why?” You couldn’t help but ask.

He shrugged his shoulders, “It seemed like it bothered you that day. You know, when you told everyone how you’re scared you’d mess up if it comes down to the real thing?”

He teased at you being so open due to liquid courage, a small smile forming on his face as you rolled your eyes at him.

“I was put on the spot and that was the only thing my brain provided at the moment to fill the silence.” You whine more frustrated with yourself than anyone else.

“So, you’re not worried about that?” He asked in return.

It was silent for a moment as you contemplated his question. You could easily dig yourself a way out of this by denying it, convincing him it was mainly the liquor talking. But you and Heeseung were never really the type to lie to each other.

“I am” you eventually admit, not meeting his eyes “I don’t know… It’s a bit silly but like I don’t know anyone my age who hasn’t been kissed before and I feel like it’s gonna be really awkward if the situation arises and I chicken out because I have no idea how to actually kiss someone.”

Heeseung listened to you and took your words in before answering.

“But you know, most first kisses are kinda awkward, I think.”

“Was your first kiss weird at all?” You asked him.

“Yeah, very.” He chuckled, sitting up more on the bed, “it was kinda too much of everything, too much teeth, too much spit, just entirely too much.”

He shuddered a bit, recollecting his first kiss.

“See? And I’d have no idea about any of that.” You said almost a bit frustrated.

“Then let me show you.” He insisted, your eyes meeting.

The way he says it so casually makes you want to rip your hair out.

“It’s just a kiss, right? And it’s me! You don’t have to be embarrassed with me.” He said, eyebrows slightly raised, trying to ease your mind.

You look at him. He looks cozy in his oversized sweatshirt, his body language his usual relaxed self. It was still a bit fascinating how he could take this all so lightly but then again, it really was just a kiss for him.

And you know you shouldn’t. You shouldn’t kiss Heeseung. In fact, your head is screaming at you not to kiss him, because the risk of buried feelings resurfacing is simply too big. But you’d also be lying to yourself if you’d say you weren’t curious what his lips would feel like against yours and it were thoughts like this that’d mean certain doom for you sooner or later.

At your silence Heeseung added “Look, there’s really no pressure at all. I just thought maybe you’d like to know a few things that will help ease your mind, but of course you don’t have to do anything you don’t want to.”

And of course he would say that. Of course he’d go out of his way to reassure you that you’re safe with him and that he respected your choice no matter what. Maybe sharing your first kiss with Heeseung wasn’t that bad of an idea after all. At least like that you could make sure it’s someone who respects you and your boundaries, someone who makes sure you feel safe and comfortable no matter what.

Maybe you could allow yourself this. Maybe having this as the memory of your first kiss wasn’t too bad.

“Like, right now?” You asked, which seemed to surprise Heeseung a little. He must have been convinced you’d turn him down.

“I mean, whenever is fine.” He responded suddenly you could see his cool demeanor crack, spotting a few hints of nervousness behind the cracks.

“I think, I’d be down.” You eventually say after contemplating for another minute.

“Really?” Heeseung’s eyebrows were almost at his hairline.

“Lee Heeseung, if you tell me right now that all of this has been a sick joke of yours after all, I’m ending this friendship right now.”

Panic flashed in his eyes.

“No! No, of course not. I was being serious. I just didn’t think…. I didn’t think you’d agree.” he admitted.

“So, how does this work?” you ask, not knowing where to even start.

“Oh, so you really want to do it right now, I see.” Heeseung mumbled more to himself than anyone in particular.

He scooted slightly closer to you.

“Well, first we gotta get closer.” He moves to sit next to you on the bed, shoulders touching.

You watch him, fascinated at how quickly his shyness has been replaced by his cool, nonchalant demeanours once again.

Heeseung and you have cuddled on more than one occasion before, but this feels different, you’re hyper aware of the place where his shoulder is bumping into yours and your tights are touching. This close, you could smell his cologne and shampoo.

“It’s not that complicated really” he starts explaining.

“If you want to just have a small, simple kiss. We’d both tilt our heads slightly as we get closer. Let me show you.”

He turns towards you, his eyes meeting yours. And you could swear there it was again. That shimmer from the first night the both of you actually talked to each other. You push that thought to the back of your head, the indications behind that too overwhelming for what’s about to happen right now.

His hand hovers above your cheek and you nod, allowing him to gently grab you by the jaw and tilt your head into one direction. The distance between his and your face shrinks as he does so, the pace of your heartbeat picking up in the process.

You could feel his breath against your lips as he spoke again.

“This is usually the point most people close their eyes and then you just… kiss.”

You close your eyes and a moment later you felt the sensation of Heeseung’s lips softly pressing against yours. All thoughts seem to leave your head the instant your lips touched, your heart basically beating out of your chest. It took you a moment to actually process the sensation and just as you were about to lose yourself in the feeling, Heeseung pulled back slightly.

“You know, this is the part where you kiss me back.” He chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down your spine and maybe it was all in your head but you could swear his voice sounded different then just a second ago; a bit deeper, maybe even a bit flustered.

“My bad” you said, making Heeseung throw his head back with laughter, making you giggle as well.

It eases your anxiety a bit that even in stations like this, you were able to just laugh with him and easing the tension so easily.

“No worries” he laughed “Wanna try again?”

Again?

What did he mean again? Wasn’t that it?

Despite yourself, you nod.

“Okay, this time make sure to reciprocate the pressure I put against your lips, got it?”

“Got it” you kept your replies fairly short, afraid your voice would fail you otherwise.

Before you knew it, Heeseung was leaning in again.

“Ready?”

“Ready.”

You close your eyes and soon after you feel the now familiar pressure of his lips again, this time making sure to kiss him back. Without thinking about it, your hand found its way onto Heeseung’s neck, where your fingers absentmindedly played with hair as you were kissing him.

This kiss lasted longer than the first one, you could feel Heeseung moving against you and followed his lead. It was easier to flow into the rhythm than you’d have thought, his lips soft and gentle against yours.

You were starting to feel lightheaded as he pulled away again and you had to resist the urge to chase after his lips.

“That was pretty good” he said, slightly out of breath, his pupils slightly dilated, his gaze fixed on your lips before he looked up at you.

“Also the thing you did with your hand, it seems like you’re a natural.” He chucked.

That’s when you saw your hand still resting against his neck, you instantly pulled it away once your brain caught up to what he was saying.

“Oh, I didn’t even realize…”

For a second there was a silence between the both of you; a silence that wasn’t quiet at all. You couldn’t seem to take your eyes off of him and neither could he. You could probably cut the tension with a knife.

“And what if… what if I’d want it to get more intense, you know?”

Heeseung’s eyebrows shot up.

“More intense?” He said, knowing very well what you were implying.

“I get how just kissing someone on the lips like that might not be that hard but what if– what if it goes further?”

Heeseung cleared his throat at your words and sat up straighter.

“You mean, if you would want to deepen the kiss?” He inquired.

You just nod, looking up at him, not failing to notice the light blush that’s starting to form on his cheeks, matching your own flusteredness.

“You want me to show you as well?”

You nod. Something about how his lips feel against yours was addictive, making you throw all your previous reservations out of the window.

“It’s kinda hard to explain though. I’d just have to show you?” He said, a bit unsure.

“That’s okay.”

“Okay so, basically you start with a kiss just like we shared before. You’ll just have to let me lead, okay?”

Something about the way he said that sent a shiver down your spine, words refusing to leave your mouth so you just nod.

Soon enough, his lips were on yours again and even though you were only separated for a few minutes, you already started to miss the sensation and the tingle it made you feel in your stomach and chest. Naturally, your hand found its way back into his hair.

Suddenly, you felt his tongue brush against your bottom lip and your heart took a leap. Instinctively, you opened your mouth for him. A few moments pass and he starts licking gently into your mouth.

You actively have to suppress sounds that were starting to build in the back of your throat at the sensation.

You could also feel one of his hands pressing against your waist while the other one was busy cupping your cheek.

Without much thinking you pressed forward, wanting to match his eagerness, which led to your teeth clinking against each other to which Heeseung pulled back slightly, chuckling.

“Take it slow, yeah?” He said, his face still incredibly close to yours.

As you nod at his remark he dives back in, taking you by surprise a bit. You were welcoming the touch of lips nonetheless.

This time you tried to dial down your eagerness and gently let his tongue guide yours, your insides turning into mush in the process.

Without thinking you slightly pulled at his hair, making him hum against your lips. 

He must like that? you think to yourself. 

Your stomach did a 360 at the thought of stirring him on further.

At this point your tongues were dancing with each other gently, no trance of any kind of hesitation left, the feeling leaving your head dizzy and your heart fluttering.

The way Heeseung kept pulling you in by your jaw and how his grip on your hip was getting tighter.

“I’ve wanted to do this for a really long time.” He suddenly blurts out in between kisses and if you wouldn’t be so lost in the feeling of his lips on yours you’d stop to question his statement, but right now your heart simply leaped in your chest.

Overcome by a sudden wave of braveness, you swung one of your legs across his lap, straddling him. Heeseung looked at you starstruck, his hands instantly finding their way to your hips caressing them.

You took the time to look at him for a moment, his pupils were practically blown out and he looked so pretty with kiss swollen lips, glistering with both of your spit.

This was the first time you initiated the kiss, he easily reciprocated.

The kisses were sometimes still a bit sloppy but neither you nor Heeseung seemed to care, too lost in the feeling of each other’s bodies pressed against each other.

His hands were traveling up your sides and down your tights again and you were drowning in this feeling, of his hands touching you; exploring you. Soon enough, him trying to teach you how to kiss turned into a full on make out session.

That was until your roommate burst into the room without any announcement, making you jump off of Heeseung in an instant, cursing your body for immediately missing his closeness.

You both looked guilty and flustered as your roommate looked the both of you up and down.

“My bad, I’m just here to grab my charger. Continue with what you’ve been doing. It was only a matter of time until this happened anyway.”

They said and were gone as quickly as they had arrived.

You and Heeseung looked at each other for a second. Both of you burst into laughter shortly after.

“I think at some point we should really have a conversation about what exactly this is between us.” He gestured between the both of you after recovering from the sudden interruption.

And you were glad he brought it up because you think your heart would have been shattered into a hundred pieces if this didn’t have the same effect on him as it had on you; making your stomach flutter, turning your insides into mush, craving more.

“Better sooner than later, right?” you smile at him, hope filling your heart.

feel free to let me know your thoughts <3

[olderthannetfic]

hi, as someone who is tragically gen Z and only ever read AO3, can I ask: what was so great about LiveJournal? Like, I know that there were fics posted there (and I've even read about the "purge", so I get why it isn't used anymore) and that it was sort of a forum-type thing. But what I don't understand, wouldn't Tumblr fill in the latter function? How was that site any different? I see a lot of people reminiscing about it and I'm confused

--

A big factor in LJ's greatness is timing and nostalgia.

It was genuinely great, but it wasn't quite as great as all of the Lo, shall the Golden Age ne'er come again? posts suggest.

LJ arrived at a pivotal time in the development of the internet both in terms of technical stuff and how many people had access. Many fans who are now in their thirties to fifties first discovered fandom through LJ and many were at a time in their lives when they were feeling energetic and up to making lots of new friends—and to figuring out how to make a site work for them.

I got on LJ in 2002 when it required invites. Fandom arrived in droves in 2003, first via coordinated campaigns to get invites to key people and then when LJ opened up free account creation to everyone. Back then, LJ's features sucked. It was impossible to search properly, among other things. At its height (2005-7, let's say), there was a reasonable site search, and fans had developed all sorts of community resources for finding each other.

People often remember this phase but not the early days of suckitude.

This development parallels how Tumblr used to not have that private chat feature and how a lot of fuckyeah[whatever] type tumblrs have helped curate the site and make it much more usable for fans. Fandom draining away from LJ after strikethrough also parallels people draining away from Tumblr after the purge.

There are people who talk about Tumblr the way my cohort talks about LJ...

And to the shock of no one, they are people who came of age on Tumblr, who found fandom via Tumblr, who were on Tumblr during pivotal times in their lives and ones when they had energy to make friends and figure out how a site worked.

Those same Tumblrites are now making all the same geriatric-sounding posts we LJers do about how other sites lack the required features to be good for fandom while missing that 90% of tumblr's "features" at its height (2012-2016, let's say) were actually fan-created and were basically the same as any fandom newsletter or links page or all the versions of this kind of personal curation stretching back to long before the internet existed.

What life phase you hit a site at matters.

--

With all of that said, no, LJ was not a forum. It was a blogging site with threaded comments.

The key point to understand is that conversation was always happening in a specific person's space. Unlike on a true forum, people were in the comments on a particular post in a journal owned by another fan. (On a forum, there's the first post in a thread, but it's still more of a communal space with less of a hierarchy.)

Overall, the LJ format can have a feeling a bit like you're over at someone's house for tea. There's more of a sense of intimacy and also behaving yourself in front of community members.

Tumblr being obscure and impossible to find anything in does give it some of the same vibe relative to Twitter, but it's still part of modern social media that tries to shove every rando into the face of every other rando.

But it wasn't just vibes: LJ also had robust privacy features where you could lock a post to this or that group of friends. You could moderate your comments section properly. Tumblr has far fewer controls to force people to behave or leave on a technical level.

--

The biggest thing many people miss about LJ is the threaded comments. At least by late LJ and on Dreamwidth, you can expand and collapse threads, making it far easier to deal with a massive comments section. But more than that, things are properly threaded with multiple levels of hierarchy that are all easily visible in the same place.

On Tumblr, it used to be extremely difficult to find all of the actual commentary on a post. Nowadays, it's far easier, but you still have to scroll chronologically, and multiple versions of a post with a long chain of commentary may be much more divorced from each other than what would happen in a LJ comments section.

--

But could we use Tumblr pretty much how we used LJ?

We could.

I do.

--

The key things that people tend to miss about LJ, aside from the younger and more excited version of themselves or the friends they've lost since then, are:

Heavily text-based

It may sound odd on the modern internet, but there are a lot of people whose brains don't like or handle an image-heavy site well. They were everywhere in SF book fandom. They were everywhere on the early internet. Today, they're hanging out on Dreamwidth and still going to their SF cons. They're usually not on Tumblr.

You could follow the discussion

Threaded comments help, but a lot of it is about having some place you can check for updates. It wasn't actually that easy to follow big LJ discussions unless you were subscribed to comments and reading along as things were happening instead of coming along after the entire mass of comments had been left.

The tone of the discussion is intellectual and one's enemies are "idiots", not "problematic"

All this requires is a penchant for longwindedness and an itchy blocking finger to remove anyone slinging ad hominems from the comments section.

On tumblr, it's as simple as conversations happening in the replies on a popular account and that person not tolerating suibaiting and threats.

(And make no mistake, a lot of LJ discussion was in the comments on popular accounts, not spread equally between everyone's.)

It does require that multiple people like that tone and want to engage in that way, but lots of people do want to.

--

These days, I interact with tumblr by checking my askbox and reading my activity page. The vast, vast majority of my posts are ones where I'm the OP, so if I block someone, they're booted from the discussion entirely.

For me... yeah, Tumblr functions almost exactly like LJ.

Also like LJ, while I'm hosting the conversation, if you hang around, you'll see the same people again and again in the comments. They may or may not also host that kind of conversation in their space, and there's a larger pool of lurkers who have some notion of which people count as regulars. Other people are watching from the shadows, enjoying or deriding the takes of the usual crowd.

People presumably do like reading my lengthy commentary or they wouldn't be here, but my tumblr wouldn't be popular like this without a healthy pool of other people who chime in regularly. It's not just that there are more people: it's that you see the same people over time. There's a bit more sense of place and community than on some parts of the internet.

--

So, in my opinion, the failure to just recreate LJ fandom on Tumblr was a skill issue.

Threaded comments were great, but LJ culture came from mailing lists, and mailing lists had the same issue as tumblr with the diverging threads.

We solved that back then by clipping out only the parts we wanted to respond to (you'd write "snip" around the quotation to show it was incomplete). We solved the smaller LJ issue by linking to other posts we were referencing and doing discussion link roundups. We solve it on tumblr by, again, linking to what we're talking about and even quoting multiple reblog chains in our own reblog of just one chain.

--

Tumblr's technical features and even general crap-ness aren't really the problem. 90s and early 00s sites regularly went down for periods of time unthinkable today.

The missing piece is people.

When one is in an active fandom with others who curate or with friends who let one know what's up, a site with imperfect features is easy to figure out and retrofit for fandom's needs. When one already feels out of touch and is between fannish passions—or at least fannish passions anyone else cares about—seeing the potential in a new site is hard.

--

Threaded comments are different and better.

LJ's built-in way to see everyone's blog in your own style was better. The automatic timestamps and the ease of seeing a paginated archive of an entire blog was better than tumblr's endless scroll and lack of clear date labeling. But some of that can be fixed with xkit or knowing your way around tumblr well.

A lot of it is nostalgia for the lj era and a refusal to take the time to figure out how to use tumblr in an oldschool internet way.

--

So by all means, people, weigh in about what made LJ great or how the culture felt at the time...

But if I see one more god damn response going "You can't have a conversation on tumblr!" in reply to my tumblr, which contains nothing but conversation, I am coming for you.

[cepheustarot]

What kind of vibe do you have?

Attention! This reading is for entertainment purposes only. This tarot reading does not give a 100% guarantee that all the describes being ultimate truth. Only you know yourself best.

Paid readings

Pick a pile. Choose one or more pictures. Trust your intuition.

Pile 1: You’re the vibe of a strong person who’s determined, productive and active, and people see you as a leader who can inspire and lead people, you motivate others by your example. You are one of those who are not standing still and constantly busy with anything, you are constantly in motion, around you are always a stormy activity. Along with this comes the vibe of a person of cool head and rational thinking, you know a lot and have a lot of experience behind you, people see you as a wise person, they see you as someone who gives the right advice and can always help. To some extent you can call a genius of some kind, because you will definitely find a way out of any situation, find a solution to any problem. Also you are very curious by nature, love to learn everything new, you literally absorb knowledge (I would also suggest that you’re very interested in sociology, psychology and the like, you’re one of those people who likes to study human behavior, society on the sociological side, human interaction and all that sort of stuff). I also want to note that if you are very interested in a topic or question, then you will definitely find the answer, no matter which way, but you will achieve your goal.

Pile 2: From you comes the vibe of a person prone to melancholy, you can constantly be seen in a brooding state, you seem a little detached from the reality around you and you are immersed in yourself, in your inner world, constantly thinking about something personal, something only you understand. You’re just as hesitant by nature, you’re hard-pressed to make choices, because you weigh decisions everything carefully, consider every option from the outside, and you find pros and cons in every option, you think a lot about the consequences, what your decision will lead to in the future. You have the whole vibe of a person who has a tendency to analyze a lot, not only about yourself, but also about others, you think a lot about the actions of others and as if looking for a catch in their actions. Also, you have an inner linchpin and in stressful situations you become a person who remove his emotions for a while and faces the problem, successfully solving it. You may think a lot about problems, but you never dive into them, you are able to control your thoughts and actions. In other words, you never let problems get you unsettle. You are a pretty determined and hard man who will handle any obstacle. 

Pile 3: You have the vibe of a person who is easy-going, you are easily interested in something and you are curious about many things, you can say that you have tried a lot in your life and you always have something to tell others, to share your history and experience in one or another field. Perhaps because you have tried a lot, you do not know what one to do in life, what particular area to choose, as you are attracted to everything. With this you have a vibe of an ambitious person, you most often follow the case to the end, most likely you have a lot of plans for life and you are the ones who think of any little things and details. People see you as a cheerful, friendly person, you always cheer others up and leave good memories, you have a good sense of humor and are able to conduct a dialogue so that everyone will be interested, including you. Partly,  you have the vibe of a somewhat naive person who often head in the clouds and build castles in the air. You also stand up your end and if you want something very much, you will certainly achieve, you do not care if people do not support your decisions, because it is only your life and you decide what it will be. 

[psilliguykai]

And now I present to you…. The power hour OC absolutely nobody asked for…. Chonny Superstar !!

[general + character info under the cut]

I’ve been completely hyperfixated on Jesus Christ Superstar for the past few days [I think I’ve looped the album like . 7 times by now ??] BUT !! still got my CJ fixation going on in the background too so here’s the product of that lol.

Chonny Superstar is his name for now because honestly I’m not great at naming characters and have no other great ideas 😭 if anybody has suggestions feel free to put them in the comments :3

Info !! [putting it in the post rather than the sheet so I can change it later if I need to 👍] [WARNING: long. Also very mild mentions of death I guess??]

Character/story-related notes:

- Chonny Superstar

- He/Him [Bi, cis man]

- 28

- Hair is messy and greasy. Probably hasn’t been washed in months lol.

- Partially based on Tim Minchin’s Judas from the 2012 UK Arena tour [both in design and personality]

- I hate this guy so much /aff

- Very independent/sticking to his personal mission [whatever that is in the moment] but overall well intentioned and a good person in the end. He wants the best and is sometimes just shitty about it 👍 somewhat social, but mostly when he has a purpose (which could just be that he hasn’t talked to anyone in a while or wants to make some he knows happy !! Just doesn’t really like . Hang around people). also a cunt. Very important

- Doesn’t actually play a particular role in JCS, nor do I have a solid story for him at the moment. I’ve got this loose idea that he just kind of lives in an endlessly looping production of JCS which has gone on for so long that the people involved switch and meld roles with each loop or smth ?? But I might change this later we’ll see …

- Some thought was put into the order, but there really isn’t that much rhyme or reason to the tracklist apart from “I like it” and “it fits his vibe”. That said I want to make it known that “Hosanna” and “Gethsemane” would both be the 2000 movie lyrics and not the original concept album - as much as I love the originals “hey JC, JC, won’t you DIE for me?” and “thy will is hard, but you hold every card” hit hard imo [and fit Chonny Superstar better]

- Would probably never meet the other canon jashlings but would totally either get along very well or have massive beef with Ego [bc Tim Minchin and all that]. He’d get on fairly well with Devil [they share the “fuck you all” and “society is messed up” energies]. Jouse/Mori would probably freak him out but I could see him chilling with CJPH.

- lives/is from the sorta vague anachronistic time period most productions of JCS take place in. No phones for him.

- Has never heard a song apart from the ones in JCS and would probably be really freaked out by anything else lol

- Has probably died multiple times and will die many more 👍

Design-related notes:

- Scarf patterns can be inconsistent and aren’t required. Based on the thing Minchin wears in his performance 👍

- He can and does take the scarf off, just not during musical numbers since it’s a little awkward to deal with on stage lol

- Heavy eyeliner + some eyeshadow

- Crop top and netted shirt are from the Laplaces’s Angel video

- Jacket and jeans are based on the ones CJ wears as “Green” in TFFTT.

- Temperature-confused apparel. What are you wearing a crop top and netted shirt with a massive coat for?? Are you cold or not boy tell me???? /silly

- clothes are worn but not super dirty apart from mild food/drink stains. The result of living on a stage in a time loop 👍

[juicezone]

Hi! I'm TL, and I do agere/petre art requests! You can find my open status on my header! You can also check out this link to see my current inbox details/scheduled posts! Please read the rules below, thank you! It helps to reblog this to spread it around :D

You must obey the DNI of this account. These requests are also meant for age/pet regression/dreaming and system little/kid only, not general requests.

If requests are closed, you may DM me and ask me to send you a message/heads up when I re-open then!

Please be kind when asking :) these are not commissions, i am not required to do them! use your manners- a please, thank you, or general appreciation goes far!

if your request is something i’m not comfortable with doing, i’ll priv answer so you have the option of sending another if you’d like! (this is easiest to do if you're not on anon oryou leave an @ of your sideblog! If you're on anon, you just might not see the ask be answered.)

not a rule but feel free to give suggestions! Honestly, details can help a lot with ideas, especially when I don't know the fandom or character that well. For example, outfit ideas, toys, pacis, diaps, with a star themed blanket, as a particular animal for pet regression, a particular age range for age regressors! (further examples below) "Can you draw XX with a green paci please?" "Can you draw XX as a fox regressor please?" "Can you draw XX in a blue diap please?" I will also draw characters crying, being upset, etc. I will draw padded regressors as well, but due to past experiences, I'm not comfortable drawing accidents themself.

I’d prefer to not draw your persona/sona/ect! I don’t mind drawing in a “blank/YN” type character, but I no longer would like to draw personas/sonas/ect. Sorry! People who I have given EXPLICIT PERMISSION may ask me to draw their ocs. Please do not ask unless I have reached out to you! (will work off piccrews if you don't have ref images but also ill make you a simple ref image if u want!)

Requests may take a while! If you're unsure if your ask was eaten, please check this link! I am a fulltime college student and I have work. I do these requests for free. If you pester me, I will delete the request and block you.

Please be reasonable with the amount you're sending at once. If you've sent a request in before, you're absolutely still allowed to submit other requests! I just ask that you don't send in multiple at once - maybe limit to 2-3 a month if I'm open and accepting :).

FANDOMS I'LL DO

I'll do most any Media - it's really best to just ask! There's so many media types out there, I can't possibly list or know them all. General kids cartoons (Bluey, Winnie the Pooh, Disney, etc) Superheroes (DC, Marvel, etc) Games (FNAF, Genshin Impact*, Mass Effect, Nintendo, etc) Books (Warrior Cats, Wings of Fire, ect) Anime/Comics (My Hero Academia/Vigilantes, One Piece, Naruto, etc) Shows (Star Trek, Pokemon, Dr Who, Transformers/Robots**, ect) MCYT*** (Hermitcraft, Empires, Life Games, etc) *Complicated character outfits (like in GI or similar games) will be simplified or dressed up in different outfits! Feel free to request outfit ideas, vibes, colours, etc however :) (I find their canon outfits hard to draw sorry)

**I’ll do my best to draw robots/mecha but they are unfortunately fairly hard for me (which sucks bc I Love Transformers) so I’ll give it my best effort! *** Will not do DSMP or characters that are primarily based/originated there, sorry! Just not comfortable with it, and I'm not familiar enough to know which of those creators supported or distanced themself from Dr/eam. Will also not do Isk/all. It's best to ask, but I might be picky on accepting MCYT based requests, sorry.

FANDOMS I WON'T DO likely to be updated as i think of things/get requests in that remind me

Harry Potter, Hetalia, IRL People (as in the Content Creator - see below for more detail), Attack on Titan, Hazbin Hotel/Helluva Boss, Country humans/Country balls/Anything based off the countries, Rick and Morty, DSMP*, The Magnus Archives, Mouthwashing, Family Guy, American Dad, Southpark, Simpsons, Morel Orel, Big Mouth

ABOUT IRL PEOPLE

Will do: MCYT for example! Because my design is based off their MC skin. It's like actors v their characters if that makes sense Won't do: Things like Sanders Side or Marki/plier ego stuff, because it's like. there's nothing there for referencing other than the literal person. idk its hard to explain TLDR: thats just my comfort level sorry ^^''

[stargazinglesbian]

inspired by the recent stardew valley community shenanigans on tiktok i've started making a playlist of a bunch of theme songs for each stardew valley marriage candidate

so far i have:

Haley - Goodluck Babe (Chappell Roan)

Harvey - Too Sweet (Hozier)

Alex - Boys Don't Cry (The Cure)

Abigail - It Almost Worked (TV Girl)

Penny - Fault Line (Darcie Haven)

Maru - Cosmic Love (Florence + The Machine)

Sam - Everybody Talks (Neon Trees) 

Leah - Little Soldiers (Crane Wives)

Shane - You Found Me (The Fray)

Sebastian - Daddy Issues (The Neighbourhood) 

Elliot - Constellations (The Oh Hellos)

Emily - Dancing Queen (ABBA)

and i don't have anything for elliot and emily yet. i think they're particularly difficult because they both have vibes totally different from the kind of music that i normally listen to, + i never really get that close to either of them in game

edit: GOOD NEWS!!! i found songs for emily and elliot (for now). massive thanks to @fearofgodandtolkien for giving me the suggestion of oh hellos for Elliot and something 80s and upbeat for Emily, i don't know if my particular selections are perfect but i wanted to get *something* down

too sweet and good luck babe have basically been democratically voted in by the tiktok community, little soldiers and boys don't cry were suggestions (one i found online and one from my friend) but all the others i came up with myself or discussed with my friend a bit

some of them are subject to change, i'm kind of indecisive of abigail and sebastian's especially, i know i want abigail's to be a tv girl song just cause i think it fits her vibe really well but it almost worked might be too angsty, idk. sebastian's is just hard cause none of them seem quite right, but i think daddy issues is pretty good.

i've already made the playlist itself on spotify but that's mostly just so i can compile them, the listening experience itself gives you a bit of whiplash haha, i didn't want every song to basically sound the exact same and tried to diversify slightly genre wise.

if you have complaints tell me, and if you have suggestions for emily and elliot PLEASE HELP for the love of Yoba i'm a nervous wreck about these selections

[icumpinkglitterxo]

Michelle

part 4 (a)

a/n: well ive been putting this off for ages x

warnings: uh idk just read with caution i cant fucking remember, kinda hinted sexual stuff, CLIFFHANGER 🏋🏽‍♂️

part 3

Weeks had passed. Nothing had happened. Although Izzy was starting to feel used the more he was with Axl. Slash avoided Axl like the plague, but when he couldn't, Axl would show off Izzy in the most intimate ways. From an outsiders perspective, they simply looked like newfound lovers. But in reality, they were never intimate unless Slash was around.

Slash decided to spend all of his time with Nat. She had been going out on dates with Michelle, who Slash still hadn't met. Until today.

Michelle was this tan, curly black haired girl who was much taller than both of them. She was stunning, like a model. "You're Slash?" Michelle asks. He nods. Michelle laughs, "what kind of name is Slash?" He glares at her, was she stupid? Or was she just trying to be irritating?

Slash immediately didn't like her. She had this strange vibe. He didn't like it. "It's a nickname, actually. My name's Saul, but everyone calls me Slash. You will too," he says. Nat gives him a look as if to say 'what are you doing?'. Michelle gives him a strange look, "I will too?" She asks. Slash nods, "only people I'm close with call me Saul." Slash states, quite bluntly, but he doesn't care. There's something off about this woman.

Throughout their lunch period, Slash notices several things wrong with Michelle. They were in a secluded area, so they didn't have to hide from anyone.

Multiple times, Nat tried to kiss Michelle, and each time, it ended up as a peck on the cheek, seemingly by accident. Slash knew better.

Nat would try to hold her hand or put her arm around her, and Michelle would come up with a different excuse to get up momentarily.

Michelle had mentioned all of her past ex boyfriends. Boyfriends. Not a single girlfriend.

Michelle was friends with some of the most popular people in school, including the two guys who had attacked Slash after he was outed.

When lunch was over, Michelle hurried off way too quickly for Slash's liking. "What the fuck is wrong with you?!" Nat asks, punching him in the arm. Slash lets out a pained sound, "Owwwhat?!" He glares at her, rubbing his arm. "You were so rude to her! What was that about?!" She looked genuinely angry at him, which worried him. She was completely manipulated by this girl.

Slash sighs, deciding to tell her the truth, "I don't trust her, Nat." She glares at him, "what do you mean? You only just met her!" Slash groans, "She had an off vibe! There's something she's hiding, something she's keeping from you! I mean, did you not see how many times she shot you down when you tried to hold hands, or kiss, or hug, or do anything remotely couple like?" Nat sighs, "she's new to the school! She doesn't know it like we do. She was probably scared of getting caught!"

Slash takes a deep breath, "just be careful around her, please? She's friends with the most popular people in school so just be careful, okay?" Nat rolls her eyes, "fine." She decides to tell him what he wants to hear, even with no real intention of 'being careful'.

Nat hurries off to class before he can say anything else. Slash sighs. He turns around to go to his own class and bumps into Izzy. He panics slightly and mentally prepares himself for a scene in front of everyone. Instead, Izzy looks at him, "hey, sorry man. Didn't see you turning," he shrugs and walks on. He wasn't trying to be rude and Slash could tell.

Slash follows him with his eyes. Izzy seemed like a genuinely nice, laid-back guy who he could probably get along with well. The only problem was Axl. Izzy was being used. Slash almost felt bad for him until he saw Axl grabbing him once again in suggestive ways to piss Slash off and still keep their relationship hidden.

Slash stands there staring at them. For some reason, this particular moment really angered him.

Izzy smiled nervously at Axl and said something to him before walking off to class. Axl starts walking in a different direction. Slash decides to follow him, knowing he was skipping his last two classes of the day.

They get to the tree when Slash loses his temper, "what the fuck is wrong with you!? What are you trying to do!?" Axl stops and turns to look at him, "you creep, did you follow me here?" Slash nods, "yeah, I did. I'm sick of this. Why are you using that guy? What's he done to you? Nothing! You're just trying to piss me off! You're hurt because of what I said and did, and I get that, but that doesn't mean you get to use someone else! He's a person too, and he seems like a genuinely nice guy, and he doesn't deserve to be absolutely flat out miserable with you, knowing he means nothing to you! And what's worse is i can tell you originally just wanted to hang out with him but for some reason your sick and fucking twisted mind decided he would be the perfect 'thing' to use for the sole purpose of trying to piss me off and it's not fair! It's not fucking fair, Ax!"

Axl stands there, completely dumbfounded. Slash storms off before letting Axl reply. He walks around for a while before realising he hasn't eaten. He walks to Natalie's dad's diner to get food. He stays there until the end of the school day before walking back to school because he still wants to take Nat home.

He sees her walking hurriedly to the gate and grabs her arm, "hey, where are you going?" She looks up at him, "home?" Slash glares at her, "why are you in such a rush?"

"I'm meeting Michelle at her place. I need to go home and get ready!" She exclaims, Slash sighs, "alright, well, let me give you a ride, yeah?" Nat nods, "okay."

Slash gives her a ride back to her place and waits while she gets herself dolled up, then drops her off at Michelle's. He watches her walk in with the worst anxiety. Somethings not right.

For the first time, Michelle and Nat actually share a kiss. Which quickly turns into a heavy makeout session. And then stripping. But only Nat. But she doesn't realise. Michelle does everything she can to turn her into a worked up and excited mess.

She has her layer out, 'ready for her'. It's gonna happen, Nat thinks to herself. Michelle excuses herself to grab something that she claims is very important, which only fuels her excitement. After a while, she comes back.

"Is that a camera..?"

[suzukiblu]

I'm sorry for asking but I need to know before I decide to keep reading the sex puzzle room(?) Wip bc rn it's a bit too dark for me.

I don't need too many spoiler or anything, but does it get better? Like, is this going to get a happier ending? Or any kind of healthier, emotional resolution? Bc I can't deal with hurt-no-comfort right now, but your writing is so good I don't wanna miss out unless absolutely necessary.

Thanks in advance 💜

Naw, that's a totally fair/understandable question, esp when a thing's not, like, a complete fic on AO3 with a full list of applicable tags attached. Like, absolutely makes sense to ask, imo.

Though just gonna pop the answer behind a cut for anyone who doesn't actually wanna know anything vibes-related about either the ending or the emotional path we go through to get there.

tl;dr: I am intending a "situation is improved" ending; worst-case scenario is "situation improved but bittersweetly". Like, we won't say full-on HAPPY given the circumstances of the fic setup and all, but emotionally in a better place, basically.

The current word count's like 10k-ish, and my current don't-quote-me-on-this-but-probably estimate is it'll be between another 5 and 10k before I finish it, so if you're really on the fence I might suggest waiting to read 'til the whole fic's done and posted on AO3? Since then you could, like, see all the tags all together to make your final decision and also would be able to just read it straight through as opposed to it being a dragged-out thing that might be more stressful to read.

There's still Kon's current level of emotional breakdown to get through, obviously--which just so you know def is gonna escalate to more upsetting territory in terms of his thoughts/feelings/things he says before it ends--but after that particular crescendo the fic should have a bit of wind-down and then wrap up. I'm not intending to end on an awful miserable downer or anything like that; the worst the ending vibe might end up is maybe a "painful but for the best" bittersweet, but my actual INTENTIONS for the ending emotions that I want the reader to walk away feeling are more, like, "the situation is not insta-fixed and is emotionally a Lot(tm) for EVERYONE in different ways, but there is clearly visible light at the end of the tunnel".

[colleybri]

It’s not what it looks like!

Well, ok - it kind of is but it also kind of isn’t.

I didn’t watch Andor when it came out but apparently this scene (link at the end) caused a bit of a stir at the time as the ‘first sex scene in Star Wars’. Hmm. Well, you don’t actually see the sex bit so it’s more accurate to say that it’s a scene where sex is ‘very heavily implied to be about to happen’ as someone put it, a little demurely, on X.

So yes, in that sense - it’s exactly what it looks like. But there’s so much more to it than that, because this scene is absolutely packed with story-telling richness in a way that just can’t be appreciated from seeing it out of context. Which is why I am kind of promising myself that I’m no longer going to try and predict anything about Season 2 based on trailers etc.

The storytelling richness turns a ‘sex scene’ into something so much more, and this explains why it’s here at all - Tony Gilroy seems to be the last person to indulge in ‘fan-service’ of this kind. It’s all about what it’s telling us about these characters and this situation. Two things feed into that - the background information that we’ve gathered so far and what’s actually unfolding in the narrative.

Background: Timm and Bix are co-workers, but she’s his boss. They’ve been dating for an unspecified period of time, but it’s implied to be pretty recent: they have apparently agreed to do something together ‘one night a week’ and Timm earlier suggested ‘starting the week tonight’ with dinner in a way that almost implies that they haven’t gone further than that. More speculatively, this very cautious approach seems to come entirely from Bix and suggests a wariness about committing too hard, too soon. Meanwhile, Bix has a secretive working arrangement with Cassian, a man who is one of her oldest friends, a kind of sibling figure and also - crucially - something of a serial ex. Gilroy tells us that she’s ‘done with him’ by this time because he’s ‘burned every last bridge’ even though they’re ‘meant to be together’. Cassian turns up to conduct some kind of business with Bix (and we know it’s about providing stolen parts for her to sell on to contacts such as Luthen) from which Timm is deliberately and pointedly excluded. We don’t know if Timm and Bix have even discussed it, but what we do know is that Timm is both jealous and suspicious, noticing that Bix “seems upset…” and that this “always seems to happen whenever you come around”. Add to all that, Cassian seems to have a low opinion of Timm anyway, as revealed by their brief confrontation in Ep1 (‘you need to find yourself a less complicated woman… good luck with that!’ - all adding to the shady-ex vibe). Cassian also has a reputation as a womaniser, with a particular predilection for those already in a relationship (Bix’s quip about his ‘fall’ being on a ‘jealous husband’).

Timm thinks his suspicion is justified as soon as he sees what Bix had been reading

Then there’s the actual plot as it stands at this stage. Cassian, desperate to get enough credits to flee from Ferrix, meets up with Bix in a bar. She’s done him yet another huge favour, and has called Luthen ahead of her usual schedule. By this time, the Pre-Mor bulletin asking for information on a ‘Kenari Human Male’ has been issued and Bix knows Cassian is yet again a wanted man. She doesn’t know when or if she will ever see him again, even if he manages to get safely away. In gratitude, he puts his hand on hers. Timm, drinking hard and spying on them, sees this and jumps to a final conclusion. We will find out in the next episode that Bix had told him Cassian was born on Kenari.

Just after Timm leaves, Bix pushes Cassian’s hand from her own. Perfect ironic timing.

If only he’d stayed in the bar another ten seconds… bad timing, Timm With Two Ms :(

Timm betrays Cassian - and by extension Bix - by calling PreMor. He then goes home, sits in moody silence and broods. Bix apparently continues drinking for a while offscreen and then comes to Timm’s door.

So to the sex scene. The obvious immediate point is that as soon as he sees her Timm must on some level realise his mistake. In his typical love of irony, Gilroy even has Bix say “Is it too late?”… oh boy, yes it certainly is for Timm. And he obviously knows it. He knows the relationship is doomed. The end result of that is that he looks so unenthusiastic at the sight of her that Bix picks up on it immediately and looks hurt and depressed at a perceived rejection. ‘No it’s just … I’m surprised!’ Timm tries to cover. Which is also true, but not in the way he wants her to take it.

The obvious irony is that he’s probably been dreaming about this moment for weeks, maybe months, but it’s all just so … disappointing, because of what he’s just done to betray her trust. As for Bix, she doesn’t want sex for the ‘usual’ reasons. And she’s not particularly enthusiastic about Timm or making any real effort here to make him feel genuinely like he’s the man for her. Her whole attitude smacks of ‘having to make do with the consolation prize’ in combination with ‘looking for comfort’. In other words, Bix seems to be using Timm to ease her depressed mood in a way that’s genuinely unusual in these gender roles.

Yikes. Really not what you want to see when you wake up… your lover fully dressed and staring at you.

So it’s a sex scene that is not particularly sexy, beyond the obvious visual image of Adria Arjona starting to undress. OK, yeah, that’s kind of attractive by default I suppose if she floats your boat, but if you’ve seen her in ‘Hit Man’ you’ll know what she’s capable of when her characters choose to really crank up the sensuality dial. Honestly, there’s absolutely no chemistry between Bix and Timm at all in this scene. Her two conversations thus far with Cassian were about a stolen piece of equipment but there was so much sexual tension and angsty subtext between them I vaguely remember indulging my occasional childish habit of yelling ‘Get a room!’ at the screen the first time I watched them.

In summary, it’s a very unsexy sex scene, where ‘going through the motions’ barely begins to cover it. But the broader point is - there’s absolutely nothing on the screen in this series that is not there for a meaningful story-telling purpose. And I will try and keep that promise not to attempt to glean anything from Season 2 trailers. Yeah, I know - ‘good luck with that’.

[dracoxsworld]

hii could you do a soft!dom harry (yk like he has control but he’s not mean during sex, more like still caring and protective) x fem!reader smut where he maybe goes a bit too hard so reader uses the safeword (maybe make the safeword “red” I feel like it’s the most used for a safeword) and harry is like super worried and feels guilty cause the reader starts crying due to the pain and he apologizes a million times and gives her a cute fluffy aftercare and they end up cuddling (also you can do some kisses on the head or something I’m literally on my knees for head kisses) and falling asleep together? I feel like harry would act like that and be super cute and everything <3 thank you!! (I love your writing btw it’s soo good)

A/N: Hey! Awesome suggestion! I loved this request so I decided to write it, I saw your second submission, your English is perfectly fine! I understood everything. <3

Warnings: Rough sex obvi, use of safe word, soft!dom Harry, crying etc. 18+ please Stay safe bebs!

RED - Harry P. x Reader - Oneshot, Smut, 18+

You and Harry's sex life was anything but vanilla. Maybe he gave off vanilla vibes, but those vibes were misleading.

Harry was never rough, however he was very protective of you. Naturally, that came out during sex. He'd never hit you, call you names, etc. He'd just let you know you were his. He'd leave marks from hickeys, bite marks etc. He'd have your throat sore and raspy from yelling his name that would echo off of the castle walls.

One particular time, Harry was feeling more protective than usual. You noticed this as you were on his lap, he was very roughly gripping your thighs, there was a different look in those eyes, looking at you through his circular glasses. They were darker than before. Full of a different type of love, it was pure lust. Not the kind you had seen before; his sweat was dripping down his temple as he was grinding his hips against yours. This lust, was rougher, more needy. Maybe not even needy; it was full of greed for you.

Normally you'd be okay with this type of look, this energy he was giving off. But today was different; you just wanted love. The slow kind, with a sprinkle of protection.

You could smell his cologne. Passion fruit mixed with wood, he smelled like how Autumn felt. He was saying something to you, but you were so in your head by how uncomfortable you were.

"Come on, baby, speak to me." Harry had said. His hands were at the button of your shorts, you nodded, almost off of instinct. "I need words, doll." Harry breathed out, furrowing his brows at you.

"Yes," You whimpered. You wanted him, maybe even needed him. But not in this way, not roughly. Passionately.

He nodded and undid your shorts, ripping them off. The fabric quickly running down your legs made them feel like they were burning. You whined, Harry didn't seem to notice, his leg was inbetween yours, up against your heat. He roughly grinded it against you, it felt good, but it pained you more than anything. His hands snaked up to your hair and balled it up in his fist.

"Are you ready for me baby? You've been so good." He moaned out.

You were soaked, you again, felt great, but it was all too much.

"Harry-" You tried to say to grasp his attention.

"That's right, good girl." He praised.

This put a few butterflies in your stomach. However his grinding got rougher and rougher, before you knew it; his hands were gripping your wrists. This was too much, just before his hands reached your underwear, you said it.

"Red!"

Harry immediately jumped off of you. The previous look in his eyes had faded. He wiped the sweat dripping down the bridge of his nose.

"Doll?" Harry said softly.

You didn't want to cry, but you did. A lot. Harry immediately wrapped his arms around you and held you.

"Baby, what happened?!" Harry exclaimed. "I'm sorry," He added quickly, checking if he left any rough marks on you.

"I'm just hurting.." You sniffled out, bringing your hands to your face. Harry looked guilty, "I am so sorry baby, please forgive me." His hands gently grabbed yours, and brought them away from your face.

You looked into his green eyes, they were soft natured again, full of love. You gulped. "It's okay."

"No, it's not, I should've paid attention to any hints."

You looked up at him, your eyes were red from the burning tears. “Please don’t stop holding me.” You croaked out. Harry shook his head. “I wouldn’t dream of it.”

You and Harry just sat in silence, it wasn’t awkward; it was comforting. It’s what you both had needed. His fingers slowly and softly dragged up and down your arm, continuously. He seemed like he wanted to speak; but didn’t know what to say. He seemed too deep in his thoughts.

He finally did speak, eventually.

“Would you like me to draw you a bath?” He asked.

“Yes, that would be nice.” You answered in a hushed voice.

Harry got up and left you to start a nice warm bath. Once he got up you immediately missed his presence. You felt cold. You twiddled with your fingers as you waited, you didn’t want to leave the bed. You couldn’t.

“Love, bath is ready.” Harry finally announced, leaning against the doorway. You hummed, smiling a bit. Harry looked relieved to see you smile. “Would you like me to help you up?” He added, tilting his head at you. You quickly nodded, reaching your arms towards him. A goofy grin melted onto his face, and he walked towards you, wrapping his arms around your waist and lifting you up. You legs absentmindedly wrapped around him. You smushed your face into his shoulder, humming to yourself. You felt so comfortable, so safe once again.

“Can you get in the bath with me?” You asked, your voice muffled into his sweatshirt.

“Of course, only if you want me to be.”

“Please.”

You and Harry undressed, helping each other in a loving and caring way. Harry helped you put your hair up in a bun, he caressed your face with the back of his hand.

“You’re so precious to me, my flower.” He said softly. His eyes looked sad, he still felt mass amounts of guilt.

“Harry, I forgive you. I want you like that too; I just-“ You started, but paused to think. You had Harry’s full attention. He was chewing on the inside of his cheek, seemingly anxious about what you were going to say. You took a deep breath and continued. “I want you passionately.” You admitted. “I want you to make love to me slowly,”

“Do you not want it rough anymore?” Harry asked, grabbing your hand and holding it in his. “No, no!” You replied, resting your free hand on his cheek.

“I love that too, I just couldn’t have that energy tonight.”

Harry nodded, and gave you a comforting smile. “Well, the bath is going to get cold, Doll. Wanna get in?” He motioned towards the garden tub. You nodded joyfully and stepped into the warm water and mountain of bubbles. You sunk into the comforting and soothing water, and Harry followed. You sat between Harry’s legs, your back against his chest. His arms wrapped around you and held you close. Every now and then he’d plant kisses behind your ear, whispering how much he loved you; giving you a shoulder massage, planting kisses there, too.

Your eyelids were getting heavy. The water surrounded you like warm blanket, Harry’s kisses and caresses were also lulling you to sleep.

“Baby? Are you falling asleep?” Harry asked you quietly.

“Mmhm..” You hummed.

“Let’s get you into bed; flower.” Harry suggested, gently pushing you off of him, but still supporting your body weight. You whined, and Harry chuckled. “Doll, you can cuddle with me in our nice warm bed.” Harry offered. You opened your sleepy eyes and nodded at your boyfriend, who’s hair was a mess, his eyelids looked heavy. To be honest he looked exhausted, but he still had his loving smile. He always looked at you as if you were a famous and valuable artwork in a high-class museum.

You both lazily got out of the bathtub, Harry made it priority to wrap you. in a nice warm fluffy towel. You wrapped it around you like a blanket, and ran into the bedroom, sleepily giggling. “Baby! You’re naked!” Harry called out to you. You tossed yourself onto the bed, in only your towel. Harry had followed you into the bedroom, fully dressed in pajamas from clothes he had set out for himself prior to getting in the bath. He had yours he had picked out in his hand (were really just his boxers and a shirt of his).

“Can you dress me?” You ask him with your face covered by the towel.

“Anything for you, princess.” Harry sighed. Harry dressed you, still giving you kisses here and there; causing you to giggle from it tickling and getting goosebumps.

Harry got into bed with you and you immediately cuddles up next to him. You were taken care of; and was given the love you were craving. “I love you so much Y/N.” Harry said, spooning you. You snuggled in to him more, his arms wrapped tighter around to you. “I love you too, Harry.”

[girderednerve]

obviously i have already complained about my workjob 2day but a second complaint has hit the blog

so one of the major responsibilities of the position i accepted is dealing with 'problem patrons,' and i will be honest one of the reasons i accepted the position is that i have very strong ethical inclinations about how patron issues should be handled [not to suggest that i think i am Good At It, just that i have spent a lot of time thinking about what the right things are] & while i am not like, enthusiastic about doing it i really hate being in a building where it's being done wrong.

so today we went over the problem patron records & process as part of my training, & the current assistant director, among other much more innocuous comments, told me that it seemed to her that i, like her, would develop sort of a sense for it, "a vibe," when a patron is likely to be a problem. 'i can just sort of tell when someone will be an issue. i know when someone is a good person,' is a pretty close paraphrase of what she said to me. and i just sort of let that go past in the moment because she is leaving libraries entirely & i did not think this would be a constructive juncture for argument, but i loathe this attitude so profoundly i can't express it. like everyone else i must operate on my impressions & intuition to some degree, but i think it is deeply wrong to act as though i can be certain about someone from a cursory impression, & it is moreover not obvious to me at all that there is a kind of person who is good & a kind of person who is not [perhaps relevant sidebar she has a catholic saints calendar up in her office]. i think in practice this library has a culture of trying to be fair & accommodating; some of the most common insidiously exclusionary library rules are not present at this library (people can sleep, there is no bag limit, we allow eating). i have no reason in particular to think that she has done anything wrong. but i was made so viscerally uncomfortable by the idea that i might know by looking at someone whether they belong in the library or not that i had to write it down. i want to remember this feeling. there is the great pressure of convenience, along with the other pressures of social prejudice, to make these kinds of snap judgments about service. i do not want to go that way. if i am going that way i want to notice, and stop.

i am going to have to think more about how to talk about this constructively & what kind of environment i want to help create, along with thinking about the kinds of relationships with other staff that are possible when i am 'the boss'. for whatever reason i had thought about the potential to influence policy as an administrator a lot, & less about what that might mean for how other people talk to me or relate to me. these two projects will probably intersect in uncomfortable ways i do not anticipate; last week, a patron who staff suspect is unhoused came to the reference desk to ask about the ipods we circulate, which are intended to make sure that patrons who do not have smartphones can access digital audiobooks. the ipods are 9 years old and have not circulated in a full calendar year. i pulled one off the shelf but, because i am new, was not sure about what the next steps for checking it out to the patron were; my colleague at the desk, instead of helping with this, began reading them a list of the audiobooks on the device in a monotone until the patron said that they would come back for it later, which did not happen. after the patron left, my colleague looked at me and said, conspiratorially, "i'm not going to check it out to him." and i said, "helen, he has a library card in good standing. he has the right to borrow it." and then she made some awkward excuse, and then twice in the next hour & a half contrived ways to give me effusive compliments, presumably because she noticed that, starting next monday, i will be her boss, nevermind that i am thirty years younger than her. it sucked ass, frankly, it made me so fucking miserable, and i have no idea who i should talk to about it because i have some conflicting ideas about what my responsibilities & possible good outcomes here might be. anyway. what even is a library, and what is required to be a competent & ethical administrator of one. & again it is occurring to me that i might be, for a few reasons, very bad at this job