#the good thing is I was able to anticipate this reaction because at least it’s a pattern for me

[cushfuddled]

Hahaaaaaaaa I think I’ve been in survival mode for so long that my brain doesn’t know how to function outside of it anymore ??????

[ghoulfuckersincorporated]

i'm loving your posts about the Ghoul!

What are your thoughts about the first time with him? i think it totally makes sense that he is touch starved for the last 200 years.

Maybe the reader reassures him that she wants it, and he says for how long he was thinking about it 😆

Thank you so much for the ask, Anon! I actually have multiple pieces in the works depicting this, so I thought I'd do a little general headcanon overview in the meantime.

First Time Sex With The Ghoul

Despite his big, tough exterior, the poor man is so nervous (and also having a lot of feelings about being with someone for the first time since Barb), so you'll have to really be sensitive to that.

Definitely a long time coming. Even if you started propositioning the man the moment you met him, it would take a solid while of traveling with him before he would even begin to really consider any sort of physical affection between you two as an option. Between self consciousness at how long it's been since he was with anyone, body image issues, touch issues, and genuine disbelief that you'd actually want that with any ghoul, let alone him, he's gotta take a while to work up the guts, frankly.

Also takes quite a while because the mood is spoiled for him easily. I won't say that he's looking for reasons to not have sex (or to stop if you're doing things); moreso that the poor thing simply suffers from hypervigilance after not being able to be that vulnerable for so long. You're camping out within ten miles of a settlement and you wanna fool around? "We shouldn't. Could cause trouble if someone sees us." Slight noise somewhere off in the far distance? "I better go check and see what that was." You make a slightly strangled sound of pleasure? "Shit, am I hurtin' you? Maybe we should stop."

Once you finally work your way up to that point, don't expect to see much of his actual body. At most, he'll take off the hat and the duster. The very first time, I don't even see the gloves coming off, honestly, unless lightening has struck between you. I don't think he would want you to touch any more of his skin than necessary.

All that said, I think once you get him comfortable enough that you're getting naked, he'll be much more at ease. He feels both protected and aroused by being fully clothed while you're naked against him.

Spends a long time in the foreplay stage, mostly because he still remembers what feels good on that front and all your sounds and reactions make him feel confident. Lots of kissing; he adores how much you like to kiss him. He's not so sure he remembers all the steps of the main event, so making you cum on his fingers and tongue over and over again eases his nerves a bit, since he knows that even if he's terrible when the time comes, he at least showed you a decent time.

Speaking of which, as positive as I am that becoming a ghoul would give you pretty decent stamina (increased healing and "recovery" rate?), I am also positive that the second this poor touch-starved man is inside you, he's cumming. You both are sort of anticipating it, though, so no one panics. Give it a few and y'all can go again, trust me. He definitely feels embarrassed, but it'll help a lot if you don't make a big deal of it, reassure him how much you want him, how good he makes you feel. Resist the urge to use the "L" word; this whole situation is already so emotionally overwhelming for him that you're better off waiting.

Once that particular pitfall is navigated, though, his sexual confidence skyrockets. He's dipped his toes back in the pool and no one is dead or heartbroken, and it felt amazing, so have fun navigating 200 years of backed up sexual urges once that dam is broken!

[ryuichirou]

this might be a random ask but what do you think the twst bottoms reaction would be to jack’s knot? asking because i don’t think everyone would know/suspect it so there would be a variety of reactions

also because jack deserves a bit more lovin <3

Anon! Jack really does deserve a bit more lovin, so I went ahead and gave him not only NRC bottoms, but also a couple of extra boys. Aside from this being a very fun, horny reply to write, it’s also always kind of interesting to think about how aware the boys of twst world are about different species in their world… because public education surely doesn’t educate non-beastboys about this kind of stuff! But it should!

Anyways~

Riddle – if this isn’t anything spontaneous, he would probably do some research and get prepared for the knot! And he would be a little smug about it because it means that he wouldn’t make a rookie mistake everyone makes when having sex with a beastman for the first time. But he would still underestimate the size of Jack’s knot and realise that his preparations weren’t enough when it actually happens. It’ll be so awkward because he wouldn’t even be able to stand up until the knot is completely gone – Riddle is so much smaller than Jack that he’d just… hang in there :”( with his feet at least 20 cm above the ground. He might start panicking, but mostly out of embarrassment; it’s up to Jack to make sure he doesn’t start crying.

Deuce – we’ve seen his reaction hehe <3 But if it isn’t their first time, I think Deuce would get used to it pretty soon. While Jack would think that he should get better at catching himself at just the right moment to pull out not to get stuck inside Deuce, Deuce meanwhile would start enjoying the knot more and more every time they have sex. It hurts a little bit, but it’s a numbing pain that is also kind of pleasurable…

Leona – he would get silently disappointed in himself because he knew it would happen, and he didn’t stop Jack in time. But there is no way he would admit it, so he’ll end up bitching at Jack for being sloppy and overly excited, like a pup that doesn’t know when to stop. It’s not like Leona minds it too much though, as long as they don’t get cuddly or romantic and just wait for this thing to go away…

Jamil – despite seeing them every day, he doesn’t get to talk to beastmen very often: there aren’t a lot of beastmen in his dorm or his class; and with those who are there Jamil isn’t close enough to know this valuable piece of knowledge. So yeah, he knows there are some things that are unique to certain types of beastmen, and frankly he could’ve deduced it because he knows how dogs work, but… but… okay, yes, he didn’t know! But the moment he felt the knot growing inside him, he would instantly know exactly what it was, and he would hurry to jump away from the dick, but that wouldn’t help – he’ll get stuck with Jack. And he would get super embarrassed and frustrated with himself, maybe cover his face in shame and get either too talkative or silent, maybe complain about how he didn’t want this whole thing to take this long and how he has to start cooking dinner soon; but deep inside he’ll think that this is super hot. What isn’t hot is that now Jack wants to bring him to the kitchen looking like this; is he out of his mind?? (He’s trying to help…)

Vil – oh he is aware. Is it because he is surprisingly knowledgeable about sex in general or because he did his own research about wolfboys specifically because of one boy he used to really like when he was a kid? Your guess is as good as mine. Anyways, he would probably look forward to it in a way, or at least be prepared for it. Actually prepared, not Riddle prepared. It would still be bigger and more intense than he anticipated, but he would welcome the surprise; and while Jack would get flustered and apologetic, Vil would tell him that he has nothing to apologise for and turn this already post-nut situation very horny somehow. Jack never expected him to react this way, but I guess he really is just that special to Vil huh.

Epel – similarly to Deuce, he would start panicking, but also similarly to Riddle, he would look absolutely pathetic getting stuck on Jack’s dick with his tiny body suspended in the air. He would grab Jack, scratch him a little because he’d get afraid that he’ll fall off, but also try to pull himself off Jack’s dick and tug on him. Then he’ll start both crying and hyperventilating because he is very embarrassed, kind of scared and feels like a little bitch (which he loves a lot when he’s horny, but after cumming it’s just too embarrassing!!). After the hysterics calms down though and he is free, he’ll be okay and very spunky. He kind of knew that Jack’s dick would do this thing because he’s heard stuff from his teammates, a lot of which are beastmen. It was just kind of scary for the first time…

Idia – he also knew something like that would happen, but was in denial about it for the entire time, so really jokes on him. He really thought something as pervy and hentai-like wouldn’t happen irl… Why is he having sex with Jack in the first place? At first he would start complaining about Jack’s thing doing something useless, because it’s not like Idia could have pups, so why would it still do the knot when there is nothing to “knot” in the first place? Hiding his embarrassment and the cringe of the situation, he’d start talking so much that Jack will end up covering his mouth with his huge palm. And then Idia would either shut up or suddenly try to roll around… both because looking into Jack’s eyes while they’re stuck like that together is unbearable, and because for some reason he got hard again while feeling not only fucked, but pretty much bred by a wolf dick. He hopes Jack didn’t notice the latter thing…

Silver – oh he would be okay. He’d get mildly surprised, but then go “oh, right, you are a wolf”. No explanation necessary, no panic and no overdramatic reaction, just a very obvious blush on Silver’s face, chest and shoulders. Then he might ensure Jack that it’s okay and they could wait for some time… Maybe he’ll even touch the base of the penis with his fingers and massage it to make it easier for Jack. He would seem so experienced that Jack would ask if this isn’t the first time he’s having sex with a wolf beastman, but Silver would shake his head and say that this is indeed his first time. Somehow, this information made the whole situation a little weird and confusing.

Malleus – he wouldn’t really panic or anything, but he would get surprised, so he would need an explanation. He doesn’t know a lot about the ways other species procreate, so he would find it pretty fascinating… then he would confess that at first he thought something was wrong, and maybe even got a bit annoyed at something this big getting stuck inside of him, but he finds something extremely romantic about it <3 But also very lewd. The flirtiness on his face would make Jack blush a little… he better be happy that Malleus didn’t ruin his knot with magic though because it was his initial thought.

Rollo – he would probably consider it to be a punishment for sleeping with a magician lol I don’t remember him having any heavy bias against beastmen specifically (he seems to be more concerned with fae, or one fae in particular), but Jack is still a NRC student, and all of his other features would also add to Rollo feeling like he shouldn’t get intimate with him. He would love it a bit too much, so after he gets a knot, an irrational part of his brain would think that something thought that if he loves it so much, he’ll get stuck with this thing inside forever. Just out of sheer surprise and panic of course, because if he was thinking straight he would very easily figure out what was going on, and that all he had to do was wait for 10 minutes or so. Jack should shut him up or distract him in some (sexy) way just so Rollo doesn’t do anything drastic.

Fellow – he doesn’t get to hook up with other beastmen all that often, especially those who are of a similar “family” to him: foxes are still doggies, after all. He knows what a knot is, his own penis gets swollen when he is aroused, but since he doesn’t usually penetrate, this thing doesn’t get used much, so it gets un-swollen pretty quickly… so he was still very surprised when Jack knotted him: it was so hard, impossible to do anything with and so hot. Fellow is super experienced with sex, but something about being bred by a big young wolf pup scratched a very special itch inside of him and made him whine like a little bitch. It felt weirdly right in a very feral way.

[kurishiri]

24 . . . “ service, pleasure, and the exposed mirror ”

꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ notice ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ this translation may not be 100% accurate or contain creative liberties due to characterization or narrative flow purposes. if you enjoy, please consider reblogging, but don’t repost these or claim these as your own!

— 🪞 chapter 24 blind love premium story.

— cw: awkwardly translated smut; will put the nsfw scene in between dividers!

—— BG: Alfons’ room, with the cloth of the mirror covered ——

(Ah...)

His fragrance became more prominent then.

The moment I felt that, my body felt hot.

Alfons: You won’t say something like how you’ll hold back tonight, will you?

The one who was supposed to be ‘holding back’ was me.

That was my intention, at least...

Kate: ngh——...hah, ahh...

Our lips met, and the moment his hands started to trace my body,

I felt more sensitive than I had ever felt before, and panicking at my reaction to that, I raised my voice.

Kate: ——ah, wait—

But, the voice that slipped out of me served as nothing but spice to heighten the mood.

After all, my body was saying otherwise, that it didn’t want to ‘wait.’

The way he fondled my breasts was more than enough.

And how he lifted my skirt to caress my thighs was all that was needed.

(It feels hot... in all the places Alfons touches...)

The tips of my breasts and below my stomach felt so hot it almost hurt as they throbbed in anticipation.

Alfons: Aha... did you feel that even more than usual with how long it’s been?

Kate: ...m...hm...

I tried my hardest to nod——and his lips curved up in a crescent shape.

Kate: ah...

As though I were sent flying, I collapsed on the bed and he took off my clothes in a careless motion.

Whenever Alfons made love to me, he was always gentle like he was comforting or lulling me——

So when I thought about how this was different from the times we did it up until now, that was enough to fill me with excitement and make my body feel even more hot.

Kate: haa... hah... ah—

Alfons: Ahh... it really is the case. I haven’t even touched aaanywhere on you,

A: but see, your nipples, and here as well, they’re quite swollen now.

Kate: Eek—

When his fingers mischievously flicked that point between my legs, my back jumped.

Then, he lifted my legs like my body was folding——

Alfons: Can you see it? See, it’s twitching here, like it’s begging for me to put it in quickly.

Kate: no...

Alfons: But what a pickle, indeed. At this rate I fear you won’t be able to give me any service.

As though teasing me, those fingers tickled and fondled with that wet spot.

(I want Alfons to touch me more.)

It was just as Alfons said: I wanted his heat deep in me.

(But... at this rate I will be the only one feeling good, and I don’t want that.)

(This time, for sure...)

I don’t want to be the only one drowning in these convenient pleasures. I wanted Alfons to feel good too.

Kate: I... I will do it... the service...

Alfons: I hear you, but I wonder if you will be able to hold yourself back at this rate, yes?

Kate: I can... because... I want you to feel good too, Alfons.

Alfons: ...And how will you do that?

(‘How... will I do that’...)

When it came to the pleasurable type of ‘service,’ I only had Alfons as an example.

(The things that Alfons... did to me.)

Pushing my hand behind me down to try to lift myself up, Alfons let go of my legs, which he had been supporting.

Most of his clothes were still on and not much of a mess, but then, I reached out to his pants.

I was clumsy and slow taking off his belt, though, and I heard laughter from above.

Alfons: ...Is this your way of teasing?

Kate: ...

As he teased my clumsiness, I felt embarrassment stirring within me as finally, his pants loosened.

And when I saw his cock supported tightly by his undergarments, I suddenly felt a lot more aware of what I was going to try to do, and I let out a sound from my throat.

But I rid those feelings away as I pulled them down and held his cock.

Alfons: ...!

(...It’s hot...)

I slowly leaned in——and touched it with the tip of my tongue.

Kate: mn...

Alfons: ...hehe, Kate...

A: Just who did you learn such a naughty way to use your tongue from...?

When I looked up, Alfons was looking at me.

The hot breaths he let out, his relaxed eyes, his flushed cheeks... I felt so happy seeing how he was racing.

(Right now, I’m making Alfons feel good...)

A feeling of happiness I hadn’t felt before filled my heart.

(And I want to make him feel even better. To make up for the times he made me feel good, and many times more...)

Kate: mm... I’m just doing it... like you have done...

Alfons: Hah... so you took even that... as an example?

I covered it in saliva, licked it, and sometimes in a bout of mischief I would rub it more with my tongue,

and when I saw him react, I would fondle with it and tease there over and over——

I had always been the one taking it in, so I felt I could go crazy from the pleasure of giving to him.

Even though I was the one giving, I couldn’t help but remember the times when he would fondle with me,

and the wet and sticky fluid from within me wouldn’t stop overflowing.

I wanted to touch him, and make him feel good.

I wanted us to feel the pleasure, together.

Alfons: ngh, haa... ahh... Kate...

Kate: mn... ngh... hm...?

Alfons: Such a lewd face you’re making, aren’t you?

He caressed my cheeks with both his hands and lifted my face up.

The heat within me withdrew, and I felt I was forgetting myself to the point of feeling lonely.

Alfons: ...I suppose the fault of you being able to make such a face lies with me, no?

Kate: ...No, that’s... not it.

K: It’s because... I’m doing it with you... that it feels good...

Alfons: ... (O_O)

A: ...hehe, so I see.

A: At this point, the fault lies with nothing and no one then.

He stole my lips, wettened from saliva and other things.

And I didn’t even have time to process that I was pushed down onto the bed——when his cock penetrated me.

Kate: ah—— ...!?

Just like that, the pleasure came back to me in one go.

Alfons: ...haa... so tight... did you come a little, perhaps?

Kate: ngh, ah, ah, ahh...!

I knew he knew, but it would seem he had no intention of stopping.

He thrust within me, hitting the place where I felt the most pleasure,

and the height of it came right back again, making me dizzy.

Kate: ah, Al...Alfons...

K: I-it feels... it feels weird... ah, ahh——

Alfons: ——haa, hehe, and do you dislike that?

Kate: ha... haa...

Alfons’ eyes as he looked down at me seemed to melt with happiness.

(...!)

And when I saw that, pleasure ran through my spine, and the root of my mind throbbed sweetly.

Kate: ...n-no...I don’t...dislike it...

Alfons: Indeed, as I know you so very love things that feel good, yes?

Kate: No... I just like you, Alfons.

K: It’s because I’m doing it with you... that it feels... good... ah, mnn—

Alfons: Then, let’s make even more of a mess of each other...

A: So much so, you might go crazy from loneliness when I’m not in you.

A: By all means, go so crazy you might break, Kate.

With our bodies tangled together, he went on top of me,

and we melted in each other’s warmth so deeply, indeed, I may have really become broken——

—— Time skip ——

Kate: I don’t want to take a single step out of the bed today...

Alfons: Oh you poor soul, just who might have rendered my most darling plaything like this, I wonder?

Kate: ...Could it be, you’ve been really holding back up until now...?

Alfons: Hehe... well, I wanted nothing more than to make you feel good then, you see.

One could interpret those words as yesterday having been different from the other times, and I couldn’t help but feel happy about that.

After all, I could still feel his heat within my body... and that was the first time I had felt that way.

Kate: ...Won’t you take the cloth off that mirror?

Still laying on the bed, I suddenly saw the large mirror, covered by a cloth.

Alfons: Cloth? Ahh... you mean that?

The reason why everything in this room was so impeccably neat——

I had thought it may be because he didn’t want to leave a single mark of anyone having had resided here behind.

(Well, that’s just what I think at least...)

(...but, probably, I’m sure I hit the mark.)

‘Nobody had lived here at all. It was always an empty room.’

The unused mirror would leave such a message to anyone who found this room after he disappeared.

That was the creed he put into it.

It was his justice, just as it was his evil. But——

Kate: ...When I leave this room, it’s embarrassing when I’m a mess, so...

K: Please let me use that mirror.

Alfons: Indeed... if you don’t mind doing naughty things before the mirror, then by all means, be my guest.

Kate: Wh...!? W-what naughty play...?

Alfons: Why of course, what else would I mean but having it show how your expression seemed to melt with lewdness, or how you fondled it with your ton——

Kate: O-okay, I get it now! You don’t need to explain any more!

Making me remember all those shameless things, I pressed both hands on his mouth in a panic.

Because it was Alfons, were I to take off that cloth, I felt we really would do such a thing.

(And at those times... I will definitely feel so embarrassed I want to run away... but won’t be able to turn him down...)

(...But...)

Kate: ...Even so, it’s fine, so... you can take the cloth off.

Alfons: Are you sure?

A: If your body starts aching before that mirror, then it won’t be on me then.

A: ...That said, someday you will come to forget that was my fault.

Kate: ...hehe.

All of a sudden, I let out a laugh.

Alfons: ...? ( ౦ ‸ ౦ )

Kate: You’ve already rendered my body so hopeless without you.

K: So, at this point, adding one or two of your marks won’t change anything.

(Fill my memories with those of you.)

(That’s what I plan to do——carve me with marks of you so much, there is no way they could ever be lost.)

Alfons: ...You...

A: Truly——what a fool you are.

That day, the cloth was removed from the large mirror.

——All that said, a lot of things happened in the process, and as I clung onto the cloth, it slipped, or something like that, I suppose...

—— BG: Alfons’ room, with the cloth of the mirror exposed ——

Let’s just say, the only one privy to the finer points was the mirror.

to be continued…

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꒰ ִ ֺ ⊹ @ tags🏷️ ⊹ ֺ ִ ꒱ @drachonia @.comment, send an ask off anon, or dm to be added or removed!

[fairyhaos]

. ˚ what's good?

requested: by @cherrycheolcoups here ♡

pairing: seungcheol x gn!reader

genre: fluff, established relationship, song lyrics

word count: 1295

warnings: none

notes: the request was for a hhu reaction but i became too invested in cheol's so it ended up just being for him haha (would recommend listening to what's good while reading)

summary: through the (failed) attempt to give seungcheol a surprise gift of learning his rap, you get to realise that, for you, what's good is actually already right here with you, and has been for so, so long.

There wasn’t exactly a particularly special event that was coming up that had made you want to learn it, but it was a pleasantly lazy day when you’d woken up that morning, making the chorus of the song immediately begin playing in your head.

‘What’s Good’ is a catchy song, what could you say? And so now you're here, sitting in on the sofa, the lyrics out in front of you, that melody still ringing through your head as you struggled to rap out the verses.

It isn’t like you don’t know the song. Seungcheol would look at you all disappointed for days if you hadn’t memorised all the lyrics to their comeback the minute it was released. But rap songs were just harder to say for you, the syllables getting all tangled up in your mouth and tripping on your tongue as they attempted to escape in entirely the wrong order.

You’ve been trying all morning, and you’re determined to at least get your boyfriend’s part correct before he comes home from his gym session.

“This isn’t even the hardest song they have,” you mutter, glaring down at your phone screen with the words to ‘What’s Good’ glowing up at you. “What’s wrong with me?”

Rap, and speaking fast, was just not your forte. This is meant to be what Seungcheol does, and he does it incredibly well while you gape at him in awe and clap and whoop like his number one fan after he’s finished. Because you are. His number one fan, that is.

You smile a little. Even if you’re not good at rapping, you’ll do this for your beloved boyfriend. You can already picture the absolute adoration on his face when he comes home and you declare you’ve learned his rap for him, reciting the lyrics smoothly and flawlessly while he exclaims that his love for you has grown even more now he’s learned you did such a beautiful thing for him—

The pen slips out of your hand and onto the floor with a clatter, making you jump. 

Right. The fantasy was staying a fantasy until you could actually learn the rap, which was proving far more difficult than you’d imagined when you’d woken up with “Make it worth it” playing on repeat in your brain that morning.

Sighing, you pick up the pen, which now has teeth marks all over it from being in your mouth in your attempts to improve your pronunciation because those people on the internet had sworn it would help.

People on the internet were liars.

You connect your phone to the bluetooth speaker you brought down into the living room, beginning to blast ‘What’s Good’ throughout the house. 

Even though technically you should be learning the rap without the music first, it’s been at least an hour and you’re getting frustrated. So you might as well be frustrated while playing such a feel-good song to drown out your exasperation.

Hansol’s bright voice fills the room, and you put the pen back in your mouth, ready to rap along.

————————————— ☀

Today is such a nice day, Seungcheol thinks as he ambles back from the gym. He’s finished up his session early today, because he’d been unable to focus on his sets, too busy looking out the window and thinking about how nice it would be to spend this sunny day with you.

So he’s going home a whole half an hour early, the grin bright on his face, already anticipating the surprise and happiness on your face when he comes back home. Maybe you’ll still be in bed, and he’ll be able to wake you up with a kiss to your forehead. Like a Disney prince, or something.

That makes him smile even wider.

When he gets home, however, his hopes of being a Disney prince are dashed when he hears music blasting throughout the house as he opens the door. It still makes him smile, though, because the melody and the voices are incredibly familiar. He can recognise any of his songs from anywhere.

You’re humming along to the chorus, the collective voices of the hiphop unit singing “Make it worth it, make it worth” over and over again, and you’re hopping around so happily throughout the house, on your way to the kitchen to get something, so absorbed in your phone that you don’t even see him at the front door.

Mingyu’s rap echoes through the house, and you attempt to rap along, omitting some words and sometimes just humming instead. It’s quite cute, Seungcheol thinks, and chuckles from the kitchen doorway as you go from humming quietly to loudly singing the chorus.

And then. Oh, and then.

His own voice begins playing from the speakers, and he watches as you immediately drop whatever you were trying to reach for to focus on your phone, rapping out his lyrics so passionately that his eyebrows go up in surprise.

“No need to be so self-conscious and anxious, it’s your own life so why are you asking for permission? Just stay at home if that’s possible, you’re late so stay late and don’t run anymore—”

“What’s good? What’s good? Why do you need to be patient? I’ll be the one to grab the time for you,” Seungcheol’s voice joins in, and you jump, spinning around in surprise.

“Cheol? What—”

Seungcheol doesn’t stop, just smiling and continuing to rap, doing a little dance as he walks into the kitchen. “Just trust me and let it all go, today’s weather is nice and it’s a good day!”

You’d gotten some of the lyrics a little wrong, but seeing you working so hard to learn his rap has made him impossibly happy, and he spins you around as he raps along, you laughing and too confused to continue.

“Cheol, seriously, why are you home so early?” you ask over the chorus that plays once again, and Seungcheol just grins.

“Wanted to see you, of course,” he says. “Come on, love, sing it with me!”

Don’t get mad, it’s a waste of emotion

What’s good?

Look around and see what you’re missing

What’s good?

Our youth is too good to lose

Make it worth it, make it worth

Make it worth it, make it worth…

You’re laughing, impossibly hard, because the sun is glowing and the weather is warm and you’re dancing in the kitchen with Seungcheol, hand in hand, yelling out the lyrics to such a bright song with the love of your life and this, this exactly right here is what’s good for you.

“What’s good?” you yell out, and he laughs, making you grin.

“Oh, someone’s in a good mood today, I see,” Seungcheol says once the song ends, and he’s still holding your hands, just smiling at you.

You pout a little. “Wanted to surprise you by learning the rap for you, but I guess the surprise is ruined now.”

“No, no, not ruined at all,” he says, laughing, squeezing your hands. “I think this is even better, don’t you? We get to rap together.”

You begin to smile again as he leans in and kisses your forehead and then leads you into the living room, where you still have the speaker set up. “Hmm, I guess so.”

“Wanna scream the lyrics to ‘Back it Up’ with me now?” 

“You know that one’s too hard for me,” you say, but you’re already searching the song up on your phone to play.

“Doesn’t matter. I’ll teach you.”

As you light up at his words, kissing him on the cheek and grinning so giddily, he looks at you and thinks that for him, what’s good is the fact that he gets to experience such happiness with you.

[therentyoupay]

im completely feral over all your jelsa stories!!!!!! do you ever write established relationship jelsa or have any headcanons about what they would be like together in a serious relationship or marriage????

THANK YOU SO MUCH. 😭😭😭😭😭😭💕💕💕💕🙏 thank you thank you nonny for this super sweet ask and this really lovely question and all of your love and support!! 💕💕💕💕💕

i have... never actually written established!relationship (in any fandom), now that i'm thinking about it? that said, i guess i can come up with a quick list of some headcanons, maybe? 😂 i will have to think about this more, but for now, here's a quick drop:

elsa is an early riser; elsa helps jack create more sustainable sleeping patterns and habit formations 😂

when jack gets Impetuous Urges to Do Something Rash and Impractically Spontaneous, elsa will ground jack, reminding him to think before acting. (he occasionally Still Does It, anyway.) elsa knows what she signed up for, lol.

jack loves to play Harmless(!) Pranks, just to watch elsa’s reaction. (he is no longer allowed to sneak up on her after The Incident).

they also quibble over the definition of "harmless" and the specific logistical implications of that; for a while, jack was banned from further pranking, but then he got more creative at showing elsa that pranks could be wholesome and genuine, in which they could both be in on the joke. however, due to elsa's deeply-rooted Need to Excel and her (Not-so)Secret Competitive AF Streak, her retaliation in escalating the Cleverness Prank War quickly resulted in jack's prompt implementation of the Prank-Free Zones and Time Periods. (no, he was not scared.)

elsa, usually reserved, has learned to let her playful side show more often with jack. she might still pretend to be exasperated by his antics, but sometimes it's part of the game (or habit).

elsa sill struggles with opening up emotionally sometimes, but she progressively feels safe enough to share her innermost thoughts and fears. with time, she confides in him more about her worries. she still never likes the idea that jack sees her Imperfect Parts, but at least she can tolerate the discomfort (and, yes, take comfort in it) now

(jack loves elsa's Imperfect Parts, and jack admits that he is Weirdly Proud and Competitively Honored to be one of the only people, even including anna, who gets to see them. he also is strangely Comforted and Validated that elsa is, in fact, not perfect because for a while there, he was pretty freaked out and intimidated by how fancy she is.)

until he realized that no one ever let her actually be a Weirdo before, and once he realizes the Truth of Elsa Also Being a Secret (albeit perhaps more Subdued) Weirdo, the Universe Aligns.

jack listens to elsa's Big Conversations intently, activating varying levels of Serious Mode.

jack is getting better at recognizing the moments when elsa needs him to play and needs him to listen or Give His Opinion or any combination of those things.

jack learns that it's not always about Saying the Right Thing (which he is not very good at, anyway, or so our Serially Unreliable Narrator thinks), but rather being able to read elsa's mood and anticipate what she might need (even if she is not aware of it herself yet).

elsa is meticulous about planning and preparing for special occasions.

elsa likes traditions! jack likes tradition only because elsa likes them, lol, and hey, okay, these are more fun than he thought?? (who knew fun could be organized??!!?)

so he really wants to show (off to) her by pulling off Incredible Planning Feats in her honor, too (they do not go as smoothly, lol).

jack will often go out of his way to spontaneously create something meaningful, a moment or a gift or a gesture, that reminds elsa that he cares. he is big on words of affirmation, gift giving (but like, souvenirs that he collects on adventures like, "i saw this rock and it reminded me of your cousin olaf, we should put it on the window after we paint his face on it"), and acts of service, as well as physical touch and quality time. HE WANTS LOVE. he wants TO BE LOVED. he wants to prove that he is worthy of being loved.

(and elsa has to get him to Chill Out sometimes, remind him that he doesn't have to Do Things For Her/Anyone in order to be deserving of care; he is more than what he provides for other people.)

(jack gets its, and appreciates it, but also, the Urge to Provide and Protect is still strong, even after so much time, and sometimes Old Habits Die Hard.)

i get the sense that he'd be the type to he wake elsa up in the middle of the night to take her on a surprise adventure, or convince her to Do a Fun Thing without any preparation (/warning).

and she would Be Alarmed at the Lack of Plan (especially if/when jack Did Not Think This Through), but he also took precautions to ward off Concerns by pacifying her with tea, or reassurances that yes, he did call ahead to make sure the restaurant was open before they left the house, of course he did, he would never just leave home without double-checking beforehand (and frantically googles it two minutes later when he thinks she's not looking; she is, naturally, and even occasionally pretends not to be).

elsa approaches conflict with a desire to resolve things Calmly and Logically. she tries to understand jack’s perspective, even when she disagrees, and she’s careful with her words, not wanting to escalate the situation.

however, she can sometimes withdraw emotionally, fearing that she might say something hurtful if she’s too overwhelmed.

jack was initially (and, honestly, still is, even though he understands more now) hurt by her tendency to shut down when she Feels Too Much, and understands (although it's still hard) that elsa needs time to process her feelings and organize her thoughts.

jack also helps elsa actually Feel her Feelings, instead of just trying to intellectualize and analyze them. (she hates it, BUT sees the value. jack lives for these moments in which he realizes that he's actually contributing positively to her life and helping her in some way, rather than just being a burden or a nuisance, as was/is his fear.)

his initial reaction might be to push for a resolution quickly, but he’s also deeply afraid of Creating Distance between them, so after the first few fights, he really makes an effort to find the right balance between Pushing Hard Enough and Not Pushing Too hard, so that he doesn't drive a wedge between them as they work things out.

jack FEELS intensely, and can be so stubborn. he does not always have the most precise vocabulary or tools to describe his thoughts and feelings, or identify the root causes of what is actually going on inside him; sometimes elsa asks a lot of insightful and guiding questions that help jack come to the conclusions himself, and other times, she Puts Into Words the very thing that he had been thinking or feeling, but could not name, and it is very reassuring to have someone who understands him well enough to be able to do that.

after conflicts or arguments, they take time to Decompress and reassure one another (especially if at least one of them, if not both, was Overthinking again).

when they argue (and healthy couples do, remember!), it’s a dance of patience and understanding: elsa might need a moment to Collect Herself, and jack learns to give her that Space while also making it clear that he’s ready to talk whenever she is, and that he is going to try very hard to be Rational and Patient About It.

in the end, they both prioritize their relationship over any disagreement, always finding a way back to each other.

[supernovafics]

series masterlist | next part

pairing: modern!actor!steve harrington x fem!reader

word count: 1.3k words

warnings: explicit language

summary: a lunch that was supposed to take your mind off of work brings about even more stress because it turns out you're the only solution to the one problem you wish you didn't have to handle

PROLOGUE | ❝𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒉𝒐𝒘 𝒎𝒖𝒔𝒕 𝒈𝒐 𝒐𝒏❞

There were certain moments in your life that felt like defining moments. Moments that you’d later look back on and fully understand just how impactful they were in the grand scheme of things. 

Those instances were a rarity, but when they would happen, they were painstakingly obvious. It was almost as if you could feel some sort of shift happening. Your life beginning to turn in a specific direction that, as it’s happening, you could never tell if it’s good or bad, but you knew that you’d probably find out sooner rather than later. It was always a weird feeling, a little jarring.

You experienced that exact feeling at lunch with Jessie— your longtime friend and current Director of the movie you were working on as the Production Coordinator. The lunch was supposed to be simple, and it started out as such; the weather in Los Angeles was nice and surprisingly not unbearably hot for mid-April, which made you both sit outside of a cafe that was almost always busy, but they served the best sandwiches so it made sense.

It felt good to have at least a small break from all of the pre-production tasks that had been consuming pretty much every single moment of your last few days. The closer actual filming got, the more hectic everything else seemed to get. 

And it seemed as if that sentiment was proven to be even more true when Jessie told you something that turned the simple lunch into anything but simple. 

“You’re joking, right?” Was your immediate reaction. 

Everything she had said to you had to be a joke because there was no way that she was asking you, or more so telling you, that you’d be Steve Harrington’s assistant for the next three months. 

But, you also fully knew that it couldn’t be a joke because it sounded both insanely unbelievable and way too real to just be some joking story that Jessie cooked up in her mind. 

Steve’s assistant, who was six months pregnant, would be on bed rest for the entirety of her final trimester due to stress. And because of the untimeliness of that situation, she had no time to hire a replacement for the time being; which, of course, included the three months of filming that was set to begin in a week. And that was sadly where you came in because, like most Hollywood actors, Steve could not function without an assistant, and that sent Jessie and the producers that had invested so much in the film into a frenzy because he was now close to pulling out of doing the movie if he didn’t have a good assistant for the duration of filming. 

All of that sounded the perfect amount of insane to be true. 

“You’re the only person that I trust doing this,” Jessie told you, further confirming that all of this was not some sort of sick and twisted joke.

You simply looked at her for a few moments before responding. “He’s notoriously known as an asshole, Jessie.” 

You had already been mentally preparing for having to deal with him in passing while on set, and now apparently you were going to have to deal with him even more than you anticipated. The thought made you want to scream. 

“You’re the only person that I believe will be able to fully handle him,” She said. “And most of the stuff he asks you to do, like getting lunch or coffee or whatever, can be pawned off to some production assistant. But I know that if I just assigned a random PA to him, they’d fold under the pressure because, yes, he’s an asshole, and they’d probably cry at the first shitty thing he says to them. And I know you won’t because you’ve been in this industry long enough and have probably dealt with people worse than him.” 

You hated how much sense that made. But still, you couldn’t accept it all just yet. Your job consisted of you solving problems or trying to stop them before they’d arise, so of course you’d attempt to solve this. 

However, you quickly failed to think of any solution because every potential solution you thought of only led to another problem. 

If you let him quit the movie that would be horrific because production would be pushed back a handful of months and a shit ton of money would be lost. And it also sucked that he was actually an insanely good actor and was probably the perfect person for the role.  

Or if you waited until he found a replacement assistant that met his “perfect standards” or whatever else— which with the way he seemed, sounded like it would take weeks upon weeks— the same issue would happen of filming being stalled and money going right down the drain. 

There really was only one solution to the problem, and it truly sucked that you were it. 

“You can say no,” Jessie told you, putting a pause on your thoughts, and before you could tell her that there was actually no way you could say no, she continued. “But, if you do this, I promise I will make you the Assistant Director on my next movie, which is going to be filming in Europe for six months right after this shoot ends.” 

“No way.”

Jessie nodded at your surprised words. “Yes, I found out about it a couple days ago. The original director they had backed out, so they asked me and I actually really love the script so I said yes. And before they started looking for a new AD too, I told them that I already had the perfect person in mind.” She smiled at you, and hearing how much she believed in you never failed to make you want to cry at least a little bit. From years ago at your first real paid job in the film industry where you were a PA on a movie that she had been the Assistant Director on, she completely saw your potential and never failed to tell you that. “And I know you’ll absolutely kill that job just like you’ll kill this whole being his assistant thing while also doing your actual job.”

That was where you felt it. The shift. That weird feeling hitting you like a ton of bricks as you considered Jessie’s words and let them fully sink in. 

You pushed around some of the last bits of food left on your plate before looking up at your friend. “He knows that being his assistant won’t be my only job, right? That I’ll have a shit ton of other things on my plate during filming.”

“I’ll make sure he knows that,” Jessie said with a nod. “The assistant part of this doesn’t take precedence over you being the production coordinator. That’s much more important.” 

“Okay… Okay, good,” You responded and then after a breath of silence you let out a sigh. “I’ll do it. Of course, I know I have to; there’s really no other options. But, I won’t like it one bit, and I reserve the right to be mad at you for making me do this for, at least, the next twelve hours.”

She laughed at that. “Yes, I fully deserve that.” 

“But, before I allow myself to be mad at you I first have to say that I love you and I can’t believe you think I’m good enough to be AD, and thank you so much.” You said and then took a long sip from your refilled drink that had yet to be touched in the past ten minutes. “I’m experiencing so much emotional whiplash right now I feel like my mind is gonna explode.” 

“You deserve it,” She said and then let out a small laugh. “Not the emotional whiplash. I meant the job. And even if you said no to being Steve's assistant for filming, I obviously would still want you to do this. You’re the only person I could imagine doing this.”

You let her words sit with you as the two of you finished the rest of your lunch, the conversation happily shifting to something that was not work related. And you continued to let them sit with you once you both parted ways and you were in your car. 

You thought about how you knew this would be a moment you’d think back to years down the road because of how much was about to change. 

Once you made it through these three months you’d move onto doing something that you never even imagined yourself doing, but you felt completely ready to take the leap. 

That felt pretty defining. 

Still, though, you first had to survive three months of being Steve Harrington’s assistant, and that sounded like it would be hell.

.・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。. .・。.・゜✭・.・✫・゜・。.

next part!

[waitingonher]

hi can u make some Percy jackson x reader in wich reader is a songwriter or plays a instrument

percy jackson dating a musically talented s/o

pairing: percy jackson x gn! reader

content warning: couplely things?

word count: 897

author's note: sorry in advance if any of the info about the guitar scene was wrong. i wrote it purely based off of what i found on google so!

when i say that percy’s your biggest fan…HE IS YOUR BIGGEST FAN.

no matter what you do, he’s always so impressed and awestruck. it literally could be something as simple as you practicing your instrument and he’d be looking at you as if you just finished performing a life-altering concert. even if you’re just quietly humming a random tune, percy would stop whatever he’s doing to listen to you. he’s so obsessed it’s kinda funny. 

percy absolutely loves hearing your own original songs. he could never find flaws in your art. even if you consider one of them to not be your best work, he’d believe it to be the best thing that’s ever graced his ears. 

sometimes you think he’s lying, because how does he manage to fall in love with every single thing that you write?? honestly, i bet you could write a song about dirty laundry and he’d still find something to love about it. 

“hey perce, wanna hear this new song i’m working on?” you ask your boyfriend.  he immediately turns his attention from a random knick knack on top of your dresser onto you, “yeah, lemme hear it.”  you open your notebook to find the page with your newest song, titled peanut allergies. yes, it’s a stupid name, but that was the point. you wanted to write a song so bad that percy wouldn’t be able to come up with a single compliment for it.  “okay, it’s still a work in progress, but-”  percy interjects, “don’t worry babe, your songs are always good.”  you hold back a grin before reaching for your guitar. glancing up at him for a second, you take note of the wide grin that he has on display. you’re anticipating the moment when his smile begins to falter.  as percy listens to your song about the severity of peanut allergy reactions, you peek up at him only to see his smile still standing strong. then, when you finish performing your song, he gives you a round of applause, “babe that was so good!”  for a hot minute, you narrow your eyes at him, trying to find at least a miniscule amount of amusement behind them. none. percy was dead serious. he tilits his head, trying to decipher why you were staring at him so intensely.  “what? that was like, probably the worst thing i’ve ever written?” you say.  he gives you a strange look, as if what you said was the weird thing, “i for one, thought it was poetic.” 

percy’s favorite camp activity are the sing-alongs. not because he likes to sing, but because he likes hearing you sing. he’s gotten very good at singling out your voice and drowning out the others. 

sometimes the morning after a camp sing-along, one of your friends will tell you that they saw percy staring at you. after inquiring more, they’d say that he had his eyes transfixed on you the entire time, never once looking away. later, an aphrodite kid would tell you that even they were shocked by the amount of love radiating from percy. you make a mental note to give him extra kisses later.  

karaoke dates!! 

somehow the stoll brothers managed to smuggle in a karaoke machine…now you and percy are the most frequent users of it. a lot of the times, you’ll bring it to hang outs with your guys friends. you two love seeing their reactions to you guys singing cheesy couple songs. “love is an open door” and “don’t go breaking my heart” are your go-to’s.

despite how bad he is, percy loves it when you try to teach him how to play your instruments. so far you’ve been teaching him the guitar, and he’s slowly picking it up! 

the only reason why it’s taking him so long to learn is because of how much you distract him. he loves the close contact with you. especially when you have to rearrange his fingers or his posture. percy notices the way your hands sometimes linger for a few seconds longer than necessary. 

taking the guitar, you arrange your fingers to play a-minor. looking down at the instrument, you give percy a run-down of how to position his fingers, “yeah so first, you wanna put your index finger on the first fret of your b string. then, your middle finger goes on the second…” you peek up at percy to see him looking at you, “love, are you even paying attention.”  “uh…yes,” he tries.  you give him a look of amusement, “yeah? show me a-minor then.”  “right,” percy takes the guitar out of your lap, and places his fingers on the complete opposite of where he was supposed to.  you chuckle, “um no, that’s actually d-minor. pay attention next time, hm?”  “yeah sorry, i was just uh…distracted,” he says sheepishly. you furrow your brows, “what’s distracting you?”  “you,” percy blurts out without thinking.  feining a look of disgust, you playfully push your boyfriend’s shoulder, “you are such a creep.”  but percy knows that you aren’t really mad. in fact, he doesn’t fail to notice your flushed cheeks and lack of eye contact as you try to return to your lesson. 

in spite of how much he’s been practicing, percy somehow still sucks. he claims it’s because “there can only be one musician in this relationship.” 

there definitely won’t be songs featuring percy any time soon.

[phantasmiafxndom]

Hello! I really love your writing! Since the kny requests are open, can I request Kny Pet AU hcs for Hantengu's clones (the main 4) ? It's up to you if you want to add nsfw stuff, i don't mind🌸

I've been issued a challenge, I see. XD I really didn't care about these guys until I started really thinking about their characters, but now I'm getting kind of invested...

(Shout-out to @krystalwithakay, who helped with this one~)

. . .

General/Group

• In this setting, the four of them are more like brothers than clones; at the very least, the "original" isn't around anymore. They were too much for their original owner to handle, so they wound up locked away in an overcrowded cage and left to fight over whatever minimal scraps of food and care they received. This did not do their mental states any good— before long, they devolved into constant squabbling and competition, to the point where restraints quickly become necessary to prevent further harm.

• By now, all four of them are half-feral and extremely difficult to handle. Nearly impossible to get close to, they're dangerously aggressive with humans, other demons, and each other; and being kept constantly starved, restrained, and agitated has done absolutely nothing to help that. The concept of a better life is always out of reach, leaving all of them hopeless and miserable.

Sekido

• He's been used in fights before (as one attempt at finding some use for him), and the results are messy. Without enough food and rest to heal properly, Sekido's body is covered in scars and old, poorly healed injuries. The extensive damage results in near-constant pain— and always feeling hurt and threatened only makes him more aggressive. He lashes out like a cornered animal, responding violently to everything because he can only anticipate more pain. A lot of his outward anger is a defensive mechanism.

• All of that rage usually hurts him more than anyone else. Sekido is so tense that it becomes an extra strain on his body; he struggles until he's worn down what little spare energy he had, to begin with, and his unfortunate habit of fighting restraints until he messes up his body too badly to keep going is responsible for a fair amount of his scars. And yet, there's no making himself stop. He's reactive to the point of being unable to control it anymore.

Karaku

• He's been used for sex before, with a very specific condition to keep him from mauling anyone who tries. Karaku has an odd, unintentional reaction to any kind of physical pleasure— his brain all but shuts off completely, leaving him pliant and non-aggressive until the response wears off. Thus, if he's drugged or handled just enough to make him shut down, he's plenty easy to use. The brief respite from misery, even if it means being put through such unpleasant handling, is too much of a temptation for him to care.

• It's easy for him to grow addicted to anything that makes him feel good, even if the aftermath is worse. Karaku has some highly escapist tendencies, where if he gets any chance to stop thinking and feel something other than pain, he gets desperate for it. He knows by now that most humans won't ever offer that sort of thing, though, and is every bit as aggressive and volatile as the other three until some possibility of pleasure arises.

Aizetsu

• In a constant state of misery, he's reached a point of barely being able to do more than lie around and wait for someone to finally decide he's better off dead. By now, Aizetsu doesn't have any hope left for himself (or any of the rest of them), and his naturally pessimistic nature doesn't help that. Crying himself sick only adds to how awful he feels— and he's most often too caught up in his negativity to respond to much of anything. He's the only one who (mostly) stays out of the four's constant fights.

• Aizetsu is prone to semi-accidental self-harm; tearing gashes in his skin from clawing at himself in distress, biting and chewing his fingers until they bleed, and making himself physically ill from sheer stress. However, he's also unconsciously drawn to self-comforting behaviors in any form that he can get. He lacks enough appetite or will to live to make himself fight for whatever scraps they're all given, so his body is weak and wasted away.

Urogi

• He's way too high-strung for his own good, and far too easily overexcited. Urogi is the one who keeps getting his hopes up over every little sign that anything good might happen... and suffering all the more for it when those hopes are inevitably crushed. He's always agitated and fidgety, and tends to pull at his restraints well past the point of blood just because he can't stay still. Thanks to his utter lack of volume control, he's often kept in a sound-triggered shock collar just so he'll be less of an annoyance.

• Urogi's wings were once cut off as a way of trying to make him easier to contain. They grew back soon enough, but his poor living conditions meant that the regrowth didn't happen how it should. He's incapable of flight in his current state, with near-constant pain from the poorly healed limbs. They only become more unbearably uncomfortable when the feathers molt, which is a process awful enough to put even him in a miserable mood.

[auroraescritora]

THERE'S NO PLACE LIKE HOME - PERCY/NICO AU HIGH SCHOOL - CHAPTER XVIII

Hi, how are you doing? We're finally back with the English version. I took a break from the Portuguese version because I couldn't connect with my dramatic side, so in the next few days we'll have the English version. I hope you enjoy it.

Before we go any further, I'd like to know who is still interested in this story written in English. It's more work than the Portuguese version. So, if you're still interested, vote below!

CHAPTER I / CHAPTER II / CHAPTER III / CHAPTER IV / CHAPTER V / CHAPTER VI / CHAPTER VII / CHAPTER VIII / CHAPTER IX / CHAPTER X / CHAPTER XI / CHAPTER XII / CHAPTER XIII / CHAPTER XIV / CHAPTER XV / CHAPTER XVI / CHAPTER XVII

If Nico had known, he wouldn't have gotten out of bed that morning. In fact, if he had the power, he would have gone back in time to the exact moment before he fought with Annabeth at the party and done everything differently; he would’ve keep lying to Percy, pretending that everything was fine, even if at the end of the day, it was one less problem he had to deal with. Yes, he was the only one to blame for all this, for not telling what was happening with himself at the right time and for not saying enough at the wrong time. In the end, Percy was only doing what he had asked, but in a way that Nico hadn't anticipated, taking control of the situation when he least expected it. A good example of this was that morning, a Monday like any other. Or so he thought.

Nico didn't know how he hadn't noticed these things before, how much the loneliness had disappeared with Percy's presence and, in turn, the reaction he caused in people. Nico had been back for a week or two, but it seemed like the two years abroad had never happened. People still looked at him and treated him the same way, the prejudice veiled and barely hidden for anyone to see. Was it the color of his skin? Homophobia? Or it was the fact that Percy once again ignored anyone when he was around? Was a weight Nico couldn't remember feeling before. It wasn't like he could help it or had any inclination to do so, because that morning Nico had woken up the way he had always imagined impossible, with lingering kisses and caresses that made him sigh. With tight hugs that warmed his soul and made him feel safe. Of course, all this came to a halt when they had to get out of bed and go to school and face the cruel world of teenagers. 

He barely noticed the silence around them until Nico walked in with Percy for the first lesson of the day. He only understood what was happening when he saw Annabeth at the back of the class, surrounded by a group of people. 

"Don't mind her, okay?" Percy said and brought Nico's hand to his lips.

Then, everything made sense. They were holding hands, walking around the school without a care in the world. Nico bet Annabeth was doing her best to spread the latest gossip; the popular basketball player was sleeping with the newly transferred boy, even though he was sure most people remembered him.

Nico didn't have much more time to think about what people were whispering. Percy pulled him to the other side of the room and sat with him in one of the corner desks, perfectly away and protected from curious eyes. He wished he could say he hadn't been able to concentrate in class, when in fact it was the opposite; the whispers became background noise and the next thing Nico knew, another school day was drawing to a close, Nico seeing himself in the reflection of the car window, watching the avenue full of trees and stores, the bustling commerce at that time of day.

"Are you okay?" Percy asked beside him, placing a hand on his leg as he drove towards their house, or rather, towards the Jacksons' house. 

"I think so. Can we stop by my house? I wanted to get my things.”

"What's wrong? My clothes not enough?" 

Percy was joking, of course. He couldn't go on wearing the shirts that kept slipping off his shoulders or his old clothes, even if they were in very good condition.

"Per.”

"It's all right. I'll do anything for my baby." Percy flashed him a huge smile, as if he'd just told him the best joke in the world, and Nico decided to ignore it. 

Every time he said he wasn't a baby, something happened to show how right Percy was. Staying quiet, Nico put his hands over Percy's hand and held them, intertwining their fingers.

"We're almost there. Do you want me to get it or you do it?"

It was a good question. Nico didn't want to find Hades inside the house, but it had been days since he had talked to Bianca.

"Will you come with me?"

"Of course. Whatever you need." 

So, after a few minutes, Percy parked the car in front of the house and they both stopped at the door, the doorman letting him through as soon as he recognized him. Nico didn't even try to greet the man, all he wanted was to get his things as quickly as possible and talk to Bianca if she was home. Imagine his surprise when he saw his father in the living room, sitting on the couch while reading the newspaper and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Nico, what a surprise. I thought you'd forgotten where your home is.”

"That's funny." Nico replied. He didn't even bother to see his father's reaction, and looking ahead, made his way up the stairs. "I thought I didn't have a father."

"Boy! Come back here right now!”

Of course, it wasn't like he would obey a complete stranger. Nico kept on walking calmly, and even though he overheard Percy exchanging a few words with Hades, it didn't shake him. It was something common between them. Soon Percy was at his side again, offering him a smile and a friendly shoulder. Honestly? Nico didn't care. He cared less and less. He already had a family, and wasn't an irresponsible man who would make him feel guilty for ignoring someone who should be the first to support him. 

Without making too much of a mess, Nico picked up his suitcases, his personal belongings and some boxes that had just arrived from Italy, and walked around the room, making sure he had everything.

"Is that all?" Percy asked him, looking sad.

"The rest is in Verona. I didn't know how long I'd be here.”

"What does that mean?”

Nico shrugged and checked under the bed.

"I thought you'd be dating someone. Getting ready to get married, you know? I thought I'd come back to finish school and apologize. And then... I guess go back to Italy to help my nona.”

"Really? I mean so little to you?" Percy looked hurt, but that wasn't the point.

"I didn't expect all of this.”

Nico decided to face Percy when the silence stretched longer than usual.

"I always forget what I did to you.” Percy said.

No, Nico refused to get into this argument again. He refused.

"I mean..." Nico said, trying to change the subject. "You knew where I was.”

"I did." Percy agreed. "I was planning to go after you. After I graduated.”

"Hm." Nico muttered without knowing what to say. That was a good thing, right?

"I wanted to give you time to... live.”

"I don't think I understand.”

"I didn't want you to live wondering what could have happened without my shadow hanging over you. I know that's stronger than both of us.”

When Percy talked like that, it sounded as if they had no choice, as if they had no free will. Maybe it was. Because if Percy had shown up at his door, he would have dropped everything and said yes to anything Percy suggested.

"Sorry, I didn't want to talk about it again. Let's go, okay?" Percy said and kissed his cheek, trying to smile, before picking up the suitcases and one of the boxes, leaving him to carry the lighter items. 

They went down the stairs and there was Hades blocking the way. Luckily, Bianca was there too, she took some things from his hand and tried to smile at him, just like Percy had done, trying to comfort him.

"Nico, we need to talk." Hades said, still blocking the exit door.

"Now you want to talk? What would you have to tell me?”

"We need to talk about your future.”

"Future? As long as it's away from you, I accept it.”

"I'm your father. You owe me respect!”

"What respect?”

"Nico, please." Bianca stepped between them and, pleading with her eyes, kept talking: "Could you listen to what he has to say?”

"I'm sorry." Nico said, not feeling guilty at all. "I don't want to know about his plans for me. It's your responsibility now.”

"I know we wronged you and--"

"Wronged me?" Nico shook his head, refusing to believe it. "I love you, Bia. I really do. But I have nothing to do with the Di Angelo family. He's your father much more than mine. Enjoy it.”

"Niccolas. Obey me this instant!" Hades' voice boomed through the room, deep and hoarse, like thunder. Maybe this had terrified him a few years ago, now all he felt was a deep anger.

"What are you going to do? Hit me? Isn't that your favorite way of dealing with disobedient little boys?”

The following scene became quite a spectacle in Nico's eyes. Bianca went pale as a sheet of paper, Hades got even angrier, but the most interesting reaction was to see Percy freeze like the most perfect Greek statue. Would this be another layer of guilt for Percy to “ not try to talk to him about?”

"It's okay. Go ahead." Nico said when no one else dared to say a word. "Make sure you leave at least one mark, so it's easier to hand over as evidence to the authorities. What do you think of that?”

"You wouldn't have the nerve.”

"No? Then try your luck." And yet, when Hades didn't move away from the door, Nico was forced to continue: "Are you going to force me or are you going to get out of the way?”

"You damn--"

"Nico, leave it to me. I'll take care of this." Percy said beside him, reminding him that his boyfriend was still there. It was strange. Usually these things happened when there were no witnesses.

That was it!

"You don't have to. I know Hades will make the right decision, won't he? Especially with two witnesses present?

Nico then turned to Hades and waited. Hades might be irresponsible and violent, but he wasn't stupid. 

Still fuming with anger, Hades walked away from the door, but not before saying:

"What are you going to do? Live the rest of your life on other people's money? Begging for attention?"

"What I do is none of your business. Soon you won't have any power over me or what belongs to my mother. Say goodbye to your fortune, dear Papa.”

With that, Nico turned his back on Hades and walked out the door, never to return. He would make Hades pay for everything he had done and make him return every penny that had been taken from his mother.

***

Nico felt lucky. Really.

They got his things into the car in time for Bianca to say she would call him, enough time for Percy to close the car doors and to drive away from that house. Now, why did he feel lucky? Well, he was lucky that Percy waited until they got home to hug and try to comfort him. The funny thing is, he didn't need to be comforted. This time, all Nico wanted was to hit something to see if it would take the tension out of his shoulders. What did he do? He let himself be comforted anyway. He let Percy hug him tightly, he let Percy stroke his hair in that way that made his hair stand on end, and he let Percy kiss him for a long time.

"I didn't know. I never-- why didn't you tell me?”

"I knew you'd do something stupid.”

"He hit you! And I... I did the same!”

"I wouldn't say that. Hades has never been so talented at making me cum.”

"Nico!”

"Sorry! " He ended up laughing, feeling some of the tension leave his body. "I didn't want to be sent away because of him.”

"I'm so sorry.�� Percy said, holding him even tighter. “You had to go through all of that and I never suspected. All makes sense now. You didn't like going home and avoided Hades at all costs.

"I didn't want to worry you.”

"Don't say that. Hades will never see you again. That's a promise.”

"What are you going to do?”

"Do you trust me?”

How could he not when Percy looked at him so seriously and with those intense green eyes?

"I do. You know that.”

"I’ll take care of you. And this time, I’ll make sure those people pay for what they did.”

And again, Nico thought about objecting. But if Percy wanted to, who was he to deny it? Nico knew he shouldn't like being put on a pedestal or being protected as if he were made of glass. The real problem was that he liked it, loved seeing the sense of possession that emanated from Percy. Was it even a problem when he allowed it to happen and even consented to Percy's actions? 

Tired of hesitating, Nico just agreed, letting Percy keep on with the kissing and the cuddling. The best part was when Sally arrived from work with Grover and Tyson. He snuggled against Percy's chest and allowed himself to enjoy the moment, watching the Jackson family's reaction. Well, seeing his family's reaction, because they were the ones who had offered him a home when he thought he had nothing. But, seeing them go from surprised to furious in less than two minutes was shamefully satisfying. It was something that warmed his soul and stroked his sense of revenge. Why try to fight his nature when he could have everything he wanted? In the end, Nico heard a lot of “I'm sorry” and “we'll take care of everything”, ending with “you're safe with us”.

Nico also knew that they weren't just saying that to comfort him, but seeing their faces full of affection and a sense of justice made something inside him calm down, a huge satisfaction bubbling out of him in the form of a smile. That shouldn't be too common, right? To start laughing when they showed so much concern? The truth was that Nico already felt vindicated just by the fact that someone knew what kind of person Hades Di Angelo really was.

"Thank you." He ended up saying when the family hugged him together, Sally almost crying while Grover and Tyson had a serious, neutral expression on their faces, reminding him of when Percy was trying to control himself so as not to destroy whatever he saw along the way; Percy might be the family member who showed his emotions the most, but behind the innocent and kind face it was Tyson who acted first.

Any thoghts? Thanks for reading!

[moltensmusings]

Would love your headcannons/thoughts on how you'd do GMG differently if you have them! Sometimes with the later arcs they're so bad it's tricky to think how they could go better I feel because the fundamentals are flawed rather than just a few bits you can ignore. Does your version of Mavis still turn up and strategise? I kinda love that thought because I can see your version of Mavis running things like it's a battle even though its much less of a big deal 🤣

Ah this might be a long one. I do want to note, we're only on episode 171, but I do distinctly remember most of the arc since I liked it so much as a teenager (it does have some good moments in spite of my complaints.)

Gonna put it under the cut!

So first: I actually am torn about how I'd handle the existence of Mavis in the grand magic games. I kind of like the idea of her only appearing to Cana because (in my rewrite) she actually fully passes her magic to Cana on Tenrou leading to her spirit being tied to her directly. She can leave the island because she goes where her essence does.

That said I'm also really liking the idea of Hyper serious Mavis who is otherworldly and militaristic, being incredibly reactive and emotional due to her competitive spirit. Her swapping from being upright and poised to Sports coach in an instant as she wills the guild to win is so incredibly funny to me.

Next: in the lead into the grand magic games we do a training arc. Most focus would be on Lucy and team Natsu would seperate. I mentioned in an earlier post we should've had a mentor figure who is a celestial mage and this would be the arc where they get the most screentime. They'd have been introduced pretimeskip and them training lucy would've been set up as a "once you get back from tenrou we have things to discuss" bit. During this arc Lucy learns about the concept of star dresses (she isn't able to use them for a while), how different spirit combinations can produce new attacks, and also heavily focuses on strengthening how well she can maintain multiple summoned spirits. We could get glimpses of the other characters doing training of their own but part of this mini arc would be to set up anticipation for what everyone else learns in their time away.

Raven tail not being one of the competing guilds would open up the chance for us to have someone else take their place and remove the Lucy vs Flare fight, replacing it with a fair fight instead where we actually see how much Lucy has grown as a mage and build up a high of her winning before we have the Minerva fight where the cruelty of sabertooth is shown. Lucy gets at least 1 win. It would make the Minerva loss hit harder and honestly make Minerva work better as an antagonist in my opinion if we get relatively clean and fair matches up until she arrives. She never outright breaks rules so no one can penalize her, but she does make things hell for fairy tail.

I'd have the audience be less of a hive mind in reacting to what happens in the games. Add In a mix of jeers and cheers for various guilds. Have side characters from magnolia who still love the fairy tail guild be in the audience voicing their support. In general just add some variety to the reactions we get.

Overall I'd probably keep the general plot outline the same outside of this, however I'd make things less one note. None of this "all guilds only stand a chance because the tenrou crew wasn't there" nonsense. Each guild gets highlighted as a strong presence in its own right. Though I will admit, I'd swap out Jura for a different mage in Lamia Scale because them allowing a wizard saint to compete feels like a conflict of interest. He can still be there as a character to interact with, just not competing.

Similarly I'd remove Jellal as Mystogan because i was under the impression people knew mystogan was inactive and the choice to include him was only done to give Jellal more presence in the plot, when him running an almost espionage like mission during the games with Crime Sorciore works fine on its own. We don't need to tie his plot directly into the fairy tail guild, focus instead on how he plays off Ultear and Meledy and the mission they came for. This does mean Cana would be our team B main stay instead of swapping in.

I mentioned in my complaints that someone else should've gone through the time gate Lucy creates and and I stand by that. I think whoever makes it through stating that everyone is gone and Lucy gave her life for the chance of a redo would be way better than her dying randomly trying to protect Natsu. It would also just fit what I know of the lore far better.

I don't even know what to say about the fanservice fight because conceptually it could be a funny cut away moment, but also it's really grossly handled and purely done to cater to the viewers in a way that sours me on it. So I'm ignoring it.

I think my last major note (with my current memory) outside of "1v1 battles need to be better written" is I'd actually consistently show the streets of the city to be very celebratory and excited. I really did enjoy the drinking party where we saw Fairy tail meet Bacchus and just have fun. We need more of that as well as the general idea that during the games the city is constantly alive. It would make the eventual dragon appearances and shift from revelry to terror more poignant. It would also help lean into the idea that most viewers only see the games as a spectical with no real care for the wizards competing when we have guild members get hospitalized while parties still go on.

I do want to note: I may have more to say once we finish the arc. But for now this is it!

[onboardsorasora]

wrote this to try and compensate for the kinda dark ficlet I posted earlier. sorry guys

How they met | Lewis Signed to Ferrari | Winter break | a lil backstory | Dior Fashion Show afterparty

Daniel is laying on Charles’ couch when Lewis asks him to come over. He'd been staying with Charles, opting to stay where he was comfortable while Lewis sorted out the apartment. 

He'd rather not be in Lewis' space when he ultimately decided that this was all too much for some guy he just met.

He entered the elevator, swallowing thickly so his ears would pop while it went steadily higher to the penthouse. He'd been there before, Lewis' place was lovely. Grand. Daniel felt humbled.

The door opened and Daniel blinked to see Lewis waiting in the entry way. He looked soft and cozy. He smiled, stepping into the gilded lift and pressing a button some floors down.

“Hey.” Daniel said, feeling silly. Lewis grinned and pulled him in for a quick kiss. 

Lewis looked him up and down, Daniel was beautiful, their dates so far had been exactly what he'd been hoping for. He was excited to see his reaction.

Daniel flicked at his cuticle nervously, unsure what was happening. Normally he had an idea, when he got to Lewis' building. They'd gone out a few times and Daniel wasn't afraid to admit that he'd been eager to fall into bed with Lewis. 

That was what he thought this whole thing would have been anyway.

But Lewis had been more than he anticipated, overwhelming almost. Daniel didn't expect to catch feelings, especially not so quickly. He wasn't in love or anything but he definitely felt butterflies when it came to Lewis.

The doors opened and Lewis grabbed his hand, pulling Daniel out of the small space behind him. The hallway was short, quiet. Only 3 doors lined this corridor.

Lewis went to the third and slipped a key into the lock. He watched Daniel's face as they entered the space. It was smaller than Lewis had been hoping for– a one bed one bath– but it was the first unit available when he'd checked. Another driver had lived here and recently moved out. Lewis had it renovated. 

Daniel walked around in a daze, touching the marble countertop delicately, taking in the cozy furniture and then the view.

“Do you like it?” Lewis asked when Daniel bit his lip.

“I thought you were joking.” Daniel mumbled, looking at Lewis with wide eyes. “I– this is too much Lewis.” Daniel whispered. He felt floored, unmoored. That this space was supposed to be his. Because the guy he was seeing wanted to date him. Wanted him so much he was willing to do all of this. Daniel didn't feel like he deserved it.

Lewis placed the keys in his palm and curled Daniel's fingers over it. Daniel felt the ridges on the warmed metal press into his skin. It felt heavy. Almost oppressive.

What did this mean? Did he owe Lewis now? Was this where the dynamic would change?

The look in his eyes must have clues Lewis into his fear because suddenly he was cupping Daniel's face.

“Nothing has to change. I promise I'm not going to like Lord this over your head and force you to do anything you don't want.” Dark brown eyes searched honey, waiting patiently for Daniel's breathing to normalize. He nodded.

“I–”

“I just want to take care of you. I like you and I want you, I want you with me.”

“What does that mean? What does this mean?” Daniel's voice was only a little shaky.

Lewis shrugged, “whatever you want it to. Do you need a car?”

Daniel looked around the flat again, he could see the bedroom off to the side and turned back to look out on the patio. He looked back to Lewis' content face, watching his reaction keenly.

So far he'd been able to take Lewis at his word. He'd been very open and honest about everything. Daniel felt he could maybe do the same. 

This was surely an experience of a lifetime, and clearly Lewis was willing to do whatever to make him happy. Daniel supposed he could follow this journey and see where it went. And when it eventually ended, at least he'd have had a good time.

“Actually, can I get a vespa?”

[rabbitenn]

Imagine Toma x emotionless! s/o. Like this man always on the look out for people's faces to see their reactions of him but is dating someone who cannot convey emotions at all. He only know his s/o loves the things he do are from their body languages.

Also, how would the other members think of him dating someone so expressionless?

RESONATE.

Because, in the end, your actions speak louder than any expression ever could.

ft. Inumaru Toma x gn! reader.

cw/genre: fluff.

Helllo, anon, dear ! I’m deeply sorry this took so long to post </3 I still hope the fic matches your expectations and you can enjoy ! Thank you for requesting as well <3

Also, the title of this fic, “Resonate” is the title of a song by my good friend KataribeSan. Please, do give it a listen and support her !

— Toma is someone who, despite having a good heart, tends to jump into action all too quickly; he is good natured, so much so that at times it might backfire due to his impulsivity.

— He is impatient, and that leads him to search others’ expressions for an answer before they’ve had time to respond.

— However, once you came around, he found himself at an impasse.

— Toma just could not discern the thoughts flashing behind those steady eyes of yours.

— Your smiles were so subtle, at first he had trouble distinguishing whether they were just courteous or if you were genuinely happy.

— And your verbalized replies didn’t give him any better hints either.

— You were always so… polite, in a way? And your tone was always soft and even… How is he supposed to figure out if he’s doing well as your boyfriend?

— To all of this, Minami is having the time of his life smiling sneakily, since he picks up on your tenuous mannerisms, and it is clear how in love with Toma you really are.

— And you realize, how you’re not able to convey your emotions through your facial expressions.

— It’s frustrating. You appreciate Toma so much, and yet, he doesn’t seem to realize.

— That is when your lips slightly curl down in a pout, as you ponder the best course of action to make your boyfriend realize how happy he makes you.

— And the one to notice your rumination is Torao.

— Despite the facade he puts on, he is quite a caring guy, as well as perceptive.

— He suggests you express your feelings through physical affection.

— “Give him hugs, the guy will melt, there is no way he doesn’t pick up on your emotions then.” Torao tells you.

— Well, you’ll give it a try, at the very least; after all, Torao seems versed in the subject of love and dating.

— So that is how you start expressing yourself more.

♡

With the audience’s cheers muffled by the sheltered ambiance the backstage offers, you wait.

ŹOOĻ’s album being released today, they were doing a special concert to present it, and, of course, you were watching closely.

Your gaze is completely entranced as your eyes follow Toma around the stage, his notes and raps making your heart beat faster, the excitement enough to make you want to dance.

However, to the outside observer, you appear calm, impassive even, sitting with your hands crossed over your lap, intently listening to the group’s performance.

To those who are more perceptive, however, a new shine is present in your stare, and you exude a warmer aura, the happiness of seeing your boyfriend and his friends on stage, radiating off of you in calming waves.

Anticipation runs through your veins as you see ŹOOĻ thanking the crowd and waving their goodbyes.

Toma will be by your side soon.

And you are determined to let him know how well he did out there with his group mates.

So the moment your lover steps backstage, you run towards him, wrapping your arms around his waist.

His maroon eyes widen momentarily, your sudden action novel to him, you were always so reserved… it wasn’t often you initiated actions like this spontaneously.

Easing into your touch, ŹOOĻ’s leader leans against you, arms tightening around your form.

Unbeknownst to him (yet), his three friends are witnessing the scene with knowing grins, Torao nodding in approval.

♡

— There’s other times, you just thank Toma for being so caring and good towards you.

— However, because your face doesn’t reflect any emotions and is just a picture perfect neutral expression, it comes across as lackluster.

— In moments like this, is Haruka who comes to your aid.

— “That idiot Toma doesn’t realize your microexpressions, does he? It is clear you really love him and are happy to be with him.” ŹOOĻ’s double center sighs, as he sits next to you.

— Nevertheless, because Haruka is rather shy when it comes to expressing his emotions, he knows how you can convey your feelings.

— “Why don’t you get him a present? Something simple that you know he’ll like.” He suggests.

— You perk up slightly, thanking the group’s youngest member.

— You know exactly what you’ll get Toma.

♡

Hiding the newly acquired item behind your back, you make your way towards Toma.

The new CD of the rock band he loves premiered today, so of course you got him a signed edition.

He spots you, as you silently approach him, your heart loud in your ears, in contrast to your expression that betrays nothing.

Eyes of mauve and sunset look at you, his head tilted to the side in silent question.

You seem… shy right now, it’s a slight change in your usual utterly composed demeanor, but it seems that with time, he’s learned to pick up on it.

And yet, your facial features remain stoic, only your eyes widening slightly, the set of your lips less taut than usual. It’s akin to the warmth that dawn carries the moment it practically twins with dusk; only after experiencing the beauty of a sunrise, can one distinguish the warmth of its rays’ first light.

With care, you show the envelope to your boyfriend.

“I got this for you.” You state, tone unchanging but filled with warmth nonetheless.

The way you shift your weight from one foot to the other causes for Toma’s expression to soften, the pink of silent affection spreading through his cheeks.

He takes the package from you.

And right here and now, before even seeing its contents, your love and affection for him had never been so clear.

Strong arms wrap around you as you let out a surprised gasp.

Even when your expressions remain stony, Toma knows your love for him is just as steady and permanent.

And he couldn’t be happier.

[e-adlirez]

I've read your treasure seekers rambles and ngl your thoughts on Luke as a villain makes me kinda curious on your opinions on most of the villains in the series as a whole :O

Most of the villains (the older ones, I'd say) are really good. Madame Hu is intimidating and probably a mommy people simp for (also the closest to being a proto!Luke), Mortimer MacCardigan is a properly self-centered dick to root against, Dunya is actually kinda terrifying, the corrupt judges in Dancing Shadows probably hit a bit close to home for the competitive performing artists out there, Sammy Sharkfur is capitalism incarnate-- you get the idea, all of them are really good.

The newer books do vary in quality, and they lean more into domestic-ish travel drama and stuff like that. Which I am fine with, don't get me wrong-- it can be done right, and they are done right (coughs and sips tea loudly at Fiesta in Mexico), but when they aren't they do be boring -m-

And then there are the occasional villains like uh Olaf and Ulfur in Frozen Fiasco, and those guys are hella basic, I'ma be real

They're literally the SKINNIEST TWINKS IN EXISTENCE, WHAT DO YOU MEAN THEY MANAGED TO INCAPACITATE NINE GROWN-ASS ADULTS ALL BY THEMSELVES--

I get they can't use tranqs or guns or anything like that but C'MON A CROWBAR AT LEAST LIKE C'MOOONNN SHOW US A THING WHERE THEY'RE LIKE "If you don't want your friend or the pencil pusher to get hurt, you will cooperate with us" OR SOMETHING THAT JUSTIFIES THEM GETTING YA YEETED INTO A SHED BY THESE T W O T W I N K S

Madagascar Madness was kinda better at it since well, they were in the middle of the jungle and the animal traffickers can wrangle aforementioned exotic animals with perhaps ungodly reaction times/speeds (like lizards/iguanas), sooo at least it's somewhat imaginable and understandable that they'd be able to tie up eight people. They prolly used and abused the lasso tool /j

One notable villain in the newer books is the magician from Venice Masquerade-- that guy was cool, a magnificent bastard who was seven steps ahead until the girls figured out how to anticipate his anticipating. (Kinda. Hoping the misdirection thing Marco did when stumping the magician was just a Scholastic blunder because my god did it sound stupid in the English translation)

Anyway yeah the books do what they do well, but I can't deny that I miss the unabashed evilness of the villains in the old books. We need a little more of a big bad getting up in the girls' business enough for the girls to want to do something about it dammit

It's probably a bit of Scholastic cherrypicking the books to publish because like, we do have like, about 19-ish Thea Stilton books that haven't been translated to English, maybe one of them had a big bad we can root against -m-

But I dunno, we wouldn't know

Because they haven't been translated to English -m-

[cycat4077]

Fargo S5 E4: Insolubilia - Notable moments :)

Just some of the immediate things that popped into my head.

Spoilers under the cut!

I love love loved the opening scene! The Jack Skellington mask was so eerie and creepy. Joe Keery's movements with it, as well, made it feel as though Gator really was this calculating predator hunting its prey. Plus, the camera angles and lighting really built suspense. Usually in horror scenes it's over-the-top and they are relying on the anticipation of jump scares. But the opening scene really made the fear feel real.

Dot. This poor woman... Her looking back on her burning house was absolutely tragic. Juno Temple really conveyed through just her eyes how Dot felt like everything she had wanted and built for herself was slipping away. Dot wants to live happily with her family in a warm, cozy house. Yet she watched it all burn, and you could feel her pain. Plus the scene where she climbs into the hospital bed with her husband further drove that pain home. She was literally clinging to the one thing that had made her feel normal and loved for 9 years (besides her daughter, of course). Yet, even that was slipping away given that her past had caused him to get hurt (with permanent memory loss?).

The exchange between Gator and Dot is SO interesting. There's history there! Dot should have immediately been on the offense against him, yet she called him out. In previous episodes, we had Gator refer to her as Dot despite him knowing her real name. There seems to be some respect/care there deep down on both sides.

The timeline doesn't support Gator being Nadine/Dot's son - she's in her 30s and he's at LEAST in his 20s - but that also means that Gator would have grown up with Dot around for at least part of his life. She likely took on a mother-like role to him in some capacity. It's going to be really interesting to see if Dot will be able to find the soft Gator that the director eluded to (and that the Jack Skellington imagery eludes to) and help him turn his life around for the better.

The scenes with Ole Munch absolutely make my skin crawl, but his monologue in the bathtub was actually really powerful. Especially the part where he says that as soon as the people who are used to getting everything they want can't have something, they claim they have lost their freedom. (I'll leave it at that ^.^)

FINALLY confirmation that TWO of Roy's wives were MIA. I've had this theory since the first two episodes that Gator's mom had gone missing. Roy likes his wives young and submissive. Based on Dot/Nadine, as soon as those wives want control of their lives, Roy retaliates. I assume it is no different for his first wife which has to be Gator's mom. I've had it in my head that Gator witnessed his mother's murder as a boy but Roy has conditioned him ever since to believe that it was either an accident or deserved. I can't wait until more backstory is revealed!

Speaking of Roy...my goodness. I have never really watched anything where Jon Hamm had a major role before but I can definitely see why so many people praise his acting. Roy's last scene was so cold and calculating. It is such subtle acting and it's brilliant! We really got to see how evil Roy is and it was beautifully acted.

And because I find Gator to be such an interestingly layered character, I also loved to see his reaction to what Roy had done at the end. When he walked in, for a moment, he was no longer the tough guy, unphased by hurting others. There was a moment of shock and potentially disapproval on Gator's face when he saw the man writhing and slowly dying. I think it was a moment of "woah, did my father actually do that?" however, it was quickly replaced by turning that concern towards Roy. I like to think that the delivery of that scene hinted at the conditioning that Gator underwent during his upbringing to always put his father and his father's intentions as top priority.

We'll see how it all continues to unfold, but for someone who has never watched any previous seasons of Fargo, I'm absolutely loving the writing, acting and filming of the whole thing :)

[delku]

i said what i said about not knowing what 430 will be about, and i still believe this. my speculative belief though is that it has to be about deku's fate.

as a hero, as a person, whatever - the fact that he's talked three people through their feelings in the aftermath of the battle but seldom spoken of his own feelings (at least, not in isolation), nor reacted to his circumstances in any measurable capacity (besides saying that he's completely at peace with no longer being a hero, which doesn't seem like the full truth) feels off. i joke about the baby pics thing but it kind of points to the likelihood of this.

the problem kind of comes up in how this is addressed. what brings him to talk about it? to whom is he talking? he's a hypocrite and self-destructive even after deku vs 1A, and it's not as if izuku midoriya: rising imparted any great lesson on him - besides that he's a killer, of course. these are exactly the type of feelings i'd anticipate his character to internalize as fiercely as possible, and that appears to be exactly what he's doing, unless he thinks talking about it benefits someone else (and even then, there's a veneer of not-quite truthfulness to it).

so, who would be able to get him to open up? my first thought is all might, of course, but he's already had a conversation with all might about this topic in the epilogue. i don't think it'd be bad to retread this territory since bakugo interrupted them, but i'm not sure i believe another one-on-one with them is the most likely scenario.

iida is my next guess. iida has proven to be one of his strongest, most stalwart allies and has been prodding him ever since deku vs 1A to quit being such a loner. i think of iida over bakugo because bakugo kind of already had a meltdown at the idea of deku being powerless and he doesn't seem all that suited to intense conversations at the moment.

it could be bakugo, because he's obviously quite close to deku now and hearing him out is a form of atonement (and just being a friend, lol). but i don't know how much i anticipate a solo conversation both for the reasons i stated in iida's blurb and for similar reasons as all might.

ochako is also difficult to anticipate a 1-on-1 conversation for, for the exact same reason as all might and bakugo.

it could also be his mom. it would be a wildcard, and would be a good excuse to pull the baby picture, but it's not like bakugo or todoroki needed that either.

hatsume is a potential option too, considering she'll probably be in charge of deku's gear for the forseeable future.

what i expect more than anything is a group confrontation. i don't want to guess which characters. it could be deku's friend group, it could be deku's guardians, it could be the entirety of class A, or it could be a mixture of these. it could just be everyone.

but i digress. the characters involved matter, but his reaction is more important. is the fact that he killed a man and has his memories going to be addressed literally in any way at all that would be so nice and cool