#the way this series withholds and reveals information

[literaryvein-reblogs]

Writing Notes: Dialogue

A Guide to Writing Better Dialogue

Consider the following criteria:

The dialogue must move the story forward. After each conversation or exchange, the reader should be one step closer to either the climax or the conclusion.

Reveal relevant information about the character. The right dialogue will give the reader insight into how the character feels, and what motivates them to act.

It must help the reader understand the relationship between the characters.

Tips for Better Dialogue

12 tips to writing forward-focused dialogue:

Keep it brief

Dialogue shouldn’t go over for pages and pages. The best dialogue is brief.

You don’t need to go into lengthy exchanges to reveal an important truth about the characters, their motivations, and how they view the world.

Pair the dialogue down to the minimum that you need for the characters to say to each other.

Avoid small talk

In the real world, small talk fills in the awkward silence, but in the world of your novel, the only dialogue to include is the kind that reveals something necessary about the character and/or plot.

How’s the weather? doesn’t move the plot.

If you’d like to show that your character doesn’t like awkward pauses, work on characterization and scene description.

Instead of using mind-numbingly long exchanges, show the character’s discomfort by describing how she taps her fingers against the window pane, or takes a series of sharp sighs.

Small talk can water down the effectiveness of your scene.

Instead, pick exchanges that capture the essence of the moment, and bypass small talk altogether. Let that be an understood nod between you and the reader, and dive right into the action.

Don’t info dump

While you can certainly use dialogue to learn more about your characters, you shouldn’t use it to dump a whole lot of information on the reader.

If you must info dump, don’t do it in dialogue.

It may slow dialogue to a grinding halt. It may sound awkward.

What’s the difference between info dumping and revealing relevant information?

Info dump is a large amount of exposition given all at once, and left for the reader to sort out.

Relevant information is more subtle, and it’s dispensed a little at a time.

Give your characters a unique way of speaking

Every character, just like every person you know, will have a unique way of speaking and delivering their thoughts.

Some people are more forceful and deliberate.

Others are more passive and meandering.

You can honor these (and other) different styles without rambling.

One method is to focus on word choice.

Example: To show that someone is rather gruff or abrupt, go towards single syllable or somewhat quick words, like “yeah.”

Same basic concept but different delivery, based on character.

Of course, word choice alone can’t dictate character.

You’ll do most of this through characterization, but word choice should subtly support and reinforce characterization.

Also establish a pattern of speech:

Does the character speak in a sharp staccato, or a deliberate, flowy manner?

By knowing how the character (especially the protagonist) speaks, you can create consistency whenever the character dialogues with others.

Be consistent

Remember to be consistent with your characters.

Someone who speaks in a self-depreciating and shy demeanor won’t automatically become bold and acerbic.

When your characters speak, they should stay true to who they are.

Even without character tags, the reader should be able to figure out who’s talking.

Create suspense

Use dialogue to increase the suspense between characters.

It’s human nature for people to withhold what they’re truly thinking or feeling.

People leave a lot unsaid, and this is also true for the characters in your novel.

To create a realistic interaction between your characters, you must honor the fact that most people leave a lot of things unsaid.

But that doesn’t mean that the reader can’t be privy to what’s being left unsaid.

As a writer, you can build the scene, show the characters’ motivations and desires before the scene, and let it play out, with the reader wanting a resolution that doesn’t quite happen.

Answer the following questions to setup your scene for suspense:

Does one character have the upper hand in the scene?

Is the other character seething just under the surface?

What does the reader find out through the exchange?

You can control all of this through dialogue.

Honor the relationship

Characters tend to speak differently based on who they’re speaking to.

A character will speak to his mother differently than he does to his best friend. That’s not a shift in consistency.

It actually gives more depth and realness to the character. You can still stay true to the personality you’ve created by using the same speech pattern.

Show, don’t tell

“Show, don’t tell” is the writer’s mantra.

When writing dialogue, it’s easy to start “telling” what the characters are feeling instead of showing it.

Instead of your character saying, “I’m angry!” describe how the character’s body is closed--tight lips, narrow eyes, deep breaths.

Don’t underestimate your reader.

The reader likes to see the scene, pick up the cues and come to the conclusion, instead of being told what to think. Your dialogue shouldn’t be completely on the nose, and explain exactly what the character is feeling.

Most people -- including your characters -- aren’t always aware of how they feel.

And sometimes, what they say they feel is different from what they truly feel.

Use dialogue to reveal characters, but not directly.

Body language is also an important part of dialogue, and should be written into every scene. It gives the reader important clues that they’ll use to recreate the scene in their mind.

Minimize identifying tags

“He said, she said” gets boring after a while.

And the answer isn’t to switch out those “said” tags with other words like “enthused” or “shouted”. (When it doubt, “said” wins out.)

Not only is it boring for the reader to constantly see “he said” or “said she”, it may be disruptive.

Identifiers take the reader out of the immersive world of your story and reminds them that you, the author, are relaying a story.

That can be pretty jarring, and it can happen if you use identifiers too often.

Of course, you can’t not use identifiers.

They’re vital for establishing who’s speaking, but can be minimized by doing the following:

Creating a unique pattern of speech.

Using descriptive follow ups. (e.g., “That’s not what I said.” Vincent reached for the rock.)

The second option can show what the characters are doing to further emphasize their words, or add context to the scene.

Greetings and goodbyes aren’t always necessary

While it’s only polite to say hello and bid adieu, it’s not necessary in novel dialogue to document these courtesies.

You can use exposition for salutations, but do avoid writing a blow-by-blow.

Set up the scene by describing how the character enters or leaves the scene.

Avoid speeches and soliloquies

Most people, in conversation form, do not have the privilege of extended speech.

They’re almost always interrupted because who wants to listen to someone natter on and on?

Read it aloud

During the editing process, you should always read your manuscript aloud, but do pay special attention to your dialogue.

If the dialogue doesn’t seem to flow, or you’re tripping over your words, it’s not going to sound right to the reader.

Even though you’re not capturing every part of a conversation in your dialogue, everything that’s written should sound like an actual person said it. If not, it’s time to erase and try again.

Source Writing References: Worldbuilding ⚜ Plot ⚜ Character More: Formatting Dialogue ⚜ Children's Dialogue ⚜ Dialogue Prompts

[lillaydee]

The Unlucky One Part 16

Joel Miller (No Outbreak AU) / F Reader

When it comes to love, Lady Luck seems to have lost your address. After being left at the altar without so much of an explanation, you decided love is no longer something you are interested in. Not even meeting an unlucky-in-love-himself Mr. Grump could change your mind.

Right?

Let me know if you want to be tagged, or if you want to be removed from the tag list.

WARNINGS: Protective Joel (The Last of Us), Good Parent Joel (The Last of Us), Soft Joel (The Last of Us), Joel is Bad at Feelings (The Last of Us), Joel Needs a Hug (The Last of Us), Hurt Joel (The Last of Us), Grumpy Joel (The Last of Us), Jealousy, Fluff and Angst, Implied/Referenced Homophobia, Idiots in Love, unlucky in love, Child Abandonment, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Alternate Universe - No Cordyceps Outbreak (The Last of Us)

@peelieblue, @vickie5446, @harriedandharassed, @lovefreylove @martuxduckling @kikookii @liciafonseca @wowitsafemale @noisynightmarepoetry

SERIES MASTER LIST

Part 15

---

Joel didn’t know how to look you in the eye. He didn’t know how to look any of you in the eyes. Not you, not your dads, not Kyle or Ethan, and certainly not Eric.

He sat across from all of you at your dads’, telling you what he had just learnt. He came straight over as soon as he found out.  

Everything that’s been going on in your life these few months – Lucy started it. Because of him.

As soon as Lucy left, Joel called the detective who was in charge of Nell’s case from before. When the cops got to her place, she was in the process of packing to leave. She denied any involvement with the break in, having no clue that the boys she hired were cooperating, that they had identified her clothing. They found the phone she had been using to contact everyone, including a PI. That phone alone revealed a lot. The PI followed you around, did some digging on you, and sent her a written report. She contacted your mother and Andrew, telling them where to find you. She was hoping Joel would be put off by all your drama and choose her. When that failed, she hired some high school kids to break into your house to threaten you.

Over the next couple of weeks, more and more information trickled out.

She had had a crush on Joel since before Jen left him, the younger sister of one of Jen’s friend. When Jen left Joel, she started following Joel around, befriending Tommy’s then girlfriend to have an ‘in’ with Joel without involving her sister. But Joel was not interested, he was still married. It was difficult to run into Joel anywhere then, Sarah still a baby and his life was all about her. He didn’t even want to go out back then, saddened by Jen leaving and choosing to focus all his attention on Sarah.

When Sarah started school, Lucy tried to use Sarah as a link to her father. She was a teaching assistant back then, helping Mrs Adler with her class. Sarah liked her at first, apparently, but she got too insistent, starting to give Sarah messages to give to Joel. The little girl, far too young then, forgot, and Tess cleared her bags of any errant pieces of papers and the likes every evening, so no one got the message. One day, she asked Sarah why she was being so uncooperative? Wouldn’t it be nice if Miss Lucy becomes your Mommy?

And Sarah quickly said no. She didn’t like Miss Lucy.

Lucy started hounding Sarah, chastising her for not passing her messages to Joel, discreetly withholding snacks from her, telling her she would get them when she cooperated. She kept Sarah in the classroom, questioning her of Joel’s daily activities, not letting her play during play time.

When you came into the picture, she had been given a class of her own. No longer having such easy access to Sarah, she doubled her efforts, asking Sarah for everything she knew about you. Her grasps and holds on Sarah got firmer, but never firm enough to leave a mark. But it was enough to make Sarah walk the other way whenever Lucy was in the vicinity.

Sarah never told anyone, worried that Lucy was going to punish her again. But she did tell Mrs Adler she didn’t like Lucy, she was mean, and the older lady kept an especially close eye on their interactions since, keeping Sarah away from her. The school never caught Lucy mistreating Sarah in any way, so she was never in trouble for it.

But after so many failed attempts to sway Sarah her way, she tried to get Ellie. Only, rather than pressing her for information, she did her best to convince the little girl that she was not wanted. That you and everyone else were just pretending, that no one wanted her around. She had hoped that Ellie would get upset enough to want to persuade you to leave town, since you went ahead with putting Ellie in school after the break in. Ellie got upset that first day, staying in her classroom during playtime, believing Lucy, but then Sarah came in with her friends and convinced her otherwise. Sarah told her Miss Lucy was mean. Don’t listen to Miss Lucy. Mrs Adler made sure the other teachers were extra nice to Ellie, even going so far as coming over to her classroom to check on Ellie during snack time to make sure Lucy gave Ellie her share. It seemed Lucy knew she was being watched, and didn’t dare treat Ellie any different outwardly.

But that Friday, before she was caught, she told Ellie that she was the daughter of a murderer, the granddaughter of a pimp, hoping to push her further down. Ellie came home asking you what a pimp was but refused to tell you where she had heard the word.

It took the whole two weeks of Lucy being out of school and a confirmation that she was not coming back for her to open up to you, and finally ask you if her mother was really a murderer. You had to assure her that whatever happened was not her fault, and that you would explain one day when she was bigger, and that you and everyone else loved her so much and she never had to worry about anything ever again. She was wanted, needed, cherished, loved.

Upon hearing what Lucy said to Ellie, what she did to Sarah, all in the name of getting Joel all for herself, you were thankful Lucy was in custody. You wanted to tear that stupid smile off her face so much it made your hands tingle. But… you were glad that she was caught. At the very least, your questions about your mother and Andrew’s knowledge of your whereabouts were answered. You had started having trust issues, worried that someone close to you was a double agent, and the knowledge that they all had your back was such a relief.

Before leaving for the evening after the revelation, Joel asked Eric permission to talk to you alone, earning him a weirded out look from the man, who nodded and made himself scarce, nonetheless.

“I’m sorry, Aria.”

“For what?”

“Everything that happened… you kept apologizing to me for involving me in your drama, when everything happened because I rejected Lucy in the first place. You didn’t deserve this. I’m sorry.”

He felt bad. He felt as if none of this would have happened if only he had not been lost in the fog that Jen left him in, said yes to a drink with Lucy and gently let her down from the start. Instead, he chose to simply ignore her. Never did he ever think that one decision would lead to her taking such drastic actions, putting you, putting Ellie in danger.

“Come on, Joel, the things with my mother and sister, with Andrew, they would have happened either way. They would have found me sooner or later. I ghosted them, I didn’t exactly hide. Lucy just… sped up the process,” you coaxed him, seeing how guilty he looked.

“You wouldn’t have been in danger. And I ignored your calls. If Ellie didn’t do what she did… I don’t even want to think…”

“But she did do what she did, and you came. I’m okay, Joel. Ellie’s okay. We’ll be okay.”

“But... we’re not…” he said softly, eyes on the floor. When he raised them back up to look at you, there was yearning in them. You might have even imagined a light glistening of tears. “Are you happy, Aria?”

You were just about to ask what he meant by that when Sarah came into the room with her school bag, ready to go home.

“We’ll talk tomorrow?” you asked, “And don’t forget, bring her swimsuit and some clothes to leave here,” you reminded him.

He nodded, taking Sarah’s schoolbag from her, taking one more look at you before closing the door behind him.

**********

Your dads were too happy to be here. This was the retirement they never knew they wanted. They had always told you that they were going to move to the beach house, ultimately, once they got bored with condo-living, and travel the world, just the two of them. And now, suddenly, retirement meant moving to a new city, buying a house a couple streets away from you, and having two granddaughters to spoil. They had already started asking you and Joel to get the girls passports, even having a huge calendar marking school holidays.

And with Thanksgiving and Christmas coming, they had started subtly but not so subtly asking Anita her plans, slowly trying to get her to agree to let them host everyone for the festivities.  

Okay, Frank did that. Not your dads, only Frank. But you didn’t hear your Dad complain. That’s for sure.

Since Tess, Joel and Tommy worked, they offered their place to be the layover between school and home for Sarah and Ellie, both then, and when you decided to go back home. You did remind them that when you did, you would be available at home for Sarah to stop by, but was met with a list of disadvantages, both to your personal and professional lives as to why that would be a bad idea.

The girls were in the pool, heated for their benefit, Kyle, Ethan and Eric teaching them to swim. Joel, Tommy and your dads manned the grills, keeping the meat supply flowing, while you and the ladies sat in a corner eating and chatting.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Maria took a sip of her drink and turned her chair to face you. “What’s going on with you and Joel? Are you guys not together anymore?”

“Yeah, I haven’t seen you two together in a while. Did you guys have a fight?” Tess asked.

“I don’t know,” you told them, Anita stopping her crocheting to focus on you. “He just… pulled away. I don’t know why. He wasn’t mean about it, though. At first I thought he was simply giving me space, after Nell and my mother, you know? But then he never stopped giving me space, so… I don’t know. Maybe he just doesn’t want my drama. I can’t blame him. I get it. I wouldn’t want to date me either. I went from a fling in Bali to neighbour to potential girlfriend to someone who has an instant child and a disgruntled ex-fiancé snooping around and a murderer sister who killed my pro-pedo mother who turned out to be a psycho who pimped her child out. Why on earth would he want to be with me?”

The three of them didn’t say anything, looks of pity and sadness on them, Maria stroking your arm. It was only then you realized how wobbly your voice had gotten, how teary your eyes had been.

You shook your head, wiping your tears away. “Just my lot in life. Unlucky in love. Always has been.”

The three of them chorused very empathetic ‘nos’ and ‘that’s not trues’ and ‘you’ll find someones’, hands offered for you to take, more strokes on your arms and legs, all trying to get you to feel better.

“No, don’t worry guys, I’m okay. I’m lucky in lots of other ways. I have my dads, you guys, Ellie, Sarah, Ethan, Kyle, Eric… plus, it takes a special kind of man to be okay with me being so amicable with my exes. Maybe it’s just too much for him. It’s okay. He has every right to choose not to be with me,” you told them.

There was silence for a beat. No one knew what to say.

“You, though, who are you and what have you done with my good friend Maria?” you smacked her in the arm. “What happened to the my ‘fling’ guru? She went ahead and got all loved up and left me in the dust!”

Maria waved her hand at you, as if trying to make light of her situation with Tommy, all the while grinning wider than the Cheshire cat itself. “We’re… us… we’re doing okay,” she said, hands playing with her glass, “Taking it slow…”

“Slow?” Tess mocked, swatting Maria with her napkin on the knee, “You’re telling me your clothes are not filling half of his closet?” earning her a face full of napkin from Maria.

“You’re one to speak,” Anita said, slyly looking at her niece. “You’re the one now always on the phone and coming home late after your shifts. Anything we should know about?”

Tess covered her face with her hands, “Leave me alone! Sheesh! Nosy, nosy, nosy!”

The three of you laughed so heartily you almost fell off your chair.

Across the yard, Joel couldn’t take his eyes off you. He missed you so much, but there was nothing he could do about it. He wanted to go back in time so badly, not pull away from you in the first place. He could be in great company with your laughter, and instead, here he was, sulking at the other end of your dads’ backyard, wishing he could go home with you tonight and hold you tight. He needed you, if only to sleep well again. He forgot what being happy felt like. He had a taste of it with you, but he stupidly let it go.

He should’ve fought for you. Gotten you back from the Eric, the super nice guy who had been through so much in life and had managed to climb his way out of that situation and became the annoyingly likeable man he was today. The kind of great guy he would have less of a problem with if Sarah came home one day and introduced him as her boyfriend, not that he wouldn’t punch him in the face still, just for daring to think he would be good enough to date his BabyGirl.

And because Joel was too nice of a guy to take you back from Eric, here he was, stuck with only longingly watching you from afar, while Eric got to do whatever he wanted with you.

Oh God, please don’t be one of those touchy couples and show PDAs in his presence, he didn’t know if his heart could take it. But just in case, Joel had an excuse planned out to leave as soon as he could, should that happen. He practiced and everything.

“You’re staring,” Tommy nudged him, handing over a beer.

Joel took it, hesitantly looking away from you.

“What’s going on with you and Aria anyway? Did you guys have a fight or something? Did you break up?” Tommy’s tone was low, not wanting your bickering dads to hear from the next grill.

“We never really got together in the first place, I don’t think,” Joel said, eyes on the bottle he was holding. “We were taking it slow, so much happened, and then… I fucked up, and now she’s with someone else. End of story.”

“Who?”

Joel didn’t answer, but his eyes couldn’t help but glance at Eric, who was now throwing a squealing Ellie back into the pool.

“No,” Tommy was shocked. “That couldn’t be. I’ve never seen them together like that,” he protested.

“Maybe she was just trying to let me down easy. Maybe they’re not ready to tell people.”

“How do you know, then?”

“Saw them kissing,” Joel took a drink, trying hard to stop his voice from wobbling.

“Shit, I’m so sorry, brother.”

Joel shrugged, taking the final burger off the grill, telling everyone food was ready.

**********

Thank God for Sarah and Ellie. Those two kept him so busy and occupied he didn’t notice you or Eric at all, both eating on his lap, insisting he fed them both. One thing he would concede to, he wasn’t willing to let go of this – this family all of you had become. He saw how happy his Mama and Tess were in your company, how happy Tommy was in the men’s company, how happy Sarah was in everyone’s company. Heck, even he had a hard time sticking to his sourpuss with everyone around.

So he would keep his yearning for you to himself and just enjoy what he could get, good company, good food, and whenever he could, glimpses of you.

He went to his truck once everyone started lazily lying around the pool, drinks in hand. He got Sarah’s bag out and went upstairs, wanting to unpack her clothes into her closet. He walked past the first two bedrooms before getting to the girls’ bedroom at the end of the hall, and his steps stopped abruptly.

Laughter. Cheeky, romantic, comfortable laughter. And squeaking. And sloppy kisses. After sex laughter.

Coming from Eric’s room.

His heart fell to his stomach.

His tears fell involuntarily. Who was he kidding? He couldn’t watch you be with Eric. He could reason with himself all he wanted, but he was never going to be able to survive that, not without wanting to rip Eric’s face off, nice guy or no nice guy. He wanted to run away, leave, never return, but his feet felt like they were made of lead. So he stood there, and listened as the intimate laughter came attacking him from the crack under the bedroom door, giving him so much whiplash his head was spinning.

The spell broke when he heard footsteps coming up the stairs. He turned, hoping to God whoever it was wouldn’t tease him for his gloom-riddled face.

It was you, your face morphing into concern the moment you clocked his tears.

“Joel? What’s wrong? Why are you crying?” you wiped his tears off his face, forgetting that you two were no longer together. He let go of Sarah’s bag, hands up to your face, wonder in his eyes.

“You’re here…” he whispered.

“Uh, yeah, I am, I live here for now, remember? Are you okay? Did you hit your head?”

He laughed, stroking your cheeks. “No, I mean, if you were here, then who’s in there with Eric?”

You didn’t even have the chance to answer. The door swung open, and a very happy looking Eric and Tess walked out.

All four of you looked at each other in silence.

The hinges of your jaws stopped working. Words failed you. Tess looked horrified, while Eric just looked embarrassed.

“Aria,” Tess began, “It’s not what it looks like… I was just…”

“Are you two…” you started, stopping to consider the word you needed to complete that sentence, deciding if you wanted to be crass or discreet.  

“We’re seeing each other,” Eric meekly said, putting his arm around Tess.

“Since when?”

Tess fiddled with the hemline of the shirt she was wearing, “We planned our first date that day Andrew came, but postponed it.”

“Why?”

“We didn’t know how to tell you, we were worried you might have a problem with it,” Eric said, eyes on the floor, looking like a naughty child who just got caught with his hand in the cookie jar.

“Why would I have a problem with it?”

All three of them looked at you in shock.

“You don’t?” Tess’s face lit up with relief. Eric released an audible breath.

“Of course not, why would I?”

She raised her hand and rushed over to hug you. You took a hasty step back, your body immediately pressed up against Joel’s, hand out in front of you.

“No, no. No, no. No hugging. No touching. Have you even washed your hands? Ew!”

The two let out a relieved laugh, thanking you for understanding, before going to the bathroom together.

It was only then you realized that you were all pressed up against Joel. You turned around, apologizing for entering his personal space like that. But he wasn’t listening.

“So, you’re not with Eric?”

“No, why would I be?”

He huffed a laugh, “I saw them kissing… I thought it was the two of you.” He looked down, lips quivering, “I thought you chose him, that you went back to him.”

You were stunned. You never thought of that.

“He was just over to see Ellie, I swear. His last name is on her birth certificate. He just wanted to have a relationship with her. That’s all.”

He nodded, his eyes back to brimming with tears, though there was a huge relief written all over his face.

“Is that why you pulled back?” you asked. He nodded, tears now falling down his cheeks again.

You wiped his tears away, as his eyes closed from the sensation of your hands on him, something he had missed all this time.

And then you burst into tears.

Huge, heaving, body-shaking sobs.

Eric and Tess exited the bathroom, Tess started towards you but Joel shook his head. Eric guided her towards the stairs, the two of them leaving you alone.

Joel didn’t even know how to react. Usually, he would just hug you. But he didn’t know if you would be accepting to that right now. Were you angry? Sad? Relieved? What?

You ran into your bedroom, wiping your face with a hand towel, but started crying again. Joel followed you inside, closing the door behind him.

“Aria,” he pleaded. “I’m sorry. I should have talked to you first. I didn’t know. I thought you still had feelings for him, I thought I saw the two of you kiss, and I couldn’t blame you, you were forced apart. I wanted you to be happy, that’s all I ever wanted for you. I thought you wanted to be with him. I’m sorry baby, please, forgive me.”

You calmed yourself down, wiping your face with the towel again. He waited for you, his heart beating fast, worried what your reaction would be, internally kicking himself for being so dumb. When you finally calmed down, you turned around and faced him, and those few seconds you didn’t speak had to be the longest few seconds of his life.

“I thought you didn’t want me anymore.”

His heart clenched. He took two huge steps towards you, taking your face in his hands and crashed his lips onto yours, sealing all his feelings and regret into it, telling you in not so many words, so you understood that you were everything he had ever desired in this world.

You kissed him right back, eyes clenched shut, hands wrapped around his waist, clutching his shirt. He walked you back until the back of your legs hit your bed, and gently brought you down with him, slotting himself between your legs, moaning into your mouth. His hands began to wander, going to your sides, your ass, your legs, before coming back up to caress your breasts, tongue beginning to pass your lips, licking into your mouth before going down to your jawline, travelling to your ears.

Your bedroom door crashed open.

“Aya! Grandpa said… uh oh…”

Two little girls wrapped in towels stood in your doorway, somehow managing to look both shocked and elated at the same time.

Joel scrambled to get off you, pulling the blanket with him to cover up the situation he had going on between his legs, breathlessly asking Sarah and Ellie about a previous discussion he’d had with them about opening closed doors.

“Sorry, Daddy,” Sarah said, “Sorry Joel,” Ellie parroted, neither looking sorry at all. You were having a hard time keeping yourself from laughing, asking them what Grandpa wanted.

“He said we showered. He asked you to help us change.”

You nodded, getting up as the two girl ran out of your room and into their own. Joel got up with you, the ‘situation’ having run for the hills from the shock of it all. You stood up, but he took your hand in his, making you sit back down.

“Just in case the message didn’t get across,” he said, “I want to be with you. For real. I’m yours, and only yours, if you would have me. I don’t want to wait anymore. I want to be with you. Please.”

You smiled, telling him you had to go help the girls change, standing up. His face fell.

“And then we’ll go home,” you whispered, erasing the disappointed look he had on, kissing him in a way that made sure he understood, that that was what you wanted too.

“For real.”

---

Part 17

[tsutsumi-kurose]

Thoughts on chapter 120? Like Kou just died, Amane has been dead, who knows what will happen next

You know what I’m curious about

What Kou said about the house

That whoever is in it becomes servant to its whims

Who else do we know is part of the house

Tsukasa.

He’s dead now, but even before he was dead, he was part of it so that begs the question….

How in control is Tsukasa? If he is at all?

hiii thank you sm for the ask!! (and thank you for your patience!! life's been a little wild this week!)

heads up this post is. pretty long lol chapter 120 was such a trip!!

to address the biggest event first: I thought the tragedy was really beautifully done!! teru absolutely unraveling and giving up all pretense in a way we have never seen before… SO good, I’ve loved watching this arc tear him apart—he’s such a guarded and constructed character, I’ve loved the angst of seeing the neat threads of him pulled apart to reveal what’s inside (that feels mean but I promise it’s a compliment about how he’s written lol I just really love angst)

I think I have a lot of the same questions as you!! as for what happens next, they’ve resolved to turn back the clock, but they still haven’t figured out what changed. times running out!! how will they find out?

well, there is one way they know to get answers in this world (:

such a helpful little guy in every reality huh!! my favorite little lore keeper <333

I love the change of tsukasa-kun not granting any old wish but specifically only granting information. knowledge has been a really interesting theme this arc... I have especially loved how a lot of this arc hinges on how much our characters don't know---especially teru, as he typically is one of the more knowledgeable characters throughout the series. (sorry i'm really delighting in his pain in the post lmao it's just that it's fascinating to see characters get the floor swept out from under them, seeing what breaks them, etc).

this difference in the timeline really highlights sources of knowledge/knowledge systems... which is think also relates to the clock keepers... knowing what they wanted to change and how to change it but no one else knows... the minamoto family having information or not having it and withholding it and from who... teru feeling powerless in this timeline bc he doesn't have knowledge and power to have the sort of control he normally has over supernatural situations... knowledge as power/power belonging to those with knowledge/knowledge as something owned and dispensed by those with power... really interesting themes this arc!!

in terms of figuring out how to get back before time runs out, i wonder if teru could stand to get information through this tsukasa-kun if it was for kou? does he have the skill and power to go against this iteration of the well god and get answers his own way? how will he cope with his loss of control now that it's caused him the greatest loss he could suffer? i honestly can't say i have any predictions there, but i'm very excited to find out!!

thinking about knowledge/lore keepers also makes me think about natsuhiko and sakura… telling kou how a human can become a supernatural, telling yashiro about tsukasa being hanako’s yorishiro and about her lifespan… thinking about knowledge as a theme this arc really makes me wonder where they are and what they know

but to stay on track with the ask lol: wrt what the clock keepers changed, I’m even more convinced after the 120 color spread that it has to do with amane changing the past 1968, though I have no idea what he changed or why. but i am thinking a lot about this interaction in 111:

hanako is still very much holding his knife up to kako---protecting tsukasa!!!---after kako says to dispose of tsukasa!! meanwhile, kako's eye seems to say halt---there seems to be something additional/different happening there. the circular lens framing of that panel of tsukasa also suggests that's from the pov of kako's eye specifically. when akane asks "is that all you wanted to say?" do we really know what it is that kako said? hanako's wide eyed "huh?" seems like it's a totally different reaction than the face he makes right above while wielding his knife, but we don't really see anything new between these panels, besides them looking intently at each other. does kako have some sort of way to control people into changing the past, I wonder? can he see someone's past, but only with enough information, maybe? did something happen to amane the first time he messed with the big clock back in 1968 that kako can sense here? at this stage, all this analysis has given me is more questions lol

to respond to your final question: tsukasa!!! tsukasa and how much autonomy he has!! perhaps my favorite tbhk mystery to ponder <3

i am a long time believer that tsukasa is tsukasa... and upon first reading, this arc strengthened that belief. but i gotta admit, the more i think about it, the more i realize there are definitely some arguments to be made about the status of our regularly scheduled tsukasa! i think the main things this arc has given us to consider regarding this mystery are: 1) the possessions feel very different here than the possessions in the original timeline; and 2) we start to see the god have more of a personality in this arc.

please join me on my thought spiral lol

the first difference we see this arc is that tsukasa-kun seems so not in control as compared to original timeline tsukasa, which makes him seem more possessed. most prominently in this arc, I think tsukasa-kun’s little moment of calling out for amane while wandering around the school portrayed him as much less in control than the tsukasa we know.

and 120 certainly seems to have confirmed that in the new timeline, possession is largely in the well god's hands, and something that the possessed person has no control over; amane seems to be violently possessed, then seems to forget anything ever happened once he's not being actively possessed.

to get back to the question of agency: the change in amane's demeanor and who's in control has been shown very starkly through the color of his eyes this arc. the changes are incredibly abrupt.

in contrast, original timeline tsukasa's eyes slide easily between black and gold---he carries on conversations, making one consistent point as his eyes change back and forth.

this would seeeeem to suggest original tsukasa has more control than this amane, and is therefore more himself

but kou's eyes weren't black either when he led nene to adult amane... why does kou's possession slide in and out, whereas amane's is so stark? and what does this mean for our original tsukasa, who seems so seamless?

though kou’s is still different from original tsukasa’s possession, as kou very visibly broke out of it because he heard nene calling for help? (maybe there's something to be said there about love and familiarity and its power, even if temporary.) kou’s possession felt somewhere between the abruptness of amane’s possession and the seamlessness of original tsukasa’s eyes shifting.

which… could suggest either that original tsukasa has agency, since he doesn’t seem to ever be fighting against possession or snapping out of anything. but, to argue the other point, it could also mean he’s so wholly controlled that he can’t fight against it or snap out of it. (which I don’t necessarily believe, for reasons I’ll get to in a bit!!)

the extent of the god's control this arc is also really interesting to think about considering possessed amane just... watches kou whisk nene away

this panel is so haunting. who's in there? is it the well god? it would seem so, as there are no bags under amane's eyes when he comes back to himself. so then is this the well god's expression? doesn't it look... tired? it just watches them run off. maybe because it knows it still has control over kou. but that doesn't explain the fatigued expression. it's so hard to read!! somewhat sad, somewhat... curious, maybe?

which raises questions about the well god having more personality this arc. I could be forgetting smth, but i don’t think we’ve seen it say too much before this other than the deals it made with original tsukasa, but it gets to express itself a bit more this chapter!! and i think there are a lot of similarities to tsukasa that may raise concerns about the agency of original tsukasa… but i think there are differences as well!!

the laughter in response to distress and the fact that the god asks a lot of questions do admittedly feel pretty similar to tsukasa:

i have considered that the god acting independently in a way that original tsukasa acts could indicate that tsukasa's personality is the god's, but if you consider the timeline, i think it's actually the other way around!

in this timeline, it seems like tsukasa still sacrificed himself for amane, which would mean that the god still learned its speech patterns by copying tsukasa when he started talking to it under the house, which confuses their similarities right off the bat! the well god is made of tsukasa, the well god learned to articulate itself through tsukasa.

we see tsukasa acting this way in the red house, before going back, when he has the god in his chest but can have a conversation with it. this behavior is also in line with tsukasa saying "yay!" and smiling brightly when amane says he loves him, even though we know tsukasa still thought amane hated him, despite him saying he loved him.

i also think there are differences in personality between original tsukasa and the god we see here!

their philosophies and goals seem different to me. “this is happiness” and “join the land of the gods” feels very different from “I like the look on people’s faces when they stop holding back” and “if something as simple as [humans and supernaturals mixing] is enough to break the world, it should be broken”… the god seems to exert authority over a taking or transfer, with a definitive ddestination and answer, whereas tsukasa's beliefs seem more in line with a smashing of any such boundaries or authority. wondering what would happen if the clock were to be “blown to smithereens” is very tsukasa, whereas things seem to have an order in this red house ritual… there's just something very one track and surreptitious about the way the well god seems to be operating here that feels at odds with tsukasa's beliefs and methods to me.

there’s also something to be said about tsukasa’s investment in emotional honesty vs a god that takes over people and decides what their emotions are for them. "this is happiness" and "are you happy to see me?" feel very opposed to each other!! tsukasa just seems so much more genuine in the questions he asks. what about what nene wants? so? how are you feeling? are you... happy to see me? do you think amane's gonna come? do you love your mommy, kou? more than nene chan? amane, do you… love me? so many questions!! they just seem so much more open-ended and prompt so much more than the god saying "this is happiness" and deciding that for everyone.

and asking questions is a habit tsukasa had before leaving the red house, even before sacrificing himself: he asks the god if it wants rice then asks if it wants a frog; he asks amane what wish he wants granted; he wonders how amane will kill him! he's always been really curious, and we see that in original tsukasa as well: he wonders what the inside of the supernatrual fish looks like, he wonders what it would be like to make an artificial human, he wants to know if akane has gears inside him too... an endless well (pardon the pun) of curiosity!!

the god, on the other hand, seems at this point to just want to pull people into the well, and has not shown any visible interest thus far in who those people are or any details about them, or any interest in life beyond the well. it makes a blanket statement about everyone wanting happiness and decides what that means. not very curious!!

tsukasa is also very willing to answer questions, without a price! which is different from the god taking people in exchange for answers! tsukasa very openly answers kou's question about his wish in 77-78 without asking for anything in return. tsukasa also stays where amane wants him in 111 despite definitely being able to overpower him, and (in my personal reading) does his best to hear amane out about why he's stopping him. tsukasa seems much more willing to communicate and converse that this god possessing people and telling them what happiness is and leveraging information.

something i'm also having half formed thoughts about is the fact that tsukasa couldn’t grant ghost mitsuba’s wish until it was less vague, whereas the entity seems to be deciding the meaning of the vague wish for happiness. also who even wished for that. they couldn’t have all wished for that. well god, who are you talking to?? who all wished to be happy and when?? what are you referring to?? cite your sources?? (also raises the question: what conversations has this god heard and how?? but that's a little off topic rn lol)

so, i think tsukasa is much more open and doesn't seem to want authority in the way the god appears to. sure, he definitely has a bit of a streak with giving orders---to sakura, and mitsuba, and nene, to name a few---but i think he's much more receptive to freedom and the breaking of rules, whereas the god seems to have one idea of what is good and isn't interested in any outside input, nor in sharing its ideas or doing anything in conversation. he also seems to be genuinely trying to grant sakura's wish as far as i can tell!! whereas nothing has suggested the god is taking other people's wants and wishes into consideration, at least not in any genuine sort of way.

so while tsukasa and the god definitely have some similarities, i think they have enough differences to suggest they each have their own minds and personalities and agency. i'm still of the belief that original tsukasa is tsukasa!

to dig a little deeper into the what has been revealed about the well god this chapter: while i think the well god is authoritative and acts in its own self interest, i kinda can't help but feel a little sympathy for it... the way it watches kou carry nene off, the way tsukasa-kun makes deal in exchange for people spending time with him, the way the people the red house takes never leave---the god doesn't seem to do anything with them, it just seems to keep them there. doesn't this all make the well god seem lonely?

i've said before that i think original tsukasa's shifting eye colors seem to indicate more emotional and mental shifts than possession/control shifts, which could raise interesting questions about the emotional core of this god...

this may also be a piece in the puzzle explaining what made original tsukasa so special: why he was the only one who got out of the kannagi cavern, why he had the autonomy to tell the god he was going back home without asking permission… he's god's favorite!! lol and i've always wondered why!! (i mean he's my favorite too so i get it---but lore reasons lol). could tsukasa be special to the god because tsukasa chose to be with the god?

one last thought i have right now is that I also think original tsukasa’s emotional investment in hanako and nene hints at him being himself, bc I don’t see why the god would be so invested in those two specifically? if original tsukasa is wholly possessed, what reason does the god have to shower amane in so much love every time he sees him? that feels different than a learned speech pattern, and even if the god has tsukasa's memories, it doesn't seem in line with what we see of the god here to jump at amane and hug him whenever he sees him--actions like that feel very singularly motivated by tsukasa's feelings. there is, of course, the possibility that if the god took over tsukasa, he was affected by his feelings, but at that point, isn't the god more tsukasa than tsukasa is the god? if the god is possessing tsukasa but has been made to have tsukasa's personality and act on tsukasa's feelings...isn't tsukasa arguably the one in control? where does the difference lie? what tips the scales?

maybe the biggest question re: tsukasa's agency will be... how much of tsukasa is the god, and how much of the god is tsukasa? though at this point, i do still personally view it as a partnership.

anyway, i leave you with my favorite panel, which haunts me in new and exciting ways every time i think about this:

[melancholy-of-nadia]

love u lately (m) #5 | myg/knj/pjm

title: love u lately​ chapter title: #5 - home girl​ pairing: yoongi x f. reader, namjoon x f. reader, jimin x f. reader (yoonminjoon x f. reader) rating/genre: m (18+) ; smut ; college/university au , pseudo frat! bts; best friends! yoonminjoon friends to lovers; summary: after getting entangled with jimin and him revealing that he knows your secret at the halloween party, you decide coming clean to yoongi about what happened would be the best choice. however, this doesn't come without consequences, as it creates a distance between you two. when jimin comes to remedy this with a wild idea, what would happen is something you'd never expect. warnings:  halloween party ending bits, smut, cunninglingus, blowjob, alcohol/recreational drug mentions, swearing, kissing, A LOT, fingering, CONSENSUAL and PROTECTED sex, penetration, HEAVYYYYYY on the ANGST, does this count as cheating if they're not together, confessions???, good end of the chapter!, jimin being a wild card note: as always thank you to @daegudrama for editing this chapter and writing the smut as I struggled with life last month. truly appreciate all the hard work and support you give me to write this fic total word count: 10.5k drop date: December 13th, 2023, 4:00PM PST cross posted on AO3 here ← #4 | Series Masterlist | #6 →

“I knew it.”

Huh? What does he mean he ‘knew it?’ Knew what? Jimin’s response sounds coy, which is definitely not what you were expecting. A brief moment of silence and confusion passes by before you verbally react.

“Wait what?”

The ringing coming from your phone comes to an end. You guess Yoongi reached your voicemail and just hung up. You’re a little relieved, but that’s not the point. Forget the call! Forget the orgasm! What is Jimin talking about?

Jimin starts giggling, “Jungkook spilled the beans to me, actually.”

Jungkook? What? How does he know? You feel that you’re missing a big piece of information that Jimin is withholding from you and even Yoongi.

You grab Jimin’s arms, flipping him onto his back until you’re on top of him and straddling his thighs. Jimin’s eyes are agape confused by your sudden quick movements. You've always managed to over power him with your strength, which he has always admired. In a different scenario similar to that of an erotica novel, this would lead to steamy sex, however now you’re trying to get him to spill whatever he knows.

“Now tell me everything you know, Park!”

—————————————

October 13th [Sunday] — past —

 "Are you good, Jimin?"

Jimin, caught off guard while deleting pictures and Irene's contact from his phone, replied, "I'm fine. It was long overdue anyway." 

The purple lighting added an mystic ambiance to the conversation.

After Jimin broke up with Irene and she decided to leave the party, Jungkook entered the hallway where Irene had just left Jimin standing, eyes wide from witnessing their breakup. Jungkook, clearly a bit more talkative than usual due to the alcohol, casually put his arm around Jimin, concern etched in his features.

Clearly intoxicated, Jungkook's chattiness took a turn towards your direction. "So what finally got you to do it? Was it her?" He gestured towards you across the room, engaging in a lively conversation with Namjoon and Yoongi. Jimin’s gaze fixed on you in an endeared way, admiring the way you glowed and laughed while conversing with the two men. He admitted, "Maybe." Interrupting abruptly, Jungkook said, "Well, you better start making moves before it's too late, Jiminie, because—" He immediately covered his mouth, realizing he was about to spill something he shouldn't. "Because what? What are you talking about?" Jimin questioned, feeling a sudden pang of anxiety. Was there someone else already pursuing you? His mind raced, wondering if it was JB or someone else. He wouldn't let Jungkook leave without answers. The younger boy was suddenly sweating, eyes looking around for an escape to exit the scene he unintentionally created. "You better fucking spill, Jeon! I'm not letting you leave until you tell me." Jimin threatened, his voice a mix of sweetness and poison. Jimin is one of the scarier members in the house, so frankly, Jungkook was fucked if he stayed silent. The younger boy sighed, finally relenting, “Okay, fine. But will you please, please, PLEASE promise me you won’t get mad with what I’m about to tell you.” Rolling his eyes, Jimin held his pinky up, "Yes, I promise." 

Sealing the promise with a pinky swear. Of course he won’t be mad, he thinks. How bad could it even be? "Okay, well, uh, do you remember last Friday when we couldn't have game night because the majority of us had plans except for honey and Yoongi hyung?" Jimin nodded, prompting Jungkook to continue. "So, um, they went to the Gamma party." Jimin eyed him curiously. "A party? So they lied about having a game night somewhere else. Interesting, keep going."

"Okay thought the only reason I know that is because my friend Yugyeom told me! I didn't know they went together. But when I came home earlier that Friday night since I wasn't feeling well…I...uh...I heard sounds."

"Sounds? What sounds—" It took Jimin a full minute to catch on to what Jungkook was hinting at, the realization dawning on him with a mixture of shock and disbelief. Fucking. They were fucking? No way. Yoongi was the one least likely out of the three of them to ever make moves on you first. Jimin had always assumed that even someone like Jungkook would've made the first move, especially since he had a minor crush on you last year. Not in a million years would he had thought Yoongi would do it.

"Are you being serious with me right now?" Jimin leaned into Jungkook, his eyes searching for any signs of deceit.

"Yes, the fuck? Do you think I would be lying to you?!" Jungkook defended himself, his tone firm and resolute. "No, this is just so insane. But wait, are they dating or something?" Jimin cut to the chase, seeking clarification.

Jungkook sighed, "I don't think so. I think they're still friends, but I haven't heard them do it since that time. So I don't know if it's anything more serious or just a one-night thing."

"Interesting."

"So you're not mad?"

"Nope. If they're still friends and maybe doing that on the side, I still have a chance."

"Jimin." Jungkook looked at his close friend, appalled that he would even say that.

Jimin continued to blabber out his thoughts, "I wouldn’t even mind if we’re both taking turns fucking her if he was done. Hell, maybe get Namjoon in on this too if he wants."

"JIMIN."

"Oh, sorry." Jimin paused as Jungkook cut him off, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. The alcohol had also exposed his inner desires, which wasn't entirely surprising. The house knew Jimin was adventurous in the sheets, but Jungkook hearing and know all these details made him rethink the life decisions that had led him to this peculiar group of people.

 "But it seems they're being lowkey about it, so please," Jungkook implored, grabbing Jimin's shoulders and towering over him. "For the love of God, don't tell anyone you know what I just told you."

"I won't! Lips are sealed!" Jimin grinned, miming the action of zipping his lips and locking them with an invisible key.

 Jungkook sighed, looking down at the older boy. He knew Jimin was a wild card, and the revelation of your situation with Yoongi could indeed flip the whole house upside down. He hoped Jimin would exercise discretion and make wise decisions with the new info he had been given, in a rather seductive manner, threatened to spill.

———————————

"Holy fuck..." you mumble curses under your breath as Jimin explains his story from weeks prior.

 He ends it by explaining his decision to find you soon after to start planting ideas in your head, like that birthday kiss wish. He admits to acting like nothing happened afterward, just to see you stressed out, fully aware of how well he knew you.

You couldn't help but berate yourself for not checking everyone's location the night you got home from the party and fucked Yoongi. While you weren't exactly in you right mind, you were still rational enough to want what you did with him. Yet, you seemed to have missed the fact that Jungkook had entered the house while the deed was taking place. Maybe you’ll need to treat him to some bubble tea as an apology.

"I have a lot of questions to ask you, but one I should ask right now is, are you two dating?" He inquires, a mix of concern and curiosity in his voice.

You know the answer to this question is an obvious ‘no’, yet for some reason, a part of you wishes it wasn't. Before you can overthink it, you answer, "Nope. We're just...you could say, best friends with benefits?"

"And it's nothing serious?" Jimin inquires further.

"Well…no. We’re just…fucking each other?" Jimin looks at you waiting for you to continue with the new info drop you’re giving him. “It’s a long story…” 

You really don’t want to get into the nitty gritty details about this right now. It would take all night and you know Jimin would jokingly call you an idiot for crafting up such an interesting friends-with-benefits deal with Yoongi just because you didn’t like that he and Namjoon were distancing themselves due to their relationships. Even thinking about that now, you’re not sure why you were so incredibly eager to do that.

"Good,” He answers right away, catching you off guard. “So I don't have to feel bad for doing this to hyung." He says with a mischievous glint in his eyes. Confused, you look at Jimin until he playfully flips you back onto the bed, kissing up your neck. This back-and-forth banter reminds you of the playful wrestling you two engaged in as middle schoolers, only now the context is entirely different.

With gentle but firm hands, he takes hold of each of your wrists and presses them against your sides, keeping you in place. Before you can fully understand what’s going on, Jimin leans down and ducks his head under your skirt. His warm breath sends shivers down your spine as he wastes no time in flicking his skilled tongue against your already sensitive clit. You squirm against his grip on your wrists, desperately wanting to move your dress up to get a better view of him pleasuring you. The anticipation and desire building inside you is almost unbearable as he continues to expertly bring you closer to ecstasy with every flick of his tongue.

“Do you want me to stop?” He breathes out sending another shiver of pleasure up your spine. 

“Don’t you dare, Park!” You reply in a haste, breaking your wrists free of his grasp.

With a light force, you push his head down, feeling giddiness within you as he eagerly obliges, his tongue zigzagging through your slick folds. His hands run up and down your thighs adding to the array of sensations coursing through your body. Your head falls back while your back arches in response to the one finger he uses to circle your entrance. 

But as Jimin continues to suck, lick, and kiss your wet pussy with expert precision, you suddenly become aware of how uncomfortable your once cute angel wings are in this situation. Frustrated by their presence, you sit up just enough to rid yourself of the accessory, determined to fully enjoy the pleasure that Jimin is bringing you. His tongue works wonders on your sensitive skin, earning breathy moans from your lips. It's almost as if you can feel him smirking against you, his teasing movements only adding to the intense sensations enchanting you.

Jimin's hand slides under your ass, gripping and squeezing before he emerges from under your skirt. He wipes his mouth on the back of his hand with a sly grin, your own heart fluttering in response. As he sits back on his feet, you reach for the button on his pants, eager to feel him against you. Your breath hitches as you trace the outline of his cock through his pants, drool pooling in your mouth at the thought of tasting him. In your drunken state, it takes you longer than usual to unbutton his pants and push down his boxers.

Finally free, Jimin's cock springs up, throbbing and ready for you to please him. You wrap your fingers around him, stroking lightly as you watch his reaction. His lips part as he sucks in a sharp breath of air, his eyes never leaving your face. Without hesitation, you dip your head and take his tip into your mouth.

“Are you sure you want to—” Jimin begins cutting himself off when your tongue begins swirling around his tip before sinking further, taking more of his length into your mouth. You’re definitely more than sure, you think.

With cheeks caving in and a steady rhythm, you expertly slide his dick in and out of your mouth, eliciting a song of pleasure from Jimin's pretty lips. Just when he's getting close to the edge, you pop your mouth off with a teasing grin, drawing a desperate whine from Jimin's mouth.

As much of a tease as he is, you would think he could handle some himself. With a devilish smirk, he guides you onto your back again before standing to remove his pants. As he grinds his naked cock against your slick folds, every cell in your body screams for him to just fuck into you already. 

“Jimin, please!” You whimper, taking his cock in your hand and stroking.

“What do you want, Y/N?” He asks smirking like he knows you might be hesitant to ask for what you want. 

“You.” 

With that he stands searching for a condom in his pants before muttering curses. Jimin turns to Matthew’s bedside table, opening the top drawer first and finding what he was looking for. Also some things he wasn’t looking for. He holds up a whip thinking he is learning so much about his friend that he doesn’t want to know.

“Next time.” Jimin says with a wink and you can feel your face flushing despite the situation. This is definitely a premonition for something to come and you don’t know whether to be excited or scared.

With a swift motion, Jimin tears open the condom packaging using his teeth and expertly rolls it onto himself. He positions himself between your legs and lines up with your entrance, pushing in slowly and groaning at the ease of his entry.

And once he finally enters, it feels like pure ecstasy.

A curse tumbles from your lips as he reaches the hilt and holds himself there for a moment, savoring the tightness.

Unable to resist any longer, he leans over and captures your lips in a heated kiss as his hips begin to rock back and forth. The pace is anything but gentle, as if he's releasing all the pent-up sexual tension and frustration that has built up over the years. Jimin breaks away from the kiss, leaning back to thrust into you with even more force. Your body arches off the bed in response, and you can't help the moans and cries that escape your mouth.

"Do you want everyone to hear you?" His voice is laced with pleasure and teasing as his fingers dig into your hips, urging you closer to him.

“Oh, is that what you’re into?” You indulge him with your words, biting your lip in pleasure.

“Let’s talk about that another time.” Jimin laughs before he leans down to capture your lips again, his tongue pushing through and tasting all of you. His hips continue to thrust into you and the friction mixed with his tongue and warm breath is almost too much for you to take. 

He thrusts into you with a fierce force, causing your whole body to jolt and your nails to dig into the sheets. Jimin flips you onto your stomach and kneads your ass with strong, experienced hands. You let out a small whimper as he positions himself on his hands and knees behind you.

Without warning, two of his fingers slip inside of you, stretching you in a way that makes you press your face into the soft mattress beneath you. For several seconds, Jimin drills his fingers in and out of you, making you moan in pleasure before you quickly cover your lips.

Just when you think you can't take it anymore, Jimin pulls his fingers out and pushes his cock back inside of you with one swift motion. His length is hitting new angles in this position, rebuilding the pleasure that was torn away from you earlier. 

Jimin's hand comes down hard on your ass, giving a satisfying slap, before he lets you take charge. After a few moments of adjusting, you find a rhythm that elicits intoxicating sounds from deep within his throat. You are completely lost in the overwhelming pleasure when suddenly, a faint crackle fills the air behind you followed by the unmistakable scent of peach.

Curiosity getting the best of you, you shift your gaze over your shoulder to see Jimin taking a hit from a familiar vape pen – one that you've seen in Matthew's hands many times before. All movement halts as confusion washes over your face before quickly being replaced by desire once again when Jimin resumes thrusting his cock into you lazily as if it’s an afterthought. 

“Jimin! Are you seriously vaping right now? And using Matthew’s pen!?” Your eyes widen as you watch him take another hit from the small device. He’s so unserious at a time like this, but it’s somehow attractive. He’s so hot.

Jimin exhales a thick cloud of smoke and then tosses the vape onto the other side of the mattress with a mischievous glint in his eye. He snickers while glancing at you and your amused expression. His strong hands grip your hips tightly as he thrusts deep inside of you, sending shivers down your spine.

And just when you think things couldn't get any more wild, Jimin blows out a stream of smoke and shapes it into a playful heart with his fingers, making you burst into giggles.

 "Don't worry about it, angel." he says with a innocent grin before diving back to fucking you deep in Matthew’s mattress. This man is really hustling you with the same nickname Yoongi gave you… fuck.

He picks up the pace pounding into you, filling the air with the sound of your pleasure and skin slapping together. Heat is pooling in your stomach bringing you back to the brink of orgasm. 

With a low growl, Jimin pulls away pulling you up to kiss your lips hungrily. He guides you onto your back and pulls your legs onto his shoulders. Heat and electricity surge through you as he effortlessly moves your legs onto his shoulders, positioning himself between them.

Jimin’s dick slides in easily and perfectly into the warm embrace of your body.  The sensation is overwhelming as he rubs his thumb expertly over your clit, setting fire to every nerve ending in your body. You bite down hard on your lip to stifle the moan that threatens to escape.

Jimin's head falls back, lips parted in pleasure as he rides the waves of ecstasy building within him. Your best friend looks like a dream, with sweat glistening on his skin and his brows furrowed in concentration. And all of this pleasure is because of you.

His brow scrunches together when you clench your pussy around him, and it only fuels his desire further. He runs his finger quickly over your clit without resistance, thanks to the soaked state he’s left you in. His actions soon send you tumbling over the edge into pure blissful orgasm. Your toes curl and your legs shake as Jimin carefully removes them from his shoulders, leaving a soft kiss on the side of your leg.

As he pulls out and removes the condom, you watch curiously as he jerks himself off with one hand while looking at you lying completely spent and disheveled before him. It doesn't take long for hot ribbons of cum to spill from him and land on your legs, creating an erotic mess.

But the mood quickly shifts as Jimin loses his balance and falls onto the wet spot, making a mess of the sheets. You grab his hand and pull him upright, both of you bursting into a fit of giggles at the ridiculousness of the moment you two are in.

Surveying your wet patch on the sheets mixed with Jimin's own release, you can't help but laugh even harder. In this moment, there is no one else in the world but the two of you, lost in each other's company and overcome with pure joy. 

"Fuck, we made a mess of Matthew's sheets," Jimin exclaims, looking down with panic.

"Huh? Oh shit!" You quickly get up, hastily fixing your outfit before darting into the closet, searching for extra clean sheets. Oh he’s going to be so pissed his marketing class team members just fucked on his bed.

Your eyes light up as you find your solution on the top shelf. "Jimin, please help me take off those sheets and put them in a basket or something! I need to put these clean ones on, and...how are we going to sneak them into the washing machine so he doesn't see or smell them!" 

Panic takes over your tone, and Jimin finds amusement in your flustered state.

The two of you hurriedly set about cleaning up the evidence of your sex session, trying to maintain a semblance of order in Matthew's room. As you wrestle with the sheets, Jimin can’t help but chuckle at the comical situation unfolding before him. "I'll take care of the rest, darling," Jimin assures, placing his hand on your bare shoulder. "The majority of this house is drunk or stoned, so a guy carrying a bunch of sheets downstairs into the laundry room isn't going to spark obvious suspicion." He chuckles, in a way that sounds like what you imagine an actual angel to laugh like. "You should get your stuff and go back out to your friends. Tell me all the details about your thing with hyung tomorrow.” He pauses a bit before continuing “Talk to hyung too..something tells me that his sixth sense is aware."

Your tense shoulders deflate in slight relief, until they tense up once again at the thought of talking to Yoongi about this. You nod at Jimin, "Okay, I trust you'll do some 'Jimin Magic' and fix this, so I'm going now. I'll talk to Yoongs too, so, see you at home?"

"See you at home, love."

The endearing nickname, the same one Yoongi gave you, somehow gives off a different vibe when Jimin uses it. You can’t pinpoint why and decide not to dwell on it right now. Exiting the room, you head downstairs, pulling out your phone to type a message to Yoongi.

You [12:58 PM]: Sorry I couldn’t answer your call Yoongs.You [12:58 PM]: When you come back, can we talk?

+++++++++++++++++++++

November 5th [Monday]

Yoongi arrives at the airport early that morning, greeted by the sight of you waiting by the curb with Jimin's car with the trunk open. He smiles as he places his luggage in the trunk, appreciating the effort you made to pick him up. After a brief moment of pleading, you convince Yoongi to take the driver's seat since you are hesitant about driving Jimin's fancy car. Without much resistance, he agrees, and you settle into the passenger seat.

"So where to, princess?" Yoongi teases, catching you off guard with the nickname.

"Princess?!" You sputter, cheeks reddening. "You’re clearly the passenger princess here," He says, gesturing to your seat and chuckling.

"D-Damn, you just got back, and you already got me good, Min." You laugh, using your hands to cover your flushed cheeks. "Anyways, I was thinking of going to the breakfast place on Main Street." 

You take your phone, perched on the dashboard, to navigate Yoongi on the road.

"Is this also where we're going to discuss what you wanted to talk about?"

You take a moment before responding, "Yeah, there was something we may have overlooked in our rules while I was too busy sealing the deal by giving you a blowjob." You shyly admit, your gaze focusing on the road as he starts to drive.

"I think I know what you mean." Yoongi chuckles, using his right hand to pat your head, reassuring you about the upcoming conversation. 

The two of you change the topic for the time being, deciding to wait until you are at the restaurant to delve into the important discussion. The anticipation lingers in the air, adding a layer of tension to the otherwise casual breakfast outing. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

It would be a lie to say that you’re not nervous to be having this conversation with Yoongi. It’s odd. You’ve never been this nervous about talking to him. It’s always been easy to approach Yoongi when it comes to difficult topics compared to your other besties. He always takes a more logic or reason-based approach rather than letting his feelings consume him. He’s the Yin to your Yang. When you tend to let your feelings get the best of you, he always comes to ground you with reason. Come on, Y/N. It’s a simple conversation. He’ll understand, right? Nothing can go wrong.

"So, we need to establish a new boundary in our agreement…" You finally let yourself begin, taking a bite of your blueberry pancakes.

"And the reason behind this is because..." Yoongi prompts after swallowing a piece of his bacon and spinach omelet that just arrived at the table.

Sitting on the restaurant's patio, shielded from the sun by a patio umbrella and surrounded by a variety of plants, you and Yoongi engage in a conversation. Despite it being November, it is comfortable enough to eat outdoors. You prefer the open space to avoid the risk of eavesdroppers inside the restaurant.

You fiddle around with your pancake, breaking the silence with, "Okay, you remember our talk about communication and our friends-with-benefits arrangement..."

Yoongi nods, signaling for you to continue with your confession. A momentary hesitation lingers, aware that Yoongi values straightforwardness without any sugar coating. This isn’t just about the communication rule; it is a characteristic of how he deals with everyone, especially you.

You sigh, making a deliberate effort to meet his gaze, conveying the sincerity of your words. "Well, I may have done something last week on Halloween...consensually, of course." Your eyes briefly wander, finding solace in a purple flower still blooming despite the season.

“You had sex with someone else?” “Yeah…” You continue, words carefully releasing from your lips from the anxiety. “I had debated that whole night before this encounter whether getting involved in this would break our agreement, but then I realized we never even discussed exclusivity.” You turn your gaze back to Yoongi, noting the firm expression on his face. However, his eyes betray a different story—they looked slightly glassy and sad. Despite this, he remains silent, leaving his thoughts unreadable. You hesitate to delve into what he might be feeling, fearing the unknown and the potential overthinking it could trigger.

Why did the weight of this situation suddenly hit you so hard? You aren’t in a relationship with Yoongi, yet it feels like cheating on him. In the past few days, you actively avoided confronting these conflicting emotions, aiming to shield yourself from the potential consequences. If you did, you probably would’ve tried to hide it in fear of the possibility of hurting him until you couldn't hide it anymore. But deep down, you know that wouldn't have lasted long; hiding anything from him is an impossible feat when he knows you so well.

"Would you mind if I asked who it was?" Yoongi inquires firmly. "You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." His eyes look into yours reassuringly.

Although you're not obligated to share, you feel it is only fair to Yoongi that you reveal the truth. Keeping it from him would likely make you feel even worse. You are aware that Jimin, to some extent, also feels a level of remorse for this shared encounter, despite his enjoyment in the moment.

"It was Jimin." You reply in a similar tone, keeping your gaze fixed on Yoongi. A brief silence settles over the small space that contains you and Yoongi, feeling like it lasts a century. You decide to add on, “Jimin also found out about us, from Jungkook, actually.”

Yoongi’s eyes flickered in confusion at the added revelation. A thousand more questions popped onto his mind. Did he tell more people? But he figured Jungkook was smart enough to not blabber about this to anyone unless he was be forced it cough it up, by none other than Jimin. And it didn’t seem like anyone else knew, yet at least. 

Finally, he sighs lowly, shifting his gaze down to his remaining food while rubbing his left temple. "Okay. Well shit, that was an oversight in our deal. I admit it."

Yoongi has pondered the possibility before, but he hasn't considered it a significant issue. Especially given his more prominent concern over JB, rather than Jimin, who was with Irene up until a few weeks ago. Namjoon is another factor that lingers in his thoughts since you ran after him when he and Jihyo broke up, but he seems to maintain a distance from anything too intimate with you. At least, from what he’s seen.

Jimin must’ve questioned you and made you realize on that oversight in the deal. Leading to what happened. Thought he isn’t sure.

Yoongi looks back at you and offers a smile, a gummy grin that makes you feel undeserving in this moment. "I don't know what you and Jimin did that led to that point, but don't feel bad. You did just as we agreed after all."

"No, I should've told you either way before that happened."

Yoongi internally wants to scoff. What could he have said if you had texted him about planning to hook up with Jimin that night he wasn't there? ‘Have fun? Let me know how it goes?’ The truth is, he’s in love with you. He wouldn’t be able to say that shit without it eating away at him. He cares about you and Jimin so much, and the thought of receiving a text from one of his best friends, that he’s in love with, saying they are going to fuck another one of his best friends, who he also cares about a lot, feels like a very fucking hard pill to swallow

Opting for a chuckle instead, he replies, "Yeah, but I'd rather not know about that." His attempt at lightening the mood is a feeble defense against the complex emotions swirling within him.

You look at him puzzled, uncertainty clouding your expression. Fuck, were you not supposed to say that? Did you fuck up that bad? Your mind raced with doubts; you thought communication should’ve been key.

"I'm so sorry, Yoongi." You apologize, the tightness in your chest growing as you witness his altered demeanor.

"It's fine." He responds in a feeble voice. Despite his words, you can’t shake the feeling that things aren’t as okay as he claims. The remainder of breakfast unfolds in silence. Soon after, Yoongi signals the waiter for the bill, pays it, and both of you make your way back to the car, driving home in a heavy atmosphere.

You offer to help Yoongi with his luggage when you open the trunk, but he signals with his hands that he has it covered. Walking inside together, a quiet heaviness lingers in the air. Before entering his room, Yoongi turns to address you one last time that day.

"Y/N, I'm going to need some time," He states, his words carrying a weight that mirrors the unresolved tension between you.

You sigh quietly, "I understand."

As he enters the room, the door closes with a deliberate yet not overly loud slam. It resonates enough to signify that he needs this space to process the revelations and emotions stirred by the day's unfolding events. Left standing in the hallway, you can’t help but wonder how this will impact the dynamics of your relationships with both Yoongi and Jimin in the days to come.

Back in your room, you throw yourself onto your bed, burying your face in the pillow in frustration. The weight of the situation presses down on you. You don’t know how long it will take for Yoongi to process. You’ve never really fought with Yoongi before compared to Jimin and Namjoon. Any disagreement you’ve had with Yoongi was very minor, like firmly saying strawberries are better than tangerines. Even during times when you’ve upset each other before, you two would quickly resolve things, whether it was through a heart-to-heart talk or food. Food is always the friendly option in a ceasefire between you all.

But this situation is entirely new and different, when will that happen…if it does?

You wouldn’t blame him if he decides it's best to end this agreement with him once and for all. Would you even want it to end? 

You’re not sure if that’s what you want him to do.

++++++++++++++

In the evening, you meet up with your marketing class team in the library to continue working on your group project. Jin has a Kappa Psi Pi board meeting, and Matthew has an intramural basketball match, leaving you, Hwasa, and Jimin to tackle the remaining tasks for the night. After completing the slide deck, Hwasa, with a midterm to study for, finishes her part of the work and heads back to her dorm.

Now, it's just you and Jimin in this small study room, working on the paper portion of the assignment.

Jimin has been sensing that something isn’t right since you entered the room earlier. He knows you were supposed to be talking to Yoongi today about the events at the Halloween party. By the looks of it, he doesn’t think the talk went well. He decides to ask you about it.

"So, how did the talk with Yoongi hyung go?" Jimin inquires, his eyes reflecting genuine concern for your well-being. Despite your attempts to stay strong throughout the day, Jimin's question finally shatters your exterior. Tears stream down your face as sobs escape uncontrollably. The intensity of your emotions surprises you, and you struggle to pinpoint the exact reason behind this overwhelming surge of despair. After all, it was your choice to have sex with Jimin that night; there was no commitment or exclusivity with Yoongi to tie you down to him. You’re not dating each other. Yet, witnessing his saddened and upset expression has an inexplicable impact on your heart, leaving you burdened with an empty pit filled with guilt. What kind of friend are you, using him for sex and moving on to the next when he’s not around? You didn’t even have the audacity to at least tell him beforehand.

“Hey, hey,” Jimin gets up from his seat soon after the first tears fall and wraps you in a tight hug that cradles your head in his hands. “You know you can talk to me, right? About anything.” he reassures you, giving you a smile of encouragement as you nod, trying to control your sobs.

You pull away from him, taking a long breath, you open your mouth and finally speak again. “H-He said he wants to take some time away from me…I think he actually hates me…” You continue to sob.

 It feels dumb somehow to be crying when you were the one who let everything happen with Jimin. It also feels dumb that you pushed this friends-with-benefits idea to Yoongi, only to be the one to hurt him as you failed to make rules that wouldn’t have you questioning them.

”Oh honey,” Jimin pulls you into another hug again.  “Yoongi can’t stay mad at you forever. He’s literally like your soulmate. You guys are so alike, and I know he feels heartbroken to do this too. I feel like he’ll come around soon.” The doubt lingers in your voice as you question through sobs, "You really believe that?"

"Of course I do!" Jimin pulls away, gazing directly into your eyes with sincerity. He wipes your tears away with the sleeves of his purple hoodie. His words act as a reassuring remedy for your overwhelmed mind. Maybe he's right; Yoongi will come around. You're just overthinking everything, scared because you've never faced this kind of thing before. But looking back at your past, you managed to overcome obstacles and reach resolutions, right?

Your mind drifts to your past relationship with Yeonjun, the one time you weren't able to do that. 

You don't want to end up in the same situation, growing strained from your best friend.

With a heavy heart, you and Jimin manage to compose yourselves and finish up some of the remaining parts of the project that night in the small study room. The weight of everything lingers in the air, and as you both head home, your thoughts continue to bother you. The uncertainty of when you and Yoongi will be able to speak to each other again weighs heavily on your mind, leaving you in a state of contemplation and anticipation.

++++++++++++++ November 16th [Friday]

The lingering tension between you and Yoongi seems to magnify with each passing day. The unspoken unease hangs in the air. As the days progress, a noticeable distance grows between you and Yoongi, creating an emotional chasm that neither of you seems eager to bridge.

Yoongi usually wakes up early before you and makes breakfast before you two head off to campus to go wherever you need to go. However, after Monday, he wakes up early, eats and leaves campus without you. Even in the evenings, when he comes home from classes or work, he barely mutters a single greeting before he scurries to his room. Luckily, because everyone has been busy with studying for midterms, no one questions his change in behavior.

However, the lack of any effort of communication from Min Yoongi starts to raise concern from Jimin.

He knows how Yoongi is like a soulmate to you, and reassures you that he can’t be upset for too long. But now it’s Friday evening, 11 days since you last genuinely talked to Yoongi. Too long. Jimin feels like he needs to get more involved since you getting into this mess was very much his fault. He cares about Yoongi, and while he too, loves you, this wasn’t fair of him to do.

There’s also the friends-with-benefits deal that you and Yoongi have. He still has many questions about how and why it even happened, which you have yet to really answer. The one thing he’s sure about is that he senses that neither of you want to end it despite this strain he caused. 

There's also a part of him feeling bitter at the thought of just continuing his life knowing his best friends are sleeping with each other until God knows when. Will this eventually lead you guys to date and eventually marry each other? Is this how Jimin will lose the girl he’s been interested in for years? He trusts Yoongi with his and your life as well, but he doesn’t like the thought of just letting Yoongi end up with you. What if there was a solution that could satisfy everyone in this situation? Jimin, being the wild card he is, comes up with an idea.

Determine to address this conflict, he approaches Yoongi's room and knocks on the door. "Hyung, can you come out?"

Evening falls, and the house that has been a hub of laughter and camaraderie now echoing with a quiet solemnity.  Yoongi and Jimin are the only ones home at this time, which is perfect timing for the confrontation. You, Hoseok and Namjoon are gone on a Trader Joe’s run to get more groceries for the house. Jin, Jungkook, and Taehyung are gone to compete for the university’s first esports tournament.

Jimin is a bit worried that Yoongi will be stubborn and refuse to open the door. If that happens, he plans to stand outside his window making noise until he decides to open it. Luckily for him, he doesn’t have to do that. Yoongi opens the door slightly ajar and looks at the younger man.

"We need to talk." Jimin asserts with a serious tone.

"About?" Yoongi yawns, feigning ignorance as to why Jimin is here. Though, a couple of theories swirl in his mind.

"You know what about!"

Yoongi lets out a groan, opening the door wider and gesturing for Jimin to enter. The room is cast in partial darkness, the ambient glow of LED strip lights on the ceiling and the illumination from Yoongi's laptop the only sources of light. Jimin settles on Jin's bed, positioned across from Yoongi's, as the air becomes charged with the weight of an impending conversation.

"Say what you gotta say, Jimin. I'm not really in the mood to talk." Yoongi responds, his tone carrying a coldness that sets the stage for a tense conversation. He takes a seat on his own bed, exuding an air of detachment.

“Asshole,” Jimin mutters under his breath, biting back the urge to argue. He knows any confrontation might result in an immediate dismissal from the room, cutting off any chance of dialogue. Instead, he pushes ahead with the purpose of his visit.

"Let's both be Y/N’s friends with benefits."

Yoongi's eyes widen, a mix of surprise and disbelief crossing his face. The proposal catches him off guard, leaving him momentarily speechless. Out of all the things he was expecting, this was not one of them at all. Did he really hear that right? "Huh? What did you just—"

"You heard me, Yoongi. Let's both fuck Y/N for a period of time, and then make her pick between us."

Yoongi scoffs at the proposition, disbelief etched across his face. Jimin must have lost his mind, he thinks. The competitive antics of their high school days, especially the virginity race, was one thing, but this suggestion takes the cake for ‘insane shit Park Jimin wants to do’. Words fail him momentarily.

"Whoa. Out of all the shit I thought I'd be hearing you out on, this was not one of them."

"What's so crazy about the idea? You're in love with her, aren't you?" Jimin points out.

Yoongi's eyes widen even further, blinking rapidly, and a flush of bright red colors his cheeks as if he were intoxicated. Love. He recalls the way you’d smile at him with those soft pink lips and sparkling eyes whenever you were intrigued with some of the random bullshit fun facts he’d talk to you about. He loves that about you. When he was 11 years old and fixated on marine biology for a period of time, he would talk to you about unique kinds of fish in the vast ocean and you would respond with further questions out of curiosity. For the first time in his life, he felt like someone was genuinely interested in spending time with him and hearing him out on whatever nonsense he wanted to share. Later on, he started making music because of you. You were the one who went to one of his piano recitals and suggested that he should make his own music. "Yoongi, you really do have so much talent and potential. Wouldn't it be cool if you made your own music and shared that with the world instead of playing pieces that already exist?" you once told him. This advice led him to study music production as a major, with a minor in psychology, driven by the desire to use music as a means of healing—a realization you inspired.

However, was his crush on you over the years that obvious to Jimin? What does that say about everyone else? Do they know? Do you even know how much he is in love with you?

Recalling that Friday night a month ago, he remembers confessing that he had wanted to touch you for so long. Does that revelation linger in your memory, or are you still oblivious to the emotions he has harbored over the years? Now, Yoongi finds himself questioning the sudden proposal of a fuck buddies arrangement and its purpose. Was it merely a distraction from the others, or does it signify something more?

"I am," Yoongi admits to Jimin, prompting a brief silence before he adds, "And what are you trying to say?" "Have you told her?" Jimin presses on.

Reluctantly, Yoongi admits, "No."

"Because you don't want to ruin the friendship we have, right?"

"Exactly."

"Then we're both in the same boat! I like her too, and I haven't told her yet." Yoongi scoffs at Jimin's words, leaving the younger man puzzled. He has been more concerned about Namjoon being the one to potentially sway you away, not Jimin. Until a few weeks ago, Jimin really had seemed committed to his relationship with Irene—a rare occurrence. Jimin usually hops in and out of relationships, so this revelation sounds a bit unbelievable to Yoongi.

Yoongi sneers at Jimin's revelation, disbelief etched in his voice. "You like her too? The guy with the largest body count in this house since high school?"

Jimin responds with a seriousness that belies his usual carefree demeanor. "What's so hard to believe? I've liked her since we were in the last year of middle school together. I was just...scared. So I coped in other ways to move on, but it never worked."

"Scared of telling her and changing our friendship? Welcome to the club." Yoongi sarcastically chuckles, narrowing his eyes at Jimin.

Jimin groans in frustration. "I know you, Namjoon, and I had an unspoken agreement in high school that we wouldn't get involved with her like that, but I think that's out of the window since you two decided to fuck behind our backs. I'm not okay with letting that happen because I like her too. So why don't we become her fuck buddies, and then she picks which one of us she wants to be with?"

"This is fucking ridiculous," Yoongi facepalms at the idea Jimin is proposing. He leans back against the headboard, his expression a mix of disbelief and exasperation. "We don't even know if she loves us in a romantic sense or if she'd be down to do something like that."

Jimin, undeterred, leans forward, his eyes searching Yoongi's for any sign of agreement. "Then how did you make it happen, huh?" He raises an eyebrow, a challenge in his tone. Yoongi, once again, isn't really sure how to answer the question. He takes a deep breath before he spills his own point of view of the situation from weeks ago.

"She was upset because of you and Namjoon being assholes, so I kissed her to distract her from those thoughts, and she kissed me back. Then we just came home and fucked. Then a few days later, she just came up to me while I was TA-ing, saying that she wanted to be fuck buddies. And me, being fully in love with her, agreed. I didn't question her motives nor did I want to."

"I'm guessing you hoped she would eventually start to fall for you through that experience." Jimin comments, a speculative tone in his voice. Yoongi sighs, but nods in agreement. Jimin. finally understanding the sequence of events that led to the being friends with benefits. Though, he wonders about your feelings. Why else would you want to do that with Yoongi?  The same question lingers in his own mind regarding his own actions on Halloween. There has to be underlying feelings that pushed both of you to take such risks. Feelings still left untold by you.

After a bit of contemplation from Yoongi, he finally breaks the silence. ”Mm, I wouldn’t be opposed to your idea, Jimin.” Jimin beams at Yoongi’s words as he continues. "Maybe through this, we could get a definite answer about who she'd rather be with. Then we can finally be free and move on from the feelings we have for her and find other people." Yoongi feels a bit liberated by saying his thoughts. As much as he'd love to keep this up forever, he wants to truly shower you with his uttermost love and affection instead of being bound to the restrictions of this friends with benefits situation. He knows it would hurt both of you in the long run due to uncertainty of your futures. 

"Exactly! So please don't be mad at Honey or me anymore for what happened. I know nothing we do will be able to turn back time to whenever you made your arrangement, but this new agreement will provide more clarity for all of us." Jimin explains, seeking understanding from Yoongi.

"I hate to agree to this, but fine. Let’s try this," Yoongi nods in agreement. "We should talk to her in her room when she gets back."

"Really?!" Jimin's response carries a hint of excitement, slightly more than he intended, prompting a chuckle from Yoongi. "Sounds good." he adds, signaling a tentative step toward resolving their intertwined feelings.

+++++++++++++

You just got home from buying groceries with Namjoon and Hoseok. While you hoped that leaving campus for a bit would take your mind off of Yoongi, it doesn’t prove to be as effective as you want. It’s been days and you don’t really know what to do except wait. Though it’s not easy because in no way are you a patient person. If you didn’t have Jimin or Hwasa to talk to about your struggle, you would’ve been having an agonizing time. Hwasa advised you earlier to do what you felt was best, but you didn’t know what that could be. You care a lot about Yoongi, and seeing him hurt makes you realize you never want to see him in that position again. Is it the best idea to end this arrangement? You don’t really want to do that, and that makes you question things further. Do you actually love him beyond the scope of friends?

As more questions continue to plague your mind, you decide to go up to your room to change into your pajamas after helping unload groceries. 

What you don’t expect to find once you close your door and turn on the lights are Yoongi and Jimin sitting on your bed with their arms crossed.

"Holy fucking shit?!" The exclamation bursts from you in fear, but before you can utter any more words, Jimin hastily shushes you.

"Please shut up before you make the other two downstairs suspicious!" Jimin insists with an aggressive whisper. As he utters those words, Namjoon's voice drifts from downstairs, inquiring if something is wrong.

”Uh, nothing wrong! Just…killed a spider!” You open the door and shout back to him, receiving a nonchalant 'okay' before closing and locking your door this time.

"Okay, what the fuck is going on?" You whisper, eyeing both men with suspicion, unsettled by their secretive behavior.

"Well, the good news is that Yoongi's not mad at us, right, hyung?" Jimin nudges the older man gently in the side, and Yoongi nods while looking at you.

Your shoulders slump in relief upon hearing and seeing that Yoongi's doing better. "O-Okay, that's great. But I'm assuming there's gotta be something else to this, isn't there?"

Yoongi and Jimin both gesture for you to come sit on the bed so they can speak to you closer and avoid being too loud for anyone else in the house to hear. Yoongi clears his throat. "What I'm about to say might sound crazy, but Jimin proposed this idea that he wants us both to be your fuck buddies."

Similar to Yoongi’s reaction when Jimin spoke to him earlier, your eyes bulge out in shock over his bluntness. Did he really just say that him and Jimin both want to be your fuck buddies. Huh?! What even led them to reach this conclusion and propose this idea to you? While the idea sounds crazy, yet enticing, it definitely sounds too good to be true. They can’t be serious, can they?! What the fuck.

”Hahahahaha!” You find yourself suddenly giggling manically with hints of nervousness laced to your laughs, but then you remember you have to keep quiet so you cover your mouth. They stare at you with confused expressions on their faces. “You guys are joking right? Is this a test of my loyalty or what? I’m trying to understand the motives behind this.”

”We…” Jimin slowly voices out, with hints of hesitation and fear. “We have feelings for you, Y/N.” 

Huh…

Your heart instantly drops to your ass as he finishes his sentence. You stop laughing suddenly and look at them anxiously.

Did Jimin really just say that they both have feelings for you? No way. This new revelation just adds onto the previous questions you had within the last month. You remember when Hwasa said that Yoongi seemed obviously in love with you last year, but you brushed it off by saying he’s being kind to you because you’re his best friend. Maybe she was really cooking with that theory, you think. On the otherhand, Jimin breaking up with Irene, coming to find you right after and kissing you? Could they really think of you beyond being their best friend? Or is this just because we’re horny college students mistaking an orgasm high for something else…

"What...feelings for me? When? How?"

You've been evading the questions Yoongi posed to you on that October night at the GOT party. The notion of being in love with your best friends feels forbidden, but you fear you can't escape those thoughts any longer as you’re being presented with this deal.

"We talked, and we thought this would be a good way to figure out whatever feelings we’ve been struggling with, while also… enjoying ourselves?" Jimin's voice is hesitant as he struggles to articulate this in the most convincing way possible. He's a business student and can't pitch this idea, he screams internally. Well, to be honest, he never thought he'd ever have to pitch this to anyone.

Yoongi cuts in before Jimin could say something else, "I thought he was insane too, not gonna lie. Even hesitated smacking him—"

"Hey!" Jimin uses his elbow this time to smack him in the side, making Yoongi wince.

"But he had good points. And also, you've been clearly trying to figure out your feelings since I asked you how you felt about us that one night. Maybe this will help you figure out some of those answers." Yoongi hits the nail with those words, sparking an epiphany within you. As crazy as the idea sounds, maybe this really could help resolve your dilemma. Oh god, you're really about to agree to this.

There's a bit of silence as you glance at both of them. You still have a lot of questions about their alleged feelings for you, but you go ahead and respond, "I-I'm down for the idea."

"You are?!" Both men say in unison, each with a different tone.

"Yeah, but we just really have to set better boundaries this time so we don't end up in another fight. Please." You look at them with pleading eyes, hoping to avoid another conflict with them. They exchange glances and nod in agreement.

Yoongi clears his throat, breaking the momentary silence. "Alright then, let's establish some to make sure we don't mess things up again." He leans back on his palms, breaking into a smirk. "Rule number one, we need to be brutally honest with each other. No cryptic messages, no hidden meanings. Just straight talk, yeah?"

Jimin, slouching comfortably, nods, "Yeah, I like that. We could also add a rule on emotional check-ins. We’re still best friends at the end of the day, so we gotta make sure we’re all doing this and we’re feeling good about it. And if any of you are having doubts, we need to discuss it, like hyung said."

"Oh! That’s a good one!” You add, tapping your fingers on your knee, trying to think of something else. “Transparency is kinda similar to Yoong’s idea, but just want to add that so we don’t keep secrets from each other. I’m going to be sleeping with both of you, but we don’t have to stay exclusive if you don’t want to. Just let me know whatever booty calls you decide to have and I’ll let you know too. Don’t think I will have any more though!” You laugh lightly, trying to brighten up the atmosphere from this tough conversation.

You know you’ll be plenty occupied being filled by 2 men, so the thought of someone else filling up another slot doesn’t cross your mind right now. Maybe it does, but you’re actively trying to avoid thinking about it too hard. That person would make things more complicated than these two.

Yoongi nods silently in agreement while Jimin responds, "Yeah, I agree with that. I don’t think we’ll get involved with anyone else because we’re trying to settle this, but we’ll keep the rules in mind,”

“Any other stuff we're missing?" Jimin continues, staring at both of you before he clears his throat to speak up, “Well, it’s time to bring up my grand idea to make things more exciting: experimentation. I don’t know if you two had something like that.” Well, it was mentioned, but you guys didn’t do anything too crazy besides the blowjob in Mr. Kang’s office and the mirror sex. Otherwise, things were pretty tame. You exchange glances with Yoongi, both intrigued and wary. "We kinda did, but we didn’t really do much. What kind of things are you suggesting we experiment." The idea excites you, injecting a thrill into arrangement, yet beneath the excitement lurks a hint of nervousness. The unknown territory of experimentation sparks curiosity, but you wonder how it will affect the dynamic between you three. What things could they both even suggest? "You'll find out soon," Jimin says, a deep smile forming, his eyes transforming into crescent moons. It sends a shiver down your spine—this man is undeniably dangerous. "But, of course, consent is crucial in whatever we do. And protection! We'll use condoms, and it's up to you if you wanna use birth control. I know it sucks for you guys."

You’re glad Jimin is aware of the complications of women’s birth control and is considerate of your needs. The birth control idea is something you'll need to think about, but it does spark a tinge of fear to use it. Though, there is something you wanted to try out and that would require you on birth control. You’ll see.

“Would a group chat between us be good to stay up to date or whatever?” Yoongi suggests. You and Jimin hum and nod in agreement. Yoongi begins setting it up, naming it 0309x1013. Right after he does that, he looks up, a mischievous glint in his eyes.

"Now, we gotta seal the deal somehow," 

You look at him innocently, "Seal the deal? How?" You of all people know how this went last time with Yoongi, but you want to hear from them this time.

Both Yoongi and Jimin exchange a knowing glance, and then Jimin speaks up, "How about with a kiss?"

Your eyes widen in surprise. The thought of a kiss catches you off guard, especially with the awareness that Namjoon and Hoseok could come up any minute to randomly check on you. You might not have enough time, and you realize you all need to act quickly.

"Are you sure we should do that, what about them?" you ask, a mix of curiosity and nervousness in your voice as you point out to the two men downstairs

"It’ll be fine!" Jimin shrugs, “We’ll be quick,”

"Yeah, and the kiss will make it official," Yoongi adds, his gaze still fixed on you.

You take a moment to assess the situation. The idea of sealing the deal with a kiss feels surreal, but you can't deny the underlying excitement. Glancing at the clock, you calculate the time left before Namjoon and Hoseok might come by to check on you since you haven’t returned downstairs. You did mention wanting to watch a movie with Namjoon after they finished putting groceries away. Shit.

"Okay," you say, a hint of a smile forming. "But make it quick. We don't want any unexpected guests."

The three of you lean in, creating a makeshift circle on your bed. The atmosphere is charged with a blend of anticipation and curiosity as the prospect of this unusual arrangement takes a concrete step forward.

As Yoongi and Jimin lean in to kiss your cheeks, the gesture feels surprisingly tender, a prelude to what's to come. Yoongi places a gentle kiss on your left cheek, while Jimin follows suit on the right. The air seems to crackle with a newfound intensity. Your heart is beating fast, and for some reason, you can sense that things are about to take an unexpected turn.

Just when you thought it would end there, Yoongi's actions catch you off guard. After planting a sweet kiss on your cheek, he quickly redirects his lips to yours with an undeniable hunger. The kiss becomes heated, fueled by a fire that seems to have been lingering beneath the surface. For a moment, you're swept away by the intensity. This kiss feels more intense than the first one you had with him. You find yourselves detaching, breathless as a thin string of saliva still keeps you connected

As you process what the fuck just happened, Jimin seizes the opportunity. With a sly smile, he leans in, taking over where Yoongi left off. The transition is seamless. Jimin's lips, warm and soft, carry a subtle taste of anticipation as they meet yours. The sensation is both thrilling and delicate, creating a vivid contrast to the bold move he just orchestrated. The plushness of his lips melds seamlessly with yours, each movement leaving a lingering lust. Just as you feel yourself get more into it, he lets go of your lips. You’re still stuck in the haze of lust when you suddenly hear the distinct sound of footsteps ascending the stairs. Fuck. Panic sets in, dispersing the remnants of horniness as the reality of your situation dawns on you. With a synchronized effort, you and the two men scramble to discreetly rearrange yourselves around the room, attempting to appear less conspicuous. You go into the bathroom.

Just as you manage to compose yourself, a knock echoes through the room, and Jimin swiftly moves to open the door. He opens the door, revealing Namjoon on the other side, you try to suppress the nervous flutter in your chest. Jimin's casual greeting conceals the recent tumultuous events within your room. “Oh! Hyung, hello!” Jimin looks surprised, and smiles.

“Jimin? You’re here,” Namjoon remarks, his gaze briefly darting around the room and sees the other cat-eyed man seated on the floor scrolling on his phone. “Yoongi too? Where’s Y/N?” He’s a little caught off guard by the little club in your room, but nothing too suspicious because you all are best friends.

Yoongi nonchalantly points to the bathroom. “She’s in the bathroom taking a shit.”

You can't help but scoff from behind the closed door, annoyed at Yoongi's less-than-dignified explanation. "I’m not! I’m changing!" you retort, cursing Yoongi silently for his misinformation.

Namjoon lets out an understanding sound. "Well, I have the TV set up so we can watch the movie. You better come down after you finish," he shouts towards your direction before heading back downstairs.

As the coast clears, you slide down against the bathroom door in relief, feeling the weight of the chaotic deal you’re in.

“This is the virginity race all over again, isn’t it?”

Yoongi and Jimin can't help but chuckle at your question from outside the door. Their laughter, in a strange way, reminds you of the random antics you all would get involved in from high school. 

A time when your best friends would orbit your life like planets encircling the sun. Things are really starting to feel back to normal. 

However these grown men now, with their absurd proposal and spontaneous antics, will undoubtedly be the end of you.

tbc :o a/n: still so much left to uncover! holidays are approaching for these peeps, so many questions left unanswered, also NAMJOON. we need more of him so don't worry I'M ON IT! anyone have any thoughts? i'd love to heart about them so lmk hehehe if you did enjoy, please interact however you can! reblog, like, share with friends!

[xandermatthews2290]

My rankings on how likely I think all 13 remaining students killed Arei

I’m sure this will age perfectly fine, and I’m not about to be shut down when the series comes back

*Added some photos to make it more visually appealing, searched them up in my gallery and chose the first for all of them

13. Teruko, I don’t buy that the protagonist is gonna die this time and it’s fairly clear her character is gonna be here until the end

12. Rose, a lot of this murder seems to have been handled rather sloppily, the rope being under the spinny thingy, the note being in the trash and not flushed down a toilet or burned, while Rose has demonstrated a lot of awareness of minute details like how old painted walls are

11. Nico, their attempted murder of Ace was pretty poorly planned and I doubt they would have had the time to plan out Arei’s killing specifically, I also doubt their ability to beat Arei in a fight/knock her out, to snap her neck

10. David, oddly enough I don’t think breakdown boy is our killer, he seems to have no idea how the murder was committed and it doesn’t feel like he’s being setup to die until at least chapter 3, admitting to it at all is bizarre and there’s also his bonus scene of stopping MonoTV from releasing the murder motive, if he’s the killer then these are massive mistakes that he shouldn’t be making

9. Ace, him getting attacked by Nico is a pretty big reason I’m ruling him out early, I don’t believe he’d have been in the condition to kill Arei, hang her up on the swing set, all with a freshly sliced open throat wound , him withholding information is bad but it honestly feels in character for him

8. Arturo, admittedly the one I’m the least sure about, most of his scenes this chapter are him obsessing over Mariabella Rosales’ daughter, however his secret was one of the most in danger of being revealed, Eden being alive is the biggest argument against him since his secret got out regardless. Similar to Rose in the way that someone who’s smart enough to be a plastic surgeon should be better at disposing of evidence and not revealing his near murder of Eden

7. Charles, the dark horse for this case from my viewpoint, he had an incredibly negative reaction to his secret being revealed by J, and this murder involved 0 blood which only he would have a reason to insure that there wouldn’t be. Breaking her neck is an odd choice when blunt force and stabbing would be more accessible, stabbing in particular if Veronika’s priming claims from the first trial come back up. He seems to have taken over the traditional sidekick role for Teruko which is concerning considering both him and Eden seem to be struggling for that spot.

6. Eden, certainly one of the more popular culprits, but I have pretty different reasons personally, the biggest knocks against her surviving for me is that there are some things she’s been involved in that haven’t been explained, her fear that someone’s been following her when she meets up Teruko in the dressing room only for items in that room to become relevant in the form of the starchy hall of clothes. She also has the biggest spike in screentime this chapter with her getting the opening scene. However she is on the small side, and I question if she’d be able to commit a murder, much less for a secret she didn’t really care about.

5. Veronika, surprisingly both higher and lower on this list before, her secret hasn’t been revealed which is a decent knock against her, however her fear of boredom seems like it’s setup for later. Then there’s the issue of her being the main user of the theater room which lies directly adjacent to the playground with MonoTV calling out how you’d basically just need to break through the wall, Ace & Arturo avoid it since Ace gets easily scared and Arturo would be dealing with Eden and his secret so she would have the opportunity. She was also one of the most affected by Min’s execution which makes you wonder if she’d really risk her life the same way.

4. Whit, the darker horse for killer choices, his secret hasn’t been revealed and he’s taken credit for one that Rose threw away, it’s fully possible he’s telling the truth just really questionable to wait until it cycles back to you. He spends a lot of time around Charles and has an alibi which for me is a worse sign, if we’re going for a sad execution then Whit would probably be the saddest for Charles who could break away from him and become closer to Teruko for story purposes.

3. J/Julia Rosales/Moreno, I’m worried for her mainly because I feel like she hasn’t done much yet, she’s in the opening description for the chapter, has questionably similar proportions to Arei, and most notably the whole “not all that glitters is good” hasn’t come into play yet. Her only big scene is Arturo revealing her secret. She’s definitely a wild card and a lot of the crime scene involving ropes, gripping tape, flooding the room feel like they’d be easier for an effects artist. She’s also more likely than most to be near Arei prior to her storming into Arturo & Eden’s conflict.

2. Hu, I’m not super concerned for her being the one that killed Arei, however that isn’t exactly the merit for how the killer is determined, it’s whoever is the “most mastermindy”. She’s scarily close to David and her blowup about “giving her heart to him” feels like a very out of place scene unless there’s more we don’t know about. With about half the remaining secrets involving self harm/suicide, it isn’t out of the question for me to see her helping David kill someone for the greater good, admittedly it’s harsh but she’s also seen Xander, Nico, and Min all engage in their own murder attempts, wouldn’t it be better to get ahead and not risk Eden ripping Whit’s heart out of his chest in the meantime, and just help David the “inspirational speaker” back into the world to help more people. I do doubt her for a few logistic reasons like the fish and potentially flooded room, but if she just came up with the plan she would be the blackened according to MonoTV

1.Levi, and my official killer pick, it’s obviously not my favorite choice but he’s had a large presence in this chapter, and has been involved in several scenes with Arei. Him having her secret is suspicious to me, Levi has shown an ability to mask his frustrations before suddenly snapping, as seen during the first trial against Ace. He’s definitely strong enough to have killed Arei with the method Arturo claims to have been used, the setup could be entirely designed to make it look like it doesn’t need to be someone physically strong. I also question if he’d be the kind of person that would believe Arei’s suddenly face turn into being a nice person. His increased presence in chapter 2, connection with Eden and Arei, unrevealed secret, and overall limited room for growth makes him the most likely killer candidate.

[felixcloud6288]

PMMM episode 9-12 recap

Mami's story is about how being a Magical Girl is tragic. Sayaka's story is about what happens when a Magical Girl cannot handle the despair of their life. Homura's story is about clinging to hope even in a hopeless situation.

Prior to this point, the Magical Girl system was presented as flawed and broken. Girls are chosen to protect the world from witches and in exchange, they are granted a wish to fulfill some great desire of theirs.

However, being a Magical Girl is an ultimately thankless job fraught with peril both from witches and other Magical Girls of dubious morals.

But with the reveal that Magical girls are just juvenile witches, we learn that the system is neither flawed nor broken. It is working exactly as intended. And now the mask comes off.

If I had prior knowledge of the series, it would be more appropriate to include episode 9 in the previous recap because episodes 5-9 are a whole arc to themselves. But I guess that's what happens when you do blind discussions.

Sayaka and Kyouko's arc is focused on the duality of hope and despair. Both made a wish to bring hope to someone only for that wish to bring them despair. And they had opposite reactions to it. Kyouko decided to shut herself away and live only for herself while Sayaka doubled down and continued to let herself be hurt in some vain attempt to say her life has meaning.

If I were to make an allegory to any real world aspects, Sayaka and Kyouko's story is about suicidal depression and episode 9 is when it reaches that point where the victim has decided to go through with it.

Kyouko's entire strategy to save Sayaka essentially boiled down to bringing the people who care about her together to help Sayaka recover from her heartbreak and sorrow. But when that fails because everything has become too much for Sayaka to handle, Kyouko chooses to stay by Sayaka to the end so that she won't die alone and think she wasn't loved.

With each episode, Kyubey becomes more and more open about how the entire system is intended to exploit girls rather than help them. And he ultimately intends to abandon humanity to be destroyed by the witches created by this system when he has everything he needs.

It's kind of like a corporation coming in saying it will boost the local economy so you should let it do as it pleases. And over time, it drives out the local population because people start moving in to work there, land is torn down to make more room for the corporation, and the soil, air, and water become polluted because the corporation controls the system and can do what it wants.

But all the money goes to the executives and when there's no more value to be had, the corporation abandons the area leaving behind destroyed land and a destroyed community that will now die because of what the corporation did.

Kyubey's remarks that his species calls emotions a mental illness just adds even further to the exploitative nature of the system. The system is meant to target beings who by his definition would be more vulnerable.

And his method of only giving half-truths or withholding information unless explicitly asked is an aspect of this exploitation. He's deliberately presenting things in a way that preys upon human vulnerabilities. He even admits that his species studied humans and found that young girls going through puberty were the ideal targets and then catered the system specifically to target them.

Kinda like how games with gacha elements are designed to exploit people with gambling addictions.

And since the power that is made from a magical girl becoming a witch is tied to her role on fate, Kyubey is really only interested in targeting people born into high positions or with great skill. Basically, Kyubey is propping up those who exist because of survivorship bias.

I'd wondered why he didn't just go to some war-torn nation and offer a contract to every girl about to die, and I guess it's because they would offer so little power that Kyubey deemed them worthless.

Meanwhile, girls from prosperous nations have far more potential to have an impact on the world, so Kyubey hangs around nations like Japan where he can look for big potential targets while also getting some decent secondary targets.

Anyway, I'm going to move onto Homura. I got really into talking about episode 10 and how it recontextualizes the entire series so I'm going to focus more on episodes 11 and 12.

Everything Homura is doing is to save Madoka. At first, she wanted to restart when she met her so they could fight side-by-side. But then she discovered the truth of the system and fought to save Madoka from her fated death or transformation after the walpurgis night.

And since hope and despair exist together, the more Homura fought to save Madoka, the more aggressively Kyubey tried to make Madoka a magical girl. With each new timeline formed, Madoka's potential grew because every timeline tied back to her.

Homura's story is about her fighting against the despair that comes with being a magical girl. She tries to cling to hope in a situation that is hopeless. Each time she fails to save Madoka, she tries again, only for the next attempt to become even more difficult than the last one. She always managed to push back the inevitable, but in the end, she always lost.

And at the end of this story, Homura still never achieved her goal. She never managed to stop Madoka from becoming a magical girl, and it ultimately resulted in Madoka vanishing from existence. This should be the moment of ultimate despair for Homura where all her efforts come to nothing.

Madoka struggles with feeling inadequate. She initially wanted a rather tautological wish. She was going to become a magical girl by wishing to be a magical girl. She thought being a magical girl would give her the chance to help others, make the world better, and ensure her life mattered in some way. And her wish ultimately is an extension of that. She wished to be helpful to all magical girls who ever did and would exist by becoming the hope that drives them and chases away despair.

In the new world Madoka created, Mami, Kyouko, and Sayaka still became magical girls; and Sayaka still despaired over how her wish turned out. But instead of becoming a witch - a being that represents despair - Madoka took Sayaka from the world and showed her what happened to Kyousuke because of her wish.

Madoka showed Sayaka that her life mattered in some way.

Homura's wish and desires ultimately can never come true. But instead of giving into despair as she would in the old system, she's been given a new hope and purpose. Madoka became the very embodiment of hope thanks to Homura's efforts. And as the only person who will ever remember Madoka, Homura is now able to start the next phase of her life where Madoka's words echo in her ears and she shows that Madoka's life matters.

Homura should try spreading Madoka's name around as the patron saint of magical girls. Madoka is literally the goddess of hope who protects magical girls in this new universe.

back

[acourtofthought]

What would be your reaction be if sjm/bb announces the next book is Elain's but doesn't say who the other pov is? Or announces Azriel's book but doesn't reveal who he is paired with?

Would I be out of line to speak for the majority and say that I and most others would be frustrated with that kind of announcement? Wondering what will happen in these books is fun, imagining our favorites ending up together is fun, but the ship-wars create a level of toxicity between us all that has become exhausting. I think we're ready for them to be over so we can know one way or another then move forward. I'd like to think that Bloomsbury would not do a disservice to the fans who continue buying these books, creating fanart, engaging on social platforms discussing the series by withholding the information from us after we've already waited so long.

I also think readers want to know who is sharing in a pov because it's not "just" Elain's story and not "just" Az's story.

Beyond feeling frustrated though, I don't think I'd have a reaction.

There's nothing I could do that would change their decision so I'd probably complain to my husband a bit, complain to my mutual's, then move on with my day.

[sapphicromanoffxo]

Lucky Ones | vii. Due encounters

Pairing: Natasha Romanoff x Wanda Maximoff

Word count: 4,042

Warnings: mild fluff, angst, that's all

Summary: Part of Natasha has been revaled and Wanda struggleed to understand the newfound reality

A/N: i needed to get this off my chest so here it is. Uhh. Advance sorry?

»»-----------► Series Masterlist

The days leading up to her birthday did a number on Natasha's mood, and it showed on how she berated her employees on their poor performance. Every now and then, she found herself pacing in her office, trying to calm down her overwhelming emotions. Could it be that she was trying to cover up her anxiety with anger instead? That had been her coping mechanism for years. No amount of therapy could pull her away from her ways.

One more thing made Natasha on edge. She was planning on telling Wanda the truth but couldn't find the courage to do so. Part of her was afraid of what Wanda's reaction would be to the fact that Natasha had been withholding vital information for months. Natasha's gaze frequently drifted to a polaroid picture on her desk, a snapshot of herself captured by Wanda, who had developed a sudden passion for photography, with Natasha as her muse.

There was an unsettling dynamic between them; Wanda possessed an uncanny ability to influence Natasha, bending her to her desires with a subtle power. Natasha, despite her reservations, complied reluctantly. The emotional ties between them left Natasha apprehensive about potential repercussions. Natasha hesitated to reciprocate Wanda's affection, no matter how genuine Wanda's feelings were. She was haunted by a nagging doubt that accepting Wanda's affections might lead to abandonment once the truth surfaced.

Natasha had found herself contemplating her emotions regarding Wanda ever since that fateful night when Wanda confessed her love. In truth, Wanda's affection felt like a comforting embrace Natasha hadn't realised she yearned for. Despite this, Natasha had a tendency to downplay her responses to expressions of love, a pattern that began with Melina's affection. From Melina's nurturing to Wanda's unwavering love, Natasha had been granted a second chance at a family that genuinely cared for her.

As Natasha immersed herself in thoughts about family, her office door swung open abruptly, revealing Yelena energetically barging in.

"Natalia! Happy birthday to you, happy to you!" Yelena embraced Natasha, singing in an annoying yet endearing manner. It's apparent that both of them are polar opposite since Yelena is a walking ray of sunshine while Natasha is a gloomy weather.

"Yel, it's not even my birthday yet and it's only Thursday. You're too advanced," Natasha quipped, rolling her eyes at her sister's antics.

"Oh hush. I can't wait for your celebration this Saturday. Mom had it all planned out and the kids are buzzing with excitement, too! Although they are only excited about the cake part and that's okay." Both women chuckled at Yelena's comments. She remembers how she and sister would fight over the last piece of cake when they were younger. They ended up not eating it at all since Alexie stole the cake while they were bickering.

The two women talked some more about their lives. Yelena is now a fashion designer and starting her own brand. She is the one who has been supplying Natasha's suits which Wanda adores so much.

After a while, Yelena bids her goodbye as she still has errands to run in the city and Natasha is back again with her gloomy mood.

After completing her afternoon class ahead of schedule, Wanda eagerly anticipated a visit to Natasha since she's been having a bad day at work. Intent on brightening Natasha's mood, Wanda concealed a bunch of pristine white tulips in her bag. As she approached the entrance of the building, a familiar voice called out her name, prompting her to turn around in surprise. "Yelena? Oh my god!"

Yelena enveloped Wanda in a warm hug. "Wanda! It's been ages. How have you been?"

"Things are good. I'm still in college and taking engineering."

"Really? I remember how passionate you were about engineering. I'm thrilled to hear you're making it happen!"

"Yeah, it's a wild ride, but I'm hanging in there."

"By the way, my sister is celebrating her birthday at the orphanage this Saturday. You should come and finally meet her!" Yelena had often spoken about her sister during their time in the orphanage, but Wanda had never had the chance to meet her. Back then, Yelena had been considered being adopted by the orphanage owner but chose to stay a bit longer with her friends before heading to New York.

"I'd love to come! It's high time I meet the sister you've always talked about, huh?"

"Absolutely! I'll introduce you, and you two can chat about your engineering stuff I guess."

Numbers have been exchanged before they went on their different ways. They have agreed on catching up and Yelena would pick up Wanda in her apartment on Saturday.

Wanda strode into the building, navigating her way to Natasha's office. Natasha's secretary offered a greeting and inquired about the reason for her visit. Wanda simply stated that Natasha had requested to see her and sought her assistance. Without further inquiry, she received the green light to enter Natasha's office.

As anticipated, Natasha was engrossed in her laptop, wearing a frown that swiftly faded upon spotting Wanda.

"Hey, I wasn't expecting you here, detka." Natasha pushed her chair back, inviting Wanda to sit on her lap for a warm greeting.

Naturally, Wanda complied, wrapping her arms around Natasha's neck. "I just wanted to see you and surprise you, I guess."

"Hmm. I really like this skirt of yours, sweetheart." Natasha's hands travelled down Wanda's legs, caressing the exposed skin.

Wanda chuckled at Natasha's boldness. "Natty, we're in your office!"

"And? It didn't stop us before. I remember how I bent you over that couch, and you loved every second of it."

Wanda suddenly stood up upon remembering the flowers in her bag. She retrieved them and had a shy look on her face when she gave them to Natasha. "For you."

Natasha struggled to suppress a blush, but her body betrayed her. "Baby, what's this for?"

"Nothing. I know you've been having tough days at work, and I wanted to make you feel better." Wanda settled herself onto Natasha's lap, noticing a small smile on Natasha's face – a positive sign.

"You didn't have to, but thank you. Just being with you makes me feel good." Natasha rested her head against Wanda's chest, attempting to conceal the warmth spreading across her face.

"You're welcome, Nat. I love you." Wanda's words stirred something in Natasha, prompting her to take a deep breath and broach a topic with Wanda.

"Do you have any plans this Saturday?"

"Uh, I'll be out with a friend. We haven't seen each other in a long time, so we're catching up this Saturday. Why? Do you have something in mind?"

Though disappointed, Natasha resisted the urge to persuade Wanda to stay with her. Instead, she smiled and replied, "That's alright. I won't be in New York, and I just wanted to know if you wanted to come with me. But it's okay. I'll be back right away anyway."

"Are you sure? I could accompany you if you'd like."

Natasha gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind Wanda's ear, her courage momentarily discarded. "No, no. It's fine. You have fun with your friend, okay?"

Saturday came, and Natasha's anxiety has skyrocketed at a different level. She wanted so badly to just blurt out everything and hope for the best. Being a coward and an idiot will get her nowhere. Wanda has been nothing but gentle and loving towards her, and deserves to know the truth but she can't find in herself to utter a single thing about it.

Wanda was about to leave when Natasha tugged her sleeve. Unable to articulate the depth of her feelings, she managed a simple, "Take care, okay? And keep me informed about where you're headed?"

"I will, Nat. You drive safely, too. Your speed limit is only 60 km/hr." Wanda said to her lover playfully, unaware of the storm that was happening on Natasha's head.

"That's too slow for me, baby. How about I push it to 80?"

"You're too bad! Please be careful, okay? I have to leave now. Bye!" With a peck on Natasha's cheek, Wanda left the apartment.

Natasha headed to the bedroom to dress, catching her reflection in the mirror. Whispering to herself, she said, "S dnem rozhdeniya tebya, Natalia." Happy birthday, Natalia.

Yelena wasted no time initiating a conversation as soon as she picked up Wanda. They delved into years of catching up, compensating for the time spent apart since their orphanage days.

"I enrolled in college; luckily, they accepted me despite the lack of educational requirements from our special education background. It was challenging, having to take multiple tests to meet their standards," Wanda shared.

"Must have been tough. And Pietro? Where's he now?" Yelena inquired.

"He got a scholarship in Michigan as a race track runner. I miss him; it's been a while," Wanda admitted.

"I can't imagine you two being apart. You were practically inseparable!"

"Yeah, it was tough when we decided to go our separate ways. We knew it would happen as we became adults and pursued different careers."

Their conversation flowed throughout the drive until they reached Westview, slightly delayed by traffic. Milena greeted and hugged them upon arrival, marveling at Wanda's growth. Pleasantries exchanged, preparations continued, and Wanda had the opportunity to meet the children.

Wanda had a moment of reflection on how Milena and this place provided safety and a fresh start for her and Pietro, Wanda felt a deep gratitude toward Milena for taking a chance on them and helping rebuild their lives.

"Yelena, your father will be arriving soon. Natalia will be accompanying him, so let's wrap this up," Milena instructed, orchestrating the surprise for the birthday celebration. The children, adorned with smiles and holding balloons, eagerly awaited the moment to astonish the birthday guest. Wanda, however, found herself unexpectedly nervous, unable to pinpoint a valid reason for her unease. She was about to finally meet Yelena's sister, someone she only knew through stories.

Reflecting back to when they were just 13 and 16 years old, Wanda and Yelena shared a unique bond that blossomed in the confines of the orphanage. Yelena's adoption notice at 16 marked the beginning of her new life, and she returned from meeting her adoptive family brimming with excitement about her soon-to-be sister. Yelena had painted a vivid picture of her sister: a college student pursuing a challenging course and is undeniably cool. These descriptions left Wanda with a twinge of jealousy, wanting her to have her own family and the security that came with it.

In those moments, Wanda yearned for the warmth of a family to come home to, a place where she could find solace and a sense of belonging. Although the prospect seemed distant, relegated to the past, Wanda had grown into adulthood, now pursuing her dreams and carving her path in her chosen career.

Wanda's momentary reverie was abruptly interrupted by the melodic chorus of the children singing the birthday song. The long-awaited guest had finally arrived, although the seconds seemed interminable to Wanda as she fixed her gaze on the approaching figure, which made her heart stop. The walk, the mannerisms—Wanda recognized them instantly. The world seemed to hold its breath as everyone erupted in excitement, but Wanda found herself rooted to the spot, unable to move.

Natasha. All she could see is Natasha. Natasha is Yelena's sister. The person she have heard stories for being cool. The person who have given her a place to stay, provided her needs, and ultimately, her lover. What are the odds of this happening from one in a million. It's like the world have played on both of them by being at the right place, at the right time.

Wanda's emotions spiraled in every direction, throwing her out of the loop of the present time. Happiness surged within her, the prospect of being with Natasha and celebrating together. But at the same time, a wave of anger and betrayal crashed over her. The realisation hit her hard—she had bared her soul, shared every facet of her life for the sake of transparency, yet she knew so little about Natasha. In Wanda's understanding, relationships were built on reciprocal openness, and this revelation stirred a heavy mix of conflicting emotions within her.

"Wanda! Hey, are you okay? We lost you there for a moment. Come on, let me introduce you to her." Yelena tugged at her arm, leading her toward Natasha.

"Talia! You remember my friend, Wanda?"

In that moment, Wanda felt her heart pause once again.

Natasha's gaze met Wanda's, and Wanda discerned a fleeting hesitation as recognition dawned in her eyes.

"I know her, Yelena. She works at our company part-time," Natasha remarked, avoiding any mention of their personal relationship, aware that this unexpected encounter was something neither Wanda nor she had anticipated.

In this instance, Wanda wished she could vanish, retreat to the hills, and never return.

"Oh bummer! What a small world, huh?"

Operating on autopilot, Wanda tried her best to keep her emotions at bay. The details of what happened afterwards were blurry for her. The celebration went on for hours and she deliberately avoided Natasha. She wondered how she could engage in a normal conversation without her emotions taking over? Choosing to remain close to herself, Wanda kept mostly quiet.

As the evening neared 6 o'clock, Milena extended an offer to Natasha. "Nat, you can stay here for the night if you want. Yelena will be here."

"No, I don't think so. I still have some things to finish for tomorrow. I'm sorry, Mom."

"Tomorrow is Sunday, Nat. That's all you do, so focused at work. Loosen up a bit." Alexei encouraged, hoping to persuade Natasha to stay the night. Despite his attempt, Natasha remained resolute.

"Dad, I know how to 'loosen up'. I just have a lot to do, that's all. I promise I will make it up to all of you next time. Okay?" Natasha compromised, realising the need for an impending conversation with Wanda, which is more important.

Yelena, eager to spend more time with her friend, turned to Wanda. "What about you, Wanda? You can stay here with us."

"I'm sorry, but I have to decline for now. I still need to work on my projects due next week," Wanda replied, a subtle acknowledgement passing between her and Natasha, both recognizing the unresolved tension.

"Well that's fine, Wanda." Milena reassured her and added "Natalia should drive you back to New York. Both of you should head down now before it gets dark."

The two women bid their farewells and made their way to the car, the atmosphere heavy with unspoken tension. It was suffocating and sickening. Wanda wanted to jump off the car but it wouldn't do any good. Neither dared to initiate a conversation, both opting for silence as they endured the awkward car ride.

Yet, someone had to break the silence and address the inevitable. "I know you have questions, and I will answer them once we reach home," Natasha finally spoke, setting the stage for the much-anticipated conversation.

"Did you know?" Wanda's question hung in the air, her gaze avoiding Natasha.

Natasha sighed heavily, her response measured, "Did I know what?"

"That I will be at your party?" Wanda's voice dripped with coldness, a version Natasha was unaccustomed to, a Wanda who couldn't even meet her eyes.

"No, I did not," Natasha admitted. The truth was, Yelena hadn't mentioned bringing her friend, and had she done so, the unfolding events might have taken a different turn.

"But have you known me for long?"

Natasha hesitated for a moment, a fleeting confirmation of Wanda's doubts. Eventually, she replied, "Yes."

The remainder of the ride passed in a heavy silence. Natasha was acutely aware of the tangled mess the situation had become. She found herself in a position where defense seemed futile, unable to offer a reasonable explanation to appease the situation.

Wanda got out of the car immediately and waited in the living room. She was mentally preparing herself for what's about to happen. She has so many questions! Questions that she never knew she will be asking to the person whom she loves the most. This could lead to two things and Wanda cannot fathom how devastating either endings are.

As the door clicked shut, Wanda wasted no time confronting Natasha, "Are you going to be truthful, or are you going to cover your ass here?"

"I am willing to answer whatever you ask. I owe you that. But I am asking for you to have an open mind," Natasha implored, attempting to maintain a semblance of calm between them. Wanda, visibly vibrating with anger, stood on the precipice of an emotional outburst. Natasha, prepared to weather the onslaught of Wanda's emotions, offered what little solace she could in that moment.

Wanda scoffed at Natasha's plea, "An open mind, you say? How can I have an open mind when I don't even know who you are? We've been dating for months, and I've just realized how little I know about you. I didn't even know who your parents were until now, your birthplace, your story, or even your birthday! Do you understand how messed up that is?"

"Wanda, I'm sorry—," Natasha began, but Wanda cut her off with a surge of frustration.

"No! Your apology means nothing! You're only sorry because you got caught. What if I hadn't run into Yelena and she didn't invite me? Would you continue lying to me?"

Admitting guilt, Natasha pleaded, "Yes, I've omitted important details about myself, but I swear I wouldn't lie to you. Please, you have to trust me."

Wanda, questioned Natasha's sincerity. "How long have you really known me?" The impending revelation filled Wanda with a sense of dread, sensing that the truth might be too hard to understand.

Natasha, resigned, took a seat on the couch, covering her face with her hands. The truth, she knew, would cause a chain reaction of nothing but damage. With a heavy sigh, she confessed, "I've known you since the day you moved into the orphanage."

Wanda felt the breath knocked out of her as she processed the weight of Natasha's revelation—eight years. Natasha knew her for that long and felt uncomfortable with this information.

"You've known me for eight years, we are dating for months now and you never thought to tell me?" Wanda's voice held a mix of betrayal and confusion.

Natasha, grappling with her own choices, responded, "I don't have a reasonable explanation, but believe me, I had planned to tell you."

Wanda, frustrated, demanded answers. "Why keep it a secret for so long? Why did it have to happen this way?"

"Because I was afraid of what your reaction was going to be! I was afraid that you would run off and leave once you knew the truth."

"That's not an excuse, at all! You were just protecting yourself but what about me? You have exposed me to something I have no knowledge about!" Wanda retorted sharply.

"I don't know how and when I was going to say it. I was scared, okay? You were the only good thing that is keeping me going and I don't want to lose you."

Silence.

An eerie silence stood between them and they try to comprehend what was going on at this present time. There's a lot to take in with everything that has just been said, and there is a lot more to tackle.

"What else do you want to tell me?" Wanda implored, eager to uncover every detail Natasha had to share.

Natasha hesitated before revealing, "Mom, Milena, mentioned that you and Pietro were leaving the orphanage for college. I knew it would be challenging as the education provided to you wouldn't meet university standards. So, I found a way to help both of you. I provided letters of recommendation to the universities you applied to. Pietro's went smoothly, but for your university, which had higher standards, I used every resource to ensure your acceptance including a sponsorship to them and it happened. I saw the potential in both of you so I helped."

Wanda couldn't believe what she was hearing. The college application she had diligently worked on was manipulated by someone else to guarantee her entry. She thought she had met every requirement, but now she realised she had been pushed into it without a hitch.

"Are you telling me this to appease me? That you're the reason my application was accepted? Am I supposed to find comfort in that?" Wanda's voice reflected a mix of confusion, frustration, and a sense of betrayal.

"I genuinely wanted to help. I had the means, so I did what I thought was right," Natasha quickly defended herself.

"So you're telling me this was all planned? To weave me into your life? For what? To be manipulated or played with just because you had the power to do it?" Wanda's voice conveyed a mix of disbelief and frustration.

"I'm not playing with you, Wanda."

"But I was a child back then, Natasha! You mean to tell me that you have been watching me since I moved into the orphanage?"

"No, that's not how it was. Whatever it is that you're trying to tell me or thinking is not it. There were no ulterior motives on my part. It was only when I was invited to your university as a guest speaker that I developed an interest in you. You have to believe me. Please." Natasha's explanation carried a sense of urgency, a plea for understanding in the midst of the chaos that had unfolded.

Another silence has enveloped two of them. Only Wanda's heavy breathing and Natasha's sighs echoed in the room.

"I didn't even know your name," Wanda whispered as she sat at the other end of the couch, her words loud enough for Natasha to hear.

"My name is Natalia Alianovna Romanova," Natasha conceded. There was no hiding it now that the truth had been unveiled about their situation.

"Your name is beautiful." Wanda's sincere words hung in the air. Natasha chose not to respond, uncertain about how their relationship would proceed after tonight.

"Feel free to rest on my bed; I'll take the couch. It's been a long day for both of us and you must be tired. Take some time for yourself. If you feel like talking more, we can do it in the morning, only if you're comfortable." Natasha extended the offer, hoping to further open herself to Wanda, one step at a time, as long as Wanda wanted to be with her.

Wanda rose from her seat, heading toward their room, seeking space. Both needed the distance to process what just happened. Wanda desperately wanted to believe in Natasha and her reasons, but her mind was clouded with anger, confusion, and betrayal. To top it all, she's having all these doubts. How could she be certain Natasha wasn't playing with her? Considering the lengths Natasha had gone for her, the possibility of manipulation loomed large.

Sleep was not in store for the two of them. Wanda ended up crying for hours, thinking about Natasha. She loves her so much but could not accept her explanations that easily. She has been bombarded with information however it felt inadequate somehow. This emotional distance was unfamiliar to Wanda, yet within it, she yearned for the comforting warmth Natasha had extended. The desire to crawl to Natasha, to feel the reassurance of her embrace, lingered strongly. But she can't let her longing betray her.

Meanwhile, Natasha decided to have a nightcap because she knew sleep wouldn't come easily. Her thoughts were all over the place, jumping between her past, present, and future. Amidst the uncertainties, one thing remained clear – she couldn't afford to lose Wanda. The younger woman had carved a meaningful space within Natasha, and the desire to keep her close was overwhelming. However, Natasha understood that she couldn't hold onto someone who might want to go. Even though her feelings were strong, Natasha realised that Wanda's well-being was more important than her own.

Natasha started at the moon, just like she used to do when she was younger and asked "Mom, will it get better?"

[darkmaga-returns]

Epstein Files Clusterf*ck. Biden regime’s diabolical TSA plot. WW III Is Still On The Table. Vance Calls Out UK PM. Authoritarianism rises worldwide. 6G Is Not Just A Tech Upgrade

Lioness of Judah Ministry

Feb 28, 2025

EXC: Inside Pam Bondi’s Influencer ‘Clusterf*ck’ Over the Epstein Files at the White House Today

Having spoken with several sources inside the White House meetings today, I can report what I believe to be an accurate version of events regarding the release of the so-called ‘Epstein Files: Phase 1,’ which turned out to be a re-release of information that has mostly been known for several years.

One of the more intriguing details of today is that President Donald J. Trump himself was in a room with these binders containing Epstein’s flight and phone call logs. One of the pages even contained President Trump’s name, having been listed in Epstein’s phone book. Again, that information is not new. But it is embarrassing for the White House, the vast majority of which is unlikely to have had any eyes on the documents handed to social media influencers who believed they were attending a simple series of policy briefings today.

Raheem Kassam and Natalie Winters discuss precisely what went wrong for Attorney General Pam Bondi today, in exclusive reporting.

Attorney General Pam Bondi reveals in a letter to FBI Director Kash Patel that the FBI is withholding Epstein documents from her

Rep. Andy Ogles is drafting a bill to prevent the FBI from destroying Epstein records, naming it the "Preventing Epstein Document Obliteration Act."

TRANSURRECTION! Thousands of Trans Activists Storm Iowa Capitol as Lawmakers Vote to Derecognize Gender Identity (VIDEO)

Trans activists stormed the Iowa Capitol building on Thursday in protest of legislation that recognizes that there are only two genders.

The Des Moines Register reports that over 2,500 people filled the Capitol, chanting and holding signs that called for lawmakers to reject a bill they claim will infringe on their civil rights. Protesters chanted slogans including “Trans rights are human rights,” “We’re here, we’re queer, we will not disappear” and “No hate in our state.” The bill would redefine “sex” and “gender” in Iowa law and eliminate the option for transgender individuals to update the sex on their birth certificate.

Pentagon Memo: All Transgender Troops to Be Identified Within 30 Days and Separated from the Military

A new Pentagon memo — dated Wednesday — ordered the removal of all gender dysphoric and self-described transgender servicemembers from the United States military.

The document, entitled “Additional Guidance on Prioritizing Military Excellence and Readiness,” said that the “medical, surgical, and mental health constraints on individuals who have a current diagnosis or history of, or exhibit symptoms consistent with, gender dysphoria are incompatible with the high mental and physical standards necessary for military service.” The new Defense Department policy described in the memo said that those who “have a current diagnosis of” or exhibit “symptoms consistent with” gender dysphoria are “incompatible with military service.”

Shelter-in-place ordered at University of Virginia after one critically wounded in stabbing

One person was critically wounded in a stabbing attack near the University of Virginia’s (UVA) Alumni Hall in Charlottesville on Thursday, 4:50 p.m. local time - forcing students to abide by a shelter-in-place order on campus, according to local media reports.

A suspect was arrested for the stabbing, according to ABC News.

Treasonous CIA Insiders "Might Be Motivated" To Betray America If DOGE Fires Them

Mass firings could offer a rich recruitment opportunity for foreign intelligence services - like China or Russia...

Apparently one of the 'six ways from Sunday' the intelligence community has to get back at the Trump administration is threatening to leak sensitive information to 'a foreign intelligence service' if they're fired as part of DOGE's efforts to downsize government. In a Feb. 24 CNN article titled "How Trump’s government-cutting moves risk exposing the CIA’s secrets," the outlet warns "As the CIA weighs staff cuts, current and former intelligence officials say that mass firings could offer a rich recruitment opportunity for foreign intelligence services - like China or Russia - who may seek to exploit financially vulnerable or resentful former employees."

[literaryvein-reblogs]

hello I was wondering if you had any tips on how to write/create an outline for psychological thrillers/horror?

Hi! I have this post on horror.

Writing Notes: Psychological Thriller

A subgenre of thriller that explores the psychology of its characters, who are often unstable.

The biggest questions revolve around the mind and behavior.

Often incorporates elements of mystery and include themes of crime, morality, mental illness, substance abuse, multiple realities or a dissolving sense of reality, and unreliable narrators.

Generally stays away from elements of science fiction, focusing on events that could take place in real life.

The 3 C's of a Thriller

The contract: An implied promise you make to the reader about what will be delivered by the end of the book. It’s crucial to keep every single promise you make, no matter how trivial.

The clock: The fact that adding time pressure to any character’s struggle will create higher stakes and more interest for the reader. The goal of this element is not to be stunningly original but to add pressure that will prompt conflicts and intense responses from your characters.

The crucible: A box that constrains your characters, offers them no escape, and forces them to act. Your story should present an increasingly difficult series of tasks and situations for the hero that will funnel them into the most severe trial of all. You must make sure that each successive task is harder than the previous one and that, for the hero, there is no escape. If readers begin to sense that the journey is becoming easier, they’ll lose interest.

The 3 Elements of a Good Psychological Thriller

Although psychological thrillers vary widely in their storylines, some common elements include:

Major plot twists: Psychological thrillers can be ruined by spoilers, since so much of their excitement hinges on the unexpected twists and turns that the novel takes.

An unreliable narrator: Revealing the narrator, or another important character, to be unreliable is another way authors create suspense as the reader tries to figure out who they can trust. Lies, paranoia, and flawed memories are all staples in the psychological thriller genre.

Familiar elements: Psychological thrillers often take place in the home (aka domestic thrillers) and feature ordinary-seeming characters. This allows thriller writers to get inside the reader’s mind, making them wonder, “What if this happened to me?” Starting with the familiar also allows writers to slowly introduce characters’ backstories, mental health issues, and other elements that create suspense over the course of the novel.

Tips for Writing a Psychological Thriller

The best psychological thrillers keep readers on the edge of their seats with unexpected twists. While reading a psychological thriller is easy, writing one can be difficult. Here are some writing tips to help you from first draft through editing:

Keep tension high. You can do this descriptively by showing your characters in tense situations, and you can do it structurally by rearranging the parts of a chapter to keep the pacing swift. Both techniques involve withholding information from the reader. By doing this, you don’t get bogged down in details or information dumps that slow down the pacing. Crucially, withholding allows room in the reader’s mind for the growth of questions and ideas.

Craft situations where characters are unable to get the information or tools they need. This forces the characters to strategize and take actions to reach their goals. If you do this, it’s important to construct believable scenarios. Make sure your characters don’t have an easy way of getting the information they need. Otherwise, your readers will lose respect for you and your characters.

Heighten the tension. In general, there are two ways to augment tension in your story. Descriptive elements that create tension are individual; they come from your story and from the forces or events that are pressuring your characters. Structural elements that create tension involve the way you write your story, like starting your chapters with a sense of urgency or blending descriptive passages into action scenes.

Flesh out character backstories. One way to create twists and suspense is to slowly introduce surprising elements of your characters’ backstories. A backstory can create a plot twist, or reveal why a character may be unreliable. Backstories can also raise the stakes of a story by giving your characters motivation.

Some Subgenres of Psychological Thriller

The psychoanalysis or ‘psycho-traumatic’ thriller

The amnesia thriller

The stolen identity thriller (including mistaken identity)

The ‘woman in jeopardy’ thriller

The stalker thriller

Serial killers or psychopaths and their psychological profiling arguably fit better in the forensic criminal investigation sub-genre, so they may be classified in the Crime Thriller subgenre.

From the sub-categories listed above, it is obvious that as well as overlap with the crime thriller sub-genre, the psychological thriller is also related to psychological horror. The ‘woman in jeopardy’ and ‘stalker’ thrillers also have elements in common with romance – particularly Gothic romance.

Common Psychological Thriller Tropes

Tropes appear repeatedly for a reason: they're what the readers are looking for. Decide which ones to include in your novel.

The protagonist has an inner conflict exacerbated by an external event.

Some sort of mental health issue plays a major role in the story (doesn't have to be the main character). This could be a diagnosed or undiagnosed mental health issue, paranoia, deep distrust, suspicion, or a slow slipping away of sanity.

Reality comes into question as the story progresses. 

The protagonist finds it hard to decide who to trust.

There's a major plot twist at the climax. (There may be multiple plot twists.)

The characters are flawed, complex, and relatable. 

The settings are common (home, office, child's school, church, etc.)

The stakes may not be life or death (although they can be), but they should be sanity or insanity, or well-being or a ruined life. 

Sources: 1 2 3 4 ⚜ More: Writing Notes ⚜ Mystery ⚜ Tension ⚜ Violence Kidnapping ⚜ Backstory ⚜ Plot Twists ⚜ Crime Fiction ⚜ Character Journey

Hope this helps with your writing!

[sapphire-weapon]

Worst Aeon take that I've seen was someone insisting that the jet ski part of trailer proves that she must've brought it along to island in an elaborate plan specifically to save Leon. As if she's a fortune teller who must've known he'd be there, knew exactly how the entire mission would turn out, knew that he'd turn down the helicopter ride and that he'd need to quickly save Ashley from the explosion before she arrived. Did this person even play the god damn game or know anything about Ada at all?

I'm so scared that when they realise SW has seized the opportunity to actually make her a character and give her an entire story that isn't about running around in the shadows saving him, there'll be so much uproar that Capcom won't continue on the current path. It's irrational, but god DAMN these people are so fuckin loud that I'm terrified they'll ruin the experience for fans who actually like her and enjoy the new timeline.

in their defense

that's literally what happened in OG's Separate Ways.

OG's SW reveals that Ada planned everything in RE4 -- even down to the point of somehow making sure that Leon would be the agent assigned to this mission in the first place. because OG's SW was fucking garbage. and that's also why Aeon stans are so obsessed with the idea that Ada left a little love note for Leon in the bear keychain, since it has that zipper in the back -- because it's not implausible, because she knew all along that she was going to toss him that key eventually.

but if it helps at all

the average dev cycle for an RE game these days seems to be about 6 years. whatever follow-up game to RE4make they're making, it's already well in development. DG said to expect the next title in the Remake series no sooner than 2025, but more likely 2026. the backlash to SW would have to be RE6 levels of outrage for Capcom to scrap 3-4 years of development.

and Capcom seems to be acutely aware of the fact that SW is going to cause a shitstorm. I was thinking about this yesterday, actually. it is so beyond bizarre that they sat on the confirmation of SW's existence for literal years, when everyone knew it was going to be a thing that inevitably happened with a remake of Resident Evil 4 -- and not only did they sit on the announcement and refuse to confirm anything, they only gave a seven day window in between announcement and launch.

from a marketing perspective, doing that is making a deliberate choice to hamstring launch-day sales for the sake of withholding information. the sweet spot for this is usually 3-6 months between announcement and launch, because it's enough time for people to talk about it and spread the word but not so much time that people get fatigued/distracted and forget about it. but to keep the game in the conversation, more trailers and gameplay videos and interviews need to be released consistently in that 3-6 month window.

doing it this way means that Capcom consciously chose to deny themselves that crucial window for word of mouth to spread, because they'd rather have a highly curated pre-launch marketing campaign where they only have to show under sixty seconds of story content and never have to talk about it in interviews -- because they don't want people to have enough time and/or information to become suspicious or start speculating about just how drastically the story is going to change, because they know that diehards and purists are going to be fucking angry.

they basically made a calculated decision and came to the conclusion that it was financially in their best interest to try to prevent people who would otherwise normally buy the DLC from deciding they didn't want it, as opposed to trying to spread the word and rope in as many new sales as possible. their goal was to prevent loss, not promote growth.

which is

kinda nuts when you consider what the fucking point of paid DLC is in the first place.

[aurora-light-blog]

Rose Colored Jerks

Browsing through youtube, I got the suggested video clips of the Story of Yanxi Palace, so naturally I viewed a few of them. Su Qing performance as Hitara Erqing was pretty good. She emoted the feeling of wild fear. I understand that she’s supposed to be the villain, yet other supposed good characters are nasty people. With the cartoonish illogical actions and an unsatisfying character arch for Hitara Erqing, I decided to write a fanfiction of it.

First, I’ll address the good guys??? Here’s what I got so far. Empress Fuca Rongyin wasn’t a completely good person. I think the series was going for gray characters (I hope). Though I’m not doubting she did a lot of good things in the series, her murderous act just soured her character. I wasn’t sad that she died. The empress had decided to withhold medical treatment of Consort Xian’s brother who was in prison. In essence, she killed him. Actually, every royal involved in Consort Xian’s family matter was pretty disgusting. The empress dowager’s pathetic reason for allowing Hoifa-Nara family to take the fall was to keep the peace and apparently the corruption. The series would have been better if they had the nerve not to sugar coat rivalries.  The empress dowager didn’t suggest letting the clan leader take the fall out of desire for a peaceful reign nor did the empress refuse treatment for the brother out of worrying about appearances (they both despise members of that clan). Even these fake reasons are pretty shallow when you think about it. Why go through the trouble of telling us how repressed and ill-treated Rongyin was under the late empress (from Hoifa-Nara) and not ever hint that as the reason for her action?

Another questionable action of the empress was an interchange between Erqing and Yinglou. Erqing had spoken to her in confidence about a problem. The emperor had his sights set on Yinglou. She made a logical strategic recommendation (which is normal occurring to her position) that Yinglou become a concubine to the emperor, so she can aid the empress. Here Erqing is commending Yinglou’s integrity. Then the show attempted to twist this action as something evil, when the empress broke the confidence of Erqing in a showy display to humiliate her. “Oh, Yinglou loves me too much,” the empress declares as she rubs Yinglou’s head affectionately. “Oh, yes, the empress loves the emperor so much, that she doesn’t want anyone else to have him, so I would never do that to her, and you’re evil for saying it Erqing,” is basically Yinglou’s response. Lol, this is all wrong in so many ways. One, did the characters forget that the emperor had a harem of consorts, and Consort Gao has been after her? Later on, Yinglou literally goes against this vow and becomes a consort to the emperor. Oh, you’re terrible for saying this, but several episodes later it will happen anyway.

Then there’s the head scratching scene of Erqing saying something to make the empress want to kill herself. A few fans have commented how it doesn’t really give a motive for Erqing wanting to kill her. Though a justifiable motive wouldn’t put the empress in a good light, it is better than a plot hole. Also, there is the matter of the supposed betrayal talk of Erqing not making any sense to push the empress to suicide. Remember, the whole premise of the show is Yinglou seeking revenge for the rape and murder of her sister. The empress compassionately wishes to support her, yet when Erqing comes to inform her of the emperor raping her, she looked down upon the woman as scum. Probably because the emperor can do no wrong, so it has to be Erqing’s fault. Now, we the audience know pretty sure that she didn’t have sex with the emperor, but still as far as the empress knew Erqing was telling the truth. How does she respond? The empress threatens this rape victim with removing her tongue to keep her quiet. Now the reason for head scratching during this scene is this reveal of Erqing’s won’t have motivated the empress to wish for death, but rather encouraged her to live. For crying out loud again, the emperor has a harem of women, so him sleeping with other women wouldn’t upset her nor ignoring and mistreating her by fawning over any woman. Actually, the empress would have been motivated to live to ensure that Erqing kept her mouth shut and didn’t disgrace the Fuca clan.

I really think the series did a back face by not keeping to it being the consort who killed the empress’ child and the emperor’s neglect being the true reason for the suicide. For a show supposedly about female empowerment and strength, it really misses the mark. Like giving Erqing a legitimate reason for disliking the empress. It could have been an easy matter of jealousy. The empress could have been really cold to her unlike Yinglou and kept her at arm’s length. That’s some of what I did for my fanfiction. The main focus was on Erqing and her husband Fuca Fuheng.

This is where the real rose color glass or should I say modern point of view really obscures the situation. Fuheng couldn’t marry his true love of Yinglou, instead he marries Erqing. A marriage the emperor forces him into, so the jerk can have Yinglou for himself. Now, some fans say Erqing forced him to marry her, which makes no sense, since her clan is lower than his, and she has no power to threaten Yinglou’s life inside the palace at all (I’m hoping this information is wrong because it would be a plot hole). Anyway, they’re married. Since he loves Yinglou, he refuses to have sex with Erqing. Even though he promised that he would make the marriage work, he spends daily for a year living separate from his wife.

Because the audience is only told that she is treated like an ornament, and that he stays in his study all the time to avoid her, we aren’t getting the full effect of his cold shoulder jerkiness. There was no him giving Erqing tons of chances. There’s him fueling her paranoia and fear. When she mistakenly suspects him and a slave girl of an affair, he doesn’t console her. He blames her for his negligence.  As for the suspicions, she wasn’t crazy for thinking something was up. Unlike today, a lone young pretty female attending to his private chambers was a stupid ill responsible decision on his part. Also, the slave was actually acting suspicious and lying (clearly, she had something in her hand). A beating was an acceptable and common response to that time period.

The ripping off the fingernails was nonsense addition from the writers. Ripping out fingernails is torture technique to exact information. This would require a special tool to use, which Erqing happened to have carried with her or outside of a dungeon would have had? I think not.

Getting back into it, after it was over, she apologizes. He doesn’t correct her false assumption, though he had promised to explain the matter fully once she calmed down. “If you want to make the slave girl your concubine, it’s okay with me,” she blatantly said this.

Instead of saying, “Oh no, dear, you’re my wife, and there is only you,” he goes in left field about calling her evil for beating a slave. Dude, you work as a guard in the imperial palace. Slaves are often beaten or punished on a whim. Guess what she knows that too because served your sister, the empress, and the threat of beatings was over her head too. Her look of confusion makes sense sadly because that’s the norm of the time.

Then again, he doesn’t care to think or make this marriage work. He promised he would, but he kept the love pouch of Yinglou. While we think it’s sweet of him to do, it has made his marriage to Erqing miserable. It’s not like she can divorce him and leave. No, only he can divorce her. After he tells how can you not think of the slave as a person, he doesn’t care to treat Erqing with any affection. He threatens her with divorce like it’s simply some demotion and is callous towards her being a widow.

If you have seen some other Chinese costume drama, you’ll might have observed the abusive treatment of a childless widow (like being thrown in the cold palace). Erqing has legitimate reason to be afraid for herself especially since if anything happens to Fuheng, clan Fuca will treat her like garbage, she has practically a slim to impossible chance of remarrying, and her clan won’t want her back (it would be disgraceful). Yet, he can deride her for worrying, when the dire situation would never befall him. He can divorce her, and she gets sent away, but nothing can happen to him. He has all the power in this time period, while she’s expected to walk on a tight rope.

She’s the one in danger and the only one penalized. It’s not like she can tell Mother Fuca that Fuheng refuses to have sex with her. If she did, Mother Fuca would blame her. It’s interesting to read fans’ comments and see how much they gloss over his actions. The guy admitted to treating his wife cold and indifferent for their entire marriage, yet in the same breath feels he’s justified because in public he talks respectfully to her (though with no affection or warmth).

Some fans want to believe that he was at least kind and attentive to her son. The truth is he was a jerk to her and to the little boy. I might be wrong and there is some other scene that I miss. However, the treat giving scene says a lot in between the lines. First off, Fuheng doesn’t even refer to the child by his name (that’s sweetness for you ☹). It wasn’t because he is annoyed at Erqing for mishandling the child. It’s due to him being cold to the boy too. How do I know this?

The boy is probably between 2 to 5 years old, I think. He has wandered away from the mother and the nanny (people tend to forget about that) and snuck into his office. The boy shyly stands against the wall until Fuheng recognizes and allows the boy on his lap to eat a snack. The relieved mother scoops him up in her arms. Fuheng immediately insults her for not keeping a good watch on the boy (which this as the first time means that she is doing a great job lol like he would know) and implies that she would hurt a child (unlike him). I guess he forgot about the time he threatened to harm her, while she was pregnant.

For those without children or who have never babysat children, the boy’s shy behavior with Fuheng actually shows that the kid has had little to no interaction with him. Even the shiest of children won’t hide up against a wall. He would have stood next to him. So, she had good reason to be leery of what he might do to a boy who is not his son and is cold and distant to him (lol I just watched a recent clip which says it has been 3 years that he has been off to battle, so my assumption is correct. He never saw the baby being born and spent no time with the kid). The implied accusation of her hurting a child is unfounded. She has never harmed a child. Then again, he has implied evil of her unfoundedly before.

He accused her of seeking an alliance from her own relative After she calmly gave her explanation, he never apologized to her. No, she’s the pure evil person. Are we to ignore the fact that Mother Fuca saw no problem with her punishments to the slave girl nor with putting the slave girl to death? That’s just thrown in there to make Fuheng look more virtuous and completely forgotten later (for my fanfic, I include it).

Now, this has been some of my ranting, and I could go on lol. My fanfiction will address some more of these issues and give a better character arch for Erqing (like an actual reason that she pursues him when he clearly was interested in someone else). Too many shows have the annoying pinning after a jerk guy who loves someone else and either dying or living alone unhappily. Seriously, I’m tired of this especially when there is a nicer guy around. Hence, my fanfiction story is entitled, “Tired.” Take care.

Tired - DarthChocolate - 延禧攻略 | Story of Yanxi Palace (TV) [Archive of Our Own]

[cosmicangst]

weekly reads (12/10)

the bed me books (#1-3) | felicity niven: ★★★☆☆ (duke) | ★★★★★ (baron) | ★★★★☆ (earl)

⤷ series of regency romance books built on the premise of the fmc approaching the mmc for a temporary liaison. felicity niven is quickly rising to the top of my favorite hr authors. one thing i appreciate is the flaws of her characters, especially the mmcs. since many books in this genre appeal to fantasy, sometimes the leads are portrayed as ideals — that while the mmc can be imperfect they can't be too imperfect as to be unattractive or unsexy to the reader. i don't decry this since i actively seek these books out myself. however niven seems largely unafraid to paint her mmcs in unflattering and unattractive lights. and she does all this while maintaining a romance that is still pretty swoonworthy. i also just appreciate that sometimes her leads aren't conventionally physically attractive, which is my catnip in romance novels.

in duke i felt for the fmc and her plight. the chapter where the mmc writes a series of letters while he's convalescent in london and desperate to know if she's found another suitor is my favorite. he kept the lie up a little too long for me to swallow easily since all the while she was literally trying to find a way out of poverty. so that deserved a much longer grovel than it got. but i LOVE that she figured it out much earlier than he or the audience realized. a strength to the writing is how niven withholds information, especially if it's a pov character keeping a secret. and the reveals always catch me by surprise then make me appreciate how much everything they've done or how they act make perfect sense now in retrospect.

earl was just so sweet. i love a short king mmc and the way he just doted on the fmc was so heartfelt i teared up. they're just perfect for each other: he's chatty and sunshine and kind of shameless and uncultured while she's dark, reticent, bookish, and more pragmatic. one amazing small detail is that whenever it was the fmc's pov chapter, her words were written straight out in dialogue because she was ashamed of her lisp but in the mmc's, it was phonetically kept because he loved everything about her, especially the things of which she's most ashamed.

baron though was just the right amount of angst i've been craving. i LIVE for the premise of an mmc who's been too stupid and paternalistic (think knightley but if he was also an idiot) to realize that he's been in love with the fmc all this time until it's too late. and like the actual ramifications of that (the RAMMYS bro). i relished in his despair lmaooo but i was crying basically every other chapter because i could see so much of myself in phoebe and the way she basically molds herself to other people's validation especially the mmc's that a huge part of her journey is shedding that and learning who she really is.

anyway much as i enjoyed these books, my favorite niven is still a convergence of desire. that one is just honest poetry like there's no fighting that

the benevolent society of ill-mannered ladies (#1) | alison goodman: ★★☆☆☆

⤷ i read this thinking it was an hr with mystery elements but turns out it's more historical heist with mystery and romance elements. which i appreciated as a mini palate cleanser but def caught me off guard esp since i felt the romance was not as well paced as i would have liked. but i did appreciate the social justice bent of the "heists" (though any historical fiction that features all the protagonists or "good characters" with modern/anachronistically progressive outlooks on politics or being on the right side all the time kind of turn me off which is why i appreciate anne with an e because characters like anne and marilla who are fundamentally good still initially fall prey to the biases of their time but eventually learn for the better. like if it wasn't for the fmc's sister in this book i would have found the whole thing a little unbelievable to be enjoyable but I DIGRESS.) anyway the machinations in each section were structured a little too same-y that it was slow going on all parts except the "escape" portion of the heists, which i found acceptably suspenseful

my best friend's exorcism | grady hendrix: ★★★★☆

⤷ have no connection to this time period so i unfortunately couldn't fully appreciate the references but idc. this shit wasn't scary (except for a lil bit in the beginning when that normal ass voice said her name which was just unnerving in how deceptively mundane it was) but it did make me sob. you can't give me lifelong devotion (whether you construe it as purely platonic or queerly romantic) and not make me froth at the mouth. these characters prickled me like they always do in horror but i've never rooted for horror protags more than these two best friends. i do get thematically and functionally why the exorcist did what he did but i didn't really feel the impact of it because we don't spend nearly enough time to understand much less be invested in him. the ending otherwise was pretty much perfect.

[valkyrieandstrangeridingaragorn]

This ^^

I think most of the criticism is misplaced. They think the willingness to hide spoilers and surprise the audience is wrong, when in reality what is truly wrong is:

The scripts are so weak that they rely on the shock of the audience to try and sell the story as good. They think: many shocking reveals = better story. Except, we know that's not true.

The way they treat their actors by refusing to share the entire scripts with them and withholding important information from them (such as not telling them who they're talking to in a specific scene, etc).

This makes the rewatch value of these new phases close to zero. MCU movies in the past could stand on their own just fine, with a post-credit scene or a mention that would serve as bait to get us hooked for what would come next. Recent content does not bait us, the whole story turns out to be a damn trailer for upcoming movies. So... once you know the relevant part of the story, what's the point in going back to it?

Marvel is not the first studio to care about spoilers, that's nonsense. All of them do and they do their utmost to hide the important bits of their movies/series so that the audience will feel that thrill and will want to go to the theatre to find out what happens in the story. It's why trailers exist, to bait us into wanting to know the whole thing.

Also, just one pet peeve of mine... I hate that this has turned into some nonsensical battle among fans between those who love to know spoilers beforehand vs those who want to go to the theatre not knowing anything. It's not a morality issue, folks. It's preference. You're no better and no more knowledgeable or more cool for choosing one or the other. It's just personal taste!

the "no spoiler culture", mainly perpetuated by the marvel cinematic universe, that pushes the idea that a story is only worth watching and telling if the audience knows absolutely nothing about it beforehand, has done irreparable damage to storytelling and how an audience interacts with the story. in this essay i will-

[rosesandprosesstuff]

I'm so mad about The Last of Us Season 2 and not for any of the reasons other people are angry. Spoilers under the cut.

I really don't give a fuck about the casting. Bella Ramsey and Kaitlyn Dever are fine. I loved Rosaline. Bella crushed it last season. Whatever.

I'm not even mad that they killed Joel. I was at first, but he dies in the game, and I've processed that, and honestly the Arcane Jayvik fic, "Playlist for When Your Boyfriend Stops Breathing," fucked me up worse so who should really be getting paid the big bucks?

It's the bullshit storytelling that's pissing me off, and every goddamn streaming service does this with their original series shit and I'm SICK OF IT.

Fiction, and storytelling in general, are at their basest forms: the art of withholding information to maintain interest. And streaming services are masters at withholding information in their original series. But it's not because it's good for the narrative. It's for: the biggest shock value when the twist is revealed which creates the most user-generated content online AND keeping people subscribed for longer until they get to the big twist or reveal.

But storytelling is not just withholding information. It is the ART of withholding information.

It's not ARTFUL to hold all the cards until the very end. I don't know how any casino card game works, but I can bet fewer people would play if the dealer just held 51 cards until the end while you got one.

Revealing information is how you build character. So S2E8 for example, reveals a lot of information about Joel and Ellie's life in Jackson, which is context we didn't have before. Before this episode we're holding these threads:

- Joel killed Eugene, but why and how?

- Ellie knows Joel took down all those fireflies and destroyed chances of a cure by killing that surgeon to save her

- Ellie's fascination with the guitar and that song she sings to Dina

- Gail's resentment to Joel even though he did what he had to do

- Seth as a character being weirdly hot and cold

S2E8 should've been episode 3, right after Joel dies. A) it's a hell of a pallet cleanser for that absolute TRAUMA of episode 2. B) it supplies so much more context to things that happen in the next five episodes.

For example, the guitar, which is a very poorly used object in this story. Does Joel promise to teach Ellie guitar in S1? I don't fucking remember. So suddenly when this guitar becomes a huge object, and she's playing for Dina and singing that song and seeking out guitars everywhere in Seattle, it makes very little sense. All of those scenes would be more impactful in THE MOMENT THEY HAPPEN if we had that context in advance and not at the end of episode 8 like "oh yeah I guess that's sadder now."

And what they did was build to the "He killed that surgeon!"/"I know!" moment at the end of E7, but THAT PAYOFF WAS NOT WORTH THE RISK.

Especially when they pulled the same trick in episode 8 by not revealing how Ellie learned what happened in the hospital until THE VERY END AT THE VERY LAST MOMENT. Also, that was a SUPER dirty trick to intentionally withhold that conversation on the porch out of episode 1. My husband did a double take of "wait we didn't see this before, did we?" And all that moment does is reveal that Ellie and Joel did not part on bad terms, which is WHAT THE NARRATIVE LED US TO BELIEVE THE WHOLE TIME.

But no, now suddenly Ellie ISN'T out for blood because she's upset with how she left things with Joel. She's doing the "I did what I did because I love you in a way that you don't understand" but that would've been so more impactful if we HAD THAT EARLIER.

God, it's giving that episode of Bob's Burgers where they host the murder mystery dinner and Linda starts with, "the butler didn't do it~*~*" when actually the butler did do it and it flops.

[awesome-rosier]

People are killing me cmon guys. I don't! Care! What! Opinions! You! Have!

But it bugs me when instead of being like oh this is my "preference" people gotta go cite "literary analysis" and then... say things that don't make sense. I mean I'm not an English major or anything but let's take a look at this

Screen shot of part of a pro Snape rant I saw. I don't personal read a lot of Snape but- to each their own. I'm glad you like him! However let's take a look at this take on the books-

1- It's "explicitly stated" in one scene that Jamez started the rivalry/bullying whatever u wanna call it between marauders and Snape

2- Author "shows" us this moment on purpose

3- So that the readers can know that Snape isn't at fault

4- A writer wouldn't show someone a scene unless it was for a reason

5- And if the relationship between the boys was partly snapes fault, wouldn't we see that

6- Also anything other than the above claims is absurd.

Well. That is a lot of thoughts. Let's think about this.

Now I don't know about yall but one of my favorite series is Brandon sandersons stormlight archive. Sanderson uses multiple povs to tell his stories. Each book in stormlight starts with the SAME SCENE in a different perspective- each time revealing new layers of information about the scene. In the first book, we have an assassin killing the leader of a nation during a party. As the books progress, we come to learn the assassin was under duress, and the leader sucked, among other things. The scene goes from tragic death to the necessary end of a corrupt ruler. The understanding of the party evolves, the understanding of the motives, etc. This is an incredibly clear counter example for points 1 and 3. Sometimes, authors expect you to read into things or even TRICK YOU ON PURPOSE. Yes, point 2 is correct. Authors (good ones) don't write scenes without a good reason. HOWEVER sometimes it's not the reason you think. An author may trick you into recognizing your own prejudices or give insight into why someone acts the way they do, by withholding information. A charecter kept in fhe dark lashes out? The author might keep you in the dark a little so that you understand why that character felt the way they did, or only give half the details so that you and a charecter make the same misunderstanding.

Another example- the unreliable narrator. I like this one in murder mystery books especially, and that's where it tends to be more prevalent, but in general, the idea that the author can straight up lie! Can tell you untrue things! To move the story along!

I'm not saying this is necessarily what is happening in this given scene with Snape and James. I am saying that reading hyper literally and calling any nuanced take absurd? Is a bit of a stretch.

So to recap the above claims

1- yes, it is shown that way. But that doesn't mean it "happened" (yes this is all made up so it didnt happen but... you get the idea) that way

2- correct! This is supposed to tell us something!

3- not correct! The point was to show *why Snape is the way he is* not that he was always morally infallible because of this particular interaction

4- again, correct! It would be silly to write a scene that didn't have a purpose (though the purpose can just be "I want to see this" or "this would make me feel better")

5- false! Why would snapes memories show instances of him being in the wrong especially in relationship to a guy he hated, in front of that guys kid, any more than strictly necessary? That's not to say it did or didn't happen, just that you shouldn't make that assumption!

6- don't call shit absurd my g

Just don't call stuff literary analysis when it's a word for word reading with no thought in it. Authors are trying to tell a story, not write a history book (and even history books are biased because that's how stories work). Like whatever charecters you like and I'm sorry to anyone who's been personally insulted on the sole basis of what charecters you choose to engage with, but that doesn't mean you're reading the book correctly either! Nuance is a fun word to remember.