#they all still need names but i'll figure that out once i have them in-game

[valiant-portabella-pirkko]

Thought of the morning that refuses to be exorcised from my brain until I release it into the wild: all of Ruju's mounts have the same rebel streak he does, and each one of them he tamed himself in some way.

The most infamous is his raptor, which is actually the very same one hatched by Ploint in that one Metrica Province event chain. Y'know. The one that immediately tries to eat its own researcher. Yeah. Ruju definitely trained it to not do that anymore. And the fact that it's now big enough to ride does not make that a bigger concern. Nope, not at all.

And his griffon? Yeah, the first time he set foot in Lornar's Pass it scooped him up and flew away like a hawk snatching a mouse. The skyscale? It bit him several times before he finally managed to get on its good side with a snack of bloodstone crystals. His jackal? He helped the djinn catch it because it went rogue mid-taming attempt, and now it won't listen to anyone but him.

In conclusion: Ruju refrains from taking his creatures into battle not to protect his creatures from the enemy, but to protect the enemy from his creatures.

[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY GARRUS VAKARIAN, updated version  *  assorted dialogue from the mass effect trilogy, adjust as necessary

i can't find any hard evidence.

good luck, [name]. maybe they'll listen to you.

i'm coming with you.

sometimes it feels like the rules are only there to stop me from doing my work.

i just couldn't take it anymore.

maybe i can get the job done my way for a change.

if you're wrong, we'll pay for it. but if you're right, and we did nothing, i think we'd regret it a whole lot more.

i thought you were dead.

it sure is good to see a friendly face.

at least it's not hard to find criminals here. all i have to do is point my gun and shoot.

my feelings got in the way of my better judgement.

i'll make you a deal. you get me out of here alive, and i'll tell you the whole damn thing.

nobody would give me a mirror. how bad is it?

don't make me laugh, damn it.

some women find facial scars attractive.

i'm fit for duty whenever you need me.

when i got to the meeting point, no one was there.

kill you? no. but i don't mind slowing you down a little.

what do you want from me, [name]?

i know you want to talk about this... but i don't. not yet.

it's so much easier to see the world in black and white. gray... i don't know what to do with gray.

my instincts are what got me into this mess.

never knew you had a weakness for men with scars.

well, why the hell not? there's nobody in this galaxy i respect more than you.

if we can figure out a way to make it work, then... yeah. definitely.

you're about the only friend i've got left in this screwed-up galaxy.

you don't ever have to worry about making me uncomfortable. nervous, yes... but never uncomfortable.

i brought wine.

your hair looks... good. and your waist is... very supportive.

hopefully that's not offensive in human culture.

i want something to go right. just once.

think you can win this thing, [name]?

i'm pretty sure we'll still need giant guns... and lots of them.

so... is this the part where we shake hands?

the scars are starting to fade. i remember they drove you wild.

i've been doing some more research on human customs.

glad to know my romantic skills made an impression.

let's not go there.

i can afford the good stuff.

what about you? i'm starting to see some wear and tear.

don't forget to come up for air. and not just because all these people need you. because i need you.

if you're suggesting i'm scared... game on.

still trying to make me blush, huh?

i'd be lying if i said i didn't hope it would inspire a certain... mood.

it seemed like you needed time to... figure us out.

the worst part about the galaxy going to hell would've been never getting to see you again.

not saying you don't know how to handle a gun. just saying some of us know how to make it dance.

i've actually seen you dance. no comment.

i know there are other things you're good at.

probably not a lot of air in here. an hour if we're lucky.

so tell me. think a girl would fall for that?

it gets even better when you try it in bed.

you don't lack for places to get lost.

did we break anything last night?

you'll find a way to win. and when this is over, i'll be waiting for you.

if this thing goes sideways and we both end up there... meet me at the bar. i'm buying.

forgive the insubordination, but your boyfriend has an order for you.

come back alive. it'd be an awfully empty galaxy without you.

we're in this 'til the end.

we didn’t kill these people. and we’re going to shut down the bastards who did.

looks like we’ve got a siege on our hand.

if anyone needs fresh clips or a bathroom break, now’s the time.

oh crap!

guess he didn’t like the food.

looks like we got the jump.

pretty extreme, but those were desperate times.

we won’t get a second chance.

that was me, sorry.

nothing like being stranded.

we’ll do more than that.

just the usual minor flesh wound.

what would these people have done if we hadn’t shown up?

i was there when you two had your thing, remember? just get a room and work it out.

stay angry. we’ll need it to get through this.

drinks will be on me.

one of my favorite places to fight!

i’m hard to kill. you should know that.

it’s gonna be bad all over.

for whatever it’s worth, i’m with you.

you’ve waited long enough for this day.

just wait ‘til this war is over.

you came along and warmed my heart with your winning personality.

maybe you’d like to go work for them instead?

how do i not have one of those?

surprise on our side for once. i like it.

brutal, but it makes a certain kind of sense.

[talaok]

hi bestie, hope you’re doing good <3 can i request something please? hear me out on this one aaaa

pedro and actress!reader are co-stars and there’s a pool table around one of their sets, she mentioned that she doesn’t know how to play pool and he gladly makes it his mission to teach her how to play pool and she’s frustrated because he smells so good and he keeps whispering praises into her ear while he has her bent over the table LWIDJFNRNRMD and then they end up fucking back in her room hehe

Pairing: Pedro Pascal x reader

Summary: a hot pool lesson with Pedro

Warnings: a bunch of shameless flirting, tension, dirty talk, and an obscene amount of pet-names, but no smut bc for some reason I've found I don't want to write smut for Pedro

a/n: girl...that's so fucking hot

"what!?" 

you laughed softly "I'm sorry alright, I've just never played!"

"not even once?"

"nope"

"what do you do when you go to a bar?"

"I drink?" 

He huffs a laugh "that's unbelievable"

"Maybe it's more a thing of your generation..." you teased, cocking a brow.

"oh yeah? You're saying I know how to play pool just 'cause I'm old, sweetheart?"

You bit down a grin "I didn't say anything, it was all you"

"mh-mh" he hummed amusedly, taking a step to get in front of you.

His broad figure towered over you completely.

"Well I won't have any of that, a pretty lady like you needs to know how to play"

"is that right?" you smiled

"Absolutely" he nodded, a smug smirk tugging at his lips "and you're in luck... I happen to be a very good teacher"

You laughed softy "I would have betted you were. You have a lot of expertise?" you said, fully aware of the suggestive undertone of your words. 

He bit his lower lip, his eyes boring into yours "I sure do, sugar" 

You had played with fire and now your cheeks regretted it, as a pink tint flowed to them.

"so what do you say we get a drink somewhere and I teach you a thing or two when we're done here?"

"I'd like that" you nodded a shy smile on your lips.

"It's decided then" he winked, as someone called for him " you better start getting your face game on sweetheart"

__ __ __

With a quick call, you found out the bar just in front of your hotel had a pool table, so as you had decided, once you had both finished for the day, at around six, you made your way there.

You felt a slight buzz of anxiety the whole day. This wasn't the first time you hung out alone, and it's not like you didn't like it, or him, hell, that was probably the problem, you liked this idea a bit too much, and were concerned with the possible consequences of what precisely that excitement could have brought.

But still, as you sipped on your wine, watching him set up all you needed to play, you had never felt so at ease.

He was always able to do that, just his presence soothed you.

"Alright," he said, standing up after having racked up the balls with a triangle thingy "We're set up," he said, handing you your stick.

"alright then professor, how does this work?" you asked playfully, causing him to grin.

"ok so first of all one of us has to break"

you frowned, confused "as in..."

"right" he smiled "The break it's the first shot, if you make a ball into a pocket, you claim that type for the rest of the game"

"ok" you nodded, feigning confidence. You already knew you were gonna be shit at this.

"You wanna try to break?" he asked, 

"Uhm, sure, but I think first you gotta tell me how to use this thing" you laughed softly, eyeing the wooden stick in your hand.

"Ok, first of all, that thing is called a cue," he said "and don't worry I'll guide you through it, sugar" he reassured you.

"Alright," you spoke softly "so what do I do?"

"ok, so first of all you bend over the table," he said, and you couldn't help but laugh a little.

"you're not even gonna buy me dinner first?" you joked, doing what he had instructed.

You heard the warm sound of his deep chuckle behind you "You have a dirty mind sweetheart" he shook his head, coming to stand behind you as you bent over. 

"ok, now try to aim for the center of the triangle with your cue"

"you tried but you quickly came to a realization "Pedro I have no idea how to hold this" You smiled

"that's not so bad" he spoke, eyeing your grip, "but here," he said, one of his hands guiding your fingers around the stick "that's better, you have to hold on to it tightly ok?" he said, and you nodded "while for this hand..." he trailed off, taking your left hand in his and positioning it how you were supposed to on the table "you have to hold it like this so that you can aim " he murmured.

His whole body was pressed against yours, his scent was intoxicating if not poisoning, and you could feel the warmth of his body as it followed the shape of yours.

Your heart started beating faster, and you had to bite your lip

“Try making a shot” he murmured again

“O-ok” you stuttered, mainly focusing on not moving any part of your body because that would have meant doing so against his.

You tried taking a shot, and as you could have probably predicted, failed miserably.

The ball didn’t even graze the other ones.

You laughed softly “shit”

He chuckled, the soft vibrations of his voice traveling straight to your ear “Don’t beat yourself up, it's your first time after all” he spoke, retrieving the ball before getting back to his previous position, his body and arms stretched out to guide yours.

God, was he distracting.

"ok now try again" he whispered gently, his hands leaving yours temporarily to move some hair out of your face. You blushed as your breathing quickened "You can do it sugar, try taking a deep breath"

That's easier said than done.

You tried nonetheless, attempting to clear your mind and trying again.

"that's it," Pedro smiled "That's a good girl"

fuckshitfuck

As embarrassing as it sounds, you could feel your panties grow wetter.

But I mean, did he have to whisper that into your ear? Not that you were complaining it's just... you weren't much of a fan of having all the oxygen taken out of your body with just two words.

He must have noticed something was wrong because he asked "You ok, sweetheart?"

"y-yeah, sorry" you smiled your tension away "So what happens now?"

he leaned up and took a step away from you, retrieving his own cue.

"now since you claimed the stripes balls," he said, taking the one you had made into a pocket out "I'm gonna play to make the other ones"

"ok" You nodded, "show me how it's done then, professor"

He analyzed the table before positioning himself to make a shot.

He glanced at you as he was in position "Ready?" he asked

"oh I'm ready" you teased.

He made the shot and made two balls like it was nothing.

"show-off" you joked, your lips pulling into a smile "So what now? You go again?"

He raised himself, his eyes locked on yours "Usually yes, but I want to help you out here, so why don't you go again?"

"fine, but not because I need your help" you clarified, deciding on what ball to aim to and bending down in position.

"you're already better" he spoke, his voice suddenly deeper as he got behind you once again, this time his hands finding your waist.

You had to hold your breath.

"c'mon, sweetheart, show me what you've learned" 

"is my grip right?" you asked, half (actually fully) hoping he would get closer to you.

"let's see" he granted your wish, bending down to you "That's really good sugar, you're a natural"

"you're just saying that" you chuckled

"no, you're real good at this," he said "Now try again, c'mon"

You set your fingers how he'd taught you and were rewarded with a sultry "That's it, sweetheart, that's perfect"

His breath was fanning over your neck but you somehow managed to make the shot.

"atta girl, if you keep going like that you might just beat me" 

"might?" you forced yourself to act as if you weren't about to combust "I don't think there's any doubt I'm gonna do that"

He chuckled, his thumbs absentmindedly stroking your sides "You keep dreaming" he mocked "Now let's see if you can do that again" he challenged.

You turned your head to the side, finding his just inches away.

Once again, your heart took a toll.

Whatever you wanted to say, had flown out of your head.

The only thought in your mind was: God how I want to kiss him.

You had never admitted it, but I guess this was as good a time as any.

"go on angel, show me" he nodded

You obliged, getting back to the game but having to bite your lip to prevent your heavy breathing.

You once again relished the feeling of him so very close to you, and just as you did... an idea came to mind.

So what if I...

As you aimed for a ball, you let your body move with you, more precisely, you let your ass stretch out a bit, casually finding Pedro's crotch.

He cleared his throat, and you bit down a whimper at the feeling.

"sorry" you murmured, pretending to be still focused on the game.

"it's nothing sweetheart" he reassured you, his hands still on you.

"is this good?" you asked innocently as you grinded on him again, nodding to the way you were placing your fingers.

"fuc- Yeah," he said, his voice more strained "Yeah that's perfect sugar, just like that, you're doing really good"

"really?" you asked, moving your ass against him again.

You were determined to break him. And you did.

You had to admit it had been easier than you'd expected.

His hold on your waist got tighter "you might want to stop doing that" he whispered to your ear, spreading goosebumps all over you

"do what?" you asked naively

He chuckled softly

"You're gonna get me in trouble sugar"

"Why is that?" you said, turning to him.

He paused a moment, as if he was pondering if he should have told the truth.

"I wouldn't want to have to fuck you right here on this table" he spoke calmly as if he hadn't just said what he said, "what would all these people think?"

you bit your lip, stifling a whimper "I didn't take you for one to care about that type of thing"

"I'm not, trust me there's nothing I'd like more than to slide your pretty panties to the side and thrust into you right now, but I'm sure a lady like you wouldn't like that"

you smiled "You know me well," you said, leaning closer to him "So what do you say we go back to my hotel room?"

An incredibly wide smile tugged at his lips "I was hoping you would say that"

[yois2aki]

੭୧ if i can't save you... . ۫

chishiya shuntaro x g!n reader

— warnings: fluff, descriptions of typical aib violence, fits both manga and live action, one singular suggestive remark, no use of y/n.

— summary: you arrive from a particularly rough game to an almost empty beach, thankfully there's still a specific doctor awake to treat your wounds.

— word count: 2.4k

your leg barely healed from the last game, and you had to play again already.

it was a wonder why there were so many people left in the borderlands. if it weren't for your high ranking on the beach's hierarchy and the minor hope you had to leave this world once all the cards were collected, you would have probably given up. 

it was tiring and stressful. even though so many people were living life as if deathly games weren't waiting for them the next day, you just couldn't brush away the fear of a laser hitting you on the head out of nowhere or waking up with once again new rules to the games.

you waddled to the beach's main hall entrance with the few survivors from the game you played. the three of spades should have been easy, but even you underestimated it, getting scratched violently by a black panther in between. all that mattered was that you were alive, and soon the wound would heal itself like every other did (not really, your leg was full of dried blood, stopping the wounds from opening, but still in critical condition.)

all you had to do was go to your room, take a shower, and go to sleep. there was an executive meeting going on, but you were too unbothered to even care about the hatter's waste of time. you realized everyone you knew would be either sleeping, partying, or at the so-called meeting, which was more of a lecture.

while walking around the hotel rooms, you relished the quietness. it had been a while since you were able to rest, and all you needed was a bed and a pillow to pass out on. that was until a figure in a white jacket showed up in one of the corners of the hall.

"what the-!" you gasped, jumping back at the surprise and placing a hand almost immediately on your chest while trying to catch your breath. dramatic? maybe a little. but you did get scared at his sudden presence.

chishiya stood in place while staring at you. upon regaining your composure, you looked up and noticed he had his signature raised eyebrow look, and you felt the need to explain what went on. "i didn't expect to see you there. aren't you supposed to be at the meeting?"

in reality, you had never been that close to chishiya, apart from the usual small talk due to being both executive members. you had no idea what was going on inside his head at any moment; his expression was definitely unreadable. every time you two were placed together somewhere, the awkwardness made itself present. even if you'd try and engage in a little chat, he'd end it too quickly for you to feel stupid for even trying. if he knew your name, you would be surprised.

instead of answering, chishiya kept silent. usual, you thought to yourself. as your mind ran around looking for ways to end this awkward situation, chishiya's gaze seemed to be elsewhere. your eyes finally met his, but his didn't meet yours. instead, he fixed himself on your legs. 

"you're bleeding," he said bluntly.

"oh..." you looked down at your own legs, bending slightly to take a look at the situation. your mouth opened agape once you noticed just how bad your wounds looked.

you didn't realize it the moment you got it, but the scratch from earlier must have messed up with some other of your past injuries, opening both of them up. a trail of blood was running down your legs, and as you glimpsed to the floor, you realized it was also stained by so. for how long has it been like this? you wondered. 

"yes, i'll take care of it later..." you mumbled pathetically.

it was quite embarrassing to be in this position, especially in front of chishiya. for some reason, you always messed up your words when talking to him or anyone superior overall. maybe it was because you'd picture a whole dialogue in your mind before speaking, and when actually doing it, words came out messed up and switched.

you finally looked up with the stupidest expression on your face, realizing chishiya's eyebrow had only raised more. you bit your lip in embarrassment as he spoke up again. "if you take care of that the same way you did with your other wounds, you'd be better leaving it how it is."

if you could be more ashamed than you were, you would. perhaps he was just trying to get under your skin, but the only thing you wanted to do was get out of this situation. 

you stood there awkwardly as your gaze never met his, unsure of what to say next. instead, he was the one to break the silence.

"follow me." he said after a sigh left his mouth.

and you did exactly so. or at least you tried. you noticed that chishiya didn't even bother to look behind to see if you were actually following, but you also noticed he was moving slower than he usually did, probably because he knew you could barely hold yourself on your own two feet. you weren't even sure how you knew how fast he normally walks.

your thoughts were interrupted as you realized he was actually taking you to his room. you knew this path like the back of your hand since you would always watch where he was going after the executive meetings. this was where you registered that you had been analyzing every single one of chishiya's movements without even knowing it. you probably looked like a creep as soon as you grasped it all.

chishiya opened the door to his room and finally looked at you, as well as at the trail of blood you left behind. something in his gaze — you could not understand what — changed as his movements hurried slightly.

"sit down in a comfortable position," he demanded with a voice that almost seemed caring, pointing to his bed.

you did as asked, although you struggled to be in a pleasant posture due to your legs almost opening apart. 

this seemed all too weird to you. the chishiya that barely looked your way for more than five seconds was the same chishiya that was now leaving his suite with a first aid kit, seemingly prepared to treat your wounds without even asking.

"why are you doing this?" you couldn't help but interrogate. his latest actions were way too out of character, at least to the chishiya you made up in your mind.

"i was bored," he replied sarcastically, a tone of irony present in his voice. now this was more like the chishiya you knew, even though it was obvious that wasn't the real motive.

you wanted to keep smothering him with questions because your mind was way too confused to function properly, but your line of thought was put back as you saw him kneel before you and open the box he positioned on the bed. you would have folded and turned into a blushing mess right there and then, if it weren't for the agonizing pain that decided to come back.

you got a quick glimpse of what the box held: gauze roles, sterile gauze pads, eye pads, a roll of adhesive tape, elastic bandages, sterile cotton balls... your head started almost immediately hurting looking at all the utensils that you had barely any idea what did.

"relax. focus on staying awake." chishiya said it with that same voice from way before, tense but almost sweet. he gathered something on one of the cotton pads; you could not figure out what, as your mind almost went blank. "this will hurt."

and as he finished his sentence, not a single second was left for you to process as he started patting your wounds with it. you immediately hissed at the pain, tears threatening to spill from your eyes as you bit into your hand in a way to muffle your whimpers.

your head moved away from the scenario. even though you wanted to keep your eyes on such a focused chishiya, you would have probably passed out from looking at the amount of blood leaving your leg. especially now that, with the alcohol-coated cotton, which you developed a deep hatred for, he had removed the thin layer of dried blood left, securing your wounds.

he moved the piece of pad very quickly around your wounds, removing the blood as fast as he could, probably to make the process faster and less hurtful. the thing is that, if he were more patient, the pain would probably not be half as bad as it is right now. however, you were too dazed to tell him to be more gentle. tears finally ran down your cheeks as you did your best to keep one hand holding you on the bed and the other brushing them away and covering your mouth at the same time.

even through all the pain, your biggest worry was how stupid you probably looked in front of a guy who must have had something to do with the medical department — you assumed by the way he seemed so professional right now.

"calm down. the worst part is almost over." he said, not bothering to look up to guess that you were driving yourself crazy with tears from your whimpers and constant sniffling.

his words managed to comfort you for about 3 seconds, as he finally stopped moving the torturing device on your leg and you opened up your eyes, only to realize he was just picking up another one and coating it with alcohol once again.

before you could even process it, you audibly groaned in disapproval, almost forgetting who was just below you. 

he suddenly stopped, his head finally lifting to look at you with that unbothered classical look, his mouth slightly open. you looked at him hesitantly, your eyes still coated with tears and your face somewhat puffy, quickly realizing your mistake.

"would you prefer for me to leave your leg as it is?" he said it with a superior tone. even though the sentence was formed as a question, you could tell he definitely didn't mean it as one. more like a reprimand.

"sorry..." you muttered under your breath, your eyes immediately drifting away from his, trying to avoid getting his confront once more.

he kept his eyes on you for a second before sighing and shaking his head, his attention going back to your leg as he started to move the cotton pad once again. you hissed between your teeth, your hand moving back to your mouth as you closed your eyes as strongly as you could to avoid any tears from spilling.

to your benefit, this part ended quickly as he finally finished cleaning your wounds. you sighed in relief, now only a sharp but endurable pain left on your leg as you finally relaxed your muscles until he spoke up again.

"your injuries aren't that serious. you were lucky you ran onto me." he commented, staring at his newly finished job. so much, it almost made your head hurt. "there is a specific cut that would normally need to be sewn together, though. however, we don't want to hear any more whining tonight, do we?"

his words traveled immediately to your heart, your face heating up for the nth time during this whole interaction, unable to even stare at him. 

from this moment on, your mind just went somewhere else as he finished patching up your leg. you couldn't lie and say that by the time he was finished, you didn't feel much fresher and calmer, being able to look at your leg and see it coated in white instead of red. 

he finally got up with a sigh and stored everything back into his first aid kit box, entering his suite and placing it back wherever he hid it.

"thank you; sorry if it was an inconvenience," you said in a low voice when he came back. your eyes stuck on your leg, moving it around as if you never had two functional limbs before.

he stared at you, seemingly having fun with your own stuff, with a smirk on his face that, if you had caught onto it, you would have died of embarrassment once again.

"now, be careful not to get wounded like that again." he commented, turning his back to you and moving around the bed, looking for something you didn't pay attention to on one of his shelves. "i might not be as gentle as i was this time."

you were brought back from the moon as he finished his sentence. that was him being gentle? you could practically hear the smirk on his face when he said that, but it still managed to get you thinking. you knew better than to complain, though.

"what were you before coming here?" you remembered wondering a few moments before, due to his skills in treating you. the question came out without thinking twice.

you could hear him stop while looking for whatever it was when you asked that, to which he answered quickly. "i studied medicine. i wasn't a doctor yet, though."

if chishiya could have gotten any hotter to you, he just did. you bit your lip, breaking your process of thinking before your thoughts led you elsewhere. 

"that doesn't mean i wasn't smarter than most of the fools that call themselves doctors at the hospital i studied at." 

there was that snarky response chishiya was missing, you thought. you turned around to see him, finally realizing that he was actually looking for something between his shirts. you tried to peek into it, but he suddenly pulled something out that looked like a soda can, with a few cables around it. he finally moved closer to you again, handing you the item.

"it's a bomb," he added, as you rolled it around your fingers, trying to figure out how it worked. "so you can be more prepared when playing. make sure not to use it on yourself."

he clearly meant the last part as a joke, but that was something that the percentage of happening wasn't zero, you had to admit. "thanks."

even though chishiya seemed stern, there was something about him that attracted you. and something that made him help you tonight, about which you still weren't sure, happened to make you more confused. you wondered about asking him again, but knowing the littlest bit about him would make you sure that he'd just avoid the question once again. at least your leg was patched up, and you could go to sleep peacefully tonight.

— a/n: aaahh im debuting on this account... hope you guys like this little babble i made a few days ago. aib fever is back and i have a lot to say, might as well spill it out! i will make a masterlist soon enough. feel free to leave requests (if it's working) (╥﹏╥)

[yeoosaangg]

Pacify Her || Kinktober - Day 5

pairing ▸ choi jongho × f!reader

now playing ▸ pacify her - melanie martinez

⤷ ❝someone told me stay away from things that aren't yours, but was he yours if he wanted me so bad?❞

genre ▸ college au, best friends to lovers, smut

warnings ▸ hand kink, degradation, gagging, choking, fingering, rough sex, infidelity

── ⋆ ⋆ ── 𔘓 ── ⋆ ⋆ ──

You walk into the house, feeling the base of the music in your core. It felt stimulating since you pre-gamed with your friends before your arrival.

Yunjin: Somi and I are gonna go dance!

Y/n: I've gotta go find Jongho.

They exchange knowing smirks, heading for the dance floor. You roll your eyes, turning to scan the room.

You maneuver your way around the sweaty bodies of your classmates and finally spot your best friend.

He sits on a couch in the corner, drinking some sort of alcoholic beverage. His friend group sits around, two of them with a girl on their laps.

Yeosang: Hey, look! It's Jongho's girlfriend! Come take a seat.

His what?

Jongho: She's not my girlfriend.

His scowl pierces through the older, who simply shrugs and sits back.

Yeosang: Right. You're dating that one girl in your major. What was her name? Raven? My bad, I forgot. Y/n, come sit on my lap, baby.

Jongho clenches his jaw. He knows what he's doing and he doesn't like it.

Y/n: I'll pass. You're too much of a man whore for me.

Everyone laughs, including Yeosang. He can't argue with your statement because it's true.

You sit next to Jongho, head immediately laying on his lap.

Y/n: What were you guys talking about?

Mingi: The trip to the ski resort coming up. Lots of us think it's gonna be a disaster.

Y/n: Why?

Mingi: Because lots of shit goes down on trips like this. Last time, the admins had to separate a few girls because they were fighting.

Y/n: Damn. For what?

Mingi: They all thought sleeping with the same guy meant they were dating him. Next thing you know, they're fighting to see who's worthy to be his girlfriend.

Yeosang: Not my fault they got attached. I've made it clear plenty of times I was just there for fucking.

Y/n: I'm not surprised you were involved. How'd you get them to back off?

Yeosang: I'm still fucking them.

Of course he is.

Y/n: And on that note, I'm gonna go get a drink.

Jongho: I'll come with. Need more vodka.

You both get up, heading into the kitchen. You start fixing yourself some tequila, watching Jongho pour straight vodka into his cup.

Y/n: Rough night?

He shrugs, gulping down the alcohol.

Jongho: Raven and I got into a fight.

Y/n: For real? What about?

Jongho: It's stupid.

Y/n: It's not if it's bothering you. Come on, you can totally tell me.

Jongho: Not this. I'm still trying to figure out if she was right or just paranoid.

You furrow your eyebrows, but don't push further. If he needs time, you'll give it to him.

Y/n: Alright, then. Cheers to you solving your relationship problems soon.

He chuckles, clinking his red cup with yours.

He can't find it in his heart to tell you that you're the reason he's been arguing with Raven. She accused him of having feelings for you.

The idea was ridiculous at first. You're his best friend, of course you two would be close.

But then he started noticing the way he treats you over anyone else. He drops everything just to help you out. He laughs around you the most, feels happier too.

He was scared of accepting the possibility and chose to escalate their fighting more. Never once did he lay a hand on her, though. He just insults her, calls her insecure and jealous.

But he's starting to realize Raven was right as he looks at you. His heart beats faster, checking you out. The tight black dress fitting you perfectly.

He has the urge to fuck you in it. Right in that very kitchen.

Y/n: Dude!

He snaps out of his daze, looking at you attentively.

Y/n: I asked if you wanted to go somewhere quieter? This fucking music is blasting my eardrums.

Being alone with you in a room sounds like a terrible idea, but the vodka in his system is like a booster shot to his desires.

Jongho: Yeah. It's better than having to yell over the music.

You agree, heading up the stairs of the frat house. You open a familiar room, hoping it's empty. You sigh in relief seeing no one inside.

You plop onto the bed, not noticing your best friend locking the door.

Y/n: I think I shouldn't have pre-gamed. Yunjin made me take four double shots.

Jongho: Bad idea. You sleep with random strangers when the alcohol hits you.

Y/n: But I do end up with a new fuck buddy! Guess we'll find out who's the next victim later. Come lay down, maybe you need some rest.

No, he needs to fuck you.

Just to confirm his theories. Nothing else.

He slips in next to you, staring at the ceiling.

Jongho: Oh, look! They have those glow in the dark stars. I wonder who's room this is.

Y/n: It's Yeonjun's.

Jongho: How do you know?

Y/n: He's the guy I told you about. The fuck buddy that might become more.

Oh.

Jongho: Do you like him?

You stay silent. Yeonjun's nice and all, but he doesn't make you feel alive. The only guy to make you feel like that is unavailable.

Y/n: I think so. He's the only other guy I let into my dorm.

Jongho: There's others?

Y/n: Hell no. Just you and Yeonjun.

He wants to be the only guy allowed in your room.

You look at his hands and widen your eyes.

Y/n: When the fuck did you get a ring?

Jongho: Raven.

Awkward.

You clear your throat, turning on your side to play with the ring in his hand.

Y/n: It suits you. Makes your hands look even more pretty.

Jongho: You think they're pretty?

Fuck, you didn't mean to say that out loud.

Y/n: I didn't say that.

Jongho: It was implied.

Yeah, it was. But he has a girlfriend, you can't let your feelings for him drive you to do stupid things.

Jongho: You're staring at my hands.

Y/n: Hot.

Jongho smirks. He just discovered something new about you.

You've got a hand kink.

Jongho: Open your mouth, baby.

You widen your eyes at the petname. But he looks at you with a fond smile, so you immediately comply.

He shoves his fingers into your mouth, making you sigh in satisfaction. You've wanted this to happen for so long, it feels good to finally get it.

Jongho: Look at you, sucking like a sex-deprived whore.

You moan at his words, moving to sit on his crotch. He chuckles as you start to grind on him.

Jongho: Fucking hell, Y/n.

You start to feel him harden under you. He's fucking huge, it makes your mouth water more.

Jongho: Look at that, you're a drooling mess.

Your eyes roll into the back of your head when he rocks his hips up into you, goaded by the warm pressure that is your pussy.

You whimper, taking his other hand to your throat.

He lightly squeezes, pulling you down. His fingers in your mouth hit the back of your throat. You moan, rutting your hips even faster.

Jongho: Get naked.

You nod while climbing off. A pout forms on your face at no longer having his fingers in your mouth, but get so excited when he starts stripping as well.

Jongho: Lay down.

You do as he says, spreading your legs for him to see all of you.

Jongho: So pretty.

You giggle, opening your mouth in silent invitation.

Jongho: So cute.

He climbs over you, his cock rubbing against your clit. You moan, wanting him inside of you already.

Jongho: So impatient.

His left hand chokes you, his other back inside your mouth. You hum, smiling as his hips rut against you. His cock sliding up and down your folds, getting soaking wet.

Jongho: Wanna see what else my hands can do for you, baby?

You nod, anticipation filling your veins.

He takes his hand out your mouth, reaching down to slip into your warm cunt. You moan at the feeling knowing the music outside the room was drowning you out.

Jongho: Like my hands so much, might as well let them make you cum multiple times, hm? Would you like that?

You nod again. You desperately want him to go faster.

He squeezes your neck a little tighter, curling his fingers at a rapid pace. Your pussy clenches around his fingers, the pressure in your lower stomach intensifying.

Your orgasm hits strong, Jongho not giving you any time to rest. His fingers continue abusing you until you cum again. Your moans rival the loud bass of the music downstairs.

He takes his fingers out and shoves them into your mouth.

Jongho: Suck.

You don't have to be told twice, licking your juices clean. You moan when he shoves his cock into you with no warning.

Your back arches off the bed, eyes rolling to the back of your head.

He uses his knees to push your legs up, slamming his hips at an angle that has you screaming even louder than you've been the entire night.

He laughs at your attempt to say something, but his fingers prevented you from doing so.

Jongho: What'd you say, baby? I can't understand you with my fingers in your mouth.

You let out a choked whine, cumming on his cock. He doesn't stop ramming his cock against your walls.

The reality of your actions only hit you now. You're fucking your best friend at a frat party. You remember that he's a taken man, tears building in your eyes.

He takes your tears as a sign that he's making you feel good, fucking you rougher.

Jongho: I love you. Always have.

Your worries go away, feeling a sense of relief wash over you. His girlfriend is nothing but a distraction, much like your handful of fuck buddies.

It's always been Jongho. It'll always be him.

You cum all over his cock again. His thrusts become sloppy, pulling out and spilling all over your stomach. He lays next to you, very out of breath.

Jongho: I love you.

You cuddle into his side, kissing his shoulder.

Y/n: I love you, too.

He kisses your temple, rubbing your back in soothing patterns.

Y/n: Please tell me you're getting rid of Raven.

He laughs, stroking your hair out of your face.

Jongho: Worry about that later. You and I are just getting started.

a/n: the way i can definitely make a part two... oh well! thanks for reading ‹𝟹

You yelp when he rolls you on top of him, aligning you onto his cock.

═══

[fandoms-in-law]

Name Games

Summary: Steve and Robin decided using actual names was unneccessary so long as they knew who was being spoken to and use how they call each other as an indication of how they're doing. Hearing Steve say her name is something Robin hates.

Author's Note: I have thoughts on how names are used, specifically it's interesting how rarely I actually get addressed by name directly or do the same to anyone else. This was a way to play with it in other ways.

My idea for today: Names are overrated so when they're happy Steve & Robin call each other by random words. If a name is used they check what's wrong. If their name is used everything is dropped to help.

/\/\

"Steve, it's a movie night and you have the best house for it." Dustin tried to convince him but getting nowhere since he'd come in."Chair? Is the film you wanted to watch okay for the kids or difficult to follow?" Steve called over his shoulder.

"It's French, Coffee pot. Doubt even you'd get it but should be good for them." Robin called back.

Dustin groaned at Steve's nod. "No we know what we want to watch already."

"My house and it's Flags choice this week. If you want it at my house hers is played from the start." he stated, sternly.

"Come on Robin. Don't make us watch something nobody understands." Dustin complained but met resolute expressions from both of them.

/\

"Ice cream, your kids are upset." Robin muttered.

"They always are when I don't let them do everything they want." Steve replied. "As if I do that very often."

She gave him a side glance. "But why are they glaring at me? "

"Not a clue, Cushion. They're just bitchy" Neither mentioned the videos the kids had brought and tried to convince them to put on. This was meant to be their movie night and the kids could deal with what they wanted for once.

/\

"Oliver?" Steve asked curiously. "How do you know you're attracted to someone?"

Robin looked him over while he resolutely looked away from her. "Easily. I look at a girl and go I want to kiss her. What's up, Laura?"

"So if I thought that looking at a guy, but still do to girls as well, is that allowed?" He asked, fear mixing with confusion in his voice and Robin had to double check the store was as empty as it had been for the last half hour.

"Course it is. You can do anything you want." she replied soothingly.

Steve turned to her, eyes still worried, "Do other people do that?"

"Esther, if they do or don't doesn't invalidate whether you do." Robin said, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Now who is this boy? I've got muppet singing to pay back."

/\

"Robin." The call to the phone wasn't unusual, even if it was earlier in the night and her mother sounded worried. "Your friend seems to need help."

"I've got it." she agreed, already taking the phone. "Hello?"

"R-Robin?" Dread shot through her and she started trying to figure out the best way to Steve's house. She hadn't heard her name from him in months since they'd decided names were useful only for knowing who was spoken to and any word could do that.

"Steve? What's happened?" She asked, stretching so she could shove shoes on without leaving the phone. "I'll come to you. Just tell me what you need."

"He he died, Robbie. He died and it's all I can see and-" the shake in his voice had her pausing, still set on rushing to him but certain she couldn't cut the call until Steve was at least a little calmer.

"Eddie survived Stevie. You saved him and got him home. Did you have a nightmare?" she asked softly.

"So many this week. I wanted to sleep early, try and feel rested for once but he's dead and I can't." His voice got smaller as he spoke.

Robin looked around hoping the radio she'd finally received was downstairs and not in her room. "Eddie didn't die or if he did it was barely a few seconds before your CPR saved him. I'll come over, get Eddie to as well. We can have a sleepover so you can rest and know he's alive." She comforted seeing her mum still stood nearby.

"Mum, can you fetch my radio please?" she hissed out covering the receiver so she could still hear Steve's mutters that Eddie was dead without him hearing.

Steve was convinced she was bringing a ghost or zombie over but sounded like he agreed to the idea. "I'll pick you up, you and dead Eddie. You can't drive."

Taking the radio as her mum returned with it Robin didn't bother covering anything as she pressed the button on speak to both the phone and radio at once. "But Eddie can and he'll pick me up. He's alive, Steve. We're coming, just unlock the door and curl up on the couch. We're coming."

"Shit, is he okay? I'm going to my van now." Eddie's voice replied while Steve sniffled a little.

“Just try to breathe slowly for me, Steve. I’ll help you calm down until Eddie picks me up and then it’ll be only a few minutes before we’re with you.” Robin didn’t respond. Out of all their friends Eddie seemed to be the only one who’d picked up on how they spoke to each other, most of the kids still trying to understand why neither used nicer names than tree or pizza and convinced it was a weird type of flirting.

Steve stumbled out a reply, voice strained and denying he needed it, but didn’t argue as Robin started counting.

/\

“Robert.” Steve whined from his couch as soon as the door was open, arms stretched towards it. The name was still too close to Robin for her to think he was feeling any better, and the sob a moment later agreed even as Steve sprung over to cling to Eddie instead of her. “Eddie, Eddie, Eddie.”

“Okay we don’t need to repeat my name,” Eddie calmingly said, “I’m alive and here. Nothing will take me away if you stop saying my name.”

Robin nudged the pair so everyone could pile on the couch and on top of each other. “We’re here Stevie. You’re okay.”

“I’m so tired, Robbie. It’s always nightmares.” Steve complained, still curled into Eddie more than her, twisted enough his head was resting over Eddie’s heart.

“Then let’s get you comfortable, sweetheart.” Eddie suggested, being met by two shaking heads and Robin tugging blankets over from under a side table.

Steve used the grip he wasn’t releasing to move them into laying along the couch. “No lonely room please, please no.”

“We stay here for sleepovers, Eds.” Robin gave a little more explanation. “His room isn’t good.”

He nodded, letting the pair get them set up and just being comforting and soothing when he could.

/\

“Jack, I’m making pancakes.” Robin heard whispered before the slow movements of Steve trying to escape their pile began.

“Lucy, stay and cuddle. It’s too early for you to cook.” She tensed hearing the words, knowing she hadn’t said them and uncertain how Steve would react.

He chuckled, “You joining in our name game or calling me satan? I need to pee anyway, might as well make pancakes so we can eat then nap through the day.”

“You’re better this morning.” Robin mumbled. “Do we need to drag Eddie into all our sleepovers and cuddle piles to prevent your nightmares?”

“Yes please. I’ve been waking Wayne up cause of them.” Eddie was the one to reply and she cracked her eyes open to see Steve had finished separating from them and left the room.

She sighed, “Only cause Alice likes you.”

“She means as a crush before you overthink.” Steve called through, revealing that he was only in the kitchen. “But that can wait for another day.”

[lili863]

Animagus (pt 2)

Matteo Riddle x MC

AN: Enemies to lovers, Quidditch, banter, conspiracies, dark arts, manipulation, death eaters, Slytherin boys Masterlist

**************

You limped across the hallways, on your way to the infirmary to get a vial of Wiggenweld Potion.

Your broom dragged across the floor, your eyes glued to your feet, when suddenly the sound of footsteps approaching prompted you to look up.

"You've got quite the mouth on you, Hufflepuff. I didn't take you to be such a sore loser".

Matteo Riddle, still adorned in his Quidditch uniform, stopped in front of you, this time without his cronies to back him up. His eyes gleamed with a mix of amusement and something darker.

"And I didn't take you to be the biggest jerk I've ever met, but hey, here we are," you shot back, your voice dripping with sarcasm.

His lips curled into a vicious smirk as he eyed your disheveled state. "Well, you certainly did a great job blocking every hit with your face."

Your tongue swiped over the cut on your lips, as his eyes followed.

"My face? Perhaps you should be more worried about your buddies who all took a hit from the bludgers they tried to throw, the blonde one looked like he was gonna pass out".

Matteo huffed out a laugh "The blonde one"?

A small smile crossed your lips, "What? Should I know their names?"

Matteo smirked, "Well, I certainly know yours now Wynn Cromwell".

Something churned in your stomach hearing that your name. Why did sound so good when it came out of him?

You were tempted to smile, but held it in.

"What do you want Riddle? Certainly, you didn't come here to give me well wishes on joining the team"

"No actually, matter of fact the opposite". Matteo innocent smile contradicted his words so well you scoffed, rolling your eyes.

"Figured. So get to the point please".

Riddle turned and leaned casually against the window, his posture relaxed but his eyes gleaming with intensity. You stood there, your curiosity piqued despite the growing tension.

"I need you to go to Rolanda and give up your place on the Hufflepuff team," Matteo stated casually, as if he were asking for a simple favor.

You blinked once. Then twice. And then you doubled over, laughing in his face, a little hysterical from the exhaustion of the day.

Matteo remained there, unfazed, watching you with an inscrutable expression as your laughter died down. His eyes, however, betrayed a flicker of irritation.

"Right, well, you're funny, Riddle. I'll give you that," you said between giggles, wiping a tear from your eye.

He merely sighed, looking annoyed that he needed to elaborate further. "Quit the team, Wynn, or else."

Now it was your turn to smirk, your curiosity giving way to defiance. "Or else what, Riddle?"

"Or else the Hufflepuff Quidditch team will start losing every single match from today onwards. And that would be quite humiliating, wouldn't it? You wouldn't even be able to show your face in the castle," Matteo's voice was low and serious, his eyes narrowing with each word. The gravity in his tone extinguished any humor you found in the situation.

"In case it wasn't painfully clear, I am not quitting the team I just accepted to join. So if that's all, then I am leaving," you declared, turning on your heel.

Matteo's voice stopped you mid-step. "Have you ever wondered why Hufflepuff's match stats are decently higher than Ravenclaw's even though they never make it to the semi-finals?"

You paused, looking back at him with a mix of curiosity and suspicion.

"It's because we let them win, as per our deal with the captain of your team," he continued, his tone nonchalant but his eyes sharp, gauging your reaction.

You felt a rush of conflicting emotions, your confusion giving way to anger. "What are you talking about? What deal?"

Matteo shrugged, his casual demeanor infuriating. "Just as I said. Your incompetent idiot of a captain couldn't lead your team to any wins, so he made a deal with us. If we let his team win a couple of games, he would hold off on recruiting any new talented players to the team until next year when he graduates."

You shook your head, trying to process the information. "So...you're telling me that Hufflepuff has been gaining their wins from cheating and foul play?"

If you weren't so shocked, you would have noticed the shit eating grin spreading across Matteo's face.

"What was it you said to me earlier today? Hufflepuffs don't play dirty"?

"But—I don't—why—" you stammered, your mind reeling.

Matteo stepped closer, his presence suddenly overwhelming. "Like I said, there's no fairness in Quidditch, princess."

Your initial confusion quickly turned to seething anger. To think the captain would do something as shameful and stupid as this deal. Was he even in the right house? He should've been in Slytherin.

"So...unless you want your ranks to plunge to hell, you're going to go to Rolanda—"

"No," you interrupted, your voice steady and resolute.

Matteo paused, his face hardening. "That wouldn't be wise of you."

Now the two of you were eye to eye, the tension crackling in the air like static. "If you're scared, Riddle, just say that. I don't give a damn about that deal because we are going to win our matches fair and square from now on," you declared, your voice firm and unwavering.

"Don't be delusional. It's a little pitiful at this point," Matteo sneered, his words laced with condescension.

It was going to be tough, perhaps damn near impossible, but you couldn't let him win, not now, not ever. The Slytherin team was a force to be reckoned with; both of you knew that. The fact that he was this adamant against you joining said something significant. He knew you were going to be the game-changer.

"Watch me, Riddle. By the time we arrive at our next match, I'll be flying circles around you. So you can take whatever deal was made between my team and yours and shove it up your—"

You yelped as Matteo suddenly shoved you against the wall, his movement swift and forceful. He towered over you menacingly, cutting off your words with his sheer presence.

"Watch how you speak to me, ditz. I let it go the first time, so learn your place," he snarled, his face inches from yours. Your noses almost touched, and you could feel his hot breath on your skin. The slight hint of his cologne hit you in a dizzying spell, your breaths now shared in the confined space. Matteo looked furious, with no regard for your personal space as his Quidditch gear pressed against yours.

"Don't slander my house, Riddle. You'll soon learn I have finite patience for your bullshit," you shot back, your eyes blazing with defiance.

You watched him lick his lips, a menacing smile curling over them. "You'll regret this."

"Not as much as you'll regret giving Rolanda a good word for me. Because now it's gonna come back and screw your whole team."

Matteo's eyes flickered with a mix of amusement and irritation. He was used to people cowering before him, but you weren't backing down. He wouldn't admit it, but you weren't as meek as he thought you were. You weren't typical nor timid.

"You really think you can win against us? Against me?" he asked, his voice dropping to a dangerous whisper.

"I know we can. And I know I will," you replied, your voice steady despite the adrenaline coursing through your veins.

The two of you stood there, locked in a silent battle of wills, neither willing to back down. The tension was thick, the air heavy with unspoken challenges. Finally, Matteo stepped back, breaking the intense stare-off. He straightened his posture, his expression hardening once more.

"Remember this moment, Hufflepuff. When you're lying on the ground, defeated and humiliated, remember that I warned you," he said, his voice cold and authoritative.

"And when I prove you wrong, remember that I never needed a deal to win," you replied, matching his icy tone.

Matteo shoved his hands in his pocket standing before you for a few more moments, his gaze sweeping over your frame, then without a word he turned and walked away.

But you didn't miss the small smile on his lips.

[greenerteacups]

oooh please someday tell us what you think of GOT

oh, no, it's my fatal weakness! it's [checks notes] literally just the bare modicum of temptation! okay you got me.

SO. in order to tell what's wrong with game of thrones you kind of have to have read the books, because the books are the reason the show goes off the rails. i actually blame the showrunners relatively little in proportion to GRRM for how bad the show was (which I'm not gonna rehash here because if you're interested in GOT in any capacity you've already seen that horse flogged to death). people debate when GOT "got bad" in terms of writing, but regardless of when you think it dropped off, everyone agrees the quality declined sharply in season 8, and to a certain extent, season 7. these are the seasons that are more or less entirely spun from whole cloth, because season 7 marks the beginning of what will, if we ever see it, be the Winds of Winter storyline. it's the first part that isn't based on a book by George R.R. Martin. it's said that he gave the showrunners plot outlines, but we don't know how detailed they were, or how much the writers diverged from the blueprint — and honestly, considering the cumulative changes made to the story by that point, some stark divergence would have been required. (there's a reason for this. i'll get there in a sec.)

so far, i'm not saying anything all that original. a lot of people recognized how bad the show got as soon as they ran out of Book to adapt. (I think it's kind of weird that they agreed to make a show about an unfinished series in the first place — did GRRM figure that this was his one shot at a really good HBO adaptation, and forego misgivings about his ability to write two full books in however many years it took to adapt? did he think they would wait for him? did he not care that the series would eventually spoil his magnum opus, which he's spent the last three decades of his life writing? perplexing.) but the more interesting question is why the show got bad once it ran out of Book, because in my mind, that's not a given. a lot of great shows depart from the books they were based on. fanfiction does exactly that, all the time! if you have good writers who understand the characters they're working with, departure means a different story, not a worse one. now, the natural reply would be to say that the writers of GOT just aren't good, or at least aren't good at the things that make for great television, and that's why they needed the books as a structure, but I don't think that's true or fair, either. books and television are very different things. the pacing of a book is totally different from the pacing of a television show, and even an episodic book like ASOIAF is going to need a lot of work before it's remotely watchable as a series. bad writers cannot make great series of television, regardless of how good their source material is. sure, they didn't invent the characters of tyrion lannister and daenerys targaryen, but they sure as hell understood story structure well enough to write a damn compelling season of TV about them!

so but then: what gives? i actually do think it's a problem with the books! the show starts out as very faithful to the early books (namely, A Game of Thrones and A Clash of Kings) to the point that most plotlines are copied beat-for-beat. the story is constructed a little differently, and it's definitely condensed, but the meat is still there. and not surprisingly, the early books in ASOIAF are very tightly written. for how long they are, you wouldn't expect it, but on every page of those books, the plot is racing. you can practically watch george trying to beat the fucking clock. and he does! useful context here is that he originally thought GOT was going to be a trilogy, and so the scope of most threads in the first book or two would have been much smaller. it also helps that the first three books are in some respects self-contained stories. the first book is a mystery, the second and third are espionage and war dramas — and they're kept tight in order to serve those respective plots.

the trouble begins with A Feast for Crows, and arguably A Storm of Swords, because GRRM starts multiplying plotlines and treating the series as a story, rather than each individual book. he also massively underestimated the number of pages it would take him to get through certain plot beats — an assumption whose foundation is unclear, because from a reader's standpoint, there is a fucke tonne of shit in Feast and Dance that's spurious. I'm not talking about Brienne's Riverlands storyline (which I adore thematically but speaking honestly should have been its own novella, not a part of Feast proper). I'm talking about whole chapters where Tyrion is sitting on his ass in the river, just talking to people. (will I eat crow about this if these pay off in hugely satisfying ways in Winds or Dream? oh, totally. my brothers, i will gorge myself on sweet sweet corvid. i will wear a dunce cap in the square, and gleefully, if these turn out to not have been wastes of time. the fact that i am writing this means i am willing to stake a non-negligible amount of pride on the prediction that that will not happen). I'm talking about scenes where the characters stare at each other and talk idly about things that have already happened while the author describes things we already have seen in excruciating detail. i'm talking about threads that, while forgivable in a different novel, are unforgivable in this one, because you are neglecting your main characters and their story. and don't tell me you think that a day-by-day account tyrion's river cruise is necessary to telling his story, because in the count of monte cristo, the main guy disappears for nine years and comes hurtling back into the story as a vengeful aristocrat! and while time jumps like that don't work for everything, they certainly do work if what you're talking about isn't a major story thread!

now put aside whether or not all these meandering, unconcluded threads are enjoyable to read (as, in fairness, they often are!). think about them as if you're a tv showrunner. these bad boys are your worst nightmare. because while you know the author put them in for a reason, you haven't read the conclusion to the arc, so you don't know what that reason is. and even if the author tells you in broad strokes how things are going to end for any particular character (and this is a big "if," because GRRM's whole style is that he lets plots "develop as he goes," so I'm not actually convinced that he does have endings written out for most major characters), that still doesn't help you get them from point A (meandering storyline) to point B (actual conclusion). oh, and by the way, you have under a year to write this full season of television, while GRRM has been thinking about how to end the books for at least 10. all of this means you have to basically call an audible on whether or not certain arcs are going to pay off, and, if they are, whether they make for good television, and hence are worth writing. and you have to do that for every. single. unfinished. story. in the books.

here's an example: in the books, Quentin Martell goes on a quest to marry Daenerys and gain a dragon. many chapters are spent detailing this quest. spoiler alert: he fails, and he gets charbroiled by dragons. GRRM includes this plot to set up the actions of House Martell in Winds, but the problem is that we don't know what House Martell does in Winds, because (see above) the book DNE. So, although we can reliably bet that the showrunners understand (1) Daenerys is coming to Westeros with her 3 fantasy nukes, and (2) at some point they're gonna have to deal with the invasion of frozombies from Canada, that DOESN'T mean they necessarily know exactly what's going to happen to Dorne, or House Martell. i mean, fuck! we don't even know if Martin knows what's going to happen to Dorne or House Martell, because he's said he's the kind of writer who doesn't set shit out beforehand! so for every "Cersei defaults on millions of dragons in loans from the notorious Bank of Nobody Fucks With Us, assumes this will have no repercussions for her reign or Westerosi politics in general" plotline — which might as well have a big glaring THIS WILL BE IMPORTANT stamp on top of the chapter heading — you have Arianne Martell trying to do a coup/parent trap switcheroo with Myrcella, or Euron the Goffick Antichrist, or Faegon Targaryen and JonCon preparing a Blackfyre restoration, or anything else that might pan out — but might not! And while that uncertainty about what's important to the "overall story" might be a realistic way of depicting human beings in a world ruled by chance and not Destiny, it makes for much better reading than viewing, because Game of Thrones as a fantasy television series was based on the first three books, which are much more traditional "there is a plot and main characters and you can generally tell who they are" kind of book. I see Feast and Dance as a kind of soft reboot for the series in this respect, because they recenter the story around a much larger cast and cast a much broader net in terms of which characters "deserve" narrative attention.

but if you're making a season of television, you can't do that, because you've already set up the basic premise and pacing of your story, and you can't suddenly pivot into a long-form tone poem about the horrors of war. so you have to cut something. but what are you gonna cut? bear in mind that you can't just Forget About Dorne, or the Iron Islands, or the Vale, or the North, or pretty much any region of the story, because it's all interconnected, but to fit in everything from the books would require pacing of the sort that no reasonable audience would ever tolerate. and bear in mind that the later books sprout a lot more of these baby-plots that could go somewhere, but also might end up being secondary or tertiary to the "main story," which, at the end of the day, is about dragons and ice zombies and the rot at the heart of the feudal power system glorified in classical fantasy. that's the story that you as the showrunner absolutely must give them an end to, and that's the story that should be your priority 1.

so you do a hack and slash job, and you mortar over whatever you cut out with storylines that you cook up yourself, but you can't go too far afield, because you still need all the characters more or less in place for the final showdown. so you pinch here and push credulity there, and you do your best to put the characters in more or less the same place they would have been if you kept the original, but on a shorter timeframe. and is it as good as the first seasons? of course not! because the material that you have is not suited to TV like the first seasons are. and not only that, but you are now working with source material that is actively fighting your attempt to constrain a linear and well-paced narrative on it. the text that you're working with changed structure when you weren't looking, and now you have to find some way to shanghai this new sprawling behemoth of a Thing into a television show. oh, and by the way, don't think that the (living) author of the source material will be any help with this, because even though he's got years of experience working in television writing, he doesn't actually know how all of these threads will tie together, which is possibly the reason that the next book has taken over 8 years (now 13 and counting) to write. oh and also, your showrunners are sick of this (in fairness, very difficult) job and they want to go write for star wars instead, so they've refused the extra time the studio offered them for pre-production and pushed through a bunch of first-draft scripts, creating a crunch culture of the type that spawns entirely avoidable mistakes, like, say, some poor set designer leaving a starbucks cup in frame.

anyway, that's what I think went wrong with game of thrones.

[harmoniouseclipse]

Woe fankids be upon ye

Doing a little series where I took some ship requests on my instagram to make them fankids, this one is for me tho (jeanlisa to kick it off whoo 🙌🏻) The lineup so far is Cytham, Kavetham, Lionfish (aka Freminet x Gaming aged up probably idk how old they are canonically), Cynonari, Jealuc, and Beiguang, and feel free to send me some other pairings you wanna see (as long as they are legal pls otherwise I will ignore it 👎)

I'm gonna ramble about some headcanons and lore for them under the cut, continue with caution bc I'm insane

These two are my brainrot rn, don't even joke lad. And I wanna tell yall their name meanings too bc I like them a lot 🥹 Zephra's means "west wind" derived from Greek, and it's the feminine version of Zephyr. Tyrian was a type of purple dye used by the Ancient Phoenicians, huge huge HUGE thanks to my pookie bear @miothefish for helping me out with his name!!! Also he has Lisa's butterfly earring and you can't see bc of the angle but Zephra has the rose that went in her hair holding her ponytail <3

I'm also making a massive family tree for the characters as a go along, and just the jeanlisa tree is taking up half of the canvas bc of the KoF and Sumeru characters since Cyno is their uncle and the rest of the gang are their honorary uncles 😭 I'll be posting that once the series is done/all the requests are finished/I run out of ships and otps I enjoy

Here's an alternative version with some more info on most of the characters I wanted to briefly mention in their relation to them; Tyrian likes calling Eula his aunt too even though she was never really considered one for them so it's kind of like her unofficial title she pretends to dislike but she loves it and dotes on Tyrian 🤭 She and Diluc also helped train Zephra with a claymore and Diluc kind of became a parental figure to her in her teen years after Lisa's passing 🥺 She also feels like she's outshined by Jean and that she's not smart or powerful enough to follow in Lisa's footsteps (something that Lisa wouldn't want anyways bc it led her to her death 😔) rip zephra she's just like me fr

And yeah some Kaeya angst bc he's still going thru it I fear, and Jean is single mombossing but she's worried for zephra which me too dawg, im afraid to say she might be cooked 😦 Zephra is also kind of like a weird mix of Lisa when she was her age and Jean, where overall she's well-mannered and kind but she can be competitive and feel the need to push herself too much and pull a few strings to get what she wants from time to time. Tyrian is a ray of sunshine tho, he has not yet witnessed the horrors 💔 I do think that Jean is also a lot easier on him than her mom was with her so that also helps. He's very shy tho and wants to stick with Zephra or Razor most of the time, and they both have some nasty tan lines from going out with Razor and Klee and Fischl a lot 😔 Cyno also freaking loves them and dotes on them and Tyrian is getting a TCG addiction because of it smh, Cyno is also one of Zephra's favorite people and when she's in Sumeru she stays with him and Alhaitham (bc in my universe they are married ough I love cytham)

And (I think?) Klee physically and mentally ages slower than humans so I think she'd be technically 9 or 10, and Zephra is left with babysitting duty most of the time if she's home on break or smth 😭 Klee really looks up to her tho

Also, I wrote Tyrian's last bullet point like he was super young when Lisa died, but I think he was around 7 so he actually remembers Lisa better than I intended it to sound, he was just younger than Zephra (who was 11 at the time) and just didn't have as much time with her as Zeph did, but his most fond memory of Lisa was reading with her and she probably taught them some potion-making skills too.

I think there will be some abyss angst in here too at some point, since I hc Lisa to be probably an Abyss Lector/Harold (I forget which is which) um so thinking that Zeph and Tyrian experiencing some not normal things happening and Jean doesn't know what to do since Lisa also didn't really know what that dog in her was until it was too late 😔 That's what Kaeya's for tho since he's like the heir of the abyss???? Go off king. Also some touchy ragbros angst bc Kaeya is scared for Zeph knowing how close she is with Luc and he doesn't want him to push her away because of her being from the abyss or smth (they mostly made up but it's still a fear in Kaeya's mind both for him and Jean's kids)

I think that's all I wanted to touch on for now?? Mainly just thinking about domestic fluff and angst all the time now 🥺 Zeph not being able to be open with Jean bc she feels like a disappointment but Jean would literally actually die for her and shes proud of her no matter what ough im going to lose my freak dawg guess who my favorite fankid is it's super hard ik

Send me asks or dms or whatever for more ship requests!!! I'm having so much fun with this dawg 🫶🏻

[gojot-t]

Heloooo!

Can i have a 1 second chance romance with topping “I can’t imagine going back to a life without you.” “Then stay.” ?

Name is Sae Itoshi ❣️❣️❣️❣️❣️

from the valentine's day event! ⊹ ࣪ ˖

itoshi sae + second chance romance +"I can't imagine going back to a life without you." "Then stay." ˎˊ˗

tags :: probably ooc sae :(, gn!reader, this doesn't exactly follow the manga, a little angst but overall fluffy yayy, also probably grammar mistakes..

a/n:: anon im so so so sorry for the delay</3 i really hope you will like it nonetheless. on the other hand, this is almost 2k words :o

You remember the first time Sae asked you out.

You both were still children at the time, but in front of the ocean waves and ice cream dripping on the sand, no one had ever made you feel the way he did, so complete and loved.

That day, with the orange of the sunset illuminating his face, you almost thought he was an angel. When he looked at you so intensely and wrapped his hands around yours and whispered those words, like a precious secret between just the two of you, you already knew that he was the one for you.

"When I'm around you, I feel these strange things," he paused as if searching for the right words, "After a while I finally figured out what it was. I like you, I really like you, so... We should just date."

There were no fancy roses or chocolates, just an awkward confession of his way and the childish desire to always be there for each other.

"Dating? Like what adults do?"

"Yeah, like cuddles and stuff..." He looked away embarrassed as he spoke. It was rare to see Sae blush and the sight brought you more joy than you could explain.

"But we're not adults! And we already hug all the time..."

"Whatever, just accept it."

Sae's hands weren't much bigger against yours, but at that moment he felt as if he could hold the world in them.

After that, even though things had changed a bit, it felt natural, a good change. He had treated you well all along, but now he had turned into a complete gentleman. He would insist that you go to all his games to be his "lucky charm" even though he had always said that he didn't need anything but himself to win. "If I see you cheering for me, I'll definitely score another goal."

He would wait for you after school to go for ice cream together, walking hand in hand.

Once you insisted that you play ball together. Despite knowing nothing about the sport, you still wanted to share and support Sae's passion for it, but you just shamefully tripped over the ball and fell flat on your face in front of him, instead of laughing or mocking you, he knelt down beside you so worried that you were surprised. "Are you alright?? Does it hurt?! Do you want me to carry you??"

"I'm fine..."

"Good, don't scare me like that." He had given your knee a little kiss to "heal" and helped you up.

You wish you could cherish moments like that forever and everything was like a beautiful fairytale until Sae was offered professional training in Spain.

He had always loved soccer and that was no secret to anyone, so when the news arrived everyone hugged him and congratulated him. You couldn't have been happier for him and jumping for joy alongside him, despite his usual stoic façade, you knew that he too could barely contain his excitement.

There was just one small problem that you didn't have the courage to point out and apparently, Sae too.

When the day of his departure arrived, your heart was heavy with mixed feelings that you desperately tried not to let show. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for Sae, and despite feeling so, so happy for him, when his flight was announced, the curtain of tears in your eyes finally came down.

You expected to meet his angry gaze, for being so selfish and crying at such an important moment for him, but instead you saw kind eyes and a sad smile.

"Don't cry, you look ugly like that."

The tears just fell harder. The hand that had been patting your head moved to your shoulder and pulled you against him.

The sight of you crying for him - because of him - brought an uncomfortable feeling to the pit of his stomach that he couldn't describe, but knew he didn't like. He had no experience in comforting anyone other than Rin, and you weren't Rin, but for your sake he was willing to learn anything.

"You won't forget me, will you?" Your hands grabbed at any piece of him they could reach.

You knew that Sae's family was probably watching the whole interaction, yet at that moment it felt like there were only the two of you in the world.

Sae seemed even sadder. "I should be the one asking this, you know. Don't think you'll be able to get rid of me that easily, I'll still call you every day. There are the holidays too, I'm going to visit at Christmas. Nothing between us is going to change."

You desperately wished it were true, but it never was. Sae didn't come back for Christmas.

The daily calls he'd promised became weekly, stopping only once in a while until you were the only one calling and being answered by the operator's monotone, robotic voice - this number is unavailable. Try again later.

You were worried, then angry with him and then at yourself. You didn't know what had caused the sudden change, so you blamed yourself. No matter how much you wanted to, you had to come to terms with the fact that you'd probably never know if things really could have been different.

Like putting a bandaid on a deep wound, that scar would always be open in you. Sometimes the slightest gust of wind was enough to make it bleed, like passing the ice cream parlor on the corner where you made so many fond memories with him, or Mrs. Sae who still greeted you on the street.

The truth was that the more you tried to forget the boy you handed your heart to on a platter, the more attached you felt to him.

That's why when you saw him standing in front of your door after four long years, you almost thought you were crazy.

With your emotions betraying your reason, you found yourself in front of the ocean waves with Sae again. Your mind has imagined this situation many times and each time you would shout at him, beat your fists against his chest, answer him with the same coldness that he dismissed you from his life, but a simple "Can we talk?" was enough for your determination crumble.

With your arms over your chest – your only armor against the memories that came at you like an avalanche – the dichotomy between the boy with the gentle hands and soft eyes you knew and the man in front of you is so much that it seems to destabilize you.

With his hands in his pockets, Sae almost looks a bit embarrassed. The deja vu of the situation doesn't go unnoticed and you decide to be a little petty and remain silent.

"... Coach said recently that there was still something holding me back in Japan."

"..."

He scratches the back of his neck slightly. "You probably hate me, right? I don't blame you for that... But in the last almost five years there hasn't been a day that I haven't thought about you."

Hate him? You don't think you've ever hated Sae. Sure, there have been times when you've been angry with him, but hating him... You don't think you're capable of it and the thought haunts you. You'd like to hate him.

"..."

He sighs as if he's tired. "This is where it all started, remember?"

"...Just what am I to you, Sae?" You thought your voice would come out as loud as a scream, but only it shakes with anger. "You... You make me think that you're the only one for me and then you leave just like that! Now you come back out of nowhere, what do you think I'm going to do? Crawl at your feet and say I missed you?! Just what I am to you?"

He doesn't seem surprised and this increases your anger even more. There's just one second where only the waves of the sea can be heard.

"There was this one time in elementary school when the teacher asked us what we wanted for the future. You said you didn't know, but as long as you could see me play you'd be satisfied... That's when I realized I was madly in love with you."

His answer catches you off guard, this happened right at the beginning of his and Sae's friendship.

"I'd never had those kinds of thoughts before. Futebol is an individual sport for me, so I thought my life would be like that too. I'd never imagined someone always by my side before, but then you'd give me that stupid smile with that cute little window of yours and suddenly all I cared about was having you with me."

"S-Sae..."

"When I got the offer to train abroad, I wanted to take you with me, but I couldn't... Some things happened there, and I was no longer the same boy you last saw. I didn't want to disappoint you and I didn't have the courage to look at you again, so... I thought it would be better if you just hated me. I was a coward."

He interlaces your fingers against his.

"Despite everything, all this time that has passed and trying to convince myself that things would be better this way... I can't imagine going back to a life without you."

Sobs clog up the words in your throat and even when you try to reply, all that comes out are cries. with your face stained with tears, you're sure that if it weren't for Sae's arms holding you, your knees would have lost their strength a long time ago.

"Sae, Y-You idiot,” you whisper against his chest, voice heavy with the pain of finally knowing the truth. “Coward.."

He hugs you and caresses your head, his touch has never felt so right on your skin - like the missing piece of a puzzle finally falling into place. So many years ago you were the same size as him, but now his shape completely engulfs yours.

"I know, I'm sorry."

"Then stay." He opens his mouth but you stop him, you already know what he's going to say. "It doesn't have to be in Japan... Just with me, just be here, with me."

He rests his forehead against yours and hugs you harder. With a kiss salty with tears, he doesn't need words to seal this promise against your lips. Sae doesn't intend to make the same mistake twice.

[onmyknees4loak]

Teach me

Lo'ak x Reader

Warnings: (Lowkey stalker and sub lo'ak) Synopsis : (Lo'ak cant seem to take his eyes off of the girl who teaches his nephew.)

Playlist I listened to while making this

Reader's POV

"Good job muffin!!" Pxe'pe one of my youngest students finally gets her threading right. She runs off to show her mother.

I'm what Jake calls a babysitter but I like to think of myself as a teacher I mean that is what I do, people leave there kids with me while they attend to there duties and I teach them things like threading, scavenging, and even healing.

"miss miss miss" i hear a small voice from behind me and feel small hands on my leg, i turn around to be met with Kame'xar, one of my little ones.

"yes what do you need sweetie" i crouch down to be at his level

"i cut my finger" a little sob comes out as he holds his hand up, i see a small bright red cut nothing to serious but still it must hurt.

"oh no sweetie come on lets go fix that up for you" i extend my arms and pick him up, i start heading to the healing tent. i look down at his finger and as im looking away from in front of me i bump into a tall stiff figure. "Oh my eywa! I am so sorry" the figure turns around, i began to panic even more. The figure is Kame'xar's uncle.

"oh my goodness Lo'ak I apologize" i say hoping he wont notice the cut on his nephew's hand.

"oh no worries ...." he pauses trying to remember my name.

"y/n my name is y/n" i tell him.

"y/n... That's a beautiful name....Oh my god Kame'xar i didn't even notice you what's up bro, have you been crying what happened?"

He looks at me wondering what happened to his nephew,

"he cut his finger we were on the way to the healing tent to fix him up."

"oh well please let me walk you there its the least i can do" Lo'ak insists.

"I mean it is only right there but sure" we began walking to the tent which is already in sight.

Once we walk into the tent i set Kame'xar down on the floor and lower to my knees to grab the healing paste. I take his hand and gently rub the paste over his cut.

Kame'xar giggles "its c-cold!" he says in a fit of giggles.

"it is isn't it" i say laughing with him.

I can feel Lo'aks watching my every move. I stand up and turn around to Lo'ak.

"Well i should be getting Kame'xar back now." I feel Kame'xar put his now healed hand in mine and start pulling me to the opening of the tent.

"Thank you y/n, bye Kame'xar ill see you at dinner" lo'ak says waiting for us to leave.

"Bye" me and Kame'xar say at the same time.

As were walking I can't help but to keep thinking about Lo'ak everyone says he,s a bad influence and all he does is get in trouble but he seems so sweet and caring- ok y/n snap out of it he didn't even know your name and you got more important things to worry about.

Lo'ak's POV

'y/n.....y/n how have i never seen her around surly i would have noticed someone that beautiful. She's so different there's just something soothing and pleasant about her.

I walk out of the healing tent and start heading to our family tent,

Oh eywa i can't get that beautiful women out of my head. I need to see her again. I change my direction and start heading to where i know neteyam drops Kame'xar off every day. As i get closer i can hear the sound of children laughing getting louder, shes so good with kids. I hope to make her laugh like that one day.

I see my girl with kids running around her, there playing a game. I keep my distance and sit on a log where others are sitting and eating fruit.

I just sit there and watch her teach and play with the kids for hours. I turn away any time she looks in my direction hoping she doesn't realize that ive been sitting here for hours.

She would never want a guy like me an outcast.

Reader's POV

I finish putting up all the kids threading projects keeping them safe for tomorrow.

"Good Bye Vaylen! I'll see you tomorrow" now all the kids have gone home for the night, and i can start heading home. i turn around to start walking in the direction of my tent when i see Lo'ak sitting looking at me when he realizes I'm looking at him he turns his head the other way. Now that i think about it he has been sitting there since i got back from the healing tent.

'Should i go talk to him?' i ask myself 'I should.'

I start walking over to him with a smile on my face, he notices me coming over and i can see his body tense up.

"Hey Lo'ak what are you doing here?" i come to a stop in front of him.

"Oh i w-was ju-just uh chillin yk" he stutters over his words.

'my god, he's so cute, i want him stuttering over his words while i ride him' omg! what the fuck is wrong with me why would i think that.

I think he could tell i just got surprised with myself.

'y/n? Are you okay?" he asks as he stands up getting closer to me.

I can feel the tension in the air as his face is suddenly a few inches from mine.

"Yeah im good" i see his eyes move down to my lips as he licks his own.

He leans in intel our lips meet and he begins kissing me, i kiss back and start getting a little more aggressive i bring my hand to the back of his head and put my fingers through his hair lightly pulling.

"mMm" Lo'ak lets out a whimper/moan.

I pull away and bring my hand down " i cant do this Lo'ak im sorry" i look down to my feet.

"Why not baby?" he asks pushing hair behind my ear.

"What would people think if they found out, im not trying to be mean but your kinda know as a bad boy yk, and i dont want people to not trust me with there kids im sorry"

I turn around to leave and i feel him grab my hand and pull me back.

"Then Teach me, teach me how to be a good boy"

[bro-atz]

sandcastle

in which: the beach harbors many memories for you and junmin.

pair: beach volleyball player!junmin/beach volleyball player!afab!reader

word count: 2.8k

content: smut, lowkey a slow burn, car sex, oral sex, safe sex, completely consensual!

rated: R | nsfw — minors do not interact

watch out series: junmin

"Hey, do you remember how we were just kids playing beach volleyball?"

You turned your head. Next to you was Junmin, and he was looking at you with a peculiar expression on his face. You furrowed your eyebrows and nodded.

"How are we adults and still playing the same game together?"

Your face twisted into complete confusion.

"What do you mean?"

"Like... Did you think we would be here together after all this time?"

You looked around cluelessly. The two of you were sitting on one of the benches near the beach, your legs still sandy from practice— you and Junmin were beach volleyball players, and you were practicing to qualify for the championship. While everyone else had gone home, the two of you stayed back to practice one on one until the sun started setting.

"What are you talking about, Junmin?" you asked with a slight laugh. "If you mean here at the beach, then sure..."

Junmin avoided your gaze. He looked at his lap and shook his head before meeting your eyes again. "Never mind," he said softly; he didn't sound upset, but you couldn't just let him leave his thoughts like that.

"No, please tell me. Explain it to me slowly," you held his arm in place before he could slip away, your heart starting to thud in your chest as you mind started wandering— was he about to confess, or was it something else?

"Uh... I'll explain later," he brushed your hand off gently. "I think I need to rinse off first..."

You watched him get off the table and walk towards the showers, your mind reeling. You tried to figure out what Junmin was trying to get at with his vague words, and every time you thought about the way he was referring to the two of you, but you slapped your cheek lightly to snap yourself out of it. You didn't want to get your hopes up, nor did you want to ruin your partnership with your friend. After trying to get your brain to shut up, you got off the table as well and made your way to the showers.

One of the nice things about the beach your team practiced at was the closed off showers and changing rooms. Of course, the showers were public, but at least you didn't have to rinse yourself off in the middle of the beach and had some sense of privacy.

When you got to the showers, you looked around. All of the stalls were open, but none of them had the showers running, which was weird since Junmin got to the showers before you— he was nowhere to be found, though.

"Junmin?"

No response. Shrugging, you chose one of the stalls and hopped in. You barely turned the handle for the shower when you heard Junmin call your name.

"Yeah— Holy shit!"

You yelped and jumped out of the stall the second the freezing cold water hit your skin. You were surprised that the water was so freakishly cold given how hot the weather had been lately, and you were shocked as hell when it did touch you.

When you hopped out of the showers, though, you bumped right into Junmin— apparently he had already finished rinsing off. Before you could go tumbling down, he grabbed you, his hands gripping your arms and bringing you into his chest.

"What happened?" Junmin asked while laughing.

"The water was so cold! It scared... Me..."

At first, you responded to him normally, but once you realized how close he was to you, the words refused to leave your mouth. He was laughing with the most adorable smile, and his eyes were the shape of crescents. Your heart skipped a beat. You were speechless. Also, even though you'd seen him shirtless plenty of times because of practice, you had never felt his chest before, and the feeling made you feel like you were burning up.

The smile slowly faded from Junmin's face when the realization slowly sank into him as well. His eyes widened, and he maintained eye contact with you for the most part until his eyes flickered down to your lips. He swallowed nervously before opening his mouth slightly.

"...Okay?" he whispered.

Did he mean "are you okay?" or "is this okay?"

"Yeah..." you breathed out.

You thought he was going to let go, but he didn't. His fingers pressed into your skin the slightest bit more, and if anything, he closed whatever gap that was remaining between you, his bare, wet chest pressed close to your body.

The water from the shower head was still running. Still holding you, Junmin slowly moved you towards the shower stall. Warm water hit your back as Junmin closed the door, and even though the water was lukewarm at best, you felt like you were on fire. It only got hotter from there when Junmin pinned you against the stall door, one hand pressed against the door while the other held onto your waist. His face neared yours, but he had yet to do anything.

"Earlier..." he spoke in a hushed tone that barely overpowered the sound of water splashing to the ground. "I wasn't talking about volleyball..."

"What were you talking about...?"

"...You."

You blinked. He pressed his forehead against yours and sighed softly, his eyes closed.

"I never thought I would get to spend so much time with you... And I never thought that I..."

He moved his head away and opened his eyes to take in the features of your face.

"That I would like you so much."

Your heart was racing at the speed of light. He looked so serious, so sincere with his words, and your heart was practically about to burst out of your chest. It only got worse when his hand cupped your cheek, his thumb rubbing your cheekbone. You subconsciously pushed your face into his hand as your hands found their way to his shoulders and neck. You could barely maintain eye contact with him.

"And..." you took a small breath. "If I were to say I felt the same way...?"

Junmin's face was bright red. He inhaled deeply as if he was mustering the courage to do something, only for him to end up retreating. He looked away from you and covered his mouth in attempt to hide how flustered he was, but his burning red ears gave him away. Before you could say anything, he quickly said, "L-Let me help you rinse off..."

You clamped your mouth shut and nodded, your brain swirling with all sorts of thoughts the second you felt his warm touch on your shoulders. To be honest, him helping you rinse off shouldn't have made you so tense since he had helped you many times in the past, and you did the same for him. Junmin was just petting your shoulders then your back normally to make sure he got rid of all the sand, but you were hyper aware of his every movement.

He moved his hands to your waist, and you had to do your best to keep your noises to yourself. However, the more he touched you, the more your body reacted. You nearly lost your mind when he knelt in front of you, his hands delicately running over your shins and calves.

Once he was certain he was done with your legs, he tilted his head up to look at you. His face was flushed, and his wet hair shielded his eyes. Your hand moved automatically, your fingers brushing his hair back to reveal his darkened eyes. His eyes made it seem like he was going to eat you alive, but his slightly parted lips showed you that he was desperate, and not going to lie, you were desperate for him as well. So desperate, in fact, that your finger gripped the roots of his hair to cling to some sort of sanity.

Your grip loosened when Junmin stood up. He turned the shower off before turning to face you, his body insanely close to yours. Your eyes kept darting to his lips, your mind screaming at you to just kiss him already, but you were frozen in place because your nerves were just going crazy. Junmin inhaled slowly, his lowered gaze meeting yours.

"Why don't we dry off first...?"

When the two of you got to his car, some of the tension relieved itself slightly as you focused on drying every part of your body. You were dry for the most part except for your sports bra and shorts, which were still soaking wet from the shower. At least you brought a long shirt to wear over your wet sports garments, but when you reached for the shirt in your bag, Junmin intercepted by grabbing your wrist. 

"Wait, you're still we— Um, not completely dry yet," he said, his hand not letting go of your wrist.

"I know, that's what the shirt is for," you replied.

"Still, you can dry off a little more..."

Picking up your towel, Junmin wrapped it around your shoulders, the towel shimmying down from your upper back to your lower back. The lower the towel got, the closer he brought you to him, and the closer you got to him, the more the tension between the two of you built. Your lips were so close, so close, but neither of you completely closed the gap just yet.

"Is, um..." you whispered nervously while bringing your hands to his shoulders. "Is there a reason you won't kiss me?"

"I just want it to be perfect," Junmin murmured.

Closing your eyes, you waited. You felt his nose brush against yours, making your ears and fingers tingle. Then, finally, his lips met yours. His soft lips pressed against yours lightly at first, but without a second to lose, he kissed you again, this time with a little more passion. He pressed his hands against the small of your back and held you as close as possible as he kissed you over and over again, each kiss getting more intense than the last.

You let Junmin take the lead. He moved you to the back seat of his car and pinned you down to the seats, the leather cooling down your hot skin. He closed the door behind him before hovering above you, his chest moving slowly but heavily as he breathed slowly. His eyes scanned your body, and he bit his lower lip subtly as he trailed his fingers up your leg.

At that point, you were still clad in nothing but your sports bra and shorts. His fingers moved to your waist, his fingers briefly tickling your ribs before slipping under the tight band of the bra. Before going further, though, he lowered his body and made eye contact with you.

"Are you— Is this— Fuck," Junmin whispered as he stumbled over his words.

"Yes, Junmin," you helped him out. "I want this... I want you..."

Junmin let out a little sigh of relief. He kissed you sweetly then helped you out of your bra. Leaving butterfly kisses along your chest, Junmin then made his way down your chest, his lips brushing against your nipples and teasing you. You whined slightly when he started sucking lightly on your breast. You ran your fingers through his partially dry hair and tugged lightly, prompting him to look up.

"You okay...?" he asked softly when he saw you chew on your lower lip.

"Yes, but... I'm sensitive, Junmin..."

Knowing Junmin, he would lay off, but the Junmin before you was not his regular self. He suppressed a smile and resumed sucking on your tits, making you moan loudly, your fingers and toes tingling. The harder he sucked, the more your nerves ran electricity through your body. You sighed his name loudly as you leaned your head back so that it rested on the window. You were practically hysterical at that point because as sensitive as you were, he made you feel so good.

When you started moving your hips restlessly, Junmin finally gave your breasts a break. He trailed his lips down your stomach as his fingers grabbed the waistband of your shorts and tugged them down, revealing your glistening cunt.

You nearly hit your head against the window when you felt Junmin's tongue slowly explore your folds. His hands were pushing on your thighs, keeping them wide open so he could eat you out properly, desperately. You were trembling the longer he was between your legs. You kept one hand in his hair and covered your mouth with the other as you did your best to keep your moans to a minimum.

Tension was slowly building inside you. While Junmin's tongue could've done the job, you wanted more; so did he. He sat up and wiped his mouth before running his thumb over your folds.

"You should be wet enough now..." he murmured to himself while easily slipping his thumb into your cunt.

Junmin reached through the seats to open the glove compartment and retrieve a condom. He tore open the packet and pulled out his stiff cock to roll it on. He was breathing slowly and steadily, but you could see that his fingers were trembling— he was nervous.

When Junmin faced you again, he moved you down so that your back was flat against the seat cushions. He hovered above you, his ears slowly reddening the longer he remained above you unmoving. You reached for his neck and gently guided him down, his body pressing against yours.

"What's wrong?" you asked him while petting his cheek.

"I'm just nervous," he sighed out, his breath shaky.

"Don't be nervous."

"How can I not be when it's you...?"

Your eyes widened, and a bright blush spread across your face. You pulled his face close and kissed him, his lips immediately engulfing your lower lip. He made out with you while rubbing the tip of his cock along your folds. He pushed into you slowly, and once enough of his cock was inside you, he moved his hands to your waist and gripped it, his fingers pressing into your skin. He completely bottomed out and his cock filled you up. His kisses got softer as he sighed and you gasped when he entered you.

"Oh my God, you're so tight," Junmin whispered in between light kisses. "You feel so good..."

You wanted to respond, but Junmin's lips did not let up. He kissed you a little more sloppily as his hips rolled into yours, his cock moving in and out. You wrapped your legs around his waist and moved your hands to his neck, your nails starting to dig into his skin when his thrusts started getting more powerful.

Junmin, holding onto you tightly, moved so that he was leaning against the door, making you straddle him. You held onto his shoulders and remained seated on his cock. One of his hand wrapped around your waist while the other brushed your hair out of your face, his eyes sparkling as he looked up at you. He opened his mouth slightly, as if he was getting ready to speak, only to inhale and kiss your jawline. His hand held the back of your head while he left wet kisses on your neck.

Despite being completely immersed in leaving marks along your neck, Junmin's hands moved to your ass, and he started bouncing you slightly on his cock. You let out a shuddering moan before you started bouncing on his cock yourself.

Maybe it was the new angle making his cock reach further inside you, or maybe it was the fact that Junmin was lightly pinching and teasing your nipples, but you were losing your mind. Stars were filling your vision quickly, and your moans were getting louder and breathier.

"Junmin," you whined. "I'm g-gonna cum!"

"Me too— Ngh," Junmin said, his breath hitching before he groaned loudly.

You came when Junmin thrust his hips upwards sharply and brought you down on his lap at the same time, the sheer force making you yelp then moan loudly. Your cunt fluttered as you creamed around his cock, and his cock twitched as he filled up the condom inside you.

As soon as the high wore off, you were barely able to keep yourself upright. Your hold on Junmin weakened, and you pressed your head into his shoulder as you caught your breath. While his breathing settled, Junmin wrapped his arms around you, hugging you to his chest, and you remained that way for a bit.

Neither of you knew what to say. There were so many things you wanted to ask and tell him, but when Junmin started leaving fluttering kisses on your ear, you couldn't focus on anything other than his touch. You brought your head up and kissed him again, and you kissed him over and over again.

Those thoughts can wait a little longer.

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[mcflymemes]

AS SAID BY DORIAN PAVUS  *  assorted dialogue from dragon age inquisition, updated version

i don't care what they think about me. i care what they think about us.

i like you. more than i should. more than might be wise.

discretion isn't your thing, is it?

all this dancing, politics, and murder makes me a bit homesick.

i suppose it really depends. how bad do you want to be?

living a lie... it festers inside of you, like poison.

i'm a man of many talents. what can i say?

the moment i saw you, i thought "there's a man who knows quality."

if you don't come through this, i swear i'll kill you.

i'm curious where this goes, you and i. we've had fun. perfectly reasonable to leave it here.

here is my proposal: we dispense with the chitchat and move on to something more primal.

i tease you too much, i know.

i'll have to find something we can do that doesn't involve teasing.

time to drink myself into a stupor. it's been that sort of day.

i see you enjoy playing with fire.

i like playing hard to get.

i'm not suggesting we venture into mutual domesticity.

if it's a trap, we escape and kill everyone. you're good at that.

talk to me. let me hear how mystified you are by my anger.

oh, i'm not arguing. just pointing out the ridiculously obvious.

if you choose to leave your door unlocked like a savage, i may or may not come.

now... what was i talking about? ah, yes. me.

i am apparently an incredible ass at accepting gifts.

i prefer the company of men.

would you prefer me bound and leashed?

sometimes the ones you love are also the ones who disappoint you the most.

you are the man i love, [name]. nothing will truly keep us apart.

the things you ask are just... very personal.

sometimes... love isn't enough.

there will always be an "us." we'll just be... farther apart, for a time.

i had no idea something like you was possible.

i'm imagining what you would look like in a dress.

i've never seen you smile so much!

i have no idea what you're talking about.

you stand there, flexing your muscles, huffing like some beast of burden with no thought save conquest.

you're shaping the world for good or ill. how could i aspire to do any less?

my footsies are freezing, thank you.

don't you ever bathe?

you're not suggesting we're similar.

watch where you're pointing that thing!

i'm not wearing a skirt.

it's significantly more impressive than hitting them with a sharp piece of metal.

i only meant to say i'm very sorry for your loss.

we can continue this dance forever, if you wish.

i'm saying we should be careful what we assume when it comes to such matters.

demons don't appreciate a man with good hair.

what i wouldn't give for some proper wine.

your outfit's entertaining. i'll give you that.

he had to leave early on account of assassination.

it's nice to know you have friends.

i'm here to do what is right.

come on, just answer the question.

they were asking me about you. personal things.

you said we'd be ass-deep in trouble. this is more like knee-high.

so what's your estimation? think we can win?

you can't call me pampered. nobody's peeled a grape for me in weeks.

you startled me. you're always so... nondescript.

you're a special and unique snowflake. live the dream.

i wanted to see you make flowers bloom with your song. just once.

you've done a lot less dancing naked in the moonlight than expected.

i've never seen anyone in this part of the world do it.

i realize there's more to you than that.

have i offended you?

for hating the outdoors, you sure seem to like bad weather.

i can't figure you out, [name].

you don't play their stupid game, they send an assassin or three your way.

i can't believe you're scared of magic.

i'm going to take that as a compliment.

still don't like me, [name]? after all this time?

[name], i owe you an apology.

i suspect people will use any excuse to hate us.

why be ashamed? power should be respected, not swept under the carpet.

maybe you're not a complete moron.

i just need to know you're capable of higher thought. for my own comfort.

it would take work. and soap. lots and lots of soap.

[anime-related]

AU where L and Light go to To-Oh together before the Death Note is dropped. (Whether Light is Kira is up to you, I think it'd be cool either way)

While L and the cops are investigating Kira, Light and L have began a relationship. Now, Soichiro (lights dad, if your memory is as bad as mine) is working with L, but has also literally seen him in the house.

Sufficed to say, he's shocked when he meets L and it's his son's college friend. Even more so when Light calls L nearing the end of a meeting and hears them talk more than platonically.

Here's some little excerpts my mind made up. I've watched the show only once, so I'm sorry if/that it's ooc

"Hello. I am here to see Light."

"Light! There's a weird guy at the door!" Sayu called. She glanced at him. "No offense."

"None taken," L dismissed.

Light ran down the stairs, smiling at the sight of L in the door.

"Hey! I picked up some cake, and we can go play that game I talked about."

"I figured as much, since that's why I'm here," L said. Light rolled his eyes fondly.

They walked into the kitchen, where his father was getting water.

"Oh, you must be Soichiro Yagami. Police chief, solved over 30 cases."

"Wow, Light. I had no idea you talked about me all that much."

"He doesn't."

Upon setting their sights on L, Soichiro's mind went blank. He would've never guessed. What were the chances. While everyone else was making their judgments on L and his appearance, Soichiro was trying to combine Ryuzaki with L in his mind.

He ignored it. It'd be safer for both of them if they didn't bring their personal lives into this. He took out his ID and introduced himself as if it were the first time.

"If I were Kira you would be dead Soichiro Yagami."

Combining these two people wouldn't be so difficult. He knew Ryuzaki reminded him of someone.

As they went on, he remembered small details. Light running downstairs because he and Ryuzaki had left their phones there. Ryuzaki also had an infatuation for sugar, and even when his wife made pretty universally loved tea, he'd still add stacks of sugar cubes.

Then there was...

"And from now on, I'll have to ask that you stop calling me 'L.' It's..." L glanced at Soichiro. "Ryuzaki now. Just to be safe."

How cautious was L to give a fake name to L before Kira was even a factor? And if Soichiro didn't know him, would he have used a different alias?

"Excuse me," L said, pulling his phone oddly from his pocket. "Your timing is perfect, I'm nearly done with my meeting. I'll be over shortly."

"I assume you have more puzzles to test me with?"

"Of course I do." Whoever was on the other side laughed softly. A small smile cracked L's face.

"I look forward to it, Ryu."

"So do I."

"See you soon."

L hesitated, but hung up without saying much more like usual.

"My apologies, I try not to keep him waiting."

"Was that Watari?" Matsuda asked.

"No, my boyfriend." He said it so casually, though it shocked everyone.

"You... what?" Aizawa asked.

"He's the only person I've ever met on my level. If it didn't put him in significant danger, I would've brought him in to help." He pushed his lip with his thumb. "Though that's not the only reason," he added in a mumble. He looked as ashamed as L could look.

"How long have you, uh..." Poor Matsuda was thrown extremely off guard.

"I've been queer my whole life if that's what you're asking. Though, I'm sure you're not. I've known him for a few months. He's very attractive." He pulled his hand away from his smile. "I'd tell you his name, but I don't feel comfortable doing so."

Soichiro feared he already knew who it was. Light didn't need to be put in more danger than he already was being his son. He didn't know how to feel about this.

"You'd place surveillance camera's on your own boyfriend?" Soichiro asked. He wouldn't mind placing them on Light, but L always had a certain level of respect for him.

"Of course. I've suspected he was L since before we started a romantic relationship."

This was a shock to everyone. Not only L dating Light, but L potentially dating Kira and knowing it.

"Why?"

"Light is my intellectual equal. Unfortunately that makes it more likely that he's Kira. And the fact that he made the first move only increases that likelihood, though he doesn't know I'm L. If he did, I'd be more sure."

"How sure are you?"

"About 5%. If he knew I was L before he kissed me, it'd be 7 or 8%. Getting close with the enemy is a good way of staying in their good graces and not getting caught, but I'm not going to excuse Light as a suspect just because he makes me happy. That would be ridiculous. And being his boyfriend makes it so I can monitor him outside the house without raising suspicion."

"I might be out of line, but that sounds messed up. Spying on your boyfriend?"

"Well, I don't have to. I can monitor elsewhere while they're at home. I will still be attending my outings with Light and I can't help but monitor him in those moments, though I can assure you we're usually focused on each other; I'm not sure he'd have a moment to kill with me there."

"And Light doesn't know you're L?" Aizawa asked. "Couldn't it be helpful for him to be brought on the case? He's helped on cases before."

"If Light isn't Kira, I don't want him in any danger. I'm sure Soichiro understands my dilemma." His voice was tense as were his hands.

"I do," Soichiro admitted. "I'm find putting cameras around the house. If there's any chance, we may as well check."

"Exactly."

[blacknedsoul-blog]

My bets on Nevermore's development

In the middle of the arc and with the White Raven divorce beginning, I think I feel comfortable betting on how all the story lines the comic has laid out so far will play out. A mixture of analysis and theories.

Duke and Montressor

I don't think Duke will die. For several reasons (one of which I'll explain below), but the main one is that Duke is a character who still has a lot to give: they've gone to the trouble of giving him a name, a past, a personality, and yet none of these things have been properly explored. The comic wouldn't really benefit from Duke dying because he still has a lot of interesting things to bring to the story.

Coupled with the fact that we're still learning how Spectres work, and with Duke unable to manifest, it's the perfect time to flesh out that part of the lore and give us a cool moment to show us his Spectre.

That said, I have a hard time seeing a way for Montressor to stay in the game once this issue is over: he's proven himself to be a menace that won't stop and an unmitigated sadist. The guy is just evil, and frankly, he didn't seem to have much more backstory or anything new to bring to the table.

My bet on him is that he'll die, maybe Lenore will go with the group in psycho-killer mode, Duke will confront him with his spectre, Morella will go against him to save Ada, Annabel will try to make merit so Lenore won't be asked for a divorce, or the Deans themselves will see him as a problem they need to take care of. If the comic thinks murder is irredeemable for its characters, maybe he'll have a Frollo-style death where it's his own ego that kills him (what if he becomes one of the creatures roaming the school?).

I think this because, besides how satisfying it would be to see him die, I think it would be a good time for the comic to show you the consequences of death within Nevermore. We know that going to the Land of the Dead is a terrible thing, but we don't know exactly what it entails. And seeing it would make any future threat seem more terrifying.

Post-Divorce

The White Raven will reconcile. This is obvious: the comic is about their relationship, the publicity for the comic has them together, and much of the appeal of the work comes from their romance. It's not a question of whether it will happen or not, but how it will happen and what the consequences will be.

Maybe some extraordinary event will happen to bring them back together, or we will have the equivalent of the Greenhouse 2.0 scene where they have a whole conversation about why, even if Lenore understands Annabel reasons, this is a situation that can never happen again.

One thing I want to point out here: I don't think Annabel did this out of jealousy. Maybe she feels it, but this story has made a consistent effort to show you that while Annabel is hypocritical, manipulative, and Machiavellian, she still has a moral compass: her reaction after when Montressor makes Ada bark and when Prospero is about to have a breakdown indicate that her limit is to hurt others gratuitously. She won't defend them if it puts her in a problematic situation, but this clearly pisses her; by that logic, it would even be out of character for her to try to hurt Duke because she's jealous, and more importantly, it would do irreparable damage to her relationship with Lenore (which is why I don't think our favorite Frenchman dies).

Understanding that, there's one thing these two haven't really talked about: for Lenore, getting her friends out of here is not something optional, she's completely determined to do it, and given this moment, it's very likely that the next step will be for Annabel to join the "save everyone" team: she thinks Lenore is capable of anything, and so she's going to put all her faith in her being able to pull this off.

Coupled with the fact that the plan to keep Lenore as a harmless figure went to hell after the incident in the tower, she's going to have to adjust things. And my theory on this is that Annabel is going to expand her rivalry plan to the group level.

I believe this because the logical conclusion after the banquet is that the Deans, for some reason, want the students to fight, to foster an atmosphere of competition among them. So far, giving them what they want has worked perfectly for them, so they would suggest that it would be helpful to pretend that things are going exactly as they think they are while they try to figure out how to get out of this place, at least until they can think of something better.

Yes, I assume Annabel will join the Misfits. She'll probably be like Zuko from Avatar, begging for forgiveness and winning them over one by one in individual arcs.

Another important development that will come out of this is that when Lenore is fed up enough with her bullshit, she will remind Annabel of her promise about how they both get their memories back: they are already right in the middle and it will be time to start putting the puzzle together.

However, I have reason to believe that Annabel will manage not to talk about the exact way they both died for a very simple reason: whether Lenore was Annabel's executioner or not, they died together. Lenore was there, and she will most likely blame herself because "if I hadn't gone looking for her, Annabel would still be alive" and for "not protecting her".

But by the time they have this conversation (or she finds out otherwise), the comic may be starting to address one of Lenore's major conflicts as a character: because of her fear of abandonment and her feeling that she is undeserving of love, she has no qualms about putting herself in danger to protect others. This is a terribly damaging perspective in the context that the Deans have created: not only is it naive to think that she can always protect her friends or Annabel from getting hurt, but Lenore unwittingly carries the feelings of the people who love her by endangering herself.

My head canon

Everything I've said so far is based on things the comic has shown and storylines that may not be explored in this specific way, but are more or less on the comic. But there's a lot of nonsense out there that I'd really like to see, even if there's little or nothing in the artwork to indicate to me that any of those things will come to fruition.

Annabel vs. Montressor

I would love to see Annabel vs. Montressor precisely because Annabel has no chance against Montressor: she has no experience in a fight, even if her spectre is a powerful one, Montressor would wipe the floor with her. But I think it would be a nice way to put a point: Annabel and Montressor are not the same.

He enjoys torturing others, she will be a villain to protect what she loves.

I can also think of two interesting things that could come out of this encounter: Lenore having her moment where she thinks Annabel is dead, parallel to the maze scene (for Lenore, Annabel is an unbeatable queen, so she could use a little reality check), and a conversation along those lines:

-L: Did you think that by putting yourself in danger like this I was going to forgive what you did?!

A: I didn't do this because I thought you would forgive me. Deep down, I know you already did, even though that doesn't mean I shouldn't face consequences for my actions.

-L: ...Then why?

-A: Because I promised you I would. I said I would distract our enemies, that I would protect you from my allies, and that's exactly what I did. I knew I couldn't handle him, but I was distracted and wounded enough to get the job done.

This would finally establish one thing that has been up in the air about Annabel: yes, she really behaves and acts like a villain. But after something like this, there would never be any doubt (for the readers or for Lenore) that she always keeps her promises.

Imagine the delicious drama that could come from establishing that so forcefully.

Eulalie is a Lennabel shipper

Come to think of it, the two of them haven't done a very good job of hiding it: we go from Lenore running all over school to take care of Annabel to watching them fight for no apparent reason.

I like to think that Eulalie seriously suspects something is going on between them, and when the Misfits inevitably find out about Annabel and Lenore's relationship, she'll be like, "Oh, you guys hadn't noticed?" while saying things like, "Oh, so you're the one who took us to the haunted mansion!"

Annabel and Berenice as unlikely friends

I love the image of Berenice physically threatening Annabel with the knife and saying something like "You're a posh bitch, but you've got style" after she doesn't react in fear. I also think Bernice would be the first to admit that while she won't easily forgive Annabel for putting Duke in danger, she wouldn't have hesitated to throw Annabel, Prospero, Ada, or Will under the bus to protect any of her group of friends if necessary.

Also, the idea of Annabel saying, "She's a violent slur. I want her around" is oddly hilarious to me.

Prospero as the ultimate "tired friend"

If Annabel takes Prospero with her, I can imagine the guy banging his head against the wall all the time because he sees all these idiots who are strangely competent when you get right down to it, but choose to spend their energy doing stupid things when no one is dying.

A terrible deal between Duke and Annabel

Remember that wonderful scene in Avatar where Katara threatens to kill Zuko if she thinks he's going to hurt Aang? I like to think that Duke and Annabel will have a scene like that:

-D: They didn't see the look on your face when they put up the wall, but I did. And I can assure you that I won't hesitate to act if I think you're going to hurt my friend or any of them, cherie.

-A: Promise?

-D: ...

-A: That you will be there to protect her no matter what, even from me. I wouldn't mind you holding the sword of Damocles over my head if it proves to me that you can protect her from any threat.

-D: You have my word.

In conclusion

So that's my bingo on how things will go in the comic from here on out. There are some things (like Morella's development, what's going to happen with Ada, or when the hell we're going to get some backstory on Will) that I don't think I have enough information on to theorize. But here it is.

[doppel-doodles]

Since everyone is making their own little version of the characters I thought I would join the fun for my Fallen crown Au! These were supposed to be quick little sketches just to get some ideas down but they still took me the whole day:'D will probably change as I draw them but I wanted at least something down on for the time being and I do like how most turned out!

Single versions plus some info and ramblings about each under cut for those interested:

My lamb was mainly based on both, yes the actual player character but also the vibes of my own plathrough which were very "oh god who let this child be in charge?-" while I'll still mostly just call them Lamb I figured they should still have a proper name so I went with my friends @/tamaruaart suggestion as it suits them rather nicely! And most note worthy detail is honestly just the fact that they carry something from each bishops realm on their person now, I like to think they treat those items like little trophies:>

Narinder is probably my weakest I feel like, he definitely needs something to give him some extra "ompf!". I basically made his undertaker fit a sorta reverse or at least loosely inspired by his white robes in game. I imagine he is very boney or a straight up skeleton underneath so he covers it all up beneath heavy fabrics, but because I lack subtly I still covered him in bones regardless-

And yea I kept the veil cause 1. It's a look and 2. It coviently covers up his now sewn shut third eye.

There wasn't much reason behind making him an undertaker, I simply thought it suited him, when your the former god of death you aren't exactly squeamish around corpses. Lastly the dark blues are there to contrast the other followers warm tones, as they kinda seen him as an outcast which is just fine for narinder he isnt exactly thrilled to be here.

I'll put Leshy and Heket together as they were sorta designed as a set.Since they are both youngest among the bishops I sorta latched onto the headcanon that they get along pretty well and just stick together after getting into the cult so they just share a lot of their duties. So I gave them some matching elements like the puffy shorts but also stuff that contrasts like Leshy having looser clothing and Hekets being more tight. Or Heket getting working gloves with a little belt to hold tools plus a hat for the sun, meanwhile Leshy will happily dig through the dirt bare clawed in the sun for hours-

I debated on giving Heket an apron but honestly I think she would only wear one while cooking or tending the farm plots there is no reason for her to wear it casually, the gloves though stay for I reason I utterly love because its PETTY-

Literally the only reason she keeps them on almost constantly is because when the lamb asks she can be like "ew, I'm not touching you with my bare hands." Yes, my humour is broken moving on-

I also gave Leshy a cane just so he actually has something to feel around with when he is areas he isn't too familiar with so he isn't running into crap- on that note, Heket can speak a bit but not exactly loud or for a very long time without seriously hurting her throat, once I properly learn it I definitely wanna draw her using sign language.

Lastly bodies, Leshy was based off a previous drawing I made of him in bishop form, I simply made it less monsterous but he is in charge of chaos so he had to remain a creature- Heket is more straight forward, she is a frog and she is large and in charge.

There was one reason why I made Shamura a tailor and that was the mental image of them sewing the bishops clothes when they were younger and dressing them up all cute.

I went for more pink colors mainly because I thought it better suited the purple and would make their red eyes pop! Honestly I really love their colors they remind me of a Berry! I've drawn shamura before but honestly the only things that stuck were the colors,face and then also the hand markings I did tweak their eyes a bit I wanted something more stern feeling.

For clothing I kept everything nice and loose, while they are the tailor I also love the idea that in their spare time they either teach the youths in the cult or are like the champion of the fighting pit because war is also their domain and they can be- so I wanted them dressed pretty comfy to deal with whatever may come! But still keep everything pretty mature and mildly fancy maybe in the future I'll do some fancy gold and silver embroidery to the pants because of that.

As for body type I wanted them to be pretty thin but unlike Narinder who is twink material under his cloak they have a bit more bulk on top to show that they can choose violence if they so wish-

I adore me some pathetic but still serving men, honestly except for the cross on his belt I completely ignored the fact I made him a medic- If he needs to treat something gross he can throw something over to protect his clothes but just like Heket there is no reason for him to wear that while not working.

Otherwise my main goal was simply to make Kalamar look pretty and fancy. I debated on either short or long bottoms until I realized I'd have to figure out his tentacle situation, then realized I don't hate myself THAT MUCH so bro got put into a floor length gown, work smarter not harder kids.

If I have an excuse to give a character a shawl I will take it so fast.

His body type I mainly wanted to flesh out the roster so I tried making him very squishy and huggable looking, I debated on thinner so he looked more dangly and stretchy but that made him kinda to similar to Narinders build for my liking.