#truly valuable input

[afroscribble]

Amazing. A post expressing empathy about Palestinian Muslims near their annual worship period being disrespected and violated, routinely, and a reblog immediately followed by "I will debate you" going "Well, Akchually" 🤓 to the validity of their entire ethnicity and apologia for the state of Israel. Beyond parody

[theflyingfeeling]

I mean... Aleksi did get a septum piercing fairly recently. And when I pierced my septum it was because I had a sexuality crisis. Sooooo......... (and I for one don't know a single straight person with a septum piercing)

I'm just saying 🫣

!!!!!!!!!! connecting the dots once again 🙌

it makes so much sense, Aleksi is queer and possibly in the middle of a sexuality crisis confirmed, source: the septum told us 🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰🥰

[on-my-vigilante-sht]

The Godswood

Robb Stark x reader

Summary: When the newest Lady of the North is chased into the woods, the lords of the north search for Robb Stark's wife

Warning: canon-level violence, no use of y/n, wildlings, nudity (but no smut), not beta-d (I literally typed this on my phone and posted it)

Word Count: 2.8K

Masterlist

“Robb?” the new Lady of the North’s voice rang through their chambers. “I thought I should go to the Godswood to pray,” she relayed her plans for the day.

Robb immediately exited the washroom of their chambers. “Is it necessary for you to pray in the Godswood? There is a perfectly good sept near the Great Hall.”

“I know but even you say you feel more inclined towards the nature of the north when you pray at the Heart Tree,” she shrugged.

Robb sighed. “But I am unable to bring you today. You know I have that meeting with my father and the bannermen,” the young lord argued.

“Robb, I will be perfectly alright,” she insisted, giving him a loving yet exasperated look. “If it makes you feel better I will bring guards with me but I am telling you I will be okay in the few minutes it will take me to wish for the health of your family.”

Robb looked reluctant still but grumbled out an agreement. “Fine,” he agreed, moving closer to his wife so as to press a kiss to her temple. “But do not stray from your guards. The Godswood can be dangerous.”

“I won’t,” she complied, calling after him as he returned to the washroom to continue shaving and she exited their chambers. Making her way to her father-in-law’s office, she was already shivering through the drafty hallways of the Stark family’s residence within Winterfell. Not being from the north had made residing here difficult in terms of becoming accustomed to the weather. But her husband was always willing to warm her up. And her mother-in-law, another northerner by marriage only, had given her tips of how to prepare for the cold.

Finally making it to the Warden of the North’s chambers, the guards allowed her to enter after announcing her presence in Lord Stark’s office.

Entering, she found that the first of the bannermen had already arrived. “Lord Karstark, Lord Amber,” she greeted the men. “My apologies, my lords, I did not realized your meeting had started.”

“Nonsense,” Lord Stark dismissed his daughter-in-laws concerns, always happy to see the girl that seemed to brighten his son’s life. Lord Stark considered himself to have made a few very good decisions in his life. One of them being his decision to marry Cat. But another one was orchestrating his eldest son’s marriage to the girl that stood before him. “The lords here were just telling me about their lands before the true meetings began. Is my son ready?”

“No,” she answered. “You know how particular he gets about his hair.”

The men erupted into laughter. “Wow,” Lord Karstark began, still recovering from his laughter. “Wish I had her for a daughter-in-law. My son refuses to even neaten his beard.”

“Yes, well, my son finds her input very valuable,” Lord Stark chuckled. “What can I do for you, dear?”

“I had just hoped you would assign me a guard. Robb insisted I take one into the Godswood.”

“He is smart to do so,” his father commended. “I will send you with two. Just to be safe.”

She gave her father-in-law a bashful smile. “Thank you,” she bid, exiting the office.

“Come,” the guard waiting outside the office bid. “I will assign your guards.” She followed him out of Ned Stark’s chambers to the hall where several had already been waiting for assignments. He looked to two of them, giving them orders to take her to the Weirwood tree.

“Aye,” both agreed in sync before breaking from the rest of the group. The pair then stepped up to their charge for the day. “My lady,” they both greeted.

She nodded to them in acknowledgement. “Well seeing as the assignment was already explained to you, let us go,” she explained, trying to relieve any awkwardness. She truly loathed to have guards follow her around wherever she went. In her childhood, guards were only ever needed when she left her family’s lands. But Robb had insisted on her either being with him or with armed sentries whenever she even left the Stark residence. Even just to visit the stables or library he insisted she have some sort of protection. Claiming that technically Winterfell was a fortress that could be under attack at any time.

Not much was said as the trio made their way out of the walls of Winterfell and into the forests surrounding the fortress. As she went, she could not help but shiver as the cold winds nipped at her neck and face. She dreaded the day winter actually descended upon Westeros as apparently the northerners considered this more “mild” chill to be summer as well.

Finally reaching the Heart Tree, adorned with a carved face, the new Lady Stark fell before the long reaching branches. Just as her face fell to her interlocked hands, a snapping twig broke her thoughts. Looking up, she found a wildling fifty feet or so away from her. She stumbled back, falling from her knees and onto her rear, her hands catching in the dirt.

The guard posted nearest to the wildling immediately came between her and the wild looking man. Her heart hammered in her chest as she observed his tangled hair and overworn clothes.

A yell from her other side drew her attention to the other guard who was now brandishing his sword against another wildling man holding a spear. Quickly scrambling to her feet, she moved closer to the Weirwood as if it’s branches would swat away any threats to her. Looking around frantically, she found three more wildlings creeping out of the trees.

“My lady, run!” one of the guards shouted as one of the wildlings jumped to attack him.

Scared beyond belief, she obeyed, rounding the Heart Tree to run away from the grizzled men. She had no idea where to go, she just prayed there weren’t more waiting for her behind the tree. As she sprinted through the forest, she spotted none but she was not naive enough to believe her two guards could hold five of them off. She wept as she ran, holding up her dress as she ran so it would not trip her or snag on any stray branches.

She had no idea how far she ran until she truly could not breathe. Taking a moment to rest against the trunk of a tree, she caught her breath. But it soon evaded her again as she was overcome by sobs. Her guards were surely dead now. And by the time anyone noticed she was lost the men who killed them would likely have caught up with her or she would be so lost she would never be found. Completely rattled by the idea of falling into those men’s clutches, she continued on, this time at a walking pace. Remembering that these wildlings would surely be skilled trackers, she did her best to disturb the flora as little as possible whilst taking an erratic path.

~

The guards who held the western gate of Winterfell looked in reluctant astonishment at the two bleeding guards before them. “Evander,” a sentry addressed his bleeding friend. “What happened?”

“We were ambushed by wildlings. Get Lord Stark and the bannermen, Lady Stark is still out there. We told her to run.”

A guard who overheard wasted no time, running to the Great Hall as fast as he could. He relayed the message to all the guards standing outside of their Lords’ meetings and they immediately parted to let the man through.

“Forgive me, my lords,” the guard announced his presence as he burst through the doors. “Wildlings attacked Lady Stark in the Godswood. Some of the wildlings were slain but she is still out there,” he breathed heavily.

Robb was the first to stand, doing it so fast his chair fell behind him. “Saddle my horse,” he ordered, already moving to exit the room.

Behind him, his father also stood. He looked at the still seated, mildly shocked men. “You want more titles and lands? The first man to find my daughter-in-law will have the moors.” Each man immediately stood, barking orders at the advisors who accompanied them to prepare for the search.

Eddard followed after his son who had already made it outside and was saddling his horse. “Son,” he called, catching the young man’s attention. “Just wait a moment so we may organize the search.”

Robb’s eyes flashed with worry at the prospect. “Father, just three harvests ago wildlings slaughtered the Farlands. I have to at least begin a preliminary search.”

Before the Lord of Winterfell could disagree, the commander of his guard ran up. “My lord, we have a dozen or so men prepared. Would you like us to begin a preliminary search?” he asked. Everyone in the North who had dealt with wildlings knew just how dire the situation was. They almost certainly knew the terrain better than the newest Lady of the North.

“Yes,” Robb immediately agreed, pulling himself onto his horse. His father nodded to the commander, and the initial search party saddled their horses and rode for the western gate. In their company was one of the guards who had initially gone to the Heart Tree. The other, too injured to accompany them, laid in the maester’s chambers having his wounds dressed.

Once the group made it to the Heart Tree, they found remnants of the attack. Two wildlings laid dead in the brush. “As far as I know there are three more, my lord,” the initial sentry informed Robb as he dismounted from his horse. “I had told your wife to run and she went to the opposite of the tree,” he said, pointing west. “They attacked us and we managed to fend the five of them off but once they realized she was getting away, three of them followed after her.”

Robb wanted to demand to know why they had not chased after his wife but he held his tongue. He just prayed for their sakes they were right in their judgement to return for reinforcements. “Everyone head west and spread out. She’ll know to have put as much distance between her and the wildlings as possible. And search for tracks, if she was concealing hers, the wildlings won’t have bothered.” A chorus of agreements rang out as each man took off.

~

The search had been on for hours. By now nearly every man within five miles of Winterfell had been out to search.

It was painful for Ned to watch his son slowly lose hope as the hours wore on and it became increasingly darker. Riding over to Robb, he spoke, “We will find her, son.”

Robb only nodded, holding his jaw clenched tightly. He was reluctant to admit that his wife of only two moons may already be gone. She was not of the north, she had no idea how to navigate the woods. And she would be perfectly defenseless running across any wildlings or creatures.

“I should have never let her even leave Winterfell,” he lamented.

“You cannot blame yourself,” Ned lectured. “Son, if you are going to become the Warden of the North, you cannot take every loss as personal.”

“I know, but this is my wife. The first person I am supposed to protect. If I cannot even find her in my own lands how can I lead them?”

“It will come with experience,” Ned assured. “And you did nothing wrong, you protected her as well as anyone could have.”

Before Robb could further degrade himself and argue, several calls rang out through the forests. Finally, they came near enough to be clear. “We found her!” echoed through the seemingly empty forest. Robb let out a shuddered cry of relief as he took off toward the voices, leaving his father behind.

As he rode he spotted more and more of his men, each time becoming more and more eager that they were the one who had found her. But each time they just ushered him on, pointing him further and further north. He continued on until he found several men gathered, lit only by their torches and the moonlight. They all turned to see their heir, immediately parting to reveal his wife sitting upon a fallen trunk.

“Robb!” she cried as she saw his horse approach. Her voice was broken with tears. As soon a he reached the clearing, he dismounted, immediately clambering to his wife. He had not even embraced her yet before he was throwing his fur cloak over her quivering shoulders, surely shivering from the chill that had by now reached her bones.

He immediately pulled her into his embrace, holding her tighter than he ever had before. He cared little for decorum as she buried her face into the warmth of his neck and sobbed. He himself wanted to cry in relief but held it in. When he finally pulled away only to look at her, he found several scratches on her face and mud adorning her dress. “What…” he began softly as he reached a hand up to her face.

“Just the scratch of the branches,” she assured, gently grasping his wrist in her icy hands as he continued to hold her face. “And I admit I did fall down a hill in my haste,” she explained sheepishly. Robb was sure that if she were not so incredibly cold he would feel the warmth of her blush through his gloves.

Finally Eddard Stark arrived, finding Robb holding his wife as if she were the most precious thing in the world. He let out a private sigh of relief seeing the girl relatively unharmed. Given his son’s level of depression just at the mere idea of his wife being lost to him, he was reluctant to even imagine what Robb would do had they found evidence of his wife’s death.

“It’s dark, the lady needs to warm up and rest. Let us go back to Winterfell. My lords,” he addressed the men who helped in the search, “you may spend the night in the guesthouses. Word of the day’s events have already been sent to your families.”

Robb stood from his crouched position, pulling his wife up with him as if he were afraid she’d slip between his fingers. “Come,” he bid, “you will ride with me.” She only nodded, her chattering teeth providing the answer she could not. She held Robb’s hand and with the other she clutched Robb’s cloak around her shoulders. He helped her onto his horse, moving her so she sat sidesaddle so he could sit behind her. With both arms around her to take the reins, she immediately took refuge in the warmth of his arms.

As they made the journey back through the woods, Robb wrestled with his thoughts. He wanted to scold her and tell her this is exactly why he did not want her out of Winterfell but the other part did not want to add to her distress. Similarly he wanted to ask about the wildlings but at the risk of being told something he was not ready to hear and stressing her out more, he elected to stay quiet.

But it was her who broke the silence. “I’m sorry for questioning your judgment and going. And for endangering your guards,” she apologized meekly, her voice heavy with guilt.

Robb immediately hushed her. “It’s no concern. I am just glad you’re okay,” he said with a kiss to the top of her head.

Once they reached Winterfell, Robb was quick to usher his wife past all the guards and lords, eager to get her into a warm building. As soon as the couple entered the Keep, she felt as if the biting cold was melting from her bones. Robb once again ushered her to their chambers.

His wife immediately went to the fireplace, standing in front of it trying to warm her hands. Behind her, Robb softly grasped her shoulders, resting his chin in the crook of her neck. “I sent ahead for a bath to be prepared to warm you.”

“Thank you,” she breathed, still feeling the harsh cold of her skin. He released her only enough so she could head to the washroom where she found the tub full of steaming water.

Robb, as gently and cautiously as possible, slowly stripped her of her clothes. Mere weeks ago she would have shied away from his gaze but his constant praise and affection had emboldened her to kiss him deeply even when she stood nude against his completely clothed frame. “Bathe with me,” she asked, stepping away to slip into the water.

Never one to decline his wife’s attentions, Robb quickly disrobed before sliding in the tub behind her. He wrapped his arms around around her, pulling her into his chest as they soaked in the warmth of the water and each other.

Masterlist

[neptuneh0rn]

morning reflections | fire lord!zuko x reader

(gif not mine)

warnings: fluff, one kiss, tears (very brief), advisors being mean :(, fire lord zuko ;)

summary: trying to get zuko out of bed leads to unexpected confessions.

word count: 0.6k

A/N: this is a very short drabble that's been sitting in my drafts for way too long, so enjoy! English is not my first language, so I apologize for any grammar/ spelling mistakes. feedback is appreciated.

“Honey, let go, we have a meeting with your advisors in 30 minutes.”

In answer, Zuko grumbled, tightening his arms around your waist and drawing you closer to his bare chest.

“Zuko,” you exclaimed, giggling, “we have to be there! You’re the fire lord, remember?”

“Exactly. I'm the fire lord, therefore I get to decide whether or not I attend the meeting,” he replied smugly, “and right now I’m deciding that I want to stay in bed with my beautiful wife.”

“Flattery isn't going to work, Zu. Don’t even try. Besides, your advisors have finally agreed to allow me to attend this one. I can't be late. That would hardly provide for a favourable first impression."

You had not been looking at Zuko's face when you said that, but you felt him stiffen at your words. All sense of playfulness eviscerates from the air.

"What," Zuko enunciates.

You shift your gaze back to his face, perplexed at his tone. "What?"

"What do you mean, 'my advisors are finally letting you attend this one'?"

"Oh," you replied sheepishly, "just forget I said that."

Zuko gave you a pointed look and sat up straight, resting on the headboard of the massive bed. You followed suit, suddenly taking an obstinate interest in his warm hands, fiddling with his fingers. He took one of his hands from yours and raised your chin with his index finger, urging you to make eye contact with him.

"You want to inform me," Zuko spoke softly, "or should I ask the advisors myself?"

"It's nothing," you started, "it's only that… every time I ask if I can attend the meetings, your advisors refuse. They tell me that these are not affairs that concern me."

Zuko always thought you didn't join meetings simply because you weren't interested in these affairs. His visage distorted into one of rage, and you felt compelled to calm him down, fearful of what he would do to his advisors.

"But it's truly not a problem! It makes no difference to me, honey. As a result, it should not concern you." You ran your hand along the nape of his neck, tenderly running your fingers along the hairs resting there.

"Why didn't you tell me? I could've handled it," Zuko inquired, his voice concerned.

"What would it look like if I came to you with all of my problems? I need to show your advisors that I'm capable of being the fire lady you deserve; that the fire nation deserves," You muttered solemnly. Your head bowed low as if you were ashamed to admit this.

Zuko's heart ached at your confession. How long had you been feeling like this? It's been a year since Zuko took you as his betrothed, and it angered him to just find out now.

"Sweetheart," Zuko started, taking your hand and placing a kiss on your knuckles, "you don't need to prove anything to anyone. You are already the fire lady that I deserve and that the fire nation needs. Your presence and input in these meetings are valuable to me, and I want you there by my side. I should have made that clear to my advisors from the start."

You looked up, tears forming in your eyes, "Really?"

"Of course," Zuko replied, wiping away a tear with his thumb, "I'll speak to my advisors and make sure that they understand your importance in these meetings."

You leaned in, pressing your lips to his, revelling in the softness of his lips. Zuko deepened the kiss, his arms wrapping around you tightly. You felt relieved that you no longer had to hide your frustration and disappointment about being excluded from important meetings.

"Thank you, Zuko," you whispered, "you always know how to make everything better."

Zuko chuckled, holding you close, "That's what I'm here for, my love."

likes, comments, and reblogs are highly appreciated♡

[therhythmafterthesummer]

A Helping Hand (M) ~Seungmin

Pairing: LabHybrid!Seungmin x GN!Reader Themes: Smut | Fluff | Best Friends to Lovers | Roommates to Lovers Word Count: ~4k | AO3 Synopsis: After one too many shots of vodka, your best friend confided in you a little problem he’d been dealing with for a couple of months now. Tipsy-you figured that you were more than suitable to give him a helping hand. Warnings: mentions of alcohol consumption · overall hybrid shenanigans · Seungmin has a dirty mouth · pet names · Smut (warnings under the cut). let me know if i missed any💜

Author’s Note: can’t believe my first ever published Seungmin fic is a hybrid au lmao. got a weird boost of inspiration for this after seeing @starlostseungmin talking about it, so here it is ! Special thanks to @notastraykid for giving her very valuable input to improve the first draft, as well as @comet-falls for letting me know it didn’t suck skjdfhsdkjf

Due to all the abovementioned warnings, this story is intended for an adult audience only. Minors please do not interact.

Smut Warnings: this is, as usual, some monsterfuckery · handjobs · praising · breeding kink (kind of) · hybrid anatomy (knot) · copious amounts of fluids. again, let me know if i missed any

Disclaimer: the story represented in this work does not represent Stray Kids in any way; anything described in this story and all actions performed by the characters are purely fictional, this was created just for good fun.

“You–You don’t have to do this, serious–Oh, God…”

You swallowed, focusing on your best friend’s face. Focusing a bit too much on the vein that popped on his neck when he threw his head back, on how pretty his eyelashes looked when his eyes fluttered shut, on those pouty lips of his you totally didn’t wish you could have on yours… All while trying to ignore what you had between your hands, all while trying to ignore the obscene, squelching sounds their continuous movement produced…

“I said I’d help you, didn’t I, Seungmin?”

Seungmin inhaled deeply. His ears twitched, his tail seemed to have a life of its own, it had started thumping against the headboard of the bed the moment he’d sat down and you’d taken a hold of him.

After opening his eyes again, Seungmin looked at your face, and you saw his Adam’s apple bob when he swallowed. “You did”.

“And I always keep my word, don’t I?” You twisted your wrists, never stopping the motions of your hands.

Seungmin sighed, and some of the tension in his shoulders seemed to evaporate with the motion. “You do…”

A spark of doubt flared in your mind, large enough it was impossible to ignore. Your hands stopped, and the tiniest whine left Seungmin’s mouth. “Unless you… Are you feeling uncomfortable? I can– I can stop”.

Seungmin’s hands flew to your wrists, preventing you from pulling away completely. “No. No, no, please, don’t… I… Fuck, I really want this. I really, really need this”.

You would’ve never expected the afternoon to take you here… To your best friend’s bedroom, to him sitting on his bed, with his back against the headboard, and with his legs spread. You would’ve never expected to have his cock in your hands, barely even out of his lounge shorts. In your mind, this had never been a real, genuine possibility. Yet here you were.

How long had it been since you realised you had a crush on your best friend? Too long, probably. It might’ve been a bit embarrassing, but you truly couldn’t even remember a time when you weren’t pining over him, a time when you weren’t thinking how it would be like to be with him physically, intimately…

Although, to be fair, this situation was far more sterile than all those fantasies you’d allowed your mind to wander into only in the wee hours of the night. It wasn’t as if Seungmin had confessed his feelings for you, or you to him. It was more like… like you were giving your friend a hand–literally and figuratively.

Seungmin was a hybrid. A black labrador hybrid, to be exact. He’d been your best friend since you were a kid, when the school you attended finally started allowing hybrids as students. You could still remember the first day you saw him, standing in a corner by the lockers. You’d approached him, mostly because your mother had taught you that hybrids must be treated well, just like you’d treat anyone else.

He was a shy boy, totally out of character for a lab hybrid, but the more you got to know him, the more he warmed up to you, the more you started to see that bright personality of his. As soon as he’d deemed you trustworthy, it was almost like that shyness had never been there in the first place.

He started to come over to your place to hang out or do homework, to open up about his life, and even to show more of his mischievous side. He’d call you everything from dumb dumb, to human kiddo, to little human, just because he could. But it was fine.

Even if at the beginning it annoyed you that he simply wouldn’t call you by your name, it eventually became such a Seungmin thing to do, you just couldn’t find it in you to be mad at him when his eyes sparkled so brightly whenever he used his little nicknames for you.

Seungmin was chaotic, he was funny, and he was the most loyal friend you’d ever had. He’d been with you through thick and thin. Every broken friendship and relationship, he was always there to console you, to hold your hand and tell you it was going to be alright. He was always there for you, without fail. He’d always joke around and say it was one of his lab traits, but you knew better.

Whether he was a hybrid or not, you knew Seungmin would still be the same Seungmin.

Your Seungmin.

A couple of years ago, you finally got to move out of your parents’ house. It was only natural that you ended up renting a place with your best friend, considering he, too, wanted to move out, and he didn’t particularly enjoy the thought of living with strangers.

Decades had passed since hybrids were integrated into human society. They finally had rights, they were treated as people and not some pet you bought from a store–no disrespect to pets, they had their rights, too. But pets weren’t people. Hybrids, on the other hand, were.

Hybrids had free will, they could reason like humans could, and they certainly deserved to be treated as equals. These were the values that you’d been taught as you grew up, and it was something you believed in still to this day.

Regardless, hybrids still had their animal urges and needs, which Seungmin seemed to have been struggling with for a couple of months now.

The confession happened last night, while you both threw a tennis ball back and forth at each other, after one too many shots of vodka–to be more precise, it’d been three. Three shots of vodka only. 

Alcohol wasn’t deadly toxic to Seungmin like it was to other hybrids, but his body certainly couldn’t digest it very well, which usually manifested not only in the flush that spread all over his face, but also by shutting down every single one of his filters. ‘I haven’t been able to come in two fucking months. Two months! I feel like I’m dying, dude. I just need to blow’.

You’d asked him how that was even possible, how he had not managed to bring himself to orgasm in two months, considering you knew he was a person with a moderate sex drive–based on the amount of times you had to stay in your shared flat while he had company over… His answer was a very graceful ‘The fuck if i know… Nothing works, my dearest little human. Porn doesn’t work. Literature doesn’t work. And my imagination clearly doesn’t work, either’.

He looked genuinely distressed about it, especially when he sighed, and his tone lowered. ‘I’ve been checking forums online… Going anonymous to ask strangers, specifically other hybrids, but most of them said that I needed to find the root cause, that something in my environment could be affecting my physical performance, but it’s… It’s really frustrating, because I genuinely have no idea what’s going on’.

‘Have you tried, I don’t know, getting laid?’ was what your tipsy self asked. You wouldn’t have asked that question fully sober for sure. You really didn’t want to know if Seungmin was out there getting laid these days. It had been a little over a year since you had seen him date anyone, and the thought of him dating someone now, admittedly, made you jealous. Which was potentially very stupid on your part considering you were just friends. The best of friends. Only friends.

‘Nah. Can you imagine if I’m with someone and I can’t fucking come? Distress… Besides, I don’t want to just… You know, do it with a random person. People are kinda… ew’. You could understand completely why he wouldn’t want to go out and hook up with a stranger. After all, some people still saw hybrids as sex slaves, or they were heavily fetishised, so it wasn’t exactly safe to partake in one night stands for him. 

Besides, your best friend was not one for hookups and one night stands in the first place. He had trust issues, especially with humans, so you could definitely understand his predicament. 

‘What if it’s someone you know?’ You threw the ball back at him just as you’d boldly asked the question, because spirits always made you voice things sober you would never have the guts to say.

Seungmin caught the ball and scoffed, completely sure that no one he knew would want to be that intimate with him, and not think ill of him if he didn’t manage to perform. 

But you had to open your big mouth again, very confidently telling him ‘And what about me? I can do it’.

The ball suddenly fell from Seungmin’s hand, landing on the floor and rolling under the coffee table. His eyes followed the movement like a hawk–or, maybe it’d be more accurate to say like a dog. He stretched his body a bit out of the sofa, not even bothering to stand up fully, trying to get the ball while he chuckled, maybe a bit nervously.

Seungmin genuinely thought you were joking for a second. That was exactly what he’d told you, but then he saw how serious you were about it, and, after a few minutes of silence, he simply said that you should have this conversation sober.

Which you did.

Which took you right here, right into his room, with his painfully hard cock in your hands.

Seungmin knew you wouldn’t judge him if he couldn’t come. He trusted you enough to be vulnerable with you in more ways than one, to tell you what he needed or wanted, so you would gladly help him–the fact that you had a major crush on him made you feel a bit self-conscious, you’d admit… Like you were taking advantage of the situation to touch him this intimately. But you had already offered it, and he had already accepted it, so you just didn’t feel like backing down on your word.

“Tighten your grip a bit more”, Seungmin mumbled, and once again he threw his head back when you did as asked and continued working his cock. “Fuck, yeah. That’s it…”

You were starting to heat up yourself. Especially whenever he spoke like that, with the tone of his voice as low as it was. Seungmin was one to swear a lot, very openly, but in this context, it certainly felt… filthier. And it affected you. Maybe embarrassingly so…

You couldn’t help but swear under your breath when your eyes drifted from his face to his length. How could you not look? When he was there, letting you touch him…

Clear fluid leaked from his tip, dripping all over your fingers and aiding your movement, intensifying those sinful wet sounds that resonated in your ears with each stroke. You knew his specific breed tended to produce more fluids than a human would, he’d told you this before in passing, but you had honestly not expected it to be this much.

Seungmin didn’t seem fazed at his slick soiling his clothes. On the contrary, it seemed like he didn’t even care at all.

“Like what you see?”

Your head snapped upwards to meet his eyes, and you immediately felt heat rush to your cheeks. 

“I’m sorry, I’m trying really hard not to look, but…” You suddenly felt small under his gaze, even if your hands didn’t stop. His eyes were so dark, staring right into yours so intensely the hairs at your nape stood on end.

Seungmin always tried not to look people in the eyes, ‘It activates this primal instinct in me, it’s a bit annoying sometimes, to be honest. I only make eye contact when… when I… Well, you know…’ He’d said once, very vaguely, but even back then, you understood. 

He didn’t need to tell you in which situation he enjoyed eye contact. Whenever you looked him in the eyes, you always felt trapped under his gaze, like you wanted to submit. And, somehow, it also woke the butterflies in your belly. Right now, that feeling seemed to have heightened tenfold.

“You’re trying not to look, but…?” Seungmin licked his lips, reaching forward to take a hold of your forearm. Not to stop you, but simply to drag his thumb over your skin in soothing motions.

“But…” You swallowed. You figured now was as good a time as any to let the thoughts out of your head, otherwise they would haunt you forever. “You’re so big”.

Seungmin giggled, a sound that he hardly ever let anyone outside of his close friend group hear, the flush on his face deepened, and his eyes crinkled at the corners. Adorable, even in this context… “You think I’m big?”

“Haven’t touched someone this big ever”, your pace was still slow, but you made sure to stroke as much of him as you could, as tight as he had asked you to. It wasn’t like he was crazy big, he wasn’t particularly long, but he was just… girthy. Girthier than you had ever seen in your pathetic excuse for a love life. “Not only that, but… It’s just… pretty”.

At that, Seungmin looked genuinely incredulous. “Pretty?”

“Mm… pretty”.

He was going to speak, but before he could, your movements sped up, and the whine that left his mouth as soon as you did had your insides instantly firing up. It was a completely involuntary reaction, how could your body not react when the sounds coming out of his mouth were this sinful? When the almost canine whines stirred the butterflies flying freely in your belly?

“Oh, fuck… That’s it, baby, just like that, shit…”

You didn’t even acknowledge the pet name that just escaped his lips. You were convinced it was a heat of the moment thing, so you swallowed that saliva that had suddenly pooled in your mouth, and continued to focus on your motions. 

With both of your hands, you went from the base to the head a few times, until you settled one of your hands at the base and the other at the tip. You had heard that the base of a canine hybrid’s cock was sensitive, not as much as the head, but much more than a human’s would be, and Seungmin’s wagging tail and content sighs proved that to be true.

You made sure to pull the foreskin with you when you pumped his head, and your eyes naturally drifted to the sight again. Pretty, indeed…

“You’re so fucking good at this, fuck…” Seungmin’s head was tilted back against the headboard, but he was still looking at you through his lashes. His chest rose and fell with his laboured breathing, he was essentially panting, his tongue poked out from between his lips, and the movement of his thumb on your forearm had long since stopped. He was now just gripping your arm, lightly digging his fingers on your skin.

“You think so?” You couldn’t help but ask.

Maybe it was a bit selfish, but you definitely wanted to hear more of his praise. It fed a pool of arousal in the pit of your stomach that you just knew you’d have to deal with as soon as you were on your own and away from his prying eyes…

“Fuck, yeah… You’re so good to me, so…” His words trailed off, stopped when he swallowed thickly. 

You wanted him to continue what he was going to say, you almost asked him to, but before you could, he spoke again–with an edge of desperation in his voice that almost made you faint.

“Squeeze a bit harder at the base”, so you did, twisting your wrist as you went up and down, and the loud moan that fell from his mouth made you dizzy with need. “That’s it, keep doing that, fuck…”

You worked his cock for a while, all as words of appreciation continued to fly past his lips, all as his slick kept dripping all over your fingers, as he directed more pet names your way. Until something started to feel different…

“Oh, oh, fuck… Fuck, shit, don’t stop, baby, please, don’t…”

You wouldn’t have dared stop, not when your fingers suddenly weren’t able to touch where you held him. You kept the motions on the head of his cock, but the base seemed to be swelling under your grasp, loosening it a bit.

“No, no, don’t stop there. Squeeze it. Keep touching it, pup”, Seungmin pleaded, tightening his grip on your arm while small whines escaped his throat, almost drowned by the sound of his tail thumping against the headboard.

“Oh, my God…” You knew hybrids were anatomically different to humans, but you had never really considered just how much they could be, so it really took you by surprise.

You were experiencing one of Seungmin’s hybrid attributes first hand. There, at the base of his cock, a knot was quickly swelling, and you would’ve never expected how much the sight and feel of it could affect you. Your mind raced, suddenly curious as to how it would feel like if he were pushing his cock into your warmth, how he would stretch you out to your absolute limits…

Seungmin might’ve been the hybrid here, but you were certainly salivating at the feel of his swollen knot in your hands.

Tightening your grip around his knot, you started massaging it, just as you pumped his head faster, coaxing a string of groans and moans and swears to come out of Seungmin’s mouth.

“Your hands… They’re so soft, so… perfect. That’s perfect, pup, you’re doing so fucking well”.

Seungmin was talking to you like you weren’t the one working him up. It would’ve amused you, had it not been feeding the fire that was burning bright deep within yourself.

You could feel your underwear sticking to your skin, drenched in your own fluids because of Seungmin, and the sounds he was making, and his heavy cock under your hands, and that fucking knot of his…

“Seungmin… Shit, you… This…” Being honest, you were speechless. 

“What? Huh?” Seungmin finally let go of your arm, instead he cupped your cheek, making you look at him, just as he started to thrust up into your fists. “I know what you want to tell me. Or, at least, I think I do, fuck… I can hear how fast your heart is beating, pup. I can smell it all, you know? I wanna know what you’re thinking. Tell me”.

You licked your lips, staring into his eyes. You were sure your face couldn’t be any warmer, yet the heat seemed to spread further the longer you looked at him, the faster you moved your hands and he thrusted into your grip.

“I’m… Fuck, I can’t help but think how it would feel like inside me, stretching me open…”

“Oh, shit–” Seungmin threw his head back. His tail thrashed against the headboard, and his ears were twitching nonstop. “I can–Fuck, baby, I can give it to you. Whatever you want, just say it and I’ll give it to you”.

With your lower lip trapped between your teeth, you took in a deep breath, almost shivering when Seungmin pulled his shirt up to reveal his torso just as he mumbled the most desperate “Close, so fucking close, puppy. Don’t you dare fucking stop. Tell me–tell me more…”

“I want… want your knot… I want you, Seungmin. So much, so, so much. Need you”, you emphasised each statement with a tighter squeeze to the swollen base of his length.

“Oh, fuck!”

With a few more thrusts of his hips, and a few more twists of your wrists, Seungmin gave you a quick warning, only for your name to fly past his lips, and explode seconds after. Thick ropes of cum spurted from the tip of his cock, painting his torso in the creamy substance and dripping all over your hands. It was so much cum, more than you had ever seen anyone ever produce.

The sounds coming out of his mouth were absolutely pornographic, they entered your ears and shot straight to your aching, needy insides. Needy for Seungmin, for his knot, and his everything.

You kept working his cock, pumping the tip to make sure every drop of his cum came out, squeezing and stroking his knot through it all. Until Seungmin’s body slumped against the headboard.

The movement of your hands stopped, but you didn’t remove them. The sight was straight out of a wet dream, his torso, his shirt, his shorts, your hands, everything was covered in cum, and you suddenly had the urge to taste it. But you begrudgingly resisted that urge, this was probably not the moment for that.

When you finally looked away from the mess, your eyes found Seungmin’s. His chest rose and fell with his ragged breaths, his lips were slightly parted as he gasped for air, and he was looking so deeply into your eyes you simply couldn’t look away.

You weren’t sure who moved first, maybe it was you, or maybe it was him… Or maybe, it had been both.

Before you knew it, Seungmin’s soft, moist lips were on yours, kissing you like a starved man. And you retaliated, of course. You kissed him with the same enthusiasm he had, licking his bottom lip to get your tongue inside his mouth, and very quickly, you started to feel lightheaded.

Kissing Seungmin was better than you could’ve ever imagined. Hearing him and seeing him come was a transcendental experience, and you were sure that your brain chemistry had just been altered forever. How could you ever go back to anyone else after this?

The kiss was messy, sloppy, tongues intertwining and teeth sinking on soft skin, producing wet noises all around. You would’ve honestly loved to stay there forever, kissing him, with his length in your hands and his cum all over your fingers. Unfortunately, though, you needed to breathe, so you finally disconnected your lips from his, and took a deep breath.

Seungmin looked into your eyes, and you looked right back. They were still dark, still alluring, but there was something else, something softer… Maybe more vulnerable. The stare-off lasted for a few moments, a few moments spent in silence, until you both broke into a fit of laughter.

Seungmin was practically glowing, he looked possibly the most handsome you’d ever seen him. Even when he was covering the lower part of his face with his hand while he laughed, trying to hide that pretty smile of his after years and years of insecurities produced by the now long since removed braces on his teeth, you still found him incredibly handsome and adorable.

“I take it you enjoyed it? You must have. Look at this mess you made”, there was a teasing smile on your lips, but the truth was, you genuinely wanted to know. 

“As much as you enjoyed, it seems”, Seungmin scoffed, and he gestured between your bodies, where you were still holding his cock. He was still just as hard as he was before he came. 

“You’re still hard?” You couldn’t hide the surprise in your voice, nor the way your eyes widened at the sight, and it made Seungmin smirk immediately. 

“Baby, I’m a dog. My cock thinks it should be inside someone right now, keeping all my cum contained with my knot. Of course I’m still hard, it wants to breed”.

“To… to breed?” Your voice was airy, shaky, suddenly unable to contain the feeling of pure arousal you felt coursing through your veins.

“Mm… to breed”, Seungmin repeated, and he bit his lip when you started to gently squeeze and caress his knot.

He detached himself from the headboard just enough so he could pull his shirt off. After a few moments of silence, he spoke again. His gaze softened further, and he brought his hands to your cheeks so he could softly caress the skin with his thumbs. “Thank you. Fuck, I'm so grateful right now. That felt so good”.

“Oh, please… It was my pleasure”, you chuckled, finally letting go of the head of his cock so both of your hands could focus on giving attention to his knot, hopefully helping relieve any possible discomfort he might be feeling since it was out in the open, unable to fulfil its purpose. 

The motions clearly made Seungmin’s blush deepen. He looked at you for a few bated breaths, and before you could even understand what was happening, you were on your back, gasping in surprise. 

Taking his discarded shirt, Seungmin knelt on the bed, right between your legs, and he cleaned your hands, as well as his torso of as much of his cum as he could. 

“Your pleasure, pretty human, hasn’t even started yet. Let me make you feel as good as you just made me feel”.

Tagging: @oiminho · @dundullresident · @straylightdream · @biribarabiribbaem · @dearalice · @alexis-reads-fics · @xcookiemonsteer · @knowleeknow · @ven-fic-recs · @liminaldaydream · @bintificreads · @svngiem · @princelingperfect · @aestheticsluut · @skzhomiehopper · @cessixja · @mimzibee · @hipsdofangirl · @floatingcoffecup · @toplinehyunjin · @goblinracha · @viviixlyy · @kpop-bbdoll · @meloncremesoda · @fawnpeaks · @dalamjisung · @jaiuneamesolitaiire · @lilramennoodle · @stayconnecteed · @iadorethemskz · @junebug032 · @meowmeowhoon · @poutypoutybin · @seo--changbin · @yeetfellx

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General Masterlist

[ftmtftm]

Can you talk a bit about tme/tma? I know what the terms mean, and I'm aware of the discourse surrounding them, but I still haven't decided how I feel about them. On one hand it's useful to have a term for someone who experiences transmisogyny as it tells you how valuable their input on the conversation may be compared to someone who doesn't, but on the other hand "tma" seems to just mean "transfem" in most contexts (they're not synonyms but if you claim you're tma while not being transfem you seem to attract suspicion/people won't believe you) and it seems reductive to claim that no one who isn't transfem doesn't experience transmisogyny (or their insight can be completely ignored)

Yeah I totally can because I have extremely strong feelings about them.

I think TMA and TME are functionally useless terms because people use them to mean "trans fem and not trans fem" or "AMAB and AFAB" with a different coat of paint. The way they are functionally used is as a new, useless, racist, intersexist, gender binary to for binary trans people to shove nonbinary people into and to shut down non-White and intersex perspectives in the trans community.

TMA as a term could potentially be an interesting vehicle to talk about a number of well deserving topics of discussion like the way transmisogyny crosses into racism - because Black cis and/or intersex women are often subjects of an intersection of transmisogyny and racism - but it's not. (Because it's born out of White Transfeminism and operates under a view of gender and race as completely separate axies of oppression and doesn't account for where they overlap)

EDIT to add more: But TMA could also be used as a vehicle for discussions on the overlap between transmisogyny and intersexism - my mind immediately goes to someone like @.dabwax who I've been following for years now and is an intersex lesbian with a beard who is regularly subject to transmisogyny - but it's not. (Because it's born out of Intersexist Transfeminism and operates under a view of trans issues and intersex issues as completely separate axies of oppression and doesn't account for where they overlap)

Even then, I think TME is the truly useless term because what is it's function beyond creating a division? What is it's function beyond shutting down a conversation that could actually potentially build a bridge of understanding between trans experiences? Because transmisogyny is not a solid wall of bigotry that zeroes in on every trans woman and only every trans woman, as previously stated. There is no easily defined category of people who aren't targeted or impacted by transmisogyny because there is no form of bigotry that can be so cleanly defined.

You don't have to be part of an oppressed group to be targeted by the same kind of bigotry that also impacts them. So if someone experiences transmisogyny they can just... Talk about it. Trans women and fems are absolutely placed in a powerless position within our society and within the queer community as a whole, but I don't think functionally creating another racist, intersexist, gender binary is actually going to help anyone besides the most advantaged White, perisex, etc. trans people.

So ultimately I think they're kind of silly and unsuccessful in their intended purpose because they are narrow and born out of defensive, exclusionary rhetoric and behavior. At least they are under the lense in which I view and understand the world and systems of oppression and bigotry.

[kolyasupremanxy]

Hellooo

Love your work lots💗

A smart, well spoken and highly intelligent/strategic reader with an knowledge that may challenge Dazai and Fyodors brain, how does that sound? I think it's a nice change of scenery when the s/o gets to play the clever witted character every once in a while

With Ranpo, Dazai, Fyodor, Nikolai and Chuuya please (or just anyone you want)

Hugs and kisses 💋

𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐦 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚𝐧 𝐈𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐠𝐞𝐧𝐭 𝐬/𝐨

𝐇𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐜𝐚𝐧𝐨𝐧𝐬 + 𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐭 𝐬𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐮𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 : 𝐅𝐲𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲, 𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐢 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮, 𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐲𝐚, 𝐄𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐩𝐨, 𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐆𝐨𝐠𝐨𝐥

𝐆𝐞𝐧𝐫𝐞: fluff ( ? )

𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐝 𝐜𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐭: 2.9k

𝐀/𝐧: Sorry for the wait—

𝐅𝐲𝐨𝐝𝐨𝐫 𝐃𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐞𝐯𝐬𝐤𝐲

Fyodor would be initially intrigued by the intelligence and strategic mind of his s/o, finding their ability to challenge him intellectually to be refreshing and engaging.

He would enjoy engaging in deep, philosophical discussions with his s/o, relishing the opportunity to bounce ideas off of someone who can keep up with him intellectually.

Fyodor would be impressed by his s/o's ability to read and understand complex texts, and may even ask for their input on his own writing.

Despite his arrogance, Fyodor would be willing to listen to his s/o's opinions and ideas, and may even incorporate them into his own strategies and plans.

Fyodor would appreciate his s/o's ability to see through people's lies and deception, and may even ask for their help in identifying potential threats within his organization.

He would be attracted to his s/o's confident and well-spoken demeanor, finding it to be a rare trait among those he associates with.

Fyodor may become possessive of his s/o, seeing their intelligence and strategic mind as valuable assets that he cannot afford to lose.

He would enjoy testing his s/o's limits and seeing how far they can push themselves intellectually, often challenging them to solve complex problems or puzzles.

Fyodor may become jealous of his s/o's other intellectual pursuits, feeling threatened by the possibility that they may find someone who can challenge them even more than he can.

Despite his sinister personality, Fyodor would have a soft spot for his s/o, often showing a gentler side of himself when they are alone.

He would appreciate his s/o's ability to keep up with his fast-paced and complex way of thinking, finding it to be a rare and valuable trait.

Fyodor would see his s/o as an intellectual equal, and would value their input and opinions on a variety of topics, both personal and professional.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

Fyodor and you were sitting in his study, surrounded by books and papers strewn across the room. The two of you had been discussing various philosophical ideas and debating different theories for hours, both thoroughly engrossed in the conversation.

Fyodor leaned back in his chair, his eyes fixed on you as you spoke. He was impressed by your ability to articulate complex ideas in a clear and concise manner, and found himself admiring your intelligence and strategic mind.

"You truly are an impressive individual," Fyodor said, a small smile tugging at the corners of his mouth.

You returned the smile, feeling a sense of pride at Fyodor's words. "Thank you, Fyodor. It means a lot coming from you."

Fyodor's expression turned serious as he leaned forward, his gaze intense. "You know that I value your intelligence and your abilities, don't you?"

You nodded, feeling a sense of warmth spread through them at Fyodor's words.

"Good," Fyodor said, a note of possessiveness creeping into his voice. "Because I cannot afford to lose you. You are too valuable to me."

You felt a thrill of fear mixed with excitement at Fyodor's possessiveness, knowing that it was a side of him that few people saw.

"Of course, Fyodor," they said softly, knowing that it was best to placate him for now. "I will always be here for you."

Fyodor nodded, his expression softening once more. "Good," he said again, a hint of a smile playing at his lips. "I wouldn't want it any other way."

𝐃𝐚𝐳𝐚𝐢 𝐎𝐬𝐚𝐦𝐮

Dazai would be immediately intrigued by his s/o's intelligence and strategic mind, seeing them as a worthy challenge to his own intellect.

He would enjoy teasing and bantering with his s/o, relishing the opportunity to spar with someone who can keep up with him intellectually.

Dazai would appreciate his s/o's ability to read and analyze complex texts, and may even ask for their opinion on his own writing.

Despite his tendency to take things as a joke, Dazai would respect his s/o's intelligence and strategic thinking, valuing their input and ideas.

He would enjoy playing mind games with his s/o, testing their ability to read between the lines and uncover hidden meanings.

Dazai would be attracted to his s/o's well-spoken and intelligent demeanor, finding it to be a rare and valuable trait.

He may become jealous of his s/o's other intellectual pursuits, feeling threatened by the possibility that they may find someone who can challenge them even more than he can.

Dazai would be flirty and charming with his s/o, using his wit and intelligence to win them over.

He would appreciate his s/o's ability to see through people's lies and deception, often using them as a sounding board for his own strategies and plans.

Despite his tendency to take things lightly, Dazai would have a soft spot for his s/o, often showing a caring and protective side of himself when they are alone.

He would enjoy debating and discussing various philosophical ideas with his s/o, relishing the opportunity to learn from them and challenge his own beliefs.

Dazai would see his s/o as a true intellectual equal, valuing their input and ideas on a variety of topics, both personal and professional.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

You sat in your favorite armchair, engrossed in a thick tome about existentialism. Dazai was lying on the couch nearby, his eyes closed and a bored expression on his face.

"What are you reading, Y/N?" he asked, not bothering to open his eyes.

"An interesting book about philosophy and existentialism," you replied, not looking up from your book.

Dazai let out a groan. "Ugh, that sounds so boring. How do you even read that stuff?"

You chuckled. "It's fascinating, Dazai. It challenges my mind and makes me think about the world in a different way."

Dazai shrugged. "To each their own, I guess. Personally, I prefer books that are a little more... entertaining."

"Entertaining?" you repeated, raising an eyebrow. "Like what?"

Dazai sat up, a mischievous glint in his eyes. "Well, how about we play a game? I'll give you a word, and you have to come up with as many synonyms as you can in 30 seconds."

You couldn't help but smile at Dazai's silly suggestion. "Alright, let's do it."

Dazai gave you the word "happy," and you quickly rattled off synonyms like "joyful," "ecstatic," and "elated." Dazai was impressed by your quick thinking and challenged you with more difficult words.

The two of you continued the game, laughing and joking along the way. Even though Dazai didn't share your love for philosophy, he appreciated your intelligence and enjoyed testing it in his own silly way.

As the night wore on, you realized that sometimes, it's not about the subject matter of what you're reading, but the joy of learning and challenging your mind. And with Dazai by your side, you could do both.

𝐍𝐚𝐤𝐚𝐡𝐚𝐫𝐚 𝐂𝐡𝐮𝐮𝐲𝐚

Chuuya is initially surprised when he meets his intelligent and strategic s/o, but he quickly finds himself drawn to their wit and intelligence.

Despite his initial arrogance, Chuuya is willing to listen to his s/o's ideas and opinions and often engages in deep conversations with them.

His s/o's intelligence and knowledge often impress Chuuya, and he loves to hear them talk about their favorite books and ideas.

Chuuya enjoys testing his s/o's knowledge and challenging them to think in new ways.

He is impressed by his s/o's ability to think on their feet and come up with creative solutions to problems.

Chuuya appreciates his s/o's confidence and intelligence, and often relies on them for advice and support.

His s/o's intelligence also makes him want to better himself and learn more about different subjects.

Chuuya often surprises his s/o with romantic gestures and fancy dates, enjoying the opportunity to impress them with his taste.

His s/o's intelligence and quick wit often lead to playful banter between the two of them, which they both enjoy.

Chuuya's respect for women extends to his s/o, whom he treats with chivalry and kindness.

While he can be brash and impulsive, Chuuya's s/o helps to ground him and provide a different perspective on situations.

Despite their differences, Chuuya and his s/o share a deep connection based on mutual respect and admiration for each other's intellect and personality.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

You and Chuuya were assigned to work on a difficult case that required a lot of strategy and quick thinking. Chuuya was confident in his abilities, but you surprised him with your intelligence and problem-solving skills.

As the two of you were brainstorming, Chuuya suggested a plan that seemed too risky to you. "I don't know, Chuuya, that plan seems too dangerous," you said, your brow furrowed with concern.

Chuuya rolled his eyes. "Don't tell me you're going to start doubting my abilities now, too," he scoffed.

You shook your head. "No, it's not that. I just think there might be a better way to approach this."

Chuuya raised an eyebrow. "Oh really? And what's your genius plan, then?"

You took a deep breath and outlined your idea, explaining your reasoning and analysis. Chuuya listened intently, his expression gradually shifting from skepticism to interest.

"Hmm, that could work," he said, nodding slowly. "I didn't think of that. You're pretty smart, aren't you?"

You couldn't help but feel a little smug at the compliment. "I try," you replied with a small smile.

Chuuya looked thoughtful for a moment before speaking again. "You know, I have to admit, I underestimated you at first. But you're proving to be quite the asset on this case."

You felt a warm sense of satisfaction at his words. "Thanks, Chuuya. I appreciate that."

From that point on, you and Chuuya worked together seamlessly, using your combined intelligence and skills to successfully solve the case. Chuuya admired your intelligence and even asked for your advice on future cases.

Despite his initial doubts, Chuuya learned that intelligence comes in many different forms, and he was grateful to have you as his partner in the investigation.

𝐄𝐝𝐨𝐠𝐚𝐰𝐚 𝐑𝐚𝐧𝐩𝐨

Ranpo is initially intrigued by their s/o's intelligence and finds it refreshing to have someone who can keep up with him.

He's often playful with his s/o, teasing them and challenging them to solve riddles and puzzles with him.

His s/o finds him incredibly entertaining and is often amused by his childlike antics, despite his incredible intelligence.

Ranpo can sometimes come off as arrogant, but his s/o has a way of humbling him and bringing him back down to earth.

He's always eager to learn from his s/o and is open to exploring new ideas and concepts.

Ranpo's s/o is often the one who helps him stay organized and focused, as he can get easily distracted by his own thoughts and interests.

Despite his childish behavior, Ranpo is incredibly loyal and protective of his s/o, and will go to great lengths to keep them safe.

He loves to surprise his s/o with thoughtful gifts and surprises, often going to great lengths to plan elaborate surprises and scavenger hunts.

Ranpo's s/o is often impressed by his quick wit and ability to solve complex mysteries, and enjoys watching him in action.

He can be stubborn at times, but is always willing to listen to his s/o's opinions and ideas, and values their input greatly.

Ranpo is not one to shy away from a challenge, and often encourages his s/o to take on difficult tasks and challenges.

Despite his incredible intelligence and detective skills, Ranpo is still a human being with emotions and vulnerabilities, and his s/o is always there to support and comfort him when he needs it.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

You and Ranpo were walking down the street when suddenly, you both saw a group of people gathered around something. Curious, you both made your way towards the crowd and found that there had been a murder. The police had just arrived and were starting their investigation.

Ranpo was already analyzing the situation, and you could see his eyes darting around as he took in all the details. You, on the other hand, were also trying to piece together what had happened, and you began to explain your theories to Ranpo.

As you spoke, you noticed that Ranpo was listening intently to everything you said, and even nodding in agreement at times. You could tell that he was impressed by your intelligence and analytical skills, and it made you feel proud.

At one point, as you were explaining your theory about the motive behind the murder, Ranpo interrupted you with an excited exclamation.

"Did you see that? She's my girlfriend, and she's very smart, but I'm smarter, of course!" he said with a grin.

You couldn't help but roll your eyes at his cockiness, but it was clear that he was proud of you and wanted to show it off to everyone around.

The police officers were also impressed by your analysis, and they began to ask you questions about your theory. You answered them confidently, and Ranpo stood by your side the entire time, nodding along and occasionally adding his own comments.

Eventually, the police were able to solve the case with your help, and they thanked you and Ranpo for your assistance. As you walked away from the scene, Ranpo wrapped his arm around your shoulder and grinned.

"Looks like we make a pretty good team, huh?" he said.

You smiled and leaned into him, happy to have someone who appreciated your intelligence and analytical skills as much as Ranpo did.

𝐍𝐢𝐤𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐢 𝐆𝐨𝐠𝐨𝐥

Despite being a criminal, Nikolai is always willing to learn and expand his knowledge. He admires his s/o's intelligence and often asks them questions about a wide range of subjects.

Nikolai loves to challenge his s/o's mind with puzzles and riddles. He finds it entertaining to watch them solve problems and is always amazed by their abilities.

Nikolai is a big fan of birds and often talks to his s/o about them. He dreams of one day having a pet bird of his own.

Despite being a sadistic criminal, Nikolai is incredibly cute and joyful. He has a tendency to act like a child at times, especially when he is excited about something.

Nikolai loves to use his body language to communicate. He is not afraid to be silly or make a fool of himself in front of his s/o.

Nikolai is also very affectionate towards his s/o. He loves to cuddle and give them small gifts to show his love and appreciation.

Nikolai has a unique sense of humor and loves to make his s/o laugh. He finds joy in the little things in life and is always looking for ways to brighten up their day.

Despite his joyful nature, Nikolai is also very determined when it comes to his work. He takes his job seriously and will do whatever it takes to succeed, even if it means making tough decisions.

Nikolai is very intuitive and often knows what his s/o is feeling without them having to say anything. He is very empathetic and always tries to make them feel better when they are down.

Nikolai is very proud of his Ukrainian heritage and often talks about his homeland with his s/o. He enjoys teaching them about his culture and traditions.

Nikolai's scar is a constant reminder of his past, but he wears it with pride. He sees it as a symbol of his strength and resilience.

Nikolai's s/o is his biggest source of inspiration. He loves watching them succeed and is always in awe of their intelligence and strategic thinking.

𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐨 :

Nikolai Gogol, with his love for theatrics and quizzes, challenges his intelligent and strategic s/o to a game of wits.

The two of you are sitting in Nikolai's luxurious office, surrounded by expensive furniture and paintings. Nikolai is wearing his usual silly grin as he poses a challenge to you.

"Let's play a game, my dear," he says, his eyes gleaming mischievously. "I'll ask you a series of riddles, and if you can answer them all correctly, I'll give you a reward."

You raise an eyebrow, intrigued. "And what if I can't answer them?"

Nikolai chuckles. "Then I get to ask you a question of my own choosing."

You agree to the terms, feeling confident in your intelligence. Nikolai starts with an easy riddle, which you answer quickly. He follows it up with a more difficult one, but again, you answer it with ease.

Nikolai becomes more and more impressed with each correct answer you give. He can't help but smile at your intelligence and wit.

As the game goes on, the riddles become increasingly difficult. You can see the gears turning in your brain as you try to figure out the answers. Nikolai, on the other hand, continues to wear his silly grin, thoroughly enjoying the game.

Finally, you reach the last riddle. It's a particularly tricky one, but you manage to solve it after a few moments of intense concentration.

Nikolai claps his hands in delight. "Well done, my dear! You truly are a formidable opponent."

He reaches into his desk drawer and pulls out a small box. "As promised, here is your reward." Inside the box is a beautifully crafted brooch, studded with diamonds.

You thank him graciously, feeling both satisfied and pleased with yourself. Nikolai, still beaming with pride, can't resist one last comment.

"Looks like I've finally met my match. But don't worry, my dear, I'm still the silly one in this relationship."

Do Not Copy or Plagiarize Any of My Works. Reblogs Are Very Appreciated.

[guided-by-stars]

Thoughts on Mister "I killed my past self so that I could live" Isabeau vs Mage "I tried my damnedest to kill my past self but couldn't do it" Loop? this has been stuck in my head for ages and I would love to hear your thoughts on it (too scared to get off Anon oopsies)

What fascinates me about that comparison is that Isabeau is often analyzed under his struggles to act. He fears being seen as a coward, when Siffrin in act 5 calls him such, he later confirms that it was indeed an insecurity of his. It’s not exactly surprising to see why- he does struggle with inaction, whether it comes to his hesitance to put his valuable input out there (despite how it could’ve incredibly helpful, he’s so smart!), or his holding back of his confession to Siffrin. However, when it comes to Changing, it seems that he never hesitated to take action, once he realized that was what he wanted.

Could this be because of the incredible strength of his desire to be different? Was it that much stronger than any of his other desires? Or was it easier because of the institutional pushing of Change in the first place?

When it comes to Loop, it’s interesting, because there are multiple meanings of “kill [their] past self.”

Of course, there’s the direct physical attacking of Siffrin that they do in act 6 (and that battle will never stop haunting my mind), where they do indeed try their damnest to kill him (open up your rib cage, take out my heart that beats in your chest) , but when given the opportunity when they win, pinning him to the floor, they can’t. At the end of the day, Loop feels like Siffrin deserves to live, deserves to win, deserves to be helped. Their pity, their care, their love, is as equally strong as their resentment, their hatred, and their burning envy in that moment. [For more on that, see here: https://www.tumblr.com/guided-by-stars/758267393131855872/when-siffrin-first-asks-loop-why-theyre-helping ] They say, shaking on top of Siffrin, hands still on their throat, eye full with tears, “I can’t do this, not when I had to see you fight so hard…!!!”

But then, there’s also the active metaphorical killing of their past self. Choosing a new name, a new role, partly because Siffrin would certainly not have trusted them as much if they knew they were also them (ironic), but also because they didn’t feel like they deserved to be a Siffrin, like they were faking being one, that this wasn’t their world anyways, so they no longer had a place in it as themselves. Despite their best efforts, though, Siffrin figures it out. Their comedy mask wasn’t able to fully conceal the tragedy underneath. At the end of the day, that transition is a construction, an illusion.

Of course, there’s a third type of killing of the self that Loop seemingly at first succeeds at, but ultimately fails at. Their Wish. They don’t even intend to do so- all they want is to escape their torment. But they give up their body and their place as “Siffrin” in that moment. Despite that though, their past self isn’t dead, not really. At the end of their battle, Siffrin smiles gently at them and says “I’m sorry, Siffrin. And thank you, Loop.” They’re both. The Siffrinness inside of them never went away, not really. That body created by Wish Craft is theirs, they grew into it, spreading into the star as a new skin, but they are still Siffrin, really and truly.

So, if we return to the comparison, it seems fairly simple why Isa was able to kill his past self, make them disappear, kill them with his bare hands, as he says, and Loop could not.

…

When Loop tries to kill the self, the first time, it wasn’t an actual choice, it’s just Craft, the second time, it’s not a true Change, it’s a facade, a mask, and the third time, deep in their heart, they don’t actually want to go through with it. When Isabeau does, it’s a genuine true change that he had the utmost conviction for.

But is it really fair to purely contrast them? Did Loop truly fail? Aren’t they similar in their method of changing and being changed? Isabeau also says this, while under the stars:

The person he was before is still here, he grew around them to protect them…an armor becoming the real thing…he wanted to become someone he would have liked to know before…

Does this not sound like someone we know? Someone who physically grew around themselves, a new form being created to protect themselves and creating a facade to emotionally protect themselves, a facade that melted into them until it became an inextricable part of the real them, trying to be helpful and useful, someone who wanted a literal other version of themselves to like them and want to know them… [clears throat]

…Isabeau and Siffrin are more alike than many realize, and it’s not just because of their mutual love of puns and lack of wanting to make the first move. They are deeply similar, and echo each other.

[sanctus-ingenium]

Inver - relief map relative to the continent with otherworld territory marked, broad habitat map, detailed local landmarks map, and political map of the northeast atlantic peninsula as of 1862

i was just having map fun for two days lol. i make habitat maps a lot already but the difference with this one is that i can't just download a handy shapefile and do some GIS magic. this was hand drawn (but obviously. somewhat traced over the actual irl map)

for the outline of the north sea coast i used bathymetry data to figure out where the true coastline would occur. the north sea recedes but the atlantic doesn't (to the same extent). because this landmass was formed through some ancient Event, i felt pretty okay about changing the bedrock because like, whatever, we can't be fully realist all the time. so the northern half of inver is mainly limestone, the southern half is silicaceous - so we got the bog/marl divide there, though lough cánamac (in volume slightly larger than any of the north american great lakes) appears to be the remnant of the north sea, it is freshwater with a relatively low pH. the water of the lough is black to dark brown due to the run-off from the southern bogs and swamps.

in the north, the mountain ranges are calcareous. calcareous grassland, scrubland, heaths and fens dominate with a largely alkaline profile. limestone marl lakes which regularly flood due to groundwater input make the region pretty unsuitable for crops other than rice.

the ruad is the name for a stretch of otherworld territory which contains the lough, though generally used to refer to the forested area. it is completely uninhabitable throughout the majority of its range due to the non-euclidian structure of the land making it impossible to navigate consistently, and the strange and frequently hostile creatures living there. the ruad is faery territory and belongs to an entity known as the Red King, who uses the symbol of a stag. so although inver may look like a large country compared to its neighbours, it has a relatively small population concentrated on the west coast.

however, sailing across the lough is the quickest way to trade with countries in the east, far quicker than trekking through the forest and over land. the trade route through the ruad from invergorken to the cánamac town is one of the most valuable in the continent. it consists of an old road with regularly-spaced ranger safehouses and patrols, and a newer pair of railway lines which can cut through the supernatural aura of the ruad due to their iron rails. the first and older line is no longer in regular use. it was constructed before the development of wrought iron and before the build crews learned how to blast through rock, so it takes a very slow and winding route and required a lot of maintenance. safehouses were constructed to board the workers while the tracks were laid. but without this original track, the construction of the second, far more advanced wrought iron track would have been impossible. workers for the second track were able to commute and sleep on the first track's train, keeping them from harm. the second track can fit two trains side by side and is in constant use ferrying cargo and passengers between the two towns

the country of inver, once The Event wiped out all of its original inhabitants a couple thousand years ago, was settled by hibernians and vikings from the north moving south, and aquitanians from the south moving north (thus the place names). the ruad mostly blocked incursions from the east. there was a long history of dispute over who truly owned the land, and that remained sort of up in the air for most of its history until the 1400s when armorican warlords (like Olivier) decided to make it theirs for realsies and waged war against their old hibernian trade partners (like Finbarr) for control of the land. the hibernians lost because finbarr fucked it up at the last second, and this cemented a ruling class of werewolves in inver until the 1860s

inver consists of three large duchies which cover 70% of the population. Moya in the west is the heart of lycanthrope rule, everybody worships a faery known as the immortal hound and the ruad is far enough away that it is not a fact of life as it is for everyone else. Inver duchy covers the capital city and the south-western farmland, the main sites of production in the country. And Cánamac duchy covers the trade port in the lough and surrounding territories, where forest clearing has led to new farmland and a thriving population. There was a fourth duchy in the north, Aber, but it was historically somewhat isolated and cut off from the south of the country and had developed its own customs and traditions, and its own form of the country's currency. In the 1840s, the duchy of Aber was dissolved and reconstituted into the king's lands, and southern customs were enforced in the north to prevent any more divergence. the palaces of the ruling families in each territory are shown in the local map alongside the family names.

Due to The Event causing massive damage in this region of Europe, forbidding the development of britain and france etc as colonial empires, the last great Empire of this continent was the roman empire, and even that didn't manage to overcome the Ruad. technology is rudimentary in Inver and the people living there are largely considered to be weird backwards superstitious barbarians. aquitan has been threatening annexation for decades, led mainly by the church of suzette, which forbids interaction with otherworld entities. the church holds in disregard the nobility of inver and their cultish ways, and as a result has been banned from attempting to convert inver citizens. but the church is still allowed to make minor inroads into inver for one very important reason: penicillin and antibiotics are the sole creation of the church, and the secret of how they are made is unknown outside suzette. so for the sake of good, advanced healthcare, the church is allowed to set up clinics and hospitals, on the condition that nobody is converted, and members of the church are strictly banned from engaging in any business but importing and selling antibiotics

[shankss-magnificent-ass]

A Growing Relationship

Pairing King the wildfire x GN!reader

Warnings: arguing, implied dead family, fluff

King would never admit it, but he was infatuated with you. Not that he needed to admit it, everyone could tell from how he treated you. And by that they mean without contempt like he does with everyone else who isn't Kaido. The only person who didn't know was you, but only because you suck at reading social cues. While while occasionally inconvenient it was one thing about you, that he found endearing about you. However, one of his least favorite things about you was your height. You were around average height of a human, so he towered over you. Meaning he could never truly be physically intimate with you as a man, which frustrated him to no end but didn't stop him from wanting to be with you.

It was almost love at first sight for King when he saw you the first time. You had joined under a subordinate captain, and were taking a tour of Onigashima when he laid eyes on you. He had no idea who you were, and he didn't know what drew you to him, but he pulled a few strings to get you working under him as his assistant. You were responsible for keeping him on track, managing his schedule, and anything he asked. Much to King's pleasure, you proved yourself to be a valuable asset to his work. You even kept his office presentable, from replacing the floorboards he regularly scorches, to dusting the floor to ceiling shelves of his book case. The latter always puzzled him because he never saw you getting the ladders to get up there.

King never bothered to ask you how you managed it because he was too busy trying his hardest to get closer to you. He wanted to know everything about you. Your mere presence engendered a peace in him that he had never felt that made him content just to be around you. You were the kindest person he had ever met, and he loved your indomitable spirit that refused to let anyone kill said kindness or change you as a person. The intriguing thing about you is there were whispers that you had a devil fruit, but no one, not even your captain knew what it did. And you refused to reveal or use it, not even Kaido could get you to change your mind. Which intimidated most members of the crew since no one knew for sure what you were capable of.

The was until late one night King had gotten into a fight with Queen and the scuffle resulted in both of them destroying part of the crew's dorms, including yours, with all of your stuff with it. In fact, it was he, who wrecked your stuff, because it was all burnt to a crisp. King had caught sight of you during the fight, and he was surprised to see the look of rage in your eyes. After the fight King approached you to apologize.

"I will pay for everything to be replaced, and arrange for new sleeping quarters while yours are being rebuilt. I'll also pull some strings to let you have design input for your new quarters."

King grew nervous when you just gave him a hard glare and crossed your arms, while tapping your foot.

"I really didn't mean to.... It was just some stuff, please."

"Just some stuff!" You shrieked, "You have no idea what you've done!"

"Don't you think you're overreacting? Queen started the fight anyway," He huffed, trying to deflect the blame and your ire.

Out of nowhere you grew in size, becoming tall enough to look him in the eyes. You pointed a finger in his face and yelled, "You destroyed the only things I had left of my family King. My photo album was a pile of ash! I'm now going to forget what they looked like because of you. You boiled my rock collection, burned my book collection, sat on my glasses, and torched all of my clothes! You destroyed everything I owned, I have every right to be upset with you King!"

Your growth spurt shocked everyone in the room into silence, and half of the crew was watching you chew him out. King lowered his voice to show sincerity when he asked, "I had no idea, I'm so sorry. What can I do to make things right between us?"

King watched your rage and anger deflate, leaving behind exhaustion and sorrow. Guilt filled the Lunarian upon hearing the tone at which you replied, "... I don't know, I'm too tired and angry to think. I just want to be alone and to go to sleep."

King placed his hands on your shoulders and offered, "You can sleep in my bed if you would like, I'll take the couch." King knew how much you preferred your privacy, and there was nowhere in Onigshima that was more private than his room.

"I can't take your bed King, I'll just sleep on the couch in your office~" You started to pull away, while avoiding eye contact with him.

But King interrupted, "Yes you can, I just had clean sheets put on this afternoon. I also insist you take my bed for the night, because last time you slept on the couch in my office you messed up your back. I cannot have you out of service for a week like last time." Leaving no room for argument, he turned you around to lead you to to his quarters.

"You're shaking," you noted once the two of you were down the hall and out of earshot of the others.

King was admittedly excited because now not only did he know intimacy was possible. But he now had the opportunity to prove to you that he was boyfriend material. He excused himself, "I've never had a sleepover before... I'll have someone find you some pajamas and clothes for you to wear tomorrow." He'd rather look childish than like a creep.

"This isn't a sleepover.... Wait you've never had a sleepover before? How?"

King sighed, "I had an... unorthodox childhood, very isolated. But I know you probably don't have the energy for an actual sleepover, this is the closest I've ever gotten to one." He smiled when he heard to mumble in agreement but that perhaps tomorrow night the two of you could have a proper one.

In his quarters he left you alone to unwind while he went to call the tailor to get you some clothes to wear while he has a new wardrobe made for you. Upon his return he found you face down, half on and half off his bed, sound asleep. He watched you while mulling over his thoughts, there's a part of him that's scared of getting hurt again. That you'll turn him into the government for the reward money. But he knew you wouldn't, you had always expressed extreme disdain for the world nobles and their systems of power. However, that did not mean that he didn't trust you with his secret. Once he decided he would take this disaster he caused, and use it to open up to you. King moved to your bedside, took a seat and removed your shoes. After depositing them neatly beside the nightstand he picked you up tenderly and tucked you into his bed. The tall man took a moment to brush your hair out of your face, admiring your soft features, before he leaned in and kisses your forehead. His breath fanned over your skin as he mumbled, "Good night, and sweet dream dreams."

Coming Soon

[laz-262]

Um I got bored and decided to try out writing by drawing similarities between MK characters and the planets (yes from that tiktok slideshow) so enjoy my incessant brainrot :]

sun - is alone but still shines (liu kang)

Like duh, he is the keeper of time in this timeline, he gave up his mortality to keep the rest of the universe alive, and yet he will never find anyone that is able to live alongside him in fear of his attachment to them and doesn’t want to face the grief of loosing them (the only exception being geras)

I feel like he would’ve contemplated reaching out to kung lao but he refrained from doing so cuz it wasn’t his kung lao, and kung lao already had raiden. And since raiden never intruded their friendship before (in previous timelines), he wanted to do the same out of respect. It’s not like kung lao would even recognise the man standing in front of him either.

mercury the forgotten planet (mileena/baraka)

This feels like a stretch, but it feels that many choose to focus more on kitana over mileena, especially when sindel tells kitana that sometimes she wished kitana had been borned first. maybe it was partly due to liu kang’s design, choosing to indulge in designing kitana over mileena, who in the previous timeline, was nothing but kitana’s clone.

People in the empress’ inner circle sometimes doubt her ability to rule outworld, and kitana and jerrod do provide valuable input, but having tarkat does not necessarily cloud mileena’s mind, at least not yet, and she is more than capable of showing outworld her capabilities that she is fit to rule, just like her mother.

Either that or baraka, a famed merchant with everything he wanted, had everything taken away from him. tarkat, the disease that ravaged his body, that left his family dead, that shunned him away from his race. He was exiled to the tarkat community, forbidden from stepping into Sun Do until recent events took place.

Between Baraka and Mileena, I feel like the common thread is their tarkat affliction that clouds people’s judgement, that causes people to forget the previous feats they were capable of. Which causes them to be seen as nothing but their disease.

venus - planet of love, destroyed by global warming (johnny cage)

The man, the myth, the living legend. he had everything, he still does, and yet he didn’t feel it was enough. He wanted more, and that was too much to handle. And because of his own gluttony and greed, he lost his wife, the person that loved him for who he was, not what he could become. Yet, when he finally achieved what he could become, perhaps he had lost himself in the process. Maybe he did feel grief for his now ex-wife, but the Johnny Cage everyone knows doesn’t cry, he smiles and laughs it off. Right?

But Johnathan Carlton, the person he is, the broken man he is, allows himself time to grieve, to let slip the tears he didn’t know were there for so long he thought they’d dried up. and when he finally dries them away, perhaps finally has the ability to properly move on from everything, and figure out what he truly wants.

earth - slowly destroying itself (kuai liang)

The younger of the biological lin kuei brothers, breaking the lifelong pact he formed with said brother, moving on to form a new clan. Despite feeling hatred and betrayal towards bi han, he also can’t help but feel.. disappointed that things turned out this way, that they couldn’t have worked together, that he and bi han couldn’t fix their relationship.

He partly blames himself for their falling out, with his hot headedness stripping away the one thing that his brother and him had in common, his lin kuei badge. His feelings of betrayal not just because of bi han, but towards the lin kuei, eat him up from the inside.

He know that he isn’t at fault, and the lin kuei are now set on his and tomas’ heads, but he can’t help feel that he should’ve done more, to convince bi han from listening to that conniving sorcerer. now he leads a newly formed clan alongside tomas, and even though the running of a new clan tires him to no end, the gnawing feeling of loss of his brother still sets him on the path of self loathing.

However, there also lies the foolish hope that still burns like a weak ember in his heart, that maybe his brother is not all lost, and something can still be done to salvage him.

moon - doesn’t shine by itself, its light is just a reflection of the sun (geras)

Everyone is so focused on liu kang’s revelation of being a keeper of time it is also easy to overlook the role of the keeper of the hourglass himself. While geras does not mind the relative lack of recognition, he too owes his life and creation to liu kang, with the purpose of his whole existence lying in the large glass object that keeps track of all time.

It’s funny, the duality of how geras can turn out while under different keepers, from a ruthless, unstoppable soldier under kronika to a gentle yet insightful partner by liu kang’s side. it almost reflects how the moon has different phases when the sun and earth are in different positions. who knows, perhaps he would turn out differently in another keeper’s timeline. But his purpose remains forever unchanging, to stand by the keeper’s side, and to protect the hourglass, within which all of reality resides in.

even mars once had water on its surface (syzoth)

Ok hear me out, syzoth, an outcast from his own species, and zaterrans were shut out by outworld themselves. One could’ve never fathom he would’ve found love, and yet he did. A wife and kid, whom he loved unconditionally, as they did he. Maybe he had finally found the happy ending he could never find in his hometown.

But when shang tsung broke the cruel news to him, maybe he did finally break, realised that fate just enjoys playing cruel pranks on him. And this time, maybe he’ll just laugh dryly in its face. And maybe the tears that prick his eyes when he thinks back on perhaps the only two people that loved him without hesitation will fill the dried riverbeds on the desolate planet that is his heart.

jupiter - supposed to be a star but failed (kung lao)

I feel like this is another given, kung lao was never meant to be the champion, at least in this timeline. He tried, he tried so hard to prove himself, if not to raiden but to himself, that he was enough, and yet he couldn’t even prove that his best was enough. forever a walking second place medal.

Yet there is so much about him he doesn’t see in himself that so many others can see so clearly, his jokes, his get going personality, his ability to light up the room, to get completely different people to work together. It feels like such a paradox, he gets caught up in both his perfections and flaws he doesn’t see the things that make him a truly enjoyable person to be around

saturn is slowly loosing its rings (raiden)

Guys let me cook pls. Raiden, the farmer boy that became earthrealm’s champion, obviously a lot of responsibility comes with the title. He goes on to become the shaolin’s newest master, and slowly more commitments start to get piled on him. But he still smiles, and graciously accepts the load given to him.

Nevertheless, a day only has 24 hours, and most of that time is taken up by these responsibilities. While raiden is grateful for the opportunities he’s given, he slowly looses out on time spent with his closest companions, with his family. His grip on his previous life in fengjian slowly loosens and gradually becomes nothing but the past. Even though he still visiting his hometown, he knows he can’t return in fear of endangering all those he holds dear there, with kung lao and his hat the only pieces that remind him of home.

uranus was once closest to the sun, but slowly drifted away (kitana)

Kitana, at least to liu kang, was prob his everything at one point, the love of his life, and yet he managed to fail to keep her safe, watching in broken arms as she slipped away from him. even now as keeper of time, he can do nothing but watch from afar as the kitana he knew was instead a completely different person, despite wearing t he same face.

Titan kitana, his kitana on the other hand, didn’t even know that her liu kang still existed outside of her timeline, so close and yet out of reach. she moved on, carrying out her duties as keeper of time as sand continued to fall in the hourglass. Only did she finally come face to face with liu kang, her liu kang, did she realise how much she missed him, and how long it had been since she saw him, always holding a secret flame of hope of seeing him again despite creating him in her own timeline, she, much like her liu kang, could do little in interfering with the timeline, to come undone and let all her emotions flood out to the person that wouldn’t even recognise her

neptune is slowly moving away from the solar system (bi han)

Bi han always wanted more, he wanted power over the realms, rather than merely safeguarding it. So when he decided to accept shang tsung’s deal, he thought he did what was right for the clan. But what he didn’t realise that by making a deal for everything, he had already lost it all.

The 2 brothers that stood by him in whatever war they fought, turned their back on him when they witnessed his endless thirst for authority. And by siding with shang tsung he had already lost any previous ally he had in the past.

While he initially thought that it was of little consequence, after shang tsung’s defeat, here he stood alone, with his clan, against the world. Of course, his clan was of no small scale, with cyrax and sektor by his side. but still he had never felt more alone

Though he would never admit it, he missed the presence of his brothers providing their unending support in their endeavours. he missed liu kang’s annoyingly good advice to their plans. Perhaps he believes that it is already too late to fix old wounds, now he faces his brothers’ new clan, leading the charge. There was nothing to do but continue moving forward, that’s just how the threads of fate works, time only moves forward.

pluto was too small to seem significant (tomas)

Tomas, the youngest of the lin kuei brothers, and not even by blood. While bi hans words stung, they were no doubt the truth, despite how much tomas turns away from it. He was an orphaned child, picked up by the clan that decimated his entire family and took him in out of sympathy.

They tried to treat him like he really was a lin kuei, or at least kuai liang did, but tomas knew he didn’t and will never belong there. and yet, he still forced himself to believe that they were his real brothers, and treated them as such. But it was when bi han turned his back on him and kuai liang, did he realise that he would never be enough to bi han, that bi han never thought of him as his equal, that he never saw tomas significant enough to be his brother, to be lin kuei.

But maybe, with the creation of the new clan, the shirai ryu, maybe this is where he will find his new family, one that will not shun him for not being enough, one that sees him for who he is, not what he could never be.

[bodyalive]

“swinging” (c) Bernd Walz

* * * *

Descending Modulation: Why Massage Therapy Can Alleviate Pain Posted by Mark Olson | Oct 24, 2019 | Massage, Massage Science [Thanks Barbara Sharp Lmt]

“Clients walk out of a massage session feeling better, not because circulation was altered in the tissue or because of any direct mechanical manipulation of soft tissues, but because of the symphony of nociceptive modulatory activity that emerges both from tactile input and from the meaning the client derives from environmental and social cues. (11)

Once we understand that the tissue is (often) not the issue and how pain is generated and modulated in the brain, we can realize that placebo effects are nowhere near fake but rather an essential therapeutic tool to wield against the real basis for pain. Understanding the mechanisms of descending modulation’s nonspecific effects means that our treatment strategy doesn’t require mechanical focus on the region with the pain. It also means that educating our clients about how pain works becomes part of the treatment (since it can further enhance descending inhibition), and that what and how we communicate to the client about their condition plays a much more central role than what would be expected with the common, passive, unidirectional, tissue-centric model of pain.

Classes on effective listening and communication skills may truly be more valuable than classes in one massage modality or another.” I think the Neuromuscular Reprogramming model using competent, exacting and still soft manual muscle testing fulfills the active communication aspect better than words. Gently teaching a nervous system how to achieve a motion or hold a joint using a fully balanced set muscles does reduce pain.

[mosneakers]

Lily extends a comforting offer to make tea, a welcoming gesture to warm everyone up after coming in from the cold. While she does that, Montgomery, the composed alpha, invites the Darlings to gather in the Living Room for a chat.

Montgomery: Well, Donna, this is a reunion I didn't anticipate in this lifetime. All this time has passed. You're still just as radiant as I remember, by the way.

Brick: Ay... obviously. We all got eyes, buddy. Keep it pushin'.

Donna: Brick. [Polite smile] Thank you, Montgomery. I appreciate the compliment.

Montgomery: Mr. Darling, I'd like to express my gratitude, if I may. You have stepped up where I fell short. Brick has shared stories about your family, and your other children. It's clear you've given them the life they deserve.

Yellow: Please, feel free to call me Yellow. Our children are the most precious parts of our lives. But I couldn't have done it without this angel right here.

The Darlings jump as the front door bursts open, allowing a flurry of cold air to swirl into the house.

Roxanne: Man, it's colder than a vampire's left nut out there!

Brick turned around and waved. Brick: Hey Rox. Welcome back.

Roxanne: Hey kiddo! How's it shakin'?

Roxanne hands Lily over a large bag filled with fresh meat from her recent hunt, and begins to remove layers of outerwear. Roxanne: That's for you, darlin'. Enjoy it while it's still warm. [Grins] Lily: [Smiles] Oh, thank you sweetie! I'm getting too old to hunt in the winter anymore. I'll go put this away for later. Montgomery: That's Roxanne. Roxanne: That's me, his main squeeze for the moment. [Chuckles]

Roxanne plops down on Montgomery's lap, and formally introduces herself to Donna and Yellow, then gives them a brief rundown on werewolf culture and the ways of the Collective.

Yellow: So Montgomery, you're sitting before us right now. How is this possible? Donna and I assumed you were gone all those years ago. Montgomery: In brief, I discovered that I've actually been a descendant of werewolves all along. The trait was dormant until that fateful day. The previous alpha, a mooncaster, was searching for descendants to build a strong pack. He found me and brought me back, introducing me to Lycanthropy. I've never felt more free.

Roxanne: Brick knows that feeling, don'tcha kid?

Montgomery: It's in his blood. He's an excellent wolf, a valuable asset to our pack. But, I'll be frank with you, Donna. The boy lacks discipline. He has no respect for his elders.

Donna: Well that's not true. Brick has made mistakes, but he's always been a well-mannered young man. Perhaps you've yet to get to truly know him; he's used to having a big support system.

Yellow: Speaking of support systems, Montgomery, in your expert werewolf opinion, do you think Brick is ready to safely reunite with his children? They need him just as much as he needs them.

Montgomery pauses, contemplating, as Lily chimes in.

Lily: In our pack, we have Little Jak, whom I've raised from a pup. Much like your connection with Brick, Yellow, I see Jak as my own. Brick is good with him.

Donna warmly thanks Lily for her input and glances at Montgomery and Roxanne, who both nod in agreement.

Montgomery: Well that settles it. For short periods of time only, Brick will be permitted to take trips to Brindleton Bay to visit his kids. But while he's away, I'll require frequent communication with the two of you.

[beefrobeefcal]

Friendos, it is time for the first installment of...

Theywhowriteandknowthings aka Knowy

@theywhowriteandknowthings was one of the first e-friendos I made on this site and has been a champion for me while I found my groove in my fic writing shoes. They were one of my first beta'ers for my works and offered super insightful & valuable input as well as their friendship. Their writing inspires me to keep pushing myself outside of the box and their encouragement makes it easy to do so!

Thank you, Knowy!

I-will-not-ask-you-where-you-came-from regards,

Beefro 👌🥩💜

Here's my Top 5 of @theywhowriteandknowthings work:

First Time's the Charm - Javi Gutierrez

This is the first fic I read of Knowy's and It came at me right before the Birth of Beefro. I was still loitering under my original tumblr account at the time and I wasn't even remotely looking at writing. But this fic led me into a deep dive into the Peepaw FF world and I never looked back - I have a massive soft spot for this fic, as well as it is very saucy!

Rendezvous in Reno - Dieter Bravo

NOW THIS IS WHAT I AM TALKING ABOUT. I have read this fic many a time and I enjoy it more and more each time [I got to beta it and MY FUCK! i felt truly blessed and highly favoured]. Jus everything - the reader is an erotica writer and Dieter is a fan, his fabulous underwear, his dirty mouth, and his ego... MY GOD HIS EGO! This one is fun and should NOT be read while you sit in the same room as your in-laws FYI.

Creep - CreepyNeighbour!Joel Miller

This right here is a work of art. I got to beta this work again and I was a naughty pigeon and did it at work. LET ME TELL Y'ALL - I WAS LEFT UNABLE TO PERFORM MY DUTIES AS REQUIRED AFTER READING THIS. I should have taken the rest of the day to lay down and think on my sins because GOD DAMN. 10 out of 10 beefs for Creep. 🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩🥩

The Princess & The Duke - StepDad!Dave York

Okay, okay, okay... this is the oom papa mow mow of Dave York is your stepdad fics and I will fight anyone who opposes it. I love this series and the way Knowy has written Dave THE WAY HE DESERVED TO BEGIN WITH. I love the gentle badass he is in this and I hope reader's mom chokes on a carrot as she gives a 'Deep Throating 101' class at the local community collage.

SNAFU - Shifter!Frankie Morales

And my fav (even though I'm not ranking)! The one that started it all. This fic is not how I found them, but it is what made me want to get to know them and pick their delicious brain. It's a Frankie Fiend's wet dream and I had no idea how enraptured I could be with a Shifter Universe! I screamed into my pillow like a teenager and kicked my legs gleefully thinking about how Frankie shared his chicken wings with IQ. I will die on the hill that is marked: KNOWY'S SNAFU IS BEST USE OF SHIFTER AU This is an ongoing series and whether we get a new chapter soon or not, we will always have Bear!Pope memes. 🐻💜

HONORABLE MENTIONS:

Murder Daddy Kinktober 2023 - Sex Pollen/Pheromones Joel Miller x afab!Reader

Any & All Knowy's Miguel O'Hara fics Miguel O'Hara x afab!Reader

Whole Frankie Morales x afab!Reader x Santiago Garcia

Shore Leave Frankie Morales x afab!Reader x Santiago Garcia

Taungsdays, Am I Right? Din Djarin x afab!Reader

Hazy Days Din Djarin x afab!Reader

Breaking the Rules DBF!Joel Miller x afab!Reader

[stoopid-turtle]

hello... 😅 uhm, first of all, i truly am sorry in advance for being awkward 😭 but for once i decided not to let my awkwardness keep me from sharing (what i think/hope are) positive thoughts with a stranger on the internet, so here i am.

i'm not around much and legit only made this acc bc like you i'm a late bloomer here and needed as many outlets for my yizhan/wangxian obsession as i could get my greedy hands on, in the big year of 2023... sigh. anyway, as an avid lover of meta/analysis posts since my early fandom days began around 15 (oof 🥲) years ago, finding your acc was such a lovely surprise. i agree with your views a LOT, and really appreciate how eloquent and well-written your posts are! even more so bc there's a lot i still don't know and most of the time the source material is very hard to reach and/or understand due to the language barrier, so having other turtles to rely on to access those, even if filtered by their own biases/opinions, is wonderful. besides, such input coming from a new fan is also comforting and imo refreshing, juxtaposed with that of older fans... it keeps the fandom alive and all that jazz. it's also very brave given how ruthless some folks can be on the internet, and on this corner in particular 😮‍💨 it just felt like reading my own thoughts written by someone else sometimes. i gasped and nodded at your posts soooo many times djskdjdj thank you for that!

(btw you followed me back the other day and i legit fangirled irl bc ??? whatttttt 😅 i still think it was an accident but okay omg djskdjdj AHEM. sorry)

then today i logged in and read your recent posts feeling squeamish about sharing more thoughts and as much as i 100% relate to you saying that kind of attention makes you anxious, i just... idk, i had to let you know i enjoy everything you post, even though adult life has kept me from being able to read it all so far. i understand you stepping back and i respect that decision, i'm not by any means asking you to go against what you know is best for you. at the same time, i can't help but hope you'll still show up every now and then bc your posts will be missed 🥲 i guess the whole motivation behind this is that it just made me sad to think your valuable insights will be something i'm yet again late to, if that makes sense?

djskdjdj again, i'm so sorry for being awkward and weird and dropping all of this on your inbox unprovoked. you don't have to reply (or read this AT ALL omg 😭😭), in fact i'm so embarrassed by this that you'd probably have to reach me through inquiry lmaooo 💀 anyway, have a great life, thank you so much for the great job, bjyxszd etc ❤️💚💛

Oh, don't be anxious! I'm really not a big deal.

Thank you for dropping into my inbox! I love hearing from other turtles, especially relative newbies, like myself! One of my fav parts of coming out of lurking mode is getting to talk to other people. I kinda follow back anybody who follows me, cause it seems polite? I don't know tumblr etiquette. I just follow the tags when I get the chance.

I appreciate the encouragement! I try to avoid dramatics, so I'm sorry for the upset last week. The situation is largely resolved, and I am feeling more okay. I kinda backed off because I wasn't sure of my footing here in fandom as compared to others, especially as I do think I have some takes that fall outside fandom consensus. Again, I don't mean to rock any boats and I'm not invested in convincing anybody that they should have the same opinions as I do. Hearing from turtles who do want me to continue posting gave me some more confidence there.

So, yeah, I expect I'll post some more as I have time. I'd like to post more on dd (cause he's my fav). I'd also like to try to figure out gg cause that dude is so confusing to me. I do have RL stuff going on, and I don't have the time to be super-active outside of occasional posts. But I'd like keep posting stuff. At least until I get all my Yizhan thoughts out.

[sailtomarina]

A Winter Ball for Two

Draco x Hermione | @hp-yuletide-bliss Day 9: Winter ball | WC 2050 | Rating: T

She was enchanting.

Draco could at least admit that.

He might find his tongue tied up in knots, or find sudden, intense interest in the cracks of the castle walls wherever she drew near, but he could not deny that Hermione Granger looked like a winter fairy dressed and glowing as she was in the flickering light of the hundreds of candles floating above their heads.

The Great Hall was decked from corner to corner with its usual Christmas icing, but additional care had been taken to make the event feel extra special in light of the school’s inaugural Winter Ball, to be held annually after their Eighth and final year. The students had truly pulled out all of the stops with their eagerness to bring joy back to the haunted halls of their youth.

Granger spearheaded those efforts as Head Girl, delegating tasks to Professors, Prefects, and volunteers alike. Draco might have been spared if not for his best mate being her counterpart as Head Boy. Theo refused to let Draco hide himself away in his dorm room, or, on the rare occasion, the library. He’d found himself dragged to the Heads’ private rooms and pressured into providing any valuable input the sole child of Narcissa Malfoy could give. He’d grown up in the lap of luxury, after all. Organizing and attending balls were as natural to Draco as riding a broomstick.

He’d expected to be left alone with Theo in the common room, for Granger to avoid him like the plague that he was. He’d seen how others couldn’t help but stare at his arm, as if willing his mark to burn through the sleeve. 

She hadn’t done that.

Granger sat in with them most nights, curling up in an armchair, her armchair as Draco started to see it, cushioned by squishy pillows and swimming in a blanket large enough for a Quidditch team. She started plying them with treats and hot beverages, even going so far as to remember their likes and dislikes and supplying accordingly.

Knowing what she did of his family and home, and bearing the weights of their past, Granger was surprisingly curious about his experiences. She asked him about his family traditions, his most memorable gifts. His experiences growing up in the Malfoy household were much gentler than Theo’s, whose sole comfort had been his mother, one lost after her untimely death.

They, in turn, learned about her and, by default, Muggle traditions.

“I’m telling you, Granger, Father Christmas has to be a wizard. I mean, how could he not be? Fireplaces? Flying reindeer? Time manipulation?”

Theo had taken the opportunity to steal the witch’s chair when she’d gone for a tea refill, and she’d been forced to join Draco on the sofa to address his theory.

“Doesn’t it strike you as odd how entrenched he is in Muggle tradition? It makes me wonder just what kind of man he was–was he simply a philanthropist who wanted to bring joy to all children, Muggle and Magical, rich and poor, no matter their nationality or beliefs, or did he have some other underlying agenda?”

They’d gone on to argue over whether or not one wore pajamas to open Christmas presents–the only way Draco would ever concede would be if she showed up in crimson lingerie, otherwise clothing appropriate for pictures and visitors it was–as well as their expected courses at the dinner table. They both agreed Yorkshire pudding and redcurrant jelly were requirements, but Draco had put his foot down at her insistence that roast beef could be anywhere near the level of a perfectly prepared turkey.

“Why not both?” Theo mused.

“Shut it, Theo,” Draco snapped, “I don’t want to hear that from a wizard who eats his weight in sausage rolls every Christmas.”

Theo had merely winked, sending Granger into a fit of giggles.

“Oh, yes, Theo does love his sausages,” she managed to get out, before dissolving once more into laughter. Draco refused to acknowledge how cute he found the snorts that peppered her glee.

And now, here he was, lurking behind one of the many towering fir trees lining the Great Hall and attempting to blend into the foliage.

It hadn’t been difficult to avoid notice. Very few students, or even teachers, paid him much attention other than to glare or mutter insults. The sooner he could leave, the better. He wanted to be here as much as others did, which meant not at all.

“Why don’t you ask her to dance?”

Of course, Potter would find him.

Draco turned to face his long-time rival, taking in his relaxed stance, the bulkier form he’d built in his time since those days as Undesirable No. 1. Adulthood looked good on Potter.

“I’m surprised to see you here.” He ignored the question, choosing to redirect instead.

Bright green eyes flashed, and Draco couldn’t help but feel like he’d been easily read. Then, in a curious show of nerves, Potter bit his lip and looked off into the crowd.

“I couldn’t resist.”

Draco traced the line of sight. He saw Granger dancing with Theo, her head thrown back in a laugh, the graceful line of her neck bare and delicate. He searched for the expected fiery red hair of the Weaslette, only to find her far off to the right and decidedly not the target of Potter’s desire. So, who was he looking at?

A horrifying thought tickled the back of his mind.

Was he looking at Granger?

“Why don’t you ask her to dance?” he found himself asking the same question he’d dodged earlier. 

Had they found love during their lost year, despite Weasley’s presence? Had Draco stumbled across some sort of love triangle? Granger had never indicated her attachment to anyone, but Draco had assumed the obvious. How could anyone not fall for her in close proximity like they’d been?

“Doesn’t that kind of defeat the purpose?” One thick, black brow rose in consideration as Potter stared straight at him, his arms now crossed over his chest. 

“What do you mean?” Draco was confused. Defeat the purpose of what? 

He nearly let his younger self sneer out an insult at the way those eyes rolled into Potter’s head.

“How can I spend any time with Theo if I’m dancing with Hermione?”

Wait, what?

Potter and…Theo? 

“No offense, but how? And when?” Draco asked, nearly sputtering in disbelief.

“Well, I’d have thought the intricacies of gay sex would lie outside of your particular interests, but if you really want–” He broke off with a laugh at Draco’s choked gasp. “Sorry, couldn’t help myself. You make it so easy sometimes, Malfoy.”

“I do not,” he muttered. He hated that Theo and Granger both said the exact same thing.

“I’d heard about how he helped last year here at the castle from Neville, the way he was there for the younger kids no matter their house or blood status. That couldn’t have been easy for someone with his background.”

That knowledge had surprised Draco, as well. He hadn’t been around last year, either, but it didn’t take long for Theo’s actions to make themselves known throughout their mutual circles. Theo’s father had been…less than pleased, but that hadn’t stopped his mate from doing whatever he could to help. Theo was a better man than Draco, by far.

“So when Hermione brought him around, I already had a good impression. After meeting him, though?” Potter’s face softened, his expression wistful as he glanced back towards the dance floor. “How could I not fall for him?”

Not only was he the Chosen One, the damn Savior of the Wizarding World, but he was every bit the sort of person Draco would have wanted for his closest friend. He was brave and, Draco could admit it now, kind.

One song ended, then another began, slower, sweeter. Draco summoned up every bit of courage he could find. There wasn’t much, but it was enough.

“Let’s go, Potter.”

Again with the arched brow. Then, a crooked smile, one Draco couldn’t help but reciprocate.

Within moments, he stood before her, sweat building at the nape of his neck. He resisted the urge to wipe his hands against his robes. She turned at his approach, her partner now also facing away towards Potter.

“Malfoy? Is there something wrong?”

Sweet Salazar.

Her skin was flushed in the heat of her movements, tiny curls spilling out of her updo and framing her face in a way that had him yearning to brush them back, to lean in and breathe in deep. Her chest rose and fell heavily, chestnut irises pierced through with flecks of gold staring up at him in question.

“Would you do me the honor of this dance?”

Curiosity melded into pleasure, her lips spreading wide to show off her perfect smile. He wanted to make her smile like that everyday.

“It would be my pleasure.”

She placed her hand in his, and he smoothly moved it up to his shoulder, stepping in close to sweep her up into his arms. It didn’t matter what song played, or whether or not she knew the steps–as far as he was concerned, there was nobody else but them. Hermione seemed just as caught in the moment as he, her face upturned and rosy lips parted as she traced his features like she meant to memorize the moment for the future. He knew he would.

She floated weightlessly in his embrace, her steps following him without hesitation. A raise of his arm and a spin had him admiring the silver-white twirl of her skirt around her slender legs. It didn’t matter what she wore, however. He still would have thought her just as enchanting were she in her favorite joggers, her mane tied up in a wand as it often was.

“You look beautiful.”

She blushed at the praise, eyes darting away for a split second like she couldn’t believe him.

“So do you.” Her head jerked back and eyes widened comically, and she hastened to correct herself. “I mean, you look handsome. Your robes, they bring out your eyes.”

He found it impressive that she could blush even deeper, and couldn’t help the grin that spread across his face. “I don’t mind ‘beautiful’, but you’re free to compliment me however you’d like.”

The hand that was resting on his shoulder came up to thwack him lightly on the back of the head.

“Ow!”

“That’s for teasing me,” she said with a scowl, but he could tell she didn’t really mean it. 

“As long as you don’t punch me in the nose again.” Could that have been the moment that she really caught his attention? Not her blood status, nor her annoying academic superiority, but her swift right hook?

Her head tilted one way, then the other. “I don’t think I will. I quite like your nose how it is.”

Well, in that case.

He brought his face down closer to her own, and she squeaked at the sudden nearness of him. 

Fucking adorable.

“Hermione?”

She stared unblinkingly back at him, as caught by the sound of her name on his lips as she was by his proximity. “Yes?” she whispered, so softly it was only his eyes on her lips that read the word.

“Would you let me take you out this weekend?”

“Out?” she echoed, still barely audible.

“Out. You. Me. A date.”

“A date?”

Had he broken her? She looked lost, like she wasn’t sure if she was dreaming. Maybe he’d read her all wrong, and the perceived closeness of the past weeks was nothing but his imagination. Perhaps his request blindsided her, coming from someone she only saw as a friend of a friend, or, worse, someone she barely tolerated.

The possibilities roared through his head and his movement slowed, no longer hearing the music. He wanted to leave. He should have left earlier, before Potter and his bloody bravery.

“I’m going to–”

“Yes.”

Strings and woodwinds roared back to full volume, laughter from the other dancers surrounding them as he returned to the ball. To Hermione. She looked up at him now, serious, expectant.

“Yes?”

Hope unfurled like the spreading warmth of a crackling fire as her lips turned upward and creases formed at the corners of her eyes.

“Yes.”

Cross-posted to Tumblr and AO3

Well, this certainly went a tad deeper than I had intended. I wasn’t planning on doing much backstory on their relationship, but couldn’t help myself with Theo in the mix. He’s such a darling, and I loved inserting a bit of him and Harry into the background.