#using this game as a chance to flex my character design muscles

[macabr3-barbi3]

HAPPY HALLOWEEN Y'ALL

We'll have a masterlist for everyone soon but AHHH I'm so excited! I'm so proud of everyone and so glad to have some new people join us in the server, everyone has done such a fantastic job and it was so cool to see everyone work through their ideas 💗

A huge thank you to my beloved @fraugwinska for planning and organizing this event with me and making us so many amazing graphics, and encouraging me when I hit a wall. And thank you to everyone who participated and has posted or will be posting soon! I love all of you 🩷 @redvexillum @ritualofcirice @chefskjssart @dewdropdinosaur @lumikello24 @xalygatorx @melodyonthewireless @kewpikayo @jurijyuu ❤️

For the fic that started the brainworms squirming, come check out Hex: Smile Like You Mean It!

Summary: Someone has noticed you noticing them. Tags: video-game typical violence, exhibitionism, mutual masturbation, off-screen character deaths

He was watching you. Always watching you. 

Well- to be fair, he was always watching everyone. You knew when he was the trial's designated killer because you would catch the glint of a red light in the trees, a glare off the lens of a camera that watched you from the corner as you tried to work on a generator as stealthily as possible. Before you even had a chance to wipe the grease of the gears off your fingers he would be on you with a spark of electricity, razor sharp claws raking down your back or arm as you tried to get away with his distinct laugh ringing in your ears.

The other killers could be mindless- chasing you around the same rock or set of trees for minutes at a time while the others popped off generators left and right, absent obsession fueling their pursuit of you like they didn’t realize you were merely buying time for your friends. 

Vox was just as ruthless, but worse- he was smart. Cunning. Somehow he always knew which corner you were going to turn, which windows you were going to try and vault through, and despite your best efforts you could never get him close enough to a pallet to slam it on his head and bust that screen of his wide open. You had managed it one time, relishing in the satisfying crunch of shattered glass as he swore and you darted away.

Only for him to find you while you healed yourself and drop you onto a hook anyway, his smirk taunting and cruel before chasing your teammates away when they tried to rescue you.

And despite it all, you felt drawn to him. Not drawn enough to actively seek him out in a trial, but sometimes you would watch from the sidelines as he chased the others, follow his meandering path around the lodge at Mount Ormond from the balcony on the second floor. At first it was a macabre fascination- where had he come from? What had brought him here? How much of him was really a machine? Your curiosity regarding his body warped over time to a keen interest, and before you knew it the purpose of your eyes on him had changed- no longer just watching him to see where he carried your teammates off to but appreciating the way his muscles flexed and moved beneath his clothing, admiring the delicate lines of his claw tipped fingers when he grabbed the edges of a window to chase after someone.

This was why you felt you were different from his surveillance of everyone else- you knew he could see you when you did this, watching him the same way he watched you through the cameras, and he never altered his course when you engaged in this behavior. It was only when you were working on generators, healing your friends, doing the things that needed to be done in order to survive, that he would spring forth from the cameras and start slashing and taunting.

The first time you had felt that flash of heat through your core watching him lick a stray drop of your blood from his claws after he threw you on a hook, you had been so ashamed you didn’t even bother trying to keep the Entity’s claws from coming down for you, your teammates too far away to help anyway. It got easier to live with though, something new and dangerously exciting when you looked at him and imagined the way his body looked under his clothes, wondered how calloused his fingertips were and how they would feel dragging across your skin with the intention of pleasure rather than pain.

Almost like a punishment for daring to feel something other than fear and despair when you looked at him, the Entity wasn’t kind enough to give you chances to observe Vox all that often; time didn’t really exist in this realm, but it felt like you had been in back to back to back matches for days, only at the campfire long enough for your wounds from Pyramid Head in the Swamp to be reset before you were being whisked away to be locked into a head cage by the Pig at the meat plant. It was never ending, constant torture that had you exhausted, moving slowly and always fumbling on the generators; which in turn had your teammates upset with you, and they would leave you to bleed out on the ground or struggle on the hooks while the rest of them worked away at the generators all the way across the map.

This time, when you landed in Haddonfield and everyone took off without you, you opted to just stay out of sight- you would hide in lockers, maybe hole up in a car and just rest until the others had finished the generators or gotten themselves killed, depending on who the killer was. Then you could make your way to a gate or try to find the hatch as long as they didn’t find you first.

You hear Yun-Jin start a generator near you and sneak off in the other direction; a smart choice, since your heartbeat picks up not even a full fifteen seconds later, Yun-Jin’s scream echoing with the sound of Vox’s laughter as he tosses her onto the hook. 

You peek over the rock that you hide behind as he turns, brushing dirt off his suit and straightening his bowtie- when he looks up he locks eyes with you across the field, flashing you a wide, sharp-toothed smile before he zaps into the nearby camera and is gone, another scream from David sounding off shortly after.

Your heart is still, so you take the risk and head towards Yun-Jin crouched low to the ground, just in case he’s watching. Your arms shake as you help her down, and she doesn’t say anything before she’s rushing off, leaving a trail of blood in her wake. You sigh and kick at a rock on the ground, debating if you should follow her and offer assistance.

“Damn, not even a thank you? And you all think I’m brutal.”

You stumble to the ground in your haste to turn around, but he doesn’t rush at you- just watches, like he watches through the cameras, like he watches you watch him. “Don’t be so dramatic,” he scoffs. “I’m not here for you, doll- not yet.” He drops to a crouch in front of you, his screen so close you can feel the static on the screen making your hair raise; he brings his fingers up from the ground, wet and red with Yun-Jin’s blood. His face changes, pulling up a surveillance feed; you can see Yun-Jin in one little square, desperately trying to heal herself without assistance; David and Ace work on a generator in the basement of one of the buildings, not even glancing at the cameras that hold them in their glass stare. You’re half expecting him to spring suddenly, luring you into a false sense of safety, but it doesn’t come- a little cursor comes across the screen and clicks on the staticky image of the men and he’s gone.

You’re not going to assume he would let you escape twice, so you creep into one of the houses and find a locker in a room that didn’t appear to have any cameras. You should feel bad, you think, about simply hiding while the others tried to do what needed to be done to escape; but Yun-Jin hadn’t even said ‘thanks’ for risking your ass to pull her off the hook, and most of the other survivors never bothered to help you either since your exhaustion had started to get the best of your normally nimble fingers. A couple were reliable- Adam, Jane, and Claudette could usually be counted on to help get you out of a sticky situation- but these three in particular that you were facing Vox with? They could help themselves.  

The others are too far away to hear them scream, but the two booms that ripple across the map when two of your teammates are sacrificed to the Entity can be heard from anywhere. There’s a scuffle outside the house and David stumbles in, bleeding from a deep gash in his back- a crackle of electricity and Vox is right after him, another swipe of those sharp claws dropping him to the floor. Vox peers at the locker in front of him- like he can see you through the slats, he winks before he picks David up and leaves the room to find a hook.

You should run. Flee the locker before he came back, your heart kicking into overdrive as the final sound rings out that tells you David is gone.

You don’t get a chance. The door to the locker is yanked open, and there stands Vox, his arms resting on the top of the opening and leaning in so that he’s all you can see, so you can’t escape. “Looks like you’re our lucky winner!” He says cheerfully, sounds like an old-timey game show sounding off from his screen, and he reaches into the locker to grab your arm. “How handy- I’ve been meaning to have a chat with you, my dear. Let’s go somewhere more comfortable, shall we?”

Connected as you are, when he flashes into the camera you’re pulled with him- left with a feeling not unlike laughing gas at the dentist when you’re deposited into the living room of one of the houses. “Have a seat,” he offers, gesturing to the couch before you as you wobble on your feet. When you turn jerkily, only half a thought in your head saying to run, his grip on your arm tightens; he turns you to face him, other hand coming up to tilt your face up to meet his eyes. “Sit down.” He says firmly this time, and the red of his eye is swirling with black lines that seem to say trust me trust me trust me.

You sit, and Vox looks surprised. “Fuck, I didn’t think that would work,” he laughs. “That’s good to know.” He looks thoughtful for a moment before he drags the nearby armchair to sit in front of you, leaning forward with his elbows on his knees while you watch one another. “Something to try in a trial sometime, maybe-”

“Are you going to kill me?” You ask, and he laughs loud and fake in the overwhelming silence of the room.

“I’m just trying to have a conversation! I gotta tell ya, I was having a lot of fun chasing you and your friends around but it was starting to get a little stale- and then there you are!” He gives you a wide smile, the sharpness of his teeth glinting in the low light of the house. “Always looking at me from behind trees and shit while I hunt down your teammates, watching me from the balconies and through windows- I know all about surveillance but it’s enough to make a man blush, sweetheart.”

His words make you blush- you had figured that he knew about you watching him, but not that he had picked up on your… interest. You try to stammer out a rebuttal and he laughs, waving you down with a mischievous look in his eyes. “None of that denial,” he chides. “I’m not here to judge; I’m quite flattered.” He winks at you again, the swirl of his eye lazy but not compelling you in any way, merely holding you in its gaze. “And that brings me here with a proposition! Mutually beneficial to the both of us, I can assure you.”

“What… do you want?” You ask cautiously, and his smile turns wicked, red drool dripping from the corners of his mouth.

He shocks you by stripping off the vest he wears over his white shirt, tossing it over his shoulder. “I’m a performer at heart, doll- the nature of a man in news means I love an audience, and an audience of one can be exciting in the right context.” He leans back into the armchair and pops a few buttons on his shirt, running his hands down his chest to the belt buckle that rests at the center of his waistband. “I want you to do what you’ve been doing so well lately- watch me.”

His belt clinks as he undoes the buckle, and your mouth runs dry. He teases electric blue claws against the zipper, a growing bulge under the seam that’s obvious to your eyes in the dim light of his screen. “What’s. What’s the mutually beneficial part here?” You ask, only stammering a little, and he chuckles low and dark.

“Depends,” he murmurs, “do you think the ‘show’ is your good part or mine?” He brushes his fingers against the outline of his cock, having hardened further under your watchful gaze, and a groan crackles out of his throat, staticky and harsh.

“It could be both,” you say absently, watching him finally draw the zipper down- the glowing that comes from his lap should be off-putting, but it’s not. You clench your thighs together, resisting the urge to rub them for some attempt at friction when his hand dips inside of his slacks and pulls his length out; hard, leaking from the tip until he swipes a dark blue thumb over it which a moan, a soft neon glow that seems to come from somewhere inside.

“It’s actually meant to be yours,” he says, “which means you’re kinda leaving me hanging here, sugar.” He stretches a leg across the expanse between your chair, knocking his foot against your feet to move them to the sides, the sweatpants you wear stretching tight across your lap as he essentially kicks your legs apart. “We should both be getting something out of this.” 

You catch his meaning, only hesitating for a moment before shifting enough on the couch that you can start shimmying your pants down past your knees. 

“Gimme a real show, doll,” he whispers roughly, dragging his fist up and down his cock slowly. “Let me see you.” His other hand finishes unbuttoning his shirt, the skin that he exposes a deep navy, littered with scars that only serve to draw your attention more fully to him. His claws tease over a glowing nipple- was that a USB port? - and the action causes sparks that rain down his abdomen.

You keep your gaze on him as you brush lightly against your clit through your panties, the shock of pleasure making your hips jerk. You apply more pressure, a swift circling around the sensitive nerves, and a moan breaks free of the barrier of your lips. Vox meets it with one of his own, the fist around his cock stroking earnestly, the fingers of his free hand trailing up and down his body, coming down to cup and squeeze his balls while he watches you.

“Fuck me, that’s fucking sexy,” he growls, his voice like gravel- his eyes are narrowed in between your legs like a man possessed, the intensity of his gaze like fire, like lightning. Your entire body is flushed, dripping with sweat when you copy him and let your free hand cup your breasts, tease the nipples through your thin shirt. “You like having eyes on you, sweetheart? Pull those little panties aside, show me what you like.”

You do as he asks, pulling the gusset of your soaked blue panties to the side and trailing a finger through the slickness of your folds. Your breath leaves you in shaky gasps as you press a digit inside, the angle not quite right for hitting that sweet spot that made you see stars. It had been so long since you had indulged in a little self pleasure, certainly at least before you had been swept up in the fog and taken to the entity’s realm; even with the thoughts you had had about this man you had never gone so far as actually touching yourself with the lack of privacy around the campfire and in the trials. The touch alone was good, but to have Vox watching you so closely, the wet sounds of him stroking his cock mingling in the air with those that came from your fingers pressing desperately into your cunt, a second joining the first too soon, was burning bliss that raced through your veins. 

His tongue hangs from his mouth, drool dangling obscenely from the end of it; he leans forward enough that it drips over his prick, the added wetness making everything so much louder as his rhythm sped up. “Come on, sweetness, fuck that pretty pussy for me,” he pants, his eyes glued to where your fingers begin thrusting into yourself, the drip of your arousal leaking from your stretched entrance. “Nice and loud so the camera picks it up.”

Your eyes dart to the surveillance camera in the corner of the room that the two of you had come jolting out of, the lens wide and glaring and pointed right at you. “You’re recording?” You ask breathlessly, hot desire flashing through you at the idea of him coming back to this moment between trials, looking at a playback of you fucking yourself on your fingers like a whore just because he told you, because he wanted to watch you do it. 

“She won’t let us stay here forever,” he says, a harsh grunt tearing free of his throat as his strokes pick up speed, slick, rhythmic sounds that echo in your ear and make your head slow and fuzzy. As he says it, the whole realm seems to creak and groan and shift, like reaffirming that the Entity was displeased with how you were using her little world of chaos. “Just getting a little something to tide me over til next time.”

Next time. A moan slips from between your lips, letting yourself lean back further against the cushions so you can angle your fingers correctly to brush against the textured spot of sensitive tissue inside. “What’s the plan for next time?” You inquire, watching his fingers glide effortlessly over the illuminated flesh of his cock- he seems to harden further at your words, leaking from the tip in a way that makes your mouth water. With any luck, your next encounter would involve actually getting to touch him; to feel all that hard flesh under your hands, raking divots into his skin, tasting the salty musk of his precum on your tongue before sinking into his lap. Your cunt flutters uselessly around your fingers, pleasurable but not enough when you think about being stuffed full with the promising erection that Vox held in his fist.

“Once I get rid of your little friends,” he says in a stage whisper, “I’m going to d̸̡̩͍̔ͥ͜ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊s̩͙͖̋͛͟t̴͕͖͓̀r̶̷̲͍̭͐̾̀͟ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚y̯̤͑́́̓́ y̯̤͑́́̓́ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚û̶͙̽̿͆̈.” His hand flies in slick strokes over his cock as he races towards completion, the pixels of his eyes not even blinking as he watches you desperately try to shove your fingers further, reach as deep as you knew he would. The corruption of his voice, like his internal system was at its very limits, makes you clench hard around your fingers, arousal burning in every bit of skin that was under his gaze. “Bend you over the closest surface and fuck you stupid- make sure every time you catch a glimpse of my cameras you remember being stretched around my prick and b͔͔̳͈̊̆ͥ͂͜͝ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧg̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟g̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟i̧̻̻͉̜͑ͪ̾͟n̫̫̘̗͕̲̲̎ͥg̬̬̱ͩ͋͟͟ m̰̰̹͚̙̂ͦ͗͠ḛ̡̰̳͓̥ͬ͋ͪͧ to cum.”

Your legs tremble, muscles tensing as your orgasm barrels closer. “Oh God,” you moan, so close that every part of you aches with the need for release- your head thrashes against the cushions of the couch, nerves overstimulated and raw and eyes locked on where his thumb brushed against his head, the entire length twitching in his grip as he watches you in turn.

“Or maybe I’ll let them live and fill up that sweet mouth first,” he grunts, “see if your muscle memory is good enough to do a generator while I fuck your face- better not fuck it up unless you want your teammates to see you g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠i̵͓͙̱͚̎͟n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠ for a killer’s cock-” Static flashes across his screen, a sudden snowstorm that glitches his face out before he lurches forward, his free hand gouging deep gashes into the arm of the couch you lay across. “F̵̦̺͕́̐͟û̶͙̽̿͆̈c̷̹͖͋́̃k̶̸͙̭̹͆͟, g̴̶̛̮̣͙͠ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘n̷̶̯͉̊̽̐ͦ͘ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞ c̷̹͖͋́̃û̶͙̽̿͆̈m̶̷͔ͪ̽͡--”

The camera in the corner goes dark as he spills over his fingers, the glow lightly flashing up the length of his shaft with every pulse into his hand- his release splashes across your bared skin, hot and thick, a deep, dark flash of arousal through your core at the sensation. You’re a hair trigger away from your own orgasm when he pulls his claws from the couch arm and stills your hands. The burning pleasure cools, frustration taking its place at his interruption until you see his face has come back, his eyes dark and drool dripping from the edges of his razor sharp teeth.

“Open those lips for me, sugar,” he says softly, and you do so with no hesitation; his claws slip between your lips and over your tongue, the salty, musky taste of his cum overwhelming your senses. You try in vain to get your fingers moving again, Vox’s hand squeezing lightly to deter the attempted movements. “Suck,” he says darkly, his left eye glowing red and swirling, but you’d have done it even without the compulsion that weaved through your mind, so desperate for whatever pleasure he could give you that you’d do whatever he asked. 

You apply the suction he’s requested, hollowing your cheeks and sliding your tongue between his fingers, licking every drop of his release that you can find. He keeps those fingers in your mouth and uses his other hand to knock yours away from your pussy, careful with his claws as he tears your soaked panties from your body and swipes his fingers through the slick of your arousal. You moan around his fingers when he slides a digit into you, long and strong and immediately putting pressure right where you need it, where you couldn’t properly reach before. “That’s fucking right,” he growls, and the gravel in his voice has your cunt clamping down on him when he pushes another finger in, thrusting fast and hard- the coil in your abdomen tenses, drool and humiliating noises escaping through your parted lips as he drags you to the edge. “Go on, baby, fucking s̩͙͖̋͛͟c̷̹͖͋́̃r̶̷̲͍̭͐̾̀͟ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊ă̶̸̝ͦ͊̿͋͞m̶̷͔ͪ̽͡ f̷̵̫̞̉͢ȍ̸̢̢̮͚̐̚r̶̷̲͍̭͐̾̀͟ m̶̷͔ͪ̽͡ę̷̵̧̖̫̗̆̊…”

Your orgasm rips through you like a hook to the shoulder, every muscle clenching hard, your soft inner walls fluttering as Vox’s hand is drenched. Your veins are alight with electric pleasure that’s prolonged with every additional push of his fingers fucking in and out of you, his thumb coming up to brush insistently at your clit. The added sensation toes the line of too much, the pleasure almost painful as he works you straight through one orgasm to another, his eyes- and the camera- never leaving your body as it seizes up again, Vox’s presence finally leaving your mouth so you can whimper and cry his name loud enough to echo in the empty house.

When he finally withdraws from the clutch of your pussy, his fingers are soaked and dripping with your release- he brings them to his mouth, long tongue darting out to lick you from his skin. He slides a hand under your head and tilts your face to the corner of the room. “Smile pretty for the camera,” he says, letting his tongue trail around the shell of your ear, and you feel a fucked out grin steal across your features before he lets you collapse into the cushions again.

Everything is pleasant and fuzzy- your body still tingles from the aftershocks of two vigorous orgasms, and Vox’s arms are strong and muscular under your back as he lifts you. “Easy, sweetheart,” he murmurs, and he’s repositioning you to rest against his shoulder, standing and lifting you from the couch with ease. “Fuck, I knew you’d be good for me. Stay just like that, yeah?” He makes his way through the house, and as you walk you can hear the hum of the hatch- it seemed like now that you had both finished, he was going to let you escape…

But your eyes open when the hum of the hatch fades, Vox’s grip still strong on your waist as he also bypasses the exit gate. “Um- Vox?” You crane your neck to see him striding purposefully towards the hook in the middle of the road, the Entity’s claws already poised and ready above it. 

Panic overrides the soft pliancy that had taken over your body, immediately struggling against the firm hold that he had on you- but you’d never managed to successfully wiggle free of him in any trial. “Don’t be like that,” he chides you, your movement at least pulling him a little off course. “It’s nothing personal, doll- we had a good time together but at the end of the day, business is business! Gotta answer to the lady upstairs- don’t hold it against me next time.” He passes by a pallet, and in a surge of desperation you reach for it- your fingers just manage to catch it, pulling hard so it slams into his body, a solid sound that echoes in the empty realm.

It’s enough- just barely, but it’s enough. His grip loosens and you drop from his shoulder, and you take the brief moment of his confusion to slam his head down hard into the wood. It breaks under the force of him, the sound of shattering glass and cursing filling your ears before you dart away on shaky legs, not waiting to see the aftermath.

The hatch isn’t far away, and you see him stand from where you had slammed him down- cobweb fractures span across his face, and his eyes are fractured and angry in every piece of broken glass visible. “It’s nothing personal,” you call to him, and you can see the pieces of his expression glitch out- whether it’s shock, anger, admiration, you can’t tell, but you aren’t going to take the time to figure it out. “Don’t hold it against me next time!” You drop into the darkness of the hatch, his frustrated scream echoing in your head as he fades from view.

[amelias-zelda-calamity-quintet]

For the ask game :] 2. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas 9. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block) 18. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven, 20. What is your total AO3 word count 22. What scene in MoaH took the longest to write? What was difficult about it? 

Ah, thank you, thank you for the ask @doubtfulloser!

2. Where do you find inspiration for new ideas

Honestly, it varies a lot. Sometimes from dreams, though usually for fic its a thread in some fandom discussion. GoS started with exploring a thread of people who wanted a unified timeline after the original split was announced in 2012, and MoaH was from a discussion on BOTW trial/dungeon design. And then I kept pulling the thread until it became a plot.

9. What do you do when writing becomes difficult? (maybe a lack of inspiration or writers block)

Habit.

I had to confront this big time this past month recovering from the flu, because here was the double edged sword: if I didn't write, I was kicking myself for not being productive, and if I did write, I was burning my brain out and not actually enjoying the process. Every other time I've been confronted with this problem, I ended up going on hiatus, which I don't like because they would go on so long. And there's a real conversation I'm starting to have with myself about my self-worth and productivity, but we're working on it. But the point was, I made a system to compromise where I'm currently at and people to support me on it (chiefly, my partner, though the Expanding Hyrule community is really building to meet part of this too).

The solution I'm finding now is habit, but it's not the same habit. I'm applying the things I did to keep my Duolingo streak for four years (which I still miss, but they started using AI so fuck that). And that's to have different goals depending on where I'm at.

If I'm not doing well, in whatever way, I have a writing maximum of ~400 words (give or take a finished sentence). The goal of this is not to write a bunch, it's to write at all. It's to prove I can maintain a habit and get back to it when I feel better. And then when I am feeling better, or generally in a good head space, that switches to a 400 word minimum in the day. The 400 word as a metric is specifically based on Terry Pratchett's daily writing goal. And so far, it's working. I'm getting back to my previous pace of a chapter a day.

It's also important for me to engage in other media outside of what I'm working on. Low inspiration usually means there's not enough ideas going in, which means I need to engage with other stories than my own, and outside of whatever fandom that might be in if it's fic. So subbing in other sources of inspiration is a key to restoring my natural sources. Right now, I've finally at a chance to watch Vox Machina and I'm playing through Ghost of Tsushima, very good additions to the rotation of writing sprints.

It's a work in progress, but it's important to be flexible in building answers. And it's ok to accept to yourself that you can write/draw/make uninspired. Just a little bit to flex the muscle helps, but it doesn't have to be groundbreaking every day (and it likely won't be).

18. How would you describe your style? (Character/emotion/action-driven,

I have a hard time with this one, but I'm going to say action-driven first because I know I rush my openings. I like to get to the plot. I write at a lower reading level but about more adult topics/lens because I believe we need to be making a better effort to make fiction, particularly fantasy, accessible again. I lean for big plots and bigger casts, and I very rarely know which trope to properly put on shit because I like poking them too much.

20. What is your total AO3 word count

As of the MoaH chapter to going out today (Oct 15), 253,730.

22. What scene in MoaH took the longest to write? What was difficult about it?

Oh boy, there's a technical answer to this and there's a real answer this. Also hard, because neither of them are out yet.

There's a scene in book 2 that's the culmination of a character arc that was very important to me to get tonally right, because I don't want Link's influence on it to be about him or to reach as a vein of hero complex on his part, but it was important for me to impress on the readers that most identify with MoaH Link the impact they can have by being good allies to people, about learning how they can protect people the way Link is in the story without centering themselves. I don't know if I got it right, but I hope I got close for the first pass.

Technically though, there's a chapter with an avalanche, also in book 2, and despite being pretty high octane, it took like five days to write because I was dying of the flu.

And thank you again for the ask!

[serrangelic-art]

What if the part 3 bosses were fully independent NPCs?

[ktheist]

02 — show me yours & i’ll show you mine | m

➙ muses. seokjin x college student / gamer!reader ft. best friend! taehyung

➙ genre. best friend’s brother au. university au. working au. fwb au.

➙ word. 1.9k

➙ warnings. explicit content. oral (f receiving).

➙ index. 01 | 02 | 03 | 04 | 05  | 06 | finale | side story 1 |

➙ synopsis. 

“can we have morning sex?”

“not today.”

x

“is that my brother’s shirt?” is the first thing kim taehyung says to you after a whole night of you declaring war against him for choosing his girlfriend over you.

your body clock’s designed in a way where no matter how late you go to sleep, you’ll always wake up at 8 in the morning. the question of whether you can go back to bed or not varies. like right now, when your stomach is grumbling because it’s decided to deem that the spicy carbonara ramen you had has lost its sustaining-abilities.

“uh, is that a woman-choosing, best friend-abandoning human i see?” you say, eyes squinted at said human.

“whatever,” that seems to have taken taehyung’s interest off the creme colored sweater hanging off your shoulders and way past your butt. you could’ve not word shorts when you went out to get yourself a bowl of cereal. mainly because the brothers have a similar habit of sleeping in until the sun’s shining directly into their faces and they’d have no choice but to wake up - that is, in the event that they forgot to shut the blinds.

“what are you doing up anyway?” you ask but it’s a no-brainer because every friday night, kim taehyung and you would never fail to release a week’s worth of pent up frustrations over playing video games until the crack of dawn, “don’t tell me you haven’t slept.”

“unlike some people, i’ve got things to do,” he steals away the bowl of cereal you just finished preparing for yourself, “places to be.”

you can’t even get mad at his brazenness, not when those eyebags make him look like he’ll pass out with one swing of your punch. and you do punch like a girl - besides the fact that you are one, it’s already a settled fact that you’re really not fond of the idea of wasting your energy on something pointless - so you tend to give the least amount of energy for, for instance - if you do choose to - punching kim taehyung who’s walking away with your bowl of cereal.

so you fix yourself a new bowl, savoring it while watching an episode of the tale of nine-tailed and spending the entire morning catching up to the latest episode. it’s only until half an hour past noon, do you strut back into seokjin’s room, noticing the lump under the sheets now shifting with a sign of wakefulness.

“morning!” you greet, hearing the sound of hymns trickling into chuckles as seokjin pushes the sheet off his face and steals a glance at the uncalled for being that’s perched on top of him.

“you’re up early,” he remarks, arms stretched over his head, muscles flexing deliciously.

“can we have morning sex?” you put on your best smile, lashes fluttering in what you hope to be a coquettish manner rather than someone who looks like they have dust in both their eyes.

“not today,” he says but his large hand latches on your right breast, massaging with a expertise before pinching on your nipple and making you jump in surprise.

“ah!”

but before you get to complain, he’s pulling you down and engulfing you into a warm but shirtless hug (on his part at least).

“not fair,” you pout but snuggle closer anyway, forehead leaning against his chest.

but it’s short-lived because thunderous footsteps start echoing in the hallway and sounding dangerously close with each passing second. for a split second, you watch seokjin watch you, panic spreading across his face before your hands instinctively push him away. then the panic dissolves into alarm as he calls your name, accompanied by another timber-like voice that’s shouting out the same syllables.

“___!”

and then your butt hits the ground, then your back and your head at the same time.

“whew chile, that sounds painful, you okay?” taehyung sounds concern, but he doesn’t take any step towards you to further assert your head - you could’ve had a concussion for all he knows!

“um, gee thanks for making sure,” you want to roll your eyes, but you’re too busy rubbing the spot where your head made contact with the floor.

but seokjin, ever the thoughtful person, is already climing over the bed and pulling you up with one heave.

“why are you shirtless?” taehyung suddenly inquires.

 the cozy creme sweater clinging onto your body feeling immensely inadequate as you ice up. he looks between you and his brother, screws twisting in that head of his before he asks another question.

“is that really my brother’s shirt?” his eyes scream concluded assumption.

well, it’s true, but-

“would you give me your sweater if i said i was cold?” you don’t give him a chance to respond, “no. right. so shut up. what do you want anyway? hurry up cause i wanna take a nap.”

“let’s play, the squad wanna go one more round with you before we all go to sleep,” he says, the matter of why seokjin is shirtless or if it’s really said man’s shirt you’re wearing now no longer a matter of importance.

you like how his brain works.

“the fuck? you came all the way here just for that?” you narrow your eyes, as if visually asking him if he knows whether he’s making sense or not but you get up anyway, walking towards your laptop that’s perched on the desk where you left it last night.

your friends greet you with less enthusiasm than they did last night - everyone sounded like they either need sleep or need a fuck. there’s no clear answer to what they need but you guess you’re up for one game.

“alright losers, let’s geddit.” your cheer is met with groans and tired version of ‘wooo’s and ‘yeah’s.

five minutes into the game, you feel a peck on your cheek and a smiling kim seokjin gazing down at you with bed hair and puffy cheeks. the smile you offer him back is fleeting because you have a character to maintain and a team to support. this time, you choose the supporting role while hoseok takes on the fighter role.

once you realize that the figure casting a shadow over you remains still and unmoving, you peek up at him for the briefest seconds to ask ‘what?’.

you’re only met with a higher tug of his lips.

and then he falls down on his knee - and you don’t even have the chance to wrap your head around it when he grabs hold of your ankle and spread your legs apart. lifting your ass up as he pulls down your shorts seem to be a muscle response than your brain actually understanding what’s happening. but by the time it does, seokjin’s face is already buried deep between your thighs.

“wah- yikes!” you manage to divert your surprise to the enemy that came on screen, forcing out a laugh, “th-that was a close one, whew i was about to die.”

“the fuck? you already had 8 hours of sleep what are you messing up for?” taehyung says into your headphone.

seokjin licking a strip up your love nub.

but that doesn’t stop you from retorting, “oh my god, did i tell you to play all night and not sl- sleep?” you bite back, barely managing to end your sentence with a consistent amount of sarcasm when the tip of seokjin’s tongue slips into your entrance.

“okay, okay, we’re all a little sensitive here,” jeongguk, the most competitive and non-losing-accepting out of the five of you actually tries to placate.

oh, you’re sensitive alright.

then he says something about how “we’re a team” and “if you wanna fight, fight the enemy team.” or something. you’re not so sure because you’re too busy clasping your hand against your mouth whilst trying to dish out healing powers to your team that’s fighting a few feet in front of you as seokjin tugs on your thighs, positioning them in an angle where his tongue can reach deeper inside you, so much so that your ass is almost hanging off the air.

“fine,” you almost choke on your supposedly vindictive reply as your toes begin to curl, back arching as the only sound that manages to escape you is a sob-like whimper whilst sparks erupt from the depth of your stomach and course through your veins like sweet, sweet poison.

seokjin kisses the inside of your thigh once your breathing slows down and you’re slumping on the chair like you have no energy left in you. jimin’s voice demanding you to cover for him barely registering in your brain as you click an ability that showers him with a protection spell.

“sorry, got distracted,” you say into the mic simply before hearing jimin’s “it’s okay, nobody died.”

literally.

if anyone of you died, it would’ve definitely been on you. last night, you got away with saying you weren’t in your ‘zone’ but today, your underperformance will be the reason you get kicked out of the squad for good. probably.

and because you’re under fire, you can’t stop seokjin when he slips away and out of the room, leaving you to make up for your mini blunder.

the game lasts a good 20 minutes before the golden symbol of victory flash across your screen and more energetic sheers erupt in your headphones. everyone starts bidding each other farewell and ‘good night losers’s before the headphones go quiet.

only then, do you bound down the hallway and into the kitchen where you know the reason of the sizzling, salivating scent is because of kim seokjin. a still shirtless kim seokjin with his beautiful, broad back on you as he chops something on the chopping board and gracefully pours it into whatever he’s cooking.

“that wasn’t fair - you should at least give me a warning,” you stand with your arms crossed over your chest.

“did the enemy you go against give you a warning before ambushing you?” he asks in a matter of factly, teasing smirk on his lips that makes your heart go flip flop.

he’s never smiled at you like that before.

“that’s- that’s different,” you refuse to back down, “they couldn’t even if they wanted to because the system doesn’t let us communicate with the enemy team.”

he nods whilst stirring the - you’d peeked - fried rice that’s sizzling in the pan, “i did give you a warning.”

“um where?” you can fee your eyebrows knitting together.

“the kiss,” he taps his cheek twice before shutting off the stove, devious smirk playing on his lips.

“i thought that was a bona fide peck!” 

“that’s on you,” he shrugs, pouring the fried rice into four plates, “like namjoon says - never assume.”

“okay, maybe he did say that,” you concur, taking a seat across from him where he places the plate and offers you a fork and a spoon that he took out from their respective drawers under the counter.

“something smells good,” taehyung comes popping out from the hallway, bowl of empty cereal in hand as his eyes light up at the sight of the two other plates placed between you and seokjin, almost as if knowing that the only other thing that coud summon the kim brothers out from their dwelling is seokjin’s cooking.

“i’m starving,” namjoon announces, seconds apart from taehyung’s assertion.

so you have breakfast - or lunch, really - together like you would. just four kids from the same hometown who found home in each other’s presence.

you might’ve found something else that you like in seokjin’s pants - but that’s besides the point.

x

note. and here we go for the 2nd installment! hope yall enjoyed!

taglist. @scalubera​ @aretha170​

[pinkbubbles-and-bigtroubles]

Part 3 of my little Dad Calum series featuring Lucy. This is fairly PG-13, mentions of sex and pregnancy and the girlfriends.

You’re ready to tell your daughter Lucy she’s going to have a new sibling, but you and Calum are worried how she’ll react to the news. Both you and your husband think back to when you learned you were expecting Lucy, and how truly unexpected life can be.

"Whatcha making babe?” Calum grabbed the pitcher of sweet tea from the fridge, ducking around the island to stay out of your way.

“Cookies and cream cupcakes for Saturday. Kay's overwhelmed being stuck in the house with three kids, I guess four if you count Ashton. I think it’s better for everyone involved if I volunteer my services. Wouldn’t you agree, your majesty?”  

“What are you-ah, I forgot,” he laughed, removing the plastic crown from his head. He’d been playing dress-up with Lucy to keep her occupied.  “Are you saying Kay can’t cook?” He poured himself a glass before moving to the faucet and refilling Lucy’s water bottle, screwing the lid back on.

“I am not saying that, but I’m not saying she can either. I remain neutral about the subject for the record,” you responded as you weighed out your dry ingredients.

“Very diplomatic, not at all like you,” he teased, leaning with his back to the counter watching you work.

“What can I say?  I’m in a good mood, I got laid last night.” You shrugged while turning away from him to check your mixer and add the oil and eggs. When you bent down to grab the muffin tin, you heard a low whistle behind you, making you shake your head.

“Stop it,” you protest, “I look like a potato right now.”

“Don’t you dare,” Calum scolded, scowling at you.

You paused, looking back at him, momentarily confused at his sudden change in his demeanor until you saw the little crinkles around his eyes giving him away.

“That’s my wife you’re talking about. Those are fighting words.” You could feel his presence behind you, close but not touching. His voice a low rumble next to your ear, his breath tickling your skin.

“You’d fight a pregnant woman? I thought you were a gentleman.” You turned around, batting your eyes at him.

His fingers grazed your jawline before cupping your chin. “You are most fortunate, for while I would fight to the death for my Queen’s honor, I could never strike a lady,” he proclaimed, adopting a Scottish accent that never failed to give you giggles. He leaned in closer, dropped the accent, and lowered his voice, both in tone and volume.

“Doesn’t mean I won’t bend you over give you a spanking if you don’t watch that mouth.”

You shivered despite the heat in the kitchen from the oven. Or was it something else? His lips were so close, so tempting, and the next thing you knew you were on your tiptoes going in for a kiss. His hands slid around your waist and his thigh pressed between your legs.

“Why are you kissing? You said I could have a drink, Daddy,” Lucy interrupted before you got too carried away.

“I’ve got your cup right here, Lulu,” Calum said over his shoulder. Turning back to you, he whispered, “I’ll take care of you later.”

“Feels like you need taken care of yourself, Daddy,” you purr in his ear, brushing against his crotch with your hip as you turn back to your cake.

“You’re gonna get it later,” he hissed.

“Promises, promises,” you reply.

You turned towards where your daughter was waiting for her dad to return to their game. You stifled a laugh at the sight of her, hands on her hips, her toes brushing the edge of the tile floor, knowing the kitchen was off limits without permission.  She made quite a sight in her yellow princess Belle dress, and green butterfly wings she’d squished her pigtails into her blue sparkle crown to keep it somewhat balanced while wielding a light saber. 

Lucy loved making up characters and thanks to after Halloween sales she had a trunk full of costumes and accessories. Queen Koa, Ruler of the Butterflies, was her new favorite. Since they brought Astro home last week she even had a sidekick. The only costume that fit the corgi/shepherd mix was a pair of reindeer ears from the previous Christmas, and while he patiently wore the headband, the dog did not look pleased.

“I’m coming, Lulu, we’ll leave Mommy to finish her baking. Come on, Max, we’re hitting up Whoville in the morning.”

“He’s not Max Daddy, he’s Astro,” Lucy scolded, shaking her finger at him.

You rolled your lips in tightly to keep the smile off your face and turned away so she wouldn’t see. Lucy was a handful and a half already, and she definitely didn’t need her sass encouraged.  

“Are you making cupcakes for me?” Lucy asked, spotting the paper muffin cups in your hand.

“I’m making cupcakes for Annie’s birthday, Saturday,” you answered.

“Annie is my other best friend, she’s gonna be five,” Lucy told Astro before turning back to you. “When do I turn five Mommy?”

“You know that Lulu, your birthday is in two months,” Calum reminded her.

“Can we pretend it’s my birthday? Then I can have cupcakes and presents.” Lucy tugged on her dad’s pant leg, turning her pleading dark eyes on him.

“I think you get enough presents, sweetpea. You just got a dog five days ago. That’s a big present for it not being your birthday.”

“You buy Mommy presents all the time, and it’s not her birthday,” Lucy pouted.

Calum reached down and pushed her bottom lip back in before scooping her up, careful not to knock off her wings.

“That’s because she’s the love of my life, that’s why I married her.  Mommy takes such good care of all of us, and I want to make sure she knows how much I love her. She gave me the best present I’ve ever received. She gave me you,” he told her, tickling her ribs and making her giggle.

“So you don’t get divorced like Uncle Luke?” Lucy asked, and you exchanged concerned looks with your husband. Lucy questioned everything. Recently, she and Annie, the eldest of Ashton’s three girls, discovered the concept of divorce and kept bringing it up.

“I’ve told you sweetpea, you don’t have to worry about that. Now let’s go play and leave Mommy alone. Maybe she’ll let us have a cupcake later,” Calum winked at you before setting Lucy back down. As he did her wings knocked over his tea glass, spilling the bit of remaining liquid onto the counter.

“I’ll be there in a second, let me wipe this up,” Calum told her, but she stayed where she was.

He reached across you to grab a paper towel, and you couldn’t resist landing a kiss on his bicep as he did. He paused and flexed his muscle allowing his t-shirt sleeve to ride up revealing a line of slightly paler skin.

“Come on, Daddy,” Lucy whined.

You kissed him a second time, right on his tattoo of Lucy’s baby footprints. You then gave him a little nip on the tattoo just above it, a brightly colored geometric floral design which he let you pick out. He’d gotten the ink when he took you to Costa Rica after being kept apart ten weeks by a lockdown.  You had a similar flower on your shoulder, right where Calum landed his own quick kiss, leaving a heated spot on your skin despite the fabric of your shirt.  

“I’ll take care of you later babe, after she goes down for the night,” you whisper.

“Not if I get to you first,” he growled before grabbing his crown and following Lucy and Astro back towards the playroom.

*******

The vacation to Costa Rica was the first vacation you’d taken without any of the other guys, and for the first two days you’d barely seen anything past the walls of your bedroom. Finally, on day three you’d dragged Calum, who pouted but went along with you, to peruse the shops and wander the beach. He’d found the tattoo shop and after talking to the artist, he’d convinced you to get one along with him.

The artist inverted the color palette of Calum’s design for your tattoo when Calum had explained how you were opposite expressions of the same thought. He’d held your hand the whole time, and you’d been so giddy from his presence you didn’t remember feeling any pain. Afterwards  he’d taken you out to a restaurant overlooking the beach.

You’d split a bottle of wine with dinner before walking back to your beachfront cabana. Calum’s cheeks were flushed red as he kissed you and pulled you into the hammock tied up on the screened-in veranda.  You shifted so your head was resting on his chest with his arm behind your neck. At first you were both quiet, listening to the waves crashing and the faint sounds of other tourists in the distance.You were getting drowsy, but then Calum began talking. He started by going through all the ways he’d kept himself occupied during the previous couple of months. He told you he’d been trying to write while stuck at home, but boredom combined with anxiety didn’t birth creativity. You were so enchanted with the sound of listening to his voice that you weren’t concentrating on his words and almost missed it.

“That morning was when I finally realized that I was in love with you,” he confessed.

In that moment your world contracted, time seemed to stop, all other noise ceased as your brain focused solely on him. He pressed you against him skin to skin so you could feel his heart racing and knew he could feel yours. You had barely let yourself imagine this happening.

The past eight months had been the happiest you’d ever been in a relationship. You were hopelessly smitten since he’d kissed in the car after your first date. He’d given you every sign he was seriously into you. You slowly met the friend group, first Ashton for coffee, followed by dinner at The Clifford’s house and finally, Disneyland with the group. Six weeks ago, his sister’s trip to the US was canceled, delaying your chance to meet his family.

The way you caught him staring at you or playing with your hair when he thought you were sleeping. The small gifts and notes he sent you from around the world when he traveled, when he found something that reminded him of you. Staying up late discussing life and love and later hearing your own words woven into the lyrics of a song. Experimenting with different pancake recipes to make you breakfast because you hated the smell of cooked eggs. Calum showed you he loved you before he ever found the courage to say it.

The words made it real.  Your throat constricted in fear, as his words made you admit the enormity of your own feelings. Everyone you’d ever loved had used it against you. You shifted, lifting your head from his chest so you could look into his eyes. You felt a twinge of pain seeing the same apprehension and fear of falling you were feeling. Despite that, Calum was trusting you with his heart, and if he would hold your hand, you were ready to jump with him.

“What did you say?” You whispered, needing to make sure you heard him correctly.

Calum frowned, disappointed you hadn’t been listening. You shift again, moving in the hammock so you were lying on top of him.

“I heard you, but can you please say it again,” you were embarrassed how squeaky your voice sounded in your own ears.

Calum smiled again, and the sight made you flush warm and tingle all over.

“I said I realized I was in love with you. I’ve been in love with you for quite some time. I was too chickenshit to say it, and I knew you’d never say it unless I did first.” Calum paused, biting his lip, waiting to see how you’d respond.

“You know me so well, another reason I love you.” He met your words with a kiss, followed by many more kisses. After some careful maneuvering to get out of the hammock, Calum pulled you into bed and showed you the love he struggled so hard to put into words.

You remembered every electric detail of that night and thinking about it made you squeeze your thighs together, standing there covered in cake flour. Calum swore it was that night, making love for the first time after his confession, tangled in each other, looking down at you, and proclaiming his love as he found his high, your daughter was conceived.

You smiled to yourself as you measured out the cupcake batter, trying to remember how many times as you’d made love on that trip. You made yourself stop thinking about it. You had to open the freezer and let cold air calm you down a bit. This pregnancy had your hormones raging and if not for Lucy you’d call your husband into the kitchen to have his way with you for the next 22-25 minutes.

*******

Lucy’s eyes went wide when she saw the bright wrapping paper and bows as Calum pulled two boxes out from behind his back. She’d scarfed down the cupcake you’d given her for dessert. It was no mystery where she inherited her sweet tooth from. You spotted crumbs on Calum’s shirt, and he’d already stolen one earlier, before you even frosted them.

She began clapping gleefully and bouncing in her chair, “Pretend birthday, birthday, birthday,” she sang out, catching Astro’s attention.

The dog wandered over and rested his chin on her chair. You pulled her out of her booster seat, took her hand, and the three of you followed Calum into the living room.

“Ok Lucy, Astro, come sit down with me,” Calum sat on the floor and placed the packages in front of him.

“You can help me open my presents, Astro,” Lucy plopped down and grabbed for the closest box.

“Hold on now, what have we told you about grabbing without asking?” Calum snatched it out of her reach.

Lucy thought about it a second, her face flashing from outrage to sadness, and you thought she might cry until she saw tears would not sway her father. She frowned, and you saw a stubborn glare settle in that made you cringe a little knowing she got it from you. As she glanced at the presents and back to Calum your daughter decided to skip the theatrics tonight and went straight for her secret weapon. Her brown eyes went wide, and she smiled sweetly.

“Please, Daddy, can we open my pretend birthday presents? Thank you,” she paused. “I love you, Mommy,” Lucy blinked up at you, covering all her bases.

Calum pretended to think it over until Astro whined and he couldn’t keep a straight face any longer. He handed the packages over and Lucy tore into the paper and ripped the lid off the box. She stopped short when she found a folded up garment instead of a toy.

“Its clothes,” she stated, still excited but very much puzzled. She pulled it out and tried to sound out the letters across the front. You and Calum both took time with her each day for “reading time” and she was getting good at her ABCs and some small words. She worked out “I’m” before she needed help with “going.” She shushed him and carefully read “to be a big” word for word until she got stuck.

“Sss sss is,” Calum prompted, and you saw it click in her head.

“Sister, it’s sister,” Lucy was so hyped about reading that the meaning wasn’t sinking in.

“Read it all together,”  he pointed to each word.

“I’m going to be a big sister,” she read out loud. “What did Astro get?” Lucy loved presents and unwrapping was her favorite part.

You held back a giggle as Calum shot you a frustrated glance where you sat, still recording the scene. Astro’s present was a smaller box with a bandana. She held it up, recognizing the words that matched her shirt until the last one.

“Brother,” Calum interrupted, a bit impatient now.

“Babe, she’ll get it,” you winked at him from behind your phone. “What does it say, Lulu?”

She looked up at you and held it up, posing for the camera with a big grin before turning it back around. “It says, I’m going to be a big brother.” Now she was hamming it up and using her Miss Menkin voice from her favorite show, “She-nanigans.”

“Lucy honey, what does yours say?” you asked, trying to keep her attention.

“I told you, Mommy,” she let the tiniest hint of exasperation creep into her voice. “Mine says I’m going to be a big sister.”

“What do you think that means, sweetpea?” Calum prodded.

Lucy’s features scrunched up as she pondered it for a second before she looked up at him.

“Are you getting a puppy?” She asked and Calum cracked up at her crestfallen face, which made Lucy mad because he thought he was making fun of her. She still held a grudge against all puppies for the one that peed on her last week, so she was not happy at the thought of them getting one.  

He tried to apologize and pull himself together, but she squirmed away and came to you almost in tears.

“Mommy, I don’t want a puppy,” she threw her head in your lap. “Please don’t give Astro back to the fosters.”

“Lucy, sweetheart, please don’t get upset.” You pulled her up onto the couch with you as Astro’s wet snout nudged your ankles. You glanced at Calum who had stopped laughing and now had the hiccups.  He was fumbling for his phone since you’d put yours down. “Astro isn’t a foster puppy. He’s part of our family now, he’s got going anywhere, I promise. I need him to watch out for you and the baby.” You gave your belly a pat and smiled at her. The words hit with a jolt and her hands fluttered up to her face.

“You’re gonna have a baby?” Lucy asked, her eyes dropping to your stomach. “Like Aunt Kay?” She leaned over and placed her hand on your belly the way Kay taught her.

You held your breath, waiting for her reaction. Annie cried both times when they told her she would be a big sister, but it had delighted Kat. Lucy’s face broke into an enormous smile and she leaned down to kiss your stomach.

“Hi baby,” she said before you scooped her up for a hug.

She gave you a hug before hopping off the couch and jumping up and down in place. This got Astro riled up, and he started bouncing on his front paws, throwing his head back and barking at the ceiling. She ran over to Calum and tried to hold still so he could pull her big sister shirt on over her clothes. She chattered excitedly into the camera, telling her Nana Joy about how she was gonna be a big sister.

“I wanna call Nana Joy,” the whine that crept into your daughter’s voice made you check the clock, and sure enough it was almost bedtime.

You started to get up, but your husband stopped you.

“I’ve got this darling, you need to rest,” Calum told you.

“I’m fine, Cal,” you insisted, standing up. “While you put her in bed, I’m gonna finish up in the kitchen so I’m not worrying about it later.”

“Say goodnight sweetpea, it’s bedtime. We’ll call Nana Joy tomorrow and we can all tell her together,” Calum told her as he cleaned up the torn paper and discarded ribbon.

“Goodnight mama,” Lucy looked up at you as she wrapped herself around your legs. She reached up and patted your belly. “Goodnight baby.”

Your heart melted at the gesture and you bent down to give her a kiss before sending her off with her dad.

“Can I have a story and a song?” Lucy asked, and you knew Calum wouldn’t be back for a while.

You puttered around in the kitchen, loading the dishwasher and making overnight oatmeal for Lucy’s breakfast. You could hear the faintest sound of Calum whistling and you grinned, picking up the tune yourself. “Little Surprises” was Lucy’s favorite song and one of the band’s biggest hits. Not to mention your one and only number one hit as they used your whistle on the track, giving you a writing credit.

Ashton heard you whistling at Calum one night while visiting the guys in the studio, three weeks after you’d gotten back from Costa Rica. He’d made you record the cadence while everyone else took a break to eat. Calum was waiting outside the booth with a kiss and a plate of food. Ashton was fussing over Kay, who had a paper plate with two slices of pepperoni pizza carefully balanced on her hugely pregnant belly.  She was set to have the baby any day now, and Ashton refused to let her out of his sight. The baby bag was resting in the corner, ready to go at a moment’s notice.

You settled next to Kay on the couch while the guys sprawled on the floor. You hadn’t cared for her when you’d first met. She reminded you too much of yourself, boisterous and opinionated whereas Sierra and Crystal were much more chill. You’d sorted things out over a love of hockey and Wednesday ladies’ night at Kyoto Sushi. You realized however that she needed a forceful personality to be with a man like Ashton. Ashton was prone to dark moods, as he called them, and she’d been his rock when he’d crumbled just weeks before their wedding. Ashton had recovered in time and then managed to get his new wife pregnant on their honeymoon. You had no doubt her ability to find serenity amongst chaos would serve her well juggling a new baby and Ashton.

You looked at your plate and your stomach turned at the sight of the grease congealing on top of the gooey cheese. You pushed the pizza to the side in favor of the salad. You nibbled on a cucumber, listening to the guys until you caught Kay looking at you with narrowed eyes.

“Are you ok?” She asked dipping her pizza crust into the cup of garlic butter sauce and you laughed at how happy she looked. She’d mostly stuck to a super healthy diet throughout her pregnancy, but pizza was her weakness. Normally you’d be fighting her for the garlic knots and she noticed.

“Yeah, I’ve just had terrible heartburn this past week. I’ve eaten two rolls of Tums in three days,” you told her.

“Are you sure you’re not pregnant?” Kay joked, “because that was me seven months ago. My doctor put me on famotadine. It saved my life.” She fished a bottle out of her bag and handed you a pill.

“What the hell, don’t try to curse me just because you got knocked up,” you felt your cheeks get hot as you mentally counted backwards to your last period.

Her eyes met yours before they dropped to your belly, then Kay winked at you and laughed. You looked over at Calum who was laughing along with her until he caught your expression.  His eyebrows shot up in a question but before he said anything he glanced around remembering where you were. Kay yelped with pain, drawing everyone’s attention to her.

“Wooo that was a big kick. Your daughter has strong legs babe,” Kay laughed and conversation picked back up. Ashton got up to check on her, unable to keep his hands off his wife for very long.

She thinks I’m pregnant? Holy shit, what if she’s right? You didn’t want to think about it. Calum picked up on your change in mood and nudged your knee and motioned for you to lean down.

“Everything good?” He asked, and you kissed his cheek.

“Yeah, yeah, yeah, everything’s fine,” you replied, but you were trying to do the math in your head.

Calum grabbed your hand and brushed his lips across the back of your fingers.

“We’ll leave soon. I think Kay’s reached her limit for the day,” He nodded towards Ashton, helping his wife make her way to the bathroom.

You watched Michael drag Calum back into the booth to work on something. Ashton came back in trying to whistle your tune, but he kept messing up the middle.

You whistled back, hitting the notes in order. “I want a writing credit for that,” you told him.

“Tell your boyfriend to write something then. He’s helped fuck all with lyrics lately. Hard for him to write when he’s happy,” he teased, but you felt a little guilty.

Ashton saw your frown, and he plopped down next to you on the couch.

“Hey,” he nudged your knee with his. “Calum’s really happy, I’ve never seen him like this before, and that can be hard to write. Turmoil, heartbreak, anger, those are much easier, and that’s why we have Luke. We’ve been riding that codependency train for a few albums now.”

You were skeptical. “You’ve been writing, and you’re happy.”

“I’m thrilled,” Ashton grinned at you, “but I’m also fucking terrified. I can’t believe we’re gonna have a little girl. Who decided I was grown enough to be in charge of a baby?”

“You’re gonna be fine. You’ll make a great dad, and besides, Kay will not let things get too out of hand,” you told him.

He reached his arm around you and gave you a little squeeze. “I’m glad you’re here,” he said. He tried to whistle again, frustrated when he couldn’t get it right.  

“Keep trying, you’ll get it,” you laughed as he pouted.

Ashton never got it, neither did Luke. Fortunately, Michael and Calum figured it out rather quickly. These days the audience did it for them. You were still whistling as you kicked the dishwasher door shut and Calum walked in just as the water whooshed. Your husband whistled back and began playing air bass and beginning to sing the song.

You hopped up on the counter and watched him bop through the kitchen. You loved watching him on stage. He came alive under the lights, in front of a crowd, playing with his brothers and bandmates. The way he smiled and teased the crowd, sticking his tongue out, his fingers working over the strings, turned you on more than anything else in the world. Although having him singing and dancing in your kitchen looked pretty good right now.

He leaned in for a kiss at the “never knew love, until I found you,” line, and when your lips met, the song was momentarily forgotten. You pulled him closer, so he stepped between your legs as you wrapped them around his waist. You gave him several quick kisses on the lips before you landed one on his nose. You were kissing your way across his jawline when he whistled again.

“Really?” You laughed as you pulled back to look at him.

“Sorry,” he said with a sheepish grin. “It’s really stuck in my head.”

“I was thinking about the night in the studio when Ashton got all pissy when he couldn’t get it but Michael could. That night was something else,” you said.

Calum’s eyes got huge. He shook his head, and he exhaled in a rush of air. “That night, yeah, it was something else all right.”

On the way home from the studio, you’d been quiet. Calum asked you several times if you were ok and you brushed him off until he finally pulled into the parking lot of a CVS Pharmacy.

Calum reached over and rubbed the back of your neck. “I heard what Kay said and you’ve been acting weird ever since. How about we get a test and see if there’s really anything to worry about?”

“What if I’m not ready?” You snapped, hating how you sounded. You knew you were being stubborn, but you got defensive easily. You expected Calum to start an argument or at least get mad. He’d never had a temper with you, but you kept waiting to see when it would come out. Every man in your life, except Calum, had let you down. You didn’t want to be wrong again.

Calum took your hands in his as he looked you in the eye. You could feel his hands tremble, but he didn’t let go.

“Whenever you’re ready, this isn’t about me. I mean, I’m involved, but I’m not going to push you to do anything you don’t want. I love you and I want to be with you no matter what. Will you at least come back and stay with me tonight?”

You nodded, and he started the car. You stopped him as he reached for the gearshift. He shut the car off and looked at you. You opened the door and hopped out, not looking back as you made your way into the store. You bought three pregnancy tests and got the female pharmacy tech to ring you up so you could avoid the bored teenage boy playing on his phone working the cash register up front. You rushed back out to the car where Calum was waiting.

“Just drive, please,” you told him. You stared out the window the whole way there, chattering the entire way.

“This is so dumb. We used protection most of the time and I was only a couple weeks late getting the shot because they canceled on me. They tell me it can take months to get pregnant after being on Depo so there’s just no way. Kay has my brain scrambled with all her pregnancy energy.” You stopped talking when he turned onto his street, and he reached over and squeezed your knee.

“I have to pee, anyway. I’ll be right back,” you told him.

“You wanna do this now?” He asked, and you saw the fear he was trying so hard to hold back.

“Would you rather stare at the bag and wonder?”

“You’re right. I’ll be in the kitchen. Do you want a cup of tea?” Calum asked, and from the way he was fidgeting you knew he wanted a cigarette.

“Thanks Cal, why don’t you go smoke, and then  tea would be nice. Love you babe.“

“I love you more,” he called out, and you heard the backdoor slide open and then close.

You took two tests out of bag and managed not to make too big of a mess peeing in the little cup. You laid the little square piece of plastic out on the sink before you unwrapped the other test and took the cap off the end. You took a deep breath and dipped the rest edge before adding three drops to the test window. You refused to look or even clean up and ran out of the bathroom straight into Calum’s chest where he was waiting. You were shaking, unable to figure out what you were feeling as your emotions whirled and fought for control of your brain. Calum said nothing. He hugged you and stroked your hair, but you could feel his heart racing against your cheek.

"How long do we wait?"

"I forgot to look"

He pulled out his phone and looked it up. "It says three minutes. Has it been three minutes?" Calum asked you.

"I think so."

Calum grabbed your ass, "Jump," he commanded, and you did. He grabbed you under your thighs and carried you into the bathroom with him.

"I can't look," you told him, burying your face in his neck.

You felt his head move, and you waited for him to tell you the results. When he said nothing, when he didn't move but slowly took a deep breath, you knew what it said. You lifted your head to see for yourself, but your vision was too blurry as you tried to hold back tears. Calum set you down, so you were back on your feet and wrapped his arms around you, clutching you to him as you sobbed. When you heard Calum sniffle and felt his chest heave your feelings of guilt overwhelmed the fear. You pushed back, not wanting to let go of Calum, but you had the hiccups and needed to blow your nose if you wanted to breathe.

When you finished you wiped your eyes and finally saw the tests. Both were positive. You sat on the closed toilet lid, unable to look at Calum.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry," you told him, and started crying again. "This is all my fault. I should've been more careful."

Calum crouched down in front of you and pulled your hands away from your face. His hands cupped your chin and lifted your eyes to meet his.

"This isn't your fault and there's nothing you have to apologize for. There were two of us in that room, and I'm the one who didn't wear a condom. If anyone should apologize, it's me. It's a bit late for that now. I love you and we'll figure this out together."

You nodded, but you couldn't stop crying. "I love you too, but I'm scared. I don't know if I can do this. I don't know if I know how to do this."

"I'm scared too, and we don't have to figure everything out tonight," Calum stood up and held his hand out. You let him lead you out of the bathroom and into the living room.

"I know how you are, you need time to think and process everything. We don't have to talk, but can you cuddle with me, please? I just really need to be close to you right now."

You sat on the long lounge side of the couch propping yourself up against the armrest and Calum laid against you, his head resting on your shoulder, your hand held in both of his as you turned on the TV. Neither of you paid any attention to the show, both lost in your own minds until you fell asleep holding on to each other. When you woke up Calum was already awake, writing lyrics in his journal.

"Come back to me" Calum stroked your cheek , and you smiled at him. He didn't like to think how afraid of losing you he'd been when he started writing that night. Between your parents multiple divorces and your own rocky history you were more afraid of commitment than he was. Together you'd been able to overcome that fear, but Calum wasn't sure you even wanted kids. The line "nothing scares me except the thought of losing you" was the first line he wrote of what would become "Little Surprises."

"Remember how we were rudely woken up after we finally fell asleep?" Calum asked.

"That 6 am phone call," you shook your head, the melancholy moment drifting away as you remembered the panic when Kay went into labor the next morning. It took 14 hours for Annie to be born, and Ashton didn't leave his wife's side for more than a few minutes. "Remember when Kay said the baby looked like a potato and Ashton got mad when we all laughed."

"Not as mad as when Luke asked if Annabelle Rose was a name they got from Twilight," Calum responded.

"He was completely over the moon with Annie. Remember how he'd hold her like he was afraid she'd break?" You mused, thinking back to Ashton holding his tiny baby girl in those enormous hands, so proud and so nervous.

"We got our first number one hit out of it though," Calum responded.

Ashton managed to tear himself away from his new family after a month to team up with Calum to finish his song. They got it recorded just under the deadline for the album. The fans were in a frenzy leading up to the album's release with the guys telling them this album contained the most personal songs they'd ever written, especially from Calum.

The lead up to "Little Surprises" each of the guys dropped a picture of how their family changed since the last album. Michael posted a sunset pic with his wife, two dogs and a new puppy. Luke posted a behind the scenes look at his dance rehearsals with Sierra for their first waltz as a married couple. Ashton posted a collage of artsy black and white silhouettes of his wife while she was pregnant. Calum was so secretive that no one even knew you were in a serious relationship with him.  

"I'm still amazed we kept it all a secret," you told him. While some fans suspected something was up, most overlooked you as not being his type.

The fans lost their minds when the day the single dropped Calum released a picture of his then three week old daughter's fingers grasping his thumb. The caption "I'd like you to meet Lucy Koa Hood, I've never been happier. Life's really full of little surprises."

"I believe I made a promise earlier that I intend to keep," Calum raised his eyebrows and pulled you down off the counter. You looked at him, puzzled, as he tugged your hand till you were standing at the far end of the kitchen.

"Turn around," he instructed, and when you did he pushed you up against the kitchen island so your back was to him, you could see the entrance to the kitchen, while keeping your lower half hidden from view. He eased your yoga pants down over your hips and got on his knees behind you.

"Keep an eye out for the little one and try not to be too loud," you heard his muffled voice before you felt him kissing his way up your thigh.

"I'll whistle," you half moaned as your husband hummed against your skin.

(If you want added or removed from the tag list lmk. I’m really flying blind on this one)

@sublimehood​ @tea4sykes​ @be-ready-when-i-say-go​ @scribblesos​ @wildmichaelflower​ @notinthesameguey​ @sexgodashton​ @irwinkitten​ @mermaidcashton​ @malumsmermaid​

[popfizzles]

SO I've never had a schedule before, but with the new year, I feel like it's starting to handle my blog and art in a way that's a bit more professional!! So here's a breakdown of my week and what's projected to happen on those days! Hopefully this is pretty easy to follow, and I hope it can help all my followers along with it!

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Weekly Schedule

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MONDAY & WEDNESDAY - CLASS DAYS

As a very simple 21 year old cartoonist, I'm currently juggling college along with my art and work. I have classes that I attend on campus these two days, so I've set them aside to focus on just my classes, so I don't have to worry about big things like streaming, commissions, or the likes. This isn't to say that I won't be accepting or working on commissions on these days, or that there will be no art posted on these days, or that I will never stream on these days, it just means that my classes will have to come first.

TUESDAY & THURSDAY - GENERAL ART AND COMMISSIONS

As opposed to Monday and Wednesday, I'll be focusing entirely on my art and commissions these two days! This means that there's a very good chance you'll see art streams these days! I host my art streams over on [Picarto], and it's a really fun way to interact with people directly in chat! So if you've been meaning to pop in and say hi to me, art streams are a really easy way to do it! I can also work on your commission on stream so you can watch me get it done in real time and make tweaks and changes as you like! On days I don't have commissions, I'll probably reblog ask-box memes or ask for prompts!

FRIDAY - KO-FI DAY

A while ago, I started a weekly trend of doing Ko-Fi Sketch Streams here on my blog! What this means is that every Friday, you can send me a reference image (by means of a link) and 3 USD by sending me 1 "Ko-Fi" over on my [Ko-Fi Page]. And I'll be able to draw whatever you like, and you can watch me do it on stream on Picarto! I usually receive ocs, but I've done art of some canon characters as well! Plus, they're very easy to refund, so you don't have to worry about your 3 dollars being stuck with me if I'm for some reason uncomfortable with your request. They're a lot of fun, and even if you don't send in a Ko-Fi, I'd love to see you visit in chat!

SATURDAY - GAME DAY

I used to stream a few video games here and there over on my [Twitch] account, but I kind of took a break from it because life got in the way. I'm really looking forward to getting back into that habit now, since streaming video games was one of my favorite things to do! I don't tend to stream lots of popular games, or even games that people may want to watch. But I stream games I like and it makes me happy to be able to share those kinds of things with people. I do also accept tips while I stream games through my [Streamlabs] page, but I don't stream games to get money from them, so please don't worry about being pressured into donating while watching whatever silly game I happen to be playing at the time!

SUNDAY - POKEMON TABLETOP DAY

I'm the Game Master for a game of Pokemon Tabletop with my three players, Clocky (@clockworkscholar), Dream (@adreamare), and Micah (@megamicahboo)! It's a lot of fun, and really the first chance I've had to really flex my storytelling, improv, and world-building muscles. I have lots of fun playing with them and I do my best I can! In the same breath, this pretty much takes up my entire day and leaves me exhausted afterwards, so there's a good chance you may not even see me be active on Sundays. So be aware, that if I don't post on Sundays, it doesn't mean that I'm having a bad day, in fact quite the opposite! It just means I've had such a good time with Pokemon Tabletop that I run out of steam for the day!

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Special Days

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EVERY MONDAY - REBLOG PRICE POST

Since my commissions are my sole means of income at the moment, my commissions are almost never closed and I'm always ready to take on another piece! I'm very lucky to be able to draw for income, and I'm very appreciative for all the support I get! Unfortunately, that means I'll also be putting my [Price Sheets] up pretty often and showing them off as much as I can. I apologize in advance for this!!

LAST FRIDAY OF THE MONTH - CHARACTER CRITIQUE STREAM

As per rewards for the 10 USD Tier of my [Patreon], I hold a raffle every month and pick 3 users subscribed to my 3rd Tier, and ask them to send me a character of theirs for me to draw and talk about on stream, which happens over on my Picarto! It gives my patrons a chance to talk about their characters to my audience while I draw them and talk about them in terms of Character Design and Color. I've also used these streams to help people get a concrete design for characters that might not have them yet! It's by no means a serious critique, and I have a lot of fun drawing characters and giving my input if my patrons ask for it! I pick winners the Wednesday before the stream so the winners have a day or two to pick which character they'd like me to draw. Also, since these streams happen on Fridays, the Ko-Fi Stream happens a day earlier on these weeks, and is pushed forward to Thursday!

LAST DAY OF THE MONTH -  PATREON GOAL RAFFLE

Another reward for my Patrons, each final day of the month I pick 1 user at random (from any of the three tiers I have available) and offer the winner a free commission! The kind of commission is decided by how much USD I make per month and is laid out in the Goals Widget on my Patreon page! At the time of posting this, I'm handing away one free Sketch Bust Commission each month! When I reach 100 USD per month on my Patreon, I'll start handing away free Flat Color Waist Commissions instead! There's also a chance of this day interfering with the Character Critique Stream, and if that happens, the Stream takes priority and I'll choose a winner for the Goal Raffle on the first of the next month!

[tsarisfanfiction]

His Collection

Fandom: Thunderbirds Rating: Teen Genre: Humour Characters: The Hood, Scott, Virgil

The Hood knows what he wants, and will stop at nothing to get it.  International Rescue have other ideas.

No idea where this came from; it’s not meant to be taken particularly seriously, just a stupid idea that wouldn’t leave me alone so I wrote it (with some musing help from @gumnut-logic - I have no idea how you put up with some of the ideas in my head, Nutty!).  We’re playing a little with the flirty side of Scott that seems to show up from time to time when he’s rescuing women here, which is not a side of Scott I usually play with, so be warned.  There might be more to this later, who knows.

Technology alone wasn’t enough to assure access to some of the world’s most secure facilities.  No matter how much it had advanced, there was still no true substitute for retina checks, fingerprints or DNA scans.  He knew this, of course, and constantly looked for ways to add to his collections.

There was a locked vault �� ironically linked to his own DNA scans, retina and fingerprints – in the heart of his home.  Inside it were vials of saliva, and a strictly unconnected computer terminus whose memory core contained retina scans and fingerprint data, ready to be used when required.  Obtaining such things could be difficult, but with them, he could do anything.

That desire to continue expanding his collection, as well as the gaping hole in his samples, was what led the man who had shed all names except the moniker Hood – gifted to him by a once-friend whose own samples were decidedly useless now the man was several years dead – to his current situation.

He smoothed his skirt down, the fabric torn and ragged after his dramatic rescue from a collapsing building, every inch a woman determined to gain some fragile control over her hysteria, and set his eyes on his target.

His current disguise was, if he might say so, one of his best.  Auburn once-perfect curls, now more of a frazzled mess, and tanned skin framed eyes that sat somewhere between blue and green on the colour wheel.  Sculpted lips, but a small white scar on the cheek, marring what could otherwise have been a breath-takingly beautiful face. Breasts of a modest size and mostly covered up, no provocative cleavage on show, and a waist pinched but not enough to look unhealthy completed the figure.  Just verging on the edge of a classic beauty without being obnoxious about it, he had already had the… pleasure… of dimpled cheeks smiling at him as he’d been carried out of the collapsed building.

Scott Tracy, Commander of International Rescue and CEO of Tracy Industries, was one of the most powerful individuals on the planet.  Once upon a time, the Hood had had his father’s data – still had it, locked away in the safe – but with the great Jeff Tracy’s unfortunate demise, using it would draw unnecessary attention and indeed was no longer guaranteed to work.  Competent places would have removed him from authorisation upon his demise, replacing him instead with his successor.

The Hood finished adjusting his skirt, and resisted the impulse to check that the moulds being used to change his body shape were still attached to the relevant places. Technology was wonderful for disguises, but fell apart at physical contact.  Physical contact that was, unfortunately, required in this situation. He had even gone as far as to don a wig to ensure his disguise’s hair had a physical presence.

Scott Tracy had been most helpful so far.  Hidden behind the cloaking visage, he’d obtained a perfect scan of his eyes with his own technological eye as he’d been carried to safety.  One item down, two to go.  Unfortunately, the young man had opted for full cover gloves on this particular rescue, meaning that he would need to get persuasive.  And, of course, there was always the matter of obtaining a DNA sample.

The Hood had been playing this game for too long to be distracted by things such as posing as a wrong gender, or indeed to be phased about the idea of seducing anyone, regardless of their appearance or his personal feelings.  Sources indicated that Scott Tracy was not immune to feminine wiles if that was what it came down to.

Inside his mouth, a capsule waited.  The Hood supressed all his inner feelings of disdain and hatred for the young man and International Rescue at large, and pulled on the guise of thankful rescuee.  Jeff’s sons were naïve to the point of foolishness.

“Oh, Mr Tracy!” he simpered as Scott Tracy passed him on the way back to his Thunderbird.  The rescue was over, a resounding success with no casualties, and while the Hood sneered in the depths of his mind, on the surface he was just another pretty young woman who now owed International Rescue her life.  Scott Tracy paused, as he’d known he would, smile on his face.  The Hood had spent enough time around Jeff as he bumbled his way through wooing Lucille to recognise the flash of interest.

Perfect.

“Mr Tracy!” he simpered again, throwing himself at the blue uniform.  Strong, blue-clad arms caught him, muscles flexing at the movement and rippling the fabric, but that was of no concern.  “Thank you!”  He gave the young man no time to react, pushing forwards for a firm kiss.

It was a move he’d utilised many times before.  Generally the most efficient way to get enough saliva for a solid DNA sample, the advantage of a surprise kiss was that no-one ever expected it, and even if they did, they didn’t react fast enough to stop him.  With Scott Tracy’s obvious attraction to his current disguise, there should be no issues.

His lips connected with smooth skin instead of the slightly cracked lips he’d been aiming for, but before he could properly register that Scott Tracy had turned his head to the side fast enough to evade the kiss – or that he’d even wanted to evade it, despite his attraction – hands were on his shoulders, gently pushing him back a little.

“You’re welcome,” the infuriating young man smiled, “and call me Scott.”  The smile flashed briefly into a grin the Hood couldn’t describe as anything other than flirtatious.

How dare he flirt whilst denying a kiss?  Where was the sense in that?

“Jennifer,” he replied with a matching flirtatious look, pulling the name of this disguise to the fore. His hands were still looped around Scott Tracy’s neck coyly, and he tightened his grip as the young man made to dislodge him.  “I didn’t get a proper look at you in the building, but…” he trailed off and licked his lips, an action that definitely didn’t go unnoticed.  “You’re quite the Adonis, aren’t you, Scott?”  He purred the young man’s name, and was rewarded with the slightest widening of those bright blue eyes.  Mesmerising, Jennifer would consider them, if she were real. Scott Tracy’s eyes had darkened, ever so slightly.

“So I’ve been told,” the young man replied, not looking away from him.

He could certainly work with that.  Those gloves still covered his fingers, after all, so the young man was decidedly overdressed for his tastes, if not in the same way Jennifer considered him overdressed.  It was Jennifer’s opinion that he channelled openly as he plastered himself against the skin-hugging blue uniform.

“I’d be interested in getting to know you,” he purred, leaning in.  For just a moment it seemed like his target would surrender, but then his lips made contact with a cheek, again.

It took far too much effort to turn his groan of frustration to a rejected whine.  Why was Scott Tracy being so stubborn?  It was obvious the young man was interested.

“Maybe later,” his target murmured, hands gripping his arms to try and dislodge his grip.  Determined not to lose this opportunity, the Hood clung on tighter.  Despite being smaller than Jeff’s successor, he was still strong and the leverage was on his side.  “Hey-”

“What’s wrong with now?” he demanded, adding a flare of petulant fire to Jennifer and watching as Scott Tracy’s eyes darkened again.  The young man was definitely warm blooded, and interested, so what was stopping him from giving in to his desires and giving the Hood what he wanted?

“We’re still in the danger zone,” Scott Tracy reminded him, giving another gentle tug to try and dislodge his grip.  “And I just saved your life.”

“So l need to thank you properly,” he insisted, going in for a third kiss but once again being met with a cheek as Scott Tracy turned his head away.  Why?  Why was he being so frustrating?

“I don’t save people for thanks,” the young man told him.  “You’ve given me more than enough.”

“But-”

Gentle hands caught his and lifted them over Scott Tracy’s head, forcing him to release the young man.

“Sorry, miss,” the deep voice of the third Tracy son rumbled.  “I’m afraid my brother is needed elsewhere.”  Concerned brown eyes looked his disguise up and down, before Virgil Tracy put a hand on his older brother’s shoulder and pulled him away.

No!

“No- wait-”

Scott Tracy paused, and the Hood saw his chance, lunging forwards again.

He was caught by Virgil Tracy, who pushed his brother on with a muttered “I’ll handle this.”  No, no, no, no, no!  He needed that DNA, those fingerprints…  The retina scan alone wasn’t enough!

“Scott!” he wailed, but Virgil Tracy turned him around and began to walk him towards where the rest of the uninjured civilians had been herded.

“I’m sorry, miss,” the large man said, “but International Rescue has a rule about not taking advantage of the people we rescue.”

A thousand curses on International Rescue and their morals.

“I just want to thank him for saving me!” he protested, Jennifer pouting.  “That’s not Scott taking advantage of me!”

“Sorry, miss.”  Virgil Tracy was kind but firm.  “None of us accept that form of gratitude.”  He handed him over to a uniformed official.  “These people will make sure that you get home safely.”

The Hood couldn’t believe it as he was absorbed into the group of useless, whiny civilians.  All his planning… the disguise, designed to appeal to what his sources said Scott Tracy liked – and succeeding, from how the young man had been looking at him.  Thwarted by morals.

One out of three was pathetic.  The other two were much harder to obtain, but the Hood wouldn’t give up.  Clearly, a different approach was desired; a shame, as rescues were the most fool proof way of meeting the young man.

If he couldn’t catch Scott Tracy, Commander of International Rescue, then he’d need to catch Scott Tracy, CEO of Tracy Industries, instead.  This was not over.

[leopah]

Tempo

This was my fic for the @kageyamazine “Prodigy”! Please consider checking out the zine; it’s full of so many wonderful works.

Read: AO3

“Hey, left, left!” Smack.

“Chance ball!”

The sun was already sinking low in the sky and the autumn evening chill was setting in, but inside the Karasuno gym, the boys’ volleyball team was still practicing. Despite their muscles growing tired and the constant wiping of sweat from their faces, they kept grinning as the ball flew back and forth across the net. Every few seconds, the idyllic atmosphere was punctured by the sound of a volleyball hitting skin or a hardwood floor, the squeak of shoes as they dodged to the side, or the sharp noise of a whistle.

They were playing three on three—a third year with two first years on each. The other teams had already finished their matches and were observing the final round with interest.

Tobio was facing off against Hinata, Suga, and Yamaguchi, with Tsukishima and Asahi at his back. He stepped confidently into place, feeling a rhythm to each step as he set the ball exactly right for each of them. This was what he was born to do, and he could do it forever.

The ball came sailing back. Tsukishima received it and Tobio set it for Asahi to spike right through the blockers, scoring them the winning point.

The final whistle blew and Daichi picked up the errant ball from outside the court.

“Great work today, everyone,” said Coach Ukai, standing up and clapping his hands. “The teamwork is really getting there, and I think we’ll crush it during the spring tournament.”

The words “spring tournament” sent a shiver down the whole team’s spine. Tobio was no exception; in fact, the words stung him even more than they did to the rest. He’d failed to prove himself against Oikawa last time. Would he miss the mark again?

“Before we wrap up for the day, though,” said Ukai. He was now staring directly at Tobio, who snapped back to attention. “Can anyone tell me what Kageyama did wrong in that last match?”

Hinata’s hand shot up immediately. “He was being a control freak.”

Tobio bristled, but Hinata continued, ignoring him. “He kept tossing Tsukishima and Asahi what he wanted instead of what they wanted.”

The words hurt even more than the reminder of his failure, so much so that he stared at Hinata with his mouth open, trying to think of a comeback.

Of course I took charge. I’m the setter. It’s what I do. The setter was the most important player on the whole team, no doubt about it. He analyzed the opponent’s weaknesses—in addition to his team’s condition—and adjusted his play accordingly. That was how he had always done things.

Oikawa’s remark about not even trying to think of the tosses his teammates wanted rang through Tobio’s head again. Certainly, he was trying to be more accommodating now, but every toss that went up was still by his design.

No comeback came, so he shut his mouth and shot Hinata a glare that ranked seven out of ten on the ‘mean look’ scale. Hinata responded by folding his arms and sticking his tongue out.

“That’s correct,” said Ukai, glancing between them. “I wanted to see if you’d remember on your own, Kageyama, but it kept happening. Those tosses you’ve been working on are coming along great, but you need to work more closely with your teammates.”

Tobio bowed his head, cheeks burning with shame. He wouldn’t forget again. “Right!”

Ukai continued discussing the other players’ performances in that last match, but Tobio tuned it out, flexing his fingers. Already he was itching to get back on the court and drill the new tosses until they became another lethal skill in his arsenal. Why did he have to go last?

Ukai passed it off to Daichi, who seemed to sense Tobio’s unease.

“I don’t have much to say, except that you did great today, and have a good weekend. I want you all to get some time to relax. Don’t burn yourselves out.” He leveled a stern glare at Hinata first, and then at Tobio. “...And we’ll beat Aoba Johsai in the spring tournament. Then Shiratorizawa. Then we conquer nationals. Yeah?”

“Yeah!” the team roared back.

Tobio was one of the last ones out of the gym, glancing wistfully at the polished floor. Two more days to survive without a proper volleyball court to play on, and then all day at school on Monday...perhaps he would come in on Monday morning just to have some time to think. He thought best on the court—everything happening in the blink of an eye but in slow motion too, his entire body in sync and moving with purpose as he determined the perfect tosses—Right. Focus. Be a team player.

The Karasuno team split up. Hinata charged away into the dusk, the ball of adrenaline that he was. The other boys headed their separate ways in their usual small groups, their minds already drifting to dinner and weekend plans. Tsukishima and Yamaguchi walked off, headphones on and phones out, Tanaka and Nishinoya were already plotting how they would get Kiyoko to notice them during Monday’s practice, Suga whistled a chipper tune, and Daichi and Asahi discussed their classwork. Tobio stayed behind.

In some ways, he wished he could be like them, but another part of him felt almost sick at the thought. Volleyball was who he was. Perhaps it was all he was.

He sank onto a bench and pulled out his phone. He stared idly at the home screen for a minute or so before a text came in from Hinata. He was asking if Kageyama had perhaps seen his wallet because he might have dropped it in the gym and he knew Kageyama hadn’t left yet and he really needed it to buy snacks. Please?

Tobio rolled his eyes but turned on his phone light, checking around the gym. He spotted the wallet a moment later, discarded by the steps. It was a garish green thing with a cartoon character sticker on it. Resisting the urge to roll his eyes again, Tobio pocketed it and waited for Hinata to come rushing back. He never seemed to move anywhere slowly, but if Tobio was being honest he admired his teammate’s quick thinking. Even though he’d never admit it.

He texted Hinata that he’d found the wallet, and went back to the bench, wishing he’d brought a ball with him to set against the gym wall and get some sort of rhythm going.

What would happen if he failed to refine his tosses and become a true team player? The scenarios were at the very least intriguing to consider.

The team’s rhythm would probably stay stuck at just slightly off, they’d lose to Oikawa again, and the blame would fall on his shoulders though no one would admit it (except maybe Hinata, after the fact). The downside of being the one in charge of the court.

Tobio thought back to their earlier game with a pang. What Sugawara lacked in being the same prodigious talent he was, he made up for in sheer experience. He’d been able to figure out the tosses Hinata needed right away and click instantly into place with him. He kept a calm head no matter how tough things got, and always got along with everyone. And he was a setter too. So why couldn’t Tobio get along with others?

Again he thought about what life would be like if volleyball was merely a hobby for him, a fun after-school club like it was for some of the others. Maybe then he wouldn’t feel like every match was life or death. Maybe then he’d feel more at ease with the rest of the team. His team.

Still, Hinata was as obsessed with volleyball as he was, yet he’d clicked with the team just fine. He was able to breeze from one thing to the next with equal passion. Tobio thought of their match earlier, how that manic grin had never left Hinata’s face despite working with a different setter than he was used to. True, he couldn’t pull off the same crazy quick attack, but he’d done his best anyway and high-fived Suga at the end. He’d taken everything in stride.

As it stood, Tobio’s options were to merge with the team, becoming a better leader but facing the possibility of losing himself in the process, or sticking to his pride and dragging everyone else down with him.

Neither would do. Perhaps there was a way he could become more like Oikawa, a talented player who led his team without bending them to his will.

Then again, what was right for one team might not be right for another. But he could worry about that later. For now, he just needed to get his tosses exactly right so they could show Aoba Johsai, and Shiratorizawa in the future, that Karasuno was a force to be reckoned with. The fallen crows would fly again, and they would go to the Nationals this year. He was sure of it.

Feeling renewed and finally ready to head home for the weekend, Tobio stood up. He hardly made it three steps before Hinata practically barreled headfirst into him.

“Watch where you’re going, dumbass!” he snarled, grabbing his teammate’s shoulder before they collided.

“I came to get my wallet!” Hinata said. “Where is it?”

Ah. He’d almost forgotten. “It’s in my pocket. Was the 500 yen in it worth it to run all the way back here?”

“Hey, claws off! The money’s mine!”

“I didn’t take anything. Not that there was much in there to begin with,” Tobio muttered, pulling it out of his pocket. “Here you go. Don’t lose it again.”

Hinata beamed. “Thanks, Kageyama! Hey, are you heading home now?”

“Why?”

“I was thinking of grabbing a curry bun from Ukai’s shop. Want to come with?”

Tobio shivered slightly in the evening chill. “Well, it is a good day for one.”

“A good day for two! They look lonely if there’s just one, so I always grab two.”

Tobio squinted at Hinata, trying to see if he was joking. But as with everything else, he was completely sincere. Being honest to a fault was something they had in common.

“Yeah, I guess I’ll go,” he relented.

It was good to have this moment with someone else on the team, though it wasn’t exactly peaceful. Hinata chattered his ear off with stories about everything and nothing, never minding that Tobio didn’t say anything in return. He was grateful he didn’t need to, since if a conversation wasn’t about volleyball, it wasn’t very interesting to him.

Even if he failed to completely connect with the rest of Karasuno despite his ongoing efforts, it was a relief to know there was at least one person he could count on.

[bltngames]

SAGE 2020: Indie Games

SAGE may closed more than a day ago, but thankfully, the website remains up for those who still want to download its games. So even though this article is technically very late, nothing listed here is out of date. The event may be over, but the games live on! Which is honestly a relief, because I think doing ten games per article is taking its toll on me. Normally, when I’d write for TSSZ, I’d do somewhere in the realm of 5-7 games per article, and even that would eventually burn me out. After writing about 20 games this year, I was clearly starting to feel like I was running out of steam. Oh well. We live and learn. Here’s another ten games!

There’s one more article left after this, a sort of “honorable mentions” round-up that will feature much shorter blurbs as I blow through way more games way faster. If I didn’t talk about your game here in these three articles, now’s your chance to let me know so I can say something about it in the final article.

Anyway, onwards to our ten indie games.

Victory Heat Rally

I’m all for any game channeling the spirit of Sega’s old SuperScaler arcade technology, and Victory Heat Rally is all about that. Everything about this game seems so MY AESTHETIC that my only complaint is that I’m hungry for more. A lot more. This demo is a simple time trial on one race track and I’m itching to sink my teeth into literally anything else this game has to offer. There is an older demo from back in April with more content, but it’s running on a different version of the code base -- this newest demo is significantly improved both in terms of visuals and control. I really don’t have anything else to say about it. There’s not much here, but what’s here is charmingly retro in the style of Sega’s Power Drift, but cuter and even more colorful.

  Sondro Gomez: A Sunova Story

I had been interested to revisit Sondro Gomez after playing the first demo last year, but I don’t know if I just wasn’t in the right mood for it this year or what, but I kind of bounced off the game this time. To my memory, Sondro Gomez is a kinda-sorta side game in the Kyle & Lucy universe. You may remember Kyle & Lucy as one of a growing number of games coming out of the Sonic fan gaming community trying to break out as an original title. A while ago, the developers announced a partnership with Stealth to use the Headcannon engine to make the game with, something that extended to Sondro Gomez here. The problem is, it feels kind of weird now, and I can’t quite put my finger on why. I think it’s the little stuff -- you don’t get a lot of positive feedback when attacking using your whip (the sound is a bit quiet), and the difficulty balancing errs on the side of caution. I died a couple times in my time playing this newest demo, but I wouldn’t characterize Sondro Gomez as a game that feels challenging. Some of that probably has to do with the fact this is still just a demo, which means you spend a long time fighting the same four enemy types in every single level. There’s a lot of charm to the story and the characters it involves, but that only takes you so far when it feels like you’re doing the same things over and over in the actual levels, you know? Either way, the touched up visuals and the new boss fights are welcome. Interested in seeing what the full release looks like next year.

  Delta Gal

In retrospect, a Mega Man Legends fan game seems like a no-brainer, doesn’t it? Where Delta Gal has a leg up is in controls. Even considering the era Mega Man Legends was released in, it had very awkward controls. Delta Gal’s response is to embrace standard third person action game controls with a mouse and a keyboard. Now, there is controller support, but even once you get it set up, you have button layout presets like “Bad” and “Almost Good.” Honestly, if you can, just play it with a keyboard and mouse. The demo offers about 30-40 minutes of gameplay, with a bit of the town, a forest section, a cave, and one whole dungeon. Visuals nail the best parts of the Mega Man Legends low-fi aesthetic, colors are vibrant, and the pixel art textures look very good. The town is full of characters with lots of personality, too. A particular favorite being the guy who runs the junkyard who likes to show off by flexing his muscles but then ultimately chickens out when it comes to exploring the cave he discovers. The only downside I’d say is the sound design. The game sounds okay, but some of the music is a little bland, and certain sound effects lack the right kind of punch. Granted, this style of sound design isn’t easy, so I can empathize with the developers in that respect. Honestly, it doesn’t really detract from anything at all, so maybe it’s not even worth bringing up. Either way, good stuff, and I’m looking forward to the full release.

  Bun n’ Gun

Here’s a cute little game about a bunny in the old west. I’m absolutely in love with the visuals and the music here, but the gameplay is… interesting. Bun isn’t a typical shooter or platformer, thanks to the fact that he appears to only have one arm, which is occupied by his gun. Now you wouldn’t think this would matter, as it’s pretty easy to design a game around only having to jump and shoot, and that’s fair enough. But there’s a strange heft to this character. It takes them a little bit to pick up speed, and it takes them a bit to slow down, and there’s an unmistakable, split-second delay between pushing the jump button and actually jumping. I know enough about this kind of game development that a delay between pushing a button and actually jumping has to be a deliberate design decision, and I split on whether or not I like it. I don’t think I hate it, because it’s pretty easy to get used to the way it feels, but it does mean you’re working with a handicap when it comes to split-second movements. Given the bunny seems to only have one arm, though, perhaps that’s the point. Either way, it’s cute. Give it a look.

  Shield Cat

I feel like I’ve been over-using the word “charming” to describe games at SAGE this year, but you know what? Shield Cat is charming as heck. People also tend to think it’s reductive to describe things by comparing them to something that already exists, but I say nuts to that, too. Saying “It’s like…” is an easy shorthand, and besides, if somebody is saying your project is like one of their favorite games, it just means they’re giving you praise and might lack the words to accurately describe that praise. Thing is, that’s actually kind of hard to do with Shield Cat. The nearest relative to this game would be The Legend of Zelda, but Shield Cat honestly plays very little like Zelda, beyond having a top-down perspective. Secret of Mana, maybe, with the stamina meters? I don’t know. Regardless, this is a charming (!!!) top down action game where you roam around exploring an overworld and solve light puzzles. It controls well and the aesthetics are nice. Can’t really get much better than that, though I do have to wonder what it is you’re supposed to be doing in this game. It took me about 30 minutes to see everything available in this demo, but there’s no story setup and only the smallest pieces of what could be considered a dungeon. What’s on offer here is interesting enough that I find myself wanting to know more about this world. For example, it’s called Shield Cat, but clearly you’re some kind of ferret. What’s that about? Guess we’ll have to wait and see.

  Prototype N

I’ve sat here staring into the void wondering what to write about for this game for a long time, because it’s one of those demos that’s just… a solid and fun game that nails exactly what it’s going for. I would say that Prototype N leans a little too far towards the easy side of things, but the third level provided in the demo ramps the challenge up enough to be just about perfect. And, really, that’s it. That’s the game. You get two softer introductory levels to get you acclimated to the controls (which are similar to Mega Man, but different enough not to be a direct clone) and one “real” level to actually give you a bit of a work out. There’s nothing else to really say. This has the vibe of a 1993 or 1994 Capcom game, or maybe something from Data East. Every single part of this game’s presentation is laser-focused on that aesthetic, and it pulls it off flawlessly. Sound design, music, visuals, it’s a bullseye. This game fell out of a time machine in the best way possible. Definitely give it a look.

  Yan’s World

From a game that nails the SNES aesthetic to this, a game which pays tribute to the Virtual Boy… but not really? I actually became aware of Yan’s World many years ago through a mutual Discord, and it always looked interesting, but simultaneously a little confusing, something that still mostly holds true to this day. Per the game’s own Kickstarter sales pitch, Yan’s World is “stylized as a lost title for Nintendo's Virtual Boy.” I can get down with that, but the game almost instantly breaks its own rule because Yan’s primary method of attack is to shoot a missile from his head that can only be aimed using the mouse. As such, Yan’s World doesn’t have controller support, even though one of the stretch goals currently listed on their Kickstarter page is to make a version that can be played on real Virtual Boy hardware. And, honestly, what’s the deal with this game’s whole… everything else? Why is this kid an onion? Why are the platforms made out of clocks? Why does all of Yan’s dialog make him seem like he’s sort of pissed off when he’s got such a big happy smile? There’s a bit of a hand-wave to suggest the entire game takes place inside of a dream, and for once that actually means throwing logic out the window, I guess. Oh, the missile is a pillow? Fine, whatever. Use it to blast this demonic apple, and then threaten to kill an innocent NPC. It’s a dream! Despite how little sense that makes, it… kind of works? The sprites are big and lovely, the game controls well, and the level design is plenty creative. I can’t fault the game for that, it’s just trying to figure out everything wrapped around the game that feels so bizarre.

  Cosmic Boll

I don’t know if I really understand what’s going on in Cosmic Boll, but I love to play it just the same. This plays like if Treasure made Dragon Ball Advance Adventure while strung out on cocaine. The end result is pure hyperactive chaos. There is a whole complicated combat system at play here, and a very lengthy in-depth tutorial when you first start the game, but you can figure out a lot of it by just skipping the tutorial and playing the game for real. You can get by pretty easily by just mashing buttons and seeing what happens, and that’s not a complaint, because a lot happens in this game. Like, constantly. It never stops, it never really slows down. You’re always zipping around, spinning and flipping and punching soldiers, explosions everywhere, collectibles everywhere, just utter madness. It’s Sonic the Hedgehog plus Devil May Cry plus Gunstar Heroes and all of it is mixed up in ways you probably don’t expect. All of this is to say that Cosmic Boll is messy and cool and fun and you should probably play it.

  Brock Crocodile

This is a game I’ve seen a lot of around social media, and it’s nice to finally be able to try it. Weirdly enough, this is the first game all SAGE that has flat out refused to see my controller. For the last few years at SAGE, I’ve been using a Playstation DualShock 4, which typically causes me all kinds of headaches with games expecting an Xbox controller. This year, I’ve been using an 8bitdo SN30+. These things are designed primarily to be used on the Switch, but using a controller macro, you can change it to Xbox or Playstation modes. The “Xbox” mode has served me well so far, but Brock here fails to let me use the controller at all. Fortunately, with only three buttons, Brock manages to be mostly playable on a keyboard. That being said, a lot of this game feels a little bit off. The camera is kind of swimmy, as it's almost constantly in motion trying to get a better angle on what's around you. Brock himself doesn't have a smooth acceleration curve either -- it's more like shifting gears in a car, where you reach one top speed and then click up into the next highest speed. That can work, but Brock changes gears much too quickly and without much feedback, making it look like one jerky acceleration curve instead of two. And then there’s the visuals. Level art looks great, character portraits look great, but I’ve never been the biggest fan of the sprites I’ve seen in this game. Take Brock himself, for example: he’s got insanely thick thighs for some reason but the rest of his body looks thin and wispy, and he stands with kind of weird posture. The good news is, despite these complaints, Brock Crocodile is actually really fun to play. You eventually get used to the game’s control quirks, and the level design and included boss fight are excellent, striking that perfect balance where they aren’t too easy but don’t feel unfairly difficult, either. Plus, even though the cutscenes aren’t skippable (annoying as I was dealing with controller issues), the writing is snappy and the dialog is funny. It may not be perfect, but there’s still a lot to like here.

  Marble Launcher

Here’s one of those games where you can tell the creator is just starting out making games. And that’s great! These sorts of endlessly complex, winding mazes are exactly the kind of levels I started making when I first got into game development when I was 16 or 17 years old. One could spend hours searching every nook and cranny in these levels, which is simultaneously awesome and exhausting. Thankfully, near as I can tell, nothing FORCES you to go exploring, so if you’d rather just finish the game, it’s easy enough to head straight for the goal. Gameplay is extremely simple, otherwise. You’re a marble, you can attack enemies by bouncing off of their heads, and you have a slam move. That’s it. You might think that with this being a marble game, you’d get real rolling ball physics, but all you get is simple platformer controls. They’re good enough, especially considering how esoteric the shape of the levels can get, but it’s hard not to be a little disappointed. Still, it’s not a bad little game for what it is. Controls a bit better than some of my earliest attempts at game development, too.

Thirty games total! That’s a lot of games to talk about. And there’s still more to come, so stay tuned for that.

[thelyonsempire]

Once a Single Mom with a Dream, Taraji P. Henson is Now a Hollywood Headliner

Want to know what it feels like for a woman to be a commanding presence in a man’s world? Just ask Taraji P. Henson, who might be the greatest motivational speaker we ladies have at the moment. 

“I feel like a boss bitch,” she says, flashing her megawatt grin. “I’m grabbing my nuts, like, ‘Yeah!’ ”

Could we consider this an apt metaphor for the current push-pull of power dynamics? Perhaps. As Henson knows, there’s no time to mince words anymore. From the #MeToo movement to the midterm elections, we’ve seen what happens when women stake their claim. Henson, a single mother from Washington, D.C., who has worked in the industry for over 20 years, is among those finally getting their due — and she’s not afraid to say it.

Her latest film, What Men Want, explicitly explores these themes. Out in February, it flips the script from the Nancy Meyers-directed What Women Want (2000), which starred Mel Gibson and Helen Hunt. Henson plays Ali Davis, a cocky (for lack of a better term) sports agent. After getting passed over for a big promotion, she visits a psychic (the singer Erykah Badu) who provides her with a special tea that allows her to hear men’s thoughts.

Henson stars and also serves as an executive producer. It’s the first time the 48-year-old actress — who has nailed every dramatic role that has come her way — is getting a chance to flex her musical-theater-trained muscles as the lead in a full-fledged comedy. And Henson is clearly in her element, engaging in the kind of “I’ll do anything for laughs” physical antics emblematic of her heroes Carol Burnett and Lucille Ball.

“I’ve always been the funny girl,” Henson says emphatically. “Not that I was pigeonholed. They were all great dramatic roles, but I’ve been dying. I just felt so honored and grateful to get a comedy where I could let it all hang out. My best friend was like, ‘Lord, they don’t know what they have unleashed.’ ”  

“Taraji is old-school funny,” says someone who would know, her What Men Want co-star Tracy Morgan. “She is willing to take a pie to the face or stuff a bunch of candy in her mouth to get a laugh. She cuts the monster but doesn’t cut too deep because she knows we need the monster comedy.”

This past November Henson also voiced the animated character Yesss (which Henson pronounces as “Yesssssss” in her sweet drawl) in Ralph Breaks the Internet, Disney’s big-budget sequel to Wreck-It Ralph, which grossed over $400 million worldwide. It was another chance for her to show off her comedic chops, but this time for the kids. And after years of struggling to make it in Hollywood, she’s acutely aware of how doing a family film can help her bank account.

“You know, that’s [audiences buying] four tickets instead of two,” Henson says. “That’s generally going to be the largest-grossing film in anyone’s repertoire.”

To attend InStyle’s shoot, she took a 24-hour break from the Chicago set of Empire and her most significant character to date, the cutting and campy Cookie Lyon. Henson admits that the silver-tongued ex-con and matriarch of the Lyon family was the one who really put her on the Hollywood map. Despite all her successes — in the Oscar-nominated films Hidden Figures and The Curious Case of Benjamin Button — Henson has never had a movie studio bring her overseas to do press. But Cookie has.

“Hollywood executives would tell me that I don’t have fans all the way over there,” Henson says, shaking her head. “I said, ‘You’re lying because they can reach me any time. I’m a finger tap away, and they let me know every day.’ ” And while the international box office plays a big role in getting lead parts in feature films, it was Cookie who let Henson know she was appreciated. “Then we go to Paris [to promote Empire], and it’s standing room only in a room with 1,500 seats. I cried. If you believe what people tell you … you can’t let people tell you shit.”

Henson’s strong sense of self comes from her parents. She was an only child until she was 17 (her half sister, April, now works as her “a-sister-ant”). Her father, Boris, was a Vietnam War vet who battled PTSD and alcoholism throughout her childhood. Despite his mood swings, Henson says, he instilled in her a no-fear attitude that has stuck with her to this day. From her mother, Bernice, she inherited her endless drive and passion.

“I was like the Punky Brewster of the hood,” Henson says with a laugh. “I was a well-rounded kid, but I could also scrap if necessary. But I wasn’t that hard. I still had Strawberry Shortcake wallpaper in my room, and my friend Tracie and I were doing Shakespeare in the Park … and we were in the f—ing hood.”

Though it was clear from an early age that Henson was a natural-born performer, she spent her nascent college years attempting to follow in her father’s footsteps by studying engineering at North Carolina A&T State University. With her colorful outfits and spirited attitude, she earned the on-campus nickname Hollywood, yet it still took failing math classes for her to realize the sciences were not where she belonged. When she called Boris to tell him, he was not surprised.

“Good,” he said. “Get your ass back up to D.C. and enroll in Howard’s drama department. Do what you’re supposed to be doing.”

While attending Howard University, Henson became pregnant with her son, Marcell. After graduation the single mom and her baby boy moved to Los Angeles with $700 borrowed from family and friends so she could pursue her dreams. Between casting calls, there were stints as a substitute teacher for kids with special needs. Eventually she landed an agent, and guest spots on network television shows soon followed. But it was her roles in films such as Baby Boy and Hustle & Flow that really made Hollywood take notice.

Now that she’s got the mic, Henson is putting it to good use, choosing impactful projects like this spring’s The Best of Enemies, about civil-rights activist Ann Atwater and her unlikely friendship with C.P. Ellis (portrayed by Sam Rockwell), a former member of the Ku Klux Klan. She is also starring in and producing a movie about Emmett Till, the teenager who was lynched for allegedly whistling at a white woman in Mississippi in 1955.

“I don’t care if you’re young or old or what color you are, art is so powerful,” she says on the topic of representation. “You can show things to people you’ve never met and you broaden horizons. I don’t take for granted what I have, and I try to use it in any way I can, positively.”

The fact that Hollywood continues to preach about the importance of diversity but then casts predominately white males in lead roles is not lost on the actress. “Here’s the deal: When you talk about money, don’t you want to make money? I want every walk of life [in my films]. If I could put an alien in, I would. I want their money too. Come on, it’s what the world looks like. That’s what people want to see, representation. That’s all. You can make money doing it. It’s a no-brainer.”

She also recently established the Boris Lawrence Henson Foundation (named after her beloved father), which encourages African-Americans with mental-health issues to seek the help they need. “It was born out of necessity,” she says. “You know, traumatic stuff happened to me and my son. [Her ex-boyfriend, Marcell’s father, was murdered in 2003.] You can’t just pray it away. I don’t care how strong you are. It gets to you, and if you don’t deal with it, it manifests itself in ways you don’t even know.

“My white friends have standing appointments with their therapists,” Henson continues. “I was like, ‘Why aren’t we doing that?’ In our culture, it’s taboo.” The first people to sign on? Her male friends from the industry, all of whom wrote checks on the spot. “The black men stepped up. Snoop Dogg, Xzibit, Tracy Morgan, Chance the Rapper all stepped up. I called, they answered. Snoop told me, ‘Baby girl, that’s important. What you’re doing is important.’ Tyrese said, ‘You’re making it cool to seek help.’ ”  

Another supportive figure is her fiancé, former NFL cornerback (and Super Bowl XLI winner) Kelvin Hayden. The two were quietly dating for three years before Hayden proposed last Mother’s Day. They are planning to wed this summer in a private, low-key affair, and though her designer friends are offering to make her a dress, Henson is opting for the most efficient route.

“I’m not going to go through 10,000 dresses,” she says. “How does it fit? How do I feel? Does it complement me well? Let’s just go with this one. I know what looks good on me. I’m not going to spend 10 hours on a fitting. I hate that.”

The wedding itself will probably take place in July, once Henson figures out if Empire is going to be picked up for a sixth season. Fortunately, it is filmed in Chicago, where she and Hayden reside with Marcell — now 24 and an aspiring rapper and music producer — and their miniature French bulldog, K-Ball, which was Hayden’s nickname when he played in the NFL.

Their life is a healthy one. Hayden runs his own gym, and she’s always cooking new vegan treats for her tribe. She made the jump to veganism after suffering massive stomach pains while filming The Best of Enemies this past summer. “It took a doctor in Macon, Ga., to say, ‘If you don’t change what you’re doing, you’re going to get stomach cancer.’ I said, ‘Say no more.’ So I switched everything up out of necessity. I want to live. Thank God, because I feel so much better.”

Now that she’s in love, at the top of her game, and clearly adored by the world at large, Henson is ready to expand her repertoire even further. “The older I get, I want to work smarter, not harder,” she says. She’ll answer that superhero hotline if it rings — “DC, Marvel, you all can call me!” — but for now she’s content being the funny girl.

“I want to show you this,” she says, grabbing her phone to play a video that was sent to her by What Men Want director Adam Shankman. It’s footage from an early screening, and the audience is roaring with laughter.

Henson admits to having goose bumps as she cradles the device like a proud mama: “Listen to them cackling!”

[hopoo]

DEADBOLT Q&A

I tried to answer every question as honestly as I could, so I hope this is a good read. If your question isn’t there, it’s either identical to another one asked or joined together with another question. Cheers!

Q: In total, how much time does the campaign of Deadbolt span? It’s hard to tell, what with it being infinite nighttime and all.

A: I would imagine a month-ish. It is implied that the Candles are doing some sort of investigative work between missions, which would surely take some time. Q: Did you have any major inspirations for the visual design of DEADBOLT? A: John Wick is obviously the biggest one! Q: What would hopoo do if someone made a game completely based and inspired from Deadbolt and its… Concept? (with permission and not) A: There’s no way DEADBOLT is that unique in settings or thematics – ultimately, you know what’s right and what’s wrong when you’re inspired by a work, and so will everyone else! If you feel obligated to ask for permission, maybe you’re not exploring enough original ideas? Q: When will we get modding? if so could we get a simplified modding kit? Any plans for updating dedbort, even just the map editor? Feature for adding custom sprites, rotation tool, copypasta tool, just to name a few… A: So the thing with that is that the map editor is only half the equation – while the map editor may be writing stuff to files, it also has to be interpreted on the end by the DEADBOLT game itself. Therefore, adding features that aren’t supported in engine simply won’t work – it won’t know what youre talking about. While rotation is supported in the engine, it doesn’t know how to read that from the files, etc. I also am trying to avoid any legacy issues where old maps are required for old versions of DEADBOLT, or vice versa. Q: When is deadbolt 2 coming with werewolves and mummies A: Werewolves aren’t undead you dingus. But mummies could be cool.

Q: Will the stuff that came with the release of Deadbolt on Play Station, will be added on PC? A: Nope, that was sorta our deal-sweetener for getting on the Sony consoles. Q: Will we ever see expansion levels for Deadbolt or would we get Deadbolt 2 instead? A: DEADBOLT 2 maybe sometime

Q: Does Ibzan is gay? A: I haven’t really thought of the sexual orientation of any of the characters, and I definitely don’t want to pull a JK Rowling and retroactively assign them. So in terms of canon, that just hasn’t been explored.

Q: Would you prefer deadbolt 2 to be in 3d and 2d? Would you do a sequel? A: DEADBOLT is probably the narrowest design space I’ve worked with – there’s no dodging, insta death, insta travel attacks. By the end I felt very stretched out in terms of enemy design, and for that alone I’d think 3D. But hey, I may also just hate 3D by the end of RoR2 so who knows :^). I’d love to do a sequel one day, most likely from the perspective of Ibzan. But who knows! Q: Did Ibzan want to kill the Fire, or just try to reconcile with it? A: He just wanted to talk – but who knows what would’ve happened after the Fireplace rejected him? Q: Would you be interested in going back to the world of deadbolt sometime in the future? I remember hearing somewhere a 3D concept would be interesting to work on. A: I wish I was talented or driven enough to write comics for it – I think DEADBOLT is more about the stories of individuals, compared to RoR who is a story of the universe. I wrote the Cassette Tapes to reflect that. Q: Looking back, is there anything you’d change about Deadbolt? A: Hmmm… I just wish I somehow could expand more on the lore and gangs, and what their goals were. Gameplay-wise, it was a tad too short. I liked doing a few standard stages, and then a mix-up stage (sniper, trap, boss, etc) – maybe we could’ve fit in a few more rotations. Q: What’s your favourite loadout? A: Death/Taxes and Flashbang, like a scrub. Q: Would you ever be interested in restarting the asset suggestion thread A: I consider DEADBOLT to be done – as a 2 (now 3!) man team, we financially can’t do the games-as-a-service thing like most big companies can for smaller games like DEADBOLT. I also intended DEADBOLT to be a one-and-done thing as a contrast for Risk of Rain, which we updated for years after release.

=CONTROVERSIAL OPINION ALERT= I personally also think that EVERY game getting a bunch of DLCS and updates and patches for a long time is, in a way, exhausting as a player. I think it makes it hard to feel satisfied when you finished a game and it’s over and you feel completed in the journey, knowing it’s not ~technically~ over until the devs stop patching. I think it’s great for some games (mostly multiplayer-based ones), but some games you just gotta let… finish, on a good note. Semi-open ended endings are always unsatisfying, in my opinion, and so recently it just feels like you don’t ever complete a game. …On the flip side, we are planning on doing lots of post-launch support for RoR2 because it’s actually inline with our design goals, so don’t fret! Q: Will bugs like Scythe not having a cover sprite or some enemies not having a falling sprite (which causes the game to crash) be fixed? A: Which enemies have been missing a falling sprite? They should be resorting to idle, not crashing. Bosses? Q: Just wanted to say, you guys are my favorite games studio, hands down. Now for the question: Now that the Reaper has completed his task and is allowed to rest, what’s next? Is the Fireplace going to keep him resting for a while? Does our MC have another task to accomplish? A: The Fireplace has never let a reaper “rest” before - the reason he is allowed to rest is because Ibzan never got to, and the Fireplace is trying something different with you. This is unexplored territory for the both of them – presumably he just pets his cat and gets bored before getting back to work. Q: What happens to everyone else in the afterlife? A: People who aren’t in the Place? Who knows, and who cares about boring happy afterlife 😊 Q: I had a question about the lore. There’s mentions of places outside the city, across the river Styx. What are they and what are they like? A: The Styx connects the other realms together, including (presumably) wherever the demons came from. This is explored lightly in one of the demon cassette tapes. Q: Will you ever expand more on the world of deadbolt or are you 100% done with it at this point? A: Nope definitely not done, really wanna explore more one day Q: What’s your office address? For post and stuff, maybe I want to send you a box full of A4 sheets of paper with a thousand hoopters on each. A: Maybe this is the paranoia in me but I’m not comfortable posting my address online – you can just tweet it at me a thousand times instead Q: Did Ibzan think the flames would give warmth to the Dredged or was he just lying to them and using them for his own gain? A: He was lying to himself, but he did truly believe that this was going to work, because this (at the time, anyways) seemed like the only way out. Metaphor woawoawo Q: Could you add some sorta DEADBOLT reference into RoR2?  Will the Reaper be playable in Risk of Rain 2 as a bonus? A: Definitely references happening in some form, but playable might be stretchin’ it a bit, especially since it’d be taking up the slot of some more in-universe secret character. Q: How excited are for RoR2? A: Honestly very nervous for the reception, with very big shoes to fill as a sequel for RoR. I just hope people like it, and that we don’t get burnt on 3D because there’s so many possibilities in the future for our games in 3D. Q: How are the Demons born? We know they’re made in birthing chambers, but then is it just like humans or is there anything specific needed for a demon to be born f.e. skeletons>suicide, zombies>overdose, etc. A: Demons aren’t undead and don’t naturally exist in the Place, which is why they have to be smuggled over – they exist in whatever version of hell is in the DEADBOLT universe, and are natural denizens of the underworld. Q: was izban hot before he died? A: The hottest Q: do all the nightclubs canonically have chris c. as the dj A: Yes Q: I love Deadbolt very dearly and i’ve listened to its soundtrack (particularly “Now I Am Become Death”) more times than i can remember. What’s your favourite tune from Deadbolt ? A: Defunktorum or The Proverbial Dust Biters Q: In the Hardmode Cassette Tape it talked about a Reaper that wasn`t the current Reaper that we play as in the Game. Was this Reaper Izban? Since in the tape, he talked about the fireplace as his friend and that could be why he wanted to go back to the fireplace through the portal at the end of the game, to revisit his friend. A: Yes yes and yes. This was most heavily implied in Ibzan’s “home”, which parallel yours. Q: Will RoR2 still have opportunities to create silly messy builds like covering the screen in missiles or releasing an endless stream of Thqwibs? If so, how are you working to mitigate the performance impact of those crazy builds? A: Yep! Currently we have a system that detects the average particle count in a scene and slowly adds a chance non-important effects (like hitsparks or impacts) don’t ever spawn. This will at some point also involve turning off expensive effects and reducing particle LODs. Q: I really love the attention to detail to the characters, environment, aesthetics and gameplay mechanics. Its themes on the criminal underworld and the supernatural give a unique identity in a high-octane/stealth pixel action game I have not seen before. Additionally what prompted or inspired you to make DEADBOLT in the first place? A: DEADBOLT in its entirety was supposed to be not-Risk of Rain. It’s a gorey, violent, moody singleplayer puzzle-stealth game. We were just burnt out from the Risk of Rain experience, and we also wanted to flex our design muscles a bit and show that hey, we’re not just a one-trick pony of gamedevelopment :^) Q: I just played through this game on PS4/Vita over the weekend. Huge fan of Risk of Rain. Even bought it through Limited Run Games. So I had to pick up Deadbolt (Didn’t previously know you had made it either.) and I love it. Its a super solid experience. I’m not sure I have any questions about it. I guess I was curious if co-op multiplayer was ever considered in development? Keep up the great work. Can’t wait to see what you guys make next. A: Nope, because of the reasons above – we wanted a single player game, since RoR was a multiplayer one. Q: First of all, congratulations!! I really loved the game since came out, I bought it for my birthday, since risk of rain made me fell in love with all the pixel art in it, deadbolt didn’t disappointed me!! Everything in it I love it! Thanks for the game!! Now the question You already answered about how the skeletons or vampires came to be in that Place, how the vampires are killed by their lovers, but, how a reaper, becomes to be a reaper? I mean a candle said “I’ve never been so close to one” A: Originally, the reapers were actually supposed to be from suicides – if I remember right, the reaper when going down the stairs to the docks still has the hole in the back of his head in his sprite. Currently, it’s not explored how a reaper is made – I think a bit of mystery is always needed in making a believable universe J Q: Lorewise how many reapers are there total? Why are they incredibly fragile compared to the undead? What makes the reapers not undead? A: IIRC there were 4 fireplaces in the final stage, which was supposed to represent the way the fireplace was communicating to all reapers in the field. Q: Do you like turtles? How about corgis? A: Yes, and yes (although there’s way too many in Seattle now). Q: Did you have any idea Chris would break out a whole band’s worth of musicians for the soundtrack? His work was superb and the OST remains my absolute favorite to this day. A: DEADBOLT OST was actually done with many people – it must be in the credits somewhere! If I remember right, there is at least a drummer and a musician.

Thanks for all the questions, and happy hunting :)

hopoo

[fishiousdev]

The Game Jam Experience 2 : Treble Death

So in earlier blogs, I talked about game jams, right?

Well, to continue where I left off, in only a couple months ago, me and a couple of friends decided to band together and join in on Brunei's first community game jam.

Screenshot of the game jam on Itch.io

With the concept of being ultra and being beginner friendly, we, as a team, clearly did not show that at all and in the single week were given, we managed to create Treble Death.

It's a unique game the three of us have never attempted before. A fast-paced rhythm beat-em-up game. Isn't that a wild concept?

This was my first time forming a legitimate team when working on a project, so it was an exciting experience. While all three of us contributed in the game's concept, gameplay ideas and character designs, we each had our focused roles. I was mostly in charge of the animations of the player character, Treble.

She's a demon girl living in the underworld and beating up skeletons because they were being too loud.

I had the chance to flex my animation muscle a bit with quick hits more suited to a rhythm game, where actions go quickly by, unlike Fish Sword animations where I needed to provide follow up and recovery animations after every action swing the player character did there.

One of the team's member, Arc, as we will call him, was the main programmer, handling the heavy lifting of coding the game. And our other member, AluriSnow, as we will call her, handled enemy animations and the background, and was most influential in coming up with the character designs. With out powers combined, we managed to create a truly unique game that has the potential to become something really great if we were to build up on it more in the future.

How the game plays is that every input only happens if you press the button in according to the beat. If you're off rhythm to the music, your action doesn't happen. It sounds difficult and it really can get hard as the game increasingly gets more drastic. But when you hit that sweet spot of being constantly in sync with the game, it is extremely satisfying and fun to play. Dare I say, it is a very hype game.

In the end, it was a great experience for the trio, and in the future, we hope to be able to work each other again on more great projects.

You can play Treble Death here! :

https://aka-works.itch.io/treble-death

We also named the combination of the three of us as a team as "AKA Works", based on the first letter of our usernames. Hope that's a name to remember.

[hobiboo1]

Whipped Cream (Jungkook smut)

Description: Jungkook is your roommate. Among other things, his habit for baking shirtless made it... ‘difficult’ to live with him.

Themes: Smut, baker, collage, roommate au

This fic contains: Smut, adult content, food play, arguing, drinking, mentions of threesomes, swearing

Characters: Jungkook x You, Yoongi, Jimin, Hoseok and Taehyung

words: 7.5k

For this fic I used inspirations of food play and the roommate au from two anons <3

A/N: I refused to come back from my hiatus until I had something for my lovely and patient followers <3 (also, I was keen to come back so i’ll edit this and fix mistakes later)

@chanyeolingss, @jn-jngkk, @sugaspen <3

It wasn’t necessarily the pile of dishes or the trail of clothes that seemed to almost constantly hover around Jungkook like he was some annoying ass Avatar or something that got you so mad. It wasn’t the thick fragrance of his cologne or body wash that drifted through the open plan of your shared apartment every morning, or the smell of his musky sweat when he returned home from his evening jog, or from when he emerges from his room- having clearly just having a ‘fucking mind blowing’ wank. It wasn’t the soft melodies, or exciting electronic beats that flooded from his open window and into yours, nor his big and copious amounts of jackets and coats that made it nearly impossible to get your own fucking clothes from the rack next to the front door. Your frequent burning irritation had nothing to do with his presence, with the evidence of his existence in your apartment and life; it was with the man behind it all. It was with him. With fucking Jeon Jungkook. Ok, and maybe it was also for his fucking annoying baking habits. Did he really need to bring that shit home? Didn’t he get sick of it at work?

Ever since he moved in, almost every day, between classes and his consistent gaming, listening to music and working at his part time job at the bakery, he would have some sort of absolutely delicious fucking delicacy in the oven or splayed out all over the island in the kitchen. This probably sounds like heaven. Wrong. It is quite possibly hell. One would not even pay attention to your complaints about this- even your closest friends would brush off your expressions of irritation with insensitive scoffs or chuckles. But the truth is, oh the fucking horrid truth is that life can be nearly impossible with Jungkook and his frosted treats in it. The first time you were made aware of Jungkook’s baking abilities was 2 weeks after he moved in.

Throwback:

The mouth-watering scent of cinnamon buns swam through the crack of your bedroom door and swirled around your head. You dropped your pen onto your open textbook and leaned back in your desk chair, taking a long sniff. Licking your lips, you tried your best to ignore the tempting smell, and lent forward to resume your very important studying. That only lasted 5 minutes, however, because in no time you were tiptoeing out of your room to see what your roommate was doing. Walking down the passage and getting closer to the kitchen, the smell became stronger and overwhelming, setting your craving for whatever awaited you alight. You also started to hear a comforting song playing, one mainly of guitar and piano and a husky voice. Jungkook was singing softly and his voice, so moving in its breathy notes, made you pause in your steps. You stood there, your entire body seeming to be pumped through with electricity- the tasty treats’ aroma wrapping around you, and his voice only making the blanket thicker. Even your thin pajama shorts felt like soft caresses against your thighs while the sunlight streaked through the window from Jungkook’s open room- warming your back as if someone was giving you a back hug.

You pushed yourself to take another step, before you melted away into the cool tile floor. Reaching the end of the passage’s wall, you wrapped your fingers around it, dragging yourself forward- your body suddenly lazy. Peeking your head around, your eyes immediately met Jungkook’s bare back. He’s baking shirtless? You frowned and let your eyes trail down to his plaid pajama pants, which were cut off at his thighs by the kitchen island. And that’s when you saw the trays of golden, crisp and sweet smelling buns. Your eyes took in the entire counter, your mouth suddenly becoming wetter as you gulped. As they moved back down the counter and got to Jungkook’s steady figure, they traveled back up the smooth expanse of his broad back- the skin taut over his flexing muscles. The adjacent window allowed sunlight to shine directly onto him- illuminating his dark hair and making the dust around him look like swirling specks of gold. You managed to look down at your watch, 09:29. Shit. You had 1 hour before you needed to be at class, leaving you with hardly any time to get dressed and get some more studying in- which was vital at this point. So why were you glued to your place? Your body weak and light like a feather as if you’ve just had a full-body massage.

You let out an involuntary sigh as you took in what you promised yourself would be the last of your loving gazes towards the baked goods. But when you looked up, to also take in your last gaze at Jungkook, your eyes ended up meeting his. He was holding a mixing bowl, his right arm flexing as he stirred a thick batter, only extenuating the veins in his hands. You took a peek at his pecks, which seemed to be covered ever so slightly in sweat that must have formed from the hot oven and bright morning sunlight. You cursed yourself for just checking him out while he was looking and could have died when you saw the knowing smirk on his face- his eyes sparkly and his lips naturally pink.

“Look good?” He asks, his tone thankfully not cocky like you were expecting- but friendly and polite like you were used to.

You awkwardly shuffle out of the passage and straighten your body, realizing you must have seemed like a creepy stalker. You clear your throat, “Yeah! Yeah, uhm, wow- I didn’t realize you are so good at baking.”

He chuckles bashfully, “I try, and that’s what counts.”

Unsure of what to say next, but still stuck to your place, you tuck your hair behind your ear.

“I’ll bake you something one day,” He chimes, “after finals.”

You smile, “Thank you, I’ll look forward to it.”

He laughs again and turns to take something out of the oven. Using this opportunity, you speed off and back into your room. When you come back out, in a rush to get to class, you notice Jungkook isn’t in the kitchen. Hungry and with an overwhelming craving for a cinnamon bun, you grab one on your way out the door. Jungkook would understand- you were in a rush and needed something, and he had at least 70 on those trays- which when you think about you don’t actually know where they come from, but they seem expensive. Eating the stolen treat on the bus, you wandered if Jungkook splashed some gold into it and that maybe the dust you’d seen around him was actually the product of his baking. It was indescribably fucking good.

At lunch, however, you realized Jungkook would indeed notice the single missing bun. Mid bite of your pasta, your friend draining on about her boring course, your phone started to buzz against your thigh.

“Sorry,” You mumbled to your preoccupied friends and got up from the table to answer it.

You frowned slightly when you saw Jungkook’s caller ID. The only other time he’d called you was when he forgot his keys- and you really didn’t have enough time to get back to your apartment before your next class. Still, you would have done it.

“Hello?”

“Y/N?” His voice sounded hushed and anxious.

“Jungkook, are you ok?”

“Did you by any chance… take one of my cinnamon buns?”

Your stomach felt like it dropped right to the floor. “Uhm… yes?”

“Fuck,” He grunted to himself, “ok- I have to go. See you later.”

Like a coward, you stayed out of the house for as long as possible- even surprising your friends by going to a bar with them. With enough liquor, the sinking feeling that had been permanent through out the day faded and you ended up having a great time- even hooking up with some guy against the wall in the back. Your designated sober friend dropped you off outside your apartment building and you told her you love her because of it- making her chuckle at your drunk behavior. For some reason, you giggled all the way up to your apartment. You were giggling so much you had to pause before putting your key into your door- the landlord still not having gotten it together to fix the passcode system. You realize now that you must have seemed absolutely crazy when you opened the door laughing like a fool by yourself. Jungkook seemed to have friends over, 3 or 4 of them, all around a living room table, which was stacked with alcohol bottles. You wandered why the apartment was so dark- only one light in the entire place being on. All of the men’s faces shot up to look at you, including Jungkook- who was frowning. You stopped laughing under the gaze of the young men, but you still couldn’t help but wear a splitting smile- your cheeks probably flushed from all the alcohol and laughing.

“Is she drunk?” You heard someone ask softly.

“Hey!” Another person greeted warmly, making everyone follow in his lead. Everyone except Jungkook.

Feeling brave, you stumbled towards them and collapsed gracelessly onto the couch, half landing on one of the guys. He laughed and helped you sit properly. This whole situation would deathly embarrass you in the morning.

“I’m Hoseok,” The man who greeted and helped you said, “you must be Jungkook’s roommate!”

“I’m Y/N!”

Another one of Jungkook’s friends opened his mouth to introduce himself, but before he got the chance, Jungkook was springing up from his place on the floor and pulling you off the couch with ease. You barely caught Jungkook’s scowl before he was pulling you, still gently so you could pull away, down the passage. You also barely heard someone whispering, “Are they already fucking?” Followed by hushed laughs.

Your tongue, heavy from the alcohol, allowed you to do nothing but mumble as he pulled you into his room- slamming the door slightly. He let go of you, and even in the dim light of the moon from his open window- you could still see the look of anger on his features. You could also smell the alcohol; unfamiliar to the one you’d been drinking that night. He could be just as drunk as you.

“Do you have any idea what kind of shit I could have gotten into today because you couldn’t keep those thieving hands to yourself!?” He whispered harshly. “Are you some sort of fucking kleptomaniac or something?”

The reality slowly began to dawn on you again as you remembered the sinking feeling from earlier and his anxious voice over the phone. Your tongue moved in a feeble attempt to say something- but you couldn’t.

“What, are you mute, too?” He spat. “Not to mention how fucking embarrassing you’re being in front of my friends.”

“I-I didn’t think it would be a big deal.” You managed to squeak after moments of impatient silence.

He stepped closer to you, making you stumble back and fall onto his bed. He chuckled bitterly, “As hot of a scene this would usually be to me,” He shook his head, “I don’t think I’d even be able to get it up for you- knowing you nearly got me fucking fired.”

The alcohol seemed to be draining rapidly from your system, a new poison taking its place in your veins. Anger.

It was now your turn to chuckle bitterly. You sat up on your knees and crawled over to where he was standing at the edge of the bed. He watched you in confusion as your face came near to his.

“Really?” You asked, trailing your finger down his chest- clad in a thin black shirt.

“Wh-”

You stop him from speaking by pressing your other hand’s pointer finger to his lips. “You really think you wouldn’t get a hard on from me?”

You could hear his breath getting deeper as your hand got closer to his crotch. Your finger left his lips to curl around his neck and pull him closer so that you cold whisper in his ear, “Newsflash, babe, I could get you so hard it’d fucking hurt.” You chuckled, “And I wouldn’t do anything about it.”

You doubt he’d even realized, but his hand was holding your hip. You pulled away and smiled at him, his glare somehow attractive to you. Getting up off the bed, you left the room, muttering on your way out “You’re like an obnoxious baby.”

Just to spite him, you went back to his friends- even stealing his spot on the floor. Being more sober, you could actually see how hot they were. Why were hot guys always friends with other hot guys? They watched you curiously, the man seated next to you especially. He was also especially hot.

“What’s your name?” You asked him.

“Jimin.” He told you, his voice somehow sounding nervous and his cheeks flushing despite how attractive he is.

“Jimin.” You repeated, “I like that name.”

He smiled cutely and looked down, “Thank you. I like your name, too.”

“I’m Taehyung.” Another guy added, his dazzling smile also catching your attention.

“Yoongi.” The last one told you. His disinterested tone doing nothing but enticing you more.

You were now determined to fuck one of them. But who would it be? The sharp featured and adorable but sexy Jimin? The devilishly attractive Taehyung with his sinister smile? Or the cool, unfazed Yoongi? Maybe the kind, defined jawed and well-dressed Hoseok? Maybe more than one… This would be exciting.

“Should we play a game?” You suggest.

“Sure.” Taehyung says, the tone of his voice and the look in his dark eyes telling you he might be having similar thoughts to you.

“Truth or dare?” You question and look around to gage the responses. You can see Hoseok’s eyes light up with excitement, his demeanor also changing with the prospect of more… possibilities.

“Sounds good.” Taehyung agrees, and Yoongi stays silent- seeming almost bored, while Jimin just blushes more when you look to him.

“Ok, I’ll go first.” You say. You turn to Hoseok, “Truth or dare?”

“Truth.” He says after a second of thinking.

“Would you fuck me?”

He coughs and everyone’s eyes get bigger.

“Wow, straight to the fucking point.” Yoongi says.

“Like… ever, or… right now?” Jimin asks.

“Whenever.” You smile at him and turn back to Hoseok for your answer.

“Yeah,” He says. “Of course.”

“Ok,” You say, “your turn.”

“Pick me.” Taehyung says, his tone authoritative and stern- sending a thrill down your spine.

“Uh,” Hoseok says, “Ok. Tae, truth or dare?”

“Dare.” He says without a moment of hesitance. Hoseok’s face grows more sinister, beginning to match Taehyung’s and it’s clear they’d both be a lot of fun.

“Kiss Y/N.” Hoseok dares, without sparing Taehyung a glance. With no time wasted, Taehyung is getting up from the couch and walking around to you. He crouches next to you.

“This ok?” He asks softly. You nod. In an instant his long fingers are wrapping around your neck- the coolness of his rings sending shivers through your body as he pulls you towards him and pushes his lips onto yours. There is something smoldering about the kiss, fast but controlled and the taste strong with whisky. A small moan leaves your lips, but Jungkook’s stupid voice pulls you two apart just as it was getting particularly hot.

“Unfuckingbelievable.” He says coldly from where he stands at the end of the passage. No one says anything, not that they would have had a chance as he storms out of the apartment in a flash.

“Are you guys a thing?” Taehyung look back at you, confused.

You scoff, “Me,” Your finger prods at your chest, “And him?” And then points to the door. “No fucking way.”

“That sounds believable.” Yoongi sounds sarcastic. But Taehyung doesn’t need more confirmation.

“My turn.” He smiles, “Y/N?”

“Truth.” You say. Taehyung looks around, his eyebrow rising when they land on Yoongi- as if he’s struck with a brilliant idea.

Hoseok frowns at the betrayal from his friend. “If you could, would you suck Yoongi’s cock?”

Your eyes flicker towards the dark haired man. He tries to hide it, but he shifts slightly in his seat- his eyes sweeping down your body. You grin and look back to Taehyung.

“Yes.”

Yoongi’s eyes grow slightly, and as if taken over by all the alcohol in the room, and all his hidden demons, he asks, “How?”

Everyone turns to him, surprised. “Well, of course,” You start, “I’d start by kissing up from the base, making sure to leave my spit all over it. I’d lick the tip, I’d suck you as hard as you want me to. In fact, I’d do it any way you want me to. I’d do anything to taste your cum.”

The shifting of the men around you was obvious, Hoseok’s hands rested on his crotch in an attempt to seem subtle, and Jimin moved so that his lower half was hidden by the coffee table.

You have no idea how you’d even gotten into this situation. At first, it was alcohol and anger that pushed you here- but now it was lust, and the bravery their hungry looks gave you.

“You’re a naughty girl, aren’t you?” Taehyung asked, his voice even deeper with arousal.

“She’s a fucking dirty girl.” Hoseok agreed and you looked at him with a smile, something about the way his face turned from being friendly and open, to dark and serious making you even hornier.

“Hoseok, truth or dare?”

“Truth.”

“How do you feel about threesomes?”

The memory of that night is something that still keeps you up. Jimin and Hoseok were the ones to opt out, the latter surprising you. He said he wasn’t interested in seeing his friends’ cocks, but anytime, ‘any fucking time’, you wanted an orgasm like no other, you should call him. And you often pondered over it, looking at his number in your phone on many occasions. He didn’t visit the apartment often- but none of them did, clearly being filed under ‘shitty friends’ by Jungkook. But the few times he did, the sexual tension was fucking palpable. If only you were always as brave as you were on that night. Although, he finally got it together to contact you and actually asked you out on a date. Tonight.

Jimin had declined the offer with a blush, his cheeks red as tomatoes as he left your apartment begrudgingly. You could tell he was a kinky shit, and you wandered why someone as attractive as him, with the sex appeal of a god, was so shy. The thought of unlocking his deepest desires was a tempting thought.

That left you with Taehyung and Yoongi. You are still proud of how quickly you turned the ‘unfazed’ man into a horny mess. What really gets you going when you think back to that night is how the cocky, domineering Taehyung was dominated so easily by Yoongi. “Suck his fucking cock while I fuck you from behind.” He had demanded, getting you and Taehyung into your required positions in no time. You remember the way he growled into your neck, pulled your hair and bit your shoulder like it was yesterday.

You also remember how good Taehyung’s dick felt in you mouth, how good his fucking moans felt and how you managed to make him whimper, a sweet sound wrapped in his harsh, naturally raspy tone. Speaking of noises- Yoongi’s voice became impossibly deeper, like when you grabbed his hai-

“Y/N!”

Fuck. You groan, hoping your roommate would be miraculously hit by a meteoroid and you could go on with your dirty thoughts in peace. There was silence. Good.

Where were you? Oh yes, the delightful sounds that came from Yoongi when you-

“Y/N!”

“Are you kidding me?” You grit softly to yourself, kicking your sheets in frustration, like a child throwing a tantrum. Something you’ve seen Jungkook do when you switched the TV off once when it was keeping you up till 3am. At the similarities in your behavior, you grimace. Your once very entertaining thoughts are now totally robbed from you, as your mind is full of his childish antics. You get up from your bed and walk out of your room and to where you heard his annoying voice bitterly.

“Yes?” You ask coldly, leaning against the frame of his open door. His eyes take a moment to leave his phone and eventually look up at you, only making your skin uncomfortable as you close your fists- overcome with irritation. He stands up from his bed and walks silently to his closet. You watch him, your patience withering away.

“I’m not going to be here tonight.” He says nonchalantly, pulling his sleeping shirt from his toned torso and tossing it carelessly to the heap of clothes building up against the wall. You take a moment to comprehend what he just said. Did you imagine the conversation last night? The one where you specifically told him you were not going to be at home tonight and he needed to stay to see the landlord. You knew there must have been a reason he complied so easily.

His abs seem to ripple as he pulls down his pajama pants so that he’s standing in nothing but boxers. Something about the anger you feel towards him makes your vagina throb. You wish that this sick game the two of you played didn’t turn so sexual. Your composure was quickly fading. “Excuse me?”

He looks at you for a second and smiles, then grabs a clean shirt to pull over his body. He knew you heard him. “Oh, I just said I won’t be here tonight.”

“I heard what you said, Jungkook.” You spit and march over, the immaturity that seemed to take over both of you ringing strong as per usual, and slam the closet door closed in front of him so that he’ll look you in the fucking eyes when he’s being a dick. He takes a step back and quirks an eyebrow at you. He seemed to revel in the fact that you were practically visibly fuming. “But I already told you I’m going out- and the landlord is doing his check today. So what you said is impossible.”

He scoffs and moves forward to trap you against the closet door as he opens the other one, grabbing a pair of jeans as if you weren’t nearly flush against each other. Usually you would make some witty remark at how much he wanted you to be so close- but right now you were too angry.

When he sits down on the bed to pull his pants up his calves he says, “I’m sure it must seem ‘impossible’ for someone who is so used to getting her way that a person could possibly ‘defy’ her.”

You scoff at the inaccuracy of his comment and run your hand through your hair, your mind racing with uncomfortable thoughts- one of them being about Jungkook’s murder. He stands up to button his pants and you notice a subtle frown form at his brow. Almost like he’s… concerned. You’re so frustrated, so tired after exams and your ongoing war with Jungkook, and so desperate to go out with Hoseok and just let go for the first time in weeks that you feel hot tears pricking at your eyes. You quickly turn around, wishing and hoping he didn’t see. But in no time you feel his warm hand coming down to gently hold your shoulder. You wait for his snarky comment, but it doesn’t come.

“Y/N, a-are you… ok?”

You laugh, and shake his hand off to walk away. Grabbing a cold bottle of water from the fridge, you let out a quick sob, but then decide it’s time to get your shit together and not let Jungkook see you like this. You shut the fridge, straighten your back and take a long sip of water. It helps slightly to cool your insides and put out a bit of your anger. It’ll be ok. Hoseok will understand. This won’t make him just ditch you forever. You can just reschedule. And Jungkook? Fuck him and his fucking concern.

He walks into the kitchen, his dark hair disheveled as if he’d been running his hands through it.

“I-” He starts but you cut him off.

“I hope whatever you’re doing tonight is fucking important.”

He bites his lip and looks out of the kitchen window, the streetlight making his eyes even more sparkly. He looks back to where you stand with crossed arms.

“I mean- it is…”

“Oh, how wonderful.” You say spitefully. He, however, doesn’t return the rude tone.

“I’m going on a date.” He smiles, “I’ve liked her for a long time and-”

“A fucking date?”

He frowns, “Yeah-”

“I guess you want me to go all mushy at your romantic side and send you off with teary eyes and a small, proud wave.” You walk around the island and stand right in front of him, making you have to look up at him. You half expected him to take a step back, but you aren’t surprised he didn’t, either. Because nothing he does makes any fucking sense. He’s always flip flopping around and confusing you. “Well guess what, asshole, I’ve got a date tonight, and I’ve also liked him for a long time but seen as you’re obviously so much more important than me, you should be the one to go. Right?”

“You’re going on a… date?” He asks, sort of like he’s just talking to himself, thinking out loud. He isn’t even looking at you, but rather to the side, out the window. You watch as his features change into his familiar scowl, and his jaw sharpens. His eyes meet yours, his eyebrows scrunched more than usual. “Well, yes. Why should it be you and not me?”

“Because we already fucking talked about this last night and you said-” Jungkook is suddenly picking you up by the waist, making you squeal in surprise. He drops you down onto the kitchen island- the surface cold against your thighs. “What the fuc-”

And then he’s kissing you. He’s fucking kissing you. He’s standing between your legs, his one hand on your hip and his other on your neck. He’s pulling you closer and he’s kissing you.

Jungkook is kissing you.

“Just,” He breaths, “shut up. You’re always yelling.”

“You shut up.” You can’t help but retort, making him chuckle as you pull him back towards you- his lips crashing gracelessly into yours.

His touch is just as hot as you thought it would be, even his lips burn. It only matches his insides. Both of his hands tug you forward by your hips, your groins now rubbing against each other. You wrap your legs around his waist- only increasing the contact. Your phone, in your pocket, pokes both of you so you try, without pulling away from him, to remove it, but as you do- it starts ringing.

“Don’t answer it,” He mumbles into your neck, where he’s kissing and sucking roughly. You had no intention to, but as you put it down you see it’s Hoseok. You also see it’s 6:20pm… you are meant to meet him at 8. “Shit.” You say out loud.

Jungkook looks up to scan your face and see if everything is ok- then he looks down at your still buzzing phone. “Hoseok?” He questions, a moment of realization dawns over him. “No way. Fuck that, I haven’t waited this long to do this just for you to run off with that shithead.”

You giggle, “Did you just say ‘waited’?”

Jungkook rolls his eyes, “Aww, Kookie, do you have a crush on me?”

“Oh, fuck off, don’t pretend you haven’t been feeling the same.”

“Hmmh, maybe.” You wink, dropping your legs because they got tired.

He smirks, his fingers curling around your neck, and he pulls you to him for a peck on the lips. His hands run up and down your thighs, causing your desire to grow.

“Why are you just smiling at me like a freak?”

“Oh my god!” He laughs, “Why do you have to ruin everything with that big mouth of yours?”

You use his hair to pull him down to you and kiss up his neck, making him tighten his grip on your thighs. “I wouldn’t say ‘ruin’ is the best word to use when describing what my mouth can do.” You say once your lips reach his ear.

“Is that so?” He asks, his bulge increasing against your pajama shorts.

You nod and smile before kissing him again. His strong arms wrap around your waist, pulling you flush against him. Your fingers play with the baby hairs of his neck. It’s as if flames are enveloping your bodies, as if the building is on fire and collapsing all around you. You both keep pulling each other closer, even though there’s no space left between you. The kiss is messy. Too much teeth. Too much tongue. But it feels fucking perfect. He feels perfect, his body molding into yours, his hard chest against your perked nipples, his warm and wandering hands, you think you might explode, or that you might just stop breathing. His dick keeps growing, but he doesn’t move, the friction of your moving, excited bodies causing you both to whimper softly.

The explosions in your chest are like nothing you’ve ever felt. You put it down as being due to the build up, the long on going sexual tension and arguments, and how he looks when he’s baking shirtless. Not because you like him at all.

You pull back before you suffocate and before his strong, needy grip completely crushes you. “Oh,” You pant, “my god.”

He looks at your wet, bruised lips with dark eyes. “You said something about this mouth of yours, didn’t you?” He asks, his thumb grazing over them with a surprising tenderness. You nod. “Because I’ve been thinking about it for a long time.”

“What have you been thinking about it?”

“How good it would feel to kiss…” He says, placing a drawn out peck against your swollen petals, “how good it’d feel on my neck… my thighs… my cock…”

“Interesting,” You taunt, your hand cupping his hardness through his jeans.

“God,” He can’t help but moan, bucking his hips into your hand.

“I’ve got something I’d really like to do with my mouth right now.”

“What’s that?”

You shove him away enough to get up and shakily walk to the fridge. He watches you curiously. He laughs loudly when you grab a bottle of whipped cream and turn back around him to smile proudly.

“You’re always spraying this shit around the house. And… I may or may not have been stealing some every now and then.”

“Trust me, babe, I know. I’ve been having to buy 3x what I normally do.”

“Really? I thought you would’ve shat on my head.”

“What can I say? I guess I have a sweet spot for you.”

“Pfft, a ‘sweet spot’ my ass. You treat me like shit.”

“Because you treat me like shit!” He laughs, “I thought you hated me, to be honest. All that talk about ‘I know you want this too’ and crap- that was all bullshit. I was worried you’d slap me.”

You throw your head back and laugh, “Honestly, what have we been doing? We’re obviously attracted to each other, I don’t know why we had to be so childish about it, though.”

“You’re right. It is kind of fun though? I like seeing you blush.”

“Oh my god you’re such a dickhead.”

He throws his hands up in defense, “Alright, alright. But, I mean, you should see how hot you are when you have that pout and stand with your hands on your hips.”

“Jungkook!” You yell out in embarrassment.

He takes quick strides and is standing in front of you in no time, enveloping you in his strong hold. You laugh into his chest, his familiar scent swallowing you along with his sturdy frame.

“It feels like a sledgehammer has just been lifted of my fucking chest.” You say, your words being muffled by his soft shirt.

“Me too,” He says, backing you up until your ass hits the counter and then lifting you up and onto it. “What about your date with Hoseok?”

“Oh shit! I forgot about that!” You exclaim, making him laugh and tuck some loose hair behind your ear. “What about your date?”

“It’s not a date exactly?”

You laugh, “What do you mean it’s not a date?”

“I was actually just going for drinks with Taehyung, but that can fucking wait.”

“Taehyung?”

“Yeah, kind of a reconciliation thing. But anyway, can we stop talking about the guy you fucked and come back to us?”

“Sure,” You giggle, “jealous much?”

“Of course I’m jealous, I like you in case you haven’t picked that up?”

“I have, I have,” You smile and run your hand down his chest, “I’ll text Hoseok saying I can’t make it.”

Jungkook looks shocked. Adorable. “Really?”

“Yes, I’d much rather lick whipped cream off your thighs.” You wink and reach behind you for your phone.

Jungkook has a nervous energy as he waits for you to text Hoseok your weak excuse. “There,” You say and put your phone down. “Now, I think you should take some of those clothes off, don’t you?”

He gulps, nods briskly and immediately starts pulling his shirt over his head. You had seen his bare torso many times before, but those feelings of lust and anger had nothing on the feeling you had now. Now, you could just reach out and touch him. Which is exactly what you did. His skin was soft, taut over his defined abs, and you could feel goose bumps spreading as your fingers trailed down from his chest to just above his belly button. When your eyes wandered up to watch his face, you saw his eyes were stuck to where your hand was still gently touching his stomach. They then followed his own hands as they moved to grip your hips.

Looking back at you he whispered, “You have no idea how badly I’ve wanted to hold you like this.” And then, for good measure, he gave them an almost painful squeeze, making you moan as he pulled your body closer again and kissed you once more.

This kiss wasn’t as chaotic, as frantic, but there was still a heavy taste of need like it was your lifeline you’d been fighting through the waves to reach. You could already feel the sweat on your back, and the sweat under your palms on his chest, your breaths fanned over each other’s faces as you fought for breaths. He started to roll your hips slightly against his hardness- the material of his jeans easily causing you to roll your head back and whimper. Jungkook took this as an opportunity to leave some more marks on your neck. Your fingers quickly found purchase in his soft hair as he continued to grind into your core.

“Shit, I think I can feel you through my jeans,” He commented, his voice thick with arousal.

“God, Jungkook! If you keep doing that, I think I’ll cum.”

“Ah, baby, why do those words sound so pretty coming from your mouth?” He asks, his hand sneaking between your bodies to test how wet you really are, his surprisingly soft pads of his fingers nudging at your folds through your thin shorts. “Usually you’re always so rude to me. Yelling at me… you sound so good yelling for me.”

Jungkook’s cocky tone had always had an infuriatingly arousing affect on you, but so did the idea of wiping any and all of his smugness from that attractive face of his.

You sit up straight and shove him enough for him to get the point that you’re trying to do something, then reach over for the can of whipped cream. He watches you with glimmering eyes.

Tracing the outline of his abs, you ask, “May I?”

“Yeah.”

You give the cream a quick and thorough shake before aiming it at his torso and holding down the button. It doesn’t take long for you to realize why whipped cream is such a popular choice when it comes to food play. You watch in an almost sick delight as strings of white land upon his golden skin. The clouds of the tasty frosting are quick to start slipping down his body, but you are quicker and you dip your head, stick out your tongue and clean his stomach, leaving nothing but the slight glint of spit paths as evidence.

You look up at him to gage his reaction. You are met with his dark brown eyes- blown out with a fiery lust, and primal need. He’s looking down at you with desire, and a sense of possession. His need is only making you more needy.

“This is so hot,” He says under his breath.

“Lay on the counter, and take the rest of your clothes off.” You direct him. You expect him to at least say something in return- some comment against your dominance- but he complies, quickly slipping his jeans and briefs off in one movement. His dick, hard and flushed, makes an enticingly lewd sound as it hits his equally hard lower stomach. For a moment, you are nearly overcome with the desire to have him inside of you instantly. But you swallow your need and wait for him patiently to get comfortable, with his back against the cool counter top of the kitchen island. Standing now, facing Jungkook, you let your eyes sweep over his body, from where his feet dangle off the counter, to his dark hair- which falls over his hungry eyes. He is like a canvas, and the cream is your paintbrush. The possibilities excite you. At first you think you will start with his thighs, but you decide to start with his chest, to get him as much of a mess as possible.

You climb onto the counter carefully and straddle his thighs, his dick just in front of your sex. His eyes don’t leave you for a single second as you take your time to spray the cream onto his body. You start at his collarbone and make a line down and over his nipple before you leave the billowy white substance along the indentations of his abs. you’re sure to miss the area where his dick lays, heavy and needy. He shivers beneath you as you bring your head down to start licking the cream off of him. His moans are instant as your tongue meets his skin. And he especially likes when your tongue passes over his nipple, jolting beneath you. You sit up to swallow what you’ve collected in your mouth.

“You’re so goddamn sexy.” He breaths as you lick the last of the sweet, white cream from the corner of your lips. You sigh at the welcoming taste and go straight back to your job.

By the time your tongue reaches his lower abs, his head is thrown back and off the counter- his lips open as he gapes for air. His dick twitches against your neck- sexy, but also making it difficult for you to swallow. You shift down his legs once all the cream is gone and he lifts his head to watch what you will do. You can see that a sharp demand sits on the tip of his tongue, but he bites it back, letting you have your fun. You begin with leaving a strip up his right thigh, and then his left. The cream ending right by his seemingly painfully hard cock.

Jungkook raises himself on his elbows to watch you, a nearly whiney moan echoing through the room as your tongue reaches the end of the first strip. The second strip leaves him grunting in frustration, and then his hand is in your hair, pulling your face up to look at him.

“Suck my cock already, would you, babe?” He tries to cover his desire and inexplicable anger with a questioning tone. It’s a weak attempt.

You run your hands over his muscly thighs and smile at him. You decide to reward him for how good he’s been and make a counter suggestion, “Wouldn’t you rather I fuck you?” The suggestion might also be because you, too, might go insane if you don’t feel him soon.

“Fuck, yes.” He agrees instantly.

“Stay here, I’ll fetch a condom.”

With very little blood in your brain, you merely wobble over to your bedroom to retrieve the vital piece of rubber, returning as quickly as possible.

Before you can climb back onto the counter, Jungkook stops you, “Take your clothes off. I really need to see you.”

You obey his strong tone easily, removing your flimsy pajamas, which you probably should have taken off hours ago. Straddling him once more, this time just as bare as he is, he tells you, “You drive me crazy, Y/N. I’ve never felt like this.”

“Same, Jungkook.” You admit.

You lock eyes for a second before you take out the condom and roll it down his length- making him hiss.

Your hand guides him to your entrance, where you lube the tip of him with your own leaking arousal.

“Ok?” You ask.

“Fuck, Y/N, just sit on my fucking dick.”

If you weren’t so needy, something like that would have made you laugh. But right now all that mattered was feeling him against your walls. You slowly sank down on him, biting your lip as you concentrated on adjusting to his size. He reached forward, his hands starting to distract you by playing with your nipples.

“You feel so big,” You breathed out.

“Take your time, baby,” He told you gently, his voice strained.

His hands rested on your hips as you started to rock forwards and backwards.

“Yeah, just like that.” He encouraged.

You leaned back, your hands holding his knees so that you could get the perfect angle and picked up the pace, making you yelp out on shocking pleasure.

“Jungkook!”

“Fuck, fuck, keep doing that, Y/N.”

Your walls were burning with pleasure, fitted perfectly around him. Two drops of sweat dripped down your neck and your cheeks were flushed, along with your chest. His hands traveled around to cup your ass, gripping and playing with handfuls of your flesh as he started to control the pace, helping you move with his strength.

“I can’t… believe… I’m fucking you,” He let out between dragged out moans.

“Fuck, it feels so good!” You moan.

He starts to lift his hips to thrust into you, the sound of skin slapping together joining the sounds of the moans and slickness of where he is entering you. The build up had gotten you turned on that you can already feel your walls clenching from the approaching orgasm.

“I’m going… to cum.” You tell him with a sense of embarrassment.

“Thank god,” He exclaims, “I can’t hold it in for much longer.”

Knowing it’s the last stretch, you both give it your all, and his thrusts grow in their ferocity- turning you into a quivering mess above him. Your release shakes through you, pleasure heating up your limbs as your thighs tense around him. You orgasm with silent moans, you are breathless and struggling to breath. You feel the warmth of his cum against the condom and manage to catch the way his face and neck strained- his thighs convulsing underneath you.

You collapse onto his chest, your body drained, emotionally and sexually. His arms wrap around you and hold you against him tightly.

“What… now?” You ask meekly.

“Living together will be even more fun.”

[fuse2dx]

January ‘20

I felt like trying this for a bit again. 

Untitled Goose Game

Where Journey and its ilk blew up the idea of a short, single-visit game, Untitled Goose Game feels closer to the next evolution of this ultra-focused style of design. It’s a perfect elevator pitch of a game - surmised exactingly in its abstract, and not even needing to commit to a ‘proper’ title… and yet more immediate and relatable than countless other games. Your aims are clear and simple, and a compact suite of commands elicits a range of responses from its environments and characters to help you achieve them. How one begets the other is just logical enough to work for its two hour duration, but does suggest it’s unlikely to have had scope to go much beyond this without repetitive tedium, or becoming bewilderingly obtuse. That’s not to say that it’s challenges are totally intuitive, or even that it’s free of moments where janky controls entangle you - but again, you’ll easily endure through it given how briefly you’re expected to stay. The primal appeal of being a horrible goose is easy to be ensnared by, and is neither overdone nor worn thin, once again thanks to the length of it. Its elegance and charm complements the simplicity of it all wonderfully, and though not revolutionary, or pushing any particular aspect of the medium to new highs, the quirk, laughs and originality of it is the type of bottled lightning that is unlikely to be replicated any time soon. Honk. 

Wattam

It’s a game by Keita Takahashi. You can assume plenty; warmth, charm, whimsy, colour, humour - and you’d be right. Divorced of a big studio and the legion of other talent that comes with it, his solo work continues to be mechanically light and missing a few layers of polish, yet is simultaneously far more experimental and groundbreakingly humane than most anything you could care to mention. Trying to explain in regular video game terms what you do is somewhat redundant, but to at least give it a shot; you play a large green square - The Mayor - who’s initially alone, but slowly coerces its population back, repopulating the world through various interactions within it. 

I’ll be straight with you: I’ve had to rewrite this passage, as some of the first sessions I spent with this drove me up the wall and lead to a less-than-favourable commentary. Fully aware that talking predominantly about how it plays was “doing it wrong”, I nevertheless took to highlight how I found the camera frustrating, the characters’ erratic and independent movement to be testing, and the rapid-fire sampling of children’s cries laid over the jazzy background music to be cacophonous and anxiety-provoking rather than joyous. That I persevered and made it through the rest of the game is not to say I don’t still harbour some negativity towards it, but the last portion of the game did do a far better job of bringing me around to its charms than those earlier moments where I felt a bit too much like I was wrestling with it. I knew I wanted to see it all and to love it; the idea of being on the outside of something so light being quite so glum, but it didn’t come quite as easily as I was expecting. Don’t be too put off, but perhaps don’t also expect it to be completely painless either.

Neo Cab

Neo Cab’s setting shines a miserably relatable light on a dystopian city and the people living within it. There’s an increasingly downtrodden population of gig economy workers, a police state whose corporate favouritism is not remotely subtle, and a growing number of people whose sentiment against this climate is rallying them together, and turning to action. There is not a lot of digging required to expose the game’s politics, or to join the dots to whom it really wishes were held to justice.

Normally when talking about visual novels, or even just narratively-focused ones, I tend to find myself on the back foot, expecting folks to turn off, and having to find ways to walk it back to more traditional game tropes. Here, I was actually quite pleased with how well Neo Cab defies any lack of interaction - to the point where I’d actually be pretty comfortable recommending this to near anyone. A big component of this is set up early on; a wearable device is forced upon your character that visibly broadcasts her current mood for all to see. As well as mood limiting what you’re willing to say (crucially though, not stopping you from contemplating these options), it’s also un-conveniently right there on her wrist for folks to see when they’ve hit a nerve. As a cab driver by trade, branching dialogue options you need to assess are incredibly frequent - and give your cues are often assuming, intrusive, or just plain rude - your management of them becomes all the more immediate and crucial. Ride quality influences your rating as a driver as well as your income, which in turn impacts which rides you can take, who you can meet, and who you can rely on in future. Sometimes your choices are simple, whereas other passengers may be more obtuse, or inadvertently land you in a quandary more moral in nature. It’s not a long game, and while I naturally don’t want to say too much, it does a good job of keeping the focus grounded on its key characters, who really make it all tick over nicely. I thought Neo Cab was pretty great - it’s got a simple but stylish look to it, and gives you just enough to think about.

  Demon’s Tilt

Pinball tables may not have changed much in the layman’s eyes over the years, but video game versions certainly have. In paying quite unsubtle homage to Naxat’s series of tables that blessed a number of 16-bit systems, the passage of near three decades has given Demon’s Tilt plenty of space to grow into. Larger, higher resolution screens gives us bigger play spaces and more detailed imagery, while increased technical grunt lends itself to a seemingly limitless crescendo of frenetic, often incomprehensible action. I mean, why not throw a little bullet hell into the mix? Goodness grief. 

Given my particular fondness for Devil’s Crash, which to Demon’s Tilt is the clearest, most singular inspiration, I was naturally drawn to this. I’d played a little before in early access, but a more complete Switch version was appealing enough to revisit it. I was already safe in the knowledge that it’d managed to build upon and flatter my favourite pinball game without reducing itself to an imitation, but the option of portable play (with a FlipGrip, even) was particularly exciting. As it happens, trying to condense so much to a small screen wasn’t quite such the modern convenience I’d hoped - it’s a neat showcase, but quite impractical to actually play with. Not thrusting yourself within an inch of the screen and having to squint may give a smidgen more a fighting chance, but a bigger display also allows you to appreciate the slick blend of neon effects spewing themselves over the striking gothic imagery. The music contributes yet more welcome intensity to things, and though I’ve begrudged a few near misses and unfortunate bounces, in calm retrospect it’s clear the this is far more a reflection of my skill rather than any lack in ball physics. For those who are practised in ways I am not, the table itself has plenty of opportunity to flex your muscle, but even though my games aren’t the feats of endurance I’d wish for, I’m still coming away each time clamouring to go straight back in. 

198X

I missed this game’s crowdfunding attempts, but after seeing its trailer - a moody and romanticised nod to all things 80s arcade culture - it was very clear this was making a direct appeal to my sensibilities. It’s a coming of age story about a bored suburban teen, whose discovery of the local arcade ‘changes everything’. Now, I love arcades far more than most, but even I found the story to be over-egged. The Kid’s monologuing through the game’s cut-scenes jumps at such breakneck speed that it genuinely made me feel uncomfortable about their state of mind. Pre-arcade, all is miserly and monotone, whereas the escapism they indulge in after this discovery is worryingly unhinged. The pixel art propping them up may be quite tasty, but I think most people will find the story being pushed to be a touch cringeworthy. 

The game that’s book-ended by these scenes are actually a series of mini-games, each clearly inspired by a particular 80s title. In short clips and stills, you could be fooled into thinking these are not just dutifully upgraded, but maybe even improved homages to the given classics. Visually, yes, there is some argument to be made here as there is some terrific pixel artistry being conducted here, but as there’s only about 15 minutes of each to play, it’s no surprise that some corners have had to be cut. Generally speaking, the balance  of each isn’t quite so nuanced, and unsurprisingly this leans towards them being easier than you’d expect, but there’s specific shortcomings in each too. For example: definitely-not-Final Fight has some shocking collision detection, and of particular disappointment for myself, definitely-not-Outrun has but one gear, and hardly any impression of speed. While not fatal flaws, my point is simply that you’d not choose to play these over the original games they intend to pay their respects to. A second part being teased at the shortly-reached end is likely a downer for those expecting value, but I think it’s two-hour runtime is probably just about right considering it’s best viewed as a novelty. 

[lovemesomesurveys]

When was the last time you used a pair of ear/headphones? Last night.

Have you ever tried to count to infinity? I remember as a kid I’d try to see how high I could count, but I got bored quickly lol.

Do you like making mixed cds? I used to, yeah. With things like Spotify; though, there’s no need anymore.

Would you want to live forever if it meant being a tree? No?

What is the strangest thing you’ve put chocolate on? I don’t think it’s weird, but chocolate covered potato chips are delicious.

Could you earn a good living selling weed? I wouldn’t know.

How would you use a photographic memory? It would have been useful when I was in school.

What would you do tomorrow if you had $500? I’d put it towards my new laptop fund.

What body hair gets the most attention? The hair on my head.

What’s your favorite commercial? I don’t care for commercials.

Do you like pie? I like cookies and cream pie and banana creme. I don’t like fruit pies.

Do you appreciate dishwashers? Yeah.

If you could change someone else’s past, what would you change? Yikes, I wouldn’t. I’m playing this game called Life is Strange, and the main character has the ability to do that, but it’s the whole butterfly effect thing cause you can’t change something without changing everything else. The changes could be good or bad.

What’s the worst experience you don’t remember? The incident that paralyzed me. I was only 7 months old, so I have no memory of it.

Are your dreams usually cheerful? They’re just super random.

What’s your favorite color of eyeliner? Black.

How’s the weather where you are at? It’s finally starting to feel like fall.

Anything bad happen today? Nah.

Can you solve a Rubik’s Cube? I’ve never really tried. I give up fast.

What was the last thing that you microwaved? A microwave tv dinner thingy.

Did you have an easy-bake oven when you were little? Yes.

Have you ever seen a donkey? Yes.

Do you like sheep? Sure.

Do you like dogs? I love dogs.

Do you have one? I do.

Do you ever want to be married? Meh.

Do you take a lot of pictures? Of my puppy, haha.

Where is the boy you want most? Off somewhere not knowing I exist, ha.

Where will you be 2 hours from now? Here.

What is your current mood? Hungry and tired.

Where are you going tomorrow? I have a doctor appointment.

Who was the last person you yelled at? *shrug*

Do you think you’ll be a good Mother/Father? I don’t even know if I want kids.

The last thing you drank? Coke.

What’s in your pocket? Nothing.

What colour are your fingernails? Natural color.

Have you ever left school just because you didn’t want to be there? No.

Did anything cute happen today? My puppy is cute.

What are you currently hearing? The TV.

Are you afraid of the dark? Yes.

Do you usually tell people when they hurt your feelings? Very rarely.

Do you have a common first name? I knew a few Stephanie’s growing up, but it seems less common now.

Do you like your middle name or your first name more? My first name.

What year would/did you turn 21? 2010.

What was popular when you were a kid? Barbies.

Do you wear more rings or necklaces? Neither.

Have you ever been engaged? Nope.

Can you see your veins through your skin? Yeah.

Do you worry about having good grammar online? Yes.

Do you know anyone with a lazy eye? No.

Did your parents let you have pets when you were a kid? Yep.

Would you rather live in an apartment or a duplex? I live in a duplex.

Do you like spicy chips? I loved spicy chips and spicy everything, but I can’t eat that stuff anymore due to health reasons. :/

Do you have any ‘different’ keychains on your keys/purse? Yeah.

Do you collect pins? No.

What band was on the last band t-shirt you wore? Nirvana.

Do you wear more pink or yellow? Neither.

Have you ever been out of the state you were born in? Yes.

Do you have any tattoos on your arms? I don’t have any tattoos at all.

Have you ever owned or known someone who owned a black cat? No.

When was the last time you felt jealous? I don’t know.

What’s the last thing you bought besides food/drink? Sweaters.

What album is the last song you listened to from? I forget what the last song I listened to was.

Who scheduled your last doctor visit? My mom still does that for me.

What’s the last video game you played? Life is Strange.

Do you have anything on your wrists right now? Nope.

Do you have any holiday theme’d socks? Yes.

What kind of accent do you have? Californian, I guess?

What’s the last funny movie you watched? Hmmm.

Can you remember your parents’ birthdays? Yes, of course.

Is there anyone who you just absolutely cannot STAND being around? No.

What is the design on your shirt? It’s an old school Star Wars shirt.

Do you know anyone who just flat-out fails at life? Me?

Are you a Ghoulscout? No.

Do you know someone who’s just always wrong about everything? Kinda.

Do you make fun of people often? No.

Do you read your friend’s surveys? I read the answers to a few people on here that I follow.

If you had to get a tattoo tomorrow, what would you pick? I’ve been wanting to get free bird tattooed on my inner wrist, but I’m a wuss.

How do you feel about band tattoos? I don’t feel any kind of way about them.

How much are you willing to pay for a pair of sunglasses? I don’t wear sunglasses cause I wear glasses.

What is the origin of your last name? Irish.

Do you ever use the n-word? No.

What piercing do you like most on the opposite sex? Not into piercings anymore, but I used to like snakebites.

What brand of hair dye do you prefer to use? I get my hair done at the salon.

What country do you live in? USA.

Did/do you ride the bus to and from school? I had to take the bus sometimes while in college.

Do you prefer beef, chicken or steak? Chicken.

Are you any good at applying make up? I suck. I just keep it simple with eyeliner and mascara.

Do you misuse commas? I don’t believe so.

Have you ever bitten your dentist? No.

Are you someone who likes to make simple things difficult? I’m great at making everything difficult.

Who makes you laugh the most? My lil bro.

Do you have any plans for this weekend? Nope.

Do you crack your knuckles? Sometimes.

Coffee or Tea? Coffee.

Do you know anyone named Matt? Nope.

Wearing any bracelets? No.

When were you last outside? Uhhh.

Do you need someone to cheer you up right now? Meh.

Are your nails painted? Nope.

Do you think things will change in the next 3 months? No.

Do you think you’d make a good parent? If I decide to be a parent someday I would like to think so, but as of now I don’t see myself having kids.

You start crying. Who do you want by your side? No one.

Ever cried while you were on the phone with someone? Yeah.

Did someone screw you over lately? No.

Would you ever get your hips pierced? No.

If you were given the chance to go to Paris, would you go? Um, YES.

Who was the first person you talked to today? My dad.

What’s your favorite musical? I have a few I like, but I don’t have a particular favorite.

How do you get to sleep? I get so tired that I pass out. ha.

What happened at the last party you went to? I hung out with some people. That’s about it.

Have you ever smoked a cigarette? Nope.

What’s your hair like at this present moment? A mess.

Are you more comfortable sitting or lying down? Lying down.

What’s the worst film you’ve ever seen? *shrug*

Are you an untidy person? No.

Have you ever been a fan of N*Sync? Yep.

Do you watch a lot of television? It’s mostly on as background noise, but I do have my shows I watch.

Do you think you’re fat sometimes? No.

Do you like to flex your muscles? What muscles?

Do you think you’ll ever get plastic surgery? No.

Have you ever completely misunderstood what somebody was saying? Yeah. It happens.

Favorite kind of cake: Funfetti or white cake. Always with buttercream frosting.

Was it a boy or a girl to text you last? Boy.

Name something you are doing tomorrow? I have a doctor appointment.

Do you sleep on your stomach? No.

Where are you going to be at 4:00 p.m. tomorrow? Probably still at my appointment because they take forever.

Are you missing someone? Yes.

Do you like horror or comedy? Comedy.

Who did you last share a taxi with? My friend.

Dogs or cats? Dogs.

What were you doing at 12 this afternoon? Sleeping.

Do you think you will be in a relationship 3 months from now? No.

What’s your favorite season? Why? Fall and winter.

When’s the last time you did something you knew was wrong? I don’t know.

Did you have any unread text messages this morning when you woke up? Yeah.

Who was the last person you hugged? My mom.

Do you think you would be a good parent? wtf lol i swear this survey has asked this three times? <<< Okay it’s not just me I was like wtf?? Enough with this.

When was the last time you cried? The other day.

Who was driving the last time you were in a car? My mom.

Does any part of your body hurt right now? Yes.

Do you like your bed? Yes.

When did you last talk to your brother or sister? Just a bit ago.

How much cash do you have on you? I don’t have any on me.

Are you tanned? No.

Did you get any compliments today? I haven’t gone anywhere. Not that I would because I look like a mess.

Have you ever gone to court? No.

Do you get jealous easily? No.

Would you ever want to swim with the sharks? Nooooo.

What are you doing Saturday? Nothing. I should get my hair done, though.

What is in your back pocket? Nothing.

What were you doing at 3:00 a.m. this morning? Playing Life is Strange, current obsession.

What do you usually do first in the morning? Check the time.

Are you any good at math? Nope.

Any plans for Friday night? No.

Do you have a little crush on someone? Yes.

When’s the last time you ran?
 Uhhh.

Do your jeans have rips, tears, and holes in them? No.

What are you dreading right now? My appointment tomorrow.

Do you celebrate 420? No.

Do you get the full 8 hours of sleep a night? Yeah.

If anyone came to your house on your “lazy days” what would ya’ll do? Ha, everyday is my “lazy” day. I don’t like unexpected visits.

Who last grabbed your ass? Probably Joseph.

Have you ever been on your school’s track team? No.

Do you own a pair of Converse? Yep, a couple.

Did you copy and paste this survey? Well, yeah?

Do you eat raw cookie dough? I used to as a kid when I didn’t know about salmonella.

Have you ever kicked a vending machine? No.

Don’t you hate it when the radio ruins good songs by playing them over and over? I don’t listen to the radio anymore, but yeah that was annoying.

Do you watch Trading Spaces? Nope.

How do you eat oreos? I twist ‘em and only eat the part with the creme and I dip it in coffee.

Have you ever stayed online for a very long time waiting for someone? Yeah.

Are you cocky? No.

Could you live without a computer? I’d really rather not.

Do you wear your shoes in the house? No.

Who or what sleeps with you? I have stuffed animals on my bed.

At what age did you find out that Santa wasn’t real? I think about 8.

What do you do when you’re sad? I’m always sad, so I just go about my day and do what I do.

Who would you call first if you won the lottery? My mom.

Last time you saw your best friend? Last night. I slept in super late today and she already had left for work when I got up.

Are you in high school? Ha, no.

What jewelry are you wearing? None.

Is anyone on your bad side now? No.

What’s the first thing you do when you get online? Tumblr.

Do you watch Grey’s Anatomy? No.

Would you wear a boy/girlfriends clothes? Sure.

Where do you work? I don’t.

What are you doing tomorrow? I’m answered this so many times.

Do you return your cart? My mom does.

Do you have a dishwasher? Yes.

What noise do you hear? The fan and my brother cooking.

Would you survive in prison? No.

Who is the youngest in your family? In my immediate family it’s my younger brother. In my extended it’s one of my 2nd cousins.

If all of your friends were going on a road trip, who would most likely overpack? Me.

What’s the last thing you purchased? Food.

Do your siblings ever pay for stuff for you? Yes.

What brand are your pants right now? *shrug*

Ever been to Georgia (the state)? I have, actually.

What irritates you most on the internet? Just some posts I see and comments made about certain things.

What brand is your digital camera? I use my phone for my camera.

Do you own expensive perfume/cologne? No.

Are you taking college classes right now? Nope.

Do you like sushi? No.

Do you get your hair cut every month? No. I haven’t had a haircut in like 2 years.

Do you go online everyday? Yep.

What makes someone a best friend? You just have a special connection.

[gamerspasm]

Top 15 Wii U Games

Well, here we are. We all knew this day was coming; it was always inevitable, but it’s still sad that it came around so soon. The Wii U’s life has drawn to a close. Commercially the console could be called a failure. It was unequivocally Nintendo’s “mistake” system, being hit by bad decision after bad decision and undergoing trouble from the very moment the game pad appeared in Satoru Iwata’s hands. It lost support from third parties, mainstream media regarded it as a joke, and no matter how hard it tried it just couldn’t get off the ground. But I’m not here to talk about the obvious and blatant flaws; many other people have been doing that for some 4 years now. No, I want to talk about the successes; more specifically the games. Even though the Wii U had a rocky life, I still defended it for one reason: the games. Honestly, the Wii may be Nintendo’s best selling system, but the Wii U’s library is vastly superior in quality. So, if we are to say goodbye to the Wii U, let’s do it right by honouring the amazing experiences it gave us. And, just to prove a point, I am only going to be including exclusives. Starting with:

15. Xenoblade Chronicles X

Don’t let anyone tell you the Wii U only caters to the young or the casual. Why? Because Xenoblade Chronicles X exists. Simply put, this is, without a doubt, the most complex and hardcore gaming experience I’ve ever played. This is both a good thing and bad thing. Good, because for those who enjoy statistics for days, there’s a lot to love; bad, because for those that don’t, prepare for a rocky ride. There is a gigantic barrier of entry here. Information is thrown at you left and right, and some parts are a little convoluted. It can make your head spin sometimes. So, no, this game isn’t for everyone, but if you’re willing to stick it through and entrench yourself, you’ll be rewarded with an engaging and enjoyable experience. The sheer scale and scope of this game defies description. It is huge. Absolutely enormous; and the best thing about that is the level of immersion it delivers as a result. The genuine feeling of vertigo as you leap off a cliff to the ocean below; the real sense of distance as you make your way toward a mountain on the horizon, and best of all (if you install the game data onto the system) it’s all incredibly seamless. No loading times between areas or lag. It’s all rather astonishing, and when there’s so much to do in this massive world, you’ll be at it for months. Long story short, Xenoblade Chronicles X is a niche time sink and a half, but in terms of adventure, you’re not going to find a greater supply on this system.

14. Nintendo Land

One of the best gaming memories I’ve ever had was getting my Wii and playing Wii sports for the first time. It was a great way to show off the strengths of the console, while still being a fairly decent game in its own right. Even though the Wii U didn’t quite capture the same experience, I have to say the bundled in showcase-game is arguably the better of the two. Not only does this game show off the strengths of the Wii U’s Gamepad, it also has a surprising amount of depth. Even more surprising is that depth has variety. Whether want a quick little mini-game to kill some time, or something a little more adventurous, it’s all here. The game also doubles up as a party game too, offering a lot of laughs as well as some great experiences. Even though the Wii U’s launch was arguably weak, and the first 6 months of its life weren’t much better, Nintendo Land still made me excited for what was still to come. 

13. Captain Toad Treasure Tracker   

It’s true what they say about big things and small packages. One glance at Captain Toad Treasure Tracker and you’d think Nintendo just weren’t trying anymore, and yet, this experience is so utterly delightful, so effortlessly charming, that I dare you not to enjoy yourself. The premise is simple; the design, layered; and the gameplay instinctively fun. There’s also a surprising amount of things to do. There are mission challenges, time trials, and bonus extra mini-games. Not only that but everything looks amazing. Treasure Tracker may not be a full Mario title, but it doesn’t have to be. It’s perfectly good at being what it is, and what it is is wonderful fun.

12. Bayonetta 2

It was clear before the console launch that Nintendo was serious about delivering games. Naming Bayonetta’s sequel as a Wii U exclusive was a huge move. It infuriated a lot of fans needlessly (I mean c’mon, the game wouldn’t be happening at all if it wasn’t for Nintendo footing the bill) but it quickly got on to a lot of people’s “best of Wii U” lists. It’s a shame the game didn’t have the pull to get more people to jump on Nintendo’s side, but regardless it’s still a blast. Platinum keeps its form strong as it echoes the previous cult-classic, whilst also slipping in some new things along the way. It does feel a little too close to its predecessor at times and it can lack the scale, scope, and initial wow factor too, but taken as it is, it’s still a phenomenal title to get stuck in with. Looking for action? This is the game for you. Of course, there’s also...

11. The Wonderful 101

One name: Hideki Kamiya. Bayonetta 2 was missing its size and scope because this man was no longer directing. Put simply, Kamiya likes things to be big. He’s the Rita Repulsa of the video game industry. If he can have a monster the size of a planet, it’s going in his game. If he can fill a screen with so much mayhem and carnage and yet maintain a cohesive experience, it’s going to happen. This is the case for the Wonderful 101. A game I didn’t even know I wanted until I booted it up. An inspired and chaotic game that is completely unique. Its writing is on comic point; its imagery is beautifully creative; its unabashed self-awareness is a breath of fresh air; and it is a wild ride from start to finish. A common complaint from players was that its control style was fiddly and unresponsive inputs tainted the experience, but I very rarely had these issues. It’s a shame this game came out right when Wii U opinion was at its lowest. This game deserves more love. It’s wonderful.

10. Star Fox Zero

Go ahead, call me a fanboy, I’m at the point where I don’t care anymore. I don’t care what you think of me, Star Fox Zero is a good game. I stand by that, 100%. The fact that I am a Nintendo fan makes it harder to convey this authentically. “Oh but the controls are garbage” They’re fine. Seriously, if you think they’re unplayable its because you’re either an impatient gamer or a cynic, or both. I played through the whole first level without using the “awkward” controls at all (granted you have to use them during the final scene but the point still stands), and the more I played, the more adept I became. Also, did I mention that this is the best Star Fox game since the N64? Because it is. Yes, it is more or less a reboot of Star Fox 64 (and I hope they don’t just keep doing this as the series moves on) but if like me you’ve been waiting patiently for another genuine Star Fox outing for some 20 years or so, a reboot is more than welcome. Every now and again I’ll keep thinking about it and I just get the urge to jump back in and have a blast. No other game on the Wii U has that much draw for me. Everyone is entitled to their own opinion, and the internet has handed down its verdict, but as far as I’m concerned Star Fox Zero is excellent. 

9. Super Mario Maker

When it comes to celebrating the 30th anniversary of their mascot, Nintendo doesn’t mess around. Getting the chance to make your own Mario levels has been the dream of a lot of fans since the franchise first started, and the Wii U seemed like the perfect system to let it happen. With a near limitless amount of fun to be had, Super Mario Maker offers a simplistic design to an arguably complex task. Making levels is highly enjoyable, and seeing what other talented designers can come up with can lead to some of the best Mario experiences ever. Realistically, it could do no wrong, but it’s such a shame Nintendo let the side down by failing to curate the content it was pushing. Genuinely brilliant levels were trampled by a stampede of half-baked, terrible ones, and sometimes creating levels has no value when they can just be deleted at random (thanks again for that, Nintendo, I’m not going to get that hour back). However, even with this in mind, I maintain that this is still a strong game. I don’t regret the hours I poured into it, and it was a fantastic way to flex some creative muscles. It also acted as a basic guide to game design. Sure, it’s now on 3DS as well, but I will still class this game as a Wii U title first and foremost; and it’s one of the best too.

8. Hyrule Warriors

Super Mario Maker may seem like a time sink, but that sink is only as deep as the creativity of those playing. If you really want a time sink on Wii U, look no further than Hyrule Warriors. This game has such an inordinate amount of content it can drive people to madness, and all you do is mash, slam, and maul your way through endless enemy forces. And I love it. Being a Zelda fan helps with the world and characters on display here, but realistically you don’t need to be a fan of that franchise. You just need to be a fan of carnage and all its cathartic wonders. Furthermore it suits all gamers - those looking for a half-hour session or those looking for something bigger. Put simply, Hyrule Warriors is fun. Its design is fun. Its stages are fun. It - is - fun. Yes, like Super Mario Maker, it’s also found its way onto the 3DS, but if you’re asking which is the definitive version, it’s the Wii U, hands down.

7. Super Smash Bros. For Wii U   

Super Mario Maker was a little bit of a show-stealer at E3 2015, but it has nothing on the year prior. Super Smash Bros. dominated that stage with its invitational tournament and promise. It was the first of the franchise to go portable on the 3DS, and whilst I personally think the portability makes that the better of the two, when it comes to content and general quality, it has to be the Wii U version. This game just has so much to offer, perhaps not on the scale of say Hyrule Warriors, but what it lacks in quantity it makes up for in variety. You’ve got 8 player smash; multiplayer in single player modes; events; more courses to choose from; amiibo functionality (for non new 3DS or puck owners) and that’s all on top of everything the series is used to bringing. In terms of direction, this game doesn’t have it, but that’s the best part. What you have here is a playground where you can do whatever you want, however you want, with whomever you want. If I had any drawbacks it would be the DLC. Not that DLC is a problem in general here, but rather the way Nintendo decided to handle it. Having to pay more to get the same DLC on both Wii U and 3DS is not cool, guys, since that actually punishes the loyal fans who bought both copies. It’s stupid. Luckily, you don’t need the DLC to still have an absolute blast with this game. It’s easily one of the best multiplayer experiences on the Wii U. 

6. Splatoon 

Speaking of multiplayer, I couldn’t really make a best of Wii U list without putting Splatoon in there, now could I. This game caught everyone off guard. By all accounts this should have been a massive failure. Not because it’s bad, but rather because the climate around the Wii U at the time was temperamental at best. Not only was the console getting no real support from the media, but also, Nintendo had decided to release a brand new IP for their most unpopular system. With no built-in fanbase, to say this game was a risk is an understatement. Yet, despite it all, it paid off. Almost overnight Splatoon became the Wii U’s most celebrated game. Not only was it a great game, but it also reinvigorated an arguably tired genre, offering a new twist on an already established experience as well as rewarding consumers with weekly updates, keeping the game...well...fresh. Now I will say that multiplayer focused online games aren’t my forte, but even with that said, every time I played Splatoon, whether it was just for a quick few games, or whether I was getting involved in the Splatfests, I had an incredible amount of fun. It’s not hard to see why this game is so beloved and why it’s sequel is already getting a lot of attention on the Switch.

5. Yoshi’s Woolly World

I really loved Yoshi’s Island on the SNES. It’s without a doubt one of my favourite games of all time; but it seems that Nintendo just couldn’t bottle lightning twice. Until Woolly World came out. Finally, we have a worthy successor. Woolly World gets the balance perfect. There’s all the familiar that the fans know and love, but the elements that always felt shoe-horned in before have been dropped. The wool motif isn’t just an ascetic choice either, it’s actually creatively put into the design, leading to some inventive puzzles, as well as ingenious stages. Furthermore, the design here is so tight. This game teaches you about itself as you play. By the last world you’ll be able to see all the hidden areas with ease; and that’s not even going into how each level is completely original. I had so much fun playing I was genuinely saddened when it all came to an end. It’s safe to say that I love this game.

4. Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze

The fate of Tropical Freeze is quite a sad one. Y’see, at the start of 2014 when this game came out, the Wii U was circling the drain as far as public opinion was concerned. Sure, it had one or two good games in 2013, but let’s face it the Wii U was dead in the water - many people thought. As a result, this game received no love from critics. Criticised for its design being too similar to its predecessor, among other petty things, Tropical Freeze just never really saw much of the light of day. Ask anyone now though, and they’ll all tell you the same thing: Donkey Kong Country Tropical Freeze is probably the best 2D platformer in years. I will admit some critiques stick, but they do nothing to tarnish the strength of this game. Every level is well designed and unique; the introduction of more kongs varies and shakes up the play style; the look and feel is absolutely fantastic; and the music...oh the music. Quite possibly the best soundtrack of 2014, and if you know what soundtracks came out in that year, you’ll know that is saying something. Honestly, I was considering this game for a higher position on my list, but you have to understand, even though this game is amazing (and it IS amazing) there are still 3 games I consider as better. Such as...

3. Pikmin 3

After somewhat of a hiatus on the Wii, Pikmin returned on the Wii U in what can only be described as the series best. I say that in disbelief. The first Pikmin was such a momentous time-management game, and a staple of the Gamecube era; it’s sequel was also a wonderful game, how does the third instalment match up to them? First it truly utilises the Gamepad’s functionality, allowing for insane multitasking feats, and second it reinvents part of its key formula. Pikmin 1 gave you 30 days to succeed; whereas Pikmin 2 didn’t give you any deadline at all. Pikmin 3 however, gives you as much time as you need, provided you can get it. No longer are you searching for salvage in order to escape the planet, you’re looking for food - to survive long enough to escape the planet. Literally, if you are not careful with your time, the game will just end on you. Same pressure, different style. In addition, the game looks gorgeous; has so much love, charm, and character; and has such a draw of replay-ability, my brother actually played it twice in quick succession to try and do things better on the second go. Thinking back, I’m actually struggling to pinpoint anything bad about it. It’s a true marvel.

2. Super Mario 3D World

A lot of people said when the Wii U launched back in November 2012 that it came out a year early. This was because, as I said before, the launch line up wasn’t too impressive, and the wait for some big new games took practically 6 months. Though it pains me to say it, I have to agree. If the Wii U launched in November 2013, we’d have Pikmin 3 and The Wonderful 101 both at launch for a start, But we’d also have Super Mario 3D World on top of that. Whilst the Wii U did launch with a Mario game, there’s no doubt which title is superior. Super Mario 3D World, as many people have said, is the game the console should have launched with. That’s not to say New Super Mario Bros. U is a bad game by any means, but it pales in comparison to this stellar achievement of entertainment and design. Continuing the style of the incredible Super Mario 3D Land on the 3DS, 3D World takes everything up to 11. Level design is some of the series best; power ups are new and are actually interesting; a mixture of play styles and characters to choose from to keep things unique; outstanding graphics and music; and a whole boat load of things to do. Just when you think you’ve beaten the game, another world opens up; then another one after that, and then more after that. It’s truly a gift that keeps on giving and it’s all remarkably fun to boot. Not only that but 3D World delivers what I would say is the hardest level ever made by official Nintendo devs: the infamous Champion’s Road. It is as the name implies: only masters of Mario should attempt, and even then they should be wary. All in all, Super Mario 3D World is easily one of the finest Mario games ever made, let alone on Wii U. It’s absolutely fantastic; but it is still not the best game the Wii U has to offer. It is a majestic game to be sure, but if there’s one title that deserves the crown for best Wii U game, it has to be...

1. Mario Kart 8

Without a doubt. What other game could it be? When compiling this list, as difficult as it was to rank all the other games here, I knew this game was number 1. It is the most refined Mario Kart experience yet. Everything looks gorgeous; environments old and new are beautifully presented; the tracks are some of the best in the franchise; the music is extraordinarily brilliant; and the gameplay is not only seamless and enjoyable, its also addictive. Oh but the fun doesn’t stop there, as online functionality gives this game a near limitless amount of play time. “Oh but what if other players just stop playing?” Ha, what? I wager I could boot the game up right now and find people from all over the world playing it. The only way those servers are going to get empty before April 28th 2017 is if Nintendo closes them down. It’s the best selling and most popular game on the system, and with good reason. But, Mario Kart 8 isn’t just an outstanding game, it’s also served as the flagship of the Wii U. Do you remember before when I mentioned how low the opinion of the console was back in early 2014? This game, when it launched in May that year, was so great, it changed the Wii U perception dramatically, and it gave rise to one of the console’s strongest years. Furthermore it was one of the first Nintendo games to do DLC, and it even hit it out of the park there. For a reasonable fee, players were given extra characters as well as four new grand prixs; essentially, players were getting a bonus Mario Kart game on top of the one they already owned. Then, as if that wasn’t enough, Nintendo just added a 200cc mode for free. The sheer level of content given to us was astounding. Only a short-sighted battle mode brought this game down from perfection, but as far as I’m concerned that’s barely a dent. Mario Kart 8 is the Wii U’s best game, plain and simple, and if you disagree I will fight you.