#well written and WONDERFULLY acted!!

[lilidawnonthemoon]

[cipheramnesia]

My favorite thing is people talking about how horror movies are so shy about killing a child and gunshy about showing it on screen, because it's true, but then there's Demon Knight, the movie which has a child death that happens when the kid gets kicked out of the window by one of the main protagonists and explodes on screen.

Demon Knight is an absolutely fantastic movie by the way, and the way it drop kicks "don't kill children" literally out the window is just one small part of that.

[beejunos]

UNKNOWN TO ME AND YOU | Alastor x reader

Summary: As Alastor's shadow starts to act strangely, hidden feelings are brought to light.

This wonderful story was written from @lustylita's wonderful idea! The story is completely theirs; I just had the pleasure of putting it into words. Their original post can be found here.

Tags: Alastor x gn.reader, hidden feelings, angst

The last couple of weeks have been very strange to you. 

Well, stranger than the hotel usually was. 

Over the past few weeks, you have helped your best friend, Charlie, with her little passion project. The Hazbin Hotel - your only chance at redemption! 

While you couldn't say that you inherently believed in her dream, you would have been a poor friend if you hadn't tried to help her—emphasis on tried. Growing up within Hell's elite, where someone always handed you everything on gold platters, didn't foster any usable skills that could help run a severely understaffed hotel. The very thought of having to clean your own room had almost immobilised you.

Did you really need to vacuum the walls and the ceilings every week? How did the cleaning staff back at your parents' manor even do it? The manor was huge! 

Thankfully, you had not been forced to clean for long because shortly after Charlie had opened the hotel for business, an unwanted guest had come knocking at the door. Alastor and his somewhat reluctant companies, except for Niffty, who seemed to thrive in the chaos, quickly made themselves at home in the hotel. 

The same night they arrived, you and Vaggie had sat Charlie down in their room and begged the princess not to let the radio demon stay. After all, the tales of his deeds had even reached your family's manor in the Envy ring of Hell. But Charlie had been persistent, saying that maybe by staying in the hotel, she could change his ways. You loved your friend; you really did, but sometimes you wanted to shake some sense into her violently. 

There was nothing you could do about the radio demon and how he just took over many of the work duties you had at the hotel. Waltzing in as if he owned the hotel, he had taken one look at your work and deemed it unsatisfactory. 

"No, no, let me do it, doll!" he would say condescendingly, making rage lick up your spine, "We would want this to be done well for Charlie, now, wouldn't we?" 

You had lost count of all the times you fantasised about grabbing a chair and introducing it to his face. 

He made you feel incompetent, and worst of all, he was right. Most of the work you had done that he had redone was of better quality, more detailed, and better planned. If you had been a weaker demon, you would have given up, apologised to Charlie and gone home to your parents, but so, if the heavens would be your witnesses, you were going to crush that smug little bastard of a sinner! 

And so began your imaginary battle with Alastor about who could be the best executive producer. If you had asked Alastor, he would not have had any clues about what you were doing, only that it finally seemed like you were taking your job seriously. That said, he still did not like you. You were a spoiled little demon brat who had never worked a hard day in your life, and worst of all, you were sloppy with your work. 

But time kept ticking. The days passed, the hotel was filled with new residents, and somehow, you and Alastor were able to work together. Nevertheless, you only managed to do it by never being near each other, which worked wonderfully for you because the man could actually be quite okay when he was silent and on the other side of the room.  

You could have continued to live like this for as long as Alastor decided to live in the hotel. There was just this teeny tiny thing that perplexed you. 

Alastor's shadow liked to be around you. 

It had begun quite innocently with the shadow coming over to you one night when you were sitting in one of the armchairs by the fireplace with yesterday's newspaper in your lap since you had started to do the crossword puzzle on the back of the paper. You had been staring at the same clue for what felt like an hour, and you just couldn't figure it out. Out of nowhere, a shadowy finger had tapped on the clue to get your attention, and when you looked up, two empty holes for eyes had looked back at you with the biggest twisted grin full of teeth you had ever seen. 

"Fuck! Don't do that!" you whispered forcefully, not wanting to disturb the peace and quiet that finally had fallen over the hotel lobby. "What do you want?" 

Prepared to be bothered any second now by the radio demon, you got even more confused when the shadow started doing pantomimes. Why in the seven Hells was it swimming across the wall?

You looked on as the shadow began to swim back to you, tapped on the clue and started to swim again.

"Swimming? But it has nothing to do with activities! It is something about effort," you said as the shadow returned to you. Since it could not speak, the shadow just started to nod its head and tapped on the clue again. 

"Is it a word derived from the word swimming?" you asked hesitantly as the shadow continued to nod. 

You turned back to the clue before you—a word for no effort needed and swimming.

"Swimmingly?" you asked the shadow, who gave you an even bigger sinister smile and nodded again before it disappeared up the stairs. Again, you were left in the lobby with only the crackling fire as a company, looking over at the stairs after the strange entity that was Alastor's shadow.

The next couple of weeks just grew more and more strange with every day. Out of nowhere, Alastor's shadow started to just interact with you. It began as innocent waves to you behind Alastors back, and at first, you wouldn't wave back, but when you saw how sad the shadow got if you didn't return its greeting, you started to wave back to it. On a few occasions, Alastor had caught you in the act, which quickly prompted you to swat the air around you as if you were trying to get rid of a fly.

When the waves weren't enough for the shadow, it started to appear around you, helping you in various ways. Once, it even helped you find some important paper you needed for your job that you were convinced Alastor had hidden from you. 

It turned out that Alastor's shadow was much more pleasant company than its physical part, and you often welcomed the shadow's help with your crosswords during the evenings.

However, you were again thrown for a loop when the shadowed behaviour started to change. It began to interact with you even more, seeking you out during the day and staying for long periods at a time, just hanging around you or observing what you were doing. 

One day, it had even brought you a blueberry muffin from the bakery you liked across town. You had no idea how it had even done that. For all you knew, shadows were not physical things and could not interact with the physical world. However, you were promptly proven wrong when Alastor's shadow took your own shadow's hand and pulled you down the hallway to show you the roses that had started to bloom outside of the hotel. 

It was a paradox, a mystery that intrigued you. Alastor's shadow, a creature of darkness, was surprisingly sweet, charming, and, at times, downright romantic. How could such a lovely thing be attached to such a vile being?

It had been like any other day. Alastor's shadow had found you in your office early in the morning, going through all the paperwork that needed to get done that day. In its shadowy hand, it held one blueberry muffin and your favourite coffee mug with a sleepy bear on it, along with the text Bearly Awaken written underneath. 

The coffee had been divine because, somewhere, the shadow had learned to make a cup of coffee exactly how you wanted it.

You continued with your day in the presence of Alastor's shadow, walking together down the corridor, through the lobby, and out the front door as you chatted with the shadow. You had gotten quite good at interpreting its pantomimes and overexaggerated emotions and often found yourself laughing at any antics the shadow pulled. 

It followed you all day as you walked around the city, picking up the materials Charlie needed for her next exercise with the hotel residents. The shadow even helped you pick out the colours for the ribbons and paints. 

At one point, the shadow's long finger had brushed against yours. It had been a cold sensation, almost like being touched by mist, but that had not mattered to you as you blushed before looking away. Missing how the shadow practically folded in on itself when it saw your reaction. 

Was it possible to date a shadow and not the being it was attached to? 

The sun was setting when you and Alastor's shadow got back to the hotel. The lobby was almost empty except for Husk, who was polishing martini glasses by the bar. As soon as he saw the two of you enter the hotel, Husk leapt over the bar and rushed over to you. 

"I don't know where the fuck the two of you have been, but you need to leave now before he finds out that your back," Husk whispered to you as he gripped your arm to turn you around towards the door. 

"And you!" he said towards the shadow, "What the fuck do you think you're doing?"  

The shadow made a high-pitched whine as it stepped closer to you. You were about to ask Husk what he had meant when a loud voice boomed inside the hotel.

"Where are you?"

Husk's hand tightened around your arm as he started to pull you towards the door. You followed after him, paralysed by action, as a stone of fear got stuck in your throat. The shadow looked at you, then back at the stairs and then back at you again with anxious eyes. 

Loud steps could be heard from the hallway above the staircase, and Alastor's shadow began to be dragged towards the stairs as if by an invincible force. It desperately dug its claws into the ground, and the shadow let out a wailing scream as it looked at you with big, pleading eyes. 

Alastor was calling his shadow back to him. 

The shadow continued to fight the force of its master's call, leaving deep claw marks on the floor, and, as if a gunshot had been fired at the room, the force wholly let go of the shadow. The shadow rushed back to you, where it clung to your body like a second skin. 

"Get back here, you disgraceful thing!" Alastor could be heard shouting as a massive hand gripped the hallway doorframe and pulled itself forward. It was the hand of Alastor's most demonic form. 

Beside you, Husk had begun to shake as his claws dug into your skin.

"You need to run. Now!" he tried to push you towards the door, but it was too late. From around the corner, Alastor stepped from the dark into the light, but as he stepped forward, he shrank in size. Still, he looked terrifying. 

His eyes were a deep red with volume controllers as irises, hiding any emotions he may have had. His antlers had grown in size, sharp and imposing, making the sinner look almost regal as he sauntered down the stairs. 

"Thank you, Husker." he said, his voice dripping in venom, "I can take over now." 

Husk was about to protest loudly when he disappeared in a puff of red smoke, and you were left alone with the enraged sinner. 

"What do you think you are doing?" Alastor snarled as you started to shake where you were standing. A small whine could be heard beside your neck as the shadow clung closer to you.  

"I don't know..."

"I'm not talking to you!" Alastor's look silenced you but confused you for a second before you saw his eyes drop down to your neck, where the shadow hid. 

"Come back here and stop resisting," Alastor snarled again and stepped towards you. The shadow gave away a low whine as it clung closer to your body, and you realised it didn't want to return. In a fit of temporary insanity, you placed a protective hand over the arms of the shadow around you and stepped away from the sinner.

"No!"  

"What do you mean no? It's my shadow," asked Alastor as he looked back at you in confused rage.

"He doesn't want to be with you anymore," you snapped and turned your nose up. You stepped to the side to walk around the sinner, effectively walking away with his shadow, but as you walked past Alastor, his hand shot out, and he tried to grab your arm. But you were faster; with your other hand, you slept Alastors hand away from you and the shadow.

"Will you stop it! Don't you understand that we want nothing to do with you, so just leave us alone!" 

With determined steps, you started walking over to the staircase to get as far away from the deer demon as possible. However, you didn't get far until you felt the shadow clung even more to you as it let out a pitiful sob. Its head had fallen over your shoulder as it looked up at you with longing eyes—a gaze it shouldn't be giving you since you had just saved it from its cruel master.

"What's the matter?" you asked it as you tried to caress its cheek, and out of the corner of your eye, you saw something that you never thought you would see. 

Without a smile and ears hanging low against his head, Alastor looked at you with the same miserable longing that the shadow looked at you with. And that's when you remember something your mother used to say to you when you were a child, a long time ago. 

Our deepest desires, our most precious wishes and longings, hide in our shadows. Everything we want follows us within our shadows as the weights of our souls.  

You wanted to kick yourself for being so foolish, for not understanding until now. Maybe a small part of you had always known, but it had been easy to ignore in your imaginary rivalry with the sinner. But a shadow never lies. Even the ones who can think and act on their own. They will always mirror their owner's heart's wishes and act upon them when the host won't take charge of getting what they desire. 

"You're in love with me," you whispered. It was not a question but a statement—a statement that seemed to hang in the air for an eternity but not long enough. 

“How? What? When?” you asked, desperate for answers.

Alastor walked hesitantly towards you, looked you deep into your eyes and did something you never thought he would do. He kissed your cheek. 

Your breath hitched in your throat as his warm lips softly touched your cheek, and when he pulled away, you could still feel their presence against your skin. As if you were branded by their sweet touch. 

"Come now," was the last thing he said to his shadow as he walked around you and back up the stairs. Alastor's shadow made a melancholic chirping noise before it let go of you and followed its master.

You were left alone in the big hotel lobby. Wishing that it was your lips Alastor had kissed and not your cheek.

PART 2.

I really hope it lived up to the expectations, but I loved writing it! It got a lot more angsty than I first intended...

[the-library-alcove]

Back during the first Trump years, there was an incredibly well-written article in The Atlantic regarding the egregious cruelty of the MAGA movement and Trump, titled, "The Cruelty Is The Point". The article made the extremely pointed note that bonding over being monstrous to other people is a part of human behavior, especially group-bonding behavior.

The artifacts that persist in my memory, the way a bright flash does when you close your eyes, are the photographs of lynchings. But it’s not the burned, mutilated bodies that stick with me. It’s the faces of the white men in the crowd. There’s the photo of the lynching of Thomas Shipp and Abram Smith in Indiana in 1930, in which a white man can be seen grinning at the camera as he tenderly holds the hand of his wife or girlfriend. There’s the undated photo from Duluth, Minnesota, in which grinning white men stand next to the mutilated, half-naked bodies of two men lashed to a post in the street—one of the white men is straining to get into the picture, his smile cutting from ear to ear. There’s the photo of a crowd of white men huddled behind the smoldering corpse of a man burned to death; one of them is wearing a smart suit, a fedora hat, and a bright smile. Their names have mostly been lost to time. But these grinning men were someone’s brother, son, husband, father. They were human beings, people who took immense pleasure in the utter cruelty of torturing others to death—and were so proud of doing so that they posed for photographs with their handiwork, jostling to ensure they caught the eye of the lens, so that the world would know they’d been there. Their cruelty made them feel good, it made them feel proud, it made them feel happy. And it made them feel closer to one another.

Taking joy in that suffering is more human than most would like to admit. Somewhere on the wide spectrum between adolescent teasing and the smiling white men in the lynching photographs are the Trump supporters whose community is built by rejoicing in the anguish of those they see as unlike them, who have found in their shared cruelty an answer to the loneliness and atomization of modern life.

And it's very true, and we've seen it again and again from the right-wing MAGA types.

But that's not the only place we see that sort of cruelty in the modern zeitgeist.

It's also blatantly visible in the "Pro-Palestine" movement on the Left towards Jews. Celebrating the deaths and torture of Jews, harassment, egregious acts of cruelty towards Jews just existing... Examples abound in daily life for any Jewish person who doesn't loudly tokenize themselves as one of "the good ones."

But why? Why has the Left, which claims to be for human rights, social equality, and minority support, gone so deeply into a pattern of behavior that's a mirror of the Right they claim to hate and detest?

That question, I feel, has its own answer.

Because they are mirroring the Right.

One wonderfully pithy comment about modern conservativism, by Frank Wilhoit, is "Conservativism consists of exactly one proposition, to wit: There must be in-groups whom the law protects but does not bind, alongside out-groups whom the law binds but does not protect."

I personally believe that there are three propositions of Conservatism. The one above is the first, but the other two are that, "There are a finite number of legitimate ways to live your life," and "people exist to perpetuate and be consumed by the system."

And what has happened is that the Left, rather than come up with their own Left-wing propositions (say, for example, "Everyone should be equally bound by and protected by the law," "We must tolerate and encourage diversity of life experiences and outlooks", and "social systems exist to support human beings") they've merely taken the Conservative propositions and turned them on their heads. So if, in the USA, the Right says that White People are the In-group protected but not bound by law, and People of Color are the ones bound but not protected? Okay, then on the Left, it's the other way around. There's still an out-group and an in-group, just flipped. The basic structure hasn't changed. The same goes for the other propositions--if you're not part of their particular ideology, you're an enemy, and you exist to perpetuate their system if you're part of their ideology.

And because of that mirroring, we see the same behavior from the Left that we see on the Right.

[ephemeralinstance]

Neve's romance

Neve is (by some margin) my favorite Veilguard romance, and I'm just mulling over what exactly makes her romance so good for me. 

First, you see a very different side of her. I love romances with reserved characters who only fully open up in the context of a romance. Outside of the romance Neve is very careful and put-together, even with friends, but the romance shows you so much vulnerability (wonderfully conveyed in the voice acting) and it's very appealing. It makes her more nuanced, and it makes the romance feel much more intimate. Although Neve's romance doesn't actually have more content than the others, to me it felt like it did, because I really had this sense of getting something very different and new on the romance path. 

It also has some fantastic lines. 'Kiss me so I know it's real.' 'I knew you were trouble.' 'Aren't we a pair.' Not only is she gorgeous, she has such a way with words!

In addition, it has a well-defined arc. The central issue threading through the relationship is Neve's anxiety around allowing herself to develop these feelings. This note is present the whole time, and it's intertwined well with all her loyalty missions, because every time you come through for her you're giving her reasons to let her walls down. And it reaches a natural culmination before Tearstone island, where she's still hesitant to say she loves you, followed by a lovely resolution when she realises she almost missed the chance to say it forever, and so finally she does. So there's a clear emotional trajectory which runs through the whole romance and fits well with the structure of the game. 

Relatedly, it doesn't feel easy. The whole time she's letting you in and then pulling away, even after the romance lock-in. It feels like you had to work slowly and persistently at getting her to trust you, so it feels very satisfying when she finally does. It's not transactional, you don't just press the flirt button a few times and get 'romance' as an output, it really feels natural and organic.

Finally, romancing her as a woman felt like a very believable sapphic dynamic to me. There's an equality of initiative from both sides, and a specific kind of heartfeltness. There are some cases where I've romanced bisexual women in games and had the feeling that the romance was written under the assumption that you're playing a man and so the dynamic is sort of implicitly gendered, but with Neve it felt very natural and right to romance her as a woman.

Anyway: I love her. Beautifully done. Definitely a highlight of the game for me.

[mothsaresc4ry]

Wednesday had been acting weird. Everyone noticed. The first one to notice the goth's weird personality switch was her Roommate.

Wednesday: *folds her blanket and puts it neatly on her bed* Good morning sunshine! *picks up a tray full of wonderfully decorated cupcakes* I made these for you! They're gluten-free and infused with lavender, just how you like them!

Enid: *stares at her roommate like she just witnessed a demon do yoga* huh

Enid thinking: Okay. No. Absolutely not. She used the word sunshine ��� WITHOUT FLINCHING! This is either possession or government mind control.

The blonde had stayed up the night, a few days after she had witnessed this blood curdling situation

Enid: *sits behind their couch with night-vision goggles and snack which were bought by her girlfriend* I don't care if I have to stay up for three days straight. Something is very wrong and I will find out if she's secretly building a murder robot or crafting doilies out of human skin

Wednesday: *watches a true crime documentary on TV, humming Taylor Swift*

Enid: *gasps in utter shock* She's gone—

A day later Enid has had enough of her goth girlfriend turning into a mini version of her

Enid: *bursts into their room with a glittery bubble tea in hand* Okay. I can't do this anymore. What did your new doc give you? Xanax? A lobotomy in form of a pill?!

Wednesday: *smiles cheerfully* they're mood stabilizers. Doctor Matthews said it would help me 'embrace emotional balance'.

Enid: You baked banana bread for Divina. You complimented Principal Weems' earrings! You even said 'I love you' to a bird. *huffs with disbelief written all over her face*

Wednesday: No. I only say I love you to you, cara mia. And only you.

Enid: *almost crumbles* Okay. Cool. Well.. I'll see you later then.

That night, Enid 'accidentally' switched Wednesday's pills with normal vitamin D pills

Wednesday: *wakes up* I had a terrible dream. I dreamed that I drowned in the blood of my enemies and played the cello on their ribcages. *almost smiles*

Enid:

Enid: Oh thank god

[gotham-ruaidh]

this passage is one of my favorite Jamie and Claire conversations in all of the books. more than anything else it shows how much they love and understand each other. how thrilling to see this so wonderfully adapted in 7x16 "A Hundred Thousand Angels"!

“Sassenach? Are ye all right?” A segment of the darkness on the floor moved suddenly and resolved itself into a Jamie-shaped shadow.

“Yes. Are you?”

That got me the breath of a laugh.

“I’ll do, Sassenach,” he said softly, and I heard the rustle of his movement as he got his feet under him. “I’m glad ye feel well enough to ask. D’ye need water?”

“Er . . . rather the opposite, really,” I said.

“Oh? Oh.” He stooped, a pale blur in his shirt, to reach under the bed. “D’ye need help?”

“If I didn’t, I wouldn’t have waked you up,” I said, a little testily. “I didn’t think I could wait for Mrs. Macken or Dottie, though.” He snorted a little and got me under the arms, lifting me into a sitting position.

“Now, then,” he murmured. “It’s no like ye’ve not done this—and a good many worse things—for me.”

While this was true, it didn’t make matters easier.

“You can let go now,” I said.

“Perhaps leave the room?”

“Perhaps not,” he said, still mildly, but with a tone indicating that his mind was made up on the subject. “If I let go, ye’ll fall on your face, and ye ken that perfectly well, so stop talkin’ and be about your business now, aye?”

It took some time—anything that put pressure on my abdomen, including the act of urinating, hurt remarkably—but the business was accomplished and I was eased back down onto the pillow, gasping. Jamie bent and picked up the chamber pot, clearly intending to hurl the contents out the window in customary Edinburgh fashion.

“No, wait!” I said. “Keep that ’til morning.”

He paused.

“What for?” he asked cautiously. Clearly he suspected I might still be unhinged from fever and be contemplating some grossly irrational use of the pot’s contents, but he didn’t like to say so, in case I had something logical, if bizarre, in mind. I would have laughed, but it hurt too much.

“I need to check, once there’s light, to be sure there’s no blood,” I said. “My right kidney’s very sore; I want to be sure there’s no damage.”

“Ah.” He set the utensil down carefully and, to my surprise, opened the door and glided out, moving soft-footed as a hunting fox. I heard one squeak as he stepped on a stair tread, but nothing more until a glow betokened his return with a candlestick.

“Have a look, then,” he said, picking up the pot again and bringing it to me. “I kent ye’d just fret about it did ye have to wait for daybreak.”

He sounded resigned, but this small thoughtfulness brought me close to tears. He heard the catch in my breathing and leaned close, alarmed, bringing the light up to my face.

“Are ye all right, Sassenach? Is it bad, then?”

“No,” I said, and wiped my eyes hastily on a corner of the sheet. “No—it—it’s fine. I just —oh, Jamie, I love you!”

-- Written In My Own Heart's Blood

[ladykyriaa]

I gotta say. The anime completely outdid themselve this episode. They managed to show how the late emperor truly was a pitiful and pathetic man (and I'm not just talking abt his creepy ass preferences) he was always trembling, whimpering, extremely pale, and the touch of a woman managed to get him have a full blown panic attack.

Despite that, the anime still showed the horrors and qbuse of what the girls had to go through. One of the scenes I truly enjoyed was how they show Anshi being absolutely repulsive. Of feeling forgotten by that creep. The expression, the voice acting, the shadows over her features, etc. While it was horrible, she had still spent the majority of her childhood with him (ugh) and a sense of loss (despite how much she doesn't want to feel that) would still permeate around her, probably more than once making her think "am I no longer worthy after all?"

So wonderfully well written and I think really is extremely accurate to how abuse victims often feel

[h3rmess]

WHO'S YOUR FRIEND?

Written by @h3rmess ✰

26) - Helpless

The day had progressed wonderfully: Karasu walked you down beach, adorning your neck with a beautiful necklace of your birth stone that he had searched high and low for. Though you did wonder how he found out when your birthday was, you paid it no mind. You told him you were getting slightly tired, and he took you home without a minute of hesitation.

Déjà vu. Suddenly you’re walking down your street again, hand in hand with Karasu. This time however, there is much less awkward tension. You feel at home; completely comfortable with the situation. You feel giddy - your head is light and your heart is beating joyously. You walk deliriously, attempting to not trip over your own feet.

“You know, I never would’ve thought this would happen.” You speak, voicing what’s on your mind without a second thought.

“Yeah? Why’s that?” He probes, his grip tightening.

“Well, you know… you just seemed so cool to me. I never would’ve thought that we’d interact beyond tik tok.”

“Maybe yer just cool too.” Smirking, he places his arm around your shoulder. “I’ve got a question for ya, though”

You nod, signalling to him to go ahead.

“Are ya sure you didn’t like Otoya before me? I mean, you seemed like a fan.”

You laugh quietly at his concern. “He just seems like a goofy person. I didn’t like him like that.”

Karasu looks relieved, his body relaxing. The two of you continue to stroll, basking in the warmth of the night as the sun is almost fully set.

The moment you had been looking forward to and dreading manifests once you reach your door. You both stop in your tracks, facing each other.

Karasu strokes your hair adoringly, a soft smile on his lips. It seems to be the only thing you can focus on, your thoughts taking you back to when he had kissed you earlier that day. Your breathing gradually slows, and Karasu tilts your chin up to make eye contact with you.

“Somethin’ on my face?” He plays with you.

“Well, obviously. It would be boring if there wasn’t.” Your quick comeback makes his eyes widen slightly.

“Well, aren’t I blessed?” He snickers. His hand is now cupping your cheek. “Do you plan on returning home any time soon? Or are you just gonna stand here and stare?”

“I’m waiting for something.” You bat your eyelashes with a playful grin.

“And what might that be?” His thumb grazes over your lip, his breath hitching.

“You know what I want, Tabito.” Nearly whispering, you move closer to him, your bodies touching. Butterflies invade your stomach as his gaze softens and moves to your lips.

“Don’t say my name like that…” He sounds breathless.

Like clockwork, his lips make contact with yours once again (this time you are prepared). He grasps the back of your head softly, pulling you closer, further into his embrace.

It’s as if he’s guiding you through it - he sets a pace for you to follow, every ounce of devotion in him being poured into the act.

You’re unsure where to put your hands, but decide to rest them on his shoulders, tightening your grip and hoisting yourself up with your own strength, hoping you don’t stumble. His hand is pressed firmly against the small of your back, offering stability. Your paces begin to slow, the kiss coming to a mutual close.

You’re short-winded and enamoured, your eyes glazed over, giving Karasu an impression of how ecstatic you are. A beatific smile threatening to present itself, you catch your breath silently. You couldn’t have asked for a more magical moment with him.

His gaze is endearing as he kisses your forehead before looking over at your home. “Ya said you were tired. You’d better go get some rest.”

“Yeah…” Your voice is hoarse - it’s embarrassing.

“I’ll text ya when I get home, okay? Goodnight, beautiful.” What a man. He pecks your lips quickly before regretfully letting go of you, walking into the distance.

You’re stunned, speechless, and utterly helpless.

prev | masterlist | next

-> someone is alive…

-> I’ve been neglecting you IM SORRY

-> I was sick and it ended up being something other that what I initially thought so I’m going to get treated BUT IN DOING FINE NOTHING TO WORRY ABOUT

-> KISS SCENE LET’S GOOOO

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[lurkingshan]

Thoughts on ThamePo

I finally got some time this weekend, so I decided to go ahead and binge ThamePo, a show many of you seemed to enjoy and that quite a few people have told me is one of the more solid to come out of GMMTV's BL lineup in awhile. I told a few friends I would share thoughts when I watched it. Let’s go!

The TL, WR: I had a fun time watching this show and agree it managed to avoid a lot of GMMTV shows' worst pitfalls, but I also found the writing around the core plot to be an inconsistent mess. I'll break down the good, the bad and the huh from my perspective, so only read on if you care to know. Disclaimer: I am not a LYKN fan and in fact knew almost nothing about them before watching this.

The Good

The show looks fantastic. As soon as I turned it on I said "is this a Parbdee production?!" And it sure was. It seems GMMTV picks one BL a year that it's willing to actually fund high production values for, and ThamePo was the lucky winner of this round. It was quite a startling contrast having just watched My Golden Blood.

The flirting between Thame and Po in their talking stage was a lot of fun. I don't think it made me swoon quite as hard as some of you, but I was charmed. Is memorizing someone's phone number the new height of romance?

Drake and Sammy were here! And looking cute! I was happy every time they showed up.

Nano's colorful sweaters. I want every single one.

All of episode 10, which was my personal favorite of the show. It was the only episode where I felt like they had a strong episodic plot and theme that they executed well and that showed a realistic sequence of events around how idols are treated by their fans.

Baifern learned something about how to love and support her idols without crossing boundaries. This girl made me so uncomfortable for the whole show and I was glad they had her realize she was wrong and speak directly into the camera about it. GMMTV owed us that after the disastrous handling of this issue in Only Boo. Plus, Baifern growing meant I could enjoy the absolute comedy of her reaction to finding out who Mr. B was. Ciize is so funny.

Noble idiocy was given the respect it deserves: none.

I liked the resolution for the romance, and that ultimately what Thame and Po wanted was just an ordinary relationship where they could spend time together and pursue their careers on their own terms. It was wonderfully straightforward and low drama.

Contra GMMTV's usual pattern, this show's strongest run was its last four episodes, and I actually thought the finale was strong given the story they had set up for themselves. I appreciated that rather than indulge in the fantasy ending of Only Boo, MARS had to suffer real consequences for choosing their personal lives and orchestrating a breach of contract. They had to reckon with the fact that being idols was directly at odds with the way they wanted to live, and make a choice. Kudos to the show for that.

The Bad

It feels like this script was written by someone who doesn't really understand the idol industry or how anything works. Much of the plot for MARS and the business machinations of managing them was nonsensical and contra how idols are actually managed in the industry. It was extra jarring to then cast a real idol group and have them act out this weird incorrect version of their reality.

Relatedly, the writing for Pemika was all over the place. We are supposed to see her as a smart businesswoman who knows what's best for their careers even as she is very unkind to them as humans, but the way she handled Thame throughout the show was ludicrous. First of all, it is the industry norm for idols to do solo work while staying in their group, so for her to insist on dismantling MARS so that Thame could go solo made no sense, and the entire plot hinged on this! It's not only bad artist management--she is deeply pissing off and damaging her relationship with her most important performer--it also just doesn't make sense from a revenue standpoint. Why kill MARS, a popular idol group with a large fanbase, when you could just negotiate with Thame for a solo album in exchange for another MARS album and keep both revenue streams? Pemika's approach was counterproductive. I was intrigued by what they tried to do with her in certain moments, but it didn't hang together because there were too many logic gaps.

On that note, I think the biggest problem with the way the MARS plot was constructed is that if they are already a successful group, most of the plot does not make any sense. Agencies don't destroy successful and profitable groups just for the hell of it, and if Thame is the leader of a successful group with a powerful fanbase he should have more power than the show implied. The whole story makes a lot more sense if MARS was struggling to break out and didn't actually have fans yet, but the show tried to have its cake and eat it, too.

This is a matter of personal preference, but I personally did not care for Thame's characterization as an extraordinarily selfless idol with no ego who only cared about his friends at the expense of his own career. Please, show. A little more nuance and complexity to his motivations would have been nice.

The whole subplot with Jun pretending to hit on Po was just stupid and I found it to be a very frustrating diversion that was mostly there to stall getting Thame and Po together. They already knew they liked each other and his interference did not accomplish anything except making me wonder why Thame considers that asshat his friend.

Must GMMTV continue to stab me in the heart by making me listen to the Last Twilight OST over and over again?? Write a new song!

On that note (look away stans), the music performances in this show were just unforgivably bad. I will not go into further detail so as to not hurt anyone's feelings (but you can come sit by me in the DMs if you want to talk shit).

The Huh

I don't understand why Thai idol dramas keep making getting recruited to Korea the standard. Not only is it deeply unrealistic to suggest that an industry already teeming with talent is eager to recruit middling talent from elsewhere, but if your goal is to promote the tpop industry, focus on tpop!

On top of the business plot not making sense, the way they presented the group and their roles was just strange. Idols all have to have baseline competency in singing, dancing, and rap--you don't have one member who does each like the show kept saying. I got confused every time the show reverted to this framing. Don't even get me started on the concept of Nano, the successful idol who *checks notes* doesn't know how to sing.

Let me not also forget that these are supposed to be famous idols, yet they are constantly casually hanging out in public spaces with no fans approaching them. Every time they sat around as a group in a park I wanted to scream.

Which of course leads me to my incredulity that so much of Thame and Po's flirtation happened in public, outside, in front of tons of onlookers, and somehow they were not spotted every time despite Thame being famous. As fucking if! The way the story ignored this reality for the first 2/3 of the show really undercut the final arc when they suddenly remembered idols can't date. And right after the group handled Pepper's scandal, Thame was back to holding Po's hand outside again. I felt like I was taking crazy pills.

I was also salty about Pepper directly encouraging Thame to pursue Po only to turn around the next episode and tell him idols can't date. Sir, what the fuck.

The whole thing with Mick was kind of a miss for me. They made a big deal about his incompetence in the first few episodes, then he functionally disappeared for half the show, then they revealed he was pretending to be bad at his job as some roundabout way of helping them, I guess? It was a half-baked idea poorly presented.

Since I mentioned Only Boo up top, it would be remiss of me not to mention that if ThamePo takes place in the same universe as the cameos imply, this plot makes even less sense because Moo already broke down this barrier and idols can now have boyfriends with no consequences! (Seriously though if you're gonna have them cameo at least let Moo speak I love that boy).

The show should not have been in the bubble. So much of the romance plot and the contrast between Pepper/Gam and Thame/Po would have been strengthened if their sexuality mattered.

Lastly, I'll just say that I found this plot a strange one if GMMTV's intent was to use the show as a vehicle to promote LYKN. The entire plot is that the agency thinks Thame is the only talented one and the rest of the group is holding him back, but he's a Good Person so he will stay with them anyway. If I was anyone else in LYKN I'd be side-eyeing this plot big time.

In conclusion: This was a fun binge but I am still waiting for the Thai idol BL of my dreams starring Daou and Offroad. I will write the goddamn script if I have to!

[dangermousie]

The Glory (2025) - final verdict

For those who don't want to read the whole thing, short version: has its issues but overall would recommend.

Now, you may go "but Mousie, you ranted so much recently, really? What changed?" Two things - (1) I adjusted genre expectations and (2) after the nadir of eps 20-25, I found 26-end quite solid and much more to my liking (they moved on from random side characters and back to core relationships; it also helped enormously that FL again started caring for someone(s) who are alive - concubine, stepkid, husband etc.) The drama never returned to true obsession levels of first half for me but it finished well.

Anyway, moving on...

Visually, this drama remained GORGEOUS throughout. I can forgive a lot to a drama this beautifully shot; the look is even more impressive when you know it didn't have a large budget.

The acting was also solid - Chen Duling slowly but steadily went from "oh her ugh" to "oh her yay" for me with every drama and this is no exception. I don't think I'd want to be friends with Hanyan and I don't necessarily like her as a person, but she was wonderfully acted (in addition to being solidly written about which more below.) It was very much her show and the rest, ML included, were basically supporting characters and she carried it off.

The plot was...not great. This writer wanted to get from point A to point B without caring much about the route (Royal Consort's basically offscreen-plotted downfall that took five minutes total is a particular lowlight but the dad's apparently incredible powers - how is he not the prime minister with those skills - were also not great.) But not every drama can be Joy of Life or The Advisors Alliance and compared to something like e.g., Si Jin or Brocade other recent grrlpower dramas, the plot of this one was quite good.

The villain was a weakness because it's boring to have a true sociopath with no complexity or weakness or anything. I suspect the writer just saw him as a stand-in for the patriarchy all these women needed to defeat (the heavy-handed message of this drama was very) but still - a little complexity would help. I do think the men overall were an afterthought in this - the women were all well thought through and whether you liked them or not, logical results of their relationships and circumstances, the men (even the ML) not so much. They were all the equivalent of busty girls in a shounen anime. I do think this is a failure of writing - you can have one-gender focused stories that still make the other appear real people (Joy of Life female characters and Legend of Zhen Huan male characters all feel like real people) but it's honestly not a cardinal sin here since the focus WERE the women and they were written well so I didn't feel the lack most of the time (if only supportings are written meh, it's forgivable.) But the female characters were all intriguing and the story took many of them places I did not expect (the concubine and her daughter? OMG about both of them.)

I ended up buying the ship because they do fit together (and would one really inflict either of these violent schemers on a "normal" person?) but if you want a romance-centric drama, this is obviously not for you. Interestingly, while I ended up liking them and shipping them, I was not rabid the way I thought I'd be and the lack of focus is not really the reason - I was RABID about Kill My Sins protags as a couple and they never even said I Love You let alone kiss or anything. But that's probably because in addition to just preferring LSS x Shawn as actors (they are both huge faves of mine), that drama was a true dual protagonist story - they both were mains in their own lives and narratives which occasionally intersected and were allowed great and equal complexity and life outside the narrative which made me more invested. FYX was hot and psycho and angsty which I love in a fictional man, but he never felt truly fleshed out outside the narrative and interactions/meaning to Hanyan.

I loved loved loved how uncompromisingly bleak this world was and how the characters all stepped in the muck and stayed there (for once, people with trauma did not miraculously come across as saintly and chirpy) and how there were second chances for characters who'd normally not get them (the concubine and her daughter) and how both FL and ML (and concubine etc) did things that I morally disapproved of or that (more shockingly) censors should disapprove of yet it made sense in character and, totally unexpectedly, they were not punished with death by the narrative because people are complex and outcomes are complex and and and.

I also loved that Fu Yunxi was married before and banged his first wife and seems to have liked her. Thank you!!!! (Seeing some peeps on mdl/twitter trying to bend themselves into pretzels to preserve a period adult man's virginity for FL was...well.) I loved that he was a random war orphan, no secret noble identity. I loved that lesbian pirate got to live and hopefully will come back to FL someday. I loved that the happiness at the end was "for now" but sufficient.

Anyway, this is going on and on and on so I am gonna stop on saying I adored that this was a dark story that has been so sadly absent from recent sunshine cdramas and that it had real danger and stakes. It became a surprise hit and I really do think it shows there is hunger for these types of stories; hopefully producers will take note. And I love that the protags were allowed to do all that and yet get a happy ending. That is so so so rare and so so so appreciated.

[blacktabbygames]

The Steam Winter Sale is upon us, and both Slay the Princess and Scarlet Hollow are on sale! We also have a bundle with both games that stacks a 15% discount on whatever sale is already going on. So you can pick both up at once for just under $30, or finish the bundle to still get that extra discount if you already own one.

While we're here I'd love to also take a moment to plug some other bundles we're in. We don't do a lot of bundles with other studios, and all of the titles we bundle with are personally vetted by us, your friendly neighborhood devs, as Good Video Games. All of these bundles are piecemeal, so if you already own one or more games in them, you can still get the extra discount on those other titles.

First up is the Cartoonists Turned Game Devs bundle, which has both Scarlet Hollow as well as Meredith Gran's deeply, deeply underrated Perfect Tides. Perfect Tides is one of my favorite narrative games of all time, so please do yourself a favor and pick it up if you haven't already!

Next up is the World-Ending Women bundle, which has both Slay the Princess and the fantastic El Paso, Elsewhere, a Max Payne-inspired supernatural shooter where you have to stop your vampire ex-girlfriend from ending the world. It's written by Xalavier Nelson Jr, who you might know from such wonderfully charming titles as Hypnospace Outlaw and An Airport for Aliens Currently Run By Dogs.

Last but not least is Horrors of the Heart, which has Scarlet Hollow and two other dating sims: the fully-voice acted and very funny Lovecraftian dating sim Sucker for Love, and normal cute dating sim Cooking Companions where nothing bad ever happens.

HAPPY shopping, and hope y'all play some fun games for the holidays :D

[galedekarios]

gale's reaction to the protag offering to sacrifice themselves by becoming a mindflayer

i wanted to share this scene because it's something that not everyone may have seen and because it's a truly wonderfully acted, animated and written scene, showing gale's empathy and selflessness. despite being scared, despite wanting to live, he makes the offer to reconsider using the orb so the protag needn't sacrifice their own life and soul.

you can get the scene by having the protag ask the emperor if by becoming an illithid, they would be able to control the netherstones and absorb orpheus's power.

gale will interrupt the conversation with:

Gale: This is not the kind of decision to make based solely on your own wisdom. We must discuss it - privately.

he will then have an exclamation mark over his head to initiate the full conversation.

here is the transcript as well:

[subbmissivesuccubus]

Shinichiro X Fem Reader

That is another fan request I had written for a patreon member! I've never watched Tokyo Revengers but I hope I did the character justice. Enjoyy

Summary: Shinichiro was terrible with women and the people around him knew it to. So, naturally, they hired him a stripper

“I know your nervous, but you can relax a bit. I’ll take very good care of you~”

Shinichiro gulped, his heart somehow pounding even louder as you- the stripper that was hired by his friends as they were tired of seeing him get rejected by so many women- leaned closer to him, gripping onto his thigh tighter. He flinched at the contact, trying to remember the last time he got so close to a woman as stunning as you.

Fuck. Was he going to survive this?

He was nervous. So so so so nervous. He once again considered calling his gang and asking them to cancel the plan they made for him but he once again stopped himself. He must have looked really pathetic to his men if they resorted to…well…this. He knew he wasn’t the best with girls, but he wasn’t that bad, right?

…moving on.

Turns out his friends knew him better than he expected as you were exactly his type and he didn’t know what to do with himself when he looked at you. Your beautiful body, your gorgeous skin and hair, those mesmerising eyes… Maybe he was trying too hard to not look down at your chest.

With the way you were leaning against him, your bra clad tits were swinging in front of him, your voluptuous and sinful body making him go red in the face even if he was fixing his eyes against your face. You had walked into the shop confidently, the only people in there for the day being the two of you and had requested him to set up the lights and music as you got ready. Ten minutes later, you walked back into the room wearing a sinfully sexy piece of lingerie in his favourite colour. The bra and panties were hugging your curves wonderfully, a tad bit tight so it pressed against your flesh and made your breasts and butt pop out all the more.

He gasped as you suddenly crawled onto his lap, his mind barely processing the mood music and lights that all enhanced your act. His hands instinctively went to your waist and that alone got his cock to jump in his pants. Shinichiro swore he almost had a heart attack as you straddled him, your legs on either side of him.

“Is this your first time?” you asked him, a cheeky smile on your face.

“Y-Yeah…” he responded, his face flushing now in embarrassment, “Sorry…”

“Don’t be sorry.” You said sweetly, bringing your hand up to caress his cheek, “In my line of business, half of my customers are virgins. Nothing to be embarrassed about. Just try to relax and enjoy.”

With a teasing grin, you grabbed his hands before gently pulling them forward and placing his palms on your butt.

Shinichiro’s cock immediately hardened.

You giggled as you felt his erection against you, placing your hands on his shoulders before you started to move your hips. The man gasped as he felt the sensation of your clothes cunt pushing against his cock, the sensation feeling heavenly even through his pants. If this was enough to get his balls throbbing- he could only imagine how much better your…your…

His fingers tightened on your ass as his body tensed from his imagination getting the better of him. He swore as his fingers sunk into your ample flesh, his brain finally processing that he was grabbing and groping a beautiful woman’s butt. You had a smile on your face, your giggles like music to his ears. It must be a huge ego boost to turn him into the blubbering mess he is. He threw his head back as you ground against him more incessantly, your body moving in time with the music playing in the background. But he quickly snapped his head back down, reminding himself that he shouldn’t miss a single thing. His dreams were finally coming true!

The panties were pressed wonderfully against your pussy, the lace so snug between you lower lips that his mouth watered with need, wanting nothing more but to slide the fabric aside and see you bare but he held himself back. He needed to enjoy himself to the fullest.

The lighting that was set up gradually started to change colours, shifting from red to pink to orange- all of which you looked absolutely divine in. He grasped your butt tighter, heart pounding as you continued to grind against him and he was able to feel your muscles move underneath his touch. It was an amazing feeling to grasp and hold somebody else without murderous intent.

“Fuck yeah~” he moaned, his cock completely hard and straining against his pants, “You got such a nice fucking ass.”

“You like it?” you asked like that was a question that needed answering, “You can be rougher~ Go on, give me a spank~”

Gritting his teeth to prevent himself from panting like a dog and completely acting like a fool, he took your advice and lifted his palm up. Taking a deep breath, he swung it down and gave you a sharp spank. His hand collided with your perky butt, the crack quite soft as he was holding himself back, not wanting to hurt you with his strength accidentally.

But apparently, that was what you wanted.

“Mmmph- harder~” you moaned out, tossing your head back as you started to pop your hip, twerking against him, “Spank me harder! I can take it.”

“A-Are you- ah- sure?”

“Positive~”

So he did it again, this time with considerably more force and the squeal you let out from the contact almost made him cum in his pants. Without realising it himself, he started spanking you in time with the beat, the song being considerably slow, so each time he smacked your beautiful behind and copped a feel, it also helped you along with moving with the music.

You eventually surged forward a bit, teasingly shaking your breasts right in front of his face as your hips moved side to side, clothed pussy still griding on him. His nose pressed against your soft chest, his warm breath fanning against you as his eyes trailed to your deep cleavage and the oily glean shining off of you. You gradually pushed forward even more and he happily pushed his face in between your tits. He could feel your groan through your breasts, the man in heaven as his face was squished between your soft, beautiful globes. He shook his head from side to side, having always wanted to motorboat a beautiful babe after seeing it happen so many times in pornography- and he was happy to conclude that it felt as amazing as it looked.

But just as quickly as he received the pleasure, it was taken away from him in a flash. He gasped, mouth open and wanting as you suddenly got up from his lap. He saw the way your eyes trailed down to his crotch, licking your lips as you gazed at his obvious erection. But without saying anything and your body still swaying in time with the music, you rolled your hips and turned away from him, giving him a view of your back.

Shinichiro took deep breaths, trying to get a hold of himself as he watched you dance, his eyes homed in on you and he needed to remind himself to blink. His breath got caught in his throat as he watched your arms go towards your back, giving him a teasing look over your shoulder as you swiftly unbuckled your bra. Mouth-watering, he watched as you slowly and sensually started pulling the bra off of you, straps sliding down the soft skin of your arms before it dropped to the ground.

You still faced away from him, your bare back glistening under the changing lights. It drove him crazy to know that your bare breasts were out but you were teasing him, not allowing him to look at you just yet.

“Want more?” you asked, a tilt in your tone.

“Please.” He begged and he couldn’t help but chuckle. There were a lot of people out there who’d never imagine him to be someone to beg.

“Well, since you asked so nicely~”

You slid your hands over your body, gliding it over your waist and hips before you paused at the waistband of your panties. He watched with bated breath as you slipped your thumb into your underwear, still shaking your hips in time with the music which had turned a little bit slower. Shinichiro bit his lower lip as you slowly, slowly started pulling it down. He gripped the armrest of his sofa tightly, fingers digging into the fabric as peeks of your ass was revealed to him. You were being a tease, occasionally pulling it back up before pushing it down again, delaying the reward of your beautiful ass.

But finally, finally, you pushed your panties off, your butt having a slight jiggle once you slid it down. Shinichiro put his closed fist against his mouth, biting down on his skin to prevent himself from making noises that were unsightly for a man of his reputation. You bent down to push the panties down your leg but to torture him even more, you slipped a hand between your legs to cup your pussy, covering yourself up so he couldn’t see your cunt as you bent over in front of him. But, he did see your pretty asshole wink at him before you stood up and he needed a few seconds to process what you were saying to him after seeing a brief glimpse into heaven.

“For you~” you said, still facing away from him as you tossed your panties onto his lap, Shinichiro blinking a few times before he picked up the soft fabric and swiftly pocketed it, his brain working slower from overload. You were naked. Completely naked. There was a sexy naked woman in the middle of his shop. Your tits were out. Your pussy was out. Your sweet, spankable ass that was a light shade of red due to his spanking was staring right at him and he was afraid to blink lest he missed something.

“I always love seeing that expression~” you said, bringing your hands to the part where your thighs meet your butt, cupping your cheeks from below before you started jumping it up and down, your flesh jiggled lewdly, your butt large enough to hide your privates but he knew he was only minutes away from seeing all of you.

…Hopefully.

“Slack jawed and so, so horny for me. It’s the best!” You continued, shaking your legs so your ass cheeks clapped together, Shinichiro groaning from the sight and sound.

“Fuck me-“ he gasped, finally, remembering how words worked, “you’re driving me crazy!”

“Good~” you responded, smacking your own ass with one sharp hit, “Ready to see more?”

“Please-“ Shinichiro begged, “I need it- I need you.”

“Wonderful.”

Finally, your hips rolling with the sound of the music, you turned around to face him and Shinichiro had to remember how to breathe. Your tits were perfect- the perfect size and shape with pretty nipples that had already hardened. He knew your breasts were amazing from the brief motorboating he did but this- this was beyond imagination. His mouth watered as he stared at your nipples, wanting nothing more but to take them in between his lips and suckle. He wondered if he could get you to lactate…

His eyes slowly but surely wandered down more, his heart pounding so loud in his chest and his cock so hard it was starting to hurt him. Oh. Oh yes.

A pussy.

The first ever pussy he’d seen in real life.

And she was perfect.

He leaned forward to get a better look, his mouth open and panting as he stared at your cunt. So cute and pretty with puffy pussy lips- oh- he could see your wetness from here and he was glad he got you turned on just from his presence. His hands reached up instinctively and grasped your hips, grateful that you allowed him to touch you as he pulled you closer…and closer…

Oh, he was eye to eye with your cunt, so close that he could feel your body heat fan his face. He took in every nook and cranny of your beautiful cunt before he leaned forward, ready to give her a sweet kiss-

When you suddenly fisted locks of his hair before pulling it harshly, making his head snap back (he may or may not have moaned from the pain). “Fuck- you-“ he cursed, practically foaming at the mouth as you once again teased him, feeling his patience crumble. He was so close! So close to feeling that sweet kitty against his lips and you- “Well, since I showed you mine, I think it’s only fair that you show me yours, no?” you asked, tugging on his hair tighter, “Isn’t your poor cock hurting?” “…Fuck. Get him out then.” Shinichiro demanded, feeling a bit more confident as his horny brain took over. He spread his legs wider, lifting his shirt up a bit to show off his erection while also giving you a peek at his toned body.

“Somebody’s feeling it, hmm?” you asked, letting go of his hair so you could sit on his lap again, keeping a bit of distance so your hands could comfortably slide between your bodies to reach his cock, “But I like it. Here, have a treat for being such a good, patient boy for me~”

Shinichiro groaned in happiness as you pushed your chest against his face again but this time, he was waiting with a wide, open mouth. He moaned against you as he felt your nipple against his tongue, taking in as much boob as he could, gently pressing his lips against your soft skin. He closed his eyes and enjoyed himself as he got to suckle on your breast, sucking you in like he was trying to eat you. His other hand came up and grabbed your other tit, eyes rolling to the back of his head at how soft and wonderful you felt against his palm. He’d always dreamed of this moment but he could never fathom just how incredible tits felt.

You bit down a moan as the man mouthed at your breast like a horny beast, slobbering over you like you were his last meal. He had little technique but his enthusiasm made up for it, the harsh suckles he was giving your nipples, making your back arc. While you were a stripper by profession, his friend paid you a lot, lot more to take Shinichiro’s virginity which was why you were allowing him to touch you in ways your regular clients wouldn’t be able to.

Speaking of which, your hands finally undid the straps of his sweatpants and you grabbed it, along with the waistband of his underwear and pulled down. His hard, aching cock sprung out in full force and you couldn’t help but gasp. How is this man, which a cock so big and looks so handsome, a virgin? How were women not begging to be fucked by him on the daily? His dick stood at attention, his angry red tip leaking out so much precum it was dripping down his thick shaft. His balls were big and full, throbbing with need, ready to unload.

You tried to pull away a bit but Shinichiro followed your body, refusing to separate his mouth from your breast. You allowed him to suckle a bit more before you once again grabbed him by the hair, pulling him away from you. The man was a mess, his face red and his pink, a string of saliva breaking between the two of you.

“Why’d you stop me?” he growled, a hungry look in his eyes, “I want more!”

“I’m sure you do,” you said, trailing a finger from your other hand across his jaw and gasping as you felt his whole-body shiver underneath you, “But wouldn’t you want to play with…something else?”

Hand still in his hair, you used the grip to move his head down, making him look at his own lap. The man’s eyes widened before clouding over in desire and you swore, you could pin-point the moment he was lost to his lust. His dick was out and throbbing and right against it, so tantalisingly close- was your pussy. Seeing her while you were standing up was nothing in comparison to your flower being spread wide open for him to gaze at every nook and cranny. You pushed your knees apart wider so he could get a better look at the beautiful colour of your cunt, your pulsing hole just begging to be filled, your slick, wet walls and of course, your adorable clit at the top.

 His hands trembled as he slid them down your body, over your waist, your hips, landing on your thighs before one of them moved to your cunt. He took a deep breath in, eyes widening as his fingers gently touched your pussy before greedily sliding between your lower lips. The moan you let out was heavenly, Shinichiro using two fingers to spread your lips apart even more to give him a better view. Oh. You were so perfect.

He couldn’t help but slip a finger inside of you and he gasped at how easy it was, his digit pushing in with no resistance thanks to how much your hole was leaking for him. His other hand joined him at your cunt, his thumb gently pressing against your clit. You twitched underneath him, feeling so hot at how eagerly he was toying with you, studying your pussy like he was preparing for an exam. He pushed up the hood of your clit gently, his mouth watering as your sensitive bud peeked out even more.

He could barely process your hand on his cock, little gasps escaping his lips, his mind overstimulated as his body twitched from the pleasure. You stroked him perfectly, the touch of a hand that wasn’t his own feeling incredible. You licked your lips as you jerked him off, paying special attention to the head where he seemed to be especially sensitive.

“Wanna become a man?” you asked hungrily, moving in closer to him. You pressed your chest against his, spreading your legs even wider as your faces almost touched, your nose gently rubbing against his, “Wanna fuck my pussy?”

“Y-Your- oh God-“ Shinichiro gasped, mind getting pushed into overstimulation. It was all so much he didn’t know how to handle it. Your body- your voice- to touch you- to lick you- to- to feel your pussy press against his cock! He could feel your wetness against his sensitive member- your warmth- the tip of his cock pressing against your entrance- he couldn’t take it anymore!”

“Fuck!!” With a loud cry, tossing his head back against the sofa, Shinichiro experienced the most powerful orgasm he’d ever had in his life. His balls clenched as he basically came untouched, his tip spurting out ropes of cum that all splashed against your opening. His toes curled and his eyes rolled to the back of his head, the pleasure hitting him like a truck.

“Oh my.” you said once he started to calm down, giggling at the sticky sensation of his seed staining your bottom half.

“S-Sorry- oh fuck-“ Shinichiro cursed, still cumming, little spurts leaving his tip, “I didn’t mean to…”

“Don’t be sorry.” You consoled before he got down on himself, giving him a sweet kiss to the cheek, “It’s perfectly fine. Would you like to stop or continue?”

“Continue!” he said quickly, his dick still hard even though he just came. There was no way in hell he was stopping here.

“That’s my boy~”

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

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[make-friends-with-the-rats]

@skinnycaats alright, here are the results of my investigation: The Newsies Libretto is not an official 92sies libretto/script, but it is no less intriguing.

I'll start with why it's not official.

"Newsies Libretto," pages 1-3.

There are several details on the first three pages of the libretto that drew my attention. First, the cover page which says "NOT FOR SALE PROPERTY OF Pikakee Music." There's also an address for New York and an email for a Philip L McBride. The same name is found on the second page where Philip McBride is credited for "Stage Adaptation and Score." Finally, there's a copyright and copyright warning with a "Music and Lyrics Copyright" dated 1992.

Compare this to the cover of a confirmed 1991 Newsies film script:

1991 Newsies film script, page 1.

My thoughts were essentially:

Why is this libretto "property of Pikakee Music" when Newsies (1992) is the "property of Walt Disney Pictures" as stated in the lower right corner of the 1991 script?

What is "Pikatee Music" and who is Philip McBride?

Why is there a copyright for 1992 when all scripts would have been from 1991? (As evidenced by the list of revisions in the upper right corner of the 1991 script and by the fact that all filming for Newsies was completed in 1991.)

The most interesting thing, however, was the fact that this libretto by Philip McBride was a "Stage Adaptation." Upon looking further into the pdf, it became clear that this was in fact for a stage, not the silver screen.

"Newsies Libretto," page 7.

"Newsies Libretto," page 66.

The libretto is split into two acts and gives stage directions, but is very clearly based on the 1992 film. This isn't the official film, nor is it the 2011 musical, so where on earth did this come from?

Well, I looked up 'Philip L McBride' and 'Pikatee Music' and I found where on earth it came from. It came from... this guy?

"About Me!" philiplmcbride.com.

According to his website, he is an actor and musician and Pikatee Music is his music publishing company. On his website he also provides his resume, which does not include writing Newsies scripts in his spare time. I personally would be boasting about it but you do you.

Though, there is one little thing about Mr. McBride's script that just might be damning, and it's the fact that he has included "Proud of Your Boy" that we know today from Broadway's Aladdin. (Which is actually wonderfully placed by the way!)

"Newsies Libretto," page 57.

For some context, "Proud of Your Boy" was written back in the 90s by Howard Ashman for the original 1992 Aladdin, however it was cut. Howard Ashman was also supposed to do the lyrics for Newsies (1992) before he passed away and Jack Feldman took on the job instead. The song was reincorporated into Aladdin when the story was adapted into a stage musical in 2010 and eventually made it to Broadway in 2014.

For two decades the song lay abandoned, orphaned if you will.

But this guy (Philip McBride) decided to adopt "Proud of Your Boy" and put it into Newsies.

So here's my theory: this unofficial Newsies Libretto by Pikatee Music was written sometime between 1992 and 2010, before "Proud of Your Boy" was returned to Aladdin and before Newsies was officially turned into a stage musical in 2011.

It is my theory that this libretto was one of the "illegal" Newsies scripts for the stage that filled the void until Disney produced their official, licensable show.

"Newsies - An Oral History: How it All Happened"

Basically, this literal, random guy is my hero and it's a shame that Disney passed him up for Harvey Fierstein.

[olderthannetfic]

So there was a stupid, badly executed major character death in my fandoms canon. And fans trying to defend that media from other fans frequently argue that we simply can't "handle" MCD and need to grow up and get over it rather than being upset that character died in a really poorly written way.

I'm now watching a different thing, with a really well executed, beautifully tragic MCD. And I'm essentially petty and salty of being talked about like a wittle weak baby who can't handle big mature themes.

I can appreciate meaningful, well done MCD. I am not a lesser or less mature fan because I point out when it's done badly for shock value. I am allowed to be mad my blorbo died for nothing.

And why do fellow fans so often feel and act as if they have to defend their franchise from any critique from fellow fans?!? Or worse, tell fellow fans to leave the fandom if we're not thrilled with what fandom gave us. I'm still writing for it, which is contributing more than some who only mocks and attacks fans who disliked how things went.

--

I am so fed up with people crying about how MCD is such a valid artistic choice. 99% of the time, the interest and value from some character's occasional future appearances in an ongoing piece of media would have added up to more than the death did even if it was wonderfully well done.

A death towards the end often takes a gigantic shit on the other themes of the piece or is idiotic in light of genre conventions that would normally make that uncurable poison/lingering illness/minor flesh wound non-fatal.

Nearly nobody wails that some two-hour film festival fare shouldn't end in the lead's death. We all know those are going there, and they often do it competently.

"You should like my bad art because consuming drivel misery builds character" is never a sympathetic argument.