#which i guess is cheap for entertainment but idk

[nikki-handholder]

maybe i should spend on this game less often :x

[the-mozzarella-brothers]

ghhh i miss being in israel so bad

[agustdtown1]

Prompt no. 15 with Taehyung

PAIRING: kim taehyung x fem!reader.

WC: 2.4k

WARNINGS: the prompt is in bold, age gap (th is 35 & reader is 25), smut 18+, unprotected sex, dom!taehyung, idk if it would actually count as degradation but I’m throwing it in there just in case, idk tae just likes to make fun of reader and how desperate she is for him 🤷🏻‍♀️, doggy, chocking, slight clit slapping, a bit of masturbation (on readers end), sir kink, begging and a whole lotta petnames; btw this is not proofread.

A/N: thank you for your request, i hope you like it! I enjoyed writing this one sm.

prompt list | event masterlist | general masterlist

Unapproachable, stoic, cold-hearted and undeniably handsome, that’s what Kim Taehyung was. A man of many qualities and few flaws, one that could make any woman —or man, for that matter— weak in the knees with a single glance. His elegant mannerisms often drew people’s attention towards him, making it impossible to avoid unwanted social interactions wherever he went. Taehyung didn’t like the undivided attention he has gained over the years, which in retrospect he should have known it was going to be a given after building a successful empire in the entertainment industry. Nonetheless, the man didn’t like being the center of attention most of the time.

Luckily for him, there were times when his solemn demeanor would make people think twice before trying to talk to him, and rightfully so, for every single attempt to start a conversation with him was quickly shut down with a stern gaze and a grimace that —according to the man himself— resembled a grin. His cold attitude, however, was exactly what drew you in.

The first time you met Kim Taehyung you couldn’t believe a man like him was even real. He presented himself before you at the gala that you and your family attended every year. The man was tall enough to tower over you; his dark hair was combed nicely to leave his forehead free, giving him an elegant look; his eyes, oh his eyes, those dark brown orbs who stared you down with such a fierce gaze knocked the air out of you. But what really sealed the deal was the ghost of a smile taking place on his lips. It would be a lie to say you weren’t looking at him all night, it was quite hard not to in all honesty. Hence, you realized the tall man was not fond of smiling at others, but oddly enough he was willing to show you a grin, albeit a bit feeble, but a grin nonetheless.

“This is not your type of party.” It wasn’t a question or a guess; the dark-haired man spoke with such firmness that it made you doubt just how well you knew yourself. “It’s quite obvious.”

Taehyung didn’t show any sort of emotion on the outside, but deep inside he was trying to conceal an amused smile; he knew girls like you would kill to be anywhere else than in such a boring event. Like drinking an obscene amount of cheap vodka at a cramped bar, while your friends were trying their best to move to the beat of any trendy song at the moment; the night would undoubtedly end with you hooking up with a random guy.

Oh how he missed being young and free.

However, that was exactly what you didn’t want nor needed to do. After facing such a nasty break up, the last thing you wanted to do was mess around with just any guy that comes walking straight to you. A change of scenery is what you desperately needed, and maybe, just maybe, a man like Kim Taehyung would be the perfect remedy for that.

“I’m going to show you how a real man fucks.”

The idea of fucking a man that was ten years older than you was completely preposterous, but perhaps that’s exactly why you decided to follow through and act on your impulsive thoughts. It was stupid to believe you would be able to get in between the sheets with a man like Kim Taehyung; unrealistic, too good to be true. Therefore, the consequences that you were most likely going to face in the near future didn’t feel too serious for you to decline his offer to fuck you senseless. And with a faint fuck it, you started the memory of a night that would be too difficult to forget.

Taehyung’s hands were all over your body, caressing your skin as if it was the most delicate porcelain he’s ever touched. His lips were leaving burning kisses up and down your neck, stealing gasps whenever he used his teeth to place a harsh mark on your tender flesh. The sensations were too much to bear and he had barely done anything.

“I need more.” A small plea for the pleasure you were eagerly seeking. “Don’t tease me, please.”

“I wanted to take my sweet time with you.” He mentioned, pulling away from the crook of your neck. “But how can I say no to that when you ask so nicely?”

Without further ado, Taehyung aligned his bare length with your soaked entrance, slightly teasing you by coating his tip with your juices.

“Just put it in!” You whined, trying to guide his cock into your pussy, only to receive a harsh slap on your thigh.

“You’re in no position to tell me what to do, princess.” Kim retrieved slightly, clasping your neck with one of his big hands. “That attitude might have worked with the dumb guys you’ve fucked before, but I’m not like them. If you want something you better start acting right, otherwise you’ll get nothing.” His hot breath was falling against your face due to how close he was. “Am I clear?” You nodded dumbly, but that wasn’t enough for him. “I didn’t hear you.”

“Yes, you’re very clear.”

“Now, that’s a good girl.”

Taehyung didn’t wait for you to realize what was happening, before he slowly pushed his cock right into your drenched cunt, enjoying the warm feeling.

“Shit, you’re so tight, doll.” The man noted, already entranced by the way your walls were sucking him in. “You might not be able to take it all.”

A cry escaped from your mouth in a clear protest at what he was saying. You knew your body and your limits, and as big as Taehyung was —more than what you imagined, actually—, you were sure that you were able to take all of him. There was no need for going slow or being cautious with you, in fact, it was pointless to do so with the way you were desperately trying to get him closer to you.

“I will.” You assured him. “Don’t hold back, I can take it, I swear.” With a teasing smile you continued. “Weren’t you going to show me how a real man fucks?”

Hearing his own words coming from your mouth was like an awakening moment; you could see the switch in his demeanor, how his eyes darkened and his grip grew tighter around your waist.

“You better not be lying, doll.”

In a split of a second, Taehyung pulled out of your warm walls to flip you over and make you lay on your stomach.

“Ass up.” He ordered with a serious tone.

Kim didn’t waste a second longer before he reinserted himself inside your pussy. That magical feeling of your velvety walls wrapped around his cock was one he would never forget. The way you were, in fact, taking all of him so effortlessly was driving him crazy.

“Oh my fucking god.” You moaned, due to not only the change in position but also speed.

“This what you wanted, love? Me fucking you dumb, until your legs are shaking and the only thing on your mind is my damn name.” Taehyung was an experienced man, and along with experience came the knowledge of saying the right things to rile you up.

Even more than he already has.

“Yes, fuck. I want nothing more!”

Taehyung increased the pace of his thrusts, making you feel him ridiculously deep by the way he was pounding into you.

“Shit, just like that, don’t stop.” You cried out, fisting the sheets to ground yourself.

To your surprise, the response you got to your previous sentence was nothing more than a slap to your ass cheek, making you groan and jolt in your place.

“What was that for?”

“I already told you, darling.” He panted. “You’re no one to give me orders.”

His veiny hands were holding your hips furiously, digging his fingers in your soft flesh, and you knew for sure that there were going to be some marks showing in the morning. However, you couldn’t care any less at the moment, your only concern was getting that sweet release that was slowly approaching. By the way his cock was reaching all the right places, you knew that it wouldn’t take that long to finally get it, but you needed a bit more, just a little push.

One of your own hands drifted down to messily rub your clit in a rapid motion. Moans and whines were falling from your lips, muffled by the soft pillow. You could feel it, that sweet feeling of unraveling; an electrifying sensation running through your body to let you know your orgasm was approaching. Fingers were moving with haste, urgently touching your clit.

A deep chuckle echoed through the room, and before you could even react a much bigger hand grabbed your wrist and rudely pushed it away from your folds.

“You dumb little brat,” Taehyung sneered. “Did you really think I wouldn’t notice?” His hand slapped your clit a few times, stealing whines from your mouth. “It is clear for me that I need to teach you some manners.”

The tall man lowered himself enough for you to feel his hot chest covering your bare back; dangerous lips brushing the shell of your ear while his muscular arm made its way up to wrap itself loosely around your neck. “Come on, ask for it. Nicely.”

You just wanted to scream; the way he was fucking you, along with his words, was driving you crazy. Not only was it the fact that his cock was repeatedly hitting that sweet spot of yours due to the way Taehyung was still ramming into you, but also his husky voice was making wonders to you. The man as a whole was so intoxicating; corrupting your mind with his indecent behavior and lewd touching. But far from wanting to get out of his spell, you leaned into his warm chest, saying his name like a sinful prayer.

“Taehyung… I wa-want you to touch me… please.”

“Touching you is all I’ve been doing since I saw you in that tight dress, sweetheart.” He stated. “Isn’t this enough?”

His free hand was hovering over your swollen clit, which was almost crying for his fingers to run wild over it. So close yet so far from what you needed.

“No…” You sighed; arms giving up and legs starting to shake, a matter of time before you would have to desperately beg for your release.

“Tsk, so greedy.”

Taehyung wanted to prolong your suffering by running his fingers close enough to your clit, but he reckoned this encounter had been going on for longer than the time he had to spare. And so, instead of being the asshole who would laugh at your desperation, he busied his hand nested in between your thighs, rubbing circles on your clit with his skilled fingers; it was clear as day that the extra touching was making you sensitive, and he loved to have such an effect on you.

“Is this what you wanted?” He teased you, sporting a bright and mocking smile on his face that you, unfortunately, couldn’t see. “Being touched like this really turns you on, huh? You get satisfied with so little, so used to being barely taken care of to be ambitious and ask for something else than the bare minimum.”

If you weren’t sure that Kim Taehyung wasn’t like any other guy you have met before, the way he talked to you really cemented the idea. No man, or boy for that matter, has ever spoken to you in the way Taehyung did. Haughty, arrogant, conceited, those were just a few of the words you could use to describe the brown-eyed man at that precise moment. Acting so sure of himself and the pleasure he could —already did— provide you with. His words were a clear example of how full of himself Taehyung really was. Surprisingly enough, that was exactly what lured you into begging him to give you more.

An ego boost, if you will, but it would assure you a mind blowing orgasm if you kept acting like that.

“Oh fuck, I’m so close.” You moaned. “You’re fucking me so good, sir.”

That word, which was far from being foreign for the tall man, fueled the fire within his body.

You really knew how to play his game.

“Say it again.” Taehyung ordered.

“Sir…” You moaned. “Please let me cum.”

A long overdue plea. Kim acknowledged that your breaking point was near, he could tell by the way you were clenching on his cock, almost making it impossible for him to move

“Fuck.” He panted, tightening the grip on your neck, which was previously loose. “You really wan it, don’t you?”

You nodded vehemently, whining and squirming beneath his body.

“Go on then, make my cock all creamy, princess.”

It was an automatic response to his lewd words. Your body exploded in a plethora of emotions and sensations that it has never experienced before. Toes curling, legs trembling, mouth agape, with moans worthy of being the audio of a porno running free through the room. Your vision became blurry for a moment, head too heavy to keep it up; your face ended up being squished against the soft pillow, while your body tried to recover from such an intense orgasm.

Through the years, you gained a fair amount of knowledge about what your body liked when it came to sex, but the things Taehyung did and said to you opened your eyes to a new side of yourself that was unfairly hidden, due to the poor performance of your previous sexual partners. But as amazing as it was, there was a pinch of fear invading your mind and heart for the same reason. No one has been able to give you what Taehyung did, and there was a very high chance that you would never be in the same situation as you were right now; how will you survive in a world where Kim Taehyung wasn’t the man making you see stars with a single touch?

“Are you okay, princess?” His husky voice invaded your ears like a sweet melody. “Hey, look at me, pretty, come back to me… there you are.”

A ghost of a smile, a genuine one, was adorning his face, making you feel uneasy.

How can a man like him be real? Where has he been all my life?

“I hope you’re not tired yet, because we’re not done here.” His small smile turned into a full smirk.

You were worried about the days to come, when your only comfort would be replaying this night over and over again in your head, but maybe, just maybe, you didn’t need to think about that for now.

“You’re mine for the rest of the night, doll.”

Taglist 🏷️: @aphrwodite @r1r111 @cholychi @artificialsuicid @vsr4197

[kindred-spirit-93]

spooky stuff

howdy yall im back on my bs (biscuit soliloquy) and idk what im doing with my life any more. bold of me to assume that i ever did. in other news:

my latest hyperfixation so to speak is watching daz play through horror games lol i have no idea why its so entertaining but it is. the jumpscares be jumpscaring and i dont have to do any of the work to play so its a win win!

im currently sick to my stomach after watching one lol buuuuuuut i also have a new short story idea hehe!! is more comedic, and honestly seems to me more doable than the falcon & flower.

f&f really deserves better writing lol and ive been thinking how to make it a sensible length without cutting out too much lore that it gets watered down, but at the same time i cant afford the time or braincells to mentally write and im kinda stuck. so idk maybe ill work on chapters that eventually lead somehwere? ill get back to it as soon as my latest batch of braincells hatch 👍

--

til then lol this new idea is still halfbaked but it made me laugh so here yall go: broke uni student moves to be closer to campus. finds super cheap place to rent and its literally the perfect fit. knowing her luck all too well mc goes and checks the place out, bc surely theres something amiss.

nope! everything as far as her untrained eye can tell is normal and accurate to the advertising, its just that someone died there and lots of people werent comfortable with that. and its no problem for her so she takes it.

after a lil housewarming party consisting of her and her parents lol, some thrifted furniture and an unholy amount of rugs and blankets, mc begins to settle in and all that jazz. her marks are going up, shes sleeping better, its all great. until it isnt

weird stuff keep happening around the property and shes like oh. okay? and moves on. (unbothered queen. we stan)

quick detour; idk how well id be able to write considering this may be my first project, but it would be hilarious i think if shit got progressively weirder and more insane and shes like: *sips apple juice* welp. ive got a quiz tomorrow aint got time for this. or eh that kid had it coming or better yet: is that kite just suspended there? oh would you look at that it caught fire in mid air. cool. i honestly dont know which is funnier

boom the house is haunted. something, or rather someone, has been leaving her signs in the bathroom using the soap, moving around the plates and cutlery, ruining perfectly good upholstery (THAT WAS 73% OFF). its a huge invasion of her privacy and shes having none of it. also she doesnt believe in paranormal nonsense. this is more of an inconvenience to her than anything else. she yells at whatever the fuck is in her walls to show themselves before she contacts HOA >:(

with a pop a very pissed off ghost materialises muttering something about no need for escalations and that bitch gwennifer. she makes the ghost clean up the stuff they knocked over and what have u. and then shenanigans ensue i guess lol

--

this whole story started with me coming up with a scene where mc makes like direct eye contact with the ghost and plays ayat al kursi. it was significantly funnier in my head but the mental image stuck.

also just for kicks she throws (half assedly) some zamzam water at the ghost and it goes right through them. guys do you see my vision?

--

"i am here to make your life a living hell.

so not halal mode

one to match the gruesome horrors that lead to my demise...

brotha eugh

...so that my soul can finally be laid t- are you even listening to me??"

authubillah we have seen the evidence

"??????"

--

memes for the soul. ill get back to this maybe perhaps one day. goodnight its one am lol and i have a long day ahead of me tmrw :')

the post from the tags lol >:]

[hospitalterrorizer]

diary436

12/3-4/24

tuesday - wednesday

writing this as my gf prepares for work.

another short one today. i did some more drawing which was nice, i think i basically just need the hands to be done, and then it'll be over... then i can go onto another attempt at getting better at all this, which is exciting for me.

i watched 2 movies today, one was occult, which was by koji shiraishi, who directed noroi as well. i wanted to see some j-horror stuff because i've been so into siren lately. here's a couple shots of funny things i saw in it:

i like how this was filmed at the time when there was a big ad for ugly betty up in shibuya. i've seen that before on some images i found on flickr which feels really funny, to see that and be like, oh wow, it's from then!!

equally entertaining is that psp monster hunter ad.

there were some shots that were actually really nice, the whole ending bit is also insane, maybe i could have grabbed those but these are funny to me in i guess a very narrow way.

i quite liked the film itself, it's not so scary really, but at a certain point you get a sinking feeling, and it feels so sudden, a couple times you feel very bad, you see people broken up over things, the film generally feels focused on a particular kind of poverty in japan and what happens to the people who live on the outside of the norm out there, who are headed towards homelessness and are unstable, it's a movie that wishes for kindness for people like that, as well as taking the cult-terrorist fears of the general public and using this man to examine that/prod at why people end up there. like noroi though, the text isn't so interesting as is its uncanny atmosphere, the way the world is rendered through the camera and all the 'supernatural' sightings of leeches flying through the sky. i really like that stuff, i like how cheap and strange it looks, it makes it more carnivalesque which ultimately extends / articulates the film's goals a little better, a miserable laugh at the end of poverty, a mania of a certain kind and a curiosity driven to standing on the side of grave injury, getting swept up in a strange brotherhood with a strange man.

that's one thing i thought about, eno, when he and shiraishi drop the formalities, and they bond in that way, and around when that happens eno becoming extremely agitated towards the only woman at the dinner table with them, and how she dies at the end. i keep thinking about that, and what i wrote about yesterday a bit, more that it's interesting that the film makes a point of this man being oddly misogynistic and pathetic, like he wants her but doesn't know how to be charming or nice even so he goes to attack her. excluded from being normal himself, he attacks her for being 'weird' and quiet, this makes me think of nekojiru's work, where she'd go to lengths to express how outsiders aren't somehow some kind of cure or solely good force in relation to the broader scope of society, rather they absorb all the same neuroses and use them maybe moreso to protect themselves, to never be in the wrong despite generally being seen as such (all of those judgments though, take place in a subconscious way).

anyhow, i quite liked that film.

the other film i watched i didn't like so much, videophobia, i picked it because it also seemed j-horror-y and it sorta was, it was also a movie that i picked because it seemed intensely related to what i was writing about last night here, it's about a woman who discovers revenge porn of herself on xvideos and then, as time goes on, loses it bit by bit and gets plastic surgery to become a new person so she doesn't have to live with the fear of being found out. it's an effort to meditate on how we have this massive industry and, i don't know if this is true, but in the film a woman says that global usage of 'that site' which one she means idk (i would imagine this is the figure of the one big one (if it's a real figure at all)), sits at around something like 5 million hours yearly or something? maybe a jump up to billion? i don't know. but something obscene like that. that was the best part of the film, when the woman says that to her, just this kind of cosmic terror at a figure that great, that it measures to an impossible amount of years, that it feels hopeless in the face of that basically. but idk, the rest of the film is just kind of flat. i dunno. i can't get as excited about the rest of it as i can about that little bit lodged in it. the film at points doesn't come off as leering or creepy or whatever, it just feels odd in how it handles her suffering. i don't know, i just don't know. and the music felt so wrong at points. but it felt interesting too, to see that idea meditated on, this woman really was sacrificed to this managed desire.

but now it's almost 7 am, i am super duper tired,

so,

byebye!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[my-castles-crumbling]

Hi Cas!

So, I’m 15 and I start working in a day camp in a few days in the art section and I’m really excited bc it’s Halliday here and I can make some money doing smt with art which I love.

I have been a tutor and an art teacher before, but this is my first time with more then 8 students (going to be around 20-30 my guess) are 10-11 yo so a bit harder too (so judgy at that age, i got a sister the same) which switch out every around 2 hours

and I’m kinda nervous

there is also a big miscommunication with the people I work for bc I need to have all activities planned out but idk what material I will get and shit

As a teacher, if you got any tips or some ideas for some crafts I would really appreciate it<3

Hope you have a nice day!

Hi!

Oooo, that's so exciting!

Well, I think you already have an advantage because kids LOVE hands-on shit. Much more than forcing them to write paragraphs lol.

I'd say my first advice is to let them explore. Meaning yes, give them a craft to do, but if they want to make it their own, don't force them to do it exactly like you. It'll be much more entertaining and much less stressful that way.

As far as specific crafts, anything you can do with recycled goods is much easier on you because it's easier to get materials. Pinterest had a lot of ideas for that.

OOOO also you can turn things into challenges. For example- use these things to create a bridge. The bridge that can hold the most weight gets a candy bar. Kids LOVE competitions, and it gets them focused and working together.

Worst comes to worst, go with themes. Week one can be all beach themed crafts, week two can be camping, etc. Teacherspayteachers.com has a lot of free/cheap templates you can download!

I hope that helps and have fun!

[weepingwillows-sweethibiscustea]

OKAY. RWRB MOVIE REVIEW.

(Disclaimer that these are all only my opinions)

I imagined Philip as looking more like Philza Minecraft, to be completely honest. So tell me why they made him kinda..???

THEY FUCKED UP HIS CHARACTERIZATION (imo). In the book, he’s just a victim of what he was born into as well. He’s rigid & kinda a dick because it was what he was taught to be to survive, the movie completely took that away, giving him literally two scenes.

AND THEN THEY GIVE GOOD GRACE TO THE KING? Bro. No. Stop it.

I feel as though they were afraid to criticize the British monarchy too hard, which is why they gave the king the good grace they did (plus other changes done, I don’t think they included the cliticization of the British Museum stealing all those artifacts either)

Frothing at the mouth over the fact they not only took away Luna, but completely got rid of the fucking sex abuse scandal in favor of a jealousy plot. Explodes you with my mind.

Going back to my point above that one, I feel they might not have wanted to add that seeing how many Richards are out there. Can’t fan too many flames, huh?

They also gave Bea way less screen time, & took away the whole “Powder Princess” thing, I think the way they talked about their dad passing & how it effects the family was kind of cheap.

AND they fucked up Henry’s moms characterization. She just straight up wasn’t in it, only mentioned, & in a negative light. Again, they really didn’t give the dad passing the attention it deserved.

The beginning went by pretty damn fast. But in all fairness for that & I suppose a lot of points, the movies already two hours long with all that missing, so I suppose I can give some leniency on some of these points.

June obviously wasn’t there either, but it at least doesn’t feel like anybody’s missing. I guess they managed the Nora & June merge well. THEY DID NOT MANAGE THE LIAM & LUNA MERGE WELL.

Seriously fuck them for taking away Luna & subsequently his character arc

THEY UN-DIVORCED ELLEN & OSCAR. I UNDERSTAND IT WOULD HAVE ADDED A LOT OF SCREEN TIME THEY DIDN’T HAVE BUT COME ON.

Do love all the terms of endearment Henry uses, honestly don’t remember if that’s in the book or not.

Can we circle back around to how attractive Philip is. Sorry who said that.

I like the way they handled the cake scene better, definitely feels more realistic.

Admittedly also kinda happy the Henry magazine photo thing wasn’t added, kind of made me cringe reading about it lmao

OH YEA THEY TOOK OUT THE SCENE WHERE ALEX CALLS HENRY TO VENT ABOUT HIS PARENTS(?), IT WAS SUCH AN IMPORTANT MOMENT FOR THEIR RELATIONSHIP BOO

Is there a copy right reason they couldn’t include Henry being a Star Wars fan? If they just simply choose not to then I am Disappointed.

Really liked how they did the phone calls, with them appearing in front & them as though they’re in the same room, together. Great touch.

Edit to add this bullet point because it’s really important to me. Alex says he’s bisexual, Henry says he’s gay. Ellen asks if Alex is gay, fluid, bi, pan. Ellen references transgender people. They talk about the LGBT+ community. They say all these words, they don’t whisper them, or talk around them. They say them loud & clear as day. Idk, this just makes me really happy because of how often you’ll see people talk around these words like they’re bad or dirty words (yes I’m aware this is a movie where they have gay sex multiple times on screen but it’s still important to me shut up)

FINAL THOUGHTS.

It was alright. I don’t regret watching it. It was entertaining, but admittedly not the type of movie I’d usually watch, so I think other people could enjoy it way more then I did. But I definitely still enjoyed it despite all my criticisms.

Definitely not as good as the book, but not bad at all. I’d say it’s absolutely worth the watch.

I’m sure you can also find posts that can better articulate why this movie is so groundbreaking & important as well, which is something I didn’t particularly touch on in this post.

[misireads]

Pussikaljaromaani ("Beer bag novel") by Mikko Rimminen

[ physical book, read in finnish ]

one day in the life of three drunk men in helsinki. they wander around, mostly in the kallio area, and get in trouble with the police. sometimes they sit down to drink with underage girls. at one point it starts raining. yes that's it, that's the book. over 300 pages.

➕ i need to elaborate why i read this book…. over 2 years ago i decided i want to read more finnish literature, so i googled a list of recommendations (+ recommended authors), took one list, started going down it. this was the last one i had left on the first side of the slip of paper i wrote my list on -- even though it continues on the other side of the paper lol, it still felt like i finished A list that i'd been working on for two years now, and this was the one last title remaining on it, so i was really determined to read this even though i had already read another novel from rimminen that was total nonsense, yeah idk how two of this author's books made it to a rec list but they did. so that's why i read this and didn't drop it.

➕ i mean… the author sure has a way with words. this novel truly is about words, not about any story or characters. the finnish language clearly provides rimminen with endless entertainment.

➕ besides words, this novel is about helsinki. it was pretty fun following the places mentioned here on a map, especially since this book is twenty years old and many things have changed since then because helsinki is developed REALLY rapidly these days and kallio has become significantly gentrified. it was pretty funny that one of the key locations in this story is this iconic kiosk where they get cheap beer and hotdogs and whatever, which these days apparently sells wine.

➕ fast to read because nothing happens. no need to pay attention to anything so you can just run your eyes through every page

➕ the relationship between the three men is actually kind of wholesome? i guess.

➖ this is the definition of nonsense. there's no story here to speak of. the characters hardly have any characteristics either. clearly this is supposed to be Haha Funny Humorjoke but reading about drunk men walking around stealing shit, and then drinking some more, and then drinking some more^2 with teenage girls is truly……. not my definition of a good time. most of the novel is description of them walking somewhere. or running. there's also a scene where they meet "a tranny" and iiiiii yeeeaaaahhhh yes.

➖ what's not description of them walking is description of the sort-of-main character thinking that he should say something, or recurring dialogue of one of the guys saying something nonsensical and either himself commenting how it was nonsense or the others commenting that it's nonsense. i don't even know how to adequately describe how little content there is in the dialogue. the average scene is just about this: "'huh,' he said. 'what huh,' another he said. 'well huh huh,' he repeated" my brain cells are dying as we speak

➖ the author has a way with words yes but those are extremely, extremely repetitive words. this reads like stuff i wrote as an 11 year old, packing every sentence full of LOL SO RANDOM XDDDDD metaphors and hehhe funny words haha sounds soooo funee. i wrote down some drinking game ideas: take a shot at each instance of the finnish words "jotenkin" (somehow), "jonkinlainen" (some kind of), "sellainen" (that kind of), "siten" (therefore). you'll be piss drunk in five minutes

➖ the last 50 or so pages are just lists of things in helsinki. feels like the author ran out of ideas of what to write so he made the characters walk even more and just listed the locations.

⭐ score: 1 -- yeah. bye

[eldritchmochi]

an updoot: SURGERY HAS BEEN SCHEDULED

it is unfortunately not until october 4th :I

which honestly is kind of what we were expecting. at least i get to have my already-paid-for vacation??????? :III

my PFML paperwork should be processed by end of next week at the latest, so i should hopefully be able to get my back pay before i need buy more than an absurd number of cans of a very specific chicken broth, but i am going to have a couple of bills due soon that we are unlikely to be able to cover out of cherry's paycheck

i have my credit card payment, due sept 13th, thats a minimum of $200 (the balance is so high now o__o;;) then my phone bill, due sept 15th, for $80

cherry's check comfortably covers all their bills, they just don't get paid til the 14th so we can't cheese my credit card (i know calling and asking for an extension is an option but i dont wanna move the goalpost if i can help it since idk for sure when i'll get my back pay just yet). I do have about 75 bucks already, so it's not too big of a gap to fill. venmo and paypal are both @/sumomomochi

i HAVE however gotten quite a bit forward into coping skills, so i have 31c and probably soon 31d i can offer up as bait for EQUIVELENT EXCHANGE should u prefer. no minimum cos this is an "anything helps" kinda situation, just dm me sum proof or include an email in ur purchase notes and i'll send u GEEFT. i also have an offer for DEVELOPMENTAL EDITING i'll throw a post up for soon too so keep ur eyes peeled for that link

as far as food goes, i am pretty set for probably the next week or so. i have just an ungodly amount of nutritional shakes, and we have some buddies who are gonna come help batch make some meals for cherry to stock our freezer. if you have suggestions for super easy super cheap batch meals that do not hinge on garlic and/or onion for flavour, my asks are open gimme recipes

i am also bored out of my fucking gourd so once again i beg of u, gimme ENRICHMENT. liveblog rereading my fic and tag me, or demand not pinterest boards i hate pinterest but like clothing reference for xyz outfit in whatever fic (its all real clothing folks. mostly), or otherwise make me lecture on something. blese. im bored ;n; (see above for other approved modes of harassing the moch)

IN CONCLUSION:

i got $280 in bills i gotta pay next week and only $75ish to put towards them. vm/pp are both @/sumomomochi i will send you Yet More Porn if u give me a way to do so

alternatively, i'll be offering my services as a developmental editor for all your smutty need. deets will be linked here when i get THAT post up

further, soliciting recipes for easy and cheap meals to batch make, especially if theyre like "put can of x in crockpot alongside x seasoning packet and sum meat, enjoy 4-6hrs later". pls send me an ask or i guess dm me a link if theyre links its chill you can cold call

finally, i have ten more weeks stuck doing BASICALLY nothing please for the love of god entertain me you have permission i promise i have a high tolerance for weirdos and am very good natured about people being awkward

okay so, to have a place for consolidated information for the next little bit, since i'm sure folks have QUESTIONS given my incredibly aggressive gallows humour

MOCHI, WHAT THE FUCK IS UP WITH THAT?? (guts edition)

tldr ive been getting a number of recurrent small bowel obstructions located in my duodenum (first part of the small intestine, connecting the stomach to the rest of the bowel) due to external pressure on the duodenum around the 3rd to 4th (of 4) section. what's causing the pressure?? no clue actually ive done a bazillion scans and none of them have been quite clear enough for a real confident dx so i get to have surgery about it at some point in the near future

current theory is the pressure is from some sort of non-cancerous tumor mass and the plan is to cut me open nice and big, look about, and remove both this mass and the affected section of the duodenum (.5 of an organ) at a minimum, but may involve fully bipassing the duodenum when my guts get hooked back up to my stomach which could (would???) also require removing my gallbladder (1 and 2 organs respectively) (i'm having so much yanked out of my abdomen this summer jfc)

atm i'm still waiting for scheduling to give me a call to set things up. surgeon's estimate was 4-5 weeks from now (8/17 when he called). from that point i'll spend a week-ish in the hospital to make sure all hoses are firmly affixed, and then i'll have a month at a minimum before i'm reasonably healed and can go back to normal life

i have good insurance and the luck (????) of being incredibly ill at the best of times, so i've already hit my out of pocket max and thus this WHOLE THING even back dating to my first er visit end of june will cost a whopping 189$ that i've already paid. i also should qualify for my states paid medical leave and my wife will get a hefty chunk of change for living expenses via student loans. however, both those things won't hit until late september at the earliest

long term, im not expecting much of a financial burden, but short term we could use a hand with groceries and similar while we wait for my backpay and my wife's student loans

for venmo and paypal: i am @/sumomomochi for both and either is fine, though pp is labeled as a business account so pls mark f&f if you can

i also have this amazon wishlist ( https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/N1NSTH3JPCX2?ref_=wl_share ) that is like 90% meal replacement shakes and bulk shelf stable snacks, but also has a couple of other useful things like bathing wipes since i am unlikely to be able to shower well post surgery, pj pants for when it cools down (i went up a size with t because my ass and thighs got just so beefy and thus have one pair that fits rn lmao), and cat food for the penni (gotta keep my nurse well paid)

uuuh what else

like i said, i'm incredibly ill at the best of times so i am a champ at weathering this sort of stuff its nbd. "i'm sorry"s are not helpful, i'd much rather have people ask direct specific questions, either about my health status or things i'm doing to keep busy (ie "any new and fun things causing tummy issues?" or "hows your battle vest coming?" or "whats your fav line youve written this week?"). engagement and entertainment is Important to keep me from climbing the walls but i swear i will bite at straight sympathy

things ive been doing to keep me out of the er include: laying on my left side or stomach (The Digestion Position; helps get food past the squished part); eating a semi-liquid diet (hence ensure, jello, pudding, the like, though its important that i also eat solid food as much as is tolerated, which is such a delicate balance. this is why i cannot currently work); going on stupid little walks for my stupid digestive health (honestly the most important thing i can do, which im mad about, because it requires pants, but not only encourages guts to digest but also will help me not decondition, which i have already done a lot of :I)

things YOU can do to help (because i know *i* am a helper but also what is actually helpful??): financially with the above deets (no pressure); asks, comments, and other conversational interactions (i am absolutely chill with basically any kind of question and i dont mind dms if youd prefer privacy, just dont pedestal me i promise i am just A Dude); fanart for my fics (i do not care if you "cant draw" i will still love it); prompts for fandom but not necessarily fic projects (wardrobe moodboards/meta for characters, playlists/songs, smut writing how to questions, cosplay progress/plans qs, those "what was x's pov in this scene/what specifically happened between x and y in this fic?" qs andor other ask meme things idk dude i haven't been able to do shit for almost three months im booooored)

in conclusion

nurse penni says do not worry about herb patient, he is in good hands, just be sure to offer regular enrichment

[ramp-it-up]

Customer Service

Paring: Chris Evans x Interior Designer Reader

Word count: around 3K

Summary: Chris needs you to complete what is missing in his bedroom decor.

Warnings: 18+ Absolutely MINORS DNI. RPF, SMUTTY SMUT, ANGST. Not Beta’d. Pining, employer/employee relationship, up skirting (w/consent?), white panty kink, fingering, oral sex (f receiving) squirting, graphic mirror sex, p in v, sex standing up, creampie, good girl kink, Dom Chris if you squint, implied blow job. Unprotected sex. (Wrap if you tap).

Author’s note: I guess maybe I’m back? Idk. It’s been a while. Let me know what you think.

Notice: I no longer operate a taglist. Follow @rampitupandread to be notified when I post.

DO NOT COPY, REPOST, OR TRANSLATE MY WORK

“Did you just ask me if I… Wanna do you in your bedroom?”

Your eyes were wide and you’d nearly choked on your drink, not believing what he’d just asked you. 

Chris guffawed loudly, causing everyone to either look over or shake their heads, used to his expressions of mirth.

“Wow. Freudian slip much?”

“Fuck you, Chris.” 

You rolled your eyes as you took another gulp, a little bit mortified.

“Hmmmm. There it goes again.”

He grabbed your hand as you walked away, pulling you back to where you were. You were heated and Chris seemed to be enjoying it. He always teased you every time you were around.

“Calm down, Gorgeous, I’m just messing with you. What I meant was, do you want to redecorate my bedroom? You did a great job in here.” 

He indicated your mutual friend's basement, which you’d redesigned the past summer into a game/media/entertaining space. You looked around slowly, taking in every detail to which you’d paid close attention. 

Chris always found a reason to talk to you at your friend’s get togethers, eternally flirty, but you did not take it seriously. Although you were attracted to him, it was never the right time. Either you were taken, or the rumors were that he was. And anyway, it was just harmless fun. No way he’d be interested in you.

“Gorgeous.”

As your eyes came back to Chris, he was looking at you, and not the decor.  He cleared his throat and took another drink, eyes still on you.

“When I look around my bedroom, there just seems to be something missing. And so that leads me to you.”

You just stared at him, not wanting to respond this time. Chris took it as reticence.

“Come on. As a favor to me? Pwease?” 

Chris pouted and poked out his ruby red bottom lip. You laughed at him.

“You’re just a great big brat, aren’t you?” 

You sighed as he grinned knowingly.

”Ok. But it’s not a favor. It’s business. And I’m not cheap.”

Chris raised his eyebrow at you.

“Nothing that is worth having ever is.”

—-

Taking this gig seriously tested your willpower. During the frequent meetings in his bedroom, you’d had to hold yourself back from tackling him onto the huge bed and fucking his brains out. 

But that wasn’t professional.

So you’d remained strong and took in the details of this room, which only had a huge bed and stark white decor. He was right. It needed some color. 

You and he began the hunt all over New England for the perfect pieces to complete the look of his most intimate space, Chris wanting to use the new 4x4 pickup truck he’d bought soon after you were hired. Since he was between projects, you two spent a lot of time together, discussing design, among other things. He was a very involved client. 

And a perfect gentleman.

Until one crisp fall weekend, when everything changed.

Early that morning, Chris pulled up to your house to pick you up, not opening the door for you as he usually did when you climbed up into the truck.

“‘Lo. Gorgeous. You good?” 

Chris drawling his nickname for you in that Boston accent behind the wheel of a pickup truck was the subject of many of your fantasies. But you couldn’t let him catch you slipping.

His eyes skimmed up and down your body as you smoothed your dress down and settled in to put on your seatbelt. You looked at him as he stared at you.

“Good morning, Chris. I am. Are you?”

You crossed your legs, showcasing your legs and cowboy boots under your short corduroy dress. Chris’ eyes darkened and his jaw clenched and he moved toward you, then seemed to think better of it as he settled back into his seat.

“Just peachy.”

You wondered what his deal was, but you pushed down your feelings and got out your phone, checking your list of antique shops. After all, this was business. You could feel his eyes on you as he pulled out of your driveway and got on the road.

It was a beautiful drive, but there was a new, more dangerous tension between you as the morning progressed. and you felt that something was going to snap any minute. Chris was a man of few words today, responding to you with grunts and nods. There was something going on that you couldn’t name. It put you on edge.

The morning was tense, and as you entered the fourth shop before you circled back for lunch, Chris hung back, looking for a brass fireplace tool set as you searched for a wardrobe. You didn’t know it, but he was also checking for you as his eyes followed you throughout the store. 

You almost stumbled over the cause of your undoing. Chris was pure sex on legs in jeans and a flannel shirt, signature baseball cap on over his hair which was newly buzzed and a scruff of a beard growing back in. You were too distracted by thoughts of him to notice his reaction to you as you walked through the old shop, which was filled to the brim with treasures. 

Chris was watching your legs in the cowboy boots when you backed up to the object in question as you sized up a large piece of furniture.

“Ay, yo!”

You and the woman with gray in her hair looked up to see Chris give you a nod, full of arrogance and ownership. You were taken aback from across the shop as the owner smirked and looked back down to her ledger as Chris strode over to you, in full frat boy mode. His broad shoulders, slim hips and long legs made you feel some kind of way and you backed up further as he approached.

Chris took in your wide eyes and moved you with just his proximity, hands in his pockets as he looked down at you like some asshole at a college party. God, you hated how your body responded to him. But the way he made you feel was like nothing else in the world. Maybe you would say something when the job was done.

Maybe not.

Chris reached out to touch your arm and you stopped retreating, staring up into those clear blues shaded by the bill of his baseball cap as he smirked down at you. He looked into your eyes for a few seconds, and then down to your side and back up at you, eyes shining.

Curious, you looked down and saw a small oval shaped end table, it’s top a mirror. It came up to your mid thigh and gave Chris a perfect view up your dress. 

You shook your head at him, heart beating a mile a minute, but you didn’t move. Chris stared you down and spoke in a low tone which only you two could hear.

“I have to have that.”

He nodded down to the table, which reflected your ass back up to you both as you gazed down on it.

“You want it in your bedroom?”

Your voice was deep with desire as you asked the question. You were so close now, and looking up at him and his lips. You wondered how they would feel on your body.

“Want it. Need it. Bad.”

The way his voice broke a little bit was everything. There was no mistaking this conversation. You moaned a little yourself and cleared your throat.

“What are you going to do with it?”

The sexual tension was so high, you needed to climb over it and just do it.

Chris’s long lashes fanned his cheek as he looked down again and back up into your eyes.

“I’ll need to show you. In my bedroom. I imagine it will look good. Really good.”

Your breath hitched at the possibilities. You weren’t misreading any meaning this time.

“Oh?”

“Yes. Can you see the possibilities? Judging from what I see, I think you’re right there with me.”

You looked down to see that the vision of your soaked panties was plainly visible in the mirrored table top. There was no denying it. And you didn’t want to any more.

“You should get it.”

Chris gave a sexy side smile at your hoarse whisper.

“Oh. I intend to.”

Chris leaned down, his hand faintly brushing your thigh when he reached for the table. He smirked as he turned and headed toward the register.

You were too flustered to be able to breathe in the old store, so you walked out into the crisp fall air to catch your breath. You did not believe this was happening, and had almost convinced yourself that it hadn’t by the time Chris stalked out of the store, the table in hand. You climbed back into the truck as he put it in the back with the rest of the morning’s purchases. You tried in vain to stop thinking throughout the 20 minute drive.

When you arrived at his home, you jumped out of the truck, ready to call an Uber to take you home as he called to you from his door. 

“Y/N.” 

He nodded his head at you and you obeyed, following him into the house. You stopped in the living room, but was propelled forward as he jerked his head into his bedroom. You slowly moved forward, walking toward him and the table which he had put down near him in front of the bed.

“L-l-looks good.”

You were shook. You didn’t think you’d escape his bedroom untouched this time. And you didn’t think you wanted to.

“C’mere.”

Chris reached for your hand and you moved to give it to him. You two stared each other down, and then started to speak. At the same time.

“Chris,--”

“Y/N, am I–”

You both stopped and chuckled.

“You’re right–”

“Cause I gotta tell ya-” 

You stopped again, and Chris took off his hat, running his fingers through his hair. You just had to feel it between your fingers, and as you moved, he reached for you too, grabbing you by the waist and pulling you to him. You came together like a pair of magnets, unable to resist each other any longer.

Your first kiss was heady, teeth and tongue and lips acting out stored-up need. He kissed you until you couldn’t breathe. Then, he leaned his forehead against yours.

“I’ve wanted to do that for so long.”

“Same. But I wasn’t sure you liked me like that.”

Chris shook his head and chuckled. 

“For a smart woman, you can be pretty clueless sometimes. Everyone knows how I feel about you.”

You shrugged your shoulders. 

“No one told me.”

Chris was looking at your lips.

“You’re right. I should have. Y/N, L/N. I like you. I like you a lot.”

He kissed you again and pulled back.

“And like I said. I want you. I’ve been wondering what was under that dress all day, hoping it was nothing.”

“Oh really?”

Chris pulled you flush against him, and turned you around. You could feel the steel rod in his pants, and see him looking down. The table was right behind you.

“Yes. But what I saw in this table was so much better.”

Chris looked down again. 

“White cotton panties. Do you know what that does to me?”

“No.” You smiled innocently. “What?”

You were enjoying the knowledge that you affected him.

“I had a dream about you this morning. White cotton panties against your beautiful skin. Almost busted a nut in my sleep like a fucking teenager.” 

Chris was kissing your neck now, and your hands rubbed the erection inside his jeans. 

“Woke up with the biggest hard on.”

You moaned. 

“For me?”

“Yeah. for you. Do you want it?”

Chris pressed his crotch into your palm. You tried to grasp it in vain over his clothes. Then you reached for his button.

“Fuck yeah.” 

You got his pants open and were able to feel the fullness of his member through his underwear. You licked your lips not wanting to split your lip on him, but wanting to try. He was looking down again.

“I know you’re wet, Gorgeous. Did I do that?”

Chris edged away from you and unbuttoned his flannel, threw it on the floor and then took off his t-shirt. How dare he ask that as he stood shirtless in front of you.

“You make me wet whenever you’re around, especially in this room.”

He moved toward you again, nodding.

“I get it. Usually I stroke one out before we meet. To keep my hands off you.”

You clenched as he pulled up your dress and pulled your panties tight between your folds. The friction was good, but somehow not enough. You wanted more.

“But this morning, I just let it ride. ‘S why I’m so wild right now. Tired of holding back..”

“Oh Chris…”

“Tell me no right now. And I will be able to stop. If not….” 

He literally growled into your ear. His hands were at your hips now and going north, moving your dress up your body. You arched into him.

“Don’t stop Chris.”

His face changed and his hands stripped your clothes off.

You were wearing a white lace camisole, and your nipples were clearly hard beneath it.

“So fucking gorgeous,” he said, as he pulled it up over your head.

He grabbed you and his mouth descended down your body, stopping to worship and torture your nipples. One hand slipped inside your panties and he teased your slit, rubbing your wetness around them. You tried not to press your against his hand, but you were too wanton.

“I want to suck your dick, Chris.”

He moaned as you stroked his cock, running your thumb across his sticky wet tip. He shuddered.

“God I want that too, Gorgeous. Wanna see you try to take it all.” 

His free fingers brushed your lips as his other hand teased inside your sopping hole.

“But first I’m going to taste you. Then I’m going to fuck you. And you will watch me do it.”

Before you knew it, your back was on the bed and Chris was on his knees in front of you, holding your legs open and staring at your pussy. Those eyes. Those lashes. Those lips as he licked them.

“Gorgeous.” He looked up at you. “Can I?”

You leaned up on your elbows, needing to see this.

“Please,” you begged, the anticipation getting to be too much.

Chris pushed your thighs wider to accommodate his shoulders and leaned in, hot breath fanning your lower lips as his mouth got near. He moved his hands close and pulled your pussy lips apart, the sound of your slick releasing as he separated you deliciously pornographic.  He licked up and down your slit, and leaned back, huffing with indignation.

“Shit this is delicious.”

He tasted you again.

“You can’t be this perfect.”

And again.

“Holy shit.”

And then he immersed his face fully into your cunt, lickiing, swiping, sucking with his lips and tongue. You grabbed his hair and tugged, causing him to moan into your already-wrecked hole.

“Oh god, Chris….”

He pulled back, smacking his lips.

“That’s right. Give it to me.”

He lifted his hand, rotating his palm up, and slid his middle finger into you.

“So fucking tight. This is just one finger. Gotta loosen up, Gorgeous. Eyes on me.”

He winked and started to eat you out again, locking eyes with you. His tongue went to town, flicking your sensitive nub.

“Pinch those nipples for me, Gorgeous. Hard. Like a good girl.” 

He spoke into your cunt and he looked down to watch you clench desperately around his digit. That’s when he slipped another in and started finger fucking you. Grinning, he leaned down again and took your clit between his teeth as he watched your fingers pinch and pull your breasts.

“Goo gul.” Good girl.

He spoke through your pussy, the vibrations of his voice coursing through you and causing the tight coil in your belly to snap and sending your release gushing into his face. He gladly took everything you gave him, lapping you up and groaning in gratitude. When your pulses slowed, he stood up and wiped his face with his t-shirt.

You stared at the ceiling, embarrassed that you came that hard, and all over him. Your cheeks were warm and you wouldn’t look his way.

“Hey.”

Chris was grabbing your hand. And bringing you upright, tilting your head up for a kiss. His eyes were full of admiration.

“I think I’m addicted to that shit. We’re going to have to do that again.”

He smiled down at you, and you smiled back as he walked you backwards to the table.

“But first, I gotta see this.”

Chris gently kicked your legs apart and positioned the table between them.

“Wanna see myself balls deep in your pretty little pussy from this angle,  Gorgeous.”

He walked behind you, trailing his hand on your torso as he nestled himself against your back.

“Now watch closely.”

You looked down and gasped. It was so graphic, and so fucking sexy. Chris was pumping his cock and swiping it between your wet folds, causing sparks of sensation to radiate through your body. Looking at it from this perspective was a unique experience.

“So fucking hot.”

Chris’s deep voice in your ear and the drops of your arousal on the mirror caused you to try and chase his cock for relief, but he just held your hip fast with his hand to keep you still. 

“Keep being my good girl, Gorgeous. Be patient.”

After listening to you keen in his ear as he leaned down to kiss your shoulder, he  couldn’t hold back any longer.

You moaned as you watched his huge cock breach your tiny hole from below. Your pussy started squeezing round him as he slowly stuffed himself inside you.    Chris’s hands were on your hips holding you down from take off as he thrust his pelvis. You groaned and threw your head back against his shoulder, not able to bear the image.

“Watch.”

Chris’s tone was laced with a little bit of danger. You clenched and he moaned, then smirked at your tell. He doubled down on the dom.

“Keep those fucking eyes open.”

You looked down and it took your breath away. You had the perfect view of Chris’s cock sleeking in and out of your cunt, balls tight against his unit.

“Now circle that clit. Lemme see that pretty little manicure help make you… “

You’d obeyed Chris immediately, and the vision of your chocolate manicured fingers parting your lips and rotating around your clit as his cock invading your tight channel was extremely erotic.

Chris looked down and saw his cock destroying you. He felt you beginning to spasm around him. He heard your sopping wet cunt and your sexy moans. He couldn’t take it.

“Shit that looks so, feels so, sounds so fucking good…”

“Oohhh!” 

You were near the edge. He sucked a hickey onto your neck as he lifted you off the ground with his thrusts. He hooked your leg over his elbow to help gain deeper access.

“Holy shit, taking me so fucking well. Gorgeous, look at it.”

“I can’t Chris, I… shit, holyyyyy, I’m gonna cum again. All over you, shittttt.”

Chris moved you slightly away from the mirror, but did not stop fucking you. He husked into your ear.

“Give it to me. Give it all to me and I’ll give it all to you. Gonna stuff this little pussy so full of my cum…”

“Ahhhh ahhh ah ahhhh!”

You came, body shuddering as Chris pounded into you. You felt the warm spurt of his cum hit your walls and you released as promised.

You opened your eyes and you were on  the floor, curled up in Chris’s arms as he sat on the rug at the foot of his bed. His hand was stroking your spine and you felt safe and warm. But anxious. You looked up at him.

“Oh my god. I can’t believe we did that.”

Chris kissed your nose.

“I can. Been dreaming of it for a long time. A couple of years. Since we first met.”

You were flabbergasted.

“Why didn’t you say anything?”

“It never seemed to be the right time. But we’re here now.”

You smiled wide.

“Yeah. And I’m glad.”

Chris gave you a tender kiss and held you tighter. Then he got up and lifted you with him. 

“Time to shower and finish this bedroom.”

You tried to pull him toward the bathroom. But he didn’t budge.

“Or you can give me that blowjob you promised.”

You looked down to see Chris at half staff already.

“We’ve got time. Bedroom seems complete now anyway.”

That lopsided smile did something to your heart. You sank down on your knees.

“The customer is always right.”

Read the next part: One Per Customer

Let me know if it was good for you. Like, reblog, comment please! 🧡

[maschotch]

Uhm, okay so, I just watched the episode where Gideon dies (10x13, Nelson's Sparrow), and I just need help understanding something.

In the end of the episode, Rossi puts down his gun and basically tells the unsub to come at him, and then later he shot and killed the unsub. The way I understood it was that Rossi wanted the unsub to come at him so he'd have an excuse to shoot and kill the unsub (most likely as revenge for Gideon + all those women since the unsub was so fine with going to jail), and I'd very much not like that to be the case, so did you or anyone else interpret it that way?

unfortunately im p sure thats exactly how that scene played out… i guess you could say its better than straight up shooting him in cold blood, but is it really all that different?? i cant remember when but at some point someone calls hotch out for letting that slide when he condemned elle for essentially doing the same thing.

idk i was really disappointed with that whole episode. conceptually it felt cheap and it really just spit in the face of gideon’s entire character arc. gideon’s departure was bittersweet.. it was inevitably a bit rushed just due to the way the actor was leaving, and we didnt ever get proper closure with him and any of the others, but i think that suited him in a way?

(in fact i think it worked in everyone else’s favor, character wise. they all had to scramble in the wake of his sudden absence, putting pressure on characters who were already at their breaking point. the team is on the brink of collapse what with strauss’s attacks, reid’s struggle with sobriety, emily’s doubts, hotch’s priorities… hotch has been unit chief since the show started but there was no question that ultimately they all looked to gideon for guidance. with gideon gone the others had to step up and have faith in their own abilities—and in each other. gideon was unparalleled as a profiler, but his true passion and ultimately the legacy he left behind was as an educator. the true test of his impact was whether the team could continue without him)

but i digress! he was troubled when he left: plagued by guilt of all the people who got hurt because of him. he couldnt handle the weight of the mistakes he had made, so when he drops everything and leaves it seemed like he was running away. particularly in the rather distasteful way they teased his last goodbye as a potential suicide letter.. while that wouldve been fitting in its own way, the reveal that he was using this time to rediscover himself and find his way out of the twisted life he had entangled himself in was uplifting and hopeful: he could live a life outside the bau and find the happiness and beauty in the world he had struggled to say as of late, but had always valued. only penelope could rival his fierce desire to choose to believe in the good of the world, even as he trudged through the death and destruction humanity had to offer. but he was losing his grip on that faith and needed to leave before he lost a part of himself he’d never get back

which is why it was so disheartening to see that he had fallen right back into it. he wasnt able to leave and, ultimately, it was what got him killed in the end. it wouldve been one thing if they emphasized the hopelessness of it all and how they were all destined to die in the same way because of the life they had chosen (and could never un-choose), but instead they tried to laugh it off and talk about the good ol days and pretend that he was doing good right up until the end. instead of acknowledging the tragedy of the trap he’d created for himself that he couldnt escape from, they talked about his quirks and told stories from his early bau days. if they had at least acknowledged it and presented it as an ominous omen reflecting the future that awaited them all, then ruining the end of his story wouldve felt worth it. but they disrespected his character for cheap entertainment instead of any deeper meaning they couldve drawn from it.

sorry lahdkzh this is not what you were asking about, but i just wanted to talk about why i felt they failed in this episode on all counts. not just with rossi and hotch’s actions, but with the base idea in the first place.

[sohotthateveryonedied]

What It Takes to Survive

Whumptober Day 19: Bitten

(Yes I hate zombie apocalypse AUs because they’re sad, yes I’m writing one anyway. It’s okay when I do it)

Summary:

Jason: man i sure do love having two hands :)

Me, halfway through sawing his arm off: what

(Basically it's a zombie apocalypse AU and Jason gets bitten so Steph has to cut his arm off. Lots of fun for the whole family!)

Trigger Warnings: Amputation, Gore, uhhhh idk general blood and zombie stuff

“What about fish?” “What about ‘em?” “You know. The virus,” Steph says. She taps the end of her baseball bat against the pavement as she walks. “Could a fish turn?” Jason makes a face. “Who would wanna bite a fish?” He shoves aside an abandoned tire with his foot. They watch it trundle down the cracked sidewalk ahead of them before rolling to a stop and falling on its side. Steph shrugs, conceding the point. “I guess it’s more of a ‘science for the sake of science’ kind of experiment. Unless it was bitten by another fish in the wild, but that would still require someone to bite the first fish.” “I don’t think fish have teeth.” “Sure they do. They gotta chew those flakes somehow.” The street ahead of them is deserted, as is the street behind them. And in every other direction. Today it’s Steph and Jason’s turn to scavenge for supplies, which means it’s their turn to venture into the zombie-infested wasteland that used to be Gotham City. Usually they stick closer to their hideout than this, but Duke has been sick for over a week now. Dick is pretty sure it’s just an infection, but Duke won’t get better without antibiotics.

“Maybe it’s in the water supply,” Jason muses. “Y’know, a zombie decays in a lake, gets its germs in the water. Fish catch the virus…” He spreads his hands. “Zombie fish.” “I think it would be cool. Like keeping a pet shark, but smaller and more deadly.” Steph stops at the edge of the deserted parking lot. She holds a hand over her eyes, blocking them from the sun so she can read the unlit sign of the pharmacy. “You sure this place will have something?” “Nope,” Jason says. “Let’s go.” A few zombies mill mindlessly around the lot. Careful not to be spotted by the horde, Steph stands on top of a tipped-over shopping cart. She lifts up on her toes and scans the outside of the building. “There,” she says, pointing. “They won’t see us if we go in through there.” A window has been smashed at the northern side of the store, out of sight of any zombies who still have eyes. Jason lets out a curse when he follows her gaze to the broken window. “Hopefully the last scavengers left some stuff for us.” They sneak through the lot quietly, Steph gripping her baseball bat for dear life and Jason swinging his crowbar like he's already gearing up to start bashing skulls. They make it to the window without being noticed, mercifully. Steph gives Jason a boost. She grimaces at the smear of dirt his sneaker leaves on her palm. He peers in through the window. “Clear,” he whispers back to her. He climbs in, wriggling through the gap. In a way, it’s lucky that they’ve all been on the brink of starvation since the virus first hit, or this might have been difficult. Jason turns back to pull Stephanie up behind him. She lands soundlessly on the linoleum, instincts bared and at the ready. They stay silent, being wary of every dark corner and hidden nook where a zombie could be lurking. After a sweep of the place comes up without results, Steph lets out a breath. “I think we’re good.” Jason nods. “I’ll look for the meds. Try and scavenge whatever you can carry.” He heads for the pharmacy at the back of the store. The aisles have been just about picked clean of anything useful, but Steph makes do. Some expired-but-still-good gummy worms for Tim. A three-in-one puzzle set for Cass. Some nail polish for Dick and new crayons for Damian. Steph gets basic toiletries and food, along with some cheap novels that didn’t make the cut to be in a regular bookstore, but they’ll be enough to keep the group entertained on quiet nights. Absently, Steph wonders if any of the authors are still alive. If they are, do they still write? Is there a point to it if the majority of their audience is either zombiefied or dead? The end of the world makes even the little things seem pointless when she thinks about it too hard, so she doesn’t. Instead, Steph thinks about how relieved Dick will be when she and Jason return in one piece. She thinks about Duke’s smile and about teaching Tim how to do a cartwheel. She thinks about warm nights on a bare mattress with Damian on one side of her and Cass on the other. It’s enough to keep her moving. Steph is in the middle of ripping open a box of semi-stale crackers when she hears a crash at the back of the store. She stands from her crouch, the box slipping from her fingers. She waits. There is no telltale sound of zombies shuffling over from outside, drawn in by the noise, so she risks voicing a quiet, “Jay? Everything okay?” She tightens her grip on her bat. Then she hears it. Growling. “Jay!” Steph abandons her supplies and races for the back of the store, bat up and primed to swing. She bursts in on Jason grappling with a zombie outside the open door of what looks like a long-abandoned office. Two more stumble out—probably shut away in the office by the last survivors who came through here. Should’ve checked the office. Hesitation means death in this new world, so Steph doesn’t hesitate. She bashes her bat through the decaying skull of the zombie closest to Jason’s unprotected back. Brain matter splatters on the floor. Another one claws at Steph’s hair, yanking her back with its rotting fingers. She smashes

her bat into its chest to knock it back. “Any others I should know about?” she asks breathlessly. Jason doesn’t answer, too busy trying not to get bitten or gutted. His opponent snaps its jaws at him, perilously close to nipping skin. He shoves it back with his arms and jams a screwdriver through its eye. The zombie falls to the ground, lifeless for the second time. Steph takes hers out soon after. She wipes blood off her face with her sleeve, panting. There’s blood spatter on her purple hoodie. “We should really come up with a signal for next time one of us is getting attacked by zombies. I like ‘pumpernickel.’ Did you find the meds?” Jason doesn’t seem to hear her. He’s staring blankly at his arm, caught in a trance. His skin has gone ghostly pale. Steph’s stomach sinks down through her body, through the floor, down, down to the center of the earth and out the other side. “Jason?” His name comes out like a denial. He doesn’t answer. Steph reaches for him, but Jason stumbles back at once, flinging a hand out to stop her. “D-Don’t touch me, Steph.” His eyes are wild. Scared. Steph doesn’t want to look because she knows what she’ll find, and then there’s no going back. But she has to. The first thing she sees is the orange pill bottle clenched in his hand. Then the bite—bleeding and jagged and real. The zombie tore into a spot halfway down his forearm, tearing through the muscle and leaving a gaping wound in the shape of teeth. The skin on the edges of it is already turning a sickly red. “You—you need to get out of here,” Jason tells her. He holds his arm out almost like, if he keeps the bite far enough from his body, it can’t poison him. “No,” Steph says, her voice hoarse. “Steph.” “I said no. Maybe you’re still okay. Maybe it’s not—” She can’t finish. They both know it is. “We’re out of time,” Jason says. He tosses her the medicine and his bag of supplies. Lastly, he hands her the crowbar. “Go for the head, and then get the fuck out of here as fast as you can. Tell the others I’m sorry.” The crowbar feels enormous in Steph’s hands. Cold. Deadly. “I’m not killing you, Jason.” “Steph, please.” Jason’s voice breaks. He’s crying almost as much as she is. “I don’t want to be one of them.” Steph still doesn’t move, so Jason steps back, out of her reach. “Fine.” He takes the backup pistol from his waistband. “Then I’ll fucking do it.” He raises the gun to his head. “Jay, wait.” Steph seizes his wrist before he can pull the trigger. “Please, we can—there has to be something we can do.” “I’m bit, Steph. There’s no coming back from this.” “Bullshit.” She wrenches the gun from his hand. “It’s only been a few minutes. Maybe...maybe it hasn’t reached your bloodstream yet. Maybe we can still save you.” Every victim turns within four hours of being bitten. There’s no way to know when you’ve reached the point of no return, but Steph isn’t losing another family member. Not without a fight. “You don’t know it’ll work,” Jason says weakly. His arm trembles in her grasp. “Well, I’m not going back there to tell them all that you—” Steph chokes back a sob. She tightens her hold on his wrist like she can keep him tethered here in the land of the living through sheer will. “Just let me try. Please, Jason. We can’t lose you.” Jason is silent for a moment. His eyes are glossy, turquoise pools tainted with fear. “If I turn…” “I know. I will. Just let me try.” Jason bites his lip. Steph tries not to imagine those teeth biting through flesh, mindless and hungry. “You’ll need a knife. Something—something sturdy. It’s gotta cut through bone.” A shiver rattles down Steph’s spine. God. They’re really doing this. Steph tries to steady her wobbly nerves; she won’t be of any use to Jason if she’s a terrified mess. He needs her to be strong right now. “Sit down,” Steph says, jumping into action-mode. “I’m going to grab the rest of the supplies.” She stares him down, tucking his pistol into her own waistband. “Don’t do anything stupid until I get back.” Read as: Don’t try to kill yourself or I’ll drag you back from the dead

and skin you alive. She leaves Jason in the back office and goes to fetch her things. She makes quick work of it, grabbing whatever additional supplies she can get her hands on because once the arm is off, it’s going to be a race against the clock to make it back home before he bleeds out. Not to mention the very real possibility of him succumbing to infection on the way. Don’t think about it, Steph tells herself as she shoves as many ravioli cans into her bag as she can fit. Dick and Barbara will be able to handle everything from there. All she has to do is cut the arm off and get Jason to the hideout. She just needs to be strong until then. After she has everything packed, Steph locks and blocks every entrance. They can’t afford another attack now. She starts for the back of the store, then, as an afterthought, doubles back for the novelty bottles of booze by the gift section. She closes the office door behind her when she returns, relieved to find Jason sitting on the floor, still in one piece. The infection has already spread, turning the skin an inch around the wound pale green. Steph kneels beside him and dumps her spoils on the floor: peroxide, gauze, and her biggest knife. She eyes his bag full of pill bottles. “Painkillers?” Jason shakes his head. Steph doesn’t ask if that means he couldn’t find any, or if he’s unwilling to take drugs even now, when she’s about to… “I could knock you out,” Steph offers. “You can’t drag me back yourself.” Which is true, but Steph still feels awful that she can’t take away his pain. “Drink this,” she instructs, shoving the alcohol at him. Jason snorts. “S’not gonna do much.” But he unscrews the top of the first bottle and starts chugging. With trembling hands, Steph takes off her belt and cinches it tightly above Jason’s elbow. He winces. “I don’t know if I should pour the peroxide on before or after,” Steph admits. “After, I guess. Not much you can do for it now.” He means it jokingly, but Jason sounds as petrified as she is. “Could be worse,” Steph offers. “You could’ve been a lefty.” Jason doesn’t laugh. Steph tightens the tourniquet again. She’s stalling, she knows. She wants to go back to five minutes ago when the world was ruined but they were still okay. “Here, lie down.” She pushes gently on his shoulder so he’s lying on his back, the infected arm stretched out beside him. Steph takes a deep breath. She picks up the knife. “Wait, wait,” Jason says, grabbing her arm. His palm is slick with sweat. He’s shaking so badly it’s hard to get the words out. “Outside. They’ll hear.” He’s right. It’s unlikely that this place is soundproof, and the last thing they need is more zombies coming for them when Jason is already incapacitated. Steph takes the scarf she grabbed for Barbara and folds it up the best she can. “Bite down on this,” she instructs him. Jason hesitates. “Promise me you’ll do it if this doesn’t work.” “I promise.” Jason takes the fabric between his teeth and lies back, all of him shaking. Steph lifts the knife again. She can’t prolong this any longer. “Want me to count to three?” Jason shakes his head, closing his eyes. “Okay,” she says. She lays the knife against Jason’s arm, two inches above the bite. Jason flinches at the cold metal. They haven’t even reached the worst part yet. “I’m sorry,” Steph says. She presses down. Jason strains to keep himself quiet for all of five seconds. Even through the gag, his screams ring in Steph’s ears and echo around the small room. She saw faster, knowing it’s only a matter of time before the zombies outside hear and come to investigate. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry—” She doesn’t stop cutting, not even when she hits bone. Jason howls, tears streaming down his face. His legs kick out desperately. His other arm flails, nails scraping on the linoleum as they scramble for something to hold onto. This part is harder. Steph has to lean her full weight on the knife until, finally, there’s a resounding crack and Jason screams. “Okay, okay, it’s over,” Steph says when she’s made it all the way through.

Shit, there’s so much blood. How much blood loss is too much? She frantically pours on the peroxide, cursing her limited fourteen-year-old knowledge. Jason whines through the makeshift gag. Steph wraps layer after layer of gauze around the bloody stump. She has nothing to stitch it with and no way to cauterize it, so the tourniquet will have to hold until they get back to base and the others can take over. She finishes wrapping the wound the best she can. “Alright, I think—I think it’s done.” She shoves the bloody supplies into her bag. “C’mon, Jay, we need to go. You lost a lot of blood.” Jason doesn’t move. He’s breathing raggedly, fresh tears sliding down his sweaty cheeks. Steph tugs on his remaining arm, urging him to sit up. “Come on, Jason. Worst part’s over. We have to get back to the others.” “Just go,” Jason whimpers, his voice shuddering. Steph wants to scream at him. “No. Get up. We’re going back to the hideout, and you’re gonna be fine.” Whether you like it or not. Jason shakes his head. He’s too pale already. How much blood has he lost? How much does he have left? “Jason Peter Todd,” Steph snaps. She grabs the front of his bloodied shirt, trying to pull him upright. “You don’t get to do this. I’m not letting you lie down here and die. What about the others, huh? Dick and Cass and Damian, what about them? They need you, Jason. They need us to get back alive, but I can’t do that if you don’t get the fuck up.” She pulls harder, a sob punching its way out of her lungs. “Please.” Jason looks up at her, tears trailing down to his temples. Finally, he nods. Steph bullies him up to his feet, keeping a firm hold on him when he sways. She shrugs both of their bags over her shoulder and supports Jason’s weight on her other side. “See? We got this. You’re going to be fine. We’re both going to be fine.” Please, she sends up to the universe. Don’t let it all be for nothing. Steph makes an effort not to think about the severed arm on the floor as they shuffle out of the office, a tangled creature of boy and girl. It’ll probably be picked clean by zombies before morning, not unlike a chicken wing at a Superbowl party. Steph’s already unsteady gag reflex threatens to give, so she focuses on the task at hand. “It’s just three blocks. We can make it,” she says, more for herself than for Jason, whose eyelids droop dangerously as they walk. “We’ll make it.” It’s a long walk—longer than three blocks should be. But Jason is weak from pain and blood loss, so a slow stumble is already more than Steph can ask for. The gauze is staining through with red. Steph is the only thing keeping Jason’s barely conscious form upright at this point, but she doesn’t dare quit. She can’t.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------

“Thank god,” Tim says, throwing open the door of their disheveled excuse of a house, tucked in one of the few relatively safe areas of Gotham left. “I thought you two were—” That’s when Tim sees Jason’s arm, or lack thereof, and visibly pales. “Oh, crap.” “They’re back?” Dick appears behind Tim, nearly knocking the kid over in his haste. He’s grinning, but it quickly melts into horror. “Jason!” Dick rushes forward, supporting Jason’s other side. He helps Steph hobble him into the house. Jason’s head lolls forward dangerously. “What the hell happened?” “Bite,” is all Steph says. She can’t remember the last time she was so drained. “Had to cut it off. He’s lost a lot of blood.” “Jesus,” Dick breathes. He shouts into the house, “Barbara! Get the medical kit!” Everything after that happens in blurry, distorted flashes. Getting Jason to the room farthest from the rest, in case he still turns despite Steph’s efforts. Handing over the bag of pills to Barbara with a shaking hand that makes the bottles rattle like a thousand snakes. Backing out of the room while Dick and Barbara do their best to get the bleeding under control, preparing one of the bags of O-negative they scavenged from a fruitful run to the abandoned hospital last week. Steph doesn’t know how long she stands there outside the door, staring blankly at the cracked wood in front of her. “Steph?” Blue, blue eyes appear in front of hers, brimming with concern. “Are you…?” Tim’s eyes flick down to Steph’s shirt and hands. She’s covered in Jason’s blood. She feels it on her knees, crusted and sticky. She feels the rusty flakes between her fingers. Steph can’t hold in the sob that bursts through, having been held back for what feels like an eternity. She throws her arms around Tim’s neck and cries into his shoulder. He doesn’t complain about the blood that’s surely staining his own clothes. “It’s okay, Steph,” Tim tells her, holding her tight. “Barbara said he’ll be okay. You did the right thing. I know he won’t hold it against you.” Steph can’t respond, so she buries her face in his neck and cries harder instead.

[asterroidd]

sho the todorki

↬ pairing: shouto todoroki x reader

↬ synopsis: you like him, he likes you. the problem? sho's in the friend zone and so it's up to mina, the resident match maker, and company to give you guys a lil push.

alternatively: sho being a dork, hence the title

↬ warning/s: profanity lol, a lot of second hand embarrassment, two insufferable idiots, idk if this is too ooc of shouto but just take this dorky version of him

↬ note: a fic dedicated to @puredivinity​ that serves as a welcome gift for joining the sho simp club. luv u mara despite all the cursed images i send

    Class 3-A has four unspoken rules:

    Number one: never play music out loud beyond 8 pm (tried and tested by Denki himself, got blown up by Bakugo)

    Number two: don't leave your room at 2 am or a certain grape pervert would harass you

    Number three: refrain from mentioning crocs to Kirishima. Just don’t.

    And number four: never tell you or Shouto that both of you like each other (just for the sake of entertainment)

    It had become customary to not break these four rules or those who dare break it is rumored to have a thousand year duration of bad luck to be passed down generation after generation.

    That said, Mina was fed up with the mutual pining you and Shouto clearly exhibit. For two years she watched both of you shy and fluster with one another. His face beet red while you a fumbling mess. Truly a sight to behold. It was like watching a romance movie in real time, but without the stupid opening track. 

    At first she thought it was cute, it all started one morning during her first year in U.A. You forgot your jacket that day after waking up late and thus have to rush to get on time. Aizawa would have your head if you weren't there in homeroom. So in your idiocy and frantic state, you forgot most of the essential stuff and that includes, of course, a warm jacket.

    Mina watched as Shouto stared at you from across the room.  With tense shoulders as his gaze constantly drift from your form to his jacket. Her mouth curled upwards, interested with the current situation. It was not every day one could see the infamous Todoroki Shouto so nervous.

    She eagerly kept her attention on him, watching as Shouto got up from his seat and slowly made his way to you with shaky legs. Shouto, barely uttering a word, shoved his jacket to you and rushed back to his seat. At that moment, Mina already knew something was blossoming between you and him.

    And so it basically became her life mission to make sure you and Shouto end up with one another. She made the promise two years ago, and yet here you both were, two dorks that has a crush on each other but couldn't confess even if the world ends that very moment.

    Was it difficult to watch? Yes.

   It took all of Mina's entire being to not push his head into yours. She knows the consequences if one breaks the fourth rule. Two years had already pass and graduation is around the corner, she refuses to accept that both of you aren't a couple. As Class 3-A's resident cupid and match maker, she is more than determined to make sure you and him both end up together. Mina would not be inherently breaking rule number four, just gonna give you guys a lil' push with the help of a friend. And that friend is one that possesses an electrification quirk.

    "Okay, what do we tell (____) tomorrow?" Denki asked.

    Shouto looked over his written notes one last time before nodding and giving his answer, "I'll ask them if they want to have coffee."

    "Good! Make sure to?"

    "I'll make sure to keep eye contact and. . ." he halted, going over his notes once more. "And make sure that I'm smiling."

    Denki flashed him a grin. Clasping a hand around his shoulder and lightly patting it afterwards. "Now, don't forget the lesson I've taught you today. It is important that your date goes smoothly with (____)."

    Shouto eagerly nodded, stars dancing in his eyes. His heart clamored inside his chest, beating in a quick tempo comparable to that of allegro. Sweat accumulated on his palm, in which Shouto then hastily wiped it on his shirt. Despite nervousness bubbling inside his stomach, Shouto admits that he is excited to ask you out.  "Do you really think (____) and I would be a great couple?"

    "Of course, dude! Right, Mina?" Denki turned to his friend. She gave him two thumbs-up, giving fuel to Shouto's confidence for tomorrow's event.

    Now that Denki is done giving him an hour-long lesson about asking you out and things to do in a date, Mina was sure everything would go smooth as butter. Like, what could go wrong? Despite Shouto being a dork and foreign to the concept of love, he still has that natural charm that had some swooning for him.

    Though, she spoke all too soon.

    Mina facepalmed, dragging her palm across her face as Shouto stood frozen before you. She and Denki should've seen this coming.

    "(____)," he started, his voice cracking at the end. Suddenly the discoloration and grime in between the cracks of the wall looks interesting. He kept looking everywhere but you.

    You tilted your head to the side, "What's up, Sho?"

    Heavens above, Shouto loves that nickname.

    The male fiddles with the ends of his shirt, his tongue twisting and throat closing which makes it hard to speak. After class had ended, Shouto came up to you asking if he could talk to you somewhere private. He led you to the area behind the gym where no students are on sight. Well, that is except for Mina and Denki who closely followed behind to make sure Shouto wouldn't mess up his chance. The two stayed low, making sure they are well hidden behind the bush nearby.

   This was now the moment; the perfect chance for Shouto to ask you out after practicing his lines over and over again. It was a simple question: ‘Do you want to have coffee with me this weekend if you are free?”

   Should be easy enough right?

    "I- well- uhh. . ." he scratched the area behind his ear. "D-do you maybe want to free?"

    Shouto paled, he'd done messed up.

    "Wait that's wrong—" he took a deep breath. "Are you coffee this weekend?"

    Really? Really Shouto?

    "Shit— wait! Coffee this free??"

    Can someone take this lost child away?

    Denki bit his inner cheek, hands tugging his hair from second hand embarrassment. He had fate on him; had fate that Shouto had rehearsed enough the night before in asking you out. Guess he was wrong.

    "What do you mean by that?" you voiced out. You were beyond puzzled, unsure what to make of the situation. First he asks to speak with you in private, now he's a stuttering mess. Could it be that he's confessing? Asking you out?

    Your heart quickened at the thought. You were ready to say 'yes'.

    "What I mean is uhh. . ." Shouto wished he has his written notes. "Are you weekend for this coffee?"

    "YES!!" you shout without thinking.

    Wait, what? Hold up.

    "Aight, I'm forcing these two to kiss each other." Mina announced. That’s it. She lost hope for the both of you. You and Shouto need professional help. She adjusted her position, ready to get up and intervene. That is until Denki lay a heavy hand on her shoulder.

    "Wait," he motioned his head to you. Mina huffed, sitting down once more.

    "Sho. . ." you start, a soft smile on your face.

    "Y-yes?" damn, Shouto is such a stuttering mess.

    "Do you want to grab a coffee this weekend? I mean, if you are free?"

    He blinked, your words slowly being registered in his brain. There was a buffer, like an old computer processing 10 kilobyte worth of data. His brain was stuck on 78% in the progress bar. Then, it dawned on him; the cogs and gears turning. It took a full minute for Shouto to understand. "I-. . .I’d love to!" he managed to stutter out.

    Welp, at least that did the job. Denki and Mina released a sigh of relief. High-fiving each other despite the obvious fact that Shouto failed his task.

    But hey, beggars can't be choosers. All's well, ends well.

    You can't believe it.

    You have a date with Shouto. THE Todoroki Shouto. The guy you've had a crush on since your first year in UA. The one that swept you right off your feet the moment you laid your eyes on him. The friend that always had your back. With him struggling to ask you earlier, could it mean that he likes you more than a friend?

    You let out a squeal, pressing the pillow flush against your chest. In total, you've replayed the scene from memory for over fifty times already. You couldn't even concentrate in doing your homework. So you thought instead of doing your responsibilities, you opted to celebrate by screaming and running around your room in glee.

   It wasn't everyday you'd get a douse of serotonin.

   You’ve waited for this day since forever. Day dreaming about Shouto being your significant other; holding hands with him, wrapping your arms around his torso, and kissing his lips.

   The thought brought forth another pterodactyl squeal from you.

   Oh gods, what would you wear? Should it be casual? Semi-formal? Formal?

   A wedding dress??

   No one told you a date was this stressful. You groaned, prying opening your wardrobe cabinet to quickly plan out an outfit. You can’t afford to look stupid and, dare you say, cheap when you’re on a date with the most sought after male in UA.

   Meanwhile, Shouto is also panicking.

   “Look man, you messed up once but that’s okay!” Denki cheered him up. “Experience is the best teacher.”

   “I know but. . .” Shouto took one deep breath, burying his face in his hands. “I-. . .I just froze up the moment I was in front of them.”

   “And that’s normal!”

   The moment you and Shouto parted ways, the male immediately went to Denki for some follow up consultation. Sure, he can fight villains face-to-face without batting an eye. Could freeze half of his enemies without a drop of sweat. Unleash an inferno of fire to defeat his oponent. Tolerate a bunch of fans shoving cameras up his face to get a close-up picture.

   But Todoroki Shouto, for the love of god, couldn’t ask you out without freezing in place and become a stuttering mess.

   “Lighten up man!” Denki nudged his shoulder. “Unleash the tiger inside you.”

   “But I don’t have a tiger inside me. That would be anatomically incorrect.”

   “Look—that’s not the—. . .what I mean is—uhh. . .nevermind. . .” the blond struggled with his words. He had to be careful with what advice he throw at Shouto. That man takes things way too literately. “What I mean is, toughen up. Have confidence on yourself. You’ll have (____) falling for you before you knew it.”

   Which will be easy since (____) is a simp for him, Denki thought.

   Shouto raised his fist then clenched it, determination washing over him. He gave one brief nod to his mentor (that is the personification of Pikachu).

   He can do it. Todoroki Shouto could do it.

   He’d go over his lines a thousand times before the date. He’d make sure he is 110% prepared before the weekend. Denki had made a dent in his schedule just to tutor him how to make you fall in love with him. Shouto wouldn’t let this go to waste.

   Yes, this man is prepared and is on a mission he couldn't possibly fail.

   Scratch that, Shouto’s a mess.

   He pulled the end of his sleeves, his legs bouncing up and down. The male bit the inside of his cheeks, was the weather hot or was it just his insides burning up. Shouto couldn’t sleep the night before, his mind kept him up. It was like 17 browser tabs are open, with three of them frozen, and he doesn’t know where the music is coming from.

   Due to the jitters getting the best of him, Shouto arrived at the agreed destination. . .two hours earlier than what was expected.

   Which wasn’t a problem anyway, since you did the same.

   You huffed, doubling over and placing your hands on your knees. You had ran from your house all the way to the cafe just to make sure you weren't late this time. In attempts to catch your breath, you’ve failed to notice your date standing just a few feet away from you. The minute Shouto laid his eyes on you, fire sparked deep within his heart. Someone pinch him and tell this wasn’t a dream.

   “(____),” he walked close to which startled you.

   “Sho! You-. . . you’re early!”

   “So are you. . .”

   Then silence fell between both of you. Talk about awkward. Who’s idea was it to get these two idiots in a date? If anything, both of you should’ve just left it on mutual pining and save it as a story for the grandchildren.

   Shouto cleared his throat, hands scratching the back of his neck. “Well, since we’re both early. Why won’t we enter the café?”

   You nodded, your voice box failing you. Inwardly, you were screaming your heart out. The embarrassment was just too much for you to handle. You doubt that Shouto would want a second date at this point.

   And so you lagged behind him, keeping a feet distance away from the male. You have a hard time looking at him without making a mess for yourself. Blood rushing your cheeks, it was hard to ignore the butterflies fluttering inside your stomach.

   The café was quite small. A handful of potted plants hung outside, the store’s name written in calligraphy, and a few customers visible from the window. The establishment was newly built, Ochako introduced it to you about a week ago. The cheesecake they sell is to die for—it was definitely worth the hefty price.

   A small chime went off as Shouto opened the door. Then it hit you; the strong smell of coffee. You were not a big fan of the beverage, but you’ve got to admit that the scent was pleasant. Without prior warning, Shouto lightly held your hand in his. His thumb gliding over the back of your hand a few times. You took in a sharp inhale, eyes widening at his gesture.

   This is what they do in dates right? Shouto recalled his notes.

   So this is like a DATE date?? Not a friendly date? Somebody pinch me right now, you thought.

   “We should find a table,” he spoke, eyes refusing to make contact with yours. You’ve managed to stutter out an agreement, too occupied with the feeling of his hands. It was so warm—just the way you imagined it throughout the years.

   You could finally die now in peace. Goodbye cruel world.

   Soon enough, you and he are situated on a table near the window. Neither of you dare start a conversation, because god forbid another awkward interaction. Years worth of watching romance series could have never prepared you for such an instance. You wished you should’ve consulted some of your classmates—especially those who have experience in the topic of dating—before coming here yourself. You could try and message them, but you wondered if it would be rude to pull out your phone and ignore Shouto. No, you wouldn’t take the chance.

   “Uh- So how are you, (____)?” he asked, pulling you out of your thoughts.

   “Oh, uhhh—. . .” how does one even speak again? “I’m doing well, I guess. . .?”

   That was lame, (____). Lame.

   “How about you?”

   Shouto was silent, you figured he didn’t hear you so you repeated yourself once again. All the while not looking at his direction. It would be better if you don’t see his face or you’ll turn into a puddle of mess.

   But seconds seem to drag to minutes, and that got you concerned.

   “Sho—“ you cut yourself short, realizing that he was staring at you with a lovestruck expression. He looks at you rather softly, like how one would look at a small pet one happens to cross by while walking. The way Shouto kept his gaze at you made you insecure. Was there something on your face? Hair? Shirt? Oh gods, did you smell?

   You wished that, right then and there, the earth would swallow you whole.

   “Sorry I was just. . .” he faltered in his sentence, gulping down his saliva. Shouto then turned his head to the side, a blush ever so present on his cheeks as well as the tips of his ears.

   "Sorry, you're just—just so cute in that outfit that I can’t help but stare."

   His voice was quiet, barely a whisper but you heard it, ironically, loud and clear. Your hand found its way on your mouth, blood rushing to your cheeks as a result of his compliment.

   “Tha-thank you. . .” you’ve managed to croak out, looking down and fiddling with your nails.

   Just. WOW. You can’t believe it. Never once did Shouto commented on your appearance throughout the duration of your friendship with him. What he did was just. . .just so unexpected from him. You find it hard to believe yourself.

   All these years, you’ve hidden your feelings for him. Trapped it inside a chest and swallowed the key yourself. Him falling for you is comparable to that of pigs flying; it was impossible to happen. Yet both of you sat there, like two dorks, a blushing mess while refusing to make eye contact with one another. For once, maybe this time, you could tell him how you feel.

   “I like you. . .” you voiced out your thoughts. It took you a minute to realize what you've done. You let out a small gasp and directed your attention to Shouto. He was also looking at you, baffled. He went silent, his jaw went slack, and eyes wide open, trying to find the words to reply.

   Oh boi, did you made a mistake?

   “(__—“

   “BECAUSE YOU’RE MY FRIEND!” Your jaw tightened, declaring it all too loudly just in case he rejects you. “I like you because you’ve been a good friend to me.”

   You hope you were doing this right.

   Unbeknownst to you, Shouto felt his heart break into two after hearing your added comment. His shoulders slumped down, sadness clouded his features.

   “I. . .I see. . .” he muttered. “I like you too,” he said after a pregnant pause.

   Your whole face lit up. Now it was your turn to look at him with a baffled expression. There was a twinkle in your eye, is this it? The moment of your life?

   “Because you’re my precious friend.” Shouto plastered a smile on his face.

   Oh. Welp, Mina and Denki tried.

   RIP to both of you, forever pushing the other in the friend zone.

ya’ll want a bakugo version of this? (. ❛ ᴗ ❛.) ✧

[lloydskywalkers]

hey idk if you’re doing requests but if you are can you give us the fluffy kai and lloyd sibling content we deserve?? like ummm maybe kai helping lloyd to do homework or something even tho they don’t go to school lmao 😂 i just need something pure :)

i am so very behind on replies but!! in my defense, i started a response for this, got about 10K words in, then realized i needed to give it an actual structure. this is not the 10K words one, but it is, technically, fluffy Kai and Lloyd sibling content? i hope it’s something along the lines of what you wanted :’D

Lloyd decides he wants his ear pierced at three forty-five in the debatable hours of the morning, which isn’t the oddest thing Lloyd has ever decided he desires at that time. But it isn’t usual, either, so Kai decides he probably does, at least, need to ask what brought this on as he begins superheating the edge of the needle so neither of them end up with tetanus, or something.

He’s a responsible brother, but that doesn’t mean he’s going to tell Lloyd no. That would require Kai pretending his own piercing never existed, which is impossible, since Lloyd was the one to help him out back when it got infected and Kai almost lost his entire upper ear.

“It wasn’t that bad,” Lloyd rolls his eyes. “You were just being a baby about it.”

“Oh yeah?” Kai shoots back. “Look who’s talking. I haven’t even touched your ear yet and you’re already wincing.”

“You’re taking forever,” Lloyd says testily. “Why can’t you just pierce it already?”

“Excuse me for trying to make it look good,” Kai says. “But if you really want an off-center piercing, be my guest.”

“No, no, make it look good,” Lloyd protests, straightening where he’s sitting across the bedroom floor from Kai.

Fortunately, they’re in the monastery tonight, otherwise they’d be crammed into the bathroom, or wherever else in the Bounty they wouldn’t wake everyone up. They’ve stashed away in Lloyd’s room, since he’s the furthest from Zane and therefore the least likely to be caught, if something goes wrong. Not that anything’s going to go wrong, of course, but you can never be sure, with them.

“Where’d you want it, again?” Kai asks, as he squints at the tiny earring stud they scavenged from Nya’s bag. He figures she’d support this as a worthy cause enough not to mind. Hopefully.

“On the right side?” Lloyd drums his fingers on the edge of his knee, a bit anxiously. “I sleep on my left more often, so yeah, the right. Just — just the normal ear piercing, for now.”

“For now, huh,” Kai mutters, carefully measuring out rubbing alcohol over the earring, before deciding to drown it in the bottle, for good measure.

“Well, I might decide I want another,” Lloyd crosses his arms. He winces. “Unless Sensei or the others kill me for this, first.”

“Lloyd, if piercing your ear is the worst thing you ever do as a teen, I’ll give you all the piercings you want myself,” Kai says. “And if anybody gives you trouble about it, just make some snarky comment, like, ah—”

“An earring is better to be stabbed with than a knife?”

“…FSM’s sake,” Kai sighs, staring at the bottle of rubbing alcohol and briefly entertaining how it’d taste. “Sure. Why not.”

Lloyd doesn’t look entirely reassured, even with his fun little jokes. “It is better than being stabbed with a knife, right?” he asks. “Like, I can do knife-stab pain, but I was kinda hoping it wouldn’t hurt that bad, you know…?”

Kai rolls his eyes. “It’ll hardly hurt at all,” he assures him, as he reaches for the little cotton balls and soaking one in alcohol. “I promise. You’re a ninja. With the pain tolerance you have, you’re probably not even gonna feel it.”

“Uh-huh, if you say — hey!” Lloyd flinches back from his hand, eyes wide in betrayal.

“Would you relax, it’s just the alcohol,” Kai frowns, going for his ear with the cotton ball again.

Lloyd makes a face, but lets him dab the alcohol on this time. “It’s cold,” he complains.

“Keep whining about it and we’re going back to the clip-on earring plan.”

“No, no, I want them pierced,” Lloyd says quickly. Kai smothers a laugh at how he attempts to appear relaxed, swiping the cotton ball over his earlobe once more for good measure. Satisfied that Lloyd, at least, won’t suffer any immediate crippling infections, Kai grabs for the needle they’re using, soaking the tip in alcohol.

“You…you know what you’re doing, right?” Lloyd asks, suddenly apprehensive now that the needle’s come into play.

“Of course I do, who do you think I am?” Kai says. “I pierced Nya’s ears when she was younger. I would’ve pierced Jay’s the first week we met, but he chickened out last minute.”

Lloyd presses his lips together, hiding a laugh. “If you’d come up to me with a needle the first week we met, I probably would’ve booked it, too.”

“I wasn’t bad,” Kai huffs, kneeing him in the side.

Lloyd runs a hand through his hair, spiking the edges up as he scowls, pitching his voice deeper. “I’m gonna be the green ninja, and none of you losers better get in the way—”

“I never said that!” Kai exclaims, swatting Lloyd across the head as he cackles. “You watch it, or I might slip up with the needle.”

“Sounds like something a green gi-stealer would say.”

“You’re such a brat,” Kai grumbles, hiding the heat rising in his cheeks by busying himself with the earring packaging. “I never sounded like that. And you’re one to talk, with that squeaky little evil laugh you used to do.”

“Alright, I’m dropping it, I’m dropping it,” Lloyd says hastily, his teasing faltering at the threat of turning the tables.

Kai smirks, shaking his head. “Alright,” he says, flexing his wrist once. “I’m gonna ice your ear so it’s numb, then do the actual piercing. You want a count down?”

“Surprise me,” Lloyd says, his hands fisting anxiously in the edges of his sweatshirt.

“Sure thing,” Kai nods absently. “So,” he starts conversationally, as he presses the ice to the back of Lloyd’s ear. “What did bring this on? And don’t give me the teen rebellion thing — seriously, this time.”

Lloyd hesitates, then sighs. He bites his lip, his eyes staring somewhere beyond the ceiling. “I dunno,” he mutters. “I just remembered, the other day, that I’d thought they were super cool as a kid.”

Kai stifles the urge to remind him that he’s still a kid, and continues to listen instead, nodding at him to go on.

Lloyd makes a face. “I don’t know. The mission today was — it was dumb, and I didn’t like how I felt afterwards, so I guess I wanted to do something stupid.”

“Ah,” Kai exhales quietly. He’d had a feeling it was about the mission, but he couldn’t be sure. It hadn’t even been that bad, on the whole, but the sound of Cole’s head cracking against the floor was enough to escalate it right into terrible territory.

Kai’s still thanking his stars that Cole’s got such a thick head. Concussions aren’t fun, even when they do have the chance to treat them immediately.

“I just…I thought maybe it’d be nice to mess up on purpose, for once,” Lloyd continues, his voice quiet. “When I wasn’t trying not to.”

Kai’s frown deepens at that one, his hand hovering where he’s caught the edge of Lloyd’s ear, his thumb pressed against the end of the needle. His sudden concerns over Lloyd’s potentially earring-destroying, Oni/dragon blood are swept away by the plaintively depressing tone Lloyd’s using. He opens his mouth, then shuts it, hesitating.  

He understands the sentiment, of course — probably too well to really put into words. Kai’s not exactly a stranger to messing up. He’s definitely not a stranger to beating yourself up after you mess up, either. He also understands, too well, how it can all build up sometimes — the constant fear of failure, the pressure not to mess up.

Sometimes you’re just struck with the irrational desire to mess up on purpose out of pure spite. Kai gets that. And Lloyd’s at least rational enough to pick something that won’t hurt anyone, and is more likely to get a laugh out of them all, if anything. Kai tries not to roll his eyes fondly.

Plus, Kai would be lying if he said it doesn’t warm his heart that Lloyd’s come to him for it. Which he should, of course, Kai’d better have first dibs on Lloyd’s first piercing, but still. The sentiment, and all.

“Well,” Kai finally says, realizing he’s left Lloyd hanging. “I don’t know about messing up, because this looks pretty rad. But it was definitely your call, so remember to tell Sensei that when he sees it.”

“Yeah, sure.” Lloyd takes a breath, squeezing his eyes shut. “Okay, I’m ready. Stab my ear, Kai.”

“I already did, moron. Did you miss what I just said?”

Lloyd’s eyes pop open, and he blinks. “Huh? For real?”

“Told you,” Kai snorts. “Ninja pain tolerance. Ear piercing’s got nothing on Cole when he scores a hit on you in practice.”

Lloyd’s frozen for a moment, then he scurries over to the mirror, brushing his lengthening hair away so he can get a proper look at it. Kai hovers behind him, suddenly slightly anxious.

“Do you, um, do you like it? You can always take it out, if you don’t. It’ll close over on its own, and you can like, get an actual professional to do it—”

“Shut up, Kai, I love it,” Lloyd beams, tracing his finger over the little silver stud. “I look cool.”

Kai lets out a tiny breath of relief, smirking in satisfaction instead. “As close to cool as you can get, beansprout.”

“Whatever,” Lloyd rolls his eyes, before returning to admiring himself in the mirror. “You’re just jealous I have a super cool piercing, and you don’t.”

“Hey, I gave you that piercing,” Kai scowls. “Just wait until my ear finally heals, I’ll show you cool.”

“Gee, yeah, I can’t wait to see what cheap skull earring you infect yourself with this time.”

“Alright buddy, you’re toeing it dangerously close to the line,” Kai grabs Lloyd in a headlock, digging his knuckles into Lloyd’s thick hair as he yelps, struggling to pull himself free.

“Ow, hey, Kai, watch my ear—”

“Little jerk,” Kai finally releases him with a huff.

“Too bad you’re stuck with me forever,” Lloyd replies, making a face as he brushes his hair back into place.

“Plenty of time to watch you make more mistakes, then,” Kai replies, easily.

Lloyd briefly tenses up, his expression working. Kai slings an arm around his shoulder, briefly squeezing.

“It wasn’t your fault, Lloyd,” he says, gently. “Cole’s gonna tell you the same thing, ten times over.”

“Y-yeah, okay,” Lloyd murmurs, staring at the rug. “I got it.”

Kai eyes him for a brief moment, then shakes his head, carefully flicking the edge of his ear. “This, however? Is definitely your fault. So don’t go selling me out when Sensei bites your head off for it.”

“I’m not a sellout,” Lloyd huffs. “This’ll be nothing. Wait ’til you see what he says about my tattoo, that’ll be the real meltdown.”

Kai barks a laugh out at that, sweeping the cotton balls back into the bag. He then pauses, Lloyd’s word choice hitting him.

“Hey, what do you mean, your tattoo.”

“Oh, would you look at the time—”

“Lloyd, I swear to FSM, if you went and got a tattoo without me—”

[kukuandkookie]

As someone who’s recently gotten more into Chinese media, all the news surrounding these “gritty live-action” adaptations from the west has me feeling a little more grateful for cdrama adaptations of popular novels/manga.

I suddenly feel lucky that since I’ve gotten into Chinese media, these live-action adaptions by China have generally turned out to be of good quality.

Like The Bad Kids—which is the most recent cdrama I watched in full for a neo-noir presentation assignment for my film noir class—it was so good!!

And I know it’s not the same thing since Netflix adapting something like The Winx Club is more international and the Chinese entertainment industry may run a little differently.

That being said, when a cdrama adaption does go a little more international by adapting something from Japan like Boys Over Flowers, Prince of Tennis, and Hikaru no Go, they generally do a good job and are well-received (mostly in part thanks to them respecting the source material NVKSJFJSHD).

Like I’ve heard so many good things about Prince of Tennis and Hikaru no Go (which I’m currently a little obsessed with) from fans of the originals.

And as someone who was so ready to be disappointed by The Untamed and who worried it would be cheap and unlikeable in comparison to the original novel I loved, I was so pleasantly surprised when I fell in love with the show!

Because even with censorship, even with the rewriting, even with the softening of characters, even with the rearrangement of the timeline, even with the additional stories... It’s still really good?

The crew clearly respected the original novel, and the actors also did a great job.

The same can be said for Guardian and The King’s Avatar—both live-action adaptations of novels that had different vibes from the original source material, but had enough respect and care put into them that even fans of the original who were ready to hate it ended up enjoying it.

Many of them also draw inspiration from the animated (donghua) and comic (manhua) and audio drama versions of the novel they’re adapting, and that once again shows respect to the fans who already like the donghua/manhua/audio drama.

And I guess that’s the thing? Like you don’t have to adapt something perfectly. Just...respect the original. Respect the fans. Care about the product you’re making. Put some effort into it.

I didn’t even mind Riverdale (1st season), and I say this as someone who liked to read the comics occasionally. It wasn’t perfect, but some of the storytelling surprises and mystery was fun (and Bughead was very cute), but that’s in part thanks to the Archie comics being so damn flexible in the first place (Archie can literally go from goofy fun to fighting zombies if you wanted).

But the more Riverdale pulled away from the comics, the more off it seemed to get, and since fans began critiquing it, I haven’t kept up with any of its news (I also stopped watching back in season 2).

But the Powerpuff Girls live-action and the Winx Club live-action? Idk they lack the flexibility of the Archie comics, and while some elements of their shows could be good for live-action adaptations (PPG could lend itself to a grittier superhero show if you really wanted; Winx could probably make for a cool fantasy show in a school setting), you have to respect the original!!

And I don’t see how what we’ve seen of Fate the Winx Saga is respectful to the original or to the fans (whitewashing, renaming a character you whitewashed because of fan backlash—ignoring the fact you’re still basically replacing a WOC with a white woman, ignoring some of the elements in character/aesthetic of the original, and erasing other characters)??

I was never into Winx Club as a kid, but even I recognize this is quite a...butchering of source material, to say the least. Not everything has to be edgy/gritty to be cool, you guys.

As someone who loves the Powerpuff Girls and was big into the fandom for years, this makes me more concerned for the live-action. 😬

But also while I’m still hesitant and cautious in my excitement for the upcoming Tian Guan Ci Fu live-action adaptation, it’s at least a bit of a relief that they’re in better hands than the western live-action adaptations. At least they’re in hands that will respect the source material more...

Besides having to balance the same struggles as the western entertainment industry (which parts to adapt, which to change, how to draw in new fans but keep old ones, etc), China literally has censors the creators may face in adapting gay/supernatural/violent stories.

But if they can still make something good that both old and new fans enjoy, then what excuse can the west turn to?

[tricewithaz]

THOTS ON SHADOW AND BONE

Hello everyone! it is I, Trice, and i come with my thoughts on the Shadow and Bone show cause ive got many

I'm gonna divide this in what i liked, what i disliked, and what i think could have been better but didn't really bother me. Feel free to send your opinions too!

As a whole, I really liked the show and I think it's a great adaptation that both fans and newcomers will enjoy. It's super well done! and every episode had me glued to the tv even though I knew what was going to happen.

Beware this is long

To start,

What i liked

Mal and Alina

I never really liked Mal in the books, mainly cause he had like, nothing going on for him, and not having his pov made him no favors whatsoever. Alina's perception of him was everychanging, two factors that didn't make him unlikeable necessarily, but that made me not want to read about him. In the show he's way more likeable and even though he still doesn't have a lot going on for him, you can see that he's always trying to protect alina, and you also see a bit of his demeanor through Archie's acting. I think he made a great job at portraying him. And Alina! Alina who in the books was essentially a y/n sort of character (although she did get better over time), her character, likes, dislikes, her DRIVE was incredibly portrayed in the show. Also Jessie (loml, marry me) and Archie have incredible chemistry together and they sold their yearning SO WELL (and so did the kid actors portraying them as children oh my GOD)...yall...i cried when they held hands. My favourite scene was definitely when Alina took care of Mal's wounds (a favorite trope of mine). And the HURT in their eyes whenever they thought the other was in danger....i saw the show dubbed but I'm sure their voices made it beyond incredible as well, their face acting was just on. point. Overall the show rEALLY makes me root for them both individually and together which is something the books didn't manage to do.

The Darkling

AAAAA i really enjoyed the Darkling omg, incredible charisma, Ben does such a great job (and so did his voice actor in Spanish oh my GOD). His acting was just as I imagined it in the books and i loved how he could be as sweet and mysterious as he could be menacing. In fact! i liked him more than i did in the book, and i think it was a great choice to make him more human. I'm not sure if this was Ben or the writing, but i could really see his yearning for an equal, for Alina, his loneliness and his thirst for power and control too. Great love interest, even greater villain. And his wardrobe was phenomenal. I also really liked how they implied that The Darkling was a name given by other people, it was very believable that people would call someone who literally controls shade something akin to "son of the dark" or something of the sort, instead of it being a name he gives himself or his job title (both if which are incredibly pathetic and cringy to think about).

Jesper

No comments. He was just great. I love Kit.

Nina

Omg Danielle did SUCH a great job at portraying Nina, it's exactly how i imagined her in Six of Crows.

Helnik

THE. YEARNING. THE. CHEMISTRY. I didn't love their scenes at the boat but once that was over I was practically screaming at the screen to jUST KISS ALREADY. Calahan and Daniell have such good chemistry together and the few changes they made only served the story better. I did wish they had development over more time cause Matthias' change of mind felt too quick, but i get why they had to rush. Because of how good their chemistry was, their fallout also was incredibly painful.

Inej's fear of the Menagerie and her morals

Amita's portrayal of Inej's hurt, devotion and her refusal to kill (and later hurt cause she has killed) is incredibly subtle but so SO effective. She's so talented really and truly sold Inej's feelings throughout the show.

VFX

Man.....the fold, the volcra, the grisha powers.....kudos to the animators and overall artistic team cause they were incredible. Also seeing the different title animations in each episode was such a tiny detail that made me so excited and they all looked so good.

Ketterdam

Again, kudos to the artistic team, everything about Ketterdam felt so alive (and weirdly moist), truly sold a kind of aesthetic and life that is so characteristic if the Barrel, even when i didn't imagine it that way in the books.

David

He appeared like, twice, and both times were so cute and charming I can't wait to see more of him both on his own and with Genya.

The Wardrobe

So, at first i hated the keftas. I thought the looked tacky and costume, but when you see them on screen they're just perfect (although i have to say the patterns on some of the keftas were kind of...cheap looking? and the training keftas were just kinda boring. My favourite was the Darkling's. Aside from that, i really liked Kaz's and inej's clothes too. Very distinctive and recognizable (although it was kind of weird seeing Inej in teal instead of purple lmao).

And the queen's dresses. Chefs kiss.

It's...so cheesy (affectionate)

The whole show felt like the kind of movies I would watch as a kid like Harry Potter and Pirates of the Caribbean. The writing was stylized enough to make it incredibly dramatic and overall there was just so much heart behind all of it. Definetely a show to watch again and again and feel all of it, cause that's what it being so cheesy managed, to make me actually feel for it. It feels like something to watch on a rainy afternoon after a bad day....it's great okay i really enjoyed it, even (specially) the most unbelievable parts of it. And here's the thing, it's something that i think a lot of newer tv and film have lost, so this is good.

What i didn't like

Zoya

Mostly cause of the writing. Originally, in the first book, i didn't like her, neither as a character (stereotypical mean girl with no other motivation than to bang the love interests....all three of them....what's new i still think it's an incredibly sexist trope) or a person (hey at least this was intentional), but over time i grew to LOVE her (mean girl turns out to have a good heart and actually respects the mc and decides to fight alongside her cause it's what's right, without necessarily liking her or giving up her character??? AND she has strong motivations??? now THAT'S new). In the show, i hoped they would keep her mean girl nature while foreshadowing her depth, but all they did was turn her into a petty seductress with barely any screentime, and that only makes her not even a bad antagonist but just a boring character to watch. Not only that but they took away a big part of her character that needed to be developed in the next books. I wanted to watch her rivalry with Alina, her unjustified venomous tongue too, I wanted to be entertained by her and I wasn't. This was also a problem cause when she finally changed teams, and when she hugged Alina, it was incredibly unsatisfying, it would have had a way stronger effect if we had seen her being Ruthless Zoya with a big ambition. I also didn't like how we were told that she didn't like alina, or that she had a family, instead of it being shown on screen. Just from the show, all i can tell you about her is that she likes to bang people and she has a good moral code i guess. Yall, I'm so petty about this.

Kaz

So, I didn't hate him, in fact i think I would have enjoyed him if I hadn't read the books first, cause the two things that bother me about him were two essential characteristics of him in the books. FIrstly, he seems so strained, instead of the seemingly laid back, almost chill looking (even though we know he's not chill at all) Kaz we see in the books, the Kaz that always knows something that you don't. Show Kaz doesn't seem to always be in control, to always have the last word, the last laugh. Instead he seems strained, all the damn time. And I think this is mainly a writing and directing issue. And he also seems weak, something Book Kaz would never do. This is also an issue cause because he doesn't have the same presence he has in the books, the times where he is weak, don't seem as effective. Sure, Pekka Rollins has essentially reduced him and humiliated him, but I haven't seen enough of Kaz being actually dangerous for this to be shocking and for Pekka to seem even more hateable (and, i really liked Pekka, loved him as an antagonist more than i did in the books). Idk, Kaz was so charismatic and just fun and engaging to read in the books that his portrayal in the show felt lacking.

Alina's power's VFX

The little suns were cute and all but the light coming from within her was just ugly I'm sorry.

SFX

A lot of the sound design was just too stylized for the tone of the show i think. I particularly remember the sound of Mal's punches....what's that about.

What i think could have been better, but didn't particularly dislike

The Crows' storyline

And i think part of this is a consequence of Kaz not being as witty as he was in the books. Where's the incredibly complicated heist moves? the even more unbelievable C and D plans when something goes wrong? I didn't like that them getting Alina was essentially just luck, cause i didn't see enough of them being smart and quick on their feet. I also think it was unnecessary to have their storyline mixed with Alina's, i would have enjoyed watching a different heist, maybe in Ravka as well, and them incidentally crossing paths with Alina, more than i liked this storyline. ironically enough, the heist was the part i was least interested in

Genya and Alina

I just feel like her relationship with Alina wasn't strong enough, and i think it's because the show tried to make us believe they were much closer than they were without spending the necessary time in them.

Overall, I really really enjoyed the show, i will be watching it again (particularly cause i want to watch it in English) and i cannot wait for the second season omg (although i have to say, I'm scared for Nikolai)

I think that's all! I would also love to read yall's opinions and have a conversation.