#you know for chaos and funny background appearances

[mercysimming]

pretty boy (he's evil)

[intothegenshinworld]

     "An Enchanted Evening" 

Banquets and parties alike weren’t uncommon in the Zapolyarny Palace. Funny enough, you seemed to be getting invites to them nearly every other month. One of the more silly perks of knowing Pulcinella, you suppose.

 ⟡

Like any other event, PULCINELLA would be the one signing his name as the sender of your letter of invitation. With your long standing acquaintance, he can’t help but see you as his adopted grandchild and a possible successor in the future. No matter the event, he’d try his best to involve you. At first he only did so to grant you access to the most elite connections in Snezhnaya and to elevate you to a higher status, but you quickly found your way into the hearts of the other Harbingers as well. From serving glasses of champagne during the annual winter ball as a server, to being seated amongst the most important people in Snezhnaya as a beloved friend. – Luck must be on your side if you’ve swayed all of their hearts, and who are you to refuse their affections?

As another close acquaintance to the 5th Harbinger, it's natural for CHILDE and you to have a close connection too. While you might not share the same lust over power and battles, you're able to confide in him without judgment. He is good company, and he often shares the most epic stories from his adventures and the more wholesome ones of his family in Morepesok. Should you at any time find the banquet to be boring, he's more than up for leaving and sneaking you out. However, be prepared for a scolding from Pulcinella once your missing presences are noticed by the others.

If you decide to sit next to PANTALONE at the banquet, you’ll likely catch his smile crumble at some point during the banquet—it being replaced by a scowl as annoyance visibly sets on his face. When yet another plate crashes or a fight breaks out and chairs get thrown across the room, he unconsciously counts the heaps of mora he’d need to spend on repairs just because a few people are insolent and refuse to have manners. Fortunately, he seems to have a soft spot for you. If you ever happen to break anything, on purpose or not, he suddenly seems to be oblivious to the action. Ask him anything, and he'll get it for you. After all, everything has a price, and what's a few million mora and a couple of favors if he can capture your heart in the end.

After a glass of wine, SIGNORA will start to share gossip with the Harbingers, often causing arguments between others as these bits of news are not in favor of her colleagues. She watches the entertainment from a safe distance, but if you call her out, she’ll try to avoid causing any more chaos during the banquet. Of course, in return she expects you to keep her entertained instead. If you drink, she’ll coax you to drink enough for you to spill your own secrets. And while she doesn’t care about the safety of others' private affairs, she’ll keep yours close to her chest.

As the fireplace crackles in the background, ARLECCHINO will mutter disapprovingly under her breath. The loud arguments, the spilled wine, — she can't stand the lack of etiquette at the table, and the sight of an elemental attack nearly hitting you makes her cringe. So, go on. Sit next to her. She'll keep you safe from the more unruly Harbingers. In the meantime, if you're polite and express genuine interest in her, she might share a few stories from Fontaine — but only if you offer some stories of your own in return. No ulterior motives, she simply wishes to know you at a more intimate level than the others do. 

Between the enthusiastic and annoyed Harbingers, SANDRONE appears to be disinterested. Unimpressed by the stories of her colleagues, she sits in the chair, poking the food on her plate with a bored expression. If you try your luck by approaching her for a conversation, she’ll likely gain some energy. Mention her robots or any of her current projects, and she'll expect you to listen thoroughly for the remainder of the night. Don't worry, if you fall asleep you can rest your head on her shoulder. It's not like she'll be joining any dances or the conversation of the others anyway.

While the fellow Harbingers are captivated by the variety of food and bustling atmosphere, CAPITANO will find a way to excuse himself to take a breather. Often, events like these are exhausting, and as a soldier of war, he’s unable to fully relax or make small talk. Still, as he walks out into the quiet halls of the palace, he hopes you’ll follow him. He doesn’t need someone to check up on him, but your worry warms his heart and he adores it when you fuss over him despite his status and rank. As you approach him in the halls, he’ll tell you he needs some air, and when you hesitantly turn to give him space, he’ll call out your name, holding his arm out for you to take — asking if you’d want to join him on a walk before returning to the ongoing banquet.

The banquet would be incomplete without DOTTORE causing a commotion. Whether it's arousing a heated argument between others or spiking the drinks with god-knows-what, he's up to something and you're forced to keep an eye on him unless you want to be his next ‘experiment’ at the event. There is no way you'll talk him out of it either. But if you decide to cover for him, keeping still as he throws a strange liquid into the drink closest to him, he might let you in on his unconventional ideas of fun, if you can handle it, of course.

While most of the Harbingers try to stir up trouble, SCARAMOUCHE thrives on creating pure chaos and watching the place burn down. He constantly gets into arguments, finding the whole ordeal unpleasant, and yet you see him present during every event you’re invited to. And while the Doctor schemes and gets away with the many pranks he pulls, the Balladeer finds amusement in the anger of others, uncaring of the consequences and keeping things unpredictable as people yell at him for the ninth time that night. Ask why he's never attacked you and he'll tell you that your reactions aren't worth it. But is that truly all? Perhaps the fleeting glances are a sign of something more.

COLUMBINA will go unbothered by the chaos around her. Even as food flies around the room, she remains unfazed. Her serene and enchanting presence seems to be an anomaly amongst the others, but don't be fooled, she has you right where she wants. During the banquet, she'll capture your attention and successfully steal you away from any other conversations. She'll find ways to hold your hand and somewhat sneakily steal food from your plate. You're not sure when the night ended either, time seems to flow weirdly when you're around her. 

PIERRO sits at the head of the table, chatting with the more quiet people that sit next to him as he calmly observes the others in the room. The demands of being the director of the Harbingers have left him feeling drained, making him too exhausted to actively participate in the lively atmosphere during events. Instead, he seeks solace in the quiet moments.  If you're able to slow things down with him, you'll find yourself a permanent seat beside him.  And as you’re able to get to know him better, he starts engaging in more conversations with you. For once, it appears that he might genuinely be enjoying himself.

©intothegenshinworld. Do not copy, repost, translate, or take heavy inspiration from my content. Thanks for reading.

[threeacttragedy]

Entry 4 – The One About the Red Bag of Chaos

One of the things that never ceases to amaze me about this fandom is that Whenever Something Good Happens it ALWAYS torpedoes into Something Bad Happening.

Every.

Single.

Time.

And, that’s why we can never have nice things.

Case in point: “Brb” and the elusive Red Bag.

On October 4, we were graced with Luke’s Instagram story of luggage with the caption “Brb.” His picture included two pieces of luggage, a small metal carryon case, and a red bag. The red bag was interesting because it appeared to be – let’s face it, we all stereotyped this into being – a woman’s tote bag of some leathery sort. Lukola Sleuths tracked Luke’s image down to the first-class lounge for British Airways. I mean, we even got a not-so-blurry reflection of Luke in the corner of the luggage. We should have been ecstatic, right? Luke had posted two days in a row (with the first post being the cutesy “Mean Girls” reference to October 3), and Nicola had been peppering the trail with Lukola-laced yumminess since early August. I mean, we should have been biting our nails in excitement waiting to see what Luke or Nicola posted next.

But, no, that’s not what happened.

Instead, hysteria struck fast and hard. Why? Because at some point in her relatively short life, Antonia had danced in front of a red bag at – oh my God, wait for it – an airport! Oh, how the Conscientiously Stupid seized this tidbit of outdated information to terrorize the Sincerely Ignorant straight into shark infested waters!

The problem with this plotline was that (a) the video of Antonia was old, possibly even a few years old; and (b) there was absolutely no evidence the red bag Antonia was dancing in front of even belonged to her! The argument that this was Antonia’s red bag was simply one being pushed by assholes who enjoyed riling up the weaker parts of the fandom. And, let me tell you, these assholes succeed every time.

But, what was dismissed and ignored was the fact Nicola had a red bag in the background of her June 15, 2024 Tatcha post. If you need to see it for yourself, the video is still up on her Instagram grid. In the video, there is a shelf full of handbags of all sizes, and on the bottom of that shelf is, what appears to be, a large red bag (we can deduce this by acknowledging (a) it is red; (b) it is on a shelf full of other bags; and (c) it appears so large it needs to be tucked into the shelf). Is it THE red bag? Who the fuck knows? That is not the point. The point is, it is a red bag of some sort, and this fact should have outweighed the argument that the red bag belonged to Antonia.

But, it didn’t?

Why?

Because the fandom enjoys hysteria?

No, I don’t think it does. I’ve spoken to too many people on the verge of a meltdown to believe they enjoy spiraling.

So, what is it that causes good things to go bad so quickly in this fandom?

In my opinion, the answer lies somewhere between (a) the fandom believing that Lukola is too good to be true; (b) the fandom questioning their own intelligence and intuition; and (c) the fandom doubting the two people at the heart of this ship – Luke and Nicola. It’s strange to me that we would rather trust online bullies pushing their own deranged narratives than trust, at the very least, ourselves.

Whenever a Conscientiously Stupid tries to derail you, or an adjacent (ugh, there’s that word I hate again) pops up trying to make waves, take a moment to take a deep breath, roll your eyes, and have a good laugh (because I’m not going to lie, some of the shit that gets put out there is laugh-out-loud funny). But, most importantly, trust yourself and your intelligence because, if you're still in this fandom, your deductive reasoning skills are a chef's kiss.

And, to finish this story about the elusive red bag, just remember that Nicola posted an amazingly happy picture of herself the day after Luke, on an airplane, in first class on Aerlingus, an affiliate of British Airways that shares its first-class lounge. If these weren’t coordinated posts, I may as well say, “Screw it all,” and go live on a deserted island. Alone. With no phone. And no mascara.

Oh, and let me just slip in here that the elusive red bag quite possibly made an intentional reappearance in Nicola’s October 11 Olaplex story. But, I’ll leave any further speculation about that for a different day.

[hyunsvngs]

𝐝𝐫𝐮𝐧𝐤 𝐨𝐧 𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐰𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐫 - hwang hyunjin x gn!afab reader

wc: 5.3k

rating: 18+. MDNI

cw: casual sex w no strings attached, reader is afab but no gender-specific language/pronouns are used, background reader x minho, smut warnings under the cut.

synopsis: it was well established now that you were fucking your way around the frat. you hadn't intended to make hyunjin your next victim, but when you end up alone together, it seems like the perfect opportunity.

a/n: part four of our fratboy series, hot bitch summer!!! i really hope you all enjoy this bc i'm completely in love with our sweet, sensitive, artsy, pervy fratboy hyunjin <3

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

sw: swearing, nude painting and photography, mutual masturbation, cumswapping, casual sex, a little bit of bickering, mentions of male x male sexual activity, very poetic descriptions of many types of genitals, hyunjin is a pervy little boy but still very lovely.

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

You didn't know if you'd ever seen the frat house this quiet. Even with the red solo cups littering the coffee table, hoodies and shirts strewn over furniture, clear remnants of a recent rager, the place was almost peaceful. That was probably because it was mostly empty, though. Minho and Felix were helping out at the dance studio they frequented, Chan and Changbin were at the gym. Jisung was napping, which contributed to most of the peace and quiet. Jeongin was away visiting family, and you had no idea where Seungmin was - that man remained a mystery.

Hyunjin, however, was lounging on the couch in the lounge, sketchbook in his arms. It appeared that he would be your target for tonight. You leaned on the back of the sofa, looking over the boy's shoulder. "What are you drawing?"

Hyunjin yelped, clutching his sketchpad to his chest. "Jesus, Y/N! You scared the life out of me. I didn’t even know you were here tonight."

You couldn't help but laugh at the absolute terror that had flashed in his eyes when he looked back at you. You really hadn't meant to ambush him - honestly - but it had been entertaining nonetheless. "Sorry, Hyunjin," you apologised, not sounding very sorry at all. You reached over his shoulder and tapped his book. "Can I see?" 

"Um. No." He clutched the notebook closer to his chest. “Not this one.”

You rested your forearms on the back of the couch, leaning next to him. "How come? Are you shy?" 

"I'm not shy." He was looking ahead, but you didn't need to see him. You could hear the eye-roll in his voice. 

"Show me then!" you insisted, prodding his shoulder gently.

"This one is private, okay?"

"Private?" You fake-gasped. "Hyunjin, are you drawing dirty things? Are you a porn artist?"

"What? No!" He squirmed at the accusation.

"You're drawing nasty things, aren't you Hyunjin! It's not hentai, is it? Tentacle porn?" In all honesty, you wouldn't have cared, or judged him at all. But it was funny to play with him.

“Obviously not! I’m not Jisung.”

You snorted at his quip. “Okay, well… are there any drawings I can see?”

He pondered for a moment. “I guess so. You really wanna see?”

“Of course.” You knew Hyunjin was studying fine art, and you were aware that he spent the majority of his time in the makeshift art studio he called a bedroom, but you hadn’t really seen much of his work.

When he led you up there, you immediately understood why he’d want to spend his hours here. It was a cosy respite from the chaos that so regularly consumed the rest of the house. Strings of fairy lights came alive at the touch of a button, casting a warm glow on the space. An easel sat in the corner of the room, and most surfaces were lightly cluttered with various art supplies; notebooks, paintbrushes, pencils, as well as a few completed works. There was a vase of what looked like lavender; you breathed in and the scent confirmed it, sweet and gentle. 

“Take a seat,” Hyunjin murmured, before rifling through a pile of books. He tossed one into your lap as you sat on his bed, although you were a bit more preoccupied with watching him move around the room. He did everything so elegantly, despite his extra-long limbs; it wasn’t hard to tell he was a dancer. He sifted through a box of records, his fingers flipping through them deftly, before setting up a pale blue record player. You turned your attention to the book in your lap.

It seemed to be full of off-handed sketches. They were absolutely gorgeous, but you could tell he’d done them absent-mindedly as he observed the world around him. There was one of Felix and Jisung, cuddling on the couch. A sight you’d seen many times before, you had no doubt it had turned to play-fighting before Hyunjin had even finished his drawing. You flipped the page. A sketch of Changbin curling a weight, his bicep bulging - if Hyunjin had followed the man to the gym just to observe and draw him, you truly understood. You couldn’t help but gasp, as you turned the page once more. You and Minho, standing in the kitchen together, his arms wrapped around you as you beamed. You remembered the moment. He’d been attempting to make lunch, but you’d been rather successful at distracting him.

“Hyunjin, these are so beautiful,” you told him honestly, your heart swelling at the charm with which he captured such everyday moments.

He thanked you, looking a little bashful.

You took a break from flipping through his drawings to survey him for a moment.. He was different when he was sober. Most of the time you'd spent with him, he was near-blackout drunk - utterly white-girl wasted. He was the life of the party, really. Loud, giggly, commanding the attention of everyone in the room. Maybe he was just one of those people who took some time to warm up to someone, you considered. You didn't doubt this, but beyond that… 

He just seemed so gentle. So sensitive, so sweet.

"You're… not the typical fratboy, are you?" 

Hyunjin looked over at you from the other side of the room. His eyes were so round, so innocent-looking. "What do you mean?"

You paused, choosing your words carefully. "You're just so lovely, Hyunjin." He blushed, looking away from you and resuming what he was doing - lighting a candle? - but he didn't speak. "Some of the other boys… great guys, don't get me wrong. But they have such fuckboy energy. Not you, though, Hyunjin. You're so sweet."

"Hmm," he hummed, appearing to think on your words. "I guess so. But…" he trailed off.

"But?" you asked. "I don't believe there's a but. Not with you, Hwang Hyunjin." 

His voice was barely above a whisper, hardly louder than the scratching of his pencil. "I'm still a man, Y/N."

You blinked. "Well, I've noticed that." 

Hyunjin shifted uncomfortably. "I'm just saying… men are all the same. Even if some seem nicer."

You placed the book on his bed, your brow furrowed as you tried to figure out what the fuck he was trying to say. "What are you getting at, Hyunjin?" 

"Don't judge a book by its cover, okay? Let's leave it at that." 

You hummed. "I don't want to leave it at that. I feel like you're hiding something now, and I wanna know what it is." Hyunjin stayed quiet, although you saw his jaw tense, noticed his cheeks redden. "So, if I shouldn't judge a book by its cover… does that mean you're not the sweet, kind, artsy boy I thought you were?"

"Well, no. I am those things. I'm just… other things, too."

“Other things?” you asked. You watched him light another candle. The cogs in your brain turned a mile a minute, trying to read the situation. The fairy lights, the candles, the record turning quietly. It all felt so sensual. He wasn’t trying to set the mood, was he? In all fairness, the boys had been constantly joking about how you were fucking your way around the whole frat. And it wasn’t even really a joke. You decided to test the waters. “Hyunjin, do you mean… you’re a little dirty?”

He paused for a moment. “I suppose so.”

“You’re a horrible pervy man? Who brought me up to his room to have his way with me?”

Hyunjin jumped. “What? No! I brought you up here to hang out. And look at my drawings. I’m not trying to take advantage of you!” 

You partly believed him. You chuckled. “What if I like dirty pervy boys, though?”

“Fine,” Hyunjin mumbled. He picked up the book he had been drawing in downstairs, a plain black, very nondescript sketchpad. He brought it to you, dropping it in your lap before going to the chair by his easel, sitting down and looking away from you. You looked at him expectantly, but soon realised you weren’t going to get anything more from him. 

You shrugged and opened up the book.

Oh. He really was a dirty boy.

You'd never in your life seen such a varied array of vulvas. Drawings, paintings, doodles. Shaved, trimmed, hairy. Innies, outies. Small, button-like clits, more enlarged ones. He didn't seem to discriminate at all - the man was pussy-obsessed. You flipped through a few pages, admiring the pussies like a field of flowers. Hyunjin's non-vagina art was beautiful, but he'd clearly found his calling here. 

“So you are a porn artist?”

Hyunjin glared at you. “It’s not porn,” he said scornfully. “It’s art.”

"But, you must watch a ton of porn? For research?" The air quotes you put around research earned you a scathing gaze.

"I don't watch porn at all," Hyunjin stated with a roll of his eyes. "And ninety-nine percent of the time, when guys say that it's a lie. But I'm the one percent, promise. I mainly use erotic photography, for references. Or paint from memory."

"From memory? You must be some kinda pussy expert." 

"Well, you're a dick expert, from what I've heard," Hyunjin murmured, just a little too loud to be under his breath. 

You couldn't help but cackle. "God, you're a bitch." 

Hyunjin smirked, before reassuring you, "I'm not judging, by the way. By all means, keep going."

"Thank you for giving me your permission, Hyunjin."

"Not what I meant and you know it." 

You shrugged, and returned to flipping through the book. "I like this one," you mumbled. The model's legs were parted, dainty fingers spreading their labia. Stretch marks streaked across their inner thighs, pubic hair wild and untamed. These drawings, they were all so real. It made you wonder what you'd look like, through his eyes. How would he draw your lips, what would your clitoris look like sketched out by his hand? How would he look, as he painted your most intimate area? Would he study you closely? Would he lick his lips in concentration, would he peer at you as he tried to envision how you felt, tasted, smelled? Would he touch himself, later, thinking about what's between your legs?

You decided to cut to the chase. 

"Have you ever had a live model before?"

Hyunjin looked like he was about to combust. He looked at you, mouth agape, and you could tell he was trying to determine whether he'd heard you correctly. "I've… I've never had the opportunity." 

You smiled at him sweetly. You loved the way he made you feel as though you were bestowing a blessed opportunity upon him. You had blown his mind with the mere implication that you might let him see you naked. 

"Do you want a live model?"

He nodded, still looking absolutely bewildered that you'd even offer. You didn't know why he was so surprised - you didn't exactly have a representation as a prude. You had openly fucked three of his friends in the last week, and here he was, utterly mystified by the idea of simply looking at your pussy.

You laughed at him, gently. "C'mon then, artist. Get your easel."

"Right - yeah. Let me just - get everything set up." 

Hyunjin turned, and you saw how hurried his actions were as he rooted through drawers, gathering his supplies. You supposed you'd better get yourself ready, too.

"You don't have to do this, you know," he told you, raking through a box of pencils.

"I want to." God, you really did. The rumours were true; you were, in fact, looking to conquer the entire fraternity. 

Hyunjin picked up his easel from the corner of the room, and finally turned back to you. "Oh. You're… naked."

You looked up at him from the bed, where you perched on the edge with your legs crossed. "Well. You're painting my pussy." 

He looked absolutely lost. "I didn't expect to see your… I didn't know you'd take your shirt off." 

You chuckled. "What am I, Winnie the fucking Pooh? Anyways, I didn't think you'd be so surprised by nudity, given the fact you draw genitals as a hobby." 

Hyunjin merely nodded, before setting the canvas on the easel and spreading numerous pencils and what looked like oil pastels on a small table beside it.

"Hey, Hyunjin. Look at me for a second." He did, hesitantly. "Relax a little, okay? It's all fine." 

He nodded again. "I know." He didn't sound sure. He was clearly nervous, which was understandable. But you wondered what it was, exactly, about the situation that was stressing him. Was he overthinking whether this would lead to sex? He wanted it, you could tell. Surely he knew that you wanted it too? Maybe you'd need to make your intentions clearer.

You sat quietly as Hyunjin worked. He brought a small lamp over, positioning it beside the bed. You watched as he tied his hair into a messy bun at the nape of his neck, gathering a few strands that had escaped and tucking them behind his ears. He was so pretty, even when he wasn't all dolled up.

"Okay," Hyunjin breathed. "Ready when you are." 

"Where do you want me?" you asked, and yet again, he looked ready to explode.

"Anywhere's fine. As long as I can see it - you." He cleared his throat. "As long as you're comfortable. That's the most important thing."

You leaned back on your elbows, and slowly spread your legs. Hyunjin looked upon you, mesmerised. His eyes were sparkling. This was how a man would look at a work of art, Michelangelo's David perhaps. This was how a man would gaze out across Nepal, having reached Everest's peak. This was how a man would look upon a real, honest-to-god miracle, a biblically accurate angel come to deliver the news that he is the messiah. That was how Hwang Hyunjin looked at a pussy. God, he really was a perv.

After minutes of scrutiny, during which you'd never felt so fucking visible, he turned to the easel and began his sketch.

He spoke up again, after a few minutes of working. “I don’t mean to overstep, but…”

“You just spent at least three straight minutes staring directly into my vagina,” you stated. “Say whatever you wanna say.”

“What’s actually going on between you and Minho?”

You wished you knew how to answer that. “I guess it’s hard to explain. We haven’t really discussed anything properly.” You thought for a few moments. “I’m sleeping around, obviously, but at the end of each day, I go back to him. That’s all there is to it, really.” 

He peered over at you, curious. “So, it’s true then?”

You looked back at him. “What?”

“You’re sleeping your way around the frat?”

You shrugged. “Yeah, I guess so.”

“And you’re having fun?”

“Well, obviously. You’re all hot as fuck,” you admitted outright. 

Hyunjin nodded. “I get it. We’re a pretty fun group of guys to fuck. You haven’t fucked Seungmin yet, right?”

You blinked at him. “No. Not yet… to be honest, I don’t know if Seungmin’s even interested.”

Hyunjin waved a hand at you, dismissing your concerns. “Seungmin’s just like that, don’t worry. Anyways, look forward to it - that’ll be a fun one.”

You raised an eyebrow at him. That seemed like a strange thing for a man to say about his friend. Unless… “You sound like you’re speaking from experience, Hyunjin.”

“Duh,” Hyunjin said, as if it was obvious. “You said it yourself, we’re all hot as fuck. Most of us fuck around with each other, from time to time. It’d be a wasted opportunity if we didn’t, really.”

You took a moment to absorb this. You couldn’t believe neither Felix nor Jisung had ever mentioned this to you. Traitorous bastards. They’d been fucking around with their stupid hot friends this whole time, and hadn’t even invited you to watch, or join? They were sick in the head, both of them.

You went quiet, letting Hyunjin sketch. 

There were many beautiful things in this world. Sensual, erotic, carnally beautiful things. The curve of an erection, the tightly-wound curls at its base, heavy hanging balls which almost looked like a heart, when caught in the right position. But this? Hyunjin, leaning over his easel, chewing on his lip as he deliberated over the perfect way to capture you on page. This was something else. This was beauty redefined.

It occured to you that it was impossible to hide anything from him. This took wearing your heart on your sleeve to a new level. He was privy to every one of your desires; he'd see liquid arousal drip from your hole, he'd watch as your clit slowly swelled. And if he took a moment to look away from your pussy (although he was so completely entranced that you didn't know if he'd be capable of it) he may even notice your nipples hardening, your pupils blown out with desire. He'd see just how much you wanted, needed him.

Although, by the looks of it, he was starting to get rather needy himself. His sweatpants were tented, though he was clearly trying to hide it, forearm draped over his crotch. You watched intently, trying to gain as much intel as you could from your obscured view. It looked big - that was about all you could gather.

"Maybe you should just take those off," you chanced. 

Hyunjin looked at you, surprised.

"Your trousers. They look like they're getting a little uncomfortable. And maybe it'd be less weird if we were both naked anyways?" 

Hyunjin put his pencil down, giving you an accusatory look. "You just want to see me naked." 

You grinned brazenly. "Obviously."

Hyunjin laughed. "You are so shameless. Fine, have it your way." 

Satisfied, you watched as he pulled off his shirt. Vast planes of tanned skin revealed themselves to you, and you fought not to drool. He was far from the muscular beast Changbin was, but he was surprisingly toned. Curved biceps, lightly defined abs, sweet little pecs with the loveliest pink nipples. So many places to kiss, lick, suck. And that was before he'd even taken his trousers off. 

He stood, and as he tugged down his trousers, you could've sworn that his dick sprung back up with enough force to knock you out. You kind of wanted it to knock you out. It had a beautiful curve to it, not quite as thick as some that you'd seen recently - your mind flitted back to Changbin and his coke-can cock - but it was still undoubtedly long enough to ruin your pussy. And so fucking pretty. Your eyes scanned him slowly; the tip was the prettiest shade of pink, the long smooth shaft, the perfectly round, clean-shaven balls. He was perfect.

"Enjoying the view?" he asked, snapping you out of your staring. He didn't meet your gaze, but you could tell he wasn't too shy. He knew how beautiful he was, and he was used to people staring. 

You simply smirked at him. "Keep drawing, boy." 

You felt your clit begin to throb - you couldn’t help it. You burned under his gaze each time he looked back at you studiously. You knew what Hyunjin was like, with his art. Although you were both clearly desperate, he would continue drawing for hours, putting off the inevitable pleasure that you both craved, in pursuit of his next masterpiece before he let you both indulge. If you wanted his touch, you would have to intervene.

It took him a surprising amount of time to notice that you were stroking your clit. He was peering at the canvas, eyes narrowed. You could tell he took his craft seriously. It was admirable, but incredibly frustrating when you needed him to just turn his head ever so slightly.

"Oh."

There it was.

"What are you doing?" he asked, looking at you with a blank stare. He looked you in the eyes, rather than in the crotch. 

"Enjoying the view," you repeated, inserting a finger and spreading the wetness across your clit.

Hyunjin turned back to the canvas, apparently unperturbed, but you saw his dick twitch. You had him. You continued to circle your clit gently, letting out a soft moan as you did so.

Hyunjin snickered under his breath. "Screw you," he whispered, his hand wrapping around his length gently. Still, though, he didn't stop drawing. You watched as he stroked himself, torturously slow, head slowly disappearing into his fist before reappearing once more, all the while leaning over the easel.

And you'd thought Minho had been a master of restraint. Hyunjin was different, though. He wasn't hiding how much he needed this. He was perfectly happy to show you his rock hard, leaking cock. More than happy to jerk off languidly before you. But he was also making it clear that he wasn't going to rush into anything. He'd sit there and paint all night, if you let him.

Of course you wouldn't let him. 

"Oh, put the fucking pencil down." 

He met this with less resistance than you expected, and didn't hesitate, even for a moment. "Fine, but I really do want to finish this painting soon." He turned in his seat to face you, fucking into his fist as he watched you.

You shuddered under your own touch, fingers swiping over your bundle of nerves and sending jolts throughout your body. Your pleasure felt so heightened, as you watched the man before you. His hands were gorgeous, veins popping out as he stroked himself, long fingers wrapped around his member. His balls swung gracefully as he did so - how did he do everything with such elegance?

You thought about how he might feel inside you. His dick was so long, you knew he’d hit all the spots you needed him to. You knew he’d be princely and refined, even while fucking you. Even when he reaches his peak, when cum spurts out of that gorgeous pink tip, even if he lost his composure… he’d do it with poise.

You could hardly take it any more. “I need you, Hyunjin.”

“But I’m having so much fun watching,” he said, his voice hoarse - he sounded so fucked out already. 

You groaned. “You’ll have more fun fucking me, and you know it.”

Hyunjin grinned as he shook his head, but showed no resistance. “C’mere, baby,” he murmured, his long, slender fingers gripping you by the hips and dragging you towards the edge of the bed. “You ready for it?”

“More than ready, fuck, please.”

Hyunjin pushed the tip of his dick inside you, ever so slowly. You sighed happily; there was that feeling you craved. Centimetre by centimetre, he entered you deeper, gradually filling you up more and more. Eventually, when his hips ground into yours, when he was fully buried inside you, he let out the sweetest whine you’d ever heard. 

You couldn’t help but grin at the sound. “That feel good, pretty boy?” 

He nodded, eyebrows furrowed as he fixated on the feeling. The slow pace was agonising, the drag of his cock against your g-spot positively electric. He was fucking you as if it was an art form, as if his dick was a paintbrush and you were his canvas. And, fuck, he was a master of his craft.

“Legs up, baby. I need to get deeper.” His voice was low, strained. You did as he instructed, hooking your ankles over his shoulders. “God, that’s good.”

Had anyone ever fucked you this deeply before? You weren’t sure. Although, to be fair, you weren’t certain you knew your own name, at that point. All you could see were stars, and the angel of the man above you. He pulled himself all the way out, until the head of his dick was barely inside you, before plunging back inside, slowly, slowly. Each time, he pressed up against your cervix, and it hurt, but fuck, it felt so good. 

The room was hot, the air heavy. Sweat was dripping from Hyunjin’s forehead and landing on your skin. You were consumed with his scent, lavender and fresh cotton, You were covered in him, you felt his touch on every inch of your body, surrounded by soft moans from both yourself and him.

His hands explored your body as he fucked you. They tasted your thighs, squeezing gently. They caressed your hips, your waist, your hips, your chest. He handled you so gently, treating you with the utmost care. You could picture him so clearly, manoeuvring a delicate statue, arranging flowers in a vase, manipulating clay on a pottery wheel. He treated you with the exact same respect and admiration.

“You’re a fucking masterpiece, babe.” He thrusted hard, but still so slow. “So fucking beautiful.”

Hyunjin looked down to the site where your bodies joined. He was enthralled, eyes fixated on the sight of himself disappearing inside you. 

“Can I - shit -” His hands were shaking slightly, as he caressed your stomach. “Can I get out my camera? Just - fuck - just to take some reference photos. I need to paint you over and over, please-” His words trailed off into a whine.

You nodded. “Of course.” 

He pulled out, and you gasped, feeling a sudden emptiness. 

“Hurry,” you whimpered, as he gathered his equipment. He returned to you, kneeling before you and capturing the sight before him. You felt yourself clenching around nothing, desperate to have him inside you once more. He didn’t leave you waiting too long fortunately, sliding his dick back inside you, snapping more photos as he did so, still moving at that lazy, unhurried tempo. It drove you crazy. It felt amazing, of course. He was hitting all the right places, sending shivers down your spine and spreading butterflies throughout your tummy. But with a dick that perfect, you wanted him to thoroughly destroy you.

“Put your fucking camera away and fuck me properly,” you urged him.

Hyunjin smirked down at you. “Minho wasn’t lying. You really do get bratty and impatient.”

You rolled your eyes. “Fucking rail me before I throw you on this bed and take things into my own hands.”

Hyunjin laughed, shaking his head as he put his camera safely on his desk. “Relax, hon, I’ll fuck you.” He returned to the bed, looming over you with a teasing smile. “Are you sure you’re ready? You sure you can take it?”

“So help me god, Hwang Hyunjin, if you don’t-”

Hyunjin swiftly cut you off, thrusting deep inside you. Your words trailed off into a high-pitched squeak. Sassy as he was, he did as he was told; he fucked you hard, pounding into you powerfully. One of his hands gripped your thigh, holding it close to him, the other tweaking your nipple, sending yet more bliss running through your system. 

“You’re so fucking tight, hon,” Hyunjin rasped. So you’d heard.

“Keep fucking me, Hyunjin - fuck me harder!” You gazed upon his slender frame, tanned skin glistening with sweat. Maybe it was just because he was fucking you so well, but you could’ve sworn he was a real live angel, an almighty being. No person was this beautiful - no human being fucked this well.

“Fuck, I don’t know how long I can last like this,” Hyunjin grunted. He had a dark look in his eye.

“Cum then,” you encouraged him, “Give me your cum, baby.”

He shook his head. “Not until you cum first.” What a gentleman.

His thumb went to your clit, rubbing gentle circles into it, the perfect amount of pressure. It was pushing you over the edge, embarrassingly quickly. You felt your heart rate rise, your skin begin to tingle. Your climax was approaching - you felt it throughout your whole body.

“Hyunjin - Hyunjin!”

“That’s it, baby, let go,” he coaxed you. 

“I’m cumming!” With your announcement, it crashed over you like a wave. It exploded out from your core, white heat shooting through your entire body, coursing through your veins. You distantly heard yourself babbling Hyunjin’s name, although you couldn’t say you were quite lucid enough to be aware of it. All you knew were the fireworks spreading from your pussy, sparks erupting, setting you alight. 

“You’re clenching around me so tight,” Hyunjin whined. “Shit - Y/N!”

He pulled out, gripping his dick at its base, crying out as he painted your pussy, shooting his cum across your folds. You watched intently as the hot white spurts landed on your clit, your lips, dripping down towards your asshole. 

“There we go, baby,” you sighed, catching your breath. 

Hyunjin kneeled before you, also panting with exertion. He leaned in, locking his eyes with yours before licking a gentle stripe across your clit. He hummed. “Tastes good. Wanna taste?” You nodded, wide-eyed. He delved in, licking and sucking, and you moaned at the sensation on your oversensitive parts. He sucked on your clit, swiped his tongue through your folds, spread your cheeks and licked at your asshole. You couldn’t help but squeal.

He stood, leaning over you and gripping your cheeks gently, forcing your mouth open. You stuck out your tongue compliantly, waiting for the salty substance to reach you. He allowed it to dribble from his tongue slowly, landing in your mouth. 

Hyunjin pulled away. “Don’t swallow. Stick out your tongue, let me see.” You complied, and he picked up his camera once more, snapping more shots of you. Your face, this time, rather than your genitals. “Fucking gorgeous,” he whispered.

He put the camera down. “You can swallow now - I know you want to.” He sat on the bed beside you, lounging back, and you cuddled into his side. You watched as he clicked through the photos he’d taken; your dripping wet pussy, his dick teasing your entrance, burying itself inside you. Cum dripping down your clit, decorating you. Your face, eyes hazy, looking beyond fucked-out, tongue coated in the tangy mix of Hyunjin’s cum and spit. 

“We should blow this one up and hang it in the hall,” Hyunjin remarked. 

You snickered weakly, tired as you slumped against the man. “You boys would like that, huh? You’re all obsessed with me.”

“And for good reason. I see what the hype is about.” Hyunjin kissed your forehead softly. It was so tender - this was a no-strings-attached hook-up, nobody was under any illusions here. But it seemed that everything he did, every action he carried out towards anyone, was so filled with love.

“Hype? What do you guys say about me, when I’m not here?”

“That would be telling,” Hyunjin responded slyly. “Let’s just say, you’ve gotten some pretty good reviews.”

You yawned. “That doesn’t surprise me.” 

“Who’s next then, hm?” he asked.

“That would be telling,” you responded with a mocking tone. “I’m tired. You want me to stay here tonight, Hyune?”

“It’s okay, hon. Go crawl into Minho’s bed, he should be home soon.” 

You sat up, kissing Hyunjin’s pretty, plump lips. “Thank you for giving me a good time tonight, Hyunjin.”

He smiled. “Thank you for being my muse.”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

When Minho returned home to find you curled up in his bed, you were barely awake, but still hanging on to your consciousness.

“Hey there, sleepy.”

“Hey, Minho.”

He paused, looking at you, eyes narrowed. “I know that smile. Who have you been with tonight, then?”

You gave him a smug grin. “Guess.”

“Not Jisung again?” He got into bed beside you, looking amused as he wrapped his arms around your frame. “You haven’t even showered, babe. I can smell Hyunjin on you.”

“You’re so good at this game,” you said, your voice slurred with tiredness.

Minho pulled you closer, kissing your neck from behind and making you sigh contentedly. He pulled you closer, and you felt his length press into you from behind - was he getting hard, thinking about you and his friend together? Was he imagining fucking you, with the scent of Hyunjin’s sweat still marking your skin?

He whispered in your ear, confirming your suspicions. “Are you too tired for another round?” 

You turned around in his arms, eyes twinkling. “Never.”

˚ʚ♡ɞ˚

taglist: @moasworld @hopefulrascalstatesmantoad @queenofthegardengnomes @boomfrogg @hoeinthehouse @msaddictions @sunnyhonie @hizliyuruyen @jyu037 @jouoy @drhsthl @seungincore @jellylver @veedoesntknaur @meloncremesoda @k-poplv @livieloo914 @fekixfmp @fawnpeaks @minnielvr @imastraykidsfan @hanjisung2023 @hoelynecujoh @kyrviu @sxgeofprohets @everydreams-penumbra @chaneomma @kkissreol @phtogravi @secretjj @princelingperfect @personawthai @dirah-h @straykids5star @luvhyux @chuuswifereal @stg110 @cookiesandmilfx @number1seungminstan @skzswife @starsandrqindrops @poody1608 @cutiespaghetti @hwa-0403 @i8rsie @kpopsstuffs @everyonehatesshani @han8ul @velentine143 @vixensss @cuddlehye @sheeshhhhfelixsworld @angeldhd @comicnerd557 @leeknowfz @imwithurmother @hrtsformin @maknae00 @teaholic @ficrecnctskz @tasteskz-sworld @ilychee08 @thehomotron8000 @romynochill @freckleboilix @yunhorights

[adobe-outdesign]

Nigel: The Muppets' Most Interesting Uninteresting Character

(This was supposed to be a fun little post about an obscure Muppet character but now I fell down a hole doing too much research and sunk cost fallacy won't let me live it down unless I include all of the useless information I've learned so enjoy knowing more about this character than you ever have or ever will want to know)

Nigel was created to be the host of the Muppet Show's Sex and Violence pilot instead of Kermit (who only appears in the pilot for like 30 seconds)

He was originally puppeteered by Jim Henson himself, giving him a vaguely Kermit-esq voice initially

Nigel Voice Count: 1

Nigel is a yellow... something. You’d assume he’s just a stylized human Muppet but in S4E18 Sam refers to him as a “thing”

He actually looks near-identical to a Fraggle minus the tail. I don’t know what to do with this information

Nigel was diagnosed with terminal Boring Personality disease due to the following attributes:

He’s very meek. Unlike Kermit, who will freak out and tell people they suck to their faces, Nigel raises his voice one (1) time and mostly relies on Sam the Eagle and Crazy Harry to deal with the assorted chaos

His face is flexible like Kermit’s, but he has permanently partially-lidded eyes that leave him looking exhausted in every scene he’s in

He’s generally unenthusiastic and seems like he wants to go home constantly

Jim Henson: The Works describes him as "lacking in spunk and charisma," which is hilariously cruel yet 100% accurate

What’s surprising at this point is that instead of scrapping him, he instead took on the role of orchestra conductor on the show proper, where he proceeds to do almost nothing for five seasons

The Muppets Character Encyclopedia actually provides a canon reason for this: Nigel lost the job of host due to his “shy manner”, and Kermit, feeling bad for replacing him, gave him his new job

He can technically be seen in basically every episode during the theme song, but aside from that, he often pops up in the chorus during songs

Which is funny when you consider he should be in the pit Doing His Job during those sequences

A quick list of his more important (if you can even call them that) appearances:

S1E2: He has Zoot play a song called “Sax and Violence” b/c pilot references

It’s actually implied the Mayhem falls under his jurisdiction as he threatens to fire Zoot, but this never comes up again

S1E24: Playing the part of a library patron noisily chewing gum (despite not having teeth. idk you figure it out). This one’s only notable because he’s wearing the same outfit from the pilot

S3E16: Nigel’s eyelids are not connected to the rest of his body and he’s facing backwards through the entire backstage segment so you’re uncomfortably aware of this

S1E23 has Floyd complaining that the theme song is cringe(TM), at which point it’s casually revealed that Nigel wrote it?? how is this character so important and unimportant at the exact same time

If you’ve seen this episode and aren’t deaf you might have noticed he has a completely different voice here. This is because John Lovelady has taken over as his puppeteer, presumably because Jim was busy Running The Entire Show

Nigel Voice Count: 2

Nigel has a talent for whistling, which is shown off in S2E18 during a performance with Floyd (this is the only time he comes on stage to perform that isn’t with a crowd)

He shows this off again in S4E18 to participate in the age-old sport of Annoying Sam the Eagle backstage

As of the 2011 movie Walter takes over as the show’s resident whistler because Nigel isn’t allowed to have character traits

He briefly shows up during the credits of The Muppet Movie (now puppeteered by Dave Goelz). Because of this, in the UK version of the end credits, he has another completely different voice

Nigel Voice Count: 3

After a brief background appearance in The Jim Henson Hour (S1E12), Nigel proceeded to completely disappear for 20 years

I’m guessing the reason was that his puppet was becoming unusable. The foam used for the muppets disintegrates over time, and his puppet was ~15 years old at this point

Things were particularly bleak for him in the 90s because Muppets Tonight came out with a new unrelated TV director character named... Nigel. Because Jim had passed away at this point and I think everyone working on the show literally Forgot they already had a character named that

Not that it would be that big of a problem, seeing as the chances of yellow Nigel returning were bleak. who was gonna spend time and money rebuilding an incredibly minor background character like him

TRICK QUESTION because he was rebuilt for The Muppets (2011), which is pretty amazing when you consider that he does Nothing during this movie

The new puppet looks pretty similar to the old one. I think the face is a bit rounder/more structured but I could also be losing my mind

(Side note: shoutout to whoever decided to give him a scarf in this scene. that’s such an unnecessary detail)

What’s great is that now that the puppet’s been rebuilt he’s shown up in a lot of stuff because they have no reason not to include him. Some of the more notable examples include:

The music video for OK Go’s cover of the theme song (which I certainly hope he would show up in I mean. it’s his song)

In the live shows (The Muppets Take the Bowl and The Muppets Take the O2) there’s a parade of overlooked characters, which includes Nigel. I just find it funny that:

A) The writers fully acknowledge that he’s King of the Background Characters

B) The in-universe implication that Kermit was like “no one knows who you are, wanna be in a parade celebrating that fact” and Nigel was like “okay”

His most recent appearance was in Muppets Haunted Mansion, where he’s dead (don’t worry about it). More importantly, he gets an entire shot to himself conducting some skulls, which I think is the first time the camera’s been focused solely on him in literally 40 years. Good job, buddy!

Here’s some other misc appearances that I couldn’t fit elsewhere:

He appears alongside Jim and a few other Muppets in a 1977 commercial for American Express (once again wearing his pilot outfit), which is particularly strange considering he’s the only character there that used to be puppeteered by Jim

In 2010 he got a somewhat important role in the first issue of Muppet Sherlock Holmes, playing the part of a butler suspected of poisoning the head of the house

He gets one whole page in The Muppets Character Encyclopedia from 2014 (right next to other Nigel). In addition to the aforementioned info bridging the gap between the pilot and the show proper, it also states that he’s susceptible to hypnosis and he trained at the Tommy Newsom Academy for Music and Charisma

In terms of future projects: there is both a Jim Henson biopic and documentary coming in the future (side note: why???), so it’s possible he might be discussed briefly in one of those

I have no thesis statement or reason for writing this, but I guess I’ll close out by saying that I find it fascinating that a failed main character from a pilot episode is still appearing in recent Muppet productions but solely as a background character. I hope that in 2073 I can put on some Muppet media and Nigel will still be there still doing absolutely nothing

thanks for coming to my TED talk

[sinful-lanterns]

Suspect R as a Shapeshifter would be so interesting

Imagine her with the ability to literally shapeshift into any monster she likes, specifically the other monster girls that are following researcher!reader just to bring some chaos and fun into the group

"why let them follow you, when i'm all you need?"

and in the blink of an eye she grows a pair of tentacles from her back to mimic Mindflayer!Chameleon monster trait, but wait a second- is that Werewolf!Zoya's cock?

"she can have multiple traits at the same time!?"

"I can also adjust sizes to your liking"

Not only Suspect R would fuck reader all night with different monster trait combos until they feel exhausted, but also play some pranks like shapeshift into anyone to make them jealous on purpose

Slime!Kelvin, approaching after finding a moment alone with reader

"Again? so soon?"

"W-what do you mean again..."

And the culprit is laughing in the background while reader facepalms because they got fooled, again🤭

this happens so many times to the point poor reader has to double check the girls when they approach them and start to question them. it would be so funny

Imagine Weredog!Rahu ready to have her time with them and reader is like

"Wait, let me measure your dick to make sure it's you" lmao

I don't need to mention that Suspect R is getting on the nerves of many monster girls (she enjoys that) to the point of being forced to sneak around the camp and follow reader without being seen, maybe shapeshifting into Yurei!Eleven to study how others are around them to mimic better their traits👀

researcher!reader having a whole notebook full of notes and drawings just for her, someone has to study the shapeshifting limits and powers (and sex combos) of this monster girl, am I right?

-🧶

I would say Suspect R would officially be called a Doppelganger, but that’s essentially the same thing as a shapeshifter :0

Anywho, Suspect R casually copying the appearances of the other monster girls and tricking the Researcher, is such a creative and funny concept. Suspect R would just switch into various monster girls to have her “turn” with you as many times as she likes, which ends up with a lot of confusion and misconceptions amongst the campsite.

Kelvin, peeking into the tent: I-I’m here for my mating time, Researcher…

Researcher, confused: Kelvin? D-Didn’t you already fuck me just a few minutes ago?

Suspect R: *sneaking away and chuckling to herself as she transforms back*

Yeah, the Researcher should’ve known that Kelvin wasn’t Kelvin when she acted way more dominant than usual 😭😭 Suspect R is such a meanie, taking up the turns of the other girls and causing them to grow infuriated with this greedy Doppelganger. It’s unfair that she steals their turns by tricking you, so now you have to take extra precautions in making sure the monster you were fucking is the real one.

Researcher: R, I know this is you. Cassia’s boobs are bigger than that.

Suspect R, transforming back: Ehe, you’ve grown smarter~

Goodness, having Suspect R join the expedition would be so much fun! 😅

[gothichoi]

⋆ ｡⋆🦇˚— horror

SYN: when he is a little too in love with horror while she’s terrified of his favorite films, but she puts up with his friday night horror marathons

cw: profanity, light kissing & slight gore ⚔︎ wc: 1,376 genre: horror, slight fluff, est. relationship

a note from wendy: not me writing about a dream date I wish to have. . .but I am more of a fan of horror / gothic horror novels. oh, also, I do not mention any member names in these short stories, so fill free to picture any member of your choice. reblog if you enjoy ⚔︎ library & inbox

I FLINCHED WHEN the bloodied ax went through another person’s body. A slight scream left my mouth before concealing my eyes against a shoulder that belonged to my boyfriend of three years. A faint rumble ran through his chest as he chuckled low, causing me to lift my head up slowly.

“What is so funny?” I asked him, pouting softly.

He shook his head faintly before pressing a faint kiss against the tip of my nose. “You are just adorable when you are terrified,” he whispered softly, his warm breath fanning against my face, causing a faint giggle to leave my pink tinted lips.

“You know how much these types of films scare me,” I tell him with a small pout.

“And you know I will always protect you no matter what,” he responds before placing a gentle kiss against my forehead.

I slowly bit down on my bottom lip. Before I could say a word, his lips were pressed against mine. A loving and tender smile slowly appeared on my own lips as they returned his gentle kiss, the sound of the horror film being the only background noise in our shared bedroom.

My body suddenly tenses up as another body dropped dead on the blood splattered ground, fresh blood gushing from the knife wound in the woman’s forehead. Quickly, I pulled away from the man’s warm and comforting embrace and placed both of my hands over my eyes before I could catch a glimpse of what was unfolding on the television screen. “Do we really have to watch the rest of this?” I ask, pouting softly.

A wide smile appears on his face as he laughs softly at my words. His warm hands slowly slide into mine and squeezed gently before lifting both of my hands up, pressing feather light kisses on my knuckles.

“Don’t worry, you know I will protect from anything that scares you, and that includes fictional characters in these horror films,” he whispers softly while placing another light kiss on the very tip of my nose, causing my face to scrunch up a little and a small giggle to escape my parted lips.

“How will you be able to do that though?” I ask while pulling my face away from his and tilting my head to the side in pure curiosity.

Instead of responding to my question, he placed his lips against mine while gently placing a hand on the back of my neck. Both the horror film and the room we were in quickly dissolved into darkness as I felt myself getting lost in the sweet kiss.

His lips slowly form into a sweet and soft smile in between the kiss before he started to pull away, causing me to blink my eyes open slowly. All of my senses quickly returned when the room we were in reappeared, the chaos on the television and all.

“Did that help your nerves, sweetheart?” I hear him ask while rubbing the pad of his thumb against my exposed shoulder.

I gently bite down on my bottom lip and nod my head in response before focusing my attention on the television screen, furrowing my eyebrows when I caught the ending credits of the horror film.

“I’m sorry that I made you miss the rest of the movie,” I tell him in a quiet tone.

My attention focused back on his face as he looked over at the black screen, shrugging his shoulders faintly before placing a loose strand of my hair behind my ear. “Don’t worry about it, sweetheart. We can always rewatch it another time,” he said, the tone of his voice matching my own.

I nodded my head slowly as my eyes met his. “I prefer it to be during the daytime,” I tell him softly.

He chuckled softly before pressing his forehead against mine and placed a hand against the side of my face, rubbing the pad of his index finger against my skin. “That is perfectly okay with me, sweetheart,” he whispered before placing another gentle kiss against my lips.

~

“ARE YOU SURE you want to watch another after getting spooked with the previous film?” I hear him ask while lifting a brow up as he watched me carefully, his gaze never leaving my face.

I gently bite down on my lip gloss covered bottom lip and nod my head before flashing a soft smile in my boyfriend’s direction, which he easily mirrored back before releasing a quiet sigh. “Well, alright then. Would you like to choose the next one or do you want me to while you make us another bowl of popcorn?” he asked.

My eyes focused on his collection of horror films as I bent down to pick three of the films off of the shelf, looking at each one carefully, my eyebrows knitting together as I got a better look at the images on the front of the cases.

“What about this one?” I ask, holding one of them out to him.

His lips twist into a slight smirk when he got a better look at what I was holding out to him. “Are you sure about this one, darling? There is way more bloody scenes in this one than the film we just watched,” he told me while taking the film’s packaging in his own hands and giving me a look that was both curious and questionable.

I took a moment to think of my answer before nodding my head and wrapping my fingers around his right wrist.

“You’ll protect me, right?” I asked him softly.

“Always,” he replies right away, giving me the softest smile I have ever seen before leaning forward and faintly brushing his lips against my forehead.

The corner of my mouth slowly lifts up, turning into a soft smile as I pull away from where we were standing, watching as he turned away to replace the previous disc with the one he had in his hands.

“I’ll be back with a fresh bowl of popcorn,” I tell him while grabbing the half-empty bowl and making my way to the kitchen before he could respond back.

~

“FUCK!” I SCREAMED while placing both of my hands in front of my eyes once again as the killer repeatedly hit a younger man with a bloodied object that was lying on the floor in the room the two of the characters were currently in. I felt movement next to me as my boyfriend chuckled quietly at my reaction to what was currently happening on the screen.

“It’s okay, darling,” he said softly while running his fingertips up and down my back comfortably.

“Why do you enjoy these types of films so much?” I ask, glancing over at him with a small pout.

He shrugged his shoulders slightly and pushed a few loose strands of my hair out of my face. “It’s what I was raised on, I guess. My parents would always have a horror movie marathon every single week on Friday nights,” he explained while gliding his fingertips down to my jaw.

I lightly bit my lip and looked back at the television screen, noticing it faded to a black screen before moving onto a different scene. “We definitely were raised in two completely different households as children.”

He chuckled softly while resting his arm on top of my shoulders, squeezing them gently as he nodded a little. “That we were, but that doesn’t change a thing, got it? I don’t care about how you feel towards my favorite films. I love you regardless of our different interests,” he said gently as his fingertips gently brushed against my shoulder in a comforting gesture.

My entire body quickly melted next to him, causing me to lean more against his body, quickly absorbing the heat that was radiating from him. “That is why I am madly in love with you,” I whispered softly as I pressed my head against his chest, focusing my attention back on the television screen.

“My heart is yours. Always,” he whispered back before pressing a sweet kiss against my hair and tossing one of our many comforting blankets around the both of us before silence fell between us as the horror film resumed in front of us.

[honestlyyoungtyphoon]

Actor head canon time:

Might clash with their characteristics from TRE, cause it's about the actors not the characters from TRE Kdrama (yes it's a Kdrama in my head).

Navier:

Social media: Has twitter and Instagram, not tiktok. Mostly work related posting, hardly posts about personal life.

Friendly on set but not too over friendly. Very punctual and professional.

Seems like a good girl but secretly a baddie 💅 but you wouldn't know 😌

Comes from a rich family. Very determined about what she wants, a wee bit of stubbornness presence.

City girl through and through, won't survive in country area 😭

Established actress, has a fashion house of her own.

Pets: A 🐕 and a 🐈.

Dislikes: Unprofessionalism, mosquitos

Relationship: In public eye single but *wink wink nudge nudge* (I'll do a post about relationship status about Navieshu later)

Extra: Knows ballet, was picked on by a director after watching her performance. Later is history. Now an established successful actress.

Loves ice skating. Learning rock climbing.

Special hobbies: Beating Sovieshu with pillows on set, to the point the director of the drama added it to the TRE script. 🗿

Sovieshu:

Social media: All of his social accounts are handled by a professional team. Has secret personal account for friends and family.

Former successful kpop singer but quit before serving mandatory time in military and then joined acting after finishing his time there.

Takes complicated/bad guy roles to shed his "good boy/prince charming" persona form kpop days.

Friendly on set but loves to tease Navier subtly on set and often falls victim to Navier's pillow. Brotp with Rashta, has funny bloopers. Professional otherwise.

Pets: None

Dislikes: Paparazzi , crowds

Relationship: Single but... *Wink wink nudge nudge*(Navieshu piece incoming later)

Loves camping and long drive, often takes certain someone for long romantic drives 😌

Extra: Knows how to play several instruments, into rock climbing. Currently learning defence arts, cause Navier keeps kicking his butt when he annoys her too much 😂

Rashta:

Social media: Very active and interacts with followers. Posts about cute personal things. But loves to troll from fake accounts. Often posts dance tiktok videos. Sometimes forces Sovieshu under friendly threat 😁

A total pal on set. Has the most funny bloopers. Lights up the place wherever she goes. Loves chaos. A chaos queen 💅, Prankster. One of the very few people knows about Navier and Sovieshu's relationship.

Established actress and a media darling, former miss world winner. First time acting as a villainess. Previously, it was mostly romantic dramas.

Pets: One misunderstood danger noodle 🐍, and two 🐈

Relationship: Rumoured to be engaged to an another established fellow actor (not anyone from TRE)

Dislikes: Hot weather

Loves: Napping, swimming.

Krista:

Social media: All are private, prefers to live low-key.

Shy, introverted but kind hearted, friendly on set. Can be mischievous when needed (under Rashta's influence 😁), closer to Rashta.

Has a strong theatrical background.

Relationship: Married with one kid. Husband is a surgeon. (Cause I want to okay?)

Pet: Recently got a puppy.

Extra: Knows how to play violin. Is the only person that can control Rashta on set.

Has black belt on martial arts. But nobody on set knows about it.

Heinry:

Social media: Very active on social media. Often posts shirtless photos on IG.

A former runway model.

On set, closer to McKenna, Ergi. Has friendly rivalry against Rashta. Never wins against Rashta's pranks.

Rising star, recently got media focus through TRE. TRE is his breakthrough role and getting a lot of attention because of this.

Relationship: Rumoured to be in a relationship with a model but nothing confirmed ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

Pet: Three 🐕

McKenna:

Twin flame of Rashta on set. Has funny bloopers.

Appears as a good boy, is a good boy, radiates sunshine energy unless you piss him off

Active on social media and regularly posts on tiktok.

Closer to heinry, ergi, kosair.

Pet: He IS the pet

Loves: Spicy food

Ergi:

Loves to watch drama unfold from distance.

Neither introvert or extrovert. Loves to confuse people.

Often joins Rashta in pranking people but without being suspected by anyone.

Comes off as calm and quiet, totally opposite inside.

Social media: Prefers twitter cause drama 😈

Kosair:

Social media: Fans get most bts pics from him of TRE set.

Often arranges for pizza night out. Overall easy going guy.

Completed his mandatory military service.

Has a good sense of humour.

Has the most embarrassing videos of cast members and their shenanigans.

Never thought of being an actor. Was aiming to be a professional ⚽ player. Changed career after suffering from an injury that ended his dream 😞

After that started modeling then slowly got into acting. Thinking of getting into directing.

Relationship: Newly married to his long term girlfriend.

[violentviolet-vv]

woah two posts in one day??? anyway thats mot thw reason im positng im posting bwcuz i never rlly had a foreign kids au thing, but now ive been thinking abt them aged up in middle/high school au (everythinf in camp camp happened btw thia is just the aftermath) so im just gonna yap abt ot knoeing no one will read this

sorry in advance for any spelling mistakes this is literally just a concept plan and like jm super dupper tired becuz i finally fixed my sleeping schedule becuz school started😁😁 which means no more 3 am posts woohoo!! and km wrting this on phone which i hate.💔

anyway the plan for the atory would be like. starting off with the foreign kids?? i dont rlly have an antagonist asides from brian(kimchi.) and ainsley so ig they qould b the ones causing the chaos (villian revenge ainsley au woohoo!!!)and like.i have a strong feeling that the trio would change their identities to protect themselves. (not toooo drastically. mainly just like. names off by one letter like 'Deng' and 'Hwang' and like.... vera but the E or A is replaced by a different vowel idk.....)

i think it would start off with brian bejng betrayed by like. kentucky government idk bro this show is so goofy. and he eventually stumbles upon ainsley somehow (dont ask i didnt put much thought knto this) and they both end up relating to each other and teaming up to take down the foreign kids!!!! (ainsley doesnt know theres more involved with vera, so she automatically hates them too now, but her main goal is to like. ruin vera first)

so they both plan how to like. track them down and atuff idk turn them in since theyre wanted by thai, north korean, russian and american government ig too.... (i need to rewatch camp camp dawg😿)

i dont actually have a plot yet i jist thought this would be a funny idea. also all background characters WILL make an appearance (maybe excluding cj or whatever the new camp counciloes name is. i dont like him)

i would write a fic about this but.... have you seen my last post i mistook THREE WORDA FOR DIFFERENT ONES. i already edited it hut im truly ashamed of myself. AND IM IN HONORS LANGUAGE ARTS DAWG THIS IS HUMILIATKNG.😿

[bouquetface]

Hii ☺️. I would like to participate to the Astro game you just opened!!

To start I would like to thank you for the time, energy and work you'll be putting into it, not to mention your dedication on bettering an interest you have, I admire you for that (Something I'm struggling at the moment 😅)

Anywayss,, the song of the moment would be Woke up by XG, such a powerful song I recently discovered & Complicated by Christian Kuria, an old song I discovered of him, artist l've been loving for a while (I would normally go for three, but I only have two now).

Here's my datas: 28/04/1999, 15.36 pm, Milan, Italy (use it to your own discretion 🤗)

Have a good day, afternoon, night

Do I need to give my initials? Anyways, it's HK

Hello:

You:

You are likely physically attractive. You are poised and charming. You don’t intentionally start drama for fun. In conflict, you are likely to stay quiet and observe/analyze. This is your virgo rising & libra moon combination.

If you feel there is serious injustice, you would fight for yourself and on the behalf of loved ones. That is your aries mercury and libra moon. Your aries mercury opposes your moon as its energy is not afraid to be blunt. Overall, you still prefer harmony over chaos.

Yet, you may like to watch and hear about drama. For instance, you may enjoy gossip.

Your Scorpio mars and Gemini Venus suggests you can go from 0-100 when hurt. If someone were to betray you, they would see a side of you that they didn’t know existed. You are very observant, you pay attention to things that others don’t. And you remember things that others forget. So in an argument, you can be vicious with your words. It can shock people. Some may misperceive your rational and gentle side as you being a doormat or naive. Two things you definitely aren’t. The things you think and say when angry may even shock you.

Home & Family:

While you do love your family, you may have some painful memories with them. You could have a strict family. Possibly religious or very traditional. The home may make you feel restricted.

You could have a parent that put a lot of emphasis on appearances and status. This may have made you a critical person as well. Due to the way money was talked about, you need financial stability to feel secure. You can be very sentimental about your possessions too.

Career:

Aesthetics and appearances will important in your career. You could end up in a magnet position as well. Your career will become or already is very important to you. You could model, work in media/marketing. You could even be a cook or baker.

Future partner:

The good news is in vedic you AK is Venus and your partner’s DK is Mars. This means you two will always be strongly attracted to another. Passion dying out isn’t something you need to worry about with your person.

They could be a person with traditional values. Family is likely important to them. They may be religious. You would have no issues with their family. Their family is likely very sweet and welcoming as they are shown by taurus venus. They could be a very direct person too. Spontaneous as well. The relationship will likely begin quickly after meeting. They are a determined person. Action orientated. They could be well educated. Having a funny and sarcastic sense of humour. They may interest in politics and cars. They may be from a different ethnic background or religious background.

Solar Return: This is more likely to be accurate if you still live in the birth place.

You could be receiving or asking for help this year. You may need or get financial help. You could have a sudden shocking event in regard to higher education or travel. A trip can be planned or cancelled. You could make finals choices on a course or school.

You could be making final choices about a relationship too. Friendship or romantic or business. Something surprising may happen. This could make you fully commit to this person or desire to fully break away.

In 2025, Jupiter your 7th ruler is conjunct Venus. This is a big indicator of meeting a romantic partner or continuing to feel joy in a relationship. With Venus, Saturn and north node in your 7th in 2025, you might be getting married or seriously committing to someone.

I hope this resonated. Please leave feedback 🫶

[sweetingseva]

Hi Hi!

I finished Tbona yesterday, and I have more questions than answers, help 😅 I'll probably flood your askbox a bit, sorry in advance!

***TBONA SPOILERS BELOW***

I really like the theory of Apollo being Lysander Valor, and that Dane Valor is LaLa's first love (the dragon).

„Dane was some sort of shifter, and Lysander had a gift that involved memories. ” (Tbona, ch.16)

Also, Chaos (aka Castor Valor) and Apollo seem to have similar looks (olive skin, strong facial features, dark hair, brown eyes), while Tiberius Acadian looks very different (soft face, freckles, copper hair).

„So this was the mysterious Tiberius. They didn’t look like brothers.” (Ouabh, ch.33)

If that is the case, what I don't understand is how Apollo didn't notice he is being manipulated into marrying Eva by Jacks? He surely knows about the key prophecy? And I would think he wouldn't want the Valory Arch opened and the other Valors to return to rule. I wonder what his motives are? What's the history between him and Jacks?

Why did Jacks not want the Valory Arch to open? Why would he not want the Valors to return if they were such wonderful leaders? Is it because of Aurora?

Now that we know Apollo can take away memories, what else could he have modified in history?

I also keep wondering if there is still more to Jacks's background. We know now that he is the Archer, but when he and Eva first meet he says: „People who don’t like me call me Jacks.” (Ouabh, ch.2)

I kept thinking about this because literally everyone calls him Jacks. 🤭 But could he have another name/identity then as well? Maybe he is someone from one of the great houses.

I'd love to hear your thoughts, thanks in advance! ☺️

Hello! Thank you for your question! And don't worry about it, I'm happy to answer any question of yours 😊

Thanks to the first four chapters of ACFTL being released, I have a much better understanding on Apollo and his reasons. Unfortunately, it really seems like Apollo might have made a deal to get the memory erasing power. He goes to say that he did it to protect Evangeline. Throughout his chapter, the less and less I believed he was Lysander.

Lysander is one of the many children of Wolfric Valor, and it appeared that Apollo was just a distant relative. If you can call him that.

Since you bring up the physical differences between Apollo and Tiberius, I definitely agree that they may not be blood related at all! Perhaps that is why Apollo's father was hard on him.

Now Dane, I really want to believe that he's LaLa's lover. I think that would be so cute and incredible! 💕🥺

According to Apollo (in ACFTL), I don't think he entirely believed the Valory Arch tale and its corresponding prophecy was real. Therefore he didn't really care for it.

Apollo was cursed the moment he met Evangeline. At this point, nothing would stop Apollo from being overly infatuated with Evangeline thus ignoring Tiberius's warning about her. He had no choice but to be manipulated into marrying her.

Onto Jacks, I never got the sense that he didn't want to open the Valory Arch. I know he said he didn't want to open it but not because he doesn't want the Valors to come back but because there's nothing inside that he wants. What he wants are the stones.

Funny thing since you mentioned it, but Stephanie did almost give him more names.

Stephanie: Jacks! For the first few drafts of this book, I couldn't find the right name for Jacks. I kept giving him different names. He was Jack, Sebastian, Gavriel, Judas, and once he had five names: Jesper Alexander Castor Kronos Spencer.

In my opinion, Jacks is his name and he doesn't have another. He might have said that as a joke 😅

[cookieblobber]

The Strength of Knuckles in Sonic Frontiers

After seeing how so much better the writing and characterization has been through Amy, it only leads one to wonder:

What are they gonna do with Tails and Knuckles?

By now you’ve probably already gotten the idea of what’s the issue with Knuckles. Once a fascinating, unique character who was the only one left in his species and isn’t very familiar or accustomed to the rest of the world due to the burden he has to carry of protecting the Master Emerald/Angel Island full of his ancestors’ history, to a big goober who talks about how much he is so strong and can do anything, yet gets easily shoved aside for comic relief (ala Gens and Lost World; also I don’t wanna really bring up Boom Knuckles since it is a whole different interpretation of the character and as we all know, he can be pretty funny).

Imo he was probably at his worst in Forces. Sure the idea of him leading the resistance makes sense since you know, ancestors being warriors and all, but…the motherfucker KILLED 80% of his troops doing “Operation Big Wave” …and it’s just kinda brushed aside too??? Like this isn’t even brought up as like a devastating emotional scene where Knuckles realizes he fucked up and nearly wiped out a whole army, or shows the whole resistance is losing hope or anything, it’s just a random text box told by Amy during a level��but we can’t focus on that as we have an Infinite fight with the Avatar coming up!

Ok ok I’m straying off topic; Frontiers Knuckles is beautifully written and the story takes his shit with the severity it needs

———————

Knuckles

was surprisingly given his own little animated short before the game came out, acting as a prologue (there was also a little comic featuring what the rest of the cast was doing before the events of the game but, it’s nothing noteworthy. Just kinda shows how they got interested into heading to Starfall Islands). After watching the little cartoon….

That was some of the best animated Sonic content I’ve ever seen.

The animated short establishes Knuckles’ character and background so fucking marvelously. A lot of past animated shorts from the official Sonic YouTube channel/Powerhouse Studios usually went for more slice of life, silly and cartoony stuff (which is fine and dandy, I like them too), so it was surprising how they went for a more serious and quiet route with this short.

We see Knuckles finally back guarding the Emerald again. He ponders once again about his ancestors, monologues about preferring to do things on his own while doing his job guarding the Master Emerald. He begins though to question about where did the emeralds even come from, why is it so important for him to guard what is essentially a burden to him? Tikal’s light shows up and guides him to somewhere through Sky Sanctuary, and along the way we see such beautiful animation of him gliding around (pretty sure this is the first time in 2D animation he’s shown to glide) and helping out Chao that inhabit the area.

After some exploring, Knuckles finds a Chao trying to retrieve a stone mask (eerily appearing to be the face of a Koco) buried under a pile of rocks. He smashes the pile, gives the mask, but notices a teal green gear on the ground obviously ripping off Pokémon Mystery Dungeon and a whole newly opened ruin…older than anything on Angel Island. At the end of it is presumably a Cyber Space structure, with a gear slot that he puts the gear in, transporting him to what, honestly seemed like Chaos Island; enemies show up, and a massive beatdown happens, showing just how fucking amazing Powerhouse Animation Studios’ can be and only blue balling every fan watching from the idea of a 2D animated Sonic tv show to happen one day.

Sage though shows up with Asura and defeats Knuckles. We then see Knuckles contained in Ares Island, no way to come out on his own. He begins to monologue again

“I don’t need anyone to get by…

“but sometimes…”

———————

In just 6 minutes, Knuckles has been redeemed. Yes he’s a bit clumsy, he can be hotheaded, but it’s clear he has his reasons for his flaws than just being the silly character who is that way for the sake of jokes. The red echidna is capable of having more serious thoughts, thinking about his family and his current position, how unfortunate things are. And regardless, it’s shown he really can do things on his own, he’s able to run the island by himself and be a strong presence any creature that lives on the island can rely on. He’s shown to be capable of putting up a good fight and taking out a whole group of enemies, he’s finally showing to be more than just all talk no game; out of all of the friends in Sonic’s group, he’s the one we’ve wanted to see again for so damn long considering his first ever introduction was being Sonic’s main rival who runs this floating mysterious land. Sonic works best with his legs, Knuckles works best with his fists.

I mean the motherfucker PUNCHED the Super out of Sonic, I think it’s reasonable people would have their expectations of the character to be somewhat high.

And coupled with the stellar animation and choreography, it’s some of the best 6 minutes for any Sonic fan to enjoy and revive their appreciation for the franchise, reminding them why they’re invested in it all these years later with all of it’s ups and downs.

———————

Sonic crash lands into the desert-y Ares Island, and see he has to hunt down the emeralds once again

Unrelated, but something I’ve noticed is that mostly each island in this game kinda acts like…it’s own Sonic game? If that makes sense???

Like, you look back on the classic games, specifically Sonic 3, right. You find a character and get a gist of their personality, throughout the new island you’ve landed on however, you go through levels and obstacles, entering special stages to retrieve emeralds, collect all 7 to take down the final massive boss in this epic Super Sonic showdown.

What do you do in an island in Sonic Frontiers: You find a character, get a gist of their personality, throughout the new island you’ve landed on however, you go through random separated obstacles, enter special stages Cyber Space portals to retrieve keys to unvault emeralds, collect all 7 to take down what many consider to be on par to a final massive boss in this epic Super Sonic showdown.

Specifically in Ares Island, you’re shooting back the missiles the boss is firing to be able to weaken and attack them…hmmmmmmmmm

Fascinating parallels if I do say so myself.

Sonic immediately starts investigating and to his surprise, Knuckles is trapped here. Freeing him starts some dialogue, and once again Ian Flynn showing off his skills and giving us quite possibly some of the best interactions between the two characters the franchise has ever seen. Sonic usually keeps teasing Knuckles and making jokes at him to of course get a reaction out of him; both are at bit of playful odds with each other, like genuine bros just handing out teasing each other and having a good time and bantering, and it’s just so wholesome to watch. Admittedly, probably cliche to say at this point but, some moments lead to slight homo energy, especially with how Sonic keeps looking at him 💀

Sega isn’t making things any less subtle 🫢🫢🫢

————————

What I like the most about Knuckles’ writing here is that he barely boasts about how strong he is an all akin to Generations and Lost World. In Gens and LW, it’s usually really played up where he says, “I could’ve done better, you know!” but then something overly comical happens to him that might make you think he’s just talking to look good and make you eye roll, that he’s a bit of a fraud overhyping himself up. Here in Frontiers: he definitely still tries to keep up a tough demeanor, but it’s not immediately met with him looking weak and powerless. Around the end of the boss fight, he claims about Super Knuckles could’ve done better, but it’s obviously just bantering with Sonic like how they’ve been doing throughout the whole story. And even then, it’s already been shown he really is capable of putting up a fight, shown in the prologue video and a scene in this game where he was about to fight Sage for attacking Sonic. There’s a level of respect still done to the character instead of being there for the sake of comic relief.

Like Amy, he’s helping his own Koco, that being soldiers of some sort of army. It turns out through a sort of interactive flashback, the Ancients that inhabited the islands had created massive walls of defenses of some kind. Unfortunately, some random powerful being immediately wiped it all out in an instant. This leads to Knuckles approaching the Koco that brought him to these defenses and noticed it’s still, signifying that the Ancients were killed in that sudden attack (since the ancients’ souls seem to be related to the Koco). A moment of silence is given for the fallen Koco, who’s soul has been now laid to rest.

Later, we see Knuckles trying to round up an army of Koco soldiers, cowering in fear of what happened to one of then, to head to their bunkers to protect themselves. Essentially it’s just Knuckles playing along to help the souls of the ancients within the Kocos be laid to rest as well. Sonic helps out, and in the middle of it, Knuckles notices the ruins around them seem similar to the ones on Angel Island, theorizing if the Ancients that have survived whatever attack on Starfall Islands have once inhabited Angel Island. It clearly resonates with him as it shows there could be a more noticeable connection between his people and the Ancients than he thinks (after all the ancients seem to look a lot like Chaos, the water god who protected the Master Emerald).

Suddenly, giant towers launch an attack on the ruins, and in this case, Knuckles is unable to fight due to his cyber form (he could only do so with Sage as she was able to interact with whatever happens in Cyber Space and Starfall Islands). He starts to worry about another sudden attack ruining the Ancients home, so it’s up to Sonic to stop it.

This helps put the rest of the Koco army finally to rest as whatever unfinished business they had has finally been settled.

———————

After everything is settled, Knuckles is seen sitting down, pondering again. The scene is silent, gloomy, and gentle. Sonic approaches him, attempts to say something but, realizes he’d just ruin his little moment thinking alone.

With him being alone with Sonic, he shows a rare moment of vulnerability: a fear of being alone. Knuckles starts to monologue about his ancestors and what they’ve done, and the consequences of their actions; being the last of his species. Seeing in the flashback how the Ancients were wiped out by an unknown powerful force, and seeing them be attacked at random by another unknown force, it reminded him of his own generational trauma.

Sonic, as optimistic and cheerful as always, reminds him he may be the only echidna, but it doesn’t mean he’s the only living person, as he got other people. Knuckles admits he’s into Sonic’s freedom lifestyle, which Sonic encourages him to pursue as well, of course once things are back to normal.

———————

As mentioned in my essay on Amy Rose, it’s gentle, quiet moments like these that sell the unique tone of Frontiers. Moments like these showcase why even after all these years later, no matter how these characters are made out to be in all these stories, there’s a good reason to be in love with them and invested with their personalities and goals. This franchise may be all about running around and going fast, but it doesn’t hurt to take a step back and sit down; these moments we haven’t seen since I guess, Sonic Unleashed, and moments that could’ve benefited games like Sonic Forces.

It’s so nice to just have characters taking a moment to talk things out and show appreciation for one another. It’s such a breath of fresh air to see them show to be more than just background characters that tag along Sonic; they have their own goals and wants in life. And at the time of me writing all of this, it makes me more excited to see what Update 3 does to these characters.

———————

Knuckles is a very special character, where the fact he has this very specific burden he has to put up with that no one he knows might ever be able to relate to or fully understand…oddly makes him relatable. We all have some problem in our lives that may feel like no one else will ever get: certain trauma, mental issues, just things that we just have to accept will be a part of us for the rest of our lives whether we like it or not. Said problem may never have a proper solution or a way out, it’s the unfortunate truth.

But, like Sonic, there will always be people around to keep you on your feet and show you why you should always put up with said issues and do what’s right. They may not fully know what’s going on, but they will always try to help you find a work around to your problems and other ways to enjoy life regardless of the issues that may hold you back.

You may be the only one who may go through a certain dilemma, but you’re not the only one in the world who can help you deal with it. There’s always people out in the world to turn to when times get tough.

[hannahssimblr]

Chapter Seven (Part 2)

I don’t realise that I’m tipsy until the cold breeze hits me, as as I drag my phone out of the waistband of my skirt again, the glow of the screen jerks around in front of my eyes. I open up my messenger app and tap out a message with great effort.

I got the goods.

I attach Michelle’s phone number. He types back a minute later. 

Thamk yuo 

Yuo’re wlecmoe. Nice attempt at spelling some really challenging words there, Jude. Good job.

Haha funny gril

*funny gilr

Fuck **girl

Oh my God, you’re pissed. 

Yes !

I watch the typing dots appear and disappear for a minute or two before he appears to give up trying, and my phone comes to life in my palm with a phone call. I bring it to my ear. “Hello?” In the background is the sound of thumping techno music, rustling noises and then the swish of something heavy before his voice emerges from the chaos. “Yes.” He announces. “I’m drunk. Sorry about that, my thumbs won’t text what I want them to text.” He’s got this loose, childish, silly tone to his voice that makes me smile, as it’s a rare privilege to hear him like this. 

“You out?”

“I am.”

“Where are you?”

“Uh… Katen… Kater Blau?”

“Are you asking me?”

He laughs. “No, I can’t remember how to say it. I’m somewhere. I’m outside some club.” The music is muffled now, but the sounds of a busy city have replaced it, swirling around him, weaving its distinct melody with the sound of his voice. 

“Is it a Halloween party?”

“I wish. Nobody celebrates Halloween in Germany. I’m just out. Tuesday night partying, baby. Oh! You’re at Shane’s house.”

“That’s right.” I settle onto the steps, first flicking a tiny snail off the stone. “Here I am. I’ve been drinking tequila.”

“Bleagh.” He exclaims. “Tequila makes me puke.”

“Does it?”

“Yeah. Even the smell.” He makes another gagging sound and I cover my mouth with my hand. “Stop making that noise or I’ll start puking, you sicko.”

He lets out a loose, easy laugh. “So what’s your costume?”

“I’m a cat.”

“Ah.”

“Very original, I know.”

“A cat.”

“Meow.” I say flatly.

“So… what are you wearing?”

I cough out an outraged laugh. “That’s a bit of an inappropriate question. You’re hardly flirting with me.” As soon as I’ve said it I wish I hadn’t. In my head it was funny, but as soon as it hits the air I curse myself for ever thinking it ever would be. These are the only kinds of jokes that are never funny with him.

An awkward laugh. “Well I dunno. I was wondering what you were wearing, like, costume-wise, that’s all” My face heats up. “Um, like just these stupid cat ears I made and a cheap leather skirt and a corset I stole from a girl I used to know.”

“Cool, cool, cool.”

“Cool.” I wince with the phone against my ear, hearing only a rustle of fabric and a gentle sniff as he continues to say nothing at all. 

“This is nice, Evie. It’s cool to call you again.” He says eventually, voice a bit hoarse. Goosebumps travel up and down my arms and legs, but it’s surely thanks to the wind.

“I know.” 

“Like, you haven’t been far from my mind this last year.” 

I take a slow, shaky breath, suddenly feeling like I’m on another planet, alone on Shane’s front doorstep while the party thumps on on the other side of the wall. “Right.” I say, but only a raspy whisper escapes me. 

“I’m only saying this because I’m drunk.” He clarifies. “I obviously wouldn’t dare say it otherwise.”

“Oh.”

“You know how I was in Japan last spring? On the day that we went to see mount Fuji it was so foggy, too foggy to see a thing, and we were so bummed out, but the next morning before we got the train to Kyoto I got up early, like, when the sun was rising, and from the window of my hotel room I could see it, and it was right there, clear and blue, and the sky was red behind it and all I could think of how much I wished that you could see it too. Like, that I wasn’t alone just looking at it. I knew that you’d understand how perfect it was.”

I pause. The sharp autumnal breeze licks over my skin and fallen leaves rustle across the garden. “Jude.” I say softly. “You know that-”

There’s a sudden, loud crackling noise over the line and then a new voice is speaking to me. “Hallo?”

I blink. “Um, hello?”

“Bist du das, Astrid?” 

“No – um, nicht? Ich bin Evie.” I cringe. 

“Evie! Evie Kilbride.” This new voice is the cheerful, infectiously jolly sort of voice that renders the smile that crawls up my face irresistible. “Yes, and who is this?” 

“I’m Jonas.” He announces. “I have heard a lot about you.” and I can hear Jude groan in the background. 

“Exclusively good things, I hope.” 

“Yes of course, only very good things. Are you partying tonight?”

“Yes! It’s Halloween, Jonas.”

“Ah I see! Do you have a costume?”

“I’m a cat.”

“A sexy cat?”

I laugh, listening to Jude’s distant protests. “Jonas, please, give me my phone.” he pleads.

“You’re too drunk.” Jonas insists. “You’re at risk or saying something stupid. I’ll speak to her. Is it okay if I speak with you, Evie Kilbride?”

“Absolutely, but fair warning, I might be too drunk too.”

“You sound wonderful, my dear. I hope my friend didn’t disturb you.”

“Of course not. We were just chatting nonsense. Are you having a fun night?”

“Oh yes, we are. When are you coming to Berlin? When do I get to finally meet you?”

“Hmm… Maybe soon-ish.”

“I’ve been looking forward to it. You’re famous in our house.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes, I’ve looked at so many photographs on-” There’s the sound of a struggle, rustles and swipes and then Jude is back again. “I’m sorry, Evie.” He breathes. “We should probably hang up now before he says anything insane.”

“Okay.” I say, and in the background Jonas yells “Send us a picture of your costume, Evie Kilbride!”

“Don’t send me a picture.” He says. “Or do, if you want to… I, uh, never mind. I can imagine without a photograph… or – Christ, sorry. Nothing I’m saying sounds right at the moment. I’m going to go.”

“Alright, see you.” I say. “Enjoy the Katzer Blau.”

“Yep.” He says, and then the line goes dead just as Jonas starts to loudly sing my name.

The next morning, as I rise with an aching head and a mouth that feels like it’s been rinsed with sand, I reach for my phone on my bedside table. He has texted me, one coherent, sober message underneath the barrage of his drunken misspellings. 

I’m sorry if I said anything weird to you last night. I remember we talked but I don’t remember what about. I was very drunk. Forgive me. Hope we’re good. 

x J

Beginning // Prev // Next

[savemeaimeemann]

[ post re-edited ]

Girl, wake up!

I got bored and decided to write a Folie à Deux fanfic.

For your consideration:

AO3

Everything is Romantic

Chapter 01 - Work and no fun

Geneviève was a lawyer. A collaborator with Maryanne’s team. And in Gotham, that made her a bit of a masochist.

It’s funny, really. She loathed drama but felt an inexplicable responsibility for Arthur, as if he's too broken too see his potential in life. The truth was, his case was too fascinating to ignore. Life in Gotham could be a drag, and why not get swept up in the whirlwind of chaos that surrounded him?

She visited Arthur occasionally, but never alone. No, that would be too… personal. She preferred to be the “hidden help,” lurking in the background, avoiding unneeded contact. Genie was always monitoring his tests and exams like a hawk. She was adamant that he didn’t have a lower IQ; , that was a fact she insisted first thing she got into the case ( in this story Maryanne use this info during the trial ).

Arthur, of course, had noticed her from day one. In his head, he called her “Genie,” a little nickname that felt both endearing and frustratingly distant. She had this cold, polished vibe—like a glass sculpture you could admire from afar but would slice your fingers open if you got too close.

Her attire was always on point—dark colors that screamed “expensive” while subtly whispering “I’m better than you.” And the guards? God, she couldn’t help rolling her eyes at their every idiotic remark, her disdain practically raw on display.

It was amusing, though. Here was this chic, formidable woman, and yet her disdain for the guards made her all the more intriguing. Arthur found her weirdly comforting—like a security blanket dipped in sarcasm.

Her humor was sharp, sometimes surprisingly funny. He remembered that one time she laughed at one of his dark jokes, while Maryanne shot her a look that could curdle milk. He could sense the cracks in her icy facade; there was warmth beneath the surface, but good luck getting her to show it.

On days when she had to interact with the guards—when she had to escort him to Maryanne—he could hear their whispers. “That weird girl… something’s off about her, right, Art? Bet she gives you the creeps!” As if! Arthur just smiled to himself. There was something about Genie that made him feel safe, as if she could handle any man stupid enough to bother her.

Her presence had an unsettling effect on him; it made him painfully aware of his own appearance. While she strutted around in impeccable coats and knee-high boots, he felt like a neglected scarecrow. He tried to clean himself up for meetings with Maryanne ( needless to say it was very difficult since he had no meanings to look as presentable as he wanted ) desperately hoping Genie would be there, too.

One memorable day, he found himself in the crossfire of an argument between Genie and Maryanne over his trial attire. Genie insisted on dressing him in expensive clothes, while Maryanne argued he needed something relatable—something human—given given the way he was living right now at that decrepit place.

“Genie, you can’t dress him like your personal doll!” Maryanne exclaimed, exasperation etched on her face. This made Arthur laugh and even escalate to one of his laughing fits. Genie gave an eye roll to both of them and stormed out, clearly over it.

“I’m sorry. I’m just tired. I know she didn’t mean to complicate things,” Maryanne said, grasping his hands with fierce determination. “We'll get this! we are working really hard. I promise I'll let her buy anything you want when we get u removed from this place. You need a place with proper care, Arthur. Being able to use nice clothing, have access to a proper bathroom and don't be left in the rain, like they do in here with you. Please help us help you!"

Arthur squeezed her hands, a timid nod following. It felt surreal—this idea of a life where he could choose what to wear, where he wouldn’t be drenched in rain or trapped in this godforsaken place. That daydream wrapped around him at night, lulling him into a sense of hope he hadn’t dared to feel before. I carried him through the week.

But let’s face it—he knew he was out of Genie’s league. She would never care for him romantically. His adolescent mind could dance with possibilities all it wanted, but the truth was: he was a hopeless romantic, forever chasing shadows.

As time went on, with Lee entering the picture and the trial looming, Genie maintained her distance, though curiosity gnawed at her like a persistent tick.

To her, Lee was utterly pathetic—a caricature of love so misplaced it was almost a comedy. She couldn’t help but laugh inwardly whenever Lee tried to confront her, her ego spilling out like an overripe fruit.

“Are you keeping this up forever? Why do you have to be so cringe?” Genie quipped, barely masking her amusement.

“Until you start doing a better job defending him!” Lee shot back.

“Oh, please. Trying to lecture me while you sabotage our work for your ego. Do everyone a favor and check yourself into another mental institution, you'll be doing both us a favor...” Genie retorted, trying to dismiss Lee

"I think y-"

"Well, I don't think about you at all!" Genie said, giving her back to Lee.

Arthur was getting swept away by Lee, and when the fateful day came that he dismissed Maryanne and the team, Genie could only watch, her expression carefully composed. She had studied him like a text, observing the trainwreck unfold with morbid fascination. One thing was certain: he wouldn’t dare try any “kiss” theatrics with her, not like he did with Maryanne.

As the trial continued, Genie lingered in the shadows, silk scarf on her face, dark glasses perched on her nose, and attempting to remain invisible. But her gaze was glued to Arthur—this strange, beautiful chaos unfolding before her.

On the second day, when he declared, “The defense rests,” something twisted inside her. He looked like a lost guinea pig on display, surrounded by a mob of brainwashed fans. He insulted the guards at Arkham and she heard what they used to do with him for far less. The guards would have their fun with him, she just knew it.

“You stupid, blind clown, Arthur!” she murmured under her breath, frustration bubbling up. Tonight, she wouldn’t rest. This was her moment to intervene, to unleash the horrors she had always fantasized about visiting upon those guards.

People never bothered to ask how she got her hands on vital information for Arthur’s case—her methods were questionable, but effective. Always having ways to enter places, disguise and blend herself. Maryanne recognized her talent, at least. A persuasive person with very questionable methods, but that was her joy working with Maryanne: she didn't care, as long as she could deliver what they needed to win their cases.

Deep down, though, she couldn’t shake the feeling of unease about her growing concern for Arthur. It was too late to question how far she had come for him, and maybe—just maybe—that was the best part.

--------

I'm enjoying all you guys fix-it fics so decided to give it a try. Pls let know of you enjoyed or hate it.

🤡❤️

[animebw]

Short Reflection: Gridman Universe

In some respects, Gridman Universe was nothing like the movie I expected it to be. I came in prepared for a multiversal mashup or Trigger's series of high-concept sentai reimaginings, and that's definitely what I got. But I also got something a lot weirder and wilder, a movie that in many ways is trying to be a definitive statement on the nature of Gridman itself. It's a film deeply obsessed with its own concept and place in the world, not simply as a means of reference-pandering for longtime sentai fans but as an examination of what it even means to exist as a story like this to exist and have meaning and let meaning be taken from it that may not even be there. And yet at the same time, it's also a big goofy crossover that feels like playing with all the toys in your toybox at once without caring much about making it all make sense because isn't the point of having fun to just, you know, have fun?

Which seems only fitting. Gridman and Dynazenon have been one of the most conceptually bizarre undertakings in Trigger's history, marrying the Saturday morning cartoon spirit of Ultraman with more existential, metaphysical themes and an eclectic directing style that feels more like a proper successor to Evangelion than anything else besides the Rebuilds. It's simultaneously pretentiously highbrow and shamelessly lowbrow, while also being just kind of unapologetically normiecore somewhere in the middle with how it depicts the awkward mundanity of normal life juxtaposed with mecha-on-kaiju action and universe-reshaping cosmic high concepts. It's a bizarre concoction that by all rights shouldn't work, and yet it does? Somehow, director Akira Amemiya has figured out how to make all these disparate tones sing together in harmony, and the result has been one of anime's most singular voices in the modern era. And this movie is just that on the biggest scale imaginable, throwing all restrictions to the wind and seeing just how far it can push this absurd, experimental niche it's carved for itself.

At least on paper, the plot is simple. Gridman protagonist Yuta Hibiki is working up the courage to ask out his crush Rikka Takarada, but that's all thrown into chaos when kaiju once again start appearing in his world. It soon becomes clear that some unknown threat is starting to merge universes together, leading to the cast of Dynazenon crashing into Gridman's world and kaiju going on the rampage. So the two groups must put their giant robots together- both metaphorically and literally- to face down the new threat and put the universe back in order. It's an extremely by-the-numbers setup for a crossover movie... at least until we get into the back half and reveal the nature of what's actually happening. And then things get so high-concept and reality bending that it's honestly kind of funny. I won't spoil the reveal of what's actually going on cause it's worth discovering yourself, but suffice to say, not only does it answer a lot of long-standing questions about the nature of this world in the trippiest way possible, it also sets up Gridman Universe as an answer to the question of its own existence.

See, in many ways, the mismatch at the heart of Gridman's aesthetics is the entire thematic point it's trying to make. Why redo a simple, straightforward sentai show as something so weighty and almost intellectual in its presentation? Why attach so much existentialism and cinematic complexity to something that's still, at heart, about punching big monsters in the face? Or, more broadly, why do we, as people, seek to draw meaning from art, even art as simple as giant robots fighting Godzilla? These questions may have been floating in the background of both TV shows, but they are the driving force of Gridman Universe. There are multiple times when characters will comment on the nature of Gridman, as a character, as a concept, as an idea, as an active force with a tangible effect on the world. The ultimate reveal of what's going on entirely rests on pushing this question to its logical extreme. It's simultaneously a celebration, interrogation, and deconstruction of the lizard-brain desire for popcorn entertainment and our ability to read deeper meanings where they may not actually exist, and whether or not it matters what a piece of art "intended" as long as you found something powerful in it.

There are so many ways a metatextual metaphor this tangled and self-fellating should have fallen apart. And yet, once again, by some magic, it all makes sense. Yes, the movie seems to say, Gridman is all these things. It's absurd rock-em sock-em action that speaks to your inner child, and it's weird-ass mind-bending sci-fi, and it's genuinely grounded naturalism that perfectly captures that particular teenage mindset of half-sleeping your way through life as you figure your shit out trying to put the world's bigger, more existential questions out of mind because hay, kaiju or not, you've still got college exams to worry about, right? It's all of these things at once, and it has a right to be all of these things at once, and you have the right to find power in them no matter how silly it may seem on the outside. And it justifies it all by once again just doing it all really, really fucking well. It's a bizarre, purposefully overthought stream of consciousness that's all about the importance of letting ourselves overthink the stories we love, putting our own meaning into them and forging our own relationship with them to better understand ourselves as individuals and a collective. It's an argument for art as an active conversation, even with something as simple and silly as this.

And yet, there's a problem.

See, while this movie is billed as a Gridman x Dynazenon crossover, it's really more of a Gridman movie. The title Gridman Universe is not an accident: this movie is centered on Gridman and its cast of characters first and foremost, with the Dynazenon crew mostly playing backup and hanging around for some character banter. Yomogi, Yume, Gauma, and all the rest are bit players meant to spice of a narrative that's all about Hibiki and his desire to go steady with Rikka. And unfortunately, this ends up confirming something I've believed ever since this series started:

The main cast of Gridamn is the single most boring aspect of this entire Gridman experiment.

Look, I'm sorry, but Hibiki sucks. He's an utter void of character and personality, as blank a blank slate as you can possibly get. Even your average isekai potato-kun tends to come off as smug and self-satisfied thanks to the power fantasy that guides the author's writing process, and while that's definitely obnoxious, it's at least something. But Hibiki's entire existence in both the show and movie is little more than taking in information, making bland observations, and spouting generic hero motivations whenever it's time for an action scene to happen. And you could maybe justify that in the show because he's technically a dormant passenger in his own body for most of that, but now that he's back to normal in the movie, it's painfully clear that the central figure around which this entire franchise revolves is little more than featureless white noise.

And that only becomes clearer when contrasted against the Dynazenon crew. I had my issues with Dynazenon- much weaker villains, no real standout moments- but the reason I ultimately prefer it to Gridman is because everyone in its cast is full of life and personality. They're all still awkward, mumblecore teenagers for the most part, but they're believably awkward, mumblecore teenagers who come by their personalities with purpose and meaning. So you've got Hibiki and his pals bumming around not being much of anything while the script insists on putting all the focus on them, while you've got this much more interesting crew running circles around them in basically every interaction they have. Seriously, every second Yomogi is on screen is basically walking proof of how to write a "generic" protagonist well in contrast to Hibiki's extreme nothingburger of an existence. Yes, Akane Shinjou was a spectacular character, but it's clear that Gridman put all its writing chops into her and no one else, but Dynazenon spread it out evenly. And now that she's gone, there's nothing left to distract from how much the people at the core of this narrative just don't measure up to their much more interesting backup singers.

And that's not even going into the "romance" that's supposed to be the emotional center of this whole affair. Hibiki and Rikka's love story is one of the most generic "boy pines after girl until she falls for him" plots I've seen in a long time. The fact it's merely boring instead of actively painful is wholly thanks to how damn good both their voice actors are at selling the scenes between them; whatever chemistry these two have is wholly thanks to how good Yuuya Hirose and Yume Miyamoto are at playing believably low-key teenagers navigating the liminal space of a changing relationship. But the writing just gives them nothing to play off of, and it never feels like anything more than a one-sided crush on Hibiki's end, which makes Rikka's eventual reciprocation feel wholly unjustified. Which only stands out more in contrast with Yomogi and Yume's utterly natural couple dynamic and- hilariously- Rikka's own unresolved feelings for Akane. Yes, the most blatant queerbait this side of Kumirei makes another brief appearance in this movie, and the brief twenty seconds it takes up have more believable chemistry, intimacy, and yearning to be together than the entire rest of the movie trying to sell you on the watered-down heterosexual alternative. Talk about an unforced error.

Ultimately, Gridman Universe is at its best when it embraces the philosophy at its core. As a showcase of everything worthwhile about this franchise- the believable teenage moodiness, the overturned-toybox action sensibilities, the willingness to go trippy and weird and artistically ambitious- it's as good as this franchise has even been. As an argument for being such a bizarre mishmash in the first place, it's the stuff of high concept metafictional wet dreams. But if it wanted to be a true masterpiece, it needed to tie all those wonderful elements to a central narrative and a main protagonist that were actually worth a damn. Yes, we can find meaning in even the silliest of stories, but we can just as easily find even the most ambitious experiments lacking. And until Gridman figures out how to make its main cast even half as interesting as their spinoff bretheren, then this story's ability to reach me will always remain a half-measure. For that, I give Gridman Universe a score of:

6.5/10

Man, it feels good to be home again. Hopefully I'll find the energy to start watching more anime now that I'm on vacation. Fingers crossed!

[waythroughtheice]

Sometimes I think about how Geo probably dumps every item he aquires as a result of his megaman shenanigans almost immediately.

And I personally think he does it so he doesn't recieve questions about where the fuck all that money came from.

(Lan pulls similar shenanigans, with Hub shaking his head in the background, having failed to eplain to his brother that nothing they did was actually illegal and/or unknown by the authorities, for the fifth time.)

Every time this happens there is like. A party on the net/wave roads because hey!!!! Free stuff!!!!!

The reason I bring this up? I thought you might find it funny.

Yeah, it is honestly really really funny. In my fics I take the approach that he doesn't drop any of his stuff willingly, but honestly this view is probably more in line with his character.

You know, that's completely fair. I'd also argue that it's also because he really cares that little about being Mega Man. Why should he keep anything? Nothing will happen again, that was a one time thing, and he doesn't want the trouble. Honestly.

(Lan just likes chaos, and Hub like seeing his little bro happy. It all works out.)

LOLOLOL Mega Man becomes the Net Navi version of Santa Claus. Legendary gift-giving figure that appears once in a blue moon and disappears just as fast.

I do find this very funny--thank you for sharing!