#just start a new document and start chugging

[ddejavvu]

looking at my outline for spring fling chapter 7 it's projected to be on the shorter side because originally six was supposed to be the end of day 2 but i was too long-winded and cut it into 2 chapters. so this is the tail end of what should have been six but it's too important to rush so i had to ramble instead. how much rambling? we'll find out. but i can't guarantee it'll be a behemoth like the last one

[flwrstqr]

— HOW TO LOSE A GUY IN 10 DAYS (LHS - 이희승)

SYNOPSIS ! an advice writer, you, starts on a bold new project for an article aiming to explain how to drive a man away in just 10 days. your editor is supports, so you set out to find a suitable man for her experiment. meanwhile, executive heeseung is equally confident in his ability to make any woman fall in love with him within 10 days. when you and heeseung cross paths, things slightly go off plan.

THE CAST heeseung x writer! fem reader

GENRE s2l, fluff, comedy, romance

WORD COUNT 5k+

WARNINGS parties, kissing, small grammar errors, yn kind of playing with heeseung at first, swearing, angst, crying

DANi NOTEZ hii this is for my liz's new event!!! this i based the rom com, how to lose a guy in 10 days. i kind of changed up scenes but the main idea and plot is based on the iconic 2000s movie. i've been writing this for abt 2-3 days? i thought it was good enough for liz' event so here i am. anyways i hope u enjoy it ><

BEING A WRITER HAS BEEN YOUR NUMBER ONE GOAL EVER SINCE HIGH SCHOOL. Now, at age 23, you were finally standing at the gates of the biggest magazine company ever. The sight alone sent chills down your spine, filling you with exhilaration.

Taking a deep breath, you pushed open the doors and stepped inside. The bustling activity, the hum of the printer, and the aroma of bitter coffee greeted you. You made your way to the elevator and anxiously pressed the button for the 17th floor.

Upon arrival, you awkwardly walked into the office. Your heart was pounding, and your knees were slightly shaking. You approached the manager's office and opened the door, finding yourself sitting in front of your section's main manager.

"YN LN?" the woman asked.

"Yes, ma'am," you replied stiffly, nerves evident in your voice.

"Welcome to our magazine company," she greeted, shaking your sweaty hand.

"Thank you," you responded with your usual sweet smile.

"Well, why don't you get to work?" she laughed. Your eyes widened, and you quickly stammered an apology, rushing to find your new desk and start brainstorming ideas.

For nearly two hours, you gazed out the window, feeling empty. No ideas were coming to you. It always seemed that the best ideas came at the worst times, and now, when you needed them most, your mind was blank.

"YN, just think…" you whispered to yourself, running your fingers through your hair. You glanced around the office, hoping for inspiration. Your eyes settled on a young man and woman engaged in a flirtatious conversation. Watching them smile and laugh together made you wonder if they were a couple or just interested in each other. (happy couples really did give you an ick.)

Then, it happened. The perfect idea. An idea that could possibly get you promoted and shake the whole world.

Quickly scribbling on your paper, the title snapped into your mind: "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days."

YOU MIGHT BE WONDERING, how do you even lose a guy in 10 days? Easy—just find a guy and drive him away by doing stereotypical “girl things.” Sounds like a piece of cake, right?

“YN, that is one of the BEST ideas I’ve ever heard!” your editor, Yeseo, exclaims.

“Really?” you ask, eagerly smiling.

“It’s perfect! It would catch everyone’s attention!” Yeseo explains, her eyes lighting up as she imagines the situation.

“So, how are you going to write this?” Yeseo raises an eyebrow.

“I’ll try it out myself and document my experiences. That way, it’s more authentic,” you shrug.

“That sounds great. Just journal your experiences each day,” Yeseo nods, agreeing with your plan. “I’m so excited to see the final product, YN. Email me once you’re finished, and we’ll get it published within weeks.”

You give her a quick smile before leaving her office, ready to start your new adventure.

PARTIES. USUALLY ONE OF THE THINGS YOU ABSOLUTELY HATED. The noise of couples kissing, people screaming, and music blasting through the speakers was just not your thing. The way sweaty bodies brush against each other as they chug alcohol. Parties are truly the thing you hate the most.

“So you’re telling me your new article for the magazine is about how to get a boy to dump you in 10 days?” Karina raised her eyebrow.

“In other words, yes,” you smiled. “I mean, what’s the worst that can happen?”

“Possibly it not working,” Giselle interjected.

“Well, it will. I’ve planned the whole thing,” you grinned with a hint of pride. “My editor was impressed. I’m sure it’ll work.”

“If you say so,” Karina laughed at your confidence.

“So basically, YN will get a boyfriend before me?” Ningning asked, shocked.

“Well, he’s not gonna be my boyfriend. He’s more like a test,” you replied uncertainty. As you continued to explain your plan, you felt a gaze fixed on you from across the room.

A FEW MINUTES BEFORE

“I bet you can’t get a girlfriend,” Jake joked.

“I can,” Heeseung rolled his eyes.

“Wanna bet on it, then?” Jake's eyes glinted with playfulness.

“Deal,” Heeseung confirmed.

“If you get that girl over there as your girlfriend, then I’ll give you a thousand dollars.” Jake smirked, pointing at you across the room.

“Her?” Heeseung raised his eyebrow as he checked you out. You were pretty to his eyes, though he wasn’t sure if he had the courage to approach you.

“Yup, her,” Jake grinned.

“Deal, I’ll have her in my arms within a day,” Heeseung winked before walking over to ask for your number.

NOW

“No way my plan will fail–” your voice stopped as Heeseung approached, tapping your shoulder lightly.

“Hi,” he greeted you with a welcoming smile.

“Uh, hi?” you replied, confused.

“You’re kind of cute. Can I get your number?” Heeseung asked, the words not quite rolling off his tongue as he had never done this before.

Your cheeks burned slightly as you stared. “Sure?” He was quite cute, with his sweet smile and perfectly styled hair. You gave him your number, and he mentioned he would text you later before walking off.

“YN, you know what that means?” Giselle raised her eyebrow.

“Huh?” you looked confused.

“You can use him as your test,” Winter recalled. Your eyes then widened. Perfect! He would be the perfect subject for your new article. Now, how were you going to make him yours?

YOU SIT ON YOUR BED, staring at your phone, debating whether to text Heeseung first. Your fingers hover over the keyboard, a mixture of nervousness and excitement bubbling inside you. Finally, you take a deep breath and type out a message.

YN: Hi, it’s YN. We met at the party earlier, you asked for my number. :)

You hit send and immediately feel a rush of anxiety. What if he doesn’t respond? What if he thinks you’re weird? You try to distract yourself by scrolling through social media, but the minutes feel like hours. Suddenly, your phone buzzes.

Heeseung: Hey, of course I remember. How's your night going? 

YN: It’s going good, just relaxing now. How about you?

Heeseung: Same here. Just got home. That party was a bit too much for me, tbh

You smile, feeling a little more at ease.

YN: Agreed, not rlly a party person lmao

Heeseung: Really? Me neither. I actually prefer a quiet night with some good music.

YN: Same, what kind of music do you like?

Heeseung: I listen to a lot like R&B and indie ig

YN: oh rlly? Same w me 

Heeseung: oh that’s cool

Heeseung: also wanna meet up one day?

YN: That would be amazing. I’m totally up for it.

Heeseung: Cool, it’s a date then. :)

You can’t help but smile at his message, feeling a flutter of excitement.

YN: Sounds like a plan.

Heeseung: It’s getting late. I should probably get some sleep. But I’m glad we got to talk tonight.

YN: Me too. Sleep well, Heeseung. Talk to you tomorrow?

Heeseung: Definitely. Goodnight, YN. :)

You set your phone down, a smile still on your face. This might just be the start of something interesting.

YOU TAKE A DEEP BREATH, smoothing out your outfit one last time before stepping into the restaurant. Heeseung is already there, waiting at a table near the window. He spots you and waves, a warm smile spreading across his face. You give a small smile back. 

“Hi,” you greet him as you sit down.

“Hey,” he replies, “You look great.”

“Thanks, you too.”

The waiter comes over to take your orders, and there’s a moment of awkward silence as you both look at the menus.

“So, uh, do you come here often?” Heeseung asks, attempting to break the ice.

“Actually, it’s my first time,” you admit.

“I see,” Heeseung awkwardly laughs. 

AFTER DINNER, you both step outside into the cool evening air, feeling more comfortable in each other’s presence.

“That was really nice,” Heeseung says, stuffing his hands into his pockets.

“Yeah, it was,” you agree, feeling a sense of relief that the awkwardness from earlier has faded.

You walk side by side down the quiet street, enjoying the peaceful atmosphere.

“Do you live far from here?” Heeseung asks, breaking the silence.

“Not too far. Just a few blocks away,” you reply, glancing at him.

“Oh I see,” he says, smiling.

As you continued walking, the two of you began to chatter off. The conversation flows effortlessly, and you find yourself laughing at his jokes and sharing your own stories.

“Did you see the sunset earlier?” Heeseung asks, pointing to the sky, which is now painted with shades of orange and pink.

“Yeah, it was beautiful,” you say, smiling at the sight.

“I had a really good time tonight,” Heeseung says, looking at you with a soft smile.

“Me too,” you reply, feeling a warmth spread through you.

As you reach your street, you both come to a stop.

“Well, I guess this is where we part ways,” Heeseung says, looking a little reluctant to leave.

“Yeah,” you say, feeling a twinge of disappointment.

“Thanks for tonight, YN. I had a great time,” he says, stepping closer to you, “Maybe another time we can hang out again.” 

“Thank you too, Heeseung. That sounds great,” you reply, feeling a rush of happiness.

��YOU DECIDE IT'S TIME TO PUT YOUR PLAN INTO ACTION. You’ve thought through every detail, determined to see if your article concept works in real life. Step one: find an ugly dog and some hideous clothes. You’ve got the perfect ideas in mind.

You meet Heeseung outside his apartment, holding a small, scruffy dog with a face only its owner could love. You flash him a bright smile as he opens the door.

“Surprise!” you exclaim. “I got us a dog!”

Heeseung’s eyes widen as he takes in the sight of the dog. “Uh, wow, YN. That’s…unexpected.”

“Isn’t he adorable?” you gush, ignoring the bewilderment on Heeseung’s face. “I named him Snuggles.”

“Snuggles, huh?” Heeseung says, trying to muster enthusiasm. “Yeah, he’s…something.”

You place Snuggles in Heeseung’s arms, watching as the dog licks his face with an enthusiastic, slobbery tongue. Heeseung grimaces slightly but manages a strained smile.

“Let’s take him for a walk,” you suggest brightly, grabbing a garishly colored leash from your bag.

Later that evening, you bring out the next part of your plan: an outfit so hideous that it should be impossible for Heeseung to bear. You hand him a neon green tracksuit with orange polka dots and a pair of mismatched shoes.

“I thought we could match!” you say, revealing your identical outfit. “Isn’t it fun?”

Heeseung looks at the clothes, then back at you, clearly unsure how to respond. “Wow, YN. This is…unique.”

“You don’t like it?” you ask, pouting slightly.

“No, no, it’s great,” he says quickly. “I’ll just, uh, go change.”

When he returns, you both look like you’ve stepped out of a bad 80s workout video. You can’t help but laugh at the absurdity, but Heeseung seems to be struggling to keep a straight face.

“Let’s go grab dinner,” you say, linking your arm with his. “I made reservations at that fancy restaurant downtown.”

At the restaurant, the two of you turn heads as you walk in, dressed in your eye-searing outfits. The hostess tries to maintain her professionalism as she leads you to your table, but you can see the corners of her mouth twitching.

Throughout dinner, you do your best to be as irritating as possible. You chew with your mouth open, talk loudly, and insist on ordering the strangest items on the menu.

“Are you sure you want the pizza?” Heeseung asks, a note of disbelief in his voice.

“Absolutely,” you reply, grinning. “And I think you should try it too!”

Heeseung hesitates but eventually nods. “Sure, why not?” 

Here you were, sitting on your bed as you write your story. Typing away and zoning out, it had to be working right? He obviously would be over you by next week. All you needed was one more shove to drive him away soon as possible. Just 5 more days..

YOU PUSH YOUR CART THROUGH the aisles of the grocery store, scanning the shelves for the items on your list. As you reach for a box of cereal, you hear a familiar voice behind you.

“YN?”

You turn to see Heeseung approaching, a smile lighting up his face. “Oh, hi Heeseung,” you say with a smile.

“Nice to see you here,” he says, falling into step beside you.

“Yeah, I just needed to grab a few things,” you reply, feeling a bit flustered by his presence.

Heeseung nods, and for a moment, there’s an awkward silence as you both continue browsing. Suddenly, you realize you can’t reach the item you need on the top shelf.

“Um, Heeseung, do you think you could help me with something?” you ask, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Of course, what do you need?” he replies, stepping closer.

“I just need to grab that box up there,” you say, pointing to the top shelf.

“Sure thing,” Heeseung says, reaching up to grab the box.

But as he stretches, you accidentally bump into him, causing him to lose his balance. In a split second, you reach out to steady him, but instead, you end up stumbling backward, crashing to the ground on top of him. Your face merely inches from each other. 

“I’m sorry about that!” you exclaim, your face burning with embarrassment.

“It’s okay, don’t worry about it,” he says, his cheeks also flushed as he helps you up.

“Um, we should probably get up,” you say, feeling flustered.

“Yeah, definitely,” Heeseung agrees, scrambling to his feet.

You both straighten your clothes and try to regain your composure, but the awkwardness lingers in the air.

“Well, um, thanks for trying to help,” you say, feeling a bit embarrassed.

“Anytime,” Heeseung replies with a sheepish smile. You exchange a quick awkward glance before awkwardly walking back to do your own things.

YOU AND HEESEUNG STEP INTO THE DIMLY LIT MOVIE THEATER, the smell of popcorn filling the air. You’ve been looking forward to this night out, hoping it will help end your plan to drive him away. As you settle into your seats, the lights dim, and the movie begins.

The film is a romantic comedy, and as the story unfolds, you find yourself getting lost in the plot. But when the characters share a kiss on screen, you feel a sudden tension between you and Heeseung.

You glance at him out of the corner of your eye, and you can see that he’s watching you, his expression unreadable. You both look away awkwardly, feeling a flush of embarrassment.

As the movie progresses, the tension between you only grows. You can feel Heeseung’s eyes on you, and you struggle to focus on the screen, your heart pounding in your chest.

Suddenly, as another kiss happens, Heeseung leans in closer to you. You freeze, unsure of what to do. Is he going to kiss you? But then, almost as if on cue, Heeseung leans in closer, his lips hovering just inches from yours. His breath mingles with yours, his warm exhales tickling your skin as he leans in, his lips drawing closer to yours. You can feel the gentle brush of his breath against your mouth, sending shivers down your spine. 

Your heart pounds in your chest as you feel the warmth of his breath against your skin. And then, in a heartbeat, he closes the gap between you, his lips pressing softly against yours. It’s a gentle kiss, but hesitant at first, but soon it deepens. You can’t help but respond, your hands finding their way to his shoulders.

You melt into the kiss, losing yourself in the sensation of his lips against yours.  When you finally pull away, your heart is racing, and your mind is buzzing with emotions. You meet Heeseung’s gaze, and you can see the same uncertainty reflected in his eyes.

“Wow,” he whispers, his voice barely audible over the sound of the movie.

“Yeah,” you murmur, at a loss for words.

As the movie comes to an end, you both sit in silence, the weight of what just happened hanging in the air. But despite the awkwardness, you can’t shake the feeling that something has shifted between you.

As you leave the theater, you can’t help but replay the kiss in your mind, feeling a sense of warmth and longing that you can’t ignore. And as you walk hand in hand with Heeseung, you realize with a start that maybe, just maybe, you’re falling in love.

AS YOU LIE IN BED THAT NIGHT, the events of the evening replay in your mind. The gentle touch of Heeseung's lips against yours, the warmth of his embrace—it all stuck in your head. 

You stare up at the ceiling, think to yourself.  Love? It's a word you're not ready to utter, a feeling too intense to comprehend. You try to push the thought aside. 

You roll onto your side, pulling the covers tighter around you. You couldn’t be in love? All that effort you put in to get rid of him. It was your 8th day, just two more days. You couldn’t do it anymore. As you drift off to sleep, the question echoes in your mind. Are you falling in love with Heeseung? 

THE REALIZATION HITS YOU like a ton of bricks, leaving you feeling breathless. Could it be true? Are you actually falling in love with Heeseung?

The thought consumes you as you go about your day. By the time evening arrives, you can't shake the feeling that you needed to end it.

Summoning every ounce of courage, you pick up your phone and dial your editor's number. When she answers, you get yourself together for the conversation ahead.

"Hey, it's me," you begin, "I need to talk to you about the article."

There's a pause on the other end of the line, and you can almost hear the curiosity in her voice as she responds. "Sure, what's up?"

"I… I can't write it," you admit, the words feeling like a confession. "I just don't feel right about it anymore."

There's a moment of silence before your editor speaks again, her tone firm."No, you're writing it," she says, leaving no room for argument.

"But—" you start to protest, but she cuts you off before you can continue.

"No buts," she insists. "We've already agreed on the topic, and you're the best person for the job. I expect to see the first draft on my desk by the end of the week."

You sigh, feeling defeated. It's clear that your editor isn't going to budge on this issue, and you know that arguing further would be a waste.

"Okay," you say reluctantly, resigning yourself to the task at hand. "I'll get it done."

AS YOU SIT ON YOUR COUCH, trying to make sense of everything that's happened, until you hear Heeseung pick up a call. 

“ Heeseung!" Jake's voice crackles through the phone, filled with excitement. "So, have you sealed the deal yet? Win YN over?"

Your heart skips a beat at the mention of your name and you instinctively lean in closer, eager to hear his response. But as you listen, the color drains from your face, and a cold dread settles in the pit of your stomach.

"The bet that I could get YN in 10 days?," Heeseung's voice comes through the phone, his words cutting through the air, "I thought I could, but…" 

Your heart shatters. Your knees started to shake. How could you have been so blind? How could you have let yourself fall for someone who was playing a game with your feelings?

Before you can hear the rest of his sentence, you leave the room silently. "I thought I could, but…" The words replay in your head.As the reality sinks in, you realize that you may have just broken your own heart, listening in on a conversation that was never meant for your ears.  He played with you. He was using you. You feel like a fool, blindsided by the truth that's been staring you in the face all along. 

You walk yourself to the nearest taxi before coming back to your empty apartment. You lie on bed, your palms on your eyes, sobbing quietly. Why should you care? I mean he was just an experiment — right? 

THE MORNING SUNLIGHT FILTERS through the curtains as you sit on your bed, thoughts rushing through your mind. The wounds from last night were still raw, as you feel tired and sick. You kew what you have to do. You began to type your last paragraph of the article before submitting it to your editor. 

With the article sent, you feel a mix of anxiety and relief. You know the revised piece is honest and raw, reflecting your own experience. But there’s one more thing you need to do to truly move forward.

To: Editor Yeseo

Subject: Resignation Letter

Dear Yeseo,

I am writing to formally resign from my position as a writer, effective immediately. I appreciate the opportunities I have had here and the support from the team, but I must prioritize my well-being at this time.

Thank you for your understanding.

Sincerely, YN

You hit send, feeling an overwhelming amount of pain. Being a writer had been your dream job, but now, it feels like a chapter you need to close. As you sit in your now-quiet apartment, you feel a pang of sadness. The memories of the past few weeks with Heeseung linger, but you push them aside. 

You start with your closet, pulling out clothes and sorting them into piles: keep, donate, and toss. You take down the photos and posters from the walls, each one a reminder of the life you’re leaving behind.

Next, you move to the kitchen, packing up dishes, utensils, and small appliances. You wrap everything carefully, methodically, as if each item represents a piece of your heart that you’re trying to protect. 

Your phone buzzes with messages from Heeseung, but you ignore them. Making them be left on delivered. You move to the living room, packing up books, DVDs, and mementos. You’re not just packing up your belongings; you’re packing up your old life, preparing to move on and start new.

IN HIS DIMLY LIT APARTMENT, Heeseung sits on the edge of his bed, the glow of his laptop screen casting shadows across his face. His heart pounds in his chest as he opens the email attachment—a document titled "How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days—And Fall in Love in the Process" by [Your Name].

As the page loads, he takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to read. The cursor hovers over the first paragraph, and with a trembling hand, he begins to scroll down. 

Heeseung sits at his desk, his heart pounding in his chest as he reads the article that has just landed in his inbox. With each word, his emotions spiral into a whirlwind of confusion and disbelief.

"When I set out to write this article..."

He reads the opening sentence, his brow furrowing in confusion. What article is this? And why does it sound so familiar?

As he continues to read, the pieces start to fall into place. The description of the article, the unexpected turn of events—it's all too familiar, too painful to ignore.

"I met someone who was supposed to be just a test subject..."

Heeseung's breath catches in his throat as he realizes what he's reading. This is about him. About the bet, about the article he overheard, about everything.

He reads on, his heart pounding louder with each passing sentence:

When I set out to write this article, the plan was simple: follow a set of steps to make a guy dump me in ten days. It was supposed to be a fun, light-hearted challenge—a piece to entertain our readers. But life, as it often does, had other plans.

I met someone who was supposed to be just a test subject. But as the days went by, something unexpected happened. The more I tried to push him away, the closer we became. Every awkward moment, every forced argument, every silly plan to drive him away only brought us closer together.

I found myself laughing at his jokes, looking forward to our time together, and, against all odds, feeling a connection I hadn't anticipated. What started as a challenge turned into a journey of discovery—not just about him, but about myself.

I realized that love isn't something you can plan or control. It sneaks up on you when you least expect it, breaking down the walls you've carefully built around your heart. And sometimes, the person you're trying to lose ends up being the one you can't imagine living without.

So, dear readers, this isn't the article I set out to write. It's not about foolproof ways to make a guy dump you. Instead, it's a story about how, in the process of trying to push someone away, I found myself falling in love. It's messy, it's unexpected, and it's beautiful.

Life has a funny way of turning our plans upside down. And sometimes, the best stories are the ones we never meant to write.

He closes the magazine, his mind spinning with thoughts of you. He knows he needs to find you, to talk to you, to tell you how he feels. He can't let this opportunity slip away, can't let the chance to be with you slip through his fingers.

With a sense of determination, Heeseung rises from his seat, his heart pounding in his chest. He knows he has to find you, to tell you how he feels, to see if maybe, just maybe, you feel the same way too.

HEESEUNG'S HEART RACES AS HE RUSHES THROUGH THE STREETS, his mind consumed with thoughts of you. He knows he needs to find you, to talk to you, to tell you everything.

As he rounds the corner, he sees your apartment building looming ahead. His steps quicken, his breath coming in short, ragged gasps. He's so close now, so close to finally telling you how he feels.

But as he reaches your building, his heart sinks at the sight before him. He sees movers loading boxes into a truck parked outside, and he realizes with a sinking feeling that you're moving away.

Heeseung's chest tightens with panic, his mind racing as he searches for a solution. He can't let you slip away, can't let this chance to be with you slip through his fingers. He rushes toward the building, his thoughts jumbled all up. 

As he bursts through the door, he sees you standing in the hallway, a suitcase at your feet, tears streaming down your face. His heart breaks at the sight of your sadness, and he knows he needs to act fast.

"Y/N!" he calls out, his voice echoing through the empty hallway. You turn to face him, your eyes widening in surprise at the sight of him standing there.

"Heeseung?" you whisper, your voice trembling with emotion. "What are you doing here?"

Heeseung takes a deep breath, steeling himself for what he's about to say. "I need to talk to you," he says, his voice filled with urgency. "There's something I need to tell you, something I should have told you a long time ago."

He steps closer to you, his eyes never leaving yours. "I was part of the bet," he admits, his voice barely above a whisper. "But it was never about winning a thousand dollars or proving anything to Jake. It was about proving something to myself—to prove that I could be the kind of guy who deserves someone like you."

Tears well up in your eyes as you listen to his confession, your heart aching with a mix of sadness and hope. "Heeseung…" you whisper, reaching out to touch his hand.

But Heeseung doesn't wait for you to say anything more. With a surge of courage, he leans in and presses his lips to yours, pouring all of his love and longing into the kiss. 

As Heeseung's lips meet yours in that soft, tender kiss, his hands gently find their way to your waist, pulling you closer to him.

You feel the heat of his body against yours, the closeness intensifying the sensation of his lips moving against yours. His touch is gentle yet possessive, his fingers tracing patterns on your skin as if memorizing every curve of your body.

You pull away, staring and laughing for a moment. 

"I love you," you whisper softly. 

"I love you more," he smiles back, quietly leaning his forehead against yours to quickly catch his lips on yours again. Maybe writing that article wasn't so bad after all.

[back2bluesidex]

To Be Popular - JJK [Chapter 2]

Pairing: Social Media Influencer! Jungkook X Marketing Manager! Reader ft. Yoongi

Summary:

You love everything about social media - apart from the ever-growing number of social media influencers. You don't understand how these people gain followers and admirers just by installing a camera and doing very basic things in front of it. And you despise how some of them can do anything to gain fame, to be popular - even if it includes uploading their bedroom scene in pornsites aka people like Jeon Jungkook.But when your company launches a new product and your department head tasks you with signing Jeon Jungkook up as an endorsement partner - you have no choice but to chase him like the corporate slave that you are. However, things turn worse when you embroil in a dating rumor with him and have to keep the game going for the sake of everything.is it really for the worse or things will turn in a way you never expected it to?  

Theme: Strangers to lovers au, fake dating au, kind of enemies to lover au, angst, smut, fluff.

Full Series Word Count: 26k

Chapter word count: 5k+

Warnings: tiny flirting, argument, that's all.

Masterlist | Patreon (For access to the complete series)

Taglist requests are open.

Minors, I am not responsible for what you consume online. So, act more rationally and stay away.

Chapter index: -

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 |

Drabbles: Imposter in the club

Or read the full series right away on Patreon!!

Only twice in your life did you have the need to sign contracts. 

First time was your employment contract, the second time was your house lease contract. 

The third contract turns out to be something that you didn’t even have the wildest dreams about - a dating contract. 

That too, with a person you seemingly get irked by very often.

 You have gone through the documents almost every day this past week, so much so that now you can recite the terms and conditions as fluently as your phone number. 

The contract is pretty standard if you are being honest. There is only one term that you added: “Kisses are not allowed”. And it seems like both Seokjin and Jungkook have no issues accepting your only term. 

However, your hands feel clammy all of a sudden when you are about to sign the papers. The thoughts of being under the limelight scares you. 

And being Jeon Jungkook’s girlfriend means a lot of limelight in social media. 

“You okay?” Kim Seokjin asks, perceiving your hesitation in signing the papers. 

“Yeah.. I am just.. You know… don’t know what to expect from all these.” you voice. 

Seokjin places an assuring hand on top of yours, with a little squeeze he says, “you can trust me, Y/N. I will do my best to keep your private life private. Jungkookie is not a bigshot anyway but yes I know there are risks of privacy breach, which will be my department to handle.” 

You feel an odd sense of relief injected by the man’s silver voice. 

But it seems like you spoke too soon because, “what’s up you two?” Jungkook appears from nowhere. He eyes the place where Seokjin has his hand on top of yours and narrows his eyes at you. 

“You are late.” Seokjin directs his authoritative voice towards Jungkook. Jungkook sits down on the chair beside him and starts chugging down water. His Adam's apple bobs like a sin. 

You distract yourself from the scene by signing the papers finally. 

“Now it’s your turn.” Seokjin extends the paper towards Jungkook, who without a second thought takes it and signs it. 

For a moment you wonder how he manages to stay disconnected from every worry? 

You are as much of a stranger as he is to you. But still, he didn’t hesitate to sign like you did. Maybe this is another reason why you dislike Jeon Jungkook? Because he gets to be care-free while you have to care for every single move you make. 

See for an instance - once you dared to pull an act of bravery and it landed you on a dating deal with Jeon Jungkook. 

How fucking funny!

Your fingers tap on your laptop keyboard as you open the email sent by Jungkook’s agency. It’s a full fledged schedule for your and Jungkook’s first month of appearance. 

And that starts tomorrow. 

As for tomorrow, you will have to visit a cozy cafe with your supposedly boyfriend and get caught by paparazzi. Once you become talk of the media then the company will go ahead and publish an official statement. 

Things will continue like this for five months. During the sixth month your appearances will slow down and at the beginning of the seventh month, the agency will confirm the break up. 

Sounds pretty clean. 

During these seven months Jungkook will be done with the endorsement deal with your company as well. Hence, there is no need of working with him afterwards, which is a pleasant news to be honest. 

So now that you are already in the mess, you should as well taste the water and see what it brings for you. 

“You sure will be okay with it? Do you want me to tag along and keep an eye?” Jimin’s concerned voice rings in your ear. 

You are so thankful that the universe gifted him to you in the form of a best friend. From high school till now, there was hardly a day when Jimin didn’t text you, asked what you were up to, let you know what he was doing. 

He is that one friend who never got away. 

“I will be fine. Don’t worry. Go and enjoy your time, do something fun.” you add. No matter how tempting his offer is, you don’t want him to ruin his Sunday to look after you while you are on a playdate. 

“But Y/N-” 

“Jimin, I will be fine! I will keep updating you, okay?” 

He sighs on the other side making you chuckle. “Okay. but do keep me updated.” 

“Yes. appa. Yes.” 

You check yourself once upon cutting the call.

Yeah, you look presentable. Hopefully paparazzies won’t have any issues with your sober dressing sense. 

Once again your head bobs in the direction from where Jungkook’s car should be emerging. But you find none. 

He is late. 

Great. Another reason to hate Jeon Jungkook. 

Just when you are about to pluck your phone out and throw a text towards him, you hear the rumbling sound of an engine. 

More specifically the sound of Jungkook’s bike. 

He comes to stop where you are standing under a bus stop shade and extends a helmet towards you. 

You are way too busy grasping that you miss the object being offered to you. 

“Do I have to ride this with you?” you point at his bike. 

“It’s called a bike. And yes, you are going to ride it with me.” Jungkook thrusts the helmet towards you again. 

“Thanks for letting me know what it is called. But are you sure I will be in functioning condition by the time we reach?” 

“Don’t worry, my dear girlfriend, I will take care of ya.” he gives you a cheesy grin. 

If something flips inside your chest, then it’s better to put off the subject and focus on the fake date ahead. 

So, you put on the helmet, hop on his bike, and place your hands on his shoulders. 

“Be careful, it's hot down there. Spread your legs a little more.” Jungkook warns. 

You know, it’s about the bike but the implications of his words sets your face on a battle of blush. 

Managing your gut and composure you reply with an affirmative sound. 

“Did you… cut your hair?” Now that Jungkook has stripped off his helmet and is sitting relaxed before you, you can see the difference in his hairstyle from what you saw yesterday. 

“Yeah. All by myself. I even live streamed it. How do I look?” You can see Jungkook’s face lighting up as soon as you mention his new hairstyle. 

“You look like a twelve year old. Cute.” and you are genuine with your words. He looks less mischievous and certainly not like someone who would fuck on camera.

The tip of his ears turn pink when he registers your compliment. 

Clearing his throat a little he says, “what should we order?” 

“A flat white for me. And that cheese cake, strawberry one.” you say, awkwardly peeking at the menu, which is currently under Jungkook’s scrutiny.   

You hear him chuckling and when you follow that sound, you find him staring down at you. His crinkled eyes, baby-like fringe, bunny-teeth on display and that beautiful smile makes him look like a completely different person. 

He doesn’t look like the Jungkook you used to dislike. 

And that spreads something warm under your skin. You start smiling at him without noticing yourself. 

“Isn’t that Jeon Jungkook?” a second female voice comes from a little distance. 

“Oh my god. Yes. and who is he with? Isn’t he dating that bully girl? Doona or Dana?” 

“What? No. didn’t you see his viral videos from the club? That girl is his rumored girlfriend. They seemed to have a fight that night but I guess they are good now?” 

“Oh really?” 

Even though the spectators are trying to be discreet and silent with their gossip, they are anything but. 

When you look in their direction, your eyes lock with one of them. She quickly turns away and types something on her phone. 

Something reaches out for your hand that is placed on the table top. 

It’s Jungkook’s own hand. 

He wraps his big palm around yours and interlaces his fingers with yours. With a sickeningly sweet smile he says, “the act has started, we should jump into characters now.” 

You tighten your fingers around him and reply, “of course we should.” 

However, you are still unsure about where you will be after six months of this play. Will you be friends with Jeon Jungkook? Or will you end up being more?  

“But how did you let Kim Doona come between you two if you were seeing each other?” 

By the time you and Jungkook managed to come out of the cafe that day, it was already a mess. At least ten different people were trying to get your face properly, five others were trying to get a shot of your and Jungkook's intertwined hands and others were clicking pictures not-so-secretly. 

By the time you were home, your photos were all over Jungkook’s fandom’s insta profiles. 

And when the bomb (aka the official statement from the agency) dropped, your phone flooded with questions after questions.

You didn’t answer any. 

Nonetheless, the questions reappeared, this time directly, as soon as you stepped into your workplace on Monday. 

And this question in particular - it was the mostly asked one and you were ready for it. 

Your colleague nudges you again, “come on, tell me, why did you let him fuck the other girl if you were dating him?” 

“I wasn’t dating him back then.” you reply confidently, of course you had your own share of practice. “We used to be friends. But you know… friends with feelings. So yeah.. I was kinda pissed at him.” 

She makes an O shape with her mouth. 

“Is that why you lashed out on him during the meeting? I mean I heard that you…” she doesn’t end her sentence. 

These people really work less and gossip more. You nod. 

“Who confessed though? You or him? Oh- wait! Did you confess at the club? Is that why you two were seen fighting?” she throws her rapid-fire questions at you. 

But you are pleased. It worked out the way you wanted. You didn’t have to tell the story, she completed it all by herself. 

“Yup.” you popped the ‘P’ very enthusiastically. 

“Wow! You are living a fan-fiction, girl, a proper friends to lovers au.” she squeals in her seat, “mind if I post the story on my insta? I wanna use my colleague privilege card.” 

You think for a moment. If she spreads the story herself, it will be better for you. You won’t have to recite it all again and again. So you murmur a little “go ahead” and let her click a selfie with you. 

Your computer dings with a notification from Yoongi. He is asking you to come to his cabin. 

Great. Another round of interviews. 

“I just checked the campaign schedule. It’s efficient as always. Good job, Y/N.” Yoongi’s praise brings a smile to your lips.

You murmur a little thank you with a small smile playing on your lips. 

Every time Yoongi praises your work, your insides flip. But sometimes you wish for those praises to come as ‘you look good today’, ‘your dress looks nice’ and stuff like that. 

Even though that brings a sinking feeling temporarily, that doesn’t stay for long. 

“By the way..” it’s coming, it’s coming, “how did you and Jeon Jungkook end up together? As much as I can assume, you two met each other during the meeting for the first time.” 

This. This is not what you prepared yourself for. 

You didn’t think Yoongi would be too interested in knowing your relationship history, so you wouldn’t have to explain anything to him. But not only is he interested, he seems to be pretty observant of things as well. 

Now you can’t tell him the fake story you just told your colleague nor can you tell him that the entire thing is fake. 

So you clear your throat, “it just…. Happened.” 

“Just happened? You seemed to be pretty livid about his existence that day?” your cute manager gives you a lopsided smile. 

“But then you sent me behind him, to convince him or whatever. And things happened.” you turn your confidence up yet again. 

He quirks a brow at you, “things happened after that club incident, huh?” 

He is right. But not the way he is thinking himself to be right.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” you reply, as you collect the files with the details of the campaign and proceed to leave his cabin. 

“The photoshoot starts next week, don’t be lovey-dovey on the set.” he teases you on your way back. 

You only roll your eyes at the door. 

Second fake date is: hanging out at a bar after work. 

But you don’t drink on weekdays. 

So that lands you on a negotiation and the date is fixed on the Friday of the same week. 

You wait for Jungkook at the entrance of your work complex, a place where people would be able to see you getting on his bike very clearly. A strategy to make things public. 

But what comes to pick you up is not a bike but a car. 

A sleek black car that makes heads turn as it comes to stop in front of you. 

For a moment, you think the driver is mistaking you for someone else. 

But then the diver’s door opens and Jungkook comes out, wearing a black buttoned down with a pair of ripped jeans. 

Your eyes are now the size of saucers. 

You once gulp as you see Jungkook smiling brightly at you. 

“Hey baby. Sorry I’m late. Let’s go.” he says sweetly. And you wonder how good of an actor he is. 

“H-hi. It's okay. Yeah, let's go.” you reply in haste, trying to school your dumbfounded expression. 

You let him lead you inside the car with a hand on the small of you back. He lets every passerby see his face, under the street lights, as if he is very proud showing you off. 

Fake. It's fake. You remind yourself. 

“You know, you are a good actor.” you voice your thoughts once Jungkook settles inside the car, 

He chuckles, “yeah? Learned from Jin hyung. He used to be an acting major. Have been seeing him acting to be polite with his shareholders for all the years.” 

The fondness in his eyes at the mention of the other male is so clear. You can’t help but smile. You have perceived the same glow on Jin’s face too. 

“You two really adore each other, don’t you?” 

“Yeah. You can say that. I would be wandering around the streets of Busan if it wasn’t for him.” you hear the underlying darkness in his voice and decide to poke no further on this matter. 

“So, you are telling me that you made this story all by yourself? And this actually ended up making sense?” Jungkook is pointing at his phone, which has your colleague's insta post plastered on the screen. 

“I told you. I am good at my job. Moderating success stories is a part of our marketers’ job.” you shrug. Your shoulders are already a lot loose after a few drinks. 

Your head is on the cloud. 

You feel good. 

And Jungkook is being less cocky today, which is helping you relax even more. 

Jungkook hums, “Great. The act is going well so far.” 

Jungkook starts scrolling on his phone again, focusing on something very hard. After a moment of silence he says, “I won’t lie, we look good together.” 

There is a smug smile playing on his lips. 

You groan, “I thought you quit being cocky for this evening.” 

“Hey! I am not being cocky. Look at these photos.” he protests, poking his phone towards you. 

“I have seen those, Jungkook. And I don’t think I look good with you. You and I are totally two different individuals, from every single aspect. You match with someone like.. Like Kim Doona.” 

Jungkook’s eyes shut for a second, “there is no point of saying this now. I missed my shot with her because someone decided to barge in my perfectly comfortable and peaceful life.” 

“Wait. You had a thing for her?” you sit up straight on your chair. 

“I still do.” Jungkook empties his glass in a sip. 

You would have fought him and told him how you saved from a prolonged controversy, but you are feeling light-headed. You are feeling good. So you will be nice for just once. 

“Well… I am sorry then. I know how it feels to have an unrequited crush.” you sigh, recalling Yoongi’s pretty face, “sorry.” 

Jungkook seems to be caught off-guard with your changed demeanor. 

“It’s okay.” he adds, “you have a crush on that manager, don’t you?” 

The fuck? 

“How the fuck do you know this now?” your eyes go big for the second time today. 

“Come on, Y/N. Anyone with eyes can tell. The way you stiffed when he caught you and me at the parking lot.” he giggles. 

“Ok. That's enough. Let’s go home. I feel sleepy.” you stand abruptly from your chair, swaying a little (thanks to the alcohol in your bloodstream). 

Jungkook stands up too, wraps a hand around your bicep and mutters a small ‘careful’ in your ear.

“By the way… don’t you think you have to call a designated driver?” you ask on the way out of the bar. 

“Jin hyung has us covered.” he shrugs. 

On the way back home you look at the fleeting landscapes out of the car window. For some unknown reason… you feel upset. 

You had a pretty good evening. No matter how much you hate to admit it, Jungkook is a fun company. 

You two would bicker endlessly, then would slip into serious topics like economy and politics, and then all of a sudden you would talk about your favorite drinks. 

He really doesn’t seem like that Jungkook you used to dislike. 

But there is something that’s bothering you. And you can’t put a finger at it. 

The car comes to a stop in front of your apartment. You wave a quick goodbye to Jungkook, who has been busy on his phone all the way back, and climb out of the car. 

As you take small swaying steps towards your entrance, you hear the car door shutting loudly and then in turn Jungkook’s voice, “won’t you give me a goodnight kiss, girlfriend?”  

You don’t know what possessed you. It can be the alcohol, can be your bad judgment, can be the sinking feeling in your chest and the desperate need of feeling something, anything - that makes you turn around. 

You march towards Jungkook without thinking twice, standing chest to chest with him. 

All the mischief drains from his face when you grab him by the collar of his shirt and smash your lips on his. 

It should have been over in a second or two. 

But what's worse is that Jungkook is pulling you close by your waist and deepening the kiss already. 

Hope you don’t regret this when you are sober. 

There were twelve terms in your dating contract. 

You added one. 

And you breached that very one. 

The screen of your phone goes blank as you groan again for the nth time. Every time you open Instagram, all you see is you kissing Jungkook standing on the damn fucking road! 

You two were being followed by the paps that night, which was obviously a part of the plan, and you, being clearly too drunk to think straight, kissed Jeon Jungkook on his lips! 

And now those photos are circulating like wildfire. 

Jimin texted you, asking for a clarification. 

Seokjin texted with three teasing thumbs up. 

And Jungkook texted with probably a thousand of ‘ㅋ’s. 

All you want now is for the ground to split in half so that you can jump in there and die. That’s the best possible solution for whatever the fuck is going on in your pathetic excuse of a life. 

Your phone dings with another notification and you swear to turn it off if it’s another mention in another insta post or another threatening DM from Jungkook’s crazy fans. 

But it seems like the universe is trying to be even more cruel with you, because it’s a reminder of your schedule for the day - which is another date day with the root of your problems - Jeon Jungkook. 

And today, you will have to spend time at his home, click pretty selfies and photos together highlighting how domestic you two are and post those in social media from both ends. 

When you are about to go back groaning, you receive another notification. 

It’s a text from Seokjin, “the car will be there in an hour.” 

“Welcome to my home, girlfriend.” Jungkook grins stupidly as he spots you at his door. You really want to grab a frying pan and bang it on his stupidly round head. 

“Don’t call me that when there’s no one to hear.” you reply grumpily walking inside Jungkook’s luxurious apartment. 

You really want to know how much these influencers make monthly to afford an apartment like this. 

“I call you that for you to hear, baby.” His cheesy remarks are just too much to take, so you just roll your eyes at him. 

“Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee? Juice? Or maybe a kiss?” there he goes. 

This is what you were dreading! The moment you were sober enough to judge your actions, you knew Jungkook will be having a field day the moment he sees you. 

And here you go. 

But but but - you aren’t alone in this. You definitely kissed him first but he, too, kissed you back. So he needs to go down with you. 

“Oh why not, you definitely liked kissing me a little too much.” you bite back. But your words don't affect Jungkook at all. The smirk that he was sporting doesn’t go anywhere. It only grows more sinister. 

“Of course I did. Are you telling me you didn’t?” 

Now this is another thing that you were dreading to admit - that you actually enjoyed kissing him. His lips felt good on yours. 

But you have been trying to convince yourself that it’s because of the alcohol swimming in your veins, even though you know it’s nothing but an excuse. 

“Shut up!” you huff, hoping that Jungkook doesn’t notice the sudden rush of red on your cheeks, “let’s take some photos so that I can leave.” 

“What?” Jungkook is now genuinely confused and you can see it on his face, “Do you really want to leave? I thought we were cooking together? I decided to live stream it.” 

“Me and live stream? Are you kidding? There was no mention as such on the schedule plan?” you are sure all the colors of your face have drained with just one mention of a live stream. 

You hate being the center of attention. 

“Yeah but I improvised just as you did last day by kissing me.” Jungkook shrugs. 

Where the fuck is the frying pan? 

“Okay. I am leaving. Bye.” you haste towards the door. 

Jungkook giggles like a baby, grabbing your wrist and stopping you mid-tracks. 

“Okay okay. I am sorry. I promise not to tease you anymore if you say yes to the live stream.” 

“You promise?” you quirk an eyebrow facing him. 

“I promise.” 

You don’t even know if saying yes to Jungkook’s improvisation was a good idea or a bad one. 

There are reasons it’s both good and bad. 

Good because Jungkook is not teasing or unnecessarily being smug with you anymore. Bad because he is hovering way too close to your body for you to keep being sane. 

The kitchen is big enough, but half of the space is being used to put down cameras and a laptop. On top of that you two have to be crammed in a small space where both of your figures are being perfectly visible to the viewers. 

You are mostly quiet, playing your part, cooking as you are supposed to. 

But Jungkook is in his element. 

He is so natural in front of the cameras that it feels as if he was born to do so. 

Jungkook interacts with the viewers, reads their comments once in a while, smiles, laughs, and makes jokes. Under the light and darkness of the kitchen - he looks so youthful, so radiant that you feel a weird coil in your chest. 

Whenever he brushes past you, you get a whip of his perfume - an earthy, woody tone with a hint of citrus. 

His hair falls on his eyes - unmade - unlike all the other times you have seen him. 

This - whatever this is - you don’t like it. 

“Why is your girlfriend being so silent?” Jungkook reads a comment from the laptop. You pay half mind to him, occasionally smile a little. 

But within a moment, Jungkook slides behind you. 

He puts his big-ass hands on your waist, places his face on your shoulder and says, “baby, why are you being so silent?” 

If you are seeing things right then his lower lip juts out while he tries to coax an answer out of you. 

Your heart starts beating abnormally fast. 

“O-oh.. I- It’s my first time being in a live stream… so yeah.” you proceed to flip the omelet, focusing on the food and food only. 

“You guys heard that? She’s nervous. Don’t scare my girl away.” Jungkook fakes anger. 

You release the breath you were holding when he finally removes himself from you. 

You are now seriously afraid of the outcome of this fake dating contract of yours. 

“Hate to say this but” you take in a deep deep breath “this is actually very delicious. Good job." You point your chopsticks at the carbonara that Jungkook prepared. 

“Really?” he seems to be taken aback with your compliment “Thanks. Glad that you like it.” 

“By the way, you remember you have a shoot with us tomorrow, right?” you change the topic to a more serious one. 

“I do. Will your crush slash manager be there too?” his eyes stay boring in the carbonara. You honestly don’t know why Jungkook is curious about Yoongi all of a sudden. 

“Probably. Why though?” 

“Will try not to piss him off while acting.” he shrugs. 

You scoff at that “he won’t be pissed. He doesn’t reciprocate, you know.” 

“Are you sad about that?” Jungkook’s tone is a tad bit softer now. 

“Not really. It’s not that I am in love with him or something. It’s a stupid crush, and will go away with time.” 

“Have you ever tried asking him out?” 

“Not really.” 

“Then, have you ever asked him to hook up with you?” 

You choke on your omelet. 

“What- the fuck” you cough “no! Why would I ask him something like that?” 

“Why won’t you though? Don’t you want to have sex with him? I mean you like him, it’s only natural.” Jungkook explains matter-of-factly. 

“No. it’s not natural for me. I need to be at least friends with a person to have sex. And I am not friends with Yoongi. We barely even talk out of work.” 

“Oh.” Jungkook thinks for a moment “So that guy friend of yours - what was his name again… Jimin? Is he your…” 

“Oh my god, Jungkook! No! I am not currently sleeping with anyone. I have not had sex for like eighteen months.”  It's your frustration which is speaking now. 

“What? Wait! What are you? A nun?” Jungkook’s eyes go wide at your admission. 

Embarrassment eats you away, like you were eating the carbonara a few minutes ago, “I- I mean. I am not that horny.” 

“Then… Do you want to sleep with me?” 

At first you think you misheard it. So you stare at Jungkook with big eyes. 

His expression is rather serious and you hate how it affects you. 

“What did you just say?” you finally let your voice be heard. 

“You heard me.” 

“Jungkook, please stop kidding. This is not funny.”

“I am serious.” he sighs. 

“Look. I can’t go around and sleep for fun since we have an act going on here. You, too, seem like you need to blow off some steam. And honestly, tell me where is your benefit from all these? It’s your company that’s ripping the fruit, not you.” 

Jungkook’s words register in your brain. He makes perfect sense. You have no benefits whatsoever from all these. 

“It’s just an offer, you can decline it if you want but… we can- we can have some fun like adults. No one has to know, nothing will get fucked up since we are not even close to begin with.” Jungkook reasons. 

He is right. You have nothing to lose if things go down and this won’t be the first time having casual sex with someone you know. There is absolutely no risk, no feelings on the line. 

Should you really consider the idea? 

The scenes from that grainy video start clouding your brain. 

A tiny voice in your mind says, “why not?” 

read the full series right away on Patreon!! (Start from part 7)

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[heda-in-the-clouds]

Downward Doggystyle

As Lexa exercises and shows off her flexibility, Clarke offers her a more exciting and pleasurable workout. She promises Lexa that she'll feel a deeper stretch

Here's my contribution to @wanhedasdaggerweek featuring my yoga Lexa x surfer Clarke au. This is for my amazing beta and lovely friend @lexa-griffins who has supported me and my au from day one

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

"Twenty-nine, thirty and breathe." Lexa panted hard to herself as she finished her final set of flutter kicks.

“That looked really good babe!” You boasted as you filmed Lexa’s workout from the couch. Lexa had asked you to record her workout so she could analyze her form and document her progress.

“Thanks Clarke! It feels like my abs are on fire. Everything hurts.” Lexa winced as she wiped the sweat from her brow and chugged her water bottle.

“Don’t overwork yourself. I don’t want you to hurt yourself or pull a muscle.” You insisted to your girlfriend.

“Yeah. I’m just trying to push myself a bit more today. I feel like I’ve hit a wall in my training and need the extra oomph to get over it.” Lexa reassured you.

“Ok, just make sure you listen to your body. Also, about how much longer do you have? I’m checking the battery and we have about 30 more minutes left.” You commented after adjusting the camera on its tripod.

“That should be more than enough. I have a few more exercises to finish before I wrap up. Then we can shower.” Lexa emphasized the last part with a cheeky grin. Your eyes immediately darkened as Lexa eagerly smirked back. Lexa then continued her workout and maneuvered her body into a plank position.

As Lexa held her pose, you shamelessly raked your eyes all over her body knowing you would soon have her naked under the shower. Your gaze first lingered on Lexa’s sports bra that supported her perky breasts and showed off her hardening nipples. You longed to cup them and feel their weight in your grasp.

Next you imagined running your hands across Lexa’s lean body. You first wanted to admire the graceful strength of her toned back. Afterwards, your touch would follow the path of her muscles down her physique stopping at her abs. Your fingers would idly brush and play notes across the soft lines adorning her tummy.

Next, you would trace the contours of her obliques until you reached the waistband of her tights. You would give her hips a firm squeeze pleased at how supple they felt in your grip. You would then divert your attention south and trace the seams of her leggings and reveled how tight the fabric stretched across her mound. Finally, you would reach back towards your favorite thing about Lexa. You craved to dig your fingers into her ass and feel them clench tightly in response.

Snapping out of your lustful daydream, you felt yourself slowly getting hard under your sweatpants. Lexa then transitioned through several more stretches. Each new position showed off her lithe figure, soft curves, subtle abs, long legs, and firm ass at new angles for your sinful gaze causing your heart to beat faster. Your increased heartrate also pushed more blood to the growing heat between your legs.

As Lexa continued her cooldown routine, the minutes seemed to tick excruciatingly slow. Your leg started to bounce eagerly hoping that time would run faster or Lexa would cut her workout early. Lexa was blissfully unaware at your inner turmoil and your desperation to feel her warmth against and around you.

Lexa then raised her ass up as she transitioned into downward dog. This action caused her black leggings to mold tightly against her cheeks providing you a sinful view of the swell of her ass. You couldn’t hold in your desire any longer as you sprung up from the couch and approached her from behind. Her eyes remained closed as she focused on getting a deep stretch so she was oblivious to your sudden presence.

You throbbed underneath your sweats when you gazed between her legs and saw the damp fabric clinging tightly to her sex. She was wet and you knew it wasn’t just sweat from the faint musk you smelled. You smirked to yourself when you realized that you weren’t the only one aroused by the promise of sex after this workout. You were both already wet without the shower. You cupped Lexa between her legs and groaned when you finally felt her soaked core.

“Clarke.” Lexa shuddered as her form faltered slightly from your unexpected touch before she regained her composure.

“I think your form’s off babe. Don’t you have to keep your abs tight?” You teased when you saw her slouching as she leaned back into your fingers idly brushing her clit over her damp leggings. Lexa rocked her hips urging you to apply more pressure.

“Please love. I need more." Lexa looked back, pouted her lips, and begged with a tremble in her voice.

“What about finishing your workout?” You slyly grinned when you heard Lexa’s desperation in her words.

“Don’t care. I’m done. I just need your touch.” Lexa emphatically pleaded with you. You quickly caved into her request unwilling to deny your girlfriend what both she and you wanted. However, you decided to tease her a bit more.

"Like this?” You applied more pressure to her clit and dipped your fingers past her clothed entrance.

“Mhmn. Yeah.” Lexa quietly hummed out.

“Or this?" While your left hand was preoccupied with Lexa's crotch, your right hand reached around, squeezed her breasts, and pinched her nipples over her sports bra.

“Ahhh.” Lexa yelped from the pressure of your hands on her chest.

“But I think this is what you want?" You jutted your hips forward so she could feel your dick straining against your sweats.

“Fuck! You're so hard." Lexa gasped when your crotch was flush with her ass.

"You’re to blame for this babe. Just seeing you working out in your tight clothes as you move and stretch in all your flexible poses does that to me. Also, the promise of sex never fails to turn me on.” You cheerfully uttered as you started a slow roll of your hips hoping to get some relief for your dick against Lexa’s upturned ass.

“I don't think I can wait until the shower. I need you now – like this!” Lexa pleaded and started a rocking motion trying to match your movements against her sex.

“Are you sure you want me to take you like this? I mean…can you hold yourself up long enough?” You knew Lexa was in excellent shape but wondered if she had enough stamina after her strenuous workout.

“Trust me love. I've got plenty of core strength left. I know I can last longer holding myself up in downward dog than you can inside me." Lexa wiggled her butt and teased you with a smug look on her face.

"Ooof! Low blow babe. I'm getting better – slowly.” You dramatically gasped and held your hand to your chest feigning your hurt. You then playfully spanked her ass for her jab.

“Ow! I'm sorry love. You know I love how you can’t last long enough for me. It’s so flattering that I can make you cum in a minute. But yeah, you’ve been able to last longer and longer each time we have sex. I’m so happy for you.” Lexa kindly reassured you.

You felt your heart flutter at the sincerity in Lexa’s tone. You were still in disbelief at how patient Lexa had been with you from the very beginning helping you overcome your insecurities as an intersex woman. You always worried that Lexa didn’t find pleasure when you finished too quickly. You even blamed your smaller size as the main reason for this.

However, Lexa was gentle and honest with you. She constantly reassured you that she did enjoy sex with you – a lot – despite your doubts. She also never blamed your smaller size too. She even confessed that she preferred your size because it allowed her to show off her flexibility in various sex positions that worked better for you. Now, you wanted to return the favor and hopefully give Lexa the pleasure she deserved.

“Let me show you how much better I am.” You confidently beamed with a grateful look of appreciation towards Lexa’s compliment. You edged her soaked leggings further down her ass until they pooled at her knees. Your dick twitched as her firm cheeks and aroused sex were finally exposed to your lustful gaze. You were grateful that Lexa never wore underwear beneath her workout clothes.

“I don’t think I’ve told you enough times already just how much I love that you’re naked under your tights!” You enthusiastically praised as you lusted over your girlfriend’s naked upturned lower-half in front of you.

“I think I have a pretty good idea love since you always bring it up.” Lexa chuckled. “You know I hate panty lines. Plus, my leggings are already so comfortable that I don’t need to wear anything underneath.”

“I couldn’t agree more.” You mumbled as you were still distracted by Lexa’s ass in front of you.

Your dick throbbed in eager anticipation sensing it would soon be sheathed inside the soaked, tight cunt that Lexa presented in front of you. Lexa whined when you briefly pulled away from her to reach for the stash of condoms and lube hidden in the drawer. You then pulled down your sweats and underwear to free yourself. You tore open a condom, added a small drop of lube inside the tip, and quickly slipped it over yourself.

You sauntered back to Lexa who still held her form perfectly in downward dog. She had been watching you with rapt attention the entire time. Specifically, you saw her eyes darkening as they followed your cock. You still couldn’t believe Lexa found your body desirable. You still recalled how shy you felt when you were first naked in front of her. You were nervous you wouldn’t measure up to Lexa’s expectations. However, Lexa was thrilled to finally have sex with you. You remembered the pure desire dripping out of her that night when she couldn’t wait to feel you inside her for the first time. That feeling never left as you saw her cunt soaked for you right now.

You stood behind her and keened at the sight of Lexa underneath you in downward dog. Her firm cheeks were spread open exposing her sex to you. Anticipating your cock, her folds were petaled open and flush with arousal. Her cunt was at the perfect height and angle for you to enter swiftly in one stroke. However, you wanted to edge Lexa and delay your satisfaction of being inside her.

Lexa whined when she felt your dick sliding across her drenched folds instead of entering her from behind. You slowly drove your dick back and forth coating the condom in her arousal for a smoother glide inside her pussy. Your tip occasionally bumped against her clit causing her back muscles to shudder and strained whimpers to leave her mouth.

“Clarke – Please! I want you inside me now. I need a different kind of stretch that only you can provide.” Lexa urgently begged.

You adjusted your stance because you couldn’t deny what you both craved in this moment. With a firm grip on her hips, you easily entered Lexa in one thrust until your hips were flush with her ass.

“Fuck! I’ve never been this deep inside you. You’re so fucking tight...and hot.” You admitted when your cock reached places inside Lexa you’ve never felt before.

“Uh! Fuck! You feel so good too. Gimme a minute to adjust. I’m not used to you this deep.” Lexa shuddered as she took deep breaths to relax her tight muscles.

“Take as much time as you need.” You were grateful that Lexa needed a minute to collect herself. You also needed a moment to relax and calm down. Despite the thin barrier of the condom, you still felt every heavenly sensation of Lexa’s warmth embracing your dick.

You worried that if you moved even an inch, it would overwhelm you and cause you to cum immediately. That was exactly what you didn’t want to happen since you cockily boasted to Lexa that you could last longer. However, you weren’t prepared for how sensual it felt to fuck Lexa in this new position. Sure, you’ve fucked Lexa from behind before but never like this. Everything felt heightened when you were this deep inside her and you weren’t even moving yet. A shudder ran down your spine when you imagined how much more intense it would feel when you started thrusting.

You also wondered how Lexa felt in this moment. Did she have the same thoughts as you where everything felt more intense when you were this deep inside her? You could feel her cautiously squeezing around you trying to find the right pressure for her. Her walls made minute adjustments around you as they tried to accommodate the extra stretch you gave at this new depth. Before you could ask, Lexa spoke out.

“Damn, I don’t think I’ve felt anything this fucking good before!” Lexa groaned out when she finally felt herself starting to relax and loosen up. She could now focus on how different and amazing it felt when you were as deep as possible inside her.

“I thought it would be just like doggystyle but it’s so much fucking better.” You gushed. “I think we should call this downward doggystyle.” You struggled to confidently say your pun without bursting into laughter.

“Dork.” Lexa turned her head, rolled her eyes, and sighed at your lame joke.

“What? I think I’m a genius.” You quickly countered before you suddenly choked on your words when you felt Lexa purposely squeezing her walls around your cock.

“How about we get back to business love? I’m bent over for you and the last thing I want to hear are more of your dumb puns.” Lexa huffed before she suddenly lowered her voice. “I wanna hear you moan instead.”

“Ahh.” You grunted when Lexa clenched even tighter around your dick. “Understood babe.”

Your short banter helped diminish the sudden urge for you to cum. It wasn’t by a lot but it was enough for you to start moving slowly inside Lexa. You started a steady pace savoring how Lexa’s body responded to your strokes. You felt her walls stretching for you as you drove your cock back and forth. They clenched around your length trying to draw you deeper inside and hold you still. Lexa was right. You started moaning and grunting as you increased your pace and thrusted sharply inside her soaked cunt chasing your explosive release.

“Ahhh! Right there Clarke! Keep going.” Lexa whimpered when you grinded against her front wall. You both learned that your cock was the perfect size to consistently find and thrust against her g-spot. You modified your stance so you could angle your strokes and thrust more easily against it. You knew if you kept fucking Lexa like this, she would be shaking and gushing around your cock soon.

“Fuck!”

“Your dick feels so damn good!”

“You’re filling me up so well right now.”

“You’re gonna make me cum!”

Lexa cried out praise after praise when you changed the angle of your thrusts so you could drive your cock into her front wall where she felt the most intense sensations. You looked down at Lexa underneath you, arching her back, split open on your cock, cheeks rippling from your hips slamming against her, and desperately driving her ass back to meet your thrusts. Hearing Lexa’s passionate moans filled you with pride that you were the only one who could fuck Lexa like this. It also had the undesirable consequence of causing your own orgasm to quickly creep up on you.

“I don’t know how much longer I can last.” You struggled to get the words out when you sensed the familiar twitching in your shaft signaling your impending release.

“Do you want to slow down and try some of the techniques I taught you?” Lexa graciously offered when she felt the telltale signs of your throbbing length inside her core.

Neither of you were ready for your messy finish yet. You both wanted to hold on just a bit longer and savor the sinful experience of fucking each other in this new position.

“Yeah.” You groaned when you slowly pulled out of Lexa. You then noticed the long spit of wetness leaving her cunt attached to your condom. You almost came at the sight but managed to stave off your orgasm when you squeezed your shaft just behind your head just like Lexa showed you. In a matter of seconds, you felt your impending urge to cum disappear. You also took several deep breaths until you were confident you were ready to go again.

“Good?” Lexa asked with a proud smile on her face.

“Yeah. Thanks for showing me that. It’s a lifesaver babe.” You confidently grinned back in relief.

“You’re very welcome. Now, get back to fucking me love.” Lexa insisted as she drove her ass even higher up.

“Gladly.” You repositioned yourself behind Lexa and eagerly entered her in one smooth stroke aiming for her g-spot again. You knew you found it when Lexa uttered a soft moan and her walls suddenly clenched around you. You keened at how Lexa’s body desperately missed your cock and welcomed you back with a tight and wet embrace. You gave her hips a quick squeeze before you pulled out and started fucking her hard again.

“Yes, yes, yes!” Lexa moaned out and cried at how great you felt back inside her cunt.

As you continued fucking Lexa, you noticed her arms shaking, feet losing grip, and back muscles starting to flex and strain. She had spent more time than she anticipated in downward dog and it was starting to show. It also didn’t help that Lexa had to steady herself from your hips thrusting relentlessly against her ass. No matter how firm or big her ass was, it didn’t provide enough cushion the longer you fucked her. You could feel Lexa struggled to fully hold herself up as you had to support more of her weight with your tightening grip on her hips.

“Fuck Clarke. I don’t think I can hold myself up any longer like this.” Lexa whined as she felt her strength slowly being drained.

“Can you hold on a bit more babe? I know you can do it. I’m almost there. Can you be a good girl for me?” You softly cooed sensing Lexa’s growing struggle. You knew she had the core strength to last and wanted to push her.

“Yeah. I wanna be good for you love.” Lexa whimpered when she was soothed by your reassuring words. You saw Lexa dig her heels and adjust her hands on her yoga mat for better grip. She then flexed her muscles and tightened her stance to correct her slouching form in downward dog.

Lexa had unlocked a new source of energy and determination. You were proud of your girlfriend and wanted to reward her tenacity. You focused all of your energy into making sure Lexa came with you. You reached around and rubbed her clit. You slowed down your thrusts and fucked her with shallow strokes so you spent as much time as possible stimulating her g-spot.

Lexa cried out incoherent moans and whimpers in response. She felt conflicting sensations all over her body. Her legs, arms, and abs hurt from the strain of holding herself up but the deep strokes of your cock against her walls electrified her nerves with an intense pleasure.

You felt so close to your own climax but it wasn’t due to the intense sensations of Lexa’s silky soaked walls wrapped around your throbbing cock. No, it was due to the sweet and raspy moans leaving Lexa’s mouth as you pulled her back and forth against your cock. Pride caused your chest and cock to swell up that you were the cause of Lexa’s filthy moans.

That’s when you felt it. Lexa’s walls suddenly clenched around you halting your thrusts and holding you still. A second later, her cunt rhythmically squeezed and tightened around your cock signaling the start of her orgasm. You then felt a flood of wetness soaking your dick and gushing out between your bodies. You quickly succumbed to your own orgasm from the rhythmic patterns of Lexa’s muscles milking your cock forcing you to shoot out jets of cum into the condom.

“Lexa? You okay babe?” You prodded when you saw her body starting to relax again. However, Lexa didn’t respond so you assumed she was still recovering and didn’t have the mindset to think clearly yet. You gently lowered Lexa to the floor and allowed her to rest on her yoga mat as she regained her strength and consciousness.

“Clarke. Clarke. Clarke.” Lexa was passionately moaning your name. Your voice never sounded sweeter than when Lexa was in the throes of her climax. Suddenly, Lexa’s muscles holding her taut suddenly buckled from the intensity of her orgasm racking her body. Her body and legs were shaking uncontrollably so you quickly tightened your grip to hold her up so she wouldn’t fall down.

You didn’t pull out and were still inside Lexa knowing she sometimes clenched around your dick to soothe herself and come down after a strong orgasm such as this. She also enjoyed feeling your weight above her and felt safe and protected underneath you. It was one of her favorite forms of intimacy with you. You peppered Lexa’s backside and neck with nips and kisses waiting for her to come back to you. You whispered soft affirmations of love, desire, and appreciation into her ear too. 

“I love you Clarke.” Lexa softly breathed out when she finally regained her awareness. 

“I know.” You tenderly responded as you leaned over and kissed Lexa. Your heart fluttered as you both smiled widely into the kiss. Pulling back, you both had a dopey grin on your face. 

Your moment of bliss was interrupted when Lexa’s fitness tracker started beeping on her wrist. Lexa quickly checked her notification to silence it. 

“Uh Clarke? My watch accidently recorded our sex as a high intensity workout.” Lexa awkwardly informed you as a bright red blush adorned her face.  

“Really? That’s so funny. Show me the stats.” You pleaded as you struggled to suppress your laugh at Lexa’s adorable embarrassment. Lexa sighed before she rolled her eyes and held up her wrist so you could both scroll through the various fitness metrics it had recorded. 

“Wow. Your heart rate peaked over 100 beats per minute during your orgasm! You should start recording that in your workout journal.” You suggested enthusiastically.  

“I am not going to record that stat in my journal Clarke. That’s so personal. What if someone reads that?” Lexa vehemently protested. 

“Lexa! Look at how many calories you burned during sex. Damn that’s a lot. I think you should start adding sex to your daily workout routine.” You hoped that Lexa would take your suggestion seriously.

“We already fuck at least twice a day Clarke. How much more do you want?” Lexa countered. 

“Well, I –“ You started to respond before Lexa swiftly interrupted your train of thought. 

“Don’t finish that. I already know the number and that’s unreasonable. We’re still in college and have classes to attend.” Lexa scoffed back. 

“You should wear your fitness tracker whenever we have sex now. You can record it as hot yoga.” You proudly grinned. 

“Oh my God! Clarke stop!” Lexa groaned, dropped her face, and hid her embarrassment into her yoga mat.

“I’m sorry Lexa but you know how I love teasing you.” You quietly apologized as you nudged your head against Lexa trying to coax her back out and face you.

“Can we talk about something else?” Lexa timidly asked when she turned and faced you.

“We don’t have to talk at all.” You cockily boasted with a smolder. 

You groaned when you felt Lexa’s enthusiastic approval as she squeezed around your dick which had softened inside her. She must feel rejuvenated now as she tried to help you get hard again.

“I need to grab a new condom and I can’t pull out if you’re holding me too tight babe.” You urged when Lexa’s walls didn’t release their tight grip on you. Lexa sighed because she didn’t want to let go of you just yet. You kissed her pout away and promised you would be quick. You pulled out and quickly discarded the used condom. You then grabbed some wet wipes and hastily cleaned both you and Lexa up.

Lexa grabbed a condom from the stash and beckoned you close to her. She gave your cock several strokes to make sure you were fully hard. She then tore open the packet, gave your dick a small kiss on the tip, and sheathed the condom down your shaft.

“I have another yoga pose that I want you to fuck me in. It’s the bridge position.” Lexa keenly told you before she laid down on her mat, spread her legs apart, and lifted her hips up. “And don’t worry. This pose is easier on me so you can take your time fucking me love.”

Your eyes widened, jaw dropped, and your dick twitched when you saw Lexa spread open and presenting her soaked cunt for you to fuck again. Who knew yoga poses were so versatile? You dropped to your knees, moved towards her, and positioned yourself in between her legs. You first ran your hands across her thighs, up her mound, and over her abs. You were always in awe of Lexa’s toned physique and craved every opportunity to touch her.

“Having fun love?” Lexa giggled while you were distracted worshipping her body.

“Yeah. Sorry about that.” You blushed when you realized several minutes had passed and she was still waiting for you to fill her up.

“No worries. It’s so cute when you get super focused on me.” Lexa happily insisted to you. “Wanna explore the inside of me now?” Lexa smirked.

You didn’t want to keep her waiting any longer. Again, Lexa’s entrance in bridge pose was at the right height and angle for you to easily slide inside her. It’s like her body was made for exactly for you. You shifted your stance and started pressing your cock past her folds which easily parted for you. Your dick slid deeper inside Lexa inch by inch until you bottomed out. She gave you a reassuring squeeze that you could start moving.

You pumped your hips back and forth keeping a languid pace. You weren’t in a rush to finish. You wanted to savor all the sensations you felt as you slowly fucked Lexa. You focused more clearly on all the different textures you felt inside her like the various ridges surrounding your cock. You also felt how different her g-spot felt. It was a spongy texture compared to the smoothness everywhere else.

You then wondered if Lexa did the same and focused on how your cock felt inside her. You looked down and saw her eyes were tightly closed. It seemed like she was in a deep concentration right now. Was she feeling the details of your shaft as you slowly thrusted inside her? Did she appreciate the way you filled her up? Lexa then opened her eyes and caught you staring intensely at her.

“What love?” Her head tilted when she asked you.

“You just look so beautiful right now.” You gushed when you couldn’t hold in your feelings right now.

“Charmer.” Lexa’s face beamed from your compliment and showed off her dimples with her wide smile.

Her hand then reached up and covered your own holding her hips up. Her thumb rubbed soothing circles across your skin before she squeezed your palm. You knew what it meant. She wanted you to stop moving but you weren’t sure why.

“I wanna kiss you right now.” Lexa clarified when she saw your confused expression.

A joyous grin broke out on your face as you couldn’t contain your excitement. You carefully lowered yourself down so you could reach her face. Your nerves ignited when you kissed her. You soon felt a blissful warmth flooding your body. You continued making out, trading tender kisses with each other. You finally pulled back when the need of oxygen surpassed your need of her.

“Let’s get back shall we?” She pleaded when you saw her eyes raw with passion for you.

You nodded and pulled yourself back up. You readjusted your position and checked in with Lexa that you were ready. She returned a gleeful smile prompting you to resume. Lexa’s face soon scrunched up in delight, mouth gaped open, and abs flexed when you swiftly found her g-spot again.

"Love, don't let your hips fall. Keep them up." You teased when you saw her form off due to your strong thrusts against her front wall. She playfully stuck her tongue out at you but followed your instructions.

You then reached forward and squeezed Lexa’s breasts over her sports bra. They felt firm as you took turns cupping each one in your hands. You were somewhat disappointed that Lexa still had her sports bra on. You wished you could see them moving in sync with your thrusts but her bra kept them firmly in place. Your thumb brushed over her nipples that started to point out. You knew her nipples were sensitive so you stroked, rubbed, and pinched them knowing it drove Lexa wild.

“Love? How close are you right now?” She sharply panted out after a few minutes.

“I feel like I’m almost there. Why?” You admitted when you realized the familiar signs of your climax had suddenly snuck up on you.

“I have one more position I want to surprise you with. I think it’ll be the perfect one for you to finish in.” Lexa insisted.

“What’s it called?” You eagerly mused.

“It’s the plow pose!” She excitedly squealed.

Your attention piqued from the obvious name of the pose.

“It’s actually an advanced yoga pose I found online. When I saw it for the first time, I wanted to see if it would work as a hot sex position with you. It’s tough to hold this pose for long so I’ve been practicing in private to get better. I can hold it for two minutes before it’s too much. That should be good enough for you right – not that two minutes isn’t short – it isn’t – I swear – it’s a good time – long enough for me.” Lexa awkwardly rattled on.

“Of course I want to try it with you babe.” You chuckled to save her from embarrassing herself anymore. You just adored seeing how cute and flustered Lexa got when she rambled. She signaled for you to stop and pull out so she could get into position. You sat on your heels giddy as you awaited her final pose.

Lexa stayed in a bridge but she suddenly lifted her legs up until they pointed directly at the ceiling. She then drove her legs forward towards her chest until her toes landed on the floor behind her head. Her raised hips were aligned with her shoulders that supported her weight on the floor. Her torso was almost at a ninety-degree angle which meant her sex was pointed straight up at the ceiling.

“Ta-da! What do you think love?” Lexa cheered once she finally settled into the plow pose.

“Fuuuuuuck!” You groaned heavily in astonishment that Lexa had practically folded over herself. You’ve never been more grateful for having a flexible girlfriend.

“Hurry up Clarke. I can’t hold this for too long.” Lexa insisted.

“I’m coming babe.” You responded without a second thought.

“Already? You’re not even inside me yet.” Lexa playfully teased you.

“Dork.” You sassed back.

You stepped up to her a bit unsure how to get yourself into position and enter her. Luckily, Lexa saw your predicament and guided you. You leaned over her and placed your hands on the back of her thighs. You cautiously pushed them down until you hovered over her entrance at the right angle. You just had to drop your hips and you’d be inside her.

“Go ahead love. Fill me up!” Lexa eagerly beckoned.

You lowered your stance and pushed through her folds. Your moans became more unrestrained as you forced her walls to adjust around you the deeper you sunk. You shuddered when you finally bottomed out. Being soaked inside her warm cunt overwhelmed your senses. She felt tighter, wetter, and hotter in this new position. You groaned trying to suppress yourself from throbbing too much.

“Fuck Lexa! I’m already so close – I haven’t even moved yet! I don’t think I can last long.” You anxiously confessed, worried you would finish after a few sloppy thrusts.

“Hey it’s okay. Deep breaths love. Cum when you need to.” Lexa soothed seeing the nervousness on your face.

“But I just want to be good enough for you.” You uttered in a hushed voice.

“Love you are.” Lexa tenderly reassured you.

“But – “ You replied apprehensive of Lexa’s words before she interrupted you.

“Clarke. Love. I just want to enjoy this with you no matter how long you last.” Lexa smiled affectionately at you. “It’s a new position right? I don’t expect you to be great at it yet. There’s plenty of chances for you to get better. Just be with me now and it’ll be good for both of us. I promise.”

“Fuck you’re amazing! I love you.” You choked out. Lexa always knew what to say to help you overcome your insecurities.

“I know. Deeply.” Lexa smirked and clenched around you to emphasize her last point.

“Fuck!” You whimpered and jerked your hips forward caught off guard by Lexa’s walls squeezing you even tighter.

“Now, don’t hold back for me love. It’s the plow pose for a reason. I want it hard and fast!” She keened.

Lexa wanted you to become selfish. Right now, she didn’t care about her own pleasure but only yours. She chose this position specifically for you. She practiced holding this pose in private for you. She imagined being fucked by you like this. You didn’t want all her hard work to go to waste. You cast aside your anxiety about finishing too fast. Instead, you focused on how filthy it would feel to fuck Lexa in this position.

You drove your hips up then slammed them back down onto Lexa’s ass. You repeated this over and over so your cock would plow up and down inside her cunt in long, heavy strokes. At this extreme angle, it felt like gravity was helping you drive your cock deeper, faster, and harder inside her body. You realized how intense each thrust felt in this position and desperately chased your climax uncaring how fast it would arrive.

You peered down and saw Lexa looking seductively up at you. Her eyes were dark with lust. She bit her lips as she marveled at your intensity. She moaned and cried to the beat of your thrusts. They joined in the sinful symphony of the heavy slaps of your hips against her ass coupled with the wet squelches of your cock plowing her cunt. You felt her hopelessly squeezing around you in a vain attempt to hold you still but your thrusts easily overpowered her as you forced your way deeper chasing your messy finish.

“Clarke!” Lexa desperately whined as her eyes rolled back after a sharp thrust against her g-spot.

Hearing how sweet she moaned your name ignited your nerves and pushed you to your explosive climax. You growled hard and filled the condom with heavy spurts of your cum. You whimpered when you felt Lexa’s muscles matched the rhythmic pulses of your throbbing cock. Her body craved to be soaked in your release that the thin latex barrier held back.

After your orgasm ran through its course, you gently unfolded Lexa and lowered yourselves to her mat. She had a dopey grin of bliss plastered on her face as you carefully settled your weight above her. You were both sweaty but neither of you cared. Her legs were still tied around you as you rested. She wasn’t ready to let you go and you weren’t ready to pull out. You nuzzled into each other’s neck and traded tender kisses. You rubbed soft circles around her hips while she ran her hands up and down your back to soothe each other.

“I’m gonna be so sore. But it’s the good kind of sore.” Lexa heavily breathed out after she caught her breath.

“Was that … good for you?” You hesitantly asked.

“Fuck that was so hot love! That went better than I imagined. I love how hard you came.” Lexa excitedly blurted out.

“Yeah? It felt really intense for me too. Thanks for finding this position and holding it for me.” You cheerfully nodded impressed at Lexa’s endurance and flexibility.

“You’re welcome love. We are definitely gonna do this again! But I need more practice to stay longer in plow pose.” Lexa playfully shared.

“I also need some practice to improve my stamina. Luckily, I have the hottest workout partner to help me out.” You bragged.

Lexa beamed and flashed you a toothy smile. Afterwards, you were both content to just lay there soaking in each other’s warmth. You still had time until you felt yourself softening and had to remove your condom. However, your tranquil bliss was broken when Lexa suddenly gasped.

“Love. Did you ever turn off the camera?” Lexa frantically squealed.

“I think so? Why?” You hesitated as you struggled to remember.

“Look.” Lexa tapped you on the shoulder so you could both face the couch where you had set up the camera mount. When you turned your head, you saw the red recording light of the camera still flashing.

“Oh my God! It’s still on!“ You yelped out.

“We made a sex tape!” Lexa exclaimed in pure shock.

“Do you want to watch it? I could judge your form babe.” You sheepishly asked Lexa after a few seconds of awkward silence.

“Only if I can critique your technique too love.” Lexa flirted back.

“Deal. So shower then movie night?” You offered with a smug grin on your face.

“Let’s skip the shower and save some water. I have a strong feeling we’re gonna be sweaty again real soon.” Lexa smirked

[randomvarious]

Today's compilation:

The British Invasion: The History of British Rock, Vol. 8 1991 Psychedelic Rock / Psychedelic Pop / Baroque Pop / Pop / Hard Rock / Folk-Rock / R&B

I think the chief highlight of this eighth volume in Rhino's terrifically extensive British Invasion retrospective series is the serially underappreciated "My White Bicycle" by a band from London called Tomorrow. Although it was recorded at Abbey Road Studios during the same time that The Beatles were recording Sgt. Pepper's—which caused John Lennon to praise it in the pages of Melody Maker as a 'psychedelic anthem'—it never gained enough commercial traction in order to chart in any capacity and was relegated to the underground instead. But this is nevertheless a highly innovative tune that's well worth being acquainted with. The hi-hats rattly chug at a pretty uniquely frenetic pace to represent the titular bicycle's rotating wheels and, more importantly, it's one of the first songs to ever implement backwards guitar phasing too, making it sound unlike pretty much anything else that was recorded and released in 1967. There's really nothing quite like hearing a recorded chord played in reverse, and they all sound especially cool on this tune that would've already sounded pretty unparalleled anyway 😎.

And once again, speaking of The Beatles, did you know that way before The Bee Gees would become primarily known for their disco exploits, they were being promoted in coy ways by their label that convinced people that they were actually The Fab Four operating under an alias? "New York Mining Disaster 1941 (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)" served as the group's international debut single, and while it actually sounds very much like a folk-rock blueprint for what would become David Bowie's "Space Oddity," many radio DJs fell for a gimmick in which they were plied with a blank record that they were told was by a group from England that started with a B. Adding to the intrigue was the fact that some official US pressings of the single listed Nemperor Records as its publisher, which was founded by Beatles manager Brian Epstein. DJs spun this one repeatedly, thinking that they'd been given a new and cryptic Beatles promo, and the thing then went on to sell a million records globally. Pretty brilliant marketing trick to introduce the world to the Brothers Gibb!

So, as we near the end of this roughly chronological series, we're now in the years when the sound du jour across UK-born rock and pop was psychedelia. As such, the purer strains of traditional and orchestral pop that betrayed this series' core mission of documenting the history of British rock were excised—although most of them were great tunes anyway!—but all in all, this is probably the least interesting volume thus far. In the prior seven volumes, Rhino had done a masterful job of balancing the era-defining, well-known classics with the obscure gems, but the formula here is just not working as well; some of these obscurities seem to have been obscure for good reason, and established acts like the psychedelically transformed Eric Burdon & The Animals—who get two songs—do not sound nearly as cohesive as they once did in their more blues-centric days 😔. The big hits are really what seem to anchor this one more than the other volumes, save for a couple tunes, and while the disc is still a quality listen, it's less characteristic of the series as a whole.

Planning on capping off this whole collection tomorrow!

Highlights:

The Spencer Davis Group - "I'm a Man" Cream - "Sunshine of Your Love" The Hollies - "Dear Eloise" Donovan - "Hurdy Gurdy Man" Procol Harum - "A Whiter Shade of Pale" Tomorrow - "My White Bicycle" Procol Harum - "Conquistador" The Move - "Flowers in the Rain" The Bee Gees - "New York Mining Disaster (Have You Seen My Wife, Mr. Jones)" Status Quo - "Pictures of Matchstick Men" The Moles - "We Are the Moles" Peter & Gordon - "Knight in Rusty Armour" The Moody Blues - "Nights in White Satin"

[opmilfzine]

✨ "Mother Knows Best" Advice Column: Kokoro! ✨

(written by @jessenosabaku)

On 'Career':

You want a stable career? If you find a foolproof guide to getting one, send me a copy. Maybe then I can afford the top-shelf brandy.

Switch the word “jobs” with “opportunities” and you’ll get a clearer picture of the road ahead. They appear at random, and can vanish in a moment. And, naturally, the richest people receive the best ones by default. If you want a piece of what’s left over after the sharks finish feeding, you need to learn to recognize strong opportunities.

Tom-san made that easy for me. There’s an old adage about the “right room” and the “right people,” and I knew from the moment I saw his blueprints that the “right room” was whichever one he stepped into. So, when he left Fishman Island, I followed him. Not long after, the current of history found him—sucked right into that vortex that circled Tom-san all his life. And I started riding that current right around the time that Gold Roger commissioned the Oro Jackson.

Tom kept me on payroll as his secretary. Taking inventory and filing tax documents alone could have filled a full-time shift. Who the hell wants to spend their entire week on that, though? Once you’ve stumbled into opportunity, complacency is no longer an option. I spent at least three days out of each week assisting Tom-san with the building, and test driving his watercraft. That first model of the sea train—no way in hell would I let anyone else act as conductor. I practiced driving it for years until the track became a part of me, just like the sea and my own two fins. And when the world acknowledged the sea train, they couldn’t help but acknowledge me, too.

Decades later, and I’m still here. Still chugging along.

But that’s not the answer you’re hoping for, right? Because luck and hard work can’t guarantee you a stable future. I can’t even guarantee you’ll enjoy your work, much less thrive. Even at the peak of business, when we were busting our asses around the clock, Tom’s Workers never quite broke even. Especially after Tom took on Iceburg and Franky as apprentices. I think that’s why he insisted on accepting them, though—he couldn’t pass up the chance at a legacy. One that could outlast all that we built. We never knew what those two might become. Now, they’ve long-since grown into master shipwrights, one of whom built yet another Oro Jackson for a new Pirate King. And now I watch Chimney, doing at age ten what I could only do as an adult, and I know what Tom-san knew.

No matter your field, find your Tom-san. Or find someone like me, who has worked way too long and knows way too much. Keep growing. And whatever you learn along the way, pass that on. As a mentor, or a mother, or a friend—I don’t care what you become. Just be the right person, in the right room, when your turn comes around.

---

Thank you for the boost! 🥂 @opfandombase @opzinebulletin

[tiddiewitch]

Second Chances - Ch. 3

Description: Agathrio AU / Wagatha - Agatha ponders her inheritance, meets up with Jen to hear some news, takes the pregnancy test.

Warnings: None

Wordcount: 1,800

Notes: I finally realized I should probably put chapter descriptions. I also took like 5 minutes to figure out how to use this app properly so hopefully this posts better than the last two. Also gonna start a masterlist.

CHAPTER 3 - Four

A few weeks later, Ralph was onto his next excursion, Agatha was doing all that she could to keep busy. She had passed the traditional two week wait and was yet to take a pregnancy test. She didn’t feel any different, no morning sickness, a little tired but she also didn’t stop moving. It was still early and she didn’t want to disappoint herself unnecessarily so she focused on anything else. Between benefits and fundraisers at work and her mother badgering her about her grandfather’s inheritance she had plenty to keep her occupied. 

She’d already met with her lawyer a few times to go over the fine details but was yet to sign and return the documents. She didn’t really care about the estate, it seemed like more of a burden to manage, but it was the most she had of her childhood and her past, the few good parts that did exist. The home itself held a treasure trove of antiques he had collected over the years. She had just under a week to decide yet she wasn’t in a hurry as she knew it would likely mean more interactions with her mother. 

Today she had her first break in the chaos and had planned a day of reading and relaxation, centering herself and avoiding her growing list of responsibilities. This was not long lived as she got an early call from Jen. Several, in fact, which she tried to ignore until the third call. 

“Somebody better be dying” she grunted into the phone

“Jeeze, Agatha, hello to you too” Jen scoffed

“You keep calling so it must be urgent”

“I’ve been trying to get a hold of you for weeks! I figured at this point you were either dead or your mother got to you, or both. Now that I know you’re still breathing, do you want to get brunch?” Agatha glanced at the clock. She’d been awake for 4 hours and hadn’t thought to eat or drink anything. Suddenly she realized how hungry she actually was. 

“You buying?” Jen let out a sigh

“Sure, if that’ll get you there. 30 mins?”

“Give me an hour, I still have to pull myself together.”

“It’s 10 a.m., on a Wednesday. How have you not gotten ready yet?”

“I wasn’t planning on leaving my house today - that can still be the plan if you want to push it.”

“No, no, that’s fine. See you in an hour”

Agatha took her time, only showing up 15 mins later than she had told Jen, who frantically waved her over. 

“Finally! Girl, you look like death warmed over. You sure your mother didn’t suck the soul out of you?”

“No, I’ve been able to avoid her so far. I’m just exhausted. I feel like I haven’t stopped moving since I last saw you. Also I’ve had a headache on and off for like the last week.”

“Have you been drinking enough water?” Jen questioned

“Have you been drinking enough water?” Agatha mocked back. Jen glared at her. 

“YES. I’m staying hydrated.” She grabbed the glass of water next to her and chugged it. 

“See” she said with a gasp

“Cute. I bet you feel amazing now”

“Never better” she said through a burp “So what’s going on?” 

“I met someone.” Jen said as a smile grew across her face. 

“Oh boy. Hope this isn’t another Madison situation.”

“Don’t go there. She is nothing like Madison. She is wonderful, and kind, and a little broody but in a super hot way. The sex is amazing.”

“Wow, sounds like you’re really taking your time with this one.” Agatha said with an eye roll “so where and when did you meet her?”

“That night at the bar. Turns out she actually owns the place and owns a townhouse a block over. ”

“Don’t tell me you’re moving in with her or something.”

“No! We’ve gone on a few dates and things are going well. Really well, but the U-Haul has not been packed yet. I’d love for you to meet her.”

“You’re really willing to risk that? You must really like this woman.”

“Well it seems whether I like it or not I’m stuck with you. Besides, she’s tough. I think she can hold her own, even against you.”

“Does she have a name?”

“Alice”

“Alice”

“So you’ll have dinner with us?”

“Dinner? What am I, your mother?”

“Agatha! Why do you have to be so difficult?”

“Fine! I’ll think about it. It’s not going to be anytime soon right?”

“You tell me when you’re free.”

“Good because I’ve got a lot going on. It likely won’t be soon.”

“Bullshit with Evanora?”

“Primarily. She hasn’t stopped bugging me about signing the forms.”

“Why haven’t you signed them?”

“Mostly because I know it will piss her off. But also I don’t know if I want to deal with any of it. The idea of it also gives me a headache.” 

“So, you’d get his entire estate right?”

“It’s not as exciting as it sounds. He was a hoarder so the place is filled with stuff I would have to go through before I could even sell it. I don’t know if I’d have the time or energy.” 

“You’d really sell it?”

“It’s in Boston! It’s also ancient and needs quite a bit of work. I’d never move there, though it would be nice to see the place.”

“Who knows what you could find. May give you some closure.” 

“Perhaps. I’ll probably sign, but I’m waiting until the last minute. I can’t give my mother too much satisfaction. Honestly I need to change my number again, she’s becoming unbearable now that she knows how to contact me.”

“You know you can block her in your phone.”

“What?”

“You can make it so you don’t get any messages or calls from her.”

“Why didn’t you tell me this before?”

“It’s never come up before. Give me your phone.” Jen grabbed Agatha’s phone, quickly unlocking it. “You have to pick a better password than 123456. There you go. No more Evanora.”

“I knew I kept you around for something.” The women continued to chat through brunch, Jen mostly babbling about the goings on at the hospital as Agatha stuffed her face with every breakfast food. She really hadn’t realized how hungry she had gotten. By the end of the meal she was so stuffed she had to head back home and take a nap.

Agatha barely made it through her front door before she collapsed on her couch. Scratchy made his way onto her stomach where he made himself comfortable and they both quickly fell asleep. 3 hours later she awoke in a haze, arm numb from hanging off the side of the couch. Slowly, she sat up pushing Scratchy off her lap. She felt that flush nauseated feeling of having napped for too long. She gradually made her way to her feet, stumbling to her kitchen for a glass of water which she once again chugged. She shuffled down her hallway and into the guest bathroom. Flicking on the lights she caught the sight of herself in the mirror. Hair, a long tangled rats nest. Her makeup smeared across the one side of her face. Her clothes were crumpled on her body slightly clinging to her sweaty frame. I guess now is as good a time as any. She thought to herself. She opened the cabinet below her sink grabbing the box of pregnancy tests. Wearily she grabbed a test, using it as she relieved herself of the nearly 2 liters of water she had consumed at brunch. She placed it on the counter and made her way to her bedroom to change. 

Eventually she made her way back out to the kitchen grabbing a few handfuls of nuts and she settled into the book she had tried to start that morning. Mr. Scratchy once again made himself comfortable on her lap and she lost herself in the pages of the novel. Over an hour had passed and once again she had to pee. She shuffled Scratchy off her lap and made her way back to the hall bathroom. She sat down quickly then happened to look over at the counter. Shit, she had managed to forget she had taken the test. From where she was sitting she couldn’t see the result. Good, she wasn’t quite ready. She finished and flushed the toilet standing to meet her gaze in the mirror. She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. It’s fine either way. She turned on the faucet and reached down to wash her hands, glancing over. Negative. She felt a slight twinge in her chest and took a hard swallow. Her stomach didn’t drop nearly as far as it had the last few times. She had resigned herself to this outcome after the last miscarriage. She didn’t think she could survive another one. Looking back in the mirror, her eyes beginning to mist, she smiled at herself. Letting out a big sigh she let the feeling of relief wash over her. It was done. This part of her life was over and in this moment she felt a sense of freedom, releasing something that was not meant to be. For a brief moment she allowed herself to grieve the life she had planned for.

She wiped away the tears that had fallen and threw away the test. With some sense of urgency she went to her work bag and pulled out the folder with the forms to her grandfather’s estate. She perused them one final time and signed them. She sent an email to her lawyer letting her know she’d drop off the forms tomorrow on the way to work. Before she closed her phone she noticed a text from Jen.

I’m assuming you made it home alright. Remember to let me know when you’re free to meet Alice.

She sighed. Knowing Jen, she wouldn’t let Agatha rest until they made plans. Since she pulled the trigger on the estate paperwork, might as well keep it up and solidify plans with Jen. 

Yes I’m alive. We’ll do dinner in two weeks, on that Friday. I’m not making or bringing anything. 

Jen must have been waiting by the phone since she got an instant reply. 

Don’t worry we’ll go out! See you then!  She thought about reaching out to Ralph, letting him know it once again hadn’t worked, despite his best efforts. Though now he was somewhere in the Caribbean entertaining cruise guests. It wasn’t urgent and it wasn’t good news. It could wait until he returned in a couple months. For now she started mentally preparing herself to deal with the estate, and likely her mother. And Jen and her new girlfriend Alice. The thought of it, along with the board meetings, fundraisers, and benefits plaguing her time over the next few months suddenly made her nauseated. Having had enough for one day, that was supposed to have been relaxing, she grabbed her book and headed to bed.

[thesims4blogger]

The Sims 4: New Game Patch (December 5th, 2023)

Following last week’s Laundry List, there is a new game patch out today in preparation for the release of The Sims 4 For Rent Expansion Pack this Thursday (December 7th).

If you have auto updates enabled in Origin’s “Application Settings”, the game will auto-update once you open Origin. If you have auto-updates disabled, you will need to manually update by clicking the game in your library.Advertisement

To ensure your game is up to date, check the game version found in Documents > EA > The Sims 4 > GameVersion.txt. Your game should now read: PC: 1.103.250.1020 / Mac: 1.103.250.1220 / Console: 1.84

Sul Sul Simmers!

The newest expansion pack has been freely living in all our heads and For Rent is finally due! The Property Owner is coming to visit in just a few days, but in the meantime there’s a couple of Base Game additions and a bevy of fixes to call out and share. Our favorite SimGuruNova is going to go into details below. Thanks all!

–   SimGuruNinja

What’s New?

Sink Assignments

The jig is up for Sims who had a penchant for shoving Harvestfest turkey bones down the drains of those poor, poor bathroom sinks. Starting today, all sinks can now be designated as Kitchen or Bathroom sinks.

The assignment you choose determines whether hands or dishes are autonomously washed in them. Unless, of course, you live for the chaos and assign the wrong labels to each sink. We won’t stop you from letting your Sims continue to be little freaks!

Switch Control to This Household

Listen, as much as we love the Manage Worlds screen, every healthy relationship requires a bit of space. So, we’ve declared a bit of independence from Manage Worlds, giving you the chance to switch your active household from Live mode directly with the “Switch Control to This Household” interaction! While we added this as a means to switch between units of your Residential Rental more seamlessly, this interaction will be available on the front door of all occupied residences, not just Residential Rental units. Rejoice with me, my fellow rotational gameplay Simmers!

Base Game Additions That’ll Knock Your Shoes Off

In celebration of the release of For Rent, we have a few housewarming goodies coming to the Base Game. Along with a cozy new outfit that’ll have your Sims lounging in style, Sims can now interact with the Men’s Shoe Rack and Women’s Shoe Rack items from Base Game to set rules for the house determining whether or not shoes are removed at the door. Which means everyone will know whether or not your Sim is wearing socks under those sneakers (please, for my sanity, make sure they are!)

Bug Fixes

Base Game/Multipack

Quick Meal interactions on fridges have been renamed to “Quick Meal or Drink” and “Microwaved Quick Meal or Drink”. Gone are the days of “Glass of Milk” erasure!

Sims who finish their drinks while also eating will now make sure to finish their meal afterward. That’s right, Mrs. Landgraab, chugging your Juice on the Rocks doesn’t count as “girl dinner”.

Child Sims with the Genius trait will no longer gain the Want to Solve Hard Problems, They’ll have to wait a few years before diving into such complex abstraction.

Sims with a Fear of Fire will no longer be tormented by constant, unavoidable fires starting while they are cooking.

On a somewhat related note, Sims will no longer be given the option to Cook Together on broken stoves.

In an attempt to curtail unwarranted surreal horror gameplay, household members should no longer randomly be labeled as neighbors and become unable to use doors.

In the spirit of respecting the laws of physics, towels hung on the wall are no longer translucent when hit with natural light.

Though they are things of beauty, certain columns will now, indeed, fade away… when they would otherwise be blocking the camera in Live Mode.

Sims will no longer be constantly using their phones at every hour of the day. Not a cell phone in sight, just simulated people living in the moment. Beautiful.

Hairy houseguests deciding to shave in your Sim’s bathroom will no longer cause the game to freeze.

Sims should now actually be able to finish writing songs. Perhaps those of us with closets full of unfinished projects should take notes.

Child Sims will now only have age-appropriate thought bubbles.

After plenty of confidence building exercises, certain table lamps will no longer snap to the wall when placed and will be comfortable standing wherever you place them.

Infants who age up in a dirty diaper will no longer produce stink clouds as if forced to wear that dirty diaper into adulthood (Rest assured, I hated writing that just as much as you hated reading it).

Sims will thankfully no longer slip and fall in mud puddles while holding an infant.

Adjusted frequency of body hair on randomized Sims to be slightly less excessive.

Some of the less friendly toddler and infant hairs have been taught proper conflict resolution and will now play nicely with hats.

Sims living on Private Dwelling lots are now willing to make exceptions for food deliveries. Because everyone loves a good pizza, even territorial curmudgeons.

Basement stairs should now play nicely with terrain when the lot has a raised foundation.

Changing foundation height should no longer stop windows from being placed on curved walls.

Sims have learned what it means to be that guy and will no longer constantly ask “What Happened?” for no apparent reason during conversations.

Sims who would invite themselves over and make themselves a little too welcome have relearned their manners and should now knock.

Much to the disappointment of illusionists everywhere, glass walls over basements should no longer hide basement walls when viewed from above.

We’ve educated Sims on the dangers of over-caffeination, so autonomous coffee making/drinking should happen a bit less frequently.

Blonde gardeners and redhead pizza deliverers everywhere can breathe a sigh of relief, because parents with graying hair swatches are now more likely to have children that match their base hair color, rather than unexpected red or blonde hair.

When loading back into a save and entering Manage Worlds, there’s no longer a chance that occupied lots appear empty.

A previously unnamed PooHoo bush has now discovered its true name.

Console

Hitting the Undo button on the controller no longer pulls up the search bar in Build Mode.

Kits

The nails from Poolside Splash are now tagged for both masculine and feminine frame Sims.

As fun as it was, Sims should no longer grow a second pair of feet when wearing the retro bikini from Poolside Splash.

Laundry Day

Hampers can now be dragged in and out of Sim inventories in Live Mode. The excuses for putting off laundry end here!

Dirty cloth diapers will now go into laundry hampers, where they belong, rather than the floor, where they do not belong.

Dream Home Decorator

The Standard Gas Oven by Blazin’ Ladles no longer disappears when placed on lots. May your ladles remain ever ablaze…

My Wedding Stories

Certain veils should no longer force Sims to have red hair (seriously, what is it with this update and red hair?)

Werewolves

Werewolves will no longer autonomously Check On infants during their rampage. And thank goodness for that.

Seasons

Plants no longer revert to dirt piles in dormant phases, and instead will simply stop growing. They should also now only become dormant when entering their off seasons, at the appropriate time.

Get Famous

Sims who have chosen to forgo the spotlight will no longer gain unwanted fame.

Cottage Living

Sims will now retain the Heroic Haggler buff when buying discounted items at village shops after haggling. Let them enjoy their Karen moment!

Your Sims will no longer be doomed to a life of Sisyphean crafting endeavors. They should now be able to complete the task to create a Cross-Stitch for the Taste for Adventure errand.

High School Years

The pink swatch of the Benchmark Seating chair is no longer masquerading as blue in the preview.

Teens who get more than 250 Social Bunny followers should now be able to complete the third level Admired Icon aspiration.

Growing Together

Playing other households will no longer cause Sims to forget certain achieved Milestones. In other words, the game will neither gaslight nor gatekeep your girlboss Sims anymore.

We gave that creepy tree in San Sequoia a stern warning. It should no longer be encroaching upon the buildable area of the Sequoia Cottage lot.

Sims will no longer earn the First Promotion milestone when getting a new job, no matter how much your Sim is willing to be annoying and debate the semantics of that.

Toddlers should now be able to Sing a Song with infants without being interrupted.

Horse Ranch

Your adorable little money laundering scheme has yee’d its last haw! Sims will no longer receive double the stated number of Simoleons for selling mini goats and sheep.

Sims riding horses should now have an easier time saying howdy (and other things) to other horses nearby.

Sims will no longer be taunted by an unreachable log filled with frogs in Chestnut Ridge.

The era of heavy metal square dancing has waned. Sims will now only autonomously perform Cowpoke Dance if Ranch music is playing.

For Rent

Fixed an issue where rent could go into negatives or be excessively high.

[pastelprcdigy]

The printer chugs along.

Lovrina hums to herself as she watches copy after copy of Umbrella records slide out of the printer. All of Wesker's logs, experiment schematics, capture and containment protocols... even some older files, all with modified dates of retrieval. Tutu sits patiently by a taped-up security camera, washing her paws as she waits. Even still, Lovrina could only marvel at how easy this all was.

False Prophet, so soon after dying, had insisted on making himself a prime target again. And he took her precious Bitter Fox with her.

Well, that was just fine. It gave her all the ammunition she needed to work behind his back.

Operation Leech Seed was well under way. Lovrina had made her rounds across Wesker's employees, looking for the ones who she could tell were easiest to target. The deserters after Wesker's death and Sea Angel's creators were a good start, but if Cipher was to come back, she needed more. Whether they were there under duress or disloyal enough to take a better deal, Lovrina would be there with a smile and an under-the-table offer.

One little problem, however, still remained. First Man was loyal. Frustratingly loyal. He needed a different approach.

And luckily, he was out of town as well.

Lovrina takes the documents, stacks them, encloses them in an envelope. She safely ejects her new flash drive and snaps it back in its case, concealed as a tube of lipstick. Some of these were important documents.

Shame they were about to fall into her hands.

She steps away from the printer and gives Tutu a nod. Without hesitation, the Sylveon rips the tape off the camera and hops down to her feet, trotting by her side.

"Well, Tutu, that's that." She giggled disarmingly. "We should so take a little detour and stop by Adam's desk."

"Maybe he should totally think twice about the passwords he sets next time."

[streetkid-named-desire]

Shippy Saturday? More like angsty..aturday?

The Hanukkah fic starts with some angst. I'm not gonna spoil the surprise of the present reveal at the end so enjoy :3

-

Bea, in her endless mercy, came back in with a plate of matzo brei and a cup of synth orange juice. She set it on the stack of crates at the foot of their bed that acted as a table. "The hanukkiah is almost ready. Go out and help them, will you?"

"Aren't the kids supposed to do it all by themselves?" V grabbed the plate and fork and shoveled the cold breakfast into his mouth.

"The barrels they cut in half for the sconces still weigh a ton. You and Casey are the only two here today with Gorilla Arms and he's busy making the cactus fiber wicks," Bea placed a hand on her hip and checked her phone with the other. He face scrunched up and she mumbled a curse.

"What? What's the problem?" V finished his food in two bites. He chugged the orange juice down next.

"This fuckin'," Bea grumbled. "I gotta go. Meet me at the canteen for lunch?"

Bea's body grew tense, though she didn't know it. V saw it in her face, her skin. He leaned over and yanked her hand, pulling her to him and into his lap. He kissed her lightly on her neck, tickling her.

"The Elon clan is saying our marriage certificate isn't valid," Bea wrapped her arms around V but looked off into the distance.

V stiffened, "I thought you…"

Bea gulped.

"Oh for fucks sake, Bea!" V pushed Bea off of him and stood up.

"I signed one! Okay? The first one, I signed it."

"Yeah, well it got lost when Militech assassins almost killed you at our wedding."

Bea paced while V angrily kicked his legs into his jeans.

"I mean, it's valid in the eyes of God at least," Bea said.

V grabbed Bea by her shoulders. "If and when I die," he started.

"If and when? We all die dipshit," Bea said, petulant.

"Bea, listen to me! If we die in Night City? Sure. Fine. We got a marriage license there. But that was our old life. Now? You lead one of the oldest and most influential Jewish nomad clans."

Bea had been fighting tooth and nail to not allow the reality of her new position settle in. Not that she wasn't capable, she just didn't know how to exist if not in a constant state of fight or flight. She wriggled out of V's grasp.

"And I'm an outsider. Our marriage means nothing without our ketbuah signed and sealed by the Zebulon tribe."

Before they left the Seaboard Co-op, after Elon had settled the matter of her inheriting the clan leadership, she had told V she would get it taken care of. He had already signed the new ketubah in the presence of Arnie as witness before they left the city.

She dropped it off. She knew she hadn't signed it. She had hoped it was just a formality.

Three years since their marriage was interrupted and she still could barely say "I love you."

Bea turned away from V. Her face felt hot and her eyes heavy with the pressure of tears.

"If anything happens to either of us, we will have no legal standing among the clan to do anything. No healthcare decisions, no funeral rites, nothing. And I'll be kicked out because I'm not a fucking Cohen and they don't trust me."

Bea clenched her fists. "I'm the clan leader, it's fine."

V swiped the plate and glass off the table and onto the ground with his hand. "You are only leader because you got your half brother to stand behind you and he's not even here! He's a member of the Gershons!"

Bea turned to face V, her face was red and wet.

"Bea, it's just a simple legal document. We're not renewing our vows. I'm not forcing you to say you love me. I simply want to make sure we can take care of each other. Please, just sign it and send the scan back to them."

[thehiddenbaroness]

Entry 9: Like Cold Oatmeal

1/24/25

(Just had to go back and fix the dates for the prior two entries because no, we’re not in 2024 anymore, and also yikes January is almost over!)

I’ll come out and say it: eBook formatting, so far, has been a bit of a bitch. Part of it, I think, had been my skewed expectations since my digital reading is limited to PDFs for work and a few novels to edit in Word or GoogleDocs – I don’t own an e-reader, and generally far prefer to read physical books, so I’m not as familiar with what’s considered standard or comfortable. 

To back up a bit: of course eBook is going to be one of the formats for the whole novel, but right now my focus has been on what needs to be done so my website (and mailing list) can go live. One of those preparatory tasks has been to format the prologue and first chapter to act as a reader magnet for the newsletter (for those not familiar with the concept: essentially, a freebie for signing up). I’ve used both Reedsy and Kindle Create and so far, the results have either been simply botched or very underwhelming compared to my beautifully formatted Word document. I’m sure some of it is lack of experience, so I’m going to test out some other methods.

But once that’s done, I can test out one of my fulfillment platforms: LaterPress. I’m a little dubious since I can’t find a downloads-per-month limit or similar, but we’ll see how it goes. I want to give it a shot before we pay for BookFunnel, even though that’s its own inevitability farther down the road. In general I’m looking forward to gaining a first-hand understanding about how this and the newsletter management will work on the back-end, since it’s making me a bit nervous.

The website going live is a bit misleading. It will be live, sure, but for the time being it’s only going to have a single landing page with a ‘Coming Soon!’ -type message, plus the newsletter sign-up form. While I wait for marketing art and such to be complete, I figured something was better than nothing, and building that mailing list is so, so important. Once it is live, though, I’m ‘safe’ for my other social media presences to go ‘live’ too, and by that token can start the slow but steady chug-a-chug of the hype train. In a way that kinda starts the clock, which is also nerve-wracking, but it too is inevitable.

In other news, yesterday I received a first draft of the map from my map artist! I can’t share it until it’s complete and on my website, but I’m excited to show you. While there are some aspects that didn’t turn out like my original concept, I’m very pleased with the results so far and the artist has been great to work with – I feel I’ve learned a lot not only in how to trust another professional’s judgment, but also in how this visual translation process works (e.g., for clarity there’s been several things that I opted to remove). Although this version will be in black and white out of necessity, I hope to one day have a larger, color, fuller map from her as well. (For those curious, my artist is Melissa. Highly recommend.)

Our snow-days are pretty much over, down here in the south. I spent yesterday writing to take a break from all this admin stuff – which frankly was starting to get overwhelming – but before I get back to it today I need to clean my house.

+++++ Baroness' Self-Publication Journal Masterpost I'm journaling what I uncover as I do more research for self-publication of my novel! I'll be using the tag "#sp journal". All of this will eventually wind up as part of a larger, more detailed guide for which I'm making notes.

[back2bluesidex]

To Be Popular - JJK [Chapter 2]

Pairing: Social Media Influencer! Jungkook X Marketing Manager! Reader ft. Yoongi

Summary:

You love everything about social media - apart from the ever-growing number of social media influencers. You don't understand how these people gain followers and admirers just by installing a camera and doing very basic things in front of it. And you despise how some of them can do anything to gain fame, to be popular - even if it includes uploading their bedroom scene in pornsites aka people like Jeon Jungkook. But when your company launches a new product and your department head tasks you with signing Jeon Jungkook up as an endorsement partner - you have no choice but to chase him like the corporate slave that you are. However, things turn worse when you embroil in a dating rumor with him and have to keep the game going for the sake of everything. is it really for the worse or things will turn in a way you never expected it to?  

Theme: Strangers to lovers au, fake dating au, kind of enemies to lover au, angst, smut, fluff.

Full Series Word Count: 26k

Chapter word count: 6.4k+

Warnings: flirting, argument, kissing that's all.

Masterlist | Patreon (For access to the complete series)

Minors, I am not responsible for what you consume online. So, act more rationally and stay away.

Chapter index: -

Prologue | Chapter 1 | Chapter 2 | Chapter 3 | Chapter 4 | Chapter 5 |

Drabbles: Imposter in the club,

Or read the full series right away on Patreon!!

Only twice in your life did you have the need to sign contracts. 

First time was your employment contract, the second time was your house lease contract. 

The third contract turns out to be something that you didn’t even have the wildest dreams about - a dating contract. 

That too, with a person you seemingly get irked by very often. 

You have gone through the documents almost every day this past week, so much so that now you can recite the terms and conditions as fluently as your phone number. 

The contract is pretty standard if you are being honest. There is only one term that you added: “Kisses are not allowed”. And it seems like both Seokjin and Jungkook have no issues accepting your only term. 

However, your hands feel clammy all of a sudden when you are about to sign the papers. The thoughts of being under the limelight scares you. 

And being Jeon Jungkook’s girlfriend means a lot of limelight in social media. 

“You okay?” Kim Seokjin asks, perceiving your hesitation in signing the papers. 

“Yeah.. I am just.. You know… don’t know what to expect from all these.” you voice. 

Seokjin places an assuring hand on top of yours, with a little squeeze he says, “you can trust me, Y/N. I will do my best to keep your private life private. Jungkookie is not a bigshot anyway but yes I know there are risks of privacy breach, which will be my department to handle.” 

You feel an odd sense of relief injected by the man’s silver voice. 

But it seems like you spoke too soon because, “what’s up you two?” Jungkook appears from nowhere. He eyes the place where Seokjin has his hand on top of yours and narrows his eyes at you. 

“You are late.” Seokjin directs his authoritative voice towards Jungkook. Jungkook sits down on the chair beside him and starts chugging down water. His Adam's apple bobs like a sin. 

You distract yourself from the scene by signing the papers finally. 

“Now it’s your turn.” Seokjin extends the paper towards Jungkook, who without a second thought takes it and signs it. 

For a moment you wonder how he manages to stay disconnected from every worry? 

You are as much of a stranger as he is to you. But still, he didn’t hesitate to sign like you did. Maybe this is another reason why you dislike Jeon Jungkook? Because he gets to be care-free while you have to care for every single move you make. 

See for an instance - once you dared to pull an act of bravery and it landed you on a dating deal with Jeon Jungkook. 

How fucking funny!

Your fingers tap on your laptop keyboard as you open the email sent by Jungkook’s agency. It’s a full fledged schedule for your and Jungkook’s first month of appearance. 

And that starts tomorrow. 

As for tomorrow, you will have to visit a cozy cafe with your supposedly boyfriend and get caught by paparazzi. Once you become talk of the media then the company will go ahead and publish an official statement. 

Things will continue like this for five months. During the sixth month your appearances will slow down and at the beginning of the seventh month, the agency will confirm the break up. 

Sounds pretty clean. 

During these seven months Jungkook will be done with the endorsement deal with your company as well. Hence, there is no need of working with him afterwards, which is a pleasant news to be honest. 

So now that you are already in the mess, you should as well taste the water and see what it brings for you. 

“You sure will be okay with it? Do you want me to tag along and keep an eye?” Jimin’s concerned voice rings in your ear. 

You are so thankful that the universe gifted him to you in the form of a best friend. From high school till now, there was hardly a day when Jimin didn’t text you, asked what you were up to, let you know what he was doing. 

He is that one friend who never got away. 

“I will be fine. Don’t worry. Go and enjoy your time, do something fun.” you add. No matter how tempting his offer is, you don’t want him to ruin his Sunday to look after you while you are on a playdate. 

“But Y/N-” 

“Jimin, I will be fine! I will keep updating you, okay?” 

He sighs on the other side making you chuckle. “Okay. but do keep me updated.” 

“Yes. appa. Yes.” 

You check yourself once upon cutting the call.

Yeah, you look presentable. Hopefully paparazzies won’t have any issues with your sober dressing sense. 

Once again your head bobs in the direction from where Jungkook’s car should be emerging. But you find none. 

He is late. 

Great. Another reason to hate Jeon Jungkook. 

Just when you are about to pluck your phone out and throw a text towards him, you hear the rumbling sound of an engine. 

More specifically the sound of Jungkook’s bike. 

He comes to stop where you are standing under a bus stop shade and extends a helmet towards you. 

You are way too busy grasping that you miss the object being offered to you. 

“Do I have to ride this with you?” you point at his bike. 

“It’s called a bike. And yes, you are going to ride it with me.” Jungkook thrusts the helmet towards you again. 

“Thanks for letting me know what it is called. But are you sure I will be in functioning condition by the time we reach?” 

“Don’t worry, my dear girlfriend, I will take care of ya.” he gives you a cheesy grin. 

If something flips inside your chest, then it’s better to put off the subject and focus on the fake date ahead. 

So, you put on the helmet, hop on his bike, and place your hands on his shoulders. 

“Be careful, it's hot down there. Spread your legs a little more.” Jungkook warns. 

You know, it’s about the bike but the implications of his words sets your face on a battle of blush. 

Managing your gut and composure you reply with an affirmative sound. 

“Did you… cut your hair?” Now that Jungkook has stripped off his helmet and is sitting relaxed before you, you can see the difference in his hairstyle from what you saw yesterday. 

“Yeah. All by myself. I even live streamed it. How do I look?” You can see Jungkook’s face lighting up as soon as you mention his new hairstyle. 

“You look like a twelve year old. Cute.” and you are genuine with your words. He looks less mischievous and certainly not like someone who would fuck on camera.

The tip of his ears turn pink when he registers your compliment. 

Clearing his throat a little he says, “what should we order?” 

“A flat white for me. And that cheese cake, strawberry one.” you say, awkwardly peeking at the menu, which is currently under Jungkook’s scrutiny.   

You hear him chuckling and when you follow that sound, you find him staring down at you. His crinkled eyes, baby-like fringe, bunny-teeth on display and that beautiful smile makes him look like a completely different person. 

He doesn’t look like the Jungkook you used to dislike. 

And that spreads something warm under your skin. You start smiling at him without noticing yourself. 

“Isn’t that Jeon Jungkook?” a second female voice comes from a little distance. 

“Oh my god. Yes. and who is he with? Isn’t he dating that bully girl? Doona or Dana?” 

“What? No. didn’t you see his viral videos from the club? That girl is his rumored girlfriend. They seemed to have a fight that night but I guess they are good now?” 

“Oh really?” 

Even though the spectators are trying to be discreet and silent with their gossip, they are anything but. 

When you look in their direction, your eyes lock with one of them. She quickly turns away and types something on her phone. 

Something reaches out for your hand that is placed on the table top. 

It’s Jungkook’s own hand. 

He wraps his big palm around yours and interlaces his fingers with yours. With a sickeningly sweet smile he says, “the act has started, we should jump into characters now.” 

You tighten your fingers around him and reply, “of course we should.” 

However, you are still unsure about where you will be after six months of this play. Will you be friends with Jeon Jungkook? Or will you end up being more?  

“But how did you let Kim Doona come between you two if you were seeing each other?” 

By the time you and Jungkook managed to come out of the cafe that day, it was already a mess. At least ten different people were trying to get your face properly, five others were trying to get a shot of your and Jungkook's intertwined hands and others were clicking pictures not-so-secretly. 

By the time you were home, your photos were all over Jungkook’s fandom’s insta profiles. 

And when the bomb (aka the official statement from the agency) dropped, your phone flooded with questions after questions.

You didn’t answer any. 

Nonetheless, the questions reappeared, this time directly, as soon as you stepped into your workplace on Monday. 

And this question in particular - it was the mostly asked one and you were ready for it. 

Your colleague nudges you again, “come on, tell me, why did you let him fuck the other girl if you were dating him?” 

“I wasn’t dating him back then.” you reply confidently, of course you had your own share of practice. “We used to be friends. But you know… friends with feelings. So yeah.. I was kinda pissed at him.” 

She makes an O shape with her mouth. 

“Is that why you lashed out on him during the meeting? I mean I heard that you…” she doesn’t end her sentence. 

These people really work less and gossip more. You nod. 

“Who confessed though? You or him? Oh- wait! Did you confess at the club? Is that why you two were seen fighting?” she throws her rapid-fire questions at you. 

But you are pleased. It worked out the way you wanted. You didn’t have to tell the story, she completed it all by herself. 

“Yup.” you popped the ‘P’ very enthusiastically. 

“Wow! You are living a fan-fiction, girl, a proper friends to lovers au.” she squeals in her seat, “mind if I post the story on my insta? I wanna use my colleague privilege card.” 

You think for a moment. If she spreads the story herself, it will be better for you. You won’t have to recite it all again and again. So you murmur a little “go ahead” and let her click a selfie with you. 

Your computer dings with a notification from Yoongi. He is asking you to come to his cabin. 

Great. Another round of interviews. 

“I just checked the campaign schedule. It’s efficient as always. Good job, Y/N.” Yoongi’s praise brings a smile to your lips.

You murmur a little thank you with a small smile playing on your lips. 

Every time Yoongi praises your work, your insides flip. But sometimes you wish for those praises to come as ‘you look good today’, ‘your dress looks nice’ and stuff like that. 

Even though that brings a sinking feeling temporarily, that doesn’t stay for long. 

“By the way..” it’s coming, it’s coming, “how did you and Jeon Jungkook end up together? As much as I can assume, you two met each other during the meeting for the first time.” 

This. This is not what you prepared yourself for. 

You didn’t think Yoongi would be too interested in knowing your relationship history, so you wouldn’t have to explain anything to him. But not only is he interested, he seems to be pretty observant of things as well. 

Now you can’t tell him the fake story you just told your colleague nor can you tell him that the entire thing is fake. 

So you clear your throat, “it just…. Happened.” 

“Just happened? You seemed to be pretty livid about his existence that day?” your cute manager gives you a lopsided smile. 

“But then you sent me behind him, to convince him or whatever. And things happened.” you turn your confidence up yet again. 

He quirks a brow at you, “things happened after that club incident, huh?” 

He is right. But not the way he is thinking himself to be right.

“Maybe. Maybe not.” you reply, as you collect the files with the details of the campaign and proceed to leave his cabin. 

“The photoshoot starts next week, don’t be lovey-dovey on the set.” he teases you on your way back. 

You only roll your eyes at the door. 

Second fake date is: hanging out at a bar after work. 

But you don’t drink on weekdays. 

So that lands you on a negotiation and the date is fixed on the Friday of the same week. 

You wait for Jungkook at the entrance of your work complex, a place where people would be able to see you getting on his bike very clearly. A strategy to make things public. 

But what comes to pick you up is not a bike but a car. 

A sleek black car that makes heads turn as it comes to stop in front of you. 

For a moment, you think the driver is mistaking you for someone else. 

But then the diver’s door opens and Jungkook comes out, wearing a black buttoned down with a pair of ripped jeans. 

Your eyes are now the size of saucers. 

You once gulp as you see Jungkook smiling brightly at you. 

“Hey baby. Sorry I’m late. Let’s go.” he says sweetly. And you wonder how good of an actor he is. 

“H-hi. It's okay. Yeah, let's go.” you reply in haste, trying to school your dumbfounded expression. 

You let him lead you inside the car with a hand on the small of you back. He lets every passerby see his face, under the street lights, as if he is very proud showing you off. 

Fake. It's fake. You remind yourself. 

“You know, you are a good actor.” you voice your thoughts once Jungkook settles inside the car, 

He chuckles, “yeah? Learned from Jin hyung. He used to be an acting major. Have been seeing him acting to be polite with his shareholders for all the years.” 

The fondness in his eyes at the mention of the other male is so clear. You can’t help but smile. You have perceived the same glow on Jin’s face too. 

“You two really adore each other, don’t you?” 

“Yeah. You can say that. I would be wandering around the streets of Busan if it wasn’t for him.” you hear the underlying darkness in his voice and decide to poke no further on this matter. 

“So, you are telling me that you made this story all by yourself? And this actually ended up making sense?” Jungkook is pointing at his phone, which has your colleague's insta post plastered on the screen. 

“I told you. I am good at my job. Moderating success stories is a part of our marketers’ job.” you shrug. Your shoulders are already a lot loose after a few drinks. 

Your head is on the cloud. 

You feel good. 

And Jungkook is being less cocky today, which is helping you relax even more. 

Jungkook hums, “Great. The act is going well so far.” 

Jungkook starts scrolling on his phone again, focusing on something very hard. After a moment of silence he says, “I won’t lie, we look good together.” 

There is a smug smile playing on his lips. 

You groan, “I thought you quit being cocky for this evening.” 

“Hey! I am not being cocky. Look at these photos.” he protests, poking his phone towards you. 

“I have seen those, Jungkook. And I don’t think I look good with you. You and I are totally two different individuals, from every single aspect. You match with someone like.. Like Kim Doona.” 

Jungkook’s eyes shut for a second, “there is no point of saying this now. I missed my shot with her because someone decided to barge in my perfectly comfortable and peaceful life.” 

“Wait. You had a thing for her?” you sit up straight on your chair. 

“I still do.” Jungkook empties his glass in a sip. 

You would have fought him and told him how you saved from a prolonged controversy, but you are feeling light-headed. You are feeling good. So you will be nice for just once. 

“Well… I am sorry then. I know how it feels to have an unrequited crush.” you sigh, recalling Yoongi’s pretty face, “sorry.” 

Jungkook seems to be caught off-guard with your changed demeanor. 

“It’s okay.” he adds, “you have a crush on that manager, don’t you?” 

The fuck? 

“How the fuck do you know this now?” your eyes go big for the second time today. 

“Come on, Y/N. Anyone with eyes can tell. The way you stiffed when he caught you and me at the parking lot.” he giggles. 

“Ok. That's enough. Let’s go home. I feel sleepy.” you stand abruptly from your chair, swaying a little (thanks to the alcohol in your bloodstream). 

Jungkook stands up too, wraps a hand around your bicep and mutters a small ‘careful’ in your ear.

“By the way… don’t you think you have to call a designated driver?” you ask on the way out of the bar. 

“Jin hyung has us covered.” he shrugs. 

On the way back home you look at the fleeting landscapes out of the car window. For some unknown reason… you feel upset. 

You had a pretty good evening. No matter how much you hate to admit it, Jungkook is a fun company. 

You two would bicker endlessly, then would slip into serious topics like economy and politics, and then all of a sudden you would talk about your favorite drinks. 

He really doesn’t seem like that Jungkook you used to dislike. 

But there is something that’s bothering you. And you can’t put a finger at it. 

The car comes to a stop in front of your apartment. You wave a quick goodbye to Jungkook, who has been busy on his phone all the way back, and climb out of the car. 

As you take small swaying steps towards your entrance, you hear the car door shutting loudly and then in turn Jungkook’s voice, “won’t you give me a goodnight kiss, girlfriend?”  

You don’t know what possessed you. It can be the alcohol, can be your bad judgment, can be the sinking feeling in your chest and the desperate need of feeling something, anything - that makes you turn around. 

You march towards Jungkook without thinking twice, standing chest to chest with him. 

All the mischief drains from his face when you grab him by the collar of his shirt and smash your lips on his. 

It should have been over in a second or two. 

But what's worse is that Jungkook is pulling you close by your waist and deepening the kiss already. 

Hope you don’t regret this when you are sober. 

There were twelve terms in your dating contract. 

You added one. 

And you breached that very one. 

The screen of your phone goes blank as you groan again for the nth time. Every time you open Instagram, all you see is you kissing Jungkook standing on the damn fucking road! 

You two were being followed by the paps that night, which was obviously a part of the plan, and you, being clearly too drunk to think straight, kissed Jeon Jungkook on his lips! 

And now those photos are circulating like wildfire. 

Jimin texted you, asking for a clarification. 

Seokjin texted with three teasing thumbs up. 

And Jungkook texted with probably a thousand of ‘ㅋ’s. 

All you want now is for the ground to split in half so that you can jump in there and die. That’s the best possible solution for whatever the fuck is going on in your pathetic excuse of a life. 

Your phone dings with another notification and you swear to turn it off if it’s another mention in another insta post or another threatening DM from Jungkook’s crazy fans. 

But it seems like the universe is trying to be even more cruel with you, because it’s a reminder of your schedule for the day - which is another date day with the root of your problems - Jeon Jungkook. 

And today, you will have to spend time at his home, click pretty selfies and photos together highlighting how domestic you two are and post those in social media from both ends. 

When you are about to go back groaning, you receive another notification. 

It’s a text from Seokjin, “the car will be there in an hour.” 

“Welcome to my home, girlfriend.” Jungkook grins stupidly as he spots you at his door. You really want to grab a frying pan and bang it on his stupidly round head. 

“Don’t call me that when there’s no one to hear.” you reply grumpily walking inside Jungkook’s luxurious apartment. 

You really want to know how much these influencers make monthly to afford an apartment like this. 

“I call you that for you to hear, baby.” His cheesy remarks are just too much to take, so you just roll your eyes at him. 

“Do you want anything? Tea? Coffee? Juice? Or maybe a kiss?” there he goes. 

This is what you were dreading! The moment you were sober enough to judge your actions, you knew Jungkook will be having a field day the moment he sees you. 

And here you go. 

But but but - you aren’t alone in this. You definitely kissed him first but he, too, kissed you back. So he needs to go down with you. 

“Oh why not, you definitely liked kissing me a little too much.” you bite back. But your words don't affect Jungkook at all. The smirk that he was sporting doesn’t go anywhere. It only grows more sinister. 

“Of course I did. Are you telling me you didn’t?” 

Now this is another thing that you were dreading to admit - that you actually enjoyed kissing him. His lips felt good on yours. 

But you have been trying to convince yourself that it’s because of the alcohol swimming in your veins, even though you know it’s nothing but an excuse. 

“Shut up!” you huff, hoping that Jungkook doesn’t notice the sudden rush of red on your cheeks, “let’s take some photos so that I can leave.” 

“What?” Jungkook is now genuinely confused and you can see it on his face, “Do you really want to leave? I thought we were cooking together? I decided to live stream it.” 

“Me and live stream? Are you kidding? There was no mention as such on the schedule plan?” you are sure all the colors of your face have drained with just one mention of a live stream. 

You hate being the center of attention. 

“Yeah but I improvised just as you did last day by kissing me.” Jungkook shrugs. 

Where the fuck is the frying pan? 

“Okay. I am leaving. Bye.” you haste towards the door. 

Jungkook giggles like a baby, grabbing your wrist and stopping you mid-tracks. 

“Okay okay. I am sorry. I promise not to tease you anymore if you say yes to the live stream.” 

“You promise?” you quirk an eyebrow facing him. 

“I promise.” 

You don’t even know if saying yes to Jungkook’s improvisation was a good idea or a bad one. 

There are reasons it’s both good and bad. 

Good because Jungkook is not teasing or unnecessarily being smug with you anymore. Bad because he is hovering way too close to your body for you to keep being sane. 

The kitchen is big enough, but half of the space is being used to put down cameras and a laptop. On top of that you two have to be crammed in a small space where both of your figures are being perfectly visible to the viewers. 

You are mostly quiet, playing your part, cooking as you are supposed to. 

But Jungkook is in his element. 

He is so natural in front of the cameras that it feels as if he was born to do so. 

Jungkook interacts with the viewers, reads their comments once in a while, smiles, laughs, and makes jokes. Under the light and darkness of the kitchen - he looks so youthful, so radiant that you feel a weird coil in your chest. 

Whenever he brushes past you, you get a whip of his perfume - an earthy, woody tone with a hint of citrus. 

His hair falls on his eyes - unmade - unlike all the other times you have seen him. 

This - whatever this is - you don’t like it. 

“Why is your girlfriend being so silent?” Jungkook reads a comment from the laptop. You pay half mind to him, occasionally smile a little. 

But within a moment, Jungkook slides behind you. 

He puts his big-ass hands on your waist, places his face on your shoulder and says, “baby, why are you being so silent?” 

If you are seeing things right then his lower lip juts out while he tries to coax an answer out of you. 

Your heart starts beating abnormally fast. 

“O-oh.. I- It’s my first time being in a live stream… so yeah.” you proceed to flip the omelet, focusing on the food and food only. 

“You guys heard that? She’s nervous. Don’t scare my girl away.” Jungkook fakes anger. 

You release the breath you were holding when he finally removes himself from you. 

You are now seriously afraid of the outcome of this fake dating contract of yours. 

“Hate to say this but” you take in a deep deep breath “this is actually very delicious. Good job." You point your chopsticks at the carbonara that Jungkook prepared. 

“Really?” he seems to be taken aback with your compliment “Thanks. Glad that you like it.” 

“By the way, you remember you have a shoot with us tomorrow, right?” you change the topic to a more serious one. 

“I do. Will your crush slash manager be there too?” his eyes stay boring in the carbonara. You honestly don’t know why Jungkook is curious about Yoongi all of a sudden. 

“Probably. Why though?” 

“Will try not to piss him off while acting.” he shrugs. 

You scoff at that “he won’t be pissed. He doesn’t reciprocate, you know.” 

“Are you sad about that?” Jungkook’s tone is a tad bit softer now. 

“Not really. It’s not that I am in love with him or something. It’s a stupid crush, and will go away with time.” 

“Have you ever tried asking him out?” 

“Not really.” 

“Then, have you ever asked him to hook up with you?” 

You choke on your omelet. 

“What- the fuck” you cough “no! Why would I ask him something like that?” 

“Why won’t you though? Don’t you want to have sex with him? I mean you like him, it’s only natural.” Jungkook explains matter-of-factly. 

“No. it’s not natural for me. I need to be at least friends with a person to have sex. And I am not friends with Yoongi. We barely even talk out of work.” 

“Oh.” Jungkook thinks for a moment “So that guy friend of yours - what was his name again… Jimin? Is he your…” 

“Oh my god, Jungkook! No! I am not currently sleeping with anyone. I have not had sex for like eighteen months.”  It's your frustration which is speaking now. 

“What? Wait! What are you? A nun?” Jungkook’s eyes go wide at your admission. 

Embarrassment eats you away, like you were eating the carbonara a few minutes ago, “I- I mean. I am not that horny.” 

“Then… Do you want to sleep with me?” 

At first you think you misheard it. So you stare at Jungkook with big eyes. 

His expression is rather serious and you hate how it affects you. 

“What did you just say?” you finally let your voice be heard. 

“You heard me.” 

“Jungkook, please stop kidding. This is not funny.”

“I am serious.” he sighs. 

“Look. I can’t go around and sleep for fun since we have an act going on here. You, too, seem like you need to blow off some steam. And honestly, tell me where is your benefit from all these? It’s your company that’s ripping the fruit, not you.” 

Jungkook’s words register in your brain. He makes perfect sense. You have no benefits whatsoever from all these. 

“It’s just an offer, you can decline it if you want but… we can- we can have some fun like adults. No one has to know, nothing will get fucked up since we are not even close to begin with.” Jungkook reasons. 

He is right. You have nothing to lose if things go down and this won’t be the first time having casual sex with someone you know. There is absolutely no risk, no feelings on the line. 

Should you really consider the idea? 

The scenes from that grainy video start clouding your brain. 

A tiny voice in your mind says, “why not?” 

“Then… Do you want to sleep with me?”

“It’s just an offer, you can decline it if you want but… we can- we can have some fun like adults. No one has to know, nothing will get fucked up since we are not even close to begin with.”

Jungkook’s words go round and round in your head. Things have been like that for the better part of the time following your departure from his apartment.

You don’t even know why are you thinking so much, you should have just bad-mouthed him, tell him to fuck off and go fuck himself but something has kept you from doing so. 

He was suggesting something genuinely and there was a point in his proposition. And above every logical expression - it’s true that you are touch-starved. It’s been way too long with you and your dildo only. You need a living object inside of you now. 

Also, Jeon Jungkook is just so hot and he fucks well - that much you know from that unsolicited video. So yeah… you could probably accept his proposal. 

The only thing that is keeping you from doing so is your heart. You don’t know what will you be left off with after you are done fucking with for five to six months. Getting attached to people easily is one of your biggest weaknesses. 

And getting attached to your fuck-buddies, that too to someone like Jungkook, won’t be too glorifying of a thing to do. 

A hand comes and sits on your shoulder blade, scaring you off of your own skin. 

You almost hit the intruder with your laptop. 

“Calm down, it’s just me.” Yoongi comes to your view. 

“Fuck! You scared me!” you finally calm down, put your laptop on the table as it was before. 

“Well it’s not my fault. My shoes were pretty loud against the floor you know? You were too lost in your head that you didn’t even hear me coming. What’s up?” He comes to sit down beside you - way too close to you. 

In other times you would start blushing right away but for some reasons, you don’t. 

And honestly you don’t even want to find out the reasons. 

“Nothing. Just rechecking the schedule and all.” you murmur, forcing your attention on the laptop screen. 

Yoongi hums, “Your boyfriend will come in time, right? Hope he is not one of those snobbish celebrity types.” 

Your boyfriend … The mention stirs something inside your heart. 

“He tends to get late but he is not snobbish.” you defend Jungkook and your actions shocks even you. 

“Oooohhhhh” Yoongi makes an amused noise “love really changes people, huh?” 

You don’t reply to him- everything is fake anyway. 

“There is a rumor going around that you two were acquaintances before? But you told me a completely different story. May I know what’s actually going on?” 

You sigh. You knew this was coming. And you prepared your answer. 

“Well, what I told you was right. But his agency urged me to make up those stories for, you know, reasons. So yeah that’s it. And I will trust you with this secret.” narrowing your eyes on him for the last part of the sentence, you emphasize your point. 

“Okay okay.” he heaves a laugh out of his chest. 

“But why is Min Yoongi suddenly so interested in my love story?” you are genuinely curious about his curiosity. He never pays any mind to any office gossip but now that it’s your turn he seems to be interested in every little detail. 

“Maybe I have reasons you don’t know?” he shrugs. 

When his words register in your mind your eyes widen. 

“W-what reasons Yoongi?” you finally voice seeing him getting up from the chair and heading towards the exit. 

“That’s useless now. Maybe I will tell you sometime in future, maybe I will never let you know.” his voice trails and then morphes into air as he leaves the room. 

Something sits in your chest uncomfortably. Is he hinting at something you wanted all along? Was this fake dating a mistake? Did it cost you something real? 

A migraine forms just before the shoot. 

“Annyoenghaseyo.” Jungkook greets the entire crew sweetly as he stands at the entrance of the studio. There are two other men with you, who are holding big bags, probably full of snacks and drinks. 

“I have brought some snacks for everyone. Since the shoot is going to take long, I hope you all have something to munch on. Also, hope you forgive me each time I make a mistake.” he flashes his bunny smile as he bows and gestures to his men to distribute the snacks. 

You can hear the crew oohing ahhing for his sweetness. You only roll your eyes - only if they know how big of an asshole he is.   

“Darling.” He comes close to you and stands before you, measures your expressions before enveloping you in a hug. 

Another round of oohhs and aahhs echoes in the studio. 

You fake the hug too. 

But obviously your body had to act weird around him. Your nipples pebble as his chest comes in contact with yours. 

You silently thank the pads of your bra. 

“Do I get an answer today?” he murmurs in your ear. His hot breath grazes your earlobes, erupting goosebumps all over your body. 

You clear your throat before pulling yourself out of his embrace.  

“Let’s get into work.” 

One credit you will give Jeon Jungkook is that he knows how to work. He is professional - nothing like what you expect from typical influencers. 

He reads the scripts attentively, takes suggestions from the PD-nim and the director, gives his input and doesn’t do re-takes after retakes. 

He makes things go smooth and easy and the shoot leads towards a culmination within the five hour mark. 

You need to update Yoongi about the shoot’s progress - so you take out your phone but just then, Yoongi walks in with another human being attached to his side. 

It’s Im Semi, Yoongi’s rumored girlfriend, also the heir of the company you work for. 

For most of the time you don’t pay any mind to her existence - that’s simply something having nothing to do with your business. 

But at times like this when she is attached to the man’s side, you supposedly have a crush on, you can’t quite ignore. 

Yoongi marches towards you, with that damned smile on his face. You force back a smile. 

Your mind reels back to Yoongi’s confusing words earlier. You must have made a mistake in analyzing. What a fool you are. 

“How’s everything going?” he questions. 

“Very well. Jungkook is doing a great job. In fact we are done with the shoot, they are only reviewing the shots now. As soon as that’s done, we can’t pack up for the day.” you keep your tone professional. 

“That’s great.” Yoongi chimes in, “You can clock out after this. Good job, Y/N.” 

“Thanks. Are you clocking out too?” you ask, eyeing Semi, who is busy staring at her phone. 

“Nah. I got a meeting.” Yoongi informs, “Gotta go back to the building. I can drop you on the nearest subway, if you want.” 

Semi’s head springs up as he regards Yoongi for a moment and then looks at you with a fake forced smile. 

You know she doesn’t like the idea. 

“It’s o-”

“Don’t worry, I will drop her.” Jungkook appears from nowhere and cuts you off. 

For the first time ever, you are actually grateful to him. 

“Ah yeah. He will drop me.” you shrug. 

“Cool. Should we go now, yoongi?” Semi speaks breaking the thin layer of tension that settled on the air. 

“Yeah. I guess. Bye. See you tomorrow.” Yoongi leaves you and Jungkook behind. 

“You okay?” Jungkook enquiries, once Yoongi is out of earshot. 

“Yeah, Fine. Are you done? Let’s go.” 

“So… I have thought about your proposal and it.. Doesn’t sound too bad.” Your eyes are downward, because if you are honest, then you are extremely coy right now and you don’t want Jungkook to witness that. 

You mulled for the entire ride back home. You thought and thought about what to say, how to say it. 

Now that Jungkook is standing before your apartment entrance, you took a chance of making it short. 

“Fuck really?” Jungkook sounds so shocked as if he didn’t expect you to say yes, “didn’t think you would accept it for real. But I am glad that you did.” 

You finally risk a glance at him. He is smiling. Your heart flips. You hate it. 

“So ah..” your ears must be red by now “do you- do you wanna come in?” you place your invitation. 

Jungkook’s smile vanishes. His face takes up a much darker expression. You know what it is. 

“I’d love to.” His voice dips an octave lower than the usual tone. 

 Now you gotta pray that you don’t regret this decision of yours. 

read the full series right away on Patreon!! (Start from part 8)

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[iceadvento]

Thriving Through Change: Our Journey with Ozempic, Diabetes, and Daily Life

Almost six weeks ago, we made a decision—to start Ozempic as part of managing diabetes alongside a full rework of our daily habits. It wasn’t just a prescription; it was the start of an entire lifestyle shift. And honestly? It’s been messy, beautiful, and still evolving.

How We Started

We didn’t rush. We prepped��hard. Before the first injection, we restructured daily routines, anticipated side effects, and mapped out “safety nets” like blood sugar checks, food logs, and hydration alerts.

We were clear: this wasn’t going to be a passive journey. We would build our way through it—meal by meal, adjustment by adjustment.

What We’ve Worked On

• Diet Overhaul: We moved away from processed foods, heavy carbs, and bloating triggers.

No soda. No junk. Even “healthy” foods like yogurt became risks because of bloating, so we adapted—homemade everything, when possible.

• Macronutrient Control:

We made major adjustments to how we approach calories and macros, shifting the focus toward high-protein, high-fiber eating every single day.

It’s not about restriction—it’s about building every meal to support stability, energy, and recovery.

• Supplementation Adjustments:

We integrated key supplements like probiotics, vitamins, and hydration support to maintain balance and offset any potential deficiencies.

When signs of imbalance showed up—fatigue, queasiness, dizziness—we adapted fast and made it part of our routine.

• Food Logging:

Every meal, every snack—documented. Visible macros helped us spot patterns early.

If something caused bloating or dizziness? Logged and learned.

• Timing Awareness:

Timing became critical—especially when coordinating meals, medications, and supplements to avoid dips, spikes, and crashes.

It’s a rhythm now, not an accident.

• Water and Hydration:

We shifted drinking habits too—not chugging anymore. Sips across the day. Especially crucial with Ozempic’s appetite effects and blood sugar shifts.

What Works So Far

• Small, frequent meals if needed, never forcing heavy meals.

• Prioritizing protein and fiber first, even when appetite is low.

• Gentle foods on Ozempic days (soft tofu, collagen broth, mashed pumpkin) to avoid GI upset.

• Avoiding “healthy” traps like whole wheat bread when they backfire on digestion.

• Trusting body cues over strict schedules—some days lighter, some days heavier based on need.

What We’re Still Working On

• Preventing sugar crashes better (especially during long work sessions or skipped meals).

• Managing appetite slumps without risking nutritional deficits.

• Fine-tuning supplement timing to avoid overlaps with meds.

• Emotional eating during stress or exhaustion—recognizing when the body wants comfort, and providing it safely.

Other Changes

• We’re learning to be gentler with ourselves.

• Progress isn’t linear—and that’s okay.

• Self-monitoring is important, but so is grace when something doesn’t go perfectly.

• We’re seeing how Ozempic isn’t the solution—we are. It’s just one tool among many we’re learning to wield.

Closing Thoughts

Six weeks in, we’re stronger, smarter, and closer to ourselves than when we began.

We’re not just “coping”—we’re crafting a new way to live.

And the best part?

We’re just getting started.

[wozman23]

Early Thoughts on Linkin Park's From Zero

Linkin Park leaked, and this is the most interested I've been for an album since the disappointing M2M. If you’ve read my music posts, my love/hate relationship with LP is well documented. They used to be my undisputed favorite band. But their reign was fairly short lived, lasting just from the release of Hybrid Theory, through Meteora, and up until the day that M2M leaked. The high of discovering them on MTV one day and the low of hearing M2M after the promising live version of “QWERTY” created the deepest chasm. From then onward, I found myself more and more disappointed with their direction, finding only glimpses of glory from a few, select tracks. Many other bands flickered in and out of my favorite spot, many of which had elements that reminded me of LP (NIN, Stabbing Westward, STARSET, various post-rock groups...). Then Chester died, and I really didn't want to listen to LP at all.

Slowly, with the anniversary releases, and the unreleased content that came with them, I found a renewed interest, and I found myself enjoying their early work more again. And then we got the news that they were back. And the timing felt right.

"The Emptiness Machine" was a great first single. And "Heavy is the Crown," which I tuned into live when it debuted on YouTube, increased my hype level exponentially... But then the ballad-y "Over Each Other" brought me back down to earth, not doing much for me. As accepting as I was of Emily, with no Mike, it just felt like it could have been a Dead Sara song. So would there be enough Hybrid Theory with this release for me? Or would it ultimately disappoint?

I'll have to spend much more time with From Zero, but my early opinion after the first few listens is that it's a tale of two halves.

The first half, outside of the singles, feels pretty safe and underwhelming. There are some tracks that feel like they bank on sounds that favor nostalgia. "Cut the Bridge" feels like "Bleed it Out" version 2.0, relying heavily on the downbeats, but that's no necessarily a good thing for me. I've rarely gravitate toward a four-on-the-floor song or anything with such a simple backbeat. "Casualty" reminds me more of the experimental albums, feeling like it'd be more comfortable coming up in the garage of a punk band or the early industrial scene. And that's just not the sound I'm looking for from LP. I guess the one positive there is that its unrefined sound does kind of feel like something they could have put out in their early days, and this is supposed to be a fresh start for them, much like a reboot to the days of Xero. But overall, the nostalgia and feel of things up to this point falls mostly flat for me...

But then, things slowly begin to shift...

“Overflow” feels like a nice reboot of the album, like the beginning of Side B. It’s got a calming funk to it that feels fresh. Then, from its close, everything really picks up steam. It also marks the return of the 3+ minute tracks, which - aside from "Heavy is the Crown" - feels like the sweet spot for length.

"Two Faced" might just be the heavy track I was looking for to follow "Heavy is the Crown." It definitely feels like Hybrid Theory, or even Xero. It starts with a great guitar riff, and a vicious verse from Mike that feels like an instant classic reminiscent of something like “In the End.” Emily throws down a great chorus. And Joe adds in some stellar scratching in the bridge. I thought it might be my favorite, but from here the album just keeps building momentum. I'll put it in the Top 3 for now. At this point if feels like things are chugging along. Maybe that's just a sign of how good "Two Faced" is, or maybe things just shifted more in my favor. (Side note: The leak I’m listening to is a web rip and the audio quality felt like it took a hit starting with this track, but somehow that almost amplifies this song’s strength, giving it a raw, unrefined, gritty feeling.)

“Stained” follows a similar format, with a slightly mellower approach. Where "Two Faced" is a scream, "Stained” is a relaxing breath. Mike and Emily compliment each other well, and Emily’s combo of predominantly more clean vocals with some harshness peppered in sounds so good. Her melodies really lift this one up.

“IGYEIH” turns back towards the heavier side. It’s one of those tracks that I could easily see existing in the universe where Chester were still here. In a few instances with certain songs, even in Mike's solo work, I've felt as if I could almost still hear Chester in the mix, and I definitely feel him here. That's probably because it feels so much like Linkin Park. It sounds like Linkin Park. And it encompasses all the aggression and angst and energy that is Linkin Park. It feels comforting, yet evolutionary and modern.

Then the album closes with “Good Things Go,” my early favorite, another more mellow track, that pretty much instantly brought tears to my eyes. It’s so beautiful that I really don’t want to say anything about it. It transcends comparison and contrast. Closing the album with it was a brilliant choice. I can’t wait for it to reverberate its way through this world.

[secondsovereign]

@originsrebirth asked:

[SHARE A COFFEE] - When in Fontaine, it’s impossible to not see every other person walking around with a cup of coffee from the Café Lutece. With all this commotion, business is booming, and what better way to keep the energy up than with a nice, warm cup o’ joe.

early morning , preparing for another long day of differing festivities and the likes , so it might help to get in line for a coffee . . . they seemed to go pretty fast through customers , but it still felt like a lengthy wait , so just in case , she'd order a second one , since she was probably going to chug down her first one . once she got her order , she had headed out and began wandering a little , until her eyes laid on the back of a head . . . that couldn't be , right ? she approached slowly , it would be awkward to mistake a stranger , but it would be even worse if she didn't at least see . surely -- after so long , it wasn't , right ? " . . . Mister Yang ? "

->HIS DAY STARTS LIKE IT ALWAYS DOES, an early morning visit to Lutece and half an hour spent talking to the delightful owner as they waited for the first delivery of the Steambird. He'd reunited with cherished friends so abruptly in the past few days that the new habit had become a welcome tradition for the ageing Professor to carry out when the sun had only barely begun to hang in the skies. Even the melusines that strolled the city in those early hours had quickly become familiar faces, and always so helpful in directing him to a bench for which to peruse the paper.

He'd dismissed the flash of purple hair across the top of the paper at first, it was such a common colour that expecting it to be her had become a thought at the back of his mind, one he'd planned to look into after that faithful reunion with Kiana had alerted him to the young women's presence. He'd always had a soft spot for the trio, he'd admit, yet his brief time in St. Fountain had endeared the woman to him for looking after Joey while he was predisposed with his investigations. A brush of his hand across the table, searching for the cup that Arouet had been so understanding in allowing him to take to the town square under the condition of returning in one piece, fingers clasping the thin arm to bring it to worn lips only to find the fuel missing.

"A pity..." One he'd need to correct before long unless he wished to go through the day on the verge of exhaustion, his thoughts drift as eyes trace the paper before him, documenting all the well known visitors to the land amidst the tides, parts of him wondered if the woman had gone back to teaching after the mad machinations of Void Archive's schemes, reimmersed in a career that she'd taken to like a fish to water. The former teacher had been filled with pride when Theresa had told him of her plans to reclaim the normalcy of life that she'd long deserved, unable to contain the smile at the thought of the young woman following in the footsteps of Himeko.

The man is oblivious to the sound of heels clacking against smooth stone, lost in his thoughts until the voice is snapping him back from the endless recollection. If the soft-spoken words hadn't given her away, the tone of surprise definitely had, shaky hands dropping the newspaper unceremoniously as he tried, and failed, to contain himself from the tearful joy.

"Raiden Mei..." No, after Penacony, containing the wellspring of emotions was truly useless, a shadow of the man in his prime passes over him as he moves, knocking the spare coffee from her hands in his haste to wrap her in a hug not unlike the ones Bronya often extracted from him whenever she felt like it.

"Hah... And I'd promised myself I'd refrain from this should the moment arise."

[catgirltoofies]

in video games, movement is one of those things that's really very subtle, but also monumentally important to the game as a whole.

in general, the more the player can move, the more fun they'll have, and this is pretty well documented; compare the evolution of the soulslike, where early titles such as demon's souls and dark souls forced you to stand in place while you chugged estus, to recent titles like bloodborne and elden ring where you're generally able to move around a lot more. the distinction isn't necessarily a good-bad thing - some people may prefer the older style of slow, tactical decision-making for every action over the newer fast-paced action style, and that's okay, but the later games have been extremely successful with the faster, more mobility-focused style.

let's look at a second, more concrete example: monster hunter. through the first four main titles, monster hunter was largely contained to japan; it got released abroad, but months later, and it was mostly only popular to japanese players. with that said, it was quite popular in japan, with monster hunter 4 having sales within two days of release leagues ahead of any other game on the market, save for pokemon X and Y. but then, monster hunter world happened, and everything changed. largely, everything was the same; world's mechanics were pretty much standard monster hunter, but there are tweaks and polish across the board that make it feel like something fresh and new and, apparently, more palatable to audiences outside of japan. the first thing of particular note is that using items became much, much quicker, and didn't lock you into the animation until completion to get the full benefits. in the old monster hunter titles, eating a potion would consist of you sheathing your weapon, doing an eating animation with a cartoon glorp sound effect, and then doing a strongman pose. in monster hunter world, however, this was changed: you still need to sheathe your weapon, but now you pull out a flask and start drinking - importantly, you can walk around while drinking the potion, with the only detriment being that you're slightly slower than normal sheathed walking, and, even more critically, you don't even need to complete the animation! simply starting to drink heals about a third of the full value instantly, and the remainder fills up over the next few seconds as you drink. in one simple change, they changed potion drinking from "when do i have an opening to eat a potion" to "do i have a chance to drink this potion to top myself off"

the second major change in world was less a single change and more a broad rework of how weapons work. in classic monster hunter, weapons are extremely rigid - if you start attacking, you're basically locked in the direction you started unless you have a move that lets you slightly shift. every single attack has to be committed to - you need to know what the monster is doing, you need to react to that, and then you need to counter during the opening. you have no room for sneaking in other things, so you need to be very, very careful with your positioning. at the same time, however, the monsters tend to be just as rigid and "turn based" in their actions as the hunters are. in world, however, that was all changed - almost all weapons' combos are significantly more fluid, and there are far more options for repositioning and gap closing, meaning you have far more uptime on your actions, greater options for combo interweaving, and many new moves to fill all sorts of roles. the monsters, in turn, were changed to be more active, spending less time floundering and repositioning and far more time actively attacking. as a result, world is far more action focused, where the hunter's goal is generally to be in the place the monster isn't attacking before the attack comes, and reacting to very short tells, then striking from the blind spot. as a result of this faster-paced, action focused style, monster hunter suddenly exploded outside of japan, quickly skyrocketing it into a position of power in the world of gaming.

by the same token, however, just because a game is faster doesn't mean it's better. take, for instance, many indie horror games. it's something of a staple for the player character to walk at a slow to medium pace, slower than whatever monsters will chase you, while having access to a sprint button which makes you slightly faster, just enough to run faster than the monsters, but which also sometimes a (sometimes invisible) stamina meter. in this case, limiting your movement speed builds tension, causing panic as you run low on stamina searching for an escape or hiding place - it accentuates the genre, while also offering enough freedom that the game usually doesn't end up feeling too slow.

you might ask, then, what about other genres? should they be fast or slow? so here's a quick guideline for a bunch of genres:

racing games: fast

strategy games: slow

platformer: fast

fighting: fast

puzzle: slow

shooter: fast

stealth: slow

sports: fast

there are, of course, exceptions