#not just for it's disappointing plot but for it to get rid of so many things from botw

[gensnix]

never forget this is an actual line said in this game

I was just reminiscing on how hard this fandom was shilling for a complex Ganondorf for the wilds era, and this wasn't even confined to niche parts of the fandom. Every time there was a hint that Ganondorf might be involved in some way, the fandom went wild with speculation. It's like people these days, when defending TotK's poor handling of Ganondorf's writing, forget that a complex Ganondorf, or at least a Ganondorf that had a bit more character depth than a puddle on sidewalk, was something *everyone* wanted. Most people were not content with an "evil for the sake of being evil" Ganondorf.

When the first trailer and images of BotW dropped, a lot of people saw the cloth around Link's forearms and noticed the patterning there. Many thought it was similar to Gerudo patterning. Lo and behold people began speculating that Link may have a close relationship with the Gerudo, and perhaps with Ganondorf him. Cue all the theories and fanart and fanfic of Link and Ganondorf growing up together, being close friends, knowing each other, before Ganondorf's turn to darkness. Okay so as BotW's release approaches we learn about Calamity Ganon and then we see this mysterious old man. He seems pretty large in stature and is dark skinned. Cue the second wave of rumor mills that this may be Ganondorf. Perhaps a weary old washed up soul, or perhaps a manipulation tactic while his real form, the calamity, keeps Zelda trapped inside the castle. The tapestry with the red haired hero. This one causes a big wave of rumors that perhaps the past hero was a Gerudo, maybe an iteration of Ganondorf.

The first trailer for TotK drops, we see the murals, Ganondorf's corpse, what looks like a horrifying vision of how he ended up here. Rehydrated Ganondorf starts trending. People are wild with speculations of who he was. Many link him to the hero on the tapestry. Most speculation about Ganondorf now is what sort of horrendous thing happened to him that he would end up here, and less about how evil he must have been to end up here. The official "rehydrated Ganondorf" art drops. Everyone sees his design, how he seems more heroic in this art piece. Again, people are still speculating on how complex this Ganondorf might be, between what we have seen thus far. Many note he is not smirking in this art as he usually is, perhaps a hint that his character this time might be different. And we have reached TotK Ganondorf, with the most generic evil villain writing we have seen of him yet. Ganondorf is a big appeal of the LoZ games. He deserves more than just being hot.

[shigarakislittlepet]

Swallow Your Words

Part 1

Incel!Shigaraki. Quirkless/college seniors AU.

I’m doing this as a series not a one shot because in the process of writing it I got attached to the characters and the plot QnQ this will have a positive character arch for Shiggy. This first part ends on a bit of a climactic spot, but hang in there I’m already writing the next part that will have some spice ♡

tw: HEAVY misogyny; like upsettingly so; I read Reddit threads and instagram comments to get into the headspace of an incel for this; yes it did hurt my brain; that’s all for now I think. Future parts will have heavy smut.

———————————————————————————

Okay, so maybe going out on your third date this week with another brand new guy right after your shift at work wasn’t the brightest idea considering you still had abnormal psych homework to finish. You blearily trudged into your campus library, thankfully open 24 hours, and shuffled into the computer lab. Taking out your textbook, you set to work on the writing assignment due in approximately 6 hours. You got this.

As you were furiously typing up your mock evaluation of patient number 3, you heard someone cough. It made you jump, it was nearly 11pm and you could’ve sworn you were in here alone. You looked around the room as calmly as you could and spotted him sitting two rows of computers down, you were facing each other so he caught you looking. Damn it, not him.

Tomura Shigaraki, AKA rich asshole misogynist lives off daddy’s money motherfucker. He caught sight of your decidedly slutty outfit (a tank top push up bra miniskirt combo that never failed to get your dinner covered and a super oversized zip up hoody) and unmistakably doneforadate hair and makeup when you’d walked in, paying him no mind.

-What a bitch, he thought. She probably came here straight from getting fucked over some loser’s coffee table and was so disappointed at how shit he was that she decided maybe she didn’t wanna flunk out senior year and came here to finish her homework.- He rolled his eyes.

He’d had a crush on you since he first saw you freshman year. And he hated himself for it. Just like he hated how soft your hair looked, or how good you smelled sitting at the desk in front of him, or how your eyes sparkled when you laughed at something your friends said. He hated it all. Women were good for nothing cheaters and gold-digging sluts, just like his first stepmother. And the second. And the last. And the current. He’d watched these women sneak around his father after he’d given them everything and it was never enough for them. His father, ever pragmatic, would just get rid of them and find a new one when he finally caught them. Watching this happen over and over again taught him two things. 1) Women are worthless and 2) Women are replaceable. But not you. It didn’t matter how many girls Touya set him up with, he couldn’t get you out of his head. It pissed him off. He should be able to just fuck any bitch and get it out of his system. But he couldn’t. It was torture. And it made him hate you more.

You rolled your eyes, breaking eye contact and he chuckled. You tried your hardest to ignore him, fuck that guy. You could practically hear his internal obnoxious comments from here. He had been in at least one of your classes every semester since freshman year of college. He totally wasn’t stalking you. You had the same major, Forensic Psychology, so you told yourself it made sense you’d be taking similar classes. He’d managed to piss you off for the last four years almost every single day. He and his friend Touya, another trust fund kid that shared your major, would often make crude remarks back and forth to each other during class. Because their fathers donate so much money to the college, the professors can’t say anything without fear of retaliation. You could though, and often did when you couldn’t stand ignoring them any longer. Usually embarrassing them into shutting the fuck up for the day. The blissful peace never lasted long however.

“You get all dressed up like that just for me? I’m touched, but I think I’ll pass. I don’t know where you’ve been.” He sneered, finally deciding to break the silence. You raised an eyebrow at him and took in his relaxed posture. Leaning back in his chair, arms crossed behind his head, shit eating grin splitting his infuriatingly pretty face. You scoffed at him, eyebrow still raised, and went back to doing your homework. “What, no snotty retort? I’m almost offended. Cat got your tongue? Or is that tongue too tired from what it got up to tonight?” He mimed sucking a dick and you sighed deeply. “Oh please, as if I’d get this dressed up just to impress you. All it would take is a T-shirt and jeans anyway, since we both know the last woman you saw in a mini skirt only talked to you cause you paid her.” You snarked back.

He visibly tensed. “I don’t pay whores to spend time with me, so if you’re searching for a summer job keep looking.” You actually laughed. Out loud. “You silly little rich boy, no amount of money is worth stooping low enough to fuck an incel like you.”

Your laugh caught him off guard. It was long and loud and almost musical. It pissed him off. So did everything about you. You were too good at reading people, at reading him. He wanted to listen to you laugh more. Almost as much as he wanted to fuck that stupid beautiful grin off your face. Instead, he just huffed and deflated slightly. “What makes you think I’m an incel? Is it cause I don’t go on 10 dates a week? Not all of us are that desperate, honey.” He threw back at you. Without even looking up, you shot back, “It was only 3, fyi, and don’t call me that. Also, no it’s not that. It’s everything about you. You have never, in 4 years of being unfortunately aware of your existence, ever shown that you hold even a modicum of respect for women. Any woman. And you and your jerk bff do nothing in class but talk over and make sexual comments about the girls sitting around you while making assumptions about their personal lives. God forbid we have a female professor! You dont go on dates because every woman in a 10 mile radius of you knows what a disgusting shitbag you are. You make it exceptionally clear that you don’t want us around other than to occasionally stoke your micro dick while you get off to cartoon porn. Now shut the fuck up and let me finish my homework.” You glanced at the clock, 11:30. Ugh, tomorrow is going to suck.

He seethed. No one spoke to him like that ever. It pissed him off that some dumb slut like you thought you could get away with it. He was going to get even. He was going to find a way to make you his. He was going to be the one to bend you over his coffee table. And his desk. And his car. And anything else he felt like bending you over. He would get you to submit to him. And he would make it painful and humiliating for you, just to prove a point. Let’s see you call him an incel shitbag after that.

He contemplated how he was going to do this for a few minutes. He decided he would start by just playing it cool. Sighing long and loud, he started, “Hey, are you working on the Abnormal or the Physio homework?” He asked, putting effort into making himself sound exasperated. -There is no way this is going to work, he thought.- You raised your brow again, “Abnormal, already did the physio. Why?” You were immediately skeptical. “I missed class yesterday, and this really sucks but I’m stuck on this bullshit.” He wasn’t. “You think you might deign to help me? And let me copy your notes?” He looked at you almost… hopefully. What the fuck? “Uh, are you sure you’d want such a ‘dumb worthless bitch’ to help you with your homework? I’d hate to drop your IQ by breathing the same air as you.” You said flatly, throwing some of his more common insults back in his face. “Oh come on, we both know your GPA is like a 4.2-” “4.5.” You corrected. He sighed in irritation. “Look, will you please just come over here and help me? I’ll even call it tutoring, I’ll pay you.” You regarded him skeptically. Damn it, if you didn’t really really need the cash. “Hmm. Okay, fine. I’ll help you. But only if you promise to leave me alone in class from now on. Stop snapping my bra straps and making gross comments about me to Touya, I mean it. And it’s gonna be 100$ bucks to help you with two classes at midnight the night before the homework is due.”

-Pocket change, he thought.-

-Easy money, you thought.-

That was… shockingly easy. He hadn’t expected you to actually agree to help him. Or to gather your things and gracefully float over to the chair and computer next to his. You pulled up her homework again, continuing to work on it. “So, what did you need help…with…” you trailed off as you looked to his computer to see what he was stuck on. He was watching cartoon porn. On a school computer. He quickly clicked out of it and his homework came into view. Well, you thought, at least he was actually doing his homework. At some point. You gazed at him from the corner of her eye. He really is an incel. He grinned at you almost evilly. Although man, ok, getting caught watching porn on a school computer totally does nothing to refute your incel accusation. But it did make you flush satisfyingly. You held out your hand expectantly. He rolled his eyes and pulled out his wallet, handing you a crisp 100$ bill. You gawked at it, “It’s a wonder no one has ever mugged you I swear.” You said, shaking your head. The motion caused your hair to swish prettily, he could smell your shampoo. He pulled his backpack into his lap.

You spent the petter part of the next hour doing your homework together, you “helping” him as you went. He was surprised you actually knew what you were talking about. He was surprised you could retain any information in that wind tunnel you called a skull, even knowing your GPA was as high as it was. You were actually…smart? You didn’t look smart, you looked like every other college whore with dyed hair and winged eyeliner. It made him angrier, for some reason. It made him want to crush you beneath him even more. You on the other hand were surprised that he was able to hold a conversation with you for this long without insulting you. You actually just laughed at one of his jokes. “You know, you’re actually fun to talk to when you’re not constantly putting me down.” You said, smile wide and eyes all sparkly again. Ugh. He hated how it made his stomach flip. “Am I?” He attempted a smile back. “Mhmm. You’re even a little bit funny. JUST a little bit.” You joked back while typing up the last bit of your assignment.

Funny? She thinks I’m funny? And.. ‘fun’ to talk to? Girls didn’t usually think so, even when he wasn’t insulting them. They usually couldn’t get past his face. He had eczema, and even though his father’s very expensive doctors worked hard to keep it under control so it wasn’t angry red and weeping anymore, his skin WAS chronically dry. Even his face and neck, though it was worst around his eyes. The skin there looked stretched and almost flaky, though it wasn’t NEARLY as bad as it had been when he was a child. He had a scar over one of his eyes that started above his eyebrow and fell just above his cheekbone and another scar on his mouth from when he was a kid and couldn’t stop scratching at his face. He looked… deranged maybe? Not pretty. Certainly not pretty, you told yourself over and over while sitting there talking with him like it was a normal thing you did. Certainly not pretty, with his pale shaggy hair and his big eyes that looked almost like shiny rubies this close up and the little beauty mark on his chin. Even his scar made him look… you didn’t know, edgy? Beautiful, a sick twisted part of your mind offered. Oh god no. PLEASE no.

You started packing up your things and getting ready to go. “Well, this wasn’t the worst end to a night I’ve ever had. Thanks for keeping me company, I’ll see you in class in… god, 4 hours?” You smiled at him, getting up from your chair. It was nearly 2:30 in the morning. He laughed a bit, “Ah, yeah. Thank you for helping me finish.” Even HE cringed a bit and that double entendre. “But uh, hey, you live off campus right? Just come crash on my couch, I’ll take you to class after we both get a power nap. That way you don’t have to wake up even earlier just to come back.” He casually suggested way more confidently than he felt. (Now listen, if you’ve never pulled an all nighter right before a 6am class, you might think this is insane. But this… this was like the dove and the olive branch.)

-Thank god, you thought. And he’s really not so bad honestly, maybe you just had to get to know him. Famous last words. -

You practically beamed up at him, now standing at his full height, “That would be so nice actually, thank you!” You paused. “As long as you don’t try to do anything to me in my sleep.” You narrowed your eyes at him. He laughed.

You got to his dorm and your jaw dropped. It wasn’t a dorm. It was a dedicated on campus villa for his family to use when visiting or attending classes. His whole family were alumni of this college it seemed. Apparently Touya’s family had one too, right next door, which is how they’d met as freshman. It was… adorable. Landscaping clearly took care of the outside, the grass was immaculate and the garden in front was lousy with flowers and shrubbery and meticulously kept ivy that climbed latticework around the windows. Above the door was a gold plaque, “In honor of family Shigaraki for their generous donations throughout the history of this campus.” The Shigaraki was the largest thing in the plaque, written in elegant swirling cursive.

“It’s beautiful.”, you said in awe. You’d never imagined a person like him would live in a place that looked like this. How is he so miserable? You wondered. He has money and a beautiful house and his college is payed for in full. He’ll never have to worry about student loan debt or whether he’ll eat or not or his parents medical bills or his siblings needing new clothes and shoes for school. He’ll never have to go on dates just to eat because his whole paycheck goes to his family to make sure they survive until he’s making enough money to support all of them. You just… couldn’t understand. It seemed like he had everything.

He seemed surprised by your compliment of the place. “Oh, thanks. Yeah it’s pretty old now, but the school keeps it in great condition. The past four generations of Shigarakis have lived in this place. I didn’t think much of it at first, just a place to pass out and do homework. But a year ago I went into the attic and found an old picture album my grandmother made while she went here. It made it feel… more important.” He rambled on while he fumbled with the keys in the lock, not sure why he was telling you this. “Ahg, this damn thing always sticks.” He finally unlocked it and ushered you inside.

[johanna-swann]

Okay, so this is going to sound very conspiracy theory like, but here's what I think happened (in regards to Bobby's death, Tommy being back, Eddie still not being back and a general outlook on season 9).

I think Tim Minear came back to the show, they moved to a different network, they churned out half a season somehow between multiple strikes and other adjustments. They put a lot of money into the opening disaster which worked and got fans excited. They peppered in soap opera style plot points throughout the rest of the season (wedding episode, Buck coming out, Doppelgänger plot, reintroducing Bobby's background, new Henren kid) because the fans care about the characters and what happens to them. There was barely any procedural in this drama throughout most of season 7, it was 90% the characters' personal drama they showed.

But people were willing to overlook this because at least all the characters had stuff going on and there were extenuating circumstances. Then season 8a rolled around. Once again they went big on the opening disaster, after that though?

Most of the plots introduced in season 7 were dropped immediately. Bobby was suicidal at the end of last season, he's fine in 8x01 though. The conflict between Eddie and Christopher is mentioned here and there, but we don't see Eddie working on his issues. Ortiz is defeated and written out of the show in the very first episode after the opening disaster. Athena gets her thriller plot in the opening disaster and then gets sidelined for the next idk how many episodes. Maddie and Chimney are barely main characters at all, they mostly just exist in the background. The only relevant plot they kept going was Bucktommy, but even they only got insubstantial comedy side plots until they were suddenly broken up. The mid-season finale was a huge let-down and there was barely anything interesting going on in the show anymore.

Here's where the conspiracy part begins: Without the distraction of at least one engaging plot to follow and the lack of new episodes coming in viewers started to notice that the show was treading water. Then the feedback started to trickle in and it wasn't good. I think that's when they decided that they really had to do something that would shake things up and change things permanently. They had already filmed the serial killer two parter though, so they only made small changes / additions (Buddie goodbye scene) and started to really write stories with a lasting impact again post 8x10.

Call me crazy, but I think they really didn't plan to bring Tommy back, not so soon and not as Buck's love interest. That's not what the interviews sounded like back in November. But then, only a few episodes after the break-up suddenly Tommy was back, they showed how both Buck and Tommy still have feelings for each other and literally made Buck say the words "I am not in love with Eddie". There will be no more "will they won't they" "queerbaity-ish" plots between Buck and Eddie, that conversation is over. They gave a nod to the fandom by bringing it up like "yeah, we see you" and at the same time let them down gently by saying "we're going another direction though". That is a very permanent decision for a show that doesn't like change. The way they keep bringing Tommy back, even when he's only mentioned, could very well also mean he's here to stay which means giving Buck, the resident perpetual bachelor, a permanent love interest. Another huge change.

The second thing they did was remove Eddie from the equation. Not completely, not permanently, not yet. But let me just throw the idea out there: What if this was a test run? A "let's not get rid of him just yet, let's see if we can manage without him first". So they sent Eddie to Texas. Finally did something with that plot, even if it was severely disappointing and made no sense. (The problem was that Eddie had issues he didn't work on and in the process hurt his kid and broke his trust. Then we see them in Texas, but suddenly Eddie's mom is the actual problem while Christopher is super chill around Eddie? When the last time we saw them speak to each other Christopher barely wanted to talk to Eddie? Make it make sense.) Anyway, Eddie still got his screen time, but they kept him firmly separated from the 118. Buck was on the phone with Eddie a few times, mostly so Eddie would have a scene partner who he could talk to openly, nobody else even mentioned Eddie. Bobby accidentally called Ravi "Eddie" twice, but I think that was more about Ravi feeling like maybe he doesn't belong rather than Bobby actually missing Eddie. So yeah, maybe this was a trial run to see if they can do season 9 without Eddie and so far I have to admit, I don't really miss him? I'm sure they could've worked him into the recent two parter, but they definitely didn't need him.

Third they brought back Ravi and this time everyone is happy to have him there. Buck tries to actually be his friend this time around, gets to be a mentor figure for him and Ravi has his small "maybe I'm not cut out for this" to "I'll commit domestic terrorism if that's what it takes" arc. 8x14 really cemented that Ravi is a part of the team and he chooses to be a part of this team. He's a pall bearer in Bobby's funeral for god's sake, he belongs to the 118 - a 118 that needs new members because they're losing at least one this season. So. Ravi main season 9?

Big change number 4 - Bobby's death. A main character death is a big, big stunt. If they decide they don't like Tommy for Buck after all, they can change their minds later. If they decide they want Eddie back, they can leave options open to bring him back later. Bobby's death? They can't walk that one back. Bobby and Buck are probably the most central characters for the firefam (Bobby as the patriarch and Buck as the link between all sides of the family) and Peter Krause is no small name on tv. This is not a move they would've pulled if they weren't committed to making drastic changes to a show that previously had come to a bit of a standstill. They want to change the very foundation of this show. If they're willing to kill off one of the main characters among main characters, what else are they willing to change? Some of the above? All of it?

The final piece is still very vague, but they also said they wanted to keep Athena connected to the 118 in a tangible way. People have suggested that May might become a firefighter, but tbh I don't think it would fit. She already was a part of the first responder network for an entire year and then decided to go to uni anyway. Athena went to uni and then decided to become a cop instead, May did it the other way around. Why would they change that again now? I think it's more likely that a) Harry graduates and applies to the academy or that b) they'll make May and Ravi a couple. The latter could also make sense if they're trying to keep the same amount and kinds of couples around. If Buck and Tommy really get back together and become a permanent fixture in the 911 universe, May and Ravi could be the new "will they won't they" couple who keep running into stupid hurdles because they're not sure what they're doing while Bucktommy slowly settle down.

Conclusion: Big changes are on the horizon for 911, they already vaguely teased that there may be cast changes other than just Peter Krause being gone for season 9. I think they decided that some major changes needed to happen during the winter hiatus and then talked about a few possibilities, tried some of them and are now ready to finalise those decisions. Maybe one of the reasons that filming is coming along so slowly is that they weren't sure yet which route to go, had to re-shoot scenes or filmed several versions to choose from. (There are soooo many stills that never showed up in an episode.) Idk, but what I do know is that there are a lot of possibilities for permanent change to choose from and they seem committed to actually go through with those changes this time.

[idk-maybe-i-did-it]

what happened earlier?

not quite the beginning, but close enough. when a bad mission leads to a bad moment, who will be there for her in the aftermath?

warnings: blood mentioned (a lot), violence/vague fighting, nightmares, glass, lil swearing, panic attacks, I think that’s it?

roughly 2.2k

A/N: I think I’m making a lil series about these two, this one is not the best and is more background/plot than angst but I really like how it builds onto them

someone asked to be tagged???? omg???????

@doilooklikeagiveafrack

─────────

She remembers the day it all started like it was yesterday. She wishes she could forget.

—

There was blood everywhere. Splattered. Exploded. Dropped. Splashed. Staining. Tainting. Draining from their bodies.

She didn’t know what to do.

how to feel.

how it even happened.

Her hands are shaking and she hardly recognizes them, the blood splattering her gloves making her nauseous. The air in her lungs is too heavy, her chest too tight, the gravel too harsh, the silence too deafening—

“We’re surrounded, fall back!”

“Steve we’re in too deep, we can’t!” A panicked, feminine voice.

“Clint’s hit!” A baritone rings out in her ear.

They’re outnumbered, beat, and the men just keep coming. So many soldiers. So many guns.

A tightness settles in her chest and her mind goes hazy. Everything hurts. She’s so new, barely knows these people. They saved her from the compound and now here she is, three missions in and she’s not doing jack shit.

“Bucky, get down!”

It’s the explosion that does her in. The former Winter Soldier holds Cap’s shield over a charred bit of rock. It’s not the grenade that goes off. Not the explosion of rock and the implosion of air.

It’s the explosion of her.

Horror fills every bone in her body, weighing her down like lead, and she just drops.

The ground doesn’t hurt as much as she expected. Nothing really hurts anymore. She can’t feel the puncture in her side, the gash on her arm, no, she can’t feel anything.

She can’t feel anything.

Sixteen years of training and missions and she still can’t remember immediately. She still can’t feel the floor beneath her skin. Massacring enemies and innocents still comes so easily, why does it always have to come so easy?

Eyes so numb and devoid in the pool beneath her, tears dripping steadily down her cheeks, a gash across her neck— and no sign of her.

Why couldn’t they just make her a mindless drone, something that wouldn’t feel when it happened? Why didn’t they drop her when she failed her first two missions? Why didn’t they just—

Dark boots appear in her line of vision, jolting her eyes from the pool of blood below her, and she frantically meets The Winter Soldier’s gaze as he squats in front of her.

“Breathe.” He commands it gently, his face unyielding.

She tries, she really tries, but every time she sucks the air in it doesn’t stay. Every time she pushes a hand to her chest to make her lungs work they just don’t.

She can’t breathe. She can’t breathe. she can’t breathe—

“Look at me.” He orders sharply, his metal hand reaching to squeeze her shoulder. She does.

She meets his eyes again, really meets them, and feels her chest squeeze horribly one last time before letting the valves all open.

It’s that look in his eyes, the look that says ‘I know, I know’.

The look that says ‘you’ll never truly be able to get rid of the past, it’s just something you live with’.

She searches his face for something else, anything else, and finds acceptance.

The air comes back.

—

Fear and disappointment, but mostly fear.

She doesn’t understand why she’s here, why she isn’t being chained and locked up right now.

“What was that back there?” Stark’s voice is quiet, tense. His eyes are brimming with anger and lined with fear.

Rogers’s body language is subdued, more guarded, but the distrust is obvious in his eyes.

They never guard their eyes. Nobody does.

Barnes is the only one not looking at her with fear. He’s got this curious expression on his face. Curious and pained, like he’s remembering something he wishes he could forget.

“I didn’t mean to,” she bites out, quiet and defensive. She really didn’t, it just happened.

She never meant for any of it to happen, not the blood, not the deaths, not the arguments and tense silence that ensued.

Stark is quiet for only a moment, but it’s obvious he’s not shocked.

“You didn’t mean to?”

Derision, distaste, distrust, anger, and a tendril of fear drips from his words. His tone, his body, his entire being. It’s as if he wants her to crawl in the Earth and die.

Trying not to squirm is the easy part, it’s meeting his gaze that hurts. All she sees is anger and this look that says ‘I knew you were dangerous, but a monster?’

She was hoping they wouldn’t look at her like that for a while.

One, two, three; in.

Four, five, six; out.

“I didn’t mean to.” She repeats, meeting his eye with a look of remorse.

—

Barnes is the one to bring her food that night in her cage. Her room, where she’s locked herself inside to preserve what tentative bond she has left with the group.

“I don’t blame you.” He says as he passes her a paper bag and a bottle of water. His voice is deep and rough, though she can tell he’s trying to be gentle as he speaks.

Her heart beats fast within her chest and she’s so scared that maybe he can hear it, that maybe he knows how much his words have done to her. He doesn’t blame her? Everyone blames her.

When she looks up and meets his eye, the air coming quick from her lungs stops.

Steel blue, deep and drowning. Calming. Eyes that are haunted, eyes with demons dancing in them, eyes swimming with remorse. It takes a feat for her to look away.

“Thanks.” She says quietly, taking the bag and bottle from his hands as she looks down.

“Anytime.” His voice is warm, earnest, and she knows he means it.

—

Voices, low and husky in the worst way. The harsh ring of her tactical gear hitting the floor. The halls blur as she runs down them.

She’s being followed, someone’s right behind her, turning her last corner, running, running, running—

Sliding through slick pools, slipping in wet spots, the sting as her wounds hit the floor—

A cage— A chair— A bed—

Orders.

Demands.

Questions.

—

Cuffs.

Cold.

Cold.

Cold.

—

Hot.

get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out get out getoutgetoutgetout GET THE HELL OUT.

She scrambles blindly from her bindings, throwing fabric from her body and stumbling from the bed. It’s dark in here, so dark, and she needs the light.

Tripping over objects as she goes, hissing quietly when she smacks into things, begging and pleading when the doors won’t open—

Air, sweet air. She hardly notices as she glass she shattered stabs into her skin. One step out and—

A body, strong and heavy tackling her to the floor.

Blood trickles down her arm and her shin, a gash on her neck, and the air’s stolen from her lungs again.

A body— get off get off get off—

“Stop fighting me, dammit—“ A panicked, rough voice breaks out.

She needs to get out, get out, get out—

A metal and warm arm holds her in a vice, yanking her down to the floor. The sharp contrast between the two startles her, has her kicking and smashing her head back against his face.

And then a metal hand is on her jaw, holding her still. And her head is tucked under his chin, her nose just above his thumb. And she can see the shine of his wrist in the moonlight.

Panic returns quick as she realizes she’s being held by Bucky damn Barnes, pressed against a balcony railing.

//

He was meters from her when it happened. He had just shielded them from the grenade and, then, she flipped. Her eyes said everything and nothing all at once, stole the air from his lungs and put new meaning to his breathing.

He saw the switch, witnessed the moment she went from panicked to calm. It felt like a ticking bomb in his head. It sent him back in time, back to when he had that exact look on his face. Back to HYDRA.

It was all he could do to help her up when it was done, when all the bodies were on the ground and Steve had pulled everyone else back. He saw the desperate look in her eye, saw the pain in her movements, in the way she locked herself out of it all.

If he hadn’t grabbed her arm, he’s not entirely sure she would have gotten up.

—

He’s been watching her all day, not in a creepy way, just been keeping an eye on her. Noticing things he hadn’t before. Things he shouldn’t have looked over.

He’s a trained ex assassin, he should have seen some of the signs.

It causes him extreme discomfort to watch Tony berate her, question her, accuse her with his eyes. It reminds him so much of when he came here, almost two years ago.

Watching Tony interrogate her makes a fire burn beneath his skin, an itch he can’t scratch. It makes him feel so angry, makes him lose control so easily from just remembering the past by seeing her in the present.

The girls fierce, he’ll give her that. He respects her for the steel beneath her skin, the bite in her words, the defense in her tone, and the look of absolute regret in her eyes.

He respects her for staying in her room later, for refusing to come out. With what he saw through the blood on her face, he doesn’t blame her for hiding. The woman deserved the peace of mind that came from it for Christ’s sake.

Bucky doesn’t understand why he’s so worked up, though the memories slapping him in the face every time he thinks about how she slipped to her knees, how she seemed to break, how she—

He doesn’t need to think about her this much.

But he does bring her dinner, it’s takeout he made Steve order.

(he asked steve, politely, if he would order him something on DoorDash because he couldn’t figure it out himself, he just happened to give it to her instead)

Her dinner was in a sealed bag, he’s seen how the drivers gave them taped up food, and he brought her an unopened bottle of water too. Used to, when he first found Steve again, he wouldn’t eat anything unless it was cooked in front of him or wrapped and sealed.

Maybe it was the years of poisoned food, he doesn’t really want to think about it, that made his body lock down and his mouth go clammy. Maybe it was something else. But if anything about her was like how he used to be, he was going to be safe.

—

He couldn’t sleep on the bed but on certain nights, the ones where he was so exhausted he’d just pass right out.

It wasn’t one of those nights.

His mind was active, alight with thoughts and memories and emotions, all swirling around in his head like a raging storm.

If they weren’t wall neighbors he probably wouldn’t have heard it, if they hadn’t put her room specifically by his in case of emergencies, he wouldn’t have known.

The ripping of bedsheets, a body hitting the floor, objects being walked into, the balcony doors being slammed— he’s in her room and tackling her before she can go over the damn ledge.

When she kicks him off, he yanks her back. When she scratches, he subdues. When she goes for the balcony again, he wraps his arms around her like a straight jacket.

When her head slams back against his face and has him seeing stars, and not the ones in the sky, he grabs her jaw and holds her still. He’s rough, but efficient. And it works.

This woman, god, she’ll be the death of him one day.

—

The glass was easy enough to pick up, they both worked on it and sat it all in a box by the broken doors. The tea was easy to fix, the woman had a setup in her room that looked like it came right from his time.

They’re both on the floor, balcony railing against their backs, and it’s almost peaceful. It’s almost as if they can pretend they aren’t two beautiful people with terrible pasts.

He’s glances over at her, the red rimming her eyes, the scattered bandages covering her. A lump forms in his throat and he shoves it down, along with any other thoughts of her, when he clears his throat. Voice firm, he doesn’t give anything away when he speaks. “I read your file.”

“I didn’t have to read yours.” Her voice comes out quiet, cool.

A crack in his composure, shooting down low from her words. His hands, squeezing just a bit tighter on his mug.

“What happened earlier?”

//

“What happened earlier?” His voice comes out quiet, curious, and only a little concerned.

A warm cup of tea in her hands, a blanket around her shoulders, and a few bandages on her body. But she’s fine, everything is fine now after he stopped her from diving off the side of the tower.

A long drag of chai. A tense moment passing as she calms her senses.

“She doesn’t like crowds,” she begins quietly.

That was the start of their dance.

[nqmonarch]

Genuinely wanna hear more regarding the No Wish SAHSRAU (Is that how it's spelled?) especially with all the new events that's happened.

Including the Dr Ratio that slid into our DMs.

First, apologies for the wait I took a while doing this request and then also decided not to post anything during the Palestine strike period because free Palestine.

And man, I don't know how it's spelled. I'd assume that's right it's so long though. Also YES Dr. Ratio sliding into our DMs except bro waltzes in and calls us an idiot ;-;

But first! Let's catch up with some of the current crew who is currently in Penacony!

Warning Penacony Spoilers

For the Trailblazer Penacony's been rough... Shortly after the death of their new closest friend, they'd been coerced into talking with Aventurine, and now had to make a decision without consulting any of the Astral Express beforehand. Sure, they were a seasoned adventurer with two missions under their belt but they still have no idea about their past or if they could trust such sketchy people.

"Aventurine, that little rat..." Their ears perked up when they suddenly heard the voice of this presumed Aeon. "I want to knock my fist against his forehead and see if there's a brain in there." The Trailblazer wouldn't try that.

But if you were acting like this maybe Aventurine and Black Swan could be trusted. The Trailblazer forced themselves to relax and tried to show confidence in their eyes. They could do this. It was good you were still by their side in the dreamscape, otherwise... what would they do?

Herta has found it's more difficult to communicate with you than the Aeons. While the Aeons simply didn't want to communicate it was as if there was some sort of wall separating her from you. It was beyond fascinating but it irked her, she wanted to get into contact with you right away. Then, as she was working to implement a simulated version of you into the simulated universe as an Aeon she had a revelation. What if... this was all a game?

Natasha had done it. Recently the eyes glanced off her more often, something she couldn't help but feel disappointed at. But upon one instance when they glanced upon her, she'd taken their warmth in full, and decided to set out. It seemed when these eyes were on her, she improved in nearly every aspect, so maybe her luck would improve as well? Even though it had been a dead end many times before she investigated Vache's worn down laboratory covered by snow searching for research. Except this time, she found something. This Aeon... was strangely benevolent and caring towards mortals.

That's all the updates we have for now on the current characters, in terms of progress. Herta is one smart cookie but who else is one smart cookie? Dr. Ratio!!! That man I love him so much. Sampo is also a potential worrying addition.

Given in the current event you can get either Sampo, Guinaifen, Asta, or Yukong for free, so let's see how they react.

Dr. Ratio

...This was interesting. The plot unfurling behind the scenes of Penacony was to be expected, Aventurine was being a pain in his ass also to be expected, but an Aeon looking at him? A smart Aeon. One who also must hope to purge the world of ignorance! A noble pursuit. Or perhaps, they'd realized their own ignorance and sought to rectify it some of the Aeons were rather lackluster in this manner after all. But they'd likely never change in their ways.

And you're no longer looking at him, that's fine. Is it a bit more chilly in here or is it just him? An interesting side effect of your gaze then, the feeling of warmth. He wondered why that happened, the look of Nanook was dangerous and suffocating, near fatal for any mortal. That of Yaoshi's was said to be sickeningly sweet and suffocating as well. Nous' was cold and calculating, judging your every asset and whether or not you had potential. Everyone had potential, they just had to choose to rid themselves of their ignorance. If the gaze wasn't suffocating maybe... you were a weak Aeon? One that had just formed or had been thought to have died.

Interesting. Aeons, the topic no scholar knew completely about. Herta was researching deeply into them, Dr. Ratio supposed he could always ask her yet he didn't want to feed into her ego. There were other ways to get the information though.

Guinaifen

"Hello, hello! Can you all hear me? Good morning fam! And welcome to Little Gui's stream!"

It was then when Guinaifen suddenly felt warmth wash over her. Oh, maybe it was because this stream was her first normal one after all the ghost catching business but she found herself getting flustered...? Flattered...? She wasn't sure exactly how to describe it yet she felt even more energetic than usual! As if she could go on for hours! When she ended her stream, the warmth was still there and she still felt as if she was being watched.

Wait-- wasn't this how people said they felt when they were being watched by an Aeon? Something similar to this right?! If even an Aeon was watching her, she was definitely going to be famous! When Guinaifen went to tell Sushang about this news, she found Sushang had run into the same thing! Weren't the two of them an impressive pair? :)

E1 Asta

Research had been going smoothly, partly thanks to the eyes always observing Asta. With them came the warmth that brought confidence and innovation she felt she wouldn't feel otherwise. But, she could feel the warmth all the time now. She doubted an Aeon would be able to watch her all of the time so had she been blessed? That was good, she was able to focus on all the stars and her research more now and learn more in less time!

But... why did she feel so forlorn? As if she had been deserted? Had you just blessed her and moved on your way? Herta... Herta knew a lot about Aeons maybe she would know something about what had happened to her, maybe she would know if you're still around.

E1 Yukong

Even after it all Yukong wished to return to the skies. Despite failing her comrades, despite all those around her who she'd cared for yet failed to stop their death, despite the burning wreckage she'd had to painstakingly crawl out of. Yukong wished to fly. In this long life where even the things she'd once loved had dulled, the longing to fly was forever there.

The warmth was on her constantly now, she completed her paperwork faster, she created ingenious plans, but what did it matter?

"I want to go back," Yukong had spoken one day out to the silence of the world and when the warmth remained she realized, perhaps she could go back and fly. Maybe... it would be okay. But for now her fear remained, albeit comforted by the sight of an Aeon.

What a strange Aeon, to care so much for a mortal.

Sampo (spoiler warning for Black Swan quest, although I was kind of confused the whole time so some information may be incorrect)

Now this would be fun! Sampo had known he was right, this was only another clue in the right direction! And this Aeon, watcher, player, reader, whomever you were appeared at the perfect time! Whenever your gaze fell upon him, he could feel his speed increase as well as the rest of, if this were to be a game, his "stats." He knew he wasn't crazy, of course he'd never had that idea in the first place! He'd be able to retrieve his mask much easier now, he could deal with you later.

It wouldn't be anything bad, don't worry, Sampo Koski is always happy to have a new business partner and friend :) !

If there's anything else you wanna hear about it I'd be more than happy for ideas cause I love these little guys (the characters) . It's just them living their life except they're stronger and feel as if they can enact their dreams! And maybe they gain a friend or a small crush on the way but hey that doesn't mean anything until Penacony comes out with some tech they worked on with Herta that allows you to visit in your dreams but no way something like that will happen, right?

Also trailblazer is genuinely so stressed like imagine having to make the decisions to save an ENTIRE FUCKING PLANET and you don't even know who the you are or what you've been through, you're genuinely so lost but hey you're alive, somehow.

[03jyh23]

— 2 soon || kim hongjoong part 2

<part 1> <part 3>

goes to waste the series based on my favourite keshi songs

(listen here)

idol!hongjoong x non-idol!reader

synopsis: years after choosing his career over you, hongjoong still finds himself haunted by the memories of you. your relationship is a constant dance of on and off, and you cannot stay away from him.

genre: smut, angst, a very small amount of fluff

trigger warnings: cussing/mature language, toxic relationship, extreme possessiveness, jealousy, emotional manipulation, lies, obsession, verbal aggression, emotional distress, career-related stress, panic attack mentioned, pillow-talk(?) explicit sexual content: dom!hongjoong sub!reader, unprotected sex, hair pulling, dirty talk, nipple play, tight riding, fingering, hongjoong is rough, neck biting, hickey fetish(?), overstimulation, pet-names

words: 11.5 k

reminder: what you’re about to read is purely fiction, so let’s keep it separate from reality.

!minors do not interact!

— hi there! this part is mostly smut-focused but honestly, it was very needed for the plot to kinda set the dynamic between hongjoong and the reader. i don't know what else to say!!! the third part will be the final one and it's already done! so stay tuned. as always, i hope you enjoy it. let me know what you think? please? 🥹

ps. the usernames i used are random!!!

ps.2 do we like the articles or are we getting rid of them?

in the first part, i made a lot of typos and there were also many mistakes in how i edited the text. i think i managed to fix them all by now, but i wanted to apologize. i hope this time it will be better.

love, monika. ♡

if you enjoyed this post, i’d be so grateful for a little love – a like, reblog or comment would truly make my day!

taglist: @skittyneos @kyeos4ng @vcutparis

ATEEZ's Leader, Kim Hongjoong, Abandons Tour to Chase After Ex-Girlfriend

In an unexpected twist, Kim Hongjoong, the charismatic leader of the popular K-pop group, ATEEZ, has abruptly abandoned their ongoing world tour. The reason behind this sudden departure? Allegedly, to chase after his ex-girlfriend.

Hongjoong, known for his exceptional leadership and commitment to the group, has left fans and fellow band members in shock with his sudden decision. According to inside sources, Hongjoong's decision was fueled by personal reasons, specifically involving his former girlfriend.

The identity of the woman in question has not been disclosed, but it's clear that the leader of ATEEZ is deeply affected by the situation. The relationship was said to have ended on mutual terms, with both parties deciding to focus on their individual paths. However, recent developments suggest that the separation may not have been as smooth as initially presented.

It appears that the former couple has been in contact. The nature of their interactions remains undisclosed, but it's clear that their history is not as far behind them as they'd like to believe. Allegedly, Hongjoong has been struggling with lingering feelings for his ex, and it has affected him to the point of leaving his professional commitments to seek closure.

This move is a significant departure from the professional and dedicated image Hongjoong has cultivated over the years. His decision to put personal matters before his career obligations has raised eyebrows, leading to speculation about the severity of the situation.

As ATEEZ's world tour continues without their leader, fans worldwide are expressing concern. The remaining members of ATEEZ have yet to comment on the situation, leaving fans in a state of suspense and concern about the future of the group.

MYFAVSONGISMINGI: Honestly, I'm shocked. I never expected Hongjoong to behave like this!!! 😡😡😡😡

8MAKES1: Unbelievable! How can he just abandon his responsibilities like this? I'm really disappointed in Hongjoong. 😡😡😡

ILOVEMOUNTAINS: Is this the kind of leader we want for ATEEZ? I don't think so. 😡

FORJONGHO: I feel so disheartened. After all the support and love we fans have given ATEEZ, is this what we get in return? 😔

HEARTSFORYUNHO: Can't she see the damage she's causing?! Hongjoong doesn't need someone who brings him down like this. 😒😒😒

EIGHTPIRATES: He's clearly not in the right headspace to lead. Maybe it's time for him to leave. 😞

ILOVEHONGJOONG07: I hate to say it, but ATEEZ might be better off without him right now. 💔😞

YEOSANGISMINE: I hope they both realize the damage they've done to ATEEZ's reputation. This is just unacceptable! 🤬💔

ATEEZ's Company KQ Entertainment Announces Unexpected Hiatus for Leader Kim Hongjoong

ATEEZ's company announces an unexpected hiatus from the group's activities for their leader, Kim Hongjoong, sparking speculation about his potential departure from the band.

The news comes shortly after Hongjoong's abrupt departure from ATEEZ's world tour, allegedly to reconnect with his ex-girlfriend. This sudden announcement has left fans and fellow band members reeling, leading to widespread speculation and concern about the future of the group.

Hongjoong has remained silent about his reasons for the hiatus, and his fellow band members have refrained from commenting on the situation. The lack of communication from the band has only served to fan the flames of speculation, and many fans are concerned that this hiatus could be a precursor to Hongjoong's withdrawal from the group.

Despite the swirling rumors, ATEEZ's record company, KQ Entertainment, has released a statement in an attempt to clarify the situation:

"We would like to assure ATEEZ's fans that Hongjoong's hiatus is a personal decision and is not indicative of any issues within the group. Hongjoong is taking some time off to deal with personal matters, and we ask fans to respect his privacy during this time. ATEEZ will continue their activities as scheduled, and we promise to keep fans updated on any changes."

Even with this official statement, fans can't help but worry about the group's future. Hongjoong's leadership and unique talents have played a crucial role in shaping ATEEZ's success, and his absence undoubtedly leaves a significant gap.

Fans worldwide are expressing their concern and support for Hongjoong in this challenging time, hoping for his quick return to the group. In the meantime, ATEEZ will continue their activities as a seven-member group.

FIXONPIRATES: I can't believe Hongjoong would put his personal life before the group. This is so unprofessional. 😡

WOOBABY: This is such a disappointment. Maybe it's best if Hongjoong leaves the group. 😞

ILOVEHONGJOONG: We're all let down by this. The group is better off without him. 😔

PIRATEKING: I can't believe he would abandon his responsibilities like this. He should leave ATEEZ. 😡

KINGHONG : This isn't the Hongjoong we used to know and respect. It's time for him to leave the group. 💔

8MAKES1: I'm so disappointed. I can't believe Hongjoong would let us down like this. He should leave ATEEZ. 😠

MYFAVSONGISMINGI: I'm honestly so upset. Hongjoong should leave the group until he can prioritize ATEEZ. 😡

ILOVEMOUNTAINS: I never thought I'd say this, but maybe it's time for Hongjoong to leave ATEEZ. He's clearly not able to fulfill his responsibilities as a leader. 😞

Pre-Debut Relationship of ATEEZ's Leader, Kim Hongjoong, Revealed

ATEEZ's leader, Kim Hongjoong, is currently making headlines for an unexpected hiatus from group activities. Now, inside sources reveal another dimension to the story, unveiling a pre-debut relationship that might be the underlying cause of the K-pop star's recent actions.

Before shooting to fame as the charismatic leader of ATEEZ, Hongjoong was in a happy relationship with a woman, who remains unknown. According to insiders, the pair shared a deep bond that has left an indelible mark on Hongjoong's life.

Their relationship began before Hongjoong's debut with ATEEZ, during a time when the budding artist was juggling his aspirations of a music career and his personal life. The sources reveal that the relationship was a significant part of Hongjoong's life before his rise to fame.

However, the relationship ended abruptly, despite the couple being in a state of happiness and contentment. This unexpected breakup was a significant blow to Hongjoong, who was deeply in love and had no anticipation of the abrupt end.

The sudden termination of their relationship marked a significant turning point in Hongjoong's life, as he committed himself entirely to ATEEZ and his responsibilities as a leader. The decision to focus on his career came in the aftermath of this unexpected personal loss.

The recent revelations about Hongjoong's pre-debut relationship provide an intriguing perspective on the current situation. While the exact details remain unclear, it's evident that Hongjoong's past relationship has had a significant impact on his personal and professional life. The revelations raise questions about the role this past relationship may be playing in his recent actions and his unexpected hiatus from ATEEZ's activities.

SEONGHWASTAR: Hongjoong needs to take a break and sort out his life. ATEEZ deserves a dedicated leader. 😔

MATZLOVER: I stand with Hongjoong! Everyone has a right to personal life. 💪

PIRATEKING: This isn't the Hongjoong we used to respect. He's letting his personal problems affect the group! 💔

LOVINGHONG: We need to support Hongjoong in this tough time. He is human too and has feelings.

CRAZYFORYEO: Hongjoong needs us more than ever. Let's not abandon him in this difficult time. ❤️

YUNGIYUNGIYUNGI: Stay strong, Hongjoong! We believe in you and support you. 💪

eight

After a long, grueling flight, Hongjoong finally landed back home. As soon as the plane touched down, he felt an overwhelming sense of urgency. He rushed to catch a taxi, desperate to get to you as quickly as possible. He hoped that his sudden return had gone unnoticed as he was supposed to be in another country, preparing for a concert. However, to his surprise, the airport arrivals zone was swarming with reporters. Their cameras flashed continuously, momentarily blinding him. The sudden influx of attention was the last thing he needed right now, but there was no turning back. All he could think about was seeing you. Throwing on his sunglasses and mask, he was filled with fear at the thought of facing the sea of reporters alone. The absence of his usual security guard weighed heavy on his shoulders. The reporters were shouting, one after another, their voices overwhelming him. The constant flash of cameras was deafening, the noise throbbing in his head and pushing him toward the edge of a panic attack. The noise was too much to bear, making it impossible for Hongjoong to focus on any of the words coming out of the reporters' mouths. He needed to get out quickly. Tripping a few times, his anxiety was getting the best of him. Why were they here? He scrambled to regain his footing, the world spinning around him as the clamor of reporters grew louder. He could feel his heart pounding in his chest, each beat echoing the growing sense of dread that was consuming him. He couldn’t make out their questions, the words getting lost in the cacophony of noise. Suddenly, he felt a strong grip on his arm.

"Come on, let's get you out of here," a tall man from airport security said, his voice steady despite the pandemonium around them. He pulled Hongjoong away from the reporters, shielding him from their intrusive questions and cameras. The man managed to get Hongjoong to the safety of a VIP parking lot, the noise of the reporters fading into the distance.

"Thank you, sir," Hongjoong said, his voice barely above a whisper. The man simply nodded, his gaze filled with concern.

"No one should have to go through that alone," he replied, "I will order a taxi for you. Please wait here until it arrives." Hongjoong did as he was told, waiting patiently for a driver to arrive. He rummaged through his bag, finally finding his phone and turning it back on when the taxi finally arrived. He took a seat in the back, his heart rate slowly returning to normal. Finally, he checked his phone, notifications coming like crazy, unanswered calls, unread messages, the amount of it was overwhelming. Hongjoong's heart pounded in his chest as he clicked a link sent by his manager, causing the articles to load. Each word, each accusation, felt like a stab to his chest. His mind reeled from the harsh reality of his situation, and the severity of the consequences he faced. The accusations, the speculation, the harsh criticism - it was all too much. He felt a profound sense of betrayal, a deep-seated anger towards his management for allowing things to spiral so far out of control. His manager's voice echoed in his mind, the threat from the before now a chilling reality. He had followed through on his threat, leaking Hongjoong's personal life to the media, spinning the situation to make Hongjoong the villain. The public backlash was harsh and swift, their words cut deep. He could feel his world crumbling around him, the life he had worked so hard to build threatening to collapse under the weight of the scandal. Hongjoong was devastated. A sinking feeling of despair washed over him as he scrolled through the comments, each one a painful reminder of the image he had lost. The leader, the professional, the role model - all replaced with a man driven by personal desires, abandoning his responsibilities, and disappointing his fans. Hongjoong couldn't believe his fans, the people who had supported him through thick and thin, were now against him. Their words, usually filled with love and encouragement, had transformed into harsh criticism and disappointment. He felt he had let them down, and the guilt was overwhelming. Hongjoong could hardly believe the magnitude of damage that had unfolded during the mere hours of his flight back home. The sudden turn of events felt like a nightmare he couldn't wake up from. As he asked the driver to roll up the partition, he immediately dialed his manager's number, his fingers shaking with barely contained anger.

"What the fuck is this?" he demanded as soon as the call connected, his voice harsh and strained. "Why am I finding out about my own hiatus from a fucking article?"

His manager sighed heavily on the other end of the line, the sound echoing ominously through the phone. "I warned you, Hongjoong," he replied curtly, his tone carrying an icy edge that sent a chill down Hongjoong's spine. "I told you there would be consequences."

Hongjoong clenched his jaw, his blood boiling at his manager's words. The man was using his position of authority to manipulate and control him. "You're blackmailing me," Hongjoong spat out, his voice thick with accusation. "How could you do that? How could you use my personal life as a tool to control me?"

The manager sighed, "You knew what you were getting into, Hongjoong," he continued, his voice quieter now, but still carrying an undercurrent of stern reprimand. "You know you are banned from dating, you signed the contract yourself. You know the rules, the restrictions. We've talked about this and yet," his manager went on, "you chose to ignore it. To risk everything you've worked for." He finally paused, giving Hongjoong a moment to absorb his words. "We're not just talking about your career here, Hongjoong, we're talking about the group, the fans, the company. Your actions affect more than just you." His words hung in the air, a stark reminder of the consequences of Hongjoong's actions. This wasn't just about him and his feelings. His actions had far-reaching repercussions, ones that he hadn't fully considered in the heat of the moment. "We need you to think about what's at stake here, Hongjoong," he added, his voice carrying a seriousness that sent a chill down Hongjoong's spine. "You should be happy we put you on hiatus. At least you can spend some quality time with... what's her name again?" His manager sneered, the disrespect apparent in his voice. This was a low blow, a deliberate jab at Hongjoong's personal life, leaving him seething. A surge of rage swept through Hongjoong at his manager's taunting words. He could hardly believe what he was hearing, the blatant disrespect towards you making his blood boil.

"Don't you dare speak about her like that," he snarled, his voice dangerously low. His grip on the phone tightened, his knuckles turning white with the force of his anger. "You have no right." His manager seemed taken aback by his outburst, but Hongjoong didn't care. He was sick and tired of his personal life being under constant scrutiny, especially regarding his relationship with you. "You don't get to dismiss her like she's nothing," he continued, his voice trembling. "She's not just some random girl, I love her." There was silence on the other end of the line, the manager clearly surprised by Hongjoong's passionate response.

"Listen, Hongjoong," the manager's voice echoed through the phone, "Here's what we're going to do. You want to be with her? Fine. But you two need to stay low, understand? We'll control the damage on our end. You will be back for the European tour dates, no exceptions." His manager's voice hardened, the finality of his words sending chills down Hongjoong's spine. "You get a month with her, that's it. After that, it's the end. And by that, I mean she's dead to you. No more contact, no more distractions. Your career and your responsibilities come first. Are we clear?" Hongjoong pulled the phone away from his ear, staring at it in shock. He could hear his manager's voice continuing on the other end, but his words were a blur, drowned out by the roaring silence in his own mind.

"A month..." he muttered to himself, the reality of the situation sinking in. He had a month. 30 days. 720 hours. That was all the time he had left with you. After that, you would be gone from his life, erased as if you never existed. The thought was unbearable.

"Are you listening to me, Hongjoong?" his manager's voice snapped him back to reality. His tone was stern, and authoritative. It was a tone Hongjoong had come to associate with bad news, with ultimatums and decisions made without his input. "This is not a negotiation." Hongjoong swallowed hard, his throat tight. He wanted to argue, to fight back. But he knew it was pointless. His manager had made up his mind, and there was no changing it.

"Alright," he finally replied, his voice barely more than a whisper. "I understand."

"Good," his manager responded, the satisfaction evident in his voice. "Remember, Hongjoong, this is for the best. You have a bright future ahead of you. Don't let one mistake ruin it all." The call ended abruptly, leaving Hongjoong alone with his thoughts. He stared at his phone screen, the harsh reality of the situation weighing heavy on his heart. He had a month left with you, a month to make memories, to say his goodbyes. After that, he would have to let you go, to move on and focus on his career. But as he sat there, he couldn't help but wonder if he could do it. If he could really let you go. Because despite everything, despite the pain and the heartache, he knew one thing for sure: he was still in love with you. And love, as he was quickly learning, was not something that could be easily forgotten or replaced. It was a powerful force, a relentless tide that swept you off your feet and carried you away, regardless of the consequences. As Hongjoong sat in the taxi, staring at the blank screen of his phone, he made a decision. He would make the most of the time he had left with you. He would make every moment count. Because in the end, when all was said and done, he wanted to be able to look back and know that he had loved you with all his heart, even if it was just for a little while.

nine

You woke up abruptly, in the middle of the day, your head throbbing with the worst headache you'd ever experienced. You'd only caught a few hours of sleep, your body still worn out from the previous night. You found yourself in the dress you had worn yesterday, the fabric now uncomfortable and sticking to your skin. The remnants of your makeup were smeared on your face, causing your skin to itch. Through your half-opened eyes, you saw the sun's rays hitting your face, a harsh reminder of the time. Your body felt heavy as if you had run a marathon. Your muscles were sore, and you could barely muster the energy to move. You yawned, stretching your body and feeling your joints pop. The empty, gnawing feeling in your stomach was the only force that managed to pull you out of bed. You decided to deal with your fatigue first, hoping a shower would do the trick. The cold water hit your skin, sending a jolt through your tired body. It was calming and refreshing, washing away the remnants of the previous night and soothing your aching muscles. Once you were done, you grabbed one of your oversized t-shirts and a pair of comfortable panties. Dressed and feeling slightly more alive, you left the comfort of your room and ventured into the kitchen to prepare breakfast. You took some painkillers for your headache, hoping they would kick in soon. To brighten the mood, you decided to put on some music. The familiar tunes filled the room, providing a comforting background noise as you went about your morning routine. Despite the rough start to your day, you found a sense of peace in these simple morning rituals. As the day dragged on, you found yourself mindlessly scrolling through Netflix. You couldn't quite decide what to watch, your mind too clouded with thoughts and fatigue to make a choice. As the minutes ticked by, your eyes grew heavier and heavier. Every blink felt like a battle, your eyelids threatening to close with each passing second. Your nap was interrupted by a ring at the door. You didn't expect any visitors today, but you forced yourself to answer it. You quickly fixed your hair and glanced down at your oversized t-shirt. Thankfully, it was long enough to cover you, so you didn't bother to put on anything else before opening the door. 

You had just unlocked the door when Hongjoong suddenly stormed into your apartment. His unexpected entrance took you completely by surprise, leaving you momentarily stunned. 

"Hongjoong?" you managed to squeak out, your heart hammering in your chest. "What are you…" Before you even had a chance to finish, he had you pinned up against the wall, his lips seeking yours in a desperate, hungry kiss. 

"We're gonna talk later," he managed to blurt out before kissing you again. Thoughts of you consumed him entirely. The idea of your lips meeting another man's in a passionate embrace, the thought of you out in the nightclub seeking the attention of someone who was not him, it was too much to bear. Hongjoong envisioned you offering your body to someone who didn't know you as he did, didn't love you as he did. His blood boiled at the thought, a reaction that set his nerves on edge. The stress from the unexpected hiatus, and the stern words from his manager, all paled in comparison to the anguish he felt at the thought of losing you. His longing for you was overwhelming, a need that shook him to his core. He yearned to have you under him, to feel the warmth of your naked body against his. He craved the taste of your lips, the feel of your skin under his fingertips. Hongjoong wanted to consume you, to lose himself in the intoxicating allure of your being. The thought of you, of your touch, your scent, your love, it was a driving force for him. A desire so strong that it threatened to consume him entirely. Hongjoong’s lips left yours abruptly, ending the breathless kiss that had consumed both of you. His hand moved from your waist to your face, gripping it strongly and forcing your gaze to meet his. There was a fiery intensity in his eyes that caught you off guard, and for a moment, all you could do was stare back at him in stunned silence. 

"Haven't fucked you in a few months and you have already forgotten who you belong to?" He asked, his voice low and heavy with an emotion you couldn't quite place. You wanted to moan at his words, each syllable that fell from his lips sending a wave of pleasure that cascaded down to your very core. You found yourself completely at his mercy, a plaything in his hands, and the realization stirred a thrill within you that was hard to ignore. His hand, firm and warm, cupping your face, his thumb tracing the line of your jaw in a touch that was almost tender. His other hand, however, was far from gentle. Pressed against your hip, it pushed you hard against the wall, the cold, hard surface a stark contrast to the heat of your body. You could feel the pressure of his fingers against your skin, the strength behind the hold, and you already knew that they would leave marks. Marks that would bloom into dark, purple imprints by the next morning, a tangible reminder of this moment. Marks that would be visible, and you found that you didn't mind one bit. 

"Answer me," he demanded, his voice low and dangerously quiet. The intensity of his gaze was overwhelming, his eyes burning into yours with an unreadable expression. You could feel your heart pounding in your chest, the sensation amplified by the deafening silence that followed his words. The anticipation was making your breath hitch in your throat, making it difficult to form a coherent response. All you could do was whimper, the sound barely audible in the tension-filled room. 

"I belong to you, Hongjoong," you finally answered, swallowing the lump in your throat hard. Your voice was barely a whisper against the room's silence. 

"Good girl," he murmured, his voice rough with desire. His words sent a thrill of pleasure coursing through you, making your heart race and your core clench with anticipation. Hongjoong’s gaze was heavy on you, making your skin prickle with anticipation. The intensity of his stare was like a physical touch, stoking the flames of your desire. His lips were next to your ear now, his hot breath sending shivers down your spine. Hongjoong pressed his body to yours, leaving no space in between, and you could feel his hardness against your thigh. He was already prepared to take you. The anticipation made you clench around nothing, the thought of him filling you up driving you wild with desire. "I will fuck you so hard the only thing you're gonna remember is my name," he whispered straight into your ear. The world beyond you two ceased to exist in that moment. All you were aware of was him, the feel of his body pressed against yours, the way his hands explored your figure with ownership that made your heart race. His scent, a heady mix of his cologne, and the smell that was uniquely him filled your senses. It was intoxicating, making your head spin and your body yearn for more. His lips found yours in a searing kiss, a clash of teeth and tongues that was all-consuming. It was as if he was trying to devour you, to claim you as his own with each kiss, each touch. And you let him. You surrendered yourself to him, to the overpowering desire that was coursing through your veins. Hongjoong’s touch was everywhere, leaving no inch of your skin unexplored. His hands roamed your body, each touch setting your skin on fire. His fingers traced your curves, his touch igniting a trail of heat wherever he touched. It was maddening, the way he was making you feel. You were like a lump of clay in his hands, your body responding to his every touch, every command. As his hands continued their exploration, the anticipation was building, leaving you breathless. You knew it was only a matter of time before he would claim you, mark you as his own. And you loved the idea. The idea of being entirely his. 

Hongjoong’s fingers found the hem of your oversized t-shirt, and he took it off of you quickly to reveal your body. The cool air hitting your exposed skin made you shiver, but it was nothing compared to the heat his touch was generating within you. As his hand moved up your leg, your breath hitched in anticipation. He paused, his fingers hovering over the lace of your panties. You could feel the heat of his hand through the thin fabric, sending jolts of electricity coursing through you. Hongjoong lowered himself, his eyes never leaving yours. His lips met the soft skin of your nipple, taking it in his mouth. The sensation of his warm mouth was intoxicating, making you gasp as he sucked hard, his teeth gently grazing you. Simultaneously, his hand moved to the other side, his fingers gently tracing patterns on your nipple before he took it between his fingers. He began to twist and pinch, his touch just the right side of rough. He played with you, his actions causing a wave of pleasurable sensation to course through your body, making you arch your back in response. This continued, his mouth and hands working in a rhythm that only he knew, his attention solely focused on you, on giving you pleasure. You could feel a heat building up within you, a testament to the skill and care with which Hongjoong was treating you. And throughout it all, he never broke eye contact, his gaze filled with a desire and intensity that matched his actions. You reached down, your fingers tangling in his hair, pulling him up to meet your lips. As your mouths collided in a passionate, desperate kiss, a moan escaped from your throat, muffled by the intensity of his lips on yours. 

Your hands gradually made their way under the fabric of his t-shirt, the sensation of your fingers tracing over the contours and warmth of his skin beneath. You wasted no time, reaching for the zipper of his pants, which were already uncomfortably tight for him. But as your fingers grazed the metal, he grabbed your wrist, stopping you mid-motion. His eyes, dark with desire, met yours. 

"It's not gonna be that easy, baby girl," he murmured, a devilish smirk playing on his lips. Hongjoong released your wrist but kept his hand there, his thumb tracing slow circles on your skin. His other hand slid up your back, pulling you closer until your bodies were pressed together with no space in between. The heat from his body seeped into yours, his scent filling your senses. Your heart pounded in your chest in anticipation of what was to come. His lips found your neck, his teeth grazing your skin, eliciting a gasp from you. You could feel his smirk against your skin, he was playing a dangerous game, one that had you on the edge. He sucked on your skin roughly, each pull of his lips sending a rush of sensations coursing through your body. His teeth grazed your sensitive skin, biting down hard after each suck. Hongjoong was marking you, claiming you as his own in the most primal way possible. Each mark, each hickey he left on your skin was a silent proclamation of his ownership, an indelible reminder of his touch. He wanted to cover you all in his marks, to transform your beautiful skin into a canvas that bore the testament of his love. He wanted the world to see, to know that you were his. Every mark he left was a symbol of his possession, a clear message to anyone who dared to look your way. And with each mark he left, he etched his love for you deeper into your skin, into your very soul. It was a display of ownership that was as intoxicating as it was overwhelming. And as he continued to mark you, you were left with no doubt that you belonged to him.

Hongjoong's hands moved to your legs, his grip firm and commanding as he spread them apart. He effortlessly slid his own leg between yours, positioning himself in a way that your sensitive core came in direct contact with his muscular thigh. This friction, elicited a deep moan from you, a sound that filled the room and fed his desire. Your pussy had been neglected throughout this encounter and the sudden stimulation was intensely gratifying. The friction against your sensitive spot, even though it was indirect, generated waves of pleasure that coursed through your body, consuming you. Hongjoong’s actions were deliberate and calculated, each movement, each touch and kiss was designed to make you want him more. And it was working. Your hands fumbled with the hem of his shirt, your fingers desperate to feel the heat of his skin. He obliged, allowing you to pull the garment over his head. The sight of him, bare-chested and smirking at you, made your breath hitch in your throat. You wanted to grind down on his thigh, to press your aching core harder against the firm muscle for more friction, but he stopped you, holding you steady. His grip on your hips was firm, his fingers digging into your skin as he held you in place, controlling the pace to prolong the tantalizing torture. 

"Touch me," you whimpered, desperate to feel him. Your pussy was neglected, yet soaking wet only waiting for Hongjoong. The anticipation was making you ache with need, your body yearning for his touch. 

Hongjoong smiled devilishly at you. "Beg for it," he whispered. His words sent a shiver down your spine, a mixture of fear and anticipation. You swallowed hard, meeting his gaze with an intensity that mirrored his own. 

"Please," you whined desperately, the word barely audible. 

Suddenly, Hongjoong pulled away. His hands, which had been tracing patterns on your hips, and his thigh, which provided much-needed friction, were abruptly gone. You whimpered in response, a wave of desperation washing over. The lack of contact became unbearable, causing your skin to tingle in anticipation and making you yearn for his warmth. Your heart began to thump wildly in your chest, and a lump formed in your throat, making it hard for you to swallow. 

Hongjoong smirked at you, his voice dark and teasing as he said, "You aren't begging enough, baby girl." 

"Please," you begged again, your voice quivering with need. The absence of his touch was driving you insane, each passing second amplifying your desperation. "I need you, Hongjoong," you pleaded, your words hanging in the air. ‘’Please, please, please fuck me’’ He gave you a satisfied smirk, his fingers back to tracing idle patterns on your bare skin, pushing you further into the abyss of longing. His smile grew wider, satisfaction evident in his eyes. He leaned in closer, his breath fanning against your skin. 

"That's my girl," he murmured before his lips captured yours in a searing kiss. 

He lowered himself down your body, his eyes never leaving yours. The tension between you was palpable, filling the room with an intoxicating mix of anticipation and desire. His teeth gently caught the hem of your panties, his gaze darkening as he watched your reaction. There was a smirk on his face, one that spoke volumes of the intimate knowledge he had of your body. His hands slid down your sides, tracing the contours of your body with a familiarity that sent shivers down your spine. Then, he licked your lower stomach, the unexpected sensation making you arch your back. His tongue left a wet trail on your skin, the heat of it seeping into you and making you squirm underneath him. His hands returned to your hips, his fingers hooking into the sides of your panties. With a playful wink, he began to slide the last piece of fabric down your legs. The action was slow, and torturous, dragging out the moment and making your heart pound in your chest. The room was filled with the sound of your ragged breaths and the rustling of fabric as he finally removed your panties, leaving you bare before him. His eyes roamed over your body, taking in every detail with an intensity that made you blush. But there was no room for embarrassment, not when his gaze held such raw desire, such absolute adoration. One of his hands supported your hips, keeping you steady despite your shaky legs. His other hand separated your legs, trailing its way up your thigh, until finally, he was exactly where you needed him most. His eyes never left yours as he continued his torturous exploration. He watched your reaction to every touch, every caress, his gaze darkening with desire at every gasp and moan that slipped past your lips. Hongjoong’s fingers gently separated your folds, finally making contact with your wetness. Your moan at the sensation echoed in the quiet apartment, serving as a sweet symphony to his ears. His two fingers circled around your sensitive clit, you rolled your eyes at the sensation, you were already so pent up, you felt like you were going to explode. With a slow, deliberate motion, he inserted one of his fingers, prompting you to moan, "More." He complied, adding another of his fingers, the increased pressure sending waves of pleasure coursing through you. You moaned his name and grabbed his shoulder for support, trembling with pleasure. The room spun around you, every nerve in your body seemed to come alive, the sensation overwhelming and intense. Your body responded instinctively, arching towards him, craving more of his touch. His lips found yours again, kissing you deeply as his fingers continued to move inside you. His movements were measured, each stroke designed to draw out the maximum pleasure. It was as if he knew your body better than you did, each touch hitting just the right spot. "You are so beautiful, moaning my name like that… give me more of your beautiful moans." He whispered, as his thumb circled around your clit. You obliged, losing yourself in the waves of pleasure that his touch invoked. Hongjoong's fingers crossed inside of you, picking up speed as he felt you clenching around them. "Tell me what you want, baby," he whispered against your skin, his voice husky and filled with desire. 

"I-I want to c-cum, please let me," you pleaded intensely, your voice trembling and shaking as you felt the wave of your impending climax steadily building up inside of you, each pulse and throb pushing you closer to the edge. 

"Who do you belong to?" Hongjoong's voice echoed in the room, his words were a challenge, a demand, and a plea all wrapped into one. His eyes bore into you, intense and unwavering. As he waited for your response he slid a third finger inside you, stretching you with a delicious pressure that made your breath hitch in your throat. The sensation was overwhelming, drawing a gasp from your lips as a wave of pleasure washed over you. 

"Y-you," you struggled to respond, your voice a mere whisper against the pounding rhythm of your heart. “I belong to you Hongjoong” His name tumbled from your lips, a sweet surrender that brought a satisfied smirk to his face. You moaned loudly, your voice breaking as your climax built. 

"You can cum now princess," Hongjoong whispered, his voice low and husky in your ear. Your body responded to his words, your climax hitting you with an intensity that left you breathless. 

"Hongjoong!" you cried out, your body convulsing as waves of pleasure washed over you. Your grip on his shoulder tightened as you came hard. Hongjoong’s fingers were still inside you, wet from your release, and they continued to move, riding out the aftershocks of your orgasm. 

"That's it, baby," he murmured against your skin, his voice a low growl. As you came down from your high, you buried your face in the crook of his neck, trying to catch your breath. You gasped as he pulled his fingers out of you, the lack of him there leaving you painfully empty. His breath was ragged, matching yours in intensity. Suddenly Hongjoong gripped your hair firmly, pulling your head up to make you look at him. "We're not done yet," he growled, his voice low and dangerous. "Get on the bed, on all fours," he demanded, his voice firm and authoritative. His command sent a shiver down your spine, and you felt yourself get worked up again. You didn't hesitate, moving to comply with his demand. Clambering onto the bed, you positioned yourself on your forearms and knees. Hongjoong moved behind you, you heard the sound of his zipper being pulled down, followed by the soft thud of his jeans hitting the floor. He climbed onto the bed, his hands found your hips, his touch firm and possessive. "Stay still," he whispered, his voice a low growl in your ear. You could feel the anticipation building, a delicious tension that made your breath hitch in your throat. Hongjoong's presence was overwhelming, his dominance a heady intoxicant that left you dizzy with need. As he whispered, "Ass up," you found your body obeying without a second thought, a wave of shivers running through you. You felt his tip teasingly trace your delicate folds, and you couldn't suppress a whimper. "You did that on purpose, didn't you?" he mocked, his hand winding its way into your hair, giving it a firm tug. His lips trailed along your neck, teeth nipping at the abused skin and drawing a soft gasp from your lips. The accusation hung in the air, heavy with the weight of his jealousy. "Calling me up, talking about other guy, hm?" His words were laced with a bitter edge, the thought of you being with someone else igniting a fire in his belly that he couldn't quell. His grip on your hair tightened, his other hand tracing the curve of your waist as he pulled you closer, his hot breath hitting your skin and making you shudder in anticipation. "Answer me, baby girl," he demanded making you shiver. "Or you're not gonna get what you want." 

"Hongjoong, please," you begged, leaving his question unanswered. You shifted your hips slightly, hoping to make him slide inside you, but he held you firmly in place, not allowing you to move an inch. "I need your cock, please," by now you were on the verge of crying. 

He moved closer, his breath hot against your neck, his voice a low rumble in your ear. "You belong to me, your body is mine," he growled, the words seeping into your skin. His teeth grazed your shoulder lightly before biting down, the sharp sensation making you gasp out loud."Mine," he repeated, as he re-positioned himself at your entrance. Slowly, agonizingly, he slid inside you. The sensation was overwhelming, the slow stretch of him filling you driving you to the edge of madness. The sensation was overwhelming, a mix of pleasure and pain that left you gasping for breath. "Don’t forget that," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper as he began to move, each thrust more powerful than the last. His hands gripped your hips, holding you in place as he set a rhythm. Every muscle in your body tensed as you adjusted to his size, your nails digging into the sheets. His movements grew more erratic, his breath hitching in his throat as he fought to maintain control. A heat began to coil in your abdomen, the pleasure building with each passing second."You were made for me," he declared, one of his hands left your hip, as he reached to your clit, his fingers expertly massaging the soft bud. A loud moan slipped past your lips at his touch, the sensation sending a shiver down your spine. 

"Y-Yes, Hongjoong, mmm... all for you," you agreed breathlessly, your body surrendering to the waves of pleasure that washed over you. He was too much, his touch, his very presence overwhelming your senses. You had lost all control, all semblance of resistance crumbling under his touch. You were his to play with, to use, to love. 

"You should see how good you look right now, stuffed with my cock," Hongjoong growled into your ear, his voice filled with raw desire. His words sent a thrill of pleasure coursing through you, heightening the intensity of the moment. His fingers dug into your hip as he continued to move inside of you, each thrust driving you closer to the edge. You clenched around him, his fingers expertly manipulating your sensitive clit. Your body was at its limit, desperate for release. "You will come only if and when I say so," Hongjoong moaned, his pace quickening to the edge of possibility. ''Your slut pussy exists for me to fuck it.'' He was slamming into you relentlessly, the sounds of your wet skin slapping against each other echoing through the room. You could feel the tears streaming down your face as he continued his relentless pace. It was getting impossible to keep yourself from reaching your climax, your fingers curling into the sheets as you tried to anchor yourself. Biting into the pillow, you tried to muffle your moans, but the pleasure was too overwhelming. ''I'm not gonna let you cum until I hear you scream my name with your pretty lips,'' he warned, the threat was enough to make you lose control, your voice crying out his name countless times as you surrendered to the pleasure. 

"Hongjoong, please," you begged, your voice a desperate plea as the tension within you built to an unbearable pitch. "Please, let me cum." Your words echoed throughout the room, raw and filled with need. Your knuckles turned white as you clung to the sheets beneath you, your grip unyielding against the soft fabric. His movements were relentless, the intensity of your need was overwhelming, your mind consumed by the singular focus of his dick inside you. You felt Hongjoong’s cock getting even harder, the feeling setting you on the edge.

"Cum for me, baby." As soon as Hongjoong gave you permission, you came with a loud, whiny moan, your body trembling. His thumb continued stimulating you, pushing you to the brink of overstimulation. You squeezed your pussy around his cock as you felt him throbbing. "I’m going to fill you up so good," he whimpered, his movements growing sloppy. "You're going to take all of my cum like a good girl." You felt the pulsing of his dick deep inside you as he came, his warm cum filling your pussy. Overcome by a wave of intense pleasure, he let out a deep groan, echoing throughout the room. With a few more hard thrusts, he rode his orgasm out, fucking his cum deeper inside you.

You slammed against the mattress, exhaustion washing over your sweaty body. Hongjoong’s breath hitched as he slowly pulled out, you felt the sticky cum rushing out when he did so. You felt his warm hand gently caress your waist, and he pulled you closer, wrapping his arm around you and burying his face into your hair. 

"You did so well, baby," he whispered, his heart pounding against your back, matching the rhythm of your own. You felt his lips brush against your shoulder, and you turned your head to meet his gaze. His eyes were soft, filled with an emotion that made your heart clench. You saw guilt, regret, and longing in his eyes. His fingers traced circles on your hip, and you turned around to face him, your fingers brushing against his cheek. 

"How do you feel?" he asked, worry evident in his voice. "Was I too rough on you?" you looked at him, a faint smile playing on your lips despite the pain that was slowly starting to creep in. 

You lightly pecked his lips and answered, "I'm okay, Hongjoong," you assured him, your voice barely above a whisper. He studied you for a moment, his eyes searching yours for any signs of discomfort. 

"Good," he murmured, hiding his face in the crook of your neck. You traced your fingers down his spine, causing him to shiver. You hugged him closer, pulling the comforter over your shivering bodies. The exhaustion was taking the best of both of you. With his arm wrapped tightly around you, you both settled into the warmth of each other. 

"I didn't expect you to... you know," you said, your voice trembling "I mean, it was so sudden..." 

Hongjoong chuckled lightly, his fingers gently brushed your arm. "I can't help it," he said, his voice soft and intimate. "When I'm with you, I just... lose control. You drive me crazy, you know that?" 

You blushed, a soft smile playing on your lips. "Is that so?" you asked, your tone teasing. 

"Yes," he replied, his voice serious. "But... if I hurt you, or if it was too much... I'm sorry. I didn't mean to." 

You shook your head, reaching out to gently touch his face. "You didn't hurt me, Hongjoong," you assured him. "It was... intense. But in a good way. I liked it." 

A relieved smile spread across his face. "I'm glad to hear that," he said. 

The storm outside couldn't touch Hongjoong in your embrace, where the rest of the world seemed to cease to exist. Your rhythmic breathing lulled him into a sense of peace and tranquility, your heart syncing with his in a comforting rhythm. You could feel the tension slowly leaving your body as you relaxed against Hongjoong, his grip on you softening. As his eyes fluttered closed, you traced patterns on his back with your fingers, a silent promise of comfort and safety. 

After a period of blissful silence, punctuated only by your breathing, you posed a question that needed to be asked, "But Hongjoong... what exactly are you doing here?" you finally addressed the elephant in the room. "Not that I’m complaining, it’s just so… unexpected," Hongjoong breathed out shakily. He hadn’t figured out quite how to navigate the whole situation, what to tell you and what not. 

"Well, if you're not complaining, then maybe we don't have to talk about it?" Hongjoong stated, causing you to furrow your brows in confusion. His words caught you off guard. Hongjoong was dismissing your feelings, trying to brush them off as if they were nothing. 

"Are you serious right now?" You asked, your voice rising in disbelief. "I'm trying to have a serious conversation with you, Hongjoong, and you're just...just..." You pulled away from his embrace, and a wave of disappointment washed over you, causing your heart to sink deep within. You had naively hoped that this time things would be different, that the love you shared could somehow erase the pain of the past. But the harsh reality started to set in. 

"Relax, I didn't mean it like that," with a swift movement, he reached out, his fingers wrapping around your wrist, pulling you in towards him. Your naked body collided with his chest. But Hongjoong's casual demeanor only infuriated you further. 

"No, Hongjoong, I won't 'relax'," you snapped back once again pulling away from his embrace, your patience wearing thin. "This is important, and if you're not going to take it seriously, then maybe we shouldn't be having this conversation at all." He was silent for a moment, his eyes studying your face as if trying to understand your emotions. But what was there to understand? You were hurt, and you were angry, and you were tired of feeling like you were the only one who cared. 

"I'm sorry," he finally said, his voice quiet. "You're right. I should've taken this more seriously. Let's talk." It was a small victory, but a victory nonetheless. You let out a sigh of relief, a weight lifting off your shoulders. Maybe there was hope for you two after all. With his apology, the tension in the room lessened slightly, but it was still there, hovering in the air like a dark cloud. You took a deep breath, composing yourself before speaking again. 

"Thank you, Hongjoong," you began, your voice steady. "We need to communicate better," you continued, meeting his soft gaze. 

"Yeah, I agree, baby," he said, pressing a tender kiss to your temple. "Let's go out for dinner, and we can talk properly." You nodded in agreement, taking comfort in his words and the warmth of his touch.

"I'd like that," you replied, your voice barely above a whisper. 

"Then it’s a date, but for now let me take care of you, what do you say? Should I run you a bath?" he suggested, and you hummed in agreement. Hongjoong nodded, as he captured your lips in a soft kiss before he stood up and walked towards the bathroom. You heard the sound of water running and you felt a sense of calm wash over you. Hongjoong returned with a glass of warm water, offering it to you. "Should I prepare some food for us while you bathe?" he asked. You took a sip, the warm liquid soothing your parched throat. 

You glanced at him, your eyes meeting his. "I was kind of hoping that you would join me in the bathroom," you replied, a hint of a smile playing on your lips. A hint of surprise flashed in Hongjoong's eyes, quickly replaced by a familiar spark of mischief. 

"Is that so?" he asked, a playful grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. You nodded, your cheeks flushing a soft pink under his intense gaze. "Well then," he said, setting the glass down on the nightstand. "Who am I to decline such offer?" He extended his hand to you, the implicit invitation hanging in the air between you. With a soft laugh, you took his hand, allowing him to pull you to your feet. 

The tub was overflowing with bubbles, the water warm and inviting. Hongjoong pulled you into the tub with him, his arms wrapping around your waist as you settled between his legs. His fingers traced idle patterns on your skin, the simple touch sending shivers down your spine. With a soft giggle, you reached for the bottle of shampoo, pouring a generous amount onto your palm. Hongjoong took it from you, his fingers intertwining with yours as he worked the shampoo into your hair. His movements were gentle, his fingers massaging your scalp in a way that had you closing your eyes in pleasure. Every now and then, Hongjoong would press a sweet kiss on your shoulder, his lips lingering against your skin in a silent promise of love. You turned in his arms, your fingers tracing the contours of his face. You leaned in, capturing his lips in a sweet kiss. His hands found your waist, pulling you closer as he deepened the kiss. His fingers brushed through your hair, washing out the shampoo. As he rinsed your hair, you leaned back against him, your fingers tracing patterns on his thigh. His lips found your neck, pressing soft kisses to your marked skin. Hongjoong examined the hickeys he left on your skin, already a deep shade of purple. A sense of satisfaction washed over him at the sight, but it was quickly replaced by a wave of guilt. "I'm sorry, baby," he whispered against your neck, peppering the area with soft kisses in a silent apology. 

You felt his breath against your skin, calming and warm. The sensation was a stark contrast to the pain of the marks he had created. "It's okay, Hongjoong," you reassured him, your voice soft and forgiving. You knew he didn't mean to hurt you; his passion got the better of him. 

He pulled back and looked into your eyes, "Promise?" he asked, an eyebrow raised in concern. You nodded, giving him a small smile that seemed to put him at ease. 

"Promise," you replied, tracing your fingers over the marks with a slight wince. The tension from earlier seemed to have dissipated, replaced by a sense of peace and contentment. You both sat there, lost in each other's arms, the water slowly turning lukewarm around you. 

Hongjoong's voice broke the comfortable silence, his words soft against your ear. "I love you," he confessed, his voice barely above a whisper. You turned in his arms, your eyes meeting his. 

"I love you too, Hongjoong," you replied, your words echoing his sentiment. His lips found yours once again, sealing your words with a passionate kiss. As you both sunk further into the tub, the bubbles tickling your skin, you couldn't help but feel a sense of happiness wash over you. Despite everything that had happened, you were here, in his arms, and that was all that mattered. 

ten

While you were still occupied in the bathroom, engaged in getting ready for your date, Hongjoong gently excused himself. With a certain apprehension in his heart, he reached for his phone that was still in his bag. His fingers rubbed against the cool surface, contemplating the action he was about to take. He knew it was time, time to call Seonghwa. The call he had been avoiding, could no longer be put aside. It was a call he had to make, a call to face the repercussions of his actions. The gnawing guilt had begun to weigh him down. Hongjoong took a deep breath, bracing himself for the conversation that was to follow, and dialed Seonghwa's number. 

Seonghwa's voice crackled through the phone, filled with anxiety and disbelief. "Hongjoong? Oh God, what is happening? We're all sitting on the edge, waiting for any information. Care to explain?" 

Hongjoong sighed heavily, his frustration palpable even through the call. "Well, it got out of my control," he admitted. 

"Well, no shit," Seonghwa snapped. "Managers rushed us to the hotel and casually dropped the bomb that you're going on hiatus." 

"I had no idea. I was on a plane when this escalated," Hongjoong explained, running a hand through his hair despite knowing Seonghwa couldn't see him. 

"What do you mean, a plane? Where are you now?" Seonghwa's voice rose with a mix of confusion and anger. 

"I'm at Y/N’s place," Hongjoong confessed quietly. 

"Are you fucking kidding me right now? You told all of us she was in the past countless times!" Seonghwa's voice was a mix of betrayal and frustration, each word sharper than the last. 

"Seonghwa, I love her," Hongjoong said, his voice soft but resolute. 

"And clearly it does nothing good for you! Hongjoong, the media are already all over this. They're speculating you will leave the group," Seonghwa exclaimed, his intensity cutting through the phone. 

"Relax, I’m coming back in a month," Hongjoong assured, though his tone lacked conviction. 

"And you expect me to believe that? You'll be back for how long? Until she contacts you again?" Seonghwa shot back, his voice heavy with doubt and frustration. Hongjoong's silence on the other end of the line spoke volumes. Seonghwa sighed, his frustration giving way to a more pleading tone. "Hongjoong, this is serious. The whole group is worried. You can’t just drop everything every time she calls." 

"I know, Seonghwa," Hongjoong said, his voice wavering. "I just... I needed to see her." 

"Look, we all care about you. But you can't keep doing this to yourself. To us. The media, the fans... they’re going to tear you apart." Seonghwa countered. 

"I’m aware," Hongjoong replied, a note of defeat in his voice. "I just... I don’t know what else to do. I feel like I'm being pulled in two different directions." 

Seonghwa took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing thoughts. "You need to make a choice, Hongjoong. Either you're with us, focused on the group, or you need to figure out your personal life first. But this back and forth... it's hurting everyone." 

"I understand," Hongjoong said quietly. "I’m sorry. I didn't mean for it to get this bad." 

"I know you didn’t," Seonghwa said, softening slightly. "But we need you here. We need you to be present. Can you promise me that before you come back you will sort this out once and for all?" 

There was a long pause before Hongjoong responded. "I promise. I'll be back in a month, and during this time I’ll figure things out. I owe that to you guys." 

"Alright," Seonghwa said, feeling a bit of relief. "We'll be waiting for you. Just... take care of yourself, okay?" 

"You too," Hongjoong replied, a hint of gratitude in his voice. "I'll see you soon." As Seonghwa ended the call, he couldn't shake the worry gnawing at him. He hoped Hongjoong would keep his promise, for the sake of the group and for his own well-being. 

Just as Hongjoong put his phone back in his bag, you swung open the bathroom doors. Your eyes were wide from shock as you looked at him. 

"Hongjoong, what does it mean you're on hiatus?" you asked, showing him the articles you’ve just read. Hongjoong met your intense gaze with a practiced smile, hiding the truth behind his eyes. 

"Well, I chose you this time," he lied smoothly, his words a balm to your insecurities. It was exactly what you wanted to hear, and he knew it. But deep down, he knew the reality was far different. Hongjoong understood all too well that you could never find out the truth—that he had no intention of staying for long before disappearing from your life once again. "I decided I need to be with you, to spend my time with you, so I asked the company to give me some time off," he continued, his words dripping with sincerity. With a wild smile stretching across your face, and a laugh of pure joy bubbling from your lips, you threw yourself into Hongjoong's arms. Your hands wrapped around his neck, holding him close as if you could never let him go. At that moment, the happiness of having him back overshadowed any doubts or suspicions, and you basked in the warmth of his presence, cherishing every moment together. 

"You have no idea how happy I am," you murmured, your voice filled with genuine emotion. Hongjoong's heart swelled with warmth at your words, he held you close, savoring the feeling of having you in his arms, relishing the closeness and connection between you. In that moment, everything else faded away, and all that mattered was the love and happiness shared between you. 

"Oh, I think I might have some idea," he replied, his voice barely above a whisper. His eyes met yours, and for a moment, time seemed to stand still. The room was filled with an aching silence, the air heavy with anticipation. His gaze was soft, yet intense, a reflection of the love he held for you. Slowly, Hongjoong moved closer, closing the distance between you. His warm breath brushed against your lips, sending shivers down your spine. Then, without another word, he captured your lips in a soft, tender kiss. It was a kiss filled with longing and affection, a declaration of his feelings that didn't need words. His lips moved against yours, gentle yet demanding. Hongjoong bit your lip gently as he pulled back from the kiss, a playful smirk tugging at the corners of his mouth. His eyes met yours again, now shining with an unspoken promise of love. They were so warm, so full of love, that you couldn't help but get lost in them. 

With bated breath, you looked up at him, your eyes searching his for reassurance. "You won't leave this time?" you whispered softly, the question hanging in the air like a delicate bubble. It was a plea, a desperate hope for a future that was uncertain yet full of potential. He looked back at you, his eyes filled with resolute determination. The smile that graced his lips was gentle yet firm, a testament to his unwavering commitment to you. 

"I swear, I'll never leave again," he declared, his voice filled with conviction that left no room for doubt. His response filled your heart with a kind of joy that was almost overwhelming. You could barely contain the happiness that bubbled up within you, a joy so profound it was almost palpable. You felt a rush of relief wash over you as if a heavy weight had been lifted from your shoulders. Hongjoong leaned in closer, his breath warm against your skin. And then, he pressed his lips against yours in a soft yet firm kiss. His kiss was like a balm to your worries, an assurance that he was here to stay, that he was yours. His words echoed in your mind, a sweet symphony of promises that painted a beautiful picture of what your future could hold. 

"Get ready, we will be leaving soon," he smiled, giving your bum a teasing slap and gently pushing you off him. You let out a soft giggle, batting his hand away playfully. 

"Alright, alright," you said, rolling your eyes but unable to hide the smile tugging at your lips. "I'll go get ready." You quickly slipped away from him, heading to your bedroom to change. As you closed the door behind you, you paused for a moment, leaning against the wooden surface. A soft smile spread across your face as you remembered his gentle teasing, the warmth of his touch still lingering on your skin. Despite the playful banter, you could feel a strange sense of anticipation building up within you. There was something different about tonight - a spark, an excitement that you couldn't quite put your finger on. As you began to get ready for the night, you couldn't help but feel a flutter of excitement in your stomach. 

You sorted through your wardrobe and selected a simple, black strap dress and an elegant black blazer. You left your hair loose over your shoulders, hoping it would cover some of the hickeys that Hongjoong had left on your neck. The marks that were still visible were covered with concealer, which unfortunately didn't help much. You opted for minimal makeup, accentuating your eyes and finishing with your favorite lipstick. After putting on your shoes and grabbing a small bag, you were ready to go. 

"Baby, I'm ready," you announced to Hongjoong, emerging from the bedroom. He was in the living room, awaiting your arrival. "You look...you look stunning," he murmured, taking your hand and spinning you around to appreciate your full appearance. His eyes sparkled with admiration, a warmth spreading across his face as he took in your appearance. 

"You are so beautiful," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. He reached out, tucking a loose strand of hair behind your ear, his touch gentle and loving. "I can't believe how lucky I am." He continued to hold your hand, his thumb gently stroking the back of your hand as he looked at you, completely awestruck. "All set?" he asked, giving your hand a gentle squeeze. You nodded, unable to hide the smile that spread across your face. He offered his arm and you took it, ready to step out into the night with him. 

"I was thinking we could drop by my place on our way to the restaurant, if that's okay with you," he proposed, his eyes eagerly seeking yours for any signs of discomfort. "Seonghwa and Jongho aren't home so you don't have to worry about running into them. I need to change into something more appropriate, and I thought I could pack some stuff as well so I could stay the night after our date." He let the suggestion hang in the air, a hopeful glint in his eyes. 

"Of course," you replied, your heart fluttering at his consideration. A soft smile played upon your lips as you added, "That sounds like a perfect plan, Hongjoong." His face lit up at your response, the tension in his body visibly easing. He let out a sigh of relief, a smile mirroring yours gracing his features. 

"But before we go, I need to tell you something," Hongjoong stated, and you swore your heart stopped for a second. 

"What is it?" you inquired, a knot of apprehension tightening in your stomach. 

"Because of the hiatus, I need to stay low," he said, his voice barely above a whisper. There was a weight to his words, a heaviness that filled the room.

Understanding his situation, you nodded. "I know, Hongjoong," you replied in an equally quiet voice. "I know it’s not the same as before. I mean, you are so popular now." 

"I just don't want the media up our asses, especially now that everyone is speculating about the reason behind my hiatus," Hongjoong confessed, his voice tinged with frustration. 

You nodded in understanding, feeling a pang of sympathy for the pressure he was under. "I get it," you replied softly. "We'll keep it low-key, just between us. No need to add fuel to the fire." 

Hongjoong's expression softened with gratitude, his eyes reflecting his relief. "Thank you," he murmured, leaning in to press a gentle kiss to your forehead. 

"We can go public in the future where it won't cause so many problems, right?" you asked, your voice filled with hope and uncertainty. 

Hongjoong looked at you, his expression thoughtful. "I hope so," he replied, his tone cautious. "But for now, let's focus on us. We'll take things one step at a time and see where it leads." 

You nodded, a sense of determination settling over you. "I'm okay with that," you said, your voice steady despite the lingering doubts. "As long as we're together, that's all that matters." 

Hongjoong smiled, his eyes softening with affection. "That's all that matters to me too," he whispered, pulling you close for another embrace. 

[cladu-blue-bird]

Just putting this theory out there:

Hazbin season 2 is gonna end with the hotel losing, and the finale is gonna be the opposite of season 1's.

Many people like to portray Sera as this tyrant who would try to keep Pentious' redemption secret at all costs in order to maintain Heaven's status quo or something like that, and while I do think she would want to do that, I don't think she's in the position to, at least not emotionally. I mean, we've all seen her in episode 6, she was faced with an entire court room who had just found out she was behind a thousand-year lasting genocide, and all she was concerned about was Emily's reaction and making sure she wasn't disappointed in her, making sure she didn't hate her, making sure she didn't rebel and fall like Lucifer did. But Emily is, indeed, very disappointed in her, and now that we know redemption is possible, Sera's on a hot seat like never before. So here's what I think will happen:

Sera is ashamed, so she lets Emily take charge. And Emily is ecstatic that sinners can be redeemed, because this means they are good people after all, yay! And so she welcomes Charlie and the hotel residents with open arms, and she's super nice to them, she's super nice to everyone, because everyone deserves a second chance right? And as gets more and more in contact with the population of Hell and things are going more and more in Charlie's way... sometimes goes wrong.

You see, something I used to find odd is the fact that now that we've had such an important reveal about redemption, the focus shifts on the Vees. Because yes, they're the confirmed main antagonists of the next season. And that's weird. I mean, finding out whether redemption is possible or not is the entire point of the show. It can't be brushed off in a subplot in favor to three randos from hell. Unless it doesn't.

Because the Vees want to rebel against Heaven. Velvette makes it very clear in episode 3. Many people brushed off that scene and called them hypocrites because "they made such a fuss about wanting to fight only to stay holed up in their house eating popcorn when extermination day actually came", but I think they were just stalling; first of all, they would have never fought alongside the hotel, not as long as Alastor was there. If anything, if the angels killed the residents during that battle, they would have gotten rid of their enemies for them.

But the main reason is that Velvette wasn't talking about the three of them attacking the angels alone. She wanted to pitch an assault plan to the other overlords, but they didn't listen to her because they didn't have enough proof exorcist could actually be killed by demons. Now, however, they do. So it would be totally possible for the Vees to gather an army to fight against Heaven.

My theory is that season 2 is divided in 2 plots, one about Sir Pentious and his redemption, and one about the Vees putting their plan together, and in the end they join into one. Emily puts every bit of trust she has in Charlie, only for the Vees to start a war against Heaven, and they fight, and it gets ugly. I wouldn't bet on anyone's death since we know Lute, Saint Peter and Emily herself are going to be in season 3, and Abel seems like too much of a big deal to die so soon, but like Lute lost an arm in season one, we don't know who could be next. There's many bad things that could happen to these characters even without killing them. And Emily realizes that oh shit, sinner really are bad people. They tried to kill her friends, and she's the one who let them get this close. It's her fault. So now, she's the one who's ashamed. She's the one who fucked up. She's the one who thinks that maybe Sera did know better, after all. So Sera takes charge again.

Sera's enraged. She cuts the sinners off, possibly for good. Assuming the exorcist are still here and they're still Heaven's military, they play a huge role in the defeat of the rebellion, and assuming they had lost their social status when redemption had been proven to be legit, they get it back. Given that now we have actual proof that the sinners want to arise against Heaven, the exterminations are brought back.

The Hotel has lost Heaven's support, and after the rebellion has gone to shit, they don't have supporters in Hell either. They lost, and they're back to square one.

A season like this would mean many fun things, including:

- More Vox/Alastor lore (which is already been confirmed) and shenanigans

- More Val/Angel lore and shenanigans

- Maybe more Velvette/Carmilla shenanigans, as well. I thought their conflict would have only been a one episode thing, but I changed my mind when Viv posted on Instagram a picture of a scheme involving all the characters, where Velvette and Carmilla were connected. Velvette is the only Vee without a proper antagonist, so it would be nice to see more of them.

- Carmilla getting more involved with the Hotel to prevent the rebellion and protect her daughters? (Or maybe she just keeps pretending to be the Phantom of the opera and she cries when the war does eventually happen and everything goes to shit)

- Charlie's ideas and morality getting challenged and her character getting more depth

- Lute's ideas and morality getting challenged and her character getting more depth

- Angels getting more screen time (NEVER A BAD THING)

- Possibly internal Heaven structure lore

- Sir Pentious lore

-Abel lore

And I could go on forever but you get the point.

(If you ever want to add any sort of comment to this post, please no spoilers, and no talking about l*aks)

[alwayssassydreamer]

Just apologize

A/N: due to tight schedule i had/will have to skip a few days of the Kikitober event but I'm trying to do as many days as i can.

Day 5 with Laugh of the Kikitober 2024

Plot: After Kid had been in an awfully annoying and bad mood throughout the whole week, especially to Killer, the latter decides to put him into place. With the crew out on the island drinking or doing who knows what, Killer has all day long to show Kid the power of an apology.

Warnings: swearing, bondage, tickling, brat taming, established relationship implied, kinda nsfw-ish?, MDNI 🔞⚠️

Characters: Kid x Killer

Usually Killer didn't mind it when kid was being a pain in the ass and being dragged into Kids' room, resulting in some heated make out sessions. But not today. This time Kid has pushed Killer a little too far.

An apology. That was all Killer wanted from Kid. But kid was not a man to say sorry. Especially not when he's in a bratty mood.

Standing in Kids' room Killer decided it was time to turn things around and take control. "Today I'm in charge" killer said bluntly. Kid looked at him for a moment. It wasn't unusual for killer to be the dominating one still when kid was being a brat he wasn't in the mood to give up control.

Killer saw the hesitation in Kid's eyes. "What, are you scared now?" He asked trying to provoke Kid into agreeing. "As if there's anything you could do to scare me!" Kid barked obviously falling for the trap. "Good, then take all your clothes off, except for your underwear." Killer ordered in an intimidating tone.

Kid smiled to himself, finding Killer's dominating side amusing. Still he obeyed wanting to play along, thinking about how disappointed killer will be after his failed attempt to tame him then taking back control over the whole situation and fuck him senseless until he's learnt his lesson.

"So what now?" Kid asked after removing his clothes. "Detach your metal arm and lay on the bed, I'll be right back" killer said leaving the room.

He came back, holding something in his hand.

"Handcuffs? You didn't have to leave the room for them i got some in my nightstand." "But these are seastone prism cuffs." Killer replied jiggling the cuffs in his hand. Kid swallowed. for a moment he started to feel a little uneasy but killer didn't care. He stepped over to the bed and grabbed kid's wrist handcuffing it to the headboard.

"Someone seems a bit eager" he said trying to hide the fact that he did not like this one bit, at least not like he usually did, knowing very well that he'd been getting on his friends nerves the entire week.

But then again what's the worst killer could do to him? Edge him? Well probably but Kid knows that sooner or later Killer would give in to his own cravings. Hurt him? No Killer would never do that no matter how annoying he is, in the end they're still best friends/lovers. So what did Killer plan on doing to him.

Killer put his mask aside wanting Kid to see his face. "You know the saying laughter is the best medicine" killer asked shit eating grin on his face. "What's that supposed to mean?" Kid asked not liking the expression on the older man's face. "Well i thought that maybe laughing would help getting rid of your shitty attitude." Killer said hovering over kid straddling his waist.

"Are you losing your mind right now?" Kid spat. "Maybe, but did you really think i would do something you'd enjoy after you've been a pain in my ass the whole week" killer huffed gently moving his one hand over Kid's chest the other along his cuffed arm. Kid twitched at the light touch.

And suddenly realization hit him. "Wait! You're joking right. You can't be serious" kid said through gritted teeth. This was not good. One thing kid really hated was getting tickled, especially in a situation like this. "Not so tough anymore huh?" Killer cooed moving one hand further down his arm, while the one on his chest snaked up to his neck. Kid hissed trying to swallow the sound that wanted to leave his lips.

"I'm so going to kick your ass you fucking idiot" he snapped but killer just smiled. "You really think that it's a good idea to threaten me, given the position you're in" Killer whispered in his ear. Before Kid could throw another insult at Killer he felt one hand brushing his armpit. The sensation was driving him made making it harder to contain his laughter. His body involuntarily started shaking. He took deep breaths trying to block the horrible tingling out, moving his head to the side, as if it would help with the ticklish feeling. At least this way he didn't have to see the smirk on Killer's face.

Killer knew Kid wouldn't give in that easily, he's still the most stubborn person he knows. So he decided to pick it up a notch, now scratching at his armpit, while his other hand moved from his neck over his chest to his lower belly. The most adorable squeak left Kid's lips.

"Oh what was that? Don't tell me you're already breaking?" Killer taunted. The red haired man tried to say something but couldn't get a word out too busy keeping his laughter in. Killer enjoyed every minute of it, after all those days that he kept Killer non-stop on his feet, getting on his last nerve this felt like some sort of reward. When he saw how hard Kid was struggling he decided to give him a quick break, after all he didn't want to push him too far.

Kid was thankful for that, taking some deep breaths, body calming down, at least a little bit. "Fucking shit head" he exhaled looking at Killer. "That's enough" he warned. "Don't think so, haven't even heard you laugh properly" Killer mocked placing a sweet peck on his chest. "And you won't" Kid barked. No he won't give him this satisfaction, no matter what, he will not laugh.

"We'll see about that still have some spots to try" was all Killer said before placing sweet kisses on Kids stomach making him struggle in his bond. Killer could feel the way his muscles twitched underneath him. He looked up at Kid with a devilish smile and before Kid could protest, he blew a raspberry on his stomach.

"Noohhooo" Kid giggled. Killer smiled happily as he blew another, his hands tickling Kid's ribs and sides leaving him a giggling mess. After 2 more raspberries Killer stopped, his hands now gently massaging Kid's upper body.

"Didn't think you could endure this for so long without laughing" Killer said soothingly. Kid huffed, chest heaving quickly. "Told you you won't break me" Kid said smugly hoping Killer would finally stop. "I will don't worry" Killer threatened in a dangerous tone, that left Kid a little nervous. Not going unnoticed by Killer.

"I'll make you an offer. We both know that the next spots will be the death of you, so how about you finally apologize to me for being such a brat and get me some pasta and a drink in the town and i might let you go" Kid considered his offer for a moment. Taking Killer out would be enjoyable for both of them.

"How about i take you out to town and you let me go" Kid tried to negotiate with Killer. "No" well he kind of expected that answer. "I want an apology first and if you don't give me one i guess I'll have to continue" Killer faked a sigh.

"Fucking asshole i won't apol-" Kids words were cut off by the sensation of two hands kneading the spot right above his knees. Kid tried to kick Killer off him but to no avail. "Fuck" he blurted out as he started to giggle once again. Killer moved one hand to his inner thigh the other staying on his knee. Thats when a small laugh escaped Kid's lips.

"Soooo what were you trying to say about apologizing to me" Killer cooed with a wide grin. Kid was shaking unable to form a word and Killer's expression didn't help either. That fucking idiot was having fun torturing him.

Maybe apologizing wasn't a bad idea after all. Or maybe he could beg him to stop. No! Begging was not something Kid would do, he wasn't sure if he's even capable of doing that. But as soon as he saw Killer readjusting himself -now sitting on his shins facing Kid's feet- he thought of reconsidering that.

"Wait Killer, not there!" But Killer ignored his captain. He wanted an apology and he was going to get it. As soon as his hands made contact with his captains soles the latter burst out into deep belly laughter. Finally. Kid was trashing his head from side to side, body twitching trying to shake Killer off. "Changed your mind" Killer had to shout to make sure Kid would hear him over his laughter.

After a few more strokes of his fingers Kid gave in. "Fine, you won" he screamed. Killer immediately stopped and looked over his shoulder to see Kid's exhausted expression. "I'm sorry for being an asshole." Kid panted almost out of breath. Killer smiled and got off of him.

"Was that so hard?" He said while uncuffing his wrist. Kid glared at him still catching his breath. "I love your laugh" Killer added as he took care of the mark on his wrist. Kid wanted to be angry at killer for what just happened but seeing how tenderly he took care of his wrist and that sweet smile on his face made it impossible.

"Didn't mean to piss you off that bad" kid said eyes still locked on killer. "It's fine, now I know what to do next time you're being a pain in the ass" Killer said winking at Kid. "Fucking idiot, next time you're going to be the one getting tortured so i can hear your lovely laughter" Kid hissed with a devilish grin as he sat up.

Killer wanted to say something, protest that there's no reason for him to be on the receiving end but hearing Kid say that he got a lovely laugh was enough to make him slightly blush. "Just gimme a minute then we can go" kid mumbled. Killer just looked at him confused. "What? Part of the deal was an apology and that i get you your pasta and a drink."

[bots-and-cons]

Could i request Hcs of bumblebee and soundwave with reader being a ghost? The reader keeps it a secret cuz they dont want to scare the other humans and not confuse the bots out too much... but as time passes they notice the reader rarely eats or sleeps and sometimes if they look REALLY close they see them floating ever-so-slightly from the floor? Their cover gets blown when a vehicon shoots directly at them but the bullet goes right through them.. buddy out of fear fades out but comes back later to the base. How would the bots react?

A/N: I totally forgot I had this request, because I’ve apparently just been scrolling past this while looking for something I want to write lol. I also realized after writing the Soundwave part that I didn’t really followed the plot you laid out, but at least I did it for Bee, mostly, sorry…

~Soundwave~

•Honestly, you don’t even remember when you died, and the how is even hazier

•You don’t really care though, you’re a ghost now, it’s not really any use crying after your previous life

•So after wandering the earth for who knows how long, you came upon the decepticons and decided to sneak onto their ship

•What’s the worst that could happen? You were already dead

•Also giant robots? Hell yeah, that sounds like fun

•So yeah, you kinda become the ghost of the Nemesis, as if it isn’t haunted enough already…

•You’ve got the ability to become just barely visible and your presence makes cameras act kinda funky

•You also have the ability to pass through things, and you float just a bit off the floor/ground

•Soundwave of course starts noticing all these weird glitches with the cameras around the Nemesis and starts tracking what the reason might be

•He starts noticing this human shape appearing around the Nemesis, and he decides to get to the bottom of what’s going on

•You’ve observed these big ass robots for about a week now, and you’ve noticed that you managed to accidentally scare them so many times, at least some of them, well mostly the red one

•Soundwave finally catches you, well sort of

•He makes it known that he knows you’re there and asks you to make yourself visible

•You’re not scared of Soundwave, he can’t really do anything to you, so you’re sure he just wants to kick you off the spaceship

•You’re kinda disappointed, because you wanted to see more and you weren’t totally done with your exploration of the ship

•Soundwave observes you for a moment and concludes that you’re not a threat and just some sort of specter that’s gotten very lost

•You’re of course surprised that he just sort of leaves, so you follow him and start asking him questions (some might say you start haunting him)

•Soundwave of course isn’t particularly excited about this, but he can’t really do anything to get rid of you, because he can’t touch you

•He later realizes he can actually touch you, but it takes some effort on your part to become solid 

•You’ve actually not shown yourself to anyone else on the Nemesis, except Knockout, whose name you learned from Soundwave, but that was an accident, and now he thinks there’s a human ghost haunting the Nemesis

•He’s not wrong

~Bumblebee~

•Bee first ran into you on a lonely stretch of road that was a part of his patrol, he also noticed there was a recent car wreck on that same road, and candles and flowers left at the accident site

•He kept running into you though, again and again, and eventually you saw him transform when some vehicons attacked him on that same stretch of road

•So of course he took you to the base, and you became a part of the team, just like the trouble trio would later on

•You were the first “human” to really join the team

•Bee doesn’t really pay attention to little things such as if you’ve eaten or slept, because he thinks you just do those things when he’s not around or during the times you disappear

•He does start noticing little things, like you seem to be sort of idling, moving up and down just a tiny, tiny bit when you stand still

•He doesn’t notice you’re actually floating until much later, but he thinks he’s just imagining it

•When you eventually end up in the middle of a fight after you went to look for the trouble trio and try to keep them safe, you end up at the wrong end of a blaster

•This of course doesn’t really matter, because the blaster shot just passes through you and hits the rock behind you

•Bee has already tackled the vehicon, and he was sure you’d gotten hurt

•But you’re just standing there, oddly transparent and the edges of your body seem sort of wavy and oddly moving

•Bee is confused, but you’re annoyed and upset, because you feel like he might be scared of you now

•You and Bee go back to the base with the rest of the team, and you talk with Bee, explaining the situation to him

•When you first came to the base, you didn’t actually know you were dead, your state only became apparent to you a few days later, when you realized you hadn’t eaten or slept, and you had a bit of a freak-out

•You decided to hide it, because you didn’t want to freak out the autobots or have to leave, because you couldn’t go home, you were dead

•Bee understood, and he felt bad that he hadn’t noticed, but the two of you actually came up with a lot of fun stuff with your ghost abilities

[roi-des-aulnes]

OK, a little disorganised rant below but I had to get it out of my system :

I hated season 4. We had to suffer a whole year of messy plot lines, the characters pulled in too many directions and still doing fuck all because they keep having the same sentimental (and sometimes, frankly corny) conversation over and over again. And the side characters were disappointing. I saw the positive reactions to the Butcher, Noel and Oscar, and I understand. It was refreshing to have other human beings that were going to be more fleshed out than #Dead Body n°3 or # Mad Old Woman n°273849. But that didn't really happen in the end. The butcher felt like a caricature of a villain in a CW tv show, and don't get me started on his "redemption". The finale episodes were just. Bad. I was audibly sighing with annoyance during the big fight between John and Yellow which was way too cliché. The big Larson machine thing went nowhere, and I feel like the Kayne scene was just a lazy solution for getting rid of all the loose ends all at once because HG felt stuck at that point and didn't know how to end the arc.

Anyway. All of this just to say, I felt like season 5 was a good opportunity to shake things up by changing the setting, giving Jarthur completely new challenges, maybe it would let them explore that new aspect of their relationship they talked about in the first episode, idk. Instead we got a John recap episode, whatever the fuck Malam was, the useless Horig disease, the Agatha Christie medieval plot ... when Everard introduced Alia, Antoine and Vale, i remember thinking "why are we losing time on this, they'll most likely be dead and discarded soon".

What's worse is that it's getting more and more difficult to remember that John is more than a disembodied voice narrating whatever is happening. Occasionally he says "yes Arthur !" or "careful Arthur" but that's about it. OK then. I thought he wanted to stop feeling like a voice trapped in another man's body. Didn't they discuss it at length before ?

Oh and I don't care about Lillith. I've tried, but maybe it would have been easier to make her more interesting if her and Scratch were different characters? Idk. They beat Scratch once they can do it again + Arthur Just Doesn't Die so why should we care ? As far as I can see she's not a threat, just a nuisance.

And I'm not even gonna talk about the Faroe thing but that's yet another one of my main problems with this podcast lately. Basically, throughout the show I went from "aww no poor him he has a dead daughter :(" to "oh of course he's still grieving" and eventually to "OK can he maybe let her die for real actually ? Instead of waving her dead body around every time Arthur is inconvenienced so he can cry about it?"

What's maddening to me is that there is still potential. The sound design is great, I loved the eerie music in the forest episode. And I can see that HG has ideas, or pieces of ideas at least. There are characters that you want to get invested into. But I feel that the main character is getting less and less compatible with them, and so most of those ideas end up botched and lesser versions of what could have been.

[friendball-irl]

OOC: hey, using this blog because it's got a shit ton of followers and I can use it for good purposes

IT IS NOT OKAY TO TELL SOMEONE WHAT THEY CAN AND CAN'T DO ON THEIR OWN BLOG IF THERE'S NOTHING WRONG WITH THEIR CHARACTER OR STORY

Some of my friends over the year and a half I've been on here have been harassed or pressured into dropping stories or feeling like they can't play the character like they want to. I've seen this happen a lot with blogs that are a little darker in nature or have storylines that involve a darker tone.

That's not okay.

No one has the right to tell anyone else what they can or can't do just because their blog is different from theirs. This is a fucking community, and that means that there's going to be stuff that only a fraction of the people will like.

This does not excuse blogs that have tried to do plots that involve actually disgusting topics or storylines. There are some things that shouldn't be put out there for anyone to stumble across, let alone in a public space like this.

The point is that if you deliberately drive away a member of the community just to make yourself happier, that's the absolute wrong way to handle it.

Just block them for god's sake.

You don't want to see the story but you like the character? Block tags.

And if tags would get rid of too much, then I'm sorry but you should just not interact with them anymore. Live with the guilt/sadness about not interacting with them. Don't make them change to fit your narrative.

There's a difference between setting healthy boundaries and intentionally making a situation more difficult than it has to be.

I'm disappointed in anyone that has done this to others. This is a creative outlet for many of us, and you don't have the right to restrict how they can express themselves. It's supposed to be fun. Don't take it so seriously that it's affecting you in real life.

Period.

I'm done with this shit.

[myosotewitch]

I LOVE Kpop demon hunters. It’s my favourite movie from now on, I don’t think I was this obsessed with movie ever. Animation and music is soooo good, the soundtrack just keeps playing on my phone and I want to draw so many shots from the movie T•T

But I think the writing could be better. Like, I don’t think I had so many questions ever about the lore of any uniwersum? Who was Rumi’s dad? Why did her Mom died? How the hunters are chosen? Why Rumi does not hear Gwi-Ma? DID THE MISSING PEOPLE COME BACK TO LIFE OR THEY JUST DIED? I could go on and on.

The discovery scene of Rumi patterns was kinda disappointing. If they wanted to go in this direction, at least I would make the girls, especially Mira, mad about the lack of trust from Rumi, especially when she asked many times if she’s hiding something. The focus would not be on the demon thing, but on the lies and lack of trust. And I would get rid of the weapons in this scene.

I feel devastated by Jinu’s death, like cmon, he and Rumi had such fun dynamic. WE DIDNT GET A KISS, I FEEL BETRAYED. Also, in mine mind it would be better choice if Jinu lived so he could face the consequences of his actions. Dying feels like a easy way out, you know what I mean? Also, he has to come back, I WANT MORE ROMANCE.

I think that Sony just introduced too much plot and characters, the whole thing suits better for a series. I’m not saying that, because I want more, not at all…

But, all in all, I love this movie so freaking much, even if the writing has plot holes. I love ZOEY, my baby. The theme of shame is so good and it resonates with me so much. The girls relationship is top notch and I love their little family T_T.

THE TIGER AND THE BIRD ARE AMAZING, SO FUNNY AND CUDDLY, amazing

[hhhhhhhhhhhhh-3003]

Japanese remake of Beyond Evil is... a disappointment

I watched the press-con and the first two episodes yesterday and my hopes were crushed. The drama does have things to recommend it for:

Yasuda Ken (who plays Dongsik) is a great actor so while Japanese Dongsik is not like the original one, he's still an interesting character. His scenes in the 2nd episode work to a great effect.

The production values while lower than the Korean ones (which is understandable) are decent, there is no "cheap TV" vibe that I was afraid of.

For people who watched lots of J-dramas, some translations are hilarious (of course, Dongsic was an ace of the First Division of Ibaraki, while everyone expects Joowon to leave for Tokyo Headquarters etc)

The music is really cool.

Unfortunately, the flaws are too glaring (though that's just my opinion, yours could be completely different).

They got rid of the small town setup (direct translation of Dongsik's job would be those police officers that patrol on bikes and sit in the police boxes; there was no way to justify Joowon getting such a job, so they had to "scale-up" the setting) and they lost so much. There is no more of that cozy warm feel of a close-knit community; the creepiness of "someone's always watching" is also gone. Most of the banter between secondary characters is cut so after the two episodes we are barely sure that Oh siblings are related.

Small town is no more but we still have like 5 characters to suspect. So it's much more obvious who are the perpetrators. There is a difference between "everyone in the small town is suspicious" and "only these 5 characters have names and lines so the guilty must be among them".

To save screen time and streamline the narrative, too many good things were cut. Lovely character bits (Joowon's disgust at NSB's dirty tea set, Dongsik's fathomless kindness to strangers, easy banter between Dongsik, PJJ and OJW etc), set pieces that tell their own story and add humour (Joowon's insanely organized home is now just a bare hotel room, unkempt garden of Lee residence is now a neatly cut lawn etc).

KMJ isn't lively and energetic kid here, she's more of a damsel in distress seeking help from an older man only to get scared by his case files (as if there is even a slight chance KMJ wouldn't know about the greatest scandal of her town!). Moreover, instead of being the un-creepiest character ever, Dongsik here takes a drunk girl home. That's just not done in Japan unless there is sex involved. It's the same in Korea, that's why in the original KMJ doesn't hide from her father at Dongsik's or why Dongsik takes her to the police station instead of his house. The remake isn't made by female writer and director and it shows.

Most damningly, the antagonism between the main characters was mostly cut. We knew that there was no way to keep the banter between DS and JW as is because mocking sarcastic speech isn't used in Japan. But the solution seems to be to make Joowon into unfeeling robot and to simply cut most of his interactions with Dongsik. Joowon isn't conflicted about causing a death, he doesn't care about his father's approval, he doesn't feel smug that he sees through Dongsik, he doesn't pretend not to be reckless and emotional because he's literally a robot. Joowon in the original is constantly mocked not only by Dongsik but by the narrative itself. In the remake, Joowon is just a two-dimensional plot device.

The verdict: the remake is a dry and bland retelling of the case that sacrifices warm humanity of the original to focus on the technicalities of who-dun-it. It's like reading a police report instead of a novel based on it.

I really rooted for the remake but WOWOW again did what it does best: produced another dry true crime drama as if the point was sensationalism papered over by dry narrative instead of telling a heart-wrenching story of people coping with injustice and lives broken by violence.

As a long-time fan of detective/crime stories and J-dramas, I'm left bitterly disappointed.

[lilolilyr]

We're Working on that Grave Shift, Baby by sequeltolife aka @aro-gintoki

145k words, rated E, time travel and action/adventure, with a Din/Jaster romance, great OCs, and of course adorable Grogu moments!

Summary: Din doesn't want to be Mand'alor. The Darksaber, that definitely does not whisper to him in the middle of the night, refuses to leave his hand. When Din is finally presented a chance to rid himself of it, Din doesn't hesitate to make a deal. He should have hesitated, considering that promise may or may not have come from the ghost of an ancient Mand'alor capable of wizardry... Oh well, at least this cop he meets is nice and helpful.

TLDR: Din doesn't read the fine print, gets flung through space and time, goes through puberty twice as a result, and crash lands at a pivotal point in Jaster Mereel's Journeyman Protector career. Jaster has thoughts about this. Maybe too many thoughts.

10/10, definitely read this if you haven't yet!

Warnings and other spoilers below the cut:

~~~ continue reading ~~~

Content warnings: graphic violence, minor character deaths, consensual explicit smut

I found this fic in the Oya Mand'alor server (or Oya Biatch! as it is currently called xD), recced with this scene from near the end of the fic:

Doesn't that sound absolutely hilarious? I had to go and read it immediately, and the story didn't disappoint!

It switches POVs a couple times, mostly between Din and Jaster, but also OCs like their family members, and I enjoyed reading every one of them!

The fic has so many layers of plot and background info, headcanons and lore, it's so interesting but never gets too complicated to follow along.

The author writes about the title: "Grave shift, working long, late hours; Grave shift, an alarming change. Also, if I can help it, Jaster’s grave will shift off of Korda VI", and isn't that a wonderfully clever fic name?

Header image by Michael Marais on Unsplash. (I know damn well I could have looked for Mandalorian series screencaps but I already had Unsplash open and this pic is cool as hell okay)

feel free to use the pics :) I really didn't have to edit fuckall here except for adding text bc I just found such an awesome photo

[brandon-the-terrible]

I just finished the final TF2 comic (yes it’s actually out in case you didn’t know) and i just wanna make a post to dump my initial thoughts about it

Big spoilers below, of course…

- Damn Merasmus got JACKED. I was wondering what happened to him.

- I actually fucking burst out laughing when Soldier just whipped out a piece of Australium. Of COURSE Soldier would just happen to be in possession of a shit ton of Australium without even knowing. That’s the most tf2 way they could have resolved that.

- Y’know, the reveal that the Administrators big master plan was just a plot to ruin the Mann family feels appropriate. Like the plot of tf2 was centered on the war between Redmond and Bluarch, so that feels like a continuation of the whole “pointless violence” theme.

- Miss Pauling straight up lying to the Adminstrator’s face about the Australium made me gasp. It really puts into perspective how much of a… disappointment this whole thing must be in Pauling’s eyes. The enigmatic scheme she dedicated her whole life to and killed countless people for, was nothing but 100+ years of bitter revenge on a man who’s basically just a corpse by now. A bitter revenge scheme she doesn’t want to see keep going, so she betrays the person she spent her whole life serving and lets her finally waste away and die so it can all finally end.

- “It was worth it.” Jesus. So even after finally realizing how pointless her revenge scheme was, the Administrator doesn’t even care. She was so consumed by hatred for Zepheniah that simply knowing he suffered for over a century was enough. By her own admission, she doesn’t even really remember what he did to warrant it.

- Glad to see that Pauling got rid of the remaining Australium. I was worried what would happen, with all those shots of her staring at it. But after seeing what happened to the Administrator, how many lives were destroyed in pursuit of it, she made the right choice.

- Scout last name reveal????

- So I guess the mercs are finally, fully retired now. Nice to see them all finally move on.

- How many kids did Scout have??? I thought the whole “God’s gift to women” thing was just because it was his own personal heaven, but nope, I guess he really is.

- Ahhh the whole Smissmas part is amazing!! Spy with his mask off!! All the mercs are still in touch!

- HEY WAIT IS THAT THE PYRO’S MASK ON THE TABLE AT THE END???

- Oh my GOD I love teenage Olivia so much. I didn’t even think we’d see her again! Plus her ending was great, she gets to live her own life out of her father’s shadow.

- And of course, the comic started with Hale, so we end with Hale. Even in his winter years he’s still doing what he does best: beating the shit out of wildlife.

I think that’s all the thoughts I have, at least for now. I might reblog this with some more thoughts, idk. Either way, goddamn what a sendoff. This was SO worth the wait.

[freyholland]

Until Dawn Movie Review

This started as a shitpost and then got suuuper long, lmao.

tl;dr the Until Dawn movie was absolutely insane and ridiculous and definitely doesn't need to exist. but I actually liked it more than I thought I would lol

Full review (SPOILER WARNING) under the cut:

Let me start by saying that I’m someone who was fixated on Until Dawn for about a year when it first came out. I don’t consider myself one of its “biggest fans ever”, but I have published over 100k words of fanfiction about it, in addition to countless hours spent crafting edits, metas, playlists, etc - so I think that gives my opinion on the franchise at least Some weight.

Until Dawn is a game that’s basically a movie already. My opinion right along has been that a direct adaptation of UD would have been completely redundant. When this movie was announced, I felt that way. Then we learned that the plot would be different - and suddenly, I was interested. They weren’t taking the easiest and most obvious route. They were trying something new. For better or worse, I was intrigued.

As a writer, changing ANYTHING in a story creates a huge fucking, well, butterfly effect, so naturally things in the movie turn out very different. And yes, I do question some of the decisions, like taking it out of the snowy mountain setting. I assume that was done to differentiate the two stories but then there are so many similarities that it’s impossible not to compare the plots, lol. I do applaud their attempt at creativity instead of mindless translation, even though I don’t think all of it worked. The end product is, at the very least, entertaining, which is really all you can ask of a B-movie horror flick shot on a $15m budget.

The original game, on paper, is cluttered as FUCK. When I first played it back in 2015, I recall turning to my brother at one point and saying “So you’re telling me there just so happens to be a cabin in the woods next to an abandoned mineshaft next to a fucking sanitarium?!” The fact that the movie managed to weave in SO many of these things from that crowded-ass setting while still producing something new and different was really impressive to me. Yes, not all of it was done well - some (like “the masked murderer”) felt like they were just there to tick a box. But a time loop plot allowed for a lot of exploration of these multitudes of different things. And there are so many tiny references! It was fun to spot them all.

I didn’t expect them to work in stuff from the other Supermassive games (notably Little Hope and The Quarry). Oh my god, the way the theater ERUPTED [negative] during the fucking. The fucking. SPONTANEOUS EXPLOSION scenes. I THINK THEY WERE REFERENCING THE QUARRY TRANSFORMATIONS SINCE THEY SHOWED WEREWOLF SKETCHES SHORTLY BEFORE…. BUT LIKE. OF ALL THE THINGS TO USE FROM THAT GAME MFJDKDKDA

And the bear trap with chain thing was from Little Hope, wasn’t it? Or was that from The Quarry, too? I know I remember it from one of the games. Anyway, I was surprised to see that stuff sneak in. Also, them making Dr. Hill the villain was…an interesting choice. Not sure how I feel about it tbh - especially since he seemed like a totally normal guy outside of Josh’s hallucinations (and his explanation for what was happening in the film made no gd sense lmao - how was he able to keep bringing people back to life like that…he outright says it’s real and not in Clover’s mind, so…wtf, is Dr. Hill a necromancer or something). Peter Stormare did an excellent job, though, and he’s probably the closest UD has to a “mascot” character, so I’m willing to be a bit lenient with his inclusion.

I’ll be honest, my working theory prior to seeing the film was that they were making so many changes because they were getting rid of the you-know-whats, or at least changing them into Generic Nameless Creatures, since they look so little like you-know-whats to begin with. Was very disappointed that they not only used the name, but went even farther in stripping them of any cultural connection or significance. The game belly flopped with their handling of Indigenous folklore, but at least they acknowledged it was Indigenous folklore. This was just pure “they’re movie monsters”. Did not like, the movie lost probably a whole grade in my book for pulling that.

Other notes: Loved the use of practical effects! The acting was also solid and I felt like most of the jokes landed. The majority of the humor came from the banter between a bunch of stupid teenagers (?), like in the game, and while the characters themselves weren't as memorable (to be expected in a movie that's about 1/5th the length of the game), I did like them well enough. I actually liked Nina a lot and wish we could have learned more about her. A canon bicon in my adaptation of an oppressively heterosexual game? More likely than you think, apparently

Changing the “final girl” to be the surviving twin also added some juicy emotional stuff we never got in the game, since we don’t get to see much of Josh processing what happened to Hannah. Reminds me of those “Beth lives” fics people used to write, where she’d help take Hannah down. I also enjoyed that they (purposely?) cast a girl who looks like Ella Lentini. (And her actress name is actually Ella, too! Ella Rubin). I liked that choice a lot.

So in the ongoing debate of “Should this film have been given the Until Dawn name?”, I’m honestly torn. Yes, parts of it do feel like they were recycled from other scripts that probably couldn’t get greenlit on their own. But there is SO much UD DNA woven throughout, it’s pretty undeniably An Until Dawn Movie. When I was discussing it with my brother afterward, his opinion was that he would have called it “Until Dawn: [some subtitle]” to differentiate it, and I found myself agreeing with that. Calling it something like Until Dawn: 13 Nights (or anything like that) might have alleviated some fan outrage - though that would have come with the tradeoff of casual horror viewers thinking it was a sequel and possibly skipping it…so I’m not sure what would have truly been the best move here. I think it was kind of a lose-lose either way, which is a risk you always run with these sorts of adaptations.

Ultimately, did Until Dawn (2025) need to exist? No. Is it better than the game? No. Is it a fun time for fans of the game who are curious about its subject matter being explored in a different way? Yeah, definitely. It's not going to win any awards, but I don't regret seeing it.

Rating: 6/10