#(believing there's a universe where they get to complete this happily)

[rayandgay]

Thank you all for your presence here today to witness their love. The Ash Exchange is an ancient sacred ceremony. It is believed that if we exchange the ashes from the ancestors of the two families, the bond between the two will become complete.

[aaasbrutus]

Stranger

ex-boyfriend! eddie munson x fem!reader

Summary: Eddie and Reader see each other for the first time in 4 years after breaking off their summer fling.

A/N: partially inspired by Stranger by Olivia Rodrigo (partially being the operative word)

Warnings: low key not proofread oops

Word Count: ~1.3k

— ⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ —

Four years ago, you had left Hawkins, Indiana to go to University, and you haven’t been back since. University was an amazing yet tough 4 years. Going to school for your bachelor’s while working to make ends meet has been challenging yet you genuinely believed that you could be yourself freely without being trapped in the confines of such a small town. But when you received a letter in the mail that one of your childhood friends was getting married you booked a direct flight to your hometown right away.

While you were excited to go back home, to see your family and friends you were horrified to see someone in particular.

The day after your high school graduation you found yourself bored. You finally had the summer to yourself to completely relax and do whatever you want without having to worry about high school so you went to the arcade to pass the time, when you ran into Eddie Munson. Eddie and you never hung out in school. Sure, you knew who he was but you didn’t have any mutual friends and were a part of very different crowds so you didn’t know each other. And after a few rounds of beating each other at almost every game you could find, he asked you out and happily agreed.

The summer you spent with Eddie had to be the best summer of your life to date. It was spent sharing chocolate shakes at Benny’s, dancing around in Eddie’s room, watching Corroded Coffin practice and perform at the Hideout, and watching the worst B-side movies they could find at Family Video. You never felt love like that. The type of love that made you feel like time had completely stopped and you were to only two people in the world. But like all amazing things, it had to end.

At the end of August, you had to move into your dorm at university, while Eddie had to stay in Hawkins to repeat his senior year. You so desperately wanted to stay but Eddie advised you not to. You had worked hard for four full years to get into this school and he couldn’t see you give it all up for him.

Despite how much it pained you both, you agreed to break it off. Saying goodbye to the relationship you so cherished. Saying goodbye to the person you love to pursue other things. You, going to school to pursue a career in something you love. He, finishing high school so he can pursue his passion in music. You both felt you couldn’t be the best you could be if you were together, so you ended it.

The first few weeks in school were the absolute hardest. Of course, it was the first time you were completely alone; having to do everything for you, without having help from your parents. Your college courses were a lot harder than the classes you took in high school. And to top it all you were experiencing your first heartbreak.

Eddie Munson plagued your mind. He was all you thought about from the second you woke up, to the second you fell asleep. He even visited you in your dreams. You did everything in your power to not call him, not to write, because you were certain that if you were to contact him, you would succumb to your desires and give it all up to be with him, in Hawkins.

As soon as you booked your flight back to Hawkins, you knew there would be a very high possibility that you would see Eddie again. If it wasn’t at the wedding, it would probably be at the supermarket, or at Benny’s, or even in the car next to yours while at a traffic light. You thought of every single scenario in your head, how you would react to seeing him again, what you would say, and what you would respond if he were to ask you the same.

You didn’t want him to think that you were miserable without him, that you happily finished school and are very happy with where you are right now. But then again, you didn’t want to seem too happy. In all honesty, you haven’t dated since your summer with Eddie. You had never found anyone that interested you. Even when your friends set you up on blind dates (with and without your knowledge) you never felt that spark you once felt when you were with Eddie. You were desperately hoping that he had been the same way and if the opportunity arose, would want you two to get back together.

At the reception, you heard someone call your name. When you turned around there he was. His hair was longer, his face more mature, but the same Eddie you fell in love with years ago. Then again, he wasn’t the same. You haven’t seen or spoken to him in years. You had absolutely no idea what he had been up to. It was as if he was just a stranger. A stranger you knew almost everything about.

Seeing him was surreal. You weren’t sure if you wanted to run to him or run away from him. You stood in place, not sure of what to do, everything you had rehearsed in hopes of this moment forgotten. Thankfully, Eddie was braver than you, immediately walking up to you with a big smile on his face with his eyes sparkling with joy.

Without hesitation, he wrapped his arms around you to give you a big hug, which you immediately reciprocated. It had been so long since you’d seen him, let alone touched him. He completely took over your senses and you let out a breath you didn’t know you were holding.

“Hi,” you whispered to him finally letting go of him. You were suddenly feeling flustered and embarrassed. However, unlike a few moments ago, you didn’t want to run away.

“Hi,” he whispered back. You stared into his beautiful brown eyes, with a smile on your face you could only hope was as beautiful as the one he was giving you.

As if nothing had changed, you and Eddie sat at a table and just talked. You talked about your experiences in university, the people you met there, and what you have planned next. Eddie talked about how even though it was hard to stay consistent with his attendance and school work, he finished high school after 2 more tries and he was now working as a mechanic while still performing weekly with his band.

Soon enough, everyone started to pick up their stuff and leave, leaving you and Eddie practically alone in the reception hall. Looking at the time, Eddie and you got up and walked to the parking lot, where Eddie gave you another hug. However, this time you couldn’t reciprocate it. You knew you had to leave, but you couldn’t, not again. You were petrified of saying goodbye to him, to never see him again. Or worse, to see him again after years of not keeping in touch, for him to be happily married with kids, leaving you alone forever, reminiscing what could’ve been.

Just as he let go, and was about to say goodbye you yelled at him, holding him as if your whole life depended on it, because maybe it did. You refused to let him go. You had to be in his life. Not as an acquaintance, not as a friend, but as a lover. You couldn’t see yourself falling for anyone else because Eddie Munson was it for you, and you were terrified of living without him again.

You were on the verge of sobbing, desperate for Eddie to listen to you and to agree. For him to also crave you, need you as you do him. Suddenly he puts his hands on your face, looking at you directly into your eyes, and kisses you. All of your fears vanished, replaced with a newfound happiness.

While the summer with Eddie was the best of your life, you hoped that now that the two of you were reunited you could experience that same spark, the same feeling every day that is to come. Because you truly felt that it was the start of the best days of your life.

⋆⁺₊⋆ ☾⋆⁺₊⋆ —

thanks for reading <33

main masterlist

𝓕𝓲𝓬𝓼 𝓷𝓪𝓶𝓮𝓭 𝓪𝓯𝓽𝓮𝓻 𝓼𝓸𝓷𝓰𝓼 <333

[imbecominggayer]

How To Write Character Motivation

This little (not-so-little) post is all about how to give your character a motivation for that goal all the while taking into account important things like the backstory, worldbuilding, themes, and such.

Keep in mind the fact that there are billions of different goals and connecting motivations so this advice is probably not applicable for everything :)

Again, these are just some tips. I am going to be assuming that you have some basic information about your character like what they want and where they come from :D

A) Questions, Questions, And More Questions

Take your character and ask them what their goal is. Then ask them "why?". Force them to answer. Then ask them different "why" questions based on what they answer!

For example: "Character A wants to kill the dragon"

Why? The dragon killed my family.

Why did the dragon kill your family? My father was a monster hunter who was upsetting the dragon's food resource.

Why did the dragon kill your other family members? My mom and my sister were collateral damage in the dragon's attack.

You can do this little exercise with any type of goal from crime, adventure, romance, to any other genre I haven't listed yet!

B) Deep Psychology

Now you have ask yourself, actually your character but you know, "what is this really about"?

What does this goal symbolize for this character?

Character A wants to kill the dragon because she believes it will end her own nightmares about the death of her parents. This is a thoughtless attempt to grieve without grieving.

Character B wants to steal a treasure of their home village because he believes that by gaining the financial rewards associated, he will be adored by his new community of outsiders. This is a desire for belonging.

You get the point. These goals aren't just about stealing your home's sacred treasure for wealth or killing a dragon for revenge. It's about universal desires we all share. To be loved, to be strong, to be great.

This is necessary because most people don't live in isolated villages housing secret treasures nor do they kill dragons. If you want your audience to connect with your character, the audience needs something universal to latch onto.

C) Themes And Misbelief

Most great stories feature a "misbelief" or mistaken assumption. This is the potentially fatal flaw of this character who believes something that is either not reflective of reality or will endanger something they care about.

Even if Character A kills the dragon ten times over, their family is gone. They can't kill their grief. They have to authentically work through it. Besides, I can't imagine how completely f#cked the food web would be if an apex predator like the dragon died.

If Character B used the sacred treasure to gain untold wealth they most likely would gain the acceptance and support of the "outsiders". But isn't it more important to protect the tradition. Their culture? Their people? It's a good thing to protect things that need to be protected!

These stories can either end as a cautionary tale, a lifeless happily ever after, and an impactful happy ever after depending on the character arc and ending of these characters.

If Character A and B "succeed" in their goals but this ruins their overall life, it's a cautionary tale.

If Character A and B succeed in their goals and they suffer no consequences for their mistaken belief, it's a lifeless victory.

If Character A and B choose different goals as a result of a character arc then they will succeed and reach a true happily ever after.

[steddiesucker]

Thinking about Eddie with the kids playing DnD after school at the aforementioned building and getting roped into a game of Truth or Dare even though he’s aware playing a game other than DnD with some nosy kids isn’t a very smart thing to do in the first place.

But Jeff and Gareth are pretty convincing, so there’s that too. Eddie just can’t say no to free lunch for a whole week, now can he? What harm could a game of Truth or Dare do anyways, right?

In hindsight, Eddie should’ve known the universe isn’t going easy on him.

“Eddie, Truth or Dare?” Dustin asks with a huge grin on his face.

That kid is just way too happy about the fact Eddie is participating. It’s a little suspicious.

“Well, I’m no quitter, sooo…” Eddie is stretching the last word, punctuating his decision with a flat hand thumped down on the wooden table, “Dare it is.”

Dustin giggles all excited. “You have to kiss the first person who enters this room on the mouth!”

A chorus of ‘ewww’ and evil laughs with fingers pointing in his direction goes through the round.

Eddie smirks before he shrugs. “Alright, yeah”, he says, fully aware no one will come through these doors since it’s well past school time and no adults are around whatsoever, “If someone walks in here, I’ll do it.” He emphasizes the ‘if’ with a satisfied grin.

Dustin cocks his head, looks at the watch on his wrist and says loud, “three… two… one-“

Suddenly the door bursts open.

“Henderson! What the hell man!? I told you to be outside on time!” Steve’s standing in his usual mom pose, shooting daggers at the kids.

Dustin sighs happily, “always reliable”, before his gaze shifts from Steve to Eddie, still grinning. “No quitter, right, Eddie?”

Eddie sits frozen in his chair, looking at Steve and can’t believe his (bad) luck. He looks at Dustin. “You little shit! You planned this!?” Eddie whisper-shouts accusingly.

Dustin just shrugs triumphantly and makes some gestures for Eddie to get moving.

Eddie gets up abruptly, sending the chair flying back with an uncomfortable screeching sound and more or less stomps around the table, over to where Steve stands.

Now it’s Steve who’s frozen, eyebrows pinching together. “Uh, hey man, you good?” He’s clearly lost of what’s going on.

Eddie wants to get it over with, like ripping off a bandaid and already braces himself to be punched in the face or shoved away. Eddie halts right in front of Steve, who put his hands for safety in front of him, confused as hell.

“Whow, Eddie, wha-“

Eddie quickly grabs Steve by the neck as gently as possible, taking in the confused brown eyes Steve gives him.

“Don’t hate me for this, Big Boy”, he breathes out before leaning in, thinking ‘fuck it’, since it could be his last time with Steve ever again, maybe even losing him as a friend, and seals both of their lips in a soft kiss. Eddie deepens the unresponsive kiss by pressing harder into him, squeezing his own eyes shut in fear of a fist to his face.

To his surprise Steve let’s out a little sound and kisses back-

No wait, what!?

Eddie feels how Steve grabs onto his vest and pulls him closer, licking into the metalhead’s mouth. It was Eddie’s turn now to make a surprising sound, practically whimpering.

When they break apart both of them look flushed, staring into each other’s eyes, completely stunned.

Loud cheering and a chorus of “Fucking finally!” erupts behind them.

Eddie didn’t know if he should be angry with Dustin or relieved the kiss went better than he could’ve ever imagine.

[ginnysgraffiti]

Paul Atreides x reader? Where the reader does not believe in the prophecy of the Lisan-al-Gaib or in any god or Messiah that they say will come, to which Paul is interested in her but also feels anger because the reader does not show fear or submission, and when inquiring about why she has no faith in anything she reads or gods is because she went through many horrible things and when she prayed for it to be a nightmare but it never happened, and that's why she believes in nothing but herself.

thanks for the request! sorry if i hadn't answered before :(

PAUL ATREIDES x yn.

your people lived on arrakis under one name: the fremen. people who have inhabited arrakis for many millennia, originally arriving after an interplanetary diaspora.

your planet became the center of immense interests of the empire following the discovery of the powerful drug called melange or spice, capable of significantly extending the length of human life and increasing.

you have been trained in guerrilla warfare since childhood, reason why you're considered among the best fighters in the universe, the only ones capable of holding your own against even the emperor's ferocious sardaukar.

people can comfortably call you interstellar nomads who follow a particular philosophy, people who live together in desert tents and who are more like a big big family or army.

therefore, you don't hide the fact that you get along very well, despite the fact that fremen have challenging, ambitious characters, and you often want to prove our superiority by fighting or calling sandworms.

if someone has already heard the famous prophecy "blessed be the creator and his water" well, that's you, these are the fremen. that's your prophecy or the thing people think you believe in. or at least, your people believe in.

you worship shai-hulud, the sand worm, a gigantic and dangerous creature that populates the deserts of arrakis and is the source of the spice cycle. your religion, like almost all those of the primitive worlds of the empire, was profoundly influenced by the bene gesserit missionaria protectiva.

if you ask stilgar, he will answer you by saying he believes in the arrival of the messiah, of the lisan al-gaib. so please, don't ask stilgar.

lisan al-gaib, in your fremen language, "the voice from the outside world".

in later use the name messiah specializes to indicate the "anointed one" par excellence, sent as a savior of the fremen, the chosen people, and to turn the desert into the green paradise it used to be. this is how stilgar would happily explain it to others.

bullshit.

the biggest lie you've ever heard.

you have waited ages for the messiah, and the only conclusion you managed to get was that even foreign people made fun of you all by saying they were the famous messiah you had been waiting for. really funny, right...

"the walker of the golden path" they say, just they don't know how much you have suffered or how different you feel about your people's adamant beliefs.

you know paul since a few weeks, and you hated every second of it, and you knew he did too.

at first you avoided him, dodged him or threatened him with your eyes as if he were an harkonnen. or, if you were in a bad mood, you ignored him completely, especially when he entertained stilgar with inappropriate and absolutely not funny jokes but that made the whole for-dinner-tent laugh.

you knew that everyone was at his feet, that they would even lick the sand he walked on.

you often heard your fremen friends talking or chatting about him, and you could have sworn some of them even wondered out loud of it would be to have sex with him.

you had never thought of paul as someone to have sex with, mostly because you hated him on principle.

for the first week you loved showing off your fighting moves when he looked, or throwing barbs at him to shut him up.

you knew that he was intimidated but also angry towards you, that he was curious about your people, and therefore you could show yourself superior anyway. you wanted to crush it like a desert fly and rejoice while it dies under your sole.

then, everything changed.

it was afternoon, and the wind was gently blowing, but not enough to make the sand rise.

he was a little too snuggled up next to you, on the highest dune you could reach from the fremen camp.

at first, you didn't even like the idea of starting a conversation, but paul was the one who talked first.

he told you about his visions first, about his nightmare correlated, about the mental torture he had to kneel upon when he used to live on caladan, because everyone thought he was the kwisatz haderach.

he told you about his training, his father's death and how he felt so alone, abandoned by the little people he loved and betrayed by the ones he barely knew.

something about it woke up a new feeling inside your chest. you felt understood.

and he was not there forcing you to go on your knees and pray the messiah and his rise to power.

he was simply chatting, his eyes almost tearing, playing with some sand in his right hand.

he wanted to understand you, to understand why you were the only one who refused to believe the prophecy and yet the only one who captured your attention.

your mind returned to the morning where a few of your friends wished to have sex with him, but right in that moment, when the sun was melting under the dunes, far away, you could only wonder how plump and soft his lips could become against yours.

that same evening, you got confirmed paul atreides was the best kisser you had ever known.

in your tent, with a slight scent of spice and body

skin and sweat, he held you close as if you were

his only lifeline, as if you were about to become

small microscopic grains of sand, and he would no longer be able to hold the right ones in his hands.

you stood there, under his slim and perfect body, stroking his curls in a slow and sleepy gesture, until he closed his eyes and let his cheek rest against your breasts.

messiah or not, you believe he was the love of your life.

[in1-nutshell]

Hi! Rapidfire on the Lost Light? What would Ultra Magnus reaction to her?

More Rapidfire!

Hope you enjoy!

Rapidfire on the Lost Light

SFW, Platonic, Familial, Cybertronian reader

MTMTE/TFP

Magnus believed that today was the day he was going to get his work completed.

With all the trouble with the time travel incidents and getting everything back in order, he barely had much time to complete his reports.

That was until he heard a bunch of yelling outside his office.

Magnus opening the door: “What in the All—” He pauses seeing an unfamiliar bot with her back to the wall, looking frightened, and Brainstorm with a gun pointed at her. Magnus: “Brainstorm!” He pushes the gun down as the bot scrambles slightly behind him with a look of disbelief. Magnus: “What is the meaning of this? And why were you going to shoot the unarmed bot!?” Rapidfire: “You-You weren’t kidding when you said this was a different universe, huh?” Magnus looks at her then at Brainstorm, who sported a sheepish look. Magnus: “Explain. Now.”

Turns out another one of Brainstorm’s interdimensional inventions had crashed and brought the new bot on the ship.

 Magnus could practically feel the incoming migraine coming in.

The news of the new bot quickly spread throughout the ship, and everyone wanted to see them.

While walking to Swerve’s with Brainstorm and the now identified, Rapidfire, Magnus noticed that the new bot seemed to stick close to his side.

He figured that she would want to stay by his side after the save from Brainstorm.

But at the same time, it didn’t make sense as she was happily chatting with the bot who brought her into this mess in the first place.

Rapidfire is at one of the booths answering questions when Swerve passes her a cube of engex. Swerve: “Here have some engex! I’m sure that interdimensional travel can work up an appetite.” Rapidfire: “Thanks, but is it possible to get some normal energon? Not that I’m picky! I’m just not supposed to drink this yet.” Whirl: “Ha! Not supposed to drink it, what are ya? A Youngling?” Rapidfire: “Umm, yes?” Everyone: “…” Magnus: “What?” Brainstorm: “HOW!? You’re almost the exact size as Megatron!” Rapidfire stiffens a bit: “Yeah, I’m a bit taller than my Megatron back home too…” Tailgate: “Hey, where is Megatron anyways?” Rapidfire: “What?” Ratchet: “He is coming in with Rodimus.” Rapidfire: “Wait this universe has a Ratchet too? And what was this about—” The doors open and in walks in Rodimus and Megatron. Rodimus: “Sorry for the hold up, Megs here—” Rapidfire leaps over the table and tackles Megatron to the ground and starts slamming his helm against the ground. Tailgate holding onto Cyclonus: “By the Allspark!” Rodimus and Magnus try to pry her off Megatron. Rodimus: “HOW ARE YOU THIS STRONG!?” After a long talk, some patch work and several apologies later… Rapidfire: “Once again I apologize—” Megatron: “You have been apologizing for the past 10 minutes, you have already been forgiven.” Rapidfire: “You can blame my father for being polite sir.” Drift: “Father? Who? Must be a Wrecker with your strength and size.” Rapidfire: "The Commander of the Wreckers or what’s left of us.”  Magnus suddenly concern: “How many?” Rapidfire: “…5 counting myself and our newest human Wrecker, I’ll explain Miko later.” There was a lot of whispers and murmurs. Rapidfire: “If you think those numbers are bad, there are only 9 Autobots on Earth, well 8 now that I’m here.” Rodimus: “Sheesh, didn’t Prime want to send more recruits?” Rapidfire: “Umm, Rodimus Prime, right? I meant that as in the only bots online.” The bar fell into a deafening silence, she didn’t like it. Rapidfire: “But We’ll win, I’m sure of it. Magnus and Prime said to have faith then I’ll have faith.”

After the conversation, Rodimus extends his personal welcome to the ship telling her to stay as long as she can.

Which meant until Brainstorm and Perceptor could fix the gun to transport her back.

Rapidfire made fast friends with the former Wreckers and engineers of the ship.

And in a surprise move, also befriended the minibots, stating that she was ‘one of them’.

The crew thought it was a joke… until she showed an old data pad with a picture of her as a sparkling, dwarfed in the palm of Optimus Prime.

Megatron: “Is that Prime?”  Rapidfire: “Yep! Optimus and my father found me on the same day. That was how I looked before the first few weeks.” Tailgate: “You’re so tiny! But you still haven’t told us who your father is.” Rapidfire: “… You still haven’t figured it out? Wait, does he have a different job in this universe? Knew I should have considered that in—” Magnus: “Rapidfire—” Rapidfire: “Not now dad, what else could—” Everyone: “DAD?!” Rapidfire blinking: “Yeah?” Whirl looking back and forth at her and Magnus: “… I want a DNA test.” Rapidfire: “Adopted Whirl, not biological.”

Sadly, this wasn’t the worst reveal from Rapidfire’s visit on the Lost Light.

That award goes to Minimus Ambus reveal.

Minimus had made the mistake in leaving his office without his suit to go get something from his habsuite.

The next thing he hears is a blood curling scream and thunderous pedesteps shaking the ground.

Turns out Rapidfire had gone into the office and had seen the grey mech suit and immediately thought the worst had happened.

She kicked down the door to the med bay holding the suit in her arms, tears streaming down her faceplate pleading for someone to help him.

Ratchet and First Aid were in the middle of explaining the suit when Minimus came in.

She had a blank stare while he had finished his explanation.

By the end, Rapidfire fell to her knees and hugged him tightly.

Rapidfire prefers Minimus to be out of the suit so she can carry him.

Minimus DOES NOT like this.

It was a couple of weeks before the ray was finally fixed.

Many of the bots did not want her to go back.

Whirl tried to baracade her in his habsuite.

But to be fair, Rapidfire did want to smuggle Minimus so he could meet her Magnus.

In Primeverse… Rapidfire falls on top of Bulkhead. Bulkhead: “Kid!” Bulkhead pulls her into a tight hug. She immediately gives one tighter. Rapidfire: “You have no idea the kind of trip I—” Thunderous pede step are heard. Magnus: “RAPIDFIRE!” Rapidfire gets up and gives a nervous smile at the fast-moving bot. Maybe staying in the other dimension wasn’t such a bad idea… Rapidfire: “Hey—” She gets pulled into a tight hug by Magnus, who lets out a shaky sigh. Magnus: “Oh thank the Prime… Are you hurt? What happened? You’re signal went out and--” Rapidfire: “Hey, its fine, everything is fine. I promise I’ll explain everything.” Magnus just held her tighter.

[yuujiheart]

Yuuji is becoming Sukuna's equal.

I like everyone, was hoping for yuji's reaction towards yuta taking over gojo's body., although I did suspect that they wouldn't have enough time after yuta gets done and yuji will prioritize saving megumi instead of questioning this whole thing and there is a good reason to believe that todo might have explained him already....I had some doubts that I believe would only be solved once we get yuji's reaction...But what happened this chapter actually ended up answering my question in a different way..

yuji completely ignoring yuta falling on the ground, todo getting black flashed and him not stopping even for a second ,completely locked in. when even todo, a trained sorcerer got distracted reminded me of this panel...

Here sukuna talks about how one should completely let go of everything without worrying about anything and should focus on their desires.

And what yuji did here is exactly that, he didn't let anything distract him at all and he kept moving forward towards his desire to save megumi.. Which he has been doing since Shibuya. And he's the only one except Sukuna who has displayed this behaviour..whether it's during his fight with Sukuna after him possessing megumi, or the moment when todo appeared. The whole shinjuku showdown arc has evidence for that..

Yuuji has gone through so many changes . He went from wondering why he needs to die to happily sacrificing himself. Mahito completely destroyed his belief in himself but not his desire to help/save people. He reduced himself to a cog in order to not let the guilt of sukuna killing people overpower him and allowing him to keep doing what he thinks is right. So much so that Hakari also questions his claim of being a cog. (Which in my opinion he isn't as cogs solely focus on doing their part which is not yuuji style).. And it is quite similar to sukuna..

Sukuna also works in a similar manner without worrying about anything and keeps doing what he thinks is right.. The only difference is the nature of their desires, while sukuna does everything for himself, yuji does everything for others...

Apart from that, this was uraume's (who has known Sukuna for a long time) first thought after sukuna revealed his and yuji's origin. Which is self explanatory I think.

This panel here also suggests something similar. Kenny here calls both yuuji and Sukuna the reason why curses cycle exists and it will remain so as long as BOTH of them are alive. I personally think this could also mean they both are the reason why curses exist in the first place. Not to forget he also called BOTH of them a time bomb. Although It makes more sense now.

Yuuji is called tiger of the West and has tiger in his name while sukuna is associated with dragon (dragon scales) . The two beasts that represent yin and yang . Now yin and yang are not opposite forces but complementary . They represent the balance that exists in universe. Gege also tries to depict something similar in manga initially through yuji and sukuna 's clothing as yuji is all black with white hood and sukuna with all white and black scarf which gege himself mentioned in an interview.

We can also see this as a conflict between strong vs weak where yuuji went from being strong to weak ( him being special in high school but weak in jujutsu world) and sukuna weak to strong ( him being ostracized and undesired to being known as king of curses.)

Another thing that connects them is their feeling of loneliness.. Yuuji does not want to be alone when he dies so he tries to save people. He doesn't let yuta kill him because he still hopes to help people. Otoh Sukuna also feels lonely and that's why he listens to yorozu kashimo gojo but after seeing their version of love which is them connecting to him through strength ,he declares he doesn't want that .

This is my personal opinion but yuji and sukuna are not completely opposite.. Both of them are striving for what they believe in and what they want to do. That's why only they can understand each other like no one... But it wasn't like that from the start, it has developed slowly into one.. Sukuna who has only cared about his pleasures and desire, started to understand other's ideals through yuuji and yuuji understanding through sukuna what curses truly are . To me it's like both of them are forces that are needed to create balance but disrupting one of them can cause chaos too.

So I am imagining that both will save each other, yuuji by connecting with Sukuna not through the strength and sukuna will help yuuji realize his true potential because merger is still there and I strongly believe sukuna is not in the story only to die by good guys hands I guess. Gege said nobody is completely wrong or right so i don't want to discard this possibility at all.

[callsign-venus]

Just Our Luck | Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw x Reader

Description: Despite how hard the universe tries to ruin it, you and Bradley have the perfect night.

Word Count: 2.2k

Warnings: fluff, nudity (in a PG-13 way), bradley being protective, unwanted touching (from a stranger), swearing

a/n: this is my first fic that I've published (both on this blog and also in, like, years), but I'm ready to get back into fic writing! hope you enjoy x

Lately, work has been hard for you and Bradley both. Though your version of “hard” is mounting pressure to meet ridiculously short deadlines, and his version is more like two near-death experiences, you both acknowledged you deserve a nice night out. Bradley made a reservation at an Italian restaurant on the other side of town, and you splurged on a dress you’d been eying for months. It clings to your frame deliciously, and you spend a moment longer than usual in front of the mirror, admiring yourself. It was even a good hair day, you couldn’t believe your luck.

“You ready?” Bradley walks into your bedroom, momentarily fiddling with a button on his blazer. But when he looks up and catches sight of you, it loses his attention. He’s on you in a few quick strides, one hand finding its rightful place between your ass and lower back, the other near the nape of your neck, his fingers skimming the skin where it meets your shoulder.

“Gorgeous girl,” he says as he breathes in your freshly applied perfume.

“You’re pretty gorgeous yourself.” It’s true – you love when he gets dressed up for date nights. You would happily take him in sweaty fatigues or – better yet – nothing at all, but it makes your heart swell knowing he planned a nice outfit with you in mind.

He fingers the low back of your dress. “Can’t wait to come back home to this.”

“I’ll be all yours,” you seal your promise with a kiss. “But only after you get me a nice glass of pinot noir and a heaping serving of fettuccine alfredo.”

“You’re the boss.” He squeezes your ass before letting you go.

You gather your purse and your phone, feeling the warmth of his eyes as they follow you across the room. Then, you two are out the door, his arm around you once more.

He opens the door to the Bronco, and you slide in. 

As Bradley pulls out of the driveway, you feel the tension of last week begin to melt away. When his hand finds your bare thigh, you can’t even remember what was stressing you out to begin with. Driving with Bradley was a cure for everything. His smell (something salty and a little woodsy) and his dad music envelope you, his assured grip on your thigh one of your favorite ways to be touched. And if you get sick of the view outside the windshield, you can always look to your left to get a better one – one that comes with a mustache, aviators, and more-often-than-not, a cocky smile because he catches you looking from the corner of his vision. 

“Fuck.” Bradley slams on the breaks as the car ahead of him comes to a near complete stop. His arm flies up to your chest to cushion you as you jolt forward. “You ok?”

“I’m ok.” You chuckle. You’ve had time to get used to his aggressive driving by now.

His hand falls back to your thigh.

“Fuck me,” he says.

Gleaming taillights welcome you into the bumper to bumper traffic that packs the highway.

“I’m sure it will clear up,” you say, but you don’t believe it yourself.

It didn’t clear up. In the end, you two make it to the restaurant. Unfortunately, you’re almost an hour late.

“Sorry,” the hostess says more to Bradley than to you, “our next available seating won’t be for another two hours.”

“There’s nothing you can do?” He asks because he knows you’ve been looking forward to this reservation since he made it a week ago.

“I’m sorry, but no,” she responds.

You grab his elbow with your hand and steer him out of the restaurant.

“Jesus, I am so sorry,” he says you walk out the door and trade the smell of roasted garlic for the secondhand smoke of someone’s cigarette.

“It’s ok,” you say despite your rumbling stomach. “Neither of us even thought to check traffic.”

“Yeah, but I should’ve. Now our night’s ruined.”

“Don’t say that, silly boy.” You peck a quick kiss on his jawline. “At least now we get to see the sunset.”

You’ve made it back to the Bronco, and from this vantage point, you can see the ocean across the street. It is awash with a reflection of the red and pink clouds above. You two stand for a moment, soaking in the view.

“Hey, what about seafood for dinner?” Bradley points across the street to a squat blue building with large windows and a neon sign reading Uncle Mo’s. 

You scan the parking lot. Not very many cars. You could probably get seated right away. “Sure, sounds good to me.”

You and Bradley stare at each other from across the lopsided table, making a shared mental note: if a restaurant is not busy on a Friday night, do not eat there.

But by the time you had realized your shared mistake, you were already being sat down at a sticky vinyl booth. Despite the great views of the beach (which Bradley let you face), it was clear that Uncle Mo’s had little to offer in terms of comfort and cuisine. A slightly fishy smell permeated the restaurant, you had to ignore a suspicious puddle on the table, and the food in front of the few other patrons didn’t exactly look edible.

When you order a glass of red to make yourself feel better, you expect it to be less than stellar. You expect to be not-so-pleased with it. However, you don’t expect to end up with it splashed all over your lap — and your new dress.

“Fuck.” It seems to be Bradley’s favorite word of the night. He knows how much you were looking forward to this evening, he knows how much time and effort you put into looking flawless, how much you both deserved a nice evening after the last couple weeks. And now you were looking at him, your eyes shining with unwept tears, a wine stain bleeding across your chest and your lap.

Before you can react, the waiter is on you – dabbing your lap with paper napkins. He smushes around the wet mash of napkin, making the stain worse. You want to shove him away. Mistakes happen, but you don't need a late twenty-something’s hands all over your lap. But the whole thing is already an ordeal, and you don’t want to cause a scene.

“I’m so sorry,” he says, “the glass just slipped, I’ll —”

“Stop touching her.”

Thank god Bradley is always willing to make a scene for you.

Your eyes meet his with a silent thank you, even though the waiter is too overcome with the napkins and babbled apologies to hear the quietly rumbled threat.

An uncharacteristic frown darken’s Bradley’s features. He stands up, all muscle and golden skin and perfectly ruffled hair. “I said: stop touching her.”

The waiter takes one look at Bradley Bradshaw and scurries away, hands full of damp napkins.

“Sweet girl,” Bradley coos as he takes your hands in his. “We can’t catch a break tonight, huh?”

You shake your head.

“Wanna get out of here?” His eyes are so deep, searching yours for a way to make it up to you — even though nothing has been his fault.

“Yes,” you whisper.

He pulls you gently to your feet and immediately his arm is around you like a shield. Though the night has been disastrous, you’re so glad you’ve been able to spend it with him. Even now, reeling from a stranger’s unwanted touch and the ruin of your new dress, you feel perfectly safe in his arms.

Once you are settled in the car, Bradley turns to you, his finger rubbing a sweet circle against your wrist. “Want to get ice cream?”

Normally you would never turn him down for ice cream. But nothing tonight has gone to plan, and you don’t want to risk another mishap. Besides, you already know exactly what you want.

“I just want to go home and be with you.”

“Can do, pretty girl.” He pulls your wrist to his mouth and gives it a kiss before pulling out of the parking spot. Luckily, traffic isn’t so bad on the way home.

But the rain comes fast.

Angry clouds roll in from over the ocean, splashing torrents of rain across the streets of your neighborhood. The windshield wipers whine with effort, but they can’t clear the rain fast enough. Bradley slows down to about 10 miles per hour — the slowest you’d ever seen him drive.

“Just our luck,” you groan.

“The price of a beautiful sunset.” Bradley pulls into the driveway. “We can try to wait it out.”

You shake your head. “The stain on my dress is already setting.”

“Ok, give me a second.” Before you can even shout his full name, he wrestles himself out of his blazer, tosses it on your lap, and slips out of the car. He races to your side.

Already, he’s soaked.

You shriek as he wraps his arms around you and lifts you out of your seat. You raise his blazer to cover you both as he makes a mad dash to the front door, but even so you are both drenched by the time you cross the threshold.

He stands on your welcome mat, which absorbs all the water dripping off the both of you. The rain had cooled his skin, draining it of its usual warmth, but you don’t mind. You drop the sopping blazer and plant your palms on his cheeks.

“Bradley Bradshaw,” you say, “I love you so much.”

“I love you too.”

You share a rain-chilled kiss that sends a shiver across your skin. As if he can feel the goosebumps on your arms, he slowly walks you to your bathroom. Inside, the rain is nice. It sends a lively hum through the house, and tap dances across your bathroom skylight.

He sets you down on the tile, then turns the taps of the bathtub. You watch amused as he holds his hand under the water until the temperature is just right, then he turns back to you.

“Sweet girl.” He brushes a strand of wet hair off your cheek.

You pull him in for another kiss.

When you finally pull apart, he lifts your dress up over your head. Then, he unclasps your bra, and hangs it up on a towel hook to dry. Then he kneels on the cool tile and pulls your panties down so you can step out of them.

“Not how I pictured getting naked at the end of tonight,” you laugh.

“There will be other nights.” Bradley smiles as he stands and takes you in – not lustfully, just appreciative of your body, of you. “Believe me, tomorrow will be a fresh day.”

“It better be.”

He kisses your forehead. “I promise.”

You take a deep breath, knowing that he’s right.

“Ah,” he straightens suddenly. “I almost forgot.”

He opens a cabinet under the sink and retrieves a bright pink bottle — it’s the bubble bath you had pestered him to get at the store the last time you went.

“It’s time we put this to good use.” He dumps nearly half the bottle under the still running spout. Almost immediately, the bath swells with pearly-white bubbles.

He scoops you up and lays you down gently in the tub. The water immediately brings warmth back to your bones.

“I’ll be right back.” Bradley scoops your dress off the floor, and pads off to tend to the stain. Though you appreciate him trying to save your dress, you wish he was sharing this bath with you instead.

You drag your hand through the fast-growing mountains of bubbles. After a minute, you turn off the tap, then sink lower in the tub.

How did the night go so wrong, but end up so lovely?

Your answer walks through the door, lit candle in hand. The subtle scent of lavender bleeds into the room.

“And there you go.” He sets the candle on the counter, looking mighty proud of himself. “Need anything else?”

“Join me?” You hold out your hand to him. 

A giant smile cracks across his face. In a second, he rips off his clothes and is gingerly stepping behind you in the tub. Slowly, slowly, he sinks down, his lips finding the curve of your shoulder and peppering small kisses while his hands massage your lower back. You lean back against him, a small sigh escaping your lips.

“Can my dress be saved?” You ask.

He smiles against your soapy skin. “If the detergent and hydrogen peroxide have anything to say about it.”

“Thank god,” you say as the last of your tension dissolves in the bath water around you. “If I couldn’t wear that dress again, I would just die.”

“You would die? How do you think I would go on living knowing you could never wear that again?”

“I did look good in that dress, huh?”

“Good?” Bradley wraps one arm around your stomach. “Darling, you looked beautiful. So beautiful.”

The rain dances on the rooftop, the storm not having lessened in the slightest. You don’t mind because it sent you to this bath with Bradley, brought his thumbed circles to your lower back, his sweetened whispers to your ears. If this evening’s disappointments had all led you to a bath shared with Bradley Bradshaw at the end of the night, you thought it was more than a fair trade.

[grahambaham]

Something that has always annoyed me is the habit of many fans to declare that a villain of a certain piece of media is in the right when they are most definitely not.

A few examples that I can think of right now are Thanos, Magneto and Doom. What. The. Fuck.

First of all, Viktor Von Doom barely even has anything to be right about. The guy’s goal in life is to get as powerful as possible and use that power to rule the world or whatever, prove to everyone he’s smarter than Reed Richards (he is not) and to inflate his own ego as much as is psychically possible. Though that last one could be a result of the first two I guess. He basically wants the basic ass stuff all villains want, even if it’s not what they’re focusing on specifically. There is nothing for him to even be right about, my guy. Alright so the wanting to rule the world thing isn’t for his ego, though it helps. It is because he has a fucking god complex and thinks he’s the only one who can truly do it and properly protect the Earth from any future attacks. Everything about Doom basically boils down to his ego.

Now, I understand how Megneto, otherwise known as Max Eisenhart (Erik Magnus Lehnsherr is just an alias), can be a sympathetic villain. He’s gone through a lot and when very simplified his goal seems fairly noble. Dude just wants to protect mutants, make sure they’re safe and living their best lives or whatever. The problem is that he believes mutants are the superior species and treats humans how you might treat a mosquito. He wants to eradicate them completely, and so the world would be there for mutants to rule over and live happily ever after or whatnot. Any of that sound familiar to you? Yeah… Anyway, the point is that even though we can understand how he might’ve come to the point where he’s willing to do such horrible things, that does not mean he is right at all. People seem to think that the humans deserve it for the way they’ve treated mutants, even though there are a lot of good ones who most certainly don’t do that shit AND so many of them are children too. Because you do know that Max would legit murder even the little toddlers? Not for any reason other than ‘they’re human’. So yeah, he was not in the right. He was not the good guy all along or whatever. He is a villain and a horrible person who has also been treated horribly their whole life. Those two things can both be true. Having a bad childhood does not excuse your shitty actions though.

Last and certainly least we’ve got Thanos. First of all, that fucker did not give a shit about overpopulation or whatever in the comics. Bro wanted to court Death so he went around murdering people and destroying planets to impress her. Not very noble of him, I gotta say. Now as for the MCU, his goal is in fact to kill half the universe so more people could get more resources because he’s seen the way the poor live because of that lack of food and other things essential to living. Now, instead of using that infinite fucking power that he had in his hands to create more shit to give to everyone or, I don’t know, anything else? They’re called INFINITY stones for a reason? This fucker instead decided to just commit genocide real quick. I genuinely believe the only people who think this loser was right are actual children. Twelve years old at the most. Because there is no way in holy hell that grown men and women think Thanos was good and smart to use the INFINITE POWER IN HIS HANDS to just KILL A BUNCH OF PEOPLE INSTEAD OF SAVING MORE BY JUST WISHING FOR MORE RESOURCES OR FUCKING WORLD/UNIVERSE PEACE OR WHATEVER THE FUCK? Thanos is secretly twelve years old and hasn’t gained any critical thinking skills yet, I swear to fucking god.

So yeah, I guarantee whichever villain you think was right was not in fact right, they’re simply easy to sympathise with or their cause is. But if their way of making that sympathetic idea come true is murdering/torturing/conquering etcetera, then THAT MEANS THEY AREN'T RIGHT AT FUCKING ALL.

Good night.

[starful02]

Life is wild sometimes. I made a small decision almost a year ago, based on a recommendation of one of the most positive individuals to ever grace my life so far, and I firmly believe that it has changed the course of my life. The decision was to sign up for a class about fantasy writing and publishing that my university was offering, which is the exact genre I so desperately want to have a career in (I want to be a writer you see). That fall I took the 8 week class and it happened to be taught by none other than the absolutely wonderful, utterly amazing fantasy author Alex Rowland (aka @ariaste). If you asked myself or any of my peers, we will happily tell you that this class was one of the comfiest, kindest, most encouraging academic experiences we have ever had and that it has changed our lives. Anyone who has taken at least one creative writing class in their life will tell you of the horrors that ruthlessly plague them and all sorts of traumatic incidents endured. This class was a soothing balm to a disheartened soul with trampled ambitions. You might be wondering where I'm going with this? Well, when you take a class with an author, they tend to gush rather happily about their work. It did not take long for me to know in my heart of hearts that I NEEDED to get my hands on Alex's latest book, A Taste of Gold and Iron (aka ATOGAI). And when I finally got the perfect chance to read it a little over a month ago, when I tell you, it was chapter five when I became undeniably aware that this book had snatched my heart and I would gladly let it have it for the rest of my life. If I hadn't already bought all of Alex's books on a strong hunch that I would absolutely, completely and utterly fall in love with ATOGAI, I would have definitely right after I finished that chapter. This is inarguably one of the best books I have ever read, checking all my boxes (including ones I didn't even know I had). I don't think it's possible to praise it enough because it deserves it all. The wait I endured before I could read it was so worth it and I will be forever grateful for the sheer chance that it and it's author entered into my life. It shattered my high expectations and I will never be the same and couldn't be happier about it. Now, I still have to read the other books that Alex has written (and I will savor them like a piece of the finest of desserts and I haven't the slightest doubt, despite that I tend to be more on the quiet side, I will be absolutely mouthing off about them to anyone who will listen), but I want to specifically highlight their upcoming book, Running Close to the Wind (aka RCW). Because I was in their class and a part of their Discord, I have been treated to several chapters of the book and I can very firmly tell you that you need this in your life. It's terribly funny, utterly vibrant, very queer, full of gremlin chaos and pirate shenanigans, all good and wonderful things, right? I knew I needed it in my life half way through Alex reading chapter two to us. It comes out in June of this year and I so highly recommend you give it a look see. You can read an excerpt in the link below!

And if you too decide that you need this book in your life, go preorder it and then come join a Discord full of awesome queer pocket people that are also terribly excited for this book to be in our hands! I will also be posting fanart of ATOGAI and RCW if you also want to keep an eye on this little habitat of mine. :) Either way, best wishes and happy reading!

[honeylemonteaasblog]

Soulmates <3

summary: Yoongi and our MC, Hani, meeting for the first time.

pairing: Yoongi x Reader

genre: soulmates, fluff

word count: 3.7 k

warning: fluff, almost sickeningly sweet, boyfriend Namjoon

Yeah, soulmates existed but you never thought you would find your soulmate.

It’s not because you were a complete pessimist, it’s just that most people don’t. Historians talked about a time where everyone meet their soulmate. It was like a rite of passage to meet, fall in love, and live happily ever after. Then, it was like the world just… moved on. We shifted away from this romanticized idea of love. We prioritized money, productivity, and success. But the problem was that not everyone can agree on how to define success.

As a teenager, school became your whole life. Then, when you finally did graduate, work became your whole life. There was this need to progress in life at the fastest pace possible. And if you didn’t complete everything how everyone else wanted, then you were failing. If you didn’t do well in school, go to a good university, and land a well paying job where you could work for the rest of your life, then you weren’t successful. It didn’t matter what you accomplished. It didn't matter how you felt about any of it.

In this new world that demanded toxic productivity and limited happiness, there was no room for soulmates. Not in the traditional way anyways. Some people still found their soulmates. But the magic of it all wore off. It didn’t seem special anymore. If anything, people who found their soulmates were lucky because of the convenience of it all. You found the one, so you could stop pretending to care about love.

Historians describe soulmates as a magic that can’t be contained. An all consuming feeling that can’t be fully described because it’s too many positive things all at the same time.

Personally, you think that no one can describe soulmates because that’s part of the magic that has worn off. It’s just another causality caught in the cross fire. The very idea of soulmates is slipping away. You wonder how long it will be until everyone forgets there were soulmates to begin with. It’s already started.

“Please… It’ll be fun. I promise” Minji is begging you to go to dinner with her friends. It’s not that you don’t want to go or don’t believe her. You do want to met her friends and boyfriend, Namjoon. It’s just that you don’t really like meeting new people. Well, you don’t really like social gatherings, or people for that matter, in the first place. You prefer a night in with a good book and some music.

But you had been dodging Minji’s attempts for a whole group hang out for over a month now and she was getting desperate. You were starting to feel bad. And it was a Friday night so you didn’t have classes in the morning. Plus she was almost in tears and looking up at you with puppy eyes. Really, you were doomed from the start.

“Just dinner.” You don’t think she was listening anymore, too busy nodding happily as she texted her boyfriend about the slight change of plans. She said that there were already going to be nine people, so adding another person last minute would be completely fine. She always complained that she was in desperate need of more women in their hangouts. It was only Minji and Sieun, Hoseok’s girlfriend.

She always called them “the boys.” Even though her boyfriend was one of them, he was simply lumped in with the rest of them. It always made you laugh how she talked about them as if they were one singular unit. They all seemed to exist together. It made you smile, but also you were a little nervous because you had no idea what to expect. You had no idea who they were. You hadn’t even met Namjoon yet. Nor did you know much about him, despite being friends with Minji for so long. All you did know was that they all go to Seoul’s National University too. But it was a big school, so even that didn’t mean much.

You didn’t even know their names, well, only Namjoon and Hoseok.

Needless to say, you were nervous on your way to dinner. You and Minji were taking the bus over to the restaurant together. You sat quietly, wondering what Minji’s reaction would be if you decided to fake an illness to get out of dinner. She would realize what you were doing, but you wonder if she might let you off the hook if she could tell how hard you were trying. Minji was talking to you a little, but mostly to herself. She was going on and on about how much the boys were going to love you. That they needed someone like you in their friend group.

That is, someone smart. Apparently the boys were a little dumb. Don’t get it wrong, they were smart, they just were also ‘the boys.’ You took her word for it because you didn’t really know what that meant. But you also did understand that boys tended to be a particular kind of dumb smart. So you wouldn’t put it past the seven men to be both smart and dumb at the same time. In fact, they probably were most of the time.

She also gave you a brief introduction of each of them so you didn’t have to stress about trying to figure it all out while you were eating.

The oldest Seokjin had graduated last year with a business degree and worked at a start up while also working as a TA at the university.

Then, Yoongi who also graduated with a business degree with Seokjin last year, but decided to double major. So, he is finishing a music production degree.

Namjoon’s a literature major, focusing on classics. It makes you smile because it makes sense why Namjoon and Minji would get along. You can already tell that you are going to like her boyfriend.

Hoseok’s a senior and Jimin’s a junior, but they are both majoring in dance. Their dream is to a run a studio together. It’s honestly pretty heartwarming.

Then Taehyung, who is studying photography. Apparently he has a couple minors because he could never make up his mind about what to study and now has all of these extra credits and hobbies that he doesn’t know what to do with.

Finally, the maknae, Jungkook who apparently is your stereotypical ‘gym bro.’ That in itself makes you a little nervous. But he is studying graphic design instead of getting a business degree so it gives you hope. Minji says that Jungkook is a literal bunny, whatever that means.

Sieun greets you both at the entrance to the restaurant, having just gotten there herself. You had meet Sieun a few times when she’d eat lunch with you and Minji sometimes. She’s like a little ray of sunshine. Honestly, it’s adorable. You found yourself wanting to squish her checks together all the time.

“I’m so glad you are here.” Sieun, ever the princess, said brightly. “There are too many men, we need more women in the group.” She sighed hopelessly. Minji was quick to voice her agreement which made you burst out laughing. You think that you are really going to like this friendship. And its always great to have girl friends. There is something special about it.

It was a higher end KBBQ restaurant. So even though you could tell it was more expensive you didn’t feel underdressed. It felt homey which helped you relax a little but you were nervous walking to the table. You could see seven men sitting at a table in the back. It was not completely private, but farther in the back offering some privacy for your large group.

You assume that Namjoon was the first to see you because a tall man jumped up from his seat to hurry over and wrap Minji in a hug. Despite his large frame, you could already tell he was a teddy bear. You think you already like him, but had to put on the front of a protective best friend. Once he let go of Minji he turned to greet you, bowing politely.

“Haneul, right?” You nod, returning his bow. It felt pretty formal but you appreciated the gesture. You think Minji found a good man. “Hani is fine.” You say diplomatically while Minji stifles a laugh beside you, amused by your antics. Like she would be any different.

You turn towards the other men, intending to offer each a smile and expecting an awkward introduction back. But after the first awkward smile, you freeze. A man is looking back at you. He has cat-like eyes and dark hair. He looks so pretty. You aren’t sure how else to describe him, just pretty. You think that your brain might be malfunctioning a little because you aren’t able to form any words. Honestly, the man isn’t doing much better. He also is just staring back at you, mouth slightly agape.

Its only after the initial shock that you realize why you both are frozen. You are soulmates. You had never expected to meet your soulmate. You hadn’t planned for this. Judging by his expression, you don’t think he had either. No one does anymore. So, you aren’t completely sure how to react. You don’t know what is expected of soulmates the first time they meet each other.

Everyone else is watching the two of you in confusion, but neither of you even realize because you are both too preoccupied with just staring at each other. You think you could be happy staring into his eyes forever.

“You’re my soulmate.” The man finds his voice before you do. He states it so matter of factly, his voice void of emotions. Part of you understands his tone, you relate to his tone. But the other part of you cringes. Is it bad to wish that his voice held more emotion? Is it bad to wish that he cared?

You nod, suddenly unsure of yourself. God, you want the ground to swallow you whole. Why had you let Minji convince you to meet her friends. You could be at home right now instead of in the restaurant meeting your soulmate.

It’s not that you have something against soulmates or you don’t want a soulmate at all. It’s just that you don’t know what is expected of a soulmate. You didn’t expect to meet your soulmate so you hadn’t considered what you did want. Obviously, you are an overthinker. You like to have everything planned out before you need to make a decision. You don’t like surprises because it makes you feel out of control. This is a surprise and, right now, you definitely feel out of control.

You can feel your eyes begin to fill with tears. You play with your sleeves behind your back to try to stop your hands from shaking but it isn’t working because you can still feel them shake. You blink a few times to make sure you don’t start crying. God, you really don’t want to cry; that would be a mess. How would you even explain why you are crying to your soulmate. That is, if they even wanted to know in the first place. You are vaguely aware of just how much you are overthinking right now, but can’t seem to stop yourself.

Your soulmate’s words broke everyone else out of their spell. The man next to your soulmate pushed the man towards the end of the booth, muttering something about how he has to do something and how you look scared.

You don’t look scared. Right?

Your soulmate stands up and takes a hesitant step towards you. When you don’t move he approaches cautiously. “I’m Yoongi.” “Haneul” Your voice shakes which contrasts Yoongi’s voice which stays steady despite the emotion now on his face. You can see him struggling to say something, but you don’t know how to read his emotions. They are so clearly on his face, but its difficult to decipher. Maybe its the tears clouding your vision. You wonder if Yoongi even knows what he, himself, is feeling.

“Haneul” Yoongi repeats. You don’t think he was actually talking to you so you don’t respond. You don’t even know what you would say to him. You nod. “Hani” You end up saying. “Everyone calls me Hani” You clarify when he doesn’t speak. You open your mouth to say something else. What exactly? You aren’t sure. But Yoongi beats you to it when he repeats your name. Again. He smiles and for the first time. You feel butterflies, the good kind.

“Why don’t you two eat together? We can meet later.” The man who had ushered Yoongi to stand up earlier says with a smile. It’s a nice smile. It makes you feel like he cares about you. Minji really does have good friends. You glance at Minji and she smiles and nods encouragingly. She looks like she might burst with energy. Minji is slightly bouncing up and down like a toddler that ate too much candy. Namjoon is standing next to her. He is looking between Minji and you like he might need to step in and hold Minji back from hugging you.

You look at Yoongi who is looking at you with hopeful eyes. It’s the first emotion you can easily read. You don’t think you would be able to turn him down when he is looking at you like that, even if you didn’t want to eat with him. You nod quickly which makes him smile even wider. His smile is this gummy smile that makes your heart clench. You decide that you love his smile.

You and Yoongi move over to another booth for some privacy. You are just far enough away that the others won’t be able to hear you, but they still have a clear view which makes you shift nervously. You can tell that all of them are watching you and Yoongi carefully. Yoongi seems calm which is good because you are anything but calm. You need some calm. Maybe this whole soulmate thing had some merit to it. Maybe Yoongi will be able to balance you out. The thought makes you a little dizzy. If Yoongi balances you out by giving you some peace to your racing mind, you hope that you can balance him out in some way too.

You send him a shy smile, trying to see what Yoongi could possibly need help balancing out. He blushes. Like he actually blushes.

You knew the myth behind soulmates. It was said that your soulmate was your other half. They were like your missing puzzle piece. That they completed you. Obviously it was a nice thought. Doesn’t everyone want to meet their person? Someone who just completes you and makes all the worries go away. So of course soulmates sound pretty good. But the problem is that soulmates don’t promise anything. Back when soulmates were really popular, people would find their soulmate and fall in love, but still get their heart broken. Love between soulmates isn’t set in stone, you still need to put effort into your relationship.

Relationships are never easy, even with the perfect person, your other half. Your soulmate.

You think it is naive for people to think that soulmates would fix that. But for most, they want an easy love. They want all the perks of being in a relationship without the work. So the magic of soulmates began to fade. Simply people stopped valuing relationships and instead wanted ease, but nothing in life is easy, especially the things worth fighting for. And you can already tell that Yoongi is worth fighting for.

“Here” Yoongi begins to place cooked meat into your bowl of rice. You had been so caught up in your own head that you hadn’t even realized he had been grilling meat. You send him a shy smile that makes his eyes light up. You feel satisfied. You have always cared about people and put so much into making other people happy, but there is something special about making Yoongi happy.

“I never thought I’d meet my soulmate.” He leans back in his chair, giving you his full attention. In the best way possible, it makes you really nervous. There is something so unique about being watched by Yoongi. It is like he is truly seeing you and you aren’t sure you have ever felt so vulnerable with anyone. “I gave up.” You admit in a soft voice that makes Yoongi melt. You see it in the way that his eyes soften.

“People used to plan their lives around soulmates and now people give up their soulmates for whatever life they already have. It's like they are so scared of disappointment that they won't let themselves wish for the mere possibility of something better.” Yoongi’s voice is really nice. You wonder if he would consider recording an audiobook. He has the voice for it. “But… I’ve always dreamed of meeting my soulmate.” Yoongi’s confession makes your eyes snap up to his. A part of you wants to hide, worrying that you won’t be able to meet his expectations. On the other hand, the look of kindness in his eyes makes you think that he may just be a kind man. So, you find yourself wanting to trust him.

“Relationships aren’t easy. Soulmates don't guarantee anything.” You voice shakes a little bit and you hope Yoongi doesn’t realize but based on how closely he is watching your face you bet he does. He nods quickly.

“You jumped to relationship quickly” His eyes look playful as he watches you, so you know that he is teasing you. Briefly, you realize that he is trying to make you feel more comfortable. It’s working. “Oh? No relationship is fine for me too.” You keep your voice light so he knows that your teasing him and not serious. You are also fighting a smile that you know he can see.

Yoongi fights off his own smile as he watches your eyes shine. You look happy and it makes him happy. “Wait.” His voice comes out strained and it makes your heart skip a beat. “Relationship sounds good. Great actually.” He talks quickly as he watched you smile as his words. God, he would do anything to keep that smile on your face.

You breakout into a fit of giggles and it has him stopping. It’s like Yoongi’s whole world stops in that moment. He finally understands what all the historians are talking about. He doesn’t know how he thought that he was happy before because it’s in this moment that he realizes he will never be happy again if you aren’t in his life. He doesn’t know how he could go back to his normal life if he you left him. It is in this exact moment that Yoongi realizes that despite just meeting you, he would do anything for you.

He is already writing a album in his head. He wonders if it would be to bold to title it “Hani.”

“Relationship sounds good to me too.” Your voice is shy and it makes Yoongi want to wrap you in his arms and shield you from everything that could ever hurt you. You are too precious for this world.

The others watch the two of you from their table. They aren’t able to hear anything, but they don’t need to because they can see the big smiles on both of your faces. Neither of you have stopped smiling since you sat down together. “I’ve never seen Yoongi look like that” Jin states. The others simply nod, keeping their eyes on you and Yoongi. They don't want to blink and miss a part of your love story.

“They’re already in love.” Minji hasn’t stopped smiling since she heard the word soulmate. Minji has always loved the idea of soulmates. While she and Namjoon have been in a relationship for years now and she is absolutely in love with him, she has always loved the idea of soulmates. The idea that there is someone else out there that is meant for you. Someone that is your other half. Out of the two best friends, Minji is the romantic.

So now that you and Yoongi are soulmates, Minji is ready to live out her dreams of seeing soulmates fall in love. Many best friends might be jealous, but Minji loves you so much. She also knows Yoongi.

Unlike most people, Yoongi has always held out hope that he would find his soulmate. He has a file on his laptop of songs dedicated to his soulmate and love of his life. He hadn’t even met you yet and he was already in love. Minji knows that Yoongi is going to love you in the best way that he can. He is going to pour everything into your relationship. He would do anything to make you happy. To make you smile. To protect you.

Minji is overwhelmed with happiness. She feels so lucky that she gets to witness you be loved by someone like Yoongi. Minji also knows that while you are scared of love, you give everything you have to your relationships too. You and Yoongi are alike in that way.

You don’t have many friends, a fact that you aren’t ashamed to admit. You don’t have many friends because you value friendship so much more than most people. When you commit to a relationship, platonic or romantic, you give everything to it in order to maintain it. You understand how much work it takes to maintain a relationship, so when you commit you hold yourself to a high bar.

Minji isn’t sure if there is anyone better out their for either of you, you both seem to fit together perfectly. But that is the whole idea of soulmates, right? That you complement each other completely. She wipes a tear from her eye which catches Namjoon’s attention. Ever the attentive boyfriend. He reaches over to grab Minji’s hand, knowing that quiet reassurance goes a long way.

“I’m so happy that I get to witness their love.” Minji’s voice holds so much emotion in it. Namjoon smiles at his emotional girlfriend. He is so in love with her, its almost overwhelming to look at her.

“He is going to love her so much.” Minji smiles back at Namjoon.

“He already does.”

[senditcolton]

hiiiiiii my beautiful friend!!! I’m sure I speak for a lot of us when I say that I would love a check in on we’re a bad idea matty—whatever that means for you and where you vision they are now! (request 1 of ???)

- @comphy-and-cozy

Who Are We to Fight the Alchemy?

a/n: i will gladly write anything for this universe because i love it so much and i will happily write anything for you @comphy-and-cozy. if you couldn't tell from the title, a Taylor Swift mashup inspired the final part of this series so it's only fitting that a Taylor Swift mashup inspired this fic.

Word Count: 3.7k Warnings: brother's teammate, references to alcohol consumption, but mostly just pure romantic fluff!!!

Things change.

It was a statement that brought pain and heartache. But it was also a statement that sometimes brought about such joy and happiness. You were thankful to say that in the past year, the latter was more applicable to your life.

The amount of change that you had experienced felt astronomical whenever you sat down and tried to quantify it. In just a few short months, you went from being miserable in Los Angeles, trying to get over a man that broke your heart and left you reeling to being happy back in New York City and coupled with that same man. A man who had changed even more than you could’ve ever imagined.

Matt Martin used to be a bad idea. Last summer, when the two of you reconnected, he was a surprise. Now, you could safely say that he was one of the best things in your life.

It was jarring at first. There was a part of you that was still distrustful, remembering who he used to be: someone who wanted you to himself but never wanted to claim you. But that summer night, he proved how much he had changed and how much he wanted you. Completely. And he had continued to prove it every day afterwards.

That wasn’t to say the transition was easy. There was a lot of bridges to cross: emotionally, physically, metaphorically. It took a while for you to believe that Matt meant what he said and what he did; that it wasn’t all just an overcorrection brought on by guilt or that it wasn’t just another elaborate ploy to get his hooks back into you. But the one thing that convinced you was how patient Matt was. He understood your reservations, took responsibility for how he treated you, and gave you as much space as you needed to process – even if that space was thousands of miles.

You went back to Los Angeles. Mostly for realistic reasons, like your job and your lease. But you would be lying if you didn’t think of it as a test for Matt; to see if he would wait for you, to see if he still wanted you.

And he did, in every single way.

That was enough for you to take the final leap, move back to New York, and fully commit to being his, the way he was ready to commit to being yours.

That was six months ago. Now, you were Matt Martin’s girl.

It was a massive mind-blowing change, one that you never expected. You had wished for it when you were younger, the massive crush you had on your brother’s teammate making you a fool. You desired it that winter you went to a bar with your brother and ended up leaving with Matt. You craved it every moment, during the stretch of hookups and illicit meetings after charity galas and nights out and engagement parties. You resigned that fantasy when you left for Los Angeles. You tried to banish the dream from your mind while you were underneath California’s sun.

But when you saw him again at Scotty and Emily’s wedding, the fantasy of being his resurfaced. Only this time, it wasn’t just something that you wanted. Matt wanted it just as much, if not more. And now, it was no longer a dream. It was your reality.

You were his. He was yours. Something that everyone in your life knew.

You had told your brother Scotty and sister-in-law Emily shortly after the two of you became ‘official’ and were happily surprised when they seemed okay with it. You were sure that their reaction would’ve been much different if they knew the entire timeline of your relationship with Matt Martin (something you were unsure if you would ever tell them). Your friends from college knew, although they were more skeptical, having known part of the tryst you and Matt had shared. Eventually, the news spread to the whole of the New York Islanders, as well as their wives and girlfriends, who welcomed you into a whole new world, one that you never experienced when you were just Scotty’s sister.

But the person that knew before anyone else did was Mat Barzal; the person who knew the entire history of you and Matt Martin and the only person who had one foot in each of your worlds. He was the most supportive of the change, a fact that was slightly surprising but not at all that shocking when you thought about it. You even sometimes thanked him, for giving you both the necessary push that allowed you to reconnect.

While everyone in you and Matt’s personal circles knew, you hadn’t – quote unquote – gone public with your relationship. The gossip blogs had deduced that Matt Martin may have been taken off the market but there was nothing confirmed by you or Matt or anyone else. Whenever you went to Islanders games or appeared in pictures with the other WAGs, you were still known as Scotty’s sister. There was never an implication that you were something more.

And when the New York Islanders had clinched their spot in the playoffs and the discussion of the ever-important WAG jacket began, you told Matt and the girls that you weren’t going to wear his last name on your back; a boundary that Matt respected and the girls playfully ignored. Something that you realized when you were invited to the ‘jacket reveal’ party (out of principle, of course) and had a large package placed on your lap.

In the moment, you were a little annoyed at them for ignoring your wishes, even though you knew that they did it with the best intentions. But now, in the friends and family box at UBS Arena, the jacket wrapped around your frame and your hands clasped in Lyla and Emily’s, you were happy that they did.

It was game seven of the Stanley Cup Finals after all. And the New York Islanders were less than five minutes and one goal away from reaching the peak of the mountain.

Your gaze is glued to the ice, your knuckles turning almost as white as the surface that the Islanders and the Jets were zipping across. You felt as if your breathing stopped every time Winnipeg entered the zone, also vying for that single goal that would bring the Cup to Canada instead. You flinch as Mark Scheifele took a shot at the net, your muscles only slightly relaxing when Ilya made the save. The Jets manage to secure the puck and throw it to back to the point where Josh Morrisey waits. Morrisey attempts to pass to his teammate Vilardi, but a miscommunication causes the puck to bounce off his skate instead.

The black disc sits in the expanse ice until someone scoops it up. And you can’t stop the screams of his name that escape your mouth as Matt Martin skates down the ice, his focus on the net in front of him, a Vezina trophy winning goalie between him and the deciding goal.

The puck flies off his stick and you swear you can feel the entirety of UBS Arena holding its breath. Until the rising shot sails by Connor Hellebuyck’s blocker and hits the netting. Then the arena seems to explode.

The goal horn coupled with the cheers from seventeen thousand people is deafening. However, it all seems like background noise to the way you’re screaming, your pure excitement not even muffled by the pile of bodies that rush over to hug you. You swear you can feel tears in your eyes as the girls pull away, your gaze connecting with the giant screen hanging over the ice as you watch Matt skate by the benches, receiving aggressively excited fist bumps and helmet pats from his teammates.

The reality that there was still two minutes left in the game washes over everyone quickly, the seasoned fans realizing that while things change quickly in life, they can change even quicker in hockey. But as the clock counts down, the nervous energy slowly transforming into that of pure excitement, your eyes scan the arena to find the number 17.

You see him on the bench, his body almost draped over the side as the Islanders hold the puck against the boards, the seconds dwindling down.

Three. Two. One.

The sound of the final buzzer almost makes your knees drop out from under you, your body wanting to collapse in pure relief. You don’t have the opportunity to because before you can blink, Lyla is gripping your shoulders, shaking you with pure joy.

“They fucking did it!!!” she screams in your face and you can do nothing except pull her into a bear-hug as the excitement from the girls, the fans, the players, the coaches, everyone fills the arena. Your eyes flick up to the Jumbotron to see the mass of blue jerseys surrounding the net as the team embraces.

You watch content as the traditionally handshake line happens, your eyes forever glued to Matt as he skates around, occasionally being pummeled with hugs and cheers befitting the game-winning goal scorer. The Conn Smythe trophy is brought out and you hug Lyla tight, cheering almost as loudly as she did when Mathew is announced as the winner.

When the Stanley Cup is brought out, you think it’s a miracle that you can even hear the commissioner over the sound of cheering – a noise that only becomes louder when Anders lifts the trophy over his head.

The girls slowly start filtering out, bustling to get down to the ice but you wait until Matt gets the Cup handed off to him, not wanting to miss the moment he holds the greatest trophy in all of sports for the first time. If you thought there were tears in your eyes when he scored or when the final buzzer went off, there was no denying their presence now as you watch Matt skate around the ice with the silver chalice held proudly over his head.

You feel Emily gently tug at your hand, pulling your attention away from the celebration and pulling you into the hallway and down into the bowels of UBS Arena. The ice is almost blinding as you walk out onto it, your arm linked in Lyla’s. She quickly abandons you when she spies Barzy, running towards him and enveloping him in a massive loving embrace, leaving you to catch up.

“Well, well, if it isn’t Mr. Conn Smythe winner,” you tease as you walk up to him, his arm securely wrapped around Lyla’s waist. His grin is wide as he pulls you into a hug. “Congrats Barzy. You deserve it.”

“Thank you,” he mutters to you, letting you go as you step back. You watch his eyes glance over your frame, registering the material wrapped around your torso. “Nice jacket.”

You laugh, the joy in your eyes reflected in his – your insanely supportive best friend.

“Have you seen him yet?” Mat asks, his question causing your eyes to dart around the arena.

“Not yet, but I’m sure he’s getting interviewed or something. I’ll just congratulate Scotty while I wait.”

“Does he know? About this?” he says, gesturing to your body. You reply with a playful shake of your head and Barzy whistles. “This will surely be a night he’ll remember forever.”

You giggle, Mat’s statement not even close to an exaggeration, even without the innuendo that one could easily attach. You give him a quick wave as you wander away, taking a moment to spy Emily standing next to Scotty and your parents. You run up to him, head butting him in the chest in greeting – a ritual that started when you were younger that the two of you continued to this day. Scotty embraces you, smiling as he takes in the moment.

You are laughing with your family when you feel the weight of someone’s gaze attaching to your frame. It is a slow turn of your head until your eyes connect with the ocean blue irises of Matt. You can see his chest rising in heavy breaths, the adrenaline of the moment still buzzing through his body. But the thing that nearly stops your heart is his expression; a mixture of shock and wonder so clearly painted on his face.

You smile, your attention falling completely from your family as you drift away, walking slowly towards him. He coasts up to you and you’re still unsure if his disbelief is related to winning the Cup or to the sight of his last name on your back until he stops in front of you.

“What – ” he begins to say, his hands reaching out to trace down your arms, fingers gliding over the material. His almost hesitance makes you giggle, a smile pulling at his lips in response.

“Surprised?” you laugh, before twirling slowly, the weight of Matt’s gaze raking across your frame undeniable. “It looks good on me, don’t you think?”

The confirmation Matt gives isn’t verbal at first. Instead, he simply lifts you into his arms, your legs instinctively hook around his hips. One of his hands flies into your hair and tugs you forward until your lips press together. The energy and excitement that had been sparking around the arena seems to funnel directly into the kiss. The way your body was buzzing had nothing to do with the glasses of white wine that you had consumed in the past hour and everything to do with the feeling of Matt’s lips against yours.

He finally breaks the kiss and sets you down on the ice, keeping you wrapped in his arms as he stares at you with just as much reverence as he looked at the Stanley Cup.

“You look fucking fantastic,” he mutters and you can’t stop the laugh at the bluntness of his statement.

“I thought I should dress up for you,” you muse, your hand lifting to brush away a few of the sweat-soaked stands of hair from his forehead.

“Glad you did. I think you were my lucky charm.”

“If that’s so, then why didn’t you sweep every series?” you tease, the joke falling from your lips.

“Because the universe needed to know that you were mine.”

The seriousness of his words has you pausing, your eyes looking into his, seeing the sincerity and relief reflecting in his pupils. You realized the gravity of the situation. What you were wearing… it wasn’t just a jacket with his last name sewn between your shoulder blades. It was a confirmation to him, to the team, to the fans, to the world that you were his, even after everything that lead the two of you to this moment.

It was a symbol of your commitment, your trust, your love. It was a public declaration that you were his. Completely.

You could never resist the pull of him, even before this moment, and you certainly can’t stop it now as you lean in and press your lips against his again in a kiss that was just as – if not more – passionate as the last.

“I think I’ve been yours long before I put this jacket on,” you whisper to him, your quiet confession clearly heard as Matt pulls you impossibly tighter against his body.

“You are the best thing that has ever happened to me,” he replies, a remark that he has made a dozen times before and one that you never tired of hearing. You step back, the playful smirk appearing on your lips.

“Even now? After you scored the goal that made you a Stanley Cup champion?”

“There’s absolutely no comparison,” he asserts, lifting your chin to kiss you again.

Things change, that much was true. They morph and transform, get created and destroyed. What you and Matt shared had shifted more than you could possibly imagine. But it had changed for the better. The connection you two shared was the purest form of alchemy; taking something sordid and turning it into pure gold.  

tagging the "we're a bad idea" babes: @texanstarslove @smileysvech @laurenairay @dissonannce @cowboybarzy @cellythefloshie @provokedgoalie @m00nlightdelights @tkachvkmatthew @cixrosie @alwaysclassyeagle @geospatialharmony

[maleyanderecafe]

Flowers of Evil (Visual Novel)

Created by: boyinajar

Genre: Romance/Horror

Just like a lot of games, I've been having my eye on this one for a bit. Flowers of Evil was made for the #yanjam, and I think as of writing this, the current demo could just be an entire game if some of the options were removed. It's really cool to have non human yandere characters in games, so it was pretty fun playing this one and seeing Wither in action. If you are curious about this game, please check out more at @flowersofevilvn, and they are creating another game called @darlingdollhousevn if you enjoyed this one.

The default name for the MC is Buttercup, so I will refer to them as such through this review.

Buttercup wakes up one day like any other to head to their class in university. Walking through the forest to get to campus, the find out that class is not in session, with a note that states there won't be class today instead of an email. With their new free time, they decide to head into the library and starts to read some poetry when they are interrupted by a man named Wither, who seems interested as well. Buttercup can either try to converse with him or try to leave after first meeting with him.

If Buttercup decides to converse with them, Wither will ask them out on a date. Buttercup will initially refuse because of their classes, though coincidentally, the class is cancelled due to car problems relating to plants. With this, Buttercup accepts Wither's invitation, and the two go walking in the town. After going through the flower shop, Wither suggests going into the woods next. As the two walk, Buttercup suddenly feels really anxious, and tries to leave, however, Wither grabs them. They realize too late that he's not quite human, and Wither explains himself as some sort of lichen. Wither drags Buttercup into the meadow, stating that he created it just for them, just to protect them from the rest of the world.

If Buttercup attempts to leave, Wither will be annoyed, stating that this isn't what was suppose to happen, attempting to sing more poetry to lure them back in. As they leave, they get a notification stating that their next class is cancelled due to some plant problems with the professor's car. Here they can either decide to go home through the path or through the town, freaked out by Wither's presence.

If they decide to go through town, Buttercup feels rather unnerved, and they see Wither following them around. They start to freak out, believing that he might have been following them for some time, even before their initial meeting. Buttercup decides to run home to safety, paranoid that no one can help them, not even the police. After falling asleep, they wake up to the sound of breaking glass only to find Wither, breaking open the window with their hand which has turned into a sharp branch. As the plants capture Buttercup, Wither ends up taking them with him, likely back to the forest.

Going through though the path, Buttercup starts to realize that they've been walking for a lot longer than they should have, and noticed that the path behind them is completely gone. Not able to try to go back, Buttercup tries to keep on going forward, until they reach a meadow that they've never seen before. They end up meeting Wither there, who reveals himself as a lichen. The plants grab at Buttercup onto the floor, with Wither happily lying down with them. Wither captures them, happy that they will be together.

I gotta say that this creator makes pretty good creepy designs, whether it be purposeful or not. I think it really adds to the dangers that yanderes have, and it's especially good for the scenes where Wither breaks into Buttercup's house or when he's stalking them around the town. I think that the design with it's leaves is pretty neat too, though it does kind of look like he's fallen down in the forest and forgot to clean himself up a bit. If he does have a more monstrous form, I think it would be neat to have holes in his face or hands to show off the more decayed side to him, but that's just an idea.

I think that this game does a pretty good job of horror, especially the idea of the plants coming to basically take Buttercup into the meadow, and the way that they're not able to escape. The choice of music makes some scenes feel very tense, especially when Wither reveals himself to not be what he seems. I think the notions of using poetry are pretty nice and it does make me wonder where he learned all of it or how he was able to make a human body in the first place. I assume that he fell for Buttercup because he saw them walking in the forest and tried to make something that would appeal to them.

In terms of yandere behavior, Wither pretty much made their physical appearance based off what Buttercup likes, cancelled two classes to get them to hang out with him (possibly killing one of them, considering the note), stalks them in certain endings, breaks into their house with one and kidnaps them to a meadow filled with their favorite flowers. There's actually quite a lot going on in terms of yandere things, and it does make me curious how Wither was able to pick up on what kind of things Buttercup likes and again, how they got into poetry in the first place. From what I recall reading, it is stated that he has a bit more of chivalrous personality that he bases on the books that he's read, thus leading to all of the ways that they act towards Buttercup. That kind of idea is always pretty cool, with a yandere that tries to become what their lover wants to be.

Overall, a pretty fun and short game. This is technically a demo (though I feel that it could just be it's own full but short game if the other options were removed) and I am curious to see what will happen next. I am excited to see how this one and their other game will develop in the future.

[delta-pavonis]

Dreamling Week 2024 Day 2

banner art via WorldAnvil

Dreamling Week 2024 Day 2 Prompts (from @mr-sadman): Pirates, Hourglass, Flowers, Exhibitionism

Dreamling || Rated T || 975 words

tags (other than the prompts above): fantasy, urban fantasy, solarpunk, drow druid/sorcerer Dream, half wood elf bard/gunsmith Hob, investigator partners with a history, discussion of sex in public, discussion of kink, Dream is a little shit in every universe I don't make the rules

Read Part 1 here.

Hob cackles as he tucks the ornate hourglass under his arm and fucking runs.

“Oh, what the hell…” Dream drops the vase of flowers he had been planning on using as an improvised weapon and takes off after his partner. A partner who is rapidly climbing the rankings for stupidest sentient being Dream has ever known. “Gadling! What in the name of every god extant and extinct do you think you are doing?”

The half-elf startles for just a moment as Dream easily catches up to him despite the head start and the crowded market streets. “This is evidence, right?” He tilts his head towards the hourglass.

At this rate Dream is going to pull a muscle rolling his eyes at Hob. “We do not steal evidence! I do not have the least idea of where you learned how to be an investig–”

“Pirates!” He chirrups happily, skidding around a corner as horns start to sound the alarm throughout the resonant underground halls of the Duergar city. 

The answer is so absurd that Dream is struck speechless. 

Then a rumble sounds to their right and it has Dream reaching across Hob's chest to grab his gun in its shoulder holster under his duster. Luckily the gun and the hourglass are not under the same arm, because Dream is completely out of spells, both divine and arcane. He jumps ahead up the stairs and twists, taking two shots at their pursuers and grinning when he hears a shout of explicatives.

Another set of stairs, then they are scrambling up a wall, grabbing the bottom rung of a camouflaged ladder, and are back in the surface’s sewers before the next round of horns sound. Dream slides the cover over the secret entrance and breathes a sigh of relief as, with a golden shimmer, it seals itself once again.

Panting and apparently completely uncaring of the state of the water around their feet, Hob drops to his arse with a thud. Little bits of duckweed and algae slop up onto Dream’s boots.

“We should keep moving.” Dream scowls at his footwear as he also breathes in huge, heaving gulps. “We don't know the power of their artificers and–”

“Don't have ‘em,” Hob shakes his head. “It made bartering for certain items with them a total crapcircus because they didn't value the same basic material goods. Everything they do is mechanical. Non-magic. Luckily we didn't get stuck down there often.” Dream just stares at him; theoretically those are all common words, but fuck if he parses their meaning right now with the adrenaline crash just starting to take its toll. Hob smirks, lopsided and definitely not charming. Absolutely not. “Pirates, remember?”

He feels a headache coming on and so pinches the bridge of his nose. “Are you actually trying to tell me that before joining the Houndsguild you were a Hawkshaw?”

“Uh… yes?” Hob blinks at him as if Dream is the one asking the dumb question. “Thirteen years. Is that so hard to believe?”

Dream just stares. If this half-elf was a Hawkshaw, one of the pirate codekeepers (the closest to lawmen such outlaws might ever get), then there is so much more here to uncover, so much more to Hob, that he isn't even sure where to start. Hob drops back down in Dream's mental rankings of stupidity. Dream breathes out and now, a little calmer, some of Hob's behaviors slot into place. The impulsivity. The recklessness. The charisma to get himself out of just about any problem caused by said impulsivity and recklessness. “No, actually, now that I think of it. It makes some sense.”

The smile that brightens Hob's face is also extremely not charming. Or cute. No. Not at all. “Help me up?” He holds out his hand and Dream automatically grips his forearm as he continues to speak, “I know we got off on the wrong foot when we first met, but I hope you are coming to realize that in this, in solving cases like these at least, I am actually competent.”

Dream nods, but also cannot resist the opportunity for a good jibe. “It at least explains why when we first met you were balls deep in the barmaid bouncing on your lap in the middle of a crowded tavern.” He smirks back, trying to convey that he isn't really judging, just teasing. “Never met a Hawkshaw who didn't want to be the absolute center of attention.”

Hob splutters out a laugh and gets his feet under him, blushing all the while. “Hey there! It is a specific tactic! Think of it like slight-of-hand and bardic performance had a baby, but it acts on a group level. While everyone is busy watching me…”

“Your fellows are working without being noticed.” Dream shakes his head ruefully, ceding the point to Hob. “Not bad.”

“Fun, too.” Hob's grin goes lopsided again as he waggles his eyebrows and he stares at Dream for a beat longer than necessary. Dream has to resist fidgeting under that warm gaze and so distracts himself with their usual banter.

“If that is your kink, then I am sure it is fun.” Speaking of fun, watching Hob's eyes widen and his neck flush when Dream says ‘kink’ is extremely fun. He studies his fingernails and tries to exude nonchalance. “Exhibitionism isn't really to my taste, though. More of a leather and ropes type myself.” He hears Hob inhale sharply and smirks, still not looking up. “Did you know that if you get strips of leather soaking wet they shrink and constrict as they dry?”

Dream looks at Hob through his lashes, sees him open-mouthed and panting, eyes dilated. Delightful. 

Maybe he will be able to get through this partnership with his dignity intact after all. Or, at least, Dream certainly won't be the first one to lose his composure.

[princesssmars]

joining the guardians of the galaxy and falling in love with peter and gamora.

you were a princess on your home planet, elegant and beautiful but still trained for battle. deadly when needed.

unfortunately before you can take your rightful place on the throne you're betrayed by your sister and your planet is destroyed, leaving you with no option but to flee and eventually end up dealijg with the wrong people.

so here you are, being held captive and in servitude by some royal dickhead with a weirdly shaped head who has hired some "galatically renowned assholes" to retrieve something stolen from him that he stole first.

maybe it would have worked in his favor if two of the group members (who you had to admit were a pair of the hottest creatures youd ever seen) hadn't been observing and taken a liking to you during their stay, the paler one admiring your hidden kindness despite your situation and the green one who looked at you with understanding when you told her about your sister.

when their stay after completing their job ended the dickhead invited them to his throne room, ready to give them their payment. but he was, as stated, a dickhead, so he was actually planning to gun them down and make amends with the guy he just stole from. but you'd heard his loud mouth blabbering about his plan to one of his troops in his room.

before his guards can even blast their guns the guardians haven already struck them down, leaving you to dispose of the king with a fake smile and a blast to the head.

after that, you're basically a member of the team. peter and gamora cant really hide their attraction to you, and rocket and drax admire your strength and willingness to dispose of those who have wronged you. groot is just taking his first steps and you think he's adorable and coddle him every chance you get, and he likes the attention. you're a perfect fit.

the couple are thinking the same. they havent put a label to their relationship, but know they have feelings for each other and you as well.

its the little things, bonding with gamora over your lost cultures and family problems, how you felt like since your familys betrayals you were alone in the universe until you met each other this team.

one thing she likes to keep a secret between the two of you is her insistence on the two of you trying a new dish and drink when you visit a planet. if anyone asks she'll act like she does it out of your begging, but she will wait at your door and stare at you when you dont head out into the market with her.

peter introduces you to earth music and will happily say he falls a little in love with you when you immediately take a liking to it. if you like singing you'll sing along to the tunes every chance you get, and will pull him up with you to dance during down time traveling through space.

after the trauma he's been through, i think he would deal with nightmares every other week. you were the second person he told about it after gamora, and since she preferred solitude at night he didnt want to pressure her into helping him when she was dealing with her own problems. (doesnt mean there wasnt the rare night where she would calmly go into his room at the sounds of his whimpers and whisper to him and run her hands through his hair until he soothed into a peaceful sleep.)

but if its been a rather rough day and he felt stressed out, you wouldnt even need him to ask before you were climbing into his bed and cuddling him from behind, reassuring him that you and the team believe in and care for him deeply. that he's safe when you're there. peter thinks those are some of his best nights of rest.

after a mission gone wrong nearly kills you, the pair know they cant keep dodging their feelings. its late at night when the rest of the team have gone to sleep when they sit at the table in the middle of the communal/eating area, just having finished eating some dessert you had previously picked up with gamora on a market trip and talking and laughing with the two.

after the stress of nearly losing you and the smile on your and gamoras faces, peter cant help but blurt out his feelings for you. your faces are in shock, and its in the middle of peter ranting and trying to backtrack that you grab both sides of his face from across the table and connect your lips.

when peter told stories of his past frequent sexual escapades, you were at first amused while slightly disgusted, but a small part of you was also intrigued. luckily that part wasn't dissapointed, because he reciprocates the kiss like his life depends on it.

the kiss is so good it makes you light-headed, but no matter whats happening around you, you could never ignore the small noises of annoyance gamora lets out, breaking the kiss and turning to her clearly upset but trying to hide it face. she looks away as if to keep her dignity, but when you slide your chair to the side with a smile to keep eye contact, she mentally damns you both and kisses you before doing the same with peter.

its the morning after, your messy-haired self exiting gamoras room while wearing peters shirt early in the morning while heading to the bathroom when you bump into rocket, heading to get an early start on a new invention

"called it. keep it sown next time, would ya?" he walks away, cackling at your flustered face as you hurry into the bathroom.

you rest your back across the door and smile to yourself. you loved these assholes.

.

hello i need more starmora x reader content at once pretty pleaseeee

[13keithxpidge13]

AU where Miguel ends up destroying the universe wherein he reunites with his daughter, destroying everything and everyone in that known world yes but, all except for one person.

Hobie Brown. The Scarlet Witch of Earth 99934, the Earth Miguel destroyed.

Hobie Brown watched as his world slowly began to dissipate, glitches and holes in his world unraveled everything around him. He could do nothing as those he love withered away into tiny glitching pixels. His family, his friends, his-

His /love/. 

Miles was calling him frantically, terrified as his parents disappeared and his apartment crumbled underneath him. Hobie teleported to him immediately, racing to his side as Miles screamed and sobbed for him to /do something, Hobie! Save my parents! They’re gone! Bring them BACK!/

Hobie tried, using his magic he /tried/ to stabilize his realm. He used all his energy into attempting to bridge his world back together, to stitch it together again but-it was already too late.

Miles disappeared in his arms, the two of them huddled on the floor as Hobie tried using his magic to keep him attached to their realm but, how could he keep him here when his world was withering right before their /eyes/? If he couldn't save his world, how could he save Miles?

He watched as the last bits of Miles slipped through his fingers, turning to glitching particles as they fell past him hands and Hobie lost /everything/. Everything he knew was gone and he had been spit out into some unknown dimension, a universe caked in darkness.

For the longest time, he hadn't the slightest clue why he was the only one to survive. His universe was gone, why hadn't he disappeared with /him/? With the one person he’d give everything for?

He had tried killing himself multiple times. Had used his magic to suffocate himself, had tried jumping, burning, overdosing, anything to get it all to /stop/.

Nothing had ever worked.

Nexus beings aren’t meant for death, they cannot die unless a being with greater powers than their own will it so. But, Hobie was stuck in a universe all alone, one overtaken by complete and udder darkness. Nothing could kill him, not in this dimension.

But...perhaps the universe left him a gift. 

With his abilities, he could bend reality. Before his universe was destroyed, he had just been on the cusp of learning all he could about his newborn abilities. He soon found out he could travel to other dimensions, open up rifts between new realities different from his own.

Hobie Brown soon got his hands on an ancient artifact called; The Darkhold and used it’s powers along with his own to create a new world where he and Miles were together again, where everything was perfect, and they were /happy/.

He couldn’t save Miles then but, he brought him back and saved him now, wasn't that all that mattered?

They lived happily for months and Hobie almost forgot about his grief, all his pain.

But, of course, happiness wasn’t meant to last long for beings like himself.

An army of Spider-men from alternate universes had come to stop him, to set the multiverse back in order. They claimed he was corrupting and destroying the “canon”, whatever that meant. In the end, Hobie lost control of the world he had created whilst fighting off all the spider variants and their supposed leader eventually had him cornered.

“You can’t just disrupt the canon as you please,” Miguel O’Hara told him. “Believe me, I’ve tried to live the life I wanted. But, sometimes, we can’t have it all.”

“Oh, yeah?” Hobie growled. “And, who decides that? My world was /destroyed/! Everyone I knew, gone. All my friends, all of my family, they all disappeared and I was left with /nothing/! Do ya’ have any idea what that’s like?”

Miguel sighed and nodded mournfully. “I do,” He told him. “Because I /caused/ the death of a universe when I tried to live the life I wanted and it cost everything.”

A hologram shows up and shows Miguel desperately trying to save a little girl while the universe collapses around them. Hobie’s eyes widen and he watches, ever so slowly going cold, going numb as he realizes-

That was /his/ universe/. That was /his/ world.

And Miguel...Miguel had been the one to destroy it.

Everything he had gone through, all the grief, all the pain, all the destruction, all the painpainpainpain-

It had been because of /this/ man.

“You...” Hobie breathed and glanced up at him, his magic already cracking at the edge of his fingertips and Miguel tenses. “It was /YOU/!”

He nearly explodes everything and everyone in his fit of rage. An anger and /wrath/ like never before overtaking him and he could no longer control himself. He let his magic go wild, attempting to destroy everything in his path to get to the person that /took/ his world from him-

The person that took /Miles from him/.

He doesn’t know what happens next. Perhaps he died. Perhaps he blacked out but, he remembered nothing more after it all. It was as if he was asleep for the longest time before reawakening-years later he comes to find not long after he wakes up again.

Miguel and those Spiders had created a vault to hold him in so he couldn’t escape, a place to keep him /monitored/ and another anomaly had destroyed that vault while attempting to stop an inter dimensional super being such as Hobie himself.

Well, no matter. He was out. No one could keep him caged any longer.

And, he could finally get his revenge. For himself. For his world.

For /Miles/.

And nothing, /no one/, would get in his way again.