#ALSO UNPLEASANT LOVE BROS DESIGN

[gradient-jeremy-asks]

Would you like.. My Plez n Jerm to draw.. (I do not have the winning smile GAH)

I’m like so sorry for making you wait so long 😭😭😭 but I finally got the energy and finished it!!!

[silentheiss]

It starts with Shang Qinghua, as many unpleasant things do.

“Come on, Cucumber-bro,” He whines, lying on Shen Qingqiu’s floor and eating Shen Qingqiu’s snacks. “Do you have to go? You promised you’d read my draft, remember?”

“I do.” Shen Qingqiu says. “And I will. Later. I promised I’d help Binghe with his hair before he has to leave for his trip today.”

“You gotta get all the way back to the demon realm just to do his hair before he leaves again?”

“Yes.”

“Aw, bro. I’m sorry.”

Shen Qingqiu snaps his fan shut. He doesn’t like his tone.

“Why?”

“What?” Shang Qinghua blinks up at him from his position on the floor.

“Why are you sorry?” Shen Qingqiu repeats, slowly.

“Well, because you have to interrupt your evening to placate my clingy son?”

Shen Qingqiu isn’t sure what exactly about Airplane’s wording bothers him so much, but he doesn’t let it stop his ire.

“You think I prefer your company to my husband’s?” He hisses. Shang Qinghua sits up abruptly.

“Oh, shit, bro.” He mumbles, sounding apologetic. “I didn’t mean it like that. I know you love him and all.”

Does he? Not that Shen Qingqiu cares, of course, but- does he?

“Do you?”

“Yeah, it was hard to miss with all the rage comments and well, uh. Suicides?” Shang Qinghua laughs awkwardly and Shen Qingqiu opens his fan once again. “It’s just that I get that it must be hard for you to put up with his quirks sometimes?”

What quirks! Shen Qingqiu grips his fan tighter. Sure, Binghe can get a bit sticky and is prone to crying, but what’s so quirky about it? And who’s talking! As if Mobei-jun is a completely normal choice of a partner. Shen Qingqiu scoffs and moves to stand up.

“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” He snaps. “Binghe’s perfectly normal. I enjoy spending time with him.”

“Of course you do.” Shang Qinghua nods hurriedly, also scrambling up to his feet. “Don’t be mad, Cucumber-bro. I didn’t mean to offend you!”

Shen Qingqiu know that. He didn’t mean to offend him, no. He meant to commiserate. Because, apparently, he thinks Shen Qingqiu must be tired of Luo Binghe.

“I’m leaving.” He says and promptly turns around and walks out of his own house. Binghe wouldn’t like it that he left his martial uncle in bamboo house unsupervised, but it’s either that or beating Shang Qinghua and Shen Qingqiu hasn’t yet formulated a reason inside his buzzing and spluttering mind for why he needs to do that.

Shen Qingqiu is still trying to understand what exactly about the conversation with Shang Qinghua addles him so much as he walks towards the designated meeting spot. Luo Binghe should be there soon to pick him up and take them both to the underground palace. When they last talked – just that night, in a shared dream – Luo Binghe asked if he could visit Shen Qingqiu in their bamboo house as he has some free time before he has to continue on his business, but Shen Qingqiu wanted to be alone with his husband for the short time that they would have, and he’s rarely left alone while on Qing Jing Peak.

“Shizun!” He hears, as almost reaches the stairs. He slows down, allowing Ning YingYing to catch up to him, but doesn’t stop completely. Binghe might already be waiting.

“What is it, YinYing?” He asks, smiling indulgently at his disciple.

“Why is Shizun leaving?” Ning YingYing pouts. “Didn’t he say that he’ll stay for a few days more?”

“Your Shizun will be back shortly.” Shen Qingqiu rolls his eyes, but his smile is still present. See, Airplane-bro? All his disciples are sticky! Luo Binghe is not worse than anyone else. Well, if only just a little. “This Shizun just has a meeting with your shidi.”

“Ah, A-Luo is back? When will this one get to see him?”

“Luo Binghe is very busy, so he won’t be coming to Qing Jing Peak just yet.” Shen Qingqiu says, stopping at the top of the stairs and looking downward. Binghe isn’t there yet.

“So he’s stealing Shizun all to himself?” Ning YingYing pouts again, but this time her eyes are sparkling with amusement. “Isn’t A-Luo the sweetest?”

And then it dawns on Shen Qingqiu. He quickly sends Ning YingYing back and starts his trip down the stairs, lost in thought. He’s taking Shizun all to himself. You have to interrupt your evening to placate my clingy son. They say it as if it wasn’t Shen Qingqiu who insisted on meeting somewhere else, so they could be alone. As if he didn’t insist on being interrupted whenever Luo Binghe had a minute to spare during his trip.

Because even if they know that Shen Qingqiu cares for Luo Binghe, they are certain that Luo Binghe cares for him more. More to the point of being annoying, even?

Shen Qingqiu sees red. He’s furious with Airplane, of course, because he started it, but most of all he’s furious at himself. Sure, he isn’t as shameless as his husband to declare his love left and right, but did he really let his cold and aloof facade lead people to believe that he is not madly in love with his husband?

Did he lead Luo Binghe to believe that, too?

Shen Qingqiu doesn’t notice the stairs end and almost stumbles, when his foot meets the ground sooner than he anticipated. A strong arm catches him around the waist.

“Shizun.” His husband breathes out and draws him closer, hugging him as if they’ve been apart for months instead of days. Shen Qingqiu is frozen in his arms.

That’s it, isn’t it? Luo Binghe never hesitates to show his feelings. But Shen Qingqiu’s thin face is not an indicator that he loves his husband less! It’s just that-

“Shizun?” Luo Binghe leans away, arms still circling his waist. His brow is furrowed, just a bit. Starry eyes are already watering from Shen Qingqiu's lack of response. How on earth could someone not love this man with their whole heart?

“Binghe.” Shen Qingqiu says, unable to hold the question back a moment longer. “Do you think you love me more than I love you?”

Luo Binghe’s arms drop. He takes a stumbling step back. His perfect, beautiful face freezes completely, not showing a single emotion. A second later tears start rolling down his cheeks.

“Binghe?” Shen Qingqiu takes his husband’s hand and squeezes lightly. “Are you okay?”

“Shizun said-” Binghe chokes, still looking at him without as much as blinking. “He said he loves…?”

Then, the dam breaks and Luo Binghe starts sobbing in earnest. Shit. Has he ever said the L word before? Shen Qingqiu swears on his own grave – on all of his graves – to never let the shame overtake him again.

“So, you do?” He asks, heartbroken and ashamed. He truly is an abominable husband.

“I do!” Binghe cries. “Of course I do. How can there be a love greater than my love for Shizin?”

How? Shen Qingqiu would love for Luo Binghe to see his old room right now. That’d show him how.

“What about my love, huh?” He snaps, fighting an urge to stomp his foot. “Why can’t it be greater?”

Binghe must realize his mistake. He hastily wipes his face and shakes his head.

“Of course this one knows Shizun cares for him! Shizun’s shown this one so much kindness, has been so generous, and-”

“No!” Shen Qingqiu feels his cheeks grow hot. “I don’t just care for you. I love you. I love my husband.”

Luo Binghe stares at him and doesn’t say anything for a very long time.

“Shizun?” He says, finally. “Did you happen to come across any interesting plants recently?”

Oh for fuck’s sake!

“I’m not under any influence!” Shen Qingqiu huffs.

“Do you mind if I…?”

“Go for it.”

A second later Shen Qingqiu feels the blood parasites start fretting. It’s not the most pleasant feeling, but if it’ll make his husband stop humiliating him, he’ll take it happily.

“Shizun is healthy.” Luo Binghe says dumbly. “But then why would he say that?”

“Because it’s the truth!” Shen Qingqiu cries. “Why is it so hard to believe? Why do everybody, including my own husband, keep suggesting that I don’t feel as strongly about Binghe as Binghe does about me?”

“Did Liu Qingge say something?” Luo Binghe asks, eyes narrowing.

“No!” Shen Qingqiu rolls his eyes. “But I’m sure he would, if he had a chance. Because apparently, I don’t look in love!”

Luo Binghe’s face is quite red, Shen Qingqiu notices.

“But they’ll see.” He continues. “Ang you! You’ll see too, Binghe.”

“I’ll see?”

“Yes.” Shen Qingqiu nods decidedly. He knows how to fanboy, okay? Binghe’s cooking and fretting and gift lavishing won’t stand a chance against Shen Qingqiu’s skill. “Take me home this instant. I have posters to paint.”

“Posters?”

“Now, Binghe!”

Luo Binghe squeaks and reaches for Xin Mo. Shen Qingqiu jumps through the portal before it even fully opens.

[the-s1lly-corner]

Hi

Can we have some prompts for what it's like to hug the tadc cast?

What it's like hugging the TADC cast!

bro i want a patty melt so mf bad ive literally never had one but it looks so yummy idc if its just a burger on texas toast i wanna eat that!!!!!!!!! short post btw!! (i say, as i make it longer than first intended)

CAINES:

very small and holdable. depending on the size difference you can just carry him around like its no big deal... feels just like holding a person since his body is human shaped... might have to move your head since his teeths are very large.... solid 9/10 imo

POMNI:

similar to caine thanks to her shape but i think she would be very squishy. she looks like she would be squishy, dont you think? i think its because of her design and her at the beginning trying to take off her headset shows shes kinda squishy n soft... but maybe thats just the digital worlds physics and everyone is like that... she looks like she would squeak if you squeezed her... 8/10 she gets one point off because sometimes the squeezing can be annoying but she cant help it

RAGATHA:

very soft and plush, said several times that i see her as a literal doll so she feels like one of those plush dolls. shes warm, i think... like sure shes a doll but she looks like she would radiate warmth, cant explain why.. like caine and pomni have normal body heats but ragatha is just a touch warmer.. 10/10, would love to cuddle with her and nap

JAX:

not squishy!! but not... hard... like he has a little give if that makes sense. like, normal average skinny person squish, i think. normal body temperature. oddly smooth which can be a little weird since hes a bunny, so you would expect fur... but no hes just smooth. but not smooth like a shaved person, smooth like a weird rubber. weird. 7/10 imagine it gets hot one day and he just. gets sticky. one time we accidentally left my dogs rubber ball out in the heat outside and it got sticky. sticky jax. sticky jax gets a 4/10

KINGER:

very. hard. now we're getting into the characters who arent that huggable, which makes me so sad because i love kinger sm. he cant really hug back. like sure he can hold you in his hands but thats a little different than being able to wrap his arms around you... hes hard, too, being a chess piece... not very warm.. however his robe does a bit to make him softer and a little warmer so its not too totally terrible as long as youre not like. CLINGING onto him... kinger i love you but youre getting a 6/10

ZOOBLE:

see where kinger has some saving grace with his robe, zooble is just. naked. plus i think they would feel like plastic, with the main body being like. solid hard plastic. their limbs are obviously also plastic. its like holding a giant child's toy... very cold, too, the only heat zooble has is the heat that comes from your own body... 3/10 im sorry zooble

GANGLE:

no body heat, but like at least its not hard plastic... but theres hardly anything there... can hold you back but you cant really feel it, like ghost touches pretty much... since gangle is just ribbons, what more did we expect? 4/10, extra point simply because gangle hugs arent as unpleasant as zoobles

[oldfriendsseniortwittersanctuary]

Should they be at the club: Mobile Suit Gundam '79

Amuro Ray

There is no character that should "be at the club" less than Amuro Ray. There is no way you could keep him in the club for more than 15 minutes. He's waiting outside the entire time, if he hasn't already called an uber. Do not bother.

Sayla Mass

Absolutely, yes. Let this girl tear up the dance floor. Heaven knows she deserves it.

Bright Noa

I am of the firm belief that the only thing that would fix this guy is a life-changing experience in the bathroom of a seedy club, so yes, for the love of God, take this man to the club.

Fraw Bow

If you take her she's going to get roped into being the designated driver, and that's just not fair to her. She does not want to be here. The club is not her natural habitat. Let her go home and catch up on her netflix backlog.

Kai Shiden

God, you know he'll down two virgin daiquiris, say the wrong thing to someone, and get punched the fuck out. Yes, he should be at the club.

Hayato Kobayashi

He'd be quiet for the most of the evening, until at the very end when he says something deeply unpleasant and out of pocket, just dragging the whole mood down. No, he should not be at the club.

Mirai Yashima

Hell yeah. She'd have a grand ol' time, just living it up. And when she gets drunk she'll be That Drunk Girl In the Bathroom. You know the one. She belongs in the club.

Ryu Jose

He's the one making sure everyone's doing all right, not getting into too much trouble, and making sure the people who are way too drunk get home OK. He must be at the club; this is non-negotiable.

Sleggar Law

He'd be a absolute pain in the ass, however he will also be watching over every girl like a hawk. The second he sees someone slip something in her drink or try to cop a feel, he will throw hands. Him being at the club is an unfortunate necessity.

Char Aznable

Contrary to popular belief, no, do not let this man within 100 feet of the club. His latent Causing Problems instinct would go into overdrive, and there's no telling what Problems he would cause by the end of the night.

Lalah Sune

She would just sit... and watch... until at which point she just walks up to a random stranger and says the most off-putting shit you've ever heard. She should be at the club.

Ramba Ral & Crowley Hamon

Moot question, they're already at the club, scouting for a third. They do this every other Saturday.

M'Quve

*insert the lyrics to How Soon Is Now*

Garma Zabi

I mean, he'd be fun enough to be around, I suppose, but you know by the end of the night he's going to hook up with some blond twink that looks suspiciously similar to a Certain Someone We Know and like... don't let him keep hurting himself like this, man.

Icelina Eschonbach

The only way you're getting her in the club is if she's with Garma, and she will watch him pick up that twink and not even register that anything is amiss. That's just sad. Don't take either one to the club, it would just be too hard to watch.

Degwin Zabi

Uh, the spirit is unwilling and the flesh is ever so weak. Probably a bad idea for him to be at the club.

Gihren Zabi

So he wouldn't, but God could you imagine? Ideally the second he starts ranting about Hitler is the second he gets knocked on his ass, but sadly no one would dare to do it. No, he should not be at the club.

Dozle Zabi

Oh yeah, totally. He'd be louder than the music and would not stop bragging, but those stories would be the wildest fucking stories you'd ever heard. He should be at the club for that alone. Also, he could easily be talked into buying everyone a drink.

Kycilia Zabi

She would scare the hoes and the bros. She should be at the club.

Cucuruz Doan

[Redacted]

Miharu Ratokie

She would somehow end the evening lying face down in a pool of her own blood. No one would know how she ended up this way. It is not much a question of whether she should be at the club as it is an inevitability. We cannot help but to repeat the cycles of tragedy.

[icanseeyou2007]

BOO YAH BIG ART DUMPP

tw for slight eyestrain(??) idk just in case

i didn’t wanna’ post everything individually sorry guyss

things in order from top to bottom, left to right:

-new unpleasant design i love my bbg let me kiss him please

-(two versions) of a computer oc/self insert thing? also realized i’m objectum for old computers and phones??? i <3 the imac LET ME F#CK IT!! WOAH WHO SAID THAT WHO SAID my digital footprint is cooked

-oc i kinda hate. if anyone wants them dm me or send in my ask box. i’ll gladly give them away idc. maybe for a headshot or something idk

-another oc this time it’s set in a zombie apocalypse. dudes name is Buck. i love squishy guys bro.

-another oc. was feeling aughh so i made a shithead of an oc. bro is an addict and just a loserish walking red flag bro.

-ANOTHER OC IM SORRY I LOVE DESIGNING CHARACTERS!! erm silly caterpillar

-another one. dude studies trees and has a gay coworker who has a crush on him that i am yet to draw I LOVE GAY LOVE STORIES!!

that’s all thank you buh bye

[jaimebluesq]

For the Nie Mingjue prompt: He's not everyone's Da-ge, he's everyone's didi!

And if you're not feeling the age swap situation, then maybe canonverse NMJ loses his memory somehow (curse? qi deviation unusual effects?) and needs everyone's help to remember who he is (but specially Huaisang’s 🥺)

Damn, how did this prompt go over 2k?! *Ahem*.

Thank you so much for this prompt! I very much enjoy reverse Nie bros! I got to write then once before and decided to turn this prompt into a sequel (but you don't need to have read Maybe if the stars align, maybe if our worlds collide to follow the worldbuilding!)

So, on to the prompt fill - I hope you enjoy :D

~ ~ ~

Nie Huaisang bit his lip in thought, and a little frustration. He’d been to the rooms assigned to the Lan sect, and hadn’t found his brother anywhere – normally Lan Qiren would have absconded Nie Mingjue somewhere to discuss night hunts, or Lan Xichen would have dragged him away somewhere for tea, but neither had seen him since the banquet that evening. Nor was Nie Mingjue among the Jin – they were in Koi Tower, after all, and the sects had been invited for a grand celebration on Jin Zixuan’s birthday, and though the boy was vain and snobbish at times, he often came out of his shell to take Nie Mingjue under his wing and show him around the grounds or take him to spar on the training field. Nie Mingjue had certainly not been among the Wen – even after Wen Ruohan’s ‘mysterious’ death two years ago, the Nie and the Wen were far from friendly, even if Wen Xu’s reign was nowhere near as contentious as his father’s (Nie Huaisang was quite thankful that he, rather than Wen Chao, had come out on top when the two brothers fought for dominion over their sect).

He was finishing looking around the smaller sects’ delegations, intending to head for the Jiangs’ quarters next, when he was stopped by a feminine voice nearby. “Oh, Nie-zongzhu? It’s quite fortunate that I found you!”

He lifted his fan to cover his frown and sighed. It was Sect Leader Yao’s sister, of course it was. She was nowhere as unpleasant as her brother, thankfully, but she did have a habit of making a nuisance of herself. Particularly to him.

“Ah, Yao-guniang, I hope you’ve been enjoying the birthday celebrations. How may I assist you?”

She fluttered her eyelashes coquettishly and waved her round fan over her chest – her neckline showing far more cleavage than was proper. Normally he would not mind – he did have a reputation for enjoying the company of women (and men), after all – but he knew she’d had particular designs on him for two years now.

“I heard that the matchmakers have been a great bother to Nie-zongzhu of late,” she offered with an attractive pout. “So disrespectful to hound such a great man, no doubt still grieving the late Madame Nie. I would be more than happy to have a word or two with them, if it would help.”

Yes, the matchmakers had been on his case of late to petition for various women wishing to be the next Madame Nie. He knew he would have to accept one eventually, but he had yet to decide upon what alliance would be most advantageous. Most believed he was still mourning the ‘accidental’ death of his wife during a night hunt – the better that they did not think further upon the timing of her death with that of Wen Ruohan. While they had not been a love match, Yu Jinzhu and he had developed an affection for one another, and he knew she would not want her sacrifice in pursuit of assassinating Wen Ruohan to put his sect in danger.

He also knew that Yao YuFeng’s offer was far from altruistic – she’d had designs on becoming the next Madame Nie since the day of the funeral.

“That is very kind of Yao-guniang,” he said with a charming smile that prompted her fan to move a little faster, “but this one is not afraid of the matchmakers. When I am ready to marry again, only then will I have need of them. But until that time, I have a sect to run, and a brother to find.”

“Is your Didi lost again?” Her smile and chuckle were now far more genuine. “He’s grown to be such a handsome boy, and a great cultivator even at his age! And I have yet to meet a girl who can resist the temptation to pinch his cheeks when his dimples show.”

“Yes, that’s the very reason why I lose him so often. He’s far too happy to help anyone who asks, and is often led astray.” He gave a long-suffering sigh. “If I allowed him, he would go weeks without seeing his Da-ge and spend all of his time helping people in need. My Didi forgets me so!”

“Such a thing is impossible,” she replied. “Everyone knows Nie Mingjue adores his brother and threatens anyone who even thinks of questioning the way you run your sect. He is a credit to Qinghe Nie, and to his Da-ge.”

He tilted his head in thanks at her kind words. “Your kindness does your sect credit, Yao-guniang. Now if you’ll forgive me, a process of elimination is leading me to the Jiang sect’s quarters – hopefully I’ll find my misplaced Didi there.”

“I wish you the best of luck, Nie-zongzhu,” she offered with a short bow, that he echoed.

Thankfully, she had the grace to leave his side, allowing him to continue on his way.

He took a path through the gardens outside on his way to the Jiang delegation’s rooms, enjoying the cool night air, and he spotted a pair of figures sitting outside in the lantern-light. The two boys seemed to be pouting – well, one looked positively grumpy, while the other one pouted only a little as he bumped his shoulder into the other’s. But the moment Nie Huaisang came close enough to be lit by the lanterns, both boys jumped up onto their feet and made proper bows.

“Nie-zongzhu!” they chorused.

“You’ve been enjoying the celebrations, I hope!” Wei Wuxian crowed with a charming grin.

“Are you here to get Nie-xiong?” Jiang Cheng added, a little too much hope in his voice.

Nie Huaisang did his best not to let a smirk creep upon his face.

“I have been searching for him,” he replied, “and this was my next stop. I do hope my Didi hasn’t been too much of a nuisance.”

“Nie-xiong is never a bother,” Jiang Cheng replied – unsurprising, since he and Nie Mingjue had been close since they were young, and Jiang Cheng had yet to refuse an invitation to come to Qinghe and visit with Jasmine, Princess, and Love.

“Not a bother – but he is a thief,” Wei Wuxian countered unapologetically.

Nie Huaisang lifted his fan to cover his silent chuckle. “Well, would you be so kind as to escort me to my thieving Didi?”

“Of course! Right this way, Nie-zongzhu,” Wei Wuxian offered in a way that was almost flirtatious – ah, to be fifteen again.

As the three of them walked, Nie Huaisang was reminded of how fast these young cultivators grew up. When he’d first taken over as sect leader, he’d been their age, and they had been but children playing at being cultivators. And now they were all grown, and already taller than he was. At times he felt like an ant wandering among trees.

Jiang Cheng knocked on a door and opened it, calling out: “Jiejie! We have a visitor!”

Inside the luxuriously appointed guest rooms, Jiang Yanli had set up a table with tea and many kinds of food – and across from her, shyly accepting an affectionate pat on the head, was Nie Huaisang’s missing Didi. The two looked up at their entrance and Nie Mingjue’s face lit up.

“Da-ge!”

“So this is where you’ve been hiding, A-Jue,” he teased. He knew his brother and that his absences were rarely purposeful – he had simply been ‘adopted’ by so many older disciples that constantly sought him out, wanting to spoil him or teach him or drag him out on night hunts. “I’ve been looking for you for nearly an hour.”

Nie Mingjue looked sheepish; he stood up and bowed to his brother. “This one apologizes to Nie-zongzhu.”

“No apologies necessary, something simply came up at the last minute.” Nie Huaisang turned to Jiang Yanli. “I hope Jiang-guniang does not mind me stealing back my brother.”

“Of course, Nie-zongzhu,” she replied kindly with an elegant bow. “Had I known he was missing, I would have sent him back to your delegation’s rooms.”

“No harm is done – and there are few I trust with my brother’s welfare as much as you and your family.” She tilted her head in thanks, her cheeks flushing brightly. Not for the first time did he think she would make an excellent wife – but not only was she betrothed to Jin Zixuan, but Yu Ziyuan had told him in no uncertain terms that her daughter (and son, for that matter) were off-limits to his wandering eyes.

But a man could still look and appreciate.

Everyone wished each other farewell for the night, and Nie Huaisang and his brother were finally en route to their rooms.

“Is something the matter, Da-ge?” Nie Mingjue asked quietly when they were finally alone.

“Nothing is wrong,” he replied, keeping his eyes ahead of him. It wasn’t that he didn’t want to look at his brother, but with how he had to crane his head up to look at him since his last growth spurt, it hurt his neck a lot less to keep his eyes on the path ahead. “But there is someone I want you to meet. Someone I believe has some potential in our sect, but who will require some time to adjust to our ways.” He paused as they passed a servant, and only continued once they were long past them. “Furthermore, I want to get your impression of them.”

“Of course,” Nie Mingjue replied. “Whatever I can do to help.”

He smiled to himself – this was why everyone wished Nie Mingjue were their little brother.

When they reached the Nie delegation’s quarters, one of their disciples held the door open for them as they entered. The healer within stood up and bowed in greeting.

“How is he?” Nie Huaisang asked her, glancing over to where a young man sat by the window. When he saw Nie Huaisang had returned, he stood up and lowered into a gracious bow of his own.

“Nothing that cannot be healed,” she replied reassuringly. “I’m more concerned at his malnourishment than I am the few scrapes and bruises he acquired today.”

He nodded and dismissed her with a wave of his fan. He stepped further into the room once the door clicked shut behind him. “Didi, I would like to introduce you to a young man I met earlier today. This is Meng Yao, and I have invited him to come back to Qinghe with us. He wishes to become a cultivator, and I believe we may have a place for him in the Unclean Realm.”

“It is an honour to meet you,” Meng Yao said in a practised tone of voice, the same one that had impressed Nie Huaisang upon their first meeting outside when the young man had stood up from the bottom of Koi Tower’s steps. He’d seen something in him immediately that he recognized – someone who did not have the same strength and skill with weapons that were the basis of many cultivators’ training, but instead he saw someone adept at the more subtle arts that Nie Huaisang called his own, that his father had brought in teachers from Meishan Yu to teach him many years ago.

In Meng Yao, he had seen himself.

“What happened to you?” Nie Mingjue asked bluntly, as was his way.

Meng Yao lifted a hand to self-sonsciously touch the darkened bruise on his cheek, and when he smiled, his lower lip showed red from where it had been split. “It is nothing, Nie-gongzi.”

“Was it a night hunt?” Nie Mingjue asked – Nie Huaisang said nothing, merely standing back and watching his brother. “Or bandits?”

The response was a wince, and Meng Yao shook his head. “It is nothing-”

Nie Mingjue's eyes narrowed. “Who hurt you? Only a coward hurts someone who can’t or won’t fight back.” He reached for his saber, strapped securely to his back, but he stopped when Meng Yao reached out a hand to stop him. “Point me their way and I’ll-”

“It’s all right, young master. I will be fine.” Meng Yao’s eyes softened noticeably the way so many others did when they thought Nie Mingjue’s righteousness adorable, and Nie Huaisang found nothing to indicate it was an act. “You need not worry about this one. I merely wish to do what I can to thank Nie-zongzhu for his kindness.”

“It’s almost time for bed,” Nie Huaisang announced. “Meng Yao, why don’t you escort my brother to his room and help him take his hair down for the night? It will give you a chance to better see some of his braids – they’re typical for our sect, and you may wish to wear some of your own one day.”

“It would be an honour, Nie-zongzhu,” Meng Yao replied.

Nie Mingjue snorted. “Right this way,” he mumbled, “and you can tell me how you got hurt.”

“As I told your brother, Nie-gongzi, it was but a simple tumble down the stairs...”

Nie Huaisang watched his brother and Meng Yao walk away. It was going to be interesting having one of Jin Guangshan’s bastards around – not that he’d revealed to the young man that he’d overheard that part of the encounter on the stairs – particularly one that, like everyone else, fell under the sway of Nie Huaisang’s Didi’s charm.

That night, when Nie Huaisang slipped into his empty bed, he allowed himself a moment of true weakness. Wen Ruohan was dead, but there would always be sect politics, and people needing his attention, and yao and ghosts to fight. At times he was overwhelmed by it all, truly overwhelmed in a way the Headshaker never was. But he had a duty to fulfill, a sect to lead, and a brother to protect – and if he could do what he could to make certain Nie Mingjue never had to worry about anything in life, then it would all be worth it – just like what it had secretly cost them all to take down Wen Ruohan.

He sent a silent prayer to Jinzhu – he really did miss her at times, political though their marriage had been – and one to his and Nie Mingjue’s parents as well. Then, pushing his anxiety aside, he rolled over and allowed sleep to claim him.

The End

[e-vay]

Hey, such a big fan of your work, and I'm glad to see you back here! I wanted to ask about what you thought about the Sonic movies? Would you do any fanart of it?

Thank you so much!

Honestly I was pleasantly surprised by the first one and I loved the second one.

I was really expecting to hate it because I DESPISE movie adaptations where they just throw a known cartoon character (normally CGI’d heavily to look “realistic” but instead they just look horrifying) into a world full of live action humans that are bumbling idiots (movies like Woody Woodpecker (2017), Garfield (2004), The Smurfs (2011)). They actually make me gag; They’re so unpleasant to look at and also screw seeing them in the human world lol! I don’t care about that! I’m already interested in your character, I don’t need you to draw me in by having some dopey humans in there.

And even though the STH movies do that, I feel like they got away from that in the second one and focused more on Sonic and friends which I loved. And me dogging on having humans in these movies is no slight against Jim Carrey’s Eggman. I loved him to death.

I was happy with the final designs the characters ended up having and I loved the voice actors! AND KNUCKLES’ SCRUNKLY SNOOT! That was my favorite part of the whole movie was seeing him crinkle his snout oh my gosh what an angy cutie.

All that being said, I still would have loved if they hadn’t made it live action at all. My favorite adaptations are where they keep it in its own world and replicate the original style or at least enhance it in a way that pays homage to what we know (The Super Mario Bros. Movie (2023), Captain Underpants (2017), etc). That’s what is most fun about cartoons, it can look however you want and doesn’t have to be hyper realistic!

Anyway, I am looking forward to Sonic 3! I don’t think I’ll be doing fan art of the movies but hey maybe I’ll be so hyped after seeing the third then I will.

Please have Amy. Please have Amy. Please have Amy. Please have Amy. Please have Amy.

[silviakundera]

Perfect Marriage Revenge 11

Evil step mommy as actual supervillian confirmed. This actress deserves some special award, idk what it is but let's make one up and give it to her asap. She's glorious. Transcendent!

lmaooooooooo forever. She kidnapped that Sun Jin artist. So he wasn't mentioned 100x in vain.

All of a sudden police just descend and have all of the evidence out of nowhere. Hilarious. No one is worried about these pesky details in an OTT melodrama. TBH I'm majorly disappointed that they didn't find a way to repurpose the school auditorium for that police station.

Finally we get the reveal that they're both reborn! I'm glad they didn't make us wait until the last episode. "How could I tell you that I'm the one who killed you?" Delicioussssssssss

Evil Brother continues to be not only that family member who is always a drag at parties, but also a really crap boyfriend of convenience and MOSTLY IMPORTANTLY still the absolute worst at buisness. I like that he's not just corrupt but absolutely shit at this. He's not even suave and calculated about operating a 'cost of doing business' lean mean lawsuit triggering machine. So messy. smfh

omg when it cuts to them having The Important Company Meeting and it's in a thinly disgused living room I LOVE THESE SET DESIGNERS. Yes DO THAT. Make that 10K budget work for you 👏 👏

I really was gonna shade grandma for planning to sit back for 2 years to see just how much her evil grandkid can manage to destroy the company, since, you know, construction of facilities that humans use lol. But then she actually admits she fucked up and feels guilty about ~losing her way.

You know, I even feel a lil sympathy for Evil Bro here because they straight up turned him over to the feds with no shame. Look you KNOW if the nice brother had been caught out, no one would have turned him over for prision times just like that. This is what happens when you make things awkward and unpleasant at family dinners from age 11 to 25.

Sadly, the reveal about his past with her in the 1st life was super underwhelming. Like, to the point where it undercuts the emotional core of the pairing for me. I really expected (assumed) that he was pining for her in the original timeline and had multiple brief encounters with her that were meaningful to him but she didn't pay mind to. So that he was torn up about her married to someone else. But this felt... kinda bland to me? He really liked her painting. But when he found out she was the painter he... nothing came of that. Then he's a dick to her at the gallery. And he kills them both in a car accident. Suddenly when he meets her reborn he realizes he's in love with her? 🤔 Sorry but WHEN? WHY? I'm not feeling it. If it was love at first sight, I'd want to feel that agony & longing in the flashbacks. If it wasn't... how, buddy? idgi. I mean, whatever. This is not a show to inspire deep thoughts and that's fine. It's just a pivotal moment that left me cold. alas.

I do like the mysterious fortune teller. THE POWER in their hands.

Of course there's a baby, which guarantees she at least won't die. Now in the finale either he'll be a tragic sacrifice to save her from the brother or bro will die to fulfill the 1 life. You know that reveal of his feelings origination left me cold because I'm not feeling super pressed about it. wow ML you really salted your game here. You have episode 12 to make up for it. tick tock!

[rodyaaquata]

I think you all need to know more about my precious f/o's and my beloved selfsona ^_^

Their name is Rodya or Salt, they're werewolf and a guess they seventeen (just like me hehe)

So, i know that no one (even bros who knows Russian) would understand what i writed on this "ref" so i guess i should make it a bit clear (and + for myself)

Genderless

Possibly aroace

Smokes

Animal habits are pronounced too clearly

Likes to show up unexpectedly in places (and scare others with it)

Nice youngish, positive

Turns in a wolf because they want to or because of intense bad emotions

Know English and French

Sasha (nein) their crush/boyfriend/whatever they just like him very much

Loves raw meat

I remember that i said earlier that i don't have a story for them, what actually partically true, but i once write somethin abt them and you know, they remind me of mery sue a little bit.

TW next i would talking about some unpleasant things like sex, drugs and bad childhood/parents

If i would talking completely honestly, most of things that i put through my sweet selfsona i experienced myself.

They didn't had a really good environment as child, father was one of abusers, mom wasn't sure how dealing with her own emotions and most of childhood Salt was neglected. I myself was going through something bad as child but i wouldn't say because I'm not fully comfortable yet, but Salt themself worked in porn industry because they didn't know anything better and because of this they have hypersexuality.

I had thoughts that they would had worked as drug dealer, it would make their past more darker, but I'm still thinking about it.

Actually i think everything i do to salt is just makes their life so pathetically bad, at least in past. And yes they are traumatized.

And once i did a "Humanization" of their "inner self"

St. Cutted form of "Salt"

It uses it/it's/itself pronouns

Also like with Salt themself earlier there some notes

"Rodya's inner self"

Creepy dude

Very Impulsive

Lies alot

It's physical form sees only Rodya/Salt and not everytime

Have mental problems (although i think This is the embodiment of all possible problems that Salt themselves have)

Not nice bro, not positive

It design was a bit different some time but once i accidentally drawn Rodya with star on eye and that give me an idea of make this a really weird and cool part of St.

Idk what else tell about it, but i like draw it alot too

I also have a younger version of Salt ^_^

And for young one i use he/him prns, he here about ten?? Or eleven. Innocent little lamb.

Here also a little more of Salt themself

Aaand ref with all of them

Annd here we go to my fo's!!!

Uhhm uhh so i hope you know that fo it's not only about romantic one

Sasha Nein is 100% my romantic f/o ^_^

I can mumbling about him for sooo long, but for now all i would say that I'm not sire about dynamic between him and salt, sometimes i like them being all nice but then i feel that rebzyxx songs are very them

Raz/Max it's like,,,,,, little siblings or kids to take care of, tehehe

Idk what much tell about them

Dion is really good brother for Salt. Sometimes Dion reminds me of Salt and i guess they would be great siblings (quarreling because they also both damn stubborn)

Postal Dude/Rodion/Daniel I consider like friends. Especially Dude. They like besties ^_^

And there left Irene. She new one actually and I'm still not sure about what kind of relationship she would have with Salt but i think about something more like "familiar" one too. Or romantic??

I still thinking about it.

[everygame]

Ghosts ‘n Goblins (Arcade)

Developed/Published by: Capcom Released: 7/1985 Completed: 02/08/2022 Completion: Beat both loops (with save states and rewind, yeah.) Version Played: Capcom Arcade Stadium Trophies / Achievements: n/a

Super Mario Bros., released a scant few months after Ghosts ‘n Goblins, has undoubtedly the most famous opening of any platformer ever. I mean, you can visualise that first goomba encounter perfectly, can’t you? I mean, it’s probably taught in every class on level design you’ll ever sit through.

But Ghosts ‘n Goblins has to have, if not the second most famous opening of any platformer, certainly the second most burned-in opening of any game in the minds of anyone who has ever played it. You know it–the gravestones. The endlessly spawning zombies; the ladders that lead to that second level, and, of course, the Red Arremer that kills you.

I don’t believe, honestly, that before playing this through now, that I’ve ever personally seen Arthur past that Red Arremer, and I’m sure I’ve played this game (and I guess, all the sequels that all open basically exactly the same) tens of times. I actually only have one memory of ever seeing beyond that, and it’s so vague–still being in university, being somewhere that had a Ghosts ‘n Goblins machine (unusual) and an older student mentioning that he used to be “really good at it” and getting to the beginning of the second level and no further.

(I can’t remember if he ever claimed to be able to complete it. My brain wants to fill in details like he had access to the machine because his family owned a chip shop or something that had it, but I think I’m making that up entirely.)

Basically what I’m saying is: everyone these days is saying Dark Souls this and Dark Souls that, but no one is saying Ghosts this ‘n Goblins that!

Because this really does live up to its reputation. I suppose before I go into that I should mention what a stunning release it is in context. It’s 1985, Super Mario Bros. hasn’t come out yet, so when we’re talking platformers you’ve got basically Pac Land to compare it against, and if you’re talking run-n-gun games, well, I don’t have to hand an earlier side-scrolling example, with only Sega Ninja (or Capcom’s own Commando) really something you can compare this to–even something like Konami’s Rush ‘n Attack wouldn’t be released for months.

And the above frankly don’t hold much a candle to this if you were walking into an arcade, with Ghosts ‘n Goblins featuring some stunningly detailed and varied graphics for the time. It’s not just that you saw the opening of the game a hundred times without ever getting past it–it’s that it’s dripping with a sense of place. There’s even that iconic opening!

I’ll admit though… I’m pretty sure I’d rather play Pac Land, and even Sega Ninja’s level of brutality is preferable to this. I’ve read that the version of Ghosts ‘n Goblins I’ve played (Capcom Arcade Stadium) suffers some input lag, which might be partly why I found this so, well, unpleasant, but it’s also just that this ain’t no Super Mario Bros..

I do love to point out that the original Super Mario Bros. has pretty quirky movement every time I mention it, and I’ll do so again here, but Ghosts ‘n Goblins, for all its visual flair and level variety, does unfortunately feel like the pre-Super Mario Bros. game it is, with clunky, slow and difficult movement. Hero Arthur might be able to throw lances like nobody’s business, but he’s slow to turn, his jump is static, and climbing ladders is an insane risk as he loves to not actually fully get off them.

Honestly, this isn’t so bad for the first four (of six) levels, which I managed to finish with practice and letting myself save after each level. The game is insanely stingy with checkpoints (no checkpoints before bosses. Come on!) and barely ever hands out replacement armour, but all hell breaks loose on the fifth level as you have to deal with climbing a tower full of flying enemies where you literally can’t take a hit or you just won’t survive the final boss, Satan (basically just Red Arremer, but a bigger pain in the arse.)

It actually gets worse because I was playing the version Capcom Arcade Stadium defaults to: the US revision, which goes out of its way to not be finishable. Once you hit the sixth level, you face off against two unicorn enemies at once (where it’s impossible to not take a hit) and then have to face two Satans who have twice the hit-points of the Japanese Makaimura! And you have to beat them with the shield weapon, which has barely any reach!

I won’t lie. I was able to make it to the first Satan with saves, but after a while battering my head against that brick wall I had to bring out the rewinds… and bring them out I did. I just abused the shit out of them and still barely managed to finish this, it’s so stupidly hard. I probably should have played the easier Japanese revision (also available on Capcom Arcade Stadium) but more fool me.

I will say this–I do think the AI of the Red Arremer and Satan enemies is interesting; they genuinely seem to react to your actions in unpredictable ways, and it is quite a thrill when you take them down, even if for me at times it was like playing Braid. However, I keep imagining how this game must have felt to play back in the day if you were invested in beating it and not just a wee guy with a cup full of twenty pence pieces playing machines at random in Blackpool. Getting all the way to even the first Satan, dying and having to do that entire level again. It’s honestly abuse. Creator Tokuro Fujiwara should have been arrested. Maybe he still can be? I’m in favour.

Will I ever play it again? I have the NES version coming up in 1986. Now the question with that one is if I can be arse to do both loops… or even one loop.

Final Thought: Fascinating to consider that I imagine the game being this hard as being just as unpleasant to gamers of the era as it is to me, but Ghost ‘n Goblins’ long life of sequels and status as one of the top sellers of the era (“among the top ten highest-grossing arcade games of 1986 in Japan and the US, the year's sixth best-selling computer game in the UK, and NES version sold over 1.6 million cartridges” sez Wikipedia) so it’s obvious that gamers of the time were all masochistic perverts, essentially Capcom’s pay-pigs. Well, whatever floats your boat I guess.

Support Every Game I’ve Finished on ko-fi, either via a one-off donation (pay what you like) or by joining as a supporter at just $1 a month.

[mickules]

What will you do?

►FIGHT PKMN ITEM RUN

---

Pokémon crossovers are never NOT fun, so I tried my own hand at some Dangan-Poké trainers!

The original angular designs are classic, but I have to admit I love the looser styles coming out of the newest games and anime. What I didn't anticipate is how hard it is to get those perfectly calculated 'cute' proportions right, pokémon artists have the ratios down to a SCIENCE. I planned to get this out around my birthday, but missed it by a week! XD

Since my main goal here was translating the danganronpa designs into bona fide pokémon trainer types; I'll admit I didn't think too hard about their pokémon partners. I only actually played the first few games so my expertise is kinda relegated to the original 151/251, with my knowledge of more recent generations lacking, so my bro helped me out with a few suggestions.

but for what it's worth - here's my logic:

Kyoko Initially this one was mostly aesthetics, but Absol does have uncanny observational skills coupled with a solitary nature. Makoto Lucky egg boy gets the lucky egg pokémon, but I also wanted the supposed 'pushover' to have a powerhouse, and Tyranitar needs a lot of attention to evolve. (geeze Makoto, how come you get to have 2 pokémon?) Taka What can I say, it's everyone's fave '''legendary''' police dog! (I'll come clean, I totally cribbed this from Chasml after reading 'My Real Test'; I cannot imagine Taka without an Arcanine) Mondo My bro calls Pangoro 'delinquent bear' so it fits Mondo well, but the idea Pancham refuses to evolve cos he knows Mondo loves the cute pre-evolutions is hilarious to me. Sayaka Primarina is an all singing, all dancing diva, just like the idol herself. Leon Zebstrika . . .zebSTRIKA . . .zebSTRIKA . . . STRIKE like in BASEBALL GEDDIT??? But also - ill tempered, physically talented with a punky aesthetic? Sounds like Leon. Celeste A stocky, grey, spoiled feline? That's not Purugly, that's Grand Bois Chéri Ludenberg Hifumi When I saw the similarities between Blissey and Princess Piggles I couldn't unsee it. Hina Cute, bubbly and an excellent swimmer? Describes Marill to a T. Sakura Whilst she definitely has fighter type pokémon on her team - Alolan Ninetales' style, grace and calm demeanour just reminded me of Sakura. Toko Although insect/bug types would suit her well; I think a lot of them are still too 'cute' - 'unpleasant' pokémon like Grimer or Trubbish mirror her extreme self-image issues. Byakuya I know Ditto suits TWOgami better, but a bit of meta here - a foreign language Ditto is the best way to breed Shinys which seems right up Byakuya's alley; with the obligatory 'Rich Guy Persian' for good measure. Chihiro What self-respecting computer whizz wouldn't dream of a constant portable power supply? Helps that Charjabug is also adorable. Hiro Unpredictably psychic, undefinable intelligence and contentious usefulness, am I talking about Hiro or the Psyduck? Junko Gothorita is called both "the Manipulate pokémon" and "The Witch of Punishment" in its pokédex entries . . . (plus, clearly a fashion icon to boot) Mukuro Pawniard will follow a Bisharp's orders with no mind to its own wellbeing, a perfect pawn if you will.

(and my favourite still continues to be this stupid fat rat, so there's no accounting for taste)

[codenamesazanka]

Hello, I hope you are well. For the unpopular opinion ask: Shouto Todoroki is not a well-written character. (But pls let's not fight!! I come in peace). Thank you and hope you have a great day.

Heya! And wow, starting off strong! 👌🏼

Hmm, I disagree - Shouto is a well-written character... Just sometimes underutilized, and unfortunately boring - to me. imo. He's just not my type of fav.

Shouto has a solid backstory, goes through tremendous character development, and forms one of the backbones of the story via the examination of his relationship with his father the Pro-Hero and conflict with his older brother Touya/Dabi. He's got goals, strengths and weaknesses and flaws, and he's got ongoing internal conflicts that merges well with his external conflicts. His interactions with his family and classmates gives plenty of meaty material, and he's also actively doing things that affect the plot.

Design wise, he's distinguishable, easily-identifiable, and cute. He's got super strong superpower(s) that allows him very versatile tactics or victory through pure strength and force. His appearance ties into his backstory, from the hair to the scar to the ice and fire, which is good visual storytelling.

That checks off a lot of the 'criteria' for well-written character! A checklist isn't the end all be all, of course, and so his character succeeds by becoming more than just that. He's a character to watch and take interest in - a reader must take interest in. Plenty of people find him a very interesting character and his circumstances compelling; they relate to him and his struggles, and it's fun to watch him turn from an aloof, angry student to a kind, helpful Hero of his own imagining.

He's a perfectly good character in the story of My Hero Academia. I personally just find him utterly boring.

I've been spoiled on his character-type 'processors': Gaara, the kid who was also born to be an ultimate weapon, isolated and trained, and suffers for it; and Zuko, the fire kid with a scar on his eye who also has major family drama. They were intense, they inspired in me much more emotions, I felt their choices had much bigger impact and repercussions and ripples that intrigued me; so comparatively, Shouto just didn't measure up.

Part of it is the writing around him - not the writing about him, but around him - the world and his role in it. Compared to Gaara - ninja-world equivalent of a Weapon of Mass Destruction and child of the leader of a major world power; and Zuko - Prince and Heir to the Main Villain Empire and trying to catch the one Hero that threatens their global conquest; Shouto is just any other good kid going to school, learning to be a Hero, not able to make major changes that really affects stuff. He can't, because he's 16-years-old in a modern-ish society that limits the power and responsibilities of children, and he's a good kid who isn't gonna jeopardize his chances of success. He does what he can, his interactions with the people around him are significant - though mostly on an individual level; and the Todoroki Family Saga has only started, so he always had potential to really change things - just not yet. He really makes sense for the character he's supposed to be, and that's a good thing! Just not my thing.

I guess you can say the fact that he hasn't gone rogue or really rock the boat is bad writing; but I think that's more of an opinion about what you want out of the story and character. For a lot of people in the fandom, his emotional and interpersonal journey fulfills their story satisfaction.

Which is why for what I want for the story, I think Shouto and his character and storyline shines best when he's interacting with his family - Endeavor, Rei, his siblings, Dabi. The Todoroki family conflict is connected closely into the worldbuilding, the themes of Heroism and responsibilities and atonement/redemption and conceptualization of power in the HeroAca world, and the overall story question of whether or not society will be destroyed. His decision to continue interacting with Endeavor, his thoughts and feelings on redemption/atonement, what he thinks he's obligated to do as son and brother, how that will affect what he thinks Heroism is - All that is real good. And the Todoroki family story is best when everyone plays a part (yes, even Endeavor) in a sort of ensemble cast, so it's not particularly Shouto that I'm interested in in this case either.

One can probably make the argument that the changes he goes through at school affects this, which is true; but I think Shouto could've had his epiphany with a total stranger or even off-screen and that wouldn't change how the rest of it plays out.

(God I hate that Sport Festival "Talk-No-Jutsu". I didn't get it and wasn't convinced back then, I still don't get it and am not convinced now. But that's also more with my issues with Deku.)

I'm very tepid on Shouto also because I love my angry, fucked-up kids, love my terrible, no-good-doing characters (Gaara straight up killed people, Zuko being the imperialist soldier he was). Shouto was angry and aloof at the beginning, but he was still an observably polite, good kid: no hurting other people, getting good grades, etc. He would've appealed to me more if he was burning and frostbiting kids left and right, if he was cruel and arrogant, if he was unpleasant and a bully. If what he did left big consequences, if some of his actions were unjustifiable, if his epiphany and 'change for the better' arc was much harder and tougher.

That would've made him a more polarizing character, but I would've been much more interested in how he'll develop in the long run and he affected the world around him.

(Ironically, that means I would've liked him if Shouto acted more like Touya/Dabi. Which seems paradoxical, except I do like Touya/Dabi - that is, canon!Touya/Dabi, the one who is fantasy racist and sexist and ageist, is sadistic and out to really hurt people. We need more of this Very Unpleasant Dabi. Not because I wanna hate him, but because that's also more interesting to me than the usual conceptualization of him as a tragic Loving Big Bro whose flaws can be completely blamed on Endeavor.

Basically: 'unforgivable' characters with big, unjustifiable actions and no excuses -> my great attention.)

Sorry this got super long! Thanks for Reading! And thank you very much for the ask! I hope you have a great day as well!!!!

[notmuchtoconceal]

I did not actively think about the piece you had me edit today while out hiking with Jesse. However, when back home, I was browsing Tumblr and once again thinking “maybe it’s mentally unhealthy to be following so many of these blogs that do nothing but re/post pictures of attractive, fit men” and suddenly it came to me a connection with the “jockbait” in your story, the mention of his seeming unattainability, the way he draws the protagonist in and leads to his abduction and corruption, the way the jock is both real and unreal: unreal in that his seduction of the protagonist is faked, unreal in that his entire above-ground personality is a ruse to get others to let their guard down by exploiting their preconceptions and desires, but real beneath the surface, a real person made to suffer in particular ways, ways that he also is made to enjoy through the exploitation of his own limbic system and psychological programming.

Beneath the surface lies horror, but also a deeper level of eroticism. Eros and thanatos, normally, but here the suffering is a different expression of life: To feel pain is to reaffirm one’s state as a living being. I suppose it depends on what exactly is happening in the other room. There is a melding of animal and machine, both for the former in the sense that Homo sapiens is a species of animal, and also that these captured men are degraded to the level of merely their bodies, bound to an intense and immediate reward/punishment system that, as mentioned, exploits their limbic system. Their senses are employed, overstimulated, deprived. No time is left to think, to rationalize, to vocalize in an intelligible manner.

In sum, I think the piece is a reflection of the tension between ego and shadow. There’s surface appearance (with its reflections on placement in the social order, as well as the hint of trouble therein), then there is the repressed reality underground, full of that which is both unpleasant (pain, industrial smells), pleasurable (genital stimulation), and both (dirty jockstraps).

bro, this story i'm having @flyoverkushtaka rewrite sounds hot af. maybe i should repost the original in anticipation of the revised version, because, um, the craft of writing means so much to me?

bro, i say shit like most of the smut on tumblr is too pathological to enjoy, and the only thing worth eroticizing is the direct achievement of gnosis through self-knowledge -- but also, um, "boyfriend stuff" in this context was literally just me calling lil bro a stupid faggot on cam and flexing for an hour/hour and a half until i eventually caved and remembered how much i cherish and adore the lil dumbass?

didn't even remember it was valentine's until today. guess lil bro and i each independently came to the unspoken conclusion that we didn't need to indulge in a fake holiday designed to exploit your feelings of loneliness and obligation to make you buy glittery cardstock and tissue-wrapped poison.

(not that you should feel less, of course -- if you had been moved by the receipt of such a gift. the intentions of your loved ones matter, as do your reciprocal feelings of affection. you simply oughtn't feel less for not participating in the corporate harvest rite if you don't place a value on such things. the coercion of the custom is real and your right to choose paramount.)

anyway, don't let other people's bad taste regulate your sex life. there are better ways to turn on your partner with ostentatious displays, like showing off what a good boy he is to strangers on the internet.

[greasygyeom]

Title: Blame it on Me [Part I: Congratulations you got promoted!]

By: GreasyGyeom

Summary: what is someone supposed to do when they have to choose between the love of their life and the career of their dreams.

Word Count: 8.2k

Yugyeom x Reader / Angst, smut..more angst. (i use noona but just pretend it’s y/n)

Warnings: Mature content please read only if 18+

Author’s Note: i am back after another year yay! hope you like it!! if you do leave an ask or write in your tags. i love hearing from you guys! tell me if it made you feel something. if there’s spelling errors, let me know hahaha. love you guys and thank you for reading.

Read Part II here

[I]

Your heart felt heavy. It shouldn’t have. You should have wanted to celebrate. You’d just been offered a promotion. After giving your 200 percent for the past four years, you deserve the recognition, you deserve the pay-scale, you deserve everything your new title has to offer you, but instead it left you with tears of melancholy. It had left you at a fork in the road you didn't ask for. A choice you didn’t want to make.

The breeze you felt on your face, standing on the roof of your office building was cold, but you could hardly process it. 

You made your first phone call, after the meeting, to your best friend; to give her the ‘good news’.

It was an unscheduled call, and those were for emergencies only, so instead of beating around the bush you chose to open with it. 

“I have….. good news, I guess. I got promoted” you said, feeling the weight of those words like falling bricks shattering a windshield. 

There was no lustre to the statement and she knew something was not right. “This is not how you tell people you got promoted bro. Something’s up. Tell me?”

“I get promoted only if I transfer to the London office.”

The news would have affected your friend only positively, because she already was miles away from you. It wouldn’t have theoretically mattered to her what part of the world you FaceTimed her from. But, she also immediately understood your unpleasant mood.

“Oh. That’s a tough spot,” she replied, “have you told Yugyeom yet?” 

“No. I’ve just told you, right now. I don’t want to tell him without making a decision. This is fucking awful.”

You were on the verge of crying, so you pulled out your pack of smokes and lit one.

“Okay, that’s one way to look at it, but from another perspective, if you go with the decision and it’s a decision he doesn’t like, it might not end well. He might feel left out?”

“Neither of the two options here have a good ending man.”

“How long do you have till you decide?”

“They gave me two weeks.”

“Look, I know congratulations is probably not what you want to hear right now, but you fucking got promoted, okay? That’s a big deal. They want you to head an entire division in one of their best offices. That’s massive. And I know you love Yugyeom, but I also know how long you’ve busted your ass for this; so I’m going to support whatever decision you make. But don’t keep this from him. Delaying this will not solve anything at all.”

“I fucking hate this universe. Can I not once have everything I want without having to make these awful decisions.”

You knew you were at a risk of being called ungrateful and by everyone who didn't have the same opportunity. There were colleagues of yours who would throw themselves at a chance like this. But it was a little more complicated on the other side of the fence for you.

You wanted the job, you so badly wanted it. For every second of every day since graduating with a degree in visual design, all you wanted was to become an Art Director. But, you were also in a loving relationship with a boy who held your entire heart in the palm of his hand. He was considerate and caring and kind and he gave you everything you had deemed yourself unworthy of. He changed the way you saw yourself and filled your life with laughter. That was the choice you had to make —between what you always wanted that you now had a door to walk through and claim and what you thought you’d never have, which you might have to give up. And the way you saw it, it would have been easier to decide between life and death.

Death, you would choose death.

Just having to go back inside and accept everyone’s well wishes and scoffs alike, was making you sick to your stomach, but you somehow managed to power through it. What you truly dreaded, was facing the love of your life. Because there was going to be no easy way to do this. 

That night when you went home, tired and distraught, your boyfriend was there to hold you in his arms. You had kind of hoped that you wouldn’t have to face him, at least today, so there was an overwhelming amount of remorse when you flopped into his arms, on the couch.

“Aww...my baby is tired?”

You’d tried your very best to remove all evidence of having mourned silently on the metro ride while coming back.

“Very very tired.” you sighed.

He pulled you closer, getting you more comfortable in his embrace.

“How come you’re home? It’s just 8pm?” you inquired.

He was the principal choreographer at one of the most prestigious dance academies in the city and usually his days ran late creating new routines for Broadway shows and idols. You were so incredibly proud of him and everything he had done for his career; especially having seen him grow as a person and as an artist for the past three years. But his long hours had led to some harsh conversations and you just found it hilarious that the one time you wished his work would run later than usual, so you wouldn’t have to face him, is the one time he was home early. 

“Heyyy... you’re making me sound bad.”

“Noooo I don’t mean it like that! I just mean, it’s not often you’re home at this time. You’re usually locking up the studio.”

“Yeah rehearsal got called off today. I thought you’d be happier than this to see me home.”

“Baby, I am!” 

Even though you had hoped for some time alone to collect yourself, finding him sitting, waiting for you on the couch, felt warm and welcoming - like the second home you were trying to escape to, because your original terrain was turning hostile.

“I'm really happy to see you.” You nuzzled his nose, “I promise.”

“Okay I'll believe you this time. What do you want to eat?”

“I don’t think I’m hungry, baby.”

“Nonsense.”

“Really, Yugyeom, I don’t think I can eat.”

“But I’m so hungry. I was waiting for you” he pouted. You stroked his cheek, while he spoke, taking in every little detail of his face and leaned in to kiss him.

When his soft lips touched yours, you felt your shoulders give up all the worries they had carried around the whole day, but your mind almost immediately started accumulating the guilt of deciding to not tell him anything for now.

You wanted to ignore it, but the more he grabbed onto your body, the louder the voice in your head became, until you forced yourself apart.

“You need to eat first. I thought you were hungry?” You poked your tongue out, playfully, faking a giggle.

“Yeah, I can eat your pussy” he replied seductively

“Yugyeom!”

He did that often — making you flush with embarrassment, while talking dirty to you. It was his favourite hobby. The more inappropriate the setting, the better.

He knew just how shy you were about dirty talk and how your sexting game was not something you could brag about. But, while with ex-boyfriends you would immediately get put-off and awkward, he had the exact opposite effect on you.

Just the way he’d say some things – always with a teasing half-smirk on his face, and that strawberry voice fluctuating between sour and sweet, sending shivers down your body – would make you go red in the face. Instead of wanting to conclude the dinner at appetisers you ended up wanting to take him home for an ‘innocent’ cup of coffee.

He used and abused this information, to his advantage, every chance he got.

The same couldn’t be said once you were engaged in the act though, because he’d heard you say some sentences that would give a sweet, old pensioner a heart attack. 

Letting out a loud laugh, he put his entire weight on you, leaving you no room to escape and truth be told, you didn’t want to escape either.

“You look distracted noona, is everything okay?” 

“Uhh...yeah…”

“That would have been believable, but you’ve been frowning for the past ten minutes” he responded, touching the crease lines on your forehead. 

“Kiss me, please.” you whispered, coiling your arms around his neck and pulling him closer. He caught your lips between his and stroked your cheeks.

When he pulled away, lips red and swollen, he smiled, “I love you”.

“I love you too, so so much.”

He sat back and pulled you up with him. “I’m going to order some food. How about you take a nice warm shower till then? I might even hop in, you know, save some water.”

“Where is this ‘save water’ philosophy when I’m running late in the morning and you’re hogging up the bathroom?”

“I never said you can’t join me. It wouldn’t be the first time anyway.”

“At 8 am? Can’t risk it.”

“Why? I can be quick.”

He’d successfully got you all flustered again.

“Oh my god, just order the chicken.” You rolled your eyes, “And I’m going to lock the door so don’t get your hopes up.”

“Aah so cruel.” He replied, dramatically holding his chest like you’d stabbed him.

All this happiness and normalcy that you were faking was emotionally draining; you needed twenty minutes of solace to silently cry it out while the hot water rained on you.

Debating on whether or not to just rip the bandaid and get it over with, you came to the futile conclusion that right now, you just couldn’t. You needed to be prepared, to weigh all the options; to play out all possible outcomes of your potential decision and find all the answers to the difficult questions that you would have to face later. All this overthinking required some time, so you had to keep the secret a little longer. 

You went into the kitchen, after slipping into your pajamas, to help Yugyeom.

“Is the food here?”

“No, I’m just setting everything up.”

You grabbed the two plates he’d kept out, only to be scolded by him.

“Noona, I’ll get everything, just pick something to watch.” 

“It’s okay, I can carry two plates.”

“I’m sure you can, but I’d like it if you didn’t?”

You chuckled and headed back into the living room.

The food delivery reached you halfway through an episode of Good Girls. So you ate your super spicy wings, while he ate the rice bowl he’d been craving, completely engrossed in the show. By the time you reached the third episode you were so full, you rested your head in his lap, sleepy beyond your control.

“I should never believe you when you say you don’t want to eat” he suddenly said, running his fingers through your hair. 

“I stress ate, I think, that’s worse”.

“What’s stressing you out, baby?”

“Rio” You pouted.

“Really. You’re telling me you stress ate because of a fictional gang banger? Actually, no, I take it back. That’s totally believable.”

“Yes, exactly, that fictional gang banger has a neck tattoo.”

“He has a fake neck tattoo. I have a real one on my back.” He sassed.

“Oh whatever, you’re just jealous.”

“Nah… I mean… He could try but I can actually kiss you.”

You laughed squeamishly when he started planting kisses all over your face, then asked you in a more serious tone. “Seriously noona, you look very down today.”

“It’s nothing just…. work.”

“You work too hard, I think you need a vacation. You wanna take friday off and go to the beach over the weekend?”

Unbeknownst to himself, his innocent remarks immediately unraveled the little cocoon you’d stitched around yourself. You wanted to trick your brain into believing, even if for a little while, that everything around you at that moment was not gloomy and dark. But as soon as his words registered, an alarm rang through your body; escalating your heartbeat and breaking you out in sweat. 

The sudden change in your physical appearance derailed his chain of thought.

“You’re suddenly sweating so much? Are you getting a panic attack?” he asked, aware of your history with anxiety disorders. 

“No, I’m fine,” you lied. 

“Then is it a fever?” He placed his hand on your forehead and then on his, to tentatively compare his body temperature to yours.

“It seems okay” he mumbled then spoke to you. “Get up, I’m going to get the thermometer.”

“I’m okay, Yugyeom. I’m sure I’m not sick.”

“I’m getting the thermometer.” 

Begrudgingly, you moved out of his way, sitting upright, your heart slowly returning to normal speed.

He came back five minutes later, and after thorough inspection, came upon the conclusion that your body temperature was no higher than normal. 

“Happy now? I told you I’m okay.”

“I just wanted to be sure.”

“Or you could have just believed me.”

“Noona?” 

“I’m… gonna go to bed” you replied, catching up with and simultaneously getting horrified by the unnecessary aggression in your tone.

“Okay.” he complied, “I’ll clear everything up here and see you in ten minutes.

The way you suddenly snapped at him, was unexpected, but only because you hadn’t behaved this irrationally in a long time.

The last time it happened was when he’d been dating you for a little while and you were terrified of accepting your feelings for him. 

In most cases, you were a rather level-headed, logical person. While you couldn’t do anything about being an emotional being, you still regulated the role it played in decision making.

However, the fear of committing to being so effortlessly in love with someone had paralysed you so intensely, it had caused your mind to lash out.

He knew about all this because much, much later you had apologised for hurting him in that battle with yourself. He’d stuck by you when you had tried your hardest to push him away. And you had felt compelled to right that wrong, even though you both had moved past it. His decision to not walk away had been instrumental in helping your relationship grow into the most magnificent forest of love.

He hadn’t experienced this unexplained, irrational irritability since that time, but he chose not to bring it up when he slipped under the sheets.

“Will you be my tiny spoon?” he asked, even though you were facing the wall already.

Without a word you turned around and scooted close enough that you could bury your face in his bare chest. He liked sleeping in his boxers. 

A small smile settled on his face. “Goodnight, noona.” 

“Goodnight baby. I’m...sorry.”

“It’s okay, I know you’ll figure it out ... whatever it is.”

“I hope so.” you replied, defeatedly, knowing full well that one way or another ‘figuring it out’ was going to break something for you.

The next two days were dull and dark. You smoked a lot, cried a lot, avoided Yugyeom a lot, amongst other mundane routines.

You were on the precipice of adding a third day to the list, but around noon you received a call from Jinyoung – Yugyeom’s senior/ colleague/ childhood friend and by extension now your friend; and he unwantedly altered your ‘gloomy clouds and violent seas’ moodboard to ‘a chill night out in town’.

Since no was never an option with Jinyoung, you ended up going for dinner and a movie with some of Yugyeom’s friends and, to be honest, it wasn’t as bad as you had expected it to be. There were so many people you hadn’t seen in such a long time, it did take your mind off of all the overthinking it had been doing for some hours and as a surprise cherry on top, kept you away from your boyfriend.

By the end of the night you were so tired and tipsy, the only memory that remained of being back home was falling onto the bed and then being tucked in. 

The hangover, experienced by you, the following morning was not something you wanted to add to your already substantial list of inconveniences for the day, but it seemed almost inevitable at that point. When you rolled out of bed, he’d left for work and kept out a hangover shake in the kitchen, for you.

“Oh goddammit why could you have not been a douchebag.” You muttered in frustration. 

You were angry at your boyfriend for being caring. That’s where you were at in your life. You were so cowardly that you were wishing he’d become an asshole so you could hate him and make it easier on yourself.

It wasn’t a pleasant place to be in.

Fast forward to the weekend, you were painstakingly aware of how little time you had with your wishy-washy-bullshit procrastination. Subconsciously you were aware of the choice you were going to have to make, whether you liked it or not, you just didn’t want to make it. 

In the past week, every time your boss called you into the office or crossed you in the corridor you felt this overwhelming pressure, like you were being an ungrateful employee for taking so long to give an answer. And since you hadn’t yet told Yugyeom, who probably was the only person who should have been made aware of the situation the day it had transpired, it made everything even shittier. 

You felt like asphalt laid out on the ground ready to get bulldozed. 

“Are you sure you’re okay noona?” He asked, worry lines strewn all across his face as he once again caught you floating in your own world, on a very sunny Saturday morning, frowning at nothing in particular.

“I’m okay. I think. Maybe anxiety is catching up with me.”

“Do you want to visit your therapist?”

“Not right now… but, if it continues for longer than a month, I will. I can handle it”, you lied.

He gave you a small peck on the forehead, his way of offering comfort before asking if you needed anything from the convenience store. 

You thought about it for 30 seconds before sighing “No, I’m good.”

He felt helpless when you got into this state of mind. But he also knew the best thing he could possibly do was give you your space and silence. You’d been together for three years and he didn’t know he could love someone so much. Even though, sometimes, it came with it’s own curve balls, he was willing to deal with them; because being with you was better than being without.

He knew in his heart that something was wrong. But forcing it out of you was not what he wanted to do, no matter how much he wanted to know or help. Throughout your relationship, you had prided yourself in the fact that you both were always transparent with each other. Sure, it had led to minor disagreements, but choosing to never hide information, out of respect for the other person, was something you both mutually believed in.

So it came as a bit of a shock to him when he ran into your work friend, while buying kitchen supplies and they divulged some information he had not been made privy to. 

Needless to say, it didn’t sit well with him, but everything he’d observed about you in the past week suddenly made sense. He didn’t know how to process the information, so he bought the groceries and went back home to find you frowning, just as he’d left you.

“Oh, you’re back already?” You faked a smile, looking at your faint reflection in the window, to make sure you didn’t look like a mess after having cried in his absence. 

“Yeah, I just went to buy some ramen and eggs.” He replied. “And I ran into Ahn, from your work.”

“Nice.” The repercussions of that happen stance didn't cross your mind.

“Yeah… yeah. He told me some interesting stuff.”

“Yeah? What did he say?”

“He told me that my girlfriend was moving to London?”

You physically felt your heart fall to the base of your gut as your chest cavity tightened and it became difficult to breathe, all in less than a span of sixty seconds. 

“Funny right. And he told me to congratulate you on your promotion since he has been out of town and hasn’t been able to do it himself yet. Apparently it’s been the biggest source of gossip this week because everyone knows about it.”

You sensed the iciness in his voice and were ready to launch yourself out of the window you were crying by earlier. 

“Yugyeom....”

“What I don’t understand is why I heard about it for the first time from some random dude I’ve met once in my life for 2 seconds, instead of you.”

“Because, I – it’s not that simple.”

Your statement was met with silence. He didn’t look angry, he looked hurt and betrayed. He had the same face when he found out Belgian chocolate shakes weren’t necessarily always made with chocolates made in Belgium.

You wanted to just casually dissipate into golden dust.

“I might not have all day for this,'' he said, standing on the other side of the countertop.

When you still didn’t talk, because you were trying to squash your tears to avoid a pour out, he moved to leave the kitchen-dining area.

“No, Yugyeom! Please don’t leave ”, you begged.

“Then talk to me.” 

“I don’t know how to talk about it. I’ve been trying every day.”

“It’s been a whole week. Seven days. You’ve known this for seven days.”

“It’s been five,” you sobbed, mutedly. “Okay… okay okay….” If you didnt let it out now, your chances of undoing the wedge that was now lodged between you two, were very low. So you began,

“I was offered the position of Art Director at the London office. I have one more week to give them a reply. And I don’t know what to do. There that’s all of it.”

“That took about three sentences and two minutes. Congratulations, noona,” he replied but his tone sounded the opposite of what encouragement would feel like.

He could feel his ears turn red and a sudden lack of oxygen in his lungs.

Without another word, he picked up his jacket and walked out, before the claustrophobia he felt in his own house worsened.

You saw his tall, lean frame close the door and your dam of emotions burst, like it was made out of twigs. There was no reason to pretend anymore — what you knew would happen, did happen. Could it have been avoided, yes, definitely; but at least, the cat was out of the bag. 

You waited for him to come back, in spite of knowing how foolish and naive it was to think he’d come back any time soon. You had sent him a dozen messages and calls, all of which he’d chosen to ignore. 

So you had to resort to contacting his friends, just to know if he was safe. Mark, Youngjae and Jinyoung were out of town on a business trip, Jackson hadn’t seen him since the movie night, Jaebeom was at the studio and hadn’t heard from him, which left BamBam. You prayed as you called him, for him to have answers regarding Yugyeom’s whereabouts

“Yeah he’s with me, don’t worry. He’s trying to get drunk, but I’m diluting all of his drinks.”

“What? It’s two in the afternoon!”

“What else did you expect? I’ll send him home in one piece.”

“Bam, I really need to talk to him.”

“I know, I know. He told me what happened. He’s… you know.”

“Yeah… I know. Thanks for keeping him safe.”

“Of course I’ll keep him safe, he’s my best friend. I’m also a bit mad at you, just by the way, but we’ll hash it out later- depending on how things go between you two.”

“I understand.”

“I’m gonna go back inside now before he hulks out and breaks some shit. Try to get some rest, okay? Don’t worry about him.”

“Thanks, I’ll try.”

You then heard a soft click and the line went silent.

At around five and much to your surprise, Jaebeom landed up at your doorstep.

Something didn’t seem right; because yes, you got along with him extremely well and had become good friends over the years, but he would never leave the studio in the middle of the day, especially when Yugyeom hadn’t come in. This was absolutely out of character for him.

“I got you some dumplings and kimbap.” He announced after you buzzed him in.

“I’m not really hungry.” You moaned, slouching back into the same position you had been in for the last several hours.

“You’ve been on that couch since morning, haven't you?”

His question was met with cricket noises. 

“Yo, listen. I’m not leaving until you have two pieces of each, at least. I will chew your ear out until you do. I know you haven’t eaten anything.”

That's when it hit you, that wasn’t him talking that was Yugyeom talking through him. 

“Jae... did Yugyeom ask you to bring this stuff?”

“Would anything change if he did?”

“For fucks sake… seriously?” You were definitely angry, but not sure at what anymore.

“He was worried you wouldn’t eat, so he told me to get you some food.”

“Even when he’s mad at me he has to be a fucking saint.”

“Are you surprised?”

“No, I’m fucking pissed. I know I was wrong but I’d much rather he fight with me than this passive aggressive shit.”

“I know.” He replied, “But…. I also know you know he’s not here because he doesn’t want to talk about it, just as much as you didn’t. Talking about it means he has to be there when you choose between him and your job. I don’t think he wants to hear it.”

“He’s just assuming I’m going?”

“Aren’t you?”

“Well fuck if I knew then I wouldn’t be crying about it would I?”

“Dude I know this is hard for you, but don’t lie to yourself about it. I know you want to go to London, that’s why this is so difficult.”

“But I don’t wanna go without Yugyeom.”

He went back into the kitchen where he had placed all the food and brought it over to the coffee table.

“Yes, but what if you have to?” he then asked.

Holding a conversation with Jaebeom was like staring at the blunt edge of a knife and hoping you wouldn’t get cut just by looking at it for too long. He was this pool of wisdom you could turn to, to reflect, but since he never learned how to sugar coat things, sometimes his words could get difficult to swallow; just like right now.

“I don’t want to.”

“Yes, but what if you have to.”

You turned to look away from him, because you knew too well what the answer to that was, you just didn’t want to say it out loud.

He read your silence and thought it best to give you your space.

“I’m going to keep everything here. Please eat and drink some water too. You’re going to get dehydrated otherwise. I’ll check up on you when I’m back at the academy. And I’ll be damn pissed if you waste any of those dumplings.”

“Fine.” You absent-mindedly replied having no intention of actually going through with it.

“It’s not for Yugyeom, it’s for me.”

You watched him leave and buried yourself under the blanket again. It wasn’t out of ego that you didn’t eat, it was more so the nausea and headache that had completely drained you and caused your body to shut down. You were asleep within minutes. 

And it wasn’t until the main door opened, at an ungodly hour, that you woke up and sat on the couch, alarmed.

“You’re still awake?” he asked, feeling just the tiniest bit of buzz from a mixture of drinks in his system.

“I wasn’t awake, I fell asleep after Jae left.”

“Oh” his eyes darted to the untouched packet of food, painting a vivid picture of dissatisfaction all over his face. He wanted to ask you to eat, but he was still incredibly hurt over the secret keeping to want to talk to you kindly.

“You can sleep inside,” he stated in a monotone, “I’ll sleep on the couch tonight. I’ll stay at Bammie’s, starting tomorrow.”

“Yugyeom please don’t do this, this is your house. Please talk to me?”

“You want to talk now, noona? Really?”

“I know I messed up. I know, okay, I know I should have told you earlier. But, every time I tried, I couldn’t. You think I didn’t want to tell you? You think this is what I want? Do you think any of this is what I want? I don’t want to make this choice, Yugyeom.”

“Do you have to make a choice?”

“Are you willing to uproot your life here and move to London with me, because if not then yes, I do. I have to choose between the only two things I love most and forgive me for not knowing how to do that. I don’t want to fight, baby. I love you and I love my job. You know how much and for how long I have wanted this. And you know I fucking love you.” 

You’d fought the tears so hard through this monologue, you could feel the strain on your throat. But it was all in vain, because you did breakdown. You didn’t want him to feel bad for you, so you covered your face with your palms, as best you could.

You wanted to scream and shout at the stars; to direct your anger somewhere, anywhere.

The entrapment that you experienced while blurting out all your emotions was a roller coaster ride you never consented to take. 

His footsteps echoed in the pin drop silence and you assumed he was moving towards the door, to leave.

Of course, it would make sense for him to want to leave. All you’d just said right now was that you loved him but not enough to make him the obvious first choice. 

So it came as a surprise when instead you felt his warm fingers run through your hair as he sat down next to you.

He didn’t say anything. He just pulled you into his chest, as you cried profusely. Fighting back his own emotions, he rocked back and forth, gently, in an effort to calm you down. You smelled of smoke. It was alarming because it meant you’d smoked enough for the smell to linger in your hair and on your clothes but it wasn’t the right time to bring that up.

“Noona, I love you too.” 

Your grip around him tightened when he said that, unleashing a new wave of tears that you were too exhausted to undergo.

“Come on, I know you haven’t eaten all day. Let’s eat something and then go to sleep.” He added, speaking softly, like he was talking to an injured puppy and was afraid to hurt it with his voice.

“Can we stay like this for two more minutes?” you managed to mutter, in between sobs.

“Okay baby, we can stay here as long as you want.”

You didn’t wake up until late in the afternoon the next day, still encased in Yugyeom’s arms. It was unusual for you to sleep in until 3PM, but your mind and soul were so spent from the past couple of days, it made sense to rest. 

Being in his embrace comforted you beyond what words could convey. You pushed your back into his torso, desperately trying to reduce any crevices between your bodies. 

In his sleep induced state he kissed your neck and tightened his hold around your waist. 

You could feel that he was just a bit turned on, with your ass pressed up against his boxers and you should have resisted the urge to move your hips against his pelvis.

The unspoken tension between the two of you hung heavy in the air but you’d been on a streak of making bad decisions this past week, so what was one more. 

His heartbeat quickened as your movements became more purposeful.

It was a confusing place to be in. You didn’t know if you were still fighting, if he wanted space, if you wanted more time. The only thing you knew with certainty was at that moment you wanted him.

By now he was fully awake and aware of your motives; and didn’t waste any time in reciprocating your pursuit either— his hands feeling up your body with an unmatched aggression.

Usually, he always made the first move, because you would get shy. So it took him by surprise when you pressed yourself up against him like that, but It didn’t take him long to get in the position of control. In a matter of seconds he had you pinned face down against the sheets with your ass protruding outwards, your clothes on the floor and his fingers slithering smoothly on your clit. 

You heaved in response when he smacked and grabbed onto your buttcheeks, with force.

“You like that baby?” he asked, roughhousing you to lay flat on your back, so he could kiss you and bruise you and most importantly, watch you gasp and pant as he manhandled your body pleasurably.

You loved it when Yugyeom played aggressive; and nodded in response.

A cocky smirk formed on his face. 

For the next several minutes he pleased you in every way he knew how to– kissing your body, sucking your nips, eating you out, pounding his fingers into you until you were begging to come. Just to tease you more he’d edge you then wait and start all over again. 

It was always hell for you when he made you beg for it.

“Baby, please fuck me.” you moaned in anguish, as he parted your legs and licked your folds again, needily. 

“Say that again, noona.” He demanded.

“Please, please fuck me. I can’t take it anymore” You dangerously tugged at his hair as he gently teased your lower body.

“Again.”

Your distress was giving him immense pleasure, tempting him to take his sweet time and get you even more desperate for his dick. 

“Yugyeom...... please.” 

The impatience in your voice was unmissable. You arched your back when he hit a particularly sensitive spot, losing all of the air inside your lungs. 

He pressed his lips against your labia even harder and licked you surreptitiously.

“Oh fuck…. baby…. oh keep doing that” you whined, but he stopped abruptly and looked up, to study your face.

“What? Why did you stop?”

“You were having too much fun.”

“It’s not my fault, you’re too good at it.” Maybe caressing his ego would get you somewhere. 

He laughed at your response and nibbled around your waist lovingly.

You sat up, messing with his hair and asked him to take his boxers off. 

He nodded and got rid of the only piece of clothing he was wearing, at lightning speed, while you got on your knees.

A small groan escaped his lips, as you grasped the base of his length and moved your fingers rhythmically, pumping him. You licked your lips thirstily and took in his tip, swirling your tongue around his skin, like tasting a new flavour of lollipop. 

It was no secret that he was turned on, but you miscalculated just how fast your manoeuvres would rile him up.

As you sucked his cock fully into your mouth, he grabbed a fistful of your hair and tugged at it, barely able to keep his composure.

You could hear him mumbling profanities when you deliberately took a long time to feel his ridges and bulging veins with your mouth.

“Noona… fuck…..” he panted deliriously, his mouth watering at the sight of you. He wanted to buck his hips and fuck your mouth harder, hit the back of your throat, make you choke, but he wanted you to initiate it so he’d know that you were okay with it.

You looked up at him lustfully, his cock still suctioned between your lips. The way he eye-fucked you spread electricity through your body; making you want even more of him. When you removed your hand from the base and squeezed his balls, he knew your intentions. It was your tell-tale sign; the consent he needed to go harder. 

He grabbed the back of your head and gained control of the way your neck moved on him. Your heart raced when he started hitting the back of your throat repeatedly, blocking your air supply every time he did so. 

Tears collected in the far corners of your eyes,  and you let out multiple muffled moans. You loved this feeling of asphyxiation, but your body’s reflex was to react against it.

It didn’t go unnoticed by him when a thin trail of collected water trickled down the side of your face.

He let go of your hair and asked “You good?”

That’s the kind of man Kim Yugyeom was, who’d stop in the middle of rough sex to make sure his partner wasn’t getting hurt.

That’s the man you were going to lose if you chose your job.

Did that possibility make right now the last time you could feel him like this?

You chuckled, licking your lips for residue, “I’ll be better when you cum in my mouth”.

“Fuck... you drive me crazy.” He exhaled sharply, finding your arms and pulling you up. 

The kiss you shared after that was sloppy and greedy, laced with a desperation you’d experience if you were running out of time.

You moved backwards towards the bed, his lips wandering on your neck voraciously. 

“Baby….baby please fuck me” you cooed, digging your nails into his flesh.

This time, you didn’t have to ask him twice.

Before you could wrap your head around it, he’d worn protection and was pounding into you greedily, ecstasy flowing through his veins.

The loud, wet sounds of his thrusts, as you writhed pleasurably under his lean form, were catalytic. Your walls clenched around his cock as he fucked you until he hit your spot.

Mesmerised by his lustful yet soft brown eyes, you let the wildfire, burning at the pit of your stomach, dictate your thoughts and move your body in-sync with his rapidly escalating fervour; making you huff and hum in relief. 

With your eyes closed, you experienced the seventh heaven. He literally made you see stars. The tension in your pelvis dissipated and you came undone, panting and sweating heavily.

You wanted to at least make him feel an equivalent amount of gratification.

“I want you to cum in my mouth, baby. Will you cum in my mouth for me?” you asked, salaciously.

“Oh god noona you’re so fucking hot” he whined, fastening his momentum. Even though he’d made you orgasm, his thrusts were getting you all riled up again.

When he was dangerously close to erupting inside of you, he pulled out; and you greedily crawled towards him, to help him finish. As Yugyeom released in your mouth and you swallowed, not breaking the heated eye contact you had going on, he sighed delightfully.

He watched you lick the last traces off of his dick and your mouth, and he couldn’t get enough of the sight in front of him. 

Catching you in his embrace, he kissed your forehead and tackled you back into bed. 

Your heart felt full and empty at the same time.

“You got me all tired now.” he hummed, pulling you into his chest.

You checked the clock on your bedside table;16:30 it read. Never in your life span had you wanted to freeze time as much as you did that very second.

Yugyeom continued to shower you with more kisses and somewhere between his touch and the faint sound of the piano being played somewhere, you fell asleep again.

Filled with anxiety and your heart beating out of your chest, you sat up in a jerk movement. You didn’t know if it was day or night, if you were late for work or if you’d just woken up from a nightmare.

Nothing seemed to make sense to you. Yugyeom wasn't occupying his side of the bed either. 

You took a few deep breaths and checked the time again. It was 8PM and you were still on Sunday. 

You let out a sigh of relief and fell back on your pillow, your heart still beating like crazy.

“What an awful way to wake up” you thought to yourself, turning towards his empty pillow. It was then that you noticed the vase placed by Yugyeom’s bedside. 

Flowers weren’t your thing, but they were his. He would get cheered up so easily if anyone got him a bouquet. He’d just shove his whole face in the petals and smell them and smile like a fool. There was a piece of paper still attached to the bunch, with ‘noona’ written on it.

Wait… did he actually get those for you? You rolled over to his side and started reading the contents, entering a panic induced state of mind immediately. It was barely five lines but it felt like an eternity to get through.

“Noona, I’m breaking up with you. You should accept the promotion and go to London, without me making you feel guilty about it. I couldn’t say this in front of you because you know I suck at this stuff. But I was more afraid that I’d ask you to stay. I love you. I want to make this easy for you. Please don’t call me…. I’m sorry.”

After the tenth read his words registered in your brain, like a ten year old typewriter running low on ink – the words were all there, just impossible to interpret.

This was fucking ridiculous. 

Immediately you sprang out of bed, took a bath and got dressed, unwilling to accept this predicament on face value. Even if it was the only foreseeable decision, you couldn’t let him take the fall for it. You were the bad guy in this situation and you had to face it. 

You first went to the academy, just in case he’d gone there to bury his emotions under a thick layer of hardcore choreography. To your dismay Jaebeom was the only one burying his feelings in the building.

“He wrote a note? Really?”

“Yeah he said he’s breaking up with me and left.”

“But… wasn’t that going to happen anyway?”

“Jae… not right now, okay? I don’t want your bitter pills at the moment, ‘cuz they will make me want to punch you.”

“You’re fucking violent. Fine. He’s probably hiding at Bambam's.”

“Yeah I was planning on going there if I didn’t find him here.”

“Cool, call me if you need anything.” You nodded and went outside to hail a taxi hoping and praying to find him.

If Yugyeom really was at Bambams, there was a good chance you wouldn’t even be let in, on account of you having hurt his best friend and all; but you still had to try.

Luckily, since his house was on the second floor and had a window facing the entry, you at least could be sure that he was at home. The lights were on. 

You rang the bell and waited. 

No answer

You rang it again.

Still no answer.

You then called his number, to see if the incoming call ringtone could be heard from outside. A millisecond later you heard his phone. There was no doubt that he was inside. And there would have been no need to keep you out unless Yugyeom was there as well.

“BamBam come on.”

The door knob melodiously clicked open and he slipped out through the tiniest gap, not letting you peek inside 

“I can’t let you in bro.”

“I know Yugyeom’s here.”

“That’s why I can’t let you in. Didn’t he say not to contact him?”

“He said not to call. I didn’t call. Just let me see him Bam.”

“Why do you want to see him. He broke up with you, didn’t he? I told you we’ll hash it out depending on how it goes between you both. Well, this is how it is. He doesn’t want to see you.”

“Bam he broke up with me to make it easy on me. So that I can leave ‘guilt-free’. Does that make any sense to you?”

“So you’re actually going huh?”

“I-”, you fumbled “I don’t know. Part of me that loves my job tells me I have to. The other part that loves him tells me I don’t want to. Let me talk to him, please Bam? It’s the last favour I’ll ask of you for a long time.”

“You know, you both are being really messy.” he sighed and punched in the code to his apartment. “I’m going to get some drinks. Make it quick.”

You hugged him before heading inside “Thank you.”

When Yugyeom saw you at the doorway, he cursed. “Fuckin hell Bam.'' He was not pleased to see you.

“He left to get some drinks.”

“Please I’m not in the mood for this, just leave. I know you came here hoping to change my mind.”

“Yugyeom did you really think you cutting me off like that was going to make me feel any differently?”

“Did you even try?”

“Try what?”

“Feeling differently?”

“Why don’t you tell me first?”

“I don’t have to. I’m not the one leaving.” That sentence stung you in the chest. 

“And what if I don’t?”

“What?”

“What if I don’t go to London. What if I don’t accept it?”

“Then you’re a dumbass.” He got up from the chair he’d been occupying, several paces away from you and moved even further away as you finally stepped out of the foyer and inside the living room.

“Excuse me?” Did you just call me a dumbass?”

“Yeah, I did. Because you’re acting like one. Why the fuck would you turn down your dream

job?”

“I don’t wanna lose you.”

“Wow, the one time I expect you to use your logic, you don’t. Remember yesterday, you asked if I would pack up my whole world and shift to London with you? And I said nothing? So if I can’t do that for you, then you shouldn’t have to do that for me. I don’t want you to have to choose between me and your career noona.”

“But I have to Yugyeom. If I choose my career, we break up. If I stay here, I lose my promotion. Let’s call a spade a spade, yeah?”

“Yes that’s why I took myself out of this equation. I know I said I’m giving you an easy out, but really, it’s for me. I didn’t want to hear you say you’re choosing your job. Because of course that shit will hurt me. And I can’t ask you to stay because that’s a selfish thing to do. You know you don't want to pass over this opportunity. Why are you making this so hard for the both of us?”

“I’m making this hard?” you questioned.

“Yeah, you are. The faster I’m trying to bury it, the more you want to dig it out.”

“So is this it? This is how you want it to end between us?”

“Do you have another way?”

“We have five days.”

“I can’t watch you leave me and not be able to do shit about it. I fucking can’t.”

“Okay.. and you have made up your mind?”

“Yeah”

“Do whatever you want then, I guess” you conceded, your words full of anger and frustration, and went back towards the door.

His heart felt so heavy. He wanted to run to you and ask you to never leave him and kiss you so badly, but held himself back with everything he had. He had to hold himself back. If he gave in right now, he’d be in a much stronger world of pain later. 

“Yugyeom, if you change your mind…. you know where to find me” you stated before slamming the door shut.  

There wasn’t much else you could really do about it other than comply with his wishes.

The sad part of it all was that you always did intend to accept the promotion and transfer to London, you were too ashamed to admit it. The decision you’d been stalling had finally reached it’s obvious conclusion and you felt nothing. No happiness, no sadness, no anger - it was like falling into a grave of white noise, endlessly, without any safety net or ground to actually hit.

During the ride back home, while you sent out messages to all the people who needed to be told; back at BamBam’s house Yugyeom had chugged two bottles of Soju in spite of BamBam’s protests. 

“You fucker, I’m gonna call everyone over so they can beat your ass, if you don’t slow down.”

“Don’t care” Yugyeom muttered, while opening a third bottle. “Let’s party. Fuck some bitches.”

“Oh you wanna fuck some bitches or you wanna fuck a bitch who just left like fifteen minutes ago.”

“She’s not a bitch be nice.”

“Oh fuck’s sake, I’m calling hyung”.

“Which one?”

“All of them”.

[ardenttheories]

ardent, I have a real rough question to ask you. is it worth it to read hs^2? Ive been avoiding reading it because I didnt want to ruin what I loved about homestuck, but seeing the amount of art and interaction makes me feel like I'm missing out. I know it's not going to be good, but do I still take the risk? are there homestuck fanprojects you'd suggest instead?

An anon asked:  Hi, may I ask what is your opinion of fan creation inspired from Homestuck? I'm not the biggest fan of where homestuck is heading but was wondering on your opinions of fan comics. I'm leaning towards reading them over Homestuck2 because of some of the writing that Hussie and his team of writers have produced in Homestuck2 feels off and a bit weird for Homestuck. (Ps. Have a lovely day.)

I forgot to answer the anon when I first got it, but since both mention fanvantures, I’ll combine the two!

I would absolutely not recommend reading HS^2, personally. There’s just a lot wrong with it that I genuinely don’t like and am deeply uncomfortable with. Futanari Jade making Rose cheat on Kanaya to have a baby she then completely abandoned is really just the tip of the iceberg, from what I’ve read and seen; there’s also just an outright lack of care for triggers (the warnings for which were taken off chapter by chapter, so you’ve got no idea what you’re going into anymore) and so much bullshit around facts from Homestuck not being taken into consideration during writing (for instance, Rose tells Terezi about the Exiles despite Terezi being the one who told Dave about them back in Act 5).

It’s uncomfortable, sloggish, uncaring, actively written to ruin Homestuck for fans, and overall just unpleasant to read. Not only is it a bad continuation, it’s just bad fiction in general. Some of this of course is exacerbated by the writers themselves, which is another reason I refuse to read it; I do not want to support them in any capacity. 

I wouldn’t say you’re missing out. There’s some genuinely interesting things in HS^2, but a lot of it is overshadowed by how bad it is. That’s why I stopped reading, personally. You could always give it a go, see what you think and if you can handle it or if it appeals to you - because it’s different for everyone! Some people genuinely like it, and that’s okay, too - but I wouldn’t recommend it.

If you read the Epilogues just fine, you should be okay? But if they were rough for you to read, I’d definitely say HS^2 will be worse. You can still enjoy the content on the peripheral, though; for instance, acejams/sarcasmprodigy draws some HS^2 bits, but only really the designs that she likes. Consuming fan content while avoiding the comic itself is no issue, as far as I can tell.

That said, I’d 100% recommend reading fanventures. There’s a lot of benefits to them, actually!

Firstly, since they’re made by fans doing it for free, there’s a lot of love that goes into them. You know that what you’re getting is going to some degree be a homage to Homestuck, and that even if it’s an AU or divergent somehow, it’s still going to be loyal to characters you love. 

There’s a lot less - and I mean a lot less - bullshittery in fanventures than HS^2 proper. It’s done for fun, for love! It’s going to connect with you, as a fan, a little more, because it’s literally written by fans for fans; by people who know what the fandom wants because they’re actively part of it. 

Also, the writers don’t want to ruin the characters, so that’s an incredible bonus.

That said, here are a few fanventures I’d recommend:

SOULSTUCK: A fanventure that takes place in the Soul Eater universe, following Roxy and Dirk as they work towards getting that sweet, sweet final Witch soul to become a proper duo. I haven’t read too much of it, but the art is beautiful, the writing is well in character, and it’s also pretty faithful to the original Soul Eater while staying uniquely Homestuck, too.

Guidestuck: A pretty wellknown fanventure that started up again recently, following a kidswap universe where the kids’ initial sprite prototypings (the Harlequin doll, Jaspers, Bec, and Cal) are the kids (Cal Strider, Bec Harley, Quinn Egbert, Jaspers Lalonde), and our kids are their associated items (John’s a plush toy; Bro and Dave are dolls; Jade is a puppy; Rose is a cat). Also features a very unique look at what Alternia would be like if the lusii were the sapient species, and the trolls the symbiotic one.

TLCstuck: Double Death of the Author: A fairly interesting redo of Homestuck, taking control of the narrative a little after Game Over - so, essentially completely changing the story of Homestuck partway through Act 6. There’s a FAQ to give you more information - on how it’s written, how it’s changed, and how it works overall. 

Note for TLCstuck, though; it’s very explicitly ship-neutral. This means that although characters’ sexualities remain the same, no actual shipping generally happens in the comic. It also, since it continues from Game Over, doesn’t have a lot of the content that occurred in the Retcon timeline - including DaveKat and Davepeta (alongside the other combosprites). Keep this in mind on whether or not you want to read it, but I think it’s still a good read regardless.

Act 8: Might be one you’ve seen in the tags before! Unsurprisingly, it picks up after Act 7, and works a little like TLCstuck in that it changes the narrative from that point on. Just before the kids can go through the door to Earth C, the white door explodes. It’s animated beautifully, drawn amazingly well, and is well written! If you want to continue Homestuck’s story with the Retcon changes, this would be best for you to read. 

Well, that, or...

Act Omega: Like Act 8, it picks up after Act 7, only this time before they can claim their reward, a foe we’ve seen before appears to take the win from their grasp. It’s incredibly well animated and drawn from what I’ve seen so far, with an amazing initial fight sequence. It’s well written, and even from a cursory read-through, they reintroduce most of the main characters (including the Alpha trolls) for a second try at characterisation. Pretty nifty!

Homestuck: Subscript: I know significantly less about this one, except that there is some gorgeous art and design in it. It’s an interesting take compared to the others, since it actually happens on Earth C - so it’s more of a HS^2 replacement than anything else I’ve shown so far. It’s also incredibly different, though, and takes a little more a of a Candy route in so far as it focuses a lot more on relationships. It depends on your tastes!

Karkat goes to a Convention: Everything I know about this comes from a friend talking about it. It’s entirely satirical, I think, and a bit of a pisstake more than anything else? It’s quite literally what it says; actual Homestuck Karkat ends up at a normal, everyday convention. From what I understand it does get more detailed and involved as it goes on, but it’s also good for laughs. 

Abodebound: A webcomic a friend of mine wrote! It’s a completely original fanventure, essentially a fansession. There’s music and animation, as well as Homestuck-eqsue writing and original comedy, and some really sweet videos. I’ve never read it all the way through (life’s a bitch like that) but it’s what inspired me to create my own fanventure, and for something completely original but with the same feel as Homestuck, it’s pretty spot-on. 

Also, though it’s never been finished, what little exists of Heinoustuck is a delicious treat if you’re into horror. And Prequel -or- Making A Cat Cry: The Adventure is a really good Skyrim comic done in the old Homestuck style. Definitely NOT Homestuck, but it’s got the same art and humour, as well as games and animation - so it’s pretty sweet to look into, if nothing else. 

[ialreadyreadthatfanfic]

when you do necromancy, the necromancy also does you (the untamed ep. 1) 1/2

I love the very anime-like opening with dramatic music and numerous scenes that probably will get very spoilery once I can actually tell who the characters are.

Oh no that’s a lot of names in the opening narration that I can’t tell apart

Heey they actually helpfully subtitle the characters!! This is great, because I do need a reference.

This is Lan Zhan. He is not having a good time because people are throwing themselves off cliffs, apparently

That’s Jiang Cheng. He is in support of certain people throwing themselves off cliffs, apparently

And here we have the main character who died in [checks] first 5 minutes of the episode by throwing himself off a cliff.

The subtitles tell me he’s called Wei Ying. The other character tell me he’s called Wei Wuxian. I think the narrator called him also the Yiling?

He is a man of many names and people are very glad he is so dead nobody ever found the body, he was so evil, apparently

Oh boy that was a very eventful intro with lots of crying which explained nothing so far, let’s skip 16 years ahead to when people are drinking tea.

Oh no the english subtitles did not subtitle the Tea Drinking Guy, how I will know or remember his name now?

This is Lan Yuan, he is also drinking tea.

We are further establishing that Wei Ying/Wei Wuxian/Yiling Patriarch is very dead because

Mr. Teacher did not get subtitled but boy howdy how he scares these rowdy boys who sit there and drink tea in the class!!

LMFAO and then the darkness literally FALLS UPON THE WORLD, I love the drama.

ELSEWHERE [I think]

This is Mo Xuanyu (subtitled earlier) who is sitting around in blood while omnious wind blows around and dissonant whispers echo his name. I’ve got the impression he might be up to no good

wait--A PLOT TWIST

He’s not Mo Xuanyu! No he is! No he isn’t! No he is because you throw yourself off a cliff you don’t get to keep your original name!

Okay so Mo Xuanyu brought Wei Ying back with necromancy to kill people who bully him, apparently, and THINGS FALL TO THE GROUND DRAMATICALLY

I gotta say I love that the guy called upon to do the killing has a distinct air of “bro are ya for real” in reaction.

ENTER THIS GUY

This is Mo Ziyuan, who kicks people around and complains that they complained about him stealing their things, calls other people’s mother sluts and is all around very unpleasant person who, presumably, could do with a little dying to squash that ego.

The terrifying scrouge of the Earth Wei Ying proceeds to muse how was dead and would love to stay dead and he just might get back to being dead instead of taking revenge because why even. Why even you guys.

It also seems that Mo Xuanyu was designated the local punching bag.

The Peanut Eating Bully did not get subtitled, so I presume he is largely unimportant. His peanuts get taken away because he is a bully.

The tea drinking boy have arrived!

And here we have the couple that spawned the First Target:

Okay apparently the magic people in this world are immortal. These aren’t mere Tea Drinking Boys, they’re Immortal Tea Drinking Boys. Madam Mo brags that they are also related to immortals! In fact, their family has a charge who was trained by an immortal! That charge is Mo Xyanyu - now Wei Ying - who got kicked around by the First Target like 10 minutes ago.

As far as revenge goes, making a scene - complete with throwing himself on the floor, fake crying and pretending to get kicked around in front of immortal guests and spectators - to embarrass the terrible fucking family of the guy who brought you back to life is a pretty good start.

Tbh I am suprised that the terrifying scrouge of the Earth Wei Ying is phrasing it as a question.

The Immortal Tea Drinking Boys are here on Fighting-Evil Business and they’re gonna do it with flags that the terrifying scrouge of the Earth Wei Ying  invented, apparently.

Wei Ying has a sadly wistful flashback because the Boys remind him of someone?? From their sect???

Oh well, GUESS WHO’S OUT AT NIGHT

[wistful music interlude]

I love the Name Subtitles because otherwise I would completely miss this:

TBC