#I write all of this as Bad Romance starts playing . explodes

[deepseagraveyard]

They totally leaned way too hard on the framing of their incredibly complex and loving relationship with literally so many beats that has subliminally been this underlying cornerstone of the whole series since as early as season 4-5 as this "totally definitetly more on the toxic side + is totally unchangeable and unfixable" which isn't entirely deniable but its tone feels way more antagonistic than necesary

obviously the tragedy and unhealthiness in their relationship is their cycle of self-sacrifice for the other + undervaluing themselves, but that love and that compatibility was still there! It majorly ignored how mutual the incredibly long chain of both simon and betty spending ages trying to see/save the other, and I'm glad that betty's perspective is elaborated on slightly (again the last episodes had really rushed pacing and didn't take advantage of all of its incredibly unique cast, concepts, settings and universe, etc) but it overviewed everything they had together and created this really tone-deaf take that simon didn't appreciate her as much as he should as if he hasn't been spending next-to-forever grieving over all of her sacrifice and how much he knows and loves her. Their relationship is wonderful and complex and has so much depth, and I'm worried about the kind of misinterpretations of them and their characters that could stem from this ending.

Also, it was probably intentional, but it also just felt incredibly anticlimatic, especially compared to the A-plot in fionna's world. This isn't like when ships don't get together in other media either, after all of this series focusing on how this specific relationship between these two subliminally being the key defining factor to the entire universe existing the way it did, they just break up so easily without so much as a single struggle or tears or anything? and then they're just fine afterwards so easily never seeing each other again despite the love that shaped and impacted and rewrote the entire planes of existence they lived in. You're going to tell me there's literally no way in this magical multiverse with curses and dieties and paradoxes and everything imaginable that there is no way they can be safe and happy together. that's what's impossible? My tone's really salty but the buildup vs the execution is unbelievable. that doesn't feel like well-written tragedy, more like a climax that wasn't really thought through fully. I thought I was satisfied with the ending initially, and while it feels alright on the surface, actually thinking about it for more than five minutes really has me feeling dissapointed. They deserved so much more and so much better.

[girlfromthecrypt]

Note: This is merely a pitch introduction post. My main project remains Such Happy Campers. I have no title in mind for this IF (suggestions are welcome), although I am very passionate about the idea and will work on it on the side while I write SHC.

You are... or were one of the most famous yet mysterious characters in the 21st century pop-rock scene. 

It all started when you discovered your love for singing during an extended stay at a psychiatric hospital as a teen. Music became your motivator, and from then on, you knew the stage was where you belonged. Your friends agreed… and that is how your band came to be. After years of practice in your friend’s mother’s garage and cheap gigs at dingy bars, your journey to the top begins abruptly when you team up with a skilled manager.

It's a meteoric rise— until it isn’t. 

And now, a decade after your band has withdrawn from the public eye, you’ve accepted an interview by the acclaimed Groove Magazine. You and your former band members have agreed to give them the truth, the whole truth; as ugly as that might be. 

Follow the story of your band’s rise to fame (and eventual fall from grace)

Play as a pop-rock vocalist

Name your band and customize your music, lyrics and image

Handle the media, interactions with pushy fans and your own repressed thoughts and fears 

Romance your coolgirl-bassist, the childhood friend you cut out of your life, your absolutely insane guitarist, or your biggest fan/stalker

Give one hell of an interview

Inspiration: Daisy Jones and The Six, Fleetwood Mac

TW: themes of mental illness, substance abuse, death, mentions of suicide, suicidal ideation and self-harm, unhealthy relationship dynamics

ROs:

Stevie McLaughlin, bassist (f) — “I suppose I was the sanest one in that bunch.”

She’s one of your oldest friends, and if you follow the clanking chain of cause and effect all the way back to the beginning, it is her you have to thank for your entire career. The band was her idea, after all. She’s level-headed, composed, and always there to talk you down when you need her. Sometimes, she acts more as your retainer than anything else…

Paul/Paulette Zima, lead singer & saxophonist (f/m selectable, trans) — “Trying to figure out where you know me from?”

Your band’s brand-new, second lead singer. Your manager says they’re going to give your music the kick it needs, that they’re the one missing ingredient to your success. You’re not entirely sure if you agree. Worse yet, you happen to know this person, and your time together didn’t end on a favorable note. They’re part of a past you would much rather forget. 

Angel Monsanto, guitarist (m) — “I was always going to make it big, with or without those guys. Only, I… I really wanted it to be with them.”

Your crazy but good-hearted guitarist. His passion for music borders on obsession, and he will stop at nothing to make a name for your band. Sadly, he’s very much of the conviction that all publicity is good publicity, which has encouraged him to pull some very questionable stunts in the past. 

Lincoln Saunders, groupie?? (f/m selectable) — “What can I say, I loved them. When they first walked out onto that stage, it felt like my heart was going to explode.”

Calling Lincoln a fan would be an understatement. Fanatic is more like it. You remember seeing them at your very first show, and you’ve continued to spot them at every venue you’ve played at since. You don’t know anything about them, and perhaps changing that would be a very bad idea. But maybe you still want to.

Others:

Fatima Shah (f), drummer — “I’m pretty sure they tried to make me disappear with their fog machine.”

After things didn’t work out with your original drummer, Fatima saved the day. She’s a sweetheart to you, but from what you’ve heard, she can be kind of a terrible person. Maybe it’s best to stay a little wary of her.

Kalena Graham (f), manager — “The first time I saw them… well, they kind of sucked. But I knew, I just knew, that they had what it takes to suck on an international level.”

Your band’s manager. You can’t believe how lucky you were to have caught her attention. She’s experienced, driven, well-regarded in the industry and… kind of mean.

Simon Young (m), reporter — “Start at the beginning. And then, don’t stop.”

The guy conducting the interview for Groove Magazine. He’s nice enough, if a little starstruck. It seems he has been waiting a long time for this.

[dividers by @thecutestgrotto]

Please consider reblogging if you like my work!

[thinemoonshine]

⋆𐙚₊ 𝓹𝐮𝐩𝐩𝐲 𝓫𝐨𝐲 ˚⊹♡

good boy!jake x bad girl!reader content(s): angst, suggestive, jake is called as puppy, reader and jake both fall but jake falls harder, (y/n) is a bad influence but not mean, jake is horrendously down bad to a concerning point, like man’s an actual emotional manipulator too type: oneshot word count: 3.6k

inspired by enhypen’s track, ‘blind’

˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚ synopsis: in which jake will do whatever it takes to win her heart—even if it means ruining himself ˚ ༘ ೀ⋆｡˚

(y/n) and jake have that relationship that people don’t really see in real-life but people do write about. they’re a popular trope—though it usually falls in the taboo category. forbidden romance and whatnot.

jake, the university’s heartthrob with astounding grades and cordial personality, always open to making new friends despite his adorable bashfulness.

and then there’s (y/n), uni hottie infamous for her salacious stories on how she beds about anyone she wants both from campus and night clubs across korea, how she shows absolutely no interest in making any real personal connections and rejects all advances. she makes her own rules, carries her own beliefs and does whatever she wants. a maverick.

and yet, jake can’t help but fall for her.

true, he avoided her at first. all those rumours circulating her only scared him, pushing him further away from the girl but fate is funny—and it lead to him crashing on his butt after slipping on a sheet of ice outside the uni and (y/n) was the only one around.

“jake, you cut your palms!” she gasped while holding his hands in hers, gently caressing her thumbs around the fresh wounds.

he winced at the abrupt pain that came only after realizing the existence of the injuries and yet her touch relaxed him, even more so when she blew on them as an attempt to rid off any dust.

“you know my name,” jake murmured and she looked at him, bewildered almost, before she let out a titter.

“in this place, it’ll be weirder if i didn’t.”

and at that very moment, hearing her laugh, seeing her genuine smile, jake felt something shift within him. petals seemed to flutter around her as the air slowed, noises muffled and pink tinted his vision.

it’s love at first sight.

and it grew more and more as they exchanged greetings in the hallways until eventually, he managed to find a place beside her. she never lets him mingle with her crowd though, always keeping him at a safe distance.

but it doesn’t matter to him, not when the only one he wants and needs is her, and only her.

—

“i’m bored,” (y/n) groans as she rolls onto her back on jake’s bed, head hanging off the edge while her legs fold so knees point to the sky.

the owner of the room grins. he glances over his shoulder to look at her before focusing back on his assignment sitting on the desk. “yeah? how about you play my games? or paint your nails? i bought some new shades i think you’ll like.”

“really?? you’re so sweet, puppy!” she exclaims and lands a surprise peck on his cheek which makes his heart explode and gears malfunction—now unable to think for his work.

he watches from the corner of his eye as she takes the pretty storage box he got just for her and filled it with things catered to her liking.

“hey, how about i paint your nails?” she then, suggests and he turns his face fully towards her right as she does the same to him. “you okay with that?”

jake bobs his head, already excited, evident from the big grin on his face and shortly after, they’re both sitting across one another on the bed. a mini study table is unfolded between them with the nail polish box and his hands resting on top.

“so, what colour does my client want today?” (y/n) asks, suddenly playing as a nail artist and jake chuckles.

“what does the artist suggest?”

“hmm~ judging from your cute face and sweet personality,” she starts and throws in a wink, unaware that that one gesture sends his heart jumping. “maybe something bright but not neon! like, sunny yellow or sky blue. some sparkles maybe?”

the customer ponders over her suggestions before making a choice. “black. i’d like to have my nails painted black.”

“black?” (y/n) echoes with confusion. “that’s the complete opposite of what i told you.”

jake shows off his pearly whites cheekily. “black matches with everything.”

“alright. what the puppy wants, puppy gets,” the girl shrugs and takes out the chosen shade. a comfortable silence embraces them as he stares at her like a lovesick boy—which he is.

he loves everything about this moment, especially the part where her attention’s all on him—well, his nails but still, a part of him. he also loves how he can admire her for as long as he wants without getting scared of being caught.

seeing how her lashes flutter at the movements of her eyes, how her brows knit slightly at every mistake and how her lips pucker and roll between her teeth from concentration.

jake’s eyes linger on her lips, breathing starting to slow and deepen as he watches her tongue dart out to leave a sheen on the soft skin.

his breath hitches and faster than he can even think, he leans forward to steal a kiss. (y/n) whips her head up at him when he pulls back, surprise painted across her face before she breaks out into the loveliest smile he’s ever laid eyes on.

it’s a familiar smile, one she always wears whenever she’s pleasantly amused, which is often with jake. and yet her smile keeps getting prettier and prettier, more endearing and breathtaking than the last.

“is that payment? i haven’t even finished painting,” (y/n) comments as she finishes the last nail on his right hand and closes the polish to keep it fresh.

jake nods his head, going along with her script but instead of replying, he leans in once more, eyes flickering from hers to her rosy nubs and who’s she to deny his kisses?

he smiles against her lips and easily discards the barrier between them, sliding the small desk aside before wrapping his arms around her figure. their tongues collide and he moans quietly as his blood rushes with excitement.

he tightens the hold, effectively trapping her before gently lowering her to his mattress. he pulls away just as he moves his hands to her sides, propping himself up to hover the girl who’s pinned underneath him.

(y/n) instantly brings her hands up to his hair—combing his overgrown bangs away from his face to see him gazing down at her with pure endearment and tenderness swirling in his eyes. “your hair’s getting long, huh? gonna cut it?”

“no…” he says quietly and nuzzles into the crook of her neck, taking in that sharp yet alluring fragrance of her perfume. “i’ll keep it long so you can play with it.”

she almost snorts at his reasoning but settles with pecking his cheek. “yeah, right. like it’s not because you’re the one who actually wants me to.”

jake giggles, hot breath against her skin making her shudder and he revels in the effect he has on her.

he wants more.

licking his lips, he starts peppering wet kisses on the side of her neck before gradually traveling to the other side and lower. small breathy whimpers emit from the girl whose heartrate quickens at the abrupt shift in mood.

the tension in the room is thick. both of them tangled on the sheets, panting with desire searing through their veins like molten lava as jake continuously laps on her skin like a parched man—pressing himself against her impossibly closer, wanting to feel everything of her.

“jake…” (y/n) breathes out before gulping thickly and her fingers involuntarily curl around his dark locks when he suddenly nips at her collarbone.

a groan rumbles through his chest, eyes closing at the pleasurable sting on his scalp as he quickly swipes his tongue on the bitten spot. “i love you, (y/n). i love you so much.”

his abrupt profession instantly slaps her back to reality and she yanks his head back, eliciting a whine from him as a shiver runs down his spine. she meets his gaze that’s transfixed on her, half-lidded and dazed like he’s intoxicated as he lets out ragged breaths.

“i have to go,” she curtly says before pushing him off and he sits on his heels—following her with his eyes round and confused as she moves in his room.

“wait, (y/n). y-you haven’t finished my nails,” he tries to get her to stay as he climbs off his bed to tail after her.

she shakes her head, refusing to turn and face him. “i’ll do it some other day.”

“s-still. stay longer,” he mewls, voice airy and cracking as it dawns on him that her sudden departure is probably due to his advances.

she doesn’t want him. he knows that.

whenever they make out, it’s always her taking the lead, always her holding the rails and deciding when to start and stop. and even then, she doesn’t let anything go too far—always stopping whenever he starts to want more, leaving him craving and in need.

leaving him feeling empty when he sees her with her lips on that freaking rich boy yoon-oh who’s uselessly molded like a freaking sculpture.

pouring salt into his wounds when she starts slipping her hands below yoon-oh’s shirt and letting him do the same to her—giggling so cutely through it all.

jake can only watch from afar with fists tight and jaw clenched before he walks away with nothing but a dry feeling in his throat, chest heavy and constricted that it’s hard to even breathe.

“i’m sorry. i won’t do it again,” jake quickly apologizes, voice small as he circles around her to block the door. his hands tremble as they reach up for her shoulders but he promptly retracts them. “don’t leave just yet…please.”

(y/n) halts and finally looks at him. “jake, this was all a mistake. i have to leave.”

“mistake?” jaeyun repeats as the colours on his face drain.

“you’re not supposed to like me that way. whatever between us is meant to be casual, no strings attached. so, i’m leaving,” the other elaborates and tries to push him aside but is halted by his hand that wraps around her wrist.

it loosens just as quickly as he grips, not wanting to push any more boundaries. “…don’t. please.”

he starts off quietly, pleadingly, and chews on his bottom lip before continuing. “then, let me be the one to love you. y-you don’t have to do the same—you don’t have to be mine! just let me be…yours. yours, to you and let me love you. can i not?”

drop!

(y/n)’s eyes shift to the tear droplet on his tile, watching it glint under his fluorescent light before focusing back on his face to see streams below his eyes carrying the same gleam.

“don’t cry for me. it’s useless,” she hisses and instantly feels an agonizing tug within her, demanding her to repent day and night in every second, every breath, for hurting such a sweet soul such as jaeyun. “we never should’ve met.”

her last comment comes out as a low whisper, almost incomprehensible but the other catches it perfectly. and the pain that follows after is excruciating—tearing whatever spirit is left of him and he sobs.

choking on his own breath, he inhales and exhales heavily, chest heaving as he shakes his head side to side.

“i’ll never regret,” he claims, nothing short of conviction, although his voice shakes at every syllable and he roughly wipes his eyes with a single swipe of his sleeve. he wheezes raggedly as he swallows forcefully. “at least…tell me why. why not me? i thought—thought you liked me.”

(y/n)’s own tears threaten to burst seeing him so tattered as he struggles to speak between his violent breaths. but she needs to make this clear. final.

“you and i, we’ll never work out,” she begins and takes it a step further by grabbing his face tightly and dragging him down. her brows knit seeing him flinch at the rough motion but she doesn’t stop—only putting on her facade of indifference once more. “people like you are too…good. and i hate that. i liked you for your face, for your naive, foolish obedience but i don’t intend to keep you. i loathe people like you.”

her statement makes him gasp, eyes widening instantly as his chewed, swollen lip fall from between his teeth, finally halting himself from abusing it any further. it’s like the world has turned completely still. his ears deafened, noise in his mind silenced, his breaths hitched as all he can see and comprehend is (y/n)’s scorn and furthering figure.

by the time he’s collected himself, he’s alone in his room that feels significantly empty, tranquil, and yet…bleak.

—

“it’s her. she’s back,” one whispers.

“dang, she’s as hot as ever,” another whistles quietly.

(y/n) frowns and rolls her eyes. ‘what is this? high school?’

she just took a year off, hoping that her absence will make jake’s feelings for her to fade but she didn’t expect for people to gossip about her like she’s some new meat. she’s old news, it’s not like people don’t already know her.

“should’ve just stayed away honestly. she’s just gonna be a bad influence,” another hisses and their friend scoffs.

“look at what happened to jake.”

at this, (y/n) freezes completely and head turns to the speaker, eyes fixed solely on the pair of friends as she strides to them. “what do you mean? what happened to jake?”

and as if on cue, a door opens and students come filing out excitedly, ready for lunch and among them is a strikingly handsome man with dark hair grown to almost reach his lower neck, half of them tied up in a ponytail while bangs part in the middle and frame his face beautifully. its center part pulled to be a part of those tied back.

adorning his eyes are grey contacts and right down the center of his bottom lip rests a silver lip piercing that caters to his habit of sticking out his tongue—letting him play with it.

he’s dressed in all dark—black and dark grays—and baggy clothes that only add more appeal to his skin tone and his face is radiant.

yet at the same time, he’s unrecognizable to (y/n). his aura is vastly different although, she can’t quite tell from his appearance alone. she might just be dramatic. maybe he found a different taste in fashion?

she must’ve been staring too long, hypnotized, because jake suddenly stops in his tracks, ignoring his friend to instead turn towards her direction—eyes widening when seeing her.

and he instantly starts approaching with large, calculated strides. his gait so confident and sharp that others naturally part for him until he stands in front of the girl who almost gawks at him.

now closer, the sentiment is more vivid. the aura he emanates is…him and yet at the same time, an enigmatic undertone is present. something more…dangerous. is that the right term to call it?

“(y/n)?” he asks, eyes wandering on her face and figure as if to make sure she’s not a figment of his imagination. a sick image his brain’s pulled up just to mess him up further and deeper like it has been in the past year. but from the look of shock and perplexity on her face, he knows it’s her.

a grin of both unbridled relief and excitement stretches on his face, ear to ear before he crushes the girl in his arms.

“you’re back! you’re finally back! i knew you would…i knew it,” he whispers into her hair as his hand gently holds the back of her head while the other’s tight around her waist.

(y/n) remains frozen, a sense of nostalgia flooding within her but she quickly shoves him off just to shoot him a sharp look. others might think she’s angry, but jake knows better. she’s concerned and puzzled. “what are you even talking about? i left you!”

“yeah,” he replies chirpily, hands in his pockets as he tilts his head at the girl with a beam. him and his cute face. “and you came back. that’s all that matters. ooh! come! i have to show you something!”

she’s dragged away to an empty lecture room before she can even refuse and jake backs her against the wall before pulling down his bottom lip. her eyes widen the moment she sees her name tattooed on the red, wet tissue and she looks up at him, incredulous.

“are you insane?? why would you get that? that’s the stupidest thing i’ve ever seen, jake,” she chides, voice laced with fury as glare stares daggers yet, the other only watches her with hearts dancing in his eyes. “you’re so… ugh. you know what? it’s passed. did it hurt?”

jake nods, pouting and lowers himself so his forehead rests on her shoulder, rubbing on her. “like craaazyyy~”

(y/n) gulps, trying to restrain herself from just melting at his cute whine, knowing full well that’s exactly what he’s aiming for.

“but you know, after you left, nothing really felt like anything anymore…” he murmurs melancholically and she feels a tightness in her chest yet, she remains stoic—until she feels his teeth grazing the side of her neck before a soft nibble.

she flinches, holding his shoulders but doesn’t have the heart to push him away. “sim jaeyun! what on earth are you doing??”

“you abandoned your puppy for so long, he’s upset. he’s mad,” jake grumbles and nips at her skin, earning him a gasp and his tongue darts out to soothe the spot. but the emotions quickly flood in again, which prompts another bite and lick. and this goes on and on with his emotions in a constant tumultuous cycle.

“jake,” (y/n) feebly says as her fortitude begins to crumble and finally pushes him back to an arm’s length. she expects to see him pouting, maybe frowning in disagreement and yet, what greets her is a giggly jaeyun with a loopy grin. she breathes in, about to retort at his behavior but stops at a familiar smell. “are you drunk?”

“noooo,” he drags his word and lets out another giggle as he pecks her nose, finding her rounded eyes and lips a cute expression on her. “maybe…i had a teeny sip.”

a scoff of perplexity escapes the girl. jake’s never drank before. even when she ordered chicken and beer, he never drinks—always having a separate non-alcoholic beverage for himself. and yet now he’s drunk?? on a school day??

“this is unbelievable,” she mutters underneath her breath before holding his hand to drag him to the door. “we’re getting you sobered up. how did no one notic—”

“i’m not going,” he stubbornly says and wraps his arms around her—a secure yet most soft of holds that even his fingers occasionally hover her skin as if she’d shatter. “if i do…you’ll just leave me again.”

(y/n) frowns at his defiance. “what?”

jake’s reticence shines through, especially so with his attempt to divert her attention by brushing his lips against the side of her head but not bold enough to lay them yet. “you’ll only stay if i’m hurt. just like the first time we met and even now. you’re worried about me, afraid that i’d get in bigger trouble.”

his observation is spot on—something that even (y/n) didn’t notice beforehand—and she swallows dryly. “that doesn’t mean you can walk around campus all drunk.”

“you made me this way!” he raises his voice although it merely comes off in a choked sob. his eyes wet the fabric on her shoulder as he rests himself there. “i thought i was your puppy boy…and i always will be. look, i even grew out a leash for you… my hair will be so much easier for you to grab a-and, it will be so much better to play with.”

as he continues his excruciating desperate pleas, (y/n) can only think of three recurring thoughts.

‘he’s right.’

‘i made him this way.’

‘i…ruined him.’

and it is with these credos that she finally realizes that jake can never be restored to how he was—not without her. her one year absence have lead to vast changes already. if she is to spend longer…the thought itself frightens her.

his wispy whispers halt with an almost unheard gasp when he feels her fingers play with the hair on his nape before they travel up to gently grasp on his small ponytail.

pupils dilate instantly as they make contact with her face and the sight of her smile makes his heart race as he sees hope—rekindling his excitement for life especially now, a life with her.

“okay. be my loyal puppy, she surrenders quietly and his pearly whites appear at his beam. his face glows and arms squeeze around her shoulders as he pulls her into his chest.

“thank you, (y/n)! i’ll be your most loyal, most loving pup!” he exclaims—nuzzling his cheeks against the side of her head. “i love you so much.”

those three words that previously struck her like a knife to the chest are now bearable. desirable and sweet even, and they will her to reciprocate.

“i love you too, jake.”

her unforeseen reply brings tears to his eyes once more and he presses his lips onto her crown, a gesture that lingers and leaves a pleasantly burning warmth as he practically buzzes with relief and delight.

he's going to make sure (y/n) won't need anyone else beside him anymore. he agreed with being her pup for now but sooner or later, she'll realise how much better he is than anyone else, how strong and reliable he is. he can take care of both him and her, and he's going to convince her one day that he's not the weak-willed, goodie-two-shoes guy she thinks he is.

he’ll make sure of it.

˚₊· ͟͟͞͞➳❥ bambi (heeseung ver.), you, a lucid dream (jongseong ver.), skater boy (sunghoon ver.)

𝜗𝜚 disclaimer: i do not condone any reckless behaviour portrayed in this work. this is entirely fiction and does not depict the member's real personality. if you enjoyed it, don’t forget to leave a heart and reblog—they give me some motivation, ya know? but please do not spam like!! X♡X♡, romi ⋆.ೃ࿔*:･

copyright © 2024 thinemoonshine all rights reserved

[physalian]

Writing Tone #2: Avoiding Manufactured Sincerity

There’s a scene in season 5 of My Hero Academia where two beloved teachers have been brought to some high security prison to interrogate a captured villain that turns out to be a brainwashed childhood friend of theirs. The scene is really dramatic, these two teachers are screaming at this guy, heartbroken, and when I saw the episode (shortly before quitting the entire show mid-episode over how bored I was) I was not at all as outraged and horrified as they were.

It was so tonally jarring, and so unfounded within the plot, that it was almost uncomfortable to watch. The villain they’re interrogating isn’t unfamiliar, but the plot-twist-surprise childhood friend is a stranger no one but these two care about.

I didn’t care, couldn’t empathize with why they were upset, knew nothing about their relationship with the guy beyond the ham-handed flashbacks given right that moment. I wasn’t prepared to mourn the loss of this random character, wasn’t primed ahead of time with the idea that this was a possibility to dread the scene before it happened. I was just waiting for it to be over and when it finally was, the impact it had on me was a resounding: Well that was weird. Now back to the plot.

Unfounded sincerity is the uncomfortably ugly step-sibling of plots that are starved of sincerity—look at most of Phase 4, but really, starting with Thor: Ragnarok in the MCU. Many Marvel properties are afraid to embrace the emotional moments and resort to bad jokes to laugh at themselves before the audience can laugh at them. Because how dare a late-stage superhero story about mythical gods be at all sincere in its relationships, its quiet moments, its tragedies. Nope, time for jokes.

Unfounded sincerity is when a story goes far harder with the drama, the love-declarations, the angst, the humor, where it’s trying really hard to convince the audience to care and it just isn’t working.

This happens when arguments start out of nowhere, as well, when characters explode at each other in a heated screaming match that hasn’t been left to fester for nearly long enough, undercooked and hard to swallow.

This happens when characters fall suddenly, madly in love with each other with zero dubious intervention to explain away the sudden passion.

It happens particularly when characters care a whole heck of a lot about someone the audience doesn’t, at the expense of characters the audience is invested in.

It happens when characters have emotional breakdowns and start crying over what ends up reading like spilled milk. When stoic and strong characters break over something they normally would never, for ~drama~.

This is usually both a tone and pacing issue, and a serious case of telling. The author hasn’t done any of the work ramping up a situation or relationship for proper delivery of these emotionally charged moments that are written like critical character beats we’re supposed to care deeply about.

So how does this happen?

1. The author *really* wants this scene, but writes it too early into the story

Unless there’s foul play involved, or this is a romantic comedy that isn’t supposed to be a realistic and healthy depiction of how romance works, characters suddenly declaring love for each other at the cost of their own well-being, their own character arc and journey, and their other motivations can be very frustrating to read.

But the author wants to get to the Good Stuff, so they coast on the “male + female leads = relationship” expectation without writing the why (and so ensures the rise of so many gay ships in the process). Or the male + male leads” or what have you.

2. The author cannot fluidly change tone and characters explode, instead of simmer

An argument that comes out of nowhere can really take your audience out of a scene. Your characters suddenly look ridiculous and your audience can’t follow what’s going on or why they’re so upset. This is different than a character exploding seemingly out of nowhere, but who we know has been building resentment for dozens of pages and loses it over something otherwise inconsequential.

These scenes are painfully, obviously there for manufactured drama and don’t feel natural. These characters don’t feel like people, but playthings, action figures manipulated by the hands of the author.

3. The characters involved are underdeveloped

As in the My Hero scene mentioned above, of the three characters in the scene, the “friend” we’re supposed to care about is a non-entity. The two teachers could have lost their minds over this guy’s sudden death, or the reveal that he turned traitor, or that he murdered younglings and puppies and kittens, to the same emotional impact, because we don’t care about this guy (or, I don’t, at least. I didn’t, and shouldn’t have to read the manga).

You can of course have characters who grieve non-entities, like the fridged wife trope. The difference is the audience knows we’re not supposed to know or care about that lady and the character she never was. This happens pre-plot, not mid-season 5. The frigid wife is the catalyst for the character we then come to know, not a character whose death radically changes our heroes from the people we’ve already established.

4. The tonal jump is just too extreme from the established rules of the story

Abrupt changes in tone can be very tricky to pull off, and almost always fail when it surrounds an abrupt shift in character dynamics (as opposed to something more plot-related). As in, your lighthearted comedy suddenly stops the plot so two characters can scream at each other, when this level of emotional charge hasn’t been established as a possibility.

Or the aforementioned emotional breakdown that just leaves audiences uncomfortable like the awkward friend trying to soothe a weeping companion.

—

Unfortunately, the fixes to these situations are either delete that entire scene, or go back and do a lot of rewriting so there’s enough build-up to justify its existence. Go back and write in that simmering resentment, all the little frustrations, a pre-existing tension within the relationship that is always primed to snap.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder and there’s a reason the “slowburn” is so popular. Setting out from the beginning to write a fast-paced, passionate romance tells your readers to expect exaggerated displays of emotion.

My favorite musical is Moulin Rouge. This movie is insane. Everyone is hyperbolically emotional and nothing is half-assed. The dances, the belting singing, the costumes, set-design, editing, the declarations of love– they’re all dialed up to 11. So characters screaming their love or rage from the rooftops is a *lot* but you’re prepared for it from the opening scene, knowing exactly what kind of movie this is.

Even if you don’t start your story with the level of drama it will eventually reach, there should still be some sort of progression when it comes to character drama.

Last Airbender didn’t open episode 2 with the emotional intensity of Zuko and Azula’s last Agni Kai… but it did show you that this isn’t just a lighthearted comedy in episode 3, with the reveal of Gyatso’s body and Aang’s violently emotional reaction.

Speaking of episode 3, they didn’t throw in Gyatso out of nowhere. We know from the show so far that a) Aang is the last of his kind, and b) he doesn’t know this. Everything leading up to this reveal is lighthearted, sure, but with that undercurrent of dread, waiting for Aang to see for himself, waiting for that other shoe to drop.

So some things to keep in mind are:

Prime the audience with dropping that first shoe, make them aware of the building tension (romantic, aggressive, grief, or otherwise), even if not all the characters are aware.

Build that tension. If your characters will eventually explode, let them be mildly irritated first, then annoyed, then frustrated, then angry, then raging until they can’t contain it anymore.

Make sure every party involved in this dramatic moment is someone the audience actually cares about, not just someone they’re told to care about.

TL;DR: Don’t pull the trigger prematurely. It’s most obvious with suddenly passionate arguments, characters flinging insults and hurts the audience isn’t prepared for and doesn’t know about, in effort to move the plot along before it’s fully cooked.

So unless there’s some drugs or fairy magic involved, or one of these characters has a gun to their head forcing them to do this right now, people don’t just explode in a rage without some buildup first. People can explode in a rage over a seemingly inconsequential and unrelated thing, but they’re likely already upset and this one little thing is the final straw. Audiences love the anticipation of what that final straw will be, and whether the explosive drama is rage or romance, “slowburn” is immensely popular for a reason.

[tomtenadia]

My new fic

Hi all,

So, I am trying to gather all the possible courage and post the Prologue of my Hockey fic. I still don't have many chapters, but I am hoping that posting it for the public will give me the push I need to write more.

So, Rowan is a Pro Hockey player in the THL (Terrasen Hockey League) and Aelin in an ex pro figure skater now working as instructor. Rowan has suffered a serious head injury in a game and has been off for a few months and is now dealing with his healing. Aelin plays tough girl but she is still dealing with the accident that destroyed her career.

A very small part of Rowan's injury and recovery is inspired by "Unsteady" by Peyton Corinne (which I recommend to everyone if you love hockey romance) and also just a smidge of Icebreaker.

Also, Rowan is a single dad to a lovely 5 years old tornado called Maya (yes, I know always the same but I love it.)

The title.... Check my heart.... a play on the concept of cross check. Not the greatest but I am bad at titles.

Anyway, I will leave you to it.

CW: mention of injuries, panic attacks

PROLOGUE

The ice rink was empty and quiet on a Saturday afternoon.

Rowan slowly walked the familiar path that took him from the changing rooms to the ice, the feeling of walking in skates still strange after two months off.

As he finally exited the tunnel, the coolness of the stadium hit his face as he sat down on the home team bench. His team’s bench. Hockey had been a huge part of his life. He had started playing as soon as he had learned to walk. His dad had been a great champion in the Wendlyn Hockey League, leading his team to many championships and countless other major victories. His dad, Alasdair Whitethorn, had been the hero for many kids. Under his guidance, Rowan had learned to skate, and to get better. He trained, he played, he breathed hockey. In high school people had started to call him his father’s heir. He signed up for uni and graduated in aeronautical engineering. Aircrafts being another passion of his. At uni he played in the team and made captain and in his final year the offers from pro teams started to rain.

His first year as a pro in Doranelle he showed the world his skills and lead the team to a cup victory. Rowan thought he was at the top of the world, until the THL, the Terrasen Hockey League, found him and got his first offer. After three years in Doranelle, Rowan was called by Perranth with an offer that was impossible to turn down. Rowan’s career exploded, brought him across different teams in Terrasen until he landed in Orynth as captain for the Hawks. Together they won a cup and other teams kept begging for trades but Rowan always refused saying that he had finally found his team.

His career had been on a trajectory for more success until the last season. 

Until the final game in the championship when they battled the Skull’s bay Pirates for the cup.

Until…

A deep breath and he stopped as the usual wave of nausea hit him and the fuzzy memory of that night threatened to surface and break him.

If he closed his eyes he could still hear the sound of his body colliding with violence against the boards. The pain. The terror and then the darkness.

Still on the bench, Rowan shook his head, trying to chase away the memory. His team had won, after Lorcan had led the Hawks to the triumph while seeking revenge for his captain.

Even with his team mates chasing minor penalties to avenge him. Even with Lorcan getting a five minutes major for roughing after he thumped Rolfe, they still had won.

Rowan had been in a hospital bed when they told him. He should have been elated, but all he had felt was emptiness.

He blamed it on the bad concussion. His team had explained him that Rolfe had checked him from the back, pushing violently against the boards. His head had taken a bad hit as he collapsed on the ice.

All Rowan remembered was the sound of Lorcan’s voice calling for a major penalty on Rolfe, the feeling of ice under him and the taste of blood.

Another shake of his head to clear his mind and finally Rowan stood, gripping the edge of the gate. That was progress. He had made it a bit farther than last time. This time, the gate was actually open and his right foot was on the ice. He took a deep breath and the left foot joined his companion on the ice. Gently, he pushed himself away from the boards and stood there. He stared at the Hawk logo painted under the ice and then took a tentative skate towards the middle. But when he paused and took a look at the empty stadium, memories betrayed him and the screams and the noise of a game hit him. His head started pounding and a moment later he found himself sitting at the centre of the rink, his chest tight and his breathing laboured. A panic attack.

“Are you okay?” A voice called behind him.

He heard the distinctive sound of blades scraping the ice but did not turn until he saw a woman kneeling in front of him. Even in his confused state he could not fail to notice that she was the most stunning creature he ever saw. Her hair was blonde and tied in a tight high bun and her eyes. The woman in front of him had deep blue eyes with a ring of gold in them.

Was he dead? Had he actually died on that hockey game and this was finally heaven? Was she an angel?

“Hey, you okay?”

She touched his shoulder and felt real. No. He was still alive.

“You fell?”

He nodded lightly.

“Come on big guy, get up, I need the ice.”

“Oh.”

“I have a class coming and I have the rink booked up.”

Rowan stared at the woman, she had black leggings and a jumper. Her body was definitely the one of an athlete but at the same time he could see elegance in the way she stood on the skates in front of him.

“Come on, off the ice.”

“Hey, I can use the rink too. How much space are you going to need?”

“The whole of it?”

He scoffed “I just need a small part.”

Aelin snorted “The ‘learn to skate’ class is tomorrow morning.”

Rowan stared at her aghast. Did she have no idea who he was?”

“I can skate.”

“You fell and look unsteady. I doubt it, big boy.”

“What, you never fell in your life?”

Something strange passed in her eyes and Rowan had a feeling it was hurt.

“You really have no idea who am I?”

The woman folded her arms at het chest “Should I?”

“Captain Whitethorn of the Hawks.”

She snorted loudly “a hockey barbarian, I should have suspected.” Her tone dripped disgust.

“I assume you don’t follow it.”

“What, watch a game where ten men skate on the ice like brutes and pound each others just for the sake of it?” She protested, not moving from her stance “the only thing I know is that you oafs destroy my ice and it takes the Zamboni a lifetime to repair the mess you make.”

He was about to reply when he heard voices and saw a group of kids entering the ice “Well, princess, your class is here,” he touched his head in salute and in a powerful move he skated to the opposite side of the rink, well far away from the woman.

*

It was later on when he finally left the venue with a sliver of hope. It had been his first day out on the ice since the accident and he had gone through some basics exercises that coach Gavriel had recommended. It had not been easy and being back on the ice had felt alien all of a sudden. A few times he had stopped to watch the strange woman teach young kids figure skating. He had watched her demonstrate some basic moves and he had been totally enthralled by her.

Now he was finally home and a smile appeared on his face when a little tornado crashed against his legs “dad, you are back.”

Rowan kneeled and kissed the girl who was his clone “I am, muffin, did you have a great time with grampa and nana?”

“Yes, we baked.” She grabbed his hand and dragged her father in the kitchen where on the table lay numerous trays of chocolate biscuits.

“Did you bake for an army?” He asked his mother.

“We are taking some of them for her friends at skating classes.”

Aside from hockey, Rowan had another big love in his life. His daughter Maya. His life. His everything. Maya had been born five years earlier from his first marriage. He had met Lyria still back in Wendlyn. Lyria was a rising star in the world of figure skating. He had fallen hard for her and a year after dating he had asked her to marry him. Not long after they got married he got drafted in the THL and Lyria refused to move due to her busy competition schedule. One of the biggest championship was happening in Wendlyn that year and Lyria wanted the win. 

Lyria’s dream got destroyed when she discovered she was pregnant. Rowan had gone back to Wendlyn to watch one of her competitions but Lyria never turned up. She gave birth to a baby girl a month before the world championship.

The day after she had been discharged she had served him the divorce papers and a letter in which she renounced to all her rights as mother. Lyria had left the house the following day. No goodbyes, no last words. Just a a note on the bed reading You ruined my dreams.

Two days later he was back in Terrasen with a newborn baby and a career as pro hockey player. He had tried to find some information on Lyria after he was back. She had moved to a land very far across the ocean and had tried to restart her career but eventually gave up and became a trainer.

“Were you on the ice?” Asked his father sitting at his side on the sofa.

Rowan closed his eyes and nodded.

“How did it feel?”

“Alien,” the answer barely a whisper “I hated being on the ice, dad.”

“It takes time.”

“The team will be back from summer training camp in two weeks and then we need start preparing for the season. We have the first friendly game at the beginning of September against Perranth. I don’t have much time.”

Alasdair placed a gentle hand on his son shoulder “I know, but recovery takes time. Especially after such trauma.”

“I am the captain and I am letting my team down.”

Alasdair was about to reply but Maya came running and screaming for her father’s attention. “Dad, nana says that dinner is ready. Wash your hands.”

The girl was about to run away but Rowan stood in a powerful motion and lifted his daughter upside down on his shoulder. Maya laughed freely and patted his back screaming to be let free.

Rowan deposited his daughter on her chair and inhaled the scent on his mother’s cooking.

Being a famous THL player came with perks. He had signed a very good contract with the Hawks that allowed him to live a very comfortable life. He had bought a beautiful house in the outskirts of Orynth near nature. While all of his team mates had modern luxury mansions in the centre, he had gone for a cottage that he had slowly expanded and fixed up. It was cozy and, most of all, Maya loved it. They had a lake at the back that in summer was used for swimming and in winter they would use to skate together. Most of his money went to make sure his daughter had a good life. When he came back from Wendlyn with an infant, his parents had flown to Terrasen to help him and Rowan would be forever grateful to his parents for the help they had given him especially when he was away for his games. 

His mother’s voice woke him from his thoughts “Are you taking Maya to the rink tomorrow morning? It’s her learn to skate class.”

“Yes. I need to go and train anyway.”

“Rowan, you should not push yourself too much.” 

He sighed. His mum was a sports doctor and she saw his situation from the point of view of a physician. His hand curled in a fist and took a deep breath, he knew his parents were just looking after him “Mum, I am just getting again familiar with the ice.”

“Nana, can you skate?”

Rowan mentally thanked his daughter for the interruption.

“Yes, my love. Your grampa taught me to skate a long time ago.”

Maya smiled happily.

“Once the lake is once again frozen we can go you and I so you can show me all you have learned.”

The girl’s grin spread and her green eyes brightened in happiness “my teacher said I am good.”

Eiddwen lifted the girl on her legs and stamped a kiss on her cheek “of course baby, you are a Whitethorn.”

The dinner eventually finished and after his parents left, he took his daughter upstairs and helped her get ready for bed. 

She climbed in bed and grabbed her soft toy “dad, can you tell me a story of when you won a cup?”

Rowan smiled and sat at her side. Maya had grown surrounded by hockey. Her grampa, although retired, was still an important personality in the hockey federation. He would take Maya to the games if possible and would explain what was happening. She loved listening to some of the stories of his victories from both her dad and her grampa. 

“You don’t want a story from the last book we bought?”

Maya shook her head “not tonight.”

Rowan sat properly with his back against the board of the bed and pulled Maya against him “It was the third period of the cup final and we were down by one and down one man….”

taglist

@rowaelinismyotp @swankii-art-teacher @whimsicallyreading @elentiyawhitethorn @aelin-bitch-queen @bruiseonthefaceofhumanity  @mis-lil-red @thegreyj @sailorsassley @leiawritesstories @clairec79 @morganofthewildfire @sv0430 @heartless--aromantic @autumnbabylon @rowanaelinn  @susumaus98  @gracie-rosee @mybloodrunsblue @tanvee1231 @avenrebekah @whoever-you-choose-to-love  @theywillnotsingforme @universallytreepost @black-daisy-water @goddess-aelin @whispers-in-the-darkest-heart @lovely-dove-zee @athena127 @mariaofdoranelle

[wasted-women]

ROUND 1C, MATCH 3 OUT OF 8!

Causes of Death & Propaganda Under the Cut:

Tara Maclay

Cause of Death: Shot in crossfire

Propaganda:

Ok so idk if she actually counts but I'm submitting her and please throw her out if not. Here's why I think Tara was fridged: the sole purpose of her death was to further the plot and cause pain to other characters. Now, because it's Buffy, these other characters were women. So her death was only to cause pain to her girlfriend (ex-girlfriend? They were broken up but mending) Willow, cause her to relapse into magic, and then make her essentially the big bad of the season. All of this was then to cause Buffy, the protag, to have to fight her best friend and be told she needed to either stop her or kill her. So while Buffy and Willow are both women, Tara's death was solely to cause them pain as significant other and protagonist and to further the plot. (It's also bury your guys and Joss Whedon sooooo). Tara literally was killed sloppily for no other reason than as a plot device in a desperate "well we already killed our protag and brought her back to life, how do we raise the stakes from here" ploy necessitated by crappy writing. If she doesn't count, again please throw her out, but I feel like she counts as fridging esp when looking at how Joss Whedon rights Buffy in this season to essentially bc a self insert of man pain but as a woman.

this is the only lgbt example I can think of but it definitely counts imo. link to death scene here (scene starts a minute into the video, with obvious trigger warnings for death and blood and gunshots): https://youtu.be/01NxsKojYyM?si=dxZvcvOhp3x6S8ha

Stuffing a woman in the fridge is one thing, but stuffing a queer woman who was one half of a beloved same-sex couple on a TV show famous for its strong female characters for the sake of drama while enforcing negative LGBT+ stereotypes in the process is really something else.

Her girlfriend, Willow essentially plays the role of the man in the relationship. Tara dies to facilitate her villain arc. Xander is also sad about her death and he is a man.

Mako Mori

Cause of Death: Exploded in a helicopter

Propaganda:

The Mako Mori test has been proposed as a "better" version of the Bechdel Test (which I'm well aware of the bechdel tests point and common misuse) she has a full, rich arc that is not romance oriented in the first movie. Also she pilots a giant robot. In the second movie she's textbook definition fridged.

Daenerys Targareon

Cause of Death: Stabbed by her lover for becoming a tyrant

Propaganda:

I'm just. I can't believe she hasn't been submitted yet. Classic example of end game fridging, where she *had* to be killed by her male lover to bring him pain and Man Tears TM. Clearly it effects him (sad) more than her (dead). Now obv Dany had a whole plot prior to this, but her death itself is such a classic example of fridging that I have to submit her, it legit only happened for a stupid "plot" to bring Jon ManPain. It was a death so stupid that GOT, what once was a cultural touchstone, isn't talked about except in how bad the end was

[velvetjune]

Alan Wake Night Springs DLC spoilers and thoughts:

This is very vague, but this really was the most Remedy thing to ever exist. My brain exploded at some point from Everything. Good game—you can tell those developers had the time of their life making all this. looking forward to the Lake House as something more serious and similar to the main game/tone.

Episode one with Rose was the best! Stunning from the start until the end and had the funniest moments in any Remedy game. [Rose voice] “𝖎 𝖜𝖎𝖑𝖑 𝖕𝖗𝖔𝖙𝖊𝖈𝖙 𝖞𝖔𝖚”

That fanart was SO good and could’ve been drawn by any irl Alan Wake fan. I can’t even say another or act like it’s embarrassing because I also think Alan is hot. So. Same Rose.

Bad boy Scratch being a werewolf.. Cat boy Alan (and the fucking Nightmare on Elm Street crop top fanart of him) being comically weak and in distress.. Rose dipping him at the end was unbelievably hilarious. Reject alpha male Scratch and embrace wet cat Alan. Every few minutes I had to remind myself that Alan technically wrote this,, his mind,, his perception of himself is incredible

That episode also was fun all around to play. Endless ammo and fun effects with the automatic shotgun. Rose slowly getting covered in blood. She’s already one of my favorite characters after this—she’s cringey in the best (and scarily realistic) ways. I support her

Episode 2: wish this one was longer because I missed Jesse and her awkward and aggressive conversations with others. I thought Dylan would pop up at some point, but of course Alan wrote himself into this twist ending. Couldn’t stop laughing with that. It felt just like the Night Springs eps of Alan Wake 1 lol.

I had the most trouble with some of the sections of this game, but it was fun, mostly just felt like a fool for not initially understanding it. The secret agency and clear references to the Board and FBC were everything. It was just Control: Coffee edition.

Episode 3: Death Rally Tom !! I was beyond happy seeing this. Always nice to see more Zane.

I’m not very familiar with Quantum Break outside of the general story and beginning, so the last episode was So Much. Initial thought: Please no Jesse and Tim in Control 2. It’s almost certainly supposed to be because of Quantum Break, but that version of her waiting for Tim came out of nowhere for me lol (also 😔 because I either want her to be with Emily or not get with someone at all—Control Jesse is so far from Beth Quantum Break/Lisa imo). The “but maybe…” multiverse romance was. whatever. cheesy but in a more negative way.

Another thing that makes me somewhat relieved this is the whacky DLC is that it does address a lot of the vague unanswered questions of the game in the typical sci-fi way (and probably a big win for theorists), and I want to keep that away from most of the main games. I like not knowing things lmao. It’s not a huge deal and I love all the crossovers/realities, but I want future AW (if 3 happens) and Control games to still largely focus on the mysterious horror without anything too definitive or distracting. I’m mostly okay with it here because this is Also an episode written by Alan and hosted by Door, so it’s not reliable—even if I’m sure this is what Remedy envisions when writing these games.

^ something something “In a horror story the victim keeps asking why, but there can be no explanation and there shouldn't be one. The unanswered mystery is what stays with us the longest and is what we'll remember in the end.”

However looooved how the third episode changed the style of the game repeatedly. The very last scene where the words form the writers room and Alan before it abruptly ends was great and the standout of the ep.

I’m not going to try to unpack all this, but it’s interesting how Alan and Door present themselves as being these largely antagonistic forces in this DLC. They’re an underrated duo (the two Masters of Many Worlds). Everything felt like it was Alan purposefully trying to imprint on these realities and influence things in his writing, making certain things parallel his life and circumstances. Reminded me of him attempting to get the irl Koskela brothers to kill each other to get out of the Dark Place. Hard to tell what’s really the truth.

I like Door too much to be scared of him. The jump scares were nicely paced throughout and the echoes of Tim/Shawn/Jack fighting him were interesting.

The tribute for James McCaffrey at the end was emotional and lovely.

[yume-chin]

Hello there! Hope you're having a great day. I saw requests were open and was hoping to request a TMNT 2012 imagine? Doesn't have to be any romance in it, but I thought about this today: in the first episode it's their bday and they have a cake made of algae and worms. We later see them have pizza and pizza gyoza but nothing else I can recall. So my request is if the reader is friends with the guys and finds out shortly before their next mutation day that they hadn't actually had a birthday cake before and reader gets them one?

Hey Anon!

Thank you very much for the request.

I actually wanted to write this request when I was a little calmer but today I had yet another argument with my family and I realized that the only thing I needed was to write, so here I am.

As soon as I read your request I exploded at how cute it was. In reality I had never thought of something like that but as soon as I read it I said to myself: -why not?- turtles deserve only love and affection and that's what I will give them.

Having said that, I wish you a good read and I hope you will make further requests.

••═════════════════════════════════════════••

tmnt 2012 x reader (platonic)

There are no romantic interactions between the turtles and the reader. It's all written on the basis of a solid friendship

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Request: Yes ( @pensaremightierthanswords )

Warning: just bad english and possible errors

Genre: She/her

•• ━━━━━ ••●•• ━━━━━ ••

Total words: 1279

Text words: 1059

••═════════════════════════════════════════••

You've known turtles for a while now. The first time you met them was pure chance. You ventured into the sewers passing by the subway which was under renovation. You pushed further and further until you found their lair.

Initially they were a little hostile but they immediately became familiar with you and you soon became a very dear friend of theirs.

You always went to visit them and spent the entire afternoons in their company.

In doing so, days passed and then months.

You always wondered when their birthdays were and one day your questions were answered, even if not directly and even if those directly involved didn't know it.

Like every afternoon you went to them and by pure chance you heard them talking to each other and, between one sentence and another you heard them talking about a certain "mutation day". They were discussing a certain cake made of algae and worms, Mikey was asking whether or not his brothers thought you would be reluctant to eat it and right at that moment you asked yourself: -why not make them a real cake to celebrate this elusive "day of mutation"?-. And so your plan began.

That afternoon you acted normal, playing with Mikey while also chatting with the other siblings.

-[Y/N]! YOU ARE TOO STRONG! IT'S IMPOSSIBLE TO BEAT YOU! - Mikey shouted after losing for the umpteenth time.

-It's not that [y/n] is too strong. It's just that you're too poor!- Raph teased, making you burst into a small laugh.

-Mikey, everyone is good at something specific. For example, if I tried to do all the stunts you do with your skateboard I would end up breaking some bones while you, on the other hand, are a marvel! - you compliment him making him smile.

It's true, they were an extremely particular family, but you had the best moments with them. You feel good with them, you feel truly appreciated.

The afternoon passed in the blink of an eye and soon it was time to go home.

You said goodbye to them and then headed home and, once you arrived, you got to work.

You started making a list of all the ingredients you needed and checked that you had everything at home.

You immediately started preparing the cake and within a couple of hours you were done cooking.

You went to sleep and the next morning you took advantage of the fact that there was no school to decorate the cake and package it.

You had prepared a classic chocolate cake, with cream filling and chocolate chips. With the icing you had made various decorations and added a writing, "best wishes for the day of mutation".

You were proud of the result but at the same time you were a little scared. How would they react? Would it have been to their liking?

You couldn't answer these questions on your own so you finished getting ready and carefully taking the cake you went to their den.

Your heart was pounding, you were afraid of ruining everything, but once you arrived you were welcomed by Mikey.

-[Y/n]! [Y/n]! You're finally here! - he ran towards you but as soon as he arrived he noticed the box in your hands and started filling you with questions. -What is it? What's in there? For who is it?-

You burst out laughing and took Mikey's arm. -It's a little surprise for all of you, but I think it's time to open it with everyone, don't you think?- you asked, and Mikey immediately nodded, dragging you into the kitchen.

-Hey [Y/n], welcome- Leonardo greeted.

-It took you a long time, huh- Raph teased but was immediately interrupted by Donnie -what are you saying? it's rare to see her so on time-

-Oh, [Y/n]? What's there? - Leo asked curiously.

Your heart beat fast again and you carefully placed the package on the table.

-I have to tell you something...- your cheeks colored a light red and this made everyone present curious.

-Yesterday, when I arrived at the den, I heard you talking about the "mutation day"... I know I shouldn't have eavesdropped but I was too curious... I understood that this is a very important celebration for you, like a birthday... so I I thought I'd surprise you...- you explained, playing with your fingers out of embarrassment.

-It was a beautiful thought [Y/n], but you shouldn't have- Splinter said kindly.

-But yes... these months with you have been truly very beautiful and I wanted to thank you in some way...- you explained making Splinter smile.

-Best wishes on your mutation day- you say, opening the box and taking out the cake.

There was a long moment of silence. You couldn't understand what was going through the boys' minds. Your heart was racing and the fear of having done something wrong made itself felt.

The first to do something was Mikey, who suddenly started crying and ran to hug you tightly.

He was immediately followed by all the other brothers who joined in the embrace, under the happy gaze of their father.

-[Y/n]! A thousand thanks!! It's the best surprise of my life! - Mikey cries.

-It's obvious! It's our first surprise!- Raph scolded, trying to hold back his tears.

After a while the boys broke away.

-[Y/n], I really don't know how to thank you. The cake is beautiful - said Leo

-And it looks very good too... Did you make it? - Donnie asked, attracting the brothers' curiosity.

-Actually yes... I really hope you like it- you replied smiling.

-And so for this party we will eat our first real cake eh- Raph joked as he took his seat, followed by everyone else.

Once Splinter took his seat he cut the cake, handing everyone a slice and once they tasted it the 4 brothers were enchanted by how good it was.

-It's really good, congratulations [Y/n]- Splinter complimented.

-It's the best thing I've ever eaten!- Mikey said, taking another slice and eating it in a very short time.

You couldn't be happier with that day. You were with your friends and you had given them a wonderful party. You had made them understand how important they were to you and how happy you were to have them as friends.

You couldn't hope for anything better.

••═════════════════════════════════════════••

If you don't like it feel free to tell me and I will write it again. My mood is really in shambles and I needed a distraction to not think about it.

Requests are open, if you have ideas please come forward ♡

A big hug ♡

[dreamcatcheratdawn]

Hii, do u write for Chris Prince? If yes can u write some hcs for crhis x reader in a platonic way? Like they act like siblings, ty! Ily <3/p

Okay, I liked this idea because it's a bit of a departure from the romance we're used to seeing in fanfics here, it was a bold request. As I don't know Chris Prince as well as I'd like to, I did some in-depth research on him and found some nice things. (And sorry for doing this so late, my little vacation had arrived and I decided to give myself a break before going back to college, so I didn't get involved with anything on social media)

"I'll protect you, always."

Chris Prince x gn!reader Warning: Very fluffy, slight mentions of narcissism, nothing too heavy.

Chris has been your friend since you were both in your mothers' wombs.

Your mothers were best friends, so there was nothing to stop them doing the same with their children. In other words, you and him. Your friendship was so natural that many people mistook you two for brothers.

Not that Chris didn't act like one.

Man, while it was nice to share your moments with him, it was a pain to have Chris Prince all over you, showing off how beautiful and perfect he was. Seriously. He had no shortage of compliments for himself. He complimented you too, but not with the same intensity as he complimented himself.

Oh, there was also that thing about doing things perfectly. When he focused on doing something, he wouldn't let go until he'd successfully completed it. This implied that he lacked interest in his studies, no matter how much you and his parents argued with him to make an effort, but he wouldn't even listen. He also bragged about the things he did perfectly well, like playing chess and ball. He would make fun of you about why you seemed so weak at it. And for the idiot that he was, he didn't realize that this hurt you, until the point that you exploded one day and ran off the soccer pitch.

He was startled by the sudden explosion. Like any child, he got desperate and came after you, and you duly explained your point. It wasn't easy, because making amends was something Prince didn't do, even more often. But for you, he did, even if only in the slightest.

Hearing Chris's apology made you smile, and then you were back to your normal selves.

When you received your first confession letter, Chris felt an extreme need to protect you. He found out about the boy who gave you the letter, and asked you a barrage of questions as if it were an interrogation, asking things like: what are your intentions with her, what made him fall in love with you, and so on.

When you found out what he'd done, Chris thought you were going to give him a scolding, but you just laughed it off, teasing him that he was being too protective, even insinuating that he was jealous of your suitor.

He blushed, starting to freak out, justifying himself by saying that it was only to protect you from bad guys, but you didn't listen.

There was also the day he had to go to Japan, and that day was heartbreaking. You said goodbye, tears rolling down your face as he huffed and puffed, wiping away his tears.

"Don't cry like that, you look like those cats that get ugly when they're wet." He said, laughing. You punched him in the arm, not even having an effect. He said goodbye to his parents and his parents made a point of being present.

After that day, you stayed connected by cell phone, talking every day, without exception. It was like a ritual.

When he grew muscles, you asked God to have mercy on you because this boy was showing off ten times more than before. There were so many photos of his muscles in your gallery that your friends really thought he was your boyfriend, even though you strictly said that you saw him as a brother, and he did the same.

And what a gossip Chris Prince was. He would tell you about every atrocity that happened during his stay in Japan that you wouldn't believe if he didn't have proof. And he would also share with you in messages about his rivalry with Noel Noa. You had the impression that you knew Noel Noa more than you knew yourself, because Chris talked about him so often.

You made a point of following his matches, whether on television, on your cell phone, wherever you went. You were his number one fan, so you would support him in whatever he decided for his future, extolling how incredible he was, even though he was already doing that for himself.

It was about ten years ago that Chris showed up at your college door in a sports car. THE GUY LITERALLY SHOWED UP WITH A FERRARI LA FERRARI ON THE DOORSTEP OF A COLLEGE LIKE IT WAS NOTHING. Clearly your classmates were shocked that you went up to him.

"When did you get here?" You asked, circling the car and getting into the passenger side, staring at the luxury car compartment, totally absorbed.

"Yesterday, at 3:17 in the morning. I didn't tell you because I wanted to surprise you." He smiled mischievously, lifting his sunglasses and showing those captivating blue eyes that always calmed you down.

"And what a surprise." You said, smiling at him and giving him a hug, which he reciprocated by pressing your body to his.

"Come on, I'll take you for a snack. Put your seatbelt on." He said, starting the car. You obeyed him, smiling at your best friend, at your brother you hadn't seen for years, and finally you were together again, ready to live every shared adventure. You would take his friendship to the grave, and he would do the same, with all the certainty in the world.

I don't know what to think about this, I think it's a bit blergh, but okay.

[sometimes-love-is-enough]

Let’s talk about 16th century Italian theatre.

No wait come back I promise this is actually related to Sanders Sides

So, last night I was talking with some friends about an AU I’m currently working on. I’ve been away from the Sanders Sides fandom for a good while now, but recently my hyperfixation reactivated and now my brain is so ready to write a ridiculously long longfic with a convoluted premise and horrifying implications. (I’m like 25k in. Having the time of my life. No doubt I’ll talk about it more later. This isn’t about that.)

Since I’m not the sort of person who usually writes AUs - I prefer to stick to canonverse, and canonverse-adjacent fics - I eventually brought up how worried I always am about characterization of the Sides in AUs. Because although I do adore an AU; I devour Love and Other Fairytales like candy and think about Lavender For Luck all the time and don’t even get me started on WIBAR, when it comes to my own writing, I secondguess myself a lot. I don’t like to stray too far from canon concepts and characterization. I get worried when I don’t draw enough connections to things that happen in the series, because it feels like a betrayal of the source material - if I change a character dynamic from how it’s usually portrayed, I spend entirely too long thinking about how to make it work. 

And someone else said, well, I don’t usually worry about that sort of thing very much anymore. 

And I said, why not?

And they said, well, I haven’t watched the actual show for ages. I mainly treat the Sides as stock characters for the stories I write, and my brain fucking exploded.

...Exploded in a good way. I have to stress this so, so hard. My personal opinions on writing characterization and AUs apply just to my writing. I judge my own work entirely too harshly and work too hard at Getting Characterization right, and that doesn’t apply to other people’s work or AUs at all, I enjoy them all without a problem. This meta isn’t about OOC being a bad thing, or AUs that are completely removed from their source material being a bad thing, because they aren’t, not at all, they’re a form of creative expression just like any fanwork. And if someone starts getting on your case about that sort of thing, just... just block them.

Anyway, where was I. Exploding brain? Ah yes.

So a few other people chimed into the conversation at this point, agreeing that in a lot of cases, the Sides for them were stock characters with fun names, established personalities and tropes to play around with, and part of the fun for them at this point came less from interaction with canon and more about interactions with friends and fellow writers. Which is very different to how I do things.  I was fascinated, and my brain had one big delighted thought, oh shit! You’re treating the Sides like Commedia Dell’arte characters! I get it now!

(Disclaimer: I haven’t done drama or theatre for a good while now. If I make a factual mistake, either patiently bear with me or gently correct me.)

Commedia Dell’arte was a form of Italian improv theatre that was first popular in the 16-18th centuries through Europe, and didn’t have any proper established plots or scripts. The actors were almost never the same from performance to performacne, the comedy was over-the-top and often satirical and absurd in its physicality, it focused on plots about romance and jealousy and love.  Emphasis on an ensemble cast. Very stylized, very distinctive. Here’s one beng performed in Venice, for the Vibes.

[image description: a photo shot of two masked people in period costume conversing on a small wooden stage, taken over the heads of a crowd in Venice.]

The key, the thing that ties all Commedia Dell’arte together? The stock characters. There’s a list of all of these character archetypes, all with specific names and associated masks assigned to them, and when you’re performing this sort of theatre, all the actors pick one of the archetypes and put on a mask and work out what the situation is, and bam, you’re on the stage and off to the races. You’ve got the servant of two masters, the stuttering statesmen, the Sad Clown (relatable), the utterly obsessed lovers who won’t stop making doe eyes at each other on stage from behind those masks of theirs. 

Pretty freaky-looking masks, admittedly. Look at that nose on Naso Turco, the sly servant!

[image description: eight blue-and-black stylized Commedia Dell’arte masks, all labelled with their roles]

And the thing is, audiences would recognize these archetypes upon seeing them - it wasn’t so much about having characters that were perfectly ported from one story to another, like you might have in adaptations of fairy tales, it’s more about the archetypes. The personalities. Their status, and the way they interact with one another. Apparently all of the original cast of stock characters (you can find a list of them on Wikipedia, or maybe elsewhere) were "originally intended as a kind of characteristic representative of some particular Italian district or town." They’re representations of archetypes. You might even say that they’re conceptual representations. 

Sound familiar? Yeah, it’s not hard to see where I’m going with this.

In Commedia, stock characters are almost never played by the same actors because the cast is always different, and might be an entirely different theatre troupe - so the way of recognizing certain archetypes is by their clothing style, or other symbolic context clues. 

And that’s exactly how you recognize the Sides in fanworks when the AU is too far divorced from canon to understand them otherwise. If you’ve changed their ethnicity, or genderbent them, or given then a different species, you look for the context clues because at this point you’ve learned to read them like a language. 

If it’s just fanart, or the names haven’t been brought up yet, how do you tell it’s Roman? Well, Roman’s costume is pretty distinctive, even when modified - and failing that, even if he’s just in jeans and a t-shirt, or even if he’s an indistinct jello-y blob floating in the distant reaches of space - he’s going to be the red blob. They’re color-coded for our convinience. Virgil’s stormclouds and spiders, Janus has his snakes and almost always has something going on with one side of his face. 

Do you find this delightful? I hope you do. Because I do. I find it really, really delightful, and I’d never put conscious thought into this before last night. The Sides aren’t quite as flat and archetypal as the colorful cast of Commedia Dell’arte - they’re more fleshed out, for one thing, and even if writers don’t always pull on it, there’s canon backstory and plotlines to draw from. But they’re still archetypes, deliberately so in the context of canon. Someone in the server I was discussing this in summed it up really nicely - [..] we have Roman the artist, we have Janus for all the drama and deception, we have clever Logan to represent the science spirit. We have Patton for the morale lessons. We have Virgil for the memento mori style, and we have Remus for all the gore and dark comedic relief. 

Which is such a great updating of all of the classic theatrical archetypes. Because (although Italian improv theatre is still performed! People still use these old roles and costumes, but it’s definitely more historical than modern) the idea of servants and masters and cunning peasants and all the complicated dynamics between these roles, well... it isn’t super relevant to modern storytelling. When Commedia Dell’arte is performed nowadays, it’s almost never hashtag-relatable in the way it used to be. You know what’s more relatable? Archetypes of the nerd who doesn’t acknowledge his emotions, the grumpy loner with a heart of gold, the theatre kid who won’t stop singing. You can take those and all of the rest and shove them into all manner of situations, and you can make some really cool stories out of that. 

(National Theatre has a really nice video breaking down this theatre form a lot better than I can, with details I didn’t include here. Check it out here if you’re interested. It also includes details about the various archetypes’ physicalities and movements, which I think is kind of interesting, because in canon Sanders Sides the character’s physicalities are terrifyingly recognizable. That’s not really relevant to the idea of AU Improv Theatre, though, so I won’t poke any further at that thought. ANYWAY.)

I’ll level with you: some of the things people write in this fandom, I just don’t vibe with and I don’t get, and I’m okay with that. It’s the maxim of Mind Your Own Business, I just don’t interact and I keep on moving in my own lane. But, like... maybe I don’t need to get it. I’m pretty sure there were people in 1600s Europe who showed up to a Commedia Dell’arte performance and went ‘no, this one isn’t for me, did you see how they absolutely butchered the characterization of the Innamorati? Disgraceful’. But for many other people, maybe that particular performance just hit the spot, because they’d always wanted to see an interpretation just like that, that diverged from the norm just a little bit. And even if nobody in the audience at all liked it, maybe the performers were having enough of a blast that it more than made up for it.

And if not any of that - well, there’s always the next show!

[image description: four masked Commedia Dell’arte performers crowded around a prop cafe table, exclaiming dramatically over a menu that they’re all bent over.]

I don’t know if my brain will ever be chill enough to let me write something completely separated from canon. (Although... now that I’m typing that, I recognize that the chessboxing AU is not so much separated from canon as a tragic widower of a dinosaur-related apocalyptic divorce. Okay. Nevermind. Still, you probably get where I’m coming from.) And I’m probably not going to stop treating characterization like I’m going to be sentenced by a vicious panel of judges to a cruel and untimely death if I get the slightest bit of it wrong, but... I don’t know. The realization that it’s all comes back to this makes me happy, somehow. Just generally joyful about the state of the fandom, and the things that people create, and the community that’s been built up around it. 

Commedia is all about exploring stuff in improv like love and romance and dynamics, and isn't that exactly what we're doing as writers? Throwing character archetypes together and making them kiss and talk to see what will happen? It's not really improv, but it's not like we have any stage to act on except the AO3 posting page.

We didn't set out to make the characters from a web series into stock archetypes that so many people pick up and play with to Work Out Our Issues With. (Writing is free therapy. We all knew that already.) That was definitely not the original intention of Sanders Sides - or any similar fandom, actually. (I know TSS isn’t the only one this happens in, not even close.)

But, hey, we're humans, and it always comes back to us wanting to play. And there's nothing new under the sun, not really. Of course given an infinite internet sandbox and a goofy web series about some guy’s identity crisis, we would accidentally reinvent the original Italian comedy theatre. That’s kind of brilliant. 

You know what, I think 16th century Italians would enjoy Sanders Sides AUs a lot. I bet they’d make some pretty banger masks for the boys to wear. 

God, I wish I had a time machine.

[izchone]

enhypen as beatopia songs!

info: saw this trending on tiktok kind of and i wanted to do it for enha bc beabadobee + enha is like wow. world #exploded!! and i kind of made each one angst my bad😇😇 tws// just plain ol heartbreak😪😪

genre: angst (mostly!)

★♪ lee heeseung.

　now playing: see you soon

this song is undoubtedly hee. the trinket-like samples resemble his unorganized mind that was impossible to unravel. he wanted the best and only the best for his lover. his longing to make everything perfect for you turned into him knit-picking every single movement of yours. it seemed like he was judging you, and so you left with no warning, because that’s what he wanted, right?

‘it’s a walk in the park, you said it’s not that hard, im feeling kind of dizzy, i don’t want this to leave me, and i told you ill see you soon.’

★♪ park jeongseong.

　now playing: fairy song

him and this song are like a harmony. it’s like youre looking at him in a mirror or reading him like a book. an explanation of him to be exact. this was his life story, starting from when he met you.

‘guess when im older, ill be able to see, that when it gets colder, i care less about me.’

★♪ sim jaeyun.

　now playing: lovesong

what a lover boy. this song resonates with him as it depicts how he loves. the slow tempo represents the time he takes to really soak in ones love and reciprocate it, even if he knows the love won’t last.

‘i swear your in my head throughout the day, i can say that for a fact, know we had better days, but to keep me sane, i guess that this is just, another love song, about you.’

★♪ park sunghoon.

　now playing: ripples

sunghoon is such a melancholy being. the violins represent his yearning for you, but puppet strings pull him back from falling too hard. he grieves his state of being, not knowing which way to go. in reality, he just wants you.

‘ive been holdin back cuz im afraid that im too loud, six feet underground, i feel alone, again.’

★♪ kim sunoo.

　now playing: you’re here thats the thing

sunoo tried everything without regrets. he was always happy go lucky, and so you never knew how he actually felt. but you dealt with it and he dealt with you, and that was all.

‘you just won’t admit it that you’re smitten, hold on a minute please won’t you listen, cuz im not sure if you’re into me like im into you’

★♪ yang jungwon.

　now playing: the perfect pair

jungwon truly stayed the same. as well as your relationship. it never really grew. it had been the same old same old, exchange some hellos and then go back to your daily lives. and no one did anything about it.

‘you know me, better show me that you could say it to my face, cuz you know we’re the same, there’s worse things i can take’

★♪ nishimura riki.

　now playing: talk

the stereotypical teenage romance. he was your first love and your first heartbreak. he was on the hunt for perfection, and he treated you like a lab-rat. he ran out the house that day with no trace of him at all. his heart was spotless of you. you on the other hand.. not so much.

‘am i lost, why can’t i find you, a silhouette that’s in my head, you don’t exist you’re my imagination, you don’t exist you’re just a bad decision.’

a/n: first writing back!! im trying to make everything look aesthetic but im so lazy to keep my writing format the same im sorry😕😕

[andydrysdalerogers]

The ABCs of Nick Vaughn ~ "S"

Pairing: Reader x Nick Vaughn (Before We Go)

Summary: Children its time to learn your ABCs. And Nick Vaughn is here to teach you the lessons. 26 glimpses in the world of you and Nick Vaughn

Warnings: S-M-U-T!!!! (under 18 please leave the chat!) descriptions of sexual activity including some themes of BDSM, loss of virginity, fluffy bits, pet name etc...

The new upload will probably be Sundays and Thursdays. Have fun kittens! Also, the tag list is open!

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

I do NOT give permission for my work to be translated or reposted on here or any other site, even if you give me credit. DO NOT REPOST MY FICS. Reblogs, comments, likes, and feedback ALWAYS appreciated

Divider by @firefly-graphics

Previous: R - Romance

ABC Masterlist - Main Masterlist

S - Stimulation 

You walked out of the restroom with a small smirk on your face. You smoothed out your dress, sure that everyone could see. You came back to the table and put the napkin back on your lap.  Nick smirked as he sipped the champagne, keeping his eyes on you. Before you could say anything, the server appeared to take your orders.  As you opened your mouth, you felt it.  

“Umm... I’ll have the... umm,” you were struggling to speak as the low vibration from the panties played on your clit. “I’ll have the starter salad and the lobster linguine.” You handed the menu over and dropped your hand to your lap, bunching your dress. Your eyes fluttered closed as you bit your lower lip.  

The vibrations stopped and your eyes popped open.  Nick smiled at you. “Are you feeling alright darling?” 

“I’m fine,” you squeak out as the vibrations returned, stronger this time.  

“Good, so tell me about work.”  

Fucking bastard. You tried a couple of times to tell him about how your boss announced the settlement and pointed at you and thanked you and everything... you’re rambling because all you can feel is how your pussy is clenching at nothing and you’re about to explode.  

“Nicky...” you whine, tears pooling in your eyes.  

Nick looks at your face and clicks the panties off, making you cry at the ebbing of your impending orgasm. “I’m sorry love.”  

“No, please don’t stop,” you whisper. “I was almost...” you swallow as the waiter brings out your meals.  

“Before or after dinner?” He asked. He looked at you intently, letting you know that you had control if you really needed it.  

“After,” you whisper. You could do this. You could hold off. You could wait until dessert to let yourself cum that honey that Nick loves to drink. 

Nick smirked.  “Ok-ay,” he replies. He started at the lowest setting again. “After means when we get home,” he said casually, and taking a bite of his steak.  Your eyes widen.  

“But -”  

“Too bad, you already decided.  Now be a good girl and feed me a taste of your pasta.”  

Continued in “T” 

Taglist:

@patzammit @slutforchrisjamalevans @jennmurawski13-writes @firephotogrl74 @texmexdarling @atoosa22 @tinkerbelle67

[xoxiu]

autumn outside the post office - jin x reader

chapter two table of contents masterlist

≪ how long will beautiful things last? ≫

summary: it wasn't your fault that dr. kim was the most beautiful man you've ever seen. falling for him was entirely your fault, however. first semester at college and you're already dreaming of a student/professor relationship- so naughty and against the code of conduct. you like the thrill, though.

tags/warnings: smut, teacher!jin, college au, cute yet forbidden romance, daddy dom!jin, love triangles, frat boys jungkook and taehyung, age regression, age play, ddlg, spanking, eating disorders, mental health, first love, exhibitionism, lots of blowjobs, age gap

"Very few classical Korean works have been translated and appreciated outside of Korean culture. I hope to change that with the class." Seokjin started his lecture, basing it on a PowerPoint he had created the night before. The students listened quietly, jotting down notes on their laptops or notebooks. The professor took note of this, reminding his pupils that they learn better by physically writing notes on paper.

You didn't need to be told this- your purple notebook had been opened right as class started. Your notes had been very organized, jotting down key points of the PowerPoint as well as Dr. Kim's lecture. In high school, your notes made you a star student often used as an example for others. You badly wanted to blurt that out to make Dr. Kim proud, but you managed to control yourself.

"Does anyone know a famous classical Korean writer?"

"Kim Shisup!" The blonde from the bus stop spoke up from the front row. Seokjin looked her way with a smile.

"Good job, Cara! Someone paid attention in history class." The professor gave the student a wink. You felt rage and jealousy fill your entire body. Glaring at the back of her head, you tried to make her explode with your brain. Sadly, it did not work.

This was only your second time in Seokjin's class. You barely knew the professor, yet you wanted all of his attention solely on you. Seeing him act friendly with other students made your blood boil. Your notes soon turned messy as you aggressively wrote.

"Classical Korean literature was written in Chinese, and dealt with themes surrounding loyalty."

Oh, you'd be loyal to Dr. Kim. You only had eyes for him, unlike Cara. Cara probably went after every male professor in the Asian Language department. It was so obvious she wanted him; you could see her flirtatious gaze on him from your seat. As the class went on, you caught on to the playful banter between Dr. Kim and Cara and began to worry that something was going on between them.

Class ended on time, with Dr. Kim giving a quick wrap-up. He timed his lecture perfectly, allowing for a quick summary right at the end of class.

"And my apologizes to you Korean majors, most of today probably felt like the information you already knew."

"It's fine. Having a refresher is never a bad thing!" Cara said as she stood up. She waved goodbye to Dr. Kim before leaving the classroom.

You sucked your teeth to avoid calling her any rude names. Frantically, you tried to think of a question to ask now that class was done. Everything today made sense to you, but you needed time to talk to Dr. Kim one-on-one.

"Dr. Kim, I have a question," you said, walking up to his desk. He smiled at you, turning to give you his full attention. Somehow you missed him eyeing up your outfit- a purple plaid skirt with a flowing ivory blouse. What you didn't miss was him licking his lips.

"Anything for you, miss y/n," His voice made you blush, almost forgetting what exactly you wanted to ask him.

"You mentioned that whiteness was seen as a symbol of purity in ancient Korea. Could you go deeper into that for me?"

He blinked at your request, looking rather shocked by your question. The smile soon returned to his face, happy to answer you.

"That's an excellent question, y/n. I may have brushed over that too much," He leaned back in his chair, preparing to give you his spiel. "White is a very important color in Korea even today. It represents the sun, harvest, origins, and the foundations of humanity. When Westerners came across Korea, one of the first things they noted was the white clothing Koreans wore.

"I'm sure you meant to imply a sort of racial bias with your question, which is okay, as pale skin has always been seen as a status symbol in Korea."

You nodded as he answered your question, sheepishly smiling as he picked up your hidden intentions.

"Pale skin seems to be a status symbol in many cultures back then. I know Greeks held paleness to a high degree as well." Seokjin smiled and laughed at your statement, happily clasping his hands together.

"You're such a smart girl, y/n. I'm sure you know how all this applies to present-day racial bias and supremacy, too." You blushed hard at the compliment and were about to excuse yourself when Dr. Kim spoke up again.

"If you have any more good questions, feel free to stop by my office hours. They're listed on the syllabus," he paused a second before continuing. "Or feel free to email me anytime. Although, I prefer you visit me instead. I get rather lonely."

—————

Despite being much larger, the dining hall was much quieter than the cafeteria in high school. Everyone spoke at a normal level, watched videos with headphones in, and didn't goof around with the food. It was a nice change in pace for you.

You grabbed a tray and began to walk to the various food bars, hoping to find something good. Dinner service had only started a couple of minutes ago, so none of the lines were too long. In the end, you decided to make yourself a salad and grabbed some baklava from the Greek bar. You sat in the far corner of the dining hall near the exit. Balancing your phone against the condiment basket, you turned your attention to Netflix as you ate.

A notification popped up on your screen- another email from Dr. Kim. You went to swipe it away only to see that it was directly addressed to you. Curiously, you picked up your phone to read the email.

'y/n,

I couldn't help but note your curiosity about foreign cultures. I'm very impressed. I'd like for you to join us at our next Korean Cultural meeting this Friday at 6 pm. I know you're not a Korean major, but I think you'll get something out of this club.

- Dr. Kim Seokjin'

You smiled at the idea of Dr. Kim thinking about you, even well after class had ended. Looking over the email again, you frowned as you realized you had a meeting at that time. The meeting wasn't exactly necessary- it was just a check-in for first-year students to see how the first week of classes had gone. But at the same time, you weren't sure if the club was meant for you. You weren't Korean and had no cultural experience in that area. You only took Korean Literature because you needed a foreign literature credit. Not wanting to fully commit just yet, you didn't reply to the email.

Leaving the dining hall, you made your way up to your dorm room. Jennie was already back, diligently working on homework at her desk.

"I don't know why I have so much homework during the first week of classes. It's- oh! You look happy!" Jennie's frustrations faded as she noticed the large smile on your face. "Is it a boy?"

"Maybe," you teased, sitting down at your desk. You opened up your laptop to work on the chemistry homework you have due tomorrow, but your mind kept wandering to Dr. Kim.

"Wow, you must really like this guy," Jennie jokingly elbowed you with a smug smile. "That grin is just getting bigger and bigger."

You opened up the class page for Korean Literature, checking to see when Dr. Kim's office hours were. They were Tuesdays and Thursdays, 1 pm to 3 pm. Perfect, you thought, your chemistry class ended fifteen minutes before the start of his hours. You grew more giddy as you realized you were able to see him tomorrow.

Chemistry homework in college was much harder than chemistry homework in high school, you quickly learned. The questions were so confusing and the diagrams were borderline unreadable. It all made your head hurt. 

A knock at your door drew both you and Jennie out of your intense concentration. Taking off your headphones, you went to go see who was at the door. Jimin, your RA, smiled at you.

"Hi, y/n! Hi Jennie!" He leaned in to wave at Jennie, who politely waved back. "I'm just letting you know there will be a hall meeting in the kitchenette in five minutes."

"We'll just head on down now, I guess," Jennie said, closing her laptop and walking out the door with you. Jimin continued knocking on doors, letting the other residents of the hall know about the meeting while you and Jennie got comfortable in the beanbags in the corner of the kitchenette. 

Ten minutes had passed, and no one besides Jimin,  you, and Jennie sat in the kitchenette. Jimin looked very displeased, looking down at his plate of brownies with a frown. He baked them for the residents at the meeting, expecting a room full of twenty students. Instead, the meeting turned into small talk between the three of you. 

"Well, this sucks. I guess you two can have the brownies if you'd like."

[holyguardian]

Meet the Writer

ᴡʜᴀᴛ ᴍᴀᴅᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘɪᴄᴋ ᴜᴘ ᴛʜᴇ ᴄᴜʀʀᴇɴᴛ ᴍᴜꜱᴇ(ꜱ) ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ?

(CANON MUSES) - Hyperfixation or go home. Aerith has been a character I have written since about 2016, but before writing for her I always had a strong attachment. I was actually scared to write her because of how attached I was, because what if my thoughts didn't do her justice? She was my first heartbreak in a videogame, and I know for a fact when I discovered fanfiction I was only interested in Aerith-centric stories. I'll have to break them out of baby jail but I have the Play Arts Vol. 1 Aerith and Tifa figures from around 2005, they're stowed away under my bed "for safe keeping" from my era of not displaying the things I love most. (OCs) - I began roleplay through creating original characters in original settings, and to be honest it's way more fulfilling than worrying about canon portrayal because you bend and grow your own character as you see fit. I think my roleplay journey is something embarrassing like 8 year old Muddy honking with other 8 year old friends with tabletop RPGs, then 12 year old Muddy honking on neopets writing one liners with other 12 year olds, to 13 year old Muddy being introduced to teenchat which had chat rooms specifically for roleplay that were flooded by horny old men (asl?) and a few actual writers, and from those few actual writers I learned that we could simply write over MSN messenger to each other without the creeps! Then a 14 year old Muddy was introduced to something called IMVU which was like sims but chat bubbles wow cool! Insert a period where I dropped off from that noise for a couple of years because of schoolwork. 17 year old Muddy returned, and started over new with this nonsense, and I eventually met my viking of a friend Odin and shifted to the IMVU forums into a little RP group, proceeded to roleplay little pieces over MSN until that exploded and then over to AIM. Then life happened and I fell out of roleplay for a while. By the time I swung back into wanting to write again (fueled by my discovery of fanfiction) I didn't know where to go so I googled "where do people write together" and some crunchy old yahoo answers post pointed me to Tumblr. This is all to say that in my writing journey, before I started writing here on Tumblr, I only ever wrote original characters.

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ᴅᴏɴ'ᴛ ʟɪᴋᴇ ᴛᴏ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ?

Combat scenes. Cool to imagine, cool in media, cool concepts. Writing those fuckers out? Hard pass, I'm absolute garbage.

ɪꜱ ᴛʜᴇʀᴇ ᴀɴʏᴛʜɪɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʀᴇᴀʟʟʏ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ᴡʀɪᴛɪɴɢ?

Let's be honest, I love me some fluff. I think happier moments are the kind of thing I write the most, and when there can be a deep emotional connection that then allows me to have fun with the not so happier moments. It might be a surprise but I really enjoy grim dark kind of gritty themes too, but I have to be in the right mindset, preferably writing with behind the scenes hollering and still have a theme of hope. If it's a hopeless setting and nothing matters and it's all bad I tend to feel crushed.

ʜᴏᴡ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴄᴏᴍᴇ ᴜᴘ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜᴇᴀᴅᴄᴀɴᴏɴꜱ?

They come to me in visions. I think I form headcanons the way most people do, I had a life experience (I DID THIS THING, WOULD MY CHARACTER DO???), witnessed something in media (fast motorbike COOL LADY ON FAST MOTORBIKE maybe could be my cool lady) or there was a headcanon prompt that made me think about something specific.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡʀɪᴛᴇ ɪɴ ꜱɪʟᴇɴᴄᴇ ᴏʀ ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀʏ ᴍᴜꜱɪᴄ?

I can only write in silence. If I manage to write with noise, I'm distracted and the product is usually... meh.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴘʟᴀɴ ʏᴏᴜʀ ʀᴇᴘʟɪᴇꜱ ᴏʀ ᴡɪɴɢ ᴛʜᴇᴍ?

The vast majority are winged, but my best replies tend to be for threads where behind the scenes we have "AND WHAT IF THIS" anywhere up to 10 years into the future already. Even having those "AND WHAT IF THIS" moments it's nice to reach the actual moment in a thread and realise how the characters might react way differently at that point.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ᴇɴᴊᴏʏ ꜱʜɪᴘᴘɪɴɢ?

Yee. Romance is fun, but I also enjoy 'shipping' in a sense of 'exploring a deep relationship' which can be completely platonic. Found family. Friendships. Mentors.

ᴡʜᴀᴛ'ꜱ ʏᴏᴜʀ ᴀʟɪᴀꜱ/ɴᴀᴍᴇ?

Muddy. Real name Kristy, also misheard a lot as Krissie which I surprisingly like better.

ᴀɢᴇ?

Fossilised.

ʙɪʀᴛʜᴅᴀʏ?

May 20 BC.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ᴄᴏʟᴏʀ(ꜱ)?

This answer always changes. At the moment it's deep greens / turquoise / white.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴏɴɢ(ꜱ)?

My favourite songs tend to be the ones that can stir emotions at more than a surface level 'oh this sounds nice!' Aerith's theme is an obvious hard hitter and I know that I appreciate a lot of the FFXIV OST for the emotional damage it gifted to me in the past. Then there are artists like Aurora Aksnes and Florence Welch who always captivate me.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ᴍᴏᴠɪᴇ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

My answer for this and the next question is still the same as the last time fhreugwiq. Damsel on Netflix.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱʜᴏᴡ ʏᴏᴜ ᴡᴀᴛᴄʜᴇᴅ?

Last show I watched was when I joined a discord stream to watch through a dear friend's favourite anime with them. I'm horrible and don't know the name. Next show I intend to watch was at the suggestion of a best fren. I have a problem with only rewatching my favourite shows or only watching things people ask me to.

ʟᴀꜱᴛ ꜱᴏɴɢ ʏᴏᴜ ʟɪꜱᴛᴇɴᴇᴅ ᴛᴏ?

O' Death (Haunted Version) — Bobby Bass.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜰᴏᴏᴅ?

Flavour slapping me in my face, please. Begone my childhood of boiled wet vegetables without seasoning. If I have to pick an all time favourite, it's gotta be this chicken tikka masala curry recipe my oldest brother introduced me to, which coincides with the time that I started to realise food didn't have to be boring.

ꜰᴀᴠᴏʀɪᴛᴇ ꜱᴇᴀꜱᴏɴ?

I don't much take notice tbh, I live in North Queensland where there isn't an insane amount of difference between the seasons — Summer real hot, Winter wear your light jumper for a week or two but peel it off by the afternoons. I guess Autumn is my favourite because that's when fresh figs and persimmons are on the supermarket shelves.

ᴅᴏ ʏᴏᴜ ʜᴀᴠᴇ ᴀ ᴛᴜᴍʙʟʀ ʙᴇꜱᴛ ꜰʀɪᴇɴᴅ?

Gestures at Skit and Vers like I'm Chris Pratt and they're the raptors. Can bang on about anything with this pair, there are rare moments where I have that "oh, that wasn't very normal of me" thought about something I said but then they return the same energy.

Tagged by: @slumberingchaos

Tagging: ANYONE! YOU! STEAL IT! I don't know who has done this one already.

[sarah-dipitous]

Hellsite Nostalgia Tour 2023 Day 194

Rock and a Hard Place/The Rings of Akhaten

“Rock and a Hard Place”

Plot Description: Sheriff Mills calls the brothers to help solve the murder of a church chastity group’s members. They infiltrate the group, then Dean disappears

Would I Survive the First Five Minutes??: asexuality 👏and👏chastity 👏aren’t👏the👏same👏thing👏 though $20 says she “broke her chastity vow and is being punished” which is already bullshit but anyway, I’m safe

I appreciate the reminder that Kevin exists

Well, I wasn’t gonna mention that whatever abducted that girl had………..some kind of blue fire power but I guess if the one witness mentions it, I should too

They said it can’t be an angel because it wasn’t a white light but the one who exploded those people a couple episodes ago didn’t use white light either

Oh wow. This church is messed up. And I don’t trust this last one bit. She’s TOO sweet. It’s almost sickly

I’m dying at Dean being…kind of a virgin for the third time in his life: original time, after coming back from hell, and now that he’s taken this vow of purity at the church. Talk about it being a construct

Fascinating (and somewhat unsurprising but in a very disappointing way) that everyone in this group besides Sam and Dean is a woman……..

Uh, Dean…….you cannot just write a spicy romance novel scene (poorly) in front of all these extremely repressed women

God this feels like a season two episode. Dean trying to hook up with some woman (this time the chastity counselor) while Sam actually does the work they’re there to do

I knew it was………….oh Jody, she’s still finding out all the things that exist. It’s gonna be a long couple days for her. She just found out angels and dragons are real

I really hope he gets hella shot down. I’m not saying that I like the idea of the chastity group but to INTENTIONALLY go after a woman who has dedicated so much of her time and energy into this. If this is her choice, I gotta respect that. AND SO SHOULD YOU, DEAN

I hope she’s absolutely playing him…goddammit. Talk about a lame fade to black would be sex scene that only serves to get Dean kidnapped by whatever this is

I just…like everything happening topside is buddy comedy shit, and everything happening in this not a virgin cellar is a REAL horror movie

Omg one…Sammy I love you but your blood is not going to count as virgin’s blood here. Don’t like Jody using her position as a sheriff to be able to punch this poor woman in the face to get her blood for the weapon

How many of these people are going to stay with their evangelical church when they find out their being held captive by a Roman goddess

I KNEW SHE WASN’T TO BE TRUSTED. That said…….she’s delightfully evil

Jody just did to Vesta what Horikoshi did to my boyyyyy

It’s GOOD that Sam is starting to piece together that there’s something wrong with him. BAD that Dean keeps lying to him. I DO NOT TRUST ZEKE

“The Rings of Akhaten”

Plot Description: the Doctor takes Clara to the Festival of Offerings, but the Old God demands a sacrifice!

Sarah Stop Watching Doctor Who at Eleven PM Challenge Difficulty: impossible

Noooooooooo is the Doctor watching all of Clara’s childhood?? No. Why? That’s so weird. Like…were you also somehow outside her parents’ house the night she was conceived?? YOU’RE BEING WEIRD AND GROSS, DOC

There she goessssss acting like a NORMAL companion, not knowing what’s going on and running around an alien planet without the Doctor’s knowledge but trying to help someone in need

Just a thought: maybe we shouldn’t be holding festivals where children get sacrificed. I dunno

It’s a VAMPIRE???

No. It’s not. The old god is this FUCKING SUN

It’s not the quantity, it’s the quality of the sacrifice. The Doctor can offer all the memories he wants to be rid of, but all of the hopes and dreams Clara’s mom had? That got passed on to her? There are so many. Too many

[softcallofdutyimagines]

any safehouse crew x bell!reader headcanons? can be fluffy or angsty, whichever you prefer to write 🥺 i adore your work!

Aw, thank you!! Yeah, I'd love to share to some headcannons! These are sort of a mixed bag regarding fluff/angst, but I think they're mostly nicey-nicey :)

Sorry for your wait, but I hope you enjoy 💖

Adler

His relationship with you is such a tangled mess

He shouldn't even be doing this, not after all he's done to you and is still doing, but...

He just can't help but fall for you

Your memories of being with him during the war may be fake, but to you they're all too real

You know him better then anyone else, maybe even more then Sims

This whole thing started because you wanted to get to know him, to fill in the gaps and to continue growing the bond that only exists in your mind

Every day he struggles with the knowledge that what he's doing is wrong, along with the constant badgering about it from Hudson, Sims, and Park

But he's never felt this close, let alone wanted, by someone in his entire life

There'll come a day when the lid blows right off all this and explodes in his face for sure

Just... Not yet, he hopes

Hudson

If there's one person here who should not be getting involved with you... It's him

Adler and Park may be your handlers, but he's the one overseeing the entire operation

You wouldn't even be here if he hadn't passed down the orders from the higher ups

If there's nothing else you take away from this, he would have you know that there is much, much more at risk here then his mere job if he was found messing around with you

Hudson tried everything to resist you

You and your charming voice

You and your beguiling looks

You and your kindness and patient soul

His will was strong, but the flesh is oh so weak

No one has ever treated him like you do

Just an ounce of respect and a surprising, never ending stream of kindness...

What else is a lonely man to do?

Adler and Park know nothing, this is a term you both agreed on

And they never will, because as soon as your work here is done...

He will stop at nothing to keep you safe

Lazar

He knows, he knows...

He should be doing this

But damn it if you aren't just so... Loveable

Lazar has a big heart that just bursting at the seams with love to give

You'd think such a friendly fellow would be popular in the dating pools, but...

It would seem not so

He'll be honest, he was going to make moves towards Park...

Mostly because, between the two of you, she wasn't strictly off limits

But you were his first choice

And when Helen shut him down, well...

Why not at least try?

He never expected you to actually take to him

He deals with constant reprimands, but he dismisses them every time

No one knows what it's like to be so full of love and have no one to give it too

And now that he has you...

He'll be damned if anyone tries to take you away from him

Mason

Geez... All Mason wants is a stable relationship with someone who loves him and has the grit to see past his flaws

He's been taking his meds and seeing his psych, but the numbers and mind jacking still bother him

In fact, they very well might for the rest of his life

He feels so broken

So unlovable and far too damaged to even be an option for anyone else out there

So... Why are you so interested in him?

At first he brushes it off as a star struck kid, and maybe, at first it was, but then...

Things start to get serious

He meet up with you after work hours

You both get to talking and relating to one another through your memories of warfare and the current mission

You tell him you've seen plenty of things just as crazy as what's going on with him, and people that are twice that bad

He doesn't scare you, not one bit

Acceptance is all he's ever wanted, and to have found it in you feels better then anything he ever could've dreamed of

He falls for you so hard, he rarely let's you out of his sight and tries to get on as many of your missions as possible

Park

This whole op is a well oiled machine and she's the one driving it

Hudson and Adler may act like they're in charge, but they'd be nothing without her helping to hold them and you in line

She's a woman of rules, decorum, and conduct

There's a way to do things and a way not to, simple as that

And yet for all that, she still cannot understand how she's fallen in with you

She should be holding you at arms length at best, and yet here she is stealing kisses and playing with your hair when no one is looking

Maybe she's too much of a sucker for a good forbidden romance story

Or maybe there's always been something in you that's spoken to her from the beginning

A certain way you carry and conduct yourself

So brave and strong...

The kind of person she aspires to be, deep down...

Soon she starts saying things like "what's the worst that could happen" and "no one has to know"

And before long, she knows she could never let you go

When this mission is over, she swears to set you free from the mental prison and living hell she helped put you in, no matter the outcome for your relationship

She loves you too much to see you suffer

Sims

He has the exact same problem as Adler

You know him too damn well

Except... You don't really know him at all, huh?

It takes him so long to wrap his mind around that one...

But the more and more you keep coming to him, asking about things like 'Nam and his time in the war...

The more and more that line becomes muddled

How much have you been programmed to know, and how much did you learn naturally, just from getting to know him?

It's hard being a Vietnam vet you know...

Everyone blames you for the loss of the war, and no one wants much to do with a soldier in general, he guesses

Too much of a headache when you could just get a nice, normal person, right?

But old Vietnam vets get lonely too you know...

So you know what? Who gives a damn

This whole thing with you and mk ultra was screwed from the start, and who knows where the end will take you

If nothing else, if not even for his own benefit, he may as well give you the respect enough to enjoy a little fling

He treats it seriously. Very seriously.

He even grows to truly love you

Maybe that's why he's so scared for you

Woods

Here's a man who'd go his whole life proclaiming he'll never settle down and had no interest in doing so

He's a lone wolf, a life long solider, and far too fucked up for a stable relationship anyhow

At least... That's what he'll say

The truth is he yearns for what Mason and Hudson have

A happy little family and cozy home to protect and care for

He wants to feel needed, wanted even

And he'll never get that from long hours at the practice range and lonely weekend nights spent in his living room

He takes the same approach as Mason would at first

He brushes you off as a starry eyed fan and nothing more

But you know... He's never had anyone care enough to be a "fan" before

Alex laughs at him and keeps saying he's letting his ego get to his head, but what the fuck does he know?

He's got all that shit with the numbers and reznov stuck in his head, and yet he still has someone to go home to each night

So he does it, he gets involved with you

And it's the best damn feeling in the whole world

He loves you relentlessly and soon finds he can't bear to be away from you for too long

Mason will never let him life it down, but you know what?

He's just fine with that