#WP Tag Machine

[cagedthewicked]

cagedthewicked master list... I

official master list of all my fics, where to find them, tumblr exclusive blurbs and one-shots about my ocs

Fan Fictions (written by me and where to find them)

"Bite The Hand" ao3 || wattpad || tumblr exclusive tag

'bite the hand' overall soundtrack & vibes || kristofferson character playlist || kristofferson personal mixtape || vienna character playlist || sasha character playlist || bambi may character playlist || winterghost playlist || cokeghost playlist

arc zero film scoring || arc one film scoring || arc two film scoring || arc three film scoring || arc four film scoring

pairing(s) : m!oc/bucky barnes, f!oc/m!oc

trope(s) : hurt/comfort, slow burn, soulmates

trigger warnings : graphic descriptions of violence, internalized homophobia, mentions & descriptions of blood, mentions of past child & alcohol abuse, past torture torture & food restriction, panic attacks, manipulation, and, suicidal thoughts, ideation & tendencies

Two different directions. One being left, and the other being right. Going right landed Kristofferson Vorobeva in Madripoor, and having no other choice than to fall back onto his old ways in order to survive after having freedom for the first time in sixteen years. Going to the left landed, Bucky Barnes having no other choice than to go back in cryo-freeze without ever getting a chance to tell Kristofferson what happened, or being able to keep his promise of finding him. Leaving Bucky with no other option than to send Steve Rogers to track him down and bring him to him so they can be together, even though Kristofferson has no paper trail that proves he even exists in the first place and hates him more than can fathom. Only for Bucky to turn into dust when Kristofferson is finally found, leaving him abandoned by him once more for the next five years without ever getting to explain to him what happened to get them into this situation in the first place.

"Jigsaw" ao3 || wattpad || tumblr exclusive tag

pairing(s) : steve rogers/bucky barnes, wanda maximoff/vision, natasha romanoff/maria hill

trope(s) : father daughter, found family, hurt/comfort

trigger warnings : child neglect, mention of child abuse

Marie "Bear" Kittredge is just like any normal girl her age. She loves to draw and have tea parties with her Care Bears. Except, she doesn't know much about herself. It is probably just because she is five, and five-year-olds don't know much, but she still wants to know. Even though she is painfully shy, she learns by watching the people around her by hiding behind corners. Especially when it comes to Captain Rogers. Even more so when the man with the sad eyes from her memories shows up

"Soviet Machine" ao3 || wattpad || tumblr exclusive tag

pairing(s) : bucky barnes/natasha romanoff (kinda but not really), steve rogers/bucky barnes (once again, kinda but not really)

trope(s) : father-daughter, hurt no comfort, dad bucky barnes

trigger warnings : graphic descriptions of violence, implied sexual assault

Perfection is everything Yekaterina Romanoff is. She's perfect in every way that a person can be from everything down to the way she walked and braided her hair each morning, to the genetic markup of the cells inside her and the blood flowing through her veins. She was made with a specific reason, to be the best, and she was made by using the best both the Red Room and HYDRA had. She was the best, she was perfect in everything she did. That was until she was forced to work with The Winter Solider, the man who helped fuel her creation by giving her half of his DNA, to kill Captain America only for the plan to crumble when he remembers who he is. Leaving Katya with an unfinished mission, and on the run with her father.

ao3 || wp || blog intro

[ippnoida]

Tale of three cities — Demand spurs growth of digital printers

As part of its series on small and micro-printers and prominent printing districts in different cities, Indian Printer & Publisher took note of Waka Digital from Ludhiana, Snap Kosh from Varanasi, and Upadhyay Colour Copier from Lucknow. Operating from different cities, one factor binds them — all three started by trading printed commodities and then invested in a digital press, running the business as a sole proprietor, and later on expanded as per market demands and trends.

Waka Digital Ludhiana

We met Paramveer Singh and his father, Haridayal Singh of Waka Digital, in April 2025. Established in 1988, Waka Digital offers a variety of products, including photo albums, photo frames, pamphlets, and more. Waka Digital also works extensively for the apparel industry, providing DtF printing on textiles and labels and tags for packaging.

Haridayal Singh explained how he started the business as a photo color lab for wedding photography and albums, which has been revolutionized by digital printing.

“We kept adding value to our wedding album products over the years with technology and premium finishing. However, photographic services, which have been our core, saw more opportunities with sample booklet printing for the garment industry. We have many hosiery manufacturers as our regular customers. They demand printed samples of how the clothing will look when worn. We do the photography and printing, which they distribute to their customers.”

The company, using an AccurioPress C4080 from Konica Minolta, integrated calendar-making into its production as an advertising sub-division, where they include photographs of hired models wearing garments of its hosiery clients. This gave the business an additional push as the quality of its products attracted nearby schools for printing prospectuses and annual magazines. The company plans to add an embellishment machine to better market its products.

Snap Kosh Varanasi

A printer advised Kapoor to set up his press to save him the trouble of traveling long distances at fairly regular intervals. Over time, his son Deepak Kapoor joined him in his business. Deepak Kapoor manages the day-to-day affairs at Snap Kosh along with his son Vinamra Kapoor, a third-gen director whom Indian Printer & Publisher spoke with.

Vinamra Kapoor joined his family business in the year 2012 after quitting his job at a media house in Delhi. Till that time, it was a traditional printing press with standard machines and equipment. The plant underwent modernization and shifted to digital printing after he joined the family printing press. The digital portfolio began with a Xerox press, and then a Canon production machine. An AccurioPress C7090 was the latest addition in December 2024.

The business, which began with the need for self-publishing, moved toward printing religious books with Deepak Kapoor at the helm. After Vinamra Kapoor’s joining and its digital adoption, the company began to be recognized as a one-stop solution for all printing requirements. The add-ons are short-run printed literature, ID cards, visiting cards, specialized sticker printing, and more. With Vinamra’s expertise in photography, photo and album production became a heavily demanded commodity in the pilgrimage city.

Upadhyay Colour Copier Lucknow

https://indianprinterpublisher.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/06/IMG20240810135949-1-scaled.jpg

“If printers have a growth mindset, they will know that new technologies with automated features and cloud computing are the way ahead. Traditional printers seldom change their operational machines. Older businesses are reluctant to revamp their infrastructure if a machine runs smoothly. Adoption and open-mindedness are necessary; unwillingness to advance technologically could be fatal as customers only desire what’s latest,” he said.

Established in 2009, the business is located in Lucknow’s Haiderganj area. Upadhyay, who started as a photocopier, noticed the growing customer demand for more printed products. The commercial printer initially invested in a 4-color machine. Visiting cards, leaflets, letterheads, wedding cards, greeting cards, and projects for school and college students are some of its products.

Students living near Haiderganj are repeat customers. “The students told us that their faculty was quite impressed with the projects that had embellishments or foiling and even set that as a minimum standard for any submission,” he said.

Digital embellishments made him stand out as a premium provider of projects and reports. The printer also serves Firozabad, Lakhimpur, Kanpur, Gonda, Varanasi and other nearby cities. In February 2025, the company invested in another MGI embellishment machine.

[starsbegantofall]

Finally have proof that an ao3 poster is uploading ai fics bc they left the prompt they used in the story. Didn't even read their own fic to edit that out!!! A rainforest died for this unedited ai fic posted in my pairing tags, so i have to look at this sham that probably scraped my own writing whenever I want to read fic about my fandom lmao/rage

I wish I could report it. I don't want AI fics in my pairing tag. I want readers to comment and kudos and bookmark my organic free-range fic that I wrote with my own arthritic fingers late at night on a wp program from 2003 fueled only by delusion. The only machine learning that I use is adding character names to the dictionary so it won't keep highlighting the name as an error.

I don't particularly care that it's probably scraping my fic, although I do hope I am poisoning the well with my writing, but I feel for other writers who were copied. And for what? You can't even advertise on ao3, they gain nothing but a handful of likes and a few comments. They did it just because they could. Burned the habitat of endangered animals just for 7 comments.

My main consolation is the fics may be readable but they're a bit overdramatic and OOC and overall not that great, and the "author" did themselves a disservice (aka outed themselves as AI) by uploading several multi-k chapters in a day instead of spacing it out, so even if I was interested in reading slop about my favorite pairing because I already read everything else in the tag, I would be intimidated and put off by this "writer"

[fromdevcom]

These days it is sometimes easier to attract international customers to your website regardless of what you promote or write about. Whether you have a landing page or an online store you would love to optimize your conversions and gain new visitors.But how to deal with all those things that are so important for a successful international campaign? Multilingual content is a difficult thing to create, effective international SEO is an even more difficult thing to correctly implement and follow all the rules. There are many plugins out there that involve your deep-deep participation in the entire localization process, moreover involves other experts like SEO agencies, web developers, etc. ConveyThis translate is a relatively new plugin that has a bit of another approach as a whole. This plugin is the ultimate translation solution that gives you the ability to translate your entire website and have all the benefits of a multilingual site using only one plugin.Here Are Just Some Benefits You Will Get Using ConveyThis100+ of the most popular languages Unlimited trial with all features enabledFast, easy integration and instant resultsPowerful automatic machine translatorCompatibility with all themes and plugins Smart analytics to track international visitors Google multilingual SEO best practices Access to professional translatorsSimple translation interface Support to every customer If you decided to go international with your website, SEO optimization is the most important point here. Besides the content, of course, which the plugin provides you with in the first place.Once some of your pages are translated into another language it's still not guaranteed that foreign speaking visitor will see them. It does help you to make them more loyal due to language selection, but yet it's not enough for the whole international journey you will go on to. The most important part is to help search engines identify the translated content on your site and start ranking them higher in the appropriate search results. That's exactly what the plugin does, it creates separate URLs, adds "hreflang" tag, set up user language redirection and much more. When you have your website translated it will get so much exposure due to all these aspects.Before You StartNow let's have a look at the integration process and find out if it's really so simple.First of all, you need to install the plugin on your website.To do that go to your plugins directory in your WP admin and install ConveyThis.Once the plugin is installed it pops up on the top bar of your control panel.On the plugin's set up page, you will see that configuration is still required. To complete it you need to get an API key. Go to conveythis.com and sign up. After you confirm your account one of the first pages you will see is your main dashboard. It's pretty simple and at the same time very informative.Here you have all the most important indicators to follow your translation stage and international success. Grab your API key from this page and go back to the WP admin.Paste the key to the API section field, also select the source language and target language. Now the language switcher will appear on your website, you can go there and check. No other action’s needed to start translating your website, it's so simple.But before you actually start doing this we want you to pay your attention to the customization options.To open the list of settings click "show more options". As you can see this is where almost everything is subject to change. The handy preview button allows you do not have to switch to the website's tab to check out the result. Change whatever you want and see the result in real time. Actually, there is one more thing that could be extremely useful in some cases. Click "Change language flag" and you will be shown a spreadsheet where you can personalize up to five language-flag pairs. On the screenshot above you can see what it will eventually look like. All individualization changes that you might potentially need are covered here.

Translation InterfaceFinish translating some of your site's pages and go to "My Translations" to see how you can improve them. You can go there either from your account or from the plugin's page in your WP admin. There is an entire list of your translated pages here. By seeing the current number of page views you can understand what exact pages are the most effective ones. You can also delete those pages that have very few international visits and increase your word limit using it later for other pages. So here you have not only analytics but general testing capabilities.In the drop-down list, you can select a language you want to edit right now and also sorting options are also available to help you find the needed page. To start editing a specific page click on its link. On the right-hand side, you can replace the initial machine translation with yours. You will also be able to edit meta text and attributes.To help you improve all your content this interface provides you with an access to professional translators who you can contact right from your account. Whether you would like to have general proofreading or more in-depth editing it's up to you. Several translation agencies offer their services and due to their partnership with the plugin, you will have very low tariffs for this service.PricingConveyThis has three paid plans to cover various needs besides a totally free plan.And this is the last outstanding feature of this plugin - a free plan which has no expiration date, moreover you won't be asked to give your credit card information at registration. While testing the plugin on the trial all the features are enabled as on any advance plan and you can literally start your worldwide journey and gaining new customers completely for free.All paid plans have a money back guarantee and they cover various needs. So you have to pay only for your current volumes and can build bit by bit your powerful fully optimized multilingual website.Take advantage of this right now, sign up on their website and once you confirm your account use the coupon code MULTILINGUAL50 to get 50% off any paid plans.

[howzitsa]

TP-Link Archer AX20 AX1800 Dual Band Wifi 6 Router FEATURES: Dual-Band Wi-Fi 6: Equipped with the latest wireless technology, Wi-Fi 6, for faster speeds, greater capacity, and reduced network congestion Next-Gen 1.8Gbps Speeds: Enjoy smooth streaming, downloading, and gaming all without buffering with Wi-Fi speeds of 1.8Gbps Connect More Devices: Wi-Fi 6 technology communicates more data to more devices using revolutionary OFDMA technology while simultaneously reducing lag Quad-Core Processing: The 1.5GHz quad-core CPU ensures communications between your router and all connected devices are smooth Extensive Coverage: Beamforming, independent FEM, and four antennas combine to deliver focused reception to devices far away Increased Battery Life: Target Wake Time technology reduces your devices’ power consumption to extend their battery life USB Easy Sharing: A USB 2.0 Port enables easy file sharing within your network or building private Cloud Storage Easy Setup: Set up your router in minutes with the powerful TP-Link Tether App Backward Compatible: Supports all previous 802.11 standards and all Wi-Fi devices WIRELESS Standards Wi-Fi 6 IEEE 802.11ax/ac/n/a 5 GHz IEEE 802.11ax/n/b/g 2.4 GHz WiFi Speeds AX1800 5 GHz: 1201 Mbps (802.11ax) 2.4 GHz: 574 Mbps (802.11ax) WiFi Range 3 Bedroom Houses 4× Fixed High-Performance Antennas Multiple antennas form a signal-boosting array to cover more directions and large areas Beamforming Concentrates wireless signal strength towards clients to expand WiFi range High-Power FEM Improves transmission power to strengthen signal coverage WiFi Capacity High Dual-Band Allocate devices to different bands for optimal performance OFDMA Simultaneously communicates with multiple Wi-Fi 6 clients Airtime Fairness Improves network efficiency by limiting excessive occupation 4 Streams Connect your devices to more bandwidth Working Modes Router Mode Access Point Mode HARDWARE Processor 1.5 GHz Quad-Core CPU Ethernet Ports 1× Gigabit WAN Port 4× Gigabit LAN Ports USB Support 1× USB 2.0 Port Supported Partition Formats: NTFS, exFAT, HFS+, FAT32 Supported Functions: Apple Time Machine FTP Server Media Server Samba Server Buttons WPS/Wi-Fi Button Power On/Off Button LED On/Off Button Reset Button Power 12 V ⎓ 1.5 A SECURITY WiFi Encryption WPA WPA2 WPA3 WPA/WPA2-Enterprise (802.1x) Network Security SPI Firewall Access Control IP & MAC Binding Application Layer Gateway Guest Network 1× 5 GHz Guest Network 1× 2.4 GHz Guest Network VPN Server OpenVPN PPTP SOFTWARE Protocols IPv4 IPv6 Parental Controls URL Filtering Time Controls WAN Types Dynamic IP Static IP PPPoE PPTP L2TP Quality of Service QoS by Device Cloud Service Auto Firmware Upgrade OTA Firmware Upgrade TP-Link ID DDNS NAT Forwarding Port Forwarding Port Triggering DMZ UPnP IPTV IGMP Proxy IGMP Snooping Bridge Tag VLAN DHCP Address Reservation DHCP Client List Server DDNS TP-Link NO-IP DynDNS Management Tether App Webpage PHYSICAL Dimensions (W×D×H) 10.2 × 5.3 ×1.5 in (260.2 × 135.0 × 38.6 mm) Package Contents Wi-Fi Router Archer AX20 Power Adapter RJ45 Ethernet Cable Quick Installation Guide OTHER System Requirements Internet Explorer 11+, Firefox 12.0+, Chrome 20.0+, Safari 4.0+, or other JavaScript-enabled browser Cable or DSL Modem (if needed) Subscription with an internet service provider (for internet access) Certifications FCC, CE, RoHS Environment Operating Temperature: 0℃~40℃ (32℉ ~104℉) Storage Temperature: -40℃~70℃ (-40℉ ~158℉) Operating Humidity: 10%~90% non-condensing Storage Humidity: 5%~90% non-condensing TEST DATA WiFi Transmission Power CE:

[crazyhappybuys]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: WP Weatherproof Women's XXL Jacket Casual Lightweight Hooded Rain Jacket Black.

[siddhiinfosoft5]

Describe use of AI/ML in WordPress like Different ways & Plugin available

In recent times, the way we interact with technology has been transformed by the incorporation of AI and ML into a variety of industries. For WordPress development clients, this development presents energizing chances to upgrade site usefulness, enhance client experience, and smooth out happy administration. Whether you're a blogger, a business owner, or a web developer, using AI and ML can dramatically improve your WordPress web development services in USA. Let's look at how you can make use of these technologies and the plugins that make it easier to integrate them. How to distinguish between

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning (ML) in WordPress

AI is the capacity of a machine to imitate intelligent human behavior. ML, on the other hand, is a subset of AI that focuses on the creation of algorithms that enable computers to learn from data and make predictions based on it. These technologies can improve content creation, personalize experiences, automate processes, analyze user data, and analyze user data in the context of WordPress development services.

Important Use Cases for AI/ML in WordPress

Enhancement and Creation of Content

AI-Driven Tools can assist in the creation of content ideas, topic suggestions, and even article writing. For instance, plugins like "AI Writer" can look at the most talked-about topics in your field and make recommendations that are specific to your target audience.

In addition, AI can improve existing content by optimizing it for SEO. Plugins like "Yoast SEO" make use of artificial intelligence to look at readability and the use of keywords. As a result, they give you insights that you can use to make your content more visible on search engines.

Personalization

The capacity of AI and ML to provide users with personalized experiences is one of their most significant advantages. AI can help tailor content recommendations, product suggestions, and even layout designs to individual visitors by analyzing user behavior, preferences, and demographics.

Machine learning is used by plugins like Right Message to customize your website's messaging based on the user's journey. This ensures that every visitor has a unique, individualized experience.

AI chatbots for customer support

Chatbots have grown in popularity as a means of improving customer service. By incorporating a chatbot into your WordPress site, you can offer support round-the-clock, answer frequently asked questions, direct visitors, and even collect feedback.

Popular plugins like "WP-Chatbot" and "Tidio" make it simple to create AI-driven chatbots. Not only do these tools increase user engagement, but they also free up your staff to concentrate on more difficult customer inquiries.

Analytics and Insights

Any website must make decisions based on data. AI and machine learning (ML) are able to analyze a large amount of data, identifying patterns and providing insights that manual analysis might miss.

Utilizing the power of Google Analytics, plugins like Monster Insights provide an AI-driven dashboard that highlights important metrics and user behaviors, enabling you to make educated decisions regarding your marketing and content strategy.

Image and Media Optimization

The performance of a website as well as user engagement are significantly influenced by images. AI can assist in automating image optimization for faster loading speeds without compromising quality.

Modules like Smush use AI calculations to pack pictures, further developing site speed and execution. AI can also assist with image recognition and tagging, making media library management simpler.

Security Improvements

AI has the potential to significantly improve the safety of your WordPress website. AI can assist in real-time threat detection by analyzing traffic patterns and detecting anomalies.

Machine learning is utilized by plugins like "Wordfence" to enhance security protocols and adapt to new threats. They constantly learn from attack patterns, ensuring that your website is protected from ever-changing cyber threats.

SEO Optimization

AI-driven SEO tools can evaluate rivals, monitor the performance of keywords, and offer optimization suggestions. Rank Math is a powerful plugin that makes use of artificial intelligence to examine aspects of on-page SEO and provides suggestions for elevating rankings in search results.

Enhancements for E-Commerce

AI can streamline customer interactions, personalize product recommendations, and even optimize inventory management for e-commerce sites. AI tools can be integrated with plugins like "WooCommerce" to improve customer shopping experiences by providing individualized recommendations based on past purchases and browsing activity.

Management of Social Media

AI can also be very helpful in controlling one's presence on social media. Using artificial intelligence, plugins like "Revive Old Posts" automate the social media sharing of old blog posts, assisting in automatic traffic and engagement growth.

The Most Popular WordPress AI/ML Plugins

Akismet: This plugin uses machine learning to find spam comments and remove them from your site, keeping it clean and easy to use.

Jetpack: Jetpack is a one-stop shop for many WordPress users because it includes AI-powered features like site statistics, security scanning, and performance optimization.

WordPress ChatBot: You can create an AI-powered chatbot with this plugin to interact with visitors, answer questions, and collect leads.

Elementor: Elementor assists users in creating visually appealing pages based on the most recent design trends thanks to its AI-powered design suggestions.

MyCurator: This content curation apparatus utilizes simulated intelligence to help you find and oversee content applicable to your crowd, smoothing out the substance creation process.

In conclusion, WordPress' incorporation of AI and machine learning is not merely a fad; it is a revolutionary strategy that has the potential to revolutionize the way you manage and enhance your website. The possibilities are endless, and they range from automating tedious tasks to providing individualized experiences. You can boost growth, increase user engagement, and optimize your site's performance with the right plugins and tools.

You will have a competitive advantage in the digital landscape if you keep up with the most recent AI/ML innovations. Take advantage of these technologies, and you'll notice that your WordPress development company website will become more effective, user-friendly, and effective.

“Integrating AI and ML into WordPress is no longer just an option; it’s the secret ingredient that makes your website stand out from the crowd!”

Resource: Describe use of AI/ML in WordPress like Different ways & Plugin available

[gqresearch24]

The Evolution And Advantages Of Electronic Toll Collection

In the realm of modern transportation, electronic toll collection (ETC) stands out as a transformative technology that has revolutionized the way tolls are collected on highways, bridges, and tunnels around the world. By leveraging electronic systems to automate toll transactions, ETC has streamlined traffic flow, reduced congestion, and improved overall efficiency in toll collection processes. In this article, we delve into the evolution, mechanics, benefits, and prospects of electronic toll collection.

Evolution of Electronic Toll Collection

The concept dates back to the mid-20th century, with early implementations utilizing simple mechanical devices such as toll gates and coin-operated machines. However, these manual toll-collection methods were time-consuming, prone to errors, and often led to traffic congestion, especially during peak hours.

The advent of electronic technologies in the latter half of the 20th century paved the way for more sophisticated toll collection systems. The introduction of magnetic stripe cards, radio-frequency identification (RFID) tags, and smart cards enabled the development of ETC systems capable of processing toll transactions automatically, without the need for cash or manual intervention.

The 1990s witnessed significant advancements in electronic toll collection with the introduction of dedicated short-range communication (DSRC) technology, which uses radio waves to transmit data between vehicles and toll collection infrastructure. DSRC-based systems, such as E-ZPass in the United States and Telepass in Europe, allowed drivers to pass through toll plazas seamlessly, with tolls deducted electronically from prepaid accounts or billed to registered vehicles.

Mechanics of Electronic Toll Collection

ETC systems typically consist of the following components:

Toll Collection Points: Toll collection points, also known as toll plazas or gantries, are equipped with electronic toll collection infrastructure, including antennas, readers, and sensors. These toll points are strategically located at entry and exit points of toll roads, bridges, or tunnels, where vehicles are required to pay tolls.

https://gqresearch.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/04/2.1-Transponders-or-RFID-Tags.jpg

Communication Networks: ETC systems rely on communication networks, such as cellular networks or dedicated communication channels, to transmit data between toll collection points, vehicles, and backend systems. These networks facilitate real-time transaction processing, account management, and enforcement activities.

Backend Systems: Backend systems, operated by toll authorities or third-party service providers, manage ETC operations, including account management, payment processing, violation enforcement, and data analytics. These systems store transaction records, reconcile toll revenues, and generate reports for auditing and analysis purposes.

Customer Service Centers: Customer service centers provide support to ETC users, including account registration, account management, billing inquiries, and dispute resolution. These centers serve as points of contact for customers seeking assistance with their electronic toll-collection accounts.

Benefits of Electronic Toll Collection

Improved Traffic Flow: Electronic toll collection systems facilitate faster and smoother traffic flow by eliminating the need for vehicles to stop or slow down at toll plazas. This reduces congestion, minimizes travel time, and enhances overall roadway efficiency, especially during peak traffic periods.

Enhanced Convenience: ETC offers greater convenience to drivers by enabling seamless, hands-free toll payments. Drivers can pass through toll plazas at highway speeds without the hassle of searching for cash or waiting in line at toll booths.

Enhanced Safety: ETC systems enhance safety on roadways by reducing the risk of rear-end collisions, fender-benders, and accidents caused by sudden stops or lane changes at toll booths. By maintaining a steady flow of traffic, ETC helps mitigate congestion-related hazards and improves overall road safety.

Cost Savings: ETC offers cost savings for both toll authorities and drivers. By automating toll collection processes, ETC reduces the need for toll booth operators, manual toll collection equipment, and associated administrative expenses. Drivers also benefit from reduced fuel costs and travel time savings associated with smoother traffic flow.

Future Prospects and Innovations

As technology continues to evolve, ETC systems are poised for further advancements and innovations. Some emerging trends and developments in the field include:

Mobile Payment Solutions: The rise of mobile payment technologies, such as smartphone apps and mobile wallets, is transforming ETC by offering alternative payment options for tolls. Drivers can use their smartphones to pay tolls, manage accounts, and receive real-time notifications about toll transactions.

Interoperability and Multi-Agency Cooperation: Efforts to enhance interoperability and cooperation among different tolling agencies and jurisdictions are underway to create seamless travel experiences for drivers. Initiatives such as interoperable tolling agreements, universal toll transponders, and integrated tolling networks aim to eliminate barriers and streamline toll collection processes across regional and national borders.

Dynamic Pricing and Congestion Management: Dynamic pricing strategies, based on real-time traffic conditions, demand patterns, and congestion levels, are being implemented to optimize toll revenues and manage traffic flow. Variable toll rates, congestion pricing schemes, and high-occupancy toll (HOT) lanes help incentivize behavior changes, reduce congestion, and improve roadway efficiency.

Connected Vehicle Technologies: The integration of connected vehicle technologies, such as vehicle-to-infrastructure (V2I) and vehicle-to-vehicle (V2V) communication, holds promise for enhancing ETC systems. Connected vehicles can communicate with toll collection infrastructure to provide real-time traffic data, navigation assistance, and toll payment capabilities, improving overall transportation efficiency and safety.

Conclusion: Driving Toward a Smarter Transportation Future

In conclusion, electronic toll collection has transformed the way tolls are collected, managed, and processed on roadways worldwide. By leveraging electronic technologies, communication networks, and backend systems, ETC systems offer numerous benefits, including improved traffic flow, enhanced convenience, reduced environmental impact, and cost savings for both toll authorities and drivers.

As technology continues to advance and transportation systems evolve, ETC will play an increasingly important role in shaping the future of mobility. By embracing innovation, collaboration, and customer-centric approaches, we can drive toward a smarter, more efficient transportation future that benefits individuals, communities, and societies as a whole. Electronic toll collection is not just about collecting tolls—it’s about transforming the way we move, connect, and thrive in an ever-changing world.

[warriorrobot]

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[newtexasrepublic]

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[sylvita4-blog]

Check out this listing I just added to my Poshmark closet: Talbots Woman Petites plus size high rise pants size 20 WP stretch.

[gumidonut]

I posted 3,967 times in 2022

That's 3,910 more posts than 2021!

681 posts created (17%)

3,286 posts reblogged (83%)

Blogs I reblogged the most:

@//miketon

@//eepiest-malkuth

@rattlepate

@//autocanniibalism

@//muppet-machine

I tagged 2,006 of my posts in 2022

Only 49% of my posts had no tags

#txt - 197 posts

#fave - 130 posts

#liveblogging tag - 104 posts

#[ ascii the beloved<3 ] - 61 posts

#gasa4 - 60 posts

#silly tag - 45 posts

#me-core - 43 posts

#ult fave - 31 posts

#me - 20 posts

#for laterz - 17 posts

Longest Tag: 131 characters

#also if the mad dummy concept from the extras happened here i would've been 🎊🎉🎉🎊🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎊🎉🎉🎉 im just saying

My Top Posts in 2022:

#5

hold on hold on wait.

is dummy curtsying in this image omg/pos

29 notes - Posted August 6, 2022

#4

so um

30 notes - Posted August 1, 2022

#3

tea bee aytch

32 notes - Posted September 3, 2022

#2

anyone here know what's with these homies and dissing my girl

reblogs >>> likes

37 notes - Posted November 18, 2022

My #1 post of 2022

new tag game how do u pronounce "wc" in ur head

2,306 notes - Posted April 16, 2022

Get your Tumblr 2022 Year in Review →

ashamed to hear that my #1 post this year was a text post when my actual art gets like 2 and a half notes but whatever gg wp i think

[yeojaa]

( SOMETHING COMFORTING. )

Jeon Jungkook loves Overwatch, drinking games, and Halloween.  What he loves more than that?  You.

pairing.  gamer!jjk x named f!reader.

genre + rating.   idol!au set in room filled with bunnies and a cotton candy machine that’s exploded.  it’s just that fluffy.  (but also explicit cause why not.)

tags / warnings.  established relationship, gaming (overwatch), dorky weeb references, mentions of drinking, yugyeom makes an appearance (!!), fingering, soft soft soft love making in the shower. 

wc.  9.7k

beta reader(s).  the lovely @kerikaaria​​​ read through this to make sure i didn’t get too nerdy.  tysm!  💛  i may like further changes once my beloved @hobi-gif​ gets her hands on it but i’m a potato who wanted to post this quickly.  oops... 

author note.  this fulfills the “jeon jungkook” square of @btsholidaybingo​‘s bts holiday bingo 2020 and this is the couple from angels & airwaves.  while this story isn’t super plot-driven, it’s meant to be a little peek into the lives of a couple that live in my mind rent-free and continue to make me soft and gooey inside.  i hope you enjoy it!   

You don’t know how he talked you into it or how it really happened.  You remember, faintly, the mention of a party.  Something about it being a small thing - just a few close friends, the members, etc.  He’d said it so offhand, like commenting on the sky or asking for another package of Choco Boys, so you hadn't given it a second thought.  If it was important, he’d bring it up again and if not, well, you hardly remembered it anyway.  Win-win or whatever.  

So you’d given up some intelligence points, traded them for space to fit more gaming knowledge.  Somewhere along the line went your memory too - the conversation wiped from your brain like Will Smith had lasered it clean. 

“Zarya’s one!  Zarya’s one—“  You’re not sure how many times you can repeat yourself, shrieking through comms to a team that doesn’t seem to want to listen.  You’re blasted into oblivion, Mercy’s prone body launched across the map as you watch your Rein fall too.  There’s an irritation bubbling in your stomach, fizzing uncomfortably like the Japanese honeydew soda you’d had at lunch.  “Zarya’s actually one!” 

No one cares.  She’s healed by the time you respawn and make it back across the map. 

“Jesus—“  Your push-to-talk remains off for that flippant comment, distaste colouring your words a bitter shade of blue.  You almost want to let your Ashe get headshot by the enemy Widow, only switching the stream from damage boosting to healing when your teammate starts spamming their hotkey.  

I need healing!  I need healing! 

What you need is a team that listens to your calls or at the very least communicates in some way.  Doesn’t seem like it’s going to happen though.  There’s near radio silence in the voice chat, the only other person remotely helpful being your bouncing booping Lucio that’s trying to keep a flanking Tracer off point.  Stupid.  You almost feel bad for him, Guardian Angeling to him when no one else seems to want to offer any support. 

Ah, the life of a support player in masters ranked.  So infuriating and yet— nope.  Just infuriating. 

You lose the first round with 1:56 to spare, to no one’s surprise.  Okay, maybe to your Reinhardt’s surprise.  He’s being surprisingly chipper in text chat, sending WP and a dorky smiley face.  You think he must volunteer at the local animal shelter and buy coffee for the people behind him in the drive-thru.  He’s far too well-adjusted, not shooting off a single accusation to anyone on the team.  A silver lining, you suppose.  

Your second round starts well enough.  Your comp is solid - as much as it can be in the current off-tank dominated meta.  Hog, Zarya, a private profiled GM Widowmaker, Tracer, Lucio, and you as Ana.  You’d prefer to play Mercy - find the most comfort in her skill set - but on an attack map, you’re not risking a headshot right out of spawn.  Broken maximum damage good stuff means healers are squishy and you don’t have your usual DPS to boost.  (He’s off doing god knows what - maybe filming an ad for Samsung or breaking the internet with his permed man bun.)

You make it through the choke without much ado.  The enemy Rein is wildly out of position, eager to make some big brained play that goes terribly wrong.  Your Lucio chuckles through voice and you join him, tossing a nade when your Zarya looks like she’s about to die to a poorly executed 360 shatter. 

“You winning?” 

It’s your boyfriend peeking over your shoulder, so close you nearly scream, mouse launched across your desk with the intensity of your reaction.  You hadn’t heard him come in, the stupid sneaky bastard as quiet as a mouse.  

(It’s not your own fault.  He knows you can’t hear anything when you’ve got your headphones on, the noise cancelling in your state of the art Sennheisers not something to scoff at.)

“Jeez, Kook!”  You want to be more mad.  Really, you do.  You’re scrambling across your desk to retrieve your mouse, squeaking a quick apology into team voice when your hero stays in one place for too long.  Luckily, Hog - previously sweet kind Rein - throws his big fat piggy self directly in front of you, effectively saving you from an otherwise miserable death at the hands of Torbjorn. 

“What?”  Jeon Jungkook has the audacity to look scandalised, shiny eyes so wide and innocent they feel more as if they belong in an early 2000s anime. 

You’re not even looking at him when you huff - too invested in your Overwatch game to give him the hell he deserves.  All you manage is a swift don’t scare me like that! as you pump your tanks back to full health.  

You notice Jungkook hasn’t moved away, still peering curiously over your shoulder.  You know he hasn’t had much time to play lately, too involved with appearances for their comeback, his schedule too packed even for you some days.  You don’t blame him when he pulls his chair up behind you, rolling into place so he’s just within your periphery. 

It’s a little distracting;  he smells good, like his - and by extension your - favourite laundry detergent and a fruity, nectarine-heavy shampoo you’d picked up for him when he’d run out of his usual.  You notice then that his hair is wet, just the wrong-side of too damp with droplets beading over his neck.  Moisture soaks into the top of his shirt and you think it might be more soaked than you can see;  it’s hard to tell when it’s a jet black shirt, one of the many he keeps in your closet for the nights he stays over.  You realise then that he must’ve been home far longer than you’d thought, if his freshly washed pink cheeks are any indication.  (Because he takes seriously long showers, nearly doubling your water bill in the year you’ve been together.) 

You want to ask what he’s doing here - you’d sworn he was busy for the next few days - but can’t find the adequate brain power to do so.  You’re playing an incredibly high skill character (your words) and if you don’t get this goddamn shot on your Lucio to keep him up, your team is going to die (your ego’s words). 

‘Ask Kook about his day’ gets scribbled on a paper on the desk in your head and filed away under To Do Later in your overflowing brainiac filing cabinet. 

“Can we pleaaaaase focus their Zarya?  She has grav.”  Though you offer the tidbit of information, you don’t assume it’s going to be relied upon.  Your team is well on their way to taking first point - surprisingly - and there’s still nearly three minutes left on the clock.  If the six of you idiots can keep it together and kill that goddamn Zarya, there’s no doubt in your mind you’ll win the game. 

Alas, fate is but a cruel mistress and said Zarya gets said grav off, sucking your own Russian tank and Tracer-turned-Soldier into her hell void.  Not even your well-timed nade can save them from the Genji that dragon blades directly into their faces.  Your poor Lucio dies to the same ult and you imagine you or your Widow are next.  Your Hog’s just respawning, his lumbering silhouette not even on screen.

“Rip,”  says your boyfriend - like the sound, not the letters - from beside you, a droplet of water splashing across your wrist when he shakes his head.  He looks disappointed - as if he’s the one that’s lost the match.  It makes you laugh, the sound tripping off your tongue despite the overwhelming rage you’re currently battling.  

“Rip is right,”  you mumble back, tossing yourself off the map.  If you’re gonna die, it'll be on your own terms.  Jungkook chuckles at that.  

By the time you respawn, both you and Widow are joining a fight that looks like it’s going surprisingly well.  There’s no one on point and you’re capping uncontested.  Widow even headshots a wayward Moira.

“You should go top left.”  

You don’t turn your head.  Jungkook’s always been a bit of a backseat gamer, whether he’s watching your stream while he’s out of town or sitting right beside you.  Sometimes, you love it;  other times, you hate it.  Most times, though, he’s right.  He has surprisingly good game sense, despite being lower ranked than you (something you remind him of constantly, without shame). 

“Can we go top left?”  You parrot into your speaker.

For once, your team listens, most of them running up the sidewall with Widow right down main.  Not for the first time you wish you were playing Mercy, if only to be able to damage boost your sniper while she distracts the enemy team.  Still, you make due, taking your boyfriend’s next piece of advice when it comes, unsolicited.  “You should be back right by the stairs.  You can see up the hall and still heal Widow on top.”

You’d kiss him if you weren’t so intently focused, unable to tear your gaze from the screen when the enemy team seems to pluck their strategy directly from Jungkook’s skull and hold conservatively on point.  Amazing.

“Your Zarya has grav.  She’ll probably throw it on point so you should nade as soon as you get in and Widow can pick them off without full charge.”

If he were anyone else, you’d probably be giving him hell for mansplaining your favourite game to you.  As it stands, you follow his instructions to the letter and the Team Kill marker flashes across your screen. 

“Told you,”  he quips, ever the snooty dork you adore. 

“I was going to say thank you.”  Just not right now.  You can’t multitask quite like he can. 

If you could look over, you think you’d see him grinning from ear to ear, buck teeth and dimples on full display.  “I know.”

As it stands, the other team has trouble getting on point fast enough and you’re left with a whopping 3:56 left on the clock.  Thank freaking god.  You can win this, you think.  Easy.  No problem. 

“Go Ana on defense.”  At some point, Jungkook had gotten up to find a snack and he returns now, bag of shrimp chips in his hand and packet of matcha Pocky held between his teeth.  You open your mouth for a stinky tasty treat and he shoves four crisps in, unceremoniously and with his signature dummy grin. 

You manage to crunch crunch crunch through it all but shoot him a glare the entire time.  He only smiles wider, all perfectly white enamel and enough cuteness to make your heart skip a beat. 

“Do you just want to play?”  You don’t mean it seriously.  You don’t mind him watching and you know he enjoys pretending like he’s better than you.  It’s a strange give and take but one that’s uniquely yours, built over nearly a year of online friendship and another year of a real-life relationship. 

“Nah, I’m snacking.”  He punctuates his response as a child would, shoving a handful of chips into his mouth.  You wonder, briefly, why you love him so much when he’s a certifiable goon. 

The third match begins and you’re not too proud to say you spend most of it following Jungkook’s directions.  He tells you to sleep the enemy Genji trying to scale the right wall - you do.  He tells you to nade once their Rein gets in because your own Rein is going to shatter - you do.  He tells you to do the macarena and— okay, that, you don’t. 

You sweep the match, leaving the other team without a single tick.  

When it comes to the final round, he seems to have lost interest in the game, instead rolling himself back to his computer with a parting, wayward ruffle of your hair.  You don’t blame him but you thank him nonetheless, blowing a kiss before he settles his headphones over his ears. 

You, of course and unsurprisingly, win the game.  There’s nothing like using a Sym portal onto point when they’ve got a Bastion set up off point and no shield to protect him from the back. 

Satisfied, you don’t bother requeueing and instead force yourself into your boyfriend’s personal space, draping your arms across the idol’s neck as he scrolls through YouTube like a zombie.  “We won,”  you sing-song into his ear, proud and a little smug. 

“Of course you did.”  He sounds equally smug and you suppose the win does belong to the both of you.  He’d been a great coach. 

“What’re you doing here?”  It’s pure curiosity offered in the form of a kiss to his cheek, fingers locked across the broad expanse of his chest.  He’s delightfully warm beneath you, familiar and unyielding as you sink over the back of his computer chair.  (You can feel the chair creaking as it reclines.  You don’t care.) 

“Whaddya mean?”

The look he levels you with makes you think you’ve grown a second head.  

“Your schedule said you had a thing tonight.”  You remember, because you’d been disappointed.  Halloween was one of your favourite holidays and all you’d wanted was to watch some campy horror movies and use him as a personal eye shield and security blanket combo.

“We have a thing,”  he states, like he’s talking to a moron.  You know it isn’t meant meanly, too emphatic and amused to hurt your feelings.  

When you echo his words (“We?”) you swear you see him roll his eyes in the reflection of his computer screen.  Luckily, he laughs, sweet and cracky, somewhere high in his throat - a barking hyena.  It’s so cute - your favourite thing in the world - that you don’t have it in you to shame him for it. 

“Yeah, we,”  Jungkook repeats around something close to a snicker.  “Halloween party, baby.  Seriously— you forgot?”

It’s then and there you have two crises:  (a) you don’t have a costume and (b) Halloween party?  You didn’t think idols had those.  Weren’t they all too hip and cool to get together to dress up and act stupid?

(You know the answer is no.  Exhibit A being the costume-wearing dance practices BTS put out.)

“I don’t have anything to wear.”  It’s truly the one thing holding you back, creasing the soft skin between your brows to resemble a peach.  It’s also nearing seven in the evening and you’re absolutely certain you’re not going to find something so late in the day. 

To your surprise. Jungkook looks flabbergasted, that same you-have-two-heads stare wrought across his face.  It’d be endearing if it were directed at anyone else but with it trained on you, it’s rubbing you and your confusion the wrong way.  Why’s he looking at you like that?  Why’s your memory so bad?  Why hasn’t he said anything to answer all of life’s questions? 

“You said you’d go as witch Mercy.”

All at once, you’re pulled back to the offhand conversation, the pleading in his eyes, your half-asleep acceptance.  It’s the memory you’d lost somewhere along the way in upgrading your in-brain video game storage.  A conversation had in bed, his cheeks so big and full of joy they’d waned his eyes into crescents, and your uncoordinated answer because you’d just wanted to go to sleep and not think about anything after indulging in a few too many mochi cream buns. 

“I— don’t remember that.”  You’re lying through your damn teeth.  Your parents would be devastated, all their hard earned money wasted on the braces-straightened enamel that was now letting lies pass. 

“But you did!”  He’s like a kid being denied candy, rounded bottom lip dropping into a pout that should, frankly, be illegal.  It’s far too powerful on him, paired with those Bambi eyes that scream don’t eat (hate/deny/etc.) me!  You can only scowl at him, because you know your own puppy dog eyes only work 100% of the time half of the time whereas his track record was immaculate. 

“Okay, but I forgot to get the—“

“I have it!”

Jeon Jungkook has an answer for everything, it seems.

“I picked it up on the way here.  It’s in your room along with my costume.”

The knowledge of his own intrigues you, squarely centring your curiosity on that and not the fact that you apparently need to get tested for early onset dementia.  “Who’re you going as?”

“You’ll see.”

Your costume is spectacular.  You can’t even find it in yourself to put up much of a fight when your boyfriend reveals it like you’ve won the lottery, throwing his arms wide in a flourish. 

It’s incredibly well made, intricately tailored in a way that makes you worry how much it costs.  (When you bring it up to him, Jungkook simply shrugs.  You think it’s as much a gift for you as it is for him.)  It’s witchy and eye-catching, the belt hung across your hips clipped with an actual book - hollowed out, thank god but also poor thing.  The hat that sits on your head is neatly crumpled, sitting at such an angle you worry whether you’ll need to avoid too-low door frames.  Your wings - well, you’re almost too afraid to touch them;  Jungkook has to help you pull them over your arms, falling into near hysterics when you twitch your elbow the wrong way and smack him right between the eyes.  

“I don’t think I can pull this off,”  you state, somberly, despite the fact that you’re not terribly self-conscious.  (You were, once.  Being in a relationship with someone that worships your body has helped with that.) 

The top of your outfit is fitted, boned and ribbed and snapped together in all the right places.  Leather stands in stark contrast to your skin - summer-soft and gently golden - and hugs curves that don’t quite exist, falling short in a way that has you glaring down at your own chest.  You’ve never wanted a Playboy body but in this sort of costume, it practically demands it.  (You try not to dwell on the fact that you’ve been conditioned to want to look like an impractically designed video game hero.)

From the foot of your bed comes a snort, a derisive sound that draws your attention.  Jungkook’s unabashed in how he admires you, stare roving over every inch like he’s about to devour you.  You’re not sure how you can feel so soft for him when he looks completely the opposite, jaw set and expression sharp.  A Greek god carved from hardened honey, dressed in Balenciaga blue.  “You look great, angel.”

Your heart skips a beat - plays a funny little game of tag with itself - and you can’t help the smile that comes, brought to life by his reassurance.  It isn’t necessary to rebuff him then - eyes rolling, laugh spilling - but you do it anyway.  “You have to say that.  You’re my boyfriend.” 

“I don’t have to say anything,”  he retorts, levelling you with a look that has your insides molten.  It’s the look that reads don’t test me but also I love you and you’re my idiot.  It’s your favourite look in the world, lending wings to your flimsy heart.  “You look great because you always look great, no matter what.”

“What about when you found me in the shower ?”

Jungkook hesitates then.  He’s no liar and he had almost had a heart attack the first time it’d happened.  He’d been minding his business, half-asleep and battling the need to piss, when he’d noticed you curled up in the bathroom.  How he hadn’t realised you were missing from bed, he’s not sure.  All he knew was that you’d terrified him, mentioning something about invading refrigerators when he was pulling his dick out of his boxers.

His scream was what had woken you up;  yours was what had him bashing his head into the wall, foot slipping on the soft pink bathroom rug.  You could laugh about it now but at the time, you’d thought he’d cracked his skull right open, shouting his name so loudly the neighbours had complained.  

(Lucky for you two, they were a nice elderly couple who sometimes had you babysit their grandson.  They’d laughed it off when you’d apologised with a loaf of fresh bread and a bandage wrapped around your boyfriend’s head.)

“Okay—  that was scary.  I thought you’d crawled out of the drain or something.”  A shudder rolls through Jungkook’s body, shaking him from his shoulders all the way down to his knees.  It’s a strangely adorable reaction from someone who looks like he could bench press you.

“You’re calling me the Grudge?”  You’re deeply offended, gloved hands clasping over your chest as if to pull out the treacherous dagger he’s just lodged there.  He only rolls his eyes, leaning forward to catch you in his arms;  he’s relentless as he drags you to him, side of his face pressed to the bare skin of your thigh.  His cheek’s searing but you’re not surprised;  Jungkook ran hot, keeping you warm in winter and sweltering in summer.  (Ah, the price you paid for love.)

“Yeah, you haunt me in my dreams.”

“That’s not the Grudge, Kook.”  Your scoff earns you a pinch, right where the top of your stockings end.  It blooms red beneath his fingers, a little reminder of his competitive I’m-never-wrong nature.  You swat his hand away, not too bothered when it only finds a home elsewhere, hooked behind your knee.  Jungkook had a habit of needing to be in constant contact.  A little quirk of his you adored.

“I’m serious.  You look—”  You should clock the look on his face, the wiggle of mischief up his nose.  A dead giveaway shining bright - a beacon.  “—bewitching.”

If the book weren’t attached to your hip, you’d be clobbering him with it.  Instead, you’re left to whack him with the equally intricate Caduceus staff, booping it over his shoulders.  You feel like a certain shamanic mandrill, Jungkook the idiotic lion that’s asking for an earful.

“Shut up!”  You’re laughing despite yourself and he is too, holding you so recklessly close it’s hard to hit him without hurting yourself.  All part of his plan, you suppose.  “You’re so freaking corny.”

“It’s because I’m a-maize-ing, ang—”

Another wap! to the head, shielded only by a tattooed hand that curls over his ear.  

“Okay!  Sorry!”  Except he doesn’t look very sorry.  More pleased that you’ve stopped the assault, dark hair pushed back from his forehead as he stares up at you.  You hate how he’s so handsome - how you forget yourself when he smiles that smile, nearly yeeting your whole heart directly into the sun.

“Are you going to put on yours yet?”  

It’s quarter past nine already and all you’ve done is rope him into eating some chapaguri - you’ve been obsessed with it since a few weeks ago - and play real life Witch Barbie.  You have a feeling if you don’t get him into his own costume soon, you’re never going to leave the apartment.  (Not that you really mind.)  

Your boyfriend - bless his heart - pretends not to hear you, suddenly intently focused on an indiscernible spot past your hip.  It’d be more believable if he was glued to his phone or doing anything remotely interesting.  Instead, you stare down at him and count the seconds until he realises just how silly he looks.  It usually comes around six, paired with a forced chuckle and that lisp you love. 

Today, it comes after the fourth count. 

“You’re gonna think it’s lame.”  Well, of course you will.  As his girlfriend - and one of his best friends, you’d like to think - it’s your relationship-given right to shame him for his more often than not absurd ideas.  It’s what you deserve for suffering through all his bad jokes and 3 AM Instagram spams. 

With a hand on his cheek, you squeeze the apple like you’ve seen a certain member do a million times.  “So?”

He’s not really sure how to respond to that, mouth drawn into a pout that reminds you of children’s television show about penguins.  It’s unfairly adorable.  Still, you push.  Jungkook’s bad at saying no to you - always has been, even before he really knew you.  From “one more game!” to “bring me bingsu”, you always got what you wanted. 

(Which wasn’t to say you asked for a lot.  You were happy - more than that, ecstatic and over the moon - with the bare minimum.  A selfie while on the plane, some shoddy cinematography during dance practice, a voicemail to wake up to.  You didn’t love Jungkook for all the things he gave you;  rather, you loved him for who he was, who he’d always been even before you knew who he really was.)

“Don’t laugh.”  By the look on his face, you’re worried it’s something awful.  The cheesiest thing in the world come to life to haunt you on your beloved spooky holiday. 

It turns out to be the opposite:  one of your favourite characters realised in the form of your achingly handsome boyfriend.  He looks so good you’re not certain whether it’s your attraction to him or him in that particular guise that’s stronger.  You figure it doesn’t matter one way or another.  For tonight, they’re one and the same. 

“Joker?  Seriously?”  You can’t hide the delight.  It colours every syllable, sets them glowing like a neon sign.

Your boyfriend only rolls his eyes, as if he’d predicted this reaction.  Dressed as he is, the movement is impossible to miss, brought into focus by the white domino mask.  “Don’t sound so excited.”  It’s an actual concern of his.  He’s seen you sink upwards of ninety hours on the video game, playing it in the early hours when he’s fast asleep and you’re battling another night of insomnia.  

Once, he’d asked whether you loved him or Joker more.  He hadn’t liked the answer (joking as it was) and had spent the better part of the evening pouting. 

This time, you’re sweet as pie, eyes so dark and twinkly he wonders whether he’s staring at the night sky.  You wonder the same yourself almost every night, lost in the constellations of his irises.  It’s the most intimate form of stargazing you can afford, a luxury you indulge in frequently.  You’ve mapped the different formations, named them in honour of all the special moments you’ve shared;  you think to label one for this night too.

“You look so good.”  You don’t hesitate to brush his hair from his eyes.  It’s still relaxing from the perm he’d gotten days ago, curling like classic calligraphy over his eyes.  It’s surprisingly soft between your fingers, silk despite the constant heat styling.  Bastard.  “I can’t believe you’re going as Joker.  You don’t even like Persona 5!”

By how Jungkook looks at you then - the same way he did the first time you met standing on the street corner in Dotonbori and a hundred more times since then - you realise it doesn’t matter.  He’s dressed this way because you like the character.  

“Oh,”  you say, because there’s not much more to say.  Nothing that needs to be said as he grins down at you, so heartbreakingly handsome you’ll never get used to it. 

“Yeah,”  he parrots back, a little smug.  

Bangtan’s golden maknae is having the time of his life.  He’s four cups deep into a game of beer pong that’s played like the Wimbledon classic, back hunched, jaw set.  You’d think he was battling it out for the title of God of Beer Pong if you didn’t know better.  (You suppose he is.)  

“Angel, come here!”  He’s giddy - slightly glazed in the eyes - as he waves you over, a red-gloved hand beckoning you to his side.  Despite how good he looks in the costume - every weakness of yours encapsulated by the intricate dress shirt that hugs him like a second skin - the gesture is decidedly adorable, an eager puppy seeking unconditional love.  There’s simply too much affection in his voice, so much sugar-spun love that you can’t deny him (even as you consider jumping his bones at a party full of people).   

He’s shining as bright as the sun and you want nothing more than to live within his warmth.  

With your fingers twined, he pulls you to him, drawing you tight against his side like he doesn’t need that same hand to throw another ball.  You don’t mind.  You know he’ll sink it even with his left hand.  

“I’m winning,”  he states, as if it weren’t wildly obvious by the fact all cups remain untouched on his side.  

Across the table, Yugyeom’s eyes roll so far back you want to laugh.  Jungkook’s competitive side is endearing at best and infuriating at worst.  Luckily, his competition is enjoying himself too much to give him shit.  

(He’s also probably too drunk to, given how badly he’s doing.)

“I see that.”  You’re not a big drinker yourself but you like seeing Jungkook in his element.  He thrives in this sort of setting, showing off all the talents he has and then some.  It’s just another stage to him, somewhere he can prove himself (even if it’s over something as small as how good his bounce-shot is).  “How many games have you won?”  Because he’s been at this table for the last hour, dropping his competition like flies.

“All of them.”  God, his ego.  You know you shouldn’t stroke it but you can’t help it, brushing a hand through his tousled hair in the way he likes best.  Fingers over his scalp, thumb rubbing soothing circles across the nape of his neck.  He nearly melts then, tilting his head into the gentle caress.

“Good job, Kook.”

You’re so lost in your own little world that poor Yugyeom has to pull you both from it, launching a poorly-aimed white ping pong ball at the two of you.  To no one’s surprise, it careens past your heads, hitting the wall behind you and disappearing off to god knows where.  

“Can we play?”  Again, that eye roll, visible just past the bandages that loosely wrap his cheeks.  You know he’s only teasing, that he’s actually quite a fan of your and Jungkook’s dumb coupling (he’s told you), but you return his mockery with a raised hand, thumb and forefinger waving in salute.  

“Losers don’t get to complain.”

The idol throws a hand to his chest, the gesture bordering on sloppy from the liquor that threads his limbs.  Still, it’s cute, earning a sweet laugh from you and a witch’s cackle from your boyfriend.  (How fitting.)  “I’m hurt, Yoojin-ssi.”

It’s Jungkook’s turn to tease, brattiness flipped on like a haywire lightswitch.  “No, you’re just bad at games!”  He’s a sniggering schoolgirl, lines wrapping the delicate skin of his nose, streaking joy into the wrinkles beneath his eyes.  Slightly-too-big front teeth are on full display, his expression the embodiment of an “uwu” emote.

That riles Yugyeom up, powder puff of hair bounding over to you before you have time to blink.  In the next moment, your boyfriend’s half-wrestling with him, their arms locked around each other like some sort of weird four-limbed octopus.  (Video game protagonist vs. hot mummy— who will win?)  You jump back just in time, avoiding a wayward fist and laughing merrily.  Idiots, the both of them.

“You guys have fun.”  And then you’re gone, off to busy yourself with people who won’t accidentally give you a black eye or knock over the nearest thing not bolted to the ground.  

You can still hear them tussling when you latch yourself to the back of a certain blond.  He’s dressed like one of your greatest nightmares - an actual clown, drawing inspiration from a certain 2017 blockbuster - and yet somehow still manages to look good. You don’t understand it and frankly, you’re a little envious, but such was life. 

“Jimin-ssiiiii.”  

“Ahhhhhh, stop!”  It’s the same reaction he always has, paired with wiggling shoulders and sweet laughter that bounces around the room and stirs to life your own.  Indisputable and lovely, the sound is brighter than the sun or the lights that currently swing through the chandelier lights above your heads.  “You two are ridiculous.”

“He’s ridiculous, not me!”  You know it isn’t true.  Separately, you and Jungkook were idiotic enough, finding humour in the silliest things (funny threads on r/Relationship_Advice and four year old Vines).  But together?  It was a two-person circus, graduate professors at clown college.  

You absolutely loved it. 

“Sure, sure,”  the dancer hums, delightfully disbelieving as he takes another shot.  One of three lined up across the counter, clear in little orange cups made to look like pumpkins.  A whiff tells you they’re strawberry soju - your least favourite flavour.  You decline with a wrinkled nose and waving hand when he offers you one.  Jimin shrugs and downs the next, delicately wiping the corner of his mouth when he misjudges the pour.  “Aren’t you drinking?”

You wiggle the half-empty Cass bottle in your hand in response and receive a scoff, different bottle - green, unopened - thrust into your other.  

“Drink this!”  

“You want me to drink an entire bottle?”  You’re incredulous.  Jimin’s seen you on the edge of intoxication and more than a little sloppy, giggling like a schoolgirl.  It’s not unbecoming - you know better than to get blackout - but laughable nonetheless.  Something to record and post on Snapchat with a voice-altering filter.

“It’s Halloween!”  The pumpkin shot glass makes you go cross-eyed before he’s knocking it back too.  “Live a little!”

Who are you to say no to the recent birthday boy?  It would simply be bad manners and you were nothing if polite (though, you’re sure some might beg to differ - Yoongi, maybe?). 

The remnants of your beer are swallowed down in the next moment, so quickly you almost choke on it.  Your life flashes before your eyes, Jimin’s hand on your shoulder as he beats breath into your body.  “Don’t die!”  He cries, despite the fact that it’s his fist that’s making it worse, doubling you over with hacking coughs.

“K-Kook’s g-going to kill you—”  

“No, you’re fine.”  He’s reassuring you just as much as himself, laughing too loudly as you straighten up.  You wonder how red your face is when he takes your place, slapping his own knee as he shakes with amusement.  “Your face, oh—  Your face.”

It’s not meant to be offensive but your buzzed brain demands payment for each giggle.

The base of the green bottle collides with the back of his knee - gentle, gentle - just hard enough to have him properly toppling over, collapsing onto the carpet like a frail old grandpa without his cane.  You can’t help the snicker that careens off your liquor-laden tongue.

That is, until he’s pulling you down with him and the two of you are a giggling, giddy mess, tucked beneath the edge of the bar as you laugh together.  It’s a chorus of sound, unrelenting and building the longer you both sit on the floor.  Jimin’s practically hunched over, head caught between his propped up arms.  You imagine it’s a funny sight - two people in their twenties acting like college freshmen.

“Baby?”  It’s your boyfriend, amused and confused as he stares down at your and Jimin’s prone bodies.  He’s got that dent between his brows, the colour of his eyes all but swallowed up by the way his cheeks press wide with his smile.  “What’re you doing down there?”  

“Just hanging out,”  you answer, as if it’s the most obvious thing in the world.  At your side, Jimin’s still trying to collect himself, parroting your words around his lungfuls of quieting laughter.

“Are you drunk?”

You’re not, but that doesn’t stop you from gasping, overdramatic and with your unopened bottle of soju held aloft.  A modern day olive branch.  “No?”

Jungkook snorts and then all at once, he’s close.  Too close - smelling of beer and your favourite cologne of his, citrusy and woodsy and every other nice thing you like.  It fills your senses just as his smile does, blindingly bright and bunny-like.  Even behind the mask, his good looks take your breath away.  You must be staring up at him idiotically, all one hundred and sixteen pounds of ooey gooey tenderness.  “You sound drunk, angel,”  he teases, warm red-covered palm coming to cradle your cheek.  It sears heat everywhere it touches, guiding the same hue over your skin.  It creeps up your chest and over your ears, standing in contrast to the material of his gloves.  “Pretty.”

(He really is, you think.)

“Get a room,”  comes Jimin from beside you.  There’s no malice in his voice - just soft affection for a couple of lovesick idiots.  

“That’s the plan,”  Jungkook replies, as if he’d been waiting for the moment.  It skips off his tongue and settles into your ears, tipping your head curiously as you stare at him.  He’s never been very shy about wanting you - at least, not since you’d made things official, so many months ago - but you’re surprised by the insinuation.  When he speaks again, you realise your brain has been rolling around in the gutter, fallen out of your ears like candy from a worn pillow case.  “Want to head home?”

You do.  You really, really do.   

When you stumble into your apartment - the same one with the polka-dot welcome rug and crisp white paint - you realise you were perhaps wrong about how drunk you are.  Everything’s coming at you quite quickly, the ground beneath your feet somehow suddenly rushing at you like Mach Five.

“Whoa—”  There’s an impossibly solid warmth against your back, fingers locked around your wrists that feel more like flimsy chicken feet.  “Careful.”

Your boyfriend’s keeping you upright while stepping out of his boots - impossibly expensive supple dark leather - and you’re giggling all the while, practically sinking against him as he does his best to shuffle his shoes away and get you further into the hallway.  “Sorry,”  you offer in a terrible stage whisper, smiling wide when you catch sight of his, small and endlessly amused.  It slips across his face even as he tries to bite it back, warring with the patience he holds in spades.

“Let’s just get these off.”  He means the boots - the intricate, vaguely absurd things that creep up almost the entirety of your leg, neatly wrapped and knotted midway up your thigh.  Dexterous as he is, it’s a task to unravel the strings and thread buttons when you’re weighing on him like a bag of bricks.

You’re fumbling for the tops, haphazardly smacking his hands away.  “Here, let me.”  

Somehow, you manage to get them off in what feels like record time.  (In reality, it takes a good five minutes of futility before they’re left on the ground and Jungkook’s swept you into his arms, seemingly over waiting for you to do much else.)

“Oh, my prince charming,”  you tease, clinging to him like a koala.  You’re locked around him, practically suffocating him, but he doesn’t seem to mind.  He’s used to it when you’re this way, just a little too much liquid courage turning your level of affection to eleven.  “Or are you the court jester?  That’s what Joker is, right?”  It’s a joke and a bad one at that.  Still, your boyfriend indulges you, depositing a forced laugh against your shoulder as he navigates to your bedroom.  

“You’re drunk.”  He says it more kindly than you expect.  Perhaps even more kindly than you deserve.  You know he’s not exactly sober himself, his gaze verging on heavy-lidded.  There’s sleepiness blending seamlessly with intoxication, softening the edge of his jaw, the narrow of his stare.  It’s terribly tender, skipping your heart when you look at him dead on.

It comes without thought.  You have to tell him.  Your drunk brain and your puppy dog heart demand it.  “I love you.”

Jungkook returns the confession with humour, eyes sparkling despite the haze of alcohol that dims them down.  As always, he indulges you, giving you support in the form of his heart and his hands.  (Literally, he’s still holding you even though you’ve reached your destination.)  “Love you too.”

“Is it time for bed?”  You’re surprisingly tired, despite the fact that you’d slept until late in the afternoon.  You certainly wouldn’t mind falling face first into your mattress.

“You need a shower first.”  It’s a simple statement of fact, you know that.  You’ve got at least ten pounds of makeup on and your hair’s the furthest thing from soft and silky, carefully coiffed to mimic Mercy’s signature style.  You still pretend like you’re just a bit offended, scowling into the face of your boyfriend even as he rolls his eyes, already somehow able to read the words written into your expression.  “I meant we and no, I’m not calling you stinky.”

He’s stolen your thunder, as he so often does.  You pout, as you so often do. 

“Okay,”  you relent, finally, moving to rest your head against his shoulder.  You could get down - walk on your own two tired feet - but you’re enjoying the closeness, how warm and real he feels in comparison to the swimming surroundings.  “Will you wash my hair?”  You don’t really need to ask but do anyway, because you like the sound of his voice when it’s so close.

“You know I will.”  Because he always does when you shower together (and it falls on a designated hair washing day - that was important).  

You offer your thanks with a kiss, laid right over the jumping pulse in his neck.  When Jungkook hums in acknowledgment, you feel the way the muscles constrict, his Adam’s apple jumping beneath your lips.  You zero in on it with laser precision, mouthing over his throat.  Somewhere above you - against the shell of your ear - he exhales a laugh, breath hot.

“We’re showering, baby.”  As if that’s meant to stop you.  He, more than anyone, should know how adamant you get, singularly focused on whatever’s got your attention.  He’s been on the receiving end of it more than enough times, strung into playing another one, two, ten matches of Overwatch or hunting down the limited edition Funko Pops that now sit proudly on your white shelf (and behind your plants and on the ledge by the front door).

“We can shower and have fun,”  you mumble into the expanse of his chest.  He’s so pleasantly warm, unyielding and firm and so, so comfortable.  You think you could live in the feeling of his arms.  (You’re lucky you get to.)  You don’t even mind the sudden cold of the counter or the space that forms between you when he sets you down, because he’s still caging you in where it matters most.  “Right, JK?”

It’s a nickname you rarely use now - one that only comes out in times of desperation.  You’ve never quite understood why it affects your boyfriend the way it does, stuttering the rhythmic beating of his heart, but you love it nonetheless.  It makes you grin, high on power and giddy with nothing but sweetness.  

He’d explained it to you once.  Jay was how you’d met him, the version of himself you’d loved first.  Jungkook was the side of himself he’d wanted to give you but couldn’t.  JK was the in-between - the chaos and the calm.  Hearing you say it brought back all the memories of year one and he liked that.  You could only laugh at his sentimentality and tuck the piece of knowledge somewhere deep, to be pulled out in instances like this.

“Right, angel.”  You don’t miss the colour on his cheeks - so pretty you reach your hands out to cup them, squishing them between your palms like an old grandmother testing a watermelon.  You continue to hold him until he pulls your hands from his face, guiding them to the edge of the counter with gentle pressure.  “Gotta get undressed to shower,”  he chides, that twinkle in his eye that makes it hard to look away.

Really, how can he expect you to do anything when he’s got an entire unexplored galaxy hidden in his irises?  It’s an absurd ask.

“Or I’ll help you.”  

Your clothes fall away while you’re still staring up at him.  

First, the gloves, peeled from your fingers with utmost care.  Kisses fill the spaces between each finger, passed from knuckles to wrist, all the way up to your elbow.  You squirm when his teeth graze the sensitive underside of your bicep.  He stifles a snicker into the skin.

Next goes your cape and wings, hung on the door handle.  His mouth warms the suddenly bare skin, pressing affection into the line of your shoulder, up over your neck.  You don’t squirm this time, instead humming a noise of delight.  You hardly notice when the corset goes next, undone by surprisingly nimble inked digits.  There’s hardly a moment to savour the freedom - you can finally breathe - when his hands replace the cups, palms eager over your chest.  He doesn’t hesitate to hold you, pinching your perked nipples with a sly grin.

“I thought we were going to shower.”  The words are barely out before turning breathless, stolen by the way he easily palms your breast, dropping his face into the crook of your neck. 

“We are, angel,”  Jungkook teases, rolling your bud between his thumb and forefinger, other hand moved to splay across the now-bare small of your back.  It’s almost embarrassing how easily you fall into him, drawn against him like a moth to a flame.  “Just need to get you warmed up first.”    

“The shower’ll be warm,”  you say - or think you say, anyway.  It isn’t quite articulated, half your brain left somewhere at the party (or maybe caught dead centre in the coil that’s tightening in your stomach).  

“Do you want me to stop?”  It’s so quiet you almost miss it, too distracted by how he slips the rest of your costume off.  Shorts, thong, stockings, silly witch’s hat.  “Tell me if you want me to stop, baby.”  Ever the gentleman, he’s patient, meeting your glazed stare with something close to concern.  You almost laugh in his face then - stopping short only when you note just how serious he is, the tell-tale set of his jaw shining like a familiar beacon.  

You return your hands to his face, palms cradling his chin like he might break otherwise.  “I never want you to stop.”  

That’s all Jungkook needs before he’s slotting himself between your legs, mirroring your motion with hands creeping up the side of your neck, fingers ascending into the roots of your hair.  He holds you close and kisses you like it’s all he’s ever wanted.  “I love you,”  he breathes, speaks against the corner of your mouth.  

You parrot the words back at him and he grins, stepping away in the next moment.  He laughs when you pout, offering a kiss in apology as he undoes the buttons of his dress shirt, slipping the soft cotton off.  You stop then, entranced by the revealed skin, how it shifts with each adjustment of muscle, sinew tight over his arms and shoulders.  You wonder, not for the first time, how you’d managed to luck out so spectacularly.  

“Start the shower.”  

You hop down with the direction, slipping past him to do exactly that.  You don’t miss the way he rotates, brings himself closer as you move away.  The magnetism is undeniable - always has been.

“I love you,”  he states, again, bare against your back as you hover by the edge of the glass door, one hand stuck past to test the slow-warming stream.  He’s solid, familiar and comfortable, as he slinks his arms back around you, heat burning the shape of his hands over your ribs, the shape of your hip.  You think he might mark himself there, just as neatly as the floral ink does.  You wouldn’t mind.

The water is welcome, bathing the both of you in steam when you step inside.  It’s an incredibly relaxing feeling, being caught between the spray and the hard body behind you.  You hum a noise of pure delight, turning your face toward the one that nuzzles itself into your neck, and bring your hands to rest over his, fingers slotting between ink.  

“Hair?”  You’re not in a terrible rush but you like redirecting his attention (pretending to, at least) - the teasing that formed the base of your relationship presenting itself in the quiet reminder.  It earns the laugh you expect, muffled into your hair, featherlight over the delicate shell of your jewelled ear.  

“Patience, baby.”  It’s something Jungkook tends to say a lot, whether waiting in queue in Overwatch or in bed, with you a complete mess.  He repeats it easily, like he’s the poster boy for the virtue.  (He isn’t.)

“What am I waiting—”  The question dies, swallowed whole by the gasp he draws from you with a wandering hand.  Fingers slip across your stomach, digits deftly seeking out warmth as if you weren’t already enveloped in it.  It’s a touch that’s tantalisingly slow, unfairly light, but it still makes you keen when it drags over your lips.  A single digit pushes past muscle - so shallow you’re not sure you’re not just imagining it - before retreating, dragging your slick back up to your clit.  The moment the pad of his finger makes contact with the sensitive bundle of nerves, you almost jump.  Would, if he weren’t caging you with his other arm.  

You feel the cold of his teeth bared against your neck then, the throaty laugh that pulls out of his chest and deposits itself into your hair.  “Patience,”  he repeats, swirling his fingers over your clit, his mouth moving in tandem with the twist of his wrist.  He peppers love and affection in the form of kisses, presses devotion with the edge of his teeth, soothes all your nerves with a sweep of his tongue. 

“Kook,”  you sigh, already well on your way to being a boneless mess.  There’s tingling in your toes, fizzing in your stomach, butterflies in your chest.  A whirlwind of emotion and sensation that he stirs to life effortlessly.  

“Relax for me.”  You do so because it’s easy, because he’s so devastatingly good to you.  

The figure eights skating over your clit cease, fingers dropping further down to nestle against your cunt. He pauses there, almost experimentally flexing against the muscle that aches and clenches around nothing, eager for more.  You think he’s smirking by the way his lips form with his kisses, a little lopsided and devilish.  (You wish you could see him.) 

A single digit enters you then, to the third knuckle as if your body was made for this, for him.  (It was.)  He coos against your neck when a garbled mess skips off your tongue and nearly laughs when another slips in alongside it, turning the mess into nonsense.  Despite how badly you want it - need it, really - it’s a sensation that’s too much and not enough all at once, toeing the line between pleasure and pain.  

It was how Jungkook loved you - recklessly, shamelessly, in no half measures.  With more love than you could ever hope for, giving you things you didn’t even know how to ask for.

“Relax, angel,”  comes as he begins scissoring both fingers inside you, stretching you out with an otherworldly amount of care.  Even your neglected clit is given some sort of relief - anything to ease the sting of two long fingers - his thumb gliding over it with each stretch of your walls.  He knows exactly where to touch you, how much pressure to apply, and you’re melting, lost in the feeling.  

When he’s had enough and he curls his fingers within you, seeking out that particular spot, you’re trembling, caught off guard.  Heat builds quickly with the precision of which he taps against that spot;  it starts low in your back, climbing each vertebrae of your spine until you’re quivering in his arms.  

“K-Kook.”  It’s both a plea and a demand, nonsensical as he guides you through your orgasm, keeping you upright against him when your knees feel like they might give out.  

“I’ve got you.”  And he does - hook, line, and sinker.  He holds you steady as the pleasure crashes over your head, keeps you anchored to the here and now and the pleasure that rolls through you like a relentless wave.  It sinks beneath your skin, settles heavy into every atom, and he never lets you go.  He’s got you.

When sensation returns - slowly, so slowly it feels like you’re stuck in the Twilight Zone - you only want to turn.  See him, hold him, whisper sweet nothings as you kiss him silly and thank him for his service.  Instead, you’re held in place, two hands firm upon your hips even as you crane your neck to look over your shoulder at him.  You should recognise the look on his face.  “Kook?”

“My turn.”  It’s a statement more than anything, a kind heads-up as he nudges you forward.  There’s that same twinkle in his eye, the only source of light around the pupil that’s blown out, otherwise engulfing the constellations he so normally offers you.  It’s a black hole and one you’d gladly get lost in.  “Hands on the wall, baby.”

You’d never been one for shower sex - it’s too small a space, too much happening at once, a guaranteed freak accident waiting to happen - but you can’t deny him when he asks so nicely.  (It really hadn’t been that nice but you were a certified sucker for one Jeon Jungkook.)

Hands find themselves on the wall, palms flat, fingers splayed.  In the same instance you wiggle your hips, there’s a ghosting touch over your spine.  It trails up and down, soothes the residual heat that lingers, and then slips higher, palm gentle over your throat.  His thumb rubs reassuring circles over the nape of your neck, pressing gently into the sensitive spot behind your ear.  It’s distracting and you realise much needed when he sinks into you with one fluid press of his hips, filling you so full you can’t help the gasp that bounds past your lips and bounces around the glass enclosure.  “Oh fuck,”  he sighs, his grip on your hip tightening incrementally.

He sounds like sin and feels like heaven.  

“Always so good for me.”  Another thing he says, often and without prompting.  It still feels just as good the umpteenth time, sparking pride deep in your chest as he pulls out and drives himself back in, staring in rapt fascination at where your bodies meet.  “Always so perfect for me.”  

“Because I love you,”  you quip, more than a little out of breath and jostled by the way he thrusts into you, measured and with enough force to shake your legs.  

“Love you too, angel.”  He doesn’t need to say it back - you know, can feel it by how he holds you, drives you to brink of insanity with his cock - but he does it anyway.  He always says it back, no matter what, even if he’s half-asleep or distracted.  He’ll never stop saying it.

The hand on your hip falls, slinks across your hip and between your legs, and you’re pushed further forward, his feet gently kicking yours further apart.  Jungkook assaults your clit then, timing each pass with each thrust.  An attempted glance back has fireworks going off before your eyes, specks of pleasure lighting up your vision;  it’s a technicolour lightshow, framing the way his face scrunches, brow set and jaw hard.  He’s determined, focused on bringing you to another orgasm before he hits his own high.  You assist him as best you can, swiveling your hips and grinding back against him even as the coil pulls impossibly tight in your stomach, barely held together by threadbare strings. 

“Kook,”  you whine when the tension becomes too much, hands scrabbling across the wall of the shower.  The same overwhelming tingle sparks beneath your skin, entire body trembling like a leaf when the head of his cock brushes that spot inside you at just the right angle.

He doesn’t relent, rhythm turning almost punishing as he drives you over the edge, launching you headlong into your second orgasm.  You’re not sure how you stay upright, near sobbing when you crash into euphoric bliss, neither his fingers nor his thrusts ceasing.  It’s almost too much and yet you know how close he is, so you push back, whimper words you know he wants to hear.  

“P-please, Kook.  Please.”  You’re reaching a hand back, desperate to interlace your fingers with his.  He gives in easily, catches your hand in his own and plants it on the swell of your hip as he chases his own release with desperation.  “Come for me, Kook.  Fill me up.”

Jungkook does just that, balls tight as he spills himself inside you, hand at your throat so tight you’re seeing stars.  Somehow - with the feeling of him grinding into you, overcome with so much sensitivity - you come for the third time, crying very real tears as the sensation washes over you.  It’s weaker than your first two but unravels you all the same, seeping the energy from your limbs.  You’re grateful for how well he knows you and the fact he catches you before your arms collapse, pulling you to him with gentle movements.  

“I love you,”  he whispers against your temple, out of breath and sweat-slick despite the water that rains down upon you.  

“I love you,”  you answer, pressing a kiss to the hand that still twines with yours.  “But I still need you to wash my hair.”  It’s cheeky and you know it so you don’t even mind when he bites into the meat of your shoulder, leaving a pretty red mark that’ll bloom for the next few days.  “Ow!”

“You’re a brat.”  Said even as he’s reaching for your shampoo bar, teasing it through your roots with practiced movements.  He’s careful despite his scathing tone, gentle despite how he glares at you from the corner of your periphery.  Each tangle is neatly undone and not a single bubble gets in your eye, much to your joy.  

“I thought I was an angel.”  You’re taking a page out of his book, speaking in fluent pout.

He catches your lips with his own, pushing your lathered up head beneath the steady stream when he withdraws and speaks.  Suds run across your cheeks, eyes shielded only by the hand he keeps steady along your hairline.  Even so mean, your boyfriend is still terribly nice.  “You’re my angel - but you’re still a brat.”  

You can’t argue with that. 

tag list.  @neverthefirstchoice​ @youwannabelostandnotbefound​ @snackhobi​

[thebiasrekkers]

Star of Fate [Vampire!VIXX]

Plot: The longer you stare into darkness, the more  you realize that something could be staring back. Even more so when that  darkness doesn’t want to be brought into the light and will do anything  to stay that way.

Rating: NC-17 // NSFW

Genre: Series | Vampire!AU | Angst | Romance/Fluff | Smut

Pairings: OT6 VIXX x OC(s)

Warnings: Graphic Violence (bloody violence), Heavy Language, Angst, Slow Burn, Smut

Previous Chapters: Prologue, 2, 3, 4

Links: FAQ || VIXX Masterlist || Admin L’s AO3 || Admin L’s WP || [ REQUESTS ARE OPEN ]

Word Count: 1724

AO3 | WP

Tag List: If you would like to be added to this list, just drop us an ask!

AN: So this was supposed to go out on Sunday and I kinda forgot. Please enjoy!

Chapter 5- Uebok (Gotta Run)

Holy shit, holy shit, this is the run and hit the Make a hit, the make a hit, like a machine gun

“So just who in the hell are you?”

The two men looked at each other and grinned, making Laoise narrow her eyes. She wasn’t going to repeat herself. She was unimpressed with the both of them already and she hadn’t even flexed her muscles yet. The stare down was brief but full of meaning as she assessed them, picking out points that she could exploit. 

“Well since we know what you are, I suppose we could indulge.” The one that was speaking was a tall thing, long and lanky like he hadn’t had a proper meal in months. Sharp, dark red eyes with some darkness underneath it. The other one was shorter than him with some plumpness to his cheeks and she realized that the carefree attitude that they both had was just a ruse for her. Anger colored her body as she readied herself to fight, with everything she had. 

“We are vampires and you? A simple mortal with a few special abilities--” 

Laoise shut him up after softly crooning out a word. A fireball blasted him in the face, knocking him backwards to the ground. Her hand slowly oozed out blood as she held it out from the aftermath of throwing the fire. The vampire that had been talking screamed and clawed at his face, the smell of burnt flesh starting to waft about in the wind that had started to pick up. She raised another hand and the flames that were just about extinguished suddenly jumped back to life as they engulfed the vampire. Soon he was nothing but a mess of ash on the concrete as the other vampire stood wide eyed at her. 

“Yes, I am a simple mortal but I’m not one to be fucked with.” The other vampire bared his fangs at her but someone had materialized behind him. The man was just as lanky as the previous one but he looked much older than his skin looked. It was the eyes that Laoise watched, those pale grey eyes that studied her just as much as she did him. He moved to the vampire that was prepared to attack her and grabbed his shoulder, making him cry out loud. He was forced down to his knees by the new man and once he was satisfied, he then stood in front of him. 

“You clearly are one of the Pythonissa, a grade above the regulars that practice Wicca in this day and age. I am Bastian, leader of this small group of vampires. The one cowering behind me is Christopher and on behalf of our Coven, I would like to apologize to you.” 

He bowed to Laoise, who was just as surprised as the one called Christopher. She backed down and continued to keep everything just at the tip of her fingers. 

“Ok… so what the hell were two of your minions doing attacking us like this? Don’t you guys have like… rules or something?”

“Don’t you worry your head about it, Pythonissa. I will attend to them accordingly, you may go now.”

Laoise bristled at being told to leave but she had no choice if she wanted to keep the peace. They were already on the ropes so there wasn’t any need for her to stick around. Plus she had to find Lucky. The fact that she hadn’t heard any sirens bothered her because she should have been able to call someone by now. The whole thing seemed super suspicious to her from the start, when the vampires arrived but with them around and Lucky gone--a pit of worry gnawed at her stomach as she turned around. 

She pulled out her phone to call the woman but after a few rings, it went to her voicemail. Laoise’s instincts were hardly ever wrong and that time, she had a very bad feeling.

Lucky ran with everything she had, trying to get distance from whatever they were. However, when she could no longer hear their sounds--she stopped. She would have taken the motorcycle had she known how to drive it but it was no use now. She had her phone out and ready to call the police, looking around for any street signs to tell them where she was located. 

However, the streetlights flickered as they drew her attention. 

She noticed a little shop that was just now closing and the neon lights flickering along with the streetlights. There was no one in sight and the sense of danger was still going strong, despite the area looking empty. It almost was eerie, the way that everything seemed abandoned and quiet as if it was winding out after a long day. As she walked up to the store, her fingers dialed the numbers but everything was knocked out of her hands when a sudden push threw her into the window.

A hand was on her throat and a body was in front of her, looming over her small stature. And it wasn’t just one being, there was another that she could see come out of the shadows with a neutral look on his face. She cried out as she felt the pain hit her and the window start to crack from the pressure he was exerting on her body. Trying to kick him, she tried to get him off of her as her hands grasped his wrist but it did nothing for the situation.

The guy was one of the ones she saw earlier with Laoise and a lance of panic washed over her, fearing for her friend. He was much stronger than her, that much was certain just by the unwavering grip that he had on her. Lucky couldn’t break free, no matter how much she tried to twist and turn. Even digging her nails into his skin, breaking the surface from how viciously she was trying. The guy just smiled before smashing her back into the windows even more mercilessly than before. The window cracked and dug into her back, cutting the bare skin that was showing. 

“This is the smell from before, Christopher. I wonder what she was doing there with the Dominus?” 

Now the warning tick was a full blown alarm as the questions swirled around in her head. Or was that just the lack of air? Just a weak little sound and she started to see spots, the edges of her vision starting to dim. The man holding her suddenly drew her close to his face, eyes glowing like they had before. Lucky figured she had one good hit left in her, so she summoned the rest of her strength to kick him full in the face with everything she had. What surprised the man the most, was the fact that she had that much in her and he dropped her in response. The other man didn’t even wait until she hit the ground before kicking her right back into the windows, sending her straight through it. 

Lucky landed on the floor, making the owner of the place scramble from his place to go to her aid. She gasped gratefully for the air, ignoring the sharp pain in her side from where she was kicked. There had been a good chance that she had broken a few things with that action. The owner had his own phone out and was talking very fast into it before a hand went right through his chest. She opened her mouth and screamed as loud as she could, hoping that someone could hear her over the phone.

However, that didn’t last long due to the other man reaching for her. He snapped his hand out to place a firm slap on her face. Though, it wasn’t just a firm slap to her as it sent her to the ground again. The new man licked the blood of his fingers with a sick smile on his face but after doing so, he paused. The two of them looked at each other before looking back at her, wide-eyed. 

“This blood--”

“Well, that wasn’t very nice.”

A third voice rung out, making the two whip around. Lucky struggled away into a corner, away from the lot of them She could see the newcomer’s nose flare as he narrowed his focus on her. Even still, he still had a bit of baby face as he looked around and kicked some of the glass around. One of the men seemed to shimmer and had disappeared into thin air, making Lucky question her sanity while the other one bared his teeth at the newcomer.

“What can a fledgling do to me?”

At the last word, the newcomer disappeared. The man that had previously been hounding her--quite literally lost his head. It rolled over to her feet and even though it turned to ash, Lucky screamed again as she grabbed for whatever she could find to defend herself. The pain and the adrenaline had been the only thing keeping her going as her hands grasped a bottle.

The man appeared again in her sight, smiling at her with that cute grin on his face. If she were to die, she supposed, Lucky wouldn’t have minded it then with him around. He frowned a little at the pained sounds she was making, nostrils flaring again as if he was trying to hold himself back from doing something. 

“Aw man. They’re all gonna kill me but I can’t just leave you here! You’re bleeding and I can’t control myself well so I’mma take you somewhere safe for now. Plus you saw what happened so maybe I could get Ravi to do something to you.”

Before she could do anything else, the man scooped her up as gently as a box of rocks. Lucky couldn’t help another sharp yelp as her side continued with the piercing pain but her instinct was to bring down the object she had in her hands down on his head. He gave her an alarmed look before trying to be gentle getting out of the building. The object shattered on his head like she had hit it against concrete, cutting her hand in the process. 

“Uh… please don’t make yourself bleed more. It’s already hard enough being near you. I’m gonna run so if you get sick, then turn your head.”

Lucky fainted from the pain and stress. The phone that had been dropped was now squawking with the operator's voice, its owner long gone from the scene.