#and i even like other fantasy/romance/trashy books

[scarlct-vvitch]

i think my new thing is gonna be saying shit on here that would get me death threats on tiktok. the actoar books are bad

[susiephone]

while i find a lot of criticism of booktok and "booktok books" to be valid, a lot of it seems......very reminiscent of the anti-twilight stuff in the early 2010s. like specifically the parts that were like "TWILIGHT IS THE DEATH OF FEMINISM AND LITERACY" and "VAMPIRES AND BOOKS ARE RUINED FOREVER" and "THE ONLY PEOPLE WHO LIKE TWILIGHT ARE DUMB TEENAGE GIRLS WHO ARE DUMB AND DON'T KNOW ANY BETTER" rather than like. actual critiques of the books. and even some of the more valid claims would sort of position themselves as if teenage girls reading twilight can't tell fiction from reality. like i'm not saying you can't or shouldn't criticize popular books (i certainly have), or saying that it's not fun to rag on a book you hate (it sure as hell is). but treating a book you don't like getting popular (esp with teenagers) as the end of literacy and the publishing industry and good writing is just plain absurd.

like i'm not saying all these books are secretly masterpieces, or even that they're all good. i've read some shit booktok books, just like i read some shit YA books back in 2012. but weirdly, the world did not come to an end and good books are still getting published. many of those books provided me with genuine entertainment, solace, and community, even if in hindsight they weren't the best, and i don't think it's fair, kind, or logical to treat people like they're stupid for enjoying books like this. (not to mention, how many people really got into reading because of Generic YA Fantasy #45 or Fun Mindless Romance #207 or Pulply Trashy Sci-Fi #62? maybe they'll branch out into other types of literature, maybe not. but it's still good that they're reading.)

and, frankly, learning to recognize and critique genuinely problematic tropes and elements in these books has made me a better writer and more attentive and educated reader. sometimes being able to articulate why something is bad is important, and sometimes that requires actually reading the damn book. and i would say that goes double for books you enjoy but contain iffy elements - it's a lot easier to completely dismiss a book that's nothing but 500 red flags in a trenchcoat, but if you're in a place of "wow this book really spoke to me in x, y, z way and i really enjoyed it BUT a, b, c were really poorly handled," it gets trickier.

TL;DR: no, barnes and noble having a booktok table is not going to kill literature as we know it, and no, people enjoying a book you find overhyped and cringe doesn't mean they're all mindless sheep who can't enjoy True Literature. calm the fuck down.

[jtl-fics]

♦️for Andrew and Matt? (like, separately, not necessarily together lol)

Headcanon Meme

♦ - quirks/hobbies headcanon

Andrew - I will live and die on the hill that is Andrew actually loving reading but the medication kind of made it impossible. I think Andrew is not the biggest fan of like 'main stream' books. Like he's read most of them but hasn't really found enjoyment in things that have broad public appeal (shocker). But things that are made like for a very specific audience (not even with Andrew as that audience) he will rinse through reading those.

A trashy romance that involves like 400 different facts about tea? He's there. A high fantasy story where they're using math to cast spells? Read the whole series in 2 days. He'll read anything Neil gets him because Neil is the #1 finder of unhinged book series with #2 being Allison who finds the most insane romance novels.

Matt - I think Matt is actually like super into hair care products. Like to the point that he is the one that his friends go to and are like "What should I use for /my/ hair?" and Matt is like hand on head immediately to figure out what would be best. (He does this to Andrew "ONCE" and for the rest of all time he remembers to ask.)

He doesn't give as much of a shit about styling other people's hair like Allison but like in terms of treatments / general maintenance there is no one better. Like Renee's hair needs a deep condition because she just re-did her dye job? Matt knows exactly which one she should be using. Nicky's hair isn't handling dry heat very well? Matt's coming in hot with the hot oil suggestion. Neil, upon everyone's demands, decides to stop using the 3-in-1 (Bodywash, shampoo, conditioner) and Matt is beside himself on his recommended next steps for his best bro getting healthy luscious hair (he so wants to tousle the curls he KNOWS Neil would have if his hair wasn't fucked to high heaven by over a decade of 3-in-1)

[kaeyx]

i’m not a guy but ik you are so I’m trying to make this ask as gender neutral as possible

pmzai who acts like the stereotypical horny teenage boy, but 10x worse,, in his time in the pm he was not exposed to a lot of female or afab figures in general, so they seem almost like a holy grail to him. to him so much as touching boobs is only a fantasy, until he realized how into him you were. he’s so desperate to feel your body, to touch you, to feel you wrapped around his cock, it’s all he wants. he stares at the ceiling of shipping container as he lays in bed at night, not even jerking off but just thinking about how different and perfect your body is. pmzai is so perverted about it too,, and probably asks really intrusive questions without knowing how bad he sounds. it doesn’t matter if it’s guy, he just wants to touch some tits

-pmzai anon

Honestly I've been rotating this one around in my brain for a WHILE bc just. Yes. (written with a nb/transmasc reader in mind, implying they bind and are on hrt)

First off I would give him my tits after I got top surgery I bet I can convince the surgeon to let me pickle them and take them home.

He doesn't have time for any of that + I don't see as many women in the PM as there should be so yeah, his contact with afab bodies is pretty limited. When he hits teen age his body changes and he starts taking more notice of other people, especially the ones his age. You and Chuuya are prime candidates of course. Chuuya, so lean and lithe, pale and freckled and scarred with hair like fire, who's so effortlessly pretty it's unfair. He's seen Chuuya half naked before, when they swim in the canals or when he gets injured during a mission.

And you, who look... different. The first time Dazai sees you forgo your binder he can't help but stare, until you snap him out of it. It doesn't change anything really, except how he pictures you when he's alone in his container at night. Sometimes when it's especially cold he dreams of you and Chuuya, cuddled up to him and keeping him warm. And he dreams of feeling your soft breasts pressed against his back while you hug him, face pressed against his hair.

He doesn't think about your cock pressing into him anymore, he dreams of your cunt instead. Would it be soft? Tight? Dazai bets it would be divine, but the porn and the trashy romance books haven't helped him at all, he doesn't know what to expect.

And of course asks all sorts of incredibly inappropriate questions. First Mori because of course, and once he has a grasp of all the changes you're going through he goes to you for specifics. Where are you growing hair? Do you have a moustache yet? Is it true you have a dick now? He'd be fascinated by the dick part. Would almost force you to explain it to him and then fantasize about sucking you off, your chubby little cock fitting so perfectly in his mouth.

[standfucker]

Kid Wants to Watch

Characters: Eustass Kid

Reader: AFAB, no pronouns

Word Count: 3.3k

CW: Explicit N.SFW content, PWP, voyeurism, mutual masturbation, toys, vaginal penetration, light praise and dirty talk, pet names (baby), Kid being soft

Summary: Kid wants to watch you touch yourself. You decide to indulge him despite your initial reservations.

Ao3 Link

“I dunno, Kid,” you said, rubbing the back of your neck. “It would be embarrassing.”

“You don’t have to if you don’t want to,” Kid said. “I just don’t see why it bothers you? We’ve fucked plenty of times.”

“It’s not the same,” you said, looking sheepish before you continued. “I… To be honest, Kid, I don’t like being watched. I haven’t told you this before, but I… I already find it hard to be naked in front of you.”

That caught Kid off guard. He thought back to your previous trysts, how you had initially been hesitant and even a bit guarded, how he had to work to get you to let go a little. He had figured you were just shy–it never dawned on him you had an issue with your body image.

“Is that why you prefer it from behind?” Kid asked.

“Pretty much,” you admitted, making him frown.

“You know I think you’re hot, right?” Kid rested his flesh hand on your thigh, squeezing lightly for emphasis.

The stunned look you gave him told him you did clearly not, and he ignored the ache in his chest as a result. Had he really never made that obvious to you? He made the mental note to do better. There was no reason his partner should feel anything less than perfect.

You fidgeted, and Kid knew you well enough to know that your face was probably heating up–though he couldn’t tell if it was bashfulness or lust.

“Well,” you said, playing with your fingers nervously, “if you really think so, I could try it. But I don’t know if I’d be able to focus, you know? I might not be able to… Get there.”

Kid tried not to show the surge of excitement he felt. “Even if you couldn’t, that’s fine. And you could stop whenever you wanted, just like always. Not that you have to do this at all! There’s no point if you’d hate it.”

Your eyes slid upward in contemplation. Voyeurism was far from something you were into, but you did not miss the way Kid leaned closer when you considered his proposal, nor the glimmer in his eyes. Despite his harsh exterior, and despite how you had butted heads in the past when you were still getting to know each other, once you started dating, his demeanor changed noticeably. He had a tender aspect to him underneath it all, though he didn’t show it as often around the rest of the crew (Killer aside–Kid had no problem doing things like pushing you against the wall and kissing your neck while Killer was around, which had been slightly mortifying at first.) He was gentler with you, even soft at times. And while he would never expect sexual favors as a result of treating you well (though he did not mind pretending to do so in bed,) you kind of wanted to indulge him.

You spent the next few days thinking it over, and approached him with your decision not long after that. There was only one rule he had to follow if he wanted to watch.

“I…” You started, avoiding eye contact, “I usually… Read, to get in the mood. There’s this book… A-Anyway, no matter what, you can’t look at it. Okay? That’s all I ask.”

Kid eagerly agreed, not really giving a damn about a book when the prospect of fulfilling a fantasy of his was so near.

At least, he didn’t think he would care.

Now, with you lying naked on the bed, one hand holding the book you read from while you idly ran your thumb over the buttons of your vibrator with the other, he was starting to get curious. There was no image on the cover, though the title’s font was large enough for him to see from his perch on the foot of the bed–’Fever Pitch’–obviously some trashy romance novel. Without much else to go off of, though, he had no idea just what kind of content was written within. Was it straightforward, vanilla sex, or were you indulging in dirtier fantasies? Alas, he had to honor the agreement.

At first, you had glanced at him often, visibly self-conscious. After reading for a bit, though, you started to relax. You must have gotten to a good point, because he was starting to notice the subtle signs of your excitement: The dilation of your pupils, the way your lips parted slightly, the intense focus on the pages. The look in your eye was the same as when he had fucked you in the past, and it was enough to make him hard.

You rested the vibrator between your legs, settling it against your clit but not turning it on. It was a short wand-style device, less than 8 inches in length, the gently curved end indicating it was meant for both internal use as well as external. He wondered, with a spike of heat in his gut, if you would penetrate yourself with it.

You left the vibrator as is, abandoning it to instead bring your hand to your chest, and you groped and massaged a breast with a sigh before starting to rub your nipple. The smallest noise slipped out of you then, a faint whine that made Kid throb. He had expected as much, having long since figured out you liked being touched there, but seeing your response never got old. He quickly unzipped his pants and pulled out his cock. The sound of the zipper made you look up, and at the sight of his heavy length in his palm, a visible shiver ran through your body. Kid tried not to groan.

“Don’t worry about me, babe. This is okay, right?” He asked breathily.

“Y-Yeah, it’s fine,” you said, voice higher than usual in your arousal. If you hadn’t committed to letting him watch, you would have shamelessly asked to suck him off. It did more for you than masturbating ever could. The way you looked at his cock probably made that evident, the hunger in your gaze enough to make Kid reconsider as well. With reluctance, you looked away, turning back to the book.

You switched between your nipples, rubbing and gently pinching one and then the other, breath picking up. It must not have been enough, because after a minute, you stuck the top edge of the open book under the pillow to keep it propped open, and, with both hands now free, played with both nipples at the same time. Another whine slipped out, and you pushed your head back into the bed, biting your lip in an attempt to suppress your noises. It didn’t really work, which was fine by Kid; the strained little sounds of pleasure were enough to make him leak, pre-cum beading at the tip of his cock.

Kid started pumping himself slowly, taking in the sounds, the arch of your back, how your thighs pressed together around the toy. This was exactly what he had wanted to see, and he reminded himself to thank you properly later. Almost as pleasing as the sight was the thought that, despite what you had said, you were comfortable enough with him to be enjoying yourself.

You reached down with a hand, fumbling for a moment with the vibrator’s handle before finding the right button, and clicked it a few times until it was at a good intensity. Then you pressed your legs together to hold it in place and brought your hand back to your breasts to keep teasing your nipples.

“Fuck,” you cursed softly, eyes closing for a moment as your breathing picked up. The three points of stimulation were good, of course, but it was more teasing than anything else–the pressure from the vibrator was too light, so you couldn’t really build up to anything substantial without physically pressing it against you. At times like these, you wished you had an extra hand to manipulate the toy while you played with your breasts. The thought of asking Kid crossed your mind. You were sure he’d agree, though it may not have felt as good in practice, since he wasn’t you, he wouldn’t know exactly how you liked using it. And this was supposed to be him watching, not participating. Maybe you could try it another time. Kid was a surprisingly good listener; with a bit of direction, he would probably figure you out, just like he had in the past. You had never been that honest with what you wanted in bed, but he had always taken the time to open you up, figuratively and literally.

The thoughts took you out of your headspace somewhat, so you turned back at the book, scanning over a favorite passage of yours, one that never failed to heat you up. Imagining yourself taking the place of the protagonist, you reached down to your vibrator again, clicking the intensity a little higher. This time, you left your hand on it, pressing it snugly against your clit with a whimper.

Kid could now hear the buzzing of the vibrator, and the sight of you slightly bucking your hips made him do the same, thrusting into his hand and groaning. You looked and sounded so fucking good like that, legs trembling, eyes flicking back and forth over the book, desperation audible in every sound that left your throat. A masterpiece, for his eyes only. He only wished he could watch you every night.

One hand gently grinding the vibrator against your clit, the other still tweaking a nipple, you felt electricity build between your legs like static on a dry day, fuzzy and sparking. Initially, it built slowly, but then the wet smacking of Kid stroking himself became apparent, and it surged faster, carrying you toward the edge.

You peeked at him. He was jacking off faster than before, at a similar pace to yourself, the glistening skin of his cock indicating the pre-cum smeared all over as much as the noise. Between the flushed red tip of him, still leaking, and the flex of the bulging muscles in his massive arm, you suddenly did not think you needed the book any longer. You threw your head back into the pillow, moaning airily as you climbed higher and higher, able to make it to the end with the sight and sound of him alone. Was this why he wanted to watch? You now understood the appeal.

Now that you stopped paying attention to the book, Kid spoke, voice ragged with lust. “Feeling good, huh, baby? You look amazing. Sound amazing. So fucking hot, I could watch you all night... I bet you’re soaking right now, aren’t you?”

You keened a broken affirmative, and his low chuckle jolted through you like lightning.

“That’s what I thought. Keep going–be a good little slut for me and don’t stop until you cum.”

The words made you dizzy with need, and you urgently clicked the vibrator up another level. You never penetrated yourself with the toy, only really needing your clit stimulated and not caring much for internal vibrations in the first place. The vibrator wasn’t big enough to satisfy you anyway. As you braced your legs against the bed to buck harder, though, you thought about who was. Close to the edge, in your heated, desperate state, clenching greedily around nothing, you suddenly longed for it. You could climax as it was if you kept going, but it would feel so much better with him, and you frankly no longer cared if that meant he didn’t get to watch you bring yourself to the peak.

“Kid,” you moaned.

He tightened his grip, throbbing at the sound. “Yes, baby?”

“Please, Kid, please fuck me. I need it so bad, I–!”

You didn’t have to ask twice, Kid all but pouncing forward before you could finish your plea. He hovered over your form, dwarfing you with his huge body, arms caging you in as he gazed down at you hungrily. He only took a moment to commit the yearning on your face to memory, not intending on keeping you waiting, before he lined himself up with your cunt. He kissed you briefly, open-mouthed and hot, lightly biting your lower lip to make you whine.

For a second, you glanced at the book worriedly, its contents now visible to him. Kid followed your line of sight, then reached for it, but he only closed it and placed it on the bedside table so it was out of the way before turning his attention back to you.

“Here it comes,” he murmured, and then pushed his hips forward.

Kid always savored this moment, the slow parting of your lower lips, the heat that enveloped his cock as he breached you, the near-constricting tightness of your insides. Both of you gasped at once, your free hand coming to grip his bicep. Even as wet as you were, there was some friction from the sheer size of him, and your eyes rolled back.

“Oh, fuck,” you moaned, back arching. “So big.”

If there was one thing Kid especially loved about you, it was the way you acted like every time was the first time. He couldn’t help a smirk, even as the snug warmth threatened to overwhelm him. He didn’t stop until he physically couldn’t go any further, cockhead pressed against your cervix. He was long enough that a few inches were still left outside, but you took the majority like a champ, as always.

“There you go–mm!” Kid’s praise broke as you clenched around him. “Fuck, baby, you take it so well…”

Kid pulled out a little before sinking back in, starting up an easy pace that had both of you moaning unabashedly, each affected by the sound of the other. He filled you out perfectly, effortlessly sliding against your g-spot with each pass without even trying due to size alone. Combined with the vibrator rumbling against your clit, it was almost too much. Almost. Your eyes glazed over, jaw slack, every nerve on fire as you succumbed to the throes of raw pleasure.

“Kid!” You cried out. “Oh, Kid! I can’t–I can’t last, it's, it feels so good! I…!”

“Don’t hold back,” Kid panted. “Go ahead. Cum on my cock. I won’t stop until you do.”

Easier said than done with how you were gripping him now, tightening up in rhythm with his thrusts, but he would hold out. He would do anything right then to see you finish, and if all it took was a little patience, even he could manage.

Your fingers dug into his arm, hips rolling to meet his, moans pitching a little higher. Kid lowered his head to take one of your nipples into his mouth, and once he started to suck, it didn’t take much longer. Your moans went from high-pitched to almost inaudible in your breathlessness, a tell-tale sign that you were on the edge. He thrusted harder, snapping his hips forward, struggling to hold back with his own release teetering so close.

For a minute, there was nothing but the mindless, carnal satisfaction of riding that edge, Kid switching to your other nipple as he fucked you good and deep. You went from gripping his bicep to gripping his hair, pulling at the roots, and he moaned against your breast. The slight vibration, though small in the grand scheme of things, was enough to crest the wave, and your breath hitched as your orgasm crashed over you.

“Ah!” Kid gasped at the powerful contractions of your walls, his hands sliding to your hips to grab hold before he was pounding you into the mattress, drawing out your climax while racing to his own. “Fuck, fuck, Y/n!”

You barely heard him, drowned out by the ecstasy radiating out from the point where you were connected, pulsing in time with your heart. Kid’s grip on your hips became painful, his pace stuttering until he sheathed himself entirely with a penultimate moan, going still as his release spurted inside you. 

As soon as your orgasm began to die down, the vibrations against your clit became rapidly overwhelming, and you quickly shut off the toy. You set it down by your side, closing your eyes and catching your breath, then opened them to look at Kid. He was watching you fondly, a small smile on his lips.

“We should use that vibrator more often. You came really hard,” he remarked. “Or was it the book?”

“It was your dick,” you stated bluntly, making him laugh.

“I’m serious.”

“Me too, buddy.”

Kid huffed and leaned down to kiss you, relishing in how your eyelids fluttered closed in turn. He pulled out with a grunt of oversensitivity, making you wince from the same, and kissed you again in apology.

Collapsing at your side, Kid wrapped his arms around you and pulled you in close, pressing a kiss to your head before resting his chin there. Your sigh was one of complete and thorough contentment, settling in and feeling utterly safe against the bulk of his body.

“I gotta say,” Kid said after a minute, “I do wonder what’s in that book that got you so wet.”

You buried your face into his chest, voice somewhat muffled. “It’s embarrassing.”

“You’re not helping my curiosity at all,” Kid teased.

For a moment, you didn’t say anything. Then you lifted your chin to meet his gaze, looking shy despite having just had your guts rearranged a minute ago. “...Maybe it’s just because my clit is still throbbing, but… I dunno, that was so good… Maybe I’ll let you read it sometime.”

Kid’s brows shot up in surprise, but you put a finger to his lips before he could respond. “You would have to promise not to make fun of me! If you laughed even once, I would… I would…”

“Break up with me?” He offered, lips tickling your finger.

“Yes,” you said.

Kid closed his mouth around your finger and sucked on it, tongue curling around the digit.

“No,” you sighed, instantly placated.

He released your finger with a laugh, and you giggled as well.

“Don’t feel obligated,” Kid said, “after all, that’s a whole can of worms you’d be opening that you might not be ready for.”

“What do you mean?”

Kid gave you a look, one that your body responded to immediately, already feeling like you could go a second round. His voice dropped low, soft and seductive. “Me, knowing your kinks in intimate detail? Are you really sure you could handle that?”

A shiver ran down your spine. When he put it that way, it was harder to be apprehensive about the idea. And agreeing to let him watch had gone far better than you expected. Maybe letting him take a peek at the book would also turn out similarly well…

You grinned. “I can handle anything you give me, big boy.”

“Famous last words,” Kid said smugly, “don’t look so confident.”

Unable to change your expression, you opted to shove your face back into his chest instead. For all his talk, there was no way Kid would ever push your limits without asking. It was one of those hidden, unexpected things about him that only made you fall further. The thought brought a wave of affection through your chest, warming you from the inside as much as his embrace warmed you from the outside.

“I love you,” you mumbled into his chest, and the tightening of his arms around you indicated that he had heard it.

“Me too,” Kid rested his chin on your head once more. “Love you lots, Y/n. I won’t make fun of you. Much.”

“Jerk,” you said without any venom.

“Yeah, I am. But you love it.”

And you smiled, because you did.

[joannerowling]

I agree with your reply to that anon who said Rowling is milking the HP franchise but why did you dunk on GRRM? 😭 Don't you think he's a good writer? I honestly love that his work is inspired by Druon's Accursed Kings, which is a huge piece of litterature imo

Oh nothing to do with his writing! I've only read A Game of Thrones anyway so my opinion on that isn't relevant. I just like to make fun of GRRM (much like Terry Pratchett) because of his hilariously bitter response to Harry Potter's success. He once called the Hugo Jo received for HP and the Goblet of Fire "MY Hugo". He was still sore over the loss 13 years later!! xD He also said that Obama collecting spider-man comics was "so cool he could forgive him for being a Harry Potter fan". Even when he paid her a compliment when pressed he put it like, "many of my readers started with reading what she wrote" (subtext: his readers "upgraded" from reading Harry Potter to his "higher literature". Dude. Even my 20yo edgelord brother has too much self-respect to act this petty in public. 💀)

Actually i know this has nothing to do with your ask but, the reddit comments in this article are really illustrative of why i can't fucking stand fantasy male fan culture. Look at this litle diatribe:

Can you guess what Jo has actually EVER said on this topic? One is the "i didn't think i was writing fantasy when i was writing Harry Potter" quote which Terry Pratchett basically called her stupid for saying (when in fact she was making an interesting point on what it is that differentiates fantasy from Fantasy; is Gothic literature "Fantasy" just because it features vampires, monsters or ghosts? Now who's looking stupid Terry). The other is this:

She's not a trashy romance, fantasy or sci-fi casual reader but she'll give any book a chance. That's her "being grossly out of line" your honour.

[mindfogs]

i LOVE that we're finally getting more trashy beach reading no plot only romance sapphic books

don't get me wrong i adore scifi/fantasy with sapphic subplots with all my heart and gut but this?? these silly little books that don't require me to think too much just.. yes there's two women and they have the hots for each other and no it's not the war or the horrors who gets between them maybe it's just stupid #miscomunication and is this what straight people were talking about this whole time?? maybe it's not that i didn't like romance i was just a big fat lesbian??

there's also a whole analysis of how we were only allowed to exist if there was something else to market beside the romance, only allowed if the sapphics weren't point and center of the book but only a subplot you could maybe even ignore? "yeah it has lesbians but hey the world building is pretty good" (not saying all the fantasy books lesbians are sidelined, they are often protagonists and it's their love that saves the day at the end but you get what i mean)

but yeah i just feel stupid and sad sometimes and i swear i goble up sapphic fantasy like a cow eating grass but i don't always have the energy to think and trashy sapphic romance books are there and it makes me so happy because yes we also exist in a world where everything is silly and nothing hurts!

[spiritumantophila]

tell me about netuno!!! 4, 6, 11, 22, 29 !!!!

HI THANK YEW FOR ASKING... <3 (and sorry this took me a bit to get to, been busy these past days!) Netuno is a shared OC with @graveys-art-blog so I talked all these questions out w him for these answers!! and have some doodles too bc i love netuno to bits. the daughter ever.

What’s a hobby they used to have that they miss?

Being raised with a loving and healthy support system in Quiro's castle, Netuno never really had to sacrifice any of her hobbies. If there was something she wanted to try out, her family and loved ones were quick to give her the tools to explore it. That said though, she does still miss certain activities from her childhood out of nostalgia. When she and Ursa (her older brother figure and another shared OC between Grave and I) were younger, they'd have tea parties and create fantastical worlds and stories the way children do. As they grew up that bonding activity between them didn't exactly fizzle out persay, but rather evolved into them helping out the castle theater troupe (Ursa as an actor, and Netuno as a stagehand)! They still love to share in the act of storytelling with each other, though it's just a little different now!

What’s their favorite [insert anything] that they’ve never recommended to anyone before?

Netuno is an avid reader of sapphic romance books, especially those others would consider "trashy". But they're self-indulgent and her favorite so leave her alone!! She'd particularly enjoy those with dark fantasy elements to it. She loves her bitches bad and her yuri doomed and paranormal.

If someone was impersonating them, what would friends / family ask or do to tell the difference?

I'll also put separate answers for them below, but Vitor (Grave's OC), Ursa (another shared OC of ours), and Eri (this one's just mine LMAO) all have a strong "magic sense", which means they're able to easily pick up on the presence of magic in the environment. Tying in with her creepy girl swag, Netuno has a very specific "magic fingerprint" or vibe persay that the three of them can detect and recognize as her. Vitor would rely on this especially since it played a big role in him adopting her :) So everything else below is just what other methods the three would individually use to tell Netuno apart from an impersonator!

According to Grave, Vitor would ask Netuno to cast magic or use some of her "wishmaking" sorcery to help him deal with the drawbacks of his own. Vitor tends to suffer from bouts of headaches and temporary short-term memory loss (and other similar mental pains) when he overdoes it with his own magic, and the real Netuno would know how to help him ease or alleviate the pain. And I don't think there's anyone who could 'copy' someone's sorcery like that so it'd be a dead giveaway!

Since Ursa has been Netuno's best friend since forever AND been with her since she was a wee baby, he knows her like the back of his hand. He's always been sensitive to even the smallest changes in her behavior because he's always looked out for and protected her, so he'd easily be able to tell her apart from someone impersonating her just from the way she'd walk or get his attention. He's a smart guy as silly as he is!

One thing Eri and Netuno bond over is their shared love for bugs and insects and NO one else matches their freak like they do. Eri could throw out some questions about a crawlie that'd stump anyone else, but that Netuno could answer without batting her big blue eyes. The two of them are very alike in a lot of ways, so Eri could tell if something was off.

What simple activity that most people do / can do scares your character?

Public speaking. As cold and composed as she looks she's truly still just a shy lil bug. She has a soft and calm voice and has very mild expressions so she'd struggle to talk to a large group of people.

How do they respond when someone doesn’t believe them?

Netuno's a bit used to people not believing her outright. Those who watched her grow up know she had a reputation of being a ominous weird little girl that said strange things and understood the world differently from others. Because of that, some people would chalk up the things she said as just the weird thoughts kids liked to blurt out, which frustrated her because why don't you get her!! It all makes sense to her!!!! As an adult though, she's learned her way of speaking concisely with the fewest words necessary to get her point across can be confusing. If someone expressed disbelief or skepticism in something she said, she'd pause and stare at the person for a moment (which can come off as judgemental but she just. has big beautiful eyes <3) before retracing her steps to reexplain the point they doubted.

[allbimyself65]

Yandere Kirishima x Reader

This is just setting up for the actual story and doesn't have any mha characters in it yet.

Will eventually have some bakugou x reader and kirishima x reader. No warning for this part should be all good.

Someone all too familiar is hiding in a bedroom—far, far closer than you think. It’s you; you're the figure. You’re curled up in the nest of blankets, snug, cozy, and warm, with the huge pile of blankets and stuffed animals engulfing you like an ant. You're rereading your favorite fantasy novel for the good parts only. You must have read this book a million times, but you can never get enough of it. Even if the cover looks like a trashy vampire romance book. After a long while, you eventually get too stuffy and decide to walk towards your favorite book store because even if you have around twenty new books on your shelf, you can’t stop buying books. The adrenaline rush of getting more has consumed you and your bank account. While you walked, you eventually saw the sign of your favorite quant bookstore. "All booked up," run by an older lady in the old part of town, didn't get much business but had loyal customers that dedicated themselves to the shop. You were in luck; there was no one else in the store except you and the owners. You decided to go play your favorite game. I'm definitely just browsing and not buying games where you see how long you can hold off buying a book in the store. You’d never win.

After a while, you got lost again when you decided to explore the other sections besides the fantasy one to see if there was anything that piqued your interest instead of having a one-track mind for fantasy.You eventually came to one of the more abandoned corners of the book shop. This particular bookshelf was filled with second-hand books people had donated to the kind old lady who ran the shop. They all looked so old, with dust lining the shelves and making the worn books look like antiques. Actually, scratch the donated part; they were probably the owners' books after all. You were about to power walk to the cash register when a shiny red jewel caught your eye. You turned slowly, halfway expecting to see a red demon or a ghost. Instead, what you saw was a book that was weather-bound. It was a very cool book, looking like something a famous traveler would have. The book in question was definitely not from the century, looking like a hurricane had rocked it, and it went back for some more afterwards with tattered pages and a very dusty jewel on the side. It was probably a fake, but you still wanted it for aesthetic purposes. Deciding that the contents weren’t very important anyway, you went and picked it up before grabbing your other soon-to-be purchase and leaping to the cash register. Carefully ringing the dingy bell before you and waiting at the old oak wood desk, which was embedded in the floor, You looked around, wondering how a beautiful place like this could be so forgotten. It looked as old as time itself, with ornately carved pillars from a century you couldn’t name and wood so finely polished and made with such care that professionals had to be involved. Overall, it was a hidden beauty; the store had something unforgettable in its bones. It was so remarkable that even the air seemed to have a stench of mystery and grandeur.Soon a lady appeared with a face full of wrinkles, moving with a slight grace. She spoke in a more cheerful tone than you expected from her withering form.

"Hello, thank you for your purchases. I'll take the copy of the cruel prince, and... She came to a halt, a breath caught in her throat as she looked at the old book you'd also placed on the counter.A long moment passed before she uttered another word. "Oh, I haven’t seen that book in a long, long time." She breathed again, almost as if she were saying something; you didn’t have a clue. "Though that devil of a book had long since vanished, or had finally decomposed."that ancient thing."

"Is it bad?" you inquired, your eyebrows slightly raised, and your entire posture and being inquisitive.

"Bad, no, never, but this old book will give you the adventure of a lifetime if you aren’t careful." Stumbling into a pit of more curiosity, you felt like Alice falling down the rabbit hole of one question being answered and another arising. This was all too familiar; you’ve seen it before. That thought was for another millennium, but you were too tired to figure it out, so you decided to thank the woman quickly.Then power walk yourself out of there, hoping to regain the earlier inner calm you had experienced.It has started to drizzle now. The hours you thought you had left faded away into the night. The lamps illuminate your path, buzzing with the fireflies within their lights. The sky had a stretch of clouds rolling over it. An eerie calm set in, with the few people that still wondered at this time of night hurrying back to their families. You walked down the familiar stone roads, though they came and went faster than the wind. You soon arrived at the black sheep of your aesthetically pleasing street.The reason you didn’t burn it to the ground as soon as you saw it It was cheap; you needed a place to stay, and everything else was priced higher than your self-confidence will ever be. Soon things began to move on their own as you found yourself falling into your heaps of blankets, and soon sleep overcame all worries. Soon, you'll be waking up at 5:30 a.m. to prepare for your early morning job.You rushed and zoomed in a daze of routine and normalcy. While things were simultaneously going to be a disaster, While getting on your shoes, you bumped into your favorite drink, ruining your shirt, and you had to change. Shame. truly a waste of a good beverage. Then, as usual, traffic was a nightmare.Then you ran to your office late. Work was normal as ever, a pretty meh day. Then you got the awful news that your building had to be fumigated the next day, so you’d have to find a place to go. They did not cover anything; they were of no help at all. This was a picture-perfect day.Soon your day slowed with time going on, and you were at home packing for a hotel you booked for the next day. It looked sketchy, but it was what your top dollar could afford, so it worked. Deciding a book would be an acceptable choice, you went and got a book; the red jewel caught your eye. Again, just like in the store, But you remind me of someone.A quiet voice in your head whispers conspiracies.of fantasy and romance and other great things. Quieting those thoughts, you grabbed something random and went off into the corner of your apartment that you found most suitable and quietly laid down to rest. Soon the hours came just as quickly as they went, and before you knew it, you were as dead as a log with sleep tearing its way into your being. The night was quiet, almost normal; if you didn’t know what was going to happen next at a later date, you could see why things played out the way they did. Something even more powerful than sleep made its way into your brain, rotting it from the inside out. Tearing into every crevice, it eats its way through your subconscious mind. like a worm would do to an apple. whispers, then silence. They came again.

"Wake up," they said, foreshadowing their next lines.

"Come on, wake up; so many things shall await you." They came into the final part of your subconscious, the final bite of the apple, crescendoing into your dreams, reeling back relaxing whispers that weren't going to work.Soon your dreams come alive with a putrid vision of worms and apples. of awful creepy crawly things.You awake with a gasp. /

"AH!, just a dream, don’t be silly, nothing wrong, but just in case, let's not go back to sleep," and then you realized you were talking to yourself in your sleep: "Oh my god, I’m going insane." Again, something glistened in the back of your mind. The worm nestled deep within the apple. You thought you were going crazy. Your mind must’ve been converting to that of a dragon; with its constant referral back to that jewel, you might as well be a fully fledged one yourself. Still, this overwhelming desire to find out what’s in the book was much more than a simple curiosity. So you did exactly that: you went open, walked over cautiously, and opened the book with a deep breath.You looked around, searching violently for some kind of change, and... Nothing? The book was blank.

"I swear these books are getting to my head or something, honestly thinking something like a book could do something magical," you hughped."Old piece of garbage"Rumbling, thrashing, and crashing went off at once. Books flying off the shelves tumble down with gravity. Pages swirling. Something glowing a brilliant apple red The book's open pages were sucking things into you.

"AAAAHHHH!" With flight instincts kicking in, you darted, trying to run. A whirlwind of force is coming from the book. With terror, you realized it was after you. "Almost there," you thought when the door was mere inches away. Another powerful gust You're on the ground. Desperately, you tried to grab onto something. The wind was too strong. The shining light now swirled in beautiful circles. like the Mona Lisa, only red and somehow even more beautiful, bursting with pops of green and orange. You screamed another time in a hopeless attempt to try anything. You were sucked in, and the book slammed shut. Then he fell to the ground. Then it suddenly opened. It began to write and paint a picture of you in your room. Quick as lighting, as soon as it started, it was finished; then page two was beginning, with the background setting but nothing being painted yet. It's almost as if the stories are happening right now... 

[qprstobin]

I love all the people in the tags of my post like "he'd like fiction just the trashy kind" which I think you're right! I think he'd like trashy romance and pulpy horror a lot! I mostly said he didn't like fiction because a) i think people forget you can read things other than fiction (and this was an era where people were starting to write things like fast times at ridgmont high and tell all biographies about their time in Hollywood and b) people constantly actin like Steve is going to enjoy LOTR. Like I love LOTR and I am currently on the third book but... Those books are THICK and hard to get thru even for people who read a lot. I could see Steve being moved to finally read the books when the movies come out but 20yo Steve is NOT going to read LOTR he would not get past Tolkien's long ass explanation of how hobbit ages and parties work I barely got past that 😭😭😭 like if you want him to read fantasy make him read earth sea or st

[kiarazuri]

Cover Appreciation: The Scum-Villain’s Self-Saving System by Mo Xiang Tong Xiu

This hilarious story of a man reborn as a villain in a fantasy novel series who ends up romancing the male protagonist is now in English, for the very first time. Half-demon Luo Binghe rose from humble beginnings and a tortured past to become unrivaled in strength and beauty. With his dominion over both the Human and Demon Realms and his hundreds-strong harem, he is truly the most powerful protagonist...in a trashy webnovel series! At least, that's what Shen Yuan believes as he finishes reading the final chapter in Proud Immortal Demon Way. But when a bout of rage leads to his sudden death, Shen Yuan is reborn into the world of the novel in the body of Shen Qingqiu--the beautiful but cruel teacher of a young Luo Binghe. While Shen Qingqiu may have the incredible power of a cultivator, he is destined to be horrifically punished for crimes against the protagonist. The new Shen Qingqiu now has only one course of action: get into Luo Binghe's good graces before the young man's rise to power or suffer the awful fate of a true scum villain!

(The Scum-Villain’s Self-Saving System book 1, Amazon)

Beautiful. So so SO beautiful. Both the art-style and the character designs. (My biggest criticism of the latter is that Luo Binghe’s not supposed to look like his dad all that much… but they look IDENTICAL in their pictures 😂 Similarly, I wish there was a picture that showed the differences between Shen and Mushroom!Shen cuz I’m curious exactly how different they look. I know that’s a ridiculous ask but still. I can wish 😂)

When it comes to the font choices I know that when these and the other MXTX novels were announced a lot of people didn’t like that there were so many different fonts on a single cover but I personally think it works well. I like the emphasis/italicization/immaturity(?) of “Scum Villain’s” font versus the really mechanical sans serif of the rest of the text. My only gripe with the titles is that the section of background they’re on is always very crowded (bamboo 2x, cherry blossoms) or a similar color (rocks/ground). It’s not so bad as to make them illegible but it can be a little hard to read. In terms of the title itself I like that they added the pinyin title but I think they should have also had the hanzi... but that’s just my opinion. I know that having all three would’ve been even more crowded than it is so I understand why they didn’t but... still.

In addition to people not liking the fonts... I also remember people were miffed that the first cover wasn’t romantic and I have to say: thank FUCK it’s NOT. LUO BINGHE’S 14 IN THE FIRST BOOK! Besides, regardless of his age, it also wouldn’t make sense story wise. In regards to what’s happening in-story, Luo Binghe and Shen Yuan’s progression from “not touching but still protecting” to “touching but one looks simultaneously like they wanna attack and kiss while the other is just swooning” to “protective handholding and shielding” to “SLEEPING IN LAP” is PERFECT. It’s so beautiful and heartwarming.

The colors follow a similar route. From light and airy with them dressed in matching colors that also match the background (like... there’s a surprising dearth of colors in the first cover. So much so that Sha Hualing’s red outfit really pops out on the back cover) to the shift in Luo Binghe’s clothing to demonic colors and the darkening of the background as the two color palettes mix (white x red = pink, black x green ≈ blue) and then to a neutral background with their color palettes that shows they’re no longer roiling and are instead in harmony. The last book (which is an anthology of short stories about the characters and is actually not part of the main story) is the darkest of the covers but its a very mellow darkness, a sort of warm candlelight that affects their own color palettes so they match even with the background being similar to book one. It’s a very well done color story.

Lets not forget about the back covers. Usually back covers are just meh but these explicitly connect as extensions of the front covers:

The back covers also show that there’s a very clear formula to how everything’s set up:

And I LOVE covers that follow a formula. The fact that all these translations were able to be released together in a row and weren’t dependent on how the book before it did means that the covers were able to be made in tandem which means that they match PERFECTLY. Nothing’s worse than a cover change halfway through a series. Even if a cover style sucks STICK WITH IT for the entire series I BEG YOU. Once everything’s out THEN you can change the covers for the next editions.

I really appreciate the inclusion of character pictures. It works very well with the contents since it often feels like Shen’s in a game rather than a book; he has all these stats for people and access to an interactive computer system so game-like character bios work to help the reader keep this info in-line the same way Shen does. I wish more books (particularly serieses... particularly complicated serieses) did stuff like this.

Before I finish this post I wanna take a moment to appreciate the title of this book in and of itself. I know a lot of people hate how long isekai titles are but I personally love them. I love how straight to the point they are and how you can tell most of what the story’s about just from the title alone, even without reading the description. Personally I think it’d be helpful if more genres started doing this, especially since there’s that gods awful trend of books just having absolutely no summary anywhere on them, and instead just having review quotes that tell you nothing about the actual story. If books insist on doing that, at least tell me what the books about in the title. Thankfully, SVSSS has a descriptive title AND a back summary to let potential readers know what they’re getting themselves into. I think the only way I personally would’ve improved these is by adding some trigger and content warnings (this is also related to the lack of summary and descriptive titles like... why are people against even the slightest, barest, most miniscule spoilers? I beg ya’ll) specifically for the end of the third book (for r*pe).

- Kiara 🌸

[squishy-lombax]

Book reviews from my book club

I host a book club that has unfortunately been lacking in active members. If you're interested in joining, please let me know. We are based on Discord. Warning: I've very passionate about the book club and will get on your case if I don't hear from you regularly. If any of the books listed here that we've read previously interest you, our book club may too! 18+ only. I have relatives in the book club, so I'll kick you if you're being weird. Books are in order of how much I enjoyed them! Disclaimer: These, of course, are just my opinions based on my tastes. (formatted for PC, not app)

Strange The Dreamer by Laini Taylor ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Unlike a lot of other high-fantasy books, this one isn't so overly complicated you can still enjoy it. The characters are all very realistic and lovable! This book dealt with a few very heavy topics, however, none of the situations presented were black and white. Especially with a character named Eril-Fane; he was handled so well in my opinion. Even the so-called villain of the story I was able to sympathize with and couldn't decide if I wanted her redeemed or dead. The the description doesn't do the book justice but I can't say much without spoilers. It's a LOT more interesting than it sounds, I promise!

Axiom's End by Lindsay Ellis ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book has incredible writing, world-building, characters, and interactions. It felt like something that could actually happen (or may be happening right now depending on who you ask). This book has wonderful descriptions and I went through the whole book confidant in how the alien looked in my mind. Any confusion didn't feel frustrating, like in a "I'm just a dumb human" type of way. The main character felt very relatable, and the author wasn't afraid to make her humanly-gross at times. Which I appreciate. I also appreciate the huge emphasis on understanding, communication, and consent present in this book. Things that feel like they should be common in most relationship based stories, but unfortunately, are not.

Lockwood and Co. The Screaming Staircase by Jonathan Stroud ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ The characters were relatable and funny, and the environments were described excellently! I was invested in the story from chapter one and remained invested to the very end! I especially loved the descriptions of the ghosts and how they were handled. Just the right amount of terror and mystery surrounds them. In general, I usually hate first-person books; but this one strangely did not bother me. Truly a talented writer! I don't know how this book is considered a children's book, though, because even adult-me found myself sitting on the edge of my seat with the sheer thrill and terror this book invoked!

Magnus Chase and the Gods of Asgard: The Sword of Summer by Rick Riordan ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ This book is based on Norse mythology and it did a wonderful job at explaining this crazy and cooky mythos as coherently as possible. I think if you're interested in Norse mythology (or are a kid learning history) this book is a must-read. The whole story read like a spirited DnD campaign. It was funny, it was camp, and it was lively! I actually laughed out loud a couple times during this book, or had to bury my face envisioning certain scenarios. Representation is abundant with the main character being pan-sexual, the leading lady is Muslim, the first side character is a man that is a fashion designer, and the other is a disabled character (deaf and uses ASL). None of these characters fall into the terrible cliché of the "third wheel, dumb, friend" and all representation featured feels organic and natural.

Waking the Merrow by Heather Rigney ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I worried this would end up just being a trashy romance. I'm so happy to say it was not! It had enough sexy elements to remind you that we're dealing with sirens but it was far above fanfiction equality. I enjoyed the main character because there is something refreshing about having a character be so fundamentally flawed and yet you can still tell she is a good person and doing her best. All the characters were arguably unlikable and yet I liked all of them! I find it far more impressive to write a character in this way. The merrow themselves had great descriptions of their appearance and savagery. Yet they also appear to have a depth and complexity hinted throughout that I'm sure is fully explored in the later books.

Silver Spoon by Hiromu Arakawa ⭐⭐⭐⭐ This manga was extremely cute and down to earth. All the characters felt real and alive, going through struggles that may be very personal to the reader. I also learned quite a bit about farming. I was invested in the relationship between Yuugo and Aki and couldn't wait for them to just hold hands. I also enjoyed the realistic take on the relationship with Yuugo and his father. There is no big forgiveness moment and them continuing to have a strained relationship is something that sometimes happens. The characters and morals I feel can connect to many people. Although, this style of story isn't for everyone.

The Guardians: Nicholas St. North and the Battle of the Nightmare King by William Joyce & Laura Geringer ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I was introduced to this series through the movie, Rise of the Guardians. Although this book is a very simple read, I still really enjoy it. It's filled with so much imagination, heart, and gorgeous illustrations. Plus I always love a reinterpretation of childhood characters. I can actually picture myself reading my future kids these books at bedtime!

The Naked Don't Fear The Water by Matthieu Aikins ⭐⭐⭐⭐ I struggle to write reviews for things based on actual events. I enjoyed this book, which surprised me because books that recount actual events have a terrible habit of being boring to me. However, I rather enjoyed the way Matthieu wrote. It was just the right amount of storytelling while also staying focused on the actual events transpiring. This book does a wonderful job of educating its readers while keeping them engaged in a story.

Yokohama Kaidashi Kikō by Hitoshi Ashinano ⭐⭐⭐⭐ A lovely and relaxing read that does a wonderful job at romanticizing the little things in life. I can definitely see Studio Ghibli making a movie based off this story; they would do a fantastic job with this concept! I especially loved Alpha! (she's autistic and you can't change my mind!) I'm very surprised that this manga is in the Seinen genre because it feels more like it was written for cottage-core lesbians then adult men. One issue is that this story introduced a lot of interesting world-building lore that I was super excited to learn more about. However, sadly, it doesn't dive into any of these concepts more; they are simply brought up and rarely mentioned again.

Room by Emma Donoghue ⭐⭐⭐ The book is very interesting and covers topics I like. However, there is a surprising amount of nothing happening. The five-year-old point of view was hard to get used it, then was okay, but became grating again as the story dragged on. However, after the second half I wasn't sure what the goal of the plot was anymore. The story kind of drags with basic day-to-day things, and having it be from a five-year-old's point of view was no longer interesting to me. I feel like it would have been better if the point of views changed at the half way point to the mother's.

Good Omens: The Nice and Accurate Prophecies of Agnes Nutter, Witch by Terry Pratchett & Neil Gaiman ⭐⭐⭐ (I read the book before watching the TV show) I found the book rather interesting in concept and I enjoyed the characters. Unfortunately, I personally have struggles with reading and thus the way this book is worded made it difficult for me. I felt there were far too many main characters to get invested in anyone, and just a general lot of nothing happening in the story. It always seemed like something was gonna happen, and thus kept my attention but it never really did, and thus left me feeling disappointed. There were plenty of funny moments but unfortunately, they just didn't make me laugh out loud at all. If you're going to read this book, do so as an audio book!

Lost in the Never Woods by Aiden Thomas ⭐⭐ This book was a disappointment. I loved the darker atmosphere with the murder mystery going on. I also loved the fluffy romance between Peter and Wendy. However, unfortunately, Wendy was dull as a protagonist, spending almost the whole book having things happen to her, rather than doing things herself. I do have a serious Anxiety Disorder but unfortunately, being anxious and sad all the time doesn't make for a very interesting character. The pacing was PAINFULLY slow! The direction I thought the book was going in was WAY more interesting than what actually ended up happening. Not to mention the characters didn't discover anything themselves, instead always having it explained to them in exposition dumps. It's a bad fanfiction quality book.

[vera-dauriac]

8, 10, 19!

8. what is the first book you remember reading yourself?

I was actually talking to my hubby about this recently, and we both were taught to read young and always had books around, so that moment we went from having someone read to us to reading on our own is a complete blur. I remember spending a lot of time skimming my bright yellow two volume encyclopedia and the classic story picture books we had. I specifically remember flipping through The Emperor’s New Clothes, so if you need a specific title, let’s go with that one.

10. do you have a guilty fav?

I feel no guilt. I mean, I love some books others might call trashy romances or old-fashioned fantasy, but there’s no guilt to my love and I won’t demean any of them here, because they are, in point of fact, genuinely awesome.

19. most disliked popular books?

Ugh. I can’t with so much of what’s on the bestsellers list, and the handful of times I’ve read something big on BookTok out of professional curiosity, I've been appalled. (Shout out, though, to Song of Achilles, which I read and loved before BookTok figured it out. I guess even those folks get it right on occasion.) As far as those books that are big on tumblr, I just cannot understand what everyone around here sees in Dracula. Like, folks, it’s perfectly mediocre. Let it go.

Thanks so much for asking! Folks should feel free to ask me more from this list.

[awlwren-writes]

5, 15 and 25 for the OTP meme! CorNyx or the OTP you've been dying to talk about most!

♥️♥️♥️

5. Describe their cozy night in.

On a deliberate night in (verses just the normal routine), perhaps a night before deployment, they limit the news time. In fact, they don't turn on the television at all. That's for their work brains, and they can read the paper in the morning or someone will contact them if it's urgent.

They either order something nicer than usual and bake dessert, or they take the time to try old favorite recipes out. It's a novelty to not have to rush through takeout to keep working on other things. If they're both in the mood to bake, they listen to short stories on tape or old songs they love as they do the work. They occasionally pause things to add commentary, but for the most part they enjoy listening and doing something productive rather than having to come up with conversation topics.

When they started this, they tried to tell stories about their day or silly things while they baked, but then they just would wind each other up with stress from work, and so they push off stories until dinner or after, now.

If one of them isn't in the mood to cook/bake, or they're dividing their tasks (one makes dinner, one dessert), then while the other is working they will read aloud to them from one of the reader's favorites. They tried to keep to reading the same book back and forth for a while, but they both will read ahead if they get hooked, and then they aren't in the same place. This way, if the person new to the book gets hooked and reads ahead, they can just get to talking about it faster. And be slightly suspicious of when that person had the time.

There definitely are debates over dinner, on a variety of subjects. Half of them are legit, half of them are someone playing devil's advocate to get a reaction or see what the other person really thinks.

After dinner is either time for someone's beloved movie or more reading aloud, as they review the kit of the person heading to the field (almost always Nyx, at this point), deal with basic maintenance tasks for weapons and clothing, even household items (a reminder to come home to the house). They tried to make it straight movie time, but it feels wrong if they aren't being productive in some way, doing something with their hands. By around the midpoint of the evening that something tactile is usually holding the other person in some way.

15. Do they always say 'i love you' before leaving?

Only on the phone, when someone is far away. When there's not much other way to say it. Either during a lull in the conversation or before they hang up.

In person, not usually. A kiss on the hand or a squeeze of it, even just significant eye contact and a dip of the head if there are too many people around, is their affirmation before they leave. That's not to say they never say it, but usually not in the actual moment of departure.

25. Do they have any hobbies they share?

Reading, as you might have guessed. Though the subjects vary between them. Nyx likes narratives, scifi/fantasy that has a moral vision or lesson, mythology, history of people. He likes the why of things, the connections across time. He'll occasionally read philosophy, when it's practically applied. He'll read the occasional mystery because it's fun to connect the clues, but doesn't much care for spy thrillers or murder mysteries -- a little too much like work.

Cor reads, as you might expect, military history, and history of science. Practical mechanics, things like that. A lifelong learner of little things, anything that might be useful. Occasionally dabbles in mythology, but more to figure out the truth behind it rather than the truth later generations read into it like Nyx enjoys. Also romances (trashy or otherwise, the only difference is how much ridicule they get) as a byproduct of passing the time in the Guard as a kid, plus a holdover from trying to figure out what people were talking about with regard to romance.

[hughungrybear]

If you are an Asian who lived in the early 90s, you probably grew up reading those cheesy, uber-cringey, fetish-filled romance novels - the kind that can put Mills and Boons or Harlequin Romance to shame. I should know because my mother and older sister used to collect those when I was kid. You can even rent popular titles from other collectors if you feel like it (no way our local library would house such 'vulgar' things). The novels' plots are usually made of all the toxic tropes (i.e., bad boy "fixed" by good girl through the sheer power of true love) that any person in their right mind would tag as fantasy.

Basically, episode 10 is like that. I don't know how young Mame is, but I have an inkling that her childhood was also bombarded with the same trashy books as mine were. It's one of the reasons why I'm less impressed with this episode, plot-wise. I read many iterations of this before. I don't think it's bad that Mame is going back to her roots per se, but it does show a bit of lack in imagination. 🥱

[ootori-sibs]

Put a blade to my neck and call it a collar

Chapter one

Slight warning for implied mentions of sex (nothing even happens it's just referenced.

At the window of my room, the prince arrived. Dressed in nothing but his tight black pants and flowing white shirt, barely even laced up. He reached out for me and spoke, in that silky smooth, western european accent, "my love, I have come to see you in your most private hours."

I stared up at him, wrapping my blankets around myself as I wondered if I should dare to call the guards. A part of me, however, did wonder what it would be like if I heard him out. Perhaps he had information he could give me-

"Information? Pssh, that's not what he wants to give you." Kyoya rolled his eyes, taking a sip of his cherry juice he'd had put into a wine glass. It was around three am now, and he'd finished his homework, as well as the club finances for the week, so he was having some time to himself. He didn't think there was anything wrong with devouring trashy romance novels in the middle of the night, it's not like there was anyone there to judge him for it.

It was just getting good, but he knew that Tamaki had something planned the next day so he definitely wouldn't be allowed to sleep in as much as he usually would like. So unfortunately, he did have to put the book down.

Putting the book next to the others on the shelf, Kyoya decided not to read too much into his taste in fantasy romances. He liked fantasy before he befriended the human embodiment of the prince charming archetype, it wasn't his fault. He was not in the mood to psychoanalyse himself tonight, no sir.

Getting back into bed, he took another sip of his juice before turning over and getting all snug in his blankets. This was his favourite part of the night, when he got to relax and lull himself into the deep abyss that was sleep.

"Alexa," he activated the computer ai in his room. He wasn't sure how it worked but frankly, he couldn't care less, "play some white noise."

Now with his background noise, he could close his eyes and finally get some rest. He loved that feeling, the feeling of relinquishing control and slipping into his most vulnerable state. Oh how he loved it.

What he didn't love, was being woken up by the blonde idiot as he threw some clothes onto the bed. "Come on, Mon Ami! Get dressed!"

"Ugh…" he groaned, rolling over and pushing himself up into a press-up position before flopping back down, face buried in the pillow. "I hate you…"

"No you don't!" Came the chipper response from his best friend, the moron was now pouring some fresh coffee- Kyoya could smell it from here. "I had your maids bring you some choc ou pain, I know you said you don't like sweet things but you liked it when we had that sleepover so I figured why not. I've also brought some coffee flavoured crackers, I figured those would get you up and running."

"What the fuck are we doing that you have to be so nice to convince me..?" He pushed himself out of bed, blankets still wrapped around himself.

"Nothing too bad," Tamaki chuckled. He was dressed in a sky blue polo shirt with cream pants and a dark brown belt with… hiking boots- why the fuck was he wearing hiking boots?

"Tamaki," he frowned, reaching out as he's handed his coffee, "what are we doing?"

"Well, I was thinking about how we never-"

"Tamaki, cut to the chase. What are we doing?"

"I figured we could go camping." He shrugged, looking at Kyoya like he was expecting an argument.

"Camping?" Kyoya repeated, unsure if he heard that correctly.

"Yep!"

"Absolutely not." He sipped his coffee, standing up and glaring at the other boy. "On our own?"

"Well the entire club but yeah, on our own."

"We're literally teenagers, not only that, but we're always extremely wealthy teenagers- bar Haruhi, but she's a girl so it balances out." He pauses, putting the coffee up, "do you want to get kidnapped? Because that's how you get kidnapped, Tamaki. We can't go camping on our own, we'll all end up dead or worse. That's not to mention the fact that you expect any of us to have any sort of survival skills." Pausing again, he held up a hand to shut Tamaki up, "and don't bring up Honey and Moro's fighting skills, because they shouldn't be forced to protect us. They aren't fucking gaurd dogs."

"Aw, but I found a leaflet for a camping ground on the dinner table yesterday so I thought-"

"Who left it there?" Kyoya interrupted, annoyed that someone had stolen his favourite tactic for getting what he wants.

"Huh?"

"Who left the leaflet for you to find? Leaflets don't just appear in front of you, Tamaki?"

"They don't? But at school-"

"I put those ones there, you moron." He sits down, beginning to eat his breakfast, "it's the only way I can get you to do something."

Tamaki paused for a moment, blinking down at him in surprise. "You could just ask me for things, you know? I'm not going to say no."

"Whatever," Kyoya brushed him off, bitter about having to admit that he wants things. "Someone clearly wanted you to go camping, in order to make you vulnerable."

"Maybe," Tamaki shrugged, sitting next to him, "what would you prefer then? If you don't feel safe camping."

"I don't feel anything," Kyoya snapped back, huffing as he had more of the pastry, "I don't know, you're the ideas guy."

Humming in thought, Tamaki watched Kyoya eat for a few minutes before smiling. "Maybe we could go and have a picnic instead? No danger because it'll be in the middle of the day, and then perhaps we can have a sleepover at my place. How does that sound?"

Kyoya sighed, nodding and dabbing at his mouth with a handkerchief, "that sounds a lot better, actually. Where do you propose we go for the picnic?"

"Oh that's a good question," Tamaki hummed in thought, combing Kyoya's hair for him. "There's a lovely cliff in the nearby woods. We could go there?"

"Hm," Kyoya hummed, enjoying the sensation a little more than he probably should. Tamaki was a very touchy guy, and Kyoya had discovered very early on that he adored the attention, * especially having his hair played with. It was downright heavenly to him, he couldn't get enough. "That sounds lovely, do you think the others will enjoy it?"

"Oh Haruhi will, she mentioned liking the woods.'

There it was, the reason this lovely attention was now laced with shame. Kyoya's best friend was no longer single. Tamaki had a girlfriend.

Haruhi was a lovely young lady, of course she was. Kyoya couldn't help but be fond of her, she was perfect for Tamaki as well, and she was such a good friend. The only problem was that Kyoya had a jealous streak a mile long, so he couldn't help but feel pain when he remembered their situation.

Looking up at Tamaki, the sun streaming in through those golden locks and reflecting off those amethyst eyes, Kyoya's heart hurt. He was so desperately in love with this man, but couldn't do anything about it. It wasn't his place to see Tamaki like that. They were both boys, and despite Tamaki being openly bisexual, the boy was an heir, and needed a partner who could give him a child. Kyoya couldn't do that.

It was tragic, but Kyoya was okay with it.

Tamaki would never see him like that, and it was okay. Haruhi knew full well how Kyoya felt, and for the most part she ignored it. She never objected to the way Tamaki touched Kyoya near constantly, so Kyoya didn't feel as much shame as he would about enjoying the attention.

⁠♡

When they actually picked up the others, they'd been informed of the change in plans but thankfully not why. Tamaki had been smart enough to realise that Kyoya wouldn't want them to know he'd gotten nervous.

Tamaki was a good friend, at least that's what he liked to think. He could read Kyoya like a book, and he could read the other hosts just as well. The only exceptions to the rule were Mori and Haruhi; Mori because he never spoke, and Haruhi- well Tamaki wasn't sure about her, but she was certainly an enigma. He used this innate knowledge of his friends' inner thoughts, in order to help them and make them feel safe and loved. He's pretty sure that makes him a good friend.

They all sat down for the picnic and Tamaki, as usual, kept his eyes on Haruhi. He did find himself glancing at Kyoya quite a lot, making sure his buddy was feeling okay. He was a little worried about Kyoya, but the magane boy knew how to pretend he was fine a little too well.

That just worried Tamaki more.

There was something in the air that day, Tamaki couldn't tell you what it was but his stomach butterflies fluttered and it didn't matter if he was watching Haruhi or Kyoya. He'd long known that he was bisexual, but today seemed especially difficult for him. Maybe it was something in the brie, or the champagne the twins had stolen from their mother but Tamaki couldn't help but watch Kyoya a little more- did he and Haruhi wear the same lipgloss? He knew better than to ask, but he was still curious.

By the time they were getting in the limo to head home, his arm was around Kyoya's shoulders. "Do you want to come home with me?" Left his mouth before he could think about it. Luckily, Kyoya agreed and got into the limo with him.

Tamaki knew his father's code for getting the limo driver to put the window cover up, they were too much alike. Kyoya didn't realise what was up until Tamaki 's hand was intertwined with his. Tamaki hoped that Kyoya's heart was beating as fast as his own was in this moment. He leaned in, murmuring a prayer in French under his breath, Kyoya closed the gap and suddenly they were kissing.

His left hand in Kyoya's hair as Kyoya's right was on his back, Tamaki tasted that lipgloss for the first time, followed by the overdose of coffee on Kyoya's tongue. Tamaki was dizzy but he let his instincts kick in as he succumbed to his own desires.

Kyoya seemed even more into this than he was, hands slowly tucking under Tamaki's shirt, but that was where Tamaki drew the line. He gently pulled Kyoya's hands away and kept kissing him, noting the delicious sound Kyoya made in disappointment. Tamaki hated his father, for what the man had done to his mother, but he had to admit that he was a beautiful example of what not to do, and was self aware of that. Tamaki had been made to promise not to get too into anyone before he was legally allowed to.

By the time they got to the second Souh mansion, Kyoya was panting, that boy was so incredibly unfit and fragile that kissing seemed to tire him out. Tamaki found that strangely adorable, if concerning. He helped Kyoya out of the limo and up to the bedroom, letting him lay on the chaise lounge and catch his breath as Tamaki sat there in silence, trying to find the words.

"Did you… like that?" He asked, unsure what else to say.

Kyoya let out a light, airy chuckle, the kind where Tamaki couldn't tell if it was real or fake. "Well I kissed back, didn't I? Plus I thought you knew I was gay? Of course I'd enjoy a kiss from our resident prince charming."

That thought made Tamaki turn a fresh shade of pink; that his friends could view him the same way the girls did. That they could be attracted to him like that. He wasn't sure how to show attraction that way genuinely and not have it be an act.

"You don't have to act for me." Kyoya seemingly read his mind, always knowing what's going on. "I know what you're like behind closed doors, lying to me is useless." He was right, but the expression as he said it did something to Tamaki. He wasn't sure what had happened but something new had awakened during this picnic.

"I think I had too much champagne," he confessed, fixing his hair in the mirror. "I spent most of the day comparing your lips to Haruhi's."

"Well how does mine hold up?" Kyoya responded, seemingly not phased.

"Well I haven't kissed Haruhi yet- have you done this before?" Tamaki asked, confused by how casual Kyoya was.

Kyoya just nodded, "my first boyfriend had a fiancée, I know how to compete for a boy's attention."

"Wow, have you dated many men?" Tamaki didn't know anything about Kyoya's love life, he realised. It seemed rather interesting.

Shrugging in response, Kyoya offered once of his classic slick smiles. "Not dated, but I've kissed every non straight boy in our class- and some of the straight ones. It's a good way to get information, what can I say?"

"I can say quite a lot, Kyoya," he responded, "but all of it would make me a hypocrite."

Kyoya nodded and cleaned his glasses, "to be fair, Tamaki, you give the guests attention purely because you want them to be happy. I tend to be a lot more selfish than you are."

"You don't think I'm selfish?" Tamaki paused, curious now. He was under the impression that he was a very selfish person and that it was a known fact. For his best friend to call him selfless… it was a little bit of a shock for Tamaki.

"Why would I?" Kyoya sounded surprised that Tamaki would be confused by this, "look at you, Tamaki. Really look at yourself; you're undeniably powerful, you are the envy of the school and the most beloved of it as well. You could get whatever you wanted, so easily, but you don't." Pausing for a moment, Kyoya sighed and adjusted his outfit. Tamaki wondered if Kyoya knew he could hear the devotion in his voice.

"You don't take what you want, you use your power and abilities to create a safe space for all the women of the school, somewhere where the entire purpose is to make them comfortable and happy. You go out of your way to make other people happy, you do so much just for other people whom you have no business caring about. I don't think that's selfish at all."

Tamaki was silent, he'd never heard his own actions and motives laid out before him like that. The way Kyoya was looking at it, and the way it had been read into, it seemed to Tamaki like Kyoya had been watching him for a long time.

Possibly since they'd first met.