#and isn't this just such a horrible thing you've done. a horrible man you've become

[delicatetaysversion]

i want to be the strongest most unaffected aloofest person ever but im literally the weakest saddest cries at every inconvenience type of person and man.

[stevie-petey]

we don't talk about it (we don't have the time)

﹂ season one of “come home”

being dustin henderson's older sister and jonathan byers' best friend is usually an uneventful affair, but when will byers goes missing and a girl with a shaved head claims she has super powers, your duties as a sister and a best friend become a lot more complicated. (it also makes your feelings suddenly complicated, which you're choosing to ignore). (and steve harrington definitely isn't helping). (as usual).

episode one: the vanishing of will byers - jonathan smuggles you free food in exchange for friendship, will goes missing the one time you listen to jonathan, hopper doesn't really like you, and steve harrington almost hits you with his car as you're sobbing like a damn baby (in a cool way).

episode two: the weirdo on maple street - you use your limited psych knowledge to help a bald girl, you force jonathan to accept $20 and he's later an ass to you, steve doesn't know what a "missing" poster looks like, and it's really hard being a single mother to now four kids.

episode three: holly, jolly - you and jonathan talk it out and things are better (spoiler alert: they aren't), you somehow end up agreeing with steve harrington ?? then you have a minor breakdown in front of the kids and once again fail to prevent them from experiencing more trauma.

episode four: the body - you basically have a "no babe don't cry over ur dead brother ur so sexy" moment with jonathan, hopper plays mr love doctor (cute date idea: coffin shopping), and somehow nancy wheeler makes you realize that you're a horrible babysitter and an even bigger idiot. meanwhile: steve harrington is frustratingly charming.

episode five: the flea and the acrobat - you and dustin have a long overdue Sibling Moment, at will's funeral you and jonathan exchange information and surprise ! it's all horrible news ! nancy has awful timing and when you leave her alone with jonathan one damn time you and steve end up trauma bonded on her front porch #bffs.

episode six: the monster - so nancy and jonathan are a Thing now and you really just need a good nap, the three of you go shopping for monster hunting supplies (which honestly isn't the weirdest thing you've done this week), an old man sells you a sentimental knife, and steve kind of accidentally kidnaps you with a sexy black eye.

episode seven: the bathtub - your brother basically places himself on the fbi's most wanted list and el flips a van with her mind, now you have to create a giant salt tub because of course you do, nancy tries Talking About It but hasn't she read the title ? you don't have the time. sidenote: you've somehow become a steve defender during these trying times. typical. meanwhile: steve's inner thoughts are pathetic.

episode eight: the upside down - drinking game time ! take a shot every time jonathan tries ditching you or every time you almost die at the byers house, you find out that steve really is an athlete and tbh it's hot, but you know what's even hotter ? saving hawkins and reaching a tentative compromise with steve after he loans you $5 for snacks. after, jonathan makes a promise you really hope he can keep.

⌑ set between seasons 1 and 2

﹂ episode nine: the beginning - BONUS EPISODE TIME ! steve becomes bookstrorindary's favorite loyal costumer, jonathan buys you a bug for christmas, you freak out your poor coworker alex, and suddenly steve is really hot and you're feeling so many feelings (bad ! it's all bad !).

⌑ status: FINISHED

⌑ season one title based on this song x

⌑ blurbs set within "come home" can be found here x

⌑ “come home” season masterlist

*note: this is a part of my stranger things rewrite, “come home”, and other seasons can be found linked above :)

[enviedear]

i've been going solo now ⟶ ben solo

description ⌙ when you get a distress signal from your dad and his life-long goon you're quick to try and come to their rescue. only problem? so is ben solo.

pairing ⌙ smuggler!ben solo x f!reader

warnings ⌙ childhood crush/frenemies turned adults with horrible communication skills, reader is the daughter of lando (biologically or not you decide), ben is a jerk, reader is a brat, petty arguments, forced proximity trope, inner conflict all the time, han and lando are just two pals getting into serious issues that their kids have to fix don't mind them (they're just mentioned), most likely incorrect knowledge of the falcon & starship parts, smuggler!ben solo au because that's canon to me, ben calls reader kid (affectionate, kinda), typos probabaly

word count ⌙ 4.1k

— request | masterlist

i just think ben solo is very much solo by future coded and i wanted to write about smuggler!ben and his smug attitude. special thanks to @crucifiedfaerie for letting me gush over this idea constantly in our dms <3

you never had the stomach for killing— the thought of it or the act itself. the notion of ending someone's life has always been abhorrent to you, leaving a sour sensation in your mouth that lingers long after the deed is done. but right now, you sit, filled with a growing and seemingly unstoppable rage that practically demands blood.

"don't even think about jumping into hyperspace, solo!" your voice is loud but erratic.

the black-haired man piloting the ship gives you a side eye, "and waste hours getting there? sure thing, kid."

you grip the co-pilot seat as hard as possible as he sends the absolutely geriatric ship into lightspeed. the force of it sends your head back onto the headrest, and you screw your eyes shut until the motion of the ship stills.

you've been flying with ben solo on the millennium falcon for a day and a half now, and this isn't even the first time you've wanted to kill him.

no, you'd harbored a hatred for ben solo for as long as you could remember. when you were little your father frequently left you in the care of the organa-solo's. any trip too risky for you to follow him on had you spending time on chandrila han and leia— and ben.

he was a few years older than you and so insufferable - spoiled rotten and full of mischief. the two of you would inevitably end up in scuffles over something, whether it be who got to shower first or which holovid show to watch. you often wondered how your father, han, or leia had managed to handle both of you. a hardheaded pair of troublemakers that needed little excuse to start bickering with one another.

but beneath it all, there had been another layer to your complex relationship with ben solo. even though you feigned anger whenever near him, deep down there had been an admiration growing since those early days spent together. your naive heart fluttered when he would absentmindedly flash his ever-present smirk in your direction. but you'd never admit or act upon any such feelings.

naviagting your crush had been difficult at first. especially having lando calrissian as a parent. you were forced to spend weeks around the source of your teen angst because of your father.

what use is a dad that can sweet-talk a jablogian if he can't fix your unwanted crush on his best friend's son.

you've cursed at his image in your mind every time you look at your ridiculous companion. if not for him, you wouldn't be with ben right now— you'd have never had the displeasure of his company.

you got away from the young solo, and most everyone else, for a good five years, hopping from planet to planet, picking up any honest work. which usually meant boring work— factory jobs, service stuff, a few instances of babysitting.

your life without ben solo is predictable and a little boring.

but you'd rather be bored than deal with the recklessness that becomes your life every time you see the smuggler.

but here you sit beside him, forced to spend an unknown amount of days with him until the both of you find your idiotic fathers.

you had gotten a rouge comm-link message from your dad just days ago. he sounded fine, voice still leisurely and warm, but it was his words that were worrisome, "han's got us in a bit of trouble, little star. would you mind coming to help your old man out? we're somewhere in the trilon sector— i'd try batuu first!"

when you got the message, your mind had gone into autopilot. you had rushed to comm leia, which had been a fatal mistake, as she had ordered her son to pick you up and accompany you. so now you're here, stuck with ben solo and his frightening flying.

"you know, dad should have warned me i'd be flying with a coward." ben's lips are curved into a grin, as usual with his teasing.

you whip your head in his direction, eyes ablaze, "well my father should have warned me that you've gotten even more annoying, somehow."

ben narrows his eyes, a stupid smirk still plastered to his face, "whatever you say, kid."

you feel your blood go hot, why he decided to start calling you kid, you didn't know, but you do know you hate it.

ben's barely your senior, only twenty-three years of age in comparison to your twenty. besides he behaves like an out-of-hand teen away.

"stop calling me that." you groan.

ben chuckles, "aw, what's the matter, kid? tired of following orders already?"

you grit your teeth, the way he talks down to you will forever get under your skin, "i don't take orders from you, solo."

"sure you do. you're on my ship, remember?" ben retorts, his eyes focused on the coordinates displayed to his left.

you cross your arms over your chest, "we're supposed to be working together to find han and my father and get them out of trouble, not bickering like children."

ben rolls his eyes, "it's not my fault you're so uptight."

you take a deep breath, trying to calm yourself down. you can't afford to lose your temper and start a fight, not when you're relying on him to get you to your destination safely. so, you force a smile, "look, can we just be civil? we're both here because we care about our dads and want to help them."

ben's expression softens a little, "fine. but if you start nagging at me again, i can't promise i won't call you kid."

you roll your eyes, "deal. now, can you tell me more about what's going on? my dad was pretty vague in his message."

ben hums, "same with mine. all i know is that lando got mixed up in some kind of shady deal, and now he's in trouble with a gang of criminals called the ninth sun. my mom's been trying to negotiate with them, but they're not ones to bend the knee."

you groan, "of course not. what's the plan?"

he shakes a stray black strand of hair from his eye, "no plan, just find them and go from there."

"lovely, that's totally going to work," you bite your lip, "oh and, it was han who made the sketch deal, not my dad."

ben shrugs, "and who told you that?" he rests his elbow on the armrest and brings his hand to his chin, "lando?"

you clench your fists, "let's just focus on finding them. no need to dwell on the semantics."

ben glances at you and for a moment, you swear there's a flicker of something in his eyes. something other than his usual teasing, mischievous demeanor, but it's gone as quickly as it came and he turns back to the console.

the ship hums steadily beneath you, and the silence between you two stretches on, broken only by the occasional beep from the controls. you fidget in your seat, uncomfortable with the unfamiliar hush. you've never been around ben so long without saying anything, and you're about to speak up before he interrupts you.

"we'll have to make a pit stop, i need to refuel." his voice sounds tired.

you nod, "alright. any nearby planets we can stop at?"

ben checks the navicomputer, "yeah, there's one a couple of light years away. i've been there before, it's not too bad."

"okay solo, lead the way." you say, leaning back in your seat.

as he pilots the ship toward the destination, you can't help but study him from the corner of your eye. he's changed since the last time you saw him. the boy who used to pull your hair and steal your toys has grown into a man. he's lean and toned with longer hair, still as sable black as ever. it falls into his eyes, despite how much he wills it not to, giving him a slightly disheveled look that you can't help but find attractive.

you rue the thoughts plaguing your own mind.

the embarrassment you used to feel over your crush has come back ten-fold. the feeling shocks you. he's trying to act all suave and mature, but you know deep down that he's still the same old ben who annoyed the life out of you. you can feel the familiar tug in your heart every time he speaks, and you know he can't have changed much over the years. not when he's making you feel just like you're fourteen again.

but there is something different about him now. maybe it's the way he pilots the ship with ease– no longer the boy who'd cover his ears ar take off, or maybe it's just the way his muscles flex under his tight-fitting shirt. he's almost mesmerizing.

it's clear that he's been doing this for a long time, navigating the stars all alone with nothing but his shitty attitude and perfect hair. you find yourself marveling over him, sure and smooth, his hands deftly moving over the controls.

ever the realist, you try to shake off the feeling, but it's proving difficult. you feel a strange urge to preserve your current addiction.

as you watch him fly, you feel a fixation building within you. it's a sentiment you haven't felt in years, not felt since the last time you saw him.

you try to push the feeling down, knowing that it's not the time to have those kinds of thoughts. you're supposed to be focused on finding your fathers and not getting killed by some lethal syndicate, not lusting after your childhood nemesis.

you feel wrong stealing glances at him, trying to understand what's changed and why you're feeling this way. you're towing a dangerous, line. especially if those feelings are inspired by ben organa-solo.

finally, after what feels like hours, you arrive at the refueling station. as soon as ben lands the ship, you stretch your legs inside the falcon, looking out at the new scenery. the planet is bathed in the evening light, and the scene around you is wide awake. the station itself is a bustling hub of activity, with all kinds of alien species milling about.

ben leads the way to the fueling station, where he begins filling up the ship's tanks. you stand by the ship's entrance, people-watching. your eyes find ben's figure again, and you let them stall. when he looks your way, you advert your gaze and step out of the falcon, swiftly approaching him.

the evening air is cool as it hits your skin. this planet is a strange one, with vibrant purple plants and thick, white fog swirling around. but you don't pay too much attention to it, your eyes are locked on ben.

he's leaning against the ship, checking over the fuel meter with a frown on his face. you walk over to him and clear your throat, expecting to get his attention.

he looks up at you, eyes meeting your own. you feel your heart skip a beat, and you curse yourself for being soft for him.

"you know, you didn't have to follow me out here." he mumbles, hand coming to brush the hair from his eyes.

you hum, "i didn't have anything better to do."

he ignores you and looks back at the fuel gauge, his eyebrows furrow, "i found something for you to do." his voice is monotone, but you're all too familiar with the subtle cut of annoyance within.

"what does that mean?" you own voice comes out a bit too anxious.

ben groans before looking at you, "one of the damn tanks has a leak— i told chewie to fix that weeks ago." he follows up his words with a few curses before kicking the faulty gas tank.

you roll your eyes, "can't we just get another one? i'm sure if we go inside someone would know where we could get another one."

"the problem isn't finding one," he tsks at you, "the problem is that this tank has been leaking fuel into the beacon finder. without that, we're never finding our dear old dads."

your heart sinks. you had been so sure that you would find your dad quickly, but now it looks like that might not be the case. "so, what do you suggest we do?" you ask, crossing your arms over your chest.

"i'll have to fix the beacon," he sighs, "luckily i have the tools for it, but i need to find one more part, and with the sun setting soon…" he trails off, letting his silence complete the sentence for him.

you take in a deep breath at his implication. you can tell what he is suggesting without explicitly stating it.

you will be stuck on this planet with him tonight and forced to share the same cramped room. you thank god for separate cots, at least.

you try to ignore the warmth creeping up your ears, but you know that it's a losing battle. you haven't shared a room with ben solo since you were kids, endless unwilling sleepovers at each other's houses. but those instances were filled with innocent pranks and arguments, not the tension and longing glances you've found yourself giving him.

"alright," you say, trying to keep your voice even, "we'll just get the part and fix the beacon. the faster we fix this, the faster we can find our fathers and get back to our lives." you move towards the entrance of the fueling station, wanting to put space between you and ben.

"you mean so you can get back to your life." he calls out to you, and you look back at him only to be met with contempt in his brown eyes, "the one where you avoid me."

you give him a sharp eye roll before making your way toward a small gaggle of vendors, much more interested in finding this part. ben follows closely behind you, and you can feel the weight of his stare on the back of your head.

you're at a loss as to why ben solo would ever care that you've been avoiding him for the last five years. the ben you remember would've never batted an eye. when did that change?

you find a vendor selling the part that ben needs, and you both split the payment before heading back to the falcon. ben sets to work on the beacon, and you sit nearby, supposedly looking over the coordinates but mostly watching him work.

there's an abnormal sense of calm that fills you as you watch him. concentration is etched on his face, lips bitten bright red. you can't help but admire him, not for the sake of not trying.

you're brought back to reality when he starts cursing under his breath, "what's wrong?" you ask, moving closer to him.

"this damn thing won't budge," he grunts, trying to pry apart two pieces of the beacon.

you move to his side, peering down at the device. his breath is hot on your cheek, and you feel an urge to shiver. trying to focus on the task at hand you take a few breaths.

your eyes keep drifting to his lips, the way they move when he curses. you shake your head, trying to clear the inappropriate thoughts from your mind. "let me help," you offer, reaching for one of the tools he's using.

he hands it to you, and you lean in closer, your sides pressed together as you work the tool. you can feel his heat exuding into you, a warmth that isn't just from the planet's humid air. you try to focus, but it's becoming increasingly difficult. every time he moves, you catch a whiff of his scent, musky and rich, and your mind starts to wander to places it shouldn't.

finally, after what feels like an eternity, the piece pops free, and ben lets out a sigh of relief. he turns to you, a small smile on his face, and you can't help but smile back. his eyes lock onto yours, and suddenly, the air between you is charged with something foreign.

you let your tone come out sardonic, "looks like i saved the day. you're welcome, solo."

ben tilts his head, eyes narrowing, "you're a brat, kid."

"i thought i told you to stop calling me that." you want to hit him.

"i said i had a condition," he pauses, arms coming to either side of you, palms pressing into the falcon's floor, effectively trapping you against him, "a condition you just broke. so you're back to kid, kid."

you feel your resolve slipping, "you're the worst. you always have been, and i can see now that will never change."

he has the audacity to let out an amused breath, "if you're going to say shit like that, at least mean it."

your brows furrow, "pardon me? as if i don't mean that."

his hands creep from the ground and to your hips, you gasp as he pulls you in closer. if he were anyone else, you'd expect him to kiss you next, but he's not anyone else. so instead, he cranes down and whispers in your ear, his breath hot against your skin. "i know you want me," he growls, his fingers digging into your clothed flesh. "don't act like you don't,"

you're completely caught off guard, and before you can respond, he's pulling away from you and grabbing the beacon. you watch in silent horror as he makes for the falcon's exit, leaving you confused on the floor.

you sit there, rooted to the spot, your mind and body in turmoil. you know if you follow him you'd just be throwing yourself into a petty or embarrassing altercation.

what did he mean by that anyway? how could he possibly know?

taking a steadying breath, you turn away from your seat and make for the other side of the ship. you need to keep yourself busy until nighttime, and you know that there's some maintenance to do on one of the storage bays. when you get there, however, it's already been taken care of. your fists clench in frustration as you realize ben must have done it earlier.

you start searching around the ship for any other tasks that might help keep your mind off things and pass the time more quickly- checking cords, tidying up shelves or going through supplies lists so nothing gets low.

the hours seem to stretch on endlessly despite how much work you manage to do, and all too soon darkness begins to fill the sky outside of the cockpit windows. with a heavy sigh, you head back towards where you and ben had been working earlier. he's back now, tinkering away with the beacon as if nothing had ever happened between the two of you earlier— as if his words hadn't sent a tremble down your spine and confused the emotions tumbling through your mind.

you catch an expectant glance from him when he finally notices your presence. you're sure he's expecting you to say something to him. maybe he wants you to yell.

you don't say anything though, instead offering only a terse nod before checking the endless cords around you.

your fingers move quickly and expertly over the tangled cords, your mind too preoccupied to focus on anything else. but you can feel his gaze on you, burning through the back of your skull like a branding iron. his presence is suffocating and you know that if you don't get a handle on your emotions soon, you'll combust.

eventually, you're so lost in thought that you almost miss the soft footfalls approaching you. you turn to see ben standing beside you, his eyes locked onto yours. the air between you is thick with strain, unspoken words, and feelings. there are so many things you want to say to him, but you don't know where to begin.

"so," his voice breaks through the silence like a blaster shot. "when are we going to talk about it?"

you hear the depth in his baritone voice and it's all you can do to keep your face neutral, your thoughts collected, "talk about what?" you ask, even though you know perfectly well what he's referring to.

"about me and you," he says, voice low but insistent, "or we can just keep ignoring it. the tension seems to be getting us pretty far."

your expression shifts as you take in his words, the longing that had been coiled in so tightly before now coming to the surface. you can feel yourself flustering under the intensity of his watch but you refuse to look away, instead lifting your chin higher and narrowing your eyes.

"there is no us, solo," you say firmly, though your voice is riddled with a hint of something else entirely, "there never has been, and never will be."

ben seems unfazed by your words, his eyes steady and intense. "you say that," he says, his voice softening. "but i know you better than anyone else. and i know there's some part of you that actually likes me. i bet it pisses you off, doesn't it?"

he's right— it does piss you off that your heart can't seem to let him go. no matter how annoying you find him, he's beautiful and confident. and he does know you better than anyone. he knows what buttons to press and how hard. with ben, there's always the thrill of how perceptive he is— that he can see through the walls of anger and indifference you try so hard to build up around yourself.

you can feel your will crumbling under his words, your heart throbbing in your chest, but still, you push back, "even if there is something there, solo," you say, your voice shaking slightly, "it doesn't change anything. we're two different people living two very different lives."

ben smirks, "you don't know anything about my life."

you let your eyes roll, "as if the life you lead is some kind of mystery," you take a deep breath, "i mean, what's to know? you fly alone, smuggle, and rack up credits. that's your life, solo."

he hums, right hand finding a home beside your head on the wall, "you know me so well, kid. you should write a book."

you feel inexplicably hot, "maybe i will. a long book of all the reasons you piss me off."

he doesn't respond, just looks down at you for an uncomfortable amount of time. he pushes himself from the wall and you, twisting and letting his back hit the durasteel wall. his face is turned to you, eyes downcast.

"you know," he says finally, breaking the silence, "i remember when we were kids, it was always you who used to be the one to instigate. you probably don't remember it that way, but i do, and i loved it. you never hesitated. you were fearless."

you look at him incredulously, wondering what this has to do with anything. but he continues, "you were the only girl that would play with me, and not just that, the only one that could beat me. but then one day you just stopped. you ignored me completely."

you stiffen, unwilling to admit even through body language that he might be right. a pre-teen you found avoiding your ben sized crush the most viable option. you just never thought he'd care.

he continues, eyes unwavering from yours, "you used to look at me like i was the only person that mattered. and then, you just stopped. it's was like… like you had something to hide."

it's like he can read your mind because he reaches out and grasps your wrist in his hand. his touch is nice against your skin, sending a comfortable feel through your veins.

"i miss you, the girl who wasn't afraid of liking me," he whispers, his voice low and husky. "and i want you to admit that you miss me too."

you struggle to find words, to make sense of everything inside of you, but before you can speak, his lips are on yours. his kiss is hot and demanding, and instinctively lean into him, body melting against his in perfect harmony. his hands slide around your waist and hold you close as the kiss deepens, and you can feel all of the frustrations of the past slipping away. when he finally pulls back, his eyes are bright with emotion and a hint of a smile graces his lips.

he looks down at you for a moment before speaking in a low voice, "you want me to do that again?" he steps closer to you and cups your face in his hands, his eyes twinkling with amusement. you can feel the warmth radiating from his body and if it weren't for his strong arms around you, you would have melted into a puddle.

you nod slowly in agreement, too lost in the moment to say anything else. he leans down and brushes his lips against your cheek before pulling away completely, "then be honest. right here, right now. you like me."

you screw your eyes shut, basking in the shame of being found out, "i like you, solo. i like you a lot, but if you don't get off your pedestal and kiss me again i'll withdraw the opportunity."

he gazes down at you with an expression that's tender yet mischievous all at once. "i like you too," he whispers before chuckling lightly, you open your eyes to see.

his dimples are on full display, and for a second, he's the spirit of the little brat you fell in love with all those years ago. "c'mere, kid." his voice is soft as he pulls you back into him, lips meeting yours.

[oct0bra1ns]

Just did my nails and in the hour it took I thought of this so do with it as u please

I don’t know if you’ve ever done anything like this

But like any type of yandere monster recreating your house/ room perfectly and then bringing you there and their super happy bout it and like ‘look what I made! Don’t you just love it? 😊😊”

like a demon? Omgmgmg or some hot vers of boogie man

idk tbh I have a lot of ideas I’m just trying to give u som of my mind

like summoning a demon bc why not? A bitch was bored 🌝 and it’s all scary and shit and you’re just totally chill, “hey man, didn’t mean to summon you- you wanna just like? I don’t know…go back to hell?” And the demon is obv offended

so it follows u around menacingly and yeah

ur his now ❤️

anyways do with this as u please 💕💕 I love ur writing sm btw, I hope the food u eat always taste good and yr pillows are cold on both sides!

Pairing: Yandere Monster x reader Tw: manipulation, mentions of bringing harm to others , yanderes, notes: big brain, the best ideas always come when you're doing your nails tbh and THANK YOU, I HOPE THE YEAR GOES AMAZING FOR YOU. reblogs and comments are appreciated!

CONSIDER, the monster had already been admiring you for a while now, taking note of the style you wear, the food you eat, and trying to find what kind of house you'd like so all these things could add up as a plus point when you finally summon him.

Yandere monster who wastes no time in trying to get you to come home with him but the moment you ask him to go back sheepishly, he gives you such an offended looking, asking you what he lacks for you to try to send him away.

Eventually, he gets you to let him stay, allowing to choose whether you want to stay here or go back with him, either way, he'd making sure you lack nothing and are well looked after. He takes pride in knowing your tastes and admires the way your face lights up when you see what he's done for you.

If you choose to stay here, he changes his appearance to fit the standards of the humans whenever outside but in the house, he has no problem flaunting the markings on his skin and horns. To fit in, he uses his influence and power to build up a company from the ground, one where signing a contract with him means selling your soul for success.

He isn't concerned with competition, all he cares about his making sure you're well taken care of but do not mistake this for him being laid back, he's always at your side at parties or anyplace you go to keep other pests away from you, any idiot who dares to approach you will become bankrupt and deal with many things they've been trying to hide or they will be caught in an unfortunate accident.

If you choose to go back to his realm, the way your spoiled only amps up, being from one of the most influential families back home, you've basically become royalty. Of course, his people are not so accepting at first but seeing as he ranks way over them, they keep quiet, his family on the other hand will adore you, admiring the chaos you bring along with being their son's partner.

Always at his side in every event, not as an object to be admired but as his partner and equal and anyone who tries to approach him about how you make an excellent pet will be made an example of what not to do.

Loves picking out clothes for you that are from his realm, tailoring them to fit you perfectly and making sure that above anything else, you love the way it looks.

Any freedom you had back in the world is basically gone in his world, the people here are horrible, you never know when they'll decide to change their mind and try to show off.

octo notes:hmm, thinking of naming him deimos :p

[nutcasewithaknife]

I've been obsessed with Jiang Cheng since halfway through my first watch of cql, and here's why. He always keeps doing better than I expect him to.

(wow, this got long. rest is under the cut!)

He's introduced as the brother-killer, the ruthless sect leader with a reputation for being merciless. Then cut to the flashback, a Jiang Cheng who is fifteen, surrounded by his sister and brother and happy about it, occasionally doing stupid teenager things, trying so very hard to be Ideal Heir, while Wei Wuxian is the prodigy that keeps stealing his thunder effortlessly. And you go, "oh, I know this story. It's a tragedy, because these brothers loved each other once, but one's ambition will eventually breed jealousy which will fester into hate and end, tragically, in the death of the better half." It's Cain and Abel! You've seen how it ends, it's the first scene you see, of course that's where it's going!

And then you see how the three siblings help each other survive a frankly horrible and abusive household. They try to do for each other what their parents couldn't; Yanli tries to be their mother, Jiang Cheng doesn't believe the rumours about Wei Wuxian being jfm's illegitimate son or hold it against him as he very easily could've learnt to from his mother, and Wei Wuxian does his darned best to get jfm to acknowledge and love his son as he does for Wei Wuxian.

You keep waiting for the other shoe to drop!! Yunmeng burns, Jiang Cheng chokes his brother in the rain, and you think this is it, this is where it finally breaks. But he sticks with his brother and sister, he makes some stupid decisions in his grief and pays dearly for it. When he wakes up without a core he is broken, his 'ambition' is destroyed, and you remember him choke his brother and think this is it, and then... it isn't. Other than the one grieving rant in the rain, he never blames his brother for their loss, never demands that he fix it all. When Wei Wuxian does come with a solution, Jiang Cheng doesn't act like it's something he was owed. It's his brother, his brilliant genius brother, who miraculously fixed this impossible thing! He's the most Jiang of them all, of course he achieved the impossible!

And then he's the young sect leader in a bloody war, needing to win, needing to prove his worth and his sect's worth at every turn. This is where he becomes the ruthless, powerful man we meet in the first few episodes! Only.... he finds Wen Qing, who is the enemy in the eyes of the Jianghu, and offers to protect her (only her because he knows his limits, he can't protect all her people and his own, and his duty to his sect is first). He goes looking for his brother, months on end, haggard to the bone.

Then Wei Wuxian shows up wielding a power that's the worst taboo in their world, a power frighteningly similar to the power-drunk villain that they war is being waged against! He's doing unspeakable things, terrible torture in the name of revenge! Ah, so this is what it finally is! The moment they finally fall out for good, where Jiang Cheng cannot abide to tarnish his sect's reputation with Wei Wuxian's, and their love turns to hate.

But.... Jiang Cheng sees what he's done, and the first thing he does is to hug him tight. He asks about Wei Wuxian not carrying his sword, but even after the diplomatic nightmare of a war council, Jiang Cheng is just worrying. It's the most open, the most honest we've seen him so far, and he is concerned for his brother. He shuts it down when Jin Zixun tries to pick a fight. He takes responsibility for the person everyone's wary of, because that's his brother and he trusts him! He's hiding things, yes, but one day he will be ready to talk and Jiang Cheng will wait till then.

Then the war's won (by Wei Wuxian, of course!) and he has a sect to rebuild. And his brother is not at his side. First he's slacking off and drinking around town, then he runs away with the Wens to the Burial Mounds. It's terrible for the sect's and Jiang Cheng's own precarious position in Jianghu. Surely, this is the last thread of Jiang Cheng's love for his brother, the beginning of the man we were introduced to? But it's fucking not! Yes, he's frustrated. Yes, he's mad. And yet, he doesn't force his sister into a diplomatically advantageous marriage (which I strongly believe is the bare minimum of being a decent human being, but is something that wouldn't have been a questionable or dishonourable thing for him to do in the culture and world this story is set in) because she is not a pawn and he respects her choice above the politics! He tries to defend his First Disciple, his brother, and is overshadowed by much more powerful leaders who are bigoted and/or afraid of his power. And when it all goes to shit, they fight! This is the end of it, surely? But no! It's all fake! They fight, make up a lie about how the Yunmeng Jiang has supressed Wei Wuxian and his Wens in the Burial Mounds so they can live without being under attack for however long, and then have shady meetups to discuss their nephew's name!!

In the carnage of Nightless City, their sister dies at his hands, and the horrible realisation dawns that this is what pushes them over the brink, literally. And then!! AND THEN!!!!! EVEN THEN IT WASN'T ENOUGH FOR HIM TO KILL HIS BROTHER!!! The first scene was a lie, WEI WUXIAN HAD TO THROW HIMSELF OFF!!!!!! And when he's finally back, what does Jiang Cheng do? Kill him? ban him from ever returning to their home? No! He wants to drag him back home and make him apologise, explain himself!!

A lot of this is very focused on the brothers, but even outside of that, Jiang Cheng keeps subverting the expectations that the story builds for him right in the beginning. For all the talks of 'disciplining' his nephew (which could unquestionably entail some form of corporal punishment, as we see in other parts of the story) and the childhood Jiang Cheng himself had, the idea of his Jiujiu raising his hand against him is unthinkable to the point of incredulity for Jin Ling. When Jin Ling has his breakdown over Suihua on the Lotus Pier docks, I was full bracing myself for Jiang Cheng to yell at him for crying in public without any shame or dignity, but what does he do? Calls his nephew to his side and demands to know who made him cry, so he can fucking wreck them for daring to do that! He has a mere day to process the Golden Core reveal, and after all the yelling, he actually apologises to his brother!!

Then, in the mother of all sucker-punch moments, we find out that the one grief-riddled, frustrating moment of apparent stupidity whose domino effect this entire thing has been, was in fact Jiang Cheng willingly sacrificing himself, sect be damned, to save his brother and sister. And like!! How do you have such a character who simultaneously is and is not what he seems to be!!!

I (and a lot of the audience) immediately played into the simple brotherhood-destroyed-by-jealousy plot that it seems to be at first, but that's the intention! The entire story keeps showing how misleading, how vicious rumours can be and how horribly it can affect who someone is in the eyes of society. We see this happen in the story, of course, but the narrative also relies on the audience to make the same mistake, to take the tropes that seem obviously implied at the start, and then unravels the true complexity of the story as it moves forward. We got played by the narrative and it was so worth it!! Wei Wuxian is the prime example, of course, but cql (and mdzs from what I gather, though I haven't read the books) does it with such nuance and brilliance for Jiang Cheng, how do you not immediately lose your entire mind about it for the rest of forever!!!!!

[rpstartersinc]

* 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐊𝐈𝐋𝐋𝐄𝐑 ( 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟑. )

feel free to change pronouns / wording!

" it's amazing how physically exhausting it can be to do nothing. "

" if you are unable to endure boredom, this work is not for you. "

" i am what i am. "

" i'm not exceptional, i'm just a part. "

" consider yourself lucky if our paths never cross. "

" luck isn't real, nor is karma, or sadly - justice. "

" one is born, lives their life and eventually, one dies. "

" most people refuse to believe that the great beyond is no more than a cold, infinite void. "

" avoid being seen, which is impossible in the twenty-first century, so at least avoid being memorable. "

" keep calm, keep moving. "

" it's a dog-eat-dog world. "

" every man for himself. "

" kill or be killed. "

" survival of the fittest, isn't it all just human nature? "

" it's the idle hours that most often lead a man to ruin. "

" i'm aided and abetted by law enforcement fatigue. "

" vigilance is essential, even the most disciplined mind can become weary, impatient, hurried, sloppy. "

" i find music a useful distraction. "

" i'm not here to take sides. "

" it's not my place to formulate any opinion. "

" no one who can afford me needs to waste time winning me to some cause. "

" i serve no god or country. "

" if i'm effective, it's because of one simple fact - i don't give a fuck. "

" each and every step of the way, ask yourself - what's in it for me? "

" you've done what you can do. "

" calm, breathe. "

" obviously it's a fucking problem to say the least. "

" there were two of them. "

" i've learned not to pry. "

" i was so afraid, afraid i might say something. "

" you'd have been proud, i was strong. "

" i don't know who they are, don't wanna know who you are either. "

" care to explain yourself? "

" who do you think you're trying to intimidate? "

" i need that information, and you are running outta time. "

" need any help getting rid of that body? "

" i'm not a bad person. "

" hope they're not planning a sleepover. "

" how's 'i don't give a fuck' going? "

" fight only the battle you're paid to fight. "

" you picked the wrong house, motherfucker. "

" it's common knowledge when a female is found slain, the prime suspect is always the husband or boyfriend. "

" well, maybe not common knowledge. "

" i've been so good for so long. "

" tell me he went horribly. "

" you would be very impolite to refuse to join in my last supper. "

" afraid it's tainted? "

" what happened to her, i had no part in. "

" i objected to his methods and i told him so. "

" it's nothing personal. "

" we've all had to work through the occasional civilian who's stood between eyes and the prize. "

" i was surprised at what i was capable of. "

" how easy it was. "

" i assured myself there were some things i would never do. "

" less you know, the better. "

" one man's cruelty is another man's pragmatism. "

" you're here because you couldn't help yourself. "

" you expected to sit across from me and feel nothing but reassured. "

" how is it possible? having prepared myself for this moment for so long, i have failed to believe that it would ever arrive. "

" i wouldn't wish it on my worst enemy, who, come to think of it, at this moment, is you. "

" you'll remember our conversation. "

" help a girl out, won't you? "

" trust no one. "

" this is what it takes, if you want to succeed. "

" good enough for james bond. "

" i told you this, and you don't listen to me. "

" once i see his eyes, i'll have a pretty good idea of how this is gonna go. "

" i'm not going to be disappointed in you. "

" i came to show you how easily one might get to you. "

" do you and i have a problem? "

" nobody's perfect. "

" the need to feel secure, it's a slippery slope. "

" fate is a placebo. "

" maybe you're not one of the few. "

[dreadsuitsamus]

The Love You Gave | Vegeta x Reader |

author's note: just a short lil fluffy fic 🩷

pairing: vegeta x fem!reader

warnings: none, just fluff

Romance.

It's all around as you journey home from the grocery store, the air filled with perfumes and colognes as the couples do their best to impress. Your eyes glance over at just the right time as a man falls to his knee before his partner, and the emphatic wails of unity ring out as you continue stepping by the café.

Wishing out a call of congratulations, you resume the steady pace of your walk home. It's a good thing your paper bag isn't particularly heavy— you only needed a few things to complete tonight's dinner, and thankfully your rumbly tummy didn't convince your hands to pick up the extra snacks you passed on by.

There's a wait at the crosswalk and you're anything but able to resist people watching while the cars speed freely down the road. One pair in particular stands out as the light turns, the hotrod red car's top down exposing all of their horrible singing to the world. And yet they have zero cares for the minds of strangers like you as they belt out a Jonas Brothers tune. Smiling, your signal to cross lights up and you and your gaggle of strangers that piled up at the stop quickly cross the hot pavement.

Your mind wanders to the comments you've heard several times over the years. Your partner isn't much of a romantic, is he? No, absolutely not... But the idea that a man who brings you flowers has any more merit than the man that's waiting for you at home is nonsense.

Could the typical man bringing you flowers die for you and live to tell the tale?

The gentle curvature of your lips upon seeing your lovely little home matches the light in your eye when you see movement by the open window. Vegeta certainly sat there the entire fifteen minutes you were gone, surely cursing himself for not going with you. But someone had to stay at home while the oven is on, and your husband has become much too picky on produce— he still can't live down your teasing from the last time he took your little list to the local shop and returned over an hour later with absolutely pristine offerings.

The dichotomies of his royal upbringing and his feral biology make for a good little laugh sometimes.

Vegeta's halfway down the stone path from the door by the time you are, and though the bag is about as light as air he takes it anyway, tucking it into the crook of his elbow and giving you the chance to step before him and trek into the house. The smells of dinner greet you and Vegeta's already prepped the island with utensils to chop a fresh salad— which he's gearing up to prepare as he fishes the fresh head of lettuce from the grocery bag.

The sounds of his knife hitting the cutting board serve as light ambience in conjunction with the sauce's simmer from the opened oven door as you check on the homemade flatbread pizza you made together. Vegeta isn't much in the kitchen, but those muscles are just as made for kneading dough as they are for punching out his enemies, you think as you fondly recall the way his biceps flexed and his eyebrows furrowed, so deep in concentration his lips pulled into a pout.

"Just about done." You hum softly and close the door back up, turning around to witness your husband wiping his hands free of little bits of lettuce.

"Smells good." He murmurs deeply, muted as ever as he adds the tomatoes and other salad components into the bowl. Tossing it expertly, Vegeta plates your portions while you handle the pizza side of things, the barbecue sauce and chicken sizzling deliciously loud and your watering mouth craves a satisfying bite at the crunchy sound as you slice the pizza.

The homemade pizza sits between your plates, the even rectangular slices a particularly satisfying sight in the midst of your dinner table. The man sitting and calmly allowing you to snap a photo for social media is even more beautiful an image, and the tinge of red dusting his cheekbones when you kiss his temple fails to hide as he munches the first bite of his salad.

He's no bleeding heart romantic, though you'd prefer nothing else than this.

[tetsunabouquet]

Hello, I read your red dress Zero fic and I am IN LOVE with it! If you have time can you please do an NSFW hc for both Zero & Ichiru in a bodyguard au please? 😁

A/N: Sure! I am glad my fic is getting appreciated! I hope you'll enjoy my future Ichiru version too! Considering both Ichiru and Zero (in that horrible light novel) have been bodyguards, I will be writing each AUs with traces of their original bodyguard arcs

Zero:

-The most difficult to seduce out of the two. He is too much of a gentleman and would absolutely cover his eyes whenever he saw you naked for a long time. -He is as gracious as he is competent. Even tasks that other servants could have done for you, like fluffing up your pillows, are things he will do to take care of you. He'll claim he's searching for potential bombs amongst your furniture, but really he just wants to take care of you because he fell in love with you over the course of serving you. -The way you become a couple isn't anything steamy either. He protected you from a bombing and feeling super vulnerable he finally caves into you and sleeps with you for the night to make you feel secure. He acknowledges your mutual attraction by kissing you goodnight ever so sweetly. -If you had a stressful meeting, Zero is the one who knows how to fuck the stress out of you and make you forget your own name. You drift off in bliss in his arms, and he loves seeing you fall asleep against him with the creampie still leaking out of you. -Zero loves seeing the powerful woman that you are come undone because of him and his touch. Just thinking about it gets him a little hard. -He especially enjoys being granted the privilige of marking your neck with his bites and kisses. -Sometimes he'll mark you on more intimate places too, such as your thighs and compliment you on how pretty you look being littered with hickeys and bitemarks.

Ichiru:

-At first he thought you were playing him with the flirty act but once he realized you had caught genuine feelings for him this man threw all his reservations out of the window with a steamy kiss. -He amuses you often by roasting the people you've met at bussiness meetings behind their backs. -Whenever you are done with a very stressful one, this man will not wait until you're home, no. He'll eat you out in the car right away with the driver being so kind to shut the blinds. -Ichiru enjoys everyone being able to hear you are his mistress AND lover. -He'll never stop calling you 'my Lady' or using the suffix -sama. If anything that adds to the turn on for him. -Ichiru loves having you on top of him too and enjoys seeing his mistress ride on his cock. -When it comes to marking, he is like his brother inverse. He loves it when you give him hickeys or lovebites. He enjoys feeling your mouth caress and suck on his body, marking him as your personal toy.

[supersoakerfullofblood]

Plot Twists Aren't Real: Defining "Agency"

People get into writing because they want to write cool things, and one of the coolest things in the eyes of the early writer is the "twist": twist ending, twist villain, etc. But twists only appear to exist; in strong writing, there are no twists. Let me explain.

If you've read some posts on my blog (which, thank you for the reception :)), you'll know I preach above all that character makes story, specifically character change. If Edmund wants something in the narrative, he will take an action towards that thing. That might lead to consequences or blessings that will cause him to make another action. More consequences or blessings, action, etc., until your story is done! All narratives are, at their core, cause and effect.

But obviously some stories are stronger than others (not in the sense of quality, since that word is subjective and nebulous, but in the sense of structure, how it holds up, its reliability), but how? It's about information. Think about the decisions you make in real life from a game theory perspective. In any moment, you can only make choices with the information you're given. If you want to get a pizza from the local pizzeria, and you're hungry, you will do that, and that will be a good choice. Similarly, if you want to get a pizza but you didn't know the pizzeria was staffed by murderers, you will still get the pizza, and even if you die, it will still have been a good decision, because you were working with the information you had.

Your characters can also only act on their own information. If your character wants a pizza and gets it, that's solid writing (albeit too bland), because it's solid cause and effect. If your character is killed by the secret pizzeria mob, that's poor writing. (Obviously there are exceptions: if it was a throwaway character designed to show the reader the pizzeria mob exists, for example.)

This is what people mean when they talk about characters who are "agents" in the story. A strong central character, a character with agency, is a character who makes decisions based on what they know and have. This doesn't mean they always make the best decision--and most of the best literature is filled with characters who make bad or mentally/emotionally/ethically gray decisions--it just means they're doing what we do as humans. But if your character operates on the best information they have and are still punished for it (ie. the pizzeria mob), they aren't an agent in the narrative, they are the narrative's victim. People don't want to read about victims; they want to read about characters who, by their actions, become victims.

Take maybe literature's most famous "victim" Oedipus, who has sex with his mom on accident. The story of Oedipus isn't him waking up one day, finding a beautiful woman, having sex with her, and then realizing it's his mother. It's a story of Oedipus making horrible decisions--killing a man, refusing to listen to people wiser than him--in order to sleep with this beautiful woman who happens to be his mother. The mom part isn't an accident in the narrative but the narrative punishment for Oedipus's horrible choices.

This is my summary of the idea, but hear it also from John Gardner in his book On Becoming a Novelist, a must-read if you haven't yet:

"Only the writer who has come to understand how difficult it is to tell a first-rate story--with no cheap manipulations, no breaks in the dream, no preening or self-consciousness--is able to appreciate fully the concept of 'generosity' in fiction. In the best fiction, plot is not a series of surprises but an increasingly moving series of recognitions, or moments of understanding. One of the most common mistakes among young writers (those who understand that fiction is storytelling) is that the story gets its power from withheld information--that is, from the writer's setting up the reader and then bushwhacking him. Ungenerous fiction is foremost fiction in which the writer is unwilling to take the reader as an equal partner." (Gardner 47-48) "The wise writer counts on the characters and plot for the story's power, not on tricks of withheld information, including withheld information at the end... In other words, the writer lays himself wide open, dancing on a high wire without a net. The writer is generous, too, in that, for all his mastery of technique, he introduces only those techniques useful to the story: he is the story's servant, not a donzel for whom the story serves as an excuse to show off pyrotechnics. This is not to say that he's indifferent to the value of performance. Those techniques he uses because the story needs them he uses brilliantly. He works entirely in the in the service of the story, but he works will class." (Gardner 50)

What we perceive as a twist occurs when both the reader and character have the information they need to understand the story, but by the writer's ingenuity, have been shied away from the truth. The best murder mysteries don't have twists but subversions. You as the reader are given everything you need to solve the crime but have trouble doing so because of the author's many tricks (probably the most common of these being a viewpoint character who comes to the wrong conclusions about the mystery. This is why so few detective stories are told from the perspective of the detective. SPOILERS FOR KNIVES OUT: Imagine if Knives Out was told from Benoit Blanc's perspective, who by his own admission uncovered the mystery early in his stay at the house, and not from Marta's perspective, who has all the right information but comes to the wrong conclusion that she killed Harlan Thrombey.)

So, as is usually the case, all strong writing comes down to characters and their choices. And strong choices are choices characters make based on the information presented to them. Strong consequences can only come in relation to the quality of these choices. If your character wants a pizza, don't give them the pizzeria mob. If your character kills a guy and refuses wise counsel, then yes, give him the pizzeria mob.

[nikiiwi]

baek kyung is horrible and that's what makes him great.

if you've fallen in love with him uncritically, looked past his toxic actions and chosen to ignore that he's a walking red flag, i am concerned. i hope that's not doing any bad things to your brain. but him being awful is what's so compelling about him. he's a great antagonist for the story he's in.

he's a narrative foil for almost everyone around him.

eun dan-oh knows that yeah, technically she's smarter than the characters who have yet to become self-aware. but she respects their autonomy, however scripted it may be, and treats everyone with kindness. she doesn't see herself as better or more important just because she knows better. baek kyung does. whether it's bravado or pretense or genuine disdain, he treats everyone who hasn't woken up even worse than he did before.

ha-ru is often concerned for eun dan-oh's wellbeing. he's scared for her. her condition could kill her and there's no way for anyone to know when that could happen. he loves her and he understands his place in this is to support her. he's willing to go along with any plan she has to save her own life. baek kyung is also scared. and he's turning that on dan-oh. he's blaming her, even when he seems to be softer about it. he does not know how to express love in a healthy way. when he decides to help, he spends his time pushing the idea of their relationship as a method to save her. no matter how many times she insists that isn't what she wants.

lee do-hwa is the second male lead of secret. he's more or less accepted this, no matter how it may hurt, because he loves his female lead enough to let her go. it's enough to be by her side, however she wants him there. even if she's always on his mind, she doesn't need to be his whole being. baek kyung cannot accept that he is the second male lead of eun dan-oh's life (which is stretching the definition honestly). maybe if he had, they would form a genuine friendship. instead he imposes himself on her relationship and on her life because he cannot cope with the idea that if given the choice, she wouldn't pick the guy who belittles her constantly.

he's an unfortunate example of "hurt people hurt people".

it doesn't matter if he's on stage or in the shadow. baek kyung's home life is always awful. there has to be something uniquely painful about the discovery that your actions, your life, your personhood, were entirely scripted for you, when that's already been your reality for so long anyway. there is a life outside of his life but it's really more of the same. being a fictional character makes sense. he was never allowed to be real. it still hurts.

for baek kyung, hating the manhwaga is just transference. his father has already done enough to prove to him that he's a pawn in someone else's game. he hates this man, he resents the pain he's put him through. but when the stage is set, he also is vying so hard for his father's approval. how much of that emotional dissonance is left when he's back in the shadow?

his life is unfair, he's not alone in that. but he may be the only one who's not being taught how to cope with it. there's a little clique that's formed around the shared self-awareness, and he rarely steps into it. they rarely reach out to pull him in. he probably has few tools to understand how to ask for help. he probably cannot figure out the kind of help he actually needs.

and it doesn't help that the manhwaga instilled him with the core emotions of loneliness and rage. feelings that are hard to overcome without a lot of support. it's so easy for it all to turn to self-hate as he continues to be just wretched to everyone around him. he's asked what makes him act like that when he has the choice not to and he can't answer. he probably can't process that it is a choice. it's one thing for him to be so harmful when he's not in control of his actions, but he can't understand why he's still like that when in the shadow. he doesn't know how to change.

he's not a monster, he's just a kid.

baek kyung does monstrous things. vile, even evil, things. but he is so broken, and confused, and misguided, and hurt. and none of that makes the things he does okay. dan-oh would be within her rights to never forgive him – either universe's version of him – for the things he did to her. but just like his pain can't erase the way he harms people, his actions don't erase the fear in him. if he touches his terminally ill girlfriend's hand for support, that kindness will kill her. it's not true, it's not rational, but it's a very real scar that no one around him has even recognized.

he doesn't really deserve forgiveness. but in the end, he's trying to do the right thing so he can earn it anyway. he makes a choice that is not only about letting go, but about breaking a cycle of violence. he hates his father and the manhwaga for treating him like a tool, he resents his step-family and his schoolmates for ignoring his pain. he uses dan-oh as a tool to vent his ire and frustration, then as a generator of hope that might quell his loneliness. and he hates himself for it. because he knows that it's not right for him to ignore the pain that self-aware dan-oh would be feeling...if he allowed ha-ru to bring her back.

he knows it's not right. he doesn't know how to fix it and still be happy. so he chooses not to be. which is the right choice. it's the selfless choice. it's an unfair choice. because he's just a hurt kid and his childhood friend/arranged fiancee/abuse victim shouldn't be his only ray of hope. she forgives him, she tells him she doesn't see him as the monster he thinks he is, she allows him to express an apology so he can start to heal.

all it takes for him to begin to see a life that he doesn't spend alone and hurt is for his brother to see him. for him to hear from someone close that they see his loneliness, and who he is without it, and they believe he deserves better. they're sorry they didn't help him have something better. all he needed was i see you, i love you, i'm sorry.

baek kyung is a violent, unstable, manipulative asshole.

baek kyung is a hurt, confused, scared child.

he is all of those things, and that is what makes him so fascinating. that is what makes him an excellent sympathetic villain. in a story about regaining autonomy and saving your own life, there could be few better redeemed antagonists than an abused child who learns to stop being abusive.

[stuffedsand]

Wahey milgram oc time my silly guya

013 - Shiratori Masaki

My boy

- 20

- prisoner number 013 (I slapped them into base milgram cuz I don't wanna make a whole new cast)

- to quote my own character notes: cringefail specimen of a man.

-- fun name thing! His first name means "true, hope" hehe

UNDERCOVER

"Under, oh so aware of all that you say

This makes me sick, so please, go away"

Votes (fabricated lmao)

T1 - INNOCENT

T2 - GUILTY

Songs of Prisoners

+T1 – what…what are you talking about?

+T2 – no…you-you’re lying!

Voice trailer (t1)

Oh uh… Shiratori Masaki, that's my name. 20, uni student. Uhh what else … oh, sorry if I forget anything, i, ah, my memory has never been any good

If I'm being honest…I don't know what the hell you're talking about! No one around me has died recently. At least…not as far as I can recall…

*Takai? Takai! Wake up! This isn't funny..!*

Voice trailer (t2)

Hi, Es-kun, how have you been? Ah, Shiratori Masaki. You didn't forget our deal, right?

*Shut up! I don't want to listen to you and your stupid problems anymore!*

Personality

-- a timid yet stubborn man. It is very difficult to change his opinions on things. Polite, but very quick to turn defensive if blame is turned on him.

He can be a prick at times.

Extra notes

-- a man with really bad memory loss. During T1 interro, he makes a deal that he'll take MILGRAM seriously if Es can tell him who his victim is. And he has to believe it

-- not mentioned but his memory loss is a trauma response. Dead bodies are traumatic I don't think that's a contraversial take

-- the indirect murderer of the pair

Full body:

Please note -- his ugly fucking shoes were not an accident he has a horrible fashion sense

014 - Akabane Kazuko

The She

-23

-prisoner number 014

-based off one of my multifandom ocs (and my favourite of the 2)

--fun name thing! Her name means "gentle/kind/harmonious child". 子 is also(apparantly) male specific. I have fun reasons for that

UNDERCOVER

(pardon the artstyle change this was done on my tablet instead of my computer and was. Rushed💀)

Under, I don't care if I'm in the right or wrong

Songs of prisoners

Full of malice, we will waltz to our doom

Votes (edit)

T1 - guilty

T2 - (?)

+t1 – let's get on with it, shall we?

+T2 – ...you're not very good at this.

T1 – voice trailer

Hello. I am Akabane Kazuko. 24. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, Warden.

I am interested in how all this will play out. But nothing will really change the impact of our actions. Remember that, Warden

* My final act… will take your breath away! *

T2 – voice trailer

Good day, Warden. Kazuko, you remember, yes? Seems your choices have caused quite the ruckus.

* You…You know what you've done! I'll make you pay for it!*

Personality

-- a calm and gentle woman. A showman at heart, she is elegant and loves performing magic tricks.

-- some are unsettled by her, but she does her best to be kind and friendly to those she speaks to

Extra notes:

-- Magician coded :)

-- because I can fabricate fan theories, es assumed they killed 2 people in trial one. They have only killed one.

-- the direct murderer of the pair

Full body: (outdated a lil, I changed her vibe. Design still stands)

Please note -- bowling alley socks

Interro qns (please give me some interro questions tho I'm very bad at thinking any up)

Also note: interros are formatted as

--

Question

Kazuko

Masaki

--

Cuz I wrote this when I labelled Kazuko as 001 and Masaki as 002. I'm changing it to reflect their new numbers but editing on Tumblr mobile sucks so I'm not changing the order </3

Q)Tell us your family structure

014 — mother, self, brother,

...it's just me now

013 — parents, me and my twin, Shiratori Takai.

Q)Is there people you hate?

014 — hypocrites.

Don't become one, warden

013 — people who always depend on you

Q)Which prisoner is the most similar to you?

014 – yuzuriha kotoko.

013 – hm...

Probably kayano. He looks like he doesn't know why he's here, too

Q)What was your murder weapon?

014 — what a bold question

It was a bottle.

013 — haha, I'll humour you for this one

Hmmmm...... My words, maybe? I've been told i have quite a sharp tongue

Q)What was your family like?

014 — kind, resilient. They were wonderful. I

loved them

013 — they're ok.

Which prisoner do you get along with the least?

014 — mr mukuhara. Nothing against him, he just reminds me of someone.

013 — …Kusunoki. No reason, but I do wish she'd stop trying to talk to me. It's annoying.

Q)How has your experience been within MILGRAM ?

014 — quite good, considering we're all in here for murder.

013 — uh… good? I still don't believe you saying we're all murderers.

Q)Do you have regrets?

014 — yes. I should have done something sooner

013 — no? I did argue with my brother recently, but it was nothing, really. I'll apologize and everything will be fine

Q)Is there a verdict you hope for?

014) all I hope for is your honest judgement. I want to see how you choose to judge

013) Well, since I don't think I've done anything… I'd hope to be forgiven, of course.

Who was your victim to you?

014) nothing.

013) eh? Warden, I don't know. We made a deal remember? You tell me!

What is your father like?

014) i dont consider him my father.

013) uh…he’s my dad. What more do you want me to say, really...

What do you think of the prisoner paired with you?

014) Shiratori? Not much opinion. I do wonder what he's done to be here, though.

013) Ms Kazuko..? Shes intimidating, if I'm being honest. Not scary, just...intimidating

[finchers-ipad]

‘David Fincher: Interviews’ Edited by Laurence F. Knapp book highlights!!

I just finished this book and it was SOOO fucking interesting, here are some of my favourite quotes from it :))

-"Because of the horrible Aliens thing, every time I hear the name Fox, it just makes me shrivel. I lose circulation in my hands and feet and I think I'm going to become a quadruple amputee.”

-"I never thought it was scary at all. I turned to the editor and said, 'My God, what have we done? We've totally let people down in the fucking terror department; we need to go shoot some dismembered bodies. Go and see if you can get someone from a morgue and chop 'em up. "

-"Right up to when we finished, I just didn't think it was violent enough. I was like, We've got a movie called Fight Club, we might as well call it Glee Club?”

-"There was absolutely nothing fun about making the movie." He gives the matter a little more thought. "Nope," he finally decides. "Nothing."

-DRE: Is Jared Leto tired of getting the crap beaten out of him in your movies? DF: He's perfect for it, isn't he? If there is any guy you want to see get his face burned off it's him.

- So now I have kids in my daughter's school who go: "Man, I love Fight Club," and you go: "Why are your parents letting you watch that? Don't come near my kid."

-I remember being a little bit, 'Uh-oh’ And Brad's drunk and Edward's drunk and Helena's drunk and they're all like, ‘It's great and we love it' and I'm like, That's fantastic. You did notice that there were six hundred other people there who walked out ready to lynch us?'"

-You know, it's like accountants and lawyers all love The Game, and college students and perverts all like Se7en.

- Empire: You've been developing Heavy Metal and Torso, among other projects. Any idea what you're doing next? Fincher: I'm sleeping for six months! I think I'm whoring myself out to come to fly around Europe and defend my honor, but I don't honestly know.

-Look, people come up to me and say, "You started torture porn." And I say, "Fuck you."

- "So it's about fighting." And they went out and sold ads for this movie on World Wrestling Federation. [audience laughs] I said, "You know, the crowd who go to the WWF are going to be made a little uncomfortable. Certainly the opening weekend, they're going to be like, 'Dude, that was gay."

-"aside from being completely unusable, it's fantastic!" They are close to wrapping the final Swedish stint of the production before flying back to LA, where they'll take the weekend off before the last week of shooting. "That gives me two days of uncontrollable weeping," says Fincher.

-"There's a quote from a film critic that David had enlarged, framed, and hung in his conference room," says Social Network writer Aaron Sorkin. "It calls Fight Club 'amoral and Godless.' I think he'd rather have that quote than a Palme d'Or."

other random things:

- Fincher came up with “ikea boy”

- Brad Pitt riding a segway around Fincher’s office and trying to convince him to join him. this was in an interview for benjamin button, and then years later in an interview for ‘the girl with the dragon tattoo’ the interviewer says there is a segway in Fincher’s office, in this article, he is also described as a ‘Segway-riding gearhead’.

- if i took a shot every time Fincher or Ed Norton compared ‘fight club’ to ‘the graduate’, i would be dead from alcohol poisoning 

- my favourite interview was ‘Forget the First Two Rules of Fight Club’ by Nev Pierce for ‘Total Film’, it was so funny and well written and interviews Fincher, Norton, Pitt and HBC. i think you can find a preview of it online but PLEASE read it if you like fight club because is so fucking good!!!

[monsterswithimagines]

Undisclosed Desires - Part 29

Joe Goldberg x female!Reader

Summary: Twenty minutes before he would have met Guinevere Beck, Joe meets you instead. You intruige him, but it will soon become clear that there is something off about you.

Words: 747

Masterlist

You never run out of things that can go wrong, (Y/n). That's Murphy's law, and it's the truth.

For example: Christmas eve is a disaster. Your grandparents are fighting the whole time, your aunt is driven to tears at the table, you barely eat - you don't want to, in front of your grandma - and when we finally escape and walk back to the AirBnB, it starts to rain.

This is not the romantic kind of rain in which we could kiss: it pours down cold and hard, like liquid ice. We run and by the time we get inside, we are frozen to the bone. Then, your phone rings and you answer, and it's your mother.

Fucking Murphy's law.

You disappear into the bedroom, and you don't come out for an hour.

When you do, you seem angry.

“What's going on?” I ask.

“Nothing,” you say.

“Nothing?” I press.

“Oh, you know. I just got a whole bunch of baseless accusations hurled at me, that's all. Did you know I'm a spoiled brat? Oh, and also, apparently I'm a whore.”

I frown.

“Your mom said that to you?”

“Oh, no. She let her boyfriend do the talking. Fucking Steef. I bet he's been giving her all kinds of ideas.”

You shiver. You did not get changed while you were on the phone, and your shirt has dried but your jeans are still wet. You are going to catch a cold this way, but this is not the moment to try and get you to change your clothes.

“I'm sorry,” I say. “He sounds awful.”

“Whatever,” you say, throwing your hands into the air. “It's my fault for trying to contact her. I know what she's like when she goes off the radar. She's in man-land, population: her and whatever guy she's fucking.”

“And what happens when they break up?”

“I don't know,” you say. “She'll find the next guy. And the next. It never stops. One of her boyfriends when I was a kid used to hit us, her and me both. So I told my grandparents, and then she blamed me when he left.” You pull a hand through your hair. “And the thing is, I actually felt guilty.”

You've never told me this much about your mother at once.

“That's not fair to you,” I say.

“No,” you agree. “No, it isn't. Well, I'm done. I'm done with her. For good this time.”

But you're not done.

You stomp around and you don't know what to do with yourself. This is the kind of anger you can't put anywhere - the kind of anger that makes you shut me out. I try to talk you down, but you're quiet now. You won't speak and this was not how our first Christmas was supposed to go, (Y/n).

“Look at me,” I say, taking you by the shoulders.

“Let me go, Joe.”

“Look at me,” I repeat, taking your chin in my hands. I'm rougher with you than I want to be but I need you to calm down. You were just moving glasses around, and I'm genuinely worried you might start throwing them if you stay this mad. “Your mom sucks.”

You laugh humorlessly.

“No fucking kidding.”

“So forget about her.”

“It's not that easy.”

Out of nowhere, you start to cry. Big, heaving sobs that make you almost unable to breathe. I pull you against me, and I'm surprised when you let me because I really thought you would push me away.

“I'm sorry,” you say. You're almost incomprehensible. “Tonight was horrible and I'm taking my shit out on you and I'm sorry.”

I shush you, pulling you against me tighter. It's not your fault dinner sucked, and I don't want you to think you can't talk to me. I want you to talk to me. About everything. I want you to never shut me out again.

“It’s okay,” I whisper. “You're okay.”

But you're not okay. Your mom messed you up, I see that now. And she's not done. She's never going to stop, I'm sure of that. She is an emotional vampire, and you're her main supply.

She’s the reason you let your grandmother dictate what you eat. She's the reason people like Jasper and Mitch think they can do whatever they want to you. You can't defend yourself against her, so you don't defend yourself against anyone else.

I have to do it for you. And I think there's only one way to do that.

“It's going to be okay,” I say. “I've got you.”

And I do. I've got you.

[a-student-out-of-time]

Don't let her get to you man. She's just been demonizing everything you guys have done. I know you can do it.

...Side characters should learn when to keep their mouths shut.

"Side characters?"

When are you people going to understand? This isn't about you. You don't matter to this story. There are only two people who matter: the hero and the villain.

The villain's job isn't just to stop the heroes, it's to completely destroy them in every way: physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually.

In Nanami's case, the only way was to shatter her hope. I couldn't just body snatch her and drive her to suicide thanks to her damn divine luck. It was always protecting her, so I had to find a way around it.

You were there, Hinata. You saw it happen, the first time you let her die, remember?

...

Do you think she's really forgive you? You don't seem to care that much about anyone's feelings but your own.

What a wretched life you've lived. You were so wrapped up in your own misery, your desire to be someone worthwhile, that you destroy everything you touch.

How would everyone feel if they knew, deep down, their beloved Kasugano, the hero of Japan, only cares about himself? That if he hadn't done anything, thousands of people wouldn't be out of work, injured, their families broken up, and some of might still be alive...

And yet he's so afraid of killing that he'll let a serial killer go free.

But that's the great thing about heroes like you: you have room to develop, to become something greater than yourself.

You've seen how much hate and pain I cause, haven't you? In the past, present and future? You have the power to stop to it all.

Now go on! Do it! Everyone will believe in you, praise you, and maybe even forgive you for all the horrible things you've done! Do it, Hinata! BE A HERO AND KILL THE VILLAIN!

...

[nysus-temple]

We need to talk about the downgrade of Apollo in Lore Olympus because Rachel did him so dirty, like his character has been mistreated do much 😭

Don't take this personal, anon, you've done nothing wrong ! i'll just use this ask as a way to, somehow, dumps my violent thoughts about this... Thingy.

Rant below.

What Lore Olympus did to Apollo isn't even a downgrade, it's plain disrespectful, an insult to an important figure and symbol. Not only him, but also the rest of the gods that appear in that nonsense that dares to call itself a """comic""", which is also an insult to writers and artists. Lore Olympus did a culture wrong, did a comic wrong in general, but it did to Apollo has no words to describe it. If every time someone talks about Apollo, they need to EXPLAIN why he's not the LO one, we have a problem. When we are talking about Apollo, we're talking about APOLLO and that's it. Why the fuck do we need to specify? Because of this piece of shit that had the audacity to even come out in physical format. As someone who has been writing since she was a child, who also studies literature and took courses regarding how to write a fucking decent story, i don't even know where to begin with this horrible piece of... """Media""" that Webtoon keeps promoting as if it wasn't something that wasn't of a big deal. My ass.

Gotta love seeing a bunch of teens who educated themselves with Tiktok reading that AND not only throwing bullshit at Apollo, a figure who i love with my entire being and who has brought me comfort in numerous ways, but also thinking that rape victims just "get over it" after meeting a handsome man or whatever. As if Hades wasn't fucking awful in that comic. That's not how it works. Don't write about dangerous topics if you know shit about them.

Gotta love how i always associated Persephone with dark-pink, due to the pomegranate seeds being of that color, BUT NOW i can't see her with anything with that color anymore because of the ugly ass """character""" LO made. What even is WRONG with the teens reading it that they go and change wiki articles to make the myths accurate to this bullshit that has the balls to call itself a comic ????

I won't even go "sure, you like it, fine" NO. NO I CANNOT. WHAT DO YOU EVEN SEE THAT IS APPEALING? I've seen people who knew nothing about Greek Folklore say it was boring as hell. Some kind of Twilight 2.0 but even worse. For fuck's sake, i'm the first person who likes characters that in real life wouldn't be nice to be with, because NONE OF THEM ARE HUMAN, all of those are monsters or invented creatures. What do those teens even SEE in LO when the designs are all fucking awful.

And after what they did to ALL of the gods, SPECIALLY to Apollo, if they have the fucking audacity to touch Dionysus too, i truly apologize for the person i will become.

If they fucking dare to mistreat Dionysus just like the damn Hades Game did and make him a pice of scum just like that one, i do apologize for the things i'm capable of doing.

[marshmallowprotection]

It doesn't seem likely that Saeyoung would be okay with an MC with kids during his own route, but how do you think he would react to meeting someone with kids after the events of Ray's AE? I can see it working out a lot better in this context

Alright, Anon, you've found the loophole. In the context of this situation, there is nothing that would make this an impossible scenario.

Part of the reason why it's so difficult to imagine an MC with kid(s) in Saeyoung’s Route is due to how much danger you’re in. Not only was it stupid to go to a secondary location, but it's also that much more stupid to take somebody who is a child into a situation like that.

His trust in you would be slim to none at that point given how much he wants to protect children from ever falling into a situation that they don't need to be anywhere near. On top of that, he is afraid of hurting innocent people, and having you and a child in that situation that he's in would not mesh well. He wouldn't be able to trust you or he wouldn't be safe later on in the stress of his route since he would be adamant you stay with Jumin until he saved his twin.

But, if we were to imagine him meeting somebody with children after Ray Route instead, that seems to be the safest and most reasonable option. He isn't going to be afraid something bad is going to happen because every threat that could have gotten to him will be more or less taken care of.

There are always people who he pissed off when he was an agent in the years he was trapped, but the threat of those people is a lot less terrifying to him than Saejoong or the Agency were. He can handle a single threat a lot better than a large threat. The devil he knows is so much better than the devil he doesn't. His paranoia has him prepared for a nuclear war if we want to get right down to it.

Since he doesn't have to be afraid that something is going to go horribly wrong, that means he's going to have an easier time settling into a relationship with someone. Of course, this isn't something that's going to come without a lot of work. He needs to work on himself for a while before he's ready for any relationship.

He has to figure out what he wants out of life because he no longer has to live solely for his brother. He can make a life for himself and that's terrifying because he's never thought about that before. Sure, there was a time when he had dreams and aspirations, but he never let himself get too far into them.

It's hard to say how long it's going to take for him to figure out what he wants out of life. He probably needs to do what Saeran is doing. Saeyoung needs to travel and explore his options so he doesn’t feel like he’s been left behind. He's the kind of person that is always doing for other people because he's just that self-sacrificial.

So, he needs to learn how to be selfish and want things for himself before he can settle into a relationship. There are a lot of factors that are going to affect him when he gets into a relationship, as well. It's not just the stuff we know... like, how he is insecure and afraid of his reflection in the mirror.

He needs to learn how to take off his mask and since he isn't sure who the person is underneath all of those layers of trauma, it's going to be difficult to know who he is as a person by himself, much less in a relationship. 

All that aside, how likely is it that he'd fall in love with a person who already has a kid(s)?

The likelihood of him falling for somebody who already has children is just as likely as him falling for somebody who doesn't have children. The only difference in this situation is that if you already have a child, he is going to have to confront a lot of things ahead of time that he wouldn't have otherwise in a relationship with somebody who didn't have children.

That is to say, who is he if not a man who fears becoming his parents?

His worst nightmare is doing something horrible to somebody just as it was done to him. The last thing he wants is to be his mother or father. Even if there's no chance that he would ever be anything like them, it doesn't mean he's going to stop being afraid of the likelihood that it could happen. That's going to be a problem for him. A major kind of problem that doesn't go away in a day.

This is going to be a problem for him no matter what the context is for having children. It doesn't matter if you're having them, adopting them, or what have you, he's always going to be dealing with this internalized fear that many abused children have when they become adults and they consider having a family of their own. Saeran will be likely to fear the same thing, too.

Falling in love with somebody is the easy part. 

It's everything that comes after that that'll be difficult for Saeyoung. Strangely enough, he's great with kids and he really has no sort of reasonable backing to think otherwise. He knows how to make a kid laugh and make them feel comfortable. It's that part of him that leans into his joking nature to cope and hide how nervous he is.

It's easy to put on that mask again and play the part of a fool to amuse somebody. It works when he's looking after some kids. The hard part is learning how to be more than just the funny guy who makes the kids laugh.

He can be very supportive and make sure that a kid doesn't feel like they've been forgotten because he knows what that feels like. The problem for him is when it comes to serious discussions because he gets overwhelmed with the fear that he might say or do the wrong thing which would put a kid in trouble later.

What if he says the wrong thing?

What if his advice is bad?

I don't see him having any problem with falling in love with somebody because he is somebody who loves a lot and once he's comfortable with it, there's no doubt in my mind that he would be able to enjoy it.

I only see him having a problem with confronting his fears and paranoia. That can be a lot for somebody to deal with, not just himself. So, it doesn't matter if you have a kid or not, be prepared for the fact that having a relationship with him means that you're going to have to confront a lot of things that you might not have ever considered, and you need to be willing to be patient with him as he learns how to be human. You're not putting all the work into this, though, he is going to have to put in as much effort as you do since this is a mutual relationship that goes both ways. 

Tackle his insecurities with him and see if it works out, that's the only advice I can give for somebody who wants to be in a relationship with him.