#edited to suggest how you can send me bones to judge

[judgingskeletons]

Welcome

Hello there, and welcome to this blog where I judge bones!! Feel free to send bones to me for judgement (you can do this via submissions, send links or pictures in asks or dms, or tag me on posts, whatever works for you!)

I won’t do judgements on original art posted by the artist on tumblr without their permission (to avoid giving unsolicited criticism), though you can still submit those as I am always happy to see bones and reblog art purely for the sake of sharing. This means I will do judgements on art that isn’t the original poster’s (preferably credited) eg images from books/games/tv, art from galleries or other websites, etc (please ask questions if this is not clear; if you’re unsure if a post fits the rules send it anyway and I’ll use my own discretion.) Bacially it’s fine so long as I’m not doing an unasked-for judgement on the artist’s own post.

You can send me your own real bones if you want (eg x-rays, MRIs; please no picture of wounds that bones are poking through, though). I won’t judge them ‘cause I’m not comfortable getting that personal, but I may well compliment you and make puns. Before you send x-rays or such please check there’s none of your personal information visible, I’ll check before I post it too though. I'll tag them "real people bones" if you want to filter it.

If I don't respond to replies it's because this is a side blog so I can't really respond unless I tag you in a reblog of the same post. Please know that even if I don't respond to your reply I Have seen it and I am greatly appreciative <3

If you’re wondering what bones I mean in my judgement here’s some labelled bones for reference!

Whole blog content warning for bones, skeletons, death (let me know if other things need tagging)

(updated 10th Nov 2022)

[beverlychills]

Introductory Post

PLEASE at least skim through the tags. Navigating this autism castle I've built may get difficult if you don't.

Also see below: Guide for takedown requests

Hi there, call me Taffy! (Any pronouns)

I'm a neurodivergent fella obsessed with Lethal League. I'm also obsessed with archiving things, and I have a dedicated personal server where I collect all the LLB fanart I can.

For a while I've been wanting to give other people easy access to all this old and new content, but I don't want to invite people to the server, and booru-making is closed right now, so this—an account made to reblog every LLB post I can find—is the next best option.

For now I run this account alone, and my archiving only encompasses things on tumblr, this may change later but I can't say for sure.

I plan to keep this archive going as long as possible.

IMPORTANT STUFF FIRST!

Despite my wants to preserve everything Lethal League, there are some artists I refuse to archive due to personal convictions, or being personally asked not to archive their work.

The amount of these people is presently in the single digits, and probably won't impact the rest of the blog much.

If you want a particular post(s) taken down, or would like to be blacklisted, please DM me. Please note you may have to prove your identity to do this, in whatever way you can (so long as it does not compromise your safety or super-personal information).

If you have a Lethal League post to contribute that I haven't found yet, send me the link. Even things from deactivated accounts can still be preserved if someone else reblogged them. Or I guess if you have a screenshot.

If there's something down the list you don't wanna see, just filter the tag

Warnings: #suggestive Including but not limited to - Discussion of NSFW, off-camera lovemaking, skimpy clothing or poses... whatever you older internet denizens might call "sin." NSFW jokes are judged on a case-by-case basis Overly graphic stuff, minor x adult, or straight up p0rn if there's any left, will not be included in the archive for obvious reasons #thirstposting Any rare case of people getting a bit too excited over a given LLB character. If hypothetically seeing people talk about how much they want to bone their favorite dapper googly eyed fuck wouldn't be your jam, you might wanna filter out this tag. #nudity Tasteful nudity. Think the Statue of David. #blood For when insides become outsides, but it's not straight up gutspill. #feels Because some of us don't wanna deal with angst. #emeto Vom. #eyestrain Ouchie ow oof bright colors. ^ #aberration Chromatic aberration #gore #bugs #death #eye contact #dereality #drugs #weed #body horror #loud #flashing

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Please note; Despite my headcanons, character interactions will be judged through the LLB story at face value. This means ships involving Switch will not be counted as minor x adult, because he is a robot, 5 is only how long he's been manufactured, and his mental age is not entirely clear (beyond him obviously not having the mind of a toddler). This also means things like Raptor x Switch will still be archived, since although some headcanon them to be found brothers, this is not canonically confirmed.

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Content type: #art Including but not limited to - Drawings, physical crafts, music, etc. #fanfic Fanfiction, whether linked offsite or posted directly to tumblr. #animation Encompasses gifs, animatics, animation memes, PMVs, the works. #modding Stuff like retexturing, 3D model editing, or even Mung Daal in Room 21 #gameplay #shitpost #textpost #cosplay

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Characters: #raptor #switch #candyman #dice #jet #doombox #grid #nitro #latch #sonata #dust #ashes #toxic #dummy #mc inferno #safety league

Unlockables: #ballhead #strait jacket #zoot suit #l.2 full mecha #domino #dynamic #detective nitro #jumper cabler #safety weapon #chain engine #iron grip

DLC: #galileo #firefighter max pressure #volt (Neopolis Devastator) #ivory puppet killer #insectoid loneriding mechranger #stereo overdrive #shining gold winner #gigahertz visualizer x #nuclear nourishment #late stage illmatic #heavyduty r evolution #master of the mountain

Fandom culture: #headcanon #theory #review #ship #ship neg #oc x canon #oc #au #askblog #humanized #crossover #fusion

Archived posts will not be tagged as #ship unless the OP states so, or it is very explicitly intended to be ship art—flirting and kissing and stuff. Ships will be tagged as the involved characters' names in alphabetical order, in lieu of affectionate shipnames. This is to avoid creating extra things for you poor soul to memorize. Also, negative content about any given ship will have "neg" tacked onto the end. ❌ #candylatch ✅ #candyman x latch 🔘 #candyman x latch neg

For OCs, search their name, and for specific artists, search their blog url. ie: #cue #klayfruit Furthermore, fanon interpretations of LLB characters may be tagged like this: #henry #candyman

OC x canon shipnames will not be tagged, despite how few there are in retrospect, because I think doing that would drive me nuts.

If two OCs happen to have the same name, the name will be followed up with the creator's username depending on which OC is being referred to. This also applies if an OC name overlaps with a warning tag;

#ember sampleusername - #ember gridsbignaturals #bugs sampleusername

Other: #official Involving a Team Reptile account or one of its developers. Including but not limited to: Dev logs, headcanons from individual team members, outdated lore, threads involving them on other websites, etc. #tim #dion #yinyin #andy #kittomatic #sem

#merch Official merchandise designs and such #deactivated OP's blog is hacked or deactivated. If the URL was changed, the old URL may be tagged; for the sake of preserving the era it was posted, and so people can more easily find things if they know an old username but not the new one. #[year] Year something was posted. ie: #2015 #mod taffy

Posts with captions like "not tagging this" or things that seem personal will probably not be archived unless the OP says it's okay

[rkivepacks]

TITLE: red nails Inspired by:  let’s dress up and go for a ride (taekook) Pairing: Jeon Jungkook x Reader Rating: R18+ Genre: fluff, smut Word Count: 4,249 Trigger Warning/s & Additional tags: Soft Dom Jungkook, Dom Reader, Jungkook has a thing for nail polish, Cockwarming,  Cross-posted on: AO3/dtgloss

NOTES: ∟ banner by @rkivepacks​ ∟ request banner here ∟ request prompt/send commission here

∟ unbeta-ed ∟ inspired by my previous work let’s dress up and go for a ride (taekook). this is a mxr version + revamped with additional smut scenes ∟  first jungkook x reader fic pls be nice

Two weeks before halloween found you and Jungkook arguing over lunch in your shared apartment that fits just right for the two of you. you both loved parties, especially themed ones. Jeongguk loves dressing up for them, and you love taking the costumes off of him.

Currently, however, ten minutes before you are almost tempted to pull up a whole powerpoint presentation of how the two of you can synchronize your halloween costumes, you go into a full debate about it.

“I can be Ariana Grande from the God is a Woman music video.” you attempt to propose, setting down your milk on the table, gesturing with your hands in the air, animatedly outlining the costume you had in mind

“And what would I be?” Jeongguk replies, almost exasperated. So far you have made failed attempts for your costumes because ‘we need to be a pairing’. “I’m not fucking dressing up as his boyfriend.” Jungkook adds, almost fearful and disgusted at your proposition.

“Even better. you can be the earth. I can ride you and finger you.” you beam as if what you just said was appropriate costumes for a halloween party.

Granted, no one judges costumes at halloween parties, free reign, and freedom and all, but Jeongguk knows Namjoon would mind if the two of you entered his party with you in his Ariana Grande-glory on top of Jeongguk, ‘fingering’ him. Jeongguk also could not quite picture it in his head how they are going to pull the stunt up.

“Hoseok would close the door in our face when he sees us with that absurd costume and after seeing us doing that.” Jeongguk deadpans. He is almost sure Hoseok would not even dare open the door in the first place.

“Ah I know!” Jeongguk lights up, catching your attention. Interest piqued, you give attention to the suggestion that is about to come. “How about we come as Hyuna and E Dawn?” He grins.

“Cute. But I think Yoongi, Jimin and Hoseok will already go as Triple H. Nice try honey bun sugar plum pumpy yumpy yumpkin.” you shot the idea down. Truthfully, in you’s defense, their other friends already made dibs on the group as their pegs for the halloween party.

“Damn.” Jeongguk pouts.

you two finished lunch with a failed attempt at finalizing their halloween costumes. you have already left for his late afternoon classes and Jeongguk is left at home, being blessed with a free cut from his only class for the day. you grumble how some (read: Jeongguk) does not deserve free classes and halloween costumes.

While you endured your classes, Jeongguk did not fail to entertain you with silly and some serious suggestions for your halloween costumes, often paired with photos (for emphasis, he said). You shoot them down saying ‘Namjoon would hate you’ or a blatant ‘boring’.

The messages slowed down but you have been receiving glimpses from Jeongguk’s uneventful afternoon. The only time Jeongguk has ever stood up from his area on the sofa was to pee (and that was almost forced and done as a moral obligation because he is a human being with responsibilities that include taking care of his health) and fetch food from the cupboard.

Jeongguk has been sending you messages throughout the movie he’s watching such as:

Wanna go as Iron Man and Jarvis? Wanna go as Wanda so you can use your mind power and make me do things? Oooh baby we can go as Trump and America so you can fuck me up.

The next day, with your halloween plans still undecided, passed by and it’s almost night and you have yet to come back from your shift at the music store inside the campus.Jungkook knows for sure that cursed shift ended almost two hours ago and you missing from their little apartment only means that you are currently in the middle of doing something that requires NOT having Jeongguk’s input and must be done WITHOUT Jeongguk’s knowledge. Jeongguk has been typing his rapid text messages to you when you keyed in and let yourself in through your apartment, bag and a paper bag on your right hand. You had this sheepish smile and glint in your eyes plastered that tells Jeongguk something is definitely up. He just contemplates if it has something to do with their ongoing halloween costumes agenda. He also hopes it does not affect his costume.

“Neulbin asked me to do an extra hour because he had an emergency and then I dropped by the pharmacy.” you share, putting away your bag and set the paper bag under their coffee table.

“I did not say anything.” Jeongguk snorted.

“you were going to.” you chide.

“What’s that?” Jeongguk asks, pointing at the paper bag.

“Something I need.”

Jeongguk drops the topic as you obviously will not let him see a glimpse of the item and proceeds to bring two bowls of katsudon to the living room for your dinner.

A week before the halloween party, the two of you are still undecided and uncoordinated in your halloween costumes. Even your friends had to butt in and contribute to the discussion, and Seokjin even said something about reusing old costumes and, forbid him for even spewing it out, just come as you are.

Jeongguk comes home three days before the party to a different scenario. The apartment was eerily quiet, save for the air conditioning and low humming from somewhere in the room. He knew you were supposed to be home from morning classes earlier than him. True to his suspicion, you have been abnormally quiet and focused on the task at hand, literally and figuratively.

you were sat on the sofa, one leg propped on the coffee table which supports your hand, as you focus on painting your left hand a deep red. Jeongguk watches as you move to be more careful as your right hand has already been painted the same red color and the air condition and atmosphere of the apartment has already been laced with the strong scent of the nail lacquer.

Jeongguk sets his stuff on the side quietly as not to disturb the trance which you have been put into. your eyelashes flutter when you blinks away the tiredness and the stiffness from when you have been sitting on that damn sofa for two hours now to paint your nails.

“Busy?” Jeongguk mumbles as he leaned towards you from his position on the arm of the sofa.

“Mhm.” you mumble. Jeongguk figures he won’t be given much attention from his lover so he proceeds to the kitchen. He also failed to get a proper response from you when asked what you wants for dinner, only getting faint responses.

Jungkook was sitting beside him on the sofa with his laptop resting on the coffee table when you finally gave him his undivided attention. “Are you done now?” Jeongguk asks.

“Yes. But it’s still wet so I can’t touch anything or it will mess up.” you pout, your hands splayed on your lap, the red paint obviously wet with how it glimmers under the light. Jeongguk notices how your dewy skin contrasts with the red nail polish, the color pleasing for the eyes. For him. you notice the way Jungkook stares at your hand, or your thighs bare with the shorts you always wear at home. Jeongguk has always had the habit of zoning off, staring at something as his mind reels with thoughts.

you start scooting closer to Jeongguk, watching how the younger is still zoned off but now has his eyes planted on his laptop screen, at the photos he’s currently editing. You carefully plant his hand on Jeongguk’s arms, careful of your clothes or movements to not to mess up your newly painted nails. You knew Jeongguk is off his daze and is now just blatantly /trying/ to ignore your teasing hand and gaze from his peripheral view.

you drop your hand that was on Jeongguk’s arm on his thighs instead, running it up and down slowly, still careful, to gently and expose a bit of the younger’s skin from the shorts he’s wearing.

“Baby, entertain me. I’m bored and I can’t do anything.” you pout, rubbing your cheeks on Jeongguk’s shoulders as if to resemble a cat.

“What do you want to watch?” Jeongguk asks, his voice sounding restrained and still taking glances at your hand on his thighs, dangerously close to his inner thighs and his crotch.

“I don’t want to watch anything.” you reply. Jeongguk risks a glance at you, knowing what you’re is implying. He leans back on the sofa, stretching his back and neck to stop it from being stiff. He stares at you before kissing you on your cheek, then your lips before staring at the hand on his thighs. The two of you do not mention the slight bulge in Jungkook’s shorts and probably of the fact that you’re not doing any better.

After a few seconds Jungkook stands up, pulling you with him. The younger leads the way to the bedroom and you had this glint in your eyes. The younger was cautious with your still wet painted nails when he carried you once you reached the bed, wrapping your thighs around his waist before he kneels on the bed, inching towards the headboard. He gently lays you down and you almost forgot to stop your hand from touching your comfy duvet and pillows and ended up messing up your painted nails.

Jeongguk’s eyes and lips were gentle as he looked at you and kissed your lips a few times and your neck but his hands were quite rough when he starts inching up your shirt, exposing your stomach, to where he travels down to plant more kisses, catching your skin there in between his teeth. He starts moving south and eventually pulls the band of your shorts to expose more skin and your prominent hip bones that have always been at the receiving end of bruises from Jeongguk’s lips.

Jeongguk keeps his eyes on you, seeing you still trying not to mess up your painted nails and be pliant for Jungkook. When you sneak your hands to your stomach which is dangerously close to clutching Jungkook’s hair, he warns you, “you don’t get to touch me.” He warns before completely pulling off you shorts and boxers off of you.

You struggle to keep your hands on his side, planted outwards to keep it untouched. Jungkook flutters kisses across your hips, down to your thighs and inside each of them. He guides your thighs to open for him and position himself in the middle, granting better access for him.

“Shirt off please, baby.” you whisper. Jungkook plants a kiss on your skin near your core before kneeling up to take his shirt off. you catch a whip of the faint perfume too soft mixed with Jungkook’s natural scent. He leans back down, this time getting nearer to your crotch before kissing down your core. you curse as your fingers twitch and almost mess up the duvet.

Jungkook continues to mouth at your core, from where you are ticklish on your hip bones down to your hole and uses his hand to smother your thighs and grip it when you start twitching and moving. He takes you little by little, hearing you release gasps and whimpers above him, hands struggle to stay still. you already look spent as your hand almost has a mind of its own, slightly raised in the air but trying and almost failing to keep it away from Jungkook. In the end you end up touching the back of Jungkook’s shoulders almost too softly that Jungkook almost missed noticing it being there.

“Please, just here.” You whispers, running your hand that was almost painted dry on the younger’s shoulder blades.

Too soon you reached your climax, coming down Jungkook’s mouth, and the younger was quick to lap up what you give him. You struggle with your whole body not to grip Jungkook’s hair and push him down, and your feet stretch on Jungkook’s bare lower back, resulting on your toes tucking in inside the waistband of the younger’s shorts, your feet touching the soft skin on Jungkook’s ass.

Jungkook starts moving up, leaving a trail of kisses up your body in his wake and you keep your foot on the waistband of the younger’s shorts and hold it there. Jungkook grasps your plan and lets you take his shorts for him as he makes his way up your body, tucking his head on your neck.

You faintly push at the younger’s shoulders, shifting and pushing him back down on the mattress, switching positions. You start going down on Jungkook, kissing the younger earnestly, who has now been undressed completely, his shorts and boxers kicked off minutes ago.

“I’ll take care of you.” You whispers to the younger before taking his length in your hand.

you knew the younger had this picture in his mind ever since you painted your nails red and had Jungkook’s hands on your thighs a while ago. “Look baby.” You call the younger’s attention when Jungkook closed his eyes and sighed at the feeling and having your attention on his aching crotch. Jungkook flutters his eyes open and looks down on your hand tight on his length, moving up and down.

He watches your red painted nails glisten under the light wrapped around him, mixed with the feeling of being touched. you move in between his thighs and starts leaning down, supporting your body with his elbows.

“Watch baby.” You hum to Jungkook before collecting the precome on the tip of his length with a finger that’s newly painted and catching it on his tongue as you lap on the precome. Jungkook curses and he hears a faint chuckle from you that he’s sure he made up if he did not feel your chest shake a bit before you take him back in your mouth completely.

you made sure that the younger has a sight of your hand wrapped around him still and your mouth working the head. Jungkook comes deep in your throat, as you keep on taking everything he gives.

It’s only when Jungkook woke up again at eleven in the evening that he realized he fell asleep naked, courtesy of the duvet covering your naked bodies. He also realized you did not have your daily discussion of your halloween costumes.

“Alas! The two have decided!” Seokjin screams when he caught sight of Jungkook and you nearing the area where your group of friends is situated.

The two of you ended up wearing a Harley Quinn and Poison Ivy costume that Jeongguk had to restrain himself when he saw you wearing fishnet stockings and short shorts. The night went by with the rest of your friends in your half messed up costumes including the two of you, and occasional gropings from each other, with you whispering promises to him for when you get home later in the ass crack of dawn.

As promised, Jungkook ended up undressing you in the living room of your apartment but leaving on the fishnet stockings and platform boots for when he fucked you four rounds into the next Saturday, with a special request to see his red painted nails. Jungkook pulls away from you, panting from your heavy make out session. You notice him contemplating as he shifts on his position in front of you. “Are you too tired?” You asked him, your hands caressing the length of his hair. “Was just thinking babe.” He whispers in your ear. “Wanna make you paint your nails again, maybe black? Turns me on that you can’t use your hands or else you’ll mess up your pretty nails. But I don’t think I can wait while you paint them so pretty.” He mumbles into the skin of your neck, his breath tickling you. Your hands continue to roam down to his neck, then his piercings that he didn’t take off. “Wait here.” You move to sit up to the side of the bed, having to straddle one of his thighs as you stand up, foregoing a top and decidedly, you walk out of the room with your arms covering your bare chest. Jungkook thinks his cock twitched at the thought of you walking around the apartment naked. You come back to Jungkook with a clear nail polish on your hand, smirking at him. Before settling back down to the bed, you quickly grab the red stilettos you threw on the far corner of the room, and you quickly stumble out of your boots and fitting the heels on you. “You spoil me.” He tells you. He stayed seated on where you left him, outstretched arms behind him to support his upper half as he leaned back. You eye his toned body on your bed and can’t resist to pad closer to him, making sure the heels don’t ruin the sheets on your way. Once you reach him, you absentmindedly drop the nail polish beside you and gently pushes him down till he’s completely laid back down on the bed. He was sat closer to the headboard, so he adjusts his position, his bulge touching your core when his hips raise from the bed from the movement. He blindly grabs the pack of condoms he probably prepared while you were preoccupied with the nail polish and handed them to you. You take it from his hand and he makes a sound as you throw it behind you, forgotten and soon to be untouched. “I love your sexy brain so much.” He gently grabs your hair, pulling you down to him and slots our lips together. From his action, your hips raises from where you’re straddling him, and your back is arched, showing off your wide hips and thick thighs better. You’re strung out from all the foreplay and dragging out. You support yourself on one hand and the other roams down to Jungkook’s body, palming his member that lays completely hard and curled up on his stomach, down to your own crotch and you wince at your own sensitivity. “I like it when you take charge.” He grins at you, groping your ass. “I am always in charge.” You huff, sitting up and you rub the head of his cock on your entrance, before sinking down to it. “I missed this.” He sighs as you settle with your hips on his. “We fucked yesterday.” You inwardly curses, almost forgetting your plan with all the comments Jungkook has been dropping. “Now stay pretty for them baby, I’ll just do something real quick.” You find a comfortable position and reach for the nail polish you dropped a while ago. “Oh fuck.” Jungkook groans upon realizing what your plan is. His hand stays on your hips, then down to your thighs, rubbing them. “This won’t take long compared to colored nail polish, don’t worry.” You hush him. He remains in his position, and he didn’t think far on what he could do while you’re busy with your preparations. Without much thinking, his hand absent mindedly roams up your stomach and gropes your chest, startling you and you jerk around him. He hisses at the sensation as you slightly tighten around his length. “Good?” You ask him but your focus is still on your nails. You’re almost done but you act as if it would take longer. “Fucking good baby.” He groans. “Faster.” You ignore him. “Please.” “Just a little bit more, babe.” You mumble. You cap the nail polish, reaching over to the bedside drawer to get it out of the way before examining your own nails. Jungkook huffs, completely aware you’re purposely prolonging it. “Wanna see?” You ask him, smirking, gesturing to your hand. He rolls his eyes but he takes them, gently examining your hand although he only needs to see your nails. “Pretty.” He mumbles on your hand, softly massaging them but avoiding the drying polish. He kisses your palm then your fingers. You let your free hand move from his face, your finger trailing down his nose and his lips. “Does the smell of nail polish turn you on or…” You chuckle at him. “No, babe. I love seeing your pretty fingers all colored nicely.” You stretch on your position, slightly moving Jungkook’s length inside you. “Can we take a picture?” You ask, eyes wide. Jungkook can never say no to you, so he moves to grab your polaroid from one of the drawers. You used to take photos and even videos of your intimate moments with your phones, but Jungkook fears someone going through them and seeing you in those photos. You’re surprised when he goes home one day with the polaroid and even more at the reason why he made the purchase. Since then you’ve had quite the collection of mature photos. Jungkook takes two photos of you. In one of them; you were looking behind the camera— you look at Jungkook as your hands covered your chest. The photo is modest and it keeps your chest from being seen. The other, however, is daring. He snaps the photo as you remove your arms from your chest, supporting yourself on his stomach which makes you push your breasts together.

Jungkook sets the polaroid down, clearing his throat. “I’m about to fall asleep.” He pouts. “That’s too bad, I’m about to fuck you.” You grin down at him, proving your words to be true as you give him pleasure when you move your hips.

Jungkook moans deeply that it resonates around the room. He takes control of your hips, not letting you rest back down as he moves you to his own accord, your knees planted on each side of his hips. He penetrates deeper as he pairs your movement with his own, pushing him deeper into you.

You cup his head and kisses him softly, going from soft pecks to gentle bites on his lips as he takes charge of fucking you.

Jungkook goes slow, dragging the pace and alternates them with fast paced movements before slowing down, making sure to plunge deeper into you.

“I-i’m close.” You whisper.

“Fuck me. You fuck me so good.” He tells you.

You gasp, moving instead to mouth on his right cheek, keening as he drives you up until you’re almost sure you’d snap, but he drags slow, calming his pace just before you hit your climax. You decided to take charge, fixing yourself on your knees before riding him properly, your bottom lip drags across his cheek as you forego kissing. He lets you move on your own until you finally drive the both of you over your climax. You continue dragging your pace, until you drive yourself to oversensitivity.

“Fuck, baby.” He groans as you tighten around him.

You pull him out, hissing at the way your sensitive thighs become in touch with his half hard cock. You stay on your knees, crawling backwards until your head is keening at his stomach, closer to his hips. You kiss the area where you know he’d be ticklish, then you press light kisses to the head of his dick, twitching at your ministrations— doing so with Jungkook piercing his eyes at you while you focus at the task at hand.

You slowly position yourself beside him, your front to the bed and letting the cold air touch your bare back.

You reach the bedside lamp to turn it off, and right as you clicked the little button, Jungkook moves to his side to face you, hand on your hips.

“Baby, are we done?” He whispers to you. He caresses your ass, occasionally squeezing them and pulling your cheeks apart.

“I don’t know, are you?” You ask as you felt his hand slowly creep its way into your core, his finger gliding easily through your folds, combined with the wetness pooling down there from your previous activity.

“I still have to clean you, my princess.” He chuckles. Perhaps his way of cleaning only includes his hand that is currently collecting the wetness on your folds. However, instead of ‘cleaning’ them, you feel him use the pads of his fingers to spread the wetness more, before using two fingers to spread your folds and repeating his actions.

“I love you so much. My feisty, little angel.” He whispers to you.

You think you’re on the brink of sleep that you won’t even come for the second time. His touch turns you on but you have been exhausted that you could fall asleep.

“I think I’m asleep.” You tell him.

“You’re still talking to me so you’re not asleep. But come here.” He turns you around so you’re facing him, putting your leg to wrap around his waist and your arm around him. His hands act like they’re connected to your ass, and you tell him as such.

“They’re like my babies. My stress balls. Can’t sleep without them.”

“You’re lucky I love you.” You kiss him but you had your eyes closed so whatever you aimed at you probably will miss his lips. Luckily he was aware of your action and took it upon himself to slot your lips together.

“Want to sleep like this?” He asks you.

“Hm. Keep on touching me.” You hum against him and he nods slightly, keeping his fingers down your core, softly massaging your folds, lulling the both of you to sleep.

[kaylakingbooks]

A Dream No One Can See

It’s become a tradition each year to choose a word that will carry me through 365 days. There has been CREATE, BELIEVE, BETTER, and last year, there was PERSEVERANCE. And persevere I did. Through 164 literary magazine submissions, 133 rejections (query trenches included) and 16 pieces accepted, including my debut collection of poetry, These Are the Women We Write About, I’d like to think my own perseverance got me where I needed to be!

But now it’s a new year, which means a new word. Getting here, I once again was a bit paralyzed with fear that I might choose the wrong word. I suppose it’s become another of those superstitious writerly things that I cling to as the days move along. It wasn’t until Christmas preparations took over that I found my word, one which stuck in my bones and felt too perfect to pass up. I ordered three necklaces and a bracelet from The Giving Keys, because I truly love how they strive to help homeless people in L.A., all the while, reminding us of the power of words, and the magic of passing them on to someone else. If you haven’t heard of this company or their mission, I suggest checking them out as they create beautiful products with special meanings.

Yet, I digress. Upon purchasing these items, I was eligible for a complimentary “classic” key necklace, which would come with a surprise word and color and design. When it arrived, it brought a certain sense of knowing that I didn’t know I needed. My key said DREAM, and I’m not sure it could’ve been more perfect. And now, I have my word.

Dream.

Writing a novel about a world in which dreaming always means death, I have come to understand just how powerful dreams can be. I often dream too big and have said on more than one occasion that my ambition and penchant for dreaming bigger and better will be the death of me. But as a writer, I’m not so sure that’s a bad thing.

As I edit DREAM CATCHERS once more before diving back into the query trenches next month, I cling to the dream of seeing this book published someday. And it’s difficult, I must admit, to be back in this story. I joked that I can’t wait for this book to be on someone else’s shelf someday just so I won’t have to read it anymore. Because it hurts to read sometimes. I’ve exposed too much of myself between those pages, and perhaps this is what will help future readers fall in love with my writing and this story. But for now, it terrifies me to find myself back in that time and place again.

Such is the life of the writer, I suppose. If the words don’t hurt, if what is being written doesn’t scare the writer a little, I’m not sure the story is worth telling. So I’ll tinker with this story once more before sending it out to the next 10 agents on my list. And when I say this will be the year I make this dream no one else can see into a reality, I feel the truth of the words ring through my bones in the way that some of my most authentic writing does.

I’ll keep focusing on this dream. Instead of simply listing my goals for 2019, I’ve separated these things into goals and aspirations; the things I can personally attain versus the things I so dream of coming true. I am taking better care of myself, how I judge my failures and accomplishments, because I have succeeded, even in small ways, and that is worth remembering. And for that I am so proud of myself. Already I’ve had 2 poems accepted for publication, and January hasn’t yet ended.

But as I continue to risk everything: sanity, time, sleep, future stories, etc. for this dream of publishing DREAM CATCHERS, I know it is worth everything in between. And with this knowledge, I will continue to dream too big all the year through, and I hope you will too! To stay up to date with this journey beyond this blog, check out #dreamlikekaylaking on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter!

[inappropriatefangirlneeds]

Gotham s4ep20 “That Old Corpse”  Personal Review

For Jim Gordon the law is not a steel boned corset  but more of a fragile lingerie corsage..

Warning spoilers below 

“I would sooner debate you all on TELEOLOGY versus DEONTOLOGY than leave her with that overgrown Boy Scout.”  * Oh eff you EDWARD NYGMA and people like you, those two concepts aren´t that hard to grasp if you explain the terms, don´t feel more intelligent cause you got in touch with terminology other people didn´t, they have no use for those words but they sure do understand what they are about you might get a compelling discussion, you know when you are faced with the necessity to break rules and law to make a living instead of doing it just to flaunt your ego, might be an interesting perspective Ed, consider this  (Overgrown boy scout though :D) This really is one of the episodes themes though. With Jim Gordon we´ve already walked all kinds of paths of the question of the lawful vs. the right thing but now we got some more steps here. 

LESLIE THOMPKINS & JIM  GORDON get a whole straight forward conversation about the whole issue: “Who doesn't want to be Robin Hood? But you're still breaking the law.” “Jim, you wish you could do what I'm doing. Helping people without the straitjacket of the law as if the law means anything in Gotham.” “If the law has lost its meaning, it's because people like you are turning your back on it.” “I am fighting back. I don't deny anything I've done. You want to send me to Blackgate? Go ahead.” “I don't want to send you to Blackgate! That's the last thing I want to do. Don't you know I wish I could let you walk out that door, turn my head?” “What's holding you back? Maybe if you let me go, you'd let yourself go, too.”  Oddly Leslie seems to have forgotten that Jim Gordon does bend the law for the right cause.Why though he was present during the Galavan thing. Jim is not exactly completely restricted by it. “Come to the Narrows.” “What?” “Where you can make a real difference in this city. You can make up your own rules about how to do it.” For Jim Gordon the law is not a corset with steel bones but more a fragile lingerie corsage. It´s nice to look at and you can flaunt your body in it if you please but it´s not restricting you. He is already quite on board with the whole doing bad / criminal thing for the sake of the good cause. Jim already made up his own rules. Just look at him torturing suspects in this episode. It´s not like he hasn´t already “let himself go”. The only real thing that´s holing him back is appearance. He wasn´t happy about Oswald´s public licence system he wanted the old more concealed mafia cooperation back. Only HARVEY BULLOCK voices the issue. They have long crossed that line. “People get away with a lot worse in Gotham every day.” “Doesn't make it right.”  “We got away with worse. Both of us.” > Oddly recently we have had Harvey Bullock be on the “hold up the rules” train, he arrested Oswald although he helped them, he called Jim out on falling for Lee´s “she is doing good” argument. This time they have switched platforms. This time it´s Harvey being ready to let Leslie get away with her crime because of her motivations and because there is worse people. Jim instead is the one to insist that not only the “good intention” matter. Less oddly this is the kind of philosophy Jim usually shows with other people. We get more and more expressions of doubt about himself but he still goes on with acting based on the other kind, the one that supports him bending rules and law. Which certainly must be less easy to suppress now that Bullock is directly addressing this.  (I´m on the other hand suspecting that with Bullock that is less a matter of philosophy than one of personal feelings. He never liked Oswald, not even before he killed Fish Mooney. I´m pretty sure this animosity was even more leading him to arrest Oswald than it was his righteousness.)

Then there is the matter of PERSPECTIVE. All the question of doing a good thing or causing a good thing doesn’t matter much if there´s different points of views on what´s “good”. When Harvey Bullock and JIM GORDON torture the guy in the trunk of their car Jim reminds Harvey of their audience. “Harvey, Harvey. Reporters, buddy.” The good cause of foiling crime outweighs the unethical deed of torture for the both of them but that´s only their judgement the reporters might see that differently. Likewise BRUCE WAYNE´s intentions of bringing JEREMIAH to Jerome´s grave were good but the outcome was detrimental to Jeremiahs situation. “I thought it would help. I was wrong, but we need to leave.” JEREMIAH VALESKA and BRUCE WAYNE is the other pair where this question is discussed most directly: “Jerome wanted to slather you in honey and have you eaten alive by corpse beetles. Now, that's mad.  Me, if I want to kill you, I'll just do it. I'll shoot you in the head. Simply and sanely. See, I don't want to kill you, because I want to show you how much I've changed things. How much we've changed things. 'Cause I could not have done any of this without your help.”  Just like with leading Jeremiah to the dug up Jerome Bruce´s intentions with the project that turned out to be bombs instead of cheap environmentally friendly energy were good. However this doesn´t matter when the outcome is death and destruction. Or does it?  He´s contributed to it! He has made it possible. What weighs more heavily the thing you wanted to do or the thing you did?  It´s also tied straight back to him feeling responsible for what Jerome did after he let him live!  And on the other side it connects  the whole issue back to JIM GORDON. He doesn´t let Jerome live. He shoots him to stop him from pressing destruction buttons. He´s trying to safe his live as well when he is about to fall from the roof but with shooting him he already risked his death.  Apart form this quite obvious bomb point I do think that there´s something to be said about JEROME & JEREMIAH here as well. Jeremiah says he would just kill Bruce without further ado, claiming he is all about the outcome, while Jerome would have delved in the deed itself. With Jerome there is much more focus on his intentions and motivation. On the other hand you could also read this as the both of them being on the same page. In pointing this out Jeremiah also flaunts his own intention, which is differentiating himself from his brother. It´s not about killing it´s also about making a point that he kills differently than Jerome?  LESLIE THOMPKINS & EDWARD NYGMA “Were you awake the whole time?” “Maybe.” “Smartest man in Gotham, huh?” “Don't just wrap me around your finger, Lee.” “Come on. Let's run.”  I´m still kind of expecting that they turn on each other, Leslie inviting Jim to the Narrows is potentially as suspicious as Edwards “not gonna happen” line last week (about the both of them joining and loving Lee), maybe I´m paranoid but I don´t like their relationship very much plot wise but they are still super cute together, how can they even have that much chemistry? How?! However both seem to have a common ground in “darkness”.  Leslie accepts hers for the sake of the good cause. Her crimes are motivated by the outcome, one that´s helping others. She doesn´t see herself as a bad person for doing crime because the cause justifies them. On the other hand Edward doesn´t care about this, he would rob a bank or kidnap nuns as long as he can make a name of himself and flaunt his ego. He delves into this darkness instead of focusing on what it can be harnessed for. He recognizes the darkness in Lee but also sees that she isn´t in the same place as he is but he seems to think she will get there, while Leslie sees his as well and his ability and thinks she can influence him to get on her path .. Edit: more 

JEREMIAH and JEROME VALESKA and THEIR PAST MAYBE? * Who are those Jerome followers? I mean I would say either you are the kind of person that likes some chaos and to trash a place while partying or you are the kind of person that can partake in an event that takes quite a level of organization but then again young people organize illegal parties and whole festivals in the woods maybe that´s not so out of the ordinary, maybe you can get a whole mix but oh well, in general I wonder about all those mobs and groups that show up, where are they when they disband? Do they wear sweatpants if they aren´t out to make trouble? *“And trust me, you're gonna want to pay attention so the TWIST makes sense at the end.” I was getting really excited when the Jerome video popped up and Jim was mid fight with Ecco, like oh what are they gonna do with this plot? Have I judged too early? But then it was Jeremiah who orchestrated the whole thing. He was not unaffected by the gas. Him telling Bruce that he sees Jerome everywhere was probably a lie, or not, who knows? Maybe seeing him everywhere sparked his change and his obsession to outdo him? But anyway That is not a twist, I guess you could claim the twist is there not being a twist which in some way is a twist but with the absent of an actual twist this doesn’t really count as a twist it´s just a suggestion of something that isn’t there that´s not the actual thing. In other words I´m disappointed.   * And it does not change anything about the fact that having someone in that prominent role that dedicated his life to something else before and who just took this path because of some gas is cheap. And I still don´t like that notion that, (assuming Jerome was right about Jeremiah) the choices a person makes don´t matter.  * But I´m gonna try to find something interesting in this. > I´m wondering if we are meant to believe that Jeremiah already started working on that energy system having in mind that this could be used as a bomb? Even before the whole Jerome thing went down? Were it his natural impulses or his subconscious that made him gravitate towards such an ambivalent project? I´d rather believe not, I want to believe his intentions were the same as the intentions of Bruce, but then again this could feed some characterization > “Like everything Jerome set his mind to, his insanity gas failed. Other than some mild cosmetic effects, he might as well have sprayed me with water. You all need to see Jerome for the utter dud that he was, so I donned the mask of madness to show you how feeble that is compared to actual greatness. Behold, the face of true sanity.”  So given his words we could read this as sibling rivalry, Jeremiah wants to come out of this on top. He´s better than his brother. He´s not only better he´s also different. Where does his all come from?   Is he really seeing Jerome everywhere and wanting to spite him? He took some time learning about Jerome´s “obsessions and goals” and came to the conclusion that: “I will outdo every one of them”.  I don´t think that mixes well with Jerome and his talk about legacy, also I´d like to have some more background where this could be base on..  > Another thing is this repeated “Progress requires sacrifice” notion that Jeremiah shows, he also says “To truly build something, you must tear down what’s already there.”  I haven´t had the impression that this is a philosophy he would support? He was more about protection and building in a constructive way, granted this was self protection but still. He expected Jerome to confront him, he feared for his life and he hid and built a defensive structure instead of going out of his way to find Jerome first and get rid of him. Which he should have done if he believes in the notion that for him/something to flourish obstacles need to be eradicated. On the other hand it was implied that Jeremiah planned to maybe kill Jerome. Which would make the defensive structure more of a trap in order to destroy him. Maybe it was both and this is meant to show Jeremiah´s struggle/split between the tendencies Jerome sees in him and the choice Jeremiah made to not act upon them?! Just this still feels a bit out of nowhere, I´d really like to have had some hints, maybe connected to his architectural work that this is a philosophy he cherishes.. > Then again maybe I´m asking for something that was in fact there. Maybe him throwing young Jerome under the wheels was his version of “progress requires sacrifice”. By making his family believe he was in danger he could leave them, which opened up opportunities far from circus life for him, he could go to school and have success ..  * I loved all the details they had this week: >The mazes on Jermiah´s walls > Jerome´s diary outside and inside > The diy flyer that called the crowd to Jerome´s grave  > That one umbrella (see below) one of the Jerome followers had * JEREMIAH´s hiding spot among the dead. This was such a good choice because you can´t escape how much it resembles his home underground, how in turn his safety maze is resembling a grave, he´s hiding dead to the world, and now Jerome obviously got into it through the gas * The shot with Alfred going through the door and the fight scene we only get a glimpse at  * I loved how Jim Gordon was a proper detective again for a moment, the tactical retreat to trap Jerome´s followers was a nice moment, as well as him basing this strategy on Jerome´s tactics of distractions .. well he couldn´t know that this was all on Jeremiah..    only Oswald figured that out! (“I don't expect you to betray the memory of that old corpse. I want you to betray whomever it is you are currently following.”) * I loved that there was a lot of openness and communication (even if sometimes not sincerely) Jim is quick to tell Alfred about the problem, JEREMIAH talks about the gas, he directly calls out BRUCE on the lie and he promptly apologizes and changes his strategy * Likewise although less kind the interactions between BUTCH GLIZEAN and OSWALD COBBLEPOT were rather open.   “There's nothing petty about my aggression.” “So, am I to starve until I guess the source of your resentment?” “You said, if I joined you …… “ //  “Shh! Did you just shush me?”  Just like Jeremiah Oswald addressed a problem inbetween them directly and the openly talked about it. * “What I want to know with a minimum of fuss,” Oh Oswald, I feel you, everything is exhausting * It´s a shame that we don´t know more about ECCO. With a show that´s supposedly about Gotham before Batman and the villains he hunts they are way too quick to push characters into those roles. I want to see them being someone different and then slowly change and develop but there are like Oh by the way here have Harley doing Harley things (assuming Ecco is meant to be her)  Edit: more * “Confusion is always an opportunity for the clear headed.” * “You, go where Jim Gordon goes. He comes under some harm, assist him. I do not need Lee blaming me if he's killed under friendly fire while I go about my business.” * “And even though I know it's not real, it feels real.” * “Dead when he came in. More dead when he was eviscerated and his brain was sliced up.” Oh Lucius  * “Which is exactly why I will not have you bumbling into the GCPD en masse.”  Bumbling! * That poor „We’re saved!” guy was funny .. * Harvey running that guys head into the metal bar was mean but takin more beer out of the coffin a funny moment again, also Harper!! * „Yes, that's right. Now you can tell me why you sound so concerned.” I don´t even know why but his tone in this makes me ship Jim and ALFRED even more. 

[bangtan-insfired]

This Magic Moment | Taehyung

Pairing: reader x hufflepuff taehyung | Hogwarts AU

Genre: fluff

Summary: When your date to the Yule ball goes terribly wrong, Taehyung is there to save the night.

A/N: So after much editing & rewriting, I finally deemed this decent enough to be uploaded. I feel like I might it again later, but I hope you all enjoy! Let me know if you want another Hufflepuff Taehyung AU bc I have an idea for a continuation of this...

Word Count: 5K

A whirl of gold zoomed past your ear and in an instant, all your senses were on full alert and your fingers gripped your broom tighter as you flew straight after it. You had just spotted the snitch and judging by how Hufflepuff’s seeker was still surveying the area, you figured he hadn’t spotted it yet. You willed your broom to go faster, whirling past your teammates who sensed what you were doing.

You were so close to the snitch. If you just reached out your hand for it—

“OH! IT LOOKS LIKE [Y/N] HAS SPOTTED THE SNITCH!”

Cheers erupted from the crowd decked in silver and green, their cheering growing louder and louder within the minute as they caught onto you. A smile was making its way on your face because you did it—you captured the snitch—but it didn’t fully reach your eyes as a bludger hit you right in the arm, making you lose your balance.

You let out a gasp, struggling to get a good grip on your broom as you held on to it for dear life with one hand while you clutched the snitch close to you with the other. What the—

You didn’t even have time to fully react to another bludger that was sent your way but luckily Jimin—your teammate—did and he zoomed right past you, raising his bat and successfully hitting the bludger away from you and back toward the Hufflepuff beater who had tried to send it your way.

“IF YOU’RE HAVING QUIDDITCH PROBLEMS, I FEEL BAD FOR YOU, SON. [Y/N] HAS NINETY-NINE PROBLEMS BUT A SNITCH AIN’T ONE!” Namjoon’s—the Quidditch commentator—voice roared through the stadium as you held up your hand in proof, fingers clasped around the small golden snitch.

“SLYTHERIN TAKES THE WIN!”

At the official announcement, all of the Slytherins cheered even louder—if that was possible since they were already loud—and stomped on the bleachers, even though you were still hanging off your broom and in dire need of some help.

“Easy there, champ.”

You felt an arm wrap around your waist and pull you up, allowing you to safely get back onto your broom and save you from what would be a devastating fall.  The last time you fell off your broom you ended up with more than one broken bone and the healing process was a huge pain.

You turned your head, sending a grateful smile to your savior to find Taehyung—the cute beater for the Hufflepuff team and a good friend of yours—on his broom next to you.

“Thanks.” You managed to breathe out, a bit flustered at having him so close to you.

“Sorry about Lay, he shouldn’t have thrown that bludger at you when you already captured the snitch.”

“S’okay, he was just defending his team.” You shrugged off his concern and then grinned at him, regaining your confidence. “Slytherin still prevailed and crushed you all… the usual, you know.”

“Why you—“

“Last one to the ground is a rotten egg!”

Taehyung watched in disbelief as you turned your broom and flew away. “I literally just saved you from breaking your arm and this is how you repay me? By rubbing in the fact that my team lost!” He exclaimed as he landed right after you, rolling his eyes at your smug attitude.

“Sore loser.” You teased as you stuck out your tongue.

“More like sore winner,” he huffed as he hopped off his broom and dashed toward you. You were too late to make a run for it and let out a squeal as his hands poked at your sides. “Just wait ‘til next game. I’ll send a bludger your way so hard that it’ll surely—“

“Yeah, yeah.” Jimin interrupted as he approached the two of you with a smug smirk, making the both of you stop in your antics to look at him.  “You won’t be able to hit her on my watch, Kim.”

“And where were you when I was on the verge of falling to my death?” You raised an eyebrow at Jimin.

“Oh yeah,” Jimin smiled sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck.  “Sorry about that.”

“You’re lucky I saved her or else Slytherin wouldn’t have it’s seeker and it’d make me win by default next time…can’t have that, can we? I plan to win fair and square next time.” Taehyung spoke and when you turned to look at him, you recognized what the wide grin on his face meant.

“We’ll see.” You replied, the corners of your lips tugging upwards to mirror Taehyung’s grin.

That’s how most of your Quidditch games against Hufflepuff ended and how your friendship with Taehyung began. The winner would always engage in playful banter until the loser promised to outdo the other next time.

Unfortunately, there wouldn’t be a next time.

“No more Quidditch?” Taehyung mumbled in disbelief as his eyes read over the flyers posted all over the bleachers. They were hard to miss.

You peered your head over his shoulder, reading the flyer yourself. The two of you had returned from Hogsmeade and not having anything else to do, decided to head to the Quidditch field to test out Taehyung’s newest version of the nimbus broom but by the looks of it, your plan was canceled. No Quidditch meant no Quidditch practice and no Quidditch practice meant there’s no reason be on the field, even if it was to just mess around on your brooms.

You frowned. “What are we supposed to do now?”

“Maybe we can finally go exploring in the Forbidden forest. Rumor has it Hagrid’s brother lives there and I want to meet him.”

“Oh, sure.” You sarcastically replied. “I’ve always wanted to die at the hands or should I say legs of Aragog’s grandchildren.”

“We won’t get killed,” Taehyung told you as he remembered his last encounter with those terrifying spiders. “I’m still alive.”

“Remind me why I am your friend?”

Taehyung let out a snort. “Do you really want me to answer that?”

“Touché.”

The day after the flyers had been posted, Headmistress McGonagall finally addressed the topic of the Triwizard Tournament and just as expected, the Quidditch field was now off limits since it would be used to prepare for the upcoming tournament. Although you were a bit upset about the whole ordeal, the more McGonagall spoke about it, the more excited you began to grow over it.

“Students! Remember that tomorrow the Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students will arrive.” Headmistress McGonagall spoke, gathering everyone’s attention as she stood from her seat at the dining hall. “I expect everyone to be on their best behavior. Please.”

You swore she looked at Taehyung and six of his others friends when she said that. In a not so discreet manner, might you add. You couldn’t help but laugh as a few students looked their way, following McGonagall’s gaze. They didn’t look surprised.

The next few days were a blur of excitement. The Durmstrang and Beauxbaton students had finally arrived and everyone was eager to befriend them. Soon came the night to enter your names into the goblet of fire and just about everyone who was eligible wrote in their names (yourself included.) You were all surprised but definitely not disappointed when Gryffindor’s heartthrob, Kim Seokjin was chosen as Hogwarts’s champion.

Before you all knew it, the first task for the champions was completed, leaving everyone to anticipate the Yule Ball and now the biggest talk was on who would be asking who to the ball. Some already had a special someone in mind.

Unfortunately for Taehyung, he didn’t have a clue on who to ask.

“Why don’t you ask the cute Gryffindor girl from potions? She’s really sweet.” Jimin suggested as he rummaged through a box of purple ribbons.

“No, no, no.” Birdie, Jimin’s girlfriend and Taehyung’s best friend, shook her head. Her gaze was on the check-list full of things she had to do to prepare for Yule Ball (since she had volunteered herself and both Jimin and Taehyung to help with the preparations) but Taehyung knew she wasn’t talking about the words hastily scribbled onto the scroll.

“That cute Gryffindor girl from potions just got asked out by some Ravenclaw boy.” Birdie explained to the two confused boys with a wide smile on her face. “It was the cutest thing ever!”

Jimin made a face at her. “I thought I was the cutest thing ever.”

Birdie laughed and swooped down to press a brief kiss on Jimin’s cheek. “Second to you, of course.”

“Volunteer with us for the Yule ball, they said.” Taehyung retorted, watching as Jimin and Birdie were being disgustingly cute. “It’ll be fun, they said.”

Jimin looked up at Taehyung. “Why don’t you ask [Y/N]?”

“Wouldn’t that be weird? We’re just friends.” Taehyung frowned deep in thought.

“We,” Birdie pointed at herself and then at Jimin,”were just friends.”

“But we’re different.”

Birdie narrowed her eyes at Taehyung, humming in disbelief because she’s been there, done that. Meanwhile, Jimin gave out a chuckle because he knew Taehyung very well—enough to know when he is interested in a girl and the way he treated you was no different than the way Taehyung treated all his friends.

“Okay,” Birdie sighed as she gave up on pressing Taehyung about it further. Taehyung was a genuine loving person and so were you. She could easily be misinterpreting the situation.

“Even if you’re just friends, it’s okay to ask her. There’s nothing wrong with asking a friend to be your date to the ball.”

Taehyung nodded as he thought about it. “You’re right.” He replied.

“Now that, that’s settled,” Birdie grinned, clapping her hands together excitedly as she looked to both Taehyung and Jimin. “Why don’t we make McGonagall proud for once and help make this the best Yule Ball in Hogwarts’s history?”

Even though Birdie had reassured him many more times, Taehyung couldn’t bring himself to ask you. He was hesitant about it since your relationship was strictly platonic and he didn’t want to change that or make things awkward between the two of you. What if you thought more of it? What if it put a strain onto your friendship? Taehyung didn’t want to go alone to the Yule Ball but he was worried that by asking you, he’d be risking your friendship.

His eyes lit up as soon as he spotted you walking in the hallway. He was on his way to the Ravenclaw common room to show Jungkook a muggle game on his computer. You were on your way to the library and since it was on his way to Jungkook, he decided to walk with you.

You beamed up at him and noticing that you were more happy than usual, he couldn’t help but question it and the answer he received was definitely not what he was anticipating. It was like a slap to his face and before he could stop himself from saying something stupid, he opened his mouth.

“You have a date?”

“I’m offended.” You replied as you turned to glare at Taehyung. “Why do you sound so surprised?”

Taehyung shook his head, quickening his pace to match yours. “I didn’t mean it like that…I just—I just thought you weren’t particularly interested in anyone.”

“I’m not.” You confessed, the nerves finally getting the best of you as you broke out into a smile. “But Kihyun asked me out—“

“The boy who sits behind us in transfiguration?” Taehyung interrupted and you nodded, not catching the way his lips had curved into a frown.

“Yes! The really cute one!” You replied, not being able to hide how shy yet excited you were about it.

Taehyung had never seen you so interested in someone so he found it a bit odd but heartwarming and for a moment, he worried if Kihyun was a good guy for you. He was known for being quite the charmer. But rumors could just be rumors and he didn’t want to rain on your parade so he managed a small smile as you spoke.

“He was really sweet and seems like a nice guy so I thought why not give it a chance, you know?” You said with a shrug of your shoulders. “It’s not like anyone else would ask me out.”

Taehyung let out a hum and you came to a stop, leaning against the wall to turn your full attention to him. The two of you were right outside the library. “Who are you going with?” You curiously asked, not even bothering to ask if he had a date…because this was Kim Taehyung you were talking to. He surely scored a date already.

Taehyung looked away briefly, his mind racing. Who am I going with? He asked himself in panic. When he turned back to you, he didn’t know why he felt so nervous. He could’ve easily told you he didn’t have a date but his nerves got the best of him and he blurted out the first name he could think of, which was consequently the person he was going to meet up with in a few.

“Jungkook.”

“Jungkook?”

“Yeah,” he chuckled in a lame attempt to save himself from this awkward situation. He wanted to get out of it as soon as possible. “He didn’t have a date either so I thought we should go together as friends. Speaking of Jungkook, I promised I’d meet him at the Ravenclaw dorms at six o’ clock and I’m running five minutes late. Got to go! Bye!”

It was as if Taehyung apparated since he was out of sight before you could even say goodbye. You glanced at the watch on your wrist in bewilderment. “But it’s barely five-thirty…”

“I can’t believe you’re my date to the Yule Ball.”

“I can’t believe I agreed to it.”

Taehyung let out a snort as he turned to look at the younger boy, bumping his shoulder purposely against Jungkook’s. “Care to dance?” He teased as he hooked out his arm.

Jungkook scrunched up his nose, remembering the mandatory awkward dance lesson he had with his head of house. “As if,” Jungkook huffed, distancing himself from Taehyung. “I’m going to go stuff my face at the dessert bar before Jin-Hyung gets to it. I’ll meet up with you later.”

Taehyung rolled his eyes. The whole reason why he wanted a date was so that he wouldn’t be alone. But this was Jungkook so he really shouldn’t be surprised. He decided to walk around the great hall, greeting classmates here and there until he finally made it to the table where Jimin, Birdie and his other friends sat at with their dates.

“He ditched you already, didn’t he?” Jimin said to him as soon as Taehyung was in hearing distance. When Taehyung nodded his head, Jimin shook his head, not looking the least bit surprised. “That boy, I swear.”

Birdie smiled sympathetically at him, pulling a chair from another table and gesturing for him to sit there. “We did a good job, didn’t we?” She said, referring to the Yule Ball decoration.

“Good? I’d say wonderful more like it!” Another voice chimed in and the three of them turned to see an impressed McGonagall. “My faith in you three is restored.” She added in a teasing manner before nodding her head and leaving.

Taehyung took a look around the room himself to fully appreciate all the hard work he put into it and McGonagall was right. They did do a wonderful job at decorating. The great dining hall had been transformed into a winter wonderland on Christmas Eve.

Chandeliers made of icicles hung from the ceilings. Snow slowly fell from them, glistening like a million of tiny crystals and disappearing as soon as it made contact with the students or the floor that Taehyung charmed to look like a frozen lake. Hints of purple and midnight blue were used to add a nice touch of color on the tables and miniature frosted evergreen trees were used as centerpieces that were decorated with all kinds of sweets.

Jimin gaped after her in disbelief. “Did she just compliment us?”

“It’s a feeling I can definitely get used to.” Birdie replied.

“Don’t.” Taehyung warned and when the two of them turned to look at him, he wore a sloppy grin on his face. One they recognized all too well and often led to the three of them getting scolded by McGonagall in detention.

“I thought we already discussed this. We are not getting a niffler as a pet! Do I need to remind you of the last time we—“

Taehyung feigned innocence, his eyebrows furrowing slightly as he scanned the great dining hall. “Do you hear that?”

“I hear nothing.” Jimin deadpanned and Taehyung fought the urge to roll his eyes at the oblivious boy.

“I think [Y/N] is calling my name so I’m going to go. Okay? Bye!” Taehyung exclaimed, eager to run away before Birdie could continue on what he was sure was going to turn into a pointless lecture, considering she always ended up joining in on his adventures, no matter how opposed she was to them.

Plus, it was also an excuse to go look for you. He found it a bit odd that you haven’t texted him that you were there. The Yule Ball was all you talked about for the past few days and he was eager to hear your thoughts on the decorations since he had kept it a secret from you. His reasoning was that he wanted you to be surprised just like all the other students would surely be.

A smile slowly etched onto his face, his eyes lighting up as he finally spotted you.

You stood by the entrance, wearing a deep red tulle gown that complemented your figure and made him stop and stare. He was used to seeing you in casual clothes or your Quidditch uniform so seeing you so dressed up with your hair and makeup done nicely, was different. Not necessarily a good or bad different. If you’d ask him, he’d tell you, you look beautiful all the time, even when you claimed you were having a bad hair day.

Turning your head, your eyes met his across the room and that’s when Taehyung noticed that there was something off about you. Not wasting anymore time, he approached you, offering his famous rectangle smile.

“I almost didn’t recognize you.”

“Should I be offended?” You questioned, raising an eyebrow. Although there was a hint of sass in your voice, your lips quirked to which he only replied with a small laugh.

Your eyes left him briefly to scan around the area. “Where’s your date?”

“Dessert bar.”

Having a sense of direction, you peered over his shoulder, eyes widening when you spotted Jungkook and you now understood why they called him the Golden Maknae. “Holy cow! How many cauldron cakes can he fit into his mouth?”

Curious to see the sight for himself, he turned around and followed your gaze just in time to see Jungkook shove a fourth cauldron cake into his mouth, egged on by Jin—who had a surprising amount of five in his mouth already. “What can I say? He’s competitive.”

“Yeah.” You laughed. “Not surprised, considering he’s your best friend.”

“Whatever.” Taehyung playfully rolled his eyes at you, his smile faltering when he noticed something—or should he say, someone missing. “So where’s your date?”

Your smile fell, making Taehyung regret his question and a feeling of dread hit him at your crestfallen expression. He hated seeing your eyes lose the spark they always had and the way your lips would curve into a small frown.

“He’s dancing with some Beauxbaton girl.”

Taehyung looked to where you had nodded at, easily spotting Kihyun with a brunette. His lips curled up into a disapproving sneer when he saw the two of them making out on the dance floor. “Be right back, I’m going to go curse him. I think the jelly-legs curse should work, right?”

Before Taehyung could pull out his wand and march toward them, your hand reached out for his wrist to stop him. “That’s not very Hufflepuff of you.”

He was somewhat relieved to see a ghost of a smile on your face when he turned to look back at you.

“Anyway, I think I should head back to my dorm.”

Now, it was Taehyung’s turn to stop you and he hooked his arm through yours to keep you close. He was not going to let you go anywhere, especially not when he knew how much you were looking forward to this night. He wasn’t going to let an inconsiderate jerk ruin that for you.

“I think we should stop Jungkook from going into a dessert coma, eat the rest of the sweets, and get some butterbeer to cheer you up.” Taehyung suggested. “What do you say?”

The spark in your eyes returned at his suggestion. “I say lead the way.”

Just as Taehyung had said, your first stop was at the dessert bar where he stopped Jungkook and Jin from shoving any more sweets into their mouths only to challenge them to see who could drink the most glasses of butterbeer in a minute. You grinned as Hoseok’s timer went off, slamming down your fourth empty glass onto the table. Jungkook and Jin let out a groan in defeat as they put their glasses down, which were still half filled. Taehyung, on the other hand, showed good sportsmanship and gave you a high-five.

“That’s my girl.” He grinned back at you and you weren’t sure if you were blushing due to his words or the fact that you had just chugged down four glasses of butterbeer under a minute.

You didn’t have time to dwell on it too much since Jimin grabbed Jungkook’s hand, ushering him to the dance floor where Jimin’s girlfriend and her friends were. Not wanting to be the only one dragged along, Jungkook grasped Taehyung’s hand and Taehyung was quick to grab your hand, pulling you along as well before you could escape.

“I don’t know how to dance!” You cried in protest, knowing it was a lie.

“I don’t care!”

“Well, it was worth a shot.” You mumbled to yourself as you let Taehyung lead you to the dance floor.

**

The whole incident with Kihyun was long forgotten thanks to Taehyung. What you thought was going to be a bad night turned into an incredibly fun night as you had hoped for. Taehyung made sure the smile on your face never faded away, especially as you two danced along with his friends to the upbeat music. You had formed a circle, taking turns as to who would be in the middle for a “solo.” You couldn’t stop laughing when Seokjin decided to do his famous traffic dance and the other guys joined in on it.

When the song you were dancing to ended and a slower song started, you planned to follow Jungkook and your friends off the dance floor but was held back by a hand grasping yours. It intertwined itself with your fingers and knowing who it was, you slowly lifted your gaze to meet with Taehyung’s and nothing could prepare you for the way he was looking at you. You swore your heart stopped beating for a moment…

“May I have this dance?”

“If you stop giving me that sultry look, I’d be more than happy, too.” You replied, allowing him to guide you back onto the dance floor as the performer began to sing.

“This magic moment...”

Taehyung dropped his façade, returning back to his usual self as he gave you a goofy look. “What sultry look?”

“You’re unbelievable.” You laughed—a bit relieved and slightly disappointed he was only messing around with you.

He pulled you in closer, resting his freehand on the small of your back and you rested yours on his shoulder. He leaned in toward you briefly as if he hadn’t heard you, catching you off guard and making your body tense up.

“Unbelievably handsome? Thank you.”

Your body relaxed and you let out a breath you hadn’t realized you were holding as you glared at him. “You’re lucky it’s true.”

Taehyung’s eyes widened and his jaw dropped. “Did you just lowkey call me handsome?”

Instead of replying to his already answered question, you glanced down at the floor and was quick to change the subject. “You know, the floor reminds me of home. Every time winter comes and the lake by my house freezes—“

“You get your ice skating shoes and skate the day away.” Taehyung finished for you and when you turned to look at him surprised that he knew that, he smiled. “Birdie told me when you were feeling homesick one day and I figured since you’re not going home for the holidays, I’d bring some of it to you…even if it’s just a tiny detail.”

You felt your heart swell at the revelation of his sweet gesture and being at a loss of words, you hugged him close, never wanting to let him go. You didn’t know what came over you. You felt so warm, so happy and so content with dancing with him that the only thing you could think of was showing him how you felt through an action rather than words.

“You’re unbelievable, Kim Taehyung.”

The two of you continued to slow dance and you rested your head against his chest, finding comfort in the beating of his heart that was beginning to speed up.  

“Unbelievably amazing? Thank you.”

You looked up to send him another glare for complimenting himself once again but as you did so, you realized that he had been staring down at you all this time. His honey brown eyes seemed to smile at you, the gold flecks in them glistening. This was the first time you were so close to him that wasn’t in the middle of a competitive Quidditch match.

“You’re really beautiful.”

Taehyung spoke whatever he had in mind—which was both a blessing and a curse—and judging by the way his eyes had widened at his own words, you realized he had even caught himself off guard.

“Is that what you meant to tell me earlier?” You teased, despite the fact that you were freaking out on the inside as he spun you around to keep you from seeing the blush rising to his cheeks.

Taehyung had called you beautiful many times before so you didn’t know why this time affected you so much but there was no denying that it did. If only he wasn’t too busy hiding his own flustered cheeks, he’d realize that you were blushing, too…as a result of the butterflies in your stomach awakening—a strong feeling you hadn’t felt in a while.

“Everything I want, I have. Whenever I hold you tight.”

“Yeah,” he mumbled, pulling you close to him once again, his eyes never leaving yours and that’s when he felt it.

That familiar tugging on his heartstring that made him feel strange and vulnerable but sweet and comforting at the same time. He thought back to all the times the two of you hung out, sharing joy and laughter or sometimes sharing sorrow and stress and in that moment, he realized just how dear your presence was to him.

Slowly pushing one of your loose curls behind your ear, he smiled down at you genuinely. He wanted to continue to be with you and as you smiled back up at him, the feeling grew even more intense and he began to wonder how your lips would feel against his…

Holy shit.

Now he understood why he had felt so upset over Kihyun asking you out...His hands began to feel clammy and he loosened his grip on your hand only for you to tighten your own grip on his, keeping him from making an escape and making his emotions run high.

“[Y/N]…”

“Yes…” You managed to choke out, not sure whether you meant that as a question or comfirmation.

Taehyung took it as the latter. He leaned forward slowly and hesitantly and you could only stare up at him until his eyes closed and his lips were pressed against yours. They felt so soft, so warm against yours. You couldn’t believe that you were kissing your best friend...and you were more than okay with it.

It almost didn’t register in your mind and you were too late to fully react to it since he pulled away. His eyes searched yours for any hint of disgust and he opened his mouth ready to apologize but was cut off when you let go of his hand to cup his face and bring his lips to yours again but this time with more force.

“This magic moment…while your lips are close to mine.”

All of his worries seemed so ridiculous in that moment and he allowed himself to melt into the kiss, savoring the sweet taste of your lips as he pulled you in closer—chest to chest and heart to heart.

"Holy shit," he whispered, pulling away as the song was coming to an end. “I think I’m in love with you.”

“Same.” You agreed breathlessly as the two of you stared at each other with wide eyes, your dancing coming to a stop.

“Will last forever, forever till the end of time.”

The next day, you and Taehyung were walking together when you spotted Kihyun and the pretty Beauxbaton girl from last night down the hall. By the looks of it, things didn’t seem to be going well for them as they were last night.  The Beauxbaton glared at a distressed Kihyun. “You sure had a lot to say to me last night but now you don’t even want to talk to me?”

Kihyun opened his mouth as if he were to speak but no sound came out. This seemed to only anger the girl even more as she roughly pushed him aside and stormed off.

“What’s up with him?” You couldn’t help but wonder out loud.

“He must be tongue-tied after all the false promises he makes.” Taehyung replied nonchalantly with a shrug of his shoulders, urging for the two of you to continue walking.

“Kim Taehyung…” You trailed off as you caught sight of the slight quirk of his lips. You couldn’t believe that he was capable of doing such a thing. Shoot, this sounded like something you’d do. 

“You’re unbelievable.”

“Unbelievably the best boyfriend? Thank you!”

[droneseco]

Withings Body Cardio Review: The Best Smart Scales Money Can Buy

Withings Body Cardio

9.00 / 10

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The Withings Body Cardio smart scales are a stylish addition to any bathroom. The health-focused device can measure a range of physical attributes, including weight, muscle and fat mass, and heart rate. The newly-released Vascular Health feature, combined with the scales' comprehensive fitness and health monitoring, makes the Body Cardio some of the best connected scales money can buy.

Key Features

Vascular Age feature for monitoring your heart health

Data syncs via Wi-Fi to the Withings Health Mate smartphone app

Full body composition measurements

12-month battery life

Specifications

Brand: Withings

Connectivity: Wi-Fi

Integrations: Over 100 services, including Google Fit and Apple Health

Color: Black/White

Material: Aluminum, tempered glass

Battery: 12 months

Pros

Can allow up to eight user profiles

Data displayed on the scales can be adjusted via the app

Data is presented clearly and with useful insights

Vascular Age feature is impressive, useful, and unique

Cons

Top-heavy design makes them prone to falling over if stored

Knowing exactly where to stand takes some getting used to

Buy This Product

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For decades, people have used bathroom scales to keep an eye on their health. Initially, these were limited to analog units, which only showed your weight. Then, digital scales became more commonplace, offering guidance on weight, body fat, and muscle.

Then came "smart" digital scales. Companies like Fitbit and Withings are two of the most popular, and their scales integrate with their respective apps, syncing data to your smartphone so you can keep an eye on your physical health over a period of time.

Withings initially launched the Body Cardio smart scale back in 2016. However, the company has continued to support the unit and even now, five years later, is still adding features, like the recently launched Vascular Age measurement.

Withings Body Cardio Design

We're all familiar with the basic design of bathroom scales. The units are usually square, low to the ground, and have a dial or display near the top. To measure your stats, you just need to step onto the scales with both feet. Withings haven't done anything radical with the aesthetic design or essential operation. However, the Body Cardio scales do look decidedly modern.

The front face is made from high-strength tempered glass with a black body behind. At a glance, the scales look like a purely black square, but the glass plate is slightly patterned. Although this prevents the scales from looking too plain, it also has a more practical reason. The front plate is covered in electrodes which are used to perform some of the more complex measurements.

Unlike many other scales, which run on disposable batteries, the Body Cardio comes with a built-in rechargeable battery. On the side of the device, you'll find a micro-USB port for top-ups. However, you shouldn't have to do this often, as the battery should last up to 12 months on a single charge.

Withings Body Cardio Features

Withings currently offers three smart scales; Body, Body+, and Body Cardio. The Body is the entry-level model, with data syncing but a limited number of features. The Body+ is an upgraded edition of the Body scales, adding body composition measurements. Finally, the Body Cardio is the most advanced set of scales the company offers.

As you'd expect for a set of bathroom scales, the Body Cardio measures your weight, and the display offers up the numerical value and a trend line for recent measurements. Using the companion app, you can add multiple users to the scales, and in many cases, the unit will automatically recognize who has stepped on. An on-screen prompt will highlight which way to lean to select your user profile when it is unsure.

Alongside weight, the Body Cardio scales also monitor your body fat and water percentage, muscle mass, bone mass, and current heart rate. If you also use a Withings fitness tracker, smartwatch, or sync data from other sources to your Withings account, your scales will display yesterday's step count. An exciting inclusion here is the Pregnancy Tracker feature. If you opt-in using the Withings app, you'll get an overview of your progress, health-related information, personalized insights, and data on your pregnancy-related weight gain.

The scales send a low-amplitude electrical current through your body and measure the resistance it encounters to obtain this data. The voltage drop between your right and left feet is used to calculate the impedance, which results in a value for your body's fat-free mass. Before 2021, the last user-focused update was in early 2019, when the Pulse Wave Velocity feature was enabled. Despite this, in May, Withings released a software update that added an entirely new feature: Vascular Age measurements.

Withings Body Cardio Vascular Age Monitoring

Your heart health is crucial to your overall wellbeing, but it can be hard to get a sense of how this integral but hidden system is doing. Despite releasing the scales in 2016, in mid-2021, Withings added a new Vascular Age feature to the Body Cardio scales. As you step onto the device, alongside all the standard measurements, using the company's algorithm, the scales can offer assessments on your arteries, too.

As we age, our bodies change both internally and externally. In any assessment, generally, you'd like your metrics to conclude that the performance of your internal systems is in line with, or potentially younger than, your actual age. However, the other way around, where your assessed age is higher than your chronological age, could indicate that there are health issues you need to resolve or explore.

For example, I'm in my early 30s, so I would expect my vascular age to be in a similar or lower range. If the scales suggested my vascular age was somewhere between 50 and 54, I'd need to take note and visit a health professional or adjust my lifestyle and exercise regime. Fortunately for me, the scales did determine my vascular age to be in the 30 to 34 range.

As with any measurement, including your weight, there'll be variance each day, so the value of the vascular age measurements is over the long term. If you start to see a rise or drop in your assessed age range over a month, six months, or a year, it's valuable feedback. It also means that you can judge the effectiveness of your interventions. For example, if you're a smoker and quit smoking to lower your vascular age, the change won't be immediate, but the trend should show improvements.

Withings places your Vascular Age into three color-coded categories; Optimal, Normal, and Not optimal. The scales can capture this data by measuring the time difference between blood leaving your heart and arriving in your feet. This is displayed on the scales as the Pulse Wave Velocity, and in turn, is converted into a Vascular Age estimate compared to other Withings users.

All you need to do is step onto the scales. However, there are ways to increase the reliability of the measurements. For example, your heels should be roughly in line with the second horizontal band on the scales. Likewise, if your feet are too dry, then the reading may fail. Withings recommends that your feet be slightly moist to get the best results, and, in practice, I found wiping a drip or two of water onto the soles of my feet helped.

Withings Health Mate

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As with other Withings devices, the Body Cardio scales integrate with the company's Health Mate smartphone app, which is available for Android and iOS. This app acts as a hub for all your Withings health data, including measurements from its smartwatches, fitness trackers, thermometers, and blood pressure monitors. However, most of those devices sync data via Bluetooth.

The Withings Body Cardio scales connect to your Wi-Fi network and sync data automatically, so there's no awkward pairing process with your phone every time you want to step onto the bathroom scales. Rather than forcing you to tap out your Wi-Fi password through some complex and challenging buttons on the device, you initially set up this connection using your smartphone and the Withings Health Mate app.

You can also use the app to customize the Body Cardio's on-screen measurements when you weigh yourself. For instance, you can disable today's weather overview, which is a nice touch but not immediately necessary on your scales. You can also remove other measurements from the display, although the scales will still capture this data for you to view in the app.

The Health Mate app also connects to over 100 third-party services, including two-way data sync with Google Fit and Apple Health. If you have health tracking devices from multiple manufacturers, these apps become an excellent place to view all of your data. Similarly, the two-way sync means you can view much of this data from within Health Mate, which I find presents data in a more user-friendly and intuitive way.

Sustainability and Longevity

Withings first launched the Body Cardio scales in 2016. For most consumer technology products, this would likely mean that, by 2021, the device was out of date, would probably be unsupported, and may no longer connect to the required online services. However, despite the company changing owners twice in the years since, Withings has not only maintained the scales but released software updates intermittently and rolled out some new features, too, including the Vascular Age measurements.

While some fitness and health tracking products like smartwatches or fitness trackers become obsolete within a few years (although, notably, not Withings' wearables), scales are also a long-lasting investment. These weight-monitoring devices have long been a staple of bathrooms, households, and gyms for decades. Technology has made it easier to capture more data through the unit, but fundamentally their purpose remains unchanged.

Of course, unlike the analog scales of years gone by, you won't be able to repair the Body Cardio scales should something physical go awry. Fortunately, the scales are quite hardy, but they can be prone to falling over onto the glass front if you stand them up and don't balance them quite right. As the unit is relatively weighty and slightly top-heavy, you need to be cautious of how you move them about.

Still, this is more of a consideration if you have limited bathroom space. If you have a fixed space you can leave the scales in, you shouldn't need to move them except to recharge the unit. As Withings actively maintains and updates the scales, any bugs would likely be resolved without hassle. Likewise, the company has a strong reputation for customer service, should you need any support.

Should You Buy The Withings Body Cardio Smart Scales?

If you're in the market for new or upgraded scales, then the Withings Body Cardio should be at the top of your list. No other connected scales offer this level of insight into your health, and the measurements are easy to capture and only require you to step onto the scales each day. Like the company's other products, there's an emphasis here on your heart's health and performance.

From the newly-launched Vascular Age feature to the PWV measurements and heart rate monitoring, the Body Cardio scales put your health, not just your weight, at the forefront. Your data isn't locked into the Withings platform either, so you don't have to own other devices to make the most of the scales. Compared to standard digital scales, the Body Cardio are certainly a premium option but worth the investment.

Withings Body Cardio Review: The Best Smart Scales Money Can Buy published first on http://droneseco.tumblr.com/

[lilithhawthorne]

Title: Blood of the Brotherhood Fandom: Mass Effect: Andromeda Relationship: Sara Ryder x Jaal Rating: M Chapter: 4/? Cross posted on AO3 / FFN First // Previous / Next Thanks and all my love to @thesassblr and @animarosa for making edits and suggestions!

"I had no way of contacting them!" Ryder rose, her hands raised in the air as a show of concession. "You know I couldn't have, there's no way. This is just bad, bad, bad luck."

"What do we do?" Gary's voice trembled.

What should she do? There was no way to know if Lonny could back up his threat. Here was an opportunity presented to escape, the timing too perfect to be anything but fate. She could rip off her helmet and run. Their guns were empty, and even though she knew Murphy had a spare clip, it would take him a few seconds to load his gun. Those few, precious seconds….

She looked towards the stretch of ground that led to the two hulking silhouettes coming into view.

No, she couldn’t risk him - them. Not again.

“Everyone back on the shuttle! Hurry up, there’s a grumpy Krogan that’s going to eat you if you don’t.”

Her movements clumsy and rushed, she adjusted her bandana and visor then untangled the ropes, using them to tie the nets closed. She had left too much of a lead and extra rope pooled at her feet but she didn’t have the patience to retie the knots. They would have have to fly low and slow with the nets hanging below them which limited the amount of time they had to escape.

“Ya tellin’ me this is just a real funny ka-wink-a-dink?” Murphy blocked out the last light from the sun, snuffing out her own shadow as he stood in her path. He stooped until his face was inches from her.

“First, please don’t ever say that word again. Second, yes, that is what I’m telling you.” They squared off, her shoulders rolled back and his jaw clenched so tight the bone might crack. “I don’t gain anything by contacting them - even if I could, which I can’t - and I have just as much interest in getting away from here.” She clapped her hands together to illustrate the critical timeframe they were constricted by. “As quickly as possible.”

His eyes were hard as he judged her words. If they’d had the time, she would have relished arguing further, but the life of her crew back on the Tempest depended on Jaal and Drack not knowing that she was here.

“Murphy,” she begged, her voice cracking as she reached for him, her fingers hooking on his sleeve, “I don’t want anything to happen to them, I would never risk it. We have to get out here.”

“Ah shit.” Murphy sighed and turned away from her, something in her tone or her wide eyes softening him up enough to believe her. He tugged on his sleeve, brushing away the ghost of her touch with a furrowed brow. “What’s the plan?”

“Get on the shuttle and be ready to fly that way,” she pointed towards the edge of the cliff. “I’ll stall them for as long as possible. But we can’t let Drack….” she shuddered as she thought of him launching himself at the shuttle. He would bring it down and then drag them from the wreckage by their necks. “If you have to, go. I’ll catch up.”

Murphy spread his arms and herded Gary and Jarrod towards the shuttle. They were standing shoulder to shoulder, their jaws slack. Jarrod had his gun out and held an arm’s length away, a noticeable tremor shifting the barrel towards Ryder, then to her left, to her right, back on her.

“Jarrod!” A revelation occurred, the absurdity of the thought overwhelming her priorities for a moment. “Are you the one who shot me?”

Murphy shoved Jarrod’s shoulder, pulling his attention away from answering her question. “What the fuck are ya gonna do with those, throw ‘em? Get on before she hears the answer and changes her mind ‘bout savin’ yer ass!”

Murphy didn’t wait for the steps to be lowered. He grasped the lip of the shuttle and pulled himself through the door. Gary and Jarrod danced nervously by his side as they waited, throwing feverish glances over their shoulders. She thought she saw Jarrod mouth something like sorry, but it could have just as easily been a prayer, his lips flapping soundlessly.  

Seated with his legs hanging out the door, Murphy frowned down at Ryder, his bandana pulled loose to drape across his neck and a gun balanced across his thighs. “If you don’t come back Lonny is going to kill me!” he shouted, easily heard over the engines. The nets that bulged with their stolen goods trembled as the shuttle rocked on its landing gear and Murphy gripped the partly closed door to keep from being tossed to the ground.

She winked, but realizing that he couldn't see it through her visor she flashed a thumbs up. “I can’t promise much in life, but I swear that I won’t let anyone kill you before I can.”

“Pretty words.” He grinned, creases around his eyes and mouth hinting that in another life, another galaxy, he might have done it often.

Ryder turned to face the approaching figures, the shuttle and cliff face at her back.

“Who are you?” Drack’s rumbling voice heard easily across the distance.

“You’ve already used that line on me, don’t tell me you’re losing your wit in old age?” she answered, knowing Lia’s device would scramble her response.

They slowed their pace, coming to stop a few yards away. Jaal’s rifle had been pulled from his back but he kept it pointed at the ground. She tried not to squirm as his eyes raked over her, taking in the familiar uniform and helmet. Without thinking, she reached up to pull at the fabric against her nose, ensuring that her face was obscured from his rakish stare.

Drack leaned to look around her, grunting as he took in the shuttle’s swollen belly. “Is all that yours?” His deep voice cracked with laughter.

Keeping them at the center of her attention, she took a step back, her hands raised in the air above her head. Maybe they would think that they were but humble exiles stealing food. What were the chances that Jaal would recognize ugly brown jumpsuits?

“I recognize them. So it is true, they’re moving in on the outposts.” The caustic edge in Jaal’s voice made her wince and take another step back. She was suspicious of the way his finger caressed the trigger guard and wondered what their plan had been in approaching the shuttle. There was no cover between them if he opened fire.

“If you come with us,” Drack shouted, “and tell us where you took Ryder, we won’t hurt you…” He added with a snicker, “much.”

“Remind me to teach you how to negotiate,” she hollered back.

Jaal titled his head to the side and his eyes narrowed. “What did you call my true mother, you fiend?”

“Doc programed swear words into this thing? That’s pretty unconventional.”

“For fuck’s sake!” Murphy’s voice boomed into her ear, the radio frequency crackling in protest of his volume. “Stop messing around!”

Ryder eyed the span of ground between them. As long as she kept a good amount of space between herself and them, she would be able to escape without too much damage, assuming they intended to take her captive and neither of them shot to kill. If Drack charged or Jaal cloaked himself… well, then she would have a problem.

Lucky for her, she knew their fighting styles as well as she knew her own. After all, they had taken down an Architect together. She steadied herself, feet hips width apart with her hands loose and open by her side. “When I do it, you take off.”

“Do what?” Gary pipped, the tremor in his voice obvious.

The answer was a show of force. She pushed her hand away from her chest, fingers splayed, and a tremor followed, spikes of energy rolling through the ground on a path directed towards her crew. Clumps of dirt and rocks exploded from the path, the trajectory veering towards her victims. Drack lost his footing as the earth tore from under him. A bone tied to his armor clipped Jaal, sending the two sprawling.

Sparing a moment to take in the scene - the Krogan rolling on his back, the air thick with curses and threats - Ryder turned and ran for the shuttle. Just as she had instructed, it was lifting off the ground, turning sharply to fly parallel to her. Once she was on board it would be a simple flick of the wrist that would pull them away from the cliff’s edge, making pursuit impossible.

She slid to a halt, her hackles raised, when she heard the roar - the sound of a Krogan blood rage.

“Pull back!” she shrieked, spinning to face the charge. “Give him space!” Out of the corner of her eye she saw the shuttle dip, the empty space between the open door and the cliff’s edge increasing.

She dropped to her knees and slammed her fists to the ground seconds before Drack was on top of her. Closer this time and too slow to react, the force sent him flying through the air. It took everything in her not to rush to him when he didn’t move from where his body skidded to a stop. Instead, she crawled away on hands and knees, promising herself that she would buy him a new shotgun. One with a giant knife on it; he would like that.   

Ryder stumbled to her feet, lurching towards the shuttle. When she saw Jaal make a run towards her, disappearing in the blink of an eye, she changed direction, veering away from the cliff’s edge to pull him away from Murphy’s surely now loaded gun.

The cloaking illusion faded, his form pulled back piece by piece into the realm of visibility. His ornate silver dagger sang through the air before he was fully materialized, acting as an extension of his hand. The pinpoint sting of metal sliced through her bicep at the same time as she turned, using her momentum to drive her shoulder into his stomach.

They tumbled to the ground, a tangle of limbs and fury soaked grunts. Her head bounced, her visor twisting sideways and obscuring her vision. Jaal threw his hands out to catch himself as he fell forward, his elbow catching her under her chin. The ram made her bite her tongue, and her head rocked back and connected with the ground once more, the visor rolling off her head.

“You’re going to feel really bad about that later but I forgive you,” she panted as they wrestled for control.

He seemed impossibly large when hovering over her, his knees planted on either side of her hips to hold her in place. No matter how much she struggled, she couldn’t find a way to get away from him, his grip was too tight. The bandana felt wet against her mouth, the fabric stuck to her lips, making it difficult for her to breath in.

Something like panic was starting to heighten her sensitivity, her composure cracking along the seams. She could feel every divot in the ground and rock that dug into her back and shoulders. The pain in her shoulder was debilitating, a song that drummed to the frantic beat of her heart.

Jaal lowered his face, his eyes boring into her with an intensity that made her stomach turn molten. “You,” he breathed, the question pushed between clenched teeth. She could feel his breath against her face, touching her lips through the wet fabric of her bandana. His eyes searched hers, a cloud of doubt obscuring the storm that had raged there just a breath before.

This was not the most enjoyable circumstances for which to be pinned under him, but for a moment she found it difficult to think rationally.

When thought returned to her, her heart lodged in her throat and her hips aching where he pressed into them, she rolled the crown of her head against the ground, searching for something she could use to dislodge him. A small rock surely wouldn’t hurt that much.

The shuttle circled around, cutting across the thin stretch of land to fly over the opposite canyon. Murphy was on his feet, crouched in the open door ready with his gun raised. Jaal followed her gaze, his eyes narrowing, his mouth pulled into an sneer that exposed his teeth in a feral, silent growl.

“No!” she shouted, both through the comm and at Jaal. Talons of panic clawed at the back of her throat. The window of escape was closing and they were seconds away from carnage.

Another roar tore through the last remaining shreds of her composure. Drack had to be on his feet now. He would be disorientated and, with any luck, slightly concussed. Ryder had approximately 7 seconds, but then again she had never been good with numbers.

With a screech of resolve that startled even her, she slammed her fists into Jaal’s chest, a pulse of energy coursing through her arm and sending him rolling off her. The pain was unbelievable, the use of biotic energy tearing across the gash in her flesh as it flowed through her arms and legs.

5 seconds and she rolled to her feet, lurching on shaky legs towards the shuttle. Drack was next to her, an arm’s reach away, his movement just as clumsy as he tried to find purchase.

His head swiveled to track Ryder’s trajectory, sizing up the distance between them, the cliff’s edge and the shuttle. “Ha!” He stomped a foot and shook himself like a massive dog trying to get dry. “You’ll never make it!”

“Watch me, old man!” Her legs pumped, the muscles in her thighs burning as she pushed forward. 3 seconds to make it, her body pitching forward, one hand reaching….

Then she remembered that she didn’t have jump jets.

She smacked into a crate, a sharp edge stabbing into her hip. She tried to grab hold of the net, intertwining numb fingers through the holes. The pain was explosive as she slipped, her bad arm too weak to hold her.

For a sickening moment she dropped, her stomach pulled into her throat, her vision fading around the corners like she was looking at a too bright light.

Blood rushed to her head and her eyes bulged. It took her a moment to realize the ground was maintaining a set distance away from her face. Blood trickled down her arm, dropping off her fingertips as they hung below her - or was it above her?

A whooping guffaw cut through the silence of her comm. “You okay down there, Pathfinder?”

“Am I alive?” Her voice was thick as syrup, her tongue felt swollen. Twisting at the waist to get a better view, she looked up to see her legs tangled in a mess of knotted ropes.

“You tell us!” It was Gary’s voice she heard but Murphy’s was the face poking out from the shuttle, the wide grin she had only recently learned he was capable of making overwhelming his normally pinched expression.

“Give us a sec, we’ll get ya up.” Murphy’s head disappeared. “Gary!”

Their argument played out for her to hear over the comm link. Gary protested with gusto, saying that his arms were too weak and that he was afraid of heights. There was muffled swooshing sound, like he was flapping his arm to prove his point.  Murphy didn’t have a counter point that involved words, but his opinion had been made regardless, and he proved more convincing from the sound of Gary’s ragged sigh.

She felt something circle her ankle, something else pawing at her calf. As she swayed beneath the shuttle, her head heavy with blood as it rushed away from her feet, she took a moment to appreciate the last fingers of the sun’s light as they curled over the horizon. Upside down, in a moderate amount of pain, her mind hazy, it was the most beautiful sunset she had ever seen.

“Hel-lo! A little help here?”

She lifted her head as much as she could, her eyes straining. Gary was hanging from the door, Murphy’s arms only barely visible. His hair stood on end, his mouth open in a silent cry of panic.

“Are you rescuing me?” she wondered aloud. She lifted her good arm, groping for Gary’s hand as the two reached across the length of her torso for one another.

With a good deal of straining and grunts, and threats of murder should she be dropped, Ryder was finally hauled back onto the shuttle’s floor. She allowed Murphy to drag her away from the door, her cheek chaffing against the ground. Jarrod stood ready with a knife to cut the rope for around her legs. She kicked her heels against the ground to shake feeling back into them.

“Doc thought ya might do sumthin’ stupid so she sent this along.” Murphy tossed a small tube at her. It landed on her stomach with a ping and rolled off her side. With a bit of flailing, she was able to grab hold of it without having to move. She squinted as she focused on the label: GLUE.

Kallo waited patiently for the evac call. Any evac call. Word that someone had found something, anything. It had been Vetra’s idea to split up, numerous pairs of sleep deprived teammates roving different ports and outposts. It had been two days since Ryder had been taken and they were at their wits end.

Though, taken wasn’t the right word, Kallo reflected. She hadn’t been taken, she had gone with the exiles. Misplaced? Lent?

“Nothing.” Liam had become a man of few words in recent days, and what words he did share were bitter, angry, his balled fists and drawn brow speaking volumes for him.

Kadara was a bust, then.

“Where do you think - “ Suvi began before she was cut off by another incoming signal.

“We found them on Eos but they were able to get away.” Drack didn’t admit defeat easily and his words were rushed and hard to pick up over the distance.

“Are you sure it was them?” Suvi leaned out of her seat, pressing herself closer to the source of his voice. This was it, the call they had been waiting for. It was too much to hope they had found her, but all they wanted was something to grasp onto, a clue to take them one step forward.

“Yeah, pretty damn sure.” A heavy, rasping sigh that popped static on the comm.  “Come get us, call back the rest. We need to go to Aya.”

Kallo was already readying the Tempest for a FTL jump to the Pytheas system. “Why would we go there?”

Jaal spoke up; “We must seek assistance. Evfra is expecting us.”

[xaphrin]

I’m Not the Forward Thinker

This was not what she was expecting when Shirayuki told Yuzuri she didn’t know what to do next.

[more under the cut]

Shirayuki was expecting some kind of best friend talk (likely over another bottle of wine) where Yuzuri gave Shirayuki embarrassing but useful tips on talking someone through an orgasm. She expected Yuzuri to sit Shirayuki down and talk about all the things that could go wrong, or all the things that could go right. Really, this whole conversation could have gone any other way than this - with Shirayuki sitting on her bed, her head in her hands, as Yuzuri rummaged through Shirayuki’s underwear drawer like she was treasure hunting.

It was embarrassing.

“You have literally nothing even remotely sexy. Cotton bras, cotton panties… bunny pajamas.”

Shirayuki considered mentioning that Obi liked the bunny pajamas, if their last encounter was any indication, but she thought it was better not to give her any more ammunition. If she got ahold of that tidbit of information, Shirayuki would never hear the end of it.

Yuzuri huffed and reached into the back of ther drawer, her hands wrapping around something white and silky, hoping it was a piece of sexy lingerie. Her face fell into a look of annoyance when she discovered it was only a very prim and proper knee-length slip. She huffed and threw it back into the drawer. “The sexiest thing you own is this stupid bra with pink lace that still has the tags.” She hung her head and sighed. “I thought for sure you might have a sexy nurse costume or a doctor uniform, or... something, Shirayuki… but this?”

Shirayuki flushed and snatched the bra from Yuzuri’s fingers, her eyes wide. “I asked for help on what I should do next… not… not send him sexy photos.”

Yuzuri waved her off. “Sexy photos are the next step.”

“It’s not that big of a deal.” Shirayuki fidgeted with the strap on the bra and looked at the floor, not wanting to look into Yuzuri’s face. “Besides… Obi hasn’t shown an interest in seeing me physically. I don’t think… I don’t think it matters if he sees me, and I don’t think that it’s that big of a deal.”

Yuzuri snorted and sat down next to her, lifting an eyebrow. “Is that what you think? That Obi isn’t interested in you physically? You can’t possibly be serious. Oh my god, you are.” She snatched the bra back from Shirayuki’s hands, leaning over her and looking into her face. Yuzuri looked like a force to be reckoned with, with fire was gathering at the tips of her fingers. “Shirayuki, you are being absolutely ridiculous.”

Shirayuki drew in on herself and lifted her eyes to her friend’s. “It’s just… I’m sure I’m not like other girls he’s dated, or other women he’s been with, and maybe I’m not what he wants.” Her cheeks turned pink and she thought back to their phone call, where she had stumbled over her words, and while her responses had been genuine, maybe they weren’t what he was expecting? Maybe they weren’t what he needed. Shirayuki hated doubting herself like this, but it was all so new, and she wasn’t sure how to judge where they were in their relationship.

“Maybe you’re exactly what he wants - what he needs. And I cannot believe you are doubting… whatever this is between you. Yeah, don’t get me wrong, it’s a little weird, but… it doesn’t seem like there’s anything wrong between you. You shouldn’t be like… this. In spite of the fact that he talked you through what I was told was a phenomenal orgasm, and he’s expressed on several times how much he finds you beautiful and cute, and has said that you're pretty much everything he wants without saying those explicit words?” She snorted and rolled her eyes. “But, right. He doesn't want you physically. Okay.”

Shirayuki flushed and looked away, her words sinking into the tender spot in her heart and soothing the ache just enough. She glanced back at Yuzuri, looking at the bra still on her lap. “Maybe that's not just it, though. I guess… I don’t know, Yuzu… I… I just don't know if I'm ready to go through with this just yet. It's that last barrier between us, to see pictures of each other, and I don't want to breach it if he's not ready. I want it to be something that we're both on board with. I just… I just want to do this right.”

She realized that she sounded a little silly, as if she was protecting some kind of innocence between them, but she knew there was nothing to protect. The only thing she had to worry about was her own fear. Would he still find her attractive knowing that she really did wear bunny print pajamas and talk to her plants?

Her head fell into her hands and she let go of a shaky breath. Was she anything like what he wanted from her?  

Yuzuri’s expression softened and she handed the bra back to Shirayuki. “You know… the minute he sees a picture of you he's gonna fall head-over-heels again. I mean, if this boy can be smitten over the girl who lectures him on bees, then he’s going to love seeing a picture of you.” She shrugged, her tone turning more practical. “And eventually, one of you has to send the first photo, so you might as well beat him to the punch. Beat him at his own flirting game.”

Shirayuki sighed and picked up the bra again, looking at it. Yuzuri was right. As nice as it was to have that last level of anonymity between them, she knew that someone was eventually going to have to take that final step, and maybe this time it should be her. She ran her fingers over the edge of the lace before looking back up into Yuzuri’s face. “Alright, but I have stipulations.”

Yuzuri grinned, as if she couldn’t be prouder. “There’s my girl.”

In the end, Shirayuki wore the bra and the bunny-print pajama pants, and nothing else. It was just a little embarrassing to have Yuzuri preen and hover over her, but she had managed to artfully arrange her so that Shirayuki’s face was hidden in shadows and the crook of her elbow. Then with just a little more editing to make the light and the edges of her body just a bit softer, there was Shirayuki’s first photo to send to him. Even she had to admit that she looked… pretty. The right level of who she was and who she wanted to be.

She chewed on her lower lip and looked up at Yuzuri’s face, waiting to see if she reneged on her suggestion. She didn't, of course, and there was no other option but to just go ahead and move forward. Shirayuki waited for a breath of a moment, and then hit send before she could change her mind.

A minute passed. Then two. And eventually, Shirayuki’s phone buzzed with a single text message:

Call me in 20.

Yuzuri practically cackled as she made her way to the door, eyes bright with mischief. “Well, I’ll take that as my cue to leave then. Have fun, Shirayuki… don’t do anything I wouldn’t do.”

That didn’t leave much that Shirayuki couldn’t do.

She blushed and tried to glare at her as Yuzuri walked out, but it was hard to be mad when her excitement was already lighting up her chest. Her apartment seemed suddenly quiet and heavy, and her anticipation sunk into her bones making her feel lightheaded and restless. She would be lying if she didn’t admit that she had hoped for some kind of reaction, but she never expected that his reaction would be like… that. Even though it was just a text message, there was an urgency she could feel. It was a need that ran through him, warning her that a storm was coming.

Obi was supposed to be working tonight, but if he was asking her to call, then maybe her picture did have the intended effect. She didn’t even have to wait as long as he asked, because not even ten minutes later her phone was ringing, Obi’s name flashing against the screen of her phone.

Oh. That was… quick. Blushing, she took a deep breath and answered it, hoping she sounded just a little bit playful. “I thought you were working tonight.”

“You know I was working tonight.” Obi’s voice sounded strained, the low notes growling over her as ever syllable came out like a string ready to snap. His tongue rolled in his mouth, as if that movement alone was indicative of another warning. “And yet someone thought it would be a good idea to send me photos of herself wearing… that. Like I would be unaffected. So, I had no choice but to call in as soon as I was done with my last client. I had more pressing issues.” He paused, a breath rushing out in a soft curse. “An emergency if you want to call it that.”

“An emergency? Are you sure?” Shirayuki could feel her blush grow darker, and it took all of her energy to keep her voice even and the ruse up. “But, won’t you get in trouble?”

“Shirayuki.”

There was another growl hiding in the spaces between his words, and Shirayuki could feel heat pool down her spine and fan out over her lower back. It was as if he had reached through the phone and touched her with the palm of his hand, reminding her that he was here, next to her. Her heart stuttered in her chest, unsure what it was doing and making her feel lightheaded and helpless. Obi knew exactly how to bring her to her knees in a matter of moments, and he knew it.

“I…” She swallowed and pressed the phone closer to her ear, trying to steel herself against all the sins his voice promised. She was failing miserably, and it would only be a few more moments before she dissolved into him. “It was Yuzuri’s idea.”

“Remind me to send her a thank you note. I don’t think I’ve ever received such a thoughtful gift before, Miss.” His smile was threading through his voice, but there was an urgency behind it. Small talk was obviously the last thing on his mind - not that Shirayuki really blamed him. Small talk was the last thing on her own mind.

Her teeth sunk into her lower lip. “So… it was okay? You liked it?”

Obi let go of another, breathy laugh, his control fading again. “That’s one way to put it. I hate to admit it out loud, but the bunny pajamas kind of do it for me.”

Shirayuki couldn’t stop the breathy laugh from bubbling up into her throat. She curled her toes, thinking back to last week when he had murmured into the phone all of the delicious things he wanted to do to her. The things he had promised with his words alone made her feel as though she would never regain control of herself ever again. Obi made her feel like her body was on fire, consumed by the flames and him. And honestly, she wasn’t sure if she ever wanted to regain control of herself. It was so much easier to let him have every part of her than to fight against her own needs.

“And does it… inspire you?” She shifted again, making her way back to her bedroom. “Would you… want to…” She swallowed. “I mean, if you want to. I wouldn’t want-

“Shirayuki…” His voice pitched lower, barely above a growl. “I’m surprised you even think that there would be another option after sending me that picture.”

Her hands started to shake and she closed her eyes, sitting down on her bed. She wanted to ask him about what he promised last time, but she didn’t know how to bring it up without sounding so desperate. There really wasn’t a way, and Shirayuki was too far gone to try and keep herself in one piece. She took a slow, careful breath and whispered, “O-obi, last time… you promised that we could…  together.”

There was the sound of his jaw locking into place, breath escaping his nose in a single rush. “Do you want to, Shirayuki?”

She whimpered, helpless against the sound of his voice rolling over her name like thunder. “Yes. Please.”

He growled again, and the sound seemed to reverberate through the phone and into her body. It spoke of all the things they both couldn’t quite say - of what they needed, of what they wanted, and of what that one photo meant to both of them. Shirayuki was giving a little bit of herself to him, and Obi accepted it with open arms, wanting her close to him in any way that was allowed - even if it was something as simple as a picture.

There was the sound of fabric shifting, and Shirayuki realized that he was releasing himself. Her face burned at the thought of him, on the other end of the call wrapping his hand around his cock, pumping along with each of her own strokes and it would be like they were… together. It would be like they were pressed against each other…  

Her eyes closed and she let go of a little moan when he grunted, the soft sound of skin against skin echoing through the phone. His mouth wrapped around her name like it was a treat he was only allowed on very special occasions. Obi tasted it, let his tongue wrap around it in the same way his tongue would wrap around other parts of her, and Shirayuki could only sit there and listen to him, another moan escaping.

It was beautiful and heartbreaking, because in the end this was just a fantasy. He wasn’t next to her, he wasn’t kissing down her neck or exploring her body. He was probably miles away, trying to keep the fantasy up, and for right now that would have to do.

“Shirayuki… would you like me to bite you again?”

“Yes…”

[char27martin]

How I Got My Literary Agent: Romance Author Janna MacGregor

In late spring of 2013, I wrote my very first romance novel—the bones of which still remain in my debut novel, The Bad Luck Bride, to be released by St. Martin’s Press. Not knowing any better, I pitched the original manuscript to a wonderful agent at my first Romance Writers of America Conference in July 2013. I was confident that I had written a sparkling, witty novel. Cool, calm, and collected, I recounted the plot, explained why this book was so unique, and why this agent should sign me. She was and still is one of the most gracious people I have ever met in the publishing industry.

This guest post is by Janna MacGregor. MacGregor was born and raised in the bootheel of Missouri. She credits her darling mom for introducing her to the happily-ever-after world of romance novels. Janna writes stories where compelling and powerful heroines meet and fall in love with their equally matched heroes. She is the mother of triplets and lives in Kansas City with her very own dashing rogue, and two smug, but not surprisingly, perfect pugs. Her debut novel THE BAD LUCK BRIDE was published by St. Martin’s Press in May 2017. You can follower her on Twitter @JannaMacGregor, on Facebook, or sign up for her newsletter.

A year later, I heard back from her via email. She thanked me for my submission, but at this time she didn’t think we’d be a good fit. My writing simply didn’t speak to her—agent lingo for your manuscript needs a lot of work. I didn’t get upset, angry, or even depressed. She was telling me something that I needed to hear. If I wanted to be published, I had to work hard for it.

Meanwhile, I had written a second novel. Instead of turning my attention to that novel, I concentrated back on my first. As I started diving into revisions, I began to realize how little I knew about writing a romance—developing a mesmerizing plot, intriguing characters, and a love story that would make people swoon was not as easy as I first thought. So I rolled up my sleeves and dug in. I learned the craft of writing and the nuts and bolts of plot structure, character arcs, dialogue, and everything required for a good story.

But I really didn’t know if I was any good or not, so I started entering writing contests. The scores and judges’ feedback were abysmal. However, I didn’t give up hope—this was another learning opportunity. So, I polished and polished. Within six months, I was a finalist in the Missouri Romance Writers of America chapter’s Gateway to the West contest. In another three months, I won my first contest, the Great Expectations Contest from the Ft. Worth chapter of the RWA. The feedback was incredible, and I kept honing the manuscript.

[Click here for more articles on How To Find A Literary Agent]

During that year, I was a finalist in thirty contests and won eleven. I quickly learned it really didn’t matter whether you won, as the real prize was getting your work in front of acquiring editors and agents. I received requests from the majority of these contests. But nothing happened. It was like sending the manuscript into a black hole.

Then, something magical happened. I received an email from a publisher requesting the full manuscript. I emailed it, as I had previously. The acquiring editor acknowledged receipt of the manuscript and informed me she would contact me within six to eight months with a decision. Friends told me that this was a typical response time, so I put a note in my calendar to check back in six months.

I had just returned from the 2015 Romance Writers of America conference in New York City where I had pitched this book to eight agents, including the elusive elevator pitch that everyone warns might occur when you attend such a large conference.

Now, you may ask how I got so many requests. Normally at these conferences, there is a day or two scheduled for pitch sessions to agents and editors. Romance writers schedule their appointments months ahead of time. On the day of the pitches, I would wait to see if there were any additional openings. Inevitably, people didn’t show or cancelled. I’d volunteer to take the pitch session whether the agent was in my genre or not. It was an opportunity to network and get my name out there.

The most amazing thing happened when I returned home from New York and the RWA conference. Within a week, I got a call from the editor asking to acquire my manuscript for publication as an e-book. After I finished the obligatory happy dance, I started to ask questions. What kind of editing could I expect? I explained that my story was the first in a series. How many books would she be willing to offer in this first contract? What would be the expected publication date? What kind of promotion could I expect from the publication house?

The editor answered my questions professionally and thoroughly. She explained that this would be a contract for one book, but she was certain they would buy more. As regards to editing, she believed that the manuscript only needed minor edits before being published.

Immediately, I became a little suspect. Even though I thought my romance might rival Hemingway (*cough*), I knew deep down, it could always be improved. In spite of my gut reaction, I realized this opportunity to publish meant I needed representation. Even though I’m an attorney, I didn’t have the expertise to understand the details and clauses of a complex literary contract.

Fortunately for me, every agent I spoke with in NYC during the RWA conference asked me to send a partial or the full manuscript with a synopsis. I quickly sent my submissions, listed my contests finals, and informed the agents of my pending offer.

Within forty-eight hours, two agents contacted me. One offered immediate representation. During a phone call to discuss the details, I asked the agent how much editing she thought the manuscript required. She responded the manuscript was perfect as is. With a heavy heart, I passed. I knew that under the right direction, my story could be improved.

The second agent, Ms. Pamela Ahearn, responded by email. She praised my writing and congratulated me on all my contest wins, but she wasn’t bashful about listing all the things wrong with the manuscript. It wasn’t one or two items, but a whole page full of major and minor problems. She closed by saying she didn’t know how hard I wanted to work, but if I was willing to revise the manuscript per her suggestions, she’d look at it again.

In Get a Literary Agent you’ll find:

— Tips for a successful agent query and book proposal — Proven strategies for how to get a literary agent to represent you — And much, much more!

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  Pam Ahearn represents Sabrina Jeffries, one of the biggest names in historical romance and a New York Times bestselling author. For me, this was a dream come true to work with such a respected professional in my industry. I didn’t think twice, immediately working on revisions. In two months, I’d revised the manuscript as Ms. Ahearn had requested and resubmitted it. She quickly got back to me with her. Since the winter holidays were upon us, she suggested we wait until January to submit my manuscript to publishers. She’d submit it to the “Big Five” and see what would happen. It could take up to six months before we received any response.

Ten days later, Ms. Ahearn called me. When I saw the number, I knew it was her and quickly assumed that she needed something else as part of the submission process. When I answered, she asked me if I was sitting down. The laughter in her voice was unmistakable. I replied that I was, but immediately jumped out of my chair and started to pace the hallway. My two pugs followed my every step, sensing my excitement.

Ms. Ahearn told me that St. Martin’s Press had offered me a three-book contract in mass-market print and e-book. After a joyful scream and a jig or two, I could finally talk. I will never, ever forget that day.

Every person’s path to publication will follow a different road. Our writing journeys are as unique as our fingerprints. But I hope you learn from my experience and take advantage of the opportunities when they present themselves. It’s a marvelous journey filled with hills and dips in the road, but perseverance is your true friend. Relish your triumphs, whether it’s completing a chapter, finishing an entire book, or becoming a finalist in a contest. Wherever you are on this incredible journey, may you enjoy every minute of it.

The biggest literary agent database anywhere is the Guide to Literary Agents. Pick up the most recent updated edition online at a discount.

If you’re an agent looking to update your information or an author interested in contributing to the GLA blog or the next edition of the book, contact Writer’s Digest Books Managing Editor Cris Freese at cris.freese@fwmedia.com.

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