#i may take a while but i promise i will get to our threads!

[swordofruln]

[MUN] im sorry for being slow qwq im very low energy lately </3

[absolutebl]

Ranking Every Restaurant Based BL

As of August 2024. Shows not yet finished by that date are not on this list. Otherwise, features any BL set in the restaurant & beverage industry (that I've watched). I did not include the home cook domestic BLs on this list (like Our Dining Table).

1 To My Star

Korea 2021 Viki

10/10

Hwang Da Seul directing this show about a neurotic actor (actual puppy) who takes refuge with a grumpy chef resulting in sparks, cooking lessons, and LOVE! It’s is a touch quirky to get into, but utterly charming once it hits its stride. This is the ultimate grumpy/sunshine pairing plus the most appealing light-filled kitchen of our dreams. I adore this show so much. Limited use of BL tropes makes this feel more of a sweet contemporary gay romance between an actor plagued by scandal and the grumpy chef who adopts him, but the gentleness will appeal to fans of the BL genre.

2 What Zabb Man!

Thai 2022 YouTube

8/10

Star Hunter's WZM was better than we had any right to expect, with decent pacing and a foodie theme threaded through the narrative as both love language and plot driver. Basically CEO falls in love with a street vendor’s food, recruits him to work in his hotel, falls in love with him, and that’s just the beginning. Class struggles! Kitchen drama! Papaya pounding (not a euphemism)! Chef poaching (not literally)! Spicy scenes (yes both kinds)! It’s all so delicious.

3 DNA Says Love You

Taiwan 2022 Gaga

8/10

Okay it's only in a cafe about 1/2 the time but it is the main setting if not the plot. DNA deserves extra marks for an upbeat approach to a queer story arc that other shows have systemically mishandled with sadness (in the guise of realism). There is a twist, which I found predictable, but knowing what would happen didn't spoil this show. The leads are luminous and engaging, and it’s full of queer found family representation and an unexpected amount of domesticity, plus it’s Taiwan, so the kisses are great. The first few eps are rough going but have patience, it's worth it I promise! The second half is really special and life/love affirming - and the end is big-grin charming.

4 The Tasty Florida

Korea 2021 Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/38119c-the-tasty-florida

8/10

Not really a love triangle featuring the prettiest men ever to be grouped together outside of K-pop, honestly the visuals are ridiculous, there’s a story, it has to do with food, whatever, they so pretty. I have a weakness for this BL and it's entirely Speed's fault.

5 My Day

Pinoy 2020 YouTube

8/10

The set up on this one is enemies (also boss/employee) and they don’t like each other to start. But that gets resolved pretty quickly. And then they are some of the cutest, hottest, and best boyfriends ever. This is an under-appreciated BL, IMHO. It's also more set in the office of a food creation company, but there is a lot about food.

6 My Tooth Your Love

Taiwan 2023 Viki

8/10

Earnest dentist hottie with sad eyes who worries too much is smitten by an adorable sunshine neurotic bar owner with serious anxiety issues. They fall madly in love while courting each other with food, plushies, and naps. Then, shocker, talk about their feelings and try to actually sort out their problems so they can have an adult relationship. Bonus crumbs = 18 year old poor little rich kid in mad crush with a much older man. I really enjoyed this show, it had a unique premise, killer dialogue, there was a solid lead pair with charmg chemistry, soft flirtation, delightful smiling kisses, and stinkingly cute domesticity. All that said, I wasn’t wild about some of the darker themes it explored, even though it did a good job with them. And while the sides were adorable, they were underused. In the land of May/December, baby boy kabedon is my kryptonite! Why so little of it? (Kabedon is My Krytonite = also the name of my indie band’s first single.)

7 All the Liquors

Korea 2023 Viki & Gaga

8/10

A pretty classic foodie set KBL that managed to distinguish itself from others in this category by having a particularly satisfying final episode centered around found family. Sunshine sweetie soju rep gets involved with a shy introvert chef who doesn’t drink. This has a somewhat uneven plot and ridiculous central conceit (much in the way of Tasty Florida), but if you are looking for a restaurant BL with Korea’s signature softness, then this is a great option. FYI I may identify with our baby party boy hedonist more than any other BL lead ever presented.

8 Although I Love You and You - Sukiyanen Kedo Do Yaro ka

Japan 2024 Gaga

8/10

The promise of this show, younger cook courts older divorced office worker, should have been my catnip. I mean if someone pitched this to me in an elevator I would have downloaded it by the second storey. Unfortunately, it did not exactly fulfil that promise, not in the way I'd hoped. Did I still enjoy the ride? Yes, but I feel a little let down.

9 Ocean Likes Me

Korea 2022 Viki https://www.viki.com/tv/38367c-ocean-likes-me

8/10

Stars Kpop’s best known out gay singer, Holland & Han Gi Chan (Where Your Eyes Linger). Noodle shop! Broken dreams! This is a solid little KBL, with a good premise and cast. Manic pixie dream boy can get old fast but when contrasted with awkward grumpy chef? It’s a tasty combo that elevates both ingredients. Holland is a charming screen presence - baby boy is HYPNotiC. And while I wasn’t entirely sold on the chemistry, these two did give us some very good kisses and sweet domesticity. I grinned through most episodes and I didn’t even mind the standard KBL 1 year separation at the end because it felt so true to the characters. Is this Korea's first out gay actor in a BL? I think it might be.

10 My Sweet Dear

Korea 2021 Viki

8/10

I liked this one a lot better than most. Strict professional rivals (chefs) in a very enemies to lovers BL - to the point where we mistrust the sincerity of the seme because he’s so very in it to win. I kinda like that, because kitchens are hotbeds of drama, and I like a seme with some sinister edge. But be warned, it means the whole romance comes off as a little disingenuous.

11 You Are Ma Boy

Vietnam 2021 YouTube

7/10

The leads in this drama crackle on screen together and I kinda adore them. No one has seen this BL, and you should really give it a try. Is there angst? Nope even what could have been angst (a gay idol) doesn’t materialize, it’s just cuties in a cafe confusing each other with cat & mouse games. The side het couple is a touch disturbing, tho.

12 My Lascivious Boss

Vietnam 2021 YouTube

7/10

While it did have pacing issues and some questionable content at the beginning, MLB’s unabashed queerness carried it though and ultimately elevated it with camp. It never felt like mockery or punching down, it felt joyful, and very new wave BL. It’s as if Vietnam is starting a process of handing out HEAs to all the letters of LGBTQ+ in BL style - I love this look for them.

13 Pure Vanilla

Singapore 2023 microfilm Gaga

7/10

It’s very sweet. Bit awkward acting. I love seeing real tats. I wish Singapore would give us a full proper BL.

14 La Cuisine

Thai 2022 Gaga

7/10

A sweet and somewhat pure show, and like the Thai desserts it features, perhaps requires too much patience for a layperson. Because of the pacing and the focus on a bad girl character, I did dock it. But if you like stuff in the Oxygen vein, then this show is for you, and far better than most Thai BL pulps. That said, I suspect that I enjoyed it more than many would.

15 My Universe - Lucky Love

Thai 2023 iQIYI

7/10

A boy suffering heartbreak is asked to look after a friend's restaurant, and meets a young chef whose food brings on a relationship. I enjoyed this 2 part installment, it’s a bit of a sad sack recovery SAGA, but the acting is genuine, the couple believable, and the story felt particularly queer to me. It was really quite charming.

16 Cooking Crush

Thai 2024 YouTube

7/10

1/3 of this is a sweet romance about a student doctor falling in love with a student chef, and the rest of it is utter dross. Look the OffGun bits were GREAT. In fact, I think they’re better AS A PAIR in this show than in any of their other BLs. And I'm a hard sell on any OffGun being better here than PickRome. Saying that, how can I review a show where I could only tolerate 1/3 of it? Because I didn’t like any other aspect of this show, no other pairs and no other plots. That gives me: 9/10 for the OffGun bits, 5/10 for everything else. Frankly, it probably should be an 8 but I gotta go with my gut and it's UPSET about this so 7/10. Sorry boys. It’s GMMTV’s fault. Your heart was in this show, mine wasn’t.

17 Love in Translation

Thai 2023 iQIYI

6/10

A sweet little pulp about a Thai boy with a crush on a Chinese influencer who ends up in a business relationship with her ex-bf. This show had truly great chemistry between the leads, cute found family with good rep, and an exciting (if silly) ending that almost, but didn't quite, make up for how incredibly annoying the main character was in the first half. Gotta say the make-out scene in the convenience store is one of the greatest in Thai BL history, but I can't like a show where I dislike the main character to such a degree, sorry DouOffroad I intend to enjoy your next offering.

18 Please Tell Me So

Korea 2021 microfilm YouTube

Cute barista (played by Han Hyun Jun star of Love Class) has a crush on his customer, musters up the courage to ask him out.

19 Love Advisor

Thai 2021 microfilm YouTube

6/10

Set in a cafe but not about cafe workers, this is an actor’s piece, more like a one act stage performance about friends to lovers and miscommunication.

20 VIP Only

Taiwan 2024 Gaga

6/10

A sweet if aimless story about a writer and a chef finding love via noodles, fake dating, and family challenges. If it had a tighter script and a shorter run, more like a KBL this might’ve been quite special. But it didn’t and it lost me too many times.

21 609 Bedtime Story

Thai 2023 WeTV

6/10

Okay it's sometiems set in a club but that's not really part of the... plot. An interesting time slip concept and a great set up ultimately disappointed. It opened strong, on one of my favourite under appreciated Thai actors: Plustor (as Vee) in a side bartender romance with younger bisexual king, Games. Unfortunately, it went downhill from there. OhmFluke’s solid chemistry and romantically soft kisses were ill served by a reformed rake meets rich-kid cheater pairing. While it was nice to see Ohm play a part with more animated facial expressions, his was the only character that remained consistent. All in all, this was a confusing show about disloyalty and parallel worlds that never made sense or stayed true to its characters. A promising start, confusing middle, and disappointing end. I don’t say this lightly, but Oh My Sunshine Night is better, and OhmFuke deserve better than either.

22 Bake Me Please

Thai 2023 Gaga

6/10

A lackluster story about a group of bakers coping with (mostly) a shoddy script that could not be saved by either the beauty nor the talent of the actors involved. It suffered for lack of narrative backbone and so did I.

23 Bite Me

Thai 2021 Viki

6/10 (yeah I'mm surprise too, I thought I gave this a 5)

Thailand gave us Korean style slowly simmering ultra soft and sweet BL only at a Thai length so the pacing was… not good. Slower than molasses and full of insane subtext, long gazes, missing dialogue, abrupt mood swings, and one very pretty kiss. It curdled around episode 8, the sauce split, and there was no saving it. It did have some of the best food porn I’ve seen in my life, and I watch cooking shows regularly. It was beautiful, the leads were decent, it should have right up my alley, and yet… it left me with a feeling of disaffected ennui - bland and boring and unsatisfying. 11 courses of tasty tasty pacing issues.

24 One Last Order

Korea 2019 microfilm Gaga

5/10

Extremely hot cafe customer has to figure out which of the cutie baristas has a crush on him and sends hime poetry.

25 Craving You

Taiwan 2020 Viki

5/10

Honestly, I haven't rewatched this since it aired and I maybe might cut it more slack now. About a jerk of a cook with a crush on a musician and having to make a cake for a gay wedding.

26 Coffee Melody

Thai 2022 Viki

5/10

Stars Pavel (my love) as a cafe owner (Forth in 2 Moons 2) and Benz as a composer (Call it What You Want). This should have been my kind of BL - on the fluffy end of the spectrum plus honestly queer. Unfortunately, the slow pacing, manufactured angst, odd secondary story arcs, and a selfishly immature unlikeable wet dishcloth main character, meant its flaws outweighed its charm. Jean (flame on snark fairy) is ME, I love him so much but in the end neither he nor Pavel in an apron could save this show for me. It’s not bad. It’s not good either. Ultimately so forgettable I’ve probably already forgotten it. There is also a Coffee Melody holiday special.

27 Evening Cafe

Thai 2021 YouTube

5/10

Cafe setting with no heat and no kisses (almost Chinese in this regard), but a decent lead pair. About a boy who works in a cafe and the new employee who has a crush on him. That’s it, whole story.

28 Love Area: Part 1

Thai 2021 Gaga

5/10

It ended on a cliffhanger and I'm still annoyed by it. But it is somewhat set at a restaurant.

29 Love Next Door 2

Thai 2014 Gaga

4/10

One of Thailand’s early very high heat pieces, it’s odd, but sexy I guess? Some unexpectedly decent queer rep at the cafe including femme characters getting screen time and HEAs. Part one from 2013 has the same high heat content and feature the same lead character (and actor) early on in his queer journey, discovering he is gay with the sex worker next door, but isn't as good nor is it relevant to this story. Which, unfortunately, also isn't very good.

30 The Promise

Thai 2023 WeTV

4/10

Although well acted this show dragged a too simple premise out into the ultimate manipulative miscommunication repeats of idiotic "why don’t you just TALK!?” Phu & Nan are childhood bffs through college (almost lovers) until Phu disappears. After looking/waiting for him, Nan gives up and self isolates, and the actual story takes place 10 years later. Phu’s “reason” and inability to say it out loud makes the whole show just frustrating, squandering good chemistry, and a stellar cast of multiple faen fatals (whose personalities would’ve made them better boyfriends). Seriously do not bother. What a damn waste of talent, time, and electronic bandwidth. Fatally flawed.

31 Love Area: Part 2

Thai 2022 Gaga

3/10

It wasn't as boring as Bite Me, but it wasn’t actually good, either. This started out as Thailand tackles love triangles pulp style, but in part 2 lockdown changed everything. Valen & Kaitoon dropped some great kisses but traded off crazy hair and makeup in a scene-by-scene whiplash that was clearly pickups done months after lockdown, and the second lead vanished. It was... surreal. Side dishes jumped up screen time but tackled mental health... badly. A fantastic new queer side character was randomly introduced, June, who was the best thing to happen to BL linguistics in 2022 but had nothing to do with the rest of the cast, show, or plot. What a mess. In the end, I didn’t know what I was watching, and neither did it.

32 Cafe In Love

Thai 2023 grey

3/10

A café setting featuring 3 couples with a great queer fam but held together by tropes and sexual-harassment, surrounded by dubious consent and statutory rape. Avoid.

33 I Am Your King 2

Thai 2019 grey

3/10

Early love triangle BL about a cafe boy caught between two brothers, mostly not good because the wrong brother wins. Has no connection to the original I Am Your King.

34 Senior Love Me

Thai 2023 YouTube

3/10

Pulp cafe, nothing happens, not even a BL

35 Jealousy is My Guest

Korea 2016 microfilm Gaga

2/10

Just very very odd and kinda deadly.

I also have 3 unrated DNFs in this sub genre:

Accomplishment of Fudanshi Bartender AKA Fudanshi Bartender no Tashinami - Japan 2022

My Story - Pinoy 2023

About Us but Not About Us 0 Pinoy 2022

Restaurant & beverage is my favourite possible setting for a BL. I'm extremely disappointed that the BL world hasn't produced more that I truly love. I'm not demanding 10/10 but I could use some 9/10s.

Side eyes Thailand and Japan.

(source)

[reneeluv154]

Doctor Dawkins

Hi! I really hope you enjoy.

I will be making a part two to this Jack Dawkins imagine!

⚠️Tw: mentions of self harm and sharp objects. ⚠️

My mother, in a panicked state, rushed to the door as she heard three firm knocks. “Oh my, I am so glad to see you here so soon. Please come.” Her footsteps now accompanied by another came down the hall towards my room. In my room was where I sat, on my bed. I was scared, scared he was going to hurt me or take me somewhere where he would perform outrageous surgeries and tests.

The door swung open and my mom marched towards me, snatching my arms and lifting my sleeves to reveal the fairly fresh cuts, next she threw the blanket which covered my legs, revealing the bruises. I kept my head down, not wanting to see the look of disgust on their faces. This made me weak and off-putting, ugly and unladylike. The doctor set down a brown leather bag and gently sat next to me.

“May I take a look? I promise I’ll be gentle.” His tone was just as calm as his mannerisms. I held out my arms letting him examine both.

“A few of these cuts need some stitches.”

My heart sank as he dug through the small leather bag, bringing out a needle and some cotton string. “Will it hurt?” I choked.

“Please.” My mother scoffed. “You’ve done such horrid things and you're worried about a needle and some string? Pathetic.” she hurried off to what I assumed was the kitchen to make some tea. Leaving both me and the doctor alone.

“It will hurt but luckily for you these cuts are small, you'll only need 4 or 5 stitches for each” I nodded watching him thread the string through the needle.

How does it work? I wondered in my head before saying it aloud.

“How does it work?” I looked at him.

This was the first time I looked at him, his blonde fluff of hair fell over his dark brown eyes. What caught my attention the most was he had no trace of disgust or malice in his eyes, but rather sympathy and… what I believed was kindness.

‘Well, I’ll show ya, if ya think you're tough enough?” He cocked an eyebrow, making me smile.

“You have a pretty smile.” He softly mentioned while positioning his needle right where it needed to be.

“Thank you”

“Alright, first I’m gonna very gently take the needle from one side to the other, like so.” my whole body tensed as I felt the sharp needle glide through the thick layer of skin.

“Shhh, it’s okay, try to relax your arm. After I get the needle through both sides I’m gonna take the string and tie a surgeon's knot, just like this.” I watched as he wrapped the string twice around what looked like pliers but for surgeons rather than builders or mechanics.

“Now I’m gonna make two more simple knots and cut the string.” He gave me a small smile once finished with the first stitch. I had more of a defeated look than he did.

“This is gonna take forever.”

He chuckled, “Well, why don’t we get to know each other, I’m Doctor Jack Dawkins.”

“Y/n Y/l/n.” I decided not to watch this time, letting my eyes wander around my room.

“Beautiful name.”

“Thank you.” I blushed.

His concentration during our conversation was for some reason alluring, He gave off a sense of comfort no man ever had.

“All done, may I take a look at your bruises?”

I hesitated.

“I could take you down to the hospital if you would prefer a nurse, I or the nurse will have to do a full body examination.”

My eyes widened. “I would like to see a nurse.”

He nodded, packing up his tools. “You can get changed while I talk to your mother.”

Part two is out now!🤍🤍

[itstheinktank]

Hey folks, Kuro here! It’s time for another update. Here’s everything you need to know about what we’ve been up to, and where we are going from here. 

DWAYNEMCDUFFIE.COM The biggest news of all is definitely Dwayne McDuffie’s website relaunching. A surplus of scripts, production information, and series bibles were posted, and it’s literally a dream come true for me. Reading through the forums was part of my daily routine for years growing up, and after his passing, losing the website really hit home. I’ve been waiting a decade for it to relaunch, but when it did, I had already planned to go out of town for a few days, so the timing was terrible on my end.

Let me tell ya, watching everyone dig through the website while I couldn’t participate in the madness was tough, but now that I’m back, I can’t wait to dig into it as well and see what I can find. We’ll definitely be doing at least one video on the subject. As for when that’s coming out, I couldn’t say. But please feel free to let us know if there’s anything specific you’d like us to address, and you can guarantee I’ll be taking notes! Thank you Dwayne for still keeping our world turning after all this time.

UPCOMING VIDEOS & COLLABS

In previous updates, I’ve announced another upload hiatus. This means that we won’t be posting weekly/ bi-weekly for the time being. We will be releasing videos irregularly, such as the recent MultiVersus video, and the previously-mentioned Dwayne McDuffie Website video, but we can’t make any promises as to when we’ll resume regular uploads. There’s just too much going on for us at the moment, which I will get into further into this thread. In the meantime, I’ve been making a lot of guest appearances on other channels, and still have a few more lined-up. So keep your eyes peeled! I’ll do my best to pop up around the fandom where I can. 

5 YEARS LATER & AND BEYOND

These are our two biggest projects, and thus, have the most updates already, so I’ll keep it brief. 5YL Episodes 10 and 11 will be releasing together, and are quickly escalating down the pipeline. Patrons and YouTube Members have frequent check-ins, and we’re thrilled that the series has come so far. Even if you’ve already seen the webcomic version, you’re not gonna believe what we’ve pulled off for this version of the series!

Unfortunately, Ash was hit with an illness that kept him out of commission for a few weeks. But the cogs are now turning again for AB Episode 13. We’re happy he’s back on his feet, and we’ll be on another extraterrestrial adventure before you know it!

BEN 10 BREAKDOWNS

Breakdown production has obviously halted due to our hiatus, but I still feel the need to address it again, as it’s one of the biggest hits and longest-running series of our channel. I may sound like a broken record to those that keep up with our posts, but for those that don’t, I want to reiterate my love for making the Breakdowns. These other projects taking priority does not conclude that I dislike making those video anymore, or that the Ben 10 Breakdowns are canceled. One way or another, I am determined to finish this series, and I’m looking forward to sharing more of my thoughts on Omniverse and the Reboot with the community.

STREAMING & COMMISSIONS

Recently, I have been streaming on multiple platforms during my Drawing with Kuro broadcasts. You can still find me every Tuesday on Twitch @ 2:00pm EST, but I am also broadcasting to Instagram and Facebook, too. For the time being, our second channel, The Rust Bucket, will be included in that line-up, with the goal to eventually move the streams right here on the main channel, too, but we still got some kinks to figure out before taking that plunge. 

You can commission me here: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1i_H7yM9I2oTmPkfSpWSUwhpm8YdZ0OhmzK-_nYNGXBA/edit?usp=sharing

THE FUTURE OF THE INK TANK

5 Years Later & And Beyond have been a huge part of our journey. Even after those projects are completed, I don’t see us ever dropping Ben 10 content as a whole. Though naturally, we will gravitate more towards other projects, including original works and IPs. I am happy to say that production has already begun after receiving some exciting news. 

My plan was to plant the seeds for our future as 5YL comes to the end, and then only prioritize it when the timing is right. But unexpectedly, we’ve been given an opportunity to enter a new avenue that would be detrimental to let fall through the cracks, and thus, we’ve spent the past few months curating a super secret project that will now be a part of our regular work schedule going forward. If this sounds vague, that’s intentional, but my hands are tied! I don’t know when I’ll be able to let everyone in on the secret. 

I’m not a fan of stretching ourselves further than necessary, especially if it keeps ya’ll waiting on the projects we already have in the pipeline. Though “What will you do when 5 Years Later is over?” has been a popular recurring question for years, and now I finally have an answer - I just can’t tell you yet! But it’s important for me to let you know that despite the large amount of content we’re working on that you’re aware of, there’s much more going on behind the scenes. So rest assured, we are ALWAYS working on something, whether or not we’re able to give updates. 

That’s all I got to say for now. Thank you for reading! Until next time, Keep it Fizzy!

[thecomfywriter]

🤬AITA tag game 🤬

thank you for the tags @mysticstarlightduck @theink-stainedfolk @drchenquill @wyked-ao3 and @the-golden-comet. if you also tagged me and i missed you, SORRY. i'm super excited for this one because it seems super interesting, and AITA threads are my guilty pleasure. OKAYYY, let's get into it :)

This will be for ToV. Guess who the narrator is lol.

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AITA for saving the life of the man who killed my mother (by indirectly causing a massacre) and making him my mentor?

Okay. I understand the title sounds bad. I promise you-- the situation is more nuanced than the whims of my clickbait. Please read this post in full, as, while all my peers do not treat me as an asshole, they certainly treat me as a dunce for getting involved.

I (17M) live in a queendom called Soilaila. Our queen (Von Doro, ??? age) is a dragon, I should mention, and lives within the volcano that landmarks our nation. It is her monarchial responsibility to ensure the volcano does not explode. Which is why I do not understand why more blame is not denoted to her for detonating the volcano 16 years ago and killing all her citizens. My mother included.

Everyone blames Hilbert (~150+?? M), and while I understand Hilbert may have murdered all of the queen's children and made an attempt on her life as well, he only made his assassination attempt under the counsel of the Jervees, so really, they are to blame. And besides-- it was not as though Hilbert killed all the dragons alone that he should solely be blamed! Everyone in Soilaila acts as though they did not take up arm and spear alongside him during the Dragon Hunts that inspired Von Doro's wrath.

Apologies. I am rambling. My point being, Hilbert had self-exiled himself 16 years ago after the Incident, and none of us had seen him since. Until last Tuesday. I was on a walk in the Bazaar when I see a mob of people holding an old man up by his arms, using him as a punching bag! They were kicking him black and blue, taking their belts off to use as whips, lashing his skin with leather and steel.

This is the part where, apparently, I am the asshole. I go up to the crowd and I tell them to stop. They were beating up an old man after all! And then they tell me the old man is Hilbert, and I cannot simply back out of my allegiance at this point, so I tell these grieving parents, "Does it matter?" and that they were ultimately in the wrong for choosing revenge over peace.

I got them to stop (a very painful pursuit, may I add. One that has resulted in bruises and lashes on my own back and legs), but at the end of it, I had promised to take Hilbert to the Jervees for his arrest.

This is also where I may have screwed up.

I did not take him to the Jervees. I tried to take him home, and on the way, as he told me stories of his youth and the truth of the Incident... Trust me-- after the truths and conspiracies he revealed, I have no trouble believing him when he says he is a victim to the Incident, more than anyone else in Soilaila. Regardless, seeing such an impressive man in front of me, I requested he become my mentor in exchange for my allegiance and protection from all those who wish to convict or harm him in Soilaila.

But now, everyone thinks me idiotic for believing him! Even though I know he is telling the truth.

I do not think I am an asshole for giving this old man a chance. Yes, he has made some mistakes in his past. And yes, his ledger is unbearably red with violent crimes. But do people not have the liberty to change? To try to improve themselves and be better? Why is it all "second chances!" and "heal and forgive!" until it actually comes to healing and forgiving? And why are all my friends trying their absolute damnest to separate me from Hilbert? If anything, I would reckon they were the assholes more than Hilbert or myself.

--

EDIT: everyone keeps asking me how my father feels in this situation. I will admit-- he is rather betrayed and sees me as a failure of a son. But if he saw me as anything more than that to begin with, perhaps I would not need to seek out Hilbert's company at all.

EDIT #2: This post is reaching unfathomable audiences who are all calling me naive. Trust me-- you do not know the whole story. Hilbert's methods of convincing me of the truth are not so much as manipulation as much as they are "revelations of reality."

EDIT #3: This is going to be my last edit on this post, as it seems some people are simply bound to their opinions. That is alright. We are fated to disagree with one another. But for everyone asking me why I am comfortable blaming Von Doro for the death of my mother and not Hilbert, I would like you to read your question out loud. Why do I not blame the man who indirectly triggered the person who killed my mother in rage? Does that makes sense to you?

EDIT #4: you all were right.

｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡

leaving this as an +open tag for any and all of my followers to enjoy! Happy Writing :)

｡ ₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡

PREORDER THRONE OF VENGEANCE

Join the TCW Tag Crew!

Join the TCW writing bar discord!

Support me on Ko-Fi!

₊°༺❤︎༻°₊ ｡

TCW Crew:

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@bookwormclover @kaeru483

[sasaranurude]

I'm a loser who both spends too much time playing gacha games and loves to hear myself talk, so here's another game review style post, this time covering my first day playing Break My Case. This time I'm not even being a little hater! I'm a lover! I'm cringe! I'm free! I love you Coly! I love you ikemen gacha games!!!!!!!

Break My Case is a new puzzle-music-adventure mobile game from Coly, the developers behind Mahoutsukai no Yakusoku and On Air. More relevant to BMC/BreMai is their game Stand My Heroes, with which it shares a writer, some gameplay elements, and of course a naming convention. Coly has developed a bit of a cult following for their unique status in the Japanese mobile gaming world: they're a company that was founded by women and hires women to make games for women. They put a lot of soul into their games. From the start, BMC is no different!

"Could you have pulled a clean version of this image from the internet so it didn't have all the game junk" no. it's my tumblr and you get my screenshots.

I (with help from friends) overviewed the initial Break My Case announcement back when it dropped. You can read that here! I said in that post that I thought a "dark rhythm game" would be a really cool direction for the game… and that's more or less what we got! GO ME!!!!!

First: the game's presentation is fantastic. Super slick graphical design and just amazing atmosphere. The sound design of this game is incredible. Genuinely. Really, really, good. All the music is amazing—I'm not knowledgeable enough to say anything other than "IT SLAPS!", but it totally does slap. The illustrations for the cards are all wonderfully atmospheric in and of themselves, and are just a delight to look at on the homescreen with its chill background music. Even just navigating menus is a sleek, seamless experience. The live2d is well-done, although it clashes a tad with the art style for a bit of an uncanny look at times. 

The atmosphere! The atmospheeeeeeere!!!

Of course, the draw to this game is the characters and story, so let's jump into that. I'll admit right now that I read the story through a machine translation—I have aaaalmost enough Japanese knowledge to fill in the gaps, especially since the story is fully voiced, but I'm definitely not getting the full nuance of the story that someone fluent in Japanese is going to get. THAT SAID, after completing the prologue, I was definitely intrigued enough that I want to continue slogging through the MTL just to read more! There's a great setup, centered around the bar Aporia and its three modes—a daytime cafe, a nighttime members-only bar, and, secretly, a "fixer" service who'll help anyone with any problem. Our main character, a woman who was just forced to quit her job at a corrupt company, gets hired to replace Aporia's eccentric owner while he goes on a who-knows-how-long vacation. The owner also has the role of "tail"—as in, the tail a lizard sheds to avoid being eaten. If anything in the fixer service goes wrong, it's the owner who takes the fall and the blame. This hasn't come to mean much in practice yet in the (quite short) prologue, but it's a fascinating setup. The story promises to touch on themes of the threads that weave our lives together, how small meetings can lead to massive life changes, and whether any human being is truly replaceable, even in our modern corporate world where people are treated like cogs in a machine. According to a staff interview, there are a handful of references to Stand My Heroes in BreMai, but the games' settings aren't otherwise closely linked.

Rough translation in alt text. The Aporia manager Ai may be the most mysterious, intimidating character, but he also beefs with a parrot the first time you meet him, so...

All the characters are staff at Aporia with various unique roles and background. The prologue just gives you a little bit of each of them, but everyone does show up, and they all have interesting dynamics with each other already. Ai, the stern manager, has some history with the MC that he refuses to divulge, and goes so far as to force psychologist Riku to agree to not look into it. The range of relationships among the staff run the gamut from the calm and mature friendship between fortune teller Kiho and art teacher Kyoya, to the unfaltering dedication of Yu to his ex-mafioso savior Tomose, to the ridiculous Takeru and Soyogu who spend their first appearance waking up after having gotten black-out drunk together the night before. My favorite dynamic of all so far is that of Kou and Mao—Kou is a playboy who insists he's not a playboy, and is introduced evading a woman by… asking the icy Mao to pretend to be his boyfriend so that she thinks he's taken and gay and leaves him alone. Which Mao exasperatedly agrees to, telling Kou that he's used up his allotment for this month which ohmygod how often does Kou do this. Kou if you're asking this guy to pretend to be your gay lover so often he gives you a monthly limit I think you might just have to admit you want him to actually be your gay lover, Kou, oh my god— 

Rough TL in alt text. Kou is letting the implication do all the heavy lifting here. He technically never said he was dating Mao. Technically. 

On to the gameplay. There's gameplay! Unique gameplay! Good unique gameplay! Oh my god, uncharted joseimuke territory! The main gameplay mode is a match-3 puzzle game with rhythm elements. As in other rhythm games, each song in the game is its own level, more or less. (Each character has two unique songs, and three songs shared with the other members of their unit.) You set up a team with cards you've collected from the gacha, which determine your power level and special skills. The "leader" of the team has to be the character whose level you've selected. The puzzle gameplay is a tile-swapping match 3—think bejeweled or candy crush—but the tiles you've matched are only cleared once a bar sliding across the screen hits them, clearing them in tune with the song. Everything cleared in a single swipe of the bar ups the combo counter. There's also a life system, where if the bar slides across the screen without clearing a single match, you lose a life… But the bar moves pretty slow. You're not likely to game over or even lose a single life any time soon. There are more difficult versions of the levels I've yet to unlock, so I'm sure the life meter becomes relevant then. There's also "auto" and "loop" features if you want to grind a level over and over for exp and items, but, of course, the computer can't score as high as you playing it yourself.

And, really, it's fun to play, so why would you want to!? The sound of matches clearing with the music is so satisfying and really makes you want to combo as high as possible. Once you've matched some tiles, you can't move them again, nor use them in a second match (eg, in a cross shape), so if you want to maximize your combo and make as many matches as possible with what's on the board, you have to think ahead about which matches you're going to make. The bar slowly crossing the screen adds a visual timed element that gives some urgency to putting all the matches together. It definitely feels like a game you can pick up an instinct for over time, which is super fun. 

All in all, a really solid, enjoyable little puzzle game. It would be fun to play even without the promise of anime boys. Stand My Heroes is also a match-3, for the record, which is what really cements the two games as being part of the same series.

Admittedly, the anime boy staring at you while you play musical candy crush is a little disconcerting.

The second gameplay mode is "Snap'n Spin", a… gameplay-lite mode that just puts chibi characters in random strange situations and lets you take pictures of them. The mode is explained to be a video game within the world of BreMai, so it's not even trying to be realistic or relevant to anything else in the game. Once you take your pokemon snaps of the boys, they get a fun little caption. You can save up to 40 pictures in your album. Other than being cute, the main way this mode interfaces with the rest of the game is that it's the primary way to unlock card stories for the cards you pulled in gacha. 

This gameplay mode is... cute? I guess? It being so disconnected from the style and aesthetics of the entire rest of the game felt weird. The chibis are adorable, so it has that going for it. And I do like some of the captions you get on the photos afterwards. My favorite were the scenes you catch of a character drinking, and then the caption reveals their current favorite drink. That's a delightful detail for a game set in a bar. Mostly, though, this mode left me wondering "why?" ...And I imagine the answer is something like "because merchandisable chibi characters are a requirement for joseimuke games." This mode could've been anything so long as these cute, starry little dudes were in it.

Urara here hated the drink and the caption revealed that, lately, his favorite thing is sparkling water. He's the youngest character in the cast, so I guess he hasn't grown into booze yet...

One last feature I want to mention is the jukebox. Like many games, BreMai has a music player that lets you listen to tracks from the game… But its music player is, genuinely, a fully-featured music player app with shuffle, repeat, lyric displays, and even background play that works when you're in another app or your phone is off. What! Wild! When I first learned a few days ago that BreMai had a built-in player for its BGM tracks, my first thought was "Well, what's stopping someone from downloading the game just to use the music player and never spending a cent on it? Wouldn't you rather have the songs on spotify so you at least get a pittance of ad revenue, in that case? It's more than nothing."

But having played the game now, I see what they did to prevent that, lol. You don't unlock the songs in the jukebox until you get an SS score on the song's level. Which, I mean, that's normal rhythm game stuff, of course. Can't fault that decision. But, as in other gacha rhythm games, your score in a level depends on the power of your team of cards, and the cards you get from the initial handful of pulls aren't gonna get you anywhere near an SS score without significant investment. So you're either buying in-game currency to buy upgrade items, more gacha pulls, or both. Of course, you can also put a bunch of time into grinding for upgrade items—they drop from levels. Gacha currency is harder to come by. So you're not getting songs in the player without actually playing the game lmfao. The character solo songs in particular (the ones with vocals rather than just instrumentals) also require you to build up rapport with that character—the game calls it "Nice". You build up Nice with them by playing their other songs and using their cards in levels. It takes 1000 Nice on a character to unlock their song. In my first day of playing, I was able to get one character to about 250 Nice, another to 200, and a handful more with a few points, so it builds at an okay pace. There's ways to pay to speed up the grinding for Nice and for upgrade items with things like level skip tickets. So, basically: you're not getting that music player to a useful state without investing either money or time, lmao. Is paying-or-grinding to get cool music you can listen to while not playing the game more "worth it" than the usual freemium game goals of better units, new in-game outfits, or prettier card illustrations? ...Honestly, maybe it is? It's novel, at least.

All gacha rhythm games have the same card select screen, don't they. These were my cards' levels after my first day of play, and you can see they didn't quite reach a suggested score of "A", much less the maximum "SS".

But I do want to stress, the monetization is, for the most part, pretty easy to ignore. Nothing in-your-face. The button to go to the shop screen is a different color, but it's not flashing with an eternal indicator, it's not popping up at every second, it's just sitting there alongside all the other menu buttons. The game isn't shoving timers in your face at all times—there's a stamina meter, which is mildly annoying, but you get ten plays when it's full, and if you're just playing casually you're probably not going to want to play the puzzle game over and over enough to fully deplete that. I know the bar is on the damn floor here but Tokyo Debunker seriously made me realize how bad it can be with mobile game monetization. BreMai is freemium, yeah, but as far as dark patterns go, it's not egregiously bad.

So, the verdict: if you're a joseimuke game fan and aren't afraid to play a game that probably won't get an English port and doesn't even have a fan translation yet (which I realize is already counting out 99.99% of people), definitely give this one a try. See if you like the gameplay—it really is worth trying—and do check out the story if you've got the ability. Or just look at the pretty anime boys. 

[end-otw-racism]

Hi! While the sentiment behind your blog and call to action is admirable a number of things are waving 🚩.

Two of the instances in your pinned posts are very different (and unrelated) from the third. In the case of JDWrites - the tag re: Dr Pande was directly because Dr Pande incited a harassment campaign against her and her fic FIRST, which resulted in JD getting an astonishing number of death threats. While it certainly wasn't the nicest thing to do, it wasn't racist NOR harassment to call out that she lied about the contents of the fic in hopes JD to be cowed into taking it down. The OTW also acknowledged that the tag isn't harassment.

It's also upsetting to see all the links you post in regards to racism in fandom belong to stitchomancy - a user known for calling fics of rival ships bigoted / racist for the mere fact that it isn't their ship, a user affiliated and protective of someone who has harassed myself and other fans of colors to the point of BLOCK EVADING to provoke them, just because they don't line up with their beliefs.

The thoughts behind your call are admirable but if you're only looking at one person who is KNOWN to make arguments in bad faith I wouldn't be willing to be aligned with such a movement or protest

We've already detailed the situation regarding Dr. Pande. We've been able to find no evidence that Dr. Pande incited harassment in the first place nor that she lied. Simply criticizing a work is *not* incitement to harassment, and conflating the two dramatically misrepresents Dr. Pande's initial thread. It comes awfully close to "blaming the victim" for her own harassment.

We've also read extensively through Stitch’s works and social media, and your claims are common canards that have consistently come up without any sources or grounding in fact. To reduce Stitch’s constant work on documenting, analyzing, and discussing racism in fandom to mere ship wank/wars is to misread and misunderstand their work completely. It is ignorant and perhaps willfully so.

Stitch has also documented the racist harassment they’ve continually faced from talking about this issue. And since racist harassment is the key issue we're addressing with this campaign, it seemed prudent to link to one of the figures who's spoken so often on the topic.

Regardless, this action is larger than either of them, because they are far from the only people who have been harmed, harassed, targeted, and driven out of fandom due to racist harassment. Scrolling through the tag on Twitter will reveal others who’ve faced similar. You may object to a few examples we cite, but the pattern is larger than them, and dismissing our overall goals because you take umbrage with them misses the forest for the trees.

And again, regardless of your personal opinion of our cited examples, the OTW has admitted to these issues and made commitments to do better. We're just holding them to their promises.

[ Call to Action ] [ FAQs ]

[lostfirefly]

Trembling, crawling across my skin, feeling your cold dead eyes, stealing the life of mine (Ch.5, The Finale)

This fanfiction story is my present for my friend @yujo-nishimura. I hope you still enjoy the story, my dear :)

Yujo's wedding dress is inspired by the green wedding dress from the show “Outlander”. Sorry, I'm not very good at writing church speeches. The scene in the church may seem unnatural because of this.

Description: The Wedding!

Warnings: The action takes place around the end of the 18th - beginning of the 19th century. NSFW part is included!

Words: 2924

Sir Crocodile x OC

The title is taken from “Dance with the Devil” by Breaking Benjamin.

English is not my native language, errors may occur. As always, feel free to share your thoughts :) Masterlist is here

Taglist: @gingernut1314, @ane5e, @rorywritesjunk

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

Chapter 1, Chapter 2, Chapter 3, Chapter 4

✎﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏﹏

The week passed quickly. Yujo was busy preparing for the wedding, Helena was happy that she was receiving letters from Mihawk. He was away on business, but constantly sent news.

“God, sister! I can't wait for your wedding day!! This will be my official coming out as Draculе's bride.” Helena lay on the bed, kicking her legs happily. “God, I'm so happy! And you?”

“Can I ask? Are you waiting for my wedding to be happy for me or to go out with your swordsman?” Yujo smiled, looking at her sister. 

“Why are you saying such offensive words?” Helena pouted and crossed her arms. “Of course, I’m happy for you. Aren't you happy?”

 “Maybe. I don't understand it yet, to be honest.”

“A week has already passed. It's time to understand, sister!” Helena jumped up, ran to Yujo and began to smother her with his arms. “Promise that you will allow me to visit you? I will need to tell you everything. About everything! About my children and Mihawk, about our trips as a married couple.”

Yujo looked at her sister, inspired with happiness, and could not stop smiling. “You will always be welcomed, my little sister!’ 

The wedding day has finally arrived. From the very morning there was chaos in the Watton house. Helena ran around rooms, chasing one maid after another to help her get ready. Mihawk was supposed to come pick her up in a carriage, and she wanted to look her best.

“God. You might think it's you who's getting married, not your sister.” The father said, smiling.

“Da-a-a-ad!” Helena stamped her foot and almost cried. She ran to the second floor and opened the door to the bedroom.

“Your wedding day, Yujo!!” Helena screamed joyfully in the doorway.

Yujo sat at the dressing table and looked at herself in the mirror. Crocodile sent the best maid from his castle to their house to help to prepare her makeup and hairstyle for the ceremony.  

Yujo’s hair was worn in soft curls or waves, with little to no height. Hairpins with lilies were stuck into her hair. 

The dress was also made to order. Embroidered chest, off-the-shoulder neckline, thin lace sleeves, wide green silk skirt sewn in with fine silver threads. Details such as pleating and corsets were also chosen. Yujo gently ran her hand over the fabric several times and smiled.  "So beautiful."

“Miss, I’m sorry, but it’s time to get dressed.” One of the maids said quietly, stuttering.

“Oh. Sorry. Yes! Of course.” 

The maids set up a screen and helped Yujo get dressed.

“Come out, come out, come out!!” Helena practically squealed with impatience.

One of the maids pulled back the screen while the other two straightened the hem of her dress.

“How do I look?" Yujo asked nervously. 

Helena folded her hands together, pressed them to her chest and fought back tears. “God! You look amazing!! Your dress is even green, to match the future Madame Crocodile.”

Yujo suddenly laughed. She walked up to Helena and hugged her. “Who will amuse me in the evenings, my dear sister? I'll miss your stupid jokes.”

“In any case, I wouldn’t amuse you for long, given the fact that I’m getting married soon.” Helena wrinkled her nose. “You didn't say anything about my dress, by the way!” 

Helena spun around a couple of times. She wore a cream-colored silk satin dress with long, loose, translucent sleeves. The high collar was decorated with a lace pattern, and the waist was outlined with a wide silk belt. Mihawk had given her that dress, which made Helena even happier.

“You look amazing, sister!” Yujo's voice trembled. 

Their father invited both sister into the carriage. Yujo's feet were getting cold. Her heart jumped with excitement every time she heard the clatter of horses' hooves. She couldn't believe she was going to marry Crocodile. She was nervous, she was worried. The man she'd kissed in the office just a week ago, whose lips had made her legs tingle, was about to become her husband. 

“It’s hard to breathe.” Yujo said quietly. 

“It’s just pre-wedding jitters, sister!” Helena stroked Yujo’s back. “Everything will be fine!”

The carriage pulled up to a large blue and white cathedral. The carriage door opened and Yujo saw a yellow-colored carpet leading directly into the building. Their father walked up to the carriage and offered his daughters his hands. Helena pecked her sister on the cheek and ran off squealing into the cathedral. 

“How are you?” Her father asked her.

“I'm fine. I'm a little nervous.”

“Well, it's normal to be nervous. I felt the same way when I married your mother. You're marrying a worthy man, my dear daughter.” He stroked her cheek.

Yujo shook her head slightly and squared her shoulders. “How do I look?”

“Like a queen!” With a tremor in his voice, her father said.

He took her hand and slowly led her down the aisle. 

The inside of the cathedral seemed larger than the outside. The white color and the golden columns added space. The entire room was filled with flowers. Everyone sighed as soon as they entered the main hall.

Yujo looked at the guests with her eyes. Yes, the highest levels of society were indeed gathered here. Helena waved happily at her from the front row, standing with her swordsman. Yujo looked down the aisle and saw Crocodile. He wore a three-piece blue-green suit. Edges, buttons, and pockets embroidered in pink and green, and cuffs of pink corded silk, also embroidered finished with lace flounce. 

Yujo felt her hands sweating and her legs moving treacherously slowly. However, she felt the butterflies in her stomach, which increased her heart beat. She didn’t hear the music, and she tried to hide her smile. 

Yujo was escorted down the aisle with her father, who stood on her left side. Together, they processed down the aisle towards Crocodile. Once they had reached the altar, the groom turned around and took a step forward to greet his bride. Yujo took her place next to Crocodile, standing on his left. 

“You look wonderful, miss Yujo!” Crocodile took her hand and kissed it. Goosebumps ran all over Yujo's body. 

“Thank you! I can say the same about you!” 

“I have another gift for you!” He bowed and made a gesture with his hand. Mister Three looked at Yujo and held up a red velvet cushion. Yujo saw a silver tiara with a pattern of intertwined laurel leaves.

“How beautiful!” She whispered and lightly poked at the pillow.

“A royal tiara for the future queen!” Crocodile replied in a firm voice. He took the ornament from the pillow, tsked at Mister Three, and as soon as he was gone, Crocodile put the tiara on Yujo's head. 

A relatively tall male who wore flamboyant ballet clothes with a swan theme and was dressed in a pink overcoat and blue medieval garments walked down the aisle. He cleared his throat.

“In the name of the father, and of the son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

“Amen.” Assembly responded. 

“Grace to you and peace from God our father and the Lord Jesus Christ.”

“And with your spirit.” Assembly responded.

“Dearly beloved, we are gathered here today in the sight of God to witness and celebrate the holy union of Yujo and Sir Crocodile.”

“Dear Yujo and Crocodile, have you come here to enter into marriage without coercion, freely and wholeheartedly?” 

“I have.” Both replied.

“Are you prepared, as you follow the path of marriage, to love and honor each other for as long as you both shall live?”

“I am.” Both replied.

“Since it is your intention to enter the covenant of Holy Matrimony, join your right hands, and declare your consent before God and his Church.”  

Crocodile took Yujo’s hands in his hand. 

“I, Yujo , take you, Sir Crocodile, to be my husband. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health, to love you and to honor you all the days of my life.” 

“I, Sir Crocodile, take you, Yujo, to be my wife. I promise to be faithful to you, in good times 

"Bring the rings!" The priest said.

Crocodile made a hook gesture and Mister Three brought the rings lying on a blue cushion. It was two black and gold rings with a moss agate in the middle and small diamonds around the edges for Yujo and a stone-less version for Crocodile.

The priest sprinkled the wedding rings with holy water before handing them to each partner.

“Yujo, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit.” Crocodile placed the ring on Yujo’s hand.

“Crocodile, receive this ring as a sign of my love and fidelity. In the name of the father, and the son, and the Holy Spirit.” She placed the ring on his hand. 

“In the sight of God and these witnesses, I now pronounce you husband and wife! You may now kiss!” 

Crocodile hugged Yujo with his hook and pulled her closer. He kissed her hungrily, as if he wanted to show that she was his now. 

“Go in peace to glorify the Lord with your life.”

“Thanks be to God.” Assembly responded. 

“So, now you’re mine, miss Yujo. Since now and forever.” Crocodile whispered in her ear.

“Now and forever.” She repeated after him quietly. 

He took her by the arm and led her out of the cathedral to the orchestral version of “My Sails Are Set.” Yujo glanced at the guests. Helena practically drowned in tears, burying her face in her swordsman's chest. Father and mother smiled sincerely. She glanced at Mister Three. He was clearly annoyed. Their engagement was called off, and Crocodile forced him to serve him at their wedding. Such humiliation was difficult to bear.

Crocodile opened the carriage door and helped Yujo up. They drove to his castle. After a while, the guests arrived for the gala dinner. 

The men retired to Crocodile's office to celebrate the wedding and congratulate themselves on being kings of the world. The girls were in the dining room at this time. It was unusual to Yujo that the maids in Crocodile's castle already treated her as a full-fledged mistress of the house. 

As dinner came to an end and the guests began to disperse, Helena ran up to Yujo and hugged her tightly. "I love you so much, my sister!!!”

“I'll come to see you tomorrow!” Yujo hugged Helena tightly. 

The maids escorted her upstairs to her bedroom. As she looked around the spacious gray-green room, she didn't see Crocodile return. 

“I hope you're happy with today, Miss Yujo!” He said, taking her hand. Yujo felt a thousand little electric shocks run through her body as he began to run the fingers of his hand over her wrist. 

“If you'll excuse me, I'm going to go to the bathroom to clean up before I go to bed.” She whispered excitedly, removing his hand.

“You don’t need to ask my permission. My castle is your castle. And my maids are your maids.” He looked at her instantly.

Not knowing why, but Yujo bowed slightly and quickly left for the bathroom. She sat down on the pouffe. Everything around her was in green and gold colors. Yujo looked at herself in the mirror. The mere thought of her first wedding night with Crocodile made her blush and look like a beet. Her father had always been very strict about her interactions with young men and any advances from potential suitors. 

She took a deep breath and pulled the tiara and the hairpins out of her hair. She shook her head, straightening her hair. Furthermore, she kept repeating to herself that it was all for her father's sake, to strengthen the family's position, afraid to admit that she had fallen in love with Crocodile. She had only read about those feelings in the books she and her sister hid from their parents under the mattress. 

She got up from the pouf, took three more deep breaths, and walked back out into the room. Crocodile was standing near the window, sipping slowly from a glass of whiskey. 

"You're back." He turned to her, set the glass aside, took two large steps toward her and placed his hook on her waist. He put his other hand on her cheek and pulled her toward him. Before she understood anything, he kissed her. His tongue was sliding across her mouth.

His kisses were so respectful and so soft that she had to close her eyes and turn off all her senses just to notice that he was there. She wrapped her arms around his shoulder and let out a thin moan. 

He suddenly ran his hand down her back, searching for the strings on her dress. Yujo helped untie the ties on her dress without taking her lips off his. He hissed through the kiss as he removed her dress. She quickly moved her hands to his clothes and began undoing the buttons on his shirt and pants. He quickly walked her towards the bed and gently pushed Yujo onto the mattress. Yujo propping herself up on her forearms and watching with a quirked, challenging eyebrow. She was focused on his face. He took off his own underwear quickly. No teasing. No kisses. She wanted to touch him, but also she was shy. She was shy of her feelings and shy of strange desire of his body. 

Crocodile walked up to the bed and bowed to Yujo. He started kissing her. He kissed her greedily until they both ran out of breath. He ran his hook along the outer and inner sides of her thigh.

“But if you don't want to, Miss Yujo, I won't touch you.” He whispered near her lips.

“I think it's too late to say no, isn't it?” She tried to joke. 

She put her hand on his neck and pulled him in for another kiss. He picked her up with one hand and laid her on the bed. Yujo’s cheeks flushed. Her month red. She looked between his legs and returned her gaze to Crocodile.

“More than you expected?” He grinned, knee pressing into the mattress.

Her hand grabbing his arm. Crocodile let himself fall onto her. Gently. With an obscene whisper of skin against skin and a mingled groan.

Their lips were entangled. Crocodile found himself sinking into the sensation of her bare skin on his, sinking into the sensation of her hair as he angled her head, sinking into the sensation of her mouth as she let him. Here her inexperience occurred. The almost-shy way she ran her hands down his back. Crocodile ripped off her bra with his hook and kissed her again. He moved down to her chin and collarbone.  

Crocodile put his hook on her waist and let his another hand fall to the inside of her thigh, as his mouth moved lower. He licked the underside of her breast. Yujo jumped and shivered as he traced his tongue to the tip of her nipple. Yujo parted her legs slightly and Crocodile grinned, taking that as an invitation. 

Before entering her. Crocodile paused, catching Yujo’s gaze. She nodded slightly. Crocodile laid his full weight on her and slowly entered her. She tensed and pursed her lips.

“Don't worry, the pain will go away soon.” He said and began to move slowly back and forth.

Yujo’s heart began to race with his every movement. Crocodile dropped his head against hers, closing his eyes. She covered her mouth with her hand, felt his pace begin to quicken with each passing second, and the sounds he uttered became louder. Crocodile pumps against her cervix every time as she swings between cries of discomfort muffled into her hand and groans for more, pleasure-pain. She dug her fingers into his back, feeling the pain gradually go away with his every thrust. 

“Moan for me, miss Yujo.” Crocodile whispered in her ear, and started speeding up his pace. 

She didn't even notice how she started moaning into his mouth and pulled him closer to her. He ran his tongue over her bottom lip, wanting one more entrance in her mouth. He slid his tongue into her mouth, rubbing it over hers with a moan. She moaned and slowly moved her hips up to meet his every thrust. He moaned, moving his hips down against hers as he thrusts her harder. He started kissing her neck, then moved down to her hippies and gently touched them with his lips. He brought his lips back to hers, kissing her deeply.

She moaned and picked up her pace some. She moaned, feeling him go deeper and harder. He moaned, biting his lip as he felt himself getting close.

“You’re so good, my miss Yujo!” He groaned into her ear. 

“You feel amazing.” She moaned out, understanding she was close.

She smiled and moaned his name over and over. He looked down at her and smiled, kissing her softly before moving off her.

“Are you ok?” He asked and looked into her eyes. 

“Yeah.” She didn’t notice how she ran her hands over his hair. 

He pulled the cover over their bodies and slid his arms around her, kissing her forehead. He started stroking her hair.

“I'm glad your father agreed to our marriage. Now you are mine, miss Yujo. Now and forever.”

“Now and forever.” She repeated quietly. 

[ringsreforged]

Hello, friends!

A thousand apologies for not posting this update earlier. Today has been absolutely crazy.

Popping in to let everyone know that part II of our REFORGED thoughts on Eregion only (!!!) events of Alloyed is LIVE. Do grab a beverage and go on that walk you may have been postponing to give it a listen. It is almost exactly 1hr30mins long so it won't be a short walk, either. ;)

We hope you'll enjoy this semi-coherent attempt at going through every jaw-dropping moment of what the hell happened in Eregion back in the 2nd era. XD Or - us trying not to get too unhinged as we dissect THE RAFT SCENE 2.0. Trust us, it was a delight from start to finish!

We will be back with a new episode in a few weeks to summarize our thoughts on season 1 and look back at everything. We'll also dedicate one to our predictions for season 2 while we officially dissect the teaser trailer (we *have* already hinted at stuff).

If you have any questions, please send them our way. Messages on Tumblr are always open. You can also DM us on X (formerly Twitter; gosh I choked a little typing that), send a message on IG or email us. We feel like there must have been some threads of thought we may have started in certain podcast eps that we never revisted despite promising to do it. Do hold us accountable if you've caught anything as human minds are certainly fallible. ;)

Also, we do realize it can take a few minutes of your time but if you haven't already, consider leaving us a review on whatever platform you use to listen to our podcast on. The more reviews, the better the reach. It would mean a great deal to us. <3

We will be back to let everyone know when we record our looking back at s1 ep. In the meanwhile...

Think like a Harfoot and live good! <3

Love,

Pau & Nat

[mystycalypso]

Calypso's Hello Neighbor insanity.

(In honor of the teaser coming out yesterday, here is my Aaron Peterson theory document in all it's baffling glory)

Hey howdy, it’s Calypso, and I’ve been infected with Hello-Neighbor-Loritis. It is incurable and my doctor (Jack in his “Nicky goggles”) recommends that I theory craft to cope.

Bracket Key, by Jack: Calypso: [text] Jack: (text)

So as previously stated, I’m obviously Hello Neighboring it up today after Jack read me the ENTIRETY of their theory thread with @ravenbrookz and @powertooled, and am now taking a crack at it myself. You probably saw my possible Guest appearance in the drawings made most likely by Nicky, though that was only based on what I could see in the image. I can’t exactly say for certain everything I know in the franchise is accurate, as my current pool of knowledge is primarily from the show (and Jack's rants), but I promise that if I COULD read the books, I would. I have just been informed by Jack that the first book is available on Spotify so we may or may not just hunker down and listen to that but I digress. (UPDATE AS OF 5/10/24: The Hello Neighbor books 1-6 all have audiobooks on YouTube, and I will be listening to them for the next several days)

So, into the meat of it, I suppose. This post is to be dedicated to a few of my theories regarding Aaron primarily. Because the theory crafting I’m to be doing is focused on the show, and our information about Aaron and Mya in the show is so limited, I will be pulling some from other sources (HN hide and seek, HN 2, etc) to get a proper read on the situation. 

We know based on the games and books that Nicky and Aaron were best friends. This is why in Act 1 and Act 2 of the first game, Nicky is suspicious of Mr. Peterson in the first place. Logically speaking, if Nicky and Aaron weren’t close (and neighbors, allowing him to witness the crime), Nicky likely would have taken the disappearance story at face value. That’s just how it tends to work in real life as well. People who are close to the victim of disappearance tend to go through the “stages of grief” because they’re more emotionally attached to them and don’t want them to die. It’s sort of a precaution. Nicky, Aaron’s best friend, wouldn’t want any serious harm to come to him, so he’s willing to put himself in danger, as a 13-15-year-old CHILD, to save him.

[I’ll likely be made fun of for how redundant that may sound by Jack]

This is also likely the reason that Nicky is so suspicious of Mr. Peterson in the show. He’s essentially the catalyst for sparking Trinity’s interest in the Peterson house, granted by having her mistake it for his house when he climbed out the chimney in episode 1 [Gotta admire the dedication, bro’s in that place ALL the damn time] (apparently more than he's in his own house /hj). Ultimately, I believe that Jack’s prediction about the reveal of Nicky and Aaron’s relationship being revealed in season 2 is his reason for investigating Peterson as much as he does (which is a lot). There wouldn’t be a reason for tinyBuild to change this, since it’s been established since the first game’s final build. (if you can count that game as “establishing” anything) [Which I am for the sake of the theory.]

Operating under that assumption does recontextualize some of his behavior throughout the show, specifically some of that “hotheaded” behavior called attention to by the Hello Neighbor Fandom Wiki. (that Jack has serious beef with) While he does have a level of agitation towards the others for cutting off his story in episode 3, [of which Jack is actively going on a tangent about as I write this] it’s something that can be explained by a level of impatience or worry for Aaron. (same with his anger of no one believing him in the previous episodes, and even mocking him for his theories) 

[Jack called Mr. Peterson “Mr. Neighborson” while I was writing this section of the theory, I just want y’all to know that WHEEZE]

We don’t exactly know the full context of their friendship in the media we’ve currently consumed, but again, based on his behavior, it’s likely they were close friends (and if not, honestly he's still justified for being upset that no one else cares about the potential murder of two kids). That brings me to the basement, then, which I’ll likely have the most to talk about because Jack and I have talked about this extensively.

According to Jack and their extended knowledge, it’s been established that the drawings on the fake windows in the room Nicky and the others were thrown into in episode 6 were drawn by Aaron. While possibly this being retconned (unlikely) and the culprit of the drawings being changed, there’s also the fact that we don’t know exactly WHEN these drawings were made [correct me if I’m wrong or smthin]. However, I have theorized that these window drawings were made by Aaron to comfort Nicky. Aaron has been in the basement much longer, but because we don’t know his mental state, operating under the assumption that he was put into the basement for the same reason he was in the games, he was put in the basement 1. For accidentally causing Mya’s death and 2. To protect him from the cult in town. Based on the Pilot for the animated series, we know that the first point is likely true, as in Aaron’s room, the words ‘Omen’ and ‘Cursed’ were written on the walls, likely by Mr. Peterson. I believe this is also true for the books as it was talked about briefly in the Game Theory video where MatPat analyzed the aforementioned Pilot frame-by-frame (like the meme:0). According to this video, Mr. Peterson had grown superstitious that his son was the cause of a bunch of bad things happening throughout the town, the final straw being Mya’s death when Aaron accidentally pushed her off the roof of the house as seen in Hello Neighbor Hide-and-Seek.

My theory is that Aaron likely feels immense guilt for what he did to his sister, regardless of it being an accident. He knows that his behavior in Hide-and-Seek was awful, and that’s more likely the reason he’s crying in the basement; he killed his sister, and as sad as it is, he’s likely under the impression that he deserves this punishment and that it fits his crime, as well as knows that his dad’s investigation into the cult is genuine and that he wants to keep him safe. I’m not sure why I get the feeling that he’s in a better mental space than Nicky is [lambast me in the tags if I turn out to be COMPLETELY incorrect come season 2], but it makes some semblance of sense when looking at the drawings in the basement. Psychologically, children with “better” mental states tend to use more color in their drawings. While it may be out of necessity to draw a happier “outside” for Nicky to view (or to keep his own sanity), it may also be an indication that Aaron may be doing better mentally than Nicky was (despite being there way longer), as we see (allegedly) Nicky’s drawings as well, that being black ink drawings of the Thing, the cat, and the Guest [still not sure of that one it’s still a theory]. This also means that that Aaron and Nicky could have been in the same room at least for as long as it took Aaron to make the drawings. I believe that the reason Mr. Peterson was so willing to keep Nicky in the basement in the games not only because Nicky's investigation made him a liability, but also was because he knew he was Aaron’s friend and wanted his son to have some company? IDK, it’s the first game, that game is a lore NIGHTMARE (reference to Act 3 intended).

While this may seem like an extremely small theory overall, it does wonders in establishing the relationship Nicky and Aaron had, as well as Aaron’s personality as an empathetic person. It could also establish that he was forced into this change because of his actions in Hello Neighbor Hide-and-Seek we see in flashbacks or the like, maybe even just Nicky reminiscing or noting that Aaron has changed. From what I’ve seen in Hello Neighbor 2, Aaron does seem to care about the main character, Quentin, when his father attacks him[Quentin, he doesn’t attack Aaron in the scene lol].

As of right now, I do believe that it was (probably) Aaron getting out of the basement in Episode 6 that had Peterson’s lid flipping. While I would have to double check [I’m gonna probably just ask Jack], the silhouette of the dark figure inside doesn’t exactly look one-to-one with Aaron’s established appearance in photos on the walls, but that may just be a redesign or placeholder. Maybe it’s not Aaron at all and he’s still in the basement, who knows [that’s gotta suck now that his dad’s been arrested smh].

[insert 2 screenshot comparisons here, Jack]

(No because the silhouette is bald and I think they made it as detail-less on purpose)

[Damn it]

(Literally quoting the series to Calypso while they write, I've rewatched it one full time since them starting the doc) 

If I had to guess, Aaron will be in season 2. The likelihood that he won’t be is next to 0 in my mind, as it would break some of the established conventions of the series [That being that Aaron takes an active role in second installments, that being Act 2 of the first game where he unlocks the door for Nicky and in the second game where he asks Quinten to save him via paper airplane]. While this may just be wishful thinking, I theorize that Aaron will be an ‘overcorrective’ personality by the time we see him and that it may be shown through his attempts at comforting Nicky through the window drawings. Him being his friend, that also may have been the sort of push he needed to stand up to his father for bringing his friend into this. Act 2 starts with Aaron unlocking the door to help Nicky escape, and in general, helps him.

[There was a short break here because it was like 2 am and I figured that I really needed context at least for the games before I wrote anymore. I have the context now and am now able to write it lol]

So after watching a breakdown of the games I can safely say that, yes, there’s a level of ‘overcorrection’ going on with Aaron. While it’s not the perfect word to describe what’s going on with him, the best example I can find is when Aaron gives up on running away from the museum with Quentin to help his father, who was trapped under a crow statue[chandelier?] that fell from the ceiling. I’d say that it’s a mix of guilt and attachment making him act this way because, despite everything his father has done, even after traumatizing his best friend, Aaron can’t bring himself to lose another family member. Hello Neighbor 2 leaves off on this as a cliffhanger and we have no idea what happens to Aaron both between games as well as after them, so headcanons away, I suppose.

My next theory is in regards to the Thing. While it has yet to make an appearance in the show, there have been teaser images for Season 2 that include it. The Thing is canonically a manifestation of pure fear as shown in the first game’s third Act. It also isn’t exclusively one person’s fear, as it was shown to be “haunting” both Nicky and Mr. Peterson. Fear in the franchise isn’t exclusive to things like phobias, it also applies to trauma and trauma responses. While not justified, Mr. Peterson locking Aaron in the basement was a trauma response brought on by the fear of losing him as well. The entire third Act is about Nicky confronting his fears inside his head, whether that be school, the grocery store [relatable ngl like bro I feel weird going to grocery stores], and yes, Mr. Peterson. We don’t even really need the context the books provide for these fears, we know that Nicky has anxiety and PTSD from being locked in the basement. He was also middle school age so whether or not he was scared of school before he was kidnapped, it would likely be exacerbated by his struggles.

Some lore bits do seem to imply that the Thing is an inherently malicious entity. While the Guest seems to be a sort of Cryptid for Raven Brooks, and therefore, the rules of things like Chupacabras or Aliens apply to it, the Thing seems to behave more like a ghost, a poltergeist of the mind, it seems. Nicky actively has to fight against it to overcome his trauma, and Mr. Peterson seems to be locked inside with it in the endgame’s whitespace. Us seeing it in season 2 must either be exclusively through either Nicky or Mr. Peterson’s eyes, or… Another person who has gone through similar amounts of trauma.

Aaron.

Now, I know that probably doesn’t initially sound reasonable. We’ve only ever seen Nicky and Mr. Peterson interact with the Thing, and that’s two whole characters that could reasonably (and quite likely) have to deal with the Thing making their lives worse. But the rules that have been established for the Thing, as flexible and subject to change as they may be, do apply to Aaron as of writing. It’s been established that Aaron fears losing his father, as well as vice versa. He wants to be free, but he doesn’t want to lose the only family he has left. Aaron has also gone through extensive trauma, the same as his father, in fact, but on top of that, the trauma of being locked away for presumably months. The push and pull of his thoughts on his father is the best example of this I can find. Their relationship has devolved into a toxic cycle of abuse, but Aaron can’t help but love his father despite it. It SEEMS that people who have experienced this level of trauma and by extension have these levels of fear, they can both see the Thing and be affected by its powers[???].

While I’m still not entirely certain of the extent of the Thing’s involvement in season 2, as a majority of the teasers have been centered on the Guest, I’m very excited to see how things change between my writing this and the release. I look forward to being proved right, being proved wrong, or merely watching the series come to fruition. Thank you for reading my absolutely insane ramblings.

-Calypso

[virgo-mess]

Kidnapper for Hire

Hey! I hope you all had a very merry Christmas and/ or holiday season. Our party is always on Christmas Eve, so I may have spent the entire day working on the first part of this Cash x Reader fic.... I worked on bits of chapter eight of Silver Thread and the first part of Silver Bells, too, I promise. It's just that I started this and literally couldn't stop. It's slightly darker than any of my other current stories, especially this first part... there's literal murder. All that aside, I don't think the rest of the fic will be nearly this heavy. I haven't got everything as mapped out, but I really wanted to get this out there for my Cash obsessed mutuals! I hope you enjoy it. Consider it a slightly late Christmas present!!!!

Kidnapper for Hire

Chapter 1: I Really Did Adore Your Outfit

Cash x Reader

TW: Murder, Stalking, Abduction, Cash lowkey becoming obsessed with you, Cash acting all causal about kidnapping you and firting with you while he's doing it, he also broke into your house several times before he kidnapped you and Masturbated over your bed when you were gone at least once...

Cash’s Pov

Cash sighed, setting down his empty coffee cup, he’d get another one soon. You’d be leaving the museum to head down to the local café to grab a sandwich and a cup of coffee for lunch. The same way you had been doing for the past two weeks he’d been silently observing you from afar. He’d been scoping you out for a job, aimlessly jotting down notes in his truck about your daily activities, the people you interacted with, and the places you frequented. Cash didn’t normally take this long to get a job done, especially not one with such a big payout but something about it, and you didn’t seem right. He had yet to figure out why someone as mundane and normal, seeming as you had earned such a price on your head. The more he watched you, the more questions he had for the man that hired him. Usually, he wouldn’t mind being hired on a need-to-know basis. In fact, he usually preferred those types of jobs, the ones that didn’t involve having a moral compass, drug deals were his normal prerogative, they didn’t involve getting up close and personal with anyone. You just grab the drugs, hand them off, and get your pockets lined with a substantial sum for putting your badge on the line. Cash didn’t care too much about the badge these days, the only thing it was useful for was getting background checks on all his potential hires and associates and ensuring everything he and Glen did stayed under the precincts radar.

            It was only recently that he felt confident enough to stray towards the more personal types of jobs, the ones where you may get your hands dirty. Unfortunately for you, you would be his first victim, the man who hired him assured him you weren’t going to die, Cash knew better but the prospect of a 600,000.00 payday was too tempting to pass up. He had tried to get a feel on the guy, ran his normal background check but all that turned up for James Reginald Green was a couple of class act lawsuits and indictments. Nothing particularly unusual for a big-time investor that owned a chain of hotels, most of the lawsuits were work discrimination based, also not surprising for a man that came from old money. Cash could overlook this character flaw seen as James Green had an approximate net worth of 400 million. Still, Cash was a bit weary of accepting his offer and asked if he could scope you out for a bit before considering. James assured him you would be an easy job as he gave him your new address, noting that you had moved all the way to Cape May, New Jersey. Quite a jaunt from San Francisco but Cash didn’t feel equipped to question it since James came all the way to Boston to find him. Cash made the six-hour drive down to Cape May and caught sight of you heading off to work one morning, finding James hadn’t been lying about it being an easy job. You kept to yourself save for a few coworkers, you didn’t seem to have a night life, any relatives, and had a total of two people Cash would consider your friends and even that was a stretch. Cash accepted the job and James set him up in a nice rental property after he told him it may be a while because he wanted to make sure he got the job done right. It wasn’t a total lie; he would need to lay low for a bit after fetching you before he brought you up to Boston. But he’d be lying if he said it wasn’t also because you piqued his curiosity, he wanted to know what you’d done to have a millionaire searching the country for you.

            Cash couldn’t deny you were really quite beautiful, it was the first thing he noticed about you that morning. You had emerged from your cottage in a very teasing little pink dress that fell off your shoulders and hugged your wide hips and ample breasts perfectly. Your curly hair was pulled back in a messy bun as you walked to your car with a large number of books in your arms. He followed you that entire day and wondered why a total doll like you was sat at the museum reception desk all day, you had all the books because it was considered the off season for a summer town like Cape May, and you needed something to do.  It only left him with more questions about you of course it made more sense for a woman with your beauty to live in a city like San Fransico as opposed to a vacation resort destination. He could only imagine the attention you got from all the ogling predatory wayward husbands and fathers that plagued the city in the summer. Cash had been ogling you for days, sometimes peering in your bedroom window every evening just to see what skimpy set you’d be wearing to bed that night. He caught on to the fact your air conditioning wasn’t working when he went to search through your cottage after you’d left for work one day. He had only done so with the sole purpose of getting some answers to his questions only to discover you had about four fans blasting in your room. The whole cottage, though exceptionally clean, was that sticky muggy kind of humid and Cash couldn’t help the way he fantasized about seeing your skin slick and glistening. He got off to it as he stared down at your perfectly made bed silently wishing you were in it to watch him stroke himself to the mere idea of your slick body, longing to know if your skin was as soft as it looked.

            Your cottage failed to answer any of his questions no matter how many times he’d broken in. In fact, it only left him with more, there were no personal touches in your cottage, no old paperwork even it was almost like you were a ghost, there wasn’t a drop of evidence that you even lived here. The name James gave him correlated with the giant box he found buried in the back of your closet like it was a part of yourself you were trying to forget. The contents of the box surprised Cash; in it were numerous beauty pageant trophies, scrapbooks from your childhood up until your college days at UCLA, and headshots the most recent ones were only two years old. The prospect of you being a former beauty queen surprised him, not because you weren’t that level of beautiful, you were but you now presented yourself as more of a reclusive small-town wallflower. He hardly saw you speak to anyone except your two friends Amy and Bea and aside from them all you gave passerby’s was a sweet greeting and a cute innocent type of smile. It was for that exact reason he couldn’t imagine what a man like James Green wanted you for. Sure, to the everyday messed up cops and average joes like Cash you were a spectacle, a rare precious flower you couldn’t resist the urge to pick or smell but to multimillionaire businessman women of your high caliber were a dime a dozen. Cash might even say James could pull women as beautiful as you or on the rare occasion more beautiful than you, though Cash wasn’t sure there were any, for a lot less than 600,000.00 what made you so special to him?

            Cash watched you exit the Emlen Physick Estate Museum at twelve o’clock on the dot, wearing one of those tight short denim jumpsuits with a zipper down the front and a belt around the waist. He felt himself twitch against his thigh as he watched your perky breasts bounce with you as you bounded down the front steps quickly. He couldn’t help but wonder how that zipper was even staying in place where it sat just below them because it was very clear you couldn’t zip it up any further even if you wanted to. Cash could hear the faint click of your 70s style ankle boots on the concrete as he trailed behind you in his truck, debating on whether he would finally talk to you or not. Part of him felt like it would just make the job harder because of how badly he actually wanted you. Silently wishing he had never agreed to take the job in the first place because he couldn’t remember wanting a woman this bad in his entire life. Cash wasn’t sure what it was but just thinking about snatching an innocent flower like you had his stomach twisting in guilt. A feeling that, much like his longing for you, was so foreign to him now. His suspension had spearheaded his moral compass, but you served as a reminder he still had one. But one, James Green, was growing impatient with him, he was almost as desperate to have you as Cash was. Cash watched you walk into the coffee shop with the wind softly blowing your pretty curls in a way that made you look almost ethereal in the warm glow of the afternoon costal sunlight.

He knew tonight would have to be the night, the night he finally stopped watching you sleep through your window and finally took you. He had your nightly routine memorized now, you made it so easy for him, being the truly alluring creature of habit, you were. Cash told James he’d have you to him by the end of the month, a full two weeks from today. Cash gave him a half assed excuse about needing to make sure you weren’t reported missing until he took you up to Boston. Which, in part, was true to some degree, Cash was also hoping to get you to answer some of his lingering questions before he turned you over to him. Cash ignored that guilt that churned in his stomach at the thought of handing you over, assuring himself he would be doing it because a money offer like that doesn’t come around every day. The prospect of finally being able to touch you was still so tempting, especially with his for sure plan to have you cuffed to a bed in the rental property with him for two weeks. James’ only demand was that you be alive, Cash could definitely do that and still fulfill at least some of his fantasies about you, couldn’t he?

Reader’s Pov

You let out a long sigh as you trudge up your driveway to your front door wondering why you picked the most uncomfortable shoes to walk in today. Sacrificing your comfort for the sake of an outfit was nothing new to you of course, in your beauty queen days it was a way of life, but those days were another life to you entirely. You weren’t that girl anymore, the beauty queen, the ingenue, or the life of the party that girl died two years ago on a snowy roof top in Seattle one New Years Eve. You turn your key in lock and rush into your foyer tossing your purse and keys on the bench before turning to double latch your front door. You had been feeling especially anxious this week, you were always on edge as it was but recently you’ve felt like you were being followed. You had no proof of course; save for the blue truck you’ve spotted in town frequently. When you mentioned it to your friend Amy, she assured you there was nothing to worry about. She handled some of the reality and rental properties in the area and said the truck belonged to a very handsome, normal seeming cop who was renting a house near the Cape May lighthouse. Amy quite typically encouraged you to hook up with him before he came to his senses and skipped off to spend the rest of his paid time off somewhere more exciting. September in Cape May routinely became quiet after all the families renting for the summer went back home as soon as the school year started up. Though the weather was unusually hot for mid-September the city had begun its off season, the only people lingering here were locals. So, a hot cop popping up out of the blue was odd but not entirely unheard of. Knowing he was just a cop soothed some of your ongoing anxiety at least but Amy’s overt obsession with your dating life was growing annoying. You swore off dating when you moved here because it wasn’t like they could ever really know you. The cop in question was indeed handsome, truly gorgeous, breathtaking even with short grey hair, a strong build, and the most piercing pair of icy blue eyes you had ever seen. Truthfully you found him quite intimidating, you hadn’t realized how tall he was until he was heading into the café just as you were leaving this afternoon. He gave you a charming sort of smile as he looked at you with what you most definitely misinterpreted as a lustful type of hunger in his pretty eyes, as he held the door open for you and gave you a compliment on your outfit. You flushed giving him a quick thank you before scurrying back toward the museum, you felt a little bad about it now that you thought about it. You were sure he thought you were rude or stuck up but there was just something about the way he gazed at you that was a little unnerving.  

You kick off your boots letting out a sigh of relief as some of the aching in your feet was immediately alleviated, but groaned when you realize the reason, they hurt so bad was due to the blisters forming on the heels and pinky toes of both of your feet. You take a moment to insult your cute but apparently devilish footwear for a moment as you peel your socks off and hobble to your bathroom. You flick on the light deciding to start your nightly routine a bit early this evening, it wasn’t like you had anywhere to be, if you didn’t need to make money you would probably never leave the house. You desperately needed to relax for a bit though because you can’t shake the feeling you’re being watched as you pull a box of bandages, some alcohol wipes, and antibacterial ointment out of your medicine cabinet, setting them on the sink next to your nighttime face products. Still enjoying a self-care routine was just about the only thing about you that still somewhat resembled your former self. You venture back into your bedroom turning on your ceiling fan, the two oscillating fans, and the three-speed floor fan you had facing where you usually laid your head. Your cottage was still stuffy with all the unusually warm September days Cape May had seen this month. The cooling company said they wouldn’t be able to get out to you for another two weeks or so and by then it should be finally cooling off as you head into autumn weather. You were still too anxious to sleep with any of your windows open. You rummage through your pajama drawer and settle on a white crop top and short set with blue and pink flowers. You venture back into your bathroom and pointedly lock the door before peeling off your denim jumpsuit.

You let out an almost content sigh as you step into the shower letting the hot water relax your aching muscles for a good ten minutes before you begin washing and exfoliating your skin. You sing softly under your breath in an attempt to keep your mind from wandering off, you tended to get lost in the memories of that night in Seattle because they were still so vivid, they haunted you. You quickly wash your hair because the singing isn’t really doing anything to keep you from losing your mind to the memories, and it sort of feels like you’re just giving the memories their own soundtrack, they did flash through your mind much like a movie only difference was you could pause or stop a movie the memories were more like an endless reel.

            You switch the water to cool for a minute, not wanting to sweat while you put on your obnoxious collection of face creams for once before turning the water off completely. Stepping out of the shower as you warp a towel around your body, and hastily wiping off some of the condensation on the mirror with your forearm before getting to work. Taking your time to gingerly wipe drops of your various night creams, massaging them into your skin before moving on to body lotion, then perfume, then you brush your teeth and hair moving somewhat robotically. Your life now was truly mundane, endless amounts of consistency, there was no sparkle, no real living, just surviving, just existing.

You’ve relived that night a thousand times over in the past two years, you could still smell the cigar smoke wafting off his clothes in the crisp January air. You could still hear the happy cheers of the party below you as the clock finally stuck twelve ringing in the New Year and seemingly the end of your life as you knew it. You could still feel the goosebumps budding all over your exposed skin from both the cold and the fear pumping through your veins, standing on the roof in a short gold cocktail dress; your eyes wide and mouth slightly parted. The snow falling around you gently, a pretty picture, in shocking contrast to the rough terrifying scene that unfolded before you. In your head you were running and screaming but outwardly you stood silent and frozen in place like you were watching a truly captivating movie, none of it felt real in the moment. Seeing James Green’s menacing green eyes glinting at you in the soft glow of the roof top lighting with the slightest hint of red gleaming on one side of his face from the Christmas lights that still hung above them. His eyes were filled with the most unsettling combination of unadulterated rage and pleasure you had ever seen, you still get chills just thinking about it and you still wake up struggling to breathe when those menacing eyes would appear in one of your nightmares. Sometimes you swore you could feel the way he viciously yanked Simone Lewis’ hair, dragging her to the ledge of the roof by it at an agonizingly slow pace. James ignored her horrified cries, sobs, and pleads for mercy. You still couldn’t bring yourself to move or cry for help, paralyzed by your own fear. Watching helplessly as James finally shoved her over the ledge, her red evening gown swirling around her with the snow in slow motion. Resembling a bird caught in midair before it disappeared from your view; she plummeted to the ground with the most terrifying crash you had ever heard. Your flight response seemingly kicked in when you heard him cackle, so overtly ecstatic as he called her a string of vile and demeaning names, looking down at his work with a sense of pride.

You pull yourself out of your head long enough to get dressed and treat your blisters. You unlock the bathroom door flicking off the light as you rush to turn on the TV in your living room, silently begging it to distract you long enough to bury the demons that plagued your existence. As you put a kettle of water on the stove and a bag of popcorn in the microwave, shakily pressing the three-minute button as you lean against the counter. You didn’t know James all that well though he had been aggressively pursuing you for months up until the party. Something about him just felt off even before you saw him murder one of your best friends, Simone Lewis. He had been sponsoring one of the pageants you were in, hosting it at one of his numerous hotels in San Franciso. Truthfully, he made all of the girls uncomfortable when he’d invite himself backstage, ogling at them predatorily as he lurked in the dressing room catching them all in various stages of undress. He, for whatever reason, had taken an unsettling liking to you and Simone in particular; inviting you both to parties he was hosting and spending obscene amounts of money on lavish unwanted gifts. New Years eve in Seattle was just one of many parties he invited you to, he flew you both out first class, even though you honestly didn’t want to go. Simone insisted, having taken a liking to the gifts he sent more so than him.

You're pulled out of your thoughts by the whistling kettle, sometimes the whistling creeped you out and tonight it sounds particularly eerie with how on edge you are. You turn off the burner and grab your favorite mug off the cup rack adding a bag of chamomile tea, a drop of honey, and some cream before pouring the hot water into the mug. You grab your bag of popcorn out of the microwave, deciding just to eat it out of the bag and save yourself some dishes. They took a while to pile up anyway, you rarely ever cooked anymore having lost the passion for it in your isolation. The events after the party were a blur, save for a trip to the police station to file a report, much to your horror they’d been trying to build a case against James Green for years, he was wanted in connection to two other murders and a huge drug ring. You, unwittingly, became a key witness in their investigation because you were the only that could connect him to Simone’s death. Thereafter you were put in the witness protection program, given a new identity, a new backstory for your upbringing, and moved to Cape May, New Jersey to live out some resemblance of a life until they finally could nail him with something.

You take a seat on your sofa and aimlessly flick through the channels for a while, settling on a showing of Jurassic Park as a means to escape your own reality, watching other people suffer soothed you in a messed-up type of way. You glance down at your cellphone to see you missed your weekly call with your U.S. marshal, Jim. You roll your eyes to yourself; Jim decided you didn’t need 24-hour surveillance until the Feds finished compiling their case. He assured you James was very much in the dark about you being the one to report him in connection with Simone’s death. Jim made a routine pop by visit twice a month, you were sure this call was just to set up his next one, you’d call him back in the morning. You liked to make him sweat a bit, you followed all the rules of the program to a T as it was but them denying you surveillance only made your anxiety worse. You feel your eyes get a bit heavy about halfway through the movie and get up to do your nightly security sweep before allowing yourself to doze off on the sofa. You check the front door locks again, the back doors, and all the windows in the kitchen, living room, and your bedroom, finding them all secure. You glance for a moment into your unused guest room and feel your heart skip a beat as you stare into the room with wide eyes. The window was open a crack, you’re silently kicking yourself for not noticing it was noticeably cooler in the house as you cautiously approach the room. You didn’t keep much in there to begin with because you almost never had guests over and when you did, they only ever sat with you on your back porch.

You take a few shaky breaths as you push the door open a bit further, everything in the room looked to be in order except for the open window and your heart starts to race at the prospect that your gut instinct that someone was watching you had been correct. The intruder was lurking somewhere in your house watching and waiting for you to let your guard down. Your eyes scan your house frantically as you start slowly backing yourself toward the front door. You only bring yourself to take your eyes off your eerily still kitchen and living room to glance down at the bench in your foyer, finding it void of your keys and purse, but your boots are still exactly where you’d left them. You’re on the verge of a panic attack as you bring your eyes to look back into your spurious empty house, reaching behind you to unlock the front door slowly. Though you’re not sure where you could possibly go without your purse or keys. You pull the door open a crack trying not to make it creak as you turn to look out at your dimly lit neighborhood street.

Everything outside is just as still as it is inside your house; the streetlamps lit the road softly and you could hear the faint sound of car tires in the distance melding with the soft chirp of crickets. The cooler night air hits your face as you trail your eyes toward your driveway finding it as empty as the bench in your foyer, your black Honda civic nowhere to be found in your dimly lit driveway. You let out an audible gasp as the reality of your situation hits you, that you may very well be on your way to join Simone Lewis very soon. Your heart is pounding in your ears as the sound on the TV in your living room dies down behind you, you hear swift footsteps cautiously approaching you in the new veil of spine-chilling silence. You suddenly feel like you’re back on the roof top in Seattle because you can’t bring yourself to turn around, paralyzed once again by your fear. Your wide eyes slowly gaze down at your exposed navel just as a strong hand clad in a cold black leather glove settles on your skin sending a shiver down your spine. It almost gingerly presses against your stomach, pulling you gently away from the door and into what you can only assume is the intruder's broad muscled chest. The hand on your stomach swiftly clamps over your mouth as they shut and relock the front door with their free hand, dressed in the same black leather glove. You let out a muffled whimper but make no attempt to free yourself still feeling paralyzed in their strong but strangely gentle hold. You vaguely wonder why your intruder isn’t taking the opportunity to put you out of your impending misery. You weren't expecting them be this tender with you, as their free hand runs up and down your right arm in what you assume is an attempt to soothe you. You hadn’t realized how vigorously you were trembling until now.

“You won’t get hurt if you cooperate, understand? You can put a pair of shoes on and pack a bag before I blindfold you, princess. If you act up or try to flee, I will subdue and cuff you. If you do that, I can’t promise you won’t get a scratch on this pretty face of yours, okay?” a deep male voice cooed in your ear in a vaguely threatening tone. You shiver slightly, the threat should scare the hell out of you, but instead you find yourself resisting the urge to clamp your thighs together as you feel your clit throb and the warm sensation of arousal spread throughout your stomach. You nod slowly, fighting back a moan as he gently guides you towards your bedroom with his hand still over your mouth. You spot a duffle from the top shelf of your closet sitting on your bed, a wave of realization washes over you as you gaze at it wondering how long this man had been sitting in your closet.

“Alight, go, quickly” he said in the same gentle but firm tone he had before as his hand fell from over your mouth. His thumb quite nearly caresses your chin affectionately before he steps back to give you space. You bite your lip nervously but obey his command almost instantaneously, hastily pulling pjs, socks, and under garments out of your drawer with rosy cheeks. You avoid making eye contact as you open the duffle to shove them in, you furrow your brows slightly seeing a large chunk of your sun dresses and the jumpsuit you had left in your bathroom already in the bag when you defiantly hadn’t put them in there. You wordlessly turn to open another drawer and add a few tank tops and a few pairs of shorts and pants to the bag before zipping it shut. You fumble for a minute as you put on socks and sneakers before daring to look at him as he stood at the foot of your bed watching you intently. You couldn’t make out much other than the fact he was tall, he had a black ski mask covering his face and he pointedly left all the lights off in your room. You couldn’t even make out his eye color in this lighting as he pulled out a long black piece of fabric, wordlessly instructing you to turn around. You obey him again, though hesitantly this time, taking a deep shaky breath as he wraps the cool fabric over your eyes. You hear him shuffle around a bit before grasping your arm still being unusually gentle as he directs you out of your bedroom and through your house. You hear him unlatching one of the doors, you can tell by the dragging sound it’s the one leading to your patio. A sliding door, all he has to do to lock it is to push the notch in under the handle before closing it. You feel your stomach churn slightly, presuming he already relocked the guest bedroom window. Him securing your house was a step to ensure no one would come looking for you for a while, seeing your cottage locked and secure made it look like you left of your own volition. You wonder if anyone will actually figure out what happened to you, save for Jim, the only person that knows about your change in identity.

“Watch your step, Y/N” your abductor’s deep voice calls out to you in the darkness and it’s all the confirmation you need, because he used your birth name, a name only someone from your past would know. James Green sent this man to get you, which means James defiantly knows what you’ve done, why you really disappeared, and why you ignored all his voicemails asking you to join him for dinner. You stumble for a moment going down your back steps and your kidnapper surprises you by scooping you up into his strong arms, carrying you to your next destination. You can make out the sound of a heavy car door opening as he sets you inside of the vehicle, pointedly on the floor in case you decided to take off your blindfold and try to memorize the surroundings of wherever it was you’d be going. You felt your heartrate pick up again at the prospect of being met with James’ menacing green eyes when you got to where you were going. You feel the car start up, the purr of the engine vibrating through your body with enough rev to make you realize you weren’t in a small vehicle.

“If you’re willing to stay on the floor, you can take off that blindfold but only if you promise not to look out at anything on the drive or when we get there. If you do the same threat applies, okay princess” you nod your head in acknowledgement as you suddenly recognize his voice, it’s the same one that complimented your jumpsuit mere hours ago as he flashed you a charming smile. You begin to think your interpretation of the emotions swirling in those piercing icy blue eyes wasn’t too far off.

“I’ve gotta hear you say it, princess. Say ‘I promise not to look at anything’” he said in a way that boarded on flirtatious. You feel your cheeks flush again as you nibble on your lower lip in embarrassment.

“I promise not to look at anything while you’re driving or when we get there. You didn’t even really like my outfit… did you” you said dryly, reaching behind your head to untie the blindfold. Watching as it pools in your lap before you look up at him from the floor. You can make out his icy blue eyes from the soft glow of the passing streetlamps flooding in through the windows as he stares down at you with an intimidating gaze. You shift uncomfortably, focusing on the dark grey interior of his blue truck, with flushed cheeks.

“Oh, honey, I adore that outfit, I plucked it off the bathroom sink before you even put the kettle on” he said, letting out a deeply amused chortle suddenly pushing harder on the gas.  

Chapter 2

[yurisorcerer]

I've compared Jellyfish to other anime *a lot* while writing these off-the-cuff Thoughts posts, but to pull from an otherwise very different series, the ending here almost reminds me of that of Witch From Mercury? Decidedly good, and definitely fine-tuned to make you feel happy that our main pair are back together, but with just enough that doesn't quite add up that I feel remiss not to mention it.

To be clear, if the series' representational efforts outlive the actual text of the show itself, as may well happen, that's not actually a bad thing. Most anime would be lucky to have that legacy.

I want to zero in on Kano during the concert though, where we're early in the episode and she's clearly nervous. Flashbacks, intrusive-thoughts-as-voiceover. The literally-faceless masses. This is imagery we've seen associated with her before, as she's clearly reliving her trauma from her days with the Sunflower Dolls.

We see her basically bomb; the backing track kicks in but she can't sing, and suddenly the sound cuts out entirely, putting her in the bottom of the ocean. Mero, surprisingly, is the one who calls out to her to egg her on, although it's Mahiru's jellyfish that she looks at as Mahiru calls out to her as well. We get our big, swelling concert song, and then the moment is over. Jellyfish's narrative ends the second the music dies.

A mirror of the first episode as the two meet again for the first time in a while after Kano's performance. Ultimately, the conclusion they come to is that they kept their promises to each other, so everything's basically fine. This is clearly to some extent what the show wants us collectively to think, as well. Kano as the aimless singer who's finally found something to sing for, Mahiru as the ever down-on-herself visual artist who's found someone inspired by her paintings.

Kano says she wants to be a reason for people to keep looking forward, an interesting thought.

In the Sunflower Dolls / JELEE show's credit roll, Kano is credited under her preferred name. Yukine seems to mean this as---and certainly the show wants us to take it as---a gesture that Yukine, despite her past treatment of her daughter, respects her now. (An analogy is also drawn between the virtual audience the show draws and the 50,000 person capacity of the Tokyo Dome. Originally referred to several episodes ago, having one of her artists sing there was a long-term goal of Yukine's.) Clearly, not all is forgiven, as Kano playfully spurns her mother in the finale's closing minutes. Still, something about this feels…a little wishy-washy in a way I can't entirely put my finger on. It's a good ending, maybe the best ending this iteration of the series could've had, but not a great one. There's a distinction there, and this is the sort of show that practically begs rumination on distinctions of that nature. Yukine herself says, and I quote directly, "The difference between buzz and backlash ultimately hinges on an idea being meaningful." *Are* Jellyfish's ideas meaningful? I think that's an open question. Despite everything---Kano's trauma, the falling out with Mahiru and Mahiru's own impostor syndrome, the show's own strange pacing, Kiwi being bullied for their gender expression and for being "weird", the discrimination Mei faced---this ends as a feelgood story. That may be a bit too neat for me, I'm not sure.

I hate to bring up That Other Music Anime Airing Right Now while writing about this one yet again, but the main distinction between the two, I've finally realized, is that Girls Band Cry's emotional material feels much more raw. Jellyfish's best episodes do as well, but the show *on the whole* feels like it can't quite thread the needle in the same way. The comparison is perhaps unflattering to both anime, but I can't help myself here.

The series ends on a short run-through of denouement scenes, for the individual members of JELEE both apart and together as a group. Tellingly, it might be Kiwi's that works the best. The relatively straightforward nature of her arc makes her development feel the most earned and the most logical. At the same time, I'm having difficulty pinning down exactly *why* I don't feel quite the same way about the other characters. Perhaps because Mei was never particularly well-developed to begin with, and Kano and Mahiru's reunion feels....I'll say contrived? I can forgive letting a kiss on the cheek hang for six episodes. Letting that falling-out hang for, what, 3? Is a bit harder to stomach though. The entire plot there, I don't know, it takes away a bit from what the show is trying to do, and when what you're trying to do is this delicate, "a bit" can feel like a lot.

Anyway; The over-painting scenes being drawn as though they're shot through the phone is a cool touch, I like it.

What Jellyfish does manage to capture is the warm mundanities of friendship and life in the digital age, and I like Kano's little speech to the others at the end here. That's worth something, I think. Not many anime end with their casts literally waving goodbye to the camera.

Time, as my memories of the show crystalize and harden, will tell whether I end up truly feeling that those warm feelings are "enough" to rate Jellyfish particularly highly, both on its own terms and as compared to other anime that have come and gone (and will come and go) this year. But that's also sort of a way of looking at art that is ruthless enough to not always be appropriate. So I'll say it here if I never remember to again, the people who made this clearly cared about it a lot. There's love in it, and love does matter.

[merv606]

Thinking about Puritan Daniel's wedding vows after you mentioned how Daniel said honor and obey in your latest fic. Because imagine how wild they'd be in anything-goes ABO verse!

"I promise to please and pleasure you whenever and however you desire, Sir.."

"I give my innocence to you so we may be blessed and I will birth your pups",

"I promise to kneel before you, to respect you as the Master of our home, Alpha"

And so on!

As his maidens are preparing him for the marital bed, they remind him to “honor and obey your husband.”

The same words he spoke in his vows not too long ago. 

He’s nervous, skin erupting in goosebumps as they fix the nightshirt in place.

Not nervous because of his alpha, now his newly made husband. 

They had been betrothed for years, ever since he presented and Terry had laid eyes on him, and they were only allowed to spend time together, chaperoned time, a few weeks before Daniel was of mating age, as Terry planned to wed him the very day he did. The man had been nothing but kind to him, sending gifts, beautiful letters, and he made sure his family was taken care of in the years leading up to the marriage, and that Daniel had everything he needed or wanted. 

Terry had been nothing short of a gentlemen and perfect alpha. 

His head handmaiden, an older woman, noticed his slight trembling as they dress him in the traditional loose nightshirt, in a sheer white, so that the omega, while dressed, is on display for their alpha when he enters the bed chambers. 

It can’t be from the cold - Lord Silver had made it clear that the fires in both the antechamber where they are preparing him and the bed chambers where their marital bed is are to be keep roaring, so as the omega, a slight little thing, isn’t cold or liable to catch a one.

She knows how long the Lord has been waiting for this and is endeavouring to make his little omega as comfortable as possible. 

“Are you feeling ill?” she asks, worried that they might have to fetch the doctor. Although he had been looked over this morning as part of the health check, as well as for other reasons. 

The heir of a silver could only be bared by an omega of pure status. 

“No, I …. “ he fiddles with the hem of the delicate night shirt. “It’s just that …. I’m still not quite sure ….” what I have to do, he thinks although he says, “what to expect.” 

The younger ones giggle and she shushes them. 

“He will show you these new duties.”

“Duties?!”

He had gone through the required omega courses a year leading up to this, as was normal in wealthy families of power and status, such as the Silvers, who also had a thread of nobility running through their lineage. 

Why he choose a commoner of little standing, absolutely no dowry to offer, is still beyond Daniel. 

Lord silver could have had anyone he wanted. He was the most eligible and sought after alpha. Although he bedded both male and females, he did lean towards male omegas, who were more rare than their female counterparts. 

Still, if he wanted, he could have had all the male omegas, not just in his lands, but all around rounded up to be picked from.

But he hadn’t. 

He had seen Daniel and declared that the boy would be his and that was that. 

Daniel had wanted his family taken care of, which Terry had done.

He’d also handsome, making Daniel’s omega parts feel funny, and he was kind, so Daniel was excited about this day / had been counting down to it.

He wants to get this right - to be the best mate and husband for his alpha and to repay the kindness he had already shown.

“Marital duties -

“And what are those marital duties exactly?”  he asks. 

“He will take his husbandly rights,” she answers, although it isn’t really an answer, but she is unable to explain anything else to the nervous omega. 

Oh yes - that had been mentioned in his lessons, but  all they said were the physical expression of an alpha’s love and desire for his omega.

It had all been very secretive. 

He was told to be responsive to his alpha’s advances, to be warm and welcoming which, he still doesn’t know what they mean by that. 

“That is where I …” he tries to recall the words … “receive my husband.” 

Again the younger handmaidens giggle and are shushed. 

He recalls now the vows.

“I give to you, my alpha, my husband,  both my body and my heart, I will do my duty as your  mate which is your right to take and receive your blessing.”

He didn’t really know what all of it meant, although he knew  a blessing meant a child, which he needed to cement the marriage or else, it could be contested, which he did not want. 

However it happens though, he hopes he falls with child soon.

“Yes,  do not worry. He will show you what it is you need to do,” she smiles warmly and he smiles back. 

A golden goblet is brought to him.

“It will help with the nerves,” she explains and he gulps it down. 

He’s lead into their bed chamber now, and he’s left standing there, alone, but it’s not for long, the door opening moments later, his alpha, resplendent in dark red robes comes in.

As his alpha - his husband - approaches he feels the hairs on his neck and arms stand up on end, although he can’t say he feels in danger. There is something in the air he can’t quite place, a movement to it, a heaviness, and he shivers despite the warmth of the room from the roaring fire by the bed.

His alpha is looking at him with an expression he can’t quite place. Daniel would say it was almost hungry - the way a starving man looks at food but what could he possibly be hungry for, Daniel thinks, looking at me.

The alpha’s eyes sweep up and down and Daniel knows everything he is is visible to the alpha - and his first instinct is to try and cover himself, the soft brown nipples hardening against the soft, sheer nigh shirt and the thatch of brown hair lower still, but his handmaiden’s voice in his head from earlier, reminds him.

“Do not try and cover yourself,” she said, knowing how the pious boy would probably react. “You belong to your alpha now.”

He had nodded.

“Everything you are is his, and he’ll want to see. He has waited long enough.”

He shivers as Terry steps closer, his hands clasping the hem of the night shirt to keep them from going up to block his body from the alpha’s appraising gaze.

“You look lovely.”  A hand on the side of his face, tracing along the edge.

The alpha leans down, pressing his lips to the omega who responds as best he can, never having been kissed before.

The few chaperoned dates they had, allowed Terry only the ability to kiss his hand, and, in one am occasion a chaste kiss to the corner of Daniel’s mouth which had sent pleasure zipping down his spine, setting into his special place, his omegahood throbbing in a way he never felt before. The feeling was new and scary, yet welcome.

Now though, the pleasure has him not only throbbing but pulsing, pressing his legs together instinctively, and he feels … something down there … it feels almost wet between his legs.

A hand up his nightshirt now, that Daniel didn’t even register, fingertips tracing the slick folds that hide his most secret place and Daniel gasps as his husband’s fingers brush against something that send sparks of pleasure through him. It must be his rosebud, something the omega was forbidden to ever touch and he knows now why.

It throbs and aches, a warm blooming from within as the fingertips start rubbing up and down, then in small circles which start featherlight but turn more firm and demanding.

Daniel gasps into his husband’s mouth, who takes the opportunity to slip his tongue inside, tasting his prize, as his other hand finds small sensitive nipples, rubbing them to hardness through the sheer garment,

His legs spread of their own accord, body reacting on instinct, opening for the alpha.

He slots his hand between them now, Daniel whimpering as his hips start moving, once again, his body reacting for him, his mind hazy, rubbing himself along the edge of his husband’s hand, forgetting himself; his behaviour wanton.

“That’s it. Find your pleasure little one,” the alpha praises, and he can hear wet noises as his hips work faster and faster, the hand between his folds now.

His head swims, his limbs loose and relaxed, the elixir from earlier coming into affect. The pleasure is mounting and mounting, and unbeknownst to him, he’s soaking his husband’s hand.

Then he feels it - waves crashing over him, his omega cunt clenching.

Terry brings his hand up, dripping the omega’s slick and release, licking it clean almost lazily.

“What ….” He starts and his husband chuckles.

“That was an orgasm,” his alpha explains. “You came.”

He’s gently laid out on the bed, large hands splaying his thighs open wide, his night shirt ruched up around a slender waist.

His husband’s hand finds it way back between those spread legs, fingers dipping in to trace his entrance, still shuddering in aftershocks.

More slick is gathered, Terry bringing them to his mouth, groaning at the taste of his omega’s pleasure.

Daniel comes back to himself, realizing, with horror, of his behaviour … what does his husband think of him.

“Now, now, none of that. These are my husbandly rights …. “

Oh, Daniel thinks.

“These are your duties to me on our marital bed …” and anywhere else Terry plans to have his little mate. No part of the house will go unchristened … nor any part of his mate’s body for that matter.

“Private vows now, just between us. Repeat after me.”

“I promise to please and pleasure you whenever and however you desire, Sir,” Terry says and Daniel obediently repeats. 

“So I shall do the same for you - endeavour to bring you pleasure.” 

“And a blessing?”

His husband opened his own robes now, and Daniel sees his first glimpse of his husband in all his glory.

His manhood, for the omega was taught the rudimentary biology of an alpha, the differences between them and omegas, is quite bigger than the vague drawings he was allowed to be shown.

“Many many blessings,” Terry promises, stroking himself as Daniel’s legs are opened once again. “All in due time, but we’ll get started now,” Terry says as the alpha presses his lips to his special omega place, knowing a second orgasm will only help in getting his mate’s virgin body to open for his cock,

He plans to keep the vows he just uttered, and needs his little mate loose and relaxed, and Daniel feels blessed already. 

I was imagining an old fashioned night shirt for this as pictured below BUT sheer and shorter.

[merrock]

HAPPY MAY !

It's not longer gonna be may... it is! I always think of May as the sort of 'kick off' to summer. You're maybe not there yet, but you're getting so close that you can almost taste it! Soon we'll have beach parties and be swimming in the public pool, be grilling with our friends, wearing short shorts and tank tops, but for now, let's go over all of the exciting things that are happening in Merrock in May, shall we?

Hop under the cut and read through, please! xx

ON THE CALENDAR !

MAY 5 -- CINCO DE MAYO / join us at Paco's for good food & demonstrations on how to make it!

MAY 10 -- CLEAN YOUR ROOM DAY / clean up those rooms and donate stuff you don't want anymore!

MAY 12 -- MOTHER'S DAY !!!

MAY 17 -- ENDANGERED SPECIES DAY / learn about Maine's endangered species and how to help them!

MAY 19 -- BAKE OFF !!!

MAY 20 -- WORLD BEE DAY / educate yourself on the importance of bees, buy local honey, start a pollinator garden!

MAY 21 -- INTERNATIONAL TEA DAY / head to What's the Tea to pick up your favorites, or try a new blend!

MAY 25 -- NATIONAL WINE DAY / get out with the girlfriends or your significant other and try some wine!

MAY 27 -- MEMORIAL DAY / with school and big businesses closed, have a picnic, or attend the memorial ceremony.

IMPORTANT STUFF !

as usual, brush up on our rules -- we have amended the activity rules to include what we mentioned in the activity check this past week. your two required replies per week must be to two different characters, to avoid bubbling. we will continue to check that you are replying to two different writers every other week.

we'd love to see our OOC utilized a bit more for plotting / threading and group-related things. it's okay to make vent posts / say you're busy/not around! but we don't want people to be discouraged from posting "hey, anyone wanna thread something fun?" or talking about IC/group things just as often.

please, please, please put priority into replying to open starters. we don't want anyone to feel left out or ignored (or not make any starters in the future!) if their starter sits with low notes while people are online and active around them. open starters, even with caps, are a great way to generate connections!

be fair with activity. I know that I say this a lot, but everyone here relies on each other to be able to be active. to you, it might not seem like a big deal, to someone else, it could be the difference between them being able to be active or not! try to work in order when you can, and balance all of your characters. (as a side note, I am always, always willing to help with advice on this!)

take the time today and go over our follow list -- unfollow any and all blogs that are not related to Merrock any longer, and please be sure you are following everyone that is. thank you!

GOALS FOR MAY !

Honestly, we just have one big goal for May, and this goes across the board for everyone: build up that community feeling of the group front and center through involvement, participation & kindness. When we have events in town, please consider getting involved! Jump in on tasks or fun things if you have the time, or even if you don't: we promise, it doesn't hurt to click the heart and show others a little appreciation! It's nice sometimes, to support one another. Put priority into replying to open starters, reach out to plot with those you haven't yet (or if it's been a while). Comment on OOC posts, or as we said above, use the OOC blog to get plots and threads going. It's summer (ish!), let's get our vibes going in the sunny direction.

HAVE A GREAT MAY !

[s0lar-ch3ri]

theory time!

so reasoning as to why i cant reblog the other one is just cause it doesnt allow videos when i reblog now which sucks but whatever so yeah! its a jrwi theory again, and whatever future info i have was 99% gathered from the wiki (the remaining one percent might not even show up in this theory so ye), and of course theres spoilers for the black rose one shot AND riptide pirates (dont have any exsct eps, all i can say is im at ep 101 now so anything before that is kinda fair game)

for the original theory post

k so we gonna put that one clip (scroll message, about a minute long) and talk about it, def mention all the connections gill would have with the black sea, shit like that

apologies for the buggy clip, just needed to add this and when i recorded i was in school aka just recorded like this for less risk, lets talk about the message though.

"a map that is a guide and a key passed around the hands of destiny, it leads to chaos infinity beneath the seas, the garden giant, the nameless prince, the unborn kings, all await to be inevitably free"

i think in my og theory post i talked on how gill was very connected to the black sea imo so how does all this tie in? lets do some quick lil notes first

ok so the scroll of legend lore has been held onto by gillion, the one closest to destiny's ties, and has not been used until now

chaos infinity while refering to the black sea could also be an undersea thing, what with the leviathins (nobody else remember how the pearl shard gillion has came from one? and how the pearl was never supposed to even see the light of day probs let alone be in some cat mans evil base? just me?)

while i wanna say aster mythborne aeiliana shes not real here so she cant be garden giant

BUT we do have a known leviathin(? could just be a dragon turtle) named duke who has plant shit and is controlled by a gollieth

nameless prince is everso chip coded but we looking all across our board here so yeah

it could apply that the "nameless prince" could refer to someone "unnamed" who holds power like that prince from edison kingdom or smth

it could also reference marshal jon, who's canon first name has been forgotten and canon last name is jon

unborn kings? honestly while i dont think chip's bit of mpreg is apart of this i think the lady inspiring it (aka aslana's mom) has some relations to this whole thing

we all read "kings" btw so theres probs multiple yall

would goobleck count? he is goobleck he must apply someway

non-literal one again? maybe their monsters or smth

wait to be free. huh. gee, i wonder, will the door nightmare with arlin come into play here. thatd be so fun. yeah. ahahaha im losing myself

okay okay maybe its not all clear and i honestly have had this as a draft for too long (as shown below)

BUT ill reblog this later cause ill really just be using text and images and shit

whats the basic idea? this is def where the oath from the sword comes into play (murdering destiny), with the whole "the black sea twists you" thing we may get hints of killion or even dark gillion again, the thign about it being a "key" might imply like a 'this means that' type deal rather then being actually a key, the chaos isnt really referring to the black sea but the state of the undersea in general (lost champion becomign criminal, ally shit gone, oversea war, etc), unnamed prince is either someone we havent met yet or someone who we dont expect to have a return (ie: were deemed before as not really lore relevant), and the unborn kings are monsters, oh and the garden giant isnt arlin but something related to the duke! THIS HAS TO CONNECT TO THE LEVIATHINS FR

some details/info about gill/things related to gill so i write this better:

"You promise to slay all evil before thee, crack corruption that takes hold of this world, strike swiftly enough to split the seas, and even if the thread of fate poses an obstacle against us, we shall sever it"

A hero born of moonlight, storm and sea. / They shall rise or fall to bring unity. / They will be tested or bested by evil’s hand. / By their choice one will remain: sea or land.

[wordgirl-asks]

Introducing the Muse

Goood timezone, my darlings! You can call me Randy, but I also answer to other names — I keep all of them in a box; you could honestly just call me Wordgirl and I wouldn’t complain /lh

I figured I’d introduce not just myself but the blog’s own muse, Wordgirl! Now, let’s get right to business!

Guidelines and Rules

🌟 Please be civil on this blog. Disrespect and being a jerk will not be tolerated here! If you’re concerned about crossing a line with an ask, just ask me! I promise I don’t bite!

🌟 The mun does not equal muse. Mun is a fancy way of saying the mod/roleplayer — keep in mind that while I, the mun, am an adult; Wordgirl is only fourteen years old in this! Don’t make it weird.

🌟 Asks can be vaguely innuendos, but if this becomes a habit - I will start ignoring you.

🌟 This blog is post-canon. This takes place after the series has ended. There are some canon divergent themes but everything is happening after Rhyme and Reason, and Wordgirl’s in high school as a freshman!

🌟 Do keep in mind I am merely one person running a character blog. And that I have a life outside of the blog. Please don’t hound me for responses and I will get to them as fast as possible!

🌟 There is no DNI. Do not bother me on who did what without the proof to back it up — or I will not take you seriously. Also this is a character blog. I do check out people who follow me and whatnot but I just want to have fun here!

🌟 If there’s an active roleplay thread, please do not interact with it! I don’t know if this will even happen — but if it does, it’s mainly to avoid confusion!

Other Character Blogs are welcome to follow me and interact! Please, please I beg of you!

And now without much further ado, let’s get right to business!

Our Dear Muse

Name: [REDACTED], Wordgirl

Nicknames: Kid/Kiddo (by several villains), dear/my dear (by Granny May), TBD

Age: 14

Birthday: [REDACTED]

Home Planet: Lexicon, currently resides on earth

Allies/Acquaintances: Captain Huggyface, [REDACTED], Todd "Scoops" Ming, among others

Enemies: Fair City villains

Abilities: Super Strength, Super Speed, Super Vocabulary, Ice Breath (because yes, it is being acknowledged-), Invulnerability (to a certain extent)

Backstory

Wordgirl was from the planet Lexicon, known for their knowledge on words and vocabulary. Due to unknown circumstances, she arrived on earth and became its renowned super-heroine within Fair City; though it quickly became apparent Wordgirl began her hero career from a young age and while she was still a child (and no one thought it was weird but shhh-).

Several years have passed since her original debut and is now rumored to at least be in high school, though whether she attends it is anyone's best guess. Wordgirl fights alongside her sidekick Captain Huggyface. The duo continue dealing with the city's crime activity, though perhaps... Wordgirl is starting to face new feelings in her life - among other things.

Keep in mind this blog is post-canon as I mentioned previously and is part of a future AU of my own design. I've made changes to her costume, but I do not have the art skills to do so - and well, we'll see what can be managed.

I'll see about creating a board or something where I can display her new costume change, but for now this is the best I'll be able to do!

Account Tags;

⭐️ - in-character tag for Wordgirl

🐉 - out of character tag / randy’s yaps (alternate tag name!)

🌩️ - in-character vent tag

🪐 - tag for an active roleplay thread!