#i understand that its not exactly safe but. also. it's fucking impressive! and funny! watch make em laugh from singin in the rain

[franollie]

bring back technicolor and practical effects now im so serious

[detectivehole]

hey i finally watched the evil dead. it was pretty good. b (the b is a thumbs up because i dont have emojis on my keyboard)

which evil dead movie is your favourite and why (you can say multiple if you like)

i like the use of b as a thumbs up im stealing that

im glad you liked the evil dead! it's a funny series

my favorite movie is no question the very first evil dead movie from 1981. you asked why so i put a massive set of paragraphs of incoherent rambling below

it's a very impressive and influential project for its haphazard budget and production (even if its sequel, which used the same shooting methods, is what popularized them) which is admirable. visually is just nice to look at imo- im no film buff or even the biggest movie fan overall so i can't say why it looks as good as it does to me, but it just does. it's gross and strange and erie and i enjoy that in its visuals.

what certainly shoots it to the number one spot for me though is the characterization, most especially of ash but really of everyone. i found the way everyone behaved and interacted especially realistic, and uniquely compelling for me. for horror, which is a genre that usually takes liberties with behavior for dramatic effect (not criticizing that), that's not particularly common

they don't always get along, but they're all clearly friends. characters are hesitant to resort to violence but simultaneously totally willing to defend themselves. panic drives people to make dumb decisions but no one ever makes decisions i would call totally senseless. it's all very much believable. all the characters display this but ash (understandably) depicts it all the best. i wish i could articulate it better than this but i can't lol

two particular scenes i like;

- ash is finally the last one left, and he's just in the house, surrounded on all sides by the dead and dying and demonic, and it's a charged scene, but it's not tense, because it's not supposed to be. you understand in that moment- both because of the structure of a film but also just bc it does a good job communicating it- that ash is physically safe from attack for a bit. no one's gonna pounce yet. that is because the demons are focusing on mentally attacking him. it's the demonic mocking scene, where all of these things puppeting his dead friends and family are just teasing him over and over like children while he takes the time to freak the fuck out, and they laugh and jeer. and idk i just really love that scene it's very VERY compelling to me. i think it's the strange sense of inexplicably physical safety (however short) combined with the childish demonic taunting; a lot of demons in media taunt but they tend to do so in more "ohhhh so scary" or overtly violent ways. the demons in this scene aren't not doing that exactly, it's just that it's way more deliberately annoying and childish in its execution rather than super spooky, subtle, or esoteric

- the walls bleed scene (it's my pinned post rn). ash goes to get amo in the Evil Basement and the demons make a bunch of weird shit happen. why i like this scene is way less deep- it's a deliberately funny scene; goofy music is playing, it's got a lot of visually appealing shots, a comical amount of blood, and it does stuff that ties back into the "childish, goofy, but effective ways the demons torture ash" thing. also 21yo bruce campbell absolutely covered in bright red fake blood is hot i will not deny that

[trombonesinspace]

Okay, so the next time Gurathin and SecUnit meet, in Exit Strategy, neither one is thrilled about it. Understandable!

But also, SecUnit has changed. It looks more human, but it also acts different—it’s had some time to get used to not having to pretend to be a normal obedient SecUnit, it's been interacting with humans while pretending to be human itself, and its natural snark is much more evident than the last time Gurathin saw it. It swears, it makes jokes, it looks at people (more than it used to, anyway).

This is all new, and Gurathin is probably somewhat baffled by it—and again, he’s a suspicious person. They immediately begin working together to make a plan to rescue Mensah, but it’s not long before Gurathin is back to questioning SecUnit’s methods.

But! He accepts SecUnit’s answer, and he stands down, and the plan goes forward.

And when he asks SecUnit privately what it was doing while it was away, SecUnit sends him video of its stint as a security consultant on the contract labor transport, which lets Gurathin see for himself and draw his own conclusions.

SecUnit doesn’t have any particularly deep motive for this, it just doesn’t want to seem petty by refusing to answer. But Martha Wells didn’t do this by accident. Pin-Lee had asked the same question earlier, and SecUnit deflected and gave half-answers.

It matters that it’s the person who’s most skeptical about SecUnit who gets to directly witness it assisting humans, non-violently, that it has no obligation to. We learn later that Gurathin showed the video to Mensah, which I take to mean that he was impressed by what he saw, and it helped convince him that SecUnit is a good person.

And the next time they interact, after SecUnit has rescued Mensah, you can see the difference in Gurathin’s treatment of it if you look past SecUnit’s biased view. Gurathin watches, frowning, as Ratthi gives it first aid, after it admitted it wasn’t okay—which to me looks like concern, particularly since he then reassures SecUnit that the company will not take it away.

And once they’re on the company’s ship, he’s the one who sees SecUnit make an obscene gesture at the corporates and makes “a choking noise”, which I’m pretty sure is a surprised laugh. Again, this is not an accident—it’s giving Gurathin more information about what kind of person SecUnit is. And so is the conversation between Mensah and SecUnit about why it stayed behind, which Gurathin and the others hear.

By the time SecUnit is waking up from its catastrophic shutdown after defeating the sentient killware, Gurathin is actually joking with it. It’s only a brief conversation, but it’s so great. Read that conversation and tell me Gurathin hasn’t come to like SecUnit, at least a little.

And he jokes with it again later—“I’ll take the obscene gesture as given.” Gurathin gets SecUnit now, in a way he never did before.

And later, when Pin-Lee gives SecUnit some more currency cards and fake IDs, “just in case,” it’s Gurathin who made the IDs—which means he respects SecUnit’s autonomy to leave if it needs to or wants to, and he wants it to be safe.

Meanwhile, SecUnit’s attitude toward Gurathin is still largely the same—ugh, this fucking guy. Which is pretty funny, given that all the evidence of Gurathin’s change of heart is told to the reader by SecUnit.

And yet! By the time we get to Fugitive Telemetry, SecUnit knows that it can ask Gurathin for help, and he will help. It frames it as “he’ll come along just so he can argue with me,” but still, it knows Gurathin will help, just like it knows Ratthi will.

And he does, blocking the view of the cameras while SecUnit breaks into the damaged transport, trying to get SecUnit and Ratthi to leave before security shows up because he knows that SecUnit is going to be suspected, and standing by it and defending it to security when that’s exactly what happens.

He also checks in with SecUnit later on, and although his questions are practical, rather than concern-focused like Ratthi’s, he’s still checking in. He probably genuinely did want to know if the life-tender worked, but asking that is also a way of asking if SecUnit is still alive.

Gurathin is a lot less open with his emotions than Ratthi, and he’s also a bit of an asshole. So his concern doesn’t look the same as Ratthi’s. But it’s still there.

Who knows how much longer it’ll take—if ever—before SecUnit realizes that Gurathin likes it now. But I love seeing the subtle ways that Martha Wells develops the relationship between the two of them. It gets less attention than SecUnit’s more significant relationships, but it’s still there, and I just think it’s neat!

In defense of book!Gurathin

So, I haven’t seen the Murderbot show so far, but I’ve been reading through the tag to see what other people think of it.

And I’m noticing something that kind of baffles me—the way people are talking about Gurathin. I’ve seen show!Gurathin described as pathetic, cringe, hostile, menacing (or trying and failing to be menacing), and generally a loser…by people who also say he’s perfect, spot-on, just like the book.

And of course, different people will interpret a character in different ways. But I’m just…really? That’s what you think he was like in the book?

Because here’s how I see him. Early on in All Systems Red, we’re told that he is less talkative than the rest of PresAux, but he seems to like them and they clearly like him. He is described as having a small, quiet smile. An introvert, cool!

As the book goes on, he is shown to be more cynical/skeptical/suspicious than the rest of the team. But there’s nothing inherently wrong with that. After all, SecUnit definitely thinks that various members of PresAux are naive, due to living outside the corporation rim.

Gurathin is also shown to be intelligent and competent, and even SecUnit calls him brave.

The trouble is, of course, that Gurathin becomes an antagonist to SecUnit, our beloved protagonist. And because it’s SecUnit itself who is describing all their interactions, that pre-disposes the reader to dislike him.

But look at the situation. The survey has been forced to take along a corporate-branded security consultant that they did not want, that (they think) must obey the company’s orders. Gurathin notices some anomalies in that consultant, amid mounting evidence that their survey mission is being sabotaged.

Of course he suspects SecUnit.

The fact that he goes into its personal systems and reads its logs while it’s shut down is absolutely an invasion of privacy. But a) by this point they know the DeltFall group was murdered, and he’s trying to make sure that doesn’t happen to PresAux, and b) I think he would have done the same thing if the unwanted corporate security consultant had been human. He would have snooped into whatever private information was available, because he doesn’t trust the company, and because all their lives are in danger.

Violating someone’s privacy to keep them all alive is…maybe not great? But I don’t think it means that he doesn’t see SecUnit as a person. And it’s also no worse than every morally grey character ever who does the questionable but necessary thing that the other members of the team wouldn’t.

And what he finds out is a real oh shit moment: this SecUnit has a non-functional governor module, and it has killed clients in the past. The first fact means it doesn’t have to follow company orders after all, but the second fact kind of outweighs that.

Maybe he should have been more convinced by SecUnit risking itself to keep them all alive, when it didn’t have to—that’s a pretty solid argument in its favor.

But on the other hand, he saw SecUnit’s abject horror when Mensah invited it to hang out in the crew area. He’s experienced the way SecUnit avoids looking at or talking to anyone unless circumstances make it necessary. To someone who is already suspicious, SecUnit’s outward presentation must look like someone who doesn’t care about its clients at all. Especially given, you know, the murder.

Ultimately, though, when the rest of the group decides to trust SecUnit, he doesn’t try to stop them. He just…keeps a watchful eye out. Takes the opportunity to test it for outside influence, questions it about it’s functioning, asking if it blames humans for how it’s been treated. Seeking data to prove or disprove a hypothesis, like the scientist he is.

And he also works with SecUnit despite his misgivings, helping it analyze the data from the drones, and telling it (correctly) where the weak point is in its plan to launch the beacon.

The reader, of course, sees all this through SecUnit’s eyes, so it’s easy to accept all of its opinions as fact. But the fandom seems happy to acknowledge that SecUnit is an unreliable narrator in other areas of the story, so why accept its perspective without question when it comes to Gurathin?

I think it’s fair to say that he’s more abrasive than strictly necessary in his interactions with SecUnit. A bit of an asshole, sure. But essentially a smart, competent scientist, who likes and is liked by his colleagues, like the rest of PresAux. Not a pathetic, cringe, wet cat of a man, or a hostile, malevolent weirdo.

Am I the only one reading him this way? Does everyone else really think book!Gurathin is…like that?

To be clear, I have no problem with people liking show!Gurathin. Again, I have not seen the show, and obviously it’s too soon to say how he’ll develop over the course of the season. But the way I’m seeing show!Gurathin described after the first two episodes really does not match my reading of the book. And it doesn’t have to—I’m just surprised by how many people are saying he’s book-accurate.

Honestly, maybe I just wanted an excuse to dive into the character, and look past SecUnit’s (understandably!) jaundiced opinion of him. I actually have more thoughts about how the Gurathin-SecUnit dynamic develops in later books, but I think I’ll write that up separately so this post doesn’t get any longer!

[minor-solemnity]

Invention and Intrigue

This might turn into a multi-part fic? I haven’t decided yet, but let me know if you want to read more of this one though!

He doesn’t look angry, or even particularly concerned is the thing. He looks like he’s considering something. Thoughtful, interested. “That was quite the performance,” He says at last and walks over to you, his shoes tap tap tapping against the stone floor. “I think I’d like an explanation.”

The dungeons are one of those places that you don’t go near unless you can absolutely help it. You’d dropped Potions the moment you’d been allowed, not because you’re not good at them - it had been one of your best subjects in actuality - but because the dungeons aren’t safe. Not for someone like you. 

This is why you’re currently cursing every bloodline that makes up your best friend’s family tree as you gingerly descend the stone steps into the depths below. Melanie Lindhurst has a date. A date with a boy who she has been pining after since fourth year. She also has a very expensive rare textbook that she needs to return to Slughorn that night but she can’t because of said date. This is why you’ve been roped into finding Slughorn and returning the book yourself. Which means you have to go into the bowls of the castle and pray you don’t run into any Slytherins whilst you’re there.

Melanie had said you were being dramatic when you’d grouched about it over dinner. She finds your reticence to go near the dungeons very amusing. But then she’s not the one who spent most of fifth year creeping around the castle waiting for a mystery monster or madman to sneak up behind you. She’s not the one who had Victor Lestrange whispering that he wished it had been you when they removed Myrtle’s body from the bathroom. So Melanie doesn’t get to laugh at your objectively sensible reluctance to step foot in the snake pit.

After ten minutes of wandering the corridors, you have to admit that you’re lost. All the tunnels look exactly the same and you don’t know where Slughorn’s office is. Maybe Melanie had a point when she said you have a flair for the dramatic, but honestly, never mind Slytherins, you’re going to die down here because of your terrible sense of direction. You take another turn and hear voices coming from behind a door. Lestrange’s unmistakable cackle carries through the air and the door slams open. You press yourself against the wall and hope that no one spots you. Tom Riddle leads Avery and Lestrange out of the door.

God. The snake pit indeed.

You’re in the middle of breathing a sigh of relief at not being noticed when Riddle stills and turns to you. “Are you lost?” He asks, and the other two boys turn to stare at you too. You school your expression into something polite and unassuming and valiantly try to ignore the nasty smile that’s stretching across Lestrange’s face. Riddle, for his part, looks faintly amused. Like he knows exactly how little you want to be here and finds it all rather funny. Still, you feel yourself stand a little straighter despite yourself. He’s the Head Boy, after all, well known in the castle for his pleasant, quiet demeanour and his strict adherence to the rules. It’s not strange that you want to make a good impression.

“Good evening. I, ahh, I have to return this book to Slughorn. My friend borrowed it and he wanted it back tonight.” You explain, feeling vaguely ridiculous as you raise the book up to show them that you aren’t lying. “I don’t suppose you know where he is?” 

Avery rolls his eyes, reaches towards you and takes the book. “I’ll bring it to him. I need to talk to him about my last potions essay, anyway.” He says. You notice that he very carefully doesn’t touch you and you bristle at the implication that the thought of touching a muggleborn is beneath him. 

“Of course. I’m sure you’re more familiar with this area of the castle than I am.” He leaves soon after. You decide to switch Melanie’s conditioner with hair dye as vengeance for her leaving you. In the snake pit. With Lestrange. The two remaining Slytherins watch you - Lestrange with haughty contempt and Riddle with a kind of detached interest. You rather get the impression that he’s waiting for you to do something idiotic. “I… Well, good night.” You say at last deciding that making a speedy escape is your best plan of action. 

You've made it to the end of the tunnel when you hear Riddle say goodbye to Lestrange and his footsteps recede into the distance. You frown and your grip on your wand tightens when you don’t hear Lestrange follow after him. “You're being paranoid,” You mutter to yourself and begin to try and retrace your steps. Five minutes later, you realise that you’re even more lost than you’d been to start with. With a rueful smile, you have to admit it’s hardly surprising. You haven’t stepped foot in the dungeons in two years, and even then it was only ever to the Potions lab. Your knowledge of this part of the castle is severely lacking.

It’s as you’re mulling over your predicament when a flash of purple light illuminates the space around you and a cry escapes you as your shoulder erupts in blistering pain. Lestrange’s laughter echoes down the hallway and before you can think it through, you’re lashing out with your own curse. “Confringo!” A stone bust next to where Lestrange is standing explodes and he yells in surprise as a chunk of marble very nearly knocks him over. He raises his wand but you’re quicker: “Crudesiko.” 

The effect of the spell is immediate. Lestrange staggers back, his eyes wide and fearful. You smirk. Serves him fucking right. His already pale complexion is turning practically ghostly and when he opens his mouth, blood burbles up the back of his throat and spills down his chin. You’re fairly sure that if you left him much longer, he’d die. Which would be bad. Very bad. You don’t want to go to prison for murder. With a flick of your wand the curse lifts and Lestrange stops coughing up blood. You stalk over to him, anger and adrenaline making you reckless, “If you ever try to touch me again, I swear I will do so much worse. Do you understand, Lestrange?” You hiss, your wand digging into the hollow of his throat. He nods, still pale, still shaken, still scared. “Don’t tell anyone about this - stupid little muggleborn like me? Compared to your fucking pedigree? No one would believe you.”

Over his shoulder, something shifts in the shadows. You take a step back from Lestrange and let out a shaky breath. He gathers himself, schools his expression into one of disdain and quickly retreats back to the safety of the Slytherin common room. Now that you’re alone, the weight of what you’ve done hits you. You’d hurt him… Hell, you could’ve killed him. You sink slowly to the floor and stare blankly in front of you, unable, or perhaps unwilling, to think about the gravity of your actions. Adrenaline bleeds out of you and you have to choke back a sob. Regardless of what you’d said to Lestrange, you know that if he so much as breathes a word of what transpired you’d be facing expulsion. Probably worse.

“Scourgify,” A smooth, calm voice interrupts your panicking and you snap your head around to stare up at Tom Riddle who is currently cleaning up the trail of blood Lestrange left in his escape. He tucks his wand away and turns to meet your gaze, one brow arched. He doesn’t look angry, or even particularly concerned is the thing. He looks like he’s considering something. Thoughtful, interested. “That was quite the performance,” He says at last and walks over to you, his shoes tap tap tapping against the stone floor. “I think I’d like an explanation.”

You don’t get up from the floor. Resignation sits uncomfortably on your shoulders, the weight of your disappearing future hanging heavily over your head. Head Boy Tom Riddle is your judge, jury, and executioner. “Do you really need one? You saw what I did.” You mutter, unable to look at him as something like shame curls up your spine.

He sighs and then, as though he’s explaining something very simple to a small child, he says, “I didn’t say I needed an explanation. I said I wanted one.” You chance a glance at him then and find yourself fixed under the weight of his scrutiny. When you still don’t say anything, he sighs again and this time you can detect a hint of impatience. “Or perhaps you’d prefer to explain this to the Head Master?”

“No!” You yelp, unable to stop the hint of hysteria from creeping into your voice. He hums approvingly and you’re not sure why, but you start to believe that maybe you’re not going to get into trouble. “I just… Lestrange started it.” You gesture to your shoulder which is still aching, the fabric of your shirt is slashed open where the curse hit you revealing a nasty burn across your shoulder and collarbone. “I’m not helpless. I’m not going to just… not defend myself because he thinks he’s better than me.” 

There’s a tense moment where neither of you speaks. Riddle’s gaze is impossibly intense, his eyes flicker from the burn to your face to your wand and you can’t look away. From your position, he towers over you and you think you should be afraid but somehow you can’t will the emotion into existence. After what feels like an age, Riddle takes his wand and murmurs something under his breath. A pleasant coolness wraps around around your shoulder and the pain recedes and the burn mark melts, leaving smooth clear skin in its place.

He offers you a hand. You’re a little surprised by how delicate his hands look. Pristine pale skin stretched over piano players fingers. He’s wearing a gold and onyx ring on his ring finger. It looks antique; strangely it suits him. As though he was born to wear that ring. You take his hand and he pulls you up in one fluid motion, a display of strength that you’re not sure why shocks you. His skin is cool and the way he holds your hand and doesn’t let go even when you’ve found your footing sends fission of something down your spine, pooling in your stomach.

 “Allow me to walk you back to your common room,” He says and begins to lead you down the hall. He still hasn’t let go of your hand. “What spell did you use?” He questions after a few moments of silence and you can practically hear the wheels turning in his mind as he considers you as though he’s truly seeing you for the first time. “I didn’t recognise it.”

Despite yourself, pride twists in your chest. “You wouldn’t have,” You say simply. “I invented it.” At this, Riddle’s eyes widen briefly before he dispels the shock from his face and regards your guarded curiosity. At his prompting, you explain what the spell does. “It’s designed to drain the blood from the victim. Ideally, they wouldn’t start coughing up blood, but I’ve never used it before so I guess there’s room for improvement.” 

To your surprise, he laughs. It’s not the polite hum of mild amusement you sometimes hear him make in front of professors, it’s surprisingly high pitched, light, melodic. “This is your main concern? That it didn’t work exactly as intended? Not the fact that you almost killed the heir to one of the most respected pureblood families in Britain?” He must sense the sudden flood of panic and worry that washes over you because he glances sideways at you, a small, oddly reassuring smile curling his lips. “Lestrange won’t breathe a word unless I tell him to. And I think this might be a secret best kept between us, don’t you?” He smiles down at you and you could maybe believe that he’s just being immeasurably kind if it weren’t for the dangerous glint in his eyes and the way his hand tightens around yours. It’s a warning, maybe. It feels like a promise.

Riddle walks you the rest of the way to your common in silence and you’re painfully aware of how close he stands when he finally comes to a halt. You can feel the heat radiating from him, the weight of his hand around yours, the light puff of an exhalation against your cheek as he leans down and murmurs in your ear, “I think we’ll be seeing a lot more of each other from now on.” He raises your hand between the two of you and grazes your knuckles with his thumb. It’s an oddly tender gesture. “Good night.”

You stand there, alone in the corridor, for several minutes after he leaves, wondering just what in the hell you’ve gotten yourself into.

(part 1) (part 2) (part 3) (part 4)

[lollybliz]

bout to make a Monster of a fic rec post here we go

heyo @jinx108! We’ll start with the complete ones because sometimes you’re just not in the mood to wait for the last chapter, you know? I don't remember details of all of these so i’m just going to copy the author’s summary rather than write my own. I am literally just going through my bookmarks, I got 400 of these to sort through. if ive talked to or am familiar with the author im gonna mention them, but if I mention you and you don't want me to have Please tell me and i’ll remove it.

If you’re not into spoilers Please Tread Carefully, I don't watch out for that stuff so I wont know to label it

1>Crushing Truth by Bunzuku: Tododeku. “Romance is hard enough for a teenager to understand when they have a good relationship role model. For Shoto, it takes two excited meddlers for him to even realize what his feelings really are.“

2>Disowned by b00mgh: tododeku + others. Unrated, some traumatic elements. “Shouto freaks out under a bridge and I use the word "grass" a lot more than I really should. Izuku does his stupid martyr thing and everyone makes continuous references to his propensity to break his bones. Aizawa goes "oh FUCK my kids are dying again" and his students use him as emotional (and physical) support. A friend requests angst, I say what kind, she say idk make someone get disowned and i say oh this I can absolutely provide my good buddy.”

3>cotton candy hands by @chonideno: Kiribaku. I will take Any excuse to rec this fic, its the most fluffy pile of feels Good Lord. also the first fic I ever bound into a physical book. “Studying to become a hero requires knowing how to take care of yourself. Sometimes you might need help on the way so if your crush offers to do your hair for you or to give you a well-deserved back rub, it'd be stupid to say no. A series of soft vignettes in which a love-struck Kirishima and a touch-starved Bakugou care for each other and it's definitely not making their hearts jump through hoops, they’re never this close to kissing, no, they're totally best friends bro“

4>Catching Sight of the Storm by neo7v: Kiribaku, tododeku. A considerable amount of Whump and related angst, and kinda sad tbh. “Blind. Quirkless. Useless.The first two things were stated clearly by the doctor that sat about five feet in front of Izuku. The third was a word that Kacchan called him everytime he failed to make the jump on whatever forest excursion they were on or when he ran into a tree because he hadn’t seen it. “I’m so, so sorry, Izuku.” Was his mom giving up on him already? But he could still be a hero if he tried hard enough, right? Quirkless or not. Blind or not. Just because Izuku was useless now didn’t mean he would stay that way forever, right? *** A Blind!Izuku AU”

5>Yell Heah by fakecharliebrown: Chatfic. M a n y pairings. technically complete, but part of an ongoing series. “Iida creates a group-chat for Class 1-A. It doesn't go as planned.“

6>Sunshine by Rosey_Note: BIG SAD. tw- failed suicide attempt. KiriKamiBaku. “They didn't deserve to put up with his crappy mood. Because Denki Kaminari did not feel like Sunshine right now. And they deserved sunshine. In fact, Denki didn't feel much of anything right now.“

7>Electric Connection by  Onlymostydead: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk has always had... Weird side affects. Like his ADHD. And his constant energy. And his insomnia, which wouldn't leave him be right now, when he really needed to just get some sleep. But, thankfully, he has good friends.“

8>The Best (The Worst) by Onlymostydead: no romantic pairing. tw- rampant transphobia, both outside and internalized. “Bakugou Katsuki has known who he was since he was four years old. He was a boy, it was as simple as that. Around his friends, at school... But things couldn't just be that simple, could they?“

9>Lichtenberg Figures by Q_loves_you: no definite romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki has a very powerful force of nature running through his body. Kaminari Denki doesn't want to hurt anybody. He doesn't always get what he wants, and "anybody" does generally include himself.“

10>Eventuality by KikaTouka: ill be honest I don't remember this one at all, I maaaay not have read it yet :/. anyway. ShinKami. “Shinsou learns more than just hero lessons after being transferred to 1-A.“

11>Pickup Lines for the Soul by MustardSoup: ShinKami. “Denki is twelve when he is flicking through the TV channels and lands on an old RomCom movie about soulmate marks – specifically the same type that he has. “I can’t believe I’ve had to walk around with a cheap pickup line written on my ankle my entire life because of you!” The leading lady yells at the leading man as he stares at her in awe. Denki laughs. “Oh no.” His mother says, watching him. “Oh no, indeed.” His sister repeats quietly.“

12>caught in my own web by @anxioussailorsoldier: ShinKami. “Shinsou needs some help after getting caught up in his capture weapon. Kaminari enters from stage left.“

13>not so summer love by nataliya: ShinKami. “Class 2-B’s common room, although typically quiet, was currently filled with five students—three slowly giving up on homework, one bitching about noise and another that rushes through the front door. “We’ve been waiting for you—” Mina starts, but Kaminari’s vaulting over the back of the couch, eyes wide as he practically buzzes out of his skin, emitting light like crazy as currents dazzle across strands of hair. “I have a big ugly crush,” He steps off the couch and onto the coffee table, much to Bakugou’s chagrin, “On big ugly Shinsou.””

14>Blamed by coldandhotsoba: ShinKami. Tw- they fuckin kill a guy and its a lil nasty. “This was not how the day was supposed to end. They were supposed to end the day like they do most nights.  Kaminari clutching onto him like a koala as he slept, wrapped in the millions of tacky blankets Kaminari had bought. Warm and safe in their bed. It was not supposed to end with both of them tied up in some cold metal room.“

15>Lightning Scars by Present-Mics-Scream (write_your_way_out): Shinkami. “It's hard to be confident in your abilities when you're surrounded by people with incredible quirks. Shinsou Hitoshi would know better than anyone. Sure, he was admitted to the hero course in his second year, but being admitted to the hero course, and keeping up with the rest of the class are two different things. Lucky for him, Kaminari is there to prove that the flashiest quirks come with the largest drawbacks.“

16>See No Evil, Hear No Evil by randomfan188: no romantic pairing. “Kaminari Denki is legally blind. When he forgets to wear his contacts and breaks down during math class, comfort appears in the strangest of ways.“

17>how not to enjoy the weather, an article by kaminari denki by dreamtowns: no defined romantic pairing. “If there was one thing Kaminari hated the most in a world wth villains, it would have to be thunderstorms.“

18>”Studying” by emmyrox22: ShinKami, EraserMic. “Shinsou and Kaminari have been “studying” together for a while (but not for school). Shinsou gets stopped by his dads on the way to another “study” session and mistakes are made“

19>Weaknesses by sunflowerstorm: ShinKami. “Kaminari's quirk and storms compliment each other in the worst way, but he's convinced he can deal with it on his own... until he really can't any longer. When Shinsou accidentally overhears Aizawa confronting Kaminari about recent changes in behaviour and hears about the hell his quirks been putting him through, he can't just pretend he never heard. He wants to help.“

20>it’s hurt denki hours by memeingfultrash: ShinKami + others. ““Certain members of our class are...under the impression that...you’re the traitor.” Denki’s body went cold and felt like he was going to short circuit. ~some of class 1a believes that denki is the traitor and avoid him”

21>Petition to replace Mineta with Shinsou- (signed by Kaminari Denki) by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami + others. This is one of my favorites, I go back to reread it from time to time. It SAYS 41/42, but that's just a glitch cus chapter 36 doesn't exist for some reason, I talked to the author about it and its fine. “Mineta brings shame to the color purple. You know who does not bring shame to the rich color, but pride and sexual tension to one infatuated Kaminari Denki instead? Shinsou Hitoshi, aka sexy zombie man, aka the most perfect hunk of a man to walk planet earth, aka future husband. Shinsou has finally gotten his chance to prove himself to the hero course, and he did more than prove himself. The only question left unanswered is whether he will start in A or B, and how Kaminari can manipulate the end result.“

22>How to Get a Boyfriend (in Four Easy Steps!) by e1ana: ShinKami, EraserMic, + others. “Step 1: Get kicked out of the house by your homophobic parents. Step 2: Run headfirst into your brooding, mysterious crush. Step 3: Sleep in his dad’s (see: your homeroom teacher) house Step 4: Watch everything you thought you knew go to shit. This isn’t exactly the sweet, romantic plan that Kaminari Denki longed for. Will everything be ok, or will step 5 be to crash and burn?“

23>Bakugou and Todoroki’s Foolproof 5-Step Plan to Fuck with Mineta Minoru by Anubis_2701: Kiribaku, TodoDeku, + others. This is another one of my favorites, and the one I am currently folding and sewing into a physical book. you learn how to do funny things when bored and quarantined ig. “It was a simple enough idea; screw around with the resident bastard of Class 1-A to let him know that his medieval ways and perverted behaviour weren't going to be tolerated by even the most career-focused of UA's students. To say that things had snowballed was an understatement. Todoroki had no idea how he had ended up sitting on Bakugou's floor at 1 am, holding a dossier of incriminating material that would make the FBI slobber, but he wasn't sure he wanted to know. The long and short of it was, fuck Mineta.”

24>Colour Theory by chancellorxofxtrash: TodoBakuDeku. this one’s a series. “Midoriya/Bakugo/Todoroki slow burn soulmate AU. All three of them are nerds with their own emotional issues, trying to navigate their way through becoming heroes, and their own relationship with each other.“

25>Summer Sunshine by Mara97: TodoDeku. Ever want a Barbie in a mermaid tale/Bnha crossover? No? well here you go anyway! “Instead of worrying about college, Izuku spends his summer vacation finding out his father is, supposedly, a dead merman king and going on a quest to dethrone the current king, Endeavor. Along the way, Izuku becomes close to the three journeying with him, makes friends with strangers, starts crushing on an unattainable prince, and, in the end, learns to love himself. Oh, and he saves a kingdom, too.“

26>The snowflakes on our skin and the flames in our soul are one (and the same), my love by missunderstuffyou: TodoDeku, Kiribaku. this is one of the ones I keep a running reread comment going on. its at,,, 6, atm.  “Before your quirk begins to present itself, the soulmate link comes through, and suddenly whatever you write upon your own skin appears on the body of your soulmate. As your soulmate writes to you, the emotions they feel follow through the ink.Izuku Midoriya is four years and a few months old when he first feels the slight ebbing in his arms. It doesn’t hurt… he can just feel something, and it’s enough to make him sprint into his mother’s arms screaming that his quirk is coming. She had been washing in the kitchen, and the sudden screech as her son rockets into her side is enough to make her jump with panic, immediately grabbing at him and looking for cuts and bumps before she understands his words and the stupidly bright, alight smile on his face with large, watery, hopeful eyes. Shoto Todoroki doesn’t feel his soulmate connection open up. It is drowned in the aches of a small body worked far too hard.“

27>It was dark inside the closet by Chad_Champion69420: Pre-ShinDeku? maybe? its tagged shindeku but like. it’ll make sense if you read it. “Midoriya is invited to a party. He and Shinsou decide to play a little trick on the rest of the party during Seven Minutes in Heaven.”

28>how to woo your local trash gremlin: a comprehensive guide by Todoroki shouto by wonhaebunny: TodoBaku. this is the fic that dragged me into todobaku, fun fact. “five times shouto tries to confess to bakugou, and one time he doesn't bother tryingaka: wikihow is a scam and bakugou is a terrible, terrible boy“

29>top ten photos taken right before disaster by Shookspeare: ShinDeku. “Izuku participates in a harmless prank, only to end up ruining it and running for dear life.“

30>Secrets to Share by pechebaie: no definite romantic pairing. “Kirishima comes out first, and nothing changes. Kirishima and Kaminari still hang out to complain about class and talk about boys - and sometimes girls, too, in Kaminari’s case; he still plans stupid pranks with Sero that get them sent to the principal’s or nurse’s office every time; Ashido still kicks his ass at Mario Kart without hesitation; and Bakugou doesn’t get angry at him any more than he usually does.“

31>What One Hides by Pinalinet: TodoDeku. “All Might gives class 1-A an unusual assignment that results in Midoriya Izuku and Todoroki Shouto attending a weekly acting class. But with a mysterious villain targeting individuals without Quirks, and a developing issue of Todoroki's own, an after-school assignment is the least of their worries.“

32>whether or not we’re fated, we’re meant to be by juurensha: KINDA SPOILERY. TodoDeku + others. “Todoroki didn’t have a soulmark for most of his life.His siblings all did, but up until the day of the U.A. entrance exam, he had shoved the idea aside. It’s not like they could help him anyway. And then a 9 appears on his chest, and a green-haired boy barrels into his life with a fire and ice soulmark on his arms, and suddenly Todoroki cares very much about all this could mean.”

33>The Midnight Shift by meiishu @meiishu @totallytodoroki (idk which you’d rather I attach so I went with both): ShinKami. ““Hey Toshi,” Denki says, and he laughs, clearly embarrassed. He’s got on a jean jacket that did him absolutely no help and a white tee shirt that is currently stuck to his torso. It’s got a pikachu design in the center. “By any chance, do you sell umbrellas?” “You really went out in this weather.” Hitoshi deadpans, instead of dignifying that with an answer. or hitoshi works the midnight shift at the gas station, which also doubles as a pokestop for pokemon go. of course, denki is a regular.”

34>Rock the House by AkabaneKayo: ShinKami. “It wasn’t just his bed. It was his entire fucking room shaking. Only one thought crossed his mind at that moment: “Holy shit. My room is haunted.”“

35>Technically, they’re morning kisses by CharaTheQuartz: ShinKami. “Most nights, Shinsou cannot fall sleep. Neither can Kaminari. It seems counterproductive to have a sleepover then, but they try to make it work. And they fail, but that is okay.“

36>someone to call mine by nearly_theyre: ShinKami, EraserMic “From: Me wish you were here, denks From: kitten 💛💘💛 what if i was tho? OR Four times Denki snuck into Hitoshi's room and one time he walked through the front door.“

37>Pretty by Onlymostydead (noticing some repeat authors? me too): no definite romantic pairing. “(Or, Kaminari still can't figure out bra clasps.) Kaminari has never really felt good about himself. Herself? Whichever way, not knowing doesn't make anything easier. Especially when he (she?) and Mina have their bodies swapped during training, and everything seems too right.“

38>If I offer you my hand, will you take it? by bleukitsune: Kiribaku. SPOILERY. ““Why?” Kirishima leaned back on his hands, trying to create some space between them. Too close. The ash-blond looked really nervous, his usually arrogant and cunning demeanor gone. “What do you see when you look at me? Kirishima is worried. Bakugou is hurting. After his confrontation with Midoriya, he finally reaches out to him. “

Theres way more but I haven't tagged them properly yet so that m a y come later if I can ever finish going through and adding my sorting tags.

and then a last few that Are Not Complete but im really very fond of them. not as many as id like to add, but my hands are getting tired tbh.

39>State of Mind by GuardianOfTheLoaf: no relationship YET but its looking like it’ll be either tododeku or shindeku, probably the former. EraserMic. tw- childhood neglect and severe depression. Izuku’s not a happy kid. “Izuku was a late bloomer, his quirk lying dormant until his tenth birthday when in a fit of emotion he grabs his mother and she disappears. With All Might slowly restoring his confidence Izuku begins the difficult journey into becoming a hero.“ 18/? chapters.

40>Izuku Eats His Problems by CosmicAce: ShinDeku. Izuku’s a flerkin, what more could you want? “His whole life, Izuku Midoriya was taught to keep his powers, his Quirk, hidden from the world. His kind were feared, hunted to near extinction because of it. He just wants to show people he’s different. That he can be a HERO. And nothing is going to stop him. Even if his Quirk IS like an eldritch abomination.“ 43/? chapters

and then probably my current favorite bnha fic- although it fights with Apertum Mortem for that spot but that ones d a r k and not here-

41>family of the year by periiwren: EraserMic. “Hitoshi is done. Done with moving around every few months to a couple that will scrutinize him and eventually dump him right back where he started. Good thing he’s well past his strike limit now- at least he can stay in one place, be content to age out of the system and finish out his training with Aizawa. Maybe transfer into the hero course, maybe be a hero- but none of that was guaranteed. The only thing for sure was that he was going to stay in that center for the rest of his childhood. Or so he thought- because Aizawa Shouta and Yamada Hizashi have other plans.“ 24/? chapters. we’ve been informed that this one’s gonne be l o n g and im Very Grateful.

42>Here There Be Dragons by here_and_there: pre-ShinDeku. “Izuku looked at the small circle Aizawa had motioned to in front of them. "I won't fit," he whispered, thinking. He raised his hand, tentatively. Sighing, Aizawa grumbled, "What?" "I-I have a question. Actually, two." His teacher just stared at him, unimpressed. Izuku continued. "Can we activate our quirks before we step into the ring?" Aizawa looked up into the sky, muttering something Izuku didn't hear. "If you must." "O-Okay. Uh, second question. You said we have to stay inside the circle, right?" "Yes." The man looked disappointed, not only in Izuku but in himself for letting the kid speak. "Great. Uh... does that include tails?"“ 6/? chapters.

43>Another Option by sandersonsister: TodoBakuDeku, Touya/Hawks, Dabi/Hawks. Potentially Spoilery, depends on whether horikoshi has the guts to confirm Touya. this one is waiting around the corner with a baseball bat, its really cute, and then r e a l l y painful. it might be getting better though. maybe. it might be getting worse. “When Touya stops his mother from hurting Shouto, he decides enough is enough. He needs to get out of this house and he's taking his baby brother with him.“ 33/? chapters.

That's it i’m done for now, oof. maybe ill edit more onto this post later, maybe i’ll just make another one. hope some of these work!

[mistaeq]

Hey there! I read some of your writing and I love it so much! I was wondering also if you could write some hcs of Avdol, Polnareff, P3 Joseph and P3 Dio with a stand user s/o who, unlike the average stand user, fights very gracefully and is a bit of a showoff? I'm sorry if this is confusing ^^;

Multiple Character Work: with a s/o who Fights Gracefully and is a Showoff

TW // DIO (??), death may be mentioned

Thank you for your request! This is not confusing, it's perfect ~ Also thank you so much for what you said about my writing, readers' opinions mean a lot to me ^_^ enjoy!

Muhammad Avdol, Jean Pierre Polnareff, Joseph Joestar and DIO with a stand user s/o who fights gracefully and is a showoff

WORD COUNT: 1.6k

MUHAMMAD AVDOL

The first time he actually sees you fighting, Avdol feels proud. Being a magician, he more or less had already understood or knew that you might have had this kind of attitude during fights. He doesn't really complain, though. With your beauty and the kind of stand you have, you can totally afford to do it.

He admits Magician's Red isn't exactly an example of something you would define graceful, and he's interested in asking you to show and teach him your ways. He doesn't want to be elegant or something, he'd only like his fighting skills to get smoother, because yours really are.

Over this, it's true that Avdol is a pretty protective boyfriend. Showing off your beauty and abilities is amazing and useful to threaten the enemy, but if you exaggerate you might get really hurt, this is why your beloved fortune teller always keeps a close look at you and at what surrounds you.

"I know you are strong and perfectly able to care about yourself, but I'll keep on worrying about your well-being and safeness. I love you, and I wouldn't let anything happen to you."

Avdol is known for his seriousness - different from boring strictness, I want to point out. The man is still a sweetheart. - and responsibility. This is why he struggles to keep this reputation up and not to look at you when you start showing your power off. It's a good thing to see the person he loves so much being confident and strong.

He knows how much you care about this topic, this is why after a fight, even if he looked like he wasn't paying attention to you, Avdol will reassure you about the fact that he instead did, he really did and couldn't do otherwise, and that you were absolutely awesome. Being so graceful yet so powerful scares enemies to death, and you do it absolutely perfectly.

He's not the kind of man who enjoys bragging, but Muhammad can't hide a bit of happiness, when you kiss him or romantically interact with him in front of the crusaders. You're probably a showoff even when it comes to loving him, making him understand that you probably are proud of dating him.

JEAN PIERRE POLNAREFF

The first time Jean Pierre sees you fighting, is probably the moment he finally realizes he fell hopelessly in love with you. He had already started to notice he felt different towards you, but when he witnesses your fighting skills, well, there's no going back for the feelings in his heart.

Polnareff is definitely not graceful, but being an experienced knight, Silver Chariot will often show its fighting skills off, its user claiming it's smoother than your own stand. This exposes Jean Pierre's true nature, lovestruck but still willing to show his own qualities off, like a competition. It wasn't a secret, that he's a showoff as much as you.

He will shamelessly stare at you during fights against enemy stand users, and try to imitate you and show himself off more. Polnareff doesn't even try to look as if he wasn't paying attention to you, getting often scolded and yelled at by the crusaders - mostly Avdol and Kakyoin - for his irresponsibility.

But during the fight against Dio, this changes. Avdol, Kakyoin and Joseph aren't there to watch your back, Jotaro is wounded and too blinded by his own rage to care about you. You're with your boyfriend, the only ones left are you, as you hear Polnareff's voice begging you not to move and not to try anything funny. You can tell he's scared, and as you've never seen him like that, it hurts.

Back to happy topics, Jean Pierre will never lose the chance to make you feel loved and appreciated. After every fight and even randomly during the day, you'll probably find him clinging to you, giving you kisses and showering you in compliments. It's not that he likes to brag about him being your boyfriend, but he does. Damn he does.

"I can't express what I saw... mon amour, you always leave me speechless. How could I be so lucky to be loved by such a beautiful creature? Oh, mon dieu..."

Instead of always competing with you on who's the most graceful or most beautiful, he'll sometime ask to make up some tactics which imply the two of you co-operating. Imagine how intimidating and wonderful would it be, if the two most beautiful and attractive crusaders united their powers! This is totally not an excuse to kiss you after you win!

JOSEPH JOESTAR

Joseph sees you fighting for the first time, and feels like his ideas on you are completely changing. He genuinely thought you were inexperienced, stands are a pretty new thing, and seeing you so confident and so able to control your power at the point that you can afford showing off your grace too, is a pleasant surprise. He feels pretty proud of you.

He really... doesn't get how someone can be graceful during a fight, honestly. Hermit Purple aside - he doesn't really expect a bunch of thorn covered purple vines to have a noticeable amount of grace -, he remembers the good hamon times, and the only thought of hamon being possibly graceful makes him laugh. But thinking about it... his mother was pretty graceful. You remind him of her.

"You know, when I met my mother... yes, it sounds weird to say like this. But she was a hamon master. And her grace... well, you remind me of her. And this means a lot to me."

Just like Avdol, Joseph would be anyway pretty worried for you almost anytime. Knowing your tendency to show off your skills and grace, he'll make sure you're always in Hermit Purple's action range, so he can catch you with his vines and help you nigerundayo with him if things go dangerously down.

For this same reason, just before the battle against Dio, he begs you not to lose control or do anything that might get you into trouble, if the vampire happens to kill him. You don't really wanna think about Joseph getting killed, but he manages to get a promise from you. Though he's not totally convinced about the fact that you'll keep your promise.

We all know Joseph Joestar is a licensed prankster. He once pulled a prank on you, telling you that your attitude was bothering them and that you had nothing to show off because your powers aren't that amazing as you think they are. He thought you would have got a little offended, but you care a lot about your appearance, and he found himself apologizing and cuddling with you because you were gonna cry.

Joseph enjoys PDA more than you can imagine, so if he's clingy to you, or if you always find him talking about how amazing you are, he's not trying to brag about how close you are, probably he's genuinely trying to express how happy he is. Though he doesn't really mind bragging in front of the crusaders sometimes...

DIO

The first time he sees you fighting, after giving you a stand, he's impressed, really. You just had that ability, you're probably scared and just recovered from a heavy arrow that was stuck in your chest, and still you're showing yourself off, gracefully moving around, almost bragging about your victory?

Let's say it, DIO is a great showoff himself. He's the kind of man who'd lose a lot of time bragging about his own powers before finally attacking. You enjoy doing this as much as he does, this is why he soon feels like you're made to be kept by his side. He doesn't send you after the crusaders, but keeps you in his mansion, along with Terence, Vanilla Ice, Kenny G., Nukesaku and Pet Shop.

He happened to stop time several times, during minor battles where he wanted to see you fight alone against enemies, to take a closer look to your body, in dynamic poses. You looked so focused, so strong, yet your grace was impressive even when you were still, and he could tell he wasn't lucky to have you only for your powers, but also for your beauty and majesty.

DIO plans on letting you fight - alone or by his side - against many enemies, but Jotaro isn't one of them. What? Is he joking? The greatest the enemy, the greatest the chance for you to shine! You will fight against Jotaro too, your man can't stop you. You two will probably argue about this. The only time he's showing his human side protecting you, you're refusing it.

He's not jealous. He's straight up possessive. DIO will make sure he praises you enough to keep you his, and gets kinda upset when other stand users in his mansion happen to see you fighting or training to improve your skills. He knows he fell for you watching you battling, and won't let it happen to anyone else. What the fuck, no. You're his love, people better remember it.

He asked you several times to randomly attack him during your days. He just wants to see if he's able to control Jonathan's body properly without it abandoning him. Despite this, he noticed - a pleasant surprise - that you lose all of your grace, when you attack him. Is it because you're afraid of hurting him and you're not giving the best of you? DIO is satisfied, seeing a so clear demonstration of your developing feelings.

"What is it? Are you holding back because you're afraid of hurting me, DIO? Give the best of you, pet. I won't abandon this world now that I found you, your Lord promises."

[mst3kproject]

The Navy vs the Night Monsters

Of course, it’s not like bad things stop happening now that 2020 is finally over… we just get to start counting again from zero. Kind of like how I’ve started counting thirty-six Episodes that Never Were per year, beginning with this one. It was co-directed by Wyott Ordung from Robot Monster and features familiar faces like Russ Bender and Mamie Van Doren, the latter for once not playing a teenage delinquent.  It also has one really obscure MST3K connection: it was based on a story by Murray Leinster, which the sharp-eyed will remember as the name of the ship attacked by Evil Count Zarth Arn’s lava lamp weapon at the beginning of Starcrash!

A plane carrying specimens of Antarctic flora and fauna makes a rather rough and unexpected landing at a naval base on remote Gow Island in the south Pacific.  There appears to be nobody on board except the pilot and a few penguins – the former is in a catatonic state, and the latter are... well, penguins... so what happened to the rest of the passengers and crew is a complete mystery.  Did the pilot go mad and kill them?  Did the penguins?  Or did it have something to do with those mysterious ancient trees discovered growing around a geothermal spring in the heart of the frozen continent?

The first ten minutes of this movie are spent trying to be a comedy.  Before we get anywhere near the plot, we first have to listen to the guys on the plane try to be funny about their lunch and their tastes in women.  Then on the island, we watch a guy who can’t seem to figure out how to inflate a balloon, followed by a dude talking to his dog, and then a really icky bit where two women convince a man he had sex with both of them, which he buys because he was too drunk to remember.  Only then do we finally establish what’s actually going on.  The impression one gets from this beginning is that The Navy vs the Night Monsters is going to be peopled entirely by Jackass Comic Relief characters, and I actually turned the film off and sat on it for a couple of days to psych myself up to watch the rest.

When I finally turned it back on, to my relief the movie turned out not to be quite that bad, but it’s still pretty damned bad.  The dull and unfunny opening is followed by an abrupt shift of tone, as a man maddened by terror jumps from the plane to his death!  The only thing set up by the opening that turns out to be relevant is Spaulding the meteorologist’s crush on Nora the nurse, when she’s in love with the base’s second in command, Lieutenant Brown.

I complain frequently about useless love triangles in movies.  This one is very useless, and all the more so because the script totally forgets to resolve it.  Spaulding hates Gow Island but stays because he’s in love with Nora – he wants her to go back to Miami with him and marry him.  When he puts this idea to her, however, it becomes obvious that Nora can’t stand him, and it’s clear enough why: Spaulding is an asshole and he treats Nora not as a partner but as a possession.  Never does he show any sort of tenderness towards her.  Every time they speak to each other, he seems to end up shouting, and his jealousy of Brown repeatedly leads to violence.

Brown, on the other hand, treats Nora with respect and actually shows vulnerability around her.  He’s been left in charge while the base’s commander is on the mainland attending an important meeting, and he’s really feeling the pressure as the base is surrounded by tree monsters in the dark.  He talks about his anxiety and Nora comforts him, and the audience rolls their eyes because it’s perfectly obvious which of these guys she’s going to pick.  And sure enough, at the end she’s in Brown’s arms… but nothing about the whole situation is exactly resolved.

Brown and Spaulding did get in a fist fight, though it wasn’t explicitly over Nora, but nobody ever talks about the problem. Spaulding never realizes that he’s treated Nora badly, and it never seems to even occur to him that she might prefer Brown over him, or even that she has emotions or preferences at all.  He definitely never seems to understand that he’s lost.  Brown and Nora seem to feel a need to hide their love affair from the other base staff, but we’re never given a reason why (although I guess ‘Spaulding’s a dick’ is reason enough).  Nora never tells Spaulding that she prefers Brown… maybe she’s afraid he’ll assault her?  I hate everything about this situation, but nothing more than the fact that as the movie progresses we get hints that Nora may be warming up to Spaulding, as if she’s supposed to consider these two guys equal contenders for her affections!  Fuck everybody who wrote this, seriously.

It’s kind of sad to see Mamie Van Doren in a role like this after meeting her in things like Untamed Youth and Girls Town.  Those movies were gross and exploitative, but Mamie’s characters were central to their plots and she filled those shoes reasonably well.  She wasn’t Oscar material but for what the films were, she was enough to carry them.  The Navy vs the Night Monsters is a little closer to being a ‘real movie’, but in this respect it represents a step down for her, as she is relegated to being something for two men to fight over.  Furthermore, Silver from Girls Town and Penny from Untamed Youth were both characters who required some range – Nora the nurse mainly spends the whole movie being annoyed with the men in her life.  Van Doren could have done much more if anyone had bothered asking it of her.

Let’s see… what else do I hate about this movie? I hate Private Chandler, the guy who stays a Jackass Comic Relief character once that opening is over. Shockingly, The Navy vs the Night Monsters actually kills him off, but he’s not nearly as annoying as Dropo or the guy from Outlaw, so his death merely feels mean rather than having any entertainment value.  The guy was just about to actually get laid by one of the women who’d made fun of him earlier – though she, like Spaulding, showed no sign of being sorry for past jerkitude.

I hate the monsters.  Normally I have a soft spot for plant monsters.  They’re a cliché in their own way, I guess, but they’re a fun idea.  The ones in The Navy vs the Night Monsters kill and digest people with acidic sap, and a character theorizes about how and why such a thing would evolve, which is cool. The execution, however, sucks. While the poster for the film shows us a humanoid Treebeard-looking thing, the actual monsters in the film are dumb-looking stumps that waddle along like a couple of guys trying to move a piece of furniture corner-by-corner because it’s too heavy to lift.  The result reminds me of The Creeping Terror, in that you have to want to get eaten by these things.  At one point a guy walks right up to one, inspects it, and escapes its clutches merely by backing away slowly!

The trees reproduce using insect-like larvae that are, themselves, lethally venomous.  This is also a neat idea which is, once again, ruined by the execution. The tiny ones are being pulled along the floor by a sometimes-visible string, and then they grow into stumps that look like they should be stools around a boy scout campfire, which move even slower than the adult trees!  There’s a scene where the characters are holed up in the base under an onslaught of these, with planes arriving to napalm them just in time, and it is ludicrous in its attempt to feel threatening.

I do like that Gow Island is a bleak middle-of-nowhere rather than a tropical paradise.  The landscapes kind of remind me of the Falkland Islands, though the weather on Gow is evidently better.  You can see why some of the characters hate it here, surrounded by barren scrub inhabited mostly by ten thousand smelly, raucous seabirds. Unfortunately this backdrop makes the ‘comedy’ opening seem even more out of place, though it’s also kind of nice that they didn’t give us any stereotyped ‘natives’ as either comedy or monster fodder.

As for a theme… well, The Navy vs the Night Monsters is clearly about an invasive species.  The biologist, in suggesting how the tree monsters evolved, points out that they are suited to the hostile environment of Antarctica in ways that make them nearly unstoppable anywhere else.  We’re told that they devoured all the penguins the scientists were bringing back for study, and as well as eating the people, they wreak havoc among the Gow Island seabirds and reproduce out of control.  The parallels to things like cane toads in Australia, or housecats just about anywhere, are obvious.

This isn’t something the characters care about, though, even the ones who profess to be scientists.  At the end, enough of the trees are destroyed that the humans can safely evacuate, and what happens after that is clearly Gow Island’s problem, not humanity’s. I really would have liked to see the script go into this a little more, but then, The Navy vs the Night Monsters is not a movie that wants to go into anything, even stuff it sets up in some detail.

At the end, The Navy vs the Night Monsters feels pretty half-assed.  Somebody wanted to make a movie, and then put in the bare minimum effort possible to have all the parts present.  They clearly understood how movies work, but they didn’t have the money and didn’t want to go to the trouble.  The result is deeply mediocre.  There’s a few laughs out of the dumb stump creatures, but mostly it’s just bad.

[sirensmojo]

“The drink”,2/2 -  Alex Hogh x Reader

Summary: The second part of the night wasn’t as calm as the first one as Marco leaves the pub letting you and Alex alone. A strong desire for you grew in him and some kind of tension thicken the atmosphere. You show him this desire is reciprocating your own way and that kinda turns him on.

Warnings: actress!reader fluff, smut, unprotected sex

Cord Count: 3,970

❰ Previous part  II Masterlist

After a few hours, the two other friends of Marco were so drunk, they couldn’t standstill. One even climb on the bar counter and to be honest Marco seems to babysit them, it was so funny to watch at least when you weren’t looking at Alex... You talked together all evening he seemed very concerned by your way of seeing things and life itself. “Look at that dork,” Alex says to you making a hand movement toward Marco. You followed the direction of his hand and found out Marco has finally joined his friend on the counter tired of trying to convince him to come back down. You burst out laughing at the view. “Marco!” You yelled, his face turns at you, and he grins. He finally comes back to you “Hey, I’m going home I think, I am so tired of babysitting those dumbass, it’s always the same thing with them” he said, he wasn’t drunk at all, in fact, Marco was the type of person able to drink like a fish and keep a clear mind, he needed more than those six drinks his friends took to be wasted. “Not everyone is like you my dear” you shrug your shoulders and give him a quick smile. “Or else like you Y/N, you think I didn’t notice how much you drank since you got here?” He chuckles and comes closer to kiss your forehead placing his hand over your cheek “Be safe okay?” He adds very concerningly. “I will Marco” you assure him while he looks into your eyes. You always loved that about Marco, he always was so genuine. Even if you didn’t speak every day or see each other often, nothing changed between the two of you he always treated you like his equal not like a younger sister because he knows you too well. If he did that you would probably punch him in the face and take it as a way to imply you can’t take care of yourself and he knew that wasn’t true either, but that doesn’t stop him caring about you when you were together. In fact, you were a bit confused when you go out together at night he would always propose to take you back home, even if you didn’t let him... And then you remember Alex, how did you dare forget about him you raise your eyes to look toward him and you can see Marco whispering something in his ear and you knew exactly what he was telling him. He wanted Alex to take you home when you’ll be done here. It was true, you wanted to stay here a little bit more with Hogh, but your ‘thing’ for him was so obvious for Marco to just assume you would do so? The answer must be yes because Marco is now leaving the pub without looking back not even once. You freak out a little bit when you now realize that Alex and you are alone again and you wonder what will be the next stage you’ll reach with him. “You want to get out of here?” His voice takes you out of your head and you look up to him while raising a brow. “The night is not over yet, don’t you want to join me in my adventure Hogh?” You tease him and wink at him. A smirk surface on the edge of his lips and he giggles. “ You never grow tired of taking me by surprise?” he replies. Then you slowly shake your head to each side and smirk back. “No.” You simply say taking his hand into yours while you bring forward the avenue. 

You inhale loudly running into a small street and throw your arms in the air while turning on yourself your eyes closed. It felt so good to be out again, life couldn’t be more pleasing at that moment, you in the streets of your favorite city at night. Then you stay eyes closed with a silly smile, steel feeling a bit dizzy. “Y/N” you hear, the voice was so close it was only a murmur and you could feel a warm breath blowing on your eyes. Suddenly you open them and realize that your restlessness got you right in front of Alex, you had to look up to be able to see his pupils turning black. You hold your breath for a moment that seems to last forever. “Alex, please” you whisper. It seemed like your permission was all he waited for because as soon as you stop talking, his lips crash into yours while his hands cup your face on each side. You place both of your palms on the low part of his back and just abandon yourself into this kiss that doesn’t seem to end. You could taste the beer he drank on his soft yet pleading lips while the warmth of his breath gets tangled with your own. He slowly adds his tongue when giving you another kiss and you open your mouth without hesitation. At this moment, every single part of your body is alert and a shiver makes its way down your spine when Alex slide one of his hand on your neck. You split up your lips searching for air and push your forehead to his to which he replies by a growl. You stay still to appreciate the moment while your heartbeats went faster and faster. “You are making me a fan of you Y/N” his nose get in touch with yours and you let out a sigh in his mouth, “I didn’t mean to,” you say while smiling “That’s exactly why it works” he chuckled as he breathes in, then he wrapped his arms around your body and tighten his grip forcing your face to crash upon his upper torso. You stay still taking a deep breath in and you manage your lips to the hollow of his neck where you breathe out and let your tongue meet his skin. He let out a sigh and tilt his head so you could hit him on a better angle and that is exactly what you did. Your teeth join your tongue to play with his skin and he slides down his hand to your hips and slowly opens his eyes while you snake your fingers underneath is a black shirt. You can feel the end of your fingers crackle in contact with his naked skin and you couldn’t help smiling to yourself because your skin was finally in touch with his. -I want him right now- you think before realizing you are into the middle of the street, thank god nobody was there but you slowly smile against his neck thinking about all the nasty things you wanted to do to him in here. 

You feel like he is also coming back to reality because his arms became loose around your body until he completely let you go and simply run his fingers on your arm until they reach your hand and gently intertwine with your fingers. You smile at him and he does the same eyes locking with yours. His thumb rub softly your skin and you quickly tiptoe to come to rob him a kiss before grinning at him. He chuckles and looks at you with sparkling eyes. “You know I want you Y/N, why complicate even more what is already complicated?” he asks, going past his nose with his finger nervously. You understand exactly what it meant and you can’t help but coming closer to him again and press your palm right on his growing bump. “Oh yeah?” you tease him ardently searching for his gaze. He quickly glances around and then his lips draw a beaming smile while he starts walking toward you in a hurry, so close that you are forced to move backward until your back hit a wall making you growl in pain. He completely leans over you and you put your thumb and your fingers on both sides of his neck and squeeze it as if you didn’t want him to come any closer.  His eyes turned dark with lust and he gives you a cold stare to impress you, he wants you to surrender but you show boldness, tightening the grip around his neck. The atmosphere was tense and thick with sexual tension as you two were fighting for dominance and you liked it, so much that you could feel a fire slowly growing in your core and some of your juice slowly releasing. “Who are you Y/N?” he asks with a hoarse voice as he puts his index under your chin and drops off his bottom lips on yours, without kissing you. You crash your lips on him and you let your hand caress the back of his neck while he hungrily presses his body against yours. His fingers sneak under your silky dress and he lifts up your leg upon his hips while you moan in his mouth trying to catch air. “ I need you now Alex.” You say breaking the kiss and look at him in the eyes. At that moment he smiles at you and you just kiss him softly and chuckle. 

Now you run toward the street on your way home “I’m heading homeeeeee” you scream and you could hear his steps not so far behind you followed by his laugh “Stop running, love” he says trying to catch you. But you giggle and run even faster until you reach your building. He stops behind you and places his palm on your naked shoulder you look up to his face and drop your head on his hand closing your eyes. Then your search for your keys and open your apartment. Alex gently pushes you inside and closes the door behind him before he turns himself to face you. He walks closer to you and you grab onto his shirt to pull him even faster his forehead meets yours and he kisses you with desire. You lick his bottom lip and he catches your tongue with his teeth with a moan. You pull thirstily onto his shirt and bring Alex to your bedroom without breaking your feverish kiss. Once in the room, you take his fabric in your hands and take it off his chest to throw it on the ground. To be honest, if you had enough strength you would have ripped it off... His lips left yours and he made his ways to your neck with warm kisses while you became a moaning mess. When he reached the hollow of your neck you just undo the buttons of his pants and dive your hand into his boxer to reach for his hardening. You gently stroke it a few times and the delicious sound of his groans on your skin makes you even wetter than you already were “You feel so fucking good Y/N” he says in your ear while he rides up your dress. ‘Alex...’ you moan when his fingers reach your cunt and all the juice you already released, he wanted to know how wet you were for him and he wasn’t disappointed “Fuck Y/N you’re so wet I’m diving in” he shouts out and the two of you burst into laughter your eyes closed and your lips touching. He then lay you down and undress you with all finesse of the world and you can’t help but raise your hips to his you wanted to feel his hard cock in between your legs. Alex pushes your hips back down to the bed abruptly ‘Be patient we’re getting there my love’. You catch your breath in your throat and slide your fingers into his short hair and pull it. He leaves kisses all over the skin of your collar bones and manages to free your nipples with just one little movement. - What a man - you thought before feeling his warm breath on one of your tit “I am a fan” he let out while one of his hand grapples your other breast. His kisses became more and more feverish until he finally let his tongue over your little bud. You let out a long moan and took his head in your hands trying to go along his movement. “Damn...” You murmur biting your bottom lip. He kisses your stomach while going down causing you to spread automatically your legs and you can see his pupils twinkle while he bites his own bottom lip “Oh Y/N... You look so fucking delicious” he whispers, he glances at you and you at him and you both chuckle and you feel like you are in high school again “I am the first woman you see Hogh?” You tease him. “There ain’t no one like you... That’s for sure” He slaps back and you take his head in your hands to kiss him once again. He fondles your inner thighs with the back of his hand and pulls apart your folds with the tip of his fingers until he reached your clit. His fingers were full of your juice causing him to moan in your mouth. He was so pleased with himself knowing he was the cause of you being a total mess “How much do you want it Y/N”? He asks while going down to finally have his head in between your spread legs. “Please...” you try to say as clearly as possible but his fingers playing on your clit began to make you feel dizzy. He stopped and looked up at you, you groan in disappointment “Alex that isn’t funny at all” you retort while lifting up your head to see his face. At that exact moment he licks your cunt from your ass till your clit obtaining a straight scream from you in a high pitch tone “Fuck...” you groan and he started to suck on your bud looking lovingly at your face taking great delight in the show. He then let in two of his fingers inside of you curling them instantly, he found your G spot in no time and starts to tease it while his tongue was still sucking and licking on your bud. “Alex...” you moan, his warm breath on your sensitive skin didn’t help you calm down as the pleasure was increasingly growing inside of your body. You were now desperately panting under his tongue and his fingers stimulating all your senses. Your screams filled the entire room followed by the groans of the man in between your legs and in no time. You felt your first orgasm building itself in your core “That’s it love, come for me” said Alex and with a last moan you felt your entire body explode like a giant firework, your cum was now running against the lips of Alex that licked it once again before stand back up and clean your juice off his lips with his tongue.

 “Oh my god you’re so sexy Alex” you let out with the hunger to feel him inside of you. It was like he read your mind because he aligns himself in between your legs “I can’t wait no more Y/N, I can’t play this game any longer. I guess you’ve won” he said almost pleading to get inside of you. “I’m sure you feel as good as you taste pet...” he looks right in your eyes and rubs his cock on your folds. You bite your lips and he met yours to get an intense and eager kiss. “Just stop talking and get inside, please” you plead finally breaking the kiss. He doesn’t need you to say it twice and crash his hips onto yours and thrusts into you with a long moan “Oh God... It’s damn sure I’ve won” You let out loving the way he slides completely inside of you filing you entirely. “Fuck, you’re still so wet Y/N,” he says beginning to come in and out with a slow path. It was like you could feel a wave of glitters washing your body each time he thrust in, your cunt welcomes him so well just as if he was coming back home after a lifetime. Your hands searched for more of him running down his spine to finally press his hips to yours with as much strength as you could possibly put. “Oh fuck Y/N you feel so fucking good around my cock I feel like I’m thrusting into pure bliss” he moans without stopping rushing his hips to you. “You’re so nasty” he murmurs as he leans over to kiss you. His path becomes faster and harder, you can feel him into your stomach and your hips rise to meet his in another angle as your butt got off the bed to stabilize in the air. Wrapping your legs around his hips he stands back up and grabs your legs near your butt kneading your skin in his hands so insensitively, you were sure you’ll find bruises all over your skin tomorrow but at the moment it felt so good. You couldn’t contain your high pitched screams that wanted to get out and Alex wanted to hear them anyway. Each time you would scream he would eventually thrust even more violently to see what was your reaction. “How much do you like it Y/N?” he asks as you look at him with nothing but lust in your eyes, you wanted more of him. “Don’t you see how much I like it?” you say in a high pitched moan. He was admiring how much energy you put into fucking him while you were still being bold even know you were or the verge of another orgasm. He pulls your arm to his chest abruptly and you find yourself hang up to his body as you grab the back of his neck to stabilize. Your heartthrob and at this moment you know you are close to collapse again in a lightning orgasm. Alex was now sucking on your tits as you harshly lowered your body on his throbbing shaft. “Fuck” You moaned before your hands go reach for the head of your lover driving his face up to yours so could kiss his delicious lips soak with your juice. When your lips met an electric flow make him groan in your mouth and you can’t help but kiss every part of his face. “Y/N...” he warns.

 “Let me ride you to pure bliss min elskede(my love)” you whisper those last danish words to his ear and he doesn’t respond he just lay down on his back letting you ride him. He was mesmerized by each of your word and movement, he had heart eyes and as you were moving on him they only grew wider and darker. His eyes were full of lust for your person and the way he was touching you oozed infatuation. You could feel one of his hand knead your breasts while you were moving your hips back and forward to his with both of your hands landing into your hair. He took your ass in between his fingers and started to squeeze it harshly owning moans from your lips. You gaze his face that was wincing in pleasure and couldn’t help a grin. Your moans mixed up with his groans made a delightful melody that sounded just like honey to your ears. “Skat(baby)...” he whispers and you can hear he is on the edge. You lean over him bite into his ear then lick down his neck to finally bite on his thin skin as he snakes one of his arms around your waist and tightens his grip holding you closer to him. Your breast squeeze to his chest and he thrusts into you harshly as you let out an orgasmic scream as he thrusts once again, then twice, then thrice and this new angle wake something inside of you as your groans his and filled the room once again. He murmurs danish insults and that was enough, you couldn’t take any more of what that sexy man had to offer. You open your eyes and face a sweaty nonetheless beautiful face of his and there you are, reaching your climax. “So much sexiness Alex...” you let out in a loud moan as your walls began to clench around him. You feel his cock throb and then his load spill inside of you as you purr much to your satisfaction. You flop down on his chest as you try to calm down your breath. He doesn’t move and sigh in relief as if you two had to climb the highest mountain. You taunt at your own thought and kiss his sweaty chest. 

“You’re so sexy Alex, you make it hard for me” you sigh thinking about what the two of you just did. You clearly wanted him, everything you saw tonight made your heart melt until now you could still felt the warmth in your heart. You couldn’t deny it even chilling in his arms felt so good. “Y/N?” he asks attempting to pull out of your face a strand of hair, his other arm locked your body with his. You freed his cock by pulling it out of you and lay down next to him resting your chin on his chest. “Why do I make it hard for you ?” He asks gazing at your face “All I know is we spend the evening together and you were ignoring me a lot” he grumbled as a smile grew on the side of his lips. “I wasn’t Alex” you replied. “You’re thinking too much, isn’t it worst?” You sigh and land your head against his chest “You think it’s worst?” you ask him with a baby voice “You’re about to kick me out of your life, so...” he let his sentence unresolved and look at the ceiling. -How did he know I was about to tell him we couldn’t be anything?- you thought to yourself. He was one of the most handsome men you ever had the chance to meet and he was worrying that you wouldn’t allow him to stay in your life? You softly cup his head with your hand and he looks down at you “ You want to be in my life?” you pout “You didn’t align more than two sentences half the night while I was trying to break into there” he said patting your forehead. “I actually liked every single thing you showed me that evening, and what we did some minutes ago...” you start “we were pretty good at it” you tease his arm with the tips of your fingers. He inhales deeply and put one of his hand on your thigh, stroking your skin. “You make it hard for me Y/N” he closes the gap between your two faces and touch your nose with his. “I want you Alex...” you whisper as you squint to his lips. “It is so late Y/N how can I turn you off?” He whimpers before sliding you on your back owning a whoop from you, your eyes sparkle and he smiles seeing he has that effect on you. “You are gorgeous,” he says before he hurries his mouth around one of your nipples, ready for another round.

[cruelangelstheses]

the whirlwind girl

fandom: six of crows rating: T characters: inej, nina words: 2.1k additional tags: modern au with magic, first meetings, sexual harassment, could be read as platonic or romantic description: when a drunk man hits on inej at a bar, a stranger comes to her rescue. a/n: HIIII i wrote this for the @sixofcrowszine which has now been shipped so i can post!!! i don’t have much to say except that this book absolutely enraptured me and i love nina and inej and their interactions with each other so !! girls <3 inspired by that prompt that’s like “you were being hit on at a bar so i pretended to be your partner to get them to go away”

read it on ao3

—

Inej isn’t sure why she’s even here.

She’s never been a fan of clubs or bars or similar establishments, especially not at night—too loud, bursting full with people whose inhibitions are hindered by alcohol. Besides, she’s just finished performing, and while the roar of a crowd cheering for her is much different from a bunch of random drunks, it still counts as being around people, and it drains her just the same. She prefers to spend her evenings curled up with a book or hanging out with a couple of close friends, not out late partying.

The whole reason she even came into the Crow Club in the first place is because she knows someone who works here, a funny and good-natured—if reckless—young man named Jesper, who spends about the same amount of time gambling during his off-hours as he does bartending during his shifts. Unfortunately for Inej, it turns out that Jesper, for once in his life, actually isn’t here tonight, even though he’s always here on Saturday nights. According to the current bartender, a slightly older man that Inej doesn’t recognize, he’s on a date, of all things, with a boy named Wylan. Perhaps she’ll text him about it later and ask how it went.

She’s happy for him, of course, but this also means that she has no business being at the Crow Club, so now she’s sitting awkwardly at the bar with a virgin pina colada in hand. She rarely drinks alcohol; she always needs to feel sharp, like the edge of a fresh blade. She knows she could just pay and leave, but it feels weird; she just got here. Maybe she’ll sit and people-watch for another ten or fifteen minutes, then slip out.

As this thought crosses her mind, Inej watches as a stocky, sweaty-looking man, already clearly inebriated, enters the casino...and immediately plops down onto the empty barstool beside her.

Inej takes a sip of her drink and stares down into the glass, pretending to be incredibly interested in its contents, but it does nothing to stop the man from leaning over and saying, “Saw your performance.” His breath smells of cheap whiskey, and Inej has to stop herself from wrinkling her nose.

“Did you, now?” she says without looking at him. Inej works the same job she’s always worked: she performs with her parents as a small troupe of traveling acrobats. Despite their occupation being somewhat unconventional in this day and age—circuses and such just don’t get as much traction as they used to—they manage fairly well. Besides, Inej lives for the thrill of the high wire.

“I did,” the man replies. Out of the corner of her eye, she can see him grinning like a wild dog. “Impressive, if I do say so myself.”

“Thank you.” Inej drums her fingernails nervously against the glass and takes another sip. She can feel her butterfly knife up against her hip, but using it might get her kicked out of the Crow Club—which wouldn’t be a huge loss, really, except that she’d hardly ever get to see Jesper. She already doesn’t see him very often since she travels so much. Or maybe pulling a knife on a guy wouldn’t make a difference here; it’s far from the nicest place in Ketterdam, and Ketterdam is far from the nicest city in Kerch.

Unexpectedly, the man slings an arm around Inej’s shoulders. “What do you say to showing me a few more tricks, hmm?”

This is why Inej doesn’t like bars.

“Um.” She clears her throat, squirming slightly. “No, thank you. Uh, my parents wouldn’t be pleased.”

The man licks his lips. His eyes gleam with bad intentions. “Who says your parents have to know, huh?”

Before Inej can say or do anything else, a brown-haired whirlwind of a girl she’s never seen before marches up to them and says in Kerch, “Hey! Hands off my girlfriend!”

Inej can feel her face heating up. Either this girl has the wrong person, or she knows exactly what she’s doing.

The man narrows his eyes in confusion and reluctantly pulls his arm away from Inej. The girl, pale and curvaceous with bright green eyes, puts her hands on her hips and shakes her head in disbelief. “Honestly. I leave for five minutes to go to the bathroom and come back to find that someone thinks he can just put his hands all over her. I mean, have some damn respect!” At that, she points an accusatory finger at the man.

Alright. It’s definitely the latter.

“I, uh, didn’t realize she was taken,” he says as he looks the girl up and down. “But hey,” he adds with a sly grin, “the more the merrier, right?”

The girl groans. “Classic,” she mutters under her breath. Putting a hand on the man’s upper arm, she leans in and says, quiet but firm, “We’re not interested.”

The man’s eyelids start to droop. Then, a second later, he passes out face-first onto the counter. A few people turn to look in their direction, and the girl feigns concern, gesturing helplessly to the man. “I think he had too much to drink,” she says, which is probably true, to be fair. One of the bouncers sighs and wanders over to grab him.

Inej watches them in silence. It’s not until the bouncer and the unconscious man are completely out of earshot that she turns to the girl that rescued her and says, not unkindly, “You’re a Heartrender.”

The girl hops up onto the barstool previously inhabited by the drunk man. “That I am,” she says quietly, so as not to be heard by the wrong set of ears. Suddenly she’s speaking in perfect Suli instead of Kerch, perhaps to make Inej more comfortable. “But more importantly, I’m the girl who just saved your ass.” She shrugs. “I thought maybe I could get him to leave you alone without having to use my power, but then he got creepier, so I just kind of said ‘fuck it’ and lowered his heart rate enough to make him pass out.”

Inej laughs a little at that. “I bet that’s useful,” she replies.

“Oh, yeah,” the girl agrees, “but I’m also persecuted for it, so...you win some, you lose some, I guess.” She says it casually, but Inej can hear the bitterness behind it.

Inej isn’t a Grisha, but she is Suli, and she knows well the feeling of persecution. “I understand,” she says softly. “And...thank you.” She could’ve handled it—at least, that’s what she tells herself—but she appreciates the gesture, more than she can properly express.

“It’s nothing,” the girl replies, but the faint pink in her cheeks tells a different story. “I have a lot of experience dealing with men like that. I figured I might as well help you out.” She holds her hands up defensively. “Not that I don’t think you could’ve handled it yourself, but…”

Inej shakes her head in understanding. “No, I get it,” she says. “I’m good with a knife, but I didn’t want to use it unless I felt like I had to.”

The girl’s eyes gleam with interest at that. “Nice. Oh!” she says, looking as though she just remembered something important. “I just realized I never even introduced myself. I’m Nina. You’re Inej, right? Inej Ghafa? I know you from your performances. I’ve seen some videos of you and your family online.”

“Really?” Inej says. For some reason, it still surprises her whenever people tell her that they know her from the internet. She didn’t think her family was that popular.

“Of course,” Nina replies. “You guys are really phenomenal.”

Before Inej can come up with an appropriate response to the compliment, she feels her phone buzzing in her pocket. Pulling it out, she chuckles at the name displayed: Mama. “Speaking of my family,” she says to Nina. “Let’s see if I can even hear her over all this Saints-forsaken noise.”

Nina crosses her fingers in support as Inej answers the phone and puts it up to her ear. “Hello?”

On the other end, she can just faintly hear her mother asking her where she is.

“I’m at the Crow Club, Mama,” she says. “I was looking for Jesper, but he’s not here, so I’m coming back to the room now.”

Seemingly satisfied with that response, her mother wishes her safety on the walk back to the hotel and hangs up.

“Sorry,” she says to Nina, slipping her phone back into her pocket. “I should probably be going. I was planning on leaving soon anyway when that guy came over.”

“That’s okay,” Nina says, hopping off the barstool. “I was thinking of heading out soon, too.”

Inej sets some kruge down on the counter for the bartender, then follows Nina out the door and into the cool night air.

“Hey,” Nina says as they stand outside the club, watching cars go by. “Would you want to—I don’t know—keep in touch?” She blushes as she says it, which doesn’t seem standard for her. “I know we didn’t talk for long, but I’m not from Kerch, so I don’t have many friends here, and you seem like a really cool person. I know you travel a lot, but…” She trails off and shrugs.

There’s still that part of Inej that warns her to exercise caution, that just because Nina helped her once doesn’t mean she’s “safe” yet. Deep down, though, Inej can feel the goodness in her. She saw a stranger in trouble and immediately leapt to her defense, even though it could’ve ended badly, even though she could’ve exposed herself as a Grisha in a potentially hostile environment. The least Inej can do is allow herself to trust her, just a little, just enough.

“That would be nice,” Inej says, pulling her phone back out. “I can give you my phone number, and you can give me yours.”

Nina’s face lights up, and Inej knows that this is the right decision. “Great!”

They exchange phones and plug their names and numbers into each other’s contact lists. When Inej gets her phone back, she sees that Nina’s surname is Zenik. It flows nicely, like a stream unobstructed by rocks or logs: Nina Zenik. Nina Zenik.

“Hmm.” Nina taps her chin thoughtfully. “I was going to offer to walk you back to wherever you’re staying, but I don’t want you to feel like I’m mothering you or think you can’t handle yourself. But it’s also a late night in Ketterdam, and that’s dangerous for anyone, let alone a young woman walking by herself. Me as well as you.”

Inej would be lying if she said she didn’t feel at least a twinge of anxiety walking the streets of Ketterdam alone at night. Staring down at the new number in her contacts, an idea presents itself to her.

“We could talk on the phone as we walk back to our places,” she says. “That way you can make sure that I’m safe, and I can make sure that you’re safe. Then, if something were to happen to one of us, the other one would know.”

A flash of what looks like relief crosses Nina’s face before she quickly covers it up. “Good idea.”

Nina’s apartment is, of course, in the opposite direction of Inej’s hotel, so they go their separate ways until they’re out of each others’ earshot, and then Inej calls Nina.

“Wow, I haven’t heard from you in forever,” Nina says.

Inej laughs. “I know. Such an agonizingly long thirty seconds.”

It takes Inej about fifteen minutes to walk to the hotel, during which she learns that the reason Nina is in Ketterdam is because she’s studying abroad for a semester, and that she’s currently attending Os Alta University to be a translator. She tells Inej funny college stories, and Inej tells her crazy stories about her travels in return. Strangely enough, Nina’s voice actually grounds her rather than distracts her. It keeps her mind in the moment so that she never has a chance to get lost in her own head. She doesn’t usually let her mind drift when she’s out and about in a large city, but with Nina, the odds are even lower. It’s comforting. Her voice is a guiding light.

Nina arrives at her apartment first, but she stays on the line with Inej, who reaches the hotel about five minutes later. Standing outside the front doors, Inej promises to keep in touch with the whirlwind girl who bounced into her life so suddenly less than an hour ago. When they finally hang up, her chest feels light.

[suffering-and-happy-about-it]

New Conditions (Sriracha, Part. 39.)

Series description: A problematic college student gets the worst summer job of the ‘83 - Jim Hopper, the Chief of police in your hometown will have you as his secretary since his old lady Flo has two months lasting holiday. It was agreed so Hopper could let you far away from all the trouble.

Part Summary: You had enough of tiptoeing around James. So Jules, the badass she is, encouraged you to finally let go of the fear and to show him that you still love him.

A/N: I CAN FINALLY UNDERSTAND WHY JIM LOVES JIM CROCE SO MUCH. The ending of this chapter is heavily influenced by album You Don’t Mess Around With Jim and especially its love songs. Also, after not having Hopper in two chapters and having him in other four on the second rail, I think it’s time to have him back in the fucking game.

Warnings: Some smut I suppose, but nothing too explicit. And Hopper finally being James fucking Hopper again.

Word count: 3.2 K

Tagging: @nemodoren @missdictatorme @ysljordy @creedslove

Series master list: H E R E

GIF SOURCE

"I don't know what to do, Jules." - You sighed and leaned your back into the plushy wall of the box you and Julia chose to sit in in the Bloomington KFC. Jules told you all about her dating with the Biology class Steve she was seeing last few years. It looked like a proposal is lingering in the air. - "Like I'm trying to make him... Notice that I'm looking at him, that I hear what's bugging him off, that I'm here and waiting for the first step to maybe try it once again and he's just... Numb." - You sighed, looking into the streets of Bloomington.

You couldn't stand the mix of different tensions in the house. It was fucking you up for two days in a row. The constant fear of Jim just trying to punch you, again, feeling him being so distant and fearing that maybe, it was, indeed, over. That day, it was Tuesday, you called Julia and asked if she has some time to meet up with you. Of course, she had - she was more than happy to take you out somewhere. Especially when she heard that you're having some relationship trouble.

Hopper was... Weird. Since that accident on Sunday, the one where he almost broke your wrist when he caught it into his palm, he was out of order. You managed to freak him out one more time and it had the same result - he almost couldn't stop himself from punching you. On Monday evening, you watched him stand in front of the door leading into the garden and stare into the distance for more than an hour in a row. He was barely blinking the whole time, just chainsmoking next to an opened window. Which was as disturbing as it was impressive.

"Then stop waiting and make the first step. Show him. Get that Marvin Gaye or Foreigner on and do it. Do you think I don't know you can stand up for your ass when you want to?" - Jules chuckled and finished off her milkshake. - "I know since the first day in kindergarten, so shy up my ass, you're not this type."

"But what if he doesn't want this anymore? What if he has just straight-up mess inside his head that even I can’t cure? I don't wanna make him do something he doesn't want to." - You mumbled back and took another bite of the wings you've ordered. You weren't even that hungry; you were just worried that if you or Jules won't order some food, they'll tell you to leave the restaurant.

"So, a small recap. Three years ago, he fell for a girl who vomited all over his Blazer. He came back from... Apparently somewhere in the deepest ass on the whole planet, he was searching for you from all the people like Joyce or Eleven, he took five free days in a row to spend with you in the house and you still think that he maybe isn't into it anymore?" - Jules said back to you. Joyce didn't clap back the way she was, which, to be honest, was helping you big time. You needed someone to call you a dumb bitch.

"If James didn't fall in love with the girl who could kick his ass in an instant and who could have a huge argument with him because he didn't fetch his socks into the washing machine, he wouldn't stay in the first place back in ’83. Don't blame him for not taking the first step, girl, because if I had to point on a person who’s being more hesitant out of you two, it will be you." - She looked you in the eyes and you just opened up your mouth, but before you could say a word, she jumped in to continue.

"You have softened over the last year and a half. Ever since you and Hop had Eleven, which I still don't quite get, you, my friend, have been too gentle with him. You would either hurt him and scare him away with trying to turn the things around or you'll open up his damn eyes with being a bit bald. Come on, spice it up and stop playing the cold card on my man. It's painfully obvious you still have some feelings for Jim and he has some for you." - Julia exclaimed, making more than half of the restaurant to turn at you with confused looks. You took in a deep breath, but the didn't end there. - "So what you're going to do is that you will come home, get some music on to spice up the atmosphere, try your chances without shying away and you will call me after everything is said and done."

You didn't have the best feeling about agreeing with everything she said, but it was worth a try at least, wasn’t it? All you had to do was to try out how Jim’s feeling about all of this. You entered the house with a frown, hearing Jules honking as a goodbye as she drove off. Jim was sitting at the table, reading a book and spared you only a quick look and a quiet Hi. You caught his attention when you drew the curtains in the living room and when you rolled the jalousie in the kitchen, stepping to the stereo, playing Foreigner. Jim already started the fire, which was a big plus with setting the atmosphere. It wasn’t even seven p.m., so you had a whole night of trying the things anyway.

The songs on the mix were Mike’s, which was funny - including Foreigner, Air Supply, or Eric Carmen. Mike Wheeler was a man of a delicate taste when it came to cheesy pop love songs, you had to agree with that. You caught Hopper’s attention fully, the book was now closed, his finger was holding the page he ended on. Without a word, you stepped in front of the fireplace, slowly unbuttoning the shirt you had on just to let it fall on the ground. You were standing there only in your lace bra, which you thought its the cutest.

At that, Hopper inhaled deeply, looking away. It wasn’t like he tried to ignore you, he was just... Clueless. He didn't know what should he do since the things between you still didn't seem to exactly click and settle down. There was this buzzing on both sides which was making him rather uncomfortable.

"I don't think this..." - He started, but you were ready to snap. Just like Jules told you, you were about to give the former Chief the girl he fell for - the one who didn't like to be messed around with, who could bring hell upon his head when he made you angry. You still had that inside of you, you just had to show him that it's still just you and him.

"Bad idea up my ass, James." - You started in a sharp voice, making Jim widen his eyes and straighten up. - "If this is a bad idea, tell me, what's the good one then? Because I feel like trying not to bump into you more than trying to connect back to you since the day my family left for New Orleans. We’re carefully tiptoeing around each other but that's not what I want, you understand? If you don't know how to approach me, no worries, stand up right now and show me how to approach you and I swear to God that I'll do my best to make it work." - You sighed, now lighting up a Camel cigarette without a filter.

"Because every time you sit next to me, I can only feel how fast you're drifting away from me. You don't talk to me, you won't try to get the mood on, you won't try your chances and I'm just bored with this. Show me what should I do and I will." - You stepped next to him and carefully touched his shoulder, making him shift uncomfortably. Immediately, you put the hand away, sighing a bit.

"Listen, I know it’s hard for you, but it's hard for me too. I'm still in love, I think - because if I weren't, this wouldn't be crushing me the way it is. Don't be a pussy." - You whispered with a small smile, making him smile as well. Calling him out felt so ’83 if you'd ask James. Calling him a pussy, telling him he's too old and not too bold just to make him do something, you were doing that a lot back in the day.

"Are you ready to go down this path?" - He asked just as he asked the first night, making you light up in a matter of a second. You nodded, biting your lip.

"And are you ready for this?" - You asked back, hearing the first notes of REO Speedwagon just lurking into the room. Gently, you tapped out the cigarette and an idea flashed through your head. - "Wait a minute. Sit down there, make yourself comfortable, I'll be right back, yeah?" - You mumbled and ran into your room, still being dressed only in your favorite pair of jeans and that super slick lacy bra. You searched through your room, you almost threw everything on the ground just to find it - the sheer rosy lipstick you loved so much.

You put on a shirt, throwing the jeans along with the socks on the ground, and ran down the stairs with an excited smile. Hopper did as he was told - he was now sitting on two to three blanket laid down onto the wooden floor in front of the fireplace with pillows everywhere around him. The song was just ending, being replaced with Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes’ song sneak peaking some romantic movie coming out next summer. Carefully, you sat opposite of him, opening the lipstick.

"I don't know what you've been through in Russia but I noticed that touching some spots brings up a defensive reaction. So... All I want is for you to show me which spots are safe." - You whispered with a small smile, carefully coming even close. - "Or at least which spots are comfortable to touch for you, okay?"

"With lipstick? Like I'll be tappin’ the spots I don't mind?" - Jim smiled lazily. There he was, that old rascal you knew.

"You’ll draw me a map." - You answered with confidence, leaning to unbutton his shirt. You made sure he saw every move you made so there would be no space for accidents. You didn't want your wrist broken or your nose punched. So you were careful with each button and you constantly make sure he's looking you in the eyes or at your fingers.

Delicately, you slipped under the fabric, feeling him get real stiffing under you. You made sure you're quick enough so Jim wouldn't be stressing out for too long. Then, you popped the torturing device, as he used to call it every time you smudged it all over his face and circled his palm around yours. He was slim - almost too slim for your liking. He had to drop the weight rapidly fast because here and there, you could see his ribs just popping up. And my oh my, the scars he had there - you hadn't seen them before so, in natural conclusion, he must get them in Kamchatka. You were slowly able to understand why is he as careful with the touches as he was.

He furrowed and got to work, listening to Stand by Me in the background. Mike Wheeler had some spectacular taste with love songs. You watched as he completely left out the shoulders, so you figured out these were a no-no. You were watching your palm slowly traveling along with his down his ribs, taking a turn right above the belly. The only thing which seemed safe enough was chest - because Hop could see whenever you were approaching him to touch him. With that, he could have complete control over the whole situation. James could see what were you about to do.

When he put the hand away, you nodded. You could understand what was going on inside his head and let’s be honest, that was what was calming you down. Jules was right. A bit of pressure could do huge things sometimes. You took a short breath in, steadying yourself on your knees and you put the lipstick away. When you made sure he's watching, you put hands on his chest, slowly traveling up to meet his neck and the stubble there. When you were about to meet his jaw, you pulled yourself even closer.

You didn't kiss just yet - you asked for permission by looking him into eyes. But when James nodded, boy oh boy, that was a different story. You jumped right in, you were so passionate that you made him support his body with both his hands - otherwise, you would both fall and he would hit his head pretty bad. That kiss was saying everything that words couldn't - it was fast, rough, almost too hasty for a kiss of reunion but you wouldn't have it any other way.

"Jesus I missed this." - Hopper mumbled without thinking too much about it, switching the position immediately. It was easy to give in into the passion, it was. Especially after such a long time. It was more than easy to lose your head over a simple kiss when you felt as he rose your knee up to his waist, pulling you so close there was no space remaining. You were pressed body on the body in a whining, moaning mess and only the sounds of kisses and a song could be heard.

Jules was so damn right. Maybe if you'd play the cold card less, he would find his way to you way easier than you having straight-up daring him to do it. Ten minutes later, the lipstick was smudged all over your shirt and his chest was a sheer rosy mess. With a loud exhale and a frown, Jim pulled away, seeing you grinning at the sight.

"I don't know why you still use this torture device." - Hopper complained, having you laugh a bit at that.

"I use it because my lips are irresistible after using it." - You frowned jokingly, pulling the shirt off along with clipping the bra off.

"What are you doin’?" - Hopper stopped and looked at you throwing the clothes away.

"You missed a few spots and I'm envious of you looking so tubular, Chief, officer, and detective Hopper." - You explained. That was a stupid idea, maybe, more like definitely it was a dumb one - but you couldn't help yourself.

"Come ’ere, miss Y/L/N. We missed a few spots." - James agreed with a glowing smile. It had a taste of old times, but it was still something completely new for you, something different. First, he made you cum without taking your panties off - all he needed was his fingers, your sweet spot, and a lot of good flicks along with staring deep into your eyes. That was what finished you, having your body contract a few times. Then, you had a suspicion he's trying to kill you with kindness after spending almost an hour with eating you out. And when you thought it can’t be better, he finally finished you off with a few good tempos towards the end. No matter how long he hadn't touched you, it felt calming and familiar. He was still as good as ever before, maybe better than that.

It was almost eleven p.m. when you both laid there, basically finished off. heavy breathing, looking into the ceiling.

"Have I ever told you how much I love you?" - You got out with your eyes closed, unable to even move your fucking legs. Every time Jim put on a tempo like that, you couldn't even feel your thighs and what was between them for more than five minutes.

"Yeah, I heard that here and there." - James chuckled back, getting on his elbow. You didn't know what you brought upon yourself. It could cross your mind that waking up the man inside of him, the man who hadn't felt a woman’s touch for half a year, was a dangerous idea. - "But I would like to show you some more." - He smiled, lowering his head down do kiss a trail down your neck - you yelled loudly when you felt him making you a... Love bite. A forty-four-year-old man gave you a love bite? Jesus.

"James fucking Hopper, I swear to God! It's not enough for you to have the sheer rosy torturing device all over my torso and not feeling my legs because of you? What the hell?" - You laughed and felt his palm tickling you, crying out loud before laughing before pulling in for another kiss. Were you falling into the honeymoon phase again when love gives you pink glasses to look through? Was it possible? According to what was happening, it was possible.

"You still have the ring?" - Jim asked when you snuggled to him; he was controlling every one of your moves - but what could a naked woman pressing her body into his side do to him?

"Yeah, I still wear it. I never take it off." - You showed him just for James to take it off, holding in his hand to look at it. - "What are you doing, Jim? What kind of fuckery you're trying here? I'm not giving it back." - You tried to reach the silver ring, but your man’s arm game was too strong for you - he was like three times longer than you or so.

"Wait and you'll see. You’re so eager sometimes, baby." - He smiled at you, not giving you your engagement ring back. But the nickname made you almost melt on the spot. It was so kind, romantic, giving you all the green lights you needed to be sure that you and Jim are still only you and Jim.

"Well do it properly this time." - He got out and closed his eyes, yawning.

"Oh, fuck no. You, old man, are going to take a shower with me and then we'll go to sleep. My parents will be back tomorrow." - You stood up, looking in horror at your old dog who was lazily watching you back. You were standing there naked with your eyes widened.

"How long she’s been here?" - You asked James, abruptly taking a shirt. It was somehow embarrassing having your dog staring you down while you were naked.

"You didn't know about her?" - Jim furrowed and with that, you left the room at the speed of light, feeling so embarrassed it physically hurt you. You didn't know that Jim was just ducking with you, but he found it hilarious as he put on his sweats, petting Lady behind her ears.

[kweebtrash]

Love is (Not) Easy

Messy Chapter 11

Pairing(s): OC X Johnny

Genre: College AU, Fuckboy AU, Smut, 

Summary: Fuckboys are basically good for one thing. You hit it and quit it- except when his voice draws you in, his body keeps you there, and dumb ass feelings linger making things particularly messy.

Warnings: alcohol, a smidge of ptsd, mentions of anxiety attacks/panicking

Features: daddy/mommy kink, rope bondage, heavy teasing, some hair pulling, a little bit of deep throating, panty gag, sex toys, a little bit of masturbation/watching someone masturbate, rough sex, thigh high kink, thigh fucking, cumshot, protected and unprotected sex, car sex,

Word Count: 14k

A/N: Johnny and Eri get into a bunch of positions in this one sooo....i hope it comes out clear enough where they’re situated. Try not to send asks with spoilers guys! I want to give people the chance to catch up! also this one is shorter than usual so let me know if you have some feedback.

Messy Masterlist   Buy me a Ko-Fi    Other Stories

Johnnys POV

It was the same bar and club that I performed at surprisingly enough. I knew this place like the back of my hand and it was packed as all hell. I wondered if it was because Eri's band was drawing the crowd or if it was because of the holiday. Either way I was excited to see them perform but for whatever reason I couldn't seem to find them anywhere. I even had Quinn and Jae look with no luck. We had been here for two hours, suffering through terrible bands and trying to be a little less sober. It was nearing the allowed time that Eri was set to play and I should have seen them on stage by now. They were still nowhere to be found. All I saw were some roadies switching out equipment and a dude with dreads do a mic check. That was it.

I finished my watered down drink and nudged Jae, telling him that we should start moving to the front. The crowd was starting to file against the stage and i didnt want to be stuck in the back. I adjusted my snapback and pulled up my sleeves. "You guys ready?" Neither of them had been to a metal show before and I was stuck being in charge. Quinn held onto Jae for dear life, looking around like a deer in headlights. I especially didn't want them getting lost in the crowd given how small they were and the potential level of rowdiness that was to come. "Alright, hold onto me and just shove through. Use your elbows, got it?"

"Are we fucking going to war?" Jae asked.

I sighed. "Not until you get into the pit."

"Like the mosh pit?!" Quinn squeaked.

"Don't worry. I won't let you get tossed in. Cmon, follow me."

Quinn held onto the back of my shirt, staying safely between Jae and I as I started shoving my way through the crowd. There were still some gaps in between the crowd and I was able to get through to the front, not exactly against the stage but it was good enough to see things clearly. I saw a drummer start positioning himself behind the kit. The show seemed like it was about to start and I couldn't help but feel ecstatic. A bassist and the guy with the dreads came next, holding their guitars. Then I finally saw them. They looked incredibly badass even though their outfit was simple. It was a black mini skirt and an oversized white button up with a black tie. That was paired with delicious black thigh highs and scruffed up combat boots that looked like they had seen better days. Their hair was still a gorgeous mane of curls and one side was partially braided to give it a faux undercut look. Their makeup was a smokey purple with dark lipstick that accentuated how full their lips were. I swallowed hard and shifted a bit. I couldn't help it, they just looked so damn hot.

I covered my mouth so no one could see how badly I was biting my lip as I watched their every move. Their hands delicately wrapped around a shot glass that had been placed on their amp and tossed back the brown liquid. It was second nature to Eri and I had seen them do it dozens of times but in this moment it was utterly sensual. The tuned their guitar, caressing the strings and tuning keys. They had a natural born stage presence that was so powerful and commanding that it made the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. I thought about getting their attention but I didn't want to seem too desperate. I sat back and decided to watch instead. Eri had the talent to carry their band so I knew it wouldn't be as bad as the others. As dreads guy introduced their band, Eri went to work checking their amp and cords. As they bent over to make sure the settings of the amp were where they wanted them to be, I could see the tops of their thigh highs. My stomach lurched and i felt like a teenager with how pathetically horny i was acting. I tried to shake it out of my body and take some deep breaths to calm myself. I felt like an idiot and was ready to kick myself. The beginnings of "I'm Not Okay" by My Chemical Romance started, taking me back to my middle school days. All the tension in my body dissolved and I actually chuckled a bit. This really was emo night. I expected the guy with the dreads to start singing since he was in front of the center mic but Eri was the one that opened their mouth. 

Jae, Quinn, and I exchanged looks as we were shocked to hear a slightly husky and gritty voice instead of something more feminine. Quinn had a bright smile on their face, cheering loudly and being so proud of Eri. Even though I was usually irritated by Quinn and we were always fighting, I appreciated that they loved Eri as much as I did. Eri's fingers smoothly flowed over the guitar strings and though they had let me hear them play before, nothing compared to the live show. The song ended and Eri smiled, looking above the crowd and towards the back wall. It was most likely to ease some sort of stage fright or anxiety.

"Who's ready to tell this year to fuck off?!" They said, getting a large response of cheers and claps. "I know for goddamn sure I am. I've been through so much shit it's not even funny. So why doesn't everyone get a shot, toss it back, and give me a big fuck you!" There was a round of 'fuck yous' and people downing their drinks. Eri looked towards the bar and held up three fingers to signal an order while the other guitarist took over getting the hype up. In the meantime, Eri set their guitar on its stand and took off their tie and shirt, tossing it to the side and revealing a tight leather vest that definitely accentuated their full chest. I was almost back to being a drooling mess until I heard a few dozen whistles from the men in the crowd. My irritation skyrocketed as i didnt want other men ogling them but I had to remind myself that this was just for the show and nothing more.

A scantily clad bartender made her way onto the stage holding a tray of three shots. Eri tossed two back and with some incentive from the crowd, set the last glass between the bartenders tits. The bartender camped it up, shimmying just a bit as Eri wrapped their mouth around the rim and pulled it out, swallowing the liquor. I crossed my arms in front of my chest and furrowed my brows as I was starting to get pissed off now. They're just showing off, Johnny. It's just for the show. I sighed deeply, trying to get my feelings in check. The next song started with an eccentric  intro about Pennywise the Clown which I'd never heard before. Their voice started softly before switching to a guttural scream that made me do a complete 180. "Holy shit." I whispered.

Quinn had a look of utter terror on their face while Jae leaned over to me, getting closer to my ear. "Good job dating the spawn of Satan!"

"They're not the spawn of satan." I glared at him. "I think it's cool."

"It's a little weird to hear girls doing it. I know usually guys do this type of music."

"Yeah, well they're on pitch and sound great so shut up." Just then a gap appeared in the front of the stage as someone made their way back through the crowd and I took the opportunity to drag Quinn and Jae to fill the space. I wanted to get Eri's attention then and gave them a small wave. Their eyes widened so big I almost thought they were going to pop out of their head. I gave them a smile, trying to reassure them but they only seemed to get more scared which made their voice waver. Just as the song ended they grabbed the other lead singer and ran off to the side of the stage. I wondered what was wrong and leaned forward, trying to see if I could spot them. They seemed to be speaking frantically but I couldn't hear anything over the roar of the crowd. Hopefully it wasn't anything too bad

--

Eri's POV

"André, André, André, i'm freaking the fuck out! What am I supposed to do?!"

"What's wrong?! You were doing great out there! You sounded awesome. Have you been practicing your screams?"

"Screw that! The guy I've been fucking for months is here along with my best friend and their boyfriend. I'm going to fucking choke!!" My anxiety was taking over big time and I couldn't grasp the fact that people I knew and loved were actually watching me perform. I never invited people to see me for this reason. I would tense up, my throat would close, and the pressure of impressing them would be the only thing I could think about. It gave me one hell of an anxiety attack.

"Ok, so? Be happy that they came to see you! That means they're proud of you and excited to see your talent!" He tried to reassure me.

"Nonono, you don't understand. I can't do this. I'm gonna freak out. I'm like way too nervous. I can't breathe!"

André grabbed onto my shoulders tightly. "Eri, look at me. You are a bad bitch. A bad slutty bitch with talent that blows people's minds. You have performed in front of small crowds and big crowds. You put your heart and soul into it. You're in music journalism because you wanted to prove to every man that you interview that you know exactly what you were talking about and break through that glass ceiling. I want you to go out there and fucking shred like your life depended on it. Make that dude want to rip off your clothes and fuck you senseless. Make everyone see how much of a bad ass you are. You. Can. Do. This. Repeat after me, I'm a slutty bad bitch."

I swallowed hard and shook out my hands, trying to get rid of my nerves. "I-i-i'm a slutty bad bitch."

"And i'm going to go out there and make every man, woman, and everyone in between want me."

"A-and I'm gonna make every m-m-man, woman, and everyone in between w-wa-want me."

"And that dude you've been fucking is going to go insane when he sees what you can really do."

"And that dude-"

"No, hun-" He interrupted. "Don't repeat that part. Look, how about we switch the line up a bit? Then we can pick a song that you feel more confident in."

"Ok, w-what song do you think we should do?" I said, still unsure.

"How about Closer? Your voice sounds sexy and you can let me handle the guitar. What do you think?"

I nodded and whimpered, still feeling queasy. We stepped back onto the stage and André told the other band members about the song change. A regular at the club was against the stage, holding a drink out to me and I took it graciously, downing it in seconds. I needed all the help I could get right now. I had to fake my comfort so i could make it until the end of the set, when the time would wind down and I could scream 'Happy New Year' and let the music fade away. I tried my best not to look down at Johnny, Quinn, or Jae. I needed to keep the alcohol in my stomach instead of all over the crowd. 

The synthy bass thrummed beneath my feet as I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. Closer was the epitome of the classic "let's fuck right now" song and with harder female vocals it made me feel like the worlds greatest sex symbol. André was right. I was a bad slutty bitch. My friends were in the crowd and though I was anxious that I would disappoint them I was also putting forth more effort to impress them. I had to believe that I was as talented and great as André said, no matter how difficult or low my self confidence was. It was time to continue one hell of a show and feel alive.

I caressed myself, threw my hair back, wiggled my hips, and spun around as I sung about fucking like an animal. A smile was slapped across my face and I felt my entire body ignite with excitement. I even got a bit of courage to get on my knees in front of Johnny and sing to him. He gripped my neck and crashed our lips together during the rhythmic break and it felt like I never wanted to come up for air. I had to bow out when my next verse was going to start but he kept me close for a second more to growl "Mine" in my ear.

I shoved him away and stuck out my tongue, giving him sass in return. It was hot the way he wanted to take control but this was my fucking night. When the song finished I heard a male voice in the back yell, "What else can you do with that tongue?!"

I squinted my eyes against the spotlight and looked out to find the voice but all I could do was smirk. "What else can I do with my tongue?" I panted as I was a bit out of breath. "Make your girl cum better than you ever could."

The crowd whooped and hollered at my diss and André signaled for my attention. It was almost time for the countdown. There was one more song we had to play and then we could say goodbye to this year. I set the microphone back on the stand and picked up my guitar again. It was time to party hard. I gave it my last bit of energy as André and I sung together, getting the crowd to start a mosh pit and make the floor vibrate. The last few moments of the song I abandoned my responsibilities and jumped down from the stage joining everyone in the riot like crashing and pushing until it was announced that there was 30 seconds left of the year. I made my way over to Johnny, Jae, and Quinn, giving my best friend a tight squeeze and an awkward high five to Jae.

Johnny wrapped his arms around my waist and pressed me flush against him though I was a sweaty mess that smelled of liquor. I set my arms on his shoulders as ten faded into nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two-

My drummer crashed the symbols and made a big drumroll as everyone screamed in delight. I couldn't scream though. I was lost in the moment of Johnny dipping me, like an old school love story, and covering me in the best kiss he had ever given me. It felt like time had slowed, people had frozen, and all that was left was me and him, facing the world together like we had been; through death, abuse, violence, emotional pain, mental anguish, and longing feelings to be loved. It was what had brought us together, this pain. And while we were trying desperately to be better people it was harder to say than to do. But we were right here. I couldn't hear any words that were said. This moment was right where I wanted to be and I would have given my soul to remain here, frozen in time.

Johnny pulled away and lifted me up, my mind still a little foggy. He kept his body lowered to stay close to me and held my hand in his, positioning us like we were dancing. "You're the most amazing woman I've ever met, Eri. Er….person, sorry."

I shook my head. "I don't care, it's fine. Just stay with me. Come home with me and stay in my bed. I want to have fun tonight. We need to kick off this year with a bang….literally." I giggled.

"You need to sober up and shower. You smell terrible, just so you know." He laughed.

"I know! I know! 30 minutes up there in the spotlight and I sweat like a whore in church! I gotta help the guys load the van up though so it may take me awhile to finish up. I'll text you when I'm done, yeah?"

He nodded and slowly turned us like we were slow dancing, making me smile at his goofy antics. Metal songs were playing over the speakers and he wanted to dance with me like I was Cinderella. I tapped his shoulder and smiled. "Let me go, prince charming. I gotta get moving ok?"

He gave me a final kiss before sadly letting me go. "Hurry back, Eri!"

--

Johnny's POV

I felt so many things when we kissed at the bar and I had no idea why. Maybe it was my body's way of telling me that I needed to finally confess to them. I was still so damn scared to do so. A real relationship. One without getting hit everyday or not consenting to things I didn't want to do. One where I was genuinely happy. The last time I felt happy was a month ago when I visited my mom but I had never been happy with someone who wasn’t family. Eri made me happy. Eri made my heart do unimaginable and completely questionable things. Eri was...I think Eri is the love of my life. I didn't need any deep realizations right now. I just wanted to have fun. We were going to let go. But maybe...maybe I was closer to revealing my true feelings than I thought.

I took and deep breath and knocked on Eri's bedroom door and they opened it, looking much more comfy in their sweats rather than their on stage get up. They stood on their tiptoes to kiss me which always made me smile. "You chilled out a bit?"

"Yeah when you sweat your ass off loading up a truck full of gear in a winter coat and boots it makes the alcohol fade real fast. Come on in. I've got a surprise for you."

"A surprise? What the hell for?" I stepped into the room and closed the door behind me. Eri guided me to their desk chair and sat me down.

"I want to do something a little different tonight."

"You mean...fucking wise?" Eri thinking of things to try in bed always meant trouble for me.

They bit their lip and nodded. "Yeah, do you want to try it out?"

"Depends on what the hell you're scheming." I said skeptically.

"I promise you'll like it! I won't steer you wrong." They went over to their bed and pulled something out from under their pillow. When I saw what it was my whole body tensed.

"Eri, what the hell are you doing?"

"You tied me up last time. It's only fair that I get to do the same to you." They stepped closer with the bit of cotton rope in their hands which made me scoot the chair back.

"Ye-yeah but that was different. Completely different. I don't know if I'd like that!" I said nervously. Being tied up meant I wouldn't be in control which meant I was instantly nervous and unprepared. My body was already beginning to sweat as my heart raced. Eri crept closer and set their finger under my chin to tilt my head up.

"Cmon Johnny. New year, new kinks. We should see if you like something new." They smirked.

"No way! I'm good. Nothing new. I'm perfectly fine the way I am!"

They slipped behind me and rubbed their hands all over my chest and down to my stomach, planting kisses wherever they wanted to on my neck. "Pleaseeeeee," they whined. "I just wanna have some fun. I have so much planned for us."

"Then why do I have to be tied up?!"

"Because you wouldn't be a good boy if you weren't. You're not very patient when I tease you."

"Well maybe you shouldn't tease me then." I grunted.

"Just play along and I promise you'll love every minute of it." They landed a particularly sharp nip to my neck, making me flinch away. I still didn't want to be tied up but I knew they wouldn't stop whining if I did.

"Fine! But what's that thingy I say to make you stop if I don't want it anymore?"

They giggled and pulled my hands behind the back of the chair, beginning to tie them. "A safe word. And you can say guitar for me to stop."

Guitar? That sounded so stupid. But whatever. I would just play along for now. I tried to get out of the ties but they held firm. I swallowed hard and instantly started to panic. I looked up at Eri as they stepped in front of me. "W-wait Eri, I don't- Gui-"

I watched as they pulled their sweats off and suddenly I couldn't remember what I was even worried about. I feasted my eyes on a deep blue lingerie set, complete with a garter belt and see through thigh highs. My mouth went completely dry as the blood in my brain rushed south.

"Do you like it? I got it in blue since it's your favorite color and it was on clearance." They said, happy at their financial victory. "You're not saying anything…"

"U-uh…" How could I when they looked like that? Incredible, tantalizing, and unbelievably sexy. I tried to lurch myself forward to feel every inch of their warm skin but snapped back into the chair as my tied hands kept me immobile. So that's why they did it...sneaky little shit.

Eri set their hands on top of my thighs and leaned forward. "Johnny, do you like it or not?"

"U-um...y-yes. Yeah. Good." I managed to say in my lust filled haze. They straddled my hips and  sunk down onto my lap.

"I'm glad. Do you want to touch my thighs?"

"Absolutely. Please, Eri." I had no shame in begging for that. I wanted their thighs, hips, and ass in my hands and against my lips.

"Nope. Nooootttt yet. You have to prove you'll be good boy " I tossed my head back with a frustrated groan. Why couldn't they just let me touch them?!

"What the fuck do you mean I have to prove I'm good?! You want me to call you mommy or something?!"

They lowered their gaze and gave me a predatory smirk. "That could work."

My eyes widened and I tried to release my hands again. "Eri I'm serious!

"So am I." They pressed their lips against mine, wrapping their arms around my neck, making our chests flush together. Why the hell were they such a good kisser? I was whipped for them and hated every bit of it.

"Hmm, let me-" I tried to say in between moments of our tongues clashing. "Go-"

"Tsk tsk tsk Johnny," They wrapped their tiny hand around my neck and pressed gently against my Adam's apple. "We really have to work on your impatience." They started grinding their hips against my lap creating that friction that drove me wild. I swallowed hard, feeling the pressure of their hand still against me, and squeezed my eyes shut. I had to think of a plan to get free but the mesh rubbing against the roughness of my jeans was terribly distracting. I bucked my hips upwards, wanting to gain more traction and feel their wetness through the fabric but they forced their weight down onto my thighs so I couldn't use them as leverage. "You're such a cute little prince when your frustrated."

"I'm not a goddamn prince." I tried to say steadily but their thumb pressed harder into my throat. I was already starting to feel my cock stir and hated being trapped in my pants.

"Oh yes you are." Eri laid a tender kiss on my lips. "Just like I'm your princess, you're my prince. And I could be your mommy just as well as you can be my daddy."

"Cut it out." I growled. "It's weird." I ground my teeth together as they forced their weight down again and rubbed against me. Jesus, this was driving me crazy.

"It's the same principle, Johnathan. Don't be so sexist." They chuckled and finally removed themselves off me. "You'll learn soon enough." They disappeared behind me and I was still uneasy about what the hell they were going to do. Whips and chains were definitely out of the question.

"Eri! What are you doing?!" I tried to wiggle the chair around to see what they were up to but they returned shortly after. They were silent this time as they sunk down to their knees between my legs and unzipped my pants. They pulled them down and I lifted my hips up to help them, grateful that I was going to get more attention. They pulled off my sneakers and the rest of my pants and boxers, letting me free.

"Don't make a sound ok?" My eyes were glued to their lips as they set my cock in their mouth, slowly sucking on the head and rubbing their thumb against the underside. I sighed contently and relaxed against the chair. The rope didn't bother me so much now as I was much more intrigued by the tingling pleasure. They looked up at me, brown eyes full of mock innocence and wanting of praise. They looked so damn cute with their mouth full.

"Keep going...it's so good." I exhaled in a choppy breath. I was getting harder by the second and wanted them to take more of me in but I knew I hurt them pretty bad last time I used so much force. But nothing was better than having that warm wet heat of a tongue and tightness of a throat wrapped around me. My stomach was tightening a little as all the attention to the head of my cock was starting to make me too sensitive. "B-babe um, b-back off for a- hhoooollly fuck!!"

I felt it then, my cock completely disappearing down their throat in one fell suck. What the hell? They had never done that before! They popped off me and smiled. "Didn't I tell you to be quiet?"

"How can I be quiet when you just did...that!!" I yelled. "How? What? When?" I was so confused but turned on beyond belief.

They giggled and set their head on my thigh as a single finger danced around my slit. "I forgot numbing spray was a thing."

"Numb what??"

"Numbing spray. You spray it and it numbs your throat and helps your gag reflex so I can take down more of you."

"God bless America. Fucking do it again Eri."

"Ask Mommy nicely."

"Ugh! Fine!" I grit my teeth and glared at them. "Do it again...please." They looked at me, waiting. "Mommy."

That seemed to satisfy them enough and the next moment I was plunging my cock down their throat. It took my breath away and I tried to be absolutely quiet for fear of them stopping. I wanted to keep their head in place, wanted to fuck their face senseless, but these goddamn ties were stopping me. I hated them and wanted them off now. 

My toes gripped against the legs of the chair and I sunk my hips a little lower, trying to angle myself to get a few thrusts in. "Baby," I cooed. Wait, fuck, they would probably want me to say that stupid word. I sighed internally and cleared my throat. "Mommy?"

Their eyes shot up to meet mine again and their sucking stopped. "Hm?" They hummed around me.

"Could you please untie me? Please? I need to touch you."

"No, you want to face fuck me." They said as they released themself from me again. Goddammit. "You're not allowed to." They kissed my tip and licked down my shaft. "But I promise if you behave you can be daddy a bit later."

That peaked my interest. "Really?"

They nodded as they kissed my balls before taking one into their mouth and their hand became busy with giving me firm strokes. I let all of the tension in my body ease once I knew I would be in control soon enough. If I had done that before I would've took notice to how eager Eri was to suck me. Usually it was a little fast and decently pleasurable but I could always tell they weren't 100% into it. It wasn't their favorite thing in the world but they did it because I liked it. But now everything was heightened and steering me closer towards an orgasm. Fuck, I didn't want to cum this soon. Though I didn't want to I had to stop them. "H-hey, not yet, ok?"

They pulled away from me and wiped the corner of their mouth. "Fair enough." They rose to their feet and took a step back before dropping their panties to the floor. I licked my lips and watched intensely as they crawled into the bed face down and ass up. They opened their knees and dipped their stomach towards the bed before sliding their fingers through their folds. They were really going to touch themselves in front of me. I growled in frustration. I was gonna spank them so hard when I got out of these ties!

"Eri!" I snapped. "You need to let me…" My voice trailed off as they dipped two fingers into their fuckable little hole, scissoring themselves open and showing me exactly where I wanted to dive into. "Let me go!"

They sighed and turned back towards me. "What part of stay quiet don't you understand?" They grabbed their panties from the floor and balled them up before grabbing my chin. I turned my head away but they managed to get my mouth open and stuffed them in. I had had it with their fucking antics but the fire in their eyes matched mine. I couldn't believe they had been hiding this side from me for so long. They were supposed to be my submissive princess and instead they were a hellfire succubus damning me to a hell of irritation, greed, and lust. I growled and tried wrapping my legs around their thighs to pull them closer but they landed a harsh slap to my leg. I was taken aback and raised an eyebrow at them. They turned away from me without another word and went over to their desk drawer, pulling out what looked like a vibrator.

They sat on the edge of the bed this time, propping their feet up and leaning onto their elbows slightly. I heard the strong whir of the vibrations and stared as they dragged it up and down their lips, occasionally dipping it into their entrance. Soft sweet little whimpers rang in my ears as their hands moved the vibrator at a slow pace. Eri started moaning my name, just a bit exaggerated to entice me further. They were driving me insane and if i didn’t touch them soon I was going to explode. My cock was already throbbing intensely almost to the point of pain. My breaths were getting heavier as Eri’s thrusting of the toy increased speed. They were squirming and rocking their hips as their hands caressed their thighs. I watched as their fingers teased the lace band of their thigh highs and traveled to rub across their inner thigh. Their fingers kept going until they covered their clit and added passionate circles to the sensitive area. 

I scooted the chair closer to the bed, leaning as far as I could to hover over them. They had a sly smirk on their lips as they turned off the vibrator and popped it into their mouth to lick it clean. “You’re irritated aren’t you?” They said cockily. I nodded slowly and they sat up to kiss my mouth that was forced to stay shut. “I would say that i’m sorry but it’s fun pushing your buttons, especially because you’ve been so into punishing mine lately. I wanted to have a little fun of my own this time.”

I stood quiet trying to make it inconspicuous that I was working my tongue against the panties in order to spit them out. They looked down at my cock and licked their lips. “I guess I could think about letting you go. Or I could have some more fun by myself.”

I finally got the panties against my teeth and spit them out. “I’m not fucking playing anymore. Let. Me. Go.” I growled.

Eri looked down at the discarded thong and sighed. Their foot hit the edge of the chair, pushing it back on its wheels and taking me with it. The whir of the vibrator started up again and I was forced to continue to watch how good a some stupid plastic toy was making them feel. They were thrusting it in faster this time, trying to increase their amount of pleasure and my pain. Their hand caressed their torso, stopping just a bit to cup their breast and tweak their nipple. Their lips parted into a soft sigh that morphed into a mewl as their back arched from the bed. With every pull of the vibrator i could see Eri's body shudder weakly, the toy glistening with a thin coating of their cum. They slipped it out and pressed the tip against their clit which almost made their thighs snap shut.

"J-Johnny…" They whispered. Their hand was tangled in their hair now, trying to steady themselves from giving in too soon.

They made no attempt to move and free me and instead kept plunging the vibrator deeper to perfect the way the curve of the toy hit them. I bounced my leg impatiently, deciding that maybe I could do a little reverse psychology. If I ignored them and didn't say anything perhaps they would get frustrated and more likely to let me go. It was hard but I silenced myself and averted my gaze from the show they were putting on. It didn't take long for them to catch on as they were tempting me with calling my name out louder. I swiveled the chair around, blocking my view entirely and giving them my middle finger in exchange for their torture. 

The bed creaked then and I felt their hand on my neck, tilting my head back. "You're ignoring me on purpose."

"I have no idea what you're talking about." I said, smugly.

They pressed the vibrator to my lips and worked it into my mouth so I could suck off their taste. It made me crave them even more but I continued my facade. "You do. You're playing games with me and I hate that." They grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked my head back. I bit down on my bottom lip and swallowed back the deep lustful groan that built up in my throat. Just stay focused Johnny. Stay focused.

Suddenly their bra was in my lap which meant they were only in the garter belt and thigh highs. Fucking hell. Thankfully, I finally felt the sweet release from the ropes. I stood up quickly and tossed off my shirt before rubbing my wrists. Eri backed up onto the bed and laid back with a teasing look on their face. They were waiting for my next move, wanting me to pounce on them. I decided to take my time, continuing to give them a taste of their own medicine. I casually grabbed a condom from their usual spot on their dresser and rolled it on, yawning in the process. 

Eri scoffed. "Don't give me that shit, boy. Get over here now."

"Maybe I don't want to." I said flatly.

"Yeah, tell that to your dick thats swollen and literally dripping cum everywhere, slut."

That I definitely couldn't hide but I shrugged and sauntered over to them. "I can take it. After all you've made me wait all this time. Can't you be patient now?"

They yanked me onto the bed and forced me onto my back before straddling my waist. "No. What I say goes. Fuck me."

"You're wrong princess. What I say goes."

"Princess is gone tonight. Deal with it, prince." They grabbed onto my wrists and pinned them down which made me jerk uncomfortably and feel panicked. "S-sorry…" They whispered softly, breaking character for just a moment to instead hold my hands. I relaxed back and exhaled deeply, closing my eyes and trying to focus on our tense banter instead of my past. They gave me a soft kiss. "You ok?"

I nodded and pressed my forehead to theirs, giving their fingers a squeeze. "Keep going."

"Rough?"

"Rough." I agreed.

"You can tell me when to stop still. Was the rope too much?"

"A little. It made me jumpy but I can't say I wasn't distracted." I chuckled and nuzzled their face. "Cmon, mommy. Show daddy what cha got." It was completely cheesy and made us both laugh but it dissipated as soon as I felt them sink down on me. I arched up instantly, sucking in a breath as their tightness overcame me. "Fuck, Eri. I need you."

"I know you do. You always will. You're addicted to me." They bounced their hips fast, wasting no time in denying our satisfaction any longer. They were right about being addicted to them but it wasn't a habit I wanted to break. They were the only person ive ever really loved romantically and I still couldn't even tell them that. I was frustrated and disappointed at myself but what else could I do until I got the balls enough to confess?

I forwent my inner turmoil and looked up at Eri who was grinding harder into me. Their lips were pouted in a silent moan that turned into a tiny squeak once I was able to wrap my lips around their nipple. I sucked deeply, hungry, and yearning for them to cum. Their hold on my hands was weakening a bit and I used my strength to roll them over onto their back. My lips never detached from them but I gained tons of leverage to plow into them hard and hip breakingly fast. Their legs squeezed around my waist and I clamped my hands around their thighs. The feeling of the thin mesh sent chills down my spine as did the lace when my fingers ran over it. I had no idea why but I want to cum all over the stockings and soak them with thick heavy ropes.

I blushed a bit, embarrassed at my own sudden desire. That seemed way too weird...but would they let me do it? I swallowed nervously and looked down at them. "Im gonna cum the way I want, got it?" I said, putting on my stern voice.

"What makes you think I'm gonna let you cum at all?"

I sat back, stilling my thrusts for a moment. "You really think you have that power over me?"

"I know I do." They took the opportunity to capture my vulnerability and sat on my lap , wrapping their arms around me tight. "Keep going. Break me."

Christ, break them? They were going to break me. The fast pace of our shifting positions and newfound desires was leaving me in a whirlwind haze of deadly sins. I gripped onto their hips and slammed them down onto me. Heavy breaths were exchanged between us as we tried to entertain ourselves with harsh kisses, licks, and bites. It was a sloppy mess that made me dig my nails into their ass and growl deeply. "Do that again," they whispered in my ear. "Growl for me."

How did I make it not sound forced and stupid? I rarely noticed when I did it as it was all unintentional. While I was fussing with my thoughts, Eri clamped down around me tight and drew out the sound they wanted easily enough. They let out a whimper and squeezed me tighter to their chest. They sunk their teeth into my shoulder as their small body caved in and I could feel them dripping down my shaft. I kept my arm around their waist as they dug their fingers into my hair squeezing tightly but not pulling. "You ok, babe?"

They nodded quickly and finally released my shoulder from pain. "S-so good." I turned their head up towards mine and captured them in a slower kiss, letting out tongues work over one another gently. With a few small pecks they parted from me for a moment. "How do you want to cum? Don't say inside me because that's not happening again."

I shook my head. "Just...don't laugh, ok?"

They raised an eyebrow in confusion as I set them back down on the bed. I rolled off the condom and tossed it on the floor, not really giving a damn about it in this moment. I lifted their legs a bit, pressing their thighs together with just enough space for my cock to flow through them. The softness of their thighs coupled with the fabric was enough to make me go crazy. I thrusted faster, even feeling the lace caress my shaft. I clutched at their calves tightly as I felt that oh so familiar bliss creep within, this time heightened more than I could ever imagine. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter, my breath weakening, and when I felt that heated tension I set their legs down and splattered my cum across the fabric.

I braced myself by placing my arms beside them and tried to catch my breath. They hadn't said a word or even made a sound since I became obsessed with getting off that way. I was almost afraid to look at them but when I opened my eyes I saw that their face was completely flushed. "I-i-i'm um...I'm sorry that was weird, I know." I said, ashamed.

"No. No. I'm...it wasn't weird. I just...I've never done that before."

"Yeah I...uh…" I pushed my hair back and flopped down on the bed beside them, preferring to just shrink away. "Sorry." I apologized again.

"Johnny…" they suddenly giggled. "I think you just leveled up your thigh high kink."

Now it was my turn to blush even more. "S-shut up! I have not!"

"Mhm, this mess says otherwise. Will you take them off for me? You can touch me as long as you want."

That offer seemed amazing but I was dead tired and I knew if I even so much as started to touch their thighs I would be rushing to cum again. Nonetheless, I did at least remove their soiled stockings and garter belt and tossed it beside the rest of our clothes on the floor. I managed to reach for my jeans and pulled out my crushed pack of cigs and lighter. Finally relaxing, I lit one up and rested beside them, realizing that maybe this new year was made for new kinks.

--

Eri's pov

We laid together for awhile, suffering through trying to catch our breath in the coldness of my room and sharing a cigarette or two as an end note to our ridiculous fucking. I was drifting into sleep thanks to the usual comforting smells of his musk and barely lingering cologne when Johnny decided to open his mouth and talk. I sighed a bit and looked up at him with my sleepy eyes, hoping he'd take the hint. "So like...me and Jae's birthdays are in a month and we're gonna have like this party so obvi you're invited but I wanted to let you know."

"Your birthday?" Fuck i still actually didnt know his birthday was. Why were we like this? "When is it?"

"Mine is on the 9th and Jae's is on the 14th. So we're doing it on the weekend. We always celebrate together."

"An aquarius…" I scoffed. "God that explains so much." I flopped onto my back and went off thinking about our actual astrological compatibility while he continued to talk about the party.

"Eri! Are you listening?!"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at him. "Yes! The party I got it!"

"Yeah, I know that. I asked you when your birthday is."

"Oh...um, it's October 29."

He sat up a bit and looked at me. "As in, it passed and you didn't tell me?"

"I don't really celebrate my birthday. Id much rather celebrate Halloween. Besides...October was a weird month for us…"

"Still you could've said something...how is it that we still don't know the most basic info about each other?"

I shrugged. "We thrive on shared trauma which, ya know, isn't really that great but here we are.".

"I mean we had that talk in the hotel room but I guess even that was a bit heavy with you telling me about your gay stuff…"

"The gay stuff™️." I giggled. "But yeah, I guess so. If you ask me though, knowing each other on a deeper level is better than us knowing our fave colors and birthdays."

"I can see that to some extent. I would still like to know that superficial stuff about you."

I sat up a bit, letting my hair drift over my shoulder and onto his chest. "Ok, Johnathan. I know that you're from Chicago, you're a Mama's boy, your fave color is blue, you like photography and live off of iced americanos from Starbucks. You can sing and play the piano and you're in photojournalism. And now I know you're an aquarius. So if there's any more superficial stuff you'd like me to know then have at it."

"Gee, thanks. Now you just sound like an asshole." He rolled his eyes and tried to shift away from me but I managed to wriggle my weight onto him.

"I'm serious. Go ahead and tell me. Or you can ask me a bunch of shit. 20 questions, you softie."

He sighed and set his hands behind his head. "Alright question one, what made you such a pain in my ass?"

"That's not a 'superficial' lovey question, Johnathan." I teased. "And i'm not a pain in the ass, you just like me. Admit it. I'm the majestic goddess of your dreams!" 

"Oh definitely. Nothing less than a majestic goddess." He smiled as I leaned in for a kiss. "Question two, how old even are you?"

"I just turned 21."

He sat up quickly, almost knocking our heads together. "Whoa, wait, really?? You're younger than Jae! He's turning 22!"

"Well how old are you gonna be?!"

"24!"

"Oh my god, you act like it's such a big deal. Don't scare me like that. Almost everyone I fuck is older than me, except Lucas. Who cares?" I pressed him back down onto the bed and resumed my position of comfort on top of him.

"I mean like...I normally go for older chicks so it's just a bit weird…"

"Well, what they say about older people being wiser isn't always true. Especially since my young self made you have two orgasms in a row, deep throated you, made you realize that eating pussy isn't so bad, and taught you that being a daddy never felt so good."

"You're so annoying, I swear." He scoffed.

"You only say I'm annoying when I'm right, which is like all the time, so next question please."

"What's your last name?"

"Hah, funny. I have like 4, all of which you probably cant pronounce so we'll skip all those. What's your last name?"

"Suh."

"Suh?" I questioned. "Like suh' bro?"

"Like Johnny Suh." He booped my nose.

"Eri Suh wouldn't sound too bad…better than what I have now." It came out faster than I wanted to and I thought he was going to freak out but instead he pulled me to his chest and kissed my forehead.

"Yeah...maybe."

I wasn't really sure how to react to his gentleness. It felt strange but oh so comforting. Marriage wasn't my gig at all but...the name did sound cute. I pulled the covers up to my chin and settled against his warmth. "A-anyway, I'll go to your party."

"Don't sound so enthusiastic, damn." He joked.

At least he wasn't hung up on my embarrassing revelation of how our names sounded together. "But don't worry, Suh. Mommy will remember to give you 24 spankings like you deserve."

"Eri, dont you dare! You're not gonna be spanking me anytime soon!"

"You'd be surprised! Maybe you'd like being a sub!"

"Maybe I should use the panty to gag you next, hmm? I don't wanna hear your big mouth. I'm tired!"

"Oh you ass!" I giggled and playfully hit his shoulder, barely inflicting pain. He tried to slap my hands away and curl up on his side, laughing with me. When I had enough I grabbed onto him like a koala, finally becoming the big spoon I always wanted to be.

He didn't move away from me. In fact, he held onto my hand that was around his waist and sighed softly. His shoulders released their tension and I could tell that he was actually falling asleep. A giddy smile was on my lips as I nuzzled his spine happy to be the one providing him with protection for once.

--

It was hard getting closer to him without actually being a couple. We had become so close it was almost impossible to separate us. There was always a little voice in the back of my mind that screamed 'just tell him! What's the worse that could happen?!'. Heartache. Heartache was what could happen. Love is not easy. It was one of the hardest things I had to face since I broke up with Jungwoo. That was another reason I stopped myself. It was like a gut reaction that sent me into a panic when I thought about someone being in love with me.

I regret what happened. We were a cute couple. I was full of naivety and thinking my world was so sweet when I was around him, which it was. He was polite, kind, a true gentleman, and always put me first. He was literally a perfect boyfriend. He was also the first boyfriend I ever had. That threw my sexuality for a dizzying loop since I had been with my ex girlfriend for most of high school until the beginning of college. I realized that men weren't so bad (pfft, yeah right), especially my Jungwoo.

It was almost 9 months that we were together, inseparable and presenting as the white picket fence pristine couple. Waiting also came with Jungwoo as he was extremely shy when it regarded romance. We had barely kissed within those nine months but held hands like it was our job. It makes me laugh now how reserved I was back then. I was almost virginal (well technically a virgin with a real dick. Definitely not a virgin with a girl (or a fake dick)) and Jungwoo for sure was a virgin which seemed to make that moment more special when the time came. Our kisses were clumsy and awkward, our hands unsure of where to explore, and our bodies fumbled until we were connected. We nervously laughed and stared at each other and I had no idea what to make him do. We could only think of to thrust but still weren’t really sure how to make it pleasurable. I didn't know what I wanted from sex with a man and I laid there thinking most of the time instead of trying to enjoy it all. And then it happened.

Like a doomsday bomb the three little words were mumbled from his lips and I froze. See, the layers of trauma were just beginning to pile on. My girlfriend had told me she never even loved me after out five year (childlike) relationship, and now that Jungwoo had said that I feared that he was lying. He was just going to stab my heart again and laugh at my misery. No matter how nice he presented to be. That was what she did after all; was nice and then turned her back on me and destroyed what I thought was real and most important. And so I ran. I physically ran. I pushed him away, tossed on my clothes, and sped from his dorm room as fast as possible. He was confused and I didn't talk to him after. No explanation or anything. I ignored his texts, ignored when he came to my dorm, avoided him at all costs. The kicker was that he did actually love me and now I was the person that caused pain and suffering.

Thus my caution with Johnny and being terrified to say anything. I wanted to, god I really really wanted to, but the trauma and fears and of course him outright saying we wouldn't be together we're speed bumps in my recovery to love like a normal person. I still thought about confessing for the hell of it and throw myself down the rabbit hole of self hatred but I was still too scared. This was also the first time love had hit me so hard. With Jungwoo I wasn't really sure of my feelings but with Johnny it was almost like I knew right away. I had never fallen in love that fast with someone ever. He made my heart race, my body ascend of planes of absolute bliss I could never imagine myself being on. He made me laugh, feel safe, listened to me, and was there through my personal disasters and didn't budge. He didn't care about what had happened to me. It was almost as if he found it normal since we had similar stories. I wanted him so bad. I needed him. 

I sighed as my tornado of thoughts about love hit me all at once in the parking lot of Johnny's apartment complex. It was the night of his party and I wasn't going to ruin it by being a crying mess as soon as he rejected me after my confession. I stepped out of the car and slammed the door shut, squaring my shoulders and taking a deep breath to put on my brave face and stuff my feelings away. I mean how could I be Eri if I actually talked about my feelings.

I shuffled my feet against the ice, trying not to fall as I made my way to the door of the building. I fucking hated winter. I was an island baby, what the hell was I supposed to do with a giant pile of frozen hatred? I made it safely and went to Johnny's apartment. The door was open and I let myself in, looking around at the people already dancing and mingling. I tried to find him but couldn't really see him anywhere, which was weird since the apartment wasn't that big. I went to his room, pushing past a few people to look for him there. The room was empty though and I simply unzipped my coat and tossed it on his mattress.

"Hey."

I turned and expected to see my birthday boy but it was Lucas. My heart immediately felt like it was a piece of paper that got crunched into a ball to throw in the trash can. "Hey…"

"Can we...talk? Please?"

"About what?"

"What happened between us."

"Lucas, I came here to have a good time not be bombarded with sadness."

"I know but you're ignoring me every other way so I need to do this. Please."

Great. Exactly what I needed. "Go on."

He stepped into the room and closed the door behind him. We both sat down on the bed and I waited for him to start. "Eri, I am so sorry for what I made you feel. Like incredibly, totally, irreparably, sorry for what I did. I didn't think it was a big deal but I was being selfish and only thinking about my fun. It never even crossed my mind that it would hurt you so much, which of course was a problem. Then you stopped talking to me and I realized I could actually lose you. I don't want to lose you. That's the very last thing I want Eri. You mean so much to me and Quinn definitely beat it into my brain that I was an asshole. I just hope you can forgive me. Maybe not today but somewhere down the road. I miss hanging out with you. I miss laughing with you and cuddling you and all that stuff. I know you're in love with Johnny so we can't be friends with benefits anymore but I don't care about that. I want you. The three of us, back together again. Me, you, and Quinn."

He took a deep breath and rubbed his palms against his jeans, seemingly to wipe the sweat off. I didn't know what to say. I set my elbows on my knees and leaned forward to cup my face in my hands. I wanted to scream. Of fucking course this would be the first thing that hits me. I did love my Lucas puppy. I love him too much. I hated not talking to him or tagging him in stupid memes. I would go to the ends of the Earth for him. I could hear the remorse in his voice and see the pained look in his eyes and it made me want to scream. He did the least amount of damage compared to Yuta and Ten, and he was the only one who apologized. It was a lot to think about but I caved in.

"I forgive you Lucas." His eyes lit up in that excited puppy way which made me crack a small smile. "It's hard but I do forgive you. I miss you."

"Fuck! Eri!" He tackled me back onto the bed and gave me a strong hug, crushing me in his long arms.

"Lucas! Argh- Jesus! Are you gonna let me breathe?!"

"Oh sorry!" He pulled away from me and I sat back up again. "I'm just so happy to be with you again. I love you."

"I love you too " It was so nice and easy to say that to him, why couldn't it be the same with Johnny. Lucas laid his head on my shoulder and I pet his hair back. It may be weird to try and go back to being normal but I felt confident enough that we could make it work. It was years of investment into our relationship and admittedly tons of nights of passion and intense love that would go down in the history of my little black book. It was hard to let him go and I couldn't do that just yet.

"Can we hang out soon?" He asked.

"Yeah, maybe. I have a lot on my mind right now…"

"With Johnny?"

I sighed. "Yeah. I don't know what to do anymore. I love him but I don't know if I can tell him yet."

"You have to Eri. It just seems like it's killing you."

"It is but what if it hurts? What if it backfires? What if I just become an irreparable mess?"

"If he fucks you up I'll beat his ass. Quinn will beat his ass. You don't have to worry about that."

"Violence is not going to solve my heartache, Lucas. It's not going to make me feel better if he rejects me."

"Look," Lucas sat up and held onto my shoulders. "You're a risk taker. You're always doing new and cool shit. Johnny would be stupid to pass up the chance to be with you. Besides I know someone who would jump on the opportunity to be with you."

"God Lucas don't tell me it's you. Please, I don't need that "

"I mean yes but also no." He laughed. "It's not me exactly but you just let me know what Johnny says, ok? I make sure you won't go through that alone." He kissed my forehead and gave me a death grip hug. "Text me, whenever you do it. I'll have my bat ready just in case."

"When did you become such an adult? What happened to my goofy baby boy?" I half joked. He had grown up a lot in the past year and I was proud of him, especially for making the decision to talk it out with me.

He shrugged. "I can't stay a kid forever. I like having fun but I know when things are important and need to be fixed. I know when I'm wrong." He kissed me gently and pressed his forehead to mine. "One last one before you're with him forever." I shouldn't have. It felt like I was betraying Johnny but then again we weren't together. I cupped Lucas' face in my hands and kissed him slowly, feeling that familiar comfort we had in being with one another. I sighed softly into his mouth before falling into his chest. He kissed the top of my head then patted my shoulder. "Let's get back out there. We can at least celebrate his birthday which by the way you owe me for mine!"

"I know, I missed yours. I will make it up to you when we hang out. I'll cook for you."

He gave me a great big smile. He loved food and that was the key to his heart. "Hell yeah! You're a great cook! I'll hold you to it."

We both got up from the bed and made our way towards the door. When he exited the room he gave me one last kiss on the cheek before we parted. I exhaled deeply, trying to pretend I was okay but all of that hit me in the first part of the night and it was a mess. I attracted messes. Messy messes that just came with suffering. But now it was time to look for Johnny and hopefully he could make me feel a little better. I maneuvered through people as I searched but instead caught sight of Yuta. My heart stopped when he looked at me and just across from his was Taeyong. Why were they here? Johnny couldn't have possibly invited them. I was falling into panic mode already and wanted to run.

I felt strong arms wrap around me and a kiss on my cheek. “There you are! I was looking for you. When did you get here?” I turned and held onto Johnny happily. I was glad to be in his arms again.

"I got here not too long ago but Im gonna go. I don't think I can be here." I said with a shaky voice.

Johnny looked me, concerned. "Why? What's going on?"

"I saw Yuta and Taeyong and I just talked to Lucas and it's just a lot right now."

"I can kick them out if you want. Im not even sure how they got here. Must've tagged along with someone else."

"No, no. It's fine. I don't want to cause drama at another party. It's your birthday. I want you to have fun."

"Yeah, but I wanna have fun with you. If you don't wanna stay we can go somewhere else." He said as he set his arms around me.

"This is your party, Johnny. You should stay."

"Fuck it. Come on. We'll just do our own thing. I don't care as long as I'm with you." He took my hand before I could even protest and headed towards the front door. I managed to snag my coat at the last second and got dragged along until we arrived at his car. I had no idea where he was taking me but I trusted him enough to let him lead the way. Our pinkies remained linked as he drove one handed and slowly my anxiety evaporated into the winter air. Eventually we came across an abandoned building where Johnny parked.

"Oh great, you're gonna kill me. You know, I was supposed to be the serial killer in this relationship." I said as I stared at the dilapidated structure.

"Shut up." He joked and sucked his teeth. "I think this place is really cool and I thought you would like it because its all spooky and shit."

"Well you got me there. It does look cool." He got out the car and I pulled my coat tighter, finding my beanie and gloves in the pocket. I put those on too and got out, hearing the untouched snow crunch beneath my boots. The quietness of the night was magical and a breath of fresh air. Small snowflakes fluttered down from the sky and it made me feel like a kid again. I stuck my tongue out and tried to catch the flakes, spinning around and holding out my arms. I normally didn't like winter but there were times where snow was so scenic and pristine that it made me utterly happy.

In the midst of the quietness I heard clicking and turned around to see Johnny's professional camera in his hands. "What are you doing?" I asked.

He simply shrugged. "Nothing."

"Where did you get that camera from? Why are you taking pictures of me?"

"I had it in my car after I went through the park a couple days ago. And because I like taking pictures of beautiful things."

My face flushed deeply and my eyes went wide. He...he just called me beautiful. The shutter went off again and I rushed to his side. "Why'd you take it then?!"

He chuckled and squeezed me to his chest. "Your reaction. It was natural and I wanted to capture that." He sniffled against the cold.

I buried my face in his chest and clutched onto him. "You're a big dumb dummy head…" 

"Oh yeah? I hear you like big dumb dummy heads." He bent down to playfully kiss at my neck and cheek, making me giggle.

"Maybe I do. But only certain ones. Certain cheesy dorky ones."

"Im not dorky! Im cool."

"Only dorks say that they're cool." I kissed his frozen nose, making him wrinkle it. "You're freezing. You didn't even bring a jacket. All you have are your sweats."

He pulled his hoodie over his head and shrugged. "I'm alright. Are you warm enough?"

"No, not really. You wanna take cute pictures of me freezing my ass off!" I playfully hit his chest then wrapped my arms around his neck. "Should we head back? Maybe we can go to my apartment and chill there instead?"

"Mhm yeah and you can give me my birthday sex."

I rolled my eyes. "Who said you're getting any birthday sex?"

"Daddy did." He nuzzled my neck, just beneath my jaw and nipped ever so slightly.

I returned my blushing face to his chest to hide my embarrassment. "S-shut up and let's get back."

He laughed and opened the door for me first before heading over to the driver's side. I shut the door and settled into the seat while he tried to turn over the engine, except it kept stalling. "FUCKFUCKFUCK. Not now!" He hit the steering wheel and let out an exasperated sigh.

"What's wrong? Why won't it start?"

"Sometimes when it's too cold my engine freezes up and won't start. Normally I can get some hot water and pour it on but we're shit out of luck now."

"Oh my god. You and your piece of shit car! I do not want to be stuck here in this cold!" I pulled out my phone quickly and checked my battery. I had forgotten to charge the damn thing and it was barely at 10 percent. "Wonderful. What's your phone at?"

Johnny dug into the pocket of his sweatpants and checked it. It was nothing but a black screen. "Welp, that's great. It's dead."

"UGHHH!" I quickly typed out a text to Quinn, hoping that I had enough battery to tell them to come get us. "If Jae jump starts your car will that work?"

"Yeah, it will. Did you get through to them?"

"It sent but hopefully they see it soon and aren't in the middle of giving Jae his birthday sex." I rolled my eyes and sat back in the seat. "My phone might not make it until they reply."

"Let's hope for the fucking best. I have no idea what else to do."

"I guess we fucking suffer." I said bitterly. I crossed my arms over my chest and pulled my hood up to try and burrow myself away. It didn't work as well and I was still shivering. Johnny was too and he kept rubbing his hands together to try and generate warmth.

"You wanna u-uh...get in the back seat and try and like cuddle to warm up?” He said as his teeth chattered.

It was better than nothing. I nodded and worked my way into the backseat the hard way instead of just getting out of the car and jumping back in. I always had to do things the hard way. Johnny joined me (the smart way) and instantly stuck to my side. I opened my coat and tried to get him in. He laid his head on my chest and wrapped his arms around me, shivering every so often. I leaned back against the door giving him more room to lay down on the seat. His hair was still damp from the snowfall and chilled my lips as I kissed the top of his head. His hands roamed south to rub my thighs, sliding over my leggings and beneath the black sweater dress I wore. “You better behave.” I said sternly, knowing that he would get too eager to be between them again.

“It'll help us keep warm. I swear.”

“Uh-huh. You’re just obsessed with them.”

“I’m obsessed with everything about your body. It’s amazing.”

“Shut it. Why are you giving me so many compliments today? You’re making me feel all...like my stomach is doing weird things.”

He looked up at me and nibbled his lip for a moment. “It’s doing weird things to my stomach too.”

“Then stop.” I whined. I didn’t want him to play games with my emotions. Not while I was freezing in his damn car, stuck in the middle of an unknown part of town, ready to die at any second. Okay, that last part was a bit far fetched but it felt like it.

“I don’t think I want to.” His voice was much softer then and he sat up to look me in the eyes. I wanted to avoid him at all cost but something in his eyes held me in place. Everything seemed different for some unknown reason. Nothing was special about being stuck in a car but the air around us started feeling a bit tense; a little sexual, a little nervous, and a little awkward. “Can I kiss you?”

“W-what? I mean yeah, you’re always okay to kiss me.” That was a strange question. The first time we kissed he took it from me without so much as a single word. Now after six months he was asking me as if we had just started seeing each other. I tried to clear my head as I felt his lips against mine. It was still a perfect Johnny kiss even with the strange feeling before it. Bit by bit I relaxed into him, settling onto the seat as he crawled onto me. His cold hands slid up my dress making me gasp as it touched my much warmer skin.

He buried himself in my neck and whispered an apology between kisses. He adjusted me as much as he could to settle between my legs. It was much easier to feel him grind into me in sweatpants than it was in his usual tight jeans and it instantly made my body react. I was a sweet symphony of soft whimpers as he ground his hips into me deeper. I grabbed onto his ass and worked him forward to greedily add more friction between us. Occasionally he would free my skin from his lips to moan when I hit a particularly sweet spot.

"Can I, um, eat y-you out again?" He asked suddenly.

I pulled away from him and gave him a surprised look. He hadn't done it since Christmas and I assumed once was enough even though he said he enjoyed it. I wasn't expecting this out of him. "O-oh...well sure. Make sure to keep my thighs warm though, ok?"

He nodded like an excited puppy and stared at me. I stared back wondering why the hell he was stalling.

"Uh you gonna take off your pants or what?" Johnny asked.

"Oh shit! Sorry. Hold on." Duh, of course that's what he was waiting for. It took me forever to unlace my boots and kick them off given the minimal space we had especially since the driver's seat was pushed all the way back to accommodate his stupid long legs and I was directly behind it. Once my feet were finally free I wriggled out of my leggings, having a moment where I jammed my foot into the back of the seat. Who even thought car sex was a good idea ever?

"You good?" 

I nodded and resumed my spot laying down on the seat with one leg hanging off it. Johnny worked himself between my legs again and thankfully moved his heated tongue through my slit. He caressed his slightly rough hands over my thighs and dug his face deeper into me. "That's good, baby…" I mewled. He seemed to have taken the criticism from last time seriously, putting it into full effect. He was slower this time but keeping a good pace, sucking on my clit before flicking his tongue against it. I grabbed onto his hand that rested on my thigh and folded our fingers together. I gave him a gentle squeeze and edged my hips up slightly.

"That good?"

I nodded and begged him to keep going. He pushed his tongue into me then, circling around my entrance and thrusting against the beginnings of my walls. His thumb brushed against the left side of my hip, rubbing the sensitive erogenous zone. My legs were beginning to quiver and I wanted to grind into his face but was unsure how he'd feel about that just yet. I figured it might overstimulate him and didn't want him to have a panic attack. So I left him at his own pace unsure if I should ask for more. "Can I…" He cleared his throat and didn't look me in the eye. "Can I use my fingers now?"

"Y-yessss." I hissed in a shallow breath. "Put them in my mouth first?"

He nodded and slipped them in while he shoved his sweatpants down a little lower to rest beneath his cock. As I sucked deeply I creept my legs towards my chest to press my thighs together. Johnny took the hint and I was sure he used a bit of my cum and his saliva to wet himself enough to pass through my thighs. I knew it was needed but hated thinking about the process and tried to occupy my mind with the way his fingers just barely tickled the back of my throat. Johnny rocked himself upward this time, brushing against my clit before bursting through the barrier my thighs made. I gasped around his fingers and gripped his wrist tighter, moaning eagerly.

He continued those electrifying thrusts that made my toes curl and calves tense. He was nothing but a string of soft curses, tossing his head back in utter bliss. He moved faster as his desire grew and made my clit throb with all the attention it was getting, making it almost too sensitive. If he kept this up, and I knew he would want to do this for hours, he would cum too fast. I parted from his hand and set my own on his shoulder. "W-wait. You're getting too excited."

He groaned and pouted. "I am not. I'm not gonna bust a nut that quick."

"One, don't ever say that again. Two, just relax for a bit. You always get so worked up."

"I just want you so fucking bad. It's cold, you're hot. Just let me be inside you."

I went to say something but shut my mouth quickly. Well damn. I opened my legs once more and grabbed a hold of his cock to guide him towards me. I was able to see him stretch me apart until he was fully seated inside, both of us sighing in contentment. He lowered himself to rest flush against my body, making sure his warmth covered every inch of me. He pressed our lips together and I wrapped my arms around his back, falling deeply into his passionate kiss.

He began his descent into a perfect rhythm of push and pull, filling me until he couldn't go any further. That stretch that made my stomach ache always brought fluttering wings inside me, even more so when he paired it with sucking my bottom lip between his. His hand set itself over my covered breast and squeezed, rubbing his thumb over my nipple. I still felt the motion and grabbed onto his sweatshirt tighter as I whimpered softly. Suddenly I heard a thud and Johnny stopped moving.

"Ow! Fuck!" He pulled away and held the top of his head as he had hit it on the door, wincing slightly.

I tried to stifle my laugh and pulled him closer so I could kiss the top of his head. "Aww, baby, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Stupid car isn't made for tall people."

"We could switch positions if you want." I offered which he quickly shut down.

"No, I like this one. It's fine." He grabbed onto the door instead, bracing himself to prevent any further incidents. He resumed his thrusting and I hid my giggling smile. I lifted myself onto my elbows to make it easier for him and to try and prevent any more accidents. I hooked my legs over the back of his thighs and from this position I was closer to his face and could plant kisses all over his lips, cheek, and neck, to soothe his damaged klutzy ego. He was avoiding looking at me, though I loved watching the way his body worked against mine.

His eyes remained squeezed shut and I convinced myself it was because of his embarrassment or that he was concentrating on his motions. I reminded myself that I should do the same and not worry so much about what he was thinking or if he was truly hurt. By the way he was slowly penetrating me I figured he was all for us staying connected. That was when I actually took notice of his speed. It was slow; more gentle than usual, almost as if he was trying to make love to me. My heart started racing then. This was way more intimate than I ever thought and not because of the close quarters of the car. What the hell was happening?

"J-johnny?"

"Do y-you like it this w-way?" He stuttered.

"Well...um...yeah it's nice. You can move faster if you want." I tried to break that too close for comfort feeling but he only shook his head and buried his face in the crook of my neck.

"No. This feels too damn good. I can feel everything inside you." He breathed out. My whole body seemed to flush with fever and I had no idea what to do now. My eyes drifted to the frost covered window as if it was a magic mirror that could tell me my true desires. This was even different than the times we had sleepy sex. My head was starting to get hazy with overthinking and I could barely concentrate on how he was making my body feel.

 "Johnny are you ok?" Maybe something was wrong with how he was feeling. After all this was for the sake of warming up in the winter stampede. Going faster would speed up our body's adaptation to comfort.

He wrapped his arms around my waist and ignored my question which made me press my hand to his chest to stop him. "Johnny." I said sternly.

"What?"

"Answer my question."

"Don't ask it. I'm ok."

"Yeah but you just seem a bit strange."

"How am I strange?" He asked. I could tell that there was slight irritation in his voice. "We fuck all the time."

"But this isn't fucking…"

"What do you mean it's not fucking? My dick is inside you. Were fucking."

"No, no…" I said softly. "It's like...you're making love to me…"

"W-what? No! Absolutely not! Im just...it's just…"

"Why are you doing this?"

"I'm not doing anything, Eri. Just focus. Am I making you feel good or not?"

"Yeah…too good."

Our eyes met then though he avoided them quickly. It was futile to try and get through to him. I sighed and started rocking my hips again, diverting both of our attentions to trying to get off. He pressed his hand against the small of my back, edging me as close as possible as he sat back on his knees. "That's good." I sighed into his shoulder. "Keep going."

He groaned deeply before he continued. "Where do you want me to cum?"

"Wait, you're close already?"

"No! I just wanted to know ahead of time." 

"Oh...uh...I guess I could just swallow?"

"You hate doing that."

I pouted a bit. "Yeah well where the hell else you gonna do it?! It'll be a mess if it's anywhere else."

"Ok, cool."

I threw up my hands and huffed. "What the hell is wrong with you?! This is driving me crazy! Just fuck me! Please!" Don't make me think about all the fucking feelings I have for you, you goddamn bastard. Just don't.

"I don't want to fuck right now! Can't I go slower?!"

"Since when do you want to go slower?! The last few times we've fucked it's been hard and fast. What's the change of attitude?"

"Jesus Christ! I just want to- I mean like it doesn't always have to be like that!" He exclaimed.

"Johnny, seriously, what's wrong?!" 

"Nothing!! I just love you, ok?!"

[btsunniemoonie]

Headcanon: Namjoon as your boyfriend

After the Jungkook scenario, I was asked by a cute anon to do the same for Namjoon and here I am, back with another headcanon!

Namjoon as your boyfriend. 

Is there anything purer than that?

Hardly... 

No warnings except excessive fluff.

All credits to gif owners. 

Boyfriend Namjoon

OKAY BUT 

RKive 

Bye

He probably got you the cuddliest and softest blanket there is for the times when you’re over in his studio which is (always) often 

When you fall asleep on his couch during late nights and he turns around, you can actually hear his heart shatter to a million pieces 

like

literally

Will stand up and walk up to you to cover you properly 

While leaning forward and pressing his lips against your forehead 

Gently pushes one stray strand of hair out of your face, stroking it and tracing your features with his fingertips 

He is always in a trace when he looks at you because to him you are the most beautiful creature in the world 

this boy is so weak for you it’s not even funny anymore 

The smile on his face 

In all its dimpled glory 

but 

Love equals clumsiness 

So watch out 

especially during the beginning when he’s trying to act smooth, he tends to ... yeah, fail

“Hey babe, I got a new jacket, what do you-“

While trying to show off, he accidentally knocked a mug off the kitchen counter, making its half-full contents spill all over the floor and cupboards, the mug itself shattering on the ground with the shards everywhere 

He will blush so much and revert to a shy little boy, instantly leaning down to pick up the broken pieces

and of course, cutting himself because around you he can’t seem to make the shaking of his hands stop 

He will flinch, biting his lip to not make a sound but you being the ever attentive girlfriend will notice immediately and, with a slight sigh but a very gentle smile on your lips, will get him out of the mess and instead pull him into the bathroom

You will make him sit down on the closed lid of the toilet because the rim of the bathtub is not safe for him and get out the first aid kit (which is not the first time; you have it conveniently stored by now) 

Although he’s shying away, he will eventually open his hand with a little bit of coaxing from your side 

(because did he really embarrass himself in front of the love of his life AGAIN?!) 

When he opens his hand, you will see what happened, how the blood is pooling in his hand 

You really learned how to treat little wounds well (kudos to him) 

He thinks while watching you with big eyes

You’re so preoccupied, you probably won’t notice how he gives you T H E LOOK TM 

A smile so tender and soft will light up his features 

His heart will beat away in his chest

His bottom lip sucked between his teeth

as he holds his breath

not believing how he was able to land someone like you, a perfect, beautiful girl

“There you go, all done.” 

He will be so shy when your eyes lock when you look up

Probably blushing

But he won’t look away

instead, he will take your face between his hands very carefully 

he always treats you delicately, scared that he will break you otherwise 

and kisses your lips 

Have you seen his lips?!?

His kisses 

OMG PLEASE

H E A V E N 

soft pecks

slow kisses

loving and passionate making-out sessions

Whatever it is, those lips surely will be your downfall 

Throw in his sweet words in between

with that voice of his 

D O O M 

He is probably T H E boyfriend 

All those partner outfits 

and all those aesthetically pleasing selcas

“Let's take a picture here?”

“Anything you want sweet cheeks!”

He will probably call you sweet cheeks, baby girl and baby 

T A L K S 

It’s such a sophisticated relationship istg

He is in constant search of wisdom and how to further evolve and develop himself, so the need to articulate himself is very high

He needs to share his insights and ideas with someone

and who would be better than you? 

He will come up to you, curl his arms around your waist from behind while leaning his chin on the top of your head, telling you about the book he read

Will feel the need to talk to you about topics that most wouldn’t dare address or simply don’t care about 

“Don’t you think it’s fascinating how a piece of convexed glass can improve sight? How does someone even think of that?” 

He will ask the most random things at the weirdest times 

His thirst for knowledge is so big 

Yet sometimes he just needs silence 

During those times he really appreciates when you place his head on your lap and just caress his hair or spoon him 

Your relationship is equal and even though he is the man most of the times, he will have his weak moments, not feeling ashamed to display them in front of you

He trusts you fully

He invests in this relationship fully too 

So he wouldn’t feel uncomfortable with letting you in and showing you his feelings (including the ones that aren’t positive) 

When he comes home after a long day the only thing that can light him up is you 

Wants to snuggle with you

Will wordlessly pull you to your bedroom or coach, whichever is closer, and simply drape himself all over you

His face deeply buried in the crook of your neck 

The only thing he needs now is your comforting smell and the faint beat of your heart 

He will immediately calm down because now he’s finally home  

Will probably fall asleep in that position, thankful that you don’t ask but simply understand 

Meeting your parents

Oh 

My

God

He will be SO nervous, his hands shaking 

because he has to make a good first impression 

You’re the only one he wants to marry, after all, so he shouldn’t fuck things up with his future in-laws 

At least not right off the bat at the first meeting 

You’re probably invited to dinner on a nice afternoon 

And he comes out of the bathroom three hours before 

In a tuxedo, his hair slicked back, looking better than ever but also way too overdressed

And you’re just O///O

“Do you think this is okay?”

You’re at a complete loss, standing up and coming up to him 

“Joonie, don’t you think this is a little too much?”

Because damn, it is and this boy went all the way out

Panic dances in his eyes at your words

You’d have to pull him in a loving embrace because

“I want them to like me.”

“I don’t wanna mess this up.”

And you’d have to calm him down because this poor boy would be so scared and worried

“They will love you. I told them about you and remember when we skyped with them?” 

Your voice and words would calm him down gradually and he’d hug you back, kissing the side of your neck 

He’d probably wear normal pants with a button down and glasses, something he’s more comfortable with but something that’s still chic

In front of your parent’s door, he would take your hand and squeeze it tenderly while closing his eyes and breathing through before pressing the bell

He’d instantly switch into leader-mode 

He is used to facing situations he was never in and can handle them coolly without showing off how much he worries inside 

He would greet your mother so politely and gift her a bouquet of flowers or something else with his dimpled smile 

“I see where (y/n) got her beauty from.”

He’d be so charming 

your mother would fall for him right away, giggling and ushering the two of you inside

He is an absolute professional

Ever the gentleman 

He’d always allow you first, gesturing you inside 

Have you seen this boy and his habits?

He will call your dad sir and nothing else istg

He’d be so respectful and bow in front of him as soon as he catches a glimpse of him 

He’d sit right next to you but would be so decent all the time, holding light conversation with your dad 

Until your mum calls you into the kitchen to help her out 

He’d panic internally when you’d round the corner

because you’re gone 

and he’s alone with your father 

But

to his surprise

no, your dad doesn’t want to fillet him 

Instead, he simply smiles and continues to tell the story 

Namjoon will listen attentively and nod, throwing in some comments here and there

The two of them will lose track of time because 

Namjoon is so fascinated by the stories of the past your father tells and the experiences he made 

while your dad finds the point of view of Namjoon refreshing and interesting 

The two of them get along just swimmingly, looking up surprised when you’d call them to eat

He’d pull out the stool for you, letting you sit first before taking the spot right beside you

His manners are impeccable

Dinner would go so smoothly, conversation flowing easily and everybody would enjoy themselves 

Your parents are absolutely smitten with his good manners and competence

while Namjoon would slowly grow more and more comfortable because of the hospitality and warmth your parents greeted him with 

The evening would end on a bliss point, your parents waving while the two of you would get the car ready 

He’d smile so brightly 

His hand tightly interlaced with yours while he drives, looking forward 

His eyes would always stray to you though 

He can never keep his eyes away from you for too long when you’re around 

“It went well huh?”

He’d chuckle so happily

nodding

and squeezing your hand

“I’m so glad. Now it won’t be a problem to ask for your hand.”

Cue the coughing fit from your side because

aslkfhfaka?!?? 

He wouldn’t even notice his slip of words until he’d spot the blush you’re sporting 

but he’d be the ever so smooth RM and move your interlaced hands up to his lips

kissing the back of your hand gently

“You didn’t think I’d ever let you go, right?” 

The smirk on his face would be so smug 

the love in his eyes evident, however 

He is WEAK for your aegyo 

You know that thing he does when he’s shy or overly happy? 

Where he squeezes his eyes shut and just SMILES 

YEAH EXACTLY THAT

He does that a lot around you

And he can’t say no to you when you do your aegyo on him

it works

every

single

time 

“Please, let's watch Mulan.”

“But we just watched it last week.”

“Puwease.”

He’d hide behind his hands all shy and so bashful and it’d end up with the two of you cuddled up on the couch, watching Mulan yet again 

He wouldn’t even complain because how could he?

You’re happy, your eyes are sparkling like the most beautiful diamonds with a smile on your pretty lips while you’re all cuddled up to him like a koala

Snacks and beverages scattered around you 

The lights dimmed 

The movie playing

This must be heaven, he thinks

He doesn’t need much 

Just the right company in a nice environment can work a long way 

And you are the best company there is 

His inner batteries would recharge fully 

The fluttering and shimmying feeling taking a hold of his insides

His inspiration circulating through him

The motivation burning under his fingers 

You’d be the reason why he wants to be a better person every day

He wants to grow and learn

Make a step forward every single day, no matter how small

and he’d take you with him

He’d support you like nobody else

Sitting down with you and talking about the things you want to achieve 

And helping you make them become true

Sure, hardships are inevitable, fights sometimes can’t be avoided 

but it’s about handling them and dealing with them

and he’d always talk things out with you

Trying to solve the underlying problems 

You’d be a team like nobody else

All the members would be jealous of you (in a good sense though)

They’d be so glad their precious leader found someone who’s so compatible with him and goes to such great lengths to make him a better person 

“Behind every great man, there stands a woman”

You’d be that literal woman, helping him through everything 

From minor things like bringing him food up the way to listening to the deepest sorrows and worries 

Knowing he can rely on you in every matter would make him so much greater and powerful

He’d be so much more focused on letting other’s feel what you make him feel

and so, you’d become his muse

You’d be the love standing behind every single song of his

You’d be the inspiration behind every lyric 

You’re the reason he’s thriving even harder 

Just imagining your heartfelt smile would let the creativity run wild in him 

His thoughts somersaulting as his fingers are way too slow to keep up with the speed the words are coming up with 

He’d be in the best mood when things at work would work out

and to think that he’s so blessed to come home to you

He is the type of person to bring you little presents after coming home from work

be it food so that you don’t have to cook (even though he loves your home cooked food more than anything)

or a little keychain that he thought was cute 

Or even a blossom that fell off just as he crossed underneath the cherry tree that was in full bloom 

“The beauty reminded me of you; the only difference is, you’re not transient because I will never let you go.” 

He’s so cheesy and he is not even sorry for it

He will make you feel all the love he holds for you and he is not ashamed of it 

He is a very gentle and loving person 

and he will worship you

All of you, at all times 

His touches will be so tender 

And he will murmur and whisper so many praises against your skin 

He will kiss you, leaving warm flames in their wake as he maps your body out in a pace that can only be called slow 

His warm hands will make you feel so safe 

He will love you so thoroughly and will put you over himself always because that’s simply how he is 

For him pleasure is all about intimacy, holding your hands, looking into your eyes, whispering warm words, kisses 

just getting lost in each other and becoming one 

Ecstasy in the softest way 

The love will be so pure and unfiltered 

So real 

He will always prioritize you 

All in all, Kim Namjoon is simply the most perfect smol bean the face of earth has ever seen 

-

Admin Moonie 🌙

[faunusrights]

OFFAL HUNT REMASTERED LIVEBLOG // CHAPTER 18

IN THIS EPISODE OF ROBLOX OOF NOISE:

“Yes.” Glynda couldn’t hang up, not without: “I’m—I’m sorry. About what I—”

“It’s alright. I’ll talk to you soon.”

“Okay—” The feed cut. Softly, Glynda said again, “Okay.”

GLYNDA DISCOVERS WHY BEING CINDER FALL SUCKS

do u know how hard it is to wake up and play animal crossing whilst knowing this chapter looms over yr shoulder,

OKAY HERE WE GO

She was fidgety; even Cinder mentioned her pacing, shooting a critical eye her way. Glynda sat, intent on stillness; moments later, Cinder mentioned her bouncing leg.

i LOVE it when a chapter calls me out just right out of the gate hahaha who gave u the right

"Really?" How long had they been doing that? How long ago had Cinder noticed? "Should I stay?"

cinder: maybe i should tell glynda abt that /see glynda pacing a dent into the floor cinder: ooooooor i could. NOT give her an excuse to bully them for something to do,

On her way down the street, Glynda couldn't help but stare at the car, its tinted windows revealing nothing within. As she passed it, she kept glancing over her shoulder, expecting an attack or something. But nothing came of it.

HJGDFSGSDFHKGHJDF GLYNDA,,,,,,,,,,, can u imagine being in the white fang, and sittin in yr fuckin. TINTED WINDOWED like BULLETPROOF CAR and yr sat on yr ass watching out for cinder “dumbass” fall and suddenly glynda goodwitch, The Top Bitch, comes out and starts GLARING YR CAR DOWN,,, like ah. i think she knows we’re here. hrm. hm.

i would just like. drive to mcdonalds and get some nuggies at that point.

She had a clutch of flash-images and a wash of emotions and impressions, the raw materials of memory, stored as-is without refining. She was quite used to that—most of her missions were hazy and rough in her memory, mere sketches of events.

i cant wait for glynda to become a vlogger if only so she can actually have physical proof of whatever the fuck happens whenever she goes out and about. get her a go-pro.

It told her: despite her restlessness, despite the arduous journey here, and despite the way Vale seemed to call for her from somewhere beyond the horizon, she felt quite content to be where she was.

the difference having a gf has huh,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, u got a whole ass home (being cased by the fang) a real nice city to live in (its floating and atlas wants yr number) a bunch of unread msgs (from a [redacted] who [redacted]) and its a nice day!!! its all coming together. but probably not for very long,

(i got very distracted at this point making a line graph for the animal crossing stalk market so here we go, x2 edition,)

That meant the nightlife would soon begin. She had never liked crowds; too many people, too much input at once. It was hard to focus, to be comfortable.

/chefs kiss

autistic glynda did u kno: id die for u,

Since she’d blocked Ozpin’s number, there was no chance of receiving anything directly from him—but there was still a moment of pause each time she checked her Scroll, as if expecting his smiling face to appear somehow.

OH YEAH LMAO SHE DID THAT SHIT HUH,,,,,,,,,, i still cannot BELIEVE that happened. GOD. cant wait for this to bite her entire ass right off her body,

By the time she reached the top landing, Winter had replied: “I wasn’t aware that you had additional support on this mission, Professor. I will need their full name and Hunter’s license number.”

To answer Cinder Fall and she doesn’t have a license, but she does have several warrants for her arrest felt like inviting Winter to question not only her integrity, but her sanity as well.

SDHGJFKSKGHDJFGJHDKF i cant say what makes this funnier because 👈😎👈 but HOHOHOHOOOOO could u imagine the fallout if she did just, say that shit. if we just went and fuckin said it like it was no biggie--

Finally, Glynda let her shoulders relax, exhaling deeply, like she would before rushing a Grimm. She wrote it plainly: “The clearance is for Cinder Fall.”

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOHAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

MA’AM WHAT THE F U C K

winter rn:

She’d just have to wriggle her way out of having to talk face-to-face, then return the game to a field she felt slightly more comfortable with: text.

okay this is so funny to me cause i just keep thinking of her sending ‘no reason’ to oz. a MASTER of textual conversion. un fucking PARALLELED in this field, UNRIVALLED,

Glynda tossed a look at the door as well, her mouth pulling into a line; what if Cinder came outside? What if—

Could Winter track her exact position using her Scroll signal? She minimized the projection of Winter’s face and hurried off in a random direction the instant she hit the bottom of the stairs.

i LOVE these two because this is the first time we’ve rly seen glynda like. Actively do smthng to defend cinder in this sort of way? she’s been pretty passivve abt letting cinder take the lead when theyre together but on her own shes thinking of all the contingencies to make sure winter cant find cinder and u know what. thats gay. what will u do for yr not-gf when yr talking to someone who would kick her ass in a hot second,

also im TAKING to grab choice lines here to comment upon but honestly this next section is SO GOOD that im rly struggling to find a line to encapsulate how much i am LOVING this convo. i cant say exactly WHY im loving it because again thats 👈😎👈 BUT KNOW THAT THIS IS VERY GOOD FOOD AND I AM ENJOYING IT. and im also enjoying this line a lot

Winter’s voice was decisive: “Professor, if you hang up on me, I am flying to your location—tonight.”

winter: if y’all dont shut the fuck up back there i am turning this car, city, and continent AROUND,

It was the same thing, over and over: people didn’t understand her and she didn’t understand them. It was an exercise in futility that only gave her grief. In the end, she gave up on trying to explain herself. She resigned to being wrong, to always being wrong, even when she knew she wasn’t.

OOF OKAY WHAT THE HELL IS UP W/ THIS FIC AND CALLOUTS. HUH??? ME BITCH!!! I FEEL THAT!! AND IT SUCKS,

/reads the next bit

oh are we donning our tinfoil hats? we’re donning our tinfoil hats.

It was so easy. Glynda didn’t stumble over her words even once; didn’t waver. She was built for doing harm. Her anger burned hot and clean; it excised all the hurt like a malignant tumor.

Maybe she really had learned something from Cinder—channeling her frustration, her guilt, her pain, all of it into anger like this was something Glynda was new to. But it felt good. She leaned into it, letting it take the reins; the distressing memories vanished like wisps of smoke, vaporized by the heat of her wrath.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOH YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSS god this is. SO EXCITING. i also love it when ppl rub off one one another its my FAV thing in the WORLD and this anger is. WOO. this anger is. DANDY. its also a very short-term burst of pleasure glynda so enjoy that hollowed-out whoopsie feeling that i sure get when i Blow Up,

“She butchered my friend!” Winter snarled, the camera shaking as she slapped the desk. “She butchered my friend in the streets like he was cattle! And I have done everything in my power to help you! Everything! To keep her from doing the same to you, and you’ve blown me off or lied or—” Winter’s voice snagged. “And now you tell me—you accuse me—”

It was early evening in Umbraroot, but it must already be night in Atlas. The shadows revealed the unclean angles of Winter’s face: the bruises of exhaustion under her eyes, the lines of stress at the corners of her mouth.

im sorry im just copy-pasting wholesale at this point but OH this is GOOD. i cant rly explain. like. the difference-- because you’d think from the og version this is just a bit more flavouring right? its like getting a bit of hot sauce on yr chicken wings and yr like ‘okay it adds smthng but its not like a side meal’ BUT IT IS A SIDE MEAL this is like a whole basket of fuckin. cheese-baked fries. winter DESERVES this screentime she DESERVES to have presence in this fic and OH does she USE IT im LIVINGGGGGGGGGGGGGGGG

Glynda wanted anger. She wanted fire and brimstone. She wanted a fight.

What she got was the glisten of tears on pale lashes. A hand covering Winter’s trembling mouth.

The ashy taste of remorse in her throat.

THERES THAT HOLLOWED-OUT WHOOPSIE FEELING!!!!!!!!!!!!! THERE IT IS RIGHT ON TIME. its like CLOCKWORK,

She didn’t have anything. Nothing against that. The possibility that Winter might truly care what happened to her had been so insignificantly small and easy to trample. She had forgotten about the losses Winter shouldered the moment Cinder had whispered inheritance.

it’s just like clockwork,

also this chapter feels lengthy but maybe its just cause i got distracted with animal crossing so ill have to do a wordcount check at the end

/checks

no its lengthy this is a thicc one,

“I know,” Glynda said. “I know. I know how this sounds. But she’s the only person who makes me feel like—like I make sense.” In her mind, Glynda lay in the darkness of Cinder’s bedroom, watching the glaze of streetlights along her lips as she said you.

you,,,,,,,,, we,,,,,,,,,,,, our,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,, its all that gay shit,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

“If I’ve learned anything, it’s that Cinder Fall is a tremendous liar. She could convince you it is raining in Vacuo, given enough time. Two years ago, I was working on the Argus base, where I met her as a client; she told me she was a merchant seeking entrance into Atlas—she had all her documents in order, her entire persona set up, and she sold it perfectly. She was flawless—and all of it was fake. She gave me no reason to doubt her. She was—”

Winter cut herself off, abruptly. Then: “Once I was comfortable and safe, she burned down my office and murdered my friend.”

YES,,, SLOWLY THE LORE PIECES TOGETHER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! winter is once bitten twice shy, but mayhaps we mean,,, once burnt,,,, twice shy,,,,,,,,,, hrmmmm,

Glynda told Winter everything.

OH MAN,,,, we’re really getting this messy fucking trio up in this bitch i am SO excited. i am THRILLED. here! we! go!!!!!!!!!! also i said it before but again im so glad winter gets to Be Here for this. sure this has nothing to do w/ her destiny or w/e but shes here now. shes in the uber. she waiting outside.

The dying potted plant Glynda had spotted last time on the back wall’s shelf had been replaced with a new one; this one’s leaves were beginning to shrivel at the ends.

dsfjhhkljsdf side note: is this like that scene in finding nemo where all the new fish see the niece and go ‘oh no we’re gonna die’ but instead its plants getting taken into winters office? they go ‘im sorry, mate, but once you go into her office, you come out TOTALLY dead,’

okay so this whole convo happened and if i try to pick one section ill end up picking it all AAAAAAAAAAAAAA im dying out here. WINTER BLEASE,,, BELIEVE THAT SOMETIMES CINDER CAN TELL A HALF-LIE. A SORTA-TRUTH. A SEMI-HEMI-DEMI HONESTY,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

How different would that mission have gone? How different would her life have been?

She found herself saying, “He had so many chances to tell me. Instead, he let me think I was reckless. That I was a danger to other people. I stopped working in teams. I didn’t have many people in my life to begin with, but afterwards was worse. He saw to it that he was all I had, and he let me think it was my fault.”

ROBLOXOOFNOISEDISTORTEDWITHDELAY.MP4

OOF!!!!!!! O O F!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! honestly OOF that shit HURTS BITCH!!!!!!! thats BANANAS. WILD. im also loving (hating???) the increase of painful glynda lore and honestly everyone feels like they have So Much More that builds them up and im THRIVING off it. im also suffering for it.

With the video feed closed, Glynda could see she had new notifications. Missed calls. From Cinder.

Glynda’s stomach lurched. She stowed her Scroll before she could think about them.

At the mouth of the alley, she could see the shape of Cinder’s apartment in the distance. She stood there for a long time, staring, uncertain what to do with her hands, unsure what to do with her heart. Her jaw flexed. She remembered the tears on Winter’s lashes. The friend she’d lost.

Glynda took her first step toward the apartment.

AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA and so the soft domestic shit ends. but nowhere near as explosively as id thought???????? HUH. H U H. must b because we’re gearing up for smthng honk honk honk

ANYWAY!!!!!!!!!!! AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA. this chap was SO good its astonishing (despite the [several] times i got distracted by animal crossing rip me). WINTER!!!!!!!! BABY!!!!!!!!!!!!! i cant believe this disaster trio is coming together. also cant wait for glynda to tell cinder the shit she just pulled. oh no,

(also the wordcount was 5,931. just in case u were curious)

[b-skarsgard]

Bill Skarsgård is on his feet, furiously pumping his arms back and forth. Standing 6-foot-4, he could cover a lot of ground if he wanted to, but he’s channeling a specific 5-year-old at play here.

We are talking about picking up other people’s physicalities and incorporating bits and pieces of them into his characters when he shoots up to demonstrate his bag of tricks. Standing in the open space of an Upper West Side home’s library, he brings his shoulders up to his ears, keeping the energy in his top half akin to a runner sprinting to his finish line, while from the waist down he appears more as a slow loris than Sonic the Hedgehog.

“That’s my little brother [Ossian],” Skarsgård says with a laugh, explaining the movement’s inspiration. “He’s 10 now, but when he was 4 or 5, he had a really funny way of running. You ever see kids do this? It’s the funniest thing ever.” Funny, sure, but when done by someone of the actor’s stature, slightly bewildering and creepy. “If you look at Pennywise,” he says, “Pennywise does this.”

Skarsgård is, of course, referring to his biggest role to date: Stephen King’s clown creation at the center of the “It” film franchise. As the evil entity known for eating children alive, Skarsgård has taken Pennywise the Dancing Clown—first imagined in King’s 1986 behemoth novel before being brought to the screen by Tim Curry in a campy 1990 miniseries—and morphed him into a truly terrifying being who brings into vivid clarity just how scary circus attire can be.

In case you somehow missed it, “It” premiered in 2017 and quickly became a pop culture phenomenon, grossing $700 million worldwide and breaking the record for the highest-grossing horror film of all time. It inspired Halloween costumes, “Saturday Night Live” spoofs, and a whole new generation of genre fans who will never look at red balloons the same way again.

Skarsgård and his cast—which includes kid co-stars Finn Wolfhard (“Stranger Things”), Jaeden Martell (“Masters of Sex”), Sophia Lillis (“Sharp Objects”), and a standout Jack Dylan Grazer (“Shazam!”), plus their adult counterparts Bill Hader, James McAvoy, Jessica Chastain, and James Ransone, respectively—are hoping to catch lightning in a bottle once more this September with “It Chapter Two.” Picking up 27 years after the first film and Pennywise’s apparent—but temporary—defeat at the hands of the Losers Club, the film is another chance for Skarsgård to showcase the impressive physicality and personality he brought to Round 1.

Just minutes into a conversation with the actor—and after that performance of a 5-year-old running—it’s clear his calculated character work is thanks to a keen sense of observation. Take the Swede’s analysis of Scandinavian cities, for instance: His hometown of Stockholm is not as laid-back as Copenhagen, which by comparison feels more European. Having been raised in Sweden to a family of acting royalty—Stellan Skarsgård (an Emmy nominee this year for “Chernobyl”) is his father and Alexander Skarsgård (Emmy winner for “Big Little Lies”) is his brother—he recalls his people as more serious, the type to follow rules and structure.

His observations let him steal tangible details and tics from strangers, friends, family, and cultures, pulling them into the people (and, in the case of “It,” evil entities) he plays.

“Sometimes I even do it subconsciously, where I do something in a scene and I’m like, Wait a minute, that’s the guy from the subway. I saw this guy and I thought he was weird. Now I just did it in a scene,” he says, getting excited. “I fucking love when it happens so much because it’s literally happening in the moment.”

He’s not Method in his acting, but Skarsgård’s approach certainly feels all-encompassing. He has the capacity to go so deep that he makes it a point to draw clear boundaries for himself; during the audition process, he consciously avoids getting too attached to the role, limiting his prep work to memorizing the sides and making a strong, well-thought-out choice about the character he’s playing.

“You can prepare as much as you want—prepare in terms of the scene or think about the character, but the research I put into a role is emotional, especially if I have a book to read about it,” he says. “The ‘It’ book is a really particular one, but usually, [if] you read about the character, delving much deeper into who [they are], you start getting emotionally attached. You can get emotionally attached to a character without doing much research at all. It’s just shitty when you don’t book it... For me, when I book it is when I let myself go [and] really feel safe to emotionally give so much of myself to it.”

His wariness is understandable when you look at his résumé. Life for any actor naturally ebbs and flows between bookings and rejections, but that’s amplified for an actor like Skarsgård, who has built a career on playing brooding types often living in dire circumstances. His breakout role stateside was as vampire Roman Godfrey on Netflix’s “Hemlock Grove” before going on to play a character in the third installment of the post-apocalyptic “Divergent” series and then a mysterious inmate who’s been theorized to be the actual devil in another Stephen King-inspired screen project, “Castle Rock.” It’s not exactly light fare, and diving into those psyches unnecessarily could become detrimental.

“I like living by [the motto] ‘It is what it is’; you adapt and you’re spontaneous and you change things,” Skarsgård says when asked if he adheres to any specific technique to capture the characters he plays. “My life is not very structured or organized to begin with, and that obviously bleeds into the work that I do.”

It’s the spontaneity of his choices onscreen, too, that makes the 29-year-old so fun to watch, particularly as Pennywise. Two of his contributions to the final incarnation of Pennywise’s appearance include the cartoonishly pointed bottom lip—a thing Skarsgård can really do with his mouth, something he says he’s never seen anyone other than his family members do—and Pennywise’s walleyed stare, in which one of his pupils wanders off to the side while the other stays firmly focused on you.

Physically, the role is demanding, requiring him to yell, shake, and contort his face in ways that leave him exhausted; that’s not to mention the hours spent sitting in hair and makeup. “You have glue all over your face; there’s paint. Your hair is up in [a skullcap]—it’s itching. There’s, like, a foam head on top of it.” To put it mildly, “It” and its sequel are unlike any of Skarsgård’s other acting experiences. For myriad reasons, it lacked the give and take of more traditional projects. He had to be at “150 percent intensity” whenever the camera was on him. “A lot of the stuff I do sometimes is literally like”—he makes a gurgling sound like a chainsaw underwater. “It’s like one big jump scare, charging the camera screaming and shaking my head violently. There’s never a scene where you’re just chilling.”

The final product is an amalgamation of script work, Skarsgård’s own imagination, and King’s classic novel, which he leaned on more than usual since the script, told from the perspective of the film’s child leads, necessarily left out Pennywise’s perspective. He also used YouTube to watch videos of mimes, hyenas, baboons, and monkeys, using elements from each to piece together the way Pennywise moves through space.

With all the information he’s gathered from his prep process at his fingertips, the on-set experience becomes about playing to the truth of the scene and the “essence of what the character is at that point.”

“You completely intellectualize the character,” he explains about the early stages of figuring out the person he’s playing. “Who is this guy psychologically? Why is he acting this way? What is his relationship with the world and the people closest to him? The way I do it is objectively going out and studying him separately from me. Observing him, judging him, understanding him, and sympathizing with him.”

He admits to developing a fondness for Pennywise, who refused to vacate his mental premises even after the film wrapped. “You go with a character and you think about that character obsessively for a very long time, and then overnight there’s nothing left to think about,” he says. The uncoupling manifested itself in his dreams, where he sometimes was Pennywise and sometimes was talking to Pennywise, upset that he was somewhere he wasn’t supposed to be. “And then I wake up and I’m like, that was kind of sweet.” It’s the kind of affection only an actor who has lovingly pieced together a character over four years can have for something so objectively sinister.

But no matter the role—or its wickedness—we relish the moment Skarsgård stands up to show us what he’s found today.

[sweetlangdon]

Lights (Michael Langdon x Reader)

Notes: Just some Christmas inspired fluff with a dash of angst. AU from “Sojourn.” Also features Michael with reader’s adorable black cat.

Word Count: 3k

When you bring up the idea of celebrating Christmas, Michael wrinkles his nose at you. It’s an endearing expression, you think, as he peers up at you from the floor, a few golden curls hanging in front of his eyes, his fingers dragging absently through your cat’s inky black fur. It’d be downright adorable if he wasn’t indignant and half-disgusted by the mere thought. You wonder if it’s a little ridiculous to even suggest it.

You’re well aware of who and what Michael is.

Two days after you’d found him wandering around Los Angeles starving and exhausted—broken, you thought at first, beyond repair—the truth had come tumbling out. The truth should’ve changed your thoughts about him, should’ve made you toss him back out into the streets for fear of your life. But here you are, months later, the two of you coexisting in your tiny apartment because you couldn’t see past that sad, lost look in those bright blue eyes.

It’s still there, sometimes, and you wish you could do more to make it go away. You don’t know how to help him; you wonder if a stable roof over Michael’s head and food and companionship is enough to keep that dark spot on his soul from taking over. You can only hope that it is.

“What?” you ask, a hand on your hip.

Your cat flops over on his back in Michael’s lap, paws kneading the air, eyes closing as Michael scratches under his chin. The cat loves Michael—more than you, most of the time, and you’re not exactly sure who you’re most jealous of at this point. It’s hard to admit that you might even be jealous at all.

The cat has kept a new schedule since Michael moved in. You’ve found him trailing Michael from room to room, or curled up in the same chair while the two of you watch TV. Most nights he sleeps on Michael’s pillow or tucked against his chest and you wish you had a more comfortable bed to offer him than the fold-out couch. It’s good that he has some sort of companion to keep him occupied while you’re at work. If it wasn’t for the cat, who Michael adores, you’d still be afraid of coming home to an empty apartment.

“I can’t celebrate Christmas,” he says. His voice is soft, almost quiet.

You want to ask why, but before the question even leaves your mouth, Michael stares at you, hard. His face is caught between a glare and pure sarcasm, the corner of his mouth quirked upward.

You roll your eyes. “Michael…”

“I can’t.” He shakes his head, and your gaze lingers on the way his cherubic curls bounce. There’s a longing in his eyes that he won’t admit to. “I just…I can’t.”

Your eyebrows pull together as you frown. “Who says? I mean, you can make your own decisions now. You walked away from all of that, right?” For the past few months, the two of you had been slowly working on unlearning all of the toxic bullshit Michael had had fed to him from the people in his life. It was an ongoing process you weren’t sure you were qualified to handle.

“What do you want?” That was always your most important question to him, something you always had to remind him of. “And we won’t even think about the whole religious thing, either. I’ve never been into that part of it. But I like the decorations and the festivities and the gift giving. I…thought that it might be fun for us. You’d get to watch the cat try to destroy the tree.” You laugh, and Michael’s smirk broadens just a little as he glances down at the fur ball in his lap. “Will you? …Maybe?”

He considers it. You think maybe you’ve lost this fight, and it spirals into a line of thinking that you don’t want to acknowledge, as paranoid as it sounds. A future where he continues to drift away from you and into a life that you know he doesn’t want, even though he won’t admit it. A future that ends in fire and chaos and the apocalypse. You’re trying so hard to help him embrace his humanity, little by little, wherever you can.

Michael rakes his slender fingers through your cat’s fur. The cat’s fully asleep now, head settled on Michael’s knee, blending in with Michael’s black pants except for the tooth that sticks out of his mouth. He sighs, and you’re not sure if it’s one of some kind of relief. He’s exhausted in ways you can’t even understand, but you think that possibly, the burden on his shoulders has started to wither away a bit.

“All right,” he concedes.

You buy him an ugly Christmas sweater. It’s an impulse that you don’t bother to control, partially fueled by your insomnia. There’s a few minutes where you manage to track down one with an inverted pentagram, and another that actually says Hail Satan, but you decide against it. That would ruin weeks’ worth of progress. It’s the last thing you want, no matter how much your sleep-deprived, 3:00 AM brain thinks a Satanic Christmas sweater is kind of funny.

Michael physically recoils away from it when you present it to him, with horrified, wide eyes and one vehement shake of his head. You feel a little awful for laughing at the look of terror on his face and hold it up between the two of you to admire its loud green and red pattern adorned with glitter and lights that actually work.

“No.”

You turn on the lights with a press of your thumb. “It lights up.”

“I can see that,” Michael answers, so deadpan that you almost can’t contain yourself. “I’m still not wearing it.”

“It’s an embarrassing tradition.”

You toss the ugly sweater straight into his chest. He doesn’t move out of the way like you expect, catching it before it topples onto the floor. And for just a moment you’re hopeful, until he throws the sweater onto the couch and crosses his arms over his chest like a petulant, stubborn child. With his chin tilted up and everything.

“No fucking way,” Michael tells you, and that’s the end of that.

He helps you dig out the plastic Christmas tree from the back of the hall closet. The two of you wade through boxes and things you’ve somehow hoarded and can’t seem to get rid of to unearth a dented box held together at the seams with duct tape. Michael carries it into the living room, and while he’s struggling to break through an obscene amount of duct tape and keep the cat from getting in the way, you creep up behind him. You’re armed with a Santa hat identical to the one you’re wearing with your adorably ugly Christmas sweater. And you push it down onto his head, over those gorgeous, soft curls, with just a hint of satisfaction.

It takes him a moment to realize what’s happened, kneeling there on the floor amid a mess of tangled duct tape that the cat’s now chewing on. You watch his eyes move upward, eyebrows inching toward his hairline. The what the fuck expression that overtakes his face has you in a fit of giggles.

“It looks good on you,” you tell him.

He’s not impressed. He’s actually scowling at you. “This is ridiculous.”

“No one’s gonna see you wearing it…” You kneel on the other side of the box and contemplate the fake branches poking out of the ripped seams.

Michael plucks the hat off his head, though there’s a trace of that smirk on his lips that makes you believe he’s doing this just to fuck with you. “No.”

You wonder if he knows any other words.

The two of you manage to assemble the tree in record time, Michael always a step ahead, eyes narrowed in concentration even as the cat winds around his ankles. You’ve only had to tug the cat out of the branches twice so far, which seems to be another new record. You work in companionable silence, which is enough; you’re just glad that your holiday antics haven’t chased him off yet.

You grimace as you settle the box of decorations onto the floor. The cat puts his two front paws on one edge of the box, nosing at the mess of lights inside. At least the glass ornaments are intact, packed safely in their individual boxes. You wonder why you still buy glass ornaments with the cat around. Michael grabs him before he can get his sharp little teeth around a strand of lights, and the cat braces himself comfortably against Michael’s shoulder. Something inside you melts at the sight of their mutual, unspoken affection.

Michael regards the box with the same skepticism you feel. “Do any of those even work?”

You wince a little. “I guess we’ll find out.”

It takes you and Michael ages to untangle the lights. Both of you sit on the floor in front of the tree, knotted strands of multicolored lights in piles around your legs. Every two minutes, the cat tries to chew on them, and Michael has to brush him away with a wave of his hand and a pointed look. It’s a task that neither of you have the patience for.

The strand that Michael plugs into the power strip fails to light up. He groans, and his foot knocks into your knee as he flings the dead string of lights back into the box.

“How can you think this is fun?” he grouses. Michael sighs, and a stray curl that’s hanging over his forehead flutters. He looks even more adorable when he’s annoyed, but you keep that thought to yourself.

“This part sucks,” you agree. “It gets better, trust me.”

He gives you one of those sarcastic glares that you secretly love before he picks up an untested tangle of lights. When he plugs it in and every light glows, spilling red and green and blue and golden yellow and pink onto his pale skin, the triumphant grin that crosses his lips doesn’t go unnoticed. You think that maybe, slowly, he might warm up to some of your holiday traditions. After you’ve both successfully weeded out the broken strands from the ones that work, you start plugging them in. Michael watches you—and the cat, from the corner of his eye, as his mischievous paws try to swipe at the strands—twine the lights around the branches from the bottom up.

“You missed a spot.” When you turn around, Michael’s standing there with his head cocked to the side.

“Where?”

“Right there.”

You shoot him a glare for being unspecific and unhelpful, and he moves closer, that smirk making the corner of his lips curve and his eyes sparkle.

He points at a spot on the tree. “In the middle…no, not there…move to your right.” You’re fucking with him a little bit to lighten the mood. And now he’s grinning, so it’s mission accomplished. You like it when you’re able to soften his sharper edges.

“You do it, then.”

Michael’s shoulders drop, and he dips his head for a second in resignation before holding out his hand to accept the string of lights. Your fingertips brush his in the trade, a fleeting, gentle touch that makes the warmth of his skin linger on your own. He sets to work, and you take up the job of making sure the strands don’t get tangled or eaten by the cat. Michael drops into a crouch to fix the offending spot on the tree that you missed, then pulls himself up to his full height again to string the lights on the top half that you were never able to reach without a step ladder.

You start the delicate process of unboxing the ornaments and placing them on hooks. There will be a few causalities this year; you know this all too well from your cat’s prior Christmases, where he’s used the ornaments as toys. Next year, you decide you’ll buy plastic ornaments. Michael takes the ornaments from you with a cautious hand and begins to fill in the branches at the top. The lights reflect off their glittery, shiny gold and silver shapes, making the tree brighter. You work together to point out the empty branches or repeated colors. You feel Michael’s mood shift considerably; he’s softer, relaxed, a light in his eyes that had been very dim before. You think that maybe he’s even happy.

An ornament slips from your usually careful fingers and you gasp as you envision the crash that will follow, jagged pieces scattered all over the floor around your bare feet. But the ornament never reaches the floor. You watch the glittering, silver bulb float in the air until it’s eye level with you, your gaze flickering over to Michael. His hand is outstretched, palm facing upward, his fingers graceful and fluid. Aside from the one glimpse you’ve had of the mark behind his ear, it’s the only time you’re reminded that he’s not entirely human. It’s the first time you’ve seen the power you know he has in him used for good. He’s made the lights flicker and a few things break in your apartment before; all outbursts that he couldn’t seem to contain as something dark overpowered him.

This, though…this is soft.

You take the bulb from the air. “Thank you.” Michael nods.

Maybe there will be less ornament casualties this year.

You give Michael the honor of placing the star on top of the tree, and you’re surprised when he doesn’t protest. He stands on the tips of toes, even though you’ve offered the step ladder, which he stubbornly refused with an, “I’ve got it.”

While he’s grunting and perilously close to knocking a couple of ornaments loose from their branches, you think that there could have been a better solution to this. You figured he would’ve used his powers to make the job a bit easier, but his stubbornness knows no bounds. And you barely notice that he’s finally gotten the damn star on the branch because you were blatantly staring at the muscles of his lower abdomen that are now peeking out of the bottom of his shirt. You hope he doesn’t realize the blush on your cheeks.

“It’s crooked,” you say.

Michael stares at you as if you’ve committed some horrific offense. “It’s not crooked.”

From across the room, curled up on Michael’s discarded ugly Christmas sweater, the cat opens one eye to witness your bickering with mild interest.

“Yeah, it is,” you protest. “It’s clearly leaning to the side.”

“Fine.”

He grumbles some more, and you stare just a little longer, and finally, the star is straight. Michael’s hair is disheveled—you like it when he’s not so clean-cut—and his clothes are more rumpled now than when you first started decorating. He stands back from the tree, ice blue eyes sweeping over your combined efforts. He’s pleased, you think, and your breath catches just a little when you see his expression soften with an almost childlike sense of wonder.

As he’s preoccupied, you sneak away from his side to turn off the lights in the apartment. With the daylight already faded outside, the room is dark enough to appreciate the glow of the lights, the sparkle of the ornaments, and Michael’s silhouette in front of the tree. On your way back, you plug in a forgotten strand of lights that somehow actually function like they’re supposed to. You carry them with you, and while Michael is gaping at the tree with his mouth open a little, you twine the lights around his legs.

“The fuck are you doing?” His tone doesn’t have any of the bite you’d anticipated, instead laced with surprise and quite possibly a hint of amusement. One of his eyebrows lifts, and it’s there that you find the barest trace of cynicism.

“Decorating.”

You circle around him—really, really shocked that he hasn’t done anything to stop you, because you were expecting the lights to explode in a thousand different directions—until the lights are wrapped around him up to his chest, pinning his arms to his sides. Once you’re in front of him again, you tug him forward a little and plant a delicate kiss on the end of his nose.

Michael wrinkles his nose and offers a roll of his eyes in response, which you’d definitely been expecting.

He sighs. “Thank you.” His voice has gone quiet and soft again, and your heart breaks, because there’s no way he’s talking about the lights.

“For what?”

“For…trying.”

That smirk reappears for a second, and you almost wish he’d let you take a picture. The sharp lines of his cheekbones look even sharper in the dark, illuminated in glowing, bright colors.

“Thank you for putting up with me.”

You let go of the lights, and unravel them as Michael pushes them off. They fall into a pile around your feet, green and gold and red and blue skittering across the hardwood floor. As you’re about to step away from him, you feel Michael’s fingers at your wrist, and once you meet his eyes, he leans forward to press his lips to your forehead. It’s a quick, simple gesture, and it catches you entirely off-guard. You don’t say anything—you don’t want to ruin the moment—as the two of you stand at each other’s side in the dark and stare up at the tree. Your fingers lace between his and you’re pleased when he doesn’t let go. The cat wanders over, a pitch black shadow, and winds around your ankles.

You think maybe, for the first time, he’s jealous. And you’re okay with that.

[makeste]

BnHA Chapter 171: Knock Them Dead With Your Sound

Previously on BnHA: Deku and Mirio visited Eri in the hospital. Eri apologized for everything they went through in order to save her, particularly Mirio who lost his powers. Mirio told her it wasn’t her fault and that everyone was just glad she was safe, and they all wanted to see her smiling face. Eri tried to smile but couldn’t quite manage it. Deku racked his brain for ways to cheer her up, and struck on the idea of inviting her to the cultural festival. Aizawa said he’d need to ask the principal but that it could probably be arranged. After Mirio explained the concept, Eri agreed, saying that she wanted to get to know everyone better. We then cut to the police, who were watching a live broadcast of a convenience store robbery and trying to trace its source. The robber, a gentleman thief named -- wait for it -- Gentle, took out six heroes in the blink of an eye and then left without taking any money. He said he wanted his name to be etched into history, and as he met up with his accomplice afterwards, he pondered what his next great exploit should be.

Today on BnHA: We are properly introduced to Gentle and his social media-savvy adoring fan La Brava. Gentle specializes in “chivalrous crimes” that target corruption. However his recent videos haven’t been as popular, in part because Stain and the League of Villains have been stealing his thunder. Back at U.A., word begins to spread about class A’s band performance and dance program. Bakugou overhears some grumps complaining about how cocky 1-A is and how they’re the ones who “start all the conflict.” That evening the kids meet to hash out who will be in charge of what. Jirou needs a drummer, and it turns out Bakugou plays drums, but he’s pissed at the idea of being obligated to provide stress relief for the other departments. As he puts it, “we aren’t getting smacked down by the villains because we enjoy it.” Instead he reframes the whole thing as a battle, and vows to knock U.A. dead with his sound. I mean, whatever works I guess. Meanwhile Gentle reveals to La Brava that he’s planning a new stunt which will surpass anything Stain or the League has done: he plans to invade U.A.

(As always, all comments not marked with an ETA are my unspoiled reactions from my first readthrough of this chapter. I’ve read up through chapter 198 now, so any ETAs will reflect that.)

lol

LIVING LAWLESS. all about that THUG LIFE

okay so the narrator, whom I assume is Gentle, is talking about people who have left their marks on history

you’re telling me there’s a hero out there simply known as “Brave”? I know we already had a Mr. Brave, and I can tell you right now he has left his mark on absolutely nothing. so that means there’s another guy out there named Brave, so Mr. Brave, your hero name is even lamer than I thought. WHY DIDN’T YOU JUST GO WITH SPLIT END

ooooohh!

oh my god. I want to know everything about all of these guys right the fuck now. particularly Destro. “special abilities liberation army” sounds a lot like a Magneto type “mutant rights” type of thing. there’s an era that we still don’t know much about right after quirks first started appearing on the scene, and it fascinates me and I want to know more about what it was like. because I have some fic ideas about that time period tbh. Destro, I’m definitely making a note of you

so now the narration is talking about how before the present systems were established, the lines between heroes and villains were blurred and it was an age of chaos

honestly this all sounds incredibly badass, like a superpowered wild west

and Gentle seems to agree, saying it was an age of pure freedom

this guy really feels what he’s doing, huh

the gentle, soothing, cuddly criminal. when he’s not out doing Crime, he makes ASMR roleplays in his spare time. “sleep-inducing bank robbery 🌙 (whispered/soft-spoken)”

he’s walking over to La Brava now and she says that their account got deactivated “again”, so she just finished uploading all of their videos to a new account

fucking 2010s manga though, you guys!!

and apparently that narration was from his debut video, which she was rewatching and swooning over just now

so he’s going to finish his cup of tea and then they will get on to today’s filming

oh my fucking god

you don’t understand guys. he’s really a man of the people. he’s on your side! handing out punishments to “those who do not act gentlemanly.” protecting them all from the horrors of expired pudding

oh my god you guys La Brava is the cutest ever I swear to god

how is she so cute though??

she’s frustrated because the jstore robbery video didn’t get that many views

but Gent says they’re not in it for external validation

she’s really mad though because she says it’s been 6 years since he’s been active as “the villain of the media world”

and apparently when Stain came along and went viral he stole all their views

yes but you have to admit they are super compelling though. I miss them, actually. where are they

(ETA: for real, they’ve been way too quiet recently and it’s starting to make me pretty nervous)

did you read that car chase chapter, though. “spectacle” indeed

he says his style is the opposite of that, but nonetheless it can’t be denied that they have momentum

he says all of the 10,000+ comments on their videos concern that violent behavior

are you sure some of the comments aren’t also shipping Toga and Twice. or theorizing what’s up with Tomura’s hands. or talking about how badass Compress’s new metal arm is. honestly they have a lot going for them, man

lmao

WAY TOO MANY JUMP CUTS

I also agree with the guy saying La Brava deserves more of the spotlight. she’s so great

Gent is letting loose with a hearty laugh and says he won’t be discouraged though, and that his next project will surpass even theirs

that is a tall order, sir. Tomura’s most recent act was a great service to humanity. all I’m saying is, you better not hype me up like the last new villain only to let me down, because don’t even get me started on that shitshow

so La Brava is all excited and asking what the next project is, and Gent is responding with a bunch of cryptic bullshit

so I guess we’re going to find out more about the history of heroes and when they became an established thing, huh? I’m 1000% on board with this and I may actually be even more excited for this than for the upcoming class 1-A rave, negl. good job getting this manga back on track, Horikoshi!

(ETA: I’m so thick, he’s clearly just talking about U.A. here lol)

so now we’re cutting back to U.A. and Vlad (who I almost called “Brad” again, it’s been so long) is talking to Aizawa about the cultural fest, and he’s all “so I heard class A is doing a rave huh?”

interestingly, this seems to be one of the rare occasions where Aizawa doesn’t seem to be 100% on board with their hijinks

stfu Aizawa. what’s more admirable than a fucking rave

now we’re cutting to the always adorable children of class A who are excited to plan their festival program

and some shadowy person is coming up to Bakugou and is all “did you hear?”

oh no wait they’re not talking to him, they’re talking to each other about class A right in front of him

um, whoa

y’all trying to start some shit, huh? gonna talk shit about his class when they’re trying to do something fucking nice?? like it’s their fault they keep getting attacked by fucking villains? okay then. hey on an unrelated note, go fuck yourselves

so are these guys just assholes or is this really what the rest of the school in general really thinks? because I can see why they might not exactly have a favorable impression of them, truth be told. Bakugou’s stunts at the sports festival didn’t exactly paint them in the best light. and most likely everyone has made the connection between the kidnapping and Kamino and the student dorms. and probably it’s not much of a secret who the two kids who were caught fighting on Ground Beta after hours were, either. so yeah

but it’s still a dick move to come and do this right in front of him when he’s not bothering you or anything, so fuck you still, and I will come over there and fight you if I have to, don’t think I won’t

fuck. well anyway, while I’m here grumbling and trying to take deep, calming breaths, we’re cutting back to Heights Alliance, and Iida is taking charge of a planning session

first they need to decide on the music, so Jirou is suggesting genres

she says they really should be doing EDM if the intent is to play dance music, but on the other hand everyone seems set on playing instruments. lol it would be funny though if everyone took turns DJing

so she’s asking if anyone in class plays bass or drums, and is met with a dead silence

she says she plays guitar mainly, so her drumming is only so-so. and she says that if she has to teach a beginner how to play drums then one month is not going to be enough time

OH MY GOD

I don’t fully understand what’s happening but ARE YOU IN FACT IMPLYING THAT MY SON KATSUKI KNOWS HOW TO PLAY DRUMS OH MY GOD. KATSUKI ARE YOU GOING TO BE IN A ROCK BAND!?

apparently the answer to that question is YES because class A knows all too well exactly how to manipulate him

MASTER OF PUPPETS I’M PULLING YOUR STRIIIIIINGS

lmao and JUST LIKE THAT

TOO EASY

holy shit. and it seems like he actually does know what he’s doing as well. go figure, he is good at virtually everything after all

well, this is everything I never knew I wanted. good show. excuse me for a moment, I’m gonna go play Song 2 by Blur and wonder what the season 4 OST is gonna be like

now he’s trying to walk away again lol

this is really just an open invitation for someone to come up with a convincing enough reason for him to do it without losing face

although part of me also wonders if maybe he would just rather not be in the spotlight for once. especially after overhearing those JERKFACES from the department of GENERAL JERKS earlier

oh my god Jirou

come on Kacchan don’t you want to be a good person?!

oh shit now he’s going on a tangent

he says nothing’s going to come of it

ahhhhhhhh. I see. so it’s that he’s pissed off at the other departments and doesn’t feel like they deserve class A’s niceness

ahhhh but Jirou looks crushed ;_;

Hagakure is kind of awkwardly being all, “hey, c’mon...”

but Bakugou says that what they’re doing is just “indulging the enemy”

and when exactly did it become Us vs Them though, I wonder. like, if the other classes are the enemy, that implies that your class is Not The Enemy though, yes? aww

oh shit. ohhhhh shit

oh my. and I didn’t even order any Bakugou feels. “yes, we know,” Horikoshi says, holding out the delivery bag. “these are on the house. please accept our gratitude on account of being such a loyal customer”

oh shit you guys. so what do I even do with these. should I meta about them or should I just eat them while they’re still hot

lol, but yeah. “I didn’t ask to be kidnapped. we didn’t ask to be attacked.” people acting like it’s their fault and like they’re enjoying the attention. and maybe once upon a time he did want that, but it’s one thing to fantasize about being famous for being the number one bestest coolest hero, and quite another to wind up actually in the spotlight because you’re the kid who keeps getting attacked by sludge monsters and Villain Leagues. and then people act like you brought it on yourself because you were too cocky. especially when we know that on some level he does blame himself, so it stings all the more

so why should they go out of their way to try to support people like that? it’s almost like they’re apologizing to those assholes, and fuck that

mmm. [munching] so anyway let’s see where this leads

hahaha. what

oh my god this fucking kid

lol. okay so he is on board, then, but just to make it ABSOLUTELY CLEAR, he is not out to “support” anyone, but rather he is declaring war. via drums. that’s right

well hey, however you need to frame it! at the end of the day he has agreed to help, so!

the other kids seem to be on the same page as me lol

yep. WE’LL TAKE IT

JIROUUUUU

;_____; I LOVE YOU SO MUCH JIROU

and now we’re cutting back to Gent and OH MY GOD

CAN YOU PLEASE. NOT

JESUS CHRIST. CAN THEY NOT JUST HAVE JUST ONE FUCKING THING. LET BAKUGOU DECLARE A DRUM WAR AND LET JIROU SHARE HER MUSIC WITH EVERYONE AND LET ERI HAVE A GOOD “DATE” WITH HER DOTING BIG BROTHER MIRIO AND LET THEM JUST RELAX WITHOUT ANY VILLAIN ANTICS

goddammit. I mean like, Gentle’s idea of villainy would probably be to whip out a violin and challenge them to a classical battle of the bands. but even polite villain antics are really not going to be good for U.A.’s PR at the moment. and this guy films everything he does. and just. we don’t need this sob

BONUS:

everyone this is Agoyamato Tsutsutaka and Togeike Chikuchi. that’s literally all this is. just their names. did we really need to know this lol oh well